The Gundam Faeries

Pairings: very light 4+2, mention of 9+11 and R+C
Warnings: Lime, Angst, pain, more Faeries and fae magic
Rating this Chapter: R for some squick or gore...maybe...and for light lime action

Notes: Okay, here's where it starts to get strange. I apologize to all Quatre lovers everywhere. I happen to be one, but I assure you all, there is a good reason Quatre is acting the way he is... Oh, and remember, these are not the "real life" characters. They are the faerie versions.

The Gundam Faeries
Chapter 2

Duo stretched, a satisfied feeling bringing a smile to his lips. The smile ran from his face when he tried to bring his hands down, and found them tied to the headboard. He looked up in confusion and saw a length of sea green silk looped around the headboard tid tied to each wrist.

The bed was an elaborate gold wire concoction, twisting and twining with each other, forming what looked to Duo like a living bed of golden vines. The mattress beneath him was soft, but still firm enough to support Duo's back. As Duo squirmed, trying to rid himself of the annoying silk, he realized he was quite naked, covered only by a thin sheet.

His head shot up as he heard footsteps and a door open. His breath caught when Quatre entered the bedroom dressed in loose white pants and a turquoise vest. A sash thme cme color as his vest was belted around his waist. Two thick gold bracelets were clasped around his wrists, and golden earrings hung from the tips of his ears. He glided to the side of the bed and Duo could hear the tinkling of bells. He looked down and saw a thin anklet of golden bells around one of Quatre's bare feet.

Quatre leaned down and ran a finger down Duo's cheek and over his bottom lip. "Good morning, my pretty. It's glad I am to see you up."

Duo shivered at the feeling of that soft finger upon his lips. He forced his mind clear and to the present. "Where am I and why am I tied to the bed?"

"You're in Prince Trowa and my bedroom in the palace. And why do you think you're tied to my bed?"

Duo swallowed nervously. "You mean you stole me away?"

Quatre smiled, and Duo was reminded of a very satisfied cat. "Not exactly, my pet. I took you fair and square. You touched my ear, and in payment I took you with me when I left. Just because you didn't know a deal had been struck,sn'tsn't mean it wasn't."

Duo glared at the faerie. "Take me back! Now!"

Quatre grinned and ran his hand over Duo's chest, playing with the dusky nipples. "Why Duo? What's up there for you? A war you cannot win. A love that will never return your feelings. Pain and misery, Duo. Stay with me down here and I'll give you anything you'd ever want." Quatre ducked his head down and captured one of Duo's nipples with his warm mouth.

Duo arched up as his sensitive nipples were attacked, and cried, "No! I can't! I have to try! Alone I can't win the war, but there are four others fighting alongside me, and I won't let them down!"

Quatre's hands ran down Duo's sides, tickling the skin. "Forget about them. They don't matter anymore. All that matters now is your own pleasure."

Duo moaned when Quatre's fingers skated across the silk covering his half-hard length, "N-no! I won't do that!"

Quatre took his hands from Duo and looked down at the struggling boy. "No matter. I can wait." He brushed Duo's bangs from his forehead. "It's only a matter of time. In two weeks your blood will awaken, and you'll have no choice but to submit to me. I can wait. I'll be back, Duo."

Quatre pivoted and waltzed out of the bedroom, leaving a confused Duo in his wake.


Heero was pacing. He knew he was pacing, but he couldn't do anything to help it. He had been Underhill for a few hours now, and there was still no sign of Duo. Wufei sighed from his position on the desk. "Pacing will not make up Captain Noin's mind any faster. As I speak, she is weighing the matter, deciding if it is worth Princess Catherine's time."

Wufei was interrupted by a tentative knock at the door. They turned to see Hilde, Captain Noin's adoptive daughter, in the doorway. She smiled timidly. "Excuse me, Lord Chang, Mr. Yuy, my mother is ready for you. If you'll follow me."

The two boys followed the dark-haired girl through a beehive of corridors and chambers. They wound up in a council room, a long table in the center filled with various papers. Like every other room in the mansion, this one was filled with flowers, and paintings of animals in various poses and situations adorned the walls. Lucrezia motioned for the two to sit and for Hilde to leave them. A large painting hung on the wall behind the Captain. A sad ggazegazed out at them from the painting. Her hair was a dark auburn and silent tears trailed from her dark eyes. She sat on an unseen stool, her hands clasped in front of her. Standing behind her, one hand on the girl's shoulder, was a tall boy, his bangs hung over his face, covering one eye. His hair was the same color as hers, and his visible eye was a lively green. They were both dressed in muted shades of green and grey, and both wore rings of garnet flanked by emeralds. Heero surmised correctly that this was Princess Catherine and her brother Trowa.

