Sailor Moon 1. Chapter 1

Disclaimer: Not Mine

Chapter one

A sleek dark grey ship glided towards the moon landing port. Its landing lights flashing warning those below that it intended to land and not bypass them and head for Earth.

"Please identify yourself…" A calm male voice came over her communications system.

"This is The Hiryo Hiko requesting permission to dock for repairs." A young woman's voice replied. She was calmly leaning back in her chair, her fingers typing on the controls in front of her keeping her ship on a slow steady course, waiting for permission to land before coming any closer.

"Roger that Hiryo Hiko, you are clear to land at docking bay nine four three… Next time please have your symbol displayed on the side of your ship." The male voice replied after fading for a moment to check the records.

"Didn't want to be recognised coming in." She replied with a small smile on her face, knowing that not displaying the Earth symbol on the side of the ship as she should as a diplomat tended to annoy the docking yard.

"Understood." The male sighed. "The path is clear; a repair crew is waiting for your list of repairs."

"My thanks." She typed in the co-ordinates for the docking bay and increased her speed. She stood up slowly, stretching her muscles that were slightly stiff from sitting for the last six hours and pulled her knee length raven black hair in to a braid, tying off the end she picked up a small carry bag that carried everything that she needed, a change of clothes, a few data crystals, her ID, a few books for when she got bored and a small amount of money for places that still used that as trade. Everything else that she needed was supplied by the rooms that she had on Earth and the moon.

She glanced down at the modest loose fitting pale blue dress she had donned a few hours ago when she realised that she would have to dock at the moon before she could head home. She knew that there was no way that her ship would make it to Earth after the beating she had taken from the Saturn flyers who had taken offence at her passing through their space.

She paced the small passageway the lead from the cockpit to the sleeping quarters and dinning lounge waiting for her ship to dock and open the door so she could have a bath.

With a faint thump her ship docked and the door opened with a hiss. She hurried down the ramp as soon as it was extended out with a data crystal in her hand.

"Hey Charlie!" She smiled at the man at the head of the repair team.

"My Lady Shaya," He bowed to her before he grinned at her. "Looks like you took quite a beating." He commented as he eyed the hull of the ship, noting the black scorch marks on the other wise perfectly clean hull.

"Saturn flyers." She shrugged; she knew that he would understand as the Flyers had taken to shooting at anyone in their space these days. "Here is the damage report that the ship gave me a few hours ago. If you could have her ready to go in a day or two I would appreciate it." She added as she handed over the crystal, waved and left the docking bay and into the palace itself, recalling from memory the way to her quarters, that were in the diplomat wing and smiled as she found her rooms with out a problem. Considering that she had only actually used them once in the last year and that was when the Prince had come up from Earth for a visit.

"My Lady Shaya?" She turned at the sound of her name and saw a page standing behind her with a small smile on his lips, but he seemed a little nervous. "Prince Endymion would like a word with you once you have settled in."

"Prince Endymion is here?" She raised an eyebrow in surprise, according to the reports that she had gotten a few months ago he wasn't due back on the moon for another good four months.

"He arrived three days ago, My Lady."

"And how exactly does he know that I am here?" She sighed, giving up any hope that no one know that she was here 'officially'.

"I believe that Lord Nathan told him, he saw you docking."

"So much for my R&R" She sighed again and opened her door. "Please tell the Prince that I will be to see him with in the hour." The page nodded and hurried down the hall. She closed her door once she was in side and headed straight for the bath room, now that she knew that some one knew that she was here she wasn't surprised that a bath had already been drawn for her. She quickly washed her self and her hair, and then spent a few moments choosing a gown to wear, as much as she wanted to wear her guard uniform of dark grey, she had a feeling that no one here knew that she was a member of Endymion's guard. She finally chose a dark sapphire blue gown that matched her eyes, it was slightly tight around the bodice and waist but flared out at the hips, but the skirt wasn't so bulky that it would prevent her from fighting and place her hair in a braid once again, grabbed two of the data crystals from her bag and left her rooms.

She walked calmly down the corridor, turned left went down fifteen doors and knocked.

A man in a dark grey uniform with a red stripe along the lining, short blonde hair and blue eyes opened the door and smiled when he saw her.

"Lady Shaya." He opened the door a little wider to allow her to enter and closed it behind her.

"Lord Justin." She nodded her head in reply, but couldn't keep the warmth out of her voice. She hadn't seen any of them in nearly six months and had missed them all. She walked up to a man in grey and green lining and a mane of auburn hair and blue eyes; he smiled as she approached him. She smacked him upside the head lightly. "Loud mouth." She growled at him.

"Now, Lady Shaya." A warm deep voice chided her. "He was only following orders." She turned to see a young man two years younger then her walk into the room, his short black hair slightly wind swept, and his sapphire eyes bright, he was dressed in black clothing that nearly looked liked his battle armour. "We got a report that you had already left Saturn and of the flyers attack on you, so I knew that you would dock here to make repairs, I just told him to keep an eye out."

"My Prince." She bowed formally to him as he glared at her; she knew that he hate formality with friends. She smiled at him and gave him a quick hug as he held out his arms to her.

"Now greet your brother properly." He pushed her towards the auburn haired man.

"Spoil sport." She sighed before she leapt at the startled man and gave him a hug that she didn't quiet want to end. "My apologise Nathan, but I did so want to be here unofficially and just rest until my ship is repaired." She added as she went to release him and squealed slightly as he hugged her back and lifted her up of the ground and spun her a little, just as he had when they were younger before he placed her back on her feet and let go.

"This is why we weren't waiting at the docking bay for you." Nathan grinned at her.

"Since you have been on call for the last few months, my father has given me permission to give you leave for three weeks unless something comes up." Endymion spoke up as he took a seat at a desk, looking over a few reports that he had gotten and then looked up at her. "Do you have the reports for me?"

"I do." She nodded and handed over the two data crystals. "Everything is current up to last week when I left." She added trying not to wince as her bruises and scrapes began to throb from the greeting that her brother had given her. It was the one reason she had chosen the blue gown over the dark green one that had caught her eye, was that it was long sleeved and covered her neck, in doing so it covered all the bruises and cuts that she had gotten over the last few months in getting some intelligence on what was happening on Saturn during their civil war.

"While I may have given you leave, you will still be expected to show up for the ball tonight that is being thrown in our honour…" He looked at her, studying her face for a few moments. "I know that you do not like balls all that much but the things we have to do for duty." He grinned at her.

"I'm sure." She didn't give in to the urge to sigh as being ordered to show, even if it wasn't a direct order. It was still an order. "At what time does the ball start?"

"In about three hours." Nathan replied when he saw that their prince had gotten absorbed by the reports that Shaya had given him. "It should give you a little while to relax before the fun begins."

"In that case, I'll get going there are a few things that I would like to see to before I get tossed to the wolves once again." She bowed in Endymion's direction and left before her brother could ask about her strange comment.

She didn't go directly to her room as she knew that the others would expect her too, but instead went to the small temple that was run by a healer and his three apprentices. She slipped in quietly and was drawn directly to a large set of candles on the right side of the temple. She always came here when she was on the moon; she found it comforting to feel the warmth that the candles were giving off.

"Can I help you, my Lady?" a soft comforting male voice asked softly.

She smiled as she turned to the white haired man, dressed in a comfortable white robe that he could either get dirty, healing some one or do his gardening in.

"What did I tell you about formality, Parias?" She asked shaking her head slightly.

"That you detest it." He smiled, when he recognised her. "What brings you to this place? Or was it just a need for peace?"

"I need you help, it seems that I am to attend the ball tonight and I need to get rid of some marks in case some one notices them." She replied clasping her hands in front of her, she knew as a rule that Parias didn't heal unless the wounds were life threatening or they were bad enough. "I would prefer it that no one knew of them."

"Some one has harmed you Lady?" He frowned at how she seemed to be avoiding mentioning how she had gotten hurt.

"I was sent to Saturn for six months, Parias." She sighed as she followed him to the back of the temple and to his private chambers where he did most of his healing. "It wasn't exactly a holiday run."

"They caught you then?" He asked as he gestured for her to take a seat.

"Not for the reasons that I was there for, but I was taken in for questioning a few times about other matters, just a matter of being in the wrong place at the wrong time." She spoke softly as he moved behind her and unclasped the back of her dress. She winced as his hand knocked a large bruise that was across her spine.

"Questioning Shaya? It looks like you were tortured." He hissed as he looked over the extent of her injuries.

"It's all the same on Saturn." She whispered as she felt his healing gift reach out for her and let her self slip into a slight trance as he worked. Trying not to think how any of the guard or Endymion would react if they knew how badly she had been injured on that mission that the King had given her.

"You're lucky that you came here when you did, Shaya. If you had waited until after the ball you wouldn't have made it through the first dance." He sighed as he removed his hands from her back and reclasped the dress. "Do you want to know just how many broken bones and fractures that you had?"

"No thank you, I felt them as they happened." She shook her head slightly, sighing in relief when no pain registered.

"You are going to have to rest for a few days, only light training for three days… is there anyway that you can miss the ball?"

"No, I was indirectly ordered to attend." She shook her head as Parias moved to sit in front of her.

"By whom?"

"By Endymion, one of the people I do not want to know about this." She looked directly into his eyes, to make sure that he understood.

"I manage to fade most of the bruises for you, but the muscles will still be tender for another few hours." He reached out and touched her right cheek, apologising softly as she flinched and faded the bruise on her cheek that was covered with make up. "I suggest you eat something and rest until the ball." He studied her for a moment. "Save a dance for me? I'll take that as repayment for not saying anything as I should do."

"I always save a dance for you Parias." She smiled softly at him as she stood and left the temple. "Even though I know that your heart belongs to another." She whispered softly to herself as she walked down the corridor to her quarters and entered, quickly removing her shoes, thinking that she could do with another longer soak in hot water.

"How bad was it really on Saturn?" She spun around at the sound of Endymion's voice in her room.

"It was all in my report, Endymion." She replied softly as she began to clip her hair so it would not get wet in the bath.

"Yes, but your capture was not." He replied, his voice void of emotion. She turned to look at him as he stepped out of the shadows so she could see him. "You weren't the only contact that we had on Saturn, as you well know. They reported in when you missed a meeting."

"It was just a retinue gather up and question capture, which they do to everyone, Endymion." She evaded the question that he had asked and sat down in front of the mirror to finish clipping her hair in place.

"I saw you wince when Nathan greeted you; I felt the bruises on you when I hugged you." He walked up to stand behind her. "Of which I see you have gotten healed, smart idea to remove them before Nathan saw them."

"Endy, please…" She shook her head looking down at her hands in her lap. "Just don't ask, I escaped in one piece shouldn't that be enough?" She stood and entered the bathroom, but not closing the door and slipped off the gown and into the new bath that had been drawn for her until only her head was above the water. "It's bad enough that I was caught, even if it wasn't for the reason that I was there… Just give me time and maybe in time I will be able to give a report."

"I'm not asking for details, Shaya." He exclaimed as he walked into the room, he was horrified that she would think that he was so heartless.

"I dare not…" She shook her head holding back tears by shear will. "It was bad enough… leave it at that."

"You know that if we could have sent some one else we would have." He said softly, not able to look at her as she just stared into the water and the reflections of the candles in the water.

"I know that. I knew that it was a dangerous mission. I knew what was involved. I would have been hurt if you thought that I couldn't have done it." She looked up at him and gave him a watery smile. "So how does it feel to be seventeen? And in love I hear it." She asked, changing the subject and hoping that he would for once let it drop.

"Princess Serenity is a rare rose, Shaya." She hid a smile as his face lit up and his eyes almost as bright as the sun. "She is not like the other women at home that only seem to want to get my attention. She truly cares about other people just like I do."

"Then it sounds like a good match…your father has approved?"

"Not in so many words no," He shook his head sadly. "He won't commit to anything until I am eighteen."

"So you have another eight months to go before you can propose… not so bad. It will give her another few months to age, after all she is only sixteen, seventeen in a month, and she will be eighteen by the time you marry. Good all the way around." She smiled at him as he flushed. "Tell me, has any of the guard found ladies?"

"Your brother has, the Lady Jupiter. Justin is smitten with Lady Rei but I'm not so sure that Markie and Liam are looking for women." He looked at her from the corner of his eye. "I'm sure that you have heard the rumours that they are lovers?"

"Once they were." Shaya nodded, showing that she had known. "But that has been over for some time, Liam's father found out and threatened to disown him if he did not break it off and Markie is the sole heir, he must marry to have an heir of his own." She filled him in on what he had missed being so high up in the chain of royalty no one bar his guard would relate rumours to him. She tilted her head when she heard some one knocking.

"Shall I see who it is?" He offered.

"And what about palace gossip?" She raised an eye brow at him. "The Prince of Earth answering the door in a Ladies chamber while she is in the bath?"

"It does not mean that I saw you." He winked at her and moved to answer the door. "Nathan, what brings you here?"

"I need to speak to Shaya for a moment…privately."

"Of course… she is in the bath…"

"I see that." She heard a few whispered words before Nathan walked up the open door.

"I'm covered if you wish to speak to me face to face." She said just loud enough so he could hear her.

"Father has chosen, Shaya." He said quietly.

She went still in the bath, she closed her eyes for a moment, sighed and stepped out of the bath and wrapped herself in a think robe that hung with in reach and exited the bathroom so she was facing him.

"Who does he wish me to marry?"

"You're not getting a choice in this Shaya. I know that he said he would try and give you one but…" He shook his head.

"Who?" she demanded as she made her way to her bed room and quickly changed into a gown of fiery red and walked out again heading for her dressing table, knowing that the ball would start in under an hour… she hadn't quiet realised that she had spent so much time with Parias getting healed until she had returned to her rooms.

"Lord Marcus."

"Markie?" She spun to face him, her face going pale. "Father wants me to marry one of my fellow guards?"

"There was no other choice for you, Shaya. He tried for a few others, but because he left it so late, no other father wanted you as an in-law because you are over marriage age."

"I'm nineteen…nearly twenty!"

"Exactly, they would have been willing to sign a contract when you turned eighteen but he turned them down because you were still in training and wanted you to have a chance of doing something that you wanted." Nathan pointed out to her as he began to pace the floor.

"Does Markie know?" She asked quietly.

"He is being told now." Nathan nodded. "This is going to need to be worked out between you and fast, Shaya. Father is getting Queen Serenity to announce it at the ball."

"So soon?" She stood up in horror.

"Father wanted the contract signed before Markie's father changed his mind." Nathan nodded, feeling sorry for her. "I tried arguing for you but he said that it had been signed two weeks ago."

"And they are only now just telling us?" She exclaimed. She stared at the door as some one knocked. Nathan didn't wait for her to say anything but opened the door to let Markie in and closed the door. She faintly noted that they too had already gotten ready for the ball.

