Hello, world. Thanks for all the love in the review section and the PM's. I'm very close to the 1,000 review mark. Congratulations to all of us!
Anyway, this is a LOOOOONG chapter, making up for the short one I made for my comeback. It took me a month to type this because I've been really busy with work and I suddenly wasn't sure of how I wanted this chapter to turn out. Some people may have been expecting the ball, but I can't give it to you just yet. Based on my projection, it will come on chapter 37. Well, it should, unless I change my mind about it again.
Disclaimer: The author of this fic does not own gundam seed/destiny, or its characters, because if I claimed I did, would delete my story—wouldn't it?—and the copyright people will sue me. Any similarities from other fics are purely coincidental, and so are any allusions to real events, places and people.
00000000000000000000000000000000000000
Chapter 35: The Prince and the Princess
"I love you."
The words fell from his lips like licorice-sweet and bright red with every inch of passion from his soul. The girl at first stared at him dazed, unable to comprehend his words. His words were feeble, like brittle strands of straw, seemingly unsure of how she would react.
He said it again. "I love you." This time the words were more forceful, urgent, as if seeking assurance from the girl that his feelings were not in vain. He sought her eyes for an answer, any hint of reciprocation.
Her lips quivered, the breath caught in her silvery white throat. He waited anxiously, the silence in Aprilius' imperial theater unnerving.
"Oh, say it already!"
Shinn's sudden outburst earned him glares from everyone, including Luna, Meyrin and Cagalli. Luna was especially angry, hitting him in the head for disturbing a very important part of the play.
None of their group understood the end of the performance, Cagalli and Meyrin too preoccupied with urging their two friends not to make a scene. Amid the thunderous applause, the actors and actresses took their masks off for the final curtain call.
Clandestine gave Cagalli a quick wink, all the while blowing kisses to the crowd.
Zaft's premier actress had become a close acquaintance of Cagalli in the past few days, two weeks after Kira left the capital. It helped that Lt. Todaka often received complimentary tickets to her plays, courtesy of Nicol who usually played the piano in her performances. On one occasion, Cagalli met the actress backstage.
Her real name was Meer Campbell-Meer Clyne, actually. To Cagalli's surprise, she introduced herself as Lacus' twin sister, separated six years ago from her family during the height of the battle for the last fortresses of Junius. When she found out from Cagalli that Lacus had come to Aprilius recently, she befriended the princess immediately.
It sounded like something straight out of a fantasy novel, but it was hard to doubt that they were siblings. They had the same baby blue eyes, the same subtle glow on their cheeks and the same shade of rose-colored hair. The first time Cagalli came to Aprilius, she even mistook Meer for Lacus. But Meer Campbell and Lacus Clyne were two very different people.
As soon as Meer got off the stage, she gave her co-actor a sly wink. In a few minutes, they would meet in one of the dressing rooms. But before that, she turned to a very important guest in one of the upper boxes.
Trying to pry his cousin's arms off his shoulders, Athrun chanced upon Cagalli staring at his box in the theater. The princess promptly turned her eyes away. Only when Luna called out to Cagalli did she seem to notice that she was the only one left in the lower box. As soon as she noticed this, she sped out of the hall.
Not once did she turn back to Athrun.
"Cagalli, wait!"
Neither did Athrun realize how loudly he called out to her when she disappeared in the shadows. Soon, only Meer's giggles would fill the top box reserved only for Zaft's royalty.
"Oh, say it already," she whispered to herself, watching the prince chase after the princess.
+0+
"She's my cousin! Cagalli, you have to let me explain!"
Athrun quickly caught up with Cagalli a few blocks away from the theater. Luckily there weren't many people. Those who did see couldn't help but throw curious glances at them.
"That's impossible. If Meer's your cousin, then that means..."
"Yes. Lacus is my cousin too. From my mother's side."
The revelation was quite a surprise for Cagalli. It meant she and Athrun were somehow related even before they met. Small world, she thought.
"It's not a big deal," Athrun said. "She does that every performance. She throws herself at me so often people don't pay attention anymore. There's really nothing between us, I promise."
Athrun went on to fire excuse after excuse, desperately trying to defend himself. He fumbled with his words until Cagalli said...
"I knew that."
Not the part that about them being cousins, but Cagalli knew there was nothing between them.
"Why are you being defensive? Is that all you wanted to tell me?"
He was at an utter loss of words. He didn't know how to say...
Or rather, he didn't know what to say. He remained in that state until Cagalli sighed and left him on his own.
+0+
Athrun's absent-minded state did not go unnoticed the following day, when the king invited a few members of Zaft's nobility for midmorning tea. Most of them noted how the prince had been staring into space even as the king reviewed the recent important changes in the army's agenda.
