Her heart crumbled as he held her small hands in his shaky grasp. Serenity hated that his comforting touch now brought her pain, but she couldn't bring herself to pull away from the man she loved above all others.

They sat together in their favorite spot, well hidden from prying eyes in the mazelike gardens of the Moon Castle. Venus and Kunzite stood nearby as always, silent yet alert, their backs to their charges to give the illusion of privacy.

"You have no idea how sorry I am, Serenity; how I wish I could remain by your side for the rest of my days." Endymion's expression hardened as his gaze caught sight of the Earth hanging heavy and low in the sky, watching and waiting for its prince to return. "But, my duty to my people must come first. I must protect them, and if agreeing to marry means peace between our worlds, means saving countless lives . . . it's what I must do."

"I understand," she replied simply, knowing that he was right, as much as it hurt. She had been prepared for this since their clandestine affair began nearly two years prior after a chance meeting at a masquerade ball, though it did nothing to lessen the sting.

Serenity bowed her head as hot tears began to fall. Endymion released one of her hands to cup her face gently, allowing her tears to run through his fingers. She leaned into his touch, savoring these last precious moments together.

All too soon, their solitude was broken.

"Sire, we should return soon, lest our absence be noted," Kunzite warned.

Endymion sighed before leaning forward to kiss his lover's golden brow. Serenity grasped his hands desperately.

"I will always love you," she whispered.

"And I you, my beloved princess," he replied, touching his forehead to hers as she cried.

Before long he began to rise, pulling his hands away from hers. He concentrated, a soft glow lighting his face before placing a single bloodred rose in her quivering grasp. She squeezed her eyes shut, unable to watch him leave as she clung to the flower's stem, even as its thorns tore her skin. The space beside her grew cold as his footsteps faded, and she knew it was all over, and that her heart would never be the same again.

On Venus it is believed that once a person has met their true love match, their heart will not be content with any other. It has made us a careful bunch; free with flirtations and frivolous affairs but far more guarded where our hearts are concerned. As a child I was skeptical of this logic, but after seeing it play out first-hand, I can now say that I know the sad truth behind the words.

I am a princess, a guardian—some (lucky few) even know me as a goddess. I am the inheritor of the great planet of love, Venus, and channel her power. I serve the High Queen of Silver Millennium and guard the Moon Princess, Serenity. She is my reason for living, my purpose in life.

It was she who, many years ago, met her true love match, but it was not to be. The fates intervened to cruelly separate lovers apart, and her heart never truly recovered. She has a wonderful life, a life full of comfort, companionship, and privilege, but there is an emptiness in her where her Endymion used to be.

He made the difficult decision to sacrifice their love for the good of his people and hers. His planet was experiencing great unrest, and despite how much we tried to keep their affair a secret, it was impossible—too many people saw their comings and goings, and gossip swiftly spread.

As knowledge of their relationship grew, the situation on Earth deteriorated. A great rebellion broke out, led by a member of Endymion's own court, Beryl. She manipulated the Terrans' natural distrust of the long-lived and magic-wielding people of Silver Millennium, convincing anyone who would listen that the Lunarian princess had cast a spell on their crown prince. Finally, Endymion was given an ultimatum by his own high council: give up the Moon Princess forever and marry a Terran, or face deposition and imminent Terran invasion of the Moon.

Is it any wonder he gave her up? Even my princess—my sweet, forgiving princess—understood his decision.

He married shortly after, though was thankfully able to reject Beryl as a suitable bride. He took for his consort Lady Aegirine, a relation of Sir Jadeite's. She was a kind woman and beautiful, with long black hair and deep, soulful eyes, and after her union with Endymion, the turmoil on Earth soon stabilized.

After his father died and he was crowned king, Endymion was determined to normalize relations with Silver Millennium, but prudently waited several years before bringing it up to his high council. They proposed that every ten years an ambassador from Silver Millennium be brought to Earth to tour the planet and observe the court, and Queen Serenity agreed. She appointed me as ambassador, and I dutifully visited Earth every decade to check on the progress and offer my support to the king.