Noin's dark blue gaze flicked from Heero to Wufei, and then back to Heero. She clasped her white-gloved hands under her chin and scrutinized the mortal. "Mr. Yuy, I have heard your story from Lord Chang, and have spoken with the Princess. We both agree that it would be in our favor to aid you. But you must help us first. I am prepared to give you an officer's commission in the army. The otoffiofficers and I will be discussing a plan to raid the capital palace. I believe that is where Duo is being held. I suggest you not think too long on this. You only have two weeks before Duo's fae blood has awakened completely, and then he will never be able to leave here."

Lucrezia leaned back in the chair and folded her arms across her dark blue, velvet-clad chest. Heero was silent, considering the ramifications of the proposal. Breaking into Trowa's palace by himself would be nearly impossible, especially without his Gundam. He didn't know anyone here, nor did he know the layout of the land. He didn't move, didn't even seem to blink as he thought. Finally he leaned forward, his gaze piercing Lucrezia's. "How long before everything is set up?"

Captain Noin and Wufei smiled. Lucrezia mentally calculated. "Two days to assemble the nobles and officers. Another half a week to gather the troops into position. I'm not sure how long for the siege; a week, maybe more. You only have to stay long enough to find Duo. Either Wufei or my daughter will then take you back to your world."

Heero nodded briskly; it would be cutting it close, but he'd had closer shaves. Lucrezia held up a hand. "A word of warning, Mr. Yuy. You will only be able to take Duo if he is willing to go. If he has agreed to stay, he will be bound here until either Quatre is dead, or releases him."

Heero nodded. "Understood."

All three looked up as the doors burst open, and a flushed and panting Hilde appeared. "Mother, the Princess, throne room, hurry!"

Before her chair hit the floor, Lucrezia was already racing over the table, papers scattering everywhere, blue cloak fluttering behind her. She hopped off the oak structure, her boots hitting the ground running. She pounded out the door, vaguely noticing Heero right alongside her. When she reached the staircase that would take her down to the lower levels, and the throne room, she put one hand on the banister and vaulted out into nothingness. The instant her boots touched ground, her powerful thigh muscles were working, and she was sprinting down the long corridor to the double doors that served as the throne room entrance. She threw the ornate doors open and skidded to a halt, her eyes widening in horror at the carnage before her.

Bodies littered the floor, most burned beyond recognition. Her eyes were drawn automatically to the throne where Catherine should have been. The throne was empty. Only a note and bloodstain on the chair back remained as a mocking testament to Noin's inadequacy. Noin sank to the floor, beating her hands futilely against the red carpet. "Damn them! Damn them all!"

Heero walked calmly to the throne and picked up the message, scanning it quickly. "Hn, it seems Une has taken Catherine. She has given you forty-eight hours to surrender completely. If you do not comply before that time, she will begin to drain the Princess."

Noin looked up sharply at Heero's words. "What?! That can't be!" She stood up and stormed over to the quiet boy. She grabbed the letter and read it over incredulously. The letter floated to the ground from her nerveless fingers. Wufei and Hilde charged in with twenty-five guards soon after, and clapped their hands to their noses. Noin snapped into action. "Lord Chang, my dmy daughter out of here! She doesn't need to be seeing this! The rest of you, spread out! I want to be sure there are no more surprises. Except you, J! You gather the messengers. Send them out to the nobles still on our side. I want them here before tomorrow evening! Tell them to bring their troops! I intend to have those faerie bastards kneeling at the Princess' feet, begging forgiveness before the week is out!"

The guards scattered, each to their assigned tasks. Wufei tried to turn Hilde around, but she ducked under his arms and ran to her mother's side. "Mother, who did this?!"

Before she could answer, Heero announced quietly from one of the bodies, "This one is still alive."

Three shocked pairs of eyes focused on Heero. Wufei called from the doorway, before running out, "I'll get the Healer!"

Noin nodded and moved to her knees beside the charred creature. Noin and Hilde gave twin gasps of despair as they recognized Princess Relena, Catherine's best friend and secret lover, though only Noin, Hilde, and the Healer knew the second fact. She was lying on her stomach, haundeunderneath her face. Noin cringed in sympathy when she turned Relena over. The left side of her face was a mass of burns, one eye seared shut. Half of her hair was burned to above her ears, and her left ear...her left ear was withered, almost clipped, and there was no sign that it had been anything remotely faerie.

Hilde turned, trying to suppress her gag reflex. This was worse than anything she'd ever read about or remembered seeing. Poor Relena. Her wings had been totally burned off. Only the stumps where they had extended from her shoulders remained. Her body hadn't fared any better than her face. How Relena had survived was anyone's guess; Hilde felt sure that she wouldn't have been able to. But yet there was a pulse - very weak and erratic, but there. Every so often, Relena would take shallow breaths that rattled around her lungs before being painfully expelled. Thankfully the Princess didn't seem to be conscious.

