Notes: Oh, hey, look. I'm back after 2 months. đź‘€ Apologies for the delay. I caught Covid and then the end of May/start of June was crazy. Then I decided I was going to go away for a vacation, but only gave myself a week to prepare for a 2-week trip. And while away I caught a mini-plague that's left me exhausted.
Anyway, hope you're all doing well!
Lady Une simply sends her a curious look when she sees her enter the lecture hall with Relena and Heero. Mariemaia offers her a smile and a wave, and trails the Vice Foreign Minister to a seat near the middle of the auditorium. She immediately misses the feigned anonymity of her usual seat higher up. She can feel the other delegates staring at them as they take their seats. Most don't bother hiding their whispers either.
"Ignore them," Relena states, leaning in to speak quietly in her ear. "It's what I do."
Mariemaia glances around, noting that Heero has not taken a seat on Relena's other side like she expected. Instead, there's the blonde head of the Winner heir seated next to Relena. Mariemaia frowns and Relena turns to follow her gaze.
"Oh, have you met Quatre?" she asks. The blonde looks over at his name, offers a smile that's wide and easy and perfectly practiced. Mariemaia doesn't trust it. "Quatre Raberba Winner, this is Mariemaia Khushrenada."
Quatre leans around the Vice Foreign Minister. "We've crossed paths once or twice before," he replies, " though I doubt you'll remember it." Mariemaia frowns and he offers another charming smile. It seems more genuine than the first one. "How are you, Miss Mariemaia?"
"Very well, thank you, Mr. Winner. And yourself?"
"Exhausted," he answers with a laugh. "Excuse me for a moment, please." He turns back to the man sitting next to him, one of the L4 delegates that Mariemaia doesn't know, and resumes his conversation with him.
Mariemaia shifts in her seat and stares at the empty stage below. She can see movement in the curtained off wings, just the edges of shadows moving back and forth. She wonders if it's Yergin or one of his aides. Maybe a security detail doing a last minute sweep. The thought gives her pause and she looks over at Miss Relena once more.
"Heero Yuy doesn't sit with you?" she asks. She can't keep the surprise from her voice and hopes the general murmuring from the arriving crowd hides it.
Relena's mouth twitches into a lopsided smile. "It depends," she says after a moment.
"On what? I thought he was supposed to protect you."
"On what he thinks of the security," she replies. "I'm sure he's around somewhere close by."
"Like a cockroach," Mariemaia mutters and Relena laughs softly.
"You don't find these events boring?" Relena questions. "I always found them tedious when I was your age. Sometimes, I still do."
Mariemaia shrugs and smooths the hem of her skirt. "It depends on the topic," she replies honestly. "And, I enjoy watching the attendees. There's a lot you can learn when no one bothers to pay you any attention."
Relena tilts her head slightly; her blue-green eyes are steady as they silently assess Mariemaia. "That sounds like something Dorothy would say. And my brother." She reaches up to adjust one of her earrings. "So, what have you learned about me?"
Mariemaia shrugs again. She isn't sure if it's a test. "You're idealistic," she says finally. It's the safe answer, she thinks. And, she knows, not completely accurate either. "You act silly sometimes, like at those parties Minister Dubiel used to throw, but I think it's because you like being underestimated. You're usually one of the few who pay attention to the speeches."
Relena is smiling again. "Is it wrong to see the way the world could be?"
"I just don't understand how you could still want to see the best in people," Mariemaia responds after a few moments. She twists the hem of her skirt between her fingers and watches as an aide scurries out onto the stage to place a folder and glass of water on the podium. "You've seen war and revolution." She pauses. "Your father died in front of you. But you still think peace is achievable."
Relena is quiet. She leans forward slightly, chin resting in her hand as she surveys the stage. "If people didn't want peace," she says finally, "then we wouldn't be here now. The past five years would've been very different."
"Dekim would still be alive."
"Maybe," she assents. "Maybe you'd be the one up there preparing to speak. She pulls out a small notebook and pen from her jacket pocket and sets them on her lap. "But tell me, what was your end goal? Were you hoping for endless war? Or, were you hoping to be the figurehead of a new peace?"
Mariemaia remains silent. The back of her neck feels warm and the room suddenly feels too stuffy. She sees Minister Yergin just beyond the curtains pulling on a jacket and adjusting his cuffs. She shifts in her seat and Miss Relena reaches over, presses cool fingers to the back of Mariemaia's wrist.
"I didn't mean to upset you."
"You didn't." She makes herself meet the Vice Foreign Minister's gaze directly, forces herself to smile politely at the young woman next to her. "I'm just getting tired of waiting."
"Minister Yergin does enjoy an entrance," Quatre Raberba Winner states. He leans around Miss Relena once more and offers an apologetic, self-conscious smile when he notices Mariemaia's frown. "Pardon me, I didn't mean to eavesdrop. It has been a long wait, hasn't it?"
