Heavy Lies The Crown: Chapter Twelve
by Starrify
Let me face this, let me sleep, and when I wake up, let me breathe.
When I wake up I'm afraid somebody else might take my place.
When I wake up I'm afraid somebody else might end up being me.
It was her fourth night away from Heliopolis and she was exhausted. But she was determined to finish her campaign. This was the only way the people of Orb—her people—will know of the truth, of what's really happening in the center of their kingdom and of what is to happen if she is not able to reclaim the throne from the impostor.
"Please," she rasped through her strained vocal chords. Shouting and preaching wasn't an easy job, for sure, but if it was anyone else who spoke other than her, then the people will be in more disbelief. As is, it was difficult to accept that there was someone else in the Athha castle posing as the heir to the throne. "Please listen to me."
For years I have been in exile. Years in which all of you have suffered under the rule of the Usurper; years in which Orb was degraded, our land desecrated. As you know, there is someone in Heliopolis who claims that she is Cagalli Yula Athha. But that is not the case—please, believe me! I am the real heir, the real daughter of King Uzumi Nara Athha. I am the real princess and the one in the castle is merely an impostor.
At that point, only a third of the initial crowd stayed. The others dismissed her claims and walked away, thinking her mad. Her heart felt heavier than before whenever she saw another person left, but Kisaka made sure she stayed firm in place especially because she could feel her knees giving in.
"Don't stop now, Cagalli," Kisaka whispered to her. "You've already made this speech in seven other towns. You can sway their hearts."
"The coronation will take place ten days from now and I do not intend for Orb to fall into the wrong hands." She took a deep breath and tried to look them all in the eye. "I will put the name of my house to shame—no, I will let my father's sacrifice be in vain if I let such a thing happen. If you stand with me in Heliopolis on that day, then you will be saving your kingdom. Please, consider my claim. I tell all of this with nothing but honesty in my heart. May Haumea bless you all and lead you to do the right thing."
"Where were you when we had soldiers raiding the villages?" a man shouted from the crowd. "Where were you when our children were brutalized for fighting back? What good is your claim now? Ever since the person you call an impostor told us we were safe, nothing has happened! We are living in peace now! Maybe she is the leader we need and not you!"
Cagalli felt like puking. In fact, there was already a bitter taste in her mouth from bile rising up her throat. She clenched her fists so tightly she felt her nails digging into the bottom of her palm—physical pain was better than the emotional pain from the man's words.
"I bet you were living luxuriously in another kingdom while they burned down our houses!"
She will not cry. She will not show weakness to those she had to convince that she was strong.
I lived in the forest for five years. Alone. I did not go to the Alliance or to Plant. I lived in the forest by myself because I did not know who I could trust. I did not know where to go. I've served my years in exile. What could a girl of thirteen have done? Could I have led an army and brought down the Usurper? What use would I have been? I would have been a puppet; just like what the impostor is now.
"Please, listen to me," she begged again. "Believe in me."
"Your Excellency." Mu and Murrue both knelt as they were brought to the center of the throne room. They had arrived in Copernicus over an hour ago and after some convincing of the right people, they were finally granted an audience with King George Allster. "Thank you so much for letting us speak with you."
King George Allster laughed heartedly and told them to rise. "After I heard that you were from Orb and that you had news about one of the most wanted men in the Alliance, well, I couldn't quite deny you."
"We came here as messengers of Princess Cagalli Yula Athha." Murrue smiled graciously, thinking about the feisty blonde. "She asks of your assistance."
"To my knowledge, the young girl has liberated the kingdom of Orb from the Usurper, has she not?"
"The one who did so is an impostor," Mu explained. "The real Athha heir was with us when Orb was supposedly freed. We have reason to believe that it is still the man named Djibiril who is behind the fake Princess."
"Lord Djibiril has always been a troublesome man." George took a deep breath, furrowing his brows. "In the Treaty of Junius, I pledged to purge the kingdoms of the Blue Cosmos; however I was lenient with Djibiril while he was in my court because we had no evidence to use against him. It has led to the suffering of those in Orb and I cannot help but feel that I am culpable. I've tried to send troops to get the man with the Usurper, but those men do not return successful—in fact, they often return dead."
"So we've heard the stories," Mu tried to laugh awkwardly; Murrue's glare silenced him. "And the Treaty of Junius does not allow you to form an army larger than a certain number, am I right?"
George nodded. "The same goes with Zaft. At any time, we can only have an army that is around a twentieth or so of the population. And the full army cannot be engaged without a proper declaration of war—and that declaration must also undergo the war council, which was supposedly in Orb because it is the neutral kingdom, but then…"
Murrue frowned. "The circumstances are all too complex—we understand that. But surely there is a way for you to aid Orb."
"If King Zala is involved then the answer is a definite no."
"We assure you that neither Plant nor Zaft is involved in this," Mu pledged, looking to his fiancée for assurance. After she nodded, he felt more secure in his words. "The real Princess promises whatever you want in return—that is, whatever is fair for your assistance in taking down Djibiril."
"I will count on that favor in the future, then."
George's gray eyes softened at the thought of the poor girl who was only a year or so older than his own daughter. He couldn't imagine his Flay having to go against such a great evil.
"Now, to make those arrangements—"
"Daddy!"
The doors opened again and Mu and Murrue momentarily turned around to see who it was that screeched. A red-haired girl with a pink dress strutted into the throne room and smiled. Mu and Murrue saw the tiara on her head and went down on their knees—again.
She giggled and said, "Please stand up. I wish to talk to you as well."
The couple looked at each other confusedly before rising up together. The girl walked on to stand next to the King and Mu and Murrue turned around again.
"Captains Mu La Flaga and Murrue Ramius, I'd like to introduce you to my daughter, Princess Flay Allster."
The girl giggled before looking at the two lowly. Murrue raised a brow—it seemed that someone knew her place all too well.
"Daddy," Flay purred with a big smile on her face. "I can think of something I want from Orb."
The King looked embarrassed to have his spoiled daughter interrupt a very important meeting, but he did not bother to stop whatever request she was going to make. He lifted a hand and signaled to her to go on and tell her plea to Mu and Murrue, who looked equally as mortified.
