Author's Notes: I'll make this note sweet and simple as possible: Thanks so much for the reviews. Sorry for keepin' on replacing old chapters; I'm just trying to perfect them. My greatest difficulty (aside from the withering muse) is the dialogue and my wordiness. But I hope there's improvement. Here's chapter Six. Thanksto those who reviewed!Enjoy.
Disclaimer: Standard disclaimers apply.
Beauty and the Beast
-Chapter Seven: His Mighty Gallantry-
November 2nd
Dearest Lucie,
I trust this letter finds you in good health. How is everyone? Have things quieted regarding the growing riots? Hopefully Brother has calmed down since my leave. I'm sorry to have done something so impromptu, but Milliardo simply wasn't listening to me, so of course I had to take matters into my own hands. Please assure him I am fine and currently under the polite care of Duke Yuy. He is still contemplating his decision concerning our request… Quite the strong-willed individual, he is. A tad annoying, really. Fret not; I shall get the Duke to come, one way or another. There is hope yet.
I've made a number of friends here at the Estate. Although I confess I have bouts of homesickness, I am adjusting. The aides under Duke Yuy's employment are charming and delightful company. Perhaps you will meet them one day, after this whole mess with Mister Quinze is over. You will like them too, I am certain.
There is little else to say, just to remind you to take care. Try not to strain yourself so… I cannot make any promises, but I will try my hardest to make haste with the Duke. With any luck, I will be home soon – by the time of your birthing of the little one. I'll keep my progress a little bit in the dark for now, as I do not want you or the others (especially Milliardo) to worry. I am fully able to take care of myself. Give my regards to all the friends, my love to Lucas and my future niece or nephew. Write back soon.
Yours, Relena
The Countess sealed the message and exited her guest dwellings in search of Solo. Her heels clicked as she walked down the empty corridors of the castle. She knew the young man would be going into town, as it was Saturday. He always made an effort to make the trip to town on the weekends. Apparently, he and Duo's Uncle Howard lived in Cinq who had recently partnered with Old Master Vladimir, as co-owner of the developing theatre company. That was how Solo met Catherine.
The Peacecraft maiden reached the main floor, and drifted towards the kitchen. Locks of curly, brown hair caught her eye. "Solo!"
"Eh?" The gentleman turned at the cry. A green apple was about to be wedged between his jaws, but at the scene before him, patiently refrained from biting it. "Countess! G'morning! How're yee today?"
"Quite well, thank you," smiled she. "I'm sorry to have waited last minute, but you are riding into town today, are you not?"
"To th' Cinq? Actually Countess, no... Duo was asked ta go in mi' place. Orders from Master Yuy, 'imself."
"Is that so…"
"Aye. I ain't sure wha' to make of it, but I guess s'not really my place ter question it, now."
Relena nodded. "Well, the Duke certainly likes to be enigmatic." Rather annoying, in truth. …Sometimes. "Do you know if Duo has departed, yet?"
"Yeah. In fact, he jus' left some five minutes ago."
"Oh, bother…" the Countess let herself murmur under a breath. The envelope was still in her hand.
Solo took notice of the thin parcel. "Ye got a letter ya wish ta be sent, Countess? S'that it?"
"Indeed it is, Solo." A sigh. "No matter. I suppose it can wait another week."
"Eh, that ain't nothin'. I can catch up to my brother an' make sure ta have 'im deliver it to…"
"Lucrezia Noin Peacecraft," the blonde supplied. "She is my sister-in-law."
"Ah, I get it. Peacecraft Manor, it is then."
"Oh, many thanks, Solo!" Relena nearly bounced in gratitude. She truly needed to hear from outside the premises. Only several days of being there and already she missed her family and friends back home. "You ought to accompany Duo all the way into Cinq. Surely you'd like to see your Uncle. And Catherine."
At the mention of the actress' name, Solo reddened considerably. "Ya really shouldn't tease like that, Miss. Tha's a very sensitive topic o' a man's heart." He winked. "I'll make sure ter take th' idea, kindly." And off he went to the stables, leaving Relena to smile amusingly at his retreating figure.
