'...' thoughts

One and Only Part 17

Over the next several days, the palace of Trasil was a blur of activity as the occupants prepared to receive the elven king and his entourage. Servants, royals, and nobles alike skittered from one thing to the next as they attempted to impress the soon to be visiting court. Special foods were planned and the ingredients brought in from long distances and the guest quarters were stripped and refurbished with the finest linens available. All the while, as the activities continued undisturbed in the palace hallways, another group of individuals including Wufei, Treize, and Zechs, when he was available, were busy in the dungeons, extracting every piece of information concerning Lord Dermail's plot to take over Thomas' throne by enslaving his only son.

Meanwhile, in Heero's private chambers, Duo was busy putting the final touches on the outfit he planned to wear. Even with the delay of his kidnapping, he had managed to put most of the ensemble together, although he had to resort to having the tailor fashion everything except the undershirt and pants. In the end though, he was pleased and only hoped his father would accept his show of respect, thus keeping him from being too angry when he made his announcement.

It was around midmorning of the day before the arrival when Sally knocked softly on the door to Heero's chambers. She only had to wait a few second before the door was pulled open rather roughly by a clearly irate Heero Yuy.

"Good." the young man said with a nod, not bothering with a greeting nor allowing her to speak. "Maybe you can talk some sense into him."

"Huh?" Sally blinked at him in confusion; she had only come to check the braided elf's bandages prior to heading to the main hall for breakfast, something they had not been able to do for nearly two days now.

"He wants to ride out and greet his father before they get to the city." Heero growled, his attitude showing more than anything just how he felt about that idea. "Alone."

"What makes him think that would be a good idea?" the healer questioned.

"You tell me." the blue-eyed lord stated as he ran a hand through his hair. "He just woke up this morning and declared that was what he was going to do. Needless to say, when I told him it was only over my dead body, he became angry and hasn't spoken to me since."

Knowing Heero's sensitivity to the small boy's silence, whether it be from stubbornness or reversion to his previously quiet self, Sally could now understand why the man was so upset. "I'll talk to him." she stated as she pushed past him into the room. "Perhaps you should go see if Trowa and Quatre are ready for breakfast."

With a nod of gratitude, the dark-haired man stalked out the door and pulled it to behind him. Once he was gone, Sally turned toward the bedroom and walked through the archway, finding the longhaired elf sitting on the edge of the bed, his back straight in defiance.

"Good morning Duo." she said in what she hoped was a cheerful voice. Although she did not voice her own concern during her conversation with Heero, the thought of Duo leaving the palace, let alone the city, by himself sent a chill down her spine. "How're you feeling?"

"Like a prized canary locked in its gilded cage." he snapped, still without looking at her.

Sighing lightly at seeing the boy's stubbornness and knowing it would not be easy to make him see their reasons for keeping him under close watch, she walked over to stand beside him. "You have to understand Heero's reluctance to allow you to take this kind of risk."

"Septim and Relena are both locked up; what could possibly happen?"

"Duo, you know very well that elves are not liked or trusted by everyone. If you should happen to run into one of these people on your way through the city, who would be there for you."

"I can take care of myself." the elf snarled. "I'm not a child you know."

"I know, but you are still recovering not only from over five months of forced enslavement but also the results of the recent kidnapping." the healer snapped, not wanting to bring the events of the past back to the boy's mind, but knowing she needed something drastic to make him see the truth.

The violet-eyed elf seemed to deflate almost instantly at her words as his back slumped and he ended up burying his face in his hands, which he braced on his knees. "I'm just so tired of everyone thinking I'm going to fall apart if a stiff breeze hits me too hard." he whispered hoarsely.

Sitting on the bed beside the elf, Sally draped an arm over his shoulder and pulled him in close. "I know you're feeling smothered, and I can understand your wanting to fight against it. But putting yourself in unnecessary danger is not going to get us to stop, if anything it'll only strengthen the protective tendencies we have."

"Then what can I do?" Duo asked softly.

"You have to start with little things, like going to the bath or main hall by yourself. I know right now, Heero's refusing to let you out of his sight unless one of us is with you. But a short stroll through the palace alone shouldn't be that dangerous."

"Are you going to be the one to tell Heero he has to let me do it though?" the braided boy asked hopefully.

