Cloak and Dagger [chapters 4 and 5; pg-13]

[RelenaFanel]

Cloak and Dagger

Chapter 4 - Aim

When she awoke, Relena dismissed Hilde for the rest of the day, causing Heero to glare at her for his new role of servant/fetcher/chair pusher. She tried to be thoughtful of his nature and didn?t ask him to pick out a pair of shoes for her, though she did force him to drag the chair outside and show her how the thief escaped from him.

Staring up at the wall, she was surprised anyone could make it down something so sheer with an arrow stuck in their shoulder. ?So you shot him?? she asked. ?And then he just tumbled out the window??

Heero grunted.

?Assuming there isn?t a body lying somewhere in the field, I?m amazed by this thief?s ingenuity and daring. This was the second night in a row he tried to steal from the castle? That takes guts.?

Heero grunted again.

?How?s my brother taking it??

?Badly.?

Relena tried not to smile. ?I still can?t believe you missed,? she told him, maybe the only honest thing she said all morning.

?The king ordered him to be brought in alive.?

Relena?s courage faltered. She hadn?t realized how much she had begun to believe Heero might have done it for her until he practically told her otherwise; she might even have been subconsciously goading him into admitting that he knew. Her conversation was subdued as he pushed her back towards the castle entrance. They hadn?t gotten more than a few feet within the walls ? Heero had to pause in order to remove grass from one of the wheels before the whole contraption tipped over ? when a lone horse galloped through the gates. Usually, a single rider signified news of some sort, so Relena was staring with open curiosity as the man dismounted his steed, handing the reigns off the a stable boy, and then entered the castle through the great doors.

Once he noticed the two of them off to the side, he sauntered over, removing a hood much like the mysterious thief wore.

?Trowa!? Relena exclaimed. ?It isn?t safe to hide your face in town these days. I?m afraid the King is making it his personal quest to find the thief responsible for stealing his crown.?

Trowa bowed deeply. ?I would not worry overmuch, my lady. Your brother has sent for me to apprehend this crook with minimal bloodshed.? Once straightening, he inclined his head slightly to Heero.

?Really!? Relena exclaimed with delight. ?They still say that you?re the best. I?m surprised that my brother hasn?t named you a suspect.?

?Barton?s whereabouts are accountable,? Milliardo spoke, entering the Great Hall through a door leading from the kitchen. For a moment Relena hoped he wasn?t learning all about what happened in her bedroom last night from the servants. ?After it was no longer necessary for him to guard you, dear sister, I sent him on a small mission.?

?That?s so interesting!? Relena didn?t miss the way Heero?s eyes narrowed slightly, or how Milliardo?s gaze was intend on her reaction. ?I know you can?t tell me any of the particulars Mr. Barton, but I hope your task was a success.?

He gave her the incline of his head which meant so much and yet so little at the same time.

?I expected you to report to me immediately once you returned,? Milliardo injected, bringing attention back to his command. With a flick of his hand, he dismissed his displeasure. ?It doesn?t matter. I must update you on the break-in last night. Yuy managed to shoot the man in the shoulder with an arrow, but somehow allowed him to escape. We haven?t been able to find a trace. I?m counting on you to do what Yuy could not and apprehend this man who would dare steal from ME.?

Trowa acquiesced. Heero glared.

Milliardo stepped next to Relena, his hand resting heavily on her right shoulder in an act of kinship which both surprised her and made her suspicious even as the pain coursed through her arm and upper chest. It took a lot of concentration to keep her expression congenial and to mask the fact she could barely hear the words coming out of his mouth over the roar in her ears. Please, she asked the deities, don?t let him feel the bandage.

?My sister?s life is possibly in jeopardy. I want this man caught so we can all be safe again, and I expect the two of you to work together to ensure it.? Milliardo gave her shoulder a squeeze and she smiled up at him, frightened that somehow he knew. She didn?t notice that both Heero?s and Trowa?s attention was riveted to her face. Her eyes followed Milliardo as he left the room, wondering if it really was brotherly concern he was showing. He left the three of them, each with thoughtful expressions on their faces, but none of them thinking the same thing.

Relena didn?t want to be the one to interrupt the silence amid the triumvirate, but she knew that she was the only one of the three who would, and she was beginning to worry that her shoulder might be bleeding again. The last thing she needed was for blood to stain through the white linen dress she habitually wore. Then her identity really would be discovered.

?Gentlemen,? Relena said, ?I?m feeling a tad faint. Could one of you please bring me back to my rooms??

