Gundam Wing Fan Fiction ❯ Fare Well, My Concubine ❯ Chapter 1

[ T - Teen: Not suitable for readers under 13 ]

Fare Well, My Concubine.

Prologue:

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Duo perched himself atop the crude wooden stool. He adjusted his body on the splintering wood and lifted his fingers to the rough cotton window coverings. Duo pushed the edge of it aside, as if unsure of what lay behind them. He blinked the bright sun out of his eyes.

A small zephyr carrying the scent of the Mediterranean drifted through the streets curling sand dunes. As it made its way through the market it touched canvasses, and ruffled the manes of animals. It quickly made its way through the curtains, and ran its fingers through Duo's dark chestnut hair like a tentative lover.

His eyes drifted slowly over the quiet crowd. Coveting the treasured gift that they all unwittingly shared. Duo lowered his head to rest on his folded arms. "One day, Duo one day you will be there too. You will share in it I swear... One day, you will be there..." A tear rolled down his cheek as he tried to force himself not to cry. "You won't have to serve him any more... He tried to reassure himself." He lifted his head and wiped the tears from his eyes. He whispered to him self; "I will be there." Fearfully he reached out his fingers as if to touch what he dreamed of every night, freedom.

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The prince sat on a stool in his almost blinding study, his face buried in a large book. The Dark silk laid on the stool draped over the edge of the seat and spilled like a sort of possessed water rippling with life in the morning sea breeze. The dazzling, polished, cream Limestone walls warmed in the sunlight. The dark Ebony furniture began to bake as well, in the wake of the still multicolored sun. The prince's dark unruly hair wafted in the warm breath of air drifting through the room.

A decidedly nervous man stood before the prince almost fearing his reaction to the book. He began to wring his hands hoping to still have his head at the end of the day.

The Prince looked up from the textbook, which his tutor had given him. It was about a practice called science, a thing he put little faith into. In fact in this book there was a ridiculous portion dedicated to proving that the world was round and not the obvious flat. "This is garbage you fool. Is this what you waste my people's money on, you simple minded Buffoon?" Heero turned his cold eyes to the cowering tutor in front of him.

The tutor sputtered for a moment, and seemed to be unable to collect his thoughts in front of the cold prince. This Heero Yuy was known as the desert Icicle for a reason. This calculating nobleman almost seemed conniving in his cruelty. "But your majesty, don't you think that these man have brought up valid points? I mean look at this Galileo man, truly he is a genius!"

"He is nothing more than a convincing devil. The man is claiming that the Earth isn't the center of the Universe, when all evidence points otherwise. I mean look at the way the sun and moon coil the skies. Truly we must be the center of the stars." His cold eyes fixed on the man in front of him, "Have you any objections that argument?" The tutor fell silent under the gaze of the cold prince, fearing for his head, he dared not argue with the prince on the rare occasions that he spoke.

The prince was satisfied to hear nothing from the stupid Tutor. He grunted and buried himself back into the doubtful theories of these Greeks, and silently chuckled to himself at the thought of crushing their entire civilization on account of this book. He looked up again from the book nearly an hour later, and grunted at the teacher. The nervous man paced over to the prince uncertainly, fearful of the consequences the grunt.

Heero monotonously grumbled, "weapons."

The tutor blinked profusely for a few moments as it registered to him that his unnerving time with the young Prince was over, and that he was to be escorted to his next class, Weaponry.

"Yes your highness you may go," he smiled hoping to all that he held sacred, that it didn't show the relief he felt. The Prince swooped down on the tutor, and whispered maliciously in his ear. "If you hope to keep your head I suggest that I never see that book ever again, Have it gone before tomorrow! Oh yes and wipe that stupid smirk off your face." He sauntered off towards the doors of the classroom when he was finished. A guard tentatively pressed open the Majestic gold laid doors, and followed him out into the glowing corridor.

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Duo looked up from the window when he heard the old rusted hinges squeak behind him. "Duo?" A soft feminine voice drifted from the hall. "Your breakfast is ready." She said as she meandered into the room. "Aren't you hungry at all?" He smiled meekly and looked back out the window.

"Duo, the master wants to see you again today." The woman stated quietly. Duo visibly slumped at this. The young woman came off the bed and knelt next to Duo. "I know how you feel, it's ok... But be strong..." She started before Duo cut her off. "Is that all?"

