Written for day 6 (Fighting) of the MarcoAce week ^^ Marco's looks are based on MyLadyDay's viking!Marco
Beta'ed by MyLadyDay
Trumpets sounded and Ace lined up on his appointed place, as he had been instructed. Fighting was nothing new to him, he was paid to do so without question. That was why he found himself in an army of a strange country, serving under a strange leader, fighting a strange army. Being a mercenary wasn't his dream job, but it put food on the table. After all, there wasn't much he was good at besides fighting.
The captain of the army, a man called Akainu, had hired him to fight an army of outcasts and so called freaks, because apparently, they had invaded the land of his king. It wasn't a thorough explanation, but Ace didn't really care. As long as he was paid, he would fight, even if it was against someone innocent. And Akainu had promised him a handsome reward.
He sighed and focused again on king Sengoku, who rode on his horse in front of the troops and held a speech about how they would crush the enemy. Ace knew that he was trying to rile them up for battle, he had seen it being done so many times, but he just felt like yawning. Instead, his eyes were drawn to the army across the battlefield. There, the same thing happened, as a man on a horse rode from one side to the other. They were too far away for Ace to hear if he was shouting things too.
He couldn't help but feel a little excited about today's battle though. During the briefing the previous day, where they had explained the tactics, Akainu had told them that the enemy consisted of all kinds of creatures, from dwarves to elves. It would be the first time he saw an elf in real life – or rather, a lot of them.
He took a close look at the enemy leader. At the briefing, he had heard that the enemy army was divided into sixteen divisions and the captain of the first two also oversaw the others. It was odd that their king didn't lead his soldiers to battle, as king Sengoku, but perhaps the king wasn't in the condition to do so and his son had taken over. Which was also a bit odd, apparently, all the captains were sons of the king. He had been a busy man in his younger days then.
The leader seemed tall, which, as far as Ace had heard, all elves were. He had long blond hair, braided, but oddly enough the sides of his head were shaven. When Ace squinted, he thought he could make out long pointy ears he had heard elves had. A smirk appeared on his face. He would seek out this leader and bring him down himself. Then, he would have all the time in the world to study him.
Apparently, Akainu was done with his speech, as all the soldiers around him started to cheer. He joined in half heartedly. Their leader rose his sword, turning his horse and with a loud "Charge!" he sent his soldiers to battle.
Like usual, it didn't take long before the sides were mixed and Ace found himself fighting a random soldier. Killing him with the ease of a professional, the mercenary scanned the field for a glimpse of the elven leader. He wasn't hard to locate, as there were not that many cavalry soldiers present. He had to admit that the man fought with a certain elegance elves were famous for. He would love to have had a one on one fight with him, but the blond was too far away.
Exhausted, Ace dragged himself to his tent. He was covered in mud and blood and would do anything to just fall on his bed and sleep until the next day when he had to fight again. The battle went on for days already and neither side was willing to give up. The enemy's strength was far greater than the commanders seemed to have expected and the morale in the army was low. They thought of ways to crush them and Ace had had to attend many boring meetings. Today, however, there was an excited buzz in the camp. Everywhere he passed by, he heard delighted whispering. Apparently, they had managed to catch one of the enemy leaders. His interest was perked, but on the other hand, he was extremely tired.
The choice wasn't his to make, however, when captain Akainu passed and motioned him to come. Sighing, Ace dragged himself towards after their leader. Briefly, he wondered why it had to be him, but that was probably because, despite his young age, he was the most experienced in battle. King Sengoku had even asked for his advice during the briefing. Well, he was curious about this enemy leader, anyway. Hopefully, it was the elf. Sure, it would be a shame that Ace hadn't been the one to bring him down, but at least he could have a closer look at him. And having a leader as a hostage gave them a considerable advantage.
His helmet under his arm, he followed Akainu towards a large tent. Two guards let them pass by, raising their halberds, and saluted their leader. Ace let out a snort and was glared at by the guards. He didn't care. He wasn't here to make friends.
Inside the tent was a large metal cage standing, in which a cuffed creature was sitting. It looked like a man, only slightly taller and slender, with a long blond braid attached to his head, of which the sides were shaven. Ace had to suppress an excited squeal – not that he, a fierce warrior, had ever squealed – when he indeed recognised the elven leader.
