Notes: I would like to thank my wonderful beta Lucid Nightmare! :)
Due South Part 9
"I will not ride in this!" Heero protested loudly as he, supported by Duo, walked down the wooden pier towards an open carriage where Treize was helping Milliardo sit down. He would have even dug his heels into the wooden planks if it helped, but Duo kept pushing him forward regardless of his protests.
"Yes, you will," Duo answered sweetly. Now that the tables had turned and Heero was the patient, it was time for the lifebearer to play the mother hen. "You're hurt and not up to riding a horse yet."
Heero glared at him, then growled. "I'm well enough."
"Right." Duo's voice was dripping with sarcasm. "And when you fall off, will you allow me to scrape you from the ground?" When Heero continued to glare at him, the long-haired young man sighed. "Be reasonable. You can't take ten steps without feeling dizzy and lightheaded. I know that it will probably hurt your pride as a Sire, but you will ride in the carriage."
They arrived at the carriage, a light vehicle for two people, with one white horse harnessed up in front of it and Rufus sitting on the rack, reins in his hand - Treize would not entrust Milliardo's safety to anybody else. Mil was already seated, Treize helping him pull a warm black and white blanket over his knees. Even though it was a relatively warm early afternoon, it was still winter and the pavement was covered in snow.
"There are only two seats," Heero noticed.
"So?" Duo asked, raising an eyebrow.
"Where will you sit?"
The lifebearer chuckled. "I will ride the horse, Heero. You probably won't believe it, but I do know how to ride a horse. Solo taught me."
The Enforcer frowned. "But-"
"No buts. Get in."
Heero blinked. He had never heard Duo use this tone on anybody. It was the 'no nonsense, do what I say because I'm getting quite annoyed here and if you do not do it, I swear I will kick your butt' voice Heero used when he tried to convey that he was getting angry. He decided that it was useless to argue.
With Duo's help, Heero climbed into the carriage and sat down. Trowa, who was placing Zechs in Milliardo's arms, snickered and the Enforcer glared at him. The healer grinned.
When Duo started to fuss over Heero, covered him with the warm blanket and fluffed the pillow behind his back with a smile, Heero frowned at him. "You are enjoying this way too much," he growled.
"I am, huh?" The lifebearer grinned and exchanged a wink with Trowa which caused Heero to frown even more.
When the captain arrived at their carriage, everybody turned to him but it was Treize, already seated on a beautiful bay, who addressed him. "So? How long does the dock master think it'll take to repair the ship?" he asked, resting his hands on the pommel of his saddle.
"Four days," the captain answered, quite unhappy about the information.
"He has two," Treize said, his voice stern. "I don't care how much it will cost. He can charge it to the Empire. We have to catch up with the King's fleet as soon as possible."
The captain nodded. "I will tell him. But he will not be happy to hear it."
Treize shrugged. "We are not here to make him happy. Should he have any objections, remind him who I am. Should you need to get in touch with me, you'll find us at the chief magistrate's residence." When the captain disappeared, the Count turned to his companions and smiled. "Sometimes it's rather useful to be the First General."
Duo gracefully mounted the mare Trowa was holding for him, and the small procession headed slowly for the town.
~*~
Heero crossed his arms over his chest, glaring at everything and everybody. Their carriage was climbing the steep and narrow streets towards the chief magistrate's residence. Treize's personal guard followed the carriage and the sounds of hooves echoed off the walls, making conversation impossible. Heero was glad since he wouldn't have known what to say anyway.
Duo was riding in front together with Treize and Trowa since the streets were so narrow that he couldn't ride next to Heero. Even though the Enforcer knew it, it still irritated him. He wanted Duo to ride by his side. He felt so possessive of Duo that it surprised him.
The street turned sharply to the the right. Beyond the turn, the buildings on the right side disappeared, so that the road bordered on a steep slope. Rufus guided the horse with a sure hand though, so Heero didn't worry. He looked to the right and had to admit that the view was beautiful. The port and the open sea that glistened in the setting sun looked so close that he had the feeling he could actually touch it.
"The view is beautiful, isn't it?" Milliardo asked. Heero glanced at him sharply and the blond man smiled. "No, I'm stil blind. But I have visited this town before and there is only one road that leads towards the chief magistrate's house."
Heero grunted something that might have sounded like an agreement then fixed his eyes on his love's back.
"You know, if you want to bond with Duo, this is the best opportunity," said Mil, breaking the silence that settled over them. Now that they left the narrow streets behind, the horses didn't make such noise anymore.
The Enforcer looked at the blond man again and kept silent for a moment. But then he spoke. "But I don't know this town and we will only be here two days anyway..."
