by Sailor Nena

"Were is the Princess?!" Prince Laconic complained. "I was only able to spend three hour talking about myself with her this morning!"

"I’m sorry your majesty, but she has taken the afternoon off." Lady Aims answered. "Her conversation with you was so exiting that she had no energy left."

"Really?! Well, that still doesn’t excuse her! She has a responsibility to tend to her guests!" he replied.

"Yes, I completely agree, but if I may remind you, she has 3,999 other guests to tend to." The Lady tried to smooth over. "How can this one be sooo rude?!" Mercury thought "He hasn’t even taken into consideration that it is Serena’s birthday! I’m not surprised that she tends not to like any of them." She painted a fake smile on her face. "If I see her, I’ll communicate to her that you’re looking for her."

"I expect so!" The young prince turned and left without taking his leave.

"You owe me big time Serena, where ever you are!"

"Do you ceaselessly hide among the roses Meatball head?" Serena jumped when she heard the voice behind her. She thought no one knew where she was.

"How dare you call me that name?!" She was infuriated.

"I told you I would call you that until you changed your hair, but you still haven’t answered my question." Darien couldn’t whip of the smirk from his face. Even though Serena had her back turned to him, he could tell her cheeks were as red as the rose he had given her.

"First of all, my hair-style is part of the Lunar family tradition. I do it to pay my respect to the first Queen of the Moon." Her voice was calm, but she still didn’t face him. "Second of all, I do not explain my habits to ANY one."

"You just did." Darien smiled. She was getting very annoyed. He didn’t know why, but there was something in those eyes when she was angry that left him breathless. It could be the vitality of anger, or the fact that if she could hate with a passion, then, in Darien’s mind, she could love with a passion. She slowly turned.

"Third of all, you are NO one to interrogate me!"

"Who’s interrogating? I’m just asking." He teased. He waited for her giggle. It did not come. This was the first time that line did not work to smooth things over with a princess.

"Interrogate means to question therefor you were interrogating me." The princess informed seriously. "It’s a shame that princes these days have such a limited vocabulary." She sighed under her breath.

"And it’s such a shame that princesses these days do not know how to be polite!" Darien replayed annoyed.

"Look who’s taking! Mr. Rude himself!" She was at the verge of screaming.

"Uuuuhhhhh, better calm down princess someone may hear you and take you away from serenity!" He detonated. Serena calmly turned around, and facing the flowers she answered,

"It’s too late for that." Suddenly a wave of guilt filled Darien’s heart. He had been so happy at the chance of spending some time alone with her he hadn’t noticed how happy SHE was alone. He took a deep breath and apologized.

"Wow, a prince admitting he is wrong! That’s a first!" Serena replied sarcastically.

"I guess I deserved that, but don’t push me." he warned.

"Why not? You pushed me." She was so calm and serious in her answer that Darien couldn’t help but wonder if she was a robot decoy.

"You know Meatball head, you should try being nice and forgiving. It suits you more."

"Would you please refrain from calling me that!" she hissed.

"No." Darien answered simply. He saw her whole body stiffen into a defense posture. He swiftly walked toward her, and taking advantage that she was cutting some white roses, he put his hands on her shoulders to give her a back rub. Immediately at his touch, she stiffened and pulled away. "Well princess, if I didn’t know better, I would have said you have never felt the warmth of a human touch." he teased, but she did not smile. Her face remained serious.

"You are the only human currently in the castle." Her comment stunned Darien. He gave her a weird look.

"It’s an Earth expression. It means that you have never felt a kind touch from someone."

"I have, but..."

"Never from a prince." He finished. She nervously looked towards the castle. Usually, when she felt uncomfortable around a prince, she would run towards the castle, but she was in the furthermost garden. There was no way she would have made it. "Are you scared of me?" Darien asked worriedly.

"Now what ever makes you say that?" she smiled.

"Oh, I don’t know. Could it be that you seem to run away from me?"

"That simply could be that I don’t like being near you." He took a step forward. She took a step back.

"See what I mean. You run away like a scared kitten." Darien argued.

