Disclaimer: Are these still necessary?
Okay! Second chapter! Thank you to those who reviewed, your reviews were all very nice. XD Thank you very, very much! Sorry I didn't get around to responding to them all. I swore to myself I would and then ended up playing Gears of War 2...whoops. Anyways, I will try to get around to responding to them. And as promised the next chapter is here. But anyways, I hold all right to re-edit this chapter. I was in a rush to get it posted so feel free to point out any obvious or subtle mistakes or anything that should have been added or omitted. Criticism is rather welcomed. Flames...eh...not so much.
Summary: Yuuri agrees to let Wolfram go, to let Wolfram marry another noble and disappear. A month later Yuuri wants Wolfram back and is willing to send Shin Makoku to war if that's what it takes to get back Wolfram. Crazy, obsessive with no intent to let up unless Wolfram is found, everyone scrambles to find the fire wielder. But even if Wolfram is found, will things ever be the same?
Note:I twisted some things around such as the 10 nobles. The von Quinn family is a family I made up but they are loose relatives of the von Christ family. They are so far down the von Christ family that they changed their names and own a very small piece of territory that is still technically in von Christ land. This technically makes Gunter and Wolfram long lost cousins or something like that...I don't think Gunter would like that very much, lol.
Chapter 2: And Never To Return?
Six months had passed since that sorrowful morning. Wolfram had never returned, never wrote a single letter back to explain his quiet leave. No one had heard from him nor really talked about him anymore. Greta, as expected, was in tears when she couldn't find her blonde father anywhere. To this day, the young princess still continued to look as if Wolfram was playing hide and seek with her. It always pained Yuuri to see his daughter give up after some hours of searching and to return empty handed. Gwendel had not been pleased by his brother's departure. Conrad either. Both had sent letters to their uncle in hopes Wolfram would reply. If the blonde did get the letters, he never responded. And Yuuri? Yuuri had been true to his word in seeking out a beautiful woman. One who was prettier than Wolfram, sweeter and kinder than Wolfram, stronger than Wolfram ever was. However one by one did they disappoint. None could match up to Wolfram, none could ever compare to Wolfram. Even though Yuuri was free to do as he pleased, all he could think about was the confusing and frustrated feelings he held towards the blonde. The feeling as if Wolfram had betrayed him in a way no other could.
Yuuri sighed for the umpteenth time that morning, dropping his quill down onto the documents with little care. He cradled his forehead in his hand with thoughts rushing in one ear and out the other. It had taken weeks to understand Wolfram's intentions: he was never coming back.
"Ah, Shibuya," a familiar voice of a long time friend. Yuuri glanced up sourly towards the sage. Murata strutted forward and plopped himself down in the seat without a care. "Long time no see. How have you been?"
"You know perfectly well how I've been." He miserably stated, returning to his forgotten paperwork.
"Lighten up Shibuya!" Murata cheerfully said with his plastered grin Yuuri had fallen for time and time before. The monarch cast a quick glance before shaking his head.
"I have paperwork to do, you know that." He sighed once more.
"You know, if you're that upset about von Bielefeld's departure why not just track him down?" The sage pushed his glasses upwards. "By the way, you never did tell me who he married." The quill in the Maoh's hand trembled ever so slightly.
"That's because I don't know." Yuuri muttered. Murata raised a brow in question.
"He never told you?" Yuuri nodded. "Does anyone else know who he married?" Yuuri shook his head.
"Only Wolf's uncle does but he refuses to answer. He keeps responding with "What does the Maoh need with my humble nephew?" or something like that." He quoted using air quotes on Waltorana's response.
"He does have a point though. You okayed the annulment so to seek out your ex without reason would be odd." The sage frowned while sinking into the cushioned chair.
"Wolf is my friend, I don't need a reason!" Yuuri snapped. His quill broke under the stress his hand had gripped. The young king looked at it in shock, gently setting the quill down as if he had broken his favorite toy.
"Shibuya," Murata's playful voice had tensed. It was the same voice the sage used when describing something bleak or painful or discussing strategies with Gunter and Gwendel. "You are the Maoh. To seek out a friend on a whim who happened to be your ex-fiancée, who you willingly gave up, what will everyone think? Better yet, what will von Bielefeld think?" Yuuri looked up sharply, his eyes narrowed and faintly Murata could see the pupils becoming slits.
"If I had known Wolfram would have just disappeared from existence then I wouldn't have okayed the annulment!" He growled. "Everyone is worried about him! Greta still looks for him as if he's just playing a game with her! A fifteen year old girl is looking for her father that abandoned her! Gwendel nor Conrad can get through to him! He selfishly acts on his own without even thinking of how other people are going to be hurt." Murata's glasses held a shine from the light outside. His posture was rigid and straight as he looked to the Maoh before him. Unstable with confusion leaking from the pores was all Yuuri presented. That and a lot of built up anger.