Trowa reached the handles of her chair first. He and Heero had one of their unspoken agreements, and Relena realized that though it had been five years since she had seen the original Obsidian Knights interact together, it was a good possibility that none of them had really changed that much.

?How?s Lord Quatre??

?Fine,? Trowa answered as they left the Great Hall. He ignored the complicated pulley system set up for her chair to be dragged up the stairs and leaned over her to pick her up from it.

?Other side,? Relena hissed as he bent so that her injured arm would have been pressed against his chest. Trowa observed her for one second, half his expression hidden behind his long bangs. She was quite sure there wasn?t anything there to see, even if his face was clear from obstacles. With grace, making it appear as though it had been what he attended all along, he tucked her skirt around her and picked her up from the other side.

Despite the fact that Trowa?s hand around her waist and the other one beneath her knees kept her relatively immobile, she still felt the jar of every step he took spark the nerves from her shoulder to her toes. She knew that if she wasn?t careful, the wound might twinge for the rest of her life, but she was ready for it to be healed now.

?My rooms are the third door on the left,? she told him. Trowa didn?t seem to be breathing heavily from the exertion of her weight, but she was starting to feel foolish in his arms. It was one thing to be carried by someone she had to pretend with, and quite another to be in the arms of someone who knew the truth; someone who had been with her back when her weak condition had been a reality and had pushed her back into the health she was in now. With slight embarrassment, she stared at her knees instead of his neck.

?Can you open the door?? He asked. Her hand was right there, and should have been able to open the door easier than he could with her balanced in his arms, but it was also her injured arm and she didn?t have that level of mobility.

?No,? she told him, counting herself lucky she wasn?t with Heero.

?Alright,? Trowa said, executing some complicated twist of his wrist while still holding her up with his forearm.

?Is anyone here?? Relena called out, once he swung them into the room. She felt like a young woman sneaking her lover into her room; instead, her secret was far more damning. When no one answered, Trowa allowed her to slip out of his arms until her feet touched the floor. She moved away from him, renewed in the feeling of being a newborn babe taking its first steps. Quickly, she executed a twirl that was half a dance and half of one of the complicated martial arts moves he had taught her. The gracefulness of the movement was hindered by her injured arm, causing it to be lopsided and sloppy.

?How bad??

Relena sat back in one of the chairs in her sitting room heavily, pulling aside the material of her dress so both of them could see the white bandage. It was clean, but that didn?t dispel her unease that she had somehow slipped up. ?It could be worse,? she said, turning so he could see her back. ?Has it bled through? I can?t see.?

When he didn?t respond, she took it as a sign she was fine.

?I should put fresh bandages on it,? she said, leaning over to take the slippers off her feet so none of the maids would wonder how someone who couldn?t walk could pick up dirt on the soles. ?I know he opened something up when he squeezed it. You don?t think he was testing me, do you?? She looked at him with worry.

?No,? he said quietly.

Relena could never tell if Trowa was naturally quiet, shy, or so deep in thought all the time that he didn?t bother doing something as mundane as talking. Usually she allowed the silences to stretch, something she was usually too self-conscious to do in Heero?s presence. Standing, Relena rummaged through a basket of clean bandages Hilde had left her. She was going to have to actually like her maid after this.

?I might have a problem,? she told him once she returned with fresh bandages. ?I let my guard down for a moment and my maid found me. She helped me push the arrow through and then cleaned up after me when I passed out, but I don?t know if she can be trusted.?

?Name??

?Hilde something. I don?t think I ever asked what her last name was.?

?She?s safe.?

?What do you mean, she?s safe?? Relena asked, finally untwining the padding over her shoulder with her one free arm. The final layer was stuck to her skin and the entire thing was blotched with a stain of blood leading up to almost the outer shell. She hissed when she pulled the renewed flesh knitted to the bandage away from her skin.

?She?s Maxwell?s wife.?

Relena?s eyebrows shot up, though her head was bent down so the expression wasn?t obvious. ?I didn?t really see that one coming.? She joked, soaking the relatively clean end of the bandage in a small dish of water to dab at the circular hole.

?Heero?s aim is as good as always,? Trowa said, nodding at her shoulder.

?What do you mean?? Relena questioned with a small frown, the water stinging as she applied it. As far as she could see, he was off from any major organ or kill-spot by inches.

?It didn?t hit bone, did it??