The man was, much like himself, covered in blood and mud, his eyelids droopy and looking as tired as Ace felt. From what the mercenary had seen, the elf had put up a great fight, before the freckled man had lost sight of him in the confusion of battle. The man was still wearing his armour, made mostly out of leather, but –of course – he had been stripped of his weapons. Inspecting him closely, Ace took a step forward. On the side of his head, he could see two long pointy ears, adorned with a few earrings. The mercenary would love to touch them…
"Soldier!"
Akainu's voice snapped him out of his thoughts. While he had been wondering what that blond hair would feel like, the king had entered the tent as well.
"Sire." Akainu bowed and Ace managed a mocking curtsey.
Sengoku walked over to the cage and looked at their prisoner. The elf didn't move, like he hadn't done the entire time Ace was here. "What do we have here?"
"This is the first commander of the enemy's troop, sire," Akainu stated proudly, like he had caught him himself. "As Your Highness can see, it is a perfect specimen of the elven race.
Ace's head snapped up when he heard the captain talk like that. How could he call a person, an it? It was obvious he was a man, and a beautiful one at that. Of course, he wouldn't have thought twice to slice him in half if they had met on the battlefield, but at least he would have let him die with dignity.
"Who has managed to catch a commander of Whitebeard's army?" the king inquired, slightly impressed.
"That would be me, Your Majesty." From a corner, one of the commanders of their own army stepped forward.
"What's your name?"
"Commander Onigumo, Sire." The man bowed. "When their army was retreating, it was distracted by something, and I managed to overpower it." He grinned smugly and Ace couldn't help but think he must have used some kind of dirty trick.
"Well done, commander. This should set their army back. Come to my quarter in the morning to receive your reward." After Onigumo had bowed and left the tent, the king circled the cage, seizing up their catch. "It doesn't do much, does it?"
"Not since we put it in the cage, Your Highness. But we will interrogate it about the enemy's war tactics," Akainu answered.
"It speaks?"
"I would think so. It was a leader, despite its appearances." The leader shrugged.
Fed up with the degrading speech, Ace blurted out: "He's a man, you know."
Everyone in the room looked at him, including the elf in the cage. His bright blue eyes caught the mercenary off guard and he stammered: "Y-you know, he might be our enemy, but he's a fierce opponent and worthy warrior. You should respect that."
Akainu squinted at him. "I don't pay you to share your opinions," he spat.
The mercenary grit his teeth. "I do apologise for speaking out of line." He knew he should have kept his mouth shut. He was here to fight, not to reconcile humans and elves. He should just suck it up and wait until he was paid.
Sengoku nodded satisfied and looked at the elf again. The blond was still looking up, directly at Ace, ignoring everyone else. He hadn't moved any further, though. Akainu and the king spoke some more, but Ace couldn't focus on the conversation. That guy just kept staring at him, it freaked him out. He tried to ignore it, but it was like those blue eyes could look into his very soul. Without thinking, he ran towards the cage, hauling the – surprisingly light – elf forward by his shirt and pressed the tip of his sword against the man's throat. "Will you stop staring at me?" he roared. "That I respect your fighting skills does not mean I'm above slicing your throat right here!"
The blond looked at him unimpressed, a slight smirk tugging at the corner of his mouth, effectively pissing Ace off even more. Who the hell did that guy think he was? Did he realised the position he was in?
"Soldier!" the commander's voice barked.
The freckled mercenary snapped out of his rage and slowly lowered his sword. "Sir," he said reluctantly.
"We still need him. But if he keeps refusing to talk," an unsettling smirk appeared on the captain's face, "I might let you at him tomorrow."
Ace huffed and let go of the elf, who, seemingly unfazed, sat back down in his previous position and kept looking at the mercenary. The freckled man grit his teeth and turned around, so he wouldn't have to see the first commander anymore.
Akainu turned to the elf. "Do you realise now you're at our mercy? If you cooperate, we might let you live. If not, I'll let our hot-headed mercenary at you." He nodded at Ace.
The freckled man let his sword rest on his shoulder and looked at the caged blond daring. Usually, people who met him for the first time weren't much threatened by him, but when he was done with them, they didn't make that mistake anymore. If they were able to make mistakes in general anymore. He had hoped to have made at least some impression on the blond when he lost his temper, but when Akainu suggested he would let the mercenary at him, the elf didn't seem fazed at all. On the contrary, he looked amused.
