Chapter Nine

Milliardo and his wife were sitting with Trowa, Catherine and Sally. They were waiting for Relena to start having breakfast but not seeing her coming, Catherine said:

"I'll go and get her…maybe she's still sleeping…".

"Ok, you'll do that…we better start having breakfast…" replied Trowa. The servants, following a sign from their master, started pouring the tea and serving the food.

A few minutes later, Catherine came running in the breakfast room. She looked very distressed and was holding an envelope.

"Elle a disparu!!" said clearly out of breath.

"Quoi? Que dis-tu?" exclaimed Trowa getting up from the table.

"Elle a disparu ! Elle est allée mais a laissé cette note pour toi… " Catherine said giving the envelope she had in her hand to her brother.

"What's going on?" asked Milliardo annoyed for not being able to understand the conversation.

"Your sister is gone Monsieur Peacecraft…she's left a note for my brother…" said Catherine very upset and worried.

"What?" asked Lucrezia and Sally disbelievingly.

Trowa, opening the envelope, started reading the first words and then, without saying anything to anyone, walked out of the room.

Catherine started following him but Trowa turned round and commanded:

"Stay here…".

Catherine was left with no option so she decided to stay there with the Peacecraft's and the Chinese doctor.

Sitting on the couch in his studio, Trowa started reading Relena's letter:

Dear Trowa,

I'm very sorry for doing this to you but, I can't marry you. Last night, a person you know very well, came to visit me and with her words, opened my eyes and made me see the truth.

The kind of love you two share is too sacred to be sacrificed for something as meaningless as politics or a promise made forcefully to someone that did not respect you for what you are.

I can't claim I know you but I have seen that you are a very decent, caring man with a great capacity to love and accept other people's love.

You also have a great sense of duty and this is what is pushing you to marry me but, what you really need to ask yourself is whether this will make us truly happy. I know it won't.

Up to a few days ago, I didn't know what real love was but now, for the first time, I have experienced it first hand and, although I can fully understand Midii's reasons to give you up, I cannot accept such sacrifice. I would never feel right knowing that my unlikely happiness with you had cost someone else the deepest of miseries.

Don't blame Midii for talking to me. She's done the two of us a huge favour. You should go to her and ask her to forgive our stupidity. Then you should marry her and try to make her happy.

If you're reading this and I'm not there, this means that the object of my affections returns them and I'm the happiest woman in the whole world. We will now be on our way to start our life together.

I really wish you the very best from life and know that I feel very lucky for having met you.

Please express my gratitude to Midii, I will be in debt with her forever.

With my best regards, Relena Peacecraft

PS: Please give my apologies to my brother, tell him I'm not the person he thought I was and I'm deeply sorry for being a disappointment. I truly hope he and his wife will come to understand my decision.

After reading the letter a couple of times, Trowa folded it neatly in two and shoved it inside the pocket of his jacket.

He understood Relena's decision very well. How could he not? When he had asked Midii to give him up had cost him such a great deal of pain that he almost felt chocked by it. Not to speak about the pain that he had caused to her. It had almost killed him seeing the sorrow in her beautiful blue eyes.

Trowa decided to go back to the breakfast room to tell Milliardo that the wedding was to be annulled completely.

"Where's your husband Madame Peacecraft?" asked Trowa not seeing Milliardo in the room. He noticed that the woman was on the verge of crying.

"He's gone to organise a search party for Relena…" replied Sally for Lucrezia was unable to speak.

"That girl! I knew she was trouble!" said Catherine angrily.

Trowa went to her and taking his sister by her arm, made her get up.

"DON'T EVER SAY THAT AGAIN…SHE'S A VERY BRAVE GIRL…I WISH I HAD HALF HER COURAGE!" Trowa shouted at her.

"Je suis désolée... je te prie cher frère, ne pas me te fâcher avec moi... " said Catherine really scared for she had never seen her brother so angry before.

"Then don't say stupid things…and I won't get angry…" Trowa said and then, talking to Sally, he said "Where's he heading to?".

"He's going to Hanoi to meet the British governor…" replied Sally.

Trowa, for the second time that day, stormed out the breakfast room.

Wu Fei had just finished his breakfast and was about to start his meditation. He knew that today he would need all the mental strength he could gather. Especially trying to explain to Sally why he had done nothing to prevent Heero and Relena from going.

He was settling on the floor when he heard someone coming in the house. Turning round, Wu Fei saw Heero carrying Relena in his arms.

"What's wrong with the woman?" asked Wu Fei very surprised to see Relena unconscious.

