Heavy Lies The Crown: Chapter Thirteen
by Starrify
Once upon a year gone by, she saw herself give in.
Every time she closed her eyes she saw what could have been.
"She's awake! Oh, I must inform my lord at once—"
After she heard the sound of someone scurrying and a door slamming, Cagalli opened her eyes and was quickly blinded by the white light which swarmed her vision. Instinctively, she brought her hands up to shield her face from the rays of the sun. A few moments later, her eyes adjusted accordingly to the brightness of the room she was in, and she was able to take in the sight of the room. The walls weren't made of wood and the ceiling didn't have stars drawn onto the surface; instead, the walls were painted Prussian blue and on them hung paintings of sceneries she couldn't recognize.
She wasn't in the orphanage.
Her mind went into panic mode and she pushed herself off the bed she was on and stood on the—carpeted floor? This was definitely not the orphanage. Her eyes wandered around the room and saw that it was occupied by no one else but her; her heart was beating too fast in its cage and she put her hand over her chest to try to calm herself—but to no avail; and upon doing so, she noticed the fabric which wrapped around her wrist—connected to the rest of her arm and to her entire body. She was in a proper dress of itchy velvet and she could only imagine a few places in Orb which had a room as impressive as the one she was in and a ready supply of dresses which fit her.
She was either back in her castle or in one of the estates of the noble houses.
All at once, her recollections of what happened to her earlier came rushing back in her mind and she stumbled to the floor—as comfortable as the carpet was, she couldn't stay here. No, not when…
The door swung open and her head snapped up. Cagalli's amber eyes formed a slit and she growled, almost sounding like a feral animal in doing so.
"Well, well." His voice still sounded as arrogant as it did yesterday. "I'm glad you're awake now, Princess."
"Yuna!" she screamed at him, very angry that he knocked her out forcefully and brought her to—to either his estate or to her castle. If she was in the latter, she could not feel the sense of relief from coming home because this was definitely not in their plans. They were to have another siege during the coronation, they were to attack and invade and bring down Djibiril. They already had the support of the King of the Alliance, for Haumea's sake! "You will release me this instant!"
"If you try to escape, there will be guards outside who will have no problem apprehending you," he said, grinning. "If I were you, I'd just agree to whatever I tell you to do."
"I know that!" Cagalli glared at him, trying to match her ire with his conceitedness. Haumea, how she hated him. "Tell me where we are."
Yuna's lopsided grin turned into a straight line and he raised his eyebrow as he looked at her quizzically, amused. "You really shouldn't be demanding such things when you are at my mercy."
"And Haumea sees how much I cower before you!"
The purple-haired head of the Seiran house could not handle her humiliating him further and dragged her up to her feet. He could tell how surprised she was by her widened eyes—so beautiful, he mused to himself, but he wouldn't say that at the moment because of his bruised ego. Instead he lifted his right hand, ready to strike at her face. Cagalli saw this and closed her eyes, bracing herself for the impact which shouldn't hurt because it's Yuna, for Haumea's sake!
But his hand never met her cheek. Hesitantly, she re-opened her eyes and instead saw him smiling at her gently—that was, as gentle as his face could manage anyway. She started feeling more uneasy as she felt something off in the pit of her stomach.
"You are such a troublesome little girl," he spat out menacingly, yet he was still smiling. "But I should tell you now that you have bigger concerns."
"Well, if there's a person out there claiming to be me, then I have greater concerns indeed!"
"She isn't so bad, you know," Yuna defended with a frown. "More agreeable than you, at least."
Cagalli huffed and turned around, sitting down on top of the soft mattress. She persisted on glaring at the purple-haired man, the abomination that was his long mane which was better fit on a horse standing out too much that a new sense of annoyance spurred from just the sight of it.
Yuna sighed. If she wasn't going to be cooperative, then it would harder for both of them—why could she not understand that?
"Stand up or I'll have to drag you out of here all shackled up."
"You wouldn't dare—"
"Heed my warning, Cagalli; you do not want me to become your enemy."
"Perhaps it is you, Yuna, who should be more wary! If I were to be your enemy—"
Finally, Cagalli felt the sting in her cheek as Yuna's hand hit her. She gaped at him, her eyes wide as her own hand hovered over the area which was now beginning to turn into a rouge shade.
"If you were to be my enemy? You have nothing to your name, Cagalli. You have no leverage over me or anyone else. As such, your threats are empty to me. You are no queen."
She turned her head away, unable to bear the shame of having someone like him—someone she's loathed ever since she was little—put her down in the manner he just did. She was a queen, was she not? She was an Athha—perhaps not biologically—but still, she was the rightful heir to the throne!
"Forgive me, Your Highness," Yuna spat out, scowling. "But we are on a schedule, and I meant what I said earlier. You have the option to keep your dignity, stand up and walk out here with me or be dragged in chains. You have five seconds to decide. Five, four…"
Cagalli got onto her feet, almost stumbling, but regaining her balance quickly enough. She wasn't aware that she was breathing heavily until she saw Yuna's eyes trail down to her chest, where the bodice of her dress wasn't loose fitting like the blouses she used to wear—to which she instinctively turned away, feeling humiliated.
