Royal Affairs Part 5
Trowa sat watching Heero read over some papers. Trowa was not happy to have learned that the prince had disobey his royal order and entered the gardens. Upon returning to his chamber, Trowa found Duo sitting in a corner telling him he was sorry. Duo had felt it was his fault that Heero had talked to him. Having Duo upset had upset Trowa.
"Is there something wrong, Your Majesty?" Heero asked without looking up. He knew Trowa had been staring at him the whole morning.
"I was trying to figure out why you disobey one of my royal orders." Trowa answered.
Heero looked up and arched an eyebrow. "Your Majesty?"
"You went into the gardens yesterday after I had ordered it closed off."
"I'm sorry; I did not know until afterwards."
Trowa snorted. "Some one should have told you. Relena has been showing you around."
"I am sorry Your Majesty, but I did not see Miss Relena until late afternoon." Heero silently cursed at himself for his stupidity. It was obvious the King's pet would tell him what had happen. "I am sorry if this accident has damaged any of our treaties."
Trowa was quiet for few minutes. He studied the prince. Heero was not that much younger than he was. Maybe only a year younger. "Why were you in the gardens?" Duo had said the prince hadn't look that surprised to see him. Nor had the prince been mean to him. According to Duo, the prince had stayed back as to not scare Duo. Duo said the prince had even bowed to him. Something Trowa found interesting.
"Just taking a walk. Again, I'm sorry for upsetting the young man."
Trowa raised an eyebrow. "Young man?"
Heero held back a glare. He had heard the way some of the servant had said about Duo. He hadn't like them. "He is a person, a young man." Heero tried not to sound angry.
"No one but Quatre and myself think of him as a person. I'm surprised you think as we do."
"I don't understand."
"I found Duo when I was seven. My parent let me keep him as a friend. But many people thought they were letting me keep him as a pet. Lady Une is the one who pushes that idea. However I try to make it so he's not treated like that. I think I'm losing that battle."
"Whatever you're doing, your pet is loyal to you."
"He is not my pet. He is my friend." A knock on the stopped whatever Trowa was going to say. "Enter."
Catherine entered the room and curtsied. "Brother, lunch will be served in a few minutes. Would you like for your other guest to join us?"
"If he feels up to it. Oh and remind the kitchen staff that failure to send lunch to Duo will meet with their dismissal."
Catherine gave him a strange look and left. After the door closed she shook her head and headed off to Quatre's room. She hadn't missed the angered look the prince had at the mention of Duo possibly not being fed.
~*~
Trowa and Heero entered the dinning hall. Heero's group was already seated, as was Quatre. Trowa sat down at the head of the table with Quatre to his right and Heero to his left. Relena had placed herself on Heero's other side with Sally next to her. Wufei and Meiran sat next to Catherine who was seated on the other side of Quatre.
"So Your Highness, has His Majesty told you about the ball yet?" Relena asked leaning closer to Heero.
"No." Was all Heero would say.
"It slipped my mind." Trowa told her. "The ball will be held tomorrow night. If you need anything let us know."
"I'm surprised the ball wasn't held the first night we were here." Sally commented.
"His Majesty isn't fond of balls." Catherine offered.
"Neither is Wufei." Meiran said.
"Onna..." Wufei started but Heero clearing his throat ended whatever he was going to say.
"I don't believe we've met properly." Sally said to Quatre.
Quatre looked up at her. He had been hoping no one would pay attention to him. "He's another guest of mine." Trowa said. Quatre looked over to him. "This is Quatre. We found him a few days before we knew you were coming. He was hurt, he's just now getting about."
"Nice to meet you Quatre. My name is Sally; I'm the prince's cousin."
"Nice to meet you." Quatre said.
"You help a lot of people don't you, Your Majesty?" Heero asked.
Trowa looked at him. "Not many."
"So will you be going to the ball also, Quatre?" Sally asked.
"Uh..." Quatre looked over at Trowa unsure of what to say. After all he hadn't been invited yet.
"Only if he feels up to it." Trowa said.
"I think you should go Quatre." Catherine said. "It'll be good to get up and about. And if you feel tired you can keep Trowa company." She leaned over and whispered to him. "All he ever does is sitting on his throne and watch."
