Touma- What was that about this one coming along faster? Look what you've done to Seiji!!
Seiji- (0)__(0)
Ping- ^^* And this is my shortest chapter EVER!

Warnings: Serious AU, Lemon
Pairings: SeijixTouma (SagexRowen)

Disclaimers: The characters belong to somebody else. All changes in tense are mine.

This fic is dedicated to Kyoki! This is yours, hon, like it or not. I'll try and hand Seiji and Touma to you on a lubricated silver platter, but we'll have to wait and see. ^-^

*************

Chapter 8

*************

"We have a visitor, sir."

The messenger left after a nod. Miko sighed, getting out of his chair. Exiting his tent, he slowly walked to the fire, sitting across from a hooded figure. Deciding to get straight to the point, Miko skipped all niceties. "You have something to say?" He inquired.

"Yes." A raspy voice replied over the crackling of the fire. "Your prince is going to die at dawn."

Shocked gasps reverberated all around the camp as the word spread, and the men saddled up, ready to ride towards the capital. On his horse, Miko turned to ask more from the visitor, but he was gone. Looking around for the stranger, but seeing only the barest pink of daylight, he turned his attention to the matter at hand. Rallying his men, they rode off, trying to beat the sunlight.

'I knew we shouldn't have abandoned you, Prince Seiji... We're coming, and they'll pay!'

**********

Seiji, bound, gagged and bleeding, was dragged into the night, his sore, beaten body shivering in the early morning air. Roughly pushed along, Seiji followed, helpless to do anything else. He groaned as he fell up steps, scraping his shins. Blind, he focused on the itch of blood trickling down his legs to keep his imagination from getting the best of him. Already, as he was pushed roughly to the wooden planks of a floor, he felt fear creeping in. Determined to stay calm, Seiji calmed his labored breathing and waited, wondering what ever had happened to Rowen.

Or Touma.

Would Rowen have lied to him? No, it couldn't be... he... he loved Rowen, he wouldn't lie to him! But where was he? Why was he being held responsible for something he didn't do? Thinking back a little, Rowen had seemed a little suspicious... And he was found by those soldiers... perhaps.

It wasn't possible. Rowen cared about him. But then...

'No! I refuse to believe he could lie to me like that!' Tears stung his eyes as his ears roared with the sound of his pounding heart and the gathering crowd. As announcements were made by officials and Seiji heard more of what he was accused of, his ears roared with the sound of his breaking heart as well.

He was a saboteur. He had attempted to kill the prince to avoid the union of their nations. Prince Touma, saved from his camp, beaten unconscious.

Not finding the proof of heart that all this was a misunderstanding, Seiji let the tears flow and didn't fight as he was set on his feet, and a noose was placed tightly around his neck.

**********

"My lord, are you alright?"

Touma cracked open an eye, meeting the gaze of his personal servant. Groaning and rolling over, he buried his head in his pillow. "What time izit?"

"Almost dawn..." At another disgusted groan, the servant shook Touma's shoulder. "I was ordered to wake you... By your sister."

Confused but unimpressed, Touma sat up and shot a glare at the intruder. "Why?"

"Because of Prince Seiji?" The servant nervously offered, edging out of the room.

Lucidity returning, Touma stared wide-eyed at the door before jumping to his feet and hurriedly getting dressed. If what his father had said earlier was any indication, Seiji was in big trouble. 'I can't just sit by and watch them hurt Seiji! It's my fault, and I'll make them see that!'

Dressed and determined, although still weak, Touma stormed out of his room, servants dodging out of his path as he stomped down the hall.

**********

Miko heard the secret call signaling that the reinforcements he'd sent for days earlier had arrived. The entire courtyard was surrounded. Covered with a grimy brown cloak, he gave a nonchalant hand signal, another man similarly dressed returned it, passing it on to other men.

'We'll have to time this just right.' Miko glanced up at the scaffolding, and at his poor, battered prince. Bleeding and not even struggling, Miko feared the worse. 'There's no way we can screw this up!'

Circling around the scaffolding, Miko waited for the Tenkuu official to finish up his slanderous speech. These arrogant fools were going to be sorry. He took another look at Seiji's pale face. Yes, these fools were going to be very sorry.

**********

Ping- God, there's like, no substance to this chapter...
Touma- What happened to calling it 'build-up?'
Seiji- **(0)__(0)**