DISCLAIMER: I claim no legal rights, or ownership of the mentioned
characters, or the show Gundam Wing from whence they came. They belong to
their respectful owners at Sotsu, Sunrise, and Bandai, and to the
writers/creators etc.
A/N: Thank you SO MUCH to everyone who reviewed this. I know its been
almost a year since I've updated this, but I've had a lot going on in my
life since then. But, I'd like to give an extra special thanks to War Dove
for helping me so much with this story. Without her I would not have been
as inspired to continue this. Also I'd like to thank all my reviewers at
FF.net (LadySilverDragon2, MLG, Diana the Hunter, Happy Face, chewy-baka ,
Leea Faye, Dark Dragon, Wicked Cool, Sidekickwannabe, Relwarc, and Jem
Star!) And everyone at the HxR ML! Also, please feel free to leave any
criticism, or E-mail me!
A Cell Without Walls By Hour Glass
I awoke the next morning to feel the uncomfortable heat of the early sun beaming down on me. Pushing the sticky silk sheets off lazily, I rolled over to inhale the stale scent of sleep and sex that lingered. It had actually been real, last night hadn't been a dream after all. I drowsily gazed to my side, finding the bed empty, as well as the room but something caught my attention out of the corner of my eye. Lifting it off the gray silken pillow beside me, I squinted with morning vision at a young bud of a red rose.
I felt sorry for the flower, being fated in such a youthful stage, but it was beautiful in its simplicity, and I delicately fondled it as scenes of the night before unvoluntarily flashed through my mind. A sickening feeling pitted in my stomach. I rolled off the bed to search for my clothes. Hearing footsteps enter the room, I quickly reached for the satin sheet and pulled it around my shoulders. At that very moment, a young woman walked in. She was pretty, but plain looking with straight brown hair pulled back in a tight bun. She wasn't slender, but rather a full figured girl of maybe twenty-five. About Treize's age. She looked me up and down, her left brow lifting in sarcastic scrutiny.
"You really are nothing but a little girl. I guess all that you've been through has aged you."
I could tell it wasn't me she disapproved of by the tone of her voice; it was Him. She saw the absurdity in the situation, of which I didn't doubt she was already aware of. I was sure Treize hadn't told any of his household staff what I was doing there, but I was sure there were plenty of rumors afloat to explain my sudden presence in the house. I also knew they were all smart enough not to let any of those rumors escape the house, or their mouths while Treize was in earshot.
"Well, here are your clothes. Get dressed and I'll show you to your room. This house is pretty big and hopefully by the time you've found your way around you'll be out of here."
"Thanks." I murmured taking the clothes from her, and dressing as she flew about the room, picking up Treize's discarded garments from last night, and the bed sheets, throwing them into a wire laundry basket outside the door in the hall. She continued to dust shelves, tie back the drapes and generally straighten up as what seemed a morning ritual,
"My name's Mindy, I'll be your maid, and pretty much only companion for the duration of your stay, so If you need anything, let me know. I'm usually cleaning around the guest wing where you're staying or in the staff wing doing laundry."
I wasn't in a very congenial mood, as it was still early for me. I pulled my nightgown over my head and ran my fingers through my long tangled hair. I really only just wanted to be alone. I wasn't at all comforted by Mindy's attitude in general. She seemed aggravated and hard. I needed empathy, not another person with an emotional blockade. I was sick of apathy and rudeness. However, the diplomatic and reasonable side of me always took over.
"My name's Relena, its nice to meet you Mindy."
I heard the girl laugh out loud at my response from behind me.
"I know who you are honey. Everyone does. Now come on, we've got to get you cleaned up."
With that I followed the woman down the long corridors from a couple paces behind, looking around as she took long, fast strides of a hard worker. I was blinded by the light let in through the pattern of colossal windows lining the hall on one side. Massive red velvet drapes were drawn, allowing the sunlight to paint everything within sight. The warmth felt good on my face.
