Part 4

Heero gripped Duo's forearm in a tight grasp and dragged him towards his room, expression dark. Duo bore it silently with gritted teeth, his heart beating fast. There had been a sense of despair filling him ever since he had realized Heero had figured out his disguise. The feeling was almost heart-breaking… that alone began worrying Duo. For the Sanq prince, he was finally acknowledging that his admiring was something more…

That scared him, thinking that it was more than simple admiration. And now that Heero knew who he was, there was no chance that the other prince would continue from that first kiss that had been bestowed on the night of Dahlia's fabrication.

“Explain, now.” Heero shut the door behind them and shoved Duo in the direction of a chair. Prussian eyes looked over the prince, and then Heero turned, leaving the receiving room briefly. Duo waited where he was, trying to calm himself down.

Swallowing, Duo fingered the neckline of his dress, wondering if he was to change right there, or…He reddened and looked down, unsure. Heero snorted softly and turned away, moving to stare blankly into the unlit fireplace. With the slight privacy, Duo took his time undoing the dress and removing his layers of female clothing before slipping into the plain outfit. He hid a contented sigh; it had been a while since wearing his typical clothing.

Without having to pretend to be someone else, Duo was much more calm. He was, however, still being bothered by his tangled emotions. “I am to try and find a way to retrieve my king, as I have stated previously… But how could any royalty from Sanq enter here safely? You knew Meiran, and she is a warrior - not a negotiator. And Noin wouldn't be the one to handle this…” He averted his eyes. “We decided Dahlia would have the best chance. So… so I became her again and arrived here… I'm still trying to figure out what to do now. Obviously plans didn't go well…”

“How could you just go and kiss some stranger like that? Whether Dahlia was real or not, how could you do that? Don't you understand the significance of kissing?”

“Did you truly love that Dahlia that you had hardly met that night? If not, why did you kiss her - me! - like that? I can't think of an excuse for you!”

Heero turned abruptly away, keeping himself from reacting violently. Already his emotions had become unsettled with the startling revelation that Dahlia was merely fictional and that Duo had been playing her role. Heero had… found himself being attracted to the young woman and had perhaps thought that they would work something out. But instead it was a young man. And not just anyone, at that, it was the Crown Prince of Sanq. There was no way anything could work out, whether he was into men or not.

Angry with his emotions and Duo's questions, he finally snapped. “You're so inquisitive, what's that supposed to mean? You knowingly fell in love with another man?” It sunk in a few minutes later what he had actually said; that had not been at all what he had intended. `Shit,' he cursed mentally. It had been a combination of his thoughts.

Duo was silent, head bowed forward and eyes shadowed. Heero found his attention suddenly riveted on the bangs hiding the prince's face. He waited silently, aware that his heart was pounding unsteadily in his chest.

“I…oh fuck it…” Duo snapped his head up, meeting Heero's suddenly startled gaze. The Sanq prince wore a pained expression; eyes filled with unshed tears as his body trembled slightly. “Maybe I became Dahlia too much… I couldn't help it! I don't want this… I don't want to feel this way!”

A tear tracked down Duo's cheek. “I can't help it! I don't want to feel like this. I don't want to care about you! Damnit, I… I… oh shit…” He bowed his head again bringing a hand up to cover his mouth to muffle his cries.

Heero was stunned, and stood there for a few moments without moving. Slowly he was able to compose himself and he found his hand reaching out on its own, touching Duo's shoulder lightly. His brain began working correctly again, emotions finally receding. When he thought on it… Dahlia was just the same as Duo. Her personality had fit what he had experienced with the prince originally. Their personalities were identical; it was one person… Did it really matter? Did it really matter who that person was, then? Dahlia or Duo…

`They're the same person,' he told himself, trying to figure out if he was to act on the emotions that had built. Seeing the young man trying to stop his sobs before him, however, made him waver and finally he brought his hand behind Duo's neck and pulled the other towards him. With one arm he circled Duo's waist and kept the longhaired beauty next to him. He didn't offer any other comfort, however, and stared silently across the room, feeling Duo slowly gather himself together.

