Relena's Wedding...
by Iryl
Note: Yeah, I know Relena forfeited her country and crown, but here she has it, her brother's home, and everything's dandy!
~~~*~~~
Five young men stood at attention as they waited for the royal family to appear. Not one fidgeted, and the older men sitting at the side of the room in old lab coats noted this proudly. These were /their/ boys, though older than when they had first been sent to Earth. It had been three years since and the war was over, peace reigning among the kingdoms and colonies alike. At the moment, they were waiting for some important announcement.

One young man, with soulful dark blue eyes and pale blonde hair, studied his comrades out of the corner of his eye. Heero Yuy, the strong silent type, standing straight and stoic, locks of his dark brown hair falling haphazardly into dark blue eyes. Duo Maxwell, his mouth shut for once, but a tell-tale glint in his eye and the way the corners of his mouth wanted to turn up indicated his usual good-humor. Really, Quatre thought to himself, any guy with a braid like that /has/ to have a good sense of humor. Trowa Barton, usually seeming as emotionless as Heero, just looked bored, his long spiky bangs hanging to obscure one green eye. And WuFei Chang, the Chinese boy with his dark hair slicked back to a ponytail that had gotten longer recently, seemed to be thinking about something . . . possibly the job he had been offered earlier by a Miss Sally Po, who suddenly looked a lot closer to their age. Quatre thought about that a moment. Hmm...

Then there was Quatre. He and WuFei had both caught up with the other boys heightwise, though Trowa was still the tallest, but Quatre had also inherited all of his father's estate and finances when the war ended. He had offered to split it with his numerous sisters, but they had each refused, since they had jobs and Quatre was, after all, a war hero. Plus, they had been rather worried about how it might strain their relations on the colonies, since their father was still not very well liked up there.

At this point in Quatre's thoughts, the door to the inner room opened and Miliardo Peacecraft came out. This man, in his late twenties, had long pale hair lighter than Quatre's and of a texture even Duo could envy.

Palest blue fixed upon them and all attention went to the man in front of the room. Behind him stood a woman with short dark hair, spiky bangs hanging to slightly obscure one eye, her form clad in the military uniform they were used to seeing her in.

Beside her, was a slightly younger woman, the boys' own age, and Quatre glanced again out of the corner of his eye. He always wondered at the tiny change in Heero's countenance when this girl was around. He had noted it absently a while back and searched for it since, becoming more and more certain that the briefest pool of warmth did enter Heero Yuy's eyes and stature and it was not a trick of his own imagination.

Relena Peacecraft, however, did not look at anyone, but folded her arms as if to protect herself, standing still enough to alarm Quatre, her blue eyes fixed on some spot above the door to the hallway, gaze too still, too silent, too . . . he searched for a word . . . fatal, for the normally kind princess. It was then that Quatre realized Miliardo had begun to speak.

"We shall journey to Isek for a ball where the engagement of Relena and their prince, Bill, shall be publically announced." Quatre could just barely stop his mouth from hanging open. Relena was being forced to marry?! Casting a quick sideways glance to Heero, Quatre saw the other Gundam pilot stare at Relena a moment before allowing that icy shield of indifference to once more cover his eyes.

Glancing at the dumbfounded young men, Miliardo sighed. "It was arranged before she was born. The kingdom just contacted me the other day and I dug up the papers this morning. It's very legal, and completely binding." Here he cast a distressed look at the princess, who stood angrily, refusing to meet his gaze, and Quatre had the horrible feeling that there were tears in her eyes. He couldn't blame her, it must be a dreadful thing, being forced to get married. "Of course, your job is to accompany us to Isek to protect the princess . . ." he looked hesitant, "That is, of course, if you accept. You are not under our military, but you are friends of the royal family and I was hoping . . ."

"I'm busy . . ." Heero stated flatly, his gaze as unaffected as it had been when Quatre first met him, but Dr. J stood up.

"No he's not. And they will all go." Heero only slid the older man a dangerous glance, but nodded to the Peacecraft prince, relenting. The rest of them followed lead, nodding as well, and Miliardo dismissed everyone. He caught Relena's elbow as she started to pass him, murmuring his apologies. After a moment of cold fury radiating from her being, she looked at him and softened.

"I know. You cannot change it," with that, she walked out, standing tall despite her distress, royalty to the core.

Dr. J, unfazed by Heero's anger, simply said, "Heero, I would speak with you," and walked to the door, his goggles, long grey hair, and mechanical hand making him look like a science fiction movie escapee, but Heero followed him silently, and Quatre could see why. Dr. J was a man to respect, though a bit more fear adorned Quatre's respect than probably did Heero's.

Quatre just sighed and followed the rest of them out, going to his chambers to get some sleep. It would be a loooong journey tomorrow.
~~*~~
Bill?! What kind of name is /Bill/?! Heero thought vehemently, pacing through the gardens. And where does he get off coming around, waving his little before-birth-betrothal and saying Relena's /his/?! Can't a woman make up her own mind for who she marries? Can't she choose who she wants? Can't she choose - he cut off the thought before the word "me" could even enter his mind, and thought back to what Dr. J had pulled him aside for earlier. Just a few simple words that had left Heero puzzled, but interested. "Betrothals /can/ be broken."

Heero sighed, muttering, "I need some sleep," before turning to go back inside.

"Don't we all," the reply came from a dark bench nearby. Heero whirled, taken by surprise, and stared at the princess as she turned her face to him. "Sit, Heero," she gestured to the spot beside her, and her voice was soft. "Please. I need the company." He obliged, but still watched her warily.

