Pirates of the Sanq 3/?
Posted: Sat Nov 29, 2003 4:02 am
Sorry this took so long. Of course I have papers and of course I started a new fic and of course I have a host of other excuses. Actually I had about half of it written and then the you know what hit the fan. Bah. It?s here now and that?s what?s important right? See. I don?t give up. 
Still writing from 1-2am after I do homework for the night. Basically, I?m still asking you all to forgive me for the mistakes that result because of this. Poor loopy Angel. . . Here is also hoping that I'm consistant. . . so long since last update (weep)
Chapter 3
Relena was naturally moved back home as soon as possible and attended by the island physician. All that he could determine was that her ribs were bruised and she had a few scrapes and other bruises, but nothing truly horrific considering what she had gone through. Milliardo, who was kicking himself for being the indirect cause of all this, refused to leave her side until the doctor ordered him to leave so that Relena could get some rest. He made his way downstairs, escorting the doctor out at the front door after thanking him, and a small cadre of people waited to hear the news in the adjoining parlor. Treize was the first to speak up.
?Well, my friend? How are fares your sister??
?She will be fine. I?m simply sorry that such misfortune could occur today of all days. . .? Milliardo had assumed that not only he, but his little sister would be engaged and celebrating said engagements at dinner. ?I simply find it ironic that the greatest misfortune of the day turned out to be a blessing as well, for the sake of removing the criminal element in our waters.?
?I think you are being too harsh on the man. He saved Relena, even if he is a pirate, it was a noble act. Is there any way to commute the sentence to labor rather than death for such selflessness?? Lady Noin spoke up as she went to stand beside Milliardo, holding his hand and smiling in a gentle manner.
Trowa?s voice was harsh, and the frown on his face deepened. ?You forget he also endangered her life shortly after, Lady Noin, and I do believe that any good he did for himself was undermined by the fact that he is obviously unchanged from the pirate I knew and hunted. I will personally make sure he ascends the gallows.?
?Your words are harsh, but I?m inclined to agree with you. Lady, your words are gentle, and your thoughts well meaning, but the law must be followed if order is to be maintained. If word got around that His Majesty?s troops were going soft, then there would be no reason for outlaws to take us seriously.? Treize gave Trowa a nod, approving of the young officer?s harshness.
A servant came in and lit lamps in the room where they stood. The night was approaching, and everyone became aware of how much time they had actually taken to see to the events that had disrupted the festivities.
?All the food is still prepared and the people gathered at the house. I don?t suppose you would want to continue your birthday plans, Milliardo. . .? Treize raised an eyebrow, looking for the decision of the Governor.
?It would make this situation much worse to let everyone gossip without knowing the truth of the matter. We will go and make our announcements and let everyone eat of the food you had prepared in my honor. Relena is safe, the doctor has assured me, and so long as she rests then I see no reason why she will not make a full recovery quickly. Even if she is not leaving my thoughts tonight, I know that I would never hear the end of it if I didn?t attend my own party.? Milliardo offered Lady Noin his arm and she took it, looking cross. The way that the men had dismissed her ideas had made her quite upset, but she would save her ire for later. Particularly for a certain long-haired platinum blond man.
Trowa and Treize followed the couple and the entire group of them made their way out of the building after Milliardo gave strict instructions that Relena be monitored every half-hour without fail. Anything she wanted should be provided, and if she wished to see him they need only send a messenger and he would leave Kushrenada?s at once.
The house went silent.
A curse bloomed from the bushes beneath Relena?s room. Since when had she planted roses in this part of the garden? A dark figure climbed nimbly up the side of the house, using window ledges and a handy trellis to make it to Relena?s second story window, which was open just enough for the figure to force it up and make his way inside. In the fading light of the day he noted the pale figure on the bed, eyes closed, bruises standing out on her arms, breathing ragged. Even so, she was so beautiful to his eyes that he was afraid to disturb her sleep and break this moment where he could look his fill at the woman he had long sought.
?Mmm.? She stirred, but as she rolled to her side her eyebrows drew together and her mouth jerked into a pained grimace. Flipping quickly, she gasped and her eyes flew open. ?Mmmmm.? This time the moan was not sleepy, but far more awake and agonized. Heero considered jumping out of the window so he wouldn?t be caught, but ruefully he had to admit he somewhat hoped this would happen.
Even though Heero did not move, the breeze from the open window caught her attention, as did the form blocking the last light of day, black and nondescript. She looked scared for a moment, but then panic faded from her features as Heero stepped closer and some of the light from the dim lamp nearby brought his face into relief.
?Oh Heero, you nearly killed me. I already almost died today once. . . .? She tried to make light of it, absently rubbing at her bruised midsection.
?Are you all right?? His voice was quick, interrupting her. He nearly kicked himself for sounding so concerned and being so hasty.
?Yes, before I fell asleep the doctor told me I?d be fine. I?m glad you came to visit.? Noting the open window once again she smiled even wider, and laughed a little. ?It?s just like old times. I can?t remember the last time you sneaked into my room. I thought you?d be too big for that old trellis by now. You broke it didn?t you?? She tried to laugh a little more, but the movement of her lungs against her ribs was enough to send her into a world of burning pain she had not felt since she was thirteen and dislocated her arm falling out of a tree ? yet another one of her adventures with Heero. He had often remarked that he would have caught her if she hadn?t insisted he climb up first.