"I'll talk to him." Sally said with a nod and a smile.

"Thanks, Sal." Duo breathed, returning her smile.

"Good, now that that's settled, off with your shirt." she stated as she stood and went to the bedside table where she pulled out the jar of burn cream and some clean bandages.

With a soft sigh, Duo unbuttoned his shirt and shrugged it off his shoulders before beginning to remove the wrappings on his upper arms. Turning back with the necessary items, Sally could not help the gasp as she caught her first glimpse of the boy's arms.

"How...." she stammered, setting the stuff on the bed so she could examine the skin better. To her utter amazement, once the bandages had been removed from both arms, all that was present under them was unblemished, ivory skin; not a trace of the horrible magic burns could be seen. "You're completely healed. But how?"

"Does this mean my magic's healed too?" the elf asked in a hopeful voice.

"It should be; have you tried to use it at all?"

Shaking his head in answer, the boy ran his fingers over the skin of his arms. "I was waiting until you said it was ok."

"Well, I'd say it would be fine now for you to use it." Sally said. "Let's have a look at your legs and back first though."

Standing from the bed, Duo pulled his braid over his shoulder to allow the healer to examine his back and she was pleased to see that the lash marks, which had previously blemished the creamy skin, were now gone as well. Then unsnapping his pants and pushing them to his knees, the bandages were removed from his thighs, providing the final evidence that the small elf was now completely healed.

"Well, that settles it; you should be completely back to normal now." the healer stated, still a bit awed at the sudden healing, after all, it had only been a few days ago that the bandages had been changed and the burns, while healing quickly, were still quite pronounced. "And you shouldn't have any trouble using your magic again either."

"So I'm free to use it as I want?" the longhaired boy asked as he redid his pants back up.

"Yes, Duo." Sally smiled at the hopeful look on the boy's face. "I see no problem with you using it."

The elf sudden shout of happiness echoed through the chambers, bringing an even brighter smile to the healer's face.

********************

Standing in the hallway around the corner from his sister's rooms, King Peacecraft tried desperately to calm his thoughts as he found himself facing a difficult encounter. At the doorway just down the hall, two of his best and most loyal guards were stationed on either side, making sure the door remained closed, and no one entered or left. His first thought upon arriving at the set of rooms not five minutes ago, was to turn and flee back in the direction he had come, leaving the unwanted task for later. However, knowing that the longer it was put off the harder it would be to accomplish, he stood staring around the corner, trying to make his feet move forward.

"It's not going to open on its own and there's no way you can reach it from this distance." his friend and general stated from his right side.

"I'm well aware of that." Zechs mumbled but still did not move any closer.

"You need to do this." Treize said softly, resting his hand briefly on his friend's shoulder.

"Even after everything she's done, she's still my sister."

"I know." was all the other man said as he took a step back, indicating that the final decision was now up to the blonde; he had said his peace.

Straightening from the slump he had allowed himself to fall into without even realizing, Zechs squared his shoulders and finally stalked toward the door, causing the two guards to snap to attention at seeing their king approach.

"Your highness." they both chorused and without another word the one on the right turned and opened the door, allowing the tall, blonde man to enter.

Stepping inside the well appointed sitting room, which was the first area he encountered on the other side of the door, he found Relena sitting primly on the sofa by the window, staring through the panes of glass at the courtyard below. However, hearing the door open, she turned and now a bright smile lit her face as she jumped up from her seat at seeing her brother enter the room.

"Milliardo!" she exclaimed and rushed across the room toward him. The upraised hand the blue-eyed man presented however, stopped her in her tracks. "Milliardo? Wh... what are you.... Surely you don't believe what they've said about me." she whispered, tears beginning to fall down her flushed cheeks.

Shaking his head in exasperation, Zechs walked past the young woman and took a seat at the sofa she had vacated. "Your theatrics will not work on me Relena; they haven't for quite some time now."

"Wh... what do you mean?" the princess asked, the feeling of foreboding nearly overwhelming her.

"You know very well what I mean." the man stated, finally turning to look at her. "You've gone too far this time Relena and I have no other choice than to deal with it."

Realizing her innocent act would not be useful any longer, Relena leveled a spiteful glare at her older brother, dashing the useless tears from her cheeks. "And just what do you think you'll be able to do? You have no power over me; the people'll crucify you if you try to. Besides, you have no proof I was involved."

