|
"A Hidden Heart "Written By: Hemlock Inyx Disclaimer: This chick does not own any of the
Gundam Wing characters because they belong to Bandai and Sunrise.
I am borrowing them for this fict and will return them in good (if
somewhat sticky) condition.This fict is written out of love and not
for profit, don't sue. Thanks and enjoy! Rating: NC 17 Warnings: yaoi, lemon, midieval alternate universe,
some angst, violence Pairings: 5x2, 4xH, 13xS Summary: They called him Milliardo's Dragon. A warrior bold as the Chinese legend, his temper as fiery; Lord Chang Wufei was the prince's right hand. Men of power quaked at word of his arrival, for he was the sword to carry out Milliardo's judgement. 'Twas rumored he'd do any deed at the prince's bidding, avenge any slight to his master's name. Only Milliardo had the might to direct the Dragon's fury, to shape thr form of his vengeance. Or so the prince believed. But shrouded deep beneath that scaly hide, the dragon's true nature slumbered. Obscured by fire. Hidden from harm. Burried beyond reach of pain. Until he met him. The boy with the power to free the heart of the Dragon.
"A Hidden Heart "
Chapter 13 Duo and Wufei traveled the next two days in near silence, separated by an unacknowledged, invisible wall. This journey passed much more quickly and smoothly than Duo's trek from Saint Winifred's to the Sank castle. He knew that Wufei made certain he was as comfortable as he could keep him, under the circumstances. Duo couldn't fault him for that. He, in turn, labored hard to keep from inadvertently doing anything to anger Wufei. Or to tempt him. With so much time to think, Duo turned the problem over and over in his mind, although continued thought brought him no closer to an answer. The question of why Milliardo wanted to lock him away he pushed aside for the moment, since he had no way of solving it. But Wufei... Wufei captured his thoughts constantly. The longer he was with him, the more Duo found to admire. He enjoyed looking at him, it was true. His velvet black eyes and dark hair were a perfect foil for his strong, even features. But Duo loved his determination the most. No matter what obstacle fortune threw his way, he sought to overcome it with a single-mindedness Duo couldn't help but respect. And Wufei treated him with a consideration that he doubted he deserved, for compared to Lord Chang Wufei, he was no one. No nobleman would want a boy of unknown origins, not for more than his servant or whore. After a lifetime spent within the church, giving his body outside the bonds of marriage was not an option Duo believed himself capable of--unless it meant survival. So, despite his growing admiration and yearning for the Dragon, he remained courteous but silent, and tried not to wish for more. They reached the cave in the full, rich light of early afternoon. Wufei emptied his saddlebags, placed their remaining stores inside the room like cave and gathered firewood, but didn't unsaddle Mouse. "I have to go for more supplies, and for information,'' he told Duo. "Will you be insulted if I ask if you'll be all right here, alone?" Duo shook his head. "Of course not, milord." Wufei sent him a curious look---because of his formality? What did it matter? "Not so long as you return quickly." "I'll return as soon as I can." His gaze searching, he stepped closer and handed Duo a dagger. "Don't be afraid to use this." Duo accepted the knife and tucked it into his belt, patting the hilt for reassurance. "Be careful, Dragon." Wufei bent and brushed Duo’s lips with his. "Don't stray farther than the stream. It would be easy to get lost. I could be gone till after dark." He swung into the saddle and set off down the hill without a backward glance. Duo stood in the entrance and waved anyway. "May Shinigami protect you," he whispered as Wufei disappeared from sight. ~~~ (***) ~~~ Wufei made good time on the familiar trail leading toward Raven’s Crest. Finally he paused outside a cotter's hut on the fringe of his land, hailing the inhabitants. In no time at all, a child had been sent on to Raven’s Crest with a message for Trowa, and Wufei had filled his saddlebags with food enough to last them a week, if they were careful. Unfortunately Wufei was not able to get Duo any suitable clothing, which would mean the boy would be forced to stay in woman’s dress. // It can’t be helped, if anything it will confuse Milliardo’s men. They will be looking for two men, not a man and a woman. Hopefully Duo will not be too upset. // The cotter's wife gladly accepted his coin in return for the supplies--and the promise of more once this was over. An honest family, and loyal, in all likelihood they'd have done what they could for Lord Chang without payment, but he refused to abuse their generosity. If he dealt fairly with them, so they would with him. It had always been the Dragon’s way. The child returned just before dusk, bringing Trowa with him. One look at his lieutenant's face in the fading light told Wufei the man was bursting with news. After thanking the lad, they left. Wufei and Trowa led their horses into the woods, not