And so it was that I was freshly returned from my fourth diplomatic mission to Earth and found myself in the grand throne room in the Lunar palace, kneeling, head bowed, before my queen and princess.

"Rise, Princess Venus," the queen commanded from her alabaster throne.

As I stood I glanced at the princess and gave her a wink, earning the hint of a smirk, even though her gaze was straight ahead and not on me. I knew well that she both dreaded and eagerly awaited my reports from Earth, so I always tried to get her to relax early on in the debriefing to soften any news she would find upsetting.

"What news do you bring? How are affairs on Earth?" the queen asked.

"Earth is as prosperous as ever, Your Majesty. King Endymion is trusted and beloved of his people, who thrive under his rule. I'm very pleased with the progress since my last visit."

Queen Serenity smiled at the news. "And the king? How fares he?"

Though I dared not look at her directly, I could see the princess squirm as her gaze remained anywhere but on me.

"The king is well, Your Majesty . . ." I licked my lips, trying to determine the best way to phrase my next words. "Perhaps . . . a little too well."

"What do you mean?" the queen asked, leaning her head forward.

"I mean, Your Majesty, that it is becoming more evident with each passing year that King Endymion does not age as other Terrans."

"Indeed?" the queen responded, eyes narrowed as the princess shifted in her seat. "Please explain."

"Of course," I said, bowing my head slightly. "You will note, Your Majesty, that over half a century has passed since the king has appeared before you. For many Terrans, 50 years is a respectable lifespan, even though to us it but a short part of our lives."

"Which is why we are kept apart from them," the princess added softly, looking steadfastly at a fresco of her ancestors painted on the wall beside her.

"Well, that is one reason, daughter," the queen said kindly to the princess, knowing the pain the subject had caused in the past. "Please continue, Venus."

"Yes, Your Majesty. As I was saying, 50 years is a long time to a Terran. Take, for example, his four knights. I'm sure you recall Sirs Kunzite, Zoisite, Nephrite, and Jadeite?" She nodded. "I'm sorry to report that Sir Nephrite has passed . . . in his bed, from old age, mind you. Sirs Zoisite and Jadeite are long retired. Only Sir Kunzite steadfastly remains by his master's side, though I'm unsure how much longer he will be able to carry out his duties. He is strong for his age, but he is still an old man, Your Majesty, with a wrinkled face and pure white hair and beard."

"Yet the king?" Queen Serenity prompted.

"Yet the king, Your Majesty, still has the appearance of a Terran man of 30." I paused as the princess turned to me, her eyes wide. "Though those around him age as normal, he remains remarkably young. It is a very . . . strange phenomenon."

The queen's eyebrows were drawn together in concern. "How is this possible? Is there an explanation?"

"There are a great many theories, Your Majesty. The most common belief, the one repeated throughout the kingdom, has to do with the legendary Terran kings of old. It is said they lived hundreds of years and enjoyed the blessings of the gods. It is believed that King Endymion has proved himself worthy of the old kings, and so inherited their long lives."

The queen looked thoughtful. "How intriguing. Terran kings of old . . . you know, that does ring a bell, though of course I was not yet born when they lived and ruled. There are sure to be records, though. Please have Princess Mercury investigate at her first convenience."

"Yes, Your Majesty."

I continued to update the queen on King Endymion and the status of his planet, but, aside from a few additional updates, there was little to report aside from some cultural and technological advancements, and I was soon dismissed from the queen's presence.

As I left the throne room and began walking down the corridor toward my suite for a quick bath, a hidden door opened a crack, revealing a curious princess frantically waving to me. I conspicuously looked around the deserted hallway before pointing at myself, knowing full well that she would seek me out, just as she did the other three times I returned from Earth's court, hoping for the type of unofficial news (typically pried from inebriated guards or gossipy palace staff) not fit for her mother's official debriefings.

"Who, me?" I mouthed.

"Oh, just get over here, Venus," she pouted as I laughed. "Well?"

"Well what?" I asked as she pulled me into the hidden passageway and closed the door.

"Just tell me, will you?"

"About?" I replied, raising my eyebrows and innocently batting my eyes.

