Alright, here I am still writing these stupid author's notes even though nobody's reading this *curse and sigh* Oh well...I think actually this part put me in a bad mood. This is where the story gets...freaky....er...complex....err....I don't know, but I've made the chapters shorter 1) because people like shorter chapters and I'm long winded and 2) this is where the prewriting ends and if I don't post as much I have longer to think about it *nervous grin* none of this part is throughly proof-read yet to see if it -really- fits in with the plot...when I discover the plot that is...have I mentioned that this is a very tenuous story...I'm not sure what's going to happen...All I'm getting is the same stupid cryptic hints that you've been getting from the stupid foreshadowing characters...*sigh* this part definitely makes me cranky. To be bsolutely safe, I've upped the rating for the next parts...oh, and here's a Disclaimer:
I don't own it.
There. Enjoy!
Kitten
_______________________________________________
Duo stood and stared. Milliardo stood by his side, stoically as ever. Duo found the words to speak were hidden somewhere in the clutter that rested on his heart,
"King...Treize?"
Trieze stared deeply, arrestingly, with this starry eyed distraction at him, until Duo felt frozen, caught in a trap so expertly set that he knew it was there and still walked into it. If there was anything in this life that Duo wasn't used to it was the cold grip of fear. He blinked, feeling the uncanny hold still on him, reluctant to shake off. He looked at the tall nobleman in front of him. Treize had every feature of a ruler, or every feature that was to be expected. His blue coat virtually glittered with a show of wealth. Duo, though he didn't care much for the rules of formal attire(or know them), noticed that unlike Milliardo, Trieze's jacket had a small empty spot where the corsage of a single flower would normally rest. He decided that mentioning it would be pressing his luck, and Milliardo would probably kill him for it anyway, so he didn't. It was true that he'd grown to have some sort of attachment to Milliardo and his silent and concealed true nature in a very short time, but Treize, he felt, would be an entirely different affair. The noble smiled down at him, so warmly, it seemed. Duo wasn't sure of the protocol to greeting kings, and even if he had been, he doubted he would've done any of it. Instead, he put his hands on his hips and nodded,
"This is a nice place ya got here."
He almost heard Milliardo's wince, and smiled deeply to himself. Treize seemed to be paying little attention to him, though, despite his glue-like gazing. Duo felt Milliardo poke him in the back with an elbow and realized he had probably been staring too intently as well. Oh well, it wasn't as if it mattered much. They probably just thought he was amazed to be in the presence of a king or something stupid like that. Duo glared back at Milliardo then put on the bright-eyed look again for everyone to see. He glanced to either side at the impressively decorated room, didn't bother to excuse himself, and bounced off in the direction of a marble vase. He decided to spend a good long moment analyzing that until he could pick out what exactly he was expected to be doing in this stupid castle anyway. He tried to bore holes in the marble with his eyes and made a good show of being stupid. The feeling in his gut and the lingering gaze of the noblemen was enough to make him highly skeptical of their goodwill. He knew that feeling in his stomach was only one he got when something important and bad was happening. And he seriously doubted that either of noblemen simply felt the need to be kind to a poor war orphan.
****
Treize turned to Milliardo, "You've done well."
He said almost tonelessly, except for the sound of practiced inflection and poorly obscured pomposity. Milliardo watched Duo flutter from one object to the next, examining each with an expert eye, and moving to the next almost instantly. He kept needlessly worrying about the youth's unruly tail knocking some priceless object from its perch. Each time, though, Duo managed to keep the swing just far enough away to stir the air, but befall no harm. He chastised himself. He'd be better off worrying about his unruly mouth. Treize's uncharacteristically focused eyes followed Duo's path, however erratic, with unreadable emotion concealed in them.
Milliardo nodded, "I am pleased, your highness, that you think so."
Treize allowed a slightly sinister smile show on half of his face, "No, it is I who is pleased, Milliardo."
Milliardo shivered, trying to ignore the use of his name, and turned his attention back to Duo.
"What's this anyway?"
Duo now stared a large painting hanging on the wall. He turned his head sideways and shrugged,
"You know, I don't think he got the effect he was going for."
He turned away from the painting and faced them again, hand over his stomach, "If it's not to much to ask...is there any food around?"
Treize smiled, "I will send some, you may eat to your heart's content."
Duo grinned, "Alright! This is some nice place!"
With more energy than ever he ran from place to place in the room. Milliardo nodded, "I suppose then, your highness..."
"No,"
Treize still stared at Duo, the unreadable look in his eyes, "You will stay, and answer my questions."
"Yes your Majesty." Milliardo bowed.
Duo laughed and looked out the great window, "how high up is this?"
"A full story," Trieze responded with a certain pleasure in answering the question, "Below is the kitchens and work areas."
Duo leaned out he window until his feet left the ground, "Wow..."
Treize grinned. He spoke softly to Milliardo, "What is his name?"
Milliardo watched Duo with uneasy eyes, "The woman at the...lodge...said Duo Maxwell."
Treize nodded as Duo began to peer at the books on the shelves. "An interesting name..."
"Yes, and orphan, though, despite his namesake."
"How...old, is he?"
Duo poked at something undoubtedly worth more than anything he'd ever seen in his life as if it were a dead fish.
"Fifteen, Your Highness, Perhaps even sixteen or fourteen. He was with the Lady for many years. She said she received him when he was five, or thereabout."
