By the Red Moon Part 17
As busy as his mind had been the night before, Duo was pleasantly surprised how well he slept on his first night in Virgo.
The incredibly soft bed, pillows, silk sheets and plush comforters certainly didn't hurt the cause. Waking with a wide yawn, he rebraided his hair and washed up before changing and leaving the bedroom.
Just as expected, Wufei and Anna were patiently waiting for him in the hallway.
Smiling at the sight of his friends, the prince took in the comforting feeling that came with having them around. The fact that they were allowed to remain his guards also made it clear that Heero realized that they were not at fault for 'the flower incident,' as he had come to call it.
"Ready for another fun-filled day in Virgo?" the archer smirked with a forced chipperness when the braided teenager came into sight. Wufei snorted with a small smile. Duo laughed outright. More and more, Anna was becoming the sister that he never had.
Shrugging, Maxwell grinned, "Ready as I'll ever be." His guards pushed themselves from the wall they were leaning against and led the way back to the banquet hall. "Are the advisors going to be joining us for breakfast?" he questioned, not really sure that he was ready to put up with that lot first thing in the morning.
The swordsman peered over his shoulder and smiled, "They had all requested to dine alone, so we are off the hook there. I doubt that they'll be rearing their ugly heads for a while considering the toes that they stepped on last night with their behavior in front of the queen."
While there was good news in that much, Duo was also well aware that Lady Une's frustration with them would not sway her decision one way or the other. She was an incredibly intelligent woman who could look past personal feelings for the logic of any situation.
Back in the banquet hall, his friends were taken up with halves of the nearly empty table as they spoke quietly with the queen.
When he entered with the knights, Duo nodded to them in greeting with a smile and a raised hand to stop them as they pushed their chairs back in preparation to rise to their feet. "No need for that, folks," he chuckled. "It's just me."
Une blinked her tired eyes in surprise while she watched her braided guest take up the chair beside the Sanq army Captain to her left. Wufei and Anna took up the two chairs left to flank his other side. Across from them, Quatre, Relena and Trowa grinned and offered their morning greetings.
A pleased smile tugging her own lips, the queen told the prince, "I certainly hope that you had a pleasant night's sleep."
Feeling bad to have to say it in seeing the circles under her eyes that she tried to paint over with makeup, Duo nodded, "I did, thank you very much."
Just then, a teenage girl of about thirteen with short, blonde hair dressed in the white robe of a uniform that the castle staff wore walked up to fill the chalices with water.
Meeting her green eyes when she neared, the braided youth grinned, "Good morning, Jena. Thanks." Over the course of dinner the night before, he had picked up on the worker's names as they spoke to each other for direction and quiet conversation.
Nearly dropping the silver pitcher in her hands when she pulled back in shock, the girl blinked wide-eyed. Blushing after a brief pause to collect herself, the little one giggled, "Ah, g-good morning... Duo." With a quick curtsy, she hurried off to the door leading to the kitchen absolutely giddy at being recognized by a royal.
Also taken aback was Lady Une as she all but openly gaped at her braided guest as he not only acknowledged every one of the members of her staff by name, but by carrying on sincere conversations with them as they filtered in and out over the course of the meal.
For one of noble blood to treat servants, and servants of another land for that matter, as though they were equals was unheard of.
It all had the queen thinking of her own treatment of her staff. While she considered herself always kind and accommodating to them, her rearing to become the leader of Virgo left out the simple things such as what Duo was showing by taking the time to really, truly appreciate their company as opposed to expecting their service.
Suddenly, there was a sadness that overwhelmed her in realizing that.
Clearing her throat as one of the male waiters took her emptied plate, Lady Une smiled up to him, "Jasper, please extend my appreciation for all of your help to the rest of the crew? And also let the cooks know that the meal was delicious."
His jaw falling open, the tall young man bent at the waist with a grin that threatened to split his face, "Yes, my lady," he replied excitedly. "I will be sure to tell them."
The queen watched him practically run from the room and through the door a few feet behind her, clearly thrilled at being recognized. "Everybody is somebody," she whispered to herself, recalling her braided guest's words.
Slowly turning her head forward, she folded her hands before her face and frowned deeply in reflection. All eyes around the table fell on her as her visitors looked on in a mix of surprise and concern.
There was absolutely nothing of the significance of what had just occurred lost to those around the table.
When her eyes began to sting with the threat of tears, Lady Une quickly pushed her chair back and rose to her feet. "Please excuse me, everyone," she requested in little more than a breath and quickly rounded the table to leave through the main doorway.
