Chapter 8: Consequences of the Garden

Paul followed Leda as she ran down the halls of the Crystal Palace. She had left the conference room with hurried dignity. However, now out of sight, she was running through the winding passages.

Leda did not stop until she got to the royal gardens, sitting a bench under a stately oak tree. Paul stopped and watched her for a moment, confused by her actions. Then, his heart broke as he realized her behavior was because she was worried about those she loved, including him.

Wordlessly he sat down beside her, pulling her gently into his arms. Closing her eyes, Leda allowed herself to be held, finding comfort for a moment. Once she had regained control of herself, she pulled away.

"I must contact Rand and my sisters," she said. "I must give them the decision to fight."

"Leda, I don't think that's the best idea," Paul said.

"What do you mean?" Her wide eyes betrayed surprise.

"I don't think you should fight this battle."

"I have to," she cried. "I have already pledged my services to Serenity."

"You can take it back!"

Leda stared at Paul in disbelief. She rose from the bench and walked away from him. Then she spun around to face him again.

"Take it back? I can't take that kind of promise back. I swore an oath of loyalty to Serenity a long time ago. That's not the kind of thing you can take back."

"I can't stand to see you get hurt anymore, Leda!" He had finally let his emotions peek through. "I just can't keep seeing you get hurt fighting Serenity's battles for her!"

"This is my calling, Paul," she answered, becoming frustrated by the ridiculous conversation. "My destiny. It's not something I can just walk away from."

"Yes, you can! Just turn around and walk away from all of this!"

She gaped at him, shocked by the selfish side she had never seen before. "Is this what's been wrong with you, Paul? Is this what's been keeping you up at night?"

He didn't answer her. His whole presence became cold. "Please, Leda, don't do this. Save yourself."

"Then who will save the system?" Again, he did not answer her. "I have a duty to fight. I've always had it, Paul."

They just stood and looked at one another, wondering what would be said next. So much had already been said that could not be forgiven. Suddenly, out of the corner of his eye, Paul saw a figure rushed toward Leda.

"Leda, watch out!" he cried, moving to push her out of the way.

Leda spun to see a gardener with a blade rushing at her. She threw herself away from the madmen, but not soon enough. The blade caught her in the shoulder and sliced down her arm to her elbow.

The gardener stopped, preparing for another try. "For Atalia!" he cried and moved toward Leda again. Paul pounced from behind, knocking the gardener to the ground. The man made an odd gasp as he hit the ground, Paul's weight crushing him from above.

Paul rolled the man over, immediately noticing the hilt protruding from the gardener's abdomen. He looked over to Leda, who stood still in shock. Paul sadly looked down at the gardener again.

"For Atalia, my love," he whispered, and then the gardener stilled.

Paul closed the open eyes before slowly rising to his feet. Leda cautiously stepped closer to the two. She glanced at Paul, shaking her head at his silent offer of help.

"I'm fine," she said, pressing the wounded arm tight against her body. "It's just a minor wound."

"No, it's not," Paul said sternly, gesturing to her right arm. "Blood is pouring down your arm."

"I'm fine," she protested. "I just feel a little dizzy . . ."

He lunged and caught her before she hit the ground. Dismissing the blood, Paul quickly swept her into his arms and headed for the palace. His cries of help were heard as he entered the doors.

* * * * *

A while later, dressed in clean clothes, Paul paused outside Leda's room in the Crystal Palace. Before he had decided to knock, a palace nurse exited into the hallway. She stared at Paul for a moment before realizing who he was.

Pulling the door closed, the nurse nodded with respect to him. "She's resting now. You may see her, if you like."

"How bad was the wound?" he asked, looking at the door, rather than the nurse.

"It wasn't that bad," she answered, her voice calm and soothing. "She had to have quite a number of stitches, and there will be a scar. But everything should heal nicely."

"That's good," he murmured absently.

"Just don't tire her too much," the nurse warned. "The pain medication and the trauma itself have tired her out."

