Posted: Mon Apr 15, 2002 6:18 pm
"Relena, dearest," Dorothy drawled, sarcastically, "whatever are you
looking at?"
Relena took her gaze away from the window to meet the icy blue eyes
of the Sheriff's daughter, who was dressed only in a lounging robe,
the same as Relena, and was currently sitting before a mirror,
fixing her hair. The women had retired for the afternoon to rooms
assigned to them, to nap and ready themselves for the exquisite
banquet that was to be held that evening. Instead of doing any of
those things, Relena had settled herself in a chair by the window to
go over her father's letter again but had become distracted by the
sight of Heero speaking with his father in the courtyard. She did
not why the sight of their conversation drew her, but she could not
look away, her eyes fixed on the agitated look on Heero's face. He
was uncomfortable, she could tell, remnants of memories from a
shared childhood floating back to her. They were only little signs,
things others would never notice, but the still way in which he held
himself and the set of his jaw spoke clearly to her that something
was bothering him. His father continued to speak, using precise
motions to emphasize whatever he was saying.
"Ah, the elusive Heero Yuy," Dorothy remarked, coming to stand by
Relena's shoulder, one blonde brow arched at the sight of the two
men in the courtyard. She tapped a finger against her lips which
soon lifted in a devious smile. "Hmmmmmm, I'll bet he was quite
lonely during his time in the holy lands, perhaps I should
reacquaint him with the finer joys of a English lady."
A blush rose in Relena's face as she regarded the other woman with a
shocked look, "Dorothy!"
Dorothy laughed low in her throat and sauntered back to her mirror,
twirling one pale blonde curl around her finger. "Well, I suppose if
you want him first?" she trailed off suggestively and Relena could
not stop her jaw from dropping. She managed to shut it rather
quickly and compose herself by standing and moving away from the
window.
"Whatever I was to Heero Yuy as a child no longer exists, Dorothy,"
she said, setting her father's letter on the night table. "We are
different people now."
Dorothy smirked and regarded Relena thoughtfully in the mirror's
reflection, "I'm not sure an Earl is to my taste anyway. I think I
run more towards?beautifully blonde minstrels."
Relena turned, an alarmed look on her face. "Oh no, Dorothy, you
aren't serious?" She paused, "Are you?"
The other girl shrugged. "Why not? It's not as if Father plans on
finding me a husband, and I have no intention of dying a virgin,
Relena."
Relena blinked and sank down onto the edge of one of the beds. "But,
Dorothy, if you were caught?"
"Then I won't be caught," Dorothy replied, irritated. "You should
relax a little, Relena. You're too uptight."
Stiffening, Relena turned away, stretching herself out for a short
nap. "Do what you wish, Dorothy, but if your Father catches you in
this, your life will be over. You'll never be married."
Dorothy sniffed and Relena closed her eyes, trying and failing to
wipe the image of Dorothy seducing Heero out of her mind.
* * * *
The banquet that night was a glittering event held out under the
trees surrounding Huntington Castle. Large white tents had been
erected with long wooden table underneath, topped with shining
platters of delights to sample. A small woodwind quartet played near
the gardens, their music providing a pleasant backdrop to the
laughter and dancing that made everyone forget their worries over
the Crusade. The stars shone above and lanterns lit the grounds
below, creating a warm atmosphere inductive to love and happiness.
And around it all drifted the beautiful tones of Quatre's angelic
voice.
Heero stood at the edge of the light, an untouched wine goblet in
his right hand. He swirled the glass slightly, watching the ruby red
liquid turn into a whirlpool. It was so dark?
<i>Blood so dark it was almost black drenched the sand under his feet
and the screams, the screams of the dying?</i>
He shook his head, clearing the memory as if brushing away a fly.
The memories he could block, the nightmares were another matter
entirely.
Inadvertently, his eyes sought the exquisite form of Relena Darlian,
the daughter of the man that had died in his place. She was dressed
in a gown of maroon velvet corded with white silk, with a tight
bodice that complimented her petite figure. She was currently
dancing with William de Grey, who had not left her side all evening.
Heero shifted, his battle instincts taking over as he analyzed the
Sheriff. The man was tall and broad of shoulder, with the muscle
that spoke of a strong opponent, and he had a sharp mind, there was
no question of that. Any man who could climb the social ladder as
fast as he had must have a quick mind.
