Gundam Wing Fan Fiction ❯ Lord of War ❯ Honor, Duty and the Will of the Emperor ( Chapter 14 )

A/N: *takes deep breath* gomennasai, gomennasai, gomennasai, gomennasai, gomennasai, gomennasai, gomennasai, gomennasai, gomennasai, gomennasai, gomennasai, gomennasai gomennasai, gomennasai, gomennasai, gomennasai, gomennasai, gomennasai gomennasai gomennasai, gomennasai, gomennasai, gomennasai, gomennasai, gomennasai, gomennasai, gomennasai. I didn’t mean for it to take this long to get another chapter out, RL likes to try and kill me. Anyway, here is the next chapter and sorry again for the delay.

Chapter Warnings: Same as usual…except I have to add OCx1…and this warning, though I will not specify will also be in play from now on…NCS (wish I could say attempted or not, but that’ll give too much away)-- *runs and hides* don’t kill me! I’m innocent! *points at the OC…that you all probably have guessed by now* blame him!

A quick thanks to my Beta Reader HopelesslyEscaflowne! Arigatou-ne!



Chapter 14: Honor, Duty and the Will of the Emperor

Duo watched happily as little Shini pranced through the grass, taking every chance available to chase whichever bug dared run or fly from him. Whenever he caught sight of a bug, he ran after it until another caught his eye, causing Duo to smirk at the sheer playfulness of the little demon, not to mention the short attention span. Then again, it had probably been a while since he had been able to romp through the grass, hence the unwavering excitement.

Duo had wanted Heero to come out with him, but Sally had come in just as he was about to ask him back in the house.

Sally bowed her head. “Begging your pardon, my Lord Yuy, but you have a visitor.”

The formality in her voice alerted them that it wasn’t just Trowa and Quatre popping by for a quick visit, but rather someone who demanded their utmost decorum. Heero got the hint and had asked Duo to entertain himself while he dealt with his guest. Duo nodded and took off towards the garden, where he was now sitting and waiting for the man to come out and join him.

The braided Aiko heard someone walking up to him and looked up expecting to see Heero only to be surprised with the sight of Relena. Duo must have shown his disappointment because Relena gave him a soft smile and spoke up. “I take it I’m not the person you were hoping I was?”

Duo bit his lip and thought carefully on how to respond, this being the first real time he had spoken with anyone of high class without Heero or someone with him. “I apologize if I made a rude face, Lady Relena.”

Relena shook her head and sat down beside Duo. “No, it’s quite alright.”

Shini chose that moment to come bounding up to Duo, meowing happily as he came. He couldn’t help but laugh as the little demon jumped into his arms and nestled himself under Duo’s chin.

Relena just blinked. “What is…?”

“Oh, this is Shinigami.”

Shini meowed to her in a greeting.

“Shinigami? As in ‘God of Death’ in the old language?” Relena asked, studying the creature that was making itself comfortable in Duo’s hair.

“Yeah. Makes you wonder who named him huh?” Duo quirked a slanted smile and dug Shini out of his hair, who meowed in defiance. Holding him up to Relena, the woman gave the creature another look over then decided to chance it and pet him.

Shini purred in content as Relena grew bolder and took him from Duo, placing the demon in her lap. Smiling, Relena looked up and lifted an eyebrow at Duo. “Did Heero give him to you?”

“Yeah.”

Relena giggled quietly. “So he still has his mother’s little collection? Can’t say I’m surprised, he’s so much like his mother in every other aspect.”

Duo looked at her in surprise. “His mother’s collection?”

“Yes. His mother loved not just animals, but any other creature living in this world. I heard she used to get angry every time his father sent people to kill demons that were causing problems, so the late Lord Yuy began to just catch them if possible and would leave them in his wife’s care. I got to see her little zoo a long time ago.”

“So, all the animals in there used to be Heero’s mom’s?” Duo asked. Relena smirked, causing Duo to look at her funny. “What?”

“Heero, huh?”

Duo began to panic, “I uh, I meant Lord Yuy…I mean…um…”

Relena began to laugh. “It’s alright, I won’t tell. Considering it seems as if you’re more used to calling him Heero anyway. He really is going to get you in trouble.”

“How’s that?”

“I take it he doesn’t enforce many of our customs on you, does he?”

Duo didn’t really say anything, knowing how many times he should have been executed by now.

“Though it may seem like it, he’s not doing you any favors. He’s getting you used to informality, which if you use around anyone else, will get you punished, or even killed.”

Duo nodded in understanding. The woman did have a point. He had done that more than once so far and each time he had been lucky. Which made him wonder…“How come you didn’t do anything?”

“I know Heero and the way he thinks. I figured that it was more his fault than yours, the trouble maker.”

“Trouble maker?” Duo couldn’t help but smirk.

