Servitude, Retribution, and Enchantment

Disclaimers: I do not own Gundam Wing or any of its characters.

Notes: Duo takes Heero home and leaves Hilde to tell him the rules. Hildes comes to realize that maybe there is more to Heero than she had first thought.

Servitude, Retribution, and Enchantment

Part Twenty-Eight


Heero was a bit wary as he entered his master’s home again. The ride from Meiran’s castle had been a quiet one. Heero and Hilde had traveled on the same horse, while Duo rode his steed, Chaos alone. Hilde was now in the stables, seeing to the horses and getting them settled in their stalls.

The last time that he’d been here at this manor, he’d been too hurt and tired to care. This time, he was healthy enough to understand. He wanted to run, but he knew that he had nowhere else to go. Besides . . . Duo was the jester of the Sorceress Queen. If Heero ran, who knew what sort of punishment would await him. For all he knew, she could rain fire down upon him for daring to flee from her loyal jester.

He sighed, not at all happy as they oachoached the bedchamber. He couldn’t even put up a proper fight with this one. How could he fight someone that had saved his life? He tensed once they were in the bedchamber, keeping his eyes lowered as he awaited what he knew would be coming.

His master beamed at him. “Okay . . . you’ll have to wait here until Hilde arrives.” Duo said, running his hand through his bangs.

Hilde? What did Hilde have to do with anything? “Master?” Heero spoke, confused. What purpose would Hilde serve if Heero was to finally be ‘broken in’?

The youth threw his head back and laughed, giving Heero a sly smile once he calmed. “You didn’t honestly think I was going to throw you to the bed and have my wicked way with you, did you?” He chuckled and reached forward to caress Heero’s face, his fingers ghosting over the veil that covered his features. “I told you . . . not when you’re unwilling. There are other things you will have to do as my bed slave. Hilde is going to teach you. I’m going into town.” With a wink, Duo turned and walked out of the bedchamber. “Behave yourself.” He said, just before closing the door behind himself.

Heero blinked as his master so quickly left. He HAD thought that he’d be thrown to the bed. Not only thought it . . . he’d expected it. This new master was an enigma to him. Heero shook his head and walked over to the balcony. A light rain had started to fall, and Heero wanted to enjoy it. He lifted his face to the sky and smiled at the feeling of the gentle drops of water hitting his face. Most were absorbed into the weighted cloth of his veil, but still, he relished the feel and scent of the tender droplets.

“Thinking of escaping?”

Heero turned to see Hilde standing in the doorway of the balcony. The girl had a sneer on her face, and Heero knew why. Maybe now it was time to find a middle path with her . . . she could not forgive him for the fool he had been in the past.

He shook his head in answer to her question. “Where would I go if I did? I have nothing anymore. No one would believe I am who I claim to me.” He looked out over the landscape, wishing that he could watch the sun setting . . . but the sky was too cloudy to view the sunset. “Besides, what is there for me to go back to anyway?” He asked, trying to keep the sorrow from his heart.

He did miss his fathere sae safety of the castle, but he did not miss the solitude there, the constant surveillance by guards wishing to protect him. He liked being able to see the sky . . . even if he had to be a slave to do so.

Hilde snorted, most likely missing the longing state that Heero was in. His face was mostly covered after all. “You are a spoiled brat, do you know that?” She bitterly seethed. “You lived in a palace! You had everything a person could ever want!”

He smiled ruefully, although he knew that she couldn’t see. “No . . . I had nothing there.” He turned to Hilde and held up a hand to stop her from interrupting him. “I had food, clothing, and shelter . . . that’s true. They were of a finer quality and expense than what most people could afford, but . . .” He sighed and studied her. How could he make her understand? “Did you ever play when you were a child?”

Hilde seemed taken aback by Heero’s inquiry. “What sort of question is that? EVERYONE plays!”

Sighing deeply, Heero shook his head. “Not everyone. I wasn’t allowed to run . . . I might have tripped. I wasn’t allowed to have toys . . . I might have hurt myself. I wasn’t allowed to have friends . . . they might have been spies. I was allowed to have books when there was someone there to supervise me.” He shrugged at her dumbfounded expression. “To be honest, Hilde . . . I envied you for the freedom you had. At least you could go outside.” He turned back to the scenery. “You know . . . the first time I ever saw the sun . . . was the first time they put me up for auction. I was there, standing in front of I don’t know how many people, naked . . . and the only thing I could think was . . . ‘So THAT’S what the sun looks like!’”

Hilde made a soft, strangled sound.

Heero turned back to smile at her in an understanding way. Her eyes were moist as if finally realizing what his life had been like. He’d been treated worse than a slave by his own father, kept locked away from everything including the warmth of the sun.

“I’m not the monster you made me out to be, Hilde.” Heero said, stepping away from the railing of the balcony, still standing outside where the rain fell down on him in a gentle shower. He stood there, facing her, wanting her to understand. “I was shocked when my father presented you to me. Do you know that you were the first woman I had ever seen?” He nodded when her expression became one of utmost shock. “I didn’t know what to do with you. And I resented you because you were there just so that I would know what to do when I married some girl I had never met.”

The young slave girl seemed to swallow a few times before clearing her throat. “I . . . I never knew.”

Heero shrugged again. “You really weren’t there long enough to see. I’m sorry that you were hurt because of my ignorance. I wish that I had done things differently, reacted better when you were pushed at me.” He sighed, closing his eyes briefly. “Can we try and be civil to one another now?”

