The little girl stood at the side,
looking on at the scene before her. Curiously, she glanced at a small boy who
looked to be about her own age, sitting quietly next to the adults who seemed to
be the centre of the gathering. As though he'd felt her gaze on him, the young
boy- no more than eight or so peered through his messy blond hair, which was
flopping hopelessly into his eyes, and smiled.
Seeing her attention was
only half concentrated on the tall man making a speech up the front of the hall,
he looked quickly back to her to make sure she was still watching. Then, looking
pointedly at the man up the front, he turned back around, playfully crossed his
eyes at her, and proceeded to imitate the man.
This proved too much for
the little girl, who exploded into fits of giggles, which she tried to
suppress.
The boy, intent on making his newfound friend laugh even
harder, turned around further in his seat, catching his mamma's attention as he
did so. The boy glanced quickly at his mamma, who shot him a fond smile, and
shook her head slightly. Sighing, the boy returned to his former position,
trying to think up more ways to make the girl laugh. Unable to resist any
longer, the little boy looked up at his mamma, who had been absorbed into the
speech again. Twisting in his seat, the little boy looked towards where the girl
had been. She wasn't there. Turning further, he scanned the sides of the park
for her. Spotting her near the exit, the little boy willed her to look
back.
As though she knew, the little girl turned slowly. The boy's sense
of mischief faded as her saw the expression on her face. It was so different
from what she had been like before. Now that she was no longer laughing, he saw
the sadness that the laughter had covered. It was like all the playfulness he
had felt earlier had been sapped out of him- the little boy stared at the girl's
eyes. They were a deep innocent violet, which somehow looked as though they had
witnessed something terrible. Not so much terrible that it had scared her, but
something terrible which had taken its toll in the form of sadness, and a silent
acceptance of the things which happened around her. The sound of applause
startled him enough to cause him to glance back to see what was happening.
Quickly looking back to where he had last seen the little girl, he blinked, and
looked around again, but couldn't find her. She was gone.
Chapter
1:
Milliardo Peacecraft, heir to the throne of the Sanc kingdom, woke
with a start. Shaking his head drowsily, he pushed his blond hair out of his
eyes. Peering, his eyes sought out his alarm clock- the digits glowed, it was
four thirty in the morning. Why couldn't he have slept late for once? Flopping
back onto the bed, he lay there, staring at the ceiling of his room. He knew
that he wasn't going to be able to fall asleep again, but, he reasoned to
himself, there was no reason not to at least try to fall asleep- after all, a
little extra sleep never hurt anyone.
Still looking absently at the
ceiling, he frowned, trying to take a grasp of what he had been dreaming about.
He knew that he had been dreaming about something… something which had seemed
strangely familiar. He tried to follow the dream again, but lost what
significance it had seemed to hold just moments before. Groaning with
frustration, he buried his head under his pillow, pulling it down over his head
as hard as he could; then it hit him- it had been that dream… the one where he
had met someone that had read all he was in a single glance. The one which was
more like a memory, he thought to himself. He remembered the day clearly- it had
been almost six years ago, at a park somewhere, he couldn't remember where it
had been, and some man had been making a speech. He, as usual, had almost been
bored out of his mind with having to stay still for so long, when he had noticed
a girl about his own age staring at him from the side.
Unable to resist,
he had started pulling faces at her in imitation of the guy up the front, making
her laugh. His mamma had shaken her head at him fondly- that had been warning
enough for him to stop it. Then, he remembered, he had turned back to his new
found friend, only to have to look quickly around for her as she was no longer
where he had last seen her. Spotting her some distance away, he had thought
desperately for her to turn around to face him. She had.
He had been
surprised enough by that- it had seemed almost as though… as though she had
sensed what he had wanted- known what he had tried to do. What surprised him
further, though, had been the expression on her face. She had seemed so…
sad.
What Milliardo remembered best though, were the girl's eyes. They
had been a deep violet shade, seemingly bottomless, yet could have read his soul
in a glance. They had seemed so… he couldn't find a word to describe what he had
felt about her. It had been… well… an understanding of sorts, he concluded,
though it was more than that. He and the girl had somehow seemed connected
through something he couldn't describe- it had only been momentary, but he had
remembered it so well that even six years since the incident, he had dreamt
about it.
