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
Spoilers: Um, little personality trademarks, personal histories, etc., from entire series.
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 4
Poison
We are here because this is where we must be at this time, my dearie-dove.
-The Fates, Sandman: Season of Mists
Duo had arrived right on time, something that would've amazed many people. Punctuality was an honor he reserved only for the royal
family...and his best friend, of course. He knocked on the door to Marie's quarters, dressed in soft black leather pants, his favorite
shiny black leather boots, and black silk shirt (a great portion of his wardrobe was black). The boots were knee high, with a large
silver cross down the front of each. The shirt was embroidered with silver dragons. Short-sleeved, skin tight, and half open, it revealed
enough creamy white skin to draw just the right attention. Not that he was trying to draw attention.
His upcoming date -uh, dinner engagement- no, dessert and coffee with friends, yeah- had absolutely no influence on his choice of
outfit.
Really.
Marie came to the door, and he graced her with another of his impossibly low bows, which never failed to make her laugh. She
stepped aside and he entered, noticing that dinner had already arrived, and was laid out on the small table in her sitting room, one
short enough for them to sit on the floor. Thick down pillows were scattered around the table invitingly. Hurrying ahead of her, he
pantomimed pulling out her chair, earning another giggle, then took his place across from her. He took a moment to adjust his pillows,
then waited for Marie's toast before digging into the meal like a starving man. Mariemaia merely rolled her eyes, being familiar with his
eating habits, and began to eat at a much more mannered pace.
"You know, Duo. I've been thinking."
"That's a dangerous hobby," he joked before taking a huge gulp of his watered wine (1).
"Silly. I have decided to ask father for permission to marry one of the handsome foreigners." She didn't notice that Duo nearly choked
on his drink.
"Milady, are you sure about that?! I mean...you wouldn't want to be tied down to a stuffy prince so soon, would you?" Duo wondered
why his mouth suddenly felt dry. "Which of these, uh, 'handsome foreigners' were you thinking of?"
"I've taken a liking to that Winner fellow." Duo's reflexive sigh of relief left him confused and disconcerted.
"I think you might be out of luck there. I've gotten the impression he's taken." He recalled the looks Trowa was giving the blonde boy,
and the way Quatre had asked about him while trying not to seem interested. He wondered if they were sitting together now, talking,
beaming at each other. Now that he thought about it, he could just make out the blonde's cheerful laughter. Treize had decided on the
small, more private dining room just down the hall, and the noise carried. If he was any judge, the ambassador was going to be
hanging around for a while. A long while.
Of course, if he stayed, so would the others. An unreasonable surge of joy accompanied that thought, and Duo fought the frown that
wanted to cross his lips.
Where was that coming from? Duo never cared for the usual court games. The seduction, the subterfuge, the power struggles, they
all disgusted him. Sometimes Marie, the king and queen, and Trowa were the only ones keeping him from leaving it all behind. Ask
any one of those money-grubbing lords or ladies whether they'd ever been in love, and all you'd get would be a blank stare. Which is
why he preferred the company of the palace servants, and why he would escape to the city below whenever he got the chance. At
least down there they weren't all out to get you. Down there the people had feelings.
In the city he often flirted, shamelessly sometimes. Whenever Trowa went with him, more often than not Trowa would come back
thoroughly embarrassed. But Duo did it all in fun. None of it had ever meant anything, no one had ever made him feel...what he was
feeling now.
He busied himself in looking about the room, stubbornly trying to ignore it, and ended up focusing on the six foot tall dollhouse by the
table. It had been a birthday present for Marie from one of the brown-nosing nobles. It was a perfect replica of the castle, complete
with furniture, servants, and a tiny monarch and his family. Duo would often surround it with toy soldiers, playing the part of an
invading army, and Marie would come up with methods of defense. It was through these games that the royals had first become
aware of Marie's talent for strategy. Duo smiled warmly at the girl. She was very much her parents' child, and would grow to be a
powerful ruler...
