Royal Affairs Part 7
Heero stood off to the sidewall of the throne room. He watched Lady Une and Relena talk to each other. It was times like these that he wished he could read lips. He didn't want to be seen it wasn't his place to say anything. He was after all just a guest. He wondered what the king would do and what the reasons were for how Duo was treated.
"Come to see the show?" Heero looked over his shoulder at Sally.
"Hn."
"You're grunting again. You really shouldn't do that."
"I thought I said to stay in the rooms?"
"You did but I tire of Wufei and Meiran's bickering. And then they start making up."
"You never minded with your husband."
"We made up in private. And watching them reminds me he's gone."
"I'm sorry I didn't mean to upset you."
"Are you two here to watch?" Both Heero and Sally turned to see Quatre.
"Hn." Heero turned back around.
"You too huh?' Sally winked at him. "So how is the young man?" Heero stiffened a bit.
Quatre sighed. "He's asleep. But he's very depressed."
"Depressed?"
"Um... very sad. Actually sad isn't the right word but it'll have to do. He thinks he nothing but a stupid animal."
"That is how he is treated." Heero said.
"Yes well I tried to tell him he's not. I think what he needs is for someone to show him differently. Tonight would be prefect."
"Why?" Sally titled her head a bit. She had a feeling the young blond was up to something. Especially since he kept looking at Heero.
"Maybe if someone would ask him to dance he might start to see he's not just an animal."
Sally sighed to herself. It wasn't a bad plan but Heero never dances. That is unless he's forced to. And that was usually by his mother. Who wasn't here. "If no one dances with him it will only reinforce the idea into him." Sally said sadly.
Just then the room stilled and everyone hushed. Trowa walked in and sat in his throne. As usual his face was emotionless. He stared out into the crowd. His eyes landing on Lady Une and Relena. He didn't want to do this. Lady Une had helped raise him. In his eyes she was kind and gentle. But what had happened to make her harm Duo? Especially since she was the one that convinced his parents to let Duo stay.
"It has come to Our attention that certain actions have been taking place against a member of the castle. We are not happy with this knowledge. One for it happening against said member without Our say. And two that it has been going on behind Our back for so long." Trowa really didn't like to talk. But he loved to use the royal 'we' that everyone feared. But that not why he loved it so much. When he was little no one paid much attention to him. They never really wanted to listen. But the royal 'we' insures that he's being listened to.
Lady Une looked at Trowa. She wasn't sure what he was talking about and why she had to be here. All she knew was that Relena had come to her and told her that his Majesty wanted her in the throne room. She glanced at Relena and then back up at Trowa.
"Lady Une." Trowa said. "Why have you taken to punishing Duo?"
Une raised her eyebrows. "Your Majesty?"
"You heard the question Lady."
"Your Majesty he needed to know his place."
"His place? Yes, Relena has told Us his place. IT is to be Our pet."
"That is right, Your Majesty."
"No, that is not it." Lady Une was surprised. Trowa tried not to glare. After all he cared about Une. But he also cared about Duo. "Duo is not Our pet. He is Our friend."
"Your Majesty, he's an animal and should be treated as such."
Off to the side of the room Prince Heero growled low in his throat. His glare was at Une. He was doing very well at not walking over there and harming the Lady. Sally had heard the growl. It surprised her at first. Her eyes shifted from Heero to the King to Lady Une and back to Heero. All the while praying that Heero didn't do something wrong. Like killing someone.
"He is more like us than an animal. The only things to say he's animal are his ears and tail. Lady, We do not understand. You were the one who asked and almost begged Our parents to let him stay. And now you dislike him. It makes no sense."
"His kind is dangerous Majesty. I was wrong for asking him to stay. When I found out I decided to insure he would not harm anyone."
Trowa raised an eyebrow. "His kind is dangerous?" No one knew what Duo was. Or even where he came from. So how could Lady Une know? "Explain." The Kings voice made many of the people nearly jump. His voice had never sounded so emotional. Lady Une and Relena both flinched.
"His kind Majesty, hides themselves in the forest and attacks passer-bys. They kill and rob who ever they wish."
"And you know this---- how?" Trowa narrowed his eyes. If what she said was true then why has no one told him before?
"They attacked my sister's troop. Any one person made it back. That person told me what happened."
"Who is this person?"
"A soldier under her command. I believe is name is Alex, Majesty."
Trowa remembered Une's sister. She had dark hair and kept it short unlike Une. She never liked doing things ladylike. Much to Une's dislike. The name finally came to him. Noin. Lucrezia Noin. Une's mother had remarried after her father's death. Noin was born two years later. Trowa had never met the woman; she didn't like staying around the castle. But he had heard many stories about her. Lady Une had been proud of her. At the news of her disappearance Une was terribly upset.
