Author's Notes: Hello, again. YESS, I finally got my muse to start working again! I started to really miss the G-Wing fandom, especially when I got to watch League of Extraordinary Gentlemen (LXG), in which Mr. Shane West starred in; if Heero wasn't animated, he'd look EXACTLY like Shane West! But anyways, sorry for the long wait. I hope this chapter will make up for it. It's the BATTLE OF THE SEXESSSSS!
Disclaimer: Standard disclaimers apply.
Beauty and the Beast
-Chapter Six: Reluctant Attraction-
"You sure about this, Relena?"
"Yes Hilde, I am. Don't worry. I've done this countless times before."
"You sure are the free spirit, Countess," Duo grinned. "Specially fo' a lady of your high status."
From her place at Hiemis' saddle, the honey-blonde grinned. "I try, Duo, I try."
"Okay then," Duo said, handing the dame the reins. "Hurry back now. If ye ain't back from your ride into the gardens by noon, me an' Uncle Howard are comin' to get ya." To Hilde, he addressed, "In the meantime, how 'bout you an' me spend some time alone, eh Hilde?"
The petite servant's current concerned expression then morphed into one of disgust. "Lecher, tha's no way of wooin' a woman - don't ya dare smile so suggestively at me! When you stop bein' so forward, I'll reconsider." With a sharp, 'hmph!' she scurried away.
At her leave, the thick-braid male heaved a sigh and a shake of the head. "I reckon she don't like me much."
Watching the whole ordeal, Relena laughed. "On the contrary, Duo, I think she's got a secret fancy for you."
"Really?"
"Indeed I do. But if anyone asks, 'twas not I who said so."
It was Duo's turn to chuckle. "Aye, it'll be our little secret, Countess. The day's not so young anymore; you ought to ride on now if you wanna see everythin' before midday." With a nod, the maiden and her white horse rode off.
He knew his gardens like the palm of his hand. He demanded that they be left untouched and thriving on their own. And he knew when something alien set foot into it, throwing off the normal balance of the wild gardens, altogether.
His Prussian blue eyes flashed, all senses in tuned. Galloping towards the East? In his personal sanctuary? Argh, how he loathed intruders. Muttering an incoherent curse under his breath, Heero signaled his mocha stallion towards the sounds of the gallop. Damn whoever it was - invading his territory, like this.
Hiemis rode like the wind. She loved every minute of it – the feeling, the wind against her face, the blurred images as they rode quickly passed… It made her feel free, and detached her from this world she knew to both love and hate. Eventually however, the rider and her horse came to a stop. Exhilarated and breathless from her little trip, Relena dismounted off her horse. As the maiden praised the white animal by giving it a good pet, Relena's gaze scanned the area, reminding her of an illustration she once saw in a book. Her attention snagged on to a rose tree, its buds in late bloom as it was already early fall. Compelled by her love of flowers, she approached the rose tree, reaching out to grasp one.
"Must you touch everything?"
The gruff voice startled her, causing the Countess to pressing her finger onto an unseen thorn. She gasped, but quickly recovered, facing the owner of the voice. "Good morrow, Duke," she half-curtsied.
Heero did not return her polite gesture. Still on his horse, he demanded, "What are you doing here?"
"Begging your pardon, but I've only come for a morning ride and to admire this untamed backyard of yours."
"I seem to recall your presence at my castle, at my estate, is not welcomed. If you insist on staying here in hopes to persuade me to fix your town's dilemma, mind your matters. Don't go wandering about where you're not wanted."
"With all do respect," protested Relena, calmly. "I did not realize there were restrictions as to where I may and may not go."
"Well, now you know," was the cold response. "Unless I say otherwise, you are confined in your dormitories so as long as you stay here. Go, now."
Relena stood there for another passing moment, eyes locked with the blatant host. In the end, knowing he indeed have rights to tell her such and such, she subdued to his commands; though happy she was not about it.
"That man! Why must he act so… foul!" the frustrated honey-blonde paced around her room for the time being.
"The Master's been through quite a lot…" Hilde said softly, from her place on Relena's mattress. "What, with his parents passin' so young in his youth an' all… And surely you've heard the stories of Mistress Noventa an' him, haven't yee?"
