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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 "
Wearing stark black and one of his two swords, Heero strode into the audience hall with a face far colder and more hateful than he actually felt. In fact, inside he felt so calm and peaceful it was . . . nothing short of a miracle. As if he were an ocean in constant turmoil, tossed by powerful wind and slashing rain, and some god had waved a hand over it and all was now calm and blue. Zechs was there with the lord and sorcerer, the red collar glittering in the light. And of course, Relena was there with some of her Council cronies. Ascending the dias, Heero sat. Duo slid easily and gracefully to the steps at Heero's feet, his eyes darting to everyone in the room and finally landing on the sorcerer. There was no small amount of venom in his indigo eyes as he glared at the man. The master bowed. "Your Majesty," he began, "I am Lord Graime of Navrane, and I have come-" "I'm well aware why you're here," Heero cut him off, voice like an ice pick. "Think you Corai a prime place to tramp around with your side show?" Graime blinked, and Heero could sense his attitude flustered the man. "I'm certain Your Majesty knows, what we do is entirely for the protection of all people in all lands-" "I protect the people of Corai," Heero interrupted again. "I am the king. It is my business." "The Tower detected unidentified magic being used in the Southern Forest," the sorcerer piped up. "Magic is the business of the Tower." When he finished speaking, Heero let a stony silence fall, turning an arctic glare on the Red. It stretched long enough it became awkward. "You dare," Heero said softly, "address me so casually, so patronizingly?" Graime cleared his throat, giving the sorcerer a hasty sideways glare. "Please forgive him, Your Majesty," he said quickly, "he is used to dealing with complacent, soft lords, not battle-hardened kings. He will be punished for his indiscretion." "Complacent, soft lords," Heero repeated in a gentle tone, rising. "Most of the world is made up of such people. Duo." Those beautiful indigo eyes rose to meet his. Sullen. "Master?" Almost petulant. Heero gave him a cold smile. Almost indulgent. "Did you sense any magic from the Southern Forest . . . what was it? Four nights ago?" Duo's upper lip curled up in the tiniest sneer. "None but the magic I wrought there, Master." "Please," the Red scoffed. "Your magic signature would have been recognized right away. Master Heero, he's obviously concealing something-" "Be silent!" Graime snapped. "For Cestera's sake, man, keep your tongue behind your teeth!" "Master?" Duo growled. "Go ahead," Heero all but purred. Rising, Duo stalked toward the Red. "You wouldn't recognize my magic signature if you were watching it." As Heero looked on, Duo formed an intricate web of colored light in the center of the room. His cleverly-laid inversion barrier muted the threads so that they were barely detectable at all. "What!" the Red gasped, eyes widening. "How on Harboura did you learn to do that?" "It's a slave's duty to please his master," Heero said silkily, "and his cleverness in figuring that out pleased me very much. As to what he was doing in the Southern Forest, that is none of your business. You are not in Navrane anymore, Graime. And you are not welcome here. Lord General Marquise will escort you out of Cera come first light, and I expect you to be gone by noon." "Heero," Relena finally piped up in her dulcet tones, "Lord Graime is our guest here. Surely there's no reason to toss him out like a vagabond?" Everyone in the room, even the Red, realized Relena had overstepped some line. Heero slowly turned to meet her eyes, more amused than anything else. Dig your own hole, woman, he thought. His face, however, was a mask of frozen fury. "Are you king, Relena?" he asked quietly. He saw her lips twitch. "Of course not, Majesty." "Then unless you're opening your mouth to carry out my orders, keep it shut. Graime, do I make myself clear?" "As crystal, Majesty." "Good. And let me remind you of one more thing, in case you feel like returning with a few more of your pets. I'm not afraid of anything or anyone. That Tower of soft cowards included." Rising, he brushed past them as though they were no longer of any importance. When they were alone again, Duo turned to him with a serious expression. "I have a way