Part Two
-by Delilah-


Malachite caught a figure disappearing around a corner and frowned. There
shouldn't be anyone out this late at night. All he wanted to do was get to
his room and go back to sleep. Nephlyte had left earlier that afternoon to
greet the new Venecian diplomat and his family, leaving Rowan and him at
the castle to dodge questions about the flag and General Tyers's
whereabouts. Not only that but a few of Serenity's court had shown up today
with news of a potential visit by the Queen of the Moon. Now not only were
they short a general but they were going to have to tighten security. It
wouldn't be taken well if something should happen to her or her daughter
while here on Earth. The last thing they needed was every other planet
converging upon them determined to ferret out the assassin. He was tired
and cross and not in the mood to deal with some prowler. Cursing under his
breath he changed his course and began following the figure. He was
surprised at the figure's speed and dexterity, barely a noise was shed as
the person crossed the courtyard. Malachite's eyes narrowed as he noticed
that the person was heading to the living quarters of the royal family and
diplomats. This did not bode well. He picked up his pace and prepared to
overtake the person. 

When he felt that he could no longer wait he raised his hand palm up and
muttered arcane words under his breath. Purple streaks of power raised up
from the ground and fastened onto the fleeing figure. A masculine voice
rang out in pain and surprise as the figure fell to the ground. Malachite
started towards the person when the purple strands tore and dissipated. He
jumped back in surprise. Few knew how to destroy his strands. He decided to
see how well this prowler did with a sword as he drew out his own blade
from the air. He gave a verbal warning before bringing the blade down. The
blow was meant to force the person around so he could see the man's face. 

The tactic worked and he found himself staring into the face of the young
prince who jumped out of the sword's path with practice ease. The two men
stared at each other in silence for a time each trying to grasp a hold of
this new situation. Malachite allowed his sword to disappear and folded his
arms waiting for an explanation from the prince. 

Endymion cursed to himself under his breath. He knew his plan had been
stupid. He was damned lucky that Malachite had held back on his attack or
he would surely have been dead before either knew of each other's
identities. He knew of Tyers's death and also knew that feelings were
running high between the generals. He lowered his eyes and kicked at the
dirt in irritation. "I know I'm not supposed to be out and I know that I
could have been killed so I don't suppose we could just skip this and
pretend we didn't run into each other." He stated rather then asked,
knowing what the answer would be. 

"No, we can not," Malachite started to herd the prince towards the doors,
"but you can start by telling my why you are out here." 

Endymion blushed slightly and turned away hoping the general wouldn't
notice it. "I wanted to see Jupiter and Mercury." He muttered. 

Malachite nodded. He suspected that it had something to do with that. "And
why couldn't you have seen them in the morning?" 

"Because we couldn't have talked alone." Endymion snapped. He knew that
Malachite was playing with him. 

The silver haired general smiled. Ever since Endymion and Serena had met
they couldn't seem to wait to see each other again. It was what the two
rulers had been hoping for. That was also why Jupiter and Mercury had come
so early instead of waiting and coming with their princess. He escorted the
prince to his room and waited until he was sure that Endymion was
comfortable. He was sure that the prince wasn't going to leave again. His
quest had been fulfilled. Despite his somber mod he found himself
chuckling. Young love. What an odd thing. 

----<---<@ 


Nephlyte's jaw dropped as he watched the three come out of the corridor. It
was true that all Venecians were considered very beautiful but the
blond-haired man who stood sulking between his parents seemed to be the
embodiment of that concept. If he hadn't known that Dameryn Metternich had
only one child and that was a son, he would have sworn that this small
blond haired creature was a woman. The person who was taking up all his
thoughts turned green eyes towards him and studied him closely. He found
himself straighten under the gaze and he self consciously straightened his
jacket. 

The Venecian diplomat stepped forwards and took his hand. Dameryn was like
his son, small and very blond. Nephlyte was taller than him by a few inches
but he felt dwarfed by the man's bearing. Realizing that the man was
waiting for introductions he cleared his throat. "Mr. Metternich, my name
is Nephlyte. Welcome to Earth." 