"This was not the way I thought things would go." Markie said quietly before he ran his hand through his backside length white hair, she could tell that he was as shocked as she was at the announcement that their parents had just landed on them.

"You and me both." She sunk back down to her chair. "Did they say when the wedding would be carried out?"

"With in the month." Markie sighed and took a seat as Shaya gestured for him to sit.

"So little time to work things out." She shook her head. "Let alone enough time for us to sort out our own personal lives." She saw the looked that Nathan and Markie shared before they both watched her for a moment. "What?"

"Would you be willing to charade?" Nathan asked hesitantly. "I realise that they are going to expect an heir with in the year…"

Shaya smiled at Markie. "So you and Liam are still seeing each other"

"Very carefully and quietly." Markie nodded slowly. "I've already talked to him and he has agreed to go along with this… for as long as it takes for you to get with child."

"I can work that." She nodded in agreement. "I just wish we had more time."

"So do us all." He sighed. "You are going to have to tell any lover that you have of this agreement."

"I don't have a current one in my life." She shrugged. "We decided it was best to end it when I left for Saturn." They all looked up as Endymion and Liam walked into the room, all dress and ready to go.

"I had a word with Father and he informed me that the marriage contract was signed last year." He glanced at Markie and Liam. "When Liam's father threatened to disinherit him."

"And they only now told us?" She blinked; she could see anger in Markie's face and Liam's.

"Yes, they didn't want any one to know in case…well you disagreed." He shook his head. "But as it has been in place for a full year no one can do anything not even father."

"Not even because of the fact that we weren't told?" Markie asked softly.

"Not even because of that." He nodded. "Its done now we just have to figure out a way to make sure everyone gets what they want."

"One heir…male or female father doesn't care." Markie looked at Shaya.

"Agreed, once conception is confirmed I will not hold you to the contract…but we are still going to have to play along." She looked at Liam. "This isn't what I wanted."

"What did you want?" Liam asked softly.

"I wanted some one else." She sighed. "But he loves some one else who is in love with some one else." She shrugged showing that she wasn't the only fool. "Can you part with Markie for one night a week?"

"You think you can fall pregnant fast with only one night?" Endymion raised an eyebrow.

"If we choice the right week." She nodded in confirmation.

"When would that be?" Markie asked with a sigh. "I'm betting it will before the wedding."

"It depends on when they do it. But the perfect time is in a month." She winked at Liam. "This needs more work, now that we all know we won't be surprised when the Queen announces it which is a good thing. We can work out the rest after the ball…" She sighed. "It's a shame that you two can't dance together." She stopped to listen to the bells. "We have half an hour to get ready… I'll meet you in a few moments at Endymion's quarters…" She watched as they began to leave. "Liam…stay a moment…please." She quickly began to put on her jewellery. "I know this isn't what we wanted but it would help to hide what is going on…I know you hate sharing…there may be away for me to do this with out having to sleep with him."

"How?" He asked confused.

"Leave the details to me…I need to find out if it can be done yet… if it can't then I will find a way to make it work." She sighed. "I never wanted to step on any one's toes. Not like this. Jokes and pranks yes…but not this." She stood up and looked at him, taking up his hands. "Markie is my friend Liam, I love him like a brother nothing more and I will find a way to make this work…to your advantage"

"You may pull pranks but you never lie…I remember when you found out about us…I never thought that you would accept it, that you would expose us but you didn't." He smiled at her, faintly and she saw the hurt fade from his eyes. "Instead you found ways for us to spend more time together, and for that I thank you… for that I will try and get over any jealousy that I have…"

"We will talk after the ball." She kissed his cheek and let him escort her to Endymion's quarters and from there they headed off to the ball, each one preparing for the worst.


	2. Chapter 2

Chapter Two

As expected after the announcement of their wedding, Shaya danced with Markie, talking with him, telling him about what she had said to Liam.

"That may help us but wont people get suspicious that I'm not sleeping in our quarters?" He asked with a raised eyebrow.

"Who said that you wouldn't?" She asked with a small chuckle. "There is a small passage way that leads to Liam's quarters from there and yours. I found them years ago…how did you think I was able to pull jokes on you in your quarters when the doors were locked and sealed?"

"We always did wonder." He shook his head in amusement.

"All you have to do is in the morning come back through the passage way and leave from my quarters." She caught the sight of Parias standing off on his own as the dance ended. "Do me a favour and lead me over to Parias so we can dance…" She requested as they began to walk off the floor. "I promised him a dance last time."

"He is welcome to you." He smiled cheekily at her and he lead her over. "My lady tells me you are promised a dance…and so I deliver her to you." He bowed to Parias and handed over Shaya's hand. "Just bring her back when you are done."

"My thanks." Parias bowed in reply and lead Shaya back out on to the floor. "Wedding?" Parias whispered at her. "You could have told me."

"I didn't know until an hour ago." She replied her lips hardly moving. "Our fathers signed the contract a year ago and only just told us. It was a shock to us as it was too you."

"And you are going through with it?" He asked in surprise.

"We don't have a choice there is no way around it. Endymion checked, even asked his father about it…" She let out a quiet sigh. "There go my pranking days."

"I hope not." Parias smiled at her as he twirled her across the floor in time to the music. "I've come to enjoy your pranks…on other people that is."

"Parias…don't ask questions now but…" She broke off as Nathan cut in for a dance. 'Later' she mouthed at Parias and saw him nod. "Couldn't you have waited another few minutes?" She asked in annoyance.

"Sorry…I didn't realise that you liked Parias."

"I do." She sighed heavily. "If he had asked I would have married him."

"He was the one in love with some one else?"

"Yeah, that's him." She nodded.

"I cut in for a reason…Markie and Liam have snuck off for a few moments, this way no one expects you to return to Markie right away…Endymion has claimed the next dance too."

"They're dancing." She chuckled in guess. "They've always wanted to dance at a ball but could never dare…Wait a moment…what if while dancing with your lady and me dancing with Markie and Liam dancing with another lady and when the time comes to trade partners we get 'muddled'? Him and Markie go off in one direction, your lady and I off in another and Liam's lady and you off in another?"

"With four it would be perfect…" He grinned at her. "I love it when you get ideas… let me talk to my lady and Justin and them I will speak with Markie and Liam…I'll have to be quick to do it with in the dance with Endymion."

"Use your link…" she suggested with a twinkle in her eye.

"Good idea…it all depends if they ladies will go along with it…" he looked around to catch sight of his lady. "I just told the others…Justin is telling his lady now…" he bowed as he handed her off to Endymion.

"What are you two up to?" He asked as he spun her around. "I know that twinkle in your eye."

"Just wait and see." She winked at him, a few moments later she saw Nathan give her the thumps up that everything was a go, and she was glad that this was to be the last dance before the formality part of the ball was over.

"I'm going to regret this aren't I?" Endy asked with a sigh.

"Maybe but you are going to get a laugh out of it." She promised as Markie cut in and Endymion smiled and returned to his lady.

"You are very devious my Lady." He chuckled as the band started up again and the four partners took their places. She saw that Lady Mars in red, Lady Jupiter in green had twinkles in their eyes and Lady Mercury in blue was trying not to laugh.

"Why thank you my Lord." She smiled at him as they began to dance. They did two complete circuits properly, when she gave the nod on the third round, the men, Markie, Liam as a couple and Justin and Nathan went off in one direction and Lady Mars and Mercury as a couple and herself and Lady Jupiter went off in another, causing the entire ball room to start laughing at the mix up.

Once most of the ball had wound down she slipped out into the gardens that were right out side her window, while Markie and Liam were talking about how things were going to be and she spotted Parias pruning a rose bush near by.

"Parias." She greeted him with a smile.

"I enjoyed the mix up" He chuckled as he stood up.

"So did everyone else." She smiled.

"What did you want to ask me?"

"Is it possible to get pregnant with out sleeping with someone?"

"Curious are we?" He blinked in surprise.

"I heard about it happening once and wanted to know if it was true." She shrugged as she sat down on a near by bench, spotting Nathan and Lady Jupiter a few sections down along with Justin and Lady Mars.

"In theory it is." He nodded. "But most of the rumours of it aren't true…" He paused. "You know that you could carry a child the first time that you slept with some one… you have your own healing gift… it's enough for that all you have to do it concentrate after wards until you sense that the egg has been fertilised."

"I didn't realise that it could be done that way…" She smiled thankfully at him.

"Anything to help a friend." He kissed her hand and bowed to her before he headed off back to his temple.

With a slightly lighter heart she returned to her room, wondering how they would take it that Markie had to sleep with her once to get the heir that he wanted…well his father wanted. She found them wrapped up in a rather passionate kiss.

"Your room is right next door, you know." She pointed out to Liam with a chuckle.

"What did you find out?" Liam asked, knowing the reason that she wanted to talk to Parias.

"It's can't be done that way." She shook her head. "But I can get with child from one night."

"How?" Markie asked in surprise. "I would think that if you were that fertile you would already have one child."

"I have a small healing gift and I can use that to make sure that I do fall pregnant that night." She replied as she closed and locked the garden door, pulling the blinds closed. "I know that it can be done…I've done it for a few women in arranged marriages that have this sort of agreement."

"One night? I can live with that." Liam smiled as he kissed Markie's neck.

"Are you going to be able to do it?" She asked Markie, knowing that some men who preferred their own sex had difficulty performing with a woman.

"I think so." He nodded.

"Well lock the door; I'm going for a bath." She winked at them both. "The couch folds out into a bed and the closet are over there…if anyone comes." She smiled at them both and locked herself in the bathroom and sunk down into the bath that Markie had ordered for her and stifling her sobs, let the tears come that she had been holding back since she had managed to hold at bay since she escaped Saturn.


	3. Chapter 3

Shaya sighed in relief as her ship entered the Earth's atmosphere, she had never gotten those three weeks of R&R that Endy promised her, instead three days after they had returned to Earth she had been sent out to contact the rebels on Saturn and find out what they knew… why she couldn't have done that while she was there she didn't know. Now she was returning just in time for her own wedding which was to be held that night. As soon as she had contacted the King to tell him what she had found out while she was coming in, he had informed her father who was arranged for the wedding to start with hours of her returning.

As soon as she stepped off the ship her brother rushed her to her quarters to get ready.

"Father was upset when he found out you had left again he was afraid that you had run away or something." Nathan told her as she bathed. "Any bruises?" he asked as he heard her step out of the bath. "Parias sent down a bruise balm for you."

"I'm not sure… I can't see any." She replied as she towelled her hair dry and pulled on the wedding gown that Markie had picked out for her, it had come with a note saying that Liam had liked it and thought that it would make everyone see just what they had all passed up. "I'm dressed."

He stepped into the room and looked over her exposed skin for bruises and scrapes.

"Just one that I can see." He quickly rubbed in a rose smelling balm on to the spot apologising quickly as she hissed in pain. Then to her surprise he did her hair for her.

"I didn't realise you knew how to do anything with hair."

"With the mop that I have?" He chuckled as he braided her hair quickly. "If mother was still alive she would be doing this…" he shook his head. He clipped it all in place for her and watched as she put on the jewellery that her father had passed on to her that had once belonged to their mother and slipped on her shoes.

"Ready." She declared as she stood up. "Who did I get as Brides maids?"

"The Princess is here with her guards…they are standing in as bridesmaids, this is a royalty thing, only lords and ladies are invited." He shrugged. "Markie's father's idea."

"Bad one at that." She sighed as she followed him out to the throne room where it was to be held.

To her surprise and relief to actual wedding was over very quickly as everything had already been signed already it was just the formality that had to be dealt with.

She spent the next two hours talking with Jupiter, her dark brown hair up in a pony tail and her emerald green eyes sparkling as they discussed her brother and then with Mars, her raven hair down to her knees and her purple eyes laughing as they discussed Justin.

An hour later she slipped out of the room and headed for her quarters when she spotted Markie slip out of the room. They had decided for all those involved to get the child out of the way quickly. Even if it did put her at an inconvenience as she could no longer to her job as an informant but had been assured a job on the moon as a diplomat instead.

She had to admit the next morning when she woke that Markie was a very considerate lover and very tender. As they had laid next to each other in the after math she had concentrated on what was going on in her body and had made sure that the egg had been fertilised before Markie had slipped carefully out of the bed and taken a bath before slipping into the next room which had an adjoining door to see Liam. It was shortly after that she had fallen asleep.

She climbed out of bed and bathed before dressing in her guard uniform to practice some of her skills. She had just finished pulling on the jacket as Markie slipped back into the room dressed and ready for the days training.

"Did it work?"

"It did, but I want to wait a few weeks for it to settle in and then get it confirmed." She nodded with a small smile as she walked out of the room with him and joined up with Liam and Justin a little down the hall, before heading down to the training grounds to practice with the other guards.

Shaya sat down and sighed as some of the pain in the small of her back lessened, she looked around the gardens on the moon before settling on staring at the half Earth that hung in the sky.

She had been on the Moon for four months, mainly keeping track of what was happening in council and working on agreements and passing them on to the King for approval or an argument.

Like the last one she had had with him over Endymion's proposal to Princess Serenity, it had taken her three days of arguing with the King to get him to agree that Endymion wasn't going to get a better match anywhere else.

But during her entire time here on the moon had Endymion or the guard come up for a visit. She missed her brother, but oddly she found herself missing Markie, just being around him.

'_Please don't let me be falling in love with him…Please'_ She thought in desperation, as she rested her hand on her swollen stomach that carried his heir, just three more months before she went in to labour. Even though she and Markie had only agreed on one heir they had found out a month after the wedding when they had actually been given a copy of the marriage contract that both their father's had agreed on two, one for Markie and another for her. So they had worked out that once the babe was at least two, they would fore fill the contract and then go their separate ways.

She smiled slightly as she remembered Markie's face when she had told him that she was definitely with child a month after the wedding night, Liam had congratulated her for pulling off what she had promised and wasn't really worried when he had been told that there had to be a second child. Saying that they had kept the promises that had been made and knew that nothing would change… She just hoped that nothing would go wrong.

"May I join you?" She looked up as she saw Lady Jupiter standing near by, dressed in a plain but beautiful green gown, her brown hair for once was only half up.

"Please." She smiled as she nodded her hands folded in her lap.

"You seem to be spending a lot of time in the gardens lately." Jupiter commented as she sat down, one hand reaching out and stroking a tree that sheltered the bench. "You seem sadder too."

"I'm worried about my friends…I have been here for nearly five months yet I have heard nothing from them at all, not from my husband nor my brother." Shaya sighed, thinking of the promise that Nathan had made her to call her once in a while to make sure that she was alright. Liam had done the same. "I have left messages for them, but they haven't replied."