to make the job of enforcing your new edict easier." Heero raised a curious eyebrow. "Go on." "You've made magical items contraband, but you can change it to suit your own needs," the sorcerer said with a coy little smile. "I can make magic item detectors for your force to carry so they can do their job better. These detectors can have a range as large as I can extend it, which is about two leagues." After a moment, Heero chuckled. "Clever one." Moving into Duo's space, he embraced the boy. "In moments like these, you feel more like my consort than my weapon. Thinking of ways to help me on your own." He both felt and heard Duo's soft, barely audible intake of air. The boy curled into him, and he fit in Heero's arms so perfectly. Suddenly all he wanted was to hold this fey creature in his arms and peel away his clothing and lavish attention on every bit of ivory skin he revealed. "Duo," he murmured, "when do you turn seventeen?" Duo made a soft sound of surprise. "In a month," he replied, shifting to meet Heero's eye. "Why?" It would be so easy, to lean down and capture that full, sweet mouth in a kiss. "Tell me what you feel for me," he said. "Everything. All of it." "I . . ." Duo said, looking caught off-guard. "I used to hate you. Now . . . now I don't want to live without you." That sweet, halting confession broke something in Heero's heart. Some frozen piece of him cracked open and started melting. "Do you love me?" Warm, beautiful, luminous indigo eyes searched cobalt. "Yes." Little more than a breath. Heero leaned forward and pressed a kiss to Duo's forehead. "Then when you turn seventeen, would you allow me the pleasure of showing you how much I love you?" Duo blinked. Obviously not sure exactly what Heero meant. The king smiled. "I mean the physical consummation of our mutual affections, chiccira." Two things flickered through Duo's expressive eyes. First, desire and acceptance. Then something clouded them and Duo pulled back, out of Heero's arms. "No." A giant fist constricted around his chest. "Duo-" "Please," Duo cut him off, moisture gathering in his eyes, "try to understand what it's like for me, Heero. I'm your slave. According to the law, I'm just a possession. A tool. Not really a person, with no rights of my own. I'm your property. As long as I'm not your equal, I . . . I can't be with you like that. I just . . . can't." Immediately closing the distance between them, hating it, Heero gently gripped Duo's upper arms. "I'll never feel you're my property, regardless of what any law claims. In here-" he touched Duo's chest and his own "-you belong to no one." "Then free me," Duo said, eyes growing colder. "Burn the contract with the Tower. Remove the slave cuffs and this collar." He could, Heero thought with a grimace, only understand Duo's feelings on the matter to an extremely limited degree. Though he had harbored some fear as a child of discovery, he'd had a powerful mother to protect him. Duo's mother . . . she had probably been a commoner. For the first time, Heero wondered what his Duo's family had been like. If it were possible to track them down and . . . no. No, that could never be. He closed his eyes briefly. "Even I cannot change the mindset of an entire world. Most people loathe and fear sorcerers for what they're capable of doing, regardless of whether they'd ever do it or not." Duo looked away, bitter disappointment darkening his coutenance. "I know. I'm the one who has to live with it every day. I can feel it when they look at me. I can practically smell their fear." His upper lip curled. "Stupid, ignorant normals. Thinking they're so much better than us. Looking at us and touching us as if they have a right as our obvious betters to do what they please with us, sometimes I hate them so much I think I would do what they fear just because they're so afraid of it they make me sick." No, I have no idea what it's like for him. To believe I do would be to insult him. "I don't know what I can do," he finally admitted. "I don't even know if I can succeed in my own task." A hint of apology crept into Duo's eyes, but a small one. He moved forward and wrapped his arms around Heero's waist, laying his head on the king's shoulder. "I do love you," he murmured. But I can't be with you until we're equals. That wasn't spoken, but Heero heard it as though it was. We are, he thought. In every way but one. Closing his eyes, he rested his