Saber's Tear - chapter 2

[Ame-san]

Saber's Tear
By: Ame-san
Chapter 2
The Maxwell Manor was the oldest and the richest estate in the Kingdom of Cinq, save the castle of the king himself. It was truly a sight to behold. A thin flowing river surrounded the outer stone walls. The only passage into the manor was by the stone bridge that could support many heavy loaded carts. Inside the silvery gates guarding the front entrance was a garden that only in dreams one could witness such beauty and tranquility. Trees of ancient times lined up to form a hall of emerald green that led up to a water fountain at the end of the long shaded corridor. The fountain was also made of gray stones, and vines of different length and color clothed its surface tightly. Drops of water flowed down from the top of the fountain vase, creating a ripple down in the little clear pond that glittered like a crystal mirror. Beyond the garden was the Hall of Greetings where the Maxwells welcomed all the guests. It was covered with silver coatings from the high ceiling to the low ground. The festivity had begun with the decorations. Flags danced in the soft breeze above the roof, and candles were set everywhere ready to be lit when night falls. To the side of the great Hall was a trail that led to the inner dwellings of the estate, and most of these houses were also fashioned the same way with silver embellishment all around. On the left of the pebble trail was a small wooded area with white wild flowers covering the ground like a carpet. The trees were rather thin together, but they were just close enough to be considered as a miniature forest. It was the most quiet spot in the whole entire estate; a perfect place to rest or to hide if one wished.?
Back on the main road leading up to the great Hall, Lady Relena walked in light steps. In front of her was her cousin, who had her head up high with much dignity as the Lady of the House of Catalonia. Dorothy wore a brilliant dark blue robe with silver and black phoenix embroidery, and an ebony sash trailed behind her feet. Her golden hair was up in a nicely folded bun with tresses falling down next to her ears. She was a lady of high status indeed! Relena, however, had her eyes on the ground. Unlike her dear cousin, she was dressed in a plain old white dress with long satin sleeves. Her waist was tied with a thin blue sash and her hair of gold was let down loose on her back with a black ribbon tied at the end. Behind them were maids carrying many gifts for the celebration of the return of young master Maxwell. Nearby, other guests of high standing were slowly gathering for the party as well.??
" Relena, I wish that you would dress more appropriately for the occasion." Lady Catalonia scolded her cousin. " You are after all a Lady, not a maid. Look at yourself."
" Father only requested my presence here, and I am here. " Relena lifted her head up and looked straight ahead at the entrance of the great Hall. " Besides, I come here not as a Peacecraft but a Dorlain. The handmaid of the House of Dorlain."
" Your late mother would not be honored if you only present yourself as a handmaid when you are the only Lady left to the House of Dolain. You alone, like me, represent your family. Do not think with haste and dishonor the dead." Dorothy spoke without losing her perfect posture.?
" Dorlain or not, I am not made for such occasion like you, my lady." Relena laughed wryly. " I am quite content being just a maid."
" You can pretend to be a maid as you wish; I cannot persuade you to think other wise. But do keep up your formality please, especially in front of the Maxwells."?
" Do not worry, my dear cousin, for I shall not show any disrespect and mar the name of my mother's family and yours." She slowed down her pace. " I simply would not greet the Maxwells. I am after all only a maid and not required to attend the party. I will wait for you though, Dorothy, and I shall come back when the time allows." With that being said, she left quickly onto the small pebble trail and disappeared into the woods. Dorothy couldn't even say a word to stop her, for she was long gone.?
" Why do you have to be so difficult, my dear cousin?" The Lady of Catalonia sighed.
?* * *
Heero Yuy surveyed his surroundings and upon finding no strangers nearby, he climbed over the high stone wall with skill and ease. There was no possible way for him to announce himself in his present disguise. He had picked the area with trees obtruding out of the enclosure of the high walls and landed with a soft thud onto the dirt-covered ground. With his keen eyes, he surveyed his surroundings once again for possible danger. When he was just about to walk onto the trail, sounds of light footsteps stopped him in a halt. Hiding behind a tree trunk in the shadowed woods, he saw a young maiden clad in white strolling toward his direction with pieces of wild flowers in her hands. She was beyond beautiful with her golden hair and rosy lips. Watching her coming near his hiding spot, he held his breath and stood motionlessly. There was no way she could sense his presence.?
