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"Children of a Lesser Fate "Written By: t-shirt Disclaimer: Gundam Wing and its characters are
copyright to Sunrise, Bandai, Sotsu Agency, and associated parties.
I make no money with this fic. Rating: R Warnings: AU/Fantasy, angst, fluff, Mention of
lemon , humor and all the stuff you get with a rolling adventure ^-^ Pairings: 1x2, 3x4 Summary: The fate of a war ridden kingdom is sealed by the undeniable destiny of its most precious children. "Children of a Lesser Fate "
Ch 3 ** “Look there!” “Ahhh, there he is.” “They said he was fairer than any maiden at Orb’s Keep but I didn’t believe it until we came here.” “He’s a beauty that’s for sure.” “Do you think there might be some way to lure him out?” “Idiot!” “Ow!” “What would you lure him with? He refuses even the simple comfort of clothing.” “Heeey, hey! That’s exactly why we want to lure him out, eeeh!” CRASH!*CLANG*RATTER*AHHH! “Damn it!” “Who tied the stay lines?!” “It wasn’t me!” “Idiot!” Trowa’s expression never faltered as he moved away from the flailing men. Time was running out and he had little patience for the fool-hearted lechery of mans inability to control his carnal desires. “Trowa?” Quatre breathed softly finding his feet stilled by the sudden presence of his forbidden lover. “You shouldn’t come where the men can see you,” the mercenary advised crossly. “I… I’m sorry,” the blond replied. “I just … wanted to see you.” “Then cover yourself,” Trowa snapped flinging a cape at him but the moment it touched his skin he sank shivering to the ground. “I… can’t,” Quatre sobbed shaking in his need to remove the garment as Trowa’s gaze softened. “Take it away,” the blond boy begged. “It’s covered in blood… their blood… please… take it away…” Trowa stood silently watching his lover weep before going to kneel by his side. “Look,” he told him laying a hand on the cape that draped Quatre’s shoulder. “There is no blood,” he said drawing the blonde’s gaze up to see. “This cape is mine, I washed it myself. You see? It’s clean.” “So many died,” Quatre whispered burying his face in Trowa’s chest. “That is the way of war,” the mercenary soothed calmly. “Why?” the blond boy sobbed. “Why does everyone have to die?” “What right have you to choose the fate of others?” Trowa asked softly and Quatre’s tears slowly ebbed. “Those men chose their own path. Their blood was pure in the fact that they died for something they believed in.” Quatre watched him openly, his heart yearning for answers to questions he barely understood. “I envied them,” Trowa told him. “Their hearts were pure where my only purpose lay at the bottom of a bag of gold.” Quatre’s eyes softened in his need to comfort but Trowa held him firmly. “But I have found something I believe in,” he told him. “I believe in you. You are my purpose,” he said gently cupping his face as he asked. “What will yours be?” Quatre’s eyes fell to his lap where the tiny golden links of seven chains lay glinting in the torchlight. His fingers shook as he reached to thread them through his hand. “Follow your heart, Quatre,” Trowa urged turning his lovers blue/green eyes back toward him. “I love you,” Quatre whispered and Trowa accepted him into his arms kissing him warmly as he pulled the cape tighter around his shoulders. “An interesting lecture.” Trowa was at once on his feet towering over the blond, sword in hand and death in his eyes as he faced the governing priestess and soldiers that flanked her. “NO!” Quatre barked jumping between them. “Trowa! Please!” he begged refusing to be pushed aside by his enraged lover. “You cannot win! Please! I couldn’t bare it if you died!” “Listen to him,” the Lady advised. “Surrender now and you will live at least long enough for his Excellency to pass judgment.” “Please, Trowa,” Quatre breathed pushing insistently on the mercenary’s sword arm as he looked him in the eye and whispered, “Trust me.” Trowa took one moment to look into his eyes before his weapon fell to the floor. ** “Where is his Highness Lord Hiiro?” a corporal called trotting up in haste. “What news?” the Capitan asked. “Criers Peek lays five leagues ahead!” the young man reported. “His Highness requested a visual survey of the pass.” “Best give me the information,” the Capitan advised. “Has Lord Hiiro left us?” “No,” the man replied sullenly. “He’s captured Duo again. He’ll be… interrogating him for some time.” A wide smile broke over the corporals face as he spurred his mount into step beside the Capitan’s to hand him the report commenting, “Gods save the King,” before galloping off. The Capitan snorted opening the scroll as he grumbled a quiet reply, “He better, he’s going to need all the help he can