Starting Over

by Arigatomina

Yaoi, YuurixWolfram, Yuuri comes back to Shin Makoku determined to change, but he's not the only one. This time it's Wolfram's turn to play the reluctant fiancé.

6. Chapter 6

"Well? Who wants to explain this?" asked Gisela, as she eyed the shame-faced pair.

When she had answered the urgent call, the last thing she had expected to find was a frantic Yuuri hovering just inside the door and a sulking Wolfram sitting in the back of the closet. The latter had an impressive egg growing on the back of his head and just enough blood spotting his hair to have sent Yuuri into a full-blown panic. She'd ordered the latter to stand aside, quiet and out of her way, while she dragged Wolfram over to the chair so she could get a better look at him. It was only after she assured Yuuri that the injury wasn't serious that he finally settled down. Now she had the two of them sitting on the edge of the bed before her, Wolfram glowering at the floor and Yuuri fidgeting sheepishly.

She put her hands on her hips with an exasperated huff. "Wolfram, do you want to spend the next week in bed?"

"This had nothing to do with my training," Wolfram snapped. He could only meet her eyes for a second before looking away. He still couldn't believe Yuuri had sent for her. He'd gotten dressed and was combing his hair before he'd even noticed the bump had bled a little. His mistake was complaining to Yuuri about it. That had made Yuuri feel guilty, which had led to him insisting on healing it himself. Even if he had believed Yuuri was capable of it, he wouldn't have let him. It was entirely unnecessary and more than a little insulting. If this was what Yuuri considered 'doing better', then he didn't want any part of it. He folded his arms over his chest and lifted his head, forcing himself to meet Gisela head on. "I just fell and bumped my head."

"It was my fault," Yuuri admitted, sending an embarrassed look at Gisela. "I startled him."

"Oh?" She looked from one to the other. "You must have startled him quite badly for him to fall over backwards so hard he cracked his head on the floor."

Wolfram bristled at her insinuating smile. "It's not what you're thinking."

"Then it's worse?" Gisela gasped playfully.

"No! It was nothing like that at all!"

"It was just a kiss," Yuuri blurted at the same time. Gisela's smile vanished and Wolfram turned on him so suddenly he thought he was about to hit him. He ducked a little, and then blushed for having done so. "Um..."

"Idiot," Wolfram hissed.

"Oh, my," Gisela said slowly, taking in their embarrassment. A grin crept over her face, her eyes sparkling merrily. "I see. Well, it seems congratulations are in order, Your Excellency." She winked at Wolfram. "With this, you'll pull far ahead of the competition in the Royal Love Pool."

Wolfram stiffened, his hair practically fluffing in outrage. "They're still doing that?"

"Royal what?" asked Yuuri.

"They are indeed," Gisela answered, ignoring Yuuri for the moment. "But I suspect having stolen His Majesty's first kiss will blow the competition out of the running. That is, of course, assuming no one learns about the aftermath..."

Wolfram's eyes narrowed in annoyance. She was about to blackmail him. She thought he had kissed Yuuri, and that Yuuri had shoved him away, leading to his fall. And now she was offering to keep his secret, letting him keep his pride, in exchange for something. Since he already planned to give his squad a few days of rest, he supposed he might as well go along with it. "Nothing leaves this room."

"Not even the kiss?" Gisela teased. "I'd think you would be proud to have stolen that."

"He didn't-"

"Be quiet, Yuuri," Wolfram snapped dismissively. "No one would believe that, anyway." He glared at Gisela. It was times like this that he seriously wondered why he had ever liked her. She was as manipulative as his mother, but unlike his mother he needed to keep on Gisela's good side. His training wouldn't get anywhere without her and she didn't hesitate to remind him any time he argued with her. "What do you want, Gisela?"

Gisela looked from him to Yuuri, who was frowning hard enough to develop a wrinkle between his brows. "Well...I did want you to take it easy for while, but now I think my silence is worth more than that. Much more. Such as the whole story." She smiled sweetly at Yuuri. "What were you about to say? Wolfram didn't what?"

"I didn't ask for him to send for you in the first place," Wolfram said sharply. He stood and pointed her toward the door. "Thank you for your assistance, but it is no longer required here. Feel free to spread whatever rumors you like. People will believe what they want, regardless."

"Wolfram," Yuuri frowned. "Is it really such a bad thing? It was just a little kiss. We are engaged, after all."