Violet eyes wide, Duo's mouth opened as he gripped the hand rests of his chair in readying himself to follow her. He had done something wrong. After having heard the queen quote him from the night before, he was aware that he must have unknowingly stepped out of line somewhere.
He had to make it right.
"This was not your fault and she will be fine," Quatre soothed from across the table. Swallowing roughly, Maxwell turned his head to meet the aquamarine eyes on him.
A small, sad grin on his face, the empath reassured, "She needed this to remember the simple things in being a human being with looking out for each other. Most rulers forget that need to lead not only in the decisions that they make but by the example that they live."
It then became all to clear what his friend was explaining in regards to Lady Une's behavior. "Oh," was all that he managed as he sank back into his seat.
Chuckling, Relena smirked, "You certainly have a way with people, Duo. Even without realizing it, you make quite the impact." Beside her, Trowa nodded in agreement, knowing full well the profoundness of what had just occurred in the room moments ago.
Under his breath, Heero muttered, "Always has." Reaching for his chalice, he took a sip of water missing the fact that as his charge was peering at him from a corner of his eye with a confused look on his face.
When he was pretty sure that he had just heard things that were not there, Duo shook his braided head and addressed the group, "So... now what should we do while we're giving Lady Une her space?"
Sharing a look, Anna and Wufei's lips curled in mischievous grins. "Well, we do have a surprise that we have been waiting to show you," the swordsman stated as he faced the curious prince's gaze.
* * * * * *
In the stable bed where his Deathscythe lay with her head before him, Duo stared up in shock at the sight that awaited him on his arrival.
Atop the place where her long neck met her body, a leather saddle was fixed on with fine gold-leafing that rounded the edges. A pleased look on her face, the black dragon wiggled side-to-side on the ground in anticipation.
Howard leapt from the back of the beast after putting on the finishing touches to the saddle and wiped his hands together. "A gift from the squires of Virgo, kid."
Patting the scaly neck beside him, he smiled, "Your pup here has been quite the treat to look after, especially since none of us ever dreamed we would have the opportunity to care for a black dragon."
The prince gulped roughly and whimpered, "So... this means..."
With a slap to his friend's back, Wufei pulled him to his side with an arm over his shoulder and smirked, "It's time for your first flying lesson!"
Gesturing to his lover as she climbed up and into Ingier's saddle in the next stall, he said, "Heero will continue to be your trainer with a blade. When it comes to the skies, we will be your mentors."
Anna glanced over, grinning wickedly, "Oh, and trust me when I say that we have both been waiting anxiously for this day. We have a perfectly clear sky outside and a light breeze to make the conditions perfect."
"I-I don't think that I'm really up for this right now," Duo protested while freeing himself from Wufei.
The second he was clear, Deathscythe took a hold of the back of his tunic with the end of her mouth. Lifting the boy up as he let out a loud, 'Hey,' she let go so that he fell perfectly into the saddle on her back.
Laughing, Howard covered the side of his mouth and called up, "I don't think you have much of a choice as long as Scythe is concerned! She looks raring to go for her first flight as a steed."
Hands shaking, Duo worked at the straps to secure himself even while mildly glaring at the green eyes blinking at him. "Alright, alright," he grumbled. The dragon just smiled and craned her head forward again.
Wufei was already busy locking himself into his own seat on Nataku when Heero appeared to step into Wing's stall. His own beast was watching Deathscythe with Duo, ears pulled back and eyes narrowed.
"Just to keep this one from jumping out of his skin, I'll come along so he can see all is well," the Captain snickered, patting his steed's silver-and-white neck to draw his attention.
Lowering his head, Wing calmed considerably and nuzzled his rider's side. "Easy, you," Heero smiled quietly as he wrapped an arm under the creature's snout. "Give her a chance. She will not let any harm come to him any sooner than you would."
A low grunt was all that the white dragon gave as a response in a begrudging admission to the sentiment. Chuckling deeply, the Captain patted the end of his steed's long snout before rounding him to reach his saddle.
Ingier gave a loud call that came out like a cackle when he reached the main doors of the stable. "Let's go, boys!" Anna yelled back excitedly over her shoulder. Lightly kicking her steed's side, she laughed wildly when they sprang forward and took to the skies.
Nataku ran into the opening right behind her younger counterpart and followed, soaring up on his heels.