"I’m not running away. I just need my space." She informed. He kept walking toward her; she kept walking away. Her eyes never left his. Adrenaline pumped through her veins. The beat of her heart was in her ears. She nearly tripped over the box where Neffarious had locked her that dreadful nigh. She lost her composure for a moment. It was what Darien needed to get close enough to catch her before she fell. He pulled her into his arms and held her tight.

"Don’t worry. It’s over. Forget it ever happened." His words were soft and reassuring. She didn’t realize she was still taking to the guy she wanted to kill a few moments before.

"I feel as if I never will." She was trembling in his arms now. He respected her pride and took of his cape (he was in his official uniform now). Around her shoulders it was placed, and he sweetly said,

"It is getting kind of chilly." He walked her away from the box and closer to the flowers she was tending earlier. It was a beautiful sight. Before them laid the last patch of wild roses left in the castle. It was easy to tell that it was wild because it was primarily made up of white roses with a few red in the middle. "How come roses grow naturally that way on the Moon?" he quickly changed the subject.

"You mean, you don’t know the story?"

"What story?" Her eyes brighten and her face softened.

"In the beginning, all roses on the Moon were white and pure. They were known for their power. ‘Only the hand of a princess was delicate enough to pick one of these roses without being pricked by their venomous thorns’ it was said. During the 19th recorded generation of the Moon family...."

"Which one is yours?" Darien interrupted.

"The 777th, any way during the 19th, a princess was born that was destine to change all this. She was kidnapped as a child and raised as a peasant. Her parents were very sad and searched for her until there was no hope left. They decided that they had to find a new heir to the thrown. They invited the second born prince of Earth to join them."

"Which family?" he couldn’t help interrupt. At the time the story took place, Earth was divided into the Seven Great Kingdoms ruled by the Seven Great Families.

"The one that would later be called, the Family of Roses." she smiled.

"Hey, that’s mine."

"I know. That’s why I was surprised you didn’t know the story. Any how, the prince accepted. He came and joined the Moon family. He finished growing up with them, and almost everyone considered him the legitimate son of the King and Queen of the Moon including the high priest. One day the prince decided to take a walk in the gardens where he saw a beautiful girl tending the roses. He was frightened at first, but then he realized she was wearing gloves. He approached her, and they soon became friends."

"Their relationship grew until it reached the ears of the high priest. He was greatly dissatisfied. If his sources were correct, he might have to deal with a peasant queen, something that would be below him. He confronted the girl only to find that his worst fears were true. They were planing to marry. He said to the young girl ‘If you truly love the Prince, then you will cut with your bear hands a rose from the bush.’" Darien couldn’t help noticing that she had avoided the word love all she could. "She did as he told her, only to find the rose did not prick her."

"The prince and the priest immediately knew she was the missing princess. In the joy of this truth, the prince could help but to kiss the princess. The high priest knowing nothing of the true origins of the prince stabbed the princess for allowing her "brother" to commit such a pungent crime. The prince was so heart broken that all he could do is take her into his arms. Unfortunately, he pricked his finger on the rose she was holding and died."

"The royal families were destroyed. The prince was taken to be buried on Earth, and the princess on the Moon. The worst part of the tragedy was that the two could never be together again. The Moon Queen cried over this for days until she went to the rose bush were her daughter had died. The blood from the princess and the prince was still freshly on the ground. She couldn’t help but cry at the merger of the two bloods into one. Her tears soaked the ground and the blood seeped into the soil. When she finally stopped crying, she was shocked to find a signal red rose on the bush. Her children would be one body, one flesh, one blood, and one soul for all eternity. Since then red poison-free roses have grown among the white, the high priests have been female, and one patch of wild roses have been kept for the eldest princess to tend."

"So you do frequently visit this place." Darien smiled in triumph.

"Why wouldn’t I. Look at it." Darien for the first time in his life stopped to look at this place. "It has a savage beauty in its most untamed serenity." She pointed at the forest behind them. "That’s the Forbidden Forest. It remains pure of civilization. It grows as it pleases and harvests as many secretes as there are stars in the sky. The wild gardens," she turn towards her rose bush again, "they keep the history of my kingdom." Darien looked at the flowers. They were enchanting. Between the trees and the wild berry bushes, they provided an air of complete majestic mystery to the area. "Finally," she pointed to the sky, "during the day the sun shines brightly free of any shackles placed by decorum, and during the night, the stars and the Earth guard the heavens."

