Wow…it's been awhile since I updated this…(sorry…XD)

I know I usually respond to reviews directly, but I want to start writing the fic as soon as possible. But one thing…

People have been asking me about what's going on with Cagalli. It's not just one reason, but more of a gradual buildup. If you read, you can tell that she's starting to get more and more frustrated because of various reasons. And no, she didn't have a fight with Athrun. At least not yet anyways. XD

Ch. 24: Marionette of Politics

Arabella slowly walked into her room, with perfect dignity. Only her eyes betrayed her weariness. Not bothering to make sure that no one would intrude, she approached the vanity, and collapsed into a nearby armchair. She grasped at the ribbons holding her hair back, objects used to make her look more regal. Pulling at them, she untangled them, casting them indignantly onto the floor. Her silver tresses flowed freely, no longer hindered by any restraints. She never did like anything in her hair.

Suddenly, the room felt very stifling. She opened the window, letting the chilly wind in. Yes, it was cold. She couldn't resist a shiver. But at the moment, anything was better than the unbearable, strangling heat that she was surrounded with.

They were all chocking her. Greedy, power-mongering, self-righteous…she composed herself in time. No, in essence, they were not wholly to blame. One must blame the murder not the murderer. True, that sounded ridiculous. They were fools sure enough, for being so weak to fall to such levels. However, isn't every human being capable of such things?

The only difference between the innocent and the tainted were their choices, and their actions dealing with the choices. But that thin line was what mattered in the end. And that line couldn't necessarily be described as thin.

She would laugh inside when people tolerated such things so much that the line was thinner than that of a broken piano string. They wanted to escape consequences. No sense of responsibility. She sounded like an old lady, but weren't sages of old, well, old? Of course, age wasn't everything, but one technically has to live longer to have more experiences.

Why was she murmuring this gibberish anyways? Ah yes, the senators. They riled her so, driving her to the point of insanity. Of course, not that she would let them know, of course. So where was she? Yes of course, the line. Her main point was this: understandable, but not justified.

They would laugh at her, behind her back. Understandable, but not justified.

They would anticipate eagerly, waiting for her to stumble. Understandable, but not justified.

They would sneer at her for just being a child. Understandable, but not justified.

They would, right after she turned her back, call her a half-blooded…

She laid down at the edge of the bed, unwilling to get back up. Her slightly wavy hair fell all around her, shielding her from the light which suddenly seemed so blaring. She just wanted to drown in the softness.

It was obvious what she was. A marionette. Controlled by what others wanted from her. What others expected of her. But in that sense, everyone was a marionette. It's just that she was a marionette of politics, while others were slaves to other things.

One thing for sure though. She would pull on her strings, regardless of how much they pulled back. True, she would have to feel their pain, and would sometimes have to give in. She was no soldier princess who could stand her own in gundam battles, or an immortal icon of a songstress that can bewitch the masses. But she was Arabella A. Shante who will pull in her own way, and finally see the face of the puppeteer.

Kira and Lacus sat across from each other, one with a sorrowful look, and another with a concerned one. Except this time, it was the other way around.

"It must be difficult for Arabella." Lacus managed to say, nibbling on a wafer, absent-minded.

Kira nodded back. Of course, not that he would know of it first-hand, but he could certainly sympathize. But what worried him was the distant look Lacus had in her eyes. Since he was the one always getting comforted, he wasn't sure what he was supposed to do. Maybe he should have gotten some advice from Athrun. But then again, he and Cagalli didn't seem to be doing so well either. If anything, Kira had half a mind to go throttle his "best friend", but seeing that Cagalli's demeanor wasn't caused by Athrun, his actions would be pointless.

Cagalli's pretensions didn't fool him. Athrun probably saw through it too. Personally, Kira always found her aggressive attitude to be a bit unnerving. Not just because they seemed, well, too blunt, but because sometimes they seemed hallow. It was more evident now days. Her cheerful attitude seemed less genuine, as if she was covering up her vulnerabilities with it. Of course, most people didn't realize it. It was just between the three of them.

Kira shifted his eyes back to the pink-haired songstress. Yes, at this time, his main concern was her. True, he wasn't finished dealing with his insecurities. If anything, he was far from it, but he definitely wasn't a sadist. He didn't want to see her hurt. It was ironic that he wanted to protect her and yet push her away at the same time. He really needed to stop being an idiot.