“Oh, he was a hellion when he was young. His favorite game was ‘look at the vein on my bodyguard’s head’.”

The braided Aiko laughed outright at that, imagining the poor man who used to take care of Heero before Wufei, his face all red and a stress vein throbbing on his forehead. “You serious?”

“Oh yes. I don’t think he quite understood why he needed to be protected so much, but he sure did keep their hands full. Still does sometimes, poor Wufei.”

Relena’s eyes swirled with old memories, ones Duo could tell were very fond to her. He couldn’t help but smile. “You were a part of the game, weren’t you?”

Relena laughed. “How could you tell?”

“Intuition.”

She nodded. “Yes, we definitely had our fun times, though I didn’t get to participate as often as I would have liked.”

Duo nodded in understanding, guessing that her royal duties probably kept a lot of her childhood from her. Knowing that Heero helped her escape that at least every once in a while made Duo care for the man even more. Cocking his head to the side, Duo smiled at Relena. “So, why are you here and not in there, if you don’t mind me asking?”

Lady Relena sighed and looked up at Heero’s house. “My brother is speaking to Heero.”

“Oh.” Duo said shortly, down-casting his eyes. So that was why Sally was so formal. “What about?”

“Think about it and I’m sure you’ll figure it out.” Relena said with a quiet smile.

Think about it and he would know, huh? Duo pondered for a while until a horrifying prospect came to mind. “You don’t mean…Heero…his magic…?”

Relena’s eyes widened. “Oh, Gods no! Not that.”

Duo sighed in relief. So the guy wasn’t here to order Heero to kill himself. That was good news. But then what was he here for?

“Don’t think that hard, Duo.”

“I’m not.” The Aiko assured her. He thought about it a bit longer until he caught Relena rolling her eyes. “Okay, I give up. Why?”

The princess shook her head at him. “Marriage, Duo.”

“The Emperor wants to marry Heero? Where would that get him?”

Relena began to laugh hysterically while Duo just blinked at her. He thought that would be illegal since both Heero and the Emperor needed to have kids. Then again, the Emperor made the rules and all.

“Not for my brother, Duo, for me.” Relena clarified for him, still giggling.

“Oh.” Was all Duo could say, feeling like an idiot. He remembered hearing somewhere that Relena was a possible wife for Heero…among many others, if he remembered correctly. Duo then made a confused face. “Then…why aren’t you in there?”

“It is up to my brother as the head of my household to see to my marriage proposals and such.” Relena said in a matter of fact tone.

“You mean,” Duo shifted, feeling out of his element. “He decides who you marry?”

“Yes.”

Duo downcast his eyes as he began to study the ground intently. She doesn’t get to decide her husband? It was true that even in his tribe people married for other things besides love, such as names and wealth…but they still got to choose. “Doesn’t that bother you?”

The woman petted the furry creature in her lap. “Not particularly, considering I know and agree with his choice. If I didn’t, perhaps it would bother me.”

“It would bother me.” Duo muttered under his breath.

Relena smiled at him quietly and then even fidgeted herself as she studied the ground before she spoke. “Does it bother you?”

The Aiko blinked up at her. “Huh?”

“That Heero will marry soon?”

Duo shook his head as if he were answering quickly, but in his mind the question was turning over and over like a thundercloud. Heero would be married soon. Duo wouldn’t be his night companion anymore…he would have a wife. Duo felt his heart clench. He really would become just an Aiko then. Just a slave for whenever the wife wasn’t in the mood.

Duo then suddenly found him berating himself for such a thought. Heero wasn’t like that! What was he even thinking? He would never do that. Never…right? His stomach felt sick at the sudden realization that he had no idea what would happen to him after that. Would he stay in Heero’s home? Would he be sold to someone who would actually…use him? Or perhaps he would be set free?

He clung to that last hope as Relena spoke again.

“What if he married me?”

Blinking at the woman, Duo cocked his head and grinned. “Won’t it most likely be you?”

Relena smiled sweetly, a slight blush on her cheeks, and nodded.

Duo opened his mouth to say ‘thought so’ but had to catch himself before actually uttering a word, since ‘bitch’ almost came out instead. Luckily Relena was in her own world and didn’t catch his stuttering. Why would he want to say that! He liked Relena! She’s sweet, honestly cares for Heero and //…is going to take Heero away from you//.

His heart clenched even tighter. Whoever married Heero was going to take him away from him. That was the blunt reality. Duo’s grasp on the soil beneath him tightened as it sunk in. Heero wouldn’t need him anymore…wouldn’t want him. His teeth began to grind together as he held back bitter tears when he felt a light touch on his arm.

Duo looked up to see kind sky blue eyes regard him sadly. “You really do love him, don’t you?”

Her comment almost caused the tears to overflow as he bit his lip. Why was he acting like this! Even if he did care for the man, he was being ridiculous! What the hell was wrong with him?

