Yozak smothered a laugh when he overheard King Yuri, waxing elaborate to some young eligible Mazoku lady about how perfect Conrad was. A little over a month and a half ago Yuri had apparently decided that since matrimony had been good for Gwendal, Anissina, Wolfram, and even Gunter; Conrad obviously needed to get married as well.
It was a highly amusing concept actually.
It had been the Great Sage, Ken Murata that had gently reminded Yuri that for all Conrart was technically a prince; he was also a half-demon and thus didn't have the best prospects for finding a bride among the nobility. Yuri's response to this had been typical of the young king. He'd decided to 'help' much to Conrad's dismay, and Yozak's amusement.
After all it was hardly Yuri's fault that Conrart was too damned noble to rescue himself from the predicament he was currently in. As such Yuri was quite busy singing his godfather's and Conrad was busy running away and or hiding from the onslaught of potential suitors. Idly he considered informing Yuri that he was working with the wrong gender but decided that would just be cruel. However if Conrad annoyed him he'd likely do it just to be a pain.
He climbed gracefully out the window two sandwiches and a rather large flask of cider – he'd nicked from the kitchen- stashed securely into the bag he had slung over his back. Deftly he climbed up a bloody terrace and maneuvered his way along ledges as he'd made his way to Conrad's hiding place. Sure he could have used the door – but where was the fun in that?
"Perfect' the king had called Conrad 'Mr. Perfect'.
Yozak couldn't help it he laughed aloud at the memory. Conrad was far from perfect, but not many people ever saw his bad habits. He was simply too adept at hiding them.
For one thing Conrad had the rather unprincely habit of bighting his nails. It had taken his lady mother years to break him of it – she'd finally resorted to dipping his fingertips in vinegar. To this day if he got nervous enough the pinky of his left hand found its way to his mouth. It was a nervous habit, and one that he normally caught before he actually bit his nail. But still it was a tiny flaw in his character.
A flaw Yozak cherished.
Conrad was so quiet, suppressing every bit of his emotions and temper by day that he muttered and whined at night as he slept. He also kicked – Yozak had the bruises to prove it. Conrad had never been as bad as say Wolfram in terms of being a violent sleeper, but still he tended to move around quite a bit as he slept.
The man had gotten better about that in the past few decades. Conrad had been a quiet sleeper when they'd first met, but life, the war, and something that had happened while he was pretending to be Belar's man had combined to make him an uneasy and light sleeper. Although that wasn't completely true anymore when he slept with someone he trusted enough to keep him safe.
Conrart also had the bad habit of internalizing things. Sure by all outwards appearances he was calm, but he bottled everything up inside, and that just wasn't healthy. He'd stood by Conrart through many things, and he was the only one barring maybe Günter who knew just how close to suicidal Conrart had become before the war. The death of Conrart's dear friend Lady Suzanna Julia (who'd been one of the few people to treat Conrart like a person from the start not a half-breed) hadn't helped. Conrart had come back from earth lighter somehow, for that alone Yozak would always be grateful to Yuri.
In addition to that the man was slightly possessive – it was quite cute, actually – unless you were the one stupid enough to sit in his favorite armchair. He was neat and clean (in an everything has its place and should be kept there, sort of way). Actually when Conrart had annoyed him enough that was usually how he retaliated, by moving things.
He pulled himself easily in through the tower window and into the dust covered room. Conrad sat off to one side reading a book. Yozak smiled at the sight of the dust in Conrart's hair. "Hey, I brought lunch and cider," he said carefully liberating a large plush blanket from the confines of his pack. The room was quite drafty.
Conrad set his book aside and helped him to lay out the blanket. "My hero," He retorted mildly, as Yozak passed him a sandwich. "Mmm pheasant," Conrart muttered as he took a bite.
Yozak laughed and bit into his own sandwich, Conrart really was easy to please if one knew how. He took a swig of the cider before passing the flask to Conrart. Conrart took a sip and then capped the flask and set it to the side.
"You know Conrart it's rather unlike you to go to such great lengths to avoid confrontation." Yozak said mildly around a bite of sandwich.
Conrad choked, "don't talk with your mouth full." He chided, his slight smile giving lie to his rebuke.
Yozak swallowed before continuing "you are avoiding the issue," he replied.
"Would you rather, I went through with this farce?" Conrart asked raising an eyebrow. " It would be rather ungentlemanly of me to get their hopes up for naught."
