Chapter 30: Movements of Darkness

March 6, 8983

Endymion had never had the opportunity to be bored. He was the Crown Prince of Earth, the most important young noble on his admittedly primitive planet, so his days were filled with meetings, scheduled outings, and endless hours with his advisors, tutors, and lords. Today, however, he had sent them all away so he could have some time to himself in the silence of his private garden. His roses calmed his mind but did nothing to soothe the lonely pain in his heart.

Standing from his stone bench, the young prince marched through his rose bushes to the hidden transportation platform, stormy blue eyes narrowed in contemplation. He had been in contact with the Moon and the Queen for years through the communication center she had helped him update and keep running, but he had never dared to visit the silent silver satellite hanging in the clear blue sky. Steeling his resolve, Endymion stepped onto the platform that had carried his beloved princess away from him so many times.

"You're going to be late to Michiru's party."

"Nonsense," Setsuna replied, smiling as she finished her breakfast. "Everything is on schedule. My ship left Pluto a little while ago and is expected to arrive in orbit above Neptune by planetary midmorning. I will appear on the bridge and transport down with my maids and clothing in plenty of time to join the party."

"Will you spend the night there, on Triton?"

Setsuna nodded, running her fingers through her dark green hair. "I haven't spent enough time with my sister queens these past few decades, and I have to admit that I miss them. After what Haruka said to me at the meeting and after that dream I had about Nao, I'm feeling my humanity more than ever."

"Oh?" Serenity's eyebrows shot up into her hairline as she smirked at the dark queen. "The days you have spent with me didn't influence this at all?"

Setsuna grinned, more at ease in her lover's presence than she could ever remember feeling during her multiple lifetimes on Olympus among the gods. "I'm sure you have something to do with it."

A sharp knock on the door to Serenity's private chamber ended their conversation, the queen standing in confusion as she beckoned the visitor in. The door opened a crack, admitting Serenity's slender youngest maid, the girl bowing as she entered the opulent chamber. "Forgive me, Majesty, but your royal guards caught a man in the south wing of the palace, and he seems to be a foreigner."

"Seems to be? Parya, where is he now?"

"They have taken him to the Royal Guard Chamber in the lower level and have asked that you visit as soon as possible. He claims to know you."

Serenity sighed and dropped her head, walking out of her suite behind Parya, knowing that Setsuna's curiosity would encourage her to follow. The young servant led the queens to the central chamber for the Royal Guard, a room that doubled as a detention center in the rare occasion that the guards had a reason to hold someone for questioning. In the center of room, loosely attended by a trio of silver-garbed warriors, the young man who had been caught in the south wing was a dark, though regal, contrast to the pale and white-garbed Lunarians. His hair was black, a color almost never seen outside of the Plutonian and Saturnian populations, though his dark, stormy blue eyes were not that uncommon among the people of the Silver Millennium. His height and broad shoulders helped prove that he was a foreigner to the Moon, though such features might not stand out so much on Jupiter or Pluto. His dark armor and cloak were very clearly expensive, black with silver and gold accents, and the two-handed sword resting on the table across the room had been forged with care for a leader.

"You're not a royal of the Silver Millennium." Setsuna spoke before Serenity could, her voice oddly harsh. She almost recognized the man, but something was off about his hair color. The silver-haired queen glanced up at her lover, raising one eyebrow in reprimand, her dark-skinned partner relenting and backing away.

The man watched the silent exchange as a slow smile spread across his face, blue eyes lighting up in amusement. He chose to turn away from Setsuna's venomous gaze and focus on the woman who was clearly in charge, his royal training having prepared him for a meeting like this. "Well, Queen Serenity, I am glad to finally meet you in person. I wasn't expecting your lover to be so rude, however."

Setsuna moved forward before she even realized what she was doing, Serenity's hand on her arm bringing her back to reality. The queen smiled at her senshi, lavender eyes calm as she spoke to her guards without releasing Setsuna's gaze. "Leave us alone." The guards bowed and left, not questioning their queen's order. They did not need a reason or explanation, and they knew that the green-haired senshi of Pluto would protect Serenity if the strange man became a danger to the queen. As soon as the last guard left, Serenity released Setsuna's arm and turned back to the visitor, smiling gently at him. "How did you know?"

