Venus smiled at Serenity’s words, her heart warming at the sight of the princess’ joyful expression. She had never seen Serenity look so happy, and she couldn’t help but feel good about it. Perhaps tonight would be fine after all…

She mentally uttered one last prayer to the moon to protect them before their powers surged as one. She closed her eyes and concentrated, holding Serenity’s hand tight, worry about what happened last time the princess teleported on her own coming to the forefront of her mind. This time, however, all five of them were focused on their destination, their hearts joined as one.

She felt momentarily weightless as they traveled across space, but soon her feet were on solid ground again. Looking up, her heart thudded heavily in her chest when she caught sight of the looming Earth palace before them. They were really going to the heart of a forbidden kingdom. She glanced at Serenity and was surprised to find she finally seemed nervous as well. Perhaps it had all suddenly become all too real for her.

With a glance at the moon that now shone so far away in the distance, Venus took a deep breath and gathered her courage. “Alright, let’s try to blend in. But I want everyone’s eyes on the princess at all times. Well, most times, I suppose.” She did want the others to have a good time, too, but not so much that they’d forget their duty. “Come, let us stick together. Serenity, try not to wander off on your own. Or alone with the prince. I’ll be watching you,” she said this last bit somewhat teasingly, though she did mean it.

She led them up the stairs and through the gates, extending the invitation sent by the prince. Her pulse raced as the guard scrutinized the invitation, feeling as if he might be able to see that she was, in fact, Lunarian. But he just gave a satisfied nod and politely extended his hand to allow them to step inside. Venus quietly exhaled the breath she’d held, and with a small tug on Serenity’s hand, she led her inside, taking her first step into the Earth kingdom’s palace. Beyond the entrance hall, the great double doors of the ballroom awaited them. She could see that it was already filled with people from all over the kingdom, completely unaware that they had aliens in their midst.

As if drawn by a strange curiosity and a desire she could not name, Venus proceeded to walk through the doors, where she was welcomed by the beautiful melody of the music, the bright chandeliers, and the soft tinkling of glasses. Instinctively, her eyes wandered, searching for a familiar face, though she did not fully realize what she was doing yet.

Beside her, another guard checked their invitation, before announcing to the entire room, “Lady Selene of the Silver Kingdom, and her ladies-in-waiting; Lady Azure, Lady Scarlet, Lady Emerald and Lady Amber.”

When Jupiter and Serenity joined the circle, Mars started to close her eyes and focused on the teleport. She breathed in and out. Three times. Mercury’s and Jupiter’s hands were so warm and smooth – she would always feel secure when she was with her friends. Yes, she thought. We can do it. We will protect the princess and have a nice evening. All her doubts seemed to fade away while she focused on the teleport. Maybe it was the young man that caught her interest. Maybe it was Serenity with her positive attitude. Maybe it was her pleasant anticipation to see Earth. She didn’t know why but Mars felt way more confident now. They were really going to Earth now.
 
It only took a few seconds until she could feel the firm ground beneath her feet again. Slowly she opened her eyes. When her sight got clear, her purple eyes started to shine. What beautiful scenery! She looked to the left, then to the right. Mars was absolutely stunned. Everywhere these beautiful meadows and trees. And there were bushes and flowers she never saw before. And the fresh air! Mars was wondering how she couldn’t notice all that the last time they went there.
Her view went back to the palace. The lights in there were also shining to the outside and the palace itself looked so noble and elegant.
 
When she looked up, Mars saw billions of stars and in the middle of all these her home: the Moon. Her fascination for Earth almost distracted her from listening to Venus. Everything she heard was that they shouldn’t leave the princess’s side. It took her a few seconds until she digested the meaning of that. Mars shook her head. She was right. She mustn’t get distracted. Neither from the nature nor from the noble palace. She had to protect her princess.
 
Well, most of the time. Mars was so happy that Venus allowed them to enjoy themselves too that she couldn’t resist smiling. She already knew what she would do. All of her thoughts were bent on the blond man she met back then. And as much as she wanted to see Earth, Mars wished nothing more than to see him again. At least once. So that she could talk to him.
 
Completely buried in thoughts, she missed that Venus and Serenity already walked towards the palace. Quickly, she held up the lower part of her dress - so that she wouldn’t stumble – and speeded to her friends. Mars couldn’t help but study every single corner of the palace. Everything looked so noble!
When they entered the ballroom, she heard how their attendance was announced. Oh right! She almost forgot they had different names now. Lady Scarlet, she recalled in her thoughts.

