Upper Class - Part Three
Posted: Wed Oct 29, 2003 8:12 pm
Gundam Girl: And I?m back with part three. Yay! The masses can?t kill me now!
BI girls: Not yet. . .
-_-;
Disclaimer: Don?t own them, WELL. . . Nope. Don?t own them.
Warning: Sexual innuendo, a little bit of language.
*~Upper Class~* Part Three
Treize pressed his thumb and index finger to the bridge of his nose. Anne had gone into shock at the interesting turn of events. She did that sometimes, he wasn?t sure why. It would be a good ten minutes or so before she spoke.
Quatre, he observed, had wasted no time in responding to Miss Peacecraft?s untimely abduction. It had been entertaining to watch, the Asian one carrying Milliardo?s sister out of the house while Quatre could only grimace and watch.
He was certain he?d advised the young governor to keep a pistol in his suit whilst the woman was not yet married to him ? Dover was not the ideal place to keep an unmarried rich girl, with crooks and murderers everywhere. And pirates had harbored, it seemed.
Treize sighed, reached into his pocket and glanced at his pocket-watch, which displayed the hour of nine. ?It?s late,? he commented. ?Come, Anne.?
Quatre stopped yelling at Peygan long enough to swivel on his heel and stare wide-eyed at him. ?You?re just going to leave, Trieze??
?I?ve a woman with me. She does not need this distress.? Trieze took his wife?s hand. ?Obviously.?
?But Relena has. . . Oh, damn! Ignore them!? he barked at Peygan, who had turned a ghastly shade of white. The old butler had taken a quick liking to the spirited young fianc?e of his master. ?I want every officer scouring Dover, Peygan! Now!?
Peygan had but set both feet out of the dining room, when Quatre collapsed into the chair Relena had occupied just twenty minutes before. Her sweet perfume still lingered with the sound of her laughter, and the young blonde buried his face in his hands.
A letter needed to be sent to Baron Peacecraft. The wedding would have to be postponed.
***
Relena woke a headache and pain in her wrists. That woman ? Catherine ? had efficiently bound her hands behind her back, and the liquid running through her fingers was surely blood from the cut of the ropes. Looking around, disoriented because she did not remember drifting off, she sought what had woken her.
The answer came quickly. A man, long-limbed and longhaired, his chestnut tresses running straight in a braid down his back, was bellowing.
?Ho, Catherine! Where is the princess??
Princess?
?She?s there somewhere,? came the voice of Catherine. ?Do not howl at me, Duo. I prepare the ingredients I?ll need for your breakfast in the morning!?
Duo?s eyes landed on her just as Catherine had finished her statement. ?You speak truthful, cook. Here is our lass. Well, stand.?
Her knees had hardened to wood. Unable to move, Relena only lifted her chin and glared. ?You will release me,? she ordered, her voice coming out braver than she truly felt. ?And then you shall return me to Governor Winner?s mansion. Authorities will get word if you do not, and you shall be hanged!?
The wrong thing to mention, Relena realized, was the gallows. Duo?s eyes only sparkled with amusement.
?Spirited, eh? Excellent. That?s exactly how the captain takes his women. He loathes boring wenches.?
It was the second time in the day she?d been accused of being a whore. Her voice slid out like steel, cool and straight. ?You insult me,? she hissed. ?Do not again.?
?Nay, lass,? Duo replied, not the least bit affected by her command. ?I cannot, honestly said. You are too sweet. Now come.? Taking the necessary steps, he seized her elbow and tugged her effortlessly to her feet. ?The crew his below, Captain Heero in his chambers. There I shall take you, and find myself what his plan is.?
?I will be returned!? she exclaimed.
?Will you?? Duo turned her body to face the water. It spread endlessly to the horizon, black and unwelcoming. The harbor of Dover was nowhere to be seen, not on any side. ?If you are returned,? Duo continued, ?it will not be by dawn?s first light.?
Relena felt weakened further; her ankles were like lead, and it was the pirate?s hand alone that kept her on her toes. She wanted to weep, but her own self-ingrained pride did not allow her. Not in the presence of her abductor, anyway.
?Come.? The pressure Duo had on her arm was painless but enough for her to know that resisting would be futile. Giving in, she allowed him (disdainfully) to lead her to the bowels of the ship. Halfway down the short staircase, he turned and opened a door that led into a rather expansive room.
There was a bed, a table, chairs, a dresser. The room was decorated nicely, but not extravagantly. The bed was dressed with satin, the cheap kind, in a deep blue. The lamp burned brightly and bounced off the dull metal and glass of a mirror. At the table stood two men.
The same men she had encountered at the pub hours earlier.
The same pirates she had run into.
?Duo. Time runs late, and I expected you ten minutes ago,? said the very pirate who had spilled drink on her dress without looking up. He and the other tall, quiet one were inspecting a map.
The one with his hair hung over his green eyes raised his head. A slow, small smile graced his lips and made him seem, for just a moment, a warm-hearted human being. ?Well,? he murmured. ?If it isn?t the lass from the pub.?
The blue-eyed one?s head darted up so quickly it was a wonder his neck did not snap. He regarded her silently, not moving at all.
The ship tilted as their eyes met, and the world seemed to quake with the power of his intense gaze. Relena was forced to lean against the doorframe for balance as the tall one spoke again.
?Again we meet, Relena. How strange and mysterious life is, do not you agree? I am called Trowa Barton.? His smile remaining, he lifted a bottle of rum and drank deeply. His eyes drifted to the other. ?Well, don?t be rude, Heero. Greet the lady.?
Heero?s expression stayed grim and contrasted with the smirk Trowa?s lips held. A brief moment showed a flash of concern in his eyes, and then his irises alighted with mischief and uncanny humor. ?Fate chooses an odd waterway,? he said lowly. Removing his hat, he bent at the waist sarcastically. ?Welcome, my lady. I am Heero Yuy, captain of this Ivory Damsel. You said your name was Relena??
