Fanfiction title:Darkness' Remnants
Fanfiction summary:There's something threatening their lives in Covenant castle and letting their guards down might mean doing something they'll regret; Yuuri and the others must end this before darkness can get its revenge through the keys.
Chapter title:The second night.
Chapter number:3/?
A/N: I'm really sorry for the long hiatus but last year after my last update, I started working on an original draft; I've finally decided to give it a go to writing something original and I have been focusing all my attention on it. But, recently, I was feeling stuck on a particular part and was stressing out so I went back to read my fics and felt like writing (or fixing in this case) a new chapter for all of them so here I am. And yes I will go back to my draft after posting this but now I've realized my fanfics are a way for me to relax when I feel overwhelmed with my original WIP and as such, if I feel like this again I will come back with a new chapter.
Still laying the ground rules for how this is working with the brothers although Murata is yet to be informed and we'll see what he has to say about that.
You might notice there isn't a 21 in the number of chapters anymore, that's because I went back to the outline of the story and realized I could make fixes to some chapters and maybe have the story be shorter without getting rid of anything other than white noise so I will see how to fix that and will bring back a final number of chapters when I'm done with the outline (Yeah, the year with my draft has actually helped me a lot in that regard).
Also remember English isn't my first language and I don't have a beta reader so, please, forgive me for my grammatical and spelling mistakes.
Without further ado, let's get this started!
Chapter 3: The second night.
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They decided to make special arrangements that night: Some of the castle guards were replaced by members of Gwendal's, Conrad's and Wolfram's personal troops just to be extra careful since, if anyone could stop the former princes, it would be the men they trained themselves. They also arranged for Günter and Lady Cheri to have a guard escort them doing rounds around the east and north wings in case they, somehow, escaped the soldiers at their door. Anissina and Gisela would stay awake in the off chance they needed medical care or help from technology -which they prayed they wouldn't need-. And, finally, Wolfram would stay in Yuuri's bedroom…Whether the blond wanted to or not.
"I am doing this for your safety!"
"Let me worry about your safety for once!"
"I am a soldier, I have to make sure I keep my King safe and sound!"
"Stop arguing and just get changed!" Gwendal yelled more than tired with their back and forth but it seemed the royal couple wasn't done.
"Big Brother, you have to agree with me; I cannot stay in Yuuri's bedroom tonight!"
"Don't make me order you to stay." Yuuri's tone changed from loud to stern and it was enough to have Wolfram shut up even if he didn't seem at all happy with the situation.
Yuuri had gotten used to having the fire-wielder sleeping with him by now, feeling him next to him was particularly comforting now that Greta was away and the only reason he had been able to see Wolfram walking around the night prior was because he hadn't been able to fall asleep on his huge bed by himself and had wanted to see if Wolfram was still working. He couldn't let the blond out of his sight that night; he had to make sure he wouldn't do something dangerous. Even though all three brothers were at risk, for some reason he felt directly responsible about Wolfram and wanted to have him in a place where he could keep an eye on him at all times and that meant keeping him inside the royal bedchambers.
"Wolfram, we need to keep a cold head tonight just to be on the safe side." Conrad said from his position next to the door, standing as if protecting the room from intruders.
"But what if I sleepwalk again and end up hurting Yuuri?" Wolfram asked nervously "What if I cannot be stopped in time and do the unthinkable?"
"Wolf, I want you here to help you with your own stress not to make it worse." Yuuri insisted, standing in front of the noble with pleading eyes "Just let me do this; I want to make sure nothing more is going to happen."
Wolfram looked around the room trying to find some kind of support from anyone, but his two brothers, Günter and his Mother, all seemed like they completely agreed with the young Monarch despite his own worries. Any other time, he'd be perfectly compliant with Yuuri's request but that day was not one in which he wanted to sleep next to the double-black. They had come up with a plan he could get behind, he was doing his hardest to hope everything would be fine but there was a dark part of his mind that told him there was a chance he would pick up his sword again and bring it down against anyone who crossed his path no matter who it was, by staying with Yuuri the chance of that happening increased immensely and against the King himself no less.
