Last Resistance to Peace
Chapter 15

by Scarlet Eve

A/N: I apologize for my absence. I just started playing rugby and it wiped me out for the last few months. But I'm back and alive. :-)

A.C. 205

January 1

Out of pride, Relena refused to see her brother during his months of imprisonment. Any messages that he needed to hear were conveyed via the guards, or Major Sally, though Relena had some inkling that Noin had been sneaking to his cell as well. She knew she should be angry at the insubordination, but the emotion was absent.

Relena missed her brother's company, of course. The feeling worsened during the holidays, when she realized just how little family she really had. Edward and Mareen Darlian were kind enough to spend the holidays with her, but it wasn't the same. If Milliardo had been free, they would have hosted a small party at the palace for the New Year, where liberal amounts of alcohol would be served.

This year, Relena rang in the new year on her own with a bottle of champagne, and subsequently woke up with a sugar-induced hangover.

Lying in bed with her pillow over her face, she wondered if this was a low point of her life.

A knock at the door pulled Relena from her reverie. She pulled her blankets tighter around herself. "Yes?"

The door opened a crack, and her maid Talia entered the room. She lifted Relena's robe from where she'd discarded it the night before and held it out to the Queen. "Your highness, we have received word that a visitor is on his way here."

"Who?" Relena asked, shuffling from her bed and slipping into her robe.

"Commander Treize," Talia said. "That is what Miss Sally said." Relena froze.

"Treize? What could he possibly want?" Relena asked, but her maid didn't answer. The young woman was used to Relena's constant rhetorical questions. Relena hurried to the bathroom and splashed water on her face. She hoped she could manage to put herself together enough to receive his visit.

Talia waited in the bedroom with a simple outfit of a long pleated skirt, a blouse, and a cardigan. Relena dressed quickly and dabbed a bit of makeup on her face while Talia arranged her hair into something presentable. Relena left Talia behind in the room as she hurried to meet Sally, who would likely be waiting for her in the foyer of the palace.

Sure enough, Sally had made her way to the palace, dressed in her lavender uniform. When Relena approached, Sally glanced up, a worried look on her face.

"What could he want?" Relena asked. Sally shook her head.

"I'm not sure," she answered. "We haven't done anything to provoke Romefeller or OZ." The layered meaning behind Sally's words did not escape Relena. Relena pressed a hand to her chest and fiddled with the cameo she'd pinned there, the one Milliardo had given her for her birthday.

"If you want to wait in the receiving room, Miss Relena, I'll bring him to you," Sally said.

"Of course." Relena turned and made her way to her official receiving room. She sat down behind the large desk and situated herself, smoothing out her clothes and patting at her hair. A small voice, one that sounded eerily like Milliardo, said to her: You are a queen. You could be dressed in pajamas, and you'd still be more regal than anyone else.

Relena was certain that Milliardo had in fact said that to her at one point in her life.

A moment later, there was a knock at the door, and Relena called out permission to enter. The door opened and Sally stepped through first, followed by Treize Khushrenada, with Noin bringing up the rear. Relena wondered when Noin had arrived at the palace.

She rose from her chair and held her hands in front of her, clasped lightly together. Treize bowed low to her.

"Thank you for receiving me, your Majesty," Treize said.

"I must say that I am surprised by your impromptu visit," Relena answered, trying to keep a skeptical expression from marring her face. Treize smiled, but said nothing else. Relena sat back down and gestured to the chair on the other side of the desk.

"I know that we have not yet developed a bond of trust," Treize said, once he'd settled himself in the chair, "but I'm here on more friendly terms. Something I hope will strengthen that bond of trust."

Relena pressed her lips together. "I see."

"I wanted to tell you in person that we at Romefeller and OZ have agreed that your brother may be released. We have determined that his actions have not caused any irreparable harm against OZ. And the months he spent in that cell must have given him ample time to think on his actions."

Relena was genuinely surprised, though she hid that behind a neutral mask. "You will allow me to release my brother without further attacks against the Sanc Kingdom?" she asked.

Treize nodded his head. "Provided another incident of that nature does not happen, there will be no threats of attack against the Sanc Kingdom."

Relena stared hard at him, trying to read his mind. His dark eyes gave away nothing. She inhaled deeply and released, willing her muscles to unravel.

"I thank you, Chief Commander," she finally said, rising from the chair. She gave him a brief bow, fitting his position. "I will have Milliardo released from the cell, under the promise that he refrains from causing further trouble for Romefeller and OZ." Treize followed her lead and rose from his chair. He extended a hand across the desk.

"I do hope we can continue to build a relationship on a foundation of trust," he said, staring hard at her. Relena grasped his hand with more force than he was expecting.

"I am positive we will."

Treize smiled, but a brief falter in his expression surprised her. Perhaps he was expecting her to fight back again. He bowed once more to her and allowed himself to be escorted from the room by Sally and Noin, who both glanced at her, trying to read her expression. After he was gone, Relena sank back into her chair and pressed a hand to her forehead.

Sally and Noin returned a few minutes later, accompanied by three members of the Sanc security team. Relena immediately felt guilt at not knowing those security guards' names, but she refrained from asking. She already felt as though her energy for being queen was gone for the day, and she wished ardently to return to her private study.

"Shall we, your Majesty?" Sally asked. Relena nodded and rose from the chair and followed them out of the office. Sally allowed Noin to lead them to the underground confinement area, while Sally fell into step beside Relena.

"Why do you think he's allowing this?" she asked under her breath. Relena frowned.

"He must truly think that whatever Milliardo was doing there didn't cause any harm," Relena said.

"What do you think?"

"I don't know. Milliardo had the same training at Treize, so he must know what my brother could be capable of." Relena sighed. "I don't know, Sally. I feel uneasy about everything these days. I can hardly trust my own feelings."

Sally dropped a hand on Relena's shoulder. "That's why you have us," she said, and quickly removed her hand. Relena allowed a smile on her face. It was true. She didn't have to do any of this alone.

The guards outside of the door to the confinement area did not question the Queen as she approached. They immediately entered in the code to unlock the door and allowed her to pass through. They followed behind, as they were the ones who knew the code to Milliardo's cell.

"That one," Sally said, pointing to one of the doors. Relena's entourage halted as she stepped up to the window built into the door.

"Brother," she called. Inside, she saw her brother uncurl himself from the bed and stretch up to his full height. He smiled and stepped to the door.

"Relena. You're visiting me," he said. Relena stared at his face, willing herself to still be angry with him, but she couldn't find it in her heart.

"Actually, dear brother," she said, "I am releasing you."

"What?" he asked, but his question was ignored. Relena stepped away from the door and motioned to the guards. One of them scurried forward and quickly entered in the code to the door. An elaborate series of locks clicked, unlocking the door, until it finally slid aside. Milliardo stepped out from the cell.

"Treize visited and informed me that I could release you. Apparently he is not going to harbor any further ill-will towards you," Relena said. Milliardo smiled and leaned down to pull Relena into a tight hug. She sighed to herself and returned the hug. "You need a shower," Relena heard herself saying, and several people chuckled, including Milliardo. He pulled away from her.

"Thank you," he said with all honesty in his voice. The word 'trust' rang in Relena's mind, and she knew she needed to allow herself to trust Milliardo again. She needed him at her side.

"You're welcome, big brother."

-SE