Or a quicker sword.
Heero frowned, realizing what he was doing. Since when did he
analyze anyone besides an enemy? The Sheriff was not his enemy, no
one was. For him, the war was over.
Now, if only it would let him rest.
Redirecting his attention away from the dancing, his brooding gaze
settled on the musicians and the young singer with them. He was not
singing at the moment, instead, he was conversing with Dorothy de
Grey, the Sheriff's daughter, who was wearing a dress a little too
low cut to be considered decent. The minstrel seemed to notice this,
too, for his face had gone a shade of red to be envied by a rose.
His innocent blue eyes were at their widest as he looked at her,
absorbed by whatever she was feeding to him. Heero almost felt sorry
for the man.
Almost.
Even before his departure for Israel, Dorothy had been a
troublemaker, always flaunting her sexuality. To other men, this was
sometimes exciting, to him it was just annoying. He preferred women
that knew their own worth without resorting to tricks and lies to
stand up for themselves.
Without conscious thought, his eyes slid to Relena again and he
found himself setting his goblet aside and striding towards her, a
determination in his heart he had not felt for a long, long time.
She had danced with the Sheriff long enough.
* * * *
"May I cut in, my lord Sheriff? I would like to have a word with
Lady Darlian."
Relena glanced up to meet the intense gaze of Heero Yuy and suddenly
found her feet didn't quite work. She jerked to a stop in the middle
of the set and William was forced to stop with her, a slightly
irritated look on his face though his words did not reflect it.
"Of course, Sir Yuy." William bowed to Relena, "My lady."
She inclined her head and watched him leave, feeling a weight lift
from her shoulders as he joined the watchers that ringed the dancing
area. But the moment she felt Heero's arm around her waist, she
forgot all about the Sheriff and could only concentrate on the
feeling of dancing with her childhood friend.
They danced without speaking, knowing each other's moves as if they
had never been parted. She wanted to speak to him, though, to tell
him the words her father had left for him, but she knew it wasn't
the right time. The night was so perfect, it was better not to speak
of the past. Besides, her father would have wished for them to have
a good time. So she contented herself with a simple smile towards
him and was delighted when a ghost of a smile answered her.
At the end of the second dance, Relena curtsied to him,
breathless. "You are a wonderful dancer, my lord, but I feel in need
of refreshment."
Heero nodded and bowed, preparing to get them both something to
drink. He was only two steps away when a lady in the crowd screamed
and chaos erupted. Relena whirled towards the sound and was
immediately stunned by the sight of a man striding determinedly
towards the Sheriff, a foreign-looking sword in his right hand. His
face was filled with fury and grief and it emanated from him like
the angry waves of the tide during a storm. Almost before she knew
it, Heero was in front of her, in a posture she had never seen
before but recognized as a battle stance. His right hand went to his
hip, searching for a sword that no longer hung there and his eyes
blazed at the intruder with a light that almost frightened her in
its coldness. This was a Heero she had never seen before. This was
the Heero that had killed hundreds of soldiers in battle and never
let it show on his face.
And in that moment of realization, she realized there would always
be a part of him she could never touch.
"Stay close to me, Relena," he said, sternly, watching the scene
unfold before them. She nodded and positioned herself behind him,
peering over his shoulder. She was so flustered by this sudden turn
of events she didn't even realize he had used her given name.
The stranger moved towards William with a lethal grace, hatred in
his black eyes that held a certain Asian cast to them. He leveled
his sword at the Sheriff, causing a number of ladies to scream and
one to simply fall over in a dead faint.
"William of Nottingham," the man shouted, fairly shaking with
fury. "Bastard Norman pig! Prepare to die!"
And he lunged forward.
William dodged the sword blade that reached for his ribs and quickly
motioned for his underlings in the crowd to come to his aid. He,
himself, simply watched the enraged man with a calm, pitying eye.
"If you could please explain yourself, sir, I might be able to help
you. As it is, if you do not desist this behavior, I will have you
arrested."
The man spat in disgust, eyes blazing. "Explain? How I can I explain
the murder and rape of my wife by your filthy Norman hounds?" An
angry tear slipped down his face and Relena felt a great wave of
sympathy for him. A disgruntled murmur ran through the crowd at this
proclamation. The Sheriff only smiled.
"And just who do you think did this crime? My men have been with me
all day."
The man gritted his teeth and raised his sword, light flashing down
the steel.
