Disclaimer: I own nothing. I'm simply bored and was re-watching KKM. Since Gwendal is my favorite character from this series and I'm not big on inserting original characters, I'm using Yuuri because he's available. I'm also not taking this seriously. I'll update when I want if I can. Next, expect characters to be out-of-character as I'm only going roughly off of the anime and predominantly off of my own interpretation of that character. Finally, I can only stick so close to the original plotline without actually copying the dialogue. If I'm unable to find an alternative solution, I will use the lines used in the anime (either the subbed or dubbed version). You are warned.
Chapter One: Engaged to an Idiot
The slap rang through the room, silencing all arguments that had been going on. Conrad bolted from his seat as Gunter rushed to their majesty's side. Both were begging the young teenager to take back what he had done, but he stubbornly refused.
Gwendal for his part was staring at the soon-to-be-Maou with surprise as he tried to recall what had just happened.
If he remembered correctly, by pure happenstance, Gwendal had chosen to sit down first and when Conrad and Wolfram had followed suite, leaving only two spots open, Yuuri had chosen to sit down next to Gwendal, much to the General's interest. Few dared to get so close to him in such a short period of time knowing him. After a long moment, it seemed the boy had realized who he was now sitting beside and had stiffened significantly, but Gwendal assumed Yuuri didn't wish to insult the man by moving. Planted firmly in his seat, Yuuri had been unable to get up, even when the present Maou had entered the room and taken her seat between the double-black and her youngest son.
Curiously, Gwendal figured it was almost a blessing. Had his majesty chosen to sit next to Wolfram, the General imagined the blond-haired hothead would have insited Yuuri's anger sooner with his insults about the teenager's mother.
"Even so, his mother is a human, right?" Wolfram had said, his hands shoving into the table. "She's probably just some insensitive, immoral nobody."
"Hey!" Yuuri had gotten to his feet, ready to argue, but the General had cut across him.
"A human is a human, Wolfram. Short-lived, stubborn, and easy to get into bed."
Now that he recalled, Gwendal had only been directing the words at his mother's relationship with Dunheely Weller and hadn't even once been thinking about Yuuri's mother, whom he had never met. In all honesty, everyone at the table, with the exception of Yuuri, knew the easiest person to get into bed was Cecilie von Spitzweg and she was hardly human. A wave of guilt washed over the General as he suddenly felt as if his cousin's brainwashing ideals had rubbed off on him a little.
The dishes clattered off the table and Gwendal couldn't stop an exasperated sigh from exiting his throat at his youngest brother's rash actions.
"How dare you!" Wolfram was fuming as he panted hard with pent rage. "A worthless half like you can't possibly measure up to Gwendal!"
"Wolfram." Gwendal growled, but his voice went unheard as both Gunter and Conrad panicked.
The General watched in complete disbelief as Yuuri bent down to pick up the knife on the floor. Another exhausted sigh escaped his throat as he realized what had really just happened.
Gwendal von Voltaire, skilled tactician, General of the Maou's Army, and Admiral of Shin Makoku's Navy, had become engaged to an idiot.
The following day found the group of royals in the courtyard while Yuuri tried some pathetic attempt to escape an actual duel.
Gwendal watched with a grim look on his face, knowing Wolfram wouldn't settle for anything that humiliated him. Subconsciously, the gray-haired demon began to build up invisible shields around the courtyard as he recalled the last time he had seen Wolfram this angry.
Yuuri's "sumo" dueling, or whatever the teenager called it, ended quickly, but not nearly as swift as it took Wolfram to lose his temper all over again. Conrad had just enough time to toss Yuuri a sword before Wolfram had drawn his own. In an instant, Yuuri was on the defense, having barely enough time to block the blond demon's attacks.
On instinct, Gwendal's barriers strengthened and sweat began to build on his brow from the exertion on his magic.
His caution paid off.
A powerful swing from Yuuri, which Gwendal silently praised the youth for, sent Wolfram's sword flying from the demon's hand. It clattered upon the ground several feet away from its master.
Yuuri sat on the ground, exhausted from the short duel, but, as Gwendal had expected, Wolfram would not let his pride be cut down so easily.
Flame ignited in the blond's hand, summoned by the demon.
"I haven't lost yet!" Wolfram barked out as Yuuri backed away, fright evident on his face.
Gwendal heard Gunter about to make a protest, but the General was quick to interfer and answer the questions the King's advisor had ready for him.
"This is a good chance to test his true self." Gwendal stated in his usual gruff tone.
Gunter didn't like this reply as he pointed out their majesty had yet to make a contract with the Yousou.
"Magical power is based on the person's spirit." Gwendal reminded the advisor. "If that-I mean, if his majesty-is honestly the true Maou, he should be able to summon magic, even without making a contract."
It only took a couple of moments for things to get out of control, not that Gwendal felt things, aside from himself and what he had set up, were in any kind of control.
Yuuri was able to dodge the two spheres of fire Wolfram had conjured with relative ease and even managed to duck out of the way of the massive fiery lion Wolfram had created.
