A/N: Thank you all again for the great feedback! The first half of this chapter is definitely on the introspective side. You all get a better glimpse into Artemis' mind and past history, so hopefully it'll answer some of the questions I saw in reviews. The second half shifts to Artemis' view of the Abrasaxs, but I had to end it where I did before I got too carried away (please don't hate me). Don't worry, we will see Titus again and in greater quantity. There will also be more BalemxArtemis time in future chapters. And is anyone interested in beta-ing this story? I sometimes worry about the way my writing flows.

Anyway, please tell me what you think! What do you think of Artemis' feelings? Was everyone in character?

Chapter Three

Sleep did not come easily to Artemis that night. Her thoughts were too chaotic, for the memories of Balem's actions kept replaying over and over in her mind, keeping her from rest. His words, his touch, his lips at her ear... She remembered it all in startling detail.

What was Balem doing? She could not understand his sudden intensity. He had always been attentive when they were together but he had never been this forward. At dinner, he had looked at her like she was a goddess, and the emotions in his eyes had expressed his utter devotion to her. When he'd touched her, it had been with a tenderness that bordered on love. He had cradled her neck in the palm of his hand. She could still feel his fingertips ghosting along her pulse, and the sensation made her cheeks burn.

She thought back to every moment she had ever had alone with Balem. Every smile, every word, every touch was brought to the forefront of her mind, and with each passing memory, her panic rose. In every memory, Balem was focused solely on her. His hazel eyes followed her movements wherever she went. He did not notice those beside her, even when she was among other beautiful women.

When had this started? She thought desperately back to the beginning of their friendship and through the thousands of years they'd spent together. And in all those years, there had never been a clear sign that indicated a shift in their relationship.

"Oh no..." Artemis whispered, putting her face in her hands. She felt like a fool. Had Apollo been right? Had she been so blinded by her friendship with Balem that she had not seen what was directly in front of her?

Fear spread through her like ice. She loved Balem dearly, but she had never allowed her feelings to go beyond those of friendship. There had been a time, nearly seven thousand years ago, when she had loved someone very deeply, and had been hurt by that love. A man of a lesser family had wormed his way into her heart. Henrick, she thought sadly. That had been his name, and he had died a horrible, gruesome death. She remembered the day she found out. She had been at their family's home on Ferisca, enjoying a break from all of the madness on Orus, and Apollo had been the one to break the news to her. She could recall his pained expression in perfect detail.

"Artemis...I have some terrible news," he had said, his voice unnaturally shaky. "It's Henrick. He..."

Terror had consumed her. "What happened?" she'd demanded, standing from her seat. "Is he okay? Apollo, you are scaring me. Tell me!"

"His family's ship was captured by Velgan pirates. Artemis...they were all slaughtered."

Slaughtered. It had been the word he'd used, but she later found out that 'slaughter' was the tamer definition for what had been done to Henrick. He'd been tortured—carved, beaten, broken—and then disemboweled and hanged. The pirates who had killed him escaped to the far reaches of the universe, and were never seen again.

Even after so long, Artemis could remember Henrick's warm brown eyes and soft words. He had loved sitting outside with her, late into the evening, to watch the night sky.

"We will grow old together, beneath these very stars, and when we are old, we will look back on our lives—the good and the bad—and start all over again," he'd told her on one of those many nights.

None of that ever happened.

His death had destroyed her, and it took her nearly two thousand years to recover from it. She spent centuries living in seclusion, hiding away from her family and friends, and the only person who had been able to locate her was Balem. No matter how hard she had tried to disappear, no matter how far she had traveled, he had always found her.

Looking back on it now, Artemis was extremely grateful for his perseverance. He had let her live on his ship, away from others, and had given her whatever she desired. Clothes, technology, comfort; he had given her it all. And yet...she could not bring herself to think of him as more than a friend. Her heart had been shattered once and she did not know if she could survive another disastrous heartbreak. She was frightened—of his feelings and of hers. If she let herself love him, there was no going back. Their friendship would never be the same again. It would grow into something beyond that—something more permanent and eternal that could never be broken.

Artemis closed her eyes and saw the heat in Balem's gaze. He had overwhelmed her, had caused passion to burn just beneath the surface of her skin, and if she was honest with herself, she had not felt such passion for a human being since Henrick's death. She didn't know what to do. She thought there was still time to pull back and distance herself from Balem; yet she feared that that was no longer possible. When Balem set his sights on something, he inevitably obtained it. And if he was after her, she did not think she could hold out against him indefinitely.

"What am I going to do?" she asked into the quiet of her room.

No answer came.

Weary now, Artemis glanced through her room's windows and stared out at Jupiter's whirling clouds. The world Balem had created was truly mesmerizing. In its center was a beautifully designed palace that dwarfed all of the other buildings. Towers surrounded the palace and connected the main buildings together so that there was a system of transportation, and encompassing the entire system was a gilded cage made of powered metal and armor to protect everything within.