?It shall be Miss Peacecraft to you,? Relena answered icily, ready to hold her own against the pirate leader.
?Then Miss Peacecraft it is,? answered Heero as he replaced his hat and stepped toward her. ?A wise choice you made, Duo. She would surely fetch a fair price.? Succumbing to a desire he hadn?t been aware of, Heero reached out and cupped her chin, lightly smoothing the flesh of her cheek with his thumb, like he had earlier.
The calluses were rough on her face and only intensified the flame in her head. ?Whatever price is bargained for is not enough for me,? she told him boldly. ?I demand you change course back to Dover.?
?Demands.? With a careless swagger, Heero circled her with his thumbs hooked in the pockets of his trousers. ?It is a brave woman who makes a demand to me, Miss Peacecraft.?
?Then you realize I am a brave woman,? she returned with a coat of menace thick over her tone.
Heero did smirk now, and Trowa bowed his head to hide his grin. Duo cleared his throat.
?Speaking of brave women, I best turn in, captain. Hilde will be irritable already. I?ll send Wufei in.?
?Goodnight, Duo.? Yuy spoke to his man, but his eyes stayed on Relena?s. ?Your wrists bleed, my lady. It should be taken care of.? He held out a hand for them, but Relena backed away.
?Do not touch me,? she warned. Oh, how she wished for a weapon. A dagger would do, even a sharp comb. But her bound hands were useless to her.
?I only wish to loose your arms.?
?I wish you not to come near me,? she told him with a scowl.
Heero shook his head. ?Your request is difficult, lady. We are on a ship together in the middle of the ocean. On our way to Singapore, as it were.?
Relena?s expression did not change, but her expression paled to a devastating white. ?You lie.?
?I am a pirate, my lady, and a black one at that. I take what I want, when I want it. But I am no liar.? Heero walked to the table and lifted his own bottle. Taking a swig, he swiped at his mouth with his sleeve.
Relena noticed for the first time that the one called Trowa was gone. No sooner had she realized it did she feel a chill of metal brush her wrists. The next moment, her hands fell free at her sides. She winced from the sting but did not make a sound. Lifting her hands, she inspected her raw and bloody wrists. It was the first time she had been so seriously injured.
?Maxwell sent me, captain.?
Relena started in surprise, and she turned to see the Asian pirate who had so graciously carried her out of the Winner mansion over his shoulder. He spared her one short, disinterested glance before turning his eyes to Heero.
?Good evening, Wufei,? Heero said mildly. ?How is Sally??
?In a wonderful mood,? Wufei answered, face straight. Only the crew and the captain knew that his wife?s joy pleased him. Relena could not tell. ?Did you seek me??
?This is Relena Peacecraft, Governor Winner?s betrothed.?
The corners of Wufei?s mouth turned up. ?We?ve met ? indirectly, sir.?
?Well, then.? Heero watched her. The look she gave him was dark; her muscles had tensed to point that must have been painful. But even with her mean gaze and rumpled dress and disheveled hair, she was a beautiful woman. She smelled of red roses and passion, sweetening the room?s scent of rum. ?You will sell well in Singapore,? he commented. Before Relena could open her mouth to deny it, he flicked his hand. ?Her wrists are harmed, Wufei.?
Wufei dropped his gaze to Relena?s hands. She clasped them in front of her to defend her pride the best she could. ?So they are,? he replied.
?Take her to Sally and get them treated. Then prepare a room for our guest.?
Wufei eyed him narrowly. ?Captain, you know as I do that we?ve no spare rooms. Catherine must share with Trowa for this reason.?
Trowa nodded, raising an eyebrow at the one whose orders he took.
?Take her to Sally,? Heero repeated. ?And as for the second order, I amend it. Bring her back here. She shall stay with me this night.?
Relena?s eyes widened and red filled her face from both rage and embarrassment. ?I shan?t!? she exclaimed.
?You will, my lady, until I say otherwise. I?d give you the deck, but the weather seems well for rain, and I cannot bargain an ill woman in Singapore.? Heero nodded at Wufei. ?To your wife.?
?Aye, sir.? Wufei gripped her arm. Like Duo?s, his hold was not to be fought against. Relena could not think of a single remark to spit at the captain, and her wrists were bleeding harder now. When she got them treated at least, she could resist this horrible man.
So with a deep glare and a flashing pair of eyes, she followed Wufei up the steps.
?Interesting.? Heero turned back to Trowa when his first mate spoke.
?Aye, Trowa??
Trowa smiled wider now. ?It is interesting, captain, that you threaten to sell this girl as a Singapore whore, and we sail away from there.?
Heero drank from his rum. ?I?ve not yet decided what to do with her. Give me time to choose. She may prove useful.?
Trowa?s expression remained unchanged but he was surprised. ?I do believe she?s not worked a day in her life.?
?If not for labor, then for another task. No human being was born useless.? Heero waved his hand. ?Go you, and rest. We shall spend the night led by the wind and its choice of direction.?
?Aye, captain. Fair dreams, then.?
?And you.? As Trowa stepped out and shut his chamber door, Heero sniffed the air.
Red roses and passion, he thought again, the passion strongest of the two. But how much passion, really, did Miss Peacecraft possess? Heero was not against finding out.
***
?Ah, here is the lovely princess again.? Sally turned away from the bowl where she was peeling potatoes with Catherine for breakfast the next morning. ?And how can I help Her Highness?? She raised an eyebrow at Wufei.
?The captain orders her wrists healed.? Wufei shoved her, not bothering to be gentle. Relena was caught at the shoulders by the platinum-haired medical woman.
?Well, I should say so.? With a tsk, the Asian man?s wife set about gathering salve and bandages.
?Take this cloth, dear.? Catherine proffered it to her helpfully. Her eyes darted to Relena. ?My goodness, girl,? she hummed upon seeing her pale face and frightened eyes. ?Do not be afraid. Sally will not hurt you.?
?And if I do, I now offer my sincerest of sorry?s.?