Mil smiled. "It doesn't take much time to set up the ceremony. You just have to find a priest willing to bond you without asking too many questions. But I'm sure that Rufus could help you, am I right?" he raised his voice a little, so that their driver would hear him too.
Rufus glanced over his shoulder and smiled. "Yes, my lord."
Smiling too, Milliardo leaned closer to Heero. "Treize and I bonded here. Thanks to Rufus."
Heero blinked and looked at his companion. The man seemed full of surprises.
As if feeling the Enforcer's gaze on him, the blond man chuckled. "Well, lets just say that our bonding ceremony was rather unconventional too." Then he straightened, rocking the child in his arms gently. "But it was still beautiful. What was the name of the priest, Rufus?"
"Old Morska, my lord. He is a kind man. It is not so common in priests these days," the large man answered over his shoulder. "He has been always understanding towards... unconventional couples," he added with a smile.
Milliardo nodded, his blind eyes only half open. "Yes, he has..."
Feeling that there was a story hidden behind this short word exchange, a story he didn't know anything about and wasn't sure if he wanted to know anything, Heero felt uncomfortable. He cleared his throat, and to change the topic of their conversation, he asked: "Can I see the temple where old Morska serves from here?" He wasn't actually that interested in seeing it, but anything was better than the tension that seemed to seep into Mil's shoulders.
Rufus looked to the right, then took the reigns in his left hand and pointed out. "It's the small white building with the copper roof."
Heero stretched his neck to look for it. And he found it. The temple was rather small, but neat and well kept. It was hidden among other, taller and more elaborate buildings near the docks. Seeing the temple for the first time, it struck Heero that maybe getting bonded to Duo in this town wasn't such a bad idea after all.
"Morska is the priest of Nataku, the God-Bearer. He never refuses any petitioners," Rufus added, taking the reigns in both hands again.
"You seem to know a lot about him," Heero said, leaning back again.
The large man was quiet for a moment and when he finally spoke, his voice sounded odd and distant. "I bonded in his temple."
Heero raised his eyebrows. "You have a mate? I didn't..."
"No, I do not," Rufus interrupted him, his voice cold, but with a painful note to it. "Not anymore...."
"Oh." The Enforcer didn't know what to say. Coming close to losing his love too, he knew that no words can help. And so he draped the blanket more tightly around himself and stayed silent.
~*~
"What is it?" Treize asked as Trowa glanced at him sideways for the umpteenth time since they set out. Now that the road broadened, leading up to the chief magistrate's residence, Duo fell back, leaving the Count and the healer alone. They could hear him chat merrily with the men sitting in the carriage behind them.
"Nothing," Trowa answered, turning his head back to look at the road that twisted upwards in front of them.
The aristocrat raised one eyebrow and waited patiently.
Finally, Trowa gave in. "I noticed that you almost don't touch your son. You rarely take him in your arms... it just seems... odd." The healer shrugged.
Treize sighed. "I love my son, Trowa, never doubt that, but..." He paused, then took another deep breath and looked to the right where the wide, sunlit ocean spread to the horizon. "I was bonded before, you know? My mate and our little son died. It happened years ago, shortly after Mil's Coming of Age ceremony."
"You don't have to tell me," Trowa said quietly when the Count fell silent. He hadn't known and wasn't sure how he felt about intruding upon such private matters of one of the most powerful men in the Empire. From his own experience, he knew how dangerous it could be to stumble across things that high society wanted to keep hidden. The most dangerous nobles were the ones who felt threatened.
Treize shook his head. "It's no secret," he assured the healer as if reading his mind. "I married the son of a powerful house. I had strong feelings for him and I loved our child." His voice grew distant and he gripped the reins in his hand more tightly. "I was out with the army, fighting the rebels in the southern deserts when it happened. Our house was burnt to ash... they died in the fire. Even now, I don't know if it was an accident or if someone killed them. The fire was so hot that it destroyed all the evidence."
"You feel guilty about what happened," Trowa said, looking straight ahead.
"I did, for a long time. I still do, since I can't be sure that it wasn't my fault. We do not know what happened." Treize paused again and for a moment he watched the residence come into sight. "But then Milliardo became a part of my life and I felt whole again. I have never loved anybody so much. Not my first mate nor our child... and not even Zechs," he admitted. "Mil is the other half of my soul and I would sacrifice anything... anything... for him. I do love Zechs, after all, he is my son... but for me, Milliardo comes first." He shook his head. "Maybe it sounds harsh to you, but that is how I feel. I was happy when our child was born, but should I choose who of the two of them should survive..." he looked at Trowa, who was now watching him, "I know whom I would choose, even though it pains me."
Trowa watched the General for a moment. There was a calm, confident look in the man's eyes. Treize knew who he was and what he wanted, and he didn't feel the least bit unsure about the choices he had made and would make. The Count was a dangerous man. Trowa made a mental note never to cross his path.