picking up the trail until they were certain they hadn't been followed. "What are you doing here, milord?" Trowa asked urgently. "I never expected to hear from you so soon-nor to find you so close to home. I just got back here myself, just past midday." "I had to leave the castle sooner than I planned. You wouldn't believe how much has happened," Wufei said, shaking his head. He swiftly outlined the events of the past few days, glossing over his growing attachment to Duo. But he didn't fool Trowa. "I knew you'd get dragged into whatever happened to the boy." Trowa's face creased into a frown. "Christ, milord, just wait until you hear what you’ve stirred up. It was a surprisingly easy task to find out the information you wanted. The church was in a bit of disarray. I managed to listen when they didn't think I was about, and then I was lucky enough to find an ancient boarder quite willing to talk---once I told her I'd come from Milliardo," he added with a rueful smile. "Seems the abbess was afraid of what Milliardo might do, since one of the boarders came up missing." "That doesn't surprise me," Wufei said dryly. "Nothing would, after the things I've seen happen lately." Trowa snorted. "Oh, I think you'll be surprised by what I have to tell you, milord. I couldn't have imagined the news I heard at that place, not in a hundred years." He pointed toward a tree trunk lying in the woods along the trail. "You'd best sit down to hear this tale, milord." "Nataku, is it that bad?" Wufei asked. Curiosity piqued, he tethered the stallion's reins to a nearby bush and took a seat on the log. "It appears the prince has been doing a lot of lying these many years," Trowa said. His gaze fixed on the ground, he hitched up his belt and toyed with the hilt of his dagger. Finally he looked up and met Wufei's questioning look. "I don't know how to tell you this, milord, except to say it straight out. Do you remember the Lady Lowri, Lady Hilde's mother?" "Of course. I'm hardly likely to forget my own kinswoman, even if it has been years since her death." "That's just it, milord." Trowa cleared his throat several times before he got on with it. "She wasn't dead after all." Wufei surged to his feet. "What?" he roared. "That's impossible!" // Trowa must be mistaken-- // "Sit down, milord, and be quiet." Trowa shoved Wufei's shoulders until he sat down again. "I'm not going to tell you another damned thing until you calm yourself. You'll be too busy stewing to hear a word I say." Wufei did feel ready to leap up and do battle and Trowa had barely begun. But what he'd said seemed too preposterous to be true. However, he knew Trowa would never lie to him--especially about something as important as this. Drawing a deep breath, Wufei dropped back onto the tree trunk. "All right, I'll behave." "You remember how Lady Lowri ran off from Maxwell Abby a short time after Lady Hilde was born?" Holding his tongue with patience he hadn't realized he possessed, Wufei nodded. "Who told Lord Simon his wife was dead?" Trowa asked with a questioning look. "Milliardo." Wufei began to see where this was headed, but he kept his mouth shut so that Trowa would get on with it. "Yes. Said they'd discovered her body in the forest near her parent's manor. Lord Simon grieved, and gave up his rights to his wife's dowry." "Which the prince inherited, I believe." Trowa gave him a quelling look. "He did. But the truth of the matter is that the poor lady had lost her wits. Your kinsman Milliardo," he said with a glare at Wufei, "found her wandering about, confused and ill, in the woods near his holdings. Instead of caring for her until she recovered, then sending her back to Lord Simon, he brought her to a church where no one knew her and convinced her that her husband and daughter were dead. After about six months, she gave birth to another child--" "Duo," Wufei said. "Yes. The poor child's had a family all these years, milord, though he never knew it. He's your cousin." "A distant cousin." This time when he stood, Trowa didn't try to stop him. "This explains any number of things, except for one. Why?" His mind working furiously, Wufei paced back and forth along the side of the trail. "Milliardo destroyed an entire family, and for what? By Nataku, when I think of the years that Simon grieved... And Hilde needed a mother so badly." He pounded his fist against a nearby tree. "And all this time she not only had a mother, but a brother, as well." Trowa plunked down on the log with a sigh. "From what I heard, Lady Lowri died a few years after giving birth to Duo, milord. 