A/N: Thanks for the reviews, guys. Quick explanation, the reason mail is being delivered even as Raito travels with Matt is because he is not the ONLY mailman in the two Kingdoms. -wink- So look out for the other one!
Anyway, Brave Hero
seven.
It took almost an hour to calm Matt down after the conversation with Mello was terminated. Dakota watched interestedly as Matt stormed around the room, sometimes on the verge of tears but angry nonetheless, and Raito following him, trying to get him to behave. Finally, Raito forced Matt to sit down on one of the large flower petals. Matt looked up at him through his fogged up goggles and sighed heavily, placing his chin in the palms of his hand.
"What am I going to do?" he moaned.
Raito shrugged. "Go through with it. Surely, Mello will come to his senses. If you're really his boyfriend, you know how he can be…"
"Oh, I know! I've had to put up with it since we were kids! But since he's been kidnaped and all, you think he'd be more adult!"
Raito thought back on Matt's childish whining and thrashing about and wondered just who he could call not-adult. Nevertheless, the brunet sat down next to Matt in comforting silence. Then, there was a low grumble and Matt looked down at his stomach disappointedly.
"Ugh… I forgot about being hungry…" he said, laying back.
Dakota then took this chance to smile and wave the boys over the corner of the room. "I heard your stomach talking a while ago!" he called. "You can have something to eat if you want!"
Matt blinked, sitting up.
Raito stood, pulling Matt up with him. As they walked around the corner, Matt murmured, "It's not flowers, is it?" and Raito elbowed him in the ribs.
In a few minutes, they were standing in front of a wooden table that seemed to be coming out of the floor, flourishing with colorful foods on large leaves that served as plates. The wooden chairs surrounding the table were also coming out of the floor and Matt squealed happily, taking his seat on the left side of Dakota as he sat. Raito calmly sat on Dakota's right side and he and Matt surveyed the dishes that Matt had never seen before.
"Thank you so much for this," Raito said to Dakota. "You've really been such a help."
"Oh, of course it's no problem-"
"Okay," Matt announced, cracking his knuckles, "I'm about to keel over from starvation so I'm going to do the smart thing and not ask what any of this is."
"Matt!" Raito chided.
Dakota laughed. "It's all right, Raito, surely he isn't used to these things. Where are you from anyway, brave hero?"
Matt picked up a fork on the side of his leaf and began to slice into something that seemed flower-like in texture and was bright purple and yellow. A piece fell off and Matt chucked into his mouth, chewing thoughtfully. "Hey," he said after swallowing, "this isn't bad... Oh, I'm from Tokyo."
"I've never heard of that place before."
"Yeah..." Matt drawled, skipping the niceties and throwing the rest of the dish into his mouth, chewing raucously. "Apparently no one around here has." He shook his fork at Raito teasingly. "They all think I'm crazy."
Raito squinted. "Just a little."
"Well, I'm not. At first," he said, slowing his inhalation of the food, "I thought I was dreaming. But you can feel things here and it hurts and, well, I can taste this... So I guess I can't be dreaming. It's so weird... I guess playing all those games must've really taken its toll on me."
Matt turned back to the rest of the food after his musings, casually inspecting each dish before throwing it into his mouth, and Raito sighed, not really touching his meal. He looked at Dakota and said, "I hope he is able to rescue Mello... but if he isn't, Rodger will attack Navariel, you know. It'll all be a mess. Near won't hesitate to fight. We still don't even know what he wants the princess for..."
Dakota nodded. "You don't think you can make it in time?"
"We've had... problems."
"Those damned Kogs for one," Matt said over his mouthful. "Glad they're behind."
"But there is more ahead," Raito insisted.
Matt groaned, a bit of leaf falling from his mouth. "How much more?"
"We are only still in Oriciel. We have not yet even reached the Gatekeeper. If you do not manage to get yourself together and not run like a coward-"
"You were running too!"
"I'm not the one attempting to rescue Mello!"
