Disclaimer: I don't own the G'boys, I just borrow them from time to time to play with and return them a whole lot happier, ne? Written for pleasure not profit.
Rating: NC 17
Warnings: Sap, angst, bondage, slavery, Yaoi, Lemon, lime, het, violence, dark, fluff, AU, OOC.
Pairings: 1x2, 3x4, 1xR, 2xR
Betaed by Karina *snugs*
Summary: Heero is the eldest son of the King of Colonia. His 21st birthday is approaching and as tradition dictates his betrothed is soon to arrive. However he is also bound by tradition to select his own personal slave. The events that unfold lead him down a path that not only tests his sanity but his humanity and love as well.
Author's Note: This fic was started back in 2004 and has languished on my hard drive ever since, only sporadically being added to when I have the time (and the muse the inclination) . Updates will be far between, but rest assured, it will be finished. Feed back is most welcome as are honest critiques. Flames will be dealt with as I deal with all flames – with sarcasm.
Commenced July 2004 – published January 2008
Muse is on a roll, must be something to do with the fact that I'm on Vacation... Please don't kill or maim me for this chapter, especially if you want the rest of this tale. I do promise a happy ending... honest...
"Bound, Bonded and Betrayed"
Chapter 46
Once the King had left the throne room, Wufei stepped forward and approached the guards and Duo. "Duo, I am so sorry," Wufei said quietly.
Duo looked up into the troubled eyes of the Captain. "It's not your fault, as I said before, no one will believe a slave, but I thank you for at least listening and trying."
The words did little to comfort Wufei though. "I should have done more." With a sigh and heavy heart, he looked to the guards. "We will leave for the dungeons in a moment. Please take the slave and wait outside for me, I will join you in a moment."
With a nod, the two guards placed a hand on Duo's shoulders and gently escorted the slave from the room, Wufei watched them leave then turned to approach the healer.
Still angry and in shock over the decision, Sally's mind was very troubled. Noting the Captain approaching her, she fixed her attention on him.
"Mistress Healer, would you kindly see that the princess is alright?"
"Of course, Captain."
"Thank you. I will also require you to attend to Duo shortly. I have to see that the King's orders are carried out." Wufei's voice hitched a little at the thought of the ten lashes that were to be given. He hated the very idea of corporal punishment, even if it was warranted in some cases. It was barbaric and in this case he didn't believe that Duo deserved it.
"I will tend to the princess and then collect what I will need and come to the dungeons, Captain." Sally's tone was quite short.
"I do not take any pleasure in this," Wufei snipped.
"I know, I'm sorry," she sighed. "Please, Wufei, go easy on Duo," Sally pleaded.
"I will do all that I can to ensure he is not abused." Without further preamble, Wufei left.
The princess had been assisted to her feet by her maid and was now moving slowly through the throne room. It was taking a lot for Relena to keep the smile from her face. The outcome was exactly what she'd hoped. Schooling her features to those of neutrality, she allowed Dorothy to gently guide her towards the door. A scowl crossed her features as she spotted the healer coming her way.
"Yes?" Relena snapped when the healer stopped beside her.
"Your Highness, the Captain has asked me to check that you are okay." Sally ignored the sharp tone.
"I am fine. Dorothy will take care of me," Relena replied. "I am returning to my chambers to rest and would appreciate no interruptions."
"As you wish." Sally bowed and moved away, keeping her thoughts and displeasure to herself.
Dorothy gave the healer a once over, dismissed her and focused back on her mistress. The pair left the Throne room and headed off down the hallway.
Left by herself in the Throne room, Sally scowled. How could the princess show so little compassion when she'd just sentenced her husband's slave to death? A chill went down Sally's spine. What would Prince Heero do once he got back and found his slave had been put to the sword in his absence? Sally had no doubt that the Prince would not be at all happy. "Oh, lord, what a mess," she muttered and took her leave.
