The Guardian

Chapter 3

// denotes dream sequence

// "You look absolutely radiant mother," Relena told her mother from her spot on the bed.

"Why thank you dear."

"Wish I could go. Oh how I would love to dress up and dance the night away with a charming young man," Relena sing-songed as she twirled around her mother's room as if she was dancing.

Her mother put a gentle hand on her shoulder causing Relena to come to a halt and meet with her mother's caring eyes. "Someday dear, you will have a swarm of fine young bachelors lined up to dance with you," she told her with her warm smile.

Relena smiled and gave her mother a hug, inhaling her mom's sweet perfume. "Father was the lucky one if he was able to win your affections," Relena told her mom as she released from their embrace.

"I was lucky," a deep voice chimed in.

Relena turned to see her father dressed in a fine black suit standing in the doorway. Relena smiled, her father looked quite handsome in his formal attire. Mr. Dorilan strode over to the ladies in the center of the room and put his arms around his wife and daughter. "I'm the luckiest man alive to be in the presence of two exquisite ladies. Relena dear, your mother is right, soon you will have gentlemen knocking at your door and whoever the lucky one is, I envy him dearly," he said as he placed a kiss on her cheek.

Relena gave her father a hug and kissed his cheek in return. "Sir, your carriage is awaiting," the butler announced in the doorway.

"Thank you Jonathan. Ready dear?" Mr. Dorilan asked as he offered his arm to his wife.

"Yes. Now be good Relena," her mother said giving her daughter one last look before walking out the door.

"I will mother. Enjoy yourselves," she replied as her parents left.//

Relena woke up shaking and with tears streaming down her face. "Mother, father," she muttered weakly as she slid out of bed and slowly meandered towards the window. Her dream relayed to her the last few moments she had spent with her parents. 'If only they hadn't gone to that party, then, they would still be alive,' her thoughts melancholic and sullen. A sudden knock at the door stirred her from her train of thought. "Who is it?" she asked calmly.

"Dinner will be served in five minutes Miss Relena," Frederick responded through the door.

"Thank you," she answered.

Relena sniffed a little and made her way over to the bathroom to wash up. With a hand cloth, she wiped away the remaining tears from her cheeks and splashed some cool water on her face to calm her nerves. She took a quick glance in the mirror and grumbled, "I look like I just slept in a barn." She padded out of the room over to the vanity and ran the brush through her hair until it was smooth and shiny. "Much better," she remarked as she took one last look in the mirror before leaving the room.

When Relena entered the dining room, Mr. Yuy and Heero were already seated. "Ah, Relena, glad you could join us," Mr. Yuy spoke up as both he and Heero stood up.

"Thank you," Relena replied quietly and took her seat.

Mr. Yuy and Heero followed suit just as dinner was brought to the table. "I trust that everything went well with the dress fitting," the elder Yuy questioned Relena before taking a bite of his dinner.

"Yes, thank you," she answered politely.

"Splendid," Mr. Yuy said before blotting the corners of his mouth with the napkin. Giving Relena a curious look, he spoke up. "Relena dear, are you catching a cold? Your eyes are a little swollen and red," his voice rich with concern.

"I'm fine sir, just my emotions got the better of me a little while earlier," she answered coolly as to try and retain her composure.

"Understood my dear. Are you all right?"

"I am."

"I'm pleased to hear that. Heero, are all the arrangements for tomorrow's engagement taken care of?"

"Yes father. We should be expecting all of our guests," Heero responded curtly.

"Good. My dear, have you ever been to a party such as this?"

Relena looked up from her plate and dabbed her mouth gently with her napkin and placed it back in her lap. "I have always dreamed of going to an affair such as yours, but I regret to inform you that I have not had the chance to attend one," she replied quietly.

"I see. Well then that settles it," Mr. Yuy said as he placed his napkin on the table, attracting both Heero and Relena's attention. "Being it is your first soiree, I want you to have the very best. Frederick, go to the sewing room and tell the head seamstress that I want her to use the finest material for Miss Relena's dress. Also, arrange for a hair-dresser to come in tomorrow afternoon. I will take care of the rest. Oh and Frederick, one more thing, see if you can contact Ms. Jackson. I will be needing her services once again now that we have a lady in the house," Mr. Yuy relayed to his butler.

"Yes sir," Frederick bowed and left the room.

"Is that suitable Relena dear?" Mr. Yuy asked as he turned to face her.

"You are too kind sir," was all she could say, she was still a little dumbfounded at Mr. Yuy's overwhelming generosity.

"I think of you as my daughter Relena. With that in mind, I shall always treat you as if you were of my own flesh and blood," the father responded in accordance to Relena's look of awe.

