Genre: AU/Fantasy/Drama

Pairings: 1x2, 3x4, 4+2, 3+1, 5x6, 6+2, 5+1 (good grief!)

Disclaimer: Don't own nothin' but these words

Warnings: Yaoi, lemon (copious amounts, probably), slavery, magic, nekos, some smut, sap, peril, abuse

A/N: OH MY GOD WHAT IS WRONG WITH ME?? It's like I have a disease or something. Ah, well. Have I ever mentioned I loathe stories where Quatre is some kind of weak little boy who is easy to victimize?? I'm saying it now. I like making him devious and cunning underneath his angelic exterior. XD He's not really devious and cunning in this story, but he ain't weak!!! Ahem. On to the story. Read with your usual enthusiasm for this crap I keep posting, lol. XD

The King is Dead

King Andreus Grascien was dead. Also known as the Tyrant King, there wasn't a great deal of mourning in Sheneva when he was executed. A week prior to this the great empire of Venya had launched a bloody but quick campaign into Sheneva. Led by Crown Prince Heero Yuy, son of the Warrior King, Grascien's armies crumbled and Sheneva was overtaken. Venya had already absorbed two other kingdoms into its empire, and as soon as Heero set foot in the capital city Andreus was arrested. Two days later, after he refused to bow to Heero, he was executed.

The citizens of Sheneva spent the time in a great deal of excitement. Venya was the largest empire the planet had ever known, and its tradition of warrior kings and princes was respected and admired. Heero, only twenty years old, had expanded his father's reign by threefold in just two years. Though he was not king himself and would not be for at least another decade, his father gave him a great deal of free rein. Heero had tripled the size of the imperial army and began conquering Venya's neighbors.

The other two kingdoms had fallen as easily as Sheneva. Their monarchs had quickly bowed to Heero's will, and they swore fealty to him and his father with almost no protest. They later confessed they were pleased and delighted to have Venya's protection against the savage southern countries---those outside the mountainous Highlands. The kingdoms had been dismantled, but the monarchs were given power as provisional governors answerable only to the Warrior King and his son.

Sheneva whispered excitedly about the death of their king. Andreus had enforced terrible laws upon his populace, as hated a monarch as any had seen. Feared and loathed, he had revived things such as slavery and torture and ridiculous taxes. Many had been put to death simply for speaking about the unfairness. So Heero's arrival was met with almost no resistance and even less hostility. Many men of Grascien's armies threw down their arms and swore their loyalty on the spot to the Imperial Army. Heero, his fierce blue eyes shining, had accepted them into his ranks nearly at once.

The prince himself spent the days following Grascien's execution going through the castle to take the man's rule apart. At his side were the two men he trusted most in the world. Wufei Chang, Court Sorcerer from the mystic isles of An'Cresse, and his general, Trowa Barton. Trowa was Heero's senior by three years, and he was the illegitimate son of the Warrior King before he had wed his queen. Though he could never be acknowledged as heir, when Heero had grown old enough he ruthlessly crushed all negative mutterings of Trowa and took his older brother into his counsel without hesitation.

It had been a good move on three fronts. First, it showed the kingdom Heero was capable of compassion, which endeared him to them to ridiculous proportions. Second, Trowa was a brilliant mind at almost anything, making him a wondrous general of the Imperial Army. And third, Heero had won Trowa's absolute loyalty. He knew his brother would lay down his life for him, and the thought was tremendously empowering. Most important, he'd gained a trusted friend. Trowa knew him better than any, their father included.

"Heero," his brother's soft voice interrupted his perusal of some dusty papers, "the local royal guard wish to swear their loyalty to you, and they've requested they be allowed to join your honor guard while you stay in the city."

Frowning at the messy scrawl on the papers, Heero looked up and nodded. "I'll allow both. I have one more order. I want everyone in the castle dungeons, unless you can find solid proof of criminal acts, released. Including slaves."

Trowa bowed his head once in acquiescence. "The king's daughter wished to speak with you, as well. She is ready to step into her father's place and swear fealty to Venya, if you will allow her to become provisional governor."

"Tell her I will consider it after we meet. If she seems nothing like her father, I see no problem."

"As you say," Trowa said, turning to go.

"Trowa, what is her name?"

"Relena. She cast off her father's name and calls herself Relena Peacecraft."

Interesting. "What do you make of her?"

Trowa moved back to the desk, leaning against it and stretching his long legs out in front of him. "She has a gentle voice," he began in a reflective tone, "but her eyes are dark and cunning. I would suggest that when you meet her, Wufei is present to listen for lies. I do not believe her violent, but women devise other ways to manipulate events than brute force."

