Ch 7

Relena could barely breathe. His lips had been so close. He'd leaned down as if to kiss her and her mind immediately recalled how it had felt on their wedding day. Part of her wanted to ask him to stay; to brazenly cross the last few inches and meet his lips with hers… but she couldn't. Not yet. Neither of them was ready. She could still feel the heat of his breath on her face. The look in his deep blue eyes asked her for… something. Permission, perhaps? Or understanding? Either way, she was happy. Happy that he finally spoke to her; that they finally seemed to have an understanding.

"For my sake, and for the sake of my people, I hope so…"

She stood and made her way to the vanity and took her hair down to brush it. She couldn't help but look at her reflection and wonder what Heero saw when he looked at her. Relena was never vain, but she had been told by many hopeful young suitors of her 'radiant beauty'. That and several other word choices spoken over the years seemed polite exaggerations. However, now that she was married, she couldn't help but hope; to wonder...

"Does he find me as attractive as I find him?"

And she did. He was very handsome, and she would have to be blind not to see he was a very well-built man. She blushed and stood back up to slip out of her dress and into a nice, silk nightgown. It was an unfamiliar texture. Heero's kingdom now consisted of many conquered lands, some of which were famous for textiles. It felt cool, and smooth against her skin. She smiled. This really was going to be a time of change with new experiences. As she tucked herself under the covers, her heart felt much lighter than before. Where despair had once been, now there was hope. Hope for a successful alliance. Hope for a more prosperous kingdom. Hope for a chance of some form of relationship with the man she now knew as her husband.

The night went by faster than she liked, but she felt more rested and at peace than she had since they left her home. Anna and Abby came up with her breakfast and to help her dress. Their smiling faces and kind chatter had helped make her morning better. They assured her the light lavender complimented her skin color well. As for breakfast, the two poached eggs, toast and juice were all perfect. The fresh fruit was new to her, most likely another import from one of the other lands. It was long, and wrapped in a yellow peel. She smiled.

"Thank you for all of your help." Anna and Abby smiled and curtsied.

"It's our pleasure."

"Do you know where I can find the king?"

"I believe he is in his study, your highness." Abby answered. "Shall we go with you?"

"No, that will not be necessary. Thank you both." The two curtsied again and Relena made her way out of the room, down the stairs and through the hall until she reached the same room as the night before.

"This is ludicrous, your majesty!" A voice from inside declared. "You cannot simply give her that much power!"

"I agree." Another added. She did recognize them but not from anyone who traveled with their party. They were the advisers from the throne room. "It is foolhardy to entrust this outsider with so much control."

"I believe you have called me both ludicrous and foolish." Heero's eyes narrowed. "You forget yourselves." Both men's eyes widened before they collected themselves and bowed their heads.

"No disrespect was meant, my king. It is only that we fear the repercussions of handing over control to a foreigner."

"The terms of the treaty were clear. She and her people are to help us get stronger on the home front."

"That is understandable. However-"

"That's enough." He growled. "I have spoken."

"Of course." Relena took that moment to enter. All three men turned to look at her.

"Forgive me, my lords, I did not mean to interrupt."

"Not at all, my queen." There was something about the way this man said the word 'queen' that put her on edge.

"Relena." Heero's eyes met hers and she remembered again how he nearly kissed her. She smiled at him. "Did you sleep well?"

"Yes, I did, thank you." The corners of his lips turned up slightly in a smile so small anyone else would have missed it.

"Septum, Tuberov, you may leave now."

"Are you certain, sire? We still need to discuss-"

"It can wait." The two men stiffened, faces taught.

"As you say, your majesty." The two bowed and left the room but Relena could have sworn she saw them both glare at her briefly. Once they left the room, Heero seemed to relax. His posture shifted and his shoulders seemed less tense. He turned to her and motioned to a chair.

"Sit?" She nodded and sat in the chair across from his. "I suppose you heard most of what they said?" She looked at him.

"Yes. They seem to really dislike me." He frowned.

"They were not in favor of our arrangement. They wanted our army to crush the Sanc Kingdom."

"But why? Sanc is a peaceful kingdom. Of all of the lands out there we would have posed the smaller threat." Heero shook his head.

"It could have been that they desired to send a message to other kingdoms. But regardless, we found another way."

"I see…" she folded her hands in her lap. "That would explain those looks…"

"What looks?" He had heard her.

"It's nothing, really. I just… on the way out… the way they looked at me…"

"Relena." He walked around the desk. "No harm will come to you." She looked up at him, eyes wide. She shook her head.

"I wasn't worried about that." She locked eyes with him. "But I think I will be wary around them for now."

"No need." He took a step closer. "I told you. No harm will come to you."

"Heero…"

"Starting today, you have full control over the agricultural development of this kingdom."

