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"In My Master's Arms "Written By: Jewel of Hell Disclaimer: Don't own nothin' but these words Rating: NC 17 Warnings: Yaoi, lemon, violence, slavery, cruelty, possible OOCness, AU/Fantasy/Drama Pairings: 1x2 Summary: In a society where sorcerers are feared
and hated, Duo is given as a slave to a powerful warrior in order
to keep his tremendous power under control. All he wants is freedom
from his cruel master, but nothing is as it seems . . . "In My Master's Arms "
"Are you ready?" "Yes." "Then it's time." o0o o0o "King Yuy is dead! King Yuy is dead!" It spread like wildfire through Cera the moment it left the castle. The king had died suddenly during the night. Though Heero could have drawn out the king's illness, he was ready to put into motion one of his more insidious plans, and he wanted his father gone. Far from here and safe for the rest of his life. So he sealed his father's chambers and told a servant to fetch his chamberlain. "The king is dead," he said in a cold, matter-of-fact voice. "I need to arrange for his memorial." Making sure it sounded like he found such task an incredible inconvenience, and that there were far better uses for his time. The servant went white as a sheet before bowing low, scurrying away to do as bid. Heero asked Duo to place a magical barrier around the entire room so no one could get inside but himself. It wasn't long after that he was beset by Relena and her right hand, Beria. "Heero!" Relena exclaimed, taking his arm. "We just heard. Please accept our condolances. I know this must be a stressful time for you, so I wanted to offer to take over the funeral arrangements." Heero curled his lips up in a derisive smile. "Hn. As generous as that is, I will see to it. Isn't it proper? He was the king, after all, and my father. What kind of son would I be if I let an advisory council take care of it?" He filled the word with venom. She almost managed to completely conceal her irritation. "I understand you want to honor him-" "Good," Heero cut her off. "Then I have other matters to discuss." He began to walk away, but she used her hold on his arm to tug him to a stop. "I wanted to speak with you about that, as well. You cannot declare war on any kingdom without the approval of the Council-" Heero stopped, turning to face her full on with one long step forward. It forced her back, and he let cold fire burn in his eyes. "Since when?" "Your father-" "My father was a soft, weak fool. Think you I will be as tractable to the will of the Council?" Heero all but purred. "Let me put an end to that notion right here. You will resume your duties as my advisory council, and nothing more. This habit of yours, making imperial edicts, ends with my coronation, which will be tomorrow at high noon. Now. I have a funeral to arrange." He lightly gripped her hand, peeling it off his arm and lifting it to his lips. He squeezed until she winced, then kissed her knuckles. "By your leave." o0o o0o Relena watched the Black Prince stalk away, a shiver coursing up her spine before she could stop it. By law Heero could not assume the throne until King Kazuhiko was buried, which meant the prince had to mean to complete the funeral tonight. That was within the realm of possibility, if Heero meant not to give his father the traditional service that accompanied royalty. A private affair. Hatred black as poison coursed through her veins. "Beria," she hissed, "it seems our little boy is growing up all at once. Convene the Council. Heero must not be made king tomorrow at noon." o0o o0o Treize Khushrenada took up his place at Relena's side at the head of the table. For ten years he'd been the Voice of Cestera on the Council of Nine, exerting his considerable influence only rarely and when it suited the highest purpose. He recalled Relena's predecessor. Under her guidance the Council had elevated its own standing considerably. She'd been a very devious woman. Relena was even more devious, though not quite as clever. Treize had yet to decide if that was a good thing or not. Right now, Relena paced across the Council chambers, the doors barred and a bowl sitting in the middle of the long table that would prevent any from scrying into this room. At least, that they knew. Supposedly, the only way the spell could be overcome was for the bowl to be broken. "This is terrible," she said, tossing back her hair. "I can think of no way around this. Heero had his little brat sorcerer seal the king's entire chambers, so there's no way one of us can get in to examine the body. I had