Cinq Kingdom
"They're here!"
Arora reluctantly followed the excited Trynity Stryfe and Princess Ryana out the door of the palace and down the steps to where their three escorts waited with their motorcycles. Arora was skeptical about riding on such a thing, but no one else seemed bothered so the vehicles must be safe. While her female companions for the day hurried down the steps, Trynity skipping several to reach Duo waiting at the bottom, Arora walked slowly. She didn't know how she got caught up in this ridiculous excursion which was a thinly disguised excuse for Trynity and Duo Maxwell to spend time together. She glanced past the couple who were entwined, joined at the mouth in that repulsive Earth custom called kissing to see that Chang Wufei was being attacked by Ryana before he finally barked at her to back off and get on his motorcycle behind him. Like Arora, Ryana had been talked into wearing Earth clothing, but Arora wondered if she was supposed to forbid the Bayman princess from wearing the cropped T-shirt and low riding pants. Such attire would be considered dishonorable to one's house on Calabria. She didn't know about customs on Bayman. Arora glanced down at the jeans and sleeveless pink button shirt that Relena had produced for her to wear. She hoped she didn't look as foolish as she felt with a lacy ruffle around her neck. Trowa was waiting for her astride his motorcycle, and when he lowered his mirrored sunglasses, she could see in his eyes that she did look silly, even by Earth standards.
"Let me guess," he began when she reached him. "Relena?"
Arora didn't smile. How could she do anything but stare at Trowa Barton? His dark green eyes made her heart beat faster when they looked into her own. But after only a few seconds he pushed his glasses back in place and she saw her own reflection in the lenses. Did she always look so dimwitted when in his presence? No wonder he was embarrassed and hid from her behind those glasses!
"Hey you two, stop gawking at each other and let's get a move on." Duo was laughing, and Arora saw that Trynity had settled behind him on his cycle.
Her heart was beating erratically as Arora glanced from Ryana who was sitting behind Wufei, her arms around him, to Trynity who was resting her cheek against Duo's back. Arora couldn't sit with Trey like that! To touch the prince in such a manner was unthinkable!
"Come on, Arora," he coaxed, his hand held out to her.
"I cannot, my lord prince!"
"I'm not waiting!" Duo started his motorcycle and sped away. After a scathing glare, Wufei spun away with a giggling princess clutching him.
Trowa still held out his hand. "Here, I am not your lord prince, Arora."
She was shaking so badly that she wobbled as she came to him, but she ignored the hand he had extended to her. Despite his words, he was still the crowned prince, and she dared not take more liberties than she had already.
"Where is Apolo?" she asked as she carefully seated herself behind him on the motorcycle. There was a respectable hand span of space between them.
Trowa chuckled. "We can't all fit on this motorcycle. He is entrusting my safety to you, today, Arora. Where is your sword?"
She had no place to put the long bladed weapon. "Do not worry, my lord prince. I have other weapons hidden which can be just as deadly to any who would dare harm you."
"Hidden? I just might have to find out where you have them tucked away." She wondered what he meant as he chuckled. "Now feel free to grab hold of me if you are afraid of falling off."
"I would never…" Her reminder to him that she wasn't a weak, senseless female was cut off by her own shriek when he revved the cycle so quickly that the front end popped up and if she hadn't grabbed him around the waist, she would have tumbled from off.
As she clutched him, pressing her face into his back, her body rigid with terror, she could feel if not hear his laughter as he raced away from the palace. He was traveling at such a high speed that he soon passed both Wufei and Duo who beeped at them and waved. Arora's hair whipped around them and trailed behind them as he took curves at speeds so ridiculous that she was sure they would both be killed. Arora gripped him tightly, not daring to raise her head from his leather covered back as they cleared the city and continued on into the countryside.
They traveled for several minutes until he slowed and left the main road to take a dirt trail that eventually lead to a grassy path. He finally pulled to a stop at a clearing in a wooded area where there was a blanket spread out on the soft, mossy grass in the shade of a large tree.
Arora quickly scrambled from the motorcycle and fell on the ground when he finally shut it off. She was shaking so badly that she couldn't stand.
Trowa lowered his sunglasses and she could see in his eyes that he was laughing. "Afraid of a little speed, my lovely imperial guard?"
"You could have killed yourself!" she cried angrily.
The laughter faded from his eyes. "I could have killed you, too."
