Undertow

He had been searching for a solution for almost as long as he could remember. Now that he had found it, there was only one thing to do -- run as far as he could as fast as he could and hope that no one caught up with him.

It wasn't the sort of thing anyone had expected of Treize Khushrenada; he'd been a prince, after all. There had been Expectations.

He'd been a grand disappointment to all of them, truth be told. They had wanted a prince who did as he was ordered, who would marry whomever his stepfather brought him and have no questions in doing so. It was not what anyone should have expected in the least. He had never been good at doing as he was told.

They'd find a more biddable prince in his brother, and Treize would be relieved of the burden of his family and his betrothal in one fell swoop.

There was someone he needed to find, anyway.

Treize could still remember the first time he had seen him. It had been high summer, and they had been at the schloss on the Baltic Sea, the one his mother had most liked for that time of year. She had an utter terror of one of her children drowning and so they were watched like a hawk every second of the day. They got no nearer the water than she did, which had seemed to him to miss the point of the thing.

He had never been a good child. He had always been the one caught in the kitchens when he'd been told he couldn't have pudding, the one who asked why until everyone around him groaned rather than answering. The embargo on nearing the water was more than he could stand, truth be told, and so he had waited and waited until everyone was asleep and snuck down to the water on quiet feet.

It was as lovely as he had always thought, the susurration of the water lapping softly against the shore peaceful somehow, simultaneously making him want to go running into it and yet there was a bit of dark mystery about it, too, that made him want to do anything but that.

He had sat on the short rocky stretch of sand when the tide started to come in, let it lap at his shoes. And then he took them off so he could feel the lap of waves as more than just a wetness. It was cool, crisp against his skin in a way that he wished he could feel more often, all the time. The moon was reflected in the water, full and heavy, broken by the ripples of the waves, by the way that it broke around his ankles and then his calves. Treize wished that he dared to dive straight into it, roll around, but his mother would find out if he did.

Nothing was worth the trouble that would bring.

The sound of a splash caught his attention and his head jerked toward it, wondering who (or more terrifyingly what) might be close by him. It could have been a large fish or someone throwing a rock into the water, but it sounded again and he watched something leaning up against the rocks a little ways down. Close enough to see what looked like a person, leaning on the oceanside of the outcrop.

Moonbeams graced the lapping waves and the outline of the body, as well. The shoulders seemed slim but strong, long wet hair that appeared black streaming over a shoulder. Whoever it was had something in hand and it was clear that his (hers? But Treize was fairly certain his) attention was fully engaged by it.

Treize stood up and started to slowly wade across toward whoever it was, carrying his shoes. Between the cool water and seeing someone not from the palace out there, it had been an amazing night. "Hello?"

The immediate splash was as startling as how quickly the person seemed to be able to move in water. Now he could see better, and there was blood on the hand, a fish caught in webbed fingers. Treize's heartbeat sped up in response, thump-thump-thumping wildly in his chest until a soft trilling sound came across the wind. It seemed non-threatening -- possibly frightened, possibly curious, and he was utterly fascinated by it with such immediacy that the world seemed to shift like the incoming tide.

He had to get closer, had to see, and he crouched a little as he walked, hands outstretched like he was approaching a deer. Only it was a person. In the water. "Hi. Hello. I'm not going to hurt you, I was only curious."

That trill came again, and he was surprised to see the -- boy? -- the person's head tilt to the side as if he, too, might be curious. The moon was behind him and so it was difficult to make out what he looked like just yet. Treize could make out the first, though, and it was clear that the boy had been eating it. Silvery flecks of scales had been rubbed off with a sharp stone and had scattered around the rock upon which the boy was leaning.

He was wetter than he'd planned to be, but reached the outcropping, so very close now in the bright lit dark, grinning and wildly excited as he pointed at himself. "I'm Treize."

It was met with a whistle, a soft trill, and a webbed hand indicated that was his name. It was actually quite amusing, and the boy -- creature? -- tilted his head to the side, the moon lighting his face now. Treize's breath caught because he was.... he was beautiful and terrifying at once, features mostly humanoid but his eyes were large and dark, almond shaped, his mouth small and prettily bowed.

His eyes were solid black, like nothing Treize had ever seen. His face was like nothing Treize had ever seen, either, and he moved a little closer, edging up partially onto the rock. "I won't hurt you. I wish you understood me."

The hand holding the fish rose, an offering, and that was quite amusing in its way. It was also sweet that he would share with him. "Tch-Tch-Tch."

It was a largish sprat, and he knew what to do with one at least, as he reached his hand out to accept it. If he didn't accept it, it would be rude, and his mother regularly talked to him about being rude. "Thank you." He was accustomed to smoked, but he would survive a bite of raw.

The nibble he took was small, but it seemed to please his new friend immensely because that pretty mouth curved to show the faintest sign of teeth that would probably send his mother screaming for the schloss and guards. "Tch-Tch-raayyy." The sound ended with a high pitched attempt, the look of offense on that face delightful.

What an amazing night. He grinned, took another small bite, and offered it back, licking the fish taste and blood from his teeth because it certainly was a taste. "That's right. I'm Treize." Treize pointed at him. "Who are you?"

With a scowl, the other boy let out a sound that made Treize's ears hurt, then sighed and beckoned him with a webbed hand, his own body dipping down into the waters below. The moon wasn't bright enough for him to see what lay below the lapping waves.

God, he hoped it didn't eat his face, but it was clearly a boy, so he took a deep breath and leaned in to put his face into the water, looking for his new fish eating friend.

He had expected, perhaps, to be dragged down or to hear the same high pitched painful noise. Instead, the sound was multi-layered and melodic. "Wufei. Wuufei." And then his friend came up again, and Treize raised his face out of the water, hands wiping at his cheeks. One webbed hand waved in Wufei's direction, indicating that was who he was.

"Wufei." He put the stress on the u, grinning as he pointed at him. "Your name is Wufei! This is amazing!"

It earned him applause, and his supper had obviously drifted off at some point in the conversation. Wufei didn't seem bothered by it in the least, and Treize thought that he was perhaps as pleased to have made a friend as Treize himself was.

Now he just needed to work out their language differences, because he clapped! He clapped, so he was clearly somewhat human? Somewhat, they had a shared root somewhere, the pointing worked. There was something to build on. Treize pointed to the sky and pronounced, "Moon," then stuck his face into the water again to hear Wufei tell him what it was in his own language.

The evening passed so quickly, faster than Treize would have liked, and his eyes grew heavier and heavier in the moonlight. He mimed sleep, though he didn't know if Wufei understood sleep, and then pointed to the sky again and made a forward gesture to try to explain that he'd be back the next night. Miming was the best he could do in the circumstances, and he needed to slink back to the castle uncaught or he was never coming back out to meet the wonderful creature person. His mother would catch him, and that would be the end of it.

With a nod, Wufei waved one hand, and then turned, his body arching up out of the water and then back down, and he was gone with only the flickering memory of moonlight chasing across green and black scales to keep Treize company.

Perhaps he was actually asleep in his bed and it was all a dream. A wonderful, world changing dream, as he watched for a moment before turning to run up the hill, to the path that would take him home.

After sleeping late enough that his mother had come to be sure he wasn't dead, Treize had rushed down to the kitchens and grabbed bread and cheese for breakfast before taking himself off to the library. The schloss was quite the repository for knowledge, he'd heard, and he found dozens and dozens of books waiting for him.

He wanted to know everything he could about sightings of creatures in the water. He thought they might be the Greek sirens, who lured men out onto rocks in the ocean to crash their ships and die, and then more reading led him to find they were called mermaids. Maybe. There were the Rhine maidens, who were nixe. Was Wufei a nixe? He might be, and it would make sense, even though all of the books thus far seemed only to be concerned with the female of the species. Did that make Wufei a nixe and a merman?

The clearing of a throat behind him started him so much that he jumped and slammed shut the book he was reading.

"Good morning, Mother." He turned a beaming smile at her, and caught sight of the clock behind her to see it was afternoon, but only barely.

"Darling, what are you doing inside on such a lovely day?" The lines between her eyes ("I want lines," his father had once called them when Treize was very very young.) were prominent, fretful. "Looking at such fusty old things."

"I suppose I could go riding." He wondered if Wufei had horses under the ocean, or if they rode whales or. Or, there were so many options! Treize tried to tidy the pile together, marking pages surreptitiously. "I was just uh. Reading."

"Of course, sweetheart. If you're going anywhere near the water, you'll need to take someone with you when you go riding." His mother was eyeing his stack of books with enormous prejudice that did not bode well for him being allowed to see them again.

"The ocean is so beautiful, mother." He closed his books dutifully, and sighed. That was fine, he knew what Wufei was, he had learned all sorts of words, and he knew Wufei ate fish. He would bring Wufei fruit just to see what he thought of it. "Can we play in it?"

"No!" He hadn't expected any other response. "You must never go near the water, my love." Her hand on his chin was tight, hard. "Swear to me that you won't."

His mouth compressed tight, and he nodded as much as he could against her fingers. "I wish you would tell me why."

She traced her fingers along his cheekbone. "One day, darling. Perhaps. I know it's frustrating, but you'll just have to trust me. I'm doing what's best for you, I promise."

He'd see, he supposed, since he was already flaunting it. "I'll be out riding then, Mother. Where's Vingt?"

"He's here somewhere." That did sound like his mother, because Vingt was always somewhat secondary for her. Treize had the grand misfortune of resembling his father, whereas Vingt looked a bit more like their mother. He didn't think Vingt would be in danger of catching her attention even if he did look like her second husband. "Be careful, dear."

And that, it seemed, was that.

He lingered for a moment in the library, tidying up after himself and attempting to put the books back in such a way that they wouldn't disappear on him before he returned. Then he went in search of his little brother; Vingt wasn't inclined to go outside ever, so that left him to wonder where in the castle he might find him. As it turned out, he was precisely where he was supposed to be, ensconced in their nursery. They had their own suites at home, but when they visited the summer schloss, their mother had them stay in the old nursery, even leaving someone to stay with them. It was always the very devil to sneak past Mathilda. Her bones ached and creaked, so she slept very lightly. That was why he preferred just to climb out his window, which was already open.

Vingt was tucked away with a book and their rather aspirational battle table, which Treize enjoyed. One day, one day he would go out and fight for the kingdom, and that was exciting. His brother was more bookish than he was, and would most likely end up better titled. He was being carefully groomed for diplomacy of some sort, they'd been told, and he was a much more obedient son than Treize had ever dreamed of being. "Hello, brother."

"I've been booted from the library. Do you want to go riding with me?" He wanted to go down to the ocean again and look out and wonder just where Wufei stayed. Did they have houses? Where did he sleep? What was society like down there?

It was all so exciting!

He caught the longing look Vingt gave his book, but he tucked it away and stood all the same. "Of course. It will be good to go out in the fresh air. Give me a moment to change."

"What're you reading?" Treize asked it idly as he loitered in the doorway, looking out to the window.

Sheepishly, Vingt smiled at him. "Voyage au Centre de la Terre. It seemed like good fun."

"I was reading about mermaids," he confessed back, grinning back at him. "I'll head down to the stables and have everything ready for you."

"I'll rush," Vingt advised, and they parted ways then. Vingt's idea of rushing was to be dressed and ready within half an hour of whatever they planned to do, so there was no need to be in any sort of hurry.

