"This is so exciting, isn't it, Noin?" Relena asked as she overlooked the huge hall in her castle that was being decked out in decorations.
"Yes, Miss Relena," Noin replied. "It'll be nice to see everyone again."
"Did the pilots all reply then?" Relena asked.
"Yep," Noin said. "Even Heero again. That's two years in a row he's agreed to come. They'll all be arriving tommorrow."
Relena sighed. "It'll be so nice to be able to see everyone," she said, wondering away from the hall. She brushed a bouquet of roses that was on a table in the hallway. There were flowers all over the castle, beautiful bouquets in stylish vases and tied in bunches and hung on the walls. The whole place smelled beautiful. "The flowers are spectacular this year aren't they, Noin?"
"Yes they are," Noin replied. "The perfect thing to mark an anniversary of the peace treaty being signed."
Relena nodded. "Would you have the gardener put fresh bouquets the boy's bedrooms for when they arrive? I think they'd like that."
"Yes, ma'am," she said. "I'll tell him myself."
Relena nodded. It was going to be a fabulous party. She hadn't seen Heero since the last party the year before. Before that, no one had heard from him in years. She never gave up that maybe she'd awake some semblance of humanity in him. She had to mean something to him after all these years, even if he never talked, never smiled. She could help him. She wanted to help him. She thought she loved him.
"Actually, don't worry, Noin," Relena said. "I'll tell the gardener. I fancy a walk before it gets too dark."
She strolled out into the gardens. The fading sunlight bathed everything in a soft warm glow. She smiled rather foolishly. Even after all these years of rejection she always eagerly anticipated the next attempt to win Heero over.
She was in such a daze she didn't realise that she had entered the garden where the head gardener was working until she almost stepped on him. He was working the rest of the weeds out of a beautiful bed just before the last light of day gave out. It was crowded with glorious roses against a fine, tall brick wall, covered in honeysuckle, slowly easing forward to blue irises and lilies and then smaller flowers like Busy Lizzies and forget-me-nots skirting the front edge, delicate tendrils of colour whispering against the edges of the green lawn. Relena loved these gardens. They were unbelievably beautiful and well kept.
"Ah, hello ma'am," the gardener said, noticing her standing there. He stood, brushing grass off his knees. "I've just about finished up for the night. I'm working on the big rose bed tomorrow."
"Oh, good," Relena nodded her approval. "I want to congratulate you. The flowers for the house are all beautiful."
"Thank you, ma'am," he said, touching his cap.
"Also, if it's not too much trouble Mr…Church is it?"
"Yep," he replied. "You can call me Max, ma'am."
"Very well," she said with a smile. "Mr. Max. I'd like some fresh bouquets put in the four large guest bedrooms tomorrow…no requests for any particular flowers. Just use your initiative."
"Sure," he replied. "Those are the rooms for the Gundam heroes, huh?"
"That's right," Relena nodded. "Well, thanks, Mr. Max. I'll see you – "
"Miss Relena?" he stopped her.
"Yes?"
"I have something for you…"
Relena followed the young man curiously as he went over to the wheelbarrow. He presented her with the most spectacular display of purple irises Relena had ever seen. "Why, thank you. Why ever are you giving these to me?"
"For misunderstanding you, ma'am," he replied cheerfully. His cap always shadowed his face, but Relena could see him smiling. He turned away and wheeled off his wheelbarrow, whistling to himself, cropped hair swaying against the back of his neck.
Relena looked after him, slightly confused. She shrugged and carried her wonderful present back to the house.
~*~*~*~*~*~*~
Heero pulled up outside Relena's castle. He left the car to the valet and walked up the steps. Relena was there to greet him, along with Trowa, Quatre and Wufei who had already arrived.
Everyone was happy to see him and talked excitedly about news and about the party. Old pain had died hard, leaving him sour and bitter, but around these guys, at least now, he did make some effort to be amiable. He tried his best to be polite. However, he'd been out of the habit too long so he mostly just stayed quiet in case he offended anyone. It wasn't often he thought of other people's feelings, but he made an exception for his former comrades. Except for Relena, but she never got offended, even when he threatened her life.
The day wore on into night and they were shown to their rooms to rest after their journeys. The party started the following evening so they had the whole following day to relax and enjoy themselves. Heero thought he'd just stroll around the grounds and find somewhere quiet to sit the day out.
He walked into his impressive room with barely and appreciative glance. He walked to the window to look at the view. It was beautiful, but he was blind to it. He knew somewhere deep inside him there was once a place that loved beauty, but he was empty inside now. He just stared at the glorious castle grounds with disinterest.
He noticed a familiar scent in the air in his room. He turned around and saw a pristine bouquet of white lilies on the table by his bed.
He walked over to them and gently brushed the petals with his fingertips. So soft…He had always loved white lilies. No matter how sour, morose or empty he was feeling, he always acknowledged the pleasure brought to him with the scents, sights and textures of the lovely plant. Very few people knew that. It was about the only thing he did love any more.
He sighed and collapsed on the bed where he fell into a black and dreamless slumber.