Cries of alarm suddenly rang down the hall, and Duo was immediately up and running to the door. He ran into the hall, pausing to
determine their source. The cries had become loud gasps and angry shouts, all coming from the direction of the dining room.
Something was wrong, seriously wrong.
"D-Du...Duo..." Marie's voice sounded from behind him, barely more than a whisper, and he turned to see her clutching her head. He
reached her just in time to catch her as she fell. Icy panic gripped his stomach, making his throat go dry and his fingers fumble as he
tried to feel for her pulse. With a supreme effort, he steadied his hand enough to find it, weak and unsteady. Her skin felt cold, and he
carried her to her bed, covering her with blankets. Then he was back at the door again, screaming for help in a voice already gone
hoarse.
By Duo's second shout everyone in the dining room was at Marie's bedside. Relena immediately took charge, pushing everyone back
from the massive bed. Treize stood on the other side, Une sitting on the bed and holding her daughter's hand as Relena placed a hand
on the girl's forehead. The healer chanted briefly, until a blue glow appeared below her palm. Every eye in the room was glued to the
strange tableau, unable to look away until Relena, sweating and weary, finished and walked out to the hall. As if in unspoken
command, everyone filed out, save Une, who stayed with Mariemaia.
While Relena gave instructions to a servant girl, Trowa thought to gather Marie and Duo's glasses from dinner, and brought them to
Quatre, who confirmed the poison in the princess's.
When Relena was done, the girl took off running, presumably for supplies, and Relena turned back to the group. Everyone looked
grim, except for Duo, who looked positively panicked, staring back at the room and wringing his hands. Treize and Une were
frightening, eyes cold and piercing, and both looking ready to bite someone's head off. Relena was reminded of a lioness guarding
her cubs. She addressed them with more than a touch of hesitancy.
"Milord, lady, your daughter was poisoned. I have tried using magic to heal it, but it has been protected against such interference.
Similarly, I doubt herbs or medicines will be of any effect. I will try every method at my disposal, but I fear that without an antidote...
she will be dead within a month."
"Damn Dermail!" Treize's furious shout rocked everyone. "I swear by the fates that that man will die by my hand! If he wants a war
then he shall have it, I will see his head on a pike and his body fed to my hounds!!" Une seemed ready to jump in when Dorothy
spoke up, her soft voice somehow managing to stop them both.
"King Khusrenada, I believe I might be of assistance. If there is a cure out there, I have the means to find it. But in all likelihood,
Dermail has it or knows where to find it. Perhaps we should make sure, before we finalize any plans."
Treize heaved a great sigh, then wiped a hand over his sweating brow. "Of course, you are correct. There are still possibilities, and
we must exhaust every one before we even consider...that. Lady, I ask that you find some way to help my daughter. Please, lead on."
With a respectful nod, Dorothy turned and hurried down the hall, and everyone followed.
* * *
Dorothy stopped at the door to her chambers, and asked for the others to wait as she entered. Going around the room, she began
lighting candles and incense, then picked up a large clay pitcher. She carried it to the center of the room, where a brass basin sat on
a great onyx table. Pouring water into the bowl, she waited till it stilled, then began the chants to commence the scrying, sure the
magic would tell her all she needed to know.
The first images she received were vague, but set off bells of warning. Someone's looking for me, already. I didn't expect Dermail to
start the defensive this soon. Let's just see who it is...ah, Roberson, that novice. When is Dermail going to learn you get what you pay
for. Thankfully, his miserly nature works in my favor. She closed her eyes and concentrated on the line of magic flowing from
Dermail's kingdom, and it coalesced into threads of power, glowing dim red and blue against the black of her mind's eye. Some
careful twists and the threads were tangled and negated. She surveyed her work until, satisfied it would hold, she turned back to
searching.
Now to business. As I thought, Dermail himself holds the antidote. Must've bought out every scrap he could find. We won't find it
closer than a month from here in any direction. She sighed irritably. She had expected this, but it was an annoyance still.
