A/N: Updated October 2014

A/N: Edited content.


Disclaimer: I do not own Gundam Wing

"Lady Peacecraft," a rich male voice called from behind as Relena reached her quarters.

The night was late and the sun had already set. Relena had found herself wandering the grounds, enjoying the scenery and getting to know the people. She had been quite impressed by the way they stood on ceremony in each of their medial tasks, and even more so that they treated her with such genuine hospitality and kindness. Though unspoken, the small town seemed to know well what her presence represented, and they were both joyful and thankful for it.

Laying her hand on the door, she ventured to face the barely familiar voice.

Suguru Jinsuke strode toward her with a radiant smile. She couldn't quite identify if it was bashfulness or confidence, but it was striking to her. "If you have a moment," he said, finally stopping well within what she'd always defined as personal space. Somehow his soft, masculine scent and the exciting new glint in his eye put her at ease. "How are you liking your lodging, my Lady?"

Relena opened her mouth to answer, but was surprised to find herself speechless. The only thoughts crossing her mind were of the curve of his mouth, the texture of his hair and the depth of his eyes. "I—" She was shocked at how his closeness made her feel warm. "'Relena', please," she finally spit out, correcting his formal approach. "It's beautiful," she finally answered as she blushed at her uncharacteristically flustered behavior.

"Good Relena," he purred, grinning as he glanced up her form passively. "Master Chiaki has put his heart and soul into this land. I'd hate for the Princess to be disappointed in it."

"No, of course not," she smiled, touching his arm. "It's really very magnificent. Tell me, Mr. Jinsuke—"

"'Suguru', please," he mimicked.

"Suguru—when did you come to work for Daimyo Chiaki?"

"I was one of the first brought here," he answered. "I was from the colonies. I've been here for nearly twenty years."

"Is that so?"

"Yes. I owe everything to my Master. This is the only family I've ever known. He's—like a father to me."

Relena's chest felt heavy, her heart melting at the thought. "I suppose the mission of the family is very important to you, then?"

"Yes. If the grandson had not been found, I—" Suguru caught himself, mid-sentence. His master had taught him not to be forthcoming with his passions to people whose ambitions he didn't know. "I don't know what we would have done," he finished, looking her solidly in the eyes, to hide his slip.

Relena unconsciously squeezed his arm lightly with the hand that still lingered there.

Suguru looked down to her soft fingers, taking them in his own and guiding them close to his face, where she could feel his breath washing over her knuckles. With the arm she'd been grasping, he leaned over her, against the door, holding her stare as he pressed his lips to the backs of her fingers. "Goodnight, my Lady," he whispered in a deep and beautiful tone, before leaning in and placing a kiss high on her cheekbone.

Relena's eyes fluttered shut, absorbing the sensation, and turned back to him as he pulled away.

Again, he kissed her hand, and then bowed in respect before retreating down the hall.

By the time Relena stumbled into her room, she was completely lost, tossed and turned on the violent sea of her emotions and hormones. Did that just happen?

After a few, deep breaths, Relena focused, again, noticing that across her bed was laid a light material ivory kimono for sleepwear. Mulling over her thoughts, Relena washed her face before donning the layered robes. She felt a little unsure, when she realized how loose it fell around her shoulders, revealing her cleavage and back to the midnight air.

Relena had not indulged in many crushes in her life, as she had always been on the move as a child, and met the man she'd loved for over a decade when she was barely through her adolescence, but now she remembered what it felt like. Certainly she and Heero had shared some moments, even in the recent years, where she was sure he knew how she trembled at his touch, but this was so sudden, she was a little dizzy from it. With Heero she had fallen for him in such a tumultuous time, she was forced to promptly try to put aside her feelings and face the real issues that were at hand. She had secretly hoped that after the battles had ceased, he would be waiting in the wings, and she'd have her chance to finally fall into his arms, but the man he was waiting in the wings was no romantic. He stood only as a statuesque guard. Night after night. Speech after speech. Month after month. Year after year.

But then she found herself, finally coming out of mourning the romance she had envisioned—or so she was able to believe—when this man came storming her stage. In knowing him for less than eighteen hours, he'd already shown her more affection and attention than her beloved Heero had in the first two years.

Of course, she berated herself for being so easily swept into a fantasy of romance. It was neither befitting of her status and age, nor was it appropriate, considering her business on this trip. Certainly she must have mistaken Suguru's actions out of unfamiliarity with his personality and the town's customs. Of course there had to be an explanation. He couldn't have been flirting. Especially with his loyalty to the household.

Remembering that she wasn't expecting any other visitors—least of all strangers—she ventured to the window to enjoy the quiet, basking in the light of the full moon.

