Wings were a heavy burden.

Heavier then I remember them.

Caine found them awkward after spending so long without them. Near two hundred years, and he had adjusted to being without them. Having them on his back again felt strange, near unnatural. He kept knocking things over, and he kept forgetting to tuck them in. Stepped on the damn things when he wasn't paying attention. He wasn't even a natural flier, and he had no idea how it must've felt for Stinger, and Kiza, to have their wings back after living so long without them.

They weren't their original wings- but grown from their DNA nonetheless. On orders of Queen Jupiter.

He was still wary of the little Queen that had strong-armed him into getting back his wings.

I hadn't even thought that was an option or even a choice. I thought there would be a test, some sort of trial run before I was even given a weapon- let alone my fucking wings.

It should have been a privilege. Not automatically given.

But Caine had been outfitted to the nines, best armor anyone could buy, let alone a splice, and he had been given the options of what sort of weapons he would prefer. Once again given the finest that anyone could afford.

Caine stared in front of him uncomprehendingly.

Kiza was absently going through an immense screen in front of her, fingertips flying across the text in front of her.

"What is it?" she was processing information at a rapid pace, face frowning as she worked.

Caine glanced at the stream of data, could more or less guess that it was something to do with something being produced- but otherwise couldn't make heads or tail of what it was.

"What are my duties?"

Kiza blinked. Stopped mid her work and looked back at him.

"Did ya even bother to look at the sheeve in your rooms, Caine?"

The fact that he was given rooms, as in more than one, had been strange. In the same corridor as the little queen, with a connecting hallway that ordered their rooms with the queen's in the middle. The snappy Keeper, the one acting as what seemed to be the little Majesty's personal aid, usually a position for the most dignified of splices, had pursed their strange lips and thrown him in there a few nights ago.

"There was a sheeve in my room?"

Kiza sighed.

"Come here."

She moved her arms, dressed in a soft gold dress that nearly matched her hair perfectly, and looked to be reinforced with a golden metal mesh that was intricately cut in a honeycomb pattern. The entirety of her screen shifted from her work to what looked to be several contracts, all stamped with a bee insignia that he was coming to realize represented Jupiter Abrasax-

"Jupes has given you several contracts. And you're court-martial has been appealed and reversed under extenuating circumstances. As the offense was against House Abrasax, and Jupes has the title of Queen, she could reverse that decision. You are officially an uncontracted Skyjacker," said Kiza, matter of factly.

Caine blinked.

And he was pretty sure his mouth had fallen open. He had thought that returning his wings had been done under the table. He couldn't even begin to think about the fact that he was officially the same rank as before. Or, well, even back officially in the legion.

"Jupes?" he asked, snapping his mouth shut.

Kiza sent him an amused look.

"It's her majesty's nickname."

You have got to be shitting me.

"And the Entitled Queen allows that form of address?"

"Why wouldn't she? I've known her since she was five years old. It's not like she actually cares- So, you want to be her personal guard, head of general security on the Hawk- or do you want to retire to a pleasure planet? "

Caine doesn't think he'll ever stop being surprised.

"Ah- I have a choice?"

Kiza giggled.

"Yes."

"Um- Where is-"

"Da's her head of security in general and is working as her personal guard until the rest of skyjackers squad arrive. She's been trying to get him to take breaks."

"I'll- I'll take the personal guard thing then?"

With a few clicks, and important, Caine Wise became the personal guard to an Entitled Queen. And Kiza didn't seem it was odd, and only gave him a sweet kiss on the cheek for his confusion.

"Thank-goodness. Da can actually sleep now. You're the sweetest, Caine."

AN:

I rewatched Jupiter Ascending today, with my little sixty-year-old mother in Spanish, and it is the cutest thing seeing her so engrossed because she's never actually seen it before. That's my bad for never showing it to her, but well, she really seemed to enjoy it!

Anyway, another Caine chapter, we'll be seeing a Kalique one next- I love the old biddy to bits honestly. What that means is that I will shamelessly be writing her a lot. Whether or not she'll be an antagonistic force- welp, y'all see. And if you guys have guessed that I find Titus the most boring and will not be writing him a lot… Yup. That's the case.