They sat for a long moment, Heero uncomfortably, Relena looking around at the gardens at night. "It's beautiful isn't it?" she broke the silence. "So peaceful."

"Yes." He wasn't sure what else to say.

She was silent for another moment before asking, half joking, half seriously, "Could you kill him for me?" She smiled wryly. "Because that's the only way I can think of to get out of this. I talked to Miliardo. He is just as reluctant to have me marry, and he's going to try to talk to them when we go, but . . . Noin said that it would be incredibly stupid of them to just give up this chance to ally themselves with the Sanc Kingdom . . . however much I hate it," she whispered, and fresh tears sprang to her eyes, trailing down her cheeks in glittering paths. Turning to him, her eyes begged for some comfort, some consolation in this time of pain, asking him to help her if she meant anything to him at all. Heero felt his cold walls crumbling under that pain-filled blue gaze, and a bit of the sorrow he was feeling shown through his eyes, urging him to wrap his arms around her and let her sob against his chest.

Say it, you idiot, Relena thought as her tears quieted and he just held her, as tenderly as he ever had in any one of her dreams. Say you love me. Please . . . she begged quietly, and closed her eyes, clutching harder to the front of his jacket. But . . .

"You should get some sleep," he told her softly. She nodded and stood with him. He led her back to her room, keeping one arm protectively on her shoulders in the dark corridors, and Relena was sated somewhat by this small intimacy.

~~*~~

Relena brushed at wisps of her bangs as they were blown into her eyes. A burst of laughter caught her attention, and she turned to glance over at the boys in the farther back of their ride, where an annoyed Hilde had just given Duo a healthy knock upside his head. Quatre was chuckling, WuFei smiling, Trowa grinning, and even Heero was having trouble keeping a straight face. She had to admit, Duo's position face-down in the hay /did/ look pretty funny.

Noin and Miliardo were driving the truck, hay stacked in the back and all the rest of them piled about the hay in the back. Catherine was talking to Quatre and Trowa, gesturing and laughing as she reclined on the hay-piles. Sally was inspecting Wufei's new knife, a dangerous position in Relena's mind, but she told herself that the former Major would know how to handle a weapon in a moving vehicle.

Hilde was still fussing at Duo . . . something about a sexist comment he'd made . . . and the poor guy looked completely intimidated by the smaller girl. Nearby them, Dorothy was bothering a silent Heero, probing him with questions Relena couldn't hear. She felt a flash of jealousy at that, but only shook her head and relaxed after noting Heero's less than enthusiastic monosyllabic responses. Miliardo had asked the girls to come under pretense of security, but Relena was sure he was only concerned that she have some friends nearby in this time.

Propping her chin on her hands again, she gazed out at the scenery flashing by, closing her eyes at the strength of the wind whipping her face, ripping a few unwilling tears from her eyes. Tears . . . she thought, and remembered all the tears she had spent since the announcement had been made. Miliardo was going to try to talk them out of it, but he could not force them to break the contract . . . Relena had seen the fear lurking behind his comforting smile earlier.

More tears were torn from her eyes, but these came easier than the last, and she swiped at her cheeks before someone noticed. On impulse, she sat on one of the larger bales of hay by her little corner of the truck, looking far out over a lake nearby. The wind whipped harder at her hair and she felt peaceful a moment before a strong arm locked around her waist and pulled her roughly to the truck's floor. Relena looked up, startled, into annoyed deep blue eyes.

"My mission is to protect you. I'm not failing it by having you fly off the truck if Zechs has to stop quickly," Heero told her, arm still restraining her around the waist. After noting vaguely that he still referred to her brother in the name he had recently dropped, Zechs Marquese, Relena felt heat entering her cheeks and Heero let go. "Gomen," he mumbled, turning slightly pink, and settled against the hay beside her, not touching and not paying her any attention. Closing his eyes, Heero tried to sleep, and Relena thought it best to do the same, so snuggled down in her own little corner.

After a while, the others started to wonder where Heero and Relena were. Sally crawled over the hay to where she'd seen them, and then smiled at the adorable scene before her. Motioning with her hand, she beckoned the others to come see, but to remain quiet. After looking, Duo scurried to get his camera, and not far in the future, Heero would be chasing the braided Deathscythe pilot around the entire Sanc Kingdom castle, trying to get back the utterly KAWAII (not to mention embarrassing) pictures of sweet Princess Relena Peacecraft and emotionless Gundam pilot Heero Yuy cuddled together for a nap in the hay, Heero's arm draped over her waist and her head tucked into the crook of his neck.

Relena woke up groggily as she felt someone shaking her. For some reason, she was very warm . . . Opening her eyes fully, she met the blinking gaze of a just-awakening Heero Yuy. Looking down and realizing where they both were, each sat up quickly and flushed at Lucrezia Noin as she smiled down at the adorable pair.

"G-Gomen," they blushed at the same time.

It was too kawaii for words! Noin thought, and turned as Duo popped up behind her with Quatre's camera to click a picture of the awakening pair.

"Duo . . ." Heero growled, still red from embarrassment, and leapt out of the truck, chasing the Deathscythe pilot for all he was worth to get that camera. Luckily, Duo managed to stow the camera somewhere and refused to tell Heero where it was for any amount of persuasion - or pain.

