Love Among Slavery
Chapter Six: Aphrodite's Rose
* * *
Hotaru leaned against the palace walls softly, waiting for Heero to arrive to let her in. This wasn't the first time they planned their meeting this way, they've done it before. It was when Hotaru heard her father was injured and wanted to see him. She couldn't get in at that time, but Heero came to the rescue.
"Hotaru," Heero whispered the familiar name in earnest, feeling pleasure just saying her name.
Hotaru turned around to see that Heero was behind the gate. She smiled and said, "Heero. Hey."
"Come in," he said as he opened the gates for her.
She smiled gratefully at him as he told her, "I've some business to attend to, so you could explore. Just don't get lost again, k?" He smirked, remembering the time she got lost and started to yell for help, making servants rush towards her and causing a commotion.
"Hey, that only happened once!" she exclaimed.
"Right," he said as he walked off, leaving her to fume her anger lightly.
"The nerve of him," she whispered under her breath. With a sigh she walked on slowly, with birds flying high above. The sunlight rimmed the sky with clouds fluttering aimlessly about. It was days like these that she loved.
She smiled. She then began to walk the familiar path towards the gardens. She was never close enough to touch the flowers, only close enough to see and smell. She didn't dare go close, in case there was a guard there.
Her footsteps were silent, her shadow trailed behind her with her eyes on the ground as she walked through the almost empty hallways. She then realized that Heero was hardly ever with her when he invited her to the castle. It sometimes bewildered her how he could sneak her in the palace grounds so quickly and unnoticeably.
Hotaru shook her head and began to hum happily. Not only was she going to see the royal gardens again, but also her mother told her that her grandfather was coming tomorrow. She was extra happy today.
Before she could get another thought out a voice called to her, it rang in the empty hallways, "Hotaru?"
She stopped in mid-step. That voice she remembered. She hadn't heard it for a week and now it just came so suddenly. She frowned and turned around to see the soldier walking up to her with a gentle smile.
"Hi... Duo," she whispered nervously.
"You work here?" he asked with a grin. He was obviously too happy to see her.
"Yes... I do," she lied.
Duo didn't hear her hesitate one bit. He was too captivated in her black hair swaying when she nodded her head. The light caught it in all the right places, making it flash before him unlike anything he ever saw on another woman.
"Good to hear," he said, then asked, "Where do you work?"
Hotaru ran a bunch of jobs over her head, but then suddenly stopped on one very familiar job that Heero always mentioned, "I'm a gardener."
"Really?" Duo tried to sound interested, but she saw through him like glass. She knew he was a player, but she never thought that he would be interested in her! She restrained from rolling her eye, which turned out to be really hard.
"Yeah," Hotaru replied carelessly.
"Are you heading for the gardens then?" he asked.
"Yes," this time she didn't need to lie; besides she really was going towards the gardens before he interrupted her.
"What a coincidence. I'm going there too," Duo said with a smile.
Hotaru didn't believe him at all, but played along, "Oh."
"I'll escort you to the gardens," he suggested.
"Okay..." her voice trailed out of nowhere as she drank in his cerulean eyes.
He followed her slowly from behind. She enticed him in so many ways. The way her hair swayed, the way her eyes sparkled and especially the way her voice sounded. He then frowned, how could he fall for a peasant?
Shock. That's the word that described his reaction when he realized that she was a peasant. Not only would it hurt his reputation by being seen with her, but also if anyone knew that she attracted him then he might not be able to survive through the mocking of his comrades.
"We're here," Hotaru's voice sounded through his head, making his heart twitch. Not in fright, but in ecstasy.
The garden was huge, covered with many flowers of all kind. The sunlight flowed about almost magically with birds flying. Butterflies floated above the sea of colours as squirrels scrambled among the sweet scent.
The walk to the garden was silent, not even their footsteps seemed to make a sound; that made her feel unnerved. She then quietly questioned, "Are you okay?"
He looked down, only to be drowned in the sudden wave of new emotions, though he didn't know why. He only met her, right?
"Yeah, I'm fine," he replied dully.
This got Hotaru to worry. He seemed to be a happy person and, according to her observations, if he sounded sad then something big was disturbing him, "Are you sure... you sound... sad."
