She took a deep breath while she waited at the very top of the stairs.
"Don't worry. You are going to be fine," Shinn assured her, giving her one of his easy-going smiles. She weakly smiled back. "Beside, you look great in a dress," he added. She blushed as she punched him in the arm. Suddenly she heard Lacus' voice. She took another deep breath as she linked her arm with Shinn's.
"It's show time."
He gazed at the beautifully lit garden from the balcony. He smiled up at the yellow moon. "Seems like she is as spunky as she ever was," he thought, remembering the speech she gave earlier.
"- I ask you, who would protect the precious lives that now fall in our hands. If not us, then who?" she ended her speech. All of the guests nodded in agreement while several discussed among themselves.
His smile fell when he remembered what the media had said after her speech.
"- it would seem that we might be hearing wedding bells soon in Orb. It had been a while since we had a very festive event since the marriage of the Head Representative Kira Yamato who happens to be the twin brother of our Princess and Ms Lacus Clyne, the famous songstress. We wish luck to the Princess and the Commander. Hope their love stays strong."
"Cagalli and Shinn huh?" he said, particularly to no one. Suddenly, the door of the balcony opened and closed. He turned and saw Shinn walking up beside him. "Shinn."
"Athrun," the black-haired man called out. Silence filled the air as both gazed out at the garden. "So, are you here just for the ball or something else?" he asked.
Athrun glanced at him at the corner of his eyes. "Just here for the ball," he replied. He heard the young man let out his breath. "What are you doing back in Orb? I thought you hated this nation and never coming back," he said. He felt the young man turned and rested his elbows on the railings.
"I thought so too. But your words kept me thinking. I realized that Cagalli was not to blame for the deaths of my family. I realized that she had lost far more than I have. Both sets of parents taken away from her, the nation in damages. So I came back to help her," Shinn replied. Athrun turned and rested his own elbows on the railings. Through the full-length curtains that draped over the door, he gazed at a certain golden-haired young woman.
Cagalli smiled and shook hands with several of the guests. Finally, she sneaked away from them and towards Lacus and Kira. Standing directly behind her tall brother, she sighed and massaged her shoulders.
"That bad huh?" she heard her brother threw the words over his shoulders without looking at her.
"You can't imagine," she whispered lest someone heard. She sighed and leaned against the wall. "By the way, have you seen Shinn?" she asked. Her brother shook his head.
"I think he went out to the balcony," Lacus replied. She contemplated the information.
"Do you think it's okay if I go and check on the kids?" she asked.
"I will appreciate that," Lacus said.
"Sure. But be sure to come back here once everything is okay. We wouldn't want anyone to report you missing like last time. Your poor older brother had to take care of everything," her brother said. She glared at his back. If looks could kill, her brother would be writhing on the ground in pain by now.
"For your information, I fell asleep beside Rosalynn. And no one called the police or anything like that. Just some panicked saying that I was kidnapped. That was all," she retorted back. "And I'm the elder one," she said, having the last say. With that, she pushed off the wall and sneaked up the stairs.