Part One
***
Relena walked aimlessly through the gardens around the Peacecraft Manor. She scuffed her feet along the path as she strolled without a reason. She glanced over at a bench and rolled her eyes. Why did I end up here? she wondered. She sat down on the bench and leaned back, drifting into a memory.
He sat at the bench reading a book of some genre or another, not aware of her presence. Well, at least not visibly. Knowing him, he had heard her before she even glanced in his direction. When she asked if she could sit beside him he answered with, "It's your country; you can do whatever you want." She had smiled slightly, and tried to strike up a conversation but to no prevail. They had been interrupted, just as a comment she made had struck a surprised expression from him. He had left, as had she.
Now, that bench only meant more unwelcome, yet loved memories of her cherished Heero Yuy. He had been gone for almost two years and now she wished she knew the reasons for his absence and most of all, where he was. She sighed in frustration and laid her head in her hands, her elbows resting on her knees. She sat and stared at the beautiful gardens, her gaze lingering on a deep red rose. It seemed so full of the passion and vibrancy that she felt and longed to feel directed at her. She wanted a love, a love that would hold her and protect her from everything. But, if she desired, she could have almost any man of her choosing. Her problem was, as she frowned at the beautiful rose, that she didn't want any man. She wanted the impossible bachelor with depthless blue eyes. She wanted Heero Yuy.
A silent tear escaped her porcelain face. She glared at the rose in disgust as a butterfly landed softly on a velvet petal. Even a rose has someone to come running whenever they need something, even if it is just nourishment. She sighed in anger at her own enigmatic thought. As she stood and began to disembark, she say two servants sit down at the bench she had just vacated. They sat and talked, cuddling each other lovingly, with the sickeningly sweet look in their eyes of pure, innocent, love.
She looked at the ground as she swerved from the scene, images coming back to haunt her. His face so close as he pulled her tight before he left on his almost suicidal mission; the almost smile on his face when she ripped the birthday card he had given her in half.
Today was her birthday. Her wonderful nineteenth birthday. She truly was an adult today, not a fledgling of eighteen, but a true adult, if still under the term of "teen." She smiled fleetingly at her teary reflection in the small pond she had stopped beside. It looked to her like a distressed young woman who wanted but one thing that she believed would never truly come to her. She had the look in her eyes that she was indeed loved, but it was not the romantic sort of love that only a man could give her. Her eyes told all; all she wanted was a lover.
Relena's eyes shot daggers at her reflection. She stomped away again, this time aware of where she was headed. She was headed back to her quarters, her royal rooms, and a nice hot bath.
***
Relena slipped into her quarters and padded softly to the bathroom. She stepped through the threshold and into the marble room and started to run the bath. She unbuttoned her shirt and removed her brazier, and her skirt and underwear followed soon after. She turned off the facet and slid into the steaming water of the Jacuzzi tub. She allowed herself to slide down to her chin in the warm water, her hair floating around her. She glanced in the mirror across from her above the large white sink. This reflection showed a young woman with a luscious figure, allowing the steam to dissolve all the stress of the day. But it also showed the same sorrowful eyes.
Relena sighed and sunk in deeper. She closed her eyes under the water and blindly grabbed the shampoo bottle. She sat up once more and squeezed a small amount of shampoo onto her soaked hair, and massaged it in. To rinse, she dunked herself in the water, thinking of how wonderful it would be if Heero were there, sitting behind her, his arms around her, touching her tingling skin. She sat up and shook her head, flinging water in all directions. Those thoughts would get her nowhere, only more stress, which was what she was relieving in this tub. She was in the tub to wash her worries away to hopefully give her a good night's sleep.
She smiled, despite her sad dreams. Maybe someday I will have someone like that, she thought to herself.
Suddenly, she felt a hand and cloth cover her mouth. She tried to scream, but the cloth muffled it. She started breathing harder, and then began to feel dizzy from the chloroform they had placed on the cloth. Her last thought before she drifted into unconsciousness was, My koito, will you save me from this one, too?
