-----------------------------
"Hey Eiko..... I need a story." Laudo said, looking to his friend. Since Eiko
started visiting Alexandria castle on vacations when she was about sixteen,
she had quickly made friends with the young writer. There was about ten
years between them, but still they got along well.

"Hmmm...... Why don't you ask Beatrix.... Or Steiner? They have the cutest
relationship!"

"Do you think they'd tell ME?" Laudo asked.

"Well... Garnet, Ziddey, and I know just about everything.... all you really
need is the first few years of their relationship." Eiko said. "Come on Laulies
, it's all I got."

Laudo planned to himself, a smile spanning his face.

================Beatrix================
"I remember when it all started. It was so many years ago.
The sun had risen, and I was leaning against the wall in
the dining room. The barracks were always so hot, but the
dining hall between the male and female barracks was
always cool.

I started to unpeel an orange, grinning down at it. The
skin was rough. My temper was always short. I bit the
skin and tore it of with my teeth. I heard some laughing,
and I looked up. I thought I was alone.

There stood the most handsome man I had ever seen.
His eyes were dark and soft, his complexion was the a
tan hue I'd never seen. He smiled, and he just seemed so
Jubilant. He was probably twenty three, and I was about
sixteen. He tossed his golden hair and looked at me quite
oddly.

"Hey beautiful, need some help?" He asked me. I found
myself blushing. At that point, no man had ever called me
even pretty. Truly, as a teenager I wasn't all that pretty,
I only got my mediocre looks at around twenty. I had
acne, and I always tied my hair back tightly. I had small
glasses perched atop my nose which I really didn't need.

I heard some laughing. Some other young knight is training.
Yet again, I was only being talked to on a dare. The boy
started laughing, and they all left me there. I felt this surge
of anger, so I headed to the docks.

The docks always made me feel better. I could see the
entire castle from there. I sat quietly, picking up small
stones and counting how many times I could make them
skip.

One..... Two...... Three...... splash.

One.... Two..... Three..... splash.

One.... Two.... Three..... Four....! Splash.

At that point, one rock skipped ahead. I didn't throw it
but I watched it skip on.

One..... Two.... Three.... Four.... Five.... Six....
Seven... Eight.... Splash.

I turned to see a man behind me. He was rather tall, his
acne was a complete catastrophe, and his eyes seemed to
shine in the falling sun. His helmet indicated he was also
and Alexandrian soldier. Then I noticed, I'd been at these
docks for hours, almost all day.

He looked at me and blushed. "Uhmmmmmm, hi.....
May I just um....."

"Sit if you will it." I said, picking up another stone.

One... Two... Three..... splash.

I felt very embarrassed, doing so poorly. He just smiled at
me. The next stone, he showed me how to throw it
properly. I fixed my technique, and I tried again.

One... Two.... Three.... Four... Five... Six...! splash.

I smiled at him.

"Hey. I'm Adelbert." The man said, extending his hand.
"I know this is outta the blue but would you join me for
dinner some time? You seem really nice."

"No thanks." I said, impulsively.

"Oh. Okay." he replied, sounding kind of disappointed.
"It's rather late, may I walk you home? It isn't safe for a
young lady to walk about at night alone."

"Alright." I said, smiling a little.

After that night, I never saw Adelbert again until I was at
a meeting of the queen, where he was made captain. I
wondered, as I saw the man, now much more handsome,
What would have happened if I had said 'Yes'."

================Steiner================
"When I was a young man, I laid eyes upon a beautiful young
lady. She was five or so years younger then me, but I didn't
even bother to notice. She seemed very smart, and I knew
at first sight she was the one for me.

One day when I was headed to the docks, I saw her there.
I, of course, used my charm to try and win her over, but I
failed.

She said no. It crushed me. How could what I thought with
all my heart be wrong? I didn't know, so I kept to myself.

Shortly before I turned twenty nine, I was named Captain
of the Knights of Pluto. At the reception, I saw her again.
Past the lights and dancing nobles, I saw her sitting alone at
a table, carefully sipping some whine. She was much more
beautiful then I had remembered, she was now grown, and
she was absolutely radiant. Slightly more confident then I
was years before, I decided.

I had another chance, so I'd take it.

I walked up to the table where she sat and I said, "Um...
May I please have this dance?" The one thing I feared right
then was just one word. What if she said no?

"I can't dance." She said, looking up at me. "But would you
like to sit and have a drink with me, Captain?" The only
thing she didn't know, after that night, was that I really
couldn't dance either."





Laudo smiled at the story he now had. He felt happy as he handed his three
hundred sixty six page manuscript to Eiko. She smiled at him, and he shyly
grinned back. She kissed him gently, happy to be the one he chose to first to
read his greatest book.

That, my friends, was the start of the relationship of Laudo and Eiko. The
only problem was the reaction of Regent Cid.