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Silver Alliance	By : lynnwood84 Category: Sailor Moon > General Views: 8546 -:- Recommendations : 2 -:- Currently Reading : 0
Disclaimer: I do not own Sailor Moon, nor any of the characters from it. I do not make any money from the writing of this story.

Chapter List
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:: Chapter Four ::

Setting Terms

~~*~~

�� Follow
me,� Raye ordered in a clipped tone, putting herself directly in front of the
golden-haired powerhouse the Earthlings called Jadeite. Her parents and all of
the other Royals had departed from the outer courtyard, leaving only herself,
the other princesses and the five men of Earth. Raye ignored all but Lord
Jadeite, however, and focused her attention solely on him.

He
blinked a few times, slightly taken aback by her forceful nature no doubt.
Perhaps Earth women were expected be quiet and demure at all times. She
inwardly scoffed. He�d best not choose her for a bride, if that were the
case.

While
the man stood there�blinking at her like a dumbfounded owl�the Princess of Mars
was unwillingly struck by how handsome he was. Dark sun-kissed skin that said
he had spent more than his fair share out-of-doors, golden blonde curls and a
pair of baby blue eyes that could melt ice. Raye felt her face tighten into an
even more profound expression of displeasure and annoyance. She didn�t want to
find him in any way likable, and the very fact that her cursed femininity had
to acknowledge his allure was infuriating to her in the extreme.

�Uh
. . . are you . . . you know . . . going to lead me anywhere?� he finally
questioned.

With
a start, Raye realized that she had ordered the man to follow her and then
stood here like an idiot contemplating his eye color. Cheeks flushed, she spun
around on her heel and then marched off into the Lunaran Palace, her red robes
swishing angrily at her ankles. Somehow she could almost feel his amused
grin behind her, which only served to make her that much more upset. His boots
echoed eerily down the almost deserted corridors as she led him, his armor only
making the barest of noises however. A testament to both the armor�s quality
and the skill of the man wearing it.

�So
. . . Princess Raye, wasn�t it?� he suddenly murmured, and from a lot closer
than she thought he was. Raye gasped and jerked around a little to stare up at
the Earth General, finding him smirking down at her almost directly behind her.
Her eyes narrowed.

�If
you must address me, my Lord, you may do so as Lady Mars, or Princess Mars,�
she replied, then scowled as her husky voice came out far too breathless for
her own peace of mind. �To use my given name would imply an undue amount of
familiarity,� she continued a bit more firmly, if just to convince herself and
him that she wasn�t in any way intimidated by him.

�But
that is your name, is it not?� he persisted, that quirky grin not fading
in the slightest despite her obvious rancor. Raye frowned, and he grinned
wider. Finally she conceded with an angry sigh.

�It
is,� she confirmed, realizing the childish futility of refusing the man
knowledge of her name. Her eyes narrowed again however as she continued with,
�though that doesn�t give you permission to use it. Remember that.� Then she
spun around and began leading him again, deciding that she�d just ignore his
teasing chuckles for now. If not, she might end up doing something that would
most definitely get herself into trouble.

Eventually
they reached the state rooms. Queen Serenity wanted no chance of accidental
offense being given, and so she was affording kingly accommodations to these
Generals. If Raye had her way, they�d be outside in the stables. Like hell
she�d be pandering to men who were threatening her way of life, her very existence.
She would fight tooth and nail to the bloody end, until all control was
stripped from her and she was given no other choice but to back down. And if
one of these Generals decided they wanted to try their hand at stealing away her
Kingdom by forcing her in their bed, best they prepare themselves for a long,
drawn out fight before it was all said and done.

The
Princess of Mars tossed open the inward-swinging doors, then stepped aside and
crossed her arms over her breasts, head tilting back defiantly. �This is your
room,� she announced coldly, �your companions should be the only other occupied
rooms in this wing. Servants will come tonight to assist you in your bath and
anything else you might require for the ball tonight, and afterward.�

Throughout
her tirade, Lord Jadeite had stepped slightly inside and took a look around.
She noted that he didn�t seem too terribly impressed, which perhaps implied
that he lived in similar or even better conditions back on Earth. Something
that Raye found rather hard to believe, that an Earthling could boast of living
quarters as grand as those found here on Lunara�which was known throughout the
galaxy for it�s superior architecture. Her curiosity getting the better of her,
Raye cautiously probed into the surface thoughts of his mind, to glean the
answer for herself.