"I believe he was thinking of someone." Yuuri calmed down a bit at the Sage's tone. "You." The Maoh blinked. "You wanted to end the engagement and to happily live your life. Von Bielefeld gave you your wish and disappeared so you could have all that you want." Yuuri's head bowed as his shoulder's slumped.
"I know," his voice cracked and wavered. For once Murata pitied his friend. He stood up and walked over to the monarch, setting a heavy hand on the king's shoulders.
"Then start a search for him. He couldn't have gotten too far."
"I sent Yozak five months ago to find Wolfram." Yuuri shook his head, crying softly into his hands. "There's been no word since."
Wolfram sat on the ledge of the window. His feet draped over the cold brick as his eyes read the letter over and over again. It was one of the few from Greta, begging him to come home. His uncle had been kind enough to at least give him his daughter's letter personally rather than using a messenger. It was one of the last ones she sent him. Her letters smeared and the paper crinkled from dried tear stains that were not his. It only begged that she at least tell him to write back, to explain that he was at the very least happy and safe. Yet he couldn't do that for fear that maybe on of his brothers would find him and request him to return to Blood Pledge Castle once more. Or that Yuuri would ask and Wolfram didn't have quite the strength to say no. Even in the span of six months, he was still head over heels for the Maoh.
He leaned his head onto the cool brick, blinking back his vast tears. Wolfram hoped Greta would soon move on when she realizes he will never write back. He couldn't. Blank emerald eyes looked on to the garden before him. A variety of flowers all curled up amongst one another. Each as beautiful as the next, standing proudly against the gray bricks and green grass surrounding. It was his treasure given to him when he married. A beautiful garden where he could sketch, train or read to his delight. It stood right in front of his window, easy access to his hiding spot to get away from teary nights. Even though he was married, his spouse never forced him to do anything Wolfram did not want to do. They were married but they acted nothing like a married couple. They had separate rooms, rarely ate together or even went to public together. There had been no announcement, only gathering the official documents needed and since Wolfram's spouse was of a lower noble class the council did not need to step in. He successfully covered up his tracks.
"Hey Wolf," Speak of the devil and the devil shall appear. He amusingly thought. Wolfram looked over his shoulder at his husband. Short curly red hair and narrowed green eyes with freckles littered across the bridge of his nose. Fredrick von Quinn was tall with broad shoulders and evenly toned yet he was not Wolfram's type. Fredrick reminded him of Yozak in a sense, minus the cross dressing. Funny, dependable with several other quirks to him yet all Wolfram could conjure up was a friendly feeling towards his husband. This must have been how Yuuri felt. To try but fail and be afraid to hurt the other so you try harder. It sickened him to think that this was the way he made Yuuri feel day after day. Weary, guilty, angry for not being able to love the other even though they've done everything to earn the love. Worst of all you wanted to keep trying in hopes that one day the feeling would gradually appear. "Want to go to the town today? I hear they're having a festival!" Fredrick cheerfully sang. Wolfram smiled tenderly, brushing back a lock of blonde hair before shaking his head.
"Maybe another day." He said and returned to looking at his daughter's shaky handwriting once more. Another day, another day…he'd been saying another day since the first day he was married to Fredrick.
Yozak was honestly frustrated. He was currently sitting at a bar downing a tankard after another long day of searching with no results. He was tired. Probably just as tired as everyone in the castle yet most likely more frustrated than all put together. The orange haired, cross-dressing spy prided himself on being able to obtain any information no matter how small or insignificant. Yet five months ago Yuuri sent the spy on an official hunt for the blonde soldier. Five months later, Yozak was ready to call it quits. The world is round for Pete's sake! He grabbed another drink with futile hopes it would calm his rising nerves. There has to be someone who knows where the little brat went! He'd searched high and low, traveling as far as to human lands to find Wolfram. But he was unsuccessful. It was as if the blonde learned to disappear at a whim. Waltorana had refused to give any sort of hint and the spy had even going so far as to stalk his men and travel with them into the Bielefeld lands. By the end of the week Yozak was safely able to cross off Waltorana's house as Wolfram's hiding spot.
He heaved a groan, setting his tired head down and cursing all who had gotten him in this stressful situation. In his head he made a list of who to cross out and who to add into the queue to visit next. He'd crossed out any of the ten higher nobles. If Wolfram ever married one of their children it would have been high news and the wedding would have had to have been grand. That left the lesser nobles and commoners.
