Gundam Wing Fan Fiction ❯ Willing Slave ❯ Chapter 6

Part 6

Treize rode past the merchants on the street, ignoring them as they packed up their wares for the day. He maneuvered his horse around pottery stands and rotting fruit, pulling up short when a few children ran around his mount. A few minutes later he left the marketplace and found himself in a darker part of town. Beggars didn't waste their time here, moving through quickly to get to safer places to sleep. More children ran by, but they were dressed much more raggedly than the first few he'd seen. Everyone who saw him cowered back in their doorways or into shadowy alleys.

"Poor Duo," he whispered to himself. "This is where he lived..."

He brought his mount to a stop when they reached the orphanage. More a hovel than anything else, the stained glass windows were nearly all broken, with jagged pieces falling occasionally into the street. The stone crumbled haphazardly and mixed with the sand below. Wooden doors and window sills had rotted through, but the thin crucifix was still fixed firmly to the front, too cheap to steal.

He slid off his horse and headed to the door. A lone child leaning against the wall spotted him and made a move to run, but Treize smiled and shook his head. "I'll give you a denar if you'll watch my horse for a moment."

The child hesitated and considered. "Five," he demanded.

"Three," Treize countered. "One up front and two after."

"Done."

Treize flipped a single coin into the air, and it disappeared into the boy's hand. He left him the reins and stepped into the orphanage, pushing aside the door that hung on its hinges.

A flurry of motion greeted him as other children ran away, diving into hiding spots. Even when he was left alone, he knew they were still watching him. Careful not to step on the blankets pushed together on the floor or the scattered make-shift dolls, he walked to the stairs and descended, finding himself in room barely lit by the trickle of light from the upstairs windows.

Remembering the directions Wufei had given him, he headed to the far corner and ran his hands along the ground, searching for a large brick. He found the flat stone and brought it up, smiling when he saw the sparkle of his dagger and the cross. Pocketing both of them, he scooped up the small pittance of money Duo had left and returned to the main room.

He spotted a young girl who had thought he wouldn't come up so quickly. She froze when she saw him walk back up, unable to move. He smiled and knelt down so he could look her in the eye. "Duo sent me to give this to you," he said.

She watched as he set the money in her hand. "Duo...is he okay?" she asked. "He's never gone this long."

He nodded. "He is fine. But he won't be coming back."

At that announcement, a dozen children crept closer. One brave boy motioned for the others to hang back while he approached. "Where is he?"

Treize deliberated between a pretty lie or telling the truth. "He's at the palace," he said finally.

A communal gasp rose out of his small audience.

"But they'll hang him there!" the girl cried.

"They'll torture him!"

"The prince'll execute him!"

"His dragon eats souls, don't it?"

Unprepared for the verbal assault, Treize shook his head. "No, no, he's fine. He's not going to be hurt. He's become friends with the prince."

"Then why won't Heero let him go?"

"He just can't."

The little girl he'd seen first sat down on the ground. "We tol' him he shouldn't hit the palace. Sister Helen would'a never let him steal."

"Sister Helen?" Treize repeated. "Who runs this place?"

"We do," the boy said.

"Weren't there adults before?" Treize asked. "There must have been at the start."

The boy nodded. "Sister Helen an' Father Maxwell...they took care of us first. Then Duo."

"What happened to your Sister and Father?"

The smaller children, sensing this conversation was way over their heads, turned and vanished, but the first pair stayed put. "Oz killed them."

"Oz?"

"They look like guards," the girl said. "Almost just like 'em."

"But their markings are diff'rent," he said. "Bad enough to get caught by you, but them...real bad."

"They hurt Duo," she whispered. "He wouldn't tell us how, but we knew. He never cried before."

Treize couldn't respond. He stood and went to the door, leaving the children there. Before he left, though, he turned back to them. "Those guards...Oz...I will find out who they are. Things...are not supposed to be this way."

He got back up on his horse, flipping the boy there another two coins, and then rode back towards the palace. On the way there, a few patrolling guards saluted him, but if he kept his eyes open, he could just catch a few others ducking into alleys and side streets before he passed by. He thought he knew all his men...but not these men.

"Things are not supposed to be this way," he whispered. Whatever is happening here, Heero needs to know. And Duo just might be able to help.

*

"We are not sorcerers, Chang Wufei! We are warriors!"

Glad they were alone in the private rooms, Wufei averted his eyes from the Master, staring at the ground before him. He dared say nothing.

"You were one of my finest students," the Master continued. "I had thought you were obedient, respectful beyond your peers. And now I find you are practicing sorcery."

"I was not trying to do anything," Wufei whispered.

"Then how do you explain lightning coming from the sky on your command?"

"I don't know," he said. "I didn't try to bring a storm, it just...came."

"Ha!" The Master leaned back, glaring at his pupil. "Is it the same with your pet dragon?"

"Dragons cannot be pets," Wufei snapped, made bold by his indignation.