Immediately after finding my room again, Mindy led me into the enormous washroom in the back of my chambers. I was so eager for a hot bath I nearly overlooked the overwhelming beauty of its décor. At my feet was a gorgeous rose pink colored marble floor, and across from the entrance was a pedestal sink made of porcelain that matched the claw-foot bathtub, both furnished with golden faucets. Like every other room I had seen, it had a floor to ceiling window of which the drapes of powder pink and off-white satin were drawn. A full-length mirror framed in gold was at the opposite end of the tub where there was a towel rack (also gold) that shelved assorted sizes of towels all in the room's powder pink and off white palette. I walked further into the luxurious washroom, and found that there was a separate stall for the toilet made of opaque glass. As I moved closer to the tub I found a trove of relic bath oils, shampoos, conditioners and soaps, all from the finest European manufacturers that had all gone out of business due to the hard times of war.
"Nice, huh? You can get undressed while I draw the bath. There's a robe over there on that chair."
I did as the woman told me and slipped on the pink silk robe off the small white satin-striped armchair in the corner. When the bath was ready Mindy laid a towel out next to the tub for me and rushed out, obviously having more important things to do.
"Oh yea, and If you have any laundry that needs to be done, put it in the basket by the door!" she yelled just before she shut the door.
After dipping into the warm bubbles, I found myself in another place, staring out the enormous window. I felt like a goldfish in a bowl with all those windows everywhere. It was like they were teasing me. I was just a prisoner in a cell with a view. I sat in the water for a long while, letting my thoughts wonder outside the window through a small part between the curtains. I could see a glimpse of lush green, the trees were now in fruit and bore all sorts of beautiful blossoms. The grass was of a deep velvety green that seemed to expand in an ocean through the endless land that surrounded the home. I wondered what it would feel like just to walk through that infinite field catching the sunrays in my hair and breathing the scent of spring flowers. How the soft grass would feel on my feet. It's the simple things that could make anyone appreciate life, like freedom. Something that I thought I'd never have. I was forever bound to a life of responsibility that I gave myself to the moment I was born into my family. It was a burden I felt I could never escape.
Feeling the water growing cold, I stepped out to dry myself off. As soon as I stood up, my head throbbed in pain and my stomach churned angrily. I hadn't eaten since lunch- yesterday. I was starved, but I was scared too. What if I ran into Treize? I started planning out how to avoid him, but realized I really didn't know where he went during the day, so I could never know how to prevent seeing him. It was his house after all, and I'd be seeing him inevitably again at 9:00pm sharp that night.
I dressed myself in a simple white skirt and a lightweight dark green, cable-knit sweater, planning a walk to where my mind had wandered before. As I headed down the halls in search of the main stairs, I found myself exploring a little; peeking in through the rooms, my tiptoes echoing down the long corridors. Most of the rooms were similar in style, all very old fashioned and timelessly regal. It reminded me somewhat of an enchanted castle, but warmer somehow.
As I roamed farther and farther, I realized I had become. hopelessly lost. Walking faster down the enormous halls, I met detours at every turn and it didn't help that I wasn't even in the same wing anymore. I slowed down my pace suddenly, with the sharp feeling that I had somehow accidentally trespassed onto forbidden grounds, and began to feel very nervous. The knot in my stomach grew tighter as the halls became dimmer, shorter and quieter. I felt as if I were the only thing that breathed in this part of the house. I realized that light became scarcer as windows seemed nonexistant in this part of the house. Boldly, I crept deeper into the verboten dwelling, seeing a slightly open door with some light streaming through the crack. With caution, I crept towards the room, and angled my head to see through the narrow view between the door and the frame. Inside I could spot only a sliver of what seemed to be a relatively small, inset lancet window, and the edge of a desk. Slowly, I pushed the door open, and to my udder terror, the hinges let out a horrible creaking screech that immediately gave away my presence. I cringed, and ignored my childish instinct to turn and run as fast as I could to get away from whatever I was so afraid of. But I was too late. Out came Treize with a cloud of steam, clad only in a white towel tied around his waist, and a toothbrush protruding from his mouth. My cheeks blushed crimson instantly, and I turned on instinct to excuse my intrusion, and headed back for the door. "No, wait, wa aw oo dewing hew?" he asked, a bit muffled by the toothpaste foam in and around his mouth.
