Disclaimer: I do not own G Gundam or any of its characters.
A.N.: Okay, so I posted this chapter about two weeks ago before I left for England for summer vacation to visit my friend Mattie. It was awesome. Anyway, I came back and checked my mail, and nobody reviewed, so I was confused. Then I got a message from ff.net support/help about how there was an error of some sort, blah blah blah. So a very nice person, KP, took time to help me out. Don't really know what went wrong, but I guess they had problems uploading my story for some reason. I'm not very technical, but yes, I just got back yesterday and fixed it. (I know, jet lag and all, but I really wanted to take care of business first)
Good news: wrote the next 3 chapters while in England. Those are long plane rides. So, the next chapter will be posted on July 1, 2004, if not before. I'm really really sorry. The next ones will be posted in similar increments of about 2 weeks apart, okay?
Okay, going to sleep now. Jet lag is killer. Thanks so much to my reviewers, especially those who yelled at me to update (haha, sorry! ::sweatdrop:: if only I had know about the problem sooner...) I love you guys!
Remember July 1, 2004. Next chapter.
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THESE FOOLISH GAMES: Chapter 16
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WARNINGS: dun dun dun! Not really a warning, but we're coming to the end!! Oh no! What's gonna happen??How am I supposed to feel about the things I've done?
I don't know if I should stay or turn around and run
I know that I hurt you, things will never be the same
The only love I ever knew, I threw it all away
.
And I can feel you breathing
And it's keeping me awake
Can you feel it beating?
My heart's sinking like a weight
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She stared up at the vast sky overhead as she rode at a steady pace, in awe of its beauty. A sky so blue, so incredibly pure of any splotches or imperfections. On days like this, gazing up at the perfectly clear sky above, Marie-Louise almost imagined that she could see angels flying in the heavens. And with Sir George by her side, she felt like she could sprout her own wings and join them in their celestial waltz.
Today had been a wonderful day, fairly similar to the manner in which she had spent the past couple of weeks since she had been visiting here in Sauvillia, under the guise of the Mersenian princess' lady-in-waiting. And today she had gone with Rain, Prince Domon, Sir George, their majesties, the King and Queen of Sauvillia, and the rest of the guests to Sunday shrive (1).
Well, most of the guests anyway. General Ulube had not been able to attend, and Rain had made a speculative comment that he was very strange when it came to religion. He said that he was a practicing Christian, yet he would not touch holy water. He did not seem to ever want to show an outward sign of his piety, and never wore any sort of religious ornaments, as was quite popular for the time. None of the other guests had been able to offer answers to her queries, though they all concurred that it was fairly strange for a man of his ranking. After all, the kingdom was united under a single religion, the choice of the King and Queen. Either way, she did not know the man particularly well, though it seemed that he chose to spend quite a bit of time with Rain. It was odd that he would pass up an opportunity such as this to be close to her.
Glancing behind her on this clear day, she could see the graceful stained- glass arches of the cathedral rise up above the rickety housing of the commoners, stretching its limbs toward paradise. The majestic bells rang, producing a rich tone heard throughout the land, announcing the hour. She turned back around in her saddle and adjusted her grip on the reins, then patted her mare's neck decorated with a lovely shroud of red velvet that covered its body like a loose-fitting gown, a sign to others of her status.
George looked over at her as she leaned back, and the corners of his mouth turned up in a grin. She returned his secret smile. While they had spent quite a bit of time together since they had arrived in Sauvillia, they still had to be extremely careful and only met when they could sneak away unnoticed. It would not be looked up with favor by anyone that they were seeing each other without chaperons, and they risked their reputations by meeting this way.
This was not to say that what they did was uncommon. Quite the contrary, in fact. Affairs were fairly ordinary nowadays, but they key was to keep it concealed. If they were discovered, the offenders (especially people of higher rank) were looked down upon by others. There were no serious charges, just typical gossip. But gossip is vicious, and can tear a human to shreds, just as easily as any form of torture.
And this was a risk they were both willing to take. For Marie-Louise, it was that she couldn't let news get back to Sai Saici or Cecile, or anyone else really for that matter. Rain knew, but they confided everything in each other.
