Sorry for the delay and sorry for any confusion i have created at the end of the last chapter when Heero is being taken away. i used the word 'calling' instead of a better suited word such as 'requiring' or somethign liek that. Heero did not ask to be knocked out, because he woke up teh soldiers 'had' to reknock him out. I'm sorry for any confusion this may have created.

Chapter 9: Forbidden Fruit

Heero awoke to find himself curled into a ball on a cold cement floor. A barred window stood 8 feet over his head. The sounds of songbirds going about their morning routines could be heard coming through the window. A guard sat on a stool on the opposite wall. A long gun leaned against the wall to his left side. The guard was absorbed in his book, or so Heero thought until he moved, causing the chains to clink together as if protesting the move. The guard look up in Heero's direction to see what was happening. When he realized Heero was looking back at him he got up and walked to the door in the far left hand corner and banged on the door two times. In response, the door opened and another guard poked his head in. The first guard whispered something to the second and before Heero knew what was going on the door was closed again and the original guard was walking back to his seat.

"The King is coming" he said in a thick accent Heero couldn't place, though he knew he wasn't in Berkinshire anymore. The events from the night before slowly came back to him. His head felt like it had been beaten by a hundred mages simultaneously. The last thing he could remember was laying in Duo's bed when all of a sudden the door opened and what seemed like 20 men came storming in, and that's where things get fuzzy.

Heero didn't have to wait long for the King to arrive. Apparently he had been waiting close by in order to arrive as soon as Heero woke up.

When he heard the door creaking open he looked to see who it was that was causing the noise. Heero gasped when he saw the man who entered.

Standing at the door was a slender man of medium build and pure locks of gold hair that simmered in the rays of sunlight trying to get through the window to shine on this man. Heero recognized him immediately as Quatre Winner. Though he was sure Quatre didn't recognize him.

Last time Heero saw Quatre he was with Odin and in disguise as a girl, one of his less fond memories. However, Odin had given a lecture in Queedmore a few months before Heero was banished from Glembogle. Odin had told him an important person to that country would be coming, but had not told Heero it was going to be Quatre. Kings, unlike mages, had an automatic invite to Odin's lectures simply because they were the king. This not only infuriated Odin, but he passed this anger on to Heero, who took great offence to it. Five seats that could have been given to five top mages were reserved for the King and four of him men, usually his top advisor and three bodyguards. Unlike most kings who show up merely to gloat about having been to one of Odin's lectures, Quatre looked genuinely interested in what Odin had to say. However the only disconcerting part about him being there was that his bodyguards and top advisor looked interested too. Odin's magic was not to be used to harm people and he certainly didn't want what he taught to be used in any negative way. Because of this he never taught a full trick, never used more then the tiniest amount of his power, and always scanned the audience to see their energy levels to make sure what he taught wasn't going into the hands of some power hungry crazy person. However, what he taught could be used in connection with other spells, and a really determined person could work on and refine his spells to make them better.

To put a check on how his magic was being used, all person attending his lectures had to sign a contract that they would not use what he teaches in any negative way. Mages and wizards known to be affiliated with the dark arts were not allowed entrance and a tracker spell was cast on every person attending the lectures without their knowledge.

Heero got a bad vibe from Quatre and his men the moment he saw them as a young girl pretending to be a hired assistant to help Odin with the lecture. It was only the second lecture Heero has been allowed to attend.

Back in the prison room Heero recognized the man standing next to Quarter as his top advisor from the lector and as the man who was the first to enter the room he had been in before coming here.

/They must know of my connection with Odin….but that's impossible. How could they have figured it out/

"Welcome to Queedmore!" Quatre exclaimed in an excited voice. "I'm sorry for your current condition, but you see, we weren't sure how you'd react to a new place and we had to take all precautions. But as we all can see, you have been very calm and relaxed and I think I nice walk through the gardens would do everyone a bit of good!" as Quatre was talking he waved the original guard over to Heero to unlock him from his restraints. When the cuffs where finally off, Heero rubbed his wrists, happy to have them free once more.

"Please, come this way" Quatre said holding his right arm out to Heero and his left out towards the door. Heero walked uncertainly over toward the door Quatre was holding his arm out to. Quatre followed closely behind and Zechs was right behind him.

Heero felt weird leading the way in a foreign palace, but his uncertainly soon vanished when Quatre wrapped his arm around Heero's neck and guided him in the right direction.

"So, Heero, how have you liked Berkinshire? Were you shown all the sites?"

"Not yet" Heero replied.