Noin looked down to Relena who blushed for another moment before smiling and letting the other woman help her from the truck. Looking at the small bed-and-breakfast, Relena sent Noin and her brother a questioning glance. Miliardo explained that it was better to keep a low profile as they traveled, and checked them into two rooms, boys and girls separated. After they had unpacked their things into a lovely homey room with just enough space to fit their sleeping bags comfortably, the girls unanimously agreed to try the pool out back, the best feature of the house, and with shade trees to boot!

"CANNON BALL!" Hilde yelled, leaping into the water as she pulled herself into a ball, and splashing Sally, who wasn't fast enough to avoid the huge wave created by the smaller girl. Catherine, on the diving board, laughed at the antics below before springing into the air, doing a few complicated twists, and sliding into the water gracefully. As she surfaced, smiling, she heard clapping from Relena before a burst of applause came from the house. Glancing over, she saw the guys in bathing trunks with towels, applauding her talents. She did a mock bow in the water, then turned to Noin to challenge her to a race as the men situated themselves, to find the older woman looking as if she would like to glomp Mr. Peacecraft. Glancing over her shoulder, Catherine noted that he /did/ look very glompable, but what was the deal? So did the rest of them - ooooohhh. She got it. That was why Noin had ridden up front with him . . . Catherine smiled, having figured this little mystery out, and waved a hand in front of the other woman's face, knocking the dazed look off and challenged her to that race. Sally swam up and asked if she could join, so Catherine cheerfully included her as well.

Relena and Hilde were getting a drink at the table nearby, both wet from being in the pool, when Relena got the great idea. She nudged the smaller girl and took her aside, grinning as she looked at Dorothy, stretched out on a lawn chair for the fullest effects of the cool breeze and soft afternoon light, not to mention completely oblivious to the two girls conspiring against her. Duo, however, did notice, and nudged Heero to watch, who actually seemed amused by the curious pair sneaking up behind their inattentive friend.

After a moment, everyone's attention turned to the high shriek, and they turned to catch sight of the devilish pair of Relena Peacecraft and Hilde Schibecker, Relena with Dorothy's arms, Hilde with the blonde girl's legs, carrying her to the side of the pool before swinging; they counted:

One..

Two...

THREE!

And in went a screaming Dorothy with a very large splash. Most of the people in and about the pool laughed, watching as Dorothy attempted to climb out and pummel the laughing princess and mechanic, who hurried away from her wrath. Dorothy followed Hilde, who hopped back into the water to avoid her friend, and then turned to Relena, who dashed around to the other side before slipping on the wet cement and being saved from suffering a broken nose and several cuts and scrapes by strong arms catching her about the waist and holding her off the ground. Relena scrambled up and murmured blushing apologies to an indifferent Heero, who sat back down with his drink, sighing.

"Re-le-na," the angry snarl came from just behind the princess, and Relena turned to face a burning Dorothy.

"Eh-heh-heh-heh," Relena laughed nervously, trying to think of a way to avoid the other girl's anger. But for all her many speeches of peace, she could not think of a single thing that would work for this particular predicament.

"Now, hold on," Relena was overjoyed to see her brother stepping in front of the furious blonde. "It was only a joke, so calm down."

"SHE. GOT. ME. WET!" Dorothy punctuated each word with a stamp of her foot.

Relena stepped forward and smiled regretfully, her speaking abilities coming back. "I'm sorry Dorothy. I just thought that you could use a little fun." She smiled brighter, more friendly than penitent. "Come on, have some fun! Lets swim before we have to go. I may not see you again for a while . . ." She looked down and fought the tears that tried to come, then smiled at her friend again, taking her hands. "Please?" Dorothy wavered a moment before smiling back at the smaller princess.

"All right, since I'm already wet." They walked arm in arm over to climb into the pool.

Miliardo only shook his head and smiled, speaking to Heero and Duo. "She could talk a cat and dog into getting along." Glancing at Duo's grin and Heero's smirk, he added to the Wing pilot softly, "And thank you. For catching her." Heero glanced down soberly, and nodded.

~~*~~

He's never going to come to you, a cold little voice repeated in Relena's mind. He will never love you, he will never stay with you. He doesn't CARE.

She looked absently into the water in front of her, swaying as the wind picked up her hair and tore gently at her thin nightgown. Her bare feet were soaking up the cement's cold, but she did not notice, only stared into the water that winked the moon's reflection back at her, inky black underneath the wavering image.

He never will.

A single tear slid, unnoticed, down the princess's smooth cheek and she stepped forward, still in that half-dreaming haze, and felt the welcoming cool waters envelope her, leading her to pleasant oblivion . . .

Heero was working on his laptop when he heard the faint splash. He told Duo to check it, and the Deathscythe pilot glanced out of their window, which faced the pool, then made a choking sound. "Oh God," he exclaimed, and took off full speed out of the room. Heero was immediately to the window and stared at the pale form floating limply in the water. He stood a moment in horror before flinging the window wide and leaping down to the concrete below. Heero blinked as the impact jarred his legs, but ignored it and ran to the pool side, diving in and swimming to the blonde girl floating there. He wrapped an arm around her and turned her over, noting that she was not breathing as he dragged her to the pool side where Duo was waiting to lift her up.

Heero swept her mouth with one finger to make sure there was nothing inside, then proceeded in mouth-to-mouth-resuscitation. Duo and the others who had followed downstairs watched anxiously, waiting and hoping for the princess to revive. After a few hideous moments, she started to cough up water and heave fresh air into her lungs. When she had retched all the water up, everyone stood silently to watch her, as she lay on her side, staring dully to the cement, blue eyes wide and blank.

