Author: Merula
Pairing: 1x2, 3x4
Warnings: Yaoi, AU
Rating: PG-13
Disclaimer: I don't own GW.
Quarry Part 1
"So," Duo frowned. "Explain this to me again."
Trowa sighed. "It's the custom here," he said and settled himself into the chair across from Duo. "When a royal couple of the same sex marries, they each chose a 'champion'..."
"I got that part." Duo waved his hand. "It's the stupidest thing I've ever heard of. A competition to see which of you is going to hold the power in the relationship? Haven't these guys ever heard of equal relationships? And letting someone else be the deciding factor? Downright bizarre."
Trowa shrugged uncomfortably. "I don't like it either." He admitted, "but our father needs this alliance with this kingdom."
Duo lifted an eyebrow and smiled slyly. "Give me a break, Trowa. You are obsessed already with that husband-to-be of yours."
Trowa blushed. "I do like him," he admitted. A lot more than he should, he knew. Alliance marriages weren't based on liking, his father had often told him, they were business deals. "But the customs of this land are still very strange to me. Quatre says I will understand them all in time, but I don't see how I ever can."
"This is one of those times I'm glad to be bastard-born," Duo shook his head. "So you want me to be your champion. A lot of pressure on me..." It wasn't that he wouldn't do it, but he didn't want some screw up on his part to wreck Trowa's life.
Trowa shook his head. "No, not really. Like I said, I don't understand this country all that well. I'm perfectly fine with Quatre holding the power in our relationship- he would know what it means more than I do anyway..."
Duo grinned. "You can't be that naïve..."
"He says it has nothing to do with that part of the marriage." Trowa turned slightly red, much to Duo's amusement. "It's more like figuring out who is the king and who is the consort- they both have different duties. It's something Quatre wants to change, but his father doesn't..."
Or at least that's what he's telling you, Duo thought cynically. "So until your intended is on the throne, we have to play by these rules. So if I agree to be your champion- what do I have to do?"
"We take you and Quatre's champion to the edge of the woods and then..." Trowa frowned. "Well- Quatre says that there is no bloodshed- the two of you aren't allowed to hurt each other at all- but you have to hunt down and capture the other champion."
"Without injuring them?" Duo sounded disbelieving.
"He says that if one of you manages to hurt the other that it's a huge omen of bad luck and the wedding is immediately called off."
Duo's eyes widened. "Seriously?"
"Yes. It's very bad luck, even on accident."
Duo whistled. "Can you imagine what Father would say if something like that happened and we went home?"
Trowa put his head in his hands. "Well, he'd kill me for one. After all the trouble he went to?"
Duo snorted. "What trouble? His highness showed up at court, told Father he was there to make an alliance and so Father paraded all his offspring out in front of him. How hard is that?"
"Good point. I meant think of all the money he spent..."
"Ah, yes. He would kill you." Duo sighed. "I'll do it. When is this hunt?"
"Tomorrow morning." Trowa got to his feet and straightened his tunic. "I'll go tell Quatre you agreed. Thank you so much Duo."
Duo waved his hand. "Hey, what are brothers for, right?"
~*~
Trowa rode beside his husband-to-be the next morning as the 'champions' were taken to the edge of the forest. Trowa shuddered as he looked at it. The huge trees looked dark and forbidding- much different than the forests of home. The group stopped in front of the trees and the Hunt Master gestured for the Champions to join him. Trowa watched as he spoke to the two of them, gesturing frequently to the forest behind him.
There were two paths leading into the forest. Trowa knew each Champion was supposed to travel on his path for 20 beats before starting the hunt. He bit his lip and hoped Duo wouldn't regret helping him.
"It was good of you to offer your brother for this contest," Quatre turned to him and smiled as if he somehow sensed Trowa's discomfort. "The people are very impressed that you were willing to use a member of the royal house."
That sounded ominous. "Is it dangerous?" Trowa asked again.
