Archive of Our Own ^beta

Chapter Text

The docks are quiet exactly as expected. The Games always promised spectacle and so everyone went to watch. Everyone. Including those that were supposed to be guarding the ships. That's perfectly fine for me. I don't need witnesses.

Four… Five… Six… There. Berth Seven. Orb's flagship, the Izumo. Now if these schematics are right then—

"Lacus!"

I drop down to the floor. Damn it! I can hear two sets of footsteps—No. Three sets.

"Where are you going?! You just got here!"

I know that voice. That's the Prince of Decembrius. Heh. A lover's quarrel then? I can't help it. I lean over as much as I dare to see what's going on. A few berths away is the Prince and his betrothed, the Princess of Aprilius. He's grabbed her arm and stopped her and her escort from nearing their shuttle. I can't see his face, but I can see her's. She's not happy.

"Please let me go, Athrun. I have to get home," she demands, pulling her arm free. He doesn't make a move to grab it again.

"But you just got here," the Prince says again, and I can hear his frustration from here. "Stay! Watch a demonstration or two! Have a drink! Be seen with me! We're supposed to be engaged, aren't we?!"

"Yes! Of course!" she cries. She places a gentle hand on his chest, but the way his shoulder's tense tell me he's not placated by the gesture. "I just can't stand to be here, that's all."

"Is this about Kira?" he whispers, but his voice still carries in the cavernous docks. "Because if it is—"

"It's not!" she snaps, her eyes blazing with anger. "I have told you before, there is nothing between me and the Duke! We're friends! That's all!"

"Then why not stay here with me?!"

"Because I hate this!"

Her sudden scream even made me jump. The Princess is usually so quiet and reserved. I don't think I've ever heard her raise her voice like that.

"We just finished fighting a war," she continues, softer this time. "I don't know how you can stand playing at one."

Damn. Here I was hoping she'd confirm the rumors between her and the Duke. My master would have loved to hear it. No matter.

The Prince sighs. "I don't like it either. None of us do. But it's our duty as princes of the PLANTs. And Kira's as the host."

"And I have duties on Aprilius I have to see to. Goodbye, Athrun."

She and her escort board the shuttle. The Prince stays where he is for a minute, as though he's hoping that she's going to disembark and run into his arms. But she doesn't. The shuttle launches and the Prince, shoulders sagging, leaves the docks.

Perfect. Coast now clear, I continue my search around the ship. Outer control panel… Where are you…? These schematics must be old, it's not where it's designated to be. These Orb idiots, always changing things that don't need to be changed. One would think that a country half built by Coordinators would make more sensible designs but no, of course not. The Naturals in control of the damned country are—

There it is. The panel pops open, revealing the diagnostic screen. I plug in my palm computer and start copying down the override programs. Shouldn't take too long…

The sound of giggling floats to my ears. Now what? I flatten myself against the hull and peak around as much as I dare. Who is it—Oh. Now that is interesting. As if the Prince and Princess speaking about him summoned him. The new Duke of Copernicus is daliancing with the Baroness of Heliopolis. He has her pinned to the hull of one of the nearby ships, his face buried between her breasts while the top of her dress was half open and his hands were up her skirt. Well then.

"I can't be missing long," she moans, threading her fingers into his hair. "And you have a date coming."

"I have time," he purrs before getting on his knees and diving under her skirt.

The soft beeping of my computer pulls my attention back. Thank the gods for espionage keeping me from becoming a dirty voyeur. Transfer done, it's time for the real work to begin. Time to get onto my knees and start crawling underneath the ship.

The pockets for the ablative gel are easy enough to locate. Even easier then to start snipping the wires surrounding them. Or, it would be if I wasn't having to listen to the erotic moaning of that harlot. Why can't the nobility keep their indiscretions behind closed doors? Doing it out in the open like this is asking to get caught. Though, they probably thought as my master did; that the docks would be abandoned and it was a safe enough place to be indiscreet. The difference, of course, being that I have a job to do. They are just horny.

"Kira! Kira, it's time! He's going to be here any second!" the baroness hissed, again the whispered voices carrying in the vast space.

He? As much as I don't care for the romances of the nobles, I'm sure my master would be intrigued to find out who the Duke is seeing so clandestinely. I'm almost done snipping wires anyway. I army crawl my way back towards the bow of the ship so I can see what's going on. The Duke has removed himself from the skirts of the Baroness and is nuzzling into her neck.

"I love you, Flay." His words are like an oath so strong even I can feel his devotion. Lucky girl. I'm almost jealous.

"I love you too," she purrs, kissing him on the nose. She shoves him out of their little hiding spot, smirking. "Go get 'im, tiger. And have fun."

Her timing is impeccable. She vanishes into the shadows of the docked ships just as a new person walked in. Damn, I could only see his shoes from here!

"What do you want, Yamato?!" Ah, that is the unmistakably bratty voice of the Marquis of Onogoro.

