Treize POV
The next day was the day of the ambassador's ball. Really, I believe that it was just a way for Lizong's advisors to put me together with the ambassador's daughters in hopes of finding a matrimonial match and thus cementing our relations in traditional Chinese style, which was absurd since they all believed that I was gay. Still, my background would not allow me to be rude and I ended up dancing with more girls that night than I could ever remember.
It was not necessary for Wufei to arrive at the ball as early as I did, so I let him sleep late, our dueling the previous night had worn him out. I also told the servants to help Wufei with his outfit, which I had not had the time to see before leaving.
The party went on all day with a buffet in the main dining hall so that the party didn't even need to stop for meals. Wufei didn't make an appearance until lunch, but he managed to make a splendid entrance.
He was dressed in a sheer, skintight outfit that hugged his body like a second skin. Around his shoulders was a long, red-velvet cape that rippled down to the floor and pooled around his ankles. Around his waist was a red loincloth of the same color embroidered with gold that hung down passed his knees. On his hands and feet were think leather gloves and moccasins, also conforming to his body and outlined in gold. His hair was down from the ponytail that he liked to wear and his eyes were lined with kohl to make them appear larger.
For a moment, all I could think of was how stunningly beautiful he was. Then, he knelt at my feet and I couldn't think at all.
This was not a kneeling one does to show respect. This was a gesture of submission, showing that I had full control and domination of him.
I hated it. I would have liked nothing more than to stand Wufei up and tell him that never under any circumstances was he to kneel to me like that again.
But with all those Chinese politics watching, not to mention the emperor, that would have been a grievous cultural error. It would have offended many of the guests, who had also brought their concubines who behaved in a similar fashion, and it would have been an insult to the emperor.
"Rise, Wufei," was the only thing I could say to him. Obediently, he rose and moved to my side. I could tell from his body language he was nervous and uncomfortable in the clothes he was wearing. As Lizong approached us, Wufei moved behind me even more, not so much in a cowering way but as an instinctive need to get to a better defendable position. Besides, he had no idea that behind me was probably the only place in the room where he would be safe from Lizong.
"What do you think of your pet's new attire?" he asked me. I ignored his use of the word "pet" though I would have challenged any other person to a duel for such an insult to someone under my protection.
"It's a bit revealing, isn't it?" I asked him. His smile only broadened.
"I am told that this is the highest fashion amongst concubines. However, I see you are more the jealous type, eh?"
"I do not share well," I told him, but failed to elaborate.
"I can understand that you would want to keep him all to yourself, but it seems that you are not enjoying my gift. I have heard that you have not taken him as your own. Are you not pleased?"
My surprise was not well hidden as I turned sharply to look at Wufei. The boy seemed just as surprised that the emperor had this information as I and I immediately regretted being suspicious of him. But the only other way someone could have known that I had not been physically involved with Wufei would be to check, and I shuttered to think that someone had been able to do that to him without my knowledge. The sooner he was safely away from this place, the better.
"There are other ways to gain pleasure," I replied to him and failed to mention that I had not used these other methods.
"Ah, but I want to make sure you are satisfied with your gift. If you wait until you return to your home to test this one out, you may find that you are not pleased with him, and that would not due. Perhaps it would be better if I presented you with a different gift? I could take this boy off your hands and get you a young, exotic boy from India. Or anywhere, really." What was Lizong up to? What was he pushing for? I had already accepted his gift, there was no reason to question me.
Still I could see that Lizong was trying, for some reason, to get me to relinquish Wufei to him. I only had two choices. One was to take the boy's body and make sure it was rough enough to leave evidence. The other was not much better.