The woman who had remained silent up to this point smiled and came forward
dragging the boy with her. "General Nephlyte, I've heard quite a bit about
you." Her brown hair was pulled back into an elaborate twist and her green
eyes sparkled at him. He felt himself relax as he realized that he was
facing an Earther like himself. 

"Mrs. Metternich. I'm pleased to meet you. And this is?" He asked wanting
to involve the quiet man who watched the whole proceeding from under long
eyelashes. 

"Oh! This is our son, Zoisite. Zoisite, come meet this wonderful man." The
woman shoved the man forward and he gingerly shook hands with the general. 

"I hope your trip was uneventful." Nephlyte said directing his question to
Zoisite. 

The youth seemed to be uncomfortable at the attention but dutifully answer.
"It was quiet." 

Nephlyte nodded and led the family through the corridor to the outside.
"I'll be giving you the basic tour of the city and then will show you to
your rooms." As they walked he kept an eye on the young man. He looked
about Naru's age. He wondered if he could arrange for them to run into each
other. If anyone could make Zoisite feel like he belonged, it would be her.
But something else bothered him. He didn't know what it was but he felt
something when he was closed to Zoisite. Could it be that Zoisite was to be
the new general? He was going to have to find out. 

----<---<@ 


Zoisite sniffed as he glanced about the city. It actually was quite
beautiful but he was in no mood to enjoy it. He was determined to show his
annoyance at this relocation and would not allow his father the chance to
realize that he was beginning to lose his assurance that everything was
going to go horridly. He took a moment to study the general before him. He
seemed good natured and quite polite but Zoisite wondered briefly if the
man was putting on an act. Surly this general had been forced to classes
much the same as he showing what some cultures believed as correct and
polite and what some cultures took as insults. Zoisite quickly looked away
when the general turned his way and tried to catch his eye. He had to give
this general one thing. He was persistent. At every chance he got he tried
to get Zoisite involved in the conversation. At first he had been annoyed
by this but he was beginning to view it as a game. How long could he fend
off this general's constant probings? He straightened his back. This was a
game he could play quite well and only his own mother could pull him out
when he wished to sulk. There was no way he was going to let this general
win. Especially with his father watching everything. 

Nephlyte sighed as he once again was stopped by the young man. He was a
tough one. But that was Naru's specialty. He couldn't repress a slight grin
as he glanced back at Zoisite. The young man caught the grin and his green
eyes narrowed as he wondered what new plot this general had cooked up.
Nephlyte turned determined to keep this young man on his toes. He had
warmed quite nicely with Mrs. Metternich and was already on his way to
liking Dameryn. They approached the palace and he lead them in making sure
to keep an eye out for Naru. They proceeded down the hall and he pointed
out various pieces of art and rooms of importance. He lead them on and
eventually they came to the large courtyard. He noticed that something had
caught the young Zoisite's eye and carefully positioned himself so he could
see what it was. He caught a glance of the flower garden and nodded in
interest. So this was what caught the young man's fancy hmmm? Well he could
take care of that. He made a mental note to take the man to the
University's agricultural department. After taking a detour through the
courtyard they ended up in the Residential wing of the palace. He walked
them to their rooms when a motion caught his eye. He looked up and found
himself staring at a brown haired girl. She waved and mouthed something
before her blue haired companion pulled her around the corner. He shook his
head as he absently made the proper last comments and made sure to invite
them to the dinner in their honor that was being held later that night. The
Metternich's nodded and closed the door to allow themselves some privacy.
Alone at last he headed towards where he had seen the two girls disappear.
Technically he should report back to Rowan but he decided that the old man
probably knew he was back. Somehow the old man knew everything that was
going on in the palace when it was happening. He never could figure out how
he did it. He heard low voices and quietly made his way towards them. He
saw two heads through the branches of a bush and quietly walked about it
determined to surprise the two. It was a little game they played. So far he
was down by one visit. He came around the edge of the branch and just
barely managed to dodge a flying pillow. Odd, he hadn't seen them carrying
one of those. He started his own counterattack when he was hit by a burst
of water. He sputtered and began to cough trying to clear his airway. A
strong hand began to beat on his back and he winced at the woman's
strength. When he was sure he could breath again he waved his arm. "Enough,
Jupiter, enough!" He coughed out. The two women helped him sit and he
glanced up at the two women who were looking at him with obvious
self-satisfaction. 

