ShadowTide: Kyoji, George, Kyoji, George…
Domon: Um, ShadowTide?
ShadowTide: Go 'way! I'm busy!
Domon: But DarkDragon is trying to kill Stalker.
ShadowTide: So? Should I care?
DarkDragon: *runs across holding knife and chasing Stalker* Get back here you…
ShadowTide: I see. Well, I hate Stalker too so I really don't care.
DarkDragon: *runs back across, chased by Stalker who is in Burning Gundam* HELP!
Domon: Um…
ShadowTide: *sweatdrops* You do the honors, this time, Domon. I gotta go help DarkDragon. *runs off*
Domon: *sigh* DISCLAIMER: ShadowTide does not own G Gundam. DarkDragon does not own G Gundam. And Stalker doesn't own my Gundam! *runs off to get Burning Gundam back*
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Mobile Fighter G Gundam: Promise of a Rose
Chapter VI: Black Rose
I leaned against the thick mahogany door, trying to hear what the King and Queen were saying to George.
"…That was the most disgraceful dinner of my life! George, you represent Neo-France every moment of every day. You cannot act so undignified!" the Queen scolded. I gulped.
"If there is even one more incident, I'm afraid I might be forced to dismiss you, Sir Knight. I am not willing to risk Neo-France's reputation," the King added sternly. Uh-oh, I thought. Not good.
"Why, Renee," I heard a voice behind me say. I jumped around to see my uncle. "You know it's impolite to eavesdrop," he scolded. I was about to reply when Raymond continued. "If you wish to join a discussion, you really should be present." Before I could say anything, my uncle had pushed me through the door into the large throne-room. I tripped over the carpet and fell down with a loud thud!
"Ah, mademoiselle Renee," George greeted me coldly. "How kind of you to drop in."
I stood up, ignoring his comment, then walked forward and did one of my pathetic bow-curtsies. "Your Majesties," I mumbled, not exactly sure how to address royalty. Damn you, Raymond, I cursed silently. As bold as I was, I was not ready to face the wrath of the rulers of Neo-France.
The Queen sniffed. "Well, it does seem appropriate that both of you are present."
"Now, as I was saying before mademoiselle…Renee so rudely invited herself in," the King started, looking at me with an unfriendly glare. "What you did at the dinner last night was completely inappropriate. Do you know what type of impression that made on—"
Okay. This was too much. I was the living demon, not George. And just because I liked mischief doesn't mean that I could stand injustice. "It ain't his fault," I said boldly to the King and Queen.
All three turned to stare at my questioningly. George blinked in disbelief.
"Excuse me?" the Queen gasped.
"I said it wasn't Frenchie's fault, 'kay?" I repeated loudly.
The King looked at me questioningly. George just gaped.
"I wanted to eat my da—dinner," I explained, stopping myself from saying "damn" in the presence of royalty. The King raised a questioning eyebrow. "What? It was good. I didn't want to stand up for no toast." I was getting braver now. Kings and Queens are normal people, too, I reminded myself. "Frenchie here wanted me to be all polite an' all, so we started playin' tug-o-war with my knife."
George shook his head, regaining his composure.
The Queen's eyes narrowed. "That may be, but was it completely necessary for you to let go of the knife?"
"Just obeyin' the laws of physics," I answered with a flashy smile.
" 'Obeying the laws of physics'?" I heard George mutter under his breath.
The King looked at me as if I was from another world. A low rumble came from the back of his throat, and soon the King of Neo-France was laughing uncontrollably.
I grinned at George as the Queen and the knight stared at their King.
"George," the King said once he had stopped laughing, "I think your mechanic is one-of-a-kind." He became a bit more serious. "But if this ever happens again, I'm afraid I will have to take some drastic measures. You're dismissed."
"Thank you, your Majesties," George murmured with a bow. I bowed, too, following his example. George walked over to me, grabbed one of the straps of my tank-top, and practically pulled me out of the throne-room.
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"I think you owe me one," Renee said calmly once we had left the throne-room.
"I think that was one of the most obnoxious things you have ever done," I replied stiffly, not exactly sure which incident I was indicating with the word "that".
