Young Love
Isn't all it Seems
It was raining outside as it usually was in April. Princess Relena watched from one of the higher turrets of her castle as a sodden but colorful procession approached. Leaning far enough out the window to dampen her golden locks she managed to catch sight of the foreign banner they carried as it flapped in the light breeze. It was a rendering of the Alpha Gryphon constellation (visible in the north sky in late summer) in silver on a field of royal blue.
Gathering up her skirts, she hurried at once to the great hall to greet the travelers with brother. She stopped before the throne, curtsied to him, and took the seat on his right. It had been hers ever since her brother, Milliardo, claimed the throne.
The huge iron gates swung open and the entire company marched in and kneeled before the king.
"King Peacecraft, just ruler of the great and powerful Sanq Kingdom, I have come to pay tribute from the humble kingdom of La Grange. May there always be peace and friendship between us," said a young man, bowed over at the kings feet.
"Rise, noble and worthy friend," King Peacecraft smiled.
The young man stood slowly and Relena gasped. He was… beautiful, rather than handsome. His long chestnut hair was gathered under a small chest on top of his head and his face held no trace of a beard, but there was a small, pale scar under his right eye. He was lean and fit and wore a silken tunic of his kingdom's colors open in front to reveal his glittering chain- mail shirt. But what held Relena's attention longest were the boy's bright, clear, long-lashed eyes; lavender flecked with sky blue and bits of gold.
"I am Prince Juni at your service, your majesty. As I have already said, we have brought from our humble country a tribute, unworthy of a king so great as yourself, but the best we have to offer."
"I am sure it is I who is not worthy, my lord."
Prince Juni gestured to two men bearing a large gilded chest between them. They carried it forward, placed it between the king and the prince, bowed, and backed away. The prince withdrew from his tunic a small bronze key and with it opened the chest.
Inside were hundreds upon hundreds of glittering jewels. Rubies, sapphires, emeralds, diamonds…
"They're all from our mines," explained Prince Juni as he selected a rather large garnet and handed it to Milliardo. His eyes widened as he received the gem nearly as large as a baby's fist.
The king handed it back to him after a short inspection. "You flatter me with gifts, but your thoughtfulness shall not go unnoticed. Should your country ever have need of our aid, you shall not hesitate to ask, my friend. Your company looks tired. You shall rest here as long as you wish. Tonight we shall feast!" he smiled and the prince relaxed a little.
"Your majesty is too kind," he remarked with another graceful bow.
Relena was slightly annoyed that not once during the conversation had his eyes flicked towards her. When now at last he took a moment to admire her, she gazed intently at a tapestry hanging to her right.
"And who, may I ask, is this fair damsel?" Prince Juni smiled and Relena blushed a little.
"Ah, Prince Juni, you have good taste! This vision of loveliness is my sister, Relena." And a vision of loveliness she was. Her long, golden hair billowed around her like rays of the sun. Sparkling aqua-marine eyes above a perfect nose and full, pink lips... She blushed even more as his gaze momentarily strayed to her take into account her slim, curved figure.
"A pleasure to make your acquaintance, prince," Relena said elegantly and allowed him to kiss her hand.
~*~*~*~
That night, a great feast was held in honor of Prince Juni and his generosity. Relena wore her finest clothes; a simple sky blue dress and a thin band of gold circling her forehead. Prince Juni, now washed and groomed, simply glowed. He was adorned in white slacks and tunic with a crimson cape clasped about his chest that billowed behind him when he moved and his hair still hidden under the chest.
It was at the feast that Relena took notice of the two men that seemed to follow him wherever he went like bodyguards. The first was a boy with rugged good looks and dark, messy brown hair. His piercing blue eyes flicked left and right searching for any potential danger while the second was slightly taller. He was a good six inches taller than the prince and his cinnamon-brown hair fell over one eye, leaving the other clear emerald free to watch him. Both wore their swords and mail still. She only took a moment to puzzle their presence before someone on the dance floor whisked her away.