"The Earth?" Darien asked surprised

"Yes, the Earth. You can see it clearly from here." She took off his cape and handed it to him. "The day seems to have regained its warmth." she explained. He smiled down at her. His smiled was so warm and real that for a moment Serena forgot he was a prince.

"So, Meatball head, do you like Earth?"

"Darien I asked you not to call me that!" she whined as she was abruptly brought back to reality.

"Oh my, you just called me Darien, not Prince Darien like you’re suppose too." He teased.

"Excuse me, but I seem to forget my manners when I am annoyed to no end!" Serena coolly responded.

"Don’t be. I want you just to call me Darien. That’s what my friends call me. It’s so much more personal. I hate the cold tittle ceremony. It feels as if you are not allowed to really know the other person." He was smiling warmly at her again. He seemed not to do anything but annoy and surprise her. He reached to pick a white rose.

"I wouldn’t do that if I were you."

"Why?"

"Weren’t you paying attention at the story?"

"Yeah, it’s just a story." He picked a rose and prickled his finger with it, "Au, that’s the first time I’ve ever been stab by a thorn. Is it suppose to burn?" He asked worriedly.

"Not unless its poisonous."

"Not funny princess." She picked a red rose, and took his other hand in hers. Quietly, she pricked his finger. He complained again about the pain before all color left his face as he realized it didn’t burn. She took the white rose from his hand. She used the stem to mix the blood on the left hand slowly with the one on the right. The burning sensation calmed a little. She moisten her lips and kissed the desecrated finger. It quenched the fire left by the rose.

"Most stories are base on something that is true." She smiled at him as the color returned to his cheeks. "Do not ever again pick a wild white rose. Next time, you may not be as lucky." She couldn’t help rubbing it in his face. She turned and began to walk towards the castle. "Oh, Darien, I have never been to Earth so I can’t say if I like it or not, but it is the most beautiful planet in my night’s sky." She could sense him smiling. Six more days and he would be gone. If she could only survive until then...

"Darien, how wonderful it is to see you again."

"Your majesty, you are always a wonderful sight to see." Darien kissed the Queen’s hand. "It has been much too long."

"Yes my dear boy it has, but you have only yourself to blame. You should’ve come sooner."

"Well, my schedule hasn’t permitted much travel these past four years."

"That is true. Your mother has told me of the numerous accomplishments in the field of war. They say you are the best swordsman this side of the universe."

"Well, I’m not sure if THE best is the appropriate term. I am good, but I’m sure there is someone better."

"Handsome and modest, what a refreshing combination! Don’t you agree Mars? Oh, where are my manners? Darien, you remember Ray, princess of mars, high priestess of the Sacred Flame, and Sailor Mars."

"Who could forget such a beauty?" He took Mars’s hand and lightly kissed it. The young girl felt a fire serge in her stomach.

"I feel so acclaimed this afternoon! How are you Darien? Oh, let me present you my royal court composer, Sir Chad of Diapason."

"Your Majesty." Chad took a bow.

"Your name sounds familiar. You wouldn’t be the composer of the "Martiana" Rock opera?" Darien asked curiously.

"Why, yes!" Chad answered in surprise, "Have you heard it?"

"Heard it, I live by it. The best piece of music since "Lunar Girl." Darien responded with a devilish smile.

"A prince that enjoys modern music? I must be dreaming!" Ray exclaimed lightheartedly.

"Yes this is surprising." Queen Serenity affirmed, "They are Serena’s favorite too."

"Speaking of your daughter," Chad began, "the song is almost complete, but we do have a problem."

"What is it Chad?" the Queen asked worriedly

"We need another male vocalist than the General. The other three you send me do not have the lung power for it."

"Oh, dear where are we going to find another vocalist with this short notice?"

"Darien, you are known for your voice; will you do it?" Ray cautiously asked.

"Do what?"

"You see," Queen Serenity began, "my husband and I are dedicating a song this year for Serena, and we need one more male vocalist..."

"What type of song?" He carefully asked

"R+B." Chad informed proudly

"I don’t know if my voice is what you need, but if I can help...."

"Great!" Ray interrupted, "I’ll get the General. We’ll meet in Chad’s private music room in half an hour! Bye." Ray ran down the front hall way towards the training grounds.