cheek on top of Duo's head. Somehow, he would figure out how to fix that, too. o8o o8o Feeling despondent, Duo wandered out into the garden. Everything looked wilted, getting ready for the fall. It would be here soon. He could feel its chill nip in the air. Sinking down onto a bench amid some dying bluebells, he wrapped his arms around himself and closed his eyes. The emotions tumbled through him, tangled and complicated. Heero's words scrambled through his mind, over and over. Then when you turn seventeen, would you allow me the pleasure of showing you how much I love you? I mean the physical consummation of our mutual affections, chiccira. Physical consummation. Making love. No clothing, no barriers between. Just naked skin to naked skin. Duo didn't really know how two men would make love. He'd desperately feared it back in the beginning, terrified of being raped by a bastard of a master who didn't care for his slave's comfort. Now it wasn't something to fear. He actually wanted it, though he knew he wasn't quite ready for it, but when faced with the choice he realized . . . He just couldn't do it. He couldn't lie with a man who was his master. He couldn't give himself away like a piece of property. The thought of it felt like . . . like a betrayal to himself. But oh, the thought of Heero touching him, showing him what pleasure was, being the one to be his first-and last-lover . . . Resting his elbows on his knees, he lowered his head to rest in his hands. I never thought I'd be forced to make this choice. I never thought I'd want the man who bought me, let alone love him. Hatred, black and bitter as poison, surged up like bile in his throat. He hated the collar on his neck. Hated it so much his vision blurred and his skin ached. Hated it until he realized he could probably kill the sorcerers who had taken him from his parents and put it on him. He took a deep breath, forcing those feelings to subside. They would only give him a headache and solve nothing. The collar was on him now, and all he could do was face one day at a time. Perhaps there was a way to soothe this fear normals had of sorcerers. He wondered where it had come from to begin with. There was nothing in history that he knew of to suggest the fear was warranted. The scuff of soft boots on stone made him look up, and his eyes widened in surprise. Quatre Winner, Voice of Nirande, was walking toward him. Not by itself a tremendous occurrence. But the man looked awful. His eyes were shadowed and haunted, his skin waxy and pale. His gait was somewhat slow and careful, as if he were afraid moving too fast would unbalance him. And seething somewhere deep inside him was a strange power Duo had never sensed before. No, not quite true. He'd sensed it once. Inside Wufei Chang. Rising, he hurried to Quatre's side. "Councilor?" he queried. "Are you all right? You look ill." "I'm all right," Quatre replied, voice sort of hollow. "Help me sit, Duo. I have to speak with you on a matter of extreme importance." Caught off guard, Duo obeyed and helped him sit and perched beside him. "What's wrong? Have you become sick?" Quatre shook his head. "I'm not ill, Duo. I've been poisoned. I'll be all right, but that's not-" "I can heal you!" Duo said at once, prepared to jump up and fetch Heero. Grabbing his wrist, Quatre pulled him down. "Listen to me," he hissed, low and urgent. "I know Heero doesn't trust the Council, and frankly, you have every reason not to, as well. But your master is in grave danger. Relena is expecting something; Duo, you must not allow her to-" He cut off with a gasp, and he hunched forward, arms wrapped around his middle as if in pain. Duo put a hand on his shoulder, concern ratcheting up. "Councilor? What? What must I do?" Quatre's eyes, such a clear shade of aquan blue, met his for a moment, and Duo was surprised to see the torment swirling through them. He opened his mouth, but nothing came out except a thin groan. His eyes slid shut and he toppled forward to land in a crumpled heap on the ground. Duo leaped to his side, carefully rolling him onto his back, torn between the need to get help and the desire not to leave the man alone. What if something happened to him while he was gone? He'd almost made up his mind he had to risk it when he heard the pounding of running feet. In moments, Trowa Barton burst out into the garden. The Voice of Jhatahj had a strange, wild look in his