Heero's lips quirked. "I trust your judgement. And I will do as you suggest. Let Wufei know, won't you? And have the king's chamberlain gather all records and documents for study. I believe I am finished for now. Also, send a messenger pigeon home to Father. Request that he send me half a dozen of the palace's best scribes. I want all this junk organized and sorted and ready for rewriting."

"As you say," Trowa said again. "One last thing. One of the local royal guard said you might find it worthwhile to explore the north towers. He said you would find something of interest---and possibly great value---there. May I recommend you send Wufei and a small contingent first, to check for traps?"

Not for the first time, Heero felt a stab of love for his brother. "Yes. Lead them yourself. And make sure no harm comes to my sorcerer, hn?"

That made a ghost of a smile flicker over Trowa's lips. "Yes."

As he headed out to see to Heero's commands, the younger man watched him. Never in all his life had Trowa called him 'brother.' Trowa treated him as his prince and commander. But sometimes he could see in the man's eyes a measure of deep feeling toward his younger brother, and that, he reasoned, was enough.

With no one around, he allowed his head to drop to his arms and rest for a moment. The more he learned about the man the more he hated the former king of Sheneva. He'd felt nothing upon ordering Grascien's beheading, and he'd taken a dark pleasure in seeing the man's eyes glaze with fear. The strange thought had passed through his mind, if Trowa was at the gallows, he would have looked dignified and utterly unafraid.

Of course, had Trowa been standing there, Heero would have torn the kingdom apart to save his brother.

This is useless thinking. Shaking himself, he rose from the ugly desk in Grascien's study and headed for the door. He was almost bowled over by the chamberlain. The plump man leaped back in alarm, looking horrorstruck, falling to his knees and clasping his hands as though facing death or worse.

"Forgive me, Highness!" he gasped. "I didn't mean to injure you!"

Slightly amused, Heero allowed a wry smile. "You didn't."

The man didn't quite look relieved. "Y-your General sent me to your aid. He said you requested messenger pigeons?"

"Yes. Write a short message to my father that I request the palace scribes be sent down here. Write six of them and bring them to me, I will sign them and stamp my personal seal."

"Yes, Highness. Will that be all?"

"No. Send the royal guard to me. I have their first task after they have sworn fealty. And chamberlain?"

"Yes, Highness?"

"I have no qualms with you remaining in your position, but I will expect you to make the same oaths to my crown."

"Y-yes, Highness," the man stammered out. He practically fled Heero's presence.

Leaving the dusty study, Heero headed back to the audience hall and touched the silver ring on his left middle finger. A gift from Wufei, it had a single, small red stone in the center. It would instantly let the sorcerer know Heero requested his presence. A moment later the man himself appeared, Trowa and Heero's captain alongside.

"We found a magically sealed room," Wufei said with no more greeting. "There are no traps, so I thought you might like to be the first one inside when I break the seal."

Curiosity piqued, Heero nodded.

Wufei was a tall man of regal bearing. Heero had heard whispers and rumors that Wufei was some kind of prince back home, but the sorcerer never spoke of it. When asked he simply steered the conversation away with such skill one didn't recall even asking until much later. He was certainly secretive, but Heero didn't consider his past important. Wufei had a somewhat arrogant countenance, with shining black hair that fell to his shoulders and equally black eyes. He always wore his hair swept away from his face, giving him a severe look that most found intimidating.

"Are we waiting for the royal guard?" Trowa ventured after a moment.

"Yes," Heero confirmed, "and I would like you all to stand witness. Captain, I'll ask you to preside over the blood oath, Wufei, you to seal their oath and listen for duplicity. Trowa, you will speak on my behalf."

All three nodded, and Heero sat in the gilded throne. He thought the thing was ostentatious and ridiculously big---he would order it destroyed and a more sensible one made in its place. Wufei stood to his immediate left, Trowa to his immediate right, and the captain to Trowa's right.

The royal guard came in wearing their uniforms, but each one had been stripped of Grascien's crest. It surprised Heero---no other royal guard had done the same. Had it been their own idea? Most likely. It appeased some of his usual coldness.

"You stand before Crown Prince Heero Yuy," Trowa spoke before any of them. "You have been called to kneel before your new lord and swear him your loyalty. Any who refuse will be released from their position. No harm will come to you unless you commit an act of treason against him. Do you each understand?"