Apollo had implied that Balem had built this place for her as well as for his mother, and the more she stared at what he had created, the more she realized Apollo's words were true. The design reminded her of a story she'd once told Balem: of a castle floating in the sky. Every detail she had described, from the architecture to the scenery, was reflected in the facility before her. Balem had spent hundreds of years constructing this world and it was clear that he had built it with her in mind. Sudden warmth spread through her. "You made this for me," she said softly, thinking of him. In spite of her concerns, she could not help but feel grateful for Balem's thoughtfulness. He was one of her closest friends and he knew her so well...

She just prayed his recent actions would not ruin everything they had.

It was early morning when Artemis roused herself and dressed for the day. While she wished to linger in her quarters instead of dealing with Balem, she knew she should face him sooner rather than later. He had been livid when she'd left him the night before, and she hoped his anger had cooled since then.

The palace was silent as she strolled through the corridors, headed for the main audience chamber. Balem had told her that his workers would arrive in the following week, so the palace would soon be teeming with life, but she found herself enjoying the current quiet. On Ferisca, she was constantly surrounded by her brothers and there was never a moment of silence. Here, in this palace among the clouds, there was peace.

The audience chamber was empty when she passed through its doors. For a moment, she was tempted to search further for Balem, but his personal divan caught her eye. It was at the far end of the room, situated directly in front of the high windows. She moved toward it and sat down on its soft cushions, then leaned back to enjoy the view.

Everything was still. Movement on the horizon came from the occasional ship passing by, but for the majority of the time, the airways surrounding the palace were clear.

Artemis watched the horizon long. She was so captivated by the towers and the clouds that her first warning of him was his voice.

"Here you are," Balem murmured, coming to stand behind her. She looked over her shoulder to smile at him.

"Good morning," she said gently. He was dressed in his most formal clothing and she thought he looked remarkably handsome.

Balem's eyes bore into hers, searching them. He lifted his hands to cup her cheeks and his thumbs traced under her eyes. "You are tired."

The words were softly spoken, and Artemis felt her stomach clench at the underlying worry in his tone. Shivers rolled through her at his touch. "I could not sleep," she explained, clasping his forearms but not halting him. He continued to trace the skin beneath her eyes.

"Restless?" he wondered.

She nodded and twisted back in her seat to face the windows. His hands dropped to the back of the divan. "Overwhelmed, by all of this," she said, indicating the horizon. "I had much to think of."

"You always were thoughtful."

She smiled at Balem's good-natured words. He often said that she hid her thoughts from him. It vexed him when she did, but she could not sense any irritation in his tone now. "Perhaps to a fault," she admitted, and she rose from the divan to face him.

His eyes trailed over her attire, taking in the color and design. They passed slowly over the long skirt before rising to linger along her modest bodice and bare shoulders. Once he finished appraising her form, his eyes met hers, and she saw desire simmering in them. "You look like a queen," he said, voice low. He held his hand out for her to take.

"Do not let your mother hear you say that," she answered, slipping her hand into his. He drew her close, and she felt her uncertainty rise again at his nearness. "When does she arrive?"

Balem chuckled, and the sound was utterly sinful to her ears. "Very soon," he said, placing her hand in the crook of his arm. "Come. We shall meet her."

He escorted her from the chamber, and although he had escorted her to hundreds of balls and ceremonies over the millennia, Artemis sensed that this time was different. He had a regal air about him and walked like a king, but that was not what had changed. He held her at his side more possessively, like she was his queen. No longer were they friends enjoying a stroll. Now they were a couple intent on making an impression.

When she tried to put space between them, his free hand came to rest on hers, keeping her at his side. His fingers smoothed over her skin, attempting to soothe her worries, yet she was anything but soothed. In fact, her thoughts were racing. If they welcomed his mother and siblings like this, what impression would they make? The Abrasaxs were perceptive. Nothing slipped past them. They would notice the change, and Artemis was certain Titus would tease her mercilessly. She felt trapped, and by the time they reached the main landing dock, she was close to panicking.

They had arrived just in time to see the queen's spectacular ship descend towards the landing zone. It was massive in size—absolutely stunning in composition—and Artemis felt a flash of pride for her brother Hermes, because he was its' architect. However, her pride quickly faded when the ship docked. There was a brief pause. Then the elegant gangplank began to open. Two lines of Balem's elite soldiers—the Sargorns—ran along each end of the landing zone and stood at the position of attention as it descended.

Artemis was familiar with the entire ceremony. When the matriarch of the Abrasax family appeared on the ramp with her daughter at her side, she bowed her head in reverence.

