Disclaimer: This story is based on characters and situations created and owned by Tomo Takabayashi and various publishers and studios. No money is being made and no copyright or trademark infringement is intended.
Warning: AU from the OVA
Pairing: Yuuri/Wolfram
Note: This is my entry for fanfic100's table, prompt 100: writer's choice: potion
Escaping Daydreams
Chapter: I
The fair was in full flair. It was, in his memories, always such a popular event, where merchants came from all over Shin Makoku, including the border towns. Still, the newfound peace treaties with some human countries had brought it into a new height, since it was no longer seen as a mazoku-only-festival. Human merchants had came and participated. Especially that year, given that Yuuri had just came back to rule. Sometimes, Wolfram felt that on the years Yuuri was on earth, Shin Makoku had unwittingly fallen into a long, lethargic slumber and only just opened its eyes again.
On, both sides of the streets, tents and stands with garish, clashing colors were erected. Human and mazoku sold their wares side by side. All were offered with attractive prices – from Small Shimaron's clothes and fabrics to Shin Makoku's potteries and crafts, from Caloria's jewellries to kickshaws that apparently were quite common everywhere. Their sellers was shouting, trying to attract buyers, and speaking languages both native and foreign.
Here and there, people were crowding, talking loudly and laughing. Their hands were moving quickly, which Wolfram presumed was an effort to bridge the language's barrier. There was a clown on the corner of the street who was juggling five or so balls with a bunch of children pointing at him and adults gasping in admiration. In front of the inn, a man was sitting, playing drum, while a young woman was dancing. Whenever she made a turn or a jump, the small bells decorating her skirt would tinkle merrily. Children were running around, giggling. Some of them seemed to be involved on some kind of tag game, tapping their friends with their candy-smeared-hands. The cacophony was more than enough to make Wolfram questioned his decision to join the patrol.
Unfortunately, staying at the palace was not an option that noon. He just had another fight with Yuuri that morning. So, while normally he relished on being at the same proximity with the Maou, right then it simply fed his anger. Maybe he was a spoiled brat, but he didn't want to be the one who caused the old, historical castle to be burnt into nothing, nor did he want to go down on history as the only Maou's fiancé who committed homicide to said Maou.
That morning, the entourage from Caloria had arrived, which of course, given that Lady Flurin was the leader of Caloria and a personal friend of the Maou, mean that she was on it. It would not be so bad, actually, if that stupid Yuuri didn't shower her with his attention all the time and was clearly basking on hers. He had waited for her personally in the front steps of the castle and then spent the entire day "catching up" with her.
He had tried, really, to turn a blind eye on Yuuri's flirtations, but as everybody who ever met him could attest, he was totally abysmal on that. He had ended up confronting Yuuri, like usual. Worse, he did it in front of the entire foreign dignitaries.
Gwendal had scolded him –it was improper and he had embarrassed Shin Makoku -- and even Yuuri was angry with him for that – he was overreacting. Worse, Yuuri accused him of being irrational and unfair to Lady Flurin, and he demanded Wolfram to apologize. Yet, Yuuri continued to flaunt his besotted state.
Yuuri should look into a mirror first before he threw any accusation.
No, Staying at the palace was not an option at all.
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Cheri was playing with the bottle on her hands, turning it left and right, letting sunlight made it sparkling. It was deceptively ordinary, a mere glass vial with reddish liquid inside.
She sighed. She had seen her youngest son mopping and pining for years.
Years ago, she had come to the bitter conclusion that she didn't have what it took to be a maternal woman. She had missed her children's childhoods, buried deep in politics and paperwork. She had sent – however unwillingly – her second son into the frontier of a raging war. She had been powerless on preventing her eldest from throwing away his life for repairing her mistakes.
It didn't mean that she didn't care about them.
Once, she had told herself, when toddler Wolfram was sick and she had to attend a meeting with the ten nobles and leave his care to the castle's maid, when she let Dan Hiri took the most of raising Conrad, when instead of reading bedtime stories to little Gwendal she danced the night away with a dignitary or another, that it was all right, she had to make those sacrifices. She had responsibilities as the Maou and dreams for her children, dreams that made it important for her to do her best, because her children deserved better kingdom to live in, a time of peace and prosperity.
Then Yuuri Heika came, and her dreams became nothing.
It was not that she didn't respect or like the current maou. It was, she had decided, impossible to dislike someone who was normally so kind and trying so hard to be fair, even when the recipient was undeserved.
When she heard about his arrival for the first time, she had been filled to the brim with hope. He was a Maou who came from another world, summoned by Shinou himself. Moreover, he possessed the legendary black hair and eyes. She had thought, maybe he would do right where she had failed. Perhaps, he could give the country, and her children, what she couldn't.
In some matters, he had indeed more than exceeding her expectations. The kingdom had made allied with human countries. The threat of Shousu had been eliminated.
Yet, in others, matters that didn't concern Cheri-the-previous-Maou so much as it bothered Cheri-the-mother, he had failed. He had been worse than simply failed.
Year upon year she had seen how the young king had leaned on her first son to do his tasks. She had, at first, thought that it was simply because Yuuri Heika was new in this position. When he had been used to his role, surely he would take the rein from Gwendal's capable hands. Then, her Gwendal could become what he should be, a carefree young man, instead of an older-than-his-age, always-worrying, unofficial regent. Perhaps, he would even propose to Anissina. They were always seemed quite close to her.
But Yuuri Heika never did.
Then there was Conrad, her beloved, much-suffered son. She knew he was close with the young king. It was easy to see that he cared deeply for Yuuri Heika. Yuuri Heika even called him his Godfather. Still, it was not healthy for Conrad to revolve his life around Yuuri Heika.
The war was long over, but he was still not free.
When he was young, Conrad had confessed of wanting to travel the world. His was a restless soul, just like his father's. He wanted to go to new places, to see new things and to help people he met. Now, he simply followed the Maou and arranged his life to suit Yuuri's capricious impulses.
He wouldn't get any younger, Conrad was. Moreover, although she usually avoided this painful thought, she knew he, being only a half mazoku, wouldn't live as long as his brothers would. How much longer would he have to wait for living his own life? How much more of his time should he give for servicing and catering to other's whims?
Last but not least, there was Wolfram, her little, beautiful Wolfram, whose face made her felt like seeing a mirror and whom she had hoped would be luckier in love than herself. The blame was, she acknowledged, partially hers. It was her machination that had brought her baby into this mess.
Still, she just wanted to break the ice. She didn't plan on him getting engage with the Maou. She certainly didn't plan on him falling in love with said Maou.
She had watched how slowly Wolfram's annoyance and pride turned into love and devotion. She had seen her normally selfish, childish Wolfram, for once in his life, putting someone else's feeling and wants way above his own, and not because of duty and obligation.
It hurt her, to see the longing look in her son's eyes every time Yuuri Heika was away. Sometimes, she questioned herself whether it was because Wolfram was her youngest or because it reminded her of his father. Worse, the look was still there even when Heika was back. Yes, it was dimmed, but never disappeared.
In turned, she had also observed how Yuuri Heika disregarded the engagement. It didn't take much to see that for the Maou, the engagement was nothing but a joke, a responsibility that he didn't want, but couldn't dissolve, so he just let it stayed there, until he would be forced to take an action. Yuuri Heika, for all his attentiveness and his speeches on justice, peace and forgiveness, was blind as bat to the affection her Wolfram offered.
But no longer.
She could not help Gwendal to live as men his age do and it was too late to break Conrad free of the Maou. Yet, she could and would help Wolfram to get the love he deserved.