A Royal Privilege: A Jupiter Ascending Fan-Fiction: Book 3

Chapter 19: The Strong Survive

Four months have passed. Caine Wise, and a much stronger Jupiter Jones stand within the Holo-Vid Room in wait for another conversation with The Council. Stationed in their expected positions as the Queen and her Royal Guard, they patiently wait to hear Caine's next assignment, while Jupiter's role, is to demurely agree. However, dressed in newly designed Aegis-type battle uniforms, they quietly discuss their strategy for defiance.

"The Council will most likely kill us both," Jupiter began, "if I don't comply with their wishes and break up with you."

"Agreed," Caine said, standing beside her.

"Which I have no intention of doing. Are you with me?"

"ABSOLUTELY," he stated unflinchingly.

"I wanted to keep my promise to you," she uttered, her voice trembling, yet her heart remaining steadfast. "To treat your life, as I would my own."

"You have. No Splice has ever had the dedication or the love, that you have shown me. It's been a privilege, my queen, my wife, to have spent this glorious year with you. I will die at your side—a happy man."

"I'm hedging a bet that they won't actually kill you. I'm 90% sure that they won't. But just in case they call my bluff—"

"You need never ask," he quoted, "For that's what it means to be an appointed Knight to a Royal."

"I love you, Caine Wise."

"And I love you, Jupiter Wise."

A braying voice boomed across this space from a figure cast in shadow. "Her Royal Majesty, Jupiter Jones Abrasax."

"Yes, Your Honors," she answered.

"Caine Wise."

"Yes, Your Honors," he answered.

"How have you found your time during house arrest, Miss Jones? Enlightening, I hope?" Council Elder asked.

"Productive, Your Honors," she said, showing no expression on her face.

"We have an assignment for Mr. Wise. Which you will agree to immediately, Miss Jones."

"Yes, of course, Your Honors. But first, we have unfinished business to discuss, wouldn't you agree?" The Elder waited impatiently. "With no disrespect," Jupiter began. "During our last conversation, Your Honors were kind enough to send me to a war zone. There, I was captured by the enemy. During my kidnapping, every one of my captors who came in contact with me was under the impression I was pregnant. They were absolutely certain of it, yet The Enlisted and your Honors made no mention of it. Not once. It's almost as if, the seven of you knew I wasn't pregnant, so there was no need to ask."

"Do you have a point, Miss Jones?" The elder snapped.

"I think I've made my point, Your Honors," she stated. Caine dropped to his knees, screeching in agonizing pain from a high-pitched sound that only he could hear. Jupiter stood, immovable. No expression showed on her face, but her eyes displayed the terror of watching her lover fall helplessly at her feet. She held to her training on coercion and stood firm. She felt a hand around her ankle, the signal, letting her know that her husband was still alive. Jupiter stood tall, then played her ace. "Why would Your Honors believe the two of us would ever go against you," she asked, her tone demanding, "when the life of Titus Abrasax was a shining example of the price that will be paid for doing the opposite. Have the two of us ever given your Honor's reason to think, we'd do otherwise?"

"It was a chance we weren't willing to take," the elder excused.

"So you firebombed our house! Killing our baby!" Caine, regaining his strength, climbed to his feet to stand by his queen's side once more. "Our child would not have been a symbol of rebellion," she continued, standing beside her husband, "but one of ridicule. There is no place in this universe for a child born of a Queen and a Splice. Earth was the only location where he/she would've had a normal life. At most, we figured the Circe Corporation would show up at our door wanting to run tests. But we never guessed that Your Honors would send The Enlisted, in an attempt to murder the three of us!"