His Turn
By: Bluekinu
Disclaimer: I do not own Kyou Mara Maoh or the song "True", by Ryan Cabrerra.
"Well, that's about it." Yuuri smiled cheerfully as he handed his I-Pod to Gwendal. They were seated outside in the palace gardens, away from curious ears and prying eyes. Their subject of the moment was private, and in one rarest of times, Lord Gwendal of Voltaire was less than his usual composed self.
"Hmm…I think I can manage operating this thing now." Gwendal said, starring at the "thing" placed over his left palm. "Your majesty, I don't know how to thank you for this." Gwendal said in an awkward voice.
"Hahahaha! That's no big deal Gwendal! It sure is good to see you like this for a change," Yuuri good-naturedly said. Lord Gwendal von Voltaire was a lot of great things, which right about justifies his staunch façade, that it was really new to young King Yuuri Shibuya to see his chief adviser in such a state of unease.
Gwendal looked up, surprised by Yuuri's last remark.
Yuuri was still laughing when he realized what he had just said…then his laughter died down slowly, remembering at last, perhaps, whose presence he was in even then. "Uh, what meant was…uh, seeing you like this is a nice thing…uhm…" Yuuri started to panic as he searched for the right words that wouldn't offend Gwendal.
Gwendal shook his head and smiled, "Your Majesty, it's all right. If there should be anyone who's to be embarrassed here, that should be me."
Yuuri scratched his head and smiled, "Anytime."
Yuuri never thought even in a gazillion years that he would see Gwendal so fidgety. He always saw him as "Mr. Stern: No-Nonsense-Guy." It sure was a relief to learn that Gwendal was mortal after all.
"AND WHAT IS THE MEANING OF THIS!?" Wolfram roared as he burst out from behind the bushes; his ocean deep blue eyes bearing a fiery look in them.
"WHOA!! Wolfram, don't sneak up on us like that!" Yuuri touched a hand to his own chest, understandably stunned.
Wolfram's eyes narrowed, "So you really were sneaking behind my back."
"I was NOT!!!" Yuuri spat back defensively.
Gwendal grunted and muttered, "Wolfram, you should know by now whom to be jealous about and to whom you should not," the grey-haired noble's elegant brow twitching as he stalked away slipping the I-Pod discreetly into his left side pocket.
"Well…yeah… I know," Wolfram stammered, "but you know how much a flirt this wimpy fiancé of mine is!" he tried to say to Gwendal's retreating back, the blond prince's hard emerald glare still fixed on Yuuri.
Yuuri let out aloud sigh, "Oh brother…" There's really no getting through to this one, the young monarch thought.
Gwendal left Blood Pledge Castle right after lunch and headed back to his own castle; proceeded immediately with his itinerary, making sure everything's done before the sun set. It only took him a couple of hours to get everything completed, as it turned out to be quite an easy task, much easier than he thought it would be.
He wanted to keep it simple, he didn't want an overly romantic setting because he knew Annissina wasn't the romantic type…or is she…?
Come to think of it, he even had a major debate with himself a couple of hours ago whether or not to change into a new attire for the night or stay as he is usually dressed. He admitted he almost gave into the urge to wear his black double-breasted suit, the one he kept all those years for any special occasion, the one that bore his coat of arms that was pinned at the two edges of the collar.
However, in the end Gwendal opted to stay as he is usually dressed. His green uniform-suit was the better choice, or as he also like to put it as the "safer choice"…at least for tonight… until the right time comes when he'll wear it for her…on a better setting that is.
Gwendal sighed as he watched the sun set from his terrace.
"Why am I so nervous? This isn't a date. It's just a… a simple invitation," he thought to himself.
He reached into his pocket and took out Yuuri's I-Pod. He plugged the earphones into his ears and scanned through Yuuri's song selections, trusting Yuuri's advice about listening to music to help himself calm down. He scanned through the list and found the song he heard earlier that really caught his attention.
"Found it!" Gwendal smiled triumphantly and pressed on the keypad to play the song.
As the intro played, memories of certain incidents flashed through the lord's head.
I won't talk
I won't breathe
I won't move till you finally see that you belong to me
You might think I don't look
But deep inside in the corner of my mind
I'm attached to you.
