FicWad

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"Queen Relena? Queen Relena? Are you awake? I - I was ordered by the Lt. Merquise to wake you, he's assigned me as your secretary. I am to attend to you." Noin stand respectfully at the door, her head bowed.

"Lt. Merquise? Well, so the man isn't dead after all. And here I was hoping that he had died in his sleep. Or am I being too kind?" The voice is clear cut, and Noin raises her head when it starts speaking.

"Zechs Merquise is very much alive, Queen Relena." Noin says, surprised by the bitterness in the Queen's tone. "I am Lucrezia Noin. I hope to serve you well." Noin makes a curtsey.

"Lucrezia? Well, that's certainly a mouthful. Miss Noin, I don't suppose you would be willing to hand me the key to my escape?" Relena murmurs, still sitting beside the window.

"Ah... I don't think I havbe the jurisdiction to do that, Queen Relena. Perhaps, I could some errands for you? Or read to you?" Noin moves to the impressive bookshelf, and scans the shelves, "Is there anything you would like me to read?"

"No. Sit, Miss Noin. I don't have the patience for this. Or leave me, go back to that despicable man." Relena stands and Noin catches her first glimpse of the Queen's face. "I do have the right to dismiss you, I assume?"

"Uh... Yes, you may do what you wish." Noin ducks her head, "I am here to do with what you wish." Staring at the floor, Noin can not forget the intensity in the Queen's eyes.

"You don't sound pleased about that, Miss Noin. Not pleased at all." Queen Relena says, a hint of amusement colouring her words.

"I wish to please." Noin murmurs. "Just that."

"Oh, I'm sure. To please, eh?" Queen Relena laughs, "You aren't particulary pleased with Merquise are you?" Relena shakes her head and smiles. "I'm glad I'm not the only one."

"Lt. Zechs Merquise is a brave and honourable man, he is skilled in combat and is legendary among the Confederation of Romefeller. He - he..." Noin looks away, surprised by her outburst.

"Hmm, that was emotional. Interesting." Queen Relena turns and walks back over to the window, resting her hands on the wodden back of her chair.

"I am sorry, Queen Relena. I meant no offense."

"Very well, I am not offended. You're quite intriguing Miss Noin, if stiff and formal. Perhaps it is nerves. It's not every day you have to serve your enemy."

"You are not my enemy, Queen Relena."

"No? How... intelligent of you." Relena laughs, her hair swinging back and forth as she does. "It is a miracle that the Lt. did manage to send someone remotely so."

"Erm... Thank you, Queen Relena."

"How did you find her Noin?" Zechs asks her.

Noin is still angry at him. She doesn't feel surprised at that. His presence, after what he said, hurts and she wishes that he would go away and leave her alone.

"Not entirely pleased with her situation. She appears to have taken a particular dislike for you, Zechs." She answers, trying not to punch him. Her twitching hand is clenched into a fist.

"I am not surprised by that. I am the man who kidnapped her."

Noin takes in his appearance from lowered eyes. His face is still pale, and he is moving stiffly from the wound his received in his thigh. There are dark shadows under his eyes.

"How's Otto?" That was low, and Zechs knew it as well as she did.

"Recovering," Zechs says darkly, giving her a harsh stare. "I did not expect you to ask, after," he pauses and shakes his head. "What you did, you should be punished. Why didn't the General do anything about it?" He adds as an afterthought.

"You know, Zechs, that I never meant it to happen!" Noin exclaims, tears springing to her eyes.

"Well," he says, taking a deliberate step away from her, "I hope you enjoy your time serving that rebel Queen."

"Why? Why do you keep on torturing me Zechs? You know I only meant to help you. Don't make me serve the Queen. It's a tedious, boring and useless task for me! I can serve you, so much better."

"Noin, you have been ordered to attend to her and that it the way it is going to remain."

"I see..." Noin whispers, "Is this my punishment?"

Zechs doesn't say a word, just stalks out of the room, leaving her alone. Wiping away the beginnings of tears, Noin tries to calm herself.

"Did the Lt. harm you, Queen Relena?"