"I live to die for you, my lord prince."
"Ridiculous!" Trowa whipped off his glasses, tossed them to hang on the handlebars of his cycle, then dismounted and came to stand over her. "I won't have you dying for me, Arora."
Arora was too shaky to protest when he reached down to scoop her up and carry her to the blanket where he gently set her before pulling off his leather jacket and placing it over her shoulders. The warmth of him was still in the jacket, and it calmed her frazzled nerves.
Trowa sat beside her so that they were almost touching. As children she had sat near him like this many times, but when they matured beyond their childhood, she had become aware of him as someone more than the spoiled prince she had to protect. Out of necessity and deference to the honor of her father's house she had backed away and despite her duties to him, she had maintained a proper distance from him. If Dax ever found out about these moments alone with Trey on Earth, he would be merciless in his punishment, and she doubted she could count on any intervention by the hard-hearted emperor.
As if he could read her mind, he said, "We are not there, Arora."
"I think you take advantage of that," she heard herself say. Where had she gotten the nerve to speak like that to Trey?
Trowa raised a brow. "I think you have been taking as much advantage of that as I."
She felt her cheeks redden. He was right! How had she let this get so far out of control? "I…I beg your forgiveness, my lord prince."
He laughed. "No begging necessary, Arora." His fingers brushed her cheek as he tucked back a wild strand of hair. "You are beautiful, Arora. Has anyone ever told you such a thing?"
"You did," she whispered, looking down at her hands, callused from many years of gripping her sword. They blurred in her vision as she remembered the gentle Trey she had known. Why had he betrayed her? She knew that they could not be together, and yet he had given her hope then dashed it with his selfish actions.
He took her chin in his hand and turned her face to him. "Am I the only one who can see your beauty?"
"Dilan." He released her, and she looked into his eyes, for a moment seeing hurt in the dark depths. Arora wanted to reassure him that there was nothing between her and his brother, but the barely healed cut from her oath to Dilan itched as she clenched her fists. Although she despised his brother, Dilan had never pretended to have any but the most dishonorable intentions toward her.
The subject of his brother was obviously too raw for him because he changed it. "Have you been told of the appearance of imperial Calabrian warships in this solar system?" Trowa asked seriously.
Arora and Trynity had been called before the king that morning, and he had explained the presence of those ships. Arora could hardly believe it until she had been shown the pictures sent from surveillance crafts. "They should be contacted," she commented.
"No," snapped Trowa.
She frowned. "But…but they are searching for Princess Ryana."
Trowa turned his head to look at her. "And they will find me! I don't want to go back, Arora! I want to stay here!"
Arora was hurt by his words. "What about me?" she cried out, unable to stop herself.
"What about you?" His tone was hard. "You are just my imperial guard! Do you want me to return so that I can marry Princess Ryana? Am I to live with you protecting the life I share with another until one day an enemy of mine ends your life?"
"Yes!" Why did Trey refuse to accept the way things should be? Arora was ready to live as she must! She could be satisfied to love him from afar, to prove her devotion by protecting him. Why did he always have to complicate the natural order of their lives?!
Trowa stood up over her. "I don't want that!"
"You do me no favor!" she cried hotly as tears pricked at her eyes. "My father would banish me to the Wastelands before he allowed you to dishonor his house!"
He said no more as the other two motorcycles arrived and Duo quickly hopped off to head to the large picnic basket on the grass near the blanket. Shoving his hands in his pockets, Trowa walked away without a backward glance as Trynity came to sit beside Arora.
"Did he frighten you?" she asked with a chuckle. "Trowa likes to take chances."
Duo came to sit on the blanket, a chicken leg in both hands, but when Trynity reached out for one, he held it back. "Get your own, babe. This is mine," he managed to say between mouthfuls of food.
"Quite chivalrous, my dear," she commented dryly before looking at Wufei and smiling. "Would you be a sweetheart and hand me a piece of chicken."
The perpetual frown faded from Wufei's face. "Of course." He handed both Trynity and Arora some fried chicken, but the frown returned when Ryana tried to sweetly beg for some. Now he grumbled as he shoved a piece of chicken into her hands.
