Reading Time:
23 Minutes
Zechs sat back on the gingham picnic blanket and idly watched Wufei leading their daughter through some Tai Chi near the trickling bamboo water feature. The sun was warm against his face and the flowers were in full bloom; a lovely mild scent carrying on the cool breeze.
********************
Le Palais de l’Aube Nouvelle
“The Palace of the New Dawn”
Auremont City
Sanq Kingdom
United Earth Sphere
Zechs sat back on the gingham picnic blanket and idly watched Wufei leading their six year old daughter through some Tai Chi near the trickling bamboo water feature. The sun was warm against his face and the flowers were in full bloom; a lovely mild scent carrying on the cool breeze.
They were in Wufei’s private garden at the palace, their sole oasis in the whirlwind of their hectic lives… the only place they’d all been able to find solace in the last few months. The grass was lush and green under them, the ‘tok tok’ of the bamboo rocking spout and soft chirp of insects carrying on the wind. A little bubble of paradise in the middle of the bustling palace.
Both father and daughter were dressed in simple white cotton tops and loose pants, barefoot in the soft grass; their faces serene as they moved their bodies through the slow routine. Their long hair was wild and loose, hanging around their shoulders; lithe forms relaxed as they gracefully swayed in tandem.
Ilora’s skin was flushed pink from the sun, her golden hair almost glowing; so different from the pale and anxious girl that had been ghosting through the palace like a wraith. It warmed Zechs’ heart to see her smile once more, to hear her soft giggle, to see the light returning to her clear blue eyes.
They were all back to healthy weight, Thank God, back to actually eating balanced meals instead of picking at their food and pushing it around their plates; much to the relief of Helmsworth and the rest of their staff. These days, Sally Po was smiling instead of sighing at their latest check-up results.
She’d been concerned about all three of them for the longest time and had even threatened to pull rank as Royal Physician to get them to surrender to her strict regimen of rest and relaxation. It had been hard for all three of the little family to ‘chillax’ as Duo like to say; with all the stress of Catalonia’s mess, all the attacks, kidnappings and the influx of patients from Catalonia’s Chateau of Horrors.
Wufei had been pushing himself too hard for weeks, hypervigilant at the threat to his tribe and the unknown factor of Quatre’s threatened ‘Mole’. Zechs would wake up alone in their big bed only to find his husband burning the midnight oil in his study, pouring over papers in the war room or walking the palace like a sentry. The Asian man also taken on, along with Une and the Preventers; the rehabilitation and care of the patients recovered from the Chateau as well as the securing, investigating and prosecuting of the people responsible for it all.
With Catalonia and Doctor Zasca dead via Une and her daughter, Marimaeia respectively… as well as Winner and his two Sisters via a duplicitous Rasid and a pissed off Maxwell; they were scrambling to quickly scoop all the other conspirators without letting any rats jump ship. It was slow going, Dorothy had a long history of making plans within plans and had much experience of hiding her skullduggery within legal channels. It was what made her so dangerous. What made her so arrogant.
That arrogance had also been her downfall – She hadn’t, for a second, believed that Une would have shot her dead like a dog at the helipad and there had been absolutely no excuse for hiding the Agnus Dei pendant under her bed like that unless she had believed – with the naiveite of the child she’d been that awful night – that no stranger would ever be in her bedroom long enough to find it in a cursory search. She also hadn’t anticipated Duo’s extra sensory Touch Perception and his ability to ‘read’ the trauma she had unknowingly anchored to the medal.
Thankfully, the Preventers had the skilled manpower that Sanq desperately lacked to deal with the ever-growing spider web of secret bank accounts, deep web caches, blackmail and bribes records and various barely legal but not at all ethical hoops that Dorothy ran the gamut on to hide her tracks. Though it was tedious as hell, Vlastamil and his crew were making steady progress.
Add on top of that the political and societal pressure growing as the golden glow of the ‘honeymoon period’ of Zechs’ coronation as Crown Regent was dulling and the kingdom’s elite were starting to push their boundaries to see just how far they could force the palace’s line in the sand. It was frustrating to see pleasant smiles and mild words at public and private social events only to meet with subtle and not so subtle stubborn opposition in the halls of government.
