Author's Note: Alright. I'm a bad person. This update is horrendously overdue. In my defense, I've just been getting into the swing of the year. I have what's really a nineteen credit semester, though they won't give me one because the lab is tied to the class and not an option. Three hours a week and I could get one damn credit hour… But yeah. Fencing, Cell and Developmental Biology with lab, Minerology with unacknowledged lab, Calculus, and Anthropology. And getting my major declared. And arranging and filling hours for my computer center job. And being on the executive board of the Sci-fi/fantasy club, and a planning committee for our geek convention.

Maybe a better defense would be that if you send pirates to kidnap me, I won't really be able to update, so you kind of have to fume in silence. But I'm still sorry. I'll try and get the next chapter out in a reasonable amount of time.

Oh, and speaking of, Happy Talk Like a Pirate Day.

"Covenant Castle doesn't look any different, at least. It's weird what's changed and what's stayed the same." Arianwyn stared up at the walls. It was the first time in all the ride home he'd stared at anything but Wolfram, so Yuuri was pleased to find his attention wandering. Wolfram… he wasn't sure about. As soon as they were safely back in the castle…

Actually, Yuuri had no idea what he was going to do. Any plan he tried to make ended up making him nervous. Wolfram was too unpredictable about this sort of thing. He might be mad that Yuuri was jealous, or flattered, or mad that Yuuri wasn't jealous enough. The maou sighed. He was rather jealous, so he'd just try being honest. Novel idea.

"You'll be sharing my quarters until such time as more permanent arrangements are made," Gunter said politely. He'd been avoiding for a while actually asking whether Arianwyn was welcome to stay, but would of course never presume to say he could without the Maou's consent. A consent Yuuri was tempted not to give, though he'd never be so thoughtless toward Gunter.

Still. Tripping to accidentally knock into Wolfram… What, four or five times? (And not hearing when Yuuri yelled at him about Wolfram's recent injuries.) Taking Yuuri's seat next to Wolfram at dinner. Getting confused and slipping into Wolfram's bunk—thank heaven Wolfram had already slipped into Yuuri's. Hopping off his borrowed horse to snatch up a wild rose growing next to the trail and slipping it behind Wolfram's ear, reciting a love poem extemporaneously "because the stars called for it," helping Wolfram on and off the horse before Yuuri could move…

It wouldn't have bothered him nearly so much if Arianwyn wasn't so graceful, so flawlessly handsome. He seemed to have escaped a Heian court diary, the dashing poet, swashbuckler, nobleman, and seducer Yuuri had always been annoyed by when he had to study the things in class. And Wolfram's reactions were so ambiguous.

Yuuri didn't blame him. He'd never have been able to think of such romantic things to do. He fell over his own feet just walking around half the time, and all he ever did for Wolfram was give him a few nice presents and keep him company. Yuuri wished it was enough to just be himself and tell Wolfram every so often how wonderful he was. He'd thought it was until Arianwyn Von Christ had to take up composing sonnets about shining emerald eyes.

Wolfram, if Conrad was to believed, didn't enjoy being flirted with, didn't really like attention much. Yuuri could as easily make friends among the general populace of Big Cimaron as doubt Conrad, so that meant there really was something special about Arianwyn. He hated himself for worrying, but…

But maybe Wolfram deserved someone as handsome, cultured, and charming as himself, not the perennially awkward Yuuri.

The drawbridge was lowered, and an assortment of townsfolk with nothing better to be doing enthusiastically greeted the returning monarch and his slightly expanded retinue. Arianwyn was perfectly uninhibited by being unknown, and bowed and waved more graciously than Yuuri could have ever managed as he rode through the crowd. Yuuri wondered what would happen if his horse reared, hoping it would happen. Then it did, when a cat ran in front of it, and Arianwyn kept his seat effortlessly, hair tossing about in the wind as he cooed the horse back into behaving.