"That's strange; Nathan told me that he had called you last week." Jupiter frowned, thinking it odd that Nathan would not keep in contact with his sister as she had seen how close they had been.

"A two minute message." Shaya sighed. "I was in a meeting with Serenity; I tried to call back but had to leave a message." She rested her hands on her stomach as she felt the child move.

"May I?"

"Sure." Shaya nodded, taking Jupiter's hand in her own and resting it where the child was kicking.

"I find it amazing that a new life can grow inside some one in nine months." Jupiter said quietly.

"It is amazing I agree with you…I just wish that it wasn't so uncomfortable." She shook her head. "The child is either moving all the time or kicking me just when I need to get my rest." She stood up slowly and stretched her back a little. "If it's not that then I have to walk around a lot to keep from stiffening up." She looked at Jupiter in surprise as she rested a hand on the small of her back where she ached the most and began to rub the sore muscles. "Oh, that feels good." She sighed in relief as she felt the muscles relax for what seemed the first time in months.

"My mother used to say that it helped her no end when father did this when she was carrying." Jupiter smiled shyly at her as she continued to rub adding a little bit of strength to the massage. "May I ask you a personal question?" She asked finally as they began to walk through the garden.

"You may, but I may not answer." Shaya replied with a smile as she paused to pick a silver moon rose.

"Do you love Marcus?"

"What makes you ask that?" Shaya asked in surprise.

"It's just something that Nathan once said to me, something about a doomed relationship. That he loved some one else."

"He does." Shaya smiled slightly at the thought of how Liam and Markie had looked together in a secret room that she had shown them where they could truly show how they felt about each other with out the worry of some one finding out. "I have known them all since I was a little girl; I've trained with them all since I was eight. They were all like brothers to me…" She sighed and shook her head. "I love them all deeply…" she looked up at the half earth. "I will tell you something that I have never told anyone." She turned so she was looking at Jupiter. "I love Markie, I have since I was fourteen years old, but I found out that he was in love with some one else so I pushed aside my feelings and went looking for another love… nothing that has ever worked out for me."

"Then it must be hard for you to be married to him if you know that he doesn't love you." Jupiter said sadly as she rested an arm about Shaya's waist as they continued walking.

"He is fond of me I know that and he does love me…just not in the way I would like." She shook her head. "I have never admitted it to anyone…but he is happy with the arrangement that we have and to me that is almost as grand as him loving me."

"But it still must be hard."

"I try not to think about it." Shaya shook her head. "I'm married to him, I'm carrying his heir, I will gladly settle for that then ruining his happiness, maybe in some other life time we will be in love but I am content with how things are now."

"It shows." Jupiter smiled as the headed up the path towards the palace. "You've been glowing with contentment since you arrived on the moon."

"Lady Shaya…" A page ran up to them. "Lord Nathan is on the comm. For you."

"Thank you Teal." She smiled at the page that nodded and hurried off again. "Thank you for talking with me."

"It was my pleasure…" Jupiter smiled. "I wont tell anyone either… it will be our little secret. I just couldn't stand seeing you so lonely."

"I just miss Earth." Shaya replied as she headed off back to her quarters and called up the comm. Screen so she could talk with her brother. "Nathan… it's good to see you." She smiled as her brother's face came up on screen.

"Sorry that I've been missing all your calls, sis. Things have been busy down here." He apologised, she noted in concern that he looked tired.

"What's going on?" She asked as she sat down on the couch. "You haven't been getting a lot of sleep."

"It seems that Liam and Markie have had a falling out, Shay." He sighed. "I only found out about it last week and have been trying to find the cause…we can't afford to have a conflict amongst us."

"I understand that." She nodded, beginning to worry. "It's not over me is it?"

"No." Nathan shook his head. "It appears that Liam has…had a change of heart and didn't tell Marcus… didn't know how to tell him more like." He dry washed his face.

"How long has this been going on?" She asked in surprise, wondering how Liam could have kept it a secret.

"Nearly a year from what I've been able to find out…"

"How is Marcus taking it?"

"I don't know." His shoulders slumped. "He wasn't in his room this morning when I went to talk to him, when I finished talking to Liam. No one can find him anywhere, Liam has checked all the hiding places but as far as we can tell he isn't here on Earth."

"So what you are saying that he could be on his way here." She caught on what he was saying. "Is Liam engaged to this person?"

"Yes, for a few months now…I just wish that he could have figured out what his heart was telling him before this…It would have saved us a lot of hassles."

"Sometimes we don't want to hear what our hearts are telling us." Shaya shook her head at him. "You know that it is never easy to tell what the heart wants."

"Do I ever." He sighed in agreement. "Do me a favour, Shay. If he shows up there can you let me know? Just so we know where he is and if he is alright?"

"Will do, I'll pass a message on through Jupiter…" She shook her head over what she had found out. She had never figured Liam for falling out of love with Markie… _correct that he still loves him but not in that way anymore…or maybe he had mistaken it for that type of love? _ She thought as she stared into space.

"Shaya?"

"Sorry, I was thinking. I'll let you know with in a few hours of him turning up…that is if I know he is here."

"Good point." He sighed.

"I have to go…I'm meeting Mars to discuss something with her."

"Keep in touch."

"Will do." She sighed as he ended the transmission. "Five months of no contact and now this." She slowly stood up and headed for her door when some one knocked. She opened it to a dishevelled Markie that looked like he hadn't slept in a month. "Markie." She was startled to see him, even though she had just been warned that he may show up. "I just heard." She opened the door wider to let him in and caught his elbow as he stumbled. "You need rest."

"I need some one to talk too." He shook his head, his voice cracking with emotions and fatigue.

"You've put everyone in a right panic just leaving Earth." She spoke softly as she led him to her couch and sat down next to him, resting a hand on his arm as he tried to pull himself together.

"I had to get away for awhile…I knew that something was bothering Liam, I just figured that it was something to do with you…he was concerned that I may fall for you or you might fall for me and renegade on your promise. I never would have thought that he was seeing some one behind my back…" He broke off as his emotions threatened to choke him.

"I'm betting that he is just as confused as you are, Markie. He knows that you love him and he still loves you but he is just trying to figure out what type of love it is…"

"Type of love?" Markie looked at her with a hurt look on his face, "Shaya we have been lovers for many years."

"That may be so…but if I remember correctly that before you two got together you both had female lovers… am I wrong?"

"No." he shook his head, looking confused.

"We all share a bond with each other, mentally and emotionally, it could be that he mistook what he was feeling… or that he just found a greater love…I don't know I haven't talk to him." She shook her head. "It could be that I am wrong on all accounts…I don't know what is going through his head." She reached out and tucked his hair behind his ears so she could see his face clearly. She saw a tear slowly creep down his cheek, followed shortly by another, she held him as he cried but wasn't all that surprised that he hadn't made a sound. She knew that he was fighting with everything that he had not to make any sound at all; she knew that he was a very proud man and even her seeing him in tears, in this state must be a blow to his pride. But it strangely made her proud that he had come to her for support in his time of need, that he could show her his emotions.

She smiled slightly as he shifted a little and rested a hand on her swollen stomach, as if he couldn't believe how big she had gotten. She felt a tear of her own slip down her cheek, at how Liam had hurt him, at how much Marcus loved him.

She looked up as her comm. Unit bleeped.

"Audio only." She commanded softly. "Yes?"

"Lady Shaya, its Lady Mars."

"My apologies for not being there Mars. Something has come up that needs my attention, I was just about to call you." Shaya apologised, still stroking Marcus' hair, watching as he fought to stay awake. "Can I reschedule?"

"Could you come to my quarters in three hours?" Mars replied.

"Go, I'll…be alright." Marcus whispered quietly, but didn't remove his hand as he felt the child he had created with her kick.

"An hour?" Shaya compromised, she didn't want to leave until Markie had fallen asleep.

"That will be fine, I will see you then… I hope that it isn't anything serious."

"It's nothing that I can't handle." Shaya assured her, before ordering the unit off. She reached over the back of the couch and pulled a blanket down and covered Markie as he moved so he was lying on the couch and using her thigh as a pillow.

As soon as he was asleep she placed a pillow under his head and slipped out of the room after setting the comm. unit on silent, dropped a message off to Jupiter so she could call Nathan to let him know that Marcus had arrived and went to meet with Mars.


	4. Chapter 4

Chapter 4

She returned to her quarters three hours later after having a long discussion with Mars about the friend that she had made in the Prince of Saturn trying to figure out what she could about the civil war…like how it was going for one thing. For the last nine months that had gotten no reliable information from Saturn only that the war still continued.

She panicked for a moment when she entered her room and saw that Markie was no longer sleeping on the couch until she saw that the bathroom door was shut. But something warned her that something wasn't right.

She hurried to the door and tried the handle, only to find it locked. She knocked, hoping to get an answer, but when she didn't her sense of something wrong jumped up a notch so she kicked in the door.

To find Marcus sprawled on the floor, a growing pool of blood spreading out beside him.

She rushed to his side, ripping a towel off the near by rack and wrapped it tightly around his bleeding wrists, throwing the small dagger he had used out of reach.

"Marcus you fool." She hissed out, ignoring the blood that was being soaked up by her dress and focused her healing powers on stopping the bleeding and closing the gashes up his arms. "Please, don't leave me." She whispered as she realised how pale he was from the loss of blood. Tears welled up in her eyes as she removed the towels once she had finished healing the wounds and then awkwardly carried him to the bed, being careful of her pregnancy, stripped off his bloody jacket and pants and tucked him in as if he was a child.

She sat by his side, holding his hand as the tears finally spilled down her cheeks as she thought that she might loose him. She moved to the bathroom and carried out a first aid kit and bandaged the wounds on his arms once she saw that they hadn't completely closed, to make sure that if they did begin bleeding again he wouldn't loose too much more blood.

All while she worked her tears flowed.

Then she just sat by his side, holding his hand once more as she stared at him, hoping that he would pull through. She didn't want any one to see him like this. Not while he was weak and not himself.

After awhile she slowly got up and cleaned the mess that had been made in the bathroom and scrubbed his uniform before it stained until it was clean and then hung it up to dry.

When she walked back to the lounge she saw that her unit was flashing.

"Yes?" She ducked her head as Endymion appeared on the screen. "Endymion…what can I do for you?"

"What happened to Marcus?" He demanded. "I felt him waver, almost as if he was at deaths door." His face became worried as he saw tears slip down her cheeks and that her eyes were already red from crying. "What is going on?"

"He…" She broke off as her throat closed for a moment. "He tried to take his life, Endy." She sat down with a thump on the couch. "I found him…" She pressed her hand against her mouth to prevent the sobs from escaping.

"Is he…" Endymion broke off when she shook her head and tried to pull herself back together.

"He is stable for now; I won't be able to leave his side until I can get him through this." She tried to wipe away her tears but the kept coming. "I knew that I shouldn't have left him but I had a meeting that I couldn't cancel… he said that he would be alright and he was asleep when I left him." Everything came out in a rush; she couldn't stop herself from speaking, until a sob escaped.

"Everything will be okay, Shay. Nathan is on his way up as we speak, he has been asking to come up and see you for the last three months and I finally gave in… I should have let him come up sooner." He sighed heavily. "I wish that I had seen this coming. I wish I knew what Liam had been thinking."

"No one can know what the other thinks." She whispered harshly as she wiped her face with a hanky. "If you will excuse me, Endy I want to get back to his side…"

"Of course… let me know if there is any change. I will be up there in a few days… Serenity wants to see me." He smiled slightly.

"I will see you then." She nodded as she softly ordered the unit off and walked back to the bedroom where Marcus laid so still that he could have been dead if it wasn't for the fact that she could see his chest rising and falling. She sat back down on the chair that she had dragged over to the bed and held his hand. "Liam may not know how he feels about you, Marcus but I love you…no matter what." She whispered as she lent her head against the side of the chair as still more tears flooded her eyes.

She woke as she felt some one rest a hand on her shoulder and looked up startled to see Nathan kneeling down beside her, his face full of concern.

"How is he doing?" He asked softly nodding at the bed.

"He is stable." She was a little surprised that her voice came out harsh and dry, from all the crying that she had done. "Physically anyway." She sighed as Nathan got up and poured her a glass of water and handed it to her. She sipped it slowly. "Mentally, your guess is as good as mine. He should wake in an hour or so." She glanced at him. "When did you get here?"

"Two hours ago. I brought some food for you both…" He shook his head. "I never thought that he would be one to take his own life."

"He is confused and heartbroken." She replied quietly as she went back to watching Marcus sleep. "I don't want you here when he wakes. I can deal with this, Nathan."

"But…"

"No arguments." She shook her head and glared at him. "He doesn't want to see anyone right now…or he wouldn't have come here in the first place." She pointed out to him. "I don't think he wants you to know how badly this is affecting him."

"Alright but you will let me know how he is doing?"

"I will." She nodded. "Thanks for the meal." She watched him leave before turning her sights back to her husband and love. A little surprised that she still held his hand, even after she had fallen asleep.

She watched him as he slowly began to come to. Not saying a word, she knew that his arms would be throbbing in pain, but waited for him to make the first move.

His eyes slowly opened, dulled by the pain that he was going through and the thought that he was still alive. That his torment had not ended. He felt his hand being held and looked to his left and saw Shaya sitting beside the bed, holding his hand. Her eyes swollen and red.

"Why?" He asked, his voice breaking, betrayal in his voice.

"Because you dying solves nothing." She replied quietly. "Because of your duty to Endymion, because of the love they have for you, because of the hole that would be left in m…our lives if you did die." She watched him closely as she spoke, and saw some of the pain fade, not all of it but it was a start. "And because I would be shattered if you died." She added slowly, coming to a decision to tell him that she loved him…even he didn't want to hear it. He needed to know that some one still loved him.

"Why?" He asked quietly, as if he couldn't believe what she had just said but there was something else in his voice that she couldn't read.

"Because you are my husband, because you are about to become a father." She rested her hand on her stomach. "And because I love you too much, just to let you die."

"You love me?" He sounded as if he didn't understand what she had said.

"I have ever since I was fourteen." She smiled slightly at him, ignoring the tears that were welling in her eyes. "When I found out about your love…" She wasn't sure if she should mention it, but it needed to be said. "I lied to myself, I hid it away so no one would know…then I found some one else but he already loved some one… it appeared that everyone that I truly loved was taken so I settled for little loves instead."

"But you protested when we were told about the wedding." He shook his head in confusion.

"That was mainly because of you and Liam, I knew how much you cared for each other, and I didn't want to step on toes." She sighed sadly. "And by that point I had nearly convinced my self that I didn't truly love you." She released him hand and went to move when he grabbed her arm, she turned to face him and saw that his eyes were clouded to the point that she couldn't read what he was feeling.

