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: Wow. I must say, I am utterly flattered and honored to have had so many of you review the last chapter installment of, "A Cell Without Walls". I know I wouldn't have been half as motivated to write chapter five so quickly after my last chapter without the support of all who offered feedback. Thank you all so much, I greatly appreciate your compliments and critiques, and please, Keep 'em comin'! Now, I won't bribe you all like some other authors I've seen out there who continuously threaten to discontinue stories or update sluggishly on purpose due to lack of reader feedback, but I must say it does help to move things along faster when you know you've got someone out there enjoying what you write. I truly hope you'll be pleased with this new chapter, and I'm eager to hear what you all think! So don't hold back (but don't be too harsh! I have feelings too!). ;
Thank you's: I'm grateful to all my reviewers at , but please! Try to sign in before reviewing! Or leave an email address! I like to get to know my readers
Special thanks to Angelike Riddle, HeeroYuy195, Bobnick, pam, babymonkeyÜ, Caryn, Mae, terrakhushrenada, Lady of Dark Fantasy. Alright that 'bout wraps it up, thanks again you guys, and keep it up!
Warnings: Sorry kids, no lemon this time! Everything is pretty much "G- rated" in this chapter, but don't let that turn you off! I'm a big lemonhead, so you know if you keep reading you'll run into a couple more by the end of this thing! You can be sure of that
A Cell Without Walls Part 5
By Hour Glass
The engagement became the event of the year, and planning it had become the most stressful thing I had ever embarked on in my life. I was still so young, I had no idea what kind of work was put in to planning an aristocratic wedding. Apparently the smallest details fail to go unnoticed in such affairs. Naturally I had several wedding planners to do the grunt work, but Treize insisted that I make all the decisions in order to make the wedding perfect for me.
The engagement was announced to the public a month after I accepted his proposal, and most seemed to overlook the obvious taboo surrounding our age differences. Most people saw it for what it was: a political union; a move towards peace. It was plain to see that General Khushrenada wanted to show he had a softer side to him, and that our marriage was to be a symbol of OZ's care for the public. However, I knew the truth. I was going to be a puppet, but I was prepared to be the new face of hope for the Universe. Although some of my followers saw it as a failure, and I was receiving my share of hate mail and death threats. I wasn't shocked, and I understood their malice, so I let my body guards handle it.
But I couldn't shake my conscience, it always threatened my security by leading me to believe just as they did; that I was betraying my ideals, and abandoning my people. I would make them see eventually, that this would be good for everyone in the end. At least, that's what I told myself to get through the day. There was no turning back now, the wedding plans had already taken off in full flight, and everyday I was bombarded with dozens of people ready to satisfy my every whim and foolish, girly ideals for my "perfect" wedding. I wanted peach colored roses, and baby's breath covering every corner of the courtyard where the wedding and reception would take place, and all the decorations were to be in periwinkle and a pale yellow. It was going to be a glorious wedding.
The real question was... Is this what my life will be? Did I truly think I'd be happy with this man I once despised more than the devil himself, to be my lawfully wedded husband? For as long as we both shall live? The answer was simple: no. It wouldn't make me happy, but I saw it as my personal sacrifice to the greater good. That's just who I was, always looking out for the well-being of the people, and never myself. Even the well-being of Treize Khushrenada surpassed the importance of my own happiness and peace of mind. My subconscious was tormented, but I kept it there, hidden and tucked away. If I wanted this plan to work, if I was going to find some piece of contentment in this life, I needed to keep all doubts out of mind, and only focus on what I thought was most important.
As my long and intensely stressful day came to a slow and steady decline, the twilight faded in to wash away the bright sunny day it had been. It covered the sky in a beautiful mesh of orange, pink, pale purple and blue as I watched the sun fall from the sky from the enormous circular balcony that jetted from my bedroom at the Khushrenada manor. I had not yet been able to call it "home"- as it had only been six months since I first arrived on that muggy afternoon, when I would have never really understood exactly what I had traded away that day.