Relena just smiled. Mr. Yuy reminded her so much of her father with his kindness and love and that was probably why she had become so fond of him. Silence overcame the trio as they finished their meal. Mr. Yuy retired to the library and Heero went up to his room while Relena decided to walk around for a bit and familiarize herself a little more with the house. Downstairs, she was roaming the halls when she heard the hustle and bustle of people coming from one of the rooms. As she got closer, she saw a door at the end of the hall slightly opened with a bit of light bursting from the crack into the hallway. Relena peered through the small opening in the door and soon found herself in the ballroom.

She entered the room to find more than a dozen people busy at work decorating and preparing the room for tomorrow evening. The ballroom was rather large and suited for special occasions such as Mr. Yuy's upcoming party. The floor was done with an ornate, gray Italian marble, two of the fours surrounding walls were covered with floor to ceiling windows, and to light the room, gold wall sconces and an enormous crystal chandelier that was centered among a very lavish ceiling. Relena couldn't believe her eyes, everything appeared to come right out of a fairytale, it was unreal. It was definitely a site to behold and she couldn't imagine what the atmosphere will be like the night of the party when the room will be full of extravagant guests. During her moment of bliss, Relena's lips parted in a yawn and she instinctively put her hand over her mouth. 'I think I will call it a night,' she told herself as she turned on her heel and left.

The halls were silent except for the soft steps that Relena made as she ascended the stairs to her room. Relena paused at the top of the staircase and from there, a dim light could be seen from under the library door where Mr. Yuy still presided. A small smile graced Relena's features briefly and she then continued towards her quarters. With visions of the next day's festivities envisioned in her mind, Relena drew herself a hot bath and soaked her weary body in the pool of suds. She closed her eyes in reverence as an image of her beloved parents came to mind. 'Mother, Father, the memory of you shall never fade from my thoughts no matter how many years may pass. You may be gone, but for what you have left me in your place, I am eternally grateful.'

After the soothing bath, Relena wrapped a robe around herself and towel dried her hair a bit. The chill of the bedroom after her bath made her conclude that a fire would be in order. With a steady fire in the fireplace, Relena put on her nightgown and turned down her sheets. Before settling down, Relena wandered over to her window to take one last look at the dark landscape before going to sleep. As she stared out at the litter of stars in the sky, a dark shadow crossed the grounds over towards the garden. Relena watched the figure closely as it continued along the lawn under the moonlight. Just then, a ray of moonlight hit the figure and she was finally able to see what or who it was. Then it hit her, she recognized that mop of hair anywhere. "Heero? What is he doing out at this time of night?" Before she could continue with her thoughts, Heero disappeared into the night, leaving Relena in a state of wonder. Seeing that nothing else was going to happen that evening, Relena snuggled under the layers of bedding and nodded off to sleep.

Relena awoke to the subtle sound of people moving about downstairs. She slowly sat up in bed and gathered herself before getting out of the comfort of the warm blankets. After wrapping herself in her robe, she sat herself down in front of the vanity and began to brush out the tangles in her hair. A smile grew on her face for today was the night of the big soiree. Her stomach churned with anticipation as she looked forward to getting all dressed up from head to toe, having someone do her hair, and to dance the night away in the arms of a gentleman. Relena began to twirl around the room, dancing the waltz as if she were dancing with someone. She was so caught up in her fantasy world that she didn't hear the knock at her door. "Miss Relena?" Frederick called through the door.

Relena came to a slow stop and answered, "Yes Frederick?"

"Breakfast will be served in ten minutes Miss Relena," the elderly butler replied.

"Thank you Frederick, I will be down shortly," she said with a sheepish grin on her face.

Relena finished getting ready and headed down for breakfast. On her way down, she saw dozens of people running around as busy as could be decorating the whole bottom floor for the party that night. The excitement grew even more within her, this was going to be an experience she would never forget. "Good morning Miss Relena," Frederick chimed from the bottom of the stairs.

"And a good morning to you Frederick. Is Mr. Yuy and Heero already in the dining room?" she asked politely.

"Both are waiting for you," he answered with a pleasant tone of voice.

"Thank you," she said as she made her way down the hall to the dining room.

"Good morning Relena dear," Mr. Yuy said as Relena walked in the door. "Were your accommodations suitable?"

"They were quite cozy, thank you," she replied as she took a seat at the table across from Heero.

"Excellent. Your dress shall be ready this afternoon at around four o'clock. Shortly after, the hair dresser along with Ms. Jackson will be here to help you get ready for tonight."

A sweet smile came to her face and a slight twinkle could be seen in her sapphire eyes. 'I feel just like a princess going to a ball but instead of having Prince Charming by my side, I will have Prince, "I've got a stick up my ass," Heero,' she joked to herself. This thought evoked a slight audible giggle from Relena as Heero eyed her oddly and Mr. Yuy just grinned in amusement. "My dear, what brought on this fit of laughter?" he asked with a gentle twinkle in his eyes.