Just being with him, even like this sunny morning where they could not express their emotions, brought her so much joy. Never before had she felt this way. So serene and lighthearted, she no longer had to worry about politics and economics such as when she had been a princess in Mersenia. Life was simply beautiful here in Sauvillia by Sir George's side. There was no where on this earth she would rather be.
Once back at the palace, she and the other handmaidens helped Rain change out of her shrive clothes and into something more suitable for the day ahead. Now that the queen had sent some of her own ladies to wait on Rain, her chores had been simplified. It was definitely beneficial in that it would mean more time for her to spend with a certain red-haired knight in shining armor.
However, it would also mean that she and Rain would have to be more careful with them hanging about their chambers most of the time and escorting Rain everywhere. A few times she had let some things slip, such as when they had found her using the princess' hair tools for herself, someone they believed to be a lady-in-waiting. Yet they let them slide by when Rain did not even mention the issue.
She had just finished fastening Rain's coordinated veil of gossamer silver with a delicate chain to bring out the shimmering highlights in the roseate gown she now wore when Rain spoke in her cheerful, tranquil tone.
"So, what is organized for today?"
A young maiden spoke as she unwove Rain's hair from the braids she had worn pinned up for shrive, leaving behind long, fashionable waves of auburn.
"There will be a luncheon with their majesties and their sons, then Lord Ulube suggested another ride through the forest with him and his hunting group for the afternoon, if it please you, your Highness."
Rain nodded slightly so as not to disturb the maidens as they worked. "And then what for the evening?"
A second lady-in-waiting spoke, this one busy with a damp cloth dipped in rose-leaf water, wiping to get rid of any offending sweat or dirt on her body that would have resulted from the ride to mass.
"A large feast with the noble guests visiting the palace. And Lord Prince Domon requested that you attend an astronomical gazing later on up at Angels' Leap."
"I see. Then, please send a message to both Sir Ulube and my Lord Prince Domon expressing my desire to join them for both events as well as my gratitude for being invited to join."
One of the handmaidens by the name of Ana pulled back from the activity surrounding Rain and bowed before the faux-princess, signaling that she would depart and take on her request. Marie-Louise was in awe. Rain was really quite amazing. She just seemed to adapt to the position of princess naturally. Sure, they had their difficulties, but overall, the whole charade had turned out much better than she had thought. She honestly hadn't expected it to go on for this long when she first suggested it, for she hadn't realized how much time they would be spending in Sauvillia.
And she didn't want to even begin thinking about when it would have to end.
The rest of the maidens finished up their work then bowed similar to Ana, closing the large wooden door behind them. Marie-Louise sighed, and collapsed on Rain's large bed.
"Come on, Marie-Louise, let's fix you up for luncheon. Your hair looks a bit disheveled from that ride today." Rain was ready, brush in one hand, and a set of burgundy cherry wood combs in the other to match her gown of lavender with a plum-colored trim.
"All right," she complied and took a seat on the vanity set's stool, where Rain had just sat moments ago.
The bristles worked their way through her curls, massaging her scalp and untangling the golden sunshine tresses. The room was quiet, both absorbed in their own thoughts when Rain spoke softly.
"Marie-Louise, do you ever, well, feel like maybe we shouldn't be doing this?"
Marie-Louise's brows furrowed, caused in part by Rain's struggling with a particularly difficult knot in her hair. "What do you mean, 'this'?"
"This. This deception: me pretending to be you, you pretending to be me. This."
Marie-Louise looked up at Rain's face reflected in the mirror. She was looking right back at her, hand still wrapped around the ivory brush and paused in her hair. Marie-Louise sent her a confused look.
"Why would I? I mean, it's just a game. Just a foolish game, remember. That's all." She shrugged her shoulders in a casual way, and looked back down at her nails, cleaning out the grime from underneath that had resulted from their ride.
Rain made no reply, just remained silent and stared at her reflection in the mirror, not really recognizing who she was. Her hair curled like that, the golden chains fastened, the expensive veil. She was a stranger to herself.
When she didn't continued brushing, Marie-Louise looked up once again, concerned.
"Rain?" Rain looked back at her. "Is everything okay?"