"Well, I do believe that makes us two up on him, wouldn't you agree
Jupiter?" The blue haired one asked. 

"Why, I do believe you are correct, Mercury. And this is one of the great
general's. Shows you what good men are at being guardians. Can't even dodge
a healthy helping of water." Jupiter replied. Nephlyte shook his head
knowing that it was pointless to argue with them. He reached up a tentative
hand and winced as he felt his hair. He was going to need a blow dryer, and
soon. When his hair air dried it frizzed like nobody's business. "So what
brings you two lovely ladies here, hmmm?" He asked as he tried to pull his
hair back into a pony tail. He had to admit, Mercury had wonderful aim. 

"Heralding a visit by the queen, what else?" Jupiter asked as she whipped
water off the bench so she could sit next to him. "Oh, and I thought you
were here just to see me." Nephlyte pouted. Jupiter squeezed some water out
of his uniform. "That was an added bonus." 


---<--<@ 




Zoisite slipped out of his room at the first chance he got. He wanted to
see those gardens. He tried to remember the way but soon got lost as he
wandered about the hallways. This was not working out well. Another turn
brought him to a large room with a high ceiling. Curious he walked in and
studied the room. Vases and numerous paintings hung about the room and the
windows were shaded with large billowing curtains that swayed when wind
blew against them. At the far end of the room was a large marble podium. He
cocked his head and headed towards it. A medallion hung suspended above it
and he watched as it glinted in some imaginary light. A crystal sat in its
center and the metal was worked into a visage of fire about it. He found
himself reaching out to it but stopped when he realized what he was doing.
The medallion seemed to flash in warning and he quickly pulled away. He
stood for a few more moments studying the beautiful artwork never noticing
that he was not alone in the room. 

Malachite stopped when he saw a flash of gold spirit across the room to his
left. He narrowed his eyes and quietly slipped in. Today seemed to be a day
for people to end up in the wrong places. First Endymion and now this. He
walked into the room hoping to stop whoever had entered before they noticed
the medallion. Once it was known that Tyers' medallion was here everyone
would know that the general was dead. He repressed a curse when he saw the
blond woman standing before the medallion. He started forward to stop her
when he saw her reach out to touch the thing. He stopped in his tracks and
watched as her hand came closer to the metal. A thought filtered through
his head. Could she be Tyers' replacement? He watched closely as the woman
stopped reaching and the medallion flashed. He felt a slight disappoint
rise in his chest. Not, the new general then. Now he had to decide what to
do with her. 

He cleared his throat and watched as she spun around and looked at him with
wide eyes. He was caught off guard at her beauty but forced the thought out
of his head. She was a danger to them. Hopefully he could rectify the
situation and make her forget she had ever seen the medallion. "Who are
you?" He demanded. 

The woman's eyes narrowed and he immediately recognized a spirit that
balked at authority. Great. "I'm sorry I didn't realize someone was here." 

Malachite blinked at the slightly accented masculine voice. So, not a woman
then. "I gathered that. Now who are you?" He asked determined not to allow
this man to skip about his questions. 

The man flipped the long hair over his shoulder and studied him for a
moment. Another general by the looks of the uniform. Well, he knew how to
deal with this. "I am Zoisite Metternich." 

Malachite frowned slightly as he tried to place the Metternich name. It
wasn't Earthen. After a few seconds he realized where he had heard it
before. "You are related to Dameryn Metternich?" 

The man seemed to sigh. "Yes. He's my father." 

Malachite almost smiled. His job just became easier. He hoped. "Do you know
what that is?" he asked, gesturing towards the medallion. 

