Category: Angst, Adventure, AU, Slave/Master

Pairings: 1x2, 4x3 (eventually), 5x?

Rating: R (?)

Disclaimer: Standard. You know them all by now so I won't bore you with a repeat.

Warnings: This story does show how a lot of people felt about the owning of slaves, a feeling that was very alive in this country not that long ago, as well as in many civilizations down through the ages. There are some good owners and some bad owners, like in everything. If someone owning another person bothers you, you might not like this fic. But then I'm not forcing anyone to read it. There are also M/M relationships in this fic (I'm very much a 1x2/3x4 fan.) so if boys being together (and I do mean together) bothers you don't read.

Golden Lights Part Six

By SilverLady

Quatre sighed and rolled over in his sleep. He was dreaming that he was racing across the desert sands on Shadar, his favorite horse. The wind was blowing the mane back into his face. He loved this; it made him feel so free.

He couldn't understand, though, why Shadar was wearing bells on his halter. It seemed rather strange. His people really preferred to move as quietly as possible, even when riding in fun.

Suddenly he was shaken, hard. "Hey! Wake up!" a voice intruded his dream.

"Go away," he mumbled. "It's too early to get up, Angil."

He was shaken again, pulling him out of the dream and into the nightmare that his life had become. He found himself staring into a pair of violet eyes. "What?"

Duo sighed and straightened up. "You need to get up. Trowa's been ringing for you for the past five minutes at least."

Quatre blinked. The bells in his dreams. That's what they really were. He blinked again. "Up?"

"He is probably looking for breakfast. You'd best go find out what he wants though. After yesterday, you don't want to make him mad again."

Slowly Quatre rose to his feet. He started to reach for the clothes lying on the chest at the end of the bed. Then he remembered the orders he'd been given last night. Trying to keep from blushing, knowing that Duo was probably watching, he went through the door that led to Trowa's quarter's.

*****

Moving softly, Quatre let himself into the room. At first glance there was no sign of Trowa anywhere. "Master?" he called quietly, wincing at the word even as he said it.

"Here," Trowa spoke up. His voice was coming from the room beyond.

Quatre walked swiftly across the room, finding himself entering a large, lavishly decorated bedroom. Trowa was sitting up in a huge four-poster bed. The bed was draped in yards of what appeared to be silk, with a large thick comforter on it.

"Since this is your first full day, I will excuse you your lateness. But if it happens again, you will be punished. Is that understood?"

"Yes, Master," Quatre whispered, walking up to the bed.

Trowa looked him over and nodded. "You are to go and fetch my breakfast and bring it back to the terrace. You can get to it through those doors." He indicated the doors at the far end of the room. "But first I want you to run my bath. The bathroom is through there." He pointed to the door on the sidewall.

Quatre blinked.  Run a bath? How was he supposed to do that? "Master?"

"Is there a problem with that?" Trowa sounded slightly annoyed.

"I don't know anything about running a bath, Master. Your bathing facilities are nothing like those in my homeland."

"How do you bathe?"

"In what ever water source we come across, usually." Quatre paused. "Master," he added.

Trowa frowned. "Very well. I'll have Duo show you how to work the bath. For now, just go and fetch my breakfast."

"Yes, Master." Quatre turned to leave.

Trowa's voice stopped him. "One thing. You may wear clothing when you leave this area. But only then."

"Yes, Master."

*****

Heero was sitting on the sofa when Trowa walked out of the bedroom. He'd run his own bath that morning, which wasn't really that big of a deal. He usually did it anyway.

"Things go all right last night?" Heero asked.

Trowa shrugged. "They appear to have. I'll just have to wait and see."

Heero nodded. Duo had reported that he'd found Quatre crying when he'd returned to the room the night before. "Where is he now?"

"He should be returning with my breakfast." Trowa sighed. "I need to borrow Duo for a while, later."

Heero's eyes narrowed. "Why?"

"He's going to have to show him how to work the bath. Apparently, he's never used one before."

Heero shuddered. "Where do they wash?"

"Wherever they find water."

Heero made a face. "That's disgusting."

"I agree."

Just then the door opened and Quatre walked in, carefully carrying a tray of food. Trowa nodded slightly, noting that Quatre had taken the time to stop and remove his clothing. "Take it outside. I'll be there momentarily."

"Yes, Master." Quatre tried to ignore the two men watching him as he walked across the room.

Heero nodded approvingly as Quatre disappeared into the other room. "Very nice. You definitely got a good one there. I don't blame you for wanting him naked."

"It's part of his punishment. I figured he might as well get used to being looked at. He seems rather ashamed of his body."

Heero shook his head in disbelief. "I don't know why."