~*~
When they arrived at the residence, there was a short, plump man waiting for them on the stairs. The chief magistrate was a cheerful, round man with red cheeks and a round face. He seemed genuinely happy to see the Count and his mate again. He fluttered around them like a colorful butterfly - and he really looked like it in his green, yellow, red and blue clothes. He assured the rather large party that they were more than welcome to stay at his house and bemoaned the fact that they needed to leave again so soon.
When Trowa took Zechs in his arms so that Treize could help his mate get out of the carriage and the mass of horses, soldiers and grooms separated him from Duo, Heero took the chance and approached Rufus, who was about to get down from the driver's seat. The large man turned to Heero, who was still sitting in the carriage after having earned himself a dark glare from Duo when he tried to get out without his help.
"What is it, Heero?" Rufus asked, since the Enforcer seemed hesitant.
"Could you... I mean, I wanted to ask you..." To his complete embarrassment, Heero felt his cheeks redden. Trying to overcome the uncomfortable feeling he glared at Rufus, worked his mouth once, then twice, opening and closing it like a fish out of water.
The Captain smiled. "I will go and ask old Morska if he could bond you and Duo." When Heero blinked at him in surprise, Rufus' smile blossomed into a grin. "That is what you wanted to ask me, isn't it?" When Heero nodded, the soldier continued. "I will ask the General for allowance to leave, and then I will head to the temple."
Heero sighed in relief. He didn't know how to ask. He was getting bonded for the first time after all. He had only a general idea about what went on in such a ceremony. He should probably ask someone what he should do and when.
"Thank you, Rufus," Heero thanked the taler man softly.
The Captain seemed to hear him even over the roar of horses and raised voices of the personal guard. He waved at Heero to tell him that he didn't need to thank him, then jumped down from the carriage and disappeared into the crowd.
And then Duo was there, and he was helping Heero out of the carriage too, and for another half an hour or more they were drowned in the usual chaos such a large party brought along when taking up residence somewhere.
~*~
It wasn't until after they ate dinner, that they won back their peace and quiet again. As they were climbing the stairs to their bedrooms on the second floor, Heero stopped on the landing, squeezing Duo's hand. The long-haired lifebearer turned to his love with one eyebrow raised.
"Are you all right, Heero?" Duo asked, wrinkling his forehead in worry and letting the others, accompanied by the chief magistrate, disappear around a turn, leading to a hallway where their bedrooms were situated.
Heero waited until the last of their friends disappeared from sight and they were left alone. "I wanted to ask you something," the Enforcer said softly. "Would you bond with me? Here, in El-One, I mean." When Duo's eyes grew large in surprise, Heero continued quickly. "I was told that Milliardo and the Count bonded here and Rufus seems to know a priest of Nataku who does not ask a lot of questions. I... I mean I know that this is probably not what you had in mind when I asked you to bond with me officially, but..."
Duo smiled, lifted one hand and pressed his forefinger to Heero's lips. "I don't need a big ceremony with a lot of guests. I will be happy that our closest friends will be there. Or even just the two of us." The lifebearer's smile grew larger. "That means yes. I will bond with you tomorrow. If Rufus will take care of things, that is."
The Enforcer smiled and sighed in relief at the same time. He wasn't sure what Duo would think about such an impromptu and hasty bonding ceremony. He would have preferred to offer Duo something memorable, but the practical part of him was telling him to use this opportunity. Who knew what could happen in the future? And with their bad luck...
"But I think we have one problem, Heero," Duo said, tilting his head to the side and furrowing his brows.
"Huh?"
"What does actually happen during an official bonding ceremony in the God-Bearer's temple?"
Heero raised his eyebrows. He had no idea.
~*~
"Holy one," Rufus said softly as he knelt on the floor of the small, but clean and pleasing temple.
The small, white-haired man turned from the altar where he was lighting the candles. He squinted in the dimness of the temple, then his face lit up with a genuine happy expression. "Rufus, my boy!" he exclaimed then waved at the large man. "Get up from the floor. I know how hard it is and I don't deserve to be knelt in front of. I'm just a humble servant of our Holy Nataku."
Rufus smiled and stood up, then closed the distance between them and let himself be squeezed in surprisingly strong arms. Old Morska didn't even reach to his shoulders, but he was no frail old man.
"Master Morska, I'm so happy to see you well."
"Me too, my boy, me too!" the old man assured him, clapping him on the back, then stepping back to look at the Captain. "What brings you here? I don't think you've come to pray."
Rufus shook his head. He stopped believing in gods a long time ago. "I've come to ask for your help, Master."
"Oh, another of your unconventional couples, then?" Morska chuckled, clasping his hands behind his back.