"I, um, got lost looking for the main stairway," I said shakily. It was the first time I had seen him since last night, and cruel flashbacks taunted my head. Treize briefly stepped inside the bathroom, disappearing momentarily, and I heard him spit into the sink, and he stepped back out to reply,
"You must have wandered pretty far, you're in an entirely separate wing from where your room... and the main stairway are."
His tone was of teasing suspicion, but not angry to my surprise.
"I'm sorry, I'll find one of the staff to help me." I said apologetically, hoping he would take it as my exiting excuse, but I wasn't so fortunate. Though, I was still turned around, I could feel his heated stare at the back of my head, and soon began to feel the same unsettling, awkward discomfort as I had last night. I wanted to get away from him and I knew he could tell, but he did not show mercy.
"Don't bother, none of the staff come back here much anymore. I'll walk you there in a moment, let me get dressed."
Sensing my discomfort, he smirked and suggested that I have a seat and wait while he dressed himself in the bathroom. So I took a seat on the edge of the bed, quickly rethought my seating choice and moved to a dark green velvet easy chair by the entrance. I fiddled with my fingernails until I heard the knob on the bathroom door turn, looking up to see Treize step out in his navy blue OZ uniform. A rather masculine scent trailed him as he approached. I realized it was the most delicious fragrance of cologne with a hint of musky rose. He offered a gloved hand to me, helping me to my feet from the chair. For only a couple, transient seconds, I was breast to breast with all six feet of the General and for some reason, I forced my eyes into direct contact with his, spotting a flicker of something I had not seen before. It was something I had seen inside of Heero the first time I had met those unruly Prussian blue eyes. It was loneliness. As we walked down the long, winding corridors, I took note of where and how I had gotten so lost, as to not make the same mistake again. I made a forced effort to stay a few steps behind. I found myself somehow lost in his stride. I was drawn to his broad shoulders and admired his impeccable posture. Something hinted that this man was not just another heartless beast sitting at a card table, dealing war tactics like the rest of the deceptive political figures he consorted with. Those were men with no heart, no grace. Yes, they were aristocratic men who had lived very wealthy lives, with much dignity and pride, but nonetheless, their humanity was severely lacking. I had grown up in between their lies, and my father's hopeless fight to save the dieing implement of civility. Treize somehow seemed an exception. Though, I'm really not sure why since he had quite a record of cruelties himself. Something told me he had regret, and pain in his heart, he was still human.
Finally, I was led to the main stairway, and started to walk myself down after mumbling a quiet "thank you" over my shoulder, but before I could proceed, once again he crushed my hopes of avoiding conversation.
"Miss Relena." It threw me off a little to hear him address me so formally, when we had shared a so very intimate night together only hours before. It sounded so distant, and repelling, and made me more ill at ease than if he hadn't acted so normally. I looked over my shoulder, up at him from a few stairs down.
"Yes?"
There was a long pause before his response, and I'm still not sure why exactly he waited so long to reply, but for some reason, I got this feeling, looking into his eyes. I don't know what it was, but I almost felt compelled to comfort him.
"Don't forget. nine o'clock sharp."
I felt a stab in my chest. How could I have been fooled. Still, his harsh tone sounded forced. I said nothing and continued down the stairs. I looked behind me only a few moments later and he has dissappeared. I knew he had a busy schedule, just as I had being the Princess of the Sanq Kingdom. I knew how hard it was sitting through hours of political discussion and conferences all day.
I had almost forgotten. I was scheduled for a meeting myself in less than an hour. I expected Peygan would be out front any time now to pick me up. I hadn't told anyone that I was staying with Treize except Peygan, and that was the only thing he knew. Though I was sure he suspected, but never spoke up as it wasn't his job to inquire such things.
After grabbing a light lunch from the kitchen, I rushed to my room to change into a suit. My cell phone rang moments later.
"Hello?" I said shakily, still struggling with the buckle on my shoes.
"Miss Relena, Peygan is on his way now to take you to your Meeting with the Ambassador."
"Thank you." I mumbled before hanging up. I had recognized the voice as my personal assistant Shaylen. I knew she had no idea where Peygan was picking me up from exactly. I wondered what rumors were spreading in my own house. I also wondered if anyone from school would find out. Or worse yet, Heero.
