*Disclaimer* I do not own Jack or Riddick. They are owned by USA films and I am making no money off this blah blah blah… Yeah yeah… you know it, I do too. So there. Go read the story.

Jack slowly paced the floors of the castle. Her men had started the cleaning process, and they were to stay camped her for a month or so. To tally all the casualties, if any, and for Jack's dreaded wedding. She clutched a hand to her stomach, the pain still searing any thoughts of normalcy out of her brain, but she had a job tonight, and she would fulfil it. Now… she just needed to play the part. What a time to actually need something… feminine.

She looked around the stone castle and smiled. At least it was cold enough for her liking, and well built. Jack stepped through the large dining hall and watched Riddick, as he sat, drinking and laughing. Smiling with his second in command, Alec. The only man who Riddick ever kept near him. Everyone else feared him, or at least that's what Jack thought. She made her way past him, without catching his eyes, and she thanked the gods.

She moved into the corridor, quickening her step and she saw a woman coming towards her and she ducked down a hallway.

" Miss Jacqueline!"

Jack grimaced and turned around to see the same matronly old woman calling towards her and rushing down her, garbed in dark brown robes. She had light gray hair tied up in a bun and her pale brown eyes shined upon Jack. " I am Jack, what do you need of me?"

" Riddick called upon my services. My servants and I are to make your wedding arrangements."

Jack snorted, caught herself, then straightened up; her held high and looked back down at the woman. She let out a lengthy sigh and nodded. " Yes, I suppose we could do that now." A thought struck her mind. " Do you, perhaps, have a seductive looking garb I might be able to wear?" Jack asked sheepishly. She had no idea how to ask such things. Her sister would be better at it.

The woman smiled sweetly. " Oh, I suppose you want to impress your soon to be husband. Yes, we might have something that would fit you just perfectly. Now come along, we have much to do." The woman grabbed her arm and almost dragged Jack down the hall.

Jack could only sigh and go along with it.

***

When they had finally finished measuring for Jack's dress, Jack knew the woman's name. She was Vevina, an elder from a small town in the western region of Sybil, where Jack had always ruled. Vevina had no children, so she was a dressmaker by choice. Jack liked her, almost. She was motherly, and it frightened Jack. She had never seen her mother, since she was part of an island that none of her family could ever visit.

Jack looked down at the clothes she wore. She had gold sandals lined with jewels covering her pale feet. Her long legs were bare until the top of her thighs a very pale skirt covered up until her waist, then bare flesh again. Jack knew she was going to be cold, and very soon. Her scar was visible on the pale flesh of her stomach, and blood still dripped from it, but there was nothing she could do to cover it. Her chest was covered with beads and gold lace, and a see through shawl around her shoulders. Her long hair was tied up in a bun and a bare screen of mesh covered her hair and shielded her eyes. Vevina had thought she looked lovely, and even without powders and carmine on her lips, but Vevina put some on her nonetheless. Jack's full lips were bright red, contrasting with her green eyes, and long dark black hair. She had a faint powder on her eyelids, a dark gray, bringing out her eyes and high cheekbones. She looked like a goddess, or at least that's what Vevina told her.

She coughed nervously as she entered the dining hall. Riddick and Alec still sat, and as Riddick eyes caught hers, she caught her breath and forced her legs to keep balance. Jack quickly moved towards him, a little bit unbalanced from not having her sword hanging off her hips. She glanced down towards Alec and then over at Riddick. " A word with you, in private, if I may, Riddick."

Riddick looked over at Alec, who quickly bid him a nod goodbye and moved out of the room. " Sit down, Aster." He said quietly, looking over her slowly. " The clothes are for…?"

" Johns." She said quietly and sat in front of him. " Why, do you not approve?" She sneered.

Riddick let out a loud laugh and threw his head back. " Oh I approve, my dear Aster… just wary of letting you take care of him, in your state of pain."

She tightened her jaw. " My state is of no concern of yours."

" Oh but it is!" He laughed and stood up, walking closer to her. He held a hearty glass of spirits in his hand and he took a large drink, then set it down on the table, and bent down next to her. " You see, Jack, everything you do, soon, will matter to me." He whispered quietly. He slowly traced the outside shell of her ear with his tongue and let out a long sigh. " You will be my wife, Aster, and your well being will be one of my priorities."

She shivered involuntarily and slowly leaned her head back. " Do you… do you think Johns will find me comely?"

He bent down close to her and traced a finger along her jaw line. " More than comely; exquisite, Aster." He whispered quietly, watching her every movement, every breath with intense eyes.

She lowered her lashes and looked down to him. Her breath caught and her eyes went wide and her jaw almost went slack as she saw the intense luster in his deep dark eyes. Jack barely felt his hand hold her chin and she slowly bent down. As slowly as time went, she bent down and touched her lips to his. He felt so rough; so callused.