Relena noted for the first time that the cook, Catherine, had better grammar than the others. She guessed that she had been schooled, which was rare for commoners, but there was the occasional educated pauper.
?Catherine, fool, why did you bind her hands so wrongly? If you didn?t fry my egg, I?d hit you with your own pan,? Sally grumbled.
?I imagined Captain Heero wouldn?t want her gone. She?s such a lovely thing. What did he say about you, dear??
Wufei smirked before Relena could gather enough of her wits to form a coherent reply. ?She?s staying in his chamber tonight.?
?Oh, lovely. Do tell me how it goes tomorrow.?
Relena found her voice, and it was loud. ?Nothing will happen!? she exclaimed. ?I shan?t let it!?
?Well, if you can manage it,? Sally replied half-interestedly. She took one of Relena?s hands and pressed the cloth to her wrist to clean it of the blood. The hot water stung, but she bit her lip to keep from whimpering. ?Hold still now. This will probably hurt.? She turned the small box of salve.
It did hurt. Relena found she hadn?t ever felt really felt pain, other than the damnable corset she was forced to be suffocated by. By the time Sally finished wrapping her wrists with the lines of bandages, she was blinking back tears ? tears from the pain, and from shame that she really was as delicate as she made herself look.
?There now, finished. They should heal nice, as long as we change the bandages. Was there anything else you needed?? Sally asked kindly.
Relena sniffed once and shook her head. ?Thank you, Miss. . .?
?Sally. And just Sally. I?ve only been married a year, I have, wouldn?t want to feel like an old woman now.? When she winked at her husband, Wufei merely grunted. ?You need rest,? she told Relena, who immediately went pale again.
Catherine sighed. Seeing her among a people whom she was commonly not familiar with, she felt a pang of sympathy for the prim sister of a baron. ?Tell Captain Heero, lady, that he needs to rest as well. He cannot lead our crew without sleep, and I shan?t feed a man who cannot lead.? She smiled softly. ?Sweet dreams.?
?Thank you,? Relena said again, bowing her head. ?I will do as you ask.?
?Follow me,? Wufei growled before any of the women could again speak. ??Tis late, and we all want to sleep.? He shot Sally a meaningful look, and she grinned at him. Relena lowered her eyes, feeling strangely obedient, and he escorted her from the kitchen.
?Poor girl,? Sally murmured the second they had gone. ?What has Heero said to her, I wonder??
?You were not so kindhearted with her a minute ago,? Cathy pointed out.
?Nay, Heero?s leading her on about something. T?wouldn?t be my place to spoil his game.? She shrugged her shoulders and replaced her tools. ?Though I certainly hope it isn?t too fun.?
***
Milliardo was furious. Luchrezia could see that in the same moment she entered the parlor of her husband?s grand, English house in London. There was little business of a husband that escaped a wife?s attention, and it was no secret to Baroness Peacecraft that her spouse was upset ? if the hunched shoulders and crumpled letter clenched in his fist was any indication.
In addition, he had sent her an urgent summons.
?My lord?? she called in the doorway to alert him of her presence.
He turned and his eyes dropped to her stretched stomach before her face. It was a habit that had developed once she had informed him that she carried his second child, hopefully a son this time. When he did meet her eyes, his were troubled.
?You are angry.? She felt a need to voice it. ?Whatever causes your distress, husband??
Milliardo felt calmer looking at her, but even the way the midnight moonlight slanted to beam into her hair did not quell his rage. ?I want you to sit, Lu.?
The nickname he alone had given her allowed her to catch the frustration he held, and though she preferred to remain standing, she did not wish to burden him further. Submissively, for once, she sunk onto the low double-seating couch.
For a minute he paced, not speaking, not looking at her. If not for having settled her two-year-old daughter Agatha down for the night, she would have been in a hurry to leave. Because she wasn?t, she only folded her hands in her lap and crossed her swollen ankles in a posture of the utmost respect. Finally, her husband halted in his back-and-forth path and directed his gaze at her.
?How to tell you this,? he began and shook his blond head.
Luchrezia had come from a high-class and respected family of aristocrats, but she had faced hardship, as her beloved was obviously facing it now. The Noin family had a long line of mysteries, most of which, she had gathered, led to affairs with foreign trading. ?I am not made of glass, my love.?
Milliardo smiled then, the first time she had seen since he had taken breakfast with her that morning. ?I know,? he said softly, and then his features darkened again. Steeling himself with a deep breath, he plunged. ?I?ve received terrible news from Governor Winner.? Saying so, his faced splotched with red.
A hand flew to her breast. ?He wishes not to wed Relena?? She would not understand that, Luchrezia knew. How she loved her sister-in-law, and how wrong it would be for Quatre not to. For anyone not to.
?Lu, if it were only that. There has been a raid of Quatre?s home in Dover, darling. They?ve stolen only one third of his wealth, but. . .?
The color quite simply slipped from his wife?s face, and she gripped an arm of the couch. ?But?? she questioned, though she already had a brief idea of what his news might be.
?They were a good crew, of the Ivory Damsel, no less. They captured Relena in front of his nose. Duke Treize and Lady Anne were there with them.?
The baroness?s hand was at her mouth now. The crew of the Ivory Damsel were not mere annoyances to London authorities. Soldiers on land and the navy had been hunting the said pirates for almost half a decade. Lu had a pirate cousin that she sometimes kept in secret contact with, and she had claimed to never have even seen the crew.
?Quatre has alerted the Dover guard, of course, but there is not anything they can do. If they had the power to find and conquer the Ivory Damsel, they would have by now.? Milliardo fell to the seat of the couch next to her and his hands covered his face in despair.
?So we wait?? Luchrezia touched his arm and did her best to comfort him, though her voice quivered. ?Unknown to whether your sister lives or has been killed, we wait for a result?? She was not sure she could do that to Relena.
?Until there is more to act upon. . .? Milliardo raised his head to hers and kissed her forehead. He reached for her hands, and his trembled. ?It is all that we can do for her.?
