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"The King and the Shaman "Written By: Jewel of Hell Disclaimer: Don't own nothin' but these words Rating: NC 17 Warnings: AU, Fantasy/Drama/Romance, Yaoi, lemon, language (the usual), peril, violence, animal shamans, neko Duo, king Heero, impending war, sentient-formless evil Pairings: 1x2, others Summary: Heero is the young king of a country
he wants to expand into an Empire. One day he is approached by a woman
who claims she is an animal Shaman, creatures of legend and myth.
She makes an offer Heero cannot refuse. " The King and the Shaman "
Duo sprang out of bed, startling Heero awake with a grunt, tearing around the room just long enough to dress before bolting downstairs. He raced into the kitchen full-throttle and hit Muriel with a flying leap, wrapping his legs around her middle. "Good morning!" he sang, doing his best to hug the soup out of her (or whatever she'd had for breakfast). She laughed, arms going up to support him. "Good morning, silly thing. Here, why don't you behave like a proper little gentleman for once. We're in polite company, see?" Duo turned his head, ears perking. To his surprise and delight, Relena was already up, dressed and looking lovely in a pair of black riding breeches meant for ladies and an elegant-yet-simple blouse of white with green and silver ivy embroidered up the sleeves. Over this she wore a black riding vest. Duo thought she looked sharp. Obviously Heero's second lieutenant of the palace guards had escorted her down, because he sat opposite her at the table, leaning toward her in a slightly proprietary way. Duo had never liked him, because he treated the young cat like a dumb animal. Today he chose to ignore the man entirely, giving Relena a big smile and deciding to make a play for her attention. In his experience, women particularly could not resist him. Climbing out of Muriel's arms, he came to Relena's side, grinning and purring. "Good morning, Relena," he said. "Did you sleep well? Are you rested? Are you going to play with me today?" She gave that sweet, bell-like laugh of hers. "Yes, yes, and yes," she replied. "That's why I opted out of a gown this morning. I had thought to ask Heero if he wouldn't mind me taking you riding this afternoon." Duo's ears flattened. He had never been on a horse in this form, and he had certainly never been on one alone. Frankly, the huge creatures frightened him, although they were no longer quite so huge as they once were. She must have seen something in his wide eyes, because she reached out and stroked his ears. "Unless you do not enjoy riding?" He shook his head. "I've never been riding. When I was a kitten, Heero just held me while he rode." The palace guard made a rude sound and rose. "If you'll excuse me, Princess," he said, giving her a courtly bow. He nodded to Muriel and left. Duo resisted the urge to hiss. Relena didn't seem fazed. "Riding is simple," she said, "but if it worries you, you can simply ride with me. I was practically born on a horse's back, and I have the loveliest mount you can imagine. She's got a very docile, even temperament, so she won't do anything wild or crazy." Duo had to smile at her smile. Sliding toward her, he snuggled against her side, nuzzling her neck like he always did with Heero. She melted at once, of course, holding him and scratching at the base of his ears. Which oh, felt so nice. He purred deep in his chest to let her know he appreciated the attention. When Heero finally came down, this was how he found them. Duo heard him, of course, long before he actually saw him. So as soon as Heero entered the kitchen Duo was wriggling free, leaping at his guardian with a bright, "Good morning, Hee-ro!" Smiling, Heero caught him and squeezed him. He did look a little surprised to see Relena. "Good morning, Lady. Duo, did you come down here to pester her?" "Yup!" Duo chirped. "You don't have to do anything today, right? You can play with us, right? Relena said she wants to go riding. We can do that, right?" Heero chuckled, setting Duo on his feet. "I'm afraid I must see her brother at some time today," he reminded the kitten. "After all, he did come all this way." Duo could hear the sarcasm. His ears perked as he peered into Heero's eyes. Obviously his guardian didn't care what Relena thought, because that was a somewhat tactless thing to say . . . Relena rose. "I don't want to distract you from more important matters," Relena said. "I'm sure my brother will want to occupy all your time, Your Majesty, so I had hoped you wouldn't mind my entertaining your young charge for you." She smiled. "He seems easily bored." Duo flashed her a startled look. "Of course I won't mind," Heero said, kissing the top of Duo's head. "Be warned, though. You will find yourself doing whatever he wants. On more than one occasion I have found myself consenting to sell my soul to the devil." And to Duo's surprise, he gave Relena a crooked grin. She laughed. "Yes, I had already begun to see that." Muriel sat them all down and served them a wonderful breakfast. "Duo has never been on a horse without me, though," Heero said, sipping some hot tea. "I would prefer if that not change. He's too young to be riding alone." "But—" Duo began. "I don't mind him riding with me at all," Relena said, smiling