Author: Fallen Angel

Email: fallen_angel_2012@hotmail.com

Disclaimer: I do not own Gundam Wing. Don't sue.

Chapter 8

"We can't have you leaving the party, now can we?" asked Trieze, walking towards them. Heero raised his small knife high.

"Don't worry, Heero," said Milliardo calmly. "He knows he's outnumbered and on a boat with no crew."

"Outnumbered?" asked Trieze with a smile. "You, dear Milliardo are in no position to fight me and I hardly think your sister is up to the task. Good to see you still alive, Miss Relena. Don't think I haven't forgotten what you look like from banquets back in England."

"It disgusts me to think we shared the same air for a time," Relena said in response. She was struggling to keep her voice even, though, since Trieze was well armed with a large sword and he had been right - neither she nor her brother were up for a fight. Their fates rested in Heero's hands.

"So you're the famous Heero Yuy," continued Trieze, his eyes falling on the dark-haired man. "I've heard so much about you."

"Then you know I have the ability to kill you."

"Of course. I'd expect nothing less from one of His Majesty's secret spies. And on any other day you might win," conceded Trieze, moving forward again. Relena moved to sit in front of her brother while Heero stood in front of them both. "But today, Mr Yuy, I have no desire to lose. Nor to die."

"If you surrender, I will see you get a fair trial back in England," said Heero, ignoring Milliardo's glare. He couldn't let personal feelings - his own or Milliardo's - could his judgement.

"A fair trial?" Trieze nearly laughed. "My dear My Yuy, in the eyes of the English government I am still Governor of this colony. They would no sooner put me away than they would Miss Relena, for example." His laughter died off. "Oh no, the only proof of my misdemeanours lies in the words of you and your friends. Unfortunately for me, His Majesty will accept that as gospel, honourable men that you are. So you see, there is only one solution available for me. I must kill you all."

"And then what?" asked Heero, not phased by Trieze's threats. "Sail this boat all the way to England on your own?"

"No, just weigh anchor and wait for my men to join us," he said. "So shall we cut the small talk and get this over with?" He raised his sword and Heero's grim expression became grimmer. Trieze saw this and sighed.

"Mr Yuy, what kind of man do you take me for? I wouldn't go to the trouble of challenging you to a fight if you weren't sufficiently armed." He took a second sword, one Relena hadn't noticed before, from his scabbard and threw it to the ground in front of Heero. Warily, the younger man picked it up.

"Good," said Trieze, and Relena noted that he really did sound pleased. Maybe he was after a challenge. "So if I win, you and your friends die. If I win, you may take me back to England."

"I only agreed to take you there if you surrendered," said Heero, taking up a fighting stance again, the sword before him like an extension of his arm. Relena hoped he was as skilled as he appeared.

"True." Something flashed in Trieze's eyes a second before he lunged forward, but Heero sufficiently blocked it. Then again and again. Relena had to concede that she didn't know much about sword fights - after all, they were dying out - but she could plainly see that Heero was on the defensive.

"Could Heero lose this battle?" she asked her brother softly. He didn't answer and somehow this worried her more than anything he would have said.

She turned back to the fight and Heero was again on the defensive, but he seemed to be slowly fighting back. Soon, he had mastered how to use his lighter weight and speed to his advantage, putting Trieze on the defensive. And it continued like this for a while, back and forth, neither conceding an inch. The only sounds to be heard were the clanging of swords and the occasional insults they hurled in an effort to throw the other off. Most of the time, the men's concentrations were so strong, such tactics didn't work.

A little while later, though, Relena could see that Trieze was getting his second wind and putting years of upper-class training to good use. Plus, the lack of sleep and heavy riding were taking their toll on Heero and he was beginning to tire.

Trieze saw this and fought even harder. Then, with a final lunge and a powerful swing, he knocked the sword from Heero's hand. It landed a few metres away with a clang that echoed through Relena's mind and the silence that followed.

"It seems," Trieze said between breaths, "that the best man has won."

"You consider yourself a man?" asked Heero bitterly. "That's a laugh. Anyone who abuses others simply out of their own prejudices and misconceptions has no right to call themselves a man."

"This false bravado is admirable, but ultimately useless. Just accept your defeat as you should, Yuy, and I'll make your death quick."

"But you have made a fatal mistake, Trieze," said Heero, with the ghost of a smile.

"What?" asked Trieze, annoyed and just a little fearful. Men like Heero didn't smile like that unless they had something up their sleeve.

"You've forgotten that this was my home for 8 months. I have the home advantage." With that, Heero brought his foot up then stomped it down with all his might. The end of the floorboard beneath his foot shot down as the other end shot up, flinging Heero's sword into the air before falling into his waiting hand. He smiled again.

"After such a long time, I got to know quite a few little tricks about this vessel," he said, holding his sword to Trieze's throat, glad that the other man had lowered his own weapon earlier in his confidence that he had won.