Balem released her and stepped forward to greet them. He took his mother's hands in his and spoke softly to her while Kalique walked past him towards Artemis.

"Artemis," she called, smiling. She looked remarkably well, and Artemis suspected she must have recently bathed in Regen-X. "What a pleasant surprise. When mother said we were visiting Balem, I had no idea you would be here as well. I suppose I should have known," she added, winking at Artemis as she linked her arm through hers. "You and I have much to catch up on. How is your family?"

"Well, thank you. And how are you, Kalique? What has happened since we last met?" Artemis asked, smiling at her friend's flurry of words. She was not fooled by them. Kalique loved to pretend she was ignorant of things, when in reality she knew more than she let on.

Kalique's smile grew wider, and she went on to describe her kingdom's growth as well as her increased investments in the youth serum industry. "I am seeding a new planet in less than two months. There has been a lot of preparation and even more documents to sign."

"Perhaps," a voice interrupted them, "we should not talk of business until we are settled in."

Artemis turned to see the queen looking between her and Kalique. "Your Majesty," she said, bowing her head.

The older woman eyed her appraisingly. "Hello, Artemis. It has been long since we last spoke."

"Yes, Your Majesty. I hope you fare well."

"I do. And you?"

"Well enough, thank you," Artemis answered, smiling. Her eyes drifted to Balem, who was standing beside his mother. He watched her with a smirk on his face, and when she met his gaze, he moved to her side and placed a hand on the small of her back.

"Come. Let us go to the main chamber. I do believe Titus is waiting for us there," he announced.

"He is?" Artemis asked, confused. They had left the audience chamber not long ago and she had not seen Titus while they were there.

"He arrived a few minutes ago," Balem explained as he led them from the landing dock and into the palace's main halls. He and his mother walked side by side while Artemis linked arms with Kalique.

The second oldest of the three Abrasax children was surprisingly quiet now. Artemis watched as her green eyes darted around the palace, inspecting the architecture and design. There was a calculating gleam in her orbs, and perhaps, a bit of jealousy. It was as if she saw Balem's achievement as a new obstacle in her path. In a sense, Artemis could see why Kalique would think so. The palace and the surrounding facility were on a scale not previously seen before, and if it performed to its full potential, it would perfect the serum in record time.

"It is astonishing, isn't it?" Kalique asked, her tone flat. She was clearly not pleased with what she was seeing.

"Yes, it is," Artemis agreed. She studied Kalique's expression, and spotted a hint of disdain in her friend's features. It shocked her, but she supposed she should not have been surprised. She knew the Abrasax siblings were competitive; however, she had always been astonished by their complicated relationships and their propensity to try and outdo one another. Her focus shifted to the matriarch of the Abrasax family, and Artemis realized the woman looked tired. There was a weariness in her eyes that had not been there centuries before. She wondered if Balem, Kalique, and Titus saw it, too.

Before she could think further on the queen, they entered the audience chamber. A long table had been placed in the center of the room, and on its surface were platters of morning treats as well as a variety of fruits to pick from. And sitting at the head of the table, with his feet drawn up, was Titus.

"Ah, the family is reunited!" he sighed dramatically, standing from his chair. He looked over his mother and siblings, and when his gaze settled on her, his hazel eyes twinkled mischievously. "And our dear Artemis is here! My, my...this is a fascinating development. Did Balem abduct you?" he asked her.

"You are as well-mannered as ever, Titus," Balem murmured, glaring at him.

Artemis grinned. Even though Titus often teased her, she found his impish behavior and humor fun to play off of. Her like of him only went so far, though. She knew there was danger hidden beneath his playful façade. "I came willingly, as always," she told him, trailing her hand along the top of the table. "How have you been, Titus?"

Titus let out a long, theatrical sigh. "Well enough, I suppose. Of course, when I discovered I was not invited to this wonderful little gathering, I knew I could not let that stand." He turned to his mother, and said very seriously, "Mother, Balem has been unfair. Spank him."

Kalique giggled in the sharp silence that followed after his words, while Artemis gaped at him, appalled by his audacity. Her eyes flashed to Balem, and she saw that he was furious. He had gone completely still and his hands had fisted at his sides. His hazel eyes were wide in anger and his mouth was a firm line. He opened his mouth to speak, but his mother was the first to act.

"Enough. All of you. Behave yourselves; you are not children," she snapped, showing her temper.

All three Abrasax siblings stared at one another, and Artemis looked on, worried that Balem would not heed his mother's words. He looked ready to strangle Titus, and as the seconds wore on, she was almost certain he would. Instead, he simply smirked and turned away.

The tension broke at his actions, and Artemis breathed a quiet sigh of relief.

She hoped Titus would not stay long.

She honestly did not think she could handle the entire Abrasax family for more than a few days.