"Why didn't you tell me?"

"Surely that is obvious." She looked at him. "You hungry? You should be you need to replace all that blood that you lost." She continued as she moved away and carried a tray over and sat it down between them. She saw that he was staring at her dress, in confusion she looked down to see what had caused him to pale and saw that her gown was still stained with blood. His blood. "Yes I am the one that found you, I'm the one that patched you up and only two others know what happened." She replied to the unspoken question in his eyes. "Eat." She ordered flatly before she moved to her closet and quickly changed before returning to his side and began picking at the meal that Nathan had brought.

"How did you manage to heal me? Let alone move me?" He asked quietly as he began picking at the small bread roll.

"I have a small healing gift remember?" She said softly, not looking up at him. "And I have had the same training as you…you're not that heavy, I have moved heavier things in my time."

"But the child." He looked at her swollen stomach.

"I was careful." She shrugged. "I was more concerned about your survival, then cleaning anything up."

"Do I mean that much to you?" his voice came out a bare whisper.

"To me yes, and to Endymion." She nodded as she finished her meal, and glared at him when she saw that he was mainly shredding the roll then eating it. "Eat, you need your strength. Endymion will be here in a few days to see the Princess, and if you want to take up your duties again then you have to eat." She told him sternly until he started to eat properly. Once he was finished she removed the tray and then unbandaged his arms to look over the cuts and was pleased to see that they had continued to heal and now they were nothing more then red scars. "Your arms will be sore for awhile until everything heals properly, I suggest that once you have some strength back that you train and get your muscles back into working order." She advised as she threw the bandages into the hamper, where her bloodied dress already waited, she just hoped that it was salvageable and that no one would ask questions.

"Who knows about this?" He asked as she stood up and stretched her back to stop the cramping.

"Endymion called, he felt you waver." She replied as she bent forward to stretch her muscles another way. "And Nathan is here, he stopped by with the meal, but I told him to go." She glanced at him and watched as he slowly sat up properly instead of leaning against the pillows. "I didn't think that you would want to see any one for awhile."

"That's the truth." He sighed as he rubbed his wrists gently. "I don't think that I could face any one for a few days…" he lent back against the pillow as he felt dizzy.

"Take things slowly, Marcus. Let your body recover." She told him softly as she moved over to her closet and began looking for something that he could wear, until his uniform was dry. "Here, put these on, they should still fit you." She threw a pair of black pants at him and a fresh white shirt. "Your clothes are still drying."

"Am I going some where?" he asked in confusion as he pulled back the covers and dressed in the clothing she had thrown at him.

"When the world stops spinning on you, you are going to come for a walk with me in the garden." She smiled as he looked up at her as he did up the pants. "A slow one. Don't worry nearly everyone should be in bed by now so no one will see you, you can't just stay in bed…" She shook her head. "Actually that is what you should do, but I need to walk before I sleep or junior doesn't settle down." She rested her hands on her stomach.

"I would be honoured to walk you through the gardens, My Lady." He bowed to her formally. "I realise that I have not been a very good…"

"Don't" She shook her head at him when she realised that he was going to say that he hadn't been a good husband. "I won't push things. You've been through a lot over the last month; you need to recover before you decide to do anything." But she still smiled as he took her arm and together they walked out of her room through the door that led directly to the garden.

She made sure that the stroll was slow for both of them, but didn't go as far as she usually did when she sensed that Markie was getting tired and didn't want to admit it, she pretended that she was the one that was tired and got him to take them back to her room. "Do you want your own room? Or did you want to stay here?" She asked once they were back in her room, she noticed that the dinner tray had been whisked away by some one, probably a page sent to find the missing tray.

"I would prefer some company if you don't mind the intrusion." He said awkwardly as he sat down on the couch.

"I don't mind." She shook her head. "At least this way I can keep an eye on you…" She shook her head. "I won't lie to you Markie but I am worried about you."

"I'm worried about me too." He sighed as he rubbed his temples. "You want me on the couch?"

"Sleep where you want." She smiled at him. "Just remember if you climb into my bed that I tend to kick in my sleep." She left him to make a decision and enter the bathroom and proceeded to remove all sharp objects, in his current state she wasn't going to let him make the same mistake twice and changed into her night gown before returning to the lounge and saw him settling down on the couch. "If you want some company feel free to climb in." She offered as she entered her bedroom after waving her hand over the light and watched as the lights dimmed, she didn't close her door so she could hear him and climbed into bed, resting on her side and let her self fall into exhaustion that had been threatening to claim her.

She woke with the feeling of an arm draped out her waist and glanced over her shoulder and saw Markie still fast asleep beside her, even in sleep his pain didn't leave him. She silently sighed, glanced at her clock and climbed out of bed, careful not to wake him, dressed and silently shut the door so he would still sleep for awhile before calling all her appointments and cancelling them, apologising for the inconvenience but something had come up that she had to deal with right away and then ordered breakfast for two.

She set everything up on the table and looked up as Markie opened the bedroom door looking a little embarrassed at having been in her bed and overslept. She smiled at him.

"Breakfast is ready." She gestured to a chair. She was a little surprised when he approached her and kissed her forehead in greeting before sitting down to eat what she had ordered for him.

"Got lonely on the couch." He said quietly in explanation, thinking that she might need one.

"Always is." She nodded in understanding and started on her own meal of fruit and toast. "You look a lot better then you did yesterday." She commented as she picked up her mug of tea and sipped at it.

"I feel better." He nodded slowly. "I think that I need to talk to Nathan later,"

"I can give him a call for you." She shrugged, looking at the door as some one knocked and a page slipped in and passed her a note and slipped out again. "Oh I forgot about Parias." She sighed, shaking her head in embarrassment.

"Parias?"

"Yes, he is making sure that the babe is growing properly." She nodded. "I was supposed to meet him half an hour ago." She stood up finished eating what she wanted. "I'll swing by Nathan's and tell him that you want to see him, I should be an hour or so." She glanced at him as she pulled a shawl over her shoulders. "Do me a favour…don't leave the rooms. I might panic."

"I'll stay here." He nodded. "I'm not ready to face the world just yet."

"I'll get Nathan for you." She left her rooms and knocked on Nathan's door, she wasn't surprised that Jupiter answered. "Morning, Nathan up?"

"Of course I am." Nathan laughed as Jupiter let her in. "How is he?"

"Better in some ways." She sighed and then snagged a slice of toast off his plate and grinned at him as he glared at her. "He wants to see you, I've got to see Parias, and I should be an hour, two at the most."

"I'll head over." Nathan gulped down his coffee and headed out the door quickly.

"Want to come with me?" Shaya offered to Jupiter when she looked surprised at how fast Nathan had left.

"Sure." She nodded and followed Shaya out and through the palace. "How bad is Marcus?"

"Had his heart broken." Shaya sighed, blinking back tears as she thought of how close she had come to loosing him.

"It can't be easy for you to comfort him when you love him." Jupiter murmured, feeling sorry for her.

"I told him."

"What?" Jupiter blinked in surprise.

"He needed to know, so I told him what I felt." Shaya wiped away a tear as they entered the temple and spotted Parias lighting candles.

"You're late." He chided her when he spotted her.

"Sorry, something came up that need my attention." She apologised as they followed him to the back rooms.

"You look like you need more rest." Parias glared at her. "You do remember what I told you about getting rest?"

"I do…" She nodded, again wiping away a tear.

"What is the matter?" He asked her in concern.

"Marcus showed up last night in a mess." She folded her hands in her lap to hide their shaking. "You know of the arrangement that we had?"

"I do." He nodded, to her and Jupiter who gestured that she would wait outside and left.

"Well he and his lover had a falling out and he came to me…" her voice shook with suppressed tears. "I left him when I thought he was sleeping to see Mars about something I came back and …" Tears spilled as the dam broke, he moved from sitting in front of her to sitting beside her and held her as she cried. "I found him in the bathroom." She choked out. "He had slit his wrists…he couldn't live with the pain he was going through and sort to end it. I saved him, healed him, like you taught me too." She broke off as her tears threatened to choke her and tried to get some control back. "I got him healed up and reasons to keep on going, but I'm terrified that he will try and kill himself again." At that point talking became impossible.

He held her as she cried herself out, worried for her and the child, knowing that too much emotional stress could cause either an early birth or for her to miscarry.

"Does he know how you feel about him?" He asked her quietly as she ceased crying and had gotten her breath back.

"How did you know?" She looked at him in surprise, she had never told anyone.

"It shows, if you know what to look for." He smiled at her and handed her a handkerchief to wipe away the tears and to blow her nose. "I've seen it in you since you arrived back after the wedding… truth to tell I saw it in you three years ago, when you were in the gardens by yourself and you were watching him and Liam." He looked at her as she cleaned herself. "Again did you tell him?"

"I did." She nodded. "I probably shouldn't have considering what he has been through but he needed reasons to keep going so I gave him a list with me and the child at the bottom." She watched as he reached out and rested a hand on her stomach, his eyes going distant as he checked the child.

"The child is fine, but might I suggest that you try and stay away from stressful situations? I know that it is hard with the job that you do, but if it becomes to much you may go into labour early."

"I'll try." She sighed, thinking at how that might not be possible.

"That's all I ask." He nodded and smiled. "Now use the bathroom and clean your face up." He advised and watched her go. "What a mess they are all in." He said to himself quietly. "I pray that it sorts its self out soon… or she is going to collapse." He waved as she came out and left.

Shaya walked in silence with Jupiter back through the palace, talking about little things, until they reached her door.

"Are you going to be okay?" Jupiter asked in concern.

"I will be." Shaya smiled weakly. "I'm just tired; a good nap will do me some good."

"Well if Nathan is still in there tell him I'll be on the training ground until after lunch." Jupiter kissed her on the cheek. "You take care of yourself, or you will have both Nathan and me angry at you."

"I wouldn't want that." Shaya laughed as she waved and opened the door and frowned when she saw that no one was in the lounge. "Markie?"

"In the bath." He replied calmly.

"Nathan still here?"

"He left a few moments ago." He replied she could hear him moving about in the water. "Is everything okay?" He asked as she heard water dripping, she guessed that he was getting out of the bath. "Can I use this robe?"

"Go for it." She replied as she removed her shawl, noting that breakfast had been cleared away. "Everything is fine…he just wants me to take a few days off, to get some more rest."

"I admit that you didn't get a lot last night…surely that isn't enough to concern him?" Markie asked as he stepped out of the bathroom and joined her in the bedroom so he could dress.

"Last night wasn't the only late night I've had." She admitted slowly as she sat down on the edge of the bed and lay down against her pillows, feeling the exhaustion wash over her. "I've been talking to all the diplomats trying to get information on different things and we usually get side tracked until quiet late." She covered her mouth as she yawned. "And then my day starts all over again early in the morning."

"It sounds like you've earned a few days rest then." Markie commented as he moved around the bed and sat down beside her and stroked her raven hair that had fallen into her face. "Nathan is concerned that you are working to hard. Apparently everyone has been telling him how hard you've been working since he arrived." He smiled tenderly down at her.

"You could use a nap your self." She said to him as she saw there were still dark circles around his eyes. "You're still recovering."

"I was going to take one." He nodded slowly.

"There is plenty of bed." She offered quietly as her eyes started to drop closed. She felt him moved away and silently sighed to her self and then smiled as he climbed onto the bed from the other side and threw and arm around her waist so he was lying right beside her, she quickly fell asleep.


	5. Chapter 5

Chapter 5

Shaya moaned in protest as someone shook her shoulder, she didn't want to wake up. She had a bad night the night before being unable to sleep due to the babe kicking her in the ribs.

"Shaya you have to get up." Marcus said softly. "I know you want to sleep some more but Endymion will be landing in an hour."

"I thought he was arriving tomorrow." She mumbled, not opening her eyes, she was too tired to even make the effort.

"No, today." She heard him sigh. "Didn't you sleep well?"

"No." She breathed as she began to slip into sleep again. She faintly heard footsteps leaving her bedside.

She woke later to the sound of muted voices and slowly rose and dressed before exiting her room and saw that Endymion was talking to Markie over a meal.

She rubbed her eyes to get them to focus properly as she joined them and accepted the cup of tea that Markie handed her.

"I take it that I didn't want to get up this morning?" She asked sleepily.

"No you didn't." Markie shook his head. "But that was four hours ago."

"It's after lunch?" She asked in surprise.

"It is indeed." Endymion smiled. He hid his surprise at how large her stomach had gotten since he had last seen her, he quickly added up the months and realised that she was over six months.

She shook her head at how long she had slept, and then noticed that Markie was wearing his uniform once more so it covered the now pale scars on his arms. She knew that it wasn't just because his Prince had arrived that he had donned the uniform but to hide the scars.

"I've been told very thoroughly that you are to rest." Endymion said studying the dark circles that had appeared around her eyes. "And I am inclined agree. It looks like you haven't slept in a week."

"I have." She assured him with a faint smile as she took a seat and helped herself to the meal that was in front of them. "I just haven't been sleeping well that's all."

"Maybe you should return to Earth and I can send some one else to take over your job." Endymion offered.

"That won't be necessary." She shook her head. "As it is Parias and the palace healers have given me an enforced week off to rest. Today is my first day."

"Then I trust you will be following orders?" He raised an eyebrow at her.

"On another other day I wouldn't" She smiled slightly as she sipped a cup of tea.

"Well see that you do rest or I will have everyone at my door demanding why you aren't." Endymion glared at her for a moment, before he stood. "I have to go. Marcus will you be joining us for training in two hours?"

"I will be there." Marcus nodded and escorted Endymion out of the room. "How much sleep did you get?" He asked as he poured himself another cup of tea.

"Probably about six hours." She sighed as she finished her meal. "I'm going for a bath."

"I had it refilled for you a little while ago." Marcus nodded as she left the room. She stripped quickly and sunk down into the hot water, letting it relax muscles that she sometimes didn't even realise that she had.

"Do you think that anyone would mind if I came down to watch?" she called out as she washed herself.

"I doubt it." Marcus replied as he leaned against the door jam. "I think in some ways it would relieve a few people to see you out and about."

"Could you grab the pale ice blue dress for me?" She asked as she rinsed. She quickly hauled herself out of the bath and dried herself off, grumbling a little as Marcus helped her into the dress. "So how has Endymion done with out you for the last week?"

"Fine, wants me to head back with him when he goes."

"You should." She nodded as she put her long hair into a simple braid. "It will do you good to get back to work."

"You're probably right." He sighed as they both left their rooms through the garden door and took it slow walking to the training grounds.