Her subsequent angry stomp was more adorable than frightening, but I decided to put an end to my teasing . . . for the moment, at least.

"Oh, you mean about King Endymion?" She winced at his name, then nodded. "It's as I said, my lady, he is as well as ever."

"Gods, Venus . . . A Terran man of 30? How is it possible?"

I shrugged. "There are many theories, Princess."

"Which one do you believe?"

"I think there is some truth in the legends of the old kings, though maybe not in the way they say. We have long known that the king was more . . . in tune with his planet than his predecessors."

"That's true," she said thoughtfully. "His roses . . ."

"Maybe he found a way to tap into his planet's power, like we do ours."

"Is that even possible for a Terran? And a male, at that?"

"Your guess is as good as mine, though I did get the sense that Kunzite knew more about the matter than he let on. It wouldn't surprise me that even if they did know the truth of it, they would keep it closely guarded."

"That would be prudent," she agreed. "And . . . what about his . . . consort?"

"You well know the queen died many years ago, my lady . . ."

She shook her head, before clarifying. "Of course, but after one of your previous trips, you said the council might pressure him to marry again. Was there any further discussion on the matter?"

I smiled, glad that I had taken the time to wheedle the inside information out of Kunzite, knowing full well Serenity would ask me about the matter.

"That was some time ago now, my lady," I explained. "The king very cleverly deflected any real attempts made by the council onto his sons, who, I'm glad to report, both have very happy marriages, and have many children of their own. And, since there are so many heirs, and the old council has been replaced many times over . . . let's just say there hasn't been talk of the king remarrying for some time."

A look of relief flooded her face as she leaned against the stone wall. "I'm glad," she replied with a smile.

"I'm sure you are," I smirked as she pulled the lever to open the door, once again releasing me into the sun-drenched corridor. She followed me, then pressed a cleverly concealed button on a nearby statue, closing the door and returning the wall to its deceptively solid appearance.

"Let's get something to eat," she said, grabbing my arm. "I'm starving!"

"Sounds good to me," I said, thinking of the chocolate tarts I had been missing during my time on Earth. "Oh, by the way, I wanted to tell you . . . I have two friends visiting from off-planet in a week who will be staying with me at my estate—"

"Your estate on Mare Fecunditatis?" she interrupted, eyebrows raised.

"That's right," I said, nodding, "and I was wondering if you'd be interested in meeting them, wandering the gardens, having a quiet picnic together, that sort of thing."

"Really? On Mare Fecunditatis? I haven't been there for ages and ages! I can't remember the last time you had people there! Is anyone else going?"

"Nope, just us," I replied with a sly smile.

"Hmm . . . think the other girls will mind?" she said, leaning toward me conspiratorially.

"What they don't know can't hurt them."

"Cousin!" I called, waving to the elderly man who had just stepped off of the interplanetary transporter pad in the city center. His long white hair and beard were done in the Venusian fashion, with elaborate braids joined, looped, and intertwined together creating enticing patterns. His long orange-and-yellow robes were of the finest Venusian silk, decorated with myriad erotic scenes hand-embroidered in bold red. All in all, he was the perfect image of a Venusian noble—as long as you ignored his stiff demeanor and the hard look in his eyes.

The man acknowledged me with a nod before turning to wait for his companion, who soon appeared behind him, carrying their luggage. The second man was a startling contrast to the first, with a youthful face, tidy black hair brushed back from his forehead, and a meticulously maintained beard free of decoration. His dress was also in the Venusian style, though less fine than the older man's. His red robe was shorter and decorated with a simple yellow pattern, and fell just past his knees to reveal feet clad in simple leather sandals. His deep blue eyes were alight with excitement, a smile lighting his face.

I approached the men with a grin, embracing the older man and kissing him on each cheek. "Cousin Malachite, it's so good to see you again. I trust your journey was enjoyable?" I asked as I led them out of the transporter area and into the bustling markets.