By all means, Treize had turned out to be no kind of monster, and the longer I lived there, the more unavoidable it became to spending time with one another; especially after his proposal. Slowly, we learned more about each other, and were even becoming friendly. Every afternoon, instead of wondering around the grassy fields that surrounded his house, alone, he would accompany me on a quaint stroll through his magnificent rose gardens, where I once sat in pitiful solitude on the cold stone benches, letting my tears fall on the thorny bushes that seemed to always surround me.
We'd discuss politics and the history of the ESA mostly, and sometimes he'd talk of his past, from his childhood to his last lover and tell me all of his accomplishments and conquests, and I'd quietly listen to the interesting life he had lead, embarrassed to speak so freely of my own. He had been through so much, and I was still too young to have anything of real worth to offer to the conversation about my own experiences. I had had so few. But he was kind, and often encouraged me to speak of myself. He seemed genuinely interested in me, and I couldn't deny him. Who else did I really have to talk to? I look back on those walks, and I really did cherish them, it was a better time for me in those hectic days of my life. It offered me some comfort.
I felt a warm presence behind me, and it reached out to me, encircling me in a firm, but gentle hold. Two strong arms slowly wrapped around my waist, embracing me from behind. I didn't jump in surprise, not being startled in the least by the comforting hold of a close friend, and by default, a lover.
"It's getting cold, my princess. Come inside for dinner." He purred into my ear affectionately, sending a chill down my spine.
"Just a few more minutes, the sun is almost gone." I pleaded earnestly. I had made it a small tradition to watch the sun rise and set every evening. I truly believed in taking notice to every one of nature's gifts, and it offered me time to reflect, and it always gave me a sense of closure to my day. It reminded me that, "No matter what troubles you may have", as my mother always used to say, "The sun will still rise and set." And it always did.
Slowly the sun dipped below the ends of the earth, and I felt Treize's warm lips press against my chilled cheeks, as he took my hand to lead me inside. He often visited me in my bedroom before dinner, in order to accompany me to the dining room. He had taken notice of my little tradition, and almost always caught the last few minutes of the setting sun with me. I enjoyed his presence, and I began to understand his feelings for me through this small gesture. He cared for me, I could feel it every time he was near me, and even sometimes when we were both busy off doing things that needed to get done, I could feel that he was thinking of me, and I couldn't help but think of him too. Everyday I found a fresh vase of red roses on my dresser, hand picked by him. It was little things he did that really showed his affection for me. But always my mind would tell me that it was just a glorified prison. That he was just trying to make me feel more at home in this house that was really a cell. It had no walls, and I had no real limitations, but I could feel them closing in on me nonetheless, and in the true dark of the night, I would wake in a cold sweat, wondering where my freedom had gone, and if it ever really existed at all.
That night, lying in my own bed fast asleep, I once again awoke in a cold sweat, panting and scared. Taking a sip of water from the crystal glass that rested on my bedside table, I heard a rustle by the balcony doors. I ignored it and wrote it off as a figment of my imagination, and lie back down to try and catch my breath. But there it was again, something was moving just outside my balcony doors, where the curtains were only half drawn. Frozen in fear, I thought about what it could be... a squirrel? A bird? An assassin? No- no, mustn't think like that... Soon my curiosity overwhelmed my fear, and I slowly climbed out of bed, grabbing my robe that rested on the end bedpost. I slipped it on, and tiptoed toward the balcony doors, wrapping the garment snuggly around my small frame. I listened closely for the noise again. There it was... Something or someone was trying to get in.
Stupidly, I reached for the door handle, clutching it tightly with my clammy hand, and pushed it open cautiously. I stepped out on to the balcony and looked around. Nothing was there. I wanted to laugh aloud at myself for being so foolish, and continued to the end of the balcony to admire the night sky. Suddenly I felt someone grab me roughly from behind, immediately covering my mouth with a black gloved hand. The assailant had a tight grip, and was hurting me with his hold. I squealed in pain from the quick jolting of my body, but it was muffled by the stranger's strong hand.
"Listen to me" he hissed, "I'm not here to hurt you, so don't make any noise or I'll have to use force. Understand, Princess Relena?"
I nodded quickly, frightened for my life. What did he want from me?
