A/N- Well, here's yet another chapter of the story. Enjoy it.
The Prince and the Peasant: Part 12
By: RurouniGirl
Duo hadn't moved from his position on the couch all morning. He remained curled up, staring out the window and willing the guard that stood beside him to disappear. How was he supposed to do anything, when he was under constant surveillance? It was quite frustrating.
He looked away form the window as the door opened and his father entered the room.
"Son, I have good news," he said, smiling.
"Relena is gone," Duo said sarcastically.
The king ignored his remark. "Your cousin, Zechs, is coming for a visit."
Duo's mood brightened a little. Zechs was his second cousin on his mother's side of the family. He was probably the only relative Duo had who actually got along with him. And liked him for that matter. Zechs was a few years older than Duo was, but they had formed a strong bond from the first time they had met.
"When will he arrive?" Duo asked.
"Later this evening," the king replied.
Duo nodded, smiling slightly. Then turned back and continued to stare out the window. With Zechs here, Duo just might be able to figure something out.
~*~*~*~*~*~*~
Wufei sighed as he paced through the cell. He couldn't sit still.
Trowa watched the young boy pacing back and forth and then turned back to Quatre. The blonde didn't look so good. He looked a lot paler.
"Quatre, are you all right?"
Quatre nodded. "I'm fine Trowa. It's just a small cut."
Trowa shook his head. "I know, but it could get infected. And you don't look too good. You're pale and you feel a little warm."
Quatre smiled. "Trowa, I'm fine. Really."
Trowa sighed and pulled the blonde closer to him. Wufei finally stopped pacing and sat down next to Trowa.
"Hey, Quatre. Trowa's right. You don't look so good."
He was met with silence.
"Quatre?" he tried again.
Still no answer. Trowa shook him gently and when he didn't respond, he shook him harder.
"Quatre? Quatre, wake up. Come on. Wake up."
Wufei placed a hand on Quatre's forehead and immediately withdrew his hand.
"He's burning up," he said to Trowa. "He needs a healer."
Trowa agreed and the two boys set to work trying to convince the guards to bring a healer.
~*~*~*~*~*~*~
Duo sighed for the thousandth time that day. He had tried a million times to ditch his guard, but to no avail. He couldn't get away no matter what he did.
"Would you just leave me alone!" he shouted in frustration.
The guard continued to follow the prince through the halls as he replied: "I was ordered to watch you. I cannot leave you until the king orders me too."
Duo sighed. 'He couldn't even sneak down to the dungeon to make sure Quatre, Trowa, and Wufei were all right.'
"Damn," he cursed under his breath. A long string of cursed immediately followed as he caught site of Relena walking toward him purposefully. 'Great. Just great. He was having a bad enough day as it was. Now he had Relena to add to it.'
"Duo," she called sweetly, as she approached.
"Relena," he said, gritting his teeth and forcing himself to be civil.
"I'd like to talk with you," she said.
Duo forced back a groan. "About what?" he asked.
"The wedding. And us," she replied, smiling slyly.
Duo's eyes went wide. "Well, I'm kind of busy right now. Could we talk about it later?"
She looked a little disappointed but nodded. "Of course."
He forced a smile. "Thank you. I knew you'd understand," he said. "Well, if you'll excuse me, I have business to attend to."
He walked past her and continued down the hall. He sighed in relief as he rounded the corner and disappeared from Relena's site.
He finally got sick of the guard and decided to go to the dungeons anyway. He had to know if his friends were all right. As he stepped into the dungeon, he heard a commotion and hurried forward.
He saw Trowa and Wufei gesturing frantically and arguing with the guards.
He stepped forward. "What's going on?" he asked.
The two guards immediately fell silent. Duo turned to his friends.
"What is it? What's wrong?"
Trowa looked at Duo, worry framed on his face as he motioned toward Quatre.
"He was injured when we were trying to hold the guards off. The cut is infected. Right now, he has a high fever and is unconscious."
"He needs a healer," Wufei added.
