Gundam Wing Fan Fiction ❯ Enslaving the Heart ❯ Blessings ( Chapter 2 )

[ Y - Young Adult: Not suitable for readers under 16 ]

LSE // 9-17-02
(Enslaving the Heart - Chapter Two: Blessings)
rated: R - adult language, content
shounen-ai/extreme AU


Blessings





The constant buzz of noises woke him, rather than the lash. It was a
pleasant change from his short days living with the slavers, and he
desperately clung to that idea as he rose from sleep. And promptly
sneezed.

"Bless you."

Heero cracked one eye open to peer at whomever had blessed him,
"What?" he croaked, sleep clogging his system.

"Whenever someone sneezes, you're supposed to say 'Bless you.'"

"Right..."

"You're new, aren't you? Did you come in last night?"

Heero nodded and sat up, stiff muscles protesting. The floor, now
that he got a good look at it in the predawn glow, was hard packed
dirt with a thin layering of musty straw. The low, narrow building
was packed with sturdy young men. Field hands.

There was a sort of odd uniform among them of homespun tunic and
breeches. Heero, with his rags, stood out. He also lacked a wool
blanket, and judging by the chill set into his bones he'd paid the
price. Heero sneezed again, just to doubly prove the point.

"Bless you," the boy beside him said again. He looked the same age as
Heero, and had a long chestnut braid decorated with straw from the
floor. The boy peered at him with surprisingly cheery violet eyes.

"Are you new?"

"Not really. This will be my second year come the harvest," the boy
paused before adding, "why?"

Heero didn't want to tell the boy that he didn't look as broken or
depressed as some of the others. Amethyst looked quizzically back at
him, the innocent question poised on perfect lips...

"No reason."

"You don't have the look of a field hand. Are you meant to be a house
slave? My sister's a house slave."

"They didn't tell me. Trieze--"

"Master Trieze," the boy corrected, "to his face, at least."

Heero couldn't help but crack the tiniest of smiles. Before the
conversation could go further, however, the door swung open. Those
nearest the heavy oak scrambled out of the way, lest they be smashed
between wall and door. The other slaves relaxed a bit when they saw
it was not Trieze, but merely a fellow slave.

"Wufei," the braided boy called with a slight wave. Heero found it
odd the slave had access to the locked door, which was being pushed
shut by this Wufei. He eyed the brass key ring at the boy's waist
greedily. Was the shackle's key on that ring?

Wufei walked over, eyes locked on Heero, who squirmed slightly under
the attentions. Wufei was only slightly shorter than them, but looked
to be about the same age. His jet black hair was tightly bound in a
small ponytail, which Heero had the most unreasonable desire to pull.

"You would be the new slave," Wufei said with a nod to the iron cuffs.

"Damn," the boy beside him said appreciatively with a low whistle, "I
bet even you couldn't break out of those, Wufei."

"That would be the purpose of them, now wouldn't it? The shackles
will be removed as soon as you're branded."

Heero slowly turned his eyes up to the boy, "Branded?"

"Yes," Wufei said. "Duo, show him yours."

The boy, Duo, narrowed violet hues in mock anger at Wufei, but
obligingly rolled his pants up to reveal the symbol burned into his
flesh. Above the knee, in the meatiest part of the thigh, was the
Peacecraft family insignia. Heero shuddered slightly and looked away
as Duo rolled the fabric back down. "We all have them."

"Unless you stay in the shackles, or you're only temporary. The Lady
will decide if she want to keep you around," Wufei offered with a
practical air.

Duo scuffed the back of his hand against his cheek with a yawn, "What
time is it, Wufei?"

"Time for me to leave. Here, Hilde sends this," he said, quickly
handing a plain paper package in Duo's hands. The other field hands
shuffled aside to let him pass, and Heero wondered what the boy's
position was that allowed such privilege.

As if reading his thoughts, Duo said, "Wufei's been here forever. I
heard he's got enough to buy his freedom, but the Peacecrafts won't
dare let him go, on account he knows so much about the business."

"Is that why he has those keys?"

"No, that's because he's on Master Trieze's good side."

"You mean his backside," another slave called, having caught some of
our conversation. Those near enough to hear the remark chuckled, a
bit of light spreading across their faces as they did so.

Duo flushed slightly, but continued as if the interruption hadn't
occurred, "Wufei wouldn't run, and they know it. He's kinda like
Master Trieze's underling."

"He's under Trieze, that's for sure," the same interloper shouted.

In response to the insult upon his friend, Duo whirled around and
shouted, "A pox on you and yours, you dirty flea-ridden bastard!"

Heero cracked another slight smile. Duo sheepishly turned back around
and the two looked at each other for a moment, locked in a simple
glance that twisted and started to take on...

The oak door slammed open with enough force to make those nearest the
entrance leap back with scarcely contained oaths. "Up! Daylight's
wasting," Trieze shouted, storming his way across the area. Any slave
not quick enough to scramble up and off to safety got a square kick
from the slave master's boot.