Ace was tempted to stab him through the bars of the cage, but the king sensed his anger and placed a hand on his shoulder. That didn't stop him from glare at the annoying elf, though.
After a few hours of useless interrogating, as the blond hadn't opened his mouth once, the king retired for the night and Akainu gave up as well, for now. "We'll get some information out of you," he growled. "See if you're able to keep your mouth shut once I've practiced some torture techniques on you."
As always, the blond didn't respond, only sighed bored.
"Soldier!" the captain barked and the freckled man, who had been dozing off, jumped to the attention, blinking to wake himself up. "Keep an eye on this bastard tonight. He's a slippery one."
"But, sir! I'm no guard!" the mercenary protested. "I've fought all day, I deserve a break."
"I pay you to do as I say!"
"You pay me to fight," Ace corrected him sharply.
Akainu looked at him like he tried to melt him with his glare, but then sighed. "We're short on men. Do this for me and I'll make it worth your while."
The mercenary thought for a moment. Standing guard wouldn't be that bad, especially if it earned him extra money. "Fine, but tomorrow I'll get the morning off with pay."
The captain seemed all but pleased, but agreed begrudgingly. When he left the tent, Ace smirked triumphant and stuck out his tongue to the leader. It was childish, but he felt better. Then, he turned towards their prisoner, who stared back at him amused. The mercenary scowled at him. "What are you so happy about? They're gonna torture you in the morning and I'm not sure your fragile little body can handle that."
The elf just smiled at him.
Ace huffed and took a seat on the chair across from the cage. It was going to be a long night and he just wanted to sleep. The fact that the blond kept staring at him was starting to freak him out, but he didn't let it show.
After a little more than an hour, he heard someone outside the tent and he jumped, his sword ready. A woman entered the tent, holding a tray with a plate of food and a bowl, looking like she was about to drop the salver. "I-I brought you food," she stuttered.
Ace lowered his weapon and motioned her to come further. "Why two plates?" he asked sceptically. "I thought it wasn't allowed to feed the prisoner." He had heard Akainu to say something like that when he was talking to the king.
"I-I got other orders." Her face was bright red and it was obvious she was lying, but Ace couldn't be mad at her for being humane. Besides, he didn't care if the guy got food or not. Maybe then he would stop his freaky staring. Still, he couldn't risk it that the woman would help the blond escape, so before he allowed her to give the man food, he stirred through the porridge with a spoon. There was nothing like a key inside, so he opened the door to the cage for the maid, as the bars were too small to allow the bowl through it.
Keeping a close eye on his prisoner, he watched as the woman placed the bowl in front of the elf, along with a mug of water. The man looked at her with interest and she seemed nervous, but he didn't look like he was going to attack her. Instead, he nodded in thanks when she retreated and started to eat.
Ace was sure to lock the cage again and watched the man eat for a moment. "You're lucky he doesn't pay me enough to care," he huffed.
The elf looked up and smiled.
The mercenary snorted and turned to his own dinner. It was way better than what the blond was eating, with lots of meat and wine to drink, but the prisoner seemed to enjoy it just as much. For some reason, it pissed Ace off.
He turned away from the cell, wolfing down his food. He hadn't realised how hungry he was. After the food was gone, he draught his wine and sighed contently. Usually, he avoided drinking alcohol, but it was all he had now and he didn't feel like leaving the elf alone. Who knew what he was planning.
He turned towards the prisoner again and leaning with his head on his hand, he asked: "Can you even talk?"
The elf only smiled mysteriously.
Ace huffed. "Whatever. But you better learn it by tomorrow or else– Whoops!" He had moved a bit on his chair and found himself on the floor. He cursed and rubbed his sore ass. "Fuck!"
The sound of a soft chuckle reached his attention and when he looked up, he saw the prisoner covering his mouth with his hand. It was a deep laugh that did weird things to Ace's stomach, but he blamed the wine for that. "What the hell is so funny?" he snapped at the elf.
The blond waived his hand in a dismissive gesture. Ace snorted. "I thought so." He turned around to set the chair upright again.
"It's hard to believe you're such a lightweight."
For a second, he froze before he brusquely turned around. Inside his cell, the elf sat like he had been doing all night, leaning against the bars and looking expectantly at his guard. Nothing implicated that he had just spoken, but Ace was sure he was not that drunk or that tired that he was started to hear things. "I'm not a lightweight," he spat.