Duo couldn't believe that the guards had been so cruel. He whirled around and ran to get the healer. He returned shortly followed by Marcus, the royal healer.
Marcus knelt down next to Quatre and proceeded to examine him. He looked up at the prince, his face grim.
"How is he?" Duo asked.
Marcus sighed. "He's in pretty bad shape. We have to move him out of this dungeon so I an examine him better."
Duo nodded and ordered the guards to help move Quatre. Once he was in his room, the healer did a more thorough examination of the boy. When he was through he motioned for Duo to follow him out of the room.
"He's in very bad shape. I'm not sure if he's going to make it. I've done all I can for him. Hopefully that's enough."
Duo nodded. "I understand," he replied. "Thanks, Marcus. I appreciate your doing this for me."
Marcus smiled at the young prince. "I'll check up on him every couple of hours to see if he's improved any."
Duo nodded and watched as the old healer walked down the hall. He sighed as he turned to go to his own room. His father would be very angry with him if he were late for the evening meal.
Once he was ready he made his way to the dining hall where he ate his meal in complete silence. He left the dining hall as soon as the meal was over and took sanctuary in a small drawing room. The same room he had been in that morning. He sighed as the door opened. 'Why couldn't the guards just leave him be? All he really wanted was to be alone. That's all. Just a minute alone.'
"Why can't you just leave me alone?" Duo said. "I don't care what my father said. I just want to be left alone."
"Well, that was a wonderful greeting."
Duo whirled around. "Zechs!" he cried.
The older boy smiled brightly. "It's good to see you," he said. "But I must say, you look a lot worse than when I last saw you. What's happened?"
Duo sighed. "I've been through hell," he replied.
Zechs gave him a quizzical look.
"It's a long story," Duo said.
"Well, I have plenty of time."
Duo smiled at his cousin, grateful for his understanding. He motioned for Zechs to join him next to the fire. Once Zechs was situated, Duo proceeded to tell him what had happened over the past few months.
Author's Notes: once again, I ask what you think? Review. RurouniGirl
The Prince and the Peasant: Part 12
By: RurouniGirl
Duo hadn't moved from his position on the couch all morning. He remained curled up, staring out the window and willing the guard that stood beside him to disappear. How was he supposed to do anything, when he was under constant surveillance? It was quite frustrating.
He looked away form the window as the door opened and his father entered the room.
"Son, I have good news," he said, smiling.
"Relena is gone," Duo said sarcastically.
The king ignored his remark. "Your cousin, Zechs, is coming for a visit."
Duo's mood brightened a little. Zechs was his second cousin on his mother's side of the family. He was probably the only relative Duo had who actually got along with him. And liked him for that matter. Zechs was a few years older than Duo was, but they had formed a strong bond from the first time they had met.
"When will he arrive?" Duo asked.
"Later this evening," the king replied.
Duo nodded, smiling slightly. Then turned back and continued to stare out the window. With Zechs here, Duo just might be able to figure something out.
~*~*~*~*~*~*~
Wufei sighed as he paced through the cell. He couldn't sit still.
Trowa watched the young boy pacing back and forth and then turned back to Quatre. The blonde didn't look so good. He looked a lot paler.
"Quatre, are you all right?"
Quatre nodded. "I'm fine Trowa. It's just a small cut."
Trowa shook his head. "I know, but it could get infected. And you don't look too good. You're pale and you feel a little warm."
Quatre smiled. "Trowa, I'm fine. Really."
Trowa sighed and pulled the blonde closer to him. Wufei finally stopped pacing and sat down next to Trowa.
"Hey, Quatre. Trowa's right. You don't look so good."
He was met with silence.
"Quatre?" he tried again.
Still no answer. Trowa shook him gently and when he didn't respond, he shook him harder.
"Quatre? Quatre, wake up. Come on. Wake up."
Wufei placed a hand on Quatre's forehead and immediately withdrew his hand.
"He's burning up," he said to Trowa. "He needs a healer."