Sally had finished bandaging the pale-haired king and now she was resting in the other room on a cot that one of the servants had brought in along with many medical supplies. Treize had insisted that the Sanq king remain in his rooms, however, and Zechs was once again lying on his large bed. He was on his stomach, since most of his wounds were down his backside and one shoulder was wrapped.

The night was progressing but Treize was finding no wish to sleep. He was deeply disturbed with how the prisoner had been treated. The wounds that Zechs had received were as bad as they could be without being incredibly life threatening.

`It was foolish to trust others with his care.' The amazing crystal blue eyes were hollow and pained, so different from the defiant look that had appeared before Treize the first day. To have the man loose that look was painful… Treize was sure Wufei would deal with the offenders properly; his son had been outraged by the events and immediately offered to take care of the men stepping over their line of authority.

One long-fingered hand reached out to rest against Zechs' bruised cheek that was exposed. Slowly Treize smoothed his thumb down the cheek and felt regret that the pretty face had been damaged. Thank the gods that there would be no physical scars that would typically be seen. The damage had been done in areas covered by clothing. His hand dropped to the bandaged back and touched a few areas where the white was stained.

Then, in the midst of all the wounds, there were the two brand marks on the Sanq king's back. Treize breathed slowly, feeling a bit of uneasiness wash through him briefly. The clear brand on Zechs' shoulder blade signified the man as a murderer. How, why…? Those were questions he could not have answered at the moment. But why was a murderer upon the throne? Had there been some mistake? There wasn't any situation that he or Sally could come up with that made any sense… Then there was the second mark above the pale-haired man's left hip. A cold anger seeped through Treize's composed emotions when he thought of the significance.

Sally had been the one to explain. Although the brand had been poorly made, she explained, it was a brand to mark the king… A brand that had been made by some cruel soul that marked Zechs as having been a victim of rape.

The thought angered Treize to no end. It stung, in some ways, to think that this beautiful man with such determined eyes had been touched so cruelly before and now had been broken again, in a different way.

As Treize calmed his thoughts, once again, he found his fingers stroking through the newly washed white-blond hair. The thought came without warning, `Gods he's the most beautiful creature I've ever seen.'

“Forgive my disturbance, my lord. I wanted to see the foreign king and how he fared. It is unthinkable that this has happened.”

Treize led her towards the spacious bed and watched as Une studied the pale man with calm eyes. For long moments she was silent and Treize found his eyes wandering over the thin body laying just beneath a thin layer of sheets.

Suddenly Une was facing him and she looked at him with a calm, understanding look. “My lord, may I remark that you have a strong fascination with this man?”

“You are always so observant, my lady,” he murmured, eyes flickering back to Zechs. “Yes, I do believe I like this man…”

The queen remained silent and after a while she curtsied and quietly excused herself from the room. Once again Treize sunk down to sit at the edge of the bed, staring at the sleeping face. Yes, the foreign king was startlingly gorgeous and he had emitted such a strong character at first appearance. When Treize had found the man, wounded and tortured, in the dungeon he had appeared so defeated and vulnerable.

It was true, the Sanq king was incredibly fascinating. And if Treize had believed in love-at-first-sight, then perhaps that would have been what he labeled his emotions in those early times.

“What will you do now?” Duo whispered. “Will you tell your father and have me locked away? Or will you just kill me outright?”

Heero closed his eyes tightly, shaking his head. “Shut up... don't talk like that.” One of his arms tightened about Duo and he rested his head against Duo's. “I apologize.”

“I don't let more than a few past my mask... Duo... I get defensive so quickly, I'm sorry.” He took a breath. “And I should not have given a kiss without much feeling behind it. I was wrong to give it then...”

Slowly Heero loosened his embrace and opened his eyes to see Duo watching with tear-rimmed eyes and an amazed expression. “Heero...” the boy whispered quietly.

