By : Angel of Venus_l3
CHAPTER FIVE
"Where is she?" Andrite demanded as he made his way through the crowd, his eyes searching frantically for a particular blonde hair maiden. "How could she just disappear like that within seconds? I can't believe I've lost her right under my nose, and there's two of us here. What kind of general am I turning out to be? I had lost her five seconds after we talk…"
Alya barely acknowledged him as her eyes lazily swept across the field where most of the people began to dance. She clearly wasn't interested in searching for the girl, figuring this was one of her tricks to spend her time without Andrite's supervision. They had been searching for her for almost half an hour and Alya wished Andrite would just give up and let the princess had her own fun. How much trouble could one princess cause?
Andrite muttered something inaudible under his breath. They stood a distant away from the crowd while their eyes focused at them. Everyone seemed to be in their own world, dancing and laughing happily with one another, enjoying their time. From Andrite's hard gaze towards the field where the dances were located, Alya figured he was worried that Minako might be with one of them. She tried to calm him down and persuaded him to have some fun of his own but he was too engrossed in his search to hear her words as he continuously complained to himself about his recklessness.
Alya was about to try to convince Andrite again until something caught her eyes. From the very corner of the field, she could make out an interesting pair dancing gracefully among the crowd. Her view was gradually blocked by swaying dancers but Alya was convinced at what she had seen. She was startled to find Minako dancing happily with a young man and not just any young man but a Gundam pilot! That prospect surprised Alya a little as well as pleased her. She squinted her eyes to get a better view of which Gundam pilots she was dancing with and instantly recognized the Sandrock pilot. Alya then remembered of being informed of his arrival earlier this morning. Being a general and an officer in charge of the planet's communication system prompted her to be aware of the planet's current visitors.
Alya smiled slightly as she watched him twirled the giggling princess. Despite his boldness, Quatre seemed rather shy as he pulled her back into his arms. They appeared to be enjoying themselves and Alya didn't want to interrupt this precious moment. She decided to remain ignorant to the whole matter, her mind quickly compiling some plans to lead Andrite some place else so that they wouldn't be discovered but it was too late for when Alya turned to the other man, Andrite's gaze was already fixed intensely at the dancing pair.
"Um, Andy…" Alya called out softly, wondering what depravity he had stored in his mind at this very moment. "Andy, are you alright? You look like you're in a stroke there…" Andrite appeared shock at first before his features slowly revealed his anger. "What on Venus…." he stuttered through gritted teeth as he clenched his fists. Alya could almost feel the burning anger began to rise deep within him and she decided to try the soft approach, not wanting to make a scene. "Andy, relax," Alya murmured, trying to soothe the man by rubbing his arms gently. "She's just dancing, having fun like she's suppose to. What's the harm in that?"
"The harm is that she had not only disobey my strict orders but completely broken every single rules I had applied earlier at this festival!" Andrite exclaimed angrily, staring daggers at the pair before tearing his gaze to Alya. "And look who she's dancing with? Non other than a Gundam pilot! When did he arrive here? Why wasn't I inform of his arrival?! You know you're responsible to let me know of the latest visitors here…" "I am only responsible in matters regarding current visitors whose main propose are to make business deals with our suppliers or to make an investment," Alya patiently answered, keeping her tone low so that no one could hear. "Quatre Winner didn't come here for any of those."
Andrite frowned at her. "What? Then why on Venus would he step his foot here? Wait, never mind, I don't care! I don't want him touching her anymore! He doesn't deserve to touch her with that pair of hands that are still stained with blood, he'll taint her purity! She's far too pure for him to even look at, for goddess's sake!" Andrite was about to stomp over there when Alya grabbed his arm and pulled him back. "Andy, no!" she exclaimed firmly and seriously. Andrite glared back at her and yanked his arm away, annoyed at the interruption. "Why are you always…" "Because we don't want to make a scene right here at the festival!" she answered back harshly. "And knowing Mina, she couldn't care less about what people might think. She's already unhappy with your previous plans to change her schedules and you do realize she hardly even glance at you since we arrive, much less talk. Now do you really want to push her over the edge now when she's finally enjoying herself and forgetting briefly of her anger?"
