Stars of Destiny

Chapter 2

An explosion of laughter erupted the moment Serenity and the Sailor Guardians were alone in her chambers. After the envoys were introduced, Queen Serenity had them shown to their accommodations. There was to be a ball in honor of their guests. The princess and her guardians had been excused to prepare for the evening's festivities. While that was the main reason they had retired from court, it wasn't the only one.

"He's so handsome!" Serenity and the guardians sighed dreamily.

"And did you notice he couldn't take his eyes off you?" Mars nudged Serenity playfully.

Serenity flushed. "O-oh? Was he?"

"Oh come on! You were staring at him too!" Jupiter teased.

"Can you blame her? He's gorgeous! I could just fall into the depths of those blue eyes!" Venus replied, feigning a swoon.

"Don't get too carried away." Mercury chuckled, helping Serenity pick out a ball gown. "Let's find you a dress for tonight, princess."

The other guardians continued to discuss their guests, each eagerly comparing the other men in the envoy with Prince Endymion. Normally, Serenity would join in their fun, but now she was nervous.

"What should I wear?" Serenity regarded her wardrobe doubtfully. She typically didn't spend so much time worrying about which dress to wear. Tonight was different. Tonight, she wanted to look perfect.

"What about this one?" Mercury pulled out a deep blue ball gown...nearly as blue as Endymion's eyes. The memory of his smile swam in her mind. Would he like it?

Serenity chewed her lip. "I don't know."

"Worried about making a good impression?" Sailor Uranus' husky voice drifted from the door. Serenity turned, a broad grin on her face. "Uranus!" Uranus leaned casually in the doorway. Serenity had always admired the guardian. Uranus was sophisticated and brave. She hoped one day she would be as impressive as her. The princess dashed to the guardian and threw her arms around her.

"Does this mean I still have a chance?" Uranus teased, patting Serenity's head. "Or has your heart already been stolen by Earth's prince?"

Serenity flushed a bright red. "Not you too!"

"Don't tease her." Neptune chided mildly, slipping in gracefully beside Uranus. Serenity hugged Neptune tightly. She was another guardian Serenity worshiped. Neptune was so elegant and graceful. It was almost impossible to tell she was a hardened warrior. "You'll look beautiful no matter what you wear. However," she strolled into the room, nodding a greeting to the other guardians. She peered into the closet, her eyes coolly assessing the hanging dresses. Then smiling, she selected a gown. "This one is perfect."  The dress was silver and shimmered under the light...like a star.

"You're right." Uranus replied. "It's perfect."

Squealing with delight, Serenity took the dress eagerly.

***

Endymion gazed out his chamber window at the Earth in amazement. His planet looked beautiful. It was hard to believe life on Earth could be anything but peaceful with that view. Recently, unrest had once again spread on the blue planet. In spite of his worries, his mind drifted back to the princess. His heart accelerated at the memory. Elegant, graceful, a goddess. He yearned to speak to her, to know everything about her. While he knew their objective was purely political - an alliance with the Moon Kingdom was important - he couldn't help letting his mind wander. Her eyes...her lips...her face...her smile.

His thoughts warmed his heart. Endymion felt himself smiling, surprising himself. He hadn't smiled like this over a woman...ever. He paced from the window, needing to move. His body was restless and eager to go out and see her again. Instead, he focused on examining his room. Silver Millennium was as grand as he'd expected. All white marble and gold. He'd expected it to feel cold, but somehow even that hard marble effused a gentle warmth. This entire palace was filled with love. He could feel it in the very air. A small clock chimed on the mantle. It was time for the ball. Dressed in a formal tuxedo, he left his room. He hoped he would have a chance to ask the princess for a dance.

The ballroom was enormous. Courtiers of the Moon Kingdom and the Sailor Guardians, danced, ate, and drank. The riot of color was dazzling. Endymion usually avoided parties at home, unless expressly ordered to go by his father. Balls at their palace were mainly matchmaking opportunities. He'd lost count the number of young women who had been paraded in front of him as potential wives. He'd spend much of the night dodging eager parents and their dewy-eyed daughters.

Even here, he felt a few stares as he walked through the room. Picking up a drink, Endymion decided to keep a low profile until the princess arrived. His eyes scanned the room. Many of the members of their envoy were laughing and enjoying themselves. The Sailor Guardians he'd heard so much about were all beautiful young women. Though, none could equal the princess in his eyes. He marveled at the happy faces of the Moon Kingdom's subjects. Everyone was happy. Life was peaceful. He longed for that light-hearted-ness of spirit.

The music came to a stop and the chatter died down as the doors behind the throne opened. Endymion set his drink down and looked up hopefully. He froze in awe at the Queen and Princess Serenity. While the queen was magnificently dressed, Endymion found his eyes searching for the princess. When she came into view, Endymion felt his heart lurch. She was perfect. Her dress shimmered like starlight. Her expression was calm and serene like her name suggested.

Without a thought, he moved toward them. His body acting when his mind had lost itself in the radiance of her beauty. Endymion wound his way through the crowd. Queen Serenity waved an elegant hand and the music resumed once more. As he drew closer, he caught Serenity's eyes. She flushed, her eyes glittering with excitement.

He stood before them and bowed. "Good evening, Queen Serenity."

Queen Serenity replied graciously, a sly smile on her lips. She knew exactly what Endymion was doing. She'd seen the beeline he'd made for them the moment they'd entered the room. She had not failed to notice Endymion's face when he saw her daughter earlier that day. He certainly didn't waste time.

"Princess Serenity, may I have the first dance?" He asked.

Serenity nodded, smiling. She didn't trust herself to speak. She took his outstretched hand and followed him to the dance floor. Her mother watched them go, her smile widening. A man of action. Just what she expected in a prince.