“But now,” Heero continued, locking his gaze with Duo's, “but now I can offer it... for real...” Before common sense kicked in, Heero moved forward and caught the Sanq prince's lips with his. For the moments that passed, he let himself forget all else except the kiss that he was locked in. Outside the wonderful feeling he didn't want to tread, because there there would be complications and problems that he could not yet solve.

Finally Heero pulled away, carefully searching Duo's face to see how the other was reacting. Duo appeared to be in awe. His lips slightly parted as he opened his eyes and stared up at Heero.

Heero looked down at the smaller boy in his arms. Sadness and sorrow could be seen clearly in his usually, cold, blue eyes. He held the other closer to his body as the angel finally spoke. “What will happen to us, Heero?”

With a sigh, Heero tipped his head down to kiss the boy's forehead, and for the first time, Heero Yuy, the perfect soldier was defeated on what to do. “I don't know Duo, I really don't know...”

“Then... could you... just hold me. Just hold me, please,” Duo whispered, burying his face against Heero's neck. “I don't want to hurt right now...”

He woke, hurting with a terrible pain. But, he realized, he was clean - no longer covered in filth and lying on dirt. The shock of feeling sleek, silk sheets beneath his mostly bare body caused Zechs to push himself up. The movement increased his pain and he bit back a cry.

Zechs snapped his head to the side, finding Treize sitting on the edge of the bed. The ginger-haired king watched with a slight twinkle, a spark, really, in his eyes. Swallowing carefully, Zechs propped himself up on his good arm and continued to stare at his enemy king with wary eyes.

`Why am I cleaned? Bandaged… Alive?' The look lurking within sapphire eyes suddenly reminded him of his past and that others had seen his marks. A chill ran through him and, doing his best to ignore his pain, Zechs began pushing himself up more so as to move away.

A hand rested lightly on Zechs' forearm and Treize spoke. “Please, just wait while I call the healer in.” The pale-haired man gave no reply, eyes unsure and guarded.

Within the next few minutes the blond woman entered the elegant bedroom and strode towards the bed. Zechs turned his attention to her, noting her healer's robes. He prepared to draw back from her but Sally ignored his stance and went about checking over the foreign king. He flinched from her touch and she withdrew momentarily.

Zechs stared at her. “Why help me? Why save me now when orders of barbaric torture have been set?” His eyes bored into Treize.

Treize sighed. “I can never apologize enough for what has happened. I was a fool while making the decision to leave you in the hands of someone else. They over-stepped their authority and I am appalled by their actions. Now I may only try to make it up to you.”

Zechs was tempted to laugh, but he ached too much and was still too exhausted to be that bitter. “I'm not sure why you are trying to trick me,” he finally said, “but I'll admit to being too weak right now to do anything but play along.”

The next time Zechs woke, he found himself in a cold sweat, clutching tightly to the silk sheets. He pushed himself up and off the bed quickly, stifling a pained cry by biting his lip. Stiffly he struggled to reach the large glass doors covered with fancy drapery. He hesitated momentarily, but the sickening, frightened feeling he'd obtained from his dream struck him hard. He opened the door and walked onto the balcony.

Had he been feeling better, Zechs would have appreciated the gorgeously laid gardens beneath the balcony more. At that time, however, he was simply thankful for the midday sun revealing everything surrounding him; nothing hid, waiting to pounce, and it allowed him not to be nearly so tense.

He shivered, wrapping his good arm about his waist. With some surprise he realized that only the many bandages were all he wore. Yet he supposed it really didn't matter. Briefly he considered walking off the balcony - into the air that would drag him to the ground… but common sense reminded him of his status and the duty he owed to his country and subjects.

`I don't deserve to be their ruler. The crown is spoiled with blood of a murderer. Traditions have been lost... I've broken the cycle. How can I rule?'