Quatre tried to keep from laughing. Trowa looked at them both. Catherine merely winked at him and went back to her food. Trowa looked back to Quatre, who only shrugged and continued eating.
~*~
Quatre came back from lunch tired. He went to his room and found Duo lying on the bed finishing up his own lunch. He didn't look all that happy. His ears were lying back and his tail even had an angry flick to it.
Quatre went and sat down on the bed. "Something wrong?"
Duo glanced at him. "That Prince." he hissed.
"Prince Heero?"
"Yes."
"What happened?" Quatre lied down next to him.
"Trowa didn't tell you?" Quatre shook his head no. "Yesterday while I was in the gardens he came out there. He talked to me. And he... he bowed to me!"
"I don't understand. What's wrong with that?"
Duo's eyes widen as he looked at Quatre. He couldn't believe Quatre didn't see the problem. "Quatre, he's a PRINCE! Princes don't bow to animals like me."
Quatre's eyebrows knitted together. "Duo, you are NOT an animal!"
"Quatre take a look at me. I have ears on TOP of my head and they look like cat ears. I also have a tail. I think that makes me an animal."
"You have two legs and two arms and the rest of you is human. Animals can't talk."
"I'm not human!"
Quatre blinked. "Duo? Duo, why don't you want to be human?"
"Don't you get it? If I'm human then all the mistreatment I've received is worse. It's not because I'm an animal, it's because I'm terrible."
"You're not terrible. And the abuse is because they're terrible." Duo looked away. "What else is wrong?"
"Who said anything else is wrong?"
"A hunch."
"He was nice. Only Trowa and you have been nice to me. But he... he didn't look at me like you guys do."
"What do you mean?"
"It made me shiver. I wanted him to look at me like that all day."
Quatre hid his grin. "He is rather handsome."
"Yeah, those eyes of his are awe-inspiring. And that hair! Gods I wonder if he combs it or does he just wake up like that."
"You like him."
Duo blinked and then looked over at Quatre. "What? What are you talking about?"
"That's what's upsetting you. You like the prince."
"Quatre, I don't even know him. He talked to me once."
"Ah, love at first sight."
"I do NOT love him!"
Quatre grinned at him. "What else is bothering you?"
"He..." Duo stopped. "And what about the King?"
"Huh?"
"Oh come on he's fawning all over you and all you can say is 'huh'."
"What are you talking about?" Quatre sat up.
"He thinks you're beautiful." Duo smiled.
Quatre blinked. 'Beautiful?' Quatre thought. No one had ever said he was beautiful. No one ever said he was handsome either. He was just an average kid with a fairly well off family. Well okay his family was better than well off. But Quatre himself had never thought anything of it. After all the money wasn't coming with him when he left home.
"Quatre?" Duo waved his hand in front of Quatre's face. "You okay?"
"I'm not beautiful." He stated.
"Sure you are. You have pretty hair and eyes. No one in the kingdom can compare to you."
Quatre shook his head. "No you're wrong."
"Why do you say that?"
"Why should I believe it?"
Duo sighed. "I think I'm gonna go run in the garden. You want to come?"
"No thank you. I'm still kind of tired."
Duo nodded and left the room. He knew there was no sense in fighting with him. But he hadn't lied. Trowa did think Quatre was beautiful. And Trowa wasfawning all over Quatre. He made it a point to visit with the blond as much as possible. Duo hardly saw Trowa anymore. Not that Duo was angry; he was just lonely without Trowa. But this was good for Trowa. He needed someone whom everyone would approve of.
Duo walked by some guards and then rounded a corner to see Une. Oh how he disliked her. He hunched down and walked close to the wall. With Une was one of the people that came with the Prince. His coal black eyes stared into Duo, who walked closer to the wall. Duo averted his eyes and continued down the hall.
"Mr. Chang are you listening?" Une asked.
"Yes." Wufei turned back to the woman; she was glaring at Duo's back.
"I'm sorry if he disturbed you. I'll see that he is reprimanded latter."
Wufei scowled. "He did not do anything wrong."
"He shouldn't have been out here. He knows his place." Une turned to go down the hall. "Are you coming?"
Wufei started after her, taking a glance behind him to see if he could catch sight of Duo. Duo was gone. 'His place? What's wrong with these people?' Wufei thought as he walked behind Une. 'And why does she hate him so much?'