“I’m fine.” He concluded to her, though he knew it was just him dodging her question…she probably did too.

“Duo…” Relena trailed off as a few men bearing a litter [1] walked up to them. The litter was sat down and one of the bearers came up to them and bowed respectfully.

“My Lady Princess Ikkaku, Lord Emperor Ikkaku requested that we escort you home.” The man didn’t look up once from his bow.

“Very well,” Relena sighed, returning Shini to Duo, who meowed in protest from being moved. However, before she got up to leave, Relena leaned in to whisper in Duo’s ear.

A surprised look registered on the Aiko’s face as the Lady looked down at him as she stood up. Smiling, Relena walked over to the litter and climbed in, waving to Duo as she was carried off towards the palace. Duo waved back, not knowing if that was what he was supposed to be doing, and then headed back to the house, Shinigami in tow. The small demon called up to Duo as they walked, gaining the man’s attention who was absorbed in thought. The Aiko bent down to retrieve the creature and lifted him up in front of him. “Do you think what she said was true, Shini?”

The demon meowed happily as if in affirmative. Smiling broadly, Duo continued his trek up to the house, Relena’s words playing through his head.

“…I think he loves you too.”

# # # #

Wufei sulked as he leaned against the hallway wall. Oh how he hated it when the Emperor talked to Heero. Because what they speak of may be secret, even Wufei was not allowed to overhear, since he was still an outsider of Lorlia. Hence, him being dismissed into the main hall with nothing to do but stare a hole in the opposite wall until ‘his majesty’ left.

“Honesty, Wufei.” Sally chided as she walked up to him. “I am quite sure Heero is safe with the Emperor, so quit pouting and have some tea with me.”

Wufei lifted his nose in the air. “I do not pout, woman.”

Sally sighed deeply then hooked her arm into Wufei’s. “Then come to the kitchen with me.”

The monk was pulled along, half willingly, to the kitchen. “I should not leave nonetheless.” Wufei began to walk back. “Even if I may not enter the room, I may as well--”

“Oh honestly Wufei,” Sally hooked him again. “Leave the man be.”

“But--”

“Shut it and come on.” Sally demanded, surprising Wufei enough to pull him away once again from the hallway.

Wufei sighed inwardly. Oh well, he might as well take her up on the tea. Not like he could accomplish much more at the time being.

# # # #

Duo walked up the stairs into the house, putting Shini down as he reached the top. The little demon pranced around the hallway happily towards Heero’s chambers. The Aiko couldn’t help but smile as the creature made its way down the hall, walking about as if he owned the place. Duo followed said demon until Shini was about to round the corner to enter Heero’s wing and stopped dead in its tracks. He arched an eyebrow as he walked up to the demon, then his eyes grew wide as Shini began to hiss at the hallway, his back hairs standing up as he bared his teeth.

“Shini?” The Aiko looked down the hallway that the demon was regarding as a threat and froze in place.

Heero was leaning against the wall with the Emperor hovering over him…and kissing. Duo’s heart hit his ribcage as he watched the scene while Shini hissed even louder at his feet. Not knowing what the creature might do, Duo scooped him up just in case, his eyes never leaving the couple. After a bit, Heero and the Emperor broke apart, both panting heavily…but something was odd even for this scene.

The more Duo watched, the more he realized that the Emperor wasn’t just hovering over Heero, but was more like trapping him. Hiding himself a bit behind the corner he continued to watch, not being able to take his eyes off of them. The Emperor then said something to Heero while tracing the Lords lips with his fingers that Duo couldn’t make out, but caused the Lord to blush deeply. Knitting his eyebrows together at the sight, Duo tried to imagine what the man could say to cause Heero to blush.

Pushing that thought aside, he watched as Heero said something back, which made the Emperor smile in a way that caused Shini to growl deep in his throat. The smiling Emperor leaned down once again and claimed Heero’s lips once more. Duo looked on as Heero allowed the man to do as he wished; the Lord’s arms limp at his side as the Emperor pulled him flush against his own body.

Not being able to stand it anymore, Duo pulled his eyes away from the scene and leaned heavily against the wall. His heart began to hurt in more ways than one. There were so many feelings hitting him at once that Duo slid down the wall in shock.

What was going on? Why was the Emperor…? Why was Heero…? //What the FUCK is going on?!// Duo’s head swam with the images he just pulled himself away from, making him dizzy and sick. The memory that the Emperor was supposed to be there to talk to Heero about marrying Relena came to mind, making the situation even more confusing. Why would the Emperor be kissing his sister’s intended…?

//…Unless it was his intended too.//

The memory of what Tertius said about coronation night flooded his brain as he felt bile creeping up from the back of his throat. What if it was Heero? What if the Emperor had chosen Heero as his Right of Primary thing and that was why…was why…

//Heero didn’t look happy//.

