Undeterred

Chapter One: First Impressions

Lake Victoria Military Academy, 191 A.C.

Tanzania

Eighteen year old Lucrezia Noin was late as usual, and to make matters worse; she was also lost. It was only the second day of her stay at the Specials Military Academy and being late to the first presentation, or not showing up at all, would not make a very good first impression. The large cadet dormitory buildings were a few miles away from the academy's campus, and with all the buildings looking so similar, it wasn't hard to lose your way. Especially if you lost the map.

The Tanzanian temperatures had risen steadily since she left her dorm this morning at around 9 o'clock, and Noin was already breaking a sweat in her military uniform. For someone who'd lived in the Mediterranean for most of her life, the African humidity hit Noin like a ton of bricks. If it were up to her, she'd wear shorts all year round in this climate, but most other students seemed to stick to the dress code religiously. They didn't even change after classes, so Noin figured that when in Rome, one should do as the Romans do.

A little further up ahead was a mansion so large that it could have easily been a hotel. Noin decided to have a look and ask someone the quickest way.

What immediately caught her attention was the garden. A gardener was busy watering and removing dead leaves from the most beautiful rosebushes she'd ever seen. The roses were all different shades of red, ranging from vibrant scarlet and vermillion to deep carmine colors. Their pleasant fragrances, mixed with the hot summer air were almost strong enough to smell from a mile away.

She could make out a number of people carrying out their daily tasks. A young red headed man was trimming the hedges that framed the beautifully manicured lawn. He bent his head down as he worked, sweating with concentration. The hedges were clipped in the shapes of various animals, but most of them were lions in menacing poses, ready to pounce on any intruders. Noin would later learn that this was called a 'topiary', a word she wasn't familiar with at first. The steady hum of a good - sized lawnmower could be heard in the distance.

An elderly gentleman sitting on a lawn chair was enjoying a glass of wine. He was shaded from the sun by a brightly colored parasol. To Noin, he looked like a perfect picture of elegance and aristocracy. When he noticed her looking at him, he smiled and raised his glass as a friendly salute.

Noin leaned closer against the steel tipped fence surrounding the courtyard. She had temporarily forgotten where she was supposed to go, and what she was supposed to do.

"I'll never make it on time."

Noin cursed under her breath and turned around to walk back to the dorms. She'd never make the presentation on time, and at least this way she'd escape the hottest hour of the day. On her first day, she heard rumors from the other cadets that instructor Une wasn't easy to deal with. And that was putting it very nicely. She paused for a moment to wipe the sweat from her brow, and to swipe at the tiny black cloud of mosquitoes that were buzzing around her exposed arms.

She just finished rolling her sleeves back down when she felt a hand on her shoulder and a soft - spoken voice behind her.

"Can I help you?"

The man it belonged to was tall and very handsome. He had auburn hair that was combed back, save for a few rebellious strands that hung across his face and moved softly in the wind, pale skin and piercing blue eyes. Much like herself, he was dressed in full military attire, from the high boots all superior officers wore to the uniform coat. Noin though the gold- embroidered royal blue jacket matched his eyes perfectly.

She approached, careful not to step on the carpet of fallen leaves and rose petals he had been trimming.

"Yes, well, maybe. I didn't mean to stare, or anything." She shot him a small smile, and rubbed the side of her face – something she usually did when she was feeling nervous.

"Not at all, the garden is here to be admired. Please, stay a while." He graciously extended a gloved hand to her, motioning her to come sit with him.

"Thank you. My name is Lucrezia Noin, and I was supposed to be at the Victoria Lake academy main hall for a presentation given by Lady Une…about 45 minutes ago."

An amused smile formed around the mystery man's lips, lighting up his face.

"Ah, I see. I wouldn't pay it any mind. Lucrezia, was it? It's a pleasure to meet you." Noin was just going for a handshake, but he raised her hand to his lips and placed a light kiss on her fingers, making her blush furiously.

"Nice to meet you too," she said in a small voice.

"That presentation is nothing more than an introduction for the new recruits, explaining the rules of the Academy. I'd be more than happy to give you a summary, if you like. Don't worry about Lady Une." 'I will handle it', was what Treize wanted to add, but that would make her understand that Une was in fact his subordinate, and Treize didn't want her to know who he was. Not yet. He liked her far too much to shatter the illusion so quickly.

'If only...'

"I assume you were a student at the academy as well?" Noin asked, making him lose his train of thought.

"That was quite a while ago, but your assumption is correct, yes." He raised his hand, and as if on cue a butler appeared with a bottle of water. He handed it over to Noin, who gratefully accepted.

"Thank you."

The sincere gratitude in her voice brought a smile to his face. Lloyd bowed, and then rushed away to take care of his other responsibilities.

Noin knelt next to Treize, one knee resting in the soft soil in front of the rosebushes.

"Allow me to ask you a question this time. What made you join the Specials? I find it rather difficult to believe that someone as intelligent and kind as you is very eager to fight in this war." Noin smiled, leaned down and idly plucked a white petalled daisy from the grass, trying to think of an answer that might satisfy her new acquaintance.

