Yuri Shibuya stood outside the heavy oak door of the castle infirmary and shifted from foot to foot. He was holding a heavy silver plated tray with a steaming bowl of chicken soup. The steam rose in hot puffs up to his face in the chill air of the stone corridor. Fragrant herbs were making his mouth water despite the fact he had eaten his own lunch hours before.
The young King wished he didn't have his hands full so that he could straighten his all black uniform. He felt awkward waiting like this and he wanted to make a good impression. A cheerful impression. It was hard to feel cheerful when you were standing in a cold dimly lit hallway wearing all black.
He plastered the brightest smile he could find onto his face. The door in front of him didn't seem very impressed. It was still a dull and unopened piece of wood.
Yuri shivered as a cold draft went by his calves. Someone must have opened a door further down the corridor out of his sight. The old castle was full of drafts in the winter time. Full of cold ghostly fingers tugging at his smile.
It didn't seem as if he should be standing here at all. Only this morning he had been in modern Japan where the weather was warm and sunny and his mom had made him eggs and fried onigiri for breakfast. Thoughts of Shinmakoku and all his friends here had been far away until he went to wash his hands and was sucked back into the other world.
Here it was the middle of winter and much colder than winter ever got in his home back on Earth. Even the inner courtyard of the castle where he had arrived sitting in an icy puddle was ringed with knee high snow banks. Every eave was fanged with icicles and every walkway crunched with grains of sand thrown atop the ice for extra traction.
Yuri had never been more grateful for Günter's warm hug as he had been today, as well as the fur lined cloak his advisor had wrapped him in before the others had crowded them. Lord Von Kleist was always the first to find him. He wasn't sure how the man always knew just where and when he'd pop up even without word from Ulrika at the temple. Günter certainly didn't keep the information to himself. He never managed to greet Yuri alone.
Wolfram, his ever jealous and fiery fiancé, had been furious to know why he had been away so long and how many times Yuri had cheated on him while he was gone. Of course that didn't stop Wolfram from blushing when the King gave him a sudden hug of welcome. To make the exchange more manly Yuri had smacked him on the shoulder telling him he was glad to be back, which was guy code for, I did miss you and I'm glad to see you.
For all his protests otherwise Yuri did like Wolfram enough to call him his best friend. He just wasn't in love with the blond and still hid whenever setting a date for their wedding came up.
Conrart broke his usual reserve and used real enthusiasm to recount the midwinter festival his King had just missed that was apparently a lot of fun. There had been a fair with rides and plays and magicians for the children. There were skating parties and ice slides, grand balls that went all night for the entire week. Everyone was encouraged to play pranks and have a good time to forget about the dullness and cold of winter. Jozak had even put on a cabaret show! Yuri was very sorry he had been back on Earth.
Gwendal glared the way he always did and looked ready to kill him for the amount of paperwork that needed signing. From the grim look on the Generals face Yuri didn't think there was a chance he'd be having any fun anytime soon. It seemed as if he'd be buried under contracts and requisition forms for years!
Greta skipped over with the sunniest smile that had ever melted Yuri's heart. She had two new dollies to show him and she had grown an inch. She was so excited about the ice pony named Winky her Grandma Tseri had given her to ride in the parade at the festival.
Yuri was doubly disappointed to have missed his adopted daughter all dressed up riding an ice pony in a parade. Not that he knew what an ice pony was, but he was sure his little princess would have been the height of cuteness on one!
What felt like a week to him on Earth had turned out to be half a season in Shinmakoku. There was so much news he had to catch up on! And it wasn't even his fault the dimensional gateway or whatever it was had such a time lag to it these days!
Yuri had been so overwhelmed with the group of people that were crowding and following him that he hadn't noticed when the usual train of compliments from Günter about his overall greatness ceased. It took Conrart stopping abruptly in front of him so that he nearly ran into his Godfathers back that anyone noticed something was off.
When asked what was wrong Conrart could only shake his head. He wasn't sure, but one quick scan of their company and his chestnut eyes had softened with worry. Yuri remembered that searching gaze and it tugged at his heart now. Why hadn't any of them noticed before?
Lord Günter Von Kleist wasn't walking with them anymore.
"Where's Günter?"
