Heavy Lies The Crown: Chapter Fifteen
by Starrify
And I lost hope when I was still so young—
had an angel on my shoulder, but the devil always won.
Don't you know I dream about you?
Run, run.
She had a long day ahead of her—that's what Manna told her just a while ago. But Cagalli felt as though the more proper thing for Manna to have told her was that she had a long life ahead of her. After bearing this much grief, she wasn't sure if she had it in her to continue living with desperation creeping in her mind every second.
She wasn't sure if she had it in her to fight a war.
"Is there something wrong with your food, Your Highness?"
Cagalli looked up from her plate to meet a servant's concerned eyes. The young girl couldn't have been more than fifteen years of age—not too far from her eighteen years. This thought only frustrated her more; how come there were others around her age which didn't have to bear the heavy burden of the crown, of the kingdom at the verge of a war?
"She's just really tired, my dear," Manna spoke for her. "Please allow Your Majesty to eat at her own pace. It is neither your fault nor the cook's."
"I don't need you to speak for me," Cagalli growled, putting down her fork; but she could not meet her former governess' eyes. "I am perfectly capable of taking care of myself, of speaking for myself."
"Oh, Princess. When I first laid eyes on you, you were but a babe crying in your mother's arms—"
"With Kira. If I was crying, then so was Kira."
The young servant girl looked confusedly at the matriarch of the kingdom and at the older woman who served as her mentor. She had no idea what or who their sudden subject was. Who was this Kira that the princess spoke of, who cried with the princess when she was a child? Manna seemed to sense her confusion and put a hand on her shoulder.
"Please leave me and the princess," Manna requested politely. "You do not need to hear this discussion. It's best that you don't either way."
The young girl nodded and scurried off. When the door closed with a soft thud, Manna took the seat on the right side of the long table.
"As you said just a minute ago: you can speak for yourself."
"I—" the princess fumbled for what she wanted to say. There were a million thoughts running in her head; and yet when she tried to single one out, it was always the thought of her father dying on that stage. "Life isn't fair."
Manna sighed. If there was a way to ease the princess of her suffering, of all the hurt she was feeling, then she would gladly do anything—but as things were, there was no out of their current predicament; and there was no easy way to tell Cagalli that everything was going to be alright without lying.
"You told me not to lose hope, that I have to not let them break my spirit—but for how long, Manna? How long can I keep this pretense that I'm okay?" Cagalli kept staring at the untouched piece of buttered toast on her plate. Even as tears threatened to spill from the corner of her eyes, she couldn't bring her eyes up to meet Manna's. "It shouldn't have been me my father kept."
"Princess—"
"It should've been Kira! He would've known what to do! He would've rallied the forces and fought by now and liberated the kingdom of the plague that is Djibiril and his men. Kira could have been the heir my father wished for Orb. Kira—he has Lacus and his parents and everyone who loves him at the orphanage. I have…no one."
"I already told you—"
Before Manna could console the Princess further, the large doors banged open, forcing Manna to stand at her feet attentively—and protectively, hiding the Princess from the view of the unannounced visitor. And when the older lady saw who graced them with his presence, she frowned.
"Young Lord Seiran." Manna gave a customary bow to the purple-haired man. "We were not anticipating your arrival until midday, like you had said yesterday."
"Yes, well." Yuna looked very unnerved and took a step to the left to get a better look of the blonde at the table. His eyes squinted and the side of his lips twitched upwards. "There has been a change of plans."
Cagalli didn't bother to get up for Yuna. Instead she nodded in acknowledgment of his presence and pretended to carry on eating, even though she had no appetite at all. Yuna just stood there, staring at her with a blank expression; Cagalli, in turn, glared at him. He didn't move until she placed a parcel of bread in her mouth—and when he finally did, Cagalli wished he remained a statue.
"Cagalli—"
"I don't recall authorizing you to call me by my given name."
"I am your fiancé—"
"And may I remind you that this is engagement is not of my own volition." Cagalli could not deny that the bread with butter was delectable, and so took another bite before resuming her cold speech. "I am merely honoring my father's memory by honoring his word to you for…saving me years ago."
Yuna's lips were now set in a straight line, but his eyes remained empty. Cagalli caught a glimpse of his eyes as she peered to her side and was bothered by how he was looking at her right now. The gleam of a predator wasn't there, but it was as though she could feel like he was sizing her up—and she felt discomforted to feel like a prey, to be watched as though she was just a piece of meat he could simply devour.
She would have none of that.
"As you told me yesterday, you are no longer Young Lord Seiran." Cagalli clicked her tongue to the roof of her mouth in distaste. Manna had convinced her that Yuna was not capable of such cruelties, but still she had to wonder what fate befell the former patriarch of the Seiran household. "So, Lord Seiran, to what do we owe your early visit?"
"I'm here to tell you that due to…certain circumstances, we'll have to push forward our wedding."
"Push forward?" Cagalli stood forcibly; her plate rattled and the cup bearing her juice turned over. "No, no—it was to take place at the end of the week, along with my coronation. Yuna—"
"It will now take place today at sunset," Yuna continued. "It's already been announced and I suppose all of your people will be disappointed if you didn't honor your word—or in this case, your father's."