"But my team won't be here for another few days"

"True. But you are queen now, and so the terms of the arrangement are already in effect." Relena let the full meaning of his words sink in.

"Then I would like to make one more request?"

"Hn?"

"I wish to be in charge of the infrastructure as well. I think I may have some ideas of how to improve the lives of those in the city." He paused for a moment as if considering her words before nodding.

"Thank you." He nodded again and she smiled at him.

"I don't know anything about those matters." He suddenly confessed. "I'm a warrior. A soldier. I was made king when my mentor and I overthrew the last king, Dekim Barton." She knew that name. There were not many kingdoms that did not. He was an evil dictator known for torturing his enemies and mistreating his women. He traded almost anything from slaves to the prospect of causing pain. For him to have been overthrown would have taken a strategy… and yet Heero and his mentor had done so?

"Your mentor?" He nodded.

"Odin Lowe. He died in the coup. The soldiers were loyal to me and so I became king."

"And do you wish to remain so?" He turned from her and looked at the map on the wall.

"It was Odin's dream to unify the kingdoms into one giant empire. To end war by creating one common king."

"But what about you?" She stood and walked to him, placing a hand on his shoulder. "What do you want?" He turned to look at her, eyes swirling. She realized how close they were…

"I don't know." He said. There was a lost look in his eyes; distant and perhaps confused? She smiled at him.

"I would like to help you find out… if you'll let me."

"Relena…"

"I know this was a marriage of convenience, but I really would like to be your friend." His eyes widened, and his gaze softened as his eyes met hers.

"Friend?" He asked, brow raised. She nodded.

"And perhaps, in time, we may even grow fond of one another." He stepped closer, linked his hand with hers.

"Perhaps." He agreed. He was so close now. He leaned down and in and she tilted her chin up to hold his gaze…

The clock on the wall chimed the new hour and he stopped, straightened his posture and took a step back and he cleared his throat.

"I have already made it known that you are to be obeyed as though you were me. If you have any trouble, let me, or one of my advisers know." She released a breath she hadn't realized she'd held as disappointment settled in her chest.

"I see." She cleared her throat and took a step back as well. "Will I see you before the banquet tonight?"

"I doubt it." He answered. He took her hand in his and leaned down, brushing his lips across her knuckles. She felt a thrill shoot through her as before and nearly shivered.

"Until tonight then, Heero." He nodded and she turned a darker left the room, feeling both encouraged and disheartened at the same time.

The banquet wasn't as extravagant as one would normally expect. Then again, the last minute announcement mixed with the lack of resources did little to improve the situation. She didn't really mind. The grand presentations of pomp and circumstance used to frivolously amuse the attending parties never appealed to her.

Abby and Anna made sure that her appearance was, in their words, 'every bit that of the queen she was'. Her hair was piled high on her head in a braided halo twist. Her tiara and matching necklace were heirlooms sent with her by her brother. Her dress was a deep crimson, made of a soft, new fabric called silk.

Heero waited for her outside the banquet hall doors. His uniform was dark blue, pressed and clean. There were medals on his chest and a red sash. It fit him well, accentuating his lean form. His hair was still as wild as ever. He looked quite handsome and as he offered her his arm, she smiled and hooked her hand in, tucking it in the crook. Again, the contact sent a thrilling shiver through her body and she was drawn closer to his side than what would be usually customary. It was more than clear that he did not care.

"Ready?" He asked, eyes meeting hers. She nodded and he motioned for the doors to be opened. A deep booming voice announced them as king and queen as they walked arm in arm to the table...

The night went extraordinarily well. Those who were able to attend the last minute affair all complimented her appearance and praised Heero on his choice of taking her as his queen. Small talk ranged from her journey to the kingdom, to her thoughts on the current state of the kingdom. She even had the pleasure of making the acquaintance of Lady Hilde, the wife of Lord Duo. She was a petite woman with an attitude and spirit big enough for a woman twice her size.

"I wondered what kind of woman would have the nerve to make demands of our stubborn king." Hilde said with a grin. "I'm so glad you seem to be more like a real person."

"A real person?" Relena inquired. The other woman smiled.

"Yeah. Most royals are so stuck up and don't know how to relax. You, on the other hand, are just like us."

"Thank you?" Relena giggled. Apparently Hilde was one of the villagers displaced by the wrath of the previous king.

"Duo found me and win me over with his kindness and sincerity." She smiled warmly. "I've been with the goofball ever since." Relena returned the smile in earnest.

It was clear to her that she and the dark-haired woman were going to be great friends! Most of the other lords and ladies in attendance at the dinner seemed unsure what to make of her although none of them were rude or unwelcoming in the least. In fact, many had wanted her opinion on things and listened respectfully to her answers.