Serenity's last words to them before teleporting was both warming and relieving to Mercury. She had been starting to fear the senshi were inadvertently pushing Serenity away with their own protectiveness, but that didn't seem to be the case now. The thought of their own princess resenting them was painful, and Mercury wasn't sure if she could bear it. 

Mercury synced herself with the others in the circle, concentrating her will on safely getting to Earth. In a single power surge, they blinked out of existence, and in another second, they were once again still. She let go of Venus' and Mars' hands. and looked ahead, seeing the Earth Palace. Even though it had an entirely different style of architecture than buildings on the moon, it still looked intimidating and majestic in its own way. And it was all supposed to be forbidden...

Mercury gulped quietly, but she followed the other senshi and the princess very closely, keeping Venus' order in mind. They had to have at least one eye on Serenity at all times. The palace's inside was just as grand as the outside, and the actual ballroom was filled to the brim with strangers, decorations, and entertainment. Her own wariness faded as she took it in, finding it all fascinating. This was the largest display of Earth culture she had seen in her life, and she was experiencing it first hand. 

In the back of her mind, she heard the guard announce their fake names, her own being Lady Azure. Well, it fit her looks, and it wouldn't be very hard to remember.

Jadeite snorted at Kunzite's remark and then gave Nephrite a playful smile. He would try to behave himself, but he couldn't make such a promise. Besides he was more interested in finding that raven hair girl. Jadeite followed behind Kunzite and the prince. He scanned the area to see if he could find those Lunarian girls. He then heard a guard's voice echoing throughout the ballroom.

“Lady Selene of the Silver Kingdom, and her ladies-in-waiting; Lady Azure, Lady Scarlet, Lady Emerald and Lady Amber.”


He turned his head and recognized the girls at once. He let out a small gasp, when he saw the raven hair girl. She was breathtaking! Was it possible that she was more beautiful than their last encounter? Due to being distracted Jadeite ended up bumping into Kunzite. He nearly knocked the man down. Acting fast Jadeite grabbed a hold of Kunzite's shoulder so he wouldn't face planted onto the floor.

"Sorry," he murmurer in embarrassment as he let go his shoulder. "I...found them." He then pointed toward the girls.

Endymion, standing tall with a neutral expression, started down the stairs, the tension building in his shoulders making his posture more strict than usual. He tried not to look at any single person - eye contact tended to turn a glance into a promise, especially in such an atmosphere at such an occasion, as parental warning, princely training, and past experience had all attested. The ballroom was beautiful; the golden-hued floors holding reflections of light and color without casting a garish glow on anything or anyone. Tables decked in white cloth hung around the outside of the room, topped with drinks or hors devours, else vases of red roses from the gardens. Music, beautiful and tasteful, but with heavy romantic undertones, drifted pleasantly from the band elevated on a stage near the large glass windows. In its entirety the room was breathtaking, from the chandeliers hanging from the painted ceiling to the grand doors with heralds announcing...

There she was. As his eyes fell on her the rest of the room just fell away, the music quieting in his ear, the lights dimming everywhere but on her. She was breathtaking - his memory of her did her no justice, not her sapphire eyes, or her porcelain skin, or her long silver hair. He paused on the stair, thoroughly enchanted as her expression changed, their scant conversations about wildlife storming back through his memory. Her blush, her laugh - his want to be nearer to her was nearly overwhelming, and that mad attraction, the magnetism she held for him, terrified his mind as it thrilled his heart. This won't end well! It can't end well! his mind warned, arguments from earlier weakly trying to break through. She was the Moon Princess. Moon Princesses and Earth Princes cannot mix! But watching her, in that moment, overpowered all of that. I can make it work. And even if I can't - and I will - the attempt will be worth it.


Movement behind him knocked him out of his self-made trance, and he hoped it hadn't lasted more than a second. Faces had turned their way, but not at him. He glanced back to see Jadeite's hand on Kunzite's shoulder, but their expressions showed they didn't really want attention on them at exactly that moment, so Endymion continued walking down the stairs to draw attention from them.

The Martian princess studied every single angle in the palace. On the left and on the right she saw these large windows framed by the golden-hued walls and floors. The chandeliers shined bright and the music in the background was an enjoyment for her ears. Not even in her dreams she would have thought of this being so amazing.
 
Slowly she lowered her head and looked away from the ceiling. Mars didn’t know why but she felt watched. Her eyes looked through the entire room until she finally spotted a hand pointing on her and her friends. She kept track of the hand, looking for its body, until she found herself lost in his heavenly, deep blue eyes. Breathtaking!
 
Her shining eyes started to shine even more and bit by bit she noticed how her face went red. Shyly she looked to the ground and covered her left cheek with her hand in hopes the short-haired blond didn’t see it.