And he was stained. Marked, branded… He wasn't fit to be king. Zechs shut his eyes and rested heavily against the balcony railing.

He had been thirteen, perhaps nearing fourteen, but he had felt so very vulnerable and young that day. One of the guards lost his position due to unacceptable performance and actions; and that day the prince had wandered down the garden paths alone.

While walking, the ex-guard grabbed the prince roughly and pressed him down to the ground. Caught by surprise, the young prince, then known as Mirialdo, ended up on his stomach with the wind knocked out of him. The man gagged the boy and roped his hands together before hauling him off. The man was drunk, angry, and set on revenge.

Mirialdo was dropped roughly within the shack beside the blacksmith's work area and the ex-guard tore at the boy's clothes. Mirialdo, frozen with fear and shock, could hardly fight back as weight dropped on him and he was trapped.

The guard had taunted Mirialdo, telling the boy that he surely enjoyed it all and would beg for more. The look in the man's eyes had been lust, a deep lust that sparkled in the corners of his eyes and signified his want.

Having been brutally raped, Mirialdo was hardly conscious as the ex-guard pressed a glowing branding iron hard into his left hip. By then, he passed out completely.

“I don't want it,” Zechs whispered, eyes slowly opening. That look... that damnable look that had been in Treize's eyes was too close to that of the lusting guard. But also... also there was a mix of what... her look had been.

His eyes closed once again and he bowed his head, feeling his hair dance about with the wind. A tear nearly escaped but a voice caused his mask to return to place.

Treize moved farther onto the balcony and approached Zechs. Suddenly the king of Sanq was extremely aware of his nakedness. He shied away and wondered how to cover himself.

“It's probably cold, hmm?” Treize asked, continually ignoring the earlier question. Soon he had slipped his cape off and draped it about Zechs' shoulders before the other realized what had happened.

Still, Zechs pulled away even as he clutched the cap about him. “I don't want your help.” He spun around and hurried inside.

Wufei walked slowly down the hall, thoughts caught up on how the members of Sanq were doing inside Oz's palace. Treize had not spoken to him again and by that time Wufei guessed that he would not be informed on the Sanq king's health. About Duo, however... he'd have to talk to his brother and find out what had happened.

The prince turned towards the soldier that was hurrying towards him. “There's a messenger needing to speak to one of the royal family! Please hurry to the throne room, your highness!”

He reached the throne room and entered through the doors to find a messenger kneeling before the dais, still looking as if he was catching his breath. There was water set beside to man and Wufei nodded his approval to the servant that assumedly had brought the beverage in.

“Your majesty! The tribal group of the mountains to the west are preparing for warfare. They seem to be heading towards Oz. We only have a week at most before the first attack arrives.”

The female figure stepped further into the room. “I have come to retrieve their majesties from this kingdom. And, now seeing as Oz also has the same enemy as Sanq, do you not think we should join forces?” Meiran finished, “If we are to survive in this war, we must trust each other and work together, even though we're typically enemies. For now, we have a common foe.”