~*~
Duo hurried to the gardens. He avoided the guards and other servants. Not that it mattered, Une had already seen him. He'd be punished latter that night. Some things Trowa didn't need to know about. Une punishing Duo was one of them. Duo truly cared about Trowa and telling him the dirty little secrets of the palace would surly hurt Trowa.
Duo entered the gardens and ran through the maze part. He was heading for the center where the fountain was. It was his favorite place in the gardens. Well, there and the apple trees. He turned the last corner and froze.
There sitting by the fountain was Prince Heero. Everything Duo and Quatre had talked about earlier came to Duo. The fact that he admitted the Prince was handsome. And then Duo groaned to himself. He was an animal; there was no way the prince would want him for anything other than a 'pet'. Duo decided it would be better to leave than stay. He turned and started to leave.
Heero heard someone come up to the clearing. He had decided to go to the fountain in an attempt to escape Relena and in hopes of seeing Duo. Relena had insisted that he join her for tea. He declined. She thought they should talk in one of the drawing rooms. He declined. She thought they should visit the library. He declined and told her he was going for a walk. She thought she should join him. He declined and told her he wanted to be alone. He managed to walk away and get to the gardens without her following.
When he looked up to see who had joined him he was happily surprised. Duo stood at the entrance of the clearing. Then he saw the troubled look on Duo's face. And just as Duo started to turn and walk away, he spoke.
"So we meet again." Heero said.
Duo froze all he could think of was. 'Why me?' He turned and looked at Heero but didn't say anything. After all animals weren't supposed to talk.
"Something wrong?" Heero asked, but he got no answer. Heero frowned. "I won't tell anyone that you were here."
Duo's brows drew together. But he still said nothing.
"Come on over." Heero scooted over to give Duo some room.
Duo took a cautious step forward. He noticed the prince move over for him. He didn't know why but he wanted to talk with the prince or at the very least be in his presence. He slowly made his way over to Heero and sat down. His head bowed and eyes looking anywhere but Heero.
Heero frowned some more. "You can look at me." Duo did nothing. "Please look at me."
"Why?" Duo whispered. He couldn't understand why the prince wanted to talk to him or even be around him. After all, he was ugly. Right?
Heero blinked, he almost missed what Duo had said. "Why not. There is something bothering you. Perhaps someone who is not involved would be helpful to talk to."
Duo almost snorted. The prince was involved in what was bothering him. Duo decided to take a different route. Maybe he'd be able to find out what the prince wanted from him. "Why aren't you afraid of me?" Most people who first met him were afraid. He didn't know why but they just feared him.
"Why should I be?"
Duo groaned to himself. "Everyone is."
"Why?"
"I don't know, they just are. Except you."
"You don't seem frightening. You don't look dangerous. So why should I be afraid?" Heero scooted a little closer to Duo.
"I don't look dangerous? But everyone is always afraid of me." Duo shook his head.
"You look innocent. You have to grace of a jungle cat."
Duo looked up and over at Heero. For the first time he realized how close he was to Heero. They were maybe five inches away from each other. "Uh....um wha...what's a 'jungle cat'?"
Heero looked into Duo's deep violet eyes. "Large cats... very beautiful."
Duo blinked; he had no idea what was happening. He did know that he wanted the prince to do something else. "I'm not beautiful."
"PRINCE HEERO!" Relena's shriek broke the silence. She came into the clearing. She saw the prince and the king's pet sitting very close. The first thing she thought of was the king's pet was going to bite the prince. "DUO! NO! Bad Duo; get away from His Highness!" Relena stomped her foot with each word.
Duo jumped away from Heero and sighed to himself. He was just an animal. He backed away from Heero and Relena and darted out of the clearing. Heero stood and watched after him. He was really beginning to hate Relena.
Relena ran up to Heero. "Oh Your Highness, are you all right? He didn't hurt you did he? I don't know what's gotten into him lately. I'm so sorry."
"I thought I said I wanted to be alone?" Heero asked her, he was trying to keep his emotions in check.
"Oh well I thought you had been alone long enough so I came looking for you. It's a good thing I did. His Majesty's pet might have hurt you."
Heero looked at her. "He wasn't going to hurt me. We were just talking until you SCARED him off." Heero walked away from her to follow Duo. 'What is wrong with these people? Have they no respect for beauty?'
TBC...
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