WE BELONG TOGETHER

Sorry for not updating in such a long time. I've been so busy lately that there's been little room for writing. Here's another so enjoy!

Chapter 15: Shadows on the Move

Dearka looked left and right, waiting for a special someone to meet him. Last night he had asked for Miriallia's permission of dating her and she has sent for him to meet her here. I wonder what she is going to say. Dear God, please make it yes…

He paced back and forth until he heard light footsteps behind him. The Marquis turned around and came face to face with the girl of his dreams.

"Good day, my lord." Miriallia began. "I have come to delivery the answer as promised."

Dearka held his breath.

"The answer is…it's…." She started to stumble. Mir spoke in a low voice until she couldn't take it anymore and blurted her answer out. "Three months!"

"…What?" Dearka replied.

Mir blushed. "Sorry, what I meant was we can try for three months to find out if we are well suited for each other. That is, if my lord is fine with this arrangement."

Dearka rubbed his chin and thought about the proposal. "So I take it there is still some hesitation on your part."

"To be honest, yes. I apologize for it." She lowered her head.

Dearka softened his features and lifted her face to face him.

"Don't be. I'm just glad you did not turn me down which means I still have a chance. If this is how you feel then I shall oblige."

"Really?"

"Three months it is."

Miriallia could not believe in the turn of events. After countless thoughts, Mir has finally settled with the three months proposal as her way of finding out who exactly was the right man she should be with. I'm sorry Tolle but I need time to know if my place is in Orb with you or am I destined to be with the man in front of me? Please give me some time to sort through my feelings…

"Dear Miriallia, since we have both made consented, don't you think we have to seal the agreement to be more persuasive?"

"Huh?"

He smiled seductively, "I believe this will do fine." Unable to resist, he sealed the agreement with a deep kiss.

After realizing her true feelings for Athrun, Cagalli felt as if the whole world has changed for her. She had a good night sleep last night and now looked forward to seeing her gorgeous fiancé again. Miriallia had told her about Meyrin's departure just before the lady-in-waiting rushed out in the early morning. The princess felt a bit sorry for Meyrin because she knew how close the girl was to Athrun. But unfortunately, her fate has already been decreed so there was nothing Cagalli could do to change it.

Looking at the time, Athrun should be in the morning meeting with Yzak and Dearka by now. Without a second thought, Cagalli headed toward the King's drawing room to join the gentlemen for state affairs.

Moments later, she stood outside the door, picturing the reaction of her prince when he sees her. She signaled for the attendants to announce her and to let her in.

When the door finally opened, she was greeted by a room of silence. Cagalli looked at a room full of angry men and was instantly alarmed by whatever was just announced to them.

"What is it? Why are all of you so angry?" Cagalli asked fiercely, looking from one man to the next.

"Your Highness," Dearka reported, "The bandit attack that was so prominent in the north has become worse. Villages on the outskirts, and even towns have been ransacked and pillaged. Many innocent lives were taken. Women and children included. It became so serious that the other provinces with roads leading to the north have been blocked off. No caravan and traders are currently allowed to transport their goods or even allowed to pass the area. Commercial transaction and communication has been completely shutdown."

Cagalli drew a sharp breathe. She had been working with council to try to eliminate the problem in the north. She thought the bandits have been kept under control. How could this have happened?

"What has the lords of the north done so far?"

"They have arranged for their troops to round up the civilians first and see to their well beings. Other garrisons have been placed to keep the area under surveillance."

"Why have we not sent in troops?" Cagalli demanded, furious at what has transpired.

"We can't maneuver that much manpower." Yzak said, slamming his fists on the table. "It takes way to long and who ever is behind the attack must have other motives in mind."

"What do you mean?"

"The attacks can't be from simple bandits. It was too well planned out and coordinated to be normal. Plus the sudden outburst of the number of attackers, one can hardly not deduce to the conclusion of a talented strategist behind these unruly bandits."

"These criminals must not go unpunished! Athrun, what are you planning to do?" The King stated.

Cagalli had not really looked at Athrun since she came into the room. Now she turned her attention on him and froze by what she saw.