hoped we would be able to use the fool's death as a means to prove Heero's part in his death. There's no way I can get in otherwise. The boy has the whole kingdom so cowed no one would dare go against his wishes. Our influence is slipping away little by little, my friends." "It's worse than you know," Treize added. "I met with two of Heero's generals, reminding them that no war could be declared without our approval. They brushed me aside with smiles. The prince isn't declaring war, they told me. He's merely ending the border skirmishes." "How are we to keep our hold on him?" Dorothy demanded. Of them all, Treize found her the most distasteful. The woman would do anything for Relena, but she was so short-sighted it was almost pathetic. Relena had only brought her onto the Council to further her own ends. "We never had a hold on him," Wufei said after a brief pause. Of them all, Treize found Wufei the most enigmatic and beautiful. The man wasn't as young as he looked, but he was still young. And though he rarely took part in these open discussions, Treize never missed how those ebon eyes watched all closely and took it all in. Often Treize amused himself by wondering what went on behind those dark, gleaming surfaces. How the young man's mind worked. And how those eyes would look, hooded and glossed with passion. Relena glared at him, opening her mouth, but Treize forestalled her. "He is, unfortunately, right," he mused. "Heero's mother kept him well away from us, taking him with her to her country retreats. When she finally died and he returned to Cera, he was a hard and cold boy. Already well on his way toward enjoying power too much for his own good. He ignored us, and we ignored him. Our belief that his cold-heartedness made him no threat was incorrect. Though Heero seems to care only for war and blood, he obviously has designs well beyond that he's kept hidden from us. His travels to Navrane should have been the last clue, not the first." To Treize's delight, the words brought Wufei's endless eyes to his face. A tiny, tiny smile crossed his lips. "Woefully blind to the misdirections of a child," he smirked. Treize swallowed his laugh. "This is all wonderfully amusing," Relena snapped, "but is there any here with the backbone for doing now what must be done? Heero has proven himself in these last handful of days to be far too dangerous to us. What if he turns his attention to us next? He must not be made king. Treize, you are the longest member of the Council. Is there any way you know of to stall the coronation until we can come up with a more permanent plan?" Treize smiled. "Other than seeing to it he's too unwell to attend? No. As heir to the throne and since he's of the legal age to become king, he can plan it for when he wishes. Most princes hold off on the coronation after their fathers' deaths out of respect. Heero obviously has none." "Then what about the king's body?" she asked. "Tradition dictates the heir can't be crowned until after the memorial. Is there some way we can stall that?" "Not unless you know a way to get past a Black." He could almost hear Relena's teeth grinding. "What about the boy?" She turned to Wufei. "You spoke with him. Could we somehow use him?" Wufei raised an eyebrow. "How? We can't exactly order him to attack Heero. And anything we ask of him he could easily turn around and report back to his master." "Unlikely," Quatre dismissed it. "Remember, Duo will probably help us if he believes we will free him from the prince." Quatre, Treize thought with an inward smile, was difficult to read. The young man had a tongue as silver as Relena, but unlike Relena Treize could never tell when the Voice of Nirande was lying or not. He could be ten times as devious as her or ten times less. He simply didn't know, and the puzzle he presented also amused Treize. "Probably," one of the others, Beria, spoke, "is not definitely. He may be too afraid of his master to defy him." Relena waved a hand in the air, looking irritated. "We can suppose and assume forever without getting anywhere. Dorothy, I want you to get in to see Kazuhiko's body. I don't care what you have to do. Bully Heero's brat if you must. Quatre, you and I will see Heero, try to stall him if we can. Perhaps we can make him reveal something of his plans, at least." Treize rose. "I will go with Dorothy." Relena nodded. "Good. Thank you." She held out a hand to Quatre. Treize could see clear as crystal she loved Quatre. Or at the very least, desperately wanted him. Not that he couldn't understand. Quatre was beautiful and . . . dangerous. Yes, there