Heavy Lies The Crown: Chapter Four
by Starrify
Falling from high places, falling through lost spaces.
Now that we're lonely, now that we're so far from home.
I lost my mind here.
Forest Border, Plant Territory
"Athrun! Athrun, is that you?"
Athrun turned his heel at the direction of the voice. In the small light emanated from the moon, he could vaguely make out a figure riding a horse at a dangerous speed, but the tenor quiver at the uncertainty of his apparition was distinguishable.
Kira, he thought fondly of his friend of ten years. Athrun was about to tell Cagalli of his friend when he heard the snap of twigs, and the unmistakable whinny of the horse a few meters away from them.
"No, wait!" he called out, but he was unsure if she was able to hear him in her hurry. "Cagalli—" As soon as her name left his lips, the outline of her body was lost in the shadows of the forest. Athrun brought up his hands to his hair and let out a frustrated groan.
Great, you just lost your chance to keep her! Athrun internally reprimanded himself with his hand sliding down his face. Like you could possible keep someone as undomesticated as her anyway.
"Athrun, if that's you, come down here—if not, err, I will have no choice to arrest you, Sir, as you are trespassing on Zaft grounds and Plant royal territory!" Kira sputtered, unsheathing his sword in the case he'd have to force the person into submission. He crossed the fingers of his other hand, hoping that it truly was Athrun. "Sir, if you do not come down in thirty seconds, I will assume that as a sign of hostility—"
Athrun could have laughed at his best friend's antics. "Geez, I'm coming, Kira!" he laughed. Putting one hand behind him for support, he slid down the slope of the small hill and landed on the soft sand of the beach. He looked up just in time to see Kira put his sword back into its sheath and dismount his horse.
"Athrun!" the brunette said out loud with a sigh of relief. "Thank Haumea you're alright, Lacus and I were so worried that you wouldn't come back on time—"
"Haumea?" Athrun asked out loud, looking at Kira. "I've heard that before…"
"Did I do that! Oh, Haumea, I did! No! I'm so sorry! Let me fix it—please, it's the least I can do!"
"Well, thank Haumea you came after it. I wouldn't have had a use for it anyway. I'm not really the jewelry kind of person…"
"Haumea is the goddess of fertility we worship back in Orb," Kira answered, confused at his friend's sudden interest. "I haven't really prayed to her in a while."
So this means Cagalli is from Orb? "What exactly do you pray for?" he found himself asking, though not really wanting to know. He was saying these words to stall, to find himself more hints about the blonde he had just met. If she's from Orb, and if she's in the forest like that, it means she must have had escaped during that takeover by the Alliance…
Kira chuckled. His friend was obviously in some trance. "I didn't expect to find you and get an inquisition about my faith. Did you eat mushrooms while you were in the forest or something, Athun?"
No, Athrun answered only in his head, I haven't eaten anything the whole day—this means neither has Cagalli. She should have stayed— His thoughts came to an abrupt end when he heard his stomach rumble loudly. He blushed in embarrassment while Kira laughed, giving him a wry smile.
"Yeah, sure, you haven't eaten anything. That's improper for someone like you, Your Highness," Kira sneered lightly, and then his features gentled until his concern for his friend became evident enough. "But honestly, Athrun, how are you? Lacus didn't tell me much, just that you went out and chased a bandit on your own to get your ring—"
"—wait, she knows?" Athrun could not contain much of his surprise. "How did she—?"
"No, I sort of told her before you two left for Copernicus," Kira admitted, putting his head down. "I'm sorry, Athrun, but she asked me why you were being so nervous, so I had to tell her."
"Yeah, I understand—you can't keep anything from Lacus," Athrun chuckled; Kira blushed, which didn't go unnoticed by Athrun. He sighed. They're both so hopeless. "But she's right. I chased after the thief, got the ring back, and now I'm here."
And she should be with me, he couldn't help thinking. Cagalli should be here in Plant—at least here I'd be able to keep an eye on her, make sure she's safe, unlike in that forest where she could—
"Earth to Athrun?" Kira waved his free hand in front of his green-eyed friend. "Come on, we should really be heading back. Your father told me that he wants to see you as soon as you come home."
"He does?" Athrun asked, surprised. "That's…new."
"You wouldn't believe the fit he threw when he found out I was covering for you. I had a feeling that if King Patrick didn't know me, he would've had my head."
Athrun's lips formed a straight line at Kira's words. He was indebted to his friend and had hoped that his father would not find out about his leave or the fact that Kira was the one doing his responsibilities in his stead. He could excuse himself from the first one, but with him abandoning all those papers he was in charge of…there was no way he could be easily let off the hook by his father.
"So," he heard Kira start. "Should we head back now? Supper is starting soon, and your father would probably be in a lighter mood with food."
"Okay," Athrun said hesitantly. "Are we walking or am I going to have to share a horse with you?"
Kira widened his purple eyes in faux shock. "Sir, why of course! How else could we get through?" Then he put the cool look back on his face and said, "Athrun, Strike's isn't really big enough to fit the both of us at once. If I had brought Freedom instead, then maybe we could, but that would still be inappropriate and not to mention, really awkward."
