"The Princess is going to be crowned Queen next spring," Cathy murmured softly as she read the official royal parchment that had been hand delivered to the household. Every family, from the richest of the elites, to the poorest of peasants would have an exact copy of this decree, of that, there was no doubt. Princess Relena was to become Queen. "And in celebration she's visiting all the surrounding towns to welcome her new subjects. Why, next month, she will be in our town for a ball and I don't have anything to wear."

"That's fine, since we're not going," Trowa interjected. They were having breakfast; Heero's first at the table since he had become well enough to walk with assistance.

"Oh Trowa," Cathy admonished him gently. "They're expecting everyone to be there, nothing bad can happen, surely!" she exclaimed as she read over the decree once more before rolling it back up. She gave her brother a sad look as she carefully retied the velvet ribbon. "With all those people there, we won't even be noticed. Or bothered with."

"Zechs' sister is to become Queen," Trowa said as he returned to his meal. "Not he, the elder brother, but his younger sister was chosen above him. If you think for a moment that he won't take that personal insult out on the first person he can, you're sorely mistaken. We're not going."

"Sally and Noin will be going," Catherine said as she tucked the keepsake away into a small wooden chest. "And you know they'll want us to come, too."

"No."

Duo lifted one eyebrow and exchanged a look with Heero from across the table. Heero answered with a sharp quirk of his own before wisely addressing his plate with more interest than it merited his meager appetite.

Catherine mulled about a moment longer before sitting back in her seat. "The days are getting warmer now," she commented before she started her meal.

"No," Trowa answered.

"I'll have to get some lighter material to make my dress, with all those bodies; it's going to be overly warm. Perhaps they'll have the ball outside."

"No."

"And you'll all need new outfits, I can't have you going looking like farmers, can I?" she chuckled.

"Catherine," Trowa's voice held a sharp edge, dangerous in its budding anger, as he addressed his sister once more. "We're not going."

"We are," Cathy countered immediately and her eyes flashed her own anger. "We're safe, Trowa. The Princess has a tender heart, she wouldn't allow anything to happen to any of her subjects, be they human or not! We could reason with her! Perhaps she could even protect us!"

"That's nonsense, and you know it! Go crawling to some woman for help from her own brother?"

"Do you want to live or die?" It was Quatre that had broken the argument by speaking up softly, but firmly. "We should be diplomatic."

"Quatre…" Trowa said, his voice pleading, but the heated emotion drained from it.

"I would like to meet her," he said as he lifted his chin stubbornly. His countenance firm and yet soothing at the same time. Heero felt a flash of pride, having forgotten, briefly in the situation, of who Quatre was to his own people.

"I can't…"

"Prince, to Princess."

"Prince?" It was Catherine who let out the surprised exclamation.

"Of my people, yes," Quatre said simply. He lowered his head to break open his biscuit, and then lifted his eyes. Cathy and Trowa were still staring at him in shock. "What?" he asked quietly.

Trowa inhaled deeply and lifted his hands to slowly rub his face. He knew there was no way to argue out of this, so he simply asked the question on his tongue. Of course it sounded rude, and he was sorry, but relieved when Quatre didn't take it that way. "Can you prove it?"

Heero spoke up. "He doesn't have to, it's true."

Duo nodded his head, looking at the siblings as if they were crazy not to believe.

"Your kind actually has hierarchy?" Cathy asked, curious as she leaned forward on the table. Her elbows brushed the wooden surface before her manners kicked in and she tucked them against her sides.

"Of course. Even the Keepers have a hierarchy," Quatre explained as Heero nodded his head once.

"Wufei," Duo said as he wrinkled his nose. "But a Keeper's status does not go above a Unicorns."

"No," Quatre answered gently. "And I think Cathy is right; there will be too many people there, we should be safe in great numbers."

"But what if something goes wrong?" Trowa tried again once more, a valiant effort in his last attempt to put to bed this nonsense.

"Well," Quatre said, pulling the word out slowly as he began to pick the fluff out of his biscuit, crumbling it onto his plate. "We go from there?"

Duo grinned at his friend. "I knew I'd rub off on you!"

Heero shook his head slowly and suppressed the urge to groan deeply at that.

"You have a month to learn to walk again," Duo said as he loomed over Heero. The smell of lunch cooking wafted gently on the breeze beneath the large apple tree the young Keeper rested beneath.

"And you have a month to learn to dance," Heero countered.

"Dance…" His eyes snapped open. "Oh! That's what they were doing when I met Sally and Noin! I went to get your tunic and the humans were playing music and jumping around like they were mad," he said as he rubbed the back of his head thoughtfully. "I didn't know if they were rabid, or had lost their minds. Then, one woman grabbed me and I was helpless because she had me in such a strong grip! She drug me around in circles laughing like a loon. I don't see why they find that so enjoyable."

