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Journey of a Thousand Miles

"A journey of a thousand miles begins with a single step"

-Confucius-

Part 13

"Quatre, Quatre, hurry up! You have got to see this."
I was still getting dressed when Duo pounded on the door of my cabin. When I opened it he grabbed me by my arm and tried to pull me with him. "Come on."

"Duo, you have to let me at least put my other shoe on." I laughed.
"Oh, right." He scratched his head and looked down at my feet sheepishly.
I slipped my shoe on, and then took one last look in the mirror before I followed him. Zechs, the duke and the crew were already assembled on deck. Everybody was dressed up, and awaiting the arrival of Princess Relena.
Duo pulled me to the port side railing. I looked at the pier and gasped in awe. The road leading to the port was festooned with flags and garlands as far as the eye could see, and the pier itself was decorated in blue and gold colors. When we arrived at Sank late last night it had been too dark to see anything but a few lights.
Hundreds of people were lining the street. I couldn't believe that they all had come only to catch a glimpse of a member of their royal family.
And then I saw it coming down the street; Princess Relena's caroche (1), drawn by three pairs of snow-white horses and followed by two dozen guards on horseback. The crowd cheered as the carriage passed them and finally came to a hold near the Rebecca's gangway.

One of the guards opened the door for the Princess to exit the caroche. Relena took a few moments to wave to her people before she came aboard. At her side was a young man her age, with unruly dark-brown hair and blue eyes, dressed in a blue and gold uniform. I would learn later that his name was Heero Yuy and he was the princess's personal guard.

After a short ceremonial greeting on the main deck we retreated into the sitting room where the atmosphere became much less formal. Relena greeted me, and even my cousin, with a polite smile and then hugged her brother.
"I'm so glad you are finally here, Milliardo."
"How is Father?" Zechs asked.
"He was doing a little better this morning," she told him with a sigh. "He has good days and bad days as you can imagine. He has been asking about you almost every day. I suppose he didn't really think that you would come. He will be delighted to see you."
"Let's hope though," the blond prince replied somberly. "Relena, could you please arrange for a carriage to take Treize and Quatre to the Hotel Continental while I go to see Father?"
"Don't be silly, Milliardo," the princess protested. "I won't let you put our guests into a hotel when there is more than enough room in the royal palace. That wouldn't be very hospitable now, would it?"

"Are you certain about this, your Highness?" my cousin asked. "We really do not wish to be of any inconvenience." I could tell that he wasn't very thrilled about her suggestion.
"Yes, I'm certain, your Excellency. I would very much like for you and Quatre to stay with us at the Royal Palace. I realize that we haven't been at the best of terms until now, and I apologize for that. Perhaps we can take this opportunity for a fresh start?"

Zechs gave her an astounded look. "Who are you, young Lady? And what have you done to my sister?"
"Your sister has done a lot of thinking since the day we saw each other in London." She smiled softly as she gave me a quick gaze. "Somebody told me I needed to get to know the duke better before judging him.

*****

We passed the time with small talk while our luggage was loaded.
The people cheered and shouted the prince's name as we took our seats in the white and gold carriage; Zechs and his sister on one side and the Duke and I across from them. Both, the prince and princess smiled and waved to the crowd as the caroche rolled slowly down the street.
"Return of the lost son," Zechs remarked dryly without ever losing his smile. "Do they know that I'm only here on a visit?"

For about half an hour we drove through the most beautiful country side, before the carriage rolled through a heavy iron gate, up a long cobblestone road and into a lovely courtyard. I gaped as I saw the palace in front of me. It was magnificent and it was gargantuan.
"Don't you ever get lost in there, your Highness?" I asked.
She laughed. "Only if I don't want anybody to find me."

My cousin and I were given adjoining rooms with a door between them. While Zechs went to see his father, Treize and I sat down for afternoon tea and pastries.
"I still can't believe that we are actually staying in a real castle."
"Yes, it's quite impressive, isn't it?" the duke admitted.
"And it was very nice of Princess Relena to invite us here."
"I suppose it was."
I frowned as I looked at him over the rim of my teacup. "You still don't like her, do you?"
"I didn't say that. It's not as easy as that, Quatre. It's difficult for me to forget how much pain Milliardo had to go through. Of course, I'm glad that she is trying to make things right, and I'm willing to do my part, but it will probably take some time."
Perhaps he was right. It was probably better not to push it.
On the way to the palace Princess Relena had told us that the king, after he had learned that Treize was coming to Sank too, had asked for a meeting with the duke as well. My cousin had, if reluctantly, accepted his request.

*****

The next day, shortly after Zechs and the duke had left to meet with the king, Princess Relena came to see me.
"I was wondering, Quatre, if you would like to join me for a drive through the country-side and a small picnic. It is such a beautiful day."

Indeed the day was lovely. The sun was shining and the temperature was very mild for mid October.
"It would be my pleasure, your Highness," I told her.

A small, one-horse chaise (2) was already waiting for us, and so was Commander Yuy. Apparently whenever the princess was going somewhere so was he.
I took the reins as Princess Relena gave me directions. The commander rode behind us like a shadow; always present, but barely noticeable.

