Well, here we are with chapter 2. Gunter has always struck me as the strong type, both physically and mentally. He has it all together, except for his love life. I'm hoping he can find a fix for that part of his life.

Gunter woke up on the second day after being attacked earlier than his daughter would have liked. Dawn had just barely broken. Gisela would strangle him if she knew he was already out of bed and mostly dressed. He felt better than he had the other night, much better in fact, and couldn't bring himself to lay around any longer. He had things to do that were waiting for him. Gunter started gathering things to take to his office when he heard a soft, almost hesitant, knock on his door. After what happened the other night, Gunter was on alert and ready for anything.

"Enter," he called just to see if it was someone he knew. He had one hand up and swirling with maryoku, the other hand rested on his sword. Yuri opened the door.

"Gunter... Oh you're up already." Yuri looked at Gunter's bare chest and quickly away, blushing. "Uh, well, good morning. I know it's early, but I missed lessons yesterday and uh..."

"Yes, I was wondering if you would stop by so we could finish our conversation about the merits of the tenth Maoh and his building projects." He knew Yuri would never have sought him out for lessons, but he played along anyway.

"Or about what's going on with you being attacked. We still haven't found anything. Yozak's been sent out to see what he can find. Conrad is with him. Gwendal has been checking his network of information. So far, he hasn't heard back from anybody."

"Well, it could take time, your highness." Gunter slid into his shirt and buttoned it. With his senses still tingling from the possibility of attack, he was acutely aware of being stared at. Why would Yuri be staring at him?

"I know, but while we wait for things to happen, you could get hurt again. I really don't want that to happen."

"No worries, Heika, I'll... be..."

Gunter trailed off as he stared in disbelief at what he was seeing. Right before his eyes, a trail of smoke grew and slithered from across the room. It eased itself over the bookshelves, his bed, tables and chairs. Yuri's jaw fell open. It almost seemed alive. When he looked at Gunter, a chill passed over him and he touched the older man's arm. Gunter shook himself out of his stupor and gave Yuri a look laced with fear.

"Heika, if this is what I think it is, do not let it touch you. It can grab and hold on. If it's on you for longer than a minute, it brings a long, slow death. Let's move toward the window and I'll figure out what to do."

"What do you mean?" Yuri said as he backed up with Gunter.

"It's called Shadow Poison. Only a very few people have maryoku strong enough to summon it. It only attacks in the room it's summoned to and will dissipate an hour after it's activated, leaving behind no trace. I haven't seen it in many years."

They had backed all the way to the window. Yuri looked outside. Gunter just had to have a room toward the top of the castle. Jumping would likely cause their deaths, though if Gunter was right, staying here would cause their deaths as well. He let out a growl of terror and frustration. Suddenly an idea popped into his head. He grabbed Gunter's hand and took a step forward as a wave of blue maryoku washed across the room, driving the shadow poison back several feet. His hair started to lengthen and Yuri fought to stay in control. He dragged a shocked Gunter behind him as another blue wave cleared the path to the door. The shadow seemed to have a mind of it's own and lashed out at Gunter as the men reached the doorway. Yuri shoved Gunter through and caught the attack across his bare arms before slamming the door behind him.

"Heika! That was close. What made you think that you could push back the shadow?"

Gunter turned when Yuri took a while to answer. The king's face was a ghastly gray color and the younger man was sweating while leaning heavily against the wall. Gwendal ran up the hallway with several guards. Gisela was close on his heels. If the previous attack had been any indication, her services would be needed. Neither one of them could have guessed that it was their king that required the medical attention. The group reached the pair as the young king started to slide down the wall. Gunter yelped and threw his arms around Yuri before he could hit the floor.

"Heika! Heika, were you hit? I didn't think it had gotten you!" Gunter remembered being shoved and lifted Yuri tenderly into his arms. "Oh, Heika, why didn't you let it get me? You... you didn't need to get hurt on my account."
Yuri reached a shaky hand up and ran his fingers down Gunter's cheek. "I can't have you getting hurt again. Not when we're trying to figure everything out."

Gunter gave Yuri a slightly confused look. What did he mean, figure everything out? Could it be-? Gunter shook his silvery hair and clutched the younger man against his chest. No time for wondering right now. Yuri was seriously injured.