?Don?t strain yourself.? He stepped over and sat down on the bed, ignoring the impropriety of it, so that he could examine her himself. Even if a doctor had looked at her he needed to see for himself that she was not on the brink of death. When one of the officers had related what had happened that the started the whole chase after that pirate Heero had first wanted to run to be by her side. Some residual regret ran through him for being the person who captured the pirate. From his point of view he owed that man, as irritating as he was, for saving Relena. If she had died. . . he didn?t want to think about it.
Relena blushed and tried to force her heart to beat more slowly as his hands gently examined her arms and face. It was good for both of them that he did not try to look at her ribs, as the doctor had, since as it was he was driving her to distraction and himself as well. The innocent action of simply making sure that she was healthy was supplanted by the acute awareness of his hands on her skin and Heero suddenly realized how dangerous that was and how loathe he was to let go. The calluses, from years of hard work and training, lightly scraped against one bruise and hairs on her arm stood up as a shiver ran down her arm and back to her spine. Relena closed her eyes and tried to think of something else, but her conscious thoughts simply forced themselves to focus on the feeling.
?You don?t seem to be hurt too badly. That?s good. You should be more careful in the future.?
Relena?s eyes fluttered open, and her emotions, already erratic due to his proximity, leaped from wild happiness to indignation. ?I?ll have you know I did not simply fall, I fainted, and I would not have gone off the side if Mr. Barton had not taken me so close to the cliff edge.?
?Mr. Barton?? He dropped her arm as if she had broken some sort of spell on him and he moved one palm over the other as if he were washing his hands. Relena looked into Heero?s eyes and regretted even mentioning Trowa. Her memory of what Trowa had been saying was vague, but before she passed out she had an idea of where it was going in general and that displeased her. Best to change the subject.
?It really puts things into perspective, really. I?ve never been so close to death. It makes me value the life I have all the more.? Her movements were subtle, as her body slowly edged closer to his.
?Hn.?
?And there are certain areas in my life that I feel if I don?t make some sort of move then the opportunity will slip through my grasp.? She shook with anticipation. Maybe she was delirious. What she was about to do was out of character enough to make her wonder.
?Oh?? Heero?s eyebrow arched, but she could make out little else about his expression now that it was more dark than light in her room. Her body now blocked even lamp light from cluing her in on his state of mind. . . as if she had ever been good at reading that.
?Yes, Heero, for instance I?ve waited far too long for this.? She lifted herself from the sheets with some effort, hurting in the beginning, but too determined to stop. Relena stood on her knees, looking down on Heero, and took his face in her hands. Since he made no move to stop her, she took courage and leaned down to brush her lips against his. At first he went very still, unresponsive and discouraging to her exploratory kiss, but once he mobilized himself Relena was almost frightened by his ferocity. His lips ground against hers at first bruising, but then softening. Relena?s hands fell to his shoulders and one of his wound into her hair, holding her head in position as he continued to assault her mouth with his own.
Who knows where it would have gone if Relena hadn?t snaked out her tongue to flick Heero?s lips, causing him to wrap his arms about her waist ? and hence also her badly bruised ribs. Relena pulled back with a gasp not associated with the pleasure she had just been experiencing and Heero too pulled back. He was horrified, concerned, confused, aroused, and totally unsure of what to do or say. Even if she had started it, he had been moments away from tossing away his carefully cultivated self control. That would have ruined everything. It simply was the wrong time for this. Backing off the bed, he walked around and stood above Relena as she uncurled from the position which instinct had dictated she take.
?Did I hurt you?? He sounded cold, but Relena knew he was concerned considering he hadn?t simply run off.
?No. You didn?t, not really.? She cursed her body, its betrayal, and the whole state of the world in general.
?I?ll be going then.? The window was such an inviting escape from this bewitching woman who looked at him with pleading eyes and swollen lips from her bed. Would it be so bad if he just stayed for a little. . . no, he would be strong. He would do things correctly and in their proper order. There was a plan. Even if he was ecstatic to know that Relena wanted him, now was not the time to either broach the subject or to act on the hormones which right now wanted to kill him for walking away.
Relena looked like she was about ready to cry. He could do something for her, after all, rather than to be so cruel to both of them as to simply walk away from this. ?Tomorrow I?ll speak to your brother. Good night. . . Relena.? It had taken a lot of thought to get her name out. Years of calling her Miss Peacecraft had engrained the habit onto his brain, always maintaining formality as a barrier to keep his overwhelming devotion from leaking out into the open. Considering the state of things, it would be silly to continue the ruse.
Once Heero had dropped out of sight from the window, Relena made the effort to get up and close the window. As she forced it down with a clunk she felt something heavy hit her chest once she straightened her body again. The medallion. The numb shock that she had been luxuriating in melted away and Relena was left with a lot to think about. Moonlight bounced off of the dull surface of the skull and Relena shivered at the sudden feeling of dread that passed through her body. Scolding herself, she reasoned out that things had gone as well as could have been expected. He hadn?t rejected her. On the contrary, he seemed just as intense about that intimate moment as she had wished he could be.
