Jaid: Hello All! Yes, this is it, the chapter were all (well, almost all) is revealed! Including, (drum roll, please) the name of the bad guy! Yeah, I finally figured out what to name him.
Naga: Took you long enough.
Jaid: Shut up!
Jad: You just wait and see what she named him. *Shakes head*
Jaid: Yeah, well you guys weren't much help!
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A/N: Thanks for you guys who keep reviewing; it really means a lot to me. J.B., I promise, promise I will e-mail you as soon as possible. That means after I replace my e-mail server. I promise!
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Chapter Eleven
Mieran put the papers down, her face a pasty white. She looked at Wu Fei. He had his chin in his hands and he was studying the woodwork of the table, his face expressionless.
"Tell me this isn't true." she breathed. Wu Fei met her eyes, and Mieran saw a flicker of shame in them.
"It is." he said softly. "I'm sorry that I didn't tell you sooner. Actually, I'm sorry that you had to know at all."
"Is that why you were being shot at?" Mieran asked. "Is this what all the letters, all the odd men, all the trips were about?"
Wu Fei nodded, his gaze fixed on the corner where the floor met the wall.
Mieran blew out a breath in effort to calm herself. "I mean no disrespect," she finally said. "But what the hell was your father thinking?"
Wu Fei's mouth lifted slightly at the corners, then he began to laugh. Mieran stared at him, wide eyed.
"Wu Fei!" she finally shouted.
"Sorry." he apologized. "But that's exactly what I thought when I found out."
Mieran's mouth twisted too, and she chuckled with Wu Fei. It had been so long since she had been able to laugh; so long since she had seen Wu Fei smile.
"Well, what are we going to do?" she asked. Wu Fei looked at her.
"We're are going away." he said. "Far away. I've broken the bargain, and unless we leave, Taycsant isn't going to leave us be."
"But that's being cowardly!" Mieran exclaimed, jumping to her feet. "To run from the enemy like that!"
"Mieran, think!" Wu Fei said, jumping to his feet as well. "Your pregnant!" He came over and put his hands on her shoulders. "You and the baby need to my main concern, first as a husband and second as a father! I cannot risk losing you!"
Mieran gulped. "You're hurting me." she whispered. Wu Fei bit his tongue and let his hands fall to his side.
"Sorry." he said looking at the floor. "I didn't mean to grip you so hard." He looked back up at her. "Do you understand? I don't wish to leave my friends in this danger, but…" he shook his friends. Mieran bit her lip.
"All right." she said softly. "I'll go. You stay."
"I don't want that." Wu Fei said. "It'll drive me crazy. I'll never know if Taycsant has hurt or killed you or even captured you."
"Then I stay."
"Mieran-"
"Wu Fei, you need to think! About our family, about our honor! You would leave, without correcting this mistake, without paying for the trouble you and your father have helped cause?" Mieran put her hands on her hips.
Wu Fei bit his tongue. He was about to say "I have no choice", but the words were to reminiscent of the ones he had told Sheriff Marquise. "I don't know." he finally admitted, sinking on a chair. Mieran knelt in front of him and took his hand.
"We'll stay." she said. "We'll regain your family's honor. If we work together, he can't hurt us."
"I wish that were true." Wu Fei whispered.
* * *
"You have your orders." Boss said, as he left the building. Midii nodded. Boss and his men mounted their horses and rode off. Heero looked at the sky.
"You'd better get ready." He commented. "You don't have much time."
Twenty minutes later, a small, slender boy with gray eyes rode towards the sunset.
* * *
"Papa." Mariemeia said, standing in the door way.
"Yes, Princess." Trieze answered, absentmindedly going over some paperwork.
"Mary says to come to dinner." she said.
"I'll be right there." Trieze answered.
"That's what you said twenty minutes ago." Mariemeia commented. Treize looked up, a slight smile on his face.
"I did, didn't I?" he asked. The tiny red-head nodded solemnly. Treize stood up and walked over to her. He knelt so that he was eye to eye with his daughter.
"Things are going to be a little different now." he said.
"I know." Mariemeia answered.
"I have to go on a trip." Trieze stated. "Would you mind staying with Ms. Une for a few days?"
"No." Mariemeia said. Trieze smiled, but there was a weary look in his eyes. He stood.
"Good." He scooped her up in his arms. "How about we go and eat dinner, okay?"
"Okay."
* * *
"I'll try and make this as short as possible." Rashid said. "Seeing as we don't have much time. Ms. Catalonia already knows much of this, as I've already said." He paused and looked at Quatre. "I'm going to be telling you a lot of things that are new, and may be hard to believe, but they are all true, I swear by my life." He blew out a breath. "My story starts with a family, over the sea, in a small kingdom called Sank." (A/N: Italics are flashbacks and bold is when Rashid is speaking)
Ruby and her sister Quatrine stood in the palace garden. Ruby scowled at the fountain, her ocean colored eyes narrowed.
"It's not fair!" she declared. "Why do we have to have arranged marriages?"
"Don't pout." Quatrine said. "It's not that bad. Prince Sercan is very nice-"
"Yes, if you think that absolute silence is nice." Ruby interrupted.
"Maybe he's shy."
Ruby gave a very unlady-like snort. "Shy, right."
"You'll be Queen one day."
"I hate crowns."
"You'll be famous."
"I hate publicity."
"This is what Mother wants."
"I hate you!" Ruby shouted.