Greta was the first one to say it in that wondering little girl voice. Conrart looked more concerned by the moment and Gwendal turned and looked behind them as well. Wolfram only shrugged as if he didn't care, but before he offered any kind of excuse on behalf of the missing advisor Conrart had pushed past him. He started running back the way they had come.
Yuri ran too. He didn't have to think about it. Conrart looking concerned was enough to make him scared. Conrart noticed things and he rarely showed what he was really thinking about what he noticed.
"Conrad? Hey, wait up! What's wrong?"
"He's been sick for a while now. I couldn't convince him to stop working."
The soldier didn't explain any further. He didn't need to. They had reached the courtyard by then and found Günter.
The poor fellow had keeled over into a snow covered patch that in warmer weather would be one of Lady Tseri's prized flower beds. He didn't look particularly alive when Yuri first saw him like that. He was half curled on his side and white as the ground beneath him with his silvery hair blowing across his face. Of course he was wearing a white robe too so that helped him blend in even more with the snow.
A trio of bad omen birds were calling down from the skeletal branches of an icy tree. Their ruffled indigo feathers made them look like scruffy vultures and added a pure jolt of horror to Yuri's heart.
Because of the whiteness of the scene the young King was surprised when he touched the man's neck looking for a pulse and felt heat. His teacher was burning up! Falling over into the snow might actually have done him a bit of good.
Günter had cracked a fevered eye open at Yuri's touch. He tried to get up immediately. The way he trembled, just trying to push himself up with his arms, Yuri didn't think he'd ever forget the look Günter gave him before he collapsed into unconsciousness again. He didn't speak at all, but his violet eyes had begged Yuri for forgiveness.
In that moment, Yuri honestly hadn't known what to do. He was afraid his friend was dying right there in his arms!
Thankfully Conrart had leaned over them. He checked Günter's vital signs and picked him up. The soldier lifted his mentor as if he were nothing but an ungainly rag doll with long limbs and hair dangling. He told Yuri it would be alright, they'd just have to take him to the infirmary so Gisela could tend to him.
As they walked Conrart explained things in even sensible tones that banished all worries. He said that Günter had wraith fever. It was a common ailment, as common and generally harmless as chickenpox was on Earth. It was an illness every pure blooded mazoku caught when they were children and usually didn't get again. Günter had been volunteering at one of the schools in the town lately. He had most likely picked it up from the children there.
The advisor had been working long hours lately. As well as his usual duties Günter had organized the midwinter festival and the extended revelries that others were still recovering from this morning. He had obviously neglected to get enough rest to deal with the illness, and although Conrart didn't say it outright and only hinted, two mugs of strong mulled wine last night at the closing ceremonies were more than enough to leave the poor sword master hung over as well.
As much as Conrart's explanations made Yuri feel better, it certainly didn't make Günter look any better. By the time they had gotten him to the infirmary and Yuri was banging frantically on the door Günter's hair clung to his sweat glazed face while his breathing came in shallow gasps. Yuri's large dark eyes got larger as he noticed this. Conrart frowned slightly as he looked down at the man in his arms.
But then the door swung open and Lady Gisela was standing there with her hands on her hips. A fierce glare was already set on her pretty china doll face. Wisps of emerald hair were escaping from the healer's usually neat braid as she wiped her forehead with the back of a soapy looking wrist. She wore an apron and her white uniform sleeves were rolled up. She was not in a good mood for having to scrub down the floors herself for lack of still hung over help.
"Sir Weller! What prank are you playing this time? I have work to do, and Father should know better than to go along with you and your antics!"
She gestured with her chin towards the man in Conrart's arms with definite annoyance. The healer obviously wasn't buying the fact that he needed help. Her father was invincible in her mind. He was never injured, save stubbed toes from his own clumsiness, and hardly ever sick.
Gisela also didn't seem to see Yuri at first, not having heard that the young King had returned. Conrart did make quite an outrageous spectacle with a limp Günter in his arms. Yuri had to step around them to get noticed.
"Gisela! Please, you have to do something! He was talking like he always does and then we all went inside but he didn't come with us and then we went to find him and he was in the snow and it's so cold outside and I think he has a fever and Conrad said he was sick and that he was working too hard and he fell over and I didn't even know and I'm a terrible person for not even noticing cause he could have died out there all by himself in the cold and the snow and Pleeeeease don't let Gunter die!!"