get.” ~ “W…wait.” “Why?” “I… Saints in Heaven… do you draw your power from the stone or the stone from you?” Duo laughed drunkenly. “I need nothing more than you to give me strength,” the young King smiled bending to nibble his neck. “Are you all right?” “Mmm,” Duo hummed happily nodding his head as he added an amused, “But we’ve exhausted your cook’s supply of oil.” “And still a day away from our goal,” Hiiro laughed but his humor dimmed as Duo frowned at a sudden pulse from one of the cadence stones in the royal carriage. “What is it?” Duo asked cautiously. “Dress quickly,” Hiiro warned already in motion. “An attack?” Duo inquired following suit. “He’s coming.” The carriages and carts were already scattered in irregular intervals before the dragons ever broke over the field, men standing ready for battle held their breath and their fire as the great beasts roared by on a resounding rush of wind. Hiiro stood in the center of the field mounted on a huge white steed, Duo to his right on a black war horse that stamped its hooves angrily at the sudden appearance of three enormous dragons landing before them. Duo shielded his eyes reflexively as their wings kicked up huge amounts of debris and sand but quickly realized neither stick nor stem came within an arms reach of either he or his unlikely lover. “Welcome, Dragon Lord!” Hiiro called out over the settling din. “What business have you within our boarders?” Wufei demanded as the bay to his left hissed and the silver to his right growled a warning to nervous soldiers nearby. “We seek an audience with you,” Hiiro replied. “The petty squabbles between men are none of my concern,” Wufei told him reigning in Nataku as she milled anxiously about the field. “Regardless,” Hiiro stated clearly. “We will be heard.” “Do not bring your arrogance here!” Wufei spat and men scurried to aim their weapons as the bay shot a massive column of fire into the air. “HOLD!” Hiiro shouted doing his best to calm his own mount as Duo followed suit. “You will find no allies here!” Wufei growled spurring Nataku forward, her huge black head swinging like a wrecking ball as she bared her teeth and snarled. Hiiro stood in the stirrups suddenly drawing his sword, the ruin stone embedded in the hilt shining more brightly than the sun as the beast squinted her yellow eyes and fell back. “Treize is training breeders!” Duo shouted bringing the confrontation to an abrupt halt. ~ “You are certain of this information?” Wufei asked as the fire crackled in the darkness. “Positive,” Duo nodded spitting a seed from his fruit into the flames. “A successful nest hasn’t been accomplished yet but it’s only a matter of time.” “Do you know the whereabouts of the rookery?” “No. There are rumors that it lies to the south but I have seen the eggs,” the thief replied. “If you think sharing this information will win you our allegiance…” “It is your friendship I seek,” Hiiro cut in. “It would be more reasonable to ask his hand in marriage,” Wufei snorted though his manor shifted quite quickly when Duo smiled and draped a leg over Hiiro’s. “You intend to attack the Dragon Riders before they reach Orb’s Keep,” Hiiro went on. “All we ask is that you wait until it benefits us all.” “I have no interest in your war,” Wufei reiterated. “But we have a common enemy,” Duo pointed out sitting forward as his eyes sharpened. “Hiiro will deliver us,” he proclaimed, the conviction in his tone sparking a glimmer of curiosity in Wufei’s brooding gaze. “You can either benefit from it, or fall with the rest of them.” ** “Relena.” The girl’s gaze did not falter from the passing landscape. “I understand why you’re angry,” Zechs went on. “However, you must understand the importance of reclaiming the monarchy.” “Hiiro is a just King,” she stated simply. “He is a commoner, Relena,” her brother countered gently. “The people follow him blindly because of his brotherhood with the stone but that gift does not make him King.” “It was the elders that gave him the crown,” she reminded him. “And it cost them their lives,” he argued. “The people will never follow a false King. Once you are wed to Quatre…” “He doesn’t want this marriage anymore than I,” she scoffed. “We are of noble blood,” Zechs snipped reigning in his silver as it danced in response to his irritation beside her carriage. “Our personal desires are of no consequence, you would do well to remember who you are,” he told her spurring his mounts need to fly. She watched as the huge silver dragon spread its wings and took to the air, two of the mounted riders nearby taking off to follow as the dethroned prince of Sanc was no longer allowed his brooding solitude this close to Orb’s Keep. Her gaze shifted to the horizon