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 10

"You wanted to explore the town, did you not?"

Yes but... "What about Zechs? You said he would not allow it," the boy asked baffled. And what happened to: 'Even a king can't do as he pleases'?

A tiny smirk crossed Treize's face, his blue eyes sparkling with mischief as he replied: "Zechs is not here right now, is he? So, I am afraid we will not be able to ask for his permission."

Wufei's dark brows knitted when he realized the king had planned it like this from the very beginning. "But how are we to leave? The guards in the hall will surely see us." And even if by some small miracle we can get past them, there are still a dozen more soldiers downstairs.

The king's smirk widened as he winked at Wufei. "Leave it to me, "he whispered. "Now grab your cloak; it will get cold once the sun sets."

Still skeptical the boy reached for the black, hooded cape he had thrown over the bed earlier. Treize took him by the arm, pulling him into his own room where he ushered the surprised boy out onto the balcony. "Stay here and be still," he ordered. "I shall be right back."

###

The blond dragon knight waited patiently while the blacksmith checked Embar's hooves one after the other.

The tall, bearded man scratched his head as he finally set down the last leg and straightened up. "With all due respect, my Lord, I can't find anything wrong with any of your mount's horseshoes."

A suspicious frown crossed Zechs' face. This was the exact same answer he had received at the first smithy he had visited. Now it might be unusual but not impossible for one blacksmith to overlook a missing nail or loose horseshoe, but for two of them to make the same mistake was highly unlikely. Not to mention that Zechs himself hadn't felt anything unusual about the stallions gait while he was riding him. Nevertheless he asked: "Are you sure? None of them are loose or anything?"

"Not as far as I can see. Whoever put those shoes on knew what he was doing. They won't come off unless you want them to, and even then only with a lot of force."

"How about rocks or pressure points?"

The blacksmith shook his head. "Nothing at all."

Why am I beginning to feel like a fool? Zechs laughed humorlessly, earning himself a strange look from the other man. But more important…What are you up to, Your Highness?

"Thank you anyway, good man." He pulled out his money bag and handed the blacksmith a shiny silver piece for his trouble, before he swung himself into the saddle and headed back to the Inn.

###

Wide eyed and awestruck the boy followed Treize through the merchant district. Never before had he seen such hustle and bustle. The market his mother used to take him to was a far cry from this place.

Vendors were displaying their goods, calling out to the people passing by in an attempt to get their attention, sometimes even offering small pieces of fruit, cheese or smoked meats for tasting. Some buyers seemed to know what they had come for and headed straight for a specific booth, while others strolled around checking out anything and everything.

"What do you think?" Turning his head the king looked over his shoulder at Wufei.

"It is amazing," he admitted. "I have never seen anything like it."

Treize laughed softly. "Just wait until we reach the capital. This is nothing compared to Altea; the market there is at least twice... no four times as big."

"No way!" the boy exclaimed. His Highness surely had to be jesting.

"It is the truth, I assure you."

Wufei looked around them up at the king. "Can we go and see what everybody is selling?"

"We shall. But first things first…" Treize put his hand onto the boy's shoulder as he led him toward an Inn across the street "We haven't had supper yet, and it is never a good idea to go shopping on an empty stomach."

The tavern was crowded and noisy, but no one took notice of them as they crossed the room and settled down at an empty table near the fireplace.

"Take off your cloak for now," the king told him, as he did the same. He too was wearing a long brown cloak over a pair of deerskin trousers and a simple shirt.

Treize waved for the tavern's keeper, a middle-aged female who was quite tall for a woman and looked like she was very much able to take care of business and any drunken patrons.

"What can I get ya', hun?" she asked as she approached the table. "Some wine to wash down the dust of the road?"

"That sounds about right," the tawny-haired dragon knight confirmed. "And bring us also some cider for the boy. You like cider, Wufei?"

The boy nodded. "Yes... Sir." He caught himself at the last moment, realizing that it was probably not a good idea to reveal the king's identity.

"What's on your menu tonight?" Treize wanted to know. "We would also like to order something to eat"

"I can get you a mighty fine Oxtail stew, or you can have elk roast with sausages and cabbage."

"I think we will go with the stew, "the king decided after a brief moment of contemplation. "Bring us two bowls of it if you would, and bread if you have it."

"Coming right up, dear." the woman announced before walking away.

The wine and cider was brought first, and the stew was served with a small loaf of bread, crispy on the outside and so fresh it was still warm.

Wufei nodded politely and thanked the woman as she put his bowl of stew in front of him, earning himself a smile and a pat on the head. "What an adorable boy and so well raised; is he yours?"