"I'm just a little giddy that's all. Tonight's my first soiree and I already feel like a princess," she told him, part of it being true, but the other half was better left unsaid in her mind.

"That's always nice to hear. Now eat up child," he told her as a plate of hot food was placed in front of her.

Relena smiled slightly and began to enjoy her breakfast. After the meal, Relena indulged in a good book over in the study to pass the time away. No matter how much she did that day however, the time just seem to pass by at half-mast. About an hour before the hairdresser was supposed to arrive, Relena retired to her room to take a short nap before the start of an eventful evening. Her repose was disturbed when a gentle knock came at her door. "Relena dear, are you in there?" Mr. Yuy's voice sounded through the door.

"Come in," she replied as she got herself out of bed.

Mr. Yuy slowly opened the door and entered the room, shutting the door behind him. "I have a little something for you my dear. Won't you please come here," he implored.

Relena padded across the room to where Mr. Yuy was standing. With a gleam in his eyes, Mr. Yuy pulled out a box from his pocket. "Now this belonged to the late Mrs.Yuy, Heero's mother. I want you to have it," he said as he handed her the box.

Relena opened the box and her eyes lit up when she was what the contents were. It was a beautiful gold choker with a tear shaped diamond hanging from it. "It's so beautiful. I can't take this, I'm sorry," she replied as she closed the box and gave it back to him.

"No, I want you to have it. She always wanted a daughter so she could someday pass this on to her but since that dream was never realized, this would only collect dust. She would want you to have it," he told Relena genuinely, placing the box back in her hands.

Relena gave Mr. Yuy a tearful hug and said, "Thank you. I shall treasure this always."

"You are welcome dear."

After that moment had passed, someone else knocked on the door. "Must be the seamstress," Mr. Yuy said as he went to open the door. When he opened it, three ladies stood waiting.

"Here is your dress sir," one of the seamstresses said as she handed him a large rectangular box.

"Thank you ladies. You may go." The three women nodded their heads and went on their way. "Well, here it is Relena, go ahead, open it," he said handing her the box.

Relena placed the box on the bed and then opened it. "Oh my," emerged from her lips.

She pulled out the deep blue dress and walked over to the mirror and held it up to herself. "It's so beautiful," she said happily as she modeled the dress.

"I'm glad you like it dear. The blue suits you well. I will be looking forward to your presence tonight," Mr. Yuy told her before heading out the door. "I will leave you now so you can get yourself together."

"Thank you so much," she replied just before he walked out the door, but at that moment, he paused.

"The ladies are here Relena, I will be on my way now," Mr. Yuy said as a group of ladies walked in the door. "Good day ladies," were his final words before leaving the room.

The ladies nodded and went right to work. After more than an hour had passed, the women had finished getting Relena ready. "There you go Miss, we hope it is to your liking," one woman said to Relena.

All Relena could do was smile. Her hair was up in an elegant French twist with tiny golden ringlets hanging from the sides. "What a wonderful job you all did. I'm grateful for your assistance," Relena told the women.

"Glad you approve Miss. I shall be on my way now," one of the ladies said. "Ms. Jackson here will help you get dressed," she concluded. She gathered her things and went on her way. Now it was less than an hour until the party and the only thing Relena had to do now was get dressed.

"Come Miss Relena, we must get your undergarments on," Ms. Jackson told Relena.

Relena nodded and walked over to the bed where her undergarments and dress were neatly laid out. After buttoning a multitude of buttons, lacing up her corset, and putting on her petticoat, it was time for Relena to put on her dress. Ms. Jackson gingerly pulled the dress over Relena's head as to not mess up her hair. She buttoned it up in the back and then ran her hands over the dress to smooth the material out. Standing in front of the mirror, Relena spun around full circle to take in her new look. After eyeing herself for a moment, something came to mind. "Thank you Ms. Jackson for your assistance, but something's missing. Ah, now I know."

Relena walked over to the dresser, pulled out the diamond choker out of its box and fastened it around her neck. "There, now that's more like it," she said smiling. "Just need a spritz of perfume and my shoes and I'll be all set."

Ms. Jackson rummaged through the wardrobe for some shoes and found a pair suitable for the dress. With a spritz of perfume, Relena was finally ready. She gazed up at the clock and it was time, now all she needed was her escort to pick her up. As if on cue, a light rap sounded from the door and Relena took a deep breath and slowly walked over to the door. She was pretty sure who it was but it didn't hurt to ask. "Who is it?"

"It's Heero," came a deep voice.

Relena opened the door to see Heero fully dressed in a fine black suit with his hair in the usual brown mop. "Good evening Heero."

Heero raised his head and took in the site that was Relena. "You look nice," he told her.

"As do you. Shall we?"

Heero gave her his arm and the two went on their way.