The day was warm, but a breeze began to blow as clouds drifted over the sun. Trowa didn't eat much, and stayed by himself sitting propped against the trunk of the tree shading them. Ryana talked Wufei into taking her for a walk after they finished eating, but when Arora tried to follow, she snapped at her to leave them in peace. The look Wufei gave Arora assured her that nothing improper would occur. Duo had eaten so much that he became drowsy, so he put his head on Trynity's lap to snooze. Trynity chatted with Arora for a few more minutes before she decided to lay down and close her eyes too. Arora thought it would be all too easy to defeat the imperial guards of the Cinq Kingdom. Simply feed them a meal and they became weak and helpless.
Looking around, she caught Trowa watching her, his gaze beckoning her to him. Against her better judgment, she went to sit near him.
"This planet is peaceful," he told her.
"Our planet is peaceful."
Trowa shook his head. "There is an undercurrent of discontent and malevolence."
Arora curled her fingers into fists. "What do you know? You don't remember!"
He put his hand to his heart. "I feel things here, Arora." Trowa reached out to take her hand, and before she could stop him, he pulled open his shirt and brought her palm against his warm flesh.
She tried to pull her hand away, but he held her tight until she began to feel.
Arora closed her eyes and she was surprised to see the crowded market plaza in the imperial city on Calabria. People were turning towards her, lowering their heads, bowing. Arora had always taken the respect of the people for granted, so now she was surprised to realize that the men and women were cowering. An anxious feeling now settled over, and she began to feel like a trapped animal.
A small girl wriggled through the throngs and fell at her feet before reaching up to press a flower into her hand. There were few flowers on an arid planet like Calabria. She was touched by the gesture of adoration.
There was a scream from the child's mother as an imperial guard jerked the child out of her way. The guard raised his hand to strike the child, but she said, "No!"
It wasn't her voice! It was Trey's voice. This was his memory.
"She could have tripped you, my lord prince!" Apolo held the child aloft, ready to toss the ragged girl into the crowd.
"I could have stepped on her and hurt her," said Trey softly.
"Deal with her!" barked an order from behind.
Trey turned to see the Emperor of Calabria, his father.
Zeno, known as the Butcher, glared at Apolo. "Do your duty, guard. Dispose of that worthless female."
He watched silently as Apolo struck the child and flung her towards her silent, groveling mother. Trey felt his stomach churn as the mother gathered up the bleeding girl, then came to Trey on her knees begging forgiveness, but Apolo shoved her away and a terse order from behind made him move forward. Yet he turned back and caught the black looks of the people. The flower slipped from his hand to the cobbled street.
"What did you see?" Trowa's voice pulled her back to the present, and she jerked her hand away.
"Nothing," she lied.
He knew she had lied. They stared at each other for a moment before a soft moan made her turn to see Duo and Trynity rolling around on the blanket entwined in each other's arms, kissing.
Trowa snorted. "We had better get out of here."
Arora stared at the two on the blanket as Trowa stood and grabbed her arm to haul her towards the motorcycle. By the time he sped away, Arora had seen enough of Duo and Trynity to disturb her thoughts for days. Did Trowa do such things with women? Did Calabrian men behave in a like manner behind closed doors? What was Ryana up to with Chang Wufei? Arora began to feel panic. She had been charged with the Bayman heiress' welfare and protection, and now she was speeding away from her with Trowa. Arora could do little but cling to Trowa's back as he raced his cycle over the roads. It was almost as if he wanted to kill himself on this flimsy vehicle, and Arora could do nothing to stop him. Her only consolation was that if he were killed, she would die with him.
They came to a small town, and he slowed as he passed through, then finally came to a stop in an area where a huge, brilliantly covered tent stood. There were cages with strange animals that roared and growled at the many people milling around to look at them. Arora saw men and women with brightly colored costumes and painted faces walking amongst the visitors.
"Where are we?" she asked after climbing off the cycle after Trowa.
"It is called a circus. It is a form of entertainment." Trowa took her hand although she tried to pull it away. She would have much to answer for when she returned to Calabria! His ignorance of custom was no excuse for touching him.
They mingled with the crowd entering into the circus tent, and Trowa bought a fluffy confection called cotton candy from a wandering vendor before they sat down. As Trowa was explaining the show to Arora, a young woman with a small girl sat down in front of them. The little girl was clean, but wearing mended, worn clothing and the mother looked tired. The little girl was exclaiming with the same enthusiasm that Arora felt to see the dazzling performers, but soon enough, the child's attention was drawn to their cotton candy.