True Heero was letting the man kiss him, but that was all. From what he saw, Heero was pinned against the wall much like Duo had been by Primitivus back then. Heero didn’t want it…

It was then Shini licked his chin, bringing him back to the world.

“Shini?”

The demon meowed in response. Duo looked at Shini seriously and put the creature on the floor. “Listen to me Shini. Run up to Heero and break them up, ‘kay? You understand?”

Little Shinigami cocked his head to the side and Duo bit his lip. “Go get Heero, Shini. Get Heero.”

Shini meowed happily and bounded down the hall as Duo held his breath //…please let this work…//.

“Shini, what are you doing here?” Duo heard Heero ask and then got up and went around the corner.

“Shini, I told you not to--” Duo stopped as if he just noticed Heero and the Emperor. “Oh, um…I…I’m sorry.”

“It is quite alright,” the Emperor smiled, then reached out to pet Shini whom Heero was holding. The small creature allowed the touch but growled deep in his throat in protest. “I was just leaving.”

Heero bowed deeply. “Thank you for the visit, my Lord Emperor.”

The man acknowledged Heero’s bow with a nod of his head then swept passed Duo without a single glance at the Aiko. Heero stood up as the man left and leaned against the wall while a concerned Shinigami called up to him.

Duo walked the rest of the way up to Heero and put his hand on his shoulder. “Are you alright?”

Heero looked up at him with an obviously fake quizzical look. “Of course I am. Why wouldn’t I be?”

//Because you were just molested in the hallway of your own home…// Duo growled in his head. “You look…relieved that he’s gone.”

“I’m fine.” Heero announced and went to hand Shini back. The creature meowed in protest and clung to Heero’s toga. “Let go, Shinigami.”

“Seems to me that he doesn’t think you’re ‘alright’,” Duo said sourly.

“I am.” Heero stated flatly as he glared down at the demon that was currently burrowing himself in his toga, meowing contentedly as he made a nest.

Duo scowled. “Sure.”

Heero arched an eyebrow at Duo but didn’t comment, making Duo even more annoyed. Trying to calm himself, Duo followed Heero into his bedchamber where he saw the remnants of the refreshments Heero and the Emperor must have shared on the balcony table. Suddenly in a panic at the thought of Heero and that guy being alone in the room together, Duo’s eyes shot over to the bed, causing his heart to sink.

The bedclothes were undone and ruffled.

Swallowing hard, Duo tracked Heero’s movements in the room, praying to the Gods above that he was just reading too far into things. He had to be. There was no way that Heero would ever sleep with that…that man. No way in hell. The thought of Him even touching Heero like that enraged Duo to no end.

It was then that Duo had to really stop and think. Why was he so mad? Or maybe he wasn’t as mad as he was…jealous. //Fuck it, I’m both// Mad that the man even touched his Heero and jealous that Heero let him.

…His Heero. For some odd reason, it just felt right to say that. So right even, that he felt like running down that asshole emperor and beating the shit out of him.

//Heero has a habit of not looking after himself. So we do it for him//. Apparently he had a hard time protecting himself as well. When was the guy gonna learn that he doesn’t have to take people’s shit! If Heero didn’t like the guy then he…shouldn’t…let…

//“I’ll promise you something.”

Intrigued, but still fully aware of his position, Duo furrowed his eyebrows. “What?”

“I’ll never take you without your consent.”

Duo’s eyebrows shot up. He knew Heero legally didn’t need Duo’s consent to do anything. “Why?”

“I’d be a hypocrite,” Heero muttered.//

His little flashback made his heart skip a beat. The only reason Heero could be a hypocrite is…Duo paled.

As Heero turned around and motioned for Duo to follow him to the balcony, Duo could no longer hold his tongue. “Heero…are you…sure you’re fine?”

“Yes,” Heero answered, sounding annoyed. “I don’t know why you think that--”

“I saw.” He blurted out.

Heero froze with his back to Duo.

“Saw what?” Wufei asked from the doorway, entering the conversation.

Duo turned and saw the monks eyes pinned on him for an explanation, which he was about to give before Heero spoke up.

“What all did you see exactly?” The Lord’s back was still to them.

“The Emperor,” Duo began. “I saw him kissing you…forcibly even.”

“Yuy?” Wufei growled. “He better not have--”

“He didn’t.” Heero cut it, turning around. “You know damn good and well that he can do anything he wants to me except--”

“Except what he wants from you!” Wufei cut him off.

Duo felt like the middle man…a middle man who was being completely ignored and was extremely confused.

“He’s no fool,” Heero growled back. “He wouldn’t dare.”

“Sorry to interrupt but…what the fuck are you talking about?!” Duo butted in.