***
***
Relena walked aimlessly through the gardens around the Peacecraft Manor. She scuffed her feet along the path as she strolled without a reason. She glanced over at a bench and rolled her eyes. Why did I end up here? she wondered. She sat down on the bench and leaned back, drifting into a memory.
He sat at the bench reading a book of some genre or another, not aware of her presence. Well, at least not visibly. Knowing him, he had heard her before she even glanced in his direction. When she asked if she could sit beside him he answered with, "It's your country; you can do whatever you want." She had smiled slightly, and tried to strike up a conversation but to no prevail. They had been interrupted, just as a comment she made had struck a surprised expression from him. He had left, as had she.
Now, that bench only meant more unwelcome, yet loved memories of her cherished Heero Yuy. He had been gone for almost two years and now she wished she knew the reasons for his absence and most of all, where he was. She sighed in frustration and laid her head in her hands, her elbows resting on her knees. She sat and stared at the beautiful gardens, her gaze lingering on a deep red rose. It seemed so full of the passion and vibrancy that she felt and longed to feel directed at her. She wanted a love, a love that would hold her and protect her from everything. But, if she desired, she could have almost any man of her choosing. Her problem was, as she frowned at the beautiful rose, that she didn't want any man. She wanted the impossible bachelor with depthless blue eyes. She wanted Heero Yuy.
A silent tear escaped her porcelain face. She glared at the rose in disgust as a butterfly landed softly on a velvet petal. Even a rose has someone to come running whenever they need something, even if it is just nourishment. She sighed in anger at her own enigmatic thought. As she stood and began to disembark, she say two servants sit down at the bench she had just vacated. They sat and talked, cuddling each other lovingly, with the sickeningly sweet look in their eyes of pure, innocent, love.
She looked at the ground as she swerved from the scene, images coming back to haunt her. His face so close as he pulled her tight before he left on his almost suicidal mission; the almost smile on his face when she ripped the birthday card he had given her in half.
Today was her birthday. Her wonderful nineteenth birthday. She truly was an adult today, not a fledgling of eighteen, but a true adult, if still under the term of "teen." She smiled fleetingly at her teary reflection in the small pond she had stopped beside. It looked to her like a distressed young woman who wanted but one thing that she believed would never truly come to her. She had the look in her eyes that she was indeed loved, but it was not the romantic sort of love that only a man could give her. Her eyes told all; all she wanted was a lover.
Relena's eyes shot daggers at her reflection. She stomped away again, this time aware of where she was headed. She was headed back to her quarters, her royal rooms, and a nice hot bath.
***
Relena slipped into her quarters and padded softly to the bathroom. She stepped through the threshold and into the marble room and started to run the bath. She unbuttoned her shirt and removed her brazier, and her skirt and underwear followed soon after. She turned off the facet and slid into the steaming water of the Jacuzzi tub. She allowed herself to slide down to her chin in the warm water, her hair floating around her. She glanced in the mirror across from her above the large white sink. This reflection showed a young woman with a luscious figure, allowing the steam to dissolve all the stress of the day. But it also showed the same sorrowful eyes.
Relena sighed and sunk in deeper. She closed her eyes under the water and blindly grabbed the shampoo bottle. She sat up once more and squeezed a small amount of shampoo onto her soaked hair, and massaged it in. To rinse, she dunked herself in the water, thinking of how wonderful it would be if Heero were there, sitting behind her, his arms around her, touching her tingling skin. She sat up and shook her head, flinging water in all directions. Those thoughts would get her nowhere, only more stress, which was what she was relieving in this tub. She was in the tub to wash her worries away to hopefully give her a good night's sleep.
She smiled, despite her sad dreams. Maybe someday I will have someone like that, she thought to herself.
Suddenly, she felt a hand and cloth cover her mouth. She tried to scream, but the cloth muffled it. She started breathing harder, and then began to feel dizzy from the chloroform they had placed on the cloth. Her last thought before she drifted into unconsciousness was, My koito, will you save me from this one, too?
***