Yes, yes, the long awaited chapter thirteen. Gomen for not getting it up and going sooner. ^^;; I've been grounded forever and a day. Heh, ::sweatdrops:: But yeah, anywhooo...^^ Here it is! It's nothing really big. Just village stuff and stops right where the next chapter (ch.14) is going to pick up. Shows a kinder side of Relena, and a meaner side of King Peacecraft. But yeah, okay. I'll shut up now. Just go Read and Review. Thank you!
~Relena Peace
Chapter 13:
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Ella was surprised how easy Relena could get around the guards. But was even more surprised on how well she knew the village and the people who lived there. She easily milled about and even in her disguise the peasants greeted her with respect and kindness, knowing that she was royalty.
"Princess Relena. So good of you to come visit the village again."
"Your Highness! How are you today? Good I hope!"
"Hello your majesty."
For each greeting Relena gave a kind and gentle hello. And, Ella noticed, that quite a few of them she knew on a personal level. "Baker Tom, are you still using that flat dough bread?" Relena asked of the baker before giving him a few gold coins. "Maybe with that you can buy some yeast." Winking she walked on, hearing the baker mutter his thanks behind her.
"Madam Grace, how good to see you again." Relena said walking up to an elderly women and giving her a hug. Giving Relena a toothless smile the elderly women's eyes brightened. "How are you doing Madam Grace?"
"Fine, just fine Princess. And how of you?" Before Relena could reply Madam Grace lowered her voice. "Rumor has it that Prince WuFei is courting you now." She smiled at the Princess broadly now. All of her wrinkles in her weather and sun worn face moving gracefully with each gesture of the lips.
"Yes." The Princess replied with a laugh. "And you know me."
The old women laughed. "My yes, child I do! You'll have him running for his sanity within another week!"
Many conversations went on among Relena and the villagers. Ella would stand back, amazed on the effect that she had on the people. Why, when she had first came through this village traveling through the people weren't as nearly kind and open. But the Princess seemed to have just brought something out in them. A glow. She brought a glow out in people.
By the time Relena and Ella arrived at the Princess' good friend's house Relena's coin purse was half empty. She had been giving gold pieces to most of the people she talked with. Of course when Ella would look at her with questioning eyes about this Princess Relena would simply say "What? I'm not going to use it."
"Pwencess Wena!" A little rag doll of a boy screamed happily as he ran towards Ella and the Princess. "I misseded you." Jumping up into Relena's arms the boy of about three years old gave her a kiss on the cheek. "Did ya bwing me sumpin'?" He asked eagerly, his childlike voice twisting his words. Laughing Relena set down the bundle of smiles and nodded, telling him that he had to close his eyes really tight. He complied, but only for a moment because even though he had is hands over his face he was peeking through the cracks of his fingers. Relena noticed this, but she didn't mind. Reaching into her tattered and old cloak she retrieved a hand-sized carved heart. The name "Liony" carved beautifully inside of it. Around the name was little painted hearts and stars. Liony squealed in delight. "For me!" He asked eagerly taking the gift and hugging it close. Relena nodded then gave the dirty boy a kiss on the check. "Tank you Pwencess Wena!"
By then an older woman, probably in her late twenties walked outside, wiping her hands on a less than clean towel. She was accompanied by a young girl about the age of nine, whose fire-red hair made her stand oddly out of place. "Your highness. How good of you to come see us again."
"My pleasure Noin." Relena said handing the purse of coins over. "This is for you. Just don't tell my father. He'd have a fit if you did." Relena sighed then rolled her eyes. "He's becoming more unbearable about the wedding deal with Prince WuFei." But Relena didn't seem like she wanted to discuss the idea of marrying the Prince of Myena so she changed the subject. "Hello Mariemayha. How good to see you again. Do I get a hug?" The young girl at first shyly hid behind Noin's dress, smiling broadly, hands near her mouth trying to cover her face. "Hello Princess Relena." She squealed slightly. Then turning almost as red as her hair she hid her face in her mother's skirt.