"So I'm going to have to walk, aren't I?" Athrun groaned, his legs were already quite sore from his restlessness.
"No, I can't have that. You're the prince, Athrun, were you really expecting that I'd be able to ask that from you?"
"Why can't I just be Athrun your friend and not Athrun the prince? It's irritating, you know."
"Well, it comes with the circumstance of your birth," Kira said with a small upward twitch of his mouth. "You were born a Zala, so it's undeniable that you're royalty, but you're still your own person, and whatever you do with the rest of your life is at your disposal—so long as it doesn't affect the lives of those around you in a negative way."
"Wow, Kira, I think you'll be more fitting to be a leader of a country than I am," Athrun sniggered, clapping his hands. "Where and when ever did you ever learn to be so smart?"
"I was classmates with you at Copernicus for five years, you jerk," Kira replied dryly with a scoff. Then, he let out another laugh. "I was pretty sure that when I spotted you from the tower, you were with another person. That, or I should be getting glasses soon, but I'm sure my vision is perfect since I can still shoot targets accurately, so where is he?"
"He?" Athrun choked. Kira just called Cagalli a guy! But it's not like I didn't think she was one at first…
"It's not what you're insinuating! I'm pretty sure you wouldn't just…take home a guy like that. I assume that that was the thief you caught and you were going to arrest him for sabotaging your ride back to Plant, but since he's not anywhere, you let him go when you got here?"
Athrun shook his head. If Cagalli was so adamant about not letting her identity known to him, how much more so with other people? He considered telling Kira who he was just with, but thought that it was better that he didn't know. "You were just imagining that, I'm sure. Remember that forest fairy story Mother used to tell us? That's probably what you saw."
"Speaking of Aunt Lenore," Kira stammered while fumbling with his fingers. He was not at ease with the topic of the deceased queen in front of her son, but someone had to tell Athrun what he knew. "In Junius City, ah, the finishing of your mother's statue and their harvest festival coincided, and Lacus went there as the official representative of Aprilius for the event."
"Without an escort?" Athrun asked.
"I would have come had it not been for the papers I still needed to finish. And besides, we're in Plant territory and she's safe," Kira reassured. "Their giant bonfire there is probably up by now."
"I should be there," Athrun voiced his thoughts out loud. "Not Lacus, she barely has anything to do with Junius."
"But she wanted to know their culture. You know how she is: always taking opportunities to expose herself to Plant and the rest of the world. She likes to be involved, you know? Unlike someone here who should really be more enthusiastic with his work load," Kira hinted, walking while pulling at the reins of his horse. Athrun refused to ride, so they both were treading the expanse of sand.
"Is Father that angry with me?" Athrun asked once more.
Kira nodded. "Quite."
Cagalli pulled at the reins of Kusanagi when they almost ran into a tree. The stirrup held her feet in place, but it did not stop the rest of her body from being thrust forward. The tight grip she had on the neck of her horse seemed all too familiar and she didn't realize that her eyes were closed as she waited for the impact that never came.
When she opened her eyes, she let out a breath of relief, thanking Haumea that she and Kusanagi had been spared from that terrible crash. Cagalli let out an annoyed grunt. She found that opening her eyes didn't make that much a difference as the canopy above her blocked the minutest sliver of light from the moon.
"Do you think we could stop here for the night, Kusanagi?" Cagalli whispered to the beat horse. "I don't think we could get any further at this kind of visibility."
The horse neighed and took a few steps back. Cagalli dismounted and held the saddle on Kusanagi for support. She couldn't explain why she felt so nervous—why her heart was palpitating the way it was. Her thoughts drifted to a certain prince with midnight blue hair and emerald eyes, and she found the answer to her question.
The scarlet tint on her cheeks became even redder and the pounding motion against her chest felt harder, as if at any moment her heart would rip itself out from excessive motion. Still, Cagalli could not calm herself enough.
"Damn you, Zala!" she cursed, punching the saddle on Kusanagi. Her horse protested and she brought her fisted hand back to her side. Cagalli was still seething in frustration, but releasing the force onto something seemed to help, and now she was breathing normally.
You're not meant to feel like this, Cagalli, she told herself. You don't have to feel anything at all.
She stumbled away from Kusanagi and held her arms in front of her in precaution. She didn't want to accidentally hit a tree or a giant rock or anything that could cause an equal amount of pain. When she felt a rough, damp surface under her hand, she kneeled down and searched the ground under her for anything sharp or piercing. There were no rocks; only dry leaves.
Cagalli smirked to herself. "Yeah, I could sleep here just for tonight." She hovered over the leaves for a second before letting her weight fall on the leaves as a cushion. It was not the most comfortable setup, but she had been through worse and here she felt mildly eased, at least.
She brought one hand up to loosen the stiffness in her neck. She wasn't aware that she was this worn out. After a while, she slid her hand down to her chest—she felt it rise up and down slowly, but the thumping inside did not match the rhythm of her breathing.
She held her breath. Maybe I should've taken Athrun's offer. Surely my stay would have been a covert one. I do not think Athrun would dare tell his father of a girl from the wild lodging at their royal home. It would cause quite a scandal, and a great deal of embarrassment on Athrun's part. Cagalli decided that what she did was better for the both of them.