"I can see the way she looks at you. Besides, I hear that relationships among the queens of the Silver Millennium are incredibly common, if not well-known outside the various royal courts."

"True, but you are not a member of one of those courts. I don't recognize your armor pattern or your coloration."

The man shrugged and leaned back in his chair, arms behind his head. "No, I'm not, but I do know a lot about them. We've never technically met before, Queen Serenity, but we have exchanged hundreds of messages over the years."

Serenity smiled as she finally recognized the man, sensing Setsuna relax beside her in an instinctive response to her mood. "You're Endymion, aren't you? You're the Crown Prince of Earth." The senshi of Pluto berated herself in the privacy of her mind, irritated that she did not recognize him as the king in the vision of the future she had shared with the rest of the senshi on Titan, young Serenity's chosen.

"How did you get here?" Setsuna realized what she had asked and tilted her head at the young man. There was only one way for a mundane to travel from Earth to the Moon, a hidden transport system installed thousands of years earlier, which would explain why he was in the south wing of the palace. "Sorry, wrong question. Why would you want to come here?"

"He's looking for Serenity," the queen replied softy, remembering some of the many communications she had exchanged with the prince over the years. "We have discussed the possibility of a marriage to create an alliance between the Earth and the Moon in the hopes of bringing Earthlings into the Silver Millennium."

Endymion nodded, crossing his arms over his chest as he leaned back in the chair. "I'm not sure if you were aware, but Serenity has been visiting my private gardens for some time now, and she has agreed to this union."

"Yes, I know about your plans, and I know her reasons. I'm not sure where you got the idea for this union, however." The warrior's posture was still defensive, wary of the young human despite his likely presence in her future.

"It's time that we stop pretending that the Earth doesn't exist," Serenity replied. "They were a member of the Silver Millennium in the beginning, before all of the wars and before their princes lost so much power. Since Tranquility chose to breed sons instead of daughters, the power of the Earth Royal Line has fluctuated greatly over the centuries. Endymion here is the strongest son his lineage has ever created, and I think it is time to unite Earth and its Moon into a single kingdom, as the other planets have been unified over the centuries."

"The silver Moon will fall to the Earth in a harvest of desperate Ruin," Setsuna whispered, her voice dark and foreboding. "Perhaps an alliance between the two could keep the prophecy from coming to pass." She tilted her head as she regarded the young prince, crimson eyes narrowing slightly. "Serenity visiting your world is not the reason you came here today."

"No. Serenity told me that she was planning to visit Triton today for the Neptunian princess's birthday party and I was hoping that you could take me."

Setsuna's mouth fell open in shock at the man's words, at a loss for words. She gained control of her emotions almost instantly, but Endymion's smirk and Serenity's giggle proved that her lapse had not passed unobserved. She had been in this mortal form for far too long if she could no longer control her emotions. "You want to go to Triton? Prince, I can honestly say that no Earthling has visited the other planets in almost nine thousand years, and visits to the Moon have become almost non-existent. How can you expect to visit Triton and attend one of the most prestigious parties of the century?"

Endymion shrugged. "I expect that you have the ability to teleport with me and that I can pass as a noble from your world in order to gain entry. After I arrive, I would spend the party with Serenity and her senshi, and you won't have to worry about me anymore."

Setsuna turned to her queen, expecting the silver-haired woman to object to the prince's plan, but Serenity was slowly nodding. "If we are ever to bring the Earth into the Silver Millennium, we must begin to expect their royals to attend our highest functions. I think you should take Endymion with you, Se."

"Fine. I suppose if his presence makes your daughter happy, I will let him accompany me to Triton."

Dawn spread across the pale blue sands of Triton, diving into the turbulent sapphire seas and climbing the emerald cliffs before falling lazily across the courtyard of the imposing palace. Tall white and blue spires stared down at the morning light, daring the sunlight to peer into the crystal-paned windows, but eventually the dawn grew into morning and the light of the artificial sun roused even the deepest of sleepers.

