By : Angel of Venus_l3 (angelofvenus_l3@yahoo.com)
CHAPTER THREE
Quatre was glad by the time he woke up, the shuttle had already landed on Venus. He had slept for hours in the flight and began to feel his back cramped. Even so, the sleep didn't help him much but he did feel a little rested. Venus wasn't much different than any other planets, he noted. It was almost easy to identify a Venusian. Practically every pure Venusian had blonde hair and bright blue eyes and it was usually difficult to spot a brunette or a red hair walking around in Venus unless they worked there which was quite rare.
Despite the Venusian's friendliness, outsiders were not really welcome there and the Venusian generals had set several strict rules for tourists or outsiders. It was for their safety purposes which was highly understandable since the previous war with Mars had left a painful scar to the Venusian. Only those who were extremely wealthy, royalties or high ranked generals could afford a visit there. Quatre had went there a couple of times on a business trip but never had a chance to meet the generals or the famous 'mysterious' princess as everybody had like to claim. He did get several invitations to Venus but he hardly had any time to attend the functions because of his incoming projects and the distant between Earth and Venus had became a major problem which would take up most of his time.
When Quatre reached his hotel, he was immediately mesmerized by the beautiful view. Duo had booked him a hotel which was exactly by the beach. Figures Duo had such good tastes for these kind of things, he thought with a smile. After Quatre had placed his bags in his room, he instantly run down to the beach to inspect the view. The ocean was certainly in a beautiful shade of blue, as was the cloudless sky. The warm sand shone as brightly as the dessert on Earth. He could feel the warm rays of sunlight on his skin and the excited cries of the Venusian kids running around by the shore echoed in his ears, mixing with the sounds of the seagulls and the ocean.
Quatre wished he could be as happy and carefree as they were. He watched as the children happily built sandcastles with their parents and several teenagers swimming in the sea. It's been awhile since he had some fun, he suddenly realized. He didn't realize how much he had missed the fun times he had with his friends and even the shortest hour of their precious moments were considered memorable to him. But now, he could hardly remember the last time he went out with the pilots for their 'guys night-out' as Duo liked to claim.
"Maybe I have been a little too serious on my work…" he mumbled to himself. He made a mental note to spend a little more time at home rather than his office. After he found a way to settle his present problem, that is. Quatre slowly walked along the beach, enjoying the cool breeze and the sweet smell of the ocean. He let his mind drifted randomly as he watched the waves rhythmically made their way across the white sand before departing and withdrawing back to join the sea. Almost immediately, he felt at peace upon the calm surrounding.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
"Let me get this right…" Minako said as she studied Caroline's impassive features. Both of them were sitting comfortably across from each other at the table in Caroline's hotel room which was located exactly by the beach. As Minako expected, Caroline was obviously one of the wealthiest girl she had ever met. She had followed the girl back to her hotel which was actually one of the classiest and most expensive hotel in Venus. From the skimpy material she wore, the way she talked and the posh way she walked, Minako figured she was well spoilt for a mere teenage girl. And she wasn't exactly the nicest person on Venus, too.
"You are actually engaged to this guy who you haven't seen in six years and the main reason why you wanted to switch places with me would be because you have your own two month special vacation with your boyfriend which happened to be the exact time when you're suppose to stay with your fiance?"
"Yes, well, my father really want us both to get along so he had arranged for us to stay together at his mansion somewhere on Earth for a month. But unfortunately, I have other plans…" "Yes, but with this engagement, everything seem sort of risky now," Minako said doubtfully. "Are you sure this plan will work?" Caroline nodded affirmatively and poured herself a glass of wine. Minako couldn't help frowning at that. It was hardly even morning and this girl was starting it early with an alcohol beverage which was not healthy. However, she restraint herself from saying anything and focused on the topic of discussion.
