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 goes 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 6

The following day the royal visit ended in very much the same way it began; with yet another assembly in the outer yard.

The king, dressed once again in his dark blue riding pants and cloak, addressed the crowd briefly. He offered a few more words of advice and encouragement to his future Dragon Knights and thanked the instructors and headmistress for their work before climbing into his carriage.

Zechs Merquise closed the door behind His Majesty, mounted his white stallion and nodded at the carriage's driver and the waiting guards to let them know they were ready to leave. Slowly the royal possession started to move.

Noin watched until the king's carriage passed through the heavy gates of the dragon shrine, before heading back inside with the rest of the instructors and trainees. She threw one last look back over her shoulder to see the last of the royal guardsmen clear the gates. Zechs Merquise, who had been riding alongside the carriage, was already out of sight.

The two of then had said their good-byes the day before, when he came to visit her in her quarters for a glass of wine. They had spent some time conversing about her work at the shrine and his time at the royal palace, but quickly realized that there was little else to talk about. It was odd really, for they had spent many nights talking while they were still trainees, and never once ran out of things to say.

I reckon it's as they say, she thought. The more time you spend apart the fewer things you find in common.

Before leaving Zechs had told her:
"You know, should you ever feel like joining the Royal Guard there will be a spot open for you. His Highness says that he would be pleased to have someone of your abilities and training in the ranks."

"Is that what he said?" she had asked. "And what about you?"

"Me? Of course I too would be pleased to have you in the guard. The better skilled my men are the better we can protect the king. And Noin, you are, without a doubt THE best of the best."

"That is very flattering coming from your mouth, but I am very happy here at the shrine…for now at least."

"Of course," he had nodded. "I understand."

Do you really? The young woman sighed inwardly. For someone as bright as you are, you can be remarkably naïve and clueless, My Prince.

##

As the Dragon Shrine slowly faded in the distance Wufei suddenly was overcome by a growing feeling of anxiety, and he couldn't help but wonder if he had made the right decision.

"What is it with the gloomy face?" Treize, sitting across from the boy inside the luxurious, velvet lined carriage, one long leg draped over the other, looked at him questioningly. "It is too beautiful a day to look so glum."

"I don't know…I just…" Wufei sighed. It was difficult to explain. Part of him couldn't help but feel upset about leaving; after all, this place had been his home for a long time. But at the same time he could not deny the excitement and curiosity that was growing in him with every passing moment.

The king smiled softly, knowingly. He seemed to understand, even without an explanation. "It will be all right, Wufei," he assured the boy. "It is not like you are never going to see your friends again. However, if you do feel like changing your mind, you would do better tell me now while we still can turn around."

Wufei shook his head. "No, I do want to go with you…I'm sure."

Treize gave him another reassuring smile. "Worry not, it will be all right."

For a few moments the boy sat quietly, dangling his feet and watching the scenery outside the window pass by, then he turned his head. "How…umm… How long will we be traveling, You Highness?"

"About three days." the tawny-haired man replied. "But I really would prefer it if you would just drop the formality; at least while we are in private. I would like you to think of me less as the king and more as a guardian and friend."

"Thank you. I will try," Wufei promised

Once again there was a long pause before he spoke again. "Instructor Noin has told me that the royal palace is really big."

"She is correct about that."

"Bigger even than the Dragon Shrine."

"Right again," Treize confirmed.

"How much bigger?"

"Well, at least ten times the size I would say."

Wufei's yaw nearly dropped. "Ten times? But that is… That is like a whole town. Do you not ever get lost in a place this big?"

"Not anymore, I do not. But I do have to admit there have been times in the past…" The king smirked, an amused sparkle in his eyes. This is promising to be a very entertaining trip home.

"Truly?"

"Truly!" Leaning in the tawny-haired man lowered his voice in a conspiratorial manner as he told the boy: "You know, I was late to my own crowning ceremony, because the shortcut I decided to take turned out not to be as short as I had hoped. In fact, it was more like a dead-end, and I ended up getting hopelessly lost. Finally a guard, who noticed that I had walked passed him several times, took pity on me and showed me the way."

Wufei looked shocked for a few moments, then a smile started to tug on the corners of his mouth and finally he burst into loud laughter.

"Well, aren't I glad at least one of us finds my predicament amusing." Treize huffed, even though he was pleased that he had managed to cheer up the boy.

"I'm sorry." Wufei wiped a few tears from the corners of his eyes. "But it just seemed too funny."

"Oh I'm sure it was; not for my ministers of course who were just about to panic when I finally showed up, and not for me who had to explain my tardiness to my guests, either. But they seemed to be just as amused as you are. The Emir of Narath told me that I was lucky to show up when I did, because they were starting to become bored and were just about to crown somebody…anybody, just to get the ceremony over with. And the king of Lhankor insisted that he had the perfect solution for my problem."