Commoners had immediately been crossed off his list too. Waltorana would never allow his precious nephew to marry someone who did not have some decent wealth and background to them. So all that was left was the lesser nobles. The many, many lesser nobles that littered all of Shin Makoku. Yozak lightly bashed his head against the wooden bar table. It would take, at minimum, a year to search through their estates briefly. It would take, at maximum, two to search through each house thoroughly. He honestly wasn't too keen on the idea of being away from his Majesty for so long but an order was an order. And Yuuri, being the depressed, emotional king he turned into once Wolfram left, would most likely not be too thrilled if Yozak returned empty handed.
"Sir, can I help you with anything?" The spy glanced up, finding a busty waitress looking at him perplexed. Her eyes took in the growing spot on his forehead from the continuous smashing. Yozak mustered up a grin, shaking his head and paid for his drinks. He left a small tip for the woman before leaning in with a grin.
"You wouldn't happen to have heard anything about Wolfram von Bielefeld now would you?" She appeared thoughtful, putting a finger to her plump lips.
"I thought I heard from a customer a while back that he caught sight him riding east…" her honey brown eyes refocused on Yozak. "But he was drunk so I'm not so sure if that information is correct in the slightest." The spy rose, bidding her goodnight and thanks for the small tip. It was the only one he received since the start of his mission.
Trudging out of the wooden bar and settling onto his horse, the spy could only glance up at the darkening sky. Angry clouds gathering, most likely to bring snow towards the more colder part of Shin Makoku. He drew up his hood and pulled his cloak on tighter. After all…it was going to be a long ride east.
Waltorana was deeply worried for his nephew. The poor boy had locked himself on the Quinn estate the moment he had married and the news from his nephew-in-law about Wolfram did little to ease the worry. He had done all he could to protect the small blonde but to no avail. It was as if Wolfram insisted on being depressed, even though Waltorana knew that was not the case in the least. He was going to visit again after being sure Yozak was gone. It had taken a couple of weeks to get the spy off his back, but in the end he had managed. Now climbing onto the steps to the front the Quinn estate, Waltorana walked through and met Fredrick on the other side. Fredrick only frowned and shook his head. A common greeting since day one. The elder Bielefeld sighed.
"I have more letters for him. They are already sorted by sender." Fredrick retrieved them from his uncle in law, personally flicking through the envelopes with elegant letters from Wolfram's brothers. His frown deepened.
"Are there none from Princess Greta?" Waltorana shook his head.
"It was as Wolfram wanted. If he just ignored her long enough, she would eventually stop writing and move on." The Quinn set down the stack of letters and threw a quick worried glance towards the hall that led to his spouse's room.
"He will be devastated to hear that."
"So he may be, however it is necessary for him to cut off all ties with that family. Any spark of hope would lead to nothing for him in the end." He eyes bore into the younger's, narrowing with the unpleasant thought of Wolfram's great escape coming undone. "If they were to ever find him and ask…I don't think he could have the heart to refuse." Waltorana sighed. "Be careful, his Majesty has sent out his best spy to track Wolfram down. Do not give him away." The elder set down the hall towards his nephew's room. Only pausing momentarily to grab the letters off the table. Through the white pristine hall where the curtains were drawn open, walking into the golden brown carpet until he paused by his nephew's door. This whole escape was to help Wolfram but it proved to be having the opposite effect. Leaving behind his brothers, his home, his daughter and one-sided love had proved too great a sacrifice; even if the tempting offer was happiness in the end. It had taken months, years, of persuading Wolfram to do just as he had done. To marry another and help lead the country in his own way with his own band of men. And after convincing his nephew this would be for the best, that this was the only way to help the Maoh, he had sacrificed Wolfram's happiness.
He heaved a heavy sigh, straightening himself up before knocking three times on the wooden door. "Wolfram, it is I." He said sweetly before entering the room.
Gwendal felt his life falling apart by the seams. Everyone in Blood Pledge Castle was down in the dumps ever since his younger brother's departure. Greta, though fifteen, had wanted to pretend Wolfram was hiding somewhere in the large estate. Six months later she still continued to search, write to Wolfram and cry over her missing father. Conrad was ever the same with a more sorrowful aura radiating from him. He would sometimes accompany the princess in her search if he could spare the time. His mother even returned from her trip and tried to talk to Waltorana. The man only blew up and stated that he owed her nothing.
He ran a hand down his face, rubbing his temples softly in thought. Yuuri had become something most thought impossible. Yuuri had changed dramatically. He was more pessimistic, more angry and sad. All walked on eggshells around him and none dared to bring up the name Wolfram in his presence. He snapped at Greta once when she was on her hunt for her missing father. After he realized what he had done he apologized profusely and held his crying daughter. That incident made it clear, however.
Wolfram must be found at all cost.
