Ledonir Kisaka knocked on the door and waited patiently for it to open, although he knew it was highly unlikely.

Her Royal Highness Princess Cagalli Yula Athha had not opened her door since she received news of her unexpected engagement...which was exactly 3 days, 2 hours and 16 minutes ago. And since the princess was infamous for her stubborn will, he was pretty sure she would come out over her dead body unless the engagement was cancelled.

But that was just as highly unlikely to happen.

Her father had been very worried. Cagalli had never gone on strike for so long before. So he'd ordered Kisaka to somehow persuade her to come out. And if she didn't, then he was allowed to use brute force when necessary.

"Your Majesty, would you please open the door? It is your bodyguard, Kisaka," he said as he knocked on the door again.

No response.

"Princess Cagalli, I am sorry, but with or without your consent I will now open this door." Kisaka warned before he took out the spare key to the room and unlocked the door.

But instead of facing a royally pissed off princess ready to do battle, all he saw was an empty, untidy room.

Not good.

There was a letter on Cagalli's writing desk. He unfolded it and frowned.

All it said was: Goodbye.

His eyes frantically looked around for more clues.

Half-empty cupboard. Check.

Goodbye letter. Check.

Open window fastened with rope. Check.

Yep, there was no denying it. As much as he liked to pinch himself and wake up to find it all a horrible dream, he knew that Princess Cagalli was gone.

"Oh God, no..." Kisaka sighed and covered his face with one hand "...she's run away."

------------------------------------

Wanted: Maid for Hire: EPISODE ONE

This is the fic I promised: an alternate universe starring my favorite couple, Athrun and Cagalli...but there will also be Kira x Lacus and Dearka x Mir in the sidelines. I am now experimenting with a longer, more detailed story, so I hope it won't be too bad.

This is dedicated to all who have supported my previous fics.

Happy reading!

--Deana

------------------------------------

20-year-old Cagalli Yula Athha was at the shuttle port, clutching a bag filled with all her necessities. She pulled the brown hat covering her blond mop lower to hide her face. Her slanted golden-brown eyes glanced around warily.

No one noticed her yet. Good.

"Passengers, please board the shuttle for take off."

The announcement prompted her to head for the vestibule.

As she walked, her mind backtracked into the moment when this whole trouble started and prompted her to flee...

"Y-You can't be SERIOUS!"

Cagalli gave her father an incredulous look.

Uzumi Nala Athha wearily shook his head and sighed loudly in exasperation, getting mentally prepared to fight a battle of wills against his only child: the tomboyish and headstrong Princess of ORB. "You must control that tempestuous nature of yours, Cagalli. You will hear me out this time," he stated firmly.

She pouted, jutting out her chin in irritation as she glared at her only parent since childhood.

"But there is nothing to discuss, Papa! I'd rather die than marry some nameless, faceless stranger I've never even met before!" she declared defiantly.

Uzumi bristled. "Cagalli, please...this marriage has been arranged since the time you were born. Such alliances are organized everyday! Besides, this is for the good of ORB! Through your marriage with Yuuna, our country will have peace for generations come!"

"And you're willing to sacrifice MY happiness?" Cagalli asked sadly.

"Please understand, Cagalli. Sometimes pride and tenacity must be forsaken for the greater good of all."

"That's not fair, Papa! What does pride and tenacity have to do with a coerced marriage? Why should a woman meekly and cowardly submit to such an unjust fate? What about MY hopes, MY needs, MY dreams?" she pleaded desperately.

Her father's eyes softened. "I know it's unfair, Cagalli...but we have no choice."

Cagalli stared at her father, and then stormed up to her room.

She locked her bedroom door and leaned against the frame, feeling hopeless and troubled by her bleak future. Tears of frustration welled in her golden-brown eyes but she hastily wiped them off. She had no time to waste bawling her eyes out. She needed a plan and she needed it A.S.A.P.!

Warily she weighed her options. What scheming logic could forestall her threatened fate? Would her father honestly coerce her into a loveless marriage with some stranger she hadn't even met yet?

