Yozak and Gwendal were late to the party. Yozak had been out on a mission, and he had gone straight to Gwendal to report, and it wasn't until they were done that they went to change into their party outfits, in Greta's honour.
Quite a few heads turned to look at them when they walked in the room, Yozak wearing blue with elaborate silver embroidery, and Gwendal had adorned his green uniform with cordons and medals that shone in the candle light. Gwendal carried a big box wrapped in glossy pink paper and a huge ribbon and Yozak thought he had never looked better.
Lady Cheri had used the room for parties often back in the days when she was the Maou, and Gwendal had often attended them, but now he didn't have that slightly tense and very aloof air about him anymore. His smile was a rare sight, but he smiled when he spotted Greta and went to give her his gift.
Yozak stayed in the front of the room and evaluated the decorations and the guests. There was a big apple buffet in the centre of the room, most of the dishes probably sweet and not savoury, but nobody seemed to complain.
Gwendal was already surrounded by Greta, Beatrice, Lindsay, little Elle and other children. Wolfram, Lady Cheri and Hube joined them, while Nicola was talking to Anissina, who was pretty stunning in a black suit. Yozak wondered if Greta had requested it, or if she was following one of her own whims.
The young king was talking to Lord von Wincott, Gisela and a happy-looking Günter, who positively sparkled with party-mood, perhaps a little bit intoxicated by apple cider (did they have that, or was it only juice?) or just by his king's presence…
Other groups of people, children and couples moved around in the room. But there was one who was standing immobile in a corner, looking troubled and out of place.
Yozak walked up to him as soon as he had had set his eyes on him.
"Hey, young Master Granz, how are you doing tonight?"
"Huh? Oh…" Adalbert looked like he had been woken up from a dream.
"Sorry if I startled you", Yozak said. "You were really spacing out, weren't you!"
"I suppose", the other man replied with a shrug. "I'm not sure I know what I'm doing here, that's all."
"You're here because the little princess invited you, I suppose", Yozak said with a smile. Greta's idea had been pretty brilliant, he thought – not that she even knew how brilliant it was.
"Well, yes, but that's the thing – why did she want me to come? She doesn't even know me."
"But she knows who you are", Yozak pointed out, "and that's enough for her. Yuuri knows you, and he likes you, because he likes everybody. She's his daughter, so she takes after him."
Adalbert looked like he couldn't believe his ears.
"That just doesn't make sense, you know…"
"Of course it does." Yozak smiled. "You know what Yuuri is like by now. Have you seen the buffet, by the way? I hear it's all apples…"
"These kids", Adalbert said, "they have you all wrapped around their little fingers, haven't they?"
"Sure", Yozak acquiesced with an even wider smile. "And we like it!"
"You're as crazy as ever", Adalbert commented. "Lunatic!"
"Why, thank you, young Master Granz!"
"Why are you even wearing a dress?" Adalbert frowned. "I mean, it's not like you look like a woman. Those biceps…"
"I beg your pardon, but I go by the name Miss Biceps these days; a name I carry with pride."
"Fool!" Adalbert snorted. "Now, if it were him wearing girls' clothes, for instance…"
Adalbert gestured towards Günter, and Yozak clasped his hands o his chest with a loud gasp.
"Oh, don't mock me! Honestly, you have no idea what you're talking about. If you tried to put a dress on Günter von Christ, he'd look like he was drowning and be completely miserable and beg to be let out of it before His Majesty saw him. I, on the other hand, happen to like wearing dresses. It doesn't mean I'm trying to be a woman. I just feel comfortable like this; it's all about the attitude, man! He couldn't pull it off!"
Yozak whipped his hair over his shoulder, winked and ran his hands over the blue fabric that fell so smoothly over his hips.
"Hmm", Adalbert said, but couldn't hide an appreciating glint in his eyes.
"So", Yozak said, "if you don't want to eat apple pie or waffles with apple jam and cream, how about we dance Greta's Apple Dance?"
Adalbert looked horrified and almost stuttered, "There is an Apple Dance?!"
"Just kidding", Yozak laughed. "Just regular dancing."
"Oh." Adalbert looked relieved for a second, then annoyed. "That wasn't even funny, you moron. Anyway, I'm not dancing. I haven't danced since… Well, it was ages ago."