The honey-blonde moseyed up the spiraling staircase, the clicking of her shoes upon the marble floors carrying on. Her muse wandered at the events of last night's dinner, recalling the words from Duke Yuy's mouth. She wondered what his intentions were for her. First arriving at the Yuy Estate, Relena never truly believed the young Duke would be as ill-famed just as the unreliable rumors reported. Now, she began to wonder about it... But her initial instincts, the mind argued, were never wrong. Well, with the exception of Jonathan.
Relena inwardly winced. Ugh, that dreadful reminder again. Why did her mentality put her through this?
"Relena?"
The Countess jumped slightly. Swiveling her dainty head to the left of her, crystalline orbs took notice of a friend. "Hilde! You startled me."
"I apologize. I di'n't expect to see anyone in th' hall. The castle can be awf'lly dull on Saturday mornin's…" the petite servant griped.
The unenthused, sullen maid was not one Relena was so accustomed to. Clearly, Hilde was in a Mood. "Why not do something then? Would you like to join me in a walk around the courtyards? Perhaps even have a picnic outside; it is a glorious autumn day."
Hilde's tone became apologetic. "Sounds nice ta think of, Relena, but I've errands ta do later. Laundry an' cooking."
"Cooking?" the Countess tilted her head in interest. "Perhaps you can teach me. You know recipes?"
"I s'pose ye can say that," Hilde at first replied, modestly. Her features brightened a little. "I make delicious pies! M'cakes are th' best to ever grace th' stomachs of men – 'least that's what Duo says to me."
A revelation hit Relena. "Duo? I hear he left for Cinq earlier this morning."
The small smile on the maid's face vanished. "Yes'm. He did."
Ah, so the femme did miss him. "Is that why you're not so cheerful today?"
Pink hues colored Hilde's tanned cheeks. "W-well… er, it is a smidge boring than it usually is without him here." Relena tilted her head in silent mirth. She had witnessed this scene before. Not necessarily with Hilde, but with her other comrades. Heaven knew how much bickering Wufei and Meiran went through before confessing their feelings aloud. Midii had to have Trowa run away with her, before they could say their 'I Do's.' Dorothy needed to be convinced by Quatre that she was worthy of him, before fully agreeing to marry. And even the talented Catherine, who had countless admirers and was never one to be shy, waited for Solo, and only him, to come every Saturday.
"Hilde," The Countess began, with intent to be as straight-forward as possible. "Why do you fight the idea of being with him so? Duo is a very decent man, better than most higher-classmen, in fact. And surely he is not hideous. Are you truly too proud to confess? It would save you both a lot less grief if you just admitted it, you know…"
"Isn't that giving in too easily, Relena?" Hilde shifted her weight to her left, in a fidgeting motion. "What if… what if he leaves after th' chase is over an' done wit'. Maybe th' chase is th' only way I can keep him around."
"Is that your concern? On the contrary, it is more likely for Duo to tire of the game than anything else. How long has Duo been courting you?"
"Ehm," the servant maiden made a quick calculation of the years. "'Bout some four years ago… righ' after I started workin' here at th' Estate."
"It was love at first sight, would you say?"
A small laugh erupted from Hilde. Duo reminded her enough that it had been. "For him, I reckon."
"Was it the same for you?"
"Well, he made me laugh an' feel easy 'round here. I liked him right away 'cause o' that."
The Countess smiled. "You two have such playful natures, no wonder you enjoy bantering."
"Hm? Does th' same go for you an' Master Heero?"
Relena paused, as she almost tripped over her own feet. She was startled by the implication of the question. "Pardon me?"
Hilde bit her tongue. Perhaps she said too much. "Oh, n-nothin'. Forgive mi silly thinkings, Relena."
"I wish you'd stop apologizing so much, Hilde. We are friends, aren't we? Don't act so formal around me; it's truly not necessary."
"But," the maid stopped at her protest, at the sincere eyes staring at her. "…Okay, I'll stop tellin' ya 'Sorry.' Still, I shouldn't have made that assumption 'bout you an' th' Master."