We drove around for about an hour. Relena showed me some of her favorite places. I recognized some of them from the paintings that I had seen in Zechs' study. At about noon we stopped in a beautiful meadow near a lake with a roaring waterfall. Commander Yuy carried the picnic basket and helped me to spread out a blanket beneath a large oak tree.
"Heero, why don't you stay and join us," the princess suggested before he could retreat. "You don't mind, Quatre, do you? After all, he needs to keep a close eye on me anyway."
"Of course not, I don't mind at all," I assured her.
"Excellent! Then let's see what the cook has packed for us, shall we?" She opened the basket and handed the Commander a bottle of red wine. "Heero, would you open this please?"
I noticed that the Princess was calling him by his first name, but it didn't really surprise me too much, considering that she was probably spending more time with him than with anybody else in the palace.
"Milliardo and I used to come here a lot when we were children," she told me as she handed me a glass of wine. "He liked to scare the servants by climbing up the cliff and jumping into the lake."
I laughed. Yes, I could see Zechs do that. "This is quite a drop. I don't think I would be brave enough to do it."
"Not many people are. In fact the only other person I know who has jumped the waterfall is sitting right here next to me. Heero is just as daring as Milliardo, you must know."
The young man seemed somewhat embarrassed by her compliment. "It is really not that difficult. The important thing is to hit the water surface at the right angle or you will break you neck," he stated, very matter of factly.
"I still don't think I would be daring enough to jump," I admitted.
"Quatre, I wanted to thank you," the princess suddenly said.
I looked at her in surprise. "Thank me? What for?"
"For the little talk you and I had in London. You were so right. I have thought about it a lot and I think I would rather share my brother with Duke Khushrenada than lose him completely. I believe my father has done some thinking too. He has changed a lot since Milliardo left. He even agreed to call off my betrothal."
"And that's a good think?" I asked puzzled.
Princess Relena laughed. "In this case, yes. When I was only three or four years old I was promised to the son of a wealthy and very prominent aristocrat. I didn't even meet my "betrothed" until last year and it turned out that we had absolutely nothing in common. I talked to Father about it and to my surprise he terminated the arrangement and agreed that I should be allowed to choose my own future husband. I couldn't be happier."

She gazed at Commander Yuy and there was something very affectionate and loving in her eyes. I had seen my cousin look at Zechs in the same way. For a split second he covered her hand with his and gave it a little squeeze. I pretended that I hadn't noticed.

*****

A few days later I told Zechs that I wanted to buy a few gifts and mementos, and he suggested that I should drive into town. The market place and the surrounding streets held many small shops and boutiques. He arranged for a carriage to take me into town and pick me up later on.
As I strolled down the busy streets I noticed a blue and gold uniform and a familiar chocolate colored shock of hair in the crowd.
"Commander Yuy!?"
He turned toward me and gave me a polite nod. "Mr. Winner, it's nice to see you again. And please, call me Heero."
"Only if you call me Quatre," I replied with a smile. "What brings you here? Have you got some shopping to do?"

He nodded. "I did. And you?"
"I have bought a few souvenirs for myself, now I'm looking for a gift for a young man, a friend back home in England. I can't decide if I should buy him something that's unique to Sank or some of the lovely jewelry I have been seeing; a earring perhaps." - I had noticed a long time ago that one of Trowa's ears was pierced. When I asked him about it he told me it was quite common amongst the traveling folk that men wore one earring, but he had lost his a long time ago.
"Perhaps I have a solution to your dilemma," Heero said.
"You do?"
He nodded. "Just follow me."
He led the way to a small jewelry store at the corner of Bristol and Sunflower Street. The owner approached us as we entered the store.
"Welcome back, Commander Yuy. What else can I do for you today?"
"I would like for you to show my friend some of those earrings that I had been looking at earlier."
"With pleasure." The man opened a display case and took out a few dozen of small golden studs. Each earring was decorated with a jewel. The gemstones came in all kinds of colors.
"Most of these stones have been mined right here in the country," Heero explained. "Sank is known to have some of the finest gems you can find anywhere."
"Oh, that is brilliant," I said. "This way I can have a piece of jewelry as well as a memento from Sank. Thank you, Heero."
After a moment of consideration I chose a pair of emerald studs that would match the color of Trowa's eyes. I was planning on giving one of the earrings to him and keep the other for myself. I paid and left the store together with Heero.
"Quatre, may I ask you for your opinion on something?" he asked suddenly.
"Yes, of course." I nodded.
"I, too, have bought a little present earlier. It's for a friend, a young lady who I'm seeing. Unfortunately I don't know anything about these kinds of things and I'm not sure if she will like it. Could you take a look and tell me what you think?"
"It will be my pleasure."
"Thank you!" He pulled a little, velvet-lined box from the pocket of his uniform and removed a necklace. It was a delicate gold chain and a pendant that was adorned with three little gemstones. "We have been seeing each other for three months," Heero explained. "I wanted it to be something that marks the occasion."
"I think it is gorgeous. She will love it."
"Thank you. Do you want me to take you back to the palace, or are you going to stay for a little longer?"
"Actually, I've finished shopping. So, if you don't mind, I'll accept your kind offer."

