Shunned from Heaven's Light
By: Lost-Remembrance (Red Tail)
Chapter Four: Upsetting the Minister
Though Relena found herself enthralled with the acts of the figure on the stage, her hands clenched on the armrests of the chair she was seated in. Her eyes narrowed as she hissed the dark word to describe the scene; "Denomic." Her eyes lit up with as if a fire was suddenly stoked up to roaring flames. Her heart was pounding against her ribcage none the less, a foreign emotion flooding through her veins. The gypsy was certainly something else.
With a sensuous grin, Heero took a bow. Quatre, dressed up as a fool took center stage as he whispered his appraise of Heero's dance. Glittering gold coins littered the stage, soon to be collected and added to their earnings for the day. "Ladies and gentlemen!" He called to the crowd of people who were still wild from the performance, "Now it is time to chose the one of us who is in the best costume!" The crowd roared with excitement.
A man was pushed onto stage, dressed in the costume of a certain Minister's robes. Relena's eyes narrowed as she remembered the incident last year of who had won the contest and title. "We introduce to you, the Minister Darlain!" Quatre bowed at the man with the blonde wig. The man flipped his hair over his soldier and held his head high, acting superior to all. The crowd roared it's approval. "Now, the Minister was the former winner from last year—who shall it be this year?"
People were pushed forward onto the stage, each dressed up in different costumes, some humorous and some scary. Relena lurched forward, her eyes narrowing as she spotted a certain figure being pulled up onto the stage. If possible, her hands clenched even tighter than before.
The gypsy Heero still stood on the stage, pushing people off the stage if the crowd booed their thoughts to any certain candidate. Quatre continued to rally the people up, adding the the fun and excitement of naming the best costume in town. He slowly made his way down the shortening line of candidates, hoping the the title, but getting nothing but an occasional face full of mud if they fell of the stage incorrectly.
To say that Duo was nervous was an understatement. The blonde haired jester was steadily making his way towards him. His fingers grabbed his long braid and started to fiddle with the split ends. He could feel Relena's cold stare and knew that he had been caught. A shiver crawled down his spine, the cold taking a hold over his body. The crowd suddenly roared up even greater. Duo was startled out of his thoughts when his hand was raised into the air. He blinked in confusion.
"The winning costume for this year! The Notre Dame demon!" Quatre proclaimed, the townsfolk screamed thioer approval as some walked off in a dejective manner. A crown made of tin was placed on his head, jingle bells chimming every so often as he was pushed towards the crowd.
"Congradulations!" Quatre shouted as he was pushed off the stage. The crowd caught him and he was carried by the arms of the crowd towards a wooden chair. Two strong men from the village hefted the chair and Duo up onto their shoulders. They slowly proceeded to carry him around as the crowd threw flowers at him. Two ladies even kissed his cheeks in congradulations.
The brunette gypsy watched all of this while he picked up the coins littering the stage before pickpockets and theives could take their money. He pulled out a pouch and it was easily filled to the brim with the shiny coins.
Standing after completeing the quick task, Heero smiled as he saw the figure give a bright smile. The man's eyes were watery, but Heero somehow knew he could expect no tears from that one. The colors of his eyes and the jaded look to them made Heero believe that this one had not lived an easy life. When the braided man glanced his way, he waved and grinned to show his happiness for the newest winner. The oddly colored purple eyes lit up with joy and happiness at his reaction.
Nodding in farewell, Heero turned to head back to his tent where Wing was waiting paiently for him. He couldn't wait to get off some of the heavy eyeshadow he decided to wear today. He pulled off some of the outer layers of his clothing on his way to the changing room. A sudden shiver made him pause in his retreat. He then continued on after a breif hestiation to ponder what caused such a reaction…
Relena stood from her chair fuming. Trowa's eyes drifted over to her, wondering what had caused such a reaction from the woman. His eyes drifted towards her line of sight, trying to find what infuriated her so. He found himself staring upon the figure who had just won the costume contest.
"M'am?" Trowa questioned, walking over towards her. Relena spun so suddenly it made even Trowa halt in his footsteps, startled and glad he wasn't so close to the woman he would have knocked her down when she spun.