"I don't like war. To be honest, I hate it. I think people's lives are precious, but in war, they're often treated as expendable. I would give my all as a soldier to protect my friends, and the ideas I value." Her companion did not object. Instead he nodded, motioning her to go on.

She took another sip of the cool water and continued. "I was always at the top of my class. Sometimes I worked hard for it. Sometimes, I didn't need to. I'm very lucky to be here on a full scholarship. But most of all, I'm here because of my love for outer space. I've always wanted to be an astronaut, you see. Becoming a mobile suit pilot might give me the experience and opportunity to explore deep space, someday."

A huge cotton like cloud temporarily blotted out the sun, and Treize could see Noin had gotten a serious expression on her face.

"In that case, I hope that your dream comes true," he said, and meant it.

"Thank you. I really wish I could stay, but I should get going now. You know, if I make the end of Une's speech, I might be on time to meet my new roomie, whoever it may be. I'd rather find out sooner than later."

"Of course. I won't hold you up any longer. It really was a pleasure to meet you, Lucrezia. I've got a feeling we'll see each other again soon."

Noin felt herself blush again, and hoping he wouldn't notice she muttered a goodbye, and left, waving once she was outside the gate.

He waved back, shielding his eyes from the sun, and watched her go as she passed him. Noin ran as fast as the heat and heavy uniform would allow her to, hoping to catch the end of the presentation. At the very least she should be present when they got assigned a roommate. It was almost 10.15 A.M. when she pushed against the heavy wooden doors of the main building. A thought crossed her mind when she entered, her footsteps echoing loudly in the empty halls. Would she see really him again? She forgot to ask his name.

Zechs Marquise tried very hard to drown out the annoying instructor's voice, but failed. Although well – presented, her long-winded presentation didn't interest him in the slightest, and unlike many of the other students, he had come fully prepared to the Academy. He knew what was generally expected in regard to conduct, and didn't care for a pep talk. He had his own reasons for joining the Specials training program, and was confident nothing (or no one) would deter him from achieving the goals he set for himself.

On his right side, a group of young male cadets seemed to completely disregard Instructor Une, and were talking among themselves. Loudly.

Zechs knew better than to generalize, but having been to so many different places, and having met so many different people, it was apparent to him that a certain type often stood out like a sore thumb. It was as if he had some kind of radar in his head to single them out, and they had one too. He had made up a term for the immature, often spoiled young men that always seemed to sail through life smoothly, trampling anyone they deemed unworthy. He called them the Privileged Idiots.

He knew they were making a mockery of his mask, and his platinum blonde hair he kept long. He could hear them laughing. He'd been insulted so many times before. Masked freak. Weirdo. Gay boy. They couldn't possibly begin to understand what he went through! He suddenly felt the rage come back.

Zechs clenched his fists so hard he could feel his fingernails dig into his palms and draw blood. The pain didn't make the rage subside. It didn't go away until he felt someone bump into him. Whether it was intentional or not, he didn't know, but he recoiled almost immediately. The Privileged Idiots had never gotten physical with him before.

When he looked up, he saw the latecomer wasn't one of his tormentors, it was an attractive dark - haired girl he'd never seen before. She ran a hand through her bangs, revealing dark eyes, which Zechs thought were absolutely gorgeous. Her otherwise pale face looked a little flushed, and she was panting heavily as if she just ran a marathon.

She stepped a little closer to him and whispered conspiratorially: "Hey, I'm sorry. I didn't mean to hurt you. I'm Noin."

She casually extended her hand towards him, simply meaning to introduce herself. At first, panic rose in his throat, but he managed to compose himself and accepted. He nodded weakly. She was standing close enough to see his icy blue eyes through the mask he wore. In his eyes was a mixture of unease and fear. It was the look of a person who had gone through some kind of abuse, and was trying very hard to forget.

Zechs braced himself for questions about the mask or his background, but they never came. She didn't look at him with the contemptuous glare the others usually reserved for him. There was no contempt in her eyes, just a genuine curiosity.

"My name is Zechs Marquise," he whispered. It was barely audible, and he didn't think she heard him, but she did.

"Nice to meet you, Zechs," Noin said.

He didn't reply, but was able to manage a smile. Looking back at their first meeting, it boggled his mind how natural it had been, how easily they connected. He never really trusted anyone before, but she was different. He just knew from the start.

Lucrezia, he wouldn't find out her first name until later that day, Lucrezia Noin was the first person to treat him like a normal human being in years.

AN: Hi! This is my first attempt at writing, so please go easy on me.

This story takes place when Zechs and Noin were classmates at the Victoria Lake Academy. I made them a little older for story purposes, Noin is 18, Zechs is 19, and Treize is 25. This is my take on their story, so forgive me if it's not 100% like the manga.

Please let me know what you think! Dropping me a review, or constructive criticism would be much appreciated, and would really help me improve my confidence as a writer. Feel free to leave suggestions too.