"Wufei is mine and mine alone. What I wish to do with him is my choice and not to be heard of by anyone else. Wufei is mine," I said and turned to face Wufei, drawing the ceremonial sword I wore at my waist. Without letting Wufei see, I cut my thumb on the blade of my sword, then moved my hand to cup his face. Gently, I drew my thumb across his lips. Surprised by feeling something warm and wet on his lips, he darted his tongue out to taste the bitter liquid without thinking about his actions. As the taste of my blood hit him, he made a sour face, his eyes showing confusion. But when I raised his hand and drew my sword, his face showed surprise and anxiety. It was only when I cut his thumb and moved it toward my mouth that he realized what I was doing. His face went white with fear and he feebly tried to pull away, but I held him firm. Quickly, I licked the blood that pooled on his finger and sealed our bond.
The sealing of my bond with Wufei was different from other bonds that I had made. He was lonely and frightened and, while a part of him called out to my mind for comfort, another part fought against me. But it was a blind battle. Wufei didn't have the knowledge or the experience to fight against someone as strong as me and soon gave in, allowing his mind to touch mine.
His emotions hit me like a waterfall. They cascaded around me until it felt like I was drowning. The dominant emotion was fear, followed by betrayal, trust, anxiety, shame, and many more that I did not get time to notice. I hurried to put up walls, ever conscious of the people around me and my need to protect Wufei.
When I came back to myself, the first thing I saw was Wufei, looking dazed, frightened, and more helpless than I had seen him since he was tied to the bed. I hated having to force him into this position, but it was the only way to keep him safe until he was far from the palace. Once I found his family I could break our link, and until then it would alert me if anything bad should happen to Wufei.
I turned to the emperor, only to find that he was just as white, if not whiter, than Wufei. He looked horrified and I had wonder again what he was thinking. He should have been happy.
"Follow me," the emperor ordered shakily, then abruptly turned and left the room. Quickly, I motioned for Wufei to stay and followed. At the door to a small conference room, Lizong did something that astounded me. He told his guards to wait outside. The emperor was never to be without his guards, he was to be protected at all times. But Lizong was adamant and eventually got his way. Inside the room, Lizong began pacing and I worried about what was bothering him. After all, though I sometimes thought him annoying and disliked him as a ruler, I did consider him a friend, though not a very close one.
"My friend," he told me, his voice grave, "I believe my naivety has caused you great problems. That boy, that you have bonded you mind to, is a sorcerer. When he was brought here, I did not know the charges brought against him, only that he was sentenced to death. I saw him being dragged in and thought that he was very pretty and would make a nice gift for you. When I finally learned what he was, I feared that I was too late and you had already been tainted by him. When I was told that you hadn't taken him, I was overjoyed and sought to take him from you without revealing my error. But I believe I have made an even worse mistake in questioning you, because now you are linked to his mind and soon he will control you. Please! You must break the link with him and save yourself. My guards will protect you from the boy and kill him once it is safe for you."
Lizong spoke these words with such a conviction, such a certainty, that I knew telling him about Wufei's goodness would do nothing. Nor would telling him that sorcerers were not evil, and saying that would probably have gotten me accused of being possessed by Wufei, which would have gotten him killed. Instead, I decided to humor the emperor and save Wufei at the same time.
"The boy is young and not yet strong enough to use his powers," I told Lizong, "He is still weak enough for me to control. Were your guards to attack him, he might kill them in a frenzy of power. However, being inside his mind I can keep him calm and sedate, I can keep him from using his powers. Perhaps, in time, I can save him from this sorcery," I told Lizong. The other man looked at me with what seemed to be a new found respect.
"You are very noble in your quest," he told me, "be careful, my friend. You cannot trust these sorcerers. It is a dark path they walk and you must always be on the lookout for trouble. I wish you all the luck in you new venture and I hope no ill falls upon you."
With that, Lizong stood and left the room. After a moment, I rose and followed him back to the party. When I arrived at the ballroom first, I worried because I could not see Wufei, but I soon found him standing in a corner of the room. Some of the other guest cast him sharp looks, others ignored him. The rest of the night passed in a blur as I stood beside Wufei, not bold enough to ask him to dance. I couldn't be sure, with the barriers I had constructed, whether he would dance because he wanted to, or out of some feeling of submissiveness toward me. So I said nothing.
