Gundam Wing Fan Fiction ❯ Two Sides of a Coin ❯ chapter 3 ( Chapter 3 )

Disclaimers: I don't claim anything, only the plot. As for the rest of the materials, if they are very, I repeat, very familiar, then I promise you that they are not mine either. I also apologize if I am somehow plagiarizing anyone's work. It's just that I read a lot and although I easily forget the author and the title, the gist of the story always gets stuck on my head. So again, I do not intend to plagiarize anyone's work. I'm really sorry and please know that I respect you enough to do that, consciously.

 

Warnings: yaoi, violence, character-torture, oocness and… oh yeah, male-preg [oh my god!]

 

Ratings: PG-13

 

AU

 

Chapter 3 --- Sally and Craig accompanies their King to the Methruian camp. They learn some interesting and shocking truths while dealing with their own reactions towards the sudden appearance of the exiled prince.

 

 

 

Sally turned to look at her king again. King. Heero Yuy.

 

She had joined the Srafian army only recently, but she had heard many things about this man. The soldiers liked to tell that he was very kind, unlike his father and grandfather who were `cruel, vicious bastards', those were the exact words used by the people she worked with. Even General Noin described King Trane so during a fit of passion. But with the prince, no, the king riding hard beside her, she heard many good things; mainly that he was quiet and honorable, and very kind. She wondered if the king had changed since then, because the person that she had met does not seem to have any emotions, his face too impassive and his movements very controlled. He had not even tried to talk to his people or reassure them while they were in the camp. He just went about quietly, as if he didn't want to announce his presence. Perhaps he didn't, since he was completely covered by the black cloak that covered his features completely before he introduced himself to the gaping war council.

 

After his very short discussion with Master Klef, his majesty tried to leave very quietly. It was Sally who saw him saddling his horse from her tent, where she and Noin were talking. She was surprised to see the king do such a menial job and commented this to the black-haired general who immediately jumped from her seat. She followed the general slowly, uncertain as to what was happening. When she came within earshot, she heard the general arguing vehemently with the king, who merely stood there silently, bridle in hand. General Noin was begging the king to bring at least some men with him, and after what seemed to be a slight moment of hesitation, the man nodded slowly, saying that he would take two men with him in a slow voice.

 

Sally immediately volunteered herself, and then Craig added his voice. The king had not talked to them since then, he didn't even glance at their direction, just waited patiently for them to prepare.

 

The distance to the Methruian Camp is fairly long, with a wide expanse of grassland separating the two enemy camps. The silence kept pushing stray thoughts into Sally, so the captain just decided to go along with them. It seems that her thoughts could not deviate from the rumors about her new king, so she recalled what she was told about him.

 

It was the prince's kindness and sense of honor that led to his disappearance five years ago, she was told. Prince Heero is exiled because he killed seven guards who were torturing a family merely suspected as rebels. The prince came in time to save the father and the children, but the mother was a lost cause; raped and tortured beyond her endurance. The prince helped the father and the three children to escape, and then remained to face whatever punishment his father gave him. It seems that the prince's sense of honor was the kind that does not sought for glory, but only responsibility for his actions.

 

Hearing the tale for the first time, Sally could not help but wonder now that she has seen the infamous prince how he could kill seven trained and presumably armed guards all by himself. The prince obviously has training in combat, but he is so slender and small, almost effeminate in appearance. The king has some hidden steel in him then, Sally concluded, as her thoughts drifted to what followed next.

 

The prince would have been condemned to death by his own father if not for the pleadings of the Queen Elyna, Princess Relena and an advisor called Master J, the one that Master Klef mentioned earlier, Sally recalled. Despite the pleadings of the three obviously influential people, the king had his son tortured for seven whole nights and days, and then thrown out unceremoniously of the city gates, not at all befitting the position of royalty, even an exiled one.

 

When Sally learned of the torture, she came to the conclusion that the prince is dead, since as a healer, she knew that no ordinary human could withstand seven days of torture which must be truly gruesome if the rumors about King Trane's cruelty were true. However, the soldiers who told her this tale held firm to the belief that their prince is alive and would return to end their sufferings from his family's rule, to take up the scepter and finally rule his people benevolently, without the use of violence and fear.