Wolfram coughed oddly and Yuuri wanted the ground to open up and swallow him. He spurred Ao a bit harder than he usually would have and hurried toward the castle. He managed to get down to help Wolfram before Arianwyn skipped over, if only because the lovely young man was too busy with a couple of adoring fans he'd picked up riding a few blocks through the city.

"Thank you," Wolfram said with a smile that made Yuuri feel a little better. Then he realized people had seen him getting help and looked sulky. Yuuri was trying not to feel like scum when Gwendal appeared at his shoulder.

"Did you enjoy your trip?" There was nothing in his tone to suggest Gwendal had the least interest in the answer. He was holding a bundle of scrolls and envelopes. "Your request to your allies has been answered by most nations in the alliance."

"Oh, good." Yuuri was glad he had real work to do, suddenly. No matter how much better suited they might be, no one could take that position from him. Or he was pretty sure. "What did they say?"

"It was neither my place nor my proper task to open Your Majesty's mail," Gwendal said darkly. "Though if you had been gone any longer I would have had no choice." He raised an eyebrow and Yuuri felt suitably chastised for… accompanying a good friend on a trip to visit his parents' grave.

Yuuri stood up straight and looked as solemn as he knew how. "Okay, I'll read them. And, um, you and Gunter, and Lady Celi, and Conrad…" He realized how many he was listing. "And anyone else you feel would be appropriate should meet me in the study as soon as possible to discuss our course of action." Yuuri spotted Doria sweeping a step and called to her to set up a room for Gunter's brother whenever she could.

All he could do for now was be the best ruler he could and hope Arianwyn didn't turn out to be much better and more entitled than he as well. He confused Gwendal with his sense of purpose and wounded Wolfram a bit by charging off just to read some letters. No one else really noticed he was gone. Gunter was showing off Arianwyn to a shocked and intrigued audience, most of whom had at least a vague idea of the decimation that had fallen upon the Von Christs two centuries before.

Yuuri half forgot about jealousy as he read, taken up by actual duty then by distress. He had answers from seven different nations. The first letter he read, a parchment-paper scroll from Caloria in Lady Flinn's pretty calligraphy, was warm and personal, asking after an assortment of friends before addressing the issue at hand. Yuuri smiled to find that she was in favor of making a public example of releasing the boy, under appropriately careful probation, and announcing to all human nations, allied or not, that there would be no animosity for the action of a misguided few.

He liked the way she thought.

But every answer after that… Cavalcade wanted an equally public execution. Francshire—in Lyla's handwriting, Yuuri noticed—suggested that he be quietly disposed of so that even an admittance of the attack could be avoided. It would make the alliance look weak that such a young, clumsy assassin had gotten in. And the opinions thereafter devolved into what Yuuri felt was just sheer grisliness. How could someone who ran a country have such ideas? Slow poisoning or swift beheading, everyone but Lady Flinn wanted the boy dead.

Conrad and Gwendal arrived a few minutes after he'd been through all the replies to find him with his forehead leaning on the desk, wishing he had a solution. Gwendal coughed and Yuuri sat bolt upright, hoping he didn't look the picture of defeat. He certainly felt it.

"They all want to kill him." Yuuri's voice was deadpan and his eyes empty. His decision had been to let the alliance defend itself. He couldn't go back on that. Not and hold together the peace and equality he'd been working so hard to achieve. And maybe they were right. Maybe the only way to protect peace was to destroy anyone who threatened it.

But Yuuri couldn't accept that.

"There's wisdom in that." Gwendal frowned. He'd have made the same choice as the leaders of their allied nations. The boy and all he stood for were a threat. He was young and rather sickly, a loss to no one but the twisted ideals he served. Though Gwendal did feel a certain sympathy. He knew how youth, earnestness, and confusion could be used for evil purposes.

"But it's not right." Yuuri would really brook no argument on that point. What should be done about it, how to defend him, whether it was possible or a good idea to do so… He'd take all the advice he could get on that. But he would never change his mind about the injustice of executing the boy in the dungeon.

