"To have defeated all of them, you must have gotten hurt as well! Wolfram," his voice takes on a steely edge as he mentions my name. I roll my eyes because I know how this is going to end.

It is going to end with me screaming into his ear the many, many reasons why I don't need to be healed, and him pouting and probably secretly healing me anyways. I cannot be bothered enough to stop his monologue, and so he is allowed to continue.

"Wolfram!" he repeated with more force. I think he knows that my mind is wandering. I feel curiously... light-headed. I suppose it's probably because of all that physical exertion.

Oh wait, the wimp is saying something.

"I know we'll have a huge argument, probably because you want me to conserve magic or something equally stupid. I'm not in the mood to argue, and you have just walked miles despite being hurt and having to carry me along. I don't care what you say, as your king I order you to let me heal you!"

I am mildly surprised. The wimp very rarely uses his rank to force me to do his bidding. But just this once I won't put up a fight. I am too tired to struggle, and nod my acceptance.

The wimp smiles, I can see its brilliance even in the darkness. His hands hover vaguely over my chest, and I can feel the healing magic enter and take effect. I do not feel so tired anymore, and my back and legs no longer scream in pain. I am still weary, and have grown extremely sleepy, though. But we must continue walking. Neither he nor I can afford to stay in bastard-infested forests at night.

I am not yet strong enough; he is not yet smart enough.

"Get up wimp! We have to get to the nearest village as quickly as we can. I don't think we're that far off…. Yuuri, let's go" I added the final sentence to soften my admittedly harsh tone. At the sound of us needing to move Yuuri's face pales and for a moment I am worried. If he sustained some sort of unusual internal injury it is possible that I have not healed it.

My healing magic is quite powerful, but I am untrained to use it's more delicate aspects.

"But Wolfram! You're in no condition to keep walking! You need rest, and food and water. It'll only make you feel worse if we continue."

Honestly, I should've known. Of course the wimp would worry more about me than he would about his safety in this dangerous forest. I sigh, and feel a frown creasing my forehead. I remember again one of the many reasons why I am always by his side:

I have to worry about him and his safety, because the wimp gets easily distracted by other people's troubles and completely abandons himself.

"Yuuri, I'm a soldier of the Shin Makoku army. I have enough strength, thank you very much, to stay upright and walk! So no complaints, no refusals, we are going to get to the nearest village now!" I am certain he can see the bright fire burning in my eyes. My determination knows no bounds; the wimp must be safe.

I get to my feet and stagger a bit; I am still tired. I regain my balance almost immediately, of course, but the wimp observed my moment of weakness.

Had his determination to stay rooted been changeable before, I fear he will now take an absolutely foolish course of action that he thinks will benefit me, which usually ends up hurting him.

I dig my unsheathed sword into the ground and give him my most fearsome glare. It screamed of power and control, mainly my willpower to accomplish the task of keeping the wimp safe, and the absolutely unflinching control I was exerting on myself to cover any and all of my weaknesses.

I don't know why I bother.

"Wolfram" he began slowly, as though he was arranging his thoughts into coherent order. "Either we are spending the ENTIRE night HERE, or we will continue walking," he silenced me before I could voice my agreement for the second option, "but in order to repay my debt, I will carry you!"

The wimp actually looks pleased with himself, when all I want to do is hit him with the back of my sword. Neither option is plausible. The first one leaves us open to attack, the second one will sap his physical strength, his magic has already been drained considerably to heal me. Not to mention it would thoroughly embarrass me.

But, I continue to muddle, at least if he supports my weight I'd be strong enough to walk quite far quite speedily. I grit my jaw as stubbornness reared its head and I SWEAR that we will reach safety as soon as demonically possible.

The wimp sees the look of determination and reluctance on my face, and breaks into a silly grin when I say the cheater is allowed to bear a bit of my weight until we get to a settlement.

"But Wolfram," he adds as I listen with morbid anticipation. His added conditions to original rules are usually the most distressing ones. "I'm not supporting you, I'm carrying you. Hurry up, jump on my back"

I nearly burst out laughing at his request. My beloved king, who is gentler than I am and much, much more physically inept than the maids in the castle, was going to carry ME.

Only...tiredness is making me sleepy, and Yuuri's back looks so….appetizing

"Alright wimp! I bet it's just because you're too scared to be even a foot away from me, but I will suffer the indignity of allowing you to carry me".

As an afterthought, though it hurts me to admit it, in a voice so soft to almost be inaudible I added,

"Sorry Your Majesty, that I could not do more."

By now I have already climbed on to his back, his arms encircling my legs, my arms around his shoulders.

Yuuri did not start moving immediately after I got on to his back. It seemed as though he was thinking really hard about something, and I stifle a sigh when I realize it was probably that decidedly pathetic apology of mine that has him wondering.

Is an apology not enough?

Of course it's not! His life is in danger and all I'm doing is sitting on his back like a rag doll, spouting disgraceful sorrys.

I made a move to get off Yuuri's back and to possibly stab myself to atone for my wimpiness, when I feel Yuuri's arms tighten around my legs, effectively cutting off my retreat.

Yuuri begins to move; he has come to a decision.

I do not know what it is, but even in the darkness I can see the grim set of his jaw. I doubt he will allow me to even stand by myself for a long time.

I want to ask him why he doesn't just cast me aside, since I am a failure as a protector, soldier, fiancé, noblemen. Why doesn't he just leave? I am a failure.

I want to ask, but two things stop me.

First, as a soldier I could not show that I have any interest in the personal opinions of anyone about me.

Second, I am afraid of what he might say. If he just kept his silence, he would be acknowledging my weakness, and him carrying me would be an act of pity.

I do not wish to possess such a hurt.

So my mouth speaks no words, and we continue the journey.

The movement of being carried was so calming, that even against my better judgment I fall asleep.

End chapter 2

oOoOoOo

Typed on a monster of a desktop computer, mine for a great many years XD

Oh Wolf, thou art so very, very noble.

Read and review please~