"I want a boy named Kira Yamato."
Her entire body felt like dead weight as she sat behind Kisaka on the back of Kusanagi, her fingers loosely hanging onto the fabric that covered her guardian's back. He looked back at the tired princess once or twice and she looked ready to not just fall asleep, but literally fall off the back of the horse they were on.
"Cagalli." His voice was mute as he cautiously watched their surroundings. There was a bounty on his head, Todaka informed him; they could not afford for him to be spotted. "We're almost back at the orphanage."
The blonde forced her heavy-lidded eyes to open. It wasn't completely dark since dawn was meant to break in an hour or so. She hadn't slept for more than eight hours in the past three days alone. How could she? All that was on her mind was the troubled look of the people she had talked to.
They had spent the past week going to the towns in the outer lands, going from door to door and telling the people of her story, of the truth, of the justice that awaits the Usurper and whoever else is behind the current impostor on the throne. There were many skeptics—and that was what hurt her most. She had only so much confidence in herself and the more people who were in disbelief, the more she wanted to give up.
But Kisaka told her that her words will stay in their minds.
Still, she had been—and is—very anxious. By now she had talked to thousands of people—her people. She had preached and campaigned, begged for their silence until the day of the coronation. Some grimaced and agreed half-heartedly, some shook their heads as though she was a madwoman. Some knelt immediately and kissed her hands—similar to how Todaka reacted when he first saw her.
Everything they planned so far depended on what would happen on the day of the coronation. If the people she had told will stand with her, hopefully the others will, too. And then the bloodshed. They will make their stand, fight their way into the castle where they will find the impostor and the Usurper and the man behind the siege of Orb: Lord Djibiril of the Alliance.
The man behind Father's fate.
"It is inevitable, Princess." This time, it was Andrew who spoke. "It may not be a full-blown war, but there will be casualties. It will definitely not be a pretty sight, but we can only hope that the end justifies the means."
"Nothing should justify killing another person," she had tried to argue back. But the way the two older men looked at her made her wish she could take back her words. How stupid of her to say that in the presence of two veterans who fought in wars and in times of unrest!
Kisaka saw her unease and decided to acquiesce with her slightly. "It really is inevitable, Cagalli."
She didn't bother to speak for the rest of their short trip. They were less than a mile away but still they had to travel in the shadows as to not alert the patrolling guards. It was only in the center of Orb, Heliopolis, that Djibiril bothered to have guards on rounds. In the outlying towns they were able to travel without hiding, but here they had to be more than careful.
"We're here, Princess."
Cagalli wasn't even aware that she had fallen asleep, but when she opened her eyes again, she saw the faint light coming from the small window of the orphanage. Kisaka carried her down and she stood, stretched her limbs—her feet glad to be feeling the ground again.
"You go on ahead," Andrew told Kisaka and Cagalli. "I'll just tie the horses at the back."
The gray-haired man nodded and led the princess to the door. They knocked tentatively—the secret knock they had developed before they left in order to alert Caridad that they were back. It didn't take long before the purple-haired matriarch stepped out and took in the blonde in her arms. Cagalli returned the gesture to her biological aunt, liking the feeling of being held by her. She was the closest she could get to a motherly figure, after all—next to Manna, that was.
"Cagalli?"
Caridad let go of her niece and stepped aside, giving Cagalli a view of the orphanage's receiving area. There, on one of the chairs was the pink-haired woman who had arrived a few days after they had arrived in Orb. Lady Lacus Clyne, the fiancée of Prince Athrun Zala. She went to the orphanage because she said she didn't know where else to go; Reverend Malchio was a friend of her father's, she said. She was shocked to find Kira there, but fell into his arms anyway.
And apparently she hadn't left since.
"Hello, Kira," Cagalli greeted back; her voice barely there. "Lacus."
"A good morning to you, Your Highness," Lacus stood up and curtsied—which was a funny sight considering no one in the orphanage showed that kind of respect to Cagalli. Still, she accepted it as it was part of the whole 'I-am-a-better-princess-than-the-actual-princess' front. "I am glad that you three returned safely."
The blonde eyed her brunet twin. "Why are you both still up?"
"Kira knew that you were coming back today and couldn't wait," Lacus supplied, stepping forward to pour the contents of a kettle into a cup. It was probably tea, Cagalli thought; ladies apparently inherently loved the taste of leaves. "While I…"
"Lacus was having nightmares," Kira answered truthfully, which earned him a stern glare from Lacus for a few seconds before she sighed in defeat. He took the cup from Lacus's dainty hands and offered it to Cagalli. "It's hot chocolate."
The princess did a double-take; she hadn't expected this sort of hospitability from the pink-haired lady. They hadn't talked previously because Lacus was still in shock when she arrived and would not speak to anyone—not to her escorts or to Reverend Malchio. It was only when she saw Kira that she spoke again. Cagalli and Kira were on their way out—Kira was supposed to travel with them to the other towns, but decided to stay for Lacus's sake.
Cagalli didn't miss the way her twin held the pink-haired girl's hand. Wasn't she supposed to be engaged to Athrun? And wasn't Athrun Kira's best friend?
"I was hoping to speak with you, actually," Lacus confessed, smiling innocently. "A conversation with you has been long overdue. Given the many circumstances I understand that it isn't the most convenient task, but it is completely necessary, I assure you."
She took a sip from her hot chocolate and plopped on one of the chairs before turning to Kira. "Could this not wait until after I sleep?"
"It could," Kira said. "But if it's about Athrun, I doubt that you'd want to wait."
"You see, I've been aware of your feelings for my fiancé." Lacus gracefully sat down and Kira took the seat next to her. "Or rather, of his feelings for you."
"Athrun doesn't love Cagalli."
"Oh, he does, Kira." Lacus laughed—again, so ethereally; Cagalli felt so insecure in her presence because she was engaged to the prince of Plant and she was able to make Kira fall in love with her. "We've had this discussion already. I'm sure he loves her so."
