Title: Dragon's Blood
Category: AU, Fantasy, RPG-ish magic, shounen ai
Warnings: Shounen ai, for those who don't read that sorta thing. Bitchy Relena. Violence, creepy monsters, individuals with insane
or icky minds. Whole lotta angst-ing goin' on.
Pairings: 1+2, 3+4, probably others eventually
C & C huggled and appreciated. Tell me what I'm doing wrong, I'll try to make it better. Tell me what I'm doing right, I'll be imbued with
the great power that can only come from positive feedback, and will be doubly quick to get the next chapter out ^_~.
Disclaimer: Gundam Wing belongs to Bandai, Sotsu Agency, I think, um, Sunrise, and lots of other people who aren't me. If you
believe I invented these characters, I got some oceanfront property in Arizona that you might be interested in. For those people who
do own Gundam Wing, don't sue me. I have nothing but a couple thousand dollars in tuition debt to give. College and anime have
sapped my feeble funds. Besides, I do this only out of deep love and respect for these guys, am making no money off it, and will
return them (relatively) unharmed. Oh yeah, and any elements herein that do not belong to Gundam Wing belong to me, so as
Emperor Kuzco would say, "No touchies!"
Chapter 3
Intrigue
Destiny holds his secrets.
-Sandman: Seasons of Mists
"I wanted to thank you for telling me about this, Dorothy. I have been rather curious about these ambassadors." The two girls walked
down the dimly lit halls, accompanied by the swish of blonde hair against velvet and the click of their shoes on the stone floor.
"Lady Relena, I knew you would want to meet them...and their friends...early."
The tone of her voice made Relena wonder what secret the girl knew, and she cursed whatever crystal ball her friend used to forestall
everyone. "Dorothy, you are aware, are you not, that coming from you, such statements are disturbing."
"Indeed?" Her smug reply confirmed it. Dorothy was up to something.
'Perhaps when I meet the ambassadors, I'll find out what'. The king had invited both her and Dorothy to dinner that evening. Dorothy
had arrived at her room early, asking if she wanted to help escort the new guests. Curiousity, of course, won out over the nervousness
caused by the unusually friendly gesture. Unusual for Dorothy, at any rate.
The girl paused abruptly in front of a door, and Relena almost ran into her. A forked eyebrow raised in amusement before she turned
to knock firmly on the wooden door. Relena heard some rustling noises followed by footsteps, and the door was opened by a young
blonde boy. Aquamarine eyes shone with his smile, and Relena decided immediately she liked him.
"Yes, may I help you?" His voice was cheerful.
Dorothy bowed. "I believe it is we who can help you. King Khusrenada asked us to escort you to dinner this evening. The castle is
large, and it's easy to get lost without a guide."
"Wonderful, thank you." He stepped out into the hall, closing the door behind him. They continued on down the hall, Relena asking
questions about his homeland, until Dorothy stopped them again.
The new door was opened by a dark-eyed boy. His sleek black hair was pulled back from his fine features, and Relena wondered how
long it would be before every woman in the castle was fawning over him. He glared at them suspiciously, but once Dorothy explained
he rolled his eyes and followed them, muttering something under his breath. "Are we picking up the others?" he asked after a few
minutes of silence.
"Master G offered to show Master O and Master J around," Dorothy responded. "We only have to pick up your other companion."
"I believe Heero said he was in this room." The blonde boy had walked ahead, and knocked on the door. A strange grunt sounded
from the other side, and the boy shook his head, still smiling. "Heero, it's time to go to dinner. The king sent an escort for us." After a
long pause the door opened, and Relena had to cover her mouth to stifle the gasp that tried to escape.
The newcomer was absolutely beautiful. Tousled brown hair fell attractively over a perfect countenance. His gaze met hers and she
found his eyes were the most amazing shade of blue. 'Damn that girl. Is this what she was so certain about?' Relena was sure
Dorothy knew about him, and exactly the effect he'd have on her. Relena despised those noblewomen who hovered around the court,
interested only in their almost predatory surveillance of the men, and those who cared about nothing but fawning over any handsome
member of the opposite sex. And yet the only thing she wanted to do now was catch the attention of this gorgeous foreigner.
'What is wrong with me?'
Hurrying forward to walk beside Dorothy, Relena whispered quietly, "Is this what you were so smug about? Did you know it was going
to be like this?"
Dorothy merely smiled, refusing to answer, but Relena knew she was right. The seer did know, which could mean only one thing.
This man was her destiny. With a resigned sigh she decided she might as well enjoy it.
"You could have at least warned me I was going to fall in love."
* * *
Heero stared at the dining room they had just entered, automatically taking note of the position of furniture and people. The walls
were bare, save for a massive fireplace at one end, a necessity in such a large room, even in the summer. A long table filled the
rectangular chamber, and Heero recognized the man called G, already seated and speaking quietly with J and O. J looked up briefly
as they entered, and Heero threw him a glare. Neither man had mentioned any friends in the area and their obvious relationship
worried him.