"Can I have some cotton candy?" she asked her mother with big, begging eyes.
"I don't have any money left," the mother responded regretfully.
"I'm hungry," the little girl complained in a small voice. But she pursed her lips and clasped her hands in her lap as if she were used to such disappointments.
"You may share with us," Trowa said with a rare smile. "That is if your mother approves."
The girl's mother smiled at him gratefully. "I thank you, stranger. We have had a very difficult time since the war."
"Her father was a soldier?" Trowa asked.
"OZ," murmured the woman with tears in her eyes. She seemed apologetic. Arora knew little of the Earth history, but the name OZ was not revered.
"You have nothing to be ashamed of," said Trowa, placing a hand on the woman's shoulder. "I, too, was a soldier for OZ, and before that, the Alliance." He looked at the little girl tentatively pulling off small chunks of cotton candy. "What is your name?"
"Sarah."
"What part of the circus do you like, Sarah?"
Her eyes were shining as she responded. "The clowns!"
Trowa smiled at her. "They are my favorite, also. Look, we are running out of cotton candy! I will get us more."
The woman tried to dissuade him, but Trowa excused himself to go in search of the cotton candy vendor. Arora caught sight of the man immediately, but Trowa had gone in the opposite direction. Arora tried to follow his movements with her eyes, but soon she lost track of him and wondered if she should go in search.
"You are pretty," said little Sarah, distracting her. "Like a princess."
"I am not a princess," Arora told her.
"You should be a princess."
The girl's mother laughed. "Please excuse my daughter. She has quite the imagination."
As they watched the feats of the acrobats, Arora was only mildly interested. Their moves were commonplace on Calabria, a part of training for all imperial children. During that performance, Arora scanned the crowd for Trowa but he had disappeared completely. The cotton candy vendor paused by them and handed some to both Arora and Sarah, stating it was already paid for, then wandered away. When the acrobatic act came to an end, a rowdy, colorful group of men and women flipped and skipped into the arena. Their faces were painted into false expressions of excessive happiness or sadness, and they ran about doing ridiculous antics that had Sarah giggling and clapping. Even Arora laughed at their exaggerated foolishness. When they began to chase each other with buckets of water, one clown chased another towards the place where they were sitting. Arora gasped when he tossed the contents of the bucket and the intended victim ducked. But instead of water, white flower petals rained over Arora, Sarah and her mother. The crowd cheered and laughed, and the clown with the bucket, pulled a flower from behind his back and leapt agilely over the barrier to hand the flower to Sarah's mother.
"A white rose, lady, for peace." Then he pressed a small teddy bear into Sarah's hands before back flipping away, and with several other high flips and somersaults, he disappeared with the other clowns.
Arora stared after him, unable to believe her eyes or her ability to hear. It had been Trey! She was sure of it! They had trained to do these moves together as children and she recognized his style. But he disappeared again with the rest of the clowns before she could get his attention and demand an explanation. He reappeared later in the show with the clown troupe, and when he tried to make an escape at the end of their performance, he was grabbed by two burly circus workers and hauled to a large wooden circle that had been wheeled to the middle of the arena.
Arora almost leapt from her seat to save him except that she realized it was part of the show. Still, she felt uneasy about watching him being strapped to the brightly painted circle. When they were finished, they gave it a spin, and the crowd laughed and clapped as an attractive young woman stepped into the arena and the lights went low and a spotlight beamed down on her and the circle where Trey had been strapped.
"What is she going to do, Mama?" asked the little girl nervously. Arora listened for her answer.
"Don't worry, Sarah. This is part of the show. She won't hurt him. They have done this many times."
Still, Arora wished she had her imperial sword to save Trey when the young woman produced several wicked knives. When the wheel stopped spinning, she quickly threw them one at a time at the wheel, coming so close to the clown that the crowd gasped and cried out in fear for him. Arora could not breathe as she watched. Another set of knives was brought to woman, and Arora pressed her hand to her mouth as the men spun the circle again. Arora squeezed her eyes shut when the first knife was thrown and did not open them again no matter how noisy the crowd became until the act had come to an end. She opened her eyes to see Trowa take the woman's hand, and they bowed to thunderous applause and cheers. Arora was ashamed of her cowardice.
When the show ended, Sarah and her mother thanked Arora and went on their way. Instead of following out the crowd, Arora went in search of the circus performers. She had every intention of giving Prince Trey a piece of her mind for the fright he had given her. The things he had done today under her watch would have gotten her flogged on Calabria. How dare he jeopardize his life!
