this is a present for tamaraneankori for the Valentine's Day UsaMamo fic exchange! Thank you for your patience and grace while we worked behind the scenes to make sure your gift got to you! 3 I hope you like this bit of SilMil romance.

Thanks to Irritablevowel for being my beta and sounding board, and Sailor Moon fandom on tumblr for stepping up and being awesome for doing this cool gift exchange!

"She wants a dress."

Kunzite stepped from the shadows and raised an eyebrow. "Do I look like a seamstress to you?"

Venus considered. "You do have delicate fingers," she said. Then: "Come on, surely you have someone who can arrange it. Discreetly."

"Surely you have dresses on the moon."

"She wants an Earthean dress. Elysian style - colorful, rich, embroidered. She begged me."

"And now you are begging me."

"Who else am I to go to?" Venus challenged. "Are you going to say 'no' to the heir to the Silver Millennium?"

"If I did, I would be the first to do so," Kunzite muttered, but he took the silver parchment with the measurements anyway.

"Oh, Venus, it's lovely!" Serenity's entire face lit up in rapture when she held the heavy fabric against her body. The thick brocade she held was a deep, jewel-colored purple in the bodice, fading to a sunset of pinks and oranges in the skirt, all beneath an intricate embroidery of vines and leaves accenting to the waist and hemline, every so often a deep-red rose, white lily or blue bird nestled in the pattern.

The dress looked as out of place as it could possibly be, here in the crystalline chambers of the moon princess, all glass and silver and white silk. Serenity wiggled out of the billowy, sheer-white dress she currently wore, which sparkled here and there with still-whiter stars. She tossed it across the room, where it floated to the floor like a cloud.

She reached out for the new dress with grabby hands, but Venus shook her head.

"I have it on good authority," she said. "That Earthean women wear undergarments."

Serenity tilted her head, white eyebrows knitting together in confusion. "Hm?"

"That dress is a lot heavier and more fitted than what you are used to," she said, holding up another parcel. "You are going to need to be secured. In a corset."

The princess managed to let Venus lace her up, only making a slight face as the unfamiliar tightness around her ribcage. "Why do Earthean women go through all this?" she said, looking down at the thick white material now pressing on her belly, molding around her breasts. The boning poked a bit and the lace on the edges itched and she was already sweating.

Venus put her hands on Serenity's shoulders and gently turned her toward the mirror. "Generally, that's why," the older girl said, and Serenity's gray eyes widened at the slightly changed shape of her body in the mirror - her belly and chest one single swoop of gentle curve until her breasts spilled over the top.

"Oh," Serenity said. "I suppose that explains some things." Maybe Earthean women aren't built so differently as she'd assumed, they just robed themselves differently.
"Now can I try the dress?"

Venus helped her into it, and Serenity turned toward the mirror eagerly.

The dark colors seemed to shout against the alabaster of her skin, the silver moon between marble-like eyes, her twin-knotted hair.

An Elysian dress on a Lunar girl.

Her face barely had time to fall before Venus was beside her, untwining her hair with deft hands. "Hold on, my love. We have barely begun."

The air in the Golden Kingdom always seemed heavier than Serenity remembered, and she took a moment to breathe in the heady perfume of the flowers blooming outside, the spices roasting in the nearby kitchens, the animal scent of the horses pulling carriages upon carriages of guests up to the castle.

She was pleased to see she was dressed perfectly; all the other nobles were in similar colorful finery, and the women had their hair wound in intricate braids and low buns, with jeweled accessories accented in their curled tresses.

Sending a silent prayer of thanks to Venus, Serenity patted the plaited twist nestled against the nape of her neck and smiled. Venus was truly brilliant with a comb. She also had stained Serenity's lips a deep wine red and sent a sweep of golden dust across her eyelids, cheeks and collarbones. When her guardian was done, Serenity couldn't believe her own reflection in the mirror: in the corset, the dress, with the make-up and hairstyle, she looked practically Elysian. Maybe a sickly one, who never went outside, but still. It was delightful. With the mask in place to cover her crescent-moon insignia, there was a chance she'd blend right in!

The light from the ballroom windows and balconies was warm, flickering with the movement of flames in the chandeliers and decorative torches, and the shadows of guests mingling and dancing. The music was lively, multi-faceted and deep, not like the light, lilting harp and lutes of the Silver Millennium.

Feeling a thrill of excitement that shook away any nervousness, Serenity pulled on her silver mask, took one more deep breath of intoxicating Earthean air, and stepped out of the shadows.