She watched from a shaded bench as the guard and the princess's guard trained. She could see that things were strained as Marcus and Liam meet for the first time since their fight. But they didn't let it interfere with their training, bar the few glares they threw at each other.

She spoke quietly with Mars and Jupiter while Endymion spoke with the full guard, from the look on his face she knew that he wasn't happy with their performance, as it had been less then a hundred percent…it had been closer to sixty on an ice field.

"You know I've heard of the cold shoulder but that is just taking it a little too far." Jupiter murmured.

"I did notice that things are strained between Lord Marcus and Lord Liam." Mars replied watching them closely. "Does anyone know the cause?"

"It is being dealt with." Shaya assured her with a tired smile. "It is nothing that can't be fixed in a few days." _I hope_.

"I heard that the Prince and Princess were going to have to put off their wedding." Jupiter said after a few moments had gone by.

"Oh? Why?" Shaya asked in surprise.

"It seems that something has come up on Earth and it is going to take months to clear up. The engagement contract is going to be signed though, with in the next few weeks." Mars replied. "You didn't know?"

"No." Shaya shook her head, ignoring a wave a dizziness that passed over her. "I have not had much contact with anyone from Earth since I arrived and no one has mentioned it to me."

"Are you alright?" Jupiter asked her in concern. "You've gone pale."

"It's nothing." Shaya shook off the feeling and gave her a small smile. "Just a little tired."

"Bull shit." Jupiter snorted and took up her elbow as Mars took up the other side. "You're not just a little tired you're exhausted, we'll take you back to your rooms while the men sort out their problems." With that they ignored any protests she made and escorted her to her rooms, at which point her body decided that it was close enough to the bedroom and shut down.

She woke when she felt an influx of energy and a hand on her forehead. She slowly opened her eyes as she realised that she was on her couch and Parias was the one with the hand on her forehead.

She opened her eyes slowly and saw that everyone including Liam was hovering nearby looking worried.

"What happened?" She asked groggily.

"You fainted." Parias told her softly. "I warned you that you needed plenty of rest, or your body would take matters into its own hands." He chided her.

"I have been resting." She protested.

"Not enough." Parias looked at her sternly. "You need at least eight hours sleep at night and possibly a nap or two during the day."

"You heard him, Shaya." Endymion said before she could protest again. "We don't partially like being frightened out of our wits."

"We felt you pass out." Nathan explained when she looked confused. "It is one of the few times that we have actually been able to sense you."

"Didn't mean to frighten everyone." She said quietly. "I just can't sleep at night, or at least not for long."

"Then why didn't you say something?" Parias demanded, glaring at her. "I would have given you some herbs to take to help you sleep." He sighed as she looked away from him. "If you gentlemen don't mind I would like a private word." He waited as they all left closing the door behind them. "Now what is the problem?"

"I can't use herbs." She said quietly not looking at him.

"Why not?" He raised an eyebrow.

"Because I have a reaction to them, they make me sick." She replied slowly looking at him. "That and I know that I am going to go in to labour soon."

"You still have at least a month to go." Parias shook his head.

"I know that, but I can feel the child, Parias it has already turned. I have maybe a week maybe two before I give birth." She watched as he placed his hands on her swollen stomach, his eyes going a little distant as his used his gift to see the child.

"You are right." He sighed. "Why didn't I see that?"

"Because he only just turned, it was a little after I saw you." She smiled slightly. "To tell you the truth I can not wait for him to be born, he is getting heavy."

"Yes but then you will have the sleepless nights of feeding and teething to look forward too." He chuckled. "Now I want you to rest for the rest of the day, even if you can't sleep."

"I will." She promised, relaxing against the pillows. "I don't think that I could go any where with every one so worried about me."

"They just don't want to lose you that is all." He smiled slightly and patted her hand. "I'll check on you tomorrow." He stood and left.

She shook her head at the fuss she must have caused and quickly drifted off to sleep.

Shaya stood at her garden door watching as the Earth began to rise. Marcus had left a week ago to return to his duties along with everyone else. But every one had been watching her carefully to make sure that she didn't exhaust herself again, which she had been very careful not to do again, as she didn't like having everyone's attention on her all the time.

She rested her hands on the small of her back to ease the pain that was caused by the child that she had been carrying for the last eight months. She took a deep breath as pain and discomfort flashed through her. She walked slowly to her comm. Unit and typed it Parias' code and waited for him to answer, hoping that he wasn't tending some one. She glanced at the clock. Or sleeping.

"Yes?" A sleep rumpled Parias appeared on her screen.

"Sorry to call so late, Parias but contractions have started." She gritted her teeth.

"I'll be there in a few moments." He promised as he disconnected.

She then called up Jupiter's line, who had insisted that she be present at the birth.

"Yes?" Shaya smiled as she saw that Jupiter was still wide awake.

"Talking to my brother?"

"Of course." Jupiter grinned. "What can I do for you?"

"My contractions have started; Parias is already on his way over."

"I'll be there in a few minutes."

Shaya shook her head as she sat down on the edge of the couch hoping that it wasn't going to be a false alarm.

Twelve exhausting hours later she gave birth to a boy that had his father's eyes and her hair.

"What are you going to call him?" Jupiter asked as she bathes the whimpering baby.

"Kishi." Shaya replied tiredly.

"Knight of the open." Parias smiled as he washed his hands. "A fitting name, considering what his parents do." He had already helped Shaya tidy up. "Will his father be coming to have a look at his son?"

"When he can be released from his duties." She nodded slowly. "The comm. is beeping again." She sighed.

"I'll get it." Jupiter offered as she handed the baby over to his mother and hurried out of the bedroom.

"Do they know that you went into labour?" Parias asked. "I know that most of them have links with Endymion but I'm not sure if you do."

"Only if something painful or unexpected happens." She shrugged. "I'm not sure if they know or not."

"Endymion and Guard are docking now." Jupiter told them as she entered the bedroom. "Nathan and Endymion sensed your pain and guessed what had happened so they finished up what they were doing as fast as they could to come and see you."

"I didn't expect them to come so soon." She blinked in surprise.

"I think that after everything that you have been through over the last year they just want to make sure that everything is fine and you are okay." Jupiter smiled at her. "From what Endymion told me, Nathan demanded to be able to come up and see you. And if he wasn't going to get permission then he was going to go anyway."

"Yep that sounds like my brother in mother hen mode." Shaya chuckled, moaning a little as her muscles protested movement.


	6. Chapter 6

Chapter 6

Shaya sighed tiredly as she slowly exited the nursery. She had been up all night with Kishi, who at six months was teething. On top of that she had a rather nasty fight with Marcus.

He wanted her to get a transfer back to earth so he could see his son when ever he wanted and she didn't want to leave the moon, for a number of reasons, the foremost was that there was no one to take over for her if she did return to earth.

"Come in." She called out softly as she slumped down on to the couch, rubbing her eyes tiredly. "Hey, Jupiter, What are you doing up this late?" She asked as her brother's fiancée slipped into the room.

"Nathan just called me…" She hesitated as she sat down beside her friend.

"What is so unusual about that? He is always calling you." She smiled tiredly.

"He said that there is a nasty rumour going about the royal courts about Marcus and Liam."

"What would it matter? I mean its over between them. It has been for the last six months." Shaya shrugged, then she saw how still Jupiter had gone. She stared at the woman who had become her close friend over the last fifteen months, her face going pale. "Are you telling me that Marcus has been lying to me?"

"From what Nathan said they are back together." Jupiter nodded slowly. "They seem to have worked everything out between them."

"Why didn't anyone tell me?" Tears spilled down her cheeks. It all suddenly made sense to her, why Marcus wanted Kishi back on Earth, why he was picking fights with her all the time and why he was being so distant. "How long?"

"I don't know, Shaya." Jupiter rested her hand on her shoulder. "Nathan said he didn't want to say anything until he was sure…"

"He could have at least told me." She dropped her head into her hands as her throat started to close. Jupiter held her tightly as she cried, fighting back her own tears at how heart broken Shaya sounded. She had finally gotten what she wanted. She had the man that she loved all to herself, sworn to her and only her, she had a son and she had friends. Now all she had left were her friends and her son. She only left when she was sure that Shaya was asleep.

Shaya paced the floor, her face calm, her eyes clear and her son chewing happily on a soft chew toy that Mercury had gotten for him.

"Ah, Shaya, what can I do for you?" Endymion asked as he appeared on the view screen.

"I want an annulment." She said flatly, staring at him, her hands folded neatly in front of her.

"An annulment for what?" Endymion frowned.

"Of my marriage. I want nothing else to do with Marcus."

"This is happening a little too fast for me Shaya. Would you please try explaining?" He requested with a sigh.

"First of all he has tried to get me removed from my position of envoy to the moon, he has tried to get my son sent down to earth with out my permission and lastly he is once again playing hide and seek." The last bit came out between clenched teeth. She knew that Endymion would know what she was talking about. "I will not put up with him trying to control my life, Endy. By these things that he is trying to do to me I can have a legal annulment."

"When did you hear about the seeking?" Endymion asked, his facing paling a little.

"Did you know?"

"I heard the rumours, but I confronted him and he said that they weren't true." He rubbed his temples, but his eyes had gone stormy.

"I heard about it a few days ago, through Jupiter." She took a slow deep breath closing her eyes, willing herself not to cry again. "He swore himself to me after their…disagreement, Nathan and Jupiter were witness." A tear slid down her cheek. "I feel like I am being torn in half, Endy." She sat down suddenly on the couch. "How can he do this too me? After everything that I have ever done for him?"

"I'll see what I can do, Shaya. But I don't think you will be able to get it annulled, at least not publicly." He promised.

"I don't care, just as long as he has no say over Kishi."

"He is the father, Shaya. He does have rights."

"He sent me orders to pack him up and send him down with in the day. Orders. Not a request, no hello, no may I see my son." She pulled a crumpled note from her pocket. "Lady Shaya, pack everything Kishi will need for a permanent stay on Earth your presence is not required." She quoted off the words. "If you do not obey I will take this matter to the Prince."

"Leave the matter with me and I'll see what I can do." Endy promised, beginning to look a little annoyed. "For now ignore the note, you and Kishi stay put and I'll get things sorted out here." With that his image disappeared from the screen.

"Excuse me, Lady Shaya, Lady Jupiter would like to remind you that you have a meeting with Lady Mars in half an hour." A page informed her as he slipped into the room.

"Thank you Teal." She nodded, she stood wiping away the few tears that she had shed and moved to the bathroom to wipe away all traces of the tears, picked up Kishi and a small bag full of things that he would need while she was in a meeting and left her quarters. Instead of heading for Jupiter's quarters she made for Parias' little chapel.

She slipped in quietly and spotted him lighting candles.

"Good afternoon, Shaya." He said with out turning. "What brings you to me today?" He asked as he turned with a smile on his lips.

"I need a favour." She smiled weakly in return. "I was wondering if you could watch Kishi for me while I am in meetings today."

"I thought Jupiter usually looked after him?"

"She does." She nodded. "But something has come up and I need you to watch him for me."

"I think that I can manage." He nodded in agreement.

"I will come for him in a few hours; everything that he needs is in this bag…" She said as Parias took Kishi from her arms and the bag. "Do me a favour and don't give him to anyone but me, even if they seem to have orders from me." He looked into her eyes for a moment and nodded. "I'll explain later." She promised as she kissed Kishi on the forehead and hurried out of the chapel.

Shaya sat in her rooms, a pile of notes and information in her hands. She was enjoying a quiet hour to herself so she could get some work done with out having to worry about Kishi, who was being looked after by Mars and Princess Serenity while they were discussing easy topics with the Queen.

She looked up at her view screen as it beeped urgently and turned a page as she answered it.

"Just what is the meaning of this?" Marcus roared as soon as he appeared on the screen, he was waving a piece of paper at her.

"Meaning of what?" She asked calmly as she made a few notes to the page she was reading, not looking up at him. "And do not yell at me Marcus, it wouldn't hurt for you to be civil to me for once."

"An Annulment?" He demanded slamming the paper down on his desk. "You have no justifications for annulling the marriage."

"Well as you can see I do. It seems that the King agrees with me." She replied still not looking up at him as she consulted her schedule. "Or you would not have received it."

"What is all this bullshit about?" He demanded angrily.

"Well let's start with you ordering me about with no reason what so ever." She answered him calmly as she turned to face him. "And end with you breaking your sworn vowels to me."

"I have not broken any vowels." He snarled.

"Oh and then I suppose that the rumours of you sleeping with Liam again are false? Even though I have eye witnesses?" She raised an eyebrow at him and watched as his face paled and panic entered his eyes. "I see that we understand each other very well. Do not try and order me around again Marcus, and do not try to take my son or you will regret it."

"He is my son too." He protested.

"Not any more." She shook her head. "With that annulment, you have no rights over him or me any more. Good day." She reached out and turned off the screen and lent back in her chair taking deep breaths to get her heart rate back under control.

"I didn't think that you were serious when you said that you would end your marriage." Parias commented in surprise as he stepped through her open door.

"I had cause." She shrugged as she turned back to papers. "What brings you out of your temple?" She asked as she made a note on her schedule that she should make time to see Mars in a few days.

"You invited me in for lunch." He smiled as she blinked and then glanced at the clock.

"I am sorry, I seem to be bogged down with more work then I remember getting." She sighed as she neatened the stack in front of her and then placed it to one side.

"How is Kishi?" He asked as a page carried in a tray overflowing with food and a good pot of tea.

"Still not sleeping properly, but he is sleeping a little longer now." She smiled as the page left and Parias poured out a mug of tea for them both. "Mars and the Princess are watching him right now, they insisted that I got some rest and then made off with him." She shook her head.

"Every one has noticed that you have been looking tired lately, to the point that Queen Serenity asked me if you were ill." Parias told her with a small smile.

"It appears that every one is in on the conspiracy to make sure that I get at least a few hours on my own today." She smiled as she accepted the tea that he handed her. "And right now I appreciate it, between my sleeping habits and Kishi's I haven't been getting much sleep."

"My dear friend that much is obvious." He told her with a shake of his head. "For the last week it has looked like you are walking around with black eyes."

"Nothing so drastic." She chuckled as she sipped her tea and nibbled on a few slices of fruit. "I got a call from Endy this morning telling me to finish the reports for him and then I was to take a few weeks off, if I am lucky I just may get a few days of that time."

"Then may I make a suggestion for the day. As Kishi is being looked after for the next few hours, I suggest a nice stroll around the gardens, followed by relaxing meditation in the temple followed by a hot soothing bath and then an early night." Parias said it in a form of suggestion but it also had a hint of command.

"And do I get the company of a gentleman who has been my constant friend no matter what?" She asked with a determined smile.

"If that is your wish." He nodded with a smile; she could see in his eyes that he was pleased that she had asked him to accompany her.