"Indeed," he replied brusquely, though I saw clear irritation in his eyes. I smirked, wondering at the source of his annoyance. Was it the covert journey to Venus from Earth (at his master's suggestion)? His beloved king pretending to be his servant? The robe, which he was guaranteed to find distasteful (that I specifically chose for him)? The pampering salon treatments he received on Venus (complete with sensual massage)? Or possibly the harem of pleasure girls I had sent to his suite the night before, which he surely ignored? "The arrangements were acceptable," he replied dryly.

"And you, Darien?" I asked the dark-haired man, who was regarding the scenes before him with an adventurous eye. "How do you fare?"

"It has been a long time since I felt so alive, Your Highness," he replied as Kunzite grimaced at his master's deferential address to me. Swept up in his joy, I embraced the disguised king, kissing him sloppily on each cheek as Kunzite gave a startled noise of displeasure.

"Oh, relax, Malachite, I think as Crown Princess of Venus I'm entitled to kiss your servant," I reassured him as I wiped my lipstick from Endymion's bemused face. "By the way, Darien, I love the beard," I added, giving his facial hair a playful tug. "I hardly recognized you!"

"Not too bad for a week's growth, is it?" he answered conspiratorially as he rubbed his newly bearded face.

"I've seen worse attempts, that's for sure," I replied, "though you have a long way to go to grow one as fine as my cousin's." Endymion and I turned to the stoic Kunzite, whose eyes merely narrowed in response.

"Shall we be going?" Kunzite suggested.

"We can do as you like," I replied. "A courier can take your luggage to my estate and we can stay here for a while, or we can go directly to my estate. It's up to you!"

"I would love to see more of the city . . . it's been so many years since we've been here," Endymion said.

"I think it would be more prudent to head directly to—"

"Oh nonsense, Malachite," I said, threading my arm through his. "The man hasn't been off planet in how many years? I think you both could use a good meal and tour, courtesy of your hostess."

"That's not necessary, and I—"

"Cousin," I interrupted, "I think you're being rather ungracious, and in front of a servant no less!" I clicked my tongue and gave Endymion a pitying glance. "You wouldn't want to insult my hospitality by turning down my offer, now would you?"

Kunzite sighed and trained a neutral look on his face. "I suppose not, Cousin," he bit out as I winked at Endymion, who merely looked amused at the exchange.

We quickly found a courier to take care of the luggage, and I relished the chance to show the Terran king and his faithful guard the capital city of Silver Millennium for the first time in over 50 years. Luckily, their disguises proved convincing, and since I was a common sight in the markets, no one took a second glance at us as we spent the day wandering about, taking in the landmarks, sampling food from across the solar system, and looking at the various goods for sale.

Finally, bellies full and feet wearied from walking all day, we hired a carriage and headed to Mare Fecunditatis. Thankfully, with the coachman seated outside the carriage and well out of hearing range, we could finally speak openly. It would be a few hours until we arrived at my estate, but I was grateful for the privacy nonetheless.

"So far, so good," I remarked as the city gave way to the outer villages. "Did you enjoy yourselves?"

"It's been wonderful," Endymion said, relaxing into the plush bench he was sharing with Kunzite. "I can't thank you enough, Venus."

"Of course, Your Majesty."

"None of this would have been possible without you. I owe you so much . . . I really don't know how to thank you for not dismissing my ploy outright."

"To be fair, I did think you were out of your head when you first told me you wanted to sneak onto the Moon." I shook my head, remembering the night a few weeks earlier when the king had come to my guest chambers on Earth, Kunzite close behind, to confess his hopes to see Silver Millennium's princess once again. "But, after giving it some thought," I continued, "I found it a worthy challenge."

"We are in your debt, my lady," Kunzite said, bowing his head to me.

"Oh nonsense. We're all in this together, after all," I said. "By the way, how did you wind up getting away from the Terran court? Did anyone suspect anything?"

"No," the king replied, scratching his beard, "we told the council that we were going on a 'spiritual quest' into the deep forests of the north countries. It may sound strange, but the two of us have been known to strike out alone every few years, just to get away from it all. . . . The pressures of ruling have lessened significantly since I was able to stabilize the planet's affairs, and my eldest son is well used to stepping in to rule in my stead when I have my odd whims."