Despite his silent cry for help, no-one replied and he had to finally give up. The moment his stance dropped he saw Yuuri smile broadly and had to suppress the urge to puff out his cheeks in annoyance at such victorious expression. Now that he had agreed to stay, he would have to do his best to be awake for as long as he could: If he stayed awake he would be able to control his body and nothing would go wrong.
"All right! We're all set!" The Maou exclaimed "You three are sleeping today. Lady Cheri, could you please tell Gisela to use her magic on them now?"
"Of course, your Majesty." The woman nodded "Gwen, Conrart, go to your rooms and change into your sleepwear or Gisela will be mad."
"Yes, Mother." Conrad answered while the Mazoku commander simply bowed his head but it was a good enough response.
"I will walk you back to your rooms." Günter offered, opening the door to let the former queen out and waiting for Conrart and Gwendal to follow her lead "I bid you farewell, my dearest King Yuuri for I shall start my work right after I have ensured everyone is in position."
"Bye, Günter, I'm counting on you." Yuuri waved, knowing that this farewell was overacted on purpose.
"Have a good night, your Majesty."
"It's 'Yuuri', Nazukeoya!" The King retorted to his fellow half-breed, pleased to see a playful smile on the brunet's face. Unlike Wolfram -who still seemed to be on edge-, Conrad and Gwendal appeared to be much more relaxed after coming up with the plan and had gone back to their usual attitude as far as Yuuri could see.
"Of course, Yuuri." Conrad bowed respectfully and followed his older brother out of the room, Günter was the last one to leave making sure to close the door after him.
Once alone, the royal couple kept quiet for a moment. Yuuri turned back to the full-blooded demon, waiting for any kind of complaint or scolding for his determination in keeping him inside the royal bedchambers but he found the proud Mazoku looking through the drawers for his nightgown, he went with the frilly one that matched Greta's.
"It'll be fine, Wolf." He decided to speak up with encouraging words in hopes to make it easier on the blond fireball.
"Of course it will be." Wolfram reassured turning to look at him with his chin held high again "Since you decided to take the risk I will make sure to make it worth it."
"Come on, stop being so paranoid." The soukoku said, walking up to the closet to get his own pajamas "You'll see; Gisela will help you relax and you'll have a great rest tonight."
"So long as I stay in bed I will be happy."
Yuuri decided not to comment and proceeded to change his clothes in silence. He was sure everything would turn out just fine but Wolfram wouldn't believe him until the next morning came quietly and everyone was safe so he didn't try to convince him anymore and opted to change the topic for a much lighter one while they waited for Gisela.
"So, should we send Greta a letter to see how she's doing?"
Gwendal was lying in bed awake after his treatment from Gisela, trying to find some peace and ease his mind enough to fall asleep. While he did feel less stressed than that morning, he couldn't find a way to trust himself yet, he knew the people standing at his door would be able to fight him off if needed and no one would let him get far if they could help it but he was still worried about trying to do anything like earlier that day. It was too dangerous.
He sighed to himself feeling his thoughts making him more aware. Usually, he'd be one of the last ones to head to bed at night but he had been forced to retire early without doing his usual rounds or check up's in the castle and he did not enjoy it one bit. If he were to be honest with himself he could make a serious attempt at falling asleep and see if it worked but it would probably be just a waste of time.
Resigned to stay awake for some time still, he rose from his bed and went to get his latest knitting project: A cute little bearbee that was still missing its wings and antennae; he should be able to finish it within the hour if he lit up both chandeliers on his desk. He had planned to give the bearbee to Greta once she came back from studying abroad but finishing it early was a plus.
As he worked, Gwendal heard people walking by his door; a lot of soldiers and servants were still awake and working. He could listen to voices coming through the window, indistinguishable conversations serving as background noise to the sound of his needles hitting each other softy with every new stitch. It had been a while since he had actually had a night to himself while everyone else worked… of course, he had been sick and bedridden before and hadn't been his decision much like this time but still; there was a certain sense of satisfaction knowing the personnel was capable of keeping the place running smoothly without his guidance for a night. That day in particular was important because he wasn't the only one absent at that moment and with neither one of his brothers out there either, the workers were pretty much on their own and they seemed to be doing fine.
