'...' thoughts
One and Only Part 7
Treize sat in stunned silence as Wufei finished relating the events that had transpired over the past few months, his skepticism and doubts completely eroded by the young man's detailed descriptions. Finally, quiet settled on the parlor as he allowed himself a few minutes to digest the words, as well as allow his mind time to formulate a scenario that would benefit all parties involved. However, the more he looked at everything, the more he came to realize the difficulty that presented.
"And that's everything?" Treize asked, hoping for just a little more information that might give him the advantage he needed. However, knowing the dark-haired man as he did, he doubted even the smallest detail had been left untold.
"Of course that's everything." Wufei stated with a glare. "What more do you want?"
"Nothing, I had just hoped...." Treize sighed softly. Then, knowing the dark-eyed constable was not going to like what he said next, he stood and walked over to the window; folding his hands behind his back. "I must admit that I'm quite stunned and horrified by what you've told me about the young prince's experiences. However, I'm afraid it makes no difference; I must leave here first thing in the morning and the prince will accompany me."
"What the hell do you mean?" Wufei snarled, also standing from his seat; a glare set firmly on his face and both hand clenched at his sides.
"It means exactly what I said." Treize stated and ran a hand through his hair before turning to look at the young man. Wufei was stunned for a moment; he had never seen the composed general look so frustrated in all the time he had known the man. "It doesn't matter what happened to the boy, I have to take him back to the palace with me."
"What the hell does it matter whether he recovers here or at the palace?" Wufei glared darkly. "He's happy here and if you take him away, you'll destroy everything we've managed to achieve."
"I don't have a choice, Fei." Treize said, his eyes begging the constable to understand.
"Just because your orders--"
"It's not my orders that are forcing me to do this. Believe me, if that was all there was to it, I'd ride back and tell Zechs the boy was better off here."
"Then what is it?"
Turning back to the window, the tall general's shoulders sagged as though a great weight rested heavily on them, further stunning the young constable.
"We found out about the boy nearly two weeks ago, or at least, we found out that Heero purchased a slave. A few days later we learned that the slave had violet eyes and since Zechs was well aware that only the elven royal family possessed that eye color, he guessed it was the missing prince, although we weren't positive." Treize explained in a tired and careworn voice. "At that time, we were more than happy to leave him with Heero, knowing the man undoubtedly had a good reason for keeping the boy's presence a secret. Unfortunately, not everyone at the palace was too happy with the decision. Especially since the boy was rumored to be very beautiful."
"Relena." Wufei spit the name with disgust, a feeling of unease growing in his mind.
"Yes and when she realized Zechs was going to leave the boy here, she somehow managed to send a messenger out of the city en route for Aliashtir (1) with the intent of telling King Thomas that his son had been found and was recovering at the palace." Treize said with a shake of his head.
"Is she nuts?!" Wufei exclaimed. "You said yourself you weren't even sure if it was Duo. What would have happened if King Thomas had shown up at the palace to find a violet-eyed, human slave instead of his son?"
"Don't underestimate her, Wufei. We have little doubt that she planned for just such a situation before acting." Treize warned the young constable
"If you know all this, why hasn't she been stopped?"
"Once again you're underestimating her." Treize admonished lightly, turning back to the dark-eyed young man. "She never does anything directly but through a complicated system of contacts, that changes constantly, making it impossible to unravel. There is never any actual proof that she was involved, thus leaving us with only conjecture and suspicion, which means we can't out right accuse her of anything."
"But what could she possibly hope to achieve by doing this?" Wufei asked with confusion clearly in his eyes. "Whether or not the slave turned out to be Duo, the elves are not going to be very pleased with having to travel to the human capitol and if it had turned out that the boy was just a slave, the consequences would have been far worse."
"As I said, Zech and I believe she planned for that eventuality." Treize said and at Wufei incredulous look, he continued. "We spent several hours discussing this just before I left and, while we know it's impossible to figure out exactly what she has planned, we're fairly confident we figured out the basics. First and foremost, she is using this to lure Heero to the capitol. It's been nearly three months since he was last there and with each month that passes, her chances of forcing him to propose decreases and knowing that the man would feel responsible for the boy's welfare, she knows he'll follow."
"Now we arrive at the complicated part," Treize continued. "if the boy turned out to be the crown prince, she could step forward when the elves arrive to take responsibility for the message that basically returned the boy to them; dropping a hint or two that Zechs planned on leaving him with the noble who purchased him as a slave. If, on the other hand, he turned out to be just another slave she could use various methods, which were evidently worked into the original message, to make it look like Zechs was the one who sent it and was using it to mock the elven king while she played the objecting sister who tried to stop him. Either way, she gains the trust and admiration of the elves while Zechs will be demeaned in their eyes."
