Dueling Kingdoms

Dueling Kingdoms

Chapter Two

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Duo fidgeted rather irritated… the representative from the Oz Kingdom was late in his arrival. Since Zechs was still abroad he had been appointed to receive the representative. His brother Quatre was supposed to be here as well but he too was late. Duo adjusted the royal robes he wore and loudly proclaimed his annoyance. A servant stepped into the room and informed him that the representative from the Oz kingdom had just ridden in and would be present in the throne room in a few minutes. Duo straightened his clothes and stood up to receive him.

"Have you seen Prince Quatre? He is supposed to be here… go find him please." Duo told the servant. Just then a slightly disheveled Quatre ran in behind the man.

"I'm sorry I'm late… I just lost track of time." Duo lifted an eyebrow at his brother.

"Where were you? You're a mess." Duo motioned his brother over and began to straighten his hair and help him into his robes. "You look as though you had been rolling around in piles of leaves. Duo looked down curiously at his younger brother as Quatre's cheeks were a bit pink when Duo had said that… That's an interesting reaction… I wonder…. Duo abruptly forgot his train of though as the servant announced the arrival of the representative. Quatre stood silently behind him as Duo turned a regal gaze towards the door.

A young man stepped in through the door. Quatre's face went pale as he recognized the face of the young man. The messenger's face betrayed his own surprise as he recognized Quatre's face… Neither of them had given their names and they had consequently had no way of knowing the other's true identity. Duo did not fail to notice the looks on their faces and he frowned…

"Please present yourself and your message sir." Duo asked.

Trowa stepped forward and bowed slightly, "My name is Prince Trowa of the Oz Kingdom, I come with the message on behalf of my father Treize, he regrets that he is unable to be here himself but other business keeps him home this eve." Trowa fought the urge to steal surreptitious glances towards Quatre. They had been meeting in secret for two months now… it was such a clandestine meeting that had made him late for this audience. He wondered how much Duo knew.

Duo accepted the proffered scroll and handed it to a waiting servant. "I shall present it to my brother Zechs as soon as he arrives home from his travels. Business has also regrettably kept him from being here as well. Now if I may offer you some hospitality, your ride must have been long and tiring. Please have some food and drink before you return." Duo sent for some servants to bring in the food and drink and then offered Trowa a seat. Quatre sat close to Duo, keeping his eyes fixed down in his lap in total silence. As soon as the servants had brought the food and drink Duo dismissed them so that they could speak in privacy. He pulled Quatre aside politely and spoke in whispers to him.

"Quatre… don't tell me that HE is the one you've been sneaking out to see! Do you have any idea who that is?! That is Prince Trowa… of OZ! Quatre what were you thinking! They could have taken you hostage any time and killed you!"

"NO!" Quatre winced at the volume of his voice and then lowered it again… he looked very distressed. "He would never do that! He wouldn't hurt me Duo! I didn't even know his name… and I never told him mine either… he never knew who I was and I didn't know who he was either… Duo… he understands me… I need that… and…" Quatre paused… not sure of whether to go on or not…

"And what?" Duo pushed.

"And… he loves me Duo… and I love him too… Please don't tell Zechs… please… I'm begging you Duo… I love him." Quatre pleaded.

"Hello! We are on the brink of war with them Quatre! How can you even say that! After all the things their soldiers have done to our people! Raping and killing innocent women and children… burning crops so that our people starve!" Duo fought to keep his voice down.

"He never did any of those things… its not his fault… how can he control Treize… he can't do that anymore than you can control Zechs! You know that! And I love him… doesn't that count for anything at all! How about love conquering all… maybe this could help peace…" Quatre said dejectedly, he didn't believe in that last statement any more than he knew Duo would.

"Who ever said love can conquer anything? I don't believe in that crap. You can't see him anymore Quatre… especially now that he knows who you are. I'm sorry Quatre… but it's too dangerous… I'll leave you alone to say goodbye…" Duo turned from his brother and left the room… he knew this would hurt Quatre… but it would be better for him in the long run… nothing could come of such a misplaced love affair… war would tear them apart eventually… better that it happen now before Quatre got too attached.

~*~

Trowa watched as Prince Duo left the room and then he watched in alarm as Quatre covered his face with his hands and sank to his knees. Trowa was at his side in moments. Quatre turned and buried his face in Trowa's shoulder. Through his tears he explained what his brother had said. Trowa's brow furrowed.

"We can't let this happen Quatre… I don't care who you are… and I don't care what they think… I'm not leaving you here to die. You're coming with me… If we leave now we'll have a head start and we can escape this Quatre… I'll go to the ends of the Earth for you if you want me." Trowa said as he looked into the smaller boy's eyes. They were red rimmed with tears. Quatre wiped them and nodded.

"I don't want to lose you… not know not ever… " Trowa helped him to his feet and took him by the hand. Together they crept from the throne room. Trowa was going to creep stealthily out the way he had come.

"Wait… I know a safer way…" Quatre pulled Trowa down a hallway and to his room. Trowa looked around at the room… wondering how on earth they were going to escape this room… the only way out appeared to be the door they had come in. Quatre pulled him over to a tapestry.

"Quatre… where are we going? We don't have time to waste…"

Quatre pulled aside the tapestry revealing a secret door which he opened and slipped through. "Just follow me…" Quatre told him.

They stepped through into Duo's room. Quatre stopped dead as he saw Relena.

"What do you think you're doing?" she demanded crossly, "and who is that?" her eyes widened as she realized just who it was. "What the hell is he doing here?" She hissed at Quatre.