Though when Wolfram limped in behind the rest, Yuuri supposed maybe a public flogging would do him good.

"It's unlikely that you can convince the other rulers to change their minds." Conrad looked apologetic, though in the end he, too, would have condemned the boy left to himself, if only for the threat against Yuuri.

Yuuri took that not as a caution but as an idea. He'd been too focused on getting out of their advice to think of changing it. "They haven't seen him. He's so young and small, and confused. He's sure we're going to kill him. Of course he'd want to attack us if all Mazoku are as evil as he thinks." He bit his lip, considering, while Gwendal shot Conrad a withering look.

"What are you coming up with, you wimp?" Wolfram knew that look in Yuuri's eye as he stared at the desk, his distressed frown slowly morphing into an idealistic smile. "Is this going to get anyone captured, lost, or in a fight with a sandbear?"

Yuuri missed the affected scorn in Wolfram's voice, or rather was too used to it to even process it. "I was just thinking. What if we change his mind first? Show him the kingdom, Mazoku kids playing the same way human children do, the stores, the countryside… None of it is really different here. And maryoku is only used for convenience. How scared is he going to be of someone digging a foundation with magic?" Yuuri looked up and smiled around the room, looking for approval.

Gwendal was impassive, Conrad tolerant, and Wolfram rolling his eyes. Not as officiously as usual, but he obviously wasn't even going to pretend to think much of it. "Why are you so trusting? People aren't going to see the light just because you show them a few pretty pictures."

"I want to try, alright! I want to save his life!" Yuuri stood up, wounded. He'd started off in a bad enough mood, and Wolfram's failure to rebuff Arianwyn was at the root of it. This was exacerbating things. "Sometimes it's just about doing the right thing!" His voice was rising a bit sharply.

"Oh, what a life to invest yourself in. Next time I want you to be polite to someone I'll make sure to have them murder me first!" Wolfram was perfectly justified in that comment, but Yuuri didn't want to admit it.

"Alright, stop it, you two," Conrad said, a bit nonplussed. He wasn't good at lover's spats. He didn't so much as allow himself the experience.

"Polite! From someone who wouldn't know common decency if it danced naked in front of him?" Yuuri also knew that didn't make sense. He was past caring.

"And that from someone with less than no interest in learning basic etiquette? Can you behave yourself for five minutes?" Wolfram was near tears and shouting more to make up for it. He really couldn't see why Yuuri was so mad at him all of a sudden.

"Really. Stop it." Gwendal had actually spoken up, and he had even less idea what had set Yuuri off.

"Would you prefer someone who did? I'm sure Arianwyn would be pleased to go over all the rules of fine society with you." Yuuri felt like he'd pried some barb out of his flesh with that, the poisonous suspicions that had been creeping deep into his mind the whole way back.

"What?" Wolfram went pale, then red, then pale again. "You think I'm you, getting distracted by the first pretty face that comes along?"

Oh, he'd called Arianwyn pretty… Yuuri's eyes narrowed. "You don't seem distracted. I'd say it's pretty deliberate."

Wolfram stared at him a minute, then whirled and fled the room. Yuuri was stunned by that. A second after he slammed the door there was a loud thump from the hallway. He must have fallen. But there were running footsteps before Yuuri could even think of going to check.

Oh, hell…

"Gracious, Your Majesty," Gwendal said. His tone was measured and stoic, but he looked a bit angry. He was clueless, but he knew Wolfram hadn't looked anywhere else since Yuuri had slapped him that fateful night, hadn't really paid much attention before that either. He had many vices, but philandering wasn't one of them.

Yuuri sat down slowly. Why had he done that? He never lost his temper like that. And he hadn't been fair at all. Wolfram might not have rebuffed Arianwyn's advances as roughly as Yuuri would have liked, but he hadn't flirted back at all. He was just… jealous. And he had no good excuse. He had to go talk to Wolfram, but he'd been nasty enough to make sure his fiancé wouldn't have any interest in seeing him.

