Disclaimer: Kyou Kara Maou is not owned by me (otherwise this would be cannon!)
Big thanks going out to my beta reader Merideth-kun!
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Two days had passed since Conrad and Yuuri's conversation in the garden. Yuuri had always had a glow about him, but now it seemed brighter than before, and was accompanied by a determined glint in his eyes. The teen had decided he was going to try his very best to… well…
Neither really had an idea where their relationship was heading, but in a way, that was part of it.
The knight found it incredibly adorable when the young Maou brought him a flower in a small pot as a gift. The teen had been blushing terribly, while maids giggled in the background with delight. Yuuri had babbled about not wanting to kill the flower by picking it, so he'd decided to dig it up roots and all, even though it wasn't exactly romantic and place it in the container he'd had a lot of difficulty finding –
Conrad had gently cut him off there. The knight was genuinely delighted by the Yuuri-style-gift. He even had the small yellow blossom placed in his room by the window where it could get plenty of light.
It was the first thing that greeted him that morning, when he woke up. The bright cheerful blossom was already open, ready for the day, despite the early hour.
The flower had sadly also reminded Conrad of his misgivings about the whole affair with the young Maou. After all, the Great Sage had erased Yuuri's memories of the last few weeks, because of the soul link the knight had drawn upon to save the teen.
Conrad had never guessed at the time the way in which he had saved Yuuri's life had almost brought Shin Makoku to ruin. Shinou had been infected with Soushu and that taint had been inside Yuuri until Murata erased it.
Yuuri had escaped that crisis at the price his memories of those two weeks. With those lost memories had been Conrad's confession of love to him, and that left Conrad in doubt of the state of things now.
With the soul link, emotions had passed freely between them and left behind ghosts of feelings in each from the other. For Conrad, the powerful anger that had consumed Shinou had slipped into him, leaving a faint impression that left him very short tempered.
And for Yuuri…Conrad's overpowering love was left behind. The emotion the teen might be falsely acting upon.
The Great Sage had told him that the anger he felt would fade over the coming weeks….
And when it did, Yuuri could well discover that the love he'd felt hadn't been his own, and… that was something Conrad's heart wouldn't be able to bare.
A heavy sigh escaped the knight's lips, as he glanced out into the starry night. Gisela had finally released him from the infirmary and today had been his first day of light duty. He'd just finished patrolling the halls, and handed the route to his replacement. The night sky had given him pause as he'd been heading back to his room and…
…that was when it happened.
The quiet calm of the last two days was broken by a terrified blood curtailing scream.
Conrad was racing down the halls before the sound had even become an echo. A loud explosion followed, making everything shake. There was the unmistakable feel to the air as though it was charged with electricity, the feeling he always got from maryoku.
His heart beat wildly in his chest, as he fervently prayed to even Shinou himself that he was wrong.
His feet beat harshly across the floor, echoing with the pounding words in his head. "Please, please don't let that have been Yuuri." There were shouts of guards as they moved to find out what the disturbance was but they were all behind him.
He rounded the last corner; the Maou's room was just ahead, only to have his worst fear confirmed. The doors were blown wide open, barely holding onto their hinges.
"Yuuri!" he yelled, rushing into the room with his sword drawn. He rounded the corner only to come to a screeching halt just passed the doorframe.
The room was in utter shambles: puddles of water were scattered among the devastation, but in the center of the room stood a lone figure. There, with softly swirling blue maryoku coiling around him, stood the Maou. His cold snake-like eyes were focused upon Conrad with not a trace of warmth to them.
Despite himself, the soldier felt his apprehension rise. "Yuuri?" queried Conrad softly, but the other remained silent. "What happened?"
Those hard, cold eyes continued to stare right through him.
Conrad was just about to step forward, when the dark haired Maou swayed in a tell tail sign. Conrad lunged, barely managing to reach Yuuri before his powers dimmed and he collapsed. The knight winced as his knee scraped a piece of splintered wood, but he'd managed to catch the teen before he injured himself.
A soft moan escaped the young Maou's lips. "Yuuri?"
The teen's eyelids twitched: a clear sign that he was conscious. His head rolled slightly to the side, before heavy lashes finally parted, revealing surprisingly alert eyes. "Con…rad…?"