"You're helping me, aren't you?" Matt asked, desperate. He did not want to admit it but Raito was the only thing he had beside that stupid rock in his back pocket and his map. If Raito were to leave him, he'd have to go it alone and he knew nothing of either Kingdom. It was because of Raito that he had escaped the Kogs and from his past gaming experiences, Matt believed Raito whole-heartedly when he said there were bigger dangers ahead.
"Aren't you?" Matt insisted when Raito said nothing.
"Yes, I'm with you but I am only doing my job as a mailman. That's all I am, I can't do anything more," Raito said, resigned.
Dakota sighed, looking at Raito. "Do you really only mean to deliver mail, Raito?"
"Yes," he said, his lips pressed together tightly, "that's what I mean to do."
Matt rolled his eyes. "You always were impossible, Yagami."
Raito turned the faintest shade of red and stood in a huff from the table, pushing his chair back.. He nearly shouted at Matt, "Stop calling me that! I don't know what more you want from me when I'm doing all I can for you."
Matt blinked, startled. "I didn't mean-"
But Raito turned away from both of them and went off around the corner. When he was out of sight, he said, "When you're ready to leave, tell me."
Matt just stared after him, not sure what was wrong.
King Near,
I am sorry it has taken me all this time to finally contact you about Princess Mello. Things have been hectic in Oriciel as of late. The people are very worried about their princess. But I know that Mello is in good hands as you would not have taken him had you not reason to do so. As such, I fear that you are willing to defend your treasure by means of force should we attack Navariel. As the princess's advisor, it is my duty to take up all decisions of defense and foreign affairs in his absence and so I have decided to call a truce. I request that you let Oriciel be and in return, we will allow that you keep Princess Mello. I will take over the throne his place and we will never pose a threat to your Kingdom.
Rodger Ruvie.
Gevanni lowered the blue and white paper that the letter had been written on and peered over it at the young King who sat in his usual place on the floor, neglecting his throne at the head of the room. The blinds covering the large floor-to-wall windows were drawn, blocking out what little daylight actually came to Navariel. The room was covered in the blue glow from the monitors surveying Mello in his room.
Near had been silent as Gevanni read the letter to him and Hal stood at Gevanni's side, sending him strange looks as Gevanni, for effect, attempted to read in Rodger's voice. Near simply watched the train run on its tracks around the large room, sitting with one knee pulled up to his chest.
Gevanni cleared his throat. "That's all, sir."
Near nodded slightly, holding a plush rabbit in the crook of his arm, smashing it to his chest. It was silent sill, only the train making noise until Hal could stand the tension no longer and asked attentively, "Will you consider his truce, sir?"
Near held the rabbit tighter if that was at all possible and looked up at his advisors with a worryingly large frown on his face. "Consider? I would never do such a thing. The way Rodger speaks to me... he will 'allow' that I keep Mello when Mello is mine already? Does that honestly make any sense?"
Gevanni and Hal shook their heads in unison.
"Rodger is an idiot," Near grumbled, brooding slightly. He curved his back and placed his face onto his knee, not allowing his expression to be seen.
Gevanni looked at Hal and whispered, "It's pretty assuming of Rodger to think that he can just take over Oriciel."
Hal nodded. "Surely that would not go over too well with Oricielians."
"Right, right," Gevanni said thoughtfully, "Mello wasn't always the calmest or most sober person but he would take care of their needs..."
"Plus, he isn't so bad looking..."
"Rodger, on the other hand."
The two of them shivered involuntarily.
Near lifted his head after having listened to Hal and Gevanni's supposedly private conversation. He seemed thoughtful for a moment before looking over at them with his famous indifferent expression and called them to attention.
"I know what to do," he said slowly. But it seemed an unfinished thought and as his two advisors waited to hear Near's idea, Near rolled onto the floor on his belly and held the rabbit out in front of him. He said to it, "We shall attack Oriciel. Hold nothing back."
Hal blinked and Gevanni gasped and, forgetting himself, shouted, "What for?"
Near whipped his head around and glared lightly at the dark-haired man. "I was talking to the bunny, not you."
Gevanni gulped. "S-Sorry."