"Excuse me," she says. "I'm feeling a bit parched."
"Allow me-"
"No, thank you, Mr. Winner." She stands, runs clammy hands over her skirt and tugs her cardigan into place. "I'll be right back."
. . ... . .
She finds her way to one of the hotel's mezzanine pools. Glass panels stretch from ground to ceiling offering a panoramic view of the colony. Despite the views, the pool area is closed. Most of the guests are piled into the auditorium to listen to Minister Yergin's speech and she enjoys the quiet and the overwhelming scent of chlorine.
Mariemaia has her feet dangling in the cool water as she stares out at the artificial late afternoon light shining off of the steel and glass downtown buildings. She recognizes Heero Yuy's measured walk as he crosses the pool deck and takes a seat next to her. The Gundam pilot doesn't put his feet in the water though, instead crossing them neatly in front of him.
"You should get new shoes."
"Why's that?"
"Those look like they're being held together by luck." She stares at the off-colored yellow sneakers . One of the laces has frayed and been knotted together again. "I'm sure Preventers or the Vice Foreign Minister pay you enough to afford new shoes."
"You're missing Yergin's speech."
Mariemaia shrugs, kicks her barefoot idly against the smooth side of the pool. She watches a lone kite soaring above the park she'd noticed previously. "I'm sure it's long-winded and pleading. I thought you were supposed to be security."
"It's covered."
She glances at him quickly, eyebrows raised. He doesn't elaborate and she rolls her eyes. "Depending on Mr. Winner's security to keep Miss Relena safe?"
"Something like that," he admits. He pulls his phone from a pocket, scrolls idly through it while she watches the kite swoop low. "He's alright."
"Who? Yergin?"
"Quatre." There's an odd note to Heero's voice, something Mariemaia can't place. "He plays the wealthy philanthropist role well."
"Do you think he's faking it?" she questions. "He seems nice enough…but there's something in his eyes or his smile. I don't trust him."
Heero shrugs without glancing up from the phone in his hands. "I think I'd be more worried about the other delegates than Quatre Winner. He's idealistic."
"My father was described as an idealist," he comments. She pulls her feet from the pool and reaches over to brush the water away with her hand. "So was my grandfather, when people felt kind."
"And what does that make you?"
"A outcast, Mr. Yuy." She pulls her shoes on, ignoring the chaffing against her damp skin, and stands up. He isn't paying attention to her though, frowning at the phone in his hands before getting quickly to his feet. "What is it?"
"Come on."
"What's happened?" she questions. He grabs her by the elbow, towing her toward a side panel and not the main door to the pool area. "Where are we going?"
He presses the panel and it slides back to reveal a keypad. She's too shocked to pay attention to the code he enters and then he's shoving her into a narrow access corridor. "I have to get you back to Lady Une."
"What's happened?"
"There's been an attempt on Minister Yergin."
She has to trot to keep up with Heero's long strides. His grip doesn't lessen on her arm and he pulls her into a cross-corridor that she almost missed. At the end is a set of metal stairs. "What is this?"
"Service hall and stairs."
"How do you know about it?" He gives her a look before shoving her forward and down the stairs. "Right, silly of me," she grumbles. She grips the metal railing as they start the descent. She doesn't quite believe Heero would push her down the stairs, but it would be a convenient way to go she thinks. She shivers. "When you say there was an attempt…?"
"His water was laced with something," Heero states. Mariemaia releases a breath she hadn't realized she'd been holding. Her shoulders feel a bit looser now. "Trowa says it's chaos down there."
"Trowa?" She stops, half turns to stare at him in surprise. "How would he know? Isn't he undercover?" she hisses.
Heero gives her a gentle but pointed shove between the shoulder blades. She gets the hint and continues descending. "As one of Yergin's security," he says finally.
It makes sense, she realizes, why Heero had left Miss Relena alone. Between the Vice Foreign Minister's other security, Lady Une, and apparently Trowa, Miss Relena was perfectly safe. "But…why? I thought he was looking for missing shipments."
"He is."
Heero stops her as they reach a metal landing. He slides around her to open the metal door with a keycard he pulls from beneath his shirt. Mariemaia watches, curious, as the door slides open and he pulls her into the main hotel once more. They're on a floor she doesn't recognize and the hall is surprisingly nondescript compared to the other more ostentatious ones in the building – long and pale cream without art or windows and only a few doors set into the walls.
"Another service hallway?" she guesses.
"Yes. Hurry up."
She rolls her eyes, but follows dutifully as he brings her to a door. He uses the keycard again, escorts her through the door and she's surprised to find that they're backstage of the conference hall. An older man with graying hair and serious eyes looks up from where he's talking to a girl with dark hair. Mariemaia recognizes a few of the people around them, though she has never learned their names.
"Mr. Yuy."
"Basque." He nods towards her and Mariemaia frowns at him. "Lady Une requested Mariemaia."
