Author's Note: This chapter took me a lot longer than expected. The Saturn and Pluto switch (Which I read awhile back was not really a switch or mess up but an actual play on Roman mythology which is, contrary to popular belief, different from Greek mythology in various ways) has always intrigued me so I decided to try and explain it. There were also problems with trying to find a distinct culture for Saturn but I think I've got it worked out now. Only four more chapters before people start arriving on the moon. There will be more GW guys in coming chapters, I've just got to get through the rest of these introduction chapters. Well, here it is. Enjoy! (And REVIEW, please!).

Gods of Silver

Chapter 6

When walking down the streets of the Moon's capitol, Jericho, you see a varying degree of different people from the other planets of the Alliance represented. Most of these people get along fine in everyday life and are able to work together with no major problems (ignoring the fact that most, if not all, bar brawls were started by an argument between a Venusian and Martian). A surprising thing about an Empire like the Alliance was the distinct lack of hostile racism among the people...in normal cases. Unfortunately, there is one major flaw: they have all found a common enemy in the Saturnians.

Saturn as a whole is a place of extremes. Their flowers have midnight-black stems and petals so white they're translucent. In the winter horrible lightning storms last for days on end and in the summer the sky hardly ever gets better than overcast (which really isn't an extreme but it gives you an idea of how these people live day in and day out). The people, reflecting their planet, are light skinned and dark haired. They also have the discomfiting ability to heal others using their own life energy but at the same time they ritually drink blood at marriages, coming-of-age ceremonies, as a binding to important contracts, and even at funerals if the dearly departed wished it so. To add on top of that Saturnians are extremely private and isolated from the other peoples of the Alliance. What better targets for aggression and fear than a remote blood cult?

Only two planets of the Alliance have anything to do with Saturn: the Moon and Pluto. The Moon for obvious reasons like the fact that they controlled the Alliance so had to be on good terms with all of it's people. Pluto though had other reasons.

Before there was an Alliance (yes, there was a time) Saturn and Pluto were allies because of their shared dark cultures. Saturn's royal family controlled the Time Gates and had the ability to see all the timelines and Pluto's royal family could cross the barrier between the world of the living and dead and ruled in both. They were feared and shunned for their power so out of desperation entered their own alliance that still unofficially exists even now in the time of the Silver Alliance.

Things are beginning to unravel though. King Chronos of Saturn makes his affections towards Queen Persephone of Pluto no secret and slowly degrades the trust of King Dis. One more incident could snap the tension between the two and backlash on them. In the middle will be the forgotten victims: their children.

***

"Papa! Look at what I made!"

A twelve-year old girl ran through the gardens of purple and white flowers to her father holding a piece of embroidered cloth in her hands. Her father was sitting on a bench near a fountain just staring up at the sky. When she was upon him, he turned and took the cloth without a word. The father proceeded to inspect it with a critical eye, obviously not pleased with what he saw. It was lovely work; a white and violet rose design with gray leaves and stems against a black backdrop. The stitches were perfect and design flawless. The piece would be a worthy addition to his daughter's marriage chest but this failed to bring approval or tenderness to the father's eyes.

"Is this the only thing you can do? Have you done anything useful today, Iphigenia?" her father cast the embroidery aside and gazed at his daughter, trying to find something he knew was not there.

Iphigenia solemnly lowered her eyes and clasped her hands in front of her, looking like the ideal obedient daughter. Lately, her father's disdain towards her had been growing more volatile. When in his presence it was best to act meekly. Whatever she did it was never good enough for him.

"I- I studied the Laws of Time today, father-"

"Use the proper title!" her father snarled.

Feeling a burning in her eyes, Iphigenia stopped and squeezed her eyes shut to keep the tears from falling. Father hated it when she cried. She took a deep breath and began again, her voice sounding much higher from distress.

"I- I'm s-s-sorry, Your Majesty K- King Chronos. I studied the L-L-Laws of Time with M-Master-"

Her father interrupted again, "I tire of your incessant stuttering. Leave."

