Disclaimer: This story was written by a fan only for the enjoyment of other fans, without any monetary compensation. Gundam Wing and its characters are registered trademarks of Bandai Entertainment Inc.™ and Sotsu Agency. All rights reserved.
A big Thank You to KT who is taking time out of her busy schedule to help me proofread this story.
The Dragon King
Book 1- Of New Kings and New Friends
Chapter 5
The second day of the king's annual visit at the Dragon Shrine was reserved for tournaments and mock battles. It was the day the older pupils had been waiting for all year, the day when they could show off their skills and compete for the king's attention. By the time the sun was sinking, one or more of them could be future Royal Guards, members of the most elite Dragon Knight force in all of Galados. It was something every student entering the school dreamed about.
Treize stifled a yawn. He was by nature not a morning person. The fact that Zechs had woken him at the break of dawn and dragged him –almost literally- along on his two mile morning run, didn't help either. The younger man insisted that the fresh forest air cured any hangover, but Treize wasn't so sure about it. He turned his head slightly, gazed to his left at his bodyguard and wondered how anyone could look so fresh and energetic after a long night of drinking and celebrating. It just didn't seem fair.
As he turned his attention back toward the swordfight going on in front of them, his gaze caught Wufei standing in a group with other trainees just left of the royal box. Coincidentally just then the boy looked in his direction. Their eyes met for a brief moment before Wufei scowled and turned his nose up and his head away.
What a troublesome child! Treize sighed. Hot-tempered and stubborn as a Lowland Dragon, and just as unforgiving it seems. No wonder Epyon took a liking to him right away. The two of them have a lot in common.
#
Stubbornly Wufei refused to turn his head even though he could still feel the king's gaze in the back of his neck.
"Hey, Wufei!" the boy next to him nudged him with his elbow.
Ouch! Wufei scowled. "What…?"
"Someone is trying to get your attention!"
For a moment he thought his friend was referring to the king, but then when he realized that the older boy was gesturing to the left. He discovered Triton standing near the little wooden fence that enclosed the training grounds.
The brown-haired boy waved at him. "Good bye," he mouthed before turning to leave.
Wait! Wufei quickly pushed his way through the crowd watching the tournament, and caught up with the older boy near the stables. "Are you leaving already?"
Triton nodded. "All packed and ready to go. Catherine says there is a town south of here. We might be able to reach it before nightfall tomorrow. It's a large town, if we are lucky we might be able to perform there for several days."
"You must see a lot, traveling around like that."
"That I do." The other boy agreed. "But sometimes I wish we had a place where we could stay for a while. We used to go back to Lhankor every year and spent the winter there in the capital. It was nice."
"You don't do that anymore?" Wufei asked.
Triton shook his head. "The new king made a lot of new laws. We now have to have special papers to enter the larger cities and even then they check us out like we were criminals."
"That sounds terrible." The younger boy frowned. "Why would the king do something like that? It's just not right."
His friend shrugged. "I think he just doesn't like traveling folk."
While they were talking the boys had slowly strolled back to where the little camp had been set up earlier this morning. But now, just like Triton had said, everything was packed up. The horses were already hitched and the wagons were lined up and ready to roll out.
"Come on, Triton!" Someone called out. "Hurry up, we are only waiting for you."
"Coming!"
"Where are Kin and K'ri?" Wufei looked around. He could not see the two felines anywhere.
Triton stepped toward the second to last wagon and lifted one corner of the heavy fabric that was covering it. Only then the younger boy realized that beneath the tarp was actually a large, sturdy wooden cage on wheels. Kin was asleep on a thick bed of fresh straw, while his brother was gnawing on a large bone. As Wufei stepped closer the large cat raised its head and bared his impressive fangs, daring him to just try taking his food. For good measurement he added a warning growl before turning his attention back to the bone.
"Triton, unless you want us to leave you behind, you'd better get your butt up here now."
The older boy gave a shrug as if to say: 'Sorry, but you heard it, I really have to go.'
Wufei nodded. "Maybe we'll meet again, some day."
"We might be back next year." Triton told him as he climbed up onto one of the wagons.
Wufei followed the small caravan all the way to the gate and from there watched until he lost sight of them. He had only met Triton earlier this morning, but it felt like he was saying 'good bye' to an old friend. Suddenly the boy understood what Catherine meant when she said: And you would finally be able to make friends.
It had to be hard to meet new people and befriend them only to move on and have to leave them behind a day or two later.