As she climbed back into bed she recalled the kiss in every detail and felt no shame in doing so. It had been right. This was what she had wanted for so long. He was going to talk to her brother. He had called her Relena. The day, which had started out so miserably, had suddenly climbed up the scale of her estimation to become the best day of her life, so far. She didn?t know if she would consider this the definitive best day of her life since hopefully there would be a lot more of it spent with Heero, and it could only get better after this.
There was a soft knock and Amelia opened the door tentatively, only to come all the way in when she noticed Relena sitting up and smiling quietly to herself.
?Is there anything I can get you, Miss??
?That?s quite all right Amelia, I?m feeling better than I have in ages.?
*
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*
The party was going decently well. Other than all the expected questions about Relena?s health, which was accounted to be fine since she was such a healthy young lady and she had been rescued so quickly. Noin had to say something rather sharp when the cattier girls made a remark about how very hearty and manly Relena was to survive such a harrowing ordeal. Other than that, the party proceeded with laughter and a lot of liquor.
Milliardo himself consumed quite a bit of that liquor.
Treize started him out with a fortifying drink of brandy so that when they made their speeches, he wouldn?t back down and turn yellow. It was time to propose. He had the ring, he had the speech, and if he didn?t do it tonight he might not have the girl anymore what with the looks she was giving him for his behavior today. Of course, Milliardo also had lots of toasts to his good health for his birthday that he courteously agreed to. Then there was yet another fortifying drink?and so on?and now that it was time to speak, the honorable governor looked like he was having trouble standing and focusing his eyes.
Lady Noin was not going to help him. He could do what he liked, and if that included making an ass out of himself today then she was perfectly willing to watch him do so. . . and get lots of promises from him in the meantime for various things he had been avoiding. One at the top of the list involved encouraging more commissions to officially come to Heero for army orders of swords. Noin liked Yuy, but more specifically she liked Yuy for Relena?s sake and it was one promise that would both benefit those young people and upset Milliardo when he remembered it the next day.
As Treize stood and hit an expensive crystal glass carefully with some rather elaborately designed flatware, the room went silent. The man, so used to commanding the attention of hundreds of troops, was in his element as he began his speech announcing his official promotion and return to the home soil. There were a few envious sighs, and far more regretful sighs from the ladies of the island, but the applause was heartfelt as he finished and pointedly looked at Milliardo who was pointedly looking inside his pocket.
Treize cleared his throat, twice, and Milliardo stood up quickly only to sit back down again clutching at his spinning head. He tried once more as a small giggle echoed through the deathly quiet room.
?Thank you, Treize, you?re an officer and a gentlemen and no one could do it better than you. I mean that. It?s a damn shame!? He hit the table fairly hard at the exclamation and people jumped a little in their seats at the show of aggression. ?What are we talking about?? His whisper was a little too loud, and Noin coughed politely to cover a laugh.
With more than a little humor in his standard smirk, Treize whispered something into Milliardo?s ear and placed the man?s hand in his own coat pocket. Milliardo gave a large wink and smiled blissfully.
?It?s not a day entirely for not rejoicing, however, for as I see the damn of another year of my life I can?t seem to see past the glorious sunrise that is the love of my life, the Lady Lucretia Noin. You?re beautiful you know that?? Treize looked both shocked and amused. The long, romantic, intelligent speech that Milliardo had prepared had slurred into an almost unintelligible set of sentences. He picked up her hand and patted it. ?I want you to have this.? He set the ring box into her hand and smiled as if he was proud of himself and then sat down.
As Treize was about to fill in the silence, Milliardo sprang back up. ?I almost forgot!? He got down on one knee. Some of the company stood up to see him over the table. ?Would you do me the great honor, the great happiness of marrying me??
And then he passed out face first onto her lap.
Holding him up with one hand and opening the ring box with the other, she absently regarded her erstwhile fianc?. Everyone in the room was staring at her still, waiting. She looked at the spectators crossly.
?Of course the answer is yes, stop staring and get back to your food.? With a polite smattering of laughter and a clink of plates, dessert was brought in and people began to talk about the little drama they had just witnessed.
Only Kushrenada, glancing across the water, noticed the unusual fog rolling in. They never got fog, really, in any weather and especially not on warm nights like this. Instincts in him sparked and crackled to life and he met the eyes of Trowa, who was a few seats down. He gestured outside and his prot?g? looked back with a similar feeling grazing his expression: tight lips and a drawn brow. Treize nodded towards the exit, and Trowa excused himself. A soldier didn?t ignore a gut feeling. At least a good soldier didn?t. Too often that was what kept you alive.
*
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Relena saw her window light up, suddenly, and that?s how she became aware that there was fog outside. She had a glass of juice and a book at her side as she simply rested in bed. Thinking about Heero for a while had been pleasant, but it wasn?t a way to pass hours and the book she was reading was just about to get good. The heroine, who thought she was going mad, was about to figure out why she thought she had been seeing ghosts in the dark mansion she had inherited.