Gisela motioned for her father to follow her. Gunter muttered the words "shadow poison" to Gwendal before taking off after the younger woman. The shock on Gwendal's face matched the look that Gunter had shown previously. The General barked for one of the guards to find Anissina. The crazy inventor was amazing with things like this and he could use all the help he could get to figure out who set the poison. If memory served correctly, it would be gone within the hour.

o.O.o

Gunter laid Yuri down on the exam table and finally got a good look at what the poison had done. Yuri's arms had two thick, almost black, lines down each arm. The wounds seems to writhe as he watched them. The older mazoku bit his lip and tried to hold back his tears. It was only a brief contact, so as long as they could remove most of the poison, the maryoku from the Maoh should heal the rest of it. The only down side was that the pain would be excruciating. He brushed the hair out of Yuri's eyes as Gisela went to work.

"Gunter," Yuri said weakly.

"Y-yes, Heika."

"You're going to cry again."

"Yes, Heika."

"Please don't. It's not your fault. Agggh!"

Yuri curled into a ball on the table, clutching his arms to his stomach. He started moaning and shaking. Gisela shot a look at Gunter and he nodded. He put his hands on Yuri's shoulders as Gisela strapped Yuri's arms down straight out from his body. The younger man got a panicked look in his eyes. Gunter knew just how bad it would be and tried to send calming maryoku to him.

"Papa, I need you to try to keep him calm. This isn't going to be easy, and the more I can focus to remove the poison the better."

"I've been hurt before. It can't be that ba- AAAAAAH-!"

"Heika, it's going to be okay." Gunter tried to hold himself together as Yuri scream seemed to last an eternity. The younger man thrashed against him, nearly yanking his arms out of the restraints. He kept screaming as Gisela's maryoku worked on one arm to get at the poison.

"Heika! It's okay. Please, you have to calm yourself. I know it hurts!" Yuri thrashed and kicked Gisela in the arm.

"Papa, he needs to stop moving so much. You have to do something!"

Gunter acted without thinking. He climbed on top of Yuri on the exam table, pinning his legs underneath his body. He kept his hands on Yuri's shoulders and watched as his king stopped screaming for a moment to stare at the adviser in shock. Gunter smiled softly at him. When Gisela began working on the other arm, Yuri couldn't fight back the screams once again. Gisela motioned angrily at her father and the older man could think of only one thing that might shock Yuri into silence. He leaned forward, not caring that his daughter would be watching, and placed a long, slow kiss on Yuri's lips.

The younger man's eyes snapped open, then slowly closed as he tried to push his lips into the kiss. He seemed to not notice the pain of the poison as it was removed. Gunter slid one hand off of Yuri's shoulders and up to cup his cheek. He knew that Yuri would most likely not remember the kiss once the poison was gone. It seemed to remove a person's memories from the moment they got poisoned, so he took advantage of this brief bit of time. He licked Yuri's lower lip and when the younger man sighed and opened his mouth, Gunter slipped his tongue inside, claiming the king's mouth. He knew it would hurt later when the kiss was forgotten, but he hoped that maybe some of his feelings would linger. He really wanted Yuri to know how he felt. Gisela finished up with the last of the healing and quietly left the exam room. Neither man noticed. Yuri shifted underneath him and both men let out a soft groan.

"Gunter, my hands."

Gunter shook his head. "You don't need to move around unnecessarily. We'll leave your hands there for the time being."

The younger man pushed his hips up against his adviser, causing both of them to moan again. Their tongues intertwined and Gunter had to fight himself to not strip both of them down. He wanted that kind of thing to be experienced when both people involved would remember. He pulled back and kissed the tip of Yuri's nose, then his forehead. Yuri started to fade off at that point, much to his chagrin, and Gunter sat up, his cheeks red from the passionate kisses. Gisela came back into the room and just stared at her father in shock. He climbed off the table. They both watched as Yuri sank into a peaceful sleep, his breathing evening out thankfully.

"Papa, I didn't know you had it in you to do that."

"I'm sorry, Honey. I just couldn't think of any other way to calm him down."

"Talking to him would probably have worked well enough, and you know it. He likes your voice," Gisela said with a chuckle. Then she continued on in a softer voice, "but you know he won't remember any of it."

Gunter nodded and pulled the blanked up around Yuri. "I know, but for just that brief time, Yuri seemed to return my feelings. He may never remember the kiss, but part of him might remember that I truly care for him."

"I hope so, Papa. He'll be out for a few days, so we'll leave him here. You could post guards to make sure he stays safe." Gisela moved to check Yuri's breathing, and when she found him to be fine, she turned to her father. "By the way, how is your wound?"