Trowa agreed and the two boys set to work trying to convince the guards to bring a healer.
~*~*~*~*~*~*~
Duo sighed for the thousandth time that day. He had tried a million times to ditch his guard, but to no avail. He couldn't get away no matter what he did.
"Would you just leave me alone!" he shouted in frustration.
The guard continued to follow the prince through the halls as he replied: "I was ordered to watch you. I cannot leave you until the king orders me too."
Duo sighed. 'He couldn't even sneak down to the dungeon to make sure Quatre, Trowa, and Wufei were all right.'
"Damn," he cursed under his breath. A long string of cursed immediately followed as he caught site of Relena walking toward him purposefully. 'Great. Just great. He was having a bad enough day as it was. Now he had Relena to add to it.'
"Duo," she called sweetly, as she approached.
"Relena," he said, gritting his teeth and forcing himself to be civil.
"I'd like to talk with you," she said.
Duo forced back a groan. "About what?" he asked.
"The wedding. And us," she replied, smiling slyly.
Duo's eyes went wide. "Well, I'm kind of busy right now. Could we talk about it later?"
She looked a little disappointed but nodded. "Of course."
He forced a smile. "Thank you. I knew you'd understand," he said. "Well, if you'll excuse me, I have business to attend to."
He walked past her and continued down the hall. He sighed in relief as he rounded the corner and disappeared from Relena's site.
He finally got sick of the guard and decided to go to the dungeons anyway. He had to know if his friends were all right. As he stepped into the dungeon, he heard a commotion and hurried forward.
He saw Trowa and Wufei gesturing frantically and arguing with the guards.
He stepped forward. "What's going on?" he asked.
The two guards immediately fell silent. Duo turned to his friends.
"What is it? What's wrong?"
Trowa looked at Duo, worry framed on his face as he motioned toward Quatre.
"He was injured when we were trying to hold the guards off. The cut is infected. Right now, he has a high fever and is unconscious."
"He needs a healer," Wufei added.
Duo couldn't believe that the guards had been so cruel. He whirled around and ran to get the healer. He returned shortly followed by Marcus, the royal healer.
Marcus knelt down next to Quatre and proceeded to examine him. He looked up at the prince, his face grim.
"How is he?" Duo asked.
Marcus sighed. "He's in pretty bad shape. We have to move him out of this dungeon so I an examine him better."
Duo nodded and ordered the guards to help move Quatre. Once he was in his room, the healer did a more thorough examination of the boy. When he was through he motioned for Duo to follow him out of the room.
"He's in very bad shape. I'm not sure if he's going to make it. I've done all I can for him. Hopefully that's enough."
Duo nodded. "I understand," he replied. "Thanks, Marcus. I appreciate your doing this for me."
Marcus smiled at the young prince. "I'll check up on him every couple of hours to see if he's improved any."
Duo nodded and watched as the old healer walked down the hall. He sighed as he turned to go to his own room. His father would be very angry with him if he were late for the evening meal.
Once he was ready he made his way to the dining hall where he ate his meal in complete silence. He left the dining hall as soon as the meal was over and took sanctuary in a small drawing room. The same room he had been in that morning. He sighed as the door opened. 'Why couldn't the guards just leave him be? All he really wanted was to be alone. That's all. Just a minute alone.'
"Why can't you just leave me alone?" Duo said. "I don't care what my father said. I just want to be left alone."
"Well, that was a wonderful greeting."
Duo whirled around. "Zechs!" he cried.
The older boy smiled brightly. "It's good to see you," he said. "But I must say, you look a lot worse than when I last saw you. What's happened?"
Duo sighed. "I've been through hell," he replied.
Zechs gave him a quizzical look.
"It's a long story," Duo said.
"Well, I have plenty of time."
Duo smiled at his cousin, grateful for his understanding. He motioned for Zechs to join him next to the fire. Once Zechs was situated, Duo proceeded to tell him what had happened over the past few months.
Author's Notes: once again, I ask what you think? Review. RurouniGirl