Caroline didn't seem to notice Minako's slight discomfort and was about to take a sip until she realized something. "Oh, sorry," she said, tilting the glass. "Do you want any?" Minako shook her head politely. Caroline shrugged and took a delicate sip of the wine. She then set the glass down and spoke casually, "Look, Mina, this plan is actually very simple if you know how to pull it off. Actually this visit is unexpected to me, too. I already have my vacation planned out and everything when my dear old father suddenly declared that I will be visiting him on that very week which is a total dent to my plans."
Minako sensed a little resentment in the area of discussion which indicated the obvious reasons why Caroline was so eager to switch identities in the first place. "Um, I'm a little confuse here," Minako reluctantly admitted. "Well, I've never been engaged before so I wouldn't really know but wouldn't it be cheating on your fiancé if you go on your vacation with another guy, even if you don't have any feelings for him…" Minako was surprised when Caroline let out a mock laugh. "Oh, please," she exclaimed, waving Minako's statement away with a swift motion of her delicate hand. "He's not the noblest man on Earth, you know. He probably doesn't even care that I have a boyfriend once we're married."
Minako frowned at her in disapproval. "That's terrible," she exclaimed in disgust. "How could you even say that when you haven't even talk to him for years? And how could you cheat behind his back like that?" Caroline merely shrugged, tilting the glass. "I am marrying him in the end, aren't I?" she argued, almost in an irritated tone. "So before that most…" she paused to sip her wine and continued sarcastically, " 'special day of my life' comes, I just want to have one last fling before my darling husband restrict me from going out on dates or see other people."
The Venusian princess wanted to say more but Caroline had immediately continued before she had the chance, "It's not any of your concern anyway, Mina. Don't look at me like I had just committed a crime, it's practically normal for a girl to see other people while she's already engaged or even married. I just don't know why you Venusian people can't understand this simple needs in life. With your pure Venusian beauty, you can get every guy you wanted with a simple click of your fingers and not just one guy. The guys on Earth will do almost anything to have a Venusian as a girlfriend. Why not used that beauty you have for a little….fun? Isn't beauty well-known in your planet?"
"We are also well known for our love and loyalty to the ones we care about," Minako implied, trying to hide her anger in the soft tone of hers. "We don't flaunt ourselves at men just to get their attention and we don't use our beauty to get what we want. That's not our way." "Yeah, other than beauty, you Venusian are gifted with extreme skills in love-making," Caroline commented with a wry smile, as though challenging Minako right there and then. Minako's eyes widen in shock at her statement. "Don't get mad, sweetie, it's a compliment," Carolined continued, almost too genuinely. "It's a really huge benefit for both parties, if you know what I mean. I bet your famous Venusian princess is very skillful at that, even if she's not as pretty as you people imagined. By god, the things people say when they hadn't even met her. But with that kind of skills, who cares about looks?"
Minako glared at her in anger. It was no secret that most people were jealous of the Venusian for their beauty but she hated it when other people misunderstood the Venusian like that. And the insult about her was more than enough. Every Venusian was borne with their own inner beauty and even though they were gifted with such looks and 'skills', they don't take advantage of that. That was not the Venusian ways of doing things and getting what they wanted in advance. She had the right mind to wipe that smile on Caroline's features with a sharp slap .
"I resent that," Minako yelled, not even bothering to hide her anger. "You have no right to…" "Look, honey, I don't have much time here," Caroline cut in, as if Minako had never spoken before. "I need to know, are you still willing to do this? Because we need to get everything worked out fast before I leave Venus and that is in a few days time. I assure you, everything will work out well provided you do exactly as I told you to and of course, I will pay you handsomely if this plan's a success. So what's it going to be?" Minako was still sore at their previous conversation but she was really glad for the changed of subject.