The blonde shrugged. "It's fine. Judgment is part of human nature, after all."
Her companion's blue-grey eyes looked up admiringly at the Countess. "You are so understanding 'bout so many things. 'Specially for us who are beneath. There ought ta be mo'e people like ye, Relena. Th' world would be a lot less hellish if there was, am sure."
"If only it were that easy," sighed the Peacecraft dame. "It's a shame, really. I cannot entirely blame the commoners for wanting to do something so mutinous, but at the expense of other lives… It's dreadful to even consider." Hilde did not know any words of comfort she could offer, so she remained silent, walking alongside the Countess. "Tell me," Relena spoke again. "Do you have any ideas as to how I can persuade Duke Yuy to come to the village?"
"Well, you could try speakin' wit' him again. Pagan tells me that th' Master's impressed by you."
"Really?"
"Aye. An' Pagan knows best since he's known th' Master ever since he was a babe." Hilde broke into a smile. "You know what they say: If at first ye don't succeed, try, try again."
"True… Alright, I will follow what Wise Men say. Where can I find Duke Yuy at this time of day?"
"Th' library, most likely; that's his fav'rite place, y'know."
"The library?"
"Yep. It's gigantic!" Hilde stretched her arms, creating an imaginary circle just for effect. Relena laughed at the sight. "If you want ter know where it is, jus' keep on walkin' down this hall 'till ya see a painting o' a pretty lady in a garden. Go pass it, an' th' next door you come to is th' entrance to th' library. Ye can't miss it."
The guest nodded, taking the directions in. "Won't you accompany me, Hilde?"
"Oh, I'd like to, Relena, but they prob'ly waitin' fo' me to show up in th' kitchens. 'Tis almost noon an' there are stomachs needed to be fed. I'll see you around!"
Lovely.
This was the only word that sprung into Relena's mind as she gazed at the framed painting. The image of a lady, no younger than herself, was standing beside a fully-bloomed rose tree. She had wavy ebony locks with a pair of exotic blue eyes, and a pretty pink to her cheeks. The nameless maiden was reaching out for a rose just a few inches away from the contact of her slender fingers. A smile emitted from her delicate features, filling the picture with life.
"Her name was Naoko."
For the second time that day, the honey-blonde jumped. This time, she did not at all recognize the voice and so turned her vision away from the masterpiece to come face-to-face with an elderly man. The stranger was on the heavy side, with dark spectacles that prevented anyone to see yonder the lens. Relena's crystalline orbs flicked over to the silver hook where a left hand would normally be.
The man smiled. "G'day to ya, Countess."
"Good day, sir. My apologies… have we met before? I can't seem to recall."
"Nay, li'l lady, we've not yet met form'lly. Ye have put th' Estate in such a ruckus, that thy has. I hear 'nuff about thee from ol' Pagan an' th' others. Thou art truly a pretty thing, as they been tellin' me. Mi' names Mister Jay, a fellow inventor an' th' man who provides heat fo' this 'ere castle."
Relena brought out a hand to shake his own. "It's a pleasure to meet you, Mister Jay."
The boiler man shook the hand and laughed. "Eh, I ain't never had a dame try to shake mi' hand. Isn't thee scared of this hook?"
"Begging your pardon, but it is your left that is with the hook, not your right. Is it not customary to shake with the right hand, not the left?"
Another chortle from Jay. "Aye, 'tis so… but when ye hath a disability like mine, tha forgets ev'ryday courtesies 'cos people tend ta treat ye diff'rent." He admired the silver replacement. "I got mi' hand chopped as a young 'un, stealin' bread I ain't had money to pay fo'."
"How terrible…"
"Mmh. I've been blessed wit' better days since, so am not gon' complain," assured the older man. He nodded back towards the painting of the woman. "That's what she used ter always say."
Once more, the Countess focused her attention to painting of Naoko. "Wise words, indeed."
