A/N- Okay, Duo finally gets to see Heero again. Yay! Enjoy. ^_^
The Prince and the Peasant: Part 22
By: RurouniGirl
Duo sighed as he wiped the sweat from his forehead with the back of his hand. Heero had to be here. They had searched every surrounding kingdom except King Treize's. He just had to be here. He missed Heero so much and at the moment, he had never felt so alone in his entire life. Zechs and his friends had traveled with him, so he shouldn't feel alone, but he did. All his friends had someone. Zechs had Wufei, Trowa had Quatre, but he didn't have Heero with him. And seeing how happy the couples were together made him miss Heero even more.
He sighed and pushed his horse to move faster. It had started to rain and the cold rainwater cooled his body. He looked back to see if the others were keeping up. He smiled to himself. Zechs and Wufei were sharing a cloak to keep dry. Both were smiling and laughing. Quatre and Trowa were riding side by side and Trowa was leading Wufei's horse, since Zechs and Wufei were sharing a horse. Both boys were smiling and they had their hands locked together between them.
Duo pushed forward, forcing himself not to look back. He coaxed his horse into a slow trot, into a faster trot, and finally a gallop. He urged his horse to run as fast as it could, letting the wind that whipped around him cleanse his emotions. But it wasn't enough.
He came to an abrupt halt and dismounted. He tied to horse to a tree so that the others would pick him up when they reached him. Then he ran...he ran as fast as he could. His mind concentrated on the exhilaration he was feeling and the rhythm of every stride he took. This concentration took his mind off of his loneliness. This is what he had wanted...to know nothing but this feeling of exhilaration...no pain...no loneliness.... just the simple thrill you got from the feeling of freedom felt when running.
He came to a halt, panting for air as he rounded a corner and King Treize's palace came into view. He stood on top of the hill and starred down, chest heaving, water dripping from his clothes, his unruly hair blowing in the wind. He turned at the sound of the approaching horses. They rounded the corner and stopped when they saw him.
"Are you okay?" Zechs asked. "We were worried when we found your horse tied by the side of the road."
Duo smiled. "I'm fine. I felt like running, that's all."
Wufei smiled and put a hand on his shoulder. "Almost there," he said.
"Well," Duo said. "What are we waiting for? Let's get going."
He mounted his horse and the others followed him as he made his way down to the castle. First, he asked King Treize about any outcasts he might have taken in. He had no luck whatsoever. King Treize didn't know of any new comers, but he had been far too busy to keep track of every new servant or villager that showed up. The next resort was for Duo to ask all the palace servants, since they would probably know better than the king.
An few hours later found Duo stumbling into the kitchens. Noin looked up form her work and was immediately at the young boys side. She helped him over to a chair and placed a mug of hot broth in front of him.
"Drink that," she commanded as she took the seat across from him. She watched him drink until she was satisfied he wouldn't fall over before questioning him. "So," she began, "what brings you here?"
Duo managed a small smile. "My name is Duo," he said.
Noin gaped. "You're Duo?" she said. "Prince Duo?"
"Former prince," he corrected.
Duo caught her wrist as she tried to jump up and pulled her back down. "What is it?" he asked. "Why do you seem so shocked?"
She smiled and took his hand in hers. "I'll be right back," she said. "I have something for you."
"For me?" he asked, surprised.
She nodded and hurried out of the room. Duo, who was thoroughly confused, leaned back in his chair and closed his eyes. He knew Heero was here somewhere; he just had to find him. He sighed. It felt so good to just sit there with his eyes closed. He hadn't had any rest in months.
"Duo?" said a tentative voice.
His breath caught in his throat. His eyes snapped open and he spun around. Noin was standing in the doorway next to a very thin and pale Heero.
"He...Heero," he whispered. He suddenly became aware that he was crying. He had found him. He had finally found Heero.
The two boys just stood there looking at one another for a moment and then Duo ran to Heero and threw his arms around the other boy. Heero wrapped his arms around Duo and sobbed into his shoulder.
"It's really you," he said through his sobs. "I can't believe it's really you. I missed you so much."
Duo hugged the other boy even tighter. "I missed you more than anything," he whispered.
Heero finally stopped crying. "Duo?" he asked quietly. "What about your father?"
Duo smiled as he looked down at Heero. "My father was killed over 4 months ago," he said. "But, before he died, he made my cousin, Zechs, the legal heir to the throne. So, my cousin has no problem with you and me being together."
Heero starred at Duo in disbelief. "You mean...I can come home? And we can be together without the king trying to kill me?"
Duo nodded. "Yes," he said. "You can finally come home."