TBC…So close? Hee hee. Glad u lot have stuck with me this far ^_~!
"Yes, Miss Relena," Noin replied. "It'll be nice to see everyone again."
"Did the pilots all reply then?" Relena asked.
"Yep," Noin said. "Even Heero again. That's two years in a row he's agreed to come. They'll all be arriving tommorrow."
Relena sighed. "It'll be so nice to be able to see everyone," she said, wondering away from the hall. She brushed a bouquet of roses that was on a table in the hallway. There were flowers all over the castle, beautiful bouquets in stylish vases and tied in bunches and hung on the walls. The whole place smelled beautiful. "The flowers are spectacular this year aren't they, Noin?"
"Yes they are," Noin replied. "The perfect thing to mark an anniversary of the peace treaty being signed."
Relena nodded. "Would you have the gardener put fresh bouquets the boy's bedrooms for when they arrive? I think they'd like that."
"Yes, ma'am," she said. "I'll tell him myself."
Relena nodded. It was going to be a fabulous party. She hadn't seen Heero since the last party the year before. Before that, no one had heard from him in years. She never gave up that maybe she'd awake some semblance of humanity in him. She had to mean something to him after all these years, even if he never talked, never smiled. She could help him. She wanted to help him. She thought she loved him.
"Actually, don't worry, Noin," Relena said. "I'll tell the gardener. I fancy a walk before it gets too dark."
She strolled out into the gardens. The fading sunlight bathed everything in a soft warm glow. She smiled rather foolishly. Even after all these years of rejection she always eagerly anticipated the next attempt to win Heero over.
She was in such a daze she didn't realise that she had entered the garden where the head gardener was working until she almost stepped on him. He was working the rest of the weeds out of a beautiful bed just before the last light of day gave out. It was crowded with glorious roses against a fine, tall brick wall, covered in honeysuckle, slowly easing forward to blue irises and lilies and then smaller flowers like Busy Lizzies and forget-me-nots skirting the front edge, delicate tendrils of colour whispering against the edges of the green lawn. Relena loved these gardens. They were unbelievably beautiful and well kept.
"Ah, hello ma'am," the gardener said, noticing her standing there. He stood, brushing grass off his knees. "I've just about finished up for the night. I'm working on the big rose bed tomorrow."
"Oh, good," Relena nodded her approval. "I want to congratulate you. The flowers for the house are all beautiful."
"Thank you, ma'am," he said, touching his cap.
"Also, if it's not too much trouble Mr…Church is it?"
"Yep," he replied. "You can call me Max, ma'am."
"Very well," she said with a smile. "Mr. Max. I'd like some fresh bouquets put in the four large guest bedrooms tomorrow…no requests for any particular flowers. Just use your initiative."
"Sure," he replied. "Those are the rooms for the Gundam heroes, huh?"
"That's right," Relena nodded. "Well, thanks, Mr. Max. I'll see you – "
"Miss Relena?" he stopped her.
"Yes?"
"I have something for you…"
Relena followed the young man curiously as he went over to the wheelbarrow. He presented her with the most spectacular display of purple irises Relena had ever seen. "Why, thank you. Why ever are you giving these to me?"
"For misunderstanding you, ma'am," he replied cheerfully. His cap always shadowed his face, but Relena could see him smiling. He turned away and wheeled off his wheelbarrow, whistling to himself, cropped hair swaying against the back of his neck.
Relena looked after him, slightly confused. She shrugged and carried her wonderful present back to the house.
~*~*~*~*~*~*~
Heero pulled up outside Relena's castle. He left the car to the valet and walked up the steps. Relena was there to greet him, along with Trowa, Quatre and Wufei who had already arrived.
Everyone was happy to see him and talked excitedly about news and about the party. Old pain had died hard, leaving him sour and bitter, but around these guys, at least now, he did make some effort to be amiable. He tried his best to be polite. However, he'd been out of the habit too long so he mostly just stayed quiet in case he offended anyone. It wasn't often he thought of other people's feelings, but he made an exception for his former comrades. Except for Relena, but she never got offended, even when he threatened her life.
The day wore on into night and they were shown to their rooms to rest after their journeys. The party started the following evening so they had the whole following day to relax and enjoy themselves. Heero thought he'd just stroll around the grounds and find somewhere quiet to sit the day out.
He walked into his impressive room with barely and appreciative glance. He walked to the window to look at the view. It was beautiful, but he was blind to it. He knew somewhere deep inside him there was once a place that loved beauty, but he was empty inside now. He just stared at the glorious castle grounds with disinterest.
He noticed a familiar scent in the air in his room. He turned around and saw a pristine bouquet of white lilies on the table by his bed.
He walked over to them and gently brushed the petals with his fingertips. So soft…He had always loved white lilies. No matter how sour, morose or empty he was feeling, he always acknowledged the pleasure brought to him with the scents, sights and textures of the lovely plant. Very few people knew that. It was about the only thing he did love any more.
He sighed and collapsed on the bed where he fell into a black and dreamless slumber.
TBC…So close? Hee hee. Glad u lot have stuck with me this far ^_~!