This chapter is pretty, as we used to say back in the olden days, safe-for-work. The rating is for the next chapter.

Thank you to my beta, Irritablevowel! Definitely check out her work, too.

This SilMil story was meant to be a one-shot PWP (that's what we used to call porny one shots back in the olden days) but it turned into a two chapter PWP instead. What can I say? I like words.

The opulent, glistening halls of the Silver Millennium palace were beyond beautiful, but Prince Endymion couldn't help thinking they were made less to impress and more to intimidate - as he and General Kunzite made small figures indeed walking beneath the towering alabastrine arches.

With straight backs and lifted chins, they walked through the welcoming ceremony of dozens of people in their finest dress, parted to the side, murmuring and glancing from behind decorated masks and fluttering fans. They stopped at the shimmering crystalline throne of Queen Serenity and respectfully knelt on one knee, Kunzite bowing his head and Endymion putting his hand on his chest. The queen stood and bowed her head slightly, intoning a wordy, ceremonial welcome that Endymion echoed back with practiced diplomacy.

Then, the queen lifted her arm and gestured toward the four figures standing in the shadows behind her. "May I present my kingdom's guardians and loyal warriors: Princess Mars, Princess Jupiter, Princess Mercury." One by one the stunning women came forward and nodded their heads - though none bowed - in greeting. Their colorful sheath dresses - in garnet red, emerald green, and ocean blue respectively - were a breathtaking splash of color in a room full of silver and white hues. "I regret that Princess Venus is away on a diplomatic mission, and will not be able to join us," the queen continued.

Then she gestured behind her, "I also present my daughter, the Princess Selene Serenity of the Silver Millennium."

The princess stepped from the shadows, with eyes downcast and hands gently clasped in front of her. Golden hair spilled down her back from an intricate design of braids and knots, from which a delicate moon chain fell and rested between her brows. She curtsied gracefully. "My lords," she murmured. Eyes the color of an Earthen summer sky regarded them from beneath dusky lashes.

If Kunzite noticed Endymion's sharp intake of breath, he ignored it. The princess stepped from the raised dais and held out her hand to Endymion, bidding him rise. He took her hand and raised it to his lips, eyes meeting hers sharply. "Princess," he said. "It is an honor to finally meet you in person."

"The pleasure is all mine," she said, in a lilting, sing-song voice. She turned toward Kunzite, now reaching a slim hand toward him. "And welcome, General Kunzite of the Earth Kingdom."

Rather than take her hand, he pressed his own to his chest in a fist, and bowed at the waist. "Princess," he said.

Queen Serenity smiled in satisfaction.

"May I say, Princess Serenity," Kunzite said later, the music and din of conversation from the ball flowing around them like a river, "rumors of your beauty haven't nearly done you justice."

This time, Endymion did bristle. Kunzite allowed the slightest pull of a smirk, and the woman before him offered the smallest, wariest smile.

"You flatter me, my lord."

"Where is she?" Endymion said, unable to contain himself any longer. He darted a glance around him, half to see if he was being overheard, half as if he expected to see familiar ice blue eyes behind the mask of the nearest diminutive courtier.

Instead of answering, she took his hand. "Let's dance," she said.

"Why?" Endymion demanded, as they started a slow and steady waltz.

"You know I'm her decoy," Venus answered, quietly. "You should hardly be surprised to see me presented as Serenity."

Endymion didn't smile; his eyes regarded her with a sharpness that bordered on offended. "Why are you her decoy now? My first official visit to the kingdom is hardly a dangerous situation."

Venus blinked, the moon symbol on her forehead winking in the candlelight. "Queen Serenity would beg to differ," she said. "Anyway, consider it a good sign. She obviously has no idea you and Serenity have met before, or she wouldn't have presented me as her daughter."

"Still, that she would consider me such a great danger to Serenity-"

"Doesn't she have a point?" Venus asked, smiling a little.

Endymion raised his eyebrows.

"Your reputation with women certainly precedes you, your highness," Venus said, under her breath. "And it only took how many secret meetings with Serenity before you had her pledging her eternal love? I would say you work pretty quickly."

The dance was almost ending, and it was clear Venus was needed elsewhere - her duties as Princess Serenity amounted to more than just entertaining the visiting prince - but Endymion didn't let go of her waist.

"I have been nothing but respectful with Serenity," he hissed.

The song ended, and they bowed to each other but Venus did not look ready to end the conversation there. "You mean... you haven't...?"

"Of course not!" he said, trying to keep a pleasant expression on his face as he took her arm and escorted her to her next dance partner. "We've made our vows of true love, that's all that matters."