"Wh-what happened?" Hilde asked breathlessly as Relena lay back, staring into the bright moon above. But the princess did not answer, only gazed with wide solemn eyes before closing them slowly.

The tears came haltingly at first, small rivers in the dampness on her face, then faster until she was gasping, her body wracked with sobs, and Miliardo dispersed the others, holding the fragile girl in strong, warm arms as she let her broken heart soak into his shirt.

Heero was the last to leave, Miliardo catching his eye in thanks, but Heero tore his gaze from the older man's and walked slowly into the house, wondering vaguely why he felt such a pull in his chest at her cries.

"What happened?" Miliardo asked gently as he stroked his sister's hair. The soothing motion calmed her enough that she could speak, but it was not for a minute before she did so.

"I jumped," she told him softly, then looked back at him with defiantly wet eyes when he jerked away to stare at her. She turned away, fresh tears burning her eyes. "You wouldn't understand."

"You love him," a soft voice said as Noin closed the door behind herself with a click. In response to Miliardo's questioning gaze, she explained, "I calmed down the owner and his wife, and saw both of you still out here."

"Heero?" Miliardo asked about her first words, glancing up to see the Wing pilot behind the now-shut window, closing the curtains to their room with an odd expression. Relena only buried her face in his shirt again and answered him with more tears.

"And the marriage," Noin added, kneeling to stroke Relena's hair. "He isn't acting as if he cares and it's all a bit - much."

"Yes," the princess whispered.

"But you were still irresponsible in pulling such a stupid stunt!"

"Yes." She stood slowly, an oddly still feeling coursing through her, when her breath became short and she started gasping, then a horrible pain wrenched her stomach and she screamed out, doubling over before slipping past her brother and racing to the side of the house, on into the wooded area beyond, running and racing herself, her shortness of breath releasing into explosions of movement, rocks and sticks stabbing at the vulnerable flesh of her feet, catching at her thin wet nightgown and ripping the fabric.

Finally she slowed and stopped, breathing heavily, uncertain as to where she was or how exactly she had gotten there. For a moment, she could not remember what had happened at the pool, though she knew it was something important.

Relena beat her fists against the soft grass on the ground, then looked up to see that she was underneath a giant oak tree. Standing, she walked over to the tree almost reverently and put one hand against it, studying the contrast of her smooth, marble-white skin against the rough bark. Leaning against the thick trunk, she breathed in the scent of oak, and turned with her eyes closed to lean back, pressing herself to the roughness.

She was disheveled and damp, the nightgown's skirt hem in tatters, her feet cut and bleeding, body pressed against the tree's trunk. An intense blue gaze cut through the night, studying the slender figure outlined by the tree's darkness. He watched as her eyes opened and she regarded him solemnly.

"What's happening to me?" she asked him softly, eyes wide and far too serious for a girl so young.

"You're getting married," Heero told her plainly, but was surprised when she shook her head.

"No, it's not that," she replied. "There's something wrong." The graceful girl stepped away from the tree. "I . . . didn't jump on my own. It was as if something was making me." She shook her head again and looked up at him, eyes so bright they were almost feverish. "Do I sound crazy?"

"You look crazy," he replied unfeelingly and stepped toward her. "Come on, let's go."

Relena gasped as she was seized by another spasm, and cried out as she was thrown against the oak tree, a dark green light glowing around her for a moment before it died and she fell to the ground.

She blinked and opened her eyes painfully to look into Heero's worried gaze. It took her a moment to realize he was holding her.

"Relena?" he whispered. "What was that? What happened?" She looked up into eyes cast over with confusion, looking more like a little boy than the confident, competent soldier he was.

She sat up, wincing. "It was the same feeling I had before I jumped. The same before I ran out here." Relena looked up, into his eyes, searching for an answer. "What's going on?"

"I don't know," he stood, taking her with him, and cast one hunting look around before starting back. But after only a few steps, Relena cried out in pain and jerked from him, falling back and glowing green again. She clenched her teeth as the light brightened, then looked up to find Heero right in front of her, eyes boring straight into her own, offering strength and comfort.

When the pain stopped, she breathed heavily and let Heero support her weight.

"You're exhausted," he murmured to the top of her head. With that, he picked her limp form up to carry her back, but stopped as a green light shimmered and coalesced on the path in front of them. Inside the light was a woman with dark hair and eyes, pointing angrily at Relena with one long finger. Heero glared and shifted the princess so that he was partially in between her and the woman. "What do you want?" The woman only smiled faintly, and he felt Relena shift in his arms to cling closer to him.

"She must die," a faint voice came from the glowing woman, and Relena jerked, burying her head in his shoulder for the agony coursing through her body.

"Relena!" Heero exclaimed, turning so that he was in between the woman and her, and after a moment, the glowing stopped. He turned to send a savage look behind himself, but all he saw was an empty path. "Relena," he spoke gently, caressing the soft skin of her jaw-line, trying to get her to wake up. "Relena." Sensitive fingers massaged the muscles in her neck and at her temples, then traced the outline of her cheeks, eyebrows, and lips. "Relena," he breathed, and kissed her cheeks lightly, moving to her forehead as she moaned and her eyelids fluttered.

