November 210 AC

Clunk, clunk, clunk

Clunk, clunk - "OW!"

I yank off my cap and rub where the brim had pushed sharply back into my forehead. I had been so busy focusing on my feet, trying to make my steps as quiet as the man's in front of me, that I hadn't even noticed he had stopped.

After a quick look to make sure my hat wasn't bent out of shape, I put it back on. Then, I check on Heero.

He doesn't seem to have felt the jab in the behind. Instead, his attention is on the evening news on the courthouse's vidscreen. I don't know why he's stopped because it's the same thing they've been talking about for the past week: the worldwide celebration of the Queen's 15th Jubilee.

I watch with him for a moment before shifting impatiently.

"Heero, I'm cold."

"In a minute," he says not looking away from the vidscreen.

"But the cooler is heavy," I continue.

Still pretending to ignore me, he grabs the cooler that was strapped to my back and holds it while an old man appears on the screen.

"This is a very important trip for Her Majesty," the old guy says with a creepy smile. "It's a good chance to remind her who she is doing this for."

"And we look forward to seeing her! Thank you for your time, Duke Dermail," the reporter replies cheerfully before handing it off to the weatherman.

I look back to Heero to ask if we can finally go, but he is already halfway down the block.

"Hey!" I yell, my boots pounding on the cracked concrete as I scramble to catch up with him.

Obaachan is already in her nicest kimono when we walk through the door.

"You're late," she scolds, snatching the cooler from Heero to examine the fish we had caught and prepared. After carefully pinning back her sleeves to put on an apron and gloves, she gets to work making dinner. "You'd both best be wishing that I do not ruin my finest clothing tonight."

"She'll be late," Heero simply states before heading into his room. She looks at me and we both sigh. Typical Heero.

"Why don't you wait until after you cook to get dressed?" I ask as I watch her pick out spices and herbs from the cabinet.

"I can't just slip this on, boy," she laughs at the thought. "I had to go over to the shop earlier and have them put it on me."

"Too much work," I reply, hoping she doesn't notice as I sneak up the stepladder to try and steal a cookie from the counter. But Obaachan always knows what I'm doing and slaps my wrist before I even come close.

"Go clean up and change into the clothes I set out for you."

I grumble and drag my feet towards my room.

"Hurry!" she adds. "The Queen will be here soon."

Heero was right. She was late.

I move around on the tall, wooden chair that I have been sitting on for what feels like hours. The empty dishes in front of me anger my hungry stomach. Scratching at the stiff collar and tight bowtie Obaachan insisted I wear, I take another impatient look at the clock and the woman in front of me.

"'Baachan, please-"

"No," she insists while flipping over another playing card. "You can sit there and play your video game until she comes."

"But Heero-" I start.

"-is a grown man," she finishes with a sigh. "Good manners are lost on Colonists anyways." Bitting her lip in deep thought, she flips three more cards over on the dining table.

I make it to two more levels in my newest game before there's a knock on the door. With wide eyes, Obaachan hurries to put up her game of solitaire while Heero exits his room and gets the door.

Our hooded visitor rushes inside. Heero takes a moment to look around outside and then shuts the door with a nod.

The guest takes that as a sign and pulls down her hood. And then there she is, Queen Relena, smiling at us all.

"Hello, everyone."

It's silent for a moment as we all wonder what to do. Obaachan quickly finds her tongue and greets her with a smile.

"Please, have a seat. Are you hungry? We were just about to have dinner."

"That sounds lovely. Thank you," the Queen replies as Heero takes her cloak. Feeling nervous as she comes closer, I look down only to notice that my video game is still in my lap.

Oh no. I jerk my head up and pretend not to notice.

"Do you mind if I sit next to you?" she asks kindly, gesturing to the chair next to mine. The Queen of the World is going to sit next to me.

I gulp. "No, Your Majesty."

Her mouth turns into a little frown. "Haven't I asked you to call me Relena?"

I don't remember that, but I nod anyway. "Yes, Relena."

With a slight smile, she sits and motions for Heero to come sit down as well. With his usual bored expression, he plops down into the seat across from her. He's only dressed in a track jacket, t-shirt, and jeans, but the Queen could not look happier.

As Obaachan dishes out each of our servings, our guest gives me another long look that I pretend not to notice.

"I can't believe how big he's gotten," she says, finally taking her eyes off me as she speaks to Heero.

"Hn," he grunts before taking a drink of water.

I shovel rice into my mouth and am glad that it is still warm after the long wait.

"Once you see him eat you'll understand. He's going to eat me out of house and home, I swear," Obaachan starts her usual rant before suddenly freezing up.

"Oh, I don't mean that-" She stammers. Her eyes look like they could pop out of her head. "I mean-"

The Queen laughs it off with a wave of her hand. "He does seem to have quite the appetite."

In this moment, I think I can deal with being talked about as if I'm not here. I make a grab for my cup and don't realize until too late that I was too hasty.

As my video game clatters on the floor, Obaachan shoots me a look that could kill. Heero just takes another bite of fish.

"What is this?" Relena reaches down to pick up the handheld and reads title out loud. "Mobile Suit Master 3?"

She laughs a real, genuine laugh, and somehow it makes me relaxed. She almost seems to be laughing at Heero more than anyone else.

"Do you like Mobile Suits?" she asks me, and suddenly I'm nervous again. I remember my teacher explaining that Her Majesty Relena loves peace and works hard to keep us from fighting.

