Author: Sweetlee
Story Title: A promise forgotten
Rating: PG-13
Summary: 2 years ago Jeta broke her promise to her husband and returned to the future with her ex fiancé James Brody. Now the mysterious Bhelliom has returned to return her to her forgotten past and to face the man she still loves so that they can mend a rip in time that she was directly responsible for before it spells the end of both her past and present.
Author's Note: I pulled my previous two stories off "Trapped in Time" and "A time forgotten due to personnel reasons and while I have been able to find "A time forgotten" the disk I stored 'Trapped in time " in has unfortunately become unreadable so this may not make sense to any reader who has not already read both stories although they will be summarised within this story.
***
Two years. It had been two years since Jeta had left Cimmura although the Cimmura she now faced was just a mere shade of the one she had left behind.
Sky scrapers dotted the ancient city, that she surveyed from the window of the car that was taking her back to a place she had thought never to step back into, combining new and old together in a way that she had hoped to never see but that dream had been shattered by the order she had received two days ago and now her duty was bringing her back to the one place she had hoped never to step foot back into.
"Nothing like we remember huh" the quiet voice of James Brody said from the seat beside her.
Turning to weakly smile at her old friend Jeta shook her head "A thousand years of change but I can still see Sir Sparhawk and his knights riding up these cobbled street. It seems wrong to see a Starbuck in every corner"
Even now, even after her betrayal she could still remember riding through these so changed streets beside her husband, beside Bevier. She could remember the markets he had taken her to, the shops she and Ehlana, Queen of Elenia had frequented and the mansions of friends both Bevier and herself had visited and that were now long gone buried under progress and the resulting 21st city that had emerged in its place.
Shaking herself out of her memories as the car stopped at their destination Jeta pushed her memories to the side and swung herself out of the suddenly opened door smoothing out the wrinkles in her uniform that her long journey had produced as she turned to face the building that haunted her dreams.
Cimmura's Royal Palace.
Once her home but not anymore.
Now a place that haunted her dreams along with the memory of a man.
"Welcome" A tall, silver haired man stepped forward to greet both herself and Brody "It is a pleasure to meet you Commander Walker, Commander Brody. I am Captain Merdi, chief of security" he smiled at them offering them both his hand to shake "The rest of your party is inside so if you would just follow me"
Casting a worried look at her Brody whispered to her "Are you sure you are alright with this babe?"
Shaking off his concern Jeta fixed a fake smile to her face "I'm a big girl Brody the past cant hurt me"
"Commander Walker? Commander Brody are you coming" came Captain Merdi from the entrance to the palace.
Ignoring the concerned look on Brody's face Jeta turned on her heel and walked over to where the Captain waited. Shaking his head Brody followed.
Entering the Palace Jeta looked around noting the changes that 10 centauries had produced. This was not the palace she had left.
Bigger for sure. The centauries and the kings and queens who had followed after Ehlana as rulers of Elenia, adding their own style and stamps to the palace she remembered changing it nearly completely.
It was definitely more lavishly decorated now with 16th centaury art and furniture decorating not just the foyer she and Brody stood in but most of the palace if what she read in her tour books were true.
Maybe she could do this, Jeta thought hopefully to herself, after all if the palace looked nothing like what she had remembered then maybe she could keep the memories she had been suppressing for over 2 years where they belonged - in the past - and could act like the professional she was expected to be.
That hope was banished when she and Brody finally made it to the room where the rest of seaQuests staff were waiting for them
***
Entering the room at the Captains biding, Jeta was greeted by the bright laughing face of her best friend and fellow engineer Lonnie Henderson who quickly dragged her over to the farthest wall saying "Oh my god Jet you need to see this"
Caught up in amusement at her friends excitement Jeta began to laughed "See what Lon.." before suddenly breaking off as she saw what had amused her friends so much"
Her.
At least a portrait of her.
A portrait that Bevier had commissioned from Talen as a gift to his bride for their first wedding anniversary.
A portrait that had hung at their home in Arda, in the grand ballroom of Bevier ancestral home.