*****

The king died four days later, with his son and his daughter by his side.
We remained two more weeks in the county to attend his funeral, Princess Relena's crowning ceremony, and her inauguration as the new ruler of Sank.

There was no celebration the day we left. The palace was draped in black, all flags were hanging at half-staff, and even the sky was weeping, as the country continued to mourn their king.

"Are you sure you will be alright, Relena?" Zechs asked his sister when she came to bid her good bye.
She nodded. "Don't worry about me, Miri. I'll be fine. I have been taken care of the state's affairs ever since Father fell ill, so this will be not much of a difference for me. Besides, I have several first-rate advisors at my side, and a good friend I can turn to when I need help."
"Oh," Zechs raised one eyebrow in surprise. "How good of a friend?"
"A very good friend."
"Good enough to be considered a beau?"
"Perhaps, but that's really none of your concern."

"How long has he been courting you? What is his name? Why didn't you tell me about him?" the prince demanded.
"That's quite enough, Milliardo." Relena's brows furrowed. "He and I have decided that we are not going to tell anybody until we are ready."
"But I'm not anybody. I'm your older brother. It's my responsibility to make sure..."

Treize rolled his eyes. "Milliardo, you are starting to sound like your father."
"I am not."
"Yes, you are," the three of us replied as one.
"This is very different," Zechs insisted. "I'm not planning to tell Relena who she can court and who she can't. I just want to talk to the young man and make sure he knows that if he ever breaks my little sister's heart he will have to answer to me."
Relena smiled a little. "I appreciate your concern, Milliardo, but I assure you that you have nothing to worry about. I can take care of myself." As the young queen reached out to embrace her brother, a ray light caught the golden necklace she was wearing and made it sparkle. I smiled softly, knowingly, as I recognized the little pendant that was hanging from the delicate chain. "I want you to promise me something, Milliardo. Don't let another three years pass before your next visit."
"I won't," he assured her.
She turned to face the duke and me. "It has been a pleasure to have you here at Sank. I hope we will see each other again."
"The pleasure was ours," my cousin replied very gentleman-like. "We thank you for your hospitality, your Highness. Perhaps some day I can return the gesture. I would be honored if you would some to visit us in England, some day."
"Perhaps I will, some day."

When the Lady Rebecca set sail about half an hour later, all three of us watched from the main deck until the coast of Sank slowly disappeared on the horizon.
The duke laid his hand on Zechs shoulder and asked quietly,"Are you alright?"
"I'm fine," Zechs assured him. "Let's go home now."

*****

After three weeks at sea we sailed into the port of New Haven on a cold and foggy afternoon. We had left England in the middle of summer and now it was late autumn. The trees that were lining the road to Rosehill Manor had started to lose their leaves, and the rosebushes in the garden looked rather naked without their colorful flowers.
"May I take a ride to Blue Lake Manor to see Trowa?" I asked once I had helped Xander to bring my baggage up to my room. I just couldn't wait to give him his present.
My cousin nodded. "Be sure to be back by half past six," he told me. "Cecilia is making us a special dinner."

I nodded and I ran off toward the stables. Through the woods it was only a ten minute ride to Blue Lake Manor.
I found Trowa splitting firewood behind the house. In spite of the chill in the air he had taken off his shirt. Sweat was glistering on his bare back. I had never before realized how well-built Towa was. He was lean but not skinny. Strong muscles shifted beneath his skin with every move he made. He reminded me a little of those Greek statues we had seen while we were at Olympia. My mouth became suddenly very dry as I watched him quietly for a few moments. I blushed as I realized that I was staring, and I cleared my throat to get his attention.
Trowa lowered the axe and turned.
"Quatre! What a pleasure to see you again. Look at you, you look wonderful. You have grown, haven't you?"
"I'm glad to see you too, Trowa." I smiled. Yes I had grown, I could tell, because the legs of my pants and the sleeves of my coat were starting to look a little short, no matter how much I pulled on them. Still, I was surprised that he had noticed. "Did you get my letters?" I asked.
"Indeed I did, and I loved each and every one of them. They made me feel like I was right there with you. Thank you so much, Quatre."
I pulled the little jewelry box from my pocket and presented it to Trowa.
"For me?" he asked surprised, as he wiped his hand on his pants.
I nodded. "I bought it for you in Sank."

Trowa accepted the small velvet covered case and slowly opened the lid.

"Do you like it?"
"It's beautiful. But I can't accept a present like this." He closed the box and tried to hand it back to me.

"But you have to," I told him. "It's not like I can take it back to the store. And I don't know anybody else who has his ear pierced. And…" I added with a lot of emphasis. "I would take it as a personal insult if you don't accept my gift."
"Then I have no choice, I'm afraid. I would not dare to insult you." Trowa smirked. "I remember the story about what happened to the last person who did that."
I snorted. "You are almost as bad a Duo, do you know that?"

He just smiled and asked: "Will you help me put it in?"

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T.B.C.

Author's Note:

(1) A caroche is a very fancy carriage that is often used on special or ceremonial occasions

(2) A cariole is a light open carriage for one or two people

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