As I sat on the bench outside on the front porch of the mansion, I thought of him. It was rarely I allowed myself to completely indulge myself into the thought of the mysterious Heero Yuy. I knew that if I gave it too much thought, I might get a crazy idea like looking for him, which was then and will always be futile. I had found that the perfect soldier had means to making himself invisible to anyone he wanted. But I also knew he only made himself visible to a select few as well. And I had been one of those people.
A Cell Without Walls By Hour Glass
I awoke the next morning to feel the uncomfortable heat of the early sun beaming down on me. Pushing the sticky silk sheets off lazily, I rolled over to inhale the stale scent of sleep and sex that lingered. It had actually been real, last night hadn't been a dream after all. I drowsily gazed to my side, finding the bed empty, as well as the room but something caught my attention out of the corner of my eye. Lifting it off the gray silken pillow beside me, I squinted with morning vision at a young bud of a red rose.
I felt sorry for the flower, being fated in such a youthful stage, but it was beautiful in its simplicity, and I delicately fondled it as scenes of the night before unvoluntarily flashed through my mind. A sickening feeling pitted in my stomach. I rolled off the bed to search for my clothes. Hearing footsteps enter the room, I quickly reached for the satin sheet and pulled it around my shoulders. At that very moment, a young woman walked in. She was pretty, but plain looking with straight brown hair pulled back in a tight bun. She wasn't slender, but rather a full figured girl of maybe twenty-five. About Treize's age. She looked me up and down, her left brow lifting in sarcastic scrutiny.
"You really are nothing but a little girl. I guess all that you've been through has aged you."
I could tell it wasn't me she disapproved of by the tone of her voice; it was Him. She saw the absurdity in the situation, of which I didn't doubt she was already aware of. I was sure Treize hadn't told any of his household staff what I was doing there, but I was sure there were plenty of rumors afloat to explain my sudden presence in the house. I also knew they were all smart enough not to let any of those rumors escape the house, or their mouths while Treize was in earshot.
"Well, here are your clothes. Get dressed and I'll show you to your room. This house is pretty big and hopefully by the time you've found your way around you'll be out of here."
"Thanks." I murmured taking the clothes from her, and dressing as she flew about the room, picking up Treize's discarded garments from last night, and the bed sheets, throwing them into a wire laundry basket outside the door in the hall. She continued to dust shelves, tie back the drapes and generally straighten up as what seemed a morning ritual,
"My name's Mindy, I'll be your maid, and pretty much only companion for the duration of your stay, so If you need anything, let me know. I'm usually cleaning around the guest wing where you're staying or in the staff wing doing laundry."
I wasn't in a very congenial mood, as it was still early for me. I pulled my nightgown over my head and ran my fingers through my long tangled hair. I really only just wanted to be alone. I wasn't at all comforted by Mindy's attitude in general. She seemed aggravated and hard. I needed empathy, not another person with an emotional blockade. I was sick of apathy and rudeness. However, the diplomatic and reasonable side of me always took over.
"My name's Relena, its nice to meet you Mindy."
I heard the girl laugh out loud at my response from behind me.
"I know who you are honey. Everyone does. Now come on, we've got to get you cleaned up."
With that I followed the woman down the long corridors from a couple paces behind, looking around as she took long, fast strides of a hard worker. I was blinded by the light let in through the pattern of colossal windows lining the hall on one side. Massive red velvet drapes were drawn, allowing the sunlight to paint everything within sight. The warmth felt good on my face.
Immediately after finding my room again, Mindy led me into the enormous washroom in the back of my chambers. I was so eager for a hot bath I nearly overlooked the overwhelming beauty of its décor. At my feet was a gorgeous rose pink colored marble floor, and across from the entrance was a pedestal sink made of porcelain that matched the claw-foot bathtub, both furnished with golden faucets. Like every other room I had seen, it had a floor to ceiling window of which the drapes of powder pink and off-white satin were drawn. A full-length mirror framed in gold was at the opposite end of the tub where there was a towel rack (also gold) that shelved assorted sizes of towels all in the room's powder pink and off white palette. I walked further into the luxurious washroom, and found that there was a separate stall for the toilet made of opaque glass. As I moved closer to the tub I found a trove of relic bath oils, shampoos, conditioners and soaps, all from the finest European manufacturers that had all gone out of business due to the hard times of war.