Relena looks up, surprised at the enquiry. "Not anything more than expected. A good whallop to the head, threw me quite ungallantly over his shoulder and shot my guard. I think he killed him."

"During the kidnapping, what did he say to you?"

"Another question, Miss Noin, you're quite the talker today." Relena remarks, fingers tapping a tune of her knee. "A change from your submissive behaviour. Your real attitude coming to front?"

"I - I'll stop if you don't want any questions."

"No, it's fine." Relena sighs, running a hand through her hair. "I don't think he said anything to me about you, Miss Noin. His underling, an Otto I believe I recall? Yes, Otto, he did."

"Otto?" Noin murmurs, eyes widening as she regards the young Queen. "What did Otto say about me?"

For a moment, Noin believes the Queen won't answer her. When she does, she speaks slowly, "I was struggling, I did not like to be manhandled." Relena's purse and thin and her eyes narrow. "I could not remember the exact words, but he mentioned, that you were some how involved with Merquise."

"Oh..." Noin feels a blush burden her cheeks. For one moment she wishes she had longer hair, so it could cover her shameful reddening.

"Of course, Merquise was quite distant on the matter. He refused the remark, questioning it's validity." Relena paused, "Are you in love with Zechs Merquise?"

"He does not love me..." Noin mutters, anger lighting her words. "He never has and I've been a fool to think he would. I've served him faithfully..."

"Perhaps, but, that was not the questioned I asked. Are you in love with Zechs Merquise?"

"Yes!" Noin yells, standing up. "I am. That is," she slumps back down. "I thought I was. I think I am. Does one fall in and out of love so quickly? I could have sworn I was in love with his before, but now, I don't even have a clue."

"Merquise does not deserve you, Miss Noin," Relena says quietly, "You deserve someone who can love you. You don't belong in Romefeller."

"Trying to make me a rebel, Queen Relena?"

"I am trying to make you see the truth of Romefeller. I don't believe in war you see. I just want this barbarity to end so I can can go back to some semblance of life, of normality. I am not the only one. Remember that, Noin."

"You do not believe in war?" Noin asked, "I thought..."

"Perhaps it will surprise you, I am a pacifist." Relena smiles.

"As head of the rebellion, I would have thought that you - "

"I am merely a figure head. A very useful one, but one nonetheless. My opinions were considered, but rarely taken into affect. I - I am merely that."

"But, Queen Relena, a figure head? You are not so dismissed in Romefeller. You are believed to much more powerful. That is one reason why Ze - Merquise kidnapped you."

"A bargaining chip?"

"Yes! We believed you to be something more than a figure head! You were a threat Queen Relena."

Relena seems surprised, but soon tilts her head thoughtfully and murmurs, "How intriguing... Thank you for this knowledge, Miss Noin."

Leaving Noin to wonder if what she said was really that wise.

"Noin."

She comes, even though she hates being called.

"Yes Zechs?"

His eyes flicker towards her and Noin is surprised to find that they are red rimmed. "Otto... he is dead."

Gasping, Noin shakes her head, "No, that cannot be! You said he was recovering, Zechs! He cannot be dead, he cannot... Please, oh, god, don't let him be dead."

"Don't be pathetic Noin, Otto is dead and it is your fault." Zechs fist slams into the wall beside her head and Noin flinched as it narrowly escaped crushing her face.

"No... No, don't blame me Zechs. It was Otto's own desire, to see you succeed that made him take that foolish risk. Blaming me, it's senseless!"

"I never asked him to do anything of the sort!"

"He tried to go against Wufei Chang? What can you expect? That man's skill is legendary... Otto must have thought he had some fool's chance to beat him."

"Then where is Chang now? He must have inside help! You were the only one who could have helped him escape. You let Otto's murderer escape, Noin."

"No..." She whispers, "There was also General Treize."


"Why would the General do that?"

"And why would I, Zechs? Why would I have any compassion for the man that so brutally killed Otto? Don't you think, that I have wished and prayed that I had been there to stop him?"

"There is no reason for the General to let Chang escape."

"I know. But I... I didn't help him escape Zechs!"

"It seems the only way." Zechs says stonily.

"But it's not!" Noin says desperately, meaning every word.