Suddenly he saw her halted in her steps and stared straight into the trees where he concealed his body. The air became tense around them and she took guard immediately. She dropped the flowers and proceeded on closing in their distance. Her every movement was silent like a cat ready to hunt after its prey. Slowly she came near, though the shade still blocked him from her vision. She was holding her breath too.?
Two choices were placed before him: revealing his cover or continue to hide and hope she would just leave. The first one seemed more practical in this situation though, but before he could take the initiative, she spoke at once.
" Who is it that won't show his face?" She demanded. " Come out if you are not a coward!"
Heero moved away from the shades and walked into the light where she could see him clearly. He bent over and bowed at once to show his courtesy. With his eyes on the ground, he missed the sudden start on her face before it returned to its normal state. Relena shook herself mentally from the small shock by straightening her shoulders and back; she bowed in return and avoided looking at him right in the eyes.?
' It's him. Why would he be here?' She thought quietly. ' Just who are you? Apparently not a thief as I have deemed, but you are not a real knight either, are you?'
" Please pardon my intrusion, fair lady, I didn't mean to frighten you." He said. " I was only trying to find my way back to the main road, for I was lost in this estate that very much resembled a labyrinth. My apologies."
" Sir knight, please do not be so courteous toward me, I am merely a handmaiden. Your apologies are accepted with great honor. " She knew very well of his lies.
' Just a handmaiden?' He thought. ' But her movement is too graceful for a mere maid; and her speech, no handmaiden of my father's court could talk with such elegance and charm. She seems familiar somehow, but I could swear that I have not met her before.' He quickly disregarded that odd feeling in his stomach.??
" May I ask of what House you serve, fair maid?" He asked.
" The House of Dorlain, Sir knight." She replied. ' He's quite suspicious of me.' She laughed inside. ' I wonder if he could see through my disguise.'
" Dorlain? " He paused. ' She was probably at one of those royal gatherings.' He reassured his doubts. " I didn't know that they are still keeping servants in the House after the death of its Lady."?????
" Not many, sir." She replied.
" I see." He studied her face. " Could you be kind and show me the way out of this wooded area?"
" Of course, sir. Where would you wish to go?"
" Ah, I did not mention to you, but I am a close friend of the young master Maxwell. I hope you could show me the way to his chambers."
" I shall try, sir, for I have only been in this estate for not more than three times. I could only guide you in the general direction, and you shall find the rest of your way alone." She said and gestured him to follow her.
They parted at the far right corner of the manor where the relative seclusion from all the party guests suggested that it was a private living area.?
Lady Relena pointed toward the houses inside the stone arc and said, " I believe that is where young Master Maxwell resides." She turned toward Heero and bowed slightly. " I must leave you here, Sir Knight."
Heero returned the gesture. " Thank you, fair maid." He watched her disappear back onto the pebble trail and proceeded to his own destination.
It did not take Lady Relena very much time to catch up with her cousin in the great Hall, where Dorothy had been socializing with the elder Lord Maxwell. Relena greeted the old man with much formality then turned to Dorothy. She did not speak but the look in her eyes told her dear cousin that something was wrong. They both excused themselves from the festivity and left for a more private area in the Hall.?
" What is it, cousin? " Dorothy inquired.?
" He's here. That wandering knight I fought is here in the manor right now." Relena informed her.?
" So? Apparently he is too thick in the head to recognize you, or you wouldn't be here talking to me." Dorothy was rather apathetic.?
" He has a very close tie with young Maxwell."
" Oh?" Lady Dorothy was intrigued.
" You know what that means."
" He is very high in status then, for the Maxwells do not socialize with anyone lower than that of knights and nobles. He is not just some traveler like you thought. This could be interesting."
