Disclaimer: Trinity Blood and its characters DO NOT belong to me. Strictly speaking, I am not sure whether my characters can even be considered canon. Beware of OOC-ness.

I am reluctant to post this one up, as it would mean the end of this fic. Still, all good things must end. It is high time to get Hugue and company out of their dresses and put them out of their misery, no?

Adieu to Her Majesty

The airship was already waiting at the airfield when the tired horses trotted through the gates. "Ah, thank you," Hugue thanked Petros with an uncharacteristic eagerness as he almost leapt from the carriage and bounded up the steps and into the cool interior of the airship. The ladies-in-waiting followed suit. All semblance of regal décor was discarded. His duties discharged, though somewhat abruptly, Petros ordered his men back to the Inquisition barracks.

As agreed, Father William was waiting for them on board with a change of clothes in a laundry bag. "Change and then get off. Her Grace would be arriving with the Queen's entourage in about twenty minutes," William warned as he handed them their priestly garments. "I'll be waiting for you at the airfield's café." He cautiously disembarked. The men needed no further urging.

"Man, it sure feels good to be out of that!" Leon let out a chuckle of sheer joy as he dumped his feathered hat and cream-smeared dress onto the cabin floor. "Don't, you'll stain the carpet!" Abel hurriedly snatched up the garments and crammed the lot into a laundry bag.

"Now get me out of this thing!" Leon reached for the hooks of his corset. Abel obliged. Together the trio helped each other change out of their costumes…

Father William sipped at his tea and glanced fleetingly at his pocket watch. Ten more minutes… Plenty of time for the lads to quit the scene before the royal party arrived.

"Father William, where are the boys?" Her arm in a cast, Sister Noelle Bor walked up to his table. The Albionian's eyebrow twitched when he saw what she was holding in her good hand.

"Noelle… that is…"

"Oh, there was a rip in his cassock and pants, so I took the liberty of mending Hugue's clothes. So where's Hugue?" Noelle batted her eyelashes almost flirtatiously. "Have they not arrived yet?" Before Father William could reply, the holographic Sister Kate appeared before them.

"Her Grace is on her way with Queen Lilika, I trust they… what is wrong, William?"

Father William glanced at his pocket watch, then at the café's wall clock. To his horror, the priest realized that the wall clock was happily ticking its way to five o'clock while his pocket watch was frozen at ten minutes to five. "By the beard of St George!" With a rare curse, the priest leapt to his feet, knocking over the café's table in the process. He snatched the cassock from Noelle and sprinted as fast as he could towards the waiting airship across the field.

Father Vaclav was pulling up at the gate with their Icelandian guests and the Duchess of Milan.

Inside the airship…

"What do you mean my clothes are not there?" Stripped to his underpants, Hugue peered into the mess of dresses and assorted feminine accessories in the laundry bag Abel held. "Sorry, Hugue… I think someone left out yours," Abel whined. Hugue glared at him, muscles rippling… Father William was going to pay for his oversight…

"Out quick! The Queen… oh my!" Sister Kate flickered into view in the cabin and immediately turned crimson on seeing Hugue's sculpted physique. "T-the Queen is arriving…" the blushing hologram vanished.

"You could wear Leon's top…" Abel suggested. "As much as I wouldn't mind baring my chest on the airfield, I'm sure Hugue would find it tough baring his teeny-whiteys…" Leon started to slide out of his top. They still needed bottoms for Hugue.

A gasp interrupted their conversation. Standing at the cabin door was a horrified Cardinal Caterina, and her somewhat astounded foreign guests. Father William pounded up the stairs. "Hugue, your clothes… oh, my merciful Lord…" he was too late. Hugue was standing in his briefs before their esteemed guests. Abel was holding the laundry bag of ladies' garments while Leon had one sleeve of his top off.

Lady Emba immediately clapped her hands to her face in horror and shock and averted her eyes with a soft shriek. Duchess Broja looked thoughtful as she studied Leon with avid interest. Queen Lilika was impassive as a marble statute. The cardinal struggled to find a way of dealing with this gaffe. It was the duchess who broke the stalemate.

"Say, nice biceps," the large swarthy-skinned woman sidled up to Leon and placed a gloved hand on his arm. Her eyes glinted with dark mischief. "Er, I'm flattered, your Grace…" Leon stammered at the surprise attention. "How about we get to know each other better? I'm sure half an hour should be sufficient…" Leon gasped as the duchess drew closer to him, her hand caressing his jaw.

"Sorry, your Grace, but I'm afraid I don't do one-night stands. Priestly oaths you know…" Leon never thought he would be so glad of his priestly badge. The duchess pouted darkly but backed off. Hugue was pulling on the clothes that Father William had finally managed to get to him.

Queen Lilika was whispering to Cardinal Caterina in between glancing at Hugue. The cardinal appeared slightly flustered. "That is unusual, I must admit… but I'll see if it can be arranged…"

Two weeks later, Caterina's study.

"Lord, I never thought I would almost be raped by a woman!" Leon exclaimed as he and Hugue waited for Caterina's entrance. "You were there, Hugue. Tell Caterina it ain't my fault!" Hugue nodded. Duchess Broja did not take kindly to Leon's rebuff and returned a week later to try and persuade him. Unfortunately her irate husband followed. The fiasco at the plaza ended with Leon in the lock-up and his amorous admirer dragged home by her Viking husband.

Caterina entered, closely followed by her loyal Tres.

"Your Grace, what happened in the plaza ain't my fault. She jumped me!"

"Yes, Father Leon. I have seen the eyewitness accounts. Still, you did hit her husband…" Caterina laced her fingers together and leaned forward with her elbows on the table.

"It was self-defence! He was going to split my head with his war-axe!" Leon protested vehemently. "I ain't keen on having my brains bashed to a pulp…"

"You two broke a stained window in the Chapel of All Saints during the fight. The court has ruled that you both will share the cost of repairs. Duke Eriksen has paid the fine but given your current pay, it would be advisable for you to do a short stint of 2 weeks in prison."

"You're killing me! I have three hundred years to go…" Leon groaned. Caterina held up her hand for silence. "Naturally, we will offer you more possible missions to shorten your term… You are dismissed. Do be sure to report to the prison on Tuesday."

Muttering angrily, Leon stormed off. "Tres, you make sure he reports to the prison punctually," Caterina said to her android as an afterthought. "Understood," Tres inclined his head slightly. The cardinal then turned her attention to Hugue

"Father de Watteau, I have called you here to present a proposition to you. Queen Lilika of Icelandia would like to, erm, in her own words… have many stout sons and daughters with you. She is offering you the post of Prince Consort of Icelandia. AX could grant you a discharge from priesthood, as you were never really keen on it to start with. Of course, your agreement to this proposal will forge stronger ties between AX and Iceland…"

The rude crash of shattered glass interrupted the duchess. There was a large gaping hole in her third storey study window. In the courtyard below, a certain blond priest was sprinting resolutely out of the compound past a bewildered Sister Noelle.

"I do believe that is a 'no way over my dead body'," Caterina cleaned her eyeglass. "Affirmative," Tres replied. "Please ask the glaziers in to fix this window tomorrow, Tres. It's an awful draft coming in. I must personally convey my regrets to Queen Lilika regarding her would-be groom," Caterina sighed. There goes her plan for a treaty with Icelandia.

Author's Notes:

That's all folks. Reviews always welcome.