Jupiter was feeling less nervous about going to the earth, she was nervous, but felt if she and the others kept an eye on the princess all would be well. She held Serenity's and Mars' hand as she focused on the teleportation. It was quite the experience. She landed with her feet on the ground and felt the crisp cool air on her shoulders.

Serenity had grabbed onto her, pointing out how beautiful it was on earth. Jupiter smiled as she looked at Serenity, "it sure is Princess." She said not wanting to give out the princess' true identity. She took a moment to take in the beauty of the night sky from earth. The stars were absolutely captivating and she gazed at them for a long moment before walking with the others into the palace. She assumed the identity of Lady Emerald for the night. She found the palace to be equally as beautiful on the inside as the outside. 

She only hoped she could see the knight with the dark brown hair. She was there first and foremost to protect the princess, but she should be able to have a small amount of fun on her own.

As the girls made their way into the ballroom, Serenity couldn't help but notice how the attitude of her senshi was changing bit-by-bit. The worry and concern that was written on their faces moments before had been replaced by what seemed to be excitement and anticipation. Smiling to herself, Serenity made sure not to trip and fall as they made their way down the ballroom stairs. She didn't even hear the guard call out her 'name' because she was too focused on finding Endymion. Had he not arrived?

Serenity suddenly paused. There he was.

He was just as handsome as the day they had met, if not more so. Serenity felt her heart flutter as she met his deep blue gaze. He looked so...regal, so heroic. Memories flashed in Serenity's mind of how he had protected her in the forest, and of how soft his voice had been when he spoke. She wanted to hear his voice again, to be in his arms and to see his smile. But she couldn't bring her feet to move. What if he didn't like her? What if her scatterbrained personality and immaturity turned him away? Looking around, Serenity could see countless women who looked both beautiful and composed. There was no doubt in her mind that these women would be a better fit for Endymion, who was intelligent and chivalrous.

Knowing her senshi would say something if she didn't move, Serenity forced herself to descend the last few stairs. But with every step, she grew more and more worried. What if she messed something up? What if she spilled something all over herself, or worse, Endymion?!

Serenity suddenly found herself standing directly in front of the prince she had fantasized over for the last few weeks. Remembering her manners, she curtsied respectfully and said:

"Your highness, thank you for your invitation to this beautiful celebration. My guardians and I are very grateful to be here."

Two sentences without stumbling - that had to be a new record.

Kunzite had been waiting patiently for their special guests to arrive when he was rudely brought out of his calm, cool state by Jadeite. Angry at being disturbed, Kunzite turned on the younger man.

"Jadeite, if you don't shape it up, I swear I'll -"

He paused as Jadeite pointed in the opposite direction, drawing Kunzite's attention to the group of women that had just entered. Like a bug drawn to light, Kunzite's eyes immediately found the beautiful woman he had been waiting for. Smiling slightly, he drank in her flawless beauty. The ball had seemed so dark and boring until that point, but her presence seemed to light up the room with energy and life. Every step she took, Kunzite felt his nerves rising higher and higher.

But he couldn't show his shittenou that. He couldn't show weakness.

Lady Amber? The name didn't suit her. The amber stone simply wasn't beautiful enough.

Venus had seen many beautiful parties both on her own planet and at the moon kingdom, and by definition every ball was pretty much the same. But whereas in Venus they tended to go overboard with the gold, glitter, light, and general extravagance and in the moon kingdom everything was subdued in silver, the earth was… somewhere in the middle. The perfect middle. It had enough colors to not appear monochrome or cold, but not too much that it seemed gaudy and blinding. Everything just felt… warm.

She turned and saw the prince and his men approaching them, her eyes snagging on that long silver hair. His equally pale eyes were on her, staring unabashedly just like before. Venus felt heat rising beneath her skin and wondered why he elicited such a reaction from her. It wasn’t as if she hadn’t been stared at by men before. Perhaps because she’d never seen one whose desire was so obvious in his expression. Back home and at the moon she was a princess and a guardian, a respected figure. Most men were beneath her station and could only look from afar. But this one… this man had no such reservations.

Serenity’s words broke her trance and she realized the princess had come face to face with the earth kingdom’s heir. For her part, Serenity had managed not to fumble her greeting at all, which meant her lessons hadn’t all simply gone through one ear and out the other. Venus felt a momentary pride for her despite her worries and frustration at being forced to carry out this potentially dangerous plan after all.

She followed suit and curtsied as well, bowing her head respectfully to the prince. “Your Royal Highness. Good evening.”