Gone was the sweet and sarcastic smile he always carried. Now he masked a face of ruthlessness and cold fury.

"Father, I shall go deal with this. Yzak, Mwu, arrange to take several troops and head off as soon as we can. Dearka, you stay here and keep the palace safe when we are gone."

"Yes Your Highness." Mwu and Yzak saluted.

"Athrun…" The Queen got up and said. "Please be careful, my son."

"I will mother."

The princess respected Athrun's decision but could not help but feel worried about it. She tried to catch his attention but he was already moving out the door, barking orders at the soldiers.

She looked after him, concerned about what might happen to him and also angry for not thinking about how she might feel.

Without a second though, she raced after him.

Mwu and Yzak were in the middle of preparing the soldiers for the upcoming battle when Mwu saw a brunette passing by. He asked Yzak to carry on without him and went after the dark haired beauty.

"Lady Ramius, what a coincidence. Surely it must mean fate." Mwu bowed and winked at her.

"Sir LaFllaga, how can you still joke at a time like this?" Murrue said incredibly.

"What can I say? Humor is in my blood." He shrugged.

Murrue frowned and started walking away before Mwu gently stopped her.

"Will my lady give me her blessing before I am off?"

She thought he was making fun of her again but this time, she was surprised by his tone of seriousness. This change of nature both impressed her as well as confused her. She slowly answered a yes to his asking.

"I'm a fortunate man. With you blessing, I shall be victorious." He bowed again and walked away, leaving Murrue wondering if he was sincere or just mocking at her.

"Athrun!" Cagalli finally caught up with him just as he was about to leave.

Athrun turned to look at her. "What is it?"

"I…" She had so much to say to him before but now words just seemed to lose their way.

"Promise me you will come back in peace." Cagalli started. "You're not getting rid of me yet, Zala."

He smiled and pulled her into his arms. Cagalli struggled a little, still aware of all the soldiers' attention.

"What's the matter? You're not still shy are you?" He teased.

"Of course…of course not!" Cagalli yelled into his chest. She playfully punched his shoulder for making fun of her but was grateful for him trying to lighten the mood. Cagalli lifted her head and touched his face.

He took her hand and kissed it. Without another word, he got up on his stallion and rode out of the palace without turning back.

Cagalli looked on silently, touching the warmth Athrun left on her hand.

Athrun and his party rode hard for two days to reach their destination. Just before entering the northern borders, they decided to set up camp and strategize their next move.

"The enemies are utilizing the element of surprise quite well. The woods work in their favor as we're not as well familiarized with the geography as they are. Let's all tread carefully." Athrun warned.

"Yes, my lord. But what can we do to take the initiative?" A captain asked.

Yzak thought about it for a while. "We can smoke them out from the west. If we succeed, the bandits will be forced to go on the opening in the eastern plains just beyond the woods. We can make our moves there."

"A well conceived plan. We shall follow Commander Jule's plan. Captain, take some of your men and get the smoke going. The commander and I will be waiting for these criminals on the eastern plains. We will crush them on three sides. The bandits will be disoriented when they exit the woods. That's when we move in from three sides. Mwu, you take the left and Yzak you take the right. I will meet them head on." The prince said, signaling to Yzak and Mwu to prepare for battle.

"Yes Sir!"

At early dawn, great amounts of fume were waved off, creating a suffocating mask around the woods. Athrun and his men waited patiently for their opponents to scatter out of the forests.

Fortunately, the winds were in their favor. It didn't long before they heard shouts coming in their direction. Men rushed out of the woods in matching numbers, coughing and cursing the smoke. Athrun didn't give them room to breathe. He signaled his men to take their opponents out as soon as possible, taking advantage of their confusion.

Swing swords and bashing shields clashed and the sound of battle raged on and on. It was over in no time. Athrun's carefully planned out moves gave him the edge over his enemies. But the prince was not satisfied. He wanted to know who was behind the attack.

Throughout the battle, he spotted a shade of a masked man in white riding away from the scene. This masked man gave Athrun a taunting smile and tried to get away. Unable to get near the figure, Athrun yelled to Mwu," Mwu, stop that man!"