"Excuse me." Wolfram might not want to see him, but Yuuri had to try. And what if he'd hurt himself when he fell? His legs were still sore a lot of the time, and delicate. Giesela had scolded him plenty about not being careful, saying he could easily rebreak his battered bones while they were still weak. Yuuri walked past Conrad's rather confused attempt at comfort and advice, hurrying to Wolfram's room.

He knocked at got no response. Putting his ear to the door, he heard sniffling. He'd made Wolfram cry. He was worse than scum. "Wolfram, can I come in?"

"Can I stop you?" His voice wavered only a little. "What did you forget to say?"

"That I'm jealous and horrible?" he tried as he opened the door a crack, blushing. Wolfram was sitting on the bed with his chin in his hands, cheeks unmistakably a bit damp. "I'm sorry, Wolfram."

"If you trust me that little, I should probably apologize." His voice was so stiff it seemed his words would break if pushed. "I've obviously given you reason."

"No…" He stepped inside and closed the door behind him. "No, I… I don't trust myself. He's so much better than me at everything, and he's as pretty as you." Yuuri sighed. "He's a real double black."

Wolfram smiled for a moment at being called pretty, then soured again. "You are the Maou and my fiancé. You won my love. I'm not such an easily swayed slut."

"Wolfram, I would never call you a…" Yuuri swallowed. "I wouldn't blame you if you wanted him."

"And I don't! And I never suggested I did!" Wolfram flung a pillow at Yuuri. "And if you think I did it's because you don't trust me, you shameless…" His eyes narrowed and he trailed off.

Yuuri looked away. "I'm sorry I didn't trust you. I won't do it again."

"Oh, wonderful apology." He sat with his arms crossed, but there was a sort of grudging acquiescence in his voice. "It's only because you're such a flirt you suspect everyone else."

"Sure." Yuuri didn't want to argue. He walked to the bed and Wolfram stood. They just looked at each other for a long moment and then Wolfram hugged him. Yuuri melted. He loved being held against Wolfram. Even with the weight and muscle he'd lost recovering, he had an amazing body. And there were more important things to think about. Yuuri tried not to be distracted. "I… I'll have him executed if you think it's the right thing to do. I won't forgive what he did to you." And that was true. He really couldn't let that go, though he still wanted to defend the boy.

"Wimp." Wolfram kissed him. "You won't do it even if I tell you to. You'll just keep trying to right everything that's wrong with the world." He sighed and let go. "Try your stupid idea if you must."

Yuuri smiled shakily. "Thank you."

"You didn't need my permission, you wimp. You're my ruler." Wolfram hit him with a pillow again, but he was smirking this time. Just a bit.

"So am I forgiven?" He just needed to be sure of that.

"No. You're a faithless, suspicious lout." Wolfram stuck his tongue out at Yuuri. His eyes were hard to read. Yuuri suspected he was still pretty pissed off, but at least he was willing to be playful about it. And considering all the times he'd chased Yuuri through the castle with large, pointy weapons for looking in a maid's direction, that was fair.

Though Yuuri knew it was different. Jealousy was in Wolfram's nature, but not his own. He was going out of his way to be a creep. He'd keep feeling awful all day… which would probably please Wolfram.

"So get on with it. I'm coming, of course. I'll have to make sure you're properly protected. Left to your own devices you'll just take him out for a walk by yourself." Wolfram walked to the door. And he limped a bit, but Yuuri didn't quite dare offer him a hand.

Yuuri let Wolfram arrange whatever he felt was appropriate as he walked down to the dungeon. The boy was looking even less healthy that Yuuri had last seen him. Josak materialized out of some corner to comment.

"He's not eating."

"Really?" Yuuri felt strange, talking about him when he could hear. But he was staring at his feet, pretending the two Mazoku weren't there.