Both of the irate men turned to him as if they had just noticed his presence. Duo glared back, refusing to be left out of the ring once again. After a bit, Heero calmed down and sat on the bed while Wufei folded his arms and leaned against the wall. They all stared at each other until Sally came in and broke the deafening silence.

“Heero, Quatre and Trowa are…here…?” Sally took a look around the room. “What did I miss?”

“Something bad enough to embarrass Heero.” Quatre added as he walked in, Trowa not far behind.

Heero didn’t even look up from the floor. “Don’t read me right now, Quatre.”

“Sorry, but all of your feelings are permeating out of you, so it’s kind of hard to ignore.”

Heero’s response was to bury his head in his hands and groan, Shini meowing up at him from his toga. Duo couldn’t help but feel like he had stirred up a hornets nest with his insinuations, but that was what he saw, damn it! It both hurt him and pissed him off and by the Gods he was going to find out what the hell was going on or so help him he was going to kill someone! Preferably the man that had made his Heero look so uncomfortable and trapped just now.

Feeling a bit bad, though, bringing it up within earshot of the monk, Duo walked over to Heero and knelt down in front of him. The man looked almost lost, creating a new wave of anger in Duo towards the Emperor. Calming himself and ignoring the looks from the rest of the room’s inhabitants, Duo lifted Heero’s chin. “What happened?”

Heero was silent for a bit before he spoke up. “It’s not what you are thinking.”

“Then what?” Duo asked again.

The Lord sighed and fell back on the unmade bed, causing Shini to crawl out of his toga and curl up on a nearby pillow. At first Duo was going to sit down with him, but after eyeing the disturbed sheets and not knowing exactly why they were so, he decided against it and stood up instead.

“It was…weird, and out of character almost.” Heero elaborated.

“Did he…um...hurt you?” Duo grumbled out.

“Hurt me?”

Duo looked at the ruffled bedclothes again and then gave Heero a pleading look //please don’t make me ask right out//.

The Lord cocked an eyebrow and followed his Aiko’s gaze, his eyes widening in understanding. “I just said we didn’t do that!”

“Then why…” Duo started.

Heero shook his head and a small grin appeared on his face. “Duo, Sally just hasn’t fixed the sheets yet.”

Duo felt like smacking himself. //Way to jump to conclusions, dumb-ass.//

Trying to distance himself from his lack of forethought, Duo looked over at the doorway where the rest of the guys had been standing and saw Quatre walking up to him, the other three not far behind. “What did we miss?”

Duo relayed what he had seen in the hallway to the others and expected the same angry and disturbed reactions as he had felt, but he didn’t get them. Don’t get him wrong, Wufei was totally pissed off, but more at the fact that he wasn’t around for it. Trowa and Quatre were just regarding Heero quietly as Sally shook her head.

“I just don’t understand.” Sally folded her arms. “The Emperor has never done anything like that before.”

“It is getting close to his Coronation Day,” Trowa pointed out. “Perhaps he is getting…overzealous?”

Wufei scoffed at the remark. “He has always struck me as the kind that thinks with the wrong part of his anatomy.”

“Wait, wait, wait. Back up.” Duo sat on the bed with Heero. “So, Heero is the guy’s Right of Primary?” He looked around for confirmation and all that met him were hanging heads. “Well, that’s just great! Again, I am left out of an important fucking loop! Literally!”

Quatre noticeably winced at the callousness of his comment, but Duo didn’t care. It was their entire fault that he always has to go to extremes to find anything out around here! People needed to learn to fucking tell him things. Still rather pissed, Duo turned to Heero. “So, he didn’t fuck you?”

“No,” Heero glared. “Though it is true that he has mentioned it and perhaps even flirted a bit…he has never touched me more than a simple gesture.”

“Oh, until today you mean.”

“Duo--”

“What happened, Yuy?” Duo gritted out, like he was scalding a lover for being unfaithful. And in his heart…that was what he was afraid had happened.

# # # #

He really didn’t want to talk about it, not with the invasion of privacy and not to mention physical space so fresh in his mind. He went to look up to Quatre and Trowa for help, but found the same looks on their faces that Duo had…just with less anger burning in their eyes; save for Wufei. Why did he feel like a child that had just misbehaved?

Sighing yet again, Heero remembered what had happened earlier. Once Duo had left behind Sally, the Emperor was shown to his chambers and they sat outside on the balcony and talked of Relena and the various marriage proposals he had received since his birthday. It was all lighthearted talk with a few underlying lusts from the Emperor, but nothing out of the ordinary. He had always made little comments and hints about the night they were destined to spend together, but he never pushed it very far; even when they were alone like they were now.

After they had talked about everything they needed to and noted the sun was setting in the horizon, the Emperor had followed Heero to the hallway.

“I do hope to hear a good answer from you soon, Heero.” The Emperor smiled politely as they made it to the hall.

