A/N- Well, I started to write and just kept going. I couldn't stop. Anyway, hope you like it, and here's the next chapter. Enjoy.
The Prince and the Peasant: Part 20
By: RurouniGirl
Duo slowly opened his eyes and looked around. He was in the dungeon slumped against the bars of a cell. He looked behind him and saw Quatre lying on the ground on the other side. He smiled and slowly stood up. He began to walk away as quietly as he could, but Wufei was already awake.
"Duo, are you okay now?"
Duo nodded. "Yeah, I just needed a good cry to get it all out. I'll be fine now."
"You sure?" Wufei asked, not looking completely convinced.
Duo nodded again. "Yeah," he said. "I should get going. I want to find out how last night went for Zechs."
Duo left the dungeon and headed toward Zechs' room. The door was already open as he approached the room. He stopped for a moment before entering to make sure he wouldn't be interrupting and then walked in.
Zechs was sitting on his bed stretching and yawning. He smiled when Duo came in.
"Hey," he said. "I missed you last night after the feast. Where did you go?"
Duo smiled apologetically. "Sorry, I just needed some time to myself to get things out, you know?"
Zechs nodded as he stood up and hugged his cousin. "I'm sorry I wasn't there for you when you needed me," he said. "I'm sorry. I should have been there for you."
Duo shook his head and pulled away. "No," he said. "It wasn't your fault. You've been there for me through this whole thing. You've done so much for me already. Just being here and supporting me has done a lot."
Zechs still didn't look convinced.
"Really," Duo said. "Trust me. You've done more than enough already. Don't worry about last night. You took my place as the heir to the throne. And you did it for me, so that I could be together with Heero someday. That is more than enough."
Zechs smiled. "You know, lately I've been really worried about you. But just now, when you gave that little speech, I know that you're going to be okay. You're strong, Duo. And nothing is going to pull you down."
~*~*~*~*~*~*~
Zechs sat through the council meeting paying careful attention to everything that was said. Once the meeting was over he hurried out of the room and down to the dungeon. He hadn't been to see Wufei in a couple of days and it was killing him. Now he knew how Duo felt. Except that Duo had been apart from Heero much longer.
He smiled slightly as he entered the dungeon. Wufei looked up and, the moment he saw Zechs, a smile spread across his face. Zechs smiled even more and took Wufei's hand through the bars.
"Hey," he said.
"Hey," Wufei said, blushing slightly.
Zechs grinned. "Has anyone ever told you that you look absolutely adorable when you're blushing?" he asked with a chuckle.
Wufei grinned and blushed even more. "How did it go?" he asked.
"Good," Zechs replied. "I'm now the legal heir to the throne. But I have to keep "us" a secret from my uncle. If he knew about this he would have never agreed to it in the first place."
Wufei nodded his understanding. "Then what are you doing down here," he said indignantly. "If you get caught then the results could be disastrous."
Zechs shook his head. "I know, but I had to see you. Just being away from you for a few days was killing me." He looked down and a sad looked passed over his face. "Now I know what Duo goes through every day he's away from Heero."
Wufei put his hand through the bars and gave Zechs' shoulder a comforting squeeze. "Don't worry. It will all turn out all right."
"I know. I just hope Duo keeps hoping. If he doesn't, I'm scared of what might happen to him."
~*~*~*~*~*~*~
Duo slowly crawled into his bed and pulled the covers up. It was already past midnight, but he didn't feel tired. He rolled over, and tried to sleep, but couldn't. He finally got out of bed and left his room.
He was wandering aimlessly around the halls and soon found himself near the King's chamber. He was about to turn and leave when a strange sound caught his ear. He listened intently and was just about to turn and leave when he heard it again. It sounded like strangled cries. And they were coming from the king's room.
Duo ran down the hall and flung open the door. A dark figure stood over the bed holding a bloodied dagger. They looked up as Duo burst through the doors and then ran past him, pushing Duo out of the way and continuing to run down the halls. Duo cried out an alarm and a moment later the guards appeared. They caught the culprit and once they subdued him, led him to the dungeon. Another soldier went to fetch Marcus.
Marcus arrived a few moments later and hurried into the king's chamber. While Duo was waiting, Zechs arrived.
"I heard what happened," he said. "I can't believe this would happen. Who would do such a thing?"
Duo was just about to comment when Marcus came out into the hall.
"Well," Duo said. "How is he?"
Marcus slowly shook his head. "I'm sorry," he said. "But it was too late. There was nothing I could do. The king is dead."