Feeling completely shocked by the information he had just been given, Wufei sat heavily in his seat as he stared incredulously at the ginger-haired man. "I would've never guessed that she could be so manipulative."
"Unfortunately, that doesn't even scratch the surface." Treize sighed as he too took his seat across from Wufei. "She wants Zechs' throne and is prepared to do whatever she has to do to achieve that goal."
"Surely there's something that can be done to stop her?"
"She's a princess, Fei, and without concrete evidence of her guilt, accusing her of anything could possibly result in the accuser being branded a traitor to the crown. And you know very well how traitors are dealt with in Trasil. Besides, if we start making unsupported accusations now, when the time came for us to move against her it's possible the people would rise up against us."
"So what are our options?" Wufei sighed heavily as he realized there was very little they could do, but he was not willing to concede yet.
"There's something else you need to know." Treize said and once again ran his hand through his hair. "When Zechs protested bringing the boy to the palace immediately, we received a message; once again delivered through convoluted channels. Basically, it stated that we had three days to retrieve the boy from Yuy Manor or a second message would be sent to the elven king stating that King Peacecraft was forcing the boy into slavery."
"My god, is she trying to start a war?" Wufei breathed.
"We can only hope it was a threat and that she wouldn't actually carry through if the terms weren't met. Of course, we can't take the chance though, which is why I have to leave with the prince first thing in the morning."
"You do realize that it will take Heero longer than that to prepare for such a trip?"
"Yes, and if I'm not mistaken, so does she."
********************
Duo sat comfortably wrapped in Heero's arms while the man continued to rub his back soothingly, their conversation ringing through his mind. 'He wants me to stay.' he thought happily, knowing he would gladly remain where he was forever. However, Sally chose that moment to return with a steaming cup in her hands, bringing the memory of the earlier events back to mind and forcing him to remember the man downstairs who wanted to take him away from Heero. Walking cautiously over to the bed, the blonde healer spoke softly so she would not frighten the small elf any further than he already was. "Duo, do you think you could drink this for me?"
Hesitating for a moment, Duo finally drew back far enough that he could turn his head to look up at her with a questioning expression on his face.
Smiling softly at the boy as she remembered his dislike of sleeping potions, the healer knew she had to reassure him or he would not take the medicine. "It's only something to help calm you. It shouldn't make you sleepy."
"Ok." he whispered and reached for the cup.
"Drink it slowly; it's still a little hot." Sally warned.
Cautiously sipping at the contents of the cup, Duo tried to bring his emotions and fears back under control. However, knowing the general was still downstairs made it difficult to accept that everything was going to be all right.
"Duo," Sally began. "I know this might sound very callous of me especially after the experience you just went through, but could you please show me the burns; at least the ones on your arms?"
Unconsciously shrinking closer to Heero's body, Duo seriously considered denying the request. The marks were hideous and were a constant reminder of the horrors he had endured at the hands of his captors, which was why he always insisted on wearing long sleeve shirts even on such a warm day. However, he knew that in order for the healer to find a solution that would restore his magic, she would have to see them. Besides, Sally had always been kind to him as a child and he felt certain he could trust her. He cautiously turned the cup in his hands up and took another drink of the soothing herbal tea, realizing he had finished more than half of the contents without even noticing. Then, he leaned forward and placed the cup on the bedside table before standing from Heero's lap. He immediately noticed the influence of the herbs as he felt calmer and his hands did not shake nearly as bad as they had earlier when be began unbuttoning his shirt.
"Do you want me to leave?" Heero asked as he too stood, although to whom the question was addressed he did not specify. However, feeling the familiar stains of panic, Duo immediately spun toward him shaking his head as his eyes pleaded for the man not to leave. "All right, Duo, I'll stay."
He did however, move away from the bed to one of the large, comfortable sitting chairs along the wall opposite the footboard; guessing that Sally would need the room for her examination. Besides placing him out of the healer's way, the locations also provided him with an unobstructed view of the healer's actions, not to mention allowing Duo to see him as well.
Once Heero was situated and Duo was satisfied the blue-eyed man would not be leaving, he finished unbuttoning his shirt; pulling the tails out of his pants to undo the last few before shrugging the garment off his shoulders. Even as he was doing this though, he could not let the dark-haired man out of his sight; his fears, which he knew to be groundless, convincing him that if the man were to leave the room, he would never see him again.
