The frivolous disturbance within the dance had not escaped Kunzite's eye. He saw the Princess of Mars leave her troubled partner in exasperation. Gently, he distanced himself from the Princess Minako and kissed her hand.
     "Thank you for that lovely dance," he told her apologetically.
     The Princess of Venus smiled modestly, flustered at his courteous gesture. But he somehow noticed the sunny disposition which remained constant despite the chagrin behavior. He then approached his comrade standing alone in the midst of the celebration. A worried cloud settling on his tormented spirit.
     "Why is this not going well, Jadeite?" Kunzite asked. "Your disagreement with her can cause us trouble."
     Jadeite didn't bother to look at his friend's face. He had enough disagreement for one night and was quite apalled at Kunzite's insensitivity. He decided to walk away from all this, and left the room upset before he would even be lectured.
     Minako had seen all this from where she stood. She had not moved after the kind gentleman kissed her hand and had watched where he had gone. Now, she was wondering the reason for the concern over Enyalis Rei.

     Nephrite led the tall princess into the veranda. The noise of the celebration has only lessened on this part of the palace. The peace on this place seemed inviting, he thought, as he sighted the magnificent view of his planet. The thought of Jadeite finally asking the Princess of Mars to dance briefly made him anxious. But he immediately suspended this thought to put his focus on the current situation. Besides, Jadeite can take care of himself.
     The Princess of Jupiter stood mesmerized at the Earth, the same way she did when she first saw those blue and white swirls on the same veranda. "That is your Earth," she remarked.
     Nephrite nodded. He already lost interest on the same clouds and skies he'd been familiar with ever since he was born...though that was hardly what it looked like from here. Nevertheless, he still remained indifferent. He noticed, however, that she was heavily engrossed! Those distinct green eyes of hers were pleasantly awed by the sight. The light glowing immaculately on her rosy cheeks. What could she have looked like if she loosed that high ponytail and let her chestnut waves fall on her lithe shoulders? But she'd have to leave those garland of laurel leaves on her hair....
     "You were thinking of something, General Nephrite?" she suddenly asked.
     "No," he lied. "I just remembered something...uh...."
     "Makoto," she answered softly, not minding his embarassment. "My name is Makoto."
     "Makoto..." he repeated. The Princess of Jupiter smiled pleasantly, pleased of hearing him mention her name.  She then returned to her view. The kind general leaned on the Romanesque pillars, still unmindful of the glowing sphere she was so fond of. Considering it a distraction. Except that he wasn't at all bored with his view, either.

     The Princess of Mars found herself walking through the forsaken halls that had once been a courtly arena of last night's grand event. She only met a small entourage who scurried about the palace, picking up pieces of cloth and confetti that had been scattered. No other royal individual frequented the main halls of the palace at this time. In fact, Enyalis Rei woke up realizing that she had not slept on her own bed. Princess Serenity and Princess Minako dozed peacefully beside her. Probably consumed from tireless conversation about the party. She could only guess that Ami and Makoto slept in their own separate rooms.
     She remembered that Makoto was last to enter Serenity's bedroom, while the two blonde princesses talked incessantly about their experiences. Hearing Serenity's calm disclosure of how the Prince held her gently and how he caught her when she accidentally fell, only improved Rei's own guilt. If not to enrage her feelings of disappointment fully. But then, she had to listen to Minako exclaim in disbelief why Makoto and Nephrite only stayed in the veranda to talk and glance at the breathtaking view.
     "Are you sure there's nothing else that happened?" Minako asked again, scratching her head. To which Makoto's answer was an honest nod coupled with traces of pink on her cheeks.
     Minako, however, with her enthusiasm totally engaged in girl talk, linked both her hands and nostalgically related how General Kunzite had asked her to stay and dance with him for the next song.
     Enyalis Rei further discovered that she, unfortunately, hadn't found a comrade in Ami. She was the last hope of ever contributing to the seemingly endless discourse. The Princess of Mercury, was for a time, settling her vision on what lay beyond the bedroom window. She confessed she had to leave General Zoisite on a chagrin note. Especially since he had to bring up the subject of destiny and probabilities--that topic which, she told him, is not that familiar to her. Maybe it was something she said or maybe it was what they were talking about. But there was to be some reason that later prompted him to kiss her.
     "It was only the forehead," the Princess of Mercury coyly admitted, to which her friends exhaled their breath of excitement. "But there seems to be something else..."
     Enyalis Rei remembered distinctly how her friends' faces were at her modest disclosure. Who could have ever known that the bashful Princess of Mercury would be the very first among them to experience her first kiss?
     The Princess of Mars stopped in her tracks as she remembered the conversation. She pictured Makoto in the veranda, Serenity tripping on her skirts, Minako graceful with her step... and Ami's kiss. Am I the only one with a harsh experience? she thought, helplessly. Maybe even the discord was her own fault. All the shame was finally rocking her bitter conscience.

     "How about you, Rei-chan?" Serenity asked innocently.
     "Didn't you dance with Jadeite-sama, Rei-chan?" Ami humbly inquired.
     She remembered reeling from the question, trying to mask the disgraced look on her face. She casually nodded and tried to escape their curiousity.
     Makoto, sensing her disturbed spirit, sat on the bed beside her. She gently placed her hand on top of Rei's. "You dance very well with him, Rei-chan," Makoto comforted.
     But Minako's tireless curiousity took hold and asked, "He kissed you, didn't he?"
     After a moment of total silence and hushed wonder, Enyalis Rei swallowed her breath and stared at their attentive faces.
     "No," she told them. "No, of course he didn't!"
 

     General Kunzite thought he was alone in the naked halls until he saw the same charming aggressor leaning on the wall, locked in distress. Immediately, he approached her and having greeted, "Princess Enyalis Rei," broke her pensive state in an instant.
     "General Kunzite," she greeted back, nervously. "I didn't see you."
     "How are you, Princess?" his virile voice boomed.
     "I'm fine," she answered and started to walk away. "Just fine."
     "Princess, I know of your feelings...against General Jadeite."
     As if something terribly sharp had struck her in an instant. Fiercely hurting her, at the mention of his name.
     "Believe him, Princess. We have to take measures in knowing even our potential allies. But I assure you, all we ever desire is friendship."
     "I'm not really sure, General Kunzite-sama."
     "You can trust Jadeite, Princess. He keeps his word...and he cares very much about you!"
     Kunzite watched her hastily leave from his presence, hopeful that she had dispelled all her apprehensions so that the alliance would continue smoothly. But what he has said impacted a strong influence on her reason, if he only knew.
     However, he turned to find a familiar figure gazing from the other side of the hall. Kunzite recognized the red bow that tied her golden hair. She then struck him with a guileless glare as she dwelt thoughtfully beside the corner of the walls.
     Minako stood straight and nodded casually as soon as she was discovered. She then continued her walk through the palace, finally understanding the reason behind General Kunzite's anxiety.