Hi. I see a few people are reading this which is great. I'd really like to know what you think though as I'm in completely uncharted territory here.

So please review.

Disclaimer: I own nothing – I'd like to own Zan though! :)

Kissing her goodbye

'Kiss her goodbye like you might never see her again'

"Why does it feel like I'm kissing you goodbye?"

Eowyn made her way to the holding cell where they were keeping Nicholas. Grasping him by the temples she started the long painstaking process of implanting memories in his head.

Memories of Zan leaving without finding or saving Eowyn

Memories of Eowyn submitting to Nicholas and in turn pledging submission to Kivar.

Memories of Nicholas bringing Eowyn to his ship and starting the journey to Antar.

"Why does it feel like I'm kissing you goodbye?"

Larek brought a still unconscious Nicholas with them to the room where they were meeting with the Generals and their friends, before they revived the Skin General for the journey to Antar.

Eowyn approached Zan who was doing his best to maintain a calm countenance, but she could see that he was boiling inside. This was not going to be easy!

"Why does it feel like I'm kissing you goodbye?"

"Zan?" He looked at her and she could see the torment in his eyes, and she was about to make it so much harder on him – on all of them. "I need to look how I did when you found me. Kivar would be suspicious if there were no evidence of how I was treated." Zan stared at her, his face growing incredulous as he realised what she was asking him. "You want me to put back your injuries, your bruises, your abrasions?" he asked, his voice cracking. "Eowyn … I can't" Eowyn went to him, wrapping her arms around him. "We have to Zan" she implored. "If you would prefer someone else to …" "NO" Zan's answer was loud and immediate. "If this must be done, then it shall be done by myself and myself only!" He pulled her even closer to him and placed a tender kiss on her head. The others in the room; the generals, King Tillian, Price Callub, Rath, Ava, Larek looked on in silence, trepidation showing on every face. Zan pulled back slightly from Eowyn, cupping her face lovingly while stroking a thumb down her cheek, "Slowly, or all at once?" he asked his voice shaking only slightly, trying to be stalwart for her sake. Eowyn gazed up into his eyes, taking in the love she saw there, she trusted him completely, otherwise she could never have asked him to do this. Gripping Zan tightly she replied so quietly that only he heard "Quickly."

The pain when it came took her breath away. She tried not to scream to spare the others in the room; her family and friends and most especially Zan. But she couldn't hold it back; when her arm broke, so did she, and a piercing scream escaped her lips. Sinking to the ground with Zan's arms still around her, Eowyn tried to smile at him. "I am so sorry Eowyn, so sorry that you had to experience this" he sobbed. "Not just once, but twice." Eowyn pulled his lips to hers. "No sorrow" she murmured as she captured his lips in a searing kiss, releasing all her fears and pain into the embrace.

"Why does it feel like I'm kissing him goodbye?"

Nicholas was reawakened. He had no memory of Zan's attack. He remembered only Eowyn breaking, breaking because Zan had not come for her, breaking because she had not been rescued. Breaking and pledging allegiance to Kivar and vowing that she would go to Antar and be his Queen. Grasping Eowyn by the Rad Ahan (which was once more on her neck, though not activated so that she could use her powers), Nicholas shoved her forward towards the steps of the ship, unaware that he was not on earth and was in fact on Solaris, surrounded by soldiers who were holding on by a thread, holding from killing the man who had inflicted such pain on their Queen. He was also unaware of Zan, had he been, he would have collapsed merely from the look on the enraged King's face.

As she was about to board the Skin ship, Eowyn turned back to Zan, he was staring her as if memorising every curve of her face, she smiled sweetly at him then turned to face her country men and women, both from Solaris and Antar. Smiling again she brought her fist to a chest in a silent salute. It was all she could give them. Her heart swelled when all present returned the salute.

They were behind her.

She was ready.

Nicholas all but ignored Eowyn as they made their way to Antar, a fact for which Eowyn was extremely grateful. As they neared the planet, the planet that Eowyn had not seen in years, Nicholas paged the surface. The shield shimmered briefly as they passed through it, a sign that it had briefly been deactivated in that area to allow the ship to pass. As they circled the landing site Eowyn could see a crowd gathered below. "Who are all those people?" Eowyn asked. Nicholas ignored her question and instead shoved her towards the ship's hatch. Emerging, Eowyn found herself face to face with a contingent of Skin soldiers. And beyond them, to Eowyn's dismay she saw the townspeople. Her people. The very people that she and Zan had died to protect from the Skins. And they had been living here, under the thumb of those same Skins, for the past two years. Eowyn's heart nearly broke when she caught the eye of a young girl from the city. She looked dirty and malnourished and the look she was directing at Eowyn projected sheer hopelessness. These people had been waiting for their Monarchs to return and rescue them, and here she was in chains before them. Nicholas gestured to the soldiers around them. "You see these soldiers?" he sneered at her. At Eowyn's nod he continued. "If you so much as look at Lord Kivar wrong, it will not be you that dies, it will be your people." It was too much! Drawing on her powers discretely, Eowyn spoke in the minds of her people. 'Do not be dismayed my people, she whispered in their minds. 'All is not as it seems. I am not captive. I come here of my own free will. Not to submit to Kivar, but to kill him. King Zan is not far behind, be ready!' Catching the eye of a member of her parliament Lord Cann, she continued. 'Those of you who wish to be free of the yoke of Skin oppression, must fight with us, fight to be free. If you cannot fight, then keep below knee level. I will place a shield and you will not be harmed.' Smiling at Lord Cann's barely perceptible nod, Eowyn allowed Nicholas to push her into the palace.

Following the Skin soldiers through the palace, Eowyn's brow creased in confusion. She turned to Nicholas. "Where are we?" she asked. "This is not the way to the throne room." Nicholas returned her look with a sneer. "Did you think we would trust you enough to bring you straight to Lord Kivar?" he asked. "No, you are going to be tested first."

Eowyn's blood ran cold. "Tested?"