"She was probably drunk," Heero quipped. "It was… festive dancing, there are different kinds, you know."

"Why?" Duo sank down cross-legged before his Keeper and got comfortable.

"For the occasion," Heero answered, but didn't elaborate. That was something Duo absolutely couldn't stand about his Keeper. Heero's idea of a conversation was short and sweet, and if you wanted to learn anything from him, it had to be a watch and see situation. A long beat of silence passed between them, Duo staring intently at Heero for more information, Heero, his back leaning against the tree and his eyes closed, continued to say nothing more. His heavy lashes fluttered against his cheeks once as the wind pushed the boughs above just enough to put a heavy ray of sunlight on his face.

"You really hate to talk, don't you?" Duo asked as he bit back his frustration.

"I don't see the point in prattling on."

"I want to know why dancing has to have occasions."

"You're just going to have to judge it for yourself, and then learn why."

"You're not even going to give me a warning first?"

"It's dancing, Duo. It's not warfare."

"Heh, you weren't the one being slung around the middle of the town square," Duo groused before slouching his upper body forward, his arms resting in his lap. The only answer he received was the tiniest pull of Heero's lips.

"Well," Duo grunted as he rose. He paused to stretch his arms high above his head and yawn grandly. "I think I'm going to go explore."

"Don't go far," Heero answered with a stern clip to his voice. "And don't go into the woods."

"What? Why not?" Duo asked in a disgruntled tone.

"You don't know what might be out there."

"I'm not afraid of what's out there," Duo scoffed as he began to walk away. "I just want to go by the creek."

"Just keep your head up and your eyes open," Heero warned. "You see anything funny, you head back this way, do you understand me?" When silence answered him, he opened his eyes and watched the other walk away from him. "Duo? Do you understand me?" he asked again in a firmer tone.

"Yes!" Duo cried out in exasperation. "See danger, run away from it and live another day!"

"Don't go too far and don't stay away for too long, Cathy's preparing lunch."

"I swear, you humans eat like pigs," Duo grunted to himself as he doubled his resolve and began to walk away from his Keeper at a speedier clip.

"I heard that," Heero's voice floated back to him.

"I heard that," Duo murmured again, his tone just a breath away from a whisper. The day was starting to get too warm, and the clothing he was wearing had made him break out into a fine sheen of sweat. When the path gently sloped down towards the forest at a soft left turn, Duo took the opportunity to remove his linen top.

"AHH," he cried out in a mixture of exasperation and relief once the cooler air of the forest struck his overheated skin. "How can they stand this?!" A bird called above his head and burst into wing as Duo spun the pale colored shirt in his left hand. He continued to walk along, closing his eyes and inhaling the fresh scent deeply. What was that Heero had said to him? Not too far? Run from danger?

The sound of running water drew his attention from his thoughts and he paused at the edge of the sparse forest. The river was still running hard from the spring thaw that continued on up in the mountains to their north. The water was eager to get along its way, bouncing along smooth stones that jutted out from the turbulent waters surface. Sparkles danced from the sunlight that washed this peaceful place in its warm glow.

"Wow," Duo whispered as the shirt fell from his fingers. It pooled onto a patch of tall grass as he walked to the edge. "I wish I knew this place existed before," he said as he turned his gaze upstream, and then down. A hidden oasis within the land of man. With a grin, Duo moved to sit upon a sun warmed rock, and began to finish undressing.

"I don't know where he is," Heero answered without opening his eyes. Judging from the footsteps, it was Trowa.

"That's fine," the tall archer answered as he sank to one knee by Heero's side. "How are you feeling?"

"I'll live," Heero answered. Together, they sat in a long contemplative silence, seeming to have a conversation that needed no words or gestures. Heero opened his eyes slowly and gazed up to Trowa, who seemed to give him a tiny nod before Cathy's voice broke the peace.

"Guys, it's almost time to eat!"

Turning, Trowa addressed his sister over his shoulder. "I need to gather Duo."

"He's coming," she answered, pointing towards the path. Trowa turned to look and then rose as the boisterous youth came towards them. A large smile painted his face and his amethyst eyes danced.

"That river is amazing," Duo grinned. "Need help, Heero?"

Without a word, Heero reached behind him to brace his palms against the rough bark of the tree, and with a determined grunt, he pushed himself slowly until his hips were off the ground. Trowa watched, waiting, as the Keeper drew one leg beneath him for leverage as he slowly rose. With a pained cry, and a sharp shake of his head when hands came out to assist him, he finally stood on his own two feet.

