Challenge 229 reason
Title: By Any Other Name
Author: ingvild
Characters: Relena, Mariemaia
Rating/Word Count: G, 813 words
“May I sit down?”
Mariemaia looked up. Relena was standing in front of her, looking pretty but informal in a floral print white dress with her long hair piled up on her head. Summer had come, and it seemed like everyone was outside enjoying the weather now.
“Of course, Miss Relena”, Mariemaia replied, moving her bags from the bench next to her. “Une had to make an errand. I’m waiting for her to come back”, she added.
“That’s all right. I’d like to talk to you for a bit, if you don’t mind.”
Mariemaia closed her book and put it in her lap. “About what, Miss Relena?”
“First, I’d like you to drop the ‘miss’. It’s just Relena, please. Second, I just wanted to talk about how you’re doing.”
“I’m fine,” Mariemaia said. “The physiotherapy is working well. I still need crutches, but I can actually walk some distance now without too much pain.”
“I never did thank you properly.”
“It’s okay.”
For a while they sat in silence, before Relena said: “I hear you’re going to enrol in school next autumn.”
“Hmmm. Yeah. That should be fun.”
Relena smiled at the sarcasm. “I might not have been well-known for the same reasons as you, but I do know a little about what it’s like to have everyone recognise you.” When Mariemaia didn’t say anything, Relena sighed and fell silent again. Suddenly, she chuckled.
“What’s the joke?”
“Oh, nothing. It’s just... ‘Mariemaia Barton Khushrenada’. You’re going to have fun when it comes to filling out official papers.”
Mariemaia blinked before she got the joke. She smothered a giggle. “Is that why you went back to the name Darlian? It’s shorter than Peacecraft?”
Relena chuckled again. “You could almost believe that, right? No, that’s not the reason.”
“I don’t think I understood why, though. I mean, you told us, but I wasn’t really listening at the time.”
Relena was silent for some time. Finally, she said: “Do you know how the ESUN political structure works when it comes to choosing representatives?”
“Huh? Yeah, sure. The President and Vice-President are elected, with the three most important offices. The rest of the government is chosen by the presidential office. Six year terms. First the presidential election, then they skip one year and then the three other offices are chosen the three successive years, skip one and presidential election again. It’s your office, finance and justice, but I can’t remember who’s when. Finance is in the middle, I think.”
“The representative for the Ministry of Justice is the last.”
Mariemaia blinked. “You’re going up for re-election next year?”
Relena nodded. “Yes, and I’m fervently hoping that at least two or three other people will run against me. Do you understand why?”
“...No.”
Relena was looking at her now. Mariemaia felt strangely small yet invigorated by the stare. “I was asked to finish my father’s term, and I accepted. If I’m re-elected it has to be because people believe I’m the best for the job, not because they recognise me as the former Queen Relena. For all that I tried my best, that position was doomed to fail. People look to a leader to think for them, but you taught me that people have to be trusted to think for themselves.”
“I taught you...?”
Relena smiled then, and Mariemaia’s heart skipped a beat. “Yes, you. I’m still a pacifist, but a more practical one than Relena Peacecraft was. My birth parents were symbols to the people, something to strive for, and so was I. When I took back the name Darlian I acknowledged that symbols weren’t what were needed anymore. We all work towards peace, in a small or a big way, but it has to be a collective effort. Do you understand?”
Mariemaia nodded before she mumbled quietly: “You said birth parents.”
“The Darlians raised me. They’re my parents. I get flashes of memory, sometimes, but mostly of my brother. I have no clear memories of my birth parents.”
“What does he think about your name change?”
“I don’t know. It’s not like he’s using the Peacecraft name either. I don’t think he likes Milliardo Peacecraft much as a person.”
Mariemaia thought she understood. “I’m not too fond of Mariemaia Khushrenada.”
They sat quietly for a minute, before Mariemaia said: “I can’t call Une mother. I don’t remember much about Leia Barton, but she’s mother.”
“I don’t think she expects to be called mother. She just wants a chance to take care of you, and maybe she needs you to take care of her at times.”
“Is it just because I’m Treize’s daughter?”
Relena shook her head. “I think it’s because you’re a brilliant, skilful young lady who needed a second chance.”
“Barton is Dekim’s name.”
“Yes.”
“Do you think Une would let me use hers?” Mariemaia asked tentatively.