"It's wonderful that you have such a worthy heir, Your Highness."

"Yes, I am eternally thankful that he has a good head on his shoulders. It gives me a lot more freedom than I used to have. To tell you the truth, I wouldn't mind letting him take over completely, if I had a reason to do so. . . ." he trailed off, turning his gaze to the rocky white landscape outside of the carriage window.

"And you made it to Venus without much trouble, I hope?" It had been my suggestion to transport to the Moon from Venus; travel from the Earth to the Moon was heavily restricted, and stopping there first to obtain Venusian garb would mean far less scrutiny.

"His Grace arranged transport to Venus for 'Malachite' and 'Darien' on the only interplanetary transporter in the kingdom before we left," Kunzite explained.

"Yes, but unfortunately it's in the center of my capital, so we had to do what we could to disguise ourselves after a week in the wilderness. . . . I grew a beard and Kunzite cropped my hair short, and no one expected the king to be walking around in a servant's costume, so I was able to sneak through without much suspicion. Kunzite, on the other hand, did wind up getting some attention . . . " Endymion looked to his companion with a smirk.

Kunzite sighed and crossed his arms across his chest as I leaned forward, eager for his explanation. "I had heard henna was an effective dye, so . . ."

"Oh?" I said, my curiosity piqued. "How did that turn out?"

"As orange as a carrot, my lady," Endymion said, barely holding in his laughter. "It was quite a sight to behold."

"Oh gods, you have no idea how badly I would have loved to have seen that," I said, trying to imagine the icy man across from me with bright orange hair.

"Let's just say I'm grateful for the skill of the Venusian salons," Kunzite said, fingering his beard as Endymion and I laughed. After a moment he spoke again, clearly looking to change the subject. "So what is the plan for tomorrow?"

"I will leave first thing in the morning," I said after regaining my composure, "to get the princess and escort her to my estate. We will return in the late morning and the four of us can have lunch together. I'm afraid you'll have to keep your false identities around my servants, but there are plenty of places that afford total privacy—essential, of course, for any Venusian household."

Endymion sat forward, tapping his lips with a thoughtful finger. "Do you have gardens at your estate?"

"Of course, Your Highness. There are gardens aplenty."

"Would you mind if I . . . altered one, a bit?" he asked, giving me a meaningful look.

"Not at all, Your Highness," I replied with a smile. "Your wish is my command."

"Oh, Venus, I just love how romantic your place is," Serenity exclaimed as she threw her arms wide to twirl through my entrance hall.

Unlike the Moon Castle, whose expansive halls and sterile white stone walls and floors tended to feel cold and impersonal, my estate was designed in the Venusian tradition, with lower ceilings, cushy velvet divans aplenty, draped fabrics hanging from the ceilings, and low, warm light pouring through the windows and lamps scattered throughout the living spaces. When I had first moved to the Moon, I spent nearly every weekend there, but after a while it became too much of a hassle to travel to, especially with my main source of entertainment—the princess—stuck back at the Moon Castle, so it gradually fell into disuse, with just a caretaker watching over it.

"It's the same as the last time you were here," I reminded the princess.

"I know, but it's been so long," she said, turning her mouth down into an unconvincing pout.

"I think the guests are in the gardens with a picnic lunch," I said with a reassuring smile. "Shall we meet them?"

"Sounds good! Oh, did Thalia make those Venusian crackers I like? The ones with the weird atmospheric sulfur salt on them?"

"You know she did," I said.

Eyes twinkling, she grabbed my hand and headed toward the back of the house, curiously peeking into rooms as we passed, exclaiming about the many things that caught her attention we went. We quickly reached the doors to the gardens, which had been left open invitingly.

I was starting to get nervous as I led her—still chattering happily—to the secluded garden where Endymion and Kunzite waited, wondering how she would react to the ploy. As we approached the tall hedges enclosing our picnic area, I held back, urging her toward the main archway through the hedges as I pretended to fix my shoe. She disappeared through the hedge, and I heard a shocked gasp.

