Saber's Tear - chapter 3

[Ame-san]

Saber's Tear
By: Ame-san
Chapter 3

Prince Quatre, the half brother of Prince Heero Yuy, was two years his junior. He was the son of the King's second wife, since Heero's mother died two years after giving birth to her only son. Second in line to the throne, Prince Quatre excelled in the matter of the minds. Though physically weaker than his older brother, Quatre's strength lay in his keen perception of the world.
" Your Highness, Lord Kushrunada has arrived." The guard by the chamber doors informed the coming of the new visitor.?
Quatre straightened his formal robes and waited patiently in his chair by the window. The fair haired young man had called upon the Royal Chancellor, Treize Kushrunada, for advice after receiving the letter from his brother concerning the threat of the Peacecraft Assassins Group.??
" Thank you for meeting me here on such a short notice, Chancellor." Quatre stood up to show his respect.
" Your Highness, it would be my pleasure to be of use to the Kingdom." The older man with dark brown hair bowed in return. He remained standing while the Prince retook his seat by the window.
" I called you here today because my brother Heero has written me a letter that requires immediate attention."
" Oh? I hope the crowned Prince is doing well?" Treize spoke without a single expression on his face. No one in the Royal Council understood him, but his talent in advising the King was irreplaceable.
" He's doing fine. Here." Quatre handed him the letter and motioned him to read it at once.
" I see." Treize closed the scroll in his hands and rested on the table separating him from the Prince.
" Do you have any suggestions, Chancellor?"
Lord Kushrunada was silent for sometime, then he said, " We have two paths in which we can take. One, we bring the assassins under our control, meaning that they must work for us as future spies. The second one is quite obvious, we crush them by the use of force. I believe that the latter choice will eliminate the threat completely."
Quatre did not expect anything less from the Chancellor, but he shook his head at the second suggestion.
" Have you forgotten that we are after the best course of action, Chancellor? I don't think shedding blood would be such a good idea; we must use as little force as possible. The first choice would probably be our best chance, but we'll need someone capable of such a task."
" Your Highness, that first choice of ours has a flaw. I am quite certain that the assassins would not submit to the King without a fight. "
" Then we must offer them something in return, is that it? They are after all working for their self-interest and nothing else. What could we offer them to receive their allegiance, Chancellor?"
A shadow fell upon Treize's face, but it was gone before anyone could notice it.
" Your Highness, land, power, and protection would be the three things that all man crave for."
" Then we will give them that, but in return they must not initiate any threat against the well being of this Kingdom. Chancellor, I give you full authority to select the capable individual to fulfill this mission."
" You shall not be disappointed, Your Highness."
" Chancellor, I believe that this conversation of ours will not reach the ears of the King himself. I do not want to worry father, since his health is deteriorating by the day. Trifles like this should not trouble him, is that clear?"
" As you wish, Your Highness."
* * *
Heero Yuy, in deep thought, strode in the stone street of an open market. He watched carefully and somewhat enviously at the lives of the common people. A little girl dressed in a red robe clung tightly to her mother's bosom. The smile on her face could lit up any man's cold heart. A boy standing behind his figurine shop took a large bite of the chicken leg in his hand and felt the hunger beginning to subdue. The butcher and his wife, one cutting, the other wrapping, conversed in quiet voices and laughed peacefully from time to time.
' This is my home.' Prince Heero thought to himself. ' Not the palace but here.' He saw two young lovers passing him by the shoulders, and their closeness reminded him of Duo and Hilde. He remembered how Duo held Hilde's hand as if he were clinging onto life itself. He remembered Hilde's words after she regained her consciousness.
" Please do not go after Lady Peacecraft." She had pleaded Duo after he had vowed revenge. " She saved my life; she would never hurt the ones she cares about. She has always treated me like a sister."
" How could you say that about the person who is responsible for your father's death." Duo protested.
" She is not responsible. The killer was sent by Lord Peacecraft himself. He had nothing to do with her. I'm sure of it."
" But Hilde..."
" Shhhh, Duo, I'm alright, am I not? So please do not go after her, please?" She squeezed his hands gently. " Just trust me."
That was two days ago, and Heero Yuy was still unable to forget the dark assassin. ' What exactly is her intention?'
" I am the one responsible for his death and her injury, but I am not the one who wielded the sword."?
Her words rang loudly in his mind.
* * *
She loved the open streets. She loved strolling on the stone steps alone, away from all her duties as the heir to her father's cult. Relena, dressed in commoner's clothes - a blue dress tied with a black sash, leaned against the edge of a bridge on top of a small stream and watched the flower peddles dancing in the water. A passerby probably would think that she had no worries, but only she knew how wrong they were. Her mind took her back to the argument she had with her father two days ago, the day when old Schbeiker died. She was furious when she returned home that day and confronted her father in a forceful manner.
" How could you do that to him!" She burst into his chamber without knocking. " Is this your way of punishing me, father?"
" Relena." Lord Peacecraft set down the book he was reading before she interrupted. " You are back from the Maxwells."
" Stop evading my question. Answer me, father. Why?"
" You very well know why. Rules must be enforced to maintain proper order. Just because you are the heir that does not mean you can do as you wish." The old man spoke with a frightening calmness in his voice.