Over the shoulders of her dance partners she watched them. Prince Juni smiled at and flirted with the ladies, deigning to dance with a few. After he grew tired of the sport, he made his way to an abandoned corner and dismissed his guards who took the opportunity to speak with the castle guards. Relena broke away from the boy she was dancing with and thanked him before hurrying over to the prince.
When she got closer, she found he was not alone, but was speaking with a young blond courtier. He noticed her and motioned for her to come closer.
"Princess Relena," the prince smiled and they both stood, "This is my squire, young master Juyon." The boy bowed gracefully. "He is to become a knight soon." Juni added and Juyon blushed.
"It becomes you," Relena smiled kindly.
"If your highnesses would excuse me, I shall leave you to each other and attend to Sir Jusan and Sir Juichi," Juyon said and the prince nodded.
"He's very polite… Are you related? You all have partly the same name…" Relena asked, settling next to Juni on the window seat.
"It is a custom in our country to take a second name when one moves into the royal residence. We have other names," Juni explained and tossed his cape over his shoulder. The celebration was still in full swing, but it seemed far away from the two young royals.
"Really? And what is your real name?" the princess pressed, suddenly very interested.
"Sore wa himitsu de."
"What does that mean?"
"It means 'That is a secret,'" he smiled.
"Why won't you tell me?"
"Names are things other people give you. There's no sense worrying about it."
Relena leaned forward and kissed the prince, brushing his lips with hers. Juni was in shock for a moment, but quickly overcame it and kissed her back. She sighed happily and laced her delicate arms about his neck. There was something about him…
"PRINCE Juni," Juichi snapped and the pair jumped. In front of them stood Juni two guards and his squire who had alerted them. Luckily, no one else had noticed.
Bowing his head for a moment in shame, he allowed the three to lead him back to his room, leaving Princess Relena alone on the windowsill.
~*~*~*~
"Just what did you think you were doing?" Jusan growled as he helped Juni undress.
"She was the one who started it," Juni replied, shrugging off the cloak and laying it on the bed.
"Juni…" Juichi warned, untying the front of his tunic.
The three didn't notice Juyon was still in the room, sitting quietly near the door. As Juni undressed, his eyes widened. It was usually a squire's job to help with such things, but this was one of the duties he was never asked to perform and now he knew why.
As Juni shed his layers of clothing, it became quite obvious that 'he' was unmistakably a 'she'. How it had escaped him before was beyond his mind's reach, but now everything became clear.
"Prince Juni!" he cried and instantly regretted it as Juichi and Jusan whirled to face him. The former drew his sword, but was stopped by his comrade.
Catching Juyon by the shoulder, Jusan forced him to look him look up at him. "Not a word of this may escape your lips, squire," he commanded, firmly but not with malice. The boy could only nod, but his eyes continued to turn to Juni.
She took no notice of him as she sat on the corner of her bed. Reaching up, she pulled the clip from the box on her head and her chestnut hair fell freely down past her waist. Juichi walked over to attend to her, but Jusan stayed with the boy.
"We cannot risk exposure for the safety of our country. You must act like this never happened. Speak as if she was still the prince you knew or not at all if you feel you cannot hold your tongue." The boy nodded again and Jusan released him.
"I am a prince," Juni frowned, crossing her bare legs. Her guards were used to her seeming lack of modesty (though it was simply what was done in those times) but Juyon's eyes were the size of teacups.
"You may be dismissed," Juichi said more than once before his voice registered and the blond boy scurried to the door. He opened it and found Princess Relena blocking the way.
"Is Prince Juni alright?" she asked the boy who, thinking about what Jusan had said, nodded and stepped back into the room, slowly as to stall her. Juni's guards wasted no time. They goaded her into the bathroom and shut the door just as Relena set foot in the doorway. "Where is Prince Juni?" she asked, addressing the taller boy.
"He is bathing," Jusan replied curtly.
"Oh… Alright then. I will see you all tomorrow," Relena said, and with a rustle of skirts stepped out the door.
