The Prince and The Assassin chapter 05/10
Gundam Wing
The Prince and The Assassin
Chapter 05: “Though this be madness, yet there is method in 't.” - William Shakespeare, Hamlet
*
Dekim thrust almost violently into Gertrude Maxwell, queen of Sanq, egged on by her squeaks of pleasure and the clawing of her manicured nails. With a grunt he released and without any preamble rolled away to stretch out on half of the king’s royal bed.
The frustrated whimpers of Gertrude next to him annoyed him even in his coming down for the height. “Dekim!” Gertrude protested.
“Deal with it your self, I’m finished.” Dekim growled as he felt a headache coming on.
He thought he could wait another forty-eight hours for that bastard to be murdered, but he found the anticipation to be unbearable. So he sent the agent.
The agent had returned to him saying that the assassin was preparing to complete the job that night and to have the rest of his payment ready by the next morning. Dekim smirked at the thought of it.
The sudden continuous yelping of Gertrude next to him as she ‘dealt’ with it jolted him out of his pleasant thoughts. “Lay off already!”
Relaxing, Gertrude scowled at him. “Well aren’t we in a bad mood.” She threw the covers back with a dramatic scoff and climbed out of bed, donned her robe then slammed the door behind her on her way to her own rooms.
“Finally.” Dekim grumbled under his breath. The thoughts of a very dead David and a very comfortable throne danced in his head as he rolled onto his back and folded his hands behind his head.
Oh, when they found him in the morning he would be suitably shocked, then appropriately grieved at the following funeral, but after that he would milk the people for every penny they had, take all the land from the surrounding kingdoms that he could. He was getting a chubby just thinking about it.
Smirking to himself he occupied his mind with the visions of David pale and cold, his own head adorned with the crown he wasn’t allowed to wear, and the whole of the court kneeling at his feet.
Oh yes. This was going to be a good night. He could already tell.
*
Heero stood at the edge of the forest watching as the guards changed and settled trying with every ounce of his being not to think about the times he had watched Duo scamper across the clearing to climb the wall and disappear behind it.
He checked to make sure his daggers were in place and his completely black clothing blended into the pitch black night, before darting out of the tree line and scaling the wall in a matter of seconds.
Landing silently and gracefully on the other side he resisted the need curl in on himself and cry. His training was failing to block out the pain his flood of memories were causing him. Back at the Inn half way through is almost ritualistic preparation he discovered that there was no way he was going to be able to concentrate enough to wield a poison and leave no trace. He changed his plans accordingly and donned his favorite pair of twin daggers instead.
Managing to straighten himself from his crouch without his legs collapsing on him he crept silently toward the lowest corner of the roof and the only visible aid to help in his travels, the fountain.
His brow furrowed as the unexpected realization that he was now inside of Duo’s home caused his heart to pound painfully in his chest before he push all thoughts like that away and concentrated on placing each foot above the other on the various places on the fountain. Once he managed to get to the top and scurry like a rat onto the second floor roof, Heero was doubting, for the first time in his life, his ability to complete a job.
Calmly moving over the roof and counting the balconies over head he refused to think anymore about Duo. He would kill the prince, collect his payment and disappear. Kill prince, collect payment, disappear.
He chanted it like a mantra as he climbed over the balcony railing, placed his booted feet silently on the stone flooring, and soundlessly opened the balcony doors. Stepping inside the rooms, Heero found the complete and utter darkness inside oppressive. He stopped his movements and listened carefully.
The sounds of a single person’s steady breathing made his shoulders sag in relief. The less blood he spilt that night the better. He didn’t think he could stomach killing two men. As it was, his heart was already aching and his arms shaking.
Reaching down and unsheathing his right dagger Heero began to ghost into the main bed chamber, his mind repeating his mantra just so that he could get through this.
He reached the edge of the bed and looked down. The occupant was bathed in darkness except for a single shaft of moon light that escaped the drapes made to block out any and all light, affectively obscuring any of the sleeping prince’s features. All the better, Heero thought; he didn’t want to have to know the face of his last kill, didn’t want to add that face to his nightmares.
