Disclaimer: I own nothing of GS/GSD. R&R please.
Chapter 4
"Head Elder, are you alright?"
The Head Elder's hands were shaking so badly that his visitor, Lady Sahaku, had to hold his hands steady.
He shook with his coughs once more even as he tried to wave Lady Sahaku's concern away. Those echoed dully in his office, and next to him, his personal assistant and the spokesperson of the Council, Ernest Rohm, handed him a glass of warm water and some medication. A man like Rohm had years of experience serving the Orb Council of Elders and plenty of sense to be discreet. As a result, he went mostly unnoticed into Orb Nobles' estates and sometimes to various Emirs' offices, often delivering messages from the Council of Elders or to act as the go-between if necessary.
Now however, Rohm spoke up. His worry was clear. "Head Elder, you must take your medicine on time."
The Council of Elders' meeting had gone on for longer than he'd realised, and he had only been able to wheeze out a request for an adjournment before interrupting himself with awful, hacking coughs. He hadn't noticed it himself, but these few weeks had taken a strain on his health—not that it had been perfect to begin with, anyway.
As a Head, his discretion was the most important, and he thought he'd seen enough and learnt enough over the years to be an able anchor. These days though— perhaps he was really getting too old for this.
"Mr. Rohm tells me that you're an hour late for the medication," She said quietly when he'd stilled a little. This office of his was large, but it seemed stuffy and cramped with too many chairs and cupboards with documents in them. Even the curtains seemed devoid of cheer and almost musty. Now, she wondered if it would be good for her to draw up the curtains—perhaps sunlight would revive him a little.
"The Council of Elders' meeting today is too important." He explained, cutting off her concerns. He shook his head, smiling a bit. "Besides, you were one of the Elders arguing against what you called an interference of Lady Cagalli's choice. And passionately too, Lady Sahaku." His eyes surveyed her beneath the bushy white eyebrows. "Even when I called for an adjournment, there was no clear leaning towards any particular result."
"I apologise, Head Elder." She murmured. "I and the others were far too caught up with the issues to notice your poor health. Please forgive our insensitivity."
"Oh come now," He chuckled. "The Elders were only doing their job in trying to decide what course of action they ought to guide the Orb Princess towards. I would be mortified if nobody was really paying attention to the issues but watching me cough." He shook his head morosely. "Which is what happened eventually. And that was when I had to call for an adjournment. But perhaps my coughing fit came at the right time. It was a very vigorous dissent you were putting up there with some others, Lady Sahaku, and perhaps the other Elders need a day to consider what you have said."
"I think this is so, Head Elder," Lady Sahaku said softly, " But still, you hold the most weight in the council. I simply cannot leave the Abbey and retire to my estate without telling you that if the Elders interfere with Lady Cagalli's decision, we will regret it dearly."
The Head Elder sighed. "I understand how worried you are. You even followed after me and you came here after the meeting had ended. Clearly, you do not make your decisions carelessly as an Elder and you do not change your mind once you have made it." He patted her hand wryly. "My dear grand-niece, how like your mother you are. At some point, I wondered what your brother would have said, had he been here. He was perhaps more like your father—headstrong and very, very fixed in his ways and beliefs."
She looked at him gently. The Head Elder was not prone to addressing her as such—he tended to insist that the Orb Nobles in the Council of Elders were colleagues rather than related on any level, but this was a private meeting anyway.
"To be honest, I did not come here merely to reinforce my view, Head Elder. I and those who saw from my point of view ignored the schedule and your health." She told him. "We did not know, but I am part of the reason that you were late for your medication, Head Elder. I came to enquire about your health."
He smiled at her, waving off her apology. "Come now. From the time you retired from the Orb Head's position and were initiated into this council as an Elder, you have made decisions for the welfare of the Orb Nobles and indirectly, Orb itself. That stands true even now. If we go overtime, we must. I couldn't interrupt the meeting to run here and take the medicine can I? Nor could I pop those pills in front of them—they'd think that I was weak and about to kick the bucket. No— I still have enough fire in my belly to guide the Council. I am strong enough to last a few more years, I grant you that. I promise that the Council is strong enough to ensure that Athrun Zala won't get up to mischief."
"Head Elder!" Lady Sahaku protested, sitting a little straighter in the ornate chair that she occupied. "Surely the point that I made at the meeting is most relevant here? The Orb Princess is an intelligent woman—she has never let any panderer or flatterer close over the years. In fact, she's been nothing short of aloof with potential suitors. Surely, her choice is a valid one, now that she's made it?"
"Not when it's Athrun Zala." The Head Elder's answer was blunt. "The other Elders are right for expressing their doubts as to the validity of their relationship."
"Validity, sire?" Lady Sahaku shook her head. "As if it is for us to judge!"
They could both recall the difficulties of the prior meetings. The Council had been split quite evenly as to what to do next. There had been no going back once the news had been leaked of Athrun Zala's cohabitation with the Orb Princess, and even now, the Council of Elders was plagued with problems.
"It is precisely the conflict that we face here." The Head Elder agreed. "The reason why I gave the final decision to allow the wedding to proceed was because we could not prevent it anyway. The leak of news concerning his presence in Orb and the Atha Estate had already been done. I daresay the Council had no real time to react and make a proper decision. We were fighting fires, were we not, Lady Sahaku?"