"Atta boy, Heero," Duo said gently.

"You better lean on one of us, if Cathy sees you walking by yourself, it will be all of our hides tanning by the fire tonight," Trowa said.

"Yeah," Heero answered, more out of distraction of the pain that flared up in his body than to simply answer. He reached out, putting his arm on Duo's shoulder and leaning into it when Duo's arm wound around his waist.

"Ready?" Duo murmured.

"Let's go," Heero answered.

"I was thinking out there," Duo said. "About our conversation at breakfast, how you're worried about Zechs and all…"

"Yeah?" Trowa's voice went up a sharp octave; this clearly was a subject he had no interest in rehashing.

Duo grinned at the tone; wounded pride, but then grew serious. "I think Cathy's right. Maybe if we show up there, knowing who'll be there, it will just prove to them that they can't push us around." He shrugged his free shoulder as their feet whispered through the eager spring grass.

"Maybe," Trowa agreed. "But I just don't trust him. He's a warrior, we are simple peasants. We just want to live our lives in peace. He'd not have it that way. He wants to turn the entire Kingdom into a barbarian's hell."

"It can't be that bad," Heero said as he turned his face to gauge Trowa's reaction.

"He's been corrupted by the Marquis. Treize Khushrenada. There's no good in that man."

"We've heard his name, even in our kingdom," Heero said. As they approached the house, Trowa slipped his arm around Heero's waist, and when the door was opened, Cathy greeted them with a warm and friendly smile. That warmth made Duo's heart tingle and he felt a surge of protectiveness. This was no friend standing before them, beckoning them to come in and eat. No, she was family, and you took care of family. After all these siblings had done to protect them, and feed them, it was apparent to the young unicorn that they, too, felt the same way.

"Alright," Cathy said. "I'm not the best dancer but let me show you what I do know." She took Quatre's hand in hers. "Let's see, your hand goes on my waist, just like so… right. And now, I place my free hand on your shoulder and we move in a square."

Duo, sitting by the fireplace, slowly stretched out on his side to watch. His head propped up onto his hand, he simply grinned as Cathy explained the mundane routine of the steps, counting them out in a "One, two three… one two… ow, no, it's okay Quatre. Let's try again."

Heero grunted as he and Trowa sat in chairs by the fire, watching with veiled amusement.

"I thought unicorns were supposed to be graceful," Trowa interjected when Quatre once again stepped on Cathy's foot. Cerulean eyes shot a nasty look at the archer, who in turn, continued to gaze into their depths with an overabundant air of innocence.

"Don't mind Trowa," Cathy said. "You're new at this and still healing." She shot her brother a nasty look as she continued to guide Quatre around the kitchen. "Duo, you're next!"

"Over my dead body," Duo grumbled.

"That can be arranged," Heero murmured to him, much to Trowa's surprised amusement. Duo glowered at the two and then propped his cheek once more upon his palm.

"Trowa, why don't you show Duo the steps?" Cathy insisted as she and Quatre began to move about their small personal space with a bit more grace.

Silently, Trowa rose and walked to the fireplace. He studied Duo for a long moment and realized that the braided youth had no desire to rise, so he reached his hand down, opening and closing his fingers in a silent command to rise.

"Good luck," Heero said. "He's… stubborn."

Duo's grin flashed up as he gazed into the Archer's face. "I'm stubborn," he said with a smirk.

"So am I," Trowa said. With practiced ease, his beckoning hand turned into a vice-like grip much to Duo's surprise, and he quickly snatched the slender wrist. Before the unicorn could argue, he was pulled to his feet and away from the fireplace.

"Alright, you're male, so you lead."

"Why do males lead?"

"That's the way it's supposed to be. Men lead."

"Huh, you haven't met a female from my tribe," Duo said. "Do what they say or get a kick. Or a jab. Or shoved off some tall cliff."

"Hilde isn't that bad," Quatre chided him gently as he and Cathy really got into the swing of things. With each turn, they alternated which shoulder to look over, and smiles took over their faces like radiant beams of summer sun. Cathy even began to laugh a little.

"Trowa, you'll have to play the flute for us when you're finished with Duo, then I'll dance with Duo while you play!"

Trowa answered with a noncommittal grunt as he positioned Duo before him. He wasn't keen on letting anyone lead him in a slow dance, especially someone much shorter than he, but it needed to be done. He was already looking forward to his first dance with the beautiful blond. Inhaling deeply through his nose, he put Duo's hand upon his hip.

"Hey hey hey, watch it there, pal," Duo answered quickly as he tried to back away. Rolling his eyes to the ceiling for a brief moment, Trowa simply shook his head.