Cagalli blinked. She was in need of sleep and she was so not prepared to watch her twin and the fiancée of the guy she loved flirt with each other.
"Athrun is your fiancé," Cagalli pointed out to test the reactions from the two in front of her. Kira grimaced while Lacus put her hand over Kira's. "He loves you; he was supposed to give you that ring."
"How did you know that?" Kira asked.
Oh. Cagalli froze in place. Right, I didn't tell him of how I met Athrun. In fact, she hadn't remembered that Lacus also knew of what happened on that eventful day.
Her gaze slowly travelled up to Lacus's mischievous baby blue eyes.
"If he loved her, he would have confided that to her," Lacus answered for Cagalli—which was a great relief for the blonde because she couldn't think of any other alibi. "Please, Kira; don't ask such trivial questions."
"It wasn't trivial; I was genuinely curious!"
Cagalli interrupted them before they could flirt some more in front of her. "What exactly is the point of this necessary conversation? As far as I can tell, this can wait until this afternoon when I am fully rested."
"Athrun is in danger." Lacus said resolutely; her voice not as playful as it was just a minute ago. She took the tea cup on the table in front of her and took a sip from it; Cagalli also took this small break to take another sip from her hot—more like lukewarm now—chocolate. "That is, the longer he stays in Orb, the more he is in danger."
She dragged her breath until her lungs told her that she actually needed air to live.
"Athrun's father, the King, poisoned my father because he openly opposed his plan to annihilate Orb in order to get a man named—"
"Djibiril. Yes, Athrun told me of that man's plans to engage Plant in a new war."
"You need to find him before the King moves his forces forward. Or else there will be no kingdom for you to take back."
The blonde gulped down the rest of her hot chocolate. She had two great obstacles to her throne—two men whose thirst for blood will harm hundreds of thousands of innocent lives.
"Why is King Zala so fixated on Djibiril? He was part of the Alliance and was loyal to the late King Azrael. And so?"
"Because Lord Djibiril is part of the cult of the Blue Cosmos," Kira explained, remembering the history lessons from Copernicus. They were the worshippers of the stars and those who look to divination for answers. They prophesized that there was something off with the kingdom of Plant, saying it will be a site of foreign sorcery—not foreign as in other-kingdom -foreign, but life-outside-of-this-planet foreign. Cults were a great taboo because of the horrors that were linked to them, but if there was one thing the Alliance was rich of, it was vast in religions and cults. "They're the most crazy and most extreme of the lot."
"I know." Cagalli racked her head, trying to remember her own history lessons. "They planned to annihilate the Kingdom of Plant and so they triggered the war, did they not?"
"Blue Cosmos has proven to be the greatest threat to Plant so far," Lacus said with much austerity. "The King is right in wanting to get rid of them, but to destroy another kingdom to get a man and his soldiers who are believers—well, it is just as extreme."
Cagalli stood and tried to shake off her drowsiness with the new information from Lacus. She was really tired but at the same time she felt mentally awake—probably a reaction from her great concern for Athrun.
"I wish I could want revenge from the King Patrick Zala because he killed my father," Lacus admitted meekly, sinking into her chair as she watched Cagalli pace around the small parlor. "But I cannot. Once I had admired him for being strong despite losing the person he loved the most. He led the kingdom well and managed to let the different cities prosper even just after the war. He was also like a second father to me."
She took a deep breath and held onto Kira's hand.
"But you, Princess Cagalli—I understand how you could want revenge, how you could want to kill a man you don't know." She showed the blonde a small smile. "It is easy, after all, to hate a stranger. But please be careful; it is the same kind of hatred which drove the King Zala to lose his stability."
Cagalli nodded and her gaze fell onto the couple's entwined hands. What she needed right now—other than sleep—was a hand to hold. And as her brother's was taken, she wanted to hold Athrun's instead; but he was in her castle, in what felt like a world away. He was in danger and she felt lonelier than ever.
"I hope you four men and lady have been enjoying yourselves in the castle," Stellar said while waiting for the server beside her to finish peeling an orange. "It must be terribly boring being cooped up in here; I know, I've been here since I was a little girl."
Athrun tightened his hold on the fork in his hand before stabbing it precisely to the center of his slice of meat. This impostor was trying her best to be convincing—she had been trying for the past week now, but all she did was get on his nerves. The real Cagalli didn't talk the way she did, so aloof and almost like she was in some trance; no, she said what was on her mind.
"Not really, Your Majesty," quipped Dearka with a small grin. "We've been enjoying ourselves just well. The gardens are fascinating and there are a lot of corridors in which playing hide and seek is enjoyable."
Yzak glared at the blond's unnecessary comment about them going into corridors they shouldn't be in, but thankfully the impostor didn't catch onto what Dearka meant.
"And the servants have been very accommodating with giving tours and explaining the different artworks," Nicol said with a big smile—though inside he felt it was wrong to smile at the fake princess. Still, he found that she was quite an agreeable person who was unnecessarily being hated on for being someone she thought she could be. "And I like spending time in the music room."
"The music room?" Stellar asked confusedly. She had never been in a room with musical instruments of any sort—then again, the only rooms she had ever been were her quarters in the tower and the throne room. When she realized that the Plant delegates were waiting for a reply, she quickly amended her slip-up. "Ah, the music room. I wasn't aware you were played an instrument."
Athrun wanted to roll his eyes, but he was in the presence of her two bodyguards—Sting and Auel, a skilled archer and a well-versed swordsman, respectively. The two were watching the group closely, just waiting for a small misstep which could give them an excuse to kill them all there and then. He had already told his friends to be careful, especially when the two were around.
"If you would like, I could play for you, Princess," Nicol offered, still smiling. "I've composed a few pieces myself and it would be my honor to play them for you."
"That would be nice, but I believe we have a different agenda for today." Stellar raised her hand and called for one of the servants.
A man stepped forward and took a scroll from his pocket and read it out loud. "After noon, the Princess Cagalli Yula Athha shall embark on the Royal March. Her return to the castle will be followed by a feast and the initiation rites."
"I've read of this tradition before," Shiho interjected. "It is what Orb monarchs do a week before their coronation: they travel from the castle to the Holy Temple of Haumea. During that trek, the monarch will have a candle which should not go out—it shows their god's favor."