# # #
Quatre made it across the castle courtyard and into the stables without being seen. Inside the stables it was warm with the smell of horses and hay surrounding him. Making his way along the center, Quatre aimed for the rear of the stable block to where the saddles and bridles were kept. He quickly located Rocky's tack and picked it up. Just as he was heading back out a hand was placed on his arm and he jumped in shock.
"What are you doing?"
Quatre spun around to see one of the stable lads and heaved a sigh of relief. At least it wasn't the stable master. "I – I - " Quatre stuttered for a moment and then decided it would be best to simply tell the truth. The stable boys were the same as him, slaves but in a different way. Besides, the news would be all over the castle by morn anyway. "Can I trust you?" Quatre whispered.
"Of course, unless you're about to do something that would hurt the King or the family," the stable boy replied.
"I need to find my master and Prince Heero quickly. There's a great injustice about to be committed and I can't let that happen."
The stable boy raised an eyebrow. "I don't understand."
Sighing to himself, Quatre realized that the stable boys, like the majority of slaves, were illiterate, only understanding and needing simple words. "Prince Heero's slave, Duo, has been accused of a crime he didn't commit. I have to find Prince Heero and bring him back otherwise Duo will lose his life tomorrow at dusk."
The stable boy chewed on that for a moment. All the staff and slaves at the castle knew Duo and all liked the shy, young slave. None would ever like to see any harm come to him. "You taking Rocky?"
Quatre nodded.
"Come on then, I'll give you a hand."
Heaving a sigh of relief, Quatre handed the bridle over to the lad and hurried to Rocky's stall.
It didn't take long at all for the two to have Rocky brushed and saddled up. Quatre led the gelding from the stable block and was about to head out to the courtyard when the stable boy stopped him. "Don't go that way, the sound of Rocky's hooves will alert someone. Follow me."
Nodding, Quatre turned the gelding around and followed the stable boy to the rear of the stable block and out a smaller door.
"Head down this track, it will take you to the fields that run beside the main road. It's the way we go when exercising the horses. No one should see you."
Slipping his foot into the stirrup and mounting, Quatre gathered his reins and turned to the stable boy. "Thank you. If anyone should ask where Rocky is, tell them I have taken him out for some exercise. I ignored you and did it despite you trying to stop me. I will take any punishment forthcoming."
The lad nodded. "As you wish. God speed."
Turning Rocky's head, Quatre dug his heels into the gelding's flanks, Rocky responding and breaking into a gallop. Aiming for the eastern sector of the kingdom, Quatre did his best to remember from the time he'd spent with his master in the war room, exactly which inns the princes' would be staying at during their travels.
# # #
Arriving back at the dungeons, Duo felt nothing but overwhelming despair and anger at himself. How could he have been so foolish to have allowed himself to believe that this master, this place would treat him any better than any other master or place? At the end of it all he always suffered. His master had promised him he wouldn't be beaten here. Quatre had insisted he wouldn't be flogged here... But that was all lies.
He was now about to be flogged for simply obeying instructions.
The prince had shown him compassion and as the prince was his master, he was bound by his slavery to obey.
The kindness he'd been treated with as he tried to adjust to this new way of slavery, the patience his master had shown in retraining him had only cemented his belief that this new master was different. He'd shared his very essence with the prince – bonded to his master.
And now he'd been betrayed.
To have put his trust in his new master, to believe all he'd said, obeyed each and every order, and for what?
This master was just the same as all the others.
Duo knew deep in his heart that this wasn't really his master's fault – his master wasn't even here; and that's what tore Duo's heart to shreds.
His master had betrayed his trust by not being here when he most needed him.
At least he would no longer have to suffer. Just one more flogging to endure and then he would have his wish... to be put to the sword and never suffer again. Despite the betrayal he felt, Duo couldn't help but desire to see his master's face one more time.
"Take him through to the main room." Wufei's voice broke through Duo's thoughts and brought him back to the here and now.
He shuffled along between the guards and into a large room. He could see the 'A' framed flogging post and shuddered.