Slowly, his hand released me and I let out a rush of air, breathing finally. I turned to get a look at the intruder, as he was taking off his black mask. My attacker was revealed.
Heero Yuy, the mysterious Gundam Pilot I had met at school, who had taken the liberty to publicly humiliate me in front of my classmates, and then have to nerve to threaten my life several times in the short time of knowing him.
"You!" I said with obvious malice in my eyes, my fists clenched in rage, ready to throw one into his face at any moment."What do you want from me? What did I do now, why did you come here in the middle of the night to try and sneak into my room if you're not going to kill me?"
"Who says I didn't come to kill you?" he said coldly, in a manner that was akin to Heero's usual pattern of speech.
"You would have done it already, and you know it, so don't bluff." I was in no mood to play games.
"I didn't come to kill you, but that doesn't mean I won't, so don't push you're luck. I came to warn you."
"Warn me of what, exactly?" I inquired, hiding my fear and curiosity with a façade of indifference.
"What Romefellar and OZ have in store for you. Do you have any idea what you're getting yourself into by marrying Treize Khushrenada?"
"What business is it of yours whom I marry?" I said pompously, crossing my arms and looking away from his cold stare.
"I couldn't care less on a normal basis, but this is different. They're setting you up Relena, they're going to use you to take over the ESA and invade the colonies."
"How do you know what they have planned?"
"It's my job to know- trust me."
"And what exactly is your job? And why in the world should I trust you of all people. You've set the record for the number of death threats I get per day." I was getting angrier by the second, taking offense of his seemingly uncaring tone, and prying manner.
"You don't have to believe me. But I'll be forced to take further actions if you don't comply. And I know you've told OZ about me."
"I had to, and they would have found out eventually anyway. Anyways, you wouldn't understand so just leave me alone."
"I know the deal you made with Treize, Relena." He stated coolly, cutting me with his words.
How in the world had he found out! The one person in the world I didn't want to know, was the only person in the world who did know my dirty little secret. I was already flawed in his eyes, what could be worse? "What? But.. How? It was purely confidential!"
"It's my job to-
"Oh, shut up! What is it exactly that you want me to do?"
"Call off the wedding." He spoke nonchalantly.
"I can't do that, it's too late." I replied, a bit flustered and taken off guard by his request.
"You have the power to call it off, after all, they can't have a wedding if there is no bride." He scoffed smugly at his own clever remark.
"Heero, it's my life. I've made my decision for my own reasons, and it's too late to go back on my word. Not that you would know anything about honor, but I stick to my promises, and I'm obligated to Oz, and Treize, if I backed out now they'd ruin my reputation for good. At least this way I have a chance of making a difference."
"You're so naïve Relena, can't you see they're using you? Haven't you figured it out yet? They don't care about peace, or your stupid pacifistic ideals! All they want is bloodshed, and marrying the enemy isn't going to end this war."
I felt the sting of his judgment upon me. Why did I care what he thought?
"So kill me Heero. Put me out of my misery. It's less trouble for you if I'm dead, isn't it? So why don't you just do it!" I had given up. What was my life worth if I couldn't even make the right decisions? I was a wasted existence, and I prayed for him to end my life at that moment. I wanted to plead for a swift death.
"I...I can't. I need you, the colonies need you, and Earth needs you. You're still in their hearts Relena. Don't you understand anything? You're not going to make any progress by marrying Treize; you're only falling into their trap. How blind can you be? Don't you see how the people call out to you? Don't you see how much they depend on you for hope? No matter how foolish your political views and peace-preachings are, the people still look to you for faith. You embody everything that peace stands for, and what the people want. Without you, this war may very well never end. Don't waste yourself by submitting to the enemy Relena, be strong." I saw the slight glimmer in his eyes; I could tell he was showing a glimpse of passion that had always been omniscient in his speech
Before I could fully take in the weight of his words, he disappeared into the black night, and moved like a stalker without a peep. I didn't know what to make of his warning, but I was almost sure he had expressed concern for me, and I couldn't help wondering: What if he was telling the truth?
To be continued... ..