"Heika took care of it very well. I feel fine, but I will take it easy for today. Besides, my main pupil is laying here asleep." He brushed the hair out of Yuri's eyes again and placed a kiss on his forehead. "I should check and see what Gwendal has figured out. I will be back to check on Heika in a couple of hours."

Gisela nodded and watched her father's gaze linger a little longer on the sleeping king. After a minute or so, Gunter strode out of the room purposefully. The healer wanted to make sure that Yuri would sleep well, so she placed a hand on either side of his head, letting her maryoku wash through his skull. Even though he had seemed relaxed, the king sunk down into the bed a little bit more and let out a sigh of relief. She left the room, satisfied that her patient would be fine, and hoping that he would remember what happened between him and her papa.

o.O.o

Gunter could hear the yelling long before he saw the man behind it. Gwendal was tearing into somebody about something. The closer he got, the more he could make out of the words. By the time he rounded the corner, Gunter had an idea of what was being said. Two of the guards on duty had left their posts to go out drinking, thinking that General von Voltaire wouldn't find out. They never thought that an attack would happen, causing the king to be in mortal danger, and endangering others in the castle as well. Gunter almost felt sorry for the two men being berated, but an ashen faced Yuri flashed in his mind and his anger boiled to the top as well.

"Sir, I'm sorry. We're sorry. We never thought something like that would happen."

"It doesn't matter. You guys weren't there and something horrible did happen. What would you have done if Heika had been killed, or anyone else for that matter!"

"As is so happens, Heika is doing fine. However, if you two don't pack your things and leave the castle now, I will show you how I've earned my reputation with a sword." Gunter's eyes flashed at the soldiers. They snapped to attention. Gunter whipped out his sword and held the point at the shorter soldier's throat. "I said leave. Now."

Gwendal put a hand on his friend's arm. "It's okay, Gunter. They've been discharged and will be leaving. I would like to finish my talk with them. I'll meet you in my office in ten minutes. Conrad and Yozak are back and in there already."

Gunter nodded and stomped away. If he had to look at those two any longer, he would not be responsible for his actions. He quickened his pace. Conrad and Yozak were in Gwendal's office. Might as well talk to them to cool off. He knocked on the office door, then entered quietly. The two younger men were sitting awfully close together. Gunter hid a smile behind his hand. The pair had been close for as long as Gunter could remember, and that was a long time. He cleared his throat and they both looked up at him.

"So, did you guys find anything on your journey?"

"Just that there were some unusual people in a couple of the villages, but nobody can give a clear description." Conrad shook his head, clearly annoyed.

"Yeah, and two of the villagers had a really weird black line on them." When Gunter gasped, Yozak speared him with a look. "I'm guessing you know what that means?"

"Shadow poison. I was attacked a few hours ago with it."

"What?!" Conrad leaped off of the couch. He had only heard rumors of the poison, but knew it had adverse consequences. "It didn't get you did it?"

"It didn't get me..."

"Gunter, what do you mean by that?"

Gwendal walked in the door. "Heika was hit. Just across the arms, and Gisela has removed the poison. He'll be sleeping for a few days, but she said he'll be alright." He shot a knowing glance at Gunter, and the adjutant blushed. It seemed that Gisela didn't keep her mouth shut about what happened with Yuri.

"Can we see him?" Yuri's godfather was still very protective of him. Having something happen when he was not on watch bothered him greatly.

"I think for now we'll just let him sleep. What did you guys find out in the villages?"

While the three men talked, Gunter stood by the window, watching the medical building. Yuri was in there, sleeping. The adjutant ran a finger over his lips and smiled sadly. He would carry the memory with him always, but Yuri would most likely have forgotten by now. Gunter let out a big sigh. Why did he have to do that? It would be worse now that he knew how nice it felt to kiss that young man.

"Gunter. Gunter?"

"Oh, yes?"

"I was just asking if you could explain a little bit about the shadow poison. I have an idea of what it is, but Conrad and Yozak are still mostly in the dark."

"Ah, well. It's not a poison for which you can collect the ingredients and make. How can I explain this? The shadow poison is almost like an entity. It's a gathering of dark magic that is summoned for a single purpose. For example, the version in my room. It was made to attack me. If I hadn't been in the room, it wouldn't have activated. The most frustrating part about it is that it disappears an hour after it's activated, so it can be very hard to determine its origin."

