oooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooo

In the silence of the night the labored breathing of the women in distress were like screams in the dead of darkness. The tiny sound of her footsteps smeared the once virgin ground of the forest as she crept through the endless maze of the deep mountain woods donning only her favored blue silk gown underneath a dark grey hooded-cloak that flapped behind her like a bird losing one of its wings. A branch snaps underneath the weight of her foot and she wince as she ran even fiercer than before, all the while protectively cradling her bundle of joy like it was a single thread of hope. She painstakingly made it a chore to prevent the child from waking up due to the cacophony of sounds and the incessant rough running would shook the baby from its deep stupor.

The Lady squinted ahead ignoring the endless tunnel of darkness as she tore through the woods, scrambling up hills and sliding down gulley's, stumbling over the exposed gray roots of a big beech. Her head darted behind and she began to sense fear streaming on every nerve in her body as she starts to pick-up furious footsteps of her pursuers—each gaining speed minute by minute. Soon she was hearing drawls of voices, hoots and howls of dogs. Sensing them, she sprinted like she had never sprinted before, her breathe became even more erratic and she realized that the longer she ran exhaustion and fatigue would creep in and her body inevitably would surrender to the cradle of sweet respite.

Not wanting to let go the very hope she carried, she heeded to the last and only option the circumstance conjured for her. She squinted her eyes on all possible corners in search for anything—a cave, a thick bush? Anything remotely habitable that might be of some certain degree of use to conceal her child safe. After what appears to be minutes of running she stopped as she eyed a lofty willow tree with protruding roots. The fair lady hastily crash down on her knees, the tiny puddle of water increasingly seep the fabric of her gown.

With the ease and care she learned since childhood the fair lady deposited the sleeping child between two big roots protruding that allowed for a gap in between, a good enough spot to hide her child from the men who wish to lay them to rest. With a few words of comfort and farewell she kissed the child's forehead, her actions stirred the child a little. Realizing that she would never be able to lay her eyes on her one bundle of joy she allowed a lone tear to sojourn from her eyes to the valley of her cheek. If she were to be given one last chance for the life she could never have, she wished for them to have lived instead in poverty and that happiness and contentment are the centrifugal force that binds them despite the meager resources and the condition of their status.

But she could never wish for it to happen for she is incapable of changing the present and its circumstance, her mortality dictate it to be so. So as to immortalize herself and her beloved husband and father to the baby and every ancestor of old, she plucked the necklace plastered with the royal crest of the royal family and inserted the item inside the blanket that cocoons the infant inside. Deciding that she can tarry no longer she kissed the child one last time as she spoke to the baby the virtues of old. "May you grow in grace, wisdom and honor, love, may your years be filled with humility and valor of heart—do not ever forget who you are. I love you." She hastily reared herself up on her feet and started to run away from her love and into the shadow that clothed the night. In the end, she embraced darkness.

Oooooooooooooooooo

-Sixteen years later-

The cabbages and all other vegetation, for that matter, where in season this time of the year. The old-fashion wooden cart I hauled from the little farm house we have at Burnst mountain were filled with the round yellow-green glow of the cabbages, each were neatly stacked from the base to the top like the fine pyramid of Egypt—except that its yellowish-green in shade and not the earthy tint of sand.

I slowly maneuvered my way in to the now narrowed streets of the marketplace observing the obvious hubbub of the early morning merchants and their trade. One could never imagine that early mornings were this boisterous and jam-pack with people from all around the continent. A truism that the existence of this vast marketplace here in Orb is reason enough to boast that Orb is one of the most industrialized city in the continent; resource-wise Orb pride herself to be intrinsically endowed with never-ending assets. People from different places flutter about every corner of the market seeking a trade that would profit them and vice-versa.

So basically you can get the picture of a market teeming with all kinds of noises, carts and carriages passing by and often I would espy the more and even the most affluent folks—those belonging to the highest strata of society—airing in a handsome phaeton. This is an era where vehicles reached new heights in elegance and luxury offering the perfect way to be seen in public but not to be touched. But the Orb central market is not only limited to that. Between the busy streets of Orb, children running and playing in the alley—of what seems to be a game of hopscotch and a healthy match of tag, parents trying to be parental, traders trying to trade, and of course the general image of a market would be partial without the presence of fish vendors and their copious catch of the day; fisherman trying to sell their catch for a high price from what it originally worth, customers of the less affluent strata trying to bargain for a cheaper price for the notoriously expensive fish.

