Panic.

 

Jennie did not even remember when was the last time her breath felt shaky and her pulse racing. Was it when she saw Jisoo for the first time? Yes, but that was a totally different case.

 

She was far from a ‘good’ kind of panic now.

 

The Martian strongly pushed the door of her room, creating a loud thud. The gleaming reflection of the sword - the weapon that had accompanied her since her very first day of training caught her eyes. Once again she would protect her planet with it. With it, blood would spill. Flesh would be ripped. People would die, in her hands. She faced it all before, but the only difference was that, she had to protect Jisoo too this time.

 

No, Jisoo would be better off in her home planet. Far from all the ugly sights of chaos, of her body drenched in blood, and most crucial of all, far from all the dangers.

 

Jennie walked out again, passing, seeing every corridor packed with soldiers who bowed down for her but to which she failed to respond, and passing again. She found Jisoo at last in the middle of the main hall. The Venusian was not alone as a figure that seemed familiar to Jennie was with her.

 

“...was an order from Queen CL herself, Your Highness”

 

Jennie approached from behind Jisoo, and heard Phobos.

 

“No!” She heard Jisoo now. “A war means Jennie would be going too, and I’m staying here”

 

“We would make sure that Princess Jennie does not get hurt and-”

 

“I am staying”

 

Jennie did not need to see Jisoo’s face. She could pick up the sternness in Jisoo’s voice.

 

“Jisoo” She finally called. Both The Commander and the Venusian turned at her. “Phobos, please leave us alone”

 

The Commander bowed. His dark eyes which were full of understanding briefly met Jennie’s before he left.

 

Jisoo locked their gaze soon after, staring deep into Jennie’s windows of soul like she knew what was going to come out of Jennie’s mouth, and knew that Jennie knew that she would stay with her decision.

 

“Look, I know how frustrating this is” The Martian started.

 

“Yes, and you do not need to say much. You heard it. I am staying”

 

“Jisoo, you do not understand”

 

“What do I not understand?”

 

“You have never been in a war before”

 

The Venusian widened her eyes, wishing she had just misheard Jennie. “So what if I’ve never been in a war?”

 

Jennie looked down and breathed out. Both actions delivered the same vibe to Jisoo - frustration. “You have no idea how much of a damage a war could cause. This isn’t just a fight or a battle on the training ground, Jisoo”

 

“You don’t trust me that I can protect myself, do you? That I’m just going to be a burden to you in the war? That’s the problem, isn’t it?” Jisoo kept her gaze in tact with the Martian, using her calm tone as a facade for her hurt pride.

 

“I am sure you know well that is not what I mean. I don’t want you to get hurt”

 

“So I’m going to just leave you and enjoy hearing news about you getting hurt? About your people and your home getting destroyed?”

 

Jennie’s face softened at that. “I’m going to protect myself. I promise I will not get hurt. But if you remain here and in danger, I wouldn’t be able to focus because-”

 

“Then that’s the problem. You are worried that I will be a baggage to you because I can’t protect myself while in fact, I can. Being born as a Venusian doesn’t mean I can’t fight, even if we’ve rarely had wars”

 

“That’s not it, Jisoo”

 

“Or you are worried that if I stay here, you won’t have any time alone with Nayeon. You of course want to spend some time alone with her. She’s your childhood friend and you haven’t seen her for a long time while my face has been here for weeks”

 

“That’s not it! For god sake, stop cutting me off!” Jennie’s hands found their way to her head. “I trust you, okay!? I trust that you could protect yourself, but no matter what, anything could happen. This isn’t about Nayeon, this is about you. I am worried about you!”

 

Jisoo gulped down heavily, as if there was a big lump in . “I want to ask you something”

 

The Martian looked back at her without a sound.

 

“What are you going to do about Nayeon?” She asked firmly. “If she were to force you to let her stay during the war, would you let her?”

 

“I would ask her to go home too” Jennie replied. “But if she were to force me the same way you are doing, I no longer have a say about it”

 

“Because you trust her more than me, right?”

 

“No, Jisoo. Stop making assumptions” Jennie beamed a glare at her - one that Jisoo had never seen before and gave her chill down the spine. “I trust her, yes, because she’s my childhood friend but that’s not it. Do I really need to explain why I would let her and not you?”

 

The Martian’s stare was too much that Jisoo had to look away. “I am still staying and you can say what you want”

 

From the corner of her eyes she saw Jennie shake her head before she heard her voice again.