He lingered on his way down the stairs, trying to think of what he could ask or how he could ask it. He needed to bring fruit and pictures with him, or a book, or. Or he didn't even know where to start. Fruit would have to do, apples, he thought, and cherries or perhaps raspberries. Surely Wufei would like one of them.

Somehow, he ended up at the stables sooner than he would have liked and shortly conscripted one of the stable lads to help him saddle up horses and arranged that he should attend their ride as well. Vingt didn't enjoy meandering out there on his own, while Treize enjoyed singular escape at every opportunity. "I'm thinking of the shore today and not the forest," he declared, stroking his bay's muzzle.

If the stable boy'd had ears, they'd have pricked up just then. "Pardon me for asking, your highness, but I wouldn't imagine your mother'd be too happy about that, all things considered."

"What things considered?" He looked over to the stable boy, hoping for the answer. Finally!

"Well, the curse, of course." That seemed so ridiculously blithe, as if he should just know precisely what that meant. "The sea witch."

"The sea witch curse. What sea witch curse?" Which no one else had told him about except to threaten him not to go down to the water.

"Well." The other boy seemed to be getting the hint that it wasn't something he knew about and that was bad. "Maybe I shouldn't say."

"Maybe I'm going to ride my horse down to the ocean and fling myself into it, eh?" He lifted an eyebrow at the stable boy. "What curse?"

That was met with a huff of breath. "Well, I don't know all of it, but they say that when you were born, your mother called upon an old Roma lady known for future telling. And they say that she told her you'd be carried off by a sea witch or something. I don't know. It's just something people say."

In this day and age, when they had telegraph wires and everything! Unbelievable. "I'm more likely to drown in the sea in a boating accident because no one's ever let me swim," he muttered. "Yes, we're absolutely going that way. Vingt will enjoy it."

It was apparent from the way the stable lad grinned that he was rather a fan of disobedience. "Right, I'll check everything." Treize supposed they might even have time to raid the kitchens if he ran off now. Vingt dawdled, after all. Dawdled enough that he had time to pack a small picnic for both of them and the stable boy to all eat when they stopped riding, because there was little worse than mistreating the staff.

Someone should've told his stepfather that.

"And I'll raid the kitchens," Treize informed him, and the boy brightened even further. Honestly, it made him angry. None of his uncle's servants were ever treated badly, so his stepfather must have learned it elsewhere. He had no idea.

"A very good idea, your highness."

He disappeared off to the kitchens to do that, using a kitchen tablecloth for the food, because he could tuck it into saddlebags quite well. It didn't hurt that the scullery maid quite liked him, and even the head cook had been known to pinch his cheek and call him a scamp before shooing him out with an extra sweet bun.

It was going to be a lovely afternoon. Perhaps they'd even have time to doze in the shade for a bit before coming back, and that would be better than just about anything. Especially since he planned to go out again tonight and meet Wufei down by the rocks.

He could hardly hold himself together long enough to wait for the castle to go quiet so he could slink off to run down to the shore. He desperately hoped that Wufei would be there again.

He'd just have to wait and see.

Mathilda had been up altogether too late. Obviously something was keeping her that way, but Treize had been utterly impatient for her to lie down and sleep at least long enough for him to sneak out unhampered by efforts to keep him in. It had taken forever and ever and ever, so when he finally snuck out of the schloss it was at a carefully quiet lope until he was sure no one would hear him running. Then he'd made for the ocean as if his life might be at stake.

He had his little bundle of fruit wrapped up and he was so excited to share with Wufei, share anything he could. He raced to the rock outcrop, excited the whole time.

But he didn't see him there, not immediately, and his heart sank from his throat down to his toes. Of course he wouldn't be back again. They hadn't understood one another well enough to make arrangements. It only made sense. Terrible, disappointing sense.

And then there was a splash over near the rock outcropping, and Treize was absolutely certain that he saw the light flicker over black and green scales.

"Wufei!" He called it off softly, got closer to the rock, hoping sound carried in water from the air, and then there was another splash, and a third, and Wufei was pulling himself up onto the rock. He choked for a moment, and Treize was worried for him, but then he spat up water and seemed to be able to breathe again.

So he could transition; that made a sense of sorts, lungs for air and water, or gills? Gills for water, maybe, but he needed to be closer. "Hi." He waved when he said it, settling in on the rock.

"Tchraise." He seemed proud of himself. The sound was shrill, but he'd managed to say his name in the air, and that was fascinating.

"Yes. Hello, Wufei. I brought you fruit." He settled the wrapped package on the rock, barely about to keep from squirming in fascination. He could see soft fins now where he couldn't the night before, one of which rippled down his back with a sprinkling of scales. It looked soft, but when he reached out to gently place a finger on it, it wasn't soft at all.

Wufei made a sound that he thought might have been curiosity, head tilted to the side. His hair was long and Treize thought that it must swirl in clouds around him when he swam.

Treize rolled his sleeves up to show that he didn't have any, and then picked up a raspberry to offer to Wufei. "This is a raspberry."

When he reached out with webbed fingers, Treize could see that they ended in something more like talons or claws than fingernails. Wufei was infinitely gentle as he took it from Treize's palm, and Treize could see a truly impressive number of very sharp teeth when he raised it to his mouth and put it on his tongue. The immediate response was a trilling whisper, black eyes widening even more than they already were.

"Raspberry," Treize repeated, grinning, and handing him another one. "You were so kind sharing your fish, I thought you might like this."

He immediately put it in his mouth and began looking around Treize as if he might find more. The fact that he had made his friend so happy was a delight.

He offered him grapes next, enunciating the word carefully when he offered it. "I love fruit, and I read you shouldn't give aquatic creatures bread, but fruit is all right."

Wufei, as it turned out, quite like grapes. He also loved raspberries, peaches, and plums, although he seemed to reject apples with enormous prejudice. Possibly it was the texture. Who could say?

Apples did have a certain texture, not soft, squishy or juicy in quite the same way as the other fruits did. "It's good, isn't it?" Treize had started to learn that a certain sort of whistle-shriek was affirmative, and it made him pleased with himself right up until Wufei slid back into the water. It was an amazing, gorgeous sight, watching him slip under the water and disappear, just as fascinating as all of those teeth were. It was possibly the most amazing thing he had ever seen and if he never saw it again he was going to be heartbroken.

"Your highness!" The call was quiet, breathy from running as the stable hand came closer. "Your highness, they're awake. They're looking for you."

Oh dammit. Dammit! "Who's even awake at this hour?" He scrambled to his feet, and slipped off the rock on the dry side, leaving the cloth he'd wrapped the fruit in where it was. He wanted to say goodbye, he wanted to communicate something, but Wufei was safe and gone beneath the waves.

Breath caught, the other boy stood straight. "Mathilda, so they say. If we cut through that way, we can come at the schloss from a better side. Not so close to the ocean."

He started to jog in the direction that he had gestured, and then broke into a run, because he would rather be caught in the woods at night than down by the ocean, feeding a merman. "Dammit. Thank you, I'll make this up to you."

That wild laugh was fun for him, though. It was nice to think that perhaps he now had two friends, one pelting along beside him. "Just keep being like you are. It's nice to have someone around who breaks the rules."

That damn nanny. Why did they suddenly need a nanny? He laughed, and tried to run faster, grinning and enjoying the transition from rocky sand to forest, a familiar footpath through the undergrowth that fed closer to the castle. He wanted to see Wufei again.

He would find a way to see Wufei again.

He had mastered ballroom dancing and formally moved up in his fencing practice. He had also been declared to be the love of his niece's life as he had dutifully taken her around the dance floor for the waltz, and the polka at the dance that had opened the holidaying season before their small cadre retired to take up residence in the summer castle.

Treize hadn't wanted to go, because he knew he would never see his merman again, and the disappointment was more than he could stand.

The schloss was as bright and airy as always, and it wasn't long before his mother was altogether done with his sulking. "For heaven's sake, Treize, go outdoors. Find something and practice your archery. Just... go and stop brooding. It's unattractive."

Archery wasn't bad, and guns were much better, but his uncle was a gun man and he had taken the time to teach Treize about aiming and hunting. Archery was seen as somehow a more noble pursuit, though Treize considered it less useful and kept to his gun practice as well. "Fine. I'll go and catch myself a rabbit, then. That might take a while."

His mother waved him off as if it were just that simple. It was these days, because everyone seemed to have decided that he was That Age and it was easier to let him wander and be sullen elsewhere.

That was fine. The summer Schloss was an excellent place to go, be miserable and sulky, so he headed off into the woods that overlooked the ocean. He wished there was a way to... know. Just to be sure of things, to have some idea of whether Wufei might still be there or if he had just been some strange figment of Treize's imagination.

Ugh, he just wanted to know.

The forest was heavy with summer until he broke through near where he'd last seen Wufei. The breeze coming off of the sea seemed to make everything fresher, and Treize breathed out a sigh.

He slowed down, loping closer to the rocky sand of the shore. It was far too early to see anything, but he wanted to sit out in the sun and sleep.

Just in case.

The warmth of the sand beneath him, the coolness of the breeze, the sun bright ahead and blocked out by the hat his mother had made him wear all combined. Once he was comfortably ensconced, he did doze off for a while.

It was very relaxing, and he felt better when he woke up, even if his feet were a little cold and damp. He supposed he could go chase rabbits for a while, and then try again when the sky was dark. He'd at least gotten himself his own rooms, sans nanny. Something about the difficulties of teenage years, as his mother put it, which made him scowl. As if he were all that difficult.

The sun was low in the sky and he was fairly certain that he'd managed to get burned despite his hat and the long sleeves, but he did feel better and less cranky as he made his way back to the schloss. Time alone seemed to work wonders that way.

He swung by the stables to pick a horse for himself for the next day, when he might feel more like dragging Vingt out with him or maybe just whatever he could muster for a long ride. He was fairly certain that the stable master's son was still there, and he'd certainly proven himself to be a more than adequate companion last summer.

Plus Treize knew he could keep a secret, and that meant something.

The stables were as they always were -- well kept, but still smelling of horse shit and hay and the leather of well-maintained saddles. His favorite bay mare was in her stall, too, and she scuffed the stall floor with her hoof in greeting before beginning to press her head closer to him, clearly hoping there would be an apple or a sugar cube in one of his pockets.

He had a bit of carrot, and that disappeared easily into her mouth while he petted at her ears and mane, fingers gentle. "You're a sweetie. Yes. We'll go riding tomorrow." And possibly the day after or most every day if it got him time alone.

"I see you're back again." Ah, and there he was, the other boy grinning at him wildly. "Your highness."

"I'm back again," he agreed, flashing him a grin. His stepfather disliked how friendly he was with the staff. "Don't suppose you'd come riding and rabbit hunting with me tomorrow?"

"So long as it's after morning chores, I don't see why not." His stepfather could keep right on disliking it. He didn't care.

"It will be. I plan on going out late." That could be taken many ways, and he liked to keep things ambiguous, as he mulled that over. He'd given a lot of thought to Wufei, the possibility that he might move with the temperature of the water, that he might never come back there.

"Ahh." That was a knowing look, altogether too knowing. "You're hoping he's back." The stable hand shrugged. "I got curious. It's a personality flaw."

He wished the boy didn't know about his secret, but he'd saved Treize from being caught at the one thing his mother dreaded the most, so he nodded at the stable hand. "And?"

"And he got back a couple of weeks ago. Been out there every night. He keeps giving me dirty looks, like he's expecting you or expecting me to bring something. I don't know what." The other boy shrugged.