"My father died yesterday and you expect me to agree to suddenly marry you today when I've hardly grieved—"
"It was unfortunate of your father to perish the way he did," Yuna cut her off promptly, unnerved by her outburst. "But I'm certain you wouldn't want the same fate to befall that…orphanage you were so fond of when we were children. "
Cagalli felt her heart in her throat, her whole word slowing down in front of her. Yuna wasn't capable of atrocities, of murdering the closest people she had to a family. When they were younger, Yuna was weak. He was the one always crying to his parents about how she beat him at a sparring session—or that he had gotten mud on his boots. He was afraid of small insects and birds. He would threaten to have someone arrested when he got any wound or scratch from tripping. He—
"You wouldn't dare—"
"I will do whatever's necessary to get what I want."
"You monster!"
She stalked her way to him, hand up ready to strike—but just like before, he had caught her by the wrist before her skin could make contact with his. Cagalli wanted to think that she wasn't frightened, that at this point she couldn't afford to be; and yet just by looking into his empty eyes, she felt more vulnerable than ever.
"You have no idea what I am."
"Good morning, sleepyhead."
His vision blurred in front of him as he opened his eyes. He could take in the colors—white, brown, and finally the violet of her hair.
"You've been sleeping since you arrived." Lunamaria peered at him while she stood in her casual clothes. "Well, it's not surprising, really, since you rode for almost two days straight all the way from Orb."
"Right." Shinn recalled how he rode tirelessly until he reached the Joule estate in Martius, where he had luckily caught the matriarch of the Joule house before she left for Aprilius. He had passed on Yzak's message and in return was offered the hospitality of the Joules. He could have stayed to rest and eat, but he declined and rode back to Februarius, where he practically collapsed back on his bed at the living quarters above the Hawke Apothecary. "That happened."
Lunamaria placed a tray on Shinn's lap after he sat, his back resting on the headboard. He looked down and saw pieces of bread and cheese with a hefty serving of porridge in a bowl. There was also a glass of cold ale, which he gulped down as soon as he set his eyes on it—he didn't realize he was that parched.
"Yes, well." The older of the Hawke siblings took a seat on the stool beside his bed and looked at the black-haired boy inquisitively. "While Meyrin and I have been trying to handle the apothecary without your help, we're sure you've been having a blast in Orb and being best pals with Prince Athrun."
"Not quite." Shinn bit off a large chunk from his loaf of bread. Still chewing, he continued, "There might be another war."
The red-head rolled her eyes at Shinn's disgusting habit of not closing his mouth as he chewed. Shinn's non-existent table manners aside, Lunamaria couldn't deny that she missed the boy who she practically grew up with.
"Wasn't that the reason you left in the first place?" she asked inquisitively, pouring some more ale into his cup. "Didn't Prince Athrun summon you for Zaft?"
"What do you mean?"
"The recruitment notice arrived the day you left. All able men above sixteen were to go to Aprilius to be prepared for war. Meyrin and I assumed that you left to aid in the war effort."
"Prince Athrun went there for diplomatic purposes—not to declare war!" Shinn spluttered on his ale; at which Lunamaria rolled her eyes again. "Lord Joule sent me to Martius to prevent the war! He told me to speak to his mother and tell her to send men to take out the threat—what was his name?—Djibiril and his men. A thousand men—"
Shinn was interrupted by a rapping. Both teenagers turned and saw Meyrin's childish pigtails peeking through the side of the door.
"A letter," Meyrin spoke sadly. "From Mom."
Lunamaria stood from the stool and walked over to her little sister. The younger Hawke handed the parchment with uncertainty, her small fingers shaking as her emotions got the better of her. She grabbed onto her older sister's arm; while Lunamaria smiled at her reassuringly.
"Both Mom and Dad left for Orb along with the soldiers," Meyrin explained as Lunamaria browsed through the contents of the small note from Aprilius. "Mom said that she never thought she'd have to leave Plant again because the last time she left, it was also for the last war years ago."
"They're not at the frontlines," Lunamaria said, unsure whether she was comforting herself or her sister. "They won't be stationed directly in Orb so they won't be at the battlefield itself. They'll probably set up camp at the forest outside. They'll be okay."
"War," Shinn repeated. "But—Cagalli's there. And so is Athrun."
He didn't know that many people in Orb, but there was one name that stuck at the back of his mind.
"Stellar."
Shinn made a move to get up from his bed, but Lunamaria was quick to hold him back down.
"Woah, easy there!" Lunamaria offered the agitated Shinn a small smile. "Who's Stellar?"
"Cagalli's impostor." At that, Lunamaria and Meyrin only looked at him queerly. "The daughter of King Muruta Azrael of the Alliance. She's the niece of—oh forget it. I have to go—"
"Shinn!" This time, Meyrin put her hand on Shinn's shoulder to push him back onto the bed. "You're hardly rested. If you go out now, you'll collapse before you even reach Aprilius."