Even if it meant that I'd have to go through with this dejection, Cagalli admitted with a frown.
Cagalli was not sure whether her eyes were open or not. There was no longer differentiating figures in the darkness—her eyes had given up on trying, and perhaps her eyelids succumbed to her fatigue. Still, she said, "Kusanagi, we're leaving tomorrow. I'll just be resting here; you should go take a nap, too—" Without awaiting a response from the horse, she fell asleep with a final yawn.
When amber eyes fluttered open, she was greeted with the same yet unfamiliar sight of lush green and darkened brown. Cagalli groaned as she got up, the strain from the uncomfortable position she was in taking its toll on her. She preferred the makeshift bed she had in the home she set up for Kusanagi and herself, but there really was no moving forward from their situation last night.
And when the events of yesterday came rushing to her head, Cagalli had to suppress a rather girlish giggle. There's no denying it at this point, Cagalli told herself. She had a mild crush on the prince, but maybe that was only because she had not gotten any sort of contact with the opposite gender for so long that she immediately took a liking for the next guy that came along.
It just so happened that he was good looking and well-mannered and he was a guy her father would have definitely approved of—except that a union between them wouldn't have been possible since they would have had separate kingdoms to rule.
But I'm no princess, Cagalli reminded herself miserably. But maybe if Athrun liked me even a tad bit, he would take me regardless of my circumstance…
She frowned. She had forgotten that he was already engaged. To that pink-haired noble who wouldn't flinch when I held out my knife in front of her pretty face.
Cagalli could remember her clearly, that heart-shaped face with innocent blue-gray eyes and long flowing pink hair. She was so beautiful and ethereal. Cagalli reached for her own hair and tugged on it. Her short blonde locks couldn't probably compare to that girl waiting for him.
And her voice was so soft and sweet—a total contrast to her rough contralto. Cagalli sighed, giving in. It doesn't matter. There's no way we could see each other again.
Resolving to rid herself of those thoughts, Cagalli stood and inspected her surroundings. It was the same sight of oddly spaced trees extending forty feet in the air and the wild flowers growing near the roots. There were a few bushes which had berries she could pick from later. She took a step and stopped. Weird, she thought she heard something rustle behind her. She shrugged this off, too, and furrowed her brows at the lack of something in her vision.
"Kusanagi?" she called worriedly. "Kusanagi, where are you?"
Her horse was supposed to be lying down somewhere. When she found her spot last night, she was sure that she couldn't have walked too far away from Kusanagi. Maybe he tried to look for food, she said, her own stomach grumbling as well. Yeah, we didn't eat anything yesterday and the day before…
Cagalli was able to take a good ten steps forward before she heard a snap resound and she felt the earth beneath her shift and pull her up five feet into the air. She let out a loud gasp before the moss that covered the rope that bound her fall into her mouth and muff her. Spluttering, she tried to get a hold on the thick binds surrounding her.
She let out an ear-piercing scream and thrashed wildly inside her cage. She instinctively went for the knife she kept in her holster, but remembering that Athrun made sure she was completely disarmed, she withdrew her hand and continued to hit the rope.
"Damn you, Zala, this is all your fault, I swear when I see you again at that road, I will throttle your neck and punch that pretty little face of yours until you see no tomorrow—!" Cagalli kept cursing, unaware of the small crowd gathered beneath her. She couldn't see anything other than the moss and the rope and given the small space she had, she couldn't move about to see who was the culprit behind her capture.
Meanwhile, the people below her were cowering in fear. Though she was the one trapped, they could feel the deadly aura around her and none of them were really brave enough to interrupt her rant.
"He warned us that she'd be like this, didn't he?" one whispered to another. The other person nodded in response and looked back up at the girl still trying to escape.
"But why couldn't we have just captured her normally? Maybe she wouldn't have put up that much resistance—"
"Who are you kidding? Do you even know who we're dealing with?"
The younger guy's eyes suddenly lit up. "Yes! This is the crown heir of Orb, Princess Cagalli Yula Athha, The Goddess of Victory! I'm not stupid, I know who she is; everyone knows who she is—"
"If you know who I am," Cagalli growled lowly, her teeth clenching. "Then let me go! This is no way to treat a princess—as you call me! Let me go, damn it!"
Ignoring her, the other guy answered, "Also called the Lioness of Orb for a reason, you dumbass. She doesn't really take after the King's composure—"
At the mention of her father, she punched the ropes again. "Who are you to speak of my father in that way? Tell me who you are—I will beat you to a pulp once I get out of here!"
"I wasn't saying anything!" the man cried, running behind the comrade he was having a conversation with earlier. The man was cowering in fear while the others were looking up at their princess, astounded at the sight of a blonde covered with moss.
When one of them realized their predicament, he knelt and put his head down—the only sign of respect he could offer to the otherwise indignant princess. The others followed and were immediately down on their knees, mumbling praises, apologies for the blonde.
Cagalli, on the other hand, felt uncomfortable. This means these people are from Orb…but how did they end up here? And how did they find out I was here? Nothing is adding up…
She was about to open her mouth to tell them off when she heard the crunching of leaves and the familiar rhythm of steps. "Kusanagi!" she called. "Oh, you've come to rescue me!"