Pondering the interesting feeling of entering a party without being announced as the center of attention, Serenity took some time to eye the food plates going by - saffron rice with spiced lamb and sweet raisins; buttery, rich and nothing like the cuisine in her kingdom- and observe the dancers.

The young women congregated in the center of the ballroom, where they were dancing in a line with male partners across the way - stepping forward, joining hands, a spin, a bow, and switching partners. The prince was in the center of the line of men, and the women moved along the line as the dance progressed - a way for him to dance with many guests during one song. An efficiency that would have saved Serenity plenty of sore feet had the Silver Millennium implemented a similar system, she thought, as she began to make her way through the crowd.

Although it was a masquerade officially, only about half the guests had bothered with masks, but enough did that Serenity wasn't out of place in the line of young ladies waiting for their chance to dance with Endymion. She watched him dreamily, a small smile settling on her lips, as he locked hands with his partner, and smiled in greeting, exchanged some words she could not hear. His dark hair feathered into his blue eyes, the same rich blue of the sash across his waist, the blue of his planet. He wasn't in his armor, or his causal black uniform, the two garments she was most used to seeing him in. Rather, he was in a black, high-collared dress uniform embellished with gold piping, the blue sash and high boots - so handsome he took her breath away. And judging by the sighs around her, she wasn't the only one.

As the line moved closer and closer to the dance floor, she watched the feet of the women, tried to imagine herself moving in time to the steps - luckily, it was similar enough to the court dances of her home that she thought she could follow along well enough, and her years of lessons should do the rest.

She felt the exact moment Endymion recognized her, the shiver down her spine, goosebumps on her skin. He stepped forward to take the hand of the girl on her right, and met Serenity's eyes through the mask. The tiniest lift in his lips, his brows - his eyes spoke to her in amused admonishment - tsk tsk, Princess.

And then he was gone, and she was dancing in step with an unfamiliar gentlemen who looked at her no more than she was used to. Certainly he didn't seem to think she looked strange or alien (rather he seemed mostly to appreciate the effects of her corset), and Serenity felt herself relax a bit and smile. The room spun as she whirled from partner to partner down the line, hands and spins and laughter, and then she reached the middle of the line and Endymion caught her waist and all breath left her.

His fingers spread against her back, pulling her closer to him as they spun. "Welcome to the Golden Masquerade, my love," he murmured in her ear, the velvet of his voice sending butterflies into her belly.

"I'm sorry I didn't wait for a formal invitation," she said primly, as they pulled apart. Endymion made no effort to hide his reluctance to part from her, sliding his fingers along her arm as he bowed. He took her hand and politely pressed a chaste kiss to her knuckles.

"You are always welcome." His eyes burned into hers, a silent understanding. Stay. I'll find you. Then, he moved on to the next girl in the line and Serenity excused herself from the dance.

For a while, the spiced wine, spirited dancing, and delicious food kept her entertained. She dared not to speak too much, her lilting accent on the common tongue was still too pronounced (not nearly as terrible as Endymion's attempts at High Lunarian, though, but to be fair to him, it was the most difficult language in the entire sol system), but her smile was vibrant enough that often no words were needed.

In this dress, in this room, she could almost believe she was part of this world. Of Endymion's world. Pretend she was a regular Earthean girl, born in this land of sea and grass and blue sky. Or at least fantasize that she was still Princess Selene Serenity, Heir to the Silver Millennium, but that she was also Princess of Elysian, wed to their prince and future king, future co-ruler of two kingdoms who could have so, so much to give each other...

She was so deep into her daydream that she jumped when Endymion slid his arm around her from behind. She turned to see he'd donned a simple white mask, and removed his sash and outer jacket - perhaps to make himself less noticeable. With his free hand, he pressed a small square of something against her lips. Chocolate. Her absolute favorite. She shut her eyes in rapture as it melted in her mouth and felt Endymion chuckle beside her.

"You make a lovely Earthean," he said, and she felt her cheeks heat up beneath the gold dust on her skin.

She turned in his arms, her heart trembling at his nearness. She wondered if she'd ever get used to the feeling of seeing those beautiful eyes looking so lovingly into hers.

"So tell me," he said, running a hand along the back of her head, fingering the braids there. "What do you think of our humble gathering?"

"I love it!" she said, clasping her hands together in delight. "It's like a dream come true!" She paused. "Well, except for the corset." She tugged on it and Endymion laughed out loud.

