A/N: Three months hiatus isn't too bad, right…? And I thought I'd get to the cute market date first too, but this chapter had other plans.

Writing this chapter just felt like: Every time a reader mentions that they can't wait for this one Dramatic Moment to happen, the finger of the Monkey's Paw curls. LOL

Disclaimer: I do not own Gundam Wing.

Chapter 25

"Your Grace, if I may ask… What are you doing?"

I perked up a little at the tone. The question came from one of the new Duchess Guards – Takeo – and this marked the first time he'd ever spoken to me outside of formal greetings. He was another anti-fan of the Duchess, for obvious reasons, but just like Mikhail and the others at the beginning – he didn't let his personal feelings get in the way of the job.

Well, that might also be because of Mifune, his partner for the guard rotation, who started to smile real creepily any time Takeo's expression slipped into open disdain.

I took it in stride though. I've talked with New York taxi drivers who hated me far more and with far less reason. "I'm going jogging!" I answered with a bright smile because nothing put these new guys off more than a smile.

"…I'm sorry?"

Hilde sighed in annoyance behind me. "Must the Duchess repeat himself?" she asked him coolly. "Either clean out your ears or be quiet."

Bickering at this point was just like background music to me so I easily tuned them out. Getting back into the swing of things was something I had made a point of doing, especially after my little poisoning episode; I'd had to (forcibly) insist on still going to the town market - although it had been pushed back by a week, and that was only after refusing to meet the merchants Heero had called into the estate.

I think my rapid blanching – mostly at the idea that Heero seemed hellbent on replenishing my wardrobe back to its three-rooms-full state – had sent my attendants into another fit, and Sally had been called in again to make sure it wasn't some aftereffect of the Aries. (It wasn't and she'd looked mildly annoyed that Heero had panic-called her.) After that, I spent another day indoors, working on my embroidery (if Heero asked) and making small fixes to my model locomotive engine (to Hilde's subdued horror).

Today seemed like a good day to restart my physical training, which was something that had been put on hold for too long after Heero's return. Geralt, my trainer, had been busy with the resettlement of the returned forces, although things had finally settled down enough so that he could resume his practice sessions with me.

And as long as I ignored Takeo's bewildered gaze, it was almost like nothing was amiss!

"Your Grace, I thought we agreed to take it easy today since you're still recovering," Geralt whimpered, laid out on the ground after I'd flipped him over while practicing another move to counter being grabbed.

I peered down at him with a wide grin, "I already said I'm fully recovered, Ger – don't pretend like you were going easy on me!"

Geralt's lower lip wobbled because he was secretly just a puppy rolled up into a bear of a man. "Miss Hilde is going to kill me if you walk away from here with another bruise," he wibbled.

"Don't be silly, Hilde's gonna kill you just for getting me dusty."

"I am right here," Hilde intoned darkly from several feet away.

I obstinately did not look in her direction. I knew that if I did, the power of her murder-eyes alone would turn me to ash, which wasn't a good look for a dandy. I helped Geralt back up to his feet before dusting myself off as if that would somehow appease Hilde, and got a low scoff for my efforts.

"When did the Duchess start doing this?" Takeo asked Hilde, in a voice too audible to be considered a whisper. This seemed to be more a personal fault than deliberate, though; unlike Mikhail and the others, I don't think Takeo had the ability to telepathically understand Hilde's thoughts. Lucky bastard.

Hilde, predictably, ignored him.

"Hm... I think we started training about six months ago?" I answered instead because I was a merciful dandy.

Takeo's brows furrowed in confusion. "Why?" he asked Hilde again.

And again, Hilde ignored him. She doesn't want to play telephone with you, Takeo! Take a hint!

"…It's important to be healthy," I replied. I want my muscles back, I kept to myself.

Takeo stared at me like I was crazy, which while rude, was practically the norm for the people around me so I just went back to handing Geralt his ass in our next spar. We eventually had to call it a day when Hilde's subtle glowering turned into outright scowling at the amount of dirt and sweat my poor clothes were now subjected to, and I was escorted (dragged) back to my room to get changed.

It was only after I was cleaned and primped that I passed Wufei on the way to my study. He only eyed my outfit (a rather casual tunic in light blue with golden threads stitching an image of birds in flight with white pants) and scoffed quietly as I paused in my steps, but I was honestly more concerned with why he was traipsing around the Duchess-side of the estate.

Since their arrival, Wufei and Trowa tended to stay in their designated areas: Trowa with the soldiers at the training grounds, Wufei in either Heero's office or his own. Aside from meals together and special circumstances (such as the assassination attempt), I hardly ever saw them; they never sought me out directly.

"Duchess," Wufei began shortly, somehow making the title sound like a slur; I was reluctantly impressed. "We need to discuss the poisoning incident."

"Oh, okay," I said breezily, then continued walking because if there was one thing me and other-me had in common, it was acid pettiness.

I felt more than saw Wufei's dark glowering look. "Then where are you going, Your Grace?" he bit out.

Maybe he and Hilde should start a support group for those who wanted to throttle me but couldn't due to the class system.

"Having a tea party. Care to join me, Master Chang?" I said, feeling absurdly like the Mad Hatter. I turned to Hilde, who was doing her damnedest to become one with the wallpaper. "Hilde. I need a top hat."

Hilde's gaze and voice were equally dead. "You'd look awful in a top hat, Your Grace."

"You'd look awful in a top hat," I snipped back at her, then paused and really thought about it. "Actually, I take that back – you'd look awesome in a top hat. Let's make it a part of your uniform."

"I respectfully decline."

"Just admit you're anti-top hat."

"Your Grace," Wufei interrupted us, in a tone that belied suppressed irritation. "As per the Duke's command, I am here to discuss the findings on the poisoning incident with you—"

"That's why you should join me for tea," I interrupted him because turnabout's fair play. Then, with more excitement, "Is Heero coming too?"

"His Grace the Duke is busy," was Wufei's haughty reply.

I let the disappointment show on my face which earned me a slightly more bewildered glower. "Guess it's just you and me then," I sighed. I hope he liked sweet lemon cakes because Morris was on some kind of lemon kick recently and had been shoving citrus into every single one of my tea breaks.

Wufei looked like he'd rather die than join me for tea, but I didn't really give him any other option as I continued walking off. He was muttering something in his native tongue that was probably complaints, but I ignored him as we trekked out to the back garden where they'd set up today's teatime. It was as lavish a spread as usual, and I was quietly relieved I had someone else to subject sweet cakes to because there was only so much I could swallow by myself.