She hurried down the steps, not back to the feast, but to her own chambers. When she finally reached them, she flopped down on the rose-colored comforter with an exasperated sigh. "He doesn't like me," she thought sadly, plucking at a loose thread. "But he did kiss me…"
~*~*~*~
Back in her room, Prince/ss Juni paced back and forth in front of the mirror hanging on the wall opposite her bed. "If I was only a boy… I wouldn't have to masquerade like this… And people would accept me…" she mumbled. She still had not bothered to don any clothes and paused for a moment in front of the vanity. Looking herself up and down, she realized how incredible a feat it was to keep herself secret. Full chest, slim waist, long legs, long hair… "Just a pretty boy," Juni told herself, smoothing her hair.
"That's all Relena will see… Pretty Prince Juni…," she thought, then made a face. "Juni… My name's DUET!" she cried and fell backwards into the velvet chair by the fire.
Slowly, Juichi opened the door and looked in. Closing it behind him, he went to Juni's side and sat on the arm of the chair. "Juni," he began, but she cut him off.
"Duet."
"Duet… I know how you feel, but with your brother dead… If you weren't there to rule, the country would fall to your Uncle Treize and all would be lost…"
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~*
1 To be continued…
Tori: Get it now? Juichi=11=Heero? Juni=12=Duet? And so on and so forth?
Ke: Why you always gotta make this complicated?
Tori: *rolls eyes* IT'S AU!!!
Ke: Wuhteva…
Tori: 'Sides, some people were wondering about the "Endless Fandango" thing.
Ke: …and?
Tori: So I asked Rei if I could post this! It's the newest installment, so you're getting this before most of Japan! =)
Ke: Oh, tell them about what your boss said!
Tori: You like it when I get lectured, don't you?
Ke: *nods furiously*
Tori: She, eh, wants to know what the "Endless Tango" reviews say… Heh heh heh…
Ke: *laughs and points*
Tori: *blushes*
Ke: AND THERE AREN'T ANY REVIEWS! WAHAHAHAHAHAHAHA!!!
Tori: I though people would like to know about the lost episodes. (seriously. Lost episodes)
Ke: They don't take Duet seriously.
Tori: I know… *holds up Duet Episode Zero" BUT I AM HOLDING INDISPUTABLE PROOF!
Ke: Tori *concerned* …they can't see you…
Tori: *cries*
Isn't all it Seems
It was raining outside as it usually was in April. Princess Relena watched from one of the higher turrets of her castle as a sodden but colorful procession approached. Leaning far enough out the window to dampen her golden locks she managed to catch sight of the foreign banner they carried as it flapped in the light breeze. It was a rendering of the Alpha Gryphon constellation (visible in the north sky in late summer) in silver on a field of royal blue.
Gathering up her skirts, she hurried at once to the great hall to greet the travelers with brother. She stopped before the throne, curtsied to him, and took the seat on his right. It had been hers ever since her brother, Milliardo, claimed the throne.
The huge iron gates swung open and the entire company marched in and kneeled before the king.
"King Peacecraft, just ruler of the great and powerful Sanq Kingdom, I have come to pay tribute from the humble kingdom of La Grange. May there always be peace and friendship between us," said a young man, bowed over at the kings feet.
"Rise, noble and worthy friend," King Peacecraft smiled.
The young man stood slowly and Relena gasped. He was… beautiful, rather than handsome. His long chestnut hair was gathered under a small chest on top of his head and his face held no trace of a beard, but there was a small, pale scar under his right eye. He was lean and fit and wore a silken tunic of his kingdom's colors open in front to reveal his glittering chain- mail shirt. But what held Relena's attention longest were the boy's bright, clear, long-lashed eyes; lavender flecked with sky blue and bits of gold.
"I am Prince Juni at your service, your majesty. As I have already said, we have brought from our humble country a tribute, unworthy of a king so great as yourself, but the best we have to offer."
"I am sure it is I who is not worthy, my lord."
Prince Juni gestured to two men bearing a large gilded chest between them. They carried it forward, placed it between the king and the prince, bowed, and backed away. The prince withdrew from his tunic a small bronze key and with it opened the chest.
Inside were hundreds upon hundreds of glittering jewels. Rubies, sapphires, emeralds, diamonds…
"They're all from our mines," explained Prince Juni as he selected a rather large garnet and handed it to Milliardo. His eyes widened as he received the gem nearly as large as a baby's fist.