Stellar nodded; not even she knew what that was. "Yes, you're quite a learned woman, Lady Hahnenfuss. Very admirable."
"That is a great compliment coming from you, Your Majesty."
"It is, is it not?" Stellar laughed haughtily. Again, Athrun was irritated because Cagalli didn't laugh that way—hers was more real. Stellar seemed to catch onto Athrun's ire and turned to face the prince. "Why, is something the matter, Prince Athrun?"
Athrun shook his head and averted his gaze towards the egg on his plate. He probably looked as though he wanted to murder the poor unborn chick, but he didn't care much for how he appeared to that impostor. She seemed like a nice girl, though there was something greatly off about her. He just couldn't shake the feeling that this girl—whatever her true name was—had a bigger secret to hide.
And that secret was probably Lord Djibiril.
"He's just upset, my lady," Yzak answered cool-headedly, eyeing his friend. "He's like a bird who feels trapped in a cage far from his own."
"Then why did you not say so in the first place?" Stellar frowned. "I was not aware that I was keeping you all trapped here. Prince Athrun, you have offered your assistance and I have not accepted any yet as I see no need for it. You are free to leave the castle whenever you wish. There are beautiful sights which you must see in the other towns."
"I just wish for some air," Athrun said, finally taking a slice from the egg. "A ride out would be nice."
"That could easily be arranged. I'll have your horses brought out of the stables. You may travel freely, but please do be back by supper. After the Royal March there will be a feast."
"Thank you, Your Highness," Shiho said in behalf of the Prince. "For your hospitality so far, that is."
"Well, if that is all." Stellar stood—and the Prince and his Red Knights stood as well out of supposed respect for the so-called Princess. "I best be preparing. My future subjects are already waiting outside."
They all bowed as she walked out of the dining hall; her personal guards glaring at their group before closing the doors behind them. Once they were alone—or as alone as they can get with all the other attendants present in the room—Athrun put on a scowl which undoubtedly terrified the young maids and servers.
"This may not be the proper place but I wish to speak to my escorts in private," he said with a commanding tone. When he saw how scared the attendants were, he sighed and added politely, "Please."
They all nodded and bowed respectfully before exiting the dining hall in a single file using the passage specifically designated for the attendants.
"Except you."
Athrun had spotted the older woman a few nights ago, when they were dining with the Princess for the first time. She had stayed with the other attendants on the side, but the other younger ones looked to her before going on to serve the Princess—as though they were asking for her approval. He theorized that she knew something and at this point where they had no leads to Djibiril no matter how hard they tried to search the castle, anything was good enough.
"Me, Your Highness?" the woman looked even more alarmed than previously. She looked to her right and left before stepping forward and curtsying. "How may I be of assistance?"
He waited until there was no one else in the room until he spoke again. "You will tell me everything you know of Princess Cagalli Yula Athha. What is your name?"
The old woman smiled. "You saw her just a few minutes ago, Your Highness. She is just as you see."
"The other attendants look up to you because you're older; but that's not all there is to it, is it? You know something which the others do not."
"I assure you that it isn't the case, Prince Athrun."
"We are alone and yet you still lie."
"Your Highness, please; I am not lying to you."
"But you are withholding information," he said, barely being able to contain his frustration. They had been in Orb for a little over a week now and still they have nothing that could help them to start a potential war from brewing—and more importantly, at least to Athrun, he knew nothing that would help him find Cagalli again. "I know who the real Cagalli Yula Athha is and whoever that girl was is not her!"
What he said seemed to be enough for the older woman to place her trust in him. She walked to the door that led to the servants' passage, opened it to check that no one was eavesdropping; and promptly walked back to her side of the room.
"I was the governess of the princess when she was younger," the woman said unflinching under the Prince's anger—she had seen much worse from the Seirans and that man. "My name is Manna."
Nicol let out a sigh in relief for his friend. He looked to Athrun and saw that he was less tense than a while ago. Seeing the stress Athrun was going through, Nicol prodded, "What can you tell us about the Princess, Manna?"
"I cannot tell you much," Manna answered honestly. She kept transferring her gaze from Athrun's cold green eyes to the wooden door, ready to silence herself if it did so much as creak. Even when it was made of heavy bricks, the walls were still not secure enough to hold out those who really wish to overhear conversations. "Not as long as we are in this castle."
"Later then, during the Royal March," Athrun told her. "Tell us where we can find you."
"At the Desert Rose, a local pub. Ask anyone in town and they can tell you where it is."
Athrun sat back down and took in a deep breath. This was the lead he had been searching for the past week and he was thankful to whatever god was behind proving his hunches correct. It had been so long since he last saw her that he was already forgetting the details he swore to himself he would always remember: her hair was gold and it reached her back and her eyes were somewhere between yellow and orange; her name was Cagalli and she liked red hibiscuses…
"Thank you," Nicol said to the older woman. Manna smiled back at the young man and curtsied, signaling her leave. He then turned around and walked back to Athrun's side. His friend had been put under much duress, trying to look for a man who might not have been there—and all for the sake of the one he loved.
When Athrun had come clean to them once they arrived in Orb, they were all shocked—and naturally so. They had believed that their only mission was to find the man they named Djibiril, but to discover that the person they were supposedly assisting was an impostor—well, that was something else entirely.
"We should get ready soon." Athrun stood and walked to the door. He knocked on the wooden entrance and it opened for him. "We'll ride out and watch the Royal March as civilians. Dress accordingly."
The four nodded and watched as their friend went on ahead, probably thinking too much again.
Djibiril looked out from the highest balcony of the Seiran Estate. From his vantage point, he could see the people preparing for the Royal March. Banderas lined the exterior of the different business establishments; small flags with a big sun in the middle were in the hands of the many people, waving them around proudly.
Such pride for their broken kingdom, Djibiril mused to himself. They don't even know what's going to hit them.