A deep voice chuckled. "Not quite. It seems he's still loyal to me."
"Stand up," Kisaka ordered. "The princess doesn't appreciate all the formalities at this kind of setting."
At the command, all of the five men who were in charge of capturing the blonde stood and nodded at their leader in recognition.
"Ki-Kisaka?" Cagalli stammered. She clung onto one of the knots and tried to stand—it was difficult as the holes could almost fit her feet and the moss was too slippery, but in the end she was able to lift herself up. She bent her head down to catch a glimpse of the gray-haired man she thought she would never see. "How could you—you were—" she stopped, trying to think of what she was going to say. Tears were streaming down her face at the sight of her old bodyguard who seemed to be very much alive.
"I'm dreaming, aren't I? Kisaka, you're here; does this mean I'm dead, too?"
The former general laughed at her words. He sure had missed the young princess. Even as a little girl, she was quick to draw to conclusions and he was glad that five years did not do that much change to her—at least, that's from what he could see now. Haumea knows the trauma she's had. "No, we're both in the forest, Princess."
"Stop calling me Princess," she said, flustered. She couldn't stop crying, but she was also smiling like a damned fool. Her emotions were getting the better of her. "Kisaka, you're really here…"
"Yes, Cagalli," he reassured her. "Do you need proof of my well-being?"
"No," she said. "I need you to get me out of this damned trap!"
Kisaka gave a small grin at the hardheaded girl. "Her word is law. Ahmed, cut the ties."
"Yes, Sir!" The tanned boy saluted and then ran to a nearby stone where the whole rope was supported. Ahmed faced Kisaka, waiting for a signal.
Kisaka looked back up, filled with much mirth at Cagalli's impatience. She was practically clawing at the rope with the same determined look she always had. "Now, Cagalli," he said, catching her attention. "I'm going to count to three, and one of my men will cut the rope that's holding you up there. I'm sure that by now you know that you're rather up high, so I'm going to have to catch you—"
Before Kisaka could finish his instructions, Ahmed had already hit the rope with his sword and Cagalli came screaming down, waving her arms like a bird, struggling to get a sense of balance while in midair. Luckily, his reflexes were fast enough for him to extend his arms and catch her while he was still on Kusanagi.
"Oof," Cagalli said as her back met Kisaka's arm. Stumbling, she got up and threw her arms around Kisaka, still crying. "I still can't believe you're here…I was so lost back then, you wouldn't know—"
"I know, Cagalli," he comforted the younger girl. Though their age difference was almost ten years, he still saw her as a younger sister—if not, his own daughter. "I'll explain it to you later, but now, I'm sure it's best that we get you to the base first. You're quite dirty, Princess, and I'm sure you'd appreciate a nice, warm meal."
The imperial blonde released him and looked up at him, her amber eyes still shimmering with her tears. She was biting her lower lip in habit, and the words she wanted to tell him were stuck in her throat. Kisaka nodded, understanding why she felt like that, and merely patted her head.
"Cheer up, kid. Things are going to be sunshine pretty soon."
And despite herself, Cagalli found herself laughing gaily at the line.
Their base, Cagalli saw, was still in the forest. It was rather near the watchtower of the Aprilius City gates, but somehow they've kept themselves hidden. That or the Zaft soldiers guarding the area knew of the place but didn't tell on them. It was like a wooden shack, but spacious enough to fit at least twenty rooms—maybe even more. There was no need for lamps since it was still very bright. It was probably almost noon, and she heard something crash inside.
"Mayura, what do you think you're doing?"
"No, no! Juri, let me do this!"
"Mayura, why don't you ever listen?"
"Not you, too, Asagi! I told you, I can cook the dishes, let me—"
Cagalli was sure she was not mistaken when she heard the three names of the people arguing inside. She jumped off of Kusanagi albeit the protests of Kisaka and rushed to the door. She rapped on the stilted door in her eagerness to supposedly see three of her old friends.
"What—who is that? Kisaka, are you back already?" she heard another female voice ask. She couldn't place the voice, but knew that she was going to find out soon as the locks behind the door were clicking. The door opened to reveal a hazel-haired woman in a scarlet jacket with a familiar mark from Orb.
Erica Simmons looked at the girl in front of her. This was obviously not Kisaka, and she was sure that he wasn't keen on picking up younger girls from the forest.
"Kisaka, who is this?" she asked curiously at the general walking to the foyer, not looking away from the blonde.
Kisaka almost burst out laughing. He was expecting Cagalli to look irritated at the fact that one of her subjects not recognizing her, but was shocked when he saw her return Erica's calm look—she was almost smiling, even.
He looked down at the young princess. "I'm pretty sure you know her. This is Erica Simmons, supposed heir to the Morgenroete stables."
"Kusanagi came from there, didn't he?" the girl asked almost timidly. When Kisaka nodded, the girl seemed to look at Erica almost sympathetically "Supposed heir? Why are you here then?"
