If a Princess
No one quite recalls, it wasn't really important, but Orb and PLANTS once were on friendly terms. Once, the princess of a country met the princess of a people. Cagalli-Lacus One-shot.
Disclaimer: I don't own Gundam Seed.
"Oh, look! The ocean!" a little girl exclaimed excitedly, eyes wide with her hands pressed against the window of the civilian ship.
The man sitting beside her glanced up from a book he'd brought along and smiled. Reaching over to gently push her back down to sit properly in her seat, the man chuckled at her insistence on practically pressing her face to the window to see.
"Daddy, is that a really real ocean?" the little girl then asked, curiosity making her expression all the more adorable.
"Yes, it is, Lacus. With salt, and fish, and seashells." the man added.
"Whoa, really!? It has everything!" she nearly squealed before looking back to the window, nearly hopping in her seat excitedly.
The few other passengers smiled at the display and the innocent naivety of a child raised in PLANT.
"Everyone, please secure yourself in your seats, we will soon by docking in Orb," the flight attendant announced, going on to continue thanking them for choosing their company and for giving them an easy trip.
Lacus, against her wishes, sat back and straightened to look just a little ladylike. But when slight turbulence began to shake the vessel, her small hand shot out for her father's, her small fingers gripping him tightly. When he looked to her, he was surprised to see an excited expression rather than a frightened one.
"Daddy, I want to see the ocean!" Lacus announced loudly, nearly bouncing in her seat when the ship finally settled and announced the landing.
"Yes, yes, dear…Perhaps after Daddy speaks to his friends," Siegel Clyne suggested, patting the girl's head.
She didn't think much of his words, and with rubbery legs, she hopped up and latched onto the sleeve of his overcoat. She commended herself for such a genius move, as this way she only had to not let go of him and she could look around at all that she wished. But it was another thing to make sense of walking.
The three men who traveled with them as her father's bodyguards shared smiles with their client when Lacus stumbled and stared at the floor of the terminal, tapping her feet experimentally while bowing her head to look around. The gravity was different than in PLANT.
"Don't forget about the ocean, okay?" she asked seriously, gazing up at the tall man with wide eyes as they awaited their private transportation.
"Alright, alright," the blonde man assured her, but he'd already pulled out a cell phone and was talking to someone. With a masked face, Lacus watched the people around them, the cars rushing by, saw the sunlight streaming down…
She stepped just that much closer to her father, gripping his sleeve tightly enough that she'd surely leave wrinkles.
--
"Nana, I'm not wearing it!" the child barked viciously at the round woman.
"But mistress, please!" she begged, holding out the garment to the girl.
"I said 'No!'" was the reply, and in more hostile retaliation, the blonde girl stuck her hands in her hair and ran them through crazily, forcing out the green ribbons her nanny had so carefully tied into her hair.
When she was done her blonde tresses were a wild mess and the nanny was left exasperated.
"Young lady, please dress respectably!" the woman tried ordering, but the girl was a step ahead.
"I'll run out there naked before I wear that! I will!" and to make her point, she began lifting her shirt and the nurse collapsed into a nearby chair, fanning her face and sighing in defeat.
"Whatever will we do with you, Princess Cagalli…" she said, panting.
"Dunno, don't care." Cagalli answered, bluntly honest. She then set about searching for a proper pair of jeans and her sneakers. Seeing the girl's wardrobe choices, the nanny felt like crying.
Perhaps they could just hide their princess away for awhile and no one would have to see her…then alone meet with her. The last time Orb had an important person here, she'd gone and actually bit the hand of an Earth Alliance general. Word was he still had the scar.
"I'm going!" Cagalli announced, breaking the woman out of her thoughts to watch as the young girl slipped out of the glass garden-doors of her room.
"Princess!" the woman cried, but tripped over herself as she hurried to rise. "Oh what a bother…" she grumbled into the carpet, "She's Kisaka's problem now…"
--
It was quite utterly boring just sitting here…but Lacus didn't really have anything else to do. All she could do was sit up straight with her hands in her lap and look the part of a proper lady while her father was in a meeting.
They'd arrived at the Orb Palace, which disappointed Lacus when it looked nothing at all like a castle, but more like her own home back on PLANT. Still, she'd hoped there would be some distraction…but it seemed her father didn't think to entertain his daughter while talking business.
