Chapter 2:
"Sara's coming?" Yuri beamed.
"Yes. Now go to sleep." Wolfram pushed him down.
"Why?"
"Who knows," the blonde said despite of himself. He, too, wanted to know Small Shimaron's king's reason for coming to Shin Makoku, and why now? Why so suddenly? There's no way he could know of Yuri's illness so soon.
"His letter didn't say," Günter explained.
"When will he get here?"
"This evening.'
Yuri smiled his satisfaction and leaned against the beautifully hand-carved wooden backboard of his canopied bed. He had been dreading the next few weeks, or however long this wretched disease would last. At least now he had the company of a less seen friend to look forward to.
Wolfram was about to comment on that too happy smile when a pile of soiled linens were dumped into his arms, and he cringed in disgust.
"Make yourself useful. Take these away," Gisela snapped at him, also throwing some work Günter's way. Gwendle had the sense to get out of there before he, too, was spotted.
"What? This is maids' work!" Wolfram bellowed. "I could never do something so demeaning!"
Gisela turned an evil eye on him and he did not miss the glint in them. There was no time to run. Within minutes she had him and Günter both stripped and sporting new clothes. If Wolfram was embarrassed before, oh, he was devastated now! He now adorned a frilly pink maid's dress with a high cut laced collar. The bicep part of the sleeve was puffed, but past the elbow it was skin-tight. The flushed blonde worked desperately to pull the short, voile dress down past his thin, naked thighs.
"Why me, too?" Günter whined, glancing down at his lavender dress. Everyone in the room noticed how frighteningly comfortable he looked in it.
"Quiet! Now," she threw the linens back to Wolfram and pushed him out the door, "get to it!"
He muttered his disconcert as he walked down the hallway, holding the filthy bed sheets well in front of him. He saw the actual maids round the corner but there was no place to hide. So he walked straight forward, doing his best to keep his head up and mask the obvious vexation so clearly written on his face. He considered handing the job off to them; then he considered the punishment he would receive from Gisela. It was too risky. So he walked on as if he still held an iota of dignity left in him. That is, until he stepped around the corner and nearly fell to pieces. He'd never been so humiliated in his life!
He had thought too soon.
He looked up at the sound of approaching footsteps to see seven of the ten members of the ruling council staring at him. The looks on their faces were that of shock and disapproval; or, like Lord van Wincott's and Lord von Karbelnikoff's, trying to contain a grin. As if they found this amusing!¾Wolfram realized in horror. A small blush of embarrassment, or maybe it was anger, warmed his already reddened face as he straightened his legs.
"L-Lord von Bielefelt…" von Radfort greeted him as formally as he could manage.
Wolfram's chagrined uncle looked as if he was about the explode at any moment. His face was even more red than Wolfram, but with unmistakable anger. "Wolfram. What. Is. The. Meaning. Of. This?" he demanded, making each word a syllable.
"W-Well¾"
"Well?!"
Lord von Spitzweg stepped in, putting his nose where it undoubtedly didn't belong and for the wrong reasons. "I think everyone should have the freedom to choose his or her on personal tastes¾"
"Shut-up!" ordered more than one perturbed voice.
Wolfram responded to Stitzweg comment furiously, "Please! Do you actually think I would choose to wear this thing?"
"Enlighten us, then," Waltorana shot back.
He hesitated; he couldn't tell them he was overpowered by the healer of all people. What few shreds of his pride he left wouldn't allow it, and they were dwindling fast.
Luckily, he didn't have to, for Gwendle picked that moment to drop by. He walked up from behind his younger brother and greeted the ruling council with perfect suavity, seeming oblivious the tense scene unfolding here. "Welcome. It's nice that you all made it here safely."
"Thanks," someone thought to say.
"Are you going to stand around here all day or would you like to retire to your rooms to freshen up?" Gwendle suggested casually.
After a few seconds, Watorana said at length, "Yes…" With one final sneer at his nephew, he turned on his heels and stalked away in the opposite direction. The remaining nobels lingered until they departed as well.
