Ch 9

Heero awoke in an unfamiliar room to unfamiliar sounds and unfamiliar smells. The sounds were soft; sleeping breaths. The smells were pleasant: roses and vanilla. A delicate scent. Feminine. Hers. He felt her warmth against him and realized that, at some point in the night, his arms had wrapped around her. She felt warm, and soft. Holding her felt… right. He leaned in and let the silken strands of her hair tickle his face; breathed her in and tried to commit it to memory.

His sleep had been… peaceful. For the first time in longer than he could remember, no nightmares had plagued him. No cursed memories or flashbacks visited him. Being with her seemed to scare such things away. He could get used to this. To her. But he couldn't stay. If she woke to find him holding her there was no telling how she would react. He reluctantly pulled himself away from her, missing her warmth instantly.

She sighed and he paused to look at her sleeping form. She was smiling. She looked so beautiful when she smiled, and when he saw her in that thin nightgown, her beauty took his breath away. If he had been less of a gentleman, he might have torn it off of her and pressed her to him in a demanding embrace. Gentlemen didn't do that sort of thing. He'd been taught at least that much. Catherine was the one who told him what a real man was. She taught him the meaning of civility and gentility in a savage and violent environment. She was an elder sister to him and to those of who were unfortunate enough to be left homeless and alone by Dekim's cruelty. He only hoped that what he'd learned would be enough. Relena deserved the best.

She began to stir. He put his shirt back on and was buttoning up his vest when she sat up. Her eyes found him there in the dim, early morning light. A blush stained her skin to a deep pink. She offered him a nervous smile and looked down.

"Good morning." He said.

"Good morning." She made a move to pull the blankets up but seemed to think better of it. "Did you sleep well?" The memory of her warmth came back to him. He nodded.

"Did I wake you?" He asked. She shook her head. "I wanted to be up and outside your door before the maids arrived." She raised a brow, but then seemed to understand his meaning. He didn't want any chance of misunderstandings. Nothing happened and he didn't want the castle talking. Not if she wasn't ready for such things.

"Will you stay and eat with me? I can have them bring two trays."

"No." The disappointment in her eyes both pleased and hurt him. She wanted him to stay. "I have a lot to do regarding your protection. I trust Wufei will take care of that for today?" She nodded.

"Yes. There is no one better." She smiled.

"No one?" He asked, half teasing.

"Well, except, perhaps you, of course." She smiled, clearly catching his jest.

"I will remain outside the door until your maids arrive. Please let me know when you leave for the day."

"Of course." He turned to leave.

"Heero?" He stopped, hand over the door knob. He looked at her. "Thank you. For protecting me." He nodded and left the room. It wasn't long before the two maids appeared. They stared at him, startled.

"My king!"

"As you were."

"Yes, my king." They said in unison. They curtsied and entered her room. With a sigh, Heero made his way to his own room for some fresh clothes and a quick bite to eat.

Trowa was already waiting for him when he made it to his study. The taller man's arms were crossed and he leaned against the wall, eyes closed. Of all his advisers, he and Trowa seemed to be cut from the same cloth. When he met the older boy and his sister, Dekim had finished looting a small town where Trowa and Catherine's caravan had stopped for the night. They were a roving band of performers that made their living by entertaining the masses. Out of a cruel sense of humor, Dekim had them perform for him before slaughtering most of their crew. Their parents, who were the leaders of the troupe, were the first to die. Both Trowa and Catherine did their parts in helping to overthrow the former dictator without a moment's hesitation.

"You have news for me?" Trowa nodded and pushed off the wall.

"I was able to find men we can trust to guard the queen. Duo and I trained them ourselves."

"You are certain they can't be bought or swayed by anyone?" Trowa nodded.

"Dekim planned to sell them to slavery. We broke their chains personally."

"Good. See that they begin their detail immediately." Trowa nodded.

"Hey hey, Buddy! I went in to wake you this morning but you weren't in your room." The braided man grinned. "I wonder where you could have been." Heero rolled his eyes and deliberately ignored him.

"Trowa, make sure my wife has at least two guards. Give one to Middie. Sally should be fine with her husband."