"Yes," the Captain nodded. "I have two friends with a rather... unusual story. They are already bonded but they did so in the North where nothing is done quite as officially as here, farther in the South. They fear that the lack of proper ceremony with official entry about their bonding in the temple books might get them in trouble in the City. And I think they are right."
The old man nodded slowly. "I don't think there will be time to prepare them for the bond properly, am I right?" he said with a sigh, but his eyes were dancing merrily. If there would have been time, Rufus wouldn't have come to him.
Rufus smiled and shook his head. "I'm afraid not. We set out to sea in two days."
Nodding again, the man cocked his head to the side and furrowed his eyebrows in deep thoughts. "Bring them here tomorrow just before the sun sets. By that time I will be able to get all the fake and hypocrite prayers out of the temple after the evening mass."
The Captain grinned. He always loved the man's attitude. The old priest took one look at a person and knew everything about them. That's how he knew that a good two thirds of the petitioners who came to the temple didn't do so out of real faith in Nataku. "Very well, Master. They are very young and deserve all the happiness in the world," he added, thinking about what Heero and Duo had been through already.
"And what about your happiness, my boy?" the priest asked softly, the light-heartedness gone from his voice. A troubled look shadowed his wrinkled face.
Rufus looked away. He didn't want to talk about himself.
But the priest continued anyway, a concerned tone filling his voice. "Have you heard anything about Nariem?"
Rufus shook his head, not able to voice an answer. He hadn't heard anything about his mate since the slavers dragged him away all those years ago. He had been looking for him for ten years before giving up any hope of finding him ever again. But even now he couldn't resist and asked about the beautiful dark-haired man with tan skin and large black eyes. Nariem wasn't an easy one to forget. Who knew where the lifebearer ended up? With the dark and foreign beauty of the people from the South... Rufus shuddered. He knew where Bearers like Nariem went to after being sold into slavery.
The old priest reached out one hand toward the younger man. "Rufus..."
The soldier stepped out of reach and cleared his throat. "I will bring them tomorrow, just before sunset then." With that he turned around and left the temple and his unwanted memories quickly, letting the sad Morska behind.
~*~
"What?" Duo shouted, jumping to his feet. "You want me to do what where??"
Milliardo grinned and turned his head in the direction of Duo's voice. "It's a tradition. All the couples make love in the temple for the first time. The god needs to take witness after all."
When the braided young man huffed and grunted, muttering something under his breath, Milliardo grinned even bigger. Treize hid his smile behind a glass of wine and Trowa pretended to be busy tending the child. They were all sitting in a small sitting room from which the doors led to two bedrooms. The larger one occupied the aristocratic family, the smaller one by the three friends. When Heero and Duo told their companions about their bonding ceremony the next day and admitted they had no idea what to actually do in the temple, Milliardo offered to explain everything. So they sat down in the sitting room, then seeing Duo jump to his feet just minutes after Mil began.
"No way," the braided lifebearer said, determination clear in his voice. "I'm not gonna make love to Heero in front of all of you - no offense."
"None taken," assured Treize, who decided that it was time to actually explain it clearly to the young and now distraught couple. Milliardo was having a lot fun confusing the soon-to-be-bonded, but from the look on Heero's face, the Count recognized that the young man was getting rather nervous and worried. "You won't make love in front of us," he assured them. "We will witness the bonding vow, that's all. Then the priest will take you to the Bonding room. There you will make love. In front of nobody but Nataku himself. He will witness the Bond and bless it. When you finish, the ceremony will be over."
Both Heero and Duo blushed at the prospect of having to make love when ordered. Neither of them knew how well this would go.
"And is there... err... you know... a time limit or something?" Heero couldn't believe that he was asking such a thing and blushed even deeper.
Treize smiled at them assuringly. "Don't worry, Heero. This is not a performance of any sort. You take as long as you need. Me and Mil," he took his mate by the hand, "had spent the whole night there. It isn't like it had been in the darker times where the priest had to check if the Bearer was deflowered properly."
Duo moaned at the idea of some strange man doing that to him and slumped down on the couch next to Heero, who lay one arm around his shoulders automatically. "Thank Nataku for small favors," he mumbled into Heero's shoulder.
The other three men chuckled.
~*~
The man stood in the shadows of the dark garden, hiding from the sight of the passing guards in the underbrush. When the men disappeared down the gravel path, he looked up at the large house again.
Second floor, the window by the balcony... a sitting room he had been told. He watched carefully, as the light separated into two smaller ones. The sitting room went dark and the windows of the bedrooms on both sides of the room in the middle lit up... It took three passings of the guards before the first, then the second one flickered and went dark as if some large beast closed its eyes for the night.
Tomorrow... tomorrow night he would return and fulfill his task...
TBC...
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