"Heero," she whispered, and he kissed her cheek again, warmth stirring in his chest. Relena's slender fingers came up to tangle in his thick hair and brought his mouth down on hers, and he kissed her mouth greedily, pulling her tight to him. "I love you," she gasped out breathlessly as he nipped at her neck, "I love you, Heero." She closed her eyes blissfully as he captured her mouth again with his own, lips demanding, tongue parting hers, sliding into her mouth . . .

"OH, sorry!" a loud voice interrupted, and the pair moved apart, flushing deeply. Heero stood and dusted himself off, taking the time to collect himself before glaring at an embarrassed Quatre and Trowa, and a sheepish Duo. Relena only had the strength to prop herself up on her elbows and look at the other boys in mildly tolerant reproof.

"Ano . . ." Quatre rubbed his head and stopped, blushing profusely.

Duo shook his head. "You're just lucky we convinced Zechs to just let us come out here. If /he/ had found you making out with his sister . . ."

"Duo," Heero closed his eyes tensely and spoke in a warning tone that promised days of pain if he didn't lay off this subject.

"I'm just saying," he turned and ambled off back down the path.

Quatre looked as if he would like to follow. "We should leave you alone," he shared a look with Trowa and they simultaneously turned, but Heero stopped them.

"No, stay. There was a woman here who attacked Relena." Trowa raised one eyebrow, clearly thinking that if there had been an attack, they might certainly have found a safer place to get . . . friendly. Heero only responded by lifting the princess gently and following Trowa and Quatre back.

Relena snuggled into his arms and closed her eyes, listening to the beating of his heart, and Heero had to repress the smile that wanted to come at her trust and innocence. But as he handed her over to Miliardo to put to bed, his mission for this trip came back to him with a jolt.

He was here to protect her - so that she could marry somebody else.

He would lose her, that sweet, trusting, supple young thing who was so fragile and so strong at the same time. How could he stand that? And yet . . . he had to.

He would.

~~*~~
Prince Bill liked her. Heero could tell from the first moment; the goofy-looking idiot was pleased with her beauty and his mother was firm in her insistence they be married. There was nothing Miliardo could do to change the woman's mind, and Heero was going insane. Whenever she was near, he had to keep his distance emotionally, or he would fall prey to his passions like the week before. He thanked God they had been interrupted, and it had gone no further. And to think that he had ignored a present threat so thoroughly! Heero had been wholly ashamed of himself as a soldier, but was still relieved when the other pilots remained discreet about the incident and did not mention it when he and Relena recounted about the glowing woman.

"Relena dear!" Bill trotted up in his royal finery - which looked completely stupid on such a gawky frame, Heero noted with mild satisfaction - and bowed to the princess. "My dear, what do you think? The red hat or the blue?" He held up two equally ridiculous feathered things and Heero had to keep from snorting in derisiveness. Relena just studied both hats and pointed to the blue.

"I like that one better for your outfit."

Bill beamed and Heero held his urge to punch him. "Wonderful! That's exactly what I had thought! Thank you." He leaned forward and kissed her cooly on the cheek before settling the blue hat onto his head. Fortunately, the hat hid Heero from his view, or he would have seen the Wing pilot's eyes narrow and one fist clench in fury. Heero's thoughts took on the endless cycle of possessive anger that seemed to conquer his rationality of late, and he managed to smooth out his expression to the regular indifference as Bill turned to sweep a cocky glance over the Gundam pilot.

"Not very talkative, is he?" the prince observed, finishing with his hat, and gave Heero a critical look, then glanced in amusement at the politely listening Relena. "But I can tell why you chose him as a bodyguard. Good looking guy." Bill flicked some lint off of Heero's suit and turned to Relena to share some laughter, though the princess only gave a wan smile. "Well!" Bill exclaimed. "Shall we go, my dear?" She placed her hand in his gracefully as he turned to lead her out, Heero following a few paces behind, catching the glance she sent back to him as Bill led her out of the room.
~~*~~
"Come on, Relena," Bill was saying. "We're going to be married anyway." He pressed close to her, nuzzling her neck wetly, and she could smell all the champagne on his breath. She'd thought he was going to drown in the stuff at the party that night. He'd seemed depressed, and kept downing glass after glass.

"You're drunk," she pushed him away firmly. "Besides, I'm not that kind of girl."

He laughed, snorting into her neck, and pushed her clumsily to sit down on a chair, flopping on top of her. "Really? The way you looked at that bodyguard all night, I thought you'd be willing to jump the first guy that touched you." He kissed her jaw sloppily as Relena felt her indignation rising sharply and she kicked him off.

"Go to your room, Bill," she ordered wearily, but he just rubbed his head and looked back up at her. Relena got angry. "GO!" she yelled, pointing, and he looked her over. She was standing angrily in a silken pale yellow gown, her arms and throat bare, the dress fitting to her slender waist, then floating out over her legs and down to the floor. She had to admit, she looked pretty darn good compared to the awkward thinness of when she had first met the Gundam Pilots. Her figure had filled out considerably, and her height had increased, along with grace and power over her own body.

"You are so pretty," he moved toward her again, and she slapped his hands away as he reached for her.

"Bill," she warned, becoming frightened. He pushed her roughly into the chair again, kissing her face with his hot breath heavy around her. She tried to get him off, but he stopped and turned his head when the door opened.

"G'way," he slurred to Heero who stood in the doorway. Only Relena, who knew him rather well and was not /drunk/, could see the veiled cold fury in the Gundam Pilot's eyes.

"Is there something wrong?" Heero asked in a voice that spoke of danger for the prince.