Glancing beside her, Lacus eyed Jonah and pouted. The man was one of her father's guards, dressed in a crisp black suit and slicked dark hair, and a pair of black sunglasses to go with it. The other two had accompanied her father inside the conference room with the Orb Council, but Jonah had been told to stay with her.
She had nothing against him, really, but he had told her it would be dangerous to go off wandering the palace. When she'd asked about going to the garden just across the walkway, he'd shook his head, trying to console her. Saying a proper lady would not be distracted by such things had kept Lacus still and quiet, but she was utterly bored.
"I just want to see the ocean…" she murmured.
There was no stopping her renewed excitement when suddenly, out of nowhere, a child with wild golden hair burst from the foliage of the garden while leaping after something.
"Oh!" the small girl exclaimed, clapping her hands when the blonde child rose and triumphantly held a hand up in the air, clutching something.
Jonah looked cross and leered at the child when gold eyes flickered over to the quiet pair and the blonde began walking over.
Stopping in front of Lacus, the blonde child looked her up and down and then thrust her hand forward. Lacus cupped her hands curiously, and squealed with delight when a small frog was dropped onto her palms.
"M-Miss Lacus," Jonah said, lifting a hand, meaning to swat the ugly thing away.
"Look at him! Ribbit!" the pink haired girl giggled, exclaiming when the frog tried to hop away, only to be caught in midair by the blonde again.
"Careful, he's fast."
"Jonah, want to hold him?" Lacus offered to the man who cringed.
"I'm sorry, Miss Lacus, but you shouldn't be touching…that…and you shouldn't be here playing." he added, turning to the blonde child.
"Ha, it's my home," the blonde scoffed, crossing her arms behind her head.
Jonah blanched, and wondered if this child was the daughter of Izumi Nara Attha…the child he'd mistaken as a raucous boy.
"Can you show me that garden?" Lacus asked suddenly, looking excited. Jonah was about to say no, but before he could the blonde child had grabbed Lacus' wrist and was dragging her off the bench and running towards the garden.
"Wait, Miss Lacus!" Jonah called, standing. He would have chased after the children, but a presence suddenly showed themselves and a heavy hand rested on his shoulder. Looking around, the bodyguard found himself staring up at the face of a very tall man with long hair and dark skin.
"Do not worry, Miss Cagalli would not allow any harm to come to that girl," the man said with a smile, and then walked silently towards the garden where he could better watch over the princess.
--
Lacus giggled when the frog hopped from her hands and into a small pond bubbling in the middle of the garden.
"This place is very nice, it reminds me of my own garden back home," Lacus said, sitting back on the soft grass beside the blonde who had introduced herself as Cagalli.
"Huh, really?" the blonde asked curiously.
"Yes, we have really big flowers and lots of pretty plants. My favorites are roses my mother planted for the fairies. She lives there, now." Lacus added, glancing up at the sky.
"Lives with the roses?" Cagalli asked, eyes narrowed and a brow lifted.
"Daddy says she went to live with the fairies…" Lacus added, and the blonde girl looked away.
"…my mom lives with the fairies, too…I never met her, though…" Cagalli added with a shrug.
"Oh! You know, Daddy said sometimes a fairy will come if you sing to the flowers!" Lacus said excitedly, earning another look from the girl.
"I've never seen any fairies," Cagalli muttered skeptically. Lacus smiled and stood up, reaching to pull up the other girl as well.
"Come on, I'll show you! You have to sing and be really happy! Fairies don't like sad people," the little girl added, dragging a somewhat reluctant Cagalli to a large patch of flowers.
Suddenly stopping, Lacus began to sing a song she'd just learned. Cagalli watched her with wide eyes, caught off guard by the voice the girl possessed. The girl dressed in a pretty white dress stared at the flowers, glancing around as she sung, searching for even a flickered glimmer of fairy wings.
Cagalli did not bother, for as much as she'd humor the strange girl from PLANT, she wouldn't search for make-believe fairies.
But as the song grew quieter, and the blonde princess began to see a disappointed look cross Lacus' face, she suddenly got an idea. Gripping Lacus' arm, Cagalli thrust her hand forward, pointing towards some tall bushes covered in flowers.
