Disclaimer:  I don't feel like writing this!  You guys know the drill by
now.
Authoresses Note:  Hi!  This first part here is just a lot of setting up the stage, so nothing extremely romantic happening.  This is just a
little warning that's going to seem really stupid:  Several murders throughout the fic, just to keep up the suspense.  I'm sure no one
cares, but I'm a wimp, and I might like a warning like that. (Everything's always different from the writer's point of view.)  In
fact, it starts with a murder!  Everyone cheer!  I will just puke after I write this though, if you'll excuse me.
Written By Desert Bloom
Title:  White Rose
Part:  One

 It was a dark night on the pier.  Fog clung elusively to the muggy air.  The boards cracked under the man's feet.  The years of water had decayed them.
 A flashing orb was the main source of light, assisted by a dozen or more stars.  The man scratched his beard softly in thought.  Usually there were more stars - but they were having a fireworks display at the palace.  That would bring down the lovely pieces of heaven all right.
 This man had a history with stars.  At one point he had strived to study them - he had proved a promising scientist.  But
circumstances.circumstances changed all this.  Damned snobs.
 He leaned his plump little body against the railing, his thoughts elsewhere, his sweaty hands clutching the merchandise firmly.  His small beady eyes flashed a hidden intelligence.  But where some people win in one aspect and fail in another - this man was a genius, to put it bluntly.  But he lacked common sense.  Once a very, very promising astronomical student, he had sunk to a smuggler.  To put it shortly, a teacher of his who failed his project ended up without an arm.
 The little man shifted uncomfortably.  This had been his tenth job by now, but he was always nervous.  He knew one day one would be his last.
Whether or not that was this one, he had no idea.
 "You have the stuff?" The little man shook for a moment at the unexpected voice.  But then he straightened up and boldly faced the
newcomer.
 "Yes." He nodded sagely, holding out the various weapons.
 He wasn't sure, but the stranger seemed to be pleased.  A smile flickered over their face, as their eyes flashed over the array of guns.
"Very good," the person noted with a sneer. "You kept your promise."
 The broken scientist started with surprise as his customer grabbed one of the guns, a long rifle, and began to give it a good look.  "Excuse me," he interrupted, "I need money first."
 "Interesting." The person paid no heed to his supplier. "Very, very good." With that the stranger turned, their steps filling the bay with a hollow sound.
 "Wait!" called out the little, greedy man. "Pay!  Pay!"
 The figure laughed loudly, and the greedy man shrunk back, his eyes livid with fear. "Excuse me, sir -" he tried again, "You were going to pay, weren't you?"
 The form, now distant, laughed again.  The stranger continued to walk, obviously not disturbed one bit.  That was, until a click sounded behind his back, and the person turned to find the little man sporting a pistol.
 "Pay me now!  Pay, or I will kill you!"
 The form stopped in their tracks, a small grin sitting evilly on their lips. "Shoot me then," the person ordered, a smirk flashing in their
eyes.
 The little man nearly dropped the gun.  He hadn't expected that. "I'm serious you know!  I'm gonna kill you!" he repeated, his voice shaking.
 The stranger laughed again. "Its not so easy to kill, now is it, you poor old boy?" he said with a casual laugh.
 "I will kill you!"
 "Kill me then!"
 The little man slumped dejectedly against the railing, and his gun fell to the deck with a slam.  His eyes begged the stranger, but to no
avail.  There was a gunshot, this one made by a rifle, the little man let out his last breath in a horrid scream, and his body fell to the
deck.
 The stars cried.

 Relena yawned, bringing her head up from the endless paperwork. Files!  Forms!  Newsletters!  Essays!  Notes!  More forms!  Jesus!
 She rubbed her eyes sleepily, and pushed her chair away from the desk. Then she attempted to get out of the chair, but her numb feet would not allow it.  She stumbled, and became a cursing mass on the floor.  Her eyes flashing blue fire, she used the leg of her bed to crawl up again.
 She blew out her breath with harsh sigh and collapsed onto the bed. She smirked - she had decided to take a nap - and that was almost sinful for one of her position.  Her eyes fluttered close, but opened again, as she sighted a familiar flash of brown eyes.
 "Heero!" she gasped, sitting straight up in bed.
 Near the door, halfway across the room, stood Heero Yuy, watching the princess like a hawk. He hadn't changed - still the same Heero with his mass of unruly bangs, sullen frown, and livid hazel eyes.
 Heero seemed to jolt at her outburst. "Noin didn't tell you?" he questioned, his eyes searching hers, brown unto blue.
 Relena shook her head, trying to still her beating heart.
 "About a week ago, I was assigned to be your personal bodyguard." He explained.
 "Why?"
 "They should have told you about this." He continued on his little rant, ignoring her.
 "Heero, tell me what?  Is anything going on?  Are you and the others okay?" He turned, knowing by 'others' she meant Gundam pilots.
 "There's a serial killer after you, Relena." He told her levelly, shifting uncomfortably in the doorframe.
 A hushed silence fell upon him, and Relena blanched.  Then she let out a high laugh, and jumped out of bed, her feet bumping the floor harshly.
"Oh, is that all?" she smirked. "Heero, I have a new one every month!"
She blinked, and moved closer to the doorknob. "Are you going to follow me everywhere?" she asked.
 Heero shook his head. "No Miss Relena," he said quietly. "I will be conducting an investigation at times."
 "Well then.  May I go out alone for a walk in the garden?" she pushed the door open, and winced as their shoulders brushed.
 He nodded solemnly, and with a wave of her golden locks Relena was out the door and down the hallway.