"Tell me, my queen, just how do you plan to improve the economic predicament?" One of the lords asked. Relena smiled.

"By tackling the root of the matter." She answered. "In increasing the ability of the kingdom to produce food, we will be able to strengthen our people which will, in turn, increase productivity."

"But should we not allocate the resources to the military?" Relena shook her head.

"An army marches on its stomach, but the same can be said of the people. If those who make the weapons and armor as well as those who grow the food themselves are starving, then one cannot expect a high enough prosperity level to produce the necessary resources for the military." This explanation seemed to satisfy all in the room, including Heero.

And so it was that Heero joined her throughout the course of the week in inspecting the holdings, the farms, the fields and the city. It helped that, when her experts arrived, they were more than willing to dive right in. Heero, for his part, seemed to listen to their council on the occasion that he was able to be present. On one particular moment alone he found her in the library.

He cleared his throat alerting her to his presence and she glanced up from her book. She offered him a friendly smile.

"Good book?" He asked. She nodded.

"There are so many here that I've never read before."

"You are welcome to them." He walked closer. "They are yours now." She considered his words. They were, in fact, hers. As the new queen anything in the castle technically belonged to the rulers and thus to her. The thought was still a daunting one.

"I hope to be able to read them all."

"You will." He said and walked up to one of the shelves. He picked up a random book. "Though some may prove more interesting than others."

"Do you read much?"

"No." He said casually. "My mother tried to get me to… read more." He tapered off, clearly not comfortable opening up yet.

"Did she teach you how to read?" He nodded.

"Father wanted me to be a warrior. Mother a scholar. I trained and studied as both."

"Where are they now?" His eyes darkened, lips tightening. She had asked too much.

"I'm sorry. I didn't mean to pry. I just-" she stood and walked to him. "I just want to know more about you…" she took his hand in hers. He didn't pull away.

"It's alright." He looked at her. "My parents were killed when Dekim attacked my village. I was one of five boys chosen by him to be trained into his personal guard. I'm the only one that succeeded." She knew what that meant. She squeezed his hand.

"Heero…" he squeezed hers back, eyes meeting hers for a moment before he looked away, released her hand, and stepped back. She wanted to reach for him; to pull him back...

"I have to get back to the study." He turned to leave. "Goodnight, Relena."

"Goodnight."

"At least he opened up to me." She smiled. Progress was progress.

Within the week, Relena decided on where to set up the food storage. She posted openings for the supervisor positions for overseeing the execution of the processes. Magistrates and minor lords put their names in as possible recipients of those positions. In the end, she made it top priority to choose only those who fit the listed requirements. She asked around, did her research to find out more about the applicants. It wouldn't do to trust someone who may allocate the food and funds to their own pockets and estates. By the third month, efforts were already underway to improve the living conditions of the city. A sewage system was to be irrigated out from the river downstream to prevent contaminating the rest. A reservoir would be set up with a filtration system while the waste would be used to fertilize the fields.

In spite of all of the progress, Relena frowned. So much was getting done so quickly, but the spirits of the people remained downtrodden. It didn't take her long to realize that the neglect of the city and citizens of the kingdom was less the result of a lack of caring and more a result of incidental neglect. As a result, winning the trust and the hearts of the people would be a constant work in progress. Wherever she could, whenever she was able, she tried to personally assist the people with the progressive efforts and the toils of their everyday lives.

"My lady, are you certain we should be out here assisting with this? I do not think the king would like you being so openly exposed to a possible attack." Wufei stated as he lifted a bag of seed into a cart.

"The king will understand. He gave me full control over these efforts. It would be wrong of me not to try and help these people as a sign of good faith."

"Not that I wish to complain," Middie added. "But I really do not think it would be appropriate to remain much longer."

"I agree." Sally said, wiping sweat from her brow. "It's nearly sunset. Aren't you supposed to meet the king for supper?"

"That's right." Relena nodded and dusted herself off. "Let us go then. I have a lot of cleaning up to do before I'm ready to see him." As she turned to go to her horse, however, Wufei called out her name and shoved her aside. A loud 'thunk' sounded as an arrow found its way into the wood of the cart right where she had been standing. Relena's eyes widened, heart thudding in her chest as the realization of what nearly happened dawned on her.

"Sally! Get Relena to the castle! I will search for the assassin!" Wufei yelled before dashing off in the direction from where the arrow came.

"Right." Sally and Middie grabbed her arms and ran with her for the stables where the horses waited. She knew the idea of her presence there was not going to be popular with everyone. In fact, she more than likely knew who was behind the attack but as she mounted the horse and made her way back to the castle, it hardly mattered. She needed to get to safety. As long as she was in danger, so were her friends and she could not allow that.