Lunamaria was frowning now. She had considered that her parents would be commissioned again—they were, after all, one of the best doctors in the kingdom. But now that her suspicions were confirmed through the letter, she couldn't deny that she was very worried. Meyrin looked a bit bewildered as she helped keep Shinn in place and Lunamaria shook her head, unsure of what to do next.
"You won't be helping anyone by simply marching into Orb," Lunamaria spoke with a certain melancholy. She remembered her parents leaving her and Meyrin with their grandparents in December City in the last war. She was only ten years old; Meyrin, eight. They knew very well the feeling of hopelessness, of being terrified for the sake of their parents. "No offense, Shinn, but you're not really the best swordsman out there."
"I'm better than anyone else here in town and all of them trained for just one week before riding off to war." Shinn lifted his hands to pull away from the Hawke sisters' hold. "I think I'm more qualified than they are—"
"That's not the point, Shinn!" The older Hawke snapped, startling the two other teens in the small room. "Why do you even want to go back? Did you—did you find your family there?"
"No."
After Shinn's response, the silence promptly followed. The two sisters stood there, staring at the black-haired boy they've known for the past seven years, who was practically family.
"Shinn, I—"
"If you're not going to let me leave, Luna," he said, his voice very much cold. His red eyes were distant; choosing to stare outside his window instead of meeting his dear friend's concerned eyes. "You could at least leave me alone."
"I said, leave me alone!"
During the day, the doors inside the castle were always open. Guards would be posted outside the rooms of the higher officials—especially royalty—but the doors were open. In their culture, it was auspicious to leave doors simply unopened. It was a different matter during the night, though, because there existed the threat of assassination plots—and so, even with guards outside the door, the doors still had a bolt from the inside which locked others out.
Supposedly, that was the only use of the locks: keeping enemies out. And Manna thought herself hardly an antagonist to the Princess.
"Please, Cagalli." The old lady took a deep breath, calming herself, reminding herself to be ever patient with the young girl who currently had the world on her shoulders. "You have to come out to eat."
"I don't want to!" Cagalli screamed back, knowing she was heard well enough from the outside. The blonde continued to pace back and forth in her room, her eyes darting from the bed, the cabinet, the window and to the door when Manna called for her. "Just leave me alone!"
When Cagalli heard no more response from Manna's end, she sighed in relief. The Princess had enough to worry about and Manna fussing over her again was just adding to her stress. If there was a kinder way to tell Manna to not worry for her, Cagalli would have done so—but Manna wouldn't believe her and would just continue to nag her; so instead she resorted to telling Manna off.
Currently, she was thinking of ways to escape not just the castle, but her thoughts as well. Her mind was full of disturbing images—her father in flames, Yuna's hollow eyes; visions of Orb as a battlefield. She was sure she was going crazy from everything.
She cautiously approached the window and sat on the ledge. This side of the castle faced the forest, and for a short moment, as she stared out into what was her home for the last five years, she felt at peace. While her first few months in the forest were quite traumatic, she learned to live with it—and she had never felt more free than when she was alone. The time she spent in the forest felt like lifetimes away now, but she could still easily recall the feeling of the forest floor below her feet, the soft sound of birds chirping, the cool water in the stream—she missed it all. She especially missed Kusanagi, who was her constant companion during those lonely years.
Live one day at a time: that's what she had done to survive then, and that's what she was going to do now.
Except…was she really living?
No, she wasn't.
Making up her mind, she took to her closet. Opening it, she found that it was still full of her clothes when she was younger. The small blouses, the pants she requested instead of the traditional puffed skirts of princesses, some of her ceremonial dresses—including the gown for what was supposed to be her thirteenth birthday.
Her heart clenched; she spent too many nights awake just so she couldn't relive that scene in her head. She had thought she lost both of her father and Kisaka then—and she had truly lost her father yesterday.
After a bit of digging, she found a cloak which fit her well enough. It was a shade of deep purple and thin enough for the warm weather in Orb. Cagalli couldn't remember when she had ever worn this, but knew that it wasn't important. What mattered was that she left—now.
When she opened her door, Manna was still there.
"Didn't I tell you to leave me alone?" she groaned, walking past Manna and the other servants behind her. The two guards watching over her door were men of Djibiril; Cagalli couldn't remember their names, but the colors of their hair stood out well enough for her to remember who they were loyal to.
"Princess!" Manna called out again, stomping her foot. "We've been given strict orders not to let you out—"
"You know I'm starting to question whether anyone's on my side anymore," she retorted, turning around to face the castle staff. The Princess could see that there was fear in the eyes of the servants except for Manna. "Who exactly employs you? Is it Yuna? Or is it me, the heir to Orb?"
"Please do not doubt our loyalty to you, Princess," Manna pleaded with the stubborn girl. "We are only acting on what we think is your best interest."
"It would be in my best interest to be rid of Yuna and Djibiril!" she snapped impatiently. "It would also be in my best interest if my father was alive—but he's not, is he?"
"But Princess—"
"I'll come back to prepare for my wedding later. No matter how cruel, I cannot escape my fate, can I? For now, I'm going to go to my brother and warn them of Yuna's threat. Lord Djibiril's men can just try to stop me."