Ignoring them for the moment, Heero followed the others to the table. One of the women who'd brought them hovered by his side as
he picked a seat near one end, across from Quatre. The blonde glared at him, something he was surprisingly good at, and flicked his
eyes to her then back to Heero's. After a moment of confusion Heero got the hint, and stood up to pull out the chair next to him,
suppressing a sigh of irritation. She smiled brightly, thanked him, and he mumbled a response before turning to stare at the walls,
waiting for the whole ordeal to get started so it could end.
Social events always disturbed him. He was trained to fight, social niceties weren't exactly one of his major strengths. Such useless
information had never been needed. Manners didn't help much when fighting off a band of mercenaries. He looked at his companions.
Quatre, as a prince, had forgotten more about etiquette than Heero would ever know, and even Wufei was fairly versed in the matter.
Motion at the door attracted his attention, as a boy entered the room. Heero took in his height and unusual bangs and recognized
him from that afternoon. The boy took in the room, then turned to the table and sat down next to Quatre, who blushed. Heero couldn't
hide a small smile. He had caught the stares the boy had thrown Quatre's way earlier, and the looks they exchanged now made
everything obvious. Soon they were talking as if they'd known each other forever, and Heero shared a pleased glance with Wufei.
An image of violet eyes and chestnut hair flashed through his mind suddenly, and he frowned. The boy they met that afternoon...
Heero hadn't been able to stop thinking about him. His annoyingly happy voice, his hyper chatter, his brilliant smile had stirred
something in Heero, something that disturbed him. He tried to tell himself it was just the fatigue of the journey making the boy's
friendly nature so welcome. Unfortunately, he wasn't sure if he believed it.
"I bid you welcome, my friends."
Heero nearly jumped as the king's voice rang out over the table. He had been so distracted he didn't even notice the king and queen's
entry. Khusrenada was smiling warmly. "Allow me to make the introductions." He gestured to Heero and the others. "Ambassadors
master J, master O, and Quatre Raberba Winner, and their companions Wufei Chang and Heero Yui. I would like you to meet
Dorothy Catalonia, one of my best advisors," he indicated the girl with the light blonde hair. "Relena Dorlian, our healer," he motioned
to the girl next to Heero. "Master G, our royal bard, whom I believe you already met. And Trowa Barton, chief of security and head of
my guard," he nodded to Quatre's friend, and Heero thought the king's smile grew just a bit.
"Now then, let me offer you the finest cuisine this kingdom has to offer." Servants suddenly appeared with steaming trays of soups,
setting a bowl before each person, and others brought forth bottles of wine to fill their glasses. Heero was trying to decide which of
the three spoons he was supposed to eat with when a ringing sounded from the other end of the table, and he looked up to see
Queen Une tapping her glass with a fork.
"I would like to make a toast." Amusement sparkled in her clear brown eyes as she glanced at Quatre and Trowa, and she stood,
raising her drink. Everyone quickly followed suit. "To new acquaintances. Let the bonds we forge today prove strong, and the
friendships everlasting."
The clinking of glasses filled the room, everyone turning to the person on one side, then the other to share in the toast. Heero was
just raising his goblet to drink when Quatre cried out in pain. Everyone at the table was frozen in confusion. The boy was clutching his
hand. His drink had fallen and the blood red wine stained the table. Without a word Heero leapt up, knocking over his chair and racing
to the other end to snatch the glass from the king's hand, while Wufei did the same to the queen. The sudden movement snapped
everyone back to attention.
"Ambassador Winner, are you well?" Heero could tell Khusrenada was concerned, and probably confused. Une and Relena were
trying to get a look at Quatre's hand.
"Your majesty, yes, I'm fine. It was just a small magical shock."
Trowa was hovering over the boy. "A shock? What was it caused by?"
Quatre gave him a surprised smile, then adressed the king, his expression becoming solemn. "Your majesty, the queen's cup was
poisoned, and most likely yours was as well."
A collective gasp rose from the table, and the king paled slightly. "How do you know this?"
"It's an inherent ability, your majesty. Whenever I touch something poisonous, I feel it."
Realization dawned on the king's face. "Then you are..."
Quatre nodded, and pulled off the circlet and head covering to reveal long, delicately pointed ears. "A faerie, yes milord. My mother
was of the elves."
Heero brought the king's cup to Quatre, who touched it, and suppressed a grimace. "Your majesty, it would appear someone wants
you dead."
Rage danced over both the king and queen's features, and Trowa glowered as he began ordering the nearby guards to raise the alarm
around the castle. They all exchanged a furious look. "I believe I know who is responsible," Khusrenada almost growled.
"We should have dealt with him when we had the chance," the venom in the queen's voice caught everyone by surprise.
"I take it someone you know has a great deal to gain from the death of the royal family?"
Heero's sharp question cut through the conversation, and Khusrenada's eyes went wide. "Marie!"
The rush to the door was halted by a nearly hysterical cry for help, ringing through the castle.
* * *