"Go and get Sally…tell her to bring some quinine with her…" replied Heero taking Relena inside the room that the Japanese man used to occupy.

"Quinine? That's for…" Wu Fei started saying.

"Malaria…I know…Wu Fei, Relena needs help soon…" said Heero feeling that his very limited patience was quickly vanishing.

"Alright then…I'll go now…" Wu Fei said leaving his house.

Heero heard Wu Fei getting on his horse and riding away, then the Japanese man went back to the room where Relena was.

Relena was still very hot so Heero decided to soak a piece of cloth with cold water to try to decrease the temperature.

"You can't leave me…not now…Relena you must fight this…" Heero said while holding her hand and pushing one blond, wet lock of hair away from the girl's beautiful face.

While Wu Fei was racing to the Barton's plantation, Milliardo and governor Khushrenada where on their way to the French governor's house. After Milliardo had informed Treize personally, the governor had sent a message to his French counterpart and they were heading there to discuss what was the best thing to do.

"I just don't know what my sister was thinking…" Milliardo said shaking his head.

"Oh my old friend…you shouldn't worry about it…she's young and she'll be easily convinced that she's made a mistake…" Treize replied patting his friend's shoulder.

"I hope she'll be alright…travelling alone…she must have gone mad!" Milliardo insisted.

"My soldiers will find her…you'll have her back to safety in no time…" Treize said determinedly.

Soon they found themselves in front of the French style mansion where the governor lived. In the front door, they saw Monsieur Barton waiting for them.

"Monsieur Peacecraft…I hoped this would be your destination…I need to speak to you…" Trowa said as soon as Milliardo had got off his horse.

"Why is that? If it's related to my sisters disappearance, you don't have to worry…she'll marry you…this is just a mere inconvenient…we will ensure she meets you at the altar…" Milliardo said resolutely.

"I'm not sure this is the best for us…" Trowa said and looked like he wanted to add something else but got interrupted by the French governor that, as every good host would, had come down to meet his unexpected guests.

"Monsieur Barton…you surely don't mean what you have just said…".

"I do governor. I had some reasons to marry Miss Peacecraft but, I don't anymore…she's free to marry whomever she chooses…" Trowa proclaimed.

"Monsieur Barton, I don't think you understand…you may have had your reasons, and those may not be valid anymore…but our main target still prevails…France and Britain need these alliances and you will cooperate…it is your duty as a French citizen and Miss Peacecraft's as a British one…" the French governor insisted.

"But…" Trowa started saying.

"No buts…Monsieur, as you know, your fiancée has gone astray. We're here to discuss how to find her and return her home nothing more, nothing less…" said the French governor going inside the house.

Wu Fei dismounted his horse and started running to the house's entrance. He knocked it and waited impatiently for a reply.

"Bonjour monsieur, comment puis-je vous aider?" asked one of the servants opening the door.

"Je dois voir Madame Sally Po" said Wu Fei and, without waiting for an answer, he went pass the poor servant that looked at him stunned.

Wu Fei could hear the servant calling after him but, the Chinese man was resolute and nothing would prevent him from seeing Sally.

He found her still in the breakfast room. The doctor and the other two ladies had been joined by Dorothy and her husband Quatre, they had come to help the hosts with their guests. Alas, Mr and Mrs Winner found that there was no need for it since the protagonist, the bride, wasn't there. Right now, Dorothy was speaking but she interrupted herself seeing the Chinese man at the door. Everyone else followed Mrs Winner's gaze and, Sally seeing her fiancé, said:

"Wu Fei! What are you doing here…it's still too soon…" Sally was unsure whether she was authorised to discuss Relena's disappearance with him.

"You must come with me now…" Wu Fei said in English. Then, in Chinese, he added something else very quickly hoping that no one would understand what he was saying.

Sally looked at him shocked and, without even explaining anything to the other four people in the room, she followed Wu Fei outside.

"Sally…" started to say Lucrezia getting up to follow her best friend, she was stopped by Catherine's voice.

"I'm going to find my brother…Relena's very sick...She's in that man's house…".

"What? How did you…" asked Lucrezia astonished.

"I always thought it would come useful learning some Chinese…" Catherine replied while leaving the room.

Lucrezia followed her out the room. Quatre looked at his wife and, without exchanging any words, decided to follow the three women. Quatre was worried about all these new developments, his peaceful nature was disturbed by everything that was happening. His wife, in the contrary, was quite thrilled by all the intrigue but, of course, being as well educated as she was, she knew better than to express those feelings.

END OF CHAPTER NINE