That was the best thing he had ever heard, and he caught himself ruffling his favorite horse's mane in glee. Yes, he would bring him fruit that night, and then perhaps he would catch him a rabbit just to show off. Different from fish, something new. "Ah, that's great news."

"So. Rabbit hunting tomorrow, then." The boy tapped his nose and smirked. "And when I was in the kitchen, they said you had your own rooms. I've oiled the hinges on the door closest, the one that comes out the north side into the courtyard."

"That is terribly kind of you." He leaned into the horse and sighed, trying to tamp down his excitement. "Yes, rabbit hunting tomorrow for sure." Now that he had something to look forward to, oh yes. Something wonderful, and he could barely breathe for it.

His merman had come back to find him.

He would have to raid the kitchen for raspberries.

He had been so excited that it wasn't even a risk that he might fall asleep before it grew dark enough to sneak off. It was a relief to jog down to the rocks, once he was sure he'd been checked on in his rooms, his collection of fruit tidied into a loosely knotted fabric bag.

Wufei wasn't there when he arrived. Treize supposed that was only fair, considering he'd often been the one who came late the previous summer, so he settled on the rocks and began spreading out the things he'd brought with him -- mostly fruit, but also bits of cheese and some raw vegetables that he thought Wufei might like. He wasn't entirely sure what he ate beneath the sea aside from raw fish, so it was all a bit of guesswork.

It wasn't too different from the courtship rituals he'd seen in the spring, where men brought girls flowers and treats and drinks and attention -- that was what life was, wasn't it? Offering people nice things because one liked them. He didn't know what his stepfather had offered his mother, once upon a time. Surely it must have been something nice or she wouldn't have married him. After all, she'd loved his father very much and he hadn't been long dead when she'd re-married.

A faint splash caught his attention, and Treize looked up. The moon was bright the way it had been the first night he'd snuck out to the shore last summer, but this time he knew what he was looking for -- Wufei, a flash of dark tail that he could just barely make out in the water.

Another splash, and he leaned forward, elbows on his knees, staring hard at the water so he didn't miss a thing, so he could see Wufei coming closer beneath the surface. When he did, it was almost startling, because he breached up to his waist, the scale patterns on his belly and arms immediately recognizable.

He was breathtaking.

It was the interplay between green and black, and blended in with his paler more human-looking skin. He had so many questions, about how and when and what, but it all washed away as he waved hello to Wufei, watching his dark hair stick down to his head for a long moment.

"Hello." The voice was still shrill, still painful with strange melodics lying beneath it, but he said the word so clearly! "Tchraaaise."

"Hello, Wufei. It's so good to see you!" And he said hello, and that was just.... amazing, as Wufei swam closer, while Treize leaned forward. He could hardly keep his excitement in check.

When he laughed, it was otherworldly, the sort of thing that belonged more in fairytales than there on the beach. Wufei reached the outcropping of rock where they had normally met and pulled himself onto it effortlessly.

He watched, drinking in the sight of Wufei. Taking in his lean long torso, the massive muscular tail, his fins and spines, and the glitter in his eyes when Treize offered him a raspberry. It was no surprise when he took it immediately and pushed it into his mouth, making something a bit like a hum for him, or possibly like a shrieking cat if compared to above-ground creatures. Treize wanted to put his face in the water and listen to the beauty of his voice beneath the waves.

Now that he'd heard it, he knew very well why people said that sirens lured men to their deaths, and he knew precisely how. Wufei's hand was out again, black eyes hopeful somehow, and his smile, his teeth, weren't threatening in the least. "Mmmmmuuurrr?"

It was hard to suppress his grin as he offered him a plum, and scooted closer. "I am so happy you returned." Delighted, and Wufei was eyeing the plum thoughtfully rolling it in his talon-tipped fingers.

He raised it to his mouth and bit into it, the juice spilling down his chin as he made a sound that seemed disconcerted. It was delightful and he was just so beautiful sitting there that it made Treize's heart clench in his chest.

He popped a small bite of cheese into his mouth, grinning at Wufei. "Do you have family who come out here with you?" He thought for a moment how he might mime through it, even as he said it, and pointed at Wufei and himself and then out at the ocean and decided well no that probably wasn't getting anywhere.

"Fizzzh?" Possibly he thought that Treize was hungry. He was busily eating the plum, though, and trying to lick the juice from his fingers and hand. His tongue, at least, looked mostly normal although it was a lot pointier than Treize's.

"Uhm." He waved his hands slightly, and just watched for a moment, fascinated. Oh that was distracting. He gestured to Wufei and himself and held up two fingers. Two fingers. And then he pointed back out to the ocean and showed four and then both hands and made a questioning noise, and a shrug.

"Mmmmurrr?" More meaning give me more or more meaning was that the question. Treize didn't even know. Wufei pointed at him, then pointed at himself and held up two fingers. Then he held up all five of the fingers on his left hand and waved an arm at the ocean.

"Huh." So more, and it was hard to tell if that was multiplication or it was logarithmic. "That's amazing." Or was it five or ten in his immediate family? Treize pointed back to the castle, and held up four fingers, and then all ten.

Wufei nodded and then gestured at the ocean again, flashing all ten of his fingers, as well. So yes, it probably did mean five of his immediate family, or perhaps just five people in his... was it a school? How did one refer to merpeople in the plural, Treize wondered. "Uhmashinnn." And then Wufei gestured toward the schloss.

"Yes." He grinned as he looked to the castle, and tapped his chest. "My family's summer home. I'll have to come up with a way to show you inside. We have horses and libraries." That was about the sum of civilization, wasn't it? He offered Wufei a good sized bite of cheese and watched him take it, wet fingers making it rub off against his skin. That earned him a strange little sound of distress, but Treize took a bite for himself and popped it into his mouth and hummed, so Wufei did the same.

It turned out that he loved cheese, too.

They worked through the snacks Treize had brought, and Treize had squirmed so close to Wufei that his trousers were damp. The tide was starting to come in, and he was starting to drowse as they talked, miming and gesturing about what was under the sea. Round things that were maybe igloos or nests, he wasn't sure, but the tall straight lines were impressive on their own.

Eventually, he found himself being nudged awake rather more forcefully than he would have liked, eyes blinking open hazily. Wufei gave a shrill coo and gestured to the tide getting closer to them. His scales were beginning to look altogether too dry for Treize's liking.

He leaned in, still not thinking clearly, and gently hugged him across the shoulders, careful of the spines across his back and neck. He felt warm and cool all at the same time and Treize didn't know how that worked. "Sorry. Tomorrow?"

That earned him a nod, and then Wufei pushed himself off of the rocks with a complicated little move, landing in the water and quickly rolling around in it, hair a soft black cloud that slicked down when he came up again. He waved, the goodbye wave that they had come to give one another, and it was terrible. Treize didn't want to go. He wanted to stay, he wanted to go with Wufei and see whatever it was beneath the sea that he called home.

He wanted to, and he would find a way. Somehow. He watched him go, watched the sheen of his scales slip away under the moonlight, and got himself to his feet to walk back to the castle. Everything felt magical, unreal, as if there might be fairies watching him from the forest, waiting to give him some kind of terrible gift. Even that thought didn't bring him off of the cloud he was on, and he began to dance, a quick and impetuous sort of half-waltz because he was utterly giddy with it.

It was such a shame to have to go, but he knew Wufei was under the sea, living in those wonders. It made it hard to walk through the woods to the castle, but he would live, because he would see him again and again, all summer. They would eat raspberries and cheese and plums under the summer moons, wax or wane, and there would be time to learn more of one another's language. He could hear Wufei beneath the waters again.

Everything was perfect.

His mother was dead.

That was the thing that kept worming its way around to the forefront of his mind no matter how many days had passed.

His mother was dead.

It didn't surprise him, but it did... tilt the world, he supposed. It didn't turn it upside down, but it pushed it over, because his stepfather had won.

He always won, and it left Treize bitter and sad and grieving, which the bastard didn't seem inclined to do in the least. He'd already taken to fucking the occasional scullery maid while he courted a girl who was barely older than Treize. Something about giving him strong sons, as if Vingt were nothing.

And it wasn't as if he brought anything into the marriage, as if any of the wealth or property was his. His stepfather’s older brother had inherited from their father, and his older brother was a bafflingly decent person.

It hurt Treize's soul.

Everything did just then. He was fourteen, his stepfather was a bastard, his mother was dead, and nothing about that felt right. The only comfort to be had was that at least he was being sent to the schloss by the sea on his own this year. His stepfather was too busy courting and he'd kept Vingt with him even though he, too, had wanted to go.

Vingt was being groomed for leadership and Treize was being groomed for war. He was supposed to go winter with his uncle, and drill and continue his studies with him. His stepfather was too quick with all of his plans.

And his mother was dead.

"Tchraise." Wufei was looking at him over the lip of their usual rock. The tide was in, which made it easier. He hadn't been there the first day, or even the third, and Treize had felt a little resentful of it. Hadn't he known that Treize needed him? Ah, but he was here early this year. "Tchooo shoooon."

"I know. My mother died." He hesitated, trying to remember if they had done the words for mother and father, and he remembered the word Wufei used for parents, and gone. So he used those for emphasis.

The concern was genuine, he knew. Wufei came up onto the rock beside him in a single lithe movement, and he had his arms around Treize before he even knew it was happening.

He hadn't seen Wufei for almost a year, and things had changed. The fins along his spine had become sharp, bony spikes protruding from them more prominently. If he hadn't felt so miserable, he would have wanted to touch them, to study what they were, to figure out how they helped Wufei move in the water.

Treize wrapped his arms around him instead, and tucked his face down, drawing in a slow breath, and smelling the warm salt smell Wufei had that combined somehow with scales and fish tail and all to be something memorable and important to him. He drew in one breath, and then another, and shuddered and tried not to cry. It was impossible, because everything was just so awful, and when he felt Wufei pulling away, he wanted to grasp at him harder.

Through the tears, Wufei was looking at him with concern, sharp-tipped fingers reaching out and gently touching his cheeks. "Ozshean?"

He sniffed, inhaling shakily. "Mourning. Tears?" The distraction of trying to come up with a way to explain it as he wiped at his eyes was almost enough to help him pull himself together. "Sad? Uh..." He frowned.

"Lonely," Wufei crooned in that sharp weird resonance he had, and where had he even learned that word? His hands were petting Treize now, gentle in every motion.

He nodded, sniffing as he leaned back in. "Lonely. My mother's dead. I missed you." He was sad and angry, and so glad to see Wufei.

An arm slid around him, and he hissed just a bit when one of the fins scraped sharply. It was fine. He would be fine.

His mother was dead.

He didn't feel better, per se. But being sent off alone for the summer had been good for him. It wasn't as if he would be any less alone if the whole family were there, though he missed his brother. There was nothing to do for that but to write often. He slept late, woke up, fenced, took lessons with his tutors, went out late hunting at dusk, not dawn. And then at night whether the sky was dark or bright, he went up to the ocean.

He still missed his mother. Their relationship had been strange, sometimes strained, but she was his mother. There was no good way to explain it, although he and Wufei had been making progress with sharing one another's languages. Sometimes he laughed because Wufei's teeth meant that he utterly mangled something and it frustrated him so much.

But his grasp of Wufei's language was poor, though he tried very hard. It was soft and lilting and lovely and Treize tried. But they could talk, and he was getting better at swimming now that there was no one from whom he needed to hide.