Gisela stiffened, becoming a statue three feet from the door. Wolfram let his hands drop in defeat. She wouldn't be taking another step now. She slowly turned her head to stare at him. He glowered back, fighting off a blush that would have given him away completely. Then she looked past him and he saw the exact moment realization struck. Her eyes widened and she eyed Yuuri from head to feet as if to make sure he was who she thought he was, then her eyes flew back to him. He imagined he had looked a lot like that himself, when he'd realized Yuuri was actually kissing him. He envied the fact that she didn't fall over the way he had.

"You..." Her eyes flew to Yuuri again, widening incredulously. "You stole Wolfram's first kiss?"

"Um...we're engaged, so..."

Wolfram snorted before he could stop himself. If Yuuri wasn't careful, he'd end up using that excuse as often as he had in the past. "I told you no one would believe it," he muttered over his shoulder. He stepped to the side, placing himself between the two of them and ending their little staring session. "Do you intend to repeat this?"

Gisela deflated, shaking her head. "No one would believe it."

"Exactly."

"Hey!" Yuuri scowled. "Is that some kind of insult on me? That no one would believe I'm the one who-"

"Obviously," Wolfram scoffed. He didn't bother looking back, keeping his attention on Gisela. "I already intend to give the men some time to rest, so you don't need to worry about that. And..." He hesitated for a moment before flashing a wry smile at her. "I honestly doubt you would repeat any of this, even if it were believable. I'd rather you order me to rest than have you resort to blackmail."

"It wasn't blackmail," Gisela defended primly. "I was merely offering an exchange of favors. I refrain from gossiping, you refrain from killing yourself, and we both walk away happy."

"Except I'm not suicidal and you're not a gossip monger."

"I suppose." She looked past him and smiled at Yuuri, who was still standing awkwardly a few feet away. "Don't worry, your secret is safe with me. And if I may offer some advice?"

"No!" Wolfram blurted.

"Sure," Yuuri said, frowning at Wolfram.

"Try not to startle him next time. If you really want to wake him with a kiss, have him sleep next to the wall so-"

"Gisela!" Wolfram cringed, a blush crashing over his face. "Don't even think things like that around him! Do you want me to tell Gunter that you're tainting Yuuri's innocent mind? Because I will! And that's not blackmail, it's a promise."

"Why, listen to you," Gisela breathed, amusement dancing all over her face. "And here I was, thinking that you hadn't been your usual excessively jealous self lately. Really, you have nothing to fear from me. I'm trying to help you, not steal him from you."

"Ugh!" Wolfram's hands rose to dig in his hair. She was right. He was behaving like a child and it was all Yuuri's fault. "Will you just get out of my room, already?"

"I suppose." She leaned to the side, flashing a wink at Yuuri. "I apologize, Your Majesty. I'm sure you only kissed him by accident and have no intention of ever doing so again. But if by some chance your mind isn't quite as innocent as as some people think it is, I'd be more than happy to advise you. I am a healer, after all. I know all about anatomy, human and demon alike."

Wolfram erupted, grabbing her and all but throwing her out of the room.

She waved over his head, "You know where to find me!"

With the door finally closed behind her, Wolfram let out a little whine and thumped his forehead against it. His mother had gotten to her. There was no other explanation. Even if she didn't repeat everything she had seen, heard, and said to Cecilie, he still couldn't imagine being able to look her in the eyes without blushing now. She had teased him in the past, but never like this. He groaned in disgust, shoving away from the door. Maybe he should tell Gunter what sort of things she was saying in front of Yuuri. He would have a heart attack. He might even ship her off to the Von Christ holdings. As much as he was tempted, he knew he'd never go through with it. He would be too humiliated, and besides...he needed her around. Yuuri was looking embarrassed and confused when he finally turned to face him. That was such a common look for him to wear that he didn't even bother rolling his eyes. He waved at the door instead.

"I'm going to check on my squad. If you intend to get any work done today, I suggest you get going as well."

"Can't we talk about this?" Yuuri asked.

"Not right now," Wolfram said firmly, using the most impersonal tone he could muster. "The day is half over and I have things to do. As the king, I'm sure you have even more things to do than I do. Am I wrong?"

Yuuri eyed him for a moment, and then sighed in defeat. "No, you're not wrong..." He did have things to do. Telling Conrad about last night's prowler was at the very top of his list. He was already starting to feel guilty and nervous for having put it off for as long as he had. He wanted to believe it wasn't serious, but the longer he delayed telling anyone about it, the more he worried that it really was. "Okay," Yuuri sighed. "You win. But we have to talk about this at some point. I won't take it back."