"Nice, huh? You can get undressed while I draw the bath. There's a robe over there on that chair."
I did as the woman told me and slipped on the pink silk robe off the small white satin-striped armchair in the corner. When the bath was ready Mindy laid a towel out next to the tub for me and rushed out, obviously having more important things to do.
"Oh yea, and If you have any laundry that needs to be done, put it in the basket by the door!" she yelled just before she shut the door.
After dipping into the warm bubbles, I found myself in another place, staring out the enormous window. I felt like a goldfish in a bowl with all those windows everywhere. It was like they were teasing me. I was just a prisoner in a cell with a view. I sat in the water for a long while, letting my thoughts wonder outside the window through a small part between the curtains. I could see a glimpse of lush green, the trees were now in fruit and bore all sorts of beautiful blossoms. The grass was of a deep velvety green that seemed to expand in an ocean through the endless land that surrounded the home. I wondered what it would feel like just to walk through that infinite field catching the sunrays in my hair and breathing the scent of spring flowers. How the soft grass would feel on my feet. It's the simple things that could make anyone appreciate life, like freedom. Something that I thought I'd never have. I was forever bound to a life of responsibility that I gave myself to the moment I was born into my family. It was a burden I felt I could never escape.
Feeling the water growing cold, I stepped out to dry myself off. As soon as I stood up, my head throbbed in pain and my stomach churned angrily. I hadn't eaten since lunch- yesterday. I was starved, but I was scared too. What if I ran into Treize? I started planning out how to avoid him, but realized I really didn't know where he went during the day, so I could never know how to prevent seeing him. It was his house after all, and I'd be seeing him inevitably again at 9:00pm sharp that night.
I dressed myself in a simple white skirt and a lightweight dark green, cable-knit sweater, planning a walk to where my mind had wandered before. As I headed down the halls in search of the main stairs, I found myself exploring a little; peeking in through the rooms, my tiptoes echoing down the long corridors. Most of the rooms were similar in style, all very old fashioned and timelessly regal. It reminded me somewhat of an enchanted castle, but warmer somehow.
As I roamed farther and farther, I realized I had become. hopelessly lost. Walking faster down the enormous halls, I met detours at every turn and it didn't help that I wasn't even in the same wing anymore. I slowed down my pace suddenly, with the sharp feeling that I had somehow accidentally trespassed onto forbidden grounds, and began to feel very nervous. The knot in my stomach grew tighter as the halls became dimmer, shorter and quieter. I felt as if I were the only thing that breathed in this part of the house. I realized that light became scarcer as windows seemed nonexistant in this part of the house. Boldly, I crept deeper into the verboten dwelling, seeing a slightly open door with some light streaming through the crack. With caution, I crept towards the room, and angled my head to see through the narrow view between the door and the frame. Inside I could spot only a sliver of what seemed to be a relatively small, inset lancet window, and the edge of a desk. Slowly, I pushed the door open, and to my udder terror, the hinges let out a horrible creaking screech that immediately gave away my presence. I cringed, and ignored my childish instinct to turn and run as fast as I could to get away from whatever I was so afraid of. But I was too late. Out came Treize with a cloud of steam, clad only in a white towel tied around his waist, and a toothbrush protruding from his mouth. My cheeks blushed crimson instantly, and I turned on instinct to excuse my intrusion, and headed back for the door. "No, wait, wa aw oo dewing hew?" he asked, a bit muffled by the toothpaste foam in and around his mouth.
"I, um, got lost looking for the main stairway," I said shakily. It was the first time I had seen him since last night, and cruel flashbacks taunted my head. Treize briefly stepped inside the bathroom, disappearing momentarily, and I heard him spit into the sink, and he stepped back out to reply,
"You must have wandered pretty far, you're in an entirely separate wing from where your room... and the main stairway are."
His tone was of teasing suspicion, but not angry to my surprise.