"Whoa! What's with the attitude? I just wanna talk!" the Duke laughs, throwing his hands up in surrender.

The Marquis approached, I can see him properly now, hands on his hips and a pout on his face. "Or you can just let your fancy new machine do the talking and leave me alone? You've really disappointed my Princess, ya know!"

"Disappointing someone I've never met. That's a first," the Duke said wryly. "How did I earn this ire? And why isn't she here to levy these accusations herself?"

"She's in Orb, taking take of things while we're all up here. And she'll be disappointed because the Strike was her favorite machine to watch at the Games."

"I'm her favorite? I'm honored."

"The machine! Not it's pilot! Asshole. Now what do you want?!"

"I want to talk to you." The Duke takes a few steps forward, adjusting until he has the same posture he was using with the Baroness. He dips his head and brushes his hand against the Marquis' cheek. "Don't think I haven't noticed you watching me all these years."

"I-I don't know what you're talking about." Oh but those blazing red cheeks give you away, Marquis.

"Shinn." The Duke's tone is stern, and he grabs the Marquis' chin and forces him to look him in the eyes. I can see the Marquis melting from here. "Yes you do."

"So what if I was?" the Marquis sniffed, trying to pull free of the Duke's grip to no avail. "Maybe I was just looking for a weak spot?"

I may not be able to see the Duke's face, but I can feel his eyes rolling.

"Leave the games for the battlefield, Shinn," the Duke chuckles. "Let's make this easy. I want you. I know you want me. Your quarters or mine?"

As if to cut off any more ill crafted excuses, the Duke leaned down and sealed his lips over the Marquis'. Well. If nothing else the boy's got balls. And it looks like his gamble paid off as the Marquis grabs his hair and pulls him closer. Goodness. Watching them kiss is almost more debauched than watching the Duke eating out the Baroness. Thankfully for my sanity they stumble out of the docks, presumably to find a room. There's a small part of my that's happy for the Marquis as I go back to finishing my work. At least he's getting some fun in while he can.

After all, in a few days he'll be dead.

Chapter Text

From a young age, Cagalli knew two solitary truths about her life. The first was that, inevitably, she would die. She had seen death come for her grandmother, her uncle, and then her poor mother. Death would come for her father, too, which led to learning of her second truth.

One day she would be Queen.

She would be The Queen Regnant of Orb. The God given right to rule was in her very blood. It was a noble occupation that she both wished for and dreaded. She wanted nothing more than to lead her people in health and prosperity. To do so would mean the death of her one constant companion and only protector: her dear father.

Something else the Princess had learned, something that she saw as less truth and more inevitability, was that people would eventually betray you. That betrayal could come in a variety of ways, she realized. Either in the innocuous act of death and thus betraying loved ones by leaving them behind or by the sinister and having an active hand in one's downfall. She'd seen it all in her 18 years on the earth and thought she was more than prepared for anything life was going to throw at her.

~*~

Dawn streamed once more through the gap in the curtains, alighting upon her eyes and dragging her from her slumber. Normally she would bitch, moan, and complain about her waking and pull the covers over her head to get at least ten more minutes of rest. But that morning had a particularly queer feel about it. If she had to put it to words, she felt like she'd awoken a changed woman even though nothing of note had happened in the evening. Or perhaps there was just change in the air.

While she lay in bed puzzling over it all, her bedroom door was thrown open. There was only one person on Orb who would dare do that. Cagalli immediately sat up, grinning brightly when she saw her cousin walking in.

"Did you miss me?" Shinn asked, a broad grin plastered on his face while he closed the door behind him.

"We weren't expecting you back until tomorrow!" Cagalli cheered.

"Yeah, well, Copernicus sucked and I didn't want to stick around for any of the formalities," Shinn huffed. He flopped down on his back in the bed next to her, making himself comfortable on top of the sheets.

"Did you make Orb proud, Marquis?" Cagalli asked with a chuckle. She laid back down as well, on her side so she could look him.

"Of course I did. The Impulse and I put on a fantastic show for those cocksnobbled folderalls," Shinn snorted, scowling so hard that Cagalli wondered if that frown would become sentient. Shinn jolted suddenly, turning over so he could face her and snapped, "That God forsaken Duke is an asshole!"

Here we go. "Which one?"

"The Duke of Copernicus!" The disgusted face Shinn made said everything Cagalli needed to know about his thoughts on Kira Yamato. "God! I hit all my targets center mass. One hit, boom, finished! Efficient. But him? He refused to take a single kill shot. He spent more time and energy disabling the targets instead of killing them and everyone was singing his praising about that. Disgusting. And don't get me started on that lily-liveried prince."

