Snippet 8

The warm water felt wonderful. Relena surrendered herself to the skilled hands working lather into her hair. She'd already forgotten his name but Dorothy recommended him and there was no denying her fork-browed friend had an eye for quality. The blonde heiress was several chairs down enjoying a pedicure. The massage came next. It was a miracle Pagan managed to get them appointments on such short notice. Dorothy had been ecstatic but to be entirely honest, Relena had something of an ulterior motive when she invited the blonde for a day of pampering.

Once her hair was rinsed the stylist applied the conditioner and curl-relaxer and let it set. The concoction smelled foul but was necessary to tame the unruly mess. Unless she had a mind to let her locks grow as long as her brother's. Then the weight would pull out the curl. He'd e-mailed a picture of them as children. Seeing him with short puffy hair still brought a smile to her lips. Relena and Dorothy emerged from the changing rooms dressed in luxurious yellow robes and made their way to adjacent massage tables. Dorothy made a show of it at first, her sounds of enjoyment made the poor masseuse blush. But the blond grew board quickly and Relena took advantage of the lull to interject her own discussion topic into the mix.

Conversations with mistress Catalonia were often lessons in strategy and misdirection. Relena had spoken to her for hours only to learn the woman hadn't answered a single question. If she wanted this conversation to end up anywhere near where she whished, Relena thought it best to begin with something innocuous. "I had a lengthy vid-call with my brother last night."

"MMmmm," Dorothy arched her back like a cat. "He is well I take it." She purred.

"Quite. He is settling well and finding working for Preventer rather rewarding," Relena recounted.

"That is good to hear, Mars is very…alien re-acclimating oneself to earth gravity can be awkward, I must admit he looked a bit…off color…when I last saw him." Thin lips quirked and forked eyebrow made it clear what Dorothy was referring to. Relena would not rise to the bait. Her brother had green hair. She was all right with it…honest…she was…really. "Now Dorothy," she mocked playfully, "You of all people should know my brother has always been a colorful character."

"Ah yes, a verdant imagination, who knows what might sprout from that head of his."

"Who knows indeed?" Relena smiled "I was surprised to learn you two were close."

"Is that so strange, my cousin was dear to us both and the summers drew us together."

"So he was telling me." even two years later Zechs still found speaking of Treize difficult, but there was no denying the former dictator played a significant roll in who her brother was. If she was to succeed in her 'mission' to know Milliardo better than she would have to know of the past they shared. "Still I thought you might be able to shed some light on something he mentioned."

"Perhaps Miss Relena, I so strive to be helpful."

The former queen of the world almost scoffed at that, but it was an opening of sorts. "Why don't Foxes make good ducks?" she asked finally.

Dorothy let out an unladylike snort that Relena only belatedly identified as laughter, when Dorothy's face split with a grin that would do the cat from Alice's wonderland proud. "Lady you are asking me to divulge a family secret."

"But Milliardo is my family. Doesn't that entitle me to a share the secret?"

"Perhaps, it did begin on account of you after all. But I must tell you I have no real recollection of the event in question. I was a toddler at the time and only heard it in the retelling."

"Was it was something often mentioned in your cousin's presence?" Relena asked,

"Who do you think I herd it from in the first place?" Dorothy smirked. "Zechs Marquis was a moody young boy. He bore little resemblance to the prince with whom my cousin had been acquainted."

"Milliardo said your cousin had been a guest at the palace before Sanc fell. I remember the stories of the fox trying to steal duck away and goose coming to rescue her. Treize was Rex was he not?" Relena asked.

"Actually your father was the first to play the roll of Rex Fox. He would scoop you up and toss you into the air; because little ducks ought to learn to fly. Then he would catch you and pretend he was going to eat you. You would squirm and laugh. Then your brother would have to rescue you, generally getting chased and tickled in the attempt. All of that ended along with Sanc and your brother forgot how to enjoy anything. My cousin decided that, since I was of the appropriate age, he should begin the game anew in hopes Zechs would join in the fun like he used to. It would not have worked save for one thing. Catalonias aren't waterfowl. My cousin tried to 'steal' me, and I poked him in the eye; gave him quite the shiner too. That Zechs found uproariously funny. Treize said it was the first time he'd laughed since coming to live with them. Now you know."

"Now I know,' Relena echoed trying to imagine what Treize would have looked like with a black eye…it was almost as unbelievable as Dorothy getting her eyebrows plucked...waxed...pruned? 'Fixed' would be the best term she decided.