Utopian Kingdom
Chapter 7
By Moony
Relena glanced around her. There she was back in his castle. She had come to despise sleep so…and yet she could think of no other place when awake.
"Good evening, princess," She heard a voice say. Relena turned and found herself face to face with the Vampire. Relena thought quickly on some reply that would seem to catch the Vampire's interest, however she could not. She simply stared at him with a confused look on her face. He touched her cheek. "No reply for your Vampire?" he asked. Relena didn't answer. Heero took this chance, grabbed her face, and forced her to kiss him. Relena didn't struggle against him. He pulled out of the kiss and looked at her. "What distresses you, Princess? You are not fighting me," Heero asked, confused.
"I, I," Relena started and looked away from him. "I have realized what you said is true. I am in love with you. I want to see you. I do not care about the kingdom. I just want to be with you." Heero grinned and grabbed Relena's arm.
"I am proud of you, Relena," he smiled. He looked deep into her eyes. "Now I want you to come to my castle so that we may get married and you will me my wife for the rest of eternity."
"All of eternity…" Relena mumbled in a daze as she stared into his eyes.
"Yes," Heero smiled evilly. "Forever."
"I'm on my way my love," Relena smiled and touched his icy cheek.
* * * *
"Did you do it?" Quatre asked Relena when she awoke. She turned away from him and swallowed the lump in her throat.
"Yes," she mumbled. Quatre wasn't sure if he heard the sound of regret in Relena's voice. She stood. "Lets get going. He's expecting me soon." Quatre agreed and the packed up camp.
"Today we will meet a troll and a gnome," Quatre explained.
"Aren't they the same species?" Relena asked.
"Yes, the Troll is the male of the species and the gnome is the female," Quatre explained.
"Of course," Relena sighed. "How long will it be before we get there?"
"Less than a day, then only a day more till the Vampire's castle," Quatre explained.
"Are we that close?" Relena sighed.
"I'm afraid so. This adventure is coming to the last scene. Speaking of that. I wanted to discuss with you what I have planed for us when we get there."
"I'm all ears," Relena replied and put her hands behind her head as they walked.
"You will be wearing your dress and I will turn invisible. I will be by your side at all times, but anyway, you will be standing at the door and he will let you in."
"So you're basically you're saying I'm a decoy?" Relena asked and turned back at Quatre.
"In a sense," Quatre sighed.
"But I want to fight Heero myself, besides, you will have your hands full with Dorothy as it is," Relena complained.
"Huh?" Quatre cried. "Dorothy?"
"Yeah, she's the second Born Wizard," Relena explained.
"You know there are no other Born Wizards but me," Quatre replied. "You aren't letting that Vampire get into your head, are you?" Relena gave him an annoyed look.
"How do you think I got that apple then? By luck?" Relena shot back. Quatre's eyes darted from side to side, like he was thinking.
"I don't know, Relena," he said finally. Relena sighed and turned her head back to the trail.
It was when Relena's feet began to ache that they came to a river. Relena had heard the music of the water long before they had come into view of it and it was a happy sight for her.
"Will we be setting camp here tonight?" she asked Quatre.
"No," Quatre said plainly. She sighed, but did not protest.
"This must run into the ocean that we swam in."
"Yes this is an enchanted river," Quatre explained. "But it is not a happily enchanted river. It runs past the castle of death. Heero's castle."
"That explains it," Relena sighed.
"Don't drink the water. It's poisonous," Quatre ordered as they came closer to the rushing current.
"That was a given, Quatre," Relena replied. "I'm not an idiot after all."
"Who was the one who ate the apple?" Quatre joked. Relena shot him an evil glance.
"I was set up," Relena said plainly and walked down the riverbank. She saw a bridge up the river. "Hey, there's a river up there."
"Don't go up there yet," Quatre dictated. "That's where the Troll should be and he's rather grumpy." Relena grinned. Quatre walked in front of Relena. "Follow me." He motioned his hand and Relena did as she was told trying not to laugh. This would most definitely be fun.
* * * *
Heero seemed almost giddy when he awoke. Dorothy had never seen him so happy.
"Why are you acting like this?" She questioned when he sat down on his thrown with a smirk on his face. He looked up at her.
"She has fallen in my trap and is on her way," he said plainly. Dorothy gasped.
"No!" she cried and smiled wickedly. "How devilishly wonderful!"
"Isn't it?" Heero laughed and stood. "I do believe your apple made all the difference, even though my time with her was cut short." Dorothy nodded.
"I must make a new type of apple that does not have an easily acquired antidote next time."
"Ah, but that my Dorothy will never be. Because," Heero said as he pointed at her, with an eyebrow raised in prideful gloating. He stood. "I am taking the princess for my wife forever. I will not kill her off as originally planned."
"Why ever not?" Dorothy shrieked in confusion.
"Why are you questioning me, Dorothy?" Heero said and frowned. His eyes narrowed and his eyebrows lowered as he glared at her. She blushed lightly.
