All Along the Watchtower (2/?)

[Goldberry]

<i>My dearest Relena,

There is nothing I can say to comfort you know that you have not already heard. I know that you will have long known of my death before you even saw this letter, and I only pray the bearer managed to bring it back to you himself.

Relena, I only want to say that I love you and my last thoughts were of you. Please take care of yourself, and if you would, grant me one last wish, be kind to the young man whom I entrusted with this
message. He has lost much during this campaign but he has a good soul. Tell him I hope that he is true to his emotions, he will know what I mean.

And now I must leave you, Relena. Keep your chin up, you were always full of pride and laughter and I want you to stay that way. I will always watch out for you, my dear.

Your loving father,

Peter Darlian
</i>

Relena managed to fold the letter into neat lines before collapsing into tears. Fortunately, she was in the garden where her momentary weakness would be overlooked as everyone was still inside greeting
the Earl's son. She leaned back against the bark of a giant tree and wept for her father, imagining him writing the letter in her hands by the light of the stars somewhere deep in the desert, wondering if
he would survive the next battle, all alone. She had known for months now that he was dead, but it had never really sunk in. Until now.

She had so much she wanted to tell him, her hopes, her fears, all the little things she had been unable to tell him after he had left for the Crusades. And now she would never have the chance?

Wiping tears from her eyes, she struggling to get herself under control. She could not afford to break down here, she still had
another day of festivities before she could return to the comforts of her own home, so she would have to make the best of it. Besides, she might get a chance to speak with Heero again and maybe he could
tell her a little about her father during the war, and she would also deliver her father's words. It might do Heero some good, too.

"Relena?"

She looked up and immediately smiled into the worried face of her best friend, Lady Catherine of Newark. Catherine was the daughter of a minor lord, and she lived a tidy life in her father's manor house.
She was well known for her love of flowers and the unique shade of her hair, an auburn red that glinted with gold in the sunlight,
completely opposite of her silver eyes that a minstrel had once likened unto the moon.

"Catherine," she said warmly, trying to alleviate her friends worry. "It is good to see you."

Apparently, she wasn't that good of an actress, for Catherine lifted the hem of her pale pink skirts and kneeled down beside her, touching the top of her head softly.

"Dearest, what's wrong? You've been crying," she said in her soft
drawling voice, wiping a tear from Relena's cheek. Relena shook her head.

"I am fine, Catherine, really. Sir Heero just gave me a letter from my father, and?I?"
Catherine leaned over to hug her before she had even finished.
"Oh, I'm so sorry, Rel! That must have been so hard to read."
Catherine released her after a moment to get a better look at her face. "Are you all right?"

"Yes," she replied, her fingers traveling over the edge of the letter. She stood, bringing Catherine with her, and smoothed the wrinkles in her dress absently, her eyes on the castle. "Have you met Sir Heero yet? He's still inside with the Earl."

Catherine shook her head, a real grin spreading across her face. "No, I just arrived. One of Father's horses grew lame and we had to stop for a replacement." Her eyes sparkled as she became more
excited. "Is he as handsome as I have heard?"

Relena nodded with a girlish glee. "Yes, more so even." The two girls laughed and began to make their way back inside the castle, Relena relating the latest gossip she had heard among the other ladies. As she did, Relena found herself beginning to relax again and she knew it was impart due to Catherine's jovial nature. Though
life had not always been kind to her, Catherine remained optimistic,
especially in the case of her brother, Trowa. He had disappeared three years ago without a trace after he was connected to the drowning of a young girl in the countryside. His flight seemed to
suggest guilt to the Sheriff and he had offered a reward for Trowa's
capture. He had never been caught, neither had there been any sign of him in all the years since, though Catherine remained steady in her belief that he was innocent and would one day come home again.

The allegations against her brother threw a somewhat jaded look on Catherine's family, making it more difficult for her father to
secure her a husband, but again, the situation didn't bother Catherine. She simply let fate do what it would and she would go on living her life until it finally decided what to do with her. Of
course, until then, she planned on having as much fun as possible.

In one of the many adjoining rooms to the Great Hall, a minstrel was playing, and the song drew Relena and Catherine's attention. The man was playing a harp, his blonde head bent as he moved back and forth to his music, his voice a clear tenor that brought a smile to every lady's lips and made them think of courtship. He was seated in a
corner of the room, his harp in his lap, the very pose one of musical concentration.