"Yes," Relena shoved the distracted prince off of her, moving safely to Heero's side. "He's drunk," she sighed, and looked at the prince who had passed out on her floor. She looked at the young man beside her. "Help me move him?" Her eyes met Prussian blue for a moment, but a world of things were communicated back and forth in that instant. Relena tore her gaze from Heero's and he nodded, agreeing to help. Then Heero took the prince under the arms, and Relena grabbed his feet, and together they carried the unconscious boy to his rooms, which, thankfully, were only a few doors down.

That done, Relena sighed and led Heero back to her room. She sat on the bed, cross-legged, as Heero shut the door behind him and took a chair.

"I'm worried about you, Relena," he started. "We haven't had any trouble from the Green Power lately, and it's concerning me."

"Hn . . ." she murmured sleepily. "Sure you aren't just jealous?" Heero gave her a Look and she smiled, "Well . . ."

"I don't like him," he admitted reluctantly. "He's not right for you." Heero seemed to be furiously contemplating the rose pattern of the carpet. "You're too sweet for a jerk like that to appreciate."

Relena blinked at him. He had never given her a personal compliment like that . . . at least, nothing that held such meaning behind it. Sure he had protected her before, but because of her ideals. This . . . was new. "Do you want to dance?" she asked suddenly. "I couldn't ask you at the party because of . . . obvious reasons."

Heero looked a little surprised, but relented when she pulled him to his feet and opened a lovely little music box that decorated the room. It let out a soft melody, and Relena wrapped her arms around Heero's neck as he placed his hands on her waist. As they swayed, the princess found her eyelids getting heavy and she lay her head onto his shoulder pleasantly. She was enjoying his closeness and the cologne he had put on tonight. It made her wonder why he was wearing some, when she had never noticed any before, and her thoughts drifted off . . .

After a few minutes, Relena felt a definite tightening of Heero's arms around her, and his head bent to place gentle kisses on her arched throat. She drew in a soothing breath and tilted her face lightly to his. "Heero," she murmured as his lips descended on her own.

For a few glorious moments, there was nothing but the two of them, and they didn't even notice when the music box ran down. "Relena," Heero pulled away, realizing what he was doing, and she let him go, bending her head in shame.

"I'm sorry. I shouldn't have . . ." she stopped and looked up at him, tears shining in her eyes, as he placed a finger on her lips, shushing her.

"It's my fault too," he said softly, "I just . . ." he looked down, almost embarrassed, and Relena wondered if it was her imagination or a real blush staining his cheeks, "I don't like the thought of you marrying him . . . marrying anyone . . . but . . . well . . ." his courage seemed to fail him and he stepped away so quickly, Relena had to catch herself. "Gomen," he said quickly as he left, not looking at her. "Gomen nasai."

After he had gone, Noin entered Relena's room. The princess wiped the tears from her eyes before turning to the older woman.

"Yeah?"

Noin sat down beside Relena on the bed and hugged her, stroking her hair as the princess wept onto her blouse. The tears were slow at first, but once she started it was really quite easy to sob into the older woman's shoulder. "Relena . . . maybe I should have Heero leave."

"What?!" Relena sat up abruptly, her eyes red and swollen, and now panicked.

Noin shook her head, sad. "If the Queen hears anything like that you are cheating on her son with one of the bodyguards, she may want to harm either you or him. It may be . . . best . . . honey. For both of you."

"But Noin, we didn't do anything!" she protested, but the woman shook her head.

"I know. But I'm still going to talk to him about it. I just wanted you to know."

Relena stared at the woman, feeling betrayed, her face deathly pale and frighteningly calm. "Fine," she whispered, a terrible pain in her heart. "Do what you must."

It was a long time until Relena fell asleep that night.
~~*~~
Relena woke up earlier than usual the next morning, despite the restless night she'd had. With the morning came a chill of foreboding, and she padded in her bunny slippers to the room where the Gundam pilots were staying, and peered in quietly to catch sight of most of them still sleeping. Only Heero and Quatre were up, working intently on Heero's laptop. Happy that Noin had not gotten to him yet, she shut the door before they had time to catch her, and padded back to her door, but paused before entering. She wanted to talk to someone, but who would she talk to? Maybe Hilde, or Sally? . . . no, neither of them. She entered, sighing, and jumped when a soft knock sounded on her door. Opening it, she smiled and let Quatre in.

"I heard you up," he told her, and sat on the edge of the offensive chair from last night. "Thought you might want to talk."

Relena stared down at her hands in a futile effort to understand a universe that could be so cruel. "Why can't I just refuse?" she asked no one in particular.

Quatre answered. "Because you have too much honor. Your honesty won't let you, even though they are being dreadfully wrong to you."

"If I appeal to them today?" she looked up at him hopefully. "I haven't tried speaking for myself yet. Do you think it would work?"

"It's worth a shot," he shrugged, smiling at her, and she couldn't help the sweet, infectious grin that spread to her face.

"Thank you, Quatre," she bent and hugged him tenderly, silently thanking him for everything. For being there for her, for making her feel better, for just being /him/. If she wasn't already in love with Heero, she might have given him a chance. At the moment, as she sat back, she had the urge to find a girl for him - but couldn't think of anyone. Dorothy was single . . . Relena made a face. No, for all she managed to stand Dorothy, she wouldn't subject Quatre to that . . . Ah, well. She'd just keep her eyes pealed for someone nice. Maybe Trowa's sister . . .