"Of course."

"I noticed you're dodging my question." Duo pressed.

"I was guarding Relena." He responded flatly.

"Guarding her? Or-" Heero glared at his friend and Duo shut up immediately. "Okay, okay, guarding." Duo sighed. "You both are impossible, you know that?" Duo leaned against the desk. "Trowa refuses to properly woo Middie and you, your majesty, are neglecting your marital duties!"

"Our love lives are none of your concern." Heero nearly growled. He didn't need the braided idiot to remind him that he and Relena had yet to do anything. The memory of lying next to her and doing nothing more was torture enough.

"Come on, Heero. What's stopping you? You think she's gorgeous, right?" Heero sighed. She was more than gorgeous. He nodded.

"Then go get her! Sweep her off her feet and into your bed!"

"It's not that simple." Trowa answered for him. "Even I can see that."

"What? Why?"

"I won't force her. I can't." Heero answered.

"I didn't say you should." Duo held up his hands.

"Are you really this dense?" Trowa walked over. "He doesn't know how she feels about him. He wants to know and be sure that she wants him."

"Jeeze. Okay. I get it." He suddenly grinned again. "And I've got an idea! I'll send Hilde to talk to her and find out where she stands. If Q gets Dorothy to do the same then you two will be making sweet love in no time!" Duo winked.

"Always so crude, Duo." Quatre said as he entered the room. "I can speak with Dorothy about Relena's feelings but I feel that my wife will be less than tactful."

"Who needs tact?" Duo waved away the statement. "We need these two to get busy to create a baby to finalize the alliance!" Heero felt his gut twist in a knot at the reminder of that clause.

"I will have Cathy be there as well." Trowa added. "But I doubt this will work."

"Couldn't hurt!" Duo added.

"Enough!" Heero nearly yelled. "Relena is my wife, but I will not have her feel rushed or pressured."

"There wouldn't be any pressure if those two idiots, Septum and Tuberov weren't allowed to add that little detail." Duo complained and flopped himself down in one of the chairs.

"I agree." Quatre frowned. "I don't see why they felt such a clause to be necessary. Marriage alone should be enough." Heero looked at the map on the wall. Why had they insisted on that clause? What did it add? Not for the first time, Heero doubted the motives of Dekim's old advisers.

"Trowa, I want your spy ring to monitor the actions of those two. I want a quiet investigation into everything they have been up to."

"It will be my pleasure." Trowa smirked. There was no love lost between the former performer and the two men.

"The rest of you, see to it that Relena's food and drink are checked carefully and that she is never alone."

"Don't worry about that, pally." Duo grinned. Heero nearly groaned. While Duo's heart was in the right place, Heero feared the repercussions of such an undertaking.

"Have a little faith, Bangs!" Duo quipped. "It'll work! What do ya say, Heero?"

'If I am to make this arrangement work, then it can't really be helped.'

"Do what you want." Heero sat down at his desk. "Have breakfast brought to me once you've left." With that, he picked up his paperwork and buried himself in matters of king and country.

Relena couldn't stop her cheeks from heating. The thought of the previous night kept recurring:

She woke to a warm, heavy feeling around her waist. It didn't take her long to realize that, at some point, Heero had draped his arm over her.

She hadn't known what to do. She hadn't wanted to move and chance waking him, but did not know if such a thing was appropriate. Of course, he was her husband. Lying next to one's husband wasn't anything to be ashamed of. So why was she so flustered?

"My lady, are you alright?" Abby asked as she finished braiding her hair.

"Yes, Abby, why do you ask?"

"You're awfully flushed, my lady."

"Did something happen between you and the king?"

"Anna!" Abby chastised her. Relena's face burned even hotter.

"Well, we saw him outside the door-"

"Which means nothing!" Abby said.

"Ladies, please." Relena nervously intervened. "Yesterday, there was an attempt on my life." Both girls gasped. "I did not tell you because I did not wish to alarm you."

"Are you alright?"

"Did they catch the person?"

"Yes, I'm fine. No, they didn't catch the assassin. But the king was concerned for my well being and so he protected me by standing guard all night."