Andrite was about to protest but he changed his mind, immediately realized the sense in Alya's words. He glared briefly at her before returning his gaze towards the princess. The image was somehow painful to him, his fists tighten as his eyes burnt with jealousy of the Sandrock pilot. He watched as Minako giggled at something Quatre said while the blonde man himself chuckled. Minako had never smiled like that to me before, Andrite thought glumly.
Quatre began to feel more relax as they exchanged opinions about the festival and the Venusian traditions. Even though he had read the historical facts on Venus, Minako had offered a lot of insightful comments and thorough explanation about the traditional activities that were occasionally held. She was obviously well taught of her roots, he noted, impressed with her intelligence. He listened thoughtfully to her explanation, loving the sound of her soft, melodic voice flowing in his ears like a gentle tune.
"…so in order to be blessed by the ancestors, the traditional royal wedding is normally held at the sacred chapel of the Magellan castle," Minako was saying. "It's not necessary to include the whole kingdom nor the generals in the ceremony, as long as the royal couples are there to make their vows." "Even without the King and Queen's presence?" Quatre inquired. Minako nodded affirmatively. "Yes," she replied. "Because the vows are only exchange between the two lovers secretly, no one is suppose to interfere. The chapel is rather small anyway so we couldn't possibly have any guest there." "I see…"
Quatre nodded in acknowledgement, giving her a warm smile after that. For a moment, they were silence, quietly studying one another's appearances. Both of them were reluctant to exchange partners, unable to even let go of each other's hands. Quatre had somehow managed to control his blushes and he was began to get accustomed to being surrounded by such beauty. Minako couldn't help noticing how his eyes were fixed intensely with hers, prompting her to look away every once in awhile. She had managed to hide her tinge of blushes from visibility but that doesn't stop her heart from pounding madly in her ribcage every time when he smiled at her, which was rather often. However, she still enjoyed being the center of his attention. None of her suitors had attained her approval nor her interest in any particular subjects but this stranger had successfully received her undivided attention without even trying. She was quite amazed for that.
"Who are you?" Minako murmured before she could stop herself. The sudden sound of her voice seemed to break his trance and when the question had registered in his mind, he couldn't help letting out a chuckle. "I can't believe we have been talking for the past hour without introducing ourselves," Quatre said, his eyes twinkling in amusement at the realization. "I'm Quatre Raberba Winner." That caught her off guard and she gaped at him. "Excuse me?" Minako blurted out, unsure whether she had heard his name correctly or not. "I'm sorry, I don't think I got your name. You are…." She let her sentence trailed, waiting for him to fill it in. He didn't seem to notice her slight hesitation upon that matter and casually repeated, "Quatre Raberba Winner."
Minako just stared at him, her mouth hung open in a small 'o' when the name had finally registered. Quatre Raberba Winner! her mind screamed as her heart thumped wildly in her ribcage. Quatre Raberba Winner, the infamous Gundam pilot and Caroline's fiance! She was too shocked to reply, not expecting the sudden turn of events at all. Her mind began to race at the possibilities that he might had discovered her true identity as the royal princess but those thoughts were immediately dismissed for he did not give her any sign that he knew who she really was. She was delighted to be associated with her secret idol for years but another part of her still carried doubts over that prospect. The current events happening within that one day were almost too good to be true. First, her meeting with Caroline who offered her an opportunity to stay with a Gundam pilot and now, she had made acquaintance with the same Gundam pilot she was suppose to live with!
It took Minako a moment to realize that her heart had quicken its pace, almost at the verge of hurting her chest. Quatre's appearance nor his polite behavior hardly reflected his cunning skills and involvement in the previous terrifying events of war, which was why the discovery of his identity was almost too much to take. Plus, the thought of a Gundam pilot visiting her planet had never occurred to her before, much less having the chance to meet them.
Quatre began to feel a little uneasy upon her stare. She seemed evidently surprise, despite her attempts to conceal it and Quatre could almost tell why. From their previous discussions and insights, he realized she was highly educated in matters regarding the planets' politics and economic standards, which obviously indicated that she should recognize some of the famous world leaders and politicians. And judging by her reaction towards his name alone, he couldn't doubt that she knew him. Whether it was through his involvement in the war as the Gundam pilot or his efforts to protect peace as the heir of the Winner family, he couldn't be sure but his main fear would be that she was bothered by the fact that he was involved in a huge massacre of killings along with the other pilots. Even after all these years and the peace that was attained, not everyone, especially outsiders from Earth, had agreed with the pilot's course of actions and the amount of destruction caused by their dangerous mobile suits were more well known than the outcome of their actions.