"Come now, Cagalli." Yuna said with a sneer, taking her hand and placing it on his arm. He held it in place, not letting her refuse him escorting her, but she didn't flinch either way. After walking out of the room, the muscles in his face relaxed. "We mustn't keep him waiting."
Lacus wrapped her arms over Kira's shoulders and cradled his face as he let out his anguish over losing his sister. She could never been bold enough to do so in Plant, not when she was engaged to the Prince, but due to their current predicament, she could not just stand about and not do anything for the one she loved. Kira was hurting and blaming himself; Lacus would not let him carry the burden of guilt by himself.
"She's somewhere out there, Kira." She did not know how much merit her words had, but speaking to him—even with no response—was better than letting his thoughts add to his culpability. "Please, do not blame yourself—"
"She was my responsibility!" he finally snapped, his voice booming. Kira looked regretful immediately afterwards, thinking that he had frightened Lacus, but she remained poised, maintaining her composure when the brunet could not. He crumpled once more, shaking as he put his head in his hands. "I promised to watch over her, Lacus. We can't afford to lose her—especially not now."
"There is no use in crying over spilled milk, is there, Kira?"
"I should be out there searching for her right now—"
"Your mother will not let you. She knows how you are—we all do. You won't stop until you find Cagalli; you not being well-rested will not help anyone."
"I've already lost her before and they stopped me from searching for her—"
"If I remember correctly, it was only because Miss Erica assured her safety. And in the end, she was with Athrun—was she not safe with him?"
"Exactly! Her well-being isn't certain right now because we don't know where she is!" Kira groaned, slumping in his chair. "It's my entire fault."
Lacus kept her arms wrapped over his shoulders, smiling encouragingly.
"You should listen to your girlfriend, kid," Mu quipped from the doorway of the receiving room. The two teens looked up and acknowledged the older man's arrival—to which he responded with a cheeky grin of his own. "Forgive him, my lady, for he's always been such a crybaby."
Lacus chuckled lightly. "Indeed, he has."
Kira shook his head; despite their efforts to lighten the mood, his sober expression remained. Reluctantly, he replaced Lacus's hands on her lap and he stood up and began pacing the small room. Lacus frowned at the unnecessary gesture, but in the end stayed mum—after all, she understood him.
"Did you find anything?"
"We've been asking around and had no leads from the first thirty households we asked, but finally this lady from the corner said that she saw two people fighting beside her house. She said they were cloaked so she couldn't confirm if it was really her."
"And then—?"
"One person bludgeoned the other and knocked them out."
"What?" Kira panicked. If that was truly Cagalli, then the lady's account meant that she had gotten hurt. "What happened next?"
Mu looked away, unable to look at the pained face of the Princess's desperate brother. "The person was put into a carriage and taken away by soldiers. The woman said she feared for her own family's life, so she hadn't stepped in to help."
Kira clenched his fists and was ready to punch the wall next to him when Lacus stood and put herself between Kira and the wall. His eyebrows were furrowed, the thin lines on his forehead showed just how stressed he had become since he came home after The Royal March without his sister. The areas around his eyes were red and puffy, too.
Lacus smiled and outstretched her arms. For a second, Kira looked at her confusedly—but soon afterwards he accepted her gesture and pulled her into a hug. He burrowed his face in the crook of her slender neck, calming himself by taking a whiff of her lavender scent.
"Yes, well—anyway," Mu continued, snorting at the display of affection between the two lovebirds. Watching them made him miss his own fiancée, who stayed at Copernicus to be more helpful in their collaboration with King George Allster. "We looked into the houses on the same street, but all of them said they were out to watch The Royal March at that time. That's the only suspicious activity that occurred recently. If we assume the victim to be Cagalli; well, we don't know."
"Is that all?"
"There's also something else, but I didn't think too much of it a while ago."
"Please, Sir La Flagga," Lacus pleaded. "Any and all information is vital if we hope to find Her Highness."
Mu scratched the back of his head. He liked the young pink-haired noble because of her maturity. She was a kindness, a relief during the turbulent times they were currently facing. Indeed, she deserved the title of Princess of Peace.
"Some of the people we asked said that we were not the only ones inquiring about a girl with golden hair," Mu informed, his hand moving down to his nape. "This might mean that we're not the only ones who know she's here."
Kira's fists clenched once more—and again, Lacus placed her hands over his in an effort to pacify him.
"We really aren't the only ones, you see," she spoke for him. "Athrun is also looking for Her Highness."
"Athrun?" Mu asked.
Lacus nodded. "Kira bumped into one of his escorts during the March."
"And he was what led them to be separated?"
"She, Sir La Flagga; the lady-knight's name is Shiho of the noble house of Hahnenfuss of Plant. Apparently she and the other escorts were dispatched to search for Her Highness during the parade."
"It seems you had forgotten to brief us about that, Kira." Mu frowned, looking judgmentally at the brunet. He sighed—these kids were so troublesome. "In any case, I was not aware that there was a relationship between our Cagalli and the heir to Plant."