It was hours later when I met up with Lizong again. The endless monotony of nobles speaking with me was wearing on my nerves and I had asked Wufei to bring me something to drink.
"Where is your pet," Lizong asked, startling me by coming up behind me. I could smell the sent of liquor as I turned and soon found myself face to face with a rather drunken Chinese emperor.
"His name is Wufei," I said, turning to face him.
"A pretty name. Did he come with it or did you give it to him?" Lizong asked and I struggled not to sigh. This was one of the reasons I disliked Lizong as a leader, he had grown up seeing his relatives order people around like they were dolls and could see no one below a noble as anything more than a toy. Lizong didn't mean to be cruel, he just couldn't help it.
"His name is Chang Wufei, his parents gave him that name, I assume. I sent him to get some drinks. See, here he is now," I said, pointing to Wufei, who was trudging across the ballroom, his head bent low over a tray of wineglasses.
"Ah, there's the lucky boy," Lizong said. Wufei dutifully kept his head down as he was addressed by the emperor, though I did see him sneak some peaks out of the corner of his eye. "It's not every day you're given to one of the most powerful men in the world, is it?" Lizong continued. Then, catching sight of Wufei's shocked and bewildered expression, he went on, "Ah! I see you haven't told him who you are, have you Treize? Well, I think I'll enlighten him for you! Wufei, you are owned by Treize Kushrenada, one of the most powerful and influential men in the world and the ruler of Russia!"
Wufei jumped and would have dropped the entire tray if I hadn't caught it. His eyes open wide in shock and I regretted not telling him myself. At the very least I could have told him a little more gently.
Soon, one of the emperor's advisors came over and escorted the tipsy leader away and to bed, saying he had caused enough damage for one night. I agreed, but kept silent. I could see Wufei's mind was going a mile a minute and finally decided to escort him out into the garden for a moment of privacy.
"Why didn't you tell me?" he asked angrily.
"Because I knew you'd react like this," I shot back, "And why didn't you tell me you'd been given an outfit like that?"
"I thought you knew!"
"I would never have let you come in something so revealing."
"Why? Do you want me all to yourself?"
"Wufei!" I barked sternly and he lowered his head, the anger seemed to drain away from him.
"I'm tired," he told me quietly, "I don't like surprises and I don't want to be here. I knew that you were a powerful lord, I just didn't know how powerful. I suppose that it doesn't change who you are, it was just a shock for me. You really didn't know I was going to be dressed like this?"
"I would never dress someone like you up in an outfit like this. The man who made it obviously works mostly with girls," I told him. His cheeks pinkened delectably, but he didn't reply. "Come," I told him, "the sooner we go back in the sooner we can leave."
It was late when we were finally able to leave. I would have liked nothing better than to have crawled in bed beside Wufei and slept the night away. But I had one more thing that had to be done that night.
After both Wufei and I were undressed and in our nightclothes, I asked him. Wufei was sitting on the bed, brushing his hair when I asked.
"Wufei, tell me where your family is," I asked him. He stilled in brushing his hair and, even through he barriers, I felt his panic come through.
"I won't tell you," he said, then put the brush aside and glared at me. I sighed, again preparing myself to do something I really didn't want to. I was only grateful that the boy would soon be safe and back where he belonged.
I moved to the bed and sat in front of Wufei. I could feel his tension but he would not cower or back away. Slowly but deliberately, I placed my hand on his shoulder.
"Wufei," I said, "I will ask you one more time, tell me where your family is. I promise that I will not harm you or them. I cannot leave you alone and I do not want to return you to the emperor. This is your last chance. Tell me where you family is."
Though I could feel the fear coming off of him, Wufei stubbornly shook his head. I took a deep breath, and began feeding pain through my barrier and across our link. Just as good feelings could be passed, so could negative ones. With Wufei's lack of knowledge about mental links and my barrier keeping me from feeling Wufei's pain, I was able to force him into a place where he wouldn't know what he was telling me. It would not hurt his body in any way and by morning most of the pain would probably be forgotten, but I still loathed causing him so much pain. But I didn't really have a choice.