"Prince Athrun?" one of them spoke, waving her hand in front of the young man. "Are you not feeling well?"
The gesture startled him, pulling him back to the conversation. "It's nothing, Lady Aisha. I've just had little sleep, that's all."
As the guests looked at him oddly, he stole a glance at the king, who had already turned to the morning newspaper for his fill of local news. The king's face was obscured from view, but Athrun knew he was not happy.
Today's guests were the same set of people who always came to the palace for midmorning tea—the lady doctor Aisha, who had been the royal physician since Athrun was a child; Duchess Eileen Canaver, wife to the king's liaison for governorship of the provinces; Duke Tad Elsman, lead minister for logistics and public information and Dearka's father; Reverend Malchio, and Yzak's mother, Ezalia Joule.
While all of the king's ministers had specific specialties, the reverend and Ezalia were go-to persons for just about any topic. They were both well versed in politics and war, despite the fact that Ezalia was a woman. She broke most conventions of Zaft culture, being head of the house instead of handing leadership to her in-laws when her husband passed on. Due to Zaft's conservative nobility, she held no formal position in government, but her influence was unmistakable in trade, policy-making and the assignment of officials in the provinces.
Which is why when she found out that Athrun had sent her son to the Mariner cities as the overall head of the peacekeeping force in the area, she was furious. She tried not to show it, though.
"While I do not question the prince's good judgment and intentions..." she said, barely keeping her voice calm. Athrun knew she feigned any form of concession. If she had her way, Yzak would be sent back that very instant.
"I would like to appeal that Lt. Joule has been away from the capital for three months. After this rigorous campaign, I am sure he deserves not to be sent back to the battlefield so soon."
The king quickly shot down her plea, saying the Commander has decided and there was no point in discussing it any further. Giving up on the king, she looked at Athrun, as if to make a last ditch effort to convince him to send Yzak back. He bore Lady Ezalia no ill will, but Athrun had to say no.
If he agreed, Cagalli would never have a moment's peace in the capital.
It was better this way. Yzak could cool down at least until the birthday ball and Cagalli's impending departure. Besides, he knew Yzak was capable enough to reinforce authority in the newly conquered cities. Realizing there was absolutely no way to change her son's fate, the lady fell silent and returned to her cup of tea.
Most of the conversation was small talk—the group knew better than to torture Athrun by asking him about the grueling bloodbaths of the southern campaign. However, that did not stop them from talking about the fruits of the battlefield—how there was a need for more military presence in the southern cities, notably Martius and Vierna, where rumors of a brewing rebellion had recently surfaced, that year's bountiful harvest, how good the trade was in several of Aprilius' neighboring villages, and preparations for Prince Athrun's grand birthday ball.
"It's too bad Andrew can't come," Duke Elsman said, urging Athrun to speak. Andrew Waltfield, one of Zaft's top lieutenants, had been away for over two years now. His wife, Aisha, said it had been getting lonelier with every passing day. Andrew left only days after their wedding, and their child had never seen his father.
"I'll be sending Lt. Waltfield home soon, Lady Aisha," the king said, lifting his head from the newspaper momentarily. "He has served us well as a spy in Orb."
It would be quite soon, Athrun thought. Following Cagalli's intervention, Orb was no longer under any obligation to surrender Dullindal to Zaft, so Zaft had to get him on its own. For this purpose, the king sent Lt. Todaka and a group of elite soldiers to Orb, where Andrew was waiting for them.
Todaka's group would provide Waltfield with much needed backup. Dead or alive, they had to capture Dullindal. Athrun hoped his father's advice would work.
The best time to do so would be when Dullindal's group is in transit. Now that Zaft is no threat to Orb, there is no need for Orb to ally itself with Logos. The only option he has is to leave Orb and return to his northern refuge. As he travels, he is most vulnerable.
"If all goes well for their mission, he could be coming home in time for the prince's birthday," the king said, not once lifting his head. He seemed absorbed in what he was reading. The prince avoided the king's gaze, still unable to believe the recent turn of events.
"Little acts of kindness could help you get to your father." That was how Cagalli put it. Athrun still could not believe how Cagalli's words seemed to have penetrated his father's iron demeanor, convincing him to abandon the pursuit for Orb in a matter of minutes. But Cagalli insisted King Patrick was not as impenetrable as Athrun thought he was. She told him of her conversation with the king when she first arrived in Zaft, how he toured her around the capital, and how he had only shown her courtesy and gentleness. She could also tell that despite his cold attitude towards his son, the king valued him. And in Cagalli's eyes, the king valued him more than anything.