Wufei pulled out my chair for me with a look of such absolute contempt that I wondered for a second if he was going to bash my head in with it. He didn't of course, and stiffly sat himself down in the chair on the other side of the table after I'd taken my seat.

"Please, have some cake," I said with a beaming smile. Wufei opened his mouth to refuse but I moved before he could get the words out, pushing some overly-sweetened lemon sponge cake onto his plate.

Wufei looked down at it as if the force of his glare alone would be enough to make it disappear. After it stubbornly remained existent and I started to serve myself one of the less sweet options, he picked up his dessert fork and began to eat; I watched in glee as the diabetes sponge first touched his tongue, and much like his wife, his look darkened as he forced it down his throat.

He looked up at me as if to silently accuse me of poison.

Smile, smile!

Wufei took another bite.

Sometimes I couldn't help but be amazed that Heero's friends observed Sanc manners so studiously. Such chivalrous displays, such as holding open doors and pulling out chairs, were mainly observed in Sanc; Quatre and Meilan had mused it wasn't the same in Lagrange. Apparently they'd all spent quite a bit of time studying Sanc customs after swearing their loyalty to Heero, and all of Heero's closest advisors – Trowa, Quatre, and Wufei – had even learned proper court etiquette after Heero and other-me had become engaged.

If I had been forced to study that long and then met other-me, though, I'd be pissed off too.

"So what about the poisoning attempt?" I asked him brightly after he reluctantly finished off his morsel. I had taken a slice of almond cake for myself and was taking dainty bites, feeling rather proud; Lady Aurora would be gloating about her teaching if she could see me now. Tea party manipulation combined with proper dandy etiquette – I was utilizing all the skills she taught me!

"The poison was identified as the Aries – made from the chrysomallus flower," Wufei began, earnestly trying to avoid getting more sponge cake shoved at him. "It was slipped into your tea, which should have given it a very thick consistency."

"It did kind of taste like glucose," I nodded.

Wufei stared at me. "Like what?"

"It did kind of taste like syrup," I corrected myself.

"…right, syrup," Wufei said, tone starting to edge closer to 'I'm dealing with a lunatic' territory. "Why didn't you say anything? Your Grace."

"I thought it was a mistake on one of the returned servants' part," I admitted. "The others already know I dislike anything too sweet."

Wufei stared at the assorted cakes and pastries spread over the table. I took a sip of my blessedly unsweetened tea and stared directly at him in challenge. The implication was clear: if I was going to suffer sugar overload, then so was everyone else in my vicinity.

Wufei cleared his throat. "In any case," he managed out. "You were poisoned with the Aries, but managed to recover swiftly. Did your father ever train you in poison resistance?"

Jesus, I know not everyone had Quatre's level of subtle prodding, but did he have to make it that obvious? It was practically insulting.

"I don't even know what my father looks like," I reminded him dryly. "Let alone what kind of fun father-son bonding activities we indulged in." Poison resistance training? That was a thing?!

Wufei let out a disdainful little snort because, unlike Hilde, he'd clearly never learned how to hide it.

I know there's more to Trowa and Wufei's dislike of me than just wasted study time, but I'd learned my lesson with Meilan, Quatre, and the others: if I wanted a decent shot of surviving when it came to Heero's epic love story with Relena, I had to make sure I had enough people who wanted me to live - and just as many who wanted me gone.

Trowa and Wufei were thus necessary to my plan of getting myself kicked out while still alive. They had made it more than obvious that there was no lost love for the Duchess, and that my 'amnesia' had not changed or affected that at all. They also had a lot of support from the returned forces; servants who still skittered out of my way, guards like Simon and Takeo who clearly didn't see a need in feverishly protecting me, and common soldiers who had heard all sorts of nasty rumors about me since long before.

Wufei was also the easiest to deal with. Master Chang in the novel had been a difficult and complex character; his intense zeal for justice and outspokenness often put him at odds with Relena and even Heero at times. He protected the weak and spoke out for those who could not, but this was all tempered by one extremely irritating character flaw.

Chang Wufei was, well…a bit of a sexist.

Which in retrospect is kind of funny because his wife is Meilan. Actually, maybe that explained all of her homicidal impulses…

"Is that common? Poison resistance training?" I asked Wufei pleasantly.

Wufei's expression turned into something vaguely consternating. "According to Quatre, yes."

"Huh." Was that just a Maxwell family thing or was it something all nobles or noble dandies had to do? Maybe I'd ask later. "So did you find who did it?"

Wufei scowled, contempt turning inward. "Unfortunately, we were unable to locate any such person," he explained. "We will follow strict safety precautions to ensure this does not happen again. The kitchen staff has already been rigorously interviewed and only the most trusted were selected."

I tapped the tabletop in thought. "Oh, that explains why Daigo is going around with a butcher knife," I mused aloud. The poor kid looked like he was considering maiming Takeo with it when I went down to visit him earlier with my new guard in tow; Morris, the head cook, had been stirring the boiling pot of our lunch (some kind of beef stew) like a witch over their cauldron.

"...Who?" Wufei asked, brows furrowing.

"The kid from the pathway program who works in the kitchen," I answered him. "You know he has a girlfriend? She's Honoka's page - the little redheaded firecracker who definitely did not break three wooden training swords after I told her about javelin-throwing."

"What."

"Kids grow up so fast," I murmured. A thought suddenly occurred to me: Daigo and Lianne were young, yes, and if Connor was to be believed, they had yet to even progress to the hand-holding phase - but there was no guarantee they would stay so innocent and chaste. Eventually, teens would be teens, and oh my god-

"Hilde," I blanched, turning a panicked look on to where she stood nearby. "Hilde, do I- do I have to give Daigo the sex talk?"

Hilde stared at me.

"Wha- Your Grace, what are you-" Wufei began, but I ignored him.

"Should I give a sex talk to all the kids?" I continued in horror. Including Daigo and Connor, that was about eight kids within the estate; surely I wasn't expected to talk to the knight pages too? Honoka should be the one giving her page a rundown on the birds and the bees!

Hilde's mouth opened, then closed, and finally opened again with a look of absolute 'I am this close to ending both myself and you.' "I believe Howard will delegate that responsibility to one of the other staff members," she finally answered. "If Your Grace is adamant that they must receive that kind of talk…"

"They must!" I nodded decisively. As mortifying as it was, it was still absolutely necessary; I didn't need a handful of teen parents all over the estate. I paused, "Actually, do you think we could make Meilan do it?"