“I will contemplate it thoroughly, my Lord Emperor,” Heero bowed.

The Emperor nodded at him them quirked a smile. “Don’t think on it too hard, you don’t have much time before you are eligible to marry.”

“Of course.” Heero bowed cordially once again.

“Yes,” The Emperor drew a bit closer to Heero than he was used to. “Not much time at all.”

The Lord backed up instinctually and felt his back hit the wall. Smiling in hopes of not showing his discomfort, Heero cleared his throat before answering. “You’re coronation is approaching quickly, my Lord Emperor.”

The man smiled in a strange way as Heero noted the closing distance between them. “It is cruel that they make us wait until nightfall of that day…don’t you agree?”

Lost for a reply, Heero stuttered as the Emperor closed in on him and placed a hand on the wall next to his head. “I-I…um, I….”

“Perhaps a taste, then? To tie me over?” Without a response from Heero, the Emperor leaned down and stole his lips.

At first, Heero’s initial reaction was to throw the man off of him…but this was his Emperor. He had no right to do any such thing to Emperor Ikkaku.

If he wanted it, he got it.

Letting go of himself, he felt the Emperor’s tongue invade his now pliant mouth. The man moaned in satisfaction and slipped his hand behind Heero to have it rest on the small of his back. That hand slid down to encompass his backside and caused Heero to jump in surprise, breaking the kiss.

Ikkaku chuckled at his reaction. “Don’t worry; I wouldn’t break my own laws.”

Heero swallowed hard as the Emperor’s hand explored his body while kissing his neck, the Lord biting his lip as the questing hand found its way under his clothing. Ikkaku trailed his mouth back up to Heero’s and once again slipped his tongue inside.

The kiss lasted longer this time as they were both breathless as the broke apart. Then, Emperor Ikkaku smiled and traced Heero’s lips with his fingers. “Tell me, are these still as innocent as this?” The Emperor ghosted a finger along the crease of Heero’s covered ass, explaining what he was implying.

Heero felt his face burn bright red at the question, understanding what the man was asking. Feeling purely embarrassed, Heero shivered at the feel of the man tracing his lips. “They are, my Lord Emperor.”

The man smiled broadly as he stole down for another kiss, this time pulling Heero flush against his body. Heero remained limp, allowing the man what he wished, even as he felt the evidence of what the kissing was doing to the man jut against his thigh. He closed his eyes and waited for the man to have his fill, praying to the Gods that he would soon be satisfied with his ‘taste’. But no reprieve was coming as the man advanced; using both his hands now to explore Heero’s body as the Lord clenched his fists in order to control his reaction to stop the man.

It wasn’t until Heero heard a little growl coming form his feet that he opened his eyes and looked down, spotting Shini at his feet. He never felt more relieved. Breaking the kiss, Heero smiled down at the demon gratefully. “Shini, what are you doing here?”

# # # #

As Heero told them what happened, he left out a few of the minute…and embarrassing, details. He really didn’t want to repeat the insinuation he had said about his mouth. He saw Duo’s reaction as he glossed over the short conversation, making him wonder if the Aiko had heard what Ikkaku had said; but Duo didn’t comment.

After his explanation, Wufei was busy yelling at himself as Quatre and Trowa mulled over the events in their head. Sally stood leaning against the bedpost, her eyebrows knit together. “That is…odd.”

“Exactly what I thought. “ Heero grumbled. “But it would make sense that perhaps he is getting…impatient…for his coronation.”

“Impatient or not, how dare he!” Wufei growled, finally breaking out of his self punishment. Out of the corner of his eye, Heero saw Duo nod in agreement, surprising him.

“He didn’t harm me, Wufei, and he did nothing against the pact of the Right of Primary. If anything, I was in the wrong for breaking his advancements and using Shinigami as an excuse to pull away.”

“Are you fucking kidding me?!” Duo practically yelled. “How the hell do you figure that?!”

Heero heard Wufei growl something in agreement as Trowa sighed. “Though it may be hard to understand, Heero is right.”

Duo opened his mouth to say something, but apparently it was lost on him as nothing came out.

“By our customs,” Trowa began, “The Emperor can command Heero to do basically anything you can imagine.”

“But, I though he couldn’t do that type of thing to the four Lords because that’s what makes the Right of Primary so ‘special’.” Duo said, emphasizing the last word with mocking distain. Heero felt like going to the washroom and drowning himself in the tub. //Do we have to talk about this?//

“He can’t, but Heero is different.” Wufei bit out as if it pained him to say it.

“Different?” Duo asked, focusing his attentions on Heero.

Heero sighed and stood up. “Think on it Duo.”

“Huh?”

“How would you react as a leader of a great kingdom if someone else controlled the army?” Trowa elaborated for him. “Because of Heero’s station as the Lord of War and his ability to order the army, he has to take far more oaths and obey the Emperor more harshly than any of the others.”