?No,? she mused. ?I hadn?t really thought about it. I guess I thought it was just my luck, and not his skill.? She knew that was foolish. These men didn?t get to be where they were without some serious talent. Finally, she was ready to apply the clean bandages. Relena looked up to ask Trowa to help her, but he was already a few paces away from her, reaching for the second piece of padding for the exit wound on her back. She knew he would never congratulate her for how she handled the situation the night before, but the fact he hadn?t walked away with disapproval meant something as well. ?Do you think he knows??

?It?s possible.?

?Comforting,? Relena quipped, cringing as he pulled the wrapping tight. ?Do you think it will heal properly?? He didn?t answer. Again, Relena chose to take that positively.

.xXx.

?I think,? Hilde said when she came downstairs that afternoon after a long nap, ?that the princess will make a decent queen.?

?I thought you hated her,? Duo said absently as he stared at a spread of paper in front of him. ?You said she was immature, bitter, and selfish.?

?Let?s just say I?ve seen reason. She and I had an illuminating conversation last night.?

?That?s not all that happened last night. The town is abuzz with the fact that Justitia was shot by one of the guards as she tried to steal something out of the vault for a second night in a row. The church has been searched twice.?

?I doubt she?ll come to you for aid now, if she hasn?t already.?

?That?s just it,? Duo explained, ?I?m worried about the future of the cause if the guards keep hanging around and our ace is out of commission.?

Hilde came up behind him, encircling his shoulders with her arms. ?I think you should finally organize an official meeting. I think events are going to start quickly and if you don?t put the ball into motion soon, they might go in a different way than you planned.?

?It?s too dangerous.?

?You aren?t usually a cautious man,? Hilde reminded him.

?True, but I still think it?s too soon. There are pieces missing that we?ll need before overthrowing the current monarchy.?

?Trowa?s back in town.?

?Wednesday night would probably work well,? Duo said with sudden excitement. ?We can hold it in the church. I?ll need to get the word out that attendance is mandatory.?

?Should I invite the Princess??

?No,? Duo said with conviction. ?It?s best she doesn?t know in case we fail.?

_________________________

Chapter 5: Poker...

The next few days found Relena abed with a fever. Her wound remained clean of infection, diligently checked by both Trowa and Hilde, though they pretended not to be concerned. Still her brain raged with a fire which would not decrease, even with a cold-compress. Hilde chided her for overtaxing herself too soon in the recovery process and Trowa silently worried about poisons. Relena sweated and moaned, throwing off her bedclothes in one moment and then struggling to drag them back on in the next. She was always conscious enough of her own actions that even when Heero was not sitting in the room watching her from the corner of his eye, Relena still didn?t let her legs move.

She suffered through cold ice baths which almost made her weep from the painful chill and she put up with the pitying whispers of servants about her ill health. She slept and barely touched her food, and all the while she was plotting her next move. It angered her that now she would have to add recovery time from the fever to the estimate of how soon she could get back to being Justitia. There were things she could do other than stealing, she knew, which wouldn?t require her to lift even a finger.

Which was good, because she could barely move the ones on her right hand.

On the forth day her fever broke and she asked for her brother to visit her. Bundled in robes, she was a fragile image sitting in bed with the plush pillows piled behind her emphasizing the sickly grey sheen to her face. Today, she didn?t need to daub charcoal beneath her eyes in order to appear unhealthy, and her hair was an unwashed tangle of greasy strands instead of the illustrious golden locks she vainly kept. When Milliardo saw her, a satisfied smile crossed his mouth, and she caught it while she was pretending to nap. It burned her into a righteous anger.

?Relena,? he said by means of waking her, ?I?m a busy man, but don?t let it be said that I don?t visit my sick family members.?

She stirred as if coming awake and grimaced at him. ?I feel like a building fell on me, so I appreciate you coming to see me so promptly. It really means something to me.? She knew it had been hours since she made the request, just like she knew that he had spent them arranging for a sudden tax increase in order to pay for a new crown out of coffers which weren?t his own. You?re an ass, she added silently as she smiled her false gratitude.

?You aren?t getting ready to say your final farewells, are you??

?My fever has broken. I?m afraid I won?t be leaving that easily.? A horrible idea surfaced as she wondered whether Trowa was right, and she had been poisoned. She assumed that Trowa had meant that Heero had dipped the tip of his arrow in something, but now she couldn?t help but be suspicious of her brother. What better way to get rid of her but to admit the rumours of her surviving the fall were true, make sure she was visible for a while, and then kill her rather publicly. Milliardo might not be the best monarch, but he was an excellent manipulator. ?I asked you to come here because I think I heard something while drifting in and out of consciousness over the past couple of days.?