"You could always try telling the truth." Yozak replied mildly.
Conrad sighed, "I wish I could, but that would be too dangerous as you well know."
"And if I told you the danger was removed?" Yozak asked evenly.
Conrart rubbed the bridge of his nose, "then I would happily inform the entire nation of where my heart lays, however as that danger has not been removed, I shall hold my tongue."
"You know you're rather cute when you're being dense." Yozak teased mildly.
Conrad raised an eyebrow, "for your sake I'm going to choose to take that as a complement. So what exactly am I being dense about?"
Yozak smiled and wrapping his arms around Conrad's waist tugged the smaller man into his lap. Conrad emitted a startled squeak, before relaxing against him, cuddling up in his arms as if it were the most natural thing in the world. Yozak tugged Conrad closer, one hand resting on his hip the other resting casually between his legs. As if he had every right to have his hands in such an intimate place, even if he wasn't touching.
"I left your brother a rather enlightening note." He said mildly.
Conrad sputtered and turned to face Yozak before he found his voice. "You told him we're married in a note?!"
"No he told me where you were hiding in a note," Said a voice from the doorway. "And what do you mean you're MARRIED?!"
Conrad actually shrank back against Yozak's chest at his elder brother's tone of voice, and the older man rubbed small soothing circles on Conrad's hip.
"Uhm…hello Gwendal," Conrad said mildly, then added. "We are, and have been for quite some time."
Gwendal all but growled, "Exactly how long?"
"Since that week I disappeared from the academy," Conrart replied keeping his voice even, despite the fact that he was shaking.
Gwendal glared at them both, his eyes narrowing to mere slits. "That was the night of your birthday. Damnit, Conrart you where hardly legal! Yozak, how- how could you?"
Yozak laughed, "Just be glad we waited until the both of us were legal before we eloped, boss. I trust since you found my note, you also found the form it was attached to."
"You mean the letter of resignation you left on my desk? Yes, I found that and now I see the reasoning behind it." Gwendal replied. "However, propriety demands that you request his hand from the head of his household, since his father died that is me, you should have asked for his hand Yozak."
Conrart shifted and turned his attention completely to Gwendal, not even bothering to move Yozak's hands. He was married and Yozak had every right to put his hands anywhere on his body that he pleased. "I must remind you that the need for him to request my hand in marriage from you, passed the moment I came of age and my estate and title passed into my hands. Would you have allowed it had the question been proposed brother? Regardless any chances of an honorable marriage to anyone else, hasn't existed since my voice dropped. I am long married and content with my love and my life Gwendal that is all you need to know."
Gwendal sighed, and pinched the bridge of his nose. Then he smiled "well, I guess all that is left to do is for you to inform his majesty of your marriage, and for your vows to be publicly acknowledged. Congratulations on what is to become the renewal of your vows little brother, and welcome to this family Yozak."
With that he moved faster than either of them could have anticipated.
~~~***~~~
Yuri sighed as he wondered through the palace. Conrart always did this, it was as if he didn't want to be married at all, he'd simply show up long enough to rescue him from some form of danger and then vanished into thin air before he even had a chance to introduce the newest woman he'd been trying to set him up with.
"I'm sorry," he told the lady he was currently walking with. "I have no idea where Conrad could have gotten off to."
The woman, Lady Eileen, was lower nobility. Yuri had started with the members of the 10 noble families, but even then, even when he'd managed to get both the eligible ladies and their lord Fathers to agree, Conrart vanished. Yuri had to admit it was quite annoyed. There were three women not including Eileen left among the lesser nobles, all of whom recognized just what a catch his Godfather was, even if it was only in terms of his monetary worth, lands, titles and ties to the royal family pass and present. But he was confident that once they actually met Conrad and saw for themselves just what a perfect, kind and caring man he was that they would come to love Conrad as he deserved.
If this didn't work he was going to appeal to Earth fairytales, and throw his godfather a ball, he'd invite every eligible female in the demon kingdom – and hopefully they wouldn't have to deal with a glass slipper!
He had briefly considered the fact that Conrad might prefer his own gender; however when he'd approached Yozak with his suspicion the man had dissolved into near hysterical laughter. Since Yozak knew Conrad best, he'd stuck with women suitors. But it seemed none of the women had struck even a passing fancy from his notoriously stubborn Godfather.