Once Stellar was in the seat of power, she would recruit the men of Orb to fight, to convince them of their true nature. She'd charm them with her words and have preachers enlighten the people—Plant is the enemy for they are impure; Haumea knows the true darkness in their hearts. The people of Orb will suck it up because what they blindly believe in their goddess and anything said with Haumea's name was bound to be true for them.
And then the bloodshed.
Djibiril did not care for the blood of Orb, but he wanted nothing but to see the spilled red from the people of Plant—most especially that of King Patrick Zala. And his blood was also in the Prince in the castle of Orb. It had been tempting not to have the boy outright killed, but that would trigger the war. They were not prepared and he'd lose.
The door that led to the balcony opened and he didn't bother to turn around to see who it was. There was only one more person who had the power to open doors in this giant house. On the railings, Djibiril's cat stood and hissed at the intruder.
"To what do I owe the pleasure of your company, young Seiran?" He smirked and walked to the side of the balcony, his eyes not leaving the view of the city of Heliopolis. "It seems you haven't been in your own estate for the past few days."
Yuna glared at the older man who would not face him. "I've been out, yes."
"Will you tell me what you were doing when you were out?"
"Looking."
"Looking?"
"I've been assisting in the hunt for Ledonir Kisaka."
"And what did you intend to do on the occasion that you find him?"
"Ask him where she is."
"And if he told you of her location?"
"I would take her with me across the sea," Yuna replied coolly, to which Djibiril furrowed his brows. "You had promised me before that she'd be taken in alive and that I would keep her."
Djibiril finally turned around and met Yuna's blue-gray eyes. He sized up the younger Seiran, who was lean and fit compared to his pig of a father. His gait was also different—less proud, but with just enough confidence to establish himself as the heir to the Seiran fortune.
"Did I promise you that?" Djibiril's smile was met with a frown. "I can't seem to remember."
"You did," Yuna grit out of his lined teeth. "You agreed that if she be found, I would take her away with me."
Djibiril walked towards the young man and put an arm on his shoulder. He led her away from the terrace and back into the room which Djibiril has confined himself in for the past week—his asylum as he could not show his face in the castle anymore; not when the prince of his enemy kingdom was living there.
"Plans change, young Seiran," he started, sitting down. His cat followed them into the room and made himself comfortable on his master's lap. "Did you not consider that if you did take her with you, she would not stop fighting for her freedom? She'd resist you for as so long as she lives—and what if she decides that death is a better fate than being with you? How that would break you, would it not, Yuna?"
The Seiran heir did not bother to speak; he could not deny what Djibiril was saying, after all.
"Let me have her first," Djibiril proposed—to which Yuna gave him a scowl. "I do not mean to harm her physically, but let me break her soul and emotionally incapacitate her."
"I don't want to emotionally incapacitate her," Yuna replied, still glaring at the older man. "I want her to love me."
"And love you, she will!" Djibiril laughed, bemused. "She will, she will. Trust me, young Seiran. I've yet to fail you, haven't I? Now, I will ask you again: to what do I owe the pleasure of this visit of yours?"
Yuna breathed out, frustrated. He knew how the man loved to play games and yet he could still let himself be easily riled up. Yuna would have no more of that, he decided.
"I'm going out again to watch the Royal March."
"What's the point? You've met Stellar—she's nothing significant to look at."
He clenched his fists. Yuna pitied the blonde because he knew of her emotional outbursts. He'd had a few decent conversations with the young girl and while she would occasionally become crazy and go into a killing rampage to anyone who tried to subdue her, she was still a nice girl—a nice girl who didn't deserve to be used as a pawn in Djibiril's schemes.
Still, Yuna would also sacrifice her—or anyone else, for the matter—just so he could get what—or rather, who—he wanted.
"I will find Cagalli Yula Athha."
"Kira told me you've been having nightmares."
Lacus didn't expect the Princess to talk to her outside of Kira's presence, but there Cagalli was, standing in front of her bed and speaking directly to her, asking her about herself and not about Kira.
"Your escort—Martin Da Costa, was it? He said you were there in the carriage when your father…"
"I was," Lacus replied, sitting up and looking back at the supposedly rebellious princess. She smiled, touched by the sisterly gesture the blonde was showing. "It all just plays in my head and I remember how he fell limp and just…left."
"My mother died when I was very little," Lacus confided, very comfortable with the blonde. Perhaps this natural ease with her was what attracted Athrun to her? Speaking to her was similar to speaking with Kira—they were both great listeners and understanding with their compassion. "I was so young; I didn't have any memories of her. So for my whole life, it was just me and my father. He was my life."
Cagalli swallowed the lump that formed in her throat. She knew all too well how that felt. Sensing that this conversation was going to take longer than she planned, she took a stool and sat on it. She bit on her lower lip, thinking of what to say. She didn't plan on talking to the pink-haired girl, not really, but she noticed that Lacus was shaking in her sleep; and so she stayed in front of the girl and watched over Lacus until she woke up, thinking it was a favor to Kira.
"It's not easy at first," she said after a minute more of thinking. "Waking up in your sweat, pretending that it's okay. I mean, it will be okay—eventually. But talking about it helps; I suppose that's what you've been doing with Kira."
"He coaxed me to speak once more. Kira has been nothing but supportive."
"Yeah, that's Kira for you." Cagalli smiled bitterly. "I wish I had him—or anyone at all—when my father died. When the shock set in, I was useless."
Lacus's smile dissolved into a frown. How selfish it was of her to act like this around the Princess when she had it rougher.
"I'm so sorry—"
"No, no! I turned out as alright as I can be, didn't I?" Cagalli laughed awkwardly. She could sense the guilt Lacus was feeling and that wasn't what Cagalli had intended to accomplish from talking to Lacus—she didn't intend to accomplish anything at all, really, but she didn't want the other girl to be crying. "I lived in the forest, I'm sure you know that much. I thought that it must be easier for me to just starve and die, but I realized that I had a reason for living. Before I had to leave my father, he told me I had to be brave because they were counting on me to bring Orb back to its old state. I lived for my people."
"And now you live for Athrun, too," Lacus said knowingly. "I can see it in your eyes every time his name comes up. To love someone is to live for them."