All
at once she was seized with an unimaginable amount of psychic power contained
in this man. Like raw energy, it almost knocked her off her feet. As it was the
Princess gasped aloud and took several steps backward, desperately trying to
pull her mind free from him as well. It drew her in unwillingly, however, like
a powerful vortex. Jadeite immediately turned to her at the sound of her
distress, though Raye didn�t notice it, now far too absorbed in the visions
that were blurring uncontrollably through her mind.

She
had only meant to catch his surface thoughts, but instead his entire life
whirred through her mind in the span of seconds. One memory in particular stood
out from the rest. A large older man who resembled Lord Jadeite shoved her�or
Jadeite rather, since she was viewing the memory through his eyes�into a closet
of sorts and locking the door. She beat on it many times, too many to count,
until her hands bled freely. She knew that a great and terrible evil was
coming, and that the man and woman outside�his mother and father�were not
strong enough to fight it alone. And he was just a boy of fourteen, too young
to help, too weak to fight. That didn�t stop him from trying, throwing himself
against the door again and again. Yet he couldn�t. No matter how hard he tried.
Helpless, he could only watch as a huge Youma monster slammed effortlessly
through the last defenses before ripping the man and the woman apart.

All
she could see thereafter was blood. Then he screamed. Or was it her?

The
next thing she knew, Raye was opening her eyes. She was laid out on something
soft, and Lord Jadeite�s worried face hovered right above hers.

�Oh
Stars, good! You�re awake! What in the hell just happened to you?�

Raye
quickly sat up at that, then winced at the sharp pain that lit up her brain.
The girl bit her lip, pressing the heel of one hand into her forehead to try
and stave off the throbbing. A large, strangely comforting hand buried itself
into the small of her back then and braced her up, his fingers caressing gentle
circles into her skin that she simply found too soothing to protest.

�You
were talking to me one minute,� Jadeite murmured softly, �and then all of a
sudden you started hyperventilating and looking like you just saw a ghost. Then
you screamed and fainted. I almost didn�t catch you in time when you took a
nose-dive for the floor.�

With
a start, Raye then realized where she was. On his bed, with the door still
standing wide open. The Princess blanched then quickly pushed his hands away
and got to her feet, ignoring her throbbing head�s protest.

�It�s
nothing,� she lied blatantly.

�Nothing,�
he parroted, frowning. �Screaming for no good reason and then passing out
afterwards is an every day occurrence here?�

Raye
thought quickly. She couldn�t very well tell him the truth, that she had pried
into his inner thoughts uninvited and had witnessed what was, no doubt, very
personal memories. What if he took offense and somehow influenced the King of
Earth to cancel the negotiations? It would be all her fault. Her father would
kill her. Raye bit her lip, wringing her hands together.

�Look,
the women in my family have a . . . a gift, so to speak. We see visions of the
future,� she elaborated plainly at his highly confused expression. Stars, she
had better keep things simple for this muscle-bound moron. �Oftentimes the
premonitions we experience are sudden and intense. I . . . I was simply
overwhelmed is all, caught off guard. It is nothing to be alarmed about.� She
cleared her throat then, and turned away. �I apologize if you were unduly
startled. Now, if you will excuse me, I have many preparations to make before
the ball this evening.�

Raye
thought she had done an admirable job with that explanation, and would now make
a nice, neat getaway. Yet as she got to the doorway, he called, �yeah, see you
tonight Raye. And whenever you want to go ahead and cut the bullshit and tell
me what really just happened in here, you�ll know where to find me.�

The
Princess of Mars blanched, but did not turn around, not even to chastise him
for calling her by her given name. Instead she hurried out of the room and
prayed to whomever was listening that the Warrior King didn�t try to follow up
on this indiscretion. Or worse, ask her parents about it. Perhaps the
�muscle-bound moron� was a sight more intelligent than she originally gave him
credit for.

~~*~~

�� Your
room is here, the others will be in this wing as well. Servants will be sent to
see to whatever needs you may have during your stay. You have but to pull the
bell cord just there to summon someone.�

The
irritatingly handsome man called Nephrite didn�t even bother looking into the
door that Lita had just flung open. Instead he remained where he had stopped in
front of her, staring down at the Jovian Princess with a half-bemused,
half-irritated expression on his tanned face. Lita did her best to appear
unaffected by his lazuline gaze, glaring back up at him with one brow cocked
and a hand on her hip. Finally the Earthling General sighed heavily and shook
his head, soft brown hair swishing behind him with the motion.

