A/N: Chapter 7! Finally! We now enter the Uber-Plot! Muwahahahah! Just a few minutes have passed since 6 and this here chapter, by the way. No worries.
Warnings: Profanity, 1x2x1, 3x4, little OOC, extreme AU...yadda yadda yadda. Violence, yaoi, you get it. I've already said it 6 times.
Disclaimer: They aren't mine. Plot is though! (Happy dance)
Sea of Silence
Chapter 7
The Prince
The sounds of fighting had died down as soon as they'd boarded the navy flagship, and now that they sat in the officer's galley, the only sounds left were the sloshing of the waves and the occasional yell from onshore. Duo prayed his ship would be okay. And Meiran, of course.
Meiran actually looked more pissed-off than anything, sitting tied to a stool in the corner and gagged. The shorthaired woman seated behind her held a knife loosely in her hand. Zechs had called her Noin. Noin was wearing a uniform similar to Merquise's, but without all the frills. Duo frowned. He really didn't like that mask.
Wufei was glaring at Noin, Meiran was glaring at Wufei, Trowa was glaring at Zechs, Heero was close to fainting from the huge gushing gash on his back, Duo was busy looking threatening and being worried about his sex bunny, and Quatre was smiling at the far wall like a good diplomat. Noin was looking for all the world like a soldier at attention as she slumped in her chair, and Zechs was looking as preoccupied as a guy in a mask can. All in all, the room was crowded.
"I assume you're all wondering why you're sitting here and not in the brig," Zechs said. Duo heard Trowa mutter, "That's the ship's prison" to Quatre, who still didn't know anything about ships. "The answer is, you're the reason my fleet's out here. We were sent to collect the five boys, aged around seventeen or eighteen or so, with tattoos on their backs. Algon needs you." Quatre's smile wilted.
"Why would Algon need us," he asked as cordially as possible, and Zechs smirked.
"Because one of you is the crown prince." Heero passed out so quietly only Duo, who sat next to him, noticed. (In reality, he'd been out for a while, but took this moment for his neck to relax a bit.) Wufei actually started laughing insanely, Trowa was frowning, and Quatre was Mr. Poker Face. Duo just shrugged.
"Which one," he grumbled. Duo didn't want to rule a country. Or even go to one. He was a pirate, and proud of it.
"And why would you attack the island to get us," Trowa demanded, and Duo could tell he was furious. Heero's head slumped onto the braided boy's shoulder. "You could have killed someone. You DID kill someone." Only Catherine being hit would make him this angry. But, only sliced. If Catherine Bloom were dead, triplicated tables would be flying around.
"It was the only safe way to get you five away from Shinigami's forces. We did what was necessary," Noin joined in. Duo frowned a bit. They obviously didn't know who they'd picked up.
Always know your enemy.
"And we appreciate that, really, but most of those people weren't pirates," Quatre said.
"So, why are we here now? So you guys can poof our hair and put us in dresses," Duo asked, smile back on. "Or, is it robes? I forget what princes wear. Which one of us is the prince, anyway?"
"Only the Steward knows that, and he's back in Algon," Zechs said. "Treize Khushrenada is a wise man, and has been taking care of the country during the prince's fourteen-year absence since his eleventh birthday." Duo whistled.
"That's pretty young, you know," he said, and both Zechs and Noin looked a bit ruffled. "I mean, if I was a king at eleven, I'd have made every Tuesday be Duo Day, and taxes be paid in pie." Trowa nodded seriously.
"Then let's hope you're not the prince," Wufei said, and Trowa nodded seriously again, along with Quatre. Heero, of course, was still unconscious. "Can I have my wife back now?" Meiran's glare turned to fire, and muffled yelling could be heard through the gag. "Damn it, woman! Get used to it!" Zechs and Noin looked uncomfortably at the scene.
"You should see it when Meiran's not tied to a chair," Duo said cheerily.
"What happens now," Quatre interjected.
"We will be taking you five...or, six, I guess, to Algon. We'll be there in two days, tops," Zechs said. Duo confirmed it in his head; at this time of year, the winds would be perfect. His ship could probably have gotten there in one. "In fact, we'll be leaving now. Noin?" Zechs left the room, leaving the woman to watch over the five, and the hostage.
"Hey, Noinikins, can I get some bandages for him," Duo asked in his most endearing voice, pointing to the head on his shoulder. At the same time, the violet-eyed boy slumped Heero onto the table and pulled up the back of his bloody shirt.
"I'll escort the two of you to the medic," Noin said, and Duo scooped Heero up with a bit of effort. Hee-babe was heavy. "And Wufei, please refrain from freeing your wife. For all our sakes." Meiran's glare turned to Noin, and then right back to her husband.
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Her legs swung in the air to curl around each other, flipping around as the Lady entered. She didn't even bother to feel embarrassed about being clad in her underwear alone, stomach flat on the bed as she read her book. Scars dotted her skin.
"I have a job for you," Lady Une said, her cool voice barely dampening the other girl's mood.
"Why else would you be here," she asked, and her left leg went so far as to allow her foot to touch her arched back, and the dark gray hair that sprinkled it. "Who do you want me to take out?" Une threw a packet of papers onto the small bed.
"There will be a coronation next week," she said very clearly. "Target's the one getting the big shiny thing put on his head." The girl giggled a bit.
"Just a slash and dash? I was hoping for a bit more fun," she said, and turned the page. The girl's voice changed, to a smooth, darker tone. "Only for your client's repeated patronage do I do these, Une." Lady Une nodded, and noticed for the first time the dark blue toenail polish.
"See you next time," Une said, and walked out the door, leaving a smirking, scarred girl on the other side of the wall.
