Summary: There are many things that Cecilie Von Spitzweg regrets. The engagement of her youngest son just happens to be the biggest.
There are a great many things Cecile Von Spitzweg regrets in her life. Becoming Demon queen, not marrying Raven, letting Dan Hiri walk away without an ounce of protest, allowing her brother to rule the kingdom in her stead, the broken tattered relationship between her two youngest.
But the one she regrets the most is when she pushed the engagement between Yuuri-heika and her dear sweet Wolfram.
Each of the former queens decisions had there consequences; the lack of power despite being maou; the sadness in her dear Ravens eyes whenever she visited her families land; Gwendal's hatred for all humans that, while he did tone it done, managed to pass it on to her dear Wolfram and Conrarts uncertainty in regards to his place in their family; the war twenty years ago that she didn't know how to stop due to not knowing how to be a ruler.
All of them were consequences that she's had to live with, that weighed her soul down and that the blonde has eventually come to accept.
All of them, all of them paled in comparison to her latest regret. Her latest mistake.
When Yuuri-heika first came and mistakenly proposed to her dear Wolfram out of anger, she had seen an opportunity.
Her dear Wolfie was so very young and easily angered, and had chased off quite a few of the young maidens she had sent his way. So it was understandable that Celi had assumed he was into men. And seeing those two together, the king with his raven black hair and dark black eyes, and her youngest who resembled Shinou-heika to the extreme, she thought it fate for the two of them together. A remake of the founders of their great nation.
And she had seen the minute streak of attraction in the young king's dark eyes when he looked at her son and thought it perfect. They would make a beautiful couple, and she was sure, so utterly positive that the two of them would fall in love. Like one of the kingdoms various fairy tales about an engaged couple who hated each other and then fell madly in love.
It was going to be so very romantic~!
That was why when Gunter tried to explain to the young king what he had done to take it back, she had interrupted him. Why she squealed so excitedly to stop Wolfram from saying no. Why she was so quick to spread the world that her darling baby was engaged to the double black demon king.
The twenty-sixth maou awaited eagerly for news of the young couple falling in love. Of a letter announcing a wedding date while she was on her search for truest free love.
As it turns out, only half her predictions, half her hopes had come true.
Wolfram, as expected had fallen for the king. She had seen his passionate love as he gladly, eagerly declared them engaged. The only problem was that Wolfie was the only one.
Yuuri-heika was quick to deny it.
Things seemed to have gotten better when young Greta came, but nothing really changed. Those few things that got her hopes up were for appearance only.
And it was then, when she looked for some way to bring them closer so that the two would have their happy ending, some explanation as to why the young king was so blind as to not see the utter devotion her son held for him, that Celi noticed those small, inconsequential details that she had dismissed from the very beginning started to paint a much bigger picture.
It should have been obvious that Conrart was in love with the king. His devotion, his loyalty, his willingness to lay his life and heart on the line should have clued her in. Yuuri-heika responded to that, often asking for his thoughts and ideas. Her second sons eyes would light in joy whenever he talked to the young ruler, and he smiled more often since Yuuri-heika came then he had since he was a child.
And it was equally obvious that the soukoku returned those feelings. He always asked for 'Conrad' (the utterly adorable nickname reserved just for the king's use) whenever he didn't see them. Was always so eager for her sweet son's approval, never forcing her son to do anything despite being king.
Celi would never admit it, but in some ways, having Conrart 'betray' them and join Cimeron was a blessing, and in the 'my sons alive' kind of way, though that was definitely the biggest. No, it was a blessing because that love, the deep yearning, undeniably romantic love had shifted, changing from the love between lovers to something softer, yet no doubt fierce.
Yozak would forever be a blessing in her eyes, for not only sticking to her sons side like glue throughout the years, but also sweeping her son off his feet and taking out the weird love triangle going on between her two youngest and the king.
Wolfram even calmed down, her dear child realizing what was going on and no longer demanding that the two of them spend less time together.
She should have been able to rest easy. Should have been able to plan the romancing of the king and aid her youngest son in his fight for love.
Then it happened. It was only for a moment, but she saw it. A flicker in deep blue eyes. Love.
Gwendal was in love with the king as well.
It was as if the very air she breathed was knocked out of her. Celi had tried for years to get her eldest hitched, or at least in a romantic relationship. Gwennie was always so serious and very rarely let loose, always bottling his emotions. A lover or partner would, should be able to let him relax a little. She had even entertained the idea that Annisina was going to be the future Lady Von Voltaire, and in other moments believed that maybe Gunter would steal her oldest baby's heart.
She did hear about the magic band and the kiss needed to remove it and how her dear Gwendal was the one to do it. Oh how she wished she had been there~! Alas she was still on her trip for truest free love at the time.
And looking back, it wasn't hard to see why her eldest child had fallen for the King. Yuuri-heika was beautiful with his dark coloring, different from Wolfrum in that he was more of an adorable beauty then a gorgeous beauty. Gwennie always did love adorable things, Celi should have figured that that would transfer over to his lovers.
But Gwendal wasn't the type to fall for a pretty face or looks. No, her serious eldest would look for strength of character. Something that Yuuri-heika had in spades. It should have been so obvious, the first spark of attraction must have happened when the king so boldly and fiercely told her son off, demanding he explain things and if he didn't like the solution find another way. That was something that would kindle her baby's interest and respect, even if it was aggravating having to work around or be questioned by someone so new to their world.
And then there was the Kings utterly honest and straightforward personality which would draw him in. Celi's son hated politics even though he was so good at it, instead preferring honest and pure intentions with his dealings.
Maybe if she had noticed these things first instead of being so sure, of jumping the gun in regards to her youngest son's possible engagement, things would be different.
Because the king has fallen for Gwendal as well. She wasn't sure when, but it was there in the brightness of Yuuri-heikas black eyes when she spotted her son, the charming grin that brightened the room when Gwendal said something positive in him, the way that he asked the general for his advice even on things that he wasn't responsible. And biggest of all, how the two of them, like magnets, were drawn together to do the most mundane things like being in the same room to do their paperwork.
So yes, Cecile Von Spitzweg fells regret and shame at her 'jumping the gun' action in regards to the engagement. For in that one action, she may have doomed her family, the hearts of her sons and the king she has also begun to consider her own, and the great Demon Kingdom.
She can only hope that someday she could make it right.
AN: This was originally posted on my Ao3 account so I am just moving it here and I will also be moving my stories from to Ao3 eventually.
This story was born out of my complete and utter distaste for the pairing between Wolfrum and Yuuri. Don't get me wrong, I will still read it and even like a few of the stories since that is what the majority of this fandom is paired as. But honestly, does it not make anyone else uncomfortable to read how they force these two together? That because Yuuri does not fall magically in love with Wolfrum or he does not want to get together with the blond he is some kind of asshole? Yuuri has been denying the engagement from day one. The only reason that it is even considered is because none of his so called aide's will say "the proposal was an accident so it does not count" or "the king was new to our ways at the time so we are not counting it as a legitimate proposal, especially as it was in the heat of an angry moment". This pairing as a whole just really disturbs me.
So this was my little way of venting in a non-angry way as I always end up rating when I tried to write one where Yuuri has had enough with the entire kingdom forcing him and Wolfrum together.
Hope you liked this. Tell me what you think.