####
Carefully Wufei set the freshly filled inkwell down on his desk, then pushed it all the way to the far side, where it couldn't accidentally get knocked over and spilled. The boy had almost finished writing down the school rules, when he had run out of ink and he had to go to fetch more.
As he slipped back into his seat, Wufei's eyes caught the thick leather-bound book to his right, the one with the gilded picture of Shenlong, the most powerful of the five main gods, embossed on the cover. As he studied the image he couldn't help but wonder how strong Shenlong actually was. After watching Epyon and Leo battle on Mount Haku he couldn't imagine anything even more powerful than those two dragons.
A rap on wood ribbed the young boy from his musings.
"Yes?"
He turned his head as the door opened to reveal Instructor Noin.
"May I come in?"
"Yes, of course." Quickly Wufei jumped up to clear the spare chair by the window. "Please have a seat."
"Thank you." The young woman smiled softly. "You had a bit of a bad day yesterday, from what I understand. Feeling better today?"
He nodded. "Yes, I think so. were you the one who took me back to my room last night?"
"No, that would have been Lord Zechs. When I didn't find you in your room he helped me search the grounds."
"Lord Zechs, the king's bodyguard? "
"Yes, you gave us a bit of a start there, disappearing like that."
"I'm sorry."
"Do not worry about it. Most importantly we found you safe and sound. But to tell the truth I did not come here just to check on your wellbeing. Headmistress Une sent me."
"Am I in trouble again?"
"Not as far as I know. The king will be speaking to the senior pupils soon, and he requested that you should be present as well."
Wufei frowned slightly. "But I'm not a senior pupil. In fact I'm not even a real trainee yet..."
Noin shrugged. "Do not ask me, I'm just the messenger."
"Instructor Noin, may I ask you something?"
"Umm sure."
"Do you know the king well? I mean personally, from the time before he became the king? You and he were at the shrine at the same time, were you not?"
"Well, yes and no. He was still a trainee when I started my studies, that's true. But things were very different at that time," she explained.
"Different how?"
"Not much time had passed since the Rommefeller Empire attacked and conquered Sanq. It was a very tense period. People worried the war might spread and the new Emperor would be daring enough to even attack Galados. So every able-bodied soldier, especially dragon knights and even those who had not quite finished their training yet, were sent north to patrol the border. So while I was being taught here at the shrine his majesty and the other senior cadets trained up in Eldor Province. I only saw him once or twice when they visited the dragon shrine. From what I have heard, though he was even then a very skilled fighter, sharp witted and a natural leader."
"How so?" the boy wanted to know.
"Well, as it has been told, one time he and 3 of 4 of his fellow cadets got separated from the main group while on patrol. While they were looking for a place to set up camp for the night, they came across a train of refugees from Sanq who were being attacked by imperial troops. A group of two dozen or so enemy soldiers had crossed into Galados territory on their pursuit. it is said that his highness instantly took charge. He sent one of other cadets back to find the main patrol while he and the other's prepared an attack..."
"Against two dozen soldiers?"
"Yes. He knew they had little chance of surviving a head-on battle, so instead he applied different tactics. He and his followers used their dragons to set trails of fire between the fugitives and their attackers. With their horses frightened and confused by the flames and blinded by smoke, the imperial soldiers soon got disoriented and separated from one another. For the dragons, unfazed by the fire, it was easy to track them down one by one. By the time the rest of the patrol unit arrived at the scene most of the imperial soldiers had already been slain or captured."
"And the refugees?"
"Made it safely to the nearest city."
"Because he is brave, and a good fighter his majesty the late king choose him for his successor?"
"I can't be sure, but I imagine that is one reason. But it might also have helped that he descends from a long and ancient line of dragon knights. It is said that his bloodline can be traced back all the way to the original knights."
Wufei's eyes went wide. "You mean the knights who formed the alliance that defeated the first Romefeller Emperor?"
Just as instructor Noin was about to nod the bell in the south tower started to ring.
"Oh dear, it's the assembly bell already. You'd better change quickly and hurry down. It would not be good to make his Highness wait."
###
The great hall fell completely silent as the king, flanked by the headmistress and his bodyguard, stepped through the wide open doors.
Looking down the line of trainees standing in front of him at attention, Treize could see himself in those youngsters. He could still remember the time when he stood here, full of expectations, hoping desperately that the king would call out his name, and the disappointment when it didn't happen. Eventually, of course, he had been chosen as a member of the elite Royal Guard and was sent to the royal palace to complete his training there under the guidance of the very competent, but equally strict General Bonaparte.