 Klia loved the fall.  Loved it!  Or perhaps she just loved cold weather in particular.  Living sixteen of your seventeen years in a desert region could do that to a person.  She smiled as a free falling golden leaf caught her on the shoulder.  She also loved nature.  Loved it!
 Life was a heaven for her at the moment.  One looking at her smiling face now would never suspect that it had once been a hell.
 The beauty of her surroundings was all too heavenly to be left alone.  She stamped her foot on the paved garden walkway a couple of times, creating a rhythmic beat.  Then she used the full powers of the Rowells, and that was dancing.
 The Rowells had not always been such a scorned heritage, you see.  Way back in time, the Rowells had been a loved royal family, talented in the area of leading.  Not only that, but they were the best dancers for miles!  Each heir to the throne was born with perfect feet and a good sense of the music.
 She tried a couple of tap steps, her feet striking the ground perfectly.  Tap, tap.  Tappity tap tap tap.  Tap, tap!  She spun her
small body around, her long hair flaring up behind her and her maid's uniform whirling with her.  She smiled dazzling all the while, hitting ballet's first and then third position.  You name it, and she could dance it!  But she preferred tap.  Tappity tappity tap tap.  Tappity tappity tap tap tap!  She smiled to herself and curtsied to her invisible audience, straightening with a little gasp as she heard
applause.
 "Miss Relena!"
 Relena Peacecraft grinned, her eyes sparkling.  She let out a little laugh. "Oh, come on Klia!  Don't be so embarrassed!  I was doing the same thing a little while ago, though I must say you are much better than I could ever hope to become."
 Klia blushed considerably, and shifted uncomfortably. "I doubt that, Miss Relena," she said quickly. "I'm sorry, I'll get out of your way."
 Relena blinked.  My god, the girl was shy!  Putting her hands on her hips, she then said, "No, you're not disturbing me.  Where'd you learn to dance like that, Klia?"
 "My mother, miss."
 Relena nodded solemnly. "Was she a dancer?"
 "Yes, miss." Klia didn't know what to say.  Miss Relena seemed a nice person, and she was lonely for a friend.  However, two princesses of warring countries cannot. "She was a called the Dancing Queen, actually."
 "I've heard that you were related to the Rowells." Nodded Relena firmly. "What's the culture like over there?  A lot different from over here?"
 Relena didn't need to ask how a fellow princess had wound up here.  It was a well-known fact that the kingdom and the royal family had been destroyed, spare Klia and a few brothers and sisters.  It saddened her deeply that she had partially brought this to her.
 Klia seemed to brighten somewhat. "Oh yes, Miss Relena!  Its much better over here, I think.  Table manners and whatnot are much more sophisticated, and the cooking is that of the gods."
 "Maurice is a genius." Acknowledged Relena. "Come, let's sit down, Klia." She waved to a bench but Klia shook her head.
 "No, miss, I can't," she said quickly, taking a step back. "I really shouldn't," Her eyes flashed with something that Relena didn't quite
understand.  Relena watched Klia suck her breath in nervously, and then move back more. "I should be getting to the kitchens."
 Relena nodded, and Klia left, leaving Relena feeling a bit put out.

