It’s been about a month since I took the Shinigami back and kept him to myself. I’ve given him a diary so that he can have something to let out his frustrations on. The staff is wary of him since they’ve figured out that he can read their minds some of the time and besides that, Duo isn’t comfortable knowing what the staff feels about him. He knows he makes people nervous and so he keeps away from them unless necessary.
Duo has shown me a lot in the past month. He told me about how they used to treat him and how they’d verbally abuse him. It’s a wonder that he’s the jubilant boy that he is. Any other would have been broken by the way he was raised. Today, though, he told me about something I hadn’t known before. He told me that there was a whipping boy in that monastery, as there should have been. I just never realized that there actually had been one since Duo was punished so often. He told me that they only used the whipping boy if Duo did something he shouldn’t have when many priests were watching, but if he did something and only the one known as Deikim and another select few, they’d hurt him very badly. Apparently, another one of his abilities was the ability to heal very quickly, and that is why nobody outside that little circle knew about Duo’s beatings.
“So what do you plan to do about it, my king?” Quatre asked. He looks like a little angel, fair and innocent looking with pale blonde hair cut to make him look much younger than he is. He has been my advisor since his father died and is a sometime mage. He uses his innocent looks to his advantage to help when others seek to take advantage of me, but he could only do so much. This is why Duo is now vital to my stay on the throne.
I look over at him and then at my personal guard, Wufei. He had been sent away during the “claiming of Shinigami ritual” since he was a foreigner and the priests forbade his presence. Now, he is back and not too happy with my running off to get my Shinigami.
“I plan to go over to that damn monastery and get that ‘whipping boy’ or whatever out of there. If they beat Duo and he is supposed to be something they hold sacred, how do you think they treated that boy?”
Quatre looks flushed and isn’t looking at me any more. I’ve made my point and he won’t argue with me. The problem now is, what am I going to do with the boy when I get him from the priests?
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I have Wufei guard Duo while Quatre and I go to that monastery. I’m beginning to loathe that place with all my being. Wufei wasn’t too happy about my going without a guard, but I assure him everything is going to be fine and so now I find myself standing in front of the gates of that accursed place.
I’m admitted in without question and someone comes to fetch my horse as well as Quatre’s. We’re led to talk to the priest in charge since the head priest is away. Something about a spiritual journey.
“My lord,” this priest looks younger and much more innocent than that Deikim, “please take a seat! What may I do for you?”
I don’t sit down, but I answer his question. “ I want the Shinigami’s whipping boy.”
He looks a little startled and I find that I am pleased by that.
“Why would you want him, my lord?” He’s looking flustered now and I’m not sure I like it any more.
“You dare question the king?” Trust Quatre to be my voice when I’m getting angry or annoyed, if there’s a difference between the two, that is.
“I… N-no.”
“Good. Then you will bring the boy here at once and we will take him back with us.”
“I’m sorry but you can’t.”
“What was that?” I can’t believe he’s defying me!
“You better have a really good reason for denying the king.”
“Y-you see… the boy is bound to this place. He cannot leave. He was bound to the magic of the Shinigami that this place was built on, from what I understand, so he cannot leave unless he is bound to another magic source.”
“How did this happen?” Quatre looks mad now and his eerily calm voice would make me shudder had I not the control that I do.
“T-the head priest needed a boy who wouldn’t run away. He found one that had some magical inclination and used that same magic to bind that boy to this place. The spell is irrevocable.”
I promised Duo I would get that boy out of here and I’m going to do it! I just need to think about it, there has to be a loophole some where. Quatre once told me that all magic has loopholes. That’s it!
“Quatre, you will bind that boy to your magic and he will be yours.”
“Wha- Yes, sire.” Good. He caught himself before questioning me in public. He needs someone to help him around, anyway. He always says he can’t ever get enough done to further his magic skills since there’s always some herb to hunt down or some tome to be looked through. Yes, Quatre needs company, more than he’ll admit.
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Okay, sorry about the *long* wait for that one and I know it’s short, but give me a chance and I’ll get into the swing of things before long. Thank you all who reviewed and gave me such excellent feedback. I’ll try to update as soon as I can. Luv ya!!
Jess >^.^<