She blinked at him, "Excuse me?" He looked down at her with distant eyes. An awkward silence over took her. "Y-Yes that's all... I will be going, oh and about your breakfast?" He stood up, and not even looking at her he replied, "I am not hungry..."

After he was sure she had left, he walked back over to the window, and gave one last glance at the freedom he would never know...

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In the sunlit corridor's shadows played over the stony prince's face as he pondered the things he had read earlier. The small contrast of temperature in the shadows caused little goose bumps to rise along Heero's spine. He enjoyed the feeling knowing that by midday the sweltering heat would sweep across the desert. "Fool where are you taking me?" Heero asked a guard coldly, as he took a left towards the conference room of the palace. "Fool, we were supposed to turn right there." His slightly nasal monotone echoed through the halls.

The guard looked down at the teen next to him. "Your father has requested that you attend his morning meeting. He said that it was imperative to your rule that you come." Heero merely grunted after he finished and pondered what could be so important.

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They reached the doorway to the conference room. Draped from the ceiling hung lavish purple hued silk curtains. These served as the only doors separating them from the congregation inside. Looming through the translucent material Heero was able to make out the dark face of his father's adviser, Lord Treize. Heero scowled at the thought of sitting in the stuffy room next to that man.

Treize was a slimy yes-man that seemed soulless and was in all senses of the word, corrupt. The trim tall man had empty eyes, almost devoid of feeling or compassion. In standing next to him you could feel the cold dark aura that surrounded him start to encompass you. There it lingered lurking at the very edge of your consciousness, following the ebb and flow of your emotions ever waiting for the opportune moment.

Treize ran nearly everything for Heero's father. In his failing health Treize had taken over and was the real power. "Father is just a figure head these days." He grumbled to himself and pulled back the curtains, reviling a lavish mosaic ridden hall. His footsteps rang out amongst the chatter as he laid his feet down on the painted tile of the frescoed floor. It was a diplomatic gift from the Greeks, depicting their god Hermes delivering flowers to the naked Aphrodite and Zeus the all mighty watching from afar as Hera Brooded over her husband wavering affections. They had only accepted for fear of war, after what they did to Troy who was to argue... They apparently didn't know that depicting Humans or "Gods" was forbidden by Allah, as the Prophet Muhammad had said himself.

He stepped in and the murmur of the palace officials stopped for the first time in the history of his time in the palace all eyes were directed towards him. He looked around momentarily, and stiffly walked towards his seat. All of the eyes in the hall followed him to his small throne. Uncomfortably he seated himself looking out over the court officers. For a few moments even his father just stared at him seemingly measuring him up.

An uncomfortable silence settled over them. Causing some to shift uncomfortably. Many were eager to get a glimpse of him and the way he held himself in the King's presence. There was an overwhelming stench of alibi as a nameless official coughed uncomfortably and tried in vain to clear his throat. Finally, moments later his father cleared his throat and stated, "So we're all here then." Heero just looked at him uncertainly, wondering what was going on.

"So then, gentleman shall we accept Rome's offer?" Heero's father asked the court. They began to babble amongst themselves. One voice rose above the others, "This is sudden do think they are planning something?" Heero tried to pinpoint who said it be the voice was lost among the other men in the court. Another voice came from the Mass of people, "I don't think that we should, I don't like it all that much I mean what are they trying to pull?"

Heero looked out at them all and wondered to himself what they were talking about and why it concerned him. Another voice caught his attention. "Let the King decide, it is his son after all." Treize stood behind his chair almost absent-mindedly massaging the back of his chair.

When Heero heard this, his blood ran cold. He could feel ice shooting thorough his veins. "What is going on?" He whispered hoping only his father heard him. His father, the king lowered his gaze down to look at his young heir. The briefest of smiles breathed life into the old man's cheeks as he gave Heero a very apologetic look. "I am sorry I did not tell you earlier, my son. But as you know a king must have a Queen..." Heero shot his father a glare that both spoke inquiry and wrath.

The king only smiled back gently, accenting his old wrinkled face. "Very well, I shall hold my lectures for when they are wanted, and for whom they are wanted. We are deciding if you are to marry, her Highness; the Princess of Rome. Memory fails this old ruin, what was her name?" Treize bent down and hissed Maliciously, more to Heero than to the king, "Relena, Relena Peacecraft, Sire."

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