Note on Planet Names: Ten'ousei=Uranus; Kaiousei=Neptune; Meiousei=Pluto; Dosei=Saturn; Kasei=Mars; Suisei=Mercury; Mokusei=Jupiter; Kinsei=Venus ---------------------------------------------------------------------- Her mother had died birthing her. It was a strange thing, among the citizens of the Kingdoms of the Silver Millennium for a woman to die for her child. But the Queen of Uranus died of blood loss in her castle on the planet's moon Miranda, leaving her tiny daughter in the hands of her husband, the king. The little girl, the only heir to the Ten'ou line, was given the name Haruka and left mostly in the care of nursemaids and castle servants. The king kept his wife's sword and henshin stick in a closed room in the topmost towers of the castle and let his daughter live her life as she would. Lacking a female role model who did not bow to her, Haruka began to emulate her father, keeping her blonde hair cut short, wearing princely suits rather than princess dresses, and learning to sword-fight. She became a master of the blade before she was as tall as the swords she wielded and yearned for more, for a challenge. *~*~*~*~*~*~* The King of Uranus looked up as a tall, green-hared woman entered his private study, a tall staff topped by a garnet stone in one hand, a piece of paper in the other. "Ten'ou Koshu." "Meiou Setsuna," the king returned, bowing his head. "To what do I owe the honor? A visit from the Queen of Pluto is no light matter." "No, Koshu-kun, it is not. We have been friends since I introduced you to Kazeko so many years ago, and I came for a number of reasons." Koshu gestured toward an empty seat in his study and called for a servant to bring tea. "I am ready to listen, my friend." "Koshu-kun, your daughter is yours to raise as you wish, but the other queens and I are worried about her. She is the Princess of Uranus but she has never even seen the Space Sword. Her destiny is as Sailor Uranus, Protector of the Silver Millennium, as you well know." "I can't control her, Setsuna-san. She is a spirit into and of herself and rarely obeys." "She adores you, but you never pay her any attention." "She reminds me of Kazeko, Setsuna-san. I can't look at her and not think of my late wife." "Do you blame her?" "What?" Koshu looked up at the lonely Queen of Pluto and the Guardian of the Gate of Time, green eyes wide. "How could you even suggest such a thing?" "If the shoe fits, my friend . . . I know Haruka has thought it. She knows that her mother is dead because she is alive and she wants to make it up to you. If you don't train her, she might not be ready when it is her turn to defend out kingdom and she'll die. Do you want that? Kazeko's only child and your only heir?" "No, of course not. I do love her, I just can't show it the way some fathers do. I'll try, Setsuna-san, if you think I should. I don't know what good it will do, but I will try. Why else did you come?" Setsuna, dressed in her Sailor fuku, handed Koshu the letter. "The Queen has given birth." Koshu, shocked, opened the letter, reading the neat, compressed, powerful writing, recognizing the strong hand of the King of the Moon. "We are invited to a party in her favor? All eight royal families?" "Yes. Queen Saturn was there for the birth and has already paid her respects; the others have accepted and will bring their daughters and the heirs to their Sailor Senshi legacies." Koshu caught the hint. "Haruka and I will be there, dressed for the occasion. She will carry her mother's henshin stick as a symbol of power and lineage." "Good." As Setsuna stood to leave, she placed a hand on her friend's arm. "You are not the only one to lose the one you love. There is no King of the Neptunian Kingdom, and Shousha lost her first and only son. And I am far too old to think about a mate or child. Do not despair, Koshu-kun. It's not so bad." "Thank you, Setsuna-san."
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