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"I remember dreaming of being free of duty, but in my heart I knew it would never come true. We live to fulfil our responsibilities to others, those we protect and love should always be more important than our own wishes and dreams."
Princess Amaterasu started at the sound of Palomene's voice, dropping the last few flower petals as she suddenly realised where she was and how much time had passed since she had fled her mother's chambers. For the Guardian to have been sent after her meant that they were actually worried about her, but she was not surprised at this. They were constantly trying to keep an eye on her, to make sure that their precious Princess never did anything worthwhile. It did not matter, she would not let them catch her here.
She stood, brushing down her dress and trying to sense if Palomene was near. "It is late", Princess Amaterasu said to Nazo, "I must go." Despite herself and her desire for rebellion, good manners prevailed and she gave him a quick curtsy, turning to run into the garden.
She was more than a little surprised to hear Nazo call her, and so stopped and looked at him again. "When will I see you again?"
Princess Amaterasu was stunned by his question. Why did he want to see her? To be sure, she was not averse to spending more time in Nazo's company, but no one ever wanted to be near her for extended periods of time unless they were trying to impress her mother. Was he really any different? She searched his face, looking for some sign or reason for her to refuse him, but all that she could see was genuine affection in his dark brown eyes.
She bit her lip, hating herself for the nervous reaction and hastily making a choice. "Tomorrow night", she said hurriedly, sensing Palomene's closeness, "by the fountain at ten o'clock." She had to leave, but there was something nagging at her memory, some appointment that she could not recall. "I will try to be there", she said, "but I can make no promises."
Then she picked up the ends of her dress so that it would not trip over it and ran in the opposite direction to the Guardian's approach.
Back in her room, Princess Amaterasu sat down heavily on her bed, too lost in thought to be frustrated as her servants started to brush her hair. There was something very unusual about Nazo; she could not understand his behaviour. Why had he been so nice to her? To be sure, she had not really been trying to hide her identity from him, but he did not say anything when she said her name was Ama. Could it be that he honestly had not recognised her?
One hand brushed her fringe back from her forehead, exposing the blue birthmark there. For as long as records had been kept, all the rulers of Coruscant had borne the Royal Sigil, a circle within a heart, upon their foreheads, and one day she would be the Queen of the Galaxy, as her mother had been before her. All her life and training had been to prepare her for that day and she had no choice in the matter. It was her destiny.
It had been nice for a short while in the garden to pretend that she was someone else, someone who was allowed to have ordinary friends like Nazo, someone who could get away with being a little clumsy and not always perfect.
One of the girls pulled too hard on Princess Amaterasu's hair, and she turned to her, eyes flashing in anger, and ordered them all from her room. As they fled, tears came to Princess Amaterasu's eyes and she regretted her outburst. It was no wonder that no one in the Palace wanted to be her friend, aside from the Senshi. She was always doing the wrong thing, choosing the wrong tone in which to give commands, never understanding properly how to act or be.
She threw herself down against the pillows crying brokenly at the unfairness of it all. After a time, she became aware of another person in the room with her, and sat up again, tears still falling down her face, to confront Palomene.
"You ran off again", the Guardian's voice was stern and cold.
"I had to get away. You do not understand what it is like, people are always watching me, they keep waiting for me to make mistakes so that they can criticise me. I will never be perfect like Mother, why can they not accept that?" She drew a ragged breath, meeting Palomene's stare.
"You have responsibilities, Princess. They all care for you, and want what is best for the Galaxy." The Guardian moved over and comfortingly embraced her ward.
Wiping her last few tears away, Princess Amaterasu sighed heavily. "Is there ever anything other than duty?"
Palomene's eyes grew slightly distant. She did not answer the Princess, knowing that there was no answer she could give. For a time there was silence between them.
Finally, Princess Amaterasu broke the silence, dashing the tears from her face and grinning somewhat impishly as she remembered something she had heard that morning. "Have you spoken with Prince Emlyn since he returned to the Palace yesterday?" she asked innocently.
Palomene started, her eyes becoming wide. "How did you know he is here? It was supposed to be a secret."
"You mean he secretly returned to be with you?" It was Amaterasu's turn to sound stunned, "No wonder no one told me about it. So, when are you going to get married?" The Princess crossed her legs and sat up straight, intent upon her questioning.