'Course, who's to say that would have been the case if she'd gone back to Maxwell Abby? While she was alive she lived in a world of her own. Perhaps grief turned her mind. I don't know. But Duo--beg pardon, milord--Lord Duo didn't have anyone in that place except one kind nun, even before his mother died. It’s no wonder he left when he got the chance." // That certainly agreed with what Duo had told me about sister Helen and his stay at the church. Poor child--and poor Lowri. Pawns in a game of Milliardo's making. // But now the rules had changed, Wufei thought with a surge of satisfaction. Duo was alone--and powerless--no longer. "Has Milliardo contacted the church?" "He hadn't when I was there. But the abbess had just sent a messenger to tell him that Lord Duo was missing. Didn't want to admit they'd let him run off. I imagine he's heard from them by now, not that it matters. Of course, I doubt the abbess thought Lord Duo would run to the prince." "I need to think about this, decide what to do." Wufei stopped pacing and placed a hand on Trowa's shoulder. "Thank you, old friend." He could see that Trowa was drooping with weariness. "Go home and rest. I'll send word to you in a day or two, once I talk with Duo and figure out some plan. Right now, my head's in such a muddle, I don't trust myself to do much of anything." Wufei waited until Trowa headed toward Raven’s Crest before he mounted up and rode in the opposite direction. His mind was still whirling like a top. The news Trowa had given him opened up a host of possibilities for Duo. And it brought his own battered feelings to the fore. He'd enforced Milliardo's law, carried out Milliardo's justice, for so long, he'd reached the point where he seldom considered the effects his actions had on others. As long as he worked toward his goal, he could close off the part of him he buried deep inside. The near-silent voice of censure, of caution, seldom made itself heard over the cry for justice that echoed through his brain. It was his father's voice he heard calling for him to do all he could to stop the endless squabbling of the Sank nobility, to carry out the work to unite them under one leader. // Will that voice ever be silenced? Will I ever be permitted to walk away and live my own life, my services no longer necessary? // Wufei brought Mouse to a halt and sat, rubbing his hands over his face. It was unlike him to question his duty, and selfish to wish for what he knew he could not have. // I knew better than this. // Straightening in the saddle, he shoved the traitorous thoughts deep, so that they could not rise to the surface of his mind to taunt him. This time with Duo was nothing more than a brief interlude in his life, a shifting of his obligations to his family, rather than his country. And perhaps if Wufei told himself that often enough, he might begin to believe the words. // Enough! // Wufei nudged Mouse into motion. He'd wait until morning to tell Duo the news, when his mind had cleared and they both had had the benefit of a decent night's rest. Craven behavior on his part, but Wufei simply didn't know what else to do. The moon had risen by the time he reached the cave and tethered his mount. The narrow doorway hid the fire within the chamber until he was nearly upon it. Inside was snug, warm, welcoming. Duo sat beside the fire, picking at a small roasted bird. But he jumped to his feet and hurried to Wufei’s side when he stooped to enter the low door. Dropping the saddlebags, he scooped Duo into his arms. Duo stiffened, then relaxed into Wufei’s embrace. // It feels so good to hold him. // The past few days had been a hell of their own making, of silence and careful avoidance. Wufei' regretted the distance they'd put between them every moment of the journey. Duo clung to Wufei for a moment, smelling of fresh air and youth. "You were gone so long," he murmured against Wufei’s throat. "Is everything all right?" "I'm sorry. I sent a message to Raven’s Crest. I had to wait for an answer." He couldn't tell Duo more than that, now. "I returned as quickly as I could." Duo took Wufei’s hand and led him farther into the cave. "Here, sit and be at ease," he said, pushing Wufei down onto the cloak. "Are you hungry?" "Yes." Wufei settled himself more comfortably on the floor and accepted a mug of water from Duo. "There's food and other supplies in my packs. I wasn’t able to get proper clothing, I am sorry" Duo carried a saddlebag to the cloak and sat down beside him. "That’s ok, I don’t mind that much. Shall I?" he asked, although he'd already lifted the flap. When Wufei nodded, Duo began to unpack the bag. He exclaimed over each item he removed, excitement bringing a sparkle to his eyes and color to his cheeks. // Has there been so little joy in his life, that these simple gifts made him happy? // Wufei knew when Duo reached the bottom from the way he pulled out the last item. Duo lifted the simple wooden comb from the leather pack as if it were a priceless treasure. "For me?" he asked, raising his other hand to smooth it over his tangled bangs. "Yes. Will you let me?" Wufei held out his hand for the comb. Duo gave it to him and settled beside him with his back to Wufei. Surely this had to be a new temptation devised by the devil, Wufei thought as he carefully worked the comb through Duo’s hair. He arched like a cat, the smile on Duo’s face bringing all kinds of lascivious thoughts to mind. It seemed to take very little time to bring order to the shimmering mass, but Wufei continued to draw the comb through it, letting the luxurious strands slide through his fingers. His battle-roughened hands seemed to have developed a new