" Then again, we could be mistaken, cousin." Relena spoke quietly. " Young Maxwell did fall in love with Schbeiker's daughter, don't you forget that. No matter what, this wanderer is trouble. He knows too much about us through his ties with the Maxwells, and I do not doubt that old Schbeiker has told him about father. He is here because he knows something."?
" Why don't you kill him?" Another apathetic tone from Lady Dorothy.?
" Let's wait a little longer and see what his next move is." Relena hesitated.
" It's very unlike you to wait, my dear cousin." Dorothy gave her a questioning look. " First, you made the mistake not killing Schbeiker, now this. You are not yourself, Relena."
" What did you tell father about my mistake, Dorothy." Her voice was cold and menacing.
Dorothy smiled wryly. " I've been wanting to give you this." She took out a scroll from her right sleeve.
Relena snatched it forcefully from Dorothy and read its content. An unseen rage rose inside her; she could barely speak. " Why? You knew about this and you didn't tell me. You knew that father is sending someone else to finish off Schbeiker, and you concealed it from me!"?
" Someone has to clean up after you, Relena."
" When! Tell me when this will take place!" She demanded.
" It has already begun."
Relena turned about face and before she could run out of the Great Hall, Dorothy caught her sleeve. " You'll be too late, Relena. You can't stop him. "
She shrugged her cousin off and spoke with venom in her voice. " You planned this, didn't you?" She quickly left the main Hall and ran toward the stable. Dorothy shook her head once more and returned to the party.
Relena released her tethered horse along with her traveling bag in which she had placed her black assassin's attire. In one swift motion, she climbed onto the horse and dashed out of the stable with the speed of wind.?
?* * *
Heero Yuy knocked three times on the wooden door before entering the room. A young man about his age with long chestnut hair in a braid stood in front of a mirror trying to put on his armors gasped in surprise when he saw the intruder. The young man, or rather young Master Maxwell immediately turned to face Heero Yuy and kneeled down with his head lowered.?
" Your highness, wh-" Duo Maxwell was interrupted by Heero's hand gesture that told him to stop.?
" It's good to see you again, Duo." Heero greeted his friend. " Don't address me with that title, please. I'm here in disguise as a mere wanderer."
" Why? You high- I mean Heero."?
" Father asked me to inspect the outskirt of the country to become familiar with the lives of the common people. This is his way of preparing me as the crowned prince of Cinq." He explained.?
" I see." Duo stood up. " In that case, it's good to see you too, Heero. But why do I have the feeling that you are not here just to see me, are you?"
" I'm here to get some answers, but first, tell me what you know about the Dorlain family."?
" Dorlain? The family fell a long time ago. I don't think there is anyone left to carry on the family, not anymore. But there is one survivor left, the youngest daughter of Lady Dorlain. I've met her once or twice, a nice girl, but she has nothing except a name. She currently resides with her cousin, the Lady of Catalonia. Why are you so interested in that family? "
" Oh, it's nothing." Heero was in deep thought. " I met Hilde yesterday."
The sound of that name gave Duo a start. He became tense all of a sudden.?
" So you know... you know about..."
" Duo, Hilde is very sick. Now, just hear me before you do something drastic. I've already given her some of my medicine. She should be fine in a few days."
There was a slight sigh of relief coming from Duo, but the tension did not dissolve with Heero's reassurance.
" Before you go to her, you must tell me about the Peacecraft cult. They are an assassins group, I hear."
Duo calmed down a little, then proceeded. " They are not just some obsolete assassins cult. They practically have control over the entire outskirt of the country. They do not work for commoners but Lords and Nobles, but assassins are assassins. You can't change their nature. These people kill without staining their swords. They are the best among the best. Their skill is as good as the knights, probably better."
" So, do you think they pose a threat to the people here? To this country even?" Heero questioned.?
" That is hard to say. No one knows their true intentions, but it is best to be always on guard when dealing with the Peacecraft cult." Duo advised. " You can't be too careful with them. If they fall into the use of some vicious minds, I can't say that the country is not in danger."
