A good marriage is at least 80 percent good luck in finding the right person at the right time. The rest is trust.
--Nanette Newman
After all that was said and done, though Wolfram's explosions were both literally and figuratively spectacular, it was the look on Conrad's face that stuck with Gwendal.
Upon learning of their marriage, Wolfram reacted in his typical fashion - rage. The curses were still ringing in his ears. Wolfram had cursed everything under the sun about Yuuri, his upbringing, his parentage, his intelligence, but not Gwendal. Never Gwendal - Wolfram laid all of the blame at Yuuri's feet. It was brief, but Gwendal was pretty sure that underneath all of the anger, he saw how hurt Wolfram had been. No matter how often Yuuri repeated that it had been against their wishes, and it was an accident, really, and Wolfram snarling furiously, "You, what, fell? On each other? Repeatedly?!" there was no erasing the fact that was done was done.
Gwendal sighed, trudging down the hall toward his office. Conrad had also reacted in a typical fashion - he withdrew. He watched Wolfram fly off the handle throwing curses and spells with a pale face, mouth slack, eyes turned in. Not once did he go to Yuuri's aid, it was like he was frozen in place. Gone was the jovial man that he had become when Yuuri had arrived and in his place was the man that he had been when Julia died. Though he and Conrad had never been so very close, he never wished to see the defeated man that he been then again.
And Gunther...well, Gunther in general just made him want to put his head through his desk anyway, especially in regards to anything related to Yuuri.
Though it pained him to see his brothers this way, he couldn't say that he had been surprised by their reactions. The one person who had surprised him was his mother. The calm understanding in her eyes and the gentle smile on her lips lent her an expression he hadn't seen since Wolfram had been born. She hadn't said anything, which had been the biggest surprise of them all, just quietly came around behind them and welcomed Yuuri to the family. And if she whispered to Gwendal about him always liking small, cute things, it was best ignored.
Pushing open his office door, he froze when he saw familiar black clad arms cradling an equally familiar head resting on his desk. Gwendal sighed and slowly shut the door. He had known that this was hard on Yuuri, but he never would have imagined that Yuuri would find his office as a place of refuge. Yuuri jumped awake when the door slid closed, coming to his feet, wide eyes darting around the room before settling on him.
"Gw-gwendal!" He stuttered, his hand coming up to twist together nervously, his body practically vibrating with tension.
"Your Majesty."
"Don't!" Yuuri snapped, eyes flashing. "Don't call me that, not now. Not after-" His mouth clicked abruptly closed, face flushing. He hissed out a breath, his hands smoothing down his shirt, forcing himself to relax. Gwendal regarded him solemnly, coming closer. Yuuri took another breath.
"I- I was thinking that it would be best for me to get some work done." He stated in a rush. "I would have asked Gunther, but he was...crying...so..." Yuuri's voice trailed off, looking hopefully at Gwendal, everything he wasn't saying written on his face. Please let me stay. Please, I can't face them right now.
Not for the first time since this had all started, Gwendal felt out of his depth. He wanted to say no because he wasn't sure he could even talk to Yuuri right now, but looking at him and seeing the steel in his eyes that would make it an command if needed, he changed his mind. Coming closer until there was only his desk between them, he murmured, "I don't know where you stopped with Gunther, but if you want, I can show more aspects you my job." And just like that Yuuri smiled, just for him.
In that moment, Gwendal felt he could fly.
When dinner time had come around, Yuuri was quite surprised with how much they had actually accomplished together. Or, more accurately, he accomplished and Gwendal explained, he thought wryly. Although Gwendal had been kind and patient through out the afternoon, Yuuri resolved to talk to Gunter tomorrow about continuing his lessons. He didn't want to keep taking up Gwendal's time, now that he more fully understood the extent of his duties. And he couldn't keep avoiding them all together, no matter how much he wished to.
He hadn't been surprised at the way any of them reacted to the marriage, but the hurt that he had caused them would stay with him a long time. Wolfram would get over it fairly quickly, for they hadn't known each other very long and their "engagement" had been even briefer still. The hurt Wolfram felt now was more abused pride than anything deeper. But Conrad...Conrad had loved him longer than Yuuri had even known him and whatever love that form had taken, familial or otherwise, Yuuri knew that he had in someway broken Conrad's heart which was unforgivable.
"Yuuri, would you like me to call a servant to bring dinner?" Yuuri grinned at the sound of his name (finally!) falling effortlessly from Gwendal's lips. It had only taken an hour or so of pouting, glaring, and poking to get him to stop. Though initially exasperated by Yuuri's continued attempts, he had eventually given in. The smile slipped slightly as he pondered the question. To stay would be cowardice and to go might be too painful. He peeked at Gwendal's face before answering.
"It would..." He sighed. He really, really did not want to do this. Swallowing down his fear, he continued, "...would probably be best if I ate dinner at the table. Try to keep everything normal you know?" He laughed nervously. "Well, as normal as possible considering...everything." His hands made vague gestures in air around him while he peeked again, and he thought he saw approval flash over Gwendal's face.