?. . . and as Daphne turned the corner of the underground passageway, an unearthly chill froze her soul to the core. . .?
With an air of expectation she turned the page. She felt so empathetically linked that a shiver ran down her own spine. If only her own life were so exciting. Although, exciting in that safe way like the girl in the book and not like today involving nearly dying and lots of pain. A little fear and some quality time seeking comfort in the arms of a handsome brown haired, hm, on second thought she did that.
?she thought she would be stricken dead any moment by the dread that captured the breath from her throat, vapor coalescing before her in sharp bursts. . .?
Was that a scream? There was a crashing noise too. Maybe a maid had just knocking something over. Milliardo would be annoyed, but he?d get over it. Accidents happened.
?truly, the Baron could not be dead as she supposed, but as she closed in on the opening to what surly had to be a crypt a rare smell of the decaying flesh of great men of bygone times assailed her nostrils and nauseated. . .?
More crashes? And that was certainly a scream. This was bad. Her heart turned over somewhere in the vicinity of her throat. She didn?t have time to dress, but she had time to grab a weapon. Throwing the book aside, she abandoned the fake adventure for the potential real one. All at once she far preferred the one in the book. Ah, fickle emotion. Frustration eclipsed fear for a second as she realized there was nothing she could use as a decent weapon in her room. Her silver hairbrush? Not likely. It would barely make a dent.
Then a light lit in her eyes as she remembered her sewing kit stuffed in the closet in a fit of pique during the rainy season last year. You could only embroider a bird so many times before its beady little eyes started to make you think it was really looking at you. Next year she was going to try knitting, too bad she hadn?t bought those needles yet. The little sewing scissors were not much, but they were sharp and they were reusable. She would just think of it like a little dagger.
Screams from downstairs were dying away. That meant that either, optimistically, the trouble was over or, realistically, the trouble had simply won. It wasn?t that she saw the glass as half-empty so much as that she saw that it had water in it. She discarded the top robe. It was easier to run now, even if she?d create a scandal in doing so.
?Oi think we?re close.? They sounded old and male, and it certainly was bad that there were several of them. Close to what? Why were they here? Why wasn?t Heero here? Bah, Relena, Heero isn?t your bodyguard and you can take care of yourself. She wondered belatedly how bad a two story drop would be as the door to her room burst open, trapping her behind it.
?Smells like, whatsit. . . roses, eh? Fancy.? This was a different voice than the one she heard before. They walked in, whomever they were, two of them.
?Oi don?t get it, it should be roight ?ere.? She heard something crash and it sounded like the mirror had just been broken on her dresser. Shoes! She could just slap herself. She forgot to put on shoes. Oh well. Relena took a deep breath and edged around the door; she saw a back looking out the window. Another back was in her closet. She was home free!
?Stop roight there girlie.? Oh yeah. Fog + window = mirror. She was really doing badly this evening. Maybe she would be a bit more circumspect next time, but at the moment she was more concerned with running down the stairs as fast as possible. The jarring of her ribs made her grit her teeth. Why couldn?t this happen when she was healthy?! Adventure was very inconsiderate when it happened to a person.
A grimacing face appeared in front of her as she rounded a corner and she ran into its owner?s chest with a smack and fell back down with a thump. Wonderful, she would be sporting another bruise tomorrow. Now she just had to live until tomorrow and maybe she?d actually be grateful for it all.
?You?ve got something we want little missy.? The man smiled and Relena blinked twice at what she thought she saw. No.
?Whatever it is, I don?t know what it is and I don?t own anything a pirate could possibly want. I suggest you let me go and submit a formal request and I?ll see if my brother can accommodate you.? The other pirates had by now arrived at the base of the stairs and were staring in wonder at this regal young woman who, surrounded by armed pirates in her home, wearing a nightgown and no shoes, sitting on her bum in the foyer still had enough iron in her to demand they leave her alone. It was unprecedented, and they weren?t sure what they should do. They looked at one another and through their limited brains one clear thought manifested:
?Captain.?
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*
The call had gone up almost immediately. The troops were fighting as well as they could, but as soon as one of the special soldiers had run one of the bastards through the neck and he just stood there standing, they realized they were facing a rare breed of pirate and one which they had no training to face. This daunted the military men, but where they paused, Heero forged ahead. If he helped anyone on the way, it was incidental, because his real goal was to get to Relena. If he had to kill every last one of these monstrous pirates he would, so and he might still, if they harmed one hair on her head. The killing rage was cold in his veins and he moved like a demon, blade flashing, not even noticing that his deft strokes never drew blood against those damnable pirates.
Even as he was thinking this town could go to hell as yet another screaming old woman almost impaled herself on his sword, the sense that had always guided him unerringly to where Relena was forced his eyes to swivel at just the right moment to see a struggling form in a white nightgown being taken towards the harbor.
However, his hesitation cost him dearly as something or someone struck him on the back of the head with enough force to drop him like a weighted sack of flour.
His last thoughts were of her, and of her words on a spring day long ago. ?You?re my knight, and I?m the princess, if you don?t save me from the dragon then I?ll beat you up. I'm joking, don't give me that look Heero.?