Noin stroked the unburned part of Relena's face. "Don't worry, Princess Relena. We'll get Catherine back, and I'll make...Une, pay for what she did to you."

Hilde heard her mother's voice crack at Une's name. She slowly turned back, looking at her mother in disbelief. "Mother, did you say Une?"

Noin nodded. "Yes. She's defected...again."

"Oh mother, I'm so sorry!" Hilde put a comforting hand on her mother's shoulder, only to have it shrugged off as her mother stood.

"Don't be, Hilde. I took a chance and was wrong. I will atone for that mistake after Princess Catherine is crowned Queen."

Hilde watched as her mother impatiently paced around the room. /Poor mother. She'll never forgive herself for this. But how could she know Lady Une would betray her? I've got to keep an eye on her, and make sure she doesn't do anything rash./

She turned her attention back to the fallen faerie, and smoothed down Relena's hair, whispering comforting words. The faerie responded lightly, a groan and a twitch of her uninjured eyelid. Hilde excitedly yelled to Lucrezia, "Mother, I think she's waking up!"

Noin dashed over to her daughter's side and knelt down. "Princess! Princess! Can you hear me?"

A faint groan bled from burned lips, and one of the Princess's blue eyes opened. She looked around in a blind panic, and a pained whisper fell from her lips, "Catherine!"

Noin and Hilde turned away from that aching thought. Heero frowned. "She was taken captive."

A harsh sob escaped the burned faerie, followed quickly by blood-spattered coughs. Hilde softly rubbed an unburned section of Relena's back, and murmured quietly, at the same time thro a d a death glare at Heero.

Fluttering wings alerted the three to the return of Wufei and the Healer, Dorothy.

Dorothy took in the people crowded around the scorched princess, and the other fricasseed bodies on the carpet and marble floor. She sprung into action immediately, clapping her hands and commanding, "Everyone out! That includes you, Captain Noin!"

Noin shut her mouth, stilling the protest she was about to make. Heero and Hilde stood,ing ing a resisting Noin with them.

Wufei greeted them with a tight smile, and turned, closing the doors behind them.

Dorothy watched them go, and knew they'd be standing right outside. The thought brought her some measure of security as she sat beside Relena and prepared to work.

She arranged herself as comfortably as possible and placed her hands above Relena, close enough so she was immersed in Relena's aura; it was now a muddy grey monstrosity that hurt Dorothy's soul to see.


Outside the throne room, Wufei and Hilde were busy filling Heero in on the twists and turns of the faerie court. Noin perched against one of the marble columns that lined the hallway.

"Princess Relena came here five years ago to escape her parents. King Darlian granted her asylum and she became fast friends with the Princess."

Hilde stopped and Wufei picked up the thread, "After the King died Princess Relena was the only thing that kept Princess Catherine from breaking down. She also was our staunchest supporter in the civil war. She had a brilliant mind for tactics."

Noin spoke uen Wen Wufei stopped to breathe, "It seems that about the time our King was killed, so too were Relena's parents, under very suspicious circumstances. Relena's brother, King Milliardo, contacted Princess Catherine and pledged his support so long as Relena wished it. He is very fond of his younger sister."

Heero finally broke his silence. "Why wasn't Relena senck tck to her kingdom?"

Noin sighed, "We tried that. However, Relena refused to leave, and the Princess didn't have the heart to force her out. Now if Relena dies, Ze...King Milliardo at best will take back his troops, and at worst switch to siding with Prince Trowa, or declare war against Princess Catherine."

This reminded Hilde of an earlier concern. "Mother, where do you think Lady Une has taken the Princess?"

Noin ignored Wufei's exclamation of disbelief and answered thoughtfully, "If she did this at the Prince's command, most likely Une has brought her to the palace. Which makes our job that much more difficult."

"Is there any chance Catherine will abdicate the throne?"

Six eyes swerved to stare at Heero. Two exclamations of, "No!" were followed by a quiet, "Maybe."

Noin and Wufei stared at Hilde. She shrugged, "Princess Relena really was the only thing keeping Princess Catherine fighting. The Princess believes Princess Relena is dead, and I'm sure they're torturing -her-. Among you all, I'm the only one who truly knows how Prince Trowa has perfected that craft."

Noin winced at the memory of how Hilde had been found a year ago. Beaten, battered, mute from the horrors she had been subjected to. Dorothy had been able to repair most of the physical damage, but it had taken Hilde a while to come to terms with the experience. She finally had after Noin and Une adopted her.

Noin nodded. "You're right, Hilde, and that makes it doubly important for me to get her back before they have a chance to drain her."

Wufei's brow furrowed. "I know Trowa is sadistic, but would he really do that to his own sister?"

Both Hilde and Lucrezia answered gravely, "In a heartbeat."