He wondered if any of those young men…and women... realized that, compared to being a Royal Guard trainee, life at the shrine was like child's play. And even if they knew, would it really make a difference? It wouldn't have for him.
The king cleared his throat. "Let us begin by telling you how impressed we were by everything you have shown us today. Over these past four years we have been following your progress and growth. We are convinced that the future will be bright for Galados, protected by a new generation of Dragon Knights such as yourselves."
The instructors applauded and Treize waited for the noise to quiet down before he continued. "Our decision did not come lightly. We have thought about it long and hard, but we finally came to the conclusion that each of every one of you can only benefit from another year of training here at The Dragon Shrine."
A surprised murmur went through the room. Even Lady Une seemed astonished. It was rather unusual for the king to not promote at least one or two of the pupils to Royal Guard trainees. Once again Treize waited for everyone to quiet down before he went on.
"But do not let our decision discourage you, instead let it be your motivation to try even harder. We are convinced that someday you will make fine Dragon Knights, if not even Royal Guards."
The king turned his head slightly. For a brief moment his gaze rested on Wufei, who was standing in the very end of the lineup. The boy didn't seem to notice, his eyes were looking straight ahead. Treize had asked for Wufei to attend the assembly because he figured it was the best way to keep him from running off again before he was finished telling him what he had to say.
"Before letting you return to your training, we would like to give you a few words of advice. No matter where the future may lead you from here, every once in a while pause to make sure that you are still on the right path. Listen to the people around you, because they might know you better then you do yourself.
Thus far we have always thought of us as a just and competent ruler. Nevertheless, something we were told the other day made us take a good look at us and ask some very uncomfortable questions. Unfortunately not all questions have an easy answer. We do realize that as the king we are expected to be perfect, to know everything and always make the right decisions. But, truth be told, we are in the end only human and as such we are bound to make mistakes. Every once in a while we will even make a bad choice that we later regret. However, what we can do is accept responsibilities for all of our actions, learn from those mistakes, and surround us with people who have the courage to stop us when we are about to make a bad choice. And therefore…"
Treize walked down the line of trainees, stopped in front of Wufei and went down on one knee.
Another collective gasp went through the room, and Wufei had to force himself not to take a step back. Wide-eyed he looked at the king who was kneeling in front of him, his head bowed. When he had been told to join the older trainees in the great hall, the boy had been convinced that Treize had called upon him to reprimand him in front of everybody. He certainly never expected anything like this.
"We can only express our deepest regrets for what happened to your village and your family. And we agree that it was inexcusable," the king spoke. "Although there is nothing we can do to change what happened, we… no I hope that you can forgive me and come with me to the royal palace." As Treize raised his head he had a ghost of a smirk on his lips. "I want you to understand, however, that this invitation comes with one condition attached. If you choose to accept, I expect that you continue to be frank and honest with me. I do not want you be afraid to speak your mind now that you know who I am."
There was a long moment of silence. It took Wufei a while to comprehend what he had been asked. But finally the boy nodded and declared firmly: "I accept!"
###
"Your Highness, what in the name of Shenlong were you thinking?" Zechs blurted out as soon as the doors to the king's quarters had closed behind them and the two of them were finally alone. He had been caught by surprise, just as everyone else had been, with what had just happened in the great hall. The king's idea of asking Wufei Chang to return to the royal palace with them seemed to have come out of nowhere.
It wasn't that he didn't like the lad, but… "The boy is still much too young. You can't just turn him over to General Bonaparte at his age."
"Worry not; I have no intention of doing anything of the sort. I want the boy by my side, where I can watch over him as he grows up."
"With all due respect, Your Highness, considering all the duties and responsibilities you already have to deal with, do you really think you still have time to raise a child?"
"Of course not." Treize replied smoothly. "That's why you will be taking care of him."
The younger man's eyes went wide. "Me? You can not be serious, Your Highness."
"Do I look like I am jesting?" the king asked.
No, he certainly does not sound like it. Zechs swallowed. Then his eyes narrowed. "I am your personal body guard, not a nursemaid."
"If I thought that the boy required a nursemaid I would hire one for him, however, I think what he really needs right now is a mentor."
"I'm not exactly the ideal father figure either," the younger man pointed out.
"Actually, I think you are perfect. You grew up without family yourself. You should know better than anybody else how he feels."
"But, Your Highness…"
"No buts," Treize raised his hand to cut Zechs off. "Sit down."
The fair-haired knight sighed inwardly as he complied, and the king settled down in the chair across from him.