Another clown pointed out where she might find Trowa, and she marched towards the area curtained off for privacy. But she stopped short of entering when she heard a woman's voice.
"I knew you would miss me, Trowa."
"I was passing through and saw the circus," said Trowa. "I didn't miss you."
"I missed you."
Arora didn't like the tone of the woman's voice. She peeked in a crack in the curtain and saw them. Trowa was still wearing the clown costume, but the woman was wearing casual clothing that was almost indecently revealing. She had her arms around Trowa's neck and was pressing herself against him. The sight made Arora go hot and cold at the same time.
Trowa put his hands up to her arms as if to take them from him, but he suddenly chuckled and said, "I guess I did miss you, Cathy." He slid his hands down her bare arms and pulled her to him as he lowered his head to kiss her.
Arora felt tears prick her eyes and quickly wiped them away with the back of her hand. Yet she couldn't as easily wipe away the sick, angry feeling she got watching the young woman wrap herself around Trowa like a snake. Furious at herself for spying and seeing something that upset her, Arora marched to the entrance of the makeshift dressing area and shoved aside a curtain to enter.
"Trowa, are you in here? I was told I could find…Oh! Excuse me!" She congratulated herself on controlling her anger to sound innocently surprised.
The woman fell away from Trowa and turned to look at her. "Who are you, and what do you want?" She was obviously angry about being interrupted.
The strangely dressed Trowa Barton came to Arora. She forced herself not to glare at him. "I'm sorry I left you alone."
"She's with you?" demanded the woman, shooting a dark look at Trowa.
Good, thought Arora smugly, she's jealous. Then Arora scolded herself for her proprietary thoughts. Trey was not hers, could never be hers. Yet she didn't want to see him with that woman.
Trowa put his arm around Arora's waist and she fought the urge to push him away. She did not have the right to be with him like this, yet it felt so good.
He brought her forward. "This is Arora of Calabria, a guest of the Cinq Kingdom. Arora, this is Catherine Bloom. We have worked together in this circus for three years."
Neither woman greeted the other.
Trowa had to bite his lip to keep from laughing. He had no doubt that if Arora had her sword, Catherine would already be in several pieces and being fed to the tigers. Catherine glanced once toward the trunk where her knives were already stored and locked away. He could not resist kissing Catherine when he caught sight of Arora spying on them. Trowa wasn't sure how she would react. All afternoon she had been rebuffing him with the barrier she had erected between herself and prince Trey. Poor Trey would never have known Arora as Trowa intended to. He had strong feelings for the beautiful alien imperial guard, feelings he had never felt for Catherine. Kissing Catherine had been an unpleasant chore that had never felt right to him. He was quite glad he had done it now to prove to Arora that she would not be able to see him with another woman.
Catherine looked back at him. "Will you spend the night, Trowa? We have a lot to discuss."
She couldn't be more blatant. Trowa glanced at Arora and saw that she was waiting for his answer, too, her features schooled to indifference. "I'm sorry, Catherine, but I have to take Arora back to the palace. She is a guest of the king."
"Maybe later," she suggested. "I could drop by Seaside…"
"I am quite busy."
Catherine frowned at him, and he could see by the dangerous glint in her eyes that she had guessed his little game and didn't like being a pawn. "Well, we will be around a few days, Trowa, in case you need me. We have been asked to perform at the tournament at Relena's extravaganza." She smiled sweetly at Arora. "I will be seeing you again at the palace, I imagine, when I plan with Relena." Without another look at Trowa, she walked out.
Trowa looked at Arora. "I am sorry I left you alone."
"I wasn't alone. I was with Sarah and her mother. You made them very happy." She sat down on a crate to wait as he turned back to the makeshift dressing table and began to wipe away the caked on makeup. "Was it because of that memory?" she asked him.
Trowa looked at her through the mirror. Arora had no idea that her hair was tangled, that there was sticky sugar from the cotton candy ringing her lips. Dressed in Relena's borrowed frills, she looked worse than that little girl did; yet he wanted to hold her in his arms and kiss away the sugar. "What memory?"
"The memory of the little girl in the marketplace," said Arora.
A sudden pain burst in his head and Trowa squeezed his eyes shut against a blinding light. He felt the room spinning around and around until he was sucked away from the present.
