Dear Heero...
"Your Grace, you have letters from the provincial capital."
Heero glanced up from his careful study of the latest reports regarding the barbarians' movements. It wasn't an urgent matter at the moment, as momentum was on their side, but it was better to be safe than sorry. With any luck, they would have kicked the barbarians back into OZ's territory and they could return home just after winter.
Motioning for the messenger to come inside, Trowa took the aforementioned letters and thanked the man. After the tent flap closed behind him as the messenger left, the Knight Commander glanced over the envelopes, visible eye widening slightly in surprise.
"Trowa?" Quatre asked his lover in concern. He was bent over the tabletop map with Wufei, discussing battle strategies. They'd recently regained some of the territory Lagrange had lost to the barbarians, but they were planning on taking over a fortified area of food stores soon to replenish their own stock.
"One is from Howard," Trowa said, moving towards Heero.
Heero nodded, "His monthly report." It had become a necessity when Heero had taken Wufei and Quatre with him, leaving no buffer between the duchess and the duchy finances.
"The other letter is from the Duchess."
Heero couldn't quite smother the disbelieving look in his eyes.
Duo had never sent him a letter. Not when they'd first been engaged, not when he'd left for the Capital, and certainly never when he went to battle. His husband had never regarded him with anything but contempt and made no effort to hide it.
Duo's disdain did not color cold, though – he made no effort in manipulation or trickery. He let Heero know, flat-out, that he hated everything about him: his illegitimate birth, his commoner blood, his calloused hands, his average height, his scary face... Duo had never so much as embroidered him a handkerchief, a common gift given to spouses.
"You don't think he ruined the economy, do you?" Wufei scowled.
Heero frowned. "Let me see Howard's letter first," he said, taking it from Trowa. It was indeed another monthly report, and though it was more shocking than the previous ones, it was not for the reason Wufei suggested.
"There was an accidental fire in the greenhouse," Heero summarized aloud. "Duo was caught inside. He didn't suffer any permanent injuries—"
Trowa and Wufei made matching huffs of disappointment.
"—but he does have some...temporary conditions."
Quatre blinked. "Temporary conditions? Like what?"
"Howard didn't say."
"How vague..." Quatre murmured.
Wufei shot a distrustful glare at the second letter. "He's probably asking for reparations," he muttered. "For nearly dying in a fire he started."
That would be terribly on brand for Duo. Heero scanned the rest of Howard's letter, but aside from Duo's near-death experience, it was nothing unusual. Unable to put if off anymore, he opened the second letter.
A dried flower fell out.
Heero stared at it.
"...is that a pressed flower?" Quatre asked in surprise.
Trowa came up to Heero's side, picking it up delicately. "A pink camellia," he nodded. "...Are you sure this is from the Duchess?"
Heero opened up the letter. Perhaps Hilde had written it on Duo's behalf, although that would be unlike her. The dislike between her and Duo was mutual, but Hilde was the only one of the servants aside from Howard who didn't cow before Heero's spiteful husband.
Dearest Husband...
Heero dropped the letter.
"Your Grace?" Wufei asked in faint alarm.
Heero shook his head numbly, unwilling to explain. Duo had never called him "husband" before – he was so repelled by the fact of their marriage that he tended to fall back on calling him 'Duke Yuy' if he couldn't get away with not calling him directly at all.
Picking up the letter again, Heero's eyes swept over its contents line by line. The warm, romantic language never stopped; it looked like one of those letters some of the other newlywed soldiers received. Heero hadn't even known Duo could write like that.
What's more, there was an actual sketch of a camellia flower at the end. In Duo's delicate handwriting were the words "Thinking about you" right next to it, so the pressed flowers were definitely intentional.
But why?
"He wrote you a love letter," Trowa gaped from over his shoulder.
Heero glared back at him. "Why are you reading it too?"
"He wrote him a what?!" Wufei exclaimed.
"Pink camellias mean love and longing," Quatre added, only making it more confusing.
Was this some new kind of joke? Heero wondered.
Tucking the letter away and ignoring Trowa and Wufei's confusion, Heero decided not to think about it. If Duo was just playing a prank on him, he wouldn't rise to the bait.