"No you don't" Quatrine said, then sadly smiled. "Just live with it Ruby, we don't have much choice, unless you want to be like Helen and join a nunnery."
Ruby shuddered. "No! But at least she doesn't have to get married."
Quatrine and Ruby Hart were both married that year. Quatrine married Lord Raberba Winner and Ruby, Prince Sercan Peacecraft. Despite her misgivings, Ruby and Sercan grew to love each other and when the old King died, they both seemed to be promising rulers. But, things were soon to change.
Ruby bit her tongue and twisted her fingers nervously. "He late." she thought. She got up and begin to pace, waiting for Sercan. He finally entered, his face emotionless, except for his pale blue eyes. They were tired and worried. Lord Winner and General Joel Catalonia followed him. Ruby stood, a nervous apprehension twisting her insides.
"It's happened, Ruby." Sercan said quietly.
"What has?"
"Rebellion."
I'm not sure how the Rebellion started, or who began it. But within the space of six months, the Sank kingdom was reduced to three cities. Queen Ruby and her sister Quatrine, as well as the General's young wife Emma were sent to England. Ruby didn't want to go. She was sure it would be the last time she would see Sercan. Unfortunately, she was right.
"I'm not going!" the Queen declared. Sercan looked rather helplessly at his wife, five months pregnant.
"Ruby, you have to." he said. "It's getting to dangerous. You and Millardo and the other women need to go to safety."
Ruby gulped and looked at her three year old son. He had his father's ice blue eyes, but her white blonde hair. "Quatrine can take him. I want to stay with you. I'm not afraid to fight!"
Sercan smiled wryly. "I know your not." he said softly. "But, you're pregnant, and I don't want you or the child to be harmed. Please," he begged taking her hands. "Go with Maguanacs. They'll take you to safety. I promise we'll see each other again."
Ruby finally broke down and sobbed, clutching her husband. He held her tightly, as a few, unwilling tears slipped down his face.
"This'll be the last time I see you, I know it." Ruby whispered.
Sercan smiled. "There now, aren't you being just a little over-dramatic?"
"No."
Sercan kissed the top of her head. "Go now." he said softly. "I'll see you again."
Ruby didn't survive the second child's birth. The news that Sercan had fallen caused her to go into premature labor, and she died a few moments after she brought her baby girl into the world. Before she died, she named the girl Relena, which meant "Queen". She thought it would be fitting. Quatrine and Emma also bore their children. Emma a daughter, Dorothy, and Quatrine a boy, Quatre. Several months passed, and the situation seemed to be stabilized. The people then requested that Quatrine, the sister of their Queen, become the new ruler. She accepted. However, the request was a ruse. Lord Winner and Lady Quatrine were killed on their way back to the capital. Lady Catalonia managed to escape, with the children. Several of us were worried. So, we took what children of the royal court there were living and fled to America.
This is but a short summary of the events that happened nineteen years ago, and I have not included many details. But the crux is this, the people of Sank have decided that they do not like democracy, and desire a King and Queen again. This has a caused a mad stir among those who have claims to the throne, no matter how slight. One of them is Armond Traycsant. He was the exiled cousin of the King. He can claim the throne, but only if the Prince and Princess and Lord Quatre are dead. That is why he has come here. For years, Dorothy Catalonia, her cousin Trieze, and I have searched for the missing three. And now we have found one.
Rashid looked directly at Quatre. Quatre sat there, not sure what to do or say. Rashid walked over to him, and knelt.
"On behalf of my people," he whispered. "I request that you come to Sank, and restore the order and prosperity that was once ours. I do not ask it lightly; it will be difficult. But I can assure you of this, if you accept, you will have the protection and the loyalty of the Maganaucs, the royal guards of the court." He placed the locket in Quatre's hand. "It is your decision, my Lord." With that, he stood, and he and Abdul exited the room.
* * *
The next morning, Trieze opened the door. Rashid stood there. Trieze smiled and invited him in.
"I have some good news." Rashid said, once they were seated in the parlor. "I have found Lady Winner's son."
Trieze leaned forward. "Really? Who?" Suddenly he sat up. "Don't tell me…"
"Yes." Rashid answered. Trieze nodded.
"You were right." Rashid went on. "But now, we have some proof."
"Did you tell him?" Trieze asked.
Rashid nodded.
"And?"
"He wishes to think about it."
Trieze nodded. "The sort of thing he would say. But he'd better hurry. We're rapidly running out of time."
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Jaid: Sorry it's so short. Hee, hee, can anyone say "unrealistic plot"? Well, with them time traveling and a bunch of Arabian guys in the middle of the desert, I figured that reality had pretty much been thrown out of the window. ^__^ I need your guys' votes again! Should I let Zechs and Relena find out about their, uh, forgot the word I wanted, uh, parentage or something…you know what I mean…anyway, should they find out? And does anybody have any idea of how I should bring Sally more into this? She's one of my fav characters, but there isn't much for her to do. Oh, and I realized that I've been spelling Wu Fei wrong. Oops, hee, hee.
Naga: Oh cut it out already. The reader's falling asleep!
Jaid: Shut up! Anyway, again, I aplogize for the shortness of this chapter. My brain's a little fizzled, I went to see "Fellowship of the Rings" today and I'm not used to staring at a screen for so long…That's a great movie! I definitely recommend (unless you get nightmares easily, it's a little scary at parts. Definitely not a kiddie movie.)
Naga: *stuffs a sock in Jaid's mouth* Please R&R!