Expertly pinpointing the exact place where his victim’s heart was, Heero raised his dagger and began to thrust it downward into the sleeping prince’s chest.
Heero could hear his own heart pounding in his chest as the dagger neared the sprawled victim on the bed before him. He could hear the victim’s steady breathing, swore he could hear the victim’s heart beat.
It seemed to take hours, but the as the dagger came inches away from the prince’s chest the sleeping man suddenly tilted his head to the side, that single shaft of moonlight illuminating his features, and murmured a single word.
“Heero.”
Changing his angle of attack at the last second, Heero stopped the dagger from plunging into his lover’s chest, but couldn’t stop the blade from slicing open Duo’s upper arm.
Duo shot up in bed with an agonized scream. His arm exploded in pain shocking his body into wakefulness. The sound of a metal object clattering to the floor and another agonized scream from someone else in the room caught his hazy attention as the events began to make sense.
Reaching over to clutch at his right arm and steam the flow of blood, Duo flexed his fingers to make sure everything was functional before swinging out of bed and turning the oil lamp on his night stand on full blast flooding the whole room in light.
Heero backed into the wall opposite the bed as the room was lit; his heart pounding, mind struggling to comprehend the events that had just unfolded.
Duo, his beautiful lover, was the crowned prince of Sanq. And, he stared at his blood splattered hands unseeingly, he had spilt his blood.
“No.”
Duo turned his head gasping for breath as he fought with the pain thundering through his arm. It was like the most beautiful and the most wretched thing he had ever seen. Heero was just staring at his bloodied hands, shaking from head to foot. “Heero!”
Duo didn’t care about his arm anymore. All he wanted to do was wrap his lover in his arms and kiss away that pained expression from his face. “Heero, love.” He tried to get his attention as he got wobbly to his feet. “It’s me, Duo.”
The sound of his lover’s strained voice snapped him out of his shock. His head shot up in the direction of that beloved voice, but the sight his eyes feel upon caused him to collapse to his knees as tears poured down his face. “Oh my God.”
He was frightened. Duo had never seen his strong confident lover like this and it was frightening him. “Heero!” He tried to go to him but a sudden wave of dizziness glued his feet to floor.
Heero couldn’t comprehend anything other than the fact that he had nearly succeeded in killing his lover, the man that held his heart and soul in his hands. “Duo, please forgive me! I- I didn’t know!”
Duo tried to respond, tried to say there was nothing to forgive, tried to tell him how much he had hurt and yearned for him, how much he still loved him, but none of that came out. The sound of his door bursting open and angered voices reverberated in his head as his body finally realized the need for blood was priority and he collapsed. The last thing he saw before his world went completely black was Heero lunging forward to catch his body before it impacted with the stone floor.
*
Moments before…
Quatre was antsy. He had spent many nights away from his best friend but something about this night just didn’t feel right. His neck itched and the place between his shoulder blades felt cold.
He was sitting at a table with Wufei and Trowa sipping ale from a mug while the other two men discussed various things about the war Trowa had just returned from.
Trowa glanced over at his frowning lover. “Quatre, why don’t you just go up and join him?”
Shaking his head, Quatre replied, “He specifically ordered me not to sleep with him tonight. He said he wanted to be alone.”
“Is that particularly wise?” Wufei hedged. “I mean, his ordeal, whatever it was, had affected him substantially. He should have all the support he can get at the moment.”
“That’s what I thought.” Quatre said. “But when I went up to check on him and bring him his dinner he was sitting at his desk in his study and pouring over some kinds of documents.”
He frowned again and sipped at his ale. “He seemed stressed and tired, but was nothing like he was last night. I don’t really understand it.”
“He could have solved the problem we have been contemplating.” Trowa suggested. “He does have all of the information that we are lacking. Perhaps he was simply reacted to a shock and not a debilitating let down like we assumed.”