Her thoughts were jarred by the sound of her door slamming open and a very disgruntled Prince Bill standing there. He seemed rumpled and had not changed from the clothes he had worn to the party last night. From the wild light in his eyes as he barely focused on Quatre, Relena guessed that he'd been drinking again this morning.

"What the *beep* is he doing in here?" she noted that Bill was fairly articulate, and just drunk enough to get really ticked off about any minor thing.

"I'll leave if you want," Quatre looked uncertain, standing. Relena stopped him, putting a hand on his arm.

"No, he's just drunk." She asked him to stay in a low voice, and the Sandrock pilot nodded. Quatre could tell she was scared.

"I come in, and find you alone with a bodyguard?!" Bill grumbled, furious. "And not even the same one from last night . . . what, they all your personal harem?" he taunted, swaying and stumbling a little to the right in his anger. "You can sleep with five different guys, but not with me?" He called her a very nasty word, and came toward her steadily enough that she was frightened.

But then Relena found Quatre moving in front of her, and when Bill reached out to hit him, Quatre ducked and landed a hard punch in the other man's stomach, making the air whoosh out of him as he fell back onto the floor. "I'm here to protect the princess, but if you're going to make yourself a threat, I'll just have to protect her from /you/," he told the airless prince before he could get up and attack again. "Come on, Relena, lets go help Heero look for loopholes in your marriage contract." His simple statement of what the other pilot was doing took her by surprise, but she let Quatre take her hand to lead her out of the room and into theirs, where Duo had just woken up.

"Quatre," Heero said without turning around as they entered. "Go look for this book in the palace library." He handed a scrap of paper to Duo who gave it to Quatre with a bright "GOOD morning Princess!" to Relena. She smiled back as Heero whipped around in surprise, and replied a good morning to the Deathscythe pilot, ducking as Wufei sleepily threw a pillow at the offending braided boy who had woken him up with his greeting. The Chinese pilot then rolled over and went back to sleep, muttering something about having fifteen minutes left. Trowa, wakened by all the activity going on over his head, simply sat up with a resigned sigh.

"I'll lock the door on my way out," Quatre told them. "The residing prince was drunk this morning, and may be in a violent mood."

"Again?" Heero muttered as the door clicked behind Quatre, and Relena nodded.

"Lucky Quatre was in there. Bill was pretty mad." She let out an unladylike snort in memory. "Quatre knocked the wind out of him."

"'Bill' now," commented Heero cooly, but Relena could sense the vague stirrings of jealousy in his voice. She became irrationally annoyed at that, and wished for a moment that the other pilots weren't there so that she could speak to him, but she knew she would not say her mind even if they were alone, so she simply contented herself with playing it out in her head.

'Heero, you're being an idiot,' her mind-voice ranted at him. 'You know I don't even like that stupid, overstuffed prince. I love /you/, not him. How could you even think I'm at all fond of him?' And then, of course, Heero would agree and kiss her, and everything would be perfect . . . Relena shook her head regretfully, coming out of her reverie. No, nothing would ever be perfect again. And it was all that stupid prince's fault . . .
~~*~~
Heero had tossed all the previous night, remembering those impassioned moments in the forest when she had so sweetly called out that she loved him. Then his mind would turn to the vision of that bastard drunk of a prince on top of his beautiful Relena in the chair, slopping kisses all over her, and Heero's fist would clench in helpless fury as he would contemplate how exactly to go and kill that guy.

But before he could go any further in his bloody imaginings today, Quatre reentered with the book Heero had sent him after. Glancing over at where Relena was playing chess with Trowa, he opened the volume and began to pour over it with Quatre helping and Duo looking over their shoulders.

"Here," he finally slammed his palm onto the page triumphantly, making the girl across the room jump in surprise. "Got it." Slapping a paper in to mark the place, slamming the book closed, and running a finger down the marriage contract he had memorized by now, Heero smiled to himself.

There was a God, and He loved Heero at this moment. Smiling despite himself and astonishing those around him, the Wing pilot strode purposefully out of the room.
~~*~~
"Bill," Heero curtly addressed the hungover prince who was in the middle of a meeting with the Queen. There was another girl there, one who surveyed Heero with the coldest of stares. A young woman, really. Dark of hair and eye . . . familiar . . . though now she wore a courtier's gown and before she had been clad simply in a nightdress and the emerald light of her own magic. The prince rose defiantly, a sneer on his boyish face, and the young woman stood proudly - possessively - behind him. Heero only shot her a brief glare and tossed the book in front of Bill and the Queen, opening it to the correct page and telling them to read the second paragraph. The Queen looked nervous, but Bill and the young woman with him only looked at each other happily. "If I beat you in a duel," Heero told them all, more or less repeating what the paragraph meant, "I get Relena."

"Yes, well," Bill said happily, "you don't have to do that. The love of my life has returned to me and I was wondering how to get out of this gracefully. Why don't we just call it all off, hm?" Heero blinked a moment, surprised at this unexpected turn, when the Queen stood up furiously.

"I FORBID it!" she yelled at her startled son. "You will fight him, and you will win the alliance to the Sanc Kingdom, /so help me God/!"

". . ." was all Heero could even think of at this moment. Was this woman really in the mood to have her son humiliated?

Bill looked at the dark girl sadly. "Miuka, I'm sorry," he told her softly as tears of anger and pain formed in her eyes.

"Do you really think you'll beat me?" Heero finally asked. They all looked at him dumbly, as if /he/ was the stupid one here.

"Prince Bill has won every sword tournament in the land!" his offended mother replied.