To a man they dropped to one knee, head bowed. The one obviously the captain looked up at Trowa, which pleased Heero. They were respecting the appropriate traditions. During this ritual, the Crown Prince could not be directly addressed.

"We do, my lord. We are prepared to swear any oath to him, using any magic you decree to seal our word and our loyalty."

Though he kept his face neutral, Heero was pleased. Trowa nodded.

"Wufei?" he inquired. The tall sorcerer swept forward, coming to a halt in front of the kneeling men. "This is Court Sorcerer Wufei clan Chang, blood-son of An'Cresse. He will listen for lies as you speak your vows to the Crown Prince. Captain?"

The captain of Heero's imperial army, Trowa's hand-picked second-in-command, strode toward the kneeling men with a wickedly curved ceremonial dagger. Its hilt was plain metal with only a single small red stone for adornment.

"This is Captain Alex Mueller. He will perform the blood oath that will seal you into the Crown Prince's service, and into the service of his father, the Warrior King. Are you prepared?"

"We are," the spokesman said, bowing his head.

Heero watched the blood oath with his usual sense of curiosity and awe. Each man spoke words of loyalty to Heero, though none either looked at him nor addressed him directly---as per tradition. Alex took their blood by cutting their palms, and Wufei used a thin thread of magic to seal the words. If any of them now attempted any form of treason against their new lord, he would bleed to death in a matter of minutes. The shallow gashes Alex inflicted healed over without so much as a scar.

"Now," Trowa said, turning to face Heero, "bow to your Prince."

At last, each man looked at Heero's face. Heero could see he had some faithful new followers as they rose and bowed deeply to him. It was a pleasing sight. He didn't rise from his throne, smiling just slightly. "I accept your oaths and your service. You had requested to be my honor guard during my stay, and I accept your offer as well. In a few days' time I will travel into the city to meet some of the populace, and then I will allow open court for seven days for seven hours each. I would appreciate your presences during both."

The thirty gathered men threw a sharp salute.

"It would be our honor, Your Highness," the leader said.

"Good," Heero said, nodding and dismissing them. Introductions could come in a more personal setting, and for now Heero's curiosity was consumed by the magically sealed room.

As soon as the men were gone and the audience hall doors shut, Wufei turned to the prince with a knowing smile. "Something on your mind, Heero?"

Many back home considered Wufei's casual treatment of the prince to be one of the best near-scandals in Venya. Heero had made many trips to taverns and inns to listen to gossip, and it amused him to hear many of the commonfolk believed Wufei had taken the prince as his lover---not the other way around. It had prompted Heero to pay attention to how Wufei spoke to him, and he was a little surprised to find Wufei was a bit covetous of his time and attention, rather like a jealous lover.

And Wufei was quite familiar with his prince. He rarely-to-never bestowed any formality upon him. "There could be," Heero mused, giving Wufei a smile in return. "Don't tell me it's not driving you mad with wonder, too."

Wufei snorted. "I would not lie to you thus. Yes, it is a source of great curiosity. Shall we appease it?"

Heero paused to allow his brother the response. "Trowa?"

Who nodded. "It is satisfactorily safe."

Such enthusiasm. "Wufei?"

The sorcerer used magic to take them to the room. Heero studied the door, disappointed to find it plain and unmarked. What could Grascien have wanted to hide? This tower appeared completely abandoned. "Open it," he said.

He barely blinked and Wufei was nodding. Trowa opened the door and stepped through first, but Heero didn't wait for the usual all-clear. He followed right on his heels, feeling a bit like a kid about to discover some terrible secret.

As soon as they entered the room a lantern flared to light on the ceiling. The glare was unusually harsh, but for a moment all Heero could notice was the smell. Blood. Harsh and coppery it attacked his senses so it was all he noticed for a few moments, eyes watering. Blinking a few times, his eyes adjusted to the light and he looked around.

The sight before him was enough to give him pause. Lying on the floor curled around each other were two boys. No, Heero immediately reassessed. Neither one was human. He recognized them as Myda, a reclusive species of mythical creatures that were not native to the Highlands. They were native to the tropic isles of Wythiera to the distant south, deep in the middle of the Legacy Ocean. Like unicorns and griffins and phoenixes they were magical creatures, though little was known about them. They were notoriously shy shapeshifters, though they had only two forms. That of a great and beautiful wildcat, and the one before him now.