"Ah Gwendal, his Majesty has finished today's agenda and wishes for you to overview tomorrow's as well as the troop funding. Apparently he's been complaining about not having enough men to distribute." Gunter softly explained. The long haired scholar was the only to keep his cool. He was the beckon of hope that maybe everyone would eventually return to their sane piece of mind if Wolfram could not be found.
Gwendal frowned, however, at the news. "We have plenty of men." He took the papers, looking over what Gunter was talking about. His frown only deepened and the many wrinkles he had acquired over the months became all that more noticeable. "What is this?" He snapped.
"His Majesty wants to deploy men around the world." The Earth user shot up, slamming his fist onto the table with a growl.
"Has he gone mad? We cannot deploy men everywhere just to search for Wolfram! This would cause doubt in alliances, incite violence among the mixed towns!" The scholar smiled sullenly, making notes on the paper as he often did.
"Then please explain that to Heika. He seems intent on this idea to find Wolfram." Gwendal stormed out the door, snarling the entire duration of the walk to Yuuri's office. He slammed it open, finding Yuuri pouring over maps. The king was obsessive, now, on finding his baby brother.
"Yuuri-heika," Gwendal growled politely. Yuuri glanced up, his narrowed eyes looking more and more like his other personality with each passing day. Now that the Earth user had thought about it, Yuuri's physical growth had slowed dramatically. "Regarding the troops-"
"Have it signed and fix the budget." Yuuri stated, returning his gaze to the map decorated with red dots and blue circles that were crossed out.
"We cannot deploy that many troops in this time of peace. Surely you know this!" The Maoh looked up once more, his eyes narrowing and his brows furrowing together.
"You don't want me to find Wolfram?" Yuuri stood at his full height. Years ago he had shed his awkward body. He was taller, more filled out and grown. His training with Conrad had paid off in numerous ways. Yuuri was almost on par with Conrad in terms of height. Twenty years old, king of a demon country with an amazing power that could level an entire army…if Yuuri wasn't brought back to sanity he feared it might come to the worst.
"You deployed Yozak six months ago. Give him time to-"
"I have given him enough time. Nothing. He hasn't found Wolfram anywhere in the span of six months." He glared.
"Heika," Gunter stepped into the room, bowing slightly towards his king with a frown. "I understand you wish to find von Bielefeld but doing this will trigger a war. It would be a shame to see your hard efforts unravel over one tiny thing as finding-" A book was thrown his way, barely missing the light haired scholar. Gunter's eyes widened, looking incredulous at the offending hand that had thrown it. Yuuri was still poised, grabbing another heavy object in his throwing hand.
"I won't miss next time." Yuuri glowered.
Gwendal sighed, already used to this new Yuuri. "You wanted Wolfram gone and now you want him back? I'd like an explanation as to why sudden change in heart." The king redirected his rage towards the eldest brother.
"He betrayed me!" Gunter and Gwendal exchanged a momentary lost look towards one another. "He disappeared, left behind his family and Greta without so much as a goodbye! He gets his letters, he knows Greta is suffering but he doesn't respond!" Yuuri slammed his fist onto the oak desk much like Gwendal had done earlier. The quill's ink bottle spilled over, dousing the map with blotchy ink. Yuuri was quick to grab the paper before it was completely destroyed.
"Heika-" A glare silenced anything the elder brother had to say.
"Are you going to help me or not?" He said it softly, nearly hissing the sentence with an inquisitive stare. Gwendal knew better than to refuse.
"A year," Yuuri glared. "I need one year to fix the taxes and raise funding, gather troops as well as give reasonable time for others to understand our position." Yuuri set the paper on his chair, passing by the Earth user and the scholar.
"Half a year." He growled. "I will find Wolfram before the year is up." Yuuri slammed the office door shut, leaving behind the elder two men without care. Gunter looked worriedly towards the Voltaire.
"I understand the situation is upsetting but what has set Heika off as so?" Gunter murmured.
"He is merging with his other side. He needs a sort of anchor to balance him out just as Shinou-heika had. In this instance, Yuuri-heika has lost his anchor thus causing him to go on a narrow rampage to claim it back." Gwendal walked towards the ink covered map, looking at the different territories that Yozak had most likely combed through.
"So the other Maoh thinks Wolfram von Bielefeld is his…and is going to do everything in his power to get him back?" Gwendal nodded. "I fear for who ever von Bielefeld has married then."
"Wolfram won't let Yuuri-heika hurt anyone." Gwendal muttered, tossing the map back down. "He won't because he knows it will hurt Yuuri-heika in the end." Even if it hurts him in the end. He sighed once more, dragging his hand down his face. Yozak, I hope you find Wolfram before the year is up.