"Look! Over there! Did you see those wings!?" the blonde exclaimed, making Lacus jump.
Letting her go, Cagalli chased after what she saw, and Lacus stood dumbfounded and could only watch with wide blue eyes.
When Cagalli returned, a sheepish grin had spread over her lips. Holding out her hands, she parted her fingers so Lacus could peer inside.
"Sorry, the fairy turned into a butterfly when she saw me," Cagalli replied, allowing Lacus' hands to rest on hers and open her fingers to reveal a tiny white butterfly.
It suddenly flew away when freedom was revealed, and Lacus smiled.
"The fairy was really beautiful, she had hair like yours," the princess added, a slight pink coloring to her face. Lacus blushed and shook her head.
"Fairies are much prettier than me!" she giggled, but was caught off guard when Cagalli leaned forward and ran a hand through the Coordinator's hair.
"Uh-uh…your hair is really soft and pretty." Cagalli admitted quietly. "A human like you is way more pretty than a fairy," she added.
Neither child thought deeply of Cagalli's choice of words. To them, being a Natural or Coordinator did not make you more or less human…not then, when they were only ten years old, anyway.
--
Lacus didn't quite get why, but Cagalli had told her to look sad and hungry when they went to talk to someone in the kitchen. It all made much more sense when the chef gazed upon the pitiful looking pair and then offered them both very large pastries baked to a golden brown and frosted delicately with pink sugary goodness.
When the two girls retreated back to the garden to eat them, they were pleasantly surprised to find the centers cream-filled and a delicious vanilla taste washed over their tongues.
"So, what do you want to do? The garden isn't all that fun for too long," Cagalli said with a shrug.
She nudged Lacus with a smile on her face when the girl took a moment to answer.
Looking to Cagalli with large eyes and a serious expression, Lacus finally saw her chance. Leaning forward, Lacus almost made Cagalli flinch backwards at the closeness.
"I want to see the ocean! The real ocean!" she pleaded, and Cagalli knew even if such a thing had been impossible she would have tried for Lacus.
"Alright, no problem! We can go down to the beach from the back entrance of the palace," the blonde said casually, enjoying the look of pure devotion and awe from Lacus she was receiving.
"R-Really!? You'll really take me to see the ocean?" the long haired girl asked, tears in her eyes.
Cagalli blanched and smiled nervously, nodding. Lacus shrieked in delight and threw her pale arms around Cagalli' rocking back and forwards in an excited embrace.
"Okay, okay, we can't go if you don't let go," Cagalli said with a laugh while rubbing the back of her neck.
--
"Oh my! L-Look!" Lacus said, practically trembling as she stared out in amazement at the water. Her legs shook and she stumbled onto the beach, feeling warm sand seep up between her toes. Cagalli strolled casually beside her, an amused grin on her face as she watched Lacus.
Cagalli had grown up beside the ocean, she had never really seen it as much but the ocean. But with Lacus exclaiming over every dune of sand and every crash of a wave, the blonde saw it in a new light, almost.
"Aw, look at the waves! They're so pretty…" Lacus said breathlessly, holding her hand over her heart and a smile glued to her face.
"You want to touch them?" Cagalli asked slyly, already anticipating Lacus' sudden squeak of delight and the sudden embrace.
"Can I? Really?" Lacus asked, and Cagalli merely rolled her eyes and grabbed the girl's hand.
Leading her to the water, Cagalli let go and ran into the foam as it rolled onto the shore. She laughed at the feeling of cool water and wet sand, and glanced back to see a terrified Lacus cowering at the line between dry and wet sand.
"Well, you wanted to see, right? Come on!" the blonde princess urged, jumping up and down in the water, uncaring that her jeans were soaked.
"O-Okay…" Lacus said, and took a hesitant step towards the water as another broken wave washed ashore. Cagalli laughed when she jumped away as though burnt.
"C'mon," Cagalli mused, walking over to grab the other girl's hands. With careful confidence, Cagalli backed up into the water, bringing Lacus with her.
The other girl made a few odd sounds as seawater swirled around her ankles and splashed up her calves, dampening the edge of her dress. Standing still for a moment, Cagalli encouraged her to wiggle her toes.