at Heero. "And Duo, don't argue with your guardian. You know he only wants what's best for you." Duo blinked and subsided. Well. He'd never known a mother, but Relena was doing well for her first day. He bit his lip and tried not to giggle. And if Heero and Relena got married, what a fussy couple they would be! Always telling him to wash his paws . . . "What's so funny?" Heero demanded. Duo shook his head, helpless giggles escaping at random intervals. Heero pulled him against his side, tucking his head beneath his chin. "Silly kitten," he muttered with a smile. Sighing, Duo contentedly nuzzled his neck. He didn't want Heero to get married ever. Because that would mean he was no longer the center of his guardian's world. o8o o8o "Since you seem so keen to know, Zechs," Heero began, seating himself at his desk in his private conference room, "I will tell you something of my plans." Zechs sat opposite the younger king, dressed in rich, formal robes of red and gold. Drawing obvious attention to Heero's more casual attire. He wore only black breeches and a silk shirt of royal blue. And while he wore a tunic of black crushed velvet, he wasn't dressed in formal robes of court. Heero smirked. He wasn't about to be off-put by even this subtle difference. "I appreciate you putting your trust in me," Zechs said in his typical, pompous tone. Heero did resist rolling his eyes. Barely. "The rumors that have been flying around about me planning an empire are correct. By this time next year I will have begun moving my forces. I suppose the men defecting their native countries to join my armies speak volumes of everyone's faith in me." He chuckled. Zechs raised an eyebrow. "You took everyone by surprise." "It was easy to do," Heero said, shrugging. "There will be no room for other monarchs. I will turn the kingdoms into territories in my empire. City-states, if you will. For the most part, the reigning kings will be turned into lords. I will choose the governing lords myself, men and women I can trust. I suppose you, Zechs, would like to be named governing lord of your former kingdom?" Zechs looked surprised Heero was telling him all this. But there were only two options in dealing with this man. One, give him what he wanted. Or two, kill him. While two was certainly more appealing, it was less practical. He didn't want to be seen as a tyrant. Not yet, at least. He bit back a grin. "I'll be honest with you," Zechs said. "The reason I brought my sister with me was in the hopes of arranging a marriage between you and she. I wanted a way to reinforce my loyalty to you." Heero raised an eyebrow. "Your loyalty to me?" he repeated. "Or were you looking for a way to tie me to you?" Zechs said nothing. So Heero leaned forward. "Since we're being honest, I'll tell you the truth. I'm not interested in a betrothal. Even were I inclined, this would be a pretty poor time to take a bride, don't you think? And were I inclined to take your sister as my wife, it would not in any way affect my decision to remove you from power, Zechs. It's nothing personal." For a moment, Zechs studied him. Then he leaned forward, too. "You'll need people you can trust, Heero. I will give you my loyalty, but at a price. You can't blame me for wanting to see Relena married to a good man. She's the finest princess in the land. As her brother it's my responsibility to find a good marriage for her, and right now you are the one who could take the best care of her." "I do need people I can trust," Heero agreed, "but I don't need you, Zechs." "There are easier ways to grab for power than by toppling the kingdoms," Zechs said with a frown. Heero shrugged. "I'm not building an empire out of malice or a desire for more power. It's just good business. Dissolving the kingdom lines will make everything simpler, run smoother." "And the fact that it just happens to make you the most powerful man in the world?" Zechs added rather snidely. This time Heero didn't bother to hide his grin. "An added bonus on the side." o8o o8o "Do you want to marry Heero?" Relena started from where she was sitting sketching the landscape before her. She looked at the young boy playing monkey in the trees. Not for the first time she wondered what he was, how Heero had found him, where Heero had found him, and if Heero knew what he was. She'd found out the boy had spent the first year and half of his life as an actual kitten. "Where in the world did that question come from?" she asked. Duo stopped horsing around and sprawled on a fat branch just above her. "You said your brother wants you to marry Heero. Is that what you want, too?" Even though he looked like a twelve-year-old boy, Duo certainly wasn't. Relena met that pale violet-eyed gaze evenly. "That's not really a question I could answer. Women, you see, are romantics, Duo. We like to marry because we're in love and not because we're told we need to marry. I don't love Heero. I don't even know him." Duo blinked, holding her gaze as he appeared to think about that. Very hard. "Hmm." He grinned brightly. "I love Heero." She laughed lightly. "I'm sure you love him very much. He's your father." "Nah," Duo said, ears twitching. He rested his head on his forearms. "He's just Heero." Followed by a giggle as his eyes drifted shut. "Are you going to take a nap?" Relena