It had been a few hours since Relena and Dorothy arrived at the Romefeller Foundation's headquarters, and Relena was waiting to meet with Duke Dermail about her new position.
"Milk and sugar with your tea, Miss Peacecraft?" A servant asked Relena, who was looking out the window, as usual.
"Yes, that's fine." She said, without turning her head.
"Duke Dermail should be with you shortly." The servant said, before leaving the room.
Dermail entered the room almost immediately, in fact, and walked over to the tea table. "Greetings, Princess Relena."
Relena turned around and looked at him.
"This tea was hand picked from my garden. I hope it is to your liking." He said, sitting down and
pouring himself a cup of tea.
Relena walked over to the tea table as well, and sat down across from him. "Thank you. Don't mind if I do." She said, pouring herself a cup.
Dermail was a bit surprised Relena was acting so casual after her nation just collapsed.
Relena took a sip of the tea. "..It's quite good."
"I'm glad you think so." Dermail said. "..I understand you have been feeling quite conflicted lately."
"..Did Dorothy tell you?" Relena asked.
"That's right. She told me everything."
It was true. Since their conversation during the flight, Relena's thoughts had been entirely occupied by doubts, conflicting feelings, and her deepest desires, as well as her supposed responsibilities. She felt that abandoning the Peacecraft name would be a betrayal to her friends and allies, who sacrificed so much to help her.
But she also didn't want to feel trapped by anything any more. She wanted to be free to pursue her true interests. ..But what were her true interests?
"I assume you've had enough time to consider your new position as Queen of the World?" Dermail asked, taking her out of her thoughts.
"..Well.. I'm not sure. I don't think I can be the unifying power you want me to be. I don't know if I have what it takes." Relena said, doubt in her voice.
"Worry not. I do indeed intend to use you as a rallying force to motivate the troops, but our main focus is to use your image to gain the world's support. The people love you, and what you represent, Relena. I simply must make use of that power." Dermail said, determined to convince her. "What do you say?"
Relena thought back to what Dorothy said earlier, about the fun they could have if she accepted.
"There's really nothing to it, honestly." Dermail added. "We will help you in any way you desire, to be the best queen you can be."
Was that the path she wanted to take? Or did she want to remain loyal to her friends?
..She realised that in either case, accepting the offer was the best option to take.
"..I accept."
A few days later, Queen Relena was sitting in her very spacious room. Having been glamorised by her servants, she waited to be called upon to deliver her coronation speech.
A knock was heard at her door.
"Come in." She said.
In walked Dorothy, wearing a black dress and a collar. She closed the door behind her, and walked across the room to Relena.
Relena could see in the mirror as she approached.
"Well, look at you! You're gorgeous, Relena. You truly look worthy of the throne!" Dorothy exclaimed, examining every inch of her new queen.
Relena turned around to see Dorothy up close. "Thank you. You look very good, too." She said, smiling at her.
"Are you ready for your coronation?"
"..I think so." Relena said, turning back to the mirror.
"Don't worry. I'm sure it will be easy. All you have to do is make some inspirational speech about peace and ending all battles and everyone will cheer. Even if it's a lie, it's just to establish you as queen. And get used to telling lies, because you'll be doing it a lot." Dorothy advised.
"..Right."
Dorothy put her hands on Relena's shoulders. "Soon, we can start having some real fun. I hope you're looking forward to it as much as I am." She said, before moving in closer. "We're going to kill a lot of people together, Relena."
Relena blushed and looked down, as Dorothy let go of her.
"Now then, let's be on our way." Said Dorothy, walking back toward the door.
Relena stood on her pedestal in the grand hall, where dozens of world leaders had gathered to witness her coronation. "I wish to make an announcement to the world. ..As of this day, I, Relena Peacecraft, have become the Romefeller Foundation's chief representative. ..I regard this as the first step along a very positive road. A road that we can walk together, hand in hand. Where wars will be eliminated, and we can have peace. Let us together work together toward these objectives." She announced. But she wasn't done.
"I hereby declare the removal of national borders, which have been the cause of many wars throughout history. From now on, the Earth will be one nation - the World Nation."
She then received applause from everyone in the grand hall, and took her throne.
Heero, who was watching the ceremony from a screen inside the Wing Zero Gundam, wasn't impressed. "She's gone off the deep end."
Duke Dermail then stepped up to the pedestal, to deliver a speech of his own.
"With Queen Relena's declaration of the World Nation, the world is on its way to ending senseless wars. This is a truly wonderful thing. However, our responsibilities do not end here. Rebels in space have forgotten the protection we've provided, and are inclined to revolt! We must do away with these rebels in order to deliver the world to true peace."
Marquis Weridge, a Romefeller council member, stood up to speak. "I beg your pardon, Duke Dermail."
Dermail looked over at him. "What is it, Marquis Weridge?"
"Isn't our new representative and leader Queen Relena? ..I find it disrespectful for you to stand there and tell us what our plans are. ..I'm not alone in thinking you should resign from the Foundation, in the same way Treize Khushrenada did. ..I propose we take the democratic route and vote on the issue." Weridge finished.
This exchange led to increased discourse between all those present, as they debated the matter.
"Your arguments are valid." Dermail admitted, meeting him halfway. "However, now is not the right time for me to step down. There is much left for me to do. However, I am prepared to do so in the future if necessary. ..Does that satisfy you?"
Weridge sat back down. "Yes, I understand."
After the coronation ceremony was over, Weridge and a few other members of Romefeller left the grand hall with Dorothy.
"Dermail intends to use Relena as a puppet, to help him hold on to his own position." Weridge said, as the group walked down the corridor. "But ironically, it makes his position even less stable."
"At present, more than half of Romefeller is supporting Queen Relena." One councilman said.
