A Bond Between Sisters

Venus swung her legs as she wrote a letter.

"Who are you writing, V?" Juno asked, looking up from her book.

It was a rare moment where it was only the two in the room. A brief moment of peace that allowed Juno to forget where she was and everything that had happened. It felt like at any moment Anya would burst through the door, crying about how Kit broke one of her dolls. Killian would follow after her, upset that the younger twins interrupted his sword practice. And through the open door she would hear her father softly singing somwhere in the mansion.

But it wasn't like that. Now it was just her and Venus. Juno sighed, her fantasy evaporating into the air like a spray of perfume.

Venus turned a bright shade of red. Juno's lips couldn't help but curl into a smile. It was refreshing to see her sister act like a lovesick lass rather than the perfect noble lady she was groomed to be.

"Lady Aloisia had the address of the knight I met the other day." Juno frowned, the bruise on her cheek screamed in protest at the movement of her muscles. She shut her book, giving her full attention to her sister. "He's a Marquis! The hero!"

"I don't think you should give that man your affections." Juno recalled his smug smile as he blatantly insulted her. Juno could understand how Venus would fall in love at first sight. She had always been a sucker for a pretty face and Juno had probably never seen a more beautiful man in her life. He would put statues of ancient gods to shame.

But his arrogance and his vanity made Juno want to punch in that pretty face.

Venus gave Juno her signature pout as she always did when Juno disapproved of something.

"You don't know him, June."

'Neither do you,' Juno thought to herself.

"He was so gentle."

Juno snorted. She recalled Cesare's cold lips touching her hand. Gentle is the last word she would use to describe him.

Cold. Clinical. Practiced. Those words seemed to fit him more.

But Venus didn't see that. She saw a handsome man that picked up her handkerchief and smiled a calculated smile.

"I don't trust him."

Venus sighed a frustrated sigh. "You've never met him. And you don't trust anyone."

Juno frown deepened. She stood, wrapping her arms around her sister. She looked into the mirror in front of them. Two identical faces, yet different at the same time. One warm, open, inviting. The type of person you would want to reach out to.

The other cold, gloomy. The kind you would avoid.

Juno buried her face in her sister's neck. "I trust you," she said, very softly. "I trust Killian, and Anya and Kit and Lucia."

Venus put a warm hand on Juno's arm, but her expression didn't change.

"You love us. But you don't trust us. You never tell us anything."

"Venus-"

Venus untangled herself from Juno's arms, leaving her alone in the room. Juno studied herself in the mirror. The brief despair in her eyes quickly hardened. She masked herself once again.

It occurred to her that perhaps she and Cesare were not so different.

She resented the idea that she was anything like that man.

It occurred to her she hated him so much because they were so alike.

She pressed her hands to her cheeks. Her cold skin soothed the pain of her swollen face.

Juno couldn't leave her room since Venus stormed out. No one in the brothel knew they were more than one person. In her mind she scolded Venus. How could she so carelessly walk around when Juno's face was beaten to hell and back. How was she supposed to explain why her face was flawless one minute and broken the next.

She flopped on her bed, bringing her hands to her eyes covering them completely so she was in total darkness.

'Fuck. Fuck, fuck, fuck.'

If she was a better sister, she would support Venus's love for Cesare.

But she wasn't a better sister. She'd rather have Venus hate her forever than ever have to be related in any way shape or form to that man.

***

"Juno!" A hard form jumped on the bed, startling her awake and knocking the breath from her. "A man is requesting you."

Juno groaned, rolling to her side, keeping her eyes shut tightly. "Is it Sasha? Madam Lorelei said he can't request me again until my face fully heals."

"No," Effie pried one of Juno's eyelids open. "It's the hero of Almyra."

Juno's heart stopped, she flipped over searching Effie's face for more information. "Is Venus here?"

"No, she left hours ago."

Juno let out an exhale in relief. She rolled back over, waving Effie off. "Tell him I won't see him."

"Lorelei already tried to. She said you were bruised and she would find a better girl. But he doesn't want a better girl, he wants you."

Fuck.

"He doesn't want me, he wants Venus." Even Juno knew her lie wasn't convincing.

The fire in Effie's eye didn't extinguish. "How did you even meet him?"

If Effie was anything, she was persistent.

Juno finally gave up, throwing her blanket off of her. "I don't know what you're talking about."

"Come on, Juno," Effie begged, following her through the brothel halls, pulling on the sleeve of her dress. "Don't be stingy."

Juno wrapped an arm around her friend. "I'm not. I truly have no idea what you're talking about."

Effie pouted. "I wish a hero would call for me."

Juno laughed bitterly. "Then please, take my place."

Effie stuck out her tongue, parting ways with Juno when she reached the door to the room that held Cesare.

Juno swore colorfully under her breath before plastering on a forced coquettish smile.

"Marquis," she practically purred, wrapping an arm around his hard chest. She tried to not look at his beautiful punchable face. She pressed a kiss to the back of his neck which made him grunt and shift in his seat. "To what do I owe the pleasure?"

Cesare cleared his throat uncomfortably. "Why are you behaving this way?"

Juno brushed her lip over the edge of his ear. Cesare shuddered. Something in Juno instinctively knew he was inexperience. She was taken aback by how cute he looked to her in that moment. How desirable.

She chalked it up to just finding another thing about him she wanted to break.

"Isn't this what you paid for?" She asked, laying her cheek on his broad shoulder.

"No." He spoke firmly as if he was saying it more to himself than to her. It brought a grin to Juno's face. "I came to talk."