But we have done nothing for her. Lu did not say that to him, for through his tearing, ice blue eyes she could see his crumbling heart and did not wish to sadden him further, but the thought reigned in her mind.
?I will return a letter to Quatre.? He cleared his throat and stood, giving her fingers a final squeeze. ?If I am needed, you shall find me in my study.?
?Would you like tea? Or coffee?? she asked. Or anything? her heart added. It was at times like these when she longed for her husband to use her for more support. He seemed to think her such a delicate woman, like the one he had raised his sister to be upon his parents? death. But Luchrezia was sturdy, and he did not seem to realize that. It was probably the fault of their arranged marriage. Although they had found love through the work of their fathers, it had not been their choice to wed. She only wished he wanted more of her.
?No, my dear,? he replied, walking away toward the stairs.
She ran a hand through her elegant, short, dark hair and sighed deeply. She knew Baron Peacecraft loved her greatly. But in almost three years of their marriage, she had never heard the words she still yearned for.
Relena.
With the thought of her most necessary rescue ? if there was still a Relena to be rescued ? back in her mind, she walked to the small desk in the parlor and took a sheet of parchment and a quill from the drawer. Sitting, she began to scrawl a message to her pirate kinswoman.
?To Dorothy Catalonia,? she murmured lightly as she wrote. ?I need your help, cousin.?
***
Wait for me.
Those were the last words she had spoken to him, and his ears ? and the rest of him ? had not been at ease since then. Why, Quatre wondered, did some people take years and years to fall in love, and he had in less than two hours?
He had admitted it. He truly was in love with Relena Peacecraft, and that had fueled both his fury and his depression. At the moment, the depression held high rank, and that only succeeded in sickening his mind further.
He was a flurry of emotion right now, and Quatre felt helpless with the confusion of it. Treize had mentioned once that it was natural for men to fear what they did not understand, and the governor certainly didn?t understand love. Intimidated by it as he was, it also made him driven. The only thing that possibly surpassed the confusion and the fear and the uneasiness was the steadily growing hate; hate for crime, and greater, hate for those pirates whom had taken Relena away from him.
He had not even seen the leader?s face, that despicable captain who had given the order to Baron Peacecraft?s sister to be kidnapped. He had not known sleep this night because of her absence and because she had not looked upon the man who had made it that way.
Oh, but why was England?s navy so useless when pitted against that ship? Why had God chosen to let the Ivory Damsel steal Relena away?
The questions plagued him. They taunted and teased and forced him briefly to the edge of madness. He was a political figure, an important one. He had known little love from his mother, none from his father, and the countless sisters that were scattered around England and America hardly knew him.
Why had Relena been the one to show him love, and make him show love in return?
Why, he thought with his nose burning to forewarn the sudden and unwanted onslaught of tears, was she gone?
Wait for me.
Quatre shook his head at nothing as the drops trickled down his cheeks. I can?t, Relena, he thought as she stood. I have to do something.
And as soon as the response from Milliardo arrived, he would.
?Peygan!? he called harshly as the grandfather clock chimed five-thirty in the morning. He had been callous with the man in the last seven hours since dinner, but he had yet to care and amend his way.
The elderly man appeared in a wrinkled suit looking tired and worn and older than Quatre had ever noticed before. ?Yes, sir?? he wheezed. He swayed, and he seemed to be fighting to keep on his feet.
?Arrange for a carriage to take me to London tomorrow afternoon. Do it now,? he ordered callously. The old butler blinked, bowed with a wince, and turned to do what as master bid.
Quatre steeled himself. ?And Peygan.?
The servant paused in the doorway. ?Sir?? he called, not holding the energy to turn his head and praying he would not be rebuked.
?After that, go to sleep. You need to,? Winner said, even though he did not smile as he usually did when dismissing his butler for the night.
He could not see his face, but by the way Peygan?s posture slumped, Quatre supposed he was relieved.
?Yes. Thank you, sir.?
Quatre clenched a fist once he had gone. Throwing himself into the nearest armchair, he pressed a palm to his head.
He would go mad if she was not returned.
***
?The captain?s quarters,? Wufei intoned as though it was something Relena did not already know. ?We?ve no nightclothes to offer ye, so just make do.?
Relena turned her nose up at him. Though her knees were shaking, she did not want the Asian pirate to see her fear, which seemed to increase with every passing minute.
Wufei must have seen right through her act, however, because he snorted with a smirk. ?I?ll go to my bed, princess,? he said with a cold look. ?You go to yours.?
He left her by the door with a shocked look on her face. She knew well what went on in a bed that a man and woman shared. Praying, she begged God to protect her from these heathens, to return her to Dover, better yet, London. She closed her eyes and breathed deeply. There would be no running from it.
She knocked thrice. For a moment, there was silence. Then the captain?s deep voice boomed out, ?Come in, and shut the door.?
Relena did, slowly. She saw that Captain Yuy was already dressed for bed, or at least shirtless. His chest was sculpted, and admittedly more magnificent than she had imagined upon first seeing him in the pub that day. She colored instantly. Was there no sleeping wardrobe on this ship?
?Well. Forward.? Heero beckoned her with a curved hand. Not knowing what else to do, Relena walked as close as she dared. He reached out, and she tensed, but he only grabbed one of her elbows and drew her closer to inspect her wrapped wrist.
?Good, Sally fixed you up. She did a fine job.? Looking at her wrist, Heero also noticed the hand it led to. Her fingers were long, her nails trim and neat. Her palms were small, making her seem delicate, and he could suddenly imagine her hands touching him, caressing him.
He dropped her arm abruptly. Better to clear thoughts of such a kind if he decided to sell this girl off as a virgin.
Heero sat down on the large bed and slipped under the covers. ?Well?? he said again and raised an eyebrow at her. ?Come.?
Relena?s eyes widened.
************************************************************************
GG: Mwahahaha! I?ve cliffhanged again. . .
Maxine: Please don?t say you?re beginning to like to leave us hanging.
GG: ^_~ That depends on if you all review or not. Tell me how you liked/did not like it! Pleeeease?