A smile of delight broke out over Lacus' lips, and Cagalli chuckled. The two weren't expecting it, but suddenly the water pulled back too quickly and threw them off balance. Lacus fell and Cagalli failed to catch her. Before they knew it, a large wave crashed upon them, throwing them both under the otherwise shallow water.
When the tide pulled the water away, Cagalli sat up spitting saltwater and shook her head like a dog.
"Lacus?" she called, looking over to see the girl struggling to pull herself up. She was completely soaked.
"Lacus!" the blonde said urgently, hurrying over.
The girl was rubbing her eyes and face, her eyes tightly shut. She coughed and wiped her mouth, and without opening her eyes she smiled crookedly.
"Salty."
"Here," Cagalli said, pushing the girl's wet bangs away from her face.
Lacus smiled and used the hem of her dress to wipe at her eyes before finally opening them. The pale blue orbs were moist and red rimmed, and Cagalli blanched.
"Ah, you're crying, did you get hurt!?"
"Oh, it stings a little," Lacus said curiously, wiping away some stray tears. Smiling at Cagalli, she grabbed her new friend's hands. "That was so much fun!"
Cagalli sighed in relief and laughed, only blushing a bit when Lacus brushed her own bangs out of her eyes.
--
Jonah eventually ventured down to the sandy stretch of beach his employer's daughter had been brought to. Grimacing at the sand, he nonetheless walked forwards to stand by the dark skinned man he'd met earlier. The other had been watching the two girls play all afternoon, even going so far as to aid them in constructing a sandcastle that leaned to the side no matter what they did.
The girls were currently digging in the wet sand for the strange seashells that dug back under before you could pluck them out. Lacus looked up and waved at the bodyguard who awkwardly returned the gesture.
"I suppose I should be grateful," Jonah began to say, crossing his arms.
"Oh?" the tall man asked, not taking his eyes off the girls.
"Miss Lacus asked the Chairman to see the ocean, but Mr. Clyne surely would not have had time today…"
"Their father's are busy men, that is why we must act as a step-in. Besides, little girls do not enjoy sitting quietly." the muscled man added with a grin and a tone that almost seemed like a lecture.
Jonah sighed and looked away, gazing out at the ocean. He'd not seen it so close before.
--
Far along down the beach there had been some people, but Cagalli had paid them no mind. There were often people on the beach, Orb was peaceful and there had been no present or public dangers in a long time.
As it was, she thought nothing of a man approaching until he was practically stepping on them and by then it was far too late.
"Found you…" the man murmured, a crazed look haunted his unkempt face.
Cagalli leered at him and was ready to order him away, but before she could he'd drawn a gun from his jacket pocket and was holding it plumb to Lacus' forehead.
The little girl stared wide eyed at the man, not understanding the situation at all.
"Disgusting thing…not human…" the man continued to mutter, reaching a grimy hand for the pale girl's hair.
Cagalli bit her tongue and threw herself forward, screaming angrily. He couldn't touch Lacus…
But the man quickly brought the gun around and slammed the cold metal against the blonde girl's head, catching her from the side and nicking her temple, dazing her. Cagalli fell stunned to the ground.
Without hesitation, the man grabbed for Lacus' hair and dragged her closer, holding the gun to her cheek, just under her eye.
"Don't…not…" Lacus didn't know what to say.
"Disgusting rat…all those…things…monster…" the man continued to mumble.
Just as his trembling finger began to press on the trigger, an enraged roar broke out over the sand and mixed with the roar of the breakers.
Looking up, the man saw two men rushing towards him, one held a gun.
An explosion of thunder cracked through the air and the man holding Lacus gasped in pain as a red blossom unfurled in his side. His own gun rose and he fired twice, both bullets making a bloody home in the tall man's torso, bringing him down to the sand.
"Not human!" the man cried viciously. Lacus' captor fell to his knees, and dragged Lacus with him. Pressing her down to the sand, he pressed his hand against her small throat and squeezed while her fingers clawed at him. He lifted his gun just as Jonah leapt towards them.