"No, no," Quatre waved his hands. "Not at all. I told you already."
"But the wild animals..."
"Nothing that would attack a man." Quatre assured him.
"Sorry, it's just- I mean, Duo is my... half brother, but he's been kinder to me than any of the others."
"He'll be fine. I promise. My champion will see that he comes to no harm."
That was an odd way to phrase it. "Who is your champion?"
Quatre smiled. "Since you chose your half-brother, I asked one of mine." He gestured to the dark haired young man standing beside the Hunt Master. "Heero actually volunteered- I think he was impressed with your choice."
Trowa watched as the Hunt Master stepped away and the two Champions stood at the ends of their paths. Heero said something to Duo that made his brother turn bright red. Quatre chuckled as the two Champions headed into the forest.
"Seems my brother is determined to win." Quatre grinned at Trowa. "I'm sure though considering your brother's status that he'll offer him an honorable proposal at the end."
Trowa frowned. "Honorable proposal?"
Quatre tilted his head to the side. "I did tell you that the winning Champion gets to keep the other, didn't I?"
Trowa nearly fell off his horse. "No!" What a hell of a thing to leave out! "We have to stop them- Duo doesn't know!"
"We can't stop them-" Quatre looked worried. "The hunt has already started."
Trowa dismounted, but before he could take more than three steps, Quatre grabbed his arm. "You can't interfere with the hunt! Our marriage will be called off."
"Duo didn't know what he was facing!"
"He was supposed to be thoroughly briefed this morning. I'm sure he was told."
Trowa frowned. "Who can we ask to make sure?"
"The Hunt Master," Quatre's hand tightened on his arm. "Let's go ask him first."
~*~
Duo was having a bad morning. First some giggling girls had shown up and told him they were there to 'prepare' him for the hunt. They were shortly followed by a dark haired young man who'd introduced himself as Quatre's brother, Heero.
"I'm the one you're facing today," he said with a faint smile.
"Are you supposed to be here? It's not against the rules is it?"
He smiled wider. "Not at all. I just wanted to make sure you understood the rules."
"We hunt each other through the forest, and we can't hurt each other."
"Exactly. I will warn you though- I want to win."
Duo snorted at that. "Don't want my brother to be the dominant one in their relationship?"
"I don't care about that. I think it would do Quatre good to have to defer a bit to someone else."
"Then why do you want to win?"
"Because I want you." Heero smiled. "Ever since I saw you in your father's hall."
"What?" Duo had to swallow hard. "What does that have to do with today?"
Heero lifted his eyebrows. "You do know the winner gets to keep the loser?"
"Keep them... as a slave? I-"
"Not a slave. Please, we aren't barbarians." Heero rolled his eyes. "As a concubine."
Duo choked. "No one said anything about that!"
"Well, that's why I stopped by now. So you'd know." Heero tilted his head. "I want you- but I want you willing."
Duo fought the heat that wanted to rise in his face. "What if I catch you? Can I just say that I don't want you?"
Heero shook his head. "I'm afraid not. Not without causing a huge scandal." He stalked towards Duo, neatly pinning him against the wall. "Besides, why wouldn't you want me? Do you love someone else?"
"No..." Duo admitted.
"Do you not like men that way?"
"That's not it. I just..." Duo lifted a shoulder. "I mean, you're very good looking and all, but my mother was a concubine and I don't..."
"Ah," Heero nodded. "That was the other thing I came to tell you. I don't intend to keep you as a concubine. I intend to wed you when I win."
"Wed me? But you don't know me."
Heero smiled. "Well, after today I'm sure we'll have plenty of time to get acquainted." He brushed his finger over Duo's cheek. "I'll leave you to your preparations."
Duo had stared at the closed door for a full minute before he shook himself. What the hell was he going to do? He could back out- but he had a bad feeling that would mean the end of the wedding.
If he lost- he'd belong to a total stranger. If he won he'd be stuck with him just the same. He hadn't ever wanted to be in his mother's place, sold off to a stranger, forced to...
