Tall rose bushes cast shadows over the expanse of Relena's gardens. It was late noon, but the season neared fall and the heat was bearable. Calendri had yet to release Relena since the ceremony. Relena had won the battle and had gotten to choose the palce for her reception, but her new husband would not let her enjoy it but with him, and only him.
Relena laughed as she extradited herself from Cis's arms. Her smile was more strained now after the numerous times she had done so previously. She made her excuses and left the garden for the cool tile floors and refreshing atmosphere of the restrooms.
Cis watched her, his cold blue eyes following her path. After he was sure she was going where she had told him she was, he almost smiled. When she did not talk to anyone, he did smile. His smile grew into a wider sneer when he turned to see a braided man watching him.
Maxwell. Cis knew who the purple eyes belonged to. Early on into their relationship, Relena had talked of her friends non-stop. By the way she always closed or opened her conversation with Mr. Maxwell and his fiancée, Calendri deduced that the couple was very dear to her. So that would have to change. Many of the things Relena had grown accustomed to would have to change. It was only a little over two hours after their vows had been spoken; and her husband was already mentally reconstructing Relenas life, cutting certain people from the blueprints.
Seething, Duo turned back to Quatre and Trowa. His hand shook slightly with anger and his cobalt eyes were full of contempt.
"Ho dare the bastard smile at me?" Duo growled, but in a low whisper, "I'm gonna wring his neck!"
Comforting hands skimmed over Duo's back, kneading away a knot between his shoulder blades before wrapping around his waist. Hilde leaned into Duo, laying her head on the corded muscle of his shoulder and back. She sighed deeply before speaking,
"I know you want what's best for her," she murmured, "and I know you don't believe that this is it-"
"Damn straight it's not!" Duo cut Hild off curtly, shaking his head. Hilde had to move to avoid the swinging braid as Duo continued to rant. "This is bull shit! And where the fuck is Heero?"
"But I think she may actually love him," Hilde continued on, ignoring Duo's interuprion and invading mental images of Milardo leading Relena down the isle to a certain perfect soldier.
Duo sputteres, then choked on his own saliva in shock. Quatre however, was perfectly capable of taking up the argument.
"Love him? How could she love him?" Quatre wore a mask of blank confusion. "se still loves Heero and Relena is not fool enough to love one such as Calendri," Quatre abandoned his gentle manner long enough to spit the other man's name.
Hilde opened her mouth to anser, but another womans voice sounded first. Quatre looked over Hilde's head as she and Duo turned to face Millardo and his wife Lucrezia. Millardo, tall and platinum complimented his wife's petit frame and dark coloring perfectly. Lu's pale face was flushed slightly from the heat, and now indignation on the part of her sister in law as she spoke.
"You can't honestly believe that Relena would pine the rest of her life away like a sick puppy for Heero. She loved him, we all know that," her voice rose and she paused to gather herself briefly, "But if she still loves him, she loves Calendri more." She nodded to Hilde and then turned to leave. "If you'll excuse me, I need to save my daughter from her relatives." She walked away to find the fourteen-month-old bundle of sweet energy that was her daughter Maelin.
Millardo cast a look over the group before him that spoke volumes. "I'm surprises that you, her friends, can not be happy for her. Especially you, Maxwell." Millardo's eyes hardened and his voice dropped in pitch, "She was not happy before loving someone that would never love her back." Millardo turned sharply on his heel to follow his wife and child.
"Close your mouth Maxwell." Duos teeth clicked as he turned to glare at Wufei. Hilde turned her attention to Sally as the doctor began to speak,
"Do you really believe that Hilde?" Sally asked. Everyone's attention turned to Hilde, who in turn sent her gaze searching for Relena.
"Yes. I don't know how or why, but I think she does," Hilde's eyes found the new bride walking in the direction of her friends. "Smile, she's coming," she hissed.
Relena surreptitiously sent a glance over her shoulder as she walked towards her closest friends. She sighed to herself as she thought of her husband. She loved him, though at first there had been doubts. She had spent many nights awake, contemplating her feelings. She had loved Heero Yuy, no one else could compare or ever would, but then, she did love cis.
She had felt immeasurable guilt every time she accepted an invitation to dinner. She would truly enjoy herself on a night with Cis, but something always seemed to send her thoughts to Heero. But she loved Cis, and they were married now, and they would live happily, just like she had always wanted from life.
Relena's smile widened as she reached her friends. She hugged all of them in turn; the longest hug she shared with Duo. It ended with him staring down at her, his cobalt eyes concerned.
"You alright, Princess?" he asked softly, "I mean, really alright?"
Relena pulled away, smacking him affectionately on his upper arm. "You seem to be expecting me to drop dead," Relena gasped and her eyes widened in mock horror. "You didn't. How could you?" she cried, "How could you poison the punch?"
Hilde laughed nervously at the joke and everyone but Duo joined her. Hilde wrapped her arms around Relena's shoulders and hugged her tightly.
"Congratulations," she said loudly, giving relena a genuine smile. Quatre nodded and moved to hug Relena again. Everyone relaxed and Relena was hugged by everyone a second time. This time she turned to Wufei, the one person she had yet to hug at all. She held her arms open to him, and shockingly, he accepted, stepping into her embrace and returning the hug.
"Hugs from the whole group now," Relena declared tearily, "I could die happy now."
