Love in Chains

By DragonMage

Notes: Seriously, tell me if you think this has gone on a bit long or do you think it's okay? I don't want to drag something out to the death until everyone gets bored.

Chapter 7

Duo threw the basket of laundry on the ground, not even caring what happened to the laundry now, and ran harder until he reached the fields where the slaves worked all day picking the vegetables and separating the rice. Then he threw himself under a safe tree where he would be hidden from view and buried his head in his arms. Then he finally let loose all the tears and the pain that he had felt when he heard that Wufei was already engaged to someone. A woman. A *lady*. He was just a street rat turned slave--which wasn't any better for anyone's information.

*Gods, I was so stupid to think that Wufei would actually love me. That he would actually, possibly, as stupid as it is and strange, marry me. But he's already engaged. And to a woman. But...* Duo cried harder. He didn't think Wufei actually liked both men and women. He never showed it. *Idiot! You weren't around long enough to know whether or not he liked women!* Duo rubbed his face harshly and took shallow, shaky breaths as he struggled to calm himself down.

He felt so stupid. So very stupid and tricked. And used. He has had other relationships with other men before but Wufei was the first person he had given his heart too...Thank god he didn't tell Wufei! If he had he wouldn't know what he would do. At least Wufei didn't know what truth...And he never will!

Duo tried to muffle his crying so no one would hear him but it was so hard. He was hurting so much inside. His whole head ached and his body was trembling from his tears.

"Duo?"

Duo gasped and choked on his tears as his head snapped up to meet the concerned dark eyes of Ming. He quickly wiped his eyes and took a deep shaky breath.

"Ming."

Ming dropped down beside Duo and gave the braided boy a long look. Then he spoke. "What happened? Why are you crying?"

"Nothing happened," Duo said shakily as he gave his face another rough rub before he finally calmed himself down. He felt so embarrassed by being found by Ming, and crying. He just wanted to be left alone with his pain right now. "It's nothing, really, Ming. Don't mind me. I'm just prone to crying sometimes." He tried a feeble smile and barely managed, but it was weak and wouldn't convince a rock.

"You're lying. Tell me what's the matter," Ming said gently. "Maybe I can help."

"You can't. There's nothing that anyone that can help me with," Duo said, shaking his head. *Except Wufei of course. If Wufei tells me that what those servants were saying was false then maybe...Please, tell me it's not true.*

"Let me be the judge of that. What happened?" Ming asked again except firmer. He liked Duo and he didn't like to see the beautiful boy hurt. "I want to help. You're my friend Duo and I like you. Tell me what's wrong."

Duo sat there in silence. Then he took a deep breath and spoke. "Ming, do you know of any engagements between the Chang family and a Lady Sally?"

Ming looked thoughtful. "Well, actually, yes. But that was a looong time ago. What does this...Oh." He reached out and squeezed Duo's shoulder sympathetically. "I'm so sorry, Duo. I guess you're right. There is nothing I can do to help."

"That's all right, Ming," Duo said, shaking his head. "I knew that it was impossible in the first place."

"Come on, Duo. Let me help you in another way," Ming said, standing up and pulling Duo with him.

"How's that?" Duo asked.

"Getting drunk!"

~*~

"Duo?" Wufei stared in shock as Ming escorted a singing Duo through the door of Wufei's bedchamber. "By the gods! What happened to him?!" He rushed over Duo and caught him as Ming let go of the dead weight.

"I'm sorry, Lord Chang, but I guess I over did it when I gave him something to drink," Ming said sheepishly.

"And what was that?" Wufei asked as he lifted Duo into his arms. The young man was unsteady in his arms and kept swaying with his bad singing. It was in English and not something he recognized. It had to do something with pigs and horses or something like that.

"Just a bit of wine...I think he liked it too much since he then went ahead and drank the rest of the bottle," Ming said quietly. He was afraid that he might get punished for getting Duo drunk but the poor boy needed it. He was in so much pain and only a good drink could help with that.

Wufei sighed angrily. "Why would this idiot want to get drunk?" He looked at Ming. "You may leave."

Ming bowed deeply and left. He just hoped Duo would fair better than him.

"H-hello, Wufeeeeiiii!" Duo said drunkenly as he leaned against Wufei's neck and snuggled close.

"Duo, you're drunk," Wufei said as he walked over to the bed and dropped Duo on it. "Go to sleep. Tomorrow you'll have one helluva hang over."

"But I don't want to sshleep! I want to be shing! I want to be happppy!" Duo exclaimed as he tried to sit up. But Wufei just pushed him back down and began to unbutton his shirt. "Wufei! How forward of chu!" Then Duo collapsed into peals of laughter.

Wufei sighed and shook his head as he wondered again why Duo would want to get drunk. The idiot. Wufei finished unbuttoning the shirt and pealed it off Duo's sweaty body. Then he began to remove the pants when Duo latched on to him around the neck.

"Don't leave me, Wufei! Stay here!"

"I'm not going anywhere," Wufei said as he pulled away from Duo's weak grasp and finished undressing the boy. Then he snuffed out all the candles and got into bed beside Duo.