Shousha stirred from her dreams, vague memories of her lost lover fading back into the dark recesses of her mind. Her blue eyes narrowing against the bright sunlight streaming through her silky curtains, she forced herself from her bed and glanced around her room, finding her morning tea and taking a sip before heading for her meeting room. Three of her servants and two of her ladies-in-waiting met her there, silently helping her out of her sleeping gown and into an underskirt and corset, Lady Juriko tightening the laces while Lady Miruma positioned Shousha's breasts. "Which dress did you choose to wear today, Majesty?"

"The seamstress delivered a silver and blue one last night."

Juriko walked out of the meeting room and into Shousha's study, finding the dress that had been delivered overnight and shaking it out. Returning to her queen, she helped Shousha into the garment, gesturing for Miruma to gather some appropriate jewelry while one of the servants brought a selection of crowns. Shousha considered her jewelry options while Miruma and one of the servants adjusted the hem of her gown, looking up at an unexpected knock on her door. Juriko headed into the main suite and opened the door a crack, conversing with the servant on the other side for a moment before nodding and returning to the queen. "We just received a message from Uranus announcing the impending arrival of the ten War Queens."

Shousha raised one eyebrow, remembering the displays of force Kazeko had loved to use when she visited other worlds. "How many ships are they bringing?"

"Each War Queen will bring only her own flagship and a moderate escort, according to the message. The ships from Venus and Mars will be here within the hour and Pluto's ship is expected an hour after that. The palaces of Saturn, Mercury, and Jupiter have not sent a definitive time for their ships to arrive, but we are expecting them to arrive within an hour of Pluto's."

"Have you arranged all of the guest rooms for them?"

"Yes, Majesty."

"Very well. As soon as we are finished here, go make sure that the chef is ready to provide a light lunch for our guests and that the dinner menu will be ready in time."

"Big day."

Michiru nodded, running a brush through her wavy hair, teal eyes distant. She heard the words that Haruka could not say out loud and felt her wife's mild trepidation whispering through their strengthening bond. "I'm not worried about the party or even about my mother, Ruka."

"But you are worried."

The Neptunian nodded, knowing that she could hide nothing from her wife. "Your plan is . . . audacious."

"You don't think it will work."

"Ruka, I want nothing more than for it to work, but it seems so strange. You're basing your analysis of the Planet Crystal situation on a single moment from your interaction with Uranus. It's a lot to be riding on something like that."

Haruka nodded and glanced away, wild bangs covering her blue-green eyes. "I know. But for that instant during our Kaniikh'cha, I knew how Nao could force her emotions on Uranus, and I knew why she wanted to. That's the key, Michi, and I know that it will work. It has to."

Michiru placed her brush back onto the small bedside table, silently gathering her beauty supplies and replacing them in her travel bag before speaking again. She rarely let her servants and ladies-in-waiting assist her in preparing for the day, preferring to live more simply than most princesses, even eschewing the usual servants offered to a princess visiting one of the worlds of the Silver Millennium. She also preferred to clean up after herself, a habit that had driven her servants and mother crazy on more than one occasion. "After today, Setsuna will know what we did. This will be our only chance to activate the crystals, won't it?"

"Yes."

"Then we will simply have to succeed."

Ami glared at the pile of luggage over the edge of her hand-held computer, sighing as she nudged a green and white bag to the side in order to count the trio of pink ones behind it. "Mako, could you at least pretend to pack neatly? Your bags are bulging too much for anything to sit safely on top of them. How do you expect us to get all of this onto the ship if nothing fits together?"

Makoto grinned at Ami's exasperation, glancing over her shoulder at the other princesses as she leaned back against the wall. "I'm sure everything will fit just fine. I'm pretty good at stacking bags and I'm certain I can organize these efficiently."

Ami turned and glared at the Jovian, sapphire eyes sparking with the closest thing to irritation that the petite princess had ever expressed. "After the mess you made of your bags, there is no way I am going to let you anywhere near the cargo bays. We have dozens of servants who are much better at organization than you."

"Jovians are nomadic, tribal people and we can certainly pack a bag."