Gwendal spun, eyes going wide as he realized the lion wasn't stopping as it headed straight towards a passing maid. The strain on his magic made it difficult for him to summon up anymore. Aside from the barrier separating the maid from Wolfram's deadly magic, Gwendal dropped all of his shields and focused as much of his energy on the remaining barrier as he could muster.
The barrier increased in strength just in time to block the brunt of the blast, causing the lion to explode into nothing, but the maid collapsed from the exposure to such intense heat. Guards rushed to her side in an instant.
The barrier disintegrated and Gwendal heaved out a breath of relief that no one noticed.
Everyone was focused instead upon an infuriated Yuuri.
One moment, they had an angry teenager turning to face Wolfram and in the next Yuuri was replaced by a young man. The clouds had rolled in and thunder growled in the sky as rain began to pour down from the once sunny day.
Gwendal was watching their Maou with keen interest, not sure why he both liked and disliked the abrupt change. Where once was a small, timid, and uncertain boy who could almost be classified as cute now stood a powerful and even dangerous demon king who was intimidating in more ways than one.
The General glanced up at the sky only briefly, knowing the boy must have immense power if he was capable of summoning rainclouds. No other demon with a water contract had been able to perform such a feat as far as Gwendal knew.
When Yuuri began to speak, Gwendal looked back to the youth, surprised at how deep and almost wise the soon-to-be-Maou's voice sounded. The anger there was schooled, but only a little as if the rage was a wild stallion chomping at the bit and Yuuri was using all his strength to keep the reins pulled taut.
Twin dragons made of water erupted from Yuuri's palms and swirled around in a chaotic deadly dance. They plummeted from the sky and Wolfram did not have the ability to dodge them. Twisting around him, they lifted the blond up into the air amid his screams. All any of the remaining nobles and guards could do was watch, shocked by what they were witnessing.
Despite this chaos and horror, Gwendal seemed to find a bit of relief.
"I see." He spoke without really thinking as a smile graced his lips. "So the spirit is authentic."
Only a second after he had spoken these words, the spell cast over the scene snapped. Yuuri had muttered something, but none on the sidelines had caught it. Then he fell backwards, his dragons disappearing and sending Wolfram unceremoniously to the ground.
Naturally, Gunter was the first to react as he rushed from the sidelines to his majesty's side.
For his part, Gwendal simply stood there, impressed by the power the boy had shown, but uncertain how an "idiot", no matter how strong in magic, was going to lead this country.
He spent the rest of the day in his office, brooding.
Yuuri awoke three days later and it was Gunter who explained the event to the youth, who didn't remember a bit of it, much to Gunter's worry, though the advisor dismissed it as the strain of conjuring up so much magic for the first time.
The teenager was quick to ask about the maid, whom Gunter reassured would be well in a few days before the advisor hesitated to continue.
Was it wise to inform the boy of Gwendal defending Doria? Would it increase Gunter's precious young King's obvoius passion for the General?
Desperate wishful thinking flitted through the advisor's mind. It would have been so much easier had Yuuri proposed to Wolfram or Conrad! The former would have acted out of rage and ruined his chances for a good relationship with the soon-to-be-Maou while the latter would have gracefully rejected Yuuri's advances, knowing his place as a half-demon would forever be as the Maou's protector rather than his lover. In fact, things would have been just about perfect had Yuuri simply proposed to Gunter instead.
Gunter shook away his thoughts.
"Gwendal had protected her with a barrier." Gunter admitted finally and watched Yuuri lift his eyes in surprise.
"Gwendal did?"
For once, Gunter was glad for Wolfram as the hotheaded demon was currently standing at the window, which distracted Yuuri from persuing anymore questioning about Gwendal's preemptive move to protect the castle from his younger brother's temper.
Wolfram turned his nose up at the glare Yuuri gave him and Gunter gave a discrete sigh, knowing the duel three days ago wasn't going to be enough to rid the boy prince of his haughty attitude.
"Where's Conrad?" Yuuri questioned after a long pause.
Gunter flinched.
He had known the teenager would ask, but he had hoped to prolong answering as he knew it would distress Yuuri.
Despite his trepidations, Gunter knew there was no way of avoiding it.
"Your majesty," Gunter began nervously. "While you were sleeping, some...problems arose."
"Huh?" Yuuri turned to Gunter in surprise. "What kind of problems?"
Wolfram gave a snort of contempt.
"My brother is engaged to an idiot." The blond muttered to himself, but neither Yuuri nor Gunter heard him, which Wolfram decided was probably a good thing given the power the soon-to-be-Maou had desplayed the last time he'd gotten angry.
As Gunter tried to explain to a confused Yuuri, Wolfram sighed to himself, wondering how things could have ended had Yuuri, in his foolish anger, slapped Wolfram instead of Gwendal. He eventually decided he was best not knowing.
Meanwhile, Yuuri had completely forgotten about his accidental proposal.
Wolfram sighed again.
Ignorance was bliss.