"Being a political figure breaks the person." Lacus continued, in a tranquil voice, tinted slightly with sorrow. "It crushes and grinds their soul…" She added. "Even if the person is just a figurehead."

Kira looked up. So that was what she was getting at. "You're not a figurehead, Lacus."

"Sometimes I have to wonder about that." Lacus sighed. "Sure, I've seen what goes on in politics, my father being who he was. But did I truly understand, and if anything, control what was going on? No, I was just a pretty little pop star, singing away everyone's troubles. But in truth, the problem was still always there."

"But you did end up bringing the people towards peace. Bringing Athrun to his senses, the speech you made…"

"Those were the highlights of my influence." Lacus smiled meekly. "But how long can I sustain that? Not very long."

Kira sighed in response. How can he argue that? "Just do what you can. That's all anyone should ask for. That's all we ask for." He attempted, trying to cheer her up. He congratulated himself for not messing up so far.

"Thank you Kira." She smiled, this time genuinely. "But maybe…maybe after the treaty is signed…I was hoping to just…disappear."

"I was hoping for the same thing myself." Kira replied back.

"We need to find a place of shelter and call it our own."

"Cagalli, calm down…" Athrun sweat-dropped.

The two of them were in the dining hall, Cagalli pigging out, while Athrun tried his best to stop her. Not that he usually cared how much Cagalli ate. In fact, he was glad that she enjoyed food and stayed healthy. He never could understand why girls starved themselves. But Cagalli ate at such an alarming rate at this point, that Athrun couldn't help but try to stop her. He didn't want her to get sick later on.

Half a box of donuts, two bags of candy, and five slices of a medium pizza…and she was on her way to finishing a tube of ice cream. If anything, she looked as if she wasn't going to stop anytime soon. This wasn't about food. Not only did she have a good meal before, but the way she ravaged through the items showed that she had other things in mind. Things that were making her act so out of her usual character. And she wasn't telling him any of it.

Athrun respected Cagalli's right to privacy. But her stubbornness in keeping everything to herself had started to get him frustrated. He didn't want her to face things on her own. If anything, he felt so useless, not being able to help her when she needed.

"Pass me the cookies." Cagalli asked sullenly.

"Cagalli…"

"Since when did you care? You might was well leave too!" Cagalli remarked as she snatched the bag right out of his hands.

Athrun sighed. He had overheard the conversation between Cagalli and Kisaka before. According to Kisaka, he was to set off to help rebuild the desert areas, once Cagalli came back. At least, that was what one of the other representatives was having him do anyways. Cagalli came fuming out of the room, not even realizing that Athrun had been only a few feet away. Unfortunately, Athrun had to pretend as if he didn't hear a thing, in order not to instigate an already furious Cagalli.

He continued to watch her as she gobbled up the cookies. She was still so naïve in a lot of sense. True, she had been involved in battle, and went out into the world to see it as it really was. But that blocked her from realizing another facet of reality. Her life was one of adventure, of battle. It was a picturesque example of an unrestrained youth. She did not understand the subtle implications, the manipulations that occurred in the back, especially in lines with politics.

That's why she was so frustrated. She had a hard time grasping what went on, and why those things went on. It was hard for her to understand and keep control of the situations because she was inexperienced, and that only sought to frustrate her even more. No wonder she wanted people to hold on to. No wonder she grew so angry sometimes…

Yzak Jule walked firmly towards his destination. He had been waiting patiently (and patience was not his virtue) in order to get a chance to talk to Arabella. He knew the state Arabella would be in, after the meeting. A lot more vulnerable than usual. He was going to exploit that.

That sounded cruel and unjust. But that's how politics worked. It left a foul taste in his mouth. He didn't exactly like being a spy, although technically he wasn't resorting to anything illegal. A spy was a spy. It wasn't as if he was commissioned to be one, but his mother pretty much suggested that he might as well make himself useful while staying there. He should have just stayed as a soldier.

Shutting the door to the entrance of Arabella's common room behind him, he proceeded up the staircase towards Arabella's room. He knocked on the door, but received no answer. Then he realized that the door was slightly open, and he couldn't help but slowly walk inside. Arabella slept, curled up at the edge of the bed, oblivious to his intrusion. Apparently she dropped out of exhaustion right away, for she didn't even bother to change into something more comfortable. The only difference between her appearances now compared to before was the lack of ribbons restraining her hair. She seemed so vulnerable.