"Not really," I shrug off the item that I had begged and even cried for until Heero finally gave in. "It's just a game."

"Turn it on and look," Heero tells her and I want to scream at him.

She takes his advice and scrolls through the Leo and Pisces custom designs I've spent hours creating and upgrading. With another press of the screen she comes to my records and achievements.

I bite my lip as she hands the device back to me with a smile. "That is certainly impressive! Did your father help you with that?"

I nod, hoping that Heero will have to share some of the blame. "I want to be an engineer like him, but he says I should do something better than that."

"Oh, does he now?" she says suspiciously and shoots Heero a look before turning back to me. "So do you like your first year of school? You're going to be there many more if you want to be an engineer."

"It's all right," I say. I really don't like talking about school.

"Are your classmates and teachers nice?"

"I guess," I quickly reply, trying to hide my feelings. "What do you think of them?"

The Queen looks surprised. "What do you mean?"

"When you meet with them, do you like them?"

If she likes them, then maybe she isn't as kind as she seems.

"What he means is, during your personal visits to everyone in every town on Earth, what did you think of the kids in his class?" Obaachan explains somewhat slowly.

Relena frowns. "Oh." She seems to think about something before placing her napkin on the table. "Heero, must we really do this?"

"Relena," is all he says in reply before glancing at me. "Personal visits are confidential," he warns before going back to picking at his food.

I know that. Once on the way home from school, I decided to break the rule and asked Kosuke what the Queen talked about with him when she came to visit. He pretended he had no idea what I was talking about and he made me feel so stupid that it was the last time I ever asked. If Kosuke is that good at keeping secret, then so am I.

"Well, is anyone up for dessert?" Obaachan suddenly asks as she snatches my plate away. The Queen and I eagerly say yes.

After dinner, we all move to sit in front of the fireplace. Heero and Obaachan each sit in their usual chairs, but Queen Relena joins me on the floor, her fancy skirt wrinkling around her. She brought me crayons and a coloring book with scenes from places all over the world, and we take turns decorating the pages as she tells me about her time spent at each landmark. I can color, but I'm not very good at other kinds of art, and I I tell her that when she asks me to draw something for her. She grins and says she can't draw well either and proves it by drawing a blob that she insists is Heero.

I laugh so hard at the Heero blob that I cry, and decide to try and draw a Heero of my own. Somehow, it turns out even worse than hers, and the reaction Heero has when I show him has the rest of us gasping for air from too much laughter.

Heero tries not to look like he's stomping off to his room, but he doesn't fool any of us. I'm on my back recovering from my laughing fit when I feel her fingers skim at my armpits.

"No, don't!" I yell and curl into a ball as Relena hops on top of me, but it is no use. She starts tickling my sides and neck and I am back to wheezing for breath between giggles.

"Please, I'll do anything!" I try again, but she only laughs harder and continues her attack.

I don't think I've ever felt happier.

The next thing I know, I am waking up in my bed. It's nighttime outside my window, but suddenly I am wide awake. After tossing and turning for a couple minutes, I decide to get a glass of water from the kitchen.

The rest of the house is dark as I turn into the hallway, but the moonlight is bright enough for me to sneak around without any lights. Thinking of Heero's quiet steps, I try carefully not to make a sound.

I'm almost past his bedroom door when I hear whispers. It's Heero and Relena, and they're awake in his room.

Excited that the Queen is still here, I grab the doorknob and tug. Then I try again, but it's locked. I'm about to knock and call out when Obaachan slides open her door. She squints at me from under a head full of curlers.

"What are you doing?" she hisses. "You should be in bed."

"But Relena's-"

"Relena will wake you before she goes. Now get back to bed and leave them be."

After Obaachan disappears back into her room, I decide to continue on to the kitchen for my drink.

Glass in hand, I silently make my way back to my room. I stop once again when I'm at Heero's door and press my ear to the wood.

But this time, I don't hear a thing.

"Sorry to wake you," Relena says as she sits on my bed. Rubbing my eyes, I notice the room has hardly grown any brighter since I had fallen back asleep.

"What time is it?" I yawn loudly before I remember my manners in front of the Queen.

She smiles sadly and pats down some of my hair. "It's early. You don't have to get up for a few more hours, but I wanted to say goodbye before I left."

I knew it was coming, but I still don't like it. "Can't you please stay a little longer? It's too early to go out."

"Oh, Hans," she sighs and gathers me in a hug. "I wish I could."

I don't say anything. I'm afraid if I do my voice will sound sad and weak.

I feel her forehead on my temple and her nose at my cheek as she whispers. "Be good for your father, ok?"

I circle my arms around her neck and tell her that I will. Looking at the place where our skin touches, I can see in the dim light that hers is just as pale as mine is. We don't get many visitors in these mountains, and I wonder what it is like for her to live on the other side of the world next to a different ocean. I wonder if people would like me more there.

I wonder if I could find my mother there.

Heero stands in my doorway as we finish saying goodbye. When Relena finally walks out of the room, he stays behind and watches me like he thinks I'm going to tell him something. But I don't want to talk to him, and bury myself under my covers wishing that he would stop looking at me.

No matter how hard I squeeze my pillow around my ears, I can still hear the front door when it closes.

Keeping with the number naming tradition, Hans comes from han, which means half (or 0.5) in Japanese.

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