But no matter how long Athrun looked at his father, he could not see whatever unconditional love he was supposed to have for his son. The king still had his eyes glued on the morning paper, ignoring most of the conversation and the fact that Athrun was still staring at him.
"Little acts of kindness will help you get to your father eventually."
Exactly how do I do that? Athrun thought. He had been fighting wars for seven years—not once did the king show him anything close to paternal love. At that point, the king lifted his head from his reading and chanced upon Athrun staring. The prince quickly turned the other way. He was sure his father would scoff or show his disapproval in some way, but he did not. He just went back to reading.
He didn't... get mad?
After staying on the same page for several minutes, Patrick flipped on the next page of the newspaper. But instead of reading the whole page, he flipped to the next. And the next. It was as if his concentration had been broken. It was baffling for Athrun, who was used to seeing his father so calm and unmoved by anything.
What was even more baffling was when he turned to the newspaper's centerfold, and consequentially spat out his last gulp of tea.
Athrun was also among the first to check if his father was alright, but he froze at the king's glare.
"What on earth are you doing on page six? The prince of Zaft in the gossip page!"
While the rest of the group attended to the king, Athrun picked up the newspaper, now soaking in a puddle of tea. He had a hard time reading the smudged print, but once he did, he scrammed out of the rose garden, summoned his horse and sped to the Aprilian printing press.
+0+
Only one newspaper circulated in Zaft—the Aprilian Herald, published by the ministry of information and managed by Dearka's family. Zaft published roughly ten copies for each block of the city—printing was rather expensive and the court would rather not waste its funds on too much paper and ink. The residents shared their copies and passed them on once they were done reading, placing them in common areas for the next reader to pick up.
The content was controlled primarily by the government, essentially a mouthpiece for official announcements and the king's edicts and issuances. Most of the articles were written by press officers in the king's court, except for one section—page six.
Page six was essentially the paper's blank centerfold. Instead of hired scribes to produce content, the readers were free to write what they wanted to announce, making the information available to the next reader. As the paper got around, more and more information found its way to page six. It was meant to be called the public forum for people who wanted to advertise their products and services, but since more gossip wound up on its pages, it earned the nickname "the gossip page". It soon became the most popular segment of the paper, Aprilius' prime source for old wives' tales and the hottest scoop on its nobility. Comments filled the page daily, most readers writing down their reactions to other people's stories.
At some point, the page got unwieldy, tarnishing family names and becoming a source of strife between neighbors. So another unwritten rule came up—except for harmless product advertising, no person or organization could be named. With this condition, Zaft's royal family came to accept page six as a way of life, the people's way of letting their voices be heard.
Until today.
"Before you do anything," Dearka said, sighting a furious Athrun at the door of the publication's main office, "you must understand that we have absolutely no control over what goes into page six."
"Then why not just ban the thing anyway!?"
The door almost came off its hinges when Athrun banged it shut. Dearka gulped. In the prince's hands was the crumpled newspaper that had ruined his morning. The king certainly used all available avenues of information to keep abreast with affairs in his kingdom. He even asked for the most circulated copy of the morning paper.
The entry started with the line "Guess who?" in fine, cursive lettering obviously written by a refined lady.
"Last night, a very, very, very high-ranking noble chased a highly-esteemed lady across the street near the imperial theater. They seemed to have been watching last night's play. Whatever it was, the lady seemed angry, for the noble desperately tried to explain things. After much explaining, the lady simply asked, "Is there anything more you want to tell me?" and the noble said no more.
"So friends, your guesses? Did anyone else see what I saw?"
It looked rather harmless, certainly not something Athrun would be this angry about. Burning holes through his head with his icy stare, Athrun urged Dearka to read on.
It was the following comments from other readers that really got to him.
"I know this one. I saw it last night. I thought he had done something that had greatly annoyed the lady. It was interesting to see."
"My husband and I saw it, too. It looked like the lady was trying to avoid him, but still he chased after her until she finally stopped."
"I thought I was watching an impromptu continuation of the play. But when I looked closer and saw him, I knew it was something else."
"Still, I'd never imagine they would be watching the play together."
"They were together? Since when did he invite women to the theater?"
"Oh. My. God. Was it a date?"
"What?! Are they together? Since when?"
Clearly these comments pointing out an affair between Zaft's prince and Orb's princess would anger Athrun, had it been clear who they were referring to. But so far it was still harmless.
"You're not yet done reading, Lieutenant," Athrun hissed. Dearka went back to the paper.
"It's not official, but there's a lot of talk that she was particularly close to him during the southern campaign. After Lunius and everything that's happened... woops, I wrote too much."