She said no more—finding herself unable to sincerely thank him since his invitation had only brought this huge complication into their lives—but the rest she spoke with her eyes as she stared into his blue ones; pleading for him to keep his promise and protect the princess from harm. From the correspondence between them, Venus could sense that he was a good and sincere person—something she could see in his eyes, too—but her heart still worried. Just because he was kind did not mean tragedy could not befall them all the same.

When the Lunarian Princess and her ladies in waiting finally entered the ball, Zoisite felt himself unable to take his eyes off of them. They were all quite beautiful, but he his eyes wandering back to the one from Mercury, Lady Azure for the night. She’s absolutely stunning. He quickly pushed the thought aside. He couldn’t afford to be distracted by a pretty face. She was from the Moon Kingdom and as pretty as he found her or as much as he wanted have the chance to talk to her, to learn about an entirely different culture, he couldn’t forget that fact and allow his guard to drop. One night spent talking to her and picking her brain surely couldn’t hurt, could it? 
 

“Welcome Lady Selene. I would hope that you would find this evening quite enjoyable,” Zoisite said bowing in greeting. “My name is Zoisite, one of his Royal Highness, the Prince’s guards. I would beg your pardon to be able to borrow your Lady Azure for the evening, if it would not trouble you to part with her?”

As Princess Serenity and Prince Endymion approached each other to speak, Mercury could tell that she was getting nervous. There were definitely a lot of people watching her here, and sometimes Serenity wasn't the most graceful... But amazingly enough, she recalled her court manners flawlessly. That was one less hurdle to worry about, she thought, relaxing. 

And it seemed that the princess was not the only one focused on someone else. There was definitely something passing between Mars and the short haired guard of Endymion's. Jadeite-wasn't it? And was Venus blushing at the gaze of Kunzite? She'd almost never seen her leader flustered before. Her attention shifted to Zoisite as he introduced himself, and she tried not to look away in embarrassment as she recalled Serenity's earlier words about him. There was no way he was really interested in her, the princess had just been trying to persuade her. 

Her eyes widened when he requested her presence in particular, and despite her efforts, she found herself reddening again. What reason could he possibly want her for?

After a while Mars noticed how her friends were moving towards the Prince and his guards. No – did they really want to talk to them now? The usually cool and confident black-haired beauty started to get excited, very excited. Her heart started to race and she could feel, in her whole body, how it was beating. Her skin was burning hot and she felt as if her whole face went red. Mars swallowed. Should she really talk to him?
 
Step by step and more graceful than usual she walked towards the Prince and his knights. Chin up, chest out, she reminded herself. And with every step she came closer to him she got more and more nervous. Suddenly she stood in front of them.
 
“G-Good evening!” Mars has lost her tongue. Slightly she bowed down before the young men, lowered her head and held up her dress. “It’s an honor to meet you again,” she eventually said when she stood up again. But instead of looking at the prince, Mars was totally lost in his eyes.
 
A slight smile appeared on her face. She blushed.

'Be cool and most importantly be a gentlemen,' Jadeite told himself as the princess and her guardians approached them. As they got closer he felt his heart began to race. Lady Scarlet look even more breathtaking up close. How was that possible? They approached them and the princess politely greeted Endymion. Jadeite bowed and heard Scarlet's voice. He chucked to himself to sound of her voice. She seem so cool and confident back in the forest, but it seem liked her nerves have gotten to her.

He noticed right away that she was looking directly at him. Her cheeks were red as a rose. He gave her cool smile and held out his hand. "Lady Selene, I hope you don't mind, but I would like ask Lady Scarlet for a dance." Yes, Jadeite hated dancing, but he wanted be alone with Scarlet.

Jupiter watched as the prince and his men entered the ball room, she noticed the one with the brown hair was there and he appeared to be better. She wanted to go say hello, but she knew it would never be proper to approach a man of such high status, especially when she was visiting as a guest.

She looked around and saw everyone had been approached except her. She wasn't too hurt, she wanted to dance with someone and in time knew that if she waited, she would dance with someone, maybe even the man she found the most attractive.

Jupiter walked over to the banquet table and helped herself to some foods, admiring the set up of the food as well as the taste of the delicious treats.

Nephrite hung back as the other Shittennou and the Prince approached Lady Selene and her ladies. He wanted a chance to look at the Lady Emerald before approaching. His memories of first meeting her were a bit spotty and he was also curious to see how their ruse would hold up with the other nobles in the court. He could hear them whispering about them, wondering where she was from and why they had never seen any of them before. As long as they didn’t start asking questions that required too much detail, their ruse should hold up.