Relena chuckled. “It would take considerably less space.”
Author: ingvild
Characters: Relena, Mariemaia
Rating/Word Count: G, 813 words
“May I sit down?”
Mariemaia looked up. Relena was standing in front of her, looking pretty but informal in a floral print white dress with her long hair piled up on her head. Summer had come, and it seemed like everyone was outside enjoying the weather now.
“Of course, Miss Relena”, Mariemaia replied, moving her bags from the bench next to her. “Une had to make an errand. I’m waiting for her to come back”, she added.
“That’s all right. I’d like to talk to you for a bit, if you don’t mind.”
Mariemaia closed her book and put it in her lap. “About what, Miss Relena?”
“First, I’d like you to drop the ‘miss’. It’s just Relena, please. Second, I just wanted to talk about how you’re doing.”
“I’m fine,” Mariemaia said. “The physiotherapy is working well. I still need crutches, but I can actually walk some distance now without too much pain.”
“I never did thank you properly.”
“It’s okay.”
For a while they sat in silence, before Relena said: “I hear you’re going to enrol in school next autumn.”
“Hmmm. Yeah. That should be fun.”
Relena smiled at the sarcasm. “I might not have been well-known for the same reasons as you, but I do know a little about what it’s like to have everyone recognise you.” When Mariemaia didn’t say anything, Relena sighed and fell silent again. Suddenly, she chuckled.
“What’s the joke?”
“Oh, nothing. It’s just... ‘Mariemaia Barton Khushrenada’. You’re going to have fun when it comes to filling out official papers.”
Mariemaia blinked before she got the joke. She smothered a giggle. “Is that why you went back to the name Darlian? It’s shorter than Peacecraft?”
Relena chuckled again. “You could almost believe that, right? No, that’s not the reason.”
“I don’t think I understood why, though. I mean, you told us, but I wasn’t really listening at the time.”
Relena was silent for some time. Finally, she said: “Do you know how the ESUN political structure works when it comes to choosing representatives?”
“Huh? Yeah, sure. The President and Vice-President are elected, with the three most important offices. The rest of the government is chosen by the presidential office. Six year terms. First the presidential election, then they skip one year and then the three other offices are chosen the three successive years, skip one and presidential election again. It’s your office, finance and justice, but I can’t remember who’s when. Finance is in the middle, I think.”
“The representative for the Ministry of Justice is the last.”
Mariemaia blinked. “You’re going up for re-election next year?”
Relena nodded. “Yes, and I’m fervently hoping that at least two or three other people will run against me. Do you understand why?”
“...No.”
Relena was looking at her now. Mariemaia felt strangely small yet invigorated by the stare. “I was asked to finish my father’s term, and I accepted. If I’m re-elected it has to be because people believe I’m the best for the job, not because they recognise me as the former Queen Relena. For all that I tried my best, that position was doomed to fail. People look to a leader to think for them, but you taught me that people have to be trusted to think for themselves.”
“I taught you...?”
Relena smiled then, and Mariemaia’s heart skipped a beat. “Yes, you. I’m still a pacifist, but a more practical one than Relena Peacecraft was. My birth parents were symbols to the people, something to strive for, and so was I. When I took back the name Darlian I acknowledged that symbols weren’t what were needed anymore. We all work towards peace, in a small or a big way, but it has to be a collective effort. Do you understand?”
Mariemaia nodded before she mumbled quietly: “You said birth parents.”
“The Darlians raised me. They’re my parents. I get flashes of memory, sometimes, but mostly of my brother. I have no clear memories of my birth parents.”
“What does he think about your name change?”
“I don’t know. It’s not like he’s using the Peacecraft name either. I don’t think he likes Milliardo Peacecraft much as a person.”
Mariemaia thought she understood. “I’m not too fond of Mariemaia Khushrenada.”
They sat quietly for a minute, before Mariemaia said: “I can’t call Une mother. I don’t remember much about Leia Barton, but she’s mother.”
“I don’t think she expects to be called mother. She just wants a chance to take care of you, and maybe she needs you to take care of her at times.”
“Is it just because I’m Treize’s daughter?”
Relena shook her head. “I think it’s because you’re a brilliant, skilful young lady who needed a second chance.”
“Barton is Dekim’s name.”
“Yes.”
“Do you think Une would let me use hers?” Mariemaia asked tentatively.
Relena chuckled. “It would take considerably less space.”