Gundam Wing Fan Fiction ❯ Bound Bonded and Betrayed ❯ Chaptr 2 ( Chapter 3 )

 

Disclaimer: I don't own the G'boys, I just borrow them from time to time to play with and return them a whole lot happier, ne? Written for pleasure not profit.

Rating: NC 17

Warnings: Sap, angst, bondage, slavery, Yaoi, Lemon, lime, het, violence, dark, fluff, AU, OOC.

Pairings: 1x2, 3x4, 1xR, 2xR

Archive: http://gundam-wing-diaries.150m.com

Summary: Heero is the eldest son of the King of Colonia. His 21st birthday is approaching and as tradition dictates his betrothed is soon to arrive. However he is also bound by tradition to select his own personal slave. The events that unfold lead him down a path that not only tests his sanity but his humanity and love as well.

Author's Note: This fic was started back in 2004 and has languished on my hard drive ever since, only sporadically being added to when I have the time (and the muse the inclination) . Updates will be far between, but rest assured, it will be finished. Feed back is most welcome as are honest critiques. Flames will be dealt with as I deal with all flames - with sarcasm.

Commenced July 2004 - published January 2008

 

“Bound, Bonded and Betrayed”

 

January 2008 ShenLong

 

Chapter 2

 

Once both princes had left the slave chambers Quatre closed the door and went back to the bundle on the bed. Gently he eased the cloak back until he found the top of a head. He smiled to himself. "You need to come out of there," he said quietly.

 

The head raised itself a little and a pair of large, violet eyes peeked out at him "Why?" was the soft whisper. He felt safe hidden away inside the thick material, not to mention warm.

 

"I need to tend to you, clean you up and check you over. Prince Heero said you were hurt."

 

"It's nothing."

 

Quatre sighed. "I won't hurt you. I am a slave, the same as you are. Please, trust me?"

 

The large eyes scanned over the blonde's form, taking in the collar around the throat, bracelets at the wrists and ankles, the loose fitting shirt and pants and the soft slippers adorning the small feet. Raising his gaze he stared into the teal, sincere eyes of the blonde and nodded. He really couldn't refuse. As stated before he was a slave, a slave that had been beaten and sold and now belonged to a new master. The wounds on his back were too raw for him to consider receiving another beating for disobedience, so reluctantly he decided to play along for the moment. At least until he could figure out where he was and what was expected of him now.

 

Quatre granted him a beaming smile. "Good. Now let me help you out of that cloak and see what shape you're in." Quatre gently removed the cloak from around the trembling form, his eyes widening as he did so. The new slave came into view, partially hidden by that thick curtain of hair. Quatre took note of the bare, scuffed feet and threadbare leggings. He noticed the unclothed chest and glimpsed the thick, tight collar. He lifted the matted hair and drew in a sharp breath. The slave's back was a patchwork of welts, bruises and scars. Dried blood and dirt clung to the skin, along with some of the hair and Quatre felt the young one wince as some of the strands pulled free from the wounds they guarded.

 

"You poor thing," Quatre murmured, his eyes bright with tears. "How you must have suffered." Having seen enough of the tortured flesh he gently let the matted hair rest back in place. He sat on the bed beside the shaking slave. "Do you have a name?"

 

Amethyst stared blankly back. He'd once had a name, but what was it? He tried hard to remember. His previous masters hadn't bothered much with names, usually calling him slave, boy or whatever suited their mood. It had been so long since he'd actually been called by his real name that for the life of him he couldn't remember what it was. He looked at the blonde and shook his head. "I can't remember it."

 

Quatre reached out and gently cupped the bruised cheek. "That's okay, I'm sure it will come to you soon enough. For now I'll call you, 'Angel'."

 

"Angel?"

 

Quatre chuckled. "You must surely be some kind of angel to have affected Prince Heero the way you have. In case you didn't hear it before, my name is Quatre."

 

The abused slave looked shyly at Quatre. "That's a nice name."

 

Quatre smiled again. "Come on, I'll get you cleaned up and treat those wounds for you." With that, Quatre stood and held out his hand. Angel took it and managed to stand.