Gwendal remembered how time and time again he would catch Annissina absorbed in putting up her invention of the hour, times when she didn't notice Gwendal stopped in his tracks to look at her.
I'm weak, it's true
Cause I'm afraid to know the answer
Do you want me to?
Cause my heart keeps falling faster
"Every time I'm left alone with Annissina," Gwendal said to himself, having picked up from the song's last line.
By the time the chorus started, Gwendal was already singing along.
I've waited all my life to cross this line
To the only thing that's true
So I will not hide
It's time to try anything to be with you
All my life I've waited
This is true
Gwendal smiled like crazy as the memories came flooding back; most of them were funny and amusing, which made it difficult for him to control himself from bursting with laughter.
You don't know what you do
Every time you walk into the room
I'm afraid to move
Gwendal cringed at how the lyrics fit right smack with his feelings whenever Annissina came bursting into his study-room to introduce yet another invention.
I'm weak, it's true
I'm just scared to know the ending
Do you see me too?
Do you even know you meant me?
He thought about how annoyed AND scared he was every time he would hear Annissina call, "Ooohhh Gweeendaaal!!!" He feared for his life each time, really, and not without just cause. How many times had he come to death being her lab rat? But still he kept on agreeing to every whimsical plan, every hair-brained strategy. He was not strong, oh no. Not against Annisina von Kopernikov.
I've waited all my life to cross this line
To the only thing that's true
So I will not hide
It's time to try anything to be with you
All my life I've waited
This is true
Gwendal gave his all and sang like he didn't care. He didn't really notice he was audible since his ears had on the earphones.
I know when I go
I'll be on my way to you
The way that's true
I've waited all my life to cross this line
To the only thing that's true
So I will not hide
It's time to try anything to be with you
All my life I've waited
This is true
Gwendal smiled as the song slowly faded to the end. He turned off the I-Pod and placed it back inside his pocket; he then took a deep breath to better calm his nerves…
"There you are Gwendal!" Annissina chimed as she walked into the room and glided towards him.
"So much for calming for my nerves…" Gwendal thought as he turned to face her. The demon lady looked no less than stunning and sure enough, stunned he sat on his seat.
Gwendal can't seem to understand why, that even in the simplest of attire, or should he say, even in Annissina's full-bodied white and dark pink dress, she looked stunning and…
"Aaarrgghh…! Such thoughts…Gwendal, think of your plushies instead!!" Gwendal reprimanded himself in his head."
Annissina beamed at him, which didn't help him calm himself at all, even less so when Annissina's eyes narrowed and gave him an "I-know-you-are-up-to-something" look. Gwendal's heart started to pound so hard he decided to walk ahead; he needed to distance himself from Annissina before she could hear his heartbeat—he was sure it was louder than even the music had been. Its thumping was almost all he could hear save for Annisina's voice – but then again, he would have heard her even in the loudest of dins.
"I just wanted to ask your opinion on this matter." Gwendal said flatly as he headed for the door.
"Oh…" Annissina acknowledged (rather disappointedly?) as she followed him out of the room.
"So really, what's this all about Gwendal?" Annissina asked as she took a seat at the side-corner of the long dining table.
"I told you, I just needed your opinion on this new task I'm currently into." Gwendal replied as he walked towards his seat at the "head" of the table beside Annissina, and placed a plate of cake in front of them.
Two blinks, no words.Annissina looked at the white round cake in front of her, a couple of small "animal" icing figurines adorned the top, while light green colored grass icings adorned the sides and edges of the cake. In fairness to the cake, it looked pretty good, considering how "unique" the animals looked like.
"You're supposed to eat it…not stare at it." Gwendal remarked, wrinkling his forehead.
Annissina leaned closer to the table and scrutinized the cake even more, "I know, it's just that I've never thought baking was also your hobby."
"It's not my hobby." Gwendal replied, crossing his arms over his chest.
"Oh..?" Annissina replied, but didn't look at him.
"I find out that baking also helps me to be more focused. It takes a lot of concentration to make those designs; just like my knitting." Gwendal pointed out firmly.
