Sayla looked back across the ballroom to the chair where Kishiria had been
sitting. It was now empty. The royals wanted a private meeting with her.
What could she do? She put her drink down and mutely followed the girl.
She was brought into a sunny parlour where the chairs looked comfortable and the tables were the perfect height for tea. Kishiria was in a wingback chair, her shoes a short distance away. Char stood behind her chair, smiling at Sayla. He'd removed his gloves and Sayla's eyes were automatically drawn to his wedding band.
Sayla had been briefed on the proper etiquette. She curtsied and said, "Good afternoon, Your Majesty. Congragulations."
Kishiria reached up and removed the crown from her head, placing it on the table beside her. "Have a seat, Sayla, and call me Kishiria. This is a family reunion, after all."
Sayla sat down. "So you decided to give up your idiotic pursuit of revenge, Casval. Instead of killing Zabis, now you're marrying them. Which is worse?"
Kishiria laughed. "I like this sister of yours, Char! She's trouble."
"I have nothing against you, Kishiria. On the other hand, I have a great deal of resentment for my brother, who abandoned me to kill your family off, then called me weak for not joining him."
Char finally took a seat. "I've had a change in priorities. New Types are the only things that matter. Kishiria has always known this. She was researching before Earth even admitted we were a possibility."
"I admit I was only researching the use of New Types as soldiers," Kishiria said. "Still, people said I was crazy. Said I was wasting tax dollars. Now who's laughing?"
"I am more than a little suspicious of research done on New Types by Old Types who want to exploit--"
Sayla's words were cut off by Kishiria's voice in her mind, saying, {I know your brother hurt you. Forgive him. As one who lost all her brothers with no time to say 'goodbye' or 'I love you', I beg you to forgive him.}
"Kishiria is a New Type," Char said, unaware of the message sent to Sayla. "So is our baby. Kishiria is five months pregnant. You're going to be an aunt."
"Congratulations, Casval."
"I hope you'll consider joining us here on Jion," Char went on. "We're your family, after all."
Sayla looked at the floor. "All my life, I've looked for the place where I belong. I can't say yes, but I suppose I can think about it."
Kishiria pushed herself out of her chair. "Wait for us here, Char. Sayla, walk with me?"
Sayla followed the other woman out to an enclosed garden. "I remember this place," Sayla said. "My mother liked to do her reading here."
"Does the Federation have any idea who you are, Sayla?"
Sayla jumped a little. "I don't think so. I had to tell my shipmates, but otherwise it's a secret."
"You should think about staying here, as Char said. The war isn't over. It's just in a cold phase. What if you get caught?"
"You're being very diplomatic about this, Kishiria. You haven't urged me to 'come home' once."
"I have no illusions that this is not your home. You were only a little girl when you left."
"I was seven."
"I used to babysit for you and your brother. Your father paid cheaply, too, so I did it largely for the fun of pretending you were mine." Kishiria placed a hand under the black velvet panels of her dress. "I'm hoping the baby's a girl, because you were always my image of the perfect child."
Sayla blushed, then decided to equally embarrass Kishiria. "Do you love him?"
"Who, Char?"
"Of course."
Sayla was right. Kishiria was very uncomfortable with the question and immediately started examining the leaves on a bush. "We're friends. We need each other politically, although I think we've been becoming closer as people, lately."
"That's hardly an answer."
Kishiria looked her in the eye. "All right. Remember when you were a younger teen, and there was some famous male, an actor, a singer, a sports hero, and you just absolutely ached to be his? Remember that crush?"
Sayla smiled a little, thinking of a few such objects of desire. "Oh yes."
"I married mine."
Sayla laughed. "Then I suppose you're a lucky woman."
"I hope so. Now, follow Hamaan back out. I'll be out there again soon to end the festivities."
"What did the queen want?" Kai asked when she returned.
Sayla had to think of something quickly, not for her friends but for anyone listening in. "She wanted to meet someone who piloted the Gundam, since Amuro isn't here. Then they tried to talk me into staying, but I said no."
The reception officially ended with the playing of the national anthem and Kishiria retreating from the ballroom. "I'm sure that didn't come a moment too soon for her," said Mirai as they exited out onto the street. "She looked beat."
"At least we can drop all the formalities and be normal people now," Kai said.
"You got that right. Let's go get pizza," Hayato suggested. With no objections, they headed off towards parts unknown.
Back at the palace, Char emerged from his room in the quarters he and Kishiria had moved into to find that Kishiria was already back in the outfit she'd settled on for her casual moments; loose slacks and a man's dress shirt, untucked over her stomach. She was in the process of walking to her private study, followed by Margaret and Hamaan. Both of them were carrying boxes of letters.
"I'm just going to start on the various thank you notes," she told Char. "I didn't expect I'd be getting gifts and messages from every tiny government in the system. Where are you off to?"