"I…suppose you have heard of me before…" Quatre trailed softly, searching her blue eyes for any truth that mutedly displayed her thoughts on that matter. His voice however, seemed to bring her back to reality and her radiant face suddenly broke into a smile which caught Quatre off guard. "Of course, who haven't?!" she cried in excitement but when she realized how loud she was, she blushed and quickly continued in a lower tone, "I'm sorry, I just didn't expect to meet a Gundam pilot here…I mean, there's never any news about your arrival before and even if there was, you are highly expected to be in the parliament, not at a festival. Are the other pilots here, too? Can I meet them?" Quatre blinked as he tried to digest her sudden excitement towards the particular subject. He couldn't doubt her sincerity and grinned as he noticed her curious stare, waiting for his response like an innocent child.
"I'm sorry," he replied, chuckling lightly. "I came here alone so the chance of meeting them are quite slim. Besides, we are no longer a pilot in war and I doubt that they wanted to be labeled as the 'Gundam pilots' now that peace had been attained. But if you like, I can send them your regards…" "Please do," Minako said eagerly, her eyes twinkling in appreciation. "And I would really like to know more about you and your comrades, Mr. Winner." Quatre chuckled. "Please, call me 'Quatre'. I had more than enough formalities at work, I do not need anymore when I'm trying to relax.." Minako suppressed a snicker, knowing well enough what he meant. No one had ever addressed her other than 'Your Highness' or 'Princess', except for Alya but she only addressed her privately, not wanting to encourage such impoliteness among the occupants of the palace.
After awhile, the music suddenly became louder and the pair realized how difficult it would be for them to talk. So Quatre gently led Minako away from the crowd, still holding her hand firmly, as though afraid that she might run away from his side if he dared to let go. Quatre began to tell her about his living arrangements with his friends while they walked aimlessly on the dock where most of the stalls were located. Minako was listening intently until she caught sight of Andrite in the distant from the crowd. He seemed to be in a heated discussion with Alya and obviously did not notice her presence from afar. Yet. Although still within view, she and Quatre were quite far from them and their sight was gradually blocked by the dancing crowds.
However, she refused to take any chances. Not wanting this day to end that quickly, Minako casually turned to Quatre, her face concealing evidence of her scheme, "Do you mind if we take a short walk at the beach? It's getting rather stuffy here. And besides, what kind of fun festivity would this be without stargazing?" "Of course," Quatre replied thoughtfully. "But I thought stargazing is normally done past midnight and the best place to stargaze is usually at the countryside…" "It doesn't necessarily have to be the right way," Minako giggled, dragging him further away from the crowded festival and trotting toward the beach. "We can still get a better view here. I'd like to show you that Venus wasn't well known as the brightest planet for nothing, you know. It doesn't matter where you gaze at them, the stars are always bright and can be seen clearly almost anywhere."
From then, Minako led Quatre to the beach, eager to get away from the festival but at the same time, anxious to show the Gundam pilot how beautiful Venus was. There were several Venusian clustered around the beach, apparently sharing the same idea and most of them were couples, no doubt. Quatre could feel the immediate change of atmosphere around him. Unlike at the festival, the atmosphere was so much soothing with the gentle evening breeze, the sound of the waves washed over the white sand and the sight of lovers holding hands as they walked along the shoreline gave away a dramatic effect of romance.
Quatre secretly envied them for the security and happiness they shared, not knowing that the maiden next to him was holding the same perspective as he was. The sight somehow reminded him of Caroline, all of a sudden. He couldn't doubt that he and his fiancé could never have what the couples shared, even the smallest pleasures in life would be almost too much for her to give. Even though he longed for a companion, one that could promise him the security and contentment he craved, he could never admit of that particular need. Not because he was too proud of himself or held so much pride but he just didn't see the necessity to.