Still writing from 1-2am after I do homework for the night. Basically, I?m still asking you all to forgive me for the mistakes that result because of this. Poor loopy Angel. . . Here is also hoping that I'm consistant. . . so long since last update (weep)
Chapter 3
Relena was naturally moved back home as soon as possible and attended by the island physician. All that he could determine was that her ribs were bruised and she had a few scrapes and other bruises, but nothing truly horrific considering what she had gone through. Milliardo, who was kicking himself for being the indirect cause of all this, refused to leave her side until the doctor ordered him to leave so that Relena could get some rest. He made his way downstairs, escorting the doctor out at the front door after thanking him, and a small cadre of people waited to hear the news in the adjoining parlor. Treize was the first to speak up.
?Well, my friend? How are fares your sister??
?She will be fine. I?m simply sorry that such misfortune could occur today of all days. . .? Milliardo had assumed that not only he, but his little sister would be engaged and celebrating said engagements at dinner. ?I simply find it ironic that the greatest misfortune of the day turned out to be a blessing as well, for the sake of removing the criminal element in our waters.?
?I think you are being too harsh on the man. He saved Relena, even if he is a pirate, it was a noble act. Is there any way to commute the sentence to labor rather than death for such selflessness?? Lady Noin spoke up as she went to stand beside Milliardo, holding his hand and smiling in a gentle manner.
Trowa?s voice was harsh, and the frown on his face deepened. ?You forget he also endangered her life shortly after, Lady Noin, and I do believe that any good he did for himself was undermined by the fact that he is obviously unchanged from the pirate I knew and hunted. I will personally make sure he ascends the gallows.?
?Your words are harsh, but I?m inclined to agree with you. Lady, your words are gentle, and your thoughts well meaning, but the law must be followed if order is to be maintained. If word got around that His Majesty?s troops were going soft, then there would be no reason for outlaws to take us seriously.? Treize gave Trowa a nod, approving of the young officer?s harshness.
A servant came in and lit lamps in the room where they stood. The night was approaching, and everyone became aware of how much time they had actually taken to see to the events that had disrupted the festivities.
?All the food is still prepared and the people gathered at the house. I don?t suppose you would want to continue your birthday plans, Milliardo. . .? Treize raised an eyebrow, looking for the decision of the Governor.
?It would make this situation much worse to let everyone gossip without knowing the truth of the matter. We will go and make our announcements and let everyone eat of the food you had prepared in my honor. Relena is safe, the doctor has assured me, and so long as she rests then I see no reason why she will not make a full recovery quickly. Even if she is not leaving my thoughts tonight, I know that I would never hear the end of it if I didn?t attend my own party.? Milliardo offered Lady Noin his arm and she took it, looking cross. The way that the men had dismissed her ideas had made her quite upset, but she would save her ire for later. Particularly for a certain long-haired platinum blond man.
Trowa and Treize followed the couple and the entire group of them made their way out of the building after Milliardo gave strict instructions that Relena be monitored every half-hour without fail. Anything she wanted should be provided, and if she wished to see him they need only send a messenger and he would leave Kushrenada?s at once.
The house went silent.
A curse bloomed from the bushes beneath Relena?s room. Since when had she planted roses in this part of the garden? A dark figure climbed nimbly up the side of the house, using window ledges and a handy trellis to make it to Relena?s second story window, which was open just enough for the figure to force it up and make his way inside. In the fading light of the day he noted the pale figure on the bed, eyes closed, bruises standing out on her arms, breathing ragged. Even so, she was so beautiful to his eyes that he was afraid to disturb her sleep and break this moment where he could look his fill at the woman he had long sought.
?Mmm.? She stirred, but as she rolled to her side her eyebrows drew together and her mouth jerked into a pained grimace. Flipping quickly, she gasped and her eyes flew open. ?Mmmmm.? This time the moan was not sleepy, but far more awake and agonized. Heero considered jumping out of the window so he wouldn?t be caught, but ruefully he had to admit he somewhat hoped this would happen.
Even though Heero did not move, the breeze from the open window caught her attention, as did the form blocking the last light of day, black and nondescript. She looked scared for a moment, but then panic faded from her features as Heero stepped closer and some of the light from the dim lamp nearby brought his face into relief.
?Oh Heero, you nearly killed me. I already almost died today once. . . .? She tried to make light of it, absently rubbing at her bruised midsection.
?Are you all right?? His voice was quick, interrupting her. He nearly kicked himself for sounding so concerned and being so hasty.
?Yes, before I fell asleep the doctor told me I?d be fine. I?m glad you came to visit.? Noting the open window once again she smiled even wider, and laughed a little. ?It?s just like old times. I can?t remember the last time you sneaked into my room. I thought you?d be too big for that old trellis by now. You broke it didn?t you?? She tried to laugh a little more, but the movement of her lungs against her ribs was enough to send her into a world of burning pain she had not felt since she was thirteen and dislocated her arm falling out of a tree ? yet another one of her adventures with Heero. He had often remarked that he would have caught her if she hadn?t insisted he climb up first.