"Cagalli." It was incredibly disrespectful in the traditions of Orb for those of lower classes to address nobles by their first name—much more with royals. The other servants gasped when the elder woman called the Princess straightforwardly, but Manna paid them no heed. None of them knew the heir to Orb like she did. "Lord Djibiril's men will."
"They can go ahead and kill me then!" Cagalli lashed, turning around. Her cloak followed dramatically after her and she took another step away from her attendants. "After all, these might as well be the hours before I die."
"How goes it, Lady Ramius?" King George asked from across the war chamber of the castle. The room had collected some dust after all the years of peace within the kingdom; it could have been cleared a while back, but King George didn't want anyone stepping into the room, for fear of the evil which lived in the room for so long. But lately the King had ordered for it to be in use again—after all, what else was a war chamber for?
"No war yet," Murrue answered with an unsure smile. "Although, if Your Majesty would allow it, I'd rather be called by my rank of Captain. Or simply Murrue would do."
"Well, simply Murrue," George teased, his old eyes twinkling with amusement. "Your fiancé has sent a message, hasn't he? What does it say?"
"The Princess was captured by Seiran and Djibiril and is currently in the castle." Murrue now held a grim countenance, although she kept herself together. Reading the letter was heart-shattering, and the brown-haired lady could not feel more for the young blonde princess she grew to care for. "Her father was executed, although Mu left out the details."
"But I had thought that Uzumi had died in the siege five years ago."
"We all had thought the same."
"Uzumi was a dear friend," George confided, his voice a low murmur. "He had been the one who supported my campaign for the crown. After the war, after we all thought that there was no hope for the Alliance to rebuild itself, Uzumi came and helped. He was the greatest leader I knew and could have easily taken hold of a bigger kingdom. But instead he assisted me in getting the Alliance back on its feet. We were more heavily ravaged by the war, not because Plant got through our defenses, but because King Azrael had used up all of its resources."
"My grandparents were from the Alliance, and they lived there during the war," Murrue told him. "My parents and I were already safe in Orb, but we always worried for them."
"As you should have. The Alliance was a terrible place during and the year after the war."
"But now it's better, isn't it? I look outside and the people are happy to be away from those turbulent times."
"They are, aren't they?" The King of the Alliance took a few strides over to the table which contained the map of the three kingdoms. The Alliance was the biggest kingdom—almost twice the size of Plant. Orb was very small in comparison, almost like a moon to the sun; but in terms of sufficiency, Orb was arguably the best. "And it's all thanks to Uzumi."
Murrue tried to recall the time she had met the famed King of Orb. Aside from being the monarch of the kingdom, he was also the Supreme Commander of its army; thus, he had always been present at the graduation of recruits. He was a tall and proud man, and was obviously of influence—and yet he maintained an air of humility. Murrue remembered how the King had stepped down and walked among his people, personally congratulated each and every new recruit.
The Princess was a little girl, then, and she sat on the tall chair on the stage as her father had delivered his inspiring speech of service to the kingdom, stressing their peaceful views but the necessity of keeping a military anyway. Murrue remembered how most of her class had gushed about the cute princess—most especially Mu.
"I pity his daughter." George spoke again, tracing his eyes over the small area Orb covered on the map. "I really cannot imagine what she is going through, losing her father and her kingdom on the brink of war because I had overlooked Djibiril while he was still in the Alliance."
"He still would have found a way to get what he wanted, Your Majesty. Djibiril's not a man to be underestimated."
"Indeed, he isn't." The King turned around and went through some of the old documents of the war past. It contained strategies and maps, lists of names of soldiers stationed in areas. Squinting his eyes, he found small texts written at the bottom of almost each page. For a pure and blue world. "What does that mean…?"
"What does what mean, Your Majesty?"
"Your Majesty!"
Both occupants of the room turned at the sudden intrusion. A young messenger bowed deeply, and was almost on his knees, but he quickly stood anyway without the King's say-so. This surprised Murrue and looked to the King, who had his brows furrowed in confusion. Clearly both of them were just as equally shocked by the arrival of the bold boy.
"Forgive me for disturbing you, Your Majesty and…" the boy trailed off, looking to the brunette in the room. Before Murrue could supply her name, he continued anyway, "I was sent by Commander Halberton to deliver a message of utmost importance."
"Well, if it is as urgent as you say, then be on with it!"
"It's Zaft, Your Majesty. Plant has mobilized its army and they're on their way to Orb right now."
Cagalli walked on, trudging through the streets of her city under uncomfortable scrutiny. People continued to stare at her as she passed them, wondering who the hooded figure was—and why there were two of Djibiril's men following her. Still, she paid everyone else no heed; what mattered was that she got to the orphanage as soon as possible.
"Why can't we just ditch her?" One guard spoke behind her. "It's not like she's going to run away."
"Our orders are to watch over her at all times," the other replied. "I'd rather follow her around than answer to Lord Djibiril should she disappear when we're supposedly on duty."
"I liked it better when we were watching over Stellar," the other boy whined again. This time he sounded awfully young for someone Djibiril would entrust to watch over her. Did the menace really see her that much of a non-threat?
But beyond that, Cagalli wondered who was Stellar? She almost tripped over a rock on the road, lost in thought. The two must have noticed her eavesdropping then because they stopped talking after that.