"Everything I told the boy I truly meant, but it is not the only reason why I'm interested in him. I'm sure you too have realized that he isn't your average child. And the connection between him and Nataku is anything but typical. I mean, how old where you when you were able to summon Leo for the very first time?"
"I believe I was just about thirteen."
"And it was only after more than a year of training." Treize added. "For a child at such a young age and without any training to instinctively summon his dragon for protection is something… something unheard of. And we don't even know yet what other powers that boy might possess. Powers that might only manifest themselves after he and his dragon become bonded. The only thing worse than not taking advantage of such potential would be to allow someone else to do so."
"I suppose you are right," Zechs finally agreed. "Should I have the men prepare for our departure, then?"
"Not quite yet. There are a few things I still have to take care of. But first I'm going to take a walk. By myself... Don't worry, I won't leave the grounds. I just need to be alone for a while."
The younger knight nodded in acknowledgment. "What would you like me to do while you are gone, Your Highness "
"I don't know. Go spend some time with old friends; Instructor Noin for example? You might not see one another again before next year." While he was speaking the king had stepped behind the wooden privacy screen and started to disrobe.
Those ceremonial outfits were created for show, but most certainly not for convenience. He understood the necessity of wearing them for official occasions, but he could never understand how some people dressed like that all the time. Or perhaps he just had too much of the blood of a soldier running through his veins to truly feel comfortable wearing anything but a uniform.
"Meet me later in the inner garden."
"As you wish, you Majesty."
The body guard left the room, Treize should hear the door close behind him. He threw his cape over his shoulders, fastening it with the little gold clasp, and took one last glance into the mirror. Casual dressed or not, one still had to look presentable.
##
A few minutes later the king was strolling leisurely through the shrine's gardens. He loved the combination of colorful plants and beautiful statues the architects had used to create a atmosphere of tranquility. The air was heavy with the aroma of flowering herbs.
Neatly trimmed cypress hedges, taller than any man, provided relative privacy for anyone relaxing on one of the many stone benches.
The king smiled as he settled down one just one of those benches. He could still remember the times he had spent here with a fellow pupil, boy or girl, holding hands, stealing a first shy kiss...
###
"Hey, Chang?"
Wufei was on his way to the herb garden, on an errand for the healer, when he heard someone call out for him from behind. Recognizing Alex' voice, he decided to pay no heed to him; there was no time now for quarreling.
The older trainee, however, would not be ignored.
"Chang, wait up!"
A rock about the size of a ducks' egg, found its target, the back of the boy's head.
Angrily Wufei spun around, his eyes sparking with fury. Alex was not alone. At his side was another cadet about his age with dark hair."
"What happened? Now that you are the king's ward, is it suddenly beneath you to talk to the likes of us?"
"I never said that!" The furious glow in the boy's eyes only intensified.
###
Treize wasn't sure how much time had passed when he suddenly heard voices from the other side of the hedge. He was about to clear his throat to make his presence known when he recognized one of those voices.
"Why don't you just leave me alone?" Young Wufei sounded annoyed. "You always thought I shouldn't be here to begin with. So, this should make you happy. I will be gone by tonight."
Someone snorted. "About that. Can you believe, Alex, the king choose this little nobody who isn't even tall enough to pull a longsword from its scabbard, over someone who is actually skilled in swordplay and horsemanship."
"Are you referring to yourself?"
"I happen to have the best fighting scores of all the pupils here at the shrine."
"Yes, and I am the only close to matching him," a third voice added, apparently belonging to the one addressed as Alex.
Quietly Treize moved a few cypress branches aside with his hand and peeked through the opened it created in the hedge. He could see Wufei and two much older students on the other side of the dirt path, and he remembered seeing their faces earlier that morning during the tournament. The two larger boys had Wufei backed against one of the large dragon statues, but the lad didn't look too intimidated.
"I reckon my father was right,: our new king is a fool," one of them snorted.
"He is not a fool. But maybe you are."
Even from where he was standing, Treize could see the furious sparkle in Wufei's eyes.
"You little rat!"
The older student tried to grab Wufei by the back of his robe, but the boy easily sidestepped the attack."
"Then tell me, Chang, what makes you so special that he picked you while telling everyone else we aren't good enough yet to serve him?"
"Perhaps it's not your fighting skills his highness objected to..." another voice joined the conversation.
Zechs Merquise was standing to the right, almost out of the kings line of view, his arms crossed in front of his chest, as so he had been there, listening for a while. "...but rather you complete lack of any other qualities fitting of a royal knight."
"My Lord?"
"Have both your parents and your instructors failed in teaching you the proper code of knightly conduct? Or do the two of you consider it honorable to gang up on a little boy?"