Well, it also helped that they were living in much more peaceful times since King Yuuri had arrived. Nowadays, Gwendal didn't go to bed everyday fearing a war would explode any time now or thinking he could be ambushed in his sleep in a murderous attempt although he still had his sword within arms' length at all times more out of habit than anything else.
…Even still, there was the possibility something could change at any moment with a hidden enemy of the Maou and the Mazoku that was just waiting for the right time to attack… and what would happen if they had been keeping an eye on them and noticed their absence? Had they hired any new staff lately? He was pretty sure they hadn't, any new worker had to pass by him first and he didn't recall interviewing anyone for months. There couldn't be a spy inside the castle, they would have attacked already if there was. It was ridiculous to be having these thoughts; everything was fine and would stay that way at least until the next morning.
It wouldn't hurt to make his own rounds though.
He put the half-done wing aside, changed his clothes and picked up his sword. He then went up to the door and tried to open it but found it locked, he insisted, moving the handle with far too much force but it didn't budge.
"Hey! Unlock the door!" Gwendal ordered to the people on the other side, knocking on the door with as much might as he could manage.
"My apologies, your Excellency, but his Excellency Günter locked the door himself and gave us explicit orders not to let you out."
"What are you talking about? You respond to me so open the door!" But there was no answer from the other side. Whoever it was that stood outside the door would get properly punished as soon as he got his hands on them, despite them being his men he couldn't quite place the voice at the moment.
Groaning frustrated, Gwendal went to look through the window to see if there was a way out. He was surprised to see that there was not a single person in the garden even after all the voices he had heard although there were lit torches so maybe someone was due to be back soon? If that was the case, he needed to move quickly before he was caught. There was a pillar next to the window he could hold onto and it'd be a short jump from there to the ground; nothing he couldn't handle, he'd made bigger jumps in his lifetime.
He made sure his sword was secured around his waist and then exited through the window. He could do this fast and without being found out and he'd be back to his room before his guards noticed his absence, ready to give a piece of his mind to them for not following his orders.
Conrart was pacing in his room like a caged lion. Usually, at this time, he would be walking around the stables or the garden with some soldiers and then he would go check up on the royal couple one last time before going back to his room to read a little and then, finally, get some sleep to wake up before the crack of dawn. But he was feeling limited, despite the relaxing magic giving him some relief, it wasn't enough to force him to sleep and it's not as if he would have accepted a treatment that would make him lose consciousness anyway.
He had changed into his nightwear to receive Gisela but changed back into his uniform as soon as he was left alone, if he was to feel more at ease to help find out if he had just been over-stressing then he would use the clothes he felt better in and that was his usual gear. He now realized he should have proposed his own methods to make himself feel calmer before he was forced into his room hours earlier than his usual time; he could still hear people working outside and he wished he could be with them making sure everything was ready for the night and chatting with them as companions.
Conrart sighed and went to lie on his bed, careful of his sword. His favorite part of every night was his last check up on Yuuri and Wolfram (and Greta when she slept with them): Returning the blond onto the bed if he had fallen off it already, rearranging the covers so Yuuri wouldn't catch a cold, shifting Greta so she wouldn't be lying sideways over her parents. He really felt like a surrogate mother sometimes but he couldn't help it when it came to them, even if they would be back to a mess of limbs by the time he went to wake Yuuri up it still was cathartic to see them all safe and sound before heading to bed.
Also, considering the history they had with night ambushes and kidnappings, he had to make sure everything was still good with them; retiring early for the day could be dangerous if there was anyone out there waiting for one little change to take the chance to attack. Yuuri had made great advancements in creating a peaceful kingdom but they would be fools to assume there were no rebels or enemies still on the lookout to get rid of the Maou. He needed to visit the royal bedchambers and sweep the entire castle once, then he would go to sleep without complaints.
Conrart stood up and tried his door, finding it locked as per expected. His only option was the window which he had used to escape his room countless times before thanks to a rather convenient tree he could use to climb down. Looking both ways to make sure he was alone –and surprised to find out he actually was-, he jumped onto the tree and reached the floor in three movements. He quickly hid in the shadows and started his way to his godson's room, hoping he wouldn't have many obstacles along the way.