"There is no doubt YOU will lose, Mr. Yuy," the dark girl added, and Heero couldn't help staring at them.

"I'm a Gundam Pilot," he spoke slowly, as if to children, but they only looked even more confused at this. "I fought in the wars! I blew up stuff, saved Earth a million times," he ranted, "piloted the most advanced suits ever built, assassinated, bombed, sabotaged, set my own broken-damn-leg for God's sake!" he yelled, and became even more frustrated when little question marks began to float around the royalty that was beginning to look to him a lot like cows caught in the headlights of a truck. "Oh, let's just FIGHT!" he spat finally, letting Bill lead him to the fencing area where he expertly picked a good foil and set up for the match that servants were quickly spreading word of in the castle. Bill insisted they not start until everyone important was there, and after two or so minutes of mind-numbing waiting, the match was called to start. Heero took Bill down with a quick efficiency that left the boy blinking, and gave a great relief to the ex-soldier.

"The match is over so quickly," Milliardo commented, and the Queen gaped as the dark girl ran and hugged an intensely puzzled Bill around the neck.

"Not worth the time it took me to run down here," Wufei commented, and Duo nodded his agreement as they filed out.

"Then the betrothal is canceled," Heero fixed his unwavering gaze on the astounded Queen, who floundered a moment.

"It is transferred, as the book said it should be, yes," she managed weakly.

"Transferred?" Relena came up to them, Quatre, Milliardo, and the girls behind her. "What does that mean?" She asked of the Queen, but was looking at Heero, who answered her cooly as he took off the hastily put on fencing gloves and handed his foil to a servant.

"If a contender for the hand of the betrothed defeats the object's betrothed, he or she has the conditions passed on to him or her." At many blank stares, he looked at Relena and clarified. "You were betrothed to Bill. I beat him, so now you are betrothed to me."

"And you can let her out of the contract!" Milliardo clapped Heero on the back, pleased. "Very good, Heero Yuy, very good."

"Of course," Relena noticed the cute blush staining Heero's cheeks as he spoke. "I shall if she wishes freedom," he stated simply, then walked away.

"What does that mean?" Milliardo rubbed his chin, looking after the young man walking away, seeming very tired and lonely all of a sudden.

Relena did not bother to reply, but went after Heero, trotting up and walking beside him in the hall, letting him lead her into the gardens.

"If you want me to release you, I will," he told her when they were alone. Relena turned to him, searching his eyes with hers, probing deeply into his soul as he opened himself to her, letting her in as he had no one else.

"Whether you release me or not doesn't matter. I still want to marry you," she replied simply, still staring into his eyes so that she saw the flash of pleasurepain that swept across them.

"I'm not always the best company," he warned her softly.

"I'm used to it," she replied smartly.

"I'm grumpy in the mornings."

"And you don't want to associate with me until I've had my coffee," she smiled up at him.

He cocked an eyebrow, "I still have a tendency to carry around my gun."

"The safer to be, my dear," she mimicked the old wolf-line to Red Riding Hood.

"I don't show my emotions well."

"At least the ones you have are true, and you don't try to manipulate me like politicians do."

"I will love you forever," he murmured as a last plea, and she only replied by urging his lips onto hers, an embrace that thoroughly shocked her brother who was out looking for them.
~~*~~
"I'm very sorry I hurt you now." Relena turned to greet the sight of a dark girl somewhere around her own age with a pleasant pensive expression. "I was just jealous of Bill having to marry you and not me."

Relena finally recognized the girl and forgave her, inviting her for tea. "It's really okay, I suppose. It did help Heero's feelings for me to come out." She smiled at the other girl who sipped her tea and beamed.

"Thank you! I was so scared you'd be mad! I'm happy this all turned out well. When is your wedding?"

"In a month," Relena replied, almost swooning at the combined urgency of planning the wedding and the idea that she would soon be Mrs. Heero Yuy.

"Wonderful!" the girl clapped. "Be sure to invite us!"

"I will," Relena smiled at her charm. She really was nice when not trying to kill her.
~~*~~
"What'd you think?" Relena asked Heero as they rode an airplane on their way to colony L3 for a honeymoon at a Spa Resort.

"It went nice," Heero shrugged, his arm lazily around his new bride's waist where she leaned against him as he read.

Relena scowled. "No it didn't. Noin almost lost her shoes, we just got the seams let out for Hilde's bridesmaid dress in time for the wedding - I can't wait till the baby's born, it'll be so cute!"

"How'd Duo take it?" he interrupted.

Relena shrugged. "Like any man. He laughed, he cried, he pouted that she didn't tell him sooner. Anyway, the ring-bearer didn't want to go up there - his grandmother had to /threaten/ him - and I lost one of the roses for my hair until Dorothy was found sitting on it and we had to make do with violets."

"I think you looked very nice," he looked down on her and she smiled, kissing him upside-down.

"Thank you, but that's not the point. It was very stressful!"

"At least we're married," he shrugged again, and she hugged his arm as he muttered, "And I still say we should have eloped."

She laughed. "True. Very true." Smiling, she was drawn into a kiss that would kill any old hearts that happened to be passing by at the moment. Luckily there were none, and Relena thought to herself as she was released breathlessly that this would be a /very/ good honeymoon.

Luckily again, she would be right.
~~*~~
AN: If you would like to read some more of my fanfiction, I host everything I write here: http://www.geocities.com/rainfall61/mystories.html