Author's Note: I changed the summary slightly because I hated it. Heck, I still hate the summaries… Summaries suck, yet they're the most important part of the story: they're what gives the reader the first impression. Screw up your summary and more than likely you've just lost a butt-load of readers. Hmm, maybe THAT'S what my problem is…
Mama-sama, artemis1082 and Nekko, thank you SO much for reviewing! You three are the sole (can I say sole when there's three of you?) reason I'm still writing. It's nice having people who enjoy my stuff. ^___^
SDA
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Beauty and the Anti-Heero
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Chapter Five: Tizzy
"You shouldn't have been up there," a kindly female voice said, the owner of it idly rubbing Hilde's back for much needed comfort. "He doesn't much like people." Blinking away her immediate terror, Hilde focused on the woman in front of her. She opened her mouth to say something, but paused as it registered in her head who was standing in front of her.
"Lucrezia?" Hilde asked incredulously, forgetting temporarily about her encounter with the monstrous beast. "Is that you?"
The woman gave a small shrug and smile. "None other."
"But you just disappeared two years ago!" Hilde said. "We all thought you dead for sure." Staring at the woman in front of her, her supposedly dead cousin, it suddenly clicked in Hilde's head why her cousin had disappeared. She must have run across this castle as well and, like Hilde and Relena, found herself stuck and unable to return to her home.
"What can I say? You were wrong," Lucrezia said, laughter flittering through her words. "Oh Hilde, it's so good to see you again! Duo said there were two new visitors here, but I never would have dreamed one of them would be my very own cousin!"
Giving Lucrezia an odd look, Hilde asked, "Who's Duo?"
"Surely you've met him," Lucrezia replied. Hilde shook her head.
"I've only met three people here besides myself and my friend—Sally and Sylvia, the maids, and Shinigami, the prince."
A bemused expression overtook Lucrezia's features. "Shinigami, eh? I've often thought he had a sack of meal for a brain. Come, Hilde, and introduce me to your friend. I've missed the outside world, and I'm sure the two of you will be able to report of it to me."
Agreeing to her cousin's request, Hilde linked arms with Lucrezia and started down the corridor before she remembered why she was there in the first place. Pausing in their casual conversation and course, Hilde turned around to stare at the top of the staircase where she had come running from mere moments before. What was that creature in the forbidden wing? What was he doing there and what was his part in everything? And above all else, who was this Duo character? He had now been mentioned twice and Hilde was none the wiser about his identity. "Who was that?" Hilde muttered.
"Has…Shinigami…not yet informed you of him?" Lucrezia asked, her brows drawing down in thought.
"No," Hilde replied. "He only said stay away from the West Wing, so naturally I decided that's where I needed to end up."
"You should have listened to him," Lucrezia said softly. "When they were good and ready to let you know of him, they would have told you and your friend all there was to know. Now, who knows what will happen? He has a nasty temper, that one, and he's not a person you would like to cross."
Hilde turned back to face her cousin. "You're not making any sense, Lu."
"No, I suppose I'm not," sighed Lucrezia. "All shall be explained in due course, Hilde. For now, please forget the incident and take me to your friend?"
Hilde obeyed her cousin, but her thoughts did not leave the creature. Lucrezia spoke as if it were human, possibly harmless, but Hilde could not forget the bone-freezing fear she had felt in its presence. With a shudder she did her best to ignore the subject for now as she led Lucrezia to Relena's room.
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Relena stared blankly at her window, seeing nothing because the shutter was again shut. She had woken several hours before, still dressed in her ragged clothes, under the covers of the comforting and warm bed, but had not moved since save to sit up. Her thoughts flew rampant, none lasting for more than a few minutes before others took their place. She wanted to refuse to believe that she was stuck in what was apparently an enchanted palace, but the mere fact that she was in a room possibly twice the size of her house made ignorance hard. All she knew was she would never see Milliardo again, her beloved elder brother.