And now hung here in the Cimmura Palace, Jeta was surprised that Bevier had not had it burnt after her apparent betrayal.
Staring up at the familiar portrait which was large and featured her in a blue velvet dress seated on a chaise lounge, smiling and looking carefree Jeta tried to remind herself to keep on breathing as memory after memory crashed over her.
Bevier making faces at her as she sat for her portrait so out of his usual serious manner that it had taken a good 20 minutes before she had composed herself again and Talen could continue.
Bevier presenting her the portrait at her birthday ball with so much love and devotion in his eyes that Jeta had struggled not to embarrass them both by pulling him close and to kiss him in front of the whole visiting court.
Bevier laying her on their marriage bed, after the ball had finally finished and it was just them alone in their chambers, whispering words of love and devotion as he covered her body with his.
Bevier.
His brown eyes that had sometimes seemed to laugh just for her.
His perfect smile that always graced his sometimes to sober face as soon as he saw her.
His sure and strong hands, competent to wield a weapon with deadly accuracy, calm a frightened horse or hold her with either such tenderness or passion but .
His deep voice that even now she could hear whispering in her ear.
Bevier . The man she had loved and voluntarily left.
***
Caught up in her memories she did not even hear Brody trying to desperately explain possible reasons for the similarities between Jeta and the girl in the portrait to begin with.
"Relative" Brody was weakly saying "The girl must have been an ancestor of our girl here."
"Duh" said Lonnie rolling her brown eyes "Its not like it could be Jeta, Captain Merdi was just saying it was painted in the 11th centaury by Prince Talen himself. A wedding gift from Sir Bevier to his bride"
"What's it's called" Asked Commander Ford as he studied the painting intently "I never heard of it during my art studies and I devoted quite a bit of time to Prince Talen's works."
"Bevier's Bride" Lonnie replied turning to smile at her raven haired friend her smile becoming a frown as she noted Jetas pallor "Jeta are you okay"
Beviers Bride.
His betraying Bride.
"I'm going to be sick" Jeta muttered suddenly sick to her stomach
Brody reached for her "Babe maybe you should sit down"
"Of course" Captain Merdi stepped in his face showing his concern "I will show you to your room"
"Room?" Jeta turned to look at the Captain "I thought we were staying at a hotel?"
"No" answered the Captain "Your UEO thought it would be more productive if you stayed on site"
Jeta turned to look at him in horror
Great.
***
Now firmly ensconced in a guest room in a new wing of the palace (new only being 300 years old) a room Jeta had been shown to by the good Captain over three hour ago after being excused for the rest of the day by her concerned host.
After making sure she was not in fact going to be sick Jeta had decided to have a nice relaxing Bath to clear her mind before changing into her and eating the meal that had been delivered to her room by a valet before retiring to bed to read to keep her mind off of recent events and remembered memories.
Sitting up in her bed as she heard the doorhandle to her door rattle she smiled at Brody as he walked in "I'm fine" she told him not waiting for him to speak.
"Really" Brody asked sardonically "That's why you went pale and nearly threw up?"
"I just didn't expect to see..." Jeta left it hanging.
Coming over to the side of her bed and climbing in next to her he pulled her over into his comforting arms "I know babe I know"
"I just thought I had put all this behind me, you know?" Jeta told him weakly
"I know" he repeated.
"And now I have to deal with it again"
"Yeah I know babe but you are not alone you know" Brody told her.
"Stay" she asked him looking up at him pleadingly "I really don't want to be alone in this place"
"Scared of ghosts?" he tried to tease her "Jeta I don't know... its against regulations. Besides we have been through this before I cant keep on doing thsi"
"Please" Jeta pleaded "Please don't leave me alone here"
Sighing Brody stood up and stripped down to his boxers laying his uniform next to hers on the chair before climbing back into bed, this time under the covers and turning off the light before reaching for Jeta once more.
Allowing herself to be pulled back into his strong embrace Jeta lay her head against his chest listening to his heartbeat and trying to forget memories of another warm embrace and brown eyes.
Authors Note: Next chapter will have Bevier. And Jeta. In the same room.