?Don?t strain yourself.? He stepped over and sat down on the bed, ignoring the impropriety of it, so that he could examine her himself. Even if a doctor had looked at her he needed to see for himself that she was not on the brink of death. When one of the officers had related what had happened that the started the whole chase after that pirate Heero had first wanted to run to be by her side. Some residual regret ran through him for being the person who captured the pirate. From his point of view he owed that man, as irritating as he was, for saving Relena. If she had died. . . he didn?t want to think about it.
Relena blushed and tried to force her heart to beat more slowly as his hands gently examined her arms and face. It was good for both of them that he did not try to look at her ribs, as the doctor had, since as it was he was driving her to distraction and himself as well. The innocent action of simply making sure that she was healthy was supplanted by the acute awareness of his hands on her skin and Heero suddenly realized how dangerous that was and how loathe he was to let go. The calluses, from years of hard work and training, lightly scraped against one bruise and hairs on her arm stood up as a shiver ran down her arm and back to her spine. Relena closed her eyes and tried to think of something else, but her conscious thoughts simply forced themselves to focus on the feeling.
?You don?t seem to be hurt too badly. That?s good. You should be more careful in the future.?
Relena?s eyes fluttered open, and her emotions, already erratic due to his proximity, leaped from wild happiness to indignation. ?I?ll have you know I did not simply fall, I fainted, and I would not have gone off the side if Mr. Barton had not taken me so close to the cliff edge.?
?Mr. Barton?? He dropped her arm as if she had broken some sort of spell on him and he moved one palm over the other as if he were washing his hands. Relena looked into Heero?s eyes and regretted even mentioning Trowa. Her memory of what Trowa had been saying was vague, but before she passed out she had an idea of where it was going in general and that displeased her. Best to change the subject.
?It really puts things into perspective, really. I?ve never been so close to death. It makes me value the life I have all the more.? Her movements were subtle, as her body slowly edged closer to his.
?Hn.?
?And there are certain areas in my life that I feel if I don?t make some sort of move then the opportunity will slip through my grasp.? She shook with anticipation. Maybe she was delirious. What she was about to do was out of character enough to make her wonder.
?Oh?? Heero?s eyebrow arched, but she could make out little else about his expression now that it was more dark than light in her room. Her body now blocked even lamp light from cluing her in on his state of mind. . . as if she had ever been good at reading that.
?Yes, Heero, for instance I?ve waited far too long for this.? She lifted herself from the sheets with some effort, hurting in the beginning, but too determined to stop. Relena stood on her knees, looking down on Heero, and took his face in her hands. Since he made no move to stop her, she took courage and leaned down to brush her lips against his. At first he went very still, unresponsive and discouraging to her exploratory kiss, but once he mobilized himself Relena was almost frightened by his ferocity. His lips ground against hers at first bruising, but then softening. Relena?s hands fell to his shoulders and one of his wound into her hair, holding her head in position as he continued to assault her mouth with his own.
Who knows where it would have gone if Relena hadn?t snaked out her tongue to flick Heero?s lips, causing him to wrap his arms about her waist ? and hence also her badly bruised ribs. Relena pulled back with a gasp not associated with the pleasure she had just been experiencing and Heero too pulled back. He was horrified, concerned, confused, aroused, and totally unsure of what to do or say. Even if she had started it, he had been moments away from tossing away his carefully cultivated self control. That would have ruined everything. It simply was the wrong time for this. Backing off the bed, he walked around and stood above Relena as she uncurled from the position which instinct had dictated she take.
?Did I hurt you?? He sounded cold, but Relena knew he was concerned considering he hadn?t simply run off.
?No. You didn?t, not really.? She cursed her body, its betrayal, and the whole state of the world in general.
?I?ll be going then.? The window was such an inviting escape from this bewitching woman who looked at him with pleading eyes and swollen lips from her bed. Would it be so bad if he just stayed for a little. . . no, he would be strong. He would do things correctly and in their proper order. There was a plan. Even if he was ecstatic to know that Relena wanted him, now was not the time to either broach the subject or to act on the hormones which right now wanted to kill him for walking away.
Relena looked like she was about ready to cry. He could do something for her, after all, rather than to be so cruel to both of them as to simply walk away from this. ?Tomorrow I?ll speak to your brother. Good night. . . Relena.? It had taken a lot of thought to get her name out. Years of calling her Miss Peacecraft had engrained the habit onto his brain, always maintaining formality as a barrier to keep his overwhelming devotion from leaking out into the open. Considering the state of things, it would be silly to continue the ruse.
Once Heero had dropped out of sight from the window, Relena made the effort to get up and close the window. As she forced it down with a clunk she felt something heavy hit her chest once she straightened her body again. The medallion. The numb shock that she had been luxuriating in melted away and Relena was left with a lot to think about. Moonlight bounced off of the dull surface of the skull and Relena shivered at the sudden feeling of dread that passed through her body. Scolding herself, she reasoned out that things had gone as well as could have been expected. He hadn?t rejected her. On the contrary, he seemed just as intense about that intimate moment as she had wished he could be.