eye. He dropped on Quatre's other side opposite Duo. "Get help," he ordered in a short, terse voice. Hesitating only a moment, Duo stood and raced back into the castle. Heero was in his study, but he wasn't alone so Duo stopped outside the door. Heero? he quested out. What is it, Duo? a second later. It's Quatre. He's been . . . he says he's been poisoned. Will you lift the restriction so I can heal him? Why should you heal him? Heero said, even his mental voice cold. As far as I'm concerned, one less of them can only be a blessing. He tried to warn me of something, Duo insisted. Something that was a danger to you. From Relena. A pause. Then the restriction lifted. All right, you may heal him. But come straight back here when you've learned of this supposed danger. Already sprinting off, Duo ran back to the garden. Trowa sat with Quatre's head resting in his lap, and the blonde man was twitching and moaning now, muscles spasming. His skin gleamed with perspiration. Duo dropped down by his side, reaching out to find the source of his condition. "Your master will allow you to heal him?" Trowa murmured, sounding surprised. "Yes," Duo said shortly, grimacing at the feel of poison coursing through Quatre's veins. It was an ugly, invasive feeling. And, he soon realized, more difficult to heal than an injury. A wound could be closed, broken bones mended. But poison, it wasn't like that. Eventually he improvised, gathering all the poison away from Quatre's heart. Then he had to figure out what to do with it. Finally he was able to draw the individual particles out of Quatre's body, and they beaded on his fingertip and splashed onto the stone below. It took a long, long time. Trowa just held Quatre while he worked, saying nothing and not moving. Urgency radiated from him in waves, but he didn't try to get Duo to hurry. After almost two hours, Duo had removed all the poison, but something still wasn't right. There was something inside Quatre . . . something almost like a void, like a gaping wound he'd never seen before. No matter how Duo tried he couldn't grasp it, couldn't find a way to heal it. It seemed connected to that strange power he could sense in the man. Which he could now sense in Trowa. Quatre's eyes fluttered open. He blinked. "Trowa?" Trowa wiped sweat from the blonde's forehead with a handkerchief. He nodded toward Duo. "The sorcerer healed you." He eyed the small puddle of dark purple-black liquid. "Nightflower, unless I miss my guess." With Trowa's help he managed to sit up. "Thank you, Duo," he said, inclining his head. "Now we must talk. Is there somewhere we can go no one will see or overhear?" Nodding, Duo laid a hand on both men's arm. Closing his eyes, he took them in an eyeblink to his and Heero's outer room in their chambers. Heero's hound, Frost, leaped to her feet with a snarl, half charging toward them. Duo held up a hand. It's all right, girl. I brought them here. She subsided, trotting forward to push her nose under Duo's hand. They both smell of sickness, she whined. Trowa guided Quatre to the sofa and they sank down side-by-side, and Duo sat opposite them. Frost sat right on his feet, glaring at the two intruders. Her body language could not have been clearer. If they tried any funny business, she would protect Duo. Quatre gave her the barest glance before looking back to Duo. "Heero's in terrible danger," he said. "I know he passed an edict making all magic items contraband in Corai, which was a brilliant move, but it came too late. Relena is tomorrow expecting the arrival of a package. She's found a mindbreaker. Do you know what that is, Duo?" Absently stroking Frost's ears, Duo shook his head. "It's a powerful mind-controlling device," Trowa inserted, watching Quatre as though fearing another collapse, "created long ago. They were banned and destroyed. At least, they were ordered destroyed." "Relena has gotten her hands on one," Quatre said, grimacing. "She means to use it on Heero. There's nothing strong enough to break the grip of a mindbreaker. He'll do anything she asks. He'll make her his heir, then she'll have him kill himself. She'll be queen." Duo stared at him in horror. She would erase everything Heero had been trying to do. And he would die right along with the king, unable to do a thing to stop her? "She'll also more than likely have him break that tie between you," Quatre concluded quietly, "that forces you to die