 

“I wish you were me. Maybe only then you would understand just a little bit of what I’m feeling right now”

 

She could only see Jennie’s back walking away from her by the time she decided to look.

 

***

 

No string attached between Jennie and Nayeon, apart from childhood memories. Jisoo knew that. She comprehended that fact. Why did she say that to Jennie again?

 

The beam of the sunrise shone through her window and the Venusian decided to take some time appreciating it. She had barely got some sleep, yet another day had started. In Venus, she woke up everyday to the exquisite view of the sunrise, but here, it had totally become something new and magnificent all over again. It felt warmer to her here. It could be something scientific, like how Mars, as the planet of fire, made it so. But it could also be something psychological, like maybe because Jennie was here and she thought of Jennie as she saw the sun, thus the warmth. Either way, to her, it was a beautiful feeling.

 

There was an urge to walk outside and take in the fresh air of the morning, so that was what she did. Outside her room was a small yard surrounded by four aisles on each side. There were a few flowers grown in pots at the edge of the yard. Having walked closer to them, she began inhaling the refreshing scent of the moist petals.

 

“Good morning”

 

A male’s voice. A look to the right let her see Phobos The Commander.

 

“Good morning” She smiled at him.

 

“There is no wonder why our Princess is so in love” Phobos continued. “You look stunningly beautiful. Before I saw a Venusian with my own eyes for the first time, I had always thought flowers would be the prettiest thing I’d ever seen”

 

Jisoo laughed at that. “That’s so cheesy”

 

“Was it?” He chuckled. “I guess us Martians have never, and will never be good at it”

 

“Well” The Venusian stared at the petals again. “Doesn’t have to be good at it to capture someone’s heart”

 

“True, just like how our Princess captures yours”

 

Jisoo laughed for the second time upon the tease. Phobos followed along.

 

“So… You have decided to stay?” The Commander asked soon as his laughter died down.

 

“Yes”

 

“Our Princess will be so worried about you. All of us are, including me, but her worry is multiple from ours”

 

“Can I ask you something?”

 

“Of course, you can ask me anything”

 

“How close do you think your Princess and Princess Nayeon are?”

 

“I do not really pay much attention, since all I know is that The Plutonian Princess has often come here to visit her. I think, however, they are as close as how much Princess Jennie shares her thoughts and feelings to her”

 

Did Jennie share her thoughts and feelings to her? She felt a short, but strong wave of jealousy washed through her.

 

The time to think it over was, however, unfortunately short. She was abruptly interrupted as the loud ringing of the gong echoed through the corridors. A while after she could hear rushed footsteps of the troops on the other side of the walls; the sound of their heavy boots thumping on the ground was as loud as the gong itself. The word ‘war’ crossed her mind. She brushed it off though, thinking it unlikely to take place as soon as this - in a morning where everything still looked peaceful as they had always been.

 

“Your Highness” Phobos beamed her a gaze full of anxiety. “I don’t know what’s happening. I will find out soon, so please, stay in your room until there is an order”

 

Jisoo nodded and did as she was told. She shut the door tight and waited on her bed as she focused on every single sound that came from outside. They were still mostly the clink-clanks of the soldiers’ armors, accompanied with yells of orders. A moment later the sloshing of swords getting dragged out from their scabbards reached her ears. She waited as second by second and sound by sound passed. Sweat bullets had been ready to pop and trickle down her forehead without her knowing.

 

It couldn’t be the war. It couldn’t be this fast. It couldn’t be the war. It couldn’t be this fast.

 

It sank on her when an order to protect The Queen, Jennie, Nayeon, and herself was announced.

 

The war.

 

She jumped out of her bed and ran outside, taking zero concern of the reminder that Phobos gave her just a while ago. The people she could see running were those in red-and-black armor - the Martian’s troops. The enemy had to be still outside the castle; which was good, Jisoo thought. She ran through the first corridor on her left in search of Jennie’s room.

 

“Jisoo!”

 

Jennie’s voice rang through her ears just before she turned left again to the next aisle. She spotted the Martian at the end of the corridor she was at, in a state similar to her - disarrayed and unprepared. The Martian ran to her and grabbed her hand in a heartbeat, leaving no time whatsoever for a talk as she pulled Jisoo. They hurried quietly to an area outside the castle where Jisoo was unfamiliar with, and a moment later a small, ugly hut was within their sight. Behind the door that Jennie pushed open was an empty room. It would be completely dark if not for a single ceiling light at the middle. Jisoo watched as Jennie brought her to under it and knelt on the floor. The Martian began scratching the sides of a single tile, and a moment later the floor made a groan. The tile was removed, welcoming them to a stair.