"Yep. Even Anissina can't get a word out of him." Josak looked rather sulky. He could usually charm anyone, one way or another.

"What about you?" Yuuri looked up hopefully. "You're half human, so—"

"Stop right there, Your Delusional Majesty." Josak's tone was teasing, but he looked a little sad. "If anything, he hates me more than you. Neither side is eager to embrace half-bloods. You know that. You've seen what humans do to anyone who allies themselves with Shin Makoku."

"I know that, but…" Yuuri looked away. It should be that way. They should be able to understand each other. He knew there was no good reason it shouldn't be. Josak patted his head and Yuuri smiled appreciatively. At least people agreed with him in principle.

Conrad walked down the hall with Dorcas behind him. He jangled a ring of keys at Yuuri with a smile and then opened the door. "Come along, we've got an excursion planned." He caught the boy's arm. He twisted away and gave Conrad a look of what could only be pure terror.

Yuuri watched Conrad's attempts to be gentle disintegrate. He eventually had to carry him out. Did he think he was going to be eaten? Yuuri only gave token resistance as Conrad tied his arms behind his back. Who knew what he might do?

Wolfram was waiting with Gwendal and four soldiers on the lawn, holding horses ready. He got onto his own horse, and Yuuri winced. The boy was loaded onto a slow, calm old mare who could be led from Conrad's horse. Yuuri rode next to him, and didn't say anything when Conrad gave him a significant look and rested a hand on his sword. He knew that sometimes precautions needed to be taken. Wolfram was on his other side, after all.

At least he was close, even if they didn't actually share the saddle. He smiled at Wolfram and got a sort of irritated snort. Yuuri's have called him moody if it wasn't his own damn fault.

"Will you tell me your name?" Yuuri spurred Ao to lead the little procession but let Gwendal do the actual directing. His attention was on the boy.

"Where are you taking me?"

"For a look around the city. The capital is very pretty this time of year, and I thought maybe a look around might show you we're not all that dangerous." Yuuri nodded at a flower-seller whose wares he often sampled. She was a pretty girl with dark green curls exploding from under a sensible bonnet. Yuuri found her absolutely charming, an escapee from some impressionist painting.

"Flirt."

"Wolfram, she's twelve and she's selling daisies." Yuuri knew he'd been terrible, but really. If he wasn't allowed to be jealous of a beautiful, talented, strong, poised, and actively flirtatious double black who lived up to reputation, then Wolfram could ease up on throwing fits about Yuuri smiling.

"She's a Mazoku?" The boy's voice was very small. He was clearly encountering a bit of cognitive dissonance as they kept up their ride, heading for the marketplace.

"Yes. Her name's Jessamine, I think." Yuuri was ecstatic. They might have made progress. But by the time he looked around, the boy was back to fear and determined hatred. He would not be swayed by the will of the wicked Maou of the Mazoku.

The road got a little narrower and there were more people about. Two shrine maidens walked by gossiping, each with a basket of groceries on one arm and a spear on the other. Yuuri's favorite bootleg Maoucakes were being sold from a tiny stall. Yuuri smiled. He loved his city, and his sincere enjoyment was most obvious. "Look around. Do we look dangerous? Just because we use a different kind of magic doesn't mean there's an important difference. Why don't you believe humans and Mazoku can live in peace?"

"Liar!" He didn't even know what he thought the maou was lying about. It just wasn't true. And he wouldn't change his mind. The very thought… it hurt. He was well trained, exhaustively brainwashed from his childhood.

Yuuri looked to Wolfram for help. He got none. He scanned the crowd for another good example and saw a familiar face. "Jaurah!"

The jeweler turned, smiling graciously when he saw the maou. "Your Majesty." He bowed gracefully, managing not to be the least upset by the crowd of shoppers. He didn't even teeter.