After removing the shirt, he placed it on the bed before beginning to remove the clean white bandages that wrapped lightly around the upper part of each bicep; placing them on the bedside table to be washed later. The instant Sally saw the angry burns that marred the elf's otherwise smooth skin, she felt herself grow cold with fury, which she viciously suppressed knowing the elf would react poorly to the emotion. "These shouldn't be bandaged; they'll heal faster that way."
"Quatre was afraid they would become infected." Heero explained, noting Duo's silence. "For the first two months, he didn't bandage them but when they showed absolutely no sign of healing, he started wrapping them."
"None whatsoever?" Sally questioned with mild shock, even the most stubborn of burns should have shown some sign of healing within a month.
"Unfortunately." he sighed softly, his sad eyes locked on the small boy's arms. Taking a moment, Sally allowed the information to settle as she used her knowledge of elven physiology to come up with a theory that might explain why Duo's body refused to heal the burns even slightly. Finally reaching the only answer possible, she looked at the braided elf and prayed she was wrong. "Duo, do you have any magic at all left?"
Sally did not have to wait for an answer since the miserable look on the angelic face as he closed his eyes and bowed his head in shame, told her more than she ever wanted to know. Once again, she felt the anger boiled up inside and she believed that, if given the opportunity, she could physically strangle the person or persons responsible for the boy's injuries.
"Can you heal him?" Heero asked softly, pulling her from her visions of revenge.
"In truth, I don't know." she said with a heavy sigh. "The potion he just drank has some elements in it that will begin the process. Unfortunately, I won't know for sure if it's working for at least another day or two. I have to warn you both though; no one has tried to heal magic this badly damaged before."
"What are the chances?" Heero asked, standing from his chair as his eyes were riveted on the longhaired boy who was starting to sway slightly on his feet.
"If I'm optimistic? I'd say it's about a fifty/fifty chance."
At the healer's words, the violet-eyed elf felt himself shutting down as sounds became distant and his vision grayed. Lucky for him though, Heero had been watching him closely and the moment his legs buckled, the dark-haired man was there to catch him, lifting his slight figure before gently placing him down on the bed.
"Rest now." Heero said softly, his hand brushing the boy's hair back from those beautiful violet eyes as he kissed the boy's brow. Then watching the elf intently, he saw the eyes close and the breath even out as sleep overtook the longhaired elf. When he was confident Duo was deeply asleep, he drew back and turned to Sally. "I thought you said it wasn't a sleeping potion."
"It wasn't, or at least it shouldn't have been. I'm guessing that his encounter downstairs combined with my little revelation about his magic may have been too much for him."
"Hn."
"Could you tell me what happened down there, what upset him so badly? I'm feeling a little left out here."
"Treize Khushrenada, the king's general, was sent here to bring Duo to the royal palace." Heero explained as he sat down on the side of the bed, taking one of the delicate hands in his own.
"I'm guessing Duo didn't like the idea very well." Sally stated as she remembered her first sight of the elf as Heero carried him away from the parlor.
"That's an understatement." the dark-haired man snorted, but not wanting to discuss the events in the parlor at that moment, he quickly changed the subject. "If his magic can't be healed, can something at least be done about the burns?"
"I don't know. I need to know more about what's been done for him so far before I can make a definite decision." she answered, seeing the change for what it was and allowing it sensing the man's barely controlled anger.
"You'll have to wait and ask Quatre. He knows more about it than I do."
"Wufei said there were four of them." Sally said softly, the pain of that statement clear in her voice. "Where exactly are the other two, the ones on his legs?"
For a moment, she thought he was not going to answer but when he finally spoke; his reply was barely audible. "Upper-thigh."
"My god, how could anyone do that to him?" Sally gasped, her mind providing her with a detailed picture of just how painful those burns must be for the braided elf.
"I don't know," Heero growled softly, his voice low so he would not wake Duo. However, the tone left no doubt of the fury that was lying just below the surface. "but when I find out who it was, they will regret the day they were born."
********************
Nearly forty-five minutes after Hilde had left the manor on Heero's orders to retrieve his two friends, the three of them finally arrived at the front door. However, after entering the house and being confronted by the utter quiet the house had settled into, they felt their concern increase.
"Quatre, you go see about Duo." Trowa said, already turned toward the hallway that led to the parlor. "I'll see what's happened with Wufei."
"Ok, Trowa." Quatre said with a nod before turning to Hilde. "Could you have some tea brought to Lord Yuy's bedroom?"
"Of course, sir. I'll see to it right away." she said before dropping a curtsy and hurrying away. Casting his lover a reassuring smile, Quatre then turned toward the stairs and headed for the second floor of the house.