Characteristically, the market is alive—you can't find any livelier market than the Central Market found only in Orb. I have existed long enough to account for the varied attitude of the place I have grown to be contented with despite the pungent smell, the constant soot that stain the sim of my trousers, the noise and bustle that is epitome of market heart, the flies in the air, the laughter of children and the shouts and scolding of concern parents, the merchandises and the award in a form of money to compensate for your hard-day's work—all of this I share my love to and have found solace.

"I cannot name a place where I would find peace than here." Athrun smiled at the thought, "Basically because this is the only place I have been throughout my life".

As I walk past the furnishing stalls lined-up neatly to my left I caught sight of Filmore, Orb markets resident beggar who I have come to be acquainted with. Dressed in his usual brown dress sackcloth—already sooted and torn—with a sash wrapped around his waist, Filmore look even more lanky with his skinny legs and ankles exposed with nothing but the punctured sandal that saved him from the slightly jagged section of the road that he constantly walk on. Caught in his daily routine of begging for alms, I pulled my cart to halt it. Burrowing my fingers into the pocket of my black trousers, I searched for the penny I have and gave what was left of my yesterday profit to Filmore.

"A present for you, Filmore", I said as I landed my penny into his upturned hand. For a minute, he did not know it was me after he had squinted his eyes and inched closer to my face, his old age has caught up with him and his eyesight carried the consequence, because of his penury status he did not have the resources to summon for a spectacle he could use to aid him. So, as my personal project I have decided to save up money to purchase for at least a suitable spectacle for him once I have the right amount, as of the moment I am two hundred and seventy-six Orb dollar short in finishing that project. But hey, I got all time in the world; all I need is I and my will.

"Why, isn't this you again laddie'!" he exclaimed after he recognize my face and my obvious blue hair.

"Yes it's me, Athrun. " I replied and supplied my name to save him from streaming down to memory lane.

"Working hard again I see," he presented me a smile that showed what's left of his teeth. "A fine lady would love an honest and hard-working lad like you, but it would ail her to realize that with your pace you would eventually come to love work than spend time with her for a gentle cup of tea."

"As much as I'd love to dream Filmore, it would appear that I don't have the luxury of time to dally" I answered.

"True, true" he bobbed his head.

Thinking that there are no words to be said, I excused myself. "I best be on my way Filmore, grandma's waiting for me and these cabbages can't wait to be dispatched" I tip my head to the direction of my cart.

"Sure, best be on your way laddie and thank you for your present!" I saw him smile one last time before I turned my head to the cart and started pushing it once again. "Bye, Filmore!"

"Only a few more steps", Athrun thought cheerily. He rounded up a corner steadily and gripped the carts handles tightly.

"Wohw!" he immediately stop the cart he was pushing and a few of the cabbages rolled from the top as he was able to stop the cart in time before the it could run down a small child crossing the street, oblivious to the apparent danger had Athrun been a tad bit late.

"Careful!" he shouted blandly as he strode forward towards the wooden stall that he personally assembled via wood, hammer and rusted—crummy—nails. He was proud of his handiwork standing at the right side of the busiest street of Orb Central Market. And there, Athrun espied his lovely grandmother standing behind the wooden stall making trade with a prospect buyer. Excited to greet her a good morning—for Athrun felt elated for the day with reasons he cannot supply—he parked the wooden cart slanted on the side of the street with its long rear handles protruding; inching closer to his grandma he navigated his way to the back of the stall. Without much of a warning he hugged his grandma tightly from behind—his height allowed for him to suspend his chubby grandma a little in the air.

"Good morning, Grandma!" he greeted cheerily.

"Goodness, Athrun!" she cried out. Turning around to face her handsome grandson, she chastise him lovingly, "You startled me!"

"Sorry" Athrun expressed an apology chuckling "Didn't mean to startle you early in the morning".

"Early in the morning indeed" she intoned, "What made you wake up on the happy side of the bed?" Grandma Hannah asks while picking-up her dark green shawl that must have fallen from a while back hanging it limply across her shoulders.