Ami closed her computer and let it vanish, stepping forward and grabbing the front of Makoto's shirt, surprising the warrior and her fellow senshi. "Next time we go traveling, let the servants pack your bags."

"Or what?"

"Or you will be unpacking them in your own room."

"Ouch!" Makoto raised a hand to her heart, pouting as the other senshi began to chuckle. "You would do that to me, my sweet Ami? You would banish me from your presence?"

The blue-haired genius smiled, abandoning her aggressive posture as she leaned up and kissed her lover gently. "No, of course not."

Makoto wrapped her long arms around the Mercurian and leaned down for a longer kiss, the slightest moisture visible in the corner of her closed eyes. From the other side of the room, Haruka caught Rei's eyes, seeing a familiar steely darkness in those purple orbs.

"Makoto is stressed."

"Ami isn't doing so well, herself," Rei pointed out, keeping her voice low enough that Minako, Michiru, and Serenity couldn't hear her. They continued organizing the luggage and servants with the help of Miki and Laira, arguing over the placement of a few lumpy packages and something marked fragile that Minako had bought in the markets of Ariel the day before. "Mina, you, and I have met our gods. We touched them, impaled them, and kissed them and all of us felt that connection between them and the demigod parts of our souls. Makoto, Ami, and Michiru have never met their gods and now you're asking them to reach for something they don't understand. By Ares's Blade, I'm not sure I know what you're asking us to do."

Haruka hung her head, blonde bangs covering her emerald eyes. "We are sisters, the six of us, and we have a bond that none of us truly understand yet. When I met with Uranus, when she kissed me, I felt a similar connection with her, but far stronger and far older. Kazeko was my mother of my body, but Uranus was the mother of my soul, and I know that I can connect with her in the same way that Nao was able to. Tonight, when the time comes, I will know what to do and I will tell you."

The Martian ran her fingers through her fiery hair as she watched the other princesses, sensing her lover start to worry about something she may or may not have remembered to pack. "We trust you, Haruka." She couldn't think of anything else to say, but she knew that it wasn't needed. The Uranian only asked them to follow her as the rightful leader of the senshi and they would do their best.

"It's not a long flight to Neptune, but the captain has chosen to take the most scenic route possible. You should be happy that we get to see all of the moons of Uranus and Neptune before we teleport off the ship."

Minako looked up from necklace she had been admiring, tilting her head to the side. "Haruka, is Neptune still further from the sun than Pluto?"

"I have no idea. Ami?"

The genius glanced up from the book of prophecies, sapphire eyes distant for a moment as she calculated something so she could offer a response. "Yes, it is currently, but only for another year or two. However, they are not anywhere near each other so our trip will not take us past Setsuna's planet." Her eyes skimmed across the passage she had been reading one more time before she turned the page, sighing as she translated the title and moved on to the next page. "Some of these prophecies are so incredibly convoluted that I'm not sure I'm translating them correctly." She paused for a moment, something about her posture calling Makoto across the richly-appointed observation room. "This one . . . this prophecy is called Rebirth."

"That's the one! That's the prophecy Uranus told us to read." Haruka pushed herself out of her own chair and moved to stand beside Ami, emerald eyes scanning down the page across letters she could not hope to read. "What does it say?"

"Give me a moment. In Ancient Lunarian, this is written in verse and I would like to preserve the rhyme and meter as much as possible." Ami summoned her computer and typed something on it, frowning as she revised her notes before carefully closing the prophecy book and raising her eyes. "Look, I don't understand this, but I will read it to you nonetheless.

Never can cold darkness claim those born of god blood true

When evil screams, a light will shine to give them lives anew

The moon can fall and bodies break, but souls will slip away

And soldiers now will one day be reborn some peaceful day

"That's all there is."

Haruka leaned back in her seat, blue-green eyes distant as she considered the words, glancing at her wife seated beside the young genius. "That's a literal translation?"

"As literal as I can make it," Ami replied, narrowing her eyes at her computer, "though Ancient Lunarian only translates well into Ancient Plutonian which then must pass through modern Plutonian before I can get a decent rhyme and meter in Sol Standard. However, since this is the only prophecy in the entire book that refers to the six of us as children of the gods and Uranus recommended it to you after mentioning that she was the mother of your soul, I would say that this is the premonition you asked me to find."