Char shrugged. "I was thinking of getting together with the guys for a beer."
Kishiria turned to her assistants. "Go put those in my study. I'll join you there." After they'd left, she went on, "Char, don't you think you should be spending time with your sister?"
"I don't think Artesia wants me in her life anymore. I'm willing to respect her wishes."
"I think she does. She's certainly very concerned about your happiness. Char, listen. Sayla--and she's Sayla now, just like you're Char--has every right to be furious at you. You abandoned her after both your parents died. I know you had this whole revenge thing happening, but haven't you finally realized how deranged it was for you to put killing us Zabis ahead of taking care of your own flesh and blood? Go and apologize to her, Char! She's going to need you."
"I've seen to her needs already. My gentle sister will never want for--"
"So you're telling me you paid her off."
"I gave her her share of our father's legacy."
"Char, you have a choice. Walk out that door and apologize to Sayla or walk out the door and back to Bachelor Officers'." Kishiria turned on her heel and stalked off towards her study.
Shortly after, the White Base gang was sitting in Mirai's and Bright's room with the aforementioned pizza and a case of beer. A knock came on the door. Bright answered it and turned back to call, "Sayla! It's for you."
All conversation in the room halted and the temperature dropped what felt like ten degrees as the Red Comet walked into the room, dressed in the scarlet uniform they all knew too well. Sayla, who was sitting on the floor with Kai, gaped up at her brother.
"Artesia, I came to apologize to you. I abandoned you when you needed me and treated you with contempt when you chose a path that didn't follow mine. I was wrong and I am sorry."
There was more silence. Kai looked like he might say something, but wisely restrained himself. Finally, Sayla stood."
"I've waited five years to hear you say that, Casval." She walked up to him and put her arms around him. Char hesitated for a moment, then returned the embrace. Sayla's hands clutched at the back of his tunic and he realized she was crying.
"Artesia...don't do that. It's all over now. You can stay here, we'll be a family again."
Sayla stood back and shook her head. "No, it's all right. I've built a life for myself here with my friends. To come back to Side 3 now wouldn't feel right. I'll come back to visit after your baby's born. I think Kishiria wants that."
"She's become very fond of you already. Perhaps it's better that you stay away. I don't think I could live with both of you united against me."
Sayla laughed.
"I can see you've already eaten, but maybe I could take my little sister out for ice cream?"
"I think you could do that." Sayla looked to Bright for approval, and he nodded his head. Sayla got her shoes and walked from the hotel room with her brother. By the time they reached the first street corner, they were holding hands.
What could she do? She put her drink down and mutely followed the girl.
She was brought into a sunny parlour where the chairs looked comfortable and the tables were the perfect height for tea. Kishiria was in a wingback chair, her shoes a short distance away. Char stood behind her chair, smiling at Sayla. He'd removed his gloves and Sayla's eyes were automatically drawn to his wedding band.
Sayla had been briefed on the proper etiquette. She curtsied and said, "Good afternoon, Your Majesty. Congragulations."
Kishiria reached up and removed the crown from her head, placing it on the table beside her. "Have a seat, Sayla, and call me Kishiria. This is a family reunion, after all."
Sayla sat down. "So you decided to give up your idiotic pursuit of revenge, Casval. Instead of killing Zabis, now you're marrying them. Which is worse?"
Kishiria laughed. "I like this sister of yours, Char! She's trouble."
"I have nothing against you, Kishiria. On the other hand, I have a great deal of resentment for my brother, who abandoned me to kill your family off, then called me weak for not joining him."
Char finally took a seat. "I've had a change in priorities. New Types are the only things that matter. Kishiria has always known this. She was researching before Earth even admitted we were a possibility."
"I admit I was only researching the use of New Types as soldiers," Kishiria said. "Still, people said I was crazy. Said I was wasting tax dollars. Now who's laughing?"
"I am more than a little suspicious of research done on New Types by Old Types who want to exploit--"
Sayla's words were cut off by Kishiria's voice in her mind, saying, {I know your brother hurt you. Forgive him. As one who lost all her brothers with no time to say 'goodbye' or 'I love you', I beg you to forgive him.}
"Kishiria is a New Type," Char said, unaware of the message sent to Sayla. "So is our baby. Kishiria is five months pregnant. You're going to be an aunt."
"Congratulations, Casval."
"I hope you'll consider joining us here on Jion," Char went on. "We're your family, after all."
Sayla looked at the floor. "All my life, I've looked for the place where I belong. I can't say yes, but I suppose I can think about it."
Kishiria pushed herself out of her chair. "Wait for us here, Char. Sayla, walk with me?"
Sayla followed the other woman out to an enclosed garden. "I remember this place," Sayla said. "My mother liked to do her reading here."
"Does the Federation have any idea who you are, Sayla?"
Sayla jumped a little. "I don't think so. I had to tell my shipmates, but otherwise it's a secret."