BI girls: Not yet. . .
-_-;
Disclaimer: Don?t own them, WELL. . . Nope. Don?t own them.
Warning: Sexual innuendo, a little bit of language.
*~Upper Class~* Part Three
Treize pressed his thumb and index finger to the bridge of his nose. Anne had gone into shock at the interesting turn of events. She did that sometimes, he wasn?t sure why. It would be a good ten minutes or so before she spoke.
Quatre, he observed, had wasted no time in responding to Miss Peacecraft?s untimely abduction. It had been entertaining to watch, the Asian one carrying Milliardo?s sister out of the house while Quatre could only grimace and watch.
He was certain he?d advised the young governor to keep a pistol in his suit whilst the woman was not yet married to him ? Dover was not the ideal place to keep an unmarried rich girl, with crooks and murderers everywhere. And pirates had harbored, it seemed.
Treize sighed, reached into his pocket and glanced at his pocket-watch, which displayed the hour of nine. ?It?s late,? he commented. ?Come, Anne.?
Quatre stopped yelling at Peygan long enough to swivel on his heel and stare wide-eyed at him. ?You?re just going to leave, Trieze??
?I?ve a woman with me. She does not need this distress.? Trieze took his wife?s hand. ?Obviously.?
?But Relena has. . . Oh, damn! Ignore them!? he barked at Peygan, who had turned a ghastly shade of white. The old butler had taken a quick liking to the spirited young fianc?e of his master. ?I want every officer scouring Dover, Peygan! Now!?
Peygan had but set both feet out of the dining room, when Quatre collapsed into the chair Relena had occupied just twenty minutes before. Her sweet perfume still lingered with the sound of her laughter, and the young blonde buried his face in his hands.
A letter needed to be sent to Baron Peacecraft. The wedding would have to be postponed.
***
Relena woke a headache and pain in her wrists. That woman ? Catherine ? had efficiently bound her hands behind her back, and the liquid running through her fingers was surely blood from the cut of the ropes. Looking around, disoriented because she did not remember drifting off, she sought what had woken her.
The answer came quickly. A man, long-limbed and longhaired, his chestnut tresses running straight in a braid down his back, was bellowing.
?Ho, Catherine! Where is the princess??
Princess?
?She?s there somewhere,? came the voice of Catherine. ?Do not howl at me, Duo. I prepare the ingredients I?ll need for your breakfast in the morning!?
Duo?s eyes landed on her just as Catherine had finished her statement. ?You speak truthful, cook. Here is our lass. Well, stand.?
Her knees had hardened to wood. Unable to move, Relena only lifted her chin and glared. ?You will release me,? she ordered, her voice coming out braver than she truly felt. ?And then you shall return me to Governor Winner?s mansion. Authorities will get word if you do not, and you shall be hanged!?
The wrong thing to mention, Relena realized, was the gallows. Duo?s eyes only sparkled with amusement.
?Spirited, eh? Excellent. That?s exactly how the captain takes his women. He loathes boring wenches.?
It was the second time in the day she?d been accused of being a whore. Her voice slid out like steel, cool and straight. ?You insult me,? she hissed. ?Do not again.?
?Nay, lass,? Duo replied, not the least bit affected by her command. ?I cannot, honestly said. You are too sweet. Now come.? Taking the necessary steps, he seized her elbow and tugged her effortlessly to her feet. ?The crew his below, Captain Heero in his chambers. There I shall take you, and find myself what his plan is.?
?I will be returned!? she exclaimed.
?Will you?? Duo turned her body to face the water. It spread endlessly to the horizon, black and unwelcoming. The harbor of Dover was nowhere to be seen, not on any side. ?If you are returned,? Duo continued, ?it will not be by dawn?s first light.?
Relena felt weakened further; her ankles were like lead, and it was the pirate?s hand alone that kept her on her toes. She wanted to weep, but her own self-ingrained pride did not allow her. Not in the presence of her abductor, anyway.
?Come.? The pressure Duo had on her arm was painless but enough for her to know that resisting would be futile. Giving in, she allowed him (disdainfully) to lead her to the bowels of the ship. Halfway down the short staircase, he turned and opened a door that led into a rather expansive room.
There was a bed, a table, chairs, a dresser. The room was decorated nicely, but not extravagantly. The bed was dressed with satin, the cheap kind, in a deep blue. The lamp burned brightly and bounced off the dull metal and glass of a mirror. At the table stood two men.
The same men she had encountered at the pub hours earlier.
The same pirates she had run into.
?Duo. Time runs late, and I expected you ten minutes ago,? said the very pirate who had spilled drink on her dress without looking up. He and the other tall, quiet one were inspecting a map.
The one with his hair hung over his green eyes raised his head. A slow, small smile graced his lips and made him seem, for just a moment, a warm-hearted human being. ?Well,? he murmured. ?If it isn?t the lass from the pub.?
The blue-eyed one?s head darted up so quickly it was a wonder his neck did not snap. He regarded her silently, not moving at all.
The ship tilted as their eyes met, and the world seemed to quake with the power of his intense gaze. Relena was forced to lean against the doorframe for balance as the tall one spoke again.
?Again we meet, Relena. How strange and mysterious life is, do not you agree? I am called Trowa Barton.? His smile remaining, he lifted a bottle of rum and drank deeply. His eyes drifted to the other. ?Well, don?t be rude, Heero. Greet the lady.?
Heero?s expression stayed grim and contrasted with the smirk Trowa?s lips held. A brief moment showed a flash of concern in his eyes, and then his irises alighted with mischief and uncanny humor. ?Fate chooses an odd waterway,? he said lowly. Removing his hat, he bent at the waist sarcastically. ?Welcome, my lady. I am Heero Yuy, captain of this Ivory Damsel. You said your name was Relena??
?It shall be Miss Peacecraft to you,? Relena answered icily, ready to hold her own against the pirate leader.
