Donovan looked at the frowning face beside him…" Lucien?"
" I don't want to be here. I want to go home…" Lucien murmurred, wrapping his fist around the braid that Donovan had placed in his hair...to keep him from pulling his hair out.
" This is home now Lucie-"
" No!"
" Lu-"
" NO!"
"Lu-"
" NO! NO! NO! NO! NO! NO! N-"
With a sigh, Donovan pulled Lucien's hand away from his braid.
" NO! I wan-"
" Fine we'll leave tomorrow." Donovan sighed, pulling Lucien against him.
Lucien bit him.
" Will you stop that?!"
" Want to go home…"
" We'll go home tomorrow."
" Want to go home now…don't want to see the wolves again."
Donovan wasn't sure what Lucien meant by that, " What wolves love?"
Lucien began humming softly to himself swaying slightly to the music in his head.
Donovan sighed, and rubbed Lucien's back. " What wolves?"
Lucien didn't answer just pulled away from Donovan and started walking down the hallway still humming.
Donovan sighed and started to follow him, not like he'd get far, he'd chosen the north tower of the keep to stay in, mainly because it was the only section with a tower…and towers usually soothed Lucien…not now though.
" Sir?"
Pausing Donovan turned towards the timid voice that called him, with a frown he looked down at the petite older woman before him.
"What?" he asked shortly.
The woman started, then looked up briefly at Lucien's departing back. A sad light came into her eyes then, but she lowered them quickly.
The woman stiffened for a moment, " Lord Adele would like you to come down to the party sir." She said gently. " And to bring Lo- Lucien with you, if you can."
" Very well." Donovan sighed, and started after Lucien to bring him down to the festivities. " Come Lucien…"
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
The woman, watched him walk towards the blond man, a small smile touched her lips as she watched him take Lucien's arm gently and start leading him back. Quickly she lowered her head again, as they walked past…it wouldn't do to have her Lucy-dear recognize her…
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Adele looked towards the doorway where Donovan was trying to walk into the room, with Lucien hanging onto him like a clinging vine.
" Lucien! Let go!"
Shaking his head, Lucien buried his face in Donovan's neck…it was almost cute…almost.
" Good of you to join us Donovan." Eoin said with a wink.
Donovan glared at him, and pried Lucien off. " Lucien is feeling clingy right now." He said dryly, sitting down on the chair beside Adele.
Lucien immediately plopped down in his lap.
Sighing again, Donovan draped an arm across Lucien's waist.
" I see that…" Adele said. Something didn't sit right with him about Lucien…The way Lady Rylena had reacted to seeing him, and how Lucien reacted to her…it was fear…he was afraid of her, but why? Of course he'd called her Mommy…what things could have been done to him that would have made him so afraid? In all the time that he'd known Lucien, the boy had come across immune to fear, and pain…yet somehow that slip of a woman had terrified him.
Adele was startled out of scrutiny by a pair of green eyes, that were giving him the same once over.
"No." Lucien said simply, then turned his face back against Donovan's chest.
" No what Lucien?" Donovan asked, frowning in confusion.
Adele had understood…but he wasn't going to let it go, how a person could turn their back on their own family and laugh while they were slaughtered-…there had to be a reason…something happened before he was sold as a slave…and he was going to find out.
" Shhh now…don't wake him…" Lucien whispered, nuzzling Donovan's neck.
Adele shook his head…Lucien was a mystery.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Eoin frowned, brushing his hair over his shoulders, he could see Adele staring at Lucien, almost as if he thought that if he looked long, and hard enough the boy would make sense.
Eoin smirked, not with this boy, Lucien had many secrets and he wasn't about to share any of them with anyone…but what was the harm in letting Adele try?
" Donovan…I want to play…" Lucien whined.
Eoin smirked, that wasn't good for someone.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Lucien sat quietly in the corner, watching Donovan through glazed green eyes. He didn't like it here, he wanted to go home with his Donovan.
He wanted his room, and that pretty tower place with the flowers, and-and…ohhh look a bug, I wonder if it'll scream if I pull it's little legs off? What was he thinking about again? Home yes home! He wanted to go home…
Some niggling little voice in the back of his mind informed him, this place was home once…
Lucien didn't want to think about that.