"What?" Renee asked impishly. "Makin' ya fall on your ass in front of those people from Neo-Egypt or saving you butt just now?" I released my grip on Renee's barely-existent strap absently.
I grimaced at her use of words. "Both."
"Oh, c'mon, Frenchie," my mechanic teased, tweaking a strand of my hair. "Admit it. I saved you big time."
I grunted. "I think it was also for your benefit. If I had been removed, you surely would have been too." I paused for a moment and then continued. "As a matter of fact, I think that their Majesties should have taken my title away from me. I was a disgrace last night. To the de Sand family and to my country." It was true. I had shamed my country with my behavior. I deserved to be left in the dust, forgotten forever.
Renee blinked in disbelief. "You have got to be kiddin' me. You want be get fired just 'cause of some stupid knife? God, Frenchie, you're even worse than I thought."
"I deserve nothing better," I repeated and started to walk down the hall.
"Hey!" Renee shouted and ran after me. "At least say 'thank you'," she demanded.
"All right," I said and turned to look at the devil before me. "Thank you," I murmured softly, suddenly quite taken by the looks of my butler's niece. It was hard to admit, but she was beautiful. The gleam in her gorgeous eyes would probably set someone like Chibodee on fire. Although they did seem remarkably stunning to me, I had not the romantic instincts that Chibodee so proudly possessed.
"You're welcome," Renee answered, completely unaware of the thoughts that where running through my mind. I shook my head slightly and turned to walk away.
"You have stunning hair, by the way," I remarked over my shoulder, indicating Renee's neon-pink tresses.
Renee glared at me. "Frenchie, I am so gonna kill you for that," she growled under her breath and stormed off. I chuckled. At least we would be even for a while. I walked down the hall, running a hand through my hair. It was past noon and Chibodee still hadn't arrived. I admit, I was starting to become worried. That is, until I saw Janet, and she was hauling something—or someone—behind her. As she approached, I saw her cargo. It was none other than Chibodee, and he was asleep. Behind him were the rest: Bunny, looking worried; Shirley looking amused; and Cath, who was a mix between the other three. I watched them in amusement.
"Mademoiselle Cath, may I ask what happened to monsieur Chibodee?" I asked politely.
"Eh, nothing much," she answered. "He went to a strip club, then a bar. He spent a really long time at the bar before deciding that him and a dumb blonde needed a snooze. Then we lost him and found him again at a different bar, stone and practically out cold," she said, with no small amount of scorn. "He passed out on the way here, and Janet's been dragging him ever since."
"I see," I couldn't think of anything else to say. What was there to say? I sighed at his despicable behavior and continued on.
It was three days later that anything much happened. Chibodee started calling me "Pinkie," but I had expected as much. Then he reverted back to "Frenchie," and used "Pinkie" on Renee. I noticed he looked at her with interest. Frankly, I knew I shouldn't have cared one way or the other, but something stirred in me when he began to flirt with her, or smiled at her, or did something kind. Renee didn't try anything for a while. For that I was glad, but I wondered why. Did she really think she was jeopardizing my position? She checked the Rose often, and I would find myself staring at her, admiring her. Once, Chibodee caught me, and it was chaos. He wouldn't leave me alone for the rest of the day and the day after that. He'd always nag me and tease me. Until Renee caught him doing it.
~*FLASHBACK*~
"Well, Frenchie, hittin' on Pinkie are ya?" Chibodee asked in his taunting manner.
"No. I would never even consider it," I replied frostily for the thirtieth time that hour.
"Aw, c'mon Frenchie. Spit it out. You like Pinkie, I know it," he said. Renee walked in.
"Chibodee Crocket, there is nothing between me and that preppy priss over there!" she shouted, and poured a bucket of water over his head. Then she stormed out.
~*END FLASHBACK*~
I was snapped out of my daydreams when the Princess approached me. She had tears in her eyes. I ran to meet her and she threw her arms around me, starting to cry into my shirt.
"Oh, George! It's horrible!!" she sobbed.
"What's horrible, Miss Marie-Louise?" I asked.
"They—they arranged my marriage," she whispered. "To the Prince of Neo-Egypt."
I gasped involuntarily. What? What does she mean? "Marie-Louise, what are you talking about?"