"A corset? You really did go all out," he said, pressing his thumbs against her sides, feeling the boning through the fabric of her dress.

"I did," she said, seriously. She stepped back and twirled for him, the dress flowing around her like water - not like air the way her usual dresses did - her hair didn't spin with her either, all coiled up along her neck.

When she stopped and met his eyes through the mask, for a just a moment, there was a spark of saddness in them so momentary she thought she may have missed it, but so intense it broke her heart.

"Did... I get it right?"

He nodded. "Oh yes. You'd fit right in with any high nobility here," he said. "Except for the fact that you are so unapologetically and gloriously good they'd eat you alive."

"I'm quite offended that you think I can't handle catty nobles," Serenity said, poking him in the chest. "We have our share, too, you know."

He laughed, and took her hand, kissing her palm.

"Come," he said, and led her outside.

The air was still heavy and very warm, although it was night. Endymion led her through the gardens and she followed him down some stone stairs and a few steps into a hedge maze. The full moon made the stones beneath their feet glow silver.

"Doesn't the prince have a masquerade ball to host?" Serenity teased, as Endymion's arms found their way around her again. She took her off her mask, and his, dropping them to the ground below, before wrapping her arms around his neck.

"He had to attend to a very special guest," Endymion murmured, and he leaned toward her as if mesmerized, his eyes slipping shut.

It was more delicious than the chocolate, the taste of his kiss in the moonlight.

For a long time, Serenity let herself be lost in his embrace, the tenderness and passion that she missed oh so much when they were separated. But she still felt something sad beneath his kiss, and his eyes when he pulled away to gaze at her in the moonlight seemed almost forlorn.

"What is it?" she whispered, reaching up to cup his cheek. "My Endymion, why are you looking at me that way?"

"What way?" he said, just as softly. "I worship you, and if something in my gaze tells you otherwise let me lose my eyes for their crimes."

She ran her thumb across his lips, smudging the berry stain she'd left there. "You like to see me in the regalia of the Silver Millennium, rather than the fashion of the Golden Kingdom?" she guessed, looking at him curiously. Perhaps what had attracted him to her initially was her unusual appearance, did seeing her in the everyday look of his people jar him so much?

For a moment Endymion was speechless, looking at Serenity like she'd thrown her wine on him or something equally shocking and vile. It was a few moments before he could speak. "Serenity, love, you are by far and away the most beautiful person - inside and out- that I've met, or could ever met, or could even dream of, in any costume, in any country, no matter how you chose to dress."

"So what is it?"

He looked at her again, taking it in, a small, wistful smile on his face. "Seeing you like this, I can almost imagine..."

"What?" she whispered.

"That you are here for real," he reached out and touched a lock of hair that had fallen from her braids, running it between his thumb and forefinger. "That you are here as a real Elysian noble, one I could freely marry. Or that we've combined our kingdoms and you are my future queen."

Serenity swallowed against the lump in her throat. "Why are you speaking like it's never to be?"

Endymion blinked and focused his gaze back on her. "Sere-"

"I love my kingdom," Serenity said, her voice firm, but shaking with emotion. Her eyes filled with tears. "I love my people, and my mother and my senshi and my dresses that don't have horrible lace-up boney things beneath them, but I also love-" she opened her hands and gestured toward the castle, toward the muffled sounds celebration that filtered through the gardens. "This. Earth. I've always loved Earth, since as long as I can remember. And you. Endymion, I -,"

Serenity squeezed her eyes shut and pressed her forehead to their joined hands, trying desperately to convey her feelings to Endymion without words. Because she didn't have any that could explain but it was something like I love you like the ancient power that flows in my veins, like my very soul is yours, intrinsically and forever linked. I don't even have words to explain it, but I can't imagine this ends any other way than us being together.

"Sere," Endymion's voice was gentle, calling her name as if waking her up from a deep sleep. She opened her eyes and lifted her tear-stained face to him. He smiled tenderly and gently unwound his hands from hers, pulling her close to him. "Please don't cry."

"Don't give up hope," she said to him. "Not on us. Please."

"Never," he said. He took her face in his hands and looked her in the eyes, thumbs gently brushing away her tears. "I promise." He kissed her then, and she kissed him back, passionately, desperately.

And, under the moonlight, wrapped tightly in Endymion's arms, Serenity made her vow: even if the very universe has to bend, she was going to end up with Endymion. They were going to end up ruling their kingdoms together. The Silver Millennium and the Golden Kingdom would be as one.

Someday.