"Your cousin, Guy of Gisbourne."
looking at?"
Relena took her gaze away from the window to meet the icy blue eyes
of the Sheriff's daughter, who was dressed only in a lounging robe,
the same as Relena, and was currently sitting before a mirror,
fixing her hair. The women had retired for the afternoon to rooms
assigned to them, to nap and ready themselves for the exquisite
banquet that was to be held that evening. Instead of doing any of
those things, Relena had settled herself in a chair by the window to
go over her father's letter again but had become distracted by the
sight of Heero speaking with his father in the courtyard. She did
not why the sight of their conversation drew her, but she could not
look away, her eyes fixed on the agitated look on Heero's face. He
was uncomfortable, she could tell, remnants of memories from a
shared childhood floating back to her. They were only little signs,
things others would never notice, but the still way in which he held
himself and the set of his jaw spoke clearly to her that something
was bothering him. His father continued to speak, using precise
motions to emphasize whatever he was saying.
"Ah, the elusive Heero Yuy," Dorothy remarked, coming to stand by
Relena's shoulder, one blonde brow arched at the sight of the two
men in the courtyard. She tapped a finger against her lips which
soon lifted in a devious smile. "Hmmmmmm, I'll bet he was quite
lonely during his time in the holy lands, perhaps I should
reacquaint him with the finer joys of a English lady."
A blush rose in Relena's face as she regarded the other woman with a
shocked look, "Dorothy!"
Dorothy laughed low in her throat and sauntered back to her mirror,
twirling one pale blonde curl around her finger. "Well, I suppose if
you want him first?" she trailed off suggestively and Relena could
not stop her jaw from dropping. She managed to shut it rather
quickly and compose herself by standing and moving away from the
window.
"Whatever I was to Heero Yuy as a child no longer exists, Dorothy,"
she said, setting her father's letter on the night table. "We are
different people now."
Dorothy smirked and regarded Relena thoughtfully in the mirror's
reflection, "I'm not sure an Earl is to my taste anyway. I think I
run more towards?beautifully blonde minstrels."
Relena turned, an alarmed look on her face. "Oh no, Dorothy, you
aren't serious?" She paused, "Are you?"
The other girl shrugged. "Why not? It's not as if Father plans on
finding me a husband, and I have no intention of dying a virgin,
Relena."
Relena blinked and sank down onto the edge of one of the beds. "But,
Dorothy, if you were caught?"
"Then I won't be caught," Dorothy replied, irritated. "You should
relax a little, Relena. You're too uptight."
Stiffening, Relena turned away, stretching herself out for a short
nap. "Do what you wish, Dorothy, but if your Father catches you in
this, your life will be over. You'll never be married."
Dorothy sniffed and Relena closed her eyes, trying and failing to
wipe the image of Dorothy seducing Heero out of her mind.
* * * *
The banquet that night was a glittering event held out under the
trees surrounding Huntington Castle. Large white tents had been
erected with long wooden table underneath, topped with shining
platters of delights to sample. A small woodwind quartet played near
the gardens, their music providing a pleasant backdrop to the
laughter and dancing that made everyone forget their worries over
the Crusade. The stars shone above and lanterns lit the grounds
below, creating a warm atmosphere inductive to love and happiness.
And around it all drifted the beautiful tones of Quatre's angelic
voice.
Heero stood at the edge of the light, an untouched wine goblet in
his right hand. He swirled the glass slightly, watching the ruby red
liquid turn into a whirlpool. It was so dark?
<i>Blood so dark it was almost black drenched the sand under his feet
and the screams, the screams of the dying?</i>
He shook his head, clearing the memory as if brushing away a fly.
The memories he could block, the nightmares were another matter
entirely.
Inadvertently, his eyes sought the exquisite form of Relena Darlian,
the daughter of the man that had died in his place. She was dressed
in a gown of maroon velvet corded with white silk, with a tight
bodice that complimented her petite figure. She was currently
dancing with William de Grey, who had not left her side all evening.
Heero shifted, his battle instincts taking over as he analyzed the
Sheriff. The man was tall and broad of shoulder, with the muscle
that spoke of a strong opponent, and he had a sharp mind, there was
no question of that. Any man who could climb the social ladder as
fast as he had must have a quick mind.
Or a quicker sword.
