As Jadeite waited for Scarlet's answer he noticed several people watching them. He felt a bit fluster. They were probably staring at him since he didn't enjoy dancing. He quickly brushed it off and decided to pay them no attention. He wasn't going to let them ruin his fun. 

He nodded his head, when Scarlet replied to his question. He understood how she felt. They both shared a similar duty expect Endymion was trained in combat. If anything were to happen Jadeite knew Endymion was capable of taking care of himself. However he would still worry for his safety. He just gave Scarlet a comforting smile. "I understand how you feel. Endymion can be quite a handful too. But I can assure you Lady Selene will be fine. Endymion is quite a gentlemen." He then gave her a wink.

Where could they go? As much as he would love to take her somewhere private where he knew they would be safe to talk freely and not be overheard, they both still had a duty to protect their respective royalty members. He couldn't just disappear and leave Endymion unguarded. He would never be able to forgive himself if something happened to the Prince and he suspected Mercury was the same way with her Princess. Thinking quickly, he grinned when he spotted the balcony. It was quiet out there and they could still see the party. It was positively perfect. 

"Common, I have an idea. It's quieter so we can talk," he said, taking her hand in his and leading her towards the archway.

Mercury tensed up for a moment as Zoisite grabbed her hand, but she followed him over anyway. Despite her formal shoes and gown, she kept up with his pace, having deliberately chosen something that wouldn't slow her down too much in case she needed to move quickly. He seemed to be leading her towards an empty balcony, one that was still clearly in sight of the ballroom's dance floor. Good, then she could still keep an eye on Serenity...

The balcony itself was decorated just like the main room, using soft gold colors. The moonlight added to the effect, making the entire outside area glow. And beyond the railing was the beginning of a large garden of various flowers native to Earth. And then it seemed to sink in for her what was happening.

She was pretty much alone with one of the Prince's generals, the same one Serenity had said was staring at her the last time. He said that he just wanted to talk, but were his intentions more romantic than he had let on? Not sure what to say to him, she glanced over at the garden, trying to stay calm. 

"This is...quite a nice view," Mercury said softly. "Are those flowers called roses?"

His deep yet gentle voice was music to Mars’s ears. It always gave her a feeling of safety and protection. “I just hope you’re right about that,” she said, a bit of concern in her voice. “Selene can be a bit of a klutz sometimes.” She smiled.
 
But when she saw Jadeite winking at her, Mars got immediately worried. Was he being sarcastic? Was Endymion the complete opposite of a gentleman? Or why else would he wink?! Did he want to do her a mischief? Once again, she looked over his shoulder, making sure what kind of person the Prince was.
It took her some time until she found them in the crowd of people but eventually she saw them dancing in time with the music. Endymion’s eyes were full of love, warmth and kindness and all this because of her princess. You’re too worried, she reproached herself. The Prince would never harm a fly.
 
Mars focused back on her dance with the blond knight. “I’m sorry,” she said and smiled. “I’m just too overcautious.”

Jupiter was beginning to grow concerned. Everyone around her seemed to have a dance partner, all the other senshi and Serenity had been whisked away by one of the Prince's knights. She wondered if maybe she would spend the night alone, would she dance with anyone, she did not know so she made a way to a table with some open chairs. She took a seat where she could keep a close eye on the Princess and also a few doors and windows, should any emergency arise.

She watched the Princess and couldn't help but smile at how happy Serenity looked as she was with Endymion.

Nephrite kept his eye on the Prince as he moved around the ballroom with his date for the evening. He looked...happy in a way that Nephrite hadn't seen him in a long time. The Shittennou didn't wish to think about what the fall out from this night would be as he could only ever really have this one night with her. Perhaps he should have fought harder against this crazy plot of Endymions but how could he have said no. The only thing he could do at the moment was pray that their ruse wasn't discovered. 

Listening to the conversations around him, Nephrite noted that many of them pertained to the sole member of Lady Selene's court that hadn't been whisked off by one of the Shittennou. He should have asked her to be his date so she would be occupied and not available for nosy members of the court to ask too many questions. Cursing at his foresight, he made his way over to her. 