"Venus!" she called as I came into the clearing, which had been utterly transformed by roses of every type and color, covering the hedge fronts and intertwining elegantly to create a perfectly artful scene, their calming scent perfuming the air. In the middle of the grassy clearing was a perfectly laid picnic for four. But, much to my surprise, we were completely alone.

"Earth roses?" she said, looking hurt. "You know how I feel about . . ." Serenity stopped, her eyes opening wide as I heard footsteps in the grass. I turned to see Endymion enter the clearing through one of the hedge's archways, his face pale, his eyes tortured as he watched her. Behind him lurked Kunzite, looking slightly exasperated.

For several moments there was no sound or movement. Kunzite and I hardly dared to breathe, unsure what was about to happen. Finally, Endymion cleared his throat and strode toward my mistress.

"My lady," he said softly, taking her hand and lightly brushing his lips across her knuckles.

She pulled her hand back, curtseying to him. "Your Majesty," she said mechanically. "It pleases me to see you again . . ." She rose again, and they once again lapsed into silence.

Kunzite cleared his throat behind me, getting my attention. He looked at a complete loss; I shrugged my shoulders.

"Why don't we sit?" I suggested. Serenity and Endymion looked at me startled, having completely forgotten that I was near.

"Yes, food, of course," Serenity said with a nervous giggle.

The four of us sat on the wide blanket, though Serenity took her time getting situated, scooting this way and that as I began placing the food piled high on the serving platter onto everyone's plates. Serenity remained oddly silent as she reached out to grab a cracker, which she delicately nibbled as she stared at her lap.

"Wine?" I asked, picking up a ceramic pitcher. Endymion nodded, holding out his cup with an unsteady hand. As I poured, it slipped through his fingers and broke into several pieces, spilling wine in a deep red gash across the blanket. Serenity leapt up, quickly bunching up the bottom of her white skirts, while Kunzite picked up the broken pottery shards and I sopped up the spill with our napkins. Endymion kept muttering apologies, though it was soon relatively dry.

"It's no matter, Your Highness," I reassured the mortified man as I gathered the soiled napkins. "It really was very little wine, and this blanket is used for picnics for a reason. Trust me, it's not the first spill it's dealt with."

Serenity, still managing to clasp her half-eaten cracker in her fingers, let down her skirts and resumed her previous spot, now that the threat to her dress had been neutralized.

"Here," I said, gathering two of the remaining cups and filling them with wine, "why don't you two relax while Kunzite and I take care of the napkins and fetch a new cup?" I handed each monarch a cup of wine, both looking at me as if I had just suggested a pleasant afternoon in the torture chamber.

"We will return shortly, Your Highness," Kunzite said as he rose from the blanket. I followed, and we made our way through the main archway. We didn't get far before we heard someone quickly follow our steps. Turning, we found Endymion behind us, running his hands through his cropped hair.

"I can't do this," he said, pacing around us. "It was a fool's errand and I never should have come here . . ."

"Your Highness, please have faith," I said, trying to soothe him, but he seemed to not hear me.

"She hates me, I see it plain as day. Why did I think I could get her forgiveness after what I did?"

"Your Highness," I said with some desperation, "believe me, she doesn't hate you. She understands why—"

"I can't stay here," he said, eyes wild.

"Your Highness," Kunzite said.

"How soon can a carriage—"

"ENDYMION," Kunzite yelled, finally losing his temper. The king stared at Kunzite as if he'd been slapped, his eyes wide with shock. "Your Highness," Kunzite continued calmly after a few moments of silence, "I want you to tell me why you came here."

Endymion took a few deep breaths, shaking out his arms to help release his nerves. "I came here to tell Serenity how I feel. But—"

"Good," Kunzite replied, cutting off his objection. "And tell me how long you have loved the princess."

Endymion shook his head, a sad smile on his face. "Since the first time I saw her," he said softly.

"And what of the years you didn't see her? Did your love ever fade?"

Endymion sighed, looking wearily toward the archway.

"And how often," Kunzite continued, "did I find you gazing at the Moon with pain plain on your face, even while your kingdom flourished around you, even as your sons played at your feet? How often," he said, taking a step forward, "did you look at your queen, go to her, and see another?"