Quatre went to move past her without answering her. She caught his cheek with a stinging slap and then grabbed his arm twisting it.

Quatre cried out softly as she held him, suddenly he was loose again and he stumbled a few steps back. He blinked in surprise as he looked up to see Trowa towering over Relena with a hand clamped firmly over her mouth. Quatre started forward in alarm. If she screamed then they would be found out and they would send Trowa to the dungeons for certain. Suddenly Relena slumped over and Trowa set her gently against the wall on the floor.

"Trowa! Is she...?" Quatre began.

Trowa shook his head, "she's just unconscious… I used a pressure point… she'll wake up with a bit of a headache but that's all. Let go…" Quatre nodded and pushed aside another tapestry which hid the door leading outside.

Together they made their way through the secret passages in the castle and crept to the stables. Trowa saddled his horse quickly and climbed into the saddle. Quatre pulled a riding cloak over his shoulders and took Trowa's hand as he pulled him into his saddle. Quatre wasn't nearly as good a rider as Trowa and so Trowa put him in front of himself in the saddle and put one arm around his waist.

"Hold on tight Quatre… I'll get us out of here."

Trowa heeled the horse into action and tore off towards the gates. The guards scrambled at to close them. They thought that Quatre was being kidnapped.

~*~

Upstairs Duo heard the commotion outside… he had just been about to go back into the room and tell Quatre it was time Trowa left. He ran to the balcony and saw he horse tearing through the gates. He narrowed his eyes at it until he saw clearly a flash of blonde hair.

"QUATRE! STOP!" Duo raced back inside and flew down the stairs. He shouted commands to the guards to mount up. God… don't let him get killed… please god look after my little brother! Duo didn't even bother to grab a cloak. He ran for the door. A guard stopped him.

"You may not go Prince Duo, its too dangerous… the Oz Troops might be out there. You need to stay here!" Duo fought them but they would have none of it. The guards mounted their horses and raced after the pair. Duo was held in his room… with the passages guarded. No one wanted to be responsible for the death of two princes… they preyed they would be able to return Quatre safely.

Duo pounded on his door until his fists were red and his voice hoarse. He wanted to go after Quatre… He slumped against the door… Quatre… I should have let you go… I shouldn't have told you what I did… dear god this is all my fault. You didn't deserve this Quatre. He sat down on a chest at the foot of his bed dejected. How could he have made such a mess of this… now there would be war for certain… and Quatre would be caught in the middle.

The door swung open and standing in the doorway was the angry figure of Relena.

Duo sighed irritated. "Go away Relena. I'm not in the mood to deal with you."

"I most certainly will not! You let that beast loose in the castle and what's more! You let him put some kind of spell on Quatre. He never thought very clear to begin with and now he is enamored of that filthy Oz creature. BAKA!" She slapped him across the cheek and he growled at her. He stood up and shoved her back.

"Don't hit me! I had nothing to do with that! Its your own fault that Quatre felt so hated in his own house that he had to go to some stranger to feel like he was even human. What with you telling him he was unwanted and a mistake and that he killed Mom… it's a wonder he made it this far. I hate you Relena!" Duo decided the he had had it. He wasn't going to put up with her whining and complaining and finding fault, not tonight.

"He's a freak… a disgrace to our family… Couldn't you tell… He is attracted to that other boy. He's a little faggot! He's dirty… we'd be better off without him…" She was abruptly cut off by Duo's grabbing her and shaking her. She yanked free and hit the wall and stared back in at her brother in shock. He had never gone so far before.

"GET OUT OF MY SIGHT! I don't want to hear or see you ever again! You hateful little bitch! You're ten times as dirty as he'll ever be! I've seen you in the stables… disporting yourself with the stable boys… I don't ever want to hear you say those kinds of things about Quatre ever again or I'll tell Zechs all about your little trysts! NOW GET OUT!" Duo was nearly white with rage as he shoved her out the door and slammed it on her shocked face. He was shaking with rage as he clenched and unclenched his fists.

~*~

The horse had been wounded by a crossbow bolt to the back leg and now they were fleeing on foot. Trowa pushed Quatre in front of him as they ran. Luckily Quatre was fairly familiar with the terrain so the darkness of the night didn't slow him very much. Unfortunately neither did it slow the guards much. Quatre screamed as Trowa suddenly fell against him.

"Trowa! Trowa! What's…" Quatre gasped as he saw a crossbow bolt protruding from between Trowa's shoulder blades. "NO!" Quatre threw his arms around Trowa, supporting his larger frame with his own meager strength. He stumbled onwards.

The guards caught up with him now that he was so burdened with Trowa. He felt them lifting Trowa away from him. He yelled at them in his most imperious voice to desist. But they paid him no heed. Strong hands held his arms and pulled him back as he watched Trowa go down fighting in the midst of a group of guards. Quatre screamed for them to release Trowa. He struggled violently, kicking and punching to try and get free. After a brief scuffle the guards stepped back from Trowa… he was laying on the ground… his skin paling even as they stood there… blood covered his clothing and his hands. Two of the Sanq kingdom guards lay dead near him. Quatre fell deathly silent and still. He stared at Trowa's body. The guards loosened their grip on him. He threw himself forward over his lover's body and sobbed. His wordless cry sent a chill through all those present. After a few moments he was pried loose and put on a horse in front of a guard who proceeded to take him home. Quatre stared back at Trowa's body through tear blurred eyes. He looked down at his hands and clothes… bathed in the blood of his lover. He felt dead inside… He just kept staring at the blood. Wishing it was his own.

~*~