Metalia-sama

Zoisite had only ever been in the palace dungeons one time before this, when he had first moved into the palace as one of the Shitennou and had been given the tour. Until just recently however, they had never been used.

The guards stationed at the entrance could be heard whispering to each other as Nephrite walked him passed. Likely trying to figure out what one of the Shitennou could have done to get himself thrown in here.

Zoisite keep his eyes fixed on the dirty stone floor, not really watching where Nephrite was leading him, though the other Tennou did seem to know exactly where he was going.

It had been a rather long journey to this point, and it had been one travelled in silence. Zoisite's thoughts had been filled with his lover, and what would happen to Jadeite after he was gone.

“If he finds out, he'll kill you. I couldn't go on if that happened.”

Zoisite's eye began to tear when he remembered what Jadeite had said to him. 'Please Jadeite, be strong. You will get passed this.'

They stopped at the door to one of the cells, and Nephrite flipped through the keys and unlocked the door. It gave a rusty screech when he did pull it open, and they entered the cell.

Nephrite released him then and continued to stand at the entrance, appearing to contemplate his next move. Zoisite kept his back to the man, but spoke over his shoulder. “You're not done yet, Nephrite. Remember the charge.”

“I know,” he retorted, “but it's not like he'll ever come down here.”

“Don't take stupid risks, Nephrite. I've been charged with high treason, and because of that I should be restrained in my cell. If he were to find out...”

He heard Nephrite sigh again, but as asked, did move towards the shackles hanging from the wall. Zoisite walked over himself and sat on the floor while Nephrite locked his wrists into place. “I'm sorry,” the red-head said after his job was finally finished.

Zoisite shook his head, “You're just doing your job.”

“I'll likely be back down sometime after dinner tonight. Is there anything I could do for you until then?”

Zoisite's thoughts fell back on Jadeite. “If... there is anything at all that you can do to help Jadeite...” He didn't want Nephrite to risk his position, but he might be able to convince the Master to be a bit easier on him at very least.

“I'll do what I can for him,” Nephrite agreed.

“Thank you.”

Nephrite exited the cell and locked it behind him. To Zoisite's surprise, he didn't leave immediately, but walked across the hall and spoke to another of the dungeon's inhabitants. He knew of only one other person who would be down here with him.

“I am sorry, Your Majesty, but I must return quickly.”

“Of course, Nephrite.”

Zoisite turned his head slowly. The cell across the hall from him indeed held his Master's father. Nephrite must have picked this cell for him so that they could speak to each other. Protocol told him to stand at attention, but that was impossible in his current situation. “Your Majesty,” he nodded instead.

“High treason?” the King asked, knowing that there were very few things that one can do to be charged with such a crime.

Zoisite explained what had happened, how he and Kunzite had finally made an attempt to free their Master from Metalia and failed.

“And Kunzite was not charged as well, or has he...”

Zoisite shook his head, “No, the Master... I mean Metalia still sees him as being useful. He needs Kunzite to plan the attack on the Silver Millennium.”

The King remained silent for sometime and Zoisite choose to look at the cell wall across from him as it was beginning to strain his neck to look across the hall. He leaned his head back against the wall and closed his eyes, silently wishing that his execution would be scheduled quickly, and more importantly that Jadeite would be spared from watching it.

Jadeite. He knew for a fact that the King had not been told about their relationship, as he would most definitely not approve of such a thing. However, as it stood right now, his approval was no longer important. “Your Majesty,” Zoisite began, “I must ask you for your forgiveness.”

“My forgiveness? Zoisite, I know that you and the others have done everything in your power to help and protect my son, there is nothing...”

Zoisite shook his head, and the King trailed off. “No, I became weak, and suddenly there were things more important than protecting your son.”

“More important... What are you saying, Zoisite?”

“I took a lover, Your Majesty.”

Silence. Dead silence. Zoisite imagined that this would be very shocking news for the king. He hoped that he would be able to reveal this secret and not have to also give away Jadeite identity. If he could not get forgiveness, he didn't want Jadeite to have to suffer for his own selfish need.