"Princess", the Guardian gasped, a blush staining her usually pale cheeks.
"He has not asked you yet? Someone should have a word to that boy." Prince Emlyn was a tall man, the son of the Queen of Ishta-Three, a large world on the outer rim. His elder, twin sister Princess Ersial was currently serving her time as one of the Princess' Senshi. The Prince had come to visit his sister a number of times during her stay in the Palace, and that was how he and Palomene had met. Although they had tried to keep their relationship secret from everyone, most of the Senshi, the Queen and her daughter and probably a number of the other officials in the Palace all knew about them. Prince Emlyn was not an unattractive man either. He had deep blue eyes, and short, neatly kept blonde hair. Although she liked him and thought him a good match for her Guardian, Princess Amaterasu had a strange feeling of foreboding whenever she saw him.
Palomene smiled at the good-natured teasing. "When the time is right, he and I will discuss such matters, but for now, that is none of your business, Your Highness."
Knowing that she would get no further information from the Guardian did little to still Princess Amaterasu's curiosity, but she decided to gracefully change the subject. "Before you came to Coruscant, you travelled a lot", she began, waiting for Palomene to confirm this, "have you ever been to Namida?"
There was a pause as Palomene remembered and nodded. "It is a beautiful world, peaceful and calm. Queen Chie is very wise, and it is said that the Prince, her son, is most handsome." Princess Amaterasu rolled her eyes in disgust and Palomene laughed. Then she sobered rather abruptly. "About ten standard years ago, a small group of people on the planet began stirring up trouble, spreading lies about the Senshi and the way of life that the people normally enjoyed. It had been a bad year for the farmers, unusual weather had destroyed their crops and many were looking for someone to blame. They gathered together one night and stormed the Palace there, and the Queen's husband was murdered, along with many others who had lived in peace in the Palace. It broke Chie's heart, but she still had her son on whom she doted.
"In a rage at his father's death, the boy, who would have been about 18 and just coming into his full powers, killed most of those who had come into the Palace, employing Senshi attacks that he should not have been able to use. The power of Namida is the power of light and energy, and he caused great lightning storms to tear apart those he saw responsible for his grief. In a matter of moments, all had died, and it was only the intervention of the Queen that stopped him from continuing his outburst of emotion to its final conclusion.
"The strangest part of this whole occurrence is the Prince's total lack of any memories of that night. What we know about what transpired has come from witnesses, for his mind has been wiped clean of all that happened.
"Queen Chie was the one who ended up finding those that had lead the rebellion from afar, and saw them put on trial. A court made up of Sailor Senshi and Guardians put the Prince to trial, but it was decided that although he had murdered those people, they had been incited to riot by the leaders of the rebellion. The boy had been sent immediately to Mau, where he was taught to control his emotions and though he seemed very cold to those who did not know him, he was undoubtedly wise. From all accounts back at the Temple, he has grown very mature, and is now in complete control of his latent Senshi powers, though he has never again shown the sort of dramatic release of full Senshi magic that he demonstrated that terrible night."
"I thought that Senshi powers were designed in such a way that no man could ever use them, save in a limited way?" Princess Amaterasu sounded confused as she remembered her many lessons and talks with her Senshi protectors.
"Indeed, until the Prince of Namida proved otherwise that was what everyone believed. We are still unsure as to how he was able to use such destructive magic." Palomene's eyes were thoughtful. "We arranged to send him here to the Palace for a time because Kassanda told me that the Prince would once more call upon the full power of Namida, and he would need a Guardian to watch over him."
"And as the most senior Priestess of your Order, you volunteered", Princess Amaterasu smiled though she was worried. A man, with uncontrolled Senshi abilities, was staying in the Palace now, supposedly as one of her protectors.
"I am also Sailor Mau, and most suited to this task." The Princess often forgot about that side of her Guardian's personality. Palomene was as much a Senshi as her other protectors, but she rarely wore her uniform and the mark upon her forehead was not that of Mau, but of Coruscant.
Princess Amaterasu only nodded, stifling a yawn with the back of one hand raised to her mouth.
"I think it is time for you to go to sleep now, Princess", Palomene said gently, getting to her feet. The white folds of her robes hung loosely, making soft noise in the still room as the Guardian moved.