"He guarded you all night?" Anna said.

"How romantic!" Anna sighed dreamily.

"It wasn't like that, really." Relena corrected them.

"But, my lady," Abby said, "The king wouldn't do that for just anyone. He must really care for you!" Relena considered her words. Could it be true? Could he actually care? The memory of his arm around her came back and she closed her eyes. A knock on the door mercifully saved her from further discussing the subject.

"Enter."

"Morning princess!" Duo walked in, grinning. "I brought you your breakfast!"

"A lord is bringing me my breakfast?"

"Yep. His majesty wanted to be sure of the safety of your meal. I watched the cook through the whole process and dished it out myself!"

"Heero ordered you to?" He nodded.

"Not that I minded. You've gotta stay safe if we're gonna make this work." His grin was as friendly as it was reassuring. She smiled back.

"I appreciate that, Duo."

"By the way, I know you have a busy day, but my wife would love to meet with you for lunch if you can."

"Of course!" Relena smiled, thrilled. "Tell her I'll meet her here in the dining nook of my room."

"Oh, and Lady Dorothy and Lady Catherine want to join you too!" Duo grinned. "You'll have an interesting time."

"I'm sure." Relena smiled.

"I'll leave you to your meal! Have a good one!"

Relena watched him leave and barely registered anything else. Her mind continued to return to the thought that Heero may actually care about her beyond that which was required of the agreement. He had hardly made her queen in name only. He let her be in full control of all of the processes promised in her kingdom's half of the agreement! They didn't always see eye to eye on policies, but he listened to her suggestions and actually took a few into consideration. One incident in her first week was particularly telling as to the tone of their relationship.

"My king," Tuberov began. "If we were to seize the lands right next to ours we could add their soil to the resources! Use their land to grow more food!"

"You can't do that!" Relena objected. "If you seize any part of the neighboring land then they will surely declare war!"

"And if they do then we will crush them." Septum countered. "My king, why is she here? She knows nothing of these procedures."

"On the contrary, gentlemen, I do know of these procedures. My brother involved me regularly in matters of state."

"My king, think of it. They are too weak to pose a threat." Heero paused and considered his words. Relena watched Heero carefully, hoping he would do the right thing.

"We do need the resources." Heero agreed. "And I have heard they do not monitor those lands effectively."

"You cannot be serious! You can't actually be considering this?" She objected. He turned to her, eyes meeting hers in an unspoken dare.

"And what if I am?"

"Then you are foolishly disregarding the health and safety of your army! This is the worst time of year for skirmishes! And the terms of your alliance with Sanc clearly state that there is to be no war for a year."

"One skirmish does not equal a war."

"But it could lead to one!" She stood toe to toe with him, glaring up into his eyes. "Is that a chance you're willing to take?" She felt her heart beating loudly in her chest. "Are you willing to throw everything away for a few plots of land?" Heero glared down at her, eyes hard as stone. What seemed like an eternity passed before he blinked and looked away.

"We will not advance on the neighboring land." Heero stated.

"But, Sire-!" Both advisers began.

"I have spoken." Heero reinforced his statement. The two men's eyes widened, narrowed, and then they both bowed.

"As you say, my king." Heero turned his eyes to her. They were softer. The corners of his lips softened. It wasn't a smile, but it was a sign of peaceful agreement.

Following that day, her words were taken more seriously. Septum and Tuberov no longer attended if she was there, although she had no doubt that they continued to give Heero their terrible advice in her absence. She only hoped he considered to use good judgment and refuse any and all terrible suggestions from those men.

The rest of the morning flew by. She consulted with her experts and crunched numbers of when and how much time and money it would take to reach the end of the month's quota. Howard, her engineer, had developed plans for machines to help with the planting and harvesting as well as an effective and efficient way to make their irrigation and sewage systems work in tandem. She nearly forgot about her lunch appointment with the two prominent ladies. If not for a helpful nudge from Anna, who had brought some mid-morning refreshment, then she might have missed it entirely.

