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"Fealty of the Heart"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: NC 17 Warnings: AU/Monarchy Romantic/Adventure, Lemon,
Fluff, Sap, Mild Angst Pairings: 1x2, 3x4, 5xO.o Summary: While traveling abroad a regent of the realm of Yon discovers a tender heart that shakes his faithful loyalty to the crown. This fic was inspired by a pic I did. ^-^ Here
is the link to the pic if you would like to see :
"Fealty of the Heart " Ch 2 “Where is Duo?” I hadn’t seen him since I had passed out the day before. “He’s gone to Corcisa for supplies,” Sister Helen smiled, rinsing out the rag she had been using to bath me. Was he avoiding me? It seemed reasonable that he would, considering the liberties I had taken at his expense but I couldn’t shake the feeling of betrayal and loss that settled into my bones. “You’re looking much better today,” she smiled, setting a tray of bread and soup on the bed beside me. I did feel better after a long night’s sleep but my returning strength brought with it nothing more than depression over the fact that once I was well I would be leaving this place and Duo behind. For the first time since I had set foot in this land, I was reluctant to return home. Duo did not return and by the end of the week Trowa was reminding me on an hourly basis that we needed to be on our way. I could put off the departure no longer. Father Maxwell, a kindly old gentleman that had allowed his sense of charity to keep him from accepting financial aid from the monarchy, was reluctant to accept the bag of gold Trowa had taken from Cross’s men, but in the end could not refuse a regent’s right to reimbursement. He had cared for me, tended my companion, my horse and my wounds; there was nothing more I could offer him but the means to continue his work. My heart longed to see Duo one more time before we left, but he did not appear and I was left with nothing but the image of the little monastery as I gazed back from the crest of the first hill. This place would forever hold a special magic for me because it was where I had met the only being in creation that had ever touched my soul. We were met half a day’s ride from Rabarba Castle by Abdul and three of his men who informed us word had reached Prince Quatre of the cause of our delay. Hence the escort, who I had to threaten with bodily harm before they backed off and allowed me to ride my own mount home. Trowa was accepted on good faith at my word and remained a constant by my side. Whatever his origins, I had come to trust the mercenary in the short time we had known each other. The closer we came to Yon the more intensive his manner became until he rode silently beside me, our excitable escort some distance ahead as his eyes scanned the parapets for any sign of our Liege. When first I understood the look in his eyes it disturbed me; however, my thoughts were some miles behind us, resting in a soft bed of furs at Duo’s side. I understood his feelings only to well. Time would tell if his heart had led him to ruin, but I could see nothing adverse in either of their futures when Quatre sang out from the castle wall, his visage as bright as the noon day sun as he smiled and waved down to us. “Hiiro! Welcome home!” I had barely the time to grin and return the gesture before he disappeared, bursting a moment later from the stair beside the gate. Wing stamped his feet and stalled in the face of such a joyous greeting, tossing his head as he whinnied and lurched at the young blonde who latched onto his head and hugged him tight. “Six months abroad and the horse receives a more affectionate greeting than his master,” I chided, dismounting with the rest of my company. “The horse is a good deal more aggressive than you,” Quatre grinned, launching himself at me and I was blessed with the warmth of his embrace once again. “You’re safe,” he smiled against my ear. “Yes,” I returned, taking a moment to cherish him for the wonder that he is. “You’re home,” he breathed, squeezing me tight but the confirmation that had been on my lips was snuffed out by the sudden image of a small monastery on the outer boarder of the plains. I found this event more disturbing than I was prepared to deal with at that moment and let the happiness of my return overwhelm the depression that had taken hold of my heart. “And you,” he grinned at Trowa who had stood quietly by until he suddenly found his arms full of a grateful Prince. “We owe you so much,” Quatre told him, hugging him tight and I felt a swelling in my stomach that tried to rise up my throat as Trowa’s