Gundam Wing Fan Fiction ❯ Hope Springs Eternal ❯ Chapter One ( Chapter 1 )

Narrate

Princess Sage Amaria Bennington leaned over her balcony railing, taking a deep, long breath. Such a beautiful day, and yet she, being royalty, was to stay indoors. Fie on those Izans!

"Princess?" A maid bowed low and rushed to her mistress. "'Tis not safe for you to be out here, M'lady! Enemy archers could be lurking…" She glanced fearfully around, but the maiden just sighed.

"Nonsense, Matilda. The palace is too well guarded!" She trailed off, motioning to the hordes of guards assembled at the gates with one gracefully sleeved hand.

"But-M'lady…" The Princess straightened and glowered.

"Well? Is that all you came out here to tell me?"

"No Miss-your father wishes to see you…"

"Why didn't you tell me that first thing?" Sage demanded, eyes cold. The poor maid wrung her hands worriedly, and she sighed and brushed past, on her way down to the throne room.

Various people bowed as she passed, and she curtsied quickly in return, smiling pleasantly. It always took longer than it really was to get to the throne room because of all the people-everyone expected you to bow, do this, do that. Sage glanced around her, and lifted up a small tapestry, which hid a small inverted doorknob. As she turned it, the wall swung open, and she stepped inside, closing it again. It was only a shortcut, to get away from all those people, really.

The rest of her trip passed uneventfully, and she found herself behind another tapestry, this one in the hallway leading to the throne room. Only problem: As she stepped out from behind the cloth, her long sleeve caught on a nail, hindering her as it snagged tighter.

"Oh no…" She whispered, looking frantically down the hall. If anyone saw her, they would surely plug up the passageway…

She turned back to her frantic attempts, and didn't see the person in front of her, even when he cleared his throat.

"Stuck?"

Sage snapped her head up so quickly her vertebrae popped.

"Um-yes… Please don't tell anyone there's a passageway!" The speaker was older than her by atleast five years, she noticed, and he was dressed in the manner of a casual knight, sword strapped to his waist. His shoulders were broad and well muscled, and his arms finished in large yet gentle looking hands, the fingers resting lightly on a pocket. He had a nice, well-set jaw, and a sharp nose, but in startling contrast to the rest of him, his eyes were icy blue and cold. Sage suddenly found herself stuttering as those eyes pulled her in and trapped her in their grasp.

"I won't. I know what it's like to need a way to get away." He stepped forward and reached his arms around her to help with the sleeve. Sage blushed madly, but the stranger didn't seem to have intentions such as the ones running through the princess's head. His efforts to untangle her failed and he sighed with no slight frustration. "It's going to have to come off."

Sage paled. "The sleeve?"

The knight looked at her, eyes piercing hers. "No. I meant the arm." His face was dead straight, not a hint of sarcasm in his voice. The poor princess nearly fainted, but he moved closer and grasped the sleeve near the nail. Sage could feel him breathing, his chest pressing close to her back, his arms touching hers, and she slowed her own rhythm to match his. He smelled like a summer day. Her face flushed hotly, she gritted her teeth and pulled with him.

The sleeve came free, and both knight and princess tumbled to the ground, Sage landing neatly onto his lap.

"Ow." The knight looked faintly amused at this comment from her. Gingerly, he removed her from his lap and stood, helping her up.

"You're welcome. I think I'll see you in the throne room…?"

And without another word he was gone, leaving Sage alone, sleeve tattered, heart pounding.

And eyes bright.

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Sage flit inside the throne room, curtsying lightly to the people in it, including her father and five knights, one of them the one who had helped her with her sleeve.

"Sage." The king stated proudly, smiling pleasantly.

"Yes sir? You wanted to see me?"

"Ah, yes. Sage-I'm sending you away."

The words struck her dumb. The knights respectfully averted their eyes.

"But-father….why?" She was near hysterics, the king held up a hand to silence her.

"The war is getting dangerously close to Frell. I'm sending you to Barrow…"

"No! I won't go-" Her father silenced her with a look.