	Lionna's Corner of Anime Fanfiction \| home <untitled> angst challenge Part 4 Title: ??? By: Lionna (Shinigami Goddess) lionna@execpc.com Rating: probably PG-13ish Warnings: AU, shonen-ai, eventually yaoi, possible lime, angst, darkish Pairings: 1x2, 13x6 ((beginning 13+6)) Notes: ===== Chapter Four ===== Completed: May 27, 2001 Heero gripped Duo's forearm in a tight grasp and dragged him towards his room, expression dark. Duo bore it silently with gritted teeth, his heart beating fast. There had been a sense of despair filling him ever since he had realized Heero had figured out his disguise. The feeling was almost heart-breaking… that alone began worrying Duo. For the Sanq prince, he was finally acknowledging that his admiring was something more… That scared him, thinking that it was more than simple admiration. And now that Heero knew who he was, there was no chance that the other prince would continue from that first kiss that had been bestowed on the night of Dahlia's fabrication. “Explain, now.” Heero shut the door behind them and shoved Duo in the direction of a chair. Prussian eyes looked over the prince, and then Heero turned, leaving the receiving room briefly. Duo waited where he was, trying to calm himself down. Heero returned with tan slacks and a tunic. He tossed them to Duo. “Change out of that first.” Swallowing, Duo fingered the neckline of his dress, wondering if he was to change right there, or…He reddened and looked down, unsure. Heero snorted softly and turned away, moving to stare blankly into the unlit fireplace. With the slight privacy, Duo took his time undoing the dress and removing his layers of female clothing before slipping into the plain outfit. He hid a contented sigh; it had been a while since wearing his typical clothing. The Oz prince turned back around and came to stand before Duo, meeting the other's eyes. “Why?” Without having to pretend to be someone else, Duo was much more calm. He was, however, still being bothered by his tangled emotions. “I am to try and find a way to retrieve my king, as I have stated previously… But how could any royalty from Sanq enter here safely? You knew Meiran, and she is a warrior - not a negotiator. And Noin wouldn't be the one to handle this…” He averted his eyes. “We decided Dahlia would have the best chance. So… so I became her again and arrived here… I'm still trying to figure out what to do now. Obviously plans didn't go well…” “Why was there this “Dahlia” during the ball?” Duo flushed. “A challenge…we were bored.” Heero blinked. “What?” “A… a dare.” Duo met his eyes again. Suddenly he blurted, “But why did you kiss me?” Thrown off, Heero threw up an angry appearance and glared hard at the other prince. “What has that to do with anything?” “How could you just go and kiss some stranger like that? Whether Dahlia was real or not, how could you do that? Don't you understand the significance of kissing?” “Shut up, I don't see what point you're trying to make!” “Did you truly love that Dahlia that you had hardly met that night? If not, why did you kiss her - me! - like that? I can't think of an excuse for you!” Heero turned abruptly away, keeping himself from reacting violently. Already his emotions had become unsettled with the startling revelation that Dahlia was merely fictional and that Duo had been playing her role. Heero had… found himself being attracted to the young woman and had perhaps thought that they would work something out. But instead it was a young man. And not just anyone, at that, it was the Crown Prince of Sanq. There was no way anything could work out, whether he was into men or not. Angry with his emotions and Duo's questions, he finally snapped. “You're so inquisitive, what's that supposed to mean? You knowingly fell in love with another man?” It sunk in a few minutes later what he had actually said; that had not been at all what he had intended. `Shit,' he cursed mentally. It had been a combination of his thoughts. Duo was silent, head bowed forward and eyes shadowed. Heero found his attention suddenly riveted on the bangs hiding the prince's face. He waited silently, aware that his heart was pounding unsteadily in his chest. “I…oh fuck it…” Duo snapped his head up, meeting Heero's suddenly startled gaze. The Sanq prince wore a pained expression; eyes filled with unshed tears as his body trembled slightly. “Maybe I became Dahlia too much… I couldn't help it! I don't want this… I don't want to feel this way!” A tear tracked down Duo's cheek. “I can't help it! I don't want to feel like this. I don't want to care about you! Damnit, I… I… oh shit…” He bowed his head again bringing a hand up to cover his mouth to muffle his cries. Heero was stunned, and stood there for a few moments without moving. Slowly he was able to compose himself and he found his hand