Lacus watched with wide eyes as another shock of thunder roared in her ears and a new blossom of red spurted from Jonah's throat. His gun arm had jerked violently just before the man had shot, and Lacus didn't realize two shots had fired at near the same time…
But blood was dripping down onto her face and dress, and the grip around her throat was loosened. Hesitating for a moment, she began to pull herself out from under the dying man, eyes wide and body feeling numb. She lifted a hand to wipe the blood away from her face, and didn't react when the thick substance smeared over her cheek and nose and lips.
Looking to where Cagalli had fallen, the long haired girl stumbled over to her. The blonde was trembling and couldn't lift herself. Lacus slowly sunk to her knees and reached for Cagalli's shoulders to help her up. Gold stared horrifically into blue, and Lacus smiled gently. Reaching with her bloodied hand, Lacus gingerly fingers the bloody side of Cagalli's face.
"Hurt?" Lacus croaked, her voice lost.
Cagalli shook her head, her lips trembling and tears collecting in her eyes.
"Kisaka…" the blonde whispered, her eyes flickering to her own bodyguard's body. Lacus glanced over, and looked back to her friend. Pressing her palms to Cagalli's temples, Lacus forced her to look back at her, and used her fingers to block Cagalli's peripherals.
"Don't…" she began, and leaned forward to press her lips against Cagalli's cheek. Only a few seconds, and then she pressed them against the blonde's forehead, for only a few seconds. And then she pressed them to the blonde's lips.
"Flowers…flowers…flowers…" Lacus began whispering, her forehead pressed to Cagalli's and her nose against the blonde's.
Cagalli's shaking hands came to rest on Lacus', and slowly her eyes began to close. Lacus did the same.
"F-flowers…flowers…fl-flowers…" Cagalli repeated.
They continued to say the same thing over and over, their eyes closed and nothing but their hot breath and the roar of the ocean and the images of flowers from the garden.
That was how the security detail found them minutes later when they arrived, accompanied by three members of the council and the chairman.
Izumi and Siegel rushed forward, the councilman stumbling just a moment to glance numbly at Kisaka as two men tended to him. But the two fathers rushed to their daughters and took them into their arms, confused and terrified when both girls began screaming and squirming.
"Open your eyes, Cagalli," Izumi ordered, pressing his daughter's cheek to his palm. Gold eyes flashed open, she saw her father, and her mind was blank. Throwing her arms around her father's neck, Cagalli bit down on his shoulder viciously and squeezed her eyes shut, hoping to muffle her whimpers.
Siegel lifted Lacus in his arms, rocking her and cradling her to him, cringing when blood was rubbed into his suit. Was it hers?
"Lacus, what is it, what is it…" he murmured brokenly when she began mumbling.
Lacus refused to open her eyes, but her words soon became intelligible.
"Flowers, flowers, flowers, flowers…" she said quickly, stumbling over her tongue.
--
"Earlier today on the private grounds of the palace, an assassination attempt on the lives of the royal family and PLANT Chairman Clyne's daughter took place. The assassin was Drew D'Amato, a former pharmacist and now radical from the Naturalist Terrorist organization and a known narcotics user. There were two casualties, D'Amato among them, and one of the security detail of the Attha family was severely injured.
The civilian panic arising from such –"
Siegel frowned as he turned off the television. The broadcast would surely reach PLANT being of this degree of importance, Orb officials were have difficulties as it was and the public was thinking another wave of terrorism would be flooding in any minute.
"I have no words to express how sorry I am, Siegel…" Izumi spoke suddenly, nursing the brandy he'd poured himself.
Siegel cast a look to the Orb councilman, thought to say something, but sighed and shook his head. He accepted a glass handed to him and swirled the amber contents, gazing at the reflective surface of the ice in the glass.
"They're both safe, that is what matters…" Siegel choked out, sipping the alcohol. "At an unfortunate cost, of course…but that is politics." the blonde man continued, thinking of Jonah.
Jonah's wife had been pregnant, Jonah told him about the baby names they were considering on the flight down to Earth.
Siegel gazed out the window at the night sky. They wouldn't have to argue between their two favorite names anymore, Siegel realized bitterly.
--
Cagalli tapped at the doors to the bedroom Lacus was staying in. It took a few moments, but quite shuffling was followed by a click as one of the doors cracked open. It widened a bit to allow Cagalli inside, and closed quickly.