The blond didn't give a response, just kept looking at him. Ace blinked and scratched the back of his head. Was he going crazy? "That's right, you'd better shut up," he muttered.
Shaking his head, he returned to his chair. As soon as he sat down, he felt again how tired he was. Yawning, he rubbed his eyes in an attempt to stay awake.
"It must be past your bedtime already."
Again, his head snapped up. This time he was certain the elf had spoken, the bastard. With the speed of light he made his way to the cage and yanked the blond close again. "Listen carefully, fucker, you don't want to mess with me. I've killed more men than you can count, while you were skipping through the meadow or whatever you elves do," he growled.
The blond pried his fingers loose and chuckled while he sat back again. "Fucking bastard," Ace snarled, but he was too tired to move anymore, so he opted for leaning against the bars as well, only on the outside of the cage. "You deserve to be here anyway. You shouldn't have invaded Sengoku's land."
The elf's head snapped up and he crawled closer. "That's why you think we fight?" he asked softly.
Ace shrugged, inside feeling a bit victorious that he had gotten the man to talk. "That's what they told us."
The blond shook his head. "You attacked us."
"Yeah, yeah." Ace waved his words away. "Before you start your sob story, you should know that I don't care either way. I'm not gonna release you and risk my neck because I feel sorry for you."
"You don't care who you fight against? Or for?"
He shrugged. "I get paid to fight. A guy's gotta eat. So I can't afford to be picky."
The elf stayed silent, so the mercenary looked over his shoulder. To his surprise and annoyance, there was a smile on the blond's face. "What's so damn funny."
"Your denial."
"Excuse me?!"
The enemy commander sat up. "You say you don't care, but you wouldn't let them insult me. Or starve me."
Ace felt his cheeks heat up. "Don't get cocky just because I have some decency!"
The blond shook his head, but still smiled. Ace looked at him. From this angle, he could see the man's profile well, the shaven part of his head, his long pointy ears. It was too bad they were enemies. The elf was very handsome.
"Do you have a name?" he asked before he could stop himself. He didn't know why he cared, but it would be easier to call him by a name than refer to him as 'that guy'.
There was a moment of silence. "Call me Marco," the elf then said.
He turned his head, so that he was staring in front of him again. "'m Ace."
"Why do you talk to me, Ace?"
He shrugged, his eyes closed. "Bored. You must be too. And don't think you can just steal the keys and take off, I don't have them on me," he said when he heard shuffling around in the cell. He didn't even bother to open his eyes. Way too much effort.
"I'm not planning to escape."
"Really? Why's that?"
The last thing he registered was a soft chuckle. "Because I'm going to get broken out."
A gentle shake at his shoulder woke him the next morning and the first thing he saw was a slim hand retreating through the bars. He shook his head to wake up and turned around. He was still sitting on the floor, his back against the iron bars of the elf's cell.
He sprang up when he realised it was the blond – no, Marco – who had woken him. "Don't touch me!" he snapped at him.
"I just figured you would get in trouble if they found out you fell asleep on the job," the elf shrugged.
Ace looked at him suspiciously. "And why would you care?"
"I would prefer to keep you as my guard," a smirk tugged at the blond's lips, "now that I know you're no threat."
"I will show you a threat!" the mercenary yelled out indignant, but before he could do anything, another guard stepped into the tent.
"Lord Akainu sends me to take over watch. Go have breakfast," the man said.
Ace nodded and shot a final glare at the bigmouthed blond before he left the tent.
After having had the morning off and fought again all afternoon, Ace was sent to guard the elf again. With an unsettling smirk, Akainu had told him that the blond wouldn't prove a problem tonight, but that Ace was welcome to 'play' with him.
Of course, the mercenary had understood that they had tortured the elf for information, but he hadn't expected to find this. Instead of sitting against the bars with a cocky smirk on his face like the previous night, Marco was now lying on his stomach, completely still. His clothes, face and hair were stained with blood which had to be his own. At first, Ace feared he was dead, but then they wouldn't have put him back into the cell. After watching in horror for a few minutes, he could see that he was still breathing, however faintly.
"Fuck," he whispered appalled. People might call him cruel for what he did for a living, but at least he didn't let his enemies suffer like this. "Oi," he called out. "Are you–" He wanted to ask "okay", but obviously, the man wasn't. It looked like he was unconscious.