"So he's had his heart broken a few times; it's not as though he the only one. Everyone has their misfortunes. I, for instance, do not allow myself be unpleasant company though my own parents died when I was but eight, and my childhood sweetheart and former fiancé betrayed me only weeks before our wedding. And with Sylvia Noventa, no less!"
The petite maid looked shocked to hear this. "My! Ain't it a small world? You an' Master Yuy have much in common, that you do!"
Relena seemed to soften at the revelation. "I suppose so…" she sighed, gracefully seating herself beside Hilde. "Forgive my temper, Hilde. I shouldn't talk so ill of my host, despite his difficult behavior, and shouldn't expect you to comply with my complaints of your Master."
"S'alright, Relena. I'm guessin' you're just stressed, and I don't blame ya. For as long as you're here somethin' bad might be happenin' in your town. You worry, yes?"
The maiden let herself smile. "You are a smart one, Hilde."
The servant blushed at the compliment. "Oh, no… just have good common sense, is all. If my family an' friends were off somewhere dangerous where I wasn't, I'd be worryin' my li'l butt off, too." The Countess chortled at the expression. Encouraged by her amusement, Hilde leaned in to whisper, "Pardon me for bein' so bold, Relena… but I think you like him."
Relena's eyes widened. "Him? That man? The Duke? Honestly I – " She stopped. Hilde was still smiling at her knowingly. Heaving a sigh of defeat, Relena confided, "Well, he is rather handsome. In a very brusque way…"
"Aye, he is. You prob'ly have a fancy for bad men, anyways," Hilde's giggled. To the petite woman's shock, a feather-stuffed pillow was flung at her face by the blonde. And thus, a pillow fight ensued.
The young Duke had just finished his ride of the day. In a cool stride, he led his stallion, Tsuee(1), to the stables. As he walked, thoughts of the Countess juggled through his mentality. How bothersome.
He hated blondes. Perhaps it was more than a little biased on his part to think so (what, with his experiences with a certain blonde), but still he did not like them. He loathed the way the golden strands paled in the moonlight and how it gleamed radiantly as it basked in the sun. They were simply too beautiful. Far too tempting. From a distance, the Countess was just that: a lethal, desirable female. With character. Blessed with talent. And was educated. She was… horrifyingly perfect. Not human. He greatly disliked that about her.
The Enchantress. Trying to make him, Heero Yuy, succumb to weak fantasies. Disgusting... Yet in his mind, he knew that Relena Peacecraft was not intentionally conjuring this effect on him. She was oblivious. It could be he wanted her more because of it.
"Ey, Master Heero!" a cheery voice slinked through his musing. Eyes belonging to Heero darted to the stable boy with a long braid. "How are yee doin' on this dandy day?"
"Hn," was all the response he offered.
The grin never left Duo's place. "Aye. I agree. I've seen you in better moods."
If it had been anyone else (well, excluding Pagan), that remark would've rewarded the speaker with a most painful consequence. But Duo Maxwell and the Duke had been playmates since childhood… the sometimes annoying presence of said friend was something that took a while to grow on Heero. But a deep friendship was there, nonetheless.
"I must confess, Master Heero," continued Duo, as the noble put Tsuee into his stead. "That Countess is a mighty fine lass. The best visitor the castle's had in a long while!" Heero did not bother to verbalize a reply. "Ya don't think so?"
"Hn."
"Eh, now… I know you can say more than one word, Master. An' it might not be my place to be tellin' ye this, but you should know… she ain't nothin' like Mistress Noventa."
"Did I ever imply that she was?"
"You think it. Ya make the connection, don't you? Blondes are not all evil," Duo joked. When Heero did not even crack a smirk, like he would usually at a less-than-intelligent gag, Duo added, "I'm just remindin' you. Don't let that thing with Lady Sylvia ruin your life. She ain't worth it. An' I been talkin' to Miss Relena this mornin'... I'm askin' you this as a friend, Heero: hear her out. The girl really needs help. And she's hopin' you'll give it to her." He winked. "Y'know how the ladies love a man-in-shining-armor. Chivalry does good for a chap's soul."
"Anything of interest happen yet, Pagan?"
"Yo, what'd I miss?"