was something dangerous about Quatre. Treize wondered what Relena would be willing to do to bring the younger man into her clutches. Because something told him he did not share her feelings. And she wasn't the only one in the room who loved and/or wanted Quatre. Trowa Barton, he was another conundrum. He spoke even more infrequently than Wufei, but while Treize never sensed him speaking lies, the man radiated something deep down that could be bitterness. If Treize didn't know any better, he'd say Trowa found the Council of Nine distasteful. And the want that blazed in his eyes when he looked at Quatre was just as obvious to Treize as the jealousy whenever Relena covetously touched Quatre. He wondered what would happen if Trowa and Relena ever decided one of them must die in order for the other to be with Quatre. He had to bite back a grin at the thought. For his part, Quatre never revealed how he felt about either Relena or Trowa. Rising, he offered his hand to Dorothy. "Shall we?" Smiling in a way Treize supposed was meant to be coy, Dorothy accepted and laid her hand on his arm. There was no way to get into the room, so they went right to the source of the problem. Finding Duo took some doing, and for the first time Treize met the boy almost one-on-one. He looked startled they wanted a word, but Treize didn't notice how the boy failed to offer any sort of obeisance. Dorothy seemed not to. "Duo," she said with much the same smile as minutes before, "we wanted to pay our respects to the king. Is there any way we could convince you to lower your barrier just long enough for us to slip in? You know, your master would never have to know." That was a bit more tactful than Treize had given her credit for. He silently applauded her choice. Duo hesitated. Treize took a moment to study the boy. He was almost too pretty to be a boy, far too stunning to be merely pretty. His features weren't exotic as though he were foreign, he was just simply beautiful. But his eyes were a little shadowed, and his body language bespoke tension and unease. And there was something else in those limpid eyes, too. Something Treize couldn't quite identify. "I can't," he said presently. "I am sorry, Miss Dorothy. My . . . prince made it very clear no one was to go inside. He said . . . he didn't want anything happening to his father's body." Treize's eyes narrowed. Those words were a mixture of lies and truth, if he was any judge. He didn't miss Duo's hesitance to call Heero his master, either. But which words were lies, and which were truth? "Duo," he said in a low, soothing voice, "it is tradition in Cera for members of the Council of Nine to place a small gift near the body of the deceased monarch. A sort of going-away gift, if you will. Not only does it show our respect, but it is a little reminder for the departed soul to take with him on his journey through the afterlife." A struggle sprang up in Duo's eyes. Such expressive eyes. "I . . . I'm sorry," he practically whimpered, lowering his eyes to the floor. "It's not my decision." Dorothy chose that moment to step foward, taking Duo's hand and squeezing. "Please, Duo? It would mean so much to us. Just us. Not the whole Council. In fact, just one of us if it makes you feel better. Just slip in and slip out, so Kazuhiko knows his Council is with him on his journey. Heero need never know." The boy was caving. He looked back up at her, and was that a glimmer of moisture? "I want to, Miss Dorothy," he whispered. "It's not right. He deserves it, he was a good man." Dorothy nodded emphatically. "Yes, he does. Why don't you let Treize slip in, and I'll stand guard down the hall so if Heero does come, I can give you plenty of warning." Duo's eyes shimmered. "A-all right, but please quickly." The woman didn't even bother to hide her triumph. Fortunately Duo was too naive to notice. The moment the barrier opened, Treize slid in. Duo watched after him with an anxious expression, mouthing "Hurry." Treize nodded and stole into the bedchamber. Kazuhiko was laid out on the mattress, dressed in his ceremonial robe. He looked thin and wasted, a far cry from the man he'd been but a few years ago. It was a bit shocking, but something else shocked him more. The stench of sickness hung in the air, and there was a strange, faintly greenish marking around his mouth. It looked almost like a bruise, but Treize recognized it. It was caused by the somewhat uncommon disease called "Recker's flu," one that killed perhaps half its victims. So much for hoping to prove Heero had poisoned his father. He smiled. Relena