[A.N.] Hello again! I am so sorry it has taken so long to get this next chapter out! I have had a lot going on. Life has been super crazy and full of drama but after months of thinking, I conquered the stress-induced writer's block. This chapter may be a bit rough. I tried to catch as many mistakes as I could -_-' but alas, it will be far from perfect. However, I hope you enjoy this and as always, please review and let me know what you think! Thanks!
~Serene
Zechs felt his wrists chafe at the less than gentle pressure applied by his supposed captors. The dragged him inside the castle walls and into the main hall. He had spent many years in this stone fortress running around the corridors and hiding behind the tapestries. He and Relena had made the great hall but one of many playgrounds much to the courtiers' dismay. Laughter and light once filled these now shadowed empty spaces. The stench of rot and the overwhelming weight of despair hid all traces of the once grand hall it used to be. He clenched his fists. He would make the witch pay for what she had done.
"Well, well…" As if summoned by his vengeful thought, the woman appeared. Her cold grace and iced beauty would stun anyone who saw her. Her brown eyes, two auburn lumps of cruelty locked onto him. "If it isn't my long-lost husband," she purred maliciously. "Leave us." She ordered. The guards left them without a word and Zechs wondered if, for a moment, they might truly be willing to sacrifice him; he wouldn't blame them. She slowly made her way to him, circling him; a vulture appraising its next meal.
"I cannot tell you how worried I've been." Her crimson lips curved into a cold smile. "Because I haven't been."
Zechs studied her. For their plan to work he had to keep her busy long enough for Heero and his men to get to Relena and for their army to take their proper positions. He let her gloat and revel in what she believed to be her small victory.
"Just when I think I have everything I need, another unexpected treat gets tossed back into my hands. Fortune truly smiles on me."
"What do you want, Une? You have my kingdom, what more can you take from me?" He had to play helpless and defeated, but he couldn't oversell it. If he did too much he risked her catching on to their strategy.
"You are quite right, darling. I have your kingdom. I have your crown and now I have your sister. By sundown tonight I will have immortality as well, so what else, indeed, could I want from you… except your loyalty."
"Loyalty?"
"I am still in need of a huntsman. Your disappearance was a minor inconvenience but it was one nonetheless and I am not fond of inconveniences. I underestimated the power your sister possesses, but it is a mistake I shall never have to make again."
"What do you mean?" He had to keep her talking, for Relena's sake as well as the kingdom's. He just hoped it would be enough. 'I'm counting on you, Yuy.'
Heero made his way down the halls, Trowa and Wufei right on his heels. The castle was a complicated maze, but with the more accurate layout that Zechs had drawn for them Heero was finding little difficulty in finding his way through it. However, despite the deposed king's best guess, there was still no way of knowing what room the queen would be keeping Relena in though best guess said it would be as close to the queens as possible. Une was an intelligent woman for all of her faults and she would not be foolish enough to store her victim too far for her to guard herself.
Heero wasn't surprised at the lack of security; a sorceress probably doubted anyone would be able to get past her outer defenses, let alone survive her magical ones. He steeled his resolve. He didn't know what Une wanted with Relena and he didn't care. His goal was to find the princess and get her out of the self-proclaimed queen's hands safely.
"Heero," Trowa broke his thought process, "we can't keep running blindly. We need to think logically about this." Heero looked at his green-eyed companion. Wufei stood next to them, his hand on his sword.
"He's right."
"I memorized the map." Heero stated.
"A map drawn by a man who has been bewitched by a sorceress for over a year."
"How do we know which room is the queen's, let alone where she's keeping Relena?"
"I…" Heero paused. He'd been winding through the corridors on a feeling that he was going the right way. He couldn't explain how or why he knew. "I just know." They all paused for a moment. Wufei looked at Trowa who shrugged.
"Alright then, Heero. Lead on."
Heero didn't need to be told twice. He was off again, following that feeling inside that told him where to go. He rounded the corners, taking care to keep watch for any soldiers that might try to stop them. The farther he went the closer he felt he was. Finally, he stopped. There before them was a large door of intricately carved wood and iron; the royal crest once boldly emblazoned on the decorative front discolored from ill care. Heero felt Trowa and Wufei almost smash into him from his sudden halt. Wufei made to protest but Heero held up a hand to silence him and gestured to the door. The two men with him only nodded. Pressing forward, Heero made his way to the door.
Something, however, didn't seem right. It was too easy. Une, for all her faults was an intelligent, cautious woman. Walking up to her door without trouble seemed too good to be true. In Heero's experience, when things seemed too good to be true, they normally were. Halfway to the door, the hall began to shake. A low rumble grew to a roar as four stone golems formed from the sides stones of the hall, each one as large and ominous as the next. Cold hollow eye sockets targeted the three men.
No words were said as each man began a battle with their own obelisk, taking turns fighting off the fourth. Une had set a trap and perhaps many more beyond this one. Heero growled under his breath. Cheap tricks and black magic were not going to stop him. He promised to protect Relena and he fully intended to keep his word no matter what the danger. The first golem swung his large huge fist narrowly missing Heero's head. Their opponents were large and formidable in strength, but their size caused a sluggishness that the three men could use to their advantage. The golems seemed to have no real thought process except to destroy the intruders and it was obvious that, if the blows could be avoided, a well-thought plan could be used to defeat their mountainous foes.