Gwendal had seen a few people pass by him, prompting him to hide in the nearest corner, pillar, bush or room he came across before he was seen. Despite his size, it seemed he either was doing an amazing job in spite of being rushed or no-one was paying any attention to their surroundings because there hadn't been so much as a double-take his way by anyone. It scared him sometimes to imagine the castle being so careless nowadays as if they thought there would never be another attack against them.
His frown deepened when yet another guard passed by the pillar he was leaning against, he seriously doubted he was as invisible as the blatant ignorance from the man suggested. It was getting to a point where he was so frustrated he was tempted to stay in plain sight the next time he saw someone nearing just to see what they would do but he fought the urge just in case his presence raised some kind of alarm that brought Gisela to him in "Sergeant-mode"… And Günter in his "Instructor-mode".
Gwendal's ears perked up at sudden hurried footsteps at the end of the hall and found a person dressed as a guard looking everywhere as if looking for something and peeking around the corner to the next hallway before scurrying into it. The Commander let out a grunt and followed the guard as silently as possible; the behavior was far too suspicious to let it pass.
There were a few meters of distance between them, enough for him to always hide behind something whenever the guard turned around, apparently he was the one person that night that actually acknowledged his existence. As they kept moving, the blue-eyed Mazoku took notice on how the guard seemed to hide away just like him whenever anyone was in his way and it raised his suspicions even more: Either the guard was going to do something against the castle's rules or he was a dangerous intruder. Whichever may be the case, Gwendal would keep up his chase until he found out what was this all about.
Conrart had managed to make it back to the second floor without being spotted. He had passed by quite a few people on his way but he had managed to evade all of them somehow. Such little complications to go around half the castle through the garden and hallways did concern him though because, if he could do it, then any trained spy from another land could as well without much effort.
He'd have to have a conversation with Gwendal, Günter and Wolfram the next morning to do something about that for their King's safety as well as theirs. He couldn't even remember the people he had passed by since none of them had turned his way at all, not even as a double-take or a casual look-around, and he hadn't seen their faces or recalled their names but it only proved the entire personnel required new training if they had grown so trusting of their surroundings.
Conrart turned around suddenly upon hearing something behind him, finding nothing in the hallway, maybe someone had walked near the stairs but didn't climb them. The only thing he hated more than having to sneak around his own home like a grounded teenager -which had been a reality long ago- was having to constantly look behind because he felt chased. There were a lot of people that walked behind him but none of them were actually following him, still he couldn't help but check every single time only to come up with the same old result, he had long accepted it was just part of being a soldier but it didn't make it any better to have to be on the lookout even in the place he knew like the back of his hand.
He heard voices ahead and entered the closest room in one swift motion, it turned out to be a cleaning closet and he had to catch a pair of brooms he had pushed before they hit the ground. He pressed his ear to the door and heard a couple of male voices conversing among themselves, he couldn't catch any of the words despite the fact the place was otherwise quiet; possibly guards that were trying to keep their conversation private in case anyone walked by them. Their steps faded slowly and Conrart exited the room as soon as he was sure they wouldn't be coming back; he didn't need anyone telling Gisela on him before he checked on his brother and godson. The only obstacle he was willing to face were the people stationed outside the royal bedchambers; they should be easy to convince.
He kept on going until he finally caught sight of his goal. He smiled to himself before tensing: There was someone behind him, there was no mistaking it now. He could feel the gaze on him and the pressure the person was casting just by their mere presence. His hand went to his sword and prepared to fight.
Yuuri laid awake in his bed with Wolfram's light snoring and babbling next to him. Despite his earlier protests, the moment the blonde's head hit the pillow he had succumbed to sleep as he always did and Yuuri couldn't help but chuckle at that when he noticed it. He had fallen asleep a little after Wolfram did but a rather hard kick from the fire-wielder had woken him up at almost three in the morning and the innocent image of the angel-like demon snoring away was worth all the effort they had put into their plan. With only a few hours until dawn, he felt well enough to try to go back to sleep before he was called for his morning jog.