Cagalli didn't have to say anything. She knew Shinn would start ranting in his own time about the nobles he'd just been forced into contact with at the Summit. The Military Games played between the numerous Earth kingdoms and the various ruling families of the PLANTs were nothing new. Only now that Shinn's father's health was beginning to fail him, Shinn was having to step into more responsibility. This wasn't his first time representing Orb in the Games, he and the Impulse had made quite a name for themselves, but this was his first time there in the Duke's stead and rubbing shoulders with the nobility. Shinn wasn't a charmer, he was a solider, and it often showed in his brusk attitudes towards the peerage.

"Which prince is that?" Cagalli asked gently, unable to stop herself from stirring the pot. "The Prince of Martius? What was his name again? It started with a Y… Yzak! I never liked him. Or that butt buddy of his the Prince of Febuarius who keeps sniffing around the skirts of my ladies? If Mir sees him again, she might punch him."

"Worse. The Prince of Decembrius. The snake Athrun Zala."

Ah. Him. Not that Cagalli actually knew most of these people. She'd never been permitted to leave Orb and only knew what the news reported and from the few times that some of them deigned to come to her country. Like Dearka and Yzak. Dearka had been dragged to Orb by his father on official business and had taken a liking to Cagalli's Chief Lady in Waiting, the Marchioness Miriallia. Since then, they could hardly keep Dearka out of the country. Occasionally he was joined by Yzak who usually did his best to become one with the shadows. When he wasn't picking fights, that is.

Athrun was one Cagalli never got to meet. Of him, she only knew the bare facts: his age, his military record, his engagement to the Princess of Aprilius. He barely appeared in the news or papers so she hadn't seen a photo of him in years. A veritable recluse; it was no wonder Shinn didn't like him.

"And what makes the Prince such a snake? Is he actually or did he just call you out on your shit and you didn't like it?" Shinn's scowled deepened, answering her question. She knew her cousin rather well, after all.

"We... might have had words in the armory before maneuvers," Shinn grumbled. "But I'm telling you, he's weak willed. The man doesn't have a spine."

"Ugh, I really don't want to talk about spineless princess and slithery dukes," Cagalli groaned. She started shoving Shinn out of bed with a chuckle on her lips. "Get out of my room so I can dress. I want to go riding!"

~*~

There was nothing quite like a brisk horseback ride through Orb's sprawling parks and rolling hills. The salt stained wind that whipped through one's hair was second to none. It was also the closest to freedom the Princess could get. One day, she swore, she'd soar through the sky.

Beating Shinn in race after race would have to do for now.

"Your Highness!"

Cagalli had to bite back her groan of annoyance as she pulled her horse to a gentle stop. She turned to their new companion, forcing a smile onto her face.

"Count Seiran, what a surprise," Cagalli greeted as Shinn pulled up beside her. "Did you run away from the Games early as well?"

"Yes, well, like the right honorable Marquis, I found they were rather tedious this year and simple had to escape," Yuna answered with a sickly sweet smile of his own. He pulled his own horse along Cagalli's other side and the three started off at a walk down the park's path. He nodded to Shinn, his grin slipping for a second as he bit out, "My Lord."

"Sir," Shinn greeted just as tightly.

"Tedious in what way?" Cagalli asked, cocking her head in confusion. "It always looks thrilling from what I see on the news."

"It was the company this year, Highness," Yuna said with a wistful sigh. "It was swarming with the PLANT princes all trying to make names for themselves now that most have come of age after a war. And the newly minted Duke of Copernicus was a terrible host. Wildly under prepared."

"Just because there wasn't overflowing wine and scantily clad women does not mean the Duke was a poor host," Shinn chimed in with a tight grin.

"Scantily clad women?" Cagalli asked in a shock. "I though the Games were respectable!"

"They are. It's the Count who is a cad," Shinn said with a chuckle.

Yuna simply rolled his eyes. "I wouldn't expect you to understand, My Lord. You spend all your time in the cockpit but for those of us in the audience, we were lacking a certain amount of… expected entertainment."

"Perhaps the Duke wished for everyone to pay attention to the demonstrations this year instead of focusing on shoving hands down pants."

"Rather like your dear little sister, hm?"

"Did you get to meet the Princess Lacus?" Cagalli interjected before Shinn could launch himself over Cagalli to throttle Yuna. "I heard she was there, but I was in with the Cabinet and didn't get to watch most of the proceedings."

Yuna nodded, grateful for the change of subject no matter how minor. "Yes, the Princess was there, but only briefly. She gave an address and then scurried back to Aprilius. I suspect it has something to do with the rumors of her and the Duke. Indiscreet rumors, Highness."

"I see," Cagalli chuckled. It always ended up coming back to that. Despite all the woes of the world, for some reason conversations among the peerage always ended up returning to who was sleeping with who. "And the mobile suits? I heard Duke Yamato made quite the impression in the Strike this year. I missed his demonstration."

"Ah! He wasn't in the Strike! He was debuting a new mobile this year," Yuna said with a conspiratorial grin.