Sanq may have been a monarchy since its founding and still had a throne but it had long since moved to a democratic government and even the Earth Sphere Alliance’s Occupancy had not put nary a dent into the steadfastness of Sanqian pacifism and independence. They were certainly going to do their best to test the mettle of their new monarch. Relena had often complained to him about it, though with her influence as a Peacecraft and the backing of the Winner, she’d been able to navigate the shark infested waters of Sanqian nobility with relative ease.
He’d always hated politics, even when he was a boy at his late Father’s knee. He was also too much of a soldier to be the pacifist that most Sanq Monarchs had been. It was the main reason that he’d given up rights to the throne in the first place. In fact, he been more than happy leave it all behind and let his sister deal with the whole kit’n’kaboodle; happy to build a quiet life with his husband and daughter in obscurity.
But then things had gone “tits up” as Duo liked to say – Relena was dead and Ilora was too young to rule. Sanq needed a firm and steady hand at the wheel and Zechs had both the blood to claim it and the power to keep it. Someone had to hold the course until Ilora was grown up enough and ready to take up the mantle of ‘The Peacecraft’ and until she did and accepted the heavy responsibility; he and Wufei with stand steadfast in that place for her.
Splinter groups were also popping up – according to reports by Duo’s fledgling spy network – Those who had a problem with Zechs’ past under Oz and with White Fang… Those who had crazy conspiracies about Relena’s abdication then death… Those who thought that Ilora was a Relena reborn and not an actual child sired by Zechs and birthed by Noin despite the fact that Ilora was already six and Relena died less than a year before and both literally had pictures together in popular Sanqian publications.
All the crazies who had always been too afraid to come out of the dark were starting to poke their grimy heads out into the light just to add their two cents to all the trouble that came with ruling a kingdom with a stable amount of wealth, lucrative natural resources and an active transportation port. Ruling wasn’t some fairytale like the magazines liked to portray to the masses. More like a huge fucking headache.
“You are supposed to be relaxing.” Wufei sat beside him and grabbed a slice of chilled fruit.
“I am.”
He took a bite and gave Zechs the side eye. “Then why do you look constipated?”
Zechs huffed looked to where Ilora was now chasing colourful butterflies around the flower beds, a wide smile on her face as she laughed freely. It was a balm to his soul and he slowly exhaled, deliberately releasing the tension in his shoulders.
“Just thinking that sometimes I wish I still had Tallgeese.”
A dark eyebrow rose, “Why? Do you miss the heart attacks, muscles strain and black outs?”
The blonde shook his head with a rueful laugh. “I miss stomping my enemies into bloody mush.”
“Ah. Parliament again? You know they are trying to test your limits. To see how far they can push before you snap back.”
Zechs shook his head in exasperation. “If I show too much patience, I’m weak and a puppet king. If I push back, I’m a tyrant from the ruins of Oz and Romefeller. They want what they had under Relena.”
The Asian man snorted disdainfully. “They want to do as they please. You know Relena let them all but govern themselves while she and the Winner focused on Yuy. The Montrose and Chevalier families have the majority bloc in congress and were running things in her stead for years. They don’t want to lose that power but they also don’t as yet know where they stand with you. Hell, old man Marcus Chevalier has all but said out loud that the Ruling Family’s name should be Chevalier instead of Peacecraft.”
“It almost was…” Zechs admitted softly. “My grandmother’s maternal family helped found the country. The first queen was a Chevalier, in fact. If she hadn’t married Célestin Peacecraft for a treaty and taken his name back then, Maël Chevalier might be sitting where I am right now.”
Wufei curled his lip and muttered under his breath. “…not in my garden…”
The blond man laughed out loud, catching his daughter’s attention which had her running their way. She leapt into her father’s arms with a squeal and Zechs caught her, the both of them tumbling gently into the grass as Wufei chuckled at their antics.
“When are we going to see all the honeysuckle, daddy?” Ilora blinked her bright blue eyes up at her father.
Zechs scrunched his nose and rolled them both so that she was tucked into his side.
“In a few days, sweetheart. Parliament will be closing down for the season and we have the Liberation Day Parade to attend. Then we’ll be free for a whole, entire month and I can show you the place where I spent my happiest time as a child.”