Mwu cut down another man and arrived just in time to engage the man in white to a fierce exchange of combat. His opponent was a worthy foe indeed. They were evenly matched in strength and maneuverability. Finally, Mwu caught an opening and took a quick swing at the man's face, striking the mask off of the man's face.

Athrun and Yzak widened their eyes when they saw the man's face. The exposed man was handsome, almost beautiful. With pale blond hair and a smile that can freeze the warmest of weathers, he was a fearsome person to behold.

Mwu moved in again to try to take the man down, but the blond man threw his sword straight at Mwu. Mwu had no choice but to block it with his shield, giving his enemy the chance to escape.

Mwu swore but realized it was too late to go after him. He looked around him, knowing the battle was pretty much over by this point. The knight rode back to join Athrun and Yzak. When he got there, he found them frozen on the spot wearing a disbelieving look on their face.

"Is something the matter?" Mwu asked.

"Did you…Did you see that man?" Yzak asked.

"The blond one? Of course I saw him. I'm sure he's the mastermind behind the bandits. No ordinary man could have moves like that. He's not your average criminal that's for sure."

Athrun took a deep breath and said, "You're right, Mwu. He's not your average man by any standards. In fact, he used to be my father's first commander of the imperial forces."

House Yamato was also having the worst of luck lately. Riots were breaking out across Alliance and it has gotten to the point where Kira could no longer just sit in the palace and wait for the results anymore.

The prince had his intelligence service dived deep to find the roots of the matter. It didn't take long before all the evidence lead them to one man. Lord Azreal was pointed to as being the rumored culprit behind the instability against House Yamato. Even openly at court, Azreal was always in opposition to the prince and his ideas. When marriage to Lacus had been announced, he even went so far so to criticize Lacus' unworthiness of being Queen of Alliance. Without trying to understand the princess, Azreal saw the princess' sweetness as hypocrisy and her consideration as weakness. Some were affected by his words and Lacus had been able to convince them otherwise. Now things have got even worse with the commoners involved.

His agents had gathered enough information to point out that the three men working under Azreal were Orga Sabnack, Shani Andras and Crot Buer. They were the ones going around stirring up the people's emotions.

I have to get these men if I am to keep my kingdom from harm. There's no time to waste so Kira prepared himself for whatever is necessary to quiet down the uprisings.

He came to Lacus' door and gently knocked.

Fllay came immediately to the door, as she knew the prince was to visit at this time of the day. Kira walked in the door and sat next to Lacus, with Fllay standing next to them.

"Ah, what is Kira? What has happened?" Lacus asked worried, looking at Kira's serious expression.

"Lacus…I have to leave the palace for a while." Kira said while taking her hand.

"Is it…the riots?"

"Yes, I can't just sit here and wait for the news to reach me anymore. It's time I take action and end this once and for all."

"Oh Kira…It's so dangerous. People are not always rational under the situation. Anything can happen." The princess cried, leaning on the prince for comfort.

"I know, that's why I have to go. It's my responsibility to protect them, even from themselves."

Lacus didn't say a word, merely resting in her lover's arms. Fllay kept a straight face but jealousy was eating away at her inside. A part of her was also concerned about Kira's departure but another part of her was glad for him to be away from the princess.

"I came to warn you, both of you of one thing. When I'm gone, stay away from Azreal. I believe he's the one behind the matter. Be cautious!"

"Azreal is behind it? Why am I not surprised!" Fllay muttered.

"If you are so sure, why can't we do anything about it?" Lacus questioned.

"Our evidence is too weak to convict a man of his influence. I need more proof, so until then, stay put and out of danger."

Lacus looked up at her prince and gave him a dazzling smile. "I will. Just come back safely, is all I ask for. Maybe you can take Heine with you…"

"No!" Kira cut her off before she could finish. "I mean…This mission is base solely on negotiation. If I bring too many people, they will think of me as a threat, rather than a negotiator. I would prefer Heine to stay here and keep all of you safe."

"It shall be as you wish then."