Ace couldn't just stand and watch. Not after seeing that cocky smirk last night. After considering his options, he snuck out of the tent – it wasn't like the elf would go anywhere – and returned with a bowl of water, a cloth and a mug. He opened the cell and knelt down next to the unconscious man. Turning him around, he placed the blond's head in his lap. He dampened the cloth and gently started to wipe the dried blood off his face.
Marco's brows furrowed and his eyelids fluttered open when he came to. "Ace," he whispered hoarsely.
"Shut your face, you're in no condition to talk," the freckled man snapped. He helped the man sit up a little against him – again, it surprised him how light he was – and let him drink some water. The man started to sputter and quickly Ace pulled away the mug as he coughed. "What the hell did they do to you?" he muttered.
"I thought I wasn't allowed to talk."
"Then shut it." Still, the mercenary was relieved to see a slight smile on the blond's face. He brought the mug again to the elf's mouth and carefully let some more water flow into his mouth. After the man had drunk enough, Ace washed Marco's hands with the cloth as well.
"Why are you doing this?"
Ace sighed. He didn't like how broken the man sounded. But he didn't like the question either. "Because I'm a decent human being," he spat. "And I'd be in a lot of trouble if you'd die of your wounds."
"They should have send a doctor then."
"Just be grateful I'm helping you in my own time," Ace snapped. "Now, shut up and go to sleep."
As soon as he spoke the words, he heard footsteps approaching the tent. Cursing softly, he helped Marco lay down as gently as possible and all but ran out of the cell, barely remembering to locking it. He had just sat down in the chair across the cage when a woman entered the tent with a tray of food. It was a different one from last night and there was also just one plate of food and one mug of ale.
"Where's the other one?" Ace asked as casually as possible when she placed the tray on the table.
The woman shrugged. "You'll have to do with me. Be glad I bring it to you." With that, she left again.
The food smelled delicious, but it wasn't his own stomach he heard growling. Looking over his shoulder, he saw that the elf had managed to sit up and was staring at the plate.
"For the love of…" Cursing under his breath, he carried the plate over to the cage and opened the cell for the second time that night. He handed Marco the food. "Here."
Marco looked up. "I think you're more than just decent."
"Just eat the damn food," Ace snapped. He sighed and sat down next to the elf who had started eating. After he had eaten about half of it, he handed the plate to the mercenary. Ace looked a bit surprised at him, but took the food anyway. Instead of leaving the cell again, he just stared eating where he was. "What did they want to know?" he asked with his mouth full.
"Anything." Marco sighed. "War tactics, weak points… But I would never endanger my family," he added confidently.
"That's right, you're a prince," the freckled man said thoughtfully.
Marco chuckled, before he started coughing again. "I suppose you could call it that," he said as he wiped the tears from his eyes.
"Suppose? That's what you call the son of a king, you know." Ace stuffed the last bite into his mouth.
"I'm not really his son." When the freckled man perked up in interest, he continued: "Pops… King Edward is a half giant. I'm an elf. My brothers are dwarves, half elves… He has taken us, outcasts on as his sons and daughters."
Ace listened to the story silently. "It must be nice to have a family like that…" he muttered when the elf was done.
"What about yours?"
He shook his head. "I don't have a family."
"Is that why you're a mercenary?"
He shrugged. "I can fight. And usually, I don't have to baby-sit."
"You're the worst babysitter ever," Marco chuckled. "Last night you fell asleep, remember?"
"Shut up. You're the worst baby ever." He couldn't suppress the pout that was taking over his face.
Marco laughed again, before he had a coughing fit.
"Shit, be careful," Ace muttered and took the mug of water again, helping the prisoner to drink. The blond leaned heavily on him – insofar he could judge by his virtually nonexistent weight – and placed his head in the freckled man's lap when he calmed down. The mercenary caressed the blond braid. The hair felt soft, despite being somewhat greasy and dirty.
Marco opened his blue eyes and looked up at the other man. Gently, he reached out and cupped his face. Ace leaned into the touch. How long had it been that someone was this close to him? Marco may be the enemy in battle, here he certainly wasn't.
The elf sat up a little, never losing eye contact, and softly pressed his lips against Ace's. It was nothing more than a gentle peck, but when he leaned in to do it again, the mercenary stopped him. "What the hell are you doing?"
"Isn't that obvious?" The blond smiled.
"It certainly is. You're trying to seduce me to make your escape!"
Marco sighed and sat back. "I told you, I'm not going to escape."
