A Small Piece of Heaven

en 1en 12





Thanks to all of those rewieving my story.
A Small Piece of Heaven – Part 12

When Treize had tended to Wufei’s wounds he had been shocked
about the condition the young slave was in. Without hesitation the ex-colonel had called
Rasid.
The captain had arrived at the estate less than an hour later
together with Dr. Po. At the moment the men were sitting in the living room.
Milliardo was curled up against his master’s body. He stifled a
yawn. Treize wrapped his arm around the blond.
"Tired."
"Just a little." The younger man answered. He was way too comfortable right now
to have his master send him to bed…alone.
A few minutes later Sally Po joined them, after performing an
examination on Wufei. She had just finished her report when the butler reported Duke
Dermail’s arrival.
"Thank you, Evans. If you would show him into this room
please?"
"As you wish, your Excellency." The grey-haired man bowed
and departed to return a few moments later with the duke.
"Duke," Treize rose as he greeted the man.
Dermail answered the greeting with a curt nod.
"I hope I’m not coming at an inconven tim time?" he
asked with a quick glance at the other people in the room.
"Not at all. Would you care to take a seat?" The
ex-colonel offered politely.
"No, actually if you don’t mind I’d just like to
retrieve my slave and be on my way."
"The boy isn’t going anywhere." Rasid informed the
man.
The duke turned toward the tall Arab who was seated in a chair to
the left of Treize.
"And who are you to decide that?" he wanted to know.
"I’m Captain Rasid Kurama, from the local S.A.U.
office?"
Dermail’s brown furrowed. "Would somebody care to explain
to me what is going on? What’s the S.A.U. doing here?"
"I’m here to take custody of the slave Mr. Khushrenada
found on his property." The captain explained.
"Wufei is my slave. Do I have to present you with
ownership papers?"
Rasid shook his head. "He was your slave." He
corrected the duke. "The S.A.U. has taken possession of him."
"You have no right to do that?"
"It is not only right, but my responsibility to interfere in
cases of severe abuse like this one."
"What is he talking about?" Dermail’s head turned
toward the ex-colonel.
"About the fact that the boy is malnourished and that I could
give you a whole list of injuries he has." Captain Kurama told the duke.
"Wufei is still being trained. He is one of the most
disobedient and rebellious slaves I have ever owned. And yes my trainer might have taken
the whip to him a time or two when it became necessary. If you don’t discipline them
and show them who is in control you will end up with something like him." Dermail
gestured at Milliardo.
"With all due respect, Duke, are you saying my slave is out of
control?" Treize, who had left the talking to Rasid until now, asked.
"He attacked one of my men," the duke pointed out.
"He merely stopped him from beating the boy to death," the
ginger-blond man corrected.
Milliardo opened his mouth but before he could say anything his
master stopped him.
"Milliardo, why don’t go, go, check on Wufei and stay with
him until I send for you."
The blond nodded. "Yes, Master."
"This is not your first confrontation with the S.A.U., is it?
If I remember right one of your slaves died last winter from a beating he received during training."
Rasid stated.
"Yes that’s correct. It was an unfortunate accident and I
was fined for it."
"Accident," Sally echoed. There was a distinct trace of
disgust in her voice. "Bumping into somebody on the street or spilling a cup of
coffee is an accident. Beating another human being to death is not."
 ***
Wufei woke up slowly. The first thing he perceived was that the pain
that had been throbbing in his arm for the last few days had lessened considerably. He
felt warm and comfortable. For a moment he just lay there enjoying that feeling. When he
finally opened his eyes he noticed that he was lying under soft white sheets in a bed, his
arm was bandaged and he was…NUDE!!! How and when this that happen?
Fighting down panic, Wufei tried to remember what happened. He
remembered the two men who had found him…Dermail’s headhunters…the kick to
his head. He had been recaptured and taken back to the duke. No, that couldn’t be.
Dermail would most likely put him in chains not into a bed.
Wufei tensed when the door to his room opened slowly, but relaxed
when he recognized the longhaired, blond slave.
"I see you are awake." Milliardo smiled reassuring.
"Where am I and why am I here?" the boy wanted to know.
"At my masters mansion. You remember him? –He didn’t
agree with the way those two goons treated you so he brought you here and called the
S.A.U."
Wufei tried to move into a sitting position but it proofed difficult
to push himself up and try to prevent the sheets from slipping from his upper body at the
same time, with only one arm to use.
"Who undressed me?" he asked.
"I did… together with Doctor Po. She needed to examine you
and document all the injuries on you body."
"A woman doctor?" Wufei could feel heat creep into his
cheeks.
Milliardo chuckled softly. "Relax, you have nothing she has not
seen before."
The Chinese lad glared at him.
"I’ve got some good news. How things look you are not
going to return to your master the duke."
Good news? So, I’m going to be sold to somebody else, where
the difference? Wufei thought with a tinge of bitterness.
"How are you feeling?" the blond asked.
"Tired," the boy admitted.
Milliardo nodded. "It’s probably from the medication
Doctor Po gave you." Before Wufei could react the young man reached out to touch his
forehead. The boy frowned but didn’t draw back. "It feels like your fever has
gone down somewhat. – You should try to go back to sleep though."
***
"He didn’t take this too well," Rasid remarked as the
duke had left the room.
"I didn’t think he would." Treize answered
thoughtfully.
"If nothing else it might finally make him realize that the
S.A.U. will be looking over his shoulder and he will start treating his slaves
better." Sally stated.
The ex-colonel didn’t seem convinced of that. "The duke extremely wealthy and powerful and he is used to get things his way. I’m certain we
haven’t heard the last of this matter."
Sally frowned. "Then you might have made yourself an enemy by
calling us."
Another name to add to already long list, Treize thought with
a slightly sarcastically smile. "Doctor, let me assure you there was never much love
lost between our families. We socialize out of necessity but that’s it. And if push
comes to shove I can very well hold my own against the man."
I have no doubt about that, the young woman thought.
"I really hate to ask this, your Excellency, but would it be
possible that the boy stays here with you for a few days at least? He has a concussion and
I would hate to move him unless I really have to."
"But of course he can stay here." Treize assure her.
"In fact I would prefer it."
Rasid looked at the ex-colonel. "You are thinking of buying
him?"
"I’m considering it," the ginger-blond man
replied.
***
Milliardo looked up from the book he was reading at the sound of the
door opening.
"How is he doing?" his master asked quietly.
"He just fell asleep."
"Milliardo, I need to talk to you. Let’s go into the
study."
The longhaired blond nodded, putting his book down on the table as
he rose to follow Treize. As they settled down on the couch in the study, Evans served tea
and a plate of freshly baked cookies.
"One lump of sugar or two?" the grey-haired butler asked
Milliardo.
"One please. Thank you," the young man replied.
"My pleasure."
Milliardo still felt awkward about being waited on by his
master’s personal servant, even though he had learned, or maybe because of it, that
Evans too had been a slave most of his life. After the death of his parents Treize had
freed all of their personal slaves as recognition for their years of loyal service but
given them the choice to stay and work for him.
Milliardo took a sip from his tea. "Is Wufei going to stay
here?" he asked.
Treize nodded. "Yes, he will stay…for the time being.
That’s why I wanted to talk to you. I have been thinking of buying him rather than
have him put up for auction, but that’s a decision I didn’t want to make without
hearing how you would feel about that?"
The blond started at his master in surprise. "How I feel about
it?"
"Yes," Treize confirmed. "You have been here for
nearly a year now and during all this time I could give you my undivided intention.
Bringing a second slave into this house will have its effects, especially since if I do
buy the boy it won’t be as a servant but as another companion for me. But I
don’t want you to feel like I’m looking to replace you or that you have to
compete with him for my attention. So, what do you think?"
Milliardo frowned. This was a hard decision to make for somebody who
most of his life hadn’t been allowed to decide the smallest thing. He knew that it
would be selfish to tell Treize not to buy the boy. But part of him wanted to do just
that; wanted to be selfish. He didn’t want anything to change because for the first
time in a very long time he was truly happy. But then there was another part of him that
told him that Wufei deserved that same kind of happiness.
Finally the blond sighed inwardly.
"I think you should buy him, Master. I think the Duke was right
about one thing. Wufei is very strong willed and that would probably get him into trouble
with any new master he gets. At least here he wouldn’t be mistreated."
The ex-colonel smiled softly as he pulled his blond slave into his
arms, kissing him tenderly.
"Somehow I knew you would say something like this. – And
of course Wufei and you can keep each other company when I have to go on a trip by
myself."
 