sensitivity. Each brush of Duo’s hair against his skin sent a jolt of desire straight to his loins. Finally he had to stop, lest he lay Duo down and take him then and there. Wufei gathered Duo’s hair together and draped it over one shoulder, then pressed his lips to Duo’s soft nape. Wufei drew in a deep breath when he felt Duo shiver at his touch. "Wufei," Duo said, turning into Wufei’s arms. Duo seemed as hungry as he, his mouth greedy as he explored Wufei’s face. His hands swept over the Dragon’s chest before coming to rest upon his heart. Duo smiled. "Did I do this?" he whispered. His fingers opened, as if to hold Wufei’s pounding heart in his hand. Duo’s other hand slid down Wufei’s tunic until it hovered above his aching flesh. "And this?" Groaning deep in his throat, Wufei lay back on the cloak, carrying Duo with him. Duo was every temptation personified, the touch of his lips, his hands, the sweep of his hair over Wufei’s neck and chest, combined into one irresistible caress. But it was wrong, Wufei knew it. And so would Duo, once he was thinking clearly. "Duo," he said against the tender skin of Duo’s throat, "Lovely--we have to stop." He didn't seem to hear him. "Duo." Wufei spoke more sternly, as he lifted him up off his chest and set Duo beside him. A tide of pink swept up his throat and over his face. "I'm sorry," Duo cried, as he scooted backward away from Wufei until his back pressed against the stone wall. He looked stricken with guilt, though the fault was his. "No, wait," Wufei said. "I'm to blame. I never should have touched you." His eyes downcast, Duo nodded. "Nor I you." The change in him was startling. Wufei couldn't bear to see Duo look so sad. Pushing aside his own cowardice, Wufei held out a hand to him. "Come here." Wufei appeared distressed. Duo pushed aside his own discomfort--and guilt--and crept back to join him on the cloak. Wufei need not know the comfort and pleasure he received simply from sitting near him. Duo felt Wufei’s warmth beside him and sighed. With only this, he could be content. "Trowa has returned from Saint Winifred's," Wufei said. Startled, Duo met his gaze. "He found out a great many things you wanted to know." Wufei took Duo’s hand in his, intertwining their fingers when he didn't resist. "I hadn't intended to tell you tonight, but that was selfishness on my part. I hadn't gotten over my own anger at what I heard. But how I feel isn't important. You deserve to hear this. It's your news more than mine." Duo had never expected to hear so soon. Heart beating wildly, he reached up and smoothed Wufei’s hair back from his forehead. "Tell me." "I don't have many close relations, just my sister, Sally, and a few cousins. But I have many more distant relatives, however, Milliardo among them." "The prince is your cousin?" Duo hadn't realized that. "Yes, more's the pity. He's my least favorite, at the moment," Wufei added dryly. "My favorite cousin, however, is a half-Sank marcher baroness, Lady Hilde Maxwell Winner. She's wed to an Arabian knight who, fortunately for him, treats her as he should. Hilde's mother was a Sank noblewoman, her father an English baron. When Hilde was naught but a babe, her mother ran away. Later, we were told she'd died," Wufei added, his voice rough. Giving Duo’s hand a squeeze, he continued. "I remember Lowri well. She was very beautiful, and kind to a pesky little boy." He smiled in remembrance. "However, as it happens, Lowri didn't die, not for few more years--years she would have shared with her family, but for the lies of yet another kinsman." "Milliardo?" Duo asked. Why was Wufei telling him so much about his family? // What could it matter to me? // "Yes," Wufei growled. "I don't know for certain why he did it. But I intend to find out. I swear to you I will." He took both Duo’s hands in his and held them tightly, his gaze never leaving his. "Lowri had another child, Duo. You." For a moment, Duo could not breathe, his shock was so great. He'd never expected this. But he found his voice---barely--to ask the question burning in his mind. "I have a sister?" Wufei nodded. "And a niece, a brother-by-marriage, and many distant cousins. Including me." "Does my father still live?" "He died two--no, three--years ago. Lung fever took him. He was much older than your mother. A good man, worthy of respect." And Wufei had respected him, Duo could see it in his eyes, hear it in his voice. How Duo wished he could have known his father! // But I mustn't be greedy. I have already gained so much more than I'd ever anticipated. // "Damn Milliardo," Wufei muttered, cupping Duo’s cheek in his hand. Tears streamed down his face. Wufei gathered Duo into his arms and held him as he sobbed against his shoulder. "I wanted a family so much," Duo whispered. "How dare he take that from me, from Hilde? How dare he send my mother into a living hell? She must have grieved all those years, and for what?" Duo took several deep breaths, then sat up. Wufei wiped away Duo's tears and smoothed his hair back from his face, but he derived little comfort from the soothing gestures. "It's no wonder he