"His new machine is called the Freedom," Shinn explained with less pomp than Yuna was gearing up for. "It was a gift from the Princess for his ascension to Duke. The Freedom's sister machine, the Justice, was gifted to Prince Athrun. They both debuted this year."

"Oh what a shame. The Strike was my favorite." Cagalli pouted, making both the men chuckle.

"I will say this for the Freedom: it is a strikingly beautiful machine," Shinn said with a small smile. "I'll dig out some pictures for you later. The silhouette the wings make are a thing of true beauty."

Yuna clicked his tongue, annoyed, and noisily adjusted his grip on his reigns. "Well this was fun, but I do have pressing matters to attend to. Highness, My Lord."

Without another word, Yuna spurred his horse and galloped off. Cagalli felt her shoulders sag in relief. His presence raised her hackles ever since they were children and it had only gotten worse with age. The way he often looked at her, like she was a piece of meat and not a human, sent her gut roiling. Shinn, too, judging by the twisted look on his face.

"What was that he said about Mayu?" Cagalli asked carefully.

Shinn snorted. "She's up there looking for a husband. I kept telling her that drooling all over the pilots was a bad idea, but she didn't listen! When the time comes, Father and I will make an appropriate match for her, but that's a long time off."

"She's young. And this is her first time in space, isn't it? Let her have some fun," Cagalli chided him with a giggle. "How is your dear father, speaking of."

"Not great," Shinn answered, heaving a heavy sigh. "The travel alone for the Games took a toll on him; he was down for the count the first three days. If Mama and Mayu weren't there to make sure he gets home in one piece, I wouldn't have left, but… I don't think he's long for this world…"

Cagalli reached over to give his shoulder a sympathetic squeeze, to which he gave a small smile in return. They had been talking long and hard over recent months of what would be expected of Shinn when his father passed and he ascended to the dukedom but the thought of the death of a parent was never an easy one. Family meant more to Shinn than anything else; Cagalli knew this was killing him inside.

"I'll race you back to the palace," she offered with a grin. It wasn't much, she knew that, but there was little else she could do to raise his spirits.

The gesture was enough and Shinn picked his head up, forcing on a grin. "You're on."

~*~

"How am I supposed to find a proper husband if you're not here to meet any of the suitors?!"

Shinn couldn't help but laugh, shaking his head at his little sister. Her face on the screen pouted, making him give her a fond smile.

"I told you, when you're ready we will find you a husband," Shinn reiterated for a nth time that week. "Mayu, you're fourteen. You have plenty of time." When Mayu turned on the puppy dog eyes, Shinn sighed, defeated. "Make a list of the men you liked. Maybe we'll invite them to Onogoro when the season starts."

"Oh speaking of invitations! The Princess de Loussier was looking for you!" Mayu cheered, smiling brightly at her big brother.

"Who?"

Mayu rolled her eyes. "Stella de Loussier, the Princess Royal of France. She couldn't stop talking about your demonstration in the Impulse and she wants to meet you! She's been talking to Father about arranging a state visit to Orb!" Shinn just hummed noncommittally, which made Mayu scowl. "What's with the face?! A princess might want to marry you!"

"Maybe I don't want to marry a princess?" Shinn shot back. Like his cousin, he was also rather agitated that all his conversations were turning to marriage lately.

"Why not? We're practically royalty ourselves! You are in the direct line of succession! Besides, you have a duty to—"

"And I don't need my little sister to lecture me on my responsibilities," Shinn continued, now glaring at the screen. "Whatever. Go back and enjoy the party. We'll see you tomorrow."

"But, Shinn—"

"Good night, Mayu."

Shinn disconnected the call and sat back heavily in his chair. He wasn't of a mind to marry. Not when there was a distinct pair of violet eyes consuming his day dreams.

~*~

The next morning found the citizens of Orb gathered around the Kaguya spaceport eagerly awaiting the return of their king and his court. The crowds were gathered, the band was tuning, reporters were making short announcements into their cameras, and Cagalli was wringing her fingers. Something wasn't right. They should have been able to see the ship, but the sky was empty. She kept looking through the telescope that was trained on the reentry coordinates. But there was nothing.

"I'm sure they were just delayed leaving Copernicus," Colonel Kisaka reasoned after Cagalli checked the telescope again. "Everyone is leaving the colony today. Perhaps there was a… a traffic jam."

"A traffic jam?" Shinn echoed with a scoff. But when he caught Cagalli's worried look, he backpedaled fast. "I mean yeah! It's totally just a traffic jam. Too many people trying to leave at once would clog the… space."

"I'm sure they're just fine, My Lady," Kisaka said gently. "The Izumo will be here any—"

"I see something!" Cagalli cried.

The band started playing at her proclamation. A wave of excitement washed over the crowed but it didn't reach the royal box. Cagalli adjusted the telescope. Something about what she was seeing was off. The clouds were still obscuring most of the sky, but she could see the darkening dot of the ship approaching.