where a storm darkened the distant sky. “Is this all that can be done?” she whispered aloud as tears began to shine in her eyes. “Oh, Hiiro,” she cried letting her face fall into her hands as she wept. ~ “He has gone to the east.” “Hiiro has never kept his opposition to the war to himself,” Treize replied coolly. The regiment had set camp for the night, fires burned brightly as men feasted on the bounty brought down by their dragon mounts that roasted in the flames. “Should he gain Chang’s allegiance…” “That would, indeed, complicate the matter.” Zechs ice blue eyes narrowed in frustration. “Do you think it wise to visit the Keep under such circumstances?” he questioned. “Intelligence reports the attempt to free Prince Quatre could come at any time.” “Considering the situation there seems to be little choice,” Treize sighed washing his fingers in a small bowel of water on their table. “A most unfortunate turn of events,” the blond man agreed. “Your intentions upon enlisting the mercenary were difficult to understand.” “If only every one were fortunate enough to find something they would give their life to protect,” the commander stated calmly. Zechs grew silent for a time as he quietly regarded his superior, a distant pain shadowed deep in his eyes. “What sacrifice would this world endure should we all consider nothing but our own selfish needs?” he asked evenly. “It is due to his desecration of Quatre’s purity that the Prince is no longer welcome within the halls of Orb’s Keep.” Treize held his tongue as he took a small fruit from the plate and held it in the flickering firelight. The deep purple skin burst open between his teeth as he sucked on the sweet nectar of the pale flesh within and distantly replied, “What sacrifice indeed?” ** The camp lay quite in the soft light of the setting sun, a golden sky reflected in a sea of sandy dunes as a lone boy walked naked among the pillars of Orb’s Keep. He had been banished to the outer halls when his transgression had been discovered, his lover locked in chains to await his fate but Quatre could no longer stand idly by and accept the will of others so passively. Not when it was Trowa’s life at stake. Quietly he stole through the halls keeping to the shadows and out of sight of the men in the courtyard below. Patrols of men crept along the dunes in the distance ever watchful for any sign of the coming battle but not one eye saw the slender, blond boy slip into a darkened passage leading into the dungeons of the temple. Trowa’s eyes opened slowly at the odd sound of hushed voices, his head rising from his chest where he was chained to a wall when the sound of keys rattled in the hall. “Quatre?” “Trowa!” the blond boy gasped rushing to wrap his arms tightly around his lover’s broad chest. Trowa took a moment to school the joyous relief that flooded his eyes before setting his jaw. “What are you doing here?” “You have to escape,” Quatre breathed frantically working at the shackles. “I heard the men talking. They called you a traitor to the realm.” “What I have taken can never be regained,” the mercenary smirked adding as Quatre’s brow creased, “Where is the cape I gave you?” “It draws attention.” “And your bare ass doesn’t?” “People are used to seeing me naked…” Quatre began but the moment Trowa’s arms were free he snatched the smaller boy into his arms. “Then pray they adjust,” the mercenary told him pulling his own cape around Quatre’s shoulders. “This is a view I wish to keep to myself.” Quatre gasped softly as he was kissed, his body melting warmly in Trowa’s embrace until the taller boy finally relented and declared, “I will not leave you.” “You must!” the blond protested dragging him along, out the door and down the stairs. “If you stay here you’re sure to be put to death! You have to leave before Khushranada arrives and…” His words stilled, his breath leaving him once again as Trowa snapped him backward catching him in his arms and pinning him to the wall in a darkened corner. “I will not leave you,” he told him again sealing the vow with a gentle kiss. “I couldn’t bear it if I lost you now,” Quatre confessed. “And I could not live knowing I had abandoned you,” Trowa explained. “If you truly love me, then you must honor my choice.” “I do,” Quatre breathed whimpering softly as he was kissed again. Both boys looked quickly to the window when a sudden explosion lit up the golden sky, Quatre’s eyes growing first wide then acutely focused as he breathed the name of a man he hadn’t spoken to in over three years. “Rashid.” ** “Your Excellency! The temple has come under attack!” “Guard the Prince at all costs!” Zechs roared as he leaped to his silvers back. “Hiiro!” Relena’s cry pierced the chaos as