The moon was full, and those were his favorite nights -- swimming beneath the cool pale light of her beams, Wufei giving strange high pitched laughs and swimming around and around him. He never worried what might happen with Wufei there, never became concerned as to how far out they drifted.

He was strong; he could swim back, and he trusted Wufei, implicitly. He would suck in deep breaths of air, and dive down, so he could hear Wufei's wonderful voice, so he could see his hair swirl around his muscular sharp body.

It was exquisite to see, better to feel, and oh. He wondered how they mated, wondered if it was for life, and wished desperately that he knew the answers or could know them. He wondered if Wufei could tell what he wanted, and more than anything he wished that he could stay beneath the waves with him forever.

He kept having to surface, suck in air, but he dove right back down again as soon as he had enough, because he wanted to join him, just for a few hours. When Wufei spun past him, tangling his tail around Treize's legs, oh that was a wonderful feeling.

Even better was when he sang, just for Treize. It sounded like love songs, yearning and soft and only for him, and he never wanted to surface. He always wanted to be there, surrounded by Wufei's tail, his flowing fins, and the dark beauty of him.

And all he could offer Wufei was fragile skin that cut and bled sometimes on the most unexpected fins, words that were hard to say, and raspberries. It never felt like enough, and sometimes when they swam, he saw other shapes, fast and wild like Wufei, watching them.

Not so different from Stiles lurking in the woods some nights. That was what friends did. They looked out for one another and made sure that everything was all right.

Once he had gotten caught in a current, and he had thought that perhaps he would die, right there, because surely even Wufei couldn't catch up to him, and then there he was, pulled tight against Wufei as they both surfaced, and he didn't die after all.

He'd been fearless after that.

Treize wanted the waves to welcome him down, wanted to stay there forever with Wufei, and every evening it was with regret that he returned to the shore. Depending on how the tide was, Wufei would or wouldn't come with him. He understood the tides better, naturally now that he was spending so much time there. They made sense, a pattern of life, and he could tell when the moon pulled it this way and that, moving all that water, brought them moonbeams to dance in. And sometimes, they would sit on that outcropping, and kiss.

It was a dangerous proposition, kissing. At first, Wufei had thought Treize was trying to bite him, and that had been rather funny. Now it was just a question of how close they could get before Wufei's teeth became an unfortunate addition to the evening.

The answer was rather close, so long as Treize didn't care very much about who was likely to ask questions the next day.

He didn't care. Wufei seemed to be a closed mouth nuzzler, and that was interesting, too, a way of showing affection under water. He supposed it would've been easier if he had a tail. They could just wind around one another and nuzzle themselves into comfort instead of having to worry about teeth.

His mother was dead, but he was happy all the same now because at least he'd been sent to the place where he wanted to go, the place where he was adored.

That was happiness.

The castle was alive in a way he didn't ever remember it being before; not since ever in his memory, though part of that unraveling of the dust was the work of Chilias and the staff and his darling Cousin Dorothy, because they were throwing the ball to end all balls, to announce the union of the Peacecraft and the Khushrenada families. To Treize's eternal dismay.

It wasn't that he hadn't known he'd be married off to whomever would bring the best deal to the table; it was just that he had at least expected that one of them would be female. After all, the Peacecrafts surely needed an heir, and it wasn't as though Treize could provide them with one.

He had a rather nice dick, and he was fond of it when he had alone time that wasn't otherwise occupied. But to blatantly write him off and arrange a marriage to the prince was ridiculous, and clearly a power move by both families to get rid of their most useless heirs in a polite way without having to dig shallow graves under an apple tree.

Still, it wasn't at all what he wanted to do with himself. What he wanted and what he was told to do were, of course, completely opposite things. Still, his stepfather wanted rid of him and so rid of him he would be, regardless of what Treize thought about it.

Cousin Dorothy didn't seem impressed with it, either.

"He's pretty," she had told him, a gleam in her eyes. She was so young to be so cynical. "But he's too caught up in himself to be married to you."

She was younger than Vingt, and so terribly jaded already. "I don't need to marry. This is ridiculous."

"I agree. You should marry me." Which was quite a proposal coming from a six year old.

He laughed, and dropped a hand lightly to lift her chin. "You're beautiful, and whomever you marry should be either your equal or someone you can crush."

"If it cannot be you, then it must be the latter." She smiled up at him sweetly. "Excuse me, I must see to Princess Relena's stay."

He watched her go, and circulated over to the wine tray, helping himself to a glass and watching the young blond man with his coterie of admirers. Treize did well enough in the court events, but he was feeling angry to have it intrude on his place.

This was his place, the place where he was happiest. The place he saw Wufei and spent his nights swimming in the ocean, his days napping between sessions with his tutor or fencing instructor, and it should be sacrosanct.

Now he had at least a fortnight with this invasion, encroaching on his precious time. The man had perfect teeth, it was just intolerable. and what would his life look like if he went through with the marriage? It was clear that he enjoyed being the center of attention, and what sort of name was Mirialdo, anyway?

He just wanted a quiet night to himself and all of these people gone. It was bad enough that he was betrothed, but this was somehow worse, and he was expected to present himself as the life of the party.

Well, he could feign it with the best of them, as his mother had clearly managed after his father's death. He tossed back his drink, grabbed another for himself, and started to force himself to socialize. The sooner it was over, and the less attention he drew to himself in the process, the better.

Even if he had to speak to his new betrothed at some point.

Wufei was waiting for him at the outcropping of rocks when he finally made it out of the castle two nights later.

"You're late." His voice still thrummed with the shrill undertone, but he had some of the language down quite a bit better, and he mostly managed when the consonants weren't too complex. Breathy letters like F and S were still difficult for him. "I misshed you."

"They've been holding the party. It's been a party to celebrate a betrothal announcement." He couldn't help the frown that was stuck to his mouth as he got closer, eager to join him. "I didn't want to bring them out here by accident. I do, though, have cherries and cheese." And an urge to slip into the water as soon as he could.

Wufei swam closer and smiled at him, all sharp teeth and black eyes. His dorsal fins had grown a bit more since last year. "I like thoooshe."

He sighed, closed his eyes, and let himself relax, leaning over the edge as he settled in, to reach and take Wufei's hand. "I missed you so much. It's been a terrible year. How has your time been?" Time, time had been a terrible concept for them both to agree on, but they had gotten there with sticks and marking moon shadows.

"All time without you iszh long, beloved." If Treize didn't know any better, he would suggest that someone had been reading romantic poetry to him.

He was quite sure someone was, just because Stiles would find it quite funny later on. He'd moved up from stable lad to head groom and so he didn't have as much time for sneaking around with Treize as either of them liked, at least not this summer. Normally things were a more laid back with a great deal fewer people in residence.

He was very much looking forward to all of those people fucking off and leaving him in his peace. The rock scraped rough and familiar as he laid down, reaching down to pet Wufei's hair. The tide was just starting to come in, and he could wait for Wufei to join him when it wouldn't hurt him to try to get up on the rocks. "I need to work out how I could join you. So we wouldn't be apart."

Wufei's mouth curved, and he leaned in to kiss Treize's palm. "Or I could zhoin you." But no, that wouldn't do at all. "I could vvviiind the mazhick."

He inched a little further, feeling his stress unwind and release every moment longer he spent there. It was enough to make a man weep, of knowing he was where he wanted to be after days and days of being kept from it. "You don't want to come up here. It's nearly intolerable and I was made for it."

"But you would be zhere." Which actually was quite the argument, Treize supposed.

"I would be. But I still need to find a way to get away from here. I'm the one who's going to be married off."

Wufei's brows drew together. "What izh... married off?"

He frowned, trying to think of a word to describe it. "Partnered? My family wants me to spend my life with this man. To unite our clans. I don't want to." So he needed to think of a solution, and Wufei joining him up there just meant they'd have to run.

Ah, that scowl was full of teeth. It would be frightening if Treize didn't know better. "No." No wasn't precisely the best plan, but he did agree. "Partnerzhipzh unwilling are no good."

"I'd rather run or swim away with you. It won't be for years, though." Still. Wufei was closer now as the tide came in, and he felt so much better. "Have you ever been partnered off like that?"

Wufei folded his arms on the stone and settled his chin on the back of a hand. "Yezh." He shrugged. "We were not zhuited."

"Just that." He edged in closer, and with both of them on the stone so close, it was easy to press arm to arm, smiling giddily. "I prefer you."

"Mmmm." The lazy nudge of damp to dry skin was familiar and beloved. "Yezh." Yes, and ah, that was a kiss on the tip of his nose.

He unfolded his gift of treats, and leaned in just a little closer, offering Wufei a cherry. "Do you want to go swimming?"

"Alwayzh." Always with him, there was no question, and Wufei drew back, longing to get him into the water sooner rather than later.

It was easy to strip off and leave their snacks beside the neat pile of clothes for later, slipping into the water with Wufei. Sometimes he wondered what Wufei thought of him, the strangeness of human legs compared to the solid muscle and freedom of a tail. He seemed to like it from the way he swam around, long tail silky and caressing as they came close together and then moved apart.

He loved the freedom and relief of it, tangling with Wufei and slipping under the water as he held his breath, so much better than stilted dancing. And when he did, Wufei would sing to him, words he couldn't always understand, but he didn't have to understand them to know that he was loved.

He was wildly upbeat after spending time with Wufei, clothes clinging to his damp skin, and hair wet as he walked quietly through the castle to get back to his room, clutching the king scallop shell Wufei had quite slyly given him after he'd guided Treize through diving down to the bottom of the near shore over and over, finding bits of other shells first. It was beautiful with bands of color ranging from dark to purple-tan, and on the inside it was creamy white and pink.

Treize loved it immediately and had carefully tucked it into the small satchel he had taken with him that had been full of cherries and other tidbits he had shared with Wufei. It had been a wonderful night, and he was looking forward to properly drying off and crawling into bed. He was not expecting to run into the Peacecraft prince on the stairwell.

"Well, hello." He was older than Treize by a good seven years, which quite frankly felt like an eternity. Treize hadn't been entirely sure that he hadn't seen sunlight flitting behind those eyes at one point. "You are a curiosity, aren't you?"

"Ah, hello." He wiped his hair back, and flicked water off of his hand. The man was wearing a dressing gown, and Treize could see bare legs and bare feet. It was a bit disconcerting.

"You know, when they wanted to do this whole betrothal lark, I was utterly offended. After all, you're just some little Prussian prince, it didn't seem at all appropriate. You're quite odd, though, aren't you? Brilliant and strange and roaming about the place all hours. Are you meeting a lover?" That dimpled smile was obviously an attempt to take the sting out of the statement.

"I went swimming," he said quite simply. It was clearly obvious, from how damp he was as he loitered with a hand on the wall of the stairwell. The man was strapping and blond, and it was annoying that someone looked so good. "It's my home, I do as I like. What are you doing up, my esteemed guest?"

Mirialdo seemed to dim a bit when Treize didn't automatically take to him the way everyone else seemed to do. "Searching for the kitchens, actually. It's bloody difficult to get so much as a bite in when everyone wants to talk to you, isn't it?"

"I do fine," Treize declared dryly, turning and tilting his head, bidding the man to follow him, as he turned to lead him to the kitchen out of politeness if nothing else. No one would accuse Treize Khushrenada of being a poor host, even when he was damp and giddy and exhausted.

"Oh, doubtless you do, lurking in the corners as you do." He didn't seem to realize how insulting he was being, honestly.