"My wife is not overly-fond of children," Wufei stated. "I could not think of anyone worse for the task."

I beamed at him. "I know!"

Wufei stared at me for a long breath. "...Your Grace, if we learn anything more about the poisoning attempt, I will be sure to inform you," he said, abruptly standing. With a short bow and pivot, he stormed away (fled), and I watched him go with another languid sip of tea.

Just as I thought, Wufei really was the easiest to tease.

"...Your Grace, you don't really intend to have Lady Meilan speak to the kids, do you?"

I snorted. "Good god, no - can you imagine? Daigo would leave that lecture thinking hand-to-hand combat is the proper way to woo someone."

"Why does your face look like that?"

I didn't bother looking up and tearing my eyes away from the contents of the letter, even as Meilan soon leaned over my shoulder to read along. It was only after I'd read it one more time did I finally turn my attention to the two small boxes left open atop my desk; it was these boxes that had drawn a frown to my lips. The boxes themselves were plain in design, simple containers meant only for one task: to get their outstanding contents from Point A to Point B.

"It's from Governor Rohito," I explained to Meilan. The Aoba-ku governor was aiding in our duchy's efforts to mine the iron deposits near the town so he often sent me updates on the progress. This latest message was just another progress report sent by the eccentric man - however, Rohito had also sent along some samples of the 'strange discovery' the miners had stumbled upon within the depths of the mine.

Inside one box was a large chunk of gray rock, which would have been nothing strange - it was the thick rivulets of strangely fluorescent blue threaded throughout the stone that made it stand out, as if a river had drawn its essence into the stone itself. They faintly glimmered in the sunlight streaming in through the window, and if I tilted the box even slightly, it almost looked as if a subtle current was running through the veins. Was this thing even a mineral?

Within the last box was a fine powder they had made from this new mineral; despite being milled with the gray rock, nearly the whole sample of powder had turned the same odd shade of fluorescent blue. It didn't look wet or show any other strange effects, but if I hovered my hand over it, it almost felt like the soft pressure of imminent static shock.

"...It glows in the dark?" Meilan read from the letter, confusion obvious in her voice.

That was another strange thing about the mineral - it had a dull illumination effect. Rohito had written that after they ground it just to see what would happen, it seemingly gave off a dull glow when left in the dark. There was also the odd sensation of static electricity it elicited when in close proximity to skin, although Rohito proclaimed it harmless.

Is it radioactive? I couldn't help but wonder. There were certain processes that could turn things radioactive, and while there was some naturally occurring radiation, it should not be possible on this scale. It wasn't like this could be a meteor or comet either, unless we were talking about it striking down ages ago so that it was essentially buried under a mountain.

"Hey, are you really going to call it Maxwellium?"

I slammed the boxes closed, sheer panic coloring my face as I turned a flustered look on Meilan. "Of course not! That was the governor's idea, not mine!"

I almost wanted to show this to Quatre and Hilde, since Meilan was just using this opportunity to heckle me. Unfortunately, my two buffers were ensconced away in Heero's office for whatever reason; it was mildly annoying, if I was being honest. Technically, Hilde was supposed to be my personal attendant, so why was she spending so much time with Heero and the others?

I guess if we were more technical, then everyone actually belongs to Heero - including me - but still! I know he's the male lead and I'm his hangnail-husband, but I couldn't even keep Hilde? Relena wasn't even present yet to start being guarded by my murder-eyed companion, and I already felt like I was starting to lose out to the major characters. Is this the woe of a background character?

Meilan's smirk spoke volumes as she shook the letter at me. "You have such a devoted follower, Your Grace," she cooed. "Do you think he's already started building statues in your honor?"

On second thought, I don't think a background character has to deal with as much shit as I do.

I know she was only teasing me but just the idea of Aoba-ku erecting idols in my image sent a shudder down my spine. How the hell was I ever going to banish myself if one of Heero's towns started worshipping me…

"I bet we could build one here too," Coralina interjected brightly.

I shot my maid a betrayed look. "Heero would never allow that," I told her.

My study room doors slammed open on Meilan's muttered reply ("I bet the Duke would be first in line at the altar…"), and all eyes fell on my maid Kaori as she panted in the doorway, looking as if she'd run a marathon. I jumped up from my desk in alarm, my anxiety only rising as Kaori's gaze fell on me and her face crumpled in concern.

"Y-Your Grace," she managed out. I noticed Mifune and Asahi, my guards for the afternoon, peeking their heads in from behind her. "M-Miss Hilde… It's Miss Hilde!"

Even though her utterance was too vague to really mean anything, I felt a claw of some repressed emotion wrap around my heart. "Hilde?"

We were in the heart of the Yuy province, with the core of Heero's forces returned. Both Romefeller and Oz were supposed to be quiet for the next year, and the court politics of Sanc had no reason to breach the quiet calm of the kingdom's only military force. There should be no threat to Hilde Schbeiker, the future bodyguard to the heroine.

"His Grace the Duke… He's fired Miss Hilde!"

I was already moving without consciously thinking about it.

Hilde Schbeiker was not considered one of the major supporting characters in the novel, even as the bodyguard to Relena. This had a lot to do with the fact that in order for Relena to be put in life-threatening situations to have Heero save her from, she needed to have a bodyguard that was somehow simultaneously highly-skilled and bad at their job.

Hilde was one such character. She was very gifted when it came to physical prowess and fighting; she may not have the trained martial elegance of Lady Meilan or the demigod-like powers of Heero and his friends, but she was still considered far superior to the everyday knights and soldiers. However, it was under her care that Relena had been harmed or kidnapped by the odd villain every now and then, which was why I'd been surprised Hilde kept such a strict eye on me since the beginning.

If Relena, the lady she respected and swore loyalty to, could so easily be taken from under her neglectful watch - then surely someone in the skin of the person Hilde so abhorred would disappear even quicker.

And yet…

I practically flew down the corridors of the Yuy estate, only my guards and Meilan at my heels keeping up with my quick strides. One of the butlers, Jiroh, caught sight of my face and gestured in the direction of Heero's study, clearly already understanding from my expression where I was headed.

It didn't take long to reach the wing of Heero's study. A few of the servants were loitering around, whispering to each other but quick to spring apart as I moved past them. My heart continued to beat harshly against my ribcage and there was a dull ringing in my ears, my body's attempt to deal with the spike of anxiety running through it.

My eyes fell on Hilde with an almost painful gasp of relief. She had clearly been making her way in the direction of my wing, where she resided, and met my gaze with wide eyes. There was a slight tremor in her shoulders as she hurriedly looked away, eyes downcast as she bowed her head at me.