Yuuri smiled and yawned, turning his back to Wolfram,he snuggled into his side of the bed and closed his eyes.
"Your Excellency, wake up!"
Yuuri immediately sat up and turned to the door. The yell had come directly from outside his room and it sounded desperate. The Maou ran up to his door and tried to listen; there was the clash of metal and grunts as well as continued pleas for the fight to stop.
"Sir Weller!"
"Gwendal-Kakka!"
With those names being heard, Yuuri's hands immediately went to open the door only to feel his body turn around instinctively to see a blade nearing his head. He raised his arms and a Maryoku shield appeared in front of him, blocking the attack. Without giving much thought to the magic, his black orbs quickly found Wolfram in front of him with sword in hand and eyes closed, seemingly looking ready to go through him to reach the door with steps far too stable for a sleeping person.
"Wolfram!" Yuuri called, holding firmly onto the blonde's wrist so he couldn't raise his weapon again "Wolf, wake up!"
Wolfram fought against him but Yuuri didn't relent, not even when his palms started sweating. More voices were heard from outside, he could hear Günter's yells far away and lady Cheri's worried calls for her two older sons. Gisela was also outside, ordering guards to stop them without using magic and Anissina's voice rose among the commotion, shouting at them to stop their fight. He wanted to go out there, he needed to get out but he had to wake up Wolfram first.
"Wolfram!"
"Gwendal!" Lady Cheri's voice reached his ears, distressed and fearful enough to distract him, giving the blond the chance to break free and push him to the ground and away from the door.
Yuuri's heart skipped a beat, the sound around him drowned out and his world slowed down as he saw Wolfram raising his sword again while covering it in flames, ready to storm out and attack whoever was on the other side. His eyes widened and he stayed motionless, only one word coming out of his mouth.
"Stop!"
Wolfram's sword dropped at once and the flames extinguished, his eyes opened moving frantically and he started hyperventilating as if he had been holding his breath for a long time. His stance the mirror image to that of the previous day, including his absolutely terrified expression. Those deep green orbs travelled all around the room before returning to the Maou and focusing, noticing him for the first time. Yuuri barely saw the blond opening his mouth before he felt the earth shaking under him and his ears picked up the voices outside again and didn't waste time in leaping to his feet and running out of his room.
"Stop!" He yelled before he even registered the scene outside his bedroom.
The earth stopped shaking and there was the clash of a sword against the stone floor. Yuuri could see, a few steps down the hallway, Gwendal in his burgundy robe with his back against the floor and his hand extended forward where Conrad stood uniformed and breathing heavily with his arms raised above his head and his sword by his feet, near to Gwendal's own. There were two of Wolfram's soldiers being nursed by Gisela and an audience made up of the people who were supposed to be protecting them all that night. Günter and a few of Wolfram's and Gwendal's soldiers had their hands raised as if ready to use Majutsu while everyone else had their swords drawn but no-one was close enough to actually attack them. Lady Cheri was being held back by Anissina, trying to keep her from running to her sons.
"Heika!" Günter's relieved exclamation made everyone move; soldiers went directly to check on their immediate leaders while Lady Cheri fell to her knees bringing Anissina down with her, the redhead trying to calm down the former Maou by rubbing circles on her back.
"Bring them into my room so Gisela can check them." Yuuri said shaken, willing to give everyone a much-deserved moment to collect themselves before the inevitable talk he needed to have with his confidants.
"I told you I should have gone back to my room."
"What difference would have it made? At least I stopped you before you reached your brothers."
"But I attacked you instead!"
"You pushed me away!" Yuuri said, deciding to hide the first attempt the blond had made at him with his sword if only to help him keep his sanity. Wolfram kept his gaze fixed on the floor stubbornly so Yuuri kept trying to convince him of his innocence "If anything, you wanted me out of the way to get to Conrad and Gwendal."
"How did they even manage to get to this hallway?" Günter asked the few soldiers accompanying them in the royal bedroom, his tone uncharacteristically stern.
"I am afraid they used the window to escape their bedrooms, your Excellency." Gwendal's second-in-command answered, the soldier who had partnered with him stayed with his gaze low.
"And no-one in the castle saw them?" The advisor asked them incredulously.