Despite their best efforts the golems seemed to have the upper hand. Trowa and Heero stood back to back, Wufei darted about to catch attention as a needed diversion. The best way to feat the giants would be to use their own strength against them. Heero motioned to Wufei with a similar gesture used in previous skirmishes. Wufei ducked and slid under one of the golems as the other made its best effort to smash him resulting in the destruction of that particular opponent's legs. The small victory would afford them little time, however. As if learning from their mistakes, the three remaining golems formed together into a three headed stone obelisk blocking the way. Heero cursed. He was running out of time. It was possible this trap had already alerted Une of their intrusion.
"Heero, go through the door." Trowa ordered.
"I can't. You're still outnumbered."
"Do you think we're so weak, Yuy?" Wufei interjected. "We can handle this unjust trickery. You must save the princess."
"Wufei-"
"Go." This time it was a command from both of his friends. Taking one last look at the force they faced, Heero nodded and ran beyond them to the door. He reached his hand out and grabbed the iron handle only to find it locked. He rolled his eyes. Backing up, he kicked the door with all his strength, once, twice, and then a third.
"OPEN!" He yelled, and was surprised to see that it obliged. It slowly opened and he wasted no time throwing himself through it.
The room was large and lavishly furnished. It was clear Une had spared no expense to ensure that her room would be fit for the queen she thought she was. Heero did not let the frivolous décor distract him. Where there had been one trap, there could be more and he wasn't going to give Une the upper hand by walking blindly into it. He made his way into the heart of the room where the large four-post bed stood surrounded by dressing tables and elaborate wardrobes. What he couldn't see, however, was Relena. He has been so sure; something had led him to this room.
Something caught his attention out of the corner of his eye. A grey, shimmering mist swirled around the walls of the room, thickening and growing. Heero put his hand on his sword hilt and readied his stance. He didn't know what sorcery awaited him now, but he'd be damned if he'd let it best him. As the mist swirled around him his senses went on high alert. He couldn't see anything around him; the room itself had seemingly turned into a noiseless vacuum. He closed his eyes and focused. His clan was famous for their techniques in all sorts of battle fields; this was no different than anything he'd been trained for.
Une smirked at her captive. She loved seeing him like this; helpless and powerless to stop her. She walked up to him slowly and reached out her hand running it gently down the side of his face.
"You really are adorable. Your absolute concern for your baby sister is beyond touching, but it will do little to save her now. When the moon is in its proper position, I shall recite and incantation that will slowly drain the life and innocence from the princess ensuring my life force shall never again be enslaved to time. I will be the immortal queen this world has always needed!"
"You truly are twisted."
"Why thank you, my darling husband." She laughed and tuned from him. Suddenly, her laughter stopped. She paused and her attention turned to the grand staircase. Her eyes narrowed. "Impossible." She hissed. "As much as I have loved this little reunion, it looks like I have an infestation I need to take care of." She turned towards the stairs and began to walk away. "Lock this imposter away somewhere where he won't be able to interfere with my plans." As she made her way up the stairs, she missed the smiles on the faces of the men behind her.
"Heero Yuy…" Heero heightened his hearing. The smooth tenor voice seemed to be coming from everywhere and yet nowhere. "Peace, young prince. I mean you no harm."
"Who are you?" Heero growled low in his throat.
"I am a friend, or at least, I want to be."
"This is one of Une's tricks."
"Quite the contrary." The voice sounded slightly amused. "She would be more than a little put out if she knew I was speaking with you."
"Show yourself."
"Of course." The fog surrounding him began to fade. A man a blue jacket and white trousers stepped forward, chestnut hair perfectly combed to one side.
"I'll ask you again: who are you?"
"My name is Treize Khushrenada, and I am perhaps your greatest ally within these walls." Heero glared at the man before him. "I understand your distrust, but I assure you, I have only the desire to help you. The young princess is the key to freeing the woman I love from the force that controls her and you are the only one who can help her achieve this."
"How?"
"Tell me something, Heero." The man said. "Why are you so determined to save the princess?" Heero paused. How could this man ask that? It was his duty to protect his crew. Relena had become part of his troupe and he intended to protect all of them.
"What is your real reason? Your feelings of comradery are admirable, but they will not be enough. Why are you here? Why are you risking your life and the lives of your friends to save this one woman? She is, after all, merely a spoiled princess. Surely there are other women more worthy."
"You're wrong!" Heero felt his temper explode. "Relena is worth more than anything or anyone in this whole world."
"But why? Why is she so special? Is she not just another woman? Is she not just one more life that time will eventually snuff out? What makes her worth risking your life for?" Heero felt his mind swelling with anger. How dare this man speak about her that way? He knew nothing about Relena or how he felt about her. He paused. He needed her. He already came to the realization that he loved her, but now he knew it was more than that. She was his salvation; his life. Every breath he took, he took for her.
"I need her." He heard himself blurt out. "The world could burn and fade away, but as long as she lives, there's hope."
"Then tell her. Show her how you feel, Heero, or it will be too late to save both of the women we love." With those last words, the fog lifted, leaving him in the darkened. The only light came from the far side of the chamber. A cold slab of ornate obsidian stone sat ominously. What made his heart skip, however, lay atop the seeming alter. He breathed her name out like a quiet, desperate payer.
"Relena…"