When she passed by another alley on the way to the orphanage, Cagalli looked up just in time to see a woman closing her window, a small babe in her arms. She didn't miss the frightened look on the woman's face, of how her eyes lit up in terror when she saw the sigil of the Alliance on the two men's clothes.
Silently, Cagalli swore to herself that there would be no more fear of these men soon. She'd make sure of it.
After passing by the last backstreet—Cagalli recalled that this was where Yuna had assaulted her—they finally arrived at the lane where the orphanage was located. She could almost see the large house of wood where she spent some of her days as a child. Even then she was close to Kira, but how was she to know of the true nature of their relationship?
Every step she took, she felt closer to her brother. Just a little more, her chest ached with longing for comfort. All she needed was for someone to hold her, and no one in the castle would do that—save for Yuna, perhaps, but she wouldn't let that…freak touch her. After what he did to her this morning, she truly was unsure of what he was.
Cagalli stood in front of the porch which looked ready to fall apart. Looking up, she saw the windows were still covered up—Aunt Caridad had explained that it was to hide the atrocities of the civil war from the children. It felt as though she'd been gone for a year, but in reality it had only been a few days since Yuna abducted her.
Since he brought her to her father.
Since her father died.
Comfort—she came here for comfort. But she could not afford to be selfish; beyond her own sense of security, she had to warn them of Yuna's threat.
Her hand was ready to knock on the front door when she heard the all-too familiar whinny. Cagalli's golden eyes lit up and she abandoned the thought of knocking altogether and sprinted her way to the back, jumping over the fence instead of unhinging the lock. When she saw the posts which acted as a makeshift stable, she felt relief wash over her.
"Kusanagi!" her hand sprung up to pat her horse, who more than willingly rubbed her hand back in affection. If there was comfort to be found, it was with her familiar who stuck with her for five years in the forest. Kusanagi embodied comfort because her horse was there for her when no one else was. The tears began to flow as she recalled her days in the forest. "Oh, I've missed you…"
After a few seconds, she heard a rustle from behind her and saw that the two guards followed her to the back. They were obviously not happy with having to jump over the fence in the same fashion as her.
"Why can't you just act like a proper princess?" the other guard with strange light blue hair groaned. "But it's not like Stellar was any better either."
There was that name again. Stellar.
"Auel," the older boy said warningly, bow in hand. "Mention her name again and I swear to the cosmos—"
The back door of the orphanage swung open, alerting the two boys of the presence of another person. The younger guard—Auel—unsheathed his sword and brought it up with one hand. To be able to hold a broad sword with one hand was no easy feat. Cagalli marveled at his strength; he was shorter than her but obviously did not lack in power. The other boy reached for an arrow from the quiver on his back and Cagalli had to do a double-take because not one second later it was aimed at the person standing by the door.
It was Sai, cowering in fear at the sight of Djibiril's guard.
"C-Cagalli?" he stuttered, his glasses hanging lowly on the bridge of his nose. And yet he seemed too frozen in place to do anything about it. "H-how—"
"Stand down," the princess growled at the two boys ready to strike. "I order you to—"
"We do not answer to you!" The older guard roared back, slightly pulling the string back. Sai gulped at this and Cagalli strode to stand in front of the tip of his bow.
"But you do answer to Djibiril. And if anything should happen to me under your watch…"
"Sting," Auel called out, bringing his sword down. "Listen to her."
The other guard—Sting—snarled at the blonde standing in front of him. Still, he had no choice but to follow her order. Instead, he turned around and released the string of the bow and the arrow landed inches away from Kusanagi's feet, agitating the large animal.
"Kusanagi!" Cagalli ran to her horse, trying to placate her familiar without getting too close to be trampled on. "Calm down!"
"Know that I never miss, Princess," Sting taunted with a smirk. "Try anything and my arrow will go straight through your friends' hearts, like how that fire arrow hit your father!"
"You bastard!" The blonde ran to him, ready to punch the green-haired guard but Sai was suddenly standing by her side and restraining her. "You—you! You were the one who—"
"Cagalli, just go inside—"
"Auel, you watch the front." Sting watched in amusement at the struggling princess. "I'll stand guard here. You have half an hour, Princess. If you don't come out by then, we're burning down this house."
"Simply put," The King of Plant began with an eerie smile. "I had you all summoned in order to declare our victory."
The servants passed around cups filled to the brim with one of the finest red wines in the King's collection. Supposedly there were twelve people occupying each seat in the large round table, one to represent each main city of Plant, including the King who lived in Aprilius; but currently it was only eleven. There was a notable absence in the seat which Siegel Clyne used to occupy. The other advisors knew that it was the King's doing, but did not speak out in fear of what would happen to their families.
"You're rather excited, Patrick." Ezalia Joule said, raising her glass. "The troops of Zaft aren't due to arrive in Orb until a few more hours."
"It will be nightfall in Orb by then and it would be even further into the night here," Patrick explained. "I wouldn't want to disturb your beauty sleep, Ezalia."
"Well, then." The head of the noble house of Joule laughed and looked to her fellow advisers. "To the victory of Plant."