"I have heard otherwise from your fellow students," the Master said, shifting his large body to one side. "They say a small dragon follows you around when you think you are alone. Do you feed it? Name it? Have you taught it tricks?"

Knowing he was caught, Wufei tilted his head up. "Doing so to a dragon would be dishonorable."

"So you admit you have a dragon," the older man chuckled. "You are right about one thing, however."

Wufei didn't reply.

"Dragons are not pets. And sorcery...is impure. Dragons must not associate with sorcerers, or else it will contaminate them. You dishonor your little pet."

"I am not a sorcerer! I did not try to cast any spells!"

"Even worse." The Master picked up a short practice sword from beside him and tossed it unceremoniously at Wufei's feet. "Can you feel that?"

Taking an involuntary step backward, Wufei nodded once.

"A tragedy, really. The impurity of your craft is spread throughout you. Now you cannot even touch honest, cold iron. It is part of the earth, and you cannot stand the earth."

"No," Wufei insisted. "You merely cannot feel its heat. And it is not my craft."

"That is not your only impurity."

Wufei froze. "What?"

"You have not made many visits to Meiran, though she has been selected as your future bride. Why not?"

Wufei turned in his sleep, moaning slightly. No one lay beside him to shake him awake or kiss him into another dream, though, and the familiar story continued. Nestled beside him on Treize's pillow, Nataku chirped in quiet sympathy.

"I see no need. She does not care for me and--"

"And you do not care for her, I know." The Master laughed again. "The entire clan knows of the animosity you two bear toward each other. She seems to be proven correct, however. Nothing good has come of your scholarly studies."

"She is just a woman--"

"Exactly. A woman." The Master's gaze was sharp now, without his previous mirth. "Which is the real reason you do not seek her out."

"What are you talking about?" He knows, he knows...the clan will know soon enough...I will be cast--.

"I am old but not blind, not yet. I have seen the looks you give your fellow students when you believe no one sees. The way your eyes linger over their exercises." Now his laughter was tinged with venom. "Perhaps if Meiran were a boy, you would seek your bride out."

"That is not true."

"Such a tragedy. You were not built for lying."

I will be cast out. Cast out or killed. But exile is a death sentence.

"At least your father is not alive to see this," the Master sighed. "We must thank the invading raids for that, at least. Even your mother might have died over this."

But...no, I will not die. But where should I go?

"Master! Master!"

Wufei and his former teacher looked to the side, where several boys in training uniforms opened the paper door and ran inside. Out of breath, the oldest started speaking.

"Master...invaders!"

"What?"

"The scouts...say Mongols...from Kweihsui!"

"Enough talking! Take your arms and go!"

The boys ran out again, still gasping, but as Wufei turned to join them, a commanding bark from the Master halted him. "Stop! We do not need you there."

Incredulous, Wufei stared at him. "You cannot turn the hordes back unless everyone stands."

"A prophesy, sorcerer?"

"I am not a sorcerer!"

"Wufei...I will not see you after the battle. No one will. Join the hordes, leave, we do not care. But do not be here."

"But..."

"You are not of our clan."

Without allowing another word, the Master somehow maneuvered his bulky frame out the door and into the hallways. Wufei could hardly breathe. Not of the clan? Then was he nothing? His legs trembled and gave way beneath him, and he collapsed into a little heap. His body ran cold, despite the burning iron only a few feet away.

*chirrup*

He craned his neck to one side and spotted his companion perched on one of the master's wall scrolls. "Nataku...and where were you hiding?"

*chirp*

Wufei laughed humorlessly, sitting up. "You sound like a strange mix between a bird and a cricket. Aren't dragons supposed to be strong?"

Nataku dropped down from her perch and settled on his shoulder.

"No, Nataku," he sighed. "I am not strong. I am not a dragon, it seems." He caressed the shiny scales over her eyes, noticing how his fingers jerked with the shock of his sudden loss. "Very well, onna. It seems I must take care of you, so there is no use feeling sorry for myself." He rose and headed for the door, waiting until the hall was empty to venture out. "Of course, there is no longer a 'myself' to worry about."

*chirrup*

Wufei shook his head at Nataku's questioning tone. "No, we aren't going back to my room. What use is a book of poetry on a long journey? Besides, I can't even touch my sword anymore." He made his way outside and stood in the shadows at the side of the school. The majority of the clan ran by, and weapons clattered in the distance.

With most of the able warriors gone, he stepped into the light and across the dirt road. The sun was still high, but the forest lay near the boundaries of the clan's mountain village. With any luck, they could reach the Tiger's Rock Waterfall several miles down the mountain's western face before nightfall.

Again Wufei moaned in his sleep, and he flung one arm over his closed eyes. For a moment he could catch the scent of Treize's hair on the opposite pillow, but the sensation faded and again he was left in the long dream.

Wufei set the bundle of sticks at the front of the cave, hidden behind a corner so no one might see the flames once he had it going. He had to be careful the spray of the waterfall at the cave's entrance didn't soak the wood.