“A lover? When?” He sounded upset, naturally.

“About three months ago, Your Majesty.”

“Who is she?”

That question caught Zoisite off guard. He had forgotten that most people would automatically assume that his lover would be female. “With all due respect, Your Majesty, I do not wish for this person to feel any repercussions because of my confession.”

“And you love her?” his voice had softened a bit, and suddenly Zoisite had hope.

“More than anything else, and I would do anything to protect them,” he admitted, “which is why I am not fit to be one of the Shitennou.”

“Nonsense!”

Zoisite looked up and over suddenly, surprised at the king's sudden exclamation. “Majesty?”

“You've always been harder on yourself than that others, Zoisite. We have no control over when love finds us, or who it happens to be that we fall in love with, it just happens. You have my forgiveness.”

Zoisite let out a breath he had been holding. “Thank you very much, Your Majesty, but I am not sure if you truly understand. If I had to choose between the Master and him...”

“Him?”

Zoisite mentally berated himself for that slip. It would have been better to let the King continue to assume that it was a woman. “Yes, Majesty.” Zoisite waited, wondering if his Master's father was going to retract his earlier forgiveness.

“Let me guess. Jadeite?”

Zoisite's eyes grew wide. How did he know?

“You just asked Nephrite to watch out for him,” the king explained.

Zoisite nodded slowly. “Yes, it's Jadeite.”

---

Nephrite wandered the halls of the palace. He didn't really have anything to do or anyone to speak to, and he had never been very good at sitting still for extended periods of time. He still had Zoisite's dagger, but he wasn't sure what he should do with it. He wanted to give it to Jadeite, but who knew where the Master had dragged him off to.

He had also thought about leaving it in their room, but felt a little uneasy about entering without permission. He had in fact walked passed their room three times already, and had stopped there each time. On the fourth pass, he finally walked up to the door and knocked, but of course there was no answer.

Nephrite finally grabbed hold of the knob and pushed the door open, taking a quick peak inside, just in case Jadeite was actually here and had chosen not to answer, but the room was completely empty, as expected.

He stepped inside and took a look around. Everything was kept need and tidy, which Nephrite figured was Jadeite's doing. Zoisite had never been very good at picking up after himself.

Seeing a weapon rack mounted on the wall, Nephrite decided to leave the dagger there. He contemplated leaving a note for Jadeite as well, to explain his actions, but felt that he should really do that in person. It would also give him a chance to get Jadeite away from the Master for a while, which he was sure Zoisite would want.

As there was no reason for him to linger, he returned to the hall and closed the door behind him. Not far down the hall then, he spotted Kunzite. Remembering that awful scream he had heard early, Nephrite ran to catch up with him. “Kunzite,” he called out, hoping to get the older man to stop.

Kunzite did stop and wait, and Nephrite saw, as he drew closer, that there were bandages wrapped around his head. “What did he...?”

The Shitennou leader turned then, and Nephrite had to stifle a gasp. Several sets of white cotton strips were wrapped around his head, covering his right eye. “He didn't...”

“It's gone,” Kunzite replied flatly, “if that's what you're wondering. And that's all the discussion there will be about it.”

Nephrite nodded, chilled. “Have you seen Jadeite at all?”

“No. I suspect he's with the Master however.”

Taking a quick look around, Nephrite stepped closer and kept his voice low. “Tell me you have a plan of some kind. He's going to be asking me when Zoisite's execution should be, and I don't know what to tell him. We can't let him...”

Kunzite hushed him and also glanced around. “Try and give me two days. That's all I need.”

“What are you going to do?”

“Whatever needs to be done.”

---

Jadeite wrapped his arms around himself as he followed the Master. He had taken him outside, and was heading for the stables, though Jadeite did not know why, nor did he care any more. He was going to be punished for his outburst in some way, and that is all he would need to know.

The Master opened the door, and proceeded to speak with whomever was inside. Jadeite didn't bother with raising his head high enough to see. Seemingly satisfied, the attendant then left the stable in a hurry, pausing only briefly to glance Jadeite's way.