No. Dots. Plural.

"By the Gods," Cagalli whispered as the clouds parted.

Someone pointed at the sky and screamed. Panic took hold of the crowd now as the people scrambled to vacate the area. The reporters were desperately trying to capture the scene, the dread clear in their voices. The soldiers on land were scrambling to board their ships as they knew they would be imminently launching.

All Cagalli could do was watch in horror as the burning pieces of Orb's royal flagship hurtled like fireballs towards the earth.

Chapter Text

"Father, may I ask you something?"

"Of course, my child. Come, sit. What is it you wish to ask me?"

"How do you stay so calm when Kisaka is telling you bad news? Aren't you frightened?"

"Ah. That's the secret of a great monarch. When something goes wrong, always give yourself five seconds to panic. Turn away from everyone so no one can see your worry, take your five seconds, and return to the conversation with a cool head."

"But what if it's really horrible? What then?"

"Still allow yourself your five seconds, but not one second more. When something horrible happens, the people will look to us for guidance and strength. We can show them nothing but. Do you understand, Cagalli?"

~*~

One.

The screaming of the crowd filled her ears.

Two.

Someone slammed her to the ground as debris soared past them.

Three.

Stampeding feet thundered past her view.

Four.

Fear consumed her.

Five.

"Colonel!" Cagalli called, shoving Shinn off her as she stood. Kisaka snapped to attention, as did the other officers around him. "Get every available mobile suit in the water now. Shinn, that means you too. We need as many hands as possible to fish the wreckage out. Launch our ships and get life boats ready for any survivors."

"Yes, Ma'am!" the soldiers all cried at once.

Shinn and several others bolted towards the armory while Kisaka tried to usher Cagalli back towards the car. Instead she dove under his arm and caught up with the admiral as he walked the gangplank.

"Ma'am, this isn't wise. You should go where it is safe," the admiral tried to reason, even as Cagalli blew past him and onto the ship.

"I will go where I am needed and I am needed here," Cagalli snapped, turning to glare at the admiral and a few other officers that had assembled to try and stop her. "We are wasting time! The wreckage will hit the water any minute and we need to be ready for the survivors. Get back to your stations. Now!"

Kisaka made it up the gangplank and grabbed Cagalli's arm. "Your Highness—"

"Call ahead to the hospitals. Tell them to send doctors and ambulances to the docks," Cagalli continued to instruct even as she pulled her arm free. She desperately hoped no one could see how badly she was shaking. "And have plenty of body bags on hand. Go, Colonel."

"… Yes, Ma'am."

~*~

"And now to our anchor Max Christopholis who is on the ground in Orb. Max, what's going on down there?"

"Thanks, Jack. What started off as a celebration quickly turned into a nightmare when King Izumi Nara Athha's ship, the Izumo , returning from the annual Military Games on the moon, suffered a catastrophic failure during reentry. By the time it was in sight, the ship had already broken in half. The wreckage hit the water an hour ago and the ongoing rescue effort you van see behind me is being coordinated by Orb's princess, Cagalli Yulla Athha, from her place on board the ONS Sakura. This is footage we got earlier of the Princess boarding a life boat and dragging people out of the water herself."

"Incredible. And what of the king? He was traveling with quite the entourage; have any of them been found?"

"As of yet, the King and the two dozen nobles who accompanied him are still unaccounted for. And of the two hundred and fifty eight souls on board, no one had yet been found alive."

"Any word on what caused the accident?"

"The palace has yet to release an official statement, but as the two most senior nobles are both busy with the rescue, we doubt it will be coming any time soon. But I'll keep you updated as this story unfolds. Back to you in the—"

Athrun muted the tv and tossed the remote back onto the coffee table. What a horrific disaster. He looked across the table to Kira, who was keeping such focus on the cards in his hand that Athrun knew it was in an effort not to panic. Before Athrun could say anything to comfort his friend, his father scoffed from the armchair.

"That was no accident. I know sabotage when I see it," Patrick huffed as he pushed himself up to stand. "That was an assassination. And it's Orb's own fault! Traveling the entire royal entourage on the same ship."

"Father, please!" Athrun chided, earning him a harsh glare. "Two hundred people are dead. We should be showing sympathy, not placing blame."

"Who do you think the Earth kingdoms will blame for this, hm? No one is going to believe this was a mechanical failure and if the people of Orb don't demand blood for the death of their king than the other Naturals will on their behalf!" Patrick cried, flinging his hand towards the tv. "We need to head this off at the pass. We need to show Orb that we are friends. Athrun, Kira, prepare to leave for Orb in a couple of days."

"We can go right now!" Kira said eagerly, slamming his cards down on the table. "We could jump in our machines and help with the rescue ef—"

"Absolutely not!" Patrick cried, the force of it sending Kira back into his seat. "In case that was an attack instead of sabotage, both of you are staying here until we can assure that it's safe! Then you will go to Orb."