"Because there isn't—" Kira cut in to say, but was hushed by Lacus's stern look. "I wish there wasn't."
Lacus shook her head—they seemed to disapprove of so many things lately. "Now that we know Athrun is searching for her, then that means your sister is not in his care either. Kira's feelings on the matter aside, if there is someone we can count on to help us search for Her Highness, it is Athrun."
"Great," Mu said, genuinely relieved. "How do we contact him?"
"Here, Your Highness."
Kira, Lacus, and Mu turned around to find Caridad Yamato walking in the receiving room with Athrun Zala himself.
Yuna glared at the insufferable girl—no, woman in front of him. A girl would have her hair tied in two braids and puffs in her sleeves; both of which, thankfully, Cagalli didn't have—anymore, at least. Instead, she looked like a wildling creature with feral eyes and hands curled as if ready to claw at him.
Still, he thought smugly, she is mine.
"You will eat, Cagalli," he said warningly. "You're being given the privilege; you should know better than to waste the food in front of you."
"Just because I was born with privileges to my nameit does not mean that I will indulge in your frivolities," she spat back, holding back a scowl. "What you call food is impractical! A feast isn't meant to be shared between two—this!" She gestured to the trays in front of her. "All of these could easily feed fifty families for a week!"
Yuna merely raised a brow at her while he went on with chewing on a delightful piece of turkey leg. Really, he thought as she quivered with her anger, she isn't helping herself. Finally, he swallowed his food and washed it down with red wine.
"If you will not indulge in the banquet I had prepared for you, then at least humor me, will you?" Yuna began to slice another piece of meat for himself. "Once upon a time, a boy fell in love with a girl."
Cagalli scoffed and crossed her arms over her chest but did nothing else to stop him from speaking.
"Well, one day, this girl was in danger. Naturally, being in love with her, the boy tried to save the girl. Do you see where I'm getting to?"
"Um, no?" Cagalli was only disappointed. Had she wasted her time listening to him tell a story that was only half-baked, on his monologue which was hardly coherent? "Yuna—"
"There's no rational reason to love this girl," Yuna continued by cutting her. "Because she is nothing special and hardly a lady—but still, the boy loved her. Have you ever been in love, Princess? Have you ever known the feeling to consume your thoughts and days?"
He did not even give her the chance to reply.
"Because that is how it has been for me," he finished, putting down his cutlery and looking up at her. "Five years ago, Princess Cagalli Yula of the royal house of Athha, I saved you from your demise. Had it not been for me, you'd be dead right now."
Cagalli eyed him warily, not expecting him to say her full title. And what was with the preposterous notion that he had saved her?
"I suppose a thank you is in order, then," she said slowly, changing her stance from proud to defensive—making her slightly more vulnerable. The idea that Yuna saved her because he was in love with her was preposterous! "For whatever it's worth, I am grateful, Yuna."
He laughed boisterously, making not only her, but the other servants around them as well, look up from whatever they were doing and stare at him incredulously—at least, the servants tried to hide their appalled looks by turning away.
"You don't need to thank me, Cagalli," he continued, still laughing maniacally. "For once you are married to me, the debt will be paid."
She stood on her feet, pushing the table away from her with enough force to let the old heavy wood rattle on its legs. He can't possibly be serious, she thought as he watched the vile purple-haired boy smirk at her, can he?
"Married?" she asked, amber eyes wide in disbelief. "Yuna! I never agreed and will never agree!"
"Do you find the prospect so terrifying?" he asked back, smiling cunningly. Yuna took the small piece of cloth laid beside his utensils and used it to dab at the corners of his mouth. "Quite frankly, it isn't your place to agree or disagree."
"No, I should think that I have every right to refuse such a proposal!"
"It wasn't a proposal, Cagalli."
"Then what in Haumea's good name are you saying?" she cried, frustrated—and scared. "Yuna…"
The purple-haired man finally stood and walked to her direction. Cagalli hadn't noticed that she was taking steps back until he had finally cornered her against the cold brick wall of his estate.
"I suppose you don't believe me," Yuna said with a dangerous glint in his eyes. "Let me continue my story, then. Once upon a time, my dear Cagalli, I tipped off your father about an upcoming revolt. I warned him that there was nothing he could do about it and that there was no one in this castle or kingdom he could save."
"But I'm here. He sacrificed himself to save me."
"Wrong again, Cagalli," Yuna tsked at her. "You should really stop thinking so highly of yourself; the world doesn't revolve around you just because you're a princess."
"My father died for me!" She could not help the desperation in her voice. Why was she not moving? Why was she not beating the bastard in front of her into a bloody pulp? In her mind were only the words of Kisaka before he brought her away from Orb. "It was his sacrifice…"
"He asked a favor of me, asked me to stall my father's forces—without saying, he asked for time to send you off."