She found the three women waiting in her chambers with Sally and Middie, all drinking tea and laughing. In the short few months she had known them, Dorothy and Hilde were as different as two women could be. The fact that they seemed to mesh so well with her own ladies was a welcome surprise. Middie usually did not trust easily and was always a spitfire when countered and Sally was a determined, knowledgeable woman with a strong personality. The fact that these five, very different women were not only together but laughing like old friends made her a bit wary of what exactly she was walking into.

"There she is!" Dorothy smiled. "We were quite afraid that you had forgotten about us."

"My apologies. I nearly did." She approached the table and took her seat. "Sir Howard brought in some new plans I had to approve and it took a bit longer than I had anticipated."

"Well, now you can sit and relax." Hilde said, as Middie poured her some tea.

"But absolutely no talk about the work you've been doing is allowed." Catherine added.

"I agree with them, Relena. You've been working hard. You need to relax and rest a moment." Sally chided.

"Speaking of rest, how did you sleep last night, Miss Relena?" Dorothy smiled at her own question. Relena felt her cheeks heat uncontrollably.

"Well, I… I slept very well, thank you." She stirred two sugar cubes into her tea and took a drink.

"I'm sure." Dorothy sipped her tea. "I know I sleep rather well in the arms of an attractive man." Relena nearly spat out her tea.

"Excuse me?" Relena could hardly believe word of Heero's visit had reached so far.

"There's nothing to be ashamed of, Miss Relena. He is your husband. It is only to be expected." Catherine added nonchalantly.

"It wasn't like that at all!"

"So he was in your room!" Hilde let out a small unladylike groan. "Blast it all!"

"I believe you owe me, Hilde." Dorothy laughed.

"Ladies, please," Relena began. "I know what you are implying, and I can assure you that nothing happened."

"Nothing?" Sally asked. Relena nodded.

"You know I would have told you and Middie if it had!"

"That is true." Middie nodded and put her cup down.

"So, then, you're telling us that the king stayed the night with you and nothing happened?" Hilde declared.

"Whatever is the matter? Do you not want to?" Dorothy prodded. If her cheeks were red before they were burning now.

"Well, I-" she stopped. "I don't see how that's any-"

"Don't you think he's handsome?" Hilde asked.

"Well, yes, of course, but I-"

"And you want the alliance to succeed, right?" Sally added.

"Of course I do!"

"Then why in heaven's name is it taking so long for you to do the necessary act?" Dorothy asked. "He did come to your room." Relena felt a headache coming on. Her annoyance was growing by the second.

"Yes, he did." She took a deep breath to calm herself. "Heero walked to my room with me and stayed because someone tried to kill me yesterday. They didn't have security worked out yet, so Heero stayed to keep me safe."

"That's Heero, alright. Noble and practical to a fault." Hilde nearly groaned.

"Let me ask you this, Miss Relena." Catherine began. "If he did come to you with the intention to enact the marital duties, would you be willing?"

"You ladies simply will not leave this alone will you?"

"Of course not." Dorothy stated. "You have a problem, namely, the need to conceive a child within the first two years of your marriage. We are merely trying to help you."

"By pressuring me to sleep with Heero?"

"Of course! You do know how babies are made, don't you?"

"Of course I do!"

"Well then, if you want to meet the terms, then you must fulfill the requirement." Sally said.

"But how can I? I mean…" she paused and finally embraced her true fear. "What if he doesn't want to? What if he doesn't want me?"

"Don't be ridiculous! Of course he wants you!" Dorothy laughed.

"If I know Heero, he's afraid that you will reject him." Catherine's words surprised her. Relena considered all that they said. Could it be possible? Would he want to be with her? They still hardly knew each other… then again, it had been four months…

"But how would I-?" She paused, her nerves choking her up. "I don't know the first thing about all of that. I can't very well just ask him, can I?"

"Why not?" Dorothy asked. "He's your husband. Asking him to make love to you is perfectly natural." Feeling embarrassed and utterly defeated, Relena sighed.

"But I don't know how."

"Leave that to us." Dorothy stood. "Ladies, we have only one afternoon to prepare our princess for her romantic rendezvous."

"Right!" They all chorused. Relena couldn't help but feel a bit silly as the ladies began to fuss over her and offer advice for the evening to come…