Zechs turned toward Wufei. "And what are you doing here? Have you already finished packing up your belongings?"
The boy swallowed "I was asked to fetch fresh herbs for the healer. There have been some injuries during this morning's battles."
"Then go, before you get yourself into any more trouble than you already are."
"Yes, My Lord."
Only after the boy was well out of earshot did the tall knight turn his attention back to the other two cadets. "And you mark my words...I will let you go off free this time, but should I ever hear of you giving the lad a hard time again you will be answering to me. Did I make myself clear?"
"Yes, My Lord."
"Perfectly, My Lord."
"Then get your sorry asses out of my sight before I change my mind and teach you two a lesson right now and here."
Treize's lips curved into something between a smirk and a smile as he watched the two bullies scurry off. Zechs Merquise waited until they were out of sight before he continued on his way, heading further down the path that led deeper into the gardens.
##
"And here I was beginning to think you didn't like the boy."
Zechs' head snapped around, his eyes narrowing slightly as he noticed the king.
"You were here, watching all along? And yet you didn't step in?"
Treize gave a tiny shrug as he dropped back onto the bench he had been sitting on earlier. "You beat me to it before I had a chance. However, I thought our little dragon protégée was holding his own quite nicely before you came along. Besides, as I told you already, I have no intention of coddling him. Now about those two... trouble makers." Treize patted the bench beside him, gesturing for his bodyguard to join him. "If I am not mistaken one of them is the son of Lord Mueller."
Zechs nodded as he settled down beside the king. "And the father of the one he called Alec was his Lordships right hand man."
"Hmm..." A pensive expression crosses the king's face. "I shall have Lady Une keep a close eye on those two."
"You personally permitted Mueller's acceptance to the shrine, are you having second thoughts now?"
Treize turned his head, looking at the younger knight from the side. "I still believe that a son should not be held responsible for the sins of his father, but this might be a case of the apple not falling too far from the tree. I'd really hate for that part of history to repeat itself, Zechs."
"That part of history' as the king called it, happened shortly after his inauguration. Zechs was at the king's side the day when word reached the palace that Lord Mueller, a provincial lord in the north of Galados, allowed his men to plunder villages that were short or late on their taxes. In one case in which a village resisted he ordered the execution of two dozen men and boys. At the royal court reaction to the news as mixed. A few days later Treize arranged a night meeting so secretive that Zechs could not even tell if the stranger he had taken to the king's quarters had been a man or woman.
Soon thereafter news of Lord Mueller's death reached the royal pace. Word had it that his Lordship had been thrown off his horse while on a ride through the countryside and broken his neck. A plausible scenario, yes, but Zechs did not believe in coincidence.
He remembered Treize's reaction well when he confronted him.
"You ordered his execution, did you not?"
The king looked at him for a long moment, never denying the accusation, before he suggested. "Let's take a walk, Zechs, shall we?"
The body guard was still waiting for some kind of explanation as they strolled down the flower lined path in the royal garden.
"Have you ever heard about the sheep farmers in Eldor Province?" Treize finally asked. "Probably not, so let me tell you about them. It's said that people have been raising sheep in Eldor since the beginning of time. Some of the best wool and fabric hails from that province. The farmers raise their herds on the steep hillsides where the grass is lush and plentiful. Nothing unusual about that, I suppose, but what is unique is that those sheep are protected not by dogs, but by wolves, the very predator they are supposed to guard against." Treize paused briefly, then continued his tale. "The farmers will forage the woods in spring for wolf dens. When they find a litter they will take it home and raise the pups amongst their sheep. As they grow up those wolves will adapt to their new family, they will guard and protect them with their lives, even against other wolves.
It is an ancient technique those sheep farmers have sworn by for generations. But it isn't fool proof. Every once in a while there will be one wolf that suddenly returns to his beastly ways and slaughters a sheep. If that happens the farmers have no choice but to kill that wolf, for once it has tasted sheep's blood it will always crave more. Zechs..." The king looked at him firmly. "I take no pride in what happened, but it needed to be done. I can and will not allow any of my man to turn into a beast that attacks the very people it has sworn to protect."
T.B.C.
Author's Note: In addition to writing I have been playing around with my legos lately. In fact I'm creating some MOCs (MyOwnCreations) based on Dragon King. It will probably take as long to complete as the story will take to write. For the moment I have about half of the Capital of Galados build along with several of the characters.
Unfortunately doesn't allow me to post links inside the story, but you can find a link in my bios page if you would like to check out my creations. Let me know what you think.