As she climbed back into bed she recalled the kiss in every detail and felt no shame in doing so. It had been right. This was what she had wanted for so long. He was going to talk to her brother. He had called her Relena. The day, which had started out so miserably, had suddenly climbed up the scale of her estimation to become the best day of her life, so far. She didn?t know if she would consider this the definitive best day of her life since hopefully there would be a lot more of it spent with Heero, and it could only get better after this.
There was a soft knock and Amelia opened the door tentatively, only to come all the way in when she noticed Relena sitting up and smiling quietly to herself.
?Is there anything I can get you, Miss??
?That?s quite all right Amelia, I?m feeling better than I have in ages.?
*
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*
The party was going decently well. Other than all the expected questions about Relena?s health, which was accounted to be fine since she was such a healthy young lady and she had been rescued so quickly. Noin had to say something rather sharp when the cattier girls made a remark about how very hearty and manly Relena was to survive such a harrowing ordeal. Other than that, the party proceeded with laughter and a lot of liquor.
Milliardo himself consumed quite a bit of that liquor.
Treize started him out with a fortifying drink of brandy so that when they made their speeches, he wouldn?t back down and turn yellow. It was time to propose. He had the ring, he had the speech, and if he didn?t do it tonight he might not have the girl anymore what with the looks she was giving him for his behavior today. Of course, Milliardo also had lots of toasts to his good health for his birthday that he courteously agreed to. Then there was yet another fortifying drink?and so on?and now that it was time to speak, the honorable governor looked like he was having trouble standing and focusing his eyes.
Lady Noin was not going to help him. He could do what he liked, and if that included making an ass out of himself today then she was perfectly willing to watch him do so. . . and get lots of promises from him in the meantime for various things he had been avoiding. One at the top of the list involved encouraging more commissions to officially come to Heero for army orders of swords. Noin liked Yuy, but more specifically she liked Yuy for Relena?s sake and it was one promise that would both benefit those young people and upset Milliardo when he remembered it the next day.
As Treize stood and hit an expensive crystal glass carefully with some rather elaborately designed flatware, the room went silent. The man, so used to commanding the attention of hundreds of troops, was in his element as he began his speech announcing his official promotion and return to the home soil. There were a few envious sighs, and far more regretful sighs from the ladies of the island, but the applause was heartfelt as he finished and pointedly looked at Milliardo who was pointedly looking inside his pocket.
Treize cleared his throat, twice, and Milliardo stood up quickly only to sit back down again clutching at his spinning head. He tried once more as a small giggle echoed through the deathly quiet room.
?Thank you, Treize, you?re an officer and a gentlemen and no one could do it better than you. I mean that. It?s a damn shame!? He hit the table fairly hard at the exclamation and people jumped a little in their seats at the show of aggression. ?What are we talking about?? His whisper was a little too loud, and Noin coughed politely to cover a laugh.
With more than a little humor in his standard smirk, Treize whispered something into Milliardo?s ear and placed the man?s hand in his own coat pocket. Milliardo gave a large wink and smiled blissfully.
?It?s not a day entirely for not rejoicing, however, for as I see the damn of another year of my life I can?t seem to see past the glorious sunrise that is the love of my life, the Lady Lucretia Noin. You?re beautiful you know that?? Treize looked both shocked and amused. The long, romantic, intelligent speech that Milliardo had prepared had slurred into an almost unintelligible set of sentences. He picked up her hand and patted it. ?I want you to have this.? He set the ring box into her hand and smiled as if he was proud of himself and then sat down.
As Treize was about to fill in the silence, Milliardo sprang back up. ?I almost forgot!? He got down on one knee. Some of the company stood up to see him over the table. ?Would you do me the great honor, the great happiness of marrying me??
And then he passed out face first onto her lap.
Holding him up with one hand and opening the ring box with the other, she absently regarded her erstwhile fianc?. Everyone in the room was staring at her still, waiting. She looked at the spectators crossly.
?Of course the answer is yes, stop staring and get back to your food.? With a polite smattering of laughter and a clink of plates, dessert was brought in and people began to talk about the little drama they had just witnessed.
Only Kushrenada, glancing across the water, noticed the unusual fog rolling in. They never got fog, really, in any weather and especially not on warm nights like this. Instincts in him sparked and crackled to life and he met the eyes of Trowa, who was a few seats down. He gestured outside and his prot?g? looked back with a similar feeling grazing his expression: tight lips and a drawn brow. Treize nodded towards the exit, and Trowa excused himself. A soldier didn?t ignore a gut feeling. At least a good soldier didn?t. Too often that was what kept you alive.
*
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*
Relena saw her window light up, suddenly, and that?s how she became aware that there was fog outside. She had a glass of juice and a book at her side as she simply rested in bed. Thinking about Heero for a while had been pleasant, but it wasn?t a way to pass hours and the book she was reading was just about to get good. The heroine, who thought she was going mad, was about to figure out why she thought she had been seeing ghosts in the dark mansion she had inherited.
?. . . and as Daphne turned the corner of the underground passageway, an unearthly chill froze her soul to the core. . .?
With an air of expectation she turned the page. She felt so empathetically linked that a shiver ran down her own spine. If only her own life were so exciting. Although, exciting in that safe way like the girl in the book and not like today involving nearly dying and lots of pain. A little fear and some quality time seeking comfort in the arms of a handsome brown haired, hm, on second thought she did that.