"Yep. A li'l goddess in th' flesh, that she was. She was a foreigner from one o' those distant places no 'un really knows 'bout yet. Got famous real quick on account o' she bein' so lovely an' all. Th' lucky chap who'd become 'er husband was smitten wit' her righ' away, though he ain't said it aloud till 'bout a year later… but he eventually confessed. Some men are slow, thou mun know. Anyways, th' couple wedded; damn cutest garden ceremony I ev'r seen… I also never met any'un who loved roses more than Missus Naoko. When she an' Mister Odin – that was 'er spouse's name, got married, th' first thing he did fer her as his wife was plant them things."
"Oh?" Relena let herself smile. What an adoring tale.
"Sound like a fairy tale, don't it? Sadly, they not livin' no mo'. A horrible sickness overtook 'em some 'leven years later…"
"The plague, you mean?"
"Aye. Thou knows of it?"
"Indeed I do," nodded the honey-blonde. It was the same disease that stole her parents six years past. The deaths of the illness had been kept to a bare minimum as it had it been discovered early, but the ones that it managed to reach, it had killed.
"Well, yeah. That's how th' story goes. They left a child behind wit' an enormous amount o' wealth, though th' son never cared so much fo' it."
"What was the son's name?" the Countess inquired.
There was a glint in Jay's glasses. "Heero."
Well, there was finally heat in the room. Jay had forgotten to light a fire in the library that morning. Old age seemed to have finally affected his memory. Heero was just about to get the wood for the fireplace himself but the aged Hook appeared, noting the lack of warmth. Claiming that Heero wasn't letting him do his job (the Master should've called for him if there was no heat), Jay stalked to the large fireplace, equipped with wood-carrier, and ignited a flame. He left soon afterward, but not before commenting on the "beautiful visitor."
Heero brushed away his unruly hair from his eyes. He was thinking about her, again. Damn it. Trying to shake off the wretched thoughts, Heero slid down the ladder he was situated on, book in hand. Illiad, by Homer had always been one of his favorites. He sat comfortably on a cushioned chair close by the fire. The book turned opened and Prussian eyes began reading the verses.
Meanwhile, the castle's favorite guest had just finished speaking with the elderly man, Jay. Boldly, the blonde entered the library. Hilde had not been exaggerating; the size of the library was massive. Relena stared in wonderment, beholding the sight of countless shelves and hundreds of books. Her heart swelled in excitement.
Not two steps into the room, did a voice boom, "Who goes there?"
To the far left of her, Relena spotted a high seat with a masculine silhouette upon it. She knew it was him. As it were, the Duke did not look up once from his book. "Tis only I, dear Duke."
He did not bother to glance at her in recognition. "I wonder, Countess, if you are familiar with the practice of knocking?"
Her features remained still, although the familiar feeling of annoyance slowly emerged. "Yes I have, Duke Yuy… but since I hear your library is a public one, I presumed it not necessary to do so."
Point taken. Not that Heero would ever openly acknowledge it… "You enjoy debating," he stated, plainly.
"You enjoy provoking me," countered she.
At last, the male moved his head to look at the Peacecraft. "What is it that you want, Countess? I would like to return to my reading in silence."
"So do so," Relena said. "I shan't speak a word. I come here with hopes to find a good read of my own."
"Restless, already?" His tone screamed, 'I told you so.'
"Not truly. I simply have an insatiable hunger for the written word. When I was told of this grand library, I was compelled to come."
"Is that so. Are you sure it was not also to find me here and conveniently try to persuade me again to save your little town?"
"Well, now that you mention…"
"Give up already, Countess," interrupted Heero. "I've a will made of iron."
"I will not forfeit." Relena's voice raised slightly in volume. She proclaimed, "I've a will made of iron, myself. Honestly Duke, I am no quitter. Have you not yet recognized this? It is my home in danger… would you not also work hard, no matter the odds, to save your Estate if someone were to threaten the well-being of it?"
There was a short pause. Heero stared at the embers of the fire. "You make a convincing argument, but I will not sway to it. I'm sorry that your efforts have gone to waste, but I said before: I will not involve myself in these matters. It does not concern me."
"But they are your lands!"
Heero turned to the woman, eyebrow raised. "You mistake me for the crowned Prince. The Cinq are his domain. In fact, it is he you should place your ways of persuasion in."