Oh Milliardo, she thought, tears forming in her eyes for what seemed the millionth time since she had awoken. Thoughts of her brother did that to her. She could barely handle the separation; imagine how poor Milliardo must be feeling! At least I have Hilde. The thought was hardly comforting, though; love the petite girl though she did, Hilde was not her brother and could never replace him. "This is hopeless," Relena sighed, the tears threatening to overflow. She sniffled them back, determined not to cry. It wouldn't do her any good and she wasn't in much of a crying mood anyway.
A knock at her door forced her to turn her head away from the window, but she said nothing. Again a knock. Silence continued to reign on Relena's side of the door until Hilde's voice rang out. "I hope you're not naked, Relena, but whether you are or not we're coming in." We? Who did Hilde have with her? Relena sincerely hoped it was not the braided prince.
"Are you sure she's even awake?" another feminine voice said. Relena paused, not recognizing the voice. Who did Hilde have with her?
Hilde responded to the question while answering the door. "If she's not awake I'll go find the braided baka and tell him I love him." Relena smiled; her dear best friend was so very sure of herself, and with reason.
Hilde came into the room; trailing behind her was a beautiful woman who bore a striking resemblance to Hilde. Her hair was the same blue-black as Hilde's, and their faces were very similar in build. Contrasting eyes spoke of perhaps different lineage, but one could not judge solely on eyes. Rising from her bed, Relena instantly began to shiver. She'd been so warm inside of her bed that she'd forgotten her fire had long since gone out.
The strange woman, noticing Relena's discomfort (and Hilde's as well, for she had started shivering), spoke not a word but went immediately to the fireplace and set about building a fire. These actions made Relena ponder the fact that she might be a servant, despite her elegant dress. Before she could voice any of her thoughts, though, Hilde spoke.
"Relena, you'll never guess what I discovered!" the petite woman exclaimed, thoroughly excited despite the cold. "Several things! First, I discovered this castle has a ballroom, and in the ballroom is a piano! A real piano, Relena! I only wish we knew how to play!" Excitement coursed through Relena's veins. A piano! She'd always dreamed of being able to touch one, and as long as she was held prisoner in this castle she could not only touch one, but perhaps learn to pluck out a simple melody on the keys of the piano!
Adding to the excitement, the stranger said, "I could teach you two how to play. I've picked it up since I've been stuck here."
Hilde and Relena shrieked as one, "Will you?!" Happy day indeed! Perhaps being stuck here wouldn't be so bad after all!
"What else have you discovered?" Relena demanded, suddenly excited to find out what secret knowledge Hilde had.
"You remember the West Wing where Shinigami forbade us to go? I was meandering around the castle this morning when I found myself at the foot of the staircase leaning up—oh Lu, do stop glaring at me. Fine, fine, I'll remain silent." Leaning into Relena Hilde whispered, "As soon as we're alone I'll tell you."
"I heard that," the woman—LU?—said. Hilde stuck her tongue out at the woman's back. "And suck that tongue back in, Miss Schbeiker!" Hilde's face flushed slightly and Relena laughed. She knew she would like this woman, should Hilde ever get around to introducing her.
"Thirdly, I've discovered her!" Hilde said, even more excited about the woman than about the piano. "Relena, please meet my cousin Lucrezia Noin. Lu, when you're done poking around in the ashes, turn around and meet my dear friend Relena Peacecraft."
Relena could not help but gawk at the woman. Hilde's cousin? How on earth had she ended up hear? Voicing her thoughts aloud, the woman slowly turned to face Relena, wood still occupying her hands. "You're…a Peacecraft?" she asked, slightly hesitant. Relena nodded. "I was in the woods on the way back from market nigh on two years ago when I sought refuge here for the night," Lucrezia said, breezing right by the fact that Relena was a Peacecraft. "I've been here ever since, unable to leave the castle grounds."
"So you can't leave either," Relena said. "Good. At least now we know we're not going crazy. What trickery has the prince enchanted this castle with?"
"If you want to know, ask him," Lucrezia said levelly before returning to the fire. "He won't bite, I promise." Relena shared a look with Hilde; won't bite? Riiight. They didn't believe it for a moment. "This is going nowhere," Lucrezia sighed in exasperation. "Come, lets track down Sally, she'll be able to get it blazing." She stood up and headed for the door before pausing. "Do you both share this room?"