?she thought she would be stricken dead any moment by the dread that captured the breath from her throat, vapor coalescing before her in sharp bursts. . .?
Was that a scream? There was a crashing noise too. Maybe a maid had just knocking something over. Milliardo would be annoyed, but he?d get over it. Accidents happened.
?truly, the Baron could not be dead as she supposed, but as she closed in on the opening to what surly had to be a crypt a rare smell of the decaying flesh of great men of bygone times assailed her nostrils and nauseated. . .?
More crashes? And that was certainly a scream. This was bad. Her heart turned over somewhere in the vicinity of her throat. She didn?t have time to dress, but she had time to grab a weapon. Throwing the book aside, she abandoned the fake adventure for the potential real one. All at once she far preferred the one in the book. Ah, fickle emotion. Frustration eclipsed fear for a second as she realized there was nothing she could use as a decent weapon in her room. Her silver hairbrush? Not likely. It would barely make a dent.
Then a light lit in her eyes as she remembered her sewing kit stuffed in the closet in a fit of pique during the rainy season last year. You could only embroider a bird so many times before its beady little eyes started to make you think it was really looking at you. Next year she was going to try knitting, too bad she hadn?t bought those needles yet. The little sewing scissors were not much, but they were sharp and they were reusable. She would just think of it like a little dagger.
Screams from downstairs were dying away. That meant that either, optimistically, the trouble was over or, realistically, the trouble had simply won. It wasn?t that she saw the glass as half-empty so much as that she saw that it had water in it. She discarded the top robe. It was easier to run now, even if she?d create a scandal in doing so.
?Oi think we?re close.? They sounded old and male, and it certainly was bad that there were several of them. Close to what? Why were they here? Why wasn?t Heero here? Bah, Relena, Heero isn?t your bodyguard and you can take care of yourself. She wondered belatedly how bad a two story drop would be as the door to her room burst open, trapping her behind it.
?Smells like, whatsit. . . roses, eh? Fancy.? This was a different voice than the one she heard before. They walked in, whomever they were, two of them.
?Oi don?t get it, it should be roight ?ere.? She heard something crash and it sounded like the mirror had just been broken on her dresser. Shoes! She could just slap herself. She forgot to put on shoes. Oh well. Relena took a deep breath and edged around the door; she saw a back looking out the window. Another back was in her closet. She was home free!
?Stop roight there girlie.? Oh yeah. Fog + window = mirror. She was really doing badly this evening. Maybe she would be a bit more circumspect next time, but at the moment she was more concerned with running down the stairs as fast as possible. The jarring of her ribs made her grit her teeth. Why couldn?t this happen when she was healthy?! Adventure was very inconsiderate when it happened to a person.
A grimacing face appeared in front of her as she rounded a corner and she ran into its owner?s chest with a smack and fell back down with a thump. Wonderful, she would be sporting another bruise tomorrow. Now she just had to live until tomorrow and maybe she?d actually be grateful for it all.
?You?ve got something we want little missy.? The man smiled and Relena blinked twice at what she thought she saw. No.
?Whatever it is, I don?t know what it is and I don?t own anything a pirate could possibly want. I suggest you let me go and submit a formal request and I?ll see if my brother can accommodate you.? The other pirates had by now arrived at the base of the stairs and were staring in wonder at this regal young woman who, surrounded by armed pirates in her home, wearing a nightgown and no shoes, sitting on her bum in the foyer still had enough iron in her to demand they leave her alone. It was unprecedented, and they weren?t sure what they should do. They looked at one another and through their limited brains one clear thought manifested:
?Captain.?
*
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*
The call had gone up almost immediately. The troops were fighting as well as they could, but as soon as one of the special soldiers had run one of the bastards through the neck and he just stood there standing, they realized they were facing a rare breed of pirate and one which they had no training to face. This daunted the military men, but where they paused, Heero forged ahead. If he helped anyone on the way, it was incidental, because his real goal was to get to Relena. If he had to kill every last one of these monstrous pirates he would, so and he might still, if they harmed one hair on her head. The killing rage was cold in his veins and he moved like a demon, blade flashing, not even noticing that his deft strokes never drew blood against those damnable pirates.
Even as he was thinking this town could go to hell as yet another screaming old woman almost impaled herself on his sword, the sense that had always guided him unerringly to where Relena was forced his eyes to swivel at just the right moment to see a struggling form in a white nightgown being taken towards the harbor.
However, his hesitation cost him dearly as something or someone struck him on the back of the head with enough force to drop him like a weighted sack of flour.
His last thoughts were of her, and of her words on a spring day long ago. ?You?re my knight, and I?m the princess, if you don?t save me from the dragon then I?ll beat you up. I'm joking, don't give me that look Heero.?
, it was so funny but poor Noin, to be purposed to like that, never mind she will get over it, if Milliardo ever gets up again 
(Typical, like if he would do anything else) it was really emotional and just so him. It was really well done.
Slip of the keyboard. But I do! I do! I do! :razz: Just don't blame me, 'K! 