Hilde closed the distance between them, stepping out into the gentle rain shower, and pulled him into a tender hug. “I’ve been just awful to you, and you’re the one apologizing?” She sniffled, tightening her embrace a little. “I’m sorry. I made things harder on you than they had to be.”

Hesitantly, Heero returned the embrace. Suddenly, he was reminded of why Hilde had come to this room . . . Heero was supposed to begin his training as a pleasure slave. “Hilde, is . . . does it hurt to be a pleasure slave?” He asked, choking on his own words. He was frightened, afraid of being hurt . . . of pain and heartache.

Hilde pulled herself away from Heero, smiling gently at him. “You’re scared, aren’t you?” She asked, running her hands along his arms.

Heero nodded, averting his eyes. He was ashamed of his fear, and of his ignorance in the subject of physical and sexual relations. “I . . . I don’t know anything, not really. Father didn’t get another pleasure slave for me after you were sent away. He simply didn’t bother to try and teach me of what I would have to do on my wedding night, saying that my wife would instruct me. He never was a patient man.”

Hilde shook her head, sliding her fingers up underneath his veil and stroking his cheek in a light, caring manner. “Sex isn’t everything that a pleasure slave is expected to do.” She said softly. “And no, it won’t hurt you, just so long as your master is gentle and caring . . . and I swear that Duo is such a master. He has never been anything but kind to me, and it is quite an enjoyable experience to be with him.”

“I-I suppose I will have to trust your judgement.” Heero sighed, keeping his gaze lowered. He shivered, biting into his bottom lip.

“Come inside . . . it’s growing cold and I don’t want you getting a chill from this rain.” Hilde said, urging Heero to follow her back into the bedchamber.

Heero silently complied, allowing her to lead him in. She closed the doors to the balcony once they were both inside, then drew the curtains closed to obscure them. Quietly, she unclasped the catch of his cloak and pulled it from his body, removing her own as well.

“What now?” Heero asked, looking at her curiously.

“First off, you’ll have to know the basic rules. For one, you must never remove your veil. Only Duo has the privilege to do so. Even when bathing, you must leave it on, unless he takes it off for you. But that rule goes for all slaves . . . a common law you should already know.”

Heero nodded. “Yes, I do know that.” He replied. Only the owner of the slave was allowed to remove his or her veil, or the slave could do it under their master’s order. There was no other exception to that rule, except perhaps in matters of urgency, such as when a doctor takes it off for medical purposes.

“Good. Second . . . as a pleasure slave, you are also responsible for the upkeep of this bedchamber and everything in it. You don’t have to worry about the bathing room . . . that cleans itself magically. It was a gift to Duo from Queen Meiran, as was this house and the lands that Duo now owns.” She gestured around at the bedchamber. “So, you’ve got to keep everything neat and tidy.”

“Okay.” Heero said, although he wasn’t altogether sure how to do that. He had never cleaned anything in his entire life . . . he’d always had servants to do such menial chores for him in his castle.

“Third, I’m sure Duo told you that you can’t leave this room yet.”

“Yes, he did say that.” Heero nodded.

Hilde smiled. “I thought he might have. Don’t worry, he says that to all his slaves when he first gets them. Not all of them are confined to his bedchamber though, usually just to the house. But since you are his new pleasure slave, and quite a feisty one at that, it was probably wise of him to make sure you stay in here.” Hilde ran her hand along his arm, taking a breath. “He just means to get you used to being here. He did the same with me when I first arrived. When you do get more at ease, and when he’s come to trust you, I promise you will have full run of the grounds of the estate and the village. The local merchants there all keep an eye out on Duo’s behalf, making sure no strangers touch his workers . . . Duo’s gotten himself a good deal of friends these last few years since he’s been in Queen Meiran’s service.”

Heero nodded. At least Duo didn’t sound like too bad a person. Heero still didn’t like the idea of being anyone’s pleasure slave, but at least he was somewhat comforted by the fact that he’d have an amount of freedom here. He dreaded the idea of pleasuring his ‘master’ though.

“Fourth . . .” She sighed. “Yes, you will have to pleasure Duo. But it’s not like sex is all he ever thinks about. Some of your duties may require you to have sex with him, but there are other ways to pleasure him. For example, he loves talking . . . holding a good conversation with him is easy since he usually does most of the talking himself. He also enjoys playing games and taking horseback rides, as well as a large variety of other things. I’ll be teaching you how to give massages as well as the more physical acts, but don’t worry about that now . . . we won’t be starting there.”

“Oh?” Heero asked. He was confused. He’d had no idea that pleasure slaves had duties other than in bed.

Hilde nodded. “Come on, we’ll start out slow. I’ll show you how to make the bed and what to do with the dirty clothes that Duo constantly leaves lying around.” She smiled, taking Heero’s hand and leading him further into the bedchamber.

Heero smiled beneath his veil, listening as Hilde continued going over the list of rules that he would have to learn and live by. He found them quite easy to memorize . . . and the fact that there weren’t all that many rules left Heero slightly more at ease. There had been more rules to follow when he had been at the castle . . . here, he had freedom, or at least he would once Duo allowed him to.

Still, Heero would rather not be touched or owned by any man, not when the consequences could be so dire to him . . . Heero didn’t relish the idea of carrying a bastard’s child, or any child for that matter. He wouldn’t give in to Duo’s charms. He didn’t want to be a slave. Perhaps if he pretended to be the humble little slave . . . maybe Duo would loosen up and Heero could escape from under Duo’s watchful eyes.

To Be Continued . . .