But if he protested then Trowa wouldn't get the person he wanted. It was hard enough for a royal to find someone they at least sort of liked. Could he do that to his brother?
Crap. He was trapped.
~*~
"Yes, milord, your brother himself went to inform milord Maxwell of the terms."
"Are you sure?" Trowa asked and the Hunt Master nodded.
"Very sure. Besides- milord Heero even said as much before they left." The Hunt Master smiled. "So I know your brother was informed."
Trowa cursed inwardly and stared out into the woods. There was no sign of his brother. How could he be sure that Duo wanted this?
"Do you want me to call the hunt off?" Quatre's voice was soft.
"I just wish- I wish I knew that he was okay with this. I didn't know what I was getting him into..."
"That is my fault beloved, not yours. I should've told you."
Trowa turned back around and met Quatre's eyes. "I told him that I didn't need him to win. That he could lose and I would be fine with it. I don't want him enslaving himself because I told him not to fight!"
"He won't be a slave." Quatre frowned. "He'll be a spouse. My brother is a good and kind man. You have nothing to worry about."
Trowa looked back at the forest. "I hope you're right."
~*~
Duo leaned back against the tree trunk and took a deep breath. Up here he had a chance of hiding for a bit- the other surely wouldn't think of looking up. Maybe if neither one of them caught each other the whole thing could just be considered a draw. All he had to do was hide for the day.
"Here you are."
Duo nearly fell out of the tree as a hand grabbed his wrist. Heero smiled at him from the branch above. "A very good hiding place."
"How did you find me?"
Heero shrugged. "Just lucky I guess."
Duo looked at the hand on his wrist. "Does this mean you've caught me?"
"Would you like it to mean that?"
"Do I have a choice?"
Heero let go of his wrist and swung down onto Duo's branch. "You really are unhappy about this aren't you?"
Duo leaned back against the trunk again. "I guess. I mean, it's not like I really wanted to go home again, but I wasn't expecting this..."
"I can understand that." Heero nodded. "I realize too that I have the advantage. I spotted you all those months ago in your father's court. I made sure to learn all I could about you. I was hoping your brother would choose you for this."
"You... did?"
"Of course," Heero patted the tree trunk. "That weaponsmaster of yours told me that you liked to climb trees."
"You met Howard? And talked to him about me?"
Heero nodded.
"But-" Duo bit his lip. "I'm just one of the bastard sons. I'm really not important to anyone. There's no good reason to want me..."
"Right." Heero rolled his eyes. "Do you not look in the mirror in the morning? And for what it's worth, I'm one of the bastard sons here. So what other objections do you have?"
For some reason Duo was feeling better about the whole thing. "I don't know you."
Heero smiled. "Well then. Let's spend the day doing that." He reached out and touched Duo's shoulder. "Tag. You're it."
A moment later he was out of the tree and running.
Duo blinked and then followed. Might as well try...
~*~
Trowa was pacing at the edge of the forest when his brother and Heero finally emerged from the woods.
Duo was nearly covered in what looked like dried mud, but he smiled for his brother. "I lost," he said, sounding more amused than anything else.
Trowa grabbed him. "Duo- did you know about the winner gets the loser thing?"
"Yes." Duo squeezed him back. "It's okay Tro. Don't look so panicked."
"I didn't know. I wouldn't have asked-"
"It's okay. It really is." Duo smiled a little wider. "This way I get to stay here. You know father will be thrilled to be rid of me."
"Are you sure?" Trowa relaxed a little. "I won't let them force you into anything."
"It's all right." Duo assured him. "Heero and I came to an understanding today. It's all good. I promise. Though next time you ask me to do something for you I'm going to find out all the details first."
Trowa nodded. "I think we both have a lot to learn about this place."
Duo grinned and glanced over at Heero, who was talking earnestly to a relieved-looking Quatre. "I think I got off to a good start today."
TBC...
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