?You think you heard something,? he said cautiously, standing with his back to her covered window. He was far enough away so that if she was contagious, he wouldn?t catch anything, but close enough that he could see her face.

?I was unwell,? Relena pointed out, ?and it could just have been a dream. I didn?t recognize the voices, but two of the maids were talking about a plot of treason against you. I think they thought I was asleep.?

?Who??

?I don?t know,? Relena said honestly. ?It couldn?t have been Hilde because I would recognize her voice.?

?Who is going to betray me,? Milliardo asked with barely controlled irritation.

?One of your advisors.?

Milliardo?s eyes went cold with fury and he wheeled around, heading towards the door. Suddenly, he turned back to face her. ?Why are you telling me this? How does it serve you??

?Brother,? she said, reinforcing their bond of blood, ?just because plots against you will ultimately see me in power does not mean I?m behind them. Nor does it mean I want you dead.? She didn?t. If she could end this all without bloodshed, she would gladly do so. The Sank kingdom was becoming poor under his mismanagement and her people starved. The political atmosphere was beginning to change, and she feared that if something wasn?t amended soon the neighboring countries would do more than just notice their vulnerability. There were already whispers of invasion and war.

?I don?t believe you.?

?Believe what you will,? she said with a sigh as he stalked out. She knew that he would. She had done the best she could to plant a seed of suspicion in his mind to fester and grow until he couldn?t even trust those he thought of as being the most trustworthy. Relena hoped that since she had warned him, he would be blind to her own betrayal until she was ready to usurp his crown.

It was just an idea she was trying out. It could completely work against her too, and he could become suspicious of everyone and every little thing, seeing plots against him where none existed. The fact she had come up with this new plan while under the influence of a fever probably didn?t really bode well, she realized suddenly.

?You look deep in thought,? Hilde said, entering the room with a vase of flowers. ?One of your many admirers sent these to you.?

?Are they bee infested?? Relena asked suspiciously, sitting up straighter as she watched Hilde place the vase on the night table and rearrange the contents so that the pretty pink ones were facing the bed.

?I doubt it,? Hilde said with a snort. ?My husband sent them.?

?Oh!? Relena said with surprise, and maybe a tad disappointment. ?Duo sent them. I thought you meant a different kind of admirer.?

?Unfortunately not. Your guard beats back those men with a shovel.?

?I don?t even want to know,? Relena said with a slight smile. ?Tell your husband I?m grateful he?s thinking about me in my time of ill health.?

?I think it?s more than that,? Hilde said, leaning forward to conspire under the guise of adjusting the pillows. ?I think he?s feeling guilty for not including you in the meeting tonight.?

Relena looked alarmed. ?What meeting??

?He specifically told me not to tell you. There is a gathering of supporters at the church tonight, and attendance is mandatory. Things are moving forward very quickly.?

?And I wasn?t to know about this?? Her voice was demanding, but her emotions were as confused as they were angered.

?He thought it would be too dangerous for you to know.?

?I don?t understand,? Relena fumed, ?how he expects me to be a better leader than my brother when he doesn?t even believe I can be a part of my own revolution.?

?He?s protecting you.?

?He?s being immensely short-sighted. If I just let my people risk their lives in an unneeded war against the state, I would be no better than Milliardo. Protecting me from the brutality of it all will not make me into a good queen. What he ? and everyone else involved ? should want is for me to understand the sacrifices that need to be made, and for them all to rest on my shoulders. They should not meet behind my back, but with my blessings.?

?Stop being so self-involved,? Hilde snapped. ?Don?t you realize that you?re only a figurehead? They don?t care who takes over the country, only that someone else does. I don?t know if you?ve noticed in your little bubble, but your people are being executed in the streets.?

?Do you think I don?t know that?? Relena roared. ?Do you think I don?t see these public executions for treason and witchcraft and not realize that these are probably innocent people who couldn?t pay their taxes or who spoke out against the current government? Do you think I haven?t looked at the legers and wondered why the country gets poorer on paper with each passing day? Do you think I haven?t heard whispers of an attack from the south? Do you honestly think I came back to be a THIEF??

xXx

?What news, Barton?? King Milliardo hailed from across the great hall. He was seated at his throne, a makeshift table set up before him. Around him were representatives from his three tiers of advisors ? political, religious, and military ? and the official advisor and the bishop were in a deep debate, and upon approaching, Trowa assumed it was political in matter until he saw the deck of cards set on the table. ?Sit.?