"That's a shame, there are some magnificent views there." They made a left and Heero could see a set of huge double doors on the right-hand side guarded by two guards, one on each side. Quatre stopped in front of the doors and waited for the guards to open the doors to let them through. Before their eyes a huge expanse of trees, flowers, grass and fountains met their eyes and far in the distance Heero could see the other side of the castle. They were in an enclosed space. This huge garden was in the center of the castle. Not open. Heero could only imagine what the backyard to this castle must look like if this was only the central garden.

They walked along a path that went through the middle of the garden following a little stream that went from the head fountain down and around the middle fountain to the other end where it probably ended at another fountain or small pond or both.

"Why am I here?" He had to ask, he knew Quatre was waiting for it and that he wouldn't give anything away until asked that simple question. Heero was not in a playing mood and just wanted to know what was happening. He had a feeling it was about Odin and he wasn't about to become bait to the only person who ever showed him kindness.

"I'm glad you asked that. Its quite simple you see. I felt that you were not in a safe environment in Berkinshire and I wanted to help you out."

"I'm a slave. Why would you want to help me? Besides, I wasn't complaining, I didn't ask for your help, how did you know to come?"

"I was informed of your situation, and I couldn't let you go on like that knowing what was happening."

"So what are you going to do with me? Am I now a slave here? A captive? Or and I free?"

"Well you are certainly free. I don't see any chains on you."

"So I can leave at any time then?"

"Well you could. But I wouldn't suggest it. Anyone leaving the castle without my permission is subjected to either the shoot-first-ask-later rule or arrest. And I don't think you want either. But you are allowed out here, so you are not stuck inside."

"How long?"

"How long what?"

"Will I be here?"

"Oh, I don't know. We'll play that by ear." When they reached the middle fountain they made a right and continued down a different path that was leading to a set of doors similar to the ones they had entered the courtyard from except these were located on a different side of the castle. Heero realized he could easily get lost in this castle and just as easily get turned around in the garden. He was good with directions, but the garden was symmetrical and a long walk though it if not paying attention could lead to not knowing what door to use when trying to leave it.

The walk to Heero's room was uneventful. Quatre and Zech's talked a little and a few random questions were asked to Heero, who still had Quatre's arm draped around his shoulders leading him.

Heero's room was on the second floor in almost above the doors they had used to walk back into the castle. The room was huge, at least the size of a normal gym. The bed was king sized with a canopy of the right hand wall. A walk in closet sat to the left of the bed and another door on the right lead to Heero's own private bathroom. The left side of the room was like a sitting area with a couch, and two plush armchairs. A desk sat against the left hand wall and a fireplace was on the adjacent. And directly in front of him was a balcony with sliding doors to get onto it, and on both sides of the doors it was just a wall full of windows. Not quite floor to ceiling but pretty close. There was a gorgeous view of the garden and the other side of the building was far enough away that it didn't make the viewer feel like they were looking at an enclosed area. The curtains were large light blue sheets of silk with a thicker dark blue velvet covering. The walls were all a painted with a rich blue and the furniture though not the same color as the wall or curtains all matched and went with the room perfectly. The rug was thick and soft and Heero's feet sank into it when he walked into the room.

Heero realized he could get use to this room very quickly. It was the cream of the crops. He had never seen anything so luxurious yet calming and peaceful with a feeling of casual. He felt like he was in heaven, except that he couldn't leave this building.

"I hope you enjoy your stay. Rashid will be by later to pick you up to take you to the dinning hall for dinner. Tonight I would like you to attend though usually if you want you can eat in your room." When he had finished talking Quatre shut the door to the room behind him. Heero just stood in the middle of the room looking around in amazement. To have such wealth was unbelievable.

/How does someone get this rich/ He thought to himself.

He walked over to the balcony and opened the doors to let some fresh air into the room. On the balcony was a cushioned swinging bench, two chairs and a table, as well as a few plotted plants and a vine climbing along the railing. Heero sat on the swinging bench and worked on sending a warning out to Odin without it being detectable to any of Quatre's mages or wizards.

Phew! That's done. Not to exciting. But it's a new chapter. Hopefully I'll get another out soon, though I do need to work on my other story as well. Well hopefully something will be updated soon! Hope you enjoyed and maybe the next chapter will have a little more action in it. I tried a slightly different writing style for this chapter, at least in the beginning. If anyone noticed and liked please let me know. If u didn't notice tell me that too, and I think I added more descriptions, which is something I've been trying to do for a while, if I did and it worked tell me and if it didn't work tell me that to, and if you prefer less detail tell me that too! Sometimes I get sick of reading all about detail because I like making it up in my head, but other people like being given all the info so please tell me what you like better and I'll consider it in my next chapters!