Disclaimer: I do not own Balem or the Jupiter Ascending universe (though I wouldn't mind owning Balem =D) but I do own Amoya.

A.N: Perhaps having a tissue or a stuffed animal handy might be a good idea for this chapter.

Song inspiration:

Beauty and the Beast- Beauty and the Beast

Chapter 10: The Nightmare

Amoya shot up in bed and looked around wildly. She gasped as if a fish out of water, her eyes wet. Swallowing she managed to come back down to Earth.

Or Jupiter rather.

She quickly wiped her eyes and cheeks, sniffing, trying to get herself under control. A dream or rather a nightmare. But why now, she hadn't thought of that in years.

Why now?

Amoya sat shifting through her meal. She kept rolling her meat back and forth on her plate with her fork. Balem sat at the opposite end looking at her over his goblet.

It had been a week since his siblings graced them with their presence. They only stayed one more day before leaving. Balem knew that Titus was ecstatic to leave. He spent that day glowering at Amoya (as unfortunately they still had to take their meals together), who spent it ignoring him all together. Balem realized that Titus took care to position himself just out of reach of Amoya.

Anyone who didn't know Titus Abrasax well, wouldn't have realized the slight change but he and Kalique did. That particular elephant was otherwise ignored. In fact, Balem didn't bother to warn his brother of his impertinence. In fact, he felt more relax that day then before.

How odd.

Balem knew that Amoya was equally happy to bid them goodbye as they were to go. Well, mostly when it came to Titus. Kalique and Amoya seemed to get along, but then again Kalique spent the day vastly amused at everything.

But that was then, this was now and Amoya has been really subdued this morning. A far cry from how she normally was. She even came and said "Good morning, your majesty", before sitting down. Once served, she had only taken three bites before she began playing with her food.

Balem set the goblet down, "Is the food not satisfactory?"

Amoya still absently played with her food.

Balem annoyance rose as well as his voice, "I will not be ignored!"

Amoya blinked and seem to come back to herself. She looked up at Balem, "What?"

Balem gave a controlled sigh, "Don't ignore me."

"I'm not! I didn't hear you!" snapped Amoya.

They glared at each other for a bit before Balem leaned back in his chair. "You have been lost in the void since you've arrived. Maybe I should help the process along and have you tossed out there."

Amoya blinked and it took her moment to realize what he was alluding to, "I'm not hungry."

Balem raised an eyebrow.

Amoya shrugged and went back to playing with her food.

"You will tell me what your problem is. I will not have anyone sulking in my presence. It's unbecoming." Balem stated.

Ordinarily Amoya would have give a smart reply back but instead she just shrug her voice a thin whisper, "Nothing."

"You are not granted permission to go back home so I suggest you get over that."

Amoya sighed and looked up at him, "It's not that."

Balem blinked slowly a frown on his face. Amoya took a bit of food before going back and playing with it. Balem watched his irritation growing.

"Cease this foolishness!" Balem growled.

Amoya stilled her fork and looked at him wide-eyed. Balem stood abruptly. "I have court to attend to. When I see you next, I expect you to have yourself under control."

But the next time Balem saw her, she was not under control. If anything see seemed even more visibly upset as they were walking down the hallway. Balem stopped and glared down at her. "I thought I gave you a command earlier."

Amoya looked up at him. "So you did." She looked back at the ground.

A hand tilted her face and she found herself looking into hazel eyes. "What stops you from heeding my command?"

Amoya's mouth tightened in a thin line.

Balem frowned, "I do not repeat myself."

Hazel eyes locked onto brown ones and for a long while neither budge. Finally though, Amoya sighed.

"I had a dream, a nightmare." Amoya whispered.

"Oh?" Balem removed his hand from her chin and waved it, "Entitles do not have such things. We are able to control if we dream at all."

"That's handy. Do you choose to dream?" Amoya looked at Balem curiously, momentarily side-track with learning something new about this world.

Balem hooded eyes took her in, "Rarely. I have not done so in centuries."

Amoya nodded absently, becoming subdued again.

"You dare let a nightmare overtake your good sense?"

"It was more than a nightmare!" snapped Amoya, "It was a bad memory, alright!"

"Of?" Balem drawled.

"What do you care?" Amoya snorted.

Balem's eyes flair. "If I ask, you answer. That is how this works."

Amoya turned from him and looked out a nearby window. She was silent a long while and Balem was about to yell at her when her soft voice broke the silence, "When I was growing up I lived in an orphanage. I never knew my parents. I was told that I was left in or around a trashcan."

Here Amoya swallowed, "They tried to find out who left me but they never could. Apparently, there weren't any papers filled on my birth, so there was speculation that my mother was under the radar for whatever reason."

"For that reason, Mrs. Ghoulagad hated me. She consistently reminded me that I would never amount to anything because of that. She could be particularly cruel to the children but for some reason I always thought she was particularly cruel to me. I guess the story of my birth was too juicy to ignore."

Here Amoya's eyes flashed in bitter anger, "When I was twelve years old, I remember one day she told us that a couple was coming to adopt. They were a rich couple from America and wanted to adopt a Caribbean child. I remember being so excited."

Amoya stopped. Balem's eyes narrowed. When she said nothing for a long while he spoke, "Continue..."