Clutched in her trembling hands was a single parchment envelope, the one word on its face peeking out between her fingers: SEVERANCE.

"Hilde!" I choked out. I was almost startled by the sound of my own voice; my heart felt like a frightened deer, but all I heard in my own tone was cold fury. "Hilde, what happened?"

Hilde kept her head bowed. "...I apologize, Your Grace," she eventually murmured, and offered nothing else.

I grabbed her by the shoulders and stopped shy of shaking some sense into her. "What the fuck happened?"

There was nothing like this in the novel. Hilde Schbeiker was a loyal servant to Duke Heero Yuy, faithfully serving him in the short amount of time she was spared in the story. Even if she did not play a big role, she played a consistent one. Heero had even relied on her to protect his most precious person, Relena Peacecraft.

Something had gone wrong. Was it me - had I changed something that led to this? Did I make too many colorful complaints about Hilde's murderous gaze? Was I too complacent? I survived an event I should not have, and then proceeded to overstay my welcome. Even my just being here had dramatically changed the dynamics of Heero's people, such as the weird tension between my personal guards and the impression most of the estate staff had of me.

Hilde did not answer me, her lips pressed shut and refusing to meet my eyes.

"...Duo."

I turned at the quiet call.

Heero stood only a few paces away, having just emerged from his study. Behind him was both Quatre and Wufei, the former looking uneasy and the latter glaring in my direction. Something about it set me on edge, contradictorily calming the roiling unease in my gut into a simmering ire.

"Why did you fire Hilde?" I asked Heero directly. Nothing came to mind that could justify such a senseless decision, and if the woman in question wasn't going to explain, then I'd just ask the other party instead.

Heero eyes moved between both Hilde and me, cooling noticeably when they were on my companion. "She lied to you about your religious beliefs," he responded curtly.

I knew immediately what Heero was referring to: the incident at the Peacemillion Church. I easily recalled the feelings Hilde's action had elicited in me that day - the hurt, the betrayal, the simmering rage. Through obfuscation and omission, Hilde had led me to assume that Peacemillion was the deity I worshipped, had practically delivered me like a pretty package to the church.

But I also remembered, just as easily, everything else Hilde had done for me: staying beside me from the first day I woke up, answering every question I had no matter how idle or ridiculous, guiding me where I wanted to go and conversing with me no matter how exasperating I acted.

It would be a lie to say that I had fully forgiven Hilde, and even Howard, for what happened at the Peacemillion church.

But it would also be a lie to say that I wanted them gone too.

"Just that?" I asked, one hand wrapped around Hilde's forearm so that she didn't try to leave.

Heero's placid expression wavered, lips turning down at the corners in a scowl. "Just that?" he echoed with embittered calm. "She betrayed the confidence of the Duchess of Yuy. She can no longer be trusted to serve you."

There was something about those words that snapped that thin leash of restraint and sent my brain into freefall, though I couldn't exactly place why. It wasn't the lack of faith in Hilde - as even admittedly, I no longer fully trusted everything she told me - but the reasoning behind it. If this was for me, if this really was about whether or not Hilde could have my trust… Then wasn't Heero missing the most vital step?

WhY DidN't hE aSK mE fIRsT?

Quatre quickly stepped up beside Heero, almost as if he'd sensed something wrong in my expression. "Your Grace," he directed to me calmly. "You did say that Miss Hilde's and Mr. Howard's punishment would be decided by the Duke."

Howard was being fired too?!

"Ah," Quatre coughed out, glancing between me and Heero as he answered the unvoiced question. "Mr. Howard is being relocated to the residence in the Capital."

For a moment, I could hardly understand the words as they were filtered through my ears. The world came to a dizzying stop as I processed them, as I chewed them to seek their meaning. A different punishment for the same crime, which meant there was some difference that had been discerned. Between Hilde Schbeiker and Mike Howard, both loyal servants to the Duke, there were only a limited number of differences between them.

I kept my eyes on Heero. "So Hilde is fired, but Howard gets to keep his job?" I asked coldly.

Howard had been working for the Yuy ducal family since the previous Duke's time, whereas Hilde had only come along after Heero's marriage. Perhaps this had influenced Heero's decision: Howard had been serving Heero for his whole life, while Hilde had been mine from the moment she started.

Broken down like that, wasn't the only difference between them that mattered was that Howard was unequivocally Heero's, while Hilde may very well become more loyal to me in the end?

Saying that Hilde had "betrayed the confidence of the Duchess of Yuy" was a political turn of phrase, multifaceted and careful. Hilde was supposed to be loyal to the position of Duchess, not necessarily to the person who held the role. Perhaps that was why Heero saw no need to consult me on her punishment, because when it came down to it, it was my role as the Duchess of his family he cared about most.

I ignored Quatre's discomforted expression. I couldn't guess what he was picking up from me now, my emotions in such a turbulent whirlwind that I would be hard-pressed to identify them myself. All I could do was look at Heero and see nothing but the scowl on his face and the cold set to his eyes.

I released Hilde to fully face Heero. My back subconsciously straightened, shoulders taut with tension as I partially blocked her from Heero's view. The spring air which so easily blew through the wide-open windows of the corridor seemed far chillier now, a near-match for the pit of toxic ice in my gut. Despite the unease clawing its way through my heart, I felt inordinately in control of myself, eyesight clear as I took in the multitude of eyes watching my every breath.

"Oh, I get it," I began, knowing the smile that turned my lips now was a grotesque mockery of the real one. I could see the way everyone in view flinched at the sight, save Heero; he was perfect, implacable Heero Yuy, who always remained so unaffected by the haphazard moods of his husband wearing the collar of the title of Duchess.

What did Heero care that I was displeased with his decision? He who wore the mantle of Duke hardly needed to heed the feelings of the one married to him. "Is there anything else you'd like to one-sidedly decide for me?" I asked, voice cool and pleasant. "Were you planning on replacing all of my maids as well, for failing to anticipate what kind of juice I wanted for breakfast this morning? Or maybe firing the carriage driver for not telling me about every place he took me to?"

Heero didn't say anything, but something in his complexion just- shifted. He remained stoic and still, but it almost seemed as if he'd taken a step back. Something nagged at the corner of my mind, either a warning bell or just smothered guilt, but the torrent of words from my mouth never stopped.

Master Chang didn't have the same reaction. "Duchess-"

I hate that word.

"That's right, I'm the Duchess!" I crooned, suddenly amused - my smile cracked just a bit more. "Thank you for the reminder."

