A/N: Hope you all enjoy the next chapter :) Thanks to all who review, favorite and follow! No beta for this one, so if you see any errors - please let me know!
Chapter 9
-The Time of Silver Millennium-
"You are sure this is what you desire, Cousin?"
Evander grinned at Endymion. "More than anything."
Endymion sighed and shook his head. His cousin was certainly head over heels, though for the life of him, he couldn't understand why. The Jovian princess was cold and unfeeling, a warrior above all else, fully dedicated to her duty. "Very well then, the treaty will be signed tomorrow."
Evander's grin widened; he felt like a child who'd just been presented with his deepest wish. "And the marriage clause-"
Endymion rolled his eyes. This was the part that made him question his cousin's sanity the most. "She is under no obligation to a marriage unless she desires it."
"I know you think I'm mad-"
"Of course I do!" Endymion interrupted quickly. "You've taken a position in the Jovian army; not only that, but at a lower rank! Leaving me to replace you with Nephrite. All without any guarantee of a match with this princess."
Evander's joy dampened a bit. His cousin was stressed, a thing that rarely, if ever, happened to the young prince. "Endymion," he said gently, placing his hands on the other man's shoulders, "from everything I've heard of him, Nephrite is an extremely capable soldier and should complement the other Shittenou well. And this treaty gest Terra that much closer to full membership in the Alliance, which in turn gets you closer to Serenity. Not to mention, Jovian weapons are some of the best in the galaxy, rivaled only by ours and those that are Venusian made. We gain considerable military advantage should the disturbance in the north escalate."
Endymion nodded. "As usual, you are right." He pulled his cousin in for a rare embrace. "Best of luck, Evander. I pray we meet again."
Pounding on the door to her room jolted Juno awake, her right hand flying to the dagger kept on her side table, her left giving off sparks of electricity, itching for a fight.
"Jupiter!" Venus' sharp voice was muffled by the large, thick door. "The transporter is ready for your trip. Report immediately."
Juno imagined her comrade turning on her heel, her long, loose blonde hair whipping around her body as she stomped off down the hall, no doubt annoyed she'd had to play messenger.
There was no love lost between the two guardians. Venus was a capable leader, but in Juno's mind, was far too beholden to her emotions. Between that and her incessant prattling about soul mates love, the two had very little in common.
Juno sighed and rose from her bed, reading herself for the inevitability of her future at home.
Juno knelt before her father's throne, dressed simply in a silk green tunic and brown trousers, her hair woven into a long braid alongside strands of light green ribbon. As always, her sword was fastened securely to her hip. "Father," she said as she rose to her full height. "You summoned me?"
The great king nodded from his chair. He was a large man who commanded respect without the need of a crown. He had a handsome, but hard and worn face, his emerald eyes the same as Juno's, with angled cheekbones and a chiseled chin. He kept his dark hair neatly tied at the nape of his neck, the touch of gray streaking is temples betraying his age. Heavy robes of silk and wool dyed in various shades of brown and green hung from his powerful shoulders, cinched in neatly by a hand engraved breastplate. "Yes, my daughter. I present to you the new captain of your guard."
Juno cocked an eyebrow as a familiar figure stepped forward from the shadows and stood next to the king's throne, bowing low. "Your Highness."
That voice.
"It is my pleasure to serve and protect you," the man finished and straightened up to his full height. "My name is Evander of Terra," he said with a boyish grin and quick wink.
Ire and annoyance flashed in Juno's eyes. "Father, this man wears Terran armor-"
"I have agreed to a treaty with the Terran king." A tone of finality hung in the air.
Juno stiffened and was silent a moment, understanding what was left unsaid. "Yes, Father," she replied icily, bowing low and excusing herself.
Juno wiped the sweat from her forehead with the back of her free hand. Her blade was starting to feel heavy, her arms and shoulders aching. The tree stump in front of her had been sliced, skewered and chipped as she worked away her anger and frustrations.
"Your form is impeccable, Princess," Evander said quietly as he approached where she trained. "Would you like a sparring partner?" Without waiting for a response, he removed his armor and gloves, tossing them on the ground with the sheath from his sword.
Juno stabbed her sword into the ground, leaning her weight on the hilt. "Why are you here, Evander?" she asked directly, her voice dripping with annoyance. "What are you playing at?"
"I am your personal guard; my job is to ensure your safety," Evander answered coyly, turning his sword over in his right hand. "And you look as if you could use a sparring partner."
Juno sighed and rolled her eyes. Softening her voice, she asked again, "Evander, what is your true purpose here?"
Evander sighed. Secretly he hoped that his angel would have been happy to see him. "The treaty my Uncle and your father agreed to forms an alliance between Jupiter and Terra. Jupiter provides arms to the Terran army, and Jupiter gets the 2nd in line for the Terran throne."
Juno blinked in surprise; traditionally alliances between planets involved an arranged marriage. She'd been certain her father had promised her to someone in the Terran government. "That is the entirety of the treaty?" she asked, cocking an eyebrow skeptically.