Paul shook his head. "I won't keep her long."

Nodding again, the nurse turned and walked soundlessly down the hallway. Paul stood outside the door, wondering what he should do. Gathering his courage, he knocked and opened the door.

Leda just stared at him for a moment, absently cradling the injured arm. Paul just stood there wordlessly, staring at the bandages that ran from her shoulder to her elbow. Breaking the stares, Leda put on a long sleeve blouse over her tank top and turned to face the window.

"How are you feeling?" he asked, wanting to break the silence. Even to his own ears, his voice was cold and detached.

"Fine, thank you" was the perfunctory reply.

"Are you still going to go through with this?"

Leda did not turn from the window. "My sisters on are their way now. Rand has resumed control of Jupiter during my absence, while I fulfill my pledge."

Paul sighed wearily, leaning against the door. Slowly, Leda turned to face him. He simply looked at her in return.

"I release you from your obligation as my protector. You are released from any duties on Jupiter as well. You're free."

"Leda," he said, shaking his head in disbelief.

"But I cannot free you from the obligation of protecting my sisters. Serenity and Endymion gave you that obligation. It is theirs to remove."

Paul gave a bitter laugh, still shaking his head. Then, he looked her dead in the eye. "So, that's it? I'm dismissed. Just like that."

"Just like you wanted," she replied, her tone acid.

"Damn it, Leda, this is not what I wanted!"

"Then what do you want, Paul?!"

"I want you to be safe," he said softly.

Leda closed her eyes, a tear slowly falling down her cheek. "We can't always have what we want, can we, Paul?" Her voice was barely audible.

"I guess not, Leda." Her tearful eyes bore into his as he crossed the room. He gave her a kiss on the forehead and stroke the tear away. Then, he turned and walked out of the room.

As the door closed, Leda turned to the window again, the enveloping darkness of the dying sunset surrounding her in the unlit room. Pressing her head against the cool glass, she released the bitter tears she had been holding for hours. Later, as the sobs died, she fell into an uneasy sleep.