"How are you?" Yuuri was very fond of the man whose artistry had so helped in winning Wolfram. And he thought his fiancé softened a little. He was definitely toying with his ring.

"Excellent in general, Your Majesty. Who is your companion, if I may be so bold?"

"He's an assassin who's refused to give his name and almost killed Wolfram." Yuuri considered. "But I think I'll make him crack."

"You will not!" Even the human seemed to realize the ridiculousness of arguing about his implacability. He blushed slightly and looked away from maou and jeweler.

"Hmm. Hey, tell me what's evil about him." Yuuri smiled apologetically at the artisan to apologize for trying to make an example. "What's frightening? He sits in a shop all day making beautiful gems into exquisite jewelry." Exquisite was a word he'd picked up from Lady Celi.

"Well, to be fair, some of my tools are fairly sharp." Jaurah tried a smile. He looked confused, but dealing with Celi for years had taught him to take things in stride. The boy looked at him with uncertainty in his eyes, but not very much. Mazoku were certainly powerful enough to trick him unless he was firm in his belief.

Jaurah got tired of being leerily stared at by a tremulous human and addressed himself to Wolfram. "How do you like your gift, My Lord?"

"It's beautiful." Wolfram blushed a bit. He had recognized the workmanship. Almost all of his mother's jewelry came form Jaurah Augustine's shop, as did that of all the most elegant ladies of Shin Makoku. He knew Yuuri had had help, but the effort was still appreciated.

"It suits you. I merely supply the materials. The artist chooses his subject well." Smarmy, even for him, but he really did think Wolfram wore the ring well. And Yuuri had chosen superbly. The maou had a good eye.

Yuuri nodded politely, realizing, sort of, that he'd been complimented. He said a polite goodbye and let the jeweler get on with his life, and noticed as he turned back to his retinue that the boy was staring at him with his mouth open a little, as if he'd forgotten to close it.

More than cuteness, nobility, or beauty, he'd been struck by the sheer normality of the interaction. They really could have been any humans he'd ever known chatting as friends. Or vassal to lord. But there seemed not to be much distinction made by the wicked and threateningly powerful Maou.

That was an upset of the natural order, though, wasn't it? Yes. No matter how important this man was—and there was no impression he was particularly important, what with walking through a market carrying his own packages—he was only a serf. Even evil kings were kings by right of blood, tradition, and some level of divinity. That just ought not be toyed with. And thus he managed to convince himself once again that what he was seeing was a perversion of all that was right and good.

He noticed Yuuri looking at him with a hopeful smile and jerked his head around, staring determinedly into space. Space occupied by a couple of kids playing with wooden swords, arguing over which of them had Morgiff. This was a sick society.

It had to be.

Yuuri was beginning to be discouraged. He apparently couldn't get through to this boy. How firmly could someone believe a lie in the face of the truth? They kept riding, the maou and his faithful retainers pointing out the occasional pleasant or uplifting sight. They got no response but baleful, accusatory stares. Being accusatory about a little girl walking a dog was something Yuuri just couldn't fathom. They left the city because they were riding in that direction anyway and Yuuri was out of ideas, pretty near giving up.

"These are the woods. I think they're pretty. You probably think they have giant, brain-sucking bats living behind the trees bent on eating human babies." Yuuri wasn't good at being flippant, but the situation called for it. "There's a lake over there. It's got lots of pretty fish. Evil Mazoku fish. There's some off the Flybone Tribe. I guess they are a little spooky if you're not used to them." The boy was ignoring him strenuously.

"You stubborn wimp." Wolfram was getting bored and very tired. But he couldn't admit the latter. He was still trying to convince everyone he was fully healed. Concealing it made him cranky.

"That doesn't make sense…"

"You're being stubborn for wimpy reasons!"

Gwendal suddenly appeared between them, slapping a hand over Wolfram's mouth and jabbing the pommel of his sword into Yuuri's ribs, shutting them both up. "Shh!" His eyes narrowed and he looked over his shoulder to exchange a glance with Conrad. There was clearly more going on than irritation with the blooming lover's quarrel.