"Mother and Father arranged my marriage to the Prince of Neo-Egypt to form an alliance," she whispered.
"Oh, no,"
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I strolled down the hall, finally considering pulling another prank. I felt guilty about the dinner. Like I've said lotsa times before, I hadn't intended to pull anything. The fact that George had almost lost his title--that he wanted to lose his title--made me feel so ashamed. But all traces of guilt vanished as I turned a corner.
There was George. Nothing new. With Marie-Louise. Still old news. But they were unusually close. Then I saw it. Their lips were touching…They were kissing! How…Did they really love each other that much?
"Oh my god…Oh my god! OH MY GOD!!" I said—more like screamed, my voice going from a whisper to a shout. George pulled away suddenly. It must have been the first time I had been speechless…or maybe not… "What the fuck was that?! Oh my god!! The King and Queen are gonna have a FIT when they find out! GOD DAMN IT, FRENCHIE!!!" I shouted.
"Ohh, Renee…umm…" Obviously, Frenchie was speechless.
"You…won't really tell Mother and Father, will you?" Marie-Louise asked, nervous and blushing.
"God….well…I don't know…" Truth tell, I really didn't. I had just witnessed George and Marie-Louise sharing their first kiss, and with her going off to marry an Egyptian (yes, I had heard. That's what I was going to tell Frenchie), I wondered if it would be worth it.
"Please, Renee, don't," George begged of me, eyes pleading.
"Uhhh….okay, I won't," I said uncertainly. George nodded to me in gratitude, though a blush still graced his cheeks. Then the two walked away.
"Wow, Frenchie got his hands full with that one," came a familiar cocky voice from behind me. I turned to Chibodee.
"She's arranged to be married to the prince of Neo-Egypt, blockhead," I said. He scratched his fluffy blue hair in thought.
"Eh, 's that so?" he asked, then yawned. "I'm tired, y'know."
"Frankly, I don't give a shit," I said, before brushin' past him.
"Damn, Pinkie's got some attitude on her," I heard him mutter from behind me. I snorted, and continued to my room. But once I was lying on my bed, what Chibodee said really hit me. Why was I being so snappy? Why did I feel so odd? An unnamed emotion welled up in me when I saw them kiss. And it made me angry. Why? Hell if I knew. I flopped onto my stomach, listening to some music while I calmed down. Then a word popped into my head. Jealousy. But…Why would I be jealous? Who would I be jealous of? Marie-Louise, for taking your knight, a treacherous voice in my head whispered. George?! MY KNIGHT?! You have got to be kiddin' me! But that little voice just wouldn't be quiet. So I turned my music up, listening to a song by P!NK, called "Numb." But was I jealous? Not a chance!
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DarkDragon: Ooooh! This chapter was a bit more serious than the others, I know. But it had to be that way, I guess.
ShadowTide and DarkDragon: Oh, and THANKS FOR ALL THE REVIEWS! YAY! *bow to loyal fans*
George: *changes topic* Is that devil really jealous of my Miss Marie-Louise?
Marie-Louise: It's MARIE or LOUISE, even MARIE-LOUISE, just NOT MISS MARIE-LOUISE!!!
George: Yes, of course.
Renee: Who'd be jealous of that controlling bitch?
George: Miss Marie-Louise is NOT a controlling bitch!
Marie-Louise: I SAID--
Renee: We know what you said, Princess.
ShadowTide: Please, stop this fighting.
Renee and Marie-Louise: SAY OUTTA THIS!
DarkDragon: Yeah sure. Whatever. *pauses* OHMYGOD!!
ShadowTide: What is it?!
DarkDragon: I just remembered something!
ShadowTide: And…?
DarkDragon: Stalker's DEAD!!! YEAH!!!
Stalker: I have come back from the dead!! I am here to haunt you!!!
DarkDragon: You--You're supposed to be desecrated somewhere!
Stalker: I SAID I was back from the dead, blockhead!
DarkDragon: Well then, in that case…DIE YOU DAMN JACKASS!!!
ShadowTide: Uh, DarkDragon…*tries futilely to stop DarkDragon, but to no avail*
DarkDragon: *won't go into gory details* AND STAY DEAD, ASSHOLE!!
~* ShadowTide *~
and
~*DD*~