	7. Chapter 7

Chapter 7

Shaya walked through the halls with a ten month old Kishi on her hip. She smiled softly to herself as she listened to him gurgle and speak in his own little language.

She had just picked him up from the day care that she had placed him in four months ago when thing around the palace got a little hectic and no one had time to watch him for her.

She stepped in to her room and set him down in a play pen that Mercury and Jupiter had given her a few months ago when Kishi had started to crawl. She took a seat at her desk reading through the letters that had arrived while she was in meetings.

"Come" She called out as some one knocked on her door. She smiled slightly to herself as she found a dinner invitation from Parias. She looked up as she heard heavy foot steps enter and not the ones that she usually heard when a page entered. "Nathan!" She exclaimed as she stood up and hurried forward giving him a hug. "Why didn't you tell me that you were coming?" She demanded kissing him on each cheek.

"Because it was a surprise." He smiled at her before moving to the play pen to look over his nephew. "I can't believe how much he has grown."

"Five months will do that to a baby." She told him with a smile as she sat back down. "So what brings you up here? Or is it a surprise for Jupiter?"

"Mainly that." He smiled faintly.

"What's the matter?" She asked gesturing for him to take a seat. "You seem distracted."

"Oh it's Marcus and Liam they are making ripples through court." He sighed.

"But they were the best well known secret." She raised an eyebrow. "So why is everyone reacting now?"

"Because his family found out about it and are kicking up a storm at him, asking him if this was the reason you annulled the marriage."

"Which was true." She sighed. "It never would have gotten out of hand if everyone parents had left matters alone."

"That was only after he swore to you that it was over and that he loved only you." Nathan pointed out to her. "Father has been getting proposals since the annulment; it seems that now that you are an Envoy you are worth marrying." He snorted.

"He isn't planning on marrying me off again is he?" She asked worried.

"No, this time it is your own choice whether you marry or not." Nathan shook his head.

"Well that is a small relief."

"A dinner invite?" Nathan asked with a raised eyebrow, catching sight of it in front of her. "Shaya are you being courted?"

"I think I am yes." She smiled serenely as she stood, picking up the invite so he would have a chance to see who had sent the invite.

"By who?" He asked.

"A lady has to have a few secrets brother dear." She smiled at him as she made her way to her room and changed her rumpled blue gown for a pale ice blue.

"You know around here that secrets don't stay secrets for long." He pointed out to her as she came out of her room.

"Yes, but there are secrets that every one knows about and secrets that no one knows about." She reminded him with a chuckle as some one tapped on her door. "Come." She turned as Mercury came into the room. "Thank you for offering to take Kishi for the night."

"It is no bother." Mercury smiled as she picked up Kishi and handed him a new toy. "You know that I am always available to look after him for you."

"I appreciate it." Shaya smiled. "Well I am off; I'll pick Kishi up in the morning."

"Mercury do you know where I can find Jupiter."

"In her quarters."

Shaya left and headed over to the temple.

Shaya sighed rubbing her temples as she left a meeting with Mars and the Prince of Saturn. It had been another meeting that had turned into an argument over the way that the Princess treated her people. The thing that made it all the more annoying was that he was agreeing with her at every point that she made but insisted that there was nothing that could be done at this point in time. It was always at this point that the meeting went down hill and voices started to rise, as everyone was stressed and frustrated at the fact that the talks for information and possible help were going no where.

She shouldered her door open and smiled as Kishi squealed in delight that she was back and tottered towards her, arms held up high. She laughed and picked him up, spinning him around once before settling him on her hip.

"And did you behave yourself for Jupiter?" She asked as she kissed his forehead and Jupiter stood up from where she was sitting on the floor.

"He behaved himself." Jupiter chuckled as she scooped up a file from the table before striding for the door. "He must have been in a bad mood when Mercury watched him yesterday."

"He didn't sleep well, that's all." Shaya shook her head. "It's not easy teething is it sweet heart?" She asked her son as he giggled. "Did you find out anything about the newest rumour that is going around?" Shaya asked as Jupiter paused at the door.

"Oh that, yeah." Jupiter nodded. "Endymion is coming up for a few days; I got that straight from the Princess."

"Great, that means I have to play polite when Marcus is around." She sighed, her shoulders dropping a little.

"It shouldn't be so bad." Jupiter tried to console her with a small smile. "Every other time they have come he ignores you."

"That doesn't make it any easier." Shaya shook her head as she set Kishi down and made her way to her desk, looking over the messages that had been delivered while she was away.

"On the upside Nathan told me that he was coming up early." Jupiter's face clouded a little.

"Is something the matter?" Shaya asked catching the look.

"He has seemed a little distant lately. Has he said anything to you?" She asked looking a little concerned.

"No, not a thing." Shaya shook her head. "Maybe when he gets here he will bring it up, or you could." Shaya suggested, while wondering why Nathan hadn't seen Jupiter yesterday when he had arrived.

"Well, I'll see you later; let me know if you need me to look after Kishi tonight." Jupiter shrugged as she hurried out of the door, before Shaya could say anything else.

She looked up as her door opened again and her page hurried into the room with a tray full of food for lunch.

"Teal, do you know where Lord Nathan is at the moment?" She asked as she poured herself a cup of tea as she took a seat.

"In his quarters, my lady, I swung by to see if he wanted to join you for lunch but he's hung a do not disturb sign on his door." Teal nodded as he off loaded the tray.

"I want no interruptions this after noon Teal, unless it is an emergency" She told him.

"Yes, my lady. Parias did say he would try to join you for lunch again today though." He added before scampering out of her rooms.

"I honestly think that he maybe the only one that actually knows what is going on between me and Parias." She said quietly to her son as she picked him up and set him down on her lap and fed him his lunch while picking at her own.

"Besides Jupiter you mean?" Parias said as he walked into the room with a smile and took a seat beside her and poured them both a cup of tea.

"Yes, besides Jupiter." She chuckled. "It seems that she learns everything eventually. Though I think that the Queen is starting to hear rumours, she asked me yesterday if I was being courted."

"And what did you say?" He asked with a twinkle in his eye.

"I told her that I was but that was all she was going to get from me, and I left her trying to puzzle out whom."

"It isn't going to take long for her to figure it out you know." He pointed out to her as he helped himself to the food while Shaya cleaned her son's face.

"I know that." She sighed. "I also know that my group isn't going to take it too well. Endymion might, so might Nathan but the others?" She shook her head.

"Would they really think less of you because of me?" He asked with a concerned look in his eyes.

"No, they actually all feel really sorry for me because of what Marcus put me through, but they might think that I am rushing into things." She chuckled a little. "I some times think that they all have no concept of time, Nathan is always surprised at how much Kishi has grown every time he sees him, even though it is months between visits." She kissed Kishi on top of his head. "Some times none of them want to see how much I have grown up; they have all known me since I was a little girl"

"Friends and people who care about you rarely do want to see how much you have changed so you can deal with the position you have been placed in." He nodded in agreement.

"In other words it is a change that we've had to make to survive this world of diplomacy and politics." She chuckled as she set Kishi down as he squirmed in her lap and watched as he tottered off towards his play pen.

"Exactly, that is exactly what I mean." He grinned at her. "Everyone of any stature has had to learn to live this way when they are dealing with the high born and ambassadors. After awhile it becomes habit, one that we can no longer break, even with those we love and have sworn that we will never lie to until it becomes necessary to do so to make sure that they never find out how much we have changed."

"I don't think that any one that I know would admit that to any one let alone themselves." She looked at him thoughtfully, leaning back in her chair.

"It is apart of whom I am, my dear." He smiled lovingly at her. "I am after all a clerk of religion, I am a healer and being those things means that I must be honest with myself as well as everyone else that I make apart of my life."

"You humble me, Parias." She murmured as she looked down at her hands folded neatly in her lap. "I don't think that I have truly been honest with anyone for that last two years…bar you." She looked up at him, her eyes welling with tears.

"That is apart of whom you have had to become my dear lady. You are after all an ambassador from your kingdom. I think," He grinned at her. "That if you were truly honest with the diplomats that you have to deal with then I fear

that a lot of treaties would have collapsed."

"All too true, I must admit." She nodded with a pearl of laughter. "Especially when it comes to dealing with the diplomats from Mars, they are all so stiff and formal." She chuckled. "I must admit that the only person I can be honest with when working is Mars and Prince of Saturn."

"I've heard that some of those meetings get rather heated." He commented with a sly grin. "No pun intended to Mars."

"Yes they can get a little heated, mainly because we are so honest with each other." She shook her head chuckling under her breath.

"Is that truly wise? Especially since it is rumoured that he is involved with the rebellion on Saturn and his own sister wants to kill him." He asked with a frown.

"Because we both know what things are like on Saturn and how the people are treated, what makes us so heated is the fact that we both know there isn't much that we can do about the situation." She shook her head with a sigh and looked up as Teal stepped into the room. "Yes, is there something you wanted Teal?" She asked a little annoyed with the disruption especially when she had asked him for no interruptions.

"I'm very sorry my Lady. Your brother insisted that it was an urgent matter." Teal apologised. "He is waiting outside."

"Ask him what is so important that he must interrupt my rest." She demanded annoyed that her brother would intrude on her rest and her privacy. She watched frowning as Teal scurried out of her quarters.

"Rest? I didn't think that you ever rested." Parias asked with a raised eyebrow.

"Endymion has given me a week off diplomacy work, and I do not intend to play diplomat for my brother." She glared at the closed door and could hear arguing through the door.

"Play diplomacy, Shaya do you know something that I don't, though I must admit that you know a lot that I do not." Parias asked looking slightly worried.

"I hope to the heavens that I am wrong." She looked at Parias, "please don't be offended but could you please take Kishi into his room and wait for me?" She asked looking at the door with a worried frown.

"No offence taken my lady, I'm always your to command." He stood up and headed for the child's room, scooping him up as he went past. The door closed just as her double doors flung open and Nathan stormed into the room looking like a thunder cloud and Teal looking pale.

"My Lord, please don't interrupt…" He called after Nathan.

"Thank you Teal, clear up lunch and you are dismissed until dinner." Shaya told her page calmly, giving him a look that told him that he was not in trouble. She waited patiently until he left before she turned to glare at her brother. "How dare you barge in here, especially with no respect for my privacy?" She snarled at him, standing ridged with anger.

"I needed to speak to you now." He replied calmly, but his eyes narrowed in surprise at her anger, he had never seen her so anger at him.

"What was so important that it could not wait until dinner?" She demanded.

"The King has made a decision Shaya. The Royal guard can not marry at all." He turned to stare out of her garden windows. "The Ladies are going to need your support when they are told of this news and it will be announced today, through Queen Serenity."

"Then you must speak to Jupiter before she hears it from another, Nathan." She urged. "She deserves to hear it from the man that she loves, not from the Queen."

"I can not." He shook his head. "I must leave, now. I have been ordered to return at once, only to return with Endymion when he comes in a few weeks."

"Nathan, don't do this, after everything you two have shared she needs to hear it from you." Shaya repeated as she stepped towards him and pulled back as he spun around sharply startling her.

"I dare not; I dare not demean myself in her eyes by crying in front of her." He shook his head again, tears welling in his eyes.

"At least then she will know that you care." Shaya pointed out, trying to make him see the point that she was trying to make.

"Give this to her for me." He handed her a sealed note.

"So you make me your bearer of bad news." She looked at him with a look of disgust in her eyes.

"I wish that it was that easy." He whispered quietly before he stormed out of her rooms.

"Nathan!" She yelled after him, running to her open doors but he was no where in the halls when she reached them. "You fool, you poor blind fool." She whispered under her breath as tears welled in her eyes.

"Shaya?" She turned to see Parias standing in the lounge holding Kishi in his arms.

"I must go; will you watch Kishi for me?" She asked as she hurried back to the table and slipped her shoes on.

"Of course, will you warn all of the Ladies?"

"I must, it would be unseemly for them to disgrace themselves in front of the Queen, even though she would understand." She slipped the letter into her pocket and hurried out the door and straight to Jupiter's quarters. She was a little surprised that all the girls had gathered including the princess, they were sitting around an angry looking Jupiter.

"I just heard that Lord Nathan just left." She looked up at Shaya with pure anger in her eyes. "And that he saw only you."

"He did see me, yes." Shaya nodded, hesitating at the door way before entering and closing the door behind her and stood in front of them all. "He came here with a warning of what will be coming in a few hours time."

"What?" Mercury asked with a frown.

"A declaration from the King of Earth." She handed the note to Jupiter and waited.

"What was the warning?" Mars demanded as she saw the tears well and stream down Jupiter's face.

"The Royal Guard of Earth will not be allowed to marry." She told them quietly as she took a seat.

"What? Why?" Venus demanded her face pale as she slung an arm around Jupiter's shoulders as they shook as she continued to read.

"I fear that it is because of what happened between Marcus and me." She said as her shoulders slumped. "It caused a fracture in the guard when I annulled the marriage and it has only just begun to heal. The guard can not afford a distraction of quarrelling with in the ranks, so they are forbidden to marry for as long as Endymion's father is on the throne, I'm sure that Endymion will change that ruling when he assumes the throne."

"But you can not be sure of that." Mercury whispered her face white as a tear ran down her cheek.

"It won't happen." Jupiter spoke up, her voice choked up with tears.

"What do you mean? That's the impression that Nathan gave me." Shaya asked in a worried tone.

"He says in his letter that this rule can not be changed." She looked up at Shaya. "I do not know to be relieved or heartbroken."

"What are you all saying?" She asked as she saw Mars and Jupiter look down at their shoes, their faces flushing in embarrassment and shame.

"Don't get us wrong, we do love them but…" Mars broke off looking away from Shaya.

"They have hardly been around for the last year or more, we hardly know them anymore." Jupiter continued, wiping tears from her eyes. "I guess you could say that for some time our affections have been fading. That was the reason that I wanted to see Nathan, to tell him that I could not go through with the engagement. Not with my heart in such a conflict."

"Then it is partly my own fault." Shaya sighed. "I knew that he had arrived last night, but he told me that he was coming to see you and wanted it to be a surprise."

"It is going to be hard for them to hear that we are seeing some one else if we do see others shortly after the announcement." Mars commented clasping her hands in front of her.

"The court is also going to be shocked when they hear the news, after all you have all been engaged to them for the last few years and to hear that it has been broken off when they've all been told that the marriage will happen next year, shortly after Endymion's and Serenity's." Shaya pointed out shaking her head. "I think that His majesty is just setting himself up for more trouble and not just from his court, but from this one as well. Everyone is going to want to know why."

"Not just that but the others being trained as Royal Guard are going to start thinking twice about volunteering." Venus added, taking Mar's hand in her own.