"Listen to me! It will be less conspicuous if you travel by foot, and four of these five will accompany you on this journey." He waved at the knights. Sage watched her knight out the corner of her eye-he had his arms folded, eyes closed as if in annoyance. "Heero Yuy, Duo Maxwell, Trowa Barton, Quatre Winner, and Wufei Chang. Choose your four-you will depart immediately."

Sage turned and looked at all five with a funny look on her face. "Well, I suppose Mr. Winner, we will need a healer." Quatre walked over and behind her, looking pleasantly surprised. "Mr. Maxwell, for his archery skills. Mr. Barton, for his excellent tracking and knowledge of the lands close by." Her thoughts wavered, her voice quivered. "A-and…and Mr. Yuy." She gave no explanation, just looked down at her feet. Her father nodded.

"Then it's set. You five will start out in an hour's time. Your horses will be ready by then." He looked at Sage fondly, and she suddenly realized the four behind her weren't there any longer. The king came down from his throne and took his daughter by the shoulders.

"Sage-I want to give you something before you go. It was your mother's, and it-well, nevermind." He looked mildly horrified he had just about mentioned the late Queen, and he took a small black crystal on a leather thong out from his pocket. "Use it wisely, my daughter." He tied it loosely around her neck, and Sage thanked him, kissed him on the cheek, and left-to the courtyard.

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An hour later, Sage walked-no, more like trudged-to the stables. Her black traveling cloak was pulled up over her head, and the sides hung at her face, hiding it from view. She didn't know what to think; it wasn't like her father to send her away like this, was it? There had to be some other reason…

Her escort seemed to know, they were aloof and spoke in hushed voices, around her they rarely spoke at all. She was starting to wonder if this trip would be as boring as it looked to be so far.

The king, along with most of the court, stepped onto the lawn to bless the traveling party. Heero sighed-Sage knew he was impatient to get going. Who wouldn't be? The sooner this is over, the sooner he gets paid! Suddenly her mind was made up-in a moment she had swung onto her horse and was about to run when-an arrow flew from the direction of the forest and right into her horse's rump.

The animal took off at a frantic run, and Sage entwined her arms in it's mane and hung on for dear life. The horse was taking no particular path through the forest, its eyes rolling in its head as panic replaced sense.

Oh dear God-I'm going to die!

Sage didn't see the ring of light that suddenly surrounded the horse, she didn't see the illusion of wings that unfurled from her shoulder blades, but she did notice that she was slowly falling from the back of the horse, and onto a soft carpet of leaves. She made not a sound when she landed, and she didn't notice that either. But she did notice when everything suddenly turned black and she fainted.

Heero

When I first saw her, sleeve stuck on a nail behind that tapestry, I didn't know what to think. When she saw me, I don't think she knew what to think either. She seems to like me a lot…

As her horse tore out of the clearing I threw my own horse after it, but her mare was too fast. I didn't mean to lose her, but I did, and when I found her again…

She had wings, golden wings, (can you believe it?) sprouting from her shoulder blades, and she was kneeling, eyes closed as if in pain. She looked like her mother then, the Lady Bennington, and I knew she had inherited The Gift. What was it that Quatre had told me once? "Never touch a celestial being-their power will consume you." That was it. All I could do was stand there, waiting, watching, as her body trembled with fear and pain, and then she fainted, still. Her wings faded, and she became herself again…

It was then that I knelt by her side, and picked her up. I-I don't know what came over me, but just looking at her made me shiver. Not a disgusted shiver, mind you, but a shiver of…feeling. Something about her…

I took her back to where the party was waiting. They hadn't recovered Sage's horse, but they found mine, and then she awoke-right there in my arms. Those long eyelashes fluttering…

Narrate

Sage opened her eyes slowly, painfully, and found herself looking straight into Heero's.

"You….came after me…" She gave him a soft smile, eyes closing slightly. He didn't smile back, apparently aware of the stares he was getting.

"Do you really think I would have just left you there? We have somewhere to go, don't we? Can you ride?" He set her on her unsteady feet, with a disapproving look from Quatre.

"She shouldn't be riding in her condition." The blond said softly, brow furrowed. Duo sighed and swung off of his horse.