The room was a guest suite and elaborately furnished with all number of useless, frivolous things that Cagalli never saw much use for. It all honestly looked like the interior of the fancy doll houses her father had gone to great lengths to buy for her, and she neglected them carelessly.
But in the dark, none of that mattered, really.
Grabbing Lacus' fingers, Cagalli led her over towards the giant, fluffy bed and they both climbed up and burrowed beneath the blankets. The moonlight from the windows cast a glow over them. Hands gripped one another's, and both of their heads rested on the same large pillow with lace trim. Cagalli rolled her eyes at it, making Lacus laugh.
"You know…all this reminds me of my favorite doll house," Lacus whispered, inching closer to Cagalli until their noses touched.
"Hey…Lacus…" Cagalli whispered after a moment, eyes wide, "Why did you kiss me? On the beach?"
Lacus gazed at Cagalli for a moment, blue eyes thoughtful, and a small smile broke over her lips and she moved closer to the princess. Nestling herself against the blonde's chest, her head tucked beneath Cagalli's chin, Lacus gripped the other girl's nightclothes tightly in her hand.
"Because you were crying." she murmured finally, yawning into the blonde's chest.
Cagalli stared out the window as Lacus drifted off to sleep against her. Almost naturally, and because it was awkward otherwise, Cagalli's arm came around the long haired girl's shoulders.
--
Seeing the Clyne's off personally, the Attha family watched them leave with masked faces. Cagalli had not argued for once when asked to wear a dress.
Lacus glanced over her shoulder to catch Cagalli's gaze, and she smiled. The blonde did the same, and Lacus looked away.
Gripping her father's hand tightly, Lacus paused before they boarded a private shuttle. Looking up at Siegel, the girl tugged on his wrist.
"Daddy, I saw the ocean."
"Did you?" Siegel asked gently, his gaze troubled. But Lacus relieved him a bit when she smiled.
"You'll have to see it with us next time."
"Of course I will," he promised, and the two finally boarded their shuttle, Siegel's two bodyguards following close behind with two members of an Orb security escort.
When the Clyne's were out of sight, Cagalli hesitantly reached for her father's hand as Lacus had done. The action itself brought up an air of curiosity, and Izumi looked down to his daughter.
"Yes, Cagalli?"
"Father…I want my old doll house back in my room." Cagalli murmured, cheeks flushed.
Izumi took a moment to process the request, and smiled gently, gripping his daughter's hand tightly.
"Of course, as soon as we go back home," he promised.
--
"It's been a long time, huh?" Cagalli asked, gazing out over the ocean.
"Since what?" Lacus asked cryptically, a soft smile on her face. She'd found a place to sit on a rock outcrop in the sand.
"Since we both stood on the beach," the blonde chuckled, running a hand through her hair.
Lacus glanced over, and despite the darkness, she could make out the barest hint of a scar on Cagalli's temple.
"Mm…the wind is nice…" the songstress said, closing her eyes to feel the breeze on her face.
She either didn't notice or paid no mind to Cagalli as she approached.
When arms encircled her shoulders, Lacus opened her eyes to meet Cagalli's golden gaze.
Neither spoke, and Cagalli leaned forward to kiss Lacus' cheek, and then her forehead. Pausing for a moment, Cagalli then pressed her lips against Lacus'.
When she pulled away, Lacus stared at her with a cryptic smile and Cagalli blushed.
"Why did you kiss me?" Lacus asked, but she wasn't curious. Her hand came to rest on the side of Cagalli's face, her fingertip grazing the scar.
"Because you were crying," Cagalli replied, and leaned forward again to kiss the Coordinator.
Hot tears dripped down Lacus' cheeks and she pulled Cagalli closer.
Ocean waves roared quietly down the shore.
Hoo o tsutau shizuku ryoute ni atsume
Chiisaku naru kioku no kage o keshi ta
Collecting the drops that flow down a cheek in both hands,
I erased the shrinking shadows of memories
A/N: I like Cagalli-Lacus…I think I'll write more on these two as well…So, review please and tell me what you think. I want to write a bunch of one shots for different pairings, so these may be common this week (yay Spring Break) and before you ask, I'm also working on FYANI and Assassin Angel. Oh, lyric blurb is from Tears by Lisa Komine.
Sam