"She sure has a lot of energy!" Darien commented.

"What did you expect? She is the high priestess." Chad responded. Darien noticed something in Chad’s eyes he could not clearly make out. It was a notion of awe, power, devotion, and suppression. After a moment, Darien understood. Chad was in love with her.

"You two make beautiful music together." Ray teased. Jedite and Darien sounded great, and along with Lita and her, the song would be a total success.

"I wouldn’t teased the man who has the power to make you do five hundred more flips today if I were you." Jedite warn.

"Ah, General, you’re no fun." Ray whined.

"No, I’m fun. Just that we have different ideas of fun. Any way, Darien you think you can do this tomorrow night?"

"Yea, its pretty simple."

"Good then all we have to worry about is the Princess not bailing on us." Chad remarked from the piano.

"Serena wanted to spend her birthday on Neptune enjoying the beaches, but her parents didn’t want to break tradition." Ray explained to Darien before he could ask. They were in Chad’s Music Room. It was very small with a single piano in it. There were chairs against one wall, and a fine Martian rug on the floor. The room had a feel of a placid classroom.

"I guess she is not so spoiled." Darien remarked. Ray gave him an indignant look. "Hey, it was only a joke!" He protested.

"When will you learn not to listen to rumors?" Jedite teased.

"Hey no one is perfect." Darien defended himself.

"With that attitude, I’m not surprised..." Ray mumbled under her breath.

"Not surprised of what?" Darien asked. Ray quickly stiffened in surprised.

"Nothing. Just talking to my self." Ray nervously answered as she remembered Serena’s account of what had happened in the Wild Gardens.

"She doesn’t like me, does she?" he asked

"Like is such an abstract word..." Ray nervously avoided the question. Why did it bother her that this one knew the truth? It was not like he was going to be the one to melt Serena’s heart. Was he?

"I’m not...pleasing to the princess." he corrected himself.

"Is not that you are not pleasing, is that she passed judgment on you before she saw you again. In fact, her words in the spaceport were ‘...he has changed. I bet you he has also become arrogant, self centered, and uncaring.’" Venus corrected as she came into the room. "But don’t worry, she does like you in an abstract sort of way." she finished with a smile.

"Really? And all this time I thought she just wanted to kill me." Darien responded sarcastically.

"If she wanted you dead, she would have left you to die in the Wild Gardens instead of using her saliva to save you!" Mars attacked.

"What do you mean use her saliva?"

"You know that saliva contains potent antibacterial substances." Mars waited for him to nod, "Well, Serena’s also contains a strong antivenins substance. It is only found in the firstborn female of the Lunar Royal Family."

"Oh, so she wasn’t just kissing to make it all better?"

"She kissed your finger? She never applies the saliva through a kiss." Jedite whined

"She also never flirts, but that didn’t stop her in the spaceport." Venus informed.

"She what?" Mercury asked as she entered the room. "Oh, hello Prince Darien. It is a pleasure to see you again."

"The pleasure is all mine, Lady Aims." Darien kissed her hand gently.

"Good, now that we are done with the formalities, she did what, and why weren’t we told about it?" Lita asked without looking from the music sheets she was memorizing.

"She didn’t do anything! I teased her, and she teased me back!" Darien protested.

"You mean, you flirted, and she flirted back." Venus corrected.

"Nooo! I mean it wasn’t flirting; it was teasing!" Darien protested a bit annoyed.

"Darien I was there, remember? I know what I saw, and it wasn’t simply teasing." Venus responded cool as always.

"Really, and what do you remember?" Darien asked at the end of his rope.

"Well, lets see, ‘...early birthday present for an early blooming princes.’ for starters." Venus answered imitating his voice.

"You got her an early birthday present? What was it?" Jedite curiously asked.

"A perfect red rose. Could it have been more perfect?" Venus asked.

"It could have been a dozen." Lita remarked.

"It could have been white." Mercury informed.

"Aims, you know she doesn’t like to get them when they are in bloom!" Venus reminded.

"Oh, that’s right. Well then fourteen dozen red roses." Mercury offered.

"A dozen for each year. How romantic!" Ray sighed.