Relena gave a playful pout. "What? No hug for the Princess? Aww..." Sticking her bottom lip out Relena pretended to be hurt, but quickly smiled when the redhead ran towards her giggling and embraced her in a hug. "Ahh, now that's much better." Relena frowned looking up at Noin. Standing up from giving the girl a hug she patted Mariemayha on the head. "How about you and your little brother go inside while your mommy and I talk okay?" Nodding the little girl obeyed, took her brother's hand (who at the time was playing in the mud, the gift laying on a block of wood completely forgotten) and headed into the house.
"She's thin." Relena said when the two children were out of ear shot. "Too thin." She eyed the older women standing in front of her. "And so are you Aunt Noin." The women looked away in shame, trying to use the dirty towel to wipe off some dirt on her hands, only to bring more grime to it. Relena gave a deep emotional sigh and pointed to the leather purse that Noin was now in possession of. "Please use that to buy food. Please. I don't want my aunt to die from what my stupid father is doing to my family and kingdom."
Tears were fought from Noin's eyes. "Oh," She said casually. "We'll be fine, we're getting along."
"Barely." Relena pointed out gesturing to the shack that was their home. "Just barely."
Noin fidgeted. "Ah, yes, well, times are hard Princess Relena. That can't be helped. We just go on living just like everyone else."
"Ella go in and sit with the children please." Relena said to her handmaiden, not taking her eyes off of Noin. Ella had thought that Princess Relena had forgotten about her. Obviously not though. Doing as asked, she followed the dirt path up to the house and walked inside.
After Ella disappeared from within the murky walls of her Aunt's house Relena walked up and hugged her Aunt. "Noin, please, I am your sister's daughter. Call me Relena. Just Relena."
Sobbing into Relena's shirt Ella shook her head. "I can't do that your highness. Your title is the greatest thing you have right now, enjoy it and respect it." Noin pulled away from the hug but looked Relena square in the eyes. "I once had the title Princess when I was your mother's sister, before your horrible father married her and destroyed the kingdom. I still should have the title, but look at me Princess Relena. I live in poverty. No one, not one person who didn't already know that I was royalty would ever know that it was me, and my sister who once was called the most elegant woman of the times. But now look at me, I'm...I'm poor, and ugly, and unless something is done, me and my family will die from starvation. I see it happening. All over. People dying. There is just not enough food. And little money to buy what few food there is. All of the food that is produced goes to the king as tax." Noin cried softly as she spoke, as if her whole soul was being spilt out onto her niece.
Giving Noin a comforting smile Relena wiped the wisps of hair out of her face. "Now, now Noin. I'm working on it. You know I am. I'll try to come here more often to give you and the other people gold. So they can use that as tax money and not the food. I am trying, honestly. But I can only slip away unnoticed so many times before the people in the palace start to wonder about my whereabouts." Relena softly brushed away Noin's tears from her face, with it coming about a weeks worth of grime and dirt. "As soon as I get rid of the Prince here I will continue to try to persuade my father into changing his ways." Relena tried to sound encouraging but even she didn't believe her words. Her father would never change his ways, much less listen to his daughter to give him advice. But never the less Noin smiled at Relena's feeble try to cheer her up. "Just be strong for me."
Noin nodded. "I'll try Princess. I'll try."
"No. Don't try. Just do it." Giving Noin's hand a encouraging squeeze Relena looked past her at the house and called to Ella. "We need to be going Ella, the Prince will no doubt be wonder as to where I have run off to." After a few short seconds Ella returned, talking happily with Mariemahya.
"I'll see you next time we come Marie!" Ella said giving her new friend a quick hug. "Bye!" Turning she ran after the Princess who already had started walking down the dirt road.
Relena smiled at her little friend. "Made a friend did you?" She almost laughed out loud when Ella gave a very enthusiastic nod. She was almost dancing in place as they walked on.
"I like her. She's very nice and has a good imagination. Once you get past her shy side she's very outspoken!"
"Well, if memory serves me right you were extremely shy when I first met you." Relena pointed out. Taking a right on the dirt road towards the palace.
"Well, yes Princess. But that's why, because you are royalty. You're a Princess." Ella fidgeted with the hem of her skirt. "I was nervous about being around royalty."