"Are you sure? What about the honeymoon?" a voice inquired. Relena's smile widened even more, if that was possible. Everyone else had to fight to keep their smiles in place as Calendri wrapped his arms around his wife's thin waist.
For the sake of keeping her close friend content, Hilde spoke up. She smile at the couple and asked merrily where they would be honeymooning. Grudgingly Duo joined Hilde's attempts to make Relena's day all it should be.
"Are you going anywhere exotic?" Duo asked, then grinned, "Besides the bedroom?"
Hilde smacked the back of his head as Relena blushed a pretty pink. Wufei and Trowa both shook their heads, the former mumbling something that sounded like "baka". Sally and Quatre just stared at the braided, apparently crazy man in front of them.
"Actually," Relena spoke, masking Calendri's stony silence, "Cis knows me so well and has arranged for us to stay at his villa by a reclusive beach." Relena stared with ardor at her new husband, nearly making Duo gag.
"Nothing to expensive, nothing too flashy. Just a calm relaxing time away from people," Calendri smirked at Duo before continuing, "I wanted to take her on a tour of Europe. But she has to go there all the time. On top of that, one of her body guards recommended the calm, and it does fit her better. Now, if you'll excuse us."
"Of course," Hilde grinned brightly.
"I'm going to kill him," Duo mutter as the newlyweds walked away to greet other guests.
"Calendi? I don't like-" Hilde was again interrupted by Duo and his shaking head.
"Yuy. Relena only had one bodyguard." Duo ground out the sentence, anger smoldering in his eyes, all directed at the former pilot of Wing Zero.
Relena contained a sigh as her husband led her away from her friends. She loved him, and she knew he loved her, but he could be overly possessive. In truth, he was harly any other way. But he knew so much about her, knew what she loved, what she couldn't stand and he loved her. No more wondering if the love she felt would ever be returned.
Relena was stubborn, she could fight many emotional battles. But Heero was the perfect soldier. She could never have one a battle, more less the war. So, Relena Dorilan, the President, most stubborn of politicians, had conceded. She would never forget Heero Yuy, she had loved him, maybe in some way, she still did. But he was her past, a memory to be locked away forever, never to be shown the light of day or thought again. He had not been at her wedding, he was not here now, and Cis was right. She would have him resigned the first chance she had. Relena layed her head on Cis's shoulder, she didn't need Heero yuy anymore. Her friends had feared Cis would change her, and he had.
Cis stopped Relena at a table where some distant family members sat. Cis smiled down into Relena's face as he pushed her gently into an empty seat.
"Sit here for a moment, okay? I have some last minute business to attend to." Relena nodded and Cis walked away, leaving her to make small talk about the wedding.
Heero shrugged his brown Preventers jacket around his shoulders as he stood. He pulled his ticket from his front pocket as he took his place in line to board the plain. He glances down at the destination, no one would think of him leaving to New York. The corner of his mouth lifted smugly at the thought of Maxwell searching for him on Mars or one of the colonies.
Nearly all of the Preventers had been set to protect Relena at her wedding. Duo would be the first to realize his absence, but by the time it was fully known Yuy had aborted the mission, he'd be long gone and lost. Heero thought over his plan as he boarded and took his seat. He would not be found, but Relena and his comrades would always be within his sights.
"I assure you, step one was finished with the ring," Calendri spoke into a cell phone.
"Fine. Don't do anything to screw this up," a voice crackled on the other end.
"Don't worry father. Hook, line, and sinker. The President's ours," calendri folded the phone and returned it to the pocket of his tuxedo.
Calendri then returned to his bride, smiling warmly again. Relena smiled back, the sunny day reflected in her face.
"Is everything in order, dear" she asked.
"Yes. When you're read, we can leave."
"I have to say goodbye to everyone first," elation spread across her face, "and I have to throw the bouquet!"
"Of course, when you're ready. Do what you feel you need to." Calendri moved away to spread the word that the bride and groom would be leaving soon. Therefore, a crowd had assembled by the time Relena was ready to leave.
Glowing beautifully, bathed in rays from the setting sun, Relena beamed around at the similarly joyous crowd. Tears of happiness turned her eyes to glistening aquamarine gems as she thanked the many well-wishers.
Turning her back to the assembly, she raised her extravagant bouquet to her face. She inhaled the soft scent of gardenias and pink roses. The small sprigs of thyme and baby's breath tickled her nose. Looking up into the violet sky, she tossed the flowers in one graceful motion over her head.
The bouquet arched gracefully through the sky, tracing a path that all eyes watched. Relena giggled, a sound of pure mirth and happiness as Quatre caught the flowers. Relenas eyes met the soft blue of quatres before Calendri wrapped his arm around her waist and guided her towards the white limo that waited for them.
Slipping one arm up to her shoulders and gripping her right elbow in his right hand, Calendri maneuvered Relena until she no longer stood facing her guests, but was confronted with the tinted windows of the limo instead.
The driver opened the door for the newlyweds and waited patiently for them to climb in. Relena stepped in easily, well practiced in the art of stepping into limos in heals and voluminous gowns. Calendri followed after her. He closed the door and the limo driver walked briskly to the drivers side and climbed in. The limo drove off and the wedding guests waved goodbye to the soon to be honeymooners. To six of the guests, the farewell was not a pleasant one.