Hilde shook her head. "I have taken up residence next door."
"I thoug…" Lucrezia trailed off mid-word, noticing and then assessing their garb. "Before we take off, would you two like to change? There are more than plenty of dresses filling the armoire."
"Not a bad idea," Relena replied.
"What's wrong with our dresses?" Hilde said hotly, blazing over Relena's remark.
"Nothing," Lucrezia said, slightly taken aback. "I simply thought that because—"
"We're in a castle so we should dress like ladies," Hilde said mockingly. "I'm sorry we're so disgusting to look at, Lucrezia, but I've decided that as long as I'm prisoner here, until my clothes fall off around me, I refuse to wear anything palace provided. It's one of many small ways I'm going to rebel."
"I had the same thought when I first came here," Lucrezia said wryly. "Then my clothes did fall off around me and I found myself in a pickle, being halfway across the castle from my room. I respect your decision, Hilde, but please expect nothing less from me than laughter when you are in a tight situation such as I was in."
Hilde flushed slightly pink again but, being stubborn, remained firmly rooted in her decision. Relena, on the other hand, decided that she would learn from Lucrezia and quickly selected a deep emerald coloured dress to don. She wished she had the talent to pile her hair atop her head, but since she did not, she simply let her blonde tresses hang down her back.
Ten minutes of searching revealed Sally to be in the ballroom, airing out the place. Upon inquiry it was discovered that the braided prince had ordered her to clean up the room because one of the castle's occupants wished to use it. Hilde's cheeks were stained pink again and she roughly told Sally she need not waste her time. Relena could not help but smile at her friend's obvious discomfort. Hilde enjoyed having attention showered on her by the male race, but she did so dislike the braided prince. Relena did too, for that matter, but not near to the extent that her friend did.
Half an hour later, tea cups in hand and fire roaring in Relena's comfortable room, Sally left to resume her cleaning in the icy ballroom. Lucrezia's smile followed the servant all the way out and Hilde sank lower into her seat, trying her very best to look disgusted. "I cannot believe that man," she muttered. Relena didn't even bother to try and hide the delighted laugh that escaped her throat. Lucrezia grinned broadly as she sipped her tea.
"He's trying to treat you like a princess, whether or not you will have it," the older woman said, very much amused.
"Well I won't have it," Hilde said shortly.
"Ah, but do you have a choice?" Relena said, then giggled. "Perhaps he fancies you, friend."
Hilde's eyes blazed. "He'd better not. I may be only a woman, and a rather small one at that, but I could do him real damage should he—" Her words were drowned out by Relena and Lucrezia's laughing. Relena had never seen her friend so pink.
Indignant humphs on Hilde's part tried to cover her discomfort and embarrassment before she simply gave up and changed the subject. "Let's talk about you, Lucrezia. You seemed surprised earlier to discover Relena's surname. Explanation, perhaps?"
Relena leaned in to the conversation, very much so interested in what Hilde's cousin would answer. "Oh, nothing really," Lucrezia said vaguely. "Old memory, think nothing of it." Relena wanted nothing but to think of it, but Lucrezia managed to change the subject yet again before she could say anything. "How did you two manage to end up here?"
Hilde sighed. "Same way you did, on the way back from market. I live with Relena and her brother, and we were running low on supplies so he sent us out to get more. We were on our way home to Milliardo when a sudden snowstorm caught us off balance and in improper clothes, sending us seeking for refuge." Lucrezia's sudden intake of breath caught Relena's attention at the mention of Milliardo's name, but Hilde didn't even notice it. "We opted to stay here for the night when we ran into that conniving prince. We stayed until the storm was ended, which was this morning, and then we left. Well, we tried to leave, in any case. Even running with all our might we couldn't pass the threshold and it didn't leave us in the best of moods."
Relena took a sip of her tea, watching Lucrezia very carefully now. This suspicious behaviour only served to make Relena suspicious of the other woman; what did she know? What was she hiding? Who was she and of what importance was she?
An interrupting knock barely announced the presence of a caller when Sylvia thrust her head into the now warm room. "The prince is in a tizzy," the girl said breathlessly, "so do be careful!"