�This
is really killing you, to have to pretend to be civil to me, isn�t it,�
he finally mused aloud. Lita took no pains in denying it.

�You
don�t even know the half of it, Lord Nephrite,� she bit off through clenched
teeth.

He
crossed his arms then, a faintly amused smirk twisting his lips. They were very
fine lips, those. Full, expressive . . . entirely kissable. Lita scowled
heavier at the direction her traitorous thoughts were taking, viciously telling
herself to ignore the accursed things as well as everything else she could�and did�find
attractive in the tall, dark-haired General from Earth. Oh, did she ever.

�Is
there a reason why you should feel such animosity toward me, Princess?� he
questioned pleasantly enough. �Other than the belabored obvious, I mean. You
seem to be holding a personal grudge against me in particular,� the General of
the West elaborated at her odd expression, �as if I�ve done something
personally to offend you.�

Well,
Lita couldn�t very well tell the man that the reason why he made her so
irritable was because he was the very first man she had ever encountered in
eighteen years who made her not wish quite so hard that she�d been born the son
her father had wanted. That the very sight of him made her belly flip and her
heart quiver with sheer appreciation of her own femininity�meager thought it
might be.

�I
am not going to marry you,� she suddenly blurted, as if to contradict
her own thoughts, then winced and inwardly groaned. Way to go, big mouth, she
growled to herself. Nephrite blinked a few times, taken back it seemed by her
sudden and thoughtless outburst. Then his features suddenly eased into an easy
grin. Her chest constricted at the sight. Sweet Stars, that smile should be
outlawed. No man had the right to look that good. Then he had to go and ruin
it�s effect by speaking.

�Well
that�s awfully conceited of you, don�t you think?� It was Lita�s turn to be too
stunned to react as he moved past her finally and stepped into his room. He
glanced over his shoulder just before the door closed. �I mean, whoever said
I�d have you?�

Lita
was left gaping at the closed door, mouth wide open in shock. Then she scowled,
fists clenching. How dare he?!

She
stomped away then, not trusting herself to act civilly should that arrogant,
pompous jerk happen to come back out again. As much as she would like to put
her fist in his face, she didn�t want to be accused of ruining the negotiations
with the Earthlings. Lita did her best to ignore the kernel of hurt that had sprung
to life in her chest at the Warrior King�s cruel words, telling herself
viciously that it didn�t matter. Why should she care if he found her attractive
or not? It wasn�t as if she wanted the General to choose her for a bride, far
from it! And hadn�t she been working tirelessly for eighteen years to make
herself more of a man and a warrior than the Princess she was supposed to be?
Lita should be taking this as a confirmation that all of her hard work had paid
off, that she had succeeded.

Yet,
instead of any of these things, Lita found herself struggling with feeling
rejected and very ugly and she wondered morosely if she would be able to
recover from this row ere the ball began tonight. It was bad enough that she
was going to be forced into a dress. Crying into her wine wouldn�t make the
indignity any less embarrassing.

~~*~~

�� Mina
led the huge warrior through the halls of the Lunaran Grand Palace, wondering
idly what was running through his mind. An Empath�as her mother was�Mina was
not used to being so completely shut out of someone�s emotions and feelings
like this. The great hulk of a man behind her was as unreadable to her as a
blank stone wall, however. Her curiosity as a result was absolutely maddening.
Was he happy to be here or did the very thought of it sicken him? Was he a
coconspirator in the Earth King�s plans of marriage into the Silver Alliance or
was he an unwilling pawn in the grand scheme of things?

�� Anything
was impossible to tell, as his inner emotions weren�t the only things that were
indiscernible on the First General of Earth. Looking into his handsome face was
like looking into a mirror, it was that blank. General Malachite had
done nothing more than nod politely when she had introduced herself and
indicate that he follow her. Not a word in return, no twinge of recognition,
not even a subtle twitch of an eyelash or a flare of a nostril. Mina frowned
pensively now as she led the Warrior King of the North down the hallway toward
his room.

The
Princess of Venus wasn�t used to being ignored. At all. She found that she
extremely disliked the sensation entirely.

Mina
wasn�t a vain person, but the fact that anything claiming manhood had either
stared at her or made complete fools of themselves to gain her attention and
favor ever since she had fully entered womanhood could not be ignored. Even the
other Warrior Kings and the King of Earth himself had cast her second glances
upon first sight, if only to acknowledge her incredible beauty.