 

/They were right/, Sally mused as she cast another look at the king whose hood were thrown back by the wind caused by their swift ride, the wind ruffling his short, brown hair and cloak. They were also right about him being beautiful, more beautiful even than some women. When the cloak covered person threw back his hood and introduced himself as Heero Yuy, Sally had been taken aback. If not for the grim lines on his mouth and the hardness of his eyes, she would have laughed right there and then. She was glad that she had at least controlled herself, otherwise she would still be at the camp enduring whatever punishment the loyal General Noin would decide to inflict on her instead of riding with her king towards the Methruian Camp.

 

/The Methruian camp!/ Sally falt trepidation and not a small amount of fear clench her stomach. When she finally understood just where Heero planned to go next, she was filled with a great amount of disbelief and amazement. Talk? To the Shinigami-king? The rumors definitely had not included that the prince is very foolish, although come to think of it, he was already a fool when he remained to endure his father's torture after killing seven guards. The Srafians refuse to see it that way though. Perhaps neither opinion is exactly true nor wrong.

 

But now, to talk to the Shinigami-king? They have been fighting Methru's death army for almost a month and although she had yet to meet the illustrious king on the battlefield, she had long concluded that the Shinigami-king is an implacable, hard man. Judging in the warriors ---- for she deemed the soldiers of the death army not as mere soldiers but real warriors---- she also decided that their leader must be very strong, since they had yet to kill one of his men while they had lost so many already.

 

But King Heero said that he had lived with them for four years. If that is so, then why does the Methruians seem to hate them so? Of course there is the fact that Srafia had been aggravating Methru for hundreds of years by their constant heel-nipping, but it is only now that Methru retaliated, while it has benevolently ignored them, or perhaps laughed at them amusedly, before.

 

Sally couldn't help contemplating at how her present king had fared at Methru during his long stay there. High above, a lone black bird soared, a stark darkness against the vibrant colors brought about by the coming dawn.

 

___________________________

 

Heero slowed down Shadow to a trot as they came near their destination. He could now see the tents and the few men littering outside them, some tending to their fires as they cook their meal while some merely stood, obviously watching the new arrivals, so obvious against the flat grasslands.

 

“Begging your pardon, Majesty,” Craig, her mother's elder brother, came up to his side to ask, “but what now?”

 

Heero shifted slightly to look at the man, still unbelieving that he is his uncle. The woman, Captain Sally rode up to the other side, obviously waiting for his reply. Heero didn't want them to accompany him, certain that their presence would be useless, even detrimental to his plans, but Noin had been adamant, and unwilling to waste time arguing, he merely conceded.

 

“We wait,” he finally muttered as his two `bodyguards' waited patiently for his answer. Unwilling to explain further, he shifted his eyes back to the waking camp, reinforcing his words by the action.

 

“Wait? For what?” Sally asked, unperturbed by his curtness and slightly disrespectful as the thought `for them to shoot at us' trailed the incredulous enquiry.

 

“For that,” Heero nodded towards the two riders who broke away from the camp and are now riding towards their direction.

 

___________________________

 

“Good morning, your highness!”

 

Heero visiby flinched as the large, blonde man bellowed the greeting, still too far away for normal conversation. Heero remained silent. A moment later, the two came close enough for Sally to be able to observe the tight lines of disapproval and helplessness on the visage of the blonde man's companion.

 

“I trust that you had a nice ride?” the man asked pleasantly, a grin pasted on his lips.

 

Through the haze of incredulity that enveloped her, Sally saw her king nod slowly, as if uncertain. And who wouldn't be, Sally thought, the Methruian hardly acted like their enemy, with the way that he greeted the Srafian royalty as if the man had been gone for only a few hours.

 

Heero nodded to the man's companion, drawing Sally's attention back to him, and see him completely, which caused her to be surprised, greatly. Why, the man is Riyunian! He certainly looks like one, with the black hair and onyx, slanted eyes. Sally knew, because one of her ancestors had been one, and she had spent a part of her years in Riyun. But if the man is indeed what she thinks he is, then what is he doing here? The Riyunians are a very peaceful people, preferring to live in solitude in Mount Riyun, worshipping their dragon god and honing their skill in hand-to-hand combat to a form of art.

 

“We have been expecting you,” the jovial man said in a warm voice, his black-haired companion still silent, although he had nodded sharply back to Heero.

