Authors Notes: Well here is chapter two, the story plot is just now progressing and they guys wont be in it till next chapter. Just so you all know!
Disclaimer: I do not own Gundam Wing but oh how I wish I did.
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Wincing at she dismounted from Goliath Hilde fought back the urge to scream. She hurt from the tip of her head to the bottom of her toes. Looking back at the dusty road she fought back her tears. They had been on the trail for two days and she was a sore as, well, she had better not say nor think the words that were trying to force them past her lips. Her mother would be beyond shocked and right now her mother needed all the help that she could get.
They had left their homes, their life style, and everything that went with it two days ago and it sucked, for lack of a better term. Though it was mostly lack of ability to use a better one. No matter how hard she had tried to keep from becoming like her mother she still had the training of a lady and it was hard to force from her.
The auction had been the worst so far though. People from all over had come to by what little of their belongings they had been allowed to keep that they could afford to auction off. That if anything burned a brutal hole through her heart. The man that her father had lost everything two had only allowed them to keep the most miniscule of things and it ticked her off beyond belief. She had been allowed to keep Goliath only because he was Greg's horse. When she left though Greg had given him to her. She had tried to refuse but he was adamant he had no need for the horse because he would never ride him and Goliath was practically hers anyway, or so he had argued. In the end he had won, as she was sure he knew he would for she could make herself leave him behind. There had been many tears and heartbreak between her and Greg's family but it was now all said and done, to her fog filled mind, much to quickly.
So here they were on the road, the dirty, dusty road with her sister who had not stopped alternating between whining and crying for the last two days. She was about sick of it but what was she to do about it? Yelling did nothing and she was sore enough to fall to whining to get her way as well.
Not only did her legs hurt but she couldn't even walk straight because of the pain. It was kind of a leg- outspread- type of walk. But even that hurt to the point where she could barely sit still longer than the time it took her to fall asleep. Even that wasn't very long. Her body, if left still on something that wasn't moving, fell asleep very quickly. That was after her sister had become to tired to scream about the bugs in her bed, that had kept her awake the first night. By the second it didn't matter, her sister and her mother were asleep before they had time to think.
Sleep for her was not mercilessly dreamless as the first night. She had tossed and turned as strange dreams filled her head. She was walking in a garden, in her dream that was; as she walked flowers and other plants were blooming and budding. Hearing something she turned around as fear and apprehension filled deep within her as if something that terrified her was there waiting and watching. And it scared her to death and then as she turned she woke up. Shuddering at the memory of the dream she walked up to the fire. It had already been built by the time she had gotten off of Goliath and onto the ground that alone spoke volumes in how slow she was.
"Hilde." Her mother's voice rang grinding in her ears. "Could you get some more firewood?"
"Sure mom why not?" She said in an acid sweet tone. Her mother was really starting to get on her nerves as it was. Walking quietly towards the forest she sighed softly to herself. She loved the country and it was one of the few bright spots on this trip, now if only her father would control her mother and her sister's tongue. Walking softly along the path she heard a crack from behind her whipping around she frowns before turning back to her work. She never saw the limb that feel on her head…all she knew was darkness.
Hilde felt the world slowly come back to her. It was something she wasn't entirely sure she wanted to experience. It was so much nicer to be in the black world her thoughts had been held at bay. Even though that dream had plagued her through a good portion of it. The rest of the blackness had been almost peaceful. But sure enough she heard muted voices and feeling was coming into her entire being. At least her head was not cracking in pain, as she was sure it should have been.
Hesitantly, opening her eyes she stared at the place above her bed. That caused Hilde to do a double take. A BED? Her heart was jamming in her chest as she took in the room in awe. It was huge and down in a peaches and cream type setting. She usually preferred more homey colors but it was done tastefully and it was a beautiful layout. But before she could put the pieces together a high pitch voice interrupted her thoughts.
" YOUR AWAKE! Ithoughtyouneverweregoingtowakeup." Her sister wailed, never minding that her voice was grinding Hilde's eardrums. " The doctor said you had a concussion, and that you would sleep it out, but you have been out for almost two weeks andwehavearrived." She hurriedly finished trying to get it all out. In the process she had managed to give you two pieces of information. Or at least only two pieces could be taken out of the mess of words she had just had spouted at her.
One she had had a concussion. Two she woke up. Great, she was no better off now that when she was asleep. Looking at her sister she raised a brow. " WHAT?"