"I already thanked you—"
"And in return, I asked for your hand in marriage." Yuna nodded to one of the servants and the young helper brought out a piece of parchment. One could tell that it wasn't as old as the scrolls found in the Haumea temple or in the pages of the books in the libraries, but it had definitely collected its fair share of dust. He began to read from the paper, "By royal decree, I, King Uzumi Nara of the royal house of Athha, hereby give away the hand of my daughter, Princess Cagalli Yula of the royal house of Athha, to the heir of the noble house of Seiran, Yuna Roma—"
"No!" she cried, pushing him away roughly. The action had caught him by surprise as he stumbled on his footing before regaining his principled composure—which was more than she could say for herself. Was this the price of her freedom, of her life? Was her happiness the price her father was willing to pay all those years ago? "You…no, you forged that, Yuna! I'm sure of it! This is a lie, a trick! My father…he couldn't have possibly written that!"
He took a step forward and handed her the parchment.
"Surely you of all people know his penmanship and personal seal better than anyone else."
She accepted it with shaking hands—and finally her eyes landed on his signature. Below it was the stamp he used only for personal documents, the one with the sun in the hands of a lion. It was right there in front of her and yet she wouldn't dare believe that her father practically sold her off.
Still, she averred, "I will not marry you, Yuna!"
And yet he did not falter. "While I do enjoy watching you crumble like this, I must insist that we stick to our scheduled itinerary for today."
"But—"
"Hush, Cagalli," he leered at her and began to drag her out by her shoulders. She could not find it in herself to dig her heels to the floor and resist his pull. "You're going to meet him."
"Who?"
Yuna grinned. "The man who agreed to marry you off to me."
All was silent in the modest home for the orphans of Orb. Caridad was surprised to find her son's dearest friend, Athrun Zala, the Prince of Plant himself, on the other side of the door when she came down to open it. He had greeted her kindly, showing off the courtesy which was ingrained in his ways as a royal.
But now as Caridad watched the two young men who were both still boys the last time she saw them together, she couldn't help but wonder what had happened between them to have this much tension in the room. Neither of the two spoke and so the kind-hearted Lacus took it upon herself to act as a mediator.
"Athrun," she addressed, taking off Kira's possessive hold on her and stepping forward to welcome her supposed fiancé. "I am glad you are well."
"I heard of what happened to your father," Athrun said bluntly. He looked pained as he spoke, as though there was something eating him from within. "I suppose my apology wouldn't help at all as it won't bring Uncle Siegel back."
Lacus smiled, hoping that her tranquil disposition would ease her friend. "And I would not accept it either because it is not your fault."
"But it is my father's—"
"If we were all to atone for our fathers' and forefathers' sins, we would be doing nothing else in our lives. We already are pulled by the gravity of our decisions; we needn't be burdened by our fathers' choices, too."
He sighed, the guilt on his mind not ridding itself so easily. Even though Lacus had more or less forgiven him, she could still see that he wasn't feeling too well.
"Your hair has grown long again, Athrun," she commented. "Really, it's grown past your ears—"
"I did not come here to talk about myself." He cringed at how angry he sounded and then turned to face his best friend. "Kira, I'd rather we not beat around the hypothetical bush."
Kira grunted apprehensively, but one stern look from Lacus was enough for him to be more agreeable with the blue-haired heir.
"Very well. How did you know my sister?"
"How could I not have known her? She was the princess of Orb."
"You have never gone to Orb, so you could only have known her when she visited Plant with King Uzumi after the war—and even then she was only there for a few days. And if you had a regular correspondence afterwards, I would have known." Kira felt his patience with his insufferable best friend tested, but with Lacus at his side, he managed to not outright beat Athrun up. "Two years after the end of the war, Orb was sieged and Cagalli disappeared. Weeks ago, I found those documents in your office."
Athrun huffed. "I don't think it's fair that you're making these demands when you hadn't given me the opportunity to explain myself after you pushed me and ran off."
"Kira!" Lacus gasped, disappointed at the violent reaction done by the brunet—and to his best friend, of all people. "Apologize to Athrun."
"He wouldn't want a half-assed apology."
"Kira!"
"Alright, alright," he conceded with a frown. The pink-haired lady would always have her way and Kira knew not how to deny her of anything. "I'm sorry."
Lacus smiled approvingly; then, she glanced at the Prince. "Shall I explain to him how you were reacquainted with the Princess, Athrun?"
"I don't believe he's entitled to know."
"For Haumea's sake, she's my sister, Athrun!" Kira shouted annoyed. "You could have told me you met Cagalli or that you were helping a fugitive. Even as a Prince, as she wasn't registered, you could have been tried if someone found out that you were harboring her!"
"You know what the consequences could have been," Athrun answered back. "Surely you understand why I kept her presence in Plant to myself—heck, I didn't even know she was a princess!"
"I understand? I don't, Athrun. I'm your best friend! And you didn't trust me enough with your dirty little secret; isn't it fair that I not trust you as well?"
Ouch, the Prince thought as he looked over to his defensive friend. Kira did have a point and while Athrun was a proud person, he also knew when to admit defeat.
He let out a sigh and pocketed his hands into his slacks. "Alright. I'm sorry that I kept her from you—as much as you're sorry for assaulting me after you found out. Is that reasonable?"
Kira considered it and then agreed. He held out his hand for Athrun to shake, but instead the Prince pulled his best friend into a hug. Lacus and the two other adults in the room watched the two friends reconcile before them.