I never tore my eyes away from Heero, even though I found it hard to concentrate on any one spot on his face. What did it matter if I couldn't see him clearly no matter how long I looked in his direction? After all, he wasn't able to do the same for me either. We could look and look all day long, but it turns out that Heero and I would never see eye to eye. It was a bitter thing to realize.

"Since you are so concerned with the confidence of the Duchess, you should know better than anyone what the rights and responsibilities of the Duchess are, isn't that right?"

I took a step forward; Quatre took a half-step closer to Heero, partially shielding him. I didn't care.

"What are my rights?" I asked, and gone was the false cheer. "What are my rights, Duke Heero Yuy?"

Heero flinched.

It was a small, quick movement - hardly more than a stuttered breath - but it felt like all of the air had left the hall. No one moved, no one made a sound; it was just me and Heero, both breathing roughly, both unseeing. I wondered if what I felt through this muted, cotton-like bubble where it seemed all of my emotions had been ensconced felt guilty for putting that fleeting look of devastation through Heero's eyes.

"...The Duchess has the right to manage the employees of the estate."

The words were cut and dry, matching the hollow expression in Heero's eyes as he spoke them.

"Brilliant as always," I smiled brittlely, mockingly. It dropped from my lips a second later as I continued, "Hilde Schbeiker will retain her position as my attendant."

I paused then, continuing to stare at Heero who could no longer meet my gaze. "Of course, I'm no match for the Duke of Yuy - I can only make my small wish known to His Grace. The final decision is in your hands," I flashed a bitter smile and bowed the way a Duchess does to their husband, the Duke - acting subservient in almost nothing else but this movement. "As all things related to me are."

Wufei's eyes flashed as he came to his friend's defense, as he always did. "You-"

"It is your decision," Heero cut him off, still unable to meet my eyes. "It is your right. Hilde Schbeiker will remain as long as you wish."

I swallowed the words I could have said in response to that; thoughtless and cruel words, so unlike me that it felt almost as if there was a collar around my throat, choking me to stop them from leaving. I turned around instead, pivoting on one quiet foot and grabbing Hilde by her wrist, forcing her to match my stride as I left Heero behind me.

Servants were quick to scurry out of my path, gazes downcast as I made my way by them. I could hear Mifune's and Asahi's footsteps behind me, could feel Hilde's faint trembling from my hand wrapped around her wrist, could practically taste the chilly silence in the air.

We reached my wing of the estate but I still did not release Hilde, pulling her into my bedroom and shutting the door behind us. My guards understood the silent cue and stood outside, giving me some measure of privacy with the woman Heero had nearly discarded.

I turned to face Hilde, releasing her wrist and only just realizing it was not her trembling - but me. I stared down at my faintly-shaking fingers in muted surprise. Why was I so shaken?

"...Your Grace."

I looked up at Hilde's softly-spoken call. The feelings I'd succumbed to in the corridor as I faced Heero came back all at once: irritation that I hadn't been included in Heero's consideration, hurt that they would prioritize their expectations of my role over my own thoughts, bitterness that I wasn't even that surprised, and rage.

A whole lot of rage.

"You didn't even try to defend yourself, did you?" I snapped at her.

Hilde didn't reply; she knew there was no point because I already knew the answer.

I looked down at her bowed head and felt unreasonable contempt swell in my gut. "Do you want to be fired, Hilde?" I asked her, scathing and cold. "Is that it? You're tired of taking care of me now and saw a way out?"

It would make sense. Why would Hilde want to stay and work with someone she clearly had so little love for; she kept me safe and kept me alive because of her devotion to Heero, after all, and now that he had lost faith in her - there was no point in continuing on.

Hilde wasn't just some common household servant who relied on the recommendation of her master to find other employment. According to the novel, she had exemplary abilities that had put her on the radar of near-supherhumans like Heero Yuy and Quatre Raberba Winner. Hilde outshone the common bodyguard by leaps and bounds, so finding someone else to hire her wouldn't be an issue, even if she left the Yuy estate in shame. Given the Sanc nobility's opinions on Heero, there likely could not be a better achievement for her than to have Heero Yuy's condemnation.

"That's not it, Your Grace," Hilde spoke up, eyes darting up to meet mine before quickly looking back down. "I… I would never tire of serving you…"

I couldn't help the bitter laugh that escaped my throat. She would never tire of serving me? She had happily served and protected Relena Peacecraft, and the only time she had mentioned her previous master the Duchess, it had been in a passing comment on how much I had wasted money purchasing useless luxury goods.

Hilde dropped down to her knees, bowed so low that her forehead nearly touched the ground. The position was reminiscent of the night of the Peacemillion Church incident, so much so that I was taken aback by the sudden movement.

"I was in the wrong when I misled you about your religious affiliation, which is why I could not defend myself," Hilde began. "I believe His Grace the Duke's punishment was justified. I betrayed your trust - for such betrayal, it would have been justified even if His Grace had called for my execution."

What the fu-?!

"The Duke is merciful and took into account that Your Grace would not approve of such punishment, and so merely sought to terminate my employment and banish me from the province," Hilde continued on, unaware of my renewed emotional turbulence after that bombshell. "His Grace's decision was already too kind, given the circumstances."

Naturally, given that lying to me was apparently grounds for execution.

"I lied to you, Your Grace," Hilde murmured, voice teetering between objective observation and self-contempt. "I broke your confidence. I endangered your safety. I am…not confident I even have the right to serve you anymore."

Is that what this all boiled down to for Hilde? I couldn't say anything at first, taking a step back and waiting for my trembling to subside. She didn't move from her subservient position, didn't notice the way my eyes slid from her and to the decor of my room.

Hilde had organized most of the things in my room herself. I didn't care much for decor, having only learned the basics from Lady Aurora during my lessons. Hilde bore the brunt of the work: organizing my things, both old and new, taking into account my personal tastes, my opinions on everything from the bedsheets to the food. Even the small model inventions I tinkered with had their own place now, as she'd taken into consideration my late-night habits. It wasn't as if I could not survive without Hilde. I had lived by and taken care of myself for years before her, and I planned to do so again once Relena came into the picture. Even so...

"When I unfairly decreased wages to the estate servants, did you not still serve me?"

Hilde's head tilted just slightly up.

"Or how about when I decided to travel the province? Or when I went undercover in Ishigaki, or when I met with Trant Clark to sever relations?" I stepped closer to Hilde, eyes boring into her bowed head. "I've done so many things that went against your better judgment, made so many mistakes that it's a wonder there's even anything left of me to feel loyal to. But Hilde - you're still here, aren't you?"