Sad... echoed in his head with her voice entwined within. He then told her, "I'm really fine." Did she care for him? The slight hint of worry was in her eyes and if made him feel weak. He shook his head, he seemed to capture King Legolas with no weakness and yet he felt weak under this woman's eyes?
"Oh," she whispered, feeling nervous as something started to grow in her heart, "It's just I thought that a happy person like you shouldn't feel so sad."
"I guess," he whispered, and then confessed from out of the blue, "I don't feel very well around you, that's all."
He mentally hit himself in the stomach. Whatever possessed him to say that was definitely not like himself, this single girl made him feel at ease, yet it was his own thoughts that made him feel uncomfortable. He had a sudden urge to confess all his feeling to her.
"Here, I hope that some day you'll feel okay around me... cause you seem to be a nice person and I'd like to know you more," Hotaru whispered, and then snapped a red rose from a rose bush and placed it gently in his hands. Her hands touched his for a millisecond but he felt it. The unexpected rush of the sensation made him tremble from her slight touch... it scared him.
"I hope you'll feel better," she said with a slight smile, slightly hurt from what he told her.
"Sorry," he abruptly said, "I'm sorry if I hurt you by what I said. I didn't mean it."
She gave him another unsteady smile, "It's alright."
"Hotaru," a voice sounded.
Duo turned around and was in another shock... it was King Heero dressed in servant clothes. He was about to bow to him when Heero gave him a look that told him not to move.
Heero then said, "Hotaru. Sorry, but I don't have time to spend with you today. You'll have to go home."
Hotaru gave a real smile, fully understanding that Heero is always busy, "I understand. See you later then?"
Heero gave a smirk as her smile dove into his heart, "Of course."
"Well bye Heero, Duo," Hotaru gave them a wave of good-bye and walked back into the palace.
When Duo was sure that Hotaru was gone he immediately acknowledged his king, "King Heero."
"Play her and I'll kill you," Heero stated before he, too, walked away.
Duo quirked an eyebrow up at the retreating figure in amusement. Was his king attracted to the black-haired beauty too?
He then looked down on the red rose in his hand and felt his heart thump. He then whispered, "Aphrodite's red rose." He smirked and whispered, "I like that... I like her..."
* * *
Silver Author
Chapter Six: Aphrodite's Rose
* * *
Hotaru leaned against the palace walls softly, waiting for Heero to arrive to let her in. This wasn't the first time they planned their meeting this way, they've done it before. It was when Hotaru heard her father was injured and wanted to see him. She couldn't get in at that time, but Heero came to the rescue.
"Hotaru," Heero whispered the familiar name in earnest, feeling pleasure just saying her name.
Hotaru turned around to see that Heero was behind the gate. She smiled and said, "Heero. Hey."
"Come in," he said as he opened the gates for her.
She smiled gratefully at him as he told her, "I've some business to attend to, so you could explore. Just don't get lost again, k?" He smirked, remembering the time she got lost and started to yell for help, making servants rush towards her and causing a commotion.
"Hey, that only happened once!" she exclaimed.
"Right," he said as he walked off, leaving her to fume her anger lightly.
"The nerve of him," she whispered under her breath. With a sigh she walked on slowly, with birds flying high above. The sunlight rimmed the sky with clouds fluttering aimlessly about. It was days like these that she loved.
She smiled. She then began to walk the familiar path towards the gardens. She was never close enough to touch the flowers, only close enough to see and smell. She didn't dare go close, in case there was a guard there.
Her footsteps were silent, her shadow trailed behind her with her eyes on the ground as she walked through the almost empty hallways. She then realized that Heero was hardly ever with her when he invited her to the castle. It sometimes bewildered her how he could sneak her in the palace grounds so quickly and unnoticeably.
Hotaru shook her head and began to hum happily. Not only was she going to see the royal gardens again, but also her mother told her that her grandfather was coming tomorrow. She was extra happy today.
Before she could get another thought out a voice called to her, it rang in the empty hallways, "Hotaru?"
She stopped in mid-step. That voice she remembered. She hadn't heard it for a week and now it just came so suddenly. She frowned and turned around to see the soldier walking up to her with a gentle smile.
"Hi... Duo," she whispered nervously.
"You work here?" he asked with a grin. He was obviously too happy to see her.
"Yes... I do," she lied.