When the two pulled away, Mu laughed and said, "Well, you kids had a really touching scene—Caridad here's crying!"
"They were practically babies back in Copernicus!"
"Mom!" Kira groaned; Lacus giggled at his side. "Don't bring it up…"
Caridad pinched her boy's cheek. "Oh, darling, I wasn't going to, but now I'm sure Lacus is curious as to what you wanted to keep secret."
"Please, Aunt Caridad, you needn't traumatize Lacus with the imagery," Athrun quipped with a laugh of his own. It felt nice to joke around—even if it was temporary. But now that he found a way to Kira, he was sure that he could also find his way back to Cagalli. "Now, what happened to not beating around the hypothetical bush?"
"Alright then," Kira said solemnly. "Being that I don't want to know what kind of relationship you have with my sister, you can ask me anything you want to know—that is, you can ask me what you think can help in our search for her."
"Wait." Athrun's breath hitched. "What do you mean our search? Do you mean to say Cagall's not with you?"
Cagalli brought her hands up to feel the silk handkerchief Yuna has used to blindfold her. She hadn't expected him to cover her eyes, but he insisted that it was for the element of surprise; and threatened her that if she struggled, he would take her back to his estate.
And so she didn't fight him. After he told her that her father was alive and more or less well, she could not calm the erratic beating of her heart. This was similar to how she felt when she found out that Kisaka was alive—except; now she had a reason to doubt Yuna because he might be just pulling her leg. He seemed to enjoy teasing her and making her feel terrible, but then, she thought, what reason did he have to lie? Her father could be alive, taken as a prisoner and suffered, but alive—after years of believing he was truly gone, it was a possibility she was willing to hope for.
"I'm surprised that you agreed to wear a dress," Yuna remarked with no hint of his usual gloating tone. "You look beautiful."
Cagalli let her hands drop back to her sides. She hadn't expected him to bring her to her father and compliment her. Unknowingly, she blushed and turned away.
"But I'm a little bit disappointed with your hair," he added as he pulled at the hair she had cut unevenly. "You should grow it out—I like it better that way."
If earlier Cagalli was blushing because she felt flattered, now the rouge in her cheeks was definitely brought about by her annoyance with the supposed man who had hair longer than hers—shouldn't it be her telling him off about his own hair which was too long for a proper man?
Yet she bit back whatever insult which was already half-formed on her lips. If she answered back, would he take it as a sign of resistance? Would he take her back to the estate? She wouldn't risk not seeing her father, so instead she nodded to appease him. She'd let him have his own little victories if it meant lifting a giant burden off her shoulders.
"If I remember correctly, Yuna," she spoke carefully unsure what tone of voice to use that would not make him change his mind. "Is not the Sahaku estate beside that of the Seiran's? How is Lord Koto currently fairing?"
"He is dead."
The Princess frowned as the fact started to sink in. People have died. It had been five years, after all.
"That is…a shame. He had often bought me gifts as a little girl."
Yuna clicked his tongue. "Everyone offered tributes to the princess, Princess."
"Even so," Cagalli was quick to defend herself. "He had been friends with my father since their childhood days."
"Would you say that my father was friends with yours?"
"Would it sound too optimistic if I told you that I believe that two friends can still maintain a mutual respect between one another even with great conflict between them?"
"Who are we to kid ourselves, my lady? Lord Seiran detested King Uzumi; surely you recall how he usurped your father's position?"
She grimaced, trying not to remember how Yuna claimed to be engaged to her for saving her life.
"I suppose it is in no one's interest to lie," she replied without any hint of aggression. "Lord Seiran hated Father so…"
"Well, look who's being all proper right now." Yuna grinned, amused that the flustered blonde reacted to his comment. Surely she did not believe she was fooling anyone with the way she acted. "If you're trying to get in my good graces, let me tell you now that whatever act you put up will be for naught."
Cagalli huffed and threw her arms across her chest. She wished she could see where Yuna was or where they were, but as they were inside a closed carriage, even if she didn't have a handkerchief over her eyes, she wouldn't be able to pinpoint their location. If anything, being blinded was in her favor as she didn't have to see Yuna's face.
"Why so, Young Lord Seiran?"
"First," Yuna corrected. "My title is only Lord Seiran now as my father is currently indisposed. Second, because as my future wife, you already are in my good graces."
The princess wanted to heave the nonexistent contents of her stomach onto the pretentious man's leather shoes. To be addressed as his future wife was a condemnation she would not simply take in stride—but she would not act on her anger now; not when she still had to see her father.
"Can you tell me where we are going?"
Yuna could not help the sigh from escaping his thin lips. He could not believe that he'd stoop so low as to come to an agreement with Lord Djibiril. He had felt the same drop in his stomach before, as he watched his father make a deal with the devil more than five years ago. And now that he had made another deal for himself, he felt as though he had no soul left.
"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 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?"
His gaze traveled back to the blonde woman in front of him. He had meant what he had told her earlier; he genuinely found her beautiful. Yuna could not place where or when his feelings for the younger lady sprung as she had always acted improper and spoke so roughly, but perhaps that was exactly what had drawn him to her.