A lifetime without love...How could he? Of all men, Uzumi should know what it was like – real love between a man and a woman. He had loved and cherished his wife Rosalind so much...and even though she had died giving birth to Cagalli, he could never find another woman to take her place. That was what Cagalli wanted. Strong, real love...the kind found only in romance novels and fairy tales. But Cagalli believed in it. And she believed Yuuna what's-his-name was NOT her destiny.

The way she saw it, she had only two choices:

Stay and marry some faceless jerk, or leave for an uncertain fate.

Cagalli's eyes narrowed. The choice was obvious...

She couldn't stay here anymore. She cannot take the chance of being recognized. She had to live on somewhere no one would never even think of searching.

And PLANT was the answer.

She glanced back one last time at her home of eighteen eons.

"Goodbye, Papa. Goodbye, Kisaka. Goodbye, my friends. Goodbye, ORB. I'll miss you..."

She closed her eyes, took a deep breath and walked up the steps to her future.

XXX

WANTED: MAID FOR HIRE

Dearka Elthman grinned as he read the article Yzak had drawn up. "It's been...what, two weeks since I last saw this same heading on the newspaper column?"

Yzak Joule, his partner and a top official of the military, smirked. "Ah yes, and the hunt for a New Maid ensues once again." He crossed his arms over his chest and sighed. "I wonder why he even bothers. It's just going to be the same thing over and over again. Any foolish female who dares take up the maid post would end up screaming to be fired and run out of the mansion in ten seconds flat."

"Not ten, five," Dearka corrected impishly.

Yzak snorted. "Who can stand that Ice Prince's mind-set? His silence alone could be very frightening to the people who aren't used to his attitude. Heck, isn't that why he's called 'the Ice Prince'?"

He rolled his eyes. "I wonder who would be the next unfortunate victim on our Great and Wonderful prince's to-torture-for-fun list."

Dearka smirked. "May God have mercy on her poor soul."

XXX

Cagalli was walking down a street, her stomach growling from I-need-food-to-fill-me-NOW syndrome. Ever since she landed on PLANT, she had been wondering around aimlessly with no destination in mind. She groaned. She had never thought as far in her plans as to know what to do after she runs away.

"Damn, but I wish I had more pocket money," she muttered under her breath. She wished she had taken the time to steal some from the family vault. But then the servants would have been suspicious.

Oh God. She was going to starve to death!

Then something flew into her face with a 'smack'.

"WHAT THE HELL?" She quickly grabbed the Unidentified-Flying-Object from her face and discovered it was a piece of paper; or more accurately, a leaflet.

WANTED: MAID FOR HIRE

Must be female, hardworking, reliable, practical, and loves children.

Underneath was the scheduled time for the maid interviews. It was today at six o'clock. A small smile curved on her lips as an idea formulated in her mind. Oh, this is great! I can take up a temporary job and make some money while I'm here. Plus, the cash would provide me with food.

At the thought of food, her stomach complained for its daily nutrition. Damn, I am SO hungry! I'm beginning to wish I just stayed behind! Her desperate eyes looked up and saw the answer to her prayers like a shining beacon of hope from the heaven.

It was a bakery store. And it was right in front of her. She just had to cross the street.

She patted her pocket and felt for the little money she had.

Hmm...I guess I can afford some bread.

She folded the leaflet, tucked it into her pocket and headed for the bakery store with all-due speed.

She didn't hear the car sound behind her.

She didn't notice the streetlight turning green.

And she didn't see the vehicle coming her way until it was too late.

Cagalli's jaw dropped.

"What the –"

SCREECH!

XXX

Athrun Zala, dubbed the Ice Prince and the prominent Chairman of PLANT, was busy with his cell phone as his chauffeur drove his around PLANT. For the last few hours, he'd been trying to make contact with Lacus Clyne, a pop star idol and renowned patron...

...And also his fiancé.

"Please answer, Lacus," Athrun murmured as his eyebrows furrowed. He was getting increasingly worried. Lacus was performing a live concert. But it should have been over an hour ago. Why wasn't she responding? Did something happen to her?

"I'll just have to call her later o-"

Athrun's sentence was cut off when he was suddenly thrown forward but was able to hold back before he hit himself against the front seat. The emerald-eyed man angrily turned to the driver. "What in blazes do you think you're doing!"

"Master Athrun, a boy suddenly crossed the street and I had to avoid him," explained his driver apologetically, pointing to a figure standing in the middle of the road.