Relena looped her arm in Ella's and she playfully pulled the girl to the side of the road in the bushes and towards a back trail to the palace "And did you know that Noin is my Aunt, and her daughter, Mariemayha should be considered a Princess?" This time Relena did laugh out loud. The expression on Ella's face was too much.
"I heard you call her aunt but I thought that was because it was a nick-name or something. Like Mariemahya's nick-name is Marie. Sometimes people consider themselves family even though there is no connection other than just being good friends with them."
"True." Relena mused while sneaking into the palace, Ella on her heels. "But," She whispered, then looked around in the hallway to see if anyone was coming. "this is the real thing, and she is really my Aunt." Taking Ella's hand the two sprinted to her chambers. Not stopping for breath until they were safely inside.
"We better change quickly before going to meet the Prince." Ella said peeling off her grubby clothing and picking up her servants clothes. "Remember, you're supposed to meet him for lunch then a walk in the forest."
Relena nodded. "Yes, let us hurry."
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"Her Aunt?" Prince WuFei asked more than a little shocked. "Living with the peasants, and being one of them?" He was more than a little unnerved with this information. "Are you sure Sir Duo?"
"Absolutely." He said, huffing. He had to do a lot of running and sneaking to keep up with Relena but out of eye-shot of her and her servant. "Not only that but the Princess knows just about everyone in the village." Sitting down Duo continued with his story. "She was greeting them all like old friends, and just giving gold away. I couldn't hear all of what they were saying, they were too far away and I feared if I got any closer I would have been found out." He took another deep breath. "But she definitely, by far, treating them a whole lot kinder than she treats you Lord Heero."
Heero looked puzzled and a little angry at this. "She's a mean, sharp tongued girl who doesn't have any respect at all. The girl that you are describing couldn't be Princess Relena. You must have followed the wrong person." He frowned. "It couldn't be her."
"It is, Heero buddy." Duo said, his voice now sounding as if he didn't run a marathon like it was sounding a moment ago. "I saw her, and even with her peastants uniform no one could mistake her beauty. No one, not a chance. Besides, she was the only one there who looked as if they took a bath within the last year." He cringed. "It was quite disgusting there. People tossing their chamber pot fillings out in the middle of the streets and everything."
Heero ran his hand through his untamed hair. "She's a puzzle." He growled. "And not an easy one. What's she playing at?"
"I don't know cousin." WuFei spoke, his hands crossed and leaning against the wall. "But I think you should find out. It might be important."
Heero grunted. "Hn."
Rolling his eyes Duo laid down on the bed and stretched. "Well, I did my morning exercise. I think I'm just going to take a nap."
"Oh no you are not Sir Duo." Came Nataku's stern voice. "You are going to do exactly what I, the other knight is going to do."
"And what's that?" came the annoyed reply. "I'm tired, I've been up all morning, and I even have to do some spying later tonight on the girl. Don't I get a rest?"
Heero growled. "You still have to show an appearance like Prince WuFei is. And just like he is you are going to make your rounds about the castle." Heero patted his sword laying on the ground next to the chair he was sitting in. "Or else."
Duo groaned, but with the look at WuFei gave him he didn't argue. But got up and followed WuFei out the door.
"You better go get the Princess for your lunching then for the walk. I'd give her a few minutes though, she is probably still changing her clothes from her sneaking out today."
Heero gave a curt nod. "Yes, sir."
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Okay, okay. ^^" There you go! The long awaited 13th chapter. Ahh...and not much happened did it? Well, some did I guess. A few more people were introduced, a bit more of how the village lived was added and stuff. And it stops kinda right where the next chapter begins. ^^" The next chappy is going to be the lunch and walk. Hehe...bring on the ditches!!! ^_~" Okay, you all know the magic word I am going to say....and I soooo know that you are going to do it to! ^^" REVIEW!!!!!!REVIEW!!!!!!REVIEW!!!!!!REVIEW!!!!!!REVIEW!!!!!!REVIEW!!!!!!REVIEW!!!!!!REVIEW!!!!!!