"Cheers!" the others raised their glasses and all took to their drinks. Ezalia was last to finish, being careful with handling her alcohol. Once she put down her glass, the bittersweet aftertaste of the red wine remained in her mouth; and she clicked her mouth in distaste. She preferred bubbly cider, drinks with more class and grace than wine.
"And long live the King," Ezalia finally said with her trademark grin. "Aside from drinking away your precious stocks, what else did you summon us for, Your Highness?"
Patrick stood and the servants understood this as their cue to leave. The King cleared his throat before speaking, "As all of you already know, I had dispatched our forces to take over Orb. Not everyone was included in the planning of this siege and now I've called you all here to inform you of the flow of the siege and our next course of action.
"See, our forces will not just simply attack Orb—unlike what the Alliance did to Plant years ago. This time there will be mercy, some leniency. Once our troops arrive, they will give the terms of surrender to the child-ruler of Orb. She will have six hours to either hand over Djibiril to us or let her country burn. And now that we've received confirmation from our children that the monster is indeed in Orb, she will have no choice but to comply. Naturally she'd order a notice of evacuation to her people. The civilians will go to the outer lands, away from the potential battlefield, and those who will be left are Djibiril's men and the soldiers of Orb.
"Now there are two ways that this can play out. If Djibril is in the custody of the child-ruler, she will hand him over—but not without heavy resistance of the men of Djibiril. However, I trust the soldiers will be successful. In that case, Djibiril will be transported to Plant and will be put on trial. Plant will offer its cooperation with the Alliance to hunt down every member of this Blue Cosmos cult and that's the end of it.
"But if Djibiril is not in the custody of the child-ruler, then she will order for his search. It will be the soldiers of Orb fighting against Djibiril's men in Heliopolis as they try to gain custody of Djibiril. Men will die on both sides, and in six hours there should be no one left. Orb will be ripe for the taking and our troops will move in and occupy the land. The child-ruler will either accept annexation or her death."
"You would kill the Queen of Orb, a mere child?" Yuri burst all too quickly in response to the King's plan. "Your Highness, our—our children are there in Orb! Nicol… Your own son, the Prince, is also there in Orb!"
"There is a squad with the sole objective of extracting our children, Yuri." Patrick answered with a glare in his counsel's direction. "Do you think I'm not aware of the value of my only heir?"
"F-forgive me, Your Highness."
"I understand the point of your inquiry, Yuri." Patrick's gray eyes scanned the rest of the room in anticipation. "Does anyone else have other concerns they wish to bring up with me and the rest of the council?"
Ezalia raised her hand. "Knowing you, Patrick, you're hoping for the latter to play out, aren't you?"
"You've known me since we were children, Ezalia. What do you think?"
The silver-haired woman frowned.
"The Kingdom of Orb has always been known to be that of peace and neutrality. Do you think the child of the great late King Uzumi would be so easily swayed into giving up the independence of her kingdom?"
"As I said earlier, there will be leniency. It's either she gives up her precious principles—" Patrick took his cup and refilled it himself, taking a swig before continuing, "Or she dies with them."
"Princess!" the children were quick to gather around her and hug her legs once she walked in with Sai. Whatever anger festering in her quickly dissipated at the sight of the little boys and girls huddling at her legs. "We missed you!"
"I missed you guys, too," Cagalli said with uncertainty. These children were innocent—they had no idea what had happened to her, what was happening outside of the confines of the orphanage. "Where is Kira?"
"Upstairs with…Asu—Asu—"
"With who?" Cagalli almost laughed at the child's attempt to say the person's name. But remembering that she was pressed for time, instead, she turned to Sai. "It doesn't matter. Where's Lacus?"
"I…think it's better if Kira is the one to explain to you." Sai first turned around to face the children, telling them to stay inside and downstairs because there were bad men outside, before he began to lead Cagalli upstairs. "I heard what happened. I'm so sorry, Princess."
"Thank you," Cagalli said softly. "I appreciate it, Sai."
Sai nodded in acknowledgment before he knocked on the locked door. "I need to go back down to watch over the children. If they go out, then…"
"I understand."
Cagalli's heart began to race. How was she to tell Kira that she was going to be married—later? And to the boy who used to bully them because they lived in the orphanage and not in a large estate? How was she supposed to cry, to relieve herself of the tears for her father? How was she to tell Kira that she was as good as dead at this point?
Slowly the door opened, but instead of the warm purple eyes she was expecting, Cagalli found herself staring into striking emerald ones instead.
"Y—you're…"
Athrun was just as surprised—if not even more than the girl. She was there, in front of him; finally, after weeks of not seeing each other, of almost forgetting how she looked like, how she sounded like, how she tasted—
He was quick to hold her, to wrap his arms around her unmoving frame. Despite her rough exterior, she was just as delicate, just as soft as he remembered. She was just as beautiful.
"Athrun?" Slowly she responded, her hands beginning to crawl up to his back in response to his hug.
"I love you, Cagalli," he cried into her hair—her golden hair, her hair which shone above the darkness—of the forest, of the night, of his entire life. "I swear to whatever gods exist out there that I do, Cagalli. I—"
"Just shut up."