"You should think about staying here, as Char said. The war isn't over. It's just in a cold phase. What if you get caught?"
"You're being very diplomatic about this, Kishiria. You haven't urged me to 'come home' once."
"I have no illusions that this is not your home. You were only a little girl when you left."
"I was seven."
"I used to babysit for you and your brother. Your father paid cheaply, too, so I did it largely for the fun of pretending you were mine." Kishiria placed a hand under the black velvet panels of her dress. "I'm hoping the baby's a girl, because you were always my image of the perfect child."
Sayla blushed, then decided to equally embarrass Kishiria. "Do you love him?"
"Who, Char?"
"Of course."
Sayla was right. Kishiria was very uncomfortable with the question and immediately started examining the leaves on a bush. "We're friends. We need each other politically, although I think we've been becoming closer as people, lately."
"That's hardly an answer."
Kishiria looked her in the eye. "All right. Remember when you were a younger teen, and there was some famous male, an actor, a singer, a sports hero, and you just absolutely ached to be his? Remember that crush?"
Sayla smiled a little, thinking of a few such objects of desire. "Oh yes."
"I married mine."
Sayla laughed. "Then I suppose you're a lucky woman."
"I hope so. Now, follow Hamaan back out. I'll be out there again soon to end the festivities."
"What did the queen want?" Kai asked when she returned.
Sayla had to think of something quickly, not for her friends but for anyone listening in. "She wanted to meet someone who piloted the Gundam, since Amuro isn't here. Then they tried to talk me into staying, but I said no."
The reception officially ended with the playing of the national anthem and Kishiria retreating from the ballroom. "I'm sure that didn't come a moment too soon for her," said Mirai as they exited out onto the street. "She looked beat."
"At least we can drop all the formalities and be normal people now," Kai said.
"You got that right. Let's go get pizza," Hayato suggested. With no objections, they headed off towards parts unknown.
Back at the palace, Char emerged from his room in the quarters he and Kishiria had moved into to find that Kishiria was already back in the outfit she'd settled on for her casual moments; loose slacks and a man's dress shirt, untucked over her stomach. She was in the process of walking to her private study, followed by Margaret and Hamaan. Both of them were carrying boxes of letters.
"I'm just going to start on the various thank you notes," she told Char. "I didn't expect I'd be getting gifts and messages from every tiny government in the system. Where are you off to?"
Char shrugged. "I was thinking of getting together with the guys for a beer."
Kishiria turned to her assistants. "Go put those in my study. I'll join you there." After they'd left, she went on, "Char, don't you think you should be spending time with your sister?"
"I don't think Artesia wants me in her life anymore. I'm willing to respect her wishes."
"I think she does. She's certainly very concerned about your happiness. Char, listen. Sayla--and she's Sayla now, just like you're Char--has every right to be furious at you. You abandoned her after both your parents died. I know you had this whole revenge thing happening, but haven't you finally realized how deranged it was for you to put killing us Zabis ahead of taking care of your own flesh and blood? Go and apologize to her, Char! She's going to need you."
"I've seen to her needs already. My gentle sister will never want for--"
"So you're telling me you paid her off."
"I gave her her share of our father's legacy."
"Char, you have a choice. Walk out that door and apologize to Sayla or walk out the door and back to Bachelor Officers'." Kishiria turned on her heel and stalked off towards her study.
Shortly after, the White Base gang was sitting in Mirai's and Bright's room with the aforementioned pizza and a case of beer. A knock came on the door. Bright answered it and turned back to call, "Sayla! It's for you."
All conversation in the room halted and the temperature dropped what felt like ten degrees as the Red Comet walked into the room, dressed in the scarlet uniform they all knew too well. Sayla, who was sitting on the floor with Kai, gaped up at her brother.
"Artesia, I came to apologize to you. I abandoned you when you needed me and treated you with contempt when you chose a path that didn't follow mine. I was wrong and I am sorry."
There was more silence. Kai looked like he might say something, but wisely restrained himself. Finally, Sayla stood."
"I've waited five years to hear you say that, Casval." She walked up to him and put her arms around him. Char hesitated for a moment, then returned the embrace. Sayla's hands clutched at the back of his tunic and he realized she was crying.
"Artesia...don't do that. It's all over now. You can stay here, we'll be a family again."
Sayla stood back and shook her head. "No, it's all right. I've built a life for myself here with my friends. To come back to Side 3 now wouldn't feel right. I'll come back to visit after your baby's born. I think Kishiria wants that."
"She's become very fond of you already. Perhaps it's better that you stay away. I don't think I could live with both of you united against me."
Sayla laughed.
"I can see you've already eaten, but maybe I could take my little sister out for ice cream?"
"I think you could do that." Sayla looked to Bright for approval, and he nodded his head. Sayla got her shoes and walked from the hotel room with her brother. By the time they reached the first street corner, they were holding hands.