" Very well then, I shall write to Quatre about the situation. He'll know what to do." Heero looked at his friend and said, " Now is time we should pay a visit to that Hilde of yours. "?
?* * *
Relena Peacecraft, as expected, arrived too late at Schbeiker's cabin. She was now witnessing a sight of ruthless massacre. Clad in black, she inspected the house with a strange sick feeling in her chest. There had been a battle. She knew that old Schbeiker must have put up a good fight before... She saw him lying in a pool of blood behind some broken chairs. A dagger ran through his heart. He was dead for some time now. She walked over to him, took the dagger out and seeing that his eyes were still open, she closed them gently. She laid the weapon aside and just remained staring at the old man. Somehow she thought about her mother, the woman whom she was not fortunate enough to meet in her life.?
A soft whimper distracted her from her silent meditation. She was alert and ready to attack. Relena Peacecraft followed the sound and found Hilde lying on the ground in the inner room. The other girl could barely move because of the wound on her abdomen. Quickly, Relena went to the girl and tried to stop the bleeding with torn sheets on the floor. She bandaged the wound but was not able to stop it from worsening, and in the process, Hilde finally lost consciousness. With some effort, Relena gathered the unconscious body in her arms and made it out of the hellish cabin. What she did not expect was seeing Heero Yuy and Duo Maxwell getting off their horses in the front yard. Immediately, she took on the defense.?
" You again!" Heero Yuy had his hand on the hilt of his sword, then both him and Duo saw the blood covered body in her arms. Duo, full of worry and rage, drew his sword and yelled at the black assassin.
" Put her down, now!" Relena complied. Duo rushed to Hilde with a speed of an arrow; Relena stepped aside, ready to leave.?
" Don't move!" The blade of Duo's sword halted her in her track. " How dare you hurt these people! Where is Schbeiker?"
" Dead." She replied in a cold voice.?
" You killed them, didn't you!"
" She's just fainted, but she will die if she is not treated by a doctor soon." Relena remained still staring at the blade in front of her neck.?
" Wh-"
" Duo, get Hilde to a safe place and treated. I'll deal with her." Heero ordered.
" But I have to fight her. She is responsible for all these. She is a cold blooded killer and I'm going to serve justice by killing her." Duo protested.
" She's not the killer, and you must go now if you care anything at all about Hilde." This was an order Duo could not refuse. He took Hilde into his arms, climbed onto his horse, and dashed off. He reminded himself that he must deal with the woman in black personally someday.
Sensing that it was her cue to make the getaway, Relena ran for her horse, but Heero blocked her easily.?
" Draw your sword." He demanded. " Just because Duo has to take care the injured that does not mean I'll let you off that easily." He pointed his sword in front of her face. " Why are you here!"
She did not answer him and remained motionlessly staring at his sword. She had no intention of fighting him.?
" I know you are not the killer, or else Hilde wouldn't be still alive. You even bandaged her. Why?"
She had no intention of speaking to him.
" Who killed him!" He let the blade touch her skin. A red mark appeared on her neck where the sword was pressed against. " Tell me who did this!"
" I am the one responsible for his death and her injury, but I am not the one who wielded the sword."?
" What?"
In a flash, she moved and was out of his sword's reach. Still contemplating her words, he saw her climbing onto her horse and galloping away.?
" I will not fight you, not today." Her voice traveled through the air as she disappeared into the woods.
" Why did I let her go? How could I let her go?"?

A/N: Wow, that was a long chapter. I hope you all enjoyed it. Sorry that it took me a long time to write this. Well, until next time.?

[miyuchan]

Ah! I so waited for this part. It was excellent! Very nice detail and a cliff-hanger ending. Very intense emotionally. Domo arigato!

[Nausica?]

* chokes and falls off chair *

The tension... it's just too much!

What an awesome second chapter.

I can't wait for the time when Heero and Relena find out the truth about one another. I bet it's gonna go off in a big bang. And prince Heero? Mm, nice touch.

It was definitely worth the wait.


- Naus

[RDP]

Whoa...awesome piece of literary work. I love the suspense and feeling of adventure... Ame-san, I command you, you must write more! Well, actually I ask (or beg... ). Because if you don't, then we will all be sad! Please continue, this is turning out to be a very interesting fic!