Title: Of the Sea, Chapter 1/?
Author: NoirAnge
Overall Series Rating: R
Pairings: eventual 1x2/2x1, others
Category: Multi POV / 3rd Person, AU, Fantasy
Spoilers: None
Warnings: yaoi, yuri, lemon/lime/citrus, slow burn, fantasy politics
Summary: Heero Yuy will soon be reaching the age of majority, at which time he will ascend the throne of Wingaria. Before such time, he must needs choose a bride. But what if there are no good choices? What if someone else has captured his heart?
Feedback: MUCH appreciated. Comments, constructive criticism, confusion, questions, all welcome!
Chapter 1
Heero stood at the stern of the ship, watching the castle recede into the distance, silhouetted by the rays of the setting sun. Reds and pinks reflected off the few cotton candy clouds scudding the sky on the horizon, while above the sky was clear.
"It's not going anywhere."
Heero looked to his right, where stood his best friend and confidant. From this side, the figure's face was obscured by a fall of auburn hair.
He sighed.
"I know. But it's a two week journey, and who knows how long the visit is going to last."
"Hmm," the other replied.
There was a long pause.
"You have to choose eventually."
"I know," Heero snapped. Then took a deep breath. "I'm sorry, Nanashi. I shouldn't take it out on you."
The other man chuckled.
"It'll take more than that to ruffle my feathers and you know it."
Heero smiled. "I suppose so. Alright, enough of this. Let's go see which sailor has fallen in love with your sister."
Dorothy looked up from her worktable, suddenly aware of a presence at the entrance to her lair.
"Otto, Acht, go!" she commanded softly.
Carefully releasing her suction cups from the three ingredients she had been working with, Dorothy turned and ghosted in the wake of her moray eel familiars.
In her mind's eye, she saw what they saw. As soon as they rounded the last corner to the entrance, she relaxed.
Arranging her tentacles just so, she proceeded in regal, completely unconcerned fashion to greet her visitor.
"Old Man G," she said lightly, arching a delicately forked eyebrow. "To what do I owe the pleasure?"
The merman in question was extraordinarily ugly. He had an impossibly long beak of a nose, and his hair fell around him in what looked like a mushroom (one of those surface anemone-like things) which never moved, defying any and all ocean currents.
"Haven't you heard?" he responded, with his own eyebrow tweak, barely discernible behind the fall of hair.
Dorothy waited, irritation suppressed and invisible to all but the most astute... of which he was certainly one, but no matter. She hadn't heard, and she wanted to.
"Heard what?" she replied coolly.
"Prince Yuy is on the move," he said provocatively.
Dorothy considered this juicy morsel. Now this was worth being caught unawares.
"To the Ryuusei or the Sanq Kingdom?"
"Ryuusei," he replied.
"So it's to be Mariemaia first, is it? I am in your debt. What can I do to show you my thanks?"
Catherine woke suddenly, the loud crack of thunder deafening her. The boat lurched and her hammock swung dangerously. Ears ringing, she centered herself as it pitched back and forth in counter-time to the rocking ship, then pushed herself out and landed in a roll on the curved deck of the hold. Hurrying, she ascended the ladders to the upper deck.
She was met with chaos.
The mainmast was on fire, an obvious victim of the lightning strike. She had to grab onto a nearby rope just to avoid being thrown overboard, the ship was pitching so violently.
Desperately searching, her eyes finally locked with her brother's, one totally obscured, his hair plastered across it.
Silently, they nodded to each other. For this, it was worth revealing their secret.
Taking stock of the situation, she looked next for Heero.
He was at the helm, of all places, captain nowhere to be seen, desperately trying to control the turning of the ship's wheel.
Good. He was probably the strongest person on this ship, anyway. Nanashi was making his way in that direction, hand over hand, so Heero was taken care of.
She looked for the closest member of the crew. Even she could save only one life this night.
As luck would have it, it was Raul, the poor sailor who'd been serenading her with love songs. Well and good. He deserved to live as much as any of them did.
As she made her way toward him, her eyes caught the flash of shimmering scales amongst the churning waves. She looked sharply over and there, gazing back, were two orbs of aquamarine.