Near turned his attention back to the stuffed rabbit. "I will forge the Kingdoms together," he said with a trace of happiness in his voice. "Then Mello and I can rule as Queen and King over the entire land. It will be amazing," he said softly.
Hal felt the need to say something but didn't want to get snapped at as Gevanni had. She cleared her throat softly and said, in the squeakiest of voices, "But Oricielians and Navarielians are not compatible, your Highness. Having them live in harmony is... is a great feat indeed."
"But herein lies the genius," Near said, tilting his head at the rabbit. "The Oricielians will have to go."
Hal furrowed her eyebrows. "You are going to kill them all, sir?" she asked, trying to mimic a rabbit's would-be voice.
"I was going to enslave them but killing works too," he mused.
Gevanni groaned at the woman beside him. "You're making it worse," he whispered harshly. "Quit while you're ahead."
"Don't you think Mello would be... a tiny bit distraught at the prospect of his Kingdom being infiltrated and his subjects eaten alive?" she asked, ignoring Gevanni.
Near seemed thoughtful and Hal and Gevanni waited with bated breath at his verdict.
"I don't know," he said. "... We shall ask him."
Hal blinked. "Ask?"
Gevanni took a hesitating step towards the monitors. "Would you like the sound on, your Highness."
Near waved a hand. "No, not this time. Please, bring him to me."
Gevanni paused, only for a second, and then nodded, bowing slightly, and waving to the two guards standing over in the back of the room. He told them to fetch the princess and they bowed to him and left the three alone in the silence. There was a twenty minute period in which nothing was said and Near only played with his rabbit in contemplative silence and Hal and Gevanni felt it prudent to not say anything.
When the guards returned, the silence was broken.
"GET THE FUCK OFF OF ME OR I'LL SCRATCH YOUR FUCKING EYES OUT, YOU PIECE OF SHIT!" Mello wailed, thrashing about in the guards' grips. He kicked and squired but they held him firmly. Careful, though, as they knew what might befall them should they harm Near's future wife.
The doors closed behind the three of them and the guards, tired of Mello's constant insults and physical abuse, dumped him onto the floor. Mello cursed under his breath and looked up, his blond hair falling in a part over his face. His blue eyes met with the cerulean glow of the room and he squinted to be able to see clearly. There were three figures in the room other than he and the guards - two standing and one sitting, small and hunched over. The figure he knew to be Near.
Mello rose to his feet and the white, sheer dress he had been wearing with ruffled ends hung down to mid-thigh. He shook his hair out of his eyes and, though he felt his usual anger at being carried and tossed around like a rag doll, he determined to keep himself calm. True, this was not how he had imagined it, but this was no doubt the time to carry out his plan.
The two figures who had been watching Mello from his entrance looked at him as he walked across the cold tile floor onto the soft carpet and stood feet away from Near.
"So," he breathed, placing a hand on his hip. "What'd you want me for?"
Near didn't look at him, only kept his back turned to the princess. "I wished to speak with you, Mello. I'm sorry you had to be forced in here like that. I do hope they were gentle."
The guards swallowed harshly.
Mello only rolled his eyes. "A brute is a brute. What did you want to talk about anyway?" he asked, taking another step. He looked over at Hal and gevanni who were standing idly by and watching the interaction with interest. Mello scowled at them and then turned his head at the two guards behind them. He said, exasperated, "All right, who the fuck are these people? Can't we talk alone, Near?"
"These are my advisors," Near introduced, holding out a hand in their direction. "Gevanni and Hal."
Gevanni waved and Hal nodded.
Mello frowned. "All right, okay, but what are they doing here?"
Hal held her hands up. "We'll leave, if his Highness would like. But I must insist that the guards stay in here for the King's protection. You are a captive, after all. We don't know if you would be obliged to strangle him."
Mello rolled his eyes. "How much trouble could I be in this stupid dress?"
Hal blinked and looked over to the guards who had busted lips and black eyes. She said, "I must insist."
"Aw hell!" Mello cried out, throwing his arms into the air. "I don't fucking care - watch if you want to, you perverts."