Sparing only a moment to watch the blonde doctor start up the stairs, Trowa steeled himself for his own encounter as he headed down the hall for the closed double doors. When he arrived, he stood silent for a moment, listening for any sounds that might allude to what was happening inside the room. However, the doors were far too thick and whatever sounds the two men where making were too low to be heard through the wood. With no other option, he raised his hand and knocked soundly on the door.
When the knock came, both Treize and Wufei stopped their conversation and looked toward the sound. "I would imagine that I'm the last person Heero wants to see right now but that was far too loud to be a servant so who else could it be?" Treize reasoned.
"After what happened earlier, I seriously doubt if the man will be leaving Duo's side for the foreseeable future." Wufei snorted. "And since there's no way he's going to allow you anywhere near the boy anytime soon, he wouldn't bring him down here either. So, that only leaves Sally."
"Who's Sally?"
"A healer from my village." Wufei explained as he approached the door. However, he was quite surprise to find his auburn-haired friend when it was opened instead of Sally. "Barton?"
"Wufei." Trowa greeted, a smile playing at the corners of his lips. "May I join you?"
"Of course." Wufei said, shaking off his surprise and stood aside to allow the taller man to enter. Treize immediately approached the young man with his hand extended in greeting.
"Mr. Barton."
"General." Trowa returned as he shook the man's hand.
"Please, call me Treize."
"Then you must call me Trowa."
"Very well." Treize said with a bow of his head.
"Barton," Wufei interjected. "not to be rude, but why are you here?"
"Heero sent Hilde to bring us to the manor." the green-eyed man explained. "I believe he wanted Quatre here to help with Duo while I am to act as mediator for the two of you."
"Mediator? Why would we need a mediator?" Wufei asked.
"I believe that would be your temper, dragon." Treize offered with a smile, earning him a glare from the dark-eyed man at the use of the endearment. "However," he continued. "I don't think your services are needed any longer."
"Oh? Then you have reached an agreement?" Trowa asked, one eyebrow raised skeptically.
"Not necessarily an agreement, more like an understanding." Treize clarified.
"Mind if I ask the nature of the understanding?" the auburn-haired young man asked, causing Wufei and Treize to share a meaningful look before the black-haired man turned back to his friend.
"We will have to rely on both you and Quatre for this to work, so you are entitled to know." he stated.
"Yes," Treize said thoughtfully as he turned back toward the seating area. "Please have a seat. This will take some time and perhaps you will be able to come up with some options we may have missed."
********************
When Quatre reached the closed door to Heero's bedroom, he knocked softly before turning the knob and pushing the door open. Quickly sweeping his eyes over the room, he took in the occupants before settling on the small boy lying on the bed. Heero, he noted, was sitting beside the elf holding one of his small hands while a woman he did not know was on the other side of the room, mixing what looked like herbs in a small bowl. As soon as the door opened, both Heero and the woman looked up to see who had entered.
"Quatre." Heero greeted, relief evident in his voice although he did not leave his place beside the braided elf. "I appreciate you coming on such short notice."
"It was nothing, Heero. You know I would do almost anything for either you or Duo." Quatre waved it off as he approached the bed. "Could you tell me what has happened though, as well as introduce me to your guest?"
"Forgive my manners. Quatre Winner this is Sally Po, the healer Wufei told us about." Heero introduced. "Sally this is Quatre, the doctor who has been treating Duo since we brought him home."
"It's a pleasure to meet you Ms. Po." Quatre said as he stepped toward the woman and took her hand in his.
"Likewise Mr. Winner and please call me Sally." she answered then gestured toward the longhaired elf. "You have done a wonderful job of caring for him."
"Thank you and please, Quatre is just fine." he said with a smile before turning back to Heero. "Now, what happened?"
"The king happened." Heero said heatedly, his statement only serving to confuse the blonde doctor as well as raise his curiosity further. "They found out about Duo being here and he sent Khushrenada to take him back to the capitol. As you can imagine, Duo didn't react very well."
"They can't just walk in here and take him away if he doesn't want to leave." Quatre said with a frown. "That's just as bad as kidnapping him."
"Hn." Heero grunted and turned back to the small boy on the bed. His next statement was little more than a whisper. "He told me he didn't want to leave."
Sensing his friend's distress, Quatre walked over to his side and placed his hand on Heero's shoulders giving it a gentle squeeze. "I'm sure everything will be just fine, Heero."
"I wish I could be so sure, Quatre." Heero said as he softly began to run his thumb over the back of Duo's hand.
Giving the shoulder one more squeeze, the blonde doctor turned back to Sally, his determination clearly seen in his eyes. "So, how about we make this boy well again."
TBC...
1) Elven capitol city.
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