Milliardo resisted the temptation to lie about the boy's age, as if making him any younger would make a difference. Treize nodded, still seeming entranced despite the fact that Duo's mouth hadn't shut since he'd arrived. Milliardo wondered what the appeal was for a brief moment, before chastising himself away from the thought. Treize smiled and murmured deep in his throat.
"That's all, for now."
Milliardo nodded and bowed one last time, "Your highness."
He turned his back and left, hoping to God he wouldn't have to come back.
_______________-
I don't own it.
There. Enjoy!
Kitten
_______________________________________________
Duo stood and stared. Milliardo stood by his side, stoically as ever. Duo found the words to speak were hidden somewhere in the clutter that rested on his heart,
"King...Treize?"
Trieze stared deeply, arrestingly, with this starry eyed distraction at him, until Duo felt frozen, caught in a trap so expertly set that he knew it was there and still walked into it. If there was anything in this life that Duo wasn't used to it was the cold grip of fear. He blinked, feeling the uncanny hold still on him, reluctant to shake off. He looked at the tall nobleman in front of him. Treize had every feature of a ruler, or every feature that was to be expected. His blue coat virtually glittered with a show of wealth. Duo, though he didn't care much for the rules of formal attire(or know them), noticed that unlike Milliardo, Trieze's jacket had a small empty spot where the corsage of a single flower would normally rest. He decided that mentioning it would be pressing his luck, and Milliardo would probably kill him for it anyway, so he didn't. It was true that he'd grown to have some sort of attachment to Milliardo and his silent and concealed true nature in a very short time, but Treize, he felt, would be an entirely different affair. The noble smiled down at him, so warmly, it seemed. Duo wasn't sure of the protocol to greeting kings, and even if he had been, he doubted he would've done any of it. Instead, he put his hands on his hips and nodded,
"This is a nice place ya got here."
He almost heard Milliardo's wince, and smiled deeply to himself. Treize seemed to be paying little attention to him, though, despite his glue-like gazing. Duo felt Milliardo poke him in the back with an elbow and realized he had probably been staring too intently as well. Oh well, it wasn't as if it mattered much. They probably just thought he was amazed to be in the presence of a king or something stupid like that. Duo glared back at Milliardo then put on the bright-eyed look again for everyone to see. He glanced to either side at the impressively decorated room, didn't bother to excuse himself, and bounced off in the direction of a marble vase. He decided to spend a good long moment analyzing that until he could pick out what exactly he was expected to be doing in this stupid castle anyway. He tried to bore holes in the marble with his eyes and made a good show of being stupid. The feeling in his gut and the lingering gaze of the noblemen was enough to make him highly skeptical of their goodwill. He knew that feeling in his stomach was only one he got when something important and bad was happening. And he seriously doubted that either of noblemen simply felt the need to be kind to a poor war orphan.
****
Treize turned to Milliardo, "You've done well."
He said almost tonelessly, except for the sound of practiced inflection and poorly obscured pomposity. Milliardo watched Duo flutter from one object to the next, examining each with an expert eye, and moving to the next almost instantly. He kept needlessly worrying about the youth's unruly tail knocking some priceless object from its perch. Each time, though, Duo managed to keep the swing just far enough away to stir the air, but befall no harm. He chastised himself. He'd be better off worrying about his unruly mouth. Treize's uncharacteristically focused eyes followed Duo's path, however erratic, with unreadable emotion concealed in them.
Milliardo nodded, "I am pleased, your highness, that you think so."
Treize allowed a slightly sinister smile show on half of his face, "No, it is I who is pleased, Milliardo."
Milliardo shivered, trying to ignore the use of his name, and turned his attention back to Duo.
"What's this anyway?"
Duo now stared a large painting hanging on the wall. He turned his head sideways and shrugged,
"You know, I don't think he got the effect he was going for."
He turned away from the painting and faced them again, hand over his stomach, "If it's not to much to ask...is there any food around?"
Treize smiled, "I will send some, you may eat to your heart's content."
Duo grinned, "Alright! This is some nice place!"
With more energy than ever he ran from place to place in the room. Milliardo nodded, "I suppose then, your highness..."
"No,"
Treize still stared at Duo, the unreadable look in his eyes, "You will stay, and answer my questions."
"Yes your Majesty." Milliardo bowed.
Duo laughed and looked out the great window, "how high up is this?"
"A full story," Trieze responded with a certain pleasure in answering the question, "Below is the kitchens and work areas."
Duo leaned out he window until his feet left the ground, "Wow..."
Treize grinned. He spoke softly to Milliardo, "What is his name?"
Milliardo watched Duo with uneasy eyes, "The woman at the...lodge...said Duo Maxwell."
Treize nodded as Duo began to peer at the books on the shelves. "An interesting name..."
"Yes, and orphan, though, despite his namesake."
"How...old, is he?"
Duo poked at something undoubtedly worth more than anything he'd ever seen in his life as if it were a dead fish.
"Fifteen, Your Highness, Perhaps even sixteen or fourteen. He was with the Lady for many years. She said she received him when he was five, or thereabout."
Milliardo resisted the temptation to lie about the boy's age, as if making him any younger would make a difference. Treize nodded, still seeming entranced despite the fact that Duo's mouth hadn't shut since he'd arrived. Milliardo wondered what the appeal was for a brief moment, before chastising himself away from the thought. Treize smiled and murmured deep in his throat.
"That's all, for now."
Milliardo nodded and bowed one last time, "Your highness."
He turned his back and left, hoping to God he wouldn't have to come back.
_______________-