Wolfram snorted. "That sounds familiar. Just get to work, Yuuri. Before Gunter bullies his way in here to collect you."

.-.

Conrad didn't react for a long time. His face closed off, and he simply stood there, staring at nothing. Yuuri would have given anything to be able to endure that silence until Conrad was ready to speak. He couldn't, of course. He doubted more than a minute had passed before his mouth opened and he was babbling like an idiot.

"I thought maybe it was Cecilie. She left Morgif outside Wolfram's room the other night, so I thought it might have been her checking on him. Or us. Unless Yozak was the one who did that? That map he left me was a lot of help, though he could have shown me the quickest way there instead of sending me all over the castle. Not that I'm complaining! It's nice to have someone on my side, it's just that I could do without all the sneaking around. I already know you've had him following Wolfram, so it was easy to guess he'd left the map to show me where he was."

Yuuri fidgeted when Conrad remained silent, though at least now he was looking at him instead of staring off into space. "Um, anyway, I thought maybe you could ask Cecilie if that was her last night. I understand why she might want to peek in on Wolf," or spy on both of them, "but it scared me having Morgif wake me up that way. And I feel bad about keeping it a secret from Wolfram. I just figured if it was some kind of an attack, then the last thing we'd want is for him to go rushing out to confront the person."

"Yuuri," Conrad said at last. "Do you mean to say someone took Morgif from your room and brought him to Wolfram's room? Without Morgif knowing who had done it?

"He says he slept through it, but I don't believe him. If it wasn't Yozak, then he's probably just covering for Cecilie. You know how he is with girls."

"It certainly wasn't Yozak," Conrad said sharply. "He isn't even here right now. He left as soon as Wolfram returned from his last training session. I'll speak to Mother, but I doubt she had any hand in it, either. Tell me more about this map. Do you still have it?"

Yuuri's eyes widened, a chill working its way up his back. Yozak hadn't left the map. That meant whoever had done it could just as easily have led him to a deserted area of the castle for an ambush. And he, trusting fool that he was, had followed the directions without a moment's hesitation. "It's in my room. I guess you don't think Cecilie would have left the map, either?" He sighed, feeling a little sick to his stomach. "I'm an idiot..."

Conrad shook his head. "She's been very busy lately, and she isn't the type to keep her meddling anonymous. She prefers to brag about and receive credit for her schemes. Besides, even she wouldn't have been permitted near Wolfram's door without the guards at least waking Wolfram to inform him of the visitor. No one should have been able to go near his door without being seen..."

"Can you put more guards out there?" asked Yuuri. "I thought since I'm sleeping there now, that would-"

"Not anymore."

"What?" Yuuri's eyes widened, the sudden flash of anger on Conrad's face making him want to back away. He knew he'd messed up, but surely it hadn't been as serious as Conrad was taking it.

Conrad attempted to school his expression, but his eyes remained dark. "I'm sorry, but I can't allow you to continue sleeping in that wing. It's too difficult to secure with so many soldiers moving about at odd hours. I appreciate that you wish to make amends with Wolfram, but it's simply too dangerous. Even if he were capable of protecting you during the night, you don't always retire at the same time. I didn't even realize you had gone in there on your own yesterday afternoon until the guards informed Gwendal of it. Any one of those guards should have stopped you, or at least accompanied you." As none of the guards stationed there had ever spoken to Yuuri, they'd been too cowed to question him. That was just one more reason he shouldn't be going anywhere near that part of the castle.

"Wait," Yuuri said quickly. "This isn't about me. I shouldn't have followed that map without making sure I knew who had left it, and I guess I should have told someone where I was going before I left, but that's all beside the point. If that was an attempted attack last night, then it was on Wolfram, not me. That was his room, and only the guards knew I was in there. We can't let him stay in there alone, that won't solve anything!"

"Agreed. He'll have to move back into your chambers for the time being."