asked around a smile as she went back to her sketching. If she shifted the angle just right, she could include him in it, too. "Mmm," came the sleepy agreement. Well, the adorable thing had been running rampant all morning. He had enough energy for three. It was a wonder Heero wasn't constantly worn out. Settling herself into a slightly new position, Relena extended her sketch to include the tree where Duo now lazed, eyes closed in his doze. He really was the most adorable child she'd ever seen, and she found herself wondering what he would look like when he was an adult. Whenever that would be. He had everything going for him to become an absolutely beautiful young man. A face to make anyone stare. Smiling, she shaded where appropriate as she allowed her mind to dream up his personality then. Would he have the same manic energy? Would he calm down a little, pick up some habits of the refined Royal Court? It was obvious Heero sheltered him, kept him away from the drama. She thought that was wonderful. I wonder what will become of him. Does Heero plan to keep this little gem by his side for the rest of both their lives? I wish I knew what he was. I wish I dared ask Heero. It was more than just morbid curiosity on her part. Of course, she'd never seen anything like him. She wanted to know. Time drifted by in a pleasant haze, and Relena couldn't believe how nice it was to just sit and do nothing. To have no one to impress, no one around whom to watch her step, no games, no pointless and mindless drabble of brain-dead ladies constantly swooning over her attractive, arrogant older brother. Then Duo startled her half to death by dropping out of the tree while she idly shaded her sketch. He landed on her shoulders with surprising agility - and lightness. So light, in fact, that she doubted he weighed more than fifty pounds. Which seemed way too light to her. "Whatcha drawin'?" he asked, peering over her shoulder. "You, actually," she replied, turning the pencil sketch so he could see it more clearly. His bright, pale violet eyes stared at it intently. Then his ears perked forward. "Wow. Am I really that cute?" Laughing, she pushed him off. "Oh, go catch some mice you little imp." Giggling, he scampered off. o8o o8o Heero rose from his desk the moment Relena and Duo came in. To his surprise, Relena was holding him, and his kitten looked completely wasted. He still clambered out of her arms when he saw his guardian, though, springing into his embrace with a sweet trill. Heero, though he'd spent most of the day being annoyed by a persistent Zechs, had missed him terribly and squeezed him tight. "Did you have fun today, my little kitten?" he murmured, kissing Duo's temple. Duo didn't reply, just nuzzled his face into Heero's neck with a purr. Where he promptly fell asleep. Amused, Heero shot Relena a look. She smiled. "He ran all over the place," she said. "We played hide-and-seek. I'm afraid I wasn't very good at either hiding or seeking, but I believe he had fun nonetheless. And he quite likes riding, so long as he is secure in someone's arms. I think horses make him nervous." Closing his eyes, Heero rested his cheek against Duo's forehead. "Well, he's still pretty small. Thank you for being good to him, Relena. I can tell he had fun." When she smiled like that, she really was lovely. "It was my pleasure. He makes very enjoyable company." "Yes," Heero agreed somewhat absently. "When he's not with me, I spend every moment missing him like crazy. I haven't accomplished anything in the last year because I dote on him instead of being king." He grinned crookedly. "I'm not afraid to tell you, I had dreaded coming here," Relena admitted with a candor that both surprised and pleased Heero. "He has made it both bearable and enjoyable. I will actually be sorry when Zechs decides it's time for us to stop imposing on you and go home." She laughed softly. Shifting Duo's weight a bit, Heero offered her his arm. "If you're ready to call it a night, I'd be happy to escort you back to your rooms." She tucked her slim hand under his elbow. "Thank you, Your Majesty." "Call me Heero. Would you care to spend the day with me and Duo tomorrow? He wants to see the city, and I of course have never been able to deny him anything." "I would love to. But how do you manage him? I could not get him to mind me, and he has the energy of at least ten human children." Heero snorted. "He listens to me fairly well. It helps that he seems to like being wherever I am. Well, I will bid you good night, Princess. I hope you sleep well." Relena opened her door and paused. "Thank you, but please call me Relena. I will see you in the morning . . . Heero." Smiling, giving her a hint of a bow, Heero turned and walked back to his own rooms. Duo didn't react at all until he tried to lay his kitten on the bed. Then Duo latched onto him like a leech with claws, opening his eyes with a little hiss of displeasure. Which, like everything else he did, was adorable. Heero chuckled. "Sorry. Didn't mean to wake you. But since you are now, ready for a bath before bed?" Duo gave him an extremely reproachful look. "You woke me up for a bath?" Unable to help it, Heero laughed. "You are too cute for you own good, little kitten of mine." Duo bit him.
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