"You guys are missing the point. This was the first present that was personal. It wasn’t something that all princess love; it was something that Serena loves." scolded Venus.

"I feel so important all of the sudden." Darien remarked, "So, did she like the rose?"

"Like it? She adored it! She has it in a vase by her bed! Oh, just that you didn’t hear it from me." Venus warned.

"Is it the rose she had in her hand well I helped her down?" Jedite asked.

"Yes, she didn’t stop fidgeting with all the way home." Venus answered.

"That does it! From now on, I’m going with you guys to pick up the princes. I miss to much good gossip!" Lita informed defiantly.

"Listen, I’m glad she liked the rose, and I’m honored that you think that she likes me, but she is like a sister to me."

"Listen pretty boy, that line might work with the princes of court, but it won’t work with the Goddess of Love." Venus informed in a tone that reminded Darien of a schoolteacher.

"So that’s why we haven’t heard of this earlier. Not only does he like her, but he wants to protect her too." Lita stated.

"Well, if he wants to get any where with her, he will have to get ready for the fight of his life." Mars informed.

"Really?" Darien asked sarcastically, "And I suppose you are going to give me some tips."

"That’s right." Jedite began, "The first thing you’ll need to do is to dance as much as possible with the princess in these balls. The more you have her in the dance floor, the more she will see the real you."

"The second," Mars continued, "is that you have to become a seductive, sweet, mysterious character outside the ball. You have to be different from all the others. Someone who could really show her how to love."

"The third," Jupiter took over, "is that you have to be thoughtful. Leave her alone when she needs her privacy, or just listen when she needs to talk."

"Fourth," Chad pitched in, "you have to be romantic. You had the right idea with the rose, but don’t stop there. Write her poems and do little things that women love like being sincere."

"Fifth," Mercury added, "you should challenge her intelligence. Serena likes to be right all the time, so a challenge is always welcomed. Show her that you are not just another air headed prince."

"Finally," Venus concluded, "Become her knight in shining armor. Serena has become extremely too independent. She needs to learn to trust men, and if you want her to love you, you first have to teach her to trust in you."

"This is all nice, but how am I suppose to do any of this, if she can’t even stand a picture of me?" Darien asked annoyed.

"I don’t think anyone could easily get close to her with a aim like that in mind." Jedite answered.

"The only person that comes to my mind is that imaginary friend she once had. What was his name?" Mercury asked.

"Oh, yes, the one that stayed all night with her during the storm. She originally gave him a funny complicated name. I believe it was the Masked Tuxedo-man."

"Yea and he latter became the Masked Tuxedo." Lita chipped in.

"Tuxedo Masked! That was his final name." Lady Aims finally remembered. "She named him that because he wore a black tuxedo and a white mask. I remember how she would talk of him."

"Yes, for a moment I thought she was in love with him." Ray informed.

"For a moment, I think we all fell in love with that devious character. Handsome, caring, loving, protective, what else could one ask for in a man?" asked Venus.

"To be real." Jedite retorted

"Well, we can’t have everything." Lita sighed

"In other words, I have to become a figment of her imagination to make her understand?" Darien asked a bit amused. This was going to be easier than he thought. Who better for Prince Darien to confide in, but Tuxedo Mask? "I’ll seduce her with Prince Darien’s charming personality, and I’ll convince her with Tuxedo Mask’s mysterious manner. This is going to be fun." He thought to himself.

"Why are you smiling that way Darien?" Jedite asked prudently.

"Because I just realize that my mom was right." Darien answered.

"About what?" When Jedite started he couldn’t stop.

"She said ‘...you better get up there soon, before you have an impossible mission on your hands....’" he smiled.

"Well, hero, welcome to mission impossible." joked Jedite.

Darien was in his room enjoying the afternoon sun. It twinkled happily into the room and into his life. Darien looked around. I was a big room, as big as his own. It had a king-size bed with blue silk sheets and a black quilt on top. Against the wall in front his bed was a marble desk. Next to it was a door that led to a bathroom complete with Jacuzzi and all. It was on the wall right of this one where the window, which really were two sliding glass doors, was located. The window took up most of the wall, and in front of the window there was a wall to wall closet. One of its doors was really a mirror, and in side that door was a closet filled with shelves. Quite convenient for a prince that didn’t want to spend all morning looking for his socks. The other doors hid the "hanging" clothes. It was spacious enough to prevent any of it to be wrinkled. Darien stood up and placed the chair back by the desk. He had been sitting in the center of the room generating a plan.

