Disclaimer: I don't own any rights to the Gundam boys. I'm just here to play with them.
Dragon Heart
Chapter 1
Black cat-like eyes observed everything around him as he was led down hallway after hallway. They had been traveling for four days and his joints ached from being in the confined space of the palanquin. He had only been let out to attend to his toilet during the times they stopped for the night. Now he was being guided by his master through the castle of a very powerful Lord. He didn't catch the name when his master was talking to the soldiers escorting them. He didn't care. He'd stopped caring about anything years go.
Wufei had lived his entire life in slavery and learned how to detach himself from any situation and everyone around him. Being given to a new master meant nothing to him other than new surroundings.
He hadn't spoken in over six years and he had no plans of starting. His current master had tried everything to get him to talk: torture, both physical and mental, kindness, bribery. If the man had bothered to notice when Wufei stopped talking he would have realized it was impossible to get him to talk again. Finally he gave up and sent him to work in his fields after months and months of failure, conceding defeat of using him as a house slave.
He was not received well by the field hands however. He was too soft and pretty and his clothes were clean and of a nicer quality than theirs. He was harassed constantly. He was beaten, taunted, his food often taken from him. He had no one and nothing in which to find solace.
As a dragon, he had not hated humans as most of his clan did. He saw them as co-inhabitants of the land. But after living among them for almost twenty years, he had grown to understand his brethren's viewpoint. They were selfish creatures with very little self control. Only his human mother was spared his contempt. But she was no longer with him. She had been killed several years ago and now lived peacefully in the afterlife.
His attention was caught by the sound of large wooden doors opening. His master led him into a large room of ivory marble with veins of deep coral running throughout, with several columns running the length of the room to create a walkway within the cavernous room. Colorful banners hung on every wall, and everything seemed bright and clean and if Wufei were inclined to such sentiments, friendly. There were soldiers lining both sides of the room but there didn't seem to be any members of a court in attendance. His master had been granted a private audience with the Lord. It must be something very important.
Wufei and his master bowed in greeting and as his master straightened, Wufei knelt down and kept his head lowered, listening to all going on around him.
"Lord Kushrenada, thank you for receiving me. It is an honor."
"Greetings, Duke Dermeal. To what do I owe this pleasant surprise?"
"I wanted to present my birthday gift to you in person, my Lord."
"Birthday? Is today my birthday?"
"N-no, my Lord. It is in two weeks. But I will be unable to attend the celebration dinner so I wanted to at least give you my deepest regards in person."
"There's to be a dinner?" Treize noticed the scowls being aimed at the visiting man and he chuckled. "Well, Duke, I thank you for your gift and the heads up on the dinner. My well meaning men were apparently hoping to surprise me, knowing how much I hate celebrating my birthday."
Duke Dermeal paled three shades and became downright pasty as nervous eyes scanned the glaring soldiers surrounding him. He wrung his hands and he felt sweat begin to break out on his forehead.
"Please, Duke Dermeal, do not despair. You have done me a tremendous favor and I would like to repay you in kind. Please, stay with me until you must leave. I will have chambers prepared for you and your men."
"Oh! Thank you, my Lord. You are too kind! But, I have not yet presented you with your gift. Allow me to bestow upon you a slave most unique. He is quiet and obedient, and…spirited." The Duke let out a nervous laugh as he continued. "He may look small, but he is quite strong. A-and his breeding is rare as I'm sure you can see, my Lord. His dark features are not easily found in these parts and he is very easy on the eyes."
Wufei felt sweaty fingers grasp his chin and tilt his head up so he was looking into glittering blue eyes. He felt naked under the blue orbs that seemed to see right into his very soul. He'd never experienced anything like it and alarms were going off in his head that said this man would break him beyond recovery.
Treize saw the fear within the black eyes and he felt sorry for the young man before him. He personally didn't own any slaves and if Duke Dermeal had any sense he would know this and never consider this young man a "gift".
Duke Dermeal saw Treize's smile falter at the sight of Wufei and his stomach tied in knots. He had yet to meet anyone that wasn't drawn to the young man's looks. If the stubborn bastard would only speak, I could have made a fortune on him in the open market!
"M-my Lord? Does he not please you?"
Treize plastered a fake smile on his face to put the Duke at ease. "He is indeed beautiful. However, I have made it a practice to not own any slaves. I don't believe people are property."
"Oh come now, Treize, surely you can't turn away such a rare beauty?"
Everyone turned to see a tall platinum blonde enter the room, cloak billowing behind him as he made his way towards Treize's raised throne. He passed the Duke and proceeded to plant one foot on the first step and bow with a flourish of his cape.
"If you do not wish to accept him, I would be more than willing to accept the burden upon my shoulders."
"No doubt, my dear cousin, but I do believe the Duke is intending him to be my birthday present."
"Your birthday is today?"
Treize chuckled at his cousin's exaggerated look of surprise. "I guess you didn't get the dinner invitation that Duke Dermeal received. I'd worry that you've been blacklisted, Zechs."
Duke Dermeal tried to smile under the ice cold stare of the Lord's cousin. "Indeed. It must have gotten lost in transport." Zechs turned to face his cousin again, his smile back in place. "Regardless, if you change your mind you know where to find me."
"Residing in the same room you have for the past two weeks I presume?"
Zechs flashed a knowing smile and made another grand bow before exiting the room, his eyes glaring daggers at the nervous Duke as he passed. Treize gestured for the doors to be shut and then he addressed his guest once again.
"I thank you for your generous gift, Duke Dermeal, and I accept." He made a small gesture towards Wufei and a soldier stepped up and led him out of the room. "Now, if you'll accept my invitation of lodging and dinner it will make this exchange complete."
Duke Dermeal bowed. "Yes, my Lord, thank you. I am honored."
"Excellent. I will see you at dinner then. My captain will see you to your rooms."
Treize stood up and walked out a small door tucked away in the corner, almost hidden behind a banner.
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Treize closed the door behind him and came face to face with the dark-haired beauty that was his birthday gift. He reached out for Wufei, intending to only remove his collar but the young man flinched away, actually taking a step back into the soldier that held his leash.
An elegant eyebrow raised and he pulled his hand back.
"I will not hurt you. What is your name?"
Wufei looked away and tried to calm his beating heart. This man was affecting him somehow and he couldn't explain it other than the feeling he got earlier when their eyes met for the first time.
"Trouble in paradise?"
"It seems he is scared of me. Perhaps the Duke was a hard master."
"He doesn't seem abused in any way. I've seen enough to know the signs right away."
Zechs reached out and tilted Wufei's face up to meet his own. When Wufei looked into the ice blue eyes, he didn't sense anything. He was just a man and had no affect on him and therefore Wufei didn't consider him a threat. He took a step forward, knowing the man wanted him, and hoping his actions would be enough to remove himself from Lord Kushrenada's hands.
"It seems it just may be you he doesn't like, Treize."
Zechs kept his smiling face on Wufei, drinking in the dark honey-colored skin and ebony hair that framed his face. Yes, he could definitely find a use for this slave.
"It appears you may be right, Zechs. Well, if he is scared of me and prefers you, then who am I to argue? Congratulations, cousin."
Treize gazed at Wufei one last lingering time, wondering what about the slave stuck with him, making him feel like he just gave away something very valuable.
To be continued…..