It was a shame, really, that the fire in her golden eyes were hidden behind a delicate piece of cloth. Instead his eyes roamed to the rest of her body and admired the curves hidden beneath her pale green dress of chiffon and lace. The dress bared her collarbone and arms and Yuna would agree that any other woman would definitely be jealous of how perfect the Princess was.
Ignoring her question, he instead asked, "Would you believe me if I told you that I'm going to break you?"
Cagalli in turn ignored the solemnity of his voice and let out a laugh. "If you've the gall, then I dare you to even try."
"Do not wish for things you do not truly want, Cagalli."
"And you, Yuna, should not wish for things you know you cannot have in actuality."
The Princess felt the carriage come to a halt and Yuna was quick to roughly pull off the cloth over her eyes. The light blue of his eyes turned into a dangerous gray and she felt afraid of what he could possibly do to her; after all, he had demonstrated to her that he was not completely against the idea of striking a woman—the Princess of Orb, no less.
"It is in my blood to dream big, Princess."
"And your blood comes from your father, who proved to the whole of Orb the capacity of his own ambitions."
"And your point is?" Yuna met her challenging glare and he began to lose the feeling of culpability he had felt earlier. If she were to speak like that, then so be it. He could now no longer wait for when he would attain her submission. When she made no indication of replying, he shook his head and knocked on the door—and the light from the afternoon sun flooded into the small space of the carriage.
The brightness had caught her off-guard. She was beautiful, yes, but now he could not help but wonder if she would still look the same without the contempt in her eyes.
"We're here."
Athrun felt his head hurt as Kira recounted their plans to re-conquer Orb. They had asked for the help of the Alliance—and King George Allster had agreed to lend his troops for the impending battle. But as Athrun was there as a diplomat, he could not be caught in the crossfire or else a completely different war would start.
"If that is the case, then I—no, we all have to leave." The blue-haired prince turned to his escorts cum advisers with a grave expression. "If Orb is to become a battlefield and the Alliance is fighting on the other side, we cannot be here." He then faced Lacus and told her, "You cannot be here either."
"I am staying."
"You are a noblewoman and if you were to be killed here by any Omni force, then it would be a declaration of war!"
"Then I denounce my citizenship to Plant," Lacus counters, sticking by Kira. "I will not pledge to serve the king who killed my father. If the king is considered the lord of his land, the protector of his kingdom—then I believe Patrick Zala is no king."
"Lady Lacus!" Shiho gasped as the other nobles from Plant could not speak, what with the noblewoman saying something which could be considered treason. "Please, at least respect the Treaty of Junius."
"I do respect it, Lady Shiho," Lacus replied calmly. "But I will not cower behind any sense of false security. Athrun," she addressed, looking at her oldest friend. "Your father has taken away my father from me and he is the only home I have ever known. Surely you understand that I have nothing to return to."
Athrun nodded, but still could not agree to leave her behind. He knew Kira would protect her here in Orb, but Athrun was not sure if his best friend would be truly able to watch over the pink-haired lady at all times if he would be out fighting for his sister.
"Well decide on Lacus's fate later," he declared, looking gravely at each of his constituents. Finally, his eyes met hardened blue eyes and he gave a questioning glance to the platinum blond noble. "Is something the matter?"
"I might have forgotten to inform you of another occurrence during the Royal March, Your Highness."
The Prince was taken aback by Yzak's sudden formality, but the gravity of their current conversation would not let him laugh at his friend being more agreeable than usual.
"Is it that you misplaced your mind, Sir Joule?"
Yzak clenched his fists, containing his ire and irritation at the blue-haired prince's supposedly inconspicuous insult—but then his anger would be misdirected for truly it was himself who was at fault. Instead he nodded his head and said, "I had reported my sighting of Shinn Asuka—"
"Wait, Shinn; as in the black-haired boy from Februarius?" Kira interjected. "He had guarded Cagalli because he was aware that she was the Princess of Orb."
"Are you telling me Shinn knew all this time of Cagalli's true identity?" Athrun could not help but feel deceived; he had previously informed the prince that he knew nothing of her—could it be that Shinn knew before Athrun did? "It doesn't matter now. Yes, you told us you saw Shinn and that the girl in the castle is named Stellar."
"Yes, well." Yzak was clearly nervous—which was a sight one wouldn't see in any other time. Shiho saw her fiancé's distraught expression and put a hand over his arm. He calmed down at her touch and continued, "I told him to send a message for me, to my mother. He will inform her that Lord Djibiril is here and she is to send a sizeable army."
"A sizeable army?" Athrun screeched, his hands pushing down on the table in front of them. He was livid—and his green eyes were hazed with his uncontained fury. "Aside from you and Lacus, is there anyone else who wants to just forego the Treaty of Junius altogether? Do you really want another war to break out? Have both Plant and the Alliance not suffered enough?"
The house shook with the prince's anger. The younger children of the orphanage peaked from the top of the staircase, but Caridad was quick to shoo them back into their rooms. She herself could not imagine more children to become orphans as an effect of another war. After doing so, she went back downstairs and found the two men still shouting at one another.