Ace frowned, but then remembered the conversation they had last night before he fell asleep. "Right. You were going to be broken out," he said sarcastically.
"My brothers will come for me," the elf said with a smile. Suddenly, he grabbed the freckled man's hands. "Come with me."
"Are you crazy?" Ace asked with raised eyebrows.
But the blond shook his head. "You don't belong here. You're not like them."
The mercenary snorted. "Don't pretend like you know me." He rose and made to leave the cell.
"You're telling me this is your dream job? Fighting for someone else's dream? Dying for a goal you don't believe in?"
Ace grit his teeth and tried to ignore him.
"Don't you want a family?"
Ace stopped in his tracks.
"You don't want to be here, right?" Marco continued. "You don't want to be alone anymore. If you come with me, you'll have friends. A family."
His mind flashed back to his home village, long ago plundered and burned. His family and friends brutally murdered. Somehow, he had managed to escape, being alone ever since. "How do I know you won't betray me?" he asked hoarsely. Because everyone he had trusted had done that at some point. Being a hired soldier made things easier. He didn't have time to get attached to people, as he left as soon as he was paid. It was lonely, but at least it saved him the heart ache.
He heard the elf shift and slender arms were wrapped around his waist. "They'll be here tonight," he whispered and spun the mercenary around.
"Why are you so certain I won't warn Akainu or the king?" Ace asked.
A smile tugged at the corner of Marco's mouth. "Because you've already made your decision." Before the other could respond, the elf grabbed the back of his head and pulled him close.
Apparently, they had fallen sleep at some point, Marco's head in Ace's lap, when they were roused by loud yells and screams. A smile appeared on the elf's face. "Told you."
The mercenary rose, unsure of what to do. He could go out and help the men he was paid to fight for. Or he couldn't, stay here with Marco and not get paid at all. He looked around the blond, who still looked rather worn from the torture he had undergone. He hadn't lied, it was obvious the camp was being attacked. But that didn't mean everything was true. Marco could have easily led him into a trap, just so that he wouldn't try to stop the attackers.
But he wanted to believe him so bad. Wanted to believe there was a way out of the lonely life he was leading. That there were people who cared about him. This was the only chance. If Marco betrayed him… Well, he would probably end up dead, so there wasn't much he could do about that. But if the elf spoke the truth… It would all be worth it.
Ace left the cell and buckled on his sword he had taken off at some point. There were no other weapons present, so he handed the elf a dagger from his boot. The blond scrambled to his feet and kissed Ace gently. "You won't regret this," he whispered.
The mercenary wasn't so sure about that, but didn't comment.
Suddenly, the canvas of the tent was ripped aside and several men came running inside, who Ace didn't recognised. As a reflex, he unsheathed his sword. They must be from the enemy army. Looking at Marco's happy face confirmed his suspicions.
"Atmos! Guys! I knew you'd come." The cocky smile Ace had missed so much returned to the blond's face. "No!"
The mercenary didn't understand the final exclamation, until he felt something heavy hit him in the head. It became dark around him.
When he came to, he was lying on a dirty, but soft mattress. Groaning, he rubbed his head in an attempt to sooth the pounding pain he was feeling. What happened? Right, Marco's friends had come to the rescue and something hard had hit Ace on the head. A wry smile appeared on his lips. So the blond had betrayed him. Well, it was his own fault for trusting a stranger.
At least he wasn't dead. Although, he doubted if his fate in prison would be better.
He had just set up when the door opened and someone entered. He saw a beautiful woman, wearing a kimono and her face covered in make-up. Her dark hair was pinned up in a bun and Ace could see her pointy ears. They weren't as pointy as Marco's, though, and the mercenary wondered what that meant.
The woman knelt next to him and placed a tray of food on the floor. It looked way better than what the elf had been served in prison and Ace heard his stomach growl. Giving the woman no time to change her mind, he started wolfing down the food.
"My, you have quite the appetite," the woman remarked and Ace realised that the person next to him was a man. He merely shrugged and continued eating.
"When you're done with that, Pops wants to speak to you."
At that, Ace looked up. Marco had let that name slip as well. When again? "Who?" he asked carefully.
"King Edward."
He almost choked on the bread.
The cross dresser chuckled. "Easy there, we like to keep you alive. Now, eat and I will come and get you in a while."
With that, he rose and left the prison, the slam the metal door made long resounding.