Zoisite shook his head. "A pendant, I suppose. It's very beautiful." 

Malachite nodded. "Yes it is. You're very lucky you didn't touch it. It
would have reacted very badly to you." 

"Why me?" Zoisite asked feeling a little peeved at this silver haired man.
True he was very attractive but he seemed to have a patience quality that
bothered him. 

Malachite carefully herded the young man out of the room. "It's protected
against all but the one who owns it. That way it won't be stolen." He
replied hoping this answer satisfied the curious young man. Zoisite nodded
and allowed himself to be lead out of the room. "Now, how did you come to
be here?" the general asked. 

Zoisite felt his face redden and he cursed himself. "I was looking for the
gardens, actually." 

Malachite raised an eyebrow. "Those are on the other side of the palace." 

"I kind of got lost." 

"Ah. I was heading that way myself, why don't I take you there?" Malachite
offered as he led the man down the hall. Zoisite nodded and silently
followed the taller man. He absently admired the view from behind then
shook his head to clear it. His father would throw a fit if he discovered
that his son was striking up a relationship with an older man, and a
general at that. Zoisite smiled at that idea. Maybe getting to know this
general wouldn't be so bad after all. 

-----<----<@ 


Nephlyte eased into a new uniform and carefully brushed the knots out of
his hair. A hesitant knock at his door caused him to turn and call out. A
red shock of hair slipped into view and Naru glanced about to make sure
they were alone. She smiled at him and almost floated into the room. He
took a moment to study her carefree nature and appreciate it. It was rare
these days that anyone was as she was. She carefully seated herself upon
one of his chairs and after a moment's thought shifted it slightly. He
shook his head in amazement. Somehow she always knew when he had moved the
chair. It didn't matter how much he moved it, she just knew. He had begun
experimenting with her perceptive abilities by moving various things about
and she always seemed to know when he had done it. She couldn't explain how
she knew, she just did. He became aware that she was politely waiting for
him to verbally acknowledge her. Ever the king's niece. 

"So, Naru, what brings you here?" He asked. 

She tilted her head and the sunlight glinted off her red locks. "According
to Jupiter and Mercury you were looking for me," she replied. 

"Word spreads that fast, hmm?" 

She raised a hand to her face and her shoulders shook. "I must admit that I
hurried over. After they told me what they had done I decided I wanted to
see what you looked like. It sounded quite. . . amusing." 

"Thanks for your support." He muttered under his breath. He returned to the
mirror and kept up his brushing. "And they told you why I wanted to see
you?" he asked. 

Naru shook her head. "No. They just told me to come and see you." 

"Have you seen the new Venetian diplomat yet?" he asked. 

"No. But from what I've heard he is quite nice." 

Nephlyte nodded. "He is. Actually he has a son that I was hoping you could
help out. His name is Zoisite. He seems to be about your age. He's very shy
and I was hoping you could help him get settled." 

Naru's eyes seemed to light up. "Really? I'm sure I could help him get used
to this place. What does he look like?" 

"Blonde hair, green eyes." Nephlyte shrugged. 

Naru seemed to consider this information. "Zoisite's from Venus, right?" 

"Well yes. But his mother is from Earth. Of, course you'd never realize it
from looking at him" 

"I think I've already seen him. I had to dodge Malachite on my way here,"
when she noticed Nephlyte's sharp look she hurriedly added, "he was too
busy speaking to a young person who I thought was a girl but now that you
mention this Zoisite could most defiantly been a Venetian. He was about my
height with long lashes and a kind of graceful walk." She got up and did
her best impression of the walk. 

Nephlyte nodded. "That's him. He was with Malachite?" 

"Uh-huh. They were coming from Tyers' tower." 

Nephlyte sucked the air through his teeth. "Really?" 

Naru looked up from the statue she was studying. "Yeah. Is there a
problem?" 

Nephlyte shook his head quickly. Naru still didn't know about Tyers' death.
They had all decided it would be better to keep her in the dark until the
time came to announce it. He mentally made another note to visit with
Malachite and find out what had happened.

 


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