Okay, I think you get the idea! ^.^" ^^;;
~Relena Peace
P.S. I want to thank The Black Rose sooo, so, and sooo much for giving me all those reviews! ^^" Yeah! ::does happy dance:: It sure made my day to see them all! Thanx!!! ^.^"
~Relena Peace
Chapter 13:
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Ella was surprised how easy Relena could get around the guards. But was even more surprised on how well she knew the village and the people who lived there. She easily milled about and even in her disguise the peasants greeted her with respect and kindness, knowing that she was royalty.
"Princess Relena. So good of you to come visit the village again."
"Your Highness! How are you today? Good I hope!"
"Hello your majesty."
For each greeting Relena gave a kind and gentle hello. And, Ella noticed, that quite a few of them she knew on a personal level. "Baker Tom, are you still using that flat dough bread?" Relena asked of the baker before giving him a few gold coins. "Maybe with that you can buy some yeast." Winking she walked on, hearing the baker mutter his thanks behind her.
"Madam Grace, how good to see you again." Relena said walking up to an elderly women and giving her a hug. Giving Relena a toothless smile the elderly women's eyes brightened. "How are you doing Madam Grace?"
"Fine, just fine Princess. And how of you?" Before Relena could reply Madam Grace lowered her voice. "Rumor has it that Prince WuFei is courting you now." She smiled at the Princess broadly now. All of her wrinkles in her weather and sun worn face moving gracefully with each gesture of the lips.
"Yes." The Princess replied with a laugh. "And you know me."
The old women laughed. "My yes, child I do! You'll have him running for his sanity within another week!"
Many conversations went on among Relena and the villagers. Ella would stand back, amazed on the effect that she had on the people. Why, when she had first came through this village traveling through the people weren't as nearly kind and open. But the Princess seemed to have just brought something out in them. A glow. She brought a glow out in people.
By the time Relena and Ella arrived at the Princess' good friend's house Relena's coin purse was half empty. She had been giving gold pieces to most of the people she talked with. Of course when Ella would look at her with questioning eyes about this Princess Relena would simply say "What? I'm not going to use it."
"Pwencess Wena!" A little rag doll of a boy screamed happily as he ran towards Ella and the Princess. "I misseded you." Jumping up into Relena's arms the boy of about three years old gave her a kiss on the cheek. "Did ya bwing me sumpin'?" He asked eagerly, his childlike voice twisting his words. Laughing Relena set down the bundle of smiles and nodded, telling him that he had to close his eyes really tight. He complied, but only for a moment because even though he had is hands over his face he was peeking through the cracks of his fingers. Relena noticed this, but she didn't mind. Reaching into her tattered and old cloak she retrieved a hand-sized carved heart. The name "Liony" carved beautifully inside of it. Around the name was little painted hearts and stars. Liony squealed in delight. "For me!" He asked eagerly taking the gift and hugging it close. Relena nodded then gave the dirty boy a kiss on the check. "Tank you Pwencess Wena!"
By then an older woman, probably in her late twenties walked outside, wiping her hands on a less than clean towel. She was accompanied by a young girl about the age of nine, whose fire-red hair made her stand oddly out of place. "Your highness. How good of you to come see us again."
"My pleasure Noin." Relena said handing the purse of coins over. "This is for you. Just don't tell my father. He'd have a fit if you did." Relena sighed then rolled her eyes. "He's becoming more unbearable about the wedding deal with Prince WuFei." But Relena didn't seem like she wanted to discuss the idea of marrying the Prince of Myena so she changed the subject. "Hello Mariemayha. How good to see you again. Do I get a hug?" The young girl at first shyly hid behind Noin's dress, smiling broadly, hands near her mouth trying to cover her face. "Hello Princess Relena." She squealed slightly. Then turning almost as red as her hair she hid her face in her mother's skirt.
Relena gave a playful pout. "What? No hug for the Princess? Aww..." Sticking her bottom lip out Relena pretended to be hurt, but quickly smiled when the redhead ran towards her giggling and embraced her in a hug. "Ahh, now that's much better." Relena frowned looking up at Noin. Standing up from giving the girl a hug she patted Mariemayha on the head. "How about you and your little brother go inside while your mommy and I talk okay?" Nodding the little girl obeyed, took her brother's hand (who at the time was playing in the mud, the gift laying on a block of wood completely forgotten) and headed into the house.