"No!" Yuuri blinked, surprised by his own voice. Conrad looked even more startled. Yuuri pushed quickly, before he could recover. "I don't want him to move back in unless he wants to. I fought way too hard to get him out of my room to order him back in it now. If he's doing it because he has to, then it's meaningless. Besides, his room is more convenient. It's closer to his men, and there's a lot more privacy." He realized his mistake immediately. Conrad didn't react as overtly as his own brother would have, but there was definite suspicion and disbelief in his sharp eyes. Yuuri was reminded of how Gisela had looked at him earlier, as if seeing him for the first time. And, unlike Gisela, Conrad clearly didn't like what he saw. "There are still things we need to talk about," Yuuri said in a rush, struggling not to look or sound guilty. "The best time to talk is first thing in the morning, and that's a lot easier without Gunter barging in on us."

"This isn't a question of convenience," Conrad reminded him. He chose to believe that talking was the only reason Yuuri wanted privacy. Unlike Gwendal, he had never seen any harm in the two boys sharing a bed. Yuuri was probably the only person in their world who didn't notice Wolfram's looks, and as far as he could tell Wolfram was determined to end the engagement altogether. He reproached himself for doubting either of them, even for a moment. That Yuuri's revelations had come as a rude shock was no excuse for taking his anger out on him. "I'm sorry to make things more difficult for you, but this is an issue of safety. Your safety."

Yuuri stiffened, taking an involuntary step back. He knew what was coming and he didn't want to hear it. Conrad was about to give him the line about his life being more important to him than the life of his own brother. Each time he was given that line, he had to work harder to erase it from his memory. He didn't want Conrad to be the sort of person who could say and mean such a thing. So he did his best to forget, to continue believing that he wasn't. This time he suspected he wouldn't be able to erase the memory. He didn't want those words stabbing at his conscience the next time he thought of or looked at Conrad. His eyes narrowed resolutely and he was speaking before he knew what he was about to say.

"No, I'm sorry, Conrad," he said flatly. "Not only am I going to continue going in there, I'm going to move in until I can convince Wolfram to move back into my room willingly. It's important that I do it this way and I'm not going to risk messing it up because you're worried about my safety instead of his. This is about him, not me. If you want to help, then you'll station more guards in the area. It would be reassuring if you can get one to patrol the hall just outside the room while we sleep. You might also look into the shift change. There's a twenty minute window where the guards trade places. That's how Cecilie got me in that first night. The entire wing was wide open. If we got in that way, anyone could have." Conrad stared closely at him, looking worried and conflicted, but not particularly surprised. Yuuri refused to back down. If he had to make it an order, he would.

After a while, Conrad dropped his eyes. "Very well, Your Majesty."

Yuuri didn't correct him. Although he hadn't used the words, Conrad had clearly taken it as an order from the Maou. He suspected he wouldn't have gotten his way, otherwise. He thanked him solemnly, promising to fetch the map from his room, and then he left him before he could do anything to undermine his momentary authority. Like everything else, giving orders without feeling foolish and guilty would take some getting used to. One minor victory at a time, he assured himself firmly. He'd grow into this role yet.

.-.

Despite what Wolfram had told Yuuri, he didn't bother checking on his men. Giving them time off was giving them time away from him. He wouldn't ruin that by popping up unexpectedly. He left long enough to ensure Yuuri would be gone, and then returned to his room. Once there, he wrote up an invitation for Reinhild to visit the castle at his earliest convenience. Gunter wouldn't have gotten around to that, and there was just enough time for another training session before the ball, provided he sped the interview along and Gunter approved of his story. Wolfram wanted to know as soon as possible, either way. He had a letter from the Bielefeld representative that he couldn't reply to until he knew what sort of schedule he and his men would be following. If he had to start searching for a new hoseki user, they'd be available in the meantime to do whatever tasks Waltorana needed done. Hopefully Reinhild would satisfy Gunter. He was wary of what Waltorana might say to him now that Yuuri was back, especially if he got him alone. Waltorana supported his training completely, so if he could honestly say he was busy, the man would agree that the training took precedence.

He also wrote a reply to Elizabeth's last letter. Greta's request for a white filly gave him a neutral topic to start off with. He really wished his mother hadn't invited her to the ball. Although Elizabeth was no longer professing her love for him, she was openly furious with Yuuri and had offered to come to the castle immediately and challenge him again, with the guarantee that she would win this time and set him free of the engagement. She had no concept of how utterly humiliating that would be for him. He put her off as coolly as he could, reminding her of who Yuuri was, and that she herself had given her support for the engagement. She would stew over that, but he knew in the end she would do what he would have done and stand by her word. To take back her blessing just because Yuuri had disappointed her was dishonorable. That he appreciated having her angry on his behalf went unsaid. She was the only one he knew with a temper as volatile as his own. It was troublesome to have her direct that anger at Yuuri, as if he needed her to protect him from the wimp, but it helped him reign in his own temper. She was eager to behave just the way he refused to behave. That helped him put things into perspective. He didn't even consider telling her about this morning's development.

