JC: Here's chapter 5. The last chapter took Kira by surprise. He is now engaged to the lovely Fllay Alster. What about Lacus? What are her intentions? Rusty is a suspicious character, right? He gets to spend some time with Cagalli here, as in ALONE! Go ahead and read.

Disclaimer: Cagalli-sama is my idol, but I don't own her or the series.

Entwined Hearts

Phase 05: A Surprise Arrangement Again

"I can't believe you're engaged! Wait till your sister hears about this, Representative," Kai teased, chuckling and shaking Kira. Over the months, he and Kira had become close friends. Whenever they were alone, Kai doesn't hesitate to joke around with the representative.

Kira was seriously not in the mood for some jokes. However, he wasn't in the mood to bicker with Kai either. He kept thinking about Fllay and his engagement to her. What has the world come to? He was the Head Representative of ORB and yet he couldn't even object to such an arrangement. What was he going to do? How was he going to tell Cagalli and the others? He was pretty sure that they'll be shocked.

"Hey, you know what?" Kai said, stopping his chuckling. "I'm not so keen with this arranged marriage thing. It's okay if you love Fllay Alster—whom you don't, I presume." He poked Kira's arm playfully in order to get his attention.

"I don't love her and I don't know if I can love her," Kira replied, slumping down. He ruffled his brown hair, feeling frustrated about himself. "Kai, this is so unfair."

"Life isn't always fair."

"You're not actually helping."

"What do you want me to do?"

"How about encourage me to walk up to the Vice-Foreign Minister and tell him that I don't want to marry his daughter?!"

Kai raised an eyebrow, thinking absurdly of the brunette. "There's no way I would do that. Plus, I'm not in the right position to ever say that."

"You're right…" Kira rested his elbows on his lap and rested his chin on his hands. "Might as well accept it."

"No can do, Kira!" Kai shot up, pointing an accusing finger at Kira.

"What?!"

"You're giving up way too easily, Kira! Don't tell me you're gonna force yourself to love her? That's wrong! Love isn't made like that!" The orange-haired soldier was already shouting at the top of his lungs, causing Kira to cover his ears.

"Pipe down, will ya?"

"Oh…erm…" He coughed twice and regained composure. "Sorry about that…"

"Anyway, I just hope my meeting with Lacus Clyne is not as heart-wrenching as this. I'm sure she'll want to talk about the political issues of our countries. I've heard about her charity projects from the news. She's also a pop-star idol." Kira rested his back against his seat.

"I've heard about her too from my buddies back at HQ. They're not her fans, I can assure you, since they're head over heels with Cagalli-san." Kai sat back, opened his laptop computer, and checked the profile of Fllay and Lacus. "Interesting…"

"What?" Kira looked at the screen and saw the two angelic faces of the girls.

"It says here that Fllay Alster is also a popular singer and she had starred in many movies. She's also an elegant dancer."

"I've seen two of Fllay-san's movies before. I have to say that it was very entertaining."

"Hey, I actually watched three."

"How about Lacus-san?"

Kai clicked on a link and went to the profile section. "Lacus Clyne is a star in PLANT. She participated in many charity works and political works. She is also described as an Angel due to her extreme kindness and gracefulness."

"These two girls are pretty unique."

"No kidding," said Kai, closing his laptop. Then an idea struck him. "Kira, what if Lacus Clyne's father will tell you the same thing?" he asked.

"Same thing? As in?"

"You know—the engagement thing."

Kira violently shook his head. "There's no way that will happen. I mean, come on, two girls with the same intentions? That would only happen in novels or stories."

"If you say so," Kai said, having a bad feeling once again.

ORB Parliament House

Someone was knocking at door of the Head Representative's office. Kira looked up from his paper work to the door and said, "Come in…" The door opened right away and there he saw his blonde sister. "Cagalli, what brings you here? I thought you had some work back at HQ."

Cagalli stomped over to his desk and slammed her palms on it. She glared at her brother with those furious amber orbs. "WHAT THE HELL WERE YOU THINKING?!!!" bellowed Cagalli, slamming her palms once again.

"Huh? What do you mean?" Kira got pretty scared after hearing her.

"Kai told me! He told me everything!" She walked around his desk and pulled him up by the collar. "Why did you agree to it, Kira?!"

That Kai… I told him not to tell Cagalli. I should be the one to tell her. He sighed deeply. "Cagalli, I'm sorry. I was in a situation where I can't say no."

