Chapter Three

Running through the corridors, Relena finally managed to get to her room. After making sure that the door was safely locked, the blond girl threw herself on the bed. She was crying.

She had never felt so betrayed in her life. She just couldn't believe that they had been planning her own wedding without bothering to ask her opinion first.

Relena heard a soft knock on the door.

"Relena…open the door…please…" she heard her brother's voice through the door. Then, not hearing a reply, Milliardo started knocking harder but, he stopped almost immediately.

"If you do this you'll scare her…let me handle this…" she heard her sister in law's voice saying. Then Lucrezia, speaking to her, said, "Relena darling…I know you're upset…we didn't want you to find out this way…please let me in so I can explain…"

Relena opened the door interrupting what Lucrezia was saying.

"I will speak only to you…" Relena said looking at her sister in law. Milliardo tried to say something but Lucrezia, seeing that Relena had been crying, stopped him putting a hand on his arm.

"Alright…Milliardo will go to his study while we talk…" replied Lucrezia coming in through the door, locking it and leaving Milliardo behind it.

Relena walked back to the bed but did not sit on it. With her arms crossed on her chest,she didn't even wait for Lucrezia to take a seat:

"I thought we were becoming friends…how could you keep something like that from me?" Relena said furiously.

"Relena, I realise that you are upset…believe me, so was I when my father accepted Milliardo's proposal without asking me first…but, Monsieur Barton is a very good man…he'll take care of you. Besides, Milliardo knows him very well and I can assure you that this choice has been carefully made…" replied Lucrezia taking a seat on the room's small settee.

"Carefully made? But I don't even know him…how can it be a carefully made choice if it is not MY choice, huh?" said Relena stubbornly.

"Relena, you know that women of our class don't get to choose these things…In any case, let me tell you that Monsieur Barton is positively impressed with you. He has personally said to Milliardo that you are even more beautiful than he expected…he's an excellent man, a good member of the society and he's also immensely rich…" said Lucrezia.

"What about love? I don't love him…how can I marry him?" Relena said shocked that Lucrezia could be as shallow as to consider a man's wealth or social status before what Relena thought to be the base of every relationship, love.

"Ah…Relena…you're so young…you will learn to love him…don't worry about that…the same way I have learnt to love your brother…it's a question of time and…trust me, that kind of love you're talking about, that passionate feeling, doesn't last…but, a relationship built on mutual respect and friendship, that lasts forever…" said Lucrezia shocking Relena even more.

"But…" the blond girl objected.

"No but Relena…I once thought like you do but…life teaches you that you have to think ahead and by doing so, you realise that being sensible, in the long run, pays off…besides, we're lucky because we get our loved ones to pick our husband for us and, since they love us, they always make the right choice for us. Think of the lower class girls, they have to choose by themselves, and they make so many mistakes…they end up suffering so much..." said Lucrezia resolutely.

Relena was not entirely convinced by what she was saying and, Lucrezia, sensing this, added:

"Your brother loves you Relena, he would never make you marry the wrong sort of guy. We know Monsieur Barton very well and we know he'll take care of you…" Lucrezia said not leaving any room for discussion.

"I know that he's a nice man…well, I think so anyway…is just that, he's so quiet…he hardly spoke a single word while we were dancing tonight…he only replied to my questions with either monosyllabic words or saying as little as possible…" commented Relena finally sitting down. She was beginning to get a headache.

"Well, all the better…believe me, it is better if he's not too chatty…otherwise you would never have peace…" said Lucrezia laughing softly.

"Besides…you'll be also doing a service to your country…" said Lucrezia puzzling Relena.

"A service? What kind of service?" the blond girl asked.

"I'm not supposed to know this but…by marrying Monsieur Barton, you'll grant us the stability that Britain desperately needs in Burma. You know that there have been three major conflicts with the Burmese…well, the French would be happy to see that Britain fails once again so they can take over and claim ownership of Burma as well as their current territories…Well, governor Khushrenada has agreed with the French governor that, by marrying some of the British colonialists' daughters to the sons of the French plantation owners, they would create an alliance that would benefit both France and Britain. This way we will protect each other's land from the rebellious natives…"

"Does Monsieur Barton know this?" asked Relena even more confused.

"Of course, it is one of the reasons why he has accepted this marriage. Also, he's said that his duty will be easier because you're so beautiful…And, you have to admit that Monsieur Barton is quite a handsome man too…In my opinion you're the perfect match…" said Lucrezia enthusiastically.

Relena, hearing all of this, started giving in. Maybe, after all, it was not that bad…If she thought rationally, Lucrezia's way of thinking made perfect sense.

The only small problem was a little voice coming from her heart telling her that the whole thing was wrong. That one should only marry out of love, not because of wealth or social position and, even less because of politics.

Ignoring this little voice, Relena heard herself saying:

"Alright then…I'll marry Monsieur Barton…".

"Brilliant…I'll go and tell Milliardo…we have to organise the trip to Hanoi…I've actually managed to convince your brother to let you spend some time in the Barton residence so you get to know each other BEFORE the wedding…isn't that grand?" said Lucrezia happy to see that the young woman had come to her senses.