?Then Miss Peacecraft it is,? answered Heero as he replaced his hat and stepped toward her. ?A wise choice you made, Duo. She would surely fetch a fair price.? Succumbing to a desire he hadn?t been aware of, Heero reached out and cupped her chin, lightly smoothing the flesh of her cheek with his thumb, like he had earlier.
The calluses were rough on her face and only intensified the flame in her head. ?Whatever price is bargained for is not enough for me,? she told him boldly. ?I demand you change course back to Dover.?
?Demands.? With a careless swagger, Heero circled her with his thumbs hooked in the pockets of his trousers. ?It is a brave woman who makes a demand to me, Miss Peacecraft.?
?Then you realize I am a brave woman,? she returned with a coat of menace thick over her tone.
Heero did smirk now, and Trowa bowed his head to hide his grin. Duo cleared his throat.
?Speaking of brave women, I best turn in, captain. Hilde will be irritable already. I?ll send Wufei in.?
?Goodnight, Duo.? Yuy spoke to his man, but his eyes stayed on Relena?s. ?Your wrists bleed, my lady. It should be taken care of.? He held out a hand for them, but Relena backed away.
?Do not touch me,? she warned. Oh, how she wished for a weapon. A dagger would do, even a sharp comb. But her bound hands were useless to her.
?I only wish to loose your arms.?
?I wish you not to come near me,? she told him with a scowl.
Heero shook his head. ?Your request is difficult, lady. We are on a ship together in the middle of the ocean. On our way to Singapore, as it were.?
Relena?s expression did not change, but her expression paled to a devastating white. ?You lie.?
?I am a pirate, my lady, and a black one at that. I take what I want, when I want it. But I am no liar.? Heero walked to the table and lifted his own bottle. Taking a swig, he swiped at his mouth with his sleeve.
Relena noticed for the first time that the one called Trowa was gone. No sooner had she realized it did she feel a chill of metal brush her wrists. The next moment, her hands fell free at her sides. She winced from the sting but did not make a sound. Lifting her hands, she inspected her raw and bloody wrists. It was the first time she had been so seriously injured.
?Maxwell sent me, captain.?
Relena started in surprise, and she turned to see the Asian pirate who had so graciously carried her out of the Winner mansion over his shoulder. He spared her one short, disinterested glance before turning his eyes to Heero.
?Good evening, Wufei,? Heero said mildly. ?How is Sally??
?In a wonderful mood,? Wufei answered, face straight. Only the crew and the captain knew that his wife?s joy pleased him. Relena could not tell. ?Did you seek me??
?This is Relena Peacecraft, Governor Winner?s betrothed.?
The corners of Wufei?s mouth turned up. ?We?ve met ? indirectly, sir.?
?Well, then.? Heero watched her. The look she gave him was dark; her muscles had tensed to point that must have been painful. But even with her mean gaze and rumpled dress and disheveled hair, she was a beautiful woman. She smelled of red roses and passion, sweetening the room?s scent of rum. ?You will sell well in Singapore,? he commented. Before Relena could open her mouth to deny it, he flicked his hand. ?Her wrists are harmed, Wufei.?
Wufei dropped his gaze to Relena?s hands. She clasped them in front of her to defend her pride the best she could. ?So they are,? he replied.
?Take her to Sally and get them treated. Then prepare a room for our guest.?
Wufei eyed him narrowly. ?Captain, you know as I do that we?ve no spare rooms. Catherine must share with Trowa for this reason.?
Trowa nodded, raising an eyebrow at the one whose orders he took.
?Take her to Sally,? Heero repeated. ?And as for the second order, I amend it. Bring her back here. She shall stay with me this night.?
Relena?s eyes widened and red filled her face from both rage and embarrassment. ?I shan?t!? she exclaimed.
?You will, my lady, until I say otherwise. I?d give you the deck, but the weather seems well for rain, and I cannot bargain an ill woman in Singapore.? Heero nodded at Wufei. ?To your wife.?
?Aye, sir.? Wufei gripped her arm. Like Duo?s, his hold was not to be fought against. Relena could not think of a single remark to spit at the captain, and her wrists were bleeding harder now. When she got them treated at least, she could resist this horrible man.
So with a deep glare and a flashing pair of eyes, she followed Wufei up the steps.
?Interesting.? Heero turned back to Trowa when his first mate spoke.
?Aye, Trowa??
Trowa smiled wider now. ?It is interesting, captain, that you threaten to sell this girl as a Singapore whore, and we sail away from there.?
Heero drank from his rum. ?I?ve not yet decided what to do with her. Give me time to choose. She may prove useful.?
Trowa?s expression remained unchanged but he was surprised. ?I do believe she?s not worked a day in her life.?
?If not for labor, then for another task. No human being was born useless.? Heero waved his hand. ?Go you, and rest. We shall spend the night led by the wind and its choice of direction.?
?Aye, captain. Fair dreams, then.?
?And you.? As Trowa stepped out and shut his chamber door, Heero sniffed the air.
Red roses and passion, he thought again, the passion strongest of the two. But how much passion, really, did Miss Peacecraft possess? Heero was not against finding out.
***
?Ah, here is the lovely princess again.? Sally turned away from the bowl where she was peeling potatoes with Catherine for breakfast the next morning. ?And how can I help Her Highness?? She raised an eyebrow at Wufei.
?The captain orders her wrists healed.? Wufei shoved her, not bothering to be gentle. Relena was caught at the shoulders by the platinum-haired medical woman.
?Well, I should say so.? With a tsk, the Asian man?s wife set about gathering salve and bandages.
?Take this cloth, dear.? Catherine proffered it to her helpfully. Her eyes darted to Relena. ?My goodness, girl,? she hummed upon seeing her pale face and frightened eyes. ?Do not be afraid. Sally will not hurt you.?
?And if I do, I now offer my sincerest of sorry?s.?
Relena noted for the first time that the cook, Catherine, had better grammar than the others. She guessed that she had been schooled, which was rare for commoners, but there was the occasional educated pauper.