Lucrezia frowned. "What do you mean he's in a tizzy?" she demanded.
"I mean he's come out of his room for the first time in ages and he's not very happy!" Sylvia wailed, very near hysterics. "I can't imagine what would make him so upset! Lord Duo doesn't get to him anymore and there's not a one of us as would take a single step on those stairs! Just please, I implore you, be careful!" Without another word Sylvia was gone, leaving Relena very confused.
"What did she mean?" Relena asked.
"I have an idea," Hilde said faintly.
Before another word could be uttered, the door flew open once again. Relena screamed, as did Hilde, and Lucrezia jumped. Shinigami stood in the doorway, his face red with anger.
"Stay here or become mincemeat!" he shouted, then slammed the door shut again. Okay, so maybe his face was red with exertion, not anger. Relena let out a sigh of relief, not realizing how terrified she had been until that exact moment.
"Did he just tell us to stay here?" Hilde asked, mischief dancing in her eyes.
"Yes, and that's exactly what we're going to do," Lucrezia snapped. "Step out of that door and your life becomes nu—"
Relena and Hilde were already out of the door. A distant roar could be heard, making Hilde falter (though why Relena couldn't fathom), but she quickly reassembled herself and started running off. "Go the other way and see what you can see!" Hilde shouted over her shoulder. Relena did just that.
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"They're either stupid or brave," Lucrezia muttered to herself, shutting Relena's door before retreating back to her seat. "I'm voting on stupid." Retrieving her teacup she decided to ignore the situation at hand and instead ponder the new developments in her life. Two years ago she'd been forced into this dismal castle. Two months after her residency was decided she'd been told by Duo that the prince of the castle, Heero, needed a woman to love him and be loved in return, else everyone inside of the castle would die. She hadn't even bothered trying to pretend that she could be the woman Prince Duo so desperately wanted to find. Another held her heart and she wasn't going to betray her love, even if it meant dying.
Understandably, Duo hadn't taken that too well; neither had Heero. Apparently the beast prince had finally warmed up to the idea enough to give it a try, and to be rejected so easily and so soon had been a blow to his pride, heart, and mind. Lucrezia didn't regret her decision, but she did wish she could have been gentler about it. If she'd been aware of the situation, perhaps she would have given rejection in another matter; then again, perhaps not. She'd never had a chance to live out the other scenario, so she couldn't say for sure whether or not things would have been any different.
Looking towards the window, she let her gaze rest on the shutters as her mind whirled. Even after two years it was still hard to accept the fact that she would die in a year if Prince Heero did not find true love before then. She hoped either Hilde or Relena would be the on, but it was not a very strong hope. It was more of a possibility, actually, one that might fall through at any minute, especially with the two girls now in harm's way (but out of their own choice, she reminded herself, so stop pitying them). Nevertheless, she did wish it to be so. If Heero could find love, even in his bestial form, then she'd be able to return home again, return to the one she loved.
Ironic that everyone Milliardo cared about should end up in one place, all missing him, yet unreachable. Hopefully he would not die from grief; that she could not bear. "Fear not, Lu," she said chidingly, "he'll survive. Milliardo's always been a fighter. At least you have the joy of befriending his beloved sister. Look on the bright side! If you get out of here with Relena's love, then it will much easier telling her that you plan to marry her brother. She'll feel terrible hating you then."
It was a slightly comforting thought, and with that as closure, she opted to think of all her happy times with Milliardo while the danger outside the snug room played out.
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A/N: Whoa, can't believe I just sat down and wrote that. Who thinks they know what will happen with Relena and Hilde? *listens to thoughts* Wow. YOU'RE ALL WRONG!! *evil laugh* *cough* Yes. I felt bad about last chapter saying I hadn't edited it. I'm giving everybody a false impression that I actually edit my stuff, so here's the truth: By the time I've edited anything, it's been posted for four months at least. Yes, I take that long to edit. Call me arrogant, call me stupid, call me peanut butter, but it's what I do. Please don't think less of me! *runs from maniacal little sister* Review, please! ~~Callisto