The knight let out a relieved sigh; apparently Yuuri hadn't used as much maryoku as Conrad had originally feared. "I'm here, your majesty," the soldier assured him, his sword still held at the ready. "Can you stand?" The guards were finally starting to rush into the room, and the knight wanted nothing more than to get the teen to a safer location.
The young Maou frowned slightly, thinking deeply about the question, but Conrad saw the instant that something knocked it right out of his head. The teen's eyes suddenly went wide, as he struggled against the soldier to rise to his feet. "Wolfram!" he exclaimed, limbs flailing as the knight tried to keep hold of him. "Where's Wolfram?" Conrad felt the same fear that griped Yuuri rush through himself. "I heard him right before I blew up the…" his voice wavered, before he fell utterly silent.
Conrad looked down at the teen only to follow Yuuri's line of sight. The knight's heart stopped the second he realized that his little brother was lying slumped against the wall.
"Where's the medic?" he found himself bellowing at the guards there a second later.
Some of the guards skittered away, startled by the ferocity in the usually calm knight's voice. The teen's hand gently tightened on his arm, bringing Conrad back to himself. Utterly shamefaced, the knight could only murmur a heartfelt apology.
The guards shifted nervously, before the most courageous of their number managed to stutter out, "W-we've already sent someone to get Gisela, Sir Weller."
Conrad nodded, swallowing thickly. "Thank you," he replied softly to the guard who responded with a weak smile and sharp salut. Conrad helped the teen to his feet. "I'll escort his majesty-"
"No," Yuuri cut in. "I can help." The soldier tried to protest. "We can't just leave him lying there!" He continued, to which the knight could not argue. He did nothing when the young Maou shirked himself free of his grip, and Conrad merely stood silently, letting his hand once again fall to his side.
Yuuri moved quickly, slipping easily around the debris. The teen's movements, the knight realized silently, were completely steady. It was both a relief and terrifying that the teen could cause so much damage and not feel the least bit drained by it.
The Maou truly was not someone to trifle with.
A grim look came to Conrad's face at that. He watched as Yuuri with a guard's help cleared a spot on the floor for his blond brother.
The question that was currently going through Conrad's mind though, was what exactly his little brother was doing here before Yuuri had screamed and destroyed the room. The young Maou had said as much that Wolfram had been in here, but why?
A clatter of feet announced the arrival of Gisela, along with the pale brown haired guard who'd fetched her, and to Conrad's surprise, his older brother as well.
Gwendal's glower deepened as he surveyed the room. "What happened here?"
Yuuri's head snapped up from where he was kneeling beside Wolfram. "That's my fault," he announced sheepishly, slightly raising one hand.
Gisela rushed to the young Maou's side, checking both him and Wolfram. The double black tried to rise to his feet, assuring her that he was fine, but one menacing glare from the green haired doctor had him nervously laughing and sitting back down.
Conrad felt the knot of tension in his chest loosen ever so slightly. "S-sir." The knight turned slowly to the guard who had addressed him. "The surrounding area is secured. Sh-should I give the order to spread out the search?"
Yuuri's mouth snapped open to answer, but Gwendal cut him off. "Have the guards search in pairs. We don't know who's out there." The teen felt his cheeks start to heat up, a fact that didn't escape Conrad's notice. Nor that Yuuri was hovering so close to Wolfram. Gwendal finally turned back to the young Maou. "In the mean time, your majesty, what exactly happened here?"
With a guilty look, Yuuri's eyes darted briefly to Conrad before fixing themselves to the single spot on the floor. Conrad and Gwendal awaited an answer, but the teen said nothing. Gisela broke the silence by ordering two of the guards to bring a stretcher for Wolfram. The young Maou looked up with alarm, face starting to go pale.
Even then Gisela only spared them a glance as she continued to work. "I can't say for certain how Sir von Bielefeld is. Nothing looks serious, but I want to take him to the infirmary just to be sure."
Conrad nodded. "Come Yuuri, we'll take this conversation somewhere else." This time the teen did nothing to protest.
He rose silently to his feet, following after Wolfram's two elder brothers. He paused only briefly to scoop up his blue glowing pendant out of the wreckage, before following Gwendal out into the hall. Conrad hovered close to the young Maou's side, uncertain what support he should offer.