"Yes." She murmured. "As you said, Head Elder, it was better to have an announcement that the Council was aware and somewhat approving of this than to suggest that the Orb Princess was acting wilfully and without the Council's knowledge. Moreover, the Council has no power to forbid her from marrying who she wants—our powers extend to making recommendations and advising for or against."
"But the other Elders are right as well, Lady Sahaku." The Head Elder said heavily. "While the wedding is being planned, nobody knows what is going through his mind. Athrun Zala may have bewitched her as his father did with the world. A woman in love may not know that the world around her is turning—and this is no ordinary woman, Lady Sahaku. This is the Orb Princess that Orb depends on to make decisions. The partner that she has chosen may prove to be a poisonous bedfellow—and once the union is finalised, there will be very few good reasons that the public can accept if it falls apart. "
He sat in his chair, massaging his wrinkled temples. The number of frowns that had passed over his face had gone into the uncountable plenty of years ago, but he was capable and he was very wise, and Lady Sahaku knew that the Council of Elders could trust him. His age however, seemed to have caught up to him. "I daresay that Lady Cagalli is even more troublesome than her fox of a father." He laughed sardonically, sighing a bit. "I never thought that was possible. But then again, Uzumi was always smart at getting his way when it came to matters concerning his private life. Maybe she's inherited that uncanny skill of his."
"But she has the right to decide for herself, my Lord."
"I agree, but her request for permission to accept Athrun Zala's proposal was nothing short of a demand, Lady Sahaku." The Head Elder looked at her squarely. "It was Athrun Zala or her immediate withdrawal from office. I can't say the other Elders were too happy about it."
Lady Sahaku shook her head. "Do you think she really meant it?"
"Oh, I'm not sure, but I daresay that Uzumi taught her a trick or two about driving it hard when one has better bargaining power." The Head Elder chuckled. "She knew that Orb needed her. Let's face it, even if there is some public backlash on her choice of a life-partner, she is still mostly blameless in the eyes of the public. They have focused on Athrun Zala mostly, but they hold her to be even dearer these days."
"Likewise, you could have denounced Athrun Zala on behalf of the Council of Elders," Lady Sahaku pointed out. "You could have released a statement saying that the Elders did not approve of her choice as a whole, even if we are generally unable to prevent her decisions, save advise her against him as is our power and responsibility."
"Yes," The Head Elder said heavily. "But what would be the point?" He smiled tiredly. "The Council itself was and still is conflicted as to whether Athrun Zala was trustworthy or not. You, Lady Sahaku, were one of those who spoke up for him then and even now. When we were considering whether to issue a statement that we had long been aware and approving of the relationship, it was mainly you who convinced quite a few Elders that he was merely, for lack of better word, misunderstood."
"It is true that Athrun Zala has been portrayed to have a questionable character by plenty," Lady Sahaku said firmly. She folded her hands purposefully before her. "But I believe that those are mostly issues of the old prejudices. Unfortunately, his competence and expertise with his former employer have been causes for suspicion rather than acknowledged accomplishments. Overall however, I think he will be true to her and never do anything that will cause her to sacrifice Orb's interest."
The Head Elder raised his eyebrows, as did Rohm behind him. "How would you know?"
"Intuition." Lady Sahaku said softly. "As flimsy as it may sound, I have always trusted my instincts."
"A pity then, that his track record goes against what you feel." The Head Elder considered. "What was a young man like that doing in Intelligence for so many years?"
"Haumea knows." Lady Sahaku murmured. "He has not given an official statement ever since buying shares in Tristernte and returning to Orb for the reason of working here. Nor can the Orb Elders ask him to give one, since we have no power over anyone else but the Orb Nobles. Perhaps though, he should give an explanation as to when he decided to propose to the Orb Princess. She admitted that they were in a relationship some time in the past—before the Second War, in fact. And she told the Elders that he'd proposed back then and she'd accepted but later their relationship fell apart."
"How then, did he end up back here and when did he decide that he wanted to return? Some of the Elders did articulate their doubts as to what she sees in him. I wonder—," He shook his head. "Was there some kind of folly that pushed her into this marriage?"
"I doubt so, my Lord." She said immediately. "Lady Cagalli seemed sincere when she declared to the Elders that she would have no other except him. Some of the Elders were rather blunt as to the inquiry of how advanced their relationship was."
"Well, we'll know, if and when the child arrives." The Head Elder muttered. "She vehemently denied carrying his child, but we'll soon know anyway." He shrugged. "If a wedding takes place at all."
"Head Elder!" Lady Sahaku exclaimed. "Surely you are not thinking of implementing what some of our fellow Elders suggested today in the meeting? Surely, what I and a few others have raised stand true? It simply isn't fair to force them to reconsider in the way that was suggested, and—,"
"No, Lady Sahaku." He held up his hand, cutting her off. "I have not made up my mind yet. By tomorrow, I will. My vote is only one of a whole Council's, as influential as it looks. Most of the Elders are genuinely worried for her happiness if not Orb's security, as I understand. And yet, we cannot voice this directly to her because it is not our right or duty. But that is precisely why we may have to interfere with her choice beyond giving her advice in this roundabout fashion that some of the other Elders have suggested. The fact remains that Athrun Zala isn't the candidate we had in mind for the Orb Princess' marriage."