"Enough, Kunzite," Endymion said, a note of warning in his voice. "You go too far."

I held my breath, scarcely believing that Kunzite had dared to say such a thing, but thankfully his words had a sobering effect on Endymion, and the king said nothing more. After a few moments he calmed, but his eyebrows were still knit together in uncertainty.

"Your Highness," I said, touching his arm gently, "do you think I would risk the displeasure of my queen and my princess—the people I love most dearly in this universe—to bring you here if I did not think your love had every chance to succeed?"

He closed his eyes, processing my words. After a few moments, he straightened himself fully, a determined look on his face, looking more like a king than I had seen since his arrival. His reached up and ran his hands through his short hair in an effort to fix the damage he had inflicted earlier, but I raised a hand to still his movements.

"I think you might find that she likes your hair a little messy, Your Highness."

A small grin appeared on his face as he lowered his hands.

"Well?" he asked, spreading his arms. "Do I look OK?"

I smiled, hoping he saw my sincerity. "Fit for a princess."

He nodded at me, then at Kunzite, before checking his clothing one last time and turning to reenter the clearing. From our position on the other side of the hedge, we could hear low murmuring, followed by a feminine giggle.

Kunzite narrowed his eyes skeptically. "Do you think they'll be alright alone?"

"I sure hope so," I said, leading him away from the clearing and down the path toward the house, "because I don't think I can take much more of that."

Kunzite chuckled, shaking his head. "I don't think I've ever seen him like that in all my life."

"He was fine when I left! What happened?" I asked as I briefly looked back toward the hedges that concealed the king and princes.

"The longer you were gone, the more nervous he got," he explained. "Perhaps he was overtired from the voyage and growing all of the roses, or perhaps he thought too much about what he had to lose. Either way, when we heard your voices through the hedge, he nearly ran me over to get through the back entrance. It was like a fox hearing the blasts of hunting horns!"

"I wondered where you both went! We finally arrived and there was no king to greet us!"

"I managed to convince him to return, but . . . well, you saw what happened," he said as I shifted the soiled napkins to one arm in order to reach out and break off a few sprigs of fragrant lavender growing along the path. "And what of the princess?" he asked. "She's not as I remember."

"I wouldn't judge her too harshly, Kunzite," I said, sticking a sprig of lavender behind my ear. "She was the same bubbly princess as ever until she saw the roses, and once the king was in view . . . I think it's reasonable to say she was in shock." I kicked a rock on the path, watching as it tumbled aimlessly down the trail.

"Indeed."

"She had them banned, you know . . . Terran roses . . ." He looked startled as I reached over and carefully placed a sprig of lavender among the braids of his beard, but was resigned to his fate by the time the second was nestled in his beard. Soon after, we arrived back at my estate, his beard now fully adorned with purple buds, for undoubtedly the first (and last) time in his life.

"Thalia!" I called as we entered the back doors. She quickly appeared from the kitchen, curtseying before us. "Please dispose of these items," I said, handing her the napkins and indicating she take the broken pottery from Kunzite. "Be so kind as to fetch a cup to replace the broken one, send Aglaea to assist me into fresh clothing, and have Euphrosyne assist my cousin."

"That won't be necessary," Kunzite quickly interjected.

"Fine," I said, "have Aglaea assist me . . . and I shall help my cousin." I smirked as a faint blush appeared on Kunzite's otherwise stony face.

"Yes, my lady," Thalia replied before scurrying off to her tasks.

"Really you are far too easy to tease," I told Kunzite as we walked to our bedrooms. "You can't possibly blame me for wanting to have fun with you when it's so enjoyable."

"One thing's certain—you haven't changed at all since I've known you."

"I'll take that as a compliment," I replied.

He snorted, opening the door to his suite to change out of his wine-stained clothes.

"Are you sure you don't need any help changing?" I asked innocently as he entered his rooms. He didn't look back before shutting the door behind him and locking it with a resoundingly firm click.

With Aglaea's assistance I was soon in a clean dress and, once Kunzite was done figuring out how to properly assemble a Venusian ensemble on his own (despite my additional offers of assistance), we headed back outside, a new cup firmly in my grasp.