didn't want to see me. I wish I'd taken your dagger to him when I 'd saw him," Duo snarled. His ferocity--and his insight--reminded Wufei of Duo’s sister. He hadn't thought Duo would realize so quickly who was to blame for this tragedy. Or that there had to be more to the story. They needed to consider it all, to find a way to best Milliardo. Otherwise, Duo would always be in danger. "I believe I know why he did it," Wufei said. He reached for the mug of water Duo had given him and handed it to Duo, urging him to drink. "What reason could he possibly have for this?" Duo asked, his voice bitter. "Power." "Doesn't he have enough power already?" "He could always use more. And fifteen years ago, he hadn't yet gained what he has today. He has a vision, one we share, of a united Sank. We'll be better able to fight our enemies if we're not constantly battling each other. It is a curse upon the Sank people, I think, that we cannot agree with anyone about anything for long." "I don't understand, Wufei. What does he stand to gain from this? From me?" "You are the son of a marcher lord and a member of the Sank nobility--kin to the prince himself. Your father's keep, Maxwell Abby, commands a fine piece of the marches—an English piece, for the moment. Although it is your family's only holding, it is an important one." "But if my sister is English, she has no loyalty to Milliardo. How--" Wufei waved Duo to silence as the pieces began to fall into place. "I believe I see it now," he told him. Wufei’s lips twisted into a smile. "It all makes perfect sense, and explains any number of other events I didn't really understand." Duo poked him in the chest. "Then explain this to me. I don't have a clue what you're talking about." "Milliardo is a crafty bastard, though I knew that already. But I never realized how far to the future he looks when making plans. Your sister is English, true, but she was an infant when Lowri left. And so far as I know, Lord Simon had no idea she carried another child. Life is uncertain, and Simon was already a man past his prime. Perhaps Milliardo thought to gain control of Maxwell Abby." "I still don't understand," Duo said impatiently. "It could have happened several ways. If Milliardo had possession of Lowri and Simon died, he could bring her back and control the keep---and the heir, Hilde--through her." Wufei’s blood thrummed through his veins with growing anger as he considered it. "Once you were born, it added another possibility to the scheme. If Hilde died, as well, or survived her father but refused to comply with Milliardo's wishes, he still had you. You've been raised in Sank. Your loyalty should be to him." "It isn't now," Duo added darkly. "Since you're second born—a boy with little knowledge of the world, thanks to him--he could control you." Wufei frowned as he considered another alternative. "Or wed you to someone he could manipulate. Like his annoying sister, princess Relena" "But if Hilde is married and has a child, he cannot use me for this." "He could if they died." Wufei took Duo’s hands again and gazed into his eyes, those eyes he'd thought seemed familiar. Now Wufei knew why. "The past few years, since your father died, several very strange things have happened to Hilde. She was kidnapped twice by another member of our charming family. Dermail intended to wed her and gain control of Maxwell Abby. Her child would never have survived." Wufei glanced away and sighed in frustration. "Milliardo did nothing to him, despite the fact that he'd harmed a noblewoman--his kinswoman. The second time, Dermail tried to kill my sister, Sally, too." "Where is Dermail now? Could he be involved in this?" "He's dead," Wufei said, his voice rich with satisfaction. "My only regret is that Treize Khushrenada got to him before I could." He smiled ruefully. "Of course, Hilde's husband, Quatre, would likely have stepped in before I got a chance. He had the right." Duo stared at Wufei, fascinated by the play of emotions across his handsome face. He still hadn't quite adjusted to the idea that he had a family after all--and what a family! Strong, powerful, and loyal to each other. Duo tried not to think about his other kin, the dangerous ones. He pushed the sadness of his parents' grief deep, and tried to focus on the present. "There's so much I don't know. Will you tell me?" Duo rubbed at his forehead, but the ache growing behind his eyes refused to disappear. Wufei smoothed his hand through Duo’s hair and stroked the back of his neck in a soothing caress. "I'll tell you all I can, but not tonight. You look ready to drop." Wufei turned Duo so that his back was to him and used both hands to rub at his tense muscles. "Rest awhile. Try to sleep. There will be time enough in the morning to talk again." Duo wanted to continue the conversation, but he could see that Wufei would not. He'd already given Duo so much to consider, he doubted he'd rest at all. But Duo settled himself more comfortably on the hard ground. The last thing Duo heard before he drifted off was Wufei’s strong voice promising that he would protect him, no matter what.
~ * ~ |