Erica twisted her lips, uneasy at answering the questions of a stranger. "I'm sure you're aware of the situation in Orb. The Seirans wanted us to produce a thousand horses for their army, otherwise they would—"
"You needn't explain your situation," Kisaka cut in. "Princess, you should know better than ask those kinds of questions when you yourself aren't where you're supposed to be."
At the sudden revelation, Erica's steel gray eyes widened. She got down on one knee and looked away from the princess, ashamed that she used such a tone on her. "Your Highness, please forgive me for I didn't know—"
"This panic doesn't suit your cool façade, Simmons," Cagalli commented dryly. Then, when Erica looked up at her, she gave a warm smile. "Besides, there is no need for you to address me as such. Since you seem to be more updated of Orb's happenings than I am, I'm sure you also know that right now, the title of princess isn't really mine."
Erica took this as a sign to stand. She saw that behind Cagalli, Kisaka and his men were waiting to get in. Not meaning to be disrespectful, she took Cagalli's hands and gently dragged her inside—if there was a way to carefully pull someone anyway.
"You are still a princess and the rightful heir to the crown of Orb," Erica insisted. "It's just not me who thinks so. The circumstance was unfortunate—no, it's disgusting on the Seiran's part, but it was not a formal exile, and I'm sure that as you haven't agreed to sever your ties with throne, your lineage stays. You are still an Athha through and through."
At this, Cagalli grimaced. Kisaka had stepped in and noticed this, but decided that it was best to speak to her of everything later.
Three girls stepped out of the kitchen and one of them dropped the utensils they were holding.
"Cagalli!" the redhead called out, embracing the princess in a hug.
"Mayura!" Cagalli gladly replied, returning her friend's hug. Among Mayura, Juri, and Asagi, she was admittedly closest to Mayura Labatt because they had the same tomboyish personality. When she used to visit the orphanage to play with the other children there, she would always stir some sort of trouble with Mayura's help. It was always to the dismay of Aunt Caridad and Mana, who had to clean up after the two girls. "I can't believe you're here, too!"
Asagi and Juri walked towards the two and bowed to the princess. Mayura pulled away and went back to her other friends' side.
Asagi Caldwell, a blonde with curled tresses and sky blue eyes, was the next to speak. "Cagalli, we haven't seen you for so long…how are you? And how did you get here? Did you come from Plant?"
"Yes, Cagalli," Juri Wu Nien, the other girl with blue hair and yellow eyes, interjected. She was quite shy and usually hid behind her large pink glasses. "Please tell us how you got here—"
"That's enough for now," Kisaka interrupted, coughing from the side. Beside him was Erica, looking concerned and at the same time giving Kisaka an accusing glare. "Princess, Erica will guide you to the room you will be staying in. After you take a bath, you shall eat—" He stopped when he heard a low grumbling noise emit from Cagalli's stomach. She merely chuckled and rubbed the back of her neck.
"Yeah, I'd appreciate that," she said.
Sighing, Kisaka continued, "I'm sure there are spare clothes you could wear. Erica will see to that. And these three will make sure that by the time you're done with cleaning yourself, you have something to fill that tiny stomach of yours—"
"Are you calling me scrawny, Kisaka!" Cagalli challenged, taking a defiant step forward and punching her fist in the air. "For your information, I am healthy and fit and able-bodied enough to do whatever the hell I want!"
He merely raised one of his gray brows at her. He remembered catching her and supporting her for a while before she sat on her own. She was light—it was like she didn't gain any weight to add to the inches she grew. Then when she looked up at him, even though there weren't any bags evident under her eyes, her cheeks were hollow and her golden eyes were surely holding something back.
She was Cagalli, he knew that for sure, but something has definitely changed. Somehow, he couldn't help but be guilty for what he's done, however, with the plot he had carefully planned over with some of his most trusted men, he was sure that he would make it up to her by giving her her title back.
"Whatever you say, Princess," he said in a defeated tone. The five men he was earlier with came inside and he turned around, facing the youngest. "Ahmed, you bring water to the bathroom for the princess. I bet you can handle that."
The boy blushed, afraid that the giant man would bring up an earlier, embarrassing event in front of the princess herself. Ahmed looked at the princess who was eyeing him pitifully. Her gaze said something in the lines of I'm sorry, I want to help you because I'm sure I can do it, but Kisaka probably won't let me.
He had given that look to the other people in this safe house as well.
Stepping out into the foyer, he breathed in the scent of the forest he was accustomed to smelling every day. Before he could go on to the river, he heard a shout.
"Oy! You, you're the one who let me drop like that a while ago! Come back, I said I would punch you—"
And Ahmed, scared for his own life, jumped onto his horse and led it to the river as fast as he could.
While walking through the small corridor of the house, Cagalli couldn't help but be unnerved by the subtle stares the few people she encountered were giving. It seemed as though they were skeptic yet at the same time grateful that she was there. She wanted to tell them off, but she had to keep an air of dignity around her at all times now that she was with her former subjects and all.
Still, she wished that they would just let her be while she was eating her food.
Cagalli didn't realize how hungry she really was until the three girls laid out a feast in front of her. Her mouth immediately watered and without a second thought, her fork had plunged into a piece of wild turkey with some kind of sauce made out of a certain berry. She had surely eaten a lot in such a short span of time, but she did so with grace—a skill she acquired from practicing fine dining for years.