"My brother's a soldier, and he said THE LADY BEAT HIM IN A MOCK BRAWL."
"NO WAY. IS THIS WHO I THINK IT IS?"
"He LOST?! What other world did she come from?"
"Someone in the army told me that, too. He took it well, but I'm pretty sure that's how they got up close and personal."
"And, there's one more rumor worth mentioning. On October 29, HE IS INVITING HER TO HIS BIRTHDAY AS HIS ESCORT. HOW LUCKY CAN YOU GET?!"
"Oh my god!"
"I am so jealous!"
The next few comments would be about girls lamenting that their country's most eligible bachelor was already taken. Dearka skimmed through the comments warily, Athrun's glare seemed to be getting even colder and colder.
The last comment was just icing on the cake.
"Now that was fast. The Commander sure is a smooth operator. I wonder when the royal wedding would be.
It was unmistakable. It was Shinn's handwriting. There was no telling how many more people got to read the copy before someone gave it to the king.
"So that's how the king found out," Dearka squeaked, trying to ease the atmosphere. "As Captain Asuka's superior, should I be reprimanding him for this?"
The table shook when Athrun slammed the copy on Dearka's desk. "Can you imagine how angry Cagalli will be when she finds out?"
"You don't have to imagine, Commander. I'm right here."
Cagalli's voice was low and calm as she stood by the barely-attached door. Feeling the door practically falling off its hinges, she closed it softly.
Somehow, Athrun thought he would have preffered it if she were angry.
Dearka welcomed her, but she raised her hand and motioned him to keep quiet. In the same calm and collected voice, she began a short monologue of the events that had transpired that morning from her side.
"This morning, at least three of Luna's patients came banging on our door. I was worried, I thought the medication I gave them the other day didn't work. But when I showed up at the front door, they all had the same concern. This article on page six."
In her hand, she held out three copies of the same newspaper, all carrying the same phrases that narrated the story. The first person who wrote the story apparently put it down on as many copies as she could. Reactions to that rumor filled the three papers' centerfolds, the same way it did the copy that made it to the king.
"I think you've read this story already. And let me make my side of the story clear. Yes, this was me and the prince after we watched Lady Meer's performance in the imperial theater last night. No, we were not watching together. After the play, I saw Lady Meer, his cousin, giving him a friendly hug. I'm not sure why, but he thought I was thinking there was something wrong."
Her voice strained on the last sentence, putting much emphasis. Her cold demeanor became even more frightening.
"So he chased me outside of the theater. Again, I have no idea why he had the urge to explain things so 'desperately' when, one, there was nothing to explain, and two, I couldn't care less. After that, I asked him if he had anything else to say, and basically he didn't answer. I went home, he did the same, and that's the end of the story."
Dearka felt the breath caught. She was staring at him. The lieutenant shivered when her voice started to rise.
"Now, if there's any talk of dates or affairs or, heaven forbid, weddings!"
Dearka had stared death in the face several times already, but staring at Cagalli in her little bubble of rage was one of the worst experiences he had ever had in times of peace.
"They are absolutely baseless and completely false. I am never speaking of this again."
After enduring a final slam from Cagalli, the door finally gave way completely. Dearka sunk to his chair, still in a state of shock. So was Athrun.
The whole time she was in the room, not once did she look at him.
+0+
Cagalli was still angry until later in the day, scaring the birds and the squirrels away as she galloped across the fields. Miri hoped the princess would calm down when they reach their destination.
Kira chose Miri to stay by Cagalli's side until she returned to Orb. She was one of the East's best field agents, an expert in infiltration and gathering information. Her only failure was penetrating Zaft's basecamp in the southern campaign, the security too tight and the venture too risky. To make up for it, she promised Kira she would never let the princess out of her sight during her stay in Aprilius.
She accompanied the princess in the errands she did for Luna—Luna and Meyrin did not know Cagalli's true identity yet so they had no qualms about asking her to visit patients who were too sick to make it to the clinic. The errands sometimes took Cagalli to neighboring villages a few miles from Aprilius. Today, they were returning to Morgenroete.
The village was nestled in the middle of a vast valley, bordered by two immense rock formations created by one of Zaft's major rivers. Freshwater gushed from the top of the cliffs, carrying silt that enriched the land of the village and made it perfect for agriculture. Various kinds of trees sheltered the village from the heat of the sun, along with several other lifeforms calling the forest home.
But what made the village special was the iron deposit buried deep under the rocks. Mining was the main source of income in this part of Zaft, making it a vital resource for the military nation. Cagalli passed by a small group of miners emerging from a burrow after a long day's work. They took their hats off out of respect for the girl. She gave them all a small bow.