"Wolfram, guard the prisoner," Conrad said softly. A soft voice carried less than a whisper. The two accompanying soldiers drew their blades at a nod from Gwendal. Yuuri bit his lip, not wanting to ask what was going on. He'd distract them, and he trusted the brothers to defend him from any attack that came.

A woman holding a baby burst out of the bushes, breathing hard, eyes wide and wild like a hunted doe's. Yuuri thought he might have seen her before in one of the nearby human villages. Or just about… anywhere. She was a remarkably ordinary looking person. The child was a bit more striking, with blond curls and jewel-like blue eyes, but she was brown-haired and mousy.

Yuuri pulled Morgiff from his sheath to face four men on horses, an ill-assorted bunch of poorly outfitted bandits, by the maou's guess. They came tearing out of the forest seemingly out of nowhere, and were still intent on going after the woman.

Conrad and Gwendal put a stop to that, disarming all four between them and knocking them off their horses. They were bandits. No sword training that could begin to rival that of two of the greatest warriors in Shin Makoku.

"Your Majesty?" Conrad asked politely as the guards tied the bandits' hands behind their backs.

"Arrest them, of course. I can't have them out here attacking innocent people." Speaking of innocent people… Yuuri looked around. No sign of the woman and her baby. They must have kept running. "Where'd she go? She's safe now. We should escort her back home."

"Migel, go look for her." Conrad pointed one of his guards toward where she'd… probably run off. Not one in the party remembered seeing her go anywhere.

"If you can find her, take her wherever she's going safely." Yuuri considered. "If it's somewhere far or one of them is hurt, ask her to come to the castle. We can give her any supplies she needs."

"Yes, Your Majesty." The young man bowed smartly and headed off amid the trees.

"What a lot of consideration for some human girl," Wolfram said softly, not quite in his usual tones of randomly distributed jealousy.

Yuuri winced. "You know I've never seen her before, and if you'll remember—"

"But she seemed like such an reasonably attractive person. How could you not be redirecting your affections toward the nearest pretty face for no reason at all?"

"Alright, Wolfram, I said I'm—"

Before Yuuri could properly defend himself, the boy chimed in softly. "She… she was human…?"

"Well, she looked like it. I think I've seen her before." Yuuri looked over at Conrad, who shrugged noncommittally. She had a forgettable face.

"Why did you help her?" His hands were shaking a bit on the reigns.

"Because she needed help, of course." That should really be obvious. "We wouldn't just leave her."

And there was just no evil reason for that. The wicked maou and his barbaric, evil retainers had just risked serious injury (not much risk, admittedly, but to those who didn't know Conrad's skill it would look like it) to defend a human girl and baby. It didn't work. He bit his lip, eyes low and angled away.

Yuuri saw the difference in his demeanor and flashed a smug grin at Wolfram that was grudgingly returned.

He said nothing all the way back to the castle, nothing as he was gently but firmly escorted by Gwendal back to his cell while Conrad recruited Josak to deal with the bandits. But as the door closed behind him, making Yuuri once again wonder if he'd done any good at all, he finally spoke.

"Candide."

"What?" Yuuri had been heading to the stairs, figuring he'd done some sort of day's work and now intent on figuring out how angry Wolfram still was. He turned, raising an eyebrow.

"My name. It's Candide."

"Oh." Yuuri brightened, smiling beatifically. "Good. I'll see you tomorrow, Candide." The boy winced a bit as the maou said his name, so casual and friendly. He was probably being lulled into a false sense of security.

But… Maybe not. It was a tiny "maybe," a granule of uncertainty that had worked its irritating way into Candide's young, trusting soul and begun the slow process of becoming a pearl. It kept him up all night, at least.

Wolfram's absence from his bed kept Yuuri up, too, but he had no life-changing epiphanies, just a headache in the morning.