Not that he had ever seen her again, Milliardo grimaced. It
wasn't as though he hadn't looked for her, it was just that… well, the only way
to describe it was that she had, quite literally, disappeared.
Sighing,
he got up. Going to the adjoining bathroom, he quickly showered and brushed his
teeth, combed his hair through, and started to get dressed.
Looking
distastefully at the clothes that had been prepared for him to wear- he really
hated the formal wear; he sighed, and started putting them on. He supposed he
had to wear the stuff… he had had the argument with his mother again the night
before about how he was to dress on formal occasions, but still… he hated
dressing so formally. Today was another of the annual gatherings at the
Peacecraft palace, where all the families of the representatives of each colony
would come. According to his father, these gatherings allowed them a better
opportunity in the way of discussion concerning the peace and well fare of the
earth and the colonies of space.
Milliardo knew this was true- after all,
his father did use this chance to take up important connections to further his
goal towards total peace, but, he objected, did those officials have to bring
their families along? Milliardo, although always the perfect gentleman, taking
after his father, always had a hard time in being polite towards their wives. Oh
some of them weren't too bad, he supposed, the ones with no daughters, that is,
but he hated, absolutely hated matchmaking mothers of any sort. They always
seemed to be trying to press their daughters into dancing, talking, eating,
drinking- whatever they could seem to think of doing, with him. It was just so…
irritating sometimes.
Milliardo didn't really mind girls- that is; if
they kept to themselves- had nothing to do with him. He just couldn't seem to
stand it when the insisted on tagging around after him and he- being a gentleman
as always, always somehow seemed to find that he either had to tell them to go
away and leave him alone or, he grimaced, ask them to dance. Knowing that almost
his every movement would be watched, Milliardo avertedly always had to choose
the latter.
Hearing a knock at his door, he called out a 'come in', while
quickly pulling on his socks, and slipped his feet into a pair of
shoes.
"Morning, Pagen" he greeted the man who had come up to supervise
that the servers brought up the prince's meal properly.
"Good morning,
prince Milliardo- your mother asked me to remind you to be ready by eight- the
guests will be arriving shortly after then."
"Thanks- I'll be
there."
Pagen nodded silently, and left the room with the
servers.
Milliardo surveyed the array of trays and pitcher that had been
brought up. Grabbing a book off his bedside table, he selected a scone spread
with butter and jam of some sort, and began
eating.
~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~
Milliardo breathed a sigh of relief-
finally a break from meeting any more nobles… for the moment at least…
He
groaned inwardly as he spotted his mother and some Duchess or the other with her
daughter in tow, who was making a beeline straight for him.
"Lady
Gabrielle, this is my son, the Prince Milliardo. Milliardo- I have the pleasure
of introducing the Lady Gabrielle, Duchess of Erathia, and her daughter,
Lucretzia…"
Milliardo didn't hear the rest of his mamma's words- his eyes
were fixed on the Duchess' daughter, who had sunk into a curtsy during the
introduction, dipping her head in a gesture of ladylike recognition for her
superiors, who had looked up, as his mother had finished
speaking.
Milliardo held back a gasp as he saw a flash of momentary
disregard, annoyance- it seemed, at the ladylike behaviour she had been pressed
into display, and boredom, followed quickly by some other emotion- humour
perhaps… in her eyes. Her eyes widened slightly as some other emotion or thought
crossed her mind, but were quickly hidden again, as she dipped her head in a
meekly submissive gesture- he was sure to hide whatever it was that he had
glimpsed in those few seconds.
Those eyes…
Author's note:
… Well? How was that? (chews on fingernails nervously) did you like it? Was it
really really bad? I'm sorry!!! (Dodges rotten tomatoes among other things) but
this IS my first fic EVER- I'll try to do better… please, please, please
review!!! Even if it is to tell me I should never even attempt to write again…
oh yeah- does anyone have any suggestions about a title of some sort? Any ideas
would be greatly appreciated!!
Please give this story a chance- that was
only the first chapter… I mean… c'mon- we haven't even met Noin yet- at least…
not officially. Her 'mother' Duchess of Erathia? Don't ask me- I don't even know
how I got that name; I was a bit stuck for a name of a place though, and the
name just popped into my head, I guess.
Disclaimer: I don't own Gundam
Wing, I don't own Zechs- or Milliardo, as he is so far, I don't own anything but
this story.