"I'm still not sure about this," she reluctantly replied. "Your fiancé might not notice the differences but what about your father? He will, after all, drop by once in awhile to see you…" "Trust me, he won't realize it either," Caroline assured her. "If you know how to act like me, then there's nothing to worry about." Seeing that Minako was unconvinced, Caroline sighed exasperatedly and exclaimed, "God, there's nothing for you to be scared of. Just trust me, everything will go well as planned." Minako noticed how confident Caroline seemed. Either because she was too ignorant about the consequences of their plan or she was just brave, Minako couldn't tell.
"What about dates?" Minako asked, still trying to digest the information which she had received so far. "Wouldn't he want to go on a date or something?" Caroline chuckled at her and tossed her hair to the side. "Oh, don't worry about that," she exclaimed with a mischievous grin. "I heard from my father that he's pretty busy with his work and all so he hardly has anytime for me, or in this matter, for you. So just relax and have your own fun. Plus, once you arrive there, I bet he'll be showering you with gifts just to be polite so you can make use of that advantage. He's very wealthy and…useful, if you know what I mean."
Minako tried to hide her disgust as she watched Caroline chuckled to herself. She didn't like what Caroline was doing to this guy so far and now she had the nerve to suggest she make use of this advantage. But then again, it did sound so much better than being at the palace. At least no one would be watching over her at all time. Caroline wordlessly took out a small picture from her purse, gazed at it briefly before handing it to her. Minako reluctantly took it and gazed at the young boy in the picture, well aware that he must be the 'lucky' guy Caroline was engaged to. The boy in the picture couldn't be more than thirteen, with that adorable smile and the bright blue eyes that seemed to reflect the innocence that a child would have. He's so cute, she had to admit. He seemed so innocent and pure…but something in that smile of his and that eyes, held a hint of sadness in them. Because of the recent wars? Or something else?
"What's the little guy's name?" Minako murmured, still gazing at the picture. Caroline poured herself another glass of wine. "Qatara something Winner, one of the ex-Gundam pilots or something…." "Quatre Raberba Winner?!!" Minako cried, looking entirely perplex. "Oh my Venusian goddess! I don't believe it! You're engaged to Quatre Raberba Winner, one of those guys who piloted the Gundams! And there haven't been a single news about the engagement! Oh, you are so lucky…"
"Yeah, whatever," Caroline interrupted in a boring tone. "Great that you know him and all but Qatara…" "Quatre," Minako corrected her. Caroline rolled her eyes and continued in exasperate, "Fine, Quatre isn't exactly the greatest person on Earth so you don't have to get all worked up. I mean, yeah, sure, he's involved in the political development on the colonies and maintaining his father's business and all at the same time but anyone can do that. He's just happen to be lucky, that's all. Now I have to address the most important question here. Are you going to do this or not?"
Minako gazed at the picture and later at Caroline. She had heard so many stories about the Gundam pilots and had always dreamt of meeting them, even though she had never seen how any of them looked like, including Quatre. Now that she had the chance, there was no way she could pass it up. Plus she would be staying with one of them without any supervision from anyone and that was a big bonus. That thought helped her a lot in making her decision. Smiling, she tossed the picture on the table, clearly her mind made up and replied thoughtfully, "I'll do it."
For the next few hours, Minako spent her time in Caroline's room. Caroline told her almost everything about herself which Minako found mostly disgraceful and everything she knew about Quatre which wasn't much. She even showed the princess the letters which Quatre had been sending to her years ago and Minako couldn't help noting how cute Quatre's handwritings were. Every time Caroline mentioned anything about Quatre, she always made his name sound like a dirty word. The things he wrote in the letters were polite and very well-written for a twelve-year-old boy. He did write a little personal things about himself in the letter, though Minako couldn't tell whether he meant it or not.
Minako couldn't help feeling excited about the plan for she had always wanted to meet the Gundam pilots after hearing all those stories about them and what they had done to attain peace at such a young age. She had never met them or knew how they looked and she was always trying to talk her generals into letting her see them but Andrite had refused to bring her to Earth or let her go to any function which required one of the pilots', mainly Quatre's presence as well. Andrite had gave her 'safety purposes' as an excuse but Minako knew how much he disliked those Gundam pilots.