She may not always agree with me. There may be things about me she doesn't like - my conduct prior to the greenhouse fire, my barely-tolerable manners as a Duchess, my own religious beliefs - but I didn't need her to always agree with me, to always like me. I didn't even always need her.

But, at least for now - I still wanted her with me.

I knelt down on one knee. "And isn't that enough?"

"Your Grace…" Hilde choked out.

Loyalty to Heero was one thing, but Hilde had gone far beyond just her job responsibilities when it came to me. Ever since I'd woken up after the greenhouse fire, Hilde had been the one constant I could count on, even from the very beginning whenever Howard and the other household staff were hesitant to be in my company too long. Hilde never shied away and never tried to make excuses; so even though she had led me astray at the Peacemillion church, I could not imagine giving her up.

I wondered if this was some leftover influence from my time on the streets. I had a tendency to cling to the small number of things I could claim as my own, no matter if they hurt me or helped me. In the end, as long as they were mine, I hadn't cared whether they made me bleed or soothed the wound. Just as long as they didn't leave me - aNd EVeN iF tHEy dID - I would still love them.

"Your Grace… I, to you…" Hilde finally looked up, navy blue eyes slightly darkened and bloodshot. "Above all else, I swear to always choose you."

Something about those words uncoiled the serpent of ice in the pit of my stomach.

And tightened the steely vice grip around my heart.

It didn't take long for my actions to have consequences.

It was one thing to get angry and lash out when I felt rightfully betrayed by others for misleading me about my religious beliefs; it was another thing entirely to have caused a scene and reduce the beloved Heero Yuy to a kicked puppy after he tried to mete out just punishment.

If I thought the servants had been wary during my little freakout after the Peacemillion church incident, it was nothing compared to how they acted now. Servants unfamiliar with me avoided me in the halls and whispered about me after I turned the corner, while the knights and guards shot my cold looks any time my back was turned. It didn't help that a portion of the estate servants were ones that had been away with Heero during his expedition, so it was like a little extra dollop of persecution atop an already substantial amount.

And then there was this…

...what do you take your own husband for, to treat him with such contempt?...

...Where is the pride and integrity you constantly preach about yourself? Your loose tongue often considered your bloodline superior to the man who has provided for you every want and need...

...Not only have you sown discord where only peace had…

It went on for fifteen pages.

"Hey, did he really write all this last night?" I asked the woman reclined on my sofa skeptically. I flipped to the next page and was treated to another purple prose-endowed script detailing my many moral failings; this wasn't anything surprising, but the beautiful penmanship it was written in was what truly arrested my attention and earned my admiration. I wish I could write as nicely with a quill.

Meilan popped another grape into her mouth, chewing with a bored hum. "Wufei could write out an entire book in one night if he was passionate enough about the subject," she replied candidly. "And he's probably been waiting to send you a complaint letter for ages. He never did before because he knew you would have just trashed it."

Well, that was fair. I hadn't even realized that was an option.

Wufei wasn't even completely wrong. Looking back at my reaction, I really did get out of hand; I hadn't tried to reason with anyone before I started shooting off my mouth, completely ready to attack and hurt just because I hadn't liked what was happening. It was one thing to not agree with the decisions made, but I should have at least heard them out first instead of just going immediately on the offensive.

It really was quite shameful. I almost felt like I had acted like a spoiled brat throwing a tantrum because things had not been going the way I wanted, even though I never actually told them what I wanted. I may not have thought back then when I made the declaration that Heero would have decided on such drastic punishments, but in the end, Quatre had been right - I had said that Heero could decide.

And then I went and acted like that, spitting acid at Heero for doing exactly what was expected. It was a wonder my maids could even treat me normally this morning, going about business as usual and not acting at all like they had back when I had been angry at Hilde and the others prior to Heero's arrival. Melissa even snuck me extra peanuts after seeing the eyebags under my eyes.

I cantered a look over at Meilan. "...Aren't you mad at me too?"

Meilan looked at her nails boredly. "It's hard to be angry at you when you just hole up in your study and sulk," she responded.

I flinched. "I'm not sulking," I muttered. "In fact, I'm working - mostly on a reply to your husband's essay on everything wrong with me."

"Did you get to the part about your 'ridiculous fascination with all things impractical'?"

I flipped back a couple of pages. "You mean when he went on for three pages about how I should never eat citrus-based pastries?" If I knew he hated my teatime sweets that much, I would have forced more down his throat the last time…

Meilan sat up from her sprawl across my sofa, throwing a darkly amused look my way. "If it's any consolation, there were originally 32 pages before he started self-editing," she told me. "His words may be insulting but they are well-thought-out."

At the rate Wufei is going, he may just have an entire novel ripping me to pieces ready at some point. I always thought Heero's men could be scary guys, but I hadn't anticipated them being so fearsome in this way.

I stared down at the beautifully-written 15 pages of Duo-evisceration. "...Can't he just punch me and call it a day?" I muttered.

"Wufei would never lay a hand on you, Your Grace."

My head shot up in surprise at the voice. Quatre was quietly stepping inside the room, closing the door behind himself before turning to face me. He wasn't smiling, but he wasn't doing his creepy homicidal non-smile either, so at least I didn't have to worry about being beheaded any time soon.

I actually hadn't seen Quatre since that time in the corridor the other day. I'd taken my lunch and dinner in my room yesterday, letting the elapsed time calm my nerves so that I wasn't constantly thinking knights were going to burst into my room and drag Hilde away. This gave me time to not only reflect on my actions but also to extrapolate the possible fallout.

And, well, Quatre was first and foremost Heero's friend.

I would never be so conceited as to think Quatre would take my side in an argument between myself and Heero, and I would certainly never ask him to. That's why I was surprised to see him coming into my study now; if anything, I thought he would take the other knights' approach of staying quiet and only shooting me the occasional dirty look if I passed him in the hall.

I glanced down at Wufei's written sermon. Come to think of it, Quatre was also pretty prolific... Should I start making myself a bookshelf to hold all the essays written on my character flaws?

Quatre titled a tired smile my way. "I'm not here to add to Wufei's formal complaint letter," he said. "I think it'd be better to keep that between you and him anyway."

I relaxed slightly, a bit relieved he wasn't trying to add to my stacks of paperwork.

"I'm here to talk about what happened yesterday regarding Miss Hilde," Quatre told me, voice pleasant and even.

I immediately tensed back up.