"Why were We not told? We are the King, We should be told of these things. If there is a danger to Our people We must know so We may protect them."
Heero nearly growled. He didn't like the way things were going. It seemed that Duo was going to wind up in more trouble that he didn't cause.
"No one wanted to upset you, Majesty. After all the animal is your friend."
Trowa wanted to yell and scream, but he knew he couldn't. "His name is Duo, Lady. I wish you could remember that. And what does this have to do with him. He is not a part of them. He has never harmed anyone, nor would he. We are upset that this court finds it necessary to hide things from Us." Trowa narrowed his eyes. "Now tell Us if We have this right Lady. Your sister left on a trip and only one person came back. The soldier told YOU what happened and not Us. So then YOU, without asking, took it upon yourself to discipline Duo so that he may or may not carry on what you think is a natural thing for his people. People you have never met."
Lady Une's eyes widened. "I... Your Majesty..."
"We see." Trowa sighed. "Zechs."
Zechs stepped forward and bowed. "Yes You Majesty?"
"Take some troops and head into the forest. Report back your findings."
"Yes Your Majesty. When would you like us to leave?"
"You may leave in the morning. There is after all a Ball this evening. We doubt any of the soldiers would be happy to leave beforehand. Lady Une, We do not have a punishment for you yet. Your actions are unforgivable. We shall think about your punishment tonight. There will be no more punishment for Duo. Leave him be. That is Our rule. Lady you shall stay in your room. With the exception of tonight's ball. But you will have a guard with you at all times."
Trowa's voice left no room for arguments. He stood and everyone bowed. He quickly walked out of the throne room and headed for Quatre's room. As that was also Duo's room. He heard footsteps behind him trying to catch up to him. He didn't want to talk to anyone but Duo. Well maybe Quatre... most defiantly Quatre.
"Your Majesty wait, please."
Trowa paused and turned to look. Quatre was rushing to him with Prince Heero behind him and Lady Sally. Quatre stopped as he came up to him. He was breathing heavy from trying to catch up to Trowa. Trowa looked at him and nearly groaned. Quatre had stopped and the sunlight coming in from a window surrounded him. If the prince hadn't been there he might have reached out and touched the blond or maybe even kissed him.
"I thought I asked you to stay with Duo?" Trowa asked while watching the way the sunlight bounced off of Quatre's hair.
Quatre looked up. "He's asleep. He so worn out."
"What if he woke up?" Trowa looked him in the eye. 'Clear beautiful eyes.' He thought.
"I doubt he would. The minute his head touched the pillow he was out."
"Out?" Trowa frowned at the word. He hadn't heard it use like that.
"'Out like a light'." Quatre said.
"I do not understand."
"Oh I guess you wouldn't would you." Quatre blushed. "Um... he's very tried so he was asleep once his head was on the pillow."
"Ah I understand." Quatre beamed up at him. Trowa smiled slightly for him. He then addressed his other guest. "Were you in the throne room too?" He asked. He wouldn't be upset if they had been. In fact the more he saw the prince the more he realized that the prince meant no harm to Duo.
"Yes, Your Majesty, we were." Heero answered. "I apologize if we upset you."
"No, that's fine. I was only curious. So tell me, did you think I was unfair?"
"To whom?" Heero raised an eyebrow.
"To anyone."
"I think if I had been in your place I may have done the same. I take it you're not sure what to do with Lady Une."
"Yes. I can understand why she's upset. I didn't know her sister personally but Une always talked about her. After she became missing, Une's changed."
"Traumatic situations tend to cause the psyche to put up walls around sensitive parts of one's persona." The other three looked at Quatre as if he had just sprouted another head. He blushed again. "Um... sorry. Uh... if something bad happens, your mind will try and protect you. So if Lady Une was a sweet person and the loss of her sister was too much for her to handle, then her mind may have tried to protect her by starting up another version of Une."
"Are you saying there are two Lady Une's?" Sally asked.
"Um... well not exactly. But maybe this Une that is stern and sort of cold is a direct result of the lost of her sister. Maybe the Une you know Tro...um Your Majesty couldn't handle the pain."
"This world you come from has many interesting ideas, doesn't it?" Trowa didn't care if the prince and his cousin were there; Quatre just kept amazing him. And the cute little blush that kept coming up on Quatre's face was worth everything he had.
Heero raised an eyebrow and looked at Sally. She shrugged and winked at him. Well at least she could see the King and his guest seemed to like each other. She wondered if this land was as excepting as her land. And what about Quatre. He was from another world? How interesting.
"Um... maybe I should go check on Duo." Quatre was yelling at himself for blushing so much. Not to mention having talk like he did. No one would understand psychology here. And then there was the little smile Trowa kept giving him. Back home that smile would mean Trowa was interested him and Quatre would give him anything. But here he had no idea if it meant the same thing.