They were settled in Gwendal's office barely five minutes later, with two guards posted at the closed door. Yuuri was the only one of the three sitting.
"Your majesty?" The teen cringed at Gwendal's tone, like a child being rebuked by a parent. "What happened?"
Yuuri's eyes were down cast still, hands wrapped tightly around each other. He couldn't find the courage to speak a word. His throat just felt too tight. He shook his head vigorously, only to have Conrad place a feather light hand on his shoulder.
"Your majesty," his knight's voice was imploring. Only for an instant, Yuuri hesitatingly met the other's deep chocolate coloured eyes. "We're just trying to find out what happened."
The teen bowed his head. His hands tightened even more, making his knuckles turn a bloodless white. "I…" The knight's hand didn't waver from his shoulder. "Something woke me up." His first words sounded so very loud, despite they were barely more than a whisper. "I… don't know… I just…" His eyes flickered to Conrad again. "It was wrong." There was a warning in those words.
"What was, Yuuri?"
The teen looked away from the knight. "The room- everything felt wrong." He was starting to shake. "It scared me, so I-I guess I went all Maou-y mode on everything. After that, I woke up to you over me." He blushed ever so slightly.
Gwendal let out a slight cough. "Do you recall anything else?" he pressed.
Yuuri focused on the ground, trying to think. "Wolfram…" he hesitated, "screaming…"
A frown marred Conrad's face. "Are you certain of that, Yuuri?" The soldier was positive that it had been the teen's voice he'd heard.
Yuuri's head shot up, some half formed word on his lips. His eyes darted to the knight, only to swallow whatever he was going to say. Silently he sank back into the chair.
Even without looking, Yuuri knew Conrad's frown had deepened considerably. It was only to be expected. The young Maou gazed absently at his bare feet. He wriggled his toes, watching the faint shadows they cast against the cold stone floor.
The knight's sharp eyes were still focused on him, but he didn't know what Conrad was looking for.
"Your majesty," began the soldier hesitantly, not sure he wished to know the answer. "What-" There was a loud knock on the door, breaking the soldier's next words. "Enter." Conrad turned to the door, his hand finally slipping from the young Maou's shoulder. Yuuri didn't as much as move.
The teen heard the sharp sounds of a guard entering, and saluting. "The grounds have been thoroughly searched, sirs!" came the report. "No suspicious persons were found, and nothing is out of order." Conrad thanked the guard before dismissing him.
A dead silence hung over the room after the guard exited. Yuuri glanced at his two advisers, both them were wearing grim expressions. "What is it?" the teen asked quietly, startling them both.
"That means," answered Gwendal, "that the only ones involved in this matter are you, your majesty, and Wolfram."
Yuuri swallowed hard, head sinking. "Isn't it already obvious that.. I-I'm responsible for hurting… Wolf…" his voice closed up, not letting him finish.
But Conrad was already shaking his head. "That's not what we're thinking, your majesty." He moved away from Yuuri, settling himself against the edge of Gwendal's desk.
"Then what are you thinking?" The teen still wasn't looking at him.
Conrad took a deep breath, stealing himself against his question. "Why was Wolfram there?"
Yuuri's mouth dropped open, shock written on his face. "We didn't- that is- I have no idea- do you actually-" His babble of protests continued, but it was already clear he didn't know why the blond had been there. "Do you actually think I would do something like that, Conrad?" Yuuri asked, tone hurt.
Guilt grabbed Conrad's heart in a vice. Thankfully, Gwendal defused the situation. "Your majesty, since the beginning of this conversation you have been avoiding eye contact with Sir Weller. The question had to be asked."
"Oh," replied Yuuri softly.
"I apologize, your majesty," began Conrad.
"No," the teen cut in, shaking his head. "I-I should have just said this from the start." Even now, he still hesitated briefly. His courage showed though, because he raised his head, looking the soldier squarely in the eye. "You were there, Conrad." Confusion began to cloud the knight's face. "Before everything else happened, me destroying the room, seeing Wolfram, or him screaming, the first thing I saw was you."
Conrad could say nothing. The frown on Gwendal's face was deeper than ever, accompanied by more wrinkles than Yuuri could count. "What do you mean?"
