The Reclamation of A Bratty Pince
CHAPTER THREE
Life Goes On – When a Heart Breaks
{Note}
Originally written as chapter two of the series. This occurs two years after Yuuri's death. When I was writing this chapter, I was listening to The Script. Gosh! I love his songs!
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I'm still alive but I'm barely breathin…
Just prayed to a God I don't believe in…
Shin Makoku was silent. Even the usual "Bad luck" chanting birds seemed to have vanished into the air itself. Everything was still – the courtyard, the hushed voices, the fake smiles , empty handshakes, shadowy silhouettes, faceless crowds, the harsh sunlight and the occasional breeze. Life at Shin Makoku lacked its usual robust energy. Even the chatty and chirpy maids had grown silent with solemnity that now engulfed the castle.
However, the youngest prince had yet to notice these things. His attention had been occupied elsewhere.
Today Wolfram was facing the newly crowned Maou of Shin Makoku, Gwendal von Voltaire who was now staring down at his younger brother, his face growing red with fury.
"Wolfram! How dare you disobey your brother and King!" the usually reserved man bellowed at the indifferent Wolfram. "This is the twelfth time!"
Wolfram stared emptily at his brother's face and repeated an explanation that was oh so similar to all his previous excuses. "… so I chased him and apprehended him and then punished him accordingly."
"Wait. Are you telling me that you needlessly chased a dangerous criminal without backup and in the process, damaged civilian property, and to top that off, you challenged him to a duel?" Gwendel's voice was now a roar, but Wolfram did not seem the slightest bit affected. "With your condition, you should know better than to challenge an esoteric wielder!" Gwendel's eyes were now shooting daggers at Wolfram but the blond seemed impervious.
Wolfram merely sighed and stared at the floor. The silence stretched and with it, Gwendel's patience. When Gwendel had finally decided to violently shake his brother, Wolfram suddenly muttered incoherently, his voice barely above a whisper.
"I.. I just wanted… alone… He left me alone."
Gwendel was suddenly pale. Was his brother talking about the previous Maou? " I can't. It hurts. I don't know. Nothing feels real. He… I…" Wolfram suddenly paused and sharply took in air into his lungs, "I wanted to help you."
Gwendel could now see the tears streaming unchecked down Wolframs face. It was the first time he had ever seen Wolfram cry and it broke his heart into tiny pieces. Oh Shinou, where is Conrad when you need him! Gwendel groaned inwardly.
"Do you miss him?"
For a moment the question stunned Wolfram, and in the next moment, Wolfram was laughing like a maniac, thumping his palm on the large oak table as if the no-nonsense brother of his had suddenly told him a hilarious joke.
Miss him? Does the earth miss the rain? Does the moon miss the sun? Does a bird miss the sky? Does a fish miss the sea? Does a heart miss its beat?
No amount of tears could convey what Yuuri was to Wolfram, what he had grown to mean to the blond. No amount of sleepless nights and anguish could lessen the hurt or drive the memories away. Every corner, every place, every nook and cranny were filled with their memories and the jumped out at him like an elephant in the room.
When the hysteria slowly subsided, Wolfram's expression returned to that of a stone. "It's been two years."
Two years of anguish and lament. First, he sought comfort in the shadows of the castle, in their memories – keeping Yuuri alive with his things. He kept Yuuri's shampoo and uniform in his room. His baseball glove and law books which he studied at university were kept in Wolfram's quarters. Sometimes, Wolfram would turn a page, look at those inscrutable words and imagine Yuuri's brow furrowed together in concentration. Or when Lasagne would make curry for dinner, he would imagine the delight carving a smile on the double black's face. And Yuuri's hot, wet and very insistent tongue…
Wolfram shivered violently. Gwendel's frown deepened and he strolled over and held the door open for his brother. "Have some rest. You are hereby suspended from your duties temporarily. I will see you at dinner."
Wolfram frowned but bowed obediently and marched lifelessly out of Gwendel's study.
What am I supposed to do when the best part of me was always you
And what am I supposed to say when I'm all choked up and you're okay
I'm falling to pieces, yeah…
I'm falling to pieces…
Wolfram stared at the blank canvass for a long time. He knew what he wanted to paint. The image was forever engraved in Wolfram's memory - Yuuri's smile. But he lacked the energy to apply paint to the blank sheet in front of him. Or rather, he did not want to pour his feelings, fearing that it would hurt him more if he were to see that smile every day; a constant reminder of what he nearly had and lost.
Greta entered the room silently. Her Papa Wolfram was always morose, sitting in a corner staring blankly at a book, or a canvass. Since Papa Yuuri's death two years ago, Wolfram had become withdrawn. He hardly spent time with her anymore, but then again, he did not spend time with anyone.
Ten months after Papa Yuuri's death, Shori's wife had a son. Nagisa had insisted on having Conrad and Wolfram over and Shori extended an invitation to Conrad and Wolfram to attend the naming ceremony and to bless his firstborn. It made sense to maintain the diplomatic relations between worlds.
Conrad had been ecstatic. He missed his godson and going to Earth reminded him of Yuuri. He had been sure that Wolfram would jump at the opportunity, but to their surprise, Wolfram turned the invitation down with a nonplussed "I'm busy", excused himself and ran from the table as if avoiding the plague itself.
Gunther had stepped in to replace Wolfram and Greta decided to tag along. Nagisa had welcomed them all with open arms. Jennifer and Souma were excited to be grandparents and Jennifer kept on insisting that she would have Shori's son call her Jennifer instead of grandmother. Shori too looked happy with his wife and son. It looked like as if the Shibuya family was slowly getting over the grief of losing Yuuri.
Greta remembered the Earth Maou's newborn. He had big dark eyes and black hair – a double black, just like Shori and Yuuri. That was her new cousin, Shibuya Ren. Greta lifted and curled a finger around Ren's tiny fingers and the baby flashed his teeth and suddenly chuckled at his older cousin. The love and warmth from that smile seemed to waft about her. His fragile looking fingers grabbed hers with surprising strength. She planted a soft and gentle kiss at the top of his delicate head. Feeling sad that Papa Wolfram had decided to abandon the Shibuya family, Greta promised to love her cousin in place of both her fathers.
"Papa Wolfram?" Greta's spoke to the emptiness of the room, breaking her little daydream, hoping Wolfram would hear her.
Wolfram remained slouched in his chair. She noticed that although his body had become a little too slender than she would have liked, he was now eating properly compared to a year ago when he was no more than a bag of bones. She crossed the room and tentatively put a hand on Wolfram's shoulder.
Greta was no longer a child. She was now eighteen and of marriageable age and she moved with the grace and beauty of royalty. "Papa Wolfram, let's go down to dinner," she repeated, a little louder. Wolfram did not move, though he moved his grad to cover hers.
She tilted her head so that she could now see what Wolfram had drabbled with paint in the middle of the white canvass.
What she saw startled her and stung her eyes with tears.
It was a single word.
Wimp.
They say bad things happen for a reason
But no wise word's gonna stop the bleeding
Cause he's moved on while I'm still grieving
And when a heart breaks, it don't break even…
What am I supposed to do when the best part of me was always you
And what am I supposed to say when I'm all choked up and you're okay
I'm falling to pieces, yeah…
I'm falling to pieces, yeah…
I'm falling to pieces…
I'm falling to pieces…
I'm still alive but I'm barely breathin'
Just praying to a God I don't believe in…