 

"First, we need to bathe you." Quatre began to walk slowly towards another door in the room, Angel followed, a little unsteady on his feet. Quatre kept a hold of the thin hand, letting the slave travel at his own pace, but ready to assist if necessary. He was shocked at the condition of the creature. Aside from the welts and scarring, the general health of the slave didn't look too good. He was very thin and not to mention dirty. Quatre knew this wasn't the slave's fault and he couldn't help but wonder exactly what sort of master the slave had had.

 

Angel allowed himself to be led towards the door, stumbling occasionally as his battered feet objected to carrying his weight. He did his best to ignore the pain though and then his eyes widened as they passed into the adjoining room and he wished his head was on a swivel so he could see everything at once.

 

"This is the bathing chamber. Here is where you will cleanse yourself daily." Quatre declined to add that that was only when his master didn't want him to bathe with him. He watched, amused, as the slave looked around in awe.

 

"Big," was all the slave could say. The room was large, shelves adorned one wall and upon them sat intricate jars containing different colored liquids and crystals. There were also some hardened lumps of who knew what. Angel certainly didn't. He'd never seen soap before. Several folded up pieces of cloth were stacked upon shelves on the other wall and in the center stood a round stone object. It was towards this object that Quatre now led them.

 

"This is the bathing tub," he said as he paused at the edge and let Angel take a look.

 

The tub came level with the slave's hips but when he peered inside he could see that it was deeper. It reminded the slave a little of the well he'd used to draw water from, only this one had a bottom that he could see.

 

Quatre climbed into the tub, dropping a cover over a small hole set in the bottom before climbing out again and reaching for a small wheel. He turned it and water began to pour into the stone structure, steam rising from it as it ran forth.

 

"How?"

 

Quatre laughed. "There are a series of hot springs that run beneath and around the castle. The king set his advisors the task of harnessing the warm water and having it channeled directly into the castle. This is the result. Several small tunnels run from the differing springs, each is linked to a type of water wheel. When I turn this wheel it moves the barrier to the tunnel and lets the water run in, covering the hole at the bottom prevents the water from running back out and returning to the spring until we're finished."

 

The new slave looked mystified by all this.

 

"Don't think too much about it, Angel. Just relax and enjoy."

 

"Duo."

 

Quatre turned around. "Pardon?"

 

"Duo. I remember; my name, it was Duo."

 

Quatre smiled, a real heart warming smile. "That's wonderful, Duo."

 

The slave gave a shy smile of his own in return. "So, what are all these for?" he asked as he pointed to the jars.

 

"Ahh... Those are special concoctions to clean your hair and body with. They also smell wonderful." Quatre moved over to the shelf and scanned the jars before selecting one and bringing it over to Duo. "Here, smell it," he said as he opened the jar.

 

Duo sniffed, his eyes widening. "Nice."

 

"Would you like me to use this one to wash your hair with?"

 

Duo reached to touch the tangled, matted mess and nodded. He couldn't remember the last time his hair had been washed; nor his body for that matter. He'd been lucky to get so much as drinking water with his last master and even that had been taken from him at times.

 

Quatre placed the jar by the edge of the tub and turned the small wheel, cutting off the flow of water. The room was enveloped in a fine mist and Quatre quickly selected one of the hard lumps from the shelf, placing it also on the edge of the tub. Once done he began to remove his clothes.

 

Duo was momentarily shocked. "Ummm... What are you doing, Quatre?"

 

Quatre gave him a puzzled look. "I'm getting undressed."

 

"Why?"

 

"It's a little hard to take a bath with your clothes on, Duo."

 

"But why are you taking a bath?"

 

"It will be much easier for me to clean you if I'm in the water too; now hurry up and get undressed, the water won't stay hot forever." Quatre returned to his task.

 

Duo flushed a little but did as the blonde ordered. While his new master had yet to speak with him and let him know what his duties were going to be, he had told him that Quatre would tend to him and that he was to trust the blonde. Following his slave training, he bent to remove his only article of clothing, his threadbare leggings. He winced as the abused flesh on his back protested the movement, but he managed to remove his clothes. He looked up self consciously, and was surprised to see Quatre already in the tub.

 

"Come on, Duo."

 

Gingerly, Duo stepped up the stone steps at the side of the tub and then down the ones on the inside that disappeared into the water. His body shivered as the warm water caressed his skin. He'd never felt anything like it before.

