United We Love

Prologue

"Nobody knows when the feud between the wolf tribe and the feline clan started, but everyone remembers the faithful climax of the war. I believe we left off at the beginning of the renaissance; the two faithful lovers who represent the peace that we are so lucky to have now." The faithful aging wolf paused to clean his glasses and replace them at the end of his nose. He looked out at the group of small curious faces, taking in the wide-eyed eager looks of wolf and feline alike, and smiled. 'This group truly looks enthusiastic,' he thought to himself. He was happy to be teaching the younglings this season. He needed to get back into the feel of having younglings in the den.

A little feline hand shot up into the air as the silence reigned. "Are you talking about elders Yuy and Maxwell, Master Chang?"

"You are correct young one, but how do you know of such a story? This is something told to the older groups" Wufei smiled with fondness at the little feline. She was blushing with all the attention her question had garnered.

"Umm…w-well…my older sister told me a little bit…" She stuttered out.

"Well, for everyone else that does not know the tale, I shall tell you."

"Ahhh Heero, here you are…and sparring yet again I see."

Odin walked into the armory with a small smile on his face. The armory was always the first place he looked for his wayward son, followed by the library, and then the gardens. Normally he sent one of his servants to find the prince, but he felt he needed to stretch his legs a bit. He was tired of his advisors nagging at him all day.

Clang! Clang! Clang!

"What can I….Clang … do for you father?" Heero didn't want to stop the match. 'There can and will be distractions during a real battle,' Heero thought to himself as he jabbed at his opponent.

"Do you think you can stop for a moment and talk to your old man? I have wonderful news for you!" Odin said with mischievous intent.

Heero parried another attack and surged forward with his foil, stabbing his partner's abdomen with the rounded end of his weapon, and ending the match.

"You have beaten me this time my prince, but I believe that there was a driving force behind that last lunge." Trowa gave his friend a knowing look. "Perhaps I'll have the victory next time."

"It's always a pleasure, Trowa. Sparring with you is always a challenge. Return to my quarters and tell the maids to draw a bath for us."

The servant bowed his head slightly and turned to leave the king and prince to there talk.

Heero stepped down from the sparring mat and grabbed a towel to wipe his sweating head. He let himself pant a little now that Trowa was out of sight. He didn't want his friend to know that he had made him work for his victory. "What is this good news you have for me?" Heero turned to his father as he asked the question.

"As you well know son, your twentieth winter is close at hand. You must choose a mate to help you rule your kingdom and you'll be happy to know that Relena Peacecraft will soon reach her moon phase and has offered to be your mate. Is that not fortunate? She has done so much work to bring the clans together. It would look good for us if this merger took place. The felines and wolfs can not be separated any longer." The King seemed proud of his plan.

The prince glared his unhappiness.

"Father, as I have told you time and again, I do not wish to marry that canine. You have been trying to put us together ever since the end of the war. If you want me to support the merger, would it not look better if I were to mate with a feline?" Heero's eyes lost some of there iciness, but were still glaring hard.

"Well of course my boy, but felines are weak. You must have a strong mate to be by your side and rule," Odin tried to argue.

"Father, I know you don't mean that. I won't marry that woman, or any woman for that matter. I have told you that I am not interested in females, and you said that was fine." Heero's tail thrashed about with the opening of the age old argument between him and his father.

"I know son, but I want you to continue the line with an heir. How will you produce one with another male? I know well your plan to take a cub and raise it as your own, but a cub needs a mother…not two fathers." The king was unshakable in his stance on the matter.

"I know you mean well father, but I don't want to put any woman through a marriage with me. It would be loveless and she would grow to hate me. I wish to avoid that at all costs. Relena is like a sister to me, I do not wish to hurt her. I only wish for happiness…" Heero lost his glare and tried to reason with his father.

Odin looked at his son. He gave a heaving sigh and slumped as he caved once again. "How can I deny my only son his happiness? I know what you want, but I must question your choice. What you want is not uncommon, but who will take your place?"

Heero gave his father a small smile and a bow, "Do not fear father, I've talked to Kathryn and she will have a cub that my mate and I can raise as our own. She will raise the cub until they no longer need her, and my mate and I will take over from there. I know what I'm doing father. I will take care of our uniting kingdoms, that, I swear to you."

Odin gave his son a beaming smile and bowed in return. His son was growing up….

"Well then, I guess the only issue left is of finding a suitable mate. Do you have your eye set on a young feline? It would please me more to see you with one of our own…but I only wish to see you happy."

"I don't have anyone in mind yet father, but I promise, as soon as I do, I'll let you know."

Odin clapped his son on the shoulder and gave him a little push out the door, "that's good to know son, now go to your bath; you stink like a den of dogs in the summer!" He gave a hearty laugh at his son's miffed expression, tail twitching and all, and headed back to the throne room and his advisors. Being King had its down sides after all.

AN: Hello everyone! I'm trying this out for a bit, but I'm pretty busy...I'd like to know what you think, and if I get a lot of reviews, I'll try and speed up the creative process...otherwise, I'll just take my sweet time, which means updates about four times a year...