Prince Endymion closed the doors behind them, and Jadeite continued to follow as he was lead to the back of the structure. He raised his head briefly when they passed the horses, specifically Kaze, the mare he was most fond of. But they passed quickly, and his head fell again.

They came to a stop, and the Master turned and looked Jadeite over with narrowed eyes. He said nothing, turned, and seemed to become fascinated by the fire that burned, as he poked at the red hot coals with one of the iron rods.

While Jadeite waited to be informed of why they were here, he thought about his lover. Zoisite was down in the dungeons, wasn't he? And the Master was going to kill him soon as well. There was no way around this. He would never been there when Jadeite returned to their room. He wouldn't be there to hold and kiss him when he was scared.

His eyes were tearing again. Not a good thing with the Master standing right there. Fortunately, he was still engrossed by the flickering orange flames, and Jadeite managed to whip away his tears before they were noticed.

“Take off your jacket and shirt,” came the gruff order.

On autopilot, Jadeite did as requested, albeit slowly. The Master didn't complain about his speed however, he just continued to play with the coals.

“Turn around, place you hands on the wall.”

He started to feel that nervous feeling in his stomach. He didn't like not knowing what was going to happen to him. There didn't appear to be any whips in the immediate vicinity, and that was his favourite tool for handing out punishment.

He began to turn, and as he did, the slight of the stable's usual inhabitants crossed his field of vision. Something about the animals jumped out at him suddenly, and it caused him to come to a dead stop. A simple, common marking among livestock. Something that, until now, he had cared very little about. The brands.

He heard the Prince's footsteps begin to approach him, and Jadeite swirled turned back around, eyes wide with sudden fear. He clutched his jacket in his arms, as if that would some how protect him from the red, glowing emblem of the royal family.

“You are mine,” the Prince said as he advanced, “and it's about time that you learned that as well.”

“Please... don't...” Jadeite began to beg, his voice so quiet, he himself could barely hear it. Without thinking, he took a step back, away from his approaching Master.

He moved fast, grabbing and turned Jadeite around quickly, and then shoving him against the wooden wall. Jadeite dropped his jacket on impact, now trembling as his Master held him there with one hand. “You will not make any kind of act against me again, or your punishments will be quite severe. You'll only be wishing it was but a simple branding.”

Jadeite clenched his eyes closed tight, but it was only for a moment before white hot pain struck him just under his shoulder blade. He didn't remember screaming, but he must have. He did remember collapsing to the ground after the Master released him.

A task as simple as breathing had become difficult. He was vaguely aware of the Master's movements around him, but paid him little attention. It hurt so much, and every time he moved to try and lessen the pain, it would only make it worse.

The Master was speaking. Jadeite knew that he should be listening, but he no longer had the strength nor will to do so. He continued to lie where he had fallen, on his good side, partially curled up in a ball.

“Did you even hear a word that I said?”

He heard the Master that time, as he had screamed in Jadeite's ear. Still, he made no move to reply, only staring off into the distance. The pain was fading, or he simply wasn't feeling it any more. Nothing seemed to matter. Not the Master's threats, not Zoisite's impending death, not even the burn on his back.

“You are pathetic.” The Master walked away, and Jadeite thought that he might leave him here in the stable. He was mistaken as the man returned only a minute later. He grabbed one of Jadeite's wrists roughly, causing another sharp pain to course through him. This time however, Jadeite didn't even flinch. Pain didn't matter. Nothing mattered any more.

He was pushed over onto his stomach and the Prince moved for his other wrist now. The first one happened to fall into Jadeite's field of vision, and he saw that a rope had been tied around it. So the Master was going to do those things to him here now, was he? Didn't matter.

Both arms were pulled behind him, and Jadeite thought that his vision was blacking out for a second. Was the agony of this causing him to pass out? Didn't matter, the Master would have his way whether Jadeite was conscious for it or not.

His boots and pants were pulled off next, and then more rope. The Master had been speaking this whole time. Jadeite had thought that he had heard the name 'Zoisite' spoken by him once or twice, but he didn't care. It would be over soon.