Dismayed, Lady Sahaku tried again. She was aware of how powerful the Head Elder's vote was. His view alone could sway so many of the others, and she fought to make her case once more.
"But the Tristernte Corporation that he is a board member of now seems to be doing fine. He hasn't interfered much with the plans the board had previously to expand their businesses into the Earth Alliance—he's been tasked with checking that those decisions are in the company's interests, and so far, he's agreed with every decision that was pending and about to be implemented before he joined."
"Acquiescence means little in this early stage of his career here, Lady Sahaku."
"But he had an established career with Zaft and even a foothold within the Plant Supreme Council. He didn't have to trade shares from the Zala enterprises for Tristernte shares at the loss that he made to come here, save that the Orb Princess is here."
"The appearances suggest that he isn't really here in Orb to do anything more than to settle down." The Head Elder conceded. "But I doubt that Athrun Zala intends to stay here in the long run. A man who has been used to the jobs he's held can't be bound for long. Even if he is as in love with the Orb Princess as what his actions suggest, I doubt his ardour can last very long when he remembers his past ambitions."
Lady Sahaku sensed his mistrust. "Indeed, we won't ever know for sure. He hasn't given an official statement."
"And he'll probably never tell us what really happened even if he does give a statement." The Head Elder gave a dry little laugh. "It's probably one of the secrets between."
"But you represented the Council and agreed to the marriage between Athrun Zala and Cagalli Yula Atha."
"Well," The old man agreed. "The issue in today's meeting was whether we could afford to allow the last member of the Atha House to make a mistake." He smiled grimly. "You and some Elders convinced me that it would not even be one. I hope you're right, but the least that the Elders can do is to make Lady Cagalli reconsider her choice."
"She's been going through a great deal with him ever since the wedding was announced." Lady Sahaku protested. "Surely, she doesn't need this time of reconsideration? Surely, none of us can change her choice?"
"Oh, I'm not sure about that." The Head Elder said grimly. "Time has an uncanny way of revealing the worst of people. Taking them away from what they may have grown comfortable to may just be a good reminder that a marriage isn't simple—let alone one concerning the Orb Princess and a man that few people can trust completely." He turned to Rohm. "What has Intelligence gathered?"
"Sir, there is little, I'm afraid." Rohm passed him a file. "Other than what is already officially known, we don't know the real reasons why he came back to Orb. It appears that he came here to be with her, but nobody really knows. The colleagues that have been willing to speak to our intelligencers have been quite approving of Zala, sir. But nobody knows much about him outside the professional scope."
The hunched old man wheezed and coughed, flipping and reading with some difficulty. "And what about the records of his stint as a Zaft Intelligencer?"
"Top-secret sir. The Plant officials have flatly refused to release any recourse whatsoever of his job and the controversy surrounding his acquittal where it involved a kidnap of the Orb Princess and his rumoured insubordination and abuse of authority. For that matter, none of the official sources know when he first met the Orb Princess and when she first became enamoured of him, and where that even happened. At least, if they know, they won't say."
"You see," The Head Elder said heavily to Lady Sahaku, "I am afraid that the secrets between are precisely the things that bind everything together in the first place."
In the living room, the three of them were flush with excitement. Having just been brought here in Athrun's car and having told Cagalli the news, Ko's cheeks were pink with pleasure. It also helped that Cagalli's eyes were shining with pride.
"Let me get this right," Cagalli said excitedly, setting down her tea. "You passed the test?"
"I'm the only one in my school." He nodded, his eyes bright in his face. Still clutching the barely-tasted drink in his hand, he trembled a little. The excitement was clear in his face and he tripped over his words slightly.
"Well done you!" She said for the third time. And Cagalli passed him the plate of cookies. "Look, I don't care if you've just had one. You have to take another!"
"But there won't be any left at the rate I'm going!"
She clucked her tongue at him. "Ko, I know you like these!"
He nodded a bit shyly. "Er—may I take another?"
"Go on then," Athrun grinned, patting Ko's hair. Seated between them, the youth grinned widely and did as instructed. His height had increased again, and he seemed a bit more gangly than Athrun could remember, but if he looked a bit clumsy with his long arms and legs, he moved rather gracefully and with that control that Athrun had remembered teaching the child.
Cagalli got up joyously, smiling at them both. She hurried to tie the curtains back, for the afternoon wind was threatening to get stronger and to blow those curtains out. As she tied those, Athrun drank a bit of tea.
"So when will you move to the new school?" He asked Ko.
"Well—,"Through his mouthful of cookie, Ko said with a bit of difficulty, "But I may not be moving. I like my classmates."
"But it's the opportunity of a lifetime!" Cagalli turned back from the window, looking shocked. She gazed at Athrun eagerly. "Don't you think so?"
