Yuuri was amazed how stubborn, bratty, and hot tempered Wolfram could be.
The same afternoon after the proposal, Wolfram and Yuuri were at the registers office. Wolfram was demanding to be married that afternoon. The register, a scornful lady behind a desk, was having none of it. By law they would have to wait at least twenty-one days and post bans if they were citizens of Monte Carlo. Since they were not citizens of Caloria, they would have to what forty-five days. At that moment Wolfram started ranting. If he could have thrown fire at the lady behind the desk he would have. Luckily Yuuri was there to calm down Wolfram, and save the woman's life.
Yuuri felt sorry for the woman behind the desk, but that did not last long. Yuuri watched Wolfram attempted another approach. The new approach worked. Yuuri watched Wolfram pick up a wedding magazine that was on a table in the waiting area of the registers office. Wolfram pulled out his wallet and took a wad of bills from it. He placed the bills inside the magazine. Yuuri shook his head as he thought to himself, 'Does Wolfram really think he can bribe the lady?' Wolfram walked over to the desk and handed the magazine to her. The woman looked through the magazine.
Yuuri and Wolfram were wedded three days later.
Yuuri woke-up to the sunlight streaming through the curtain cracks. He looked to his side and saw his loving husband still sleeping. He brushed Wolf's, as he now called him, bangs from his face. Yuuri smiled as he looked at his husband's face. In Yuuri's opinion, Wolf looked like an angel when he was asleep, but when awake Wolf was a demon. Yuuri at times felt he had to apologise to people for Wolf's temper. Yuuri wondered how in the world Wolf had survived without him.
Yuuri recalled the last three weeks since their wedding. He smiled just thinking how wonderful they had been. He had to admit his honeymoon had been perfect in his opinion. As all good things, the honeymoon was coming to an end.
Yuuri rose out of bed and looked out the window. He looked over the sprawled city below his bedroom window. The capital of Shin Makoku was amazing. Everywhere he looked he could see the nobility of the ancient city. He would miss looking out the window onto the city for that same day they were going home to Manderly.
Yuuri had not asked many questions about Manderly. He had been afraid to stir-up old memories in Wolf. He had asked Wolf to tell him about the house itself on one occasion. Wolf had responded, "It is a big, cold, stone house," and he left it at that. Yuuri decided not to pry. He felt that Wolf considered the house cold since Elizabeth's death.
The sun was beginning to set as Wolfram drove his car up Manderly's drive. He nudged Yuuri who had fallen asleep. Yuuri woke up and looked ahead, and his mouth dropped open. Along the borders of the drives where thousands of beautiful, golden-yellow flowers that he had never seen. Up in front was Manderly. It was big. It was made of stone. It was a palace. It was beautiful! Yuuri had seen many majestic homes during their honeymoon, but not one of them could compare to Manderly.
Wolfram drove the car up to the entrance and stopped. A surreal lavender headed man, dressed as a butler, approached the car and opened Yuuri's door. Yuuri stepped out of the car staring at the man as Wolfram stepped out through the driver's side. "Welcome home my Lord," the lavender headed man.
"Thank you Gunter," Wolfram said. Wolfram walked around the car and stepped next to Yuuri. "Gunter this is my husband, Lord Yuuri Shibuya von Bielefeld. That was a mouthful of a name thought Yuuri. The man bowed towards Yuuri. As per Japanese manners, Yuuri was about to return the bow but was stopped by Wolfram. "Yuuri, this is Gunter Christ and he is the butler of Manderly."
"It is a pleasure to meet you Mr. Christ," Yuuri said as he extended his hand for a hand shake.
Gunter enthusiastically took Yuuri's hand and began to shake it. "The pleasure is all mine my Lord. Please call me Gunter, and if there is anything that I may be of assistance please let me know," Gunter said still shaking Yuuri's hand. Yuuri felt as if the man was ready to pounce on him and hug him till he could not breathe. Wolfram pulled Gunter's hand away.
Gunter recomposed himself. "Lord Wolfram, I am sorry. I know that you did not want to have the servants in attendance when you arrived, but she insisted."
Wolfram groaned. "I'm sorry Yuuri, but you are going to have to put up with one of the housekeeper's idiosyncrasies. I did not want you to be overwhelmed your first night here, however it looks like she has called the entire staff to meet you."
"That's okay," Yuuri said. He did not really care since he too had a maid at home. How big could the staff be, a buttler, housekeeper, and a couple of maids?
They walked up the steps to the entrance and entered Manderly's grand hall. Yuuri all of the sudden felt overwhelmed. In front of him where nineteen people all lined up in front of a grand staircase. The men bowed and the women curtsied. "Welcome home Lord von Bielefeld" they all said simultaneously. Yuuri understood that Wolfram was nobility, but he never fathomed that Wolfram would have so many people working for him. Yuuri felt little.
Wolfram pulled Yuuri by the arm up to the first person in line. Yuuri looked at the person. Said person was tall woman (Yuuri thought she looked more like a man), had black hair, glasses, and wore a long, black, matronly dress. A loop of keys was attached her belt. She looked stern and cold. Yuuri almost stepped away from her when she looked directly at him and smiled. Her glasses glazed over. Yuuri felt something sinister about her. "Yuuri, this is Mrs. Ken Murrata. She is the housekeeper of Manderly."