He watched idly as Lady Emerald quietly left the group and headed towards the banquet table and helped her to some of the food. Interesting. He had thought she would have stayed with the Lady Selene until the Prince whisked her away like most of the daft ladies in waiting. Perhaps she was more interesting than he had originally thought?

As they reached the ballroom floor, his heart racing and his attention focused on anything but what he wanted, he was determined to go about his business without focusing on her. In losing sight of her, despite his thundering pulse, the nearly compulsive need to look over the crowd for her, and the almost inescapable desire to find her, take her hand, and learn all he could about her, his logical mind had regained control. Earlier thoughts of fighting protocol and society and betraying his princely responsibilities had been squashed, tied down and sat on by the part of him that knew his place and respected that position. He had to remain calm and selfless to best serve his kingdom, his very planet, and Serenity was ---

Right in front of him.

The surprised stopped his heart in his chest, chased the weighty dialogue from his mind. He was immediately lost in her, only able to react and take her in. He was still exploring her sapphire eyes when she broke eye-contact with a curtsy; he hastily bowed in response, putting one hand to the small of his back. As he straightened his eyes returned to hers, hoping to make contact again as he listened intently to the lilt of her voice. "I'm honored that you came," he returned honestly, the part of his mind that would have elaborated on the greeting still in shock, washed away by the tide of attention she held in him. Others spoke - Venus, Zoisite, Mars, Jadeite - but he honestly did not hear a word. He wished she had offered her hand instead of a curtsy, but with the faint music working in his ear, the idea came that he could offer her his. His eyes still intent on hers, he reached out, palm up, in a mute request for a dance. He didn't speak - he didn't feel the need to; rather he waited for her to answer the questions he sensed were directed towards her as he got a sense of the music's beat.

Spoiler:

When his soft blue eyes returned her look, Mars felt how her heart skipped a beat. Why didn’t they meet earlier? This man was perfection. Suddenly all her doubts were washed away and she wished nothing more than spending the whole night with him. After giving her a cool smile, Mars fluttered her eyelashes and responded to his inviting look with a beatific smile.
 
A self-conscious laugh came from her mouth when Jadeite asked her indirectly for a dance and reached for her hand. Slowly and graceful Mars clasped his warm, inviting hand. She looked back up and came across his eyes – full of warmth and spreading nothing but kindness. With his leading hand on her right, Mars slowly walked towards the dance floor. How much did she love to dance?! And now she could dance with him. A dream was coming true.

After seeing how Princess Serenity and Prince Endymion were acting around each other, she had a feeling that the princess didn't even register Zoisite's question. Should she leave with him then? She didn't want to abandon her charge, but...Mars and Venus were still here. And as long as they didn't wander off too far, Mercury could still watch her. And she really was curious about what Zoisite wanted from her... Or maybe something else was affecting her decision, she couldn't really think about what she was feeling at the moment.

Discreetly, she took a step closer to the man's side. 

"Where would you like to go?" Mercury asked, quiet enough to not draw the others' attention.

Serenity felt her world spinning in rapid circles as Endymion bowed. He was just so handsome. How could she look away? 

Suddenly, his hand was extended, and her eyes widened in shock. What did he want her to do? Shake it? Was she supposed to kiss it? Did he want to kiss hers? Feeling frantic, Serenity's eyes searched his for some clue on what she was supposed to do. Was there some sort of Earth custom that she hadn't been made aware of? She was starting to regret zoning out during Mercury's lessons.

The soft music of the symphony floated to Serenity's ears, and she suddenly understood the meaning behind Endymion's hand. Smiling with relief, the young princess exhaled and accepted his hand. His skin was warm in a way that made Serenity feel safe and comfortable. And the best part was, her hand seemed to fit perfectly in his. 

Before she allowed herself to slip into a dance, Serenity looked at each shittenou in turn. "It would not trouble me in the slightest. I am sure my companions would love to spend the evening with you gentlemen. I wish you all the best of nights," Serenity said, winking at Mars. 

Feeling free for the night, Serenity finally refocused her attention back on Endymion. Losing herself in his eyes once more, the young princess prepared herself to be swept off her feet.

Before Kunzite could even blink, Endymion had asked Selene for a dance and his men were parting ways with Selene's guardians. For the briefest of moments, Kunzite felt as if the room was empty, and it was just himself and Lady Amber standing in the room. The music came to a pause, and Kunzite's eyes were glued to hers once more. It wouldn't hurt to share one dance, would it? 

The world resumed its turning, and Kunzite realized how awkward the situation was. He was just...standing there, looking like a complete, clueless idiot. 