There were only five other people sitting around the table with her—and she only knew two: Kisaka and Erica. The rest of them were total strangers to her, but it had seemed that they were all from Orb. There were plates set out in front of them, too, but they all had insisted that they were not hungry. Inside, she didn't believe them; she thought that they only felt guilty when she told them she hadn't eaten anything for more than two days. But then, she resumed her eating. More for me, then.
She reminded herself to praise Juri, Mayura, and Asagi for their brilliant cooking later.
After the table was cleared by another person, she turned to the five adults and asked, "How many people are here, exactly?"
"Aside from those three girls and the five of us, there are also around fifteen soldiers here and then ten small families," Erica supplied. "Kisaka and the others were the ones to smuggle those civilians out of Orb. The others are currently kind of fugitives at the different cities of Plant."
"I see," Cagalli replied with a frown. She wanted to know more, but the warning bells were going off in her head, almost telling her that she shouldn't know of any truth. "And how long has this operation been going on exactly?"
Kisaka knew what Cagalli really wanted to ask: Why didn't you come for me if you knew I was out there?
"After the siege, when I told you to go to Plant, Sahib here was escaping and they found me just as I was walking out to the path. They tried to help me, but then the soldiers from the Alliance chased after us and we ended up having to take refuge in the forest. We're near Plant territory, as you may have noticed, so the soldiers from Zaft probably scared those freaks from the Alliance away."
Cagalli listened intently, trying to process what he was saying. Somehow, she started to form a better picture of what happened to her trusted former bodyguard.
"But we weren't completely unnoticed by the guards. One of them came up to us and as he realized we were from Orb, asked what happened. We told him the truth, and he told us that his wife was in Orb who was probably in danger because of the takeover. He personally knew the king, and he promised to help us out if we got his wife out of Orb and brought her to Plant—we couldn't just say no. So after two months, we set out and got her plus another family out of Orb. It went for a while, us going back and forth every other month, rescuing families and the like.
"Then the situation got worse. Orb had officially declared herself closed from Plant and The Alliance, so it was impossible to get even close to the border, how much more if we went in and smuggled the people out? I tried to find you in Plant, but you were nowhere to be found."
"When did this stop?" Cagalli asked, resting her chin on her entwined hands.
"Just last year."
"Ah." She bit her tongue. "So these families are all safe in Plant, I presume?"
"Yes, Your Highness," the oldest one answered—though it came out more of a grunt. He was dark-skinned and had a medium-length brown beard covering his face. Cagalli assumed that this one was Sahib. "We made sure that they were going to be taken care of or had a way to make it there."
Still, Cagalli couldn't cross that thought out of her mind. If you knew I wasn't in Plant, Kisaka, then why didn't you come after me? You knew I wasn't dead, knew that I was still there in the forest—why didn't you get me there?
"You may think that I left you, Cagalli, but I never did," Kisaka admitted guiltily. "I know where you were, in the forest. There were tales from merchants from the Alliance that a blonde fairy steals from carriages—and I was sure that was you. Those stories started about half a year ago. That's when I realized you were still alive. I thanked Haumea and believe me, I tried to find you there, but I couldn't."
"Stealing? You knew I was stealing and thought that I knew what I was doing?" Cagalli scoffed, the feelings of pent up resentment finally uncovering itself after many years. "My life was hell! I had no one other than Kusanagi! I went through days with no food! I lost count on the number of days I was there because I had fainting spells and I didn't know how long I was passed out! I only had to resort to stealing a few months ago! You could have tried harder to find me!"
The house shook with her anger, the unbearable anguish evident in her voice. A few children passing were peeking from behind a post, but their mothers passed by and quickly hushed them, pushing them back into their respective rooms. Even the two other adults at the table were cringing at the princess's wrath.
Kisaka braced himself. "Yes, I was actually quite angry at first, knowing that you didn't go to Plant as was your father's instruction—"
"You couldn't have possibly expected me to follow through with that! Imagine the trauma it gave me, Kisaka! I was alone and I was frightened and do you honestly think I could have trusted anyone—"
"Yes, because that was your father's orders! You wouldn't defy him just like that, and I understand that you were most likely scared and unable to think properly with what you had witnessed, but that is no reason for you to disobey me and your father on a whim!" he scolded, raising his voice at her. "You brought this upon yourself, Cagalli. As much as I blame myself for not finding you sooner, you have to accept that this predicament could have been avoided if you had just not been so stubborn and went to Plant!"
Cagalli stiffened in her seat. He was right, she grudgingly admitted, and there was no arguing with Kisaka who always knew what was best for her. She gulped and took a breath to calm herself. "It is not that I was stubborn, Kisaka," she said with as much poise as she could muster. "What's done is done. You have your regrets; I have mine. Aren't you glad, though, that I learned a lot of things in the…"
"Five years, Your Highness," the other blond supplied.
"Five years, then. It's been five years, yet I feel as though I've aged more than I should have."
"Solitude tends to do that to us," the same blond cheekily stated; the brunette beside him elbowed him and gave him a glare with her hazel eyes. "Murrue, that hurt! I was only telling her the truth!"