"Go to Orb?" Athrun asked, sharing a confused look with Kira. "To what end, if not to help with the rescue?"

"To give the girl who will likely be the new Queen in the next twenty four hours your sympathies, well wishes, and to assure her that you and your resources are at her disposal to catch the villains that murdered her father," Patrick explained carefully. "Perhaps you could even secure a betrothal between the Queen and Kira to form a permanent alliance!"

Kira made a strangled noise at the prospect, which made Patrick roll his eyes. "Must I teach you boys everything? Orb will need to rebuild it's peerage and it will seek to do so with strong marriages. Make sure you get there first and make a good impression on her!"

"Of course, Father," Athrun agreed with a heavy sigh. "We'll prepare to leave as soon as we can. But I wonder. If we're sure that the Princess will be ascending to her crown, should we not arrive with some kind of gift for her? Something worthy of her station."

Patrick hummed, scratching his chin in thought. "Did you have something in mind?"

"As a matter of fact," Athrun began, locking eyes with Kira and giving him a wink, "I did."

~*~

"Almost two hundred bodies have now been recovered from the wreckage. Of those still unaccounted for are the King and—"

"Kira~ Turn that off and come to bed~"

Kira smirked as lithe, naked arms circled around his neck from behind. He finished the line of code he'd been typing and closed his laptop, but he didn't turn off the tv, he just muted it. Instead he leaned back into the supple body behind him and hummed happily.

"I'll need to leave for Orb first thing in the morning. Don't you want to spend every second with me that you can?" Flay cooed, leaning down to peck a kiss to his temple.

"I'll be joining you there soon enough; there's no need to rush anything," Kira answered, pressing a line of kisses to her arm even as his eyes were still fixed on the news broadcast. "The King is sending Athrun and I as envoys."

"That's good news. You'll be able to ask the Queen yourself for permission for us to marry," Flay purred into his ear. "You will ask her, won't you? You'll get her to break my engagement to Sai so we can be happy?"

"The King has plans that I should wed her, actually," Kira muttered. He was getting distracted by the broadcast. People were scrambling out and he reached for the remote to unmute it.

"—es! Yes, there were survivors found in an air pocket in the armory! They're being brought up now and—Wait. We have confirmation one of the survivors is the Countess of Onogoro, Mayu Asuka!"

"Oh, thank God," Kira breathed, pulling himself from Flay's arms so he could lean closer to the television.

The camera was shaking as the operator was running towards the docs where the life boats with the survivors were being sailed in. Then the camera jolted and toppled over, making Kira jolt in his seat as well. When the camera righted itself, he saw the Impulse for the first time since the news started, freshly landed near the docks. Shinn was already on the ground by the time the camera was focused again and he was scooping up one of the girls from the life boat. She was covered in blood and Kira was almost certain she was missing a leg. Shinn was crying as he carried her towards an ambulance. Seeing him alive and well eased the tension that had been growing in Kira's heart.

"A heartwarming reunion between brother and sister, even in the wake of tragedy."

"Did he capture your imagination like I said he would?" Flay asked, pointed to Shinn on the screen.

"He did indeed," Kira confirmed with a sly smile. "You make the best choices, my love."

"Mmmm, yes I know," Flay purred, pressing herself into Kira's back once again. "I just had a thought."

"Thrill me," Kira murmured, muting the TV once more so he could focus on peppering kisses along her arms.

"What if you married the Queen and I married Shinn?" Flay suggested as she nipped at Kira's ear. "Then the four of us could—"

"No!" Kira shouted in horror. He spun his chair around, almost throwing Flay to the floor if he hadn't grabbed her and hauled her into his lap. He reigned in his disgust to put on a charming smile and coo, "I mean. The only woman I want is you."

"Well what if what I want is to be the filling of a ducal sandwich?" Flay asked with a giggle. She had to pull up the bottom of her very short nightgown, exposing her bare ass, and properly settled down in his lap.

Kira immediately grabbed a butt cheek in either hand and squeezed. "I think that can be arranged, my love. But for now…"

He stood, Flay squealing happily in his arms, and carried her off to bed.

~*~

A gentle knock on the door made Cagalli jump. It had been a laboriously long day with more still to do, but Cagalli had been forced into a cabin to try and get some rest. She hadn't stopped moving since she started barking orders and now they were forcing her to relax. She tried, truly, but there was so much in her brain that she couldn't sleep. What she did do was pass out at the desk until someone knocked on the door.

"Yes?" she called, hearing the exhaustion in her own voice and wincing.

The door opened and Shinn walked in, shoulders slumped and hair ruffled, looking (and probably feeling) just as haggard as she did.

"How's Mayu?" Cagalli asked, sitting up a little straighter.