reaching out on its own, touching Duo's shoulder lightly. His brain began working correctly again, emotions finally receding. When he thought on it… Dahlia was just the same as Duo. Her personality had fit what he had experienced with the prince originally. Their personalities were identical; it was one person… Did it really matter? Did it really matter who that person was, then? Dahlia or Duo… `They're the same person,' he told himself, trying to figure out if he was to act on the emotions that had built. Seeing the young man trying to stop his sobs before him, however, made him waver and finally he brought his hand behind Duo's neck and pulled the other towards him. With one arm he circled Duo's waist and kept the longhaired beauty next to him. He didn't offer any other comfort, however, and stared silently across the room, feeling Duo slowly gather himself together. ~ * ~ * ~ Sally had finished bandaging the pale-haired king and now she was resting in the other room on a cot that one of the servants had brought in along with many medical supplies. Treize had insisted that the Sanq king remain in his rooms, however, and Zechs was once again lying on his large bed. He was on his stomach, since most of his wounds were down his backside and one shoulder was wrapped. The night was progressing but Treize was finding no wish to sleep. He was deeply disturbed with how the prisoner had been treated. The wounds that Zechs had received were as bad as they could be without being incredibly life threatening. `It was foolish to trust others with his care.' The amazing crystal blue eyes were hollow and pained, so different from the defiant look that had appeared before Treize the first day. To have the man loose that look was painful… Treize was sure Wufei would deal with the offenders properly; his son had been outraged by the events and immediately offered to take care of the men stepping over their line of authority. One long-fingered hand reached out to rest against Zechs' bruised cheek that was exposed. Slowly Treize smoothed his thumb down the cheek and felt regret that the pretty face had been damaged. Thank the gods that there would be no physical scars that would typically be seen. The damage had been done in areas covered by clothing. His hand dropped to the bandaged back and touched a few areas where the white was stained. Then, in the midst of all the wounds, there were the two brand marks on the Sanq king's back. Treize breathed slowly, feeling a bit of uneasiness wash through him briefly. The clear brand on Zechs' shoulder blade signified the man as a murderer. How, why…? Those were questions he could not have answered at the moment. But why was a murderer upon the throne? Had there been some mistake? There wasn't any situation that he or Sally could come up with that made any sense… Then there was the second mark above the pale-haired man's left hip. A cold anger seeped through Treize's composed emotions when he thought of the significance. Sally had been the one to explain. Although the brand had been poorly made, she explained, it was a brand to mark the king… A brand that had been made by some cruel soul that marked Zechs as having been a victim of rape. The thought angered Treize to no end. It stung, in some ways, to think that this beautiful man with such determined eyes had been touched so cruelly before and now had been broken again, in a different way. As Treize calmed his thoughts, once again, he found his fingers stroking through the newly washed white-blond hair. The thought came without warning, `Gods he's the most beautiful creature I've ever seen.' “My lord?” Une had entered the room and stood just inside. Treize stood in a fluid movement and approached his wife. “My lady. What is it?” “Forgive my disturbance, my lord. I wanted to see the foreign king and how he fared. It is unthinkable that this has happened.” Treize led her towards the spacious bed and watched as Une studied the pale man with calm eyes. For long moments she was silent and Treize found his eyes wandering over the thin body laying just beneath a thin layer of sheets. Suddenly Une was facing him and she looked at him with a calm, understanding look. “My lord, may I remark that you have a strong fascination with this man?” “You are always so observant, my lady,” he murmured, eyes flickering back to Zechs. “Yes, I do believe I like this man…” The queen remained silent and after a while she curtsied and quietly excused herself from the room. Once again Treize sunk down to sit at the edge of the bed, staring at the sleeping face. Yes, the foreign king was startlingly gorgeous and he had emitted such a strong character at first appearance. When Treize had found the man, wounded and tortured, in the dungeon he had appeared so defeated and vulnerable. It was true, the