And not to forget that he is really cute, Milliardo
thought.
***
Evan’s went down to the kitchen with a list of instructions Dr.
Po had given him concerning the new slaves nutritional needs.
"What can I do for you, Evans?" Anna asked.
The corpulent woman in her late 40th was the head of the
kitchen staff.
"His Excellency wants you to check this list to see if we have
everything in the house that’s needed. It’s the diet plan for the boy, the new
slave he brought home. The doctor says he will have to be on a special diet for a while.
"That poor child. It’s a pity how some people treat their
slaves."
"That it is, Miss Anna," the butler agreed thoughtful.
"But there’s nothing you or I can do anything about."
When the man was just about to leave she stopped him.
"Do you have some time, Evans?"
"I believe I do? Why?"
"I put an extra batch of cookies in the oven and I was just
about to put on a new pot of tea. Would you like to join me for a cup?"
"Your famous sugar cookies? How could I ever resist?" the
butler answered.
"Oh Evans, I think you are the most charming person I have ever
met," Anna smiled. "Aside from his Excellency that is. No wonder women are drawn
to him like moths to the light. What a pity that he has no interest in them."
"That I believe is none of our business." Evans replied,
taking a seat at the kitchen table.
The woman shrugged as she heat some water for the tea.

Author's Note:&; Fe; Feedback is greatly appreciated,
constructive criticism is welcome :-)