If someone decided to assassinate her now, there would be no resistance on Arabella's part. This was the first time Yzak was able to take a glimpse at her without any of her masks or walls shielding her. He didn't know how to quite take in the situation.

Suddenly, a cold gust of wind entered the room, causing Arabella to involuntarily shiver. Yzak turned his attention towards the open window. "Idiot, who leaves the window open on a cold night like this?" He went up to it, and closed it, and then changed his mind. "Well, it is a bit stuffy in here…" Yzak left the window slightly ajar, just enough for a bit of fresh air to get through.

His gaze turned back to Arabella, who still seemed to shiver slightly. Sighing, he grabbed the nearby blanket and gently draped it over her. "I'm going to give her a piece of my mind if she coughs and sneezes all over me tomorrow because she got sick." With that he exited, turning the light off. "Sometimes she's more trouble than she's worth." Yzak shook his head. But he couldn't help but glance back.

Blood…dripping…

Smeared all over his hands…

All he could do now was stare. His eyes, completely blank…Only reflecting the crimson red before him.

Silently he walked out. Soon, sounds of screaming filled the place. He would deal with that. But he could not…no, would not look at the bloody corpse before him ever again.

"Princess! Princess!"

Arabella woke up, hearing the faint sound grow louder and louder. She looked around her surroundings. Why was it dark? And the blanket? She did not have time to ponder over these things, however, as a maid burst into her room.

"What is it?" Arabella asked anxiously. Everyone knew better than to disturb her. The news must be of importance…

"Please excuse me for disturbing you princess…but…but…"

"It's alright. Just tell me what's going on." Rule: remain calm at all times in order to better understand the situation. She reminded herself, preparing for the worst to come. Someone break into the restricted section? A declaration of war? Massacre on the streets? A revolt? Many crises flew across her mind as she patiently waited for an answer.

"It's…it's your fiancée, your highness…he's not…he…in the lounge…"

Wordlessly, Arabella headed towards her destination. She had many questions to ask, but they would have to wait.

"Hi Arabella, Miriallia and I were just playing checkers…" Dearka greeted her as he saw her approaching, but stopped short seeing the seriousness in her eyes. She gave them a curt nod before going on her way.

"Should we follow her?" Miriallia asked in a low voice.

"Might as well. Seems important." Dearka replied.

They were soon followed by Kira and Lacus, who had just come out of their respective rooms, and seeing Arabella and the two trailing behind, decided to also follow out of worry. Athrun had finally managed to get Cagalli away from food, and when the two of them spotted the entourage, they silently followed. Soon, they were followed by an irritated Yzak who started to complain about the commotion, and Elise who was just about to ask a question but decided against it, seeing Arabella's disposition.

"Ray…what happened?" Arabella asked, her voice barely above a whisper.

Ray was leaning against the doorframe of the lounge for support, his eyes slightly delirious, and his breathing haggard. "My…my father…" Ray managed to stammer. "He…he's…"

"Ray, sit down and calm yourself first." Elise suggested, seeing that he had to put the biggest effort just to stand.

"Yes…I should…" He agreed. "After taking a few moments to compose himself, he continued. "My father's been murdered." Ray stated, this time more calmly.

"Is…is that the blood…" Arabella remarked, pointing at Ray's hands and sleeves.

"Yes…yes…it is." Ray blinked, as if seeing them there for the first time. "I…I guess I was out of my mind. I should have changed and washed my hands before I came here…I wasn't thinking…I'm sorry…"

"No, it's fine." Arabella reassured him. "I'm sure you had a lot on your mind, and of course, it was all of the sudden…"

"I might have been able to stop it, if I was there a few minutes earlier." Ray explained regretfully. "Right when I opened the door, the assassin plunged the knife into him. I…I was at a loss of words…it was too sudden. I didn't even realize the assassin escaping, and I…well…I guess I was too shocked to even shout…Then of course, stupid me had to try to pull the knife out of him…not realizing that I basically erased the culprit's fingerprints in the process…"

Arabella listened to Ray patiently. Yes, Ray had the right to be shocked. After all, she was shocked as well. One of her prime suspects, killed out of nowhere, just after a senate meeting which brought him up…it made no sense. If he was out of the picture, then who was it? Was this just a free-for-all manslaughter with no specific objectives? They were toying with her again, whoever was causing all of the chaos. And not just with her either. Even Ray's family, whom she never considered being negatively hit in such a way. If anything, she thought that its members were the instigators. Now, everything was brought back to confusion.