"Nataku, if you would, please."

The dragon squawked, indignant at the thought of having to perform manual labor.

Wufei glared at her, his shoulders drooping. "I would do this myself, but I can't make fire out of thin air."

Instead of squawking again, she gave his hand a little nudge with her snout.

He frowned. "Look, girl, I can't--"

Her sharp tail whipped around and cracked against Wufei's rear. The young warrior yelped, more in surprise than pain. Jumping back to the side, he gaped at Nataku, who curled her legs up beneath herself and stared at him, her eyes flashing. Wufei then realized that even if his dragon was a loyal companion, she was still a dragon, no matter how small. Taking another look at her claws and teeth, he sat up and stared at the bundle of firewood.

"Nataku," he sighed. "I don't know how..."

She nudged his hand again. Breathing deep, he put his hand over the sticks, hovering it a few inches. "Like this?"

*chirrup*

Telling himself that if the order came from a dragon he ought to at least try, he concentrated hard, wondering if he had to say some kind of chant or think of specific mental images. Or maybe just imagine flames dripping from his fingers--

His hand warmed up considerably as bits of flame seemed to actually drip down his fingers from some unknown source and land on the sticks, which flared up so fast he nearly burned himself before he pulled away. When he stared at the fire, however, he noticed something unnatural and looked again.

The sticks were not being consumed. He waited for the twigs to burn to charcoal, but nothing happened.

"This is sorcery..." he whispered.

*chirp*

A single tear welled up and spilled down his cheek. "Then I am a sorcerer..."

*chirp*

"Impure..."

No response. Instead she got up and stepped close enough to lay her head comfortingly in his lap.

"How did this happen?" He peered through the waterfall at the sky which was rapidly turning purple and black. "I am a warrior, I fought with iron weapons for years. I only studied poetry..." He lowered his eyes again and watched the flames make Nataku's scales shimmer. "Nataku, I'm tired..."

She adjusted her position so he could stretch out along the rocky floor. He winced at the sharp edges, but an idea popped into his head. Without a word, he felt the surface of the cave that ran the length of his body and pushed down. Instantly yielding, the rock floor smoothed out and conformed to his shape, leaving him with a curving if hard bed.

A heavy wave of drowsiness forced his eyes closed as the new exertions took their toll. Forgetting about the invaders, who couldn't be too far off even if the Chang clan had killed most of them, he fell asleep. Her eyes wide open, Nataku kept watch for him, scanning the area around the small lake and the waterfall feeding it. Her ears twitched every now and then, listening for intruders, but she didn't hear anything aside from the water and the mist rising before them.

*

Wufei woke with a start, but his only outward movement was the imperceptible opening of his eyes. The waterfall poured steadily and the sky was still dark, but he saw that his fire still burned. Wondering what had roused him, he was about to sit up when someone audibly entered the crevice behind the waterfall. He tensed, preparing to fight, until he saw the newcomer's clothing. Monk's robes, not the armor of the invaders. Relieved, he slowly sat up.

"Oh, you're alive," the visitor said, smiling. "I thought you might have been a poor dead soldier from that awful battle. Is this your cave, and if so, may I rest here?"

Wufei leaned against the wall and stretched out. "You may. I am only here for the night as well. Tell me, did you see the battle?"

The monk, whom Wufei could see was rather tall and muscular, sat down opposite from him. "Yes, actually. I was nearly hit by their archers, what with all the arrows the Dragon clan fired. Such a bloody mess."

"But how did it come out?"

"Heavy losses for invaders. They should have known better than to attack a mountain village. Nearly every Dragon warrior survived. Such a tragedy about that girl, though."

"Girl?"

"Yes," the monk nodded. "I saw her at the front line. The poor girl was holding her own, but she grew too enthusiastic and worked too far into the invading force itself. Once she was cut off from the rest of the clan, she was stabbed in the back."

"Meiran," Wufei whispered. It must have been you. What have I done...?

"You knew her?" He bowed his bald head. "My apologies, I would not have told the story so bluntly."

"That...is all right."

"You seem to know of this clan, and now that I think about it, you share their physical characteristics."

Wufei turned aside.

"The master spoke briefly of a young warrior they had just banished for sorcery," the monk said. "Was that you?"

Wufei nodded once.

Quite unexpectedly, the monk grinned. "Wonderful, I was hoping I would meet you before you got too far. My name is Laoshi O, but my companions call me O."

"Why were you looking for me?" Wufei asked.

"I am in need of an apprentice, and one with your already advanced skills would be desirable. I see you have gained a dragon guide. Remarkable for someone so young."

"Apprentice?" Wufei put his hand on Nataku's back to reassure himself she was still there. This was happening so fast. Banished, the battle won, Meiran dead...and now this? All in one day? A few hours? "What do you mean?"