The man sighs deeply. "Glorified babysitters now, eh?" He glances at the woman next to him. "Kai, you watch the girl, make sure she stays out of the way."
Mariemaia opens her mouth to protest, but Basque has turned his back already and is picking up a ringing phone. She turns back to complain to Heero Yuy – she is not in need of a babysitter – but the Gundam pilot is gone. Typical. The woman offers her a lopsided smile.
"Don't mind the Major," she says. "The Colonel is busy," she nods past the curtained area where Mariemaia can hear her guardian's raised voice, "but we should be able to find somewhere for you to sit. Just don't touch anything."
"You aren't Preventers," Mariemaia notes. She eyes their dark suit jackets and the white rose pin on their lapels.
"No," Kai agrees. "We work for the Vice Foreign Minister, but the Colonel has ordered all hands on deck. So to speak. Crowd management."
Mariemaia frowns and follows the woman to a corner of the backstage area. She's put in a seat that's mostly out of the way, but she can still observe what the others are doing if she cranes her neck slightly to the left to look around the heavy black curtain.
She can see the heavy navy jackets of Preventers agents as well as the sleek black-jackets of private security milling around the stage area. Three agents are gathered at the podium, another two are near the curtained area, voices low as they look at something on one of their phones. There are remnants of broken glass and spilled water cordoned off near the center of the stage.
Along the sides are delegates and diplomats, faces pale and eyes wide. She scans the crowd until she spies Lady Une. Her guardian strides across the stage barking orders and two more Preventers appear, guiding the bystanders away. She notes Quatre Winner lingering, watching the scene intently before a Preventer approaches. She chews idly at a hangnail as she watches the Winner heir give a polite nod and fall in line with the other L4 delegates.
It takes a few more minutes before she spies him. Trowa Barton. She hadn't thought Heero had been lying, but it's still jarring to see the other Gundam pilot. She almost doesn't recognize him. He's dressed in dark trousers and a white button-down with the sleeves rolled up. But that isn't the most surprising part. His hair is combed back from his face, though a few strands have come loose from whatever gel he's used. He's staring stoically ahead, ignoring the two Preventers agents flanking him on either side.
"How're you doing?" She looks up to see Kai holding out a bottle of soda in her hands. "Thirsty?"
"Thank you." She takes the bottle, sets it on the floor next to her. Kai glances at the stage area. "It's going to be a long night. I'll see if I can speak with the Colonel. Maybe you can wait in your room?"
"Why aren't you guarding Miss Relena?"
Kai's lips purse and she shrugs after a moment. "Half the team is with her. She's safe." She offers a reassuring smile. "It looks like it was a targeted attack on Minister Yergin. You don't have to worry."
Mariemaia frowns, but doesn't say anything. She wasn't worried, but, she thinks, maybe it's better if the woman thinks she was. She picks up the bottle of soda, picks at the glued-on label. "Are there any suspects?" she questions, eyes wide and as innocent as she can make them.
Kai drops to a crouch in front of her. "Your mother will get it taken care of, don't worry."
"She's not my mother," Mariemaia replies automatically.
"There you are." She and Kai look over as Lady Une pokes her head around the curtained area. "Come on, I've arranged for you to wait in the conservatory."
"Wait for what?"
"Everyone is being questioned." She holds the curtain back while Mariemaia gets to her feet and crosses the backstage area.
"What happened?"
"We'll discuss this later." She leads her into the hallway the delegates and diplomats had been led to earlier. Mariemaia trails her guardian quietly, observing the closed salons and sitting rooms that are half-filled with delegates from different regions. A Preventer stands at attention beside each half-closed door. "You'll be with Miss Relena. And Dorothy."
"Why is Trowa Barton being flanked by Preventers in there?" she questions.
"He's our main suspect."
"Really?"
"Yes." Lady Une opens a door at the end of the hall and gestures for her to enter. "Someone will be by as soon as possible to take your statements," she says. She nods to the Preventer at the door. "If you need anything, Raof will assist you." She turns to Mariemaia. "Behave."
Mariemaia nods mutely. She makes her way into the room, notes Miss Relena and Dorothy sitting on a bench near one of the glass-paned windows. She's mildly surprised to see Quatre Winner with them, but her mind is still turning over Lady Une's words to properly puzzle out why he's here instead of with the L4 delegates.
"There're refreshments over there," the Preventer notes. He nods toward a table in the back of the indoor garden.
Mariemaia nods. She picks her way over smooth sandstone cobblestones to the refreshment table and pours herself a glass of water. Miss Relena and Dorothy don't notice her presence, too involved in their conversation. Quatre Winner looks up briefly, offers her a small smile which she ignores. She sits down next to the indoor fish pond and contemplates the glass of cold water in her hands. The glass is already beading with moisture from the humidity in the conservatory.
In the end, she upends the glass in the fish pond, watching the way the water ripples and splashes. She waits to see if the fish die.