Just then the door opened to a girl about Hilde's age carrying a tray of tea. She smiled as she saw Hilde sitting up in bed. The girl had honey colored hair and large blue eyes and a huge smile. She seemed nice to Hilde, or maybe it was just wishful thinking on her part.
" Its nice to see your awake. My name is Relena, Relena Peacecraft. You have been at my family's house for two days now. I was hoping you would wake up soon." While she spoke she had managed to set the tea down, re-arrange pillows behind Hilde's back, and poor tea for Hilde, Charlotte, and herself. But Hilde was still caught at the Peacraft part. The Peacraft were the ruling line of their country, how in the HECK did they end up with royalty? And if she remembered correctly Relena was the name of the youngest child.
" Oh, thank you for letting me know what was going on, Miss Peacecraft." Hilde said in a soft voice.
" Oh do call me Relena. If I wanted Miss Peacecraft I would be entertaining diplomats. Please, I would like to be friends and I hope that I may call you Hilde?" Hilde returned her smile with one of her own and nodded her consent.
" I hope you are feeling well enough to come down stairs for dinner. My brother and his wife would be thrilled to have you down in time. They are looking forward to meeting you. I must go and help Noin, but please dress casual. We prefer it in the time of friends." At the name Noin, Hilde almost choked on her tea. It was one thing for the princess to be here it was completely another for the future Queen, and she would have to assume King as they were inseparable, to be in the same vicinity.
Casual what was casual to these people? Well she would do exactly what they said. Looking through her clothes she sighed and almost screamed when she couldn't find her pants. Her mother must have found them, and well she wouldn't be getting them back if that were the case. She loved pants and often wished that women could wear them. Dresses of the day were ridiculous they could go from anywhere from 5 to 20 pounds depending on the dress. And that was without all the added necessities that were thrown in there just for the sake of it. The latest fashions though were to show as much cleavage as possible and as much leg. She was by choice a modest person and back home the rounds that her and her seamstress went through were legendary and they were more than likely to be talked about for years.
Sighing softly she finally just closes her eyes and grabs a dress. Looking at it she cheers to herself it was one of the fewer nice casual dresses she had managed to salvage only because she was wearing it when the men came. She was quiet proud of it and thought that she looked quiet well in it.
It showed what little figure she had but hinted at the women she was to become, or at least that was what her sister said in her charitable moments. It was a sapphire blue and she loved it but as she was always outside it was something that she only wore when company was over. First impressions were very important so she was going to be wearing it.
"Hilde can you come help me please?" Her sister's voice rang out.
"Yes, just a sec let me get dressed."
"Thanks I can't get these buttons and mom is in one of her moods." Her sister's voice wavered a little at the end of that and Hilde sighed. Her mother had a bad temper, which Hilde had inherited, and once she was mad she was a walking time bomb and the littlest thing could set her off. Which was probably the reason that he sister had asked her to come and help.
"What buttons?" Hilde questions as she ties the white sash that goes with her outfit
"These?" Charlotte says pointing to the tiny pearl shaped buttons that made up the back of her dress. Her dress was more extravagant than her own but it was pretty. A gold color that was offset with a dark blue it a lined prettily showing off her sisters curvy figure and matched her golden head to perfection.
"How did you salvage this one?" She questions looking at the peace. It was her sisters more worn dress as it made her look like a golden goddess and her suitor's back home had loved it. It also was worth more than all of Hilde's dresses put together and although it was meant for casual wear it could have been worn for more and had been in fact.
"They said that it was far to worn for them." At that she snorts before a wicked grin lit her face. "It also made their daughter Marry Beth look like she was green when she wore it."
Shaking her head she giggles slightly when a dizzy spell hit her. Stumbling backwards a little bit she blinks rapidly at the spinning room until her vision cleared.
"Hilde sweetie are you alright?" Her sister questions her eyes wide with fear.
"Uh?" Catching her reflection in the mirror she blinks she looked as pale as a ghost and her already to large eyes were practically swallowing her head. "Oh, sorry I got ditzy." Standing back up to finish helping her sister when Charlotte pushed her back onto the bed gently.
"No you sit down I can finish on my own." She says her own eyes wide. "I don't want you to have another relapse." Sitting down next to Hilde she eyes her blinking rapidly as if she was trying to keep tears from her eyes. "I thought you were dead." She admits.
"But I am not see." Hilde says pointing at her self trying to get her old sister back it was so much easier when she was in the shadows and who knew what would happen if her sister suddenly got noble ideas.
