Disclaimer: I own nothing... nothing, I tell you! I used quotations with good intent. And uh... there are spoilers through the end of the first season.

a/n: This takes place when Stoffel has Yuuri abducted, right about the time the good guys get him back. It's pre-ConYuu-ish. I mean, it's episode 11; there's no time for them to fall in love yet.

Raven stood proudly in front of Conrad, boasting through his bearing that he had managed to spirit away the prized king of the Great Demon Kingdom. Both of them were able, trusted retainers with great affection for oblivious masters. In other circumstances, it might have seemed comic. But after galloping his horse half to death, the brown haired soldier was in no mood to play mind games.

"His highness has no wish to return to Covenant Castle."

Even though Raven probably was bluffing, had to be bluffing, it hurt to have images thrown into his exhausted head. Conrad had learned how to ride a horse even before he learned the sword, and the experience in years since had only increased his skill. With his stomach unfilled since he'd grabbed his horse, racing towards the horizon and the repetitive bouncing on the saddle hurt him more than it should have. What hurt more was knowing that he had failed in his one duty to his king. Why shouldn't Yuuri want to stay where he was? No, a faint heart could lose a battle before it began. Of course Yuuri needed to be rescued. Yuuri needed him.

"The will of His Majesty is the will of the Great Demon Kingdom."

That was undeniable. The will of His Majesty was the will of Conrart Weller, too. He'd always put the greater good in front of his desires, no questions asked. He'd lost the love of his life for it. That her soul was given back to him for a another chance was a miracle he would never have dreamed of happening. Now his second wind seemed for naught; Yuuri was gone. Could he really not want to return? What could they have done to him?

"The law-"

Conrad didn't want to hear any more. Rational thought was supposed to be a strength of his, and usually it allowed him to triumph in situations where physical capabilities were irrelevant. Although this circumstance seemed to fall under that heading, he simply did not want to hear any more. Sometimes force could help in conversations. Yuuri wouldn't agree, but thinking of Yuuri more and more was distracting. The previously cool and collected protector of the people grabbed his sword out of its scabbard and launched himself into the air towards the source of his torture.

"You will return His Majesty!" he demanded of Raven.

Yuuri, Yuuri, Yuuri. To the world's ears, His Majesty, but in Conrad's mind, Yuuri. He often repeated the name in his head as a reminder of whose world he was fighting to create.

Out of nowhere came Wolfram's voice. "Lord Weller, Yuuri's all right!" Wolfram was here? That's what lack of sleep, food, and loved ones can do to a man. His little brother's skill in fire magic was actually rather useful as a backup to mention when trying to... wait...

His head turned so fast that it created a sonic boom. There he was... Yuuri.

Then he noticed that Yuuri was a bit different from normal. Gunter often swooned about His Majesty's regal black appearance, but he suspected the elder swordsman would have been dashing off for nose wipes right now. Conrad licked his lips subconsciously while applying his quick analytical skills to the scene unfolding before him. The urgency of the whole situation had required him to skip any meals, so his stomach was a bit hard to control. Right now it took most of his mental strength not to compare Yuuri to a cupcake from Earth.

Conrad was very learned about dresses for a man, more than he might have wished. As a child, his mother would often ask him what dress made her look the most ravishing. He didn't really understand at the time, but giving answers made her happy. That made his father happy too.

Growing up took him a long time, and seeing different dresses always reminded him of times with his mother, so he attempted to become a bit more knowledgeable about them. The best source of information on new styles was made available by visiting his older brother. Gwendal was attractive enough at a young age that before his surly visage and disposition became famous, he was swamped with young women trying to catch him in various ways. They seemed almost like peacocks, except the females were flashing the latest fashions rather than feathers.

Jozak had unwittingly added a whole new dimension to his thoughts. Earlier in life, Conrad taken his life in the military much too seriously. Josak had noticed this, and decided that cheering him up with outrageous cross-dressing might be a good idea. Too busy proving his worth to the world through reliability rather than blood, only a peripheral portion of his attention had been directed in the flame-headed soldier's direction. It eventually became a running joke, and after a while he truly began to appreciate the effort Jozak put into finding the most ridiculous outfits as the good intention it was meant to be.

Conrad's royal mother had introduced him to the stunning Julia by asking for his opinion on a dress. Perhaps ironically because Julia was blind, Cecilie was attempting to warm her up in the same way Yozak did him. Knowing the pain it would bring, Julia had taken the weight of the anger and sadness permeating the war upon her slim shoulders. But compared to his friend, a dress on her looked like it was the most natural and elegant type of clothing available. It brought out her eyes and brought her out of the crowd, in the same way a cloud shaped like a bearbee could bring out the blue of the sky. Buttoning her dress was so sensual that his fingers faltered often, more the capable image he projected would normally allow... Thinking about his responsibility brought him slowly out of his reverie.

Yuuri had Julia's soul. Yuuri was not Julia. Julia's frame fit the dresses she wore much more than any male competitor could hope.

But Yuuri was here now.

A sigh of relief escaped his mouth, and he felt as if the world's problems would all work out now. Conrad smiled; Yuuri smiled back.

"Hey, hi there!" Yuuri shouted to him.

He made up his mind. The maid dress wasn't half bad. It was beautiful.

a/n: I really wanted him to say Yuuri was beautiful instead of the dress, but he couldn't get the words out. Conrad and I will have a talk later about being more aggressive.