That returned to consume his mind the moment he stopped writing. He didn't know what to do and there was no one he could go to for advice. The simple fact was he didn't know anything about how fiances were supposed to behave. If Yuuri was going to make a serious attempt to do it 'right' and 'better', then he would have to do the same. But he didn't know what that meant. All he knew for certain was that it was inappropriate for them to share a bed, something Gunter had reminded him of more than once. He hadn't paid him any attention since Yuuri's revulsion had ruled out any chance of them doing something improper. Now, that possibility was a serious concern. He didn't care what the rumors said to the contrary, he had never compromised Yuuri's virtue, and he certainly hadn't forfeited his own. Until this morning.

He still didn't know where that had come from. It had never happened in Yuuri's bed, so why had it happened in his? He hadn't been dreaming about Yuuri, hadn't been dreaming at all as far as he knew. Just the thought of touching Yuuri that closely made him feel guilty. He might have considered doing such a thing months ago out of pride's sake, in a final desperate attempt to make Yuuri take their engagement seriously, but this morning had nothing to do with pride or desperation. That had been attraction, lust, and rather than having a panic attack and avoiding him for the rest of his life, Yuuri had called it 'nice.' What did that even mean? That Yuuri wanted him to do it more often? If that was Yuuri's idea of 'doing it right,' then he was going to be very disappointed because Wolfram was first and foremost a soldier to the crown. Soldiers did not go about deflowering their king, engagement or not. He wasn't even sure what that meant and he sure as hell wasn't going to ask Gisela.

His first thought was that his stupid nightgown had worked after all. Or Cecilie had been right about distance making the heart grow fonder. The first possibility upset him. He hadn't minded wearing the thing at first, since it had elicited amusing reactions from Yuuri. But he didn't want Yuuri to be attracted to a female version of him. If that was what Yuuri wanted, he might as well sleep with his mother. She certainly claimed to be willing. The second possibility scared the hell out of him. If Yuuri's heart was involved, then he'd have a difficult time not trusting him. He refused to trust him. He would give him a chance, wait and see what happened between now and Yuuri's coming of age ceremony, but he wouldn't get his hopes up. He wasn't even sure which outcome he should be hoping for. He had prepared himself for the end of the engagement. He knew what to expect and had already planned ways to get around the worst of it. He had never considered what might happen if the engagement didn't end.

Yuuri wouldn't marry him. The very idea of he and Yuuri sharing a marriage bed was laughable. Doing indecent things in their sleep was completely different from attempting such things while wide awake. Eventually Yuuri would be forced to face exactly what marriage meant, and that would be the end of it. Wolfram didn't even think he was ready to face that. He certainly wasn't in any position to help Yuuri accept the idea. Just the thought of having to walk Yuuri through anything like that made his face burn so fiercely that his eyes hurt. He'd gotten plenty of tips from his mother since his own coming of age ceremony, but all of her advice centered around the assumption that he'd be snatched up by an older man who knew exactly what he was doing. The fact that he was male and not the least bit interested in men her age never seemed to get through to her. Even if he hadn't been disgusted by the very idea of being touched by someone that old, he sincerely doubted anything she had to say would apply to a boy as inexperienced as he was and a thousand times more skittish. He didn't have a seductive bone in his body and Yuuri was as far from a lech as a person could get and still be male. He supposed the natural thing would be to talk to one of his brothers about it, but that was hopeless. Gwendal couldn't talk about things like that, and Conrad was probably still a virgin.

Even without marriage as a possibility, there was a good chance he and Yuuri could stay engaged for years. He liked Yuuri, and if he could believe Yuuri honestly wanted his company, he wouldn't mind spending so much time together in the future. But he'd already been through that. No matter what Yuuri said, Wolfram knew Yuuri would always latch onto anyone who caught his eye. Yuuri didn't consider dancing with other people to be flirting, and he thought love should be given to everyone and everything equally. He was by his very nature a cheat. Yuuri would never hear the rumors his behavior caused, and probably wouldn't understand how much they hurt even if someone did mention them to him. He didn't want to go through that anymore. If he thought it was bad now, how much worse would it be a few years down the line? Was Yuuri's company really worth that? His immediate answer was yes, it could be more than worth it, and he hated himself for it.