It made it impossible to flex his ire at the man, as he led the way down the hallway, idly holding his satchel strap as they walked. Why get angry at someone who wouldn't even appreciate it. "I'm accustomed to thoughtful company."

"Ah, you're a bit afternoonified, then. Well, m'sister will doubtless enjoy your company, she does take a bit of a cottoning to those who can offer her proper conversation." His sister was Dorothy's age, for heaven's sake.

Oh, what a word. It was the kind of word that made his lips curl back more than smile. "I see you've spent time with the English."

Mirialdo beamed at him. "I went to school there, in fact. Quite the proper education, though m'father would say I didn't appreciate it near enough, as fathers do."

"Ah? What did you study?" He led the man down one more stairwell, and it was warmer down there, because the fires had burned all day and the coals still smoldered in the fireplaces.

"Classics, for what it was worth. Lot of dead languages, so what's the point in speaking them, some would ask." Miraldo breathed in. "Ahh, smoked meats, excellent."

"I study law and mathematics; we might be small, but we have resources." Which was why his terrible stepfather had married his mother, and no doubt why they were looking for a choicer marriage for Vingt. Treize stepped out of the way to check the pitchers of water for a drink. Sometimes he felt as if he were going to become salt water. "And riding. Hunting. Do you hunt?"

That gained him a rather enthusiastic agreement. "I've a couple of lovely retrievers, damn fine spring spaniels. I do love a floppy eared dog." That laugh was a bit sheepish, almost as if he didn't know what to say to Treize, and maybe that was true.

Treize poured himself a glass of spring water, that tasted a little stale but still clean, and drank it as he watched Mirialdo make himself a plate. "Then tomorrow we will go hunting. We should learn a little of each other before you and your entourage leave."

"Excellent idea." The Peacecraft prince smiled at him, and it seemed a little less drafty between his ears when he did. "Since we're stuck together now."

"We aren't to be married in a quick fashion. That gives us time." Time to work out how he might be able to get beneath the sea. And stay there. "I do prefer my own company."

"Oh? But aren't you bored?" He had quite noticeably enjoyed having a group around him, Treize had noticed. It wasn't his style and never had been, so this was bound to be a disaster in the long run.

"No. I read, I ride, I swim, I spend time thinking of the challenges this tiny kingdom faces. I write to and with some of my allies in court, and am continually educated by them on how best to proceed. There is a great deal of scientific study to be learned and shared." He sipped his water.

That seemed to surprise Prince Mirialdo. "Oh? You don't have advisors who do all of that boring stuff for you?"

"Yes, but you talk to them and correspond," he pointed out, eyebrows coming together.

That smile did seem quite nice despite the fact that Treize was convinced there was nothing but fluff between his ears. "Perhaps I should be taking your lead on things, then."

"I don't know. Perhaps you should. Clearly your sister is the leading line for the family, hmn?" Why the man wasn't as bothered by it as Treize was, he didn't know. He hoped he was, and the way those lips compressed said at least something about it bothered him.

"Father prefers her, but she's young yet. She might not live to adulthood, and then there's only me." It was probably meant as a reference to possible accident or disease, but it sounded quite a bit darker to Treize.

"Then there's only you. Heirless." But married to someone who was cunning, and that was perhaps the plan. He didn't know what their families were thinking. It made his heart hurt.

"Well. That's their intention, I suppose." But not his, and perhaps Treize had mistaken the gleam behind his eyes. Perhaps it was sneakiness and not a lack of brain power after all.

"I'm sure you're very experienced." And he had only ever kissed Wufei, and tried to entwine himself with him, and that, that felt so very good.

"Ah, but where are my manners? Would you like me to make you a bite to eat, as well?" Less with the making, more with shoving cold slices of beef between slabs of bread, Treize thought.

Treize leaned over to take a piece of bread, and resumed his leaning, watching position. "Accustomed to having a stable staff?"

"And anyone else who seems so inclined. I keep a bit of fluff on the side. Doesn't everyone?" Guileless, that was the look he was going for and not quite managing. "An opera singer, all terribly scandalous to you, I suppose."

He shrugged, a lift and fall of his shoulders. "This is to be a political union, not a love match. If it amuses you, what do I care?"

"Precisely. It's good that we're in agreement." Something about it all made him shiver. "We won't interfere with one another's dalliances and we'll make this a union of conspiracy."

Treize lifted his glass of water in toast to the idea. "Then I'll have my dalliances with myself."

"As you like." The blond man stood and stretched, a long motion of hip and thigh and body that seemed meant to gain his interest. Treize supposed it might have done if he hadn't already been otherwise enamored. "I believe I'll take myself off to bed, then. Back the way we came, yes?"

"Back the way you came, yes. I'll tamp down the fires." And in the morning, he would have a word with Maud about that. Perhaps. For the moment he could move closer to dry himself.

It was funny that the night sea didn't leave him with a chill in his bones; just the air on the way back, and the stones of the castle itself.

He wondered exactly what that meant.

He had taken a bullet and been knocked from his horse, neither of which he considered brave comportment in a battle, but he had done better than his uncle.

He'd taken a bullet to his shoulder at the Battle of Sedan, and his uncle had taken one to the skull. With the French emperor captured, one would have thought it was over; the only reason he was allowed home was due to the injury, the loss of his uncle. He had ridden trains on his way home, and then finished the final leg by carriage until he was well enough to ride again.

It was late to be going to the summer schloss. It would be cold and the storms from the sea would be wild, possibly too wild to have any hope of Wufei still being there. Then there were the French blockades, although those had mostly been ineffective thanks to the coastal artillery batteries that had been built before the start of the war.

He desperately hoped that nothing terrible had happened to Wufei or any of his people.

Shells from those batteries fell down, after all. He had never before in his life put so much wondering thought into what went into the sea; bodies and goods, whole ships, weapons, anything foul that washed off from the cities to the rivers to eventually the sea.

Now that he was home, he needed to find a way to get to his rock, and see if Wufei was even there to be seen. He missed him, he missed the ocean, he missed not having nightmares.

Treize was just so horribly in need of rest and recovery. There were no adequate words for it.

Stiles had been waiting when he'd gotten to the schloss, and that at least was a relief. During the winter months, most of it was shut down with the family further south, but someone was always on duty to keep a watch on things. As it turned out, he'd even managed to scrounge up a doctor of sorts and a few staff members.

Treize didn't need much in his world compared to his peers, though he did require more than his uncle just then; he didn't require entertainment or someone to dress him. He just needed to stay alive and get enough energy for a walk down the woods, though the injury to his shoulder was warm and miserable, and his ribs hurt wretchedly every time he moved or breathed wrong.

"You aren't going to the shore," Stiles told him querulously. "Nope, nah, nada, nyet, nein, no way. You can barely get out of bed, much less make it all the way down there."

Why was he friends with the head groom again?

Ah. Because they'd both learned about merpeople when they were boys. He had made it down the stairs with little regard to how he was going to get back up to bed. The fires were just as warm downstairs, and everyone had always considered him an eccentric. "I have to try."

"No, you have to stay up here where it's warm and dry and you won't catch your death if that wound goes septic." His friend was scowling at him. "Fine. Go sit in the damned library. I'm sending everyone home. I'll go to shore, but you know he's probably gone for the winter."

"I know." He knew and he was miserable for it, because he had seen Wufei every year of their lives since he had met him, and everything else was cold comfort for him. He would have to wait until the next summer, if he lived that long. The war was ongoing, and he might as well stay far away, having done his part.

He found himself ensconced in the library with a sandwich and a fresh pot of tea, the fire going close by. Being by himself was a bit strange since he so rarely was these days, at least for the most part. He frequently found that there were people much closer by than he would have liked most of the time, so knowing that Stiles was sending everyone home just seemed strange. Good, but strange. Just a bit of peace and quiet, and if he warmed up enough and got up enough energy he could go down to the rocks and wait. Wait and hope, and it was probably a month too late and unsafe for Wufei to stay, so he understood it.

His heart didn't understand it even if his head did, though, and it made him so desperately sad. Sad enough that he was tempted to sit there and weep, because it might not help anything but he might feel better afterward.

It was some time later when he heard the strangest noises -- grumbling and bumping and something like... wheels?

"Stiles, what're you doing?" Was there anything he could think of that had wheels that belonged inside?

"Cursing your name. Not on the marble floo--! Ugh."

And then there came the screech of melody, his name, and Treize very badly wanted to run to the library doors and throw them open, run straight to whatever contraption Stiles had managed and fling himself into it. He got himself at least sitting up straight, by the time the doors opened, and he saw Wufei piled into a wheelbarrow with wet blankets, a sight that got him to his feet, though it was as bad a choice as coming down the stairs had been.

"Oh, for.. Sit down, for god's sake! I'm not wheeling this splashing merman into the library for fun!"

"Wufei. I missed you, I thought you had left for the season..." He sat back down, cringing as everything ached like buggery.

"You were not here." And yes, his command of the language and ability to speak seemed better. "I waited."

Stiles sighed. "Through the cold, and can you even make it to the winter haven now?"

Wufei shrugged. "Zho I will be very cold."

He didn't want that for Wufei, though he was so grateful to see him. "You waited for me." He was going to blame the fire for the flush of his face, and he was going to blame anything else that stood still for how it hit him with an almost dizzying joy and fear.

One talon-tipped hand motioned, something Treize couldn't quite understand. "There were many zhipzh, and men, and thingzh falling from above."

"We've been at war. We won. The other side doesn't know it yet. And the dead will never know." He moved to stand again. "Can't keep him by the fire, it's too drying."

Stiles groaned. "I hope you're not suggesting what I think you're suggesting."

"The mess with the thermal springs and the ocean water feeder for cooling off in the dungeons. At least I hope it feeds. There's probably a grate that will have to be pulled off." He walked close enough to touch Wufei, finally, because they did need to stay away from the fire, but he was damp and oh, he'd missed him. Missed him so much that it ached, but there was no one here to find him if they put him in the old springs, especially not with limited staff, and it would be safer and warmer than the winter ocean and the raging war.

Most importantly, he would be close. Treize could make his way down at night when everyone had been dismissed. He could even sleep there, if he liked; the springs kept it warm enough, surely, or... well. He'd figure out some sort of solution.

And it would give Wufei access to the ocean if he wanted. When he wanted. Treize reached out, knelt down by the wheelbarrow, and was just happy for the moment to touch Wufei.

With a heavy sigh, Stiles threw up both hands. "Fine. I'm going to get tools from the stables, try not to be yourselves while I'm gone."

"Thank you." He leaned in, feeling the soft slide of his hand over where skin and scales blended. Wufei had stayed. "They're still out there fighting. It's... useless."

"You are...." There was a word, something that came out in a painful tumble of sound, Wufei scowling. He pointed to Treize's shoulder.

"Shot. Injured. I took a bullet. And then I fell off my horse." That made him smile as he leaned in to Wufei, because it was absurd. "Lost more family. Vingt is safe."

Wufei was still frowning at his shoulder. "You are..." He seemed to be looking for a word. "Defended? Guarded?"

"Yes. Safe. We're safe here," he said agreeably. "The war's in another country and this will take months to heal." If it healed, so he was glad that Stiles had found a doctor in the village.

One webbed hand reached for Treize's shirt, pulling at it. Clearly he wanted to see the damage, and Treize didn't mind, but Stiles would be returning soon.