Upon reaching her destination, a young boy rushed to her to give her a hug. His mother quickly chastised him, saying he should not be so informal towards their benefactor. Cagalli's arrival captured the attention of many villagers, including the old village head.
"My Lady," he bowed, but he bowed so low, they all heard his back crack. Cagalli urged him there was no need to show that much reverence. She was not royalty, as far as they knew. But the elder and the rest of the villagers said they could never repay the princess. If it were not for her, they would have been left with nothing.
The village was near the city of December, a city conquered a hundred years ago by the king at the time, Athrun's great grandfather. It was a fierce battle, and it took decades to extinguish the last rebellious factions. Several people were displaced as the fighting got worse. Some of them wandered into the site now called Morgenroete, then an unpopulated territory at the edge of Zaft's domain. While they recognized the king as their one true sovereign, the people were generally left on their own.
However, recent changes in Zaft's administration had redefined the domain of each nobility that held power over the provinces. The wars in Logos had seen many heroes emerge from nobles who fought under the Commander, so there was a need to reward them with their own respective territories. Morgenroete, who had had no noble lord over it since its founding, now had a new master—William Sutherland.
"It is this country's culture, my lady," the elder said when Cagalli noted how unfair it was. "The noble families in Aprilius are all looking for their own places to be lord over. That's why they send their sons to war."
"Are you saying you're just prizes for nobles winning wars?"
Everyone within earshot gasped—at least it was just the elder, a few attendants and his grandson who heard her in one of the village's pubs. In Zaft, Cagalli's words could have been considered blasphemy.
"We do not question the king's judgment, my Lady. Never in our wildest dreams."
"Then tell him that this setup they have now isn't working for you. If he doesn't kick Sutherland out, you'll all lose your homes!"
Sutherland was an upstart noble, a poor boy in Aprilius rising from the ranks and gaining fame and fortune as one of King Patrick's top lieutenants during his days as Commander. Sutherland has since then retired, but not without asking the king to make him lord of December, left without a noble lord since the death of Lord Asuka and the abandonment of his children.
Receiving authority from the king, Lord Sutherland turned its nearby villages to annexes of the city. The villagers had no proof, but there was much talk of the lord taking a sizable chunk of Morgenroete's tribute for himself. Since it was Sutherland who took the gold, the news never got to the king.
"Like I said, tell the king. He'll listen."
"Lord Sutherland will have us all killed. How will our word hold up to his word in front of the king? He'll never believe us."
The worst part was that he wanted to exhaust the minefields and sell the iron for his own profit. To do that, he had to break through the earth where the village itself stood, leaving the people homeless. With no way to stand up for themselves, the villagers almost agreed. That was until Cagalli came yesterday.
At the time, she was out visiting the elder's grandson, a sickly twelve-year-old who happened to be one of Luna's patients. She chanced upon Sutherland arguing against the elder as the lord rode aboard his horse. Just before Sutherland could crush the old man with his horse's hooves, Cagalli stood between them.
"Miss Cagalli was so cool!" the elder's grandson squeaked, wrapping his arms around the princess again. "She took down all those guards and hit that bad man across the face! Teach me how to do that, Miss Cagalli!"
The memory made Cagalli grin. Sutherland's cheek should still be swollen with that punch she gave him. Serves him right. The thought made her grin wider. All those sparring sessions with Miri were paying off. Not to mention all those times she saw the Commander fight. That certainly gave her pointers.
"By the way, Miss Cagalli. I read in the paper today that you were going out with the prince! What's he like?"
Cagalli almost choked on her passion fruit drink. The boy was scolded again for speaking out of turn. Giving his haughtiest pout—one that only made his chubby cheeks more adorable—the boy marched off.
"I'm sorry, my Lady," the old man said as he held out water for her, "For a minute there I thought I was speaking to our future queen."
Still coughing, she struggled to tell him that most of the things on page six were overblown lies.
As the old man's face started to droop, she quickly said, "I'm sorry to disappoint you."
The old man shook his head. "We just can't help but think it's a bit of a waste. As far as this village is concerned, we'd be more than happy to welcome you as our lord and master. Right everyone?"
The pub was small by the capital's standards—Lt. Todaka's barn was bigger than this little space holding about fifty men. Some of the men had to sit on grimy, rickety tabletops perched precariously on aged wood. The roof was ridden with holes where the squirrels came and went, picking up fallen crumbs of bread and sipping from old winecups.
All the men inside the pub raised their glasses, a toast to the lady that had graced their presence. Miri soon followed, smiling at the stupefied princess.
"A toast to our dear lady," said one of the burly men at the back, the scent of rust and steel fresh on his back. "If Prince Athrun doesn't want you, we'll make you our queen, anyway!"