With that he turned around and went back to staring up at the clouds. Crown Princess Iphigenia moved forward and silently retrieved her discarded embroidery from the dirt of the garden then turned and walked as quietly as she could back into the castle. Once inside she gave up all pretenses and ran through the halls of the castle with tears streaming down her face but she never made a sound, not even when she burst into her mother's chambers and threw herself into her mother's lap.

After Iphigenia had cried all the tears she could cry she lifted her head and wiped her eyes and nose with her mother's offered handkerchief.

"What did he say this time, firefly?" Queen Procne asked gently and smoothed her daughter's midnight hair.

Iphigenia really was the mirror image of her father. The same black hair that cast a violet sheen and eyes so purple they were almost black. The pale skin was the norm for Saturnians and so was being slight in frame but both King Chronos and his daughter were paler and slighter than usual. If Iphigenia had been a boy she could have been a clone of her father. Procne thanked Selene that her daughter was as far from Chronos in personality that you could be and still be royalty of Saturn.

"He asked if I had done anything useful...and threw away my embroidery," Iphigenia replied quietly and offered up the soiled cloth.

Procne took the embroidery and smoothed it out on her lap, ignoring the dirt that covered the skirts of her dress, and stared at it sadly. It was beautiful but was beyond repair. The queen had to wonder at her husband's cruelty towards their daughter lately. It seemed the closer Ipigenia's coming-of-age ceremony got the worse Chronos acted towards her. In the back of Procne's mind she knew why Chronos was so cruel. He had always wanted a son and when he got one...Procne sighed, this was not a time for those thoughts.

"Darling, don't listen to what he says or pay attention to what he does. He's your father and he loves you," Procne consoled Iphigenia.

Iphengia nodded quietly and joined her mother on the love seat. She wasn't so sure that what her mother said was true, though. She had never felt loved by her father, ever. The most she could hope for was unthinking neglect. It had always been best to be ignored than noticed.

She knew that something had happened a long time ago to make her father so uncaring, everyone did. No one ever thought that she knew though. She was quiet and meek, she was easy to overlook and she used that to her advantage. She'd hide in corners and listen to the maids gossip about other servants and her father's obsession with Queen Persephone. It was the only thing she did that would have been considered 'useful' by her father.

For a time Iphigenia and her mother sat in silence, just enjoying the other's company but then a knock on the door shattered their quiet.

"Wife, I want to speak to you. Let me enter," Chronos ordered, Procne has long ago spelled her door to only let Iphigenia, herself, and her maids in without permission.

Procne turned and shooed her daughter towards her closet, "Quickly, hide."

Iphigenia did just that. She huddled into her mother's closet but left the door ajar so she could hear the conversation. This was nothing new to Iphigenia or Procne. Chronos was always asking to speak to Procne, usually to rant about something completely frivolous.

Iphigenia heard her mother open the door and let the king in. Once the door was closed again her father began to pace and rant.

"That girl will not be queen!" he snarled. "Do you know what she showed me today? Embroidery! How is a girl that does embroidery all supposed to run a kingdom? She'll die at the Gates! I will not have her as my heir!"

Iphigenia huddled closer into her mother's gowns, frightened that Chronos would know that she was there and fling the closet doors open to reveal her. It wasn't like she wanted to be queen or the guardian of the Gates of Time but it was her duty. It hurt that her father thought she wouldn't even survive the Time Gates.

"I understand your concern for you daughter, Chronos, but she is almost an adult. Her coming-of-age ceremony is only a few weeks away. She'll be ready for the Gates," Procne soothed her husband, "She is your daughter, you know. She'll be a worthy Guardian."

There was silence for a moment and Iphigenia began to think that maybe her parents had left the room without her hearing.

"No girl will be my heir," Chronos calmly stated.

"It is all you have."

"And whose fault is that?" Chronos roared and exited the chambers and slammed the door shut with such force that something fell to the floor and shattered.

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Well, that's the start of the Saturn plot. Hope you liked it. I'd also like to thank Vert my unofficial beta who without this chapter would still be sitting around and be filled with typos. Thankies! Remember people: Review! 'Tis good for the soul. ^-^