" So you used me to set an example, is that it?" She accused him.
" Yes. How am I suppose to rule my subjects if I can't control the actions of my own daughter."
" But Schbeiker was...he was always loyal to the family and he has always been there for us. How could you just kill him. Couldn't you have shown some mercy, father?" She was almost in tears.
" Mercy is for the King not the leader of assassins."
" That's only an excuse, and you know it."
" Then tell me yourself what my reason was for killing him."
" Saber's Tear." She spoke in a whispering voice. " Because he knew that damned prophecy, he was to die for it. He was the only one outside of our family who knew the secret of Saber's Tear. Why now? Do you really think that he would have betrayed you just because he had grown useless? Do you really think that knowing such a prophecy would hold power over you, father?"
" From the way you have been acting, Relena, it is hard for me to not to believe in the prophecy." He sighed.
" So you really do believe that I will be the end of you." She couldn't believe his words. " You really do think that you will die by my sword, father."
He was silent.
" Well, answer me! That was what the prophecy said when I was born that I shall one day kill my own father. How could you believe that, father! How could you believe some soothsayer over your own flesh and blood!" She stormed out of his chamber without looking back.
Relena watched the soft current flowing below her and suddenly she felt cold and trapped. Lost in her thoughts, she was not aware of the drunkard who stumbled onto the bridge. The mad man collided with a horse carrying a cart full of wheat. The collision sent the horse wild with fright, and in its state of madness, it jumped right at the direction where Relena was standing. She was just about to get out of the horse's way, but an external force pushed her aside, and she landed on the ground with a thud. Another body fell on her covering her from the hooves and the dust. Immediately, she pushed the body off of her and just before she could yell at her unknown savior for being an idiot, she saw his face. It was him again.
" Seems like we meet again, fair maid of Dorlain." He recognized her as well but as the maid rather than as the assassin. She secretly thanked the gods that during the last two times she met him as a Peacecraft she had covered her face with a black scarf.
" Sir Knight, thank you. I shall not know how to repay you." She lied, trying to keep up her disguise. 'He certainly treats me differently each time I see him.' She was amused at their fateful encounters.
" You don't have to thank me. It was my duty." He helped her stand up again.
' Why are you always here, wanderer?' She thought quietly.
" Are you in town with Lady Dorlain?" He asked, hoping to find some answers.
" Lady Dorlain?" She remembered her little white lie from before and laughed inwardly. " Well, as a matter of fact, she's standing right in front of you."
" Excuse me?" He looked around and upon finding no one that even slightly resembled a lady, he found his answer in her sly smile. " You are..."
" I am the Lady of Dorlain herself." She chuckled. Somehow her initial conflict with her father seemed to be fading away as she conversed with this clueless wandering knight.
" But why did you..."
" Because a Lady cannot walk these streets by herself without a guardian accompanying her." She took a few steps onto the road again and gestured him to follow. " I merely disguised myself as a maid to attain some freedom." She laughed to herself the irony of her words. " I'm sorry if I have caused you discomfort. My apologies."
" I see. You are quite a Lady then." He was surprised at this new discovery. He had never met anyone, any daughter of nobility like the one walking beside him.
" I try not to be one." She replied. " I love the life of a commoner, that is all. If you don't mind, may I ask you your name, Sir knight?" She put up an act to appear innocent.
" Heero, Heero Yuy. May I ask you the same question then, Lady?"
" Relena of Dorlain. I do wish to ask you if you have found the way to young Master Maxwell." Again, she tried to hide her real identity by asking questions to which she already possessed the answers.
" Yes, I have. I am visiting Maxwell to renew our friendship during the days of our training, and I am grateful to you for showing me the way." Heero had his own truth to conceal.
They walked in silence for a while, but the tranquility was broken by the noise and the crowd at the end of the street. Out of nowhere, she grabbed his sleeve and gestured him to quicken his steps.
" What is it, Lady Relena."
" The martial artists are in town today. We must hurry." She pointed to the crowd.
" I didn't think a Lady such as yourself enjoyed such a forceful sport." He was amused by her enthusiasm.
" Force has its beauty and weakness just like man. Such an opportunity to witness the two should not be missed."
" I'm afraid that I do not understand your riddles, Lady."
" I thought that man liked to solve enigmas, Sir Yuy."
They shared a gentle smile and proceeded into the crowd.

A/N: Yea, another chapter. Sorry that this one is rather short in length. Not a lot happened here, but I think it has a nice build up, one of those filler chapters to clarify things. Humn, a relationship built on lies, I wonder how that will turn out.

[Nausica?]

Aw, they're spending time together - even if they're lying through their teeth the entire time. * sigh * It was short, but as long as you keep going, I'm a happy camper.

I'm really interested on where you're taking this. 'A relationship built on lies,' eh? That could only spell trouble...

BRING. IT. ON...


- Naus

[melodrama]

Gosh...this is getting interesting. What ever do you have planned for our Hero and Heroine. And I'm in full agreement with Naus... what will happen when the truth is out?

Thanks for sharing! I'm looking forward to the next installment.

Love Mel

[RDP]

Very interesting plot! I love how Heero and Relena think they are both deceiving one another... Saber's Tear - that is a nice title too. Funny, I always thought Lena would make a good assasin. Please write more soon!