"It is a pleasure to meet you," Mrs Murata said.
"You can leave the house details to Mrs Murata, Yuuri," Wolfram said.
Wolfram continued down the line of servants whilst introducing them to Yuuri. Of all the twenty people Yuuri had just met, Yuuri could only remember the names of six: Gunter, Mrs. Murata, Dorkas (because it sounded like doofus, and the man looked like a dorkus), Sangria, Lasagna, and Doria. The latter three he remembered because their names reminded Yuuri of food.
Gunter approached Wolfram and whispered something to him. Wolfram turned to Yuuri, "Mrs. Murata will show you to our room. I have to look over some letters. Alright?" he said as he gave Yuuri a quick peck on the forehead. Yurri nodded.
Mrs. Murata approached Yuuri and led him up the grand marble staircase. At the top of the staircase there were two hallways which led in opposite directions. Mrs. Murata turned and walked down the left hallway, and Yuuri followed. Yuuri looked back. At the end of the other hallway he could see large double wooden doors. He wondered to where those doors led.
Mrs. Murata opened the door to the last room in the hallway, and they entered. The room was elegantly furnished in burgundy and brown with a touch of gold. There was a large king size bed, a large chest drawer, a mahogany table with two chairs by a large window, and an enormous armoire. "I hope it is to your liking," Mrs. Murata said.
"It is a very nice room," Yuuri replied. He shiffed the air. "Has it been recently painted?" he asked.
"Lord von Bielefeld ordered this room to be redecorated as soon as you were married. You see this room used to be a guest room that was hardly ever used."
"You mean this is not Wolfram's original room?"
"Oh no. Lord and Lady's von Bielefeld room was at the opposite end in the west wing. I saw you looking back towards it."
"Oh mean the room with the double doors?"
"Yes that is the room. It is the most beautiful room in the house. Nothing like this one," Mrs. Murata said. She looked off to the said and then back again to Yuuri. "Of course you have to understand that that room was Lady Elizabeth's room. It would bring many sad memories to Lord Wolfram. He simply ADORED Lady Elizabeth." Yuuri felt a knife in his heart as Mrs. Murata stressed the word adored.
She walked over to a door that off to the side and opened it. She beckoned Yuuri to follow. "This is your bathroom," she explained. Yuuri peeked in. The bathroom was simple but yet elegant. There was a single bathroom sink, a toilet, a normal size bath, and a nice size shower.
There was a knock on the door, and Dorkas entered. He was carrying and struggling with Wolfram and Yuuri's luggage. Yuuri ran up to the bald man to help him with the luggage. Yuuri wondered how the man could carry his suitcase and Wolfram's two. The placed the luggages on the luggage rack. "Thank you sir, but you did not have to help me," Dorkas said.
Yuuri smiled and scratched the back of his head. "I don't mind. I like to help and be of use." Dorkas smiled back.
"Shall I bring up your dinner Lord Yuuri?" Dorkas asked.
"Sure, and please don't call me Lord Yuuri. Yuuri will just be fine. Ok?"
Dorkas happily agreed and left.
"I shall let you settle in sir," Mrs. Murata said. "Good night Lord Yuuri."
"Just call me Yuuri," Yuuri said trying to loosen up the woman.
"That would be very improper of me or any of the staff. One is to maintain proper decorum between the lords and staff. I will make sure that Dorkas continues to call you by Lord Yuuri. Although Lady Elizabeth was adored and loved by the staff, they still address her as Lady Elizabeth." Yuuri noticed the superiority in Mrs. Murata tone. He wanted to answer back, but somehow found himself silenced by Mrs. Murata. Never in his life had he felt so belittled.
Mrs. Murata left.
Yuuri stood in the middle of the room. How Mrs. Murata had spoken of Elizabeth was with pure adoration, and it was not the first time he had felt useless against Elizabeth's memory. First his mother had explained to him the Wolfram had been deeply in love with Elizabeth. Then he had overheard several conversions during their stay in the capital. Some had mentioned how Elizabeth had been a great beauty. Some had mentioned how she was simply adored. Some had even said to Yuuri, not in front of Wolfram, how so very different he was to the lovely Elizabeth. Wolfram had been the luckiest man a life when he married Elizabeth, and how simply Wolfram loved and ADORED Elizabeth. Yuuri had not said anything to Wolfram. Actually when he had Wolfram next to him, he simply forgot everything he had heard about Elizabeth.
Now it was different. He was in the house that Elizabeth had lived in. Her presence was still there. He felt, for the first time in his life, insecure. Maybe his mother had been right. Maybe he was not cut out to live the life of a noble – the replacement for Elizabeth. Was he a distraction? Did Wolf marry him so Wolf could forget about her?
Maybe he was just over analysing everything. All that mattered was Wolf, and Wolf loved him! Yuuri smiled.
The door opened and Wolfram entered rolling in a trolley full of food. He smiled at Yuuri, "I met up with Dorkas," he said as he pointed at the trolley. Wolfram closed the door behind him. He walked up to Yuuri and kissed him. Wolfram pulled away and said, "So do we eat or continue kissing?"
Elizabeth, for now, was forgotten.
I wonder who is taking on the role of Jack Flavell? MUAHAHAHHAAAA.