“We deserve it. We certainly need a break from this place.” Wufei lay down beside them, Ilora happily snuggled in between them both. “Even though Yuy and Maxwell probably have the Summer Palace locked down like old Fort Knox by now.”
He gave a deep sigh. “The budget for security measures alone was a headache to push through government much less the cleaning and refurbishment. Despite the site being a Historical, Tourism and Agricultural gold mine, those tight fisted lìnsè guǐ* won’t let go of a single copper shekel for necessary measures.”
[*stingy bastards]
“Of course, dear… ” Zechs and Ilora traded amused glances as Wufei grumbled on. “… though I’m not entirely not sure how necessary the patrol dogs are.”
Wufei shot them both a narrow eyed stare and rolled his eyes. “Don’t mention Maxwell’s stupid dogs to me, Xīn’ài **.”
[**Beloved]
“But they’re soooo cute, bàba***.” Ilora tugged at her father’s white cotton pants, making an utterly adorable face. “… and so fluffy.”
[***Daddy]
Zechs hid his grin in his daughter’s hair as Wufei’s ire wilted under the girl’s innocent and expectant gaze. Duo had been right. Ilora really had her big bad sentinel Bàba*** wrapped around her little finger.
Rias Shakur met them on the walk back from the garden, looking sharp in his casual Preventer uniform, easily joining in step with Zechs as they fell behind a skipping Ilora as she held Wufei’s hand. The blonde hoped that the serious look on the sentinel’s face wasn’t going to burst the happy little bubble they’d managed to make of the afternoon. His daughter, as though sensing his concern, looked back and he gave her a reassuring smile and sent warmth and comfort through the bond.
The golden glowing bond had grown stronger since the kidnapping and they’d arranged for lessons in control for her burgeoning talent as a ‘latent’ guide. It was what the old books and translated text had called those who had not emerged or ‘come online’. She’d slowly and skillfully grown in her abilities to sense moods and emotions from others and it had taken meditation with Zechs, self-defense and stealth work or ‘skulking around’ with Duo and, surprisingly, swimming with Paulsen Beck to help her with building the shields she needed to protect her mind and spirit.
“The latest search came up a bust.” Shakur murmured softly, “… we did catch some rats but not the mole.”
“So another dead end.” Zechs frowned, noticing Wufei’s slight pause and the firming of his shoulders as he swung hands with his daughter up ahead. A sure sign that the sentinel was listening as well. “That was all of the leads cultivated from Relena’s notes.”
The darker skinned man nodded curtly. “I’ve put in a request to access some of the old Oz files Une has locked down. Maybe we can find something in there that will show us where to look next. Until then, we keep our VIPs close and perform Maxwell’s ‘mental B&E’ on every person with access to the royal family.”
“Hypervigilance is no way to live.” Zechs took a slow breath. “That’s no way to build trust as Regent.”
“It won’t be forever.” Shakur acquiesced. “And we just have to be smart and careful about it. We Trust… but we always Verify.”
The blond guide hummed as Beck came into view, tall, blond and grinning at Ilora who began babbling up at him. Another one wrapped around the little girl’s fingers. He was also wearing the adjusted uniform on his large form that helped him and Shakur blend better into the Palace’s guard.
Une hadn’t been pleased with the increasing amount of duties the pair had taken up – liaising with the Preventers in the Catalonia Investigation, helping train the growing palace militia as well as forming better tribe bonds with the tight knit former Gundam Pilot crew. She’d already warned Zechs not to steal two of her best people. She’d already lost both him and Wufei to their ‘bonding at first site’ in her office all those years ago and it still soured her mood to think about it.
Losing Rias and Paulsen had her growling at him during their video calls. He smirked to himself.
“Is Anne still growling like a bear with a hurt paw?”
Shakur chuckled dryly. “She finally signed the paperwork to have us assigned as permanent palace liaisons. I was there when she did. That was not a happy face, for sure. Technically, we’re still Preventers but she knows that we’ll follow you and Wufei as Alphas.”
Zechs felt the warmth of the bond thrum deep in his chest, Shakur felt like the warmth of the sun on one’s face and spiced tea. Beck, in turn, felt like wind through tall trees and the scent of pine cones. They were familiar feelings to him now. Familiar and beloved as were all of the bonds that thrummed within him. Wufei and Ilora, Duo and Heero, Piotr and Michelle. All of them humming happily under his ribs.