eyes slipped slowly shut, his arms gently coming to cradle my Prince in a way that spoke of the greatest reverence and left no doubt in my mind as to why the mercenary had spent a good part of his life plotting a way to Quatre’s side. “Come,” Quatre smiled, tugging him forward. “There’s going to be a feast! Rashid!” I noted Trowa’s slightly startled expression when the giant strolled out of a nearby doorway and smiled as he made his way toward us. “Welcome home, Captain!” he greeted, clapping his forearm to mine. “Thank you.” “This is Trowa,” Quatre smiled, still clinging to the mercenary’s arm. “I understand we owe you our Captain’s life,” Rashid grinned, looking him up and down. “Anything you desire, it’s yours,” Quatre offered and I almost laughed when Trowa smirked at me. “Hiiro!” Damn. I had hoped she would not be visiting the castle today, but my luck seemed to have crawled under the bed at the Maxwell church and forsaken me. It wasn’t that I disliked the Countess Darlian, but her insistent affection had never set well in my crawl. I found it even more disconcerting as thoughts of Duo’s disapproval washed along my mind when she latched onto my arm and kissed my cheek. “Welcome home,” she smiled excitedly. “We’ve all missed you so much. How was your journey?” “Are the maidens in Gobanme as sweet as their reputation?” Rashid grinned. “None so beautiful they could turn Hiiro’s heart,” Relena replied for me and I once again thought of Duo. No maiden indeed. “There will be time enough to hear about Hiiro’s travels after they have rested and washed,” Quatre interjected and I smiled. A bath sounded like a most welcome luxury. I was curious how Trowa would handle the fact that bathing in Yon is a communal activity. There are only two baths in the castle, one for the women and one for the men, located in the basement level where the natural hot spring the building was centered upon provided a most decadent means of cleansing. I chuckled low in my throat when he gaped at me as Quatre slipped out of his shirt and prepared to join us in the water. “Lord Chang was agreeable then?” my Prince was asking as I laughed internally at the fact that Trowa had discretely turned his back. “He was very receptive to the idea of a treaty,” I replied, dropping my own garments on the floor. “I wish all people were as intelligent as he,” Quatre sighed, sinking down into the steaming spring. “But tell me of your adventure. How did it come to pass that you had the good fortune of meeting Trowa?” “A band of mercenaries hired to assassinate the King’s messenger managed to surround me,” I informed him, groaning softly as the healing waters engulfed sore muscles and tired bones. “And you saved him?” Quatre smiled at our reluctant companion who still had his under shorts on when he joined us. “It seemed the decent thing to do,” Trowa shrugged. “Do you always bathe in your clothes?” my Prince inquired jovially and I got to see a mercenary blush. “There is no need for modesty here,” Quatre told him, standing to display what had become over the years, a most resplendent form. “You see?” But Trowa did not see for he had averted his eyes and I smiled, noting his desire to treat my Prince with respect. “There is a monastery in the outer plains we should see to,” I interjected, hiding the grin when Trowa flashed me a grateful look. “Is that where you spent your time healing?” Quatre asked, sitting back down. “Yes.” “What’s wrong?” he inquired and I was taken by the depth of his empathetic awareness again. Never had I know a soul that was so acutely in tune with the feelings of those around him. “The priest is a humble man,” I evaded, pushing the images of Duo to the back of my mind. “I fear he will reject any assistance.” “Then we will do what we can,” Quatre smiled, solving that problem in less than ten words. “Hiiro?” Damn. I couldn’t stop thinking of Duo and I knew he could feel it. “Lord Chang requests an audience.” Time to change the subject. “He’s coming here?” Quatre gaped. “He will arrive before the next full moon,” I informed him. “That’s less than three weeks away!” Quatre exclaimed. “Why didn’t you say so?! We have so much to do!” “He is a modest man,” I argued. “I doubt he would be impressed with an overly flamboyant greeting.” “Greeting?” Quatre chortled, splashing me with water. “Hang the greeting. We have a treaty to prepare.” “You seem in a hurry to have the agreement in place,” Trowa commented and Quatre smirked at him for some reason I did not comprehend. “The sooner we have an accord the sooner our people can prosper,” my Prince replied, flicking