"Arabella, I have a favor to ask you." Ray interrupted her thoughts.

"If you're asking me to help find the culprit, I already decided to do so way beforehand." She replied.

"Thank you." Ray answered courteously. "But there was also another favor I wanted to ask you…" He stopped short, hesitant. "Could we…well, that is, Lucia and I, stay here for awhile?"

Everyone stared hard at Ray. Did he just ask what they thought he asked?

"Ray, well…I don't really mind you staying here, but Lucia…" Arabella approached the subject.

Ray looked up, pleading. "I…I know that Lucia hadn't really been the nicest person in the world, but she…"

"I could manage to stand her, but I have other guests over as well." Arabella tried to tell him nicely.

"Yes…I was aware of that…but…" Ray started to beg. "I know Lucia already seemed a bit insane as she already was, but with father dead…Her mother died long before Lucia could even remember her face, and father was the only one she ever had…sure, whether he was ever a loving father is another story, but he did provide her with everything she asked for, at least in the material sense, and because of that, she adored him." Ray stopped to catch his breath. "With him gone, she's just devastated. It's only been about four hours since he's been killed, and she's already caused so much havoc…" He slowly drew up his sleeves, revealing long, ugly scratch marks across his arms.

"Lucia did those?" Elise managed to ask.

Ray nodded her head. "I was trying to keep her from jumping out of the window, and this is what she does to me, her own brother! One of the maids had to be dragged to the hospital because Lucia tore her up so bad due to her grief. I…I just can't have her stay there anymore. She would get only worse. And I don't have the heart to send her to an asylum…" He suddenly addressed Cagalli. "Please, I know my sister is far from agreeable, but for the sake of human kindness, please show her some mercy…"

"She can stay."

Everyone stared at Cagalli in surprise. "Are…are you sure it will be alright?" Arabella asked, not so sure about Cagalli's judgment.

"Yes." Cagalli answered gruffly. "I don't really want to see her again, but I know what's it like to lose a father." A hint of sadness lingered in her eyes. "I guess even undeserved kindness is necessary in this case."

"Thank you!" Ray replied gratefully, both to Cagalli and Arabella. "I'll try my best to make sure that she doesn't cause any trouble."

"By the way, how did you manage to leave her alone in the house?" Arabella asked.

"I had to lock her up in a windowless, completely empty room by herself." He replied, sounding regretful that he had to resort to that. "I guess I should go now and bring her…I hate to leave her alone in her situation right now…"

"No Ray, get her in the morning. Nothing's going to happen to her. Just stay and relax here tonight. You need your rest too. After all, she's not the only one that lost a father." Elise remarked.

"But…"

"Elise is right. You need your rest. Go get her tomorrow." Arabella nodded in agreement.

Defeated, Ray did as he was told.

"Are you sure you don't need help with the bandages?"

"No I'm fine. Thank you though."

After seeing that Ray was all right, Elise walked into her room, locking the door behind her. Right away, she turned her focus back to the documents, and tried concentrate on grouping the letters together. At first she had been surprised that the letters see found formed into words.

"I get the feeling that these describe some of the things that are hidden in the restricted sections…" Elise mused. Although she could never be certain, she had to make that assumption. Why else would there be a code?

But in one sense, she wished that her assumption wasn't true. She couldn't believe that some of the things were actually down there. No wonder there was such tight security…

She started grouping the next set. M…she picked out. Then she skimmed past some of the other letter, in accordance to the code. E…Her eyes continued to scan. N…that was a tricky one…she almost missed it. D…

Her eyes started drooping. No, she had to go on…

Pool resources, help Bella…

You can't give up!

What would Bella say?

You would give up, just like that? I thought the friendship between you two meant more than that…

You finally have a chance to help her back…

She would stay up the night.

Yes, it's done. XD

This chapter was…well…interesting…

And I apologize again and again about the late update…(sweat-drops)

Oh, and yes, I know, Dearka and Miriallia are virtually not existent in this chapter…sorry to those that wanted to see them…but looking at the title, you can sort of tell that they don't quite belong in this chapter…

And Ray's father getting killed, it will all be explained in the later chapters…I promise.

Is it getting confusing? No? Well, I tried…

Oh, and cotton candy for those that can figure out just what Elise was starting to spell out. XD

Next chapter…well, Lucia's coming back. Self-explanatory…XD