A smile broke into Annissina's face and she looked at Gwendal and said, "Okay, whatever you say Gwendal dear."
Gwendal blinked in surprise, then turned his eyes away and looked at the cutlery on the table instead.
Annissina giggled, "Okay, let me do the honors." She got the knife and sliced a piece for her, and then another piece for Gwendal. "Here goes!!"
Gwendal watched as Annissina took her first bite…then her second…then her third. He didn't know if it's just the lighting on the dinning room for Annissina seemed to have this certain glow of happiness in her face as she ate. He never saw her with this expression before, and no, his eyes weren't fooling him because he IS sober as he can be.
"Don't you know it's rude to stare?" Annissina said smiling, but she kept her gaze straight upfront.
Gwendal felt as if a huge pale of cold water was thrown over him, and yet he felt his cheeks burning really hot.
He cleared his throat and countered, "I was just wondering why you aren't bringing up anything about a new invention of yours."
"Ahahahaha!!! You anticipate things too much, Gwendal." Annissina gently placed her fork on the side of her plate and looked at him, "Well, I decided to take a break for tonight."
"Well that's a relief…" Gwendal said under his breath, while taking a bite off his cake.
Annissina threw a sharp look at him, "I heard that."
"Cough, cough." Gwendal chocked, "No, I mean---what I meant was---cough, cough." he gasped for air.
Annissina rested her back on the chair, "I was just about to praise you since your cake tasted really good, AND I was also about to thank you for this wonderful dessert invitation, but it seems like I'll be taking that back." she frowned and her lips twitched with disappointment.
"I didn't mean it like that Annissina…I was just joking, and I AMthankful you came tonight and…and…because of that I am happy." Gwendal trailed off. "Why the hell am I explaining like this?! Now I really blew it!" Gwendal thought angrily to himself.
He never thought how complicated this could be, that's why he can't fathom how his mother is able to cope with all these emotions and is still going strong with her quest for "free love."
Gwendal sighed, "How can I make it up to you?"
"Oh please, Gwendal, what do you think of me? A child that you can bribe?" Annissina scoffed.
"NO!!…I mean...No." "I'll do anything to prove I didn't mean to offend you with what I said." Gwendal blurted.
Annissina turned and looked at him, "Anything?"
"Shoot! Why did I say that!! I'm doomed!" Gwendal started to think of the worse experiments Annissina could possibility think of to test on him.
"There is one thing that I would ask from you."
Gwendal held his breath and expected the worst.
Annissina moved closer to the table and crossed her arms on the edge of the table, "Relax, it's just a simple thing, I wouldn't break your back…for now." she grinned.
"I am a man of my word, you know that don't you?" Gwendal said as he reached for his champagne.
"Yes indeed, I know that very well." Annisssina's eyes sparkled mischievously. "It's really simple. I just want you to sing me that song again."
Gwendal bursted out the champagne. "Cough, cough. Whhaat?!"
Annissina beamed at him and rested her chin on her right palm and nodded.
"You have GOT to be kidding me." Gwendal reacted in a dead serious tone.
Annissina shook her head gently and her smile broke even wider, "Do I look like I'm kidding?" The only thing that made this worse was the fact that he could almost taste the coyness in her voice.
Gwendal sighed heavily and starred at the table, "Wait. Do you mean you…" Gwendal was shocked.
Annissina nodded, "I didn't know you had a talent for singing Gwendal! Hmmm….how did it go again…like this?" Annissina straightened herself and cleared her throat and sang the chorus.
I've waited all my life to cross this line
To the only thing that's true
So I will not hide
It's time to try anything to be with you
All my life I've waited
This is true.
"Yup, something like that isn't it? C'mon Gwendal, you promised." Annissina taunted.
Gwendal placed his head on his right palm, "Oh Annissina…"
"Ahahahaha!!" Annisssina's laughter filled the room, "You would really make me even happy as I already am if you would sing that again for me Gwendal." she added, smiling brightly at him.
Gwendal lifted his head just in time to see her smile, and then he bowed his head again and sighed.
"The things I do for love…" Gwendal smiled to himself as Annissina's lovely face flashed into his head once again.
THE END