"Wufei..." It came very sleepily.

"Shut up, Duo, and go to sleep."

"...zzzz..."

~*~

Duo stared off into space for a very long time as he sat on Wufei's bed. He had just gotten over a terrible hangover and now he was just dropping into intense depression. In another four days Lady Sally was going to make her appearance and Duo knew that he was going to lose Wufei and his heart forever. *I've got to get out of here. I have to leave before...Before everything! I can't stay here and watch as Wufei gets married. It'll kill me...* Duo buried his head in his hands and tried to sort out his thoughts.

"Duo!" Meiren's voice sang through the air as Wufei's twin sister danced into the room. "Have you seen, Wufei?"

"No. He left a few minutes ago and I didn't catch where he was going," Duo answered numbly as he noticed how much Meiren really looked like Wufei. It twisted his heart. He didn't want Wufei around him or anyone who resembled him. It just made him hurt even more.

Meiren didn't seem to notice Duo's expression of complete unhappiness as she jumped around happily. "Lady Sally is coming in four days! Do you know her? She's the most sweetest and kindest and prettiest lady you could ever meet! I cannot wait to see her again! Wufei and her always had such a beautiful relationship, he'll be ecstatic when he sees her!"

With each word on how wonderful Lady Sally was sent another dagger into Duo's heart, reminding him of his worth compared to a Lady. And that was nothing, nothing at all. He was just dirty compared to a pink pearl. Duo tried not to cry as he sat there and listened to Meiren babble about how wonderful Lady Sally was and how Wufei was just going to LOVE having her over and staying for the rest of the year as they did some planning.

"What planning?" Duo asked slowly. He knew that by asking he was killing more of himself but he just couldn't help it.

"The wedding of course, silly!" Meiren laughed. "Well, I'm going to go find Wufei! He probably already knows and didn't bother to tell me. Brothers! What good are they?" And then, with that said, Meiren skipped out of the room.

Duo sat there for another moment. Then he stood up and ran out of the room as he went to look for Quatre. He needed help and Quatre was the only one he knew where to get help.

~*~

"Duo!" Quatre exclaimed as the braided boy ran to the blond boy and threw his arms around him. Quatre caught Duo and gasped. "What's the matter?"

"Quatre...Gods, everything sucks!" Duo sobbed as he held on to Quatre. They were out in the garden with no one around to hear their conversation to Duo's relief. He needed to tell Quatre everything. He needed to get it all off his chest. He just couldn't keep it all bottled up inside anymore.

"Duo, tell me what's wrong," Quatre said softly.

Duo sniffed loudly and bit his lower lip. Then he nodded and began to tell everything...

~*~

"Of course I knew Lady Sally was coming," Wufei said calmly as he sipped his tea in the main room. He had been doing some work when Meiren barged right in and began to shout about Lady Sally coming over.

"And you didn't tell me?!" Meiren shrieked in outrage, her pale face flushed pink in indignation. She grabbed Wufei's hair and gave it a sharp tug. "You naughty boy!"

Wufei laughed and pulled his hair from Meiren's tight grasp. "Yes, well, I was going to tell you but I kept on getting distracted."

"Hn. No doubt by Duo!"

Wufei blushed and looked away for a moment as he thought about the boy who held his heart in his violet eyes.

"I can't wait! She's coming over and bringing..." Meiren trailed off with a deep sigh. "I haven't seen them in years!"

Wufei smiled at the faraway look in his twin's eyes. He knew exactly what she was feeling since she wasn't shielding anything and all her feelings were flooding into his mind. He had to shut out a few since it began to become a bit too overwhelming.

"Yes, well, I think Zhe Tian will be happy to see you too," Wufei said, smiling smugly.

"Of course! I haven't seen him in forever since he went off for schooling in Beijing! And now finally Lady Sally is bringing him home!" Meiren had stars dancing in her eyes as she thought about her fiance. "The wedding will be fantastic! I know it will be!"

"I don't know how my future brother-in-law is going to deal with you, Mei. You're just too unruly sometimes," Wufei said with mock pity.

"Oh, shut up you!" Meiren slapped her brother on the shoulder before she left to make the preparations for Lady Sally and Zhe Tian's arrival.

~*~

Quatre smoothed his sleeve over Duo's wet eyes and held the boy close. "I'm so sorry, Duo. I...well, it does happen. Arranged a marriage that is. I'm so sorry, Duo that this had to happen to you."

"But--He didn't tell me!" Duo shouted angrily as more tears spilled from his eyes. "He didn't tell me at all!"

Quatre nodded slowly, his eyes and heart hardening at the fact that Lord Chang had hurt Duo. He hated anyone who hurts any of his friends.

"Come on, we'll figure out something," Quatre murmured as his mind quickly went over any possibilities to help Duo. He would find some kind of solution, he swore he would. "Stop crying, Duo. I'll help you get out of this."

"Thank you, Quatre. I just can't stay..."

"Of course."

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Dragon-chan - ....

Duo - Well?! Aren't you going to say anything??!

Dragon-chan - ....

Wufei - Damn you!!

Dragon-chan - *sweatdrop*