Ace sighed and continued eating, wondering what they would do to him. Maybe they would torture him. He didn't have any information, but maybe they wanted revenge for what happened to Marco. The mercenary swallowed the last bite and sighing, he sat back. Marco. Would he even think about Ace now that he was free? He had to be released, right? Or was Ace taken as a hostage to trade for the elf. He doubted Akainu would even considerate it. After all, with him out of the way, he wouldn't have to get paid either. People always hoped mercenaries died in battle. It saved money.
He must have dozed off at some point, because when he opened his eyes, the cross dresser had entered the cell again. He looked at Ace with a disapproving face. "You look like hell. Before Pops will receive you, we have to freshen you up."
Confused, Ace followed the man through a maze of hallways. He wondered why there weren't any guards. Really, if he wanted he could just run off. Or maybe his guide was very well capable of keeping him at bay. Ace had long ago learned not to judge people by their appearance.
The cross dresser led him into a room and closed the door. "Undress yourself," he commanded with an air that didn't permit any contradiction.
Even more confused than before, Ace did as he was told. His sword had been taken from him while he was unconscious, as were any concealed weapons he had carried. But he was still wearing his armour, so slowly he started to remove it.
In the meantime, the cross dresser felt the water with which a bathtub was filled. Steam came from the surface, proving the water was hot. "Come on," the man in the kimono said impatiently when Ace hesitated in taking off his pants. "While the water is still warm."
Biting his lip, he removed the last article of clothing and climbed into the tub when the cross dresser gestured him to do so. Immediately, the other man grabbed a sponge and started to wash Ace's back. "I'm Izo, by the way."
"Ace," the mercenary muttered. He didn't understand it. Why was he washed and fed well? Wasn't he a prisoner? He didn't dare to ask, though.
His hair was washed in a rough manner, but somehow it didn't feel like that was done because he was a prisoner. Rather, because it was Izo's way of doing things. And his hair was really dirty.
It had been a long time since he had taken a proper bath and by the time the water had cooled down, it was pitch black. Izo looked disapprovingly again, his mouth pulled taut. "You certainly needed that."
He handed Ace a towel and then left the room, only to return within a few minutes with clean clothes. The whole situation amazed the freckled man more by the second. Was he a prisoner? He had been in a cell. But he was fed, bathed and now received clean clothing. Maybe the king was very picky on how he received captives?
"Come on," Izo said again and led Ace through the door, again without bothering to even put on handcuffs. His captivators either were really confident that he wouldn't be able to escape or really stupid. The mercenary could just make a run for it. Yet, he didn't. Curiosity had taken over. Besides, he didn't even have a weapon or anything. Maybe he could take the cross dresser captive? He dismissed the thought. Izo didn't look like someone you messed with.
His guide led him through what he assumed was a very large castle, until they came to a stop in front of two massive doors. The guards nodded at Izo and immediately opened the gate. Ace swallowed hard when he was led into the throne room. All the people present turned towards him and looked at him curiously. He bowed his head to hide his face.
From the corner of his eye, he saw that Izo had come to a stop, so he did the same. "Here's the mercenary, Pops," the cross dresser said. "You wouldn't have recognised him if I hadn't washed him first."
A roaring laughter suddenly filled the room and Ace dared to look up. Before him, on a enormous throne, was an equally enormous man sitting. He had a large white moustache and a crown on his bald head. That had to be king Edward.
It wasn't the large posture of the king that made Ace freeze, however. It was the slender figure standing next to the throne. Marco.
Ace narrowed his eyes. That was the man who betrayed him when he had nothing to believe in but his lies. The elf, however, gave him an emotionless stare back, before turning away.
"Well then, Ace."
The mercenary almost jumped when the loud voice of the king was directed at him.
"I hear you've taken good care of my son."
Ace met his stare without backing down. "Better than he has taken care of me," he snapped.
Again, Edward started to laugh. "Alright, everyone leave. Except for our 'prisoner' of course," he added amused.
Without protest, everyone did as they were told. When Marco walked past Ace, he stopped for a second and seemed like he had something to say, but then shook his head and left the room. Soon it was just the mercenary and the king left.
"Marco has told me what you did for him," Edward said in a gentle voice – although still loud.
Ace didn't comment.
"My son has good instincts. He trusts you."
"He would have to, I kept to my end of the bargain," Ace snarled.