"Duo, I am so sorry," Wufei said softly as he stood next to the trembling slave.
"Not your fault," Duo whispered back and squaring his shoulders, he held his head high and walked as best he could in the shackles to the A frame. He stopped in front and turned to look at Wufei. "I'm ready," he said.
With a heavy heart, Wufei nodded to the guards, the two men reluctantly taking Duo's hands and undoing the shackles. The slave's shirt was removed, his hands tied together and raised to the top of the A frame where they were secured. When questioning whether to restrain Duo's ankles to the base of the frame, Wufei shook his head. Once the guards had finished, Wufei moved forward to check the restraints and gently lifted Duo's braid of hair from his back to rest it over his shoulder.
A door to the side opened and another figure entered the room. He wore a mask over his face, black leggings and a sleeveless tunic. In his hand he carried a leather whip. The figure walked towards Wufei and stopped.
"Ten lashes and that is all." Wufei's voice was barely a whisper as he passed on the King's instructions.
The masked figure moved towards the A frame and waiting 'victim', pausing to check the restraints at the wrists. He made no comment about the ankles. Stepping back, he released the curled tail of the whip and gave it a couple of experimental flicks. Satisfied, he positioned himself at the side of the bound slave and raised his hand.
Although no one knew the identity of the masked figure that was allocated the task of castle executioner and responsible for administrating all punishments, the man assigned that role was well aware of all the castle residents. He knew of Duo, had seen him several times and bore no ill will to the shy slave.
He also had no desire to inflict pain on the young slave either.
Unfortunately this was his job and like it or not, he had a duty to perform. His skills were not called upon very often, something he was grateful for. But when they were, usually it was for some horrendous crime. He had witnessed grown men weeping and begging and had to harden his heart in order to carry out his tasks.
But this young slave...
Duo simply stood and waited patiently for his punishment.
Reluctantly, the masked man raised his hand and brought the first of ten lashes to bear against Duo's exposed back.
The whip bit into the soft flesh, the burning pain searing through nerves and Duo bit back the cry that wanted to escape. The second lash followed, skin bruising under the assault, Duo's back bowing as he fought to remain in control of his voice.
It was clear to all in the room that the executioner wasn't using the whip as hard as he should – but no one was going to call him on that.
By the time the eighth lash landed, the skin on Duo's back finally broke, the soft cry of pain from Duo finally breaking free. The guards and Wufei cringed with the sound of that cry.
The ninth lash landed, blood running freely down Duo's back as the slave jerked in his bonds. Wufei had to turn away, unable to watch the pain and suffering any longer.
The tenth lash found skin, barely touching before the executioner hauled back on it and dropped the whip to the floor as if it had burned him. He lowered his head, paused for a moment before bending to pick up the whip.
The tenth lash grazed his skin and once it was gone, Duo slumped in his bonds. It was over. His eyes closed as his mind fought to block out the burning pain that was his back. He was well aware that the flogging hadn't been as severe as it should have been and for that he was grateful, but it still hurt like hell and he could feel the blood running down his back.
Wufei met the executioner as he picked up his whip and coiled it ready to leave. "Thank you," he whispered.
The masked man nodded. "I have tried to be as careful as I could," he replied softly. "I do not wish him harm."
"He knows," Wufei said.
With a last look at his victim, the executioner left the room. Once the door closed, Wufei signaled to the guards and the three of them moved to release Duo.
# # #
The night was closing in around Quatre and still he rode on. Rocky could sense the urgency in his master and rose to the occasion, setting a fast pace but one he could maintain for some time. Quatre was busy running through his mind all the places his master had planned on visiting. He desperately searched his memory for the names of the inns, the route the princes' planned to follow and do his best to guess exactly where they would be now.
He was pretty sure they would be staying at the second inn, the only one in the small village of Altron. Given that the princes were not due to return until the eve after tomorrow, Quatre thought it would be the best place to start his search. If the princes weren't there he could find out if they had already passed through or were yet to arrive and then he'd at least know which way to go to continue to look for them.