The door opened a second time and Duo walked in. Unlike Quatre, he walked with quiet confidence. He knew exactly what was expected and how far he could push. "I figured since you weren't in your room, you'd be here."

"We're eating outside."

Duo nodded. "Fine. Did he make it back?"

"Yes. He's out there now."

"I wasn't too sure there. He had no idea what to tell the cook. It's a good thing I was there or who knows what you might have wound up with."

"Thank you," Trowa told him.

"You have a job this morning," Heero informed him.

"What?"

"Show Quatre how to work the bath."

Duo laughed softly. "That's right. He had no clue what it was last night. I didn't even think to show him how to operate it. I'll teach him up right. Anything else you want me to show him at the same time?"

"Not at the moment. I'm sure something will come up though."

"Probably." Duo smiled as he headed through the door and into the other room.

*****

After Trowa was satisfied that Quatre had brought a decent breakfast, he dismissed him. He informed him that, after cleaning and straightening the bedroom, he wanted Quatre to meet with Duo.

Quatre stood staring at the room. He wasn't certain exactly what Trowa expected him to do. He tried to remember what Angil had done after he got up in the morning, but nothing came to mind. Usually the morning ritual consisted of packing everything up to move on. They had rarely stayed in one place for long.

Walking across the room he stared at the large bed. The covers were obviously in disarray, but Quatre wasn't sure how they were supposed to be. He was afraid to ask, though. There was no telling what Trowa's reaction might be.

After a fifteen-minute struggle Quatre was ready to give up. He was sweating and breathing heavily and the bed now looked even worse then when he'd started. The pillows were the only things that might be close to the right position. One sheet seemed to be too wide for the bed and the other didn't seem to fit at all. There were at least three blankets and none of them seemed to be right. The thick comforter that had been bunched at the end of the bed was now laying the floor. It was so large and thick that nothing Quatre did to it seemed to move it much.

"What, exactly, are you doing?" a voice asked behind him.

Quatre spun around to find Duo standing in the doorway. "Straightening the bed," Quatre answered.

Duo was amazed that he could say that with a straight face. "Is that what they call it?"

Quatre looked back at the bed. "It's not very good though."

"You could definitely say that."

"I don't know why you have to have so many things on this. And none of them fit right."

Duo walked over to the bed. He couldn't believe just how badly Quatre had messed up the bed. He knew Trowa was not that restless a sleeper. "Well, for starters, that sheet tucks around the mattress."

Quatre looked perplexed. "Why?"

"Don't tell me. You don't have beds either."

"They would be difficult to move."

"What do you sleep on?"

"Depends on your status. The poorer people just sleep on the ground."

Duo sighed. It was obvious to him that it was going to take more time then Trowa had thought to train this guy up right. Maybe he should think about sending him to Mandira. "All right. Watch me. I'll show you how to do this." He paused. "I don't suppose you made your own bed, have you."

Quatre blinked. "No. I'm supposed to do that?"

"I told you that yesterday."

Quatre ran the conversation from yesterday through his head. "I guess you did."

Duo hung his head. "You need to pay attention. If you don't you're going to find yourself on the receiving end of that board a lot more."

Quatre shuddered, remembering the pain and humiliation he'd suffered the night before. He wanted to avoid that as much as possible. "I will."

"Okay. First you take this sheet...."

Quatre moved closer to watch as Duo began to make the bed.

*****

It was late that night before Quatre climbed into his own bed. After showing him how to make a bed and run a bath, Duo had decided that he had a lot of other things he needed to know and had proceeded to show him. Twice. After doing Trowa's, Duo had dragged him to Heero's quarters and made him help there.

Finally, after what seemed a horribly long time, Duo had deemed them done for the day and sent him on his way. He'd barely entered the small bedroom when the bell began to ring, summoning him to Trowa's. 

Apparently in helping Duo, Quatre had managed to mislay several important documents. Trowa had made him search the entire room for them, which had taken nearly two hours. Quatre was just glad that Trowa had not deemed it a punishable offense and beaten him for it. He knew that if he did it again, he would be.

Burying his face in his pillow, Quatre struggle to hold the tears at bay. He was exhausted and homesick. All he wanted to do was sleep, so that for a little while at least he could forget how awful his life had become. The only thing that had kept him going since his capture was the hope that someone would come and save him.

Great One, please send help soon. I don't know how much longer I can last. If this is one of Your tests, let it be done soon. I have truly learned any lesson You have wished to teach me.

With a soft sob, Quatre closed his eyes and went to sleep.

*****

The next two weeks passed in a blur of endless days and too short nights. Duo was a hard taskmaster, pushing new chores on Quatre constantly, insisting that they were things he must learn in order to please his new master.