Quatre was opening his mouth to respond when a blood curdling scream echoed from the floor above. “Duo!”
In a matter of seconds the three friends were rushing down the hall and up the stairs. Each one thinking that the journey was taking too long. Quatre ran ahead of the other two who were drawing their swords as they rushed up the stairs.
Finally making it to the top, Quatre turned to the right and pelted down toward his best friend’s room.
Reaching the solid wooden door, he burst through it and was brought up short when he took in the scene before him.
Duo swayed on his feet, deathly pale, clutching to his bleeding right arm, his blood streaming down his skin to pool on the floor around him. Another man, just as pale, and kneeling on the floor in front of him was looking at Duo with mixture of pleading and love.
Trowa and Wufei rushed in after him just as Duo began to fall to the floor, his eyes rolling back into his head. The man kneeling before him shouted his name in fright before lunging forward and catching him in his arms.
Trowa reacted on instinct and pulled the suddenly hysterical man off of his cousin.
“No!” Heero frantically tried to fight off the green eyed man pulling him away from his Duo. “Duo needs help! I have to help him!”
“Quatre!” Trowa yelled shaking his lover from his shocked stupor. “Check Duo.”
Wufei joined Trowa in trying to control the amazingly strong attacker as Quatre ran to his friend’s side. “Sally, we have to get him to Sally!”
Glancing up as he applied pressure to Duo’s wound he saw a frightened maid lingering in the door way. “You!” He shouted getting her attention. “Go and get Doctor Sally! Now!”
The maid squeaked and rushed away to do as she was ordered. Quatre looked up and took in the sight of the Duo’s attacker crying and struggling to get to Duo. “Trowa! Take him to the dungeon and do not alert Dekim to the situation.”
His tall lover nodded and both he and Wufei dragged a ferociously fighting Heero out of the room.
Quatre turned his attention back to his friend and continued to apply pressure. “Oh Duo! Hang in there.”
*
Duo felt like he was being pulled up from the depths of the ocean. His whole body was stiff and his head was fuzzy. He tried to wipe his face with his right hand, pain shot through his arm and he gritted his teeth to keep from yelping.
“Easy there.” A familiar voice said from his left. “I just got finished stitching you up. I don’t want you popping them just yet.”
“Sally?” Duo pried his eyes open and focused blurrily on the castle Doctor. “What happened?”
“It would seem,” Sally replied, “that you had your first assassination attempt.”
The memories rushed back to him and he bolted up and struggled to climb out of the infirmary bed.
Sally gasped and tried to push him back in bed, but didn’t really have to since he groaned as a wave of dizziness hit him and he fell back onto it. “Just where do you think you are going?”
“Heero.” Duo moaned trying to fight down the nausea. “I have to see Heero! Tell him I still love him.” He tried to sit up again only slower this time and succeeded in it without the room spinning.
“You can’t go anywhere.” Sally exclaimed. “I just got finished treating you for a severe knife wound and blood loss. You have to stay right where you are.”
“Sally.” Duo growled as he pushed his protesting hands away and slowly got to his feet. “I have to see Heero. You are not going to stop me and you are going to tell me where he is.”
As the stubborn woman she is she tilted her head in the air and refused. “I will do no such thing. You need your rest.”
“I’m ordering you,” Duo took a threatening step toward her, “as your king and you will obey.”
The proud doctor swallowed and nodded roughly. “As you wish your majesty, but please at least wait to go down to the dungeon until Wufei or Trowa is here to take you.”
Duo suddenly began to seethe. “Heero’s in the dungeons?!”
“Yes. Where else would we put an assassin that made an attempt on your life?” Wufei appeared in the door way and stepped inside. “Thank you, Sally. You may go now.”
The doctor nodded then made her exit leaving the two scowling men alone in the infirmary.
Duo glared at his friend. “Take me to Heero.”
“No.” Wufei crossed his arms over his chest ready for a fight.