Deathscythe walked out of her stall when Howard opened the door, her eyes large and quiet snorts pumping through her nostrils. Her massive wings twitched at her sides, fully ready to catch the wind.
Letting out a whimper, Duo tightly gripped the hand rest of his saddle as sweat formed on his brow. Heart hammering in his chest, he worked to keep his breathing calm when his steed walked for the opening.
On their way past Wing's opened room, Heero grinned from his perch, "Don't worry. I'm sure they'll take it easy on you for your first day."
"I don't exactly see anything about this being 'easy' for someone who's scared of heights!" the prince exclaimed. He only caught a bit of the Captain's laughter when all of a sudden Scythe was running out of the stable. The moment they cleared the building, her wings were spread and flapping.
Pushing herself from the ground, the black dragon was airborne and climbing altitude fast with her rider screaming on her back and Wing rising close behind.
* * * * * *
At the end of a... very long several hours of training, Duo collapsed in the main doorway of the stable after returning and leaving Deathscythe to the care of Howard and the squires who had the beasts' lunch waiting by the time they arrived.
For her part, Scythe obviously had enjoyed their venture out for their first time as rider and steed as she was all smiles and flopping tail following the experience.
Indeed, it had been... an experience to say the very least. Exhilarating and terrifying as the whole thing was, it all measured up to the braided teenager feeling more alive than he ever had before in his life.
Still, he was very thankful that Heero was correct in prior assumption that Wufei and Anna would go easy on him as a beginner.
They had started off with what they considered 'the basics' of adjusting to shifts in the wind, sharp turns and high speeds to have him get used to locking himself securely in his saddle to handle them all.
However smooth the transitions may have been in those changes, it was still a shock to the system for one who had never flown on their own on top of a dragon before. Let along a dragon who's particular breed had been famed as untamable.
Throughout Virgo far below, several crowds had gathered to watch in wonder the sight of a black dragon acting as a partner to the famed prince.
All that the said prince could hope was that they were far away enough that they didn't pick up on all of the screaming and swearing that had the knights chuckling in amusement over the course of their training.
Some shorter wisps of his hair sticking out of what had prior been a tidy braid, Duo caught his breath while his heartbeat steadied once again.
"You did well for your first time out," Anna smiled as she and her fellow knights approached. Bending down to pat the braided teenager's shoulder, she winked, "Wait until we get into loops and dives in our future lessons. You're going to be hooked before you know it."
Duo laughed nervously and shook his head up at her, "If I even survive those things! I thought that I was going to die a few times up there and we didn't even get past what you call the easy stuff!"
Wufei smirked, "You just need to build up your trust in Deathscythe. The fundamental thing that you need to remember in flying is that as your steed, she will always be there to catch you if you fall."
There was a comfort in knowing that, even Maxwell had to admit regardless of how terrified he was.
"But as Anna said, you did fine," Heero stated. "Green as you were when you went up, I was certain that you would never have lasted as long as you did. And you will only improve with more experience."
Even as he sat, the prince's knees buckled and his stomach churned at the thought of another go. "I'm all for more experience, but can we maybe just take a break from that for the rest of the day?" he begged, blinking his violet eyes with a worried grin.
Anna giggled, "Of course." Peering back to see that their steeds were still enjoying their meals, she suggested, "We should probably go back in to see about our own lunch."
Not exactly sure he was ready to take on filling his stomach, Duo still rose to his feet and followed his friends back into the palace.
During their walk through the corridors as they headed for the banquet hall, they passed the doors leading to a large indoor garden and paused when they peered inside.
On one of the marble benches before the fountain in the center of it all, Lady Une sat at her right profile as she stared off to the dozens of streams of water that leapt up to make high arches in the air before disappearing beneath the surface to just jump back up again.
Tranquil as the scene was, it was easy to make out the distress in the queen's expression.
Frowning, Duo turned to the knights and said, "You guys go on. I'll catch up in a minute."
Wufei and Anna shared a wary look over leaving him behind, but Heero stepped in, locking eyes with his braided charge with something akin to understanding in his cobalt gaze. Nodding firmly, he replied, "We will be waiting in the banquet hall, then."
The couple exchanged surprised expressions at their Captain's willingness to step aside for a while, but they made no move to argue. Sharply turning on his heels, Heero led his fellow knights further down the hall until they faded from sight.
Peering back into the garden, Duo took a deep breath and entered through the opened white doors.
He had wanted this opportunity to speak with Lady Une alone. Now he just had to keep his fingers crossed that he would do and say the right thing.
TBC...
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