 

"I take it that you have never had a warm bath before?" Quatre said with an amused expression on his face as he watched Duo's reaction to the warm water.

 

"Not like this," Duo whispered. "This sure beats the hell out of the duck pond."

 

"Duck pond?"

 

"Yeah, that was the only place I was allowed to bathe. It was cold and slimy and not very deep, so I didn't bathe all that often."

 

Quatre felt his gut twist with that bit of information. How anyone could treat their slave in such a manner was beyond his comprehension. "You will never have to suffer that degradation again, Duo, not while you live here."

 

Duo sighed in pleasure as the warmth of the water seeped into his bones. He lowered himself until the water covered his chest; a small cry of pain escaped his mouth as the warm water washed over his wounds, causing them to sting.

 

Quatre was beside him in an instant, voice soothing as he spoke. "The stinging will stop in a moment, Duo; once I have you cleaned up, I'll put a salve on the wounds that will help them to heal and stop the pain as well."

 

"Thank you," Duo replied as he turned his tear filled eyes to the gentle blonde.

 

"It's my pleasure, Duo. Now, try to relax while I wash you and then I'll see what I can do with your hair." Quatre led Duo to the side of the bathing tub. "Sit here," he said. "There are stones jutting out under the water to form a small ledge for you to sit on."

 

Duo did as requested and sat gingerly upon the ledge, he was surprised to find the stone warm against his skin. The soft touch of Quatre though soon brought him from his thoughts.

 

Quatre reached for Duo's neck and the buckle holding the thick, black collar in place. Gingerly he undid it and peeled the collar from Duo's neck. He did his best to hold the gasp that wanted to escape when he observed the raw, chaffed skin of Duo's neck. The collar had been far too tight and rubbed the skin raw in places. Quatre was amazed that the slave had been able to breathe! There was no way he was even going to attempt to put the collar back on the new slave after they had bathed! He tossed the collar over the side of the tub and reached for the small lump of waxy material he'd set down earlier on the side of the tub.

 

"What's that?" Duo asked as he watched Quatre dip the item into the water and raise it to his skin.

 

"It's a concoction made up by the royal healer. It helps to remove the dirt and grime. She calls it soap."

 

"It won't hurt, will it?" Duo had only ever been able to use coarse sand with which to scrub himself in the past and it had grated upon his tender flesh.

 

"No, it won't hurt, I promise." Quatre had deliberately selected a mild unscented piece, knowing Duo's skin would be raw from the wounds. He raised one of Duo's arms and began to rub gently, the smooth wax of the soap foaming slightly as it worked over the skin. "See?"

 

Duo looked down and gave a small gasp of surprise. The substance was gentle on his skin yet cleaned away the build up of grime. "Nice," was all he could come up with.

 

Quatre chuckled. "Just relax and enjoy, Duo. I promise to be gentle."

 

Duo thought he might as well do as Quatre asked and enjoy the bath. Besides, he still wasn't sure what was happening in his miserable life, so he might as well savor what he could.

 

Quatre worked the soap over Duo's arms, cleaning thoroughly. He was amazed to see the milky skin appearing from underneath all that dirt. He moved over Duo's chest and abdomen before reaching for a leg. Very carefully he washed the abused feet, softly working the lather over the cuts and bruises.

 

Despite the tender touches, Duo still winced occasionally. Quatre worked his way up over calf and knee to thighs. He repeated the actions to the other leg before placing the soap on the edge of the tub and turning to Duo. "I only have your back to do and ummm..."

 

Duo turned his soulful eyes towards the now blushing blonde.

 

Quatre picked up the soap and placed it in Duo's hand. "I think you should do your, ummm... personal parts yourself. Not that I don't want to... that is, I don't think you want me to be that familiar with you right now."

 

"Oh." Duo suddenly realized what the blonde meant and flushed himself. Clutching the soap he nodded. "Uh, yeah. I think that would be best." He lowered his hand beneath the water and quickly cleaned his groin.

 

Quatre turned away to allow Duo some privacy and busied himself with the jars of liquid he'd placed on the tub edge prior to bathing.

 

"I'm done."

 

Quatre turned around. "Okay, I'll do your back now and then your hair."

 

Duo nodded and leaned forwards to allow Quatre easier access to his abused back.