As we neared the clearing, we made sure to make as much noise as possible, talking loudly and stepping heavily as we went. Finally, we reached the main archway in the hedge and paused in silence, looking at each other, both nervous and reluctant to see what was happening in the clearing.

"It's quiet," I whispered to Kunzite.

"I don't know if that's a good sign or a bad sign," he said in a low voice.

I took a deep breath and peeked around the corner of the archway, unsure of what I would find. When I saw them seated near one another on the picnic blanket and spotted a smile on Serenity's face, I grabbed Kunzite's arm with my free hand, loudly cleared my throat to announce our presence, and entered the clearing, pulling Kunzite along with me.

They never looked up, totally lost in each other's gaze as we walked toward them. I flashed a quick smile at Kunzite and he gave me a rare grin back—it didn't take a love goddess to see that their bond had been repaired, and the sheer joy radiating between them nearly overwhelmed me.

"We're back!" I called out in a singsong voice as we reached the picnic blanket, finally getting their attention. Serenity looked up at me, her happy face wet with tears, an enormous crown of roses circling her golden head.

"Oh, Venus!" Serenity said, wiping her face as Endymion stood, then reached out a hand to help her up. She rushed to me and I was soon enveloped in a surprisingly strong hug. "Isn't it just wonderful?"

"Isn't what wonderful?" I asked, unsure exactly what had transpired in our absence.

She grasped my hands and beamed, practically vibrating in happiness. "Just . . . all of this!" she said, turning to look at Endymion, who was enthusiastically clapping Kunzite on the back, as if he'd won a hard-fought war.

"Kunzite," he said as he threw an arm over Kunzite's still-broad shoulders, "look at that gorgeous woman over there." He pointed to Serenity, who was giggling into her hands. "That beautiful, patient, sweet, perfect woman . . ."

"Yes, I see," Kunzite said as Endymion released him and rushed over to Serenity, grasping her by the underarms to lift and spin her around the clearing, her hair casting a golden net around them as they laughed.

I made my way over to Kunzite, who was observing the scene before us with a bemused expression.

"I guess I'll be seeing more of you, old friend," I told him.

"I suppose so . . . at least for a little while."

I turned to face him, tucking a lock of hair Serenity knocked loose behind my ear. "What do you mean?"

He looked at me from the corner of a narrowed eye. "The time for me to retire is drawing near."

I turned to face the happy couple once again, who had returned to the blanket. Endymion was stretched on his back while Serenity reclined against him, feeding him grapes from our picnic between sweet kisses. We were utterly forgotten.

"I see," I said.

"Are you surprised, my lady?"

"I suppose not. Still, I half expected you to serve him for the rest of your days."

"To tell you the truth," he said, turning his head slightly toward me, "that was my intention until recently."

"What changed?" I asked.

"There has never been anyone I trusted to take over my position; to serve the king as I have," he explained. "But you . . . I think, my lady, that he would be in capable hands under your protection."

"Kunzite . . ." I tried to keep my voice steady as tears pricked my eyes.

"Yes, well, I still might change my mind—" he began, but was cut off as I tackled him in a hug. He brought an arm around, patting me awkwardly on the back.

"I think," I said, pulling away from him, "that we must take full advantage of our time together, don't you?" He looked at me suspiciously, but smirked when I held up the cup I still held in my hand. I raised my eyebrows, then shifted my gaze to the blanket, and the pile of food that was currently being ignored by our lovesick masters.

"Yes, my lady," he agreed, holding his arm out for me, which I graciously took. "I think that today we have much reason to celebrate."

This was written for Antigone2's Sailor Moon Tumblr Secret Santa Swap 2016, based on a prompt by sunreddreamer, who suggested a scene inspired by the tea scene from The Great Gatsby. After mulling it over for quite some time, this was the scenario I came up with that made sense in my mind. It's so easy to give Minako a starring role in anything, and this also gave me a chance to play with Kunzite for the first time. He's quite fun to torture, like Venus said. ;) I just kept imagining Worf from Star Trek, lol!

I hope you enjoyed it!