I: A Proposal

The princess of the outer Zodiac planet of Aquarius tossed and turned violently as though in some disturbed dream. She screwed her eyes tight shut, outside her room she could faintly make out happy shouts of children and beams of sunlight shone directly into her eyes through the thin veils covering the tall door to her private balcony. She attempted turning over once more to get away from the noise but gave up and her eyes snapped open. She rolled her head onto the other pillow, bright blue eyes squinting in the sunlight. She barely had time to adjust to the new light when Eleyna, her minder, swept into the room with shoes clicking loudly upon the aqua-blue glass floor. Forcefully, Eleyna pulled back the veils and the room was immediately filled with the harsh sunlight. The Aquarian girl sat up in a daze and swung her legs over the side of her bed. Slowly she eased herself up and dragged her feet over to the doors and the balcony beyond. A beautiful deep green coloured plant with fragile white flowers wove its way up the castle wall and tangled its way around the miniature pillars of the balcony. She stood in silence, leaning on the stone and attempted a smile as she watched some court children playing in a pool below but otherwise she was in a deep reverie and trance-like state. Gradually her gaze moved to the horizon where the Aquarian capital of Mara sparkled beyond the perimeter of Atlantis. A sudden very cool breeze had picked up and jerked the girl into life, she tapped twice upon the stone balcony as though in remembrance of something then quickly turned and strode back into her room.

Eleyna watched silently, she had lain the green gown of the Princess upon her bed for her. Esa noticed and smiled politely to Eleyna who herself curtsied a response.
�My lady, your mother wants to see you, a message has been received from the Moon but that is all I know�
Esa nodded, �Thankyou Eleyna�
The maid curtsied once more and hurried from the room with small quick footsteps. Esa flopped herself on the edge of her bed and with a small sigh threw her whole body backwards. Turning her head she saw her dress lying besides her and with a groan realised the need to stand up and get dressed. The gown was of a very light nature, it consisted of many fragile veil-like layers in differing hues of bluey-greens and a stiff bodice with a faint blue lattice design covering the corsetry. Esa picked up her pale green stole placing the two rings at either end over her middle fingers so it fell delicately around her back.

She entered the great hallway of Atlantis at great length to find her mother, Ria, sat on the green glass throne discussing something with a minster who appeared to be from the moon.
�You called?� Esa immediately announced her own arrival impolitely. Ria calmly looked up, one eyebrow raised in annoyance at her daughter.
�Ah yes, Esa� she sighed, the note of disappointment still clear in her voice �This is an Ambassador of Queen Serenity� Ria motioned to the man who promptly bowed to the princess.
�Her Imperial Majesty, Queen Serenity of the Silver Millennium has issued a declaration� he began �For all Sailor Senshi, the 12 Princesses of the Federation to become protectors to the Princess Serenity and to support the united armies of the Federation if ever an issue should arise.� He took a deep breath and bowed once more �Her majesty demands the presence of the Princess of Aquarius to attend a ball to celebrate this, tonight in the Moon Kingdom�.
Queen Ria stood and curtsied �I thank her majesty greatly for this honour� . She then turned to Esa who stood openmouthed
�Well��
The girl did not reply for a moment, eventually all she could manage was a �yes�thankyou� and then facing her mother �Can Cassie come here to prepare?�
Ria smiled and rolled her eyes and then addressed the ambassador �Tell Queen Serenity we accept the responsibility�
�I shall expect you at 8pm� he bowed once more then strode towards the exit of the great hallway taking his leave. Queen Ria clicked her fingers, in the silence of the glassy hall the click echoed endlessly and noisily, and a servant duly appeared.
�Ma�am� he bowed
�Send a message to Castle Solariu in Taria on Leo, invite Princess Cassandra to come to Aquarius in light of the Ambassadors� news as her first available moment� Ria said, then wrote out her request as a short note for the servant who then bowed and himself promptly left.