"Thanks for that…" Wolfram muttered.
Gwendle ignored his averse gratitude, "Go back to what you were doing."
He just remembered the filthy sheets. "But!"
"No buts." Gwendle gave him a warning glare. Wolfram pressed his lips into a tight line and stomped off. He was sure his brother would take up for him and relieve him of the grotesque chore.
Upon arriving at the castle's laundry room, he nearly turned around and walked back out.
"Wolfram!" a half naked man sang delightedly, rising from where he crouched at a wash basin and putting him in a vice-like embrace. He cooed again in that annoying singsong, effeminate voice, "I didn't know you were into drag! We're more alike than I thought!"
Wolfram pushed the redhead away, threatening him with an angry ball of fire he held between them, its ruby tongues whipping around aggressively. He was already in a foul mood, and this okama wasn't helping.
"Don't even put me in the same class as you, simpleton!" Wolfram spat.
Yozak backed away with his hands up, grinning playfully. His voice was back to its normal, gruff tone, "Fine, fine. Don't go burning the castle down." When the fireballs diminished he dropped down and went back to what he was doing; scrubbing a lacy little g-string relentlessly. Wolfram pretended not to see the little piece of cloth.
"Why are you here?" he asked, discarding the bed sheets into an empty basket. Gisela had only told him to take them away, not to wash them. Anyhow, he figured he was far enough away that she wouldn't find out.
"Unlike some people, I don't have maids waiting around to wash my clothes and do chores for me. Anyway, I should be asking you that. I didn't think Little Lord Brat would dare step foot into the paltry servants' domain. ."
"Gisela sent me to bring that here."
"And the dress?"
Another glare and Wolfram turned and walked away. He took the less traveled hallways to his room where he took the dress off and quickly dressed in his usual blue uniform, thankful to have finally replaced the humiliating thing with something more dignifying.
Making his way to Yuri's room, he kept his head down slightly, his pride not fully restored upon the change of clothes. He couldn't believe his uncle had saw him in such a thing! Moreover, doing a maids' foul work with no explanation why! Surely he thought it a sully to the family name and furious at having been embarrassed in front of the other nobles. Wolfram blanched at the thought, and hearing the maids' giggling and sad oh's did nothing to consol him.
When he reached his fiancé's room he found that Yuri was awake. He was surprised to see the look of disappointment on the Demon King's face upon seeing him. Wolfram decided to ignore it and took a seat in the chair next to the bed.
"I heard from Conrad that the Nobles are here. I wonder why," Yuri mused aloud.
Wolfram stiffened. How fast news spread around here! He only wondered how quickly and how far his little "cross-dressing" incident had gotten around. He just shrugged.
Yuri didn't come short of noticing Wolfram's change of posture. What was bugging him? "Why did you take the dress off so soon? I was amazed at how cute you looked in it." I just hope I'm not throwing gas on the fire… Yuri thought warily.
Again, the blonde's cheeks lit up. He turned away quickly to hide it, crossing his arms. He went off with something along the lines of why wouldn't he look cute in it and why would that surprise him, the insults flying.
"Sheesh, forget I said anything," Yuri grumbled irritably.
Wolfram shot a flushed glance at ihm before looking away again and mumbling, "Wimp."
The door creaked open slowly and a meek Dacauscas peeked in. "Um… Sir Wolfram… there seems to be some… guests here for you." He pushed to door open to reveal a whole horde of excited women (and men) all wearing maid dresses.
One girl stepped forward and said eagerly, "O Wolfram, we fully support your love of women's clothing. We're here for you till the end!" It was a fan club….
And thus, Wolfram's humiliation was complete.
Well, there you have it; four pages of hardly anything that contributes to the plot whatsoever. This chapter was supposed to be light and humorous before I get into the dramatic stuff. (What? That wasn't dramatic? No, it was more stupidity than anything.)
Sorry it took so long to update. I have so much homework since we've missed a lot of school due to weather lately.
Please review! =D