Athrun shrug, "The usual Hanny," His grandma loved that moniker Athrun had given her, the name enabled her to remember when Athrun was four years old then when he called her that, she believed that Athrun invented it himself and combined the Hannah and Granny together—the smart sod that he was. "I just felt happy in the morning can't seem to know why," then he smiled that handsome smile that always transport her grandma years back when she was in her teens—feeling that feeling of giddiness and all.

"Then put that cheery side to work and start unloading the cabbages from the cart, we don't have all day to think of the things that causes you to be this ecstatic" She commanded to Athrun as she busied herself with making space in the stall for the newly-delivered cabbages to be displayed in the stalls along with the other items they sell: tomatoes, bell peppers, onions and garlic, broccoli, tomatoes and a lot more spices and greenery.

"Roger that!" Athrun drawled and graced his grandma a mock salute that would have shame the army.

"Cut it out, you" She was about to pinch him playfully on the side when Athrun blocked her feeble hand.

"Okay, oaky!" he surrendered and twirled to where his cart was park, his grandma could only smile at his retreating back.

Oooooooooooooooooo

"Princess Cagalli, you could have at least stayed for a warm cup of tea with his majesty," Her Lady-in-Waiting implored as she could not believe that her mistress could not have the patience to even hide her distaste and annoyance to her suitor, the Prince of Scandinavia. "His majesty, the Prince asked for your company."

"I will not have any more of this discussion, Lady Lambert," she spat, "for I am tired and weary and I want to go home, let us not strive no longer on the issue of marriage and what not, nothing more needs to be said".

Her lady-in-Waiting blinked. Lady Lambert could not believed that they have traveled all the way from Orb to Scandinavia and back again to Orb without even a modest cup of tea nor a descent chat where her Princess and the Prince of Scandinavia were concern. Princess Cagalli and she, along with the Princess's menagerie of servant and guards were dispatched from Orb commanded by her father, the King, to accompany the Princess to the place where the Monarch thought her daughter would finally find the match suiting for her taste and eventually tie the knot. Needless to say that what the King envisioned is far more a distant dream than what reality could allow.

Her benefactor, the Princess herself, did not even spare a word or two that would be most fitting and worthy for the occasion, but instead of exchanging pleasantries and smiles the Princess recoiled her hand from what should have been a kiss given to her by the Prince, turned her back and insisted that they'll be living sooner than what was expected of the word. Lady Lambert had to speak modestly to the shocked Prince and invoked an excuse for Cagalli that she was not feeling well and that they have to retreat back to Orb to care for her. The Prince humbly offered for a tea and lodging for the "ailing" Princess but Cagalli made it a point to her Lady-in-Waiting that she does not want to step out of the carriage.

"Bear in mind Lady Lambert that the only ground I'd be stepping on when I get out of this carriage is where I was last send-off".

Lady Lambert had to spur the Princess to change her mind during their ride back to Orb, to urge her to turn back and reconsider the matter, what possible excuse pray she would present now to the King? Her (Princess) iron resolve wielded much supremacy—the stubborn lady she was—than the Lady's insistence. She knew that hers was a lost cause but she had to try. Never the less her effort were for naught for the Princess sitting motionless before her, ethereal and beautiful with a face that could outmatch Aphrodite and with locks that outshines the sun and skin white as ivory, would not allow an ounce of her will to be supplanted. Once she have made up her mind nothing could remade it.

Lady Lambert sat back in her couch and resign to her fate; yielding to the will of the lady she calls Lady Princess.

Oooooooooooooooooo

"Let me help you with the cabbages, Hanny" Athrun offered to help his grandma stack the cabbages into neatly piled pyramids.

"It's okay my boy," she refused, "I'm not that old, you could continue bringing what's left of those cabbages in the cart and throw the damaged ones here." She commanded to the blue-haired boy offering a basket for the damaged cabbages.

"Okay Hanny, but don't exert yourself too much." Living with just the two of them, Athrun cared more than he could afford to the old woman he calls grandma. He's indebted to her for some peculiar reason. His grandma is all he has left of his family, who, when he was but an infant sailed away to heaven happily watching over them.