Athrun nodded from where he was. "Ko, if your mother knew that you were being held back—,"
And Ko interrupted quickly, swallowing his bite of cookie with apprehension colouring his expression. "No! Don't tell her!" He had nearly leapt up from his seat at the mention of his mother and even now, he looked rather rattled.
And he gazed at Cagalli imploringly, bits of crumbs sweet against his smooth cheeks. Those had been once plump and rosy, but now they were thinning out a bit—he was growing up, no doubt, and his features were sharpening quite quickly. "She'd want me to transfer immediately if she heard, and I wouldn't be able to say no to her."
"She'd only have your best interests at heart," Cagalli pointed out. Coming back to the table, she began pouring him another cup of tea. But when she gestured to it, he sat there, looking upset and refusing it. He snuck a glance at Athrun, pleading silently with Athrun now.
Gently, Cagalli took a napkin and scooted closer to him, turning his face to her and dabbing at his lips and cheeks. And then she took Ko's hands, patting those warmly. "Like you said, you do want to learn as quickly as you can, and the new school provides more advanced lessons. It's a huge accomplishment Ko, and you shouldn't have to be held back by anything."
She exchanged a glance with Athrun, who had become silent.
"But Cagalli," Ko said softly, "I have friends here. I belong somewhere now. I don't want to have to start all over again in a new place."
"Ko—,"
No sooner were the words out was Cagalli taking Ko into her arms. She hugged him tight, fondling his brown curls, closing her eyes and shaking her head slightly, unable to speak.
She could not love the boy enough, Athrun thought a bit enviously. He watched Cagalli hold the youth, and thought that Ko was as good as her child. If not because of her promise to Harumi, then because of how much the boy had once relied on her emotionally and how she'd come to do likewise. Hadn't he watched her cuddle the boy to sleep and keep him warm? He had been slightly envious then, and even now, he wished things were as simple as to receive affection and be entirely satisfied from that.
Ko was slightly embarrassed although he didn't shift away. While he seemed to enjoy being the recipient of such clear affection from Cagalli, Athrun noted that a blush had swelled on his cheeks. Perhaps Ko was of that age where overt contact made teenagers feel slightly uncomfortable. Whatever the case, he returned her embrace willingly even if slightly reluctantly at first, and buried his face in the crook of Cagalli's neck and shoulder, a child once more.
Watching them, Athrun felt pity that everybody in this room knew what it was like to start from a place without any help and to be all alone.
They had agreed to give Ko some time in making his decision, and Athrun had personally promised Ko not to breathe a word about Ko's acceptance to his mother. While Cagalli had talked a bit anxiously about it later that evening and even the morning after, Athrun was quite sure that Ko could be counted to make the right decision for himself.
Frankly, as concerned as Athrun was, he was quite sure that Ko would be supported by all those around him. When he'd driven to Ko's apartment and fetched the boy, he'd sensed that something was different about the boy. Someone had visited him—he seemed far neater and more well put-together than ever, and his shoes had been polished and the laces done properly for once. While Ko hadn't mentioned anything, Athrun had seen enough to suspect something was going on. But since Ko had been silent about it, he decided not to ask for now.
Perhaps he would check later, he thought. Or tomorrow. He still had work to do, and in some way, he was looking forward to it so that he could finish it as soon as possible. If the files were here and ready, he would be back in time for an early dinner and possibly an early start to a weekend. Frankly, Athrun was eager to have that, and even as he perused his files now, he felt himself gearing to work even more efficiently so that he could leave in time.
The knocking was soft but sure and a rhythmic little rap on the door. Had he been paying more attention, he would have sensed that it wasn't his secretary.
Barely looking up from his table, Athrun called out, "Come in!"
As it was, Athrun was up to his neck in reading, and barely minutes earlier, he'd been thanking whoever who was listening to his thoughts for the weekend a few hours away.
Certainly, Athrun hadn't expected this person to appear at his office.
"Good evening, Mr. Zala." He bowed slightly. "I am Ernest Rohm."
As if it could have been anyone else!
And the calm, slightly imperious stare that Athrun was faced with made him speechless for a few seconds. It was all he could do get up from his seat, looking at the albino official. Rohm however, was as self-assured as Athrun had imagined to be. He closed the door, took two or three even, slow steps forward, and returned the handshake that Athrun offered.
"Please take a seat," Athrun said, feeling incredibly harrowed suddenly.
While he knew enough not to show it with people like Rohm, he wondered if Rohm could sense his nervousness. The last time that Athrun had heard of Rohm had been when Cagalli had leapt into his arms and informed him joyously that the Council of Elders had given their approval of his proposal. The news of their decision had come through the spokesperson of the Elders and the personal assistant to the Head Elder, and it had been delivered to only Cagalli at her office.
Athrun though, hadn't known at first. She'd waited to tell him until the evening, and his joy had been so blinding that he'd only thought about the Council of Elders much later. While Athrun didn't have a sufficiently inflated opinion of himself to expect the Council of Elders to see him personally, he wondered why they hadn't bothered conveying the news directly to him. His conclusion had been that they weren't really approving of him, but that they'd merely found it less problematic to signal approval of a marriage rather than to put their foot down blatantly.