 

“I see that,” Heero said slowly, still without emotion inflecting his words or crossing his face. “I have seen Munin a while ago. Does this mean that - your - king would see me?”

 

The man laughed as if Heero had made a joke. “Unnatural, definitely unnatural,” Sally muttered under her breath and the black-haired man looked at her, obviously heard her as something like agreement crossed his face.

 

“But of course. Since when is our _king_ not willing to see you? We are just here as your escorts. Oh, and you may keep your weapons. I doubt if you could do anything…” the man turned his horse, waiting for Heero to urge his horse to trot to his side and then they walked towards the camp, Sally, Craig and the black-haired man following behind them.

 

“I don't trust him. Will his majesty be…” Craig was barely whispering to Sally when the Riyunian - at least Sally still thinks that he's Riyunian - spoke.

 

“His majesty? Since when did Prince Heero become your king? We have not heard of this.” The enquiry is clear in his voice, along with the threat of what he will do to them if they do not answer truthfully.

 

Sally heard the threat, barely suppressed a shudder, being so tightly wound ever since they departed from their own camp. It was Craig who answered though, truthfully.

 

“Sloane Xenne is dead then,” the Riyunian mused, dark amusement clear on his face. “His majesty would be so disappointed to hear of it.”

 

“Why?” Sally asked before she is aware of herself. They were already inside the camp, some soldiers coming up to them to take hold their horses. Sally noticed that no one seems to be in battle gear as if they don't intend to ride for battle when they were told that they would. She felt relieved of this new knowledge, although it made her curiosity rise. Ever since the Methruians had entered their borders and declared war against them, they were given a warning from the Methruians themselves a whole day before the enemy camp would strike. It somehow rankled, the warning, but Sally is still thankful for it, for she doubt that they would survive if the Methruians use their renowned tactics that every kingdom in Gaia feared would be used against them.

 

“The king wanted to kill him himself.” It was the blonde man who answered, although his eyes are on Heero as he waited for him to dismount. It is not what he is really waiting for though, but reaction, to which Heero disappointed him as the man remained impassive and silent. It did not deter the other though.

 

“Killing him was not all that Duo wanted actually. From what he kept promising himself ever since that coward dared to take what was his, he…”

 

“That's enough, Solo.” For the first time since Sally met him, Heero showed an emotion. But she never thought that it would be displeasure, especially in a place such as where they stood now, completely surrounded by enemies. The blond haired man grinned, but Sally barely noticed it now as she absorbed what the man - Solo - was hinting at when he was goading her liege.

 

If she assumed correctly, the Shinigami-king and King Heero had been lovers. Sloane Xenne had also been King Heero's lover. But if that is so, when? Sally herself had met the beautiful sword-dancer that occupied the previous king's bed two months hence.

 

Then it suddenly clicked. Confusing and a mite unrealistic as it might be, King Heero and the gypsy could only be one. She could see the resemblance now, the only difference were the brown hair and the lack of emotions, or a display of them. The sword-dancer always displayed the gaiety that gypsies seem to possess immeasurably. The sword-dancer had also been a seductive creature, or at least that was what he wanted to be. Sally's trained healer eye could see that the latter part is an innate part of her king, although it is now tempered to a great degree. As for the gaiety, Sally does not know how much of it is real or mere hypocrisy, but if that is only duplicity, then King Heero is a very great actor.

 

Another question had also been nagging Sally. The gypsies came to the main capital of Srafia four months ago, and Roe, the sword dancer, had been the king's lover for two months. Why did the exiled prince go to such extents and secrecy? Why did he claim the throne only now? Only that morning?

 

Sally felt faint, felt certain that by the time this parley is over, she would be unable to move with the shock caused by all the new knowledge. Casting a look on her comrade's face, Craig obviously felt the same.

 

TBC

 

 

A/N: Finally! I had begun rewriting this last week but only finished it now because of the additional lines that keeps popping up outside the draft that I made, and the dinner that I had with my mom and aunts which lead to a little bit too much liquor and sleeplessness which left me muddled the next day that all I could do is stare at my computer numbly and then I had to type my mom's reports because her boss is too picky (hateful, idiot of a boss) and --- well, idiotic. Anyway, I'll be doing chapter 4 right now but I can't promise a prompt posting because there is yaoi there and since I'm female and not truly able to experience that kind of sex, I'm still muddling about trying to balance things.