?Catherine, fool, why did you bind her hands so wrongly? If you didn?t fry my egg, I?d hit you with your own pan,? Sally grumbled.
?I imagined Captain Heero wouldn?t want her gone. She?s such a lovely thing. What did he say about you, dear??
Wufei smirked before Relena could gather enough of her wits to form a coherent reply. ?She?s staying in his chamber tonight.?
?Oh, lovely. Do tell me how it goes tomorrow.?
Relena found her voice, and it was loud. ?Nothing will happen!? she exclaimed. ?I shan?t let it!?
?Well, if you can manage it,? Sally replied half-interestedly. She took one of Relena?s hands and pressed the cloth to her wrist to clean it of the blood. The hot water stung, but she bit her lip to keep from whimpering. ?Hold still now. This will probably hurt.? She turned the small box of salve.
It did hurt. Relena found she hadn?t ever felt really felt pain, other than the damnable corset she was forced to be suffocated by. By the time Sally finished wrapping her wrists with the lines of bandages, she was blinking back tears ? tears from the pain, and from shame that she really was as delicate as she made herself look.
?There now, finished. They should heal nice, as long as we change the bandages. Was there anything else you needed?? Sally asked kindly.
Relena sniffed once and shook her head. ?Thank you, Miss. . .?
?Sally. And just Sally. I?ve only been married a year, I have, wouldn?t want to feel like an old woman now.? When she winked at her husband, Wufei merely grunted. ?You need rest,? she told Relena, who immediately went pale again.
Catherine sighed. Seeing her among a people whom she was commonly not familiar with, she felt a pang of sympathy for the prim sister of a baron. ?Tell Captain Heero, lady, that he needs to rest as well. He cannot lead our crew without sleep, and I shan?t feed a man who cannot lead.? She smiled softly. ?Sweet dreams.?
?Thank you,? Relena said again, bowing her head. ?I will do as you ask.?
?Follow me,? Wufei growled before any of the women could again speak. ??Tis late, and we all want to sleep.? He shot Sally a meaningful look, and she grinned at him. Relena lowered her eyes, feeling strangely obedient, and he escorted her from the kitchen.
?Poor girl,? Sally murmured the second they had gone. ?What has Heero said to her, I wonder??
?You were not so kindhearted with her a minute ago,? Cathy pointed out.
?Nay, Heero?s leading her on about something. T?wouldn?t be my place to spoil his game.? She shrugged her shoulders and replaced her tools. ?Though I certainly hope it isn?t too fun.?
***
Milliardo was furious. Luchrezia could see that in the same moment she entered the parlor of her husband?s grand, English house in London. There was little business of a husband that escaped a wife?s attention, and it was no secret to Baroness Peacecraft that her spouse was upset ? if the hunched shoulders and crumpled letter clenched in his fist was any indication.
In addition, he had sent her an urgent summons.
?My lord?? she called in the doorway to alert him of her presence.
He turned and his eyes dropped to her stretched stomach before her face. It was a habit that had developed once she had informed him that she carried his second child, hopefully a son this time. When he did meet her eyes, his were troubled.
?You are angry.? She felt a need to voice it. ?Whatever causes your distress, husband??
Milliardo felt calmer looking at her, but even the way the midnight moonlight slanted to beam into her hair did not quell his rage. ?I want you to sit, Lu.?
The nickname he alone had given her allowed her to catch the frustration he held, and though she preferred to remain standing, she did not wish to burden him further. Submissively, for once, she sunk onto the low double-seating couch.
For a minute he paced, not speaking, not looking at her. If not for having settled her two-year-old daughter Agatha down for the night, she would have been in a hurry to leave. Because she wasn?t, she only folded her hands in her lap and crossed her swollen ankles in a posture of the utmost respect. Finally, her husband halted in his back-and-forth path and directed his gaze at her.
?How to tell you this,? he began and shook his blond head.
Luchrezia had come from a high-class and respected family of aristocrats, but she had faced hardship, as her beloved was obviously facing it now. The Noin family had a long line of mysteries, most of which, she had gathered, led to affairs with foreign trading. ?I am not made of glass, my love.?
Milliardo smiled then, the first time she had seen since he had taken breakfast with her that morning. ?I know,? he said softly, and then his features darkened again. Steeling himself with a deep breath, he plunged. ?I?ve received terrible news from Governor Winner.? Saying so, his faced splotched with red.
A hand flew to her breast. ?He wishes not to wed Relena?? She would not understand that, Luchrezia knew. How she loved her sister-in-law, and how wrong it would be for Quatre not to. For anyone not to.
?Lu, if it were only that. There has been a raid of Quatre?s home in Dover, darling. They?ve stolen only one third of his wealth, but. . .?
The color quite simply slipped from his wife?s face, and she gripped an arm of the couch. ?But?? she questioned, though she already had a brief idea of what his news might be.
?They were a good crew, of the Ivory Damsel, no less. They captured Relena in front of his nose. Duke Treize and Lady Anne were there with them.?
The baroness?s hand was at her mouth now. The crew of the Ivory Damsel were not mere annoyances to London authorities. Soldiers on land and the navy had been hunting the said pirates for almost half a decade. Lu had a pirate cousin that she sometimes kept in secret contact with, and she had claimed to never have even seen the crew.
?Quatre has alerted the Dover guard, of course, but there is not anything they can do. If they had the power to find and conquer the Ivory Damsel, they would have by now.? Milliardo fell to the seat of the couch next to her and his hands covered his face in despair.
?So we wait?? Luchrezia touched his arm and did her best to comfort him, though her voice quivered. ?Unknown to whether your sister lives or has been killed, we wait for a result?? She was not sure she could do that to Relena.
?Until there is more to act upon. . .? Milliardo raised his head to hers and kissed her forehead. He reached for her hands, and his trembled. ?It is all that we can do for her.?
But we have done nothing for her. Lu did not say that to him, for through his tearing, ice blue eyes she could see his crumbling heart and did not wish to sadden him further, but the thought reigned in her mind.
