Title: Canceling negotiations
Author: Ree
Theme: AU - Cornered
Genre: general
Version: AU - 1483 England War of the Roses (near the end)
Rating: G

Takeuchi Naoko created them. I'm just following a different branch on their universal tree.

Canceling negotiations

AN: Amycia Ami, Aylyetta Makoto(Lita) , Eularia Rei (Raye), Willaimina Minako (Mina).

Three weeks had passed and no word had come. The Swans roamed the castle freely since the end of the first week, and by the end of the second they were allowed into the inner ward with supervision. Clothes had been pulled out of storage for them, so on occasions they looked like a motley crew playing in the snow. They had accepted that escape was not an acceptable idea, they were pawns in a great chess game for the power of the throne, and their next captors might not be as nice.

The days had melded into nights, with the ladies gracing the lords table. Their conversation sparkled as they tried to get as much information out of their captors as they could. It was the end of the third week when four knights and four ladies met behind closed doors.

Williamina stepped in front of the other three, she had been elected the leader. Her eyes sought out Kunzite. She knew he would be the leader for the knights. With the slightest tilt of her head, she greeted him. "You know what this is about, don't you?"

Kunzite returned her nod. His eyes searched the three ladies arrayed behind her. It was unusual to see them without Lady Serena. "Yes, we do. But we fail to see what can be done."

Williamina smiled slightly, they may be men of war, but planning out how to make love work, they had no clue. "The contract has not been accepted yet, correct?"

"Not yet, they are still negotiating for your release." Kunzite tried to hide his confusion at the change in topic.

"Then... a compromising situation will do the trick. And once they are in the church, neither would deny the other, and the priest will not reject them. We just have to corner them in a room somewhere."

The four knights eyes widened slightly as the ladies agreed that this would be the best course.

"But she is only fifteen, and your Uncle is your guardian. Does she not need his permission to wed?"

Williamina listened to the reasonable tone that Kunzite present his question in, and shook her head no. "Normally, yes. But with a compromising situation, no. We have to make it grand, the servants have to discover it, and word must be leaked out, but it should end all negotiations."

Eularia laid a hand on Williamina's arm. "Maybe we don't need to ruin her reputation across the country. Father George would marry them as long as both of them wished it. He married Jane and James last year, and Jane was only fourteen. Her parents disapproved."

Nephrite spoke up. "I have heard that he would marry anyone as long as they wished it. They had to be fourteen years or older though. I like this idea better than destroying both their reputations."

"But a compromising situation will still be needed to convince those two to forget their duty and accept each other." Williamina was refusing to give up on that idea.

Kunzite nodded in agreement with her. "So, we compromise them, and then get Father George here to wed them. It has to be soon, who knows when the negotiations will end."

Eight pairs of eyes met. They all knew that the happiness of two very important people depended on how fast they could pull it off. Sitting down at a table, their plans began in earnest.

--

Kunzite tracked down Lady Williamina, cornering her in one of the less frequented hallways.

"You wish to see me, Lord Kunzite?" Williamina tried not to back away from his searching gaze. She was very aware that they were completely alone, something that had not occurred in the entire time they had been there.

His gray eyes bore into her blue ones."You have strength, cunning, and intelligence. Your beauty goes far deeper than your skin."

Fighting the blush that tried to steal up her cheeks, Williamina refused to drop her eyes. "Thank you, sir."

"You deserve far more than Lord Justin."

The blush fled, leaving her cheeks pale white. 'Lord Justin... he is at least thirty years old... and has hardly any teeth to eat with. He has already had four wives, all of them died in childbirth. Maybe he means another one... surely there is more than one Lord Justin out there.' Keeping her voice even, she questioned the white haired lord. "Lord Justin? I am to marry a Lord Justin? Which one?"

"There is only one." He could tell she knew about him.

In a quiet voice, Williamina searched his face. "Are you sure?" They both knew she was asking if he was sure about the contract.

Kunzite nodded. "You deserve far better than that." As his eyes searched her face, he reached a decision. "Will you consider marrying me?"

Williamina clenched her hands tightly together. 'I like him. I know he respects me. I know he has the respect of his men and his friends. Lord Justin...' The rumors spoke of beaten horses and servants. 'Can I wake up and see him everyday? Can I tend him? Can I wait for his return, fearing him dead after each battle?' She watched him settle back on his heels as he patiently waited for her answer, giving her time to consider, to think. 'He...I know him. I know he will be better than anybody else Uncle picks.' Clutching the fabric of her surcot, she took a tentative step forward, her eyes never leaving his. "Yes, I will marry you."

Kunzite was amazed at how happy those simple words made him feel. Stepping towards her, he held out his hand.

She slipped her hand into his, the warmth surrounding her fingers reassured her she was doing the right thing. "What of the others? Do you know who Uncle is negotiating with?"

Kunzite drew her closer to him giving her every chance to pull away. She never did. Resting his forehead against hers, he looked into her eyes. "Yes, and the others are talking to them. This might be a larger wedding than we had planned." He let his fingers trace across her jaw as his other arm slid around her waist. "Do you wished to be compromised?"

Williamina soaked in his closeness. The scent of him filled her nose, the warmth of him seeped into her bones. Fragments of hidden dreams flew through her mind. This was the man for her, the man that had invaded her dreams, the one she watched during the day. "Yes." The word was the barest breath as she closed the distance between their lips.