 

Quatre gently lifted the sodden mass of hair to the side, the water having effectively 'un-glued' those strands that had stuck to the wounds. Quatre's eyes watered as he fully observed the damaged skin. From the shoulders down to where Duo's hips disappeared beneath the water there didn't appear to be any part of the skin that was unblemished. A scattering of bruises ranging in color from a yellow green to deep purple indicated the various stages of healing. Criss crossing fine lines spoke of past healed wounds and standing out starkly were the red welts and fresh wounds, some scabbing over, others still oozing slightly.

 

"Oh, Duo. How could anyone do such a cruel thing?" Quatre was genuinely horrified with what he saw. Unable to understand how anyone could be so vile as to abuse a slave this way. He'd been fortunate that Trowa had been his first and only master. He'd been raised in the deserts, part of a nomadic tribe and when he reached the age of manhood he'd been presented to the King of Colonia as a gift for allowing the tribe to camp and hunt in the kingdom's many forests as the desert had suffered even less rainfall that usual and so many of the oasis' had dried up. The young Prince Trowa had shown an interest in him and so the king had passed the gift to his youngest son. While Quatre had learnt his role of personal and pleasure slave, he'd made some mistakes and been punished for them, but nothing that amounted to physical blows.

 

Trowa had punished him in a much better way, preferring to deny the blonde his release and other punishments of a similar nature. Quatre had quickly learnt after a few occasions of suffering from blue balls that it was much better and easier to obey. To punish through denial of pleasure was far more effective than any beating; in Quatre's opinion anyway.

 

Duo lowered his head as Quatre examined his back. He didn't know what it actually looked like, he only knew what it felt like. He winced and shied away as Quatre began to gently cleanse the wounds.

 

"I'm sorry, Duo. I'll try to be as gentle as I can but these wounds need to be cleaned; infection is already beginning to start in some of them. I'm surprised you aren't really sick given the state some of these are in."

 

Duo bit his lip. "I'll try to stay still."

 

Quatre enlisted the aid of a soft cloth to clean the abused tissue, being as careful as he could. Duo hissed and squirmed away from time to time, the cleansing stinging the raw flesh, but once it was done he felt better.

 

"Now for your hair." Quatre reached for a bottle of liquid. "Could you duck your head under the water for a moment, please?"

 

Duo did as asked, surfacing with his ragged bangs plastered to his face. Quatre had him sit again on the small ledge and poured some of the sweet smelling liquid onto the wet mass. He replaced the jar on the side of the tub and began to work the substance through, gently teasing at the tangles and matted chunks.

 

Duo closed his eyes and let Quatre tend his hair. The gentle fingers felt good against his scalp, soothing even, and Duo found himself relaxing completely.

 

Quatre couldn't believe the mess he was working with. As the liquid worked through so he removed dirt, dried blood, bits of leaf and grass along with the occasional twig. Idly Quatre wondered just how long it had been since Duo's hair had been washed. Quite some time he thought, judging by the amount of filth that was being released from the strands. He rinsed the hair and applied more of the liquid to it, scrubbing his fingers through the mass a little easier this time.

 

It took another two applications of the scented liquid before Quatre could safely say that the hair was clean. He worked a slippery, creamy substance through it to finish with, feeling the strands soak up the oil in the stuff. With one last rinse he deemed both Duo and his hair to be clean. Quatre rose from the tub and fetched several of the cloths from the shelf. "Time to get out, Duo," he said as he removed the stopper from the hole and allowed the water to begin to drain away.

 

Duo was almost asleep; Quatre's gentle cleansing having relaxed him to the point where his eyes felt heavy and the lids began to droop. Vaguely he registered Quatre's words and raised himself, climbing out of the tub.

 

Quatre wrapped one of the soft cloths around Duo's body and scooping up the dripping hair, he squeezed as much of the water from it as he could before wrapping another cloth around the mass. Covering himself with another of the cloths and grabbing a couple of extra ones, he led Duo back through to the other room and sat him on the bed. Leaving Duo for a moment he quickly dried himself off and pulled on a pair of loose fitting pants. He then turned back to Duo who hadn't moved. "Let's get you dried off and see to your wounds. Then I will deal with your hair."