"You won't be coming with me?" asked Relena concerned.

"I'm afraid not, we'll be going there in two weeks time, just before the wedding…but my best friend Sally will be coming with you as your chaperone…she's a doctor and she's half Chinese, half English…she'll also be the interpreter for the guides…She's a lot of fun to be with..." Lucrezia said getting up ready to leave the room.

Before closing the door after her, Lucrezia said to Relena one last thing:

"You will not regret your decision, I guarantee you you've made a most wise choice…".

Relena, somehow, was not as convinced as her sister in law but, the blond girl thought that there would be plenty of time to persuade herself that it was for her own good.

A week after the ball, with all her new dresses packed away, Relena started to get ready for yet another long trip.

Relena was very sad, she had had so little time to get to know the place as well as she had expected but, again, it didn't really matter, after all, this was not going to be her home anyway.

She hoped that Hanoi would be as beautiful as Rangoon.

Once more, she found herself taking a look around the room she had occupied for the last few weeks. Then, leaving her big trunk and two suitcases there, took her handbag and went to the terrace where she will have her last breakfast in the Peacecraft residence.

When she got there, she heard two female voices, one belonged to Lucrezia, the other one had a funny accent. Its owner was a tallish woman with long blond hair arranged in two broad plaits. She was very beautiful with her almond shaped blue eyes being an unmistakable sign of her Chinese origin.

"Good morning, you must be Sally…" said Relena.

"Yes, that's me…and you must be Relena…it's a pleasure to meet you…" replied the girl named Sally.

"Likewise…" said Relena smiling, she had taken an instant liking for her sister in law's best friend.

"Well, like I was saying, we're travelling with one of the best guides I know. He's Chinese but he's been all his life around this land so he knows it like the back of his hand. He's told me he's bringing with him a friend for our protection….they should be here in half an hour…so you better get something to eat because, if I know him one bit, we will stop only if strictly necessary…" explained Sally.

Relena, obeying, sat down and started eating breakfast. Observing Sally, Relena noticed that she was wearing a wedding band.

"Is your husband coming with us, Sally?" she couldn't help but ask.

"No darling…my husband died a year ago…" explained Sally.

"Oh…I'm sorry…I…" stuttered Relena.

"Don't worry…we had been married for only three weeks, I can hardly say that I knew him…" replied Sally with such brutal honesty that Relena refrained from saying anything else.

Meanwhile the three women finished their breakfast, the servants placed Relena's belongings in the carriage they were going to use to go to Hanoi.

Relena, Sally and Lucrezia went to the front door. Milliardo was waiting for them next to the carriage.

"Relena, this is for you…Monsieur Barton left it here for me to give it to you…" Milliardo said handing her a small velvet box.

Opening it, Relena saw a beautiful solitaire ring. She looked up to her brother and gave him a questioning look.

"Yes Relena, that is your engagement ring…put it on, if you like it…".

Taking it from the box she put it on her left ring finger. The sunlight made it sparkle. It was a very beautiful ring, the only fault was that Relena had dreamed that her future husband would give it himself, hopefully with the moonlight and on one knee. Again, Relena had started to realise that those were little girl's dreams and that reality was a lot harsher.

She was so immersed in her own thoughts that did not realise the two men coming on two horses.

"Relena, meet Chang Wu Fei, he's going to be our guide all the way from Rangoon to Hanoi…" said Sally bringing Relena back to the real world.

The blond girl looked up from her left hand to the Chinese man standing in front of her. He was definitely Chinese. He had black hair tied in a short ponytail. His black eyes looked at her so patronisingly that Relena didn't know whether to be angry or to simply laugh.

"How do you do Mr Wu Fei?" Relena said and hearing Sally laugh, asked, "What did I say that was so funny?".

Sally was about to reply but the Chinese man did it for her:

"Wu Fei is my first name...Chang is the surname…so it would be Mr Chang...but, I would prefer if you called me Wu Fei…".

"Sure…then I would like you to call me Relena…" she said with her best smile.

"No…that would be most inappropriate…Miss Peacecraft…" Wu Fei replied startling Relena, then, before she could add anything, Wu Fei said "Sally, this is the man I was telling you about, his name is Heero Yuy and he's from Japan…".

Relena looked at the man standing next to Wu Fei. How she had not seen him before was an enigma. His dark brown hair was left completely at the mercy of the wind and he had the strangest colour of eyes for a Japanese person. They were a deep shade of blue. His body told everybody that he was used to intense physical exercise. He was just…wild. And he had the word 'trouble' all over him.

Trying to ignore the irrational feeling of fear, Relena said:

"How do you do Mr Yuy…".

Without even bothering to return the salute, the man named Heero Yuy said something in a tongue Relena could not understand. Seeing that Sally knew what he was saying, Relena gathered that it had to be Chinese.

"They said it is better to get moving…" Sally said seeing Relena's confused expression.

So, after saying goodbye to Milliardo and Lucrezia, Relena boarded the carriage following Sally. Then, Wu Fei and Heero mounted on their horses and led the way for the carriage.

END OF CHAPTER THREE