"We didn't even have confirmation of Djibiril's presence!"
"He is the uncle of that Stellar girl; that is confirmation enough that he is most definitely in Orb!"
"And if he isn't, are you willing to bear the burden of subjecting so many innocent lives to more conflict? You do not care for anyone else other than yourself, Yzak! Two armies in Orb will only bring destruction!"
"Not if they are working towards the same goal of purging the land of the madman named Djibiril!"
"But will the soldiers know that?" Athrun roared, latching onto the lapels of Yzak's coat and shoving him angrily to the wall. "Can they simply forget the contempt they had felt from their own losses from the previous war?"
"Soldiers do as they are ordered!"
"Soldiers are human and they make mistakes! They will forego orders if they feel the need to satisfy their own thirst for blood!"
Kira and Mu pulled Athrun away from the white-haired noble while Shiho and Dearka stepped between them before Yzak could retaliate. Shiho stepped ahead and held Yzak's hand, not minding the looks from their company.
"You kids are going to be the death of me," Mu sighed, sitting back on one of the chairs. "I don't have to say it, but I will anyway: this is a mess. Do you mind if I shared my own insight?"
"Not at all, Sir Mu," answered Athrun as he massaged the aching spot over his temples.
"Great," Mu began. "Lady Clyne cannot return to Plant because the King had her father assassinated for opposing his ideas. I do believe she is just as safe here as she is in Plant. Next, we had asked for the help of King George Allster because he feels guilty that he had let Lord Djibiril come this far when he could have stopped the madman back in the Alliance. The Treaty of Junius does not favor this decision as the Blue Cosmos is now extraneous of the Alliance, but he still offered his aid. Now, as for an army from Plant; both you young men have valid points, but I think we should face the reality of the situation."
"And which reality is that?"
"That Patrick Zala's intentions are not to protect his kingdom, but to satisfy his own grudge against the men who had taken his wife away from him. He wants a war against Orb simply because Lord Djibiril is here—he murdered one of his advisers who opposed him. At least we know that King Allster is fair and just, that he is offering his assistance with good intentions."
Kira sat in front of Mu and asked, "So what do you suggest we do?"
"If we had to pick one other kingdom to help us, it would be the Alliance. I'm sorry, Lord Joule, but you need to retract your statement as soon as possible. You need to reach your mother before your messenger."
Yzak nodded, knowing he was well at fault. His mother was a devout supporter of Patrick Zala and while he had told Shinn to tell her not to inform the king, she probably went on ahead to do so anyway. At the time he thought it was the best idea to prevent a war—but now that he knew that King Zala actually wanted the war meant trouble if Plant got involved.
"I will go," Shiho spoke up and Yzak looked up from his thoughts to see his fiancée with an earnest face. "I am the fastest rider among us—no, do not even argue with me now, Yzak—and I'm sure I am more than able to convince Lady Ezalia."
"But you—"
"No, Yzak. You need to be here, to fight if needed. I'm afraid that even as an elite red knight, I am still not in the same league as you boys."
"Thank you, Shiho," Athrun interjected before Yzak could throw a tantrum. "Please take Lacus to Plant with you and keep her in your estate."
"Athrun!" Lacus was quick to object. "I can't return to Plant—"
"And you," he continued, looking at his ex-fiancée. "You will bring Aunt Caridad and the children with you. If you will not do it for your own safety, then you will for theirs."
For once Lacus could not find words to express her disagreement with him. She turned to Kira for support, but instead the brunet shook his head.
"I'd rather you not get caught in the crossfire," he said with a slight tremor in his voice. Lacus gripped his arms and bit her lip—she didn't want to leave his side, she didn't want him to be the one in the battlefield. "I can't risk losing you, too."
Dearka let out an exasperated sigh. "Well, if this isn't a love-fest, I don't know what this is. Are there any other couples who want to show off their affections for each other?"
"Stop being too bitter, Dearka," Nicol laughed, punching his friend's shoulder lightly. "You'll find a girl of your own one day."
"Aunt Caridad?"
They all stopped from their discussion to find two teenagers at the doorway. One was a girl with short hair that was the color of hazel while the other was a boy with orange glasses.
"Well," Dearka whispered to Nicol. "Today might just be that day, my good friend."
"Miriallia, Sai!" Caridad walked to the two teenagers who were both wearing their cloaks, signifying that they were going out. "Where are you two headed?"
Sai spoke up with a frown on his features. "We had heard that there was an announcement to be made at Heliopolis Square."
"An announcement?" Kira asked. "Of what?"
"We don't know, but it was all hushed up and the man who told us of it quickly left," Sai answered. "I think something's going to happen there right now."
Before she exited the carriage, Yuna had put a tiara on top of her head, telling her that it was only proper for the princess to face her subjects with the sign of her status. She could not deny that it had felt wonderful to have a crown of her own again. She remembered being opposed to wearing the fancy jewelry when she was younger, but now it had felt right.