Shinn sighed as he sat heavily on the bed. He wrung his hands as he said, "She lost her leg. Above the knee. Apparently when the ship started breaking apart she was thrown and some debris pinned her. Basically cut half way through the leg right there and then. They were trying to get it off her when the ship hit the water and the armory started filling up. They could have either left her there to drown or…"

"Gods above, I'm so sorry," Cagalli breathed, feeling her heart stuttering at the story.

"Everyone we pulled out of that air pocket survived," Shinn added with a small smile. "All twelve of them. Little miracles and all that. Well, not really a miracle, the armory is the most reinforced part of the ship. I'm not surprised that's where we found survivors."

"The only survivors," Cagalli muttered. "At least someone lived."

Shinn nodded gravely. "They just pulled up the last of the wreckage and are transferring it to the dry dock as we speak. They're still pulling bodies out of the water and the wreckage but…"

"Not my father's," Cagalli finished for him with a weary sigh. "Or yours. Or any of the other court members on the ship."

"I've been told that we need to think about what comes next," Shinn said quietly. "We're the two most senior nobles still alive. We… You are the heir apparent. The country is in your hands and there are decisions only you can make. And they need to be made. Now."

Cagalli hummed. The decisions to be made were obvious. Does she declare the court dead and start rebuilding or wait to see if anyone was found? She was too exhausted to feel dread or worry or anxiety. It felt rather like she skipped right to the last step of grieving already. Acceptance had been sinking in with every body she dragged from the water. With every person who's heart stopped beating in her arms while they raced them to shore. With all the blood and viscera that she swam through to look for at least one person alive.

She knew what she had to do.

"We keep going until morning," Cagalli said, even as she pulled pen and paper from the desk drawers. "Widen the search radius again. Keep checking in with the Australian ships that came to help and get in contact with the Philippines and Indonesia and every other island nation around us and see if anyone washed up on shore. Then…" She poised her pen over the page, breath shuddering. "Then I'll make an announcement in the morning."

"Very good, Ma'am, I'll inform the admiral." Shinn nodded and pushed himself off the bed. He stood in front of Cagalli and gave her a quick bow. "Your Majesty."

Cagalli sputtered a little, her pen stuttering across the page. "You don't have—"

"I think we both know that I do."

The grave look Shinn leveled her with made every word of protest die in Cagalli's throat. Yes, they both knew, even if she didn't want to admit it just yet. She went back to drafting her speech, trying to put into words the thing she knew in her heart to be the truth.

Her father was dead and she was Queen.

~*~

"We're live in Orb where a statement is going to be made any minute now by the Princess regarding yesterday's disaster."

Athrun practically launched himself over the back of the couch, landing heavily next to Kira who's eyes were glued to the screen. Patrick came at a more leisurely pace to sit in his usual arm chair. Even Yzak and Dearka left their place at the breakfast table to gather around the television. The nervous whispers of the assembled crowd in Orb's throne room echoed in the silence of the living room.

Then even the whispers ceased as a door in the back of the room opened and people slowly filed in one by one. First several military men whose names escaped the gathered princes. Next came the remnants of Orb's nobility.

"That's Sai Argyle, a Viscount of Helipolis, with Flay Alster, a Baroness of the same colony, " Kira pointed out as each person appeared on screen. "Following them is… I think that's Rondo Mina Sahaku, she's the new Vicountess of Akastuki. Then there's—fuck, that's Toyah Mashima, new Earl of Heliopolis."

"He's just a kid," Athrun breathed, watching all the black clothed nobles process into the hall.

"You're taking into account potential new titles, Kira?" Patrick asked, mildly amused.

"I am," Kira confirmed. "There's Miyabi Oto Kiouo, Countess of Sedayori. Ken Norland Suse, new Count of Kaguya. And—ugh, there's that dickwad Yuna Roma Seiran. He's the Marquis of Yalafath now! And then—oh shit, I forgot her name. A Marchioness. Dearka, help me out."

"Mirialla Haw, of Akatsuki, Chief Lady in Waiting," Dearka helpfully supplied as he leaned over the back of the couch. "God, she's gorgeous in black."

"Down, boy," Yzak chuckled.

"Rounding out the pack, of course, is the new Duke of Onogoro, our old friend Shinn," Kira said wryly, to which he got a few snickers. "And last but certainly not least…"

Everyone's breath caught in their throats when Cagalli walked into the room. Though she kept her head held high, there seemed to be a weight trying to pull down her shoulders and a nervous shuffle in her step. The dark circles barely covered by make up and limp hair spoke to her exhaustion. Shinn was right there, offering his hand to her as she walked the few steps onto the stage. The way she gripped his hand, like it was a lifeline instead of a gentle aid, was not lost on the nobility watching.

"She looks terrible," Yzak breathed, moving around the couch until he sat on the arm next to Kira. "Poor thing."

"I think she looks like a Queen," Athrun said without thinking.

