Author's Note:

Here's Chapter 3, and it's a shorter entry again, since I feel there isn't much relevant information/background to give as of now. Also, I have changed the ages of the characters a little, for example Schneizel and Maxima's age gap to be more in canon with the original storyline (agree with me, the ages are a little confusing) in the previous chapters. Anyway, do enjoy!

-FantasyWR

Chapter 3:

Gino woke up suddenly and bolted up from his makeshift bed, startled. It wasn't the presence of the noon sun shining through the glass windows of the carriage that woke him up, but rather the very absence of it. This immediately told him that they were well-behind schedule, and Maxima was still nowhere in sight, meaning that she had yet to return from her visit. Gino knew that if they did not leave soon, they would not be able to reach their intended final destination by sundown, not even factoring in Maxima's penchant for including very last-minute detours and unplanned visitations. The road leading to their final destination was deserted and rural even by today's standards, and it would be very difficult and unpleasant to travel there in the night.

Just as Gino sat there deciding between panicking in his seat and charging into Cornelia's villa to drag Maxima out, a single beep drew his attention to his wristwatch. One glance at the watch face told him that he had spent the last minute worrying for no apparent reason. According to his watch – adjusted to match the current local time – it was just slightly pass noon time. Another glance at the date on the watch face explained to him the absence of a glaring sun – it was in the middle of August, which, in the south, was a time bordering the end of winter and the beginning of spring and thus, the sun wasn't as bright as it was up in the north. At this realization, Gino heaved a sigh of relief and sunk back into his seat, wiping invisible sweat drops on his brow.

He looked out of the carriage window. The double doors of the villa were as silent and uninteresting as the time he saw Maxima disappear behind them through half-opened eyes. The footmen on duty had changed though, but other than the periodic early spring breeze that blew through the arcadia trees and rustled the leaves, all was quiet. Gino could have fallen right back asleep with all the action going on. Yet, there was something innate that prevented him from doing so, instead causing him to stare just as unmoving as the peaceful surrounding that he was in. He wondered if Maxima was in the villa doing the exact same thing as he was, bathing in the calmness of the environment and enjoying the breathtaking scenery. He knew that her mother would, according to what he knew about the late empress from his father. Yet, as much as she resembled Georgina, there were many differences in various aspects between mother and daughter, as Gino had come to realize over the last few years – their tastes, for examples. Just to mention colour, while Georgina would mostly wear very light, pale and subtle colours, Maxima would never be caught dead in anything less than bright yellow. Even as Georgia Marken, her Rounds uniform and standard were a deep crimson, somehow foreshadowing the amount of blood she would shed in war and battle. Gino suspected the reason why Maxima preferred to wear brighter colours was due to the fact that she grew up and lived in the palace amongst her hundred other siblings, where attracting attention to oneself was the sole key to survival, for with attention gives opportunities to be recognized – something Gino perhaps would never really understand, having grown up in a relatively small, protective and traditional family of five himself.

There was a time when Gino really thought that he could love no other but his current sweetheart, and that he and her were destined for a fairytale ending. Like all other children, he had grown up with the stories of peasant girls finding their Prince Charming and eventually living happily ever after. At the tender age of fourteen, he had fallen in love – in retrospect, perhaps it was just an infatuation or a simple case of puppy love – with a servant girl working in the Weinberg household. She was an Eleven – the politically correct term now would be 'Japanese' – orphaned at an early age when both her parents were killed, and was eventually hired as a domestic helper in Britannia. He remembered her name to be Yuriko – a girl with black hair, pretty brown eyes and a kind face, and that she was just a year younger than Gino himself. At that moment in time, he saw himself as the Prince Charming from the storybooks, and Yuriko his princess-to-be. Unfortunately for both, their fairytale turned into an absolute nightmare after an older servant spied on Gino giving Yuriko a peck on the cheek in the garden and quickly reported the incident to Gino's father.