"Once we're down by the springs. We can get comfortable." He could undress without Stiles coming back to yell at him. He let him pull at his shirt, and leaned in, holding his arm awkwardly stiff.

By the time Stiles returned, they were awkwardly close, Wufei still petting gently at the injured area, Treize now sopping wet. "I said not to be yourselves," he sighed, and put the tools in Wufei's lap. "Come on. Let's get this done."

Treize struggled for a moment to get to his feet, feeling exhilaration and exhaustion in giddy equal shares. "I think this might work." It would keep Wufei from freezing in the deep cold waters and it would allow him to see Wufei whenever he liked. He wondered why he had never thought of it before, but he knew why; he preferred to be out there in the ocean with him.

"Beloved." Wufei settled back in his wheelbarrow as if he were royalty and it was his carriage.

It was a struggle to get down to the dungeons, and it needed to be better swept out but it was clean enough to serve, and warm and humid down there from the spring. The worry that it might be too warm was there, but they would work with that when the time came.

By the time everything was settled, they were all worn out. The grate to the ocean had been rusted over, and Stiles was soaked and cranky by the time they finished. "You'd both better be glad I like you is all that I'm saying."

"I'm very grateful." Some people would have tried to burn them both for witches, but Stiles was clearly not swayed by his fear of the unknown. And the rocks were warm enough that he could sit on them beside the wheelbarrow while Wufei was clearly judging if he found it acceptable.

Eventually, he seemed to declare it so and came swimming back to Treize on his rock. He nodded and looked up at Stiles, who was eyeing the wet blankets with a frown. "Thank you."

"Sorry for the mess," Treize remarked, enjoying the warmth, though it was different from fire warmth. Wufei would be able to get out and hunt, and then come back to the springs in the pool next to the ocean outlet and warm up as suited him. It wasn't perfect, but… Well. It actually was just a bit perfect. They had the rest of the winter together with no one to bother them, no one asking questions or giving him sly looks about when the wedding would be. No one making snide jokes about potential children.

Just peace and sanctuary, and no other people. Stiles left with his wheelbarrow of wet towels, and Treize sagged with relief for a moment, struggling to get his shirt off.

"Come here." He wondered at how Wufei's command of language just seemed to improve with time.

"I don't think getting wet will make it worse." Lingering around, listening to humans, or....? He stripped off, getting into the water that oh, that felt good. Not too hot, just warm enough that his muscles could appreciate the way it helped to loosen him.

"Come here," Wufei said again, fingers plucking at the bandages, a scowl on his face.

He had missed that scowl. "I thought I might die on the train here, before I could see you." Being unwell made him feel melodramatic, but now everything was looking up aside from the dawning horror on Wufei's face.

Possibly he shouldn't have said that, not in combination with the wound itself which was still rather disgusting, undoubtedly disturbing to see. It was somewhat less red around the edges than it had been, and the medic on site had fished the bullet out with clamps and then wrapped him tight. "It's a miserable thing."

Clearly, that little disturbed sound made his heart ache. It was still a shock when Wufei leaned in close and began to lick at it with his tongue.

"Oh, that's. That can't taste good," he half laughed, holding still for Wufei. It didn't stop him, and Treize didn't have the heart to do it, either. Surely it wouldn't get infected or Wufei wouldn't do it. Then again, they still didn't truly understand one another's biology, did they? It was a very strange sensation, not entirely unwelcome, and he shuddered as it went on. "What's, oh that's a strange feeling."

He wasn't sure what it was at all, even once Wufei lifted his head and looked at the wound with a certain amount of satisfaction. Nothing seemed visibly different, but it didn't hurt as much. How strange.

Then again, Wufei was something else, something more. That was better than laudanum. "Huh. That feels better. Thank you."

And when Wufei swam up beside him and whispered to him that he was safe, Treize closed his eyes and rested.

All of which, in the end, led him to where he was right at the moment -- desperately seeking a forest witch, sure he must be utterly insane because he actually hoped to find one, and absolutely determined that he would not under any circumstances marry Mirialdo Peacecraft. Oh, there had been secrets there aplenty, and Treize was bitterly certain that his stepfather doubtless knew all of them.

Treize wasn't sure what outraged him more -- the man's alliance with the French as the infamous spy Zechs Marquise during the war, or the fact that someone had mysteriously pushed Relena from a window at Sanc Palace.

Defenestration almost always had a political motive, and Treize had absolutely no doubts that this one did. Dorothy had even fewer, and had written him a letter full of invective and accusation that would have impressed almost anyone looking at it. That or horrified them, because Treize could only imagine what her mother would say.

There had been a lot of letter writing, and all of it set him more and more against the marriage, which he hadn't been enthused about to begin with. Adding to it that he planned to arrive in early summer now that the war was over and 'seal the deal', well. Never. More so after he had spent the winter with Wufei in rest and bliss.

Over his dead body it would have to be.

There was hope, though. The curse that his mother had learned at his birth surely offered something, didn't it? He'd found it tucked away in a book of poetry in the library. Of the sea you must beware, ne'er thy son bathe there, for in it lies his end. And if he grows entwined, heart to heart, vine to vine, know that he will search, road to lane and forest twain, and then his fate is cert. Held close by he who does not love, and thrice the cock will crow, ere the sea witch comes and brings him to his fate.

He didn't feel doomed. It was a relief to have Wufei, and he couldn't imagine how miserable his life would have been without his wonder. So it was nothing like a doom. Sea witch, that was ridiculous.

Then again, so was searching for a forest witch.

He'd been told where to go; Stiles had asked a friend of a friend, no one you'd actually know and had sent him off on what seemed like a rabbit chase. Treize enjoyed the woods; he did not enjoy looking for the path that wasn't a path to find the forest witch's house, because so far he hadn't had any luck, and he was trying to make it a methodical search.

Finally, after much too long on horseback, he was sweaty, dispirited, and quite generally irritated. What the hell did forest witches do, live in trees? Which actually gave him a bit of an idea, so he turned his bay mare and began to make his way back toward the schloss. He'd run across a huge tree in his search, and something twigged at him to suggest that was the place to be looking.

Fine. He would find the huge tree and knock on it to say hello, because hell. The Prince was going to arrive at the schloss and Treize wanted to be nowhere there to deal with him. He was done.

Of course, finding the damn thing was the problem. Treize went round in circles because he was absolutely certain of where it had been, only it wasn't there the first six times he went through the clearing. Fed up, he nearly went back to searching grid style but he determined to try one more time, and then there it was. Smack dab in the middle of the clearing, almost daring to appear innocent.

He rode up to it and dismounted slowly before he laid a hand on the wood. "Forest witch! I know you have to be around here!"

Treize hadn't expected anything to happen. Not really. Who would, after all? He nigh on jumped out of his skin when he heard a low mellow voice speak from behind him. "Hello again, your highness."

He turned, feeling surprised as he looked at the doctor Stiles had brought to him in the fall. He was a tall older black man, and he spoke with the most fascinating accent. "Hello, Doctor. Are you...?"

"Mmm, yes. I fear that our Mr. Stilinski is quite incapable of keeping anything like a secret. Do come in." One hand waved and a door appeared leading into a nearby hillock.

He tried not to feel shock as he stepped away from the tree he'd been about to knock on. "Thank you. I had a request. I don't know if it's possible."

The good doctor raised a finger to his mouth and shushed him, glancing around as if to say that anyone could be listening, and it was quite true. Anyone could be listening, but Treize wondered why in all that was holy they would bother.

The inside of the place was like nothing he had ever seen before, and nothing he was ever likely to see again, truth be told. Treize didn't even know how to describe it except to say that it was scrupulously neat and tidy, everything in its place, with one exception -- a large black wolf in one corner, lips raised in a snarl.

"Don't mind Derek," Dr. Deaton advised dryly. "He's somewhat grumpy, as his situation is not entirely unlike yours."

"Not entirely unlike mine?" That was interesting, and wondered just how the doctor classed his situation. "I want to be a merman."

That didn't seem to surprise him. "Mmm, yes. Love does sometimes come in strange forms," Deaton declared. "Stiles still thinks Derek is trying to eat him, so if you could perhaps assist in assuring him that he won't, it would be much appreciated. In the meantime, I've been expecting your request." He gave Treize a knowing look. "That wound healed much too quickly for it to be a natural healing."

"Oh? Oh, I did wonder about..." The licking of the wound, but there had been a lot of other kinds of licking and some of the things Wufei had done with his tongue had nothing to do with injuries. "Hmn. I want to join him."

The man was looking through a cupboard. "You know, there's no turning back once you cross certain lines. I should warn you that merpeople are very long-lived."

He would miss Vingt, but he had a place in the world and Treize didn't. "Good. I want to be with Wufei for a very long time. There... by comparison, there's nothing for me here."

"Then take this."

This turned out to be a flask with what honestly looked like good whisky. He'd been expecting it to look more like sludge or... or he didn't know. Just something odd and not at all palatable.

"How long does it take?" He turned it in his fingers. He could take his time and tidy things up, write letters to everyone, and then take it, or he could simply disappear. He wondered what would hurt Vingt and Dorothy least.

"I wouldn't know," Deaton admitted. "No one has ever taken it before in memory. It could just as well turn the wrong half into a fish."

He chuckled at that, glancing down at the bottle. "Is that a way of telling me to think long and hard first?"

All that earned him was a mysterious smile. "You'd do well to take it under advisement, whether it is or not."

He inclined his head. "Thank you, Doctor. Thank you. If I can ever repay you..."

Ah. He knew that gleam in the man's eye. "Tell Stiles to stop avoiding the woods," he advised simply.

"I'll do that." He raised the bottle in half a salute, keeping it safe and close. "Thank you. You've just done a very kind thing."

"Or a terrible one." But it wasn't, and they both knew that. "Hurry home, your highness. I'm sure your friend is waiting for you."

"Yes." Yes, though now that the weather was turning and his health had recovered, they had headed out into the ocean at least once for a brilliantly chilly swim. He knew he would find Wufei in the pools beneath the schloss first.

He left the interesting building with a spring in his step. His mare seemed to have noticed, and so she danced all the way home, showing off for him almost as if she knew it would be the last time. It was a much better ride back than the grid search for the Forest Witch had been, and it followed him as he rode up the trail, and turned the corner up the hill to see a carriage.

Not just any carriage, either. That was clearly the Peacecraft coat of arms on the side, and the hair on the back of Treize's neck prickled with a sudden dread.

He tucked his precious bottle into the leather satchel he carried, and headed for the stables straight away. Of course he couldn't be allowed a calm chat with Wufei and time to write letters first. That would be far too easy. His life never worked that way.

The castle was beginning to blaze to life, which meant that not only was his erstwhile fiancé currently in residence but that he'd clearly rounded up a sufficient number of servants to serve his needs, where Treize preferred not a spartan life but a quiet one. Just enough people to keep the building up and warm and tended to, to keep the chickens and goats from going feral.

"Stiles!" He shouted for him as soon as he reached the stables, dismounting his lovely mare.

He came in from the tack room, a sharp frown on his face. "I'm guessing you saw that you have company."

"I am going to have to do a few things in a hurry. I found your friend -- he says you need to stop being afraid of the forest, and that the wolf doesn't wish to eat you like that." It struck him just then as sadly clever, delightfully so. "I'm going to write a letter to my brother and one to my cousin. Not sure where I'll have to leave them but please make sure they get to them. Send a courier."

"Of course. Immediately." He paused and bit his lip. "Did you, was it...?"