"Oh, that's right, you don't know yet." Laoshi O made a half-bow. "I am a master sorcerer, just lately arrived from a small town in the Kiangsi province. I've been searching for a worthy apprentice, and you are the first one suitable to learn my skills."

Wufei cringed back. What kind of things could this man do, if Wufei, a lowly beginner, could create fire? "But...why would you...sorcery is impure."

Laoshi O waved his hand. "Pure superstition. I need to pass my skills along before I die. My knowledge must have an heir. And surely you don't want to travel all alone now that your clan has exiled you."

Wufei glared. "I am not alone."

"Ah, yes, the dragon. My apologies. But I could teach you things she cannot. Defensive spells, wards for every imaginable threat. Scrying spells for mirrors and pools, spells to command nature itself. Spells to see the past. Spells to see the future."

"Only the oracles can see the future," Wufei protested.

"Oracles? Ha! Throwing their pitiful bones into the fire and watching them crack. You call that prophesy? I have spells that can show you the future as plain as day, no interpretation needed."

Wufei smirked. "Then you must have known beforehand that I would refuse."

Laoshi O blinked in surprise. "What?"

Wufei glanced through the waterfall. The sky was lightening to a soft pink, which meant night was over. He rose, trying to hide his sore muscles, and allowed Nataku to jump onto his shoulder. "You mentioned my dragon was a guide. Then I will follow her."

"Follow a female?"

"She is still a dragon."

"A weak female dragon."

Wufei chuckled and doused the fire, letting the flames dissolve into nothingness. "She may be female, but she is certainly not weak. The answer is no."

The monk shot to his feet and made a swift motion with one hand. "Chang Wufei, halt!"

A yellow circle in the shape of a tiger's paw appeared on the ground Wufei stood on, and golden light poured around him, blocking him in. Wufei whirled around, furious, and Nataku hissed at the monk.

"Try to break the circle," the monk warned, "and your skin will burn. You will find, child, that I do not take rejection lightly."

"I...am impressed," Wufei admitted, and Nataku squawked that he would say so. "I have never seen anything like this before. What is it? Why does it glow so brightly?"

Flattered, Laoshi O smirked and leaned on the cave wall, folding his arms. "A special spell of my old Tiger clan. Your own name serves to bind you into the circle. Of course, I could teach you this. Now, will you reconsider and become my apprentice, or should I close the circle and burn you alive?"

Wufei considered a moment. Then he looked up with his first of many dark smiles. "Neither." And he stepped across the yellow line and walked past the waterfall, leaving the cave and the monk, who sputtered in disbelief and tried to see where his spell had gone wrong.

Outside, Wufei continued his hike down the mountain, disguising his trail in the morning mist. Once they were far enough, Nataku gave a little questioning chirp and nuzzled his cheek. Wufei kept moving while he answered.

"It should be obvious," he whispered. "He said the spell was bound up in the name Chang Wufei. But that is not my name, not anymore."

*chirrup?*

"West," he answered. "We head west, where the pale round eyes come from. Perhaps we shall find a new life there."

*

Nestled in Trowa's strong arms, Quatre turned in his sleep, forgetting that he was safe in his lover's embrace. He drifted in and out of pleasant dreams of life after invasion and vicious nightmares of the dark chamber under his sister's reign. He whimpered as the nightmare took over and he found himself back inside his lonely cell in the center of Wahea's palace.

He sat on his bed, hidden behind layers of gauzy draperies on the canopy and by the dark veil covering all but his eyes. Forbidden to remove it, he lived in the darkness with a single candle, a pile of books provided by his sister, and a mute maid who came occasionally, though there was little to clean. Quatre could only take a few steps before hitting a wall or the perpetually locked door.

He tossed the last book to the floor next to the others. Tomorrow maybe the maid would bring in a new set of pretty flowery romances to while away his life. In the meantime, all he could do was sleep and dream of more darkness. He lay down on the soft mattress and blankets and stretched out.

And a white specter flickered through his door.

Quatre gasped and sat bolt upright, one hand to his mouth as he watched the transparent form solidify into a stranger with darker skin and a green lizard on his shoulder. The boy's black eyes turned on him, and Quatre froze in fright.

"Who are you?" the intruder asked.

Quatre scooted back until he collided with the bedstead, trapped in the corner against the wall.

"Who are you, or can't you speak?"

Taking a deep breath, Quatre nodded. "My...name is Quatre...Raberba Winner." Dusty with disuse, his voice croaked. "Has Wahea finally ordered--" he coughed for a few seconds "--my execution?"

"I am not here to hurt you. My name is Wufei." He sat at the bed's edge so as not to spook Quatre. "I have been hired on in...your sister's?...service."

Quatre nodded. "Eldest sister. Why did you...?" He paused to catch his breath, frustrated that his voice would be so useless now that there was someone to talk with.

"I am a sorcerer," Wufei answered. "I must keep this palace safe, but to do that, I must know what is in every room."

Quatre chuckled for the first time in years. "Wahea won't...like it."