In the distance Lord Chiaki's Security Chief froze, his dark blue eyes instantly drawn to her face as it came into view. His breath caught and his body grew tense. It had been a year since he'd seen her, and even with her memories and his subconscious fantasies haunting him, he'd never realized just how much he'd missed her until this moment. Catching her in the cool blue glow of night, he could already see from the distance that her face was naked, undecorated by her usual makeover. Granted, she was impressive after her daily routine, her eyes accented with a dramatic wing of liquid black liner, her lips glossy and kissable, but in the rare moments when he could see her without, he always found her still more beautiful than anyone could ever know. And secretly, he felt a small swell of pride in that treasure, feeling like only he would ever know her beauty like that.

Oblivious to the man watching her, Relena turned her face to the sound of a knock at the door. "Who is it?"

"Chang."

She smiled, closing the silk over her chest for modesty. "Come in."

The Chinese man entered, eying her room to learn the layout. "How are you settling in?"

"Good, I suppose," she said, glancing out the window, again.

"'Suppose' should be good enough." Wufei said. "We shouldn't be here for more than a few days."

Relena bit her lip.

"You're not seriously considering this?"

Relena sighed. "No! I just—I just don't know if I'm in that much of a hurry to leave."

"Strange," he commented. "I'd never pictured you as the 'arranged marriage' type."

"It's not the marriage, though. It's just—"

"You find this place—these people—attractive?"

She nodded, looking down at the roof tops below. Her perch was on the third floor of the manor, the highest level in the town. Below she had a direct view of the manor courtyard, and past that she could see the rest of the town sprawling out beneath her.

"But is it worth marrying a man you won't meet until the day of your wedding?"

"I don't know," she said, her voice straining with emotional stress, tears sneaking into the outer corners of her eyes.

"Relena," he said softly to calm her.

The Foreign Minister took a deep breath, dropping her shoulders and closing her eyes. "I want to know Daimyo Chiaki better," she whispered.

The Preventer Guard nodded, stepping closer, his face statuesque. "He seems honorable."

"It's more than that. I enjoyed talking to him. I enjoyed being with him. I felt like—like I was home."

Wufei studied her.

Relena's cheeks flushed lightly as she leaned her weight into the windowsill. "Do you know the legend of Scheherezad-ie?"

He raised an eyebrow.

Relena smiled. "There was a Sultan who, each time he took a wife, he would behead her the next day."

Wufei's brows furrowed. "You think the Daimyo's grandson intends to kill you?"

"No," Relena chuckled. "Scheherezad-ie was a princess, offered to the Sultan as a bride. Now, she understood what her fate entailed, so she came up with a plan. At night she told him a story before bed, and as she reached the climax of the story, she stopped short, telling him she would finish the next night. However, on the next night she finished the story and began a new one, once again leaving him at a cliff hanger. Bewitched by her tales, the Sultan barely noticed the passing of the days, the weeks, the months or the years; and before he knew what had happened a thousand nights had passed between the pair, and the Sultan found himself in love with his bride."

"You're not a good enough story teller to make this a fairytale."

"No," she laughed, again. Her eyes, though lit with joy, turned away, again. "I just—I fear I'm being bewitched, already. Chiaki makes me so—comfortable. In one day he addicted me to his presence, convincing me of a need to stand by him; a need to be his family. Even if I don't accept the proposal, I want to stay, but I don't know if it's my own desire. I don't know that I'm not being bewitched."

Relena was startled by Wufei's sudden closeness when his warmth overwhelmed her. He was standing over her, back straight, looking down his nose very sternly. "I know you, Relena. You will never be manipulated into something you don't want. You will only accept what you deserve. You must trust that in yourself."

"Are you sure?"

Wufei nodded.

Relena rose, lacing her arms around him and laying her head against his chest. The gesture had been intensely awkward to him the first several times she broke protocol and took comfort in his presence, but as they became friends, he allowed these exceptions more and more—though only when he was fairly certain no one would see the expression out of context to defame her.

"Thank you," she mumbled in appreciation for the vote of confidence and the comfort.

The Chinese man closed the embrace, protectively, looking out the window.

The retreating form in the distance did not go unnoticed by the other Gundam pilot.

:::

At the end of the first long night, Heero stepped into the darkness of his room, gently untying his sword and placing it, blade up, in its stand. "Why are you here?" He sighed.

Cobalt eyes glared at him from the darkness. "I should ask you the same question."

"Coincidence, really."

"You are a student, here?"

Heero nodded, turning to face his old friend. "I was planning on meeting with you in the morning. Lord Chiaki has made me Security Chief."

"Hm," touched his chin, thoughtfully.

"I don't intend to interfere."

"I suggest you take it a step further, Yuy. Don't be seen."

"Relena's a very logical person—"

"As are you, but if you'll recall, you've thrown logic away on more than one occasion over her; and I know she's returned the favor. What's to say she won't do it, again?"

"I will bring no conflict to Daimyo's interests."

"It's not the Daimyo's interests that concern me," the Chinese man said softly. Stepping from the shadows, Wufei walked to the door. When he cracked it, he paused momentarily. "Yuy?"

"Huh?"

"Stop looking in Relena's window. It's just rude."

"Hn," Heero grunted, turning his back from his friend.