"Palomene, I am twenty-four years old, I do not think I need you to tell me when it is my bed time anymore." Princess Amaterasu stood, placing her hands on her hips and trying to look strong and powerful. "Now, if you would not mind leaving me, I am excessively wearied."
Her Guardian gave a low chuckle and bowed deeply to the Princess. "Goodnight, Your Highness", she murmured.
"Goodnight Palomene."
Instead of heading straight to her rooms as the Princess expected of her, Palomene walked down the hall to the Queen's chamber. Despite the late hour, the Queen sent a silent greeting to her friend, having known that Palomene would probably come here after talking with her daughter.
"Where was she?" The Queen asked when the Guardian was inside her rooms. Despite the ornate decoration of her surroundings, the Queen herself seemed to radiate simplicity, her white dress providing a striking contrast with her dark hair.
"In the gardens, Your Majesty." Palomene bowed even though she knew the Queen despised such formality in private.
The Queen frowned slightly, then sighed with built-up exasperation. "When is my daughter going to settle down to her responsibilities? She will be Queen."
"She does understand what you want of her, but she does not like to feel that her life is beyond her control. She is frightened of being forced into something she does not want."
"We all have to make those choices sometimes. Destiny is the cruellest of all masters." The Queen looked out of the window to the brightly-lit cityscape of Coruscant.
"Give her time to get used to the idea, Your Majesty. Events have a way of turning out the best for the people involved." Palomene's voice was expressionless, and her eyes distant.
The Queen gave Palomene a long look, then started to laugh. "You have been talking to Kassanda too much again. You are starting to sound like a seer yourself." She paused, "Has your sister seen anything about my daughter?"
"No, Your Majesty", Palomene said, "I would have informed you if she did. But her gift is not quite as reliable as we would like it to be, and she cannot control or guide her visions often. Actually, it is my own thoughts that lead me at the moment."
"What do you mean?" The Queen's eyes narrowed, and she found herself drawing calm from the Sapphire Crystal. Sometimes the Guardian's cryptic answers to every question irritated no end, and Palomene knew this.
"When I found the Princess in the gardens, she was not alone."
"Who was there at that time of night?"
"I did not see, but from something Princess Amaterasu said afterward, I suspect it might have been Prince Nazoru of Namida."
"Chie's son? Is it possible?"
"We shall have to investigate in the morning, but I thought you should be informed of this turn of events."
"Indeed", the Queen paused, trying to think of what she should do next. "I think we should speak with the Prince, some time before the welcoming ball tomorrow night. In the morning, send a messenger to his room and inform him that I wish to speak with him."
"Yes, Your Majesty."
"Amaterasu, what is with you this morning?" Sailor Domus Prime snapped. "You're more spacey than normal."
Princess Amaterasu shook her head slightly, looking away from the windows. "What was that, 'Teki?" she asked of her friend, still not quite paying attention. The girl's full title was Princess Fuhenteki, but everyone simply called her by the shortened 'Teki. She was dressed in her Senshi uniform, which consisted of the standard white bodysuit, with a red skirt and collar, high blue boots and silver bows; the colours symbolised the three moons of her planet as well as her planet itself.
Sailor Domus Prime shook her head, her short brown hair bouncing as she did so. "Didn't you sleep last night or something?"
"Not really", the Princess admitted, dropping her staff and sitting down on a bench by the windows. "I had the strangest dream."
'Teki sat down beside the Princess, having decided to give up on her training this morning. "Who were you dreaming about?" she asked with sudden clarity.
"Someone I met last night in the gardens."
'Teki knew that her friend only went to the gardens when she was upset. "You were fighting with the Queen again? Oh Princess", she sighed dramatically. Then the rest of what the Princess said sank in. "Anyone I know?"
"I do not think so. I think he is just a visitor to the Palace."
"A 'he'? Was he cute?" Sailor Domus Prime's dark green eyes had lit up excitedly.
"'Teki, control yourself. He had dark hair and eyes that were seemed to sparkle when he smiled, but there was something about him. He was so sweet, and I don't think he even knew I was the Princess. Although I doubt he would have acted differently if he did." Her voice trailed off into silence, and her companion chuckled.
"So? What's his name at least? I know you have first chance with him, but he sounds so great I'll have to meet him." Sailor Domus Prime grinned eagerly, calling her staff from the floor to her hands and fetching the Princess' weapon as well.
"He said his name was Nazo."