That Yuuri had kissed him was the most amazing thing in the world. He felt like an idiot for caring so much. It had been a pathetic excuse for a kiss. Yuuri had only done it to prove his point. Wolfram could easily imagine himself doing the same, stealing Yuuri's first kiss just to prove that he could. Had he done so in the past, Yuuri would never have trusted him again. He, on the other hand, didn't trust that Yuuri would ever do it again. Forget the marriage bed, Yuuri would never make it through the kiss at the end of the ceremony. At least he would always remember his first kiss. He would also remember that the kiss, like his first proposal, had been given for all the wrong reasons.

He left his room determined not to think about the engagement anymore. He was getting good at that, forgetting things or putting them aside so he could continue to function without obsessing so much. The next time Yuuri asked him if a kiss between fiances was really such a big deal, he'd simply send him to Gunter. Then he'd stand back and watch the panic attacks. In the meantime, he sought Gunter out himself, for an entirely different reason. He had no doubt that Reinhild would come the moment he received his message, so he wanted to make sure Gunter was available to meet with him before he sent the message out. Hopefully he could keep Gunter focused enough on doing his job that he wouldn't start in on him about Yuuri having slept in his room again. That was a confrontation he'd just as soon postpone indefinitely.

.-.

Yuuri never found the map. Conrad didn't stick around to speculate with him about what might have happened to it. With his mind swimming in paranoia, Yuuri supposed it was just as well. Now really wasn't the time to play detective in an attempt to solve the mystery. He already knew enough to leave him in turmoil. Conrad seemed convinced that the prowler was the same one who'd delivered both the map and Morgif. But rather than viewing those acts as helpful, Conrad saw an ulterior motive. Unfortunately for Yuuri, Conrad chose not to share that possible motive. As nervous as Conrad's concern made him, Yuuri still had trouble dismissing his gut instinct that this was all harmless matchmaking. Honestly, he'd sooner believe Greta had conspired with the maids to get him and Wolfram together. The idea of an enemy bringing him a change of clothes was just too farfetched. What possible motive would a bad guy have to do that? Yet Conrad was determined to think the worst, so Yuuri couldn't push the possibility out of his mind completely. It remained to niggle at him every time he started to think about something else.

It was only natural that he ended up at the window of his office again, distracted and staring vacantly outside, rather than finishing the last of his paperwork. He had far too much on his mind to concentrate. At least he was finally thinking about something other than Wolfram. Despite Wolfram's negative reaction to his kiss, having done it left him feeling liberated. With that out in the open, he wouldn't feel like he was walking on eggshells around him anymore. He was finally free to think about other things he'd noticed since his return.

Like Gunter. The man had been acting strangely since he'd gotten back. He'd sought Gunter out after Conrad left, earlier. Once again, he'd found him in Gwendal's office. And just like before, it was obvious he'd interrupted something. Gwendal never looked up from the documents spread out before him, and Gunter had been far to quick to dismiss his apology for being so late. Not only had Gunter not complained about him wasting half the day, he'd actually seemed sympathetic, as if he felt sorry for him. He worried that the two of them were hiding some sort of political development from him. It wouldn't be the first time they had held strategy meetings and made their plans without telling him anything. He didn't know what to do if they were hiding things from him again. When he asked if there was anything going on that he should know about, Gunter had become flustered and had hurried him out of the room with honey-coated reassurances.

Another thing bothering him, now that he was no longer fretting over how to confess to Wolfram, was Murata. He hadn't seen a glimpse of him since they'd arrived. It was normal for him to spend most of his time at the temple, but with Shinou gone he had expected to see him in the castle more. He had actually wondered if the temple would be closed now that the maidens no longer had the first king's spirit to worship and interpret. Were they in mourning? He couldn't bring himself to ask anyone about it. He definitely couldn't visit the temple himself to find out. Losing Shinou had to be like losing their god. Ulrike must have been devastated, however happy she was to have him freed. What would she do now? Would she spend the rest of her already impossibly long life locked away in that tomb? Or would she and the other maidens be free to lead other lives now that they had fulfilled their duty?