"We're going to make Queen Relena the World Nation's sovereign.. both in name and reality." Said Weridge.
"How do you propose we do it, Miss Catalonia?" One of them asked Dorothy, as each of them awaited her response.
"I'm glad you asked." Dorothy said with a smirk. She had big plans with Relena, and wasn't about to let her grandfather get in the way of that.
Two days later, Heero was close to arriving at the Foundation's headquarters.
If she were to die, it would bring an end to this false peace, as well as the World Nation. ..It's time to make good on my promise, and kill her. He thought, determined to see this through.
Meanwhile, Relena was having a meeting with Romefeller's council.
"Just keep advocating peace, and abandoning weapons, and all that. The executives are sure to support you." Relena thought back to what Dorothy had told her earlier, and intended to put the advice to use.
"Queen Relena, it's come to my attention that you have your own policy regarding the World Nation." Weridge said, awaiting her comments on the matter.
"Yes, I do." Relena said, before standing up. "People still feel that the Foundation is exercising control over them. Romefeller needs to set an example on how to correctly bring peace to this world."
"How do you suggest we do so?" Weridge asked.
"By withdrawing all troops posted around the world, and announcing that the age of military rule has come to an end." Relena replied.
"I object." Dermail interrupted. "Those are grossly simplistic ideals. You forget the guerillas stationed around the world that still pose a threat."
"The real threat is Romefeller." Relena reasoned. "When a ruler calls on others to discard their weapons, the ruler must be the first to do so."
"Listen, Queen Relena. That is not how the Romefeller Foundation intends to govern the world."
"Do you speak only for yourself, or for the entire Foundation?" Relena asked him.
"I would think I am speaking for the Foundation as a whole." He said sternly.
"And is he, gentlemen?" Relena asked the many executives at the round table.
"..No, we haven't yet come to a conclusion on the matter." One of them replied.
Dermail looked around at the councilmen, who were giving him doubtful expressions, and started to feel very small.
He sat back down. "My apologies. It seems I got too ahead of myself. My intention was only to call attention to the risk in basing our plans on the sole opinion of Queen Relena. In order to make the correct decision, we must all agree on a solution."
"Actually, we have agreed on a solution already." Weridge told him.
Dermail was confused. "What do you mean?"
"We have all voted on the matter, and have come to the conclusion.. that you are no longer needed in the Romefeller Foundation."
"What?!" Dermail said, standing right back up. "But we already discussed this. Now is not the time for me to step down!"
"We disagree. And in fact, we've already informed the Foundation's commanders that you will be resigning. You have no choice in the matter."
Dermail couldn't believe it. His plan to use Relena to secure his reign over the Foundation couldn't have backfired any further. He continued to argue with them over it, but it was no use. Dorothy, who was on the other side of the door, could only laugh to herself as she listened to him struggle in vain.
There was now nothing stopping her and Relena from doing as they wished.
The next day, the Foundation's general meeting was taking place in the grand hall, where Relena was announcing some reforms, in order to gain the world's trust.
"In order to continue as a leading organisation, the Foundation must be willing to change with the times. ..I believe that in order to overcome mankind's warlike nature, we must unite, becoming one with each other. We must cast aside those things which separate us, and learn the power of discussion."
Watching the meeting from up above was Heero, disguised as a Foundation soldier, and holding a handgun.
He closed his eyes as he listened to the speech. You're dreaming, Relena. He thought, having made his mind up. The best course of action would be to eliminate her. He aimed his gun at her head.
"In order to create one peaceful, consolidated nation, the Foundation - which holds the most power - must be the first to withdraw its weapons and soldiers." Said Relena, about half way through her speech.
Heero was about to pull the trigger, when he heard a voice. "I wouldn't advise that."
He quickly turned and saw Dorothy standing across from him - and pointing a gun of her own at him. He dropped his gun and put his hands up.
"Heero Yuy. I never thought I'd have the pleasure of seeing you again after you left the institution." She said with that faint smile of hers. She gestured for him to move. "Back up."
As he backed away from the gun, she walked forward, knelt down and grabbed it.
"Now why would you want to kill Relena?" She asked as she put his gun in her pocket. "Very unfit behaviour for a knight, sworn to protect his princess."
Heero maintained his silence for a moment. "..Your perspective of me seems a bit childish. My only concern is to eliminate the conquerors of this world."
"Are you convinced that Relena is one of these conquerors now?" She asked.
"..The peace Relena speaks of is impossible, and the World Nation is doomed to fail. I'm here to kill her before she makes an even worse mistake."
The more Dorothy thought about Heero, the surer she was that he would be a dangerous enemy down the line. If he thought Relena's actions were bad now, he'd try ten times as hard to kill her once she and Dorothy began having their real fun.
Better kill him, she thought. But how do I do it? ..If I fire this gun now, it would ruin Relena's presentation.
"I ask for your support," Said Relena, finally wrapping up her speech. "As world leaders, to help bring about these changes, within the Foundation, here on Earth, and far away in outer space."
She received great applause from the world leaders, as the executives, including Marquis Weridge, went up to the pedestal as well. "I congratulate you, Queen Relena. Romefeller will abide by your guidance and start anew."
Heero heard this, and began to change his mind. "...If the world leaders all agree, maybe the World Nation has a future after all."
"..So you won't kill her?" Dorothy asked, lowering the gun slightly.
"..No. I'll wait and see what she can do." Heero said, before mounting over the railing and grabbing his rope tied to one of the ceiling windows - his planned escape route. He climbed the rope all the way to the window and jumped out.
Dorothy watched him go, relieved that the situation didn't escalate. He is indeed a fearsome enemy. I'll need to think of a way to eliminate him, and quick.
To be continued in Chapter 3