Yuri remembered clinging to the hem of her apron on his knees and all but crying his eyes out in a very undignified and nearly hysterical fashion. The great ruler of the Demon Kingdom almost had a complete breakdown because he had no idea what to do and it had suddenly dawned on him that this must be all his fault.
He had left Günter outside in the snow!
He had just left him! Not even noticed! His friend could have fallen over dead right on the spot and he didn't even care! What kind of evil psychotic bastard was he?!
"Yuri Heika?! What's wrong? Your Majesty, are you well?"
Conrart had given the startled woman one of his patented sympathetic looks and a small smile.
"What his Majesty means to say is that, I promised not to say anything to you, but it seems your Father has come down with wraith fever. It's my fault for not doing something about it sooner. He swore to me only this morning that he was improving, but, eh, as you can see…."
Gisela changed moods at once after that much more coherent explanation. One touch of her hand on her fathers burning cheek and she was convinced. She became a young girl all wide eyed concern and innocence but her mouth was fixed in a firm line as she ordered Conrart to bring her new patient inside to a bed.
Yuri didn't follow Conrart in. He barely registered Gisela's coos of "poor Daddy" interspersed with sharp scolding as she bustled about looking for icepacks and herbs and thick warm blankets. She didn't seem that sympathetic to her father for taking ill and would probably have yelled at him if he were awake to hear it. But she also didn't hide her worry as she handled him with extra care and fussing.
He had left Günter outside in the snow…
The next thing Yuri knew he was sitting with his head in his hands on the edge of his huge oversized bed in the royal bedchamber staring at the grey sky outside the window. It was slowly starting to snow and the snowflakes seemed to drift down as thickly as his thoughts.
He would have only been in the way if he had stayed in the infirmary. It's not as if he had done anything to help to begin with.
He had left Günter outside in the snow.
He hadn't even asked Günter how he was doing when he first saw him. He didn't even remember if he thanked him for the winter cloak. It was a pure white cloak, Gunter had given him his own without even a second thought.
What kind of selfish idiot was he that he didn't even notice Günter was so sick! Sure the man was always on the pale side, he'd never seen him with a tan, but that was no excuse! Günter could have died out there all by himself!
Of course castle guards and other friends and family would have saved Günter if Yuri hadn't been there. The exhausted Demon Lord still would have collapsed at about the same time even if the young King hadn't returned. But that was something Yuri completely overlooked.
Several hours of sulking and moping later Yuri's determination surfaced. He decided that he desperately needed to make it up to his teacher somehow. Friends don't just leave friends behind like that!
Once Wolfram came to find him and asked him what was wrong. Was he pining for some lover he'd left behind on Earth?
The only thing that went through Yuri's head was that horrible pleading look Günter had given him as he tried to get up for his King one last time. Yuri had to flee the room to keep Wolfram from seeing his tears and calling him a wimp. He had a feeling Wolfram knew he was crying anyways.
Conrart came to him sometime after he had raided his lunch from the kitchen because he couldn't face anyone else at the dinner table yet. Would he leave any of the others to the same despicable fate without even batting an eye? What did they think of him after such a heartless display? Little Greta had been there, what sort of role model was he for his daughter!
His Godfather gently suggested that Günter would appreciate a visit. That he should take him some soup. Wraith fever kept you from wanting to eat, but maybe if Yuri were the one to tempt him he'd be able to improve?
Yuri didn't want to be standing here with the meager offering of a bowl of soup on a tray trying his hardest to be cheerful. He really didn't want to face Günter or Gisela. What would they think of him? Gisela he was especially afraid of. She was incredibly scary when she was angry.
What was he supposed to say? "Hi, I'm sorry I left your Dad outside to die in the snow because I'm a clueless self absorbed moron? I'm sure if he eats this soup I'll seem like less of a jerk because it's magic soup that makes everyone forgive idiots?" Somehow he didn't think that was going to get him very far.
He might just be walking into his own grave, but he had no choice. He was here for atonement, and if she wanted his head then she'd have it.