"Nothing about her punishment or lack thereof, of course," he continued on. "I actually wanted to talk about, well…"

Quatre placed a hand on his chest, looking at me meaningfully.

It took a moment, my mind going into hyperdrive as I digested his subtle dislike of Hilde. When I finally clicked on to his meaning, I felt my cheeks heat up and I couldn't help but look away, eyes latching desperately onto anything else - namely, Meilan's bemused expression.

I'd rather Quatre just write me a letter. "I know it's technically my fault, since I said Heero could decide-"

"Not that either, Your Grace," Quatre gently interrupted me. "I meant about your reaction to the news, and how that made you feel."

Why was he like this? "...You want to talk about my feelings?"

"Yes." Quatre's smile was blinding.

WHY!

"Look, I know I fuc- messed up yesterday, and I should not have talked to Heero like that," I hurriedly babbled out. "I was angry but that's no excuse. I definitely will apologize to him, it's just…"

It was actually incredibly hard to find Heero. I had even planned to apologize to him this morning, but breakfast was served to me in my room after I was told that everyone had split meals for today. When I had asked where Heero was, one of the knights stiffly explained that "His Grace the Duke will be at the training grounds all day." When I had tried to visit the training guards after lunch, my guards for the day - Simon and Chiaki - had politely dissuaded me, Simon thinking up every excuse under the sun as to why I should reconsider bothering the Duke.

When I had gone to the training grounds anyway (because if people like Quatre and Hilde couldn't stop me, how the hell could Simon?), I had been turned away by an indifferent Trowa. His excuse had been "His Grace cannot have visitors when sparring," and I knew better than to test my luck with Trowa Barton right now. Now, though, it was already past dinner… And I had that served to me in my study too.

Heero's really doing the medieval version of ghosting me… I was almost impressed.

"Oh, an apology would be a good idea," Quatre agreed, still smiling. "But that's not really what I wanted to talk about either."

I turned a pleading look on Meilan.

She was traitorously staring back at me with wide-eyed interest.

Quatre was not at all put off by my silence. "I'm not here to reprimand you or blame you, Your Grace," he told me kindly. "I'm here simply to talk to you, as your friend."

God, he always knew what heartstrings to tug!

"...Fine, let's talk," I gave in with a sigh.

Quatre took a seat in one of the chairs in front of my desk. Meilan was quick to take the other, correctly guessing this was a close proximity conversation; the door to my study was firmly shut, and I knew that both Simon and Chiaki didn't have either the same creepy level of devotion that my other guards did or the skill level to eavesdrop from that far away. Asahi, perched somewhere outside the study room window despite it being his official day off, did have the skills but I trusted he would not breathe a word about this.

"Which feelings of my little tantrum are we dissecting?" I asked plaintively.

Quatre frowned at me. "I do not consider your behavior to be a 'tantrum'," he said, the 'And you should not either' coming in loud and clear. "It was a stressful and intense affair. I… I should have thought to bring up the matter to the Duke with you present, and not privately."

So that was how Heero had found out. I suppressed the little thread of irritation at the knowledge; in the end, it was still my fault for thoughtlessly throwing out the matter myself and putting the burden on Heero. I also should have talked to Heero about it far sooner, but I had been so preoccupied with the homecoming celebration, followed by my orphanage reformation proposal, and then the whole poisoning incident - the time just kept getting pushed back.

Truthfully, I would never have brought it up at all. It had hurt when it had happened, and it still stung a bit even now - but I had lived with more painful grudges than someone tricking me into going to church.

"What's done is done," I shrugged.

Quatre's frown persisted. "...You're right to be angry at me for this, Your Grace."

Are you a fucking masochist, Quatre?

"I'm not a masochist."

"I'm not angry at you for telling Heero, but I'm about to be angry at you if you keep reading my mind!"

Quatre couldn't help but crack a smile at the familiar words.

"Come to think of it, you seemed more shocked than angry when you met Hilde in the Duke's wing," Meilan chimed in. "And even when His Grace the Duke showed up, you didn't look angry - just upset."

That was true. When Kaori had burst into my room to tell me the news, it felt like the inside of my head had been filled with cotton; it was hard to think past the pure adrenaline rush. When I saw Hilde carrying her termination letter, I just wanted to know why, thinking I had somehow ruined the progression of the main story.

I was supposed to be a temporary existence until Heero finally met Relena. That was what I had planned - I'd live my life as the Duchess until Heero met his soulmate, and then fade back into the backdrop without much impact. Everything I'd done to improve the duchy was just to make Heero shine even better as the Male Lead; a thriving home would give him strength even in the Sanc court so that when he was helping Relena in her fight for the throne, it wouldn't be as challenging.

However, without Hilde there to serve as a semi-competent bodyguard, then Relena may very well end up dead.

"It was when the Duke mentioned that Miss Hilde had betrayed the confidence of the Duchess," Quatre began after a moment, blue eyes boring into me thoughtfully. "That was when you went from upset to...enraged."

I found it hard to meet his gaze. I knew why Heero's words had essentially flipped that switch, I just didn't think I'd ever have to explain it. "I…"

I.

That's what it all boiled down to - the idea of me.

I knew who I was before I woke up in the world of Sanc. I was Duo Maxwell, a guy with a Masters in Mechanical Engineering and no hope of a future; I worked odd jobs just to get by in the dingy and broken streets of New York City; I had friends I spoke with on every street corner but not a single person who would ever bother to come to my funeral.

I knew who I was before I came here, and I had quietly hung on to that tenuous reality as I slipped further and further into a dream. It's hard, sometimes, not to lose who I am to who I should be while here. Every day, the person I thought I was slipped a little more away.

"Barely having any memories is strange," I started quietly. It pained me even now to know I still had to lie, but it was a necessity since I kNoW eXacTly wHo I aM. "I woke up and was told from day one that I was a Duchess."

It's hard to live a certain way for most of your life, then suddenly having that change overnight to the complete opposite. My very first memory was fighting for scraps to eat, and now I was served decadent sweets every afternoon; I used to get detention for talking back to my teachers and getting into fights, but now I could hardly lift a finger before someone was trying to help me as if the slightest amount of pressure would make me shatter like glass; I watched the family that loved me burn to death and woke up involved with two families who could barely stand me.

"I take lessons on how to behave properly. I study etiquette almost as often as I review the estate budget. I have tea every afternoon and still think the cakes are too sweet. I can't even learn self-defense without having to argue and persuade others to teach me. Sometimes… Sometimes it feels like all I am is a Duchess. I don't get to be much else."