"The ranks are going to be halved." Shaya nodded in agreement.

"Where does that leave you though?" Serenity asked, speaking up for the first time. "I know that you are apart if Endy's Guard."

"You are?" Jupiter looked startled at that revelation.

"It is not commonly known." Shaya shrugged. "It is not official; I'm just a fifth hand that does the scouting and bring them information." She shook her head. "But I will be contacting Endymion to see if this includes me, I hope to the heavens that it does not." She looked out the window in concern.

"Oh? Are you being courted?" Jupiter asked in delight, even though she knew that she was and who it was. Shaya could see that she was laughing on the inside that the others had no clue at what was going on right under their noses.

"I am, yes." Shaya nodded. "We've kept it quiet because of my position and my relations to Nathan."

"How so?" Serenity asked her head tilted a little.

"My father wants me to marry high or at least equal rank to that, which I hold. My suitor is lower class."

"You must be doing well if we have not heard of it." Venus giggled.

"Why thank you." Shaya laughed. "Now, the Queen will probably summon you all to tell you this news but I thought that it would be best that you all heard it from me first, so it will not be so much of a shock and it will give you all time to answer questions that she will no doubt ask you all." Shaya continued returning to the subject.

"Yes that would be a good idea." Jupiter nodded, standing. "We should all clean up and be ready for the summons. Shaya do you think that you will be summoned too?"

"I don't know but I should be in my quarters if she does." Shaya shrugged as she stood up.

"Shaya…" She turned as Mars spoke up. "Thank you."

"You are welcome." She smiled. She knew that Mars didn't just mean for the warning but for understanding.

She walked back to her quarters deep in thought.

"How did it go?" Parias asked looking up from where he was helping Kishi build something with little blocks of wood.

"Better then I thought it would." She smiled as him as she joined him on the floor.

"Do you think that this ban will affect us?" He asked in a concerned voice as he wrapped an arm around her waist and kissed her cheek.

"I hope not, as I am not apart of the Guard. Not really, I am more an informer, a scout if you will." She smiled at him.

"I truly hope that this will not affect us, we've both been through too much just to give up now." He murmured as he lent forward and kissed her deeply.

"I'm sure that Nathan would have told me if it did affect us." She whispered as they broke the kiss.

"If he wasn't too distraught at thinking how Jupiter was going to take the news." He replied with a lopsided smile.

"True." She nodded in agreement. She looked up as her comm. Unit beeped; she stood up and stood in front of it before answering it. "Endymion." She smiled as his image came up on the screen.

"I tried to get father not to do it." He sighed, looking as if he hadn't slept in days. "He didn't want another fracture like we had a few months ago."

"I did realise that." She nodded slowly.

"Queen Serenity is telling the Ladies now, but I wanted to assure you that I made sure that father excluded you from his declaration. You deserve a little bit of happiness after everything that you have been through over the years." He smiled at her.

"Thank you, from the very bottom of my heart." She placed one hand over her heart and bowed her head a little so he knew that she was serious.

"There is one catch though. If this marriage doesn't work for you then you will be included into the declaration."

"Understood." She glanced behind her where Parias was playing with Kishi. "I don't think that I have any worries in that area."

"How did they take it? I figured that Nathan would warn you before he left." He asked in concern.

"Mixed reactions really." She hesitated to tell him.

"I'm not really all that surprised Shaya. They haven't been up there in five months; it was another five months before that since they were last up there." He shook his head. "Affections were bound to wonder." She saw him hesitate and smiled at him.

"Do not fear for your Serenity, Endy. She will always be true to you." She soothed his fears before he could speak them. "I do not know how Nathan is going to react when he hears that news though."

"Relieved that she will not be pining her heart away for him I suspect. Well it will be once he gets over the initial anger at being replaced." He shook his head.

"When will you be coming up? There is a ball in two months time." She inquired.

"We will be arriving a week before the ball, but don't bandy that around alright? Our plans are secret." He replied.

"I understand completely, but you do realise what that means don't you?"

"Yes, that every one will know by the end of the week." He sighed with a rueful shake of his head.

"Gossip travels faster then light; Endy you should know that by now." She chuckled.

"I do." He nodded and looked over his shoulder. "I have to go, I have a meeting to attend and don't forget my dear friend that you have this week to yourself."

"I haven't forgotten." She nodded with a grin. "I'll see you soon." She shook her head as the screen faded out and turned her attention back to Parias where he was grinning up at her from where he was sitting.

"A whole week?" He asked with a raised eyebrow.

"It better be. It took me long enough for me to arrange." She laughed as she sat back down beside him.


	8. Chapter 8

Chapter 8

Shaya walked slowly through the gardens, following the sounds of her son's laughter to find out just where he had headed off to when she had stopped to have a quick word with Jupiter and Mercury who were looking over a batch of flowers that had fallen ill.

"Kishi, where are you honey?" She called out when she still could see him, but she could hear him.

"In the maze, Shaya." Parias' voice called back, sounding slightly out of breath. "His in hyper mode and I can't catch him." Shaya laughed as she stepped into the maze and easily found her way to where Parias had stopped to catch his breath, a head of them they could hear Kishi's laughter. "I think he is chasing something, most of the time he comes when I call him." Parias added as he slowly stood up.

"What you doing Kishi?" They heard Venus asked with a chuckle. "You should be careful running around in here, you'll get bowled over."

"Chasing kitty" Kishi's young voice said gleefully. "When I catch, he chase me."

"Where is your mummy? Surely she is going to be worried about you?" Venus asked.

"Mummy here, Uncle Para too." Kishi replied before squealing and from the scuffling they heard took off full steam ahead.

"Shaya?" Venus called out laughing.

"I'm here, who is he chasing?" Shaya asked as they continued on through the mazing to where Venus was waiting for them.

"Artimus from the white blur I saw...but I have a feeling that some one else is involved in this game, I heard some one else laughing a few minutes ago." Venus replied with a shake of her head.

"How long until he is worn out do you think" Parias asked with a raised eyebrow.

"I don't know, I don't know what he had for breakfast, Jupiter had him last night." Shaya shrugged. "But from the way he is running around, I would say another hour or so." She raised an eyebrow at the chuckling Venus.

"Sorry, Uncle Para just sounds so...right." She continued chuckling as she waved and left them to find the run away boy.

"At this rate we are never going to get him cleaned up in time to meet Nathan at the docks." Shaya sighed as they continued on, walking a little bit faster as they heard Kishi yell.

"I still can't believe how fast he got a hold of running once he was walking." Parias said ruefully.

"He is just a little bundle of energy." Shaya agreed with a laugh. They both hurried through the maze when Kishi's laughing turned into tears. "Kishi?" Shaya called out as they came to a small garden in the middle of the maze and slowed down as they spotted Kishi in Prince of Saturn's lap being comforted and what looked like a hankie tied around his knee. "Hi Chris." Shaya smiled as she walked forward.

"Lady Shaya." Chris smiled as he wiped Kishi's tears away. "Little Kishi just took a little tumble, when he tried to catch Artimus."

"Poor Artimus must feel like a little hunted toy." Shaya chuckled as she picked up Kishi as he held his arms out for her.

"Oh I don't mind." A male voice came from under the bench Chris was sitting on. "We were having fun until he tripped."

"Kitty fun." Kishi declared with a laugh, his tears forgotten and wiggled out of his mother's arms and sat down on the ground and patted Artimis as the white cat came out from under the bench to make sure that the boy wasn't too badly hurt. "Black kitty not as much fun." Kishi added looking up at the adults. "She doesn't like playing with me."

"She just doesn't like being chased that's all, honey." Shaya replied with a chuckle. "We have to go Kishi and get cleaned up for your Uncles' arrival. They will be here soon."

"Can't I play for a bit more?" Kishi begged his ice blue eyes pleading with her.

"No honey, they will be docking with in the hour and you know how long it takes for us to get ready." Shaya shook her head. "You can play later." She promised as she scooped him up and kissed his cheek.

"Bye bye." Kishi waved as they headed back the way they had come.

"Have you spoken to your father yet?" Parias asked as they left the maze and headed for her quarters.

"Last night." She nodded and pulled a face. "He wasn't exactly thrilled but accepted my choice. He said he would sign the contract and send it up with Nathan, once I've made sure that it is all signed I'll get Serenity to announce it at the ball." They paused at her door. "That is if you don't mind."

"Not at all, it just means that we can stop hiding in the shadows." He chuckled and kissed her cheek. "I have an appointment that I have to get too, so I'll see you at the ball."

"I'll be there." She smiled as she opened the door and shook her head as Kishi slipped out of her arms and ran into the room, pretending that he was a ship. She chased him into the bathroom and got them both cleaned up and dressed and was in the middle of putting on his shoes when she heard some one knocking. "Enter" She called out without turning around as she got the second shoe on Kishi's feet and stood up. "Yes Teal?"

"Their ship is about to dock."

"Thank you. Come on Kishi, let's surprise everyone at how much you have grown over the last two months." She chuckled as her son grinned back at her and slipped off the couch heading for the door. She ignored the looks she got from other nobles as she chased her son down the halls that lead to the docks and scooped him up just as they reached Princess Serenity and her guards, all of them laughing as Kishi crowed at being tossed in the air and caught again. "Now stand still and behave for mummy and your Aunts until the ship is docked, then you can bowl over Uncle Nathan." Shaya told him quietly as she straightened both their clothes and hair.

"He's here." Serena breathed as the ship docked and the ramp was lowered. The five slowly disembarked with Endymion in front. Endymion was wearing a grin at the sight of his welcoming committee.

"Now?" Kishi asked tugging at her dress.

"Yes, go on, break formality." Shaya chuckled and gave him a little push forward and watched as he raced forward, zipping past a startled Endymion.

"Uncle Nat, Uncle Nat." He yelled as Nathan laughed and dipped to pick him up and spun him around in the air a few times. He kissed Nathan's cheek and then looked around at the others and his face brightened at the sight of Marcus. "Papa!" He crowed holding his arms out for a very startled Marcus as the others laughed as he took his son from his friend and gave him a hug and ruffled his hair.

"I would say from the look on Marcus' face he didn't expect to be recognised." Jupiter commented to Shaya.

"I know he didn't. But he is the boy's father." Shaya smiled. "I never kept that from Kishi, and Nathan knows that too, look at his grin." She pointed out to Jupiter. They all saw Nathan say something to Marcus who nodded slowly before looking in her direction. "Sorry Endymion." Shaya apologised with a chuckle as he finished greeting Serena and turned to give her a hug. "I didn't mean to interrupt your grand entrance but he has been hyper all day."

"That's fine, Shaya." He laughed. "It broke the formality and tension, it's just what we all needed." He assured her with a peck on the cheek. "Now go greet your brother."

"Spoil sport." She winked at him with a chuckle before moving forward and giving Nathan a hug that he was waiting for.

"I believe this is for you." He said as he pecked her on the cheek and handed over a small file. "Father sealed it so I couldn't peek." He added as she took it and took a slow breath. "So what is it?" He asked nudging her shoulder.

"You'll find out later." She told him with a smile. She turned as a bell sounded in the distance. "Oh bother, who has Kishi for this afternoon?" She asked looking at the girls.

"I do" Jupiter held up her hand a little. "We were going to take him to the gardens."

"Can I chase Kitty?" Kishi asked perking up a little still in his father's arms, looking at Jupiter with an eager look on his face.

"Kitty?" Jupiter asked with a small frown.

"He means Atrimis." Venus said chuckling. "They play through the maze, when one catches the other they change over."

"If Artimis is free and not too tired from this morning." Shaya relied with a nod. "Just try not to get too dirty." She told him before waving to them all and hurrying off towards the Queen's quarters. "Are you terribly busy, Serenity?" She asked as she tapped on the open study door.

"I think I can spare you a few moments." Serenity looked up from the few papers that she was looking over. "What do you need?" She asked.

"This is more a formality then a need for your permission really." Shaya spoke quietly as she walked up to the desk and handed Serenity the sealed papers.

"This here says it is for you." Serenity said looking up at her.

"I know, I know what it is, my father sent it up with Nathan, but I thought that you might want to know." Shaya nodded as Serenity broke the seal and looked over the paperwork with a faint smile tugging at the edge of her lips.

"You are sure about this? Are you sure that you want to marry Parias?" She asked picking up her pen, to sign as witness and as Queen as Parias was one of her subjects.

"With all my heart." Shaya nodded. "We've been courting for the last few months, while I have been trying to talk my father around."

"And what about the decree that King George did up six months ago?" Serenity asked with a raised eyebrow.

"I was not included. Endymion and the guard made sure of that, even King George had to agree that I needed the chance to find a little bit of happiness after everything that has happened over the last eighteen months." Shaya explained.

"Well I for one am glad that you have found some one that will make you happy." Serenity declared with a smile as she signed. "When would you like to announce it?" She asked as she handed it back to Shaya.

"Tonight at the ball if you wouldn't mind announcing it." Shaya inquired.

"Not at all." She nodded. "Does Endymion and the others know?"

"Only a few people know." Shaya shook her head. "I would like it to be a surprise."

"Even from Marcus?" She asked looking a little dubious.

"He told me last month that he wished me all the happiness in the world, since he screwed up my life once already, and would be glad to see me move on." Shaya told her with a small smile. "I knew that he wasn't just saying it, he really meant it."

"Well you have a few hours left to tell Parias and to get ready for the ball." Serenity nodded as she reminded her.

"Thank you." Shaya bowed slightly and left the study, looking for a page as she moved. "Teal!" She called as she recognised her page. "Do me a favour?"

"Sure." He nodded.

"Go to the temple and inform Parias that everything has been arranged for tonight."

"On it." He nodded. "Oh Lord Nathan was looking for you too, he said that he would be in the maze if you could spare him some time to talk."

"Right, thank you." She nodded as he scampered off. As she headed for the gardens she mentally ran through her schedule to see if she had any meetings left that she had to attend to, but as the ball was only a few hours away, many people had just cancelled their appointments for the day. She made her way slowly through the maze, smiling as she heard her son's laughter, along with Jupiter's, Chris', Mars' and some one that sounded slightly familiar. _It could be Prince Sol, Jupiter told me that she had been spending a lot of time with him lately...and the way she made that sound, it could be that they are courting. _She thought as she spotted Nathan who was admiring a hedge that had been sculpted to look like a dragon in flight. "You wanted to speak with me?" She asked getting his attention.

"I had a few questions some of which have been answered already. Plus I wanted to spend some time with you, it's not often that we come up here." He replied with a smile.

"That is very true, not nearly as often as we used to come here." She smiled as he took her arm and together they began to stroll through the maze.