The harp he held was one of special beauty, carved with ivory and inlaid with gold and silver scrollwork. It was a thing fit for
royalty, let alone a minstrel.

"He is Quatre of the Dale," Catherine commented, seeing where Relena looked. "He is a very well known harpist, and his voice is like a bird's. Father says he might very well be a bard, someday."

"Then you know him well?" Relena asked. Catherine shook her head, though a curious blush rose in her cheeks.

"Nay, but he did play at a banquet held by my family last year."

Quatre's song came to an end and there was a scattering of applause as he bowed humbly, a smile on his boyishly handsome face. No sooner had he sat back down then a crowd of young ladies gathered around
him, laughing and giggling, and asking him to sing their favorite songs. Relena smiled to herself and spoke into the din, the regal note in her voice causing Quatre to hear her perfectly though she was across the room.

"Perhaps you would be so kind as to sing <i>The Milkmaid and the Rose</i> for my friend, good minstrel. She is too modest to tell you, but it is her favorite song."

Catherine blushed up to her hairline as Quatre smiled at her gently. "I would be delighted to sing it, my lady Catherine. If I remember correctly, you have a fair voice yourself, would you care to accompany me?"

Catherine was in complete shock at this announcement and Relena had to guide her forward to where the younger girls had parted to allow her to reach Quatre's side. Catherine threw her a look of helplessness before she was ushered up to the front, with Relena giving her a little wave for good luck.

"Lady Darlian."

Relena turned to meet the intense blue eyes of Heero Yuy and felt her heart jump in her chest. He gave off such an aura of intense
control and strength it was almost weakening to be near him. Recovering her senses quickly, she gave him a small smile and tilted her head.

"Sir Heero, your welcoming party is a quite a success," she said, turning her eyes back to the crowd, "I have not heard such laughter in a long time."

For a moment, there was a look of surprise on his face, as if he had expected her to say something else, but then he looked away, his eyes falling too on the excited young ladies surrounding the
minstrel.

"Neither have I," he said quietly after a moment, and Relena turned back to him, hearing the depth to his words. He did speak again for several seconds. "Lady Darlian, I need to speak with you about--"

"Relena, there you are." William de Grey strode to her side, immediately taking her elbow. She felt a quick flash of irritation
and noticed that Heero also looked annoyed. "I have been looking for you. The ladies are planning to retire before the banquet this evening and I would ask that you help my daughter prepare. She is a
little nervous about being around so many people."

Relena blinked. Dorothy? Nervous?
"My lord sheriff, I would be glad to help her but?," she looked towards Heero, only to find that the open look that had been in his eyes was now gone, and only a cold barrier remained. She had missed
her chance.

"We can speak another time, Lady Darlian," he said, bowing stiffly to her. With a nod to William he turned on his heel and departed. Relena looked after him sorrowfully, realizing they would probably
never speak now. There had been a finality to his words that had spoken for far more than he had said. Why must he always block
everyone out? He had done that as a child too, never telling anyone when he got hurt or he was sad, only now it seemed to be much worse. There was a stillness in him that spoke of a void in his heart, or
perhaps, even his soul.

Tell him I hope he is true to his emotions?

Relena let William led her away, the last threads of Quatre and Catherine's duet lingering in the air behind her.




<font size=-1>[ This Message was edited by: Goldberry on 2002-04-15 19:13 ]</font>

[blackrose]

You know, I've always been a good girl. I like the good guys and I hate the bad guys - call me a sheep or what have you, but that's just the way I've always been. I like the main characters, the people out in front, the hero and the heroine...

And I've always bloody hated that reptile the Sherrif of Nottingham. -__- KILL HIM! Get his filthy filthy hands off of Relena! BLAH! -__-

Die!!!!

Oh, and excellent chapter. ^__^

Love,
Rose

[Hitomi Lei]

OMG!!! I can hardly find the words to express how much a like, no love, this story...I have even put off my other work...(typing up my own story) so that I can read this one...You have magic in your pen...

[Hitomi Lei]

OMG!!! I can hardly find the words to express how much I like, no love, this story...I have even put off my other work...(typing up my own story) so that I can read this one...You have magic in your pen...