with him." For long moments Duo couldn't speak, could barely breathe. "Why are you telling me this?" he finally choked out. Both men looked at him now, aqua and verdant eyes piercing into him. "The Council of Nine," Quatre all but whispered, "has become an abomination. It has destroyed this kingdom where once it was sworn to protect. Trowa and I have been working toward its disbanding or destruction. We had long hoped Heero would help us, though he seems more unreachable now than ever before. You are our last hope, Duo. Heero is the king, and we are just his advisors." All the breath left Duo's lungs in a startled gasp. No lies. Truth. That was all truth. I would never lie to you, Quatre said, clear as crystal in his mind. I am the Voice of Nirande. He smiled, a coy little smile the slightest hint of teasing. That power you can sense in me? Let me show you what it is. Duo's vision blacked out, and a powerful presence filled his mind. Duo, can you hear me, child? Yes, he whimpered, feeling smaller than a speck of dust. Who are you? I am Nirande, Woodland Goddess. Long ago, all members of the Council of Nine could commune with their god or goddess. Now, there are only three. Quatre, my Voice. Trowa, Voice of Jhatahj. And Wufei, Voice of Drammon. Though we seldom concern ourselves with human affairs, the damage done to Corai has been too much for even us to bear. We want no harm to come to our children, so we have sworn ourselves to helping these three men heal Corai. Duo, that is what Heero has been attempting, is it not? Unchecked and unheeded, tears streamed down Duo's cheeks. Yes, he whispered. That's what he wants. Warmth of affection filled him so strongly he felt he was drowning in it. Drowning in her. Hush, child, her voice flowed through him. You have suffered enough. You are not alone anymore. Then she was gone. Duo barely blinked and Quatre was beside him, drawing him into a gentle embrace. Resting his head against the man's chest, it was some time before Duo's silent tears dried up. When they did, he sat up and wiped his eyes. Frost nudged his hand with her nose, whining softly. "Tomorrow I'm putting a barrier around the entire city," he said, petting her head, "to prevent any magic from working but my own. We're leaving first thing in the morning. Can Relena activate this mindbreaker from a distance?" "No," Quatre replied, shaking his head. "Heero must touch it while it's in her hands, and it will only work on one individual at a time." Duo nodded. "Good. Then my barrier will be up long before she can even think of a way to get Heero to touch it. Do you think you could get it from her? I want it destroyed." Quatre looked at Trowa, and Duo couldn't define the look that passed between them. Finally, Quatre drew in a slow breath and sighed. "I think I could." "Then do it if you can. Bring it to me, I can destroy it. We can use that to seal her fate. She seems like the biggest threat." "At the moment," Quatre agreed. "I'll go find her right now and see if I can . . . be there when she gets the thing." Trowa rose. "We'll see you when you and the king return tomorrow," he said. "There's something I must see to right now. Duo. Quatre." He inclined his head to both and walked out of the room. Quatre watched him leave with a worried expression. Then he returned his attention to Duo. "Thank you," he said with a small smile, "for earlier. I'm sure you saved my life." Duo offered a small grin. "I thought you said you would be all right." Shrugging, not looking contrite, Quatre folded his hands. "I didn't want you wasting time worrying. I had to tell you before I . . . expired." His smile grew a little wry. "Quite a risk," Duo murmured. "Perhaps," Quatre agreed, "but I had to take it. I truly believe only Heero can save this kingdom. And maybe, while he's at it, he can save this whole world." Duo blinked. "Quatre?" "I had a sister," Quatre said softly, reaching out and touching Duo's collar. "She was taken when I was just five. A Yellow, I believe. I hated the Tower so much for most of my growing-up life. I'm not afraid of sorcerers, Duo, and I certainly don't believe they deserve the fate of being collared and leashed like dogs. Worse than dogs." He looked down at Frost. "At least most masters love their dogs." Frost huffed and laid her head on Duo's knee. Smiling, Duo ruffled her ears. "Thank you," he whispered. It means a lot to me. Quatre smiled