The Countess tensed, the host observed. "The nobles of the town have considered that alternative but unfortunately, the Prince's attendance has not been very reliable. He is always traveling these days, it seems."
"That's a shame."
"I suppose it is." The maiden took a daring step closer to him. "Duke, I do not want to seem so desperate, but the truth it I am." Her voice was heartbreakingly pleading. Heero found it unbearable and had to rip his faze away from her. "My friends and family are relying on me to acquire your aid," Relena continued "to save them. Is there any way at all that I can – " She bit her bottom lip. So much pride she must swallow! "Would it help if I beg?"
A scoff erupted from the Duke. "Go home, Countess. You'll have more of a chance of saving your beloved village yourself than dragging me there. You should have considered all the possibilities, including failure to bring me. If you had, you might have thought twice about taking such a responsibility."
Relena's spirit plummeted. She rushed out of the library and once more, Heero felt the pang of remorse grip him.
She would not cry. It was not worth her tears.
The man had no heart. He was a selfish, arrogant man with no goals or attachment on this planet. It was the sort of character that infuriated Relena to no end. The nerve! She didn't even get to take out a book to ease her frustrations! Don Quixote had long been finished; she wished now thatshe had brought a second book to enjoy. Then again, she had not anticipated staying this long… She thought she'd be gone from home three days at most, but now it was entering the second week. Regardless, she knew she would not allow herself to leave. No, the Peacecraft vowed, she would not give Heero Yuy that satisfaction.
But Relena was bored, she could not deny that. She had been cooped up in the guest room for the whole afternoon. Heaving a small sigh, she glanced around her dormitories looking for something to do. The low sun beyond her window encouraged Relena to wander outside. She needed some fresh air.
"Hiemis, are you sure we're going the right way?" Relena kept a firm grasp on her horse's reins. Perhaps taking a ride so late in the afternoon wasn't the brightest idea… In fact, it was pretty foolish, she admitted to herself, especially considering how dark it was now. Growing up, she recalled her brother and father always advising her to never ride out in the wilderness when the sun set. It was dangerous – creatures of the night, wolves specifically, would be hunting. A horse would be a fine feast for them, and though they normally didn't eat human meat, the animals might be compelled to eat something new.
She shivered. 'Keep calm,' she chanted mentally. Panicking now wouldn't solve anything. She just needed to find the way back to the Estate, and safely out of the forest. Hiemis and she would make it out alright, if she would just keep cal –
"Ohwoooooooo!" Relena gasped as Hiemis let out a startled 'neigh.' The howl of a wolf. Cautiously, Relena craned her neck to look behind her and to her fearful realization, several pairs of bright eyes stared hungrily at her direction. The snowy stallion and its passenger broke into a gallop.
Night had settled for a good hour now, and the Countess had not yet returned. Hilde began to grow nervous. She absentmindedly twisted her hands on her apron. Why wasn't she back? Relena did only say she wouldn't be too long; twenty minutes at most!
Maybe she decided to go back home? But her belongings were still in the castle… No, that couldn't be it.
"Relena!" she called out into the dark unknown. No answer. With a swift turn, the maid went off to find the help.
"Pagan! Mister Jay!"
The elderly pair looked to the breathless girl. "Yes? What is it, lass?" Pagan inquired, noting the urgency in her facial expression.
"It's Relena! I mean, th' Countess! She's gone. She said she'd be back befo'e th' sun set, but she hadn't come back!" Hilde said. The petite female began to cry. "It's all my fault, sirs. I let 'er go when I knew it was kinda late to be goin' out fer a ride. I'm so sorry!" Pagan did his best to console the girl, when a new voice broke in.
"What's going on here?"
Mister Jay took it upon himself to dictate the whole ordeal to Master Yuy, whilst Hilde bowed her head in shame. When Jay concluded his explanation, the Duke, without a word, strode to the stables. There was a notable quickness in his pace.