The king handed it back to him after a short inspection. "You flatter me with gifts, but your thoughtfulness shall not go unnoticed. Should your country ever have need of our aid, you shall not hesitate to ask, my friend. Your company looks tired. You shall rest here as long as you wish. Tonight we shall feast!" he smiled and the prince relaxed a little.
"Your majesty is too kind," he remarked with another graceful bow.
Relena was slightly annoyed that not once during the conversation had his eyes flicked towards her. When now at last he took a moment to admire her, she gazed intently at a tapestry hanging to her right.
"And who, may I ask, is this fair damsel?" Prince Juni smiled and Relena blushed a little.
"Ah, Prince Juni, you have good taste! This vision of loveliness is my sister, Relena." And a vision of loveliness she was. Her long, golden hair billowed around her like rays of the sun. Sparkling aqua-marine eyes above a perfect nose and full, pink lips... She blushed even more as his gaze momentarily strayed to her take into account her slim, curved figure.
"A pleasure to make your acquaintance, prince," Relena said elegantly and allowed him to kiss her hand.
~*~*~*~
That night, a great feast was held in honor of Prince Juni and his generosity. Relena wore her finest clothes; a simple sky blue dress and a thin band of gold circling her forehead. Prince Juni, now washed and groomed, simply glowed. He was adorned in white slacks and tunic with a crimson cape clasped about his chest that billowed behind him when he moved and his hair still hidden under the chest.
It was at the feast that Relena took notice of the two men that seemed to follow him wherever he went like bodyguards. The first was a boy with rugged good looks and dark, messy brown hair. His piercing blue eyes flicked left and right searching for any potential danger while the second was slightly taller. He was a good six inches taller than the prince and his cinnamon-brown hair fell over one eye, leaving the other clear emerald free to watch him. Both wore their swords and mail still. She only took a moment to puzzle their presence before someone on the dance floor whisked her away.
Over the shoulders of her dance partners she watched them. Prince Juni smiled at and flirted with the ladies, deigning to dance with a few. After he grew tired of the sport, he made his way to an abandoned corner and dismissed his guards who took the opportunity to speak with the castle guards. Relena broke away from the boy she was dancing with and thanked him before hurrying over to the prince.
When she got closer, she found he was not alone, but was speaking with a young blond courtier. He noticed her and motioned for her to come closer.
"Princess Relena," the prince smiled and they both stood, "This is my squire, young master Juyon." The boy bowed gracefully. "He is to become a knight soon." Juni added and Juyon blushed.
"It becomes you," Relena smiled kindly.
"If your highnesses would excuse me, I shall leave you to each other and attend to Sir Jusan and Sir Juichi," Juyon said and the prince nodded.
"He's very polite… Are you related? You all have partly the same name…" Relena asked, settling next to Juni on the window seat.
"It is a custom in our country to take a second name when one moves into the royal residence. We have other names," Juni explained and tossed his cape over his shoulder. The celebration was still in full swing, but it seemed far away from the two young royals.
"Really? And what is your real name?" the princess pressed, suddenly very interested.
"Sore wa himitsu de."
"What does that mean?"
"It means 'That is a secret,'" he smiled.
"Why won't you tell me?"
"Names are things other people give you. There's no sense worrying about it."
Relena leaned forward and kissed the prince, brushing his lips with hers. Juni was in shock for a moment, but quickly overcame it and kissed her back. She sighed happily and laced her delicate arms about his neck. There was something about him…
"PRINCE Juni," Juichi snapped and the pair jumped. In front of them stood Juni two guards and his squire who had alerted them. Luckily, no one else had noticed.
Bowing his head for a moment in shame, he allowed the three to lead him back to his room, leaving Princess Relena alone on the windowsill.
~*~*~*~
"Just what did you think you were doing?" Jusan growled as he helped Juni undress.
"She was the one who started it," Juni replied, shrugging off the cloak and laying it on the bed.
"Juni…" Juichi warned, untying the front of his tunic.
The three didn't notice Juyon was still in the room, sitting quietly near the door. As Juni undressed, his eyes widened. It was usually a squire's job to help with such things, but this was one of the duties he was never asked to perform and now he knew why.
