Title: Feeling in the bones

Rating: G

Pairing: Conyuu

Beta-read by slytherisa

Summary: Yuuri visits a shrine where the remains of the 3rd Maou are kept… and he freaks out.

Set after the series, but no spoiler.

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During one of their travels through the country, Yuuri had spotted a strange building.

"What is there?" He had asked Gunther. His teacher had been only too happy to explain to him at length the historical significance of such a shrine. This was the resting place of the third Maou.

Curiosity had been strong, and with Gunther urging him to go and witness the glorious remains of the former king, Yuuri had not hesitated for too long. Besides, he was getting tired of riding.

However, when he had seen the old bones on red velvet, under the protective glass, the young king's eyes had widened and his smile had for a moment disappeared from his face. He had stayed silent then, only listening to Gunther's historical stories and nodding from time to time. For as long as they were in this room, his eyes never left the yellowish bones.

He had been quiet on the return home as well, and Conrad Weller just knew something was disturbing his king. As soon has he managed to get a quiet moment alone in the garden with Yuuri, he asked: it was his role to support the Maou, to make things right for him if he could.

"What is wrong, Your Majesty?"

And the young man --- whose shoulder had been slightly sagging, and whose feet had trudged heavily --- lifted his head and looked up in his godfather's eyes, his own eyes intent, worried and pleading.

"Those bones…" And his voice trailed off, carrying his horror and fear.

Conrad understood somewhat: he knew the earlier visit was the reason Yuuri was perturbed, but as Yuuri liked so much to remind them, talking was the best way to solve problems and he prompted the king onward.

"What about those bones?" He asked gently.

"The bones …. They were…" Yuuri's hands were clenched down and he was straining his slouched body up, as if getting closer to Conrad's height would help him convey his meaning. "They were naked!"

Conrad could not help but smile at Yuuri's shocked indignation. He bent imperceptibly closer in complicit understanding.

"You mean exposed…"

And Yuuri pouted, but his demeanour was already getting back to normal. "You know what I mean…" And when Conrad did not answer, he went on in a low slightly frightened voice. "I… It must be lonely, terrifying… embarrassing even." And his cheeks burned red.

"You fear the same might happen to you after you die." Conrad's voice was even. He strongly repeated to himself that death was normal, and that besides the Maou's death was a very distant possibility… this was just a 'what if' story…

"Exactly!" Yuuri exclaimed. "I don't want this to happen to me…" And he lost his cheerfulness to blush once again, hiding his face into his hands. "It'd be too embarrassing…"

Conrad smiled; he strongly doubted those bones had conserved any feeling at all.

"Then why don't you set up a decree forbidding your bones ever to be exposed?" He suggested good-naturedly. "And maybe institute a guardian to watch over your grave?"

Yuuri tilted his head and seemed to wonder for a bit. His thoughts went on Emperor Qin Shi Huangdi's buried clay army in Xi'an but he quickly dismissed the idea: he did not believe a clay army to have any power to protect him in death. Then another thought came up, one that was much easier to realise, one that felt much safer…

He nodded, then turned his head hopefullytowards Conrad.

"Would you… Would you agree… would you do that for me?" he asked.

Conrad felt so surprised he nearly staggered back. His heart sank, but after all he had been the one to bring this up and it amounted to volunteering, did it not?

"It would be an honour, Your Majesty." He answered dutifully. After all it wasan honour, and he should be taking it as such.

But as soon as Yuuri had had his agreement, he had paid no further heed to Conrad, and he had run towards the castle, enthusiastically saying something about writing a first draft.

Conrad remained where he was standing. Now that the boxes were out of the picture, he thought his duty of a guardian had ended… and here he was, volunteering again. But if it was what Yuuri wanted he would do it… choose a wife and get started on a family, so that his heirs and the heirs of his heirs could watch over the 27th Maou's tomb until the end of the world.

He had been so lost in his thoughts that he did not hear the Maou come back, only when the young man was standing before him, waving a piece of paper, did Conrad notice him.

"Do you think this would be okay, Conrad?" He was asking, and Conrad took the paper to read it.

I, Shibuya Yuuri Harajuku Fuuri, Shinmakoku's 27th Maou, wish to be buried together with the body of Sir Conrart Weller (Conrad), the second who died shouldrejoin the first in his grave, so that he may protect me in death.

Written this day…

And a signature.

"I… I…" Conrad was thunderstruck. "I was suggesting a guardian through descendants." He managed to say. "This wouldn't protect you at all, Yuuri." He tried to reason his king.

But Yuuri shook his head negatively. "The people who watched over the shrine had such a duty… it didn't help…" Then he looked directly in Conrad's eyes, searching for the smallest trace of refusal. "I'd feel safer knowing you're by my side…" He said in a softer voice."…but maybe you'd not agree with something like that."

And Conrad's heart soared, of course he would not mind. Did Yuuri realise to what extent it proved his trust in him?

"It would be an honour, Yuuri." He stated truthfully.

Yuuri smiled.

"Then it's decided!" And he started towards the insideof the castle again. "Come on Conrad, let's bring it to Gwendal so that we can make it official!"

In that instant, he could physically feel his care for the Maou, pulling at his heart. "Yuuri…" He murmured.

Then, with a wide, wondering smile on his face and his heart beating fast, Conrad Weller went to follow his king.