Princess Amaterasu did not notice as 'Teki started, accepting the weapon from her friend and getting to her feet to continue their training together. As the two staves beat against one another in an almost rhythmic pattern, Sailor Domus Prime was almost as lost in thought as the Princess, as she carefully planned what she could do to help out her future Queen.
The sun had risen much higher in the sky, and the Princess sat in meditation with her mother's adviser, Kako Shinwa. Her thoughts drifted, though she tried to keep them focussed on the Spirit Force as he had taught her. But she was too distracted, and she found herself trying to seek out Nazo and find what he was doing that morning.
But for some reason she could not seek him out, as though someone was blocking her abilities. It did not matter; she would speak with Nazo that night by the fountain in the gardens at ten o'clock. For now she would sit silently and try to focus her energies.
Across the room, Kako Shinwa smiled slightly.
Prince Nazoru bowed to the gathered Sailor Senshi, smiling charmingly at them.
Upon noticing his hair and eyes, Sailor Domus Prime gave a short nod to Sailors Ishta-Three and Durillion, whose eyes widened. They all took another long look at the Prince and he, upon noticing their combined stares, had to concentrate to stop himself from flushing. At the back of the room, Palomene, in her formal uniform as Sailor Mau, stood guard silently, also taking note of those that were watching the Prince.
"Is he the one?" Sailor Alderaan whispered to the odangoed Sailor Durillion who nodded, "He is so cute. I bet he would love go out with me."
"He's really cute", Sailor Tatooine murmured to no one in particular, her blonde head tilted to one side, one hand playing idly with a strand of loose hair. "He looks like my old boyfriend."
Sailor Toxtenkopp rolled her eyes at the lot of them, trying exactly to see what the Princess saw in this guy.
The Prince looked rather flustered, so Sailor Toxtenkopp walked over to him and held out her hand. "I'm Toxtenkopp, or 'Lailen", she said, "I won't mind if you forget it. There are too many people around here to remember all the names."
He smiled and shook her hand gratefully. "Is this enough to satisfy everyone's sense of ritual and formality? I feel like some piece of art on display for everyone to examine."
"Give them a couple of days to get used to you. Gossip spreads fast in the Palace, especially around the Senshi. Not what you expected from the protectors of love and justice in the Galaxy, are they?"
She made a small gesture around the room, at the twenty or so girls, many of who were now speaking freely. He knew that he was probably the topic they were discussing and found it rather disconcerting. Some of the eldest of the Senshi had moved to the back of the hall and were training, throwing both weapons and magical attacks at each other. Another new face in the Palace was not that exciting to them.
Only Palomene had not moved at all, still standing against the back wall, staring at him without moving. Her eyes seemed to spark in the darkness, and there was a half-smile on her face that he did not understand. Actually, come to think of it, a few of the Senshi were displaying that same half-smirk.
"How are you finding things in the Palace?" Sailor Toxtenkopp asked the question politely, "Is everyone treating you all right?"
"Of course", he nodded politely, "everyone is really nice." The two of them walked away from the main cluster of people, towards the balcony. Prince Nazoru looked down at the gardens below with a wistful smile playing on his face.
She cocked her head to one side, looking him in the eyes. "That was fast", she murmured knowingly.
"What?" He was confused. Was everyone here so cryptic all the time, or was it just the Senshi?
"You've only been on Coruscant three days, and already you've fallen in love." Prince Nazoru started at her words, spinning to stare at Sailor Toxtenkopp. "Don't look so surprised", she told him while grinning, "it's one of my powers. I'm good at picking up on these sorts of things. So, who is she? One of the Senshi?" A sweeping gesture was made towards the room, and the Prince shook his head determinedly.
"I do not know who she is. We met last night down in the gardens. She said her name was Ama, do you know her?"
Sailor Toxtenkopp truthfully murmured that she did not know anyone by the name of "Ama" whilst carefully broadcasting her thought to the other girls in their little group. She realised that Prince Nazoru was in full command of his mental powers as he noticed the cacophony that was raised from her comment and raised one eyebrow at her, but he was unable to hear what it was about.
"The other Senshi seem to want me to train with them now", she said politely, "would you care to join us?"
"No", Prince Nazoru murmured, "I suspect you girls will want to pick over every word I've said and dissect my meaning until it fits whatever it is that group are planning against me."