Cagalli stepped out and instead of her expectations that he had led her back to her castle, she saw that she was in the middle of the city, in Heliopolis Square itself. Different performing groups often staged their plays here because of the public crowd it could gather, but she was not sure what had happened to it in the past five years. Were there still shows held on the very stage she was standing on, did the people find a form of entertainment during the dark times of their suffering?
In front of her, people were standing and looking at her with shock. There were murmurs in the crowd and Cagalli could not hear one definitive thought from the audience, but Yuna held her elbow and said through gritted teeth, "Straighten your back and smile; wave politely and introduce yourself."
She did as he said and soon the people were on their knees. How could they have not recognized her, Cagalli wondered, looking at the citizens oddly. But what she did not know is that the citizens were just as confused as her. What was their princess doing outside?
The blonde was nervous. She recalled the last time she had stood in an audience this big, she was mocked at—they would not believe her claim to the throne; but now they were on the ground in worship of her. The power, the recognition—it all felt amazing. But then she noticed that in front of the stage were soldiers. She looked to her right to see Yuna was no longer there at her side. She squinted her eyes; was this a test for her? Was she actually trying to measure her or something?
Well, she decided, after having her go through such embarrassment earlier in the day, she would not let him just toy with her. Cagalli stood her ground on the stage and spoke.
"Rise, my loyal subjects."
The people stood, looking more confused than before. She stood there, smiling and waving, unsure of what to do.
"Well, you look wonderful, Your Highness."
Cagalli turned to the left side of the stage where a man with white hair and pale lips stood. He knew who she was, but did she know him? Was he also part of Yuna's plot? Cagalli shook her head—what the hell was going on? Didn't Yuna tell her that he was going to bring her to her father?
"You're definitely in better shape than your father," he mocked with a loud laugh. Cagalli clenched her fists; how dare he insult her father so freely? She was ready to march up and take a swing at him, but she saw that there were two soldiers standing guard beside him. "Bring him out, boys."
From the backstage, two more men appeared, dragging a tall stick of a man in loose-fitting garments which were undeniably tailored for a man of good social standing. Cagalli could not see his face as it was covered with a sack, but then when the man was standing at the center of the stage, the other white-haired man strolled up to him and took off the covering.
Cagalli could not believe her eyes.
"Father?" She shook in place; her father looked so worn, so tired of the world. His face had seen much suffering and his face was hollow, his eyes dull; yet he was smiling at the sight of his only daughter. "Father!"
The people in the audience gasped—surely the frail man could not be their proud King Uzumi? But there the Princess was, declaring the identity of her father, the king whom they all believed to have died during the siege.
She wanted to run to him, to hug him and ask for his forgiveness. She had failed him, after all; she had failed to save Orb—but she would promise to make up for it, she would promise to be a good queen and finish what he had started, to make the kingdom better than before. With her tears overflowing, she wanted to tell him that she loved him, that they will never be parted from each other again.
But Yuna was now back on the stage and holding her back from her father.
"Yuna, let me go!" she struggled in his arms, kicking and punching blindly into the air. "Yuna!"
"King Uzumi!" She heard Yuna shout and saw her father look up to the purple-haired noble. "Did you agree to marry off your daughter, Cagalli Yula Athha, to me, Yuna Roma Seiran, for saving her life five years ago?"
Cagalli shook her head, wishing that her father would say that what Yuna had told her was a lie; but instead the King nodded. Cagalli still let her tears fall. Why would he not say anything? Had he lost his ability to speak? Why did he look so weak? Why was he not rushing to her rescue? Why? The people booed at the name of Seiran, but then they hushed themselves, wanting to hear what was going on the stage.
"And do you acknowledge the future union between us to be genuine?"
Again, Uzumi nodded and Cagalli continued to fight in Yuna's grasp.
"No, no! Yuna, let me go—Father, please! Please, don't do this to me; don't..."
And when her eyes landed on the white-haired man whose thin lips were contorted into a wicked smile, that was when she realized that this was all for show. They were already on the stage, after all; and the audience only needed the story, the plot to watch for entertainment. And the only person who was truly enjoying this was also on-stage.
"Would you believe me if I told you that I'm going to break you?"
Yuna loosened his hold on her—whether on purpose or not, she didn't know—and she rushed to run to her father's side. She could save him, she could forego her responsibilities as the next in line for the throne and run away with her father; where they could start over again and leave their past behind them. She could save him, she could—
"Father, no!"
But it was all too late. As soon as the fire arrow hit its target, her father was engulfed in flames.
End of Chapter Thirteen
Notes: It felt so emotionally draining to write this chapter and hopefully you felt the same after reading it—it's a big holy sh!t moment for Cagalli, my poor baby. :( It was a bit challenging to find the right pauses when shifting between two perspectives, but hopefully the chapter is still coherent!
Song of the Chapter: Paradise by Vanessa Carlton (which I recommend you listen to because it perfectly fits with how heavy this chapter is)
Finally, I am SO happy with the feedback I received for last chapter! I wasn't supposed to write until after my classes ended but how could I keep this story from you guys? Thank you so much! I have six more exams to go before my first year in college officially ends so leaving me a message would be great! :)