Come to think of it, Athrun thought, Rohm had been the one to deliver the news to Cagalli. He stared at Rohm's fixed expression. Had this man even congratulated her? Looking at Rohm, Athrun found it hard to trust so.
Still, Athrun tried to be courteous. "What can I do for you, Mr. Rohm?"
"You and I will not find it necessary for the pleasantries, Mr. Zala, and I will cut to the chase." Rohm's gaze was a cold one. Those reddish eyes were really quite harrowing to look into. "The Elders have sent me to convey their wishes that you take time off work to plan for the upcoming wedding. While the Elders' aides are generally in-charge of such events concerning the Orb Nobles' marriages and particular the Orb Head's, the Elders have expressed a preference of you and Her Grace taking time off work."
Athrun sat up, quite astonished. "Cagalli would never allow that!"
"The Elders do understand that the Orb Princess is indispensable in her office," Rohm held a hand up, cutting Athrun off. "I also understand that she is highly dedicated to her job—despite the new circumstances." The way he looked expressionlessly at Athrun made it impossible for Athrun to miss the barb.
"Then you should know that Cagalli won't agree to what the Elders are asking—as well intentioned as they are." Athrun threw in his own barb, and Rohm's eyes narrowed.
"But for now, her work and yours does not take precedence over the marriage that is to be—if at all." Rohm told him, his eyes flicking sharply to Athrun's rather messy desk. "The Elders advise that both of you apply for a few weeks of leave to prepare yourselves for your upcoming wedding. Three as a minimum, in fact."
"Won't we get that from the honeymoon?" Athrun said, not quite understanding. He was growing more and more puzzled every second. Surely, the Elders weren't expecting a mere three weeks of leave to change the way Cagalli felt and made clear about their union? Were they expecting Athrun to reveal his true colours as an ogre during that period before the wedding?
Athrun couldn't wrap his head around it. He fought the urge to pick up his schedule-planner to see if there was some work assignment within this three weeks that the Elders were hoping he'd miss. He ran through potential events—surely not the meeting the following week to discuss Plant's biotechnology hubs investing in Tristernte? Surely the Elders weren't concerned or allowed to interfere with Tristernte's business decisions, even if the Orb Economic development ministry could? Besides, the board would achieve quorum with or without Athrun—surely the Council of Elders were aware of that?
He stared at Rohm, befuddled.
"The honeymoon will be but a week, according to the schedule," Rohm told him, consulting a rather thick-looking black bound book. Athrun wondered what was in there, seeing that Rohm was carrying it very, very carefully like a bible or sorts. "The Elders have expressed concern that the prior planning before the marriage takes place is imperative."
"Planning—," Athrun was slightly confused. "Do you mean the wedding plans?"
"Not at all, Mr. Zala." Rohm said scathingly. "The wedding plans will continue as the responsibilities of the relevant officials assigned to it. What they cannot plan, however, is your marriage in the long run. The minimum of three weeks will be a good time for the two of you to discuss your job, the child that will come in time and the child's upbringing—,"
Suddenly, Athrun felt as if he was in a cross between a marriage counsellor, shrink, executioner, lawyer and business advisor's office. Certainly, Athrun felt slightly uncomfortable about having an absolute stranger discuss these things, but at the same time, he could not possibly express this. Thus, he nodded in what he hoped looked like a natural manner.
"The child, of course," Rohm was saying, "Will be brought up in Orb itself. While the Council of Elders have generally been encouraging of foreign educations, the child must be permanently resident in Orb. All these issues will have to be discussed between you and the Orb Princess." He looked down at his bible once more, running a thin, pale finger down its current page. It was almost as if he was ticking a list of things that the Elders could not quite dictate.
Fascinated at Rohm's droll, entirely unaffected way of talking about a child that didn't even exist yet, Athrun stared at him. From what he could see, Rohm was bringing up these things on behalf of the Council in a manner that suggested her was neither comfortable nor uncomfortable about talking to Athrun about the bringing up of a child that didn't even concern him. From Rohm's emotionless tone, he might as well have been talking about a mere obligation, which Athrun suspected was the case in his mind.
"I hope, Mr. Zala," Rohm said emotionlessly, "That you and your fiancée have considered some of these things?"
"We've been planning," Athrun told him, feeling slightly defensive. "Somewhat."
"Pray," Rohm said, "About which issues in particular?"
"Er—about having a child."
They'd talked about some issues of his job and hers, and along the line, he'd mentioned his desire for a child. While she was slightly apprehensive, she'd been rather for the idea of a child. Beside, she was expected to bear one, since that was generally the point of marriage for the Orb Nobles.
For a long time now, they'd been tempted to have a child, but as far as their current situations were concerned, a child was out of the question. Some Orb Nobles had gone through marriages and bore children even before five months had passed since the wedding. This was generally criticised even in an increasingly liberal society when it concerned public figures like the Orb Royals. Given Cagalli's status as the Orb Head even beyond the fact that she was the Atha Emir and an Orb Royal, Athrun and her had reluctantly decided that going through the traditional process of marriage before having her conceive would be a more prudent choice. A child therefore, would only be considered once they'd gone through their wedding and their lives in Orb felt more secure.