"Yes, I was just on my way to see him." Trowa said.
"Well I think I'll go see if Wufei and Meiran are done fighting." Sally said with a smile on her face.
"Were they at the beginning or the end of the fight when you left?" Heero asked.
"The beginning."
"They're not done."
"Do they fight a lot?" Quatre asked.
"All the time." Sally shook her head. "I think they like to make up afterwards."
Quatre almost giggled. "Why not skip the fight and go onto the making up?"
Trowa looked down at Quatre. While his faced showed no emotions. He was shocked that Quatre had said that. Perhaps Quatre wasn't as sweet and innocent has he had thought. Or maybe it was just Quatre was from another world.
"We shall let you go Your Majesty." Heero bowed. "Come on Sally." Sally curtsied and followed after Heero.
"Shall we go?" Quatre looked up at Trowa and smiled.
"Of course." Trowa returned the smile with one of his own. "So have you decided if you'll go to the ball tonight?"
"I thought I would..." Quatre trial off. He was slightly embarrassed. He didn't have anything to wear nor did he know the first thing about Royal Balls. Well he knew what he wanted to do with a certain royal ball. Quatre felt the blush raising on his check at that thought and tried to think of something else.
Trowa noticed the slight blush on Quatre's face. He wondered what the blond was thinking. He decided to keep the conversation going. "Is there something wrong with you going?"
"Um... no not really..."
"Ah well then if you're going I'll have the tailor make you something to wear."
Quatre's eyes widened. "What? Um... you don't have to do that."
Trowa smile slightly. "Well I can't have you going like that. This is a Royal Ball, Quatre. You need to dress properly. And since you are my guest I shall do what's right and have the tailor make you something to wear."
"Thank you."
"May I ask a question?"
"Yes, anything."
"Do they have Balls where you come from?"
"Um... well the schools have dances, but that's about it."
"I see."
"But um... I never went to the dances."
"Why not?"
"No one to go with and I didn't like the idea of sitting on the sidelines by myself."
"Side lines?"
"Um... of to the side of the room against a wall trying to look like you having fun when really you wish where somewhere else."
"I understand."
"Catherine says you only sit at your throne and watch. Why is that?"
"No one to dance with."
Quatre almost laughed. "I'm sure everyone wants to dance with the King."
"They do." Trowa ground out. "When I was younger my mother made me dance. She said it was good for me. Everyone I danced with wanted something from me. The girls wanted to marry me. Their families would watch from the sides and pray I found interest in their daughters."
"But you didn't."
"No and then they thought their sons should dance with me. Sadly it was the same. And as I got older I had people asking me to change my father's mind." They stopped in front Duo's door. "When I became king I no longer danced."
"I see." Quatre felt terrible. He really wanted to dance with him.
They stepped into the room and looked at Duo. He was curled up on the bed and fast asleep. Trowa sat in the chair. Duo stretched and opened his eyes. He looked at Trowa and blinked then stretched again.
"Good day Duo." Trowa said.
"Hi." Duo curled up a bit and looked at Trowa. He felt the bed shift and looked aver at Quatre.
"Hi." He smiled.
"Hello." Quatre smile at Duo.
"Duo," Trowa waited for Duo to look at him. "No one is going to punish you again. I have seen to it. Also I have learn today that there might be more of your people nearby."
Duo's eyes widened in surprise. "My... people?"
"Yes. I'm sending Zechs to look into it. If it all seems fine then maybe you could go and visit. Find out more about yourself."
"Your not trying to get rid of me, are you?" Duo's eyes narrowed his ears were beginning to lie flat. He had no wish to be kicked out.
"No. If you don't want to go then you don't have to. I am only offering you the chance."
Duo relaxed. "I'll think about it."
"Good. Now I'm going to have the tailor come and make you both something to wear tonight." Trowa stood up and headed for the door.
"I can't go." Duo said.
Trowa looked back. "Yes you can, and you will. I will not have you treated poorly. So now you're going and you are going to have a nice time." Trowa walked out the door.
Duo slumped on the bed. "Great."
"Can't be all that bad. Maybe Prince Heero will ask you to dance." Quatre laid next to him.
"Yeah right and maybe Trowa will dance with you." Duo sighed.
"Well, there is no harm in hoping, right?"
Duo looked at Quatre. The blond face told Duo that he really didn't believe what he just said. "Quatre, why are you punishing yourself. You know he won't ask and if you ask he'll say no."
Quatre sighed. "Have no idea. I could wake up tomorrow in my own bed back home."
"You miss your home?"
"Not really."
"That's sad you know?"
"Yeah I know but I feel more wanted here. No one's telling how pathetic I am."
There was a knock on the door. "Well that must be the tailor."
TBC...
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