"Hey, what are you thinking?" the gentle voice of his lovely companion broke his thoughts, prompting him to glance at her. "Huh? Oh, sorry," Quatre sheepishly apologized. He didn't realize that they were still holding hands and were now walking aimlessly along the beach until he felt a brush of her hair on his arm. That, as usual, and the realization of how close they were to one another sent more tingles of electricity on his skin that later on traveled to his entire body.
"So what was it on your mind?" Minako urged casually. Quatre hesitated but then replied with a smile, "Oh, nothing important, just thinking about home. Hey, I just remember, you haven't told me your name yet…" Minako's smile almost instantly faded and her heart began to quicken its pace as she contemplated how to answer that. She had forgotten that she was suppose to hold the identity of Caroline Calvert now, not the Venusian princess.
"Um…" "Don't tell me you don't have one…" Quatre joked, sensing her hesitation. "Come on, tell me, who are you?" Minako bit her bottom lip, still uncertain how far he should know but after a brief moment of contemplation, she finally came to a conclusion.. It wasn't exactly a solution but at least he wouldn't pry anymore info out of her that would lead to further complications. "I'm sorry, Quatre, I don't easily give out my name to strangers," she murmured.
Quatre failed to hide his disappointment but eventually nodded. "I understand," he replied softly but casually enough. "But you knew my name, wouldn't that at least terminate the fact that we hardly know anything about each other?" "Well, since you and your friends are well known in the universe as the Gundam pilots…I guess," Minako replied teasingly, winking at him. "But you'll eventually find out my name, Quatre, no doubt about that. Just wait for a couple of days, perhaps weeks even, then you'll know." He couldn't help noting that she was hiding something. Her eyes twinkling in amusement when she noted his puzzlement. He wanted to pry further but something in her eyes held her back, urging him to trust her. And he decided he would.
"Hey, this spot is perfect," Minako suddenly exclaimed, stopping her tracks. Quatre was aware that they were quite far from where the other people had gathered and apparently they were he only ones here. However despite how secluded the area was, he felt relax and quietly sat down next to Minako. From the corner of his eyes, he noticed Minako was staring at the immense sky, her eyes seemed to be searching for something.
"So, what are we looking at?" Quatre prompted. "The 'Aphroditean', of course," was her only answer. He looked at her in puzzle. "Huh?" "The 'Aphroditean'," Minako repeated. Noticing the puzzle look on his face, Minako giggled and said, "I guess you're not familiar with the Venusian constellation." "Iie.." Quatre sheepishly answered. Minako then grabbed a couple of stones nearby and placed them across from Quatre, arranging them in some sort of pattern. He looked at her blankly.
When she finished, her sparkling eyes seemed to challenge him as she inquired, "Can you find this exact same pattern of stars in the sky?" Quatre reluctantly gazed above, searching for the particular design in the sky. There were so many stars, it was almost impossible to find one with the exact same pattern. A faint streak of silver decorated against the sky, contrasting with the bitter darkness and bringing out the beauty of night. The stars were twinkling brightly in various shapes, he suddenly realized. He glanced back at the design on the sand and compared it with the ones in the sky. His gaze finally locked on one particular pattern. True enough, the arrangement was similar to Minako's. Even the position of the sizes of stones were similar to the brightness of the stars.
"Is that it?" he asked, pointing slightly to the right where the particular cluster of stars were located. Minako smiled at him. "Yep," she replied affirmatively. Then she slowly trailed her finger on the sand, dragging lazily around the stones and connecting them to create a clearer view of her drawing. At one glance, Quatre recognized the design. "That's the sign of Venus," he murmured, amazed. "Exactly," she stated. "It's known as the 'Aphroditean' or commonly as 'Aphrodite's Love'. It's name after our Goddess of Love and Beauty, Lady Aphrodite. According to legend, this star was actually born on the same night Aphrodite was married to Adonis. Thus, it's believe that the birth of this star had some sort of power over love and a guarantee to an everlasting relationship if people are married on this night." "But Aphrodite's marriage to Adonis did not last." "Oh, Quatre, it's only a legend," Minako replied thoughtfully, before gazing longingly at the sky. "True, it didn't last but they did love each other very much. After all, Lady Aphrodite did wept upon Adonis's death which proved that their marriage had been fruitful. We actually missed the birthing process.."