"Sadly, no action coming from either," answered the old butler. Beside him, Hilde and Duo were peering through the crack in the door that led to the dining room. There, seated on the grand table, were Heero and Relena. Eating dinner. In utter, complete silence…
"How boring! An' after all that advice I gave that guy!" Duo exclaimed in a quiet whisper.
Hilde rolled her eyes. "These things take time, fool. Relena isn't really thinkin' 'bout winning a suitor. She's more interested in gettin' him to the Cinq Village. Isn't that right, Pagan?" The old servant nodded.
"Still," Duo argued. "That don't mean they can't mix business wit' pleasure."
"Ugh, you can be such a … lecher!"
"Hush…" Pagan gestured the pair to keep it down.
Solo appeared from behind, no one really noticing his presence until he inquired in a normally volume voice, "What's goin' on here?"
"Shh!" the trio hissed, causing the eighteen-year old to clamp a hand over his mouth. Carefully, the group looked to the room.
"Did they hear?" whispered Hilde.
Sure enough, their Master's head swiveled suspiciously towards the entrance of the door. The servants gulped and decided it was about time to go. They ran.
"Is something the matter, Duke?" Relena's eloquent voice questioned.
Heero's attention ripped away from the door, sure he was that Duo and company had departed. "Hn." Relena, having no real idea how to react to his grunt, went on eating her meal. Maybe he should strike up some conversation… "How was your first day here?"
She seemed surprised by the query. "Would you like the truth or the polite truth?"
He bit back a smirk. "The truth would be nice."
"It was dull and boring, with the exception of my time with Hilde. My ride to the gardens would have truly been the highlight of my day, alas," she eyed him in mute accusation. "it was cut short."
"I see." Silence. Then, "I apologize."
Relena nearly choked on her cider. "Pardon?"
He did not want to repeat himself. "I have not been the most civil to you since you've arrived. I've no excuse for my behavior."
"Well, that's alright, I suppose." The honey-blonde relished in a short pause before asking, "Since you've seemed to have some sort of change of heart, Duke… does this mean you've reconsidered coming to my town?"
"No." A deep disappointment washed over the Peacecraft. "But," Relena's ears perked up as the higher-rank aristocrat continued. "Your stay at the estate will be less penitentiary-esque. I grant you permission to wander the grounds – with the exception of the rose gardens. You are not to pluck any flowers from the foliages."
The guest nodded slowly. "Yes, I understand."
The host cast a challenging glance at Relena. "You shall eventually tire of the castle, Countess… I have no doubt about that. When that happens, you are free to leave."
The sixteen-year old maiden felt annoyance bite at her. "I will stay as long as possible, until you reconsider, Duke. Do not think otherwise."
"You are a stubborn one."
"As are you."
Heero took a deliberately slow sip of his drink. Too slow, for the Countess' liking. When he finished, he addressed, "For someone who wishes my aid to save her little town, you are awfully sharp-tongued."
"Well I'm sorry, but you test my patience, dear Duke. My being well-mannered didn't seem to convince you to come to Cinq, so perhaps quarrelling with you shall be more effective," retorted Relena.
"And what should happen if it only worsens your chances?"
"Somehow, I do not believe it will." She nibbled on a sliced carrot. "You will tire of me eventually. And give in."
"That's not very ladylike."
The Peacecraft let out a discreet scoff. "Ladylike? Oh Duke, there is a possible civil war in my home, where all my beloveds dwell. In crucial moments such as these, do you really think I care about being 'ladylike?' I care only of their survival and well-being… Ere go, I am very willing to jump to unladylike means to ensure it."
"Even whoring yourself around?"
There was a clang followed by a clatter. She dropped her fork, and it had fallen on the table. Perhaps he had gone too far, thought Heero. A stab of guilt plunged into his chest. When the Countess recovered for the momentary lapse, she stated firmly in a double meaning sort of voice, "I shan't dignify that question with an answer." Minutes passed, the quietness resuming, until Relena excused herself, announcing she was done with her dinner.
He was left alone to eat the rest of his supper, again. Not that it mattered much; he was used to it. 'So much for being 'nice.' What an utter waste of time…' But oh, he relished seeing the dame ablaze in an argumentative passion. For the first time in months, Heero Yuy broke into one of his rare smiles.
-tbc-
1 Tsuee translates to 'strong' in Japanese. Oh yes, our Heero knows Japanese. Bless him.