" M'Lady Jack, may I enter?"

The voice startled and she pulled back from Riddick and turned back to see Johns entering the room. What a sight she must have been. Blushing, breathing hard and too close to Riddick. She looked down to see Riddick, well, to not see Riddick. She looked around quickly and then sighed. He had disappeared again. " Oh yes, Johns. Come to my quarters, won't you?" She slowly stood up, still a little bit woozy from Riddick's soft touches and her wound. She gripped the table and slowly leaned against it, letting herself feel like a piece of fine meat for him to look over, to approve of.

Johns grinned at her. " Of course, since you asked me."

Jack turned around and tried to keep from spitting on him. The man was too cocky, too full of himself. She couldn't stand it, but then again, Johns was like Riddick, in too many similar ways. They both were sure of themselves, but Riddick had a more benevolent compassion to his personality. Johns was selfish and got what he wanted, when he wanted it. Then again, Riddick did that too, with fighting, and the land titles and properties. Jack sighed to herself and kept on walking, dismissing the thoughts of how noble Riddick could be. She pushed open one of the doors with a free hand and entered her designated quarters in the castle.

She watched Johns enter, then closed the door behind him. She looked around the room, never being in here before. There was a large stone fireplace and a bed fit for a king facing towards it. It was a canopy bed, with white mesh hanging from the bars, covering the bed. Thick comforters lay on the bed, covered by pillows and on the end of the bed there was a large oak chest with intricate pictures chiseled into the wood. The room had a large rug before the fireplace, and a chair in either corner on the side of the fireplace, facing towards the bed. She looked over at Johns, who sat down on the chest.

" Jack, why did you call upon me, privately?" He grinned at her, carnally.

She pouted and lowered her lashes towards him. " Oh, well…" she giggled for a moment and clutched the small blade that was tightly against her hip, underneath her flimsy skirt.

Johns approached her and then slid his hands down her upper arms and grinned at her. " I know just why you wanted me here, Jack."

She raised her eyebrows at him inquisitively and forced herself not to cringe as his fingers stroked her arms. " Oh, do you really know Johns? Was I being that obvious?"

" Yes, Jack." He grinned and bent down to kiss her.

Jack caught her square in the stomach and twisted around the blade slowly. " Appears to me, Johns, that I was not that obvious, you ignorant fool. Never, NEVER, try to double cross me. I know your plans to kill me while I slept."

He sneered at her, tumbling backward towards the window. " You would've never know it, without that bastard Riddick."

" Feasibly, you could be right, but we will never know, Johns." She shoved him easily with two hands and watched him fly out the windows. His screams pierced Jack's ears, and she wouldn't look away until she saw him hit the ground, and stop moving. Slowly, she closed the windows and turned around. She screamed.

" I see you are very surprised to see me." Riddick laughed and took the dagger from her hand. He toyed with the bloody blade for a moment then turned to see her walking away from him, her hands clutching her stomach.

" Leave me, Riddick. I need to sleep now." She padded towards the chest and sat down, slowly untying her sandals and setting them next to her.

He bent in front of her and slowly untied the other sandal, stroking her soft legs.

Jack's breath caught in her throat and she looked down at him, her eyes wider than the moon's and her heart beating faster than any adrenaline rush after a kill. " Riddick, what are you doing?"

" Getting more acquainted." He took off her sandal and placed it next to the other one.

" We can get more acquainted on our nuptial." She muttered to him and pulled her leg away.

He laughed and pulled off the veil on her head. " Will you be as beautiful as this? My goddess of death?" he whispered close to her.

Jack closed her eyes and she gulped nervously. She started to blush for a moment and then slowly opened her eyes, to stare deep in to his. " I am no goddess. Talk to my sister for that reason. Now, get out of my room." She stood up shakily and made her way over to the door and pointed out. " Out now, Riddick."

He stood up and laughed. " You are something, my dear Aster." He stepped out of the room, his laughter being heard all the way down the hall.

Jack slammed the door closed and cursed. Such an insolent man. She stripped off her clothes and climbed into the bed. Briefly, she wondered who slept in here before, then her eyes closed slowly, and Jack drifted off into forbidden dreams of Riddick and her wedding day, that was too soon for comfort.

TBC…

A/N: Thanks y'all for reviewing… this is my new favorite story next to the other P.B. one I've been updating, but this one is more fun for me to write. The other one I will get to, if I get enough reviews on this one or something…heh… so go have fun, and go review. Remember? It makes me write, otherwise, I will not, I repeat… NOT finish my stories, cuz they're usually finished in my brain. So, go review, have a good nite, and I'll try to come out with another chapter for this story and my other one in a few days. Remember what I said… REVIEW DAMMIT! : ) - Saph