Trowa sat with a surprising amount of obedience, sliding next to a tense Heero on a bench seat.

?I have found that there is no better way to solve the political problems in this country than through a good game of poker,? Milliardo explained, dealing out five hands. ?We?re playing this hand for my sister.?

Even a casual observer could see from the way none of the members of the table reacted in surprise that this was a common bet during these games.

?Now, what news?? Milliardo asked, his deft fingers dealing out the hands with the speed of a pro.

?The thief has not been located, your majesty,? Trowa pronounced calmly, picking up his cards and staring at his hand with a detached eye. Heero?s back was a rigid line, but his hands held the cards without bending them in his fists. The only wayward thought Trowa allowed himself was at Heero?s finely honed and controlled emotions.

?Not found!? Milliardo roared, beating two cards in a slicing motion against his hand before flicking them on the table. He retrieved replacements from the deck. ?I have pet pigs who could have done a better job.?

?True,? Trowa conceded mildly, ?but they could not tell you what I have learned.? Trowa paused, watching as the king skipped at least three steps of play and presented his hand of two nines. Immediately, the Bishop folded with a look to the heavens, followed by a dismayed wail from the advisor as he flung a pair of threes on the table. The two soldiers on the bench stared at Heero?s hand of cards.

?Well,? Milliardo urged impatiently. ?It isn?t like you to withhold information for a dramatic effect, Barton.?

Trowa casually dismissed his hand of cards with a flick of his wrist, and the scattered facedown across the table. ?There is talk of a secret meeting tonight among the princess?s supporters. I have not heard where.?

?Did I win this hand??

Heero finally put his cards down, a small frown line appearing between his thick eyebrows. They were also facedown.

?Excellent,? Milliardo crowed. ?I want military presence in each tavern and meeting room across town. See to it Yuy. Then I want a guard on Relena?s room. Someone big and mean, but who would not think to harm her himself.?

Heero nodded, his push away from the table dampened by the added weight of Trowa on the bench, and stalked away with his hands fisted by his sides and back still severe and straight.

?Gentlemen,? Milliardo nodded to the two remaining men. ?If you will excuse us, Barton and I have a few matters to discuss.?

The king was never the one who removed himself from the table, so the men stood, each straightening his robes before stepping away in a move which almost mirrored the other.

?Crowley!? Milliardo said sharply to the advisor. ?I want to know who by tomorrow.? The man jumped, then scuttled away in fear. Milliardo gave a self-satisfied smile which showed more teeth than was friendly.

Once the king and his obedient subject were alone, Milliardo steepled his fingers before him, appearing deep in thought as he frowned. ?Is she involved??

?No.?

?You sound certain.?

?I am. The people are now rejecting her as their ideal monarch. I believe this meeting is to discuss whether she can meet their requirements as queen in her current condition.?

?Good,? Milliardo mused. ?You were right. It was an excellent idea to bring her back.?

Trowa nodded his acknowledgement of the compliment.

?Do you know why I win every time I wager with her life?? When Trowa didn?t try to guess, he continued, ?the Bishop believes it is a moral sin to win, and saves those instances for matters of religious importance, the advisor gets over excited by the idea of her warming his bed and misjudges the cards, and Heero loses on purpose, always going last so that if one of the other two managed to win he could trump them.?

Trowa wisely remained silent.

Milliardo judged his audience. ?I hope you?re right about her. I won?t hesitate to do what is necessary.? He stood, leaving the room through his private entrance with a swarm of servants and lesser members of the court vying to serve his every whim.

Trowa picked up Heero?s cards and stared at them. The four queens and a joker seemed to be an omen, but of what he wasn?t sure.


?RelenaFanel.Dec6.2007

[Midge-14]

More more more!

I love this so far...it's just so full of intrigue. Keep it coming!

[epyon]

keep em comin!

[The Angry Angel]

Okay so Trowa knows about Relena, Hilde knows about her, but Heero and Duo don't? And Heero's in on the Revolution? Meh, I'm lost >.< I'm enjoying it, though! Yummy dark fairy tailish stuff. ^-^ Milliardo being a sniveling weak bad king. Well!

[HiFreak]

Completely love it. Specially the explanation of why Milliardo wins and why...and of course Heero's hand is great.