“Wufei.” Duo’s voice was deep and angry. He was prepared to fight one of his best friend’s to get to his lover. Heero needed him.
“He is an assassin-”
“I know that!” Duo shouted.
“-Who made an attempt on your life.” Wufei finished with a huff.
“He didn’t know!” Duo exclaimed in sudden despair startling his friend. “He didn’t know. I never got a chance to tell him.”
“Duo?” Wufei’s arms fell to his sides and his brow creased in confusion and concern.
“I was about to tell him who I was, but after he told who he was and that he was contracted to kill the crowned prince of Sanq, I was so upset and shocked that I ran.” He collapsed back onto the small bed and looked up at his friend as frustrated tears poured down his cheeks. “He didn’t even know I was the prince until last night,” his throat tightened, “until he tried to kill me.”
“But Duo,” Wufei exclaimed, “that’s just it. He tired to kill you.”
“No.” Duo shook his head in denial. “He tried to kill the prince of Sanq.”
“You are the prince of Sanq!” Wufei shouted in frustration.”
“He didn’t know that, Wufei!” Duo shook his head and almost whispered. “He couldn’t have known that.”
He inhaled a shuddering breath as he replayed his memories. “The look on his face, Wufei,” his voice sounded pained, “he was in agony when he realized what he’d almost done,” he glanced at his bandaged arm, “what he had done.”
“How do you know Duo?” Wufei asked. He couldn’t stand the look of agony of his young friend’s face. “How do you know he wasn’t planning all this from the beginning?”
“Because,” Duo replied, “every memory I have of him is filled with his love, and I saw the pain on his face when I ran from him.” He gave his friend a sad smile. “Please, Wufei. Take me to see him. He needs me.”
Wufei studied Duo’s face for what seemed like hours before nodding and reaching over to help him stand. “I will take you, Duo.”
Duo let out a relieved laugh before levering himself up and beginning to walk out of the infirmary with Wufei’s assistance. “Thank you Wufei. You won’t regret this.”
“I won’t.” He agreed, because he felt in his heart that he wouldn’t.
*
Duo had a white knuckled grip in the stone wall as he and Wufei climbed down the spiraling stairs toward the dungeons. The smell of mildew and human excrement was nauseating and Duo had to fight not to throw up as the smell combined with his already light head and turned his stomach.
Wufei kept a close eye on his friend ready to catch him should he falter in his unsteady steps and fall. He was regretting not forcing Duo to stay in the infirmary until he was stronger, but it seemed he was just as helpless to deny his prince anything as the rest of the castle was. Duo didn’t even have to bat an eye before his every whim was taken care of. Wufei always thanked his ancestors’ lucky stars that Duo, unlike every other royal he had come in contact with, wasn’t a spoiled brat with a taste for greed.
His legs shaking as he took the uneven steps carefully, Duo could only think about his lover down there somewhere in the dark and locked in a cold cell. A shiver ran down his spine. He had to get Heero out of there.
“Wufei?” His voice sounded shaky as they finally stepped off the last stair and Wufei snatched a torch off the wall.
“He’s in the last cell, David.” Wufei stretched the torch out in front of them illuminating the long hall of barred doors.
Duo whimpered and charged down the hall as fast as his legs would carry him.
“Heero!” He gasped as he reached the bars at the end of the row, Wufei close behind him. Heero was curled into a ball in the very back corner of the cell lying on the dirty hay sprinkled floor with his hands wrapped over his head, he face buried in his knees pulled all the way up to his chest.
Wufei hurriedly unlocked the cell door and watched as Duo rushed in and fell to his knees beside the shaking man.
Duo was almost afraid to touch him. Heero’s body was shaking with a mixture of tears and cold and his cloths were splattered with blood. “Heero? Love?”
The sound of his beloved’s voice cut through his pained haze and Heero gingerly lifted his head to see Duo staring down at him worriedly. “Duo?”