"No, since you're leading, this is where your hand will go." Once again, he placed Duo's right palm against his hip, and then put his hand upon Duo's shoulder. "Hold my hand."

"Hm," Duo grumbled as he reached out to take Trowa's hand. Together, they stood in silence, awkwardly looking at one another.

"You… move. No, not backwards! Wait, no, Duo… hang on a moment. No, watch Catherine and Quatre, see how they're moving?"

"Yeah…"

"We do that."

"Alright, I think I've got this. Stop smirking, Heero, this isn't funny," Duo grumbled.

"Do you want us out of the way so you can have the floor?" Cathy asked.

"That would probably be a good idea," Trowa said as he and Duo collided into one another. "My fault… I'm used to leading."

"Well, why don't you lead then?"

"Because I already know how to dance and men lead the ladies."

"That lady led me in that village!"

"She was drunk," Heero interjected. "Quit stalling."

"Slowly… slowly," Trowa said as Duo began to move them in a small square, his movements stilted.

"There we go!" Catherine cheered as she took a seat next to Heero. Trowa began to let Duo lead him around, giving him more instruction as they circled the floor. It wasn't until it was already happening that he realized Duo was dancing them out the front door. "No! We don't leave the house, we just dance in a circle!" the helpless Archer cried out as they exited the home. Heero leaned forward and put his face in his hands to fight the overwhelming urge to laugh. Moments later, Trowa returned to the stone cabin.

"He bolted…"

"Wow, Duo really hates to dance," Quatre mused softly.

"Do you think we'll ever go home?" Duo whispered as he bedded down next to Heero. Cathy had washed their bedding that morning and it had spent the day in the cool breeze capturing the sweet smells of the budding spring. Trowa had fetched fresh straw for them to lay their blankets upon, to which Heero was extremely grateful. His wounds were indeed healing, but they were taking their merry time about doing it.

"I don't know," Heero whispered back. "I thought you liked it here."

"I do," Duo said as he eased down onto his side to face his Keeper. "Do you think we could live in this forest?"

Heero was quiet for a long moment while he contemplated that, but finally, he shook his head slowly. "No, not while there are people who know who and what we are, and where we are," he answered. "It's best for you to stay in that form, you'll live longer."

Duo pulled his pillow to him and grew comfortable as he continued to gaze at Heero's side profile. "What about the ball?"

"Quatre's right. We should be diplomatic; however, Trowa is right too. There is no win in this situation for us. I think Catherine and Trowa should go, I think we should remain behind."

"They'll be looking for us," Duo said with a frown. "Treating us like criminals just because of what we are!"

"Keep your voice down," Heero grumbled quietly.

Duo let out an explosive sigh and moved closer to Heero's side to share his body warmth. "Night," he muttered sullenly.

"Goodnight," Heero breathed in return.

A familiar scent roused Duo from his sleep and he sat up slowly. Moonlight poured in through the cracks of the barn wood, casting beams of light to lie in a slatted pattern upon the floor. Frowning, he sat in silence for a long moment before carefully rising. He had been draped over Heero's chest, his cheek resting against his sleeping Keeper's shoulder. Careful not to rouse him now, he slipped from the stall and tiptoed to the barn door. One quick look over his shoulder to confirm that Heero still slept, and he opened the large barn door enough to ease his slender body through.

The ground was hard from the night's cold, biting into the bare soles of his feet, but he paid it no mind. A light wind ruffled his shaggy bangs, bringing to him the scent once again, stronger and closer this time and a sinking sensation drug Duo's heart down towards his knees. He knew that smell; the stranger in the silver mask was back.

"Go away," Duo hissed.

"That's not very kind of you," Zechs answered from a shadow. "In that form, your sense of smell is amazing."

"I said go away," Duo whispered again, his voice dropping to a dark and husky tone as he moved further away from the barn. Zechs moved with him, coming to stand at the edge of shadow where the torch light of the sconce at the back door flickered and pushed it back. The warm glow of the light sent slivers of luminescence to caress the sharp edges of the mask.

"I take it your family got an invitation to Relena's coronation ball," the Marquis said as if it were the middle of the day and he and Duo were having a pleasant conversation as friends. "She'll be so disappointed if you don't show."

"She has no idea of who we are, and we plan to keep it that way," Duo answered. He stood stock still as the tall blond slowly began to pace, only his amethyst eyes trekking his every move.

"You're right," Zechs answered after a long pause. "You're very right. But that doesn't mean that I don't know. Nor Treize. He's eager to meet you." A wry smile tugged the corners of his full lips and Duo felt his hackles rise.