Kira and Lacus embraced each other firmly, completely blocking Fllay out from their bittersweet moment. Though Kira had doubts about Heine and Lacus, at this moment he is willing to trust them. Fllay on the other hand, could not believe what an opportunity Kira had presented to her with his absence. Her brain was already working on more of her plans to come.

Next day, Kira was bidding goodbye to the king, the queen and Lacus. The princess, with tears in her eyes and a sad smile on her lips, gave Kira a small pouch right before he left.

"Here, take this as a charm. It will keep you safe."

Kira took it and placed a small kiss on her cheek. "What's inside?"

"A lock of my hair for protection. It's Orb's tradition for a woman to give her love a lock of her hair so her prayers can see him home. I have never believed this tradition now more so than ever."

Kira smiled and placed one last kiss on her head. He nodded to the king and queen before saddling up his mount and rode away from the palace. Lacus watched as his figure grew smaller and smaller, while singing a gentle melody of peace she had just learned from Melchio.

"You know, it's been days since she's heard from Kira. Think of how scared and worried she is right now." Fllay said casually beside Heine.

Heine clenched his fists but remain silent.

Fllay glanced at him and continued. "The princess has always thought too much about everything. I can't imagine what's going through her head and how bad she must have been feeling. Of course, I did try assuring her the best I can but it's just no use."

This was too much for Heine, he retaliated, "I do wonder how much lies you have breathed into her ears. Tell me, Lady Fllay, can you honestly sleep at night knowing you have been deceiving your mistress and hidden your desire to steal her betrothed?"

Fllay's smile vanished. "What is wrong with fighting for one's true love? At least I know and have the guts to do it. Don't think I don't know about your feelings for Lacus. I won't be surprised if Kira knows as well."

"Be silent about it. You are speaking of treason! The bond between Prince Kira and Princess Lacus does not only affect themselves, but the balance of the kingdoms!"

"What do I care about treason? My whole life, all I ever wanted was Kira. The only reason why he's with Lacus now is because she was born as the princess of Orb. If there's a will, there's a way. If I can make Kira love me then we will find a way to be together, and Lacus can be all yours."

Heine turned his back towards Fllay, trying to block out her words. In truth, her words were starting to affect him. Fllay's strong dedication to love was respectable but dangerous. Yet the possibility of her plan succeeding also meant the possibility of him earning Lacus' love. For days he had pondered if he should reveal his feelings to the princess. Hearing Fllay's declaration has brought out the struggle once again.

Fllay watched the confliction of emotions on his face and smirked to herself.

Lacus stood at the gazebo in the garden and stared at the blue sky above. She was so focused that she did not hear footsteps coming towards her.

Heine gently tapped her on the shoulders to gain her attention.

"Have there been any words from him yet?" She said hollowly.

Heine looked away. "I'm sorry."

Lacus sighed and sat down in front of him. "I miss him…so much. It's so dreadful to have to wait. I can't help but hate my own uselessness."

"Princess…"

She gave him a weak smile.

Never had he seen her so tired and lifeless. Heine knew he could not bear to see her like this anymore. Impulsively, he grabbed her by the shoulders and pulled the surprised princess into his arms. "Don't be like this! It's breaking my heart to see you so melancholy! There's nothing for you to be afraid. I'm still here! I'll always be here for you!"

At first, Lacus was completely engulfed by surprise that she froze in his embrace. Then she started to struggle against him but Heine refused to let her go. He buried her face into his chest and continued his confession. "I…I love you, Lacus! I know I shouldn't be but I've been in love with you since my visit to Orb. You were in my heart before Kira even knew who you are. My feelings cannot be suppressed any longer."

Outside of the gazebo, Fllay witnessed the entire exchange. She congratulated herself for ushering Heine's confession out into the open. Her timing could not have been better, she thought as she took a quick glimpse. Kira was standing in the rain, staring wide eyed and speechless at his best friend and fiancé together.

How's this chapter? Please R & R and let me know, okay? Next chapter, the villain Mwu fought will be revealed. Who is this person and what is his relationship to our heroes? Also, what is Kira going to do about what he just saw?