He was running down the corridor, Apolo dogging his heels. The guards standing outside the chamber dared not bar him from entering. They uncrossed their swords and stepped quickly aside. Trey threw open the doors himself and walked quickly into his father's private chamber. He was lounging on a pile of pillows with one of his concubines.
"Trey, what are you doing here?" demanded Emperor Zeno.
Trey came to stand over him. "Tell me the rumor I have heard is untrue! You did not order that child flogged publicly."
"She dared to touch you!" His father was angry. The young female on his lap scurried away like a frightened rat. "I will not have those unwashed, filthy beasts touching my son."
"You are a monster!" Trey ran trembling hands through his hair. "She is a child! An innocent who didn't know any better. She was honoring me!"
His father stood and came to tower over him. "You are still a child, Trey. Someday this will all be yours, then you will understand why you must rule with might."
"If I must crush children under my heel, then I do not wish to rule at all!" Trey spun on his heel and started to leave.
"You will rule, Trey! Some day, you will have more of me in you than your mother. That is the day you will be fit to take the throne from me."
Trey returned to his room, and despite Apolo's presence, he threw himself on his bed and burst into tears. He hated his father! Turning to Apolo, he saw his guard and friend was at a loss. Somehow, Trey would make amends to that little girl.
"Find that child, Apolo. I will personally see that she is cared for."
Apolo quickly left, and Trey paced, wringing his hands until his guard and friend returned. Grabbing his cloak, he prepared to follow him out. "Let's go now."
Apolo blocked the door. "You cannot help her."
Trey glared at him. "Does my father forbid it?"
"I'm sorry, Trey. You cannot help her, because she is dead."
"Dead!" Trey stumbled back, horrified.
Apolo reached out for him.
"Don't touch me! Do you want to die too?"
"Trey! Trey! Are you all right?"
Trowa opened his eyes and realized that he was lying flat on his back. Arora was hovering over him, her dark hair forming a curtain over them. She wasn't daring to touch him, and he understood why, but Trowa wasn't playing by her rules. Not here and now. He slid his fingers through her hair and pulled her head to his. Arora didn't know what to do. He felt her confusion, but he didn't care. He brought her lips to his, finding them stiff and unyielding, but Trowa persisted until she sighed and relaxed. He hoped Arora felt as he did now and not as he did with Catherine when he endured her kisses to maintain his tenuous tie to her. This kiss with Arora made his heart pound and his head swim as a hot surge of need crashed through him.
He rolled Arora on her back and moved his lips to her neck.
"Don't do this, Trey," she whispered, but he could tell by the pounding of the pulse in her neck that it affected her every bit as much as it did him.
He kissed her lips again and slid a hand up to work the buttons of her blouse. "You can touch me, Arora. I am not Trey. I am Trowa Barton. We are not on Calabria. You don't need to pretend that you don't want me."
She moved her head away from his kisses. "Please stop, Trey."
"You aren't listening to me," he murmured as he slid his hand inside her shirt. "Touch me, Arora. I need you to touch me."
Suddenly he felt a jarring pain, and as he rolled off her, his disappointment acute and painful, Arora jumped to her feet, shaking out the hand that she had struck his face with.
"You weren't listening to me!" She stomped out of the dressing area, almost running into Duo and Trynity.
They watched Arora depart before Trynity raised a brow at Trowa, then went after her. Duo laughed as Trowa stood. The side of his face was burning with pain. "You'll be lucky to not get a shiner," predicted Duo.
"She hit me," murmured Trowa, stunned. He put his hand to his swelling cheek. She was not just window dressing as an imperial guard that much was certain now, if he had any doubts.
Trynity ducked her head back in. "I am taking Arora back to the palace. She is very upset." She shot Trowa a questioning look, which he chose to ignore. With a shrug, she left.
"Smooth move, Romeo. Now I have to ride back with you," complained Duo as Trowa changed out of his circus outfit. "I hope you won't kill us."
On the way back to Seaside it began to rain, so Trowa was forced to slow down. Contrary to what others believed, he did not want to kill himself, especially not now when he was sure he had found the missing piece of his life and it was not his right to rule Calabria. Without Arora, he was not whole. But she obviously could not feel the same for him.