Venus smiled charmingly at another Silver Millennium citizen, (who called her Princess, and bowed, which made Endymion internally scowl), then turned back to Endymion. "Well, Prince Endymion, that new information certainly does explain many of her frustrations as of late. I hope this is a matter that can be resolved soon."

It was hours later that Endymion stumbled back into his guest chambers, exhausted and not a little drunk, still smelling the cloying perfume of every courtier who had tried their hand at enticing the foreign prince to their bed. The balcony was open, the sweet warm air fluttering the gauzy curtains. He remembered Serenity telling him about the recirculated air - it was nice but didn't hold the authentic, dewy scent of a real Earth summer.

With an ache, he realized he was finally here, in his true love's home - the same halls she'd run through as a child, the kitchens where she'd snuck down and stolen desserts, the same shadowy corners where she'd stolen her first kisses from palace guards (he swore he wasn't jealous, although now that he was here, he was curious which guards exactly...), and he couldn't even share it with her. He pulled his hands through his hair in vexation, falling down on the bed without bothering to unlace his boots.

It wasn't the first time he'd wanted to growl in frustration since losing his heart so completely to the adorable lunar princess - the situation surrounding them was so dangerous, they walked such a fragile line - one misstep and everything could come crashing down around them. Falling in love was forbidden enough, Endymion was careful to keep them in a sort of delicate dance of tenderness that he couldn't verge on sensual.

And with Serenity - curious, impetuous, gorgeous, stubborn, perfect Serenity - oh, he was utterly and completely wrecked with love for her - it wasn't easy by any means.

The very first time he met her - shocked and shy, half hidden behind a tree in his garden, murmuring apologies in a gorgeous, lilting accent he couldn't place - her physical beauty shook him to his core. In a court that cherished color - rich jewel toned clothing, dark hair, dark skin from hours outside among the flowers - her pale blue eyes, ghostly skin and silver hair was as foregin as anything he could imagine.

And she was breathtaking.

He'd taken her hand, so delicate yet surprisingly warm, and pressed his lips to her knuckles, eyes never leaving hers. The soft pink that stained her cheeks sent a shiver of satisfaction down his spine. She was skittish, like a frightened creature, until he calmed her, assured her that he didn't mean her any harm and that he wouldn't consider her trespassing on his land a crime. How could he? He already desperately wanted her to return.

It wasn't long before her delighted smiles and curious enthusiasm added genuine fondness for her to his fierce attraction - and a desperate need to protect her. When they shared their first kiss, Endymion knew there would never be anyone else for him. Ever. He only wanted Serenity.

And, oh, how he wanted her...

He still remembered walking her through the peach orchards, her eyes wide with wonder as her fingers brushed the soft flesh of the ripe fruit hanging from the trees. "And... you can eat this?" She asked, in that glorious accent, "just from the tree?"

In answer, he reached up and twisted off the best looking peach within reach and handed it to her. "Go ahead," he said, gently.

She took it and looked at it with an adorable sort of disconcertment; poked at it with her finger as if she expected it to open. At his chuckle, Serenity looked up and gave him a disgruntled sort of pout that just made him laugh harder.

"Just bite it," he said, pantomiming the action to her suspicious look.

Still looking slightly apprehensive, she eyed the fruit for a moment before shrugging and biting into it. Then: "Oh."

She shut her eyes, hands coming up to her lips in rapture. Endymion realized he may have made a mistake, the hum of sastifaction she made was so sensual... it was too easy to imagine all the different and delicious ways he could entice those same sounds from her throat. The juice ran down her chin and her neck and he fought the sudden desire to catch it with his mouth, to run his tongue along her flesh.

Always the proper princess, she attempted to dab at the juice with her hand, but it was to no avail. Rather than offer her a handkerchief, Endymion found himself stepping forward, tracing his thumb across her chin instead. At his touch, Serenity's eyes clouded a bit, the hand holding the peach dropped slightly. To his surprise, she opened her plump, juice-sticky lips slightly and caught his thumb, her tongue brushing against it, taking the sweet taste of the peach juice back into her mouth.

For all the women he'd bedded, that small gesture was the single most arousing thing Endymion had ever experienced. The peach rolled away, forgotten, when she'd thrown her arms around him. Her mouth had tasted of sugared peaches and moonlight when he pressed her back against the tree and kissed her breathless. Despite the throbbing between his legs, kissing was all he allowed himself to do, although her mewls and arching body pleaded for more, and almost completely undid him.

That was the last time Endymion let them fall that close to the precipice. Their situation couldn't be compromised by soiling Serenity's reputation. Besides, he was content enough to bask in her presence. Chaste kisses shared with Serenity were worth infinitely more than any previous romp in the sheets with shallow courtiers and flirtatious servant girls.

