Standing in the Shadow (SITS)

Chapter 3/?

Authoresses: Uplifted and LostRemembrance

AN:

Uplifted: Hiya! Sorry for the delay, school kept us busy. But if you review, I promise to nag my sister to upload faster! And write longer! But, but, guess what! I got really good grades. It's the first good thing that has to do with grades in a long, long x long time. -

RT: Sings Christmas Carols in the background This is the first time in a long time she beat me. Only cause she had me vocab book in HER backpack. I looked hell and high water for that! hisss

Uplifted: That is SO not true. I beat you because I'm better. Well, we're going to get a Christmas tree tonight, (The first in a year, so Yay!) And our brother's been hospitalized for an illness. But other than that, the season is really flying by!

RT: Well, enjoy the new chapter! Mine'll be better.

Uplifted: HEY!

Standing in the Shadow

Chapter 3

by Uplifted

Relena huffed the air happily as the snow fell, and the white flakes were caught in her dark green shawl. Her heavily padded hands patted the snow-person she was making, and her face had a happy smile on it, the cheer evident on her face enough to melt the unfortunate snow flakes that landed on her face. After she had finished her fat snow-man, she stuck her tongue out in the air to catch some of the edible cold stuff. Just as she was about to add her scarf to the snow-man's cold neck, she heard a whump behind her. She turned, hair swirling in the cold air, to see-

A snowball?

She gasped in understanding, and yelled out a 'Hiro!' before her face was covered in cold white powder. She shrieked as someone sneaked behind her and stuck slush down her back. Whirling around, she caught the end of a short brown braid.

'DUO!' She yelled, face red with exertion and cold. She yanked the offending hair in her hand, and he yelped, tears coming to his eyes. Suddenly ashamed, she let go, and Duo rubbed his head and glared at the princess.

She glared as well. 'Why did you do that?' She nearly screamed, mittened hands rubbing her back viciously as Duo glared daggers at the person who made his friend miserable winter after winter.

'Why d'you think?!' He yelled back. 'Because you're stupid, and I hate your guts!' the normally cheerful boy said. The girl stood still, and then fled into the surrounding woods, barren of color except for the pastel gray of the bark, and the pristine white of undisturbed snow.

Hiro, who had been hiding behind a snow-drift, went to the flaring Duo.

'Are you alright?' He asked, his eyes concerned for his friend. Duo nodded, then turned back to her snowman. The young boy was tempted to kick it in, but Hiro stopped him with a quick shake of his head. Shrugging, the braided boy picked up a clod of snow, and tossed it at his friend and playmate, Hiro Yuy.

Hiro jovially tossed the snow back and forth between hands before flinging it at his friend. The two played for hours before trudging back into the castle for some hot cocoa from the motherly cook.

Relena hadn't stopped running for a long time. Finally, a hidden snow drift caught her round the middle, and she was forced to crawl out, her heavy garments making it harder to move as they became soaked with melting snow. Relena sat down on the cold hard ground under an evergreen tree where the cold snow hadn't yet penetrated the thick branches. Hugging her knees to her chest through the undergarments, underskirts, and main skirt was no small task, but the frozen clothing warmed her skin after they warmed from her body heat. Her eyes were hot and teary, and her nose was stuffy and red as hot salty tears slid down her face. More out of habit than comfort, she clutched a small locket that she had had for ages, and sighed. This was only the seventh time she had come to Queen Catherine and Hiro's domain, and as much as she adored the queen, was as much as she disliked Hiro. He seemed to detest her very presence, and Duo loathed her.

It was a very hard thing, to be hated when you were only seven years old. But those two were the only ones she had been able to see over the years, and although talking to the servants helped a bit, because of their kindness to her, it didn't help fill the void that real friends required. As the poor befuddled princess sat silently crying with her red stuffy nose, she saw movement. A girl, about her age, with long silver pale hair, walked beside a cloaked old man. Were they lost? But before Relena could move forward to help them, the two had walked deeper into the forest, and were gone from her view.

Sniffing and wiping her nose on her sleeve, Relena stood up from her hiding place and turned to find Duo standing there, slightly abashed, but his eyes glinted with fury. He kicked the snow, and then looked up at her, arms crossed over his small chest.

'I'm sorry.' The words sounded forced, but Relena didn't care. She gave another gulp, and tried not to cry in front of the boy that had tormented her year after year, from snakes in her bed, to ice cold water in her bath. Of course, Hiro had done worse.

'Can we go back to the castle?' Relena asked, looking around, and seeing her footprints. She had though herself to be lost, but really, all she had to do was follow her own boot-prints in the snow. Duo snorted, and walked back the way he had come.

Relena trudged back alone, and silently counted days on her fingers through the thick wool mittens. Four-five-six. She grinned. Tomorrow was the day she went home! To the bright court, to her flower garden, to her….embroidery. The hope that had begun to inflate in Relena popped, and she sighed, her breath clouding the air in front of her.

As she neared the main gates, she saw her father talking to Queen Catherine, with Hiro and Duo next to her. Both had dour looks on their faces. She grinned, and ran forward to her father.

'Relena!' he exclaimed, and hugged her tight, she smiled with joy, her clouds of exhales surrounding her cherubic face. 'I'm glad to see you enjoyed your fun with the boys.' He continued; a happy glint shone in his clear blue eyes.