He was not some awkward teenage boy. He was a man. A calm, collected, mature young man. And he would make sure Lady Amber knew that. 

Bowing respectfully, Kunzite extended his gloved hand and gave Amber his best, most-charming smile. "If you wouldn't mind, it would be an honor to have this dance with you, Lady Amber."

Jadeite was thrilled that Scarlet accepted his offer. As they headed toward the dance floor and he felt his heart beating faster. He reminded himself to stay cool. Once on the dance floor, he placed his left arm around her waist and held on to her right hand with his. He then whisk her away to the slow steady music. For once he was grateful for those ballroom dance lessons. He won't make a fool out himself tonight.

As they dance Jadeite found himself getting lost in her eyes. He could gaze into them all night. He wanted to complement her, but he wasn't sure if it would make things feel awkward. After all, they hardly know each other. So maybe small chit chat would be better?

"So," he cleared his throat. "Are you enjoying the ball so far?" He wanted to ask other things, but since there were other people he did not want to risk exposing her identity. He hope he could ask her all his burn questions later tonight.

Jupiter was admiring the food when she caught a glimpse of the princess. She was beaming at the sight of the Prince, but Jupiter could sense the Princess' nerves on the other side of the room. She smiled when she saw Endymion whisk Serenity away to the dance floor. She then saw the same ordeal happen with Venus and one of the Prince's knights.

Jupiter saw another knight with Mars. She had seen the knight with the long brown hair walk in, she wanted to approach him so badly, but she knew it was not lady like or the right thing to do. Maybe though, she thought if she moved in his direction he would talk to her, she hoped for the best as she made her way back to where Mercury was with the last of the Prince's knight, hoping that by some whim of luck she too, would be swept off her feet by the handsome knight.

Endymion did not have eyes for anyone other than Serenity. This much quickly became clear, for since the moment he’d looked at her, he hadn’t looked anywhere else or seemed to hear anyone else. Venus couldn’t decide if this was a good or a bad thing. On one hand, he would be completely oblivious to all incoming threats. On the other, if he was so transfixed on Serenity, maybe at least she’d have someone watching over her all night in a way, and he would surely protect her from any kind of harm. She just hoped he wouldn’t realize them too late.

One of his knights asked for Mercury, and Venus glanced at her friend to see her surprised and rather flustered. Venus had always gotten the feeling Mercury didn’t know much to do with men, and she hoped the other senshi would be able to hold her own with the knight alone.

And then another knight asked for Mars to dance with him, and Venus had to blink at Mars, for a moment sure she was seeing someone else other than the confident and assured priestess whom she had never seen even look twice at men before. Suddenly she was fluttering her eyelashes—Venus didn’t even know she could or knew how to do that—and acting like an embarrassed schoolgirl. Why, this was a very different Mars than the one she’d known all these years. Did it only take one man to change her so completely?

Serenity was of course only too happy with all this. With the knights occupying the senshi, surely that gave her freedom to be with the prince all night long. Venus was rather vexed by how their defenses had all been stripped so easily, until she saw one of the two remaining shitennou bowing to her and extending his hand toward her. And then she just got trapped in his smile. Kunzite—that was his name, a name she couldn’t forget no matter how hard she tried—the one with the silver hair and the air of a leader. The one who’d been looking at her so openly since their first meeting.

He was bad news, Venus was sure of it. If she accepted his invitation, if she even dipped one toe into this—whatever this was—she had a feeling she would fall into a deep hole she could not get out of and things would continue to spiral out of control.

Venus was not used to letting go control. She needed it, as the leader of the princess’ protectors. Her heart was never meant to be a factor in play. Emotions were not supposed to be involved. She was not supposed to get attached to anyone she might care about more or even as much as Serenity.

And yet, it would be rude to turn him down, wouldn’t it? She should at least accept, if only as part of their disguise. She shouldn’t attract any attention to them more than they already did. Five strange ladies from a kingdom no one had ever heard gaining the immediate attention of the prince and his guards. On second thought, maybe it would be better to avoid him and stay under the radar?

As Venus debated this, Serenity’s carefree smile flashed in her mind’s eye. You have to relax a little, Venus, she could practically hear the princess’ happy voice.

And though she knew it wasn’t wise, she found herself putting her hand in his, the contact sending a warm tingle throughout her skin. “Of course you may,” she managed to say. This was a new feeling. And it could evolve into a really wonderful one indeed. Deep down she knew this, and that was why she had to guard her heart valiantly.

She must not fall for this man.