riders and their mounts took to the skies. Zechs whirled around, his dragon spitting glowering coals as ice blue eyes hardened and locked onto their target. “He must not reach the inner sanctum!” Treize shouted above the rising din. “Hiiro!” Relena cried again looking up into a sky already dark with the shadowy silhouettes of Wufei’s dragon horde. She raced out into the fray but her feet stilled as her eyes opened wide upon seeing the hideous truth of battle. Zechs silver dodged the first of the defenders, a yellow barely into adulthood but determined enough to leave a smoking trail down the silvers tail before a large brown swooped in forcing the silver to evade yet again. Hiiro rode a massive white, the beast’s fiery green eyes burning brightly as he met the first of his opponent’s head on and sent him and his rider hurtling toward the earth. “Hiiro,” she breathed feeling her knees buckle beneath her as yet another of their number fell to the might if the young Kinds sword. Zechs dodged bringing down a great red that barred his path as his sister watched helplessly from the ground, her heart torn in two as she watched her brother dive, Hiiro’s white narrowly evading the attack before rounding and unleashing its deadly flame as her tears slowly ebbed and something became righteously clear in her eyes. A moment later the girl was in motion snapping up the first riderless horse she came across, her resolution burning in her heart as she pointed her nose toward Orb’s Keep. ** Another explosion in the courtyard rocked the temple walls as Trowa followed his scantily clad lover quickly through the halls. Men shouted out orders answering the call of battle and Trowa dove knocking Quatre to the floor before the debris of a falling wall could harm him. “We have to stop them!” the blond shouted desperately. “The temple is a holy place!” “It would appear your bodyguards care little for the opinion of the Gods,” Trowa muttered dusting the rubble from his clothes. “Stop them!” Lady Une shouted from down the hall, her hand coming up to strike the warrior maiden by her side that lifted her bow as the boy’s darted away. “You could hit the Prince!” she snapped. “He must be taken alive. Kill the mercenary but bring me the Prince at all costs!” Quatre stumbled as Trowa dragged him quickly through the temple; the blond boy slamming into his back as he suddenly stopped narrowly avoiding a bolt from their pursuer’s crossbow. The girl had circled around and managed to get in front of them. “This way!” Quatre hissed drawing the taller boy back down the hall. Another bolt buried itself in the wall near Trowa’s shoulder as they rounded a corner, his emerald eyes flashing back to catch a glimpse of the warriors calf length blonde hair. Quatre stumbled again when his companion stopped suddenly flattening his back against the wall. “She’s too close,” Trowa informed his anxious lover. “Go! I’ll take care of her and catch up to you.” “NO!” Quatre barked pulling on his arm. “I’ll be fine!” “I don’t want her to die!” the blond boy growled forcing his partner to move with little more than the conviction in his tone. Another bolt grazed the mercenary’s thigh forcing the pair to retreat down another path once again. “Who is that girl?” Trowa inquired racing down a stair behind his lover. “Dorothy,” Quatre panted. “She is the watcher of the Keep,” he explained pulling so hard on Trowa’s arm to avoid having his shoulder pierced they tumbled down a short stair landing in a tangle on the stone floor of the kitchen. “She’s very good at her job,” Trowa quipped already dragging his lover to his feet. “Stop!” Dorothy shouted leveling her bow. “NO!” Quatre barked throwing himself between the girl and her prey. “Get out of the way!” “NO!” “You brought him here!” she accused holding her aim as she advanced in spite of Quatre’s interference. “Contaminating the sanctity of the temple!” Trowa’s fist tightened on his sword as she came nearer. “Desecrating the purity of these hallowed halls.” “It was never my intention…” “Damn your intentions!” she growled, her gray/blue eyes shining like polished steel. “You brought him here infecting this place with your disgusting lust! Lying with him man to man within these sacred walls!” “Hold your tongue girl,” Trowa spoke slowly and evenly purposefully pushing Quatre aside in spite of the blond boy’s resistance to step proudly before her. “What we share is neither disgusting nor any of your concern.” “I will bring your heart into the inner sanctum and let the Gods be the judge of that,” she spat tossing the bow aside to draw her sword. ** “NOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO!” “Quatre!” Rashid gasped turning toward the sound of