Immediately, she made a scowling face, and stuck out her tongue. Hiro did the same, but Duo put his fingers to his ears and flapped them up and down. He looked so ridiculous that Relena giggled. Not seeing the scowl, but hearing the giggle, King Argle smiled happily at the two children.

'Catherine, I was wondering next year if you would be so happy to bring Hiro to our castle? You know you are welcome to come, but I would never wish to over stay our welcome. Our castle is reasonably furnished, for as many guests as you wish to bring, and I believe Relena would like to spend a winter in her own forest.' He said, grinning and winking to the Queen, who nodded and smiled at the idea. It had been seven years since the reception hall, and the two had grown close as they watched their children scuffle and fight. They seemed to be as opposite as could be, but Argle remained hopeful. Now that Relena had come to Hiro's home for seven years, it would be Hiro's turn. Argle stroked his graying beard as he thought of what would follow. Alternating the housing castle had seemed like a good idea at the time, but Catherine had been ill for several winters, and the King and his daughter had visited instead.

Relena gave her father a quick hug, then dashed inside to the kitchens. The boys, seeing where she was headed, followed, hoping to trip her into some flour. Catherine, seeing the two trouble-makers off, sighed.

'Are you well, Catherine?' The king asked, mindful of her health.

'I'm fine Argle. But just look at those two scamps!' She ran a hand through her long, graying hair. She wasn't that old, she had outlived her first husband, the king. And now her son was driving her insane! 'Argle, do you think this will really work? Do you think they'll actually wed and combine our kingdoms one day?' He watched her silently and motioned for her to take a seat on one of the benches in front of the great entrance.

'Catherine, what's gotten into you? The children will wed, and our kingdoms will unite. Everything will be as we've planned and fine.' He said, taking one of her cold hands and rubbing them with his own giant ones. For a man, he was proud, and tall and strong. Even as he grew older, he tried not to let the feebleness of senility come into his mind.

As the two monarchs sat in the cold outside, Relena sat happily on a chair that was against the warm kitchen walls. She was currently licking a spoon that had bee liberally dipped in apple-filling for the apple dumplings that would follow that night's course. Relena, of course, made a royal mess of herself, as Hiro and Duo pelted each other with balls of dough. Going to get a napkin, the young princess found herself being a target of the soft, clingy dough. Giggling, she picked up a butter tureen, scooped out a chunk, and flung it at Hiro. It landed, with a splat, on Hiro's face. He stared at her, dumbstruck, while Duo laughed himself to bits. The butler came in to find Relena on the floor with apple stuffing in her hair, butter smeared over Hiro, and dough quite liberally stuck in Duo's braid.

'Out! OUT!' Roared the enraged butler, who had come down to fetch Prince Yuy and company for dinner. Now, the three children were ushered to their rooms, past their gently smiling parents, to wash up and change.

Hiro and Duo arrived first, the former with a scowl stuck in place at his formal clothes, the latter still frantically tugging on his slightly yeasty braid.

Relena arrived a few moments later in a blue gown that matched her eyes, and a white shawl over that. Sticking her tongue out at Hiro, she sat next to her father, and poured herself a mug of hot cocoa. Hiro sat next to his mother on the other end of the table, with Duo next to him. Dinner was a quiet affair, with talk of travel plans for tomorrow and the next winter.

Relena quietly ate a soft roll, smiling when she thought of the amount of dough still in Duo's hair. Then Hiro scooped out some butter for his roll, and she could tell he was remembering his earlier adventure with the butter in the kitchen.

After dinner came the post-meal affair, where Hiro was required to kiss Relena's cheek goodnight. Relena grudgingly curtsied for the boy, and the boy grudgingly kissed her cheek, after which he rubbed his mouth on his sleeve. He still believed that girl's had cooties. Relena wiped her cheek with a hand furiously, then went into her chambers, to crawl under an assortment of heavy, thick blankets into a cozy cocoon of warmth. Hiro glared at the closed doors, before going to his own chambers, and crawling under his own blankets, to dream of spring.

The next day, the King's carriage arrived and after the waited-for farewells had been carried through, the traveling commenced. Once Relena was safely enclosed in the heated carriage, she looked to her father.

'Is there really a reason for me being there every winter?' She asked, silently thankful that it was only a winter, though she supposed her father had thought of winter because there was little chance of staying outside for long.

'Yes Relena.' He said, silently sighing a sigh of exasperation. 'We've gone over this many times. You know that Prince Hiro would make a fine King? Well, Queen Catherine thinks you will make a good Queen. And so, it would be ideal for the two of you to rule the two kingdoms together.' The king didn't bother trying to explain economics of taxation to his daughter, but she had to know that Hiro was important to their throne, and she to theirs.

The rest of the traveling was done in a much better mood, as Relena chattered about who she would visit, and what plant she would tend to first. As they neared the castle, the king drew himself up, as though he had just remembered something.

'Relena dearest, I've engaged someone's services to protect you.' He said, never minding why she needed to be protected. There would always be zealots out there. 'He's a respectable fighter with an excellent reputation. I'd appreciate it if you took archery lessons from him.'

Relena wrinkled her nose, but nodded. As she stepped from the carriage, a growling voice, dripping with sarcasm, welcomed her.

'Welcome home, Princess.'

AN: Leave a review – And guess who the body guard is! I'll give you a holiday cookie if you guess right – With Icing!