But
not this one.

She
let out a soft sigh now, fists clenching at her sides with the inner turmoil
that she felt. Mina knew without a shadow of a doubt that she would be one of
the girls chosen to wed an Earthling. Her mother had made absolutely certain
that Mina understood that hard truth before they had made the journey today.
Psyche had told her daughter that�if just for the fact of her beauty alone and
the reputation of their people�she would be taken as a bride. That there were
other factors involved only strengthened that to a surety.

Trista,
Princess of Pluto, was locked away with the Time Gate, young Hotaru had barely
passed the age of fourteen, and finally, Michelle and Amara preferred women�in
fact each other. That left Princess Raye of Mars, Princess Ami of Mercury,
Princess Lita of Jupiter and then herself.

The
Queen of Venus had then asked her daughter if she was willing to make such a
sacrifice of herself. If not, Psyche was more than willing to break all ties
with the Silver Alliance and close their boarders forever. They would face
whatever came their way on their own.

Mina
had thought it all over very carefully, and while she appreciated the sacrifice
her beloved mother was willing to make on her behalf, in the end she had
decided to go ahead with the plan. She wasn�t likely to find her true mate
anyhow. A union for the sake of her people was just as good in her eyes. She
thought now on all of the men that had been presented today, trying to decide
which one she wanted. While it was true that they might have plans of their own
on which princess they were to wed, when a Venusian truly wanted someone
. . . they had ways of ensuring that they got them. Mina had little doubt that
she would nab the man she wanted to marry when the time came for it.

The
one called Zoisite was attractive, she supposed. Perhaps not as masculine as
she preferred, but not ugly by any means. Mina could sense that he was an analytical
sort, however, extremely intelligent and rather reserved. Such a man would not
suit her Kingdom at all, and would not suit herself either. He was summarily
dismissed from the list.

The
one called Jadeite had definite possibility. He was handsome, strong of body
and seemed far less severe than his fellows. He would easily fit into Venusian
culture. He was most definitely at the top of her list.

The
brunette, Nephrite, was another possibility, though not quite as suited to her
needs as the other. He was handsome enough, and physically sound, but she could
tell that he would be a bit of a brooder, prone to frequent losses of temper.
Mina wasn�t so sure that she relished that in a mate, and it was certainly not
the type of man she would prefer leading her people.

And
this one behind her? Mina scoffed at the thought.

True,
he was by far the most physically attractive of the four, and while she might
feel more of a mating heat between them than she ever had with any man before
him�which Mina would admit to herself at least was extremely intriguing�she
would never ever choose Malachite for a consort. He was too bottled up, too in
control of his emotions. He was the opposite of the spectrum from a volatile
Nephrite. There seemed to be a solid iron wall keeping everything inside of him
in check, which made it impossible for Mina to discern anything from the man.
It was more than a sight unsettling to someone who had grown up her whole life
being able to do so. No, such a man would smother her to death. He would never
be able to adjust to life on Venus, either, with their care-free ways and laid
back atmosphere. His was a world of strict and rigid control.

However
. . . that didn�t mean she had to accept the fact that Malachite seemed so
annoyingly impervious to her charms, did it?

As
she made her way down the corridor, Mina slowly began swinging her hips just a
little more than was necessary. She sighed slightly as she went, innocently
brushing some of her hair that had fallen over her shoulder back behind her. In
the process it lifted a good portion of the stuff and revealed the fact that
her robes were almost completely backless, tying over her shoulder blades with
a thin bit of string and folding down nearly past her rear-end. The Princess
waited, listening and feeling earnestly for any hint of agitation or arousal.

Nothing.

Scowling
now�her pride and her temper pricked�Mina rashly enacted something she never
had before. All Venusians had the capability of releasing certain pheromones
into the air, ones that would excite anyone to the point of painful arousal. It
was undetectable to most, and the person it was directed upon would know
nothing of why they suddenly felt such overwhelmingly powerful urges, only that
they felt them and that it was uncontrollable. The Princess didn�t really know
why she did it now, especially because the potential for danger was so great.
Only that his complete and utter lack of a reaction to her seemed to hurt
something deep inside, something that had never before been wounded, and she
didn�t like the sensation one bit.

Yet
even that failed to work on him, not even a twitch!

Scowling
now, Mina�s fists clenched as she stomped the last few steps to his door. She
swung about and glared up into his silvery gray eyes.