"Lady Emerald, would you me the honour of allowing me to accompany you this evening?" he asked. Leaning down, he whispered into her ear, making it seem as if was telling her something salacious in her ear. "I suggest you giggle and accept, or do whatever it is you women do to entrance men so, it wouldn't do for our little ruse to be broken so early now would it?"

"I don't blame you, Lady Scarlet," Jadeite replied. " There is no need to apologize." He then glanced over at Endymion. He looked so happy as if he found true love. Jadeite has never seen him look at a woman that way before. Was love at first site real? You could fall in love with someone you barely even know? Traditionally the royal family had arranged marriages so it was consider foolish to marry for love. But Endymion was no fool. He deserved to find someone that he could love. By the looks of it him and the princess had a special bond.   

Now Jadeite's mind was filled with questions. Could they be together? Could their love link the Earth and the Moon together? Would it bring peace? He shook his head. Enough of that! Tonight was a night for fun! He didn't want to bother Scarlet with these thoughts. The song ended and the orchestra was starting a new song. Jadeite let go of Scarlet.

"Would you like to grab something to eat?" He asked her. "We'll be able to keep an eye on Lady Selene from the food table." He thought about taking her to see the gardens, but he had his duty. He had to make sure Endymion was safe. Plus he wanted to ease Scarlet's mind.

A bit unexpected to her, Mars didn’t know what to say. “Oh – sure,” she said and smiled. He, indeed, was a gentleman. And he seemed to understand her and her worry about the princess’ safety. She really doubted it but it also seemed as if he cared about her. Mars always thought poorly of men but Jadeite changed her point of view completely. He was so kind, so courteous, so perfect.
 
Together, arm in arm, they left the dance floor, their bodies directing to the other site of the room to grab some food. How would it taste? The Earthian food? She already heard many stories about their food but actually never ate it herself. Mars couldn’t deny she was excited to eat some of it. The culture of her neighbor planet always fascinated her and she always wanted to see the planet’s beauty with her own two eyes.
 
“What’s your favorite food of all these?,” she asked curiously. Everything looked so delicious, she didn’t know what to eat first. Also, she tried to start a conversation with it, a conversation not only related to her worries about the princess’ safety.

Jupiter turned when she heard the voice behind her. It sent chills, not of fear but of excitement down her spine when she heard the voice. She turned and saw it was the general, Nephrite she remembered his name to be. She turned and had to hide how surprised and excited she was that he had finally approached her, she knew her obligations were first and foremost to the princess, but she had hoped he would look her way and approach her.

Though she was a bit thrown off by his tone, but she decided to brush it off, after all the last thing she wanted was for was to disrupt the calm that was happening with everyone. She played along and tossed her head back, her hair cascading down her back, she let out a light giggle and showed a genuine smile as she said as she stood, "I would be most honored if you would accompany me this evening." She then proceeded to give him a curtsy before she walked closer to him, still keeping her eyes on the princess.

"No need to thank me, my lady. It is I who should be thanking you for gracing me with the honor to dance with you. You learn quickly," he said, glad that she wasn't angry with him for getting so close to her. The last thing he wanted was to upset her, and cause her to move away from him. Kunzite enjoyed their dance - it felt right.

But as soon as Venus spoke her next question, Kunzite was reminded of his duty to the prince. He couldn't be messing around with emotions. He had a prince to take care of and protect - a duty that he had taken on with full knowledge that there would be no room for anything else. He needed to watch himself, and make sure he didn't forget about the reason he was in the palace to begin with.

"I have known him since we were boys. My training as a shittenou began when I was around the age of five. I have lived in this palace ever since. Endymion and I..." Kunzite looked to the side, where his prince was dancing with the princess. "We are like brothers."

Forcing himself to focus back on Venus, Kunzite slowly twirled her, making sure she wouldn't fall this time. "What about you? I can see you care a great deal for your princess. Have you known each other long?"