Amoya's eyes didn't see the scenery before her instead they saw that memory. That painful memory. "When I saw them, the couple, I thought they were perfect. The wife was so pretty. I remember she had chocolate skin and short hair that fell into her kind eyes. And the man was taller than her, caramel skin and light eyes that was stern yet kind. They were a beautiful couple and I prayed they would be my new parents."

Amoya smiled absently, "We had such fun. They took the children to the tourist part of the island and what a wonderful week we had. They wanted to spend time with us, see who would be a good pick. I thought we hit it off. I thought that..."

Her smile faded, "They ended up choosing someone else, someone much younger. I remember crying for weeks. Mrs. Ghoulagad told me I never had a chance. The way I came into the world would forever blight my life. I would never be able to escape that. I was trash. Not even my own mother wanted me, so why would anyone else?"

Amoya shut her eyes tightly, her voice breaking on a sob. "I don't know what is wrong with me!" Her shoulders began to shake as she could not help the cry that came forth. She tried to stem it. It had been a long time since she cried.

Meanwhile, Balem said nothing for a bit until the crying started getting on his nerves.

Balem sighed softly, "Stop crying."

When she didn't heed he snapped, "Stop crying!"

He grabbed her arm and spun her around his eyes blazing. She looked at him too shock to say anything, "You don't ever cry like that. You don't ever let such a memory hold so much power over you. You are better than that."

Amoya stared at him.

Balem seem to shimmer down and reached the back of his hand to run it across her cheek. "Some lives matter more than others", he murmured. Amoya blinked, stray tears slipping down her face. She stiffened. She went to move away but Balem held her in place with his other hand coming to her shoulder.

Amoya was surprised, as he was stronger than he looked. Balem gave her a warning look before he turned his hand to touch the pad of his fingers on her cheek lightly, "Sometimes no matter how hard you try it's never good enough but...those of us that are strong we make it be good enough."

His eyes locked onto hers, "Sometimes you have to take what is yours. Fight for what is yours."

"I learned to fight", Amoya growled unexpectedly. "From that day I learned to fight."

"But not to take what is yours!" Balem snapped, his hand cupping her chin tightly, "You've spent your entire life dreaming. Just dreaming it away. And now that your dream is here, you don't fight."

Amoya gasped. What was this man saying to her? She was confused. She didn't feel like trying to decipher another of his two-way conversations. "You...are..." she lingered not knowing what she was going to say as she studied his eyes.

Balem stepped forward then, shrinking the distance between them. "What?" he asked barely above a whisper, "What am I?"

He tilted her head up slightly, his face nearing hers. Amoya had not an answer as she began losing herself in his hazel eyes. She had never witness Balem act like this. It was different than his usual tirades he had so far with her. Amoya couldn't decided what to think or feel about this. He had never been this forward. The closest he got was the day his brother left Jupiter.

"What. Am. I?" Balem asked again.

The only thought that came to Amoya's head that she spoke was, "You repeated yourself." He voice was a thin thread of a sound.

"For once stop dreaming. For once take what you want." Balem's voice was softer than it had ever been.

Amoya's eyes fluttered as his lips seem to near hers.

They were so close.

So very close.

Until.

"Your majesty!"

Amoya jumped back and quickly wiped at her eyes. Balem fingered the empty space twitching. Slowly he began to straighten and turn around. A young man that looked half-bird and half-man stood with a data pad.

Balem blinked furiously a couple of times. His voice was placated, "What?"

"Urgent matter, my lord."

"WHAT COULD BE SO URGENT TO WARRANT YOUR PRESENCE!" Balem screamed.

The messenger jumped nearly a food in the air and began to tremble as he realized the gravity of his interruption. "There-there-there..." He paused to trying to stop stuttering.

"SPIT IT OUT!"

A soft hand on his arm, brought Balem back to reality. He huffed and looked to see Amoya touching his arm. "Calm down darling."

Balem blinked at that.

The messenger discreetly tried to become invisible. Amoya swallowed as the two stare at each other. Finally she smiled and looked at the messenger, "Something urgent I believe you said."

The messenger glanced at Balem who was still looking at her before nodding furiously. "Yes. My lord, a revolt is threatening to start on the planet Gema."

"Gema?" Balem looked at the messenger.

Gema was a planet located in the Outer Rim. It was a small planet that built its wealth in gems and metal. Some of those gems and metal, which was used from everything from jewelry to spacecraft, were unique only to the planet Gema. It was a highly prized planet in the Abrasax's possession.

"Yes. There are those that are refusing to mine. We aren't sure but something about better tools or something."

"And they want me to settle this dispute?"

"The overseer feels your presence is necessary."

Balem sighed once, "There seem to be a lack of authority on Gema. Perhaps a new overseer is needed. Prepare my ship, I will leave in the morning."

When the messenger didn't leave right away, Balem sighed and looked at him pointedly. The messenger swallowed, "Well um, your majesty. The overseer was hoping you'd be there as soon as possible."

Balem blinked furiously again his anger rising, "How dare he command me!." he hissed, "I will leave in the morning. NOW READY MY SHIP!"

The messenger jumped up once more and then bowed before turning and practically running away.

Balem turned to Amoya as she removed her hand. He looked down at her.

"Darling?" he questioned.

Amoya blinked before she took an indignant step back. She crossed her arms and looked away, "I call everyone darling."

Her chin was turned to lock onto hazel eyes. "Lies don't become you, but at least you stop sniveling."

Amoya found herself going silent.

TBC...