“There is no quicker crime punished than the Lord of War disobeying the Emperor.” Quatre chimed in, glancing in Heero’s direction before he set his eyes on Duo. “And the punishment is that of high treason.”

“You mean if Heero doesn’t play dead…he will be?” Heero heard Duo choke out. Heero hated hearing the pity in their voices, but suffered through it as he waited for their conversation to end.
Duo sat down once again on the bed and stared at the floor for a while before speaking up once more. “So what did he mean then?”

“When?” Heero asked, not following the man.

“When he said he wouldn’t break his own laws.”

“He has declared the Right of Primary from Yuy.” Wufei spoke up. “By law, no man, even the Emperor himself, is allowed to sleep with him until the night of the Emperor’s coronation. Just as Yuy is not allowed to marry, or have proper sex with a woman, until after such time.”

Heero just waited, cheeks now a light hue of pink from Wufei’s bluntness, for the questions he knew Duo would have.

“Then why is he allowed to have an Aiko? And why would he have to worry about marriage proposals if he can’t even get married yet?” Duo paused for a second with a confused look on his face. “…and what the fuck is ‘proper sex’?”

Heero sighed to himself, wishing the ground below him would open up and swallow him. Looking out beyond the balcony, he saw that the moon was out, making him feel even more tired than he thought he was. He continued to stare at the moon and thanked the Gods for the orb’s companionship during the conversation. It wasn’t until Wufei spoke up that Heero looked away from the moon.

“There is more than one way for a Lord to enjoy an Aiko besides the usual, and it is also not common, even in secret, for an Aiko to return the favor of penetration, so Yuy is not restricted for having an Aiko on that basis.” Wufei droned out, as if he had read and memorized the rules…Heero wouldn’t put it past him.

“Is it illegal to…do that?” Duo asked, his face reddening, most likely from the implications that could arise from his question.

Quatre shook his head. “Not technically, no. It’s just unusual.”

“As for the marriage proposals,” Heero stepped in, “I may not be able to marry yet, but that does not mean I can not be engaged, or that my house could not promise me to anyone. So, if my parents were still living, I may have already had an intended by now. We would just not be able to marry until after the coronation.”

Duo nodded in understanding, then raised his eyebrows as he waited for the answer to his last question. Heero stayed quiet and waited for someone else to explain. Luckily, Quatre picked up on how uncomfortable he was and chimed in.

“What Wufei meant by proper sex is having such with a Lorlian woman of higher class in hopes of bearing a child.”

“…so, he can sleep with women as long as their low class and they don’t have a kid?” Duo asked.

Heero shook his head. “A child can be conceived by the union, but I would be legally unable to adopt it into my household because of the Right of Primary. It would go through life with literally no father.”

And that was why Heero never intended to sleep with any woman besides his wife. He couldn’t bare the idea of not being able adopt his own son or daughter, it would hurt too much. ‘Blood is blood’ as his father used to say.

Duo continued to study the floor as Heero begged the Gods that the conversation was over. Quatre once again must have felt his hope and spoke up. “Enough talking for today, it’s getting late. We’ll come by tomorrow after you’ve had some rest.”

“How so?” Trowa disagreed. “We haven’t…”

The banged Lord trailed off as his blonde lover glared at him. Taking the hint, Trowa bit his lip from commenting and resigned to Quatre’s decision.

Wufei looked like he was about to protest when Sally shot him a look. Heero watched in amusement as Sally pulled Wufei out of the room much the same was Quatre was dragging Trowa along.

Heero let out a sigh of relief as they left, but it was short lived as he noticed that the person he really wanted to get away from at the moment was still in the room. Deciding it was a good time to slip on his night toga in hopes that he could crawl into bed before Duo broke from his reprieve, Heero made his way over to his dresser and began to do just that.

# # # #

Now his head hurt as much as his heart did. There were so many rules, so many laws that did nothing but restrict Heero from having a normal life. And it was all because the Emperor thought with his dick and wanted Heero. ///Wait a minute…// If the Emperor picked Heero when they were still kids…before sex really had anything to do with life, why would he have chosen Heero?

“Why you?” Duo almost all but whispered.

Heero had just finished putting on his night toga and sat on the bed opposite of Duo, their backs facing one another. “I’m a Celacent.”

Duo shook his head. “So? What the hell would he get out of it?”

He heard the man sigh behind him and the bed shifted as Heero lay down. “Do you remember when you asked me about what all I can do?”

Turning around, Duo leaned over Heero. “Yes, what about it?”

“I said I could do small variations of all the final spells…including the fertility spell.”

Duo blinked a few times at the man. “But…the Emperor is a guy. What could he get out of it?”

“The spell affects the men, not the women.”