Every touch of Endymion's felt like fire on Serenity's skin, making her more and more aware of the effect he had on her. It was physically impossible for her to tear her eyes from his as they danced. Her feet moved on their own, following his lead despite not knowing the dance. All she cared about was this moment, and enjoying every last second. 

No one else mattered. In this moment, Serenity didn't worry about the consequences, or her mother, or her senshi, or even her own safety. She felt happy, truly happy, for the first time in a long time. She was free to do as she pleased, and let herself be swept off of her feet. 

All of a sudden, Serenity felt Endymion squeeze her hand. The look in his eyes told her to be ready, and she luckily spotted it in time. Letting her body move with the music, Serenity allowed herself to spin outwards, praying that her dress would not trip her as she moved. For the briefest of seconds, Endymion's hand left hers, and then it was back, twirling her and gently moving her into a slow dip. The best part of the sudden movements was that Serenity was not scared. She didn't think she would fall, or mess up the dance, or hit someone, or step on Endymion's foot. She trusted him and his guidance to move her in the right direction. Their eyes met once more, and for what felt like the hundredth time, Serenity was trapped in his gaze. 

"You...are quite the remarkable dancer, your highness," she breathed, smiling up at him and giggled as they continued to move. "I am not sure I would have been able to do that on my own."

When she spoke to him, just to him, in that quiet, breathy voice, his blood thrilled and a small smile pulled at his lips. As she smiled the butterflies redoubled their effort in him, sending chills through his body - if he could keep her smiling like that, surely the world would be a better place, no matter what anyone else said. Her comments gave him pause; she had kept up with him admirably, reacting to his every suggestion, her grace and stability had given him the impression she was a very well practiced dancer, but the small giggle that made him relax and excited at the same time gave her statement validity.

Feeling almost uncharacteristically mischievous, he pushed her slightly away, moving their arms from out to the side to between them, enjoying the feeling of her left hand trailing down his right arm until he caught her hand in his. They stood, hands clasped between them, for a brief moment, the smile still playing on his lips and the look in his eyes betraying him. In a quick movement, holding both of her hands he spun her around, until her arms were crossed in front of her in a near embrace. His mouth near her ears, their feet still moving lightly to the music, he replied in a quiet tone so as not to be overheard. "Something tells me, Princess," her title was emphasized on his lips, perhaps hinting back to their first introduction, wherein she had somehow neglected to mention her position, "that you could easily keep up with me. Surely this isn't your first time dancing?" he invited, bringing her back around by releasing one hand and spinning her again, catching the stray hand and leading it back to his shoulder. They continued to dance through the music, moving easily around the room.

Jadeite scanned the table. There was a good selection to choose from so he wasn't sure which was his favorite. He was not a picky eater. He would pretty much eat anything. So instead he decided to look for something Scarlet might like. He wonder what kind of food was severed on the Moon. Was it similar to Earth? He spotted a puff pastry with cream in the center. It looked amazing. He glanced back at her. She looked like she would enjoy sweets. 

"I'm not sure about my favorite," he replied. "However I do enjoy cream puffs." He grabbed a plate of it and handed it to Scarlet. " Care to try it? It's really good and not overly sweet." He then grabbed his own plate of it and bit down into it. The cream puff melted into his mouth. He then realized how hungry he was.

“Mm,” he hummed in agreement when she commented on the view. “Ah, the flowers. Yes they are roses. Do you have anything like this on the Moon?” Now that he had her alone, Zoisite wasn’t sure where to start. He had so many questions, but wasn’t sure if there were any social taboos about asking them. Everyone else seemed to be having an easier time with their date. Even Nephrite had already moved on to whispering salacious things into Lady Emerald’s ear. He looked at her out of the corner of his eye as he rested against the banister looking out upon the Royal Gardens. Did she expect that of him?

