Hi!!
This fic you're about to read is about Gwendal and Anissina relationship. For this chapter, it is about Gwendal's past. I hope you will like it.
Gwendal was really young that time. He was only ten years old. Like a ten years old human boy- mazoku ages slower than human after they reach ten years old-, he liked to practice sword with his father. His father was not a cheerful man, even his mother didn't dare to speak too much to him. Gwendal knew that his father and mother were forced to get married because of their family matter. His parents never had a fight, but they had never shown a real love to each other in front of the people, including Gwendal. Gwendal was sure that his father and mother never loved each other like a husband and wife should be.
His mother loved him very much. Though he didn't grow up like she wanted him to be. Gwendal became more like his father as he grew up. When he was still a kid, his mother said, he was adorable. Little Gwendal laughed all day just because of a bear bee doll. But, when Gwendal started to learn sword, he started to behave like his father did. He smiled less and frowned more.
Gwendal never really had time with his father. Because the man was so quiet and Gwendal was too scared to talk to him if his father didn't talk to him first. The only time Gwendal had a father and son conversation with his father was on the last day Gwendal saw him. His father was in a good mood that time, Gwendal thought, because he saw his father smiled. He didn't know that his father was smiling at him, but later he found out that it was he who made him in such a good mood. His father called him and joked with him. When his father hugged him, it almost made him cried, not because he was scared, he was so happy. They talked about Gwendal being a heir to the family and how Gwendal made his father proud of him. That was when Gwendal understood that his father was happy because he was his father's son and the second reason was Gwendal had made his father proud of him. But, he didn't know what made his father proud of him.
Later on the night, Gwendal eavesdropped his father and mother talking. It looked like his father was telling his mother that he was going to a war. Gwendal became more curious and he looked inside the room from the keyhole. He looked inside and he saw his father was giving a letter to his mother. His mother embraced his father. That was the first time he saw his mother did that to his father. Usually she only did it to him, never to his father.
"You have to come back" His mother told his father. Her voice was so soft, Gwendal almost didn't hear it. "For Gwendal"
His father patted his mother head, like he did with Gwendal earlier. And then the man nodded. His mother looked up and gazed at his father's eyes. They kissed. And then, Gwendal's father headed to the door. Gwendal went back to his room quickly. For a split second, he thought, he saw his mother crying.
In his own room, Gwendal thought about his father and mother. Everyone thought they didn't love each other, and Gwendal thought that way too. But, when he saw his parents earlier, he began to think differently. He thought that the love between his parents were not the love they could show to many people. When he looked at them earlier he knew that they loved each other, but they didn't show it to anyone else, including him, their son. Or maybe they had just begun to love each other. Gwendal tried to be a stupid child in his father and mother relationship matter. But, he also knew that his father and mother were not that stupid and both of them had known Gwendal realized about that as well. But, he still tried to pretend he didn't know anything in front of them.
When Gwendal was still thinking about the event earlier. His father entered the room. Gwendal was surprised and tried to be stupid again. He looked at his father. His father's face was... sad. Full of sorrow. His father told him that he was going to a war. And Gwendal realized that his father knew when Gwendal was peeking on him earlier. And then, Gwendal listened to his father carefully.
"You have to protect your mother. You have to be the head of our family. You have to bear your responsiblity" his father said. "I may not come back, and you know that, right?"
Gwendal nodded.
"If I come back, it's okay for you to be a child until you reach sixteen. If I don't, I hope you have already known what to do. You must behave yourself like an adult even if you are still a child" Gwendal's father said. Gwendal was sure that his father thought he wouldn't come back. He nodded again.
"That's all. I'll leave the castle tonight. Sleep well, my son" his father said
His father was about to open the door when Gwendal said, "Good night, father. I hope you'll be safe in your journey". His father smiled.
That was the last thing Gwendal had ever said to his father.
When Gwendal was thirteen, he met Anissina. Her father was summoned by his mother. Anissina's father was the head of a noble family. Because they were staying in the castle for about three weeks, Gwendal was asked by his mother to play with Anissina. Gwendal and Anissina became good friends in no time. Gwendal remembered what he said to Anissina when he met her for the first time. It was "My name is Gwendal von Voltaire, my lady. Enjoy your time here", he said it while helping her out of the carriage.