The crowd burst into a unified cheer, soon turning into a song of praise and gratitude for the lady. The pub was filled by singing and dancing, some of the customers from other pubs funneling in, bringing with them drums and bagpipes. Soon almost the entire village came to join the celebration, many of the villagers peeking through any space they could find in the packed establishment. In the center of the pub, a dozen girls formed a tight circle and strung their hands together, swaying to the beat of the bagpipes.
The villagers urged the princess to dance with them. But just before Cagalli could reach out to one of the girl's hands, the scream of a young boy pierced the night.
+0+
They found the elder's grandson near the edge of a cliff, fighting to control his sobbing as his bleeding left leg throbbed in pain. His mother rushed to his aid, but stopped when she saw who had rescued her son.
"He was attacked by these insolent fools," said Captain Sutherland, confidently pointing to two men tied up even closer to the edge of the cliff, held down by two other men Cagalli recognized to be the guards she beat up the day before. The bound men avoided her eyes like they were guilty of something.
Sutherland said the attackers were trying to kidnap the boy. As Cagalli gave him first aid, the former soldier approached her, holding out his hand. He said he had come to promise that he was no longer taking the village. He had seen the error of his ways, and he will never bother them again.
As for the two men he had captured, they were both to be sent to the capital for proper judgment. Sutherland smirked as he described how terrible the punishment would be—he would make sure they would receive it using his closeness to the king. The villagers tried to hide it, but they could not help but cringe at Sutherland's words.
No matter what he said, they knew he was still trying to take their property.
Sutherland's men practically kicked the two suspects to their feet. One of them was still bleeding, his dark hair disheveled from being beaten several times over. The other one had brown hair, turned red by his bleeding face. Sutherland said it only served them right for taking advantage of a child. But Cagalli felt there was something wrong.
"You're soldiers?"
All four men stopped.
She knew them. The dark haired one was Yolan Kent; he tended to the army's arrows during the southern campaign. The other one is Vino Dupre, an archer under Captain Almalfi.
"Do your superiors know you're here?"
When Cagalli recognized them, the two soldiers instantly fell to their knees. They broke free of their captors, kneeling at the princess' feet and begging her not to tell the Commander. Cagalli urged them to tell her why, but before they could speak any further, one of Sutherland's men swung his sword, almost hitting Cagalli and Vino.
More men appeared from behind the bushes, their swords gleaming under the moonlight. There was no honor or gallantry in their eyes—just bloodlust. This was the kind of company the former lieutenant kept.
"The Commander would be ashamed of you."
"This army's commander is but a child. And so are you."
Her eyes burning, she held up her hands as one of the men pointed his sword at her. It grazed the steel on the fabric on her back, sending a sharp chill down her spine. But it could not quell the anger burning in her.
"Do you plan to murder us all?"
"If necessary, why not?"
By Cagalli's count, there were twenty of them gathered—more than half of them Sutherland's men. On Cagalli's side was the old man, two heavily injured soldiers, an injured boy and his mother. If Sutherland tried, there was little chance they would survive. Sutherland knew Cagalli would tell the king, and that would be the end of his rule over December. Leave no witnesses. To think a former soldier, who was supposed to share the same ideals as Athrun, would go this low—it made her heart race even faster.
Not with fear, but with anger.
She looked at Miri, her eyes had the same look of burning fury. At that point, they both knew what to do.
The henchman behind Cagalli never knew what hit him. All that registered was a bolt of pain between his legs, followed by the girl's leg flying into his cheek. The man, twice as big as Cagalli, fell into a heap of muscle. By instinct, two of his companions rushed to capture the girl. But before they could even come within arm's reach, they fell to their knees, two arrows protruding from each man's legs.
Arrows flew through the crisp autumn wind, piercing flesh and causing more screams to echo in the night. Soon, only Sutherland was left standing, half of his men wincing in pain with arrows stuck on their arms and legs. Miri had disabled the other half, now rolling on the floor with twisted ligaments. One of the men still tried to grab her and break Miri's arm, but Cagalli quick shot him down.
None of the injuries were fatal.
"Perfect aim, my lady."
"No jokes. Release the boy."
Blood dripped from the boy's leg, drops of red disappearing into the abyss as Sutherland held him by his neck. The boy choked with his tears and the man's tightening grip. Miri moved to retrieve the child, but Sutherland only held him out further off the edge. Cagalli furnished her crossbow, fixing her aim.
"Shoot me now and I drop the boy. Don't shoot me, I choke him to death. What do you do now, my lady?"