"We don't, actually," Mercury said. "The moon itself is scarce on natural plant life. What we do have is mostly imported from other places. It's beautiful in its own way, but it's still rather barren." The difference between the Moon and Earth were amazing, and Mercury was really starting to understand why Serenity craved to see this planet so much... other than for the Prince of course. She would love to be able to wander the castle grounds at her leisure taking note of all the unfamiliar things that Earth had. 

"I've only read about flowers like these in books..." she admitted to Zoisite, taking in the view. The books had really only scratched the surface of what this planet held. "But words can only describe so much."

When she walked closer to him, all he could think was that she was no different than any of the other women in his life. Where was the beautiful warrior woman he remembered? Had he simply been so fevered by that point he had imagined it. Resolved to do his duty, and be a gentleman while he was at it, he wracked his brain for a safe topic they could discuss.
 

“How are you liking it here so far?” that was a safe topic right? Other than their little stint in the forest to rescue their Princess, it was their first real trip to earth, if he had his facts right.

“You’re a good leader,” Venus replied honestly as he complimented her dancing skills. Then she realized she didn’t just mean in this dance. He seemed to be levelheaded and sensible, a good leader of his brother-in-arms, too.

She listened to his story, interested to hear that the shitennou had grown up with the prince, too. So they must have a bond as strong as Serenity and her senshi. That made her relax a little bit—it would mean their loyalty to him was more than likely just as strong.

“We’ve been the Princess’ guardians since she was born,” she answered his question. “We were called up from our respective planets the moment she was brought into this world. We pretty much fell in love with her from that point on. She’s like our little sister; difficult and frustrating at times, but one we love very much nonetheless.” Her expression softened as she talked about Serenity, glancing again at the royal pair.

She sighed as she turned her gaze back to him. “I have a bad feeling about this. They seem to be falling in love, and… it can’t work, right? Can you honestly tell me that your people will be okay with the prince wanting to be with the moon princess?”

Venus’ worry was reaching its peak, and suddenly she desperately needed to hear Kunzite’s opinion on this matter. After all, he was her equal on the other side—on this Earth kingdom she knew so little about. And he, too, had his own prince to protect with his life. They were on the same boat, and he was the only one who would truly understand. She needed his counsel more than anyone else’s.

“Oh my, that looks delicious!,” Mars said, a bit over-motivated, as he gave her the plate with the cream puffs. “I wish we could have these in our kingdom too!” It was hard for her to pretend they were from Earth. She always had to consider what she would say next to the end she could avoid appearing suspicious to others – but how could she enjoy this night when she couldn’t speak freely? When she always had to watch out? This was no fun at all.
 
But when she looked into his eyes again, all her worries were forgotten. Suddenly it didn’t matter anymore if she could speak carelessly or not. As long as she was with him, she would enjoy the time.
 
After giving him a warm smile, Mars started to bite in the cream puffs, of course in a graceful way – she didn’t want to disgust him by bad eating habits. But as she bit into the food, she really had to watch out she wouldn’t let saliva dribble. What a taste adventure! Not only Earth, also Earthian food was heavenly. How could she oversee this place’s beauty last time? How could she think it was bad to come here? The nature, the palace, the food and this man – everything was so perfect!
 
When she finished her morsel, she looked up to him, her mouth ready to speak. “I love it here, everything is so impressing,” she said warmly and in an elegant manner. “Would you mind showing me some of the beautiful places here?”

Jupiter kept her gaze on the princess, staying true to her duty, but listened as Nephrite spoke. He had asked what she thought of earth so far. Jupiter thought for a moment before answering. She kept her gaze where she could still see the princess, should anything go wrong, but she also wanted to face Nephrite when she talked to him.

She spoke, her voice soft, "Earth is very beautiful, the trees, the blue skies, its unlike anythng I could have dreamed of and the books I have read don't seem to do it any justice." She smiled as she thought about her next words, "I couldn't help but admire the banquet on display tonight. When I have spare time in my schedule, I quite enjoy cooking and baking."