Yozak shook his head. "So is this something that can be summoned at will?"

"No. It's a very powerful spell, so only very powerful mazoku can summon it. I know of only a handful of people capable of doing so, and two of them are in this room."

All eyes shot to Gwendal, and he held up his hands. "I've only heard of the stuff in legends. I never thought it actually existed. No records of it have been seen in two hundred years."

Gunter nodded. "It has been about that long since I've seen it myself. I watched it destroy the man that had summoned it. He didn't know how to control it, so it was activated by his daughter. He threw himself on top of her and it slowly killed him. She was able to escape. I haven't heard about her since."

"Then who would have set it on you?"

"I'm still trying to figure that out. Two attacks in three days. I'm starting to get worried. Especially about Heika. I need to not be near him in case something happens again."

"Does that mean you are leaving the castle?"

"I will as soon as Yuri wakes up and I know that he's truly okay."

"He's not going to like it."

"I think he'll get over it. It's not like he likes me. He always avoids me at all cost." Gunter shrugged and wiped away a tear. "I think I'll go check on him once more, then get to some work. There's a lot to do before I can leave."

The three men left behind stared at Gunter's back as he shut the door behind himself. Yozak let out a low whistle. Conrad smiled at him and threw an arm around the spy's shoulders. Gwendal raised an eyebrow at the two. They were finally showing their feelings in public.

"Old Whiny has it bad for the kiddo, huh?"

"Gisela said the two shared quite the kiss while she was removing the poison."

"Oh really?" Conrad said with an almost evil smile. "If he has any intentions with my godson, he needs to let me know. I'm not sure I approve."

Yozak started laughing. "Captain, don't forget. Yuri-Heika is an adult. If he wants to be with Gunter, he'll figure it out. You can stop being such a mother bearbee."

After a few more minutes of joking, the men got down to business. Conrad and Yozak would go farther out and check the villages for any signs of the intruders. Gwendal would keep checking with his contacts. None of them wanted to let Gunter leave, so they made a plan to keep him around. One that could end in disaster if they were wrong about a certain double black's feelings.

o.O.o

Gunter slipped quietly into Yuri's room at the medical facility. Gisela was staying away for the time being, to give her father some privacy. She felt bad when he cried, and she knew that there would probably be some crying. Her father was good at it.

Yuri looked almost like a statue, laying unmoving on his bed. The only thing that proved he was still alive was the rhythmic rise and fall of his chest. Gunter sat down softly on the side of the bed and pulled one of Yuri's hands in between his own. The younger man shifted restlessly, turning his head toward Gunter.

"Mmmmm..."

Gunter was surprised that Yuri would even make a sound. From what he knew about the poison, any survivors slept unmoving like the dead for several days. He ran his fingers through thick black hair, and was surprised again when Yuri moved into the touch. Gunter bent down and placed a kiss on Yuri's cheek. A smile slowly spread across the king's face.

"I know you can't hear me, Heika, but I wanted to let you know something. I love you. I think I always have, but it's definitely grown into something more." Gunter took a deep breath. "You make me happy, happier than I have ever been. Is it okay for me to want to stay with you?" Hair fell across his shoulders as he shook his head. "I can't stay though. Twice now I've been attacked. One of those times injured you."

Yuri started to move around more on the bed. His free hand raised up in the air, grasping for something. Gunter reached over and pulled that hand in between his own with the other one. Yuri seemed to relax just a bit from the added contact, but there was still something obviously bothering him. Gunter couldn't believe it. Yuri shouldn't be moving. Was the Maoh involved?

"Gunter. Don't. Go." Yuri rolled over against Gunter's legs. "I haven't figured out what I feel for you. I haven't kissed you yet. Don't leave me alone in the dark!"

Gunter bit back tears. Yuri had already forgotten the kiss. It wasn't a surprise, but it still caught Gunter off guard. He pulled Yuri's hands up to his lips and kissed his fingers. Yuri seemed to relax a little more and stopped moving. Gunter leaned down to make sure he was still breathing. After placing one more kiss on Yuri's forehead, the older man released his hands and walked slowly out of the room. Gisela said nothing as her father left the building. He looked like he needed to be alone.

Well, that's it for chapter 2. What do you think so far? Will Gunter be convinced to stay? He has too much honor to agree to put his king's life in danger, but can he set aside his pride to be near the one who needs him? Reviews are greatly appreciated! Thank you for sticking with me so far!