"Why, Prince Nazoru, what a thing to suggest", Sailor Toxtenkopp said innocently, "As if that lot of mischief-makers would ever wish to plot against you. After all, you only just got here, it wouldn't be fair to pick on you just yet."
With that, she walked off with a snicker.
Despite the fact that he was supposed to be spending this time every day training with the Senshi, Prince Nazoru decided that perhaps it would be better if he went somewhere a little more quiet at this moment to think about what Sailor Toxtenkopp had realised. He walked silently from the room, muttering about the vagaries of young women, in short skirts, who thought they knew everything.
Princess Amaterasu looked up at the tapestry above her mother's throne, wishing softly that Sailor Coruscant would give her the patience and the calm that she needed to prevent an outburst. She took a deep breath, repressing with it her emotions so that all that she revealed was an air of deep calm.
"Mother, I will not be forced in this matter", she said softly, only her eyes betraying how she truly felt about what was being proposed to her. They had grown cold, no longer the colour of the sky on a summer's day but rather that of glacial ice without any warmth within.
For a brief instant the Queen was chilled, then she got to her feet, calling the Crystal Staff to her hands, taking in the calm of the Sapphire Crystal so that it masked her own sudden emotion. She was glad then that she had sent everyone else from the room, there was no need for anyone else to know about the problems the ruler of the Sapphire Millennium currently faced.
"All your life you have been brought up with a strong respect for your duty, you have always known what it is you would one day be called upon to do." The Queen spoke softly, her eyes meeting those of her rebellious daughter, blue against blue.
"I am not denying my duty, mother, all I ask is for my free will to make my own choice." A slight breeze gently caused the Princess' hair to wave behind her in an almost unnoticeable manner. Drawn up to her full height, the Princess was still a full head shorter than her mother, but for once it did not seem to matter, her stature shone from within.
"You will one day be Queen, and you will have to ensure the line of succession." The Queen's response sounded empty, even to her.
"Then let us both hope that I will not be Queen for a long time, for I have no intention of being forced into making that choice until I am ready. I will not be forced into a political marriage. My entire life has already been defined by my parentage, give me one chance to live for myself and for love."
Princess Amaterasu turned away from her mother's gaze then, walking towards the window. At the last moment, she tripped over the edge of her blue dress, and although she caught herself immediately the damage had been done. She no longer appeared as a responsible, twenty-four year old almost-Queen, Princess Amaterasu was once again the clumsy daughter of one of the greatest Queens the Galaxy had ever known. Who was known for her bad attitude to the servants, who enjoyed the privileges of her position but cared little for the responsibilities. The joke of the Sapphire Millennium, her only friends a small number of her Senshi. She felt tears stinging her eyes but pushed them back, trying desperately to hold on to a semblance of control.
"Ama", her mother said, using the pet name the Princess had almost forgotten until the previous night. How many years had it been since her mother had called her that? When had she stopped, telling Amaterasu to grow up? "The price of being royalty is that we have a duty to our people, and we must always remember that. One day you shall have to marry a Prince from one of the outlying systems, the same as I did. And though I know the Sapphire Crystal gives us longer lifespans than most, you must still someday soon find a husband." She placed her hands on her daughter's shoulders as they both looked out the window.
Normally, Princess Amaterasu would have relished such a rare comforting gesture from her mother, but today the Queen's hands felt as heavy as shackles upon her soul. She shook them off and this time the tears slipped past her control to fall unchecked down the Princess' face. "All I want is a chance, is that too much to ask?"
"Of course not", her mother answered her, though she had not really wanted one, "Just promise me you will think about what I have said."
"What choice do I have? You remind me at every opportunity." The words were bitter, and Princess Amaterasu could no longer maintain even the most basic control over her emotions. She tore from the throne room, one hand holding up the end of her dress to prevent her from tripping again, the other dashing away tears and slamming the door behind her.
The Queen sank down on her throne, suddenly exhausted. One tear fell as she felt her daughter's pain radiating through the Palace.
Prince Nazoru looked up in alarm, suddenly sensing some sort of disturbance in the Palace. After several hours he had returned to the Senshi's training centre, but none of the girls seemed even remotely distressed by what, to him, was a plain cry for assistance or comfort.
In that moment of distraction, Sailor Toxtenkopp knocked the lightsaber from his hand and before he could even notice its absence hers was at his throat. She turned it off with a grin, then frowned as she noticed the expression on his face.