She wasn't quite sure what to say next. She turned her gaze back towards the princess, she couldn't help but smile ear to ear. Seeing the princess so happy, so carefree made Jupiter smile. She knew Serenity needed this one night of freedom, they all did, but Jupiter knew she would not take her eyes off of Serenity, if she did things might go astray, but for now Serenity was happier than she had been in a long time and that made Jupiter content.

She spoke, not really sure why she was asking, "so what do you enjoy doing the most here?" She asked referring to what Nephrite was most interested in as a knight.

Jadeite gave her a blank stare. Show her around? He wanted to immediately say yes because it would give him a chance to talk to her in private. He wanted to ask her so many questions about the moon and about her! However...

He glanced back at the prince. It was his duty to keep an eye on him tonight. Something could go wrong and yet he wasn't worried about it? Endymion seem fine. He was dancing with the girl of his dreams. They were out in the open surrounded by people and the royal guards. So things should be safe, right? Jadeite looked back at Scarlet and gave her a warm smile.

"I would love to," he replied. "I'll show you the garden. It's lovely during this time of year." He then held out his arm for her to take it. Everything should be fine.

"Other places? Do you mean like others planets?" He wondered how many planets had life on them? And how many planets there were? Did each planet have its own civilization, its own culture, and language? He thought back to her name...Mercury. He wondered if it was a deliberate connection to the planet Mercury. Was she possibly from the planet? Questions began turning in his mind. 

He could completely sympathize with her about only reading about something in a book. There were few books written about Lunar life. He could only imagine how few books were written about Earth. 

"I know this sounds crazy, but if you were ever able to come back, I would love to show you some of the most beautiful places on Earth," he offered. He knew the chances were slim, but if she was amazed by the palace gardens, which were beautiful in their own way, he couldn't wait to see her reaction to more natural Earth beauty was.

Before she asked him to show her around, Mars looked for Serenity. Everything seemed fine – she was together with Endymion, her happiness written all over her face. The palace itself was full of guards and Mars also spotted her friends spread throughout the hall. She had to get out while the going was good – this opportunity knocked but once. And if she wasn’t mistaken Venus told her to enjoy herself too, right?
 
Mars was glad as he agreed to show her around. With a warm smile on her face she linked arms with him and together they stood up. Slowly they draw nearer the exit and Mars noticed how more and more pairs of eyes were suddenly watching them. “You don’t have a night out that often, do you?,” she whispered to him, grinning. “They all seem rather surprised.”

Nephrite noted that her gaze kept wandering over the the Prince and Princess. Good, at least she took her duty as a guardian seriously; he could respect that. Taking a moment to look around, he noted where all of his fellow Shittennou were. Really Zoisite, you took her to the balcony? I wonder if he's asking a mountain of questions about life on the Moon. The man could be insatiable when it came to his quest for knowledge, especially if it was on a topic he was passionate about. Nephrite himself had accompanied the blonde on many of trips to retrieve rare books. He doubted the man would ever change. 

When she asked him what he enjoyed to do, he couldn't help but blanch mentally. He couldn't very well tell her that he enjoyed his pass time of being a ladies man and taking various women to his bed, it wasn't exactly gentlemanly to discuss those things.

"I enjoy sparing and swords play," he said after a moment. It was true, they were some of his favourite pass times. He especially enjoyed challenging Kunzite. Their leader always managed to keep Nephrite on his toes in a match and one of these days he was going to beat the elder man in the number of won bouts between them.

For a moment, Mercury was confused by Zoisite's clarification. She had forgotten how out of the loop Earth was about the Solar System, The other planets didn't make contact with them at all, so the odds of him knowing much about their conditions were small. "Yes, Earth has a very unique environment compared to the other planets I've seen," she said, hesitating. Was she allowed to talk about that? It couldn't cause any harm, right?

His next offer stunned her. Show her other places on Earth? There was better than this garden? "That would...that would be incredible, thank you!" Mercury couldn't wait to compare this planet to her own and take as many notes as possible, if only they could come back... 