a single finger of water in the mercenary’s direction. Trowa never blinked as a droplet of water landed on the tip of his nose, his emerald eyes locked steadfast onto Quatre’s as his tongue emerged and licked it away. I grinned inwardly at the sudden comprehension of why none of the girls that had tried to court my Liege had been successful as a visible shudder ran through his body and his eyes lit on fire. Apparently, Trowa stood a better chance with his heart than I had been aware of. The following days became one trail after another as Quatre set to work both preparing for Lord Chang’s arrival and working out the details of the treaty. Excursions were made to the surrounding nobility, including the Darlian estate where I was forced to endure Relena’s simpering attention for two incredibly long days before moving on to her brother’s abode at the Peacecraft Manor. The two had never been close, having some tension between them due to the fact that they were half siblings, both the product of a wandering father who could not choose a single lover. However, though his father was directly related to the crown, it gave Milliardo, or Zechs as he had chosen to be named, no right to rule, which he quite often conveniently forgot. When all was said and done, both the Darlian and Peacecraft names were absent from the treaty, though this was nothing more than what had been expected. Formality demanded they be addressed before further steps could be taken and Prince Quatre seemed pleased with the results on the day of my departure. “I still don’t understand why Rashid can’t go to meet him,” my Prince objected one more time. “I am already familiar with Lord Chang,” I reasoned. I didn’t dare tell him the true reason for my determination in making the journey again. “But you’ve only just returned,” Quatre huffed and I was grateful for Trowa’s continued presence by his side. Without it I would have been hard pressed to win in an argument against my Liege. “It’s only a three day ride,” the mercenary soothed and I caught the twinkle in his eye as he half smiled at me. “Will you visit the monastery on your route?” Demon. “If time permits.” “Is that why you’re so insistent to go yourself?” Quatre grinned. “There is a debt to repay,” I reasoned as I tightened the saddle strap on Wing. “I should think the bag of go..ow!” “So sorry,” I glared, backing Wing off from where he had just stepped on Trowa’s toe. Quatre’s eyes narrowed dangerously as they flicked from one of us to the other for a moment before his smile lit up the courtyard. “Be swift, my friend,” he told me, hugging my neck tight. “The light shines only half as brightly when you are away.” “Only because it obeys your heart,” I returned and was blessed with the delightful glow of a rosy mantel on his fair cheeks. “Look after him well,” I charged Trowa, who made his acquiescence to the task painfully obvious by slipping a bold arm around his waist. Quatre neither recoiled nor complained, but in fact, leaned into the taller mercenary by his side and I smiled as I mounted and bid them farewell. I crested the hill above the Maxwell Church a day and a half later and though I was uncertain if it had been my need to see Duo again or Wing’s anxious steps that had brought us here so quickly, my heart raced to see the little house with its barn and corral nestled in the little cove of trees. Duo. “Good day to you, My Lord,” Sister Helen greeted me in the yard, handing a carrot to my greedy steed who promptly searched her pockets for more. “Good day,” I smiled, sliding to the ground. “What brings you back to us so soon?” she asked, giggling as she was pushed about by my overeager horse. “I am to meet Lord Chang at the shore,” I informed her. “Is Duo…” but I never finished the question as Wing suddenly raised his head, ears pricking toward the barn before a high pitched whinny ripped from his throat and he took off toward the building. My blood was already racing when Duo stepped into the light, his smile as warm and bright as the sun itself as he greeted my arrogant steed with open affection. By all the gods in heaven he was the most beautiful thing I had ever seen. “Master Yui,” Father Maxwell called from the door. “How good of you to visit us again. Come inside and rest.” “But…” “Duo will see to Wing,” he insisted as Sister Helen took my arm and ushered me inside. It felt indecent somehow, accepting their hospitality. I wondered what the good priest and nun would think if they understood the true nature of my need. Would they be so amiable if they were aware of how I had violated him? I