Cagalli grimaced; Lacus seemed to be surer of her feelings for Athrun than herself.
"If that is so, you must live for Kira, then," Cagalli found herself saying. Her eyes met with Lacus's eyes once more and she could see the blush in the pink-haired girl's high cheeks. She smiled; her brother sure had really high standards if the one he loved was a lady of Lacus's bearing—but then again, how hard was it to love someone like her?
"They are the only ones I have left—him and Athrun."
"That's why it must be me who leads the revolution," Cagalli said. "I've been preparing for the day when I fight for Orb."
"What is it one should be fighting against?" asked Lacus. "War seems to make that question very difficult."
Cagalli thought for a while. "I'm not necessarily fighting against someone. The bloodshed is inevitable—I've come to terms with that already; supposedly the end justifies the means. Instead I like to think that I'm fighting for the future of my kingdom. I just want everyone to be happy again."
"But there is no future for those who have died." Lacus did not flinch in her response. "What of those who do will take another's life? Is happiness to be found in a future that is grasped with bloodstained hands?"
The blonde merely blinked at the pink-haired girl's words. Was she for real? Was she actually preaching to her?
"Lacus—"
"I didn't wish to sound ignorant with my comment, Your Highness," Lacus said, still blushing. The poor girl was embarrassed to have said that, but she said similar comments to Athrun whenever he asked for her advice and so saying those things had come out naturally. "It's just that Kira will undoubtedly fight for you and…"
Cagalli smiled sincerely. Lacus loved her brother and if there was one thing the two of them had in common, it was their desire to protect the brunet.
"And here I was thinking I could comfort you." Cagalli stood and set the stool back to the side of one bed. She walked around, stretching her legs while trying to keep poised—if only to impress the lady. "You're an admirable woman, Lady Clyne. You're stronger than most people—than me—and you have beliefs which sentiments I wish everyone could share..."
Lacus sensed the continuation of her sentence because of the sudden pause by the Princess. "However?"
"However," Cagalli continued, a more austere look forming on her features. "I can no longer afford to be as idealistic as before."
Before Lacus could answer back, a knock on the door resounded in the almost girls' room. The slab of wood creaked and swung open; Kira's face peeked between the door and its frame. His violet eyes widened upon seeing his sister, surprised to see her awake when she should be resting more; but then they softened when his eyes landed on Lacus's face.
Cagalli stepped back in distaste. "You guys are gross."
"I don't even want to imagine how you are with my best friend." Kira shuddered. Cagalli glared at him and he stopped laughing, closing the door behind him. "Mu arrived just now. He wants to speak with you."
"Of course." Cagalli nodded and went back to her bed. The trunk beside it contained her clothes and she took out a coat and put it over her peignoir, making her look more modest than she was in her sleepwear. "Murrue is with him, too?"
"Erica is also there," Kira informed her, knowing that his twin liked the older brunette. "Mother made you some porridge to eat."
"Mmhm," she hummed back lazily, walking towards the door. When she stood beside Kira near the doorframe, she patted him on his shoulder. "She's wonderful for you."
Kira smiled back at his sister fondly. "As I'm sure Athrun is wonderful for you, too."
Once she closed the door behind her, leaving the two lovebirds with some privacy, she frowned. The words of her Aunt Caridad would not leave her thoughts.
"Sometimes other loves encompass others. You'll learn that one day, when you have to choose between a man you love and what is best for the kingdom you'll be ruling."
Athrun looked down from the small balcony. They paid a pretty sum for the little room, especially since it was the day of the Royal March and everyone wanted to have a good look at the Princess. The Desert Rose was a small building on one of the main streets of Heliopolis, one of the streets that the Princess will pass through on her way to the temple. On its first floor was a pub where men would get drunk off their asses while the upper floors were rooms usually rented for passionate nights spent by two who had met downstairs.
He could see the people on both ends of the rather wide street. He found it strange—in Plant the people had to be cleared to the sides by Zaft soldiers; but here the people obediently followed, not out of fear but for their respect for tradition and for their monarchy. The people loved the Princess and how Athrun wished he could inform them all of the lie they were immersed in.
"Thank you for meeting with us," Nicol spoke for the rest of them. It seemed that the older woman favored him most because of how much of a gentleman he was. "We really do appreciate it."
"I will tell you of what I know," Manna spoke. Athrun turned away from the balcony and moved the curtains toward the center so that they could not be seen by those outside. The woman sat on a chair in the center of the room while Nicol and Shiho sat on the bed as they talked to her. Yzak and Dearka were outside the door, watching for people who might interrupt or eavesdrop on their confidential conversation. "But you will tell me what I want to know, too."
"Usually these things end in some sort of pay-off," Athrun commented, taking out another chair and sitting on it. "Riches, protection, some other form of service. We can offer you intelligence and any of those, too."
"I'm not interested in those."
"May I inquire as to why?"
"For almost two decades I've only one concern: the Princess."
"You were her caretaker?"
"And governess. She told me once that I was the closest thing she had to a mother." Manna smiled thoughtfully. "And she was the closest thing I had to a daughter."
Athrun closed his eyes, imagining how lonely Cagalli must have been as a child. And how lonely she must have been in the forest, too.
"All I want to know is why you want to know what I know and how you knew that the girl in the castle isn't the real princess."
He looked to Shiho and once she caught his glance, she nodded and took out a report she wrote down on their second night in Orb. It was the story Athrun had confided in them; the story of how he met Cagalli when he was younger, how he met her again and how she brought him to Plant, how he found her again and brought her back with him. Shiho handed the neatly-written report to the woman and she took it. It took her a few minutes to read through everything—and going through some parts again to check the facts. She smiled when she saw Kira's name in the report, although he seemed like a bad guy because of rescuing his sister.
"So you all know Kira is Cagalli's brother," Manna said softly, remembering the brown-haired boy.
After she handed the report back to the younger brunette, Shiho gave her a tight smile. "That's all we know, Manna."
"But I have a question." She looked directly into Athrun's green eyes. "Do you love her?"