"Pardon me?" Quatre inquired, raising his eyebrows and stared at her in amazement. "I meant, we missed the birthing process of the constellation," Minako elaborated with giggles. "What were you thinking?" Quatre felt his cheeks grew slightly warm at her teasing before slowly joined in her giggles. "It's really beautiful," Minako commented. "You can easily separate it from the other stars because the constellation stand out the most, being one of the brightest pattern in the sky. But as the night grow old, the stars get dimmer and will slowly faded by dawn. You won't be able to see it again until next year."
"Sou desuka…" "Well, it's possible for it to happen twice a year but very, very rare and in the sixteen years of my life, I've never encounter it before," Minako finished with a smile, glancing at Quatre. "So you're sixteen?" he inquired gently, a small smile tugging the corner of his mouth. Minako stared at him, suddenly realizing of the given info and pretended to be upset. "Yeah, I'll be seventeen soon but I'm not telling you when," she finished with a childish pout and shifted her gaze to the sky. Quatre let out a small laugh.
Suddenly, his laughter was cut short when his cell phone rang. He jerked slightly when he felt the vibration and reluctantly fished out his cell phone from his pocket. "Uh, gomen," he apologized and slowly rose to his feet. After he stood a safe distant from her hearing range, he answered the call, "Hello?" "Hey, Kat! Just call to know how you're doing. How's it going, buddy?" Duo's familiar yet annoying voice greeted him. Quatre could make out loud music blaring in the background and muffled laughter that was later followed by several crashes. "Duo," Quatre exclaimed, stunned. "Um, fine…everything's fine here. What time is it at home?" "Oh, 4.35 in the morning." Quatre's frown deepen. "Why are you up then? And what are those noises in the back?"
"Oh, the guys and I are just having a small party…" "You call this small?!" Wufei's obvious voice yelled from the background. "You call a party consisted of one hundred and twenty eight guests small?!! That so-called party was suppose to end fourteen hours ago and turned down that *%#$#@$^ stereo down, for god's sake!!" Quatre could only wondered the chaos that ensued in his house at this moment and shuddered at that thought. "Duo, where's Trowa and Heero?" he asked, almost fearing the answer. Those brave men… "I'm not sure, probably somewhere in the mansion," Duo replied, grinning slyly. "Drunk. Asleep. With some nice ladies…"
Minako watched as Quatre talked on the phone and had his back to her. He seemed to be in a heated conversation with the person on the other line and his feature appeared to be in shock most of the time. Suddenly, she heard a faint but harsh whisper from afar. At first she ignored the sound but when the voice got clearer and calling out her name, she turned in surprise and found Alya in the distant, almost well hidden in the shadow with a wild look of desperation on her face. Andrite was nowhere to be seen so Minako assumed she had managed to sneak away from the general as well. She was frantically waving to Minako, obviously signaling for her to return. Minako shook her head but Alya insisted, stomping her leg in a manner to emphasize on that subject.
Minako reluctantly glanced back at Quatre, the blonde pilot was still talking to the phone, oblivious to the other muted conversation. She felt so heavy to part with him but seeing the stern yet desperate look on Alya's face, she reluctantly rose to her feet as quietly as possible and sprinted toward the general, however not before she left him a little something to remember her by.
"…don't worry, I strictly told them to keep away from your study room, promise," Duo was saying on the phone. Quatre hid a sigh. Why does that sound so unappealing? "Alright, fine," Quatre relented. "Um, I'm actually in the middle of something so would it be alright if we continue this later?" "You dog! You got a girl there, don't you?!" Duo cried, almost a little too excited. "Not really…" Quatre let his sentence trailed as his eyes searched for his companion but she seemed to have disappeared.
The phone still attached to his ear, he went back to their previous spot and searched frantically for the maiden. However, what he found replacing his lovely companion was the blooming rose which he had given her earlier, the only evidence of her company. Gently, he picked it up and studied the flower. "Hey, Kat! Kat, you're still there?" "I'm going to have to call you back, Duo. Bye." He slipped the phone back to his pocket and stared at the flower. Smiling ruefully, he then glanced at the stars and not knowing why, silently made a wish. The stars twinkled brightly, seemingly to hold so much promises to secret wishes that were made.
Somehow he had a pleasant feeling, he would be seeing her again. He was already looking forward to it.