In those days, relationships between Britannians and Numbers were greatly discouraged, and the staunch purists would even condemn such associations. The present situation was much better than it was years ago, but there was still undoubtedly unspoken and subtle discrimination – something Empress Nunnally was working hard to eradicate. Outright violence towards former Numbers had been recently outlawed and greater protection rights were given to those who required it. Gino sighed and wished that it had been like this a decade ago. As soon as he came to know of the matter, Lord Weinberg senior had the poor girl flogged and immediately terminated her contract with the Weinberg household, effectively leaving her without a job and a home. Gino had been – and perhaps still was – extremely bitter about that affair and resented his father's decision, but he knew that nothing could be done to make the older man change his mind and thus never voiced out his frustrations. However, Gino did remember spending countless nights crying himself to sleep, not because he had lost the one he loved, but rather that he was the very reason why she had been beaten and driven away. In the later years, he regretted not verbally questioning his father's actions, for some part of him knew that there were more reasons than the apparent that caused his father to throw Yuriko out.

As soon as he had turned sixteen, Gino – young, hot-headed and bitter as he was – left home, running away to join the military. Maxima had laughed at him when he told her that, saying that he should have run off to a circus instead; Gino just ignored that comment altogether. Even without any prior exposure to weapons and warfare, he quickly rose up the ranks, qualifying for a position in the Rounds within his first year and rubbing shoulders with the elite forces in his second. Just when Gino thought that his achievements were extraordinary, along came Suzaku Kururugi – the knight who was offered a place in the Rounds only because he turned in Britannia's greatest enemy Zero. Gino still found it very ironic that the same Suzaku had now became the very thing he had wanted to destroy.

It was only when he was eighteen that Gino reconciled with his family. It was his sister that arranged for him to meet with their father and for the two to patch up, but as much as Mayra Weinberg tried, tensions between them still remained until Maxima's intervention much later. Gino found it very queer that the person who was never involved in this incident or had the slightest idea about it was the one who was able to help them heal, and till this day, Gino had yet to tell Maxima about that fragment of his past. He had considered telling her, though, but never found the pressing need to do so, and subconsciously, he had the gut feeling that this would undo him.

A loud creak jolted his senses to the present, and Gino realised that he had spaced out. He whipped his head towards the carriage door to see Maxima stepping in, and in her hand was a large grey thermal flask of unknown origin.

"You're back," said Gino, relieved. "I was beginning to wonder if I needed to go in to drag you out."

Maxima gave him a harmless glare. "You wouldn't be let in anyway," she said in-a-matter-of-factly. "Not without permission."

"Do I need permission?" Gino asked, scooting over to where Maxima had seated. "After all, aren't we almost..." he paused dramatically, which earned him another glare from Maxima. "Family?"

Maxima scoffed playfully. "Who's family with you, Gino Weinberg?"

Gino threw an arm over Maxima's shoulders and pulled her close to him. "Well, not yet 'family', but close enough though, yes?"

Maxima turned away from him, but Gino knew, even without seeing her face, that his princess was smiling. Maxima turned back to face him a moment later, her expression plain. She raised up the flask towards Gino. "Cornelia insisted that you have this," she explained as Gino took the flask and unscrewed the cover.

Gino took a whiff of the contents and frowned. "It's Darjeeling tea. You know I only drink Ceylon White."

"I know," said Maxima firmly. "But I couldn't refuse her. Anyway, it's good Darjeeling tea."

Gino sighed. "I'll leave it for later," he said, with all intention to throw it away. "Maybe they'll want some."

Maxima eyed Gino suspiciously, as if knowing what he planned to do. "Do whatever you want," she said, taking the capped flask and placing it on top of the carton of oranges. "Just don't waste it. A lot of people never have a chance to drink such fine tea."

Gino glared daggers at the flask, irritated that Maxima had cornered him again. The carriage started rocking as the horses started moving. "We're leaving now?" Gino asked rhetorically.

Maxima nodded. "We're going to be late if we don't. I think I've spent too long a time here."

"Any other stops?"

Without saying a word, Maxima answered that question with another one of her mysterious, coy smiles and Gino immediately knew something was up. "Oh no," he muttered, not liking it one bit. "Who are we visiting now?"

Maxima giggled at Gino's slightly flustered expression. "Friends," she said, and Gino raised an eyebrow.

"Friends?"

"Friends."

Endnotes:

(Unlike what Gino thinks,) the next chapter will be the last chapter of the first part, meaning that who Maxima and Gino planned to visit will be revealed then, although I'm sure that the more perceiving readers would have already figured out since the very first chapter. This chapter, initially planned to be darker, foreshadows the next section, which will most probably cover more of Maxima and Gino's relationship and other issues. Hope you will follow through with me till then.

-FantasyWR