They were his People. His Tribe. His Heart.
He turned to the man standing beside him. “I’m glad to have you with us.”
Shakur smiled, wide and easy, then turned back to look at where his guide held a giggly Ilora in his careful arms while Wufei looked on indulgently.
“We’re glad to be here.”
****************************
Place des Fondateurs
“Founders’ Square”
Auremont City
Sanq Kingdom
United Earth Sphere
The large dais built for Jour de la Lumière et la Libération**** was thankfully shaded as the mid-morning heat was already raising. Usually Sanq had beautiful mediterranean weather but sometimes the sun was merciless in the cloudless blue sky. There were vents in the dais, circulating the air because they were all dressed to the nines for the parade.
[****Day of Light and Liberation]
Zechs stood tall and regal in a dark, midnight navy blue tailoured suit with a long coat embroidered in frost blue Fuchsia flowers that shimmered in the sun like glittering snowflakes. His blond hair was swept back and hanging neatly down his back. Several bejeweled royal medals were pinned along the royal blue sash that had crossed his broad chest. He looked elegant and graceful as his deep blue eyes scanned the vast crowds.
Wufei himself was glad for the vents pumping cool air as he was wearing a custom-made white changshan or long coat, changpao or tunic with white pants. Over it all he’d donned an ancient dǒupěng restored from the hidden L5 stores. It was a heavy thing, floor length and embroidered with a massive red and gold dragon that symbolized royalty and power in ancient, pre-colony China.
The serpent swirled around his shoulders, the sleek body and tail snaking its way around his body. It was magnificent and ridiculous and a blatant symbol to the government, the elite and to the general masses that Chang Wufei, former Preventer, former Gundam Pilot, Heir to the Shen Long Chang Jia of L5 cluster was a worthy consort to the royal throne and a power in his own right.
Ilora stood primly between them, adorable in a lavender coloured dress. It was simple in comparison to her fathers, almost too simple; but it was tailoured perfectly and suited her coloring wonderfully. Purple diamonds hung on a thin gold chain around her neck, in ear studs and on the hair clips in her blonde tresses. She had on small white gloves, frilly white socks and matching white mary-janes, looking picture perfect and calm in the face of such public scrutiny.
It was only Wufei’s hand steady on her shoulder that alerted him to her slight tremble. He gave her a soft squeeze and she looked up at him with a sweet and grateful smile. He returned it to her, hearing the uptick in camera shutter clicks as reporters raced to capture such a cute moment. He could feel Zechs smug satisfaction over their bond. Their plan was working.
It was the first public appearance as a family since the coronation, Ilora hardly attending any public or even private events since becoming princess. They were all fiercely protective of the girl. She was way too young for the kind of attention and speculation royalty usually drew. Still, she was handling it beautifully and he was so proud of her.
Paulsen and Beck were at their backs, Heero and Duo much further out as they ran the inner and outer perimeters of the security zones. Ilora’s Au Pair and body guard, Charlotte, was also standing nearby; pretty and quiet and deadly with a bladed weapon. Emma’s death had hit both Duo and Ilora hard so Charlotte or Charlie as they called her, was wearing the latest in bulletproof technology and had at least six weapons hidden about her person.
Other nobles and government officials jockeyed for position on the dais, several people who smiled to his face and smelled like deception among them. It was difficult to face them with a pleasant expression but he’d been practicing keeping his extra senses hidden since he’d first emerged. Meditation and Zechs’ presence in the back of his mind also helped him from grabbing the nearest sword and running some asshole through the gut.
The roar of the crowd surged as the parade began, a sea of colours undulating as they waved small flags and printed souvenir signs. Behind them and beyond the bustling port authority, the crystal blue waters of the Saint-Cyran Bay glistened in the distance. The flag ship of the Sanq Royal Naval Corps, the SNS Lumière, sat in between the massive rail guns mounted at the mouth of the bay. Sanq may have been a pacifist nation from its early days but they knew that it took a show of strength and the willingness to use it in order to defend their people.