and touched the back of his hand. "Not everyone in the world feels that loathing for sorcerers, Duo. And Heero is the most influential monarch this world has ever seen. Perhaps he'll be just what we need to erase this fear." Smile growing wistful and somewhat bitter, Duo just nodded. Perhaps. o8o o8o Trowa ghosted through the halls, fury seething quietly within him. Unlike most men, Trowa knew how to control his rage. Knew how to make it work for him, rather than against him. Even deeper inside he could feel Jhatahj's anger, as well. Jhatahj loved Nirande and Nirande loved Quatre, so Jhatahj felt the same protectiveness toward the blonde man as Trowa did. Maybe to a somewhat lesser degree, but he still felt it. Trowa paused when he reached his destination, gazing at the door. He knocked, soft enough to be polite and loud enough to be heard. Beria Shondric answered it, looking surprised. "Trowa?" she queried. "May I come in?" Trowa asked, inclining his head in greeting. Looking flustered, Beria stepped back and held the door open. Trowa glided in. There were papers and bottles of ink and a few other things scattered all over her desktop, including a small velvet satchel. Senses heightened by his god, Trowa drew in a slow, deep breath. Dust, Beria's soap, and the detergents used by the servants to clean the bedclothes, as well as the polish to scrub the floors. And beneath it all, the sickly sweet scent of nightflower. "What is it, Trowa?" Beria asked. "This isn't like you." "Isn't like me," Trowa mused, turning and advancing on her. "Perhaps you just don't know me as well as you thought." Perhaps she saw something in his eyes. She swallowed and backed away. "I-I think you should leave now." "I will," Trowa soothed. "I will only stay a minute." Another step. "That's all I need." Another step. Her back collided with the stone wall beside the hearth, and she let out a little squeak. Trowa moved into her space, planting a hand on the wall on either side of her. "Wh-what are you doing?" she shrilled. Trowa took one of her hands and raised it to his lips, kissing it. "You have no reason to be afraid," he murmured. "I don't plan to hurt you." "Wh-what do you want?" she demanded, sounding a bit shaky. He dropped her hand. "I want to kill you." A few heartbeats later he stepped back, watching her crumple without so much as a sound. He smiled, carefully wiping the hilt of the long hunting knife so there would be no traces of him left for a sorcerer to detect . . . if Heero even ordered her death investigated. But Relena might. "That didn't hurt at all, did it?" he purred, turning on his heel and ghosting from the room. She certainly deserved to suffer for trying to poison Quatre. But Trowa never went back on his word. And that little bitch wasn't going to make a liar of him. o8o o8o Heero looked up, annoyed, when Relena barged into his study without so much as a knock. The chamberlain gave her an affronted look, and it amused Heero. Even Zechs, usually so unflappable, looked annoyed. "My king," Relena said, inclining her head, "I have something, I felt it my duty to bring it to you at once." Heero raised an eyebrow. "Did you indeed? And it simply couldn't wait, could it?" She shook her head, looking quite earnest. "No. I discovered one of the Council had smuggled this into the city." She held out her arms, and resting in her hands was what looked like a plain wooden box with a bit of silver gilding on the top. He looked at it, then looked back up at her. "And what, exactly, is it?" "A magical item," she replied. "You have recently made these contraband, so I thought you would want to give it to your sorcerer to destroy." Not what he'd been expecting, Heero rose and paced toward her. Duo could verify if it was magical in nature or not. "And you just happened to find this out." Relena lifted her chin a bit. "She showed it to me, boasting she'd gotten it past you. She trusts me a great deal, but you are the king now. Plotting behind your back would be . . . extremely foolish." Snorting softly, Heero stopped in front of her. Reaching out very carefully, he sensed it definitely had magical properties. "A wise decision," he said, holding out his hand. The smile that crossed her lips should have warned him.
It looked positively triumphant as she placed it onto his open palm,
her own fingers still wrapped around it.
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