“Oh God!” Duo felt tears begin to leak down his cheeks as he threw himself at Heero and wrapped his arms tightly around his still shaking frame. “I’m so sorry love! It’s all my fault.”
Heero blinked in surprise then pain as he gently pried Duo away from him. “Duo, I almost killed you.” And he would gladly die because of it. He was a danger to his beloved Duo. He was frightened of what he had almost done.
Duo blinked at him in desperation. “But you didn’t! Heero, you didn’t kill me.” He placed his hands on either side of Heero’s smudged face. “You didn’t know. I’m so sorry.”
Looking into his lover’s dark violet eyes, Heero laid a hand over one of Duo’s on his face and then gingerly brushed the other over the stark white bandage on his upper arm now stained with a spot of red. “I hurt you Duo. Badly.” Then remembering the moment when Duo’s eyes rolled back into his head and he began to collapse, he chocked, “I thought I had killed you after all.”
Ignoring Heero’s whine of protest, Duo leaned forward and pressed their lips together urgently. “Hush love.” He began to pepper kisses over Heero’s mouth, cheeks, eyes, and brow trying to wash away that tormented look from his face. “You didn’t kill me. You barely hurt me. I’m the one that hurt you.”
Pushing Duo just far enough away so that his lips couldn’t continue their pleasant torture on his skin, Heero look at his lover in disbelief. “Barely hurt you? Duo I’m covered in your blood!” He clutched at his blood splattered shirt with trembling hands. “I watched as you nearly bleed to death.” Then he laughed mirthlessly, “I was paid to kill you, for fuck’s sake!”
Duo grabbed his hands and pressed them to his chest so that Heero could feel his frantically beating heart. “Heero, it was an accident. You didn’t know I was the prince of Sanq. You didn’t deal me a death blow.” He squeezed Heero’s dirty trembling hands. “You can feel my heart beating Heero. It’s beating for you, love.”
Breath caught in Heero throat as the quick and steady beating of Duo’s heart flowed through the palms of his hands up his arms and straight into his chest. He listened to Duo’s words with a desperate thirst.
Duo was alive. He hadn’t killed his lover. Duo wasn’t angry with him for his attempt on his life. He didn’t want Heero’s apologies.
Looking from his dirty blood splattered hands now clutching firmly at Duo’s pristine white shirt to his lover’s deep smiling violet eyes, Heero asked in barely a whisper, “Do you-… do you still love me?”
Duo chuckled airily and smiled brightly at his nervous lover, “With all my heart and soul.”
Heero felt his chest swell and suddenly found himself clutching Duo tightly to chest, his lips devouring his in a desperate kiss.
Duo wrapped his arms around Heero and grasped frantically to his strong shoulders as their tongues met and twisted together in sweet pleasure. The feel of Heero’s beautiful hands holding him and burying their fingers into his braid to stroke at his scalp sent happy jolts through his body. A moan escaped his throat as their lips moved together and their tongues continued to explore and taste.
Pulling away fractionally, Heero nibbled on Duo’s full bottom lip before placing tender kisses across his jaw and down his neck then burying his face in Duo’s loosened braid and inhaling his lover’s light scent of lavender. “God! Duo after… I thought you’d hate me.”
“No!” Duo gasped and pressed his face into the curve of Heero’s neck and shoulder savoring his earthy scent and soft skin. “Never. Always love you, no matter what.”
“But you ran.” Heero whispered as he stroked hands down Duo’s suddenly shaking back.
“I-” Duo whimpered remembering. “I was so shocked. I couldn’t imagine you hurting anyone. Then you told me your target was me.” He sobbed abruptly and tightened his hold on Heero. “I’m sorry! I just didn’t know what to think. I was scared.”
Heero closed his eyes in pain and nuzzled into the skin of Duo’s neck, burying himself deeper. “Of me?”
Duo sighed and pulled away to looked his saddened lover in the eyes. “Yes.” He pressed their foreheads together and breathed deep of the closeness before looking his morose lover in his deep blue eyes. “But only until I remembered that the assassin carrying my name on a contract was the same man that was also carrying my heart in his chest.”