He didn't have much time. Duo was due to be executed tomorrow eve and it would take Quatre several candle marks just to ride to the eastern sector, and who knew how long to locate his master and Prince Heero.
With a look of grim determination on his face, Quatre dug his knees into the saddle and urged Rocky on.
# # #
Returning to her quarters, Sally immediately set to the task of getting together all the items she would need. Jars of herbs were pulled down; seeds in packets joined the herbs followed by a few bottles of different liquids. With everything assembled on her work bench, Sally grabbed her bowl and began to empty into it several herbs and seeds. Gauging what she had in the bowl was enough, she began the task of grinding it all up and mixing it together.
Once the seeds and herbs were reduced to a powder, Sally began to add a little liquid from the bottles. Mixing everything together she continued to work the mixture until it was a smooth paste. Satisfied, she scraped the contents from the bowl and placed it in another jar.
Her basket was picked up and Sally walked around her work area, pulling out different items and dropping them into the basket along with the paste she'd just finished making. With everything she could think of now in her basket, Sally left her rooms and walked quickly through the castle halls to the steps that would lead her to the dungeons.
She had no idea what awaited her – but she knew Duo would need her help. All she could do was hope and pray that Wufei would keep his word and the damage to Duo would be minimal.
Ascending the steps she spotted a guard outside a cell door and aimed for him.
# # #
With the assistance of the guards, Wufei released Duo from his bonds, catching the slave as his knees gave out. Gently lifting him into his arms, Wufei bore the slight weight with ease.
"Captain?" one of the guards said.
"Yes?" Wufei questioned.
"Shall I carry the slave? Your tunic is getting soiled."
Wufei looked down to where Duo's blood was indeed soaking into the fabric of his uniform. "No, I will carry him. It's the least I can do and I don't care if my tunic is soiled. A soiled tunic is nothing compared to what he has endured."
"Yes, sir." The guard fell into step alongside Wufei, the other guard walking ahead of them and opening the door to the dungeon cell Duo had been allocated. Reaching the small cot, Wufei gently set his burden down, careful not to lay Duo on his bruised and bleeding back.
"Fetch me some warm water and soft cloth," Wufei ordered. He knew Sally would be coming shortly, but he didn't know exactly how long she would be and he really didn't want to leave Duo in this state.
The guard returned after a few moments, a bowl in one hand and several cloth strips in the other. He passed the items over to Wufei who set the bowl down and placed a couple of cloth strips in the water to soak.
"Duo, I am going to clean you up a little. Sally will be here shortly to tend to you. I apologize if I hurt you, it is not my intention to do so."
Duo gave a nod, unable to speak right now with the burning sensation in his back.
Lifting a piece of cloth from the bowl, Wufei squeezed the excess water from it and carefully dabbed at the welts and blood adorning Duo's back.
A soft hiss of pain escaped Duo's mouth, the water and cloth stung against his abused flesh despite Wufei being as gentle as possible.
"I'm sorry," Wufei said again, continuing to clean up the blood as best he could.
Squeezing his eyes shut, Duo bit his bottom lip to stop any further moans of pain from escaping. He mentally chastised himself for being so weak. This was nothing compared to what he'd suffered in the past at the hands of some of his masters. He'd had far worse and still dragged himself out to do a full day's work.
Living at the castle had made him soft.
Wufei carefully and methodically wiped away at the blood adorning the slave's back. The executioner had done his best not to abuse the slave too much, but he'd also had a job to do and if he'd not done it then he would have been in breach of his duties and would have found himself suffering the wrath of the law. The skin had been broken in a few places, luckily the cuts were not too deep and already the bleeding was beginning to slow. The welts were red and angry, rising up in stark contrast to the remaining creamy skin. Bruising was already appearing and Wufei's heart clenched at the thought of the pain this slave had endured.