"It doesn't matter how I feel about her." The Prince tried to put on a nonchalant look. While his heart screamed 'yes!', he could not easily disclose his feelings to others. Not when he hadn't told Cagalli himself. "The facts are that there is a pretty convincing impostor who is most likely a puppet ruler. If she calls for a war, then no one from the three kingdoms will emerge unscathed."
Manna frowned. She hadn't expected that something greater laid beneath the deceit of those in the castle.
"There is this man, Lord Djibiril; is he the one you are looking for?"
The three friends locked eyes and Athrun fiercely nodded.
"Do you know where he is?"
"He was in the castle before. He was an adviser of sorts to Unato Seiran. They came to the castle together on the night of the siege; once word that the King was dead came out, the soldiers of Orb stopped fighting and surrendered. And so began the reign of the Usurper. For the next five years, they controlled the kingdom and much misery came upon the land. But one day, Unato disappeared. Some speculated that he died of a sudden heart attack, the fat man that he was. When that happened, he introduced the Princess to the crowd of commoners and declared that Orb was once again free. I was not present during that declaration, but once I heard of it, I could not believe it—and for good reason, I suppose. The girl was definitely not the real Cagalli Yula Athha."
"And what of Djibiril then?"
"He left the castle the night before you came to Orb. To where, I do not know." Manna looked very apologetic, thinking she wasn't as helpful as they wanted her to be. "But he is definitely in Orb. He is a wanted man in the Alliance after King Allster discovered of his relation to the siege of Orb. Every now and then, there are Omni Forces knocking on the outer gates of the Kingdom—and when that happens, the heads of those soldiers were sent back to the Alliance."
Athrun clenched his fists and looked away. "His army must be strong, then."
"Djibiril only has about a thousand men with him, but they are all seasoned warriors who were part of the first war. The others, however, follow him out of fear."
"If a war breaks out, those other soldiers will have no choice but to fight on Orb's side, regardless of where Djibiril is," Nicol said. "If only to defend the civilians."
"Please." Athrun turned to Manna again. "In the future, if you learn of Djibiril's whereabouts, you must tell us."
Manna nodded. "The Princess would definitely not want a war. I will assist you in whatever way I can. And I think there is also something which you want to know…"
"What is it?"
"There have been whispers that the real Princess is in Orb, rumors that come from those who live in the outer cities but came to Heliopolis for the week of the coronation. Word of her presence has spread like wildfire and it has instilled much doubt in many a people."
Athrun stood up, agitated once more. "You mean to say she's out there?"
"I do not know for sure, but it is a possibility. She might be in the crowd, wishing to see the Princess as much as everyone else."
He paced the room as the three others watched him.
Manna turned to Nicol. "Is he always like this?"
Nicol beamed back. "Only when he really cares."
The blue-haired prince walked to the door and opened it. Outside, Dearka and Yzak looked very bored, but after they saw the very serious look on their friend's face, they stepped in and raised their brow at the scene. Athrun continued to pace around while Nicol and Shiho sat on the bed; Manna looked very amused at the young people.
"We're all going down and look for her," he spoke after a few minutes. "We will find Cagalli Yula Athha."
Shinn stood in the crowd, anticipating the arrival of the princess with her candle. There were a lot of people to witness the prelude to the coronation—most of them young and eager to watch history take place in front of their eyes, ready to pass on to their future children their own stories of the ruling monarch.
But Shinn knew better. Whoever he was going to see holding the candle wouldn't be the real heir. He could easily tell this to everyone there, shout and say "She's an impostor!" or something equally as shocking to their ears.
But Shinn knew better.
He treaded through the people, all of them wanting to be as close to the princess as possible. He looked ahead and saw that there were children—small and lithe—who navigated through the crowds better and faster than him. Shinn smiled when he saw a young girl blink her large brown eyes at him after she spotted him watching her. The young girl continued to look at him, squinting before running away, expertly avoiding the legs of the adults around her.
Weird, Shinn thought, and then shook his head. Focus, Shinn; you need to find Athrun.
"Shinn."
He turned around, expecting to see someone from Orb who knew him and his family from before, but instead he met steely blue eyes. This man was one of Athrun's friends cum escorts and he was also from one of the noble families.
"Um, yes," he said awkwardly, not knowing how to react. "I'm sorry; your name's escaped me."
"Yzak Joule," the other man replied, looking angry—but not that angry. "It is nice to see you again, Shinn. Now if you excuse me—"
"No, wait!" Shinn called out. Yzak stopped and turned around, glaring. "I have important news for Athrun."
Yzak squinted his blue eyes again. He pulled the black-haired boy to the back of the crowd and when they were in a significantly less congested and less noisy area, Shinn spoke again.
"It's about the Princess," Shinn huffed, not knowing where or how to start. "Okay. When I arrived in Orb, I rescued this girl from drowning. I brought her to the monastery where they treated her overnight. Her name was Stellar and she was so scared because she said her uncle—a gerbil or something—would kill her."
"Djibiril?"
Shinn's eyes widened as he recognized the name. "Yes, that's it! She kept asking me to protect her from her uncle and then when these royal guards arrived, she suddenly became cold to me and acted different, like she really believed she was the Princess."
"What else did she say before she was taken away?"
"She said that she was a pawn and that so was Seiran; and everyone else, too. That he began all of this chaos to see Plant in ruins."
Yzak clicked his tongue. Everything really was complicated and now that they have concrete evidence that Djibiril was really in Orb, then he had to do something about it.
"Take this." He reached into one of the pockets of his coat and retrieved a crest—the Joule family crest—and handed it over to Shinn. "If you don't want a war to happen, I suggest you take this back to Plant and go to Ezalia Joule. With that crest, they will let you have an audience with her. But only talk to my mother and no one else—not even the King, do you understand?"
Shinn nodded, looking at the valuable crest.
"You will tell her that Djibiril is in Orb and that she is to send a sizeable army without informing King Zala."
"But that's treason!"
"Well what do you want to do, Shinn?" Yzak shouted, but toned himself down because they were still in public. What he needed was his fiancée to calm him down, but Shiho was two blocks away, looking out for a blonde-haired girl. "You can make a difference. You can prevent a war from breaking out. You have the ability. Why not put it to use?"