would not be pleased. Turning, he exited the chambers, happy to be free of the stale air. Duo practically pounced on him. "Good! Heero's coming. Hurry, go now." Nodding, Treize let his long-legged stride carry him out of sight before any could see him. Well. What would they do now? o0o o0o Duo watched Treize Khushrenada stride away, heard Dorothy noisily greet Heero. She was odd, that woman. Seemed almost too . . . uncouth for the Council of Nine. But a few moments later the Black Prince strode into view, motioning Duo to follow him into the chambers. Once the door was barred and the barrier sealed, Heero turned to him. "So?" Smiling faintly, Duo nodded. "I let Treize in. He left looking a bit disgruntled." Heero snorted. "That will give them something to chew on. Good job, chiccira. Are you ready for tonight?" "Yes," Duo said, drawing in a slow breath. "And I've done what you asked. I'll be able to communicate with you in your mind now. There might be some means out there for another to detect that I'm doing it, but I don't think anyone could magically eavesdrop without my knowing it. I've been using magic enough in these last days it's coming much easier." It was Heero's turn to smile, and he leaned forward to plant a kiss on Duo's forehead. "Good." Stepping past him, he headed for the bedchamber. A little flustered, Duo blushed and followed. Kazuhiko sat on the edge of the bed, petting Frost. The big hound looked up at Heero, tail thumping. "How did it go?" the king asked, smiling at them. "Fine," Duo answered. "Treize bought it." "The preparations for your memorial are coming along," Heero said, "and the service will include myself and only a few others. The casket will be open, with you laying in it dead. As soon as the lid closes, Duo will teleport you out. They'll bury the casket and as soon as it's over I leave with Duo. We'll go to the Southern Forest and meet where he's sending you, then I'll open the gate to Alarys. We'll send you through and return." Duo ached with the desire to go to Alarys. He'd already asked Heero why he and the prince couldn't just go with Kazuhiko and never return to this awful land. The Island Kingdom of the Krisandi Nation sounded like paradise. Nymphs and all other manner of fey inhabited the island, hidden somewhere deep in the Pangor Sea. Somewhere beneath the surface where it would never be found, protected from the crushing water by a magical barrier. Duo couldn't imagine how it must look, but surely it would be a sight to behold. Kazuhiko cupped Duo's face in his hand. "You may yet be able to see it, little one. If Heero succeeds and manages to save Corai, then perhaps you can convince him to come home. Despite his human heritage, he is Krisandi and that's where he belongs." Heero shifted. "I belong here, Father. And we can't stay in here. When the pall-bearer comes, Duo will place you back under his spell. That will be in a few hours' time." Kazuhiko nodded. "Very well. I suppose I won't see you until we're all in the Southern Forest." "No," Heero said, turning to go. He gave his father a hint of a smile. "It will be here faster than you think." Kazuhiko chuckled. "I have no doubt, my boy." o0o o0o By the time they finally managed to find and corner Heero, Relena all but oozed irritation. She managed to keep her face smooth. "Heero," she said, "I've come to beg you to reconsider your coronation tomorrow." Quatre blinked. Well, that was cutting to the chase. Heero was unmoved. "Why in the world would I postpone it? There is no reason for that. I've been king in all but name for the last year." Even more blunt. And it was true. "It's disrespectful," Relena said forcefully. A low, chilling laugh poured from Heero's lips. "I doubt my dearly-departed father would take offense. What use has he for the title now?" "Think of your people," Relena demanded. "How will they view their prince that he doesn't even enter into a mourning phase? Or allow them to grieve their king's passing?" Heero's amusement seemed only to deepen. "I seem to recall the general opinion of him was low, yours included," he replied. "I doubt most of Corai even remembered I had a father." "Have you no heart?" Relena spat. "How could you speak so ill of him? He's your father!" "Heart?" Heero repeated, scoffing. "What need have I for that? I am the heir to the throne, and tomorrow I will be king. I don't need a heart to rule, Relena. I only need my head. Now if you will excuse me, I have an old man to bury." Relena started after him, but Quatre stopped her with a hand on her arm. His blood ran cold. Heero's