Everytime he remembered about that he always laughed, but he didn't if he was in front of many people. He thought Anissina might have forget about it. But she did not. It was the very reason why he was interested in this boy.
It was the day when Anissina supposed to leave the castle. A letter came to Gwendal's mother and she cried while reading it. Gwendal came to her and asked why she cried. She showed him the letter. He read it very carefully. His father was dead.
When his father's body arrived at the castle, he didn't know what to say to her mother to encourage her. Anissina and her father delayed their journey back to their own castle. Gwendal was not too sad about that. But, when he remembered his last day with his father, it did make him want to cry. But, he didn't.
The body was buried under a very big tree on a hill. Gwendal saw his mother dropped a silver pendant just before the earth started to engulf his father's body.
"What is that, mother?" Gwendal asked his mother while pointing at the pendant that his mother threw a few seconds ago
"A thing I should have given your father before he left" His mother told him. "When we arrived at the castle, come to my room, I want to talk to you, and give you something your father entrusted to me to give you before he left"
Gwendal went to his mother chamber when he arrived at the castle. His mother had been waiting for him there. There was a sword on the table. And Gwendal believed his mother wouldn't think of killing herself and him in her chamber.
She handed him a letter. Gwendal remembered the envelope. He remembered his father giving it to his mother before he left. "Open the letter, son" his mother said.
Gwendal opened the envelope, there were three sheet of paper inside it. He began to read it. The first and the second was about his father's possession. All of his father's possessions were Gwendal's after his father's death. Gwendal read the third letter carefully. His tears began to dwell in his eyes as he read the same sentences over and over, trying to make sure he read them correctly. When he finished the tears were flowing down his cheeks.
His mother embraced him lightly. There was just a few sentences in his father's letter. It was only, 'I love you, son. Tell your mother I'm really sorry. And I hope you will never forget me, even we only 'talked' to each other once'
He had read the letter until he memorized his father's letter. He didn't believe it, his father was so quiet, even his letter didn't talk so much. That day Gwendal and his mother talked about his father until Gwendal fell asleep in his mother's room. That was the last time Gwendal slept with his mother. And it was when he started to learn how to act like a real adult.
He didn't play with Anissina on the next day. And Anissina knew that Gwendal wasn't in the mood to play. She tried to cheer him up. Gwendal felt better and thanked her. He took her to the garden and he told her all the things that happened the day before. He even told her about his father and mother, he told her all about his family. Gwendal believed that Anissina could keep his secret. That time they swore to be best friends forever and they would always help each other. Later, Gwendal regretted doing that.
Anissina kissed his cheek and said, "It would be alright". Gwendal was surprised because of the kiss.
"Why did you kiss me?" he asked
"My mother used to do that when I was sad" she replied
"What do you mean by saying she used to do that?" Gwendal asked. "Is... Is she no longer with you?"
Anissina nodded. "Yeah, three years ago she died" she said. "That was when your father left, right?"
Gwendal looked at her in surprise once again and then he nodded.
"Both of us have lost one of our parents. I lost my mother, you lost your father" Anissina said. "We're similar to each other, I think"
Gwendal didn't say any word, neither did Anissina. He didn't think about Anissina's feeling before this. He didn't know anything about her family. Gwendal thought about asking her about her family later, he didn't think that moment was the right time to ask her about it. . When he saw her face, he realized that his father's death had reminded Anissina about her own mother, maybe, Anissina was sad too when she went with him to the hill where his father was buried. Gwendal and Anissina were sitting in the garden until the servants found them there late in the evening and forced them to get something to eat. Anissina and Gwendal did as they were told. After they had eaten some foods, both of them went to sleep.
TBC
Actually this is my third Kyou Kara Maou fic. Actually about Gwendal and Anissina. But, I started the story from the death of Gwendal's father. In my story, Mazoku ages slower than human after they reach ten years old... Sorry if there are many grammatical mistakes or if I use the wrong words. Reviews are very appreciated. Thanks for reading!! -Pheria-