"Hm? What? Oh!! Ha ha ha, of course." She immediately began brushing her hair again, but her thoughts remained on what she had asked Marie-Louise. If what she said was true, about it just being a game, some innocent game, then why did she feel like she did? Something was making her feel like she was doing an awful thing.
Taking a comb, she pulled back part of Marie-Louise's hair and slid it into place, mimicking her gesture with the next comb.
She hated sneaking around like they were. It wasn't the first time they had teamed up and done something they shouldn't without others knowing. For example, when Marie-Louise got Raymond to teach them to read and write without the King's knowledge. She hadn't felt this way about deceiving the king back then.
So what was making her feel this way? This guilt?
"Say, Rain, have you seen the—oh, nevermind!" Marie-Louise plucked an amethyst bracelet off the vanity table, and slid it onto her wrist. Giving one last glance at the mirror, she bent down to adjust her slippers, then opened the door, revealing a select few handmaidens waiting to accompany them to luncheon.
The serving ladies stepped inside, one picking up a silver velvet cloak for Rain to wear later on in the evening.
"My Lady?" Marie-Louise glanced back at her as she held the door open, carrying her own black cloak draped over her arm.
"Of course. Coming Marie-Louise," she gathered the train of her elegant rose pink gown in her left hand, just enough so that her slippered feet barely showed as she walked.
This guilt. They weren't caught. So why this guilt?
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"They're rather strange, aren't they? I mean, they act just as though they were equals..."
"I know just what you mean! It's as though neither one has any regard or comprehension of the caste system. The Mersenian princess just doesn't seem to realize that the handmaiden is beneath her..."
"I hear they even share the princess' wardrobe!"
"I can understand if you are close to one of your ladies in waiting, but she gets treated like the princess herself!"
"Well, the princess acts as if she's the one beneath the lady in waiting! And have you seen her hands? No princess should have such rough hands..."
"...Always wears gloves when she can..."
"...Carry on as if they were blood sisters..."
"...Using the same combs..."
"...That boy too!"
"What sort of princess is that close to a stable boy? And address each other by their first names, as if they were companions! Imagine!"
"...People of her ranking!..."
"...Undignified..."
"...Suspicious..."
"...Honestly..."
"...Something just not right about them. I'd be careful if I were dealing with them. Act as though their roles are reversed..."
"Mm hm."
The cluster of the Sauvillian Queen's handmaidens gossiped as they passed down the hall, their skirts swishing down the stone hallways.
A figure stepped out from behind the stone pillars behind them, and watched as they disappeared, the presence going completely unnoticed by the ladies. Little did they know, their verbalized speculations had brought attention to something that others were attempting to carefully conceal.
Until now, it had gone completely unnoticed, for the royalty oftentimes are so absorbed in everything else to see small details, little hints dropped here and there. But no one got as close to the princess as the ladies in waiting. In the privacy of her closet, her defenses were weakened, even if just the slightest bit. And the prying eyes of curious young ladies miss nothing, no possible topic of gossip.
It was this topic of gossip that now surprised the figure that had heard the conversation, and began to arouse doubt in their mind.
It was strange, wasn't it?
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Darkness had fallen, the crescent moon had risen over the hill top, barely illuminating the courtyard as he walked, following the servant girl that had come to him with a request for his audience after they had returned from Angel's Peak. She led him to the library, and opened the door for him, then shut it closed behind him. He looked around, and saw her seated, head bowed low.
She did not move to look up at him. "Thank you for coming, Lord Kyoji."
"Is something the matter?"
"Yes," she turned tear-filled eyes up at him. "I want this to end. Now."
He stared back at her. "Your majesty, you want it to end?"
"Don't call me 'your majesty'. I am nothing but a lady in waiting. You are a Prince, I should be addressing you in that manner, not the other way around.
"This deception has gone far enough. This guilt, it's eating away at me. I can't lie to people like this. I've begun to, to care for them. I haven't ever had much of a family, or friends, Marie-Louise being an exception. But here, I feel so happy. You and your family took me in, treated me like your own. I've been living a fairytale, pretending it would never end.
"I'm not the Mersenian Princess, he cannot marry me. He cannot love me. Tonight, as I spent time with Lord Domon, I realized it has to end.
"You see, I'm in love with him."
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1) shrive: church/mass
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TBC: July 1, 2004
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