"Oh?"

"I once had a wolfhound, he said. The best tracking dog you will ever find, but not the most obedient of animals. He would constantly run off and the servants could never find him. So we ended up tying a bell onto his collar and his hiding days were over."

Wufei chuckled quietly as he imagined the king wearing a bell around his neck.

"He actually went as far as to send me a little, golden bell after he had returned home."

The boy smiled for a little longer, but suddenly he grew serious. "The king of Lhankor; he is dead now, is he not?"

"That's right," Treize confirmed solemnly.

"He must have been really old then."

"No, actually he was not that old. He fell very ill about two years ago and never recovered from his illness. It was a terrible loss for Lhankor. He was a good man and a great ruler."

"Oh, I see." Wufei nodded. "Triton told me that Lhankor has a new king now."

"Triton?" the king echoed.

"Someone I met. He was with the troupe that was at the shrine during your visit."

"Oh, that is right, the boy with the saber cats."

"That is him." Wufei gave another nod. "He said that the new king does not like traveling folk."

"Ah, yes," Treize confirmed. "I've heard rumors of that sort, as well."

"But why is that?"

"Well, I really cannot say for sure, to be honest," Treize admitted after thinking about it for a few moments. "But I know he is not the first king who feels that way. If I remember correctly it was a former ruler of Beregoth who went as far as to outlaw any kind of street performances. He wanted his people to be working instead of wasting time watching plays and shows."

Wufei frowned. "But no one can work all the time. People have to rest sometimes."

"You are absolutely correct." Treize agreed. "Most kings want their subjects to be happy, because happy subjects are loyal subjects. But a full stomach and a roof over one's head is not enough. People also want to have fun and enjoy themselves. King Octavius seemed to understand that very well. Unfortunately, the same can not be said for his brother."

"His brother?"

The king nodded. "King Dekim, the new ruler of Lhankor and King Octavius were half brothers, they were born to different mothers but had the same father."

"Hmm…" The boy's brows knitted as he seemed to think hard about something. Then he looked up at Treize. "King Octavius did not have any children? Is that why his brother took the throne after him?"

"No, actually it is a little more complicated than that." The tawny-haired man told him. "Octavius has two sons; twins. But since neither of the princes is dragon bonded they are not eligible to take the throne." Since no one seemed to know for sure if that was more than just a rumor Treize didn't see any reason to mention that the king supposedly had another, illegitimate son.

"Dragon bonded?" Wufei asked puzzled. "I don't think I know what that word means."

Treize smiled softly. "It's just another word for being a Dragon Knight."

"Then one doesn't have to be born a prince to become king?"

"No, not necessarily. It is usually the king who will determine who will take the throne after him. If he does not have any eligible heirs of his own he may pick anyone he wishes, nobleman or commoner."

"I have been told you became king because you come from a long line of dragon knights."

"I suppose so. But I do hope my capabilities had something to do with it as well," the king's smile turned into a amused smirk.

"But one has to be a Dragon Knight to become king?"

"That is correct."

"Why?"

"Why? There are probably a number of reasons, but the most important one is that it was part of the original treaty that was made between Shenlong and the first dragon knights on Mount Haku. Dragons and humans have not always been living peacefully together in the past."

Wufei nodded. He had learned about it in school and read books about it.

"A dragon bonded king is more likely to uphold the pact and with it keep peace between the two races for centuries to come. But having a Dragon Knight for a ruler has other advantages as well. As we probably know, humans become wiser and more experienced with age. There is just no way that a king who can only rule for a few decades could ever gain as much experience as someone able to sit on the throne for a few centuries or so. I think the best example for that is the current Emir of Narath. He has been in power for nearly two and a half centuries now and during his reign he has slowly turned Narath into one of the wealthiest kingdoms."

"That seems to make sense," Wufei admitted. "But…"

"But?" Treize raised one eyebrow.

"What if the king doesn't care about his people and doesn't do what he is supposed to do? His kingdom would be in for a long, long time of suffering."

"You wouldn't be talking about me, now would you?" The tawny-haired man smirked.

Blushing slightly Wufei averted his gaze. "I wasn't. I'm just saying that not every king is a good ruler."

"I agree. But usually a ruler like that would not sit on his throne for very long. The people will only take so much, even from their king, before they begin to make their displeasure known." Just the way it is happening in Lhankor, Treize added in his mind. Rumors of unrests and looming civil war in the once so peaceful kingdom had been spreading for weeks now. "Alright, I think we had enough history and politic lessons for one day. Shall we talk about something else for a while?"

The boy nodded in agreement. "There is something else I wanted to ask you."