Sanq king was incredibly fascinating. And if Treize had believed in love-at-first-sight, then perhaps that would have been what he labeled his emotions in those early times. ~ * ~ * ~ “What will you do now?” Duo whispered. “Will you tell your father and have me locked away? Or will you just kill me outright?” Heero closed his eyes tightly, shaking his head. “Shut up... don't talk like that.” One of his arms tightened about Duo and he rested his head against Duo's. “I apologize.” “What...?” Duo was baffled by Heero's actions. “I don't understand...” “I don't let more than a few past my mask... Duo... I get defensive so quickly, I'm sorry.” He took a breath. “And I should not have given a kiss without much feeling behind it. I was wrong to give it then...” Slowly Heero loosened his embrace and opened his eyes to see Duo watching with tear-rimmed eyes and an amazed expression. “Heero...” the boy whispered quietly. “But now,” Heero continued, locking his gaze with Duo's, “but now I can offer it... for real...” Before common sense kicked in, Heero moved forward and caught the Sanq prince's lips with his. For the moments that passed, he let himself forget all else except the kiss that he was locked in. Outside the wonderful feeling he didn't want to tread, because there there would be complications and problems that he could not yet solve. Finally Heero pulled away, carefully searching Duo's face to see how the other was reacting. Duo appeared to be in awe. His lips slightly parted as he opened his eyes and stared up at Heero. Heero looked down at the smaller boy in his arms. Sadness and sorrow could be seen clearly in his usually, cold, blue eyes. He held the other closer to his body as the angel finally spoke. “What will happen to us, Heero?” With a sigh, Heero tipped his head down to kiss the boy's forehead, and for the first time, Heero Yuy, the perfect soldier was defeated on what to do. “I don't know Duo, I really don't know...” “Then... could you... just hold me. Just hold me, please,” Duo whispered, burying his face against Heero's neck. “I don't want to hurt right now...” ~ * ~ * ~ He woke, hurting with a terrible pain. But, he realized, he was clean - no longer covered in filth and lying on dirt. The shock of feeling sleek, silk sheets beneath his mostly bare body caused Zechs to push himself up. The movement increased his pain and he bit back a cry. “Lie still. Your shoulder has been set but certainly will be of no use for sometime.” Zechs snapped his head to the side, finding Treize sitting on the edge of the bed. The ginger-haired king watched with a slight twinkle, a spark, really, in his eyes. Swallowing carefully, Zechs propped himself up on his good arm and continued to stare at his enemy king with wary eyes. `Why am I cleaned? Bandaged… Alive?' The look lurking within sapphire eyes suddenly reminded him of his past and that others had seen his marks. A chill ran through him and, doing his best to ignore his pain, Zechs began pushing himself up more so as to move away. A hand rested lightly on Zechs' forearm and Treize spoke. “Please, just wait while I call the healer in.” The pale-haired man gave no reply, eyes unsure and guarded. “Sally,” Treize called, although keeping his eyes locked on Zechs, “he's woken up.” Within the next few minutes the blond woman entered the elegant bedroom and strode towards the bed. Zechs turned his attention to her, noting her healer's robes. He prepared to draw back from her but Sally ignored his stance and went about checking over the foreign king. He flinched from her touch and she withdrew momentarily. “Your Majesty, I need to check over and re-bandage your wounds. Please allow me to do so.” Zechs stared at her. “Why help me? Why save me now when orders of barbaric torture have been set?” His eyes bored into Treize. Treize sighed. “I can never apologize enough for what has happened. I was a fool while making the decision to leave you in the hands of someone else. They over-stepped their authority and I am appalled by their actions. Now I may only try to make it up to you.” Zechs was tempted to laugh, but he ached too much and was still too exhausted to be that bitter. “I'm not sure why you are trying to trick me,” he finally said, “but I'll admit to being too weak right now to do anything but play along.” Treize hid a sigh while Sally returned to seeing to Zechs. ~ * ~ * ~ The next time Zechs woke, he found himself in a cold sweat, clutching tightly to the silk sheets. He pushed himself up and off the bed quickly, stifling a pained cry by biting his lip. Stiffly he struggled to reach the large glass doors covered with fancy drapery. He hesitated momentarily, but the sickening, frightened feeling he'd obtained from his dream struck him hard. He opened the door and walked onto the balcony. Had he been