But Rohm didn't seem satisfied with Athrun's general response. He leaned forward slightly, fixing Athrun with a look that Athrun could not really decipher. "Other issues, Mr. Zala?"
"Not really." Athrun admitted, feeling incredibly awkward. They had with regards to their relationship and other things, but surely he wasn't expected to give Rohm the blow-by-blow? He felt helpless—why was Rohm visiting him and not Cagalli?
"I will be candid here, Mr. Zala. The Elders have sent me here to remind you that the Orb Head's marriage is one that cannot fall apart for no good reason or for simple whims. For that matter, it would be unthinkable for the marriage to end." Ernest Rohm looked at him bluntly. "If it ever comes to be at all."
Athrun felt his fists curling beneath the desk. He made sure to keep his temper however, and Ernest Rohm continued.
"If a business falls apart, one can set another up. If one finishes exploiting a resource, one may move on to another. But the sanctity of marriage, I am afraid, is the thrust of the issue here."
"Of course," Athrun murmured. The more he heard, the more he could understand in context now. Those Elders were afraid that he was only toying with her and staying put to build his businesses up in Orb.
After all this time, Athrun thought tiredly, they thought that he had yet to extract what he wanted from Cagalli and that it was a matter of time that he left.
Anger rose in him, but he kept himself impassive, reminding himself that they were only protecting the Orb Head's interests, as was their role. Besides, he had not yet earned their trust—no wonder they wanted to distance him from his job to test his devotion to Cagalli. So Athrun looked back at Rohm firmly. "Frankly, Mr. Rohm, I wouldn't have it any other way. I intend for this marriage to hold."
"I am sure the Elders will be glad to hear that. Before this, some of the Elders were afraid that you and Her Grace were merely in an affair of sorts," Rohm told him directly. "Some could not believe that you had really asked for her hand. Of course, I was not asked to reveal that on their behalf, but I think that this information can only benefit you and make the task of what I have just told you more complete."
Athrun nodded tersely. "I understand their concerns." Had they really thought that he had been just having a tryst and a bit of fun with Cagalli Yula Atha? Really, he thought irritatedly, getting through those gates was more difficult than it seemed.
"Good." Rohm said simply. "May I take it that I have your word and that I may convey your decision and the Orb Princess' to the Elders?"
"I'm not sure about her." Athrun said quickly. "I don't think I can decide for her."
"Ah, but you see, Mr. Zala, she will listen to you." Rohm told him. "If you'll excuse me, I have other business to attend to. Please go ahead with your work, Mr. Zala, and don't bother sending me out. Pleasant evening to you."
Looking at Rohm, Athrun found that he had neither any reason nor right to protest anymore than he already had. He nodded slowly, watching as Rohm stood. Having completed his task, it was quite clear that Rohm would not stay for any pleasantries.
His gut instinct told him that it wasn't as simple as that, however. On the whole though, it wouldn't be a bad thing to take some time off with Cagalli, even if he was sure that they'd gone through enough together to know if they had the long-term in mind. If the Council wanted proof of their conviction, well, they'd go ahead with applying for leave of office then!
In the cockpit of the latest model, the head of the test-Zaku division fiddled around with the wireless system. It was warm in here, and she was glad that she would have a break soon.
She checked for the time, swatting away the stray strands with a small sigh, wondering if she was better off having her lunch in the cockpit here. The reparations for the starting-up programme were coming in too slowly, and she could not afford to work overtime in the evening—her daughter would be expecting her, especially since Yzak was away on an official trip to the Earth Alliance territory of Shanghai.
As she reached for the screwdriver, she checked the screen for the readings. The glare of the light made her eyes water a little because she'd been at it for three hours already. It was funny how insistent she was that Petra watch shows at a distance, whereas she was wrecking her own eyesight here. The thought made her smile slightly.
"Captain!"
"I'm in here!" She called back. "I'm coming!"
She moved to the unit's exit, not bothering to fetch the uniform's jacket that she had taken off in an attempt to beat the boiling heat. Her hair was looped for the sake of avoiding a heat stroke, but it gave her little respite. Only when she slung herself down from the unit did she feel slightly more capable of breathing normally.
Her team's second-in-command was waiting dutifully, and he saluted to her. But even as Shiho returned it, she noted that there was someone he had with him.
"The new pilot, Captain. She just came back over the weekend." He consulted his clipboard. "You took leave to visit Orb?"
"Yes. Family matters."
It was a girl—rather young as pilots tended to be in the past. She was saluting smartly too; she was already equipped with the test-pilot's uniform. As a general policy in more war-prone times, the best Zaft graduates had been selected to train as pilots. In post-war times were the units were put to resource-extraction purposes and general deterrence measures. But the same policy applied, because pilots had to be trained young.
The systems changed everyday and the instincts of working in a confined space and seeing the surroundings through a small square grid were not born to even the best of pilots. It took time and a whole lot of practice. In fact, the only person that Shiho knew of who'd not required all the training was the General of the Defence Research and Technology. But Kira Yamato was the exception—it had made Shiho slightly exasperated to know that one of her key test-pilots was leaving Zaft to become a freelance interior designer. The training that would have to be redone! And the previous pilot's experience had been invaluable too- Shiho wondered how long it would take for this new pilot to learn.