For her part Lady Eileen was taking this entire fiasco rather well. Although if the near constant slightly high-pitched, fluttering, giggle was anything to go by – the woman was a bit ditsy, and not at all what he imagined to be Conrad's type. He thought he had a fairly good idea of Conrad's type, basically what he was looking for was a more demure, female version of Yozak.
"Your majesty," Gwendal's voice called from down one long corridor.
Yuri turned and took in the rather startling sight of Gwendal marching down the hall dragging a rather cowed looking Conrad and Yozak with him by their ears. He gaped at the sight. Gwendal marched right up to him, his face set and his expression firm.
"My little brother and Lieutenant Gurrier have something they wish to tell you." Gwendal snarled, all but throwing the two at his feet by their ears.
Conrad and Yozak stumbled but kept their balance, rubbing at their now very red ears after they pulled themselves up right.
Yuri blinked more than a little surprised by this particular display. "Conrad, what is he talking about?"
Conrad squared his shoulders, "Heika, I must apologize for allowing you to waste your time, However I have no intention of marrying this woman or any other."
Yuri blinked, "Conrad I've told you time and time again, my name is Yuri. You gave me my name, use it. So I take it your taste runs to men?" then he paused then turned his attention to Yozak. "Exactly why did you lead me to believe differently? Hum… I guess I really will have to hold a ball of some sort. I'll have to invite every eligible male whose tastes lay in other men. Don't worry, will find you a nice man."
Conrad flushed, "that won't be necessary, thank you Yuri. However I have no intention of marring anyone of any gender." He would have said more had Yuri not cut him off.
"Why?"
Conrad opened his mouth, but Yozak cut him off. "Because I'm possessive and if he did, it would be detrimental to the other man's health. That and he'd be sleeping in the stables with his horse for the next century."
Yuri gaped at them for a moment before he found his voice a smile crossing his lips. He'd always thought what he was looking for was a more demure, female, version of Yozak, or simply a … submissive version of Yozak. However it appeared he'd overlooked the obvious choice - Yozak himself. "You two are dating." He said simply, that was wonderful. But why hadn't Conrad simply told him that from the start?
"Actually we're married." Conrad replied.
"Oh, okay... WHAT?! When?" Yuri replied completely flustered.
Conrad blinked and leaned into Yozak as the larger man wrapped an arm around his waist. Yozak smiled, "We've been married since Conrad came of age kiddo. we ran off and eloped, fearing that if we asked for permission it would be denied. We've been happily married ever since. After Conrad came home from earth when he delivered your soul to your parents I had become a spy and it was simply to dangerous for my connection to him to be discovered so we told no one despite the fact that we had been married for over 2 decades. We've hidden it all these years, so Conrart told no one, not you, not Gwendal, not even his mother to protect me. As such when you started this quest to find him a spouse he said nothing and put himself through the pain of seeing the look on your face every time he hid from you. Now it is my turn, I love my job and I love country, Heika but I love Conrad more, as of today I resign my commission."
"Well… there's not much we can do about that now. Conrad I command you to tell your mother… everything. Lady Cecilia has had the plans for your wedding laid out since before you where of marrying age. I believe it only fair that she be allowed to put them to good use. The two of you will be renewing your vows within the next year on the same day they were originally made. That is my order." Yuri replied calmly.
Conrad flinched, "so basically you're ordering us to have a royal wedding?"
"No love, he's ordering us to face your mother." Yozak retorted mildly.
"Couldn't I just be executed… tortured… boiled in oil… publicly humiliated… anything other than that?" Conrad said his half-seriously.
Gwendal smiled, "it's one of mother's wedding Conrad; it will be all of them. Except for execution although seeing how Yozak obviously wears the pants in this relationship, thus mother will put you in a dress, it very well may be the death of your pride."
Conrad emitted what had to be the most pathetic sound Yuri had ever heard and pressed himself against Yozak. "I get the torture; public humiliation and even the execution of Conrad's pride but where does being boiled in oil come into this?" Yozak asked mildly, rubbing soothing circles on Conrad's hip.
Gwendal actually smirked. "Hot oil spa treatments." He said simply, and then added "she'll force Conrad to have one at the very least, and may even force you to have one as well. Conrad hates them; apparently the sharp scent eucalyptus and rosemary kills his sense of smell."