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 Forty Four

By SilverLady

Quatre stood in front of the large closet, frowning at the array of clothing before him. Even when he had been the pampered son of the Chief he'd never had so many different outfits. He swore Trowa could wear something different every day and it would still take him years to wear everything he owned once. He really didn't understand the need for so many different sets of clothing.

With a soft huff, he continued searching through the clothing. Trowa had told him he was going out to dinner and needed something to wear.

It had been four months since their return to Macir and things had returned to normal, mostly. There had been some hitches in the road but nothing serious. But Quatre still felt at times as if he'd dodged a serious lightning bolt.

The incident between him and Duo had not hurt their friendship, for which Quatre was extremely grateful. He genuinely liked the long-haired slave and found him easy to talk to. They had spent many long hours together, especially when Heero and Trowa were busy with affairs of state, talking and learning more about each other.  Out of their talks had come a bond of deep respect and admiration, one that would see them both through bouts of sadness, loneliness, depression and even at time, anger. Quatre had helped Duo deal with the guilt he felt over his attack on Heero and Duo had been someone that Quatre could talk to about his growing attraction to the man that owned him.

"Are you done, yet?" A voice startled Quatre out of him musings. "Or are you going to stand there all day?"

Quatre spun around to glare at Duo, who was standing in the door. "Get me something to wear, he says. I'm having dinner with my uncle, he says. What in the blazes am I supposed to get out? He has more clothes than all the women in my tribe combined. And I think you could toss the men in as well."

Duo laughed as he walked over to the closet. "I would think you would have this down by now."

"Usually he points and says 'I'll wear that.' That I can handle. But to have to choose something for him." Quatre paused and shook his head. "I don't know. There are so many rules for what to wear and how to wear it and when to wear it. I can't keep it straight. In my tribe, you picked the light weight cloth when it was hot and the heavy one when it was cold. You might have a couple of changes for variety, but not like this."

Duo smiled as he leaned around Quatre. "He's going to dinner with his uncle?"

"That's what he said."

"Is it formal?"

Quatre frowned for a moment. "He didn't say it was."

"Then it probably isn't. Which means it will be less than twenty people. Just an intimate dinner."

Quatre rolled his eyes.

"Did he say anything about who was going to be there?"

"No. He did say that I don't have to go."

Duo nodded. Looking at several different outfits, he finally settled on one. "This one will work. Formal enough to be in the presence of the king, but not too formal."

Quatre shook his head again. "I really don't know how you do it."

"Practice. Though Heero is a lot easier to dress. He only has a few specific preferences and he sticks to them. Trowa has a tendency to stick more closely with the latest fashions. He has to, being the nephew of the king. A lot of the things he has in here are out of fashion and he won't wear them. Stick with the things in this front section of the closet and pay attention to how formal the event is. Most of his casual stuff is on the this side and ranges up to his full court uniform on this other side."

Quatre sighed. "I'll never remember that."

"Sure you will, just pay attention to what he pulls out and what he's going to that day. You'll figure it out quick enough."

"Quatre! Where are you!?" Trowa's voice carried into the room.

Quatre gathered up the clothing Duo had picked. "Thank you."

"No problem. Better hurry. He's probably getting to that 'I'm going to be late' stage."

Quatre smiled a little has he dashed from the room.

*****

Quatre sat quietly, reading the papers in front of him. When Trowa had discovered just how extensive Quatre's knowledge of horses was, he assigned the blonde the task of overseeing the purchase of all new horses, plus the care of the ones already in his possession. Though Quatre knew that there were some that were not happy with the responsibility given to a mere slave, he had worked hard to prove himself worthy of the task.

He was so deeply engrossed in the papers that he jumped a good foot in the air when the bell above his bed began to ring.

Frowning he set the paper he had been reading down and rose to his feet. It's awful late. I wonder what is wrong?

Sighing quietly, he headed down the hall that led to Trowa's rooms.

*****

Trowa looked up as Quatre entered the room, pleased at how quickly the blonde had responded to his summons and making note of the fact that he didn't appear to have been to bed yet.

"You are up late," Trowa commented as he started to remove his jacket.

Quatre moved quickly across the room and helped Trowa to undress. What had once been a task that had bothered him greatly, now was almost an automatic habit. Quatre had found that serving Trowa wasn't the horrible thing he had once thought it to be. In fact, though he would never say it out loud, he actually enjoyed serving Trowa and trying to anticipate the other man's needs. It gave him great pride to accomplish a task quickly and effectively.

"I was just going over some purchase orders, Master."

Trowa cringed at the use of the word. He still hadn't gotten Quatre to stop saying that. "They could have waited till morning."

"Then I would have been asleep when you got home," Quatre pointed out calmly as he took the jacket and folded it carefully. It would be sent out to be cleaned now that Trowa had worn it, but Quatre still wanted to be neat. "And who would have helped you get ready for bed?"