longed to speak with him but was forced to endure the formalities of good form. It seemed like forever before their curiosity was satisfied and I found an opportunity to request an audience with Duo. “He’ll be in the barn tending Wing,” Sister Helen smiled. “I dare say if that horse were human we’d have a wedding on our hands,” Father laughed but his words startled me so that I could do nothing more than sit and gape at him. “Will you stay for lunch?” Sister asked but her voice sounded distant in my ears. I managed a distracted nod as I left them and made my way outside. And there he was in all his resplendent glory. He was playing with Wing like he had on my first visit, dancing and prancing around the corral, his laughter like a song on the wind and I felt my temperature rise just to look at him. Wing snorted then stopped to regard me, calling Duo’s attention to my presence as well and I felt my breath hitch in my throat as his gaze lighted on me. “Good day, My Lord,” he smiled, patting Wing on the cheek since he had draped his huge head over his shoulder to nuzzle him. “You’re looking well.” “I am… thank you.” Damn it! What was it I wanted to say?! I had forgotten, forgotten it all as I came face to face with him and my mind regressed back to only one thought. I need him. “Have you come to stay a while?” he asked. “No,” I replied, climbing through the fence to approach him. “I have to leave by nightfall to meet Lord Chang,” I explained, stopping suddenly when my pigheaded steed stepped in between us. “Move, you great oaf!” I growled, pushing his huge body forward but he refused to budge. “I believe he’s trying to tell us his playtime is not over,” Duo laughed, peeking around him. “I need to speak with you,” I confessed and felt his manner shift slightly as his eyes fell to the ground. Dear Lord what had I done to him? “This way,” he instructed and though Wing protested vigorously we managed to step inside the barn and shut him out and suddenly I was alone with him in the gentle glow of the midday sun, the world closed safely away and my throat suddenly went dry as the western salt flats. “Before you begin,” he said, dusting one toe on the ground where his eyes had chosen to gaze. “I know I owe you an apology.” Um… “What?” “I shouldn’t have taken advantage of you like I did.” What in the world was he saying? “I have no excuse for my behavior other than from the moment I first saw you I felt a need to be closer to you.” “But it was I who violated you,” I argued and he gaped at me for a moment before he laughed. “Perhaps it was more of a mutual attraction then,” he chuckled. “Still, molesting an injured man was unforgivable of me.” “I believe I could forgive you just about anything,” I laughed, albeit, nervously because my entire outlook on the situation had just radically changed. “Well, then,” he smiled as he pulled the drawstring at the collar of his shirt and my heart stopped in my chest. “Since we have until nightfall…” “Duo?” “My Lord,” he whispered, moving to unlace his breaches and suddenly my heart was beating so fast I could hardly breathe. “Hiiro,” I gasped, stepping up to take him in my arms. “My name is Hiiro.” He attempted to speak it for me but I was already kissing him and falling head long into the most sinfully exquisite feeling I had ever known. He was everything I could have hoped for, the embodiment of my deepest desires come to life. I stripped him of his trousers and laid my own attire aside retaining my cloak for modesty’s sake. I wanted to feel him next to me, to know the warmth of his skin, the fever of his touch as I laid him in a bed of hay and rocked him gently. Not the day nor the time nor the intrusive nosing of my disgruntled steed could draw my attention from him. The experience was one I had never consciously thought about before but Duo knew exactly what he wanted and how to achieve it. He was so willingly agreeable I thought my chest might explode as it swelled with joy with each epitome we achieved. That afternoon went by so slowly I swore I would be a year older before it was through, but when the time came that we were finally sated and lay in a content huddle among the reeds, it was as if it had taken less than the blink of an eye. I knew I would have to leave him soon, but this time I would leave him with an invitation. My mind played with images of him wandering about the castle, our chambers decorated to match his eyes as we dozed in the warmth of the late afternoon. However, when I woke in the dimming evening light he was gone.
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