Author's Notes: Okay, opinions please. I'd love to hear from you. RurouniGirl
The Prince and the Peasant: Part 20
By: RurouniGirl
Duo slowly opened his eyes and looked around. He was in the dungeon slumped against the bars of a cell. He looked behind him and saw Quatre lying on the ground on the other side. He smiled and slowly stood up. He began to walk away as quietly as he could, but Wufei was already awake.
"Duo, are you okay now?"
Duo nodded. "Yeah, I just needed a good cry to get it all out. I'll be fine now."
"You sure?" Wufei asked, not looking completely convinced.
Duo nodded again. "Yeah," he said. "I should get going. I want to find out how last night went for Zechs."
Duo left the dungeon and headed toward Zechs' room. The door was already open as he approached the room. He stopped for a moment before entering to make sure he wouldn't be interrupting and then walked in.
Zechs was sitting on his bed stretching and yawning. He smiled when Duo came in.
"Hey," he said. "I missed you last night after the feast. Where did you go?"
Duo smiled apologetically. "Sorry, I just needed some time to myself to get things out, you know?"
Zechs nodded as he stood up and hugged his cousin. "I'm sorry I wasn't there for you when you needed me," he said. "I'm sorry. I should have been there for you."
Duo shook his head and pulled away. "No," he said. "It wasn't your fault. You've been there for me through this whole thing. You've done so much for me already. Just being here and supporting me has done a lot."
Zechs still didn't look convinced.
"Really," Duo said. "Trust me. You've done more than enough already. Don't worry about last night. You took my place as the heir to the throne. And you did it for me, so that I could be together with Heero someday. That is more than enough."
Zechs smiled. "You know, lately I've been really worried about you. But just now, when you gave that little speech, I know that you're going to be okay. You're strong, Duo. And nothing is going to pull you down."
~*~*~*~*~*~*~
Zechs sat through the council meeting paying careful attention to everything that was said. Once the meeting was over he hurried out of the room and down to the dungeon. He hadn't been to see Wufei in a couple of days and it was killing him. Now he knew how Duo felt. Except that Duo had been apart from Heero much longer.
He smiled slightly as he entered the dungeon. Wufei looked up and, the moment he saw Zechs, a smile spread across his face. Zechs smiled even more and took Wufei's hand through the bars.
"Hey," he said.
"Hey," Wufei said, blushing slightly.
Zechs grinned. "Has anyone ever told you that you look absolutely adorable when you're blushing?" he asked with a chuckle.
Wufei grinned and blushed even more. "How did it go?" he asked.
"Good," Zechs replied. "I'm now the legal heir to the throne. But I have to keep "us" a secret from my uncle. If he knew about this he would have never agreed to it in the first place."
Wufei nodded his understanding. "Then what are you doing down here," he said indignantly. "If you get caught then the results could be disastrous."
Zechs shook his head. "I know, but I had to see you. Just being away from you for a few days was killing me." He looked down and a sad looked passed over his face. "Now I know what Duo goes through every day he's away from Heero."
Wufei put his hand through the bars and gave Zechs' shoulder a comforting squeeze. "Don't worry. It will all turn out all right."
"I know. I just hope Duo keeps hoping. If he doesn't, I'm scared of what might happen to him."
~*~*~*~*~*~*~
Duo slowly crawled into his bed and pulled the covers up. It was already past midnight, but he didn't feel tired. He rolled over, and tried to sleep, but couldn't. He finally got out of bed and left his room.
He was wandering aimlessly around the halls and soon found himself near the King's chamber. He was about to turn and leave when a strange sound caught his ear. He listened intently and was just about to turn and leave when he heard it again. It sounded like strangled cries. And they were coming from the king's room.
Duo ran down the hall and flung open the door. A dark figure stood over the bed holding a bloodied dagger. They looked up as Duo burst through the doors and then ran past him, pushing Duo out of the way and continuing to run down the halls. Duo cried out an alarm and a moment later the guards appeared. They caught the culprit and once they subdued him, led him to the dungeon. Another soldier went to fetch Marcus.
Marcus arrived a few moments later and hurried into the king's chamber. While Duo was waiting, Zechs arrived.
"I heard what happened," he said. "I can't believe this would happen. Who would do such a thing?"
Duo was just about to comment when Marcus came out into the hall.
"Well," Duo said. "How is he?"
Marcus slowly shook his head. "I'm sorry," he said. "But it was too late. There was nothing I could do. The king is dead."
Author's Notes: Okay, opinions please. I'd love to hear from you. RurouniGirl