A sudden gust of wind blew across the cliff's edge. Her arrow was too light—if she did not time its release with the blowing of the wind, she would lose her aim. She refocused her eyes once more, and took a deep breath.
The boy had stopped crying. The look in her eyes reassured him.
In a flash of steel, the arrow buzzed a hair's strand away from Sutherland's ear, grazing his cheek. The sting distracted him, making him instinctively pull away from the edge. In a panicked effort to cover the wound, he let go of the boy and almost let him fall. Luckily, Miri was right beside him.
The lady fighter jumped away, taking the boy in her arms. Sutherland was left at the edge of the cliff, bleeding and defenseless.
Cagalli aimed at the old soldier again, this time straight between his eyes. Realizing he was done for, a desperate Sutherland sprinted into the forest, shoving Cagalli away as he sought refuge in the darkness. But escape was clearly not an option.
Sutherland rolled back into the view, clenching his now broken arm as he winced on the ground. He hurled expletives at his attacker, a young man in a middle class soldier's clothes holding a long iron rod. He was about to hit Sutherland in the same spot again when Cagalli stopped him.
"You know, I have specific orders to beat him up," Shinn said, threatening to whack the man's skull. Cagalli's glare made him smile sheepishly and throw the rod away. He was joking.
"Your orders were to disable him."
"Same thing. Just following your orders, Commander."
About the same time, the rest of the village trickled into the open space, armed with knives and rakes to beat up whoever held one of their village children hostage. Most of them fell to their knees when they realized the prince was there. Some of them almost kissed the ground.
Cagalli realized it was only polite to bow, bidding Miri to do the same. From the corner of her eyes, she saw Sutherland down on his knees, gnashing his teeth as the prince walked through the crowd. Cagalli could see Athrun smirk—just as she thought, he did not like Sutherland either.
Soon, the Commander's boots came to view—he had stopped before the village elder beside her. She was sure he would be speaking to the elder, probably to chastise him for not telling the king the truth earlier. He would probably announce Sutherland's punishment, assure the village they were safe and check if the child was still in pain.
But to her surprise, he grabbed her hand and led her atop an elevated rock overlooking the crowd. Athrun put his hands on her shoulders, a gesture meant to reassure her. But it only made her heart race faster.
She tried to tell him to stop, but when she turned her head to face him, the words were caught in her throat. The smile on his face pushed all her words back. His green eyes were bright in the deep night. She could see her face reflected in them, the fluster on her cheeks a darker shade of pink under the glowing torches of the villagers. Not once did he let go of her gaze, until they heard a shuffling sound among the crowd—young and old villagers getting on their knees, crossing their right arms over their hearts and lowering their heads.
Athrun finally let her go—in a second that seemed like an endless moment, she finally started to breathe normally again. The entire assemblage was still, their eyes closed and in solemn homage. At first, Cagalli thought it was the prince they paid respect to, until Athrun stepped back and lowered his head himself. Her lips tried to move, but their silence overwhelmed her. Even the squirrels and birds were silent, as if they knew how important this moment was.
It was Athrun who broke the silence, telling all of them to rise. When they raised their heads, Cagalli saw a sea of smiles, all eyes staring at her intently. She felt his hand on her shoulder again, making her heart skip a beat.
But like nothing happened, he looked back to the crowd, speaking out loud for all to hear.
"Make sure to show her your utmost respect and gratitude. To make up for tonight's events, we're having a celebration tonight. Drinks on me!"
The crowd's roar was louder than ever, primarily from the laborers of the mines and fields, licking their lips with the prospect of limitless wine. Most of the crowd had left for the pubs, but Cagalli still stood at the elevated rock, dumbfound.
Athrun had to call out to her several times before she noticed his outstretched hand to help her get down.
+o+
The sun had only begun peeking through the horizon of white brick houses and cobblestone streets when Athrun's group returned to Aprilius. He had personally accompanied the officers who arrested Sutherland—later in the day, he would tell the king about the events in Morgenroete and why Sutherland deserved severe punishment. Vino and Yolan would face lighter reprimand, primarily for acting out of their superior's command. It turned out that they were both cadets under Sutherland when he was still a lieutenant in the army. Old habits died hard, and the two wound up following his every whim.
The first thing he should have done upon his return was report to the king, but after seeing this morning's paper, there was no way he could face him yet.
"Oh, good morning, Athrun, how nice of you to give me an early morning visit," Meer said, pen and paper in hand as she enjoyed tea on her plush cushion seat in her living room. She invited Athrun to join her, but he politely refused.
Or rather, he tried to refuse as politely as he could. Plates and teacups clattered as he slammed a copy of the morning paper on Meer's coffeetable. Meer let out a small gasp, but Athrun knew she feigned surprise.