"There is one additional provision, but only if you are in agreement." Evander paused, praying this wouldn't enrage the warrior in front of him. "Your father has agreed to our marriage, but only if you consent." Before Juno could reply, he added, "I want you to have a say in who you marry; it won't be something forced from me."
A small smile crept over Juno's face. Something deep inside her stirred; the same feeling she had after the ball when they spoke on the balcony. In spite of her best efforts, she was starting to develop feelings for this Terran duke. She straightened up and pulled her blade from the ground. "Spar with me," she commanded with a smile, moving into a fighting stance.
Evander grinned and countered with his own stance. "As you wish, Angel."
Blades clashed and rang out as the two soldiers sparred. Sweat beaded and dripped from their bodies as they fought each other, neither holding back from the other. Their dance lasted more than an hour, each soldier refusing to give in to their own fatigue, let alone admitting the other had bested them.
Juno breathed hard as she countered and stabbed, desperately looking for any weakness in Evander's technique. She was nearly spent, her muscles burning and straining. She was starting to make mistakes with her footwork, and she knew that Evander knew it. A moment later he made his move, sweeping her legs out from under her. She reached out, grabbing hold of his tunic with her free hand to keep from falling hard on her back. The next thing she knew, Evander had dropped his blade and somehow pulled her close towards him, bracing their fall with his other hand. He lowered her gently to the ground, slowing his breath as he held himself above her, so close that their noses nearly touched.
Juno shivered slightly as she felt his hot breath against her cheek. Her heart pounded in her chest as she studied his face, unable to turn her gaze away. Sweat matted his chestnut hair to his forehead and rolled down the sides of his face. She studied his strong angular chin, the little smile lines just starting to form at the corners of his eyes and mouth. She was entranced.
Evander set to memorizing every delicate feature of his angel's face, from her piercing eyes that, to his surprise, contained small flecks of gold amongst the sea of green. He could see strands of her auburn bangs breaking free from the tight braid that wrapped around her forehead, leading to that long braid he'd become so familiar with seeing. All he could think of was how much he wanted to see her hair loose, and to be able to run his fingers through what he could only imagine were silky strands.
Blue was lost in emerald as the two stared at each other, neither moving for fear of breaking the trance in which they found themselves. After what seemed like hours, Evander decided to take a chance. He leaned down and gently kissed the full lips he'd been dreaming of for so long.
Juno's eyes widened in surprise as their lips touched. She felt warmth and happiness spread throughout her body as she found herself deepen the kiss, her first, in spite of herself. She snaked her arms around Evander's neck, pulling herself closer to him. Evander relished the feeling of having her so close to him, how soft her lips were against his, the feeling of her hands in his hair.
Evander begrudgingly pulled away and smiled slowly, losing himself in her emerald eyes once more. "Forgive me, Angel, but I think we may have found a way to make dreams and duty intersect."
Juno poured over the plans and maps laid out on the table in front of her. Even while on leave, she could not forget her duties to her sister guardians and Serenity. Something nagged the edge of her mind; a battle was coming, she could feel it. She just wasn't sure why or under what circumstances. The next best thing she could do was to ensure the Moon Castle was properly fortified.
Evander entered the library quietly, finding Juno deep in thought as she looked over papers spread out on a desk before her. She was dressed more formally than he'd seen her in a while, wearing a long pale pink satin gown, a stark change from her usual tunic, pants and leather boots. It was sleeveless with a modest neckline, accentuating her long slender neck and arms. Her hair was pulled back loosely away from her face and spilled over her left shoulder. It held a gentle curl, and Evander was surprised to see that bangs framed her face. He imagined somehow she'd kept them hidden in the braids she so often wore. He leaned against the doorjamb absentmindedly, a lazy smile on his face as he watched her work.
Sensing another person in the room, Juno glanced up, expecting to find her maid Kiko or her father standing there, ready to tell her that she'd been there too long and it was time to go. Instead she found Evander, grinning like a schoolboy. He must not have been on duty, as he wore no armor, simply his brown tunic, gray pants and brown leather boots. A true soldier, his sword was attached to his hip with a wide leather belt. She smiled back in spite of herself. "May I help you, Captain?"
Evander approached the desk and quickly looked over the maps she'd been working on. "I would suggest placing rotating guards here, and here." Evander's fingers moved over the map as he talked. He looked up at Juno across the table. "Do you see?"
Juno crossed her arms and stared at the papers again. As much as she hated to admit it, he was right. "It seems you may have a point, Captain," she said ruefully. She looked up from the desk to find him grinning from ear to ear. She smiled back. She enjoyed seeing him smile, and he was proving to be quite capable as well. "Evander, I would like to show you something," she held out her hand. "Would you come with me?"
Evander nodded, "Of course, Angel." To himself he added, I would follow you anywhere. He took her hand, and a moment later was standing in a large marble hall. His eyes widened as he looked around, blinking in disbelief. The air was different somehow, it almost reminded him of home. Juno was standing in front of him, a Cheshire cat grin on her face. "Where are we?"
"Io."
Short chapter, but I hope you all enjoy it! I'm hoping I'll be able to update a bit more frequently the next few weeks, but we'll see!