A single yellowish-green cabbage conspicuously rolled out from the summit of the pyramid to the middle of the street of the marketplace. Grandma Hannah steers away from the stall and march towards the sole green dot that was the cabbage, oblivious to her a fast horse-drawn carriage is passing by her way quickly.

The coachmen, spying a person on the road hollered for her to get out of the way. Because the momentum of the carriage was fast match with the sluggish reaction of the person, the coachmen felt that desperate time calls for desperate measures; he provides for a conclusion; between the Princess and the unknown person, the Princess must be of top priority, she must be protected at all cost for the burden and the future of Orb lies between her hands.

Not too soon, the individual would meet her fate in the hands of the coachmen.

The air was suddenly filled with the sounds of shredded wood, shrills and gasps. A simultaneous shriek of the horses was chased by a human scream, restless hooves, and then a silence more sinister than all the rest. Only a few seconds could have passed before Athrun would drink in the sight of his grandma' s lifeless body underneath the carriage, but a second was enough to haul her away to the opposite side of the street from the speeding carriage and save her from any injury or worse death.

Oooooooooooooooooo

Cagalli felt a strong jolt from the carriage and a series of noise from outside her window. She held tightly to the sides of the couch as the notorious shaking of the carriage almost shook her out of the edge of her seat.

"What in blazes…..!" Lady Lambert uttered.

The shaking stopped and Cagalli gathered her wits and eyed the windows to peek the commotion from the outside. When she had opened her side of the door, onlookers were gathering around the carriage and a patch of yellowish green things she assumed were cabbages laying around scattered and soiled.

Before Cagalli could fully step out of the carriage, Lady Lambert was fast in holding her right hand and ushered her back. "You're Lady Princess, please do not go outside stay here, and do not let people know you are in this carriage."

"But, what is going on?" Cagalli inquired. Lady Lambert only answered, "Do not fret yourself over this matter, let the Protectors handle it my lady."

Lady Lambert might have forgotten a very important variable—that Princess Cagalli was a very stubborn lady.

Oooooooooooooooooo

Athrun was just in time to save his grandma from apparent danger. Lying on the opposite side of the street he felt the arm that wrapped around his grandmother's frame was scraped and bleeding. Athrun watched for a while, gathering his wits, the little crowd pressing towards him. A young black man detached himself from the crowd and bent over.

"Are you alright lad?" he inquired and held my grandmothers frame who was in shock.

After Athrun felt that the world had steadied itself he blinked and pushed himself up, "I'm fine, thank you sir." He answered a bit groggily.

"Your grandma seems to be in shock, she has fainted but she'll be alright." The black man said after carrying my grandmother's body to the stall and laid her down to a space that could accommodate her limp body. Before Athrun could tend to his grandmother one of the coachmen in the carriage chastised him.

"What did your grandmother was thinking boy, blocking the road!" he started, "This is infringement of our right for passage, we could have died there, she must have seen us coming".

One burly man from the crowd answered for Athrun and Athrun felt a sense of relief for he cannot conjure a response as of the moment for he was feeling a bit dizzy. "Tis' not the lads fault for your reckless driving Sir, we as people of Orb also have our right for the usage of the road, what fault does he have?" He asked hands akimbo and his brows furrowed. The crowd began to protest against the coachman who neither cared nor bothered as he whipped his stick in the air. The sounds began to congest as more people began to gather around.

Athrun felt a semblance of equilibrium, but before he could address the problem the carriage door opened to usher a beautiful lady from its nest, her pale white ivory skin glowed in the light of the afternoon sun, her long golden hair flowed like gold dust as she carefully accompanied herself down the carriage but before she could reach the last floorboard of the carriage a very tall burly tan man offered his hand to her and she accepted it. Athrun was at lost with her beauty; her amber eyes were enough to mesmerize him. Athrun stood dumbfounded on his spot before the carriage; her beauty enamored him so that he was numb to the throbbing pain of his arm that was bleeding. Athrun could hear whispers that the lady before her was none other than Orb's Princess. Princess Cagalli.

"May I ask what the matter is ladies and gentlemen?" the golden angel inquired. But before Cagalli could find the answer to her question her line of sight espied a blue haired boy standing flabbergasted before her royal carriage; his right arm bleeding.