" Lucien stop pulling your hair." Donovan said dryly.
Lucien pouted up at him, and gave the braid a hard tug, he hated that braid Donovan had put it in his hair, it made things hurt less when he pulled it…that wasn't any fu- Oh shiny…" Mine?" Lucien asked reaching for the golden necklace Donovan was moving in front of him.
" Do you want it love?"
Lucien nodded tilting his head towards Donovan…
"Then it's yours." Donovan said softly, pressing the gold into Lucien's hand.
Lucien smiled, turning the shiny object over in his hand.
" Lucien…why don't you tell me about your mommy?"
Lucien frowned, he didn't want to talk about her right now, he wanted to study the pretty gold necklace.
"Luc-" Donovan winced when a hand slammed across his face.
"No." Lucien said off-handedly, as he looked over the necklace again.
Sighing, Donovan plopped down beside him, he'd just have to wait till Lucien was in a talking mood…with him, God only knew when that'd be.
"Thank you for the gift Donovan…" Lucien said softly.
Donovan nodded not really listening, " I thought you'd like it love."
Lucien grabbed Donovan's chin and turned him to look at him. " You killed them for me Donovan…"
" Lucien?" he asked.
Lucien smiled, " Gone now…" he said fingering the end of his braid.
" Lucien-"
" When are you going to make the sky red for me Donovan?"
" I don't know Lucien..."
" Just remember you promised."
" Luc-"
" Oh look Donovan a bird! Let's rip it's wings off…"
Donovan sighed watching Lucien crawl across the floor, towards the window.
" So much for a heart to heart…"
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Adele stretched his fingers, watching the old woman that kept her head lowered before Donovan.…she'd been sneaking glances at Lucien, and looking away quickly whenever his eyes landed on her…it was as if she were trying to avoid him.
Well then, we can't have that can we?
" Lucien?" Adele called.
Lucien raised his eyes to him.
" Do you know the old woman there?"
The woman stiffened.
Lucien frowned, then looked at the woman again…his frown deepened and he stepped closer to her, and raised her head…a spark of recognition came to his eyes then faded just as quickly.
" I think so…" he said, then dropped down to his knees and looked up at the woman…" Nanny Henna? Nana?"
The woman's shoulders slumped.
" Nana!" Lucien shouted happily grabbing the woman around the waist, and burying his face against her chest.
Henna's eyes widened, and she reluctantly placed a hand on Lucien's head, brushing the wirey locks from his face…it was too soon for him to know…the others weren't even close yet!
" Yes Lucy-darling….it's Nana Henna."
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Donovan frowned at the old woman, Lucien had been following her around like a lost puppy, since he'd found out who she was.
' Nana Henna do this. Nana Henna do that. Nana Henna, Nanna Henna! Wherever he went…Donovan was really getting sick of Nanna Henna…
Of course it had nothing to do with how much attention Lucien was paying to his old nanny. Or how Nana Henna was the only thing Lucien would talk about at night...or how Lucien had screamed, and tore his hair till Donovan finally consented to setting Nana Henna up in the servant alcove attached to their room…of course it wasn't any of those things! That would mean, that he Donovan the great lord of Sandswinds, was jealous of Henna, a mere matronly nanny…never.
Glancing up Donovan frowned at where Lucien sat on the ground with Henna hovering over him, gently scolding him, for something he'd done to the kitten.
Donovan blinked, when all Lucien did was pout and lower his head.
" I'm sorry Nana Henna…"
Lucien…apologize? Donovan blinked, that woman got Lucien to apologize?! Who the hell was this woman and how the hell did she do that?!
Well, there was one good thing about Lucien's attachment to his old nanny, he'd agreed to stay here.
" Well then Donovan, you must consider Henna there a blessing. Lucien has been very agreeable since she's come along." Eoin said striding up beside Donovan.
Donovan snorted. " A blessing. Indeed."
Eoin arched a brow, " She certainly has a way with him, if I ever have children I may well hire her." Eoin winked. " Anyone who can turn a raving homicidal lunatic like Lucien into a lap cat, must be able to work miracles with normal children."
" Lucien was a normal child once… it's easy to forget seeing him now."