I was hurt by what Hilde and Howard had done to me. My trust had been broken, my confidence had been lost - but Heero had not said my name, had not acknowledged that it was me who had been hurt. He had spoken about how Hilde's actions had shaken the relationship between the servant and the Duchess, cared more about our positions than the people who filled them.

Because even Heero still thought about the title of Duchess more than he did about Duo Maxwell.

"Your Grace…" Quatre's eyes were shaken.

Your Grace. The title itself practically sounded like a nickname to me now. Heero was the only one who could call me by my given name, and I think that had made it worse; knowing he could say my name to my face and still think of me as nothing more than just the undeserving possessor of the Duchess title.

I could handle this though. I'd learned very early on that I could handle a lot of things - I was a survivor, after all.

But god, how I still wanted.

I wanted to taste strong liquor because I enjoyed the pleasant way it settled along my throat and gut. I wanted the kind of open, casual camaraderie I had with the people of the town market and my old guards because it made me feel like I was a person. I wanted to be heckled good-naturedly because it reminded me that others saw me as a friend. I wanted to get exhausted by a hard day's work because it made me believe I'd done something worthwhile.

I knew I could do worthwhile work as the Duchess, but it would always be understood that the Duchess of Yuy had done it - not Duo Maxwell. It was not that I detested being the Duchess. I wanted to be a good duchess while I still had the position, I wanted to do good by the people and for the people.

But that didn't mean it wouldn't occasionally hurt that that's all people saw me as.

I had had no connections that endured after the Maxwell Church burned. I drifted from school to school until I graduated high school; I made friendly acquaintances in university that I could talk to in class but would never do so outside of it; I worked in places from junkyards to laboratories and still could not find anything outside of temporary, fleeting relations.

I knew who I was - I just didn't much like him. It turned out most other people felt the same way.

"Then you need to say that!"

I jumped at the loud exclamation as it broke through my thoughts.

Meilan was not deterred, now standing from her seat and planting both of her hands on top of my desk so she could lean forward and shout earnestly into my face. "Look them dead in the eye and tell them you're going to learn self-defense! Because you want to!"

I blinked.

"Tell them you think the etiquette is stupid! Tell them you don't like sweets, tell them you'd rather spend your afternoons working on your weird inventions rather than drinking tea!"

Why is she just airing my grievances-

"Tell them what you want to do! What you're thinking! Assert yourself not because you're the Duchess, but because you're you - or how else is anyone going to know?!"

I stared at her.

"And just so you know, I don't even care that you're the Duchess! You could be a street performer or an engineer, it doesn't change what I think or feel about you!" Meilan crossed her arms, eyes narrowed in an almost haughty expression. "We don't even have nobility titles where I'm from, so I don't understand why the title is all people care about!"

Quatre tore his eyes away from me to glance at her. "Now that I think about it, Lady Meilan really struggled during our Sanc culture lessons…"

"I won't apologize for kicking in that asshole's teeth, you heard what he said about Wufei!"

Quatre nodded, obviously unconcerned with Meilan's violent confrontation with what sounded like their tutor regarding Sanc culture and etiquette. He turned his baby blues back onto me, also standing up and approaching the desk since Meilan was crowding me anyway.

"I can't imagine what it must have been like, to wake and be told about who you are from who are essentially strangers. We can spend our whole lives trying to figure out just who we are," Quatre stated. "However, I think… no, I know that you have shouldered these responsibilities - these burdens - admirably. Not as the Duchess, but as the person you are."

The blonde laid a calming hand on Meilan's shoulder but never turned his eyes away from me. "There is merit to Lady Meilan's words. Even with my ability to sense another person's emotions, that doesn't always give me direct insight into their thoughts. Just because I know they are hurt doesn't mean I understand why - and that's why human beings communicate," he explained softly. "We talk with our words, with our bodies, with our expressions - because we seek to understand and be understood by others."

Quatre pulled his hand away from Meilan but only to grasp onto mine instead, this time wrapping both of his hands around my own. My heart beat wildly in my chest, that same light-headed feeling from yesterday stuffing cotton into my skull.

The blonde's voice was lulling in its sincerity. "I want to hear about your thoughts and opinions, I want to know what you're interested in and what you consider silly. You want to learn about and understand who you are - and I want to learn that as well, because I consider you my friend."

Quatre made sure he was looking me dead in the eye when he spoke, "I care about you because you're you, not because you hold a title."

The faint trembling from before returned, and I tugged away to pull my shaking hands into my lap. Quatre offered no resistance, his gaze only softening before he looked toward Meilan and together they retook their seats.

"...I'll try to speak up more." It was the only thing I could promise them without feeling like I'm telling a lie.

Quatre's gaze and voice were gentle. "And we will help," he replied.

My vision shook for a moment, but I took a deep breath and waited for my heart to settle. My throat felt dry and sore, as if I'd been choking back tears even though I had felt no inclination to cry. My hands fidgeted in my lap and I kept my eyes fastened to the top of my desk, my cheeks feeling the muted heat of a blush that was more the result of a welling of too many emotions than something like embarrassment.

They let me collect myself, minutes passing by comfortably until I could finally raise my gaze to meet them. "I should… I should really talk to Heero first, right? To apologize, if nothing else."

Oddly, the more I thought about having a heart-to-heart with Heero, the more relaxed I felt. I suppose it could be because I found Quatre and Meilan to be too forgiving to me, to the point where it felt like I could get away with murder and they would only chide me a little before helping get rid of the evidence.

Heero was bound to be more honest and less forgiving. He really gave off a no-nonsense impression, and if the only thing I amounted to him was as a coworker working a stressful job, then the more honest and straightforward he would be with me.

Quatre's expression seemed to suggest he knew exactly what I was thinking and he wasn't agreeing with it, but he didn't say anything.

Meilan only nodded energetically. "I recommend inviting him to a spar-"

"Stop offering fistfighting as a means to apologize," I told her blandly.

"It works with Wufei!"

I really didn't understand how their relationship worked.

"I can escort you to His Grace the Duke so you can speak privately, but we should wait until tomorrow," Quatre said, rising once more from his seat. "It's much too late at this hour."

I nodded in feigned agreement, glancing out the window at the evening sky.

I had an idea - and Hilde is not even here to read my thoughts and stop me.

Heero, prepare yourself!

A/N: Communication is key to healthy relationships~ Also, ✧･ﾟ: *✧･ﾟ:* FRIENDSHIP *:･ﾟ✧*:･ﾟ✧

Please be kind and drop a review! :)