Duo jerked his head up. “Huh?” That made no sense. Women had the children, so why would a fertility spell affect men? Wouldn’t that be pointless?

“The Gods love not knowing…which is hard when they control everything. So, to make it more interesting, they created chance in many things, including birth.” Heero began to explain. “Whether a child is a boy or girl is decided by a roll of the dice one could say. And, they like it that way.”

“I still don’t see what this has to do with anything.” He admitted. Where was Heero going with this?

Heero sat up and folded his legs under him. “If it is chance which determines our gender at birth, then a Celestial Gift or Celacent has just as much of a chance of being boy or girl as any other child born.”

“True…” Duo drawled out.

“Therefore, the fertility spell has to be able to be done by both a male and a female.”

“Since when has magic ever been gender specific anyway?” Duo asked. A spell was a spell. Anyone could say words; they just needed the power to back them up.

“Mine is no ordinary magic.” Heero smiled weakly. “The final incantations all have something to do with our physical body: whether it be our flesh, blood, or hair. The Fertility spell is no different…though more evasive than the others.”

“More evasive?” Duo questioned in an uneasy tone. He didn’t like where this was going.

“Technically, though the gift of fertility is the only one that does not require an actual sacrifice of living life…you do completely sacrifice your livelihood.”

Duo was slowly starting to understand, but found himself hoping that he was wrong. That the Gods were not so cruel. Hating to ask, but knowing he has to, Duo choked out, “…meaning?”

Heero turned his head away from Duo. “He or she would spend the rest of their lives in the temple helping couples…procreate…by transfusing magic into the man until their own energy was used up.”

“And by transfusing you mean…”

“Intercourse, Duo. They transfer the energy through the act.”

Duo didn’t miss the defeated tone in Heero’s voice. It was one thing to be sacrificed to help people…but to sleep with every single one who was having problems with bearing children? What the hell were the gods thinking? These were their messengers for fuck sake, their adjacents. If this was what had to be done to help fertility, he was afraid to know the specifics of any of the other spells.

After the conversation, Duo felt like crawling into bed and forgetting the whole conversation. Hell, the whole day. But, Heero still hadn’t explained everything. “So, the Emperor…?”

“Which would you rather choose: a pretty face for a night, or a night that could help guarantee healthy children in your future?” Heero asked deadpan, still not looking at Duo.

“Oh…” The Aiko began to study the bedclothes by the moonlight. “So he’s going to order you to do the spell and is going to let you…”

Heero shook his head. “No, that is not how the spell works. Me having him would do nothing. I have to be the one taken for it to work. You forget, women have to be able to do the spell as well.”

Duo nodded numbly, then heard Heero laugh bitterly. “Besides, if it worked the other way it wouldn’t even help the population…since all the kids would be mine, and half siblings at that.”

The Aiko regarded Heero quietly, not being able to imagine what was going through the Lord’s head. Duo just hoped that people didn’t start having problems bearing children any time soon. Thank the Gods that, that was usually the least of a kingdom’s worries.

The mood in the room was daunting at best as they sat in silence. It was getting to the point of eerie when Duo spoke once again. “Well, I’m just finding out all kinds of things these days, aren’t I?”

Heero smirked. “You are indeed.”

Shinigami decided to make himself known then by climbing on Heero’s lap and calling up to him, as if to ask if he was alright. Duo couldn’t help but smile. “See, you even had Shini worried.”

The Lord chuckled and scratched the demon behind the ears. “Is that so, little one?”

Shini meowed in affirmative while Duo took the chance to study Heero’s face. To think he had held this burden since the day he was born was mind boggling. The man must hurt so much inside that it bordered on excruciating. Just thinking about it created tears in his eyes that threatened to betray him and slide down his cheeks. If he could be anything, Duo wanted to be a person that Heero could talk to. That he could really talk to, without having to worry about honor, duty and the will of the Emperor. He wanted that badly.

“You know, Heero,” Duo began, waiting for Heero to look back up at him. “You don’t have to pretend with me.”

Heero looked him up and down then looked away, finding the bedclothes as interesting as Duo had not too long ago. He held his breath for a reply and almost thought he was waiting in vain when Heero spoke up.

“Thank you.”

It was barely a whisper, but for the first time since he had met Heero, Duo felt like he was finally hearing the man that he could see in his deep blue eyes, and was happy for it.



TBC…

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*sweatdrop* sorry this took so long. I really hope to pick up the story a bit quicker so I’ll try and get another chapter out soon. If you have any questions about the story feel free to ask them in a review or e-mail me…so I can make sure I’m getting all the info out before the story begins to pick up. If it’s something I shouldda said by now, I’ll be sure to address it in the next chapter or answer it in an e-mail.

[1] – if you don’t know what a litter is, it’s those couches people used to be carried around in. Google it in the image search and you’ll see some. ^_^