Yuuri's eyes never wavered from the knight. "I saw you on the balcony, fighting someone."
"That's not possible," answered the knight in a troubled tone. "I was in the corridors, heading back to my chamber when I heard the scream. I wasn't anywhere near his majesty's room."
"Can anyone verify that?" asked Gwendal in a business like manner.
Conrad slowly shook his head. "The last person I saw was the guard I handed my post off to, and they won't be able to verify where I was heading." He looked at his older brother. "I was also the first one to arrive at the scene of his majesty rooms."
Gwendal's eyes flashed dangerously. "And what of the guards posted outside his majesty's room, where were they?" Conrad glanced toward the young Maou, but neither could answer the question.
"Who was supposed to be guarding the doors?" asked Yuuri in a small voice.
Both brothers' wore thinned lipped expressions. "I intend to find that out," promised Conrad, a dangerous fire burning in his eyes. "We will get to the bottom of all this."
"Then," began Yuuri, glancing nervously once again at the knight. "What exactly did I see?"
The knight's expression became gentle again, as he placed a comforting hand on Yuuri's shoulder. "It was probably just your imagination, or the last vestiges of some dream."
Yuuri said nothing.
Gwendal gave a heavy sigh. "I believe it is high time we sent his majesty back to bed."
The teen's cheeks brightened as he spluttered. "I don't think this is the time for sleep."
Conrad tightened his hold ever so slightly on the teen's shoulder. "There's nothing more that can be done tonight, your majesty. A fresh start in the morning is the best approach right now. Gwendal can handle anything immediate that needs to be done."
"Like finding those two guards?" pressed Yuuri, a far too sharp look in his eyes.
"It will most likely take some time to find them, your majesty," replied Gwendal, rubbing his brow. If Conrad had to guess his older brother was starting to develop a headache. "But I assure you the moment we do, I'll be certain that you are brought in on the meeting, or included in any decisions made in regards to what will be done with them."
Yuuri smiled, tired though it was. "Thank you." Gwendal nodded curtly in response. The teen yawned, stretching his arms. "So where am I going to be sleeping tonight?"
"The infirmary until another room can be set up," replied Conrad. "That room will have the most protection at the moment." And room if a fight broke out. Who knew what those two guards had been thinking.
"Can we're visit Wolfram first though?" Yuuri asked the knight, which the soldier had no argue to: it was his little brother after all, and that was not something Yuuri had forgotten.
"Of course." And that was all that needed to be said.
oOoOoOoOo
Grey mist snaked through the darkness, moving like a living creature. He reached out to touch it, watching with fascination as it twisted silently around his fingers. Screams of pain and death roared to life in his ears, but for some reason he didn't as much as jump with surprise.
'Forgive me, Yuuri.'
'For what?' The words were on his lips, but suddenly his entire torso erupted in pain. He cried out, clutching at his chest.
Something shattered against the ground, as he sank to his knees. His knight's panicked voice rang out above his head. He had just wanted.. to…
He was drowning, but Conrad wouldn't let him go.
Water rushed passed his ears, as it swiftly carried him away…
…away… home…
'I can't go back!'
Desperation.
Despair.
'Yuuri…'
Pain.
There was heat everywhere. Fire and flames and he was the center of it all; a hiss of metal and no time to react. Red hot pain, and then he was falling again.
'Forgive me, Yuuri.'
Yuuri woke with a cry that was far too close to a scream. His still bandaged hand was pressed tightly over his chest, the phantom pains only now leaving his body. He was shaking like a leaf, his entire body covered in sweat.
"C-Conrad?" his voice croaked hoarsely with fear.
He didn't know where he was. He'd fallen asleep in the infirmary, but this room most definitely was not part of Gisela's medical wing. He was utterly alone. The walls seem to press in tightly around him.
He made a lung for the side of the bed, only to topple right off it. He tumbled to the floor in a heap, bringing the tangled blankets and sheets down with him.
Without so much as pausing, he kicked wildly at the blankets, bodily dragging himself to the door. Fear beat in his chest wildly, making it difficult to breathe. He needed Conrad. The cocoon loosened, and barely a second later, he rocketed to his feet.