Eoin nodded, " Very true…but in many ways, he still is a child. A child trapped in his own world of pain and suffering…and is very happy with it, that's what worries me about him." Eoin said evenly.
" Worries you?" Donovan asked cautiously…
Eoin smirked, and turned to Donovan, half-closing his eyes, " Yes, there is a lot more to Lucien, I know that he is a lot more than he seems to be…that's what has me worried…I'm not sure what it is, but I do know it isn't good." He said stepping back slightly from Donovan, " And I know that it just might cause trouble in the end." Eoin said, passing his tongue over Donovan's cheek. " See you and Lucy-darling at dinner then?"
Donovan winced, that stupid nickname Henna had given Lucien…everyone else had picked it up and begun using it.
" Oh yes Donovan…my scouts spotted a suspicious looking band of men, three days south of here you may want to keep Lucien close."
Donovan nodded.
Glancing back towards where Lucien sat with Henna, he sighed watching the old woman take the kitten away from him.
Was Lucien hiding something?
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Henna watched Lucien tug at his braid with a gentle smile…she'd managed to convince them that Lucien would not be a viable source of information…she didn't want to get her Lucy-darling caught in this mess. Why did that man have to bring him here?!
It was supposed to be so simple, get the warlords interested in the Sanke kingdom, have them overrun it, then give the others the information they needed about the warlords, and have them destroyed. She would get money, and some land…then she would go and find Lucien, and right all the wrongs done him by the Sanke's…however things couldn't be that simple for her…No, that Donovan man, had to go and bring Lucy-darling back here! Thus making him a target of them.
What warlord in their right mind would leave the rightful heir of Sanke alive...even though he was quite mad.…the plan didn't call for him just yet, but she had managed to work around that…somehow, now she was fairly certain everything would be alright. All she had to do was get Lucien away from the keep, and that man tonight and hide with him in the valley until the others came, and did their deed…that's all.
" Lucien?"
Glazed trusting green eyes looked up at her.
" Do you want to go for a walk?"
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
" Henna?"
Henna paused, drawing Lucien to a stop beside her. " Y-yes Lord Donovan?"
" Where are you going?" Donovan asked narrowing his eyes on them.
" I-I was just going to take Lucien for a walk.…"
" Where?"
" Just to his old favorite spot sir…"
" The valley?"
" Yes the valley."
Donovan's frown deepened, " That's not a good idea, Eoin thinks trouble is headed this way, I'd rather Lucien stay within the castle walls."
Henna's eyes widened, but she nodded anyway, taking Lucien's arm.
" But Donovan…" Lucien whined.
Donovan shook his head firmly, and extended a hand to Lucien, " No Lucien, Henna can take you when this is cleared up."
Pouting Lucien took the hand, but bit Donovan hard on the shoulder in retaliation to being denied.
Neither noticed the darkening of Henna's expression.
This was going to cause problems….
That's when the first arrow came flying into the courtyard…
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
"Donovan! I don't want to stay in here!"
Donovan growled, as he dragged Lucien into their room.
" Donovan!"
" It's safe here, Lucien." He said grabbing Lucien's face in his hands. " Stay put." He murmured pressing a hard kiss to Lucien's lips. Backing away he smiled, at the disappointed frown that marred Lucien's features.
He was still his…
" I'll see you later love, just stay put. Alright?" he asked.
Lucien nodded, not really listening as he went to lay down on the bed.
Only pausing long enough to set the lock from the outside…Lucien wandering around during this mess was not good.
" Donovan!"
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Adele ran down the hallway towards where his friend was frowning and turned the key in the lock. " Donovan!"
Donovan looked up sharply, black braids slipping over his shoulders, " What's going on Adele?" he snapped.
Adele shook his head…" I don't know, but we're under attack, from everywhere! We didn't even see them! So we don't know how they got this close! Come on, Adrian's men need back-up, they are almost through the south wall."
Nodding Donovan ran after Adele towards the south tower…never noticing the petite woman slipping towards his room…or the muttered curse she uttered when she discovered the door was locked.