Heero frowned, realizing what he was doing. Since when did he
analyze anyone besides an enemy? The Sheriff was not his enemy, no
one was. For him, the war was over.
Now, if only it would let him rest.
Redirecting his attention away from the dancing, his brooding gaze
settled on the musicians and the young singer with them. He was not
singing at the moment, instead, he was conversing with Dorothy de
Grey, the Sheriff's daughter, who was wearing a dress a little too
low cut to be considered decent. The minstrel seemed to notice this,
too, for his face had gone a shade of red to be envied by a rose.
His innocent blue eyes were at their widest as he looked at her,
absorbed by whatever she was feeding to him. Heero almost felt sorry
for the man.
Almost.
Even before his departure for Israel, Dorothy had been a
troublemaker, always flaunting her sexuality. To other men, this was
sometimes exciting, to him it was just annoying. He preferred women
that knew their own worth without resorting to tricks and lies to
stand up for themselves.
Without conscious thought, his eyes slid to Relena again and he
found himself setting his goblet aside and striding towards her, a
determination in his heart he had not felt for a long, long time.
She had danced with the Sheriff long enough.
* * * *
"May I cut in, my lord Sheriff? I would like to have a word with
Lady Darlian."
Relena glanced up to meet the intense gaze of Heero Yuy and suddenly
found her feet didn't quite work. She jerked to a stop in the middle
of the set and William was forced to stop with her, a slightly
irritated look on his face though his words did not reflect it.
"Of course, Sir Yuy." William bowed to Relena, "My lady."
She inclined her head and watched him leave, feeling a weight lift
from her shoulders as he joined the watchers that ringed the dancing
area. But the moment she felt Heero's arm around her waist, she
forgot all about the Sheriff and could only concentrate on the
feeling of dancing with her childhood friend.
They danced without speaking, knowing each other's moves as if they
had never been parted. She wanted to speak to him, though, to tell
him the words her father had left for him, but she knew it wasn't
the right time. The night was so perfect, it was better not to speak
of the past. Besides, her father would have wished for them to have
a good time. So she contented herself with a simple smile towards
him and was delighted when a ghost of a smile answered her.
At the end of the second dance, Relena curtsied to him,
breathless. "You are a wonderful dancer, my lord, but I feel in need
of refreshment."
Heero nodded and bowed, preparing to get them both something to
drink. He was only two steps away when a lady in the crowd screamed
and chaos erupted. Relena whirled towards the sound and was
immediately stunned by the sight of a man striding determinedly
towards the Sheriff, a foreign-looking sword in his right hand. His
face was filled with fury and grief and it emanated from him like
the angry waves of the tide during a storm. Almost before she knew
it, Heero was in front of her, in a posture she had never seen
before but recognized as a battle stance. His right hand went to his
hip, searching for a sword that no longer hung there and his eyes
blazed at the intruder with a light that almost frightened her in
its coldness. This was a Heero she had never seen before. This was
the Heero that had killed hundreds of soldiers in battle and never
let it show on his face.
And in that moment of realization, she realized there would always
be a part of him she could never touch.
"Stay close to me, Relena," he said, sternly, watching the scene
unfold before them. She nodded and positioned herself behind him,
peering over his shoulder. She was so flustered by this sudden turn
of events she didn't even realize he had used her given name.
The stranger moved towards William with a lethal grace, hatred in
his black eyes that held a certain Asian cast to them. He leveled
his sword at the Sheriff, causing a number of ladies to scream and
one to simply fall over in a dead faint.
"William of Nottingham," the man shouted, fairly shaking with
fury. "Bastard Norman pig! Prepare to die!"
And he lunged forward.
William dodged the sword blade that reached for his ribs and quickly
motioned for his underlings in the crowd to come to his aid. He,
himself, simply watched the enraged man with a calm, pitying eye.
"If you could please explain yourself, sir, I might be able to help
you. As it is, if you do not desist this behavior, I will have you
arrested."
The man spat in disgust, eyes blazing. "Explain? How I can I explain
the murder and rape of my wife by your filthy Norman hounds?" An
angry tear slipped down his face and Relena felt a great wave of
sympathy for him. A disgruntled murmur ran through the crowd at this
proclamation. The Sheriff only smiled.
"And just who do you think did this crime? My men have been with me
all day."
The man gritted his teeth and raised his sword, light flashing down
the steel.
"Your cousin, Guy of Gisbourne."