feeling better, Zechs would have appreciated the gorgeously laid gardens beneath the balcony more. At that time, however, he was simply thankful for the midday sun revealing everything surrounding him; nothing hid, waiting to pounce, and it allowed him not to be nearly so tense. He shivered, wrapping his good arm about his waist. With some surprise he realized that only the many bandages were all he wore. Yet he supposed it really didn't matter. Briefly he considered walking off the balcony - into the air that would drag him to the ground… but common sense reminded him of his status and the duty he owed to his country and subjects. `I don't deserve to be their ruler. The crown is spoiled with blood of a murderer. Traditions have been lost... I've broken the cycle. How can I rule?' And he was stained. Marked, branded… He wasn't fit to be king. Zechs shut his eyes and rested heavily against the balcony railing. “I hated it! I never enjoyed it…!” He had been thirteen, perhaps nearing fourteen, but he had felt so very vulnerable and young that day. One of the guards lost his position due to unacceptable performance and actions; and that day the prince had wandered down the garden paths alone. While walking, the ex-guard grabbed the prince roughly and pressed him down to the ground. Caught by surprise, the young prince, then known as Mirialdo, ended up on his stomach with the wind knocked out of him. The man gagged the boy and roped his hands together before hauling him off. The man was drunk, angry, and set on revenge. Mirialdo was dropped roughly within the shack beside the blacksmith's work area and the ex-guard tore at the boy's clothes. Mirialdo, frozen with fear and shock, could hardly fight back as weight dropped on him and he was trapped. The guard had taunted Mirialdo, telling the boy that he surely enjoyed it all and would beg for more. The look in the man's eyes had been lust, a deep lust that sparkled in the corners of his eyes and signified his want. Having been brutally raped, Mirialdo was hardly conscious as the ex-guard pressed a glowing branding iron hard into his left hip. By then, he passed out completely. “I don't want it,” Zechs whispered, eyes slowly opening. That look... that damnable look that had been in Treize's eyes was too close to that of the lusting guard. But also... also there was a mix of what... her look had been. His eyes closed once again and he bowed his head, feeling his hair dance about with the wind. A tear nearly escaped but a voice caused his mask to return to place. “You gave me a dose of fear when I didn't see you inside.” Zechs didn't turn but he did lift his head and reopened his eyes. “How could you fear or worry about me?” Treize moved farther onto the balcony and approached Zechs. Suddenly the king of Sanq was extremely aware of his nakedness. He shied away and wondered how to cover himself. “It's probably cold, hmm?” Treize asked, continually ignoring the earlier question. Soon he had slipped his cape off and draped it about Zechs' shoulders before the other realized what had happened. Still, Zechs pulled away even as he clutched the cap about him. “I don't want your help.” He spun around and hurried inside. ~ * ~ * ~ Wufei walked slowly down the hall, thoughts caught up on how the members of Sanq were doing inside Oz's palace. Treize had not spoken to him again and by that time Wufei guessed that he would not be informed on the Sanq king's health. About Duo, however... he'd have to talk to his brother and find out what had happened. “Your Highness, Wufei!” The prince turned towards the soldier that was hurrying towards him. “There's a messenger needing to speak to one of the royal family! Please hurry to the throne room, your highness!” “Of course.” Wufei walked at a brisk pace and quickly passed the soldier. He reached the throne room and entered through the doors to find a messenger kneeling before the dais, still looking as if he was catching his breath. There was water set beside to man and Wufei nodded his approval to the servant that assumedly had brought the beverage in. “Messenger, what have you to report?” “Your majesty! The tribal group of the mountains to the west are preparing for warfare. They seem to be heading towards Oz. We only have a week at most before the first attack arrives.” “So, they're coming here too.” Wufei whirled about to face the speaker. His eyes widened, “You! What are you doing here?” The female figure stepped further into the room. “I have come to retrieve their majesties from this kingdom. And, now seeing as Oz also has the same enemy as Sanq, do you not think we should join forces?” Meiran finished, “If we are to survive in this war, we must trust each other and work together, even though we're typically enemies. For now, we have a common foe.” ~ * ~ * ~ <<< >>>