" Lucien…" she whispered, studying the lock…
Loud voices and the steady clang of weapons meeting broke her out of her thoughts. Frantically she tugged and pounded on the door…she could hear, the shouts and taunts coming closer and closer to where she was. Biting her lip, she gave the door one more tug, " I'm sorry Lucien." She whispered then melted into the shadows again, just in time to avoid the men that were fighting their way through the north tower.
Carefully Henna made her way towards the valley…like she had been instructed.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Donovan laughed, as he cut down another solider, he loved the kill…the feel of his blade slicing through human flesh, the tangy scent of fresh blood running down his hands…but that wasn't the best part about the kill, no the best part was the screams of the dying. Like the screams the man that was trapped on his blade were letting loose. Laughing again, Donovan brought up his arm, to block a wild swing from a new victim, with the sound of tearing flesh, and a bloody gurgle. Donovan ripped his already stained sword from the now limp body, and shoved it through a new victim…
He loved the battle, it was a truly wonderful- he winced slightly as a new solider joined the fray, and managed to slice his upper arm. With a yank he freed his sword again, and then promptly cleaved the new man's head in two.
Best to keep his mind on the fight, even though they had already won back just about all the ground they'd lost in the south tower.
There was maybe, two more lines to go, before they could go and aid their comrades…
Daring a glance back at the keep, he blinked in surprise. He hadn't realized how far from the castle the battle had taken him…he could see large clouds of billowing smoke coming from different sections of the castle, bright orange flames stood out against the black smoke, while at the same time making the smoke thicker.
Easily side-stepping a lunge from a desperate solider, and driving his blade through the fallen man's back, his eyes widened never leaving the keep…had someone gotten through?
Cursing he cut down another solider and started back towards the keep, cutting down any and everything that stood in his way.
The castle was too important…he was too important.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Adele growled, clutching the wound on his side, he staggered slightly, but continued to glower at his opponent.
" Ah the great Lord Adele…what now?" the man said giving a mocking bow.
Adele sneered, and pushed himself up straight…
" Really my lord why don't you just giv-"
Adele frowned as a glint of silver poked through the front of his opponents chest, then quickly withdrew allowing the man to fall to the floor in a messy heap.
" Donovan what'd-"
Adele, staggered slightly as Donovan ran around him.
" Lucien!"
Cursing under his breath, Adele ran off after his friend, Donovan and his obession with that damned lunatic, it was going to get him killed one day.
Wincing Adele, clutched his side tighter. "
" Donovan slow down!"
Shaking his head, Donovan sped up and headed faster towards the North tower….
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Lucien sat on the bed watching the flames climb up the purple tapestry very slowly, he loved to watch fire, it was pretty.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Donovan ran around the corner at full speed, intense heat, and black smoke greeted him as he did so. Stopping before the great tower, Donovan watched in horror as black smoke poured from each of the little windows, hungry red flames ate at the roof of the tower, while still more flames chewed hungrily at the creeping vines making their way up the tower walls, and the door.
He didn't care, Lucien was in there…
" Donovan!" Adele shouted grabbing his friend's arms to restrain him. " We can't!"
" I have to!"
" But we can't!"
Loud maniacal laughter floated down from the tower, to his ears.
" Lucien!" Snarling Donovan yanked his arm free and started for the hall again. Adele grabbed him and dragged him back.
" No! Donovan!"
" I hav-"
" Donovan! Donooovaaaaaaaaan!"
" Luc- let me go Adele!"
" Don't let him go Adele." Eoin said his voice soft, as he walked up behind them, dragging Lucien's nanny with him.
" Eoin…" Donovan growled bucking against Adele's restraining arms.
Turning cold eyes onto Donovan, Eoin shoved the old woman forward, " Tell them what you told me." He said with a smirk.
Donovan turned a glare on the woman, noticing for the first time the black and blue bruises that covered her face, and neck…
" I-" she said weakly then paused.
Eoin kicked her, " Tell him!" he hissed grabbing a handful of the woman's hair in his hand. " Tell him now."
Adele arched a brow, but held Donovan tightly, " Tell him what?"
" Tell who what?" Adrian asked as he trotted up the hallway, his face and hair covered in black soot, smudges of blood were prominent on his face.
Eoin glowered looking up at the two in front of him, " Lucien."