"She's thin." Relena said when the two children were out of ear shot. "Too thin." She eyed the older women standing in front of her. "And so are you Aunt Noin." The women looked away in shame, trying to use the dirty towel to wipe off some dirt on her hands, only to bring more grime to it. Relena gave a deep emotional sigh and pointed to the leather purse that Noin was now in possession of. "Please use that to buy food. Please. I don't want my aunt to die from what my stupid father is doing to my family and kingdom."
Tears were fought from Noin's eyes. "Oh," She said casually. "We'll be fine, we're getting along."
"Barely." Relena pointed out gesturing to the shack that was their home. "Just barely."
Noin fidgeted. "Ah, yes, well, times are hard Princess Relena. That can't be helped. We just go on living just like everyone else."
"Ella go in and sit with the children please." Relena said to her handmaiden, not taking her eyes off of Noin. Ella had thought that Princess Relena had forgotten about her. Obviously not though. Doing as asked, she followed the dirt path up to the house and walked inside.
After Ella disappeared from within the murky walls of her Aunt's house Relena walked up and hugged her Aunt. "Noin, please, I am your sister's daughter. Call me Relena. Just Relena."
Sobbing into Relena's shirt Ella shook her head. "I can't do that your highness. Your title is the greatest thing you have right now, enjoy it and respect it." Noin pulled away from the hug but looked Relena square in the eyes. "I once had the title Princess when I was your mother's sister, before your horrible father married her and destroyed the kingdom. I still should have the title, but look at me Princess Relena. I live in poverty. No one, not one person who didn't already know that I was royalty would ever know that it was me, and my sister who once was called the most elegant woman of the times. But now look at me, I'm...I'm poor, and ugly, and unless something is done, me and my family will die from starvation. I see it happening. All over. People dying. There is just not enough food. And little money to buy what few food there is. All of the food that is produced goes to the king as tax." Noin cried softly as she spoke, as if her whole soul was being spilt out onto her niece.
Giving Noin a comforting smile Relena wiped the wisps of hair out of her face. "Now, now Noin. I'm working on it. You know I am. I'll try to come here more often to give you and the other people gold. So they can use that as tax money and not the food. I am trying, honestly. But I can only slip away unnoticed so many times before the people in the palace start to wonder about my whereabouts." Relena softly brushed away Noin's tears from her face, with it coming about a weeks worth of grime and dirt. "As soon as I get rid of the Prince here I will continue to try to persuade my father into changing his ways." Relena tried to sound encouraging but even she didn't believe her words. Her father would never change his ways, much less listen to his daughter to give him advice. But never the less Noin smiled at Relena's feeble try to cheer her up. "Just be strong for me."
Noin nodded. "I'll try Princess. I'll try."
"No. Don't try. Just do it." Giving Noin's hand a encouraging squeeze Relena looked past her at the house and called to Ella. "We need to be going Ella, the Prince will no doubt be wonder as to where I have run off to." After a few short seconds Ella returned, talking happily with Mariemahya.
"I'll see you next time we come Marie!" Ella said giving her new friend a quick hug. "Bye!" Turning she ran after the Princess who already had started walking down the dirt road.
Relena smiled at her little friend. "Made a friend did you?" She almost laughed out loud when Ella gave a very enthusiastic nod. She was almost dancing in place as they walked on.
"I like her. She's very nice and has a good imagination. Once you get past her shy side she's very outspoken!"
"Well, if memory serves me right you were extremely shy when I first met you." Relena pointed out. Taking a right on the dirt road towards the palace.
"Well, yes Princess. But that's why, because you are royalty. You're a Princess." Ella fidgeted with the hem of her skirt. "I was nervous about being around royalty."
Relena looped her arm in Ella's and she playfully pulled the girl to the side of the road in the bushes and towards a back trail to the palace "And did you know that Noin is my Aunt, and her daughter, Mariemayha should be considered a Princess?" This time Relena did laugh out loud. The expression on Ella's face was too much.