She studied the girl standing respectfully behind the second-in-command. This pilot had to be brought in, and from the looks of this one, she had only just finished her training and didn't have the experience the last one had. Still, Shiho wasn't sure the lack of experience would affect the potential. Her eyes struck Shiho as being intelligent and sharp. With those kittenish looks and pretty, pale skin, she stood out quite easily in the greyness of the general repair-zone.
"Well, I heard about the new assignee." Shiho noted. She strode forward, peeling off an oil stained glove to offer her hand. "Welcome to the Zaku team."
"It's an honour, Captain Hahnenfuss." The new test pilot said. She had a curiously husky voice—light but somehow smoky and a bit scratchy, and definitely with a slight accent. It made Shiho think of her own father, and even Petra's German teacher. That was a familiar accent, even if slightly more nuanced and more akin to an almost-forgotten dialect. She stared closely at the girl, wondering if she spoke Shiho's father's native language.
As the second-in-command handed Shiho a clipboard, her eyes flew down to the scores and test results. She scanned through quickly, noting with some satisfaction that this pilot seemed reasonably competent. Her training scores were above average, despite the slight handicap of her wrist and the affected shooting abilities.
She glanced at the name. "Your name is—,"
"Laplacia." The new test-pilot said. "Laplacia Bonaparte."
"No!"
"Cagalli—,"
"No!" She said furiously, brandishing her hairbrush. "Bloody hell, Athrun, they can't do this to us!"
"But—,"
"No!" She cut in again. "I'd be damned if I let us both get manipulated like this!"
"I don't think it's a manipulation per se, Cagalli," Athrun tried to get a word in while stifling his slight amusement. He looked with mostly awe at the angry Cagalli as she stood there, pink in the cheeks and hair crackling and whipping around her shoulders.
To a subordinate, Athrun realised, she would have been Haumea Almighty and absolutely terrifying. To him however, and considering that she had just exited the shower and had been about to join him, well, Cagalli was very appealing.
"I can't do this." He felt mirth bubble up in his throat and laughed helplessly even as she glowered at him. "I can't argue with you like this."
"Good." She snapped. "You shouldn't be arguing with me, Athrun, not when you know that I'm right!"
"Oh come off it now, I wasn't referring to the matter of who's right and who's wrong! For my sanity's sake, Cagalli," He tried again as she glared at him, "I can't stand it when you stand at the foot of the bed in your underwear and refuse to come here."
"What?" She said blankly, not understanding at all. "What are you going on about, Athrun?"
"And I thought you were beginning to understand the way men think, Cagalli." He sighed, sitting up a little straighter in the bed. "Let me give you some insight, shall I? Conflicting signals don't work well with us males— remember how I couldn't bear having you tend to my wound in your underwear on the island we first met on?"
"I'm not getting it." She said, her expression growing darker as she folded her arms. She only succeeded in making his eyes flit to her chest, and he sighed once more.
"Well, simply put and probably more accurately expressed of my thoughts than what I said back then on that island, do you mind either putting on some clothes or doing me now?"
"What, that's all you can think about?" Cagalli flushed a deeper shade of rose and looked ready to throttle him even at that distance.
He paused, looking at her dryly. "Do you want an honest answer?"
She gaped at his cheek. Cagalli shook her fist at him in a would-be threatening manner, had she not been so beguiling to him in the first place. "I'm not sure that I'm not mad at you for what you promised to Rohm either, Athrun! How could you be taking this so calmly? You mean you knew but you didn't tell me throughout the cooking that you insisted you handle today? Is that the explanation for the dinner you handled all alone and the surprise with all my favourite dishes being served? And you offered to wash the plates instead of splitting those with me and in that bath—," She jabbed her hand back in the direction of the bathroom, panting a bit in her tirade. "You insisted on massaging and scrubbing my back as if your life depended on it! Were you just stalling for time?"
"Er—yes. There was a bit of that, yes."
"You asshole!" Cagalli lobbed the hairbrush at him, and thankfully, it was entirely made of rubber and he shielded himself with a pillow.
She was seething, he could see that, and his attempts at humour were not amusing her as much as he was enjoying her response to what he'd just told her about Rohm's visit and what he'd promised on their behalves.
He laughed, lowering his makeshift shield. "I'm sorry! I'm just being honest. There was a bit of my stalling for time, even if I would have done all that for you anyway."
Her gaze softened, but then she remembered her anger again and became fierce once more. "How," She shook her head heatedly. "How could you agree to what the Elders wanted? The injustice, Athrun—,"
Her glare was ferocious. He found it adorable.
"Yes." He said simply and more unabashedly than she could tolerate. "Let's face it—I would have ruined the rest of your evening and you wouldn't have been able to stomach anything or smile at me if I'd told you any earlier."
"You tricked me, Athrun! That's just unfair!" The sly dog had planned all this and lulled her into a good mood! She almost stamped her foot, but controlled herself in time. He watched her with twinkling eyes and she hissed her breath out, trying to calm down and keep in control. Was she but a petulant child to him? How could he perceive her anger as a fit of childish pique?