Consequences of the Garden Paul followed Leda as she ran down the halls of the Crystal Palace. She had left the conference room with hurried dignity. However, now out of sight, she was running through the winding passages. Leda did not stop until she got to the royal gardens, sitting a bench under a stately oak tree. Paul stopped and watched her for a moment, confused by her actions. Then, his heart broke as he realized her behavior was because she was worried about those she loved, including him. Wordlessly he sat down beside her, pulling her gently into his arms. Closing her eyes, Leda allowed herself to be held, finding comfort for a moment. Once she had regained control of herself, she pulled away. "I must contact Rand and my sisters," she said. "I must give them the decision to fight." "Leda, I don't think that's the best idea," Paul said. "What do you mean?" Her wide eyes betrayed surprise. "I don't think you should fight this battle." "I have to," she cried. "I have already pledged my services to Serenity." "You can take it back!" Leda stared at Paul in disbelief. She rose from the bench and walked away from him. Then she spun around to face him again. "Take it back? I can't take that kind of promise back. I swore an oath of loyalty to Serenity a long time ago. That's not the kind of thing you can take back." "I can't stand to see you get hurt anymore, Leda!" He had finally let his emotions peek through. "I just can't keep seeing you get hurt fighting Serenity's battles for her!" "This is my calling, Paul," she answered, becoming frustrated by the ridiculous conversation. "My destiny. It's not something I can just walk away from." "Yes, you can! Just turn around and walk away from all of this!" She gaped at him, shocked by the selfish side she had never seen before. "Is this what's been wrong with you, Paul? Is this what's been keeping you up at night?" He didn't answer her. His whole presence became cold. "Please, Leda, don't do this. Save yourself." "Then who will save the system?" Again, he did not answer her. "I have a duty to fight. I've always had it, Paul." They just stood and looked at one another, wondering what would be said next. So much had already been said that could not be forgiven. Suddenly, out of the corner of his eye, Paul saw a figure rushed toward Leda. "Leda, watch out!" he cried, moving to push her out of the way. Leda spun to see a gardener with a blade rushing at her. She threw herself away from the madmen, but not soon enough. The blade caught her in the shoulder and sliced down her arm to her elbow. The gardener stopped, preparing for another try. "For Atalia!" he cried and moved toward Leda again. Paul pounced from behind, knocking the gardener to the ground. The man made an odd gasp as he hit the ground, Paul's weight crushing him from above. Paul rolled the man over, immediately noticing the hilt protruding from the gardener's abdomen. He looked over to Leda, who stood still in shock. Paul sadly looked down at the gardener again. "For Atalia, my love," he whispered, and then the gardener stilled. Paul closed the open eyes before slowly rising to his feet. Leda cautiously stepped closer to the two. She glanced at Paul, shaking her head at his silent offer of help. "I'm fine," she said, pressing the wounded arm tight against her body. "It's just a minor wound." "No, it's not," Paul said sternly, gesturing to her right arm. "Blood is pouring down your arm." "I'm fine," she protested. "I just feel a little dizzy . . ." He lunged and caught her before she hit the ground. Dismissing the blood, Paul quickly swept her into his arms and headed for the palace. His cries of help were heard as he entered the doors. * * * * * A while later, dressed in clean clothes, Paul paused outside Leda's room in the Crystal Palace. Before he had decided to knock, a palace nurse exited into the hallway. She stared at Paul for a moment before realizing who he was. Pulling the door closed, the nurse nodded with respect to him. "She's resting now. You may see her, if you like." "How bad was the wound?" he asked, looking at the door, rather than the nurse. "It wasn't that bad," she answered, her voice calm and soothing. "She had to have quite a number of stitches, and there will be a scar. But everything should heal nicely." "That's good," he murmured absently. "Just don't tire her too much," the nurse warned. "The pain medication and the trauma itself have tired her out." Paul shook his head. "I won't keep her long." Nodding again, the nurse turned and walked soundlessly down the hallway. Paul stood outside the door, wondering what he should do. Gathering his courage, he knocked and opened the door. Leda just stared at him for a moment, absently cradling the injured arm. Paul just stood there wordlessly, staring at the bandages that ran from her shoulder to her elbow. Breaking the stares, Leda put on a long sleeve blouse over her tank top and turned to face the window. "How are you feeling?" he asked, wanting to break the silence. Even to his own ears, his voice was cold and detached. "Fine, thank you" was the perfunctory reply. "Are you still going to go through with this?" Leda did not turn from the window. "My sisters on are their way now. Rand has resumed control of Jupiter during my absence, while I fulfill my pledge." Paul sighed wearily, leaning against the door. Slowly, Leda turned to face him. He simply looked at her in return. "I release you from your obligation as my protector. You are released from any duties on Jupiter as well. You're free." "Leda," he said, shaking his head in disbelief. "But I cannot free you from the obligation of protecting my sisters. Serenity and Endymion gave you that obligation. It is theirs to remove." Paul gave a bitter laugh, still shaking his head. Then, he looked her dead in the eye. "So, that's it? I'm dismissed. Just like that." "Just like you wanted," she replied, her tone acid. "Damn it, Leda, this is not what I wanted!" "Then what do you want, Paul?!" "I want you to be safe," he said softly. Leda closed her eyes, a tear slowly falling down her cheek. "We can't always have what we want, can we, Paul?" Her voice was barely audible. "I guess not, Leda." Her tearful eyes bore into his as he crossed the room. He gave her a kiss on the forehead and stroke the tear away. Then, he turned and walked out of the room. As the door closed, Leda turned to the window again, the enveloping darkness of the dying sunset surrounding her in the unlit room. Pressing her head against the cool glass, she released the bitter tears she had been holding for hours. Later, as the sobs died, she fell into an uneasy sleep.


Chapter 9: The Call to Battle Jupiter's Gone