"Hence the late night inspection."

"Is it night?"

Wufei gazed around the enclosed room once and nodded. "About midnight." He opened his mouth to say something, then shut it, reconsidering. "Why are you in here?" he asked.

"Because I'm a prince." The blonde's body uncurled now that he was sure Wufei wouldn't hurt him. "The youngest and...only brother to twenty-nine sisters. I'm locked...in so...Wahea won't have to...worry about me trying to take the throne."

"If you are such threat, why keep you alive?" Wufei knew he was being blunt and Nataku's tail snapped his back, annoyed that he would be so uncaring. Used to her moods, he ignored her.

"I'm royalty...I'm powerless...and to kill me would...cause a lot of problems. She holds...the throne for me, until I am eighteen. But...if I die naturally...or go insane..."

"Cunning." Wufei looked back at the door. "Would you like to go outside?"

"I'd love to," he whispered before he knew what he was saying. Quatre's eyes widened. "No, I...can't! You'd be killed--!"

Wufei shook his head. "No one will catch us. I'll just put a glamour on you so you look different." He looked into Quatre's stunned eyes. "But...your veil must come off."

He needed no time to think it over and slipped the veil down his nose and off his face. "All right. Lead the way."

Wufei stood and helped him up, supporting the thinner blonde with an arm around the narrow waist. "This is going to feel cold, but it will pass," he warned him.

A second later, Quatre felt icy needles throughout his body, and before he could move, Wufei had drawn him outside into the hallway he barely remembered. Stronger than his poor candle, the dim torches overpowered his enervated eyes, and he leaned entirely on Wufei to guide him through the palace.

"So much has changed," he murmured. "Or maybe I just can't see now."

"There isn't much to see," Wufei answered. "Money meant for artistic ornamentation must instead pay her soldiers."

"Soldiers? Why?"

"Your sister makes war on her other sisters."

"Which ones?"

"All of them, as they do to each other."

Quatre sniffled. "Maybe they're the ones who've gone insane."

"Come, up these steps," Wufei said, turning him towards a spiral staircase. "My room is not too high."

"Room?" Quatre asked. "Not...with other servants?"

"A slant-eyes with round-eyes? Not done."

Quatre stopped and peered at his face. "They're pretty. Where're you from?"

"Jiujiang, along the Yangtze river."

The blonde paused halfway up the steps to give him a blank stare. "Um...okay."

Wufei laughed at himself. "Sorry. The far east, then. In the mountains."

"Living there must have been beautiful."

"It...could be...if one was alone..." When they came to the door at the top, Wufei spirited them through again. Noticing that Quatre was already exhausted from the exercise, he set him in the stiff wooden chair and moved him to the window. Quatre whispered his thanks, looked outside, and cried out softly. His eyes grew even wider, round as dinner plates, and he leaned out the window, amazed at the stars.

"I'd forgotten..." His gaze swept over the landscape, watching the scattered lights flicker in the houses outside the palace walls. Plants, bushes, flowers closed for the night, the hidden moon's light on the white walls, reflecting off the clay roof tiles. "Wufei, what're those...things sparkling?"

The sorcerer glanced out and followed his look. "On the rooftops?"

"Mm."

"Broken shards of glass." He sat on the sill. "To keep thieves out."

Moving from her perch on his shoulder, Nataku jumped down onto Quatre's lap and began to doze. Instead of being frightened, Quatre smiled and stroked her wings.

"He's so small. What is he?"

"Her name is Nataku," Wufei corrected him. "She is a dragon."

Quatre almost dropped her. "A dragon? But...I thought those burned houses down and stole princesses and hoarded gold...and...and...were bigger..."

Nataku chirped at the unintended insult.

Wufei laughed at her. "She wishes the last part were true, but then, she's very young. Only a few hundred years or so." He looked back over Corazon, at the moonlight running in streaks as the clouds passed by. "There is an old room, like an attic, near this turret. I cannot free you, but you could live there instead."

Quatre gave him a rather odd look for a long time. When he replied at last, his voice held steady despite the low rasp. "Why are you doing this for me? You hardly know me."

"I never liked caging birds, even if they cannot fly. I can at least let you see the sun again."

"But the maid will notice I'm missing."

"I'll place an illusion there, a double. It's an easy spell."

Quatre smiled again and bowed his head. "Thank you. So much. I can never repay this."

Wufei placed his hand on Quatre's. "You already have."

"How?"

"You speak to me as if I am human. It is more than anyone has done since I left the clan."

Still asleep, Quatre yawned and flipped to his other side, snuggling Trowa's chest. The warm touch to his face sent him into a softer dream of walks in the garden with his master.

*

Duo looked up from his perch on the window as the door opened again. "Hi, Heero."

Heero paused in the doorway, taking the time to look over Duo's bare body and unbound hair. "I thought you might have gone to bed after...this afternoon."