"I should give you something in exchange for this..." Mercury said shyly. Information was powerful, and she felt like she was taking advantage of Zoisite if she didn't try to make them even. "How about you...ask me any question. I will answer it, within reason of course." Certain things could not be said freely in a foreign kingdom, for safety concerns. She would never want to accidental place Princess Serenity in danger.

Jupiter listened as Nephrite spoke. She was intrigued in his interest in sword fighting and sparring. She listened to him intently as he spoke. She had actually enjoyed watching sword fighting, she had been considering taking some lessons with some of the male guards, but she wasn't sure if it was something that was lady like. 

No doubt, she had been training how to fight, but she just found sword fighting to be interesting. She glanced around the room and saw her fellow guardians enjoying themselves with the prince's guards. Jupiter knew she should have fun too, but she also wanted to stay in close proximity to the princess, should things go south.

She turned her gaze back towards Nephrite as she spoke, "that sounds quite interesting, much more interesting than the training sessions I attend each day." she said hoping she hadn't said too much, maybe he wouldn't ask about it, and if she did, Jupiter would be careful about it.

Before Serenity could even blink, Endymion had her in a light embrace and his lips were brushing against her ear as he spoke. The way he emphasized her title sent shivers down Serenity's spine. His voice was so smooth and confident - it was music to her ears. And having his face so close to hers only strengthened the young princess's excitement further.

A small smile played on Serenity's lips as Endymion spun her out once more, pulling her back in and resuming the dance as before. "It is my first time dancing with a partner as talented as yourself," she said, adding a playful flirtatious flair to her voice. She loved the security this man gave her. Sure, she had always felt safe and protected under the guard of her senshi, but she had always felt overprotected. With Endymion, Serenity felt free, safe, and happy. If she had the option, she would have chosen for time to stop in this moment and never resume. 

Glancing nervously to the side, Serenity could see Venus dancing with Kunzite. For the moment, it seemed she was preoccupied, but Serenity had no idea how much longer that would last. If she wanted her time with Endymion to remain just with Endymion, she would have to get away from Venus and the rest of the senshi. 

Returning her gaze to Endymion's enchanting blue eyes, Serenity quickly thought of a way she could get Endymion to leave the ballroom with her. "Your planet is quite beautiful. It has always been a dream of mine to visit. This palace is even more remarkable than I have ever imagined."

Kunzite nodded in understanding at Venus's explanation. It was obvious to him that Venus and the other guardians valued their princess to a great extent - far beyond a basic friendship. Seeing that Venus's relationship with her princess mirrored his own relationship with Endymion, Kunzite felt like he could relate to this young woman even more than before. It was comforting to know that he had taken interest in someone who could understand him.

The mood of their conversation took a sudden turn, and Kunzite found himself drifting back into his stoic, serious personality. He had just begun to let loose, and as always, the welfare of his prince and the Terran people had gotten in the way. But Kunzite knew the question was hanging in the air - he had been asking himself the same question ever since they met the Lunar women. But after the many nights of pacing and contemplating, Kunzite found himself always reaching the same conclusion.

"I can't predict what will happen if our charges do...fall in love. But I do know that I vowed to protect and serve Endymion for the rest of my life. His happiness and his safety is my top priority. If your princess is what makes him happy, then I have no reason to get between them. It would be cruel of me to take this away from him. However, from a political standpoint...I do believe that their...relationship could cause some turmoil in our kingdoms. On the other hand, this could become the biggest unifying movement this galaxy has ever seen. If the people see the prince of Earth has fallen in love with the princess of the Moon, their opinions over our planets may change for the better. The fear our planets have for each other could subside, and we may even find ourselves at total peace."

The possibilities were endless when it came to a hidden love between the Earth and the Moon. There were positives and negatives to bring to the table, but Kunzite couldn't really see the Terrans becoming too angry or too rebellious. Endymion had won their respect over the years, and Kunzite was sure they would follow him. But he knew nothing of the political situation on the moon, and that was what worried him most.

