Orchidshipping (Cyndia x Otogi)

(When Otogi gets to meet Pegasus, he notices an interesting painting.)

It was the last thing that Otogi had expected to see in this room.

For sure, the mansion was as extravagant as he had expected, all wood paneling and fancy sculptures, with tasseled curtains, shining railings, and marble floors. Pegasus was his hero, but Otogi knew how Americans were. He just hadn't expected to see a painting of such a pretty girl hanging in such a place of honor.

The painting hung right at the center of the wall, at the top of the grand staircase, so that as soon as you walked into the hall you could see her, smiling down at visitors. She was dressed in green velvet, like some fine English woman, her blond hair styled back and long to frame kind blue eyes. Her face was smooth and young; Otogi couldn't imagine that she could have been any older than him.

Despite the grandeur of the building, she was the most stunning thing he had ever seen. Her hands were folded primly in her lap; he could almost imagine how soft her touch would be. An orchid lay between her hands, a deep purple against the green dress. There was a laugh hiding behind the proper smile, the bubble of joy just waiting to escape. Otogi half expected her to move.

"Mr. Otogi, Mr. Crawford will be with you in a moment."

Otogi startled. So focused on the painting of the woman, he hadn't noticed Croquet, Pegasus's butler, appear through one of the side doors.

"Oh, great," he said, stumbling a bit over the English. "Thank you."

Croquet nodded. He turned back into the doorway.

"Um, excuse me," Otogi said, before he could think better of it.

"Yes?" Croquet asked.

"Uh, who is that woman?"

Otogi pointed to the painting. Croquet followed the finger, at least, Otogi thought he did, but it was hard to tell the man's gaze behind the sunglasses.

"Ah, you've noticed her, I see," Croquet said, half to himself. "Interesting, interesting..."

He peered at Otogi for a moment. Otogi shifted uncomfortably, regretting his question. Finally, Croquet answered.

"That is Mr. Crawford's late fiancee, Cyndia Munro."

It took Otogi a few moments to translate in his head. Late? Like she wasn't coming early? Or no, wait, "late" could also mean...oh. Deceased.

"Oh," Otogi said. "Um...I'm sorry."

It was really the only English sentence he trusted himself to say. Croquet shrugged.

"I never knew the woman," he said simply.

Then he retreated back through the door. Otogi let his eyes wander back up to Cyndia's portrait. He had thought he knew everything about Pegasus; he had read all the articles about his hero he could get his hands on. But he had never heard about a fiancee he never got to marry.

She really was pretty. He could see why Pegasus had loved her.

"I wish I could have met you," he said softly.

A/N: Have a dose of tears, please! XD I was going to have Cyndia see Otogi meet Pegasus from the afterlife, but I realized I had done a whole lot of watching from the afterlife stories. Then I remembered the painting, and this happened. Next is Opticshipping (Pegasus x Shizuka).