As Juni shed his layers of clothing, it became quite obvious that 'he' was unmistakably a 'she'. How it had escaped him before was beyond his mind's reach, but now everything became clear.
"Prince Juni!" he cried and instantly regretted it as Juichi and Jusan whirled to face him. The former drew his sword, but was stopped by his comrade.
Catching Juyon by the shoulder, Jusan forced him to look him look up at him. "Not a word of this may escape your lips, squire," he commanded, firmly but not with malice. The boy could only nod, but his eyes continued to turn to Juni.
She took no notice of him as she sat on the corner of her bed. Reaching up, she pulled the clip from the box on her head and her chestnut hair fell freely down past her waist. Juichi walked over to attend to her, but Jusan stayed with the boy.
"We cannot risk exposure for the safety of our country. You must act like this never happened. Speak as if she was still the prince you knew or not at all if you feel you cannot hold your tongue." The boy nodded again and Jusan released him.
"I am a prince," Juni frowned, crossing her bare legs. Her guards were used to her seeming lack of modesty (though it was simply what was done in those times) but Juyon's eyes were the size of teacups.
"You may be dismissed," Juichi said more than once before his voice registered and the blond boy scurried to the door. He opened it and found Princess Relena blocking the way.
"Is Prince Juni alright?" she asked the boy who, thinking about what Jusan had said, nodded and stepped back into the room, slowly as to stall her. Juni's guards wasted no time. They goaded her into the bathroom and shut the door just as Relena set foot in the doorway. "Where is Prince Juni?" she asked, addressing the taller boy.
"He is bathing," Jusan replied curtly.
"Oh… Alright then. I will see you all tomorrow," Relena said, and with a rustle of skirts stepped out the door.
She hurried down the steps, not back to the feast, but to her own chambers. When she finally reached them, she flopped down on the rose-colored comforter with an exasperated sigh. "He doesn't like me," she thought sadly, plucking at a loose thread. "But he did kiss me…"
~*~*~*~
Back in her room, Prince/ss Juni paced back and forth in front of the mirror hanging on the wall opposite her bed. "If I was only a boy… I wouldn't have to masquerade like this… And people would accept me…" she mumbled. She still had not bothered to don any clothes and paused for a moment in front of the vanity. Looking herself up and down, she realized how incredible a feat it was to keep herself secret. Full chest, slim waist, long legs, long hair… "Just a pretty boy," Juni told herself, smoothing her hair.
"That's all Relena will see… Pretty Prince Juni…," she thought, then made a face. "Juni… My name's DUET!" she cried and fell backwards into the velvet chair by the fire.
Slowly, Juichi opened the door and looked in. Closing it behind him, he went to Juni's side and sat on the arm of the chair. "Juni," he began, but she cut him off.
"Duet."
"Duet… I know how you feel, but with your brother dead… If you weren't there to rule, the country would fall to your Uncle Treize and all would be lost…"
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~*
1 To be continued…
Tori: Get it now? Juichi=11=Heero? Juni=12=Duet? And so on and so forth?
Ke: Why you always gotta make this complicated?
Tori: *rolls eyes* IT'S AU!!!
Ke: Wuhteva…
Tori: 'Sides, some people were wondering about the "Endless Fandango" thing.
Ke: …and?
Tori: So I asked Rei if I could post this! It's the newest installment, so you're getting this before most of Japan! =)
Ke: Oh, tell them about what your boss said!
Tori: You like it when I get lectured, don't you?
Ke: *nods furiously*
Tori: She, eh, wants to know what the "Endless Tango" reviews say… Heh heh heh…
Ke: *laughs and points*
Tori: *blushes*
Ke: AND THERE AREN'T ANY REVIEWS! WAHAHAHAHAHAHAHA!!!
Tori: I though people would like to know about the lost episodes. (seriously. Lost episodes)
Ke: They don't take Duet seriously.
Tori: I know… *holds up Duet Episode Zero" BUT I AM HOLDING INDISPUTABLE PROOF!
Ke: Tori *concerned* …they can't see you…
Tori: *cries*