Kunzite had never been filled with so much joy and relief when Amber accepted his invitation. As her hand slipped into his, he felt his heart jump  to hi throat. If someone were to approach him a month ago and tell him he would be dancing with the most beautiful woman in the universe, he would have called them crazy. But here he was, and here she was, and for tonight, he could enjoy himself.

Placing one hand on Amber's waist, Kunzite checked her expression for any sign that the gesture was not okay with her. It was custom in their kingdom to dance this way, but he wasn't sure what customs were like on the moon. The last thing Kunzite wanted was to make Amber feel uncomfortable. 

Born a smooth dancer, Kunzite didn't have to focus too much on the steps, which was great for him because now he could focus solely on Amber and having a conversation with her. He was dying to get to know her and find out who she really was on the inside. 

"You are quite the remarkable young woman," Kunzite remarked, smiling slightly. "I know how much you care for your princess, and I understand your concerns in being here. I would feel the same if it were Endymion attending a ball on the moon. But I assure you, Endymion is a valiant warrior, and my men and I are always on alert." As he said this, Kunzite glanced over at Jadeite, who was completely taken by the raven-haired woman. "Well, most of them," he grumbled. Without even thinking, Kunzite twirled Amber in a slow, graceful circle, not even realizing that she may not know the steps to the dance.

The dance floor was crowded and princes and princesses from all over the globe had arrived just to enjoy this ball. The women all looked so graceful and elegant with their expensive jewelry and luxury dresses. Mars felt sort of badly dressed among all these beauties. What would they think of her? What would he think of her? Her plain red dress with this spaghetti straps looked like nothing compared to the other women’s dresses. And jewelry? Mars had nothing but her little necklace. Maybe he felt uncomfortable to dance with someone so badly dressed. Insecurely she looked him in his eyes. No. That was not possible. After all, he asked her for a dance, right? If he would have felt uncomfortable next to her then he wouldn’t have asked her. You’re just too worried, she reproached herself in thoughts.
 
As soon as they arrived on the floor, Mars suddenly felt his warm hand around her waist. He was so gentle. Before she would start to blush again, she focused on the dance now. Gracefully she reached her right hand for her dress to hold it up and protect herself from stumbling. Her left hand, in the meantime, moved towards his free hand. Once he made the first move, Mars's feet followed him so that they could finally start dancing. He returned her look and for the first time he didn’t play the cool guy he just played a few minutes ago – Mars could literally see the passion in his eyes.
 
After they had danced for quite a while, she slowly noticed how several pairs of eyes were watching them. Did she do something wrong? Or why were they looking at them?
And suddenly among all these eyes, Mars also noticed the eyes of Jupiter and Venus. She could already anticipate what they were going to say once her dance was over. You should look for Serenity. Don’t get distracted from your duty. But when she looked in Venus’s eyes once again, she saw something else…Sympathy. She didn’t look very angry – instead she looked understanding. Mars gave her a friendly smile, grateful for her understanding. But deep down she knew: She mustn’t get distracted from her duty. She had to look for her princess.
 
Looking over his shoulder, he almost overheard his question. “Yes! It’s great here! At first I had my doubts of coming here but now I’m really enjoying it,” she friendly said. Admittedly, she expected a more creative question but nonetheless it was a good way to break the ice. “I’m only worried about Lady Selene. She always lands herself in difficulties.” As far as possible Mars tried to tell him about her concern without appearing suspicious to the others. No one on this ball should ever know about their secret.

Venus had never had a man unsettle her so easily. She wondered then, what it was about this one that made her feel all these things with just a glance? They barely knew each other. He was of the earth. Was it the forbidden nature of it that tempted her so? Was it what was happening with Serenity and Endymion? But if Kunzite was from the moon or from Venus, she suspected that he’d be a different person. And would she have ever given him a second glance?

She felt her control slipping further and further as he put his hand on her waist, holding her close. Suddenly she felt hot in her thin dress and wondered if it was all in her head. She had never felt this nervous being in close proximity with a man. She was the goddess of love, for goodness’ sake! Why was she floundering inside like someone so inexperienced? Although, that was not to say she’d had a lot of romantic relationships. Just the opposite, actually.

Venus tried to concentrate on the steps that were foreign to her and focus on not falling flat on her face, embarrassing herself. He was at least a good leader, so all she needed to do was follow his lead. When he spoke, she looked up at him in surprise. Remarkable? How would he know that? They’d exchanged probably two words before this.