"I can't believe you!" The blonde released the brunette and turned around. "Kira, mind explaining things to me right now?"

He stared at her back, his eyes glowing with concern. If Cagalli was in his position, she could've done something about the engagement, he thought. Well, they were twins, but they were different in terms of personality. "Cagalli, I'm really sorry. What happened was…" He started explaining. After that, there was a long silence between them.

Hangar

"Don't get into trouble over there, okay?" Cagalli said to Kira.

The Head Representative was flying off to another important meeting. He was going to see Siegel and Lacus Clyne in the Scandinavia, a country decorated with richness and elegance. It would be his first time going there, so he was pretty excited. "I won't. Besides, I have Athrun with me."

Cagalli turned her head to the person beside her brother. "Athrun, make sure Kira will not make any stupid mistakes again," she said sarcastically, knowing it would annoy Kira.

Athrun let out a chuckle and nodded. "Sure, I'll do my best." He wasn't supposed to be the one escorting Kira to Scandinavia. It was actually Kai's work. But Cagalli insisted Kira to bring him along than Kai. That way, Cagalli would have nothing to worry about.

"Can I go now?" muttered Kira, his eyebrows twitching.

"Yeah, sure…" Cagalli replied with an I-don't-care tone.

"Fine… Let's go Athrun." Kira spun on his heels and walked towards the aircraft.

Athrun could sense a very pissed-off Kira. He also found out about his engagement to Fllay and frankly, he was quite surprised to hear it. He knew Kira's reason for accepting it was noble but also hasty. "Cagalli, is Kira really going through with it?" he asked.

"It will be hard, I'm sure." Cagalli shrugged, crossing her arms in front of her chest. "But he told me that he's going to try his best to fall in love with Alster." She bit the nail of her thumb and grumbled something about Kira being an idiot.

He stared at the blonde for a while, knowing she was worried for her brother. To ease her troubles, he leaned forward and pecked on her cheek.

"A-Athrun!" Her cheeks flushed up in an instant, as Athrun laughed. "Don't do that here!" she uttered, looking around to see if anyone saw it. To her dismay, a lot of soldiers were giggling and whispering about the sudden kiss.

"Take care, Cagalli!"

"ATHRUN!" The moment she turned back at him, he was already climbing up the stairs to the aircraft. That was fast, she thought, clenching her fists. "You're going to get it when you come back," she said flatly, shooting him with a deadly glare.

"Um… Sorry?" was all he could say because he felt nervous seeing those eyes.

Athrun went into the aircraft to avoid her and sat down beside Kira.

Without further ado, the aircraft lifted off into the sky.

Scandinavia

It only took a few hours for the ORB aircraft to reach the said country. Upon arrival, mass amounts of guards dressed in a rather spiffy royal-type uniform were lined up along the landing area. Ten guards proceeded to the side of the aircraft and positioned themselves. They were all ready to greet the ORB visitors.

The Head Representative and his bodyguard descended the stairs, admiring how the soldiers stood. They were all trained with discipline and honor like any royal guards. If the guards were like this, they couldn't wait to see the soldiers.

"Welcome to our country, Head Representative Kira Yamato," a familiar pink-haired girl greeted them from insider her pink limousine. One guard opened the door and she quickly hopped off. She presented herself so elegantly before the brunette with a bow of her head. "Thank you for coming."

Kira was completely stunned by her. He looked at her from head to toe, getting a full grasp of what she was wearing. Lacus was clad in a white ball gown reaching to the ankles, made of luxurious fabric and decorated with silver beads and pink frills. In his eyes, Lacus was more of a princess than his sister. If Cagalli heard his thoughts, he was pretty sure she wouldn't mind it. She hated being called a princess anyway.

"Now let us go," Lacus said, smiling radiantly. "My father is waiting for you back at the mansion."

Strangely, Kira didn't budge or reply.

Athrun noticed the stunned expression on Kira's face. What is going on with you? He lightly hit Kira's arm with his elbow to bring him back to reality. "Representative Yamato, let's go. We mustn't let Siegel Clyne-sama wait any longer."

"Oh, that's right." He finally came to his senses. He looked at Lacus properly this time and bowed his head. "Thank you for having us."

Lacus giggled like a child and went into the Limousine first.

"Don't tell you're staring to fall for her?" Athrun whispered into Kira's ear before letting him enter the vehicle. "Can't have that, you know. You're already engaged." He reminded the brunette.