"I'm his guardian." the king explained.

"Ah, I see. You are not from around here, are you?"

"Just traveling through. "Treize confirmed, and it wasn't even a lie.

"You don't look like a trading merchant, hun. Did you come to town to see the king or are you here for the show?"

"The show?" Wufei echoed slightly puzzled as he looked up at the tall woman.

She nodded. "A group of performers stopped in town this morning. Saw them hitch up their tent at the end of the marketplace by the old guard tower. Wish I could go see them myself." she added with a sigh. "Oh well, we can't always get what we want, right? Enjoy your supper."

"I wonder if it is Triton's troupe?" the boy mused as she started to walk away. He didn't even realize he had spoken out loud until the king replied:

"Triton, you mean the boy from the group that performed at the Dragon Shrine?"

Wufei nodded. "He told me they were heading for a large town, about two days away from the shrine."

"You might be correct then, there is no other large town in this area." Treize explain. "Would you like to see the show?"

"Could we?"

His highness smiled softly. "I don't see why not. But now, eat up. That stew will not be any good once it is cold."

"Yes, Sir."

###

"Where is His Highness?"

The two guards instinctively snapped to attention when Zechs Marquise came storming up the stairs.

"In his quarters, Sir."

"What about the boy?"

"He is in his room as well."

"Neither of them left at any time?" the blond dragon knight inquired suspiciously.

Both men shook their heads in unison.

"His Highness only came to the door once, to tell us that he was taking a nap and did not want to be disturbed unless it is absolutely necessary."

Well, I think this qualifies as absolutely necessary; Zechs thought as he stepped closer to the door and put this ear against it to listen. It was quiet... too quiet, for his taste. He reached out to open the door. But when he realized that it was locked from the inside, the young man knocked, softly first then with a little more force. "Your Highness?"

There was no answer. Not that he really had expected one at this point. "Find the Inn keeper and get me a spare key," he ordered, directed at one of the guards.

"But Sir…" The man shifted uncomfortable from one foot onto the other. "I don't think we should… His Highness will be furious. He specifically asked not to be woken."

"Don't worry, if it comes to that I'll take blame for anything." he assured the man. "Now go!"

"Yes Sir."

When the guard returned a short while later he handed the ring with the spare keys to the blond dragon knight. His face clearly indicated that he was still not pleased with the idea of entering the king's bedroom without his consent. "Sir, are you really sure about this?"

Without wasting another word Zechs unlocked the door and opened it slowly. He almost snorted as he looked around the room. The king's robes were hanging neatly folded, over the bed's footboard. Behind him, the guards rose to their toes to look over his shoulder. If they had expected to see his Highness peacefully asleep in his bed they were thoroughly disappointed.

Zechs turned his head. The door between the two bedchambers was slightly ajar. Just to be sure, the young man checked the other room as well, before turning toward two very pale and dumbfounded guards. "What was it you were saying about his Highness and the boy never leaving their rooms?"

The older of the two soldiers swallowed. "I do not…know …what happened, Sir," he stammered. "I cannot even understand how they…" He swallowed the rest of the sentence and dipped his head when his gaze fell upon the open door to the balcony, with the drapes moving slightly in the evening breeze. "I am sorry, Sir. We will take full responsibility…"

Zechs raised his hand to cut him off. "We will take about that later." I am just as much to blame as they are for not warning them properly.

"Yes, Sir. With your permission, we will notify the rest of the guard and immediately start searching for his Highness."

"No!" Zechs' voice left no room for argument. "The last thing we need is for word to get around that our king is out there in town, on his own, without any escort. I shall go and find him myself. As for the two of you... as far as you are concerned, His Highness has never left this room. He is not feeling well and resting. He is not to be disturbed... under no circumstances. Is that clear?"

"Perfectly clear, Sir." Once again the two soldiers nodded in unison.

###

Even though the sun was already beginning to set when Wufei and the king left the tavern, the marketplace was still filled with people. If anything, the boy could have sworn the place was even more crowded than before. Many of the vendors had lit small lanterns and the main street was bathed in a soft colorful light. He looked around, amazed and almost overwhelmed by the sights, sounds and smells around him.

"Now that we had a good supper how about closing it out with some delicious, honey-dipped pita nuts?" the king suggested.

"Pita nuts?" Puzzled the boy looked up at the tall, tawny- haired man.

"Ah, that is right," Treize nodded, "I forgot. You are from Sakeo Province; pita nuts do not grow that far north. We will most definitely have to try some then; trust me, you will love them." He gestured for Wufei to follow him. "This way!"