Upon entering Seaside, Trowa was greeted by Apolo who quickly leapt from the bench near the door. His head ached, his body still burned with frustration, especially when he could still taste the sweetness of Arora's kiss. He felt as if he had a hangover and he didn't particularly want to talk to Apolo.
"He's been sitting there all day like a dog waiting for his master," commented Lars who was leaning against the door.
"The princess was returned to the palace several hours ago," stated Apolo curtly. "Where have you been with my sister?"
"None of your business." Trowa walked past him to the elevator. Apolo followed him. "Were you worried about me or Arora?"
When he received no answer, Trowa turned to look at him as the elevator door opened. They stepped in together, and when the door closed, Apolo responded.
"How do you expect me to answer that? What do you want me to say? Arora is my sister! You are my lord prince, and more than that, you are my friend and brother of my heart, Trey. I would do anything for you but one thing: I would never hand over my sister for any man's amusement, including your own. Even on this planet far away from our own, I must protect the honor of my father's house. I shouldn't have to remind you that Dax would use any excuse to rid himself of the imperial female of our house."
Trowa rubbed his eyes with his forefinger and thumb. "I wish you hadn't come to Earth."
"We are in agreement." The elevator came to a stop and they continued to his room.
"Do you tire of your duties to me?" asked Trowa when they were inside.
"What would I do otherwise?" Apolo seemed confused by his question.
"How long have you been my guard?"
"Since you were six and I was seven. Arora joined us a year later."
Trowa felt exhausted as his nerves finally began to settle, but he was disgusted by the revelations of his life. "Would you have sacrificed yourself to save me even then?"
"In a heartbeat, my lord prince."
"I don't want you to sacrifice your life for me."
"What happened to your face?" asked Apolo suddenly. "Can't that foolish female keep you safe?"
Trowa put his hand to his still throbbing cheek. "She was not at fault. I was careless."
"You are lying to me."
"I am not answerable to you." Trowa tossed off his clothing and lay on his bed. "Do you owe your allegiance to me?" he asked Apolo who settled near the window on the floor with his sword on his lap, "or to the ruler of Calabria?"
"To you only, Trey. Do you not remember the ceremony when I gave a blood oath to pledge my heart and soul to keeping you safe?"
Trowa propped up on an elbow and looked at him. "When?"
"When I came into your household."
"When I was only six and you were seven? Did Arora do the same? How old was Arora?"
"She was five."
Trowa closed his eyes. "Is it wrong," he murmured.
"It is the way," he heard Apolo say as he drifted into sleep.
"My lord, do you have a place in your household for this useless female?"
"Dax, I do not take concubines that young." Emperor Zeno laughed and was joined by his men.
"Do not even jest, Zeno," admonished the beautiful woman at his side. "Bring the child. She is Apolo's sister? I will take her into my household."
The girl clung to her father's leg, but despite her fear, there was a pugnacious light in her eyes. "I am not a useless female! I can fight better than Apolo!"
The men burst into laughter and one man suggested, "Let Trey take her as an imperial guard if she is so skilled."
"Indeed!" Many men shouted their mocking approval.
Trey's father dragged him from the table, and Dax forced his daughter to her knees before Trey.
Trey felt sick and tried to escape, but his father seized his wrist and forced his hand open as Dax did with his daughter.
"Stop!" cried Trey, but his father didn't listen as he pulled a sharp blade from the table and sliced open Trey's palm. Arora scarcely whimpered as the same was done to her, and they forced their hands together.
"Vow to protect him," urged Dax, his voice little more than a snarl.
Arora looked from her father to Trey's face. "I will protect you with my life's blood until I have no more life in my body."
The men roared their approval.
Tears pricked at Trey's eyes as he stared down at their joined hands. He felt ashamed.
"Don't you dare cry before your men!" his father whispered in his ear.
"My hand hurts," whimpered Trey.
Arora's hand slid from his, and he saw a bright stain of blood on the white tiled floor as she stared at her own hand with awe.
Trowa jerked awake. The room was dark but for the moonlight streaming in the window, but he saw Apolo shift on the mat placed on the floor where he slept. He was so attuned to Trowa that he also had stirred.
"Is there something amiss?" asked Apolo sleepily.
Trowa touched the palms of his hands and discovered the thin scars he had assumed to be injuries from his crash near L3.
He couldn't keep ignoring the truth.
He was Trey, crowned prince of Calabria.
His destiny was to kill his father or die trying.