They were drawingnearing...there was now an uncomfortably close distance between the hunter and its prey.Relena breathed heavily as she leaned forward, urging her Hiemis to go as fast as possible. Many of the wolves repeatedly tried to bite Hiemis' hind legs, but the white horse managed to either outrun their jaws or kicked them away. Another managed to grab hold of the hem of Relena's dress and ripped it. The pack seemed to grow in its numbers. Far up ahead, Relena caught sight of the highest tower of the Duke's castle. Just a little bit more…
"Neighhh!" Hiemis staggered, faltering over an unseen log. Unfortunately, the grand animal did not recover from its stumble and fell to its knees, sending the owner down to Earth.
'Oh no.' Relena wasted no time getting back on her feet. Grabbing a rather large stick, she hurried to Hiemis who was about to be attacked by a number of salivating wolves. She began to swing the wooden weapon blindly, causing them to move away. But one, the leader it seemed, grabbed onto the stick with its large canine teeth, and then Relena was forced to let go. The maiden and her horse were now surrounded by the pack, with no where to run to. The same wolf that wretched the stick away readied itself to pounce on the fallen twosome. The Countess whispered a quiet prayer, preparing for the worst.
It never came. Bang! The sound startled the leader and the rest of the pack. Looking to its right, the head wolf saw one of its own dead. Relena looked up at her captor: Heero…
Clearly angered, the leader and a few of the other wolves shifted its attention to the assailant and prepared to ambush him. The Duke easily shot some of them down, killed. But when the leader went in for an attack, Heero's bullet missed and the animal managed to knock down the revolver from the human's hand. Almost immediately, it attacked again, this time biting viciously into Heero's arm. In retaliation, the noble skillfully pulled out a dagger from his right side and drove it into the animal multiple times. It yelped, and fell to the ground. The other wolves quaked, their leader dead. They fled.
Relena Peacecraft was hardly known to be speechless. But at that moment in time, gaping at her rescuer, she somehow could not form the simple words one should when someone had just saved your life. As it turned out, Heero was the first to speak. He regarded her with a typical cool gaze, though his complexion seemed paler than usual.
Of course. The honey blonde's vision snapped to his bloody side. He was injured. "Duke, you're – "
"I'm fine," he interjected. "Is your steed able to move?"
She looked to Hiemis and discovered it to be gradually getting back up. "Yes, but I'm afraid only at a slow pace…"
He nodded and turned towards the direction of the Estate. "Let's go."
With nothing more to say, the Countess followed, leading her horse on foot.
Relena insisted that she tend to Heero's wounds, even though he had argued that he could "very well take care of himself." She said that it was the least she could do as repayment for saving her. And so, Hilde fetched a bowl of clean, heated water and piece of fresh cloths.
They sat in the parlor room, with the Duke on cushioned seat and the Countess on the floor next to him. He shed his ruined jacket and rolled up his red-stained white sleeve. They didn't exchange a word for the first five minutes in each other's company. Relena soaked one of the cloths in the basin and then ringed it out, ready to clean up her host's injury.
"This might sting a little," she warned, carefully touching the torn skin. Heero did not utter a sound, though his jaw clenched and his right hand balled up in a fist. "I'd like to thank you…" she began, almost shyly "for saving my life today. I'm sorry I didn't give you my thanks earlier, I —"
"There wasn't much time earlier to offer thanks," he said. "I know." Ah, so he understood. "You're welcome." She smiled gently. "Why did you run off so late in the day?"
Relena felt some pink creep onto her cheeks. "Oh, just simple foolishness… It was my mistake."
"Your friend seems to think otherwise. She blames herself."
Her features softened to a guilty expression. "I know… I have assured her it wasn't." She continued her task, cleaning the flesh expertly. Heero was secretly taken aback; he had expected all women to cringe at the sight of blood. Yet here she was, tending to his gruesome wound without so much of a hesitant blink. Even more surprising, was that through out her nursing procedure, he could not shake off the feeling that there was something magic to her touch. BY the time Relena had finished bandaging his left arm up, the pain became quite minimal.
-tbc-
A/N: Sorry about the poor animal sounds. Ehehehes. I realize that they probably didn't have revolvers in the Renaissance, but I can't imagine Heero Yuy without a gun. Really, I can't.