"I heard you call her aunt but I thought that was because it was a nick-name or something. Like Mariemahya's nick-name is Marie. Sometimes people consider themselves family even though there is no connection other than just being good friends with them."
"True." Relena mused while sneaking into the palace, Ella on her heels. "But," She whispered, then looked around in the hallway to see if anyone was coming. "this is the real thing, and she is really my Aunt." Taking Ella's hand the two sprinted to her chambers. Not stopping for breath until they were safely inside.
"We better change quickly before going to meet the Prince." Ella said peeling off her grubby clothing and picking up her servants clothes. "Remember, you're supposed to meet him for lunch then a walk in the forest."
Relena nodded. "Yes, let us hurry."
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"Her Aunt?" Prince WuFei asked more than a little shocked. "Living with the peasants, and being one of them?" He was more than a little unnerved with this information. "Are you sure Sir Duo?"
"Absolutely." He said, huffing. He had to do a lot of running and sneaking to keep up with Relena but out of eye-shot of her and her servant. "Not only that but the Princess knows just about everyone in the village." Sitting down Duo continued with his story. "She was greeting them all like old friends, and just giving gold away. I couldn't hear all of what they were saying, they were too far away and I feared if I got any closer I would have been found out." He took another deep breath. "But she definitely, by far, treating them a whole lot kinder than she treats you Lord Heero."
Heero looked puzzled and a little angry at this. "She's a mean, sharp tongued girl who doesn't have any respect at all. The girl that you are describing couldn't be Princess Relena. You must have followed the wrong person." He frowned. "It couldn't be her."
"It is, Heero buddy." Duo said, his voice now sounding as if he didn't run a marathon like it was sounding a moment ago. "I saw her, and even with her peastants uniform no one could mistake her beauty. No one, not a chance. Besides, she was the only one there who looked as if they took a bath within the last year." He cringed. "It was quite disgusting there. People tossing their chamber pot fillings out in the middle of the streets and everything."
Heero ran his hand through his untamed hair. "She's a puzzle." He growled. "And not an easy one. What's she playing at?"
"I don't know cousin." WuFei spoke, his hands crossed and leaning against the wall. "But I think you should find out. It might be important."
Heero grunted. "Hn."
Rolling his eyes Duo laid down on the bed and stretched. "Well, I did my morning exercise. I think I'm just going to take a nap."
"Oh no you are not Sir Duo." Came Nataku's stern voice. "You are going to do exactly what I, the other knight is going to do."
"And what's that?" came the annoyed reply. "I'm tired, I've been up all morning, and I even have to do some spying later tonight on the girl. Don't I get a rest?"
Heero growled. "You still have to show an appearance like Prince WuFei is. And just like he is you are going to make your rounds about the castle." Heero patted his sword laying on the ground next to the chair he was sitting in. "Or else."
Duo groaned, but with the look at WuFei gave him he didn't argue. But got up and followed WuFei out the door.
"You better go get the Princess for your lunching then for the walk. I'd give her a few minutes though, she is probably still changing her clothes from her sneaking out today."
Heero gave a curt nod. "Yes, sir."
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Okay, okay. ^^" There you go! The long awaited 13th chapter. Ahh...and not much happened did it? Well, some did I guess. A few more people were introduced, a bit more of how the village lived was added and stuff. And it stops kinda right where the next chapter begins. ^^" The next chappy is going to be the lunch and walk. Hehe...bring on the ditches!!! ^_~" Okay, you all know the magic word I am going to say....and I soooo know that you are going to do it to! ^^" REVIEW!!!!!!REVIEW!!!!!!REVIEW!!!!!!REVIEW!!!!!!REVIEW!!!!!!REVIEW!!!!!!REVIEW!!!!!!REVIEW!!!!!!
Okay, I think you get the idea! ^.^" ^^;;
~Relena Peace
P.S. I want to thank The Black Rose sooo, so, and sooo much for giving me all those reviews! ^^" Yeah! ::does happy dance:: It sure made my day to see them all! Thanx!!! ^.^"