Both boys looked nearly human at first glance. A closer inspection revealed raised, furred ears and a long, thick tail one would expect to see on a cat. Their eyes were also clearly nonhuman, for they reflected the light in the same eerie fashion of a feline. The slightly larger one was also showing gleaming white fangs. Heero had to physicall steel himself from drawing back---he knew Myda venom was the deadliest natural poison in the world, and there was no antidote to the certainly-fatal bite.

Knowing Grascien's tastes for keeping slaves, Heero could see the immediate appeal. Myda were far more exotic than a mere human slave, beautiful and dangerous. The larger of the two had sun-gold hair and eyes of a piercing aqua hue. His ears and tail were spotted, telling Heero his wild form would look like a large, exquisite leopard. The smaller one had rich chestnut hair that fell all around him thick waves, and like his companion he, too, had spots on his ears and tail. His eyes were a rich indigo shade, and Heero could see hints of violet.

A warning hiss brought him out of his momentary daze. Both of them were too thin, and both of them had strange bruises around their mouths. Perhaps some kind of muzzle? The golden one had a slave collar around his neck that was obviously too tight---it was bruising his neck, and open sores were spreading around it. The smaller one was chained to the wall by his wrists, though the line was long enough to allow him to lie down. He was covered in long slashes that could only have been caused by a whip.

All telling signs the pair had been horribly mistreated. The smaller's eyes were dark and dull, the sudden appearance of humans sparking no interest. The larger one reared up in an obvious display of aggression, but Heero could see fear lurking in those aqua eyes. His heart lurched.

"Wufei," he said softly, trying not to startle the two cats, "can you remove that slave collar?"

His sorcerer gave him a somewhat cool look. "Of course I can." He turned his black eyes on the two Myda. "I can," he repeated, "but you'll have to permit me to touch you. Can you tolerate it? We mean you no harm, and would like to free you."

The golden Myda obviously didn't believe him, suspected some trick. He was growling softly now, casting quick glances down at his companion, who rested quietly against him and made no move. Heero realized with a sick heart the little one's leg was broken. So badly he could actually see where bone had punctured through his skin.

"We can help," he said, bringing the golden head snapping around to face him. "Both of you. He's badly hurt, but we can help."

The growling had grown deeper. "Trick," the golden one rasped.

Heero got the distinct impression it hurt to speak, so he opted to say as little as possible.

"No trick," Wufei said at once. "Slavery is illegal, and now that Grascien is dead the two of you are free. But your friend's injury is terrible. If not treated, he might never walk again."

Heero's heart lurched again when the golden head bowed slightly---the Myda obviously knew that. But his fear still outweighed his belief.

"Little one," Trowa abruptly murmured, "you've been wronged. I know you're tired and scared." He took a few steps forward and went down to one knee, and Heero realized his brother had laid his weapons behind him. "Let us help you. Both of you. We won't hurt you. May the gods themselves strike me down if I lie."

Heero could see the Myda was startled. A moment later the smaller one stirred against him, uttering the most heartbreaking sound---something like a whimper, half-moan of pain. The golden Myda cast him a glance, and his expression became tormented. He licked his lips and finally nodded his head once. Trowa kept his position, and Wufei hurried across the room. The Myda didn't lower his guard for a second, but he held still while Wufei touched the collar. Heero watched as the sorcerer sent a thread of magic into the collar, and with a surprisingly sharp crrrrrack it snapped open and fell to the floor.

The Myda immediately bent forward in a fit of coughing, and Heero winced to see the damage done to his slim neck. It was probably quite painful. And even though injured himself, the smaller Myda still tried to sit up and comfort his companion. It drew the gold's attention, and he quieted his smaller friend with a quick nuzzle and lick. Then he raised tumultuous aqua eyes to the three humans.

"If you hurt him," he croaked, "I'll kill you."

The rough voice should have dampened the threat. It did not. The icy fire burning in those eyes was deadly serious. A thin ribbon of blood gathered in the corner of the Myda's dry lips and trickled down his jaw.

"We won't," Trowa promised, still in that soothing tone. "Either one of you."

Wufei had moved around to the smaller Myda, removing his shackles with another thread of magic. He made a sound, eyes stormy. "This one can't walk. Heero, we need some kind of stretcher up here. For both of them." To the Myda now. "You shouldn't be moving around until I can determine how severe your injuries."

Perhaps freedom sapped the poor creature's strength. His head bowed, and this time it didn't rise again. He laid his head right on top of his smaller companion's and closed his eyes.

"Don't worry," Heero heard himself murmuring. "We'll get you both out of here and take you some place safe."

He wasn't sure if either one heard him or, if he had, if they believed him.