Smiling tenderly in the face of Heero hopeful surprise, Duo stroked the sides of his face and placed a warm soft kiss to Heero’s slightly parted lips. “Then I remembered that I knew you would never harm me on purpose. Contract or no, Heero, you love me and I love you and that is all that matters.”
Letting out a relieved breath, Heero placed his hands on the sides of Duo’s face as well and kissed him long and searching. “You are far wiser than me, Duo, and I love you with all my being.”
“Good.” Duo grinned mischievously, “’cause I would have kicked your ass if you didn’t.”
Heero laughed and stroked his fingers through Duo’s long bangs. “So you’re the crowned prince of Sanq, hmm?”
“It would seem so.” Duo smiled wrapping his arms around Heero’s neck and laying his head on his strong shoulder.
Heero shifted his abruptly relaxed lover to sit in his lap, and began to re-familiarize himself with the feel of Duo’s body against his own and the taste and scent of his skin. “Do you trust me?” He asked as he kissed Duo down his neck.
“Of course I do.” Duo exclaimed his eyes drifting closed to enjoy his lover’s attentions, completely forgetting that they were still on the floor of a cell underneath the castle.
Smirking happily against Duo’s tingling skin, Heero asked in a husky voice, “What is your given name, Duo of the Street, with the face of a royal and the heart of a commoner?”
Lifting his head off of Heero’s shoulder, Duo looked his lover in the face studying his brightened eyes, his beautiful smile. “David James Maxwell, Crowned Prince and heir to the throne of the Kingdom of Sanq.”
The smile that bloomed on Heero’s face took his breath away a split second before he crushed their lips together and made the cell walls spin with pleasure.
Gasping for breath as he pulled away Duo, grinned and asked in a husky voice, “What is your given name, Heero the Traveler?”
Chuckling, Heero began to sprinkle kisses from Duo’s temple all over his flushed face. “Heero Odin Yuy, Assassin by trade and born of the Eastern lands of the Orient, at your service, my prince.”
Both lovers chuckled and would have continued to revel in each other’s closeness and love had it not been for the slightly uncomfortable and somewhat amused clearing of a throat at the entrance of the cell.
Both men looked in the direction of the sound and blushed profusely when Wufei grinned at their embarrassment. “May I suggest that we move this to a more comfortable and better smelling area of the castle?” Then his amusement faded and looked at Heero in all seriousness. “I would like to have a word with you in regards to your employer.”
Comprehension dawned and Heero turned to face his lover with a frighteningly serious expression on his face. “Duo, I don’t know exactly what you political situation is, but you are going to have major problems on your hands.”
Duo’s brow furrowed in confusion. “What?”
“The king, Duo,” Heero said. “The king paid me to kill you.”
Heero watched in fascination as Duo’s brow knitted in furry and storm clouds brewed in his violet eyes. “That Son of Bitch!”
*
They had rushed out of the dungeons through a hidden passage way in the wall of the stair case and ran down the pitch dark hall; hands clasped tightly, Wufei leading the way.
“The motherfucking, cock sucking, bastard!” Duo’s color adjectives for his uncle had been their constant entertainment since hearing Heero’s admission. “I can’t believe that prick!”
“Honestly, David.” Wufei sighed as he slowed down to make a turn down a fork in the passage. “It’s not like you weren’t planning on killing the man after you were crowned king. Why are you taking this so personally?”
“You were planning on killing your own father?” Heero was surprised at his gentle mischievous lover. He couldn’t imagine him ever wanting to commit violence.
“That fucktard is not my father!” Duo informed as he took the stairs two at a time that lead to the second floor right next too the laundry room, Wufei barely a step ahead of him. “Literally speaking he’s my half uncle. He just married my mother after my old man died becoming the temporary king till I can rightfully assume the throne.”
“When you turn eighteen?” Heero asked in amusement at Duo’s colorful nicknames.