"Wufei", I asked, when I had slowly brought the pain up to a place where I knew he would not be able to refuse me, "where is you family?"
Wufei's eye were wide with pain. He had fallen back against the bed, unable to even support himself, and was completely still in his agony, his muscles coiled like springs. When he answered, there were tears in the corners of his eyes.
"Dead," he told me, his voice soft and wrought with pain.
"All of them?" I questioned, hoping that was not the case.
"All of them," he affirmed. I quickly realized that it would take far too long to try and drag the whole story out of him.
"Wufei," I said, trying to get his attention as I lessened the pain just a bit, "Do you swear to me that you will tell me what happened at a later date?" I asked. I only got a nod in reply, but that was enough for me. I quickly shut off the pain and propelled his troubled mind toward sleep. Within a second, Wufei was in a deep slumber and I was left alone with my thoughts.
There really was no choice. Had I left Wufei, I knew he would have been killed immediately. There was no place else for him to stay in China. I realized that I would simply have to take him home with me. Duo would love to pick on him and Quatre would be thrilled to have someone share his love for books. Lady Une would want to drill him on Chinese fighting techniques, as Sally would want to know all about Chinese medicine. It would be good for Master O to have someone from his own country to talk to and he might agree to take Wufei on as an apprentice and show him how to work magic for the good of mankind. If anyone could convince Wufei sorcerers were good, it would be Master O.
That night, as Wufei's sleep was constantly interrupted by nightmares, I couldn't help but feel responsible for dredging up the sad memories. I could only hope the future would be brighter for my dragon warrior.
Wufei woke slowly the next morning. I watched him drift into the world of the wakeful as I sat by the bed. I had decided, late last night, that Wufei should not stay cooped up in the room all day. I thought it would be better to get him outside, into the fresh air. I had some spare time that morning before my meeting with the emperor and decided to take Wufei to explore the market place, as I had wanted to do for quite some time.
We both dressed and ate breakfast quickly. I wanted to get to the marketplace earlier so we would have more time to look around before I had to go to my meeting. Wufei looked glad enough to go to the market, though he didn't seem as excited as when I proposed taking him to the library. Perhaps we would find some books for him to read on the way to Haven, since the ones taken from the library would have to be returned before we left.
I was also hoping to find Wufei a sword and perhaps some other trinkets from his homeland. Wufei did not have any personal possessions with him and, though I wondered about it, I dared not stir bad memories only to satisfy my curiosity.
It was cool and cloudy when we set out. Heavy rains threatened to pour from the clouds and I hoped we were done with our shopping before the rains could start.
The market, despite the disagreeable weather, was alive with people. Vendors of every kind were about peddling their wares. I stopped to look at some exotic birds at one stall, some of a strange, purple breed of Chinese rose at another. Wufei showed no interest in the roses, but was mildly amused by the birds. I played with the idea of buying him one, but the birds were not of the sort that could be used for hunting and were very hard to care for. It was unlikely they would even survive the trip to Haven, let alone the temperature change.
There was a small shop that sold antiques, more of a rummage shop than anything, that we managed to find several books to buy. Wufei seemed pleased at the discovery of so many old books, all hidden away on a low shelf and covered in dust. We left with an entire bag full of the books, plus a few antique gifts for my friends at home.
There was only one place that really showed trouble for us. I had stopped at a vendor while Wufei was over looking at some swords at the next stall. This particular stall was hidden fairly well from the majority of people, being in an ally between two tall buildings. It really wasn't a stall since there was only a few poles holding a trap over some wares that were laid out on rugs on the ground. Still, it caught my eye and, more to get away from the crowd than anything, I pointed the stall out to Wufei and left the central street of the market.