The ship’s cannons fired as the sharp looking troops marched neatly along the wide boulevard and presented arms, the crowd surging at the spectacle. Next came the Royal Defense Force and Border Patrol followed by the Sanqian Aerospace and Surveillance Division and the Humanitarian Corps. Three towering Mobile Suits followed them and were part of the kingdom’s Five Suit Mobile Branch. Though they were mostly used for Search and Rescue during natural disasters, they were combat capable and piloted by the small elite Flying Aces Unit under the SASD.
Almost all of the branches had been whittled down to nothing under Relena and it was tough work getting the branches staffed and trained; the struggling ranks swelling as many able bodied people were willing to serve their country. Nothing could break their collective spirit, not the Wars, not Alliance Occupation, not even Zechs’ role in White Fang.
Nothing could keep Sanq down. They really were a nation of survivors. Wufei admired them.
Zechs gave a speech, along with a few politicians and nobles; thankfully keeping good time as people began to grow restless in the sun. Ilora was here adorable self, breaking the building tension when she tugged at her father’s coat and was scooped up into his arms. Wufei stepped closer, giving the press another fantastic photo op and building good PR with the masses.
Heero appeared to escort them to the after party at the palace and stayed by the Regent’s side for the rest of the day. Duo personally took over with Ilora, letting Beck and Shakur pull back to the perimeter. One of Duo’s spook squad took up place as Wufei’s shadow. Not too close but near enough to react if needed. The public garden space at the palace looked up at the golden mountain that gave the capital its name, the setting sun almost seemed to make the peak gleam and glow, a stunning sight that dominated most of their post cards and other tourist paraphernalia.
Wufei shed the dǒupěng, feeling much lighter as he made the social rounds; keeping an eye on his husband and daughter as he made polite small talk and glad handed. He hated it as much as Zechs did but they’d had a long and brutally honest conversation before Zechs agreed to take up the throne about what would be expected from them both so he knew exactly what he’d been waking into.
It was worth it though… Ilora’s future was worth it.
“If Clifton Bickam looks down the new Duchess Montrose’s ample bosom while he kisses her front cheeks one more time…” Maxwell’s soto voice came through his ear wig. “… he’s going to find Duke Montrose’s patent leather boot right up between his back cheeks. The guy looks ready to string the old lech old by his equally old gonads.”
Wufei bit back a smile, keeping his face politely interested in whatever joke the congressman in front of his was telling the small circle gathered. He let himself smile as the punchline was dropped, snapping a quick glance to the grinning Deathscythe pilot as he huffed a soft breath. Maxwell really had such a mouth on him.
“As long as he doesn’t do it on palace grounds.” Heero added rather matter of factly, “… I don’t want to see that kind of thing. Catching Doctor J coming out of a cold shower that one time was enough to put me off dried dates forever.”
Wufei clenched his jaw as Maxwell’s choking came through the air wig. He glanced over to see Zechs’ closing his eyes and taking a deep breath, no doubt trying to ignore the comedy review happening somewhere behind him.
“Jesus. Hee-chan. Give a guy some warning.”
Maxwell was coughing into a fist to mask his laughter but Wufei was admittedly amazed. The Wing Zero pilot he’d known from the first war would have never made a joke so easily, so readily. It just showed the amazing progress Duo had managed achieve in the time with the sentinel since their reunion. Yuy was relaxed, the personality that had all been beaten out of him by Doctor J re-emerging from the cold hard shell he’d been imprisoned within.
Duo had freed him of that. Freed him from J’s conditioning… freed him from Winner’s and Relena’s grasp… freed from the deep coma he’d been trapped in for too long. Duo had come in like a whirlwind into all of their lives and brightened their world like a small super nova. His personality, his humour, his brilliance, his optimism and his wide smile… all of it like water in the desert, bringing life and growth and quenching a long suffered thirst.
Wufei was both honoured and glad to call him friend. They’d both come so far from the boys they’d been. Frightened, angry boys thrown into a war not of their own making. Wufei hiding behind his anger, Duo behind his irreverence; both hiding deep loss of everything they’d ever loved.
But he under stood Duo better now, he understood himself now. They’d both grown so much in the years since they’d first met. Both had come a long way from the child soldiers they’d been forced to be. Duo was a good friend. A brother in everything but blood. A trusted compatriot, fellow warrior and beloved part of the tribe.