"Most of the staff was already asleep by the time the spar started, I cannot speak for the night guards, though." Now it was Conrad's second-in-command who answered, his own partner looking as ashamed as the rest of the soldiers.
"What are you even doing in your uniform, Sir Weller?" Gisela's voice left no room to do anything but answer.
"I was feeling restless in my nightwear so I changed back into my uniform while I tried to find a way to entertain myself." Said Conrad honestly "I don't remember falling asleep though."
"What is the last thing you remember?" Anissina asked, standing with her arms crossed.
"I was pacing around my room and then I laid on my bed, thinking on various things and then… I think I went to the door to see if I could get out… That's the last I remember." The brunet finished with a sigh.
"So it's safe to assume you fell asleep when you went to lie down." Gisela said before turning to the oldest former prince "What about you?"
"I tried to sleep but was not able to." Gwendal answered "However the last thing I remember was sitting at my chair working on something."
"We did find the toy by your chair, Commander." Said his second-in-command "When Lady Cecile went to check on you and we found the room empty we noticed the unfinished project on the floor and the candles almost burned out."
"How did you even try to knit if you were that tired?" Anissina asked her childhood friend.
"Because I was not tired." Said Gwendal with a shake of his head "At least, I thought I wasn't."
"What had you two so worried before falling asleep?" Lady Cheri asked, her hands holding onto one of Wolfram's as they sat on the bed with Yuuri.
"I wanted to make a final round around the castle." said Conrad.
"So did I." Gwendal agreed "I thought it was dangerous going to bed so early and felt like I needed to walk around to make sure everything was going well with tonight's security."
"I hope you understand how insulting that is to us." Said Günter with a face Yuuri hadn't seen on him since the time-leap he had made some time ago.
"Well then, you fell asleep at some point while thinking about how unsafe this place was and then jumped out the window and came all the way to his Majesty's bedroom with your stealth abilities only to start a full-on sword fight that almost escalated into magic usage." Anissina summed-up looking between Conrad and Gwendal "Honestly, I am willing to believe that because it's exactly what happened last night. However, there was a variable this time."
"A variable?" Yuuri asked.
"Little Lord Brat over there." The redhead pointed shamelessly at Wolfram, making everyone turn to him.
"What about me?" He asked defensively without complaining about the nickname.
"Gwendal and Conrart walked almost half-way around the castle to get here, but you did not try to escape the room until they were already fighting, why?"
The inventor let the question sink in. She was right and Yuuri knew it; he had been sleeping right next to Wolfram and it had been a rather peaceful night up until the kick that woke him up. When the fight started, he was the first one out of the bed and a few seconds had to pass before the blond reached him despite his fluid movements so did the sound wake him or was it something else?
"He got up after I left the bed." Said the Maou at last "Wolfram had been sleeping the entire night without issue and only started acting weird when I tried to get out of the room."
"So, they were worried about his Majesty and sleep-walked here until they found each other," Günter deduced looking at Gwendal and Conrad before turning to Wolfram "and Wolfram started moving when he could no longer feel his Majesty next to him."
"Does it have to do with me then?" Asked Yuuri with some fear.
"Last night we were far away from this room though, why would that be the case if we wanted to be near Yuuri?" Wolfram asked with a raised eyebrow.
"Because he was not your objective, he-"
"He was the cause." Günter interrupted Anissina, coming to the same conclusion the redhead had reached "It was worry over his Majesty's wellbeing that made them sleepwalk but the real objective was facing each other."
"Exactly, and because Wolfram was in this chamber without moving, those two had to come to him; they just happened to run into each other before making it here." Anissina nodded, making everyone catch up with their train of thought.
"Well, we may have some explanations now." Gisela said, sounding calmer than just a few minutes prior "But we still have no idea what is making them move without their knowledge or what keeps them stressing throughout their sleep or why they want to attack each other in the first place."
"You couldn't find anything today either?" Cheri-sama asked.
"Nothing different from yesterday." Said the healer "I am unsure of how to proceed without knowing what to look for."
"I think we need some extra help." Yuuri declared, standing up from the bed decided "I'm calling Murata."
TBC~