Duo grinned. "I did, but then Midii came and got my measurements, and I couldn't get back to sleep, so I started watching Zechs and Noin outside. Have you ever seen that guy's hair in the sunlight? I felt sorry for all his soldiers, they must be going blind. And then Noin, wow, I never thought she was all that strong, but she knocked a few guys over and--"

Leaving the door open, Heero came close and lay his fingertips on Duo's lips. "Hush. Are you ready for your bath?"

"Bath?" Duo blinked. "I had one this morning."

"Yes, but we slept together, and that means we both need one."

"I didn't know being a slave meant bathing so often."

Instead of wasting time arguing, Heero simply picked Duo up and cradled him. "It does." He retrieved a pair of robes from one his drawers and lay the black one over Duo's lap while the blue one went over his shoulder.

"So, what'd you do today while I was asleep?" Duo whispered as Heero took him out.

Heero's grip tightened slightly. "I killed the assassin. And I've sent an invitation to the Sank kingdom. They'll be here in a few weeks."

"Sank?" Duo asked. "That mean you're gonna have that court thing I keep hearing about?"

Heero nodded once. "You need to learn how to behave in court, Duo. You can't be nearly as open there as you are now."

Duo hugged Heero closer. "Why bother having something if it's so strict?"

"It keeps people in order, where I can see them."

Heero stopped in front of the door to the bathing room, and Duo reached out to open it for him. When they stepped in, they found Treize and Trowa already there in separate pools, their own slaves with them. They had gathered into the two closest corners so they could easily converse. Quatre looked up and waved, while the others gave them a restrained nod.

Heero tossed the robes to the side while he carried Duo into the water, squeezing him reassuringly as they moved into the deeper part. They came to the edge of the pool, and Heero helped Duo put his arms over the edge like the other two had done.

"I brought something for you," Treize said, leaning over Wufei and dropping something sparkly in Duo outstretched hand.

"My cross!" Duo gasped in delight. "You found it!"

"Along with my dagger," Treize nodded. "Anything else you'd like to confess to, now that you have a royal pardon?"

Duo made a show of trying to think of something when he grinned. "Um...yeah. You remember the time someone stole Zech's mask?"

Wufei suddenly found himself forced against the tile as Treize leaned forward, accidentally pushing the sorcerer down into the water. "How?" Treize asked. "He was on horseback, he was surrounded by guards."

Duo shrugged, watching as Heero picked up the cross and examined it. "Actually, I just tied a rope to one of the balconies and swung over, grabbed it, and kept going."

Trowa chuckled. "Daring."

Duo started giggling. "You should have seen his face, he looked--"

Wufei finally managed to push Treize back and break the surface again, gasping for air. He glared at Treize, who raised his hands placatingly.

"Khushrenada..."

"Now, now, little dragon..."

"--like that, actually."

Heero smirked at his captain. "I wonder what he'll turn you into this time."

Not willing to find out, Treize bent and whispered something in Wufei's ear. The sorcerer blushed, but he turned and leaned against the wall again. "I'll hold you to that," he said softly.

"Of course," Treize smiled.

"So where'd you put the mask?" Quatre asked.

"Oh, he got it again," Duo said. "But he had to chase me all over the city before I tossed it back to him. And by that time, he didn't notice I'd snatched his wallet."

Wufei just shook his head. "I have a feeling the courtiers will be leaving the banquet with less money than they came in with."

"As long as he doesn't get caught," Heero said.

Duo grinned. "It'll be a challenge."

*

Early the next morning, Treize sat upright on his desk. The formal atmosphere abandoned for the moment, Zechs crossed his arms and leaned against the wall of Treize's office. "We've rounded up all of the palace guards we trust. It came to about three fourths of them."

Treize sighed, folding his hands. "And of the city patrol?"

"Less than half," Noin said, standing next to her husband.

"Damn. They hid out there so they wouldn't be as noticeable."

"Heero knows?" Zechs asked. He raised one hand to push his mask to the side just a bit.

Treize nodded. "I told him immediately after I found out. We don't know much, but it's a group called Oz. I don't know how or why they're infiltrating our troops, but it's quite likely that they have something to do with the assassination attempt." His voice softened. "And we know they're cruel, worse than some of the criminals we execute."

"So what do we do?" Noin asked.

"Start questioning our soldiers," Treize said. "Some of them must know these Oz soldiers. Whatever we find out, we have to get rid of this problem before the Sank delegation arrives."

"How do we get rid of possibly dozens of enemy troops?" Zechs asked. "Unless we can strike while they're in one big group, they'll scatter and we'll miss them."

"I know," Treize sighed. "Somehow we must gather them together. But then, we have no idea how many there are."

"I'll go start the questioning," Noin said, turning to go.

Once she was gone, Zechs smiled slightly. "I'm sure that devious brain of yours can cook something up."

Treize shook his head. "It's simply amazing, Zechs. Things were just getting peaceful, and now look what's happening. Assassins, conspiracies, King J is holding on by a thread...coronations are a nightmare to defend..."