It was possible Yzak did know better; he'd personally met the Princess before while Athrun had only seen her in newsreels and the occasional social media post. But where he was sure the others saw only frailty, Athrun couldn't help but see strength. If he was in her position, he wasn't sure he'd be able to stand, much less appear before the world to give a speech. She was holding it together as best she could and he admired her for it. Every second she was on screen, Athrun found himself growing more excited for his upcoming trip to Orb.

It helped, of course, that he found her utterly beautiful.

"Citizens of Orb and people of the world, we experienced a great tragedy yesterday," Cagalli began, her voice strong and steady. "Our flagship suffered a catastrophic failure upon reentry, resulting in a loss of life that Orb has never seen before. There were two hundred and fifty eight souls on board the Izumo when it left Copernicus after the Military Games… Six survived."

"Six!" the boys all shouted at once.

"I thought they pulled a dozen people out alive?!" Dearka cried.

"That's what I heard," Kira whispered.

"God help them," Athrun muttered.

"Two hundred and twenty bodies were recovered from the water and the wreckage," Cagalli continued, her hands now shaking slightly holding her speech. "There are thirty two people that are still missing, including my father the King and almost the royal entourage that went as spectators to the Games, excluding Mayu Asuka, Marchioness of Onogoro, who was recovered and is currently in critical condition."

"She was a Countess yesterday," Kira said softly.

"Rescue crews have been working through the night in an attempt to find those who are missing. Unfortunately, they have not been found and I have been advised that, at this point, it is unlikely that they are still alive." Cagalli swallowed hard and set her paper down. She gripped both sides of the podium tightly, knuckles turning white, and took a few deep breaths. Everyone seemed to lean in when she picked her head back up. "It is with a heavy heart that I have no choice but to declare them deceased."

"Well we saw that coming," Patrick grumbled.

"There were questions about how this could have occurred. Words like 'sabotage' and 'assassination' have been thrown around with abandon," Cagalli continued. Now her words were a bit strangled and she hadn't picked up her paper yet. "My engineers have been over every inch of the wreckage and they have assured me, beyond a shadow of a doubt, that this was nothing more than an accident. A tragic, terrible accident, but an accident none the less."

"Stupid child!" Patrick snapped.

"SHHHH!" the boys all hissed at the same time.

"A weakness in the hull was dismissed during a routine inspection as something that could be solved after the Games. Steps are being taken to ensure that something like this never happens again." She took another deep breath and blew it out slowly through her nose. "The loss that Orb has suffered is one we will not soon forget. My father often spoke of the resilience of the people of this great nation. That we are survivors. That we will always prosper and thrive. This is a tragedy that has rocked this nation to it's core but I believe in her people. I believe in us. I know what we are capable of and that is why I know that this will not keep up down for long."

"God save the Queen!" Shinn cried, his voice carrying over the room to be heard so very clearly even without a microphone.

The chant of 'God save the Queen' started in the crowd, making Cagalli turn a little red. She looked back at Shinn in shock, who gave her a confident smile and a nod, before she turned back to the crowd. Her muttered 'thank you' was barely audible over the chats of the crowd.

"God save the Queen," Kira said, a smirk tugging at his lips.

"Idiot," Patrick snarled, waving a dismissive hand at the television. "Boys, it's imperative, now more than ever, that the young Queen is put on the right path. You're leaving for Orb tomorrow. Athrun, go in an unmarked shuttle, travel as a civilian. Kira, take the Freedom and reenter by yourself. I'll have Commander Le Creuset go down in the Vesalius with the Justice and your, heh, little surprise."

"As you wish, Father," Athrun agreed with a nod.

"You're Majesty," Kira muttered, still watching Cagalli on the screen.

"Hey if Commander Le Creuset is going, I don't see why we can't go too, Yzak," Dearka chimed in with a grin. "I'll ask my dad, you ask your mom, and maybe we'll join you two down there. Besides, three princes of the PLANTs is better than one, right? OH! Maybe we drag Nicol along too? Get him off Maius for once."

"The whole Le Creuset team arriving on Orb at the same time might send the wrong message," Athrun winced, rubbing the back of his neck nervously.

"But we wouldn't be. Kira would touch down first, then you, then us," Yzak reasoned with a little smirk. "Besides, we can always say that we all came to pay our respects to the new Queen. Which is true."

Athrun looked between his two friends, not liking the conspiratorial looks they were giving each other, and asked wearily, "What else would we be doing?"

"Assessing," Patrick answered for them, rising from his seat. "Assessing the nation, take the temperature of the people, probe this new Queen and find out if they're planning on blaming us. Perhaps do a good turn for these people we want as allies and find the murderers."

Kira perked up at that, finally tearing his eyes away from the screen and sitting up a little straighter. He'd heard his king insistent on things before, but there was a touch of fear in his voice that Kira wasn't sure the others caught. His eyes caught Patrick's and he could see the gears turning behind those grey eyes. Briefly, Kira wondered how much Patrick knew and of that, how much he was willing to use.