“Yep!” Duo chirped as they neared the stone doorway that would lead out of the hidden passage way and into the servants’ area of the castle. “In two days I’ll be able to take the throne giving me absolute power over everything that happens in the kingdom.” He dropped his voice to a whisper as Wufei peeked out to make sure the coast of clear.
“Oh my God.” Heero shuddered. “He came to the Inn two days ago asking me to expedite the proceedings.”
Duo paused in his astoundingly silent foot steps down the hall to stare at Heero in confusion. “He wanted you dead before your eighteenth birthday so that he could keep the throne.” Heero clarified, stroking Duo’s cheek tenderly remembering just how close he had come to ending his precious life.
Squeezing Heero’s hand comfortingly Duo leaned forward and kissed the corner of his mouth lovingly. “It’s alright, love. Now, because or you, I can assume the throne early and behead that fucker before he ruins my kingdom anymore than he already has.”
A shiver of arousal went down Heero’s spine. “Do you know how sexy you are when you get possessive and vengeful?”
Duo smiled wolfishly, but before he could respond, Wufei hissed anxiously, “Will you two hurry up! There will plenty of time for that after we kill Dekim!”
They smiled sheepishly, Duo shrugging his shoulders helplessly. “Sorry Fei! He’s just so damned delicious.”
Rolling his eyes, Wufei turned back to peek around the corner. “I told Trowa and Quatre that I would meet them in the laundry room to discuss the assassin situation after I had checked on you. They should still be there.”
Duo and Heero both nodded and the three of them snuck around the corner and slipped unnoticed into the laundry room.
“David!” Quatre lunged from his perch on the rim of a laundry vat and attached himself to Duo like a koala bear. “I was so worried! Sally let you out of the infirmary?!”
“Jeeze, Quat. Let a guy breathe will you?” Duo rolled his eyes at an amused Heero.
When Quatre had detached himself and Trowa had stepped up and joined the group, Duo grasped Heero’s hand and smiled at his childhood friends. “Quatre, Trowa, this is Heero, the man I love more than anything.” He smiled dreamily at a blushing Heero. “Heero, this is my best friend and squire, Quatre and my older cousin and coconspirator Trowa.”
Heero shook their hands, embarrassed that his were still dirty beyond belief, then turned to his lover and asked, “Coconspirator?”
“Yep.” Duo smirked evilly. “We both share a mutual dislike for my uncle, Trowa’s father. I’ve already given Trowa the privilege of being the one to drop the guillotine.”
Heero shivered at the dark expression on his lovers face. “Maybe you should have been the assassin.”
“Nah.” Duo grinned. “I just really hate that bastard. He stole my father’s wife, tried to have his place in my life, starved my people, and made war on my allies, plus he’s treated Trowa like shit.”
“If I may,” Wufei broke into the conversation, “We need to begin planning our next move now that Dekim has thrown down the gauntlet.”
“Mm,” Duo hummed in agreement before leading the way to a circular area in the very back of room secluded by vats of dye, staked bales of cotton and linen fabric. “Alright, guys. I’m a little out of the loop what with my passing out and all, so brief me on the situation thus far.”
“We’re uninformed on the events prior, but when he got to your room you were in the midst of passing out.” Trowa began to explain. “After apprehending Heero here, Wufei and I took him to the dungeons while Sally and Quatre doctored you up.” He turned to the assassin. “By the way, sorry about that Heero.”
“It’s alright. You did the right thing.” Heero nodded then scooted infinitesimally closer to Duo seeking his body heat.
Quatre decided to add information. “We have kept what happened from Dekim so far, but we don’t know how long until the grapevine will get to him.”
Duo nodded and tapped a finger to his bottom lip in thought. “Heero has informed me that it was in fact Dekim that had hired him to kill me. That man has crossed the line and needs to be dealt with before my birthday, before he has time to find another way to try and off me.”
“That’s not going to happen.” Heero stated in determination. “No one’s going to hurt you while I’m still breathing.”