Athrun was taken aback. "What—?"
Her lips were on his; and he remembered everything. The forest, the road, the beach; every moment with her that led to this. Even back then, he knew he loved her. And he had lost her before, but now…he was not going to let her go.
They were interrupted by a cough from behind him.
"That's my sister you're kissing!"
They pulled apart, smiling at each other before facing Kira. Athrun opened his mouth to apologize, but Cagalli pushed him aside and threw herself at her brother. Kira seemed to not expect it and almost fell to the floor if it had not been for his strength.
Athrun closed the door behind him and when he looked back into the room, his friends were grinning.
"Finally Zala's manned up and kissed a girl," Yzak mocked. "I'm sure Lacus would be proud."
"Didn't the Princess kiss him first? I don't think it counts," Shiho said beside him, also smirking. "But he did hug her first, so maybe that counts for something?"
"So since Kira and the Princess are twins…or something," Dearka chirped. "Does that mean Athrun was kissing a female-Kira?"
Nicol, as always, was just smiling.
"How did you get here, Cagalli?" Kira asked, leading his sister to one of the chairs. "How did you get out of the castle?"
"I'm here because I need you guys to leave," Cagalli answered too quickly. "Yuna threatened to burn the orphanage down and I cannot take the risk of losing you. And now that Athrun's here, too…"
"Nothing will happen to us, Cagalli," Kira assured her, holding her hand as he knelt beside her. "You should be more worried about yourself. We…we saw what happened the other day, in the plaza."
"And now I'm telling you that I can't think about my own father's death because there are more important things to worry about!" she snapped, but looked apologetic. "You have to promise me that you will all leave after I return to the castle."
"Cagalli—"
"Just promise me, Kira!"
"Okay, okay!" Kira acquiesced, scrunching his brows in concern. "I promise."
Finally, the blonde breathed out. "Thank you."
Kira stood up and next it was Athrun who went closer to her. The Princess smiled genuinely—something which she hadn't done in a while and leaned forward to wrap her arms around his waist. It was a bit awkward as she pressed the side of her head to his stomach; but Athrun just patted her head and ran his fingers through her hair.
"Cagalli," he said her name once before he slid down to put his face on level with hers. "Cagalli."
"I'm so sorry, Athrun."
"Why are you apologizing?"
"I—" Tears began to stream down her face. "I don't want to lose you, too."
"And I don't want to lose you either," Athrun answered. "I lost you before, Cagalli. I thought I lost you forever when I found you on the common route and I couldn't bear to imagine my life without you, you know? And when Kira took you away, I thought it was going to be okay because you were going to be safe, but finding out that you were gone again here in Orb, I—"
"I understand, Athrun. I do."
"You do?"
"I love you, too."
"Please don't make out in front of us."
"Yzak!"
"What? It's gross."
"Can't you just shut up?"
"You're ruining their moment!"
Both Athrun and Cagalli looked over to Athrun's friends who were sending uneasy smiles to their direction. Still, Cagalli knew she was pressed for time before Sting would barge into the orphanage and dragged her back to the castle. And if the guard did that, she couldn't guarantee that he wouldn't hurt anyone else in the process.
"I have to go." She quickly rose to her feet, agitating Athrun. "I love you. I—I'm sorry."
"Cagalli…?"
"Your promise, Kira." The Princess wiped the tears off her face and now looked melancholy. "You all have to leave."
Kira nodded, although he wasn't too happy with the thought of abandoning Cagalli in the city by herself. Cagalli gave him a smile and one final hug before she ran to the door and down the stairs.
Athrun chased after her to the back door, not minding the inquisitive looks of the children as the prince ran to the princess.
"Cagalli, wait!" Athrun called out, and she stopped in her tracks to turn around and face him. "I…I kept this for you." He brought out his mother's ring from his pocket and reached for her hand. "I knew I would find you again. So I—"
But Cagalli pulled her hand away from his grasp.
"Nothing can happen between us, Athrun." Cagalli spoke solemnly, masking her true emotions. In truth she felt more than elated—and for once she saw the glimmer of a bright future with Athrun—but perhaps in another life, if they weren't who they were… "We're both the heirs of our respective kingdoms, the only ones in the line of succession. You know that we can't ever—"
"I know, and I'm telling you that I don't care! I love you—"
"I have to go, Athrun." She turned around for the last time and sprinted out the door. "I'm sorry."
"I'm so sorry."
"Dear, you've been saying that for the past hour, and you haven't told me what's bothering you."
"I just want to be alone." Cagalli wished she could hug her knees, but the dress she wore would not permit such action. Her wedding dress could not allow movement and she hated every second she was in it.
"Now I know that's not true. No one truly wants to be alone." Manna sat on the other side of the carriage, putting more pins in her dress to keep it from crumpling. "When you were in the forest for five years, I'm sure you wished to be not alone."
Cagalli couldn't argue because it was true. Every day she wished that she could go back to her old life, to her friends, to her father; to the time when everything was peaceful and she didn't have to worry about war.
And everything changed when she met Athrun.