From what he understood, Murata had retained his memories through each reincarnation in order to help Shinou carry out his final end. Yuuri didn't think he would be mourning now. Murata certainly hadn't acted upset while they were away. Then again, Yuuri had never been good at seeing things Murata chose to hide. If he really had joined Ulrike and the others in some sort of mass mourning, then he didn't want to intrude. The things he wanted to talk to Murata about were too petty compared to this world losing its 'God.' He wondered if that were why Wolfram was so upset. Being used and then abandoned by someone who was practically a deity had to hurt. He understood that. He was still glad Wolfram and Murata were far from each other right now. The thought of the two of them talking about Shinou together was a little scary.

Blue moved in the courtyard below, immediately catching his eye. Wolfram descended the steps and stood there waiting, his attention directed to a figure who had just ridden through the gates. The white-haired man dismounted, a stable hand leading his horse away. Yuuri watched the two greet each other before heading into the castle There had been nothing suspicious about the man, but something in Wolfram's stance had him hurrying out of his office. It wasn't until he reached the hall that he realized what it was. Wolfram had been in his 'regal mode', his hand hovering casually close to the hilt of his sword. If Wolfram was that on guard with the guy, then he definitely shouldn't be going into the castle alone with him. Yuuri hurried down the hall, hoping to intercept them. Where was Yosak when they needed him? Or one of Wolfram's squad? He suddenly understood why Wolfram had shadowed him so much. They couldn't station guards everywhere in the castle. And if a little kid like Greta could get the drop on them, anyone could.

He caught them a short way from Gunter's office. A pained expression crossed Wolfram's face when he spotted him. Yuuri couldn't help being a little put out by that. Would it kill him to look happy to see him? He did his best not to let his irritation or worry show. "What's going on?"

"This is Giro Reinhild," Wolfram stated. "He's the hoseki user I told you about." He nodded to the man beside him. "This is the Maou."

"Yuuri."

The tall man offered a differential bow. "It's an honor, Your Majesty. I'd like to express my gratitude for the way you aided Caloria."

"You're from Caloria?" Yuuri asked in surprise. A glance found Wolfram looking just as surprised, as well as suspicious. That seemed a little worrisome. Surely Wolfram hadn't been training with the guy without even learning where he was from. This time some of his worry made it to his face. "Are you taking him to see Gunter?" he asked Wolfram.

"He was invited for an interview," Wolfram said diplomatically. He stared hard at Yuuri, hoping he would get the message and not say anything to embarrass or insult the man. Reinhild knew exactly why he was here, of course. That didn't mean they had to be rude and forward about it. Yuuri must have caught the gist of his message because he closed his mouth. But he made no move to step aside so they could proceed. Wolfram reminded himself that this was the sort of situation he had expected to be in once the guests for the ball arrived. At this moment, Yuuri was the king, and Wolfram would not be the one giving a bad impression by behaving immaturely. If he couldn't handle having Reinhild as an audience, then he wouldn't survive the nobles who would be coming. He blanked his face and gave the smallest nod possible without actually bending his neck. "Would you care to join us?"

"Yes..." Yuuri frowned at Wolfram. There was something seriously wrong with him, but he guessed now wasn't the time to comment on it. Reinhild was staring at him, and he flashed the man an apologetic smile. "I hope you don't mind me tagging along."

"Not at all." They moved on a few paces before Reinhild spoke up. "Not to be rude, but is it customary for the Maou to pay such attention to his captains' affairs, or is it my presence that has you worried?"

Yuuri looked around in surprise. The man was still stiff-looking, but there was definitely a teasing note in his voice. Wolfram was wincing, his face twisted up as if he'd just been offered a big glob of yogurt on a swaying ship.

"I'm not a captain," Wolfram bit out. That was it. He would have to get rid of that nickname. It had been cute at first, flattering and amusing, but they weren't being at all careful who they used it around. If word of it got to Gwendal, he'd never hear the end of it.

Reinhild flashed him a quick frown, "I was under the impression that you were. Do you mean to say you hold no rank whatsoever?"

"No, I'm a lord, of the von Bielefeld line." The man's claim to know nothing about the demon court seemed true enough, because he appeared mollified by that. Wolfram wasn't. He'd been born a noble, it wasn't something a person had to work for like the rank of captain, commander, or general.

"And a prince," said Yuuri. Wolfram shot him a glare, he frowned back. "Aren't you? Your mother was queen, so..." He caught a glimpse of Reinhild's expression and turned all the way around. He'd rarely seen a grown man flush.

"Your father was the last Maou?" Reinhild asked, in a strained voice.