Master. It was a word he was growing to hate. If Duo wasn't finding something for him to do, Trowa would come up with something he need done. And always immediately, never in a few minutes or whenever you get to it. Now.

He was on just such an errand at that moment. Trowa had decided that he wanted a specific bottle of wine from the wine cellar and had sent Quatre to fetch it. He was entertaining several guests, including the strange foreign boy, Wufei.

Entering the wine cellar, Quatre stared around in amazement. He'd never seen so many bottles in one place. With a sigh he walked down the aisles. It's a good thing, Angil taught me to read this language.

He finally found the row with the right kind of wine and began searching for the specific bottle. Trowa had been very exact in which one he wanted, so Quatre knew that returning with a slightly different one would not be acceptable. And with the guests that where there, any mistake would guarantee a beating. Trowa seemed to want to show the others he was in complete control. Which, actually, he was.

He was just reaching for the bottle when he heard voices. Apparently someone else in the large house had decided on wine.

"Did you hear the latest story from the Southlands?"

"No, what?"

" Some nomad leader named Kadir went up against Lord Jordin. The guy apparently didn't like the terms of the treaty and tried to rebel. His Lordship took care of the problem, though. Killed every one of them. After he made good examples of them. Bet none of the other nomadic groups will try anything now."

"Only good thing for them." There was a pause and the sound of clanking bottles. "Here's what he wanted. Let's go."

Quatre stood staring at nothing. It couldn't be possible. His father, dead. Along with all the others, Angil included. He knew that Angil would follow his father to the end. His last hope of escape was gone forever.

No. No. No. No. NO!

It took all of Quatre's willpower to keep from screaming. The nightmare was now complete. It was now obvious to him that even the Great One had turned his back on him.

Very slowly and carefully, he took the bottle from the shelf. He would not allow these horrible people to see his grief. That would only dishonor his father's memory. Moving like the old man he now felt himself to be, he walked out of the room and back towards Trowa's quarters.

*****

When he returned with the bottle, he found that the murder of his people was the talk amongst the men gathered on Trowa's terrace.

"They said that fool actually thought he was doing the right thing. That his god would protect him," one man was saying. There was laughter in his voice as he spoke. "Jordin showed him the error of his ways right quick. Made sure he died real slow and with a whole lot of pain."

"Jordin likes doing things the right way," another man said.

Quatre carefully placed the bottle on the table. "Is there anything else, Master?"

Trowa looked at him. "No. You may take the dishes back to the kitchen and then go to your room. If you are needed you will be called."

"Yes, Master." Quatre began to gather up the dishes and silverware.

"Hey, isn't this choice morsel one of those Southerners?" The man that was looking at him had a lecherous look on his face.

"He is," Trowa replied calmly.

"You know that fool, Kadir, boy?"

Quatre continued to gather the dishes. Duo had been very specific about things like this. He was not to speak to anyone except Trowa, unless Trowa gave him permission otherwise.

"I asked you a question, boy."

"You may answer him," Trowa said calmly.

Quatre looked at the man. How dare he speak about my father? He wasn't fit to clean Father's boots. He's nothing but a fat ridiculous slob. "I have heard of him, Lord."

"Didn't know him?"

"There is much land in the desert, Lord. Some tribes never see each other."

The man laughed. "Too bad. Bet you're glad you live here now."

Quatre carefully lifted the tray of dishes. "It is the most amazing city I have ever seen, Lord."

"You got that right." He looked at Trowa. "Smart kid. Training him up right smart there."

Trowa inclined his head slightly. "I told you all he needed was proper guidance."

Quatre walked slowly out of the area, tuning out the sound of the voices as they continued talking. As he headed toward the kitchen his eyes kept wandering to the knife lying next to his right hand.

This was the answer. A way for him to finally get out of the nightmare. He would join his father and his people, riding across the sky with the Great One.

As he passed through his room on his way to the kitchen, he carefully dropped the knife. Hopefully, Duo would be kept busy tending to Heero until after he returned so that he could hide the knife. If everything went as usual he would have more than enough time before Duo came to bed.

*****

Ten minutes later Quatre sat on the edge of his bed. The knife had been exactly where he dropped it, surely a sign that he was doing the right thing. He had learned the lesson the Great One wanted him to and now it was time to leave.

He had found a set of clothing in the bottom of the chest that would serve his purpose. He would not enter the next world naked, nor did he want to be found in such a state. It was not right.

Picking up the knife, he looked at it for a moment. Wait for me Father. I shall be with you soon. Great One, protect and guide me through the Desert of Time to the land beyond. Allow me to ride with my people until the end..

He closed his eyes and plunged the knife into his chest. There was a deep, blinding pain and then nothing.

With a sigh, his body slumped to the floor.