For His Love

Une puts aside her own true dreams for him, challenges anything that stands in the way of his destiny, and even risks her life while standing up for his beliefs.  All of this done for the love of one man: the dashing and mysterious Treize Khushrenada.

But what is it about Treize that draws Une to him?  Why does she love him so, and does he feel the same love towards her?  These, the burning questions on this webmistresses' mind, will probably remain unanswered.  But I can still speculate.  ^_^

Why Treize?
Or, for that matter, why anyone?  That's really what it comes down to.  Theoretically, it really could have been anyone; love happens all the time and to all people.  But Une had a good number of reasons to fall in love with Treize.  The most probable reason is because Une first joined OZ while working as Treize's assistant.  She acted pretty much as Treize's second-in-command, helping him with battle strategies, performing executions, and handling other such duties (*ahem* drawing his bath).  Because she was his assistant, Une would have spent a lot of time with Treize, and would certainly have known everything there was to know about his ideals and beliefs (not to mention any details about his personal life and convictions).  Needless to say, with that kind of information at her fingertips, Une fell in love.  And when a girl falls in love, she tends also to fall in love with everything that her partner loves; partly to please him and gain his attention, and also partly to learn everything about him that can be known.  This, I believe, is what happened to Une.

But Does Treize Love Her In Return?
My opinion?  Absolutely!  I don't believe that his love for her is nearly as strong as hers is for him, or perhaps it only seems that way because he is less expressive than Une.  Regardless, the feeling still exists within him, and that simply cannot be ignored.

The evidence?  Well, there's plenty, if you take the time to look for it.  Take, for example, the episode where Treize confesses that he is the cause of Une's two opposing identities (I believe it's episode 22, but don't quote me on that).  Treize gives this information to none other than his trusted friend, Milliardo Peacecraft (alias Zechs Merquise).  In this conversation, Treize (who never once mentions Une's name) tells Milliardo to "protect someone special" for him, since she is now out in a Taurus, ready for action and mayhem.  Now, it could be that Treize only regards Une as a close friend, or an intimate comrade, but to say that, I think, is to demean the value of their relationship.  Treize is completely aware of Une's feelings for him.  In fact, he even tries every means possible to dissuade her from obsessing over him (though it is always to no avail), and quite often he seems to go out-of-the-way to keep things platonic (he took a big risk that one time when he placed his hand on her shoulder, but I believe that he knew exactly what he was doing and exactly what doing that would do to Une).  This may make it seem as though he simply wants to be rid of her, but that is proven to be false in episode 42, Battleship Libra, when Treize visits the comatose Lady Une in the hospital:

{Treize enters her room, carrying at least 2 dozen roses, probably 3 dozen, kneels at her side and speaks}
"My dear lady, I'm glad you made it back home.  I can't tell you how good it is to be able to see you again.  You never left my heart for a moment.  But Lady, I want you to see how I handle things now.  {Treize gently places his hand on her left cheek}  A fantastic battle is about to commence between space and Earth, and it's sure to end the pathetic history mankind has created.  A star role in this final scene would be too much of a burden for Relena Peacecraft.  I must take on the role as leader of the Romefeller Foundation.  [and then he continues rambling about Relena]."

Throughout the entire speech, and especially after he says that he must be leader of Romefeller, I kept expecting him to say "Lady, I need you."  The whole moment just seemed to scream that; it was as if he was saying that he needed her without having to say those exact words.  It was so beautiful I nearly cried the first time I saw it.  ^_^;  Clearly, Treize not only thinks highly of Une and values her opinions, but he also cares very deeply for her.  If she was "just another soldier" who was under his command, why would he turn to her for advice, and even comfort?  In this scene, Treize spoke to Une as someone who speaks to the stars; he knew he wouldn't get an answer, but at least he was calling out to someone whom he knew would understand; someone who would care.

So why does Treize love Une?
For basically the same reasons Une loves Treize.  But also because I think a man like Treize needs a woman like Une.  Someone to obsess over him and support him; someone to sacrifice her life for him and make him feel like a necessary part of the universe.  Someone to help him to see that the ideals he believes in truly are worthwhile despite the pain and suffering it takes to achieve.  Otherwise, being the person that he is, Treize may not have survived as long as he did.  Une, in some ways, was Treize's hand-made backbone (and I do mean 'hand-made' quite literally); without her, he would have faltered.  She was his strength, and his source of inspiration.  Because of her, because someone was always standing behind (and beside) him, Treize had the strength to continue to follow his heart.  And if love can't stem from that, then I don't believe love exists at all.

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