 

Duo nodded. He was still feeling overwhelmed by everything, not to mention bewildered and lost. In the space of daylight he'd gone from being beaten and abused, taking baths in a duck pond to being treated like a human and enjoying a cleansing with nice smelling concoctions and warm water to boot. It was too much for his poor mind to cope with and he found himself with water coursing down his cheeks; and it wasn't from his hair or the bath either.

 

"Oh, Duo," the blonde said softly and pulled the young slave into a warm embrace, mindful of the rawness of Duo's skin. Gently he soothed and rocked the slave letting him cry out his fear and anguish. "It's all a little too much for you, I know, but please, try to believe me when I say that you won't be beaten here, you will be cared for properly with good food and no one will hurt you, I promise." Quatre's voice was calming and soon Duo's tears stopped.

 

Could he dare to hope that what Quatre spoke of was true? A tiny spark of hope found its way into his heart. It was only small but it was the beginning.

 

Once Quatre was satisfied that Duo had calmed enough, he released him and shifted from the bed. Duo watched through red rimmed eyes as Quatre hunted through the heavy chest that sat at the foot of the other bed. Finally the blonde found what he was seeking and returned to Duo. "Here," he said and handed Duo a pair of loose pants, similar to his own. "They may be a little short in the leg seeing as how you're taller than me but they will do until Prince Heero gets you your own wardrobe."

 

"Thank you." Duo took the pants, feeling the silkiness of the material against his fingers. He could only imagine what that softness would feel like against the skin of his thighs. He'd never felt anything so soft.

 

Quatre gave him a grin. "You dry yourself off and put those on, I'm just going to see the cook and organize our dinner. Then I'll find the healer and have her come and check your wounds. I won't be long." Quatre gently cupped the milky cheek, feeling the warmth and softness of the skin beneath his hand.

 

"Okay." Duo replied.

 

"I'll be right back." Quatre turned and left him to finish drying off and dressing.

 

Duo savored the feeling of the drying cloth as it absorbed the water from his body. Once he was dry he reached for the pants that Quatre had left and began to pull them on. The silkiness of the fabric felt wonderful against his skin and he closed his eyes, sighing in pleasure. For as long as he could remember he'd only ever worn the rough leggings. The material they were made from was usually coarse, like sacking as they needed to be durable, and no master was going to waste good fabric such as this on a slave who was only there for physical work. The scratchiness of the leggings had always irritated Duo's sensitive skin, his legs sporting various rashes from time to time. Idly he wondered what sort of work he would be expected to do for his new master. Clothing of this type wasn't suitable for the sort of work he was used to.

 

While Quatre was gone, he took the opportunity to view his new surroundings. The room contained two beds, one of which he was sitting upon. At the foot of each bed stood a large chest. Duo assumed that one was for him and contained clothing; after all he'd seen Quatre fetch the pants from the one at the foot of the other bed. Between the two beds stood a small table with a pitcher of water on it, Duo also noticed the chamber pot underneath Quatre's bed. A large, heavily draped window dominated one wall and a huge dresser with a mirror stood against another, just to the side of the door that led through to the bathing chamber. It was to this dresser, or rather more specifically the mirror, that Duo was now drawn. It had been a long time since he'd seen his reflection, the ponds, puddles and like not giving a very clear image, and Duo was eager if not hesitant to see himself properly. Cautiously he approached the mirror and forced himself to stand directly in front of it. He stopped and raised his eyes. His mouth opened and a shocked gasp escaped. He stared at his reflection, a hollow face stared back at him. Eyes that were heavily shadowed and seemed much too large for the face, contained fear, pain and a look of hopelessness. The fine fabric of the pants hung from his bony hips, the body, with its covering of bruises and wounds, much too thin stared back at him as a silent testament to all he had endured thus far in his young life.

 

Disgusted by what he saw, Duo turned away, tears threatening to spill yet again and he made his way back to the bed. He could feel the droplets of water from his hair running down his bare back, stinging when they came into contact with a fresh wound and he cursed softly. Picking up the drying cloth he began to eliminate some of the moisture from the strands. So absorbed in his task he didn't hear Quatre return and instinctively cowered when Quatre placed a hand on his shoulder.

 

"It's okay, Duo. It's me, Quatre."

 

Duo blinked and noted the young blonde's presence. "S... sorry."