 "Miss Noin, you have a call,"
 Noin looked up from the book she had been trying to lose herself in. Her personal maid was a sweet plump lady, large with her fourth child. She smiled down at Noin. "A Miss Dorothy to see, miss.  On the vid phone."
 Noin nodded, and set her book down on the desk.  Her work was a taxing one - she only got rest on Sundays like today.  She was in charge of the defense of Miss Relena, and god knows it doesn't get much harder than that.  The girl invited danger!
 Noin got up from her chair, dismissing her maid with a wave of her hand.  Then she rolled onto her bed, and over to her nightstand where stood her vid phone.  There was a click as she accepted the call, and soon she was staring unto Dorothy Catalonia.
 Dorothy smirked at her.  Didn't smile - smirked.  It was a bad habit of hers, left over from her time at OZ.  But Noin was forgiving; hence she greeted the girl with obvious warmth.
 Dorothy.  How to describe this one?  She was a crafty sort, decided Noin levelly.  Tactful.  And she prided herself on it.  Her figure was slim, her eyes and hair light - her lips a soft pearly pink designed for those menacing smirks.  Her history was an interesting one.  It was stooped in deception, lies, utter sadness, and even Noin didn't know the full story.
 To a certain extent, Noin didn't trust the girl.  But Relena and she were close, and that was enough for the shorthaired officer.
 "Hello Dorothy." Noin straightened her back, and dangled her long legs over the side of the bed. "How are you?"
 Dorothy nodded with a smile, and tilted her head with a look of innocence. "It's a long time since I have seen you last." She began,
"Remember me and Quatre's wedding?"
 Noin nodded. "That was the last time I saw you.  How's Quatre?"
 "Fine.  Actually in a week it'll be our first anniversary."
 Oh." Noin perked up somewhat, cocking an eyebrow. "And -?"
 Dorothy laughed lightly. "You're much too quick, Noin.  We're to have one of those fancy dinner parties.  Quatre insisted."
 "That sounds great.  Are you inviting us?"
 "Of course!" Dorothy's eyes flashed. "Are you ready for a long list of directions?"
  Noin nodded vigorously. "Just a moment," she told Catalonia, opening a drawer, the sounds of rummaging papers hence filling the room.  "Ah, here it is -" Noin grinned as she pulled out pencil and paper. "Now, Dorothy, those directions?"

 Heero walked back to her room.  He listened attentively to the sounds of his shoes against the ground, a sound enhanced by the echoing walls. He paused a second in thought, his brow furrowed in concentration. There was a flash in his mind as he snapped out of his stupor.  He quickly tried to regain his thoughts, for they were important.but to no avail.  He sucked in his breath with annoyance, and reached her door.
 He blinked. "Who're you?" he asked, sighting a figure to the far corner of the hallway.
 The man didn't answer, instead lighting up a smile and holding his hand out to Heero. "Hey, you're Yuy, aren't you!" he said almost giddily.
"Pleased to meet you!  The names Rod!  Rod Charles!"

 Heero nodded. Shit, this guy reminded him of a certain braided pilot."What're you doing here?  How do you know my name?" his hand reached instinctively for his gun.
 Rod noticed the movement, however quick and slight it may have been, paled somewhat, and sputtered. "Hey, I'm only the other bodyguard assigned to the miss!" he assured him, his hands combing his pockets.  In seconds he produced his badge, lucky for him.
 Heero grabbed it and studied it thoroughly, then handed it back to him, convinced that it was real.  Rod seemed to blow a sigh of - relief?
Heero wasn't sure.
 "So - you're my supervisor, right?"
 "Hm?" Heero decided that he wasn't as bad as a certain braided pilot. He was worse.
 Rod's grin widened. "Well, are there any special rules or anything like that?" he paused, flashing his baby blue at Yuy. "Most of my other bosses all had special ways they like to operate."
Heero simply stared at him, his hand resting on the doorknob.  He let the silence and tension build, until Rod seemed sufficiently uneasy.
"Yes," he droned, "Don't talk to me."
With that he opened the door, went in, and shut it.

Roses are fragile things.
Oh, they are certainly pretty enough.  They have a wild array of lovely colors, you name it, and they got it.  Pink, red, a rare yellow, or perhaps even a black, white.more colors than the dyeing days last rays. Oh yes, roses are beautiful things.  They seem to glow of an aura of unknown - of innocence draped in sadness.  It's hard to explain, for some things simply cannot be explained.
But they are still delicate.  Maybe this adds to beauty in some point. But most of the time a dyeing flower is no wonderful thing.  But they do die, for all things die.  In fact, that was what a particular white miracle was doing in Princess Relena's study at the moment.  Dyeing. It looked fine to the quick glance.  But a trained and observant eye would have noticed the brown, fraying edges, and the few wilting petals.  At least, if they didn't see that, they would see the single white petal, perfect in every way, drift from its blossom where it had been borne, and come to rest on the edge of the glass. Everything dies.

Authoresses Note:  Sorry if that last part seemed too sappy.  Next part is Dorothy's party, and that gives the Relena and Heero relationship a little jumpstart.  So please read!!!  And if you enjoy, please review!! In fact, even if you don't enjoy, review!!