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"So, how long have you two been married," Quatre asked cheerily at the glaring spouses. He'd managed to end up in Trowa's lap somehow, and the older boy sure wasn't about to complain.
"About three months now," Wufei muttered. Meiran nodded shortly, and went back to glaring.
"How'd you two meet," Quatre asked, and Trowa quickly kissed him to make the shorter boy shut up.
"There are some things you don't want to know," Trowa said in his loving whisper, and Quatre nodded.
"I met her a year ago, when Duo and I were still partners. Trowa wasn't in the picture yet; he'd been off looking for his sister. I decided to take my ship off by myself, and we captured Meiran," Wufei said. "She's the only person who's ever actually...hurt me." Quatre looked confused, and Wufei was blushing deeply.
"She stuck a dagger up his-" Trowa began to clarify, but he cut him off.
"ANYWAY, I was livid and threw her overboard as soon as I was better. But, then the ship mutinied and I got thrown over too, so we swam to a nearby island. What happened happened, and we ended up getting married," Wufei finished hurriedly. Meiran nodded her acceptance of the story.
"That's so romantic," Quatre said happily. "Well, congratulations! I'm sure you'll have a happy marriage." Wufei frowned. "So, what was the ceremony like?" Now, Trowa had to kiss him again, this time so hard the boy fell out of his lap. "Wow!"
"Sorry he's nosy," Trowa apologized, and Wufei nodded.
"They always have their lesser qualities," he said dryly, and Meiran looked ready to "hurt" him again. "Stop looking at me like that, woman!"
"MRMFFFM MRRFFF," Meiran yelled, and Trowa just shook his head. This was going to be a long two days.
Heero woke up four hours later, his shirt gone and his back bandaged expertly, although there was still the soreness of new stitches along his muscles. To his left, a bloody Duo Maxwell was sprawled in a chair, mouth open and snoring soundlessly, which roughly translates to heavy breathing. Heero frowned. The only people he'd ever met that slept like that were soldiers and street kids.
But which one was the pirate? It was obvious from his body he'd had anything but an easy life. Heero wouldn't be surprised to find out Duo had nearly starved to death, let alone several times.
Then again, he himself had not had a particularly gentle childhood. He doubted anyone with a tattoo on their back did.
As he examined the slouched form, he realized how absolutely confused their relationship was. Were they friends? Lovers? Or...what? What the hell could he say to Quatre when the blonde found out? "Meet my occasional lover, Duo. We constantly threaten each other, and I think I'm falling in love."
Heero 'hn'ed at the idea. Duo probably knew what they were, and would tell him when he woke up.
"You good friends," a woman's voice asked, and Heero reached for his knife before remembering it wasn't there. A blonde-haired woman entered, looking serene. 'Doctor', Heero's brain confirmed, as nobody but a doctor or a slave-trader looked at a human like that. "He carried you in."
"I know," Heero said flatly. For a while, they just stared at each other.
"Not the talkative type, are you? Alright. I'm Sally Po, resident doctor-turned-ship's surgeon," she said, smiling. "And you're Heero." Her smile turned to a happy smirk. "Interesting dreams your friend has." Heero's face reddened a bit. "No, I'm just kidding! He told me before nodding off. But, boy can he sleep."
"We didn't get much sleep last night," he stated. Sally nodded.
"Well, I hope you enjoy your stay here on the Prisoner Prince Pleasure Cruise," she said, and gave one of those 'I'm so witty' laughs. "I'm off to untie the princess. You, go back to sleep. Or else." Although he found the 'Or else' rather amusing, Heero did as he was told and dropped back to sleep.
But, when Sally Po was close to opening the dining room door, Noin stopped her, clearly noticing the scissors the doctor held in her hand.
"Don't open the door, please," Noin said, as close to frantic as the woman got. "If the Meiran woman gets untied, she'll probably kill her husband." Sally looked confused.
"Won't that be a problem? I mean, the prince is supposed to be betrothed to some girl in Sanc," Sally said, and Noin shrugged.
"We just have to hope he isn't the prince, then," she said, and walked back to where Zechs stood. Sally, with a shrug, went back the way she came. Noin probably knew best.
"I didn't know we had to marry one of them off," Noin said, and he shrugged. "Responsive today, aren't you?" Zech's lips twisted into a smile.
"You're lucky I know you, or else I'd think you meant something dirty," he said, and Noin blushed a bit.
"You're lucky I know you, or else I'd smash you onto the deck," she grumbled. "Your mind's always in the gutter. Sometimes I wonder what you have displayed inside that helmet of yours." Zechs smirked, but decided to let the taunting die.
"My money's on the blonde being prince," he finally said. In secret, Noin was an avid gambler, and insanely funny when drunk. But then again, he was usually drunk at the same time, which could impair his judgment. "He looks most like the king."
"I'll take that bet," she said, smiling. "The queen had brown hair."
"Need I remind you LIGHT brown? And with all the sun here, it'd probably turn blonde."
"Blonde pride? I'd have never guessed from you," Noin said, and Zechs laughed a little. "If I had to bet on just one, it'd be the unconscious kid. King had blue eyes, queen had brown hair, and he looks just enough crazy."
"Which would be quite a bit crazy."
"How would you know?"
Zechs just stared out to sea.
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A/N: So there. That's chapter 7. Shorter again. But, that's cause this is a boring, plotness chapter. We get to better things in 8, such as minor Relena bashing and more yaoi! Hooray! I'm toying with the idea of 6x9. You guys should tell me if you want it or not; otherwise, I'll just keep them at awkward glances. And, now we're into uberplot! Scary. And don't worry, there'll still be lots of pirates and all that goodness.
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