 

"There's no need to be sorry, Duo," the blonde sighed softly. Gently he took the cloth from Duo. "Would you like me to brush your hair for you?"

 

"Brush my hair?"

 

"Yes, you know, brush your hair? Remove the tangles."

 

Duo stared at Quatre.

 

"You've never had your hair brushed?" Quatre asked in disbelief.

 

Duo lowered his eyes. "I… I don't know what you mean." He began to cringe again, expecting a barrage of verbal abuse if not physical for his ignorance.

 

Quatre reached out a tentative hand and lightly brushed Duo's bangs aside. "I told you before that no one would hurt you here, Duo. And I meant that. Look, I'll get the brush and show you what I mean." Quatre stood and went to the dresser. He rummaged around in one of the drawers before returning with a spiky looking object.

 

Duo looked curiously at it. It reminded him of a paddle, with a porcupine attached to it.

 

"This is a hairbrush, Duo. Your hairbrush. This here is the handle that you hold on to, these things here are the bristles. You place it in your hair like so and pull it down, it runs through, separating the strands of hair, removing any dirt and tangles." Quatre proceeded to demonstrate on his own blonde locks, the mechanics of the hairbrush.

 

Duo watched, amazed at the action.

 

"Would you like me to try it on your hair now?" Quatre asked, amused at the look on the young slave's face.

 

Duo nodded.

 

"I'll be as gentle as I can, but I warn you, some of these tangles are going to take a bit of getting out and it may pull on your scalp," Quatre spoke as he eyed the mass of knots and snarls. This was going to take *quite* some time.

 

"It's okay," Duo returned.

 

"Good, now sit there." Quatre positioned Duo on the center of the bed and climbed up behind him. He reached for the mass and began to run his fingers through it first, trying to work out some of the snarls before he took the brush to it. Fortunately the concoction he'd used in the bathing chamber had softened the strands and made them a little slippery as well, so the pain to Duo's scalp was reduced to a minimum.

 

Quatre bent to his task, diligently working the brush through the drying waterfall, separating the strands and teasing them free.

 

Duo's eyes closed in pleasure. The sensation of someone gently working their way through his tresses unlike anything he'd ever felt. The touches were tender, loving even and it was a feeling totally alien to the abused slave, but it was also a feeling he could grow to crave.

 

Quatre managed to remove the tangles and was amazed with the result. The long locks hung in silken waves now that they were free from their prison of dirt and knots, displaying their rich chestnut color, enhanced with highlights of copper, red and gold. Quatre hadn't seen anything so beautiful in a long time. So entranced with Duo's hair, Quatre continued to brush it, long after the tangles had all been removed.

 

Duo was almost asleep when a knock to the door jolted him back and he automatically cowered.

 

"It's okay, Duo. It will be our dinner," said Quatre, his voice gentle and reassuring. He placed the brush on the bed and climbed off to answer the door.

 

Quatre admitted a dark haired woman who bustled in, heavy tray in her hands. She set the tray down upon the dresser and turned to observe a pair of violet eyes following her movements. As soon as the new slave realized she was watching him, he quickly lowered them.

 

Quatre watched, an amused smile on his lips. "Hilde, this is Duo, Prince Heero's new slave. Duo, this is Hilde, one of the kitchen maids. She is the one who usually brings our meals when we don't eat with our masters or in the kitchen."

 

Hilde cocked her head. "I heard the Prince had found himself a new slave, but I never dreamt he was this beautiful."

 

Duo's head jerked up. "Beautiful?" he questioned and then looked at his beaten and bruised body.

 

"Yes, beautiful," Hilde stated again as she walked closer to the slave. "You need a lot more meat on your bones but you certainly are a looker. No wonder Prince Heero took to you."

 

Quatre could sense that Duo was beginning to get very uncomfortable and he couldn't blame him. So much was happening to him; and so fast. He really didn't know either just what his new role as Prince Heero's personal slave would entail. "Thank you, Hilde. We will eat now. Leave the dishes, we will bring them back in the morning."

 

"As you wish." Hilde bowed her head and then left. Duo gave a small sigh of relief.

 

"Let's eat," Quatre said and walked over to the dresser.

 

Duo's mouth was watering now as his nose picked up on the delicious smells coming from the tray on the dresser. He climbed off the bed and followed to where Quatre was removing the lids from the dishes. "Is that really our food?" he asked, unable to keep the incredulity from his voice.