Duo didn't hear her hesitate one bit. He was too captivated in her black hair swaying when she nodded her head. The light caught it in all the right places, making it flash before him unlike anything he ever saw on another woman.
"Good to hear," he said, then asked, "Where do you work?"
Hotaru ran a bunch of jobs over her head, but then suddenly stopped on one very familiar job that Heero always mentioned, "I'm a gardener."
"Really?" Duo tried to sound interested, but she saw through him like glass. She knew he was a player, but she never thought that he would be interested in her! She restrained from rolling her eye, which turned out to be really hard.
"Yeah," Hotaru replied carelessly.
"Are you heading for the gardens then?" he asked.
"Yes," this time she didn't need to lie; besides she really was going towards the gardens before he interrupted her.
"What a coincidence. I'm going there too," Duo said with a smile.
Hotaru didn't believe him at all, but played along, "Oh."
"I'll escort you to the gardens," he suggested.
"Okay..." her voice trailed out of nowhere as she drank in his cerulean eyes.
He followed her slowly from behind. She enticed him in so many ways. The way her hair swayed, the way her eyes sparkled and especially the way her voice sounded. He then frowned, how could he fall for a peasant?
Shock. That's the word that described his reaction when he realized that she was a peasant. Not only would it hurt his reputation by being seen with her, but also if anyone knew that she attracted him then he might not be able to survive through the mocking of his comrades.
"We're here," Hotaru's voice sounded through his head, making his heart twitch. Not in fright, but in ecstasy.
The garden was huge, covered with many flowers of all kind. The sunlight flowed about almost magically with birds flying. Butterflies floated above the sea of colours as squirrels scrambled among the sweet scent.
The walk to the garden was silent, not even their footsteps seemed to make a sound; that made her feel unnerved. She then quietly questioned, "Are you okay?"
He looked down, only to be drowned in the sudden wave of new emotions, though he didn't know why. He only met her, right?
"Yeah, I'm fine," he replied dully.
This got Hotaru to worry. He seemed to be a happy person and, according to her observations, if he sounded sad then something big was disturbing him, "Are you sure... you sound... sad."
Sad... echoed in his head with her voice entwined within. He then told her, "I'm really fine." Did she care for him? The slight hint of worry was in her eyes and if made him feel weak. He shook his head, he seemed to capture King Legolas with no weakness and yet he felt weak under this woman's eyes?
"Oh," she whispered, feeling nervous as something started to grow in her heart, "It's just I thought that a happy person like you shouldn't feel so sad."
"I guess," he whispered, and then confessed from out of the blue, "I don't feel very well around you, that's all."
He mentally hit himself in the stomach. Whatever possessed him to say that was definitely not like himself, this single girl made him feel at ease, yet it was his own thoughts that made him feel uncomfortable. He had a sudden urge to confess all his feeling to her.
"Here, I hope that some day you'll feel okay around me... cause you seem to be a nice person and I'd like to know you more," Hotaru whispered, and then snapped a red rose from a rose bush and placed it gently in his hands. Her hands touched his for a millisecond but he felt it. The unexpected rush of the sensation made him tremble from her slight touch... it scared him.
"I hope you'll feel better," she said with a slight smile, slightly hurt from what he told her.
"Sorry," he abruptly said, "I'm sorry if I hurt you by what I said. I didn't mean it."
She gave him another unsteady smile, "It's alright."
"Hotaru," a voice sounded.
Duo turned around and was in another shock... it was King Heero dressed in servant clothes. He was about to bow to him when Heero gave him a look that told him not to move.
Heero then said, "Hotaru. Sorry, but I don't have time to spend with you today. You'll have to go home."
Hotaru gave a real smile, fully understanding that Heero is always busy, "I understand. See you later then?"
Heero gave a smirk as her smile dove into his heart, "Of course."
"Well bye Heero, Duo," Hotaru gave them a wave of good-bye and walked back into the palace.
When Duo was sure that Hotaru was gone he immediately acknowledged his king, "King Heero."
"Play her and I'll kill you," Heero stated before he, too, walked away.
Duo quirked an eyebrow up at the retreating figure in amusement. Was his king attracted to the black-haired beauty too?
He then looked down on the red rose in his hand and felt his heart thump. He then whispered, "Aphrodite's red rose." He smirked and whispered, "I like that... I like her..."
* * *
Silver Author