Chapter 17

Beneath the forest's cover of trees, night begins to fall. And the occupants of a horse drawn carriage no longer had the vista of their ocean's shores they'd left behind at home.

In the dark, not even boring woodland scenery thus far seen at present could keep their minds off such an unpalatable situation for some of the more brooding occupants held within the carriage's bumpy confines.

How did I let myself get dragged into this?

The platinum blonde haired man thinks sourly to himself. Neither long trips away from his beloved Sanc Kingdom nor lengthy visits to either the catty Princess Dorothy or her long winded cousin King Treize were things Milliardo was looking forward to yet again.

And now, he had even one more problem to add to this trip's undelectable bits--and this one right at the moment was staring him right in the face, literally.

Why does he keep staring at me with those eyes boring into my skull? It's as if--well, I don't know what it's as if--Fine! Go ahead and stare at me, "Heero." Just keep your beady eyes off my sister! Imagine! She wanted to go off gallivanting on this dark road, all alone. The coach driver not able to see or hear a thing what happens inside this carriage! It's a lucky thing for you, little sister, that I decided to come. You're far too innocent and naive to understand what goes on in the inner workings and minds of the mysterious man you named Heero. Hmph! He wouldn't even give us his real name and I'm expected to trust him with my precious younger sister?!

Heero seemed to be surveying Milliardo with as much suspicious animosity. The two naturally didn't get along. One was so dark and mysterious, the other a total contract, pale and straight jawed. So both men just continued to stare silently. Neither seemed to take notice of the third occupant of this carriage ride. The sister and subject from which all the suspicous and distrust stemmed.

Oh, really, you two. Sigh....

The Princess Relena was not as oblivious or naive as her brother believed her to be. In fact, just watching him fawn over her protectively would be almost funny if it was not so frustrating. After all, she was an independent woman now. Just about, anyway. And she didn't need her brother's supervision in her choice of who she does or does not visit, or where she goes. Or for that matter, her choice of bodyguard/companion.

After singlehandedly slaying that sea monster that attacked us! I'm appalled that you don't completely trust such a noble courageous man as Heero with our kindom's safety or mine! Just because he's not very talkative or outgoing about where he comes from! He still deserves for his heroism our kingdom's full gratitude. You have mine, too, Heero...

The Princess gazes up out of the corner of her eyes, femininely, shyly at the dark figure in the dark, sitting across from her (Thank you very much, Milliardo...) silently in the rolling carriage. Not a move nor a sound had come from him since they started this journey miles and miles ago.

Well, I've had enough of this silence!

"You really didn't have to come, Milliardo. I know how you dread seeing King Treize. I can't imagine why, though. He's always been so polite and gentlemanly to me." Relena comments, trying to get a voice or a sound into the carriage other than the crunching wheels rolling and rolling.

"Of course he is, Relena. You're a woman." Milliardo says shortly with that "hmph" of his attached so smugly. He knew Treize's reputation with the ladies and shook his head that even his little sister could have fallen for that man's transparent "charms."

That said, the silence envelops the car again.

All right. That's it!

"If either of you doesn't say something right now, I shall scream! Ohhhhhhhh!!!!"

Before she gets a chance to fulfill her childish threat, a real scream overtakes Relena's threatened one. She sees something outside of the carriage's dark window that immediately strikes fear into her girlish heart and Heero propells himself out the door, his mysterious black metal weapon drawn and ready as he jumps to the roof and balance himself there.

A red-orange ball of flame explodes a deep crater in the dirt road before them. The horses and carriage come to a screeching halt. Horses and all go down into the hole with a crash. Thunderous red fire and flame engulf the crater all around them....

"Milliardo! What's happening! Milliardo!!!" Shaking herself conscious, taking hold of her rattled body, Relena finds herself trapped inside the overturned crashed carriage. She was scared out of her mind-- and even more frightened that her older brother might be hurt or worse.

Feeling around the cramped carriage, Milliardo was nowhere to be found.

"Brother?" Relena whispers as she begins to tremble. Never once in her young, sheltered life had she felt so alone.

FLASH!!!

A wave of hot fire sears across the landscape. Relena's wide opened mouth was about to let out a most wretched scream but a hand comes from nowhere to cover her lips, halting the yell.

"Shh! Your brother's safe. He's looking for whoever attacked the carriage. And we don't want to call anymore attention to this carriage--to you. So be quiet. Nod if you understand." So exacting, so militaristic, Heero's words come to her ears. But none could be more comforting to this princess' frightened mind than that. Perhaps he knew that as he knew things that no one else in this world seemed to know. Relena found her trust in Heero implicit, especially now in her moment of need.

So she nods with fear-stricken eyes, meeting his confident eyes in the dark of the upturned carriage.

"Good." Heero himself nods back reassuringly. "He ordered me to get you out of here. I've unhitched the team and saddled one up. We're to get on and run it as hard and as fast as we can. Straight to the Aissur castle." Heero, with the strength and stealth of a wild cat, lifts the seat pinning Relena to the ceiling of the upside down carriage. He checks her freed legs to make sure they weren't broken. He takes the end of her inside long petticoats and forcefully rips them a full two feet shorter. Her shapely bareskin calves and lower thighs were now exposed for him to see.

Relena gasps, but she doesn't scream as she imagined she might have at such rough hands.

"You'll ride better. Won't get caught in the way." His monotone voice shows no emotion as Heero puts a warning finger to his lips in the dark.

He scoops up the shellshocked princess in his muscular arms and carries her to the horse. He mounts her, not side-saddle as gentle Relena was taught to ride, but she was not about to argue with her Heero. Then he takes his off his own blue cape and secures it around her neck, tugging the hood up over her lovely honey gold hair. Their eyes lock for a moment. Relena's were scared while Heero's were unguarded in the dark. Purposely, he diverts his furrowed eyes and hurriedly mounts his own horse, beginning to lead it out with Relena's, just as another blast of fire incinerates a tree only a few feet away.

"Oh no!!" Relena's sealed tight lips can't help but squeak out. For in that flash of brilliant light, close to that burning tree, was the silhouette of her brother and he'd been hit with a falling branch on fire.

"Milliardo!!!!! Heero, I must go to him!" Relena was about to jump off her horse, but Heero's hand holds her own as his fingers squeeze around hers on the horse's taut reins.

"I'll go help him. You just leave. There's danger here." Heero's eyes skitter about the dark landscape to where that fiery blast emerged from.

"But...Milliardo!" Relena does feel the need to argue this. She didn't want to leave her beloved brother behind, especially if he might be hurt.

"I will protect him for you, Princess. He wants you to go and be safe. We'll fight whatever this is together and then catch up to you in Aissur. Just go as fast as you can." Heero takes charge of the situation. The steady firmness in his eyes and voice make Relena nod obediently.

She believed that if anyone could, this boy named Heero could see her brother through this and keep him safe.

"And don't look back." His serious voice commands lowly. Relena hears the echoes of which even as Heero smacks her horse's rear and it takes off in a quick gallop. Relena catches one last glimpse of Milliardo standing. His broad sword was at the ready, and that determined look was on his stoic fast. It was one Relena had seen so many times before when her brother was deep in thought, preparing for battle....

And this blue princess hoped and prayed that it would not be the last time she saw her Milliardo alive...

"Protect him for me...Heero..." A whisper on her lips as her horse sprints off against the hot blowing winds.