"Well, then," Trieze said softly, his eyes on the tip of the blade at his throat. "It seems I was mistaken."

"Badly," hissed Heero. "And you will pay for you mistakes."

"With my death? That will only make you as bad as I, Heero Yuy."

Heero froze, Trieze's words striking something within him. It was one thing to kill a man in the heat of battle, but to stand there and coldly execute him was something else entirely.

He knew what Milliardo would want him to do. And he knew what was the logical thing to do, what was justifiable.

And he knew what he would have to do if he ever wanted to be able to look Relena in the eye ever again.

"We will take you back to England," said Heero. He turned to Milliardo and Relena. "Is that agreeable with you?"

Milliardo grunted an assent and Relena nodded. Then her eyes widened suddenly and she screamed.

"Heero! Behind you!"

Heero turned to see Trieze standing right behind him, hand raised and Heero's own knife in his grasp. He must have grabbed it from Heero's belt while his back was turned. He turned in time to see this but had no time to defend himself.

Blood was already pouring from a chest wound and down the blade. But it was not, as Heero thought it would be. He wasn't the one bleeding. It was Trieze.

The thing was, and luckily for him, no matter how fast Trieze had been, a longer sword needs less distance to kill and Trieze had, in effect, walked right into it.

Heero was in shock, but Trieze only gave him a sad sort of smile as he saw the blade running into his chest. "Well done, Mr Yuy," he gasped out, blood on his lips. "You've beaten me not once, but twice in one day. It seems the best man has won after all."

Heero pulled the sword away just as Trieze slumped to the ground, his eyes open and unmoving.

"Trieze," Heero whispered. "It wasn't meant to end this way."

Behind him, with Relena's help, Milliardo had struggled to his feet. He stood behind Heero and placed a consoling hand on the other man's shoulder. "You did what you had to do, Yuy. He would have killed you otherwise. And us."

Relena stood beside him too. "Heero, you've done what's for the best. He was a murderer."

Heero didn't answer, his eyes on Trieze's still body. "If he was a murderer," he said finally. "Then what am I?"

31st December, 1805

Dearest Log,

That was two weeks ago to the day. After that, we turned the boat around and brought it back to the jetty. I must admit, we were all surprised to find Captain Chang, Mr Barton and Mr Winner already there. It turns out that they had come to the same conclusions we had after returning to Sydney and came down to the Nataku only to find it gone. They were able to have some fun, however, rounding up Trieze's guards and taking them to the jailhouse. I'm assured they won't spend much time in the jail since there were just following orders.

Trieze's funeral was not long after that. Despite Milliardo's protests, I went. I don't think he understood that I needed to do that to let go, to release any feelings of anger and vengeance I may still have held towards him.

Last week we also buried my father. My heart is filled with both sorrow and pride. He is dead, but he died for what he believed in: justice and equality.

I will try and live up to his legacy as Governor of this state. Yes, I know it's unusual, but not long after Father passed away, the people nominated my brother - as the son of a Dorlain - to be the new Governor until England sent word of a new one. However, my brother has never been one to stand in the spotlight and nor does he enjoy politics. He suggested to the people I take his place and after I spoke to them about what I believed in, they happily agreed. Milliardo is trying to make a big fuss over it - me, an 18-year-old and a female - as Governor. I assure him it is probably a temporary situation.

Speaking of my brother, his wounds are healing well, especially with the assistance of our live-in nurse, Miss Noin. Although, having seen my brother's face when she is in the room, I suspect the healing is as much to do with her smile as her skills. Perhaps, with any luck, I will gain a sister-in-law in the New Year.

I only wish my own prospects of marriage were so hopeful. Although marriage seems the wrong word. I may be young, but I am not so naïve to believe that a few months with a man - no matter what happens during the nights - doesn't instantly mean wedding bells. But since what happened with Trieze, Heero hasn't spoken a single word to me about our future, if there even is one.

Since we moved into Trieze's old residence, Heero has been acting as one of our guards, along with the other men. He lives in this house and I see him every hour of the day, but he treats me as if I am only Governor Dorlain, not as the woman he spent all that time with on the island. I know he was afraid to push me while I was mourning my father's death and learning about my long lost brother. But when I see him in the halls he passes me by.

Worse than the loneliness, though, is the fear that he is preparing himself for the end, for the day when I am no longer Governor, no longer in need of a guard. On that day, he will be free to leave me. I fear, with each day, that he will.

[12th January, 1805]

Relena stood by the window of Trieze's manor, looking out on the bush. Like everything else in this wild country, it refused to be tamed into order. Every few months, the trees and scrub had to be cut back as they rushed forward to reclaim their old land. Or at least, that's how it seemed to Relena.

If only I could be so emancipated, she thought.