tone was light, his gait almost jaunty. He was in a good mood. He was enjoying this. Nirande, if you are listening at this moment, please give me a sign he is not as heartless as he seems. Otherwise, we are doomed. I will never save this country. Relena glared after the prince, fire in her eyes. "Quatre," she said in a low voice, "I am sorry but I must leave you for now. I will see you tomorrow, there is something I must see to." Quatre didn't try stopping her, merely watching after where Heero had gone. He felt like great stone blocks were attached to his shoulders, dragging him down. I don't know what to do. For the first time, he felt as though there was nothing to do. As though it were all lost, and it was only a matter of time. What if Heero did what others whispered about in the dark? What if the Black Prince of Corai waged war with the whole world? What if he won? o0o o0o Heero made sure only five people knew of his father's memorial. Zechs Marquise, Duo, his chamberlain, the stablemaster, and Cera's regional general. The four men were obviously aware of the honor, especially the general. Each came forward with their condolances, but Heero brushed them off. As the pallbearers lowered Kazuhiko's body into the casket, Heero spoke the only words he planned ever to speak on the matter. "He was my father and therefore I am grateful for him. He served me with his life, now he will serve me with his death. I bid you a safe journey, Father." He gave a shallow, cursory bow. The other four men bowed, Duo did not. He kept his head down as though mourning, however, and Heero could see the other men believed his grief. The casket lid was lowered, then clicked shut. Heero felt the tingle in the back of his mind that indicated Duo had cast his spell. Heero remained, standing silent vigil, as the pallbearers buried the adorned casket and reverently tamped the dirt down. When they were done, Duo stepped forward and spread his hands. In moments, new green grass had grown over the dirt, complete with a single white cala lily. When it was done, Heero dismissed the stablemaster and pallbearers with a nod. Then he turned to Zechs, the general, and his chamberlain. "Thanks in large part to my chamberlain, the coronation will be ready for tomorrow. Zechs, I wish you to be at my right hand, Duo will be at my left." The chamberlain glowed at the praise. "Everything will be ready for you, my prince. Or shall I say, my king?" He beamed. Heero gave him a cold smile. "Nothing could possibly jinx it, so you may. General, your men are ready for what they must do?" "Yes, my prince, ah, my king." He grinned broadly. "If any are so foolish as to attempt your life, we will be ready for them." "Good," Heero murmured. "There is yet one thing I must see to before the night is over, so I will bid you three good night. Come, Duo." He gestured imperiously. Duo scowled as he followed, and Heero pretended not to notice. Heero rode Dark out of the castle headed east in case anyone was watching for him. He didn't stop his stallion's gallop until Cera was growing small in the background. Only then did Duo take them into the Southern Forest. Kazuhiko waited with a smile, and Heero quickly located the Gate. Knowing how risky it was to open it but knowing further only he could, Heero held out his hand, palm up, and the glowing gateway appeared. "Hurry, Father," he said quietly. "The less time it stays open, the better." Kazuhiko grabbed Heero in a bear hug, squeezing so tight all the air was crushed from the prince's lungs. "Take care of yourself, boy," he whispered fiercely. "I'll never stop thinking of you or wishing for your safe return to Alarys where you belong." Heero found he couldn't speak, so he merely hugged his father hard in return. Then the once-king strode toward the Gate. He was almost through the arch when he stopped and turned, looking at Duo. "Remember what I told you," he said, a single tear coursing down his weathered face. "Don't let him fall to darkness, chiccira." Then the shimmering light swallowed him and he was gone. Heero let the Gate close. The light vanished, plunging the forest back into dismal shadow. Closing his eyes, trying to shake off the feeling he would never see his father again, he buried his grief and straightened. "Come," he said quietly. "It's time we returned to Cera." He could feel Duo's sorrowful eyes on him as he transported them back to the road. He didn't know what lay ahead, but he fervently prayed for his father's wish. That he wouldn't fall to darkness.
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