1To LeshyaeDawnfire- You're a Valdamar fan, aren't you? I recognize both parts of that name. But all that aside, I like Relena as the bad guy, too. That's why I did it. Trowa and Wufei will come at a later date in the story, probably in this chapter or the next one. Heero and Duo are not detectives. Heero is an assassin who has served the Arabian Crown since he was born, and Duo is one of the palace servants.
To Koyishiri- I didn't plan to just leave it like this, you know. I have every intention of finishing this, and don't give me that old saw about the road to hell and good intentions.
To Lollipop5 – I didn't stop writing; I just put this story on hold while I worked on some of my other ones. You gotta understand that with more than ten stories going at once, updates to a single one could be a while in coming.
"Are you all right, your Highness?" Mariemaia asked, her ice blue eyes concerned. "I didn't hurt you, did I?"
"No," Quatre replied softly, wincing slightly. "You didn't hurt me; that panther did. Now please, hurry up and finish cleaning this thing before I scream."
"Yes, your Highness!" She exclaimed, returning to the nasty gash on Quatre's shoulder.
"What?"
"I would like your permission to take one of the palace servants with me when I leave." Heero repeated calmly.
"But… We've tried to assign you servants in the past, and you refused!" Rashid protested, bewildered. "Why would you suddenly request one like this?"
"Let's just say I've become… attached to this particular servant recently." Heero explained, refusing to meet his king's eyes. Instead, he looked to Silvia, silently begging her to explain what was going on to her husband.
"Dear," the queen said quietly, "perhaps it would be best if we just let Heero have his way in this. He asks for so little in light of all he does for us; if he wants some company on this mission, why not let him have it? You know Heero would never do anything to compromise his duties."
"Well…" In the face of his wife's most endearing sad puppy dog face, Rashid had no choice but to relent. "Okay. Who did you have in mind?"
"Duo." Heero said immediately, breathing a purely mental sigh of relief. "He works in the stables."
"You mean the charming young boy with the long braid?" Silvia asked, smiling. "He's so sweet! Why, just yesterday, he picked me a bouquet of wild flowers!"
"Yes, him." Heero said.
"He what?" Rashid demanded at the same time.
"I get to go with you? I really, really, really get to go with you?" Duo demanded, bouncing excitedly. "This will be the first time I've left the palace ground in years! This is so exciting!"
"Calm down." Heero ordered without looking up from his packing. "I have queen Silvia's permission to take you into town today and have you properly outfitted. This won't be a pleasure ride, Duo."
"Even pleasure rides aren't pleasure rides." Duo snorted, bouncing right off Heero's narrow bed. "I grew up in the big, bad world, Heero. I know what it's like out there."
"Good. Now go start saying your good-byes; we leave early tomorrow."
"When we get to the city, there's someone who'll help us out, but we have to get to him first." Mariemaia explained. "How good are you at acting?"
"I'm a prince." Quatre reminded her, shrugging and wincing as the act pulled on his wound. "I have to be good at acting. Why? What did you have in mind?"
"Well… there are two different charades we could use to pull this off. In one, you're a minor nobleman and I'm your slave. The only problem with that is that you wouldn't treat me like a slave."
"And the other one?"
"In the other one, I'm a minor noblewoman, and you're my guard. That one has more merit, because I know I can pull off the noble act, and you're definitely strong enough to act as a bodyguard. But in order to do that, I need a dress."
"True." Quatre agreed, looking thoughtfully at the simple shift the slave girl wore. "But with your shift and some of my stuff, I'm sure I can work something out."
"You sew?"
"My mother taught me."
"How utterly unprincely,"
"I have a lot of qualities that could be labeled that."
"How do I look?" Mariemaia asked, twirling full-circle so her light new skirt flared attractively around her legs.
"Like a noblewoman." Quatre said after a moment's consideration. "With one small exception."
"What's that?"
"You're not wearing any shoes."
"Oh, I've already come up with a story for that." Mariemaia said, rolling her eyes. "And it'll also explain why I only have one guard with me. We were attacked by savages."
"Are we the only survivors?"
"Of course. You got me out, but the savages took everything of value, and we had to run for it. Can you fight, your Highness?"
"Well… yes." Quatre admitted, looking slightly ashamed. "I had personal trainers back I Arabia, in case of situations like this."
"You mean your parents actually drilled you about what to do if you were kidnapped by a barbarian queen and rescued by a slave girl?"
"You're being facetious again, Mariemaia."
"He-ero?"
"What?"
"Where're we go-ing?"
"Sorsos. It's a town in the Romefeller jungles, just this side of the border."
"Why are we going there?"
"Why are you asking so many questions, Duo?" Heero asked with a mental sigh, wondering if bringing the long-haired servant with him had been such a good idea after all.
"Cause I wanna know the answers. Duh." Duo answer in his usual cheerful voice. "I'm going on this trip, too, Ro; it's only fair that I know what you're planning so I can make some plans of my own. Now why are we going to Sorsos?"
"There's a man there who might be able to help us. He keeps an eye on the slave trade in Romefeller; if that's what happened, he'd definitely know about it."
"And if it's not?"
"Then he'll be able to help us figure out what did happen."
"Are we ready?" Mariemaia asked with a slightly conspiratal smile.
"When you are, my Lady." Quatre replied, gesturing for her to precede him up the dusty road to Sorsos.
"Come along, then, guard." She said, sounding exactly like the spoiled noble's daughter she pretended to be.
Quatre obeyed, hiding a smile.
Wow, it's been a while since I've updated this thing! I hope you didn't all abandon me because of that! Don't forget to review and help me get moving on chapter 3!