So, who shall I take with me on this journey...the ambassador and his guard, there's a big surprise. The strands of fate were thick
around them from the beginning, I knew they were going to become involved. This journey won't be boring. And I'm sure I can find
something...entertaining to do with at least some of them. Who else...Relena, of course. Needn't bother asking her, she'll come of
her own accord. She's already smitten enough to follow that man around, poor girl. She has no idea. And lastly...Him? Hm, that is a
surprise. She leaned back, cupping her left hand under her right elbow and placing a finger to her lips contemplatively. I should've
expected that, though, something has been brewing around that boy for months now. I must be getting soft, not to have checked
into it sooner. So there we have our players...now let the games begin.
* * *
Duo leaned against the cold stone wall, glaring at the door to Dorothy's sanctum. His throat was already sore from tears he refused
to shed, and now his skin was crawling, the result of whatever went on in that room. The seer always made him nervous, and he
usually avoided the place. Often a trip past the door would leave him with a roiling stomach and make the hair on the back of his neck
stand at attention. The girl was good at what she did, but that kind of magic never failed to put him on edge.
After what seemed an eternity she appeared again, and everyone turned questioning eyes to her. She ignored them, instead turning
to address Treize. "Your majesty, I have found a cure. As I thought, it lies in Dermail's kingdom." He seemed about to commence
another tirade, but she continued, not giving him the chance. "Until the princess is out of danger, I think it safest to send a small party
there. They would be most likely to make it past his borders, which will be guarded against a large-scale attack. With luck and skill,
they could be in and out before he knew they were there. An army would only waste precious time."
Treize considered Dorothy, watching for signs of uncertainty. "Does your magic tell you this?"
"Yes, your majesty."
He seemed to come to a decision, and nodded. "Very well. It seems a sound plan, and you have yet to steer me wrong. I shall
assemble a team immediately."
"No need, my lord."
"Indeed?" Treize trained a quizzical eye on her.
"My lord, the magics told me who must be sent." At his nod, she continued. "Firstly, I request permission to go. Dermail has
someone looking for us, and without me he will know the minute the team leaves, and exactly where they will cross his borders."
"Granted, continue."
"Secondly, our new friends, Mr. Winner, Chang Wufei, and Yui." The three in question turned surprised eyes to her, but Treize's
emotive tone preceded any protests they might have made.
"My friends, this request is one I have no right to make. It will be dangerous, and if it were for my sake, I would not ask you to risk
yourselves. But as it is not...as it is for my daughter...for her I must ask. I will understand if you cannot, but I will ask."
Quatre glanced at his comrades, before answering, "Your majesty, I think we would like the opportunity to think on it. Give us a few
hours, please."
Treize nodded, apparently expecting such a response, and motioned for Dorothy to continue. Before she could, however, Relena
spoke up. "My lord, I volunteer to accompany them. They will need a healer, no doubt, at least as a precaution."
Trowa got up from where he was leaning against the wall, and went to stand beside Quatre. "I would also like to volunteer." Treize looked
to Dorothy for agreement, and nodded.
"So, is that everyone?" Quatre asked.
Dorothy smiled, a gesture which, for some reason, sent shivers up his spine. "Oh no, there's one final member to our little party. In
fact, according to the magics, if he doesn't go the endeavor will fail."
After a tense pause, several people blurted out, "Who?"
Her smile broadened into that of someone reveling in a secret. "You haven't guessed? Why Duo Maxwell, of course."
Relena's shocked cry of "HIM?" was surpassed only by Duo's surprised shout of "ME?" All eyes were on him, and for the first time in
a long while, he suddenly wished he wasn't the center of attention. He blushed, but said firmly, "I'll do it. I don't know why *I'm* doing
it, but I'll do it." The relieved sighs and grateful hugs from Treize and Une almost made it possible for him to ignore the nagging
impression of ill-omen his decision brought on, and the groundless terror that followed it.
* * *
(1) From what I've read, in medieval times people usually drank watered-down wine with every meal, because the water alone usually
resulted in illness :P. Something like that. Not sure if it's true, just what I read ^_^.