"I'm sorry, I'll find one of the staff to help me." I said apologetically, hoping he would take it as my exiting excuse, but I wasn't so fortunate. Though, I was still turned around, I could feel his heated stare at the back of my head, and soon began to feel the same unsettling, awkward discomfort as I had last night. I wanted to get away from him and I knew he could tell, but he did not show mercy.
"Don't bother, none of the staff come back here much anymore. I'll walk you there in a moment, let me get dressed."
Sensing my discomfort, he smirked and suggested that I have a seat and wait while he dressed himself in the bathroom. So I took a seat on the edge of the bed, quickly rethought my seating choice and moved to a dark green velvet easy chair by the entrance. I fiddled with my fingernails until I heard the knob on the bathroom door turn, looking up to see Treize step out in his navy blue OZ uniform. A rather masculine scent trailed him as he approached. I realized it was the most delicious fragrance of cologne with a hint of musky rose. He offered a gloved hand to me, helping me to my feet from the chair. For only a couple, transient seconds, I was breast to breast with all six feet of the General and for some reason, I forced my eyes into direct contact with his, spotting a flicker of something I had not seen before. It was something I had seen inside of Heero the first time I had met those unruly Prussian blue eyes. It was loneliness. As we walked down the long, winding corridors, I took note of where and how I had gotten so lost, as to not make the same mistake again. I made a forced effort to stay a few steps behind. I found myself somehow lost in his stride. I was drawn to his broad shoulders and admired his impeccable posture. Something hinted that this man was not just another heartless beast sitting at a card table, dealing war tactics like the rest of the deceptive political figures he consorted with. Those were men with no heart, no grace. Yes, they were aristocratic men who had lived very wealthy lives, with much dignity and pride, but nonetheless, their humanity was severely lacking. I had grown up in between their lies, and my father's hopeless fight to save the dieing implement of civility. Treize somehow seemed an exception. Though, I'm really not sure why since he had quite a record of cruelties himself. Something told me he had regret, and pain in his heart, he was still human.
Finally, I was led to the main stairway, and started to walk myself down after mumbling a quiet "thank you" over my shoulder, but before I could proceed, once again he crushed my hopes of avoiding conversation.
"Miss Relena." It threw me off a little to hear him address me so formally, when we had shared a so very intimate night together only hours before. It sounded so distant, and repelling, and made me more ill at ease than if he hadn't acted so normally. I looked over my shoulder, up at him from a few stairs down.
"Yes?"
There was a long pause before his response, and I'm still not sure why exactly he waited so long to reply, but for some reason, I got this feeling, looking into his eyes. I don't know what it was, but I almost felt compelled to comfort him.
"Don't forget. nine o'clock sharp."
I felt a stab in my chest. How could I have been fooled. Still, his harsh tone sounded forced. I said nothing and continued down the stairs. I looked behind me only a few moments later and he has dissappeared. I knew he had a busy schedule, just as I had being the Princess of the Sanq Kingdom. I knew how hard it was sitting through hours of political discussion and conferences all day.
I had almost forgotten. I was scheduled for a meeting myself in less than an hour. I expected Peygan would be out front any time now to pick me up. I hadn't told anyone that I was staying with Treize except Peygan, and that was the only thing he knew. Though I was sure he suspected, but never spoke up as it wasn't his job to inquire such things.
After grabbing a light lunch from the kitchen, I rushed to my room to change into a suit. My cell phone rang moments later.
"Hello?" I said shakily, still struggling with the buckle on my shoes.
"Miss Relena, Peygan is on his way now to take you to your Meeting with the Ambassador."
"Thank you." I mumbled before hanging up. I had recognized the voice as my personal assistant Shaylen. I knew she had no idea where Peygan was picking me up from exactly. I wondered what rumors were spreading in my own house. I also wondered if anyone from school would find out. Or worse yet, Heero.
As I sat on the bench outside on the front porch of the mansion, I thought of him. It was rarely I allowed myself to completely indulge myself into the thought of the mysterious Heero Yuy. I knew that if I gave it too much thought, I might get a crazy idea like looking for him, which was then and will always be futile. I had found that the perfect soldier had means to making himself invisible to anyone he wanted. But I also knew he only made himself visible to a select few as well. And I had been one of those people.