"It is quite possible that the table will be quite empty tonight." Gwendal murmured. He paused slightly, before continuing, a slight smirk on his lips. "Considering everything." Yuuri chuffed a laugh.
"Yeah, maybe. You'll protect me if Wolfram tries to kill me, right?" He asked, joking a little fatalistically, remembering the fireball that had been flung his way this morning. Gwendal abruptly growled.
"If my idiot brother tries anything, he'll have to get through me first." It as a promise and a prayer, one that Yuuri couldn't help but be grateful for. He needed someone to be on his side tonight. Yuuri hoped that Wolfram wouldn't try anything tonight or otherwise, for he feared Wolfram might not live his brother's wrath.
Gwendal was quite surprised at his reaction to Yuuri's half-joking question. While he would never wish any harm on his king and now husband and indeed would protect against it at all costs, the overwhelming fury he'd felt at Yuuri even joking about the possibility was new. As he escorted the young king to dinner, Gwendal was beginning to realize the full ramifications of their union.
When he was young, his mother had loved to tell stories of pairs of mazoku who were so deeply connected nothing could ever break them apart. Not time, not distance, and in one famous case, not even death. Many passed those tales off as fairy tales told by flighty young women who had yet to find love themselves, but from the moment that his mother had first told those tales to him, he had believed them. If only he because he could see Raven standing off to the side, his wistful expression matching his mother's as he watched her.
While he didn't know what was in store for dinner tonight, he was confident that at least Conrad would be indisposed for supper, and would not make it to the table. It was up in the air as to whether Wolfram and Gunter would find themselves equally engaged elsewhere.
Right before they were to enter, Gwendal watched Yuuri take a deep breath and square his shoulders, putting a determinedly cheerful look on his face. Dropping one hand to the small of Yuuri's back, Gwendal opened the door to let them in. Upon realizing that the only other person in the room was Cheri, Yuuri seemed to deflate, the determined look replaced with a worried one.
"Your Majesty," she cooed, a smile gracing her lips, going to stand before her normal chair. "Come, sit! I want to hear everything about your marriage to my Gwen." Gwendal groaned softly, and felt Yuuri's sharp elbow connect with his stomach. It seemed the Yuuri had not gotten over his like of shattering his personal boundaries. "Conrad and Wolfie won't be able to make it tonight." She pouted slightly as she waited for Gwendal pull out the chair for her to sit down while Yuuri quickly seated himself with a glare before he could do the same for him. Once they were all seated the food was brought out.
Gwendal waited for his mother and Yuuri to finish filling their plates before he partook. He had just taken a bite when Cheri started to speak.
"I must say, I'm amazed that you two managed to keep it a secret for so long! From what I understand of your journey, you were out with the others for quite sometime before making it home. How did you manage? When I first married your father, Gwendal, we barely bothered to get dressed some days!" Gwendal choked on his food while Yuuri blushed and began to chuckle weakly.
"Eh-heheh, it wasn't so hard..." Yuuri muttered, one hand going to the back of his head while it drooped towards the table. "It, it was..hmm..."
Unable to watch Yuuri stammer and squirm through it again, Gwendal took over. "As I had been injured, I was left alone to heal without interruption. After that, we mutually agreed to keep it to ourselves until we returned home. Which may not have been such a good idea with Wolfram's destructive tendencies." All three turned to the ruined wall from this morning. Yuuri chuckled again weakly.
"I see." She took a bite of her dinner. "Well, I can't say that I'm not happy about this, though I never did think you were the marrying type, Gwen. I'm glad to see you've proved me wrong." She said, wistfully. "I'm not exactly thrilled either, as you would have been perfect for Wolfie, Your Majesty." She grinned at Yuuri who flushed even brighter. Gwendal glared down at his plate. "However, I wish you both happiness."
Yuuri just grimaced. "I highly doubt that. Somehow." Cheri looked at him quizzically. Gwendal raised brow at Yuuri, who abruptly seemed to realize what he'd just implied. "Erk! I don't mean about you wishing us happiness! I'm sure you do! I mean- I doubt that Wolfram and I...would, uh. Have been perfect. Together. Um." He muttered something else, but Gwendal couldn't hear it.
Nothing more was said on the subject.
When dinner was finally over, Yuuri was more than ready to crawl under the table and die of embarrassment. Where was a convenient puddle when he needed one?
Though Cheri spoke nothing more on the circumstances about their getting married, she had continued on and on and on about their marriage. And their sex life. ...and how they could improve it. He thought Gwendal's head would explode his face had so turned purple. Gwendal had disappeared immediately after dinner and Yuuri let him go without a word. He considered ambushing him in his office again, but figured that Gwendal had enough uninterrupted human contact for one day.