Duo immediately jumped to his feet and joined the clump of slaves by
the walls. Heero followed, trailing slightly because of the iron
shackles. The metal made a loud clanging noise, which attracted the
attentions of the other slaves near him.

Trieze lifted the leather whip and cracked it above the huddled
slaves' heads. "Move out!" the slave master shouted, gesturing
towards the door. The leather lashed out at those not quick enough to
obey instantly. Heero looked over, slightly startled, as an older
slave beside him dropped back with a cry, but sympathy was a waste.
He hurried outside and into the murky dawn.

Besides the shuffle of feet and a few sleepy coughs, the slaves were
remarkably quiet. Trieze glared out at them with contempt, but his
gaze caught on Heero as he moved slightly, chains rattling.

"You," the man barked, gesturing with his whip. Those beside Heero
shuffled away, lest they be caught up in whatever deed had attracted
the master's eye. "Go up to the kitchen and wait there. Don't set
foot on the house premises, understood?"

To punctuate the words, Trieze slapped the whip against his side.
"Yes, sir," Heero said with as little sarcasm as possible.

"Yes, Master!" Trieze shouted, whip flying out.

"Yes, Master." Heero turned away before the man could see the slight
smirk across his face. He ignored the sting running down his back and
clanked off towards the kitchen.

The main house stood slightly secluded from the rest of the estate,
as if pretending to be more than a well-off farmhouse. Heero could
see the building's original structure beneath the noble additions and
graceful wings. As he trudged towards the red brick kitchen, Heero
looked back at the open expanse of field and realized that there were
a strikingly few amount of slaves for such an obviously wealthy.

The main income for the estate was obviously not from crops, he
though, taking into account the number of field hands (scarcely
fifty) and open forest he saw. Horses, perhaps? Before he could muse
longer on the subject, a flurry of activity burst out from the
building before him.

"Don't bring that into my kitchen, you little buggers!" came a shrill
female voice from inside the structure. Two small boys nearly
collided with Heero, skidding around him and escaping towards the
stables.

"Bastards!" shrieked the voice, the door swinging open to reveal a
stoutly woman brandishing a soup ladle.

Heero blinked at her in confusion and the woman looked at him in
disgust, "What the bloody hell do you want?"

"Master Trieze sent me up here."

The woman glanced to his shackled feet and hands. "Yes, I supposed he
did," she answered, turning back into the kitchen. Heero hastily
followed her, catching the door with his shoulder to hold it open.

If the pursuit of the boys had been a flurry, then the kitchen was a
full blown blizzard. Bodies were packed into the space as the stoutly
woman shouted orders which were obeyed with varying degrees of speed
and respect. Breakfast had already been prepared and was being
carried to the house by pretty serving maids. It occurred to Heero
that most of the slaves he'd seen about the estate so far were all
rather appealing, as far as slaves went.

"What are you doing here?" the stoutly woman snapped, looking to the
disturbance which occupied her doorway.

"Master Trieze sent me."

"Yes, we already established -- bugger the Light, girl, watch where
you're going! -- that. What more do you want of me?" the woman
snapped her glare to the passing serving maid who nearly bumped into
her.

"I was told to go to the kitchen."

"Fascinating. Get out from the bloody doorway."

-------------------------------------------------------- --------------

"Have you received word from my brother, Noin?"

"No, milady."

"I had thought so," Lady Relena Peacecraft said coldly without
turning from the looking glass. She lifted the long fall of golden
hair with one hand and impatiently cleared her throat. The
hairdresser, a skittish girl, hurried over and began to run a
tortoiseshell comb through the locks.

"Messengers are about as useless as Cassinilla," Lady Relena observed
with a laugh.

Cassinilla, the hairdresser, flushed a bright pink and murmured,
"Milady," in a sorrowful voice.

"Milady, please let Cassinilla do her work. Trieze wished for you to
inspect that new slave first thing this morning."

"Trieze does not set my schedule, does he Noin? If I choose to be
late I shall do so without reprimand from my own servants."

"I meant no offense, milady. My humblest apology," Noin said,
curtsying quickly.

Relena smiled, "It really is most fortunate you have such a kind
mistress as me, Lucrezia."

"I feel most blessed, milady."



~*~*~*~*~*~*End*~*~*~*~*~*~*


Auth or's Notes: noo....not another chapter-a-day! *cries* This was a
fluke, really... *sigh* and I already have a good chunk of chapter
three ready. This story just barnacled to me, I swear.
Wow! Hasn't even been twenty-four hours since I posted chapter one
and
I already got three reviews in! O_o sweetness! *muses have review-
party in background*
Slight disclaimer: I cannot guarantee chapter-a-day progress...
(hmm...now where have we heard THAT before? *glares at muses*)
Oh, yes, this is also without a beta. (Much thanks to the kind
reviewer who said I didn't need a beta! ^^ *glomp*)

Feedback/reviews are very much appreciated! More chapters soon.
copyright 2002 - Gundam Wing and characters copyright other people.
LSE - "Violet" (ManzokuBiscuit@aol.com)
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