The sweet smell of honey and spices grew stronger as they approached a small stall on the other side of the road.

"Fresh Pita nuts," the vendor was calling out. "Freshly roasted and piping hot."

"Give us two bags!" the king demanded.

"Two bags, right away." The man nodded as he grabbed two sheets of gray paper and, with the experience of someone who had done it hundreds of times before, rolled them into small cone-shaped bags which he filled to the rim with sweet and sticky nuts. "There you go, my lord. That will be half a din."

Treize, who had already pulled out his money bag, handed the vendor a small silver coin in exchange for the sweets.

"Thank you, my Lord."

Looking down at the boy Treize waited while Wufei cautiously tasted one of the honey covered nuts. "So, what do you think?"

"Hmm..." Wufei's eyes went wide. He licked his finger as he looked up. "They really are tasty. I don't think I have ever had anything like it before. Although, they are quite sticky"

The king chuckled softly. "That they are," he admitted. "But I think their deliciousness more than makes up for that little…inconvenience. Should we get moving then?"

The boy nodded as his little fingers picked another, especially large, nut from the bag. "Thank you... for the sweets and for taking me to the market."

Treize waved the words of gratitude away with a dismissive gesture. "You are giving me too much credit, Wufei. Truth is; I wanted to come here myself. If anything, I should be thanking you for tagging along and keeping me company. Now, let us see if we can find your friend and his traveling troupe."

"Yes, Sir!" Wufei replied with a crisp nod. "Do you know where the Old Guard Tower is? The woman in the tavern said that's where they have setup their tent."

"Straight ahead." Treize pointed down the main street. "The old tower sits right at the border of the merchant's district. Can you see it just beyond the market?"

It was hard to see the tower itself in the dark but Wufei could make out its lights in the distance, so he gave another nod. "Do you think it is too late to see the show?"

"Well…from what I know, most groups put on at least two performances; one in the afternoon and one after sunset. So I think we should still get there in time."

Gazing at the shops and stalls right and left of them, the boy asked. "Can we look around at least a little?"

"I cannot see why not, as long as we do not linger too long."

Wufei continued to nibble his sticky treats as he and the king strolled down the road; checking out a vender's goods over here; looking at skillfully crafted sword or shield over there. When he gazed to his right he noticed that Treize had not even opened his own bag yet.

"You are not eating yours?" he asked gesturing at the candy.

"I will, later," his highness assured him. "Right now I am a little full from the stew, so I think I shall share them with Zechs later on. I happen to know that he loves sweets, too."

"Oh right, Zechs!" Wufei replied thoughtfully. He hadn't even thought of the blond dragon knight since they had left the Inn. "Do you think he has noticed by now that we are gone?"

"I would be very disappointed in him if he has not."

"He will be angry because we left without asking, will he not?"

"Probably." Treize nodded.

"He is scary when he gets angry."

"Do not worry about it." The king smiled reassuringly as he laid his hand on the lad's shoulder. "He would not be angry at you. And I know just how to deal with him."

"You have known each other for a long time, have you not?"

"That is right," Treize confirmed with another nod. "When Zechs and I met for the first time he was about your age and I was only a few years his senior."

"So, you and Zechs are good friends then?"

"I would like to think so." Speaking of the devil… Treize frowned slightly as his eyes caught a head of silvery blond hair in the crowd. Then he looked down at his pint-size companion. "Wufei, please go ahead already; look around a little if you want. I will be with you again in a moment."

"Yes, Sir."

As he watched the boy head for a vendor's stall across the street, Treize waited for his bodyguard to catch up with him. It didn't take Zechs long to discover him, considering that the king's ginger-colored hair stood out in the crowd just as much as his own.

"Your Highness…" the tall dragon knight pressed through his teeth. "What were you thinking?"

The king answered Zechs' death glare with the most charming smile he could muster. "What a small world. I would have never expected to see you here. How is Embar?"

"He will live."

Ignoring the sarcasm in the other man's voice Treize held on to his smile. "I am glad to hear it."

"What were you thinking?" Zechs repeated. "Going into town without an escort is not only the ultimate act of irresponsibility on your part, but it also teaches the boy a bad lesson. What if someone was to find out who you are?"

"They might, if you keep shouting like this."

"Hmph."

"Truce?" the king asked innocently as he held up the bag of candied pita nuts like a peace offering.