Duo grinned in pleasure and pecked Heero on the cheek before turning back to their amused audience. “Ahem.” He cleared his throat in embarrassment. “Anyway, I already contacted the advisors on previous business and had set up a meeting in the morning.” He really hoped no one asked him what that business was. He wanted to keep it a secret just a little bit longer.
“Good.” Wufei nodded. “It’s almost morning anyway, so that won’t be a problem to attend to before Dekim appears for the day. What is your plan Duo?”
“I haven’t really worked one out.” Duo frowned. “This has all happened so fast I’ve pretty much been winging it since yesterday.”
“We can do to Dekim what he was planning to do to you.” Quatre straightened up with the light of an idea in his eyes.
“Quat,” Duo half smiled in amusement, “We have been planning to do that. You know; the guillotine?”
“No, no.” Quatre frowned annoyed, and waved a hand at Duo. “What I meant was take him by surprise. He planned on taking you by surprise and blind siding all of us with your murder. We’ll turn his plan back on him.”
“What are you suggesting, love?” Trowa asked with an intrigued look in his eyes.
“I’m suggesting we stage David’s murder.” Quatre smirked evilly. “He expects to be able to waltz into court and sit on the throne without a single opposition.” He had grown up a diplomat’s son before he stayed at Sanq castle to be with his best friend and his lover. He knew exactly what he was talking about.
“But before he can assume the throne, which would happen immediately after the confirmation of your death, he must go and make a formal announcement to the advisors as next in line for the throne.” Quatre grinned as the plan began to take shape. “It’s all very ritualistic, and considering just how arrogant Dekim is he won’t check to make sure you’re really and truly dead before rushing straight to the advisors.”
Duo was beginning to see where this was going. A mischievous fox-like smirk was curving at his face. “And when he comes to the advisors I’ll be there to order the execution of his treasonous ass right in front of him.”
Quatre returned Duo’s smirk and chuckled darkly. “Exactly, my prince.”
“Oh how I do love it when you’re evil.” Duo threw an arm around Quatre’s shoulders and grabbed him up in a massive hug.
“That sounds perfect.” Heero admitted. “Except for one thing.”
Duo and Quatre stopped celebrating. Turning to his lover in confusion, Duo asked, “What do you mean? It’s brilliant.”
“The agent Dekim hired me through came to me yesterday.” Heero explained. “He informed me that upon completion of your murder I was to receive the other half of my money. I was literally to go straight from your rooms to Dekim’s and collect my payment.”
“That’s not a problem.” Trowa spoke up. “Dekim, greedy as he may be, is no fool. He may not need to see your body to believe that you are dead but he will need some form of proof of your demise.”
Heero frowned. “I don’t understand. That is still a problem.”
“No.” Trowa correct with a small smile. “You stabbed Duo, did you not?”
“Yes, but I still don’t-” He cut himself off then let his mouth fall open in comprehension. “Oh.”
“The dagger!” Wufei exclaimed catching onto what Trowa was getting at. “It is covered in Duo’s blood.” Then looking Heero up and down with a slight grimace, “And so are you, as a matter of fact.”
“Can somebody, please, fill me in!” Duo groused glaring at the other three boys. “I still don’t understand what you’re getting at.”
Heero smirked, turning to his lover and grabbing his shoulders in excitement. “Trowa’s saying I should take the dagger, covered in your blood, and present that as evidence of your death as well as the blood splattered on me!”
Raising an amused eyebrow, Duo chuckled. “I never imagined you would get so excited about my death, love. Is there something you’re not telling me?”
“Egh! Duo!” Heero laughed despite his disgust and smacked his lover lightly on his uninjured arm in punishment. “Of course not. I like you alive and healthy.” Then he smirked rather lecherously and leaned forward to run his tongue teasingly over Duo’s smiling lips.
Wufei rolled his eyes and grumbled, “They’re worse than you two,” causing Quatre to blush and Trowa to smirk.
~*~
TBC…
Chapter 06