 

Jennie held her hand again. Even in the middle of a morning where Jisoo didn’t know if she would survive the day, Jennie’s warmth still emanated so strongly through their intertwined fingers that she could feel it run through her blood. The stairs led them to an underground room, where The Queen of Mars, Phobos, and other higher-ups had gathered.

 

Jisoo bowed to The Queen, who then immediately stood face to face with her.

 

“I am truly sorry for this, Jisoo. I will ask someone to send you back to your home planet”

 

The Venusian shook her head. “No, Your Highness. I am staying”

 

“Jisoo” She saw Jennie next to her this time. “Please”

 

The Martian delivered her a look that told her just how worried she was. Jisoo received the message well and still, she was not bothered to change her decision. Staring back at Jennie, she could still spot Nayeon standing behind her lover, next to a giant table where a map marked with war strategies stood. So the Plutonian had made a decision to stay as well.

 

“I am staying, Jennie. I will repeat this no matter how many times you repeat yours” Jisoo said, hoping that no one realized she was glaring slightly at the Plutonian as she spoke.

 

“Your Majesty” Phobos’ heavy voice broke the dead air. “We need to start now”

 

Queen CL threw Jisoo an apologetic look once more before she walked back to the table.

 

“Your Majesty!” A soldier dressed in what looked like a spy outfit appeared from the stairs. “An ambush attack! There’s an ambush attack inside the inner gate of the castle! They’re in!”

 

“Do not panic!” The Queen stared at the table as if it were her foe. The power she held in her voice was enough to attract everyone’s eyes on her. People began circling the map, including Jisoo. “We need The Commander and Generals to take over the outer side of the castle and protect the people”

 

Jennie placed both of her index fingers at the west and east side of the castle wall on the drawing, respectively. “We also require people to guard the sides to prevent them from entering. I will do it”

 

Phobos looked up. “Then how about the ambush? Someone needs to stay and handle it”

 

“I will”

 

At once, all eyes were on Jisoo. 

 

“I can handle that. An ambush can never be in a large scale. There will not be so many to tackle down”

 

“Jisoo, what are you talking about?” She saw Jennie walk so close to her that she only left a few inches gap between their faces. The Martian was opening her lips apart again and Jisoo could already see them trembling. “I want you to stay here with my mother, Nayeon, and the guards. Do you understand?”

 

“No, I don’t” Jisoo answered. She felt like the stare she gave Jennie let her know that she was rebelling the girl, but she cared not. “I don’t get it why I should stay here and not help while I am fully capable of fighting”

 

“Jisoo is right” Nayeon finally spoke for the first time since they were in the room. “I am capable of fighting too. Using our power is better than watching people die”

 

Jennie stared at Nayeon and then back at her lover. She lowered her head and breathed heavily. The Venusian decided to hold her hands and lock them with hers before she gave each hand a slight squeeze. By the time she began Jennie’s thumbs, The Martian finally held her head up again.

 

“Listen. I won’t die, or get hurt” Jisoo muttered, her voice low but strong nevertheless. “You can fight without worrying about me. I promise, I won’t die or get hurt”

 

“I should be the one protecting you from the danger in my own home planet” Jennie replied her. Both disappointment and fury were obviously present in her eyes.

 

“We should be protecting each other” Jisoo rubbed the smooth skin of Jennie’s hands again. “And remember, your home planet will be my home, too”

 

For a moment, they stayed that way. People had to be staring, but Jisoo waited. She waited until those negative emotions in Jennie’s eyes gradually shifted to strength and hope, like she could transfer those through their locked gaze and their fingers that are wrapping each others’.

 

“You will need some protection and weapon” At last, Jennie spoke up again.

 

---

 

First of all, I at apologizing, but still, I'm sorry. 

 

I'm sorry that it took me so long to update. Let's just say, life and anxiety have eaten me up and drained every motivation away. I managed to pick up my laptop and start to write again in such a spur of a moment. I can't say how long more it will be until the next update; I just wish that anxiety wouldn't find me and lock me in the dungeon again until the very last chapter. 

 

I hope you enjoy this story and still look forward to reading the next chapters.