He rushed for the door. He didn't remember coming to this room the night before. Or had it been the night before? His panic hit a whole new level with that thought.
What if it was a week from his last memory, or a month? Or worse, what if it was a year?
Consumed with terror he rushed blindly down the corridor, wildly searching for his knight. But all the hallways were empty.
"Conrad!" the name bubbled up, escaping his lips in an almost hysterical cry. Tears blurred his eyes, making it impossible to tell where he was going. "Conrad!"
"Yuuri!" He whipped around the bend, crashing full force into the person he'd been desperately searching for.
The soldier stumbled back at the impact, even as Yuuri latched tightly onto his uniform. The teen buried his face in the rough brown fabric with no intention of letting go. "Conrad," his voice trembled, but at that moment Yuuri didn't care.
The knight let out a relieve sigh, placing a hand on top of the young Maou's head. "Are you alright?" The soul link between the two of them had flared to life with Yuuri's fear, and for a moment Conrad had been terrified something had happened to him. The teen adamantly shook his head, eyes shut tight and not loosening his grip in the slightest.
Conrad let out another sigh. He only just wished-
"Sir Weller!" He tried not to tense at the angry voice, but he knew he'd failed when Yuuri looked up at him with surprise. He tried to offer a reassuring smile, but failed when the angry speaker snapped at him again. "I'm not finished speaking with you!"
Conrad turned sharply at that, making sure to keep Yuuri out of sight behind him. "I'll return shortly, Sir von Walruf," answered the knight curtly. The soldier turned his attention back to the teen. "Come- Yuuri." There was a slight hiccup in the soldier's words, like he'd caught himself before saying something wrong. It was different than his usual slip of using the young Maou's name, this use had been completely forced, and Yuuri got the impression it was more to hide his title.
He frowned, a protest on his lips, but Conrad was already propelling them back down the passage around the bend.
Once they were out of earshot of the angry man (Yuuri hadn't been able to get a good look at him) the teen tried to ask what that had been about, only to have Conrad shake his head. "First you tell me what had you scared so badly."
Yuuri tried to brush it off, partly because he was now feeling utterly ashamed of the way he'd acted, only to have Conrad stop him dead in the hallway. The knight placed both hands on his shoulders, kneeling slightly so they were eyelevel.
The knight had learned only after their last adventure that Yuuri hesitated to talk about personal issues. Conrad had come to this realization when things had gone dangerously out of control, and Yuuri had accidentally reached out for him, revealing he was blind. At the time the teen had been loosing his sight slowly over several days, and until then had not breathed a word to anyone.
It was a lesson Conrad had taken to heart. The teen didn't voice his personal problems when left alone. The latest form had come with Yuuri hitting him full force in a blind panic, and though the knight could see Yuuri was embarrassed there was a second reason he was trying to avoid saying anything about.
So there they stood in the center of the hallway, Conrad's eyes level with Yuuri's.
The knight drew a slight breath, deciding to simply go for the truth. "Will you tell me what was wrong, Yuuri?"
The teen's mouth opened slightly, before his eyes slipped to stare at the floor. It was strange, mused Yuuri. Right now Conrad was showing how deeply he cared, while last night it felt like they were nothing more than soldier and king.
A taunting little voice added in sing-song, that maybe Conrad was just humouringhimanddidn't like him in that way.
A chill ran through Yuuri, like his blood had turned to ice. That thought hurt too much to think about. Yuuri shook his head and Conrad missed interrupted the motion.
"Yuuri…" A painfully sad expression had come to the soldier's eyes.
"No, it's not- that is…" Yuuri scrambled for words to try and explain something he didn't want to say. So he skittered around the issue of memories and went with an easy answer that was part of the truth. "I had a nightmare…" He stared intently at his bandaged hand, the one he had no recollection of hurting. "Stupid, I know." He gave a weak laugh, completely missing Conrad's frown. "Sorry about rushing into you. You probably have better things to do than babysit-"
"Yuuri," Conrad cut him off, drawing him closer. "I'm glad you came to me. Big, or small, I would have it that we face any fear together, rather than you face it alone."
Yuuri was at a loss of words for several minutes. "Thank you," he finally whispered, a slight smile appearing on his face. The soldier returned it in full.
That was when they heard someone rushing down the hall toward them.