"Don't scare me like that again alright? I don't know what I would do if you left me."
'Go crazy because you would have no one to boss around.' "Okay now were going to be late so lets go get some dinner okay?"
"First how did we end up with the King and Queen." Hilde demands figuring this was as good a time as any time to get the answers she needed.
"Well, you see the cottage that we were told was bought out by them and re innovated. When they found out our plight they offered to let us stay here until we can find somewhere to live on our own."
"Oh"
"Can we go and eat now?"
"Okay are you sure your fine?"
"Yes let's go okay?"
Nodding her head she rises as elegantly as a Princess her own natural grace showing with her every movement. It was one of the many reasons that Hilde felt gawky and awkward around her sister.
Dinner was a quiet afar as the king and queen to be or as they preferred to be called Milliardo and Noin were very nice. Though Milliardo was a little two quiet for her taste but the Lady Noin was as talkative and happy as the best of them. A huge smile adorned her face for most of the meal, Hilde guessed that it had to be from the fact that she was pregnant otherwise she couldn't figure out any reason that someone would smile like that all the time. It wasn't like her sisters fake-look-at-me smile either it was one of pure joy. It radiated out of her like a fountain to the point that Hilde found herself wanting to smile in return.
She certainly laughed more than she had in a long while. Relena she found to be quite charming as she talked about the many suitors that had tried to steal her away from her family. When asked why she hadn't accepted one she laughed and said non-of them sparked her interest. Since she wasn't heir she didn't have to necessarily marry royalty like Milliardo had so she was taking her time and looking for that right person.
Hilde had agreed with her at the time and had barely kept her laughter from her face at the sight of her parent's horror at that comment. Looking up she had grinned at Noin who had returned the favor before adding with a solemn wink.
"Your parents are…I don't know, almost like court folk no disrespect meant." Relena whispers softly to Hilde as they walk back towards their rooms. Relena had insisted on walking the smaller girl to her room when she had found out that she was still dizzy.
"I know." Rolling her eyes heaven ward Hilde grinned cheekily. "They remind me of a over stuffed chicken. No disrespect meant." She teased as she chuckled at the face Relena made.
"I won't take any then." She said returning the favor her own grin stretching across her face. "Well my Lady this is your room."
"Shouldn't that be my line?"
"Don't know really." Relena answers smiling "But it fits so stop trying to steal my words."
A laughing Hilde bowed. "Then goodnight my Lady."
Climbing into bed once more Hilde sighed as she felt herself slip into dreamland.
"These flowers are so pretty." She mummers to her self as she walks a slight smile tugging at her lips. The first few times she had been through these gardens nothing had been alive but now they were blooming. Looking around to make sure that no one was about she leaned over and gave the tiny buds some 'help.
"There you go now be good and grow tall." A familiar peace was spreading it's way through out her being and contentment filled her. Though something else was nagging it's way into the back of her mind but what was it? She couldn't quiet put her finger on it and it scared her. Someone was out of sorts in this place and she wanted to know what it was and desperately
Feeling something come up behind her she winces, it felt almost like it was sucking the life out of the place and it was almost like it was trying to suck the life out of her. Like it was trying it eat her very essence.
Whipping around she feels her breath leave her in a rush, it was him.
Waking up with a gasp Hilde moans softly to herself. Why was she getting these dreams?
She who never dreamed in her life was suddenly dreaming every night. Slamming her hand onto her pillow she frowns and what was she seeing that her dream self was always filled with so much fear? Rolling over onto her side Hilde groans. It was to confusing she wanted answers and she wanted them now.
"Who are you? And is this happening to me?"
~~~
They say it was once a great castle someplace beautiful and courageous and that five handsome knights lived there all of them worthy of any maiden in the land all honorable.
And that they were the greatest leaders in the land, they were as they say on top of the world. Fighting by day and winning the ladies in balls and parties by night, or at least that was what the legends say. As all good things go though this one came to a bitter end.
One day though something happened no one was really sure what did. All that anyone was able to say was that the castle seemed to die over night and that the five knight's with it. It was desolate now no longer the beautiful castle and the people who had lived there left for they said that it was so place for them.
The beautiful castle the people the parties that become legends in the short time that they were given. Nothing was there but an empty hulk of a castle and its dead gardens and plants. For nothing inside the castle lived for long. And yet deep within its dark depth's something stirred.