?I will return a letter to Quatre.? He cleared his throat and stood, giving her fingers a final squeeze. ?If I am needed, you shall find me in my study.?
?Would you like tea? Or coffee?? she asked. Or anything? her heart added. It was at times like these when she longed for her husband to use her for more support. He seemed to think her such a delicate woman, like the one he had raised his sister to be upon his parents? death. But Luchrezia was sturdy, and he did not seem to realize that. It was probably the fault of their arranged marriage. Although they had found love through the work of their fathers, it had not been their choice to wed. She only wished he wanted more of her.
?No, my dear,? he replied, walking away toward the stairs.
She ran a hand through her elegant, short, dark hair and sighed deeply. She knew Baron Peacecraft loved her greatly. But in almost three years of their marriage, she had never heard the words she still yearned for.
Relena.
With the thought of her most necessary rescue ? if there was still a Relena to be rescued ? back in her mind, she walked to the small desk in the parlor and took a sheet of parchment and a quill from the drawer. Sitting, she began to scrawl a message to her pirate kinswoman.
?To Dorothy Catalonia,? she murmured lightly as she wrote. ?I need your help, cousin.?
***
Wait for me.
Those were the last words she had spoken to him, and his ears ? and the rest of him ? had not been at ease since then. Why, Quatre wondered, did some people take years and years to fall in love, and he had in less than two hours?
He had admitted it. He truly was in love with Relena Peacecraft, and that had fueled both his fury and his depression. At the moment, the depression held high rank, and that only succeeded in sickening his mind further.
He was a flurry of emotion right now, and Quatre felt helpless with the confusion of it. Treize had mentioned once that it was natural for men to fear what they did not understand, and the governor certainly didn?t understand love. Intimidated by it as he was, it also made him driven. The only thing that possibly surpassed the confusion and the fear and the uneasiness was the steadily growing hate; hate for crime, and greater, hate for those pirates whom had taken Relena away from him.
He had not even seen the leader?s face, that despicable captain who had given the order to Baron Peacecraft?s sister to be kidnapped. He had not known sleep this night because of her absence and because she had not looked upon the man who had made it that way.
Oh, but why was England?s navy so useless when pitted against that ship? Why had God chosen to let the Ivory Damsel steal Relena away?
The questions plagued him. They taunted and teased and forced him briefly to the edge of madness. He was a political figure, an important one. He had known little love from his mother, none from his father, and the countless sisters that were scattered around England and America hardly knew him.
Why had Relena been the one to show him love, and make him show love in return?
Why, he thought with his nose burning to forewarn the sudden and unwanted onslaught of tears, was she gone?
Wait for me.
Quatre shook his head at nothing as the drops trickled down his cheeks. I can?t, Relena, he thought as she stood. I have to do something.
And as soon as the response from Milliardo arrived, he would.
?Peygan!? he called harshly as the grandfather clock chimed five-thirty in the morning. He had been callous with the man in the last seven hours since dinner, but he had yet to care and amend his way.
The elderly man appeared in a wrinkled suit looking tired and worn and older than Quatre had ever noticed before. ?Yes, sir?? he wheezed. He swayed, and he seemed to be fighting to keep on his feet.
?Arrange for a carriage to take me to London tomorrow afternoon. Do it now,? he ordered callously. The old butler blinked, bowed with a wince, and turned to do what as master bid.
Quatre steeled himself. ?And Peygan.?
The servant paused in the doorway. ?Sir?? he called, not holding the energy to turn his head and praying he would not be rebuked.
?After that, go to sleep. You need to,? Winner said, even though he did not smile as he usually did when dismissing his butler for the night.
He could not see his face, but by the way Peygan?s posture slumped, Quatre supposed he was relieved.
?Yes. Thank you, sir.?
Quatre clenched a fist once he had gone. Throwing himself into the nearest armchair, he pressed a palm to his head.
He would go mad if she was not returned.
***
?The captain?s quarters,? Wufei intoned as though it was something Relena did not already know. ?We?ve no nightclothes to offer ye, so just make do.?
Relena turned her nose up at him. Though her knees were shaking, she did not want the Asian pirate to see her fear, which seemed to increase with every passing minute.
Wufei must have seen right through her act, however, because he snorted with a smirk. ?I?ll go to my bed, princess,? he said with a cold look. ?You go to yours.?
He left her by the door with a shocked look on her face. She knew well what went on in a bed that a man and woman shared. Praying, she begged God to protect her from these heathens, to return her to Dover, better yet, London. She closed her eyes and breathed deeply. There would be no running from it.
She knocked thrice. For a moment, there was silence. Then the captain?s deep voice boomed out, ?Come in, and shut the door.?
Relena did, slowly. She saw that Captain Yuy was already dressed for bed, or at least shirtless. His chest was sculpted, and admittedly more magnificent than she had imagined upon first seeing him in the pub that day. She colored instantly. Was there no sleeping wardrobe on this ship?
?Well. Forward.? Heero beckoned her with a curved hand. Not knowing what else to do, Relena walked as close as she dared. He reached out, and she tensed, but he only grabbed one of her elbows and drew her closer to inspect her wrapped wrist.
?Good, Sally fixed you up. She did a fine job.? Looking at her wrist, Heero also noticed the hand it led to. Her fingers were long, her nails trim and neat. Her palms were small, making her seem delicate, and he could suddenly imagine her hands touching him, caressing him.
He dropped her arm abruptly. Better to clear thoughts of such a kind if he decided to sell this girl off as a virgin.
Heero sat down on the large bed and slipped under the covers. ?Well?? he said again and raised an eyebrow at her. ?Come.?
Relena?s eyes widened.
************************************************************************
GG: Mwahahaha! I?ve cliffhanged again. . .
Maxine: Please don?t say you?re beginning to like to leave us hanging.
GG: ^_~ That depends on if you all review or not. Tell me how you liked/did not like it! Pleeeease?
OMG.... Poor Relena!!!! 
No complaints here... 
I hope I'm wrong, hehe...