"Comments like that are uncalled for, Mu," the woman said swiftly with another glare.
Cagalli could only look at the pair with wonder. "And you two are?"
The blond smiled at the princess. He would have winked had it not been for the look his seatmate was giving him. "Mu La Flaga at your service, Your Highness. I used to share the rank of captain with this fine lady—ow! Murrue, stop it!—here. This is Murrue Ramius, my fiancée."
"Fiancée?" Cagalli choked out, surprised that the two people quarreling were actually lovers.
"It isn't obvious, is it?" Sahib chuckled, putting his fist over his mouth. "Don't be fooled, Princess, these two are quite the pair. Even with the rather tumultuous events, they still think being engaged is practical."
Murrue glared at the dark man, too, and looked at the princess. "My apologies, Your Highness. As Mu said, I am Murrue."
Cagalli smiled wanly. "Could you please use my name instead? I prefer Cagalli to those titles."
"Will do, Cagalli," Mu said with a laugh. "See, Murrue? I told you she wasn't as uptight as you—ouch! Okay, no more insults, I promise."
Kisaka let out a loud cough, bringing an end to the lighter mood. "On to a more serious matter—Cagalli, you were brought here for a reason. We haven't had any contact with anyone from Orb for a year, but if our calendar serves us right, Orb will be sending out soldiers to look for you next week. They've been doing so for the past five years, all on the same day."
"I've noticed them, but they never really caught me," she said, half-lying. Indeed, they had caught her. At least, one had. It was three years ago, and the soldier had took pity on her, said that he believed in the Athha name more than anything, and let her go. His move had cost him his life. Cagalli saw as she was running away on Kusanagi that his comrades had stabbed him and chased after her.
The guilt of the man's life weighed her down, but Cagalli knew she had to move on.
"They're there every year. What's the occasion?"
The adults shared an uneasy look. "It doesn't matter," Kisaka answered. "But what you should know of is the goings-on of Orb."
At this, Cagalli's ears seemed to perk and her golden eyes shined with a certain interest. Kisaka grinned, knowing that this was her reaction to the kingdom she treasured so much. "There's not much to explain. The Seirans are still ruling and are backed up by a former duke from the Alliance, Lord Djibril. The citizens are being oppressed and they want to oust Unato Ema Seiran, but they're all too scared."
"And what are we to do with this?" Cagalli said with a grimace, her face contorting to an expression of seriousness. "Obviously we have to do something because I will not stand for this, for my people to be subjugated that way by those bastards!"
"Cagalli, calm down. I know how eager you are to act on it, but you're not yet prepared. We've thought of a plan, and you just need to fulfill a certain role for the rest of Orb."
"I'll be anything," Cagalli volunteered with a look of determination crossing her eyes. "Anything for Orb."
Kira looked down at the letter in his hands then back at the carrier pigeon eyeing him queerly. After he had given the bird a small treat, it flew away with a satisfied smile on its beak. After perusing the contents, he pocketed it and turned to his best friend. Athrun was busy reviewing the papers he collected and filed for him. They were a mix of Zaft reports and accounts from towns in the cities, so it would take him a while to read them all.
"Hey, Athrun," Kira fidgeted in his place. Athrun looked up from a folder and raised a brow at him. "See, since I was busy covering for you, I couldn't really go out these past two weeks, so there are a few other personal errands I have to run, and err, I was actually wondering if—"
"You could go?" Athrun supplied. He put the folder he was holding down onto the table in front of him and smiled up at his best friend. "Of course, Kira. You've done more than I expected you to do and I wouldn't want to hold you back from you doing what you want."
"Thank you, Athrun!" Kira replied with a grin. He picked his messenger bag off the ground and tossed it over his shoulder. Before exiting the crowded office, he looked back at the blue-haired prince and warned, "Don't overwork yourself this time, okay? And make sure you go to the infirmary later to replace your bandages. I won't be here to catch you if you faint—"
"Please don't mention that ever again." Athrun closed his eyes and brought up a hand to massage his temples. He was absolutely mortified at the mention of his little stunt last night when he was meeting with his father. "I'd appreciate it if we just forgot that it ever happened."
Kira snickered. "How about I don't? It was hilarious!"
"It was shameful," Athrun said with a droll tone. "The court saw me, Kira! I'm the figure they're supposed to be looking up to next to the king, but look at what I did—I just collapsed and now I can't go out to face Father's disparaging looks."
"No, I don't think their opinion of you would change just because of what happened last night." Kira tried to give his friend an empathic smile. "Anyway, I better head off. You sure you'll be fine?"
Athrun did a double take. He blinked and rubbed his eyes until the image of a blond was no longer burned onto his retina. That's weird, he thought to himself, I thought I saw Cagalli in Kira.
"Yes," he finally said. "I'll be fine."
Kira gave a nod. "I'll be off then. Also, I'm not sure if I'm coming back to the castle or if I'm going to sleep over at my friend's, so…"
"Whatever, Kira," Athrun laughed. "Goodbye, then."