Even now, as Governor of the colony, as a pioneer for women and with the independence of having her own home she was no closer to having what she wanted than she had been all those months ago. Worst of all, she couldn't understand why. She wanted to believe that Heero had his reasons for avoiding her - her pride demanded it - but as time passed and without evidence to the contrary, she was beginning to feel like an old shoe, cast to one side.

A knock on the door broke her out of her reverie.

"Come in," she called, expecting her brother to enter. It was getting harder and harder to hide her sullen moods from him.

But it wasn't her brother. It was Heero.

He was dressed in the full uniform of an officer for one of His Highness' Governors: a long, blue jacket, a crisp white shirt and black breeches and boots. The sight made Relena flush and to hide it, she turned back to the window.

"Yes, Captain Yuy?" she said quickly, hoping the less she spoke, the easier it would be to hide the tremor in her voice.

"So we're back to the last names, is it?" Heero asked. His sarcastic tone was all it took to push Relena's built up anger to it's breaking point.

"Look who's talking. I'm not the one putting a snowman to shame. If you were any colder towards me, Heero, I'd have to take my winter clothes out of storage." Relena spun around and found Heero's eyes also narrowed in anger and confusion. But this only infuriated her more. How dare he act as if this were her fault? "If you no longer feel the same way towards me, Heero, the least you could do is say so. Let me move on."

"Is that what you want?" His question held a secret sadness behind them and Relena's anger slowly cooled.

"No. I just…I just want to know what I've done to make you so cold towards me."

He sighed. "The Governor from Victoria has cancelled his trip here," he told her. "He received the reports that said you were doing a great job here and decided you were better off without his help."

"What does that have to do with anything?"

"It means that no one is going to come take this position from you, Relena," he said and though the words were ones of joy, he may as well have been telling her his best friend had died. "This is your chance to fulfil your dream of having justice in the colonies."

Relena's eyes widened in surprise. "Heero, don't tell me you think that there won't be room for someone in my life now that I'm a Governor?"

He sighed again, as if the weight of the world were on his shoulders, not hers. "Relena, you may not want to believe this, but it's true. People may gain power easily enough, but keeping it is another story altogether…"

"I know that."

"…then you'll know that it would be better for you to find someone who can help you. Someone with a high position of their own."

A frown creased Relena's forehead as his words sunk in. "So what you're saying is that I should marry myself off to some big upper-class snob in order to retain this position? What type of woman do you think I am!?"

"It would be for the good of the colony. You're the best person for this job and you know it!" His voice raised to match hers.

"A job where I have to sell my heart to keep isn't worth it!"

"So you would sell your heart to someone like me?" he asked bitterly. "A soldier? A spy? A criminal? A mur…"

"Don't say it!" cried Relena, walking forward and grasping Heero's upper arms. But he pulled away. "For Gods sake, Heero. Look at our friends! Look at your comrades! Hilde followed Duo halfway across the world to an island in the middle of nowhere. Quatre - a big newspaper owner - is in love with Dorothy, a woman of the streets. Sally loves Wufei, even if she can only see him for a few months at a time. Don't you think such a love would mean more to me than a job?"

"It's not just the job," said Heero, turning away from her gaze. "You're not like us, Relena. You're purer than us and you deserve better than a man like me."

"Heero, I was in love with you a long time before I even arrived in this country," she whispered softly. "You will always mean more to me than this. This country, this town…it isn't my home. You are." Gently, she laid her head against his chest. Her ear was pressed so closely to his body she could hear his heart beat. It was fast, erratic. "Besides, Heero, you can't tell me who I can and can't love. You aren't my father."

"No," he replied. "But he entrusted me to make sure you were taken care of. To make sure you were protected."

"And you've done that" she whispered, leaning in close.

"No I didn't. I tried, but I failed," he said and she worried at the slight sorrow in his voice.

"Heero, what are you trying to say?"

"I'm saying, I didn't protect you from the most dangerous thing to your future and to many other people in the colony," Heero said, his tone low. "I didn't protect you from me."

He pulled away suddenly, then, and Relena was left startled by how cold and empty she now felt away from him.

"Wufei, Sally and Trowa leave tomorrow morning on the Nataku. You knew that. What you didn't know is that I'm going with them. Back to England," his words were so clear, with him standing so close. But to Relena, they seemed to be coming from a long way away. "I don't know how long I'll be gone," he continued. "I don't know if I'll be coming back."

Relena knew, in the silence that followed, that he was waiting for a reply. But how could he expect her to give him one? She felt like she was in a daze and the patterns on the rug beneath her lowered eyes seemed to spin and blur through the rising tears.

"You've made your decision, then?" she whispered.

"Yes. Quatre will take over my role as captain of the guard." Silence reigned again for a moment and it weighed heavily on both of them until Heero could take it no more. "Aren't you going to say anything?"

She raised her face and whispered the words she knew would seal her fate.

"Goodbye, Heero."