Despite the peace which the pilots had tried so hard to achieve and protect, the previous amount of destructions which were caused by the Gundams had led Andrite and several others to believe how ruthless and dangerous they might be, even if the mobile suits were no longer in use or their skills no longer in need. Andrite had always hated all types of war, mainly because it reminded him of the loss of his own parents in the battles and also the Venusian king and queen who had favored him like their own son. Minako knew if Andrite found out what she was planning to do, he would be more than just furious, judging how high-tempered he could get and his prompt actions would certainly be drastic. But despite the consequences, this opportunity was too good to miss and she had never gotten a chance as close as this one. No matter what the situation would be, she had made up her mind to go.
"Mina, where have you been?" The sudden voice startled Minako but when she realized it was only Alya, she breathe out a sigh of relief and immediately closed the door to her room abruptly so that no one would notice her previous disappearance. She had hoped no one would realize she had been missing for almost three hours but that was too much to hope for, it seemed.
"Out," she answered bluntly. "For fresh air. Does Andy know?" Alya shook her head slowly in a manner to comfort the troubled princess. "No because I told him you were still asleep," Alya answered, crossing her arms. "But Mina, still, you shouldn't worry him like that, you know. He has a duty to perform, after all and he only cares about your safety." "Right, by keeping me a prisoner in this old cage," Minako said indignantly, plopping on the sofa. Alya could easily tell the Venusian princess was still holding a grudge against Andrite's so-called proposal. Nevertheless, she couldn't argue on her behalf on that matter considering Andrite was still the Head of the Venusian Generals and she herself was required to follow his orders in order to keep her job.
"Well, I don't know if this sounds any good to you…" Alya murmured, sitting next to Minako. "But Andrite agreed to let only Daniel and me come along on your trip. That is, if you're still up to it." Minako's eyes suddenly lit up upon that subject. Of course she was still up to it, she added to herself but managed to conceal her excitement with a less enthusiastic shrug. "Yeah, I guess. The lesser the merrier." "Great," Alya exclaimed, pecking her cheek lightly. "Daniel and I will promise to make your vacation as enjoyable as possible so that you won't feel tied down. Now you better change and get your breakfast before Andrite realize you had been sleeping way past your schedule." Minako nodded as the older general rose to her feet.
Alya was halfway out the door when she stopped abruptly and whipped around. "Oh, I almost forgot to mention," she exclaimed, slamming her fist to her palm. "Tonight's the 'Stargazing' festival, remember? The one that you had really begged Andrite to take you to three weeks ago. Are you still up to it?" Minako failed to mask her surprise over the sudden invitation. "Really?!" she exclaimed, her mouth hung open. "I mean, are you serious? I can go if I want to?" Alya chuckled upon seeing the princess's sudden eagerness. "Yeah, Andrite was the one who suggested it. Of course, since he hadn't any plans for tonight, he decided to take the risk of letting you go. With him." "Just both of us?" Minako inquired, her face fell. The sudden thought of Andrite and her spending some time together hardly struck her exciting like it would have ten years ago. She couldn't imagine how much fun she would have with him as her escort.
"Sounds romantic, huh?" Alya replied, smiling wryly as though reading her thoughts. "I think he's just making it up for your ruined vacation. Try not to be so hard on him, at least he's trying to make peace." "I suppose," Minako murmured reluctantly. "Why don't you come along? I'm not sure if we can stand around each other without him telling me what or what not to do there. Maybe you can distract him while I sneak off to another part of the festival…"
Alya chuckled, waving off her trailing sentence. "Believe it or not, Andrite had come to the same conclusion and he had asked me to come with him as well. I was thinking of taking off with Daniel tonight but seeing as you both needed me, I'll go. But you have to promise not to leave me alone with him longer than fifteen minutes or I might sneak off myself!"