"Whatever is the matter?"
"Can't you sense that? Something is very wrong in the Palace. Shouldn't we investigate?"
Sailor Toxtenkopp cocked her head to one side, listening intently, trying to comprehend what was unsettling Prince Nazoru. She suddenly laughed in realisation, meeting his eyes with a sparkle in her own.
"That's just the Princess. She's just having another tantrum about something. For some reason she broadcasts her emotions rather dramatically." She caught the chagrin on his face with another bright smile. "Don't worry so. After a while, you learn to block it out."
How could anyone block out something that noisy? Hadn't anyone taught that girl to keep her thoughts private? It seemed more so than ever that everything he had been warned about the Princess was true. Not for the first time that day, Prince Nazoru found himself wishing that he wasn't the only Prince in the Palace at this time, it would be a lot easier if he had someone in the same situation as him to talk to. Not that the Senshi were not friendly, it was just that when training his powers were so limited in comparison to them he got the impression that they were just tolerating him, no one took him seriously as one of the Princess' protectors. Then again, the position really was just a formality; there was no one the Princess needed protecting from.
Remembering his mother's visions, a chill swept down the Prince's back, and he bowed to Sailor Toxtenkopp in farewell. He moved to retrieve his lightsaber, and noticed that Palomene was once again watching him. Tired of her near-constant scrutiny, he walked up to the Queen's Guardian and bowed to her.
She was silent, and for a long time he could think of nothing to say to fill that silence. With surprise Prince Nazoru realised that he could not meet her stare.
He took a deep breath, hoping he would not seem foolish. "Has Kassanda been able to tell you anything about what my mother saw in her vision?" Prince Nazoru had known the 'Prophetess of Mau' for a long time during his time of training at the Temple. She had spent a lot of time teaching him how to control his dreams and channel through them images of what would come in the future. Kassanda was the most gifted of all with the gift of prophesying, and it was often whispered amongst the novices in the Temple that she saw everything before it happened. He knew there was a connection between Kassanda and Palomene, but no one had been able to inform him as to its exact nature.
"It is too soon for any complete visioning", Palomene said in her deep voice, "in a few days we will have more real news." Her stance indicated that she would say nothing more.
"Thank you", Prince Nazoru bowed his head, deciding that it was late enough in the afternoon for him to return to his quarters and prepare for the ball that evening.
"I am not going to some stupid ball to welcome some stupid Prince!" Princess Amaterasu screamed loudly at Palomene, looking around for something to throw.
"Princess, be reasonable." She could sense that Palomene was attempting to sooth her nerves, but she threw off the compulsion with an ease that normally would have surprised them both.
"I am being reasonable. This is just another attempt of mother's to force me into something I am not ready for." Eyes flashing, Princess Amaterasu caught up a shoe and threw it at the mirror, disappointed when it did not shatter as she had hoped.
"That is obvious. It is your mother's wish that you attend tonight, so you will attend, in chains if necessary."
Princess Amaterasu was both amused and horrified at the vision Palomene projected to her of her standing in front of the horrid Prince, of her forced to bow to him in chains. He glared down haughtily at her as she was forced to submit her will to his in front of the entire Court.
Well, maybe she would go to the ball, but she would certainly not be civil to this Prince, no matter what her mother or Palomene said. And there was no way on Coruscant that she would ever consider that the fat royal brat who was too old anyway could one day be her consort. This she would swear on the Sapphire Crystal. He was probably too stupid to even notice what plans the Queen would be considering for him anyway. At least it was a masked ball; her face would be hidden so she would not have to worry about concealing her disgust. He probably wouldn't even notice just how expressive her eyes could be.
Palomene gave a small laugh that caused the Princess to look away from the mirror she had so intently been glaring at. Princess Amaterasu nodded at her Guardian, who left the room understanding that the Princess would act properly at the ball.
Properly, if not politely and moderately.
Once outside, Palomene sighed. It would be a very long night.
Prince Nazoru was having his own bout of nerves at his upcoming presentation to the Court. Throughout the afternoon he had been of the increasing opinion that the Senshi had been planning something behind his back, every time he turned his back on them he had the distinct impression that they were talking or looking at him, judging him in their own unique ways. With the exception of Sailor Toxtenkopp he had not spoken to many of them other than the most basic of introductions, yet it seemed as if several of them had been avoiding him, most notably Sailor Domus Prime, who had ignored the Prince all afternoon.
