Fairy Tales Book 1 - The Outiche Kingdom
Part 2
"Heero..."
Solo coughed. "Lunch grows cold. You can welcome our guests later but right now lets eat."
The King sat down and they all followed his example, allowing the servants to serve the food.
Lunch passed with Solo and the M-Mages discussing strengthening the wards that surrounded the boundaries villages. Odin occasionally gave his own point of view but the two Princes remained silent throughout.
"What about you, young Prince?" Odin suddenly asked and Duo looked up.
"Sorry?"
"The Prince is too young," G spoke, "to be allowed to be involved in such matters."
The five M-Mages were so old their names had been forgotten long ago. They were now simply, J, G, M, O, and Duo struggled to remember the final one. He thinks it Q but doesn't see it as anything important so he simply shrugs it off.
Odin raised an eyebrow and put down his knife.
"But surely as future King, he has a right to give his opinions on matters that concern the Kingdom he will one day rule. I would never dream to keep Heero out of matters, I know I can leave my Kingdom safe in my son's hands, can you say the same, Solo?"
"I trust Duo."
"We don't."
Duo snorted at them. "I don't trust you."
Heero caught the defiant look in Duo's eyes but made no comment.
"Duo," Solo growled.
"I'm merely giving my opinion, Father."
"I agree with Duo. What gives us any reason to trust you, mages?"
"Odin, Duo, the mages are here at my invite, as are you, Odin. It would please me if you didn't insult my guests."
Duo finished eating. "Forgive my rudeness," Duo apologised.
Odin said nothing.
Lunch was finished in silence.
Solo stood as the plates were removed.
"Thank you," he said to Odin, "I will be with you shortly. I must see the Mages to the palace gates before I join you."
"I shall wait in your study. Come Heero," Odin bowed to the others, as did Heero, and they left the room.
Duo stood as the M-Mages did.
"We shall join you to the gates."
* * *
"They have gone!" Duo cheered as he entered the kitchen. Hilde was sitting on the rough oak table eating bread and cheese.
Duo felt a little guilty at the sight, he had just eaten a banquet yet his friend was barely eating a snack.
"And you are happy, why?"
"Hilde, them mages are horrible. I tell you when I become King, they will not be allowed anywhere near me or my Kingdom."
Rosa laughed from her place by the sink. "They've upset you, and a sign of a good King is not to get offend."
"Believe me, with that lot forcing its way into your brain and your very thoughts, its hard to like them."
Rosa sighed. "Well, the bread you made is rising. Hilde, have you not finished yet?"
"I have now."
"I'll call you when the bread is ready to be put in the oven. Now, I've seen enough of you today, my Prince. Get yea out of my sight."
"Thank you, Rosa!" Duo cried as Hilde grabbed his hand and led him from the kitchen out in the sunshine of the afternoon.
Hilde and Duo raced down the grassy bank and onto the sands towards the sea. Duo skidded to a stop but with Hilde still going forward, the momentum sent the two falling forwards. Duo laughed as they landed side by side.
"You're too happy," Hilde noticed, "so tell me, why? Has a certain someone called?"
Duo looked up at the sky and grinned shyly. He was about to reply when the sound of horse hooves on the sand was heard. Hilde gasped as a horse leapt over them both and landed a few feet away. The black beast reared as it turned and the rider looked down upon the two friends.
"That's my horse," Duo commented as he stood up dusting himself off.
"So? I was in need of a ride."
Duo threw his hair backwards and raised his head to stare at the challenger.
"This is also royal land. You are trespassing."
"A mere cut through."
"From where and where are you going?"
"That would be my business."
"What business do you have in the Royal Palace?"
"To steal this rather fine looking creature."
Hilde giggled.
"Steal my horse and I will be forced to chop off your head."
"I never said anything about a horse..."
He charged the horse forward, swinging a hand down to grab at Duo's arm. The young Prince was hoisted on to the horse, to sit in front of his capturer and he spun the horse around and galloped away down the beach, leaving Hilde laughing as they went. She then turned herself and headed back to the kitchens.
* * *
"Where are you taking me?" Duo asked, as the person behind him turned off the beach and up to the forest.
There was one forest that covered the whole land, spreading into all seven Kingdoms. The Great Forest, it was called, full of magical creatures and strange things. There was a tale that if you entered the forest alone you would not come out of it alive.
Duo had always been told never to enter the forest even if he was with someone. But he had no control over where they went and allowed himself to be driven deep into the forest until they reached a clearing beside a river.
The rider slide off the horse and turned to face Duo.
"Your Highness," he reached up a hand and helped Duo climb off the horse.
"Why is it, that with you I always end up places where I am not meant to be?"
The Prince of the Lowe Lands raised an eyebrow in a very similar manner to his father.
"Me?"
"Yes, you. I always end up where I shouldn't be. You get me into trouble."
"Only if we get caught."
Duo glared at Heero who smirked back. The Crown Prince was confident and charming and for a while now, Duo had began to notice how gorgeous and sexy his best friend had begun. Not that he had mentioned it to anyone else. He kept that thought to himself.