It was a young blond male, clad in a long dark brown coat and a hat, looking like he was in a state of shock.

"Well, sound the beeper and get him going. We're going to be late for the airstrip," Athrun ordered in irritation. He had to go to ZAFT for a meeting with some important officials of ZAFT and he had no intension of turning up late.

The driver beeped...once...twice...but the blond lad was still frozen on the spot.

"Oh, great...More distractions to get me late..." Athrun gritted his teeth and climbed out of the limo furiously.

XXX

Cagalli clutched her chest, breathing in short quick gasps. She nearly got ran over!

Someone opened the limo's door and stormed up to her.

He was tall, dark and gorgeous, with brilliant green eyes and wearing a scowl dark enough to block out the sun on the brightest day.

"Hey, who do you think you are, crossing the road when the traffic light turned green? Are you colorblind?" The man's emerald eyes blazed as he yelled.

Her blood boiled. She clenched her hands into fists and gritted her teeth; suddenly forgetting a four-wheeled one-ton-something automobile had nearly ran her over. "Well, excuuuuuuuuuseme, Your Royal Highness, but this road happens to be public property! You have NO right to interrogate me like that!"

He sighed, rubbing his face with his hands and looking very, very irritated. "Look, if you want to commit suicide then fine, do it. It will help reduce the universal population problem that is growing. But please, don't do it with the help of my limo –I don't want to have to pay for your funeral bills and I just had my limo waxed."

Cagalli's eye twitched. The man had the audacity to tell her he cared more for the purity of his precious limo than a human life? Hers, to be exact! "So," she said as she threw his limousine an indifferent look, then look back at the emerald-eyed man, "that's your limo. Well, Mr. I-am-the-most-powerful-man-in-the-galaxy-because-I-own-hot-wheels, just because you have some fancy car doesn't give you the right to drive around recklessly and run over unknowing pedestrians. And you say I'm the one didn't look left and right? Why don't you give that same advise to your own driver, oh Wise One!"

She sighed and shook her head, ignoring the slowly seething man in front of her. "People with narrow minds like yours are a menace not only to innocent civilians but also to the entire human race."

"Damn you!" He glared at her as his hands tightened into fists. "If I weren't a gentleman I'd have –"

"You'd have what?" she dared him.

"I'd have kicked your ass!"

Cagalli smiled saccharinely. "Then do it. Or are you waiting for me to do it first?" She raised an eyebrow mockingly. "It'll be easy. Your brain is closer to your ass anyway."

The dark-haired man looked ready to commit murder. And perhaps he would have too, if a hesitant voice hadn't called out, "Umm...Master Athrun?"

He turned irritable eyes at the chauffeur. "What is it?"

"We need to get to the shuttle port soon. The airstrip will leave in a matter of minutes."

"Alright, wait while I have a brief talk with this guy over here," the green-eyed man known as Athrun replied.

Cagalli's eye twitched as she gritted her teeth. Guy! He thinks I'm a–WHAT! That's it! THAT is IT!

"Listen here, you!" she barked as she poked her index finger to his chest. "In case you might be too blind or too stupid to notice, I am a G-I-R-L...A girl!"

"Oh, really? Well, you sure don't ACT like one! And please don't make fun of my spelling prowess. Unlike you, I actually have the brainpower to spell out longer and more complicated words than that!"

Nearby, a five-year-old child turned and asked his mother, "Mom, what's com...pli...ca...ted?"

"Be thankful that I don't want to taint innocent young minds, or I would have kicked on something private on your body!" Cagalli snapped as she crossed her arms.

He smirked. "Thank those innocent minds too, because I would have done you more bodily damage than anything your tiny brain can think up."

Her eyes widened, and then narrowed dangerously. The nerve! She wanted to scream bloody hell. Her anger-on-meter was rapidly skyrocketing and she was this close from carrying out her threat to seriously maim his you-know-where.

Then, all of a sudden she calmed down.

Athrun smirked. "Hey, what's wrong with you now? Have you wasted all your oral fluids already?

She didn't reply.

Instead she slowly walked up to him, smiled ever-so-sweetly, and then–

PUNCH!

XXX

TBC

XXX