"Petty thieves getting by your guard," Zechs added. "Being turned into a duck..." He laughed at Treize's surprised look. "News travels fast, sir."

Treize glared. "Go help Noin before I assign you to the latrines."

Still chuckling, Zechs disappeared after his wife.

*

"Duo, wake up."

Duo grumbled as someone shook his shoulder roughly, but he opened his eyes anyway. "Mmm?"

"I know it's late, but you need to get up." The prince put his hand out.

Duo gave Heero a sleepy smile and took the offered hand, startled at how fast Heero pulled him up. Naked, he leaned against his master before he got his balance. "Hi, Heero...why aren't you in bed yet?"

Heero stole a kiss, willingly holding Duo for the moment. "I have something for you to try on."

Smiling broadly, Duo woke up halfway. "My new outfit? The one Midii was making?" Finally he noticed that Heero had a bundle of black cloth on one arm.

Heero nodded and made him sit back down. He tossed a few things to the bed and knelt, easing the pants along Duo's legs. Once those were up, he pulled the top over Duo's head and helped him get his arms through the sleeves.

"The sleeves are too long," Duo complained. The ends easily covered his hands and draped more than an inch over his fingers.

Heero shook his head. "They're just right. Watch." He pulled thin violet strings around Duo's wrists, and the cloth bunched neatly so that the tips of his fingers showed. "Besides, you won't be using your hands."

Duo heaved a sigh. "This'll be so boring if I have nothing to do."

"Court isn't supposed to be fun."

Another pair of black slippers, also embroidered with violet flowers, were slipped onto his feet, and Duo noticed that his shirt had violet trimming along with a large purple lotus on the back. He moved slightly, and in the candlelight the black cloth shimmered with a dark violet sheen.

"Midii is very skilled," Heero said. He brought up a jeweled headpiece that draped over Duo's hair, with ribbons at the end which would be bound into his braid. And then Heero lifted a black scrap of cloth to his face, fastening one end to the hair ribbons, draping over the bridge of his nose, and clasping it to the other side.

"There's no violet on this," Duo whispered, unnerved by the way the veil felt.

"No need. Your eyes are enough."

The veil fluttered with his sigh. "Are you coming to bed soon?"

"We need to undress you first."

Duo breathed in as Heero removed the veil and brushed his lips with his own. He'd never thought a simple kiss could be so erotic, but after having his face hidden, even just for a second..."I feel like I'm being unwrapped."

Heero kissed him again, taking off the ribbons. "Of course. You're candy."

Duo smiled and helped get everything off. "I've kept the bed warm...master."

"You could easily escape from here," Heero whispered, laying next to him. "Don't call me master."

"What if I like it?" Duo asked. He squeaked in surprise as Heero pounced, holding his hands down against the mattress. He surged up a few inches and snatched a kiss from the prince, who hadn't expected it. "What if I love you?"

Heero didn't reply, but blew out the candle.

*

"C'mon, Wufei, please please please! I know these cold!"

Wufei sighed and looked down at Duo's practice sheet of letters. Aside from a few stray marks, they did indeed look fine, but he still shook his head. "Fine, you know your letters, though it's beyond me how you managed to learn them so quickly."

Duo grinned and leaned back in his seat. "Great memory."

Quatre, who sat across the table from him, laughed and played with new puzzle the sorcerer had given him that morning. "I guess it's because you had to memorize everything before, so now learning letters comes easily."

"Now can we go outside?" Duo pleaded, bouncing in his chair.

"But you must work on spelling, then," Wufei tried to insist.

Quatre snickered. These tutoring sessions had been going on all week, and Duo was getting more and more impatient by the minute.

"But it's such a pretty day!" Duo pointed out the window. "Lookit all the clouds out there!"

"Lessons first!"

The little blonde tried to hold his giggles in.

"And there's lots of flowers, and we can eat out there, and--"

"Duo!"

"But Wu--!"

Quatre couldn't help himself. He started laughing, closing his eyes so he wouldn't have to see the irate looks the other two were giving him. "I always wondered what would happen if the immovable object met the unstoppable force."

Duo tilted his head. "Huh?"

Wufei just sighed again. "Very funny."

Quatre smiled and stared at them. "Maybe we should take a lunch break," he said. "Outside. We can talk about other things, like court etiquette and laws."

Wufei and Duo shot glared at each other.

"Too many distractions," Wufei argued.

"Too much work," Duo added.

Quatre's smile turned into a grin as he stood. "Then it's decided. Let's go." He left his puzzle on the table and grabbed his friend's hands, pulling them out the hall and through the palace.

Duo looked at Wufei. "How did he do that?"

Wufei seemed just as stunned.

*

Trowa and Heero walked down the hallway side by side, neither looking up or around, but somehow they managed not to bump into anyone or anything. Their shoes barely tapped against the floor, making them seem more like ghosts floating past the white tile.