"Your Majesty?" Cheri's sweet voice came from across the room before he could make his own escape. He cringed before turning around.
"Uh...yes?" He didn't like the the look in her eye, but he tried not to be rude without cause and so didn't flee before hearing her out.
"Take a walk with me?" It wasn't exactly a request as she grabbed his arm and twined it with hers. They walked out into the cool of the evening toward the fountain. "I meant what I said, you know, that you would have been perfect for Wolfram. But, I guess that was not meant to be."
"Errr..."
"Anyway, Your Majesty, I wanted to make sure you were aware of a few things. Like there is no...how do you say, divorce in our culture as there would be in yours. Or so Conrad told us when he returned."
"Yes, Gwendal and I had talked about that. Um. After."
"After?"
"Yes...after."
"Oooohhh." Cheri gave a salacious smile. "I see. After." She giggled. "So you will take good care of my Gwendal, won't you? Maybe teach him how to smile freely again."
Yuuri stopped and looked at her. She looked back and he got the distinct impression of a mama bear ready to go to war for her cub. He gulped. "I'll do my best. But I can't, I won't, make any promises. I don't think you're wrong about us not be suited for each other."
"I do think you're suited, just not as perfectly as you would have been with Wolfram. But in your own way, you two are a good match."
Yuuri sighed. "I really don't-"
"Anyway," she cut him off, "I had a few things of Gwendal's moved to your room right after breakfast. I hope you don't mind. I'm sure he doesn't...it is tradition after all."
"Eh? To my room?!" He yelped as Cheri laughed.
"...does Gwendal know?"
Gwendal tried to convince himself that he wasn't running away. Remembering Yuuri's bemused look and his mother's outright hilarity as he made his...strategic retreat wasn't helping to convince him.
He thought about going to his office, but even though he didn't think Yuuri would be showing up there again, others might and he currently didn't want to be found. He wished he had thought to go by his room and gather some knitting, but he didn't want to chance being caught by one of his brothers or Gunter. Or, heaven forfend, Anissina. He shuddered to think what she might do when she finally did catch up to him.
He walked along a barely used corridor of the castle, his only opportunity that day to gather up his thoughts in peace. Working with Yuuri today had been difficult, but not in the way most people would have thought...or maybe his mother would have considering what had been the topic of conversation at dinner tonight. He would be the first to admit that he wasn't one for romance - he had too much to do and not enough time to do it in. His own stern looks and taciturn demeanor didn't usually garnish second looks from most people. And he hadn't met many people that warranted a second look either. He definitely hadn't given Yuuri a second glance when they first met and he was more than sure Yuuri hadn't given him a second glance either.
And yet...and yet, between his own inhibitions being released by whatever had been in the yogurt and Yuuri's reaction to his own desire, they were now bound by Mazoku tradition and magic. But that was lust, nothing more. Love did not need to enter in the equation when it came to Mazoku marriages. It was certainly helpful, especially in terms of getting through the surplus of years together, but it wasn't necessary. Ill-fated matches were not uncommon, particularly among royalty. Now that that particular door was opened however, he suddenly felt he was a randy kid Wolfram's age. Keeping his hands to himself today had been very difficult indeed.
"Gwendal!"
He cringed as Anissinia's strident voice belted down hallway followed by the sound of her booted feet hitting the floor. He thought about running himself, but - his mind flashed to Yuuri's determined face right before he went into the dining room - he couldn't. Might as well get this over with.
"Gwendal!"
He sighed and turned.
"Yes?"
"Well, is it true? You're married? To Yuuri." She snapped, coming to a halt in front of him. He blinked at her, then nodded. "So it is true. I didn't believe it, but I could hear one of the maids demanding her money for winning the bet. The dark horse, she said. Between that and Conrad wandering around looking like Julia died all over again and Wolfram acting like Conrad had been revealed as a half-Mazoku again, I knew it was most likely true, but I didn't want to believe it." She paused for a breath and then slid down the wall to the floor.
"It's so silly," She murmured as Gwendal crouched down next to her. "I had always...hoped, I guess, that one day, maybe, you'd look at me. But you didn't. No matter how much I chased you, you never did. Stupid. Stupid." Gwendal froze, pole axed, watching as tears started to fall down her cheeks. She dashed the back of her hand at them angrily. He opened his to say something, anything, but nothing came. He had no idea that she had even felt that way. She glared at him before he could think of anything.
"Don't. Don't say anything. " She commanded, her voice shaking, but getting stronger with every word. She stood up abruptly, brushing off the back of her skirt. He stood up as well, still at a loss for words. "Well. I must get back to my lab, experiments to run, and such the like." She started back down the hallway.
"Anissina." She froze. "...I'm sorry."
She nodded without turning back, her bright hair bouncing. She continued down the hall without another word. Gwendal turned and continued down the hall in the opposite direction. Suddenly, he had the greatest urge to just take a bath and go to bed.
He wanted nothing more than for this day to be over.