"I'm upset." She said in a shaking voice. Had Athrun not spoken, she would have gone to him, kissed him goodnight and turned off the light. Surely, she wasn't expected to say, "Oh alright, as they wish and as you agreed," and sleep over it?
"I know you are." He said softly, willing her to adjust her mood to his. "But come here first."
He stretched out his hand but Cagalli reached over the bed's foot and pushed it back. There were indignant tears that had begun welling in her eyes. "If I go there, you'll just kiss and try to make up and I'll just fall for it the way you always make me. I'm mad, Athrun, but you're lying there, waiting for me to join you in bed?"
"No, it's not like that!" He said helplessly. And a small smile wormed its way onto his lips as he watched her stand away from him with that resistance in her face and posture. "I just want to hold you while I tell you why I agreed on our behalves. Also, holding you down will prevent you from slaughtering me and feeding me to the pigeons."
Oddly enough, his off-kilter humour threatened to bring laughter into her voice, but she tossed aside the urge and focused on the problem at hand. In fact, she summoned her own special imitation of his voice—the mild, in-control, saner-than-thou-and-thou-knows-that-one-is-right voice. "Well, I think the couch will be pleased to have either one of us spending time on it tonight. Since you're stuck to this bed like seaweed, I suppose I better take the initiative."
She began to march off to the exit. "In fact, I may not be sleeping at all tonight. I will be contacting Rohm, you see, and the first thing tomorrow will be an audience with the Elders." And Cagalli looked at him haughtily. "I shall not be seeing you."
"Oh no, you don't!" He leapt up, moved across, and grabbed her hand before she could stalk off. "Cagalli, listen to me." He led her to sit on the bed, holding her hand gently. Reluctantly, she looked at those forest eyes, and she saw a familiar wistfulness in his expression that pained her. "You're right that it's not fair. They basically don't trust me. But worse still, they don't trust you to know whether to trust me or not."
"Then why'd you agree to take time off work?" She demanded tightly. As sympathetic as she privately was towards Athrun and Ernest Rohm's visit, she could not help but feel cheated. "And you agreed for me, Athrun! How could you do that without asking me first?"
He studied her a bit sheepishly. "I'm sorry. I should have asked first. It is my fault and I was wrong. But you see, Ernest Rohm was right about some things." He took in a deep breath, kissing her on the forehead and then focusing back on his fiancée. "This is a good opportunity to be together, whether or not it is a make-or-break period wherein the Elders are hoping that our relationship will shatter. Why shouldn't I want time solely for you?"
Slightly mollified, she did not interrupt as Athrun continued. "Also, Cagalli, if we do as they say, they'll leave us alone for a bit. And once this period is over and they see that we still want to be together, they won't have as many objections or reasons for hesitation anymore. Offending them by going against them outwardly—,"
"I already have." She muttered. "That's how I managed to get you here with me, remember?"
"—well, more than you already have," He said with a twitch of his lips, "Is unwise in our current situations. If we follow their advice, it's a win-win one. Think carefully— the fact that they haven't outwardly denounced our relationship suggests that they care about your welfare above all things and that they are aware that some citizens don't like the idea of having too draconian impositions on the Orb Princess." He laughed wryly. "Even if most of your people don't really like me, most want the Orb Princess to be able to choose at the end of the day."
She nodded slowly, seeing his point.
"Besides," He said gently. "I want time with you. If the Council of Elders is basically giving me time and putting me right in your hands, why not?" He grinned. "The delegated work for either of us will definitely make us worry whether it's been done properly or not in our absence, but it's not a bad thing to take a break before the wedding."
A pause lasted for a few minutes, during which, Athrun searched her face for some clue as to what she was thinking. He saw her misery change into resignation, and finally, acceptance. Cagalli sighed. "You should be a politician, you know?"
He shook his head. "The real brains of what it took to get you convinced was Ernest Rohm." He paused. "Come to think of it, he convinced me to face the lioness on my own—he delegated the toughest part to me." He tsked. "Sneaky bastard."
"I could say the same for you, Mr. Zala." She said hotly, clearly remembering his line of attack and deception that he'd employed in the evening. And then she got up, taking her hand away from his and stalking away.
"Wait!" Athrun protested, getting up too. "Why are you not going to sleep here?"
She raised her brow. "What are you talking about, Athrun? I have work to do in advance of the break that I'll be taking with you. Delegating work has often more difficulty than one realises—I'm sure you know that. Heck, I'll be up all night in my study planning how my office will have to go on without me for three weeks."
"Bloody hell!" He said in disbelief, running a hand frustratedly through his hair. "It's going to be a weekend, and we haven't been at it for nearly four days! I was looking forward to this, Cagalli, so what am I going to do now?"
"Well, I believe in doling out punishment for wrongdoings." Cagalli smiled sweetly at him before closing the door. "You can use your imagination, amongst other things. Wait up long enough and I might finish and come back though."
His jaw fell open and he marched out after her. "Alright, that's it; I'll be occupying your visitor's chair in that study of yours for this whole night if I have to!"
She whirled around, smirking. "Be my guest."
"Invitation accepted." He said firmly, and he caught onto her arm and kissed her before she could protest.