Artemis had kept to himself for most of the day and given the events of yesterday, it was not a surprise. He had seen Luna again for the first time in nearly a thousand years. His emotions were turbulent and conflicted. It had not appeared as if she had remembered much about him, although she had recognized him. He did feel more than a little hurt and betrayed. Their relationship, although strained, had finally begun to develop before the disaster.
He still remembered the first day that he had seen her. She had been called from Mau to serve as the future advisor to Princess Serenity, who would be due in a few months. He had received his own duties several years earlier and already his experience as the advisor to the future captain of the guard, the princess of Venus, and the heir to the position of Sailor Venus, had begun to grow and mature.
~~~~~
The meeting between the advisors-in-training was not scheduled to take place for several hours, so Artemis took it upon himself to lounge in the gardens. The sun was delightful and the company was all too eager to please. Several ladies of the court gathered around the white-haired man and showered him with affection and attention. Although he had been off-put by such attention when he first traveled to the realm of the Silver Millennium, Artemis quickly changed his tune. The culture of Venus was especially flamboyant and overtly affectionate. The culture of the Moon was more reserved, but none the less pleasant.
With a hearty laugh, Artemis waved his hand in the air, “please, ladies, I am all too eager to attend to your desires, but,” he drawled out his voice. The faces of the ladies fell as they anticipated his words. Artemis continued, “I fear that I must depart in order to prepare for a diplomatic event.” The ladies of the court loudly voiced their displeasure, but eventually departed in groups. The Mauian received several promises of later meetings and encouragement to visit at a later date. He smiled and waved as they departed, but sighed loudly once he thought he was alone.
He was not alone, however. One lady of the court had stayed behind to spend a few private moments with the advisor-in-training. She forwardly touched his shoulder, which alerted him to her presence. He whirled around only to be confronted by several forward advances and a wit of tongue. Although he often flirted with the eligible bachelorettes, he had yet to be placed in such a precarious situation as this. Artemis fought down a growing urge to panic and dismissed the woman’s advice, albeit rather nervously and with a rather lack of the smooth manner he had possessed earlier. She did not take ‘no’ for an answer.
Artemis’ mind began to break down as he felt her lips press against his own. His hands hung limply at his side and his eyes widened in panic. A loud gasp broke the moment. Someone had stumbled upon the intimate moment. The lady of the court hurriedly dismissed herself and left Artemis to perform a decent imitation of a blushing fish. The intruder seemed just as surprised and immobilized as Artemis. At the same time they both blurted out an excuse, then paused as if neither knew what to do next. Artemis stepped forward, which apparently took the black-haired woman off-guard. With nothing to say but a small squeak of embarrassment and surprise, the woman in the yellow and black dress quickly turned and left.
Although another thought or action may have been more appropriate, Artemis could not help but dwell on how beautiful the black-haired woman in the yellow and black dress had been. He had never seen her before.
Later that afternoon, Artemis waited in the appropriate meeting hall for the arranged introduction between himself and the future advisor to Princess Serenity. He had since recovered from the disaster in the gardens, although he was very nervous about seeing either woman again. At the head of the table sat Queen Serenity, who was in the more advanced stages of her pregnancy. A knock came at the door and the attendant introduced Lady Luna, the future advisor to Princess Serenity. The look on the Mauians’ face was nothing less than priceless.
Queen Serenity quirked a smile at the beginnings of this introduction. Obviously, she was not privy to all of the information concerning a prior relationship between these two. She motioned for Artemis to rise and properly introduce himself to the woman who he would no doubt be working very closely with for many years to come. After a jerky start, Artemis bowed and took Luna’s hand. He paused for a moment before he placed a chaste kiss on the front of her hand. Luna blushed brightly and wondered if she could reclaim a sense of decorum.
Queen Serenity instructed the two to sit at opposite sides of the table on either side of their queen. Artemis wondered if he could possibly look at Luna and keep a straight, calm face or if all hope had been lost. He was still very young and not entirely certain as to how to approach the situation. As soon as Queen Serenity began the meeting, Luna recovered her decorum and propriety. Artemis silently marveled at her behavior and her beauty. She often interjected questions and words that held wisdom and intelligence unusual for her young age. He felt as if he lacked something important.
Once the meeting was dismissed, Artemis cautiously approached Luna. With a shy smile, he asked if perhaps she would meet him for lunch in order to discuss their future together as diplomatic partners. The suave manner he had been cultivating for months seemed to disappear around Luna, but maybe she would not mind? His smile broadened as she hesitantly accepted his offer and prefaced that she would prefer to meet in a public setting. Hope springs eternal for young love, as Artemis found he was beginning to understand all too well.