"I just find it very confusing that you would, only a few days ago want to kill her as quick as light and now choose to keep her until the last bit of light goes out forever," Dorothy explained. "But I am not to question you. I recall my question. And beg your forgiveness for my insubordinate inquiry," Dorothy said quickly and turned to the door. "I will take my leave." Heero made no objections until she reached the door.
"Tell me when she arrives, Dorothy … and if you do something to her, you're life span won't be any longer than any normal human." Dorothy nodded and walked out of the room.
* * * *
"Who goes there?" a scruffy voice cried from under the bridge. Relena saw two beady eyes glaring at Quatre and her in the shadowed of the bridge.
"Travelers on a mission," Quatre replied. "We need to cross to complete our mission." The creature walked out of the shadows. He was a short and had a big nose. He had long black hair pulled back in a ponytail. He glared at Quatre, then glanced at Relena.
"What mission?" he asked.
"Destruction of the Vampire that has attacked our lands," Quatre explained.
"And it is just the two of you?" the troll asked.
"Yes, I am a Born Wizard," Quatre replied.
"Born Wizards are weak," The troll said simply.
"May we pass?" Quatre said, rather annoyed and not in the mood to argue with a troll.
"No! No weaklings may cross my bridge!" the troll yelled.
"Then what may we do to prove our worth to you?" Relena asked behind Quatre. The troll looked at her.
"Who are you?" he asked.
"I am Princess Relena of the Sank kingdom," Relena replied.
"A woman!" the troll cried. "No women will pass over my bridge as long as I live! Women are weak and worthless creatures!"
"What?" another voice said from underneath the bridge. A beautiful golden hair gnome emerged from the darkness. Her face was a beautiful pail color and she seemed the most beautiful woman on earth, though very short. The troll seemed to cringe at her voice. She looked over at Relena and Quatre. "Are you bothering travelers again?" she screamed. The troll seemed to cower for a moment until his male dormancy kicked in.
"Go back in the home woman! Where you belong and what if I am?" the troll cried.
"Wufei!" The gnome nagged and put her hand on her hip and gave him a death glare. He stared at her for a moment as if challenging her. She stood her ground. He finally threw up his hands and stormed under the bridge muttering something about women being impotent and good-for-nothing. Relena want to laugh hysterically, but she kept her composure. The gnome then repaired her attention on Relena and Quatre.
"I am Sally Po-Chang, the gnome mistress of this bridge. You wish to pass?" she asked.
"Yes, I am Quatre Winner of the Peacecraft nobles, a Born Wizard," Quatre explained for the second time. "And this is Princess Relena Peacecraft."
"Ah, and you are on a mission? To defeat the Vampire?" Sally implied.
"Yes," Quatre replied. "And we must get there soon. He has Queen Noin and we must rescue her before it's too late, if not already."
"You must answer my riddle to pass. This is the only requirement," Sally explained. "Once you have you have leeway over this bridge for the rest of time."
"We will take you up on that," Quatre said. Sally smiled.
* * * *
Heero was eager for Relena to appear at his castle. He wanted to see her finally in the flesh. Touch her with his real hand. Run them through her silky hair. Kiss her lips… He couldn't believe what was happening to him. He, the great Vampire, hated and hater of all had fallen in love. He didn't know how or when but the princess had caught him. Her defiance had triggered emotions and feelings he had never had since he had last been human. Heero removed the memories of humanity from his head. There was no way he could ever go back to that, take back the mistake he made. He was a Vampire and nothing could ever change that except death, but Heero wasn't that ashamed of what he was. A wail came from the dungeon of the castle.
"The queen," Heero mumbled. 'I almost forgot about her. What to do with her? I can't kill her now…' Heero thought. 'I could just keep her down there. Dress her up all nice for Relena then lock her up again. Make her seen when Relena wants. Once I change Relena, though she won't care about the queen. I could make her Relena's first meal…'
* * * *
Dorothy looked eagerly into her mirror. She watched as Relena and the Born Wizard (whom she could not see) awaited the gnome to give the riddle.
"Only a few days and all will be set. There will be one family finally ruling over the two kingdoms," Dorothy smiled to herself. "Heero will finally have his dream… and so will I."
* * * *
"The riddle is this, Born Wizard," Sally explained. "Forward and forward I go, never looking back. My limit no one knows, more of me do they lack. Like a river I do flow, and an eagle I fly. Now can you guess, what am I?" Relena and Quatre looked at each other in confusion.
****NOTE****
HI all, I'm sorry it's been taking me so long to get these chapters out. I've had a sort of writer's block. I'll do my best to get them out ASAP, but in the meantime, check out my web site here okay? Oh, if you have an answer for the riddle leave it on your review and I'll do my best to get back to you before the 8th chapter if it's eating you up inside. Also read the next part of my Destiny series if you've already read 'Destiny', It's Destiny: To Love A Woman.
Love,
Moony