Suzanna Julia, Yozak thought. Adalbert didn't say it, but it was obvious enough: the mere mention of dancing was painful to him. How long must this man suffer before he can step out of the shadow of her death?
Yozak's eyes began to wander across the room as if by their own will in search for Conrad, the other man who had loved Julia. He had suffered too; in a way, he was probably always going to suffer, but now…
Conrad and Wolfram were both down on the floor, laughing, while Greta helped Elle and other toddlers to climb over them. Yeah, Conrad was definitely not unhappy anymore. If he could move on, why couldn't Adalbert?
Still, that wasn't something he should say to the man, was it?
"Look at Wolfram von Bielefeld", he said. "Did you know that there was a time when he wouldn't have dreamed of playing with little kids like that, and when he wouldn't even call the Commander his brother? If he can do that, I believe you can dance with a guy in a dress. And don't tell me you have forgotten how to."
He wouldn't even be here, Yozak said to himself, if he didn't know that change is possible. He's not ready to admit it, but Yuuri has gotten through to him, too. That frozen, angry part of him is melting and I'll be damned if he doesn't like it!
"You're annoying, Gurrier, you know that, right?"
"If you're good, I'll let you lead", Yozak said and reached out his hand.
He wasn't quite as confident as he tried to sound like. He almost expected Adalbert to turn him down and continue to stand there and sulk in his corner, but Adalbert shrugged and took the offered hand, and proceeded to lead Yozak out on the dance floor.
"I should think so", he said, "because you're the one wearing a dress!"
"Ha!" Yozak snorted. "What's that got to do with anything?!"
"Well…" Adalbert began, but shout his mouth when Yozak pointed discreetly at Gisela who was dancing with some guy from the von Spitzweg family.
Gisela, was one of the guests who, like Yozak, had received a special request with her invitation. Greta had been so eager to see what Gisela looked like in a dress, and Gisela's affection for the girl had made her very accommodating.
She was dazzling in a cream-colored dress with a deep slit, where layers of green silk flowed around her when she danced. Gisela's dance partner had a somewhat confused look in his face, with a streak of rapture in it. It seemed they were taking turns leading, or maybe more like struggling for dominance.
"You see what I mean? Once a sergeant, always a sergeant; one dress more or less doesn't make a person change their ways."
"What about you, Gurrier? Once a follower, always a follower?"
"Didn't say that", Yozak was quick to say, "but I can adapt. One learns how to be flexible in my line of work, you know."
Yozak kept a straight face. Adalbert didn't say anything, but he began to relax and they fell into the rhythm of the music.
Yozak wouldn't admit it, but sometimes, he quite liked to dance with a man who was taller and more broad-shouldered than he, someone who didn't expect him to lead. And perhaps Adalbert needed to feel that he was in control of something, even if it was just one dance.
Near the end of the song, Adalbert had somehow danced them all the way over to the children, who had stopped climbing on floored men. He let go of Yozak, and turned to Greta.
"Adalbert von Granz", Greta said solemnly, "welcome. Thank you for accepting my invitation."
Then she kind of ruined the princess-like act with a giggle.
"Thank you for inviting me, Princess Greta", Adalbert said with a bow. "I didn't know what to bring you as a present…" His eyes flickered between the children who all looked curiously at him, "Because I don't really know what, uh, young ladies want… But please allow me to send you some apples later, from my family estate…"
"Yay!" Greta said. "Thanks a lot! This is a fun party, don't you think so, too? I'm having a great time with Beatrice and everyone."
"We could see that all the way from across the room", Yozak chimed in. "You gave the Commander all he could take, didn't you? Looked like quite a trashing from over there!"
Greta giggled, and the giggle turned to a shriek of joy when Yozak made a lunge as if to tickle her.
Playing with kids was always fun, but now Yozak was distracted by the still quitetness of the man by his side. He glanced over at Adalbert, and saw that he had his gaze fixed on little Lindsey von Wincott.
"Um", Yozak said, "Lindsey, do you know who this man is?"
The boy shook his head, and Yozak was about to make introductions, when Adalbert spoke.
"I'm Adalbert", he said. "Pleased to meet you, Lindsey. I knew your aunt, you see. Suzanna Julia, you know?"