And Prince Nazoru had found out from one of the bodyguards who had followed him from Namida that he would be expected to dance first with the clumsy-footed, bad-tempered Princess. Her outburst itself had been short, but afterward all afternoon he could detect a sense of patient seething from her. He idly wondered what had caused such an upset. Perhaps her favourite dress had not been prepared properly for the ball, or maybe the food that had been served to her at lunch was not to her liking.
He rolled his eyes. Why could this trip not have been a simple diplomatic mission, rather than a complete upheaval of his life and everything he had ever known?
It was growing rather late, and Prince Nazoru knew that people were no doubt gathering in the ballroom waiting for him, but he decided to stand for a few moments on his balcony and look out at the stars, his eyes automatically seeking Namida's star and drawing calm from it.
Princess Amaterasu stood on her balcony overlooking the gardens her eyes misting over as she looked out at Namida's star and realised that she would not be able to meet Nazo that night. It was probably for the best, she would never be allowed to spend time with him anyway, for he was not a Prince and could never be a suitable companion for the Princess. Looking out at a calm sky, just after sunset, the Princess found herself wishing that she could just be a normal person, free to live her life as she wanted, rather than as destiny and duty required of her.
A soft knock on her bedroom door announced Sailor Domus Prime, who was coming to see what was taking the Princess so long in arriving at the ball. With a quiet sigh at the sky for what would never be, the Princess pulled the delicate blue mask into place upon her features carefully preparing herself for the ordeal ahead.
Prince Nazoru had arrived in the ballroom and was graciously welcomed by the Queen. They had eaten, and when he had politely enquired about her daughter's absence, she had informed him that the Princess would be joining them later.
In the company of the Senshi and his Monarch, Prince Nazoru found that he was actually enjoying himself, though a series of quick glances at the timepiece informed him that he would no doubt miss the time when he had thought he was to meet Ama in the gardens. He only hoped that she would not be terribly upset at him for not being there.
A few warning chords from the orchestra had been all the notice given that the Princess was about to enter the room. Prince Nazoru stood politely, as did most of the assembled company, one hand reaching up to check that his mask was still properly placed. He was not expecting what he saw.
The Princess Amaterasu was a stunning young woman in a perfectly chosen dress of deepest blue that revealed just the right modest amount of her pale skin. Her hair was amazingly long, in a shining brown that seemed to be exactly between spun sunlight and earthy darkness. She was the shortest person in the room, and yet her bearing was so regal that he never doubted that she was the most important being present. She moved lightly into the room, every tiny step carefully placed with a delicacy that surprised him.
A mask of sapphire blue covered much of her face, leaving perfect lips and a tiny nose visible to his questing eyes. There was a kind of sadness about her that he could not understand though he could have sworn he recognised it from somewhere.
But this moment was not for memory, as she looked at him.
Princess Amaterasu recognised the Prince from the crowd immediately. He was standing near her mother, and there seemed to be no one between the two of them, as if this instant was for them alone. He was tall, that was her first impression, with dark brown hair that reminded her of someone else she could no longer remember. His black mask provided a striking contrast with the white suit he was wearing, and that surprised her.
The Prince stood with a military bearing, and a voice in her mind reminded her that he had trained on Mau as one Senshi-born. There was a lightsaber at his belt, a visible reminder to everyone that he was one of her protectors as much as the Senshi were. He did not move, and she realised with a half-blush that he was staring at her as intently as she was at him.
She did not realise what she was doing as she took a step towards him, wanting to ask what he saw as he looked at her like that.
Prince Nazoru took a step towards the Princess, wanting to touch her, just for a second, to see if she was real. Surely such a beauty was not meant for the real world. Before he realised what he had done, they were standing so close that he could have reached out and embraced her. Perhaps there was other noise in the ballroom, but all he could hear was the beating of his heart.
He turned his head down so that he could look properly at her.
Princess Amaterasu tried desperately to still the beating of her heart. What on Coruscant had possessed her to come so close to him? Was there not some reason why she had been going to avoid this man? Something important?
None of it mattered to her as she looked up to see his eyes properly.
The eyes of the Prince and the Princess met for the first time.
Palomene smiled.
To Chapter Three
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