Despite his tone, the king didn't look mad. "Do you trust him?" he merely asked.
The freckled man looked up. "Why would I? He lied to me. He promised me a home, a family. Instead, I'm a prisoner."
"Let me ask you something." The king leaned forward in his chair. "What keeps you here?"
Surprised and confused, Ace looked up. "What?"
"No one is stopping you from leaving." Edward gestured to the empty space around him. "You can leave anytime. Do you still think you're a prisoner?"
Ace kept silent, trying to think up a good comeback, but coming up with naught.
"Marco promised you a home and a family. Do you want that?"
The mercenary stared at the floor. "Yes," he said barely audible.
The king smiled warmly and extended his arm. "Then become my son."
The party was loud, the dining room filled with loud laughter and talking. Ace, however, sat alone in a corner, unsure what to do. Edward had asked him to join the family, to become his son. But the man was a half giant. Marco was an elf. Izo was at least partly elf. How could he, a human, member of the most oppressive race, join them?
"Don't pull such a dirty face when I just washed you," a familiar voice said.
Ace looked up and saw Izo standing, wearing a new and even more fancy kimono. He didn't seem mad, rather a little tipsy. "What's wrong?" he asked, though refusing to sit down next to the mercenary because "the floor was dirty".
"Edw– The king asked me to join the family."
The cross dresser didn't seem surprised and said instead: "Then why the long face? That's a good thing, right?"
"But how could I join you?" the freckled man burst out. "I'm human! How can you take me in as family when my race has murdered out your kind just because you were different?"
Izo looked at him sympathetically, before he said: "I want to introduce you to someone." With that, he left, disappearing into the crowd and leaving Ace miserable behind.
He wasn't alone for long, however. Izo soon returned, leading another man by the hand. In front of Ace, they came to a stop. "Ace, I'd like you to meet Thatch. He's one of our commanders as well." As Izo said it, he touched the man's chest for a moment longer than necessary.
Ace stared up wide eyed to the friendly grinning male. He was tall, with a brown pompadour and a black goatee. Around his left eye was a crescent shaped scar. But none of that was what shocked Ace the most. Thatch was a human.
He took the extended hand slowly, never taking his eyes of the man's face. He didn't expect to be pulled to his feet. Losing his balance, he fell flush against Thatch.
"Sorry," he said quickly and took a step back.
The man with the pompadour laughed it off, but Izo looked rather unamused. Thatch wrapped his arm around him. "Come on, you saw him naked and you don't see me freaking out?"
Izo hummed.
Ace understood and smiled. They were rather cute together. And Thatch was human, and a commander. So why couldn't he join?
"By the way," the brown haired man continued. "Marco is looking for you. I think he's in the garden." After that, he pulled Izo along to dance.
It didn't take Ace long before he had found the gardens. Marco was lying on the ground in the grass, staring at the stars.
Cautiously, Ace approached him. He had gotten his weapons back after Edward – Pops – offered him to stay, but had left them in his appointed room. Well, aside from one dagger, you can never be to careful.
But however quiet he thought he was, when he wasn't even ten yards away from the man, Marco sat up and looked around. Apparently, elves did have a good sense of hearing. When he saw Ace, he smiled carefully and rose to his feet.
Ace was still a bit weary, keeping an eye on his every move, but taking his hand anyway when the blond offered.
"I'm sorry about the way you were brought here," Marco started. "Atmos realised too late you weren't going to harm me before he hit you over the head. He's very sorry, though."
"Who was he again?" Ace asked, having met too many people to remember all names at once.
"The dwarf wearing the helmet with horns," Marco reminded him. Then his face softened and he touched the former mercenary's cheek. "Are you going to stay?"
"It's not like I have a place to go," Ace scoffed. "I don't think Akainu would welcome me back with open arms."
The blond smiled almost feral. "Oh, you won't have to worry about him anymore." When the freckled man looked at him shocked, he shrugged. "Our family doesn't take kindly if one of their own is hurt. So, you'll stay." It wasn't even a question anymore.
When Ace nodded, the elf smiled and leaned in, brushing the dark haired man's lips with his own. Wanting more contact, the freckled man pulled the other close. Marco wrapped his arms around Ace's waist and deepened the kiss.
"You know," the elf said when he let go of him, "I was right."
"About what?" Ace asked confused.
The blond gave him a quick kiss before he smirked. "You're not a threat."