"Oh my!" she scurried towards his direction, her baby blue gown limping behind as she gathered some of it in her hands, her bodyguard was fast to follow suit. "You're bleeding!" she exclaimed and presented her kerchief. She held his bleeding arm before her and she started to stain her snow white kerchief with a commoner's blood.

"Yo-your Highness please, I'm fine" Athrun tried to pry his hand from her, feeling quite embarrassed that people began to stare and whisper amongst themselves.

"Please your highness, you don't have to do this."

"Nonsense! Here pressed this firmly unto your arm to stop the bleeding." She commanded. Her bodyguard, thinking that this was not a matter that concerns them respectfully shooed the crowd. From out of the carriage, a chubby lady in her fifties elegantly strides towards the princess. Athrun had not notice it the first time that the gap between the Princess and him was quite slim. While Cagalli busied herself in wrapping her kerchief to his arm, Athrun was blushing red.

"Don't mind her" the Princess said her eyes in stern consternation to the task at hand and Athrun obliged and nodded. She must be refereeing to the Madame.

"Your Highness please leave it, we must be on our way now…."

"I'm Cagalli and you are?" Cagalli did not spare to respond to her lady-in-Waiting for she felt that she needed to ask for this person's name, at least she could name someone outside her circle of rich friends and acquaintances.

"Uh-uhm, Athrun your highness." Athrun was about to offer a bow the Princess deserved but Cagalli have none of those formalities for now.

"You don't have to bend over, its fine." Her Lady-in waiting stood silently dumbfounded ready to reprimand such breach in decorum but decided that it would be best to keep silent.

"So Athrun, how old are you?" she inquired as she looped the kerchief around his arm.

"Sixteen your highness." He supplied.

"I'm sixteen as well! We could be good friends." She smiled beautifully at Athrun and he felt even more drawn to her youth and beauty. He observed her hands that were delicate and careful. She has pearly white and beautiful fingers. Her closeness allowed for Athrun a sniff of her perfume. Lavender. Her hair smelled of vanilla too. Athrun began to feel conscious of himself, he prayed that the princess would not take into his smell.

"There, it's all done!" before Athrun could send his gratitude he was bombarded again with a question, "What do you do for a living?"

"I sell merchandises, your Highness—."

"A merchant by trade, tis' an honorable profession Athrun." She cut him off. Athrun could not fight a blush that is slowly siphoning in his cheeks as the princess lovingly said his name. Feeling indebted to her for patching up his wounds, despite herself, Athrun bowed his head and offered a thank you to her and she produced her lovely hand to him for him to kiss it as a sign of her acceptance to his gratitude. Lady Lambert thought what could this boy have that bewitched the princess to offer her hand for him to kiss, not even the Prince of Scandinavia could have the honor of her hand. Cagalli smiled lovingly at the boy before her and uttered, "You are most welcome, Sir."

Lady Lambert had this nagging feeling. Is the princess flirting with this boy? Feeling the urge to remind her benefactor that they needed to leave, Lady Lambert injected, "Your highness, forgive me for intruding into your conversation but I felt the need for us to depart now, the King might be worried."

"I know, I know, let us be on our way then to apiece your soul." Before Cagalli could enter the carriage she turned her head back to the boy bending low to pick up the spoiled cabbages that were unfortunate to be deposited in the basket along with the spoils of yesterdays. Feeling guilty, Cagalli strutted back to him asked for his hand and landed Orb bills onto it. "I'm really sorry for what have happened; please take this as a compensation for the damages."

Athrun felt the need to return the money back to her for he felt ashamed even though it was neither their doing that resulted into this bout he sensed that the coachmen should pay for his fault, but throughout the session he never spared a glance to his direction.

"Goodbye, Athrun" she bid him farewell before entering the carriage and once again offered her smile to him.

Oooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooo ooooooooooooooooooooooooooO

Authors note: Thank you very much for taking your time to read this fic; it does my poor authors heart good. For the information of everybody, I would still continue my other fics, as to when they'd be updated I cannot say. But rest assured I would never leave a fic unfinished.

Please comment your suggestions, clarifications, confusions, and reactions. You can PM me or write your comments on the review box to assess whether or not I should continue on with this story.

As always you would do me much favors if you would review. Thank you and God bless!

~HNNKN777~