The blond dragon knight closed his eyes as he let out a deep sigh of defeat. Why am I even trying? "This," he replied firmly, even as he snatched the bag from Treize's hands, "does not change the fact that I will have to ask you to return with me to the Inn at once."

The older man suddenly turned serious. "I am sorry, but that is not going to happen, Zechs."

"I beg your pardon?" Zechs blinked.

"I promised Wufei that we will be going to see the show, you see. I never broke a promise before and I am not planning on starting now."

"What show?"

"The troupe that was entertaining us at the dragon shrine is here in town," Treize explained. "If you remember, the boy never got to see their performance that night."

"Where is he anyway?" the body-guard wanted to know.

"Looking around." The king gestured straight ahead. Even while he was talking to Zechs he had been trying to keep an eye on Wufei as he was strolling from one vendor to the next. "He has never before been…" Treize swallowed the rest of the sentence when he suddenly realized that the stall where he had seen the boy just moments before was surrounded by a group of people and there was no sign of Wufei.

"Move aside! Let me through!" the tawny-haired man demanded firmly as he pushed his way through the gawking crowd. His heart nearly skipped a beat when he noticed Wufei lying motionless on the ground.

"What happened?" He looked questioningly at the merchant, a middle aged man with graying hair and long sideburns, while Zechs knelt down next to the boy's lifeless body.

"I don't know…," the man insisted as he shook his head. "He wanted to look at some of my weapons. I was just showing him this dagger when he suddenly collapsed. He isn't ill, is he?"

"Of course not. Zechs?"

The blond dragon knight had slipped his arm beneath Wufei's upper body and raised his head of the ground. "He has lost consciousness, but I do not see any injuries; just a bruise where he hit his head when he fell."

"Take him back to the Inn, Zechs."

"But Sir…"

"Do it!" The king's voice left no room for arguments. "I will be right behind you."

"As you wish, Sir."

As Zechs lifted the boy up Treize turned back toward the vendor. "Show me that dagger you said he was looking at when he collapsed," he demanded.

###

The boy never woke, even as Zechs placed him onto the wide, four-posted bed, removed the boots and cloak he was wearing and tucked him in beneath the heavy quilt. Before he rose to his feet the young man put his hand against Wufei's forehead. The skin felt a bit warm but not hot to the touch. Good; at least he does not have a fever. Zechs mused in relief.

On his way out the door the tall, blond dragon knight nearly collided with Treize who was trying to enter the room.

"How is he?" Concern was clearly written across the king's face.

"He has not woken yet. Perhaps he is just exhausted. It has been a very eventful past few days after all."

"Perhaps," Treize agreed, but he didn't sound too convinced.

"By the way, I took the liberty of sending for the local healer. He should be here soon."

"Well done! I will stay with him for a while. Oh right, Zechs I want you to hold on to this for me." The king said as he handed him a cloth wrapped bundle.

Through the fabric of the cloak Zechs could feel something rigid and slightly curved. "What is it?" he wanted to know.

"The dagger Wufei was holding when he collapsed. I want my star-diviner to check it out and see if it has anything to do with the boy's condition. Until then I want you to keep it somewhere safe. I do not want him near it again until we know more."

"Understood." The younger man nodded in acknowledgement. "I shall put it away and then go downstairs and wait for the healer."

"Thank you Zechs."

###

The curfew bells had long rung and the town lay dark and quiet when Zechs Merquise made one last round, checking up on the guards he had posted inside and around the Inn. Satisfied with his inspection, the blond dragon knight decided to head for bed himself, but not before checking one more time on Wufei.

The healer who had examined the boy earlier wasn't of much help. He couldn't tell them either what was wrong with him, but he did agree with Zechs that exhaustion and too much excitement could be a possible cause for Wufei's collapse. A good night's sleep along with some tea, made of herbs and roots the healer left, should have the boy on his feet in no time at all.

Slowly and without the slightest sound Zechs opened the door to Wufei's bedchamber and peered into the room. He didn't even need to light a candle; the nearly full moon shining through the open window provided enough illumination for him to clearly see the figure lying in bed. Make that figures he corrected himself with a slight frown.

Wufei was still fast asleep, tucked in just like Zechs had left him, and on the other side of the bed the king, fully dressed except for his boots, was sleeping as well.

Why do I feel more like a nursemaid than a body guard? Zechs sighed as he reached for the spare blanket, hanging over a chair by the fireplace, and tenderly draped it over the older man's body. Well, at least there is hoping that one of my 'pupils' will grow up eventually. As for the other…, He smirked slightly as he gazed down at Treize. I'm afraid it's a lost cause.

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.