Mutually Conrad and Yuuri sprang apart, cheeks aflame. Unfortunately Yuuri picked the exact location the person tried to run through. With a yelp, they both tumbled to the floor in a heap of lacy skirts and tangled limbs.
"Yuuri!" exclaimed Conrad, trying to help the two struggling persons apart. The young Maou let out a pained moan from beneath the maid who was currently crushing him.
There was an 'eek' from the pink skirted girl, as she scrambled off him. A moment later, Conrad was helping Yuuri to his feet.
"I'm so terribly sorry, your majesty! Please forgive me, I should have been paying more attention to where I was going!" Yuuri blinked once, twice, and finally got a good look at the girl who'd crashed into him.
The maid was dressed in pink, with her brown hair tied in two tight buns. He couldn't remember having met her before. She was clearly mortified about knocking him over. She was bent more than double in a bow, her face practically pressed up against her pink skirts.
"Hey, it's alright," Yuuri tried assure her. "You don't have to bow." He gently took hold of her arm, pulling her back upright. "It was an accident; I know I can be pretty clumsy at times. Neither of us was hurt, right? So no worries!" He gave a small laugh, and a bright smile.
The maid just stared at him in horror, like he was some horrible two headed mutated creature. Yuuri shifted nervously not sure what else to say. Thankfully, Conrad came to his rescue once again. The knight cleared his throat lightly, trying to draw her attention.
It didn't work quite like he expected though. She suddenly shrieked, clapping both hands over her mouth. Yuuri stumble back in alarm at her outburst, and promptly tripped expertly over his own two feet.
"I'm so sorry!" she exclaimed, bowing profusely again. "I'm in a hurry! His Excellency demanded that I bring him a bottle of wine. Please forgive me!"
Conrad waved her off. "It's alright, Eve," he assured. "I'll look after his majesty."
"Thank you, Sir Weller!" she exclaimed, bowing more again before she took off at a run down the halls frilly skirts flying out behind her.
Yuuri propped up on his elbows on the floor, could only stare. "What was that!?" he exclaimed.
"One of our new maids, Eve," answered Conrad, offering a hand to the teen. "She's still trying to get use to the castle."
Yuuri accept his hand, allowing the knight to yank him up off the floor. "What was she talking about though," he continued. "His Excellency she mentioned, I hope that isn't Murata she was talking about. I don't think he drinks wine…" He trailed out thoughtfully, but Conrad was already shaking his head.
"She was talking about the.. guest I was speaking with earlier," replied Conrad with a grimace. "Come, I'll explain things once you're dressed." Yuuri blinked, only then just realizing he was still wearing his pjs. He wasn't really sure how to react to that revelation either.
He allowed Conrad to lead him the rest of the way to their destination, which turned out to be the room Yuuri had woken up in. His temporary rooms, Conrad had told him, until the usual ones were repaired. Those words soothed the last of the worry still beating in Yuuri's heart.
The room also had the added bonus of being close to Conrad's quarters, which was a definite plus in Yuuri's books.
He dressed quickly, before allowing the knight into his new room. Yuuri plopped down on the bed, offering the spot next to him, but the knight took the chair from a nearby desk instead. The teen tried not to be too disappointed.
Yuuri waited for a few minutes, but when it became clear Conrad didn't know how to begin, Yuuri started. "So this 'Excellency' that Eve mentioned, would that be the Sir… Walruf, was it? That you were talking to?"
"Yes, he would be," replied Conrad reluctantly.
"And who exactly is he?" asked Yuuri, leaning forward slightly on the bed.
Conrad drew a deep breath before he answered in a grave voice, "He's a representative from Greater Shimaron."
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Hello one and all! Welcome to the end of the first chapter of A Simple Change in Time's sequel: (duduuduuaaaaa!) A Moment in Time!
-inter lots of cheering and fanfare-
Thank you! Thank you!
Anyway, silliness aside, I'm delighted that I finally managed to cobble the first chapter together for your enjoyment. Took waaay longer than I expected it to. Good news is I've got a lot of the first few chapters already mapped out so hopefully updates won't be months on end or whatever.
Hope you enjoyed the first chapter! Big thanks to everyone who read it!
And see ya next chapter!