Snarling again, Donovan tried to pull away from Adele, " What does this hav-"
" This whole attack is his doing!"
" What?!"
" That's ridiculous! He's a lunatic!"
" Tell me more." Adrian said calmly looking from Eoin to the old woman, " Is it true old woman?"
The woman hastily shook her head no…" I swear Lord Lu-"
" Lord Lucien?"
Covering her face with her hands, the old woman shook her head, " Please! Lucien had nothing to do with this please…please….he doesn't even know any-"
" But you do?" Adrian asked sharply.
The woman froze.
" Answer me!"
" Let me go Adele! I have to go-"
" Hold him Adele."
Adele frowned uncertainly from his lover, to the struggling Donovan…they were here arguing about who started this attack, and if Lucien was responsible while Lucien burned alive in the north tower…on one hand Lucien could be a real threat to them…on the other he could just be a harmless maniac that Donovan was in love with…what would he do if it were Eoin locked in that room? Then again even if he was guilty did he deserve such a horrible death?
Adele held tight.
" It was me!" the woman finally said, " I am the one responsible, it has nothing to do with Lucien, he's innocent! It was me, I just wanted to make everything right again…fix the mistakes made by Sanke…"
" By?"
" By placing Lucien in his rightful place…"
" As?"
" As the Lord of Sanke…" she said weakly…" He-"
She never finish that sentence, Eoin had already driven his sword through the back of her neck.
" Let me go Adele!"
Eoin looked up to his friend, then to the enflamed tower, surprise flickered through his eyes, as if he had just realized that Lucien was in some kind of real danger.
" Eoin tell him to let me go!"
Turning back to the struggling Donovan, Eoin looked at him with sad eyes.
"Eoin please…."
" Hold him."
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
There was no groaning or quietly mumbled complaints as the boys rose this time, silence fell about the room, as if a black curtain had been dropped blotting out sound.
Wufei sat away from the others, folding his arms, he looked down at the floor, refusing to meet anyone's eyes.
Trowa and Quatre sat pulling each other close, trying to find enough warmth and comfort to blot the memories .
Duo sat curled and shivering in the corner, his eyes wide open and blank, trapped in his own little world of hell. Heero knowing nothing else to do sat beside him glowering silent…not even beginning to know how to comfort the other boy.
Finally after over 20 minutes of silence, Heero spoke, " After he died…Donovan became a monster…he killed even more people going after powerful lords and killing their lovers…slowly burning them to death while they were held captive and helpless while it happened. Then he'd kill them, he considered it mercy…"
" Donovan killed me…" Quatre said softly, pressing his face against Trowa's shoulder, " I deserved it…I-"
" Why?" Wufei asked, glowering at the both of them. " Why did you tell Adele to hold him?"
" Why didn't you force him to let go?" Trowa snapped back.
" Why didn't you let go on your own?" Wufei replied calmly. " You were the leader, remember."
Trowa lowered his eyes, and said nothing.
" Duo?" Quatre asked turning his eyes to the silent shivering boy in the corner…
Duo didn't reply, he simply turned away from the others, and lay on the floor, pulling his knees to his chest, and cried.
In an attempt to draw attention away from Duo, Wufei asked, " So who was who? We all know who we were. Eoin was Quatre, Trowa was Adele, Heero was Donovan, I was Adrian, and Duo was…Lucien. But who was everyone else?"
" Nana was Hirde…" Heero offered absently playing with the tip of Duo's braid.
" Rylena was Re-"
" Rylena was Treize." Wufei supplied.
" But why?" Quatre asked, " Why would Treize hate Duo so much?"
" Lianas…hated Delan, because he blamed everything from me hating him to his son's death on him…"
" B-but that's not right- he-"
" Was a man in love with someone who didn't love him back…love tends to make you think illogically…" he said looking down at his hands again…
" Bu-"
" I don't want to talk about this anymore." Wufei said blandly rising to his feet.
Nodding his understanding Quatre leaned against Trowa more firmly.
~END~
Sudden I know but it's the best I could do….sorry. Much more will be explained in the next life. I want to get on to the next life and get this series done. When I finish this series, and Rebuilding. I'm leaving the GW fandom.