Kira silently blushed and shook his head. He hopped onto the limo and seated himself beside the pink-haired girl. Because of what Athrun said, his mind was whirled into a world of confusion and his cheeks still remained a little pink. He accidentally placed his hand on top of Lacus' as he breathed in.

"Oh, Representative…" Lacus muttered, looking at their hands.

"Eh?" Kira wondered what she wanted and saw her staring at something. He looked down and saw their hands together. "Ah! Sorry!" he said, blushing madly this time, as Athrun entered.

"No, it's okay." Lacus still retained her smile.

Athrun managed to see the whole thing and shot Kira some looks. Kira, remember you're taken! He wanted to say it out loud, but his eyes were enough to do the talking.

Kira nodded his head once and sighed.

ORB Mansion

The butler bowed his head and said, "Take care, Cagalli-sama." He raised his head and opened the door for her. "Have a safe trip."

"I'm heading off," said a blonde princess, as she walked out the door. Her car was already parked in front of the door and all her necessary things were inside. She was going to the ORB Military Headquarters for an important meeting with some superiors. Though she hated meetings, she needed to go. That was her job.

She started the engine and sped off to the gates. As the gates automatically opened, she spotted a familiar face lurking on the other side of the street. "That guy… That's…" Her eyes widened as she recognized him. "Rusty, hey!" She waved her hand.

Rusty responded immediately and waved back. "Princess, how are you?!" He ran across the street, nearly tripping, and approached the car. "I knew I would see you here. I came at a perfect time."

"What brings you here?"

"I just wanted to see your mansion. It's pretty big," he said, pointing at the large structure behind the gates.

"Is that the only reason why you're here? I doubt it."

"Well, the truth is," Rusty scratched his head, feeling nervous, "I was wondering if you would like to go out with me?"

Cagalli's eyes grew wide. "Pardon? What did you just say?"

"If you would like to go out with me?" Rusty repeated.

"Why?"

"Because I-I…" Rusty was having a hard time talking to her. His heart was getting the best of him. "Don't take this wrongly, okay? I know you're engaged and you're in love with Athrun Zala."

"Yes?"

"I just want to spend some time with you as a friend. I make it a habit to go out with my friends, especially girls. Oh wait, we're not friends yet." He chuckled, feeling stupid at the moment. At that rate, he was sure that Cagalli would not accept his offer.

"Okay."

"Ah-what?" Rusty got taken by surprise. "Excuse me, what did you just say?"

"Are you deaf? I said okay," she replied.

"You sure?" A smile crept on his face.

"Don't make me repeat myself," Cagalli murmured, holding her temple. "Meet me at the park at 3 PM. I can't go right now because I have a meeting. Is that all right with you?" She looked at him, expecting a disappointed look, but she saw the opposite.

Rusty had a wide smug on his face and his eyes were shimmering with glee. "All right! I'll wait for you there!" He spun around and ran off, saying yes all the way. From the way he acted, he looked like a 10-year old boy.

"He's one outgoing guy," she said, stepping on the pedal. She sped away from the mansion in a fast speed. She stared momentarily at the sky and thought about what to do with him later. "He seems nice and kind. Since Kira and Athrun are not around, I don't need to bring a bodyguard."

Clyne Mansion

Athrun was now standing before the mansion, staring in awe. The mansion was as big as Kira and Cagalli's mansion back at ORB. From the designs, floorings, and materials, Athrun could say that it was almost similar to the ORB mansion, only it had more paintings and elusive artworks.

"If this is a meeting, why here in the mansion and not in an office?" the blue-haired coordinator asked the representative in a low voice. He was starting to have suspicions about Lacus and her dad.

As for Kira, he thought the mansion would be a good place for a meeting since there won't be any prying eyes around.

They arrived in the living room and they were served tea and biscuits that were personally made by Lacus. She asked them to try them as she offered some to Kira first.

Kira blushed lightly and took one biscuit. He ate it all in one bit since it was tiny. He took time to savor it in his mouth before he swallowed.

"How was it?" Lacus waited anxiously for his response.

"It was good. I mean, really delicious."

"My, I'm happy to hear that. I love making biscuits and cookies, and I love getting comments about them. Thank you."

"You're welcome."

Lacus cheerfully handed some of her treats to Athrun. "Here, have some as well," she said.

"Thank you," he said, leaning down to grab some, because he was standing behind the couch where Kira was seated.

"Why don't you sit down with us?" Lacus asked, patting the couch beside her.