"Oh, really?" And here I thought for just a moment he might have actually run out of questions. "Go ahead, ask."

"I was wondering… what is expected of me once we get to the royal palace?"

"Expected of you?" The king blinked.

"I mean, what am I supposed to do? I do not believe I could be of much help to you…yet."

There was such seriousness in the boy's voice that Treize had to try hard not to laugh. Somehow he managed to keep a straight face as he replied: "I will keep that in mind. But tell me, what have you been doing while you were at the Shrine?"

"Hmm…Instructor Noin tutored me every other day in swordplay and horsemanship. I also took lessons in writing and arithmetic and history. The rest of the time was my own. I read, or sometimes watched the older pupils on the training grounds. Unless of course I was being punished and Headmistress Une made me help in the stables."

Treize chuckled softly. "Oh, that sounds familiar."

Wufei looked at him puzzled.

"Lady Une was already the headmistress when I was training at the shrine," the king explained. "Her methods have not changed much since then, it seems. I have heard Zechs was cleaning stables quite frequently, probably not as often as I did, though."

The boy's eyes widened in disbelieve. "Even you got punished?"

"You had better believe it." Treize smirked at him. "After all, I was just an ordinary trainee back then. But if I hadn't become king, I probably could have been the best stable hand in all of Galados."

#

The royal caravan traveled steadily for most of the day, stopping only once to let the horses rest and eat a quick meal, at about mid-day. All the while Zechs had been riding alongside the carriage, never more than a length behind or ahead of them.

Twilight was beginning to fall over the countryside when Treize knocked at the carriage's window to get his bodyguard's attention.

"You Highness?" The tall, fair-haired man had to lean down from his mount to face the king.

"Have a horse readied for me, and another one for Wufei." Treize ordered. "The three of us will be taking a little detour. We will catch up with the escort some time tomorrow morning."

Zechs opened his mouth and for a brief moment it seemed as though he was going to object, but then he just nodded. "As you wish, You Highness."

As the bodyguard rode off to relay the king's orders, Treize turned toward his young charge. "You can ride a horse on your own, can you not?"

"But of course." The boy seemed almost offended by the question.

Moments later the carriage stopped. By the time Wufei and the king had exited the coach, two mounts stood saddled and ready for them. While Zechs put together some water and provisions for them for the night, the king instructed the leader of the escort on where to meet up with them in the morning.

"Where are we going?" the boy asked as one of the guard helped him into the saddle. The snow-white gelding was rather large, much larger than any of the horses he used to ride at his village, and it was difficult for him to straddle the steeds broad back with his short legs.

"There is something I want to show you," the king replied.

"Show me what?"

Treize gave him a little smile. "You will see."

That wasn't exactly the answer the boy had hoped for. Once they set off he moved his mount next to Zechs', tugging on his reins until the two horses were walking at the same pace. "Do you know where we are heading?"

Without even looking at him the young man shook his head. "No."

It was obviously a lie, since Zechs had taken the lead without ever asking for directions. Wufei huffed. Fine! If you don't want to tell me I'm not going to beg.

His resolve, however, lasted no more a few miles. Curiosity finally got the better of him. Dropping back until he was riding next to the king he looked up at the tall, tawny-haired man. "Couldn't you at least give me a hint? Just one?"

Treize gazed to the right and left then leaned toward the boy. "Can you keep a secret?" he ask, his voice hushed.

Wufei nodded quickly. "Yes, Sir."

"So can I." the king replied with a wink and a wide smile.

Wufei's brows narrowed in frustration. It just didn't seem fair.

They rode for what seemed like forever. The sun had nearly completely set by the time the three riders reached a long, narrow canyon. Awestruck the boy gazed up at the bare rock walls that seemed to rise all the way into the heavens. He had been wondering why the king had chosen to travel on horseback, but finally he understood. This chasm was simply too narrow for any dragon, even Nataku, to safely spread its wings. After a few miles the canyon made a sharp bend and not far beyond it lay what looked like a large cave.

"Here we are!" Treize announced. He reined his mount to a halt next to Zech's stallion and Wufei stopped a little behind the two of them.

As he dismounted the boy could hear the soft sound of dripping water, and he frowned. That's the big secret, he wondered, a dark and damp cave?

"Come on!" The king gestured for Wufei to follow him while Zechs was still tying up the horses on a large patch of soft grass just outside the cave.

"But…We did not bring any torches, did we?"

"There is no need." Treize assured him with a mysterious smile. "We will have something much better and more dependable than torches." He looked at the boy. "You are not afraid, are you?"

Wufei's frown turned into a scowl. "Of course not," he huffed.

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 and check back frequently as I will be adding more stuff as I build it