But then he proceeded to show just exactly how much he did know. Was she that obvious? Or had Endymion simply shared her concerns with his guards? Venus didn’t like that he could read her so easily, but at the same time, she felt that he truly understood her problem. As leader of the prince’s guard himself, he was in the very same position as herself. And she was glad to know that he shared her mindset. Out of all the men, including Endymion, Kunzite was probably the only one who fully understood their position. And for that, she was grateful. Perhaps he could even relate to her.

“We are not supposed to interact with Earth at all,” she said in a low voice. “This is incredibly risky, but the princess…” she cast a glance at Endymion and Serenity, lost in their own world. She sighed. “They’re young. And they’re not trained to look for the worst in everyone like we were. It must be nice to not worry constantly…”

She turned to Mars and Jadeite as Kunzite made his next remark and suppressed a smile. “Yeah, she’s not usually like that either… You should see how aloof and confident she normally is. I didn’t even know she’s interested in men at—oof!” He twirled her without warning, and Venus, a proud and agile soldier, usually nimble and graceful, found herself missing a step. She lost her balance and found herself falling, horror-struck at the embarrassing scene she would surely cause in the next few seconds.

Just as he had suspected and mentally kicked himself over, Venus was not prepared for the spin and she began to fall towards the ground. Her hand slipped from his, and without even thinking Kunzite took a step forward and wrapped one arm completely around her waist, taking one hand in his to keep her balanced as he held her in what would appear to others as a dip in the dance. He hadn't realized that his breathing had stalled, and he was staring intently into Venus's eyes. Her long, golden hair was dangling towards the ground, swaying gently as he lost himself in her deep blue irises.

"I'm sure you've been told this before, my lady, but...you are quite beautiful," he said quietly, slowly pulling Venus upright. As the dance continued without anyone noticing their almost-accident, Kunzite found himself unable to look away from Venus anymore. He admired her courage and her confidence, and the glimmer of leadership in her eyes. She was unlike any woman he had ever met before, and they had only known each other for a short amount of time.

Just when she squeezed her eyes shut, expecting to hit the floor, something halted her motion. Venus opened her eyes. No, someone had caught her. Kunzite’s face was right above hers, and she felt as if her heart stopped beating for a second as they locked eyes. She felt warm in his embrace, and strangely safe. It was just a simple gesture, but coming from a stranger she didn’t dare to trust… she didn’t know why, but she felt like she could trust him now. To always be there to catch her when she fell.

Serenity’s silly romantic notions have gotten into you, her brain chided, and she straightened as he pulled her up. She averted her gaze when he said she was beautiful, but found herself unable to look away from his eyes for long. “Thank you,” she said, rather shakily. “For both the compliment and catching me. I am not familiar with your kingdom’s dances…”

As if they were two people had danced together all their lives, they moved back into it seamlessly, the near accident barely even registering. She felt as if she fit in his arms, like she was made to be there. Like she belonged.

But that was absurd. He was from earth. And it wasn’t as if romance was an option for her, with Serenity needing to come first. She mustn’t let anyone else rival the princess’ position in her heart.

“The prince… how long have you known him?” she asked finally, curious if he had a similar relationship with his charge. They seemed to have some kind of brotherhood type of relationship judging from the way they interacted with each other, which would not be unlike Serenity and her senshi.

The moment her hand touched his a jolt seemed to flow through him, electrifying his pulse in a way nothing else ever had. His hand closed, holding hers comfortably, but other than that small indulgence he waited patiently for her to finish with the others. He watched her expressions, her playful wink, and though his heart beat quickly, he was not nervous. The instant her eyes returned to his, he felt the intense connection from before reform, and he did not want to lose her attention again. He gently directed her hand up to his shoulder, his fingers lingering on hers before he reached for her waist and gently pulled her closer. His left hand moved to smoothly catch her right and lift it to her shoulder-height, and then, looking down to catch her eyes, he lead her into the music.

He stepped back and turned her so he would head backwards into the crowd, leading them away from the stairs, his feet moving expertly in time to the beat. Once he found a space in the dancing crowd, his peripheral vision working in overtime to compensate for the lack of focus he had for the world around them, he changed their motion to flow with the other dancers, spinning slowly as they moved to the beat. As a flourish worked up in the music, he squeezed her hand to give her some warning before spinning her out, watching her dress and hair fan beautifully away from her slight form, and then spun himself in, releasing her hand and catching it with his other as he passed her so he could twirl her around as he still righted himself, and then lower her into a graceful dip as the musical passage ended. As he applied a slight pressure to her back, leading her out of the dip and back into standard form, his eyes found hers again, and everything, though confusing and messy and irresponsible if he stopped to think about it, felt utterly right. He found the beat and kept them moving, sure that if the wold were to end, or time were to stop, he would be content for the rest of his days.