"Is this prophecy saying that we are destined to die? And what does the part about the moon falling mean? It can't be literal since I doubt anyone has the power to knock the Earth's satellite out of orbit, and what is the light in the second line?"

"I think it could be the ginzuishou," Serenity offered, taking a small green data crystal from Ami and inserting it into the main computer in the observation room. "From the translations we have of the other prophecies, I would say that a light or the light is the most common image ascribed to my lineage's crystal."

"I agree with the princess," Michiru replied, glancing at the book in Ami's lap and the prophecies on the screen overhead. "If the light is the ginzuishou, then perhaps the evil that screams could be this darkness coming from the sun that we talked about on Titan. I would think that cold darkness refers to death, the end of our cycle, and the final line means that we will continue to be reborn regardless of the danger we face."

"Until when?" Minako kept her pale blue eyes locked on Michiru even as the other senshi turned to face her at the question. "If this prophecy only said that we will be reborn regardless of how or why we die just because we are soldiers with the blood of gods in our veins, then Uranus would never have bothered to point Haruka toward it. What is so important about these four lines is that they define the end of our duty." Shocked silence filled the chamber as Minako's words sank in, all seven princesses turning toward the projection screen as Ami's translation of Rebirth filled the air.

"Our duty will end when we are reborn during a time of peace?"

"No, Mako, that's not quite it," Ami corrected, closing the ancient book carefully as she took a deep breath. "Our cycle of rebirth will be completed when we create an era of peace. When the wars are over, our duty will finally be finished."

"Then what?"

"I don't know, Minako, but I would assume that we will not be soldiers anymore after that. I cannot speculate on what we would become."

"It doesn't matter what we become," Michiru whispered, sapphire eyes rising to meet her wife's brightening emerald, "as long as we don't have to fight anymore."

"Mercury sent three fleets?"

Meika glanced up from the tactical map floating in the center of the bridge, ignoring the disapproving scowl from her three generals as she addressed her husband. "It seems so. Amami wanted to make an entrance."

"She has never cared about that before," Meisha scoffed, accepting the explanation as he turned back toward the viewscreen and the dozens of ships marked with the symbol of the Mercury Royal Family floating serenely around Neptune. Each of the planets had been asked to keep their fleets orbiting a different moon, but the asteroid size of all of Neptune's secondary moons meant that most of the ships were clustered around the gas giant and her only notable satellite, Triton. The fleet admirals were trying desperately to coordinate the thousands of warships and escorts vying for position, but order was impossible among the largest peacetime gathering of capital ships ever seen above the large blue-green world. "How many fleets do you see from Venus?"

"Six," Meika murmured, tapping on the floating screen and ordering a redeployment of her forces with a simple wave of her hand. "And Mars has seven. Pluto only has one full fleet, but the Queen's ship is accompanied by seventeen escort cruisers. Saturn has five capital ships with twenty escort- or raider-sized ships accompanying each, and our five fleets brings the number of ships too high to safely navigate the space around Neptune and her moons."

"And Uranus?"

The Fleet Admiral, a grizzled veteran of hundreds of engagements both in space and on the ground, chuckled into his beard, running his fingers across the dark green tattoo on his cheek that marked him as a Warrior-Sage of the Lower Io Plains Tribe. "Majesty, the desert planet has sent all ten War Queens in Klihjhau-class warships, seven large battle cruisers and seventy smaller warships accompanying each one. There are also fifteen smaller war ships for the visiting Lesser War Queens, and the leader of the War Chiefs is also present."

"The Klihjhau-class is the largest group of war ships among the Silver Millennium fleets," Meika added, nodding as she finally found a place for her ships to orbit safely. "Each War Queen commands up to seventy battle cruisers, but the bulk of their fleets are scattered throughout the system protecting us from the darkness we saw in the vision on Titan. Still, this is the greatest show of force from Uranus in a while, and certainly the largest group of warships not led by a sitting queen." She checked the ship deployments reports from the other eight planets, convinced that this impressive show of force had not significantly diminished the ships that Haruka had ordered into the system to search for that darkness from the time knot. "The com traffic indicates that King Koshu, now identified only as Consort of Former Queen Kazeko, is among the visiting nobles."