Adalbert's voice was getting suspiciously thick. Yozak kind of wanted to take his arm or to make some other comforting move, but at the same time he wasn't sure it was going to be appreciated. They had just danced for a bit; that didn't mean they were involved or anything!
At least not yet…
"I know", the child replied. "My father and my grandfather have told me about her. They say she was a very good person."
"She was", Adalbert confirmed quietly. "She…" His voice disappeared for a moment. "She was my most important person."
"I am so sorry she died", was Lindsey's serious reply.
Adalbert nodded just as seriously, and Yozak was almost ashamed of the directions he felt his thoughts were close to taking.
Almost. There's something called moving on, he wanted to mutter, yet again. He wanted to shake that man up a bit, he was close to grinding his teeth in frustration – it was all good and well that the child knew his family's history, but nobody wanted a funeral mood at a birthday party!
Luckily, Lindsay's grandfather stepped in and saved him from perhaps saying something stupid he'd regret later.
"Adalbert, my dear boy!"
Lord von Wincott threw his arms around the bigger man, and Adalbert grunted in surprise, but got himself together and hugged the man back, albeit a little awkwardly.
"I haven't seen you in such a long time", Lord von Wincott said. "How have you been? You're looking good."
"You too." Adalbert squirmed a little under the scrutinizing eye. "I've been keeping myself busy, I guess. I've been all over the place…"
"Yes", the older man said. "It has been hard for all of us. But life goes on, as they say. As hard as it is. Right, Lindsey?"
The little boy didn't know what to say, but Greta moved closer to Adalbert and tugged at his sleeve to make him look at her.
"You know, my mother wouldn't want me to be sad all the time. And if Lindsey's aunt was such a lovely person as they all say she was, then she wouldn't want you to be so sad either."
Adalbert looked down at her with a frown, his eyes squinting with suspicion as if he had never seen a child before.
"Of course she wouldn't. But it's not that simple."
"Why not?"
Greta looked at him expectantly, but when she didn't get an answer, she shrugged and turned to Yozak.
"Hey, Yozak, you're looking good today! That color really suits you."
"Thank you, Princess", Yozak said. "I was hoping you'd say that. And happy birthday! Tell me, what else can I do to brighten up your day?"
"You can dance with me and Lindsey", she suggested.
"What, both of you at once? Besides, I think it's pretty challenging to dance when there's such a… difference in height."
The mental image of Yuuri dancing with little Beatrice flashed through his mind and he chuckled a little.
"It's not a problem", Greta said. "Not if all four of us dance together!"
"Oh!" Yozak grinned as he saw her point. "Yes, of course. Smart thinking, you! Come on, Master Granz, let's take these kids for a waltz."
With that, he grabbed Greta and put her up on his shoulders.
"You're demented!" Adalbert muttered, and seemed to try hard to suppress a smile.
"Thanks for all the beautiful compliments you're paying me tonight, my dear sir…"
Greta clapped her hands and cheered, "Come on, please, do it, let's all dance!"
Adalbert looked like he was just as ready to give as to run away.
"Hey, come on; live a little!"
Yozak winked at Adalbert, who grinned – it was kind of a goofy grin – and put Lindsey on his shoulders. Then he grabbed Yozak by the waist, and all four of them waltzed back out on the dance floor.
Around them, other party guests laughed and stared at them. Adalbert was beginning to look flustered, but Yozak leaned in a bit closer and mumbled:
"They're not laughing at us, you know; they're laughing with us. Everyone is enjoying this!"
And sure enough; other grownups began to dance with children in their arms or on their shoulders, and Adalbert, for the first time that night, began to laugh.
"So", Yozak said, "are you enjoying yourself yet?"
"Maybe…"
It wasn't a lot, but Yozak chose to take the word as an encouragement.
"Now that you know what it's like here in Blood Pledge Castle these days, you'll stop by more often, right?"
"Maybe", Adalbert said again. "I don't know…"
Yozak didn't have to say anything more, because Greta said it for him:
"Please, say you'll come again! We're having so much fun!"
"I said maybe", Adalbert said. "Besides, I'm still here, so there's no need for you to sound like that…"
"That's true", said Yozak, "and the night is still young…"
He squeezed Adalbert's hand a little bit tighter, and yet another one of the many dark shadows in Adalbert's eyes flew away.