Athrun plainly shook his head. "Thank you for the offer, but it would be inappropriate for a soldier like me to join two political figures like you." He was demonstrating a fine attitude of a soldier.

Lacus was going to insist again when Siegel Clyne entered the living room. "Oh, father!" She stood up and gave her father a short hug. "Representative Yamato, this is my father, Siegel Clyne."

Kira stood up, as Athrun saluted. "Siegel Clyne, it's an honor to meet you."

"The young Kira Yamato," Siegel said, extending his hand to shake. "It's quite an honor to meet you as well."

All of them sat down and talked about their countries for a while. It seemed that things were going well and there were no hard problems in their respective countries. Next, the conversation shifted to Cagalli. Siegel Clyne has grown fond of Cagalli and always monitored her through the TV, news, and other media sources. The girl somehow amazed him like his daughter. He also bragged about some of Cagalli's and Lacus' skills as great celebrities.

Of course, being a brother, Kira was flattered from all the compliments Cagalli was getting. "My sister is probably in a meeting with the military heads right now," said Kira.

"Working as usual," Siegel continued. "Your sister is remarkable. Lacus also admires her, did you know that?" He placed a hand on his daughter's shoulder.

Kira looked over at Lacus for confirmation. He received a slight nod from the girl, and he smiled in content. "I'm glad to know that."

Cagalli is even popular here. Athrun was also happy to hear such wonderful comments about his fiancée.

Siegel stopped his talking to look at the blue-haired soldier behind Kira. "Aren't you Athrun Zala who is currently engaged to the Princess?" he asked.

"Yes, sir," he answered promptly.

"I heard that he's one of your finest soldiers, Representative," Siegel told Kira.

Kira briefly glanced at Athrun before he answered the blonde man. "Yes, he's the best. I have no regrets giving my sister to him," he explained solemnly.

By the look on Kira's face, Siegel understood the deep love and care he possessed as a brother. Not only that, he could see it in his amethyst eyes that he trusted Athrun with all his heart. With that, he was now sure of his decision. "Representative Yamato," he called out, his voice sounding slightly serious.

"Yes?"

"Your biological mother, Via Hibiki, was a very good friend of mine," Siegel started, as Lacus lowered her head to stare at her hands on her lap. "I still remember those days when she used to give me her treats." He imagined the beautiful brunette woman in his head.

Athrun was suddenly struck with apprehension. Based on what Kai had told him, George Alster also started his conversation by stating that he was a good friend of Kira's parent. He just hoped it won't lead to any engagement or whatsoever.

Frankly, Kira was also feeling the same way as Athrun did. He brushed that feeling away and asked a question. "Can you tell me more about my mother?"

Siegel closed his eyes to get a better view of Via in his head. "She was one of the most beautiful women I have ever seen. She has eyes so soft and loving that was dyed in amethyst, just like yours. She was very kind and gentle. She was a very close friend of mine." He opened his eyes to look at Kira.

"Thank you for telling me that," Kira said, smiling.

Siegel saw Via within him when he smiled. He had missed the woman so much. It was such a pity that she had to die. She was too good for such a death. Putting that thought aside, Siegel's expression turned a bit serious. "Representative, I made a promise to your mother," he said.

Somehow, Kira felt like he heard those words before. It was like a pattern. "What is it?" He was getting afraid of the answer.

Before Siegel Clyne spoke, Athrun had already realized what he was going to say. He was in the same situation as Kai before. This is bad…

"If Via and I would have a child that happens to be opposite in gender, then we would arrange them to be married in the future. Since Via had a son, which happens to be you, and I had a daughter…"

Kira's face turned pale and his fists trembled. He was beginning to sweat and his heart pumped way too fast. It was happening again—just like the time back at Josh-A.

"You and Lacus should be engaged…" Siegel finally finished explaining. He turned to his daughter, who gave him a contented smile, before he looked at Kira to see his reaction. He was vaguely surprised to see the brunette clutching onto the handles tightly. "Did I excite you too much?"

If it was possible, Kira wanted to pass out or to be hit by a Gundam.

Athrun kinda felt sorry for Kira. This is a big problem. What should you do, Kira?

To be continued…

JC: Engagement no. 2. Kira is now engaged to two girls. Is that even allowed? Well, I planned to do some twists and turns every now and then. Rusty and Cagalli are going out in the next chatper. What will happen between them? Please leave some reviews and not flames.