"What are you trying to pull?"
"I have no idea what you're talking about."
"Then why are you spreading rumors on page six?"
Her eyes fell on the newest scoop on the gossip page, the ink still fresh from several commenters on the day's new talk of the town. Yesterday, a very, very very high-ranking noble was seen following a highly-esteemed lady he had angered the night before. He followed her out of the capital and into a far-off village near the mining fields. They only returned this morning. The article left out what they were doing in such a remote area, leaving it for the readers to guess.
The comments, to say the least, ranged from the curious to the outright insane.
"I want you to take back the rumor you put down today. And the one yesterday."
"And how do you know it was me who wrote about the scene at the theater?"
"Your handwriting. It was all over the city."
"My, Athrun. How touching of you to recognize your beloved cousin's handwriting."
"Don't change the subject. Why are you doing this?"
If Cagalli hadn't decided to go to such a far-off village yesterday, Athrun would have charged into Meer's house the moment he recognized her finely written script on half of all the newspapers circulated in the capital. Last night's events almost made him forget, but after seeing this morning's 'ludicrous' story, he could not let it pass.
Not intimidated by his fierce disposition, Meer shrugged and smiled at him sweetly, grabbing her mink coat and wrapping it around her shoulders as she took to her cushioned sofa by the glass panes of the living room. He had known Meer for five years, shortly after his mother's death and Dullindal's botched execution. She had gone missing after being seperated from her family in Junius, and one of Siegel Clyne's last requests before he left for Heliopolis was to find his daughter. A few months of searching showed that Meer had been living as a servant girl in the house of Campbell, one of the wealthiest families in Aprilius.
The house was best known for its association with Dullindal. The year before the queen's death, the members of the Campbell family mysteriously died, their head of house stabbed several times in his own home. The white walls of their grand mansion were stained red, the scent of blood ever so faint after many years, but it was still there. The rest of the family, along with several other servants, were poisoned. Meer was one of the handful who survived and went into hiding.
It was during this time that the royal family found her. She said she went into hiding because she feared whoever killed the Campbell family would go after her next, especially since in the days before he died, the head of the Campbell house made her his adopted daughter and—with the death of every other member of his family—the heir of his household. Being the late queen's niece, the royal family sponsored her daily needs until she was well enough to manage her household's affairs on her own. Soon, Lady Meer Campbell would engage in theater, becoming the highly sought after actress Clandestine.
Meer had all of the walls changed, the white walls painted bright red and adorned with wallpaper of red and gold trim. Despite these efforts to erase the blood stains, Athrun felt uneasy within them.
He never could trust her completely.
"You don't like it?" she asked, crossing her legs under the thin fabric of her skirt. She showed too much skin, her lips painted a shade of red too dark for this time in the morning. Biting his lip, Athrun shook his head.
"Alright. I'll stop."
Like a spoiled child, she flopped back to her sofa, hugging a throw pillow and pretending to sink back to sleep. She had clearly lain awake the whole night. Athrun thought it was probably one of the men who visited her at night. He could never sympathize with her, and he never understood anyone who did.
Just as he was about to leave, she turned to her side, facing the prince again.
"But you can't stop other people from talking about it."
Without another word, Athrun exited her five-story mansion. She eyed his figure as he sped across Zaft's streets on horseback on his way to the royal palace. It was a good thing he was too distracted to notice the letter she was writing.
With every passing day, they get closer and closer. Neither of them have come to admit it, but their growing admiration for each other has become something else. Even better, people are noticing.
It was written in the secret code her master had taught all his messengers to write, an ancient code from the founding days of Aprilius that not even the king could decipher. Meer called forth a sharp-eyed sparrow, writing down the last bits of her message bound for Orb.
People are talking about it more and more. They grow more curious. Who is she? Where does she come from? Will she be staying in Aprilius for good?
The actress was not just a spy. She made certain conditions happen, using any means necessary and within her capacity. Be it seducing a foreign king or stirring up the public's curiosity over a foreign princess—Dullindal had given her no task she had yet to accomplish.
All these conditions would be favorable for her benefactor. All of her actions led to one purpose.
Soon, the people will fall in love her, just as our beloved prince has. And as they say, the one you love will hurt you the most. When the time comes and the chips fall, I'm sure our princess will be the first to face their wrath.
The groundwork for their downfall has been laid. I await your return, my Lord.
The wind would carry her messenger across the vast fields, into the sky and away to the fortress of the East.
00000000000000000000000000000000000000
Yep, I got a long way to go before I finish this, and I hope everyone can be patient with me until I write the last page. Thanks to everyone who's been reviewing and hope to hear from you all.