He knew what he had to do, and when to do it. All he needed was to take care of a few minor details. He went to his closet and opened the main door. When his mother heard the rumor that one of the balls might be a custom one, she insisted that Darien brought along his tuxedo. It was almost identical to the one he had worn that fateful night. The only difference was that this one came with a top hat and a cane. It would be perfect for tomorrow night, but the mask was another story. He was sure his mother had packed the fancy gold mask, but had she packed his favorite? Darien went to the shelved closet and took out a small black trunk. He placed it on the bed and opened it.

"Mom, how did you know?" Darien asked the empty room. The top mask was a replica of the one he had worn that day. This one was only a bit larger to perfectly fit his grown face. Everything was ready. "Tomorrow we will meet again my princess."

"Who are you talking to?" Darien hadn’t even heard Luna knock or come in.

"No one, just my self." He quickly put away all the incriminating evidence.

"Then you were talking with someone." She corrected.

"I guess your right, Luna. How’s life treating you?"

"Life is good, but Serena is another story. They grow up so fast." she sighed.

"Are you hear to give me advise, too?"

"No, she is here to explain a few things you need to know, Darien." A charming white cat said from the doorway.

"Artimis! How’s my favorite cool cat doing?"

"Can’t complain." He answered in his cool fashion.

"So what is this that I need to know?" Darien asked Luna.

"The first is very simple. You know how everyone thinks Tuxedo Mask is a figment of Serena’s imagination. Well, that’s because we kept our mouths shut about what really happened that night. You didn’t do anything bad, but we didn’t want it to be taken the wrong way." Luna took another deep breath. "Now Serena claims to believe in friendship and family but not love between a man and a woman. This is not because she received her first marriage proposal at twelve but because she has been harassed and treated like an object by almost every single prince that has come by here. She doesn’t trust any prince anymore." Her face sadden for a moment, but then a new breath of life came into her, "She really does believe in love, she just won’t admit it. She sees it in her parents and in your parents, but she has never realized that she felt it. So, when you begin to teach her, remember that she has a very fragile and broken heart. Go easy on her, my Prince; she has been through so much in so little time."

"Luna, what makes you say that I’m going to teach her?" Darien asked nervously.

"Your eyes for starters, but the hard core truth is the rose, the incident in the Wild Gardens, and Tuxedo Mask." She smiled at his colorless face. "Serena only told the Scouts, Jedite and us about the incident, but Tuxedo Mask might have a bigger mouth."

"What’s that suppose to mean?" Darien asked still a bit nervous.

"Well, a man in a tuxedo and a mask coming in and out of the princess’s room might be something to draw a bit of attention." Artimis informed. "Don’t worry. You are a master of breaking an entering. There is no force alive that will keep you from visiting Serena’s room."

"Except the executioner’s ax or King Guile’s fury." Luna corrected.

"Thank you milady for the vote of confidence." Darien answered with a bittersweet sarcasm.

"Any time milord." she mocked, "So when are you starting?"

"Tomorrow night, after the ball." He answered.

"Love the timing. She’ll be to tire to question her sanity or call the castle guards for that matter." Artimis praised.

"Yes, I agree. Tomorrow the moon shall begin to shine happily on my princess’s face once more." Luna concluded. The sun softly vanished from the sky, and the Earth took its place. Darien turned on the light and stepped out into the balcony. The two cats softly followed. "It is such a beautiful planet." she sighed. "Her favorite you know."

"So I’ve been told." Darien said as his eyes caught sight of another star, but this one was below his balcony. He couldn’t believe it. In the quiet savageness of the gardens, Serena was admiring Earth. She seemed so tranquil, so happy, so loving that he was filled with the erg to jump from the balcony to her side, and silently kiss the bloody ice cubes of her lips. There was only one thing that stopped him. He couldn’t bear to tear her from her little moment of ecstasy to fulfill his carnal desire. He would wait; there would be plenty of time for kissing when his mission was fulfilled.

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Part IV

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