"I thought he was out looking for his daughter?"

"No, he stopped that when the War Queens threatened to revolt once they realized that he had no way to find her. It seems that they managed to depose him, after all." Meika stepped away from the holographic display, trusting that her military leaders could find safe orbits for her ships as she took her husband's arm and led him off the bridge. "Let's get ready to fly down to Triton."

Haruka pulled at the bottom of her tunic, shaking her head at the seamstress. "It's still too loose," she grumbled, feeling the rich material rubbing against her bound breasts in an incredibly uncomfortable way. "Look, Miki and Laira are going to adjust it and give it to you to fix."

"I'm not sure that's the best idea, sir," the Neptunian replied, her dark eyes narrowed in annoyance. "Her Majesty instructed me to fashion your suit for the presentation, and I cannot leave such matters in untrained hands."

Michiru, having watched the trio of seamstresses work with her wife over the last hour, carefully rose from her plush blue couch and clasped her hands in front of her skirt. Her five ladies-in-waiting, recognizing their princess's anger, backed toward the edge of the room where the other senshi were lounging patiently. "If the three of you had any idea how to dress a Uranian, we wouldn't have to ask a War Queen and Lesser War Queen to assist you. However, since you are patently incapable of completing this task, you will leave and wait for one of my servants to bring you the tunic and jacket once Laira and Miki are finished."

"Highness, it wouldn't be appropriate—"

"For a Neptunian Lady and her equivalent from the Uranian court to finish what you started so poorly?" Michiru's soft voice was harsh, cutting through the seamstress's objections and silencing the room. Here, among her people, it was clear that she was bred to lead; her stance, voice, and gaze demanded instant obedience and allowed no room for argument. The lead seamstress seemed eager to continue the conversation, but Michiru tilted her head slightly and watched as the trio silently left the room. As soon as they were gone, Michiru's ladies relaxed, indicating to the senshi that the danger had passed while the Neptunian princess herself turned to her wife and smiled. "I'm sorry about all of this, Ruka. My mother sent those three in here to annoy me."

Haruka chuckled as she loosened the fasteners on her new tunic, fingering the rich fabric and metallic threading along the edges. "They've had to deal with your mother for the past two decades, Michi, and they're reacting to you as if you were her."

"I'm not her," the aquanette whispered, turning away from her wife, a strange sadness in her soft voice. "I never will be, no matter what happens." There was a soft conviction in her voice, as if she knew something about the future that she couldn't or wouldn't share with her friends. Haruka elected to ignore the comment, knowing that whatever was bothering her wife wasn't something the Neptunian was ready to discuss in public, but perhaps she would be willing to talk later.

One of Michiru's ladies-in-waiting, the eldest daughter of the Lord of Proteus, stepped forward, more comfortable around Michiru now that the queen's seamstresses were gone. "Michiru, I'm sure that we can finish the adjustments to your wife's tunic without needing to bother her war queens."

A shocked silence filled the room as the five ladies-in-waiting waited patiently for an answer, Michiru slowly turning back to face the group. "How did you know?"

Chinura smiled at her princess, her fellow ladies equally amused by the question. "We know that your partner must be a woman because you are undoubtedly a lesbian. Now, how did we know that you're a lesbian? Princess, the only person in the entire Neptunian Court in the dark about that is your mother, despite being one herself. She's so desperate for you to be 'normal' that she has ignored every sign over the past fourteen years."

"I am normal," Michiru replied, glancing at her fellow senshi proudly. "We are meant to be with our soul mates, and Haruka is mine. I hope Mother understands."

Chinura nodded as she moved forward, rolling up the sleeves of her simple day dress as she approached the taller Uranian, helping her remove the heavily embroidered tunic and pulling on the dark navy under-tunic. "I assume you wear a warrior's corset under your tunic to flatten your breasts?"

Haruka shook her head, amazed that anyone on Neptune knew anything about making a woman look more like a man. "My father stopped approving of me dressing in men's clothing once my breasts formed, so I was never able to have one made."