Duo had taken his punishment without so much as a protest – even when he'd had every right to protest such a lashing. The fact that the slave had borne the whipping without screaming out, begging or pleading only told Wufei how strong Duo really was. It also told him that Duo had completely given up.
Right now Wufei hated himself and his position as Captain of the guard. He'd helped the prince to rescue this poor creature, brought him back to the castle and promised him a much better life...and for what?
Wufei was convinced that the slave hadn't done anything wrong, but without time to dig deeper he couldn't prove anything – and that ate at Wufei.
"Captain?"
Wufei was drawn from his thoughts when his name was called. He looked to the guard. "Yes?"
"The healer is here."
Sally didn't bother waiting for any further permission to enter, the guard had announced she was here and she wasn't going to wait any longer to see Duo. Basket in hand, she pushed past the guard and entered the cell. Seeing Duo prone on the cot, the bowl of now red water at Wufei's side and the state of the young slave's back, her hand flew to her mouth to stifle the shocked cry that wanted to escape. "Oh my lord," she muttered and hastily approached the injured slave.
With the healer heading towards him with a look of absolute thunder on her face, Wufei did the smart thing and moved out of the way.
"Oh my, you poor thing," Sally soothed, eyes taking in the damage. "How could they," she growled.
"The executioner went as easy as he could," Wufei said quietly.
"I know, I can see that," Sally snapped. "This shouldn't have happened in the first place. Duo doesn't deserve this- it's not fair..."
"The King's hands were tied, he had no choice," Wufei began in defense of the King.
"I know he didn't, but it shouldn't have even gone to trial today. This should have waited until Prince Heero was back and the charges looked into more thoroughly," she continued to growl. "This is all the fault of that self centered, spiteful-"
"Mistress Healer, that is enough. Say anything more and I will have to arrest you for treason," Wufei stated curtly.
Sally sighed. "Okay, I won't say anything more, but I won't take it back or apologize for speaking the truth."
"For what it's worth, I agree with you," Wufei whispered.
Sally managed a small smile for the Captain before setting to her task of cleaning Duo's wounds and relieving as much of his pain as she could.
# # #
"That was a most enjoyable dinner, Dorothy," Relena said as she reclined back in her chair. "It's been a very productive day too."
"Yes, mistress, that it has." Dorothy collected the plates and utensils, putting them back on the tray to return to the kitchens later. She poured her mistress a cup of tea and one for herself, both women moving to the larger chairs beside the fire and taking a seat.
"I think everything went off very well."
"That it did, mistress. I have to say that was a smart move you pulled to have the king make a decision today and not wait until the prince was back."
"Ah, yes, yes it was good, wasn't it? I'm quite pleased with myself for thinking so quickly. Now that gutter rat will get what he deserves and once my Heero returns he will see he doesn't need some piece of filth like that to look after him, that you and I are more than capable of caring for him." Relena gave a smug smile.
"You were magnificent, mistress. The whole rape thing, you certainly looked the part. I have no doubt you convinced everyone that that snipe tried to attack you."
"Hmmm, I did act that part very well, didn't I? With that performance no one should question what happened. Now, after tomorrow at dusk, once that rat is executed I can sit back and really relax.
A soft knock at the door caused both women to stop their conversation, Dorothy getting up to see who was there. She opened the door to find a dark haired maid standing on the other side. "What do you want?"
Hilde curtsied and kept her head bowed. The cook, miss Noin sent me to fetch the dishes, that is if the princess has finished," Hilde replied.
"Fine. They're over there," Dorothy replied and pointed to the small table.
Hilde entered the room, swept the tray up and left as quickly as she could.
Closing the door behind the maid, Dorothy returned to her seat by the fire and picked up her abandoned tea.
"Do you think she heard anything?" Relena asked.
Dorothy shook her head. "Highly unlikely, but if she did, there's no way she would tell anyone. She's nothing but a slave too and no one is going to believe her."
"Yes, of course you're right, Dorothy." The two women sank further into their seats, each lost in their own thoughts and very pleased with the way things had turned out.
tbc...