“Awww. I wuv you too, Wu-bear.”
Warm emotion came through the bond and he glanced over to find said braided pilot smiling one of his small and genuine smiles at him. Wufei blinked and fought down a flush. Oops. It seemed that he’d been leaking. Small pulses of affection in return from Zechs and Yuy had him ducking his head shyly, taking the opportunity to break away from the small clutch and mingle once more.
The party was still going strong, no one looking even remotely ready to go home. He traded a look with Zechs – Ilora had been starting to flag. At their nod, Duo quickly stepped in and whisked the princess away with her team, re-appearing a while later and taking up post at Wufei’s side.
“Once more into the breach, milord.” he murmured to Wufei as he warily scanned the milling crowd.
Too many eager eyes were looking their way, waiting for a quiet moment to pounce. They all wanted to pull the royal consort into conversation and Wufei felt weary just thinking of the social niceties he still had to wade through. He made a bee line for the bar. It was gearing up to be a long night.
“Though ten thousand stand against me, I shall go.” he said softly around the rim of a champagne glass. “If there is no road forward, then we shall become the road.”
“Amen, brother.” Duo hummed under his breath, knowing the Wufei would hear him perfectly.
Heero just grunted while Zechs huffed a quiet chuckle.
Wufei took another sip of the bubbly, eyes roving the crowd to see if there was anyone he would actually enjoy taking too… tolerate even. He couldn’t wait until the night was over and they could all leave for the summer palace.
They really did need a break from this place.
***********************
Airspace above Saint Val-sur-Aube
“Saint on the River”
Sanq Kingdom
United Earth Sphere
“Oooh. This is niiiiice.” Duo stretched in the bucket seat, his bright eyes roving over the inside of the shuttle. This was the first time he was able to fly in the craft… well, the first time he was conscious anyway. “Bet she pilots like a dream.”
Heero was sitting across the aisle, tablet in hand as he read through the latest security reports. His sense of hearing had been turned way down because of the engines but he still heard Duo’s words. He gave him a small grin.
“I’m sure we could put in a request. Maybe take her up into orbit.”
The braided pilot bounced in his seat like a kid.
“Oh hell yes. We definitely need to see what this beauty can do.”
The ride really was nice. Smooth as expensive whiskey with cutting edge dampeners and pulse engines that he’d spent long hours researching. It made him extra glad that he’d lobbied so hard with Zechs to get one for the kingdom. Of course, they couldn’t use it for the Regent’s exclusive use but the royal military could lend it to them by request once in a while. They already had an official aircraft dedicated to transporting the Royal Family but they’d specially requested the sleek new shuttle for this trip Duo’s sake alone.
He looked over to where Zechs and Wufei were tucked into a corner, arms wrapped around each other and in their own two-person world. Both were looking forward to some time to themselves; without the noise and responsibility, the pressure and scrutiny that came with ruling. Ever since Duo had tumbled into their lives that day looking for a missing Heero, their quiet, private world had been turned upside down. Moments of peace to just be together became few and far in between and were to be treasured like dragon’s gold.
Ilora was ensconced nearby, blonde hair in neat plaits tied with ribbons; her attention narrowed on a brightly coloured tablet programmed with some brain teaser games Heero had coded. They were based on codes and cyphers and the little girl’s sharp mind seemed to soak up the information like a sponge. She was highly intelligent, according to her private tutors, but that wasn’t a surprised as both her parents were gundam pilots. Noin may have turned out to be a heinous bitch but they couldn’t deny that she was brilliant and talented. Ilora had certainly won the genetic lottery.
Duo sighed heavily and blinked at his sentinel, taking a moment to quietly contemplate his beautiful partner. Heero looked healthy. So much better than he had back at the palace that first day. He’d bulked up, eating well and staying active; steadily training his body back into pre-coma condition. His skin was tanned a healthy colour, his wild hair still refusing to be tamed. His blue eyes were bright and clear, his mouth less stern and easier to smile.
What was even better was that he looked looser, more relaxed. Not as rigid and unyielding as he’d been. Not so trapped inside his head and Doctor J’s ‘training’. He was leaving the Prefect Soldier behind and slowly becoming something else… someone else… someone new.
Someone Duo couldn’t wait to meet.
***********************