"Well, simply tying them back won't make tonight any easier. No one on Neptune sells anything like that, so we will have to find someone in your entourage who can lend you one. Once we get one of those, I should be able to fit your under-tunic better and the tunic shouldn't bother you as much."

Haruka nodded and walked to the communications terminal against the wall, tapping in her aunt's private communication code and her own identifying marker to ensure a quick response. Ono Hikari appeared above the transmitter a moment later, the War Queen smiling at her princess from her own guest suite on the other side of the palace. "I thought you were all busy with the seamstresses this morning, Haruka."

"I was, but we seem to be missing a key component of my wardrobe."

"Ah, the warrior's corset. I suppose you don't have any."

"As if my father would have allowed it."

Hikari nodded sagely, glancing to the side before turning back to the screen. "None of mine will fit you. You're much leaner than me and most of the other War Queens, but I believe that one of my seamstresses got your measurements yesterday and had a few tailored for you. I'll send Miki over with them in a few minutes."

"Thanks, Hikari." Haruka turned the communicator off, turning back to Michiru's quintet of ladies, surprised to find a look of shock on Chinura's face. "What?"

"Did she just offer to send one of your War Queens on a servant's errand? No Lady would be allowed to run such low errands."

Ami, sensing an opportunity to share some of her wealth of knowledge on the culture of the various Silver Millennium societies, stood from her position on the couch, catching Chinura's attention. "In Uranian society, the greatest honor a woman can receive is being allowed to serve her Queen. The War Queens had to earn their titles through proof of dedication to the throne, and aloofness would be inconceivable after everything they went through to be close to her. Servants are fine for actual menial work, but a Uranian noble would never trust an important delivery to anyone less than a Lesser War Chief. For a delivery that requires this amount of discretion, Hikari wouldn't trust anyone other than a fellow War Queen."

Chinura nodded at the explanation, not pretending to understand Uranian society but accepting Ami's explanation nonetheless. "Once the corset arrives, we can finish pining your tunic and send it to the seamstresses. They should have it finished within the hour which will give you plenty of time for a light lunch and your meeting with the Queen before the presentation tonight."

"As long as you can make it stop chafing, I'll be happy."

Setsuna smoothed her hand over the satin of her dark blue dress, eyeing the black filigree along the hem and jewel-encrusted corset. The servants hovering around the dark queen twisted her hair into loose curls, some of the spirals of midnight green cascading down her back while two servants worked the rest into an intricate bun on the top of her head. Ayano, the young duchess who served as Setsuna's primary assistant, placed one of the oldest Plutonian Royal crowns on the queen's head, a delicate gold heirloom studded with black diamonds, dark garnets, and black opals that sparkled in the artificial sunlight visible through the windows of the Neptunian palace. Setsuna normally avoided crowns, especially ones from her very first incarnation as Sailor Pluto, but for such a formal occasion she could not go without the most obvious symbol of her royal power.

"Majesty, Queen Shousha has requested the honor of your presence in her chambers before the Presentation." Ayano announced the information impassively, but she knew that her queen would enjoy some private time with her fellow monarchs before the main event. "The Earthling wanted you to know that the lunch was too light for his tastes and that he is eager for the main event to begin."

Setsuna grinned and shook her head, amused by the impatience of her new guest. "He just wants to see the princess. Did you manage to convince him that he is not allowed to wear his sword tonight?"

Ayano nodded, smoothing a stray lock of hair over her ear. "He understands. I will have him enter with the rest of our nobles before the Presentation, preferably in the back of the group. By the time the queens enter and are announced, hopefully the rest of the nobles will be too bored to notice him."

Setsuna smirked at the mild annoyance in the Duchess's voice, knowing that her small planet was often overlooked or ignored among its larger, more spectacular cousins. "I'm not sure they would notice him if he was among the first delegation announced. He blends in rather well." She turned toward her mirror and nodded, approving of her dress and hair despite the fact that the color was much brighter and the style much more exciting than what she usually wore. "I think I'm ready."

AN: next chapter - the party introductions!