I could tell that the merchandise in this stall was probably from mercenaries almost instantly. The man running the stall was a shrewd, beady eyed creature. As I looked through his wares I could see that some extremely valuable antiques had been priced very cheaply, telling me that the man had no idea what he was dealing with. Beyond that, some of the antiques were very personal objects, like a comb, hair piece, and family sword that would be passed down the generations. Also, the diversity of the objects made me wonder how else they could have been gotten. There were items like a half-finished quilt, a set of dolls, a large man's shirt, a set of plates, a pair of toy swords, and a small box of portraits.
The items in question seemed too personal for me to buy and I was about to leave when a beautiful sword caught my eye. I had been hoping to buy one for Wufei and this one would suit him perfectly. It had a ruby dragon carved on the hilt and a heavy blade that I could almost see Wufei wielding with ease. Still, I hesitated to take things that had obviously been begotten through unethical means.
I had just decided to leave the shop when I heard a gasp from behind me. I turned to see Wufei just as a flood of rage streamed through our link.
Wufei moved too fast for me to stop him. He grabbed the sword that I had been admiring and, as easily as I had imagined, drew it through the air. In a moment, he set his sights on the vendor and took a position to attack. As he rushed forward toward the helpless man I grabbed a metal candle holder and managed to hit the sword out of his hands. I was on my feet in the next instant, grabbing him around the waist and pinning his arms to his sides even as he fought against me. It was only at this time I began to hear the yells and curses Wufei was giving off.
"... kill them! Kill them all! For the honor of my family! I will have justice! Thief! Insolent cur! How dare you take what belongs to the dead! Let me go!"
It was then that I realized that what this man was trying to peddle must have come from Wufei's family. Whether they had died of disease and the mercenaries had robbed their tombs or the mercenaries themselves had killed them, Wufei's anger was directed at this man who was guilty of doing no more than selling what he was given.
"Wufei," I called, quietly but deliberately. My face was right next to his, so I spoke calmly into his ear. "Wufei, killing this man will not return honor to your family. He only sells what is given to him. Killing this man will not undo what has been done, nor will it return your family to you. You must be patient, your real enemies will show themselves to you," I told him. He still struggled against me, but not as insanely as he had before. And he had stopped screaming.
"Let me go," Wufei hissed, his voice tight with anger. "I will not hurt him, now release me!"
I let Wufei go, stepping back to give him space. I could still feel the powerful anger coursing through him, made even worse now that there was no target for it. Wufei seemed about to explode with anger when he suddenly bent and took the sword he had been using, then ran off. I knew that he would need some time alone, so I did not follow him. He needed to sort his mind out in private, where he didn't need to hide all of his feelings. He was not yet comfortable enough around me to trust me with his emotions, something I hoped to change one day.
The vendor, seeing Wufei running off with his sword, made ready to chase after him. I grabbed him as he went to passed me, telling him that I would buy the sword and everything else he had. I paid him well enough that he didn't complain about packing everything up and sending it to the palace for me. I doubted that it hurt that Wufei had scared him witless on that account.
As I was leaving the vendor, on my way to find Wufei, I noticed that the canvas that protected the man's wares had been slightly singed around the edges. It was odd, since I could have sworn that the canvas was in perfect condition when I came upon it, but I put it out of my mind. I even mentally made a crack about my age affecting my mind already.
I traced my link to Wufei and him sitting in front of a small pond full of gold and black koi. He sat, morbidly staring at the water as I came up behind him, the sword sitting on his lap. I said nothing as I stood behind him for a few minutes and he ignored me, though I knew that our link had alerted him of my presence. After a few minutes, Wufei rose and turned to me, but still said nothing.
"We need to return to the palace," I told him. He simply nodded and followed me as I lead him back to our room. I had to leave him in that sullen silence as I went to my meeting. I was loathe to leave him, but I knew his presence would not be welcome at the meeting. Just as I left Wufei, staring out the window at the gardens, I glanced out the window. The clouds still hovered above the ground, unable to release the heavy water inside them and thus float higher into the air. It was oddly the same way with Wufei, unable to release his tears and rid himself of the heavy burden of guilt and pain.