"Well, I want to be alone now." Cagalli looked out of the carriage. Haumea temple was only a few minutes away and she knew she couldn't just run away from her wedding ceremony. Looking out of the quarter glass, she saw her people looking so happy. After much suffering, they deserved to find some sort of happiness, didn't they? And wasn't it her duty to give them that, even at her own expense?
But didn't she deserve happiness, too?
"Or just…be with anyone else that's not Yuna."
"There is something wrong now with that child," Manna said tactfully, placing the final pin in her dress. After that, she sat back properly, leaning on the cushioned chair. "Something changed within him. Or perhaps it's just my old eyes imagining such…"
"No, I saw it, too." Cagalli recalled the terror she had felt when she saw Yuna just this morning. "He's not the same person."
Cagalli continued to look outside and saw Athrun's face from the balcony of an establishment along the main street. He wore a hood, covering the dark blue of his hair, but still she knew it was him. She just knew.
"I'm sorry," she whispered, praying her voice could reach him; her breath fogging up the glass. "I'm so sorry."
"That simply won't do, Princess!" Manna harrumphed; pulling the young girl's gloved hands. "It is the day of your wedding, what is supposed to be the happiest day of your life. I know that you are not pleased with everything that's going on, but please at least try. The ruler is not only the leader, but also the face of a nation. The people outside can see glimpses of you, and if you show them sadness they will also be sad."
"I'm happy; I am." Cagalli was not sure who she was convincing, but Manna did not buy it. "These are…tears of joy. I'm so elated to be marrying Yuna."
She repeated the words in her head.
I'm happy.
I'm so sorry.
And soon enough, the door of her ceremonial carriage swung open and the orange light of the sunset crept in. Manna assisted her out and she could feel everyone's eyes on her. She was supposed to be beautiful with her extravagant dress of white, of fabric made from the leaves of one plant only found in an outlying island of Orb. And over her head was a white veil, put into place by her tiara. Precious pearls adorned her neck and wrists, too. It was all too heavy and she was surprised she could even walk with all of the weight on her body.
Heavy, was the only thought in her mind as she took a step up the temple. It's so heavy.
The past five years was nothing but a burden, a heavy cross for her to carry alone. There was no one else who understood her loneliness in the forest, her desperation of losing her father and having to lead a kingdom when she knew nothing. There was no one she could count on now to rescue her—not as she walked to her grave atop the temple, to her funeral service, to her wedding ceremony.
There was no one who could save her now.
She trudged up the marble stairs of the hallowed ground that was Haumea Temple. This was where her parents were married—that was, King Uzumi and Queen Via; and not Via and whoever Cagalli's birth father. And this was where her grandparents were married, too—and the tradition went for past generations, too. She had dreamed about it as a child, climbing the long stairs to reach the top and to marry the person she loved while the sun set, as was tradition.
Cagalli closed her eyes and took another step, careful not to trip. If only it was Athrun waiting for her at the top.
When she finally made it to the peak, she saw the small gazebo prepared for their small ceremony. Manna followed behind her, acting as her guardian for the official documents. The preacher was ready at the altar, his old face both welcoming and intimidated. Cagalli also saw two faces she recognized as part of the noble house of Sahaku; although their names escaped her at the moment. In one corner she saw Lord Djibiril in a gaudy white suit which looked like it could be part of the fashion of the Alliance. Behind him were Auel and Sting, not looking too pleased with wearing a formal ceremonial suit almost similar to Djibiril's. Still, Cagalli didn't miss their weapons were easily in their reach.
And then there was Yuna.
He was handsome, sure, she could give him that. But inside, what was he? Manna told her he wasn't capable of true evil—not like Djibiril or Unato. However, there was something off with him. Even now, in his pristine suit of white and his confident grin plastered on his face, Cagalli could sense that something else was bothering Yuna.
"You look beautiful," Yuna said; this time Cagalli knew he was being sincere. He extended his arm for her to take and reluctantly she hooked her palm over his forearm and allowed him to lead her to the altar. "Are you ready?"
"As if I have a choice," she snorted and Yuna's disposition changed just as easily. "Let's just get this over with."
All of the witnesses were gathered on the left side of the small aisle while on the right was the three-person ensemble playing music for the couple to walk to the altar to. There was a violin, a flute and—
Drums.
But the sound was loud, booming, from beyond the temple.
Cagalli dropped her hand to her side and walked back to get a better view of her city. Her eyes wandered down to the city, where she saw many of her people gathered below to attend her wedding ceremony from a distance. They were also looking around, confused at the source of such a din.
They couldn't see it—but she could.
There, on the outer wall of Orb were the drums sounded only for war.
And that was exactly what was coming to her kingdom.
End of Chapter Fifteen
Notes: Finally! This chapter's been long overdue. But if I keep this up, I might be able to finish this within the year or early next year. Yay, right? Again, thank you for being so patient with me. And if you haven't seen it yet, check out my other story Darling So It Goes, which is definitely lighter than this.
On a side note, life has been killing me lately, especially with 1) University and 2) my boyfriend leaving me. So now I've turned to fanfiction for comfort. o.o *asks for hugs*
Song of the Chapter: Chasing Twisters by Delta Rae