Trowa glared. "I am perfectly capable of getting myself ready for bed."

"I know, Master, but isn't that my job. That is why you purchased me, right?" Quatre's words were bland, with no sign of bitterness or anger in them, but Trowa still winced.

Quatre turned and began to help Trowa remove his shirt. He wouldn't admit just what helping Trowa dress and undress did to him. He found his growing attraction to his master harder and harder to ignore. He frowned slightly. Pun intended.

"Actually," Trowa spoke up, interrupting Quatre's thoughts. "That isn't why I called for you. Apparently my uncle is opening negotiations with Lord Dermal of Milder and he wants me to go."

"When, Master?"

"As soon as possible. I figured on taking Heero with me. He's good to have glaring at my back. Dermal can be a royal snob at times and the only thing he listens to is a good glare."

Quatre smiled slightly. That was one thing Heero was definitely very good at. "Just Heero and Duo, Master?"

"Yes. And since the roads we'll be taking are well traveled, we'll be using one of the carriages."

"Of course, Master. Would you like me to prepare everything?"

"Yes."

"I will start first thing in the morning, Master. We should be ready to leave in a couple of days. I will need to make sure that everything is in proper working order."

"Of course. It's not a 'leave yesterday' emergency, but it is also not a 'whenever you get around to it' thing either."

"I understand, Master." Quatre stepped back from Trowa. "Is that all you need tonight, Master?"

Trowa managed to stifle his sigh. "Yes."

Quatre bowed slightly. "Then I shall retire for the night, Master. If that is all right with you."

"Of course. Good night, Quatre."

"Good night, Master." With another bow Quatre turned and left the room.

Trowa sat down slowly after Quatre had left. Though, as a manservant, Quatre was becoming exactly what he wanted, Trowa was growing more and more unhappy with the situation. A part of him wanted to get to know the blonde on a much more personal level, yet another part of him cringed at the thought of becoming intimate with another person. Especially one as beautiful as Quatre. The last time that had happened was still very vivid in his mind.

But I don't think another trip is going to make a whole lot of difference.

*****

Trowa finished signing the last of the papers he had needed to go through and set it aside.

Quatre had been quick and efficient in his appointed task and had prepared them for their trip in less than a week. It would have taken even less time, but Quatre had found several things wrong with the coach they were going to take and had insisted that it be overhauled before they would leave. Trowa didn't blame the blonde for his insistence. It would not have been good if something had broken on the trip.

A slight cough interrupted his musings and he looked up to find Heero leaning in the doorway. "Good evening," Trowa greeted him, rising to his feet.

"I didn't want to interrupt."

"You're not. I was finished." Trowa frowned slightly as he made note of the expression on Heero's face. "What's wrong?"

Heero sighed as he straightened. "I'm afraid I can't go with you."

"Why not?"

A look of genuine worry crossed Heero's face. "Duo is sick."

"How bad?"

"It started with a fever and a cough last night. He woke me up this morning, having trouble breathing. I sent for Doc and he's examining him now."

"Then why are you here?"

Heero smiled faintly. "He said I was getting in the way." A shudder ran through him as he shut his eyes. "What if there's something really wrong? I can't bear the thought of…"

Trowa moved quickly across the room and placed an arm around Heero's tense shoulders. "I'm sure he'll be fine."

"You didn't see him this morning. He was having so much trouble breathing. It was like drawing a breath was causing him so much pain. And you can hear there is fluid in his lungs. I don't understand how he could have gotten so sick, so fast." Heero looked at Trowa, worry and fear evident in his dark blue gaze. "I don't want to loose him."

"And you won't. Doc is the best and Duo is tough. But you're right. You can't go with me. There's no way you should leave Duo's side. He needs you here to be strong for him."

Heero shuddered. "I don't know if I can. I'm so scared…."

"Heero. You can't think bad things. You have to be positive. Everything will be all right. Duo will be fine."

Heero managed a weak grin. "I'll try, but it's scary. I never thought anyone would make me feel like this."

"That's what being in love with someone does to you. You hate to see them suffer. And the thought of them not being there is terrifying."

Heero was quiet for a moment. "I realized something this morning. If I loose him I…. I can't go on without him. If he dies I don't think I'll be too far behind."

"Heero."

"I just want you to know. So you won't be too upset if something were to happen. Duo…. Duo is my whole life. Without him, I don't want to live. That's just the way it is."

"Then I guess he's is definitely going to have to get better, since I know he plans on growing very old with you."

Heero sighed then straightened up. "I'd best be getting back. I want to find out what Doc found."

Trowa nodded. Watching as his best friend left Trowa sighed. He really didn't want to loose two special people, but he feared that Heero was very serious. And now you aren't going to have Duo and Heero as a buffer between you and Quatre.

And he wasn't sure if that didn't scare him more.