Her playful smile and the flirtatious lilt in her voice was something Endymion simultaneously could not believe and greatly wanted to believe. Watching her closely as he had been, he easily spotted her nervous glance and followed the gaze -- fear lurching in his chest for the possibilities: enemies of her kingdom, or even friends of her kingdom unexpectedly showing? nobles in his court staring her down? His mother eyeing her? But his eyes only fell on Kunzite and Venus, who danced together, seeming to be speaking in low tones. His fear dissipated, curiosity replacing it. Why would Venus and Kunzite make Serenity nervous? 

Feeling her eyes on him, he turned his full attention back to her and enjoyed the calculated mischief he saw in her gaze. Her leading phrase was a cue he took easily - "Then please allow me to show you more," he invited, his tone low and mimicking her own - but her motivations escaped him. Why did she want to leave the ball? As his eyes scanned the room to see if he could be free to leave unhindered, he spied his friends keeping close to hers and his lips twitched into a different sort of smile. His mother and father were entertaining high nobles from other regions, and though in his sweeping looks he saw other eyes on him, he didn't particularly care about them. He and Serenity could escape right now, through one of the servant doors, if they made their way over to one of the tables in the opposite corner.

He spun her to turn them abruptly in that direction, then caught her eyes again and smiled as they danced towards their destination. He didn't know why she wanted to leave, but he liked that she wanted him to go, too. And in such a covert fashion, too - he glanced up only once to see if Kunzite had caught on to their clandestine plan, and his grin spread. He slowed their dance to a walk, but kept her hand as he led her over to the hors d'oeuvres table. He reached over, took hold of something - he wasn't really paying attention to it - and instructed in a low voice, "Follow me." With one last glance around, he moved around the table and casually pulled back a heavy curtain to reveal a hidden door. 

It would lead them to a small servant's hall, but from there they could exit into the grander rooms, and he could show her more of the planet she professed to want to see.

His words sounded sincere, and Venus liked to think she could read people rather well. The prince’s guardians seemed loyal and dependable and she hoped Kunzite would keep his promise of always standing by him no matter what happened. But she also liked that he was practical about it—that he acknowledged the risks rather than simply being swept up in the romance of it all. That was what she needed right now; someone with a level head who would put what was most important first.

But then he spoke of unifying the kingdoms. And peace. Venus blinked, having never even thought about that before. Was it possible? After all the suspicion and wariness the two planets had for each other… could the prince and princess being together actually created something good? Could they turn it into a… political marriage instead? Only one that actually had love in it as well, which would be just about… perfect. The most perfect thing in the world.

A voice deep in her heart told her it was too good to be true.

But as she gazed into Kunzite’s eyes, her heart longing for that same freedom Serenity so craved more than anything, she almost wanted to believe him. She almost could. “Peace,” she repeated softly. How nice the word sounded. Maybe Serenity could bring her namesake into the world after all. Who would want to hurt a young princess with a heart that was so completely and clearly innocent? Who could? Could anyone take one look at her and suspect that she had ulterior motives with the prince?

She knew she was biased, but she hoped nonetheless.

“Do you truly believe that? That we could bring peace to the moon and earth?” she asked, getting lost in the dream despite knowing better. If he was right… this could be huge. Maybe the queen would even forgive them for all the lies.

Maybe they weren’t headed for catastrophe after all.

Zoisite couldn't help but smile when she agreed to come back. He knew that realistically, it would almost certainly never happen, but it was nice to hear that it was something that she wanted and if given the opportunity to do so, would.

Any question? He raised his eyebrow at her offer and grinned at how shy she looked. 

"The Princess, she is from the moon," he started, making sure to keep his tone low to not attract the attention of any least they be overheard. "But I am beginning to suspect that not all of you are. Each of you bear a name of a planet in the solar system. There is the possibility that you simply took on the names as a, a moniker of sorts for a name. I however, propose a different hypothesis. You took those monikers because you really are from those planets, aren't you?" he waited, breath held for her response. If this was true it would completely destroy most of the theories that Earth held about the Lunar Kingdom.