When he saw that Kira had closed the door behind him, Athrun let out a sigh. He should really stop thinking about Cagalli. There was no denying the attraction he felt towards her, but there was no possible way for them to be together. He was trapped in his engagement to Lacus and if his father found out about Cagalli, he would have his men go after her in the forest and perhaps take her head and bring it back to him on a silver platter just to spite him, remind him what his life was supposed to be.
But here he was, and he couldn't stop thinking of a certain blonde who had captured his attention and—he wasn't even sure if she felt the same way towards him. He groaned, sinking himself further into his chair. She was too much of a distraction and she would surely be the reason why his father would send one of the servants to knock on his door and demand for the summary of the reports.
Right, Athrun, you should focus, he told himself. But as soon as he closed his eyes, he could only imagine Cagalli's figure in front of him, blushing as she held a long piece of cloth to wrap around him.
Damn it!
Cagalli stared back at them, reluctant to give an immediate reply. They seemed to have everything planned out. All they needed was Cagalli to be their Goddess of Victory, their queen once they've gotten their hands on the Seirans and Lord Djibril. They apparently didn't even need to break into Orb as their entrance was secured—the guards would let them in because they were apparently loyal to her.
She scrunched her nose and flared up. "Then what is the point of me if I'm not really going to fight?"
Kisaka immediately glared at her. "We do not want to risk your life in the scuffle—"
"And it's fine for a hundred or more men to die in my name? I don't think—"
"The people need a queen! You're the only one who could take on such a position—"
"Because of my supposed royal blood? You know damn well that I'm not really—"
"Your actual parentage aside, you're the only one Uzumi-sama trusted with Orb!"
His final words felt like a slap, and surely it had stung as Cagalli's anger faltered, much to her chagrin. Slightly content, Kisaka continued, "King Uzumi did not want Orb to fall into the hands of people like the Seirans—those who do not understand the meaning of Orb's ideals and will leave the country in ruins."
Cagalli thought for a moment. Then, she said, "I will not accept. Not unless you let me fight along with you."
"I said no, Cagalli! Why are you so damn stubborn about this—"
"Because I need to prove to my kingdom that their queen is more than able, that I can and will fight for them, for those ideals we're trying to protect. Kisaka, don't you see? I've been gone for five years and they don't know what I can do!" Cagalli argued some more, standing up from her seat and slammed her palm against the wooden furniture. "If you're going to reason that it's because I know nothing of battle, then I will not accept because I know nothing of being a proper monarch either. I could learn the latter as I go, but I could learn the former now, while we're all preparing for the reconquering."
She softened her expression and looked directly into Kisaka's eyes. "Please, Kisaka, let me do this. My father's sacrifice, all for naught—"
"And think of those people in Orb who blindly believe in you coming back to them, Cagalli. Think of all those protesters who died in your name; that man who burned himself alive on stage—he was crazy, yes, but only because he firmly believed that dying in such a way was better than dying in the hands of the filthy Alliance soldiers. That's the real spark to this revolution—literally, too. He was a fool for almost burning down the whole of Heliopolis. Think of them, Cagalli. Their sacrifice, all for naught if you decide to let yourself be killed."
"I think you should let her, Kisaka," Mu quipped. "I'll train her myself, if you allow me. I understand her point here, and I think that if she wants to fight, we shouldn't stop her."
"That is a very irresponsible decision, Mu," Murrue scowled at her fiancé. Kisaka nodded, agreeing. "But I think she's right. Leaders shouldn't cower behind their subjects. I speak of this from my personal experience as a captain." She paused, facing the former general. "Kisaka, I agree with Mu and Cagalli."
Kisaka groaned. "Is there no convincing any of you?"
Everyone in the table shook their heads. Erica smiled slightly and said, "We're all fighting for something here, Kisaka; I'm sure Princess Cagalli here just wants to do the same. By now, we all know that she is no damsel in distress."
Cagalli smirked at the older woman, but inside she was saddened at the reminder of how helpless she was before they came to get her. She could not have marched back to Orb on her own, and now that she was aware that her people still supported her, she had felt as though a giant load has been lifted off of her back and that she could actually do something to repay them.
"Thank you for your encouragement, everyone except Kisaka," she said. The others snickered—even Kisaka had a small grin in place of the firm line that was usually his lips. "Is there anything else I need to know of?"
Before any adult could reply, the door slammed open and a hooded figure barged in. He was not holding a weapon, but he seemed to be in a state of frenzy, causing poor Juri, who was guarding the door, to fall down onto the floor. The person had not even noticed her groaning and went up to the nearest person in his line of vision.
"Is it true?" he exclaimed, the excitement evident in his tone. "Is it true? Is she really here?"
Cagalli stood up and ran to the small parlor. It was him, she was sure, and although she had ran away from him yesterday, she wasn't going to let him go anytime soon once she reached him.
The person's cloak fell down to his neck, revealing coffee-brown hair tousled from riding in a rush.
"Kira?"
Purple orbs met amber ones.
"Cagalli!"
End of Chapter Four
Notes: I hope that clears out some confusion about The Goddess of Victory. Basically, the citizens in Orb are blinded by their hope. Anything pertaining to the former royal family (the Athhas) would start a riot because they so badly want to believe that they'll be saved.
Song of the Chapter: The Wolves by Ben Howard
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