His gaze shifted to the sky outside his window, and the jarring sight of his planet hanging in the black sky. 'Oh Serenity,' he thought, pushing back a headache with the palm of his hand, 'my love, where are you?'

The next day was a torturous charade of pretending, with "Princess Serenity" escorting him to a late breakfast with the Queen and then some diplomatic meetings. He was grateful when the royal advisor, Luna, released him to his chambers in what he assumed passed for the late afternoon (the days and nights were two weeks long outside the artificial light of the city).

"The princess pointed out you must be exhausted from your travels, and from the welcome ball last evening," she said, blinking her strange cat-like eyes at him. "We will bring you an early dinner in your chambers, and Artemis will come get you tomorrow morning."

He didn't realize he'd fallen asleep until the creak of the door woke him up. He watched blearily as a servant girl dressed in a hooded cloak slipped in and placed a covered tray on a nearby table. The door closed behind her before she spoke.

"Your supper, my lord," she murmured, bowing her head. Her voice made him sit up, pushing raven hair out of his eyes in shock.

Could he be imagining it? Had he finally simply lost his mind, seeing his obsession everywhere, even in servants bringing him food?

"Serenity?"

"If you are asking after the Princess, sire, she is in with her advisors," came the answer. It was most definitely her voice, unmistakable in the hint of amusement in her next words: "In a meeting about Neptunian etiquette that I can only assume is dreadfully dull." She lifted the hood and let it fall back to reveal sparkling blue eyes and waves of silvery hair pulled back in a simple plait. "I'm merely a servant girl, my lord." She widened her eyes innocently, lowering her shoulders and chin - the perfect picture supplication and obedience.

"Like hell you are," Endymion said around a smirk, practically leaping from the bed to crush the girl to him a desperate embrace. "Oh, Sere," he murmured into her hair. Her familiar, sweet scent was comforting and enticing all at once. "Finally."

"I'm sorry it took me so long," she murmured.

He stepped back and looked at her, just drinking in the sight of her standing before him in the flesh.

Serenity had shrugged off the cloak. Gone was her usual gauzy, frothy white dress; instead she was dressed in the pewter-colored uniform of the palace staff - a simple dress with a silver sash around her waist. Her hair had been hastily braided, tendrils escaping around her ears and face in a charming way, and her forehead was covered with a simple cloth band.

He cupped her face his hand - running his thumb over the soft skin of her cheek - and then curled his fingers through her hair and untied the cloth band revealing the crescent moon symbol on her forehead. He pressed his lips to it, lingering for a moment at her sigh.

"I've missed you," Serenity breathed, curling her fingers around his collar and pulling him down for a proper kiss. She let her other hand fall to his waist, brushing her fingertips against the belt of the state uniform he hadn't bothered to remove when falling into bed earlier. "Tell me, love," she murmured against his mouth, "how have you been enjoying my home?"

Endymion paused for a moment in such a way that made Serenity pull away with a sympathetic look on her lovely face. "Oh, dear, that bad?" She brushed her fingers down his face tenderly, and Endymion was suddenly hypnotized by the soft pout of her lips. A familiar ache settled at the base of his spine.

"I heard you officially met our princess," she said, walking past him and sitting on the edge of the bed. She pulled one strand of glistening silver hair to her lips, meeting his eyes with a tilt of her head. "I'm curious, my lord, what did you think of her?"

He leaned over her and put his forehead against hers. "She wasn't exactly what I was expecting."

"Oh?" Those wide, all-too-innocent eyes again. She wound her arms around his neck, and he let himself sink into the side of the bed, between her knees. "I suppose your women on Earth are so plentiful and willing, that a mere descendant of the moon goddess wouldn't impress you."

"Still," he said, and it was too easy, too natural, for the arrogant smirk to settle over his features, for his hand to slip confidently along her thigh, under the fabric of her dress. "I think she likes me."

Serenity's eyes went a bit glassy for a moment, her lips falling open at the feel of warm palm on her skin, the tingly traces of his fingertips as he barely brushed her flesh. But she snapped to attention when he groaned out loud, and pulled his hand away to gently rest it on her shoulder. This wasn't like any other woman, and this wasn't like any other time. She was too powerful, too important, too precious to do this with... and oh, her skin felt too too irresistible ...

"Where have you been, Sere?" he asked, and because he was utterly unable to help himself, he dipped his head and pressed his lips to her collar bone.

"They've had me under lock and key," she managed to say, running her fingers through his hair. "I've only just managed to get away, thanks to the combined efforts of all my senshi."

She took his face between her hands and looked at him, almost sorrowfully. "I don't know when or if I'll be able to get away again, so let's make this count." And she pressed her lips to his.