 

Quatre smiled and handed Duo a bowl. "Help yourself to whatever you wish," he said and then proceeded to fill his own bowl with an assortment of rice, steamed vegetables and spicy smelling meat.

 

Duo hesitated for a moment, his eyes unable to comprehend the amount of food. "Are you sure?" he asked.

 

Quatre turned to him. "Tell me, Duo. What sort of meals, ummm... food, are you used to getting?"

 

Duo lowered his eyes. "Dry bread in the morning and gruel with bread at night. Sometimes we were lucky and had vegetables. Fine food was for the master, never wasted on a slave."

 

Quatre's eyes softened and he placed a hand upon Duo's arm. "Slave or not, no one should have to eat like that. While we may be slaves here, you will still be treated with some dignity. You are not an animal, Duo; none of us are and our masters would never treat us that way." Quatre gave a sad smile. "Unfortunately not all masters are as good and kind as ours."

 

Duo kept his eyes lowered. "I'm sorry, Quatre."

 

Quatre looked sharply at him. "What for?"

 

"For upsetting you."

 

Quatre snorted. "I'm not upset, Duo. Angry maybe, but not at you." Quatre brushed his fingers lightly through Duo's bangs. "You have suffered through so much and it isn't going to be easy for you to accept this new way of life, to trust in those you are with now, especially given what you have told me. I know there is more, things that you aren't telling me and I respect your privacy, but..." Quatre's teal eyes were sincere. "But if you ever want to talk, I'm always here."

 

Duo's eyes welled with unshed tears. It all seemed too good to be true. All his life he'd known nothing but hard work, poor food and beatings. He'd never dreamt that a slave could be treated the way Quatre was describing. He was sure he'd either finally succumbed to a really bad beating or had died. Either that or he was in the middle of a dream and would awaken to cruel reality.

 

"Let's have no more of this talk for now, Duo. Eat your food before it gets cold." Quatre took his own bowl and moved back to the bed, sat down and began to eat.

 

Duo carefully filled his own bowl, mainly rice and vegetables. He wisely only took a little of the meat, unsure of how his stomach would react to the rich food after surviving for so long on the diet he'd endured thus far. He settled himself on the bed and began to eat, his eyes closing in pleasure as a myriad of new flavors played over his taste buds.

 

Quatre smiled to himself, observing Duo discreetly. The flashes of wonder that passed through violet eyes as the various tastes of the differing foods met with a deprived tongue warmed and yet saddened Quatre. He knew he was well off for a slave, he had also heard tell of the hardship suffered by other slaves, but hadn't really believed such stories could be true. Now the proof was before him. They continued to eat in companionable silence.

 

When Duo couldn't force any more food into his bloated stomach he reluctantly put the bowl down and glanced nervously at Quatre.

 

"Had enough?"

 

Duo nodded and stared at the nearly empty bowl. "I'm sorry for leaving and wasting good food, but I can't eat anymore."

 

Quatre ran his fingers over Duo's cheek. "You do not have to apologize, Duo." With the words said, he got up and took their respective bowls to the tray and set them down. Returning to the bed he sat next to Duo. "The healer should be here soon. Once she has tended to your wounds and injuries, I think you should sleep."

 

Duo nodded.

 

"Would you? Would you mind if I braided your hair?" Quatre asked suddenly.

 

Duo looked at him in surprise.

 

"You have beautiful hair, Duo, but to leave it loose to sleep will cause it to tangle. Besides, when the healer treats your wounds it would be best if your hair was out of the way."

 

"Okay," Duo consented.

 

Quatre smiled and picked up the brush again, gently running it through chestnut strands then dividing the hair into three segments he began to twist it into a tight plait. When he'd finished he tied the end off with a ribbon. No sooner had he gently laid the braid against Duo's back than another knock was heard at the door. Duo jumped again but Quatre was quick to reassure the scared slave.

 

"That will be the healer," he said in a soft voice and got up off the bed to answer the door.

 

~ * ~

 

Many thanks to all who have read so far and dropped in a comment. Your feedback is very much appreciated and is encouraging Fred to get his rear into gear and write more of this. I hope you continue to enjoy. Shen ^_^