�Your
room, my Lord,� she announced, tone curt. �Should you need anything, servants
will attend you. Your companions are also being housed in this wing of the
palace, should you have need of them.�

The
First General dipped into a perfectly polite nodding bow of acknowledgement,
then swept past her without a word and softly closed the door behind him.

Mina
felt like screaming with frustration. What was he, made of stone? Even if he
preferred men, he would have shown some kind of reaction to her Scent.
Shaking her head, the Princess of Venus retreated back down the hall in search
of her own rooms. She would set her mind to ensnaring Jadeite tonight at the
ball, and that�s all there was to it.

~~*~~

�� Ami
turned down another hallway, the tall Zoisite keeping in step with her along
the way. His arms were clasped behind his back, she noted as she snuck a
furtive glance in his direction, his green eyes staring ahead and seemingly
lost into his own thoughts.

�� Idly
Ami wondered how he must feel about this whole situation. She was startled
however, when he suddenly spoke, as if responding to her thoughts.

�I
suppose there�s no use in beating around the bush,� he abruptly murmured, and
she tensed. Zoisite stopped walking suddenly and she was forced to do the same.
Ami turned to him and found herself pinioned by a calculating emerald green
gaze. Something inside of herself trembled to full awareness at that stare,
which seemed to assess and devour her all at once. A powerful gaze, his. �Given
your planet�s ways and my intellect,� he continued, �there is no other choice
for me in a bride but you,� was his announcement. Ami nodded, doing her best
not to take offense at the way he�d said no other choice, as he were
�settling� for her, that she was somehow less than acceptable otherwise. �I can
understand why you would want nothing to do with the idea of marrying me, or
any of my fellows either. You must understand, though, that it is an
inescapable fact at this point.�

Ami
lifted her chin a fraction, doing her best to combat her natural shyness. She
needed to be strong now, confident. This was the sort of thing that needed to
be dealt with boldly and in a forthright manner.

�Indeed,
Lord Zoisite,� she replied, voice cool and firm, sounding far more in control
than she actually felt. �It is the will of the Alliance and my father that I
marry, and so it will be done. If my marriage can help save valuable lives,
however, then I have nothing against the union itself. My marriage was always
to be arranged, you see,� she added with a tight smile. �I have gotten well
used to the idea of a match based on such terms.�

His
expression was grudgingly curious at that. �You want nothing of love, then?�
Ami blinked, caught a little off guard by that question. She shook her head
ruefully, then.

�Love
is a rare thing indeed for one of my standing, my Lord. I doubt things are so
very different on Earth that this would not be the case for your royalty as
well. Love is for common folk who are free to throw their lives and their
fortunes away on such fickle things as affection and physical desire. For
nobility, it is a far more common thing to base such dealings on compatibility
and common goals, things that are tangible and dependable.�

Ami
inwardly blanched after she had finished, marveling at how much she had just
sounded like her father. Silently she withstood his unnerving, calculating
stare for a full minute before he shrugged and smiled slightly�though the
sentiment didn�t quite reach his eyes, as if it were false.

�As
I would expect from a planet of intellectuals.� Ami frowned, wondering why she
almost felt as if that were an insult. �Very well,� he continued, taking her
mind off of it, �if we must be wed, what say you we set out the terms between
us here and now, so there is no need for uncomfortable second-guessing and
wondering in the days ahead. I will give you your space and your independence,
so long as it does not interfere with what dealings I must do to ensure my
Lord�s will and that of our mutual survival. I would ask only for any
assistance you might be able to give me concerning your planet, your customs
and your ways�as I know very little about them.�

Ami
nodded, feeling very relieved at how up-front he was being.

�I
will agree to those terms, so long as you agree to mine.� His eyebrows raised a
little at that, no doubt surprised by her gall, though Ami had her entire
Kingdom to think about right now and that gave her courage. �I will help you
learn the ways and customs of my Kingdom and give you your space and
independence, so long as it does not interfere in the welfare of me or my
people. I ask only for your fairness.� Her blue eyes suddenly turned frigid,
�for you will not find us a people easily conquered.�

Very
slowly he started to smile, and Ami�startled, as that was not the reaction
she�d been expecting�found herself blushing a little under the tinge of respect
that lit his dark eyes. �And nor will you, Princess, I begin to suspect,� he
murmured softly, then sighed. �Very well, you have my word.�

Shaken,
she could only nod in acceptance. They did not speak again, and Ami led the
rest of the way to his room in nervous silence.
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Silver Alliance