The black-haired boy closed his eyes, inhaling as he did so. He may have lost his family but there were still people in Plant he wanted to protect. Luna and Meyrin…
"I'll go," he answered; to which he received a terse nod in response. "Thank you."
"Take care," Yzak muttered—wincing at how nice he sounded. How Nicol did it all the time, he could only wonder.
"Mu said what?"
"Princess Flay Allster is asking for Kira." Cagalli giggled as she quoted the older blond. "Something about being his fiancée…"
"Oh, right." Kira scratched the back of his head. "O Haumea, what am I going to do?"
"Are you really engaged to her?" Cagalli prodded, amused at how her twin was trying to maintain his composure. "I've never met the girl but with the way Murrue spoke of her, she didn't seem to have left a good impression."
Kira grunted. "It was nothing serious between us."
"The Princess was your girlfriend?" Cagalli screeched. "Why don't I know this?"
"And this princess is my twin sister," Kira mumbled inaudibly. "Athrun could have told you."
"Does Pinky know about her?"
"Pinky?" Kira looked at Cagalli oddly and she shrugged. He sighed. "Her name's Lacus, Cagalli."
Cagalli frowned and crossed her arms over her chest defensively. "I know what her name is! It's just more convenient for me to call her Pinky because of her hair."
The brunet sighed for the nth time—it seemed to happen often when he was with his twin. "As far as I know, Lacus has no clue; but Athrun may have told her before and she just chooses to not bring it up."
The blonde grinned at her twin. "Okay."
"Okay? That's all you have to say?"
"Well, were you expecting me to blackmail you?"
"Honestly? Yes."
"Gee, give me a little more credit. I can be nice."
"I'll have to ask Athrun one day to confirm that for me," Kira joked, looking at his Cagalli. "When I think about it, you two can't really be together…"
"Because we're the sole heirs to our respective thrones." Cagalli had run it through her head over and over and it just made her upset whenever she did; and so she hadn't thought of it for a while—that was, until Kira had to bring it up again. "I don't know why Lacus and you are so convinced that I'm in love with the guy." Cagalli shook her head, clearing her mind of her thoughts of Athrun. "We're here to see whoever the impostor is, aren't we? Come on; we won't see anyone from here."
She took Kira's wrist and dragged him until they reached the middle of the crowd. Cagalli tiptoed and tried to see over the shoulders of the people in front of her, but she was still too short. Kira saw this and looked very entertained.
"If we're twins, then how come you're taller than me?"
"Probably the same reason you have yellow hair." Kira shrugged. This time it was him who took her wrist and pulled her to the front. They squeezed their way through the crowd, bumping into another person every now and then.
"She's here!" one woman in front squealed. "The Princess is here!"
"Hurry up, Kira!" Cagalli growled impatiently after hearing that she was near. "I want to see her—sorry!" Cagalli said roughly as she accidentally hit another person's shoulder. The woman turned around, her straight brown hair swaying as she did. She met Cagalli's amber eyes before averting her gaze to the violet ones beside her.
"Kira?" The woman seemed to be familiar with him as there was a fondness to how she said his name. And then she faced Cagalli. "You're the princess."
"How does she know?" Cagalli paled. She turned to her brother. "Kira, who is she?"
The brunet didn't seem to be delighted to see her as he wasn't smiling.
"Shiho," he said her name and then he shook his head. "This means Athrun is also here."
"He can't know I'm here." Cagalli escaped from Kira's wrist, her panic setting in. Athrun would ruin her plans—he'd be in danger if he knew she was here. "Kira, he can't—"
"But he already knows you're here," Shiho replied in a matter-of-fact tone. "He wants to see you again. He wants to help, really."
"What I will do is put him in danger!" she answered back. She looked through the crowd and found him—his hair was hard to miss in broad daylight, after all; while she was hiding under a hood, which made for a good enough disguise. "Let's go."
She grabbed Kira's wrist and practically ran, bumping into more people than before.
"There she is! Princess Cagalli!"
Cagalli turned and caught a glimpse of the impostor. She was in a dress of blue and white, but with a gold cape over her back—gold, the royal colors of her kingdom. In her hands was a candle in a golden chalice. The people waved at her frantically while she smiled back graciously like the Princess she was trying to be.
More people pushed themselves to the front and in the maelstrom of limbs and torsos, Cagalli lost her grip on her brother's hand and had her hood accidentally pulled down to her neck.
"Kira!" she cried as she got propelled to the back. Not able to differentiate her brother's hair from all the rest in the crowd, she sighed in frustration. Well, she got what she came to the center of the city for anyway. She saw Princess Cagalli Yula Athha.
She'd come back to the orphanage instead—at least there she'd be safe again. She lifted her hood and had it cover her head once more. Cagalli thought of staying to look for Kira but then she remembered that Athrun was there, albeit him being on the other side of the road. He wouldn't be safe if he knew where she was.
Cagalli turned to the alleyway and walked in the shadows. She was only one corner away from the street that led to the orphanage when she was shoved onto the side of a house. She struggled and began to scream but she felt a cold dagger at the base of her neck and no sound came out of her throat afterwards.
"Hello, Cagalli." The man pulled back his own hood and Cagalli looked into eyes she hadn't seen in forever. "It's such a pleasure to see you again."
End of Chapter Twelve
Notes: This is now officially the longest chapter! It took some time but it's now up. I can't believe I've finally reached 100k+ words! Thanks again for all your patience. A special shout-out to tinylittlerobots's review for reminding me to get off my lazy bum and write!
We're nearing the end... Are you guys excited? :) Who do you think that was? What do you think will happen next? I want to hear your theories! (Who knows; your idea might actually come true!) Also I removed the setting titles because my friend told me that it might be better for the flow of the story that way. Is it better? Also I've been thinking of a not-so happy ending, but if you guys tell me you want a happy ending instead, do tell me in your review!
Also, I want to at least reach one-hundred reviews for this story because this whole fic has been my labor of love for the fandom for two years now. Do you think I can have at least that? c:
Song of the Chapter: Afraid by The Neighbourhood