"I'm going to. I planned to do it more leisurely, but." But plans and reality, and at least he had it. Now he just needed to slip into the castle, into the library or his rooms, write, and then go to the ocean. There was no time to waste.

Stiles nodded sharply. "I'll be around to check on you now and then, yeah? Make sure no whales have swallowed you whole." Reaching out, he clasped Treize's hand, then pulled him into an embrace. When they parted, their eyes were both suspiciously damp. "Go, your highness. I'll take care of the mundane details, as always."

"Thank you. Thank you. I, thank you." He was going to be able to be with Wufei now and he couldn't quite express the depth of gratitude he felt for all of the help. He did pull away then, hurrying as inconspicuously as he could toward the side door that was closest to his rooms. Better not to go in through the front for obvious reasons, he thought, and he was quite right.

He snuck up the stairs and grabbed two sheets of paper and a pen to dash off hurried notes to Vingt and Dorothy. He loved them, and he wanted them to know that he loved them, and that he wasn't suffering and he hadn't done anything rash, but that he was leaving and he wouldn't be able to see them again. That he was happy where he had gone, and not to waste time looking for him. They needed to know how happy he was, though, free of the responsibilities he had never wanted in the first place. It wasn't the well thought out letter he had hoped it would be, but perhaps they would correctly feel his reassurance.

He could but hope.

By the time he had them in envelopes, each addressed with their names on the front, he was ready. He reached for the potion and went utterly still when a knock sounded on his door. "Treize. I'm hoping to see you."

"I've got plans for my day, so perhaps we can talk later." Dodge, and be rude, that was always a good solution.

"Darling, turning me away isn't the thing to do." The knob turned, and bugger. He hadn't locked himself in and he should have. Mirialdo observed him coolly. "Drinking alone? My, my."

He waved his letters as if to defend himself. "And finishing my mail. I can recover from my war wounds however I like, prince."

"Indeed. Well, perhaps we should drink together, then." Which was, quite frankly, a panicking sort of thought.

He shook his head, setting the letters down and getting to his feet in an idle way. "No. That was a gift from a friend. I'm saving it. What can I do for you?"

Blond brows rose sharply. "I would have thought you might like to see me, all things considered. After all, it's been some time."

"Mmm. Some few months, almost a year? I caught a bullet at Sedan, I'm sure you heard from your French connections." He flashed Mirialdo a smile.

Perhaps he shouldn't have said that. Almost certainly he shouldn't have said it because the look that earned him was hard. "What did you say?"

"You're marrying into a family which supports the North German Confederation with unquestionable loyalty. We paid dearly in support of overthrowing Napoleon." It made his jaw clench, watching his would-be husband. His stepfather had thrown him away for this, a traitor who wanted to play both sides against the middle, and who, by all accounts, had tried to murder his own sister.

"What did you say?" The darkening look on Mirialdo's too handsome face told him everything he needed to know, and Treize's heart was in his throat. If he could just goad him into the room and make it past him....

Treize carefully unstoppered the bottle. It smelled of fresh air and salt, and he felt a wave of relief come over him as he lifted it to his lips to swig it all down deeply, not daring to waste a drop. "I said I know you're a spy. Everyone knows it. The whole court knows it."

And ah, that fury was wonderful to see. It made him feel vicious and pleased with himself for a moment, and he started to move, giddy with everything, wanting to make it to Wufei and the sea, but something was happening. It was too fast, he realized, and he cried out in agony.

It was unbearable, sharp, like being needled full of bullets, and he started to run then, because he knew his only hope was to get down to the dungeon and the springs, the ocean vent. Pain gave him the strength to dodge past the man, starting to run down the stairs.

Footsteps behind him, and there was so much pain. He wished that he had known to expect the pain because it was blinding, and something was happening, something that made him pitch headlong down the last five or six steps, crying out with each jounce.

He staggered up, feeling muscle flex and then dragging himself to the door to the dungeons, panting and crying out. Everything was too hot and it was a struggle to breathe.

"From what hell pit did you come?" Mirialdo asked behind him, voice raw edged and, yes. Yes, that was fear, and how odd that anyone would be afraid. Treize had never been.

He howled agony, clawing at the door because he was so close. "Help me, help me, I need the water..."

"You need an exorcism."

Ah, fuck. Fuck, fuck.So much pain, and it was hard to breathe, so hard, the light going dim around him.

"Please, the sea..."

Three days.

Human days were so strange, but Wufei was accustomed to the calculation. It wasn't quite on the same calibre as his own, but they were terribly primitive. It couldn't be helped, not any more than he could help falling in love at first sight with one of them.

Meiran had been utterly merciless in teasing him, of course. They'd been raised together, both gone into the same sort of studies. Humans would call it witchcraft, but they weren't to blame for their lack of knowledge. The Goa'uld had quite efficiently enslaved them all straight into the Stone Age, and they hadn't been far past it to start.

But ah, his young man was brave and firm hearted, sweet in his curiosity and openness. The more he got to know him, the more sure he felt that he could adjust well to a less primitive existence. He had the mental flexibility to thrive beneath the ocean.

But three days. That was too many when he knew Treize was there in the castle.

"Are you sure this is the best idea?" Meiran was scowling at him from her nearby lab station. "You're going to fundamentally change your DNA. It will be extraordinarily painful."

He glanced her way. In some ways, they were difficult to tell apart -- both with black and green scales, although hers were edged a bit more with blue. Their parents had planned for them to be mates. It was fortunate that they had proven to be incompatible. No one needed sibling-like bickering in the midst of their mating. "The pain doesn't matter. Finding him does."

"He's all squishy and soft, and you know he's been stupid before." She sighed as she checked her settings. "And we'll have to turn you back. It's going to be disgusting."

"Something is vitally wrong," Wufei replied, voice falling sternly. "He always meets me in the lower levels of his stronghold. It's been three days."

"All right, all right. Just remember, this will only last for a day or two at the most, and more likely it will be less. You need to be back to the ocean by then, before your DNA reverts. Are you ready?"

Wufei took in a deep breath, the ocean salt filling his gills, and then let it out. "If you've the pod prepared then I am."

"The pod is ready." She hadn't teased him about his soft squishy love, not since his anxiety about his missing presence had become palpable. And now she had the pod ready for him. He swam to it and settled in, ready for the terrible shock that he knew was coming for his system.

When it came, he screamed. Screamed, because he'd known it would hurt, but by Poseidon, he hadn't known that it would be this bad. The notes left by Janus had definitely underplayed it, but it was worth the pain. It was worth every ounce of agony, even as it left him a shuddering wrecked mess.

Oh god and the water was so cold! So cold, burning cold, and he thrashed at the agony of his senses, trying to whip his tail within the pod and just finding it terrible. There was no tail.

There were legs.

He could hear Meiran talking to him, telling him to calm himself, and he tried desperately to get hold of everything, everything that felt so wrong.The water was being emptied from the pod, and that was a relief. It helped some with the cold even if he found himself sputtering as she flooded it instead with oxygen. "Scheiße." His voice sounded raw. It was one of Treize's words, not Lantean.

Everything felt raw, terrible and broken. He could see Meiran on the other side of the pod, and then she waved at him as it disconnected. It would be the least complicated way to get to the surface, and certainly a great deal less noticeable than any of the puddle jumpers.

Settling in, he began stretching, trying to tense his muscles and become accustomed to the pain. He had a feeling that never really happened -- that it was all agony and then more agony later. Wufei wondered how the earth walkers managed to bear it. Did everything hurt all the time and they just didn't talk about it? Or perhaps that had been why he was so heavily warned.

The trip to the surface was unremarkable if longer than he would have liked, and it left him to contemplate where he would look first. The castle was the obvious place, but visiting the stables seemed more likely. Stiles would have a better idea of where to look than Wufei did, and so he nodded to himself because that sounded like the best plan.

When the pod hit the shore, he started to move again; popped the hatch and moved to cover it with seaweed and refuse, pushing it higher up the shore so the tide wouldn't touch it, just in case he needed it on the way back, and then made for the castle.

Every step was agony. It felt as though his bones were made of sharp shells, digging and stabbing at him all the way. His spine felt wrong, and his hips were razors digging into him, his knees and feet disastrous sharp things that would never feel right.

He was so glad that he would go back to normal soon. It felt impossible and weird and he understood why humans wore cloth to protect them from the world. He started the agonizing walk up through the woods to the stable beside the castle, frowning and wincing at every step. He was never doing this again, not once, not ever, and when he finally made his way through the forest, he was intensely grateful. Wufei knew that Treize was in dire straits; if he hadn't been, then he would have met Wufei by their outcropping of rocks three days ago.

There was no reason for him not to be there. He had sat out the rest of their war and there was no indication it was coming close. The stables, which he had seen in passing that one time, had a smell that was impossibly bad as he started to look around for Stiles the helper boy. He didn't know what else to call him, and it didn't matter, not really. Those were human concerns, not Lantean ones.

"Hooooly shit, what the... Why are you naked in my stables!?" Ah. There he was. He stormed toward him, and watched the stable boy flinch, throwing his arms up for a moment before, "Holy shit, Wufei. Here, I gotta, dammit, let me get you clothes."

"Where is Treize?" Even his voice sounded strange and human. It was bizarre and disconcerting in more ways than he cared to express.

"Well. His fiancé showed up and I think he's locked in the bathroom. The guy has all his own guards and people here, and I can't do shit about it." Stiles looked supremely uncomfortable as he headed into a stall to grab a bag. "Here."

Here proved to be a bag full of clothing like land dwellers wore, and Wufei made a face. It was uncomfortable and itchy to him. "Why?"

"They had a fight, I think. Treize took the potion and fell down the stairs. Or the other way around, I don't know, he -- he found the forest witch." Stiles crossed his arms over his chest, and that was a guilty expression if Wufei had ever seen one.

Wufei tilted his head to the side. "He would have found Deaton even if you had not led him there."

"Oh you know him? Of course you do." Stiles made a face at him. "Put the clothes on. He was trying to get to the dungeon to get out, I think. I haven't seen him, though. It's all a wild rumor."

Grimacing, Wufei began to pull on the itchy clothing, struggling to figure out how to make them work with his legs. What sad creatures humans were, that this was how they lived. It wasn't any life, not really, and he was glad that Treize had proven to be more adventurous, that he had not wanted to restrict Wufei's freedom. "We've had the bastard storming around accusing all of us of blasphemy, though, so I can make a couple of guesses."

Wufei nodded, struggling with the fasteners until Stiles gave a sound of annoyance and reached out to do them himself. "Take me to where he is."

"Hello, fine guards from Sanc, here is my toothy friend, he's here to see his boyfriend." Stiles seemed to be talking to himself, making a frowning face as he finished with the cloth things. "Let's see how close we can get."

"If we do not get near, I will bite them." Which didn't seem unreasonable as a solution. "They will fear me."

"Buddy, I fear you. How are you -- legs. How?" He unfolded his arms from his chest, and then moved to get the carrying contraption he had used before.

"Magic. I am a sea witch." Because humans never wanted to know that it was technology. They were afraid of both, so why not answer with something they expected and feared more greatly?

"Oh. Oh, like the prophecy said. That, that is fucking wild right there." And Stiles was frowning as he got his wheelbarrow. "C'mon. Let's just act like we belong here and don't smile at anyone."

