Chapter 5 - Preparations

"If I have to listen to those two go at it for another moment..." Nesheph Sailorkinsei muttered under her breath, storming to Princess Eleanor's rooms.

"And to think that they're cousins," Eleanor said, shooting an impish grin at her lieutenant.

"You wouldn't think their bickering was funny if you listened to it as much as I have," Kinsei replied. "I'm going to have a lot of trouble keeping those two in line."

"I have faith in you, K-chan," Eleanor replied. "Enough of Midori and Miyuki. What do you think about Izumi?'

"She's got a good head on her shoulders, and I've heard that she has visions, which never does hurt. She's friends with Midori, but keeps the brat out of Miyuki's hair instead of taking her side," Kinsei said.

"Good. The envoy from Star should be here soon, I'll give you a bit of a break from your charges so that you can greet them for me."

"Your Highness is too kind," Kinsei said, leaving.

****

"Oh, wipe that conspiratorial smirk off of your face," Morrigan whispered to Nereid as they took their seats in Serenatis Castle's great hall. "You might as well hang a sign around your neck reading 'Spy'."

"I'm not smirking," Nereid hissed. "Look over there, across the hall, under that blue and gold banner."

"Great," Morrigan replied as she watched a woman with short, choppy gray hair take her seat beside a rather stern looking woman with long rippling waves of midnight blue. "Let's just hope they behave."

Oblivious to the rogue senshi within the hall, Daniella and Daniel walked in as inconspicuously as they could. She looked over to where Minako was, greatful that the Queen of Kinsei was deep in conversation with Queen Aya.

"C'mon," Daniella said, gently tugging on Daniel's sleeve. "There are two seats open in front of those women unto the Tenousei banner, and it's out of Mother's line of slight."

****

"Amalia, may I come in?" Sofia said, gently knocking at her daughter's door.

"Yes, Mãe," Amalia replied, deep in concentration as she tuned her guitar. She didn't even look up as her mother entered.

"I've brought you something," Sofia said, handing her daughter a CD. "It's not enough to make up for me choosing Patricia to be Winterstar, but I think you'll like it."

Amalia frowned as she scanned. It was the latest Starman CD... the one that Amalia had bought several weeks ago. "I'm not upset, Mãe. Thank you, but I already have this one."

Sofia smiled gently. You didn't have to be a mind reader to know that her daughter was lying. "I know, it's the one you bought a while ago. But open it, please."

Amalia did so, and her hand rose to cover her gaping mouth. "How do you know Ria Madeira?" she gasped, her eyes bulging at her idol's signature scrawled inside. "You don't even like this sort of music, you listen to that depressing Portuguese stuff!"

"I used to sing that depressing Portuguese stuff," Sofia said, barely able to stifle a laugh. "Ria was a part of a group of people opposed to Queen Electra's rule of Earth before Queen Serenity ascended the throne. While I may not like her incomprehensible screaming, she has a passion for her music, like I used to and you do, I think. I gave up my art to be the best senshi I could, but you don't have to do that."

"I still can't believe you actually know Ria Madeira," Amalia said, shaking her head. It was one thing knowing that her mother had been a senshi, but this was something else.

****

"It's not the Prismatic Citadel, but Solange isn't a true Queen," Kokab Sailorwinterstar whispered conspiratorially into Kokab Sailorsummerstar's ear as Kinsei escorted Neo Sailorstar and the Kokab senshi into the Great Hall. Summerstar merely nodded silently in reply as her fingernails dug into the palm of her hand.

"There," Kinsei said motioning to a silver throne hung with a blue cloth with the Star insignia on it. "Empress Sidra, you and your senshi will be there for the ceremony. Now, if you'll excuse me, I have a few things to take care of before the ceremony starts."

"Don't let us take up anymore of you time than we have to, dear," Neo Star said warmly, and the golden senshi curtsied and left.

"Let me help you, Your Majesty," Kokab Autumnstar Knight said, helping Neo Star to her seat.

"They've forgotten mine," Winterstar said, slighted. "I'm the Infanta of Lusitantia!"

Springstar, who'd ignored most of Winterstar's comments, had had enough. "Look around, Your Royal Heinousness, there are only two other thrones," she said, pointing them out. On the other side the room was a golden throne, covered with a white and gold cloth with Solange's Sun insignia. And in the middle stood one of crystal, covered with a magenta and silver cloth of the insignia of the Moon. "Now, unless you're Shizuki the Messiah reborn, shut your trap and stand like the rest of us!"

"I beg your pardon!" Winterstar said, flushing angrily.

"Ladies, please," Neo Star said, softly but firmly. "You are representing the Prismatic Empire, so please, act like it. I'm especially disappointed in you, Patricia. Besides being a senshi, you are a Princess of the Empire."

"Forgive me, Your Imperial Majesty," Patricia said, inwardly cursing herself. There was no way she'd ever be able to catch Aster's eye if the Empress held her in contempt. Once she was Aster's Princess-Consort, then she could pay back that half-breed whore Oliveira.

****

Oblivious to Patricia's plans, Aster was deep in prayer in the Prismatic Citadel's chapel. It had been dedicated to the senshi who had died in the last great battles for peace. He looked up at the masterfully crafted stained glass windows. The greatest one was of Shizuki the Messiah, sealing away Chaos. But there were others, too. Arashi de Mokusei with her Dragon Staff, laying down her life for her truest friend, Chie de Kasei. Another was of Chiharu de Meiousei, who it was said had made a deal with Time itself to reunite her brother with his beloved. Then there was Isabel the martyr, standing fearlessly before the evil Summerstar. No one knew how she caused the ursurping senshi to die by her own flames, only that she had laid down her life to do it. The last was of his grandmother and founder of Star's royal line, Queen Stella, who had lived through the fall of the Golden and Silver Millennia and fought beside the line of the Moon twice against her own sister, Solana the Accursed.

"I knew I'd find you here," Tristan said. "You missed dinner."

"Forgive me, I was praying," Aster replied, rising from his knees.

"Like a parfait knight," the older man said, chuckling. "No wonder the women of the Empire swoon over you. Not too few of the men, too."

"It's not for their benefit that I come here," Aster said, flushing.

"No, it's because you think the venerable departed hear your prayers," Tristan said sadly. "I almost hope your right," he added, looking up at Isabel's window.