"I don't care what that mad man wants," Duo said. "He's nothing to us." He was pleased to see the smile slip from Zech's face. It was almost as if he had had the pleasure of reaching out and physically slapping it away.

"I'd be very careful with my words," Zech's said. "Very careful." Turning, he stalked towards the unicorn, who only stood his ground defiantly. "Treize is a man worthy of respect and you will give it to him."

"Over my dead body," Duo said, a smile tugging the corners of his lips this time. "But that's what you want, isn't it? Well, then, go ahead and do it, but oh… that would be murder then, wouldn't it? I'm no use to you in this form and I hate to tell you pal, but I can remain just how I am years after you've died without blinking an eye, or even aging a day. So go ahead, do what you will, but you won't be getting away with it."

Lighting flashed in the Marquis's hand and the cold blade with the bitter sharp edge nestled against Duo's throat. Duo held still, his mouth pulled into a grimace, but his eyes glittering and defiant. "Go ahead," he repeated to the tall blond. "There's nothing here to stop you."

"Leave him alone." It was Heero's voice that broke the standoff.

"Wounded Keeper," Zechs said, his eyes still on Duo, his hand steady on the hilt of his sword.

"Wounded or not, I'm still his Keeper, and you are threatening my charge." Pushing his back from the barn door, Heero took several deliberate steps forward. "Lower your sword."

"If I don't?"

"Then you'll get a knife through your throat," Catherine's voice spoke up from the doorway. "Or an arrow through the eye."

"So I see I'm outnumbered, then." Slowly, Zechs removed the blade from Duo's throat and made a show of hilting it. "Perhaps then, we shall speak at the ball."

"We will," Quatre answered as he wormed his way between Trowa, who stood with his arrow ready to let fly, and the doorway. "But it won't be with you. You can't push us to your will, and you will not take our lives. We will find a peaceful solution to this."

"Peace," Zechs whispered softly. "Sometimes by finding peace, you must have battle. You must have conquests and victory."

"Peace is victory," Quatre said as he moved, also barefoot, to stand by Duo's side. "You will not have us; we have the right to live, just as you do."

Giving a light, even good-natured scoff at Quatre, Zechs turned his head to Cathy, and then gave her a deep bow before adjusting his gloves. "Then I bid you all a goodnight, and until I see you next time…"

"Get out of here," Duo growled, his voice low and dangerous. Dismissing their unwanted guest, he turned to Quatre and gave him a soft nod before moving to Heero's side. "C'mon, let's go back to bed, nothing to see here," he said as he put his arm around his Keeper's waist.

"I told you this was a bad idea," Trowa said as he cut thick slices of bacon from the main slab. They were surprised at sunrise that morning when Sally and Noin showed up, bustling with energy and good cheer. Sally was pleased with Heero's recovery and encouraged him to get out and move more, much to Duo's good natured objections to it. Heero, nodding in his own stoic manner, agreed and promised to do so. Now, the women were busy gathering items to make bread while Trowa cut the meat and listened to them talk about the ball.

"Don't be silly, Trowa," Sally said. "The ball will be fun, and you with the long legs, why, I bet you'll be the most graceful dancer there!" She let out a soft laugh as the archer lowered his head, effectively hiding his eyes shyly behind his long shock of hair, although the faint tinge of blush rising on his cheeks from the praise wasn't lost on the girls.

"We've taught Duo and Quatre how to dance," Cathy said.

"You didn't!" Noin answered with a laugh as she cracked eggs into a bowl. "Duo! I get first dance!"

"Noooooo!" he called back while he stood before the wooden trough that served to wash the dishes. He was cleaning the silverware they would use that morning.

"I get second!" Sally teased and then elbowed Trowa gently when the protestations grew louder.

"I think Heero will be ready to dance by then," Cathy said as she wiped her hands on her apron. "And I get first dance, Heero!"

Heero didn't answer as he slowly sharpened a knife by the fire. He was too swept up in the energy of the moment. This was what family was; even with Keepers and their charges, but he had never truly known it for himself. Being an orphan was a lonely life, but Wufei had seen to all of his needs. All but this. The life budding around him made his heart ache with a joy he had never known. Lifting his eyes, he watched as Duo and Quatre washed and dried the clay plates, talking amongst themselves quietly.

"Heero? Don't I get your first dance?" Cathy asked as she began to mix the dough for their morning bread.

With a grunt, he came back to himself, lifted his eyes to meet hers, and gazed at her for a long while. Then, without missing a beat, and with a tiny smile to boot, he answered. "Of course, but remember, I lead."

She sputtered indignantly over her brother's sudden, hearty laughter.