Gevanni paused, finger raised. "Pervert...?"
Mello walked around Near, his left eye twitching in slight annoyance as the train ran along the tracks in the room, repeating its "choo choo" noise every so often. This really was not the proper mood-setting for seduction but Mello supposed beggars couldn't be choosers. After all, this must've have been what Near had called him for and Mello contemplated his next move as Near spoke.
"I wanted to get your opinion on some things, princess. As you must know, your Kingdom has been worried about your safety. This, however, does not apply to all over your subjects as I have just received a letter from your advisor this morning. Gevanni, if you would please re-read the letter to Princess Mello."
"Ah, yes, your Highness." Gevanni cleared his throat and held the paper up. "King Near, I am sorry-"
"Ah... Mello..."
Gevanni's head popped over the top of the paper and he stared curiously as Mello sat down beside Near, placing a delicate hand on top of Near's which rested on his knee. Near looked up, an unusual expression on his face, one of near shock as Mello smirked at him suggestively and leaned over so their noses almost touched.
"Why're you having that idiot read crap like that, huh?" Mello asked, his voice like velvet. "Shouldn't we be talking about romantic things?"
"Romantic..." Near blinked, wide-eyed and grasping onto his bunny for dear life. "Mello, is there something you would like to say?"
Hal watched, too stunned to make any sort of comment to Gevanni and vice-versa.
Mello shook his head and laughed as he grasped the collar of Near's loose clothes in his fists and pulled Near on top of him as he lay down on the carpet. He said, "I've got something I want to show you."
Mello got the distinct feeling that Near had very little idea of what he was hinting at by the look of confusion and light discomfort on his face. Mello groaned inwardly as he thought maybe he should not leave it up to a shut-in to take the lead in such matters, so he rolled over with Near, putting himself on top. Near had somewhere in the tossing and turning lost his rabbit and his hands were free. Mello took this opportunity to take one of Near's smooth, pale hands and shove it right up his dress.
Near gasped and flushed heatedly while everyone else in the room shouted out in horror.
"Oh my god, what do we do?" Gevanni nearly wailed, hopping frantically around Hal. "The King is being raped! Goodness!"
Hal slapped Gevanni once in the face and then called over to Near, "My King, are you quite enjoying yourself? Or would you like us to stop him?"
Mello, ignoring the two advisors, leaned into Near's neck and placed a fevered kiss there. "Don't be shy, for fuck's sake," he whispered in his ear. "I've got what you want and you know how to use it."
Near strained to move from under Mello but the blond had him pinned. "Mello, please... can't you wait for the wedding night?"
"No, I want it now - whatthefuckinghell?" Mello sat up, all sultriness gone from his voice. He stared at Near as if he had just struck him. "What are you talking about - wedding night?"
Near sighed, able to prop himself up on his elbows with the lack of weight on his chest. "This was not how I planned on doing it," he said slowly, "but I was going to ask your hand in marriage."
And for Mello, is seemed that all time stopped. He stared at Near for what seemed like a very long time but was, in reality, only a few seconds until the weight of what had been said came crashing down on Mello like a raging waterfall.
"Fuck. No. I am not going to be your housewife, Near! Have you lost your damn mind?" Mello shouted, rising to his feet, his initial plot of seduction abandoned. So - Near wasn't after his virginity after all. He was after Mello's hand in marriage? The very notion made Mello sick to his stomach.
"Not housewife," Near said calmly. "Queen. I want-"
"La la la la la!" Mello cried out, plugging his ears with his index fingers and parading around the room. "I'm not listening! You can keep your delusions to yourself, freak!"
Mello waltzed over to the door that way, his fingers shoved into his ears and fuming mad, almost incoherent with denial. He said to the guards, "I want to go back to my room now!" The nine words he thought he'd never say.
They looked at the King for approval and Near sighed, nodding to them. When the doors shut behind them, Near looked back at his rabbit laying on the floor and said most sincerely, "That went well."
To be continued.
A/N: That's all for now. Please tell me your thoughts.