"So you've invited the Sank ambassadors?" Trowa asked.

"No. The queen and her attendants."

"And her entire entourage."

"Mm."

Trowa nodded. "When do they arrive?"

"Knowing how fast her delegation will move, I'd say about two weeks."

"And...we're all expected to make an appearance at the court?"

"Mm."

Trowa didn't sigh, but to the few who knew him, he was obviously agitated. "Perhaps I can just send Quatre out and avoid the whole thing."

Heero smirked. "We can make a wooden manikin and dress it up like you. I'm sure no one will know the difference."

Trowa glanced sideways at him. "I'm not that quiet. Or will you have your own doll with a piglet inside?"

"A piglet?"

"To grunt out answers."

"Hn."

"Quatre, wait!"

Heero and Trowa glanced up and spotted the blonde slave eagerly yanking along Wufei and Duo from one side of the hall to the other. Behind them, trying to keep up, Nataku ran along the floor chirping angrily and nipping at everyone's ankles. Their bracelets jangled as they moved and faded in the distance. The two siblings shared a look.

"He's your slave," Heero said.

"Yes, and he had yours in tow."

Letting the subject drop, Heero and Trowa turned the corner and headed for the library. "So you think the Catalonia girl has something to do with this?"

"I doubt it, but she may know something. In any case, a masquerade will be arranged once they're here."

Trowa groaned. "You know I hate dances."

"You will be wearing a mask. No one will want to dance with you."

"Is that an insult?"

"Won't you have your arms full with Quatre?"

"You know slaves aren't allowed to dance at court."

"Who will know? Won't he have a mask?"

Trowa halted as he thought about it. "But people will still know--"

Heero shrugged. "Does it matter? I thought you were a king now."

Trowa raised one eyebrow. "I am. And aren't you still a prince?"

"If I didn't know better, little brother, I'd think you were baiting me."

"To the armory?"

"Yes."

*

"That one looks like a duck."

Quatre frowned and shook his head. "No, it looks like a bunny."

"A what?"

"You know, big ears, cotton tail." Quatre glanced over at Duo. "You've seen one before, haven't you?"

"You mean a rabbit?" Duo asked. "I think so. They skin 'em and hang 'em in the market."

"Poor things," Quatre sniffled. He eased back into the grassy slope and kept scanning the clouds.

"You're both wrong," Wufei said firmly. "It's a dragon."

"Big surprise you'd say that."

*chirrup*

"You see, she agrees."

Duo just rolled his eyes. "So, what happens at court? Is there a lot of people?"

"That depends on how large the assembly is," Quatre said. "Heero said he was inviting the Sank monarchy?"

Wufei nodded. "Treize told me. That means there might be a hundred people here, perhaps more."

"Wow," Duo breathed. "Does that mean we have to go, too?"

"Of course," the sorcerer told him.

"Poor Trowa," Quatre said. "He absolutely hates parties."

Duo frowned. "I don't think Heero's too happy about it, either."

"He doesn't like Queen Relena," Wufei said. "She keeps sending him little toys and golden trinkets trying to win him over."

"Toys and..." Duo mused. "Did she send him a toy bird that sings if you push it right?"

"Yes, a few weeks ago," Wufei nodded. "Have you seen it?"

A dreamy smiled popped up on Duo's face while he blushed. "My first night. Yesterday Heero said if I liked it so much, I could have it. I keep it in my little box."

Quatre pouted. "I wish my master got pretty toys he'd let me have."

Wufei rose up on his elbows to look down at him. "Quatre! You have an entire room of golden playthings and puzzles! What are you complaining about?"

Quatre laughed again. "You're right. But I like my royal plaything best of all!"

Duo just shook his head. "You know, for something so angelic--"

"Angelic?" Wufei interrupted. "What is that?"

"You don't know what angels are?" Duo gasped.

"Would I ask if I did?"

Duo got up and turned so he could see Wufei. "Angels," he said in a solemn voice, "are servants of God who take care of things, like keeping people safe and stuff. They have wings like birds on their backs and they're very holy."

Wufei glanced at Quatre. "Like your honored servants of God?"

Quatre nodded.

Wufei quirked an eyebrow. "Male or female?"

"Um...neither. I mean, they're called guys, but they don't have the same...um...you know. Urges."

Wufei pondered this for a moment, then shook his head. "Your faith is very strange."

Duo visibly bristled. "They're real."

Wufei ignored that and lay back down. "They must be little dragons. You just haven't seen them right." A thought came to him and he looked up again. "You have seen one, yes?"

Duo's look darkened. "No...but they're still there."

"Of course."

Quatre groaned and closed his eyes. "Can we please avoid a holy war? I'm not up to a jihad at the moment."

Still miffed, Duo and Wufei lay back down and stared at the sky.

"Bunny."

"Duck."

"Dragon."

Frustrated, Quatre pointed to another cloud. "Scimitar."

"Rainbow."

"Fish scale."

"What the--?"

*

TBC...