Servant Song

CHAPTER 3 – FIGURING IT OUT

Duo made his way through the corridors towards the chambers of his personal guard. He went down the right side hallway on the second floor and knocked on the first door on his left. A rumpled looking young man with slanted almond shaped eyes opened the door sleepily. He looked at Duo confused for a moment before realization entered his eyes and he gasped and straightened, making an attempt to smooth his hair with his hands.

“Prince Duo.” He bowed his head. “How may I be of service?” Wufei did not question what his Lord was doing at his chambers during Wufei’s off-shift.

“Are you alone in there?”

“Yes,” Wufei replied slowly.

Duo took a step forward, before realizing what he was about to do. “Where are my manners? I’m sorry Wufei, but I need your advice.” He smiled sheepishly. “May I come in?”

Wufei stood aside, allowing Duo to enter. When he did, he simply paced across the room. Wufei watched, waiting by the door, knowing the Duo would eventually tell him what was weighing on his mind.

“My brother purchased me a slave,” Duo started. Wufei continued to wait. “A bed slave.”

“He did not,” Wufei snorted. “He knows how you feel about those.”

“Yeah, well, he did it anyways.” He raked a hand through his bangs. “What am I going to do with him?”

Wufei sighed. “Him as in your brother, or him as in your new slave?” He walked over and looked out the window to the gardens.

“Heero. I already know what I want to do to my brother.”

“Wufei jerked around. “Heero? As in Heero Yuy?”

“Yeah,” Duo and Wufei stared at each other for a moment before Wufei asked, “Are you certain that your brother isn’t,” he trailed off.

Duo rolled his eyes. “Yes, I am very sure. And Trieze and I already had this conversation.”

Wufei relaxed. “Well, that’s good. Wait, you said bed slave? Heero Yuy is a warrior slave, not a,” but Duo cut him off.

“I know. The slavers probably thought they could get more money this way as there are many who would relish,” he snorted, disgusted, “the challenge.”

Wufei swore, scowling fiercely. “Well, have you spoken to him?”

Duo glanced at him, and then started fiddling with some of the books on the shelves.

“Duo,” he started, only to be interrupted.

“There’s more to this Wufei,” Duo said quietly, and Wufei decided sitting would be probably be best given his best friends tone.

“It was right before you came here. Father sent me to study under Lord Jay – some sword fighting techniques and hand-to-hand training.”

Wufei continued to sit and listen quietly while Duo pretended to look through his titles. Duo then turned, leaning against the shelves.

“Lord Jay then put me under Heero’s guidance, as he was the best. So you see,” he gestured. “I know him. We were friends,” he said desperately.

Wufei let out a deep breath. “Well. That complicates things.”

“Yeah. Vastly.” He sighed and dry washed his face. “We talked about things; okay, well mostly I talked and he listened. He did share some things about his life, and I figured out that he has a wicked sense of humor. We,” he paused, searching for the right word. “We liked each other. My last day there, we kissed. It was,” he was staring out the window again. “Perfect. I just wanted it to keep going. But I had duties here, and was informed by Lord Jay the next day that I had learned all I could there.”

“Really? He told you that?” Wufei questioned. He knew that there were a few things that Duo had left to learn about hand-to-hand and swordsmanship, as Wufei had taught him some since his arrival a few years prior.

“Yes, I know. I didn’t believe him either. But he sent a message to my father, and my father agreed that it was no longer necessary for me to go there. And no, I don’t know what the message was, but it couldn’t have been good.” He sat in one of the lounge chairs along the walls. “I think father was disappointed that both Trieze and I have a distinct preference for men instead of women.”

“Well, it certainly has not kept your brother from doing his duty,” Wufei smirked. He had once been curious enough to share the elder prince’s bed for a night and could attest that Prince Trieze was very virile. But Wufei discovered that he definitely preferred women to men and he and Trieze had maintained their friendship and mutual respect. Also, Zechs and Trieze had not been together during that time, and so peace was maintained throughout the palace. Discord among palace staff was never a pleasant affair.

“Yes, well, I don’t think that anything will ever keep him from that particular duty,” Duo said, smirking. Then he let out a great sigh. “What am I going to do Wufei?”

“Do you truly want my advice?” Was Wufei’s reply.

“Yes.”

“Talk to him. Like an equal. Show him that you still respect him and that you don’t expect him to just, well, bend over.” Wufei shrugged. “That is my advice.”

“Thanks Wufei. You just made me feel so much better.” Duo now had small smile on his face, and was much more relaxed.

“I know. I also know that this was what you wanted and needed to hear.” Wufei reached over and placed his hand on Duo’s shoulder, drawing his attention back to look him in the eye. “You will do the right thing. This will not be an easy thing for him to deal with, if he is as you have described him. First his Master dies, the man he has been with for as long as he can remember. He had a high position there for a slave, and now not only is that position lost but he is now put into a completely different category where he, seemingly, has no experience or training. Be gentle with him.” Wufei looked over to the window. “He is like a finely bred war horse, it will take awhile for him to trust in your ability to guide and care for him.”

Duo snorted. “To you, everyone can be compared to a horse – please refrain from doing the same with Heero. I may own him on paper but he is not a horse, nor will I treat him like one. I can understand your love for your horse, and some of the parallels that can be drawn, but please don’t.”

“Nataku is a brilliant horse, the parallels are very apt. It took a long time for her and I to come to understand and trust one another.”

Duo smirked, stood, and made his way to the door. “Thanks for talk.”

“No problem,” Wufei followed Duo out into the hallway. “Have a good day,” Wufei said softly, as Duo took off back down the hallway. He shook his head going back into his room, and the door shut with a quiet thud.


AN: I know - but I wanted to give more background on Duo and Heero from Duo's perspective. Reveiws are cherished!