"Are you going to tell me what was in that letter that Father sent for you? Because he was annoyed as hell when you first called, he scowled at everybody for hours, he even kicked Grumpy the dog." Nathan told her as they moved to one side as a group of pages ran passed. "Eventually he calmed down and then sent that letter to me and told me to give it to you and said not to bother him again with so many calls."

Shaya chuckled and gave his hand a squeeze. "You will find out later what was in the letter, I'll tell you about it some time, all you have to do is be patient. Just like your stars." She told him with a grin.

"I was going to ask you how the ladies were doing but they all seem to be recovering nicely, to the point they are courting." He told her with a soft smile. "I am just glad that they aren't crying their hearts out...but I saw in the stars that they would be okay."

"It was still hard on them, Nate." She told him with a stern look. "It's just that they really couldn't cry their hearts out over some one that they only go to see twice a year if that."

"I know, but the King has been keeping us all busy at home with fripperies and pointless balls and meetings that just waste time..." Nathan sighed. "You of all people know that he wasn't happy when he found out that all the guard had women up here, Endymion he could handle, it was his place to find a bride and fall in love...not necessarily in that order mind you. So he came up with reasons to keep us at home, it wasn't until Endymion caught on to what he was doing last month and blew his temper right off the leash that he relented enough to let us come at all."

"I had no idea that he was so against Lunarian marriages." She sighed with a sad shake of her head. "I know that he doesn't like Queen Serenity much but they do get along...most of the time." She amended.

"You speak of the Lunarian people as if you are one of them." He commented softly.

"Aren't I?" She asked with a raised eyebrow. "I have gone months with out reply to my inquiries about some treaties that I have been working on and King George always seem surprised to see me when I call him to remind him about them. I have been here for nearly two years and not once have I been asked to come home and report in like I used to be. I get more concerned calls from Serenity and her people then I do from home." She shrugged. "Serenity told me last week that if I am here for another two weeks then I become a citizen because I have been here constantly and haven't left at all for two years." She took a slow breath taking in the smell of the flowers that were in this section of the maze. "I actually feel like I belong here now, to think about home, I think of here not back on earth. I have spent most of my life out in space not planet bound."

"Hearing you say all this...it actually makes me wonder just how much pressure and hopes we put on you at such a young age." Nathan spoke quietly looking up at the sky.

"Oh please, Nathan." She smiled at him. "I did my duty and it was my honour, it's just that Earth doesn't need my services much these days and for that I am grateful." She laughed as Kishi and Artimis ran around them twice before disappear back up the path. "I am happy here, Kishi is happy here. Isn't that is important?" She asked with a raised eyebrow.

"That is what is important, yes." He smiled at her as they entered the clearing with Mars, Jupiter, Chris and if Shaya wasn't mistaken Sol. "Good afternoon, Ladies, Lords." He bowed slightly in greeting, appearing a little stiff.

"So formal, Lord Nathan?" Mars inquired with a raised eyebrow.

"I believe that you caught him off guard." Shaya replied with a small chuckle. "We were discussing another matter and weren't paying attention." She hid a smile as both Chris and Jupiter raised an eyebrow at her, both knew that it was only partly true.

"Mama, Mama!" Kishi yelled at the top of his voice as he joined them in the clearing and launched himself into her open arms laughing. "Uncle Para looking for you" He informed her loudly and happily.

"Thank you darling." She chuckled as she kissed his cheek. "Do you know where he is?"

"He is near the middle of the maze some where." Kishi replied looking around. "Any one seen Kitty? He disappeared during out last lap."

"We haven't seen him sweet heart, maybe he had to go on short notice." Jupiter replied.

"He always tells me when he got to go." Kishi shook his head stubbornly.

"Have you tried calling for him? Maybe he is hiding?" Chris suggested. "I'll help you look if you like." He offered.

"Really?" Kishi's face brightened.

"Really." Chris nodded. "Come on, we'll start looking where you lost him." He picked him out of Shaya's arms and carried him off towards the exit.

"I should go and see what Uncle Para wants." She said glancing at Nathan. "I'll see you at the ball." She said before hurrying deeper into the maze. "Parias?" She called out as she reached the centre and didn't spot him right away.

"Kishi found you then." Parias chuckled as he stood up from where he appeared to be tending a plant. "Look what I found?" He held up a dirty and tired looking Artimis. "He was stuck in the hedge." He smothered a laugh.

"The things I do to keep Kishi entertained." Artimis sighed looking worn out.

"He is looking for you towards the entrance. Chris is with him." Shaya told him with a smile. "Just tell him you would like a break, maybe get some lunch."

"Think he will calm down for a little while?" Artimis asked looking hopeful.

"He will for food, he may even nod off if you keep lunch quiet." Shaya nodded.

"Thanks I'll try that." Artimis nodded and ran off towards the entrance.

"Think it will work?" Parias asked with a raised eyebrow.

"It might, he has been running around since just after Earth rise, he should be slowing down soon." Shaya nodded.

"So your father actually signed the papers?" He asked as if not believing it.

"He did, Serenity is going to announce it at the ball." Shaya nodded with a happy smiled and laughed as he picked her up and spun her around before kissing her deeply.

"I just wish my own family could be here to see what a lucky man I am." He chuckled as he set her back down on her feet. "Do your friends know?"

"I haven't told them, I want it to be a surprise." She shook her head. "I was thinking about telling Markie though, he does deserve to hear it from me."

"He doesn't actually but it shows that you hold no bad feeling towards him if you do rather then landing it on him." Parias replied with a small smile. "I know that he is in the training grounds at the moment on his own if you want to talk to him privately. Apparently he has been there since they arrived this morning and was greeted by Kishi."

"I guess it is about time we talked." She nodded slowly. "Say where is Liam?"

"He was last seen going to his quarters." Parias shrugged. "Apparently he looked a little worried." He kissed her cheek. "Go and talk to Markie, I'll see you at the ball if I don't see you before hand."

"Thanks Parias." She gave him a quick kiss before hurrying out of the maze, bypassing everyone easily thanks to her training and made her way to the training grounds. She paused at the entrance as she spotted Markie talking to Endymion, she hesitated interrupting them when Endymion glanced up and spotted her. She caught his near invisible gesture to wait just a moment and continued speaking before clapping Markie on the shoulder and heading towards her.

"I'll catch up with you later, Shaya." He said before he hurried off towards the palace.

"Shaya?" Markie looked up looking a little surprised to see her. "I wasn't expecting to see you."

"Did you really think that I was still mad at you?" She asked with a raised eyebrow. "I would have thought after our last conversation you would have gotten the hint that I wasn't." She added as she walked towards him and sat down on the bench as he oiled his sword.

"Yeah I did get that feeling, but I thought maybe it was just wishful thinking." He shrugged. "I was a little surprised that you told Kishi about me, though."

"Oh please Markie. You are his father, he has the right to know that." She replied with a sigh. "You could have made some sort of effort to see him..." She held out her hand before he could reply. "Wait please...this isn't what I came here to talk to you about." She calmed herself with a slow breath.

"Then what did you want to talk about?" He asked setting his sword aside and gave her his undivided attention.

"Did you mean what you said last time we spoke?" She asked quietly.

"I did." He nodded.

"well...I wanted to tell you something before you heard it from anyone else." She hesitated a moment. "I'm engaged to be married, it's being announced tonight at the ball."

"I'm happy for you." He smiled, she was surprised to see that it reached his eyes. "I really am...I had worried that I had hurt you too much to be able to move on."

"You did...but some times you can only cry for so long over something before you get tired of feeling miserable and crying."

"I think I learnt that one myself." He chuckled quietly in understanding. "So who is the lucky fellow?"

"Parias" She replied with a smile.

"The healing clerk?" He asked in surprise and smiled. "I bet your father hit the roof when you told him about it."

"I heard that he kicked his prise hunting dog." She grinned. "But he did finally agree."

"Does anyone else know?"

"Well Serenity knows, Jupiter knows that we are courting but I haven't told her that it is official." She replied with a chuckle.

"So you are just going to land it on everyone?" He asked before bursting into laughter. "Oh I can't wait to see everyone's faces."

"Neither can I, but I don't think Serena's court is going to be all that surprised, they all know that I have been courting some one."

"And you've managed to keep it a secret? For months? Wow that is amazing, I don't know of anyone's secret that last for more then three months." He replied with a shake of his head.

"Yes but that was a part of my job, to keep secrets and to ferret them out." She reminded him with a chuckle. She stood up as she heard a young voice calling for her. "Yes Teal what is it?" She called out as he poked his head in the entrance.

"Princess Serenity and the Ladies are looking for you Lady Shaya. They say they have a surprise for you."

"Oh god." Shaya groaned as she headed towards the main palace where her quarters where. "I hope we can continue talking later, Markie." She said as she hurried off as Teal tugged her sleeve, implying that she should hurry. "What's the rush?" She asked as she stepped into Jupiter's rooms and spotted all the girls.

"We got you a present." Serena spoke up with a grin and gestured for Mars and Venus to step aside to reveal a beautifully made green and silver dress that would hang off her shoulders with out revealing too much flesh and didn't have too many layers so she could move easily, knowing that she wasn't used to layers upon layers of petticoats like they were. "I heard through the grapevine that there was something happening tonight so I thought it was about time that you had a new gown."

"What is happening tonight?" Venus asked looking surprised.

"You'll find out in an hour." Shaya replied with a laugh as she hugged them all. "Thank you, all of you..." She looked at them all. "Care to help me look my best?"

"But of course" They all replied with a laugh, as they all began moving around the room in a flurry of movement, helping each other to dress, do hair and place jewellery around necks and wrists.

"Oh who is watching Kishi?" Shaya asked in a panic as they finished.

"Don't worry, Artimis is watching him." Venus spoke up as she tied an orange ribbon in her hair.

They all looked up as a bell tolled.

"Time to go Ladies." Serena said as they all looked stood up and headed for the ball room and waited to be announced and for their dates to show up. Shaya smiled in greeting as Chris, Sol and Endymion appeared a few moments after they did, leaving her, Mercury and Venus with out dates. Shaya knew that Parias would be waiting for her inside, leaving Mercury and Venus on guard...just in case something happened.

They all stepped through the doors as they were all announced. Once she was through the doors she looked around casually for her love and spotted him slowly making his way to her with a smile and a little bow he took her arm and followed the others onto the dance floor.

"I like the dress." He told her softly as the couples started a slow dance to the music.

"It's a present from Serena and the girls." She replied with a little chuckle. "I think Serena knows what is going on and wanted to see me in something other then my ice blue and ruby red gown."

"And a special occasion calls for a new dress." Serena whispered to them bother as she and Endymion drifted past them.

"What special occasion?" Endymion asked with a raised eyebrow.

"May I have everyone's attention please" Queen Serenity called over the crowd as the music faded. "It is my pleasure to announce an up coming wedding. To two people who have served us well over the years and while not well known to many, have managed to inspire many of us to be more like them and enjoy life. The wedding will take place in one week from today. I formally announce the wedding of Lord Parias and Lady Shaya, may they both be happy and continue to enjoy their lives together."

Shaya and Parias both bowed to Serenity as she smiled at them both, though Parias seemed a little shocked at his new status. She glanced to either side of her and held back a laugh at the shocked faces of many of the nobles and the guard, though Markie and Liam were grinning like fools while Serena and Jupiter were trying hard not to laugh. While the rest of the guard, Endymion and the Senshi looked like they had been smacked over the head with a board.

"I told you, you would find out later." She chuckled to Nathan who only nodded dumbly.

"Congratulations Shaya." Endymion grinned at her with a laugh.

"Why thank you my prince" She replied with a grin of her own.

"It's about time that you started living your life the way you want it." Justin commented as he kissed her cheek and shook Parias's hand.

"Here, here." Marcus added with a nod to them both.

"And on with the Gala." Serenity announced and nodded to the musicians to start up again.

Shaya smiled as Endymion cut in on the dance and Parias's grin as he lead her easily across the floor. "Are you happy Shaya?" He asked on the second lap, as she saw the Ladies watching them, while they were dancing with their own partners. But her heart hurt a little for her fellow guards as she saw that they were all alone talking in a small group on the side lines.

"I am." She smiled up at him, she felt a faint blush stain her cheeks. "I have something that I have always wanted. I have a position to be proud of, I have a son that gives me more joy then I can express and I have the love of a man that understands me better then I understand myself some times."

"Sometimes it is good to have some one who knows us that well so they know what it is that we do not say." He commented with a smile.

"You sound like Parias, he is always saying things like that." She chuckled with a slight shake of her head. "And I under stand him better then I have ever understood anyone, even my brother." She added as the music wound down and he led her back to Parias's side.

"It is rare that people understand others as well as we know our selves, and even rarer that a person knows us better then we know our selves." Endymion told her quietly as they joined Parias.

"That is very rare I agree, My Lord." Parias commented as he took Shaya's hand that she held out to him. "I find it even rarer that some one would recognise that and understand what it says about us." He nodded his head slightly.

"Very true, Parias." Endymion nodded in return before returning to Serena's side and guiding her out to the dance floor.

"He seems much more intelligent then he makes out to be" Parias commented as he wrapped his arm around her waist.

"He does that so people don't think that he is a threat when he is dealing with Envoys, it is the same thing I use…you should know you have seen me in action when dealing with hard heads." She smiled at him.

"Yes I have notice that some times you seem a little meek when dealing with envoys, but then I just put it down to you intelligence." He grinned down at her.

"I was trained by the best." She smiled up at him and kissed his cheek.

"Do you think that the King will recall you to your former duties?" He asked quietly as he led her back out on the floor.

"I doubt it, love. In many ways I am more use to him here then returning to my duties as informant to Endymion and he knows it. He has an inside view of how the Moon handles everything and he has needed that view for some time, I think in many way that it gives him hope that things are not as bad as they seem." Her face became thoughtful and a little sad.

"What makes you say that?"

"Some things that I have over heard over the last few months. Things are not as calm as they appear on the surface…" She hesitated for a moment before looking in to his eyes. "I fear that there is trouble brewing at home, love and it feels me with dread."

"I am sure that if things were as bad as you fear then some one would tell you." He assured her, stroking her cheek.

"Even if they thought they were protecting me?" She asked quietly, her eyes troubled.

"Even then." He nodded.

They both glanced at the large bell clock as it tolled the hour. "I should get back to Kishi, he has barely seen me all day." She said as they moved off the dance floor.

"Will you allow me to escort you to your rooms?" He asked formally with a chuckle.

"I would be honoured, kind sir." She grinned at him before bowing slightly to Serenity who glanced their way before they left the ball room, arms wrapped around each other and talking quietly as they made their way to her rooms.

Shaya thanks Artimis for watching over Kishi before together they told Kishi a story as he was still wide awake. They smiled softly at each other as Kishi slowly slid into sleep in their arms.


End file.