"Get your guards in order and prepared." Relena seethed, her eyes darker in fury. "Await for my further orders."
xxx
Storm clouds were starting to settle in. The wind blew, bringing a slight chill over the town that was once bathed in warmth. Duo didn't understand how this had happened. One moment he felt like the king of the world, and the next he was tied down to a wheel in the middle of an angry mob. He could see the fear in their eyes at the sight of them.
The euphoria has instantly ended when someone had called out; "That's no costume! It really is the demon of Notre Dame!" Screams erupted into the air as women shielded their young with their skirts, ushering them away from the demon.
He could see Relena's eyes on him. He drifted over to her figure. She was seated on her chain, unmoving as she looked at Duo with contempt. "Please…" he whispered under his breath. To the crowd and Relena, all they saw was his lips moving. Here he was, tied before an angry mob of people and at the mercy of everyone. His vision got blurry with tears as he tried to block out the hurtful names the people shouted at him, and the dreaful memories the words dragged up with them.
Over away from the scaffold, the Captain stood stiffly as he observed the scene. "Minister Darlain," Trowa's cold voice said over the jeering of the crowd, "I ask for permission to intervene. Public humiliation is…"
"No." Relena's cold voice cut easily through any other words Trowa was about to say. Her glanced at him briefly, a wicked smirk dancing upon her lips. "A lesson needs to be learned."
Trowa couldn't bite his tongue quick enough as he snapped back, "What lesson?"
Relena didn't even bother sparing him a glance this time; "Why the lesson of following orders." Trowa found himself unsure of whether or not Relena was talking about him following the orders he received from her, or of someone else entirely. He had a feeling in his gut it was the latter. He remained was he was.
The man turned his attention once again to the scaffold and saw, to his anger, that the townsfolk had taken to throwing rotten food and mud at the tied up teen. His hands clenched by his sides. These people didn't even allow the 'demon' to defend himself. His face was cool and calm, but he was sure if he wasn't as good at controlling his emotions his lip would be curling in digust at the sight.
The wheel began to spin around as more fruit and vegeatables were thrown at the saddened boy. His black clothing was torn in some places, showing pale skin beneath it. The ropes dug into that skin, creating a red flush to appear on his skin in the constricting areas.
Duo clenched his eyes shut, trying to block out everything. He wished more than anything that he was back home, back up in his sanctuary in the tower. He wanted his friends, his gargoyls to be there for him to tell him it was just a bad dream.
The wheel jerked to a stop and Duo dared open his eyes as an unnatural hush fell over the crowd. A small flicker of hope rose within him that the crowd had decided to stop in their torment, or at least ran out of things to throw.
His eyes were on the ground, unable to see the angry eyes of the crowd bearing down on him, tearing like a whip into his already torn heart. He jerked back when he felt soft fabric on his cheek, wipping off the juices of a tomato that was dripping down towards his neck. Duo lifted his eyes to stare into those of sincere prussian blue eyes. Despie the dreary atmosphere, Duo couldn't help but think the boy looked like a guardian angel.
Heero suddenly stood, making Duo cringe and shy away. He hated his reaction, but he knew people could never stand to be around him for too long.
Heero's heated voice drew Duo from his morbid and depressing thoughts. "I cannot believe you people! Have you no honor to look at this poor boy as one of your own and not that of a demon?" Inwardly, Heero smacked his head when he realized he was starting to sound like a certain oriental gypsy he knew. "He may be a sinner, but all of you are as well!" Heero turned his body to face that of the Minister Darlain. He lifted his arm, bracelets jingling as he pointed a finger at her, "And as are you!"
Relena stood up, fury in her eyes at his statement. The momentary pleasure she felt when the boy's eyes landed on her was long fleeted from her. None the less, the boy was certainly out of a different woodwork. He dared to stand up to her? 'I will have you and none other.' Her mind whispered darkly. She then saw the gypsy boy draw out a dagger from a sheath and narrowed her eyes at the sight. "You will not release him!"
The crowd came to a hush. Few, if not any at all, would stand up against the Minister Darlain. Stories were told throughout the streets and households of what awaited a person at the Palace of Justice.
Heero, who had turned to look back at Duo, then glanced over his shoulder to look at the Minister with defiance in his eyes. "Make me." The dagger sliced through the bonds, releasing Duo from the wheel and freeing him.
TBC