Wufei couldn't imagine how he thought he would get his wheelbarrow inside; Wufei had been in it enough to know what it was called, at any rate, but he took Stiles's cue and followed after, body aching and screaming with every step, determination keeping him moving. He didn't ask about the prophecy, either, because whatever it was, it was bound to be preposterous.

Humans and their belief in magic, just absurd.

They ended up slipping through the kitchens, with both of them walking past an older woman who nodded to Stiles and didn't say anything. They kept walking, and he pushed the wheelbarrow up a couple of stairs and then out into a brilliant brightly decorated white painted hallway.

It felt a bit like being alone in well-chummed waters as sharks began to circle, truth be told. He didn't like it, and he could tell that Stiles didn't, either. The scent of fear coming from the human felt thick and he could taste it on the back of his tongue. It was palpable, and he didn't know what it meant other than that things had gone very badly for Treize. Stiles walked on, calm and defiant, turned down a hallway, and then to a door with a guard standing in front of it. He assumed it was a guard. He could hear, distantly, water noise, a light splashing.

Clearly they would have to go through that door to get where they wanted to be, and Wufei was absolutely certain that he would do anything it took to find Treize.

"Here, what's that for?" the man asked, scowling at them.

"Isn't it obvious?" Stiles grinned. "We're moving his highness." It was so strange just to hear outright truth, Wufei supposed.

"His highness is unwell an' the prince says he's not going anywhere, so bugger off," was the prompt reply, and Wufei was done with this conversation.

Despite the pain, he reached up, grabbed the man's uniform and opened his mouth, earning himself a startled hell before he'd even bitten him.

"Oh, oh Christ. Oh god, how..." Stiles's spike of fear was right there below the fresh iron taste of the stupid man's blood, and then he shoved at the door. Softly he heard a trilling noise, confused, incoherent.

He was going to kill more of them before he was done.

Wufei left the body where it laid, throat torn open, blood pooling. He stepped over it and followed Stiles into a room that seemed quite odd -- iron bits and white bits, something strangely like a pool but not, and there he was.

There was his human. Except he wasn't so human anymore. He was....

He was beautiful.

His eyes were wide, and bright bright blue, face a little longer, his hair wet and his tail and fins were beautiful, bright silver and flares of sapphire. There was a chain wrapped from his waist to his tail, surrounding all of it and attached to one of the metal structures. He looked too dry in the tiny pool.

"Wufei!"

Wufei was going to murder someone. Well. Someone else.

"I'm here. I'm here." He framed his hands around Treize's face, petting him, caressing him. "You're so beautiful."

"I missed you, I was trying to get downstairs..." He seemed confused, overheated, and he needed fresher water. Fresh ocean water. He needed to be unchained. Stiles was running water, grabbing things, cloths.

"I'm here now. We're going to take you from here." Who would even chain him into this ridiculous tiny pool when there were sufficiently sized pools in the lower regions of the place?

Stiles leaned in. "Hey. You have anything that could maybe pick a lock?"

Whatever that was, Wufei thought, and he shook his head.

Treize arched and twisted, pulling Wufei closer. "Everything hurts."

Reaching down, he petted short ginger locks. "Soon. We'll be to the ocean soon," he promised.

"Yeah, we might have to fucking smash it. Shit."

Shrugging, Wufei looked up. "Go to Deaton. Your mate is waiting there." That was possibly the wrong word, considering the look on Stiles's face. Ah, well.

"We have not got time to play find a tree with a corpse out there," Stiles hissed, standing up and then striding outside and over the body. Wufei blinked in surprise, because he didn't think Stiles would abandon them, and then he came back with a sharp object that Wufei presumed would help immensely.

It was massive, and curved; he swung it at the sculpture the chain was attached to, and broke it apart with a fierceness that didn't fit the skinny young man.

The chain went slack.

Quickly, Wufei began pushing at the chains, shoving them down as far as he could before Stiles sharply advised that they didn't have time for that.

"We've got to get moving before somebody shows up here," he informed fiercely.

Stiles moved to help Treize into the wheelbarrow, which was lined with wet fabric. He struggled, and Wufei saw scrapes on his beautiful tail scalesas he helped Treize into the wheelbarrow, a few of which looked as if they had been pulled out . "That bastard. That complete bastard..."

Wufei saw red. Absolute fury, and he kissed Treize's forehead as they settled him safely, using the fabric to cover his tail as best they could. "Let's hurry."

"He sealed up the dungeon so it's back out by the kitchen," Stiles warned, wheeling it backward and over the dead guard's leg with a jolt. He turned to push it forward, and Wufei felt relief that they were moving fast.

"We're going to get you out, love," he promised, hurrying as fast as he could manage beside them. "Everything is going to be fine."

And it would be. No matter who he had to kill to make it happen.

They almost made it to the beach.

Someone had to have come across the body in the hallway; Treize was just relieved to have cold damp pressed against his gills, even as he stared at Wufei and wondered how he was walking. It was amazing, and he had come to find Treize, he had--

But they hadn’t made it to the beach when Mirialdo caught up with them, firing a shot over their heads.

"Holy shit!" Stiles yelped, ducking, and Wufei stood there and blinked because Treize had never shot anywhere near the ocean, not even when he'd been hunting to bring Wufei treats.

"Run!" He didn't know if it was loud enough or if he really understood, because it was a having legs thing. He twisted in the wheelbarrow instead. "Don't shoot!

"Monster!" Mirialdo was aiming again, and Stiles grabbed Wufei, pulling him down with him. "Monster!"

Treize couldn't duck in a wheelbarrow, and he felt raw and glad of the damp, and like there wasn't enough air still. "Don't shoot! Let me explain!"

"He made you a monster, too! Tell me how to fix it, demon!"

"Oh my god we're going to die," Stiles said blankly, and then Wufei was up with a snarl, hands clawed as he moved forward.

Mirialdo fired at him again with the gun and then he had to reload. Treize hissed, "Now!" and wished he had legs just for that moment so he could run at the man.

Wufei moved, and it was a drunken sort of motion. Having legs clearly didn't agree with him, but he soldiered on, knocking down Mirialdo in a motion that was desperate and angry.

He fell on him in all senses of the word as Treize thought of it as he hissed and growled and tried not to fall out of his wheelbarrow because he could see and smell blood suddenly, and hear the prince screaming.

It made him hungry, that smell. Made his own sharp teeth grind together, and oh. Oh, how he wanted, suddenly, to help Wufei end him.

He coiled himself, testing what he might be able to do, and tried to spring out of the wheelbarrow, chains still wrapped around him. Wufei had brought Zechs down not far away, and the grass was damp from a rain. He dragged himself closer, hungry, not wet enough and thirsty.

Blood would do.

Would do and did, because he had stopped screaming, and Wufei was watching him with dark eyes and pleasure, gore dripping down his chin. "There, my love. The salt in his blood will help."

Far away, someone vomited. He swallowed and chewed, gasping and feeling such a relief to drink something that he wanted to sob, ripping at the man for his attempt to ruin him out of pure greed. Ruin them all, and why? His pride?

Treize didn't know. He didn't care, the only thing that was important was that he was here, and Wufei was here, and he was finally, finally, finally quenching his thirst.

"There, my love. There. You needed the salt of him. I'm sorry."

He heaved a breath, feeling ragged and too dry and tired, and he turned to look up at Wufei, so glad to see his beautiful face, even if the body had changed. "We need to be in the ocean. How do you have legs?"

"Magic," Wufei replied simply. "Or technology, but for earth walkers, they tend to be the same. Come. Let's get you back into the barrow."

He turned his head for a moment to lap at delicious blood from between cracked ribs, and then he moved with Wufei to get back into the wheelbarrow, feeling a little less at death's door but breathing hard still.

"Oh my god," Stiles moaned, and vomited again.

Wufei stood and watched him, frowning. "Are you unwell?"

"You ate him. You just, wow, I--" And then he gagged, and Treize swallowed, curling up sinewy against wet towels to rub his gills against the cold damp fabric.

"His fault for starving me." And leaving him alone in that tub with clean heated water.

"It's not much further." Wufei glanced at Stiles. "If you will bring Treize, I will take his corpse. He can be food for the sharks."

Stiles looked unwell, but he moved to grip the handles of the wheelbarrow and Treize closed his eyes to it for a moment, licking gore off of his lips. The wheelbarrow bucked and bumped along, and he could smell the sea air better, and he was so grateful. So incredibly grateful, and then the wheelbarrow stopped.

"We will have to tote him to the water," Wufei advised.

His friend let out a shuddering breath. "Just, y'know. Don't eat me."

Wufei shrugged. "I would not offend Deaton that way."

"I'd tried to get to the dungeon, but thought he might smash the bottle if I delayed." He'd been angry, so very angry. Treize tried to hold still when Wufei slid his hands under his arms, so he didn't have to drag his body over the rocks when everything already hurt hurt hurt. The heat settling in his stomach was good, and Stiles taking the time to unwind the chain from him, finally slipping it down past his waist and scraping against fins, was a relief when it was gone, so much so that he gasped and let out a shuddering whine when it was done.

"Soon, love," Wufei promised. "Just a few steps now. How do all of you use these terrible painful limbs? You'll find a tail much better."

"Always wanted to swim deeper with you." He very carefully didn't move, though he had a twitching urge to, and then he was in the water, carried a few feet out from the shore, enough to be laid out. That was almost magical relief, like the blood had been, and he stretched, and rolled to get deeper, watching Wufei.

"Thank you," Wufei murmured, reaching out to clasp Stiles's hand. "You'd best go straight to Deaton. Unfortunate, but they might blame the bodies on you."

'Yeah, that's a risk." Stiles shook his hand, still hesitant. "I posted your letters straight off, so they're already on their way, sir."

"Thank you." Everything was already better, even in the shallow water, and the pain was so much less. "I won't forget your help."

"Nor will I," Wufei offered. "If you ever have need of us, Deaton will be able to make contact."

"You know, I don't know what I might need merpeople for but I will remember it's an option. Like if I need to get my neck off the chopping block." He stepped back, gave them both a wave, and turned to run off.

It was safe to assume he'd been ready to run since the Prince of Sanc's people had first arrived. Wufei sighed and began wading his way onto the beach, grasping an ankle and dragging what was left of Mirialdo into the surf. "Give me a moment. I'll need the pod. I'll set it to a speed that will be easy for you."

"Pod?" He slid a little further back in the water for a moment and that was good. And then he saw it -- a metal and glass... sleigh of some kind, like an enclosed carriage but lighter and smaller without anything to draw it. It did have runners on the bottom, not wheels, and it was amazing.

"Pod," Wufei agreed, opening it and climbing inside. He didn't close the thing immediately, and Treize came closer, looking with amazement at the inside. There were buttons, and light that didn't come from candles. He had no idea what it was. "We're going to Telos. It is the sister city to Atlantis."

"The lost city. The lost city with its famed lost civilization..." It was even better than he had imagined it would be, to see such wonders and be with Wufei properly. "This is unbelievable."

It made the panic of the last few days ease away.

"Where we will live happily ever after." He leaned in and pressed a kiss to Treize's mouth. "Grab the remains. We'll leave them to feed something on the way."

It was easier to move them once he was in the water, and he ducked under, delighted by how far and widely he could see beneath the ocean, ahead of him and to the sides. He had always enjoyed hunting and now he had a feeling he was going to enjoy it more, trailing the bloody corpse of his betrothed behind him as the pod entered the water.

Whatever was to come, it would be wonderful.

And he really did think that they would live happily ever after.