the young Prince’s cry. “Abdul!” he barked not waiting for the answering confirmation before beginning to fight his way toward the place where his master had been heard. Men fell as quickly as they stepped before the giant though the women who defended the Keep held their distance attempting to bring him down with firearms that seemed to steadily miss their mark. He paused, all that stood nearby turning their attention to the sky where a thick column of fire pierced the darkness setting the east wall of the Keep aflame as a huge, green dragon scratched and clawed at the gold that held it in his clutches. The greens rider tumbled across the yard to slam into a wall and lay still. Rashid’s black eyes turned hastily upward as the darkening sky was suddenly set on fire. “Capitan!” “Get the men underground!” the giant ordered making a hasty retreat as the gold delivered a deadly blow and launched itself back into the air. “Trowa!” Rashid’s black eyes set hard as the Princes desperate cry was drowned by a crashing inside the Keep, his resolution to reach his master clear in his stride as he closed the distance but once again his attention turned toward the heavens when a great silver and massive white crashed into the southern parapets, each belching flame as they snapped at one another. The big mans eyes widened when he saw the gleam of the stone hilted sword in Hiiro’s hand and the glint of silver on Zechs helmet. “Capitan! We have an ally!” Armon shouted with glee but his face went ashen gray when the lethal form of Nataku set down in their midst. “The Dragon Lord!” someone shouted as friend and foe scattered under Wufei’s watchful eye. Rashid spared the scene one final glance before resuming his course as a single bay mare bore her rider onto the battleground. “Stop it!” Relena cried vehemently forcing her terrified horse between the warring dragons. “Relena!” Zechs shouted reigning in his mount but the white moved first leaving an opening his battle hungry opponent refused to ignore. The blow was glancing as the white twisted to evade but Hiiro fell to the ground crashing heavily into the Earth. “Stop!” the girl screamed again, her eyes growing wide as Zechs spurred his silver closer, the beasts huge, white fangs dripping with hissing acid as he turned his head her way. “Now do you understand?” he shouted as Hiiro’s form began to slowly move. “This is the only road to victory!” he roared giving the subtle command as Hiiro rose unsteadily to his knees and prepared for a blow that never fell. Zechs held tightly to keep from being thrown when the silver reared back at the last moment recoiling from the sudden presence of Chang Wufei. Zechs urged his mount to fight but he refused as if simply touching the raven haired boy would burn his flesh until finally the silver turned and used his massive head to knock him free and burst into the night sky alone. Wufei stood long enough for Zechs to return to his feet and face the now recovered Hiiro before he smiled and calmly intoned, “Now we shall see who is the victor of equal ground.” And with that the forsaken Prince charged the common born King. “Miss Relena!” The girl screamed as an out of control dragon flew straight at her knocking her from her perch, her confusion growing when strong hands took hold of her dragging her inside the relative safety of the Keep. “Who?” “Have you lost your mind?” Noin scolded. “You could’ve been killed!” “It doesn’t matter!” the girl cried shaking her head in spite of the young soldiers reprimand. “There is no reason to fight! Hiiro should be King!” “And what of your brother!?” Noin snapped angrily. “Hasn’t he the right to lead his own people?!” “I…” “Nothing is that simple!” “But I…” “Love him?!” Noin laughed in frustration. “Is that a qualification to be King?! Grow up! The time for such fantasies is over! Look there!” she told her pointing to a particularly insane battle high above the ground. “That is who he chose to give his heart too!” she told her while Relena’s blue eyes watched Duo leap from his mounts back, toss his opponent from his dragons back and slam the beast in the back of the head knocking it senseless before jumping back into the air where his own mount caught him in midair. “You say you love him?” Noin spat. “You want to take everything that is important to him away! His country, his freedom and his lover! The only thing you love is yourself!” “NO!” Relena screamed. “I love my country! These people mean everything to me! I don’t want them die!” Noin’s head snapped up as Hiiro’s sword blazed brightly and clanged loudly upon Zechs blade, her own sword hissing from its sheath as she prepared to join the battle and demanded, “Prove it!”
~ * ~ tbc... |