"And if we do?" Duo asked as he sat down on a rock and Heero knelt down beside him.
"I'll take the blame. I am after all the elder."
"But yet you kneel before me like a servant."
Heero hardly ever smiled yet when he did it lit up the whole of his face. The smallest smile graced Heero's lips as he moved forward, his hands touching Duo's knee-high boots and gently pulled them off.
"I am here but to serve you, my lady."
* * *
It was after dinner that night when Duo discovered Heero sitting along up near the small harbour on the beach. He was sitting on the stone dock at the very end, his black shoes beside him as he dangled his feet in the cold water below. His trousers screwed up around his thighs. Duo approached quietly and sat down.
"Is everything ok?" he asked softly, seeing the tight tension lines on Heero's face, the ones that meant the boy was either worried about something or thinking. Either way, it wasn't a good sign.
"Yes," he whispered the word into the night, the moon reflecting brightly in Heero's eyes.
"What's that in your hand?" Duo asked, only then noticing the boy was playing with something.
Heero opened his hand to reveal a small ring.
"An engagement ring? That's not for me, is it?" Duo joked.
Duo was too busy looking at the ring that he never noticed the brief look that Heero sent him. If he had, he may have regretted his words.
"No," Heero snapped a little too sharply. "My Father says it's time to choose a spouse. It's my mother's engagement ring, she gave it to me when we left home a few days ago."
"May I?" Duo asked, holding out a hand. Heero handed it to him. It was a simple gold ring with three small silver diamond stones embedded in the metal. Duo knew the three diamonds meant something related to the Yuy family but wasn't sure what they were. He handed it back with the question tucked away in his mind to ask his father at a later date. He had a feeling that any questions asked to Heero at the moment would only upset the boy, or make him angry and an angry Heero was not a nice Heero.
They sat in silence for a while, Heero still turning the ring over and over in his hands, as Duo took off his sandals and put his feet in the water. He shivered at the temperature but welcomed it against the warm night breeze.
They were out there long before Helen appeared to shoo them both into bed. She left them to move at their own pace and as they strolled side by side down the harbour wall towards the main back entrance, Duo gathered up his courage and asked.
"Who's the lucky person?"
Heero paused and look at Duo. "I don't know."
"There must be someone you like."
"There is."
"Then ask them. Anyone would be lucky to have you as a husband."
"Hn."
Duo laughed as they entered the palace and headed upstairs.
"I say just take the chance and ask her," Duo advised as they stopped outside his room. "Good night, Heero."
Heero opened his mouth as if to say something but the braided Prince was already gone, shutting the door behind him.
"Who said it was a her?" Heero muttered as he walked away, heading up to the next floor where his own room was located.
Back inside the boy lent against his door and bite his lip.
Heero was planning marriage?
The news didn't shock Duo, all Princes when they reached the coming of age had to find themselves a bride but all his childhood it had just been him and Heero. Now, there would be someone else for Heero to be with.
Ah, the annoying voice in Duo's head spoke, but you'll find someone else too.
"But," Duo whispered as he walked over to his bed and sat down. "I don't want anyone else."
* * *
"Father?"
"Duo?"
"Can I have a private word?"
"Certainly."
~
"Is something wrong Heero?"
"No."
"I don't believe you. Are you sure there is nothing you want to say to me?"
"Yes."
~
"What is this about Duo? I do have a funeral to organise, you know."
"I know, Father, but, I was wondering, what do the three stones mean, on a Yuy engagement ring?"
"Has Heero proposed?"
"God, no!"
"Would it be a bad thing if he did?"
"..."
~
"Did you ask..."
"No."
"You didn't know what I was going to ask."
"No."
"Why not?"
"I just didn't."
~
"Would it?"
"No, but..."
"The three stones represent the stages of a relationship. It is foretold that if these three stones represent what you already have then you are a perfect couple."
"What things do they represent?"
"Friendship, trust and love."
"Oh."
"Is something the matter?"
"No, not at all. Thank you for your time."
~
"What stopped you? The setting? The moonlight, the fact it was just the two of you?"
"Something that was said."
"What? What could he say that put you off the idea?"
"Leave me alone!"
"That doesn't work with your mother and it won't work with me either. Tell me!"
"He asked if it was for him."
"And you said?"
"No!"
Odin rolled his eyes at his son and sat down beside him.
"Heero, you just need to tell him, or you'll never get what you want."
"It's the wrong time, Father, his uncle has died, his cousin is raging war on us."
"There will never be a correct time. For once, don't be a Prince, don't think about the duty you should be doing and just be Heero, and he'll just be Duo. It'll happen and it'll be the correct time then."
Heero raised his eyes to look at his father. He had always been taught that showing emotion was a weakness. His father had taught him that, even though you should always follow your emotions, there was no need to reveal them to everyone. Now, his father was telling him the opposite to what he had grown up believing.
"For just once," Odin touched Heero's hand, "let them show."
TBC...
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