Author's Notes: okay, good, bad, lame? Let me know what you think. Next chapter is on its way. RurouniGirl
The Prince and the Peasant: Part 22
By: RurouniGirl
Duo sighed as he wiped the sweat from his forehead with the back of his hand. Heero had to be here. They had searched every surrounding kingdom except King Treize's. He just had to be here. He missed Heero so much and at the moment, he had never felt so alone in his entire life. Zechs and his friends had traveled with him, so he shouldn't feel alone, but he did. All his friends had someone. Zechs had Wufei, Trowa had Quatre, but he didn't have Heero with him. And seeing how happy the couples were together made him miss Heero even more.
He sighed and pushed his horse to move faster. It had started to rain and the cold rainwater cooled his body. He looked back to see if the others were keeping up. He smiled to himself. Zechs and Wufei were sharing a cloak to keep dry. Both were smiling and laughing. Quatre and Trowa were riding side by side and Trowa was leading Wufei's horse, since Zechs and Wufei were sharing a horse. Both boys were smiling and they had their hands locked together between them.
Duo pushed forward, forcing himself not to look back. He coaxed his horse into a slow trot, into a faster trot, and finally a gallop. He urged his horse to run as fast as it could, letting the wind that whipped around him cleanse his emotions. But it wasn't enough.
He came to an abrupt halt and dismounted. He tied to horse to a tree so that the others would pick him up when they reached him. Then he ran...he ran as fast as he could. His mind concentrated on the exhilaration he was feeling and the rhythm of every stride he took. This concentration took his mind off of his loneliness. This is what he had wanted...to know nothing but this feeling of exhilaration...no pain...no loneliness.... just the simple thrill you got from the feeling of freedom felt when running.
He came to a halt, panting for air as he rounded a corner and King Treize's palace came into view. He stood on top of the hill and starred down, chest heaving, water dripping from his clothes, his unruly hair blowing in the wind. He turned at the sound of the approaching horses. They rounded the corner and stopped when they saw him.
"Are you okay?" Zechs asked. "We were worried when we found your horse tied by the side of the road."
Duo smiled. "I'm fine. I felt like running, that's all."
Wufei smiled and put a hand on his shoulder. "Almost there," he said.
"Well," Duo said. "What are we waiting for? Let's get going."
He mounted his horse and the others followed him as he made his way down to the castle. First, he asked King Treize about any outcasts he might have taken in. He had no luck whatsoever. King Treize didn't know of any new comers, but he had been far too busy to keep track of every new servant or villager that showed up. The next resort was for Duo to ask all the palace servants, since they would probably know better than the king.
An few hours later found Duo stumbling into the kitchens. Noin looked up form her work and was immediately at the young boys side. She helped him over to a chair and placed a mug of hot broth in front of him.
"Drink that," she commanded as she took the seat across from him. She watched him drink until she was satisfied he wouldn't fall over before questioning him. "So," she began, "what brings you here?"
Duo managed a small smile. "My name is Duo," he said.
Noin gaped. "You're Duo?" she said. "Prince Duo?"
"Former prince," he corrected.
Duo caught her wrist as she tried to jump up and pulled her back down. "What is it?" he asked. "Why do you seem so shocked?"
She smiled and took his hand in hers. "I'll be right back," she said. "I have something for you."
"For me?" he asked, surprised.
She nodded and hurried out of the room. Duo, who was thoroughly confused, leaned back in his chair and closed his eyes. He knew Heero was here somewhere; he just had to find him. He sighed. It felt so good to just sit there with his eyes closed. He hadn't had any rest in months.
"Duo?" said a tentative voice.
His breath caught in his throat. His eyes snapped open and he spun around. Noin was standing in the doorway next to a very thin and pale Heero.
"He...Heero," he whispered. He suddenly became aware that he was crying. He had found him. He had finally found Heero.
The two boys just stood there looking at one another for a moment and then Duo ran to Heero and threw his arms around the other boy. Heero wrapped his arms around Duo and sobbed into his shoulder.
"It's really you," he said through his sobs. "I can't believe it's really you. I missed you so much."
Duo hugged the other boy even tighter. "I missed you more than anything," he whispered.
Heero finally stopped crying. "Duo?" he asked quietly. "What about your father?"
Duo smiled as he looked down at Heero. "My father was killed over 4 months ago," he said. "But, before he died, he made my cousin, Zechs, the legal heir to the throne. So, my cousin has no problem with you and me being together."
Heero starred at Duo in disbelief. "You mean...I can come home? And we can be together without the king trying to kill me?"
Duo nodded. "Yes," he said. "You can finally come home."
Author's Notes: okay, good, bad, lame? Let me know what you think. Next chapter is on its way. RurouniGirl