"That's where you're wrong." Zechs stated, giving the woman a glare of his own. "Not only were you caught red handed, so to speak, assisting with the elf prince's kidnapping but your own servants have come forward giving some rather detailed descriptions for other plans you've been plotting."

"No one will believe a servant's words over mine." she seethed, the thought of what she would to the unfaithful wretches once she was free again running through her mind.

"Once again, you're wrong. It should interest you to know that the general population doesn't wish to go to war with the elves. By your own actions, you've very nearly, and may still have, caused one. The people are not very happy with you and are demanding you be tried publicly for your crimes."

All Relena could do was stare in stunned disbelief at the words Zechs had spoken until it finally settled into her mind and she found her knees would no longer hold her up. Slowly sinking to the floor, she turned hopeful eyes back to the man who was now her only hope. "But you won't let them have me, will you big brother?"

Hearing the once much loved endearment coming from that viperous mouth caused Zechs to cringe and he quickly stood and headed for the door, no longer able to stand being in the same room as the young woman. "No, I'll not allow the people to have their way with you."

Relief flooded through Relena at the king's words and a satisfied smirk settled onto her face, thinking she still had the tall blonde wrapped around her finger. However, his next words quickly wiped it away, leaving behind a mask of pure horror in its stead. "I've passed my own judgment instead as both your king and brother. The proclamation is as follows: from this day forth, you are stripped of your title and all the luxuries and privileges that go with it. Also, I've been informed that tomorrow morning, your new master will be here to retrieve you."

"Ma... master?" she whispered softly.

"Yes Relena." Zechs stated still with his back turned to her. "Since you're no longer a princess of this kingdom but are still in my care, I've decided to sell you to King Deta from the kingdom to our south. He's sent a small retinue to claim you."

"What do you mean exactly by 'sell'?" came the fearful inquiry.

"Deta's kingdom's one of the main centers for the slave trade, as well you know." Zechs explained. "And while I told him you'd need extensive training, he felt the bargain was worth it."

"No." Relena whispered as she finally realized what was in store for her.

"Yes Relena." the king stated, a soft sadness to his voice. "King Deta's taking you as a household slave and you'll not be allowed to return to Trasil for as long as you live."

With that said, Zechs stalked from the room, the sound of his sister's despaired wail following close on his heals.

********************

The next morning, as the elven caravan reached the outskirts of the city, the entire palace was in an uproar, putting the final touches on the preparations and as soon as they were within range, a company of the king's finest men, led by Treize, was sent to meet them and escort them back to the palace. Meanwhile, in the palace courtyard, Zechs, Lucrezia, Heero, Duo, and the other members of the human senate waited patiently for their arrival.

It was nearly a full half hour from the time Treize set out from the palace gates before he rode back in with the elves in his charge; Thomas riding at the forefront and beside the ginger-haired general. Sitting atop a pure black stallion with the robes of his station and his short chestnut hair flowing around him, Thomas looked every part the dignified king. While directly behind him, riding side by side in a tight line, where three members of the elven nobility also resplendent in their finest clothing. Lastly, arriving before the remainder of Treize's men, were nearly fifty elven guards, each armed quite heavily as well as twenty servants; some riding on horseback while others rode in covered wagons that carried the assembly's belongings.

Immediately upon entering through the palace gates and seeing the waiting group, the elven king spurred his horse forward, closing the distance at a quick trot, only stopping once he was directly in front of the longhaired boy. Then swinging down from the saddle, the chestnut-haired elf without any thought to the others around, swept Duo up into a nearly bone crushing hug, his eyes squeezed close as he fought the tears that threatened to fall. "My son." he whispered hoarsely.

"Father." Duo whispered just as hoarsely, finding himself fighting his own tears at his father's uncharacteristic display.

It was several moments later, after enjoying the feel of his son finally returned to his arms, that Thomas pulled back to look the violet-eyed elf over, immediately noting the amount of weight he had lost but not seeing anything else that might indicate where he had been for the last ten months. Before he could begin his questioning though, Duo turned to the others gathered around him and smiled brightly. "Father, I would like you to meet his highness King Milliardo Peacecraft as well as his wife and queen Lucrezia." the boy intoned formally, drawing the elder elf's attention to the tall blonde man standing beside his son.

"It is an honor." the human king stated with a bow of his head.

Feeling his instincts return at the human's actions, the elf king released the braided boy completely before turning toward the man and bowing his head in return. "For me as well." he intoned.

"And this is Lord Heero Yuy, a member of the human senate." Duo explained as he waved a hand toward the blue-eyed man standing on his other side, discreetly flashing his lover a small smile, hoping to convey his feelings.

Acknowledging the introduction and smile with a nod, Heero stepped forward slightly and bowed deeply to the elven king. "Your highness."

"Lord Yuy." Thomas answered, his blue-green eyes narrowing marginally as he noticed his son's intent gaze that was still locked on the dark-haired human.

"Well." Lucrezia said with a smile, bringing Thomas' attention back to her. "I'm sure you must be exhausted from such a long trip. Why don't we show you to your rooms that we've had prepared?"

"Thank you." Thomas said, his own smile and voice showing his gratitude for her suggestion before turning back to his son. "Duo?"

"Of course father." the young elf said and turned toward the human queen. "If it's alright, I'll take them to their rooms."

"Very well." Zechs nodded, understanding the boy's desire to be alone with his father who he had not seen in such a long time. At his side however, Duo felt Heero tense at the words, since he knew that one of the men now standing directly behind Thomas could very well be the braided boy's kidnapper. Not being able to stop them though without making a scene, the blue-eyed lord watched as the elf led his father and the others into the palace.

********************

Only a few short minutes later, Duo led the group of elves to the rooms they would be utilizing during their stay at the human palace. It had been a relatively simple trek through the palace hallways and Duo had made sure to keep a discreet distance between himself and the three elven nobles, Lord Dermail included. Once they arrived at the wing of rooms, he quickly excused himself and his father with the pretext of showing the elf his chambers at the end of the hall and as soon as they were safely behind closed doors, his father turned to him with a searching look.

"Duo." the elf king started. "Are you alright? You seem awfully... skittish for some reason."

Sighing heavily, the violet-eyed youth walked over and sat on the sofa by the window before turning an anguished look toward his father. "I've been through a lot during the last ten months." he said softly.

"Could you tell me about it?" Thomas said just as softly after sitting beside his son.

"I... it won't be easy." Duo said, staring down at his clenched fists. "But you need to know."

"I should get the others as well; they have a right--"

"No!" the young elf exclaimed, standing from his seat.

"Duo, what--"

"Father, please." the braided boy begged. "They can't be here, especially uncle Dermail."

"Duo, sit down and tell me what's going on." Thomas stated, his voice showing his concern; never had he seen his son this upset.

Once again taking his seat, Duo turned so he could look his father in the eye. "I didn't want to believe it and I still don't, not completely."

"Believe what? You're not making any sense." the king stated, taking his son's hands in his own. "Please Duo, you're frightening me."

"I've been told that uncle Dermail was the one who had me kidnapped." Duo whispered. Suddenly, his father shot to his feet and began pacing the floor, every manner of curse escaping his lips.

"That's preposterous; Dermail would never do such a thing." he stated before finally turning back to the longhaired elf, his anger and indignation deserting him at seeing the tearful and trembling form. "Duo." he said softly as he returned to the boy's side, pulling him into his embrace.

"I didn't want to believe." the boy whispered as he continued to tremble. "But he said it was uncle that did it."

"Who said?"

"Septim." Duo provided. "He's the one who... who...."

Feeling the violent tremor that passed through the small frame in his arms, Thomas tightened his hold as he began to rock the boy gently, his fears and anxieties increasing at seeing the reactions he was receiving from the longhaired elf. "It's alright Duo, you don't have to talk about it right now."

Nodding his head in thanks, Duo continued to cling to his father as he fought down the memories, although in his heart he could not help but wish they were Heero's arms holding him right then. Thinking of the blue-eyed lord served to remind him of the important discussion he needed to have with his father and since he found it impossible to talk about his time spent as a slave in Septim's household, he screwed up his courage before pulling back from the older elf's embrace. Then looking up into the elf's blue-green eyes he took a deep breath before saying softly, "Father, there's something I need to talk to you about." He then proceeded to tell his father about the night he had spent with the human lord who owned his heart.

TBC...

 

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