Although Wolfram had been trying to avoid embarrassing the man, he had to appreciate the humor of the situation. At the moment, Reinhild reminded him more of Yuuri, and the way he'd reacted at that first family dinner together, than of Gwendal. The man wasn't the slightest bit intimidating when he looked as if he were choking on a live fish. "No, mother wasn't married to the Maou, she was the Maou. The title of Maou goes to the ruler, king or queen." He turned to include Yuuri in the explanation. It wasn't proper to correct him in front of a guest, but Yuuri had already ruined any attempt at keeping this formal. He was far too friendly and informal for his own good. "Mother is no longer queen, so we're no longer royalty. That's why I take after my father's line rather than hers."

"Oh," Yuuri nodded. "I guess that makes sense."

"Yes," Reinhild agreed. He cleared his throat. "I apologize for my ignorance."

"Don't," Wolfram sniffed. "There was no reason for you to know." It was a mark in his favor that he didn't. The last thing he wanted to was to have the man pandering to him. He hurried to move them along before Yuuri could say anything else to sidetrack them. "Gunter's waiting." Yuuri could hear as much as he wanted about Reinhild's background there. And unlike Yuuri, he could count on Gunter not to say anything that Reinhild didn't need to know. He'd hired the man to do a job on the field, not to brag to him about how important they all were. He was a former fisherman. He didn't need to hear about nobles and Maous. Or fiances. Wolfram was sure Yuuri would have dropped that news on him next. Frankly, it was nice to have someone judge him on his own merit without knowing all of that.

Gunter took charge the moment they entered his office, drilling Reinhild with his most cool and congenial manner. Naturally, he came off as a bit pompous, but Yuuri had effectively rid the man of his reservations. That little chat in the hall had lowered Reinhild's shields enough that he addressed Yuuri and Wolfram as much as he did Gunter. This really was more of an interview than an interrogation. Making friends with strangers was one of those things Yuuri did instinctively. Although Wolfram preferred working with a standoffish stranger, he had to admit he wouldn't miss being so nervous around the man. He just hoped Yuuri didn't take this new 'friendship' too far. Yuuri might be willing to believe everything the man said, but Wolfram wouldn't until Gunter had verified it all.

Reinhild hailed from Caloria. Wolfram shouldn't have been surprised to hear that. He'd known the man had been forced into service of Big Cimaron prior to the alliance, and there were only so many territories that had been stripped of their able-bodied men during that conflict. What caught him off guard was that he'd actually been to Caloria himself. He might even have met one of the man's relatives at some point.

"After the alliance, most of us were free to return home," said Reinhild. His body language tensed, some bitterness leaking into his tone. "Unfortunately, by then I no longer had a family there to come home to. I couldn't return to my former occupation, so I looked for work using the training I'd received in combat. Caloria lacks a formal army, so I took a few posts guarding ships from pirates. When I got word that mazoku were attempting to incorporate hoseki into their training, I headed here."

"And where did you hear about that?" asked Gunter, with a pleasant smile. He sent a pointed look at Wolfram, who glowered back.

"From my niece, Lisa."

Wolfram straightened up in surprise. "I didn't realize you were related. There's no resemblance."

"I know," Reinhild smiled. "She and my sister take after my mother. I started tracking them down as soon as I took to the sea. Once I realized they had settled in Shin Makoku, I asked if there were any hoseki users among your forces. As I understand it, half-mazoku are as capable of using hoseki as humans, so it seemed a natural conclusion that they would also be training in that."

Now there was an idea. Wolfram wondered why no one had thought of it before. Even Conrad had managed to use a hoseki against him, and he hadn't received any training at all. If a full mazoku like Adelbert could learn it, torturing himself all the while, then surely their half-mazoku soldiers could. But it wasn't feasible. It would be too difficult to keep them separate from the full mazoku, on or off the field. They'd really only be useful when they needed to perform magic on human lands. What a nasty shock that would be for the humans, to have their own houjutsu used against them...

"She told me about the work you had hired her to do," he nodded to Wolfram, " as well as the personal troubles she was having as a result. I came right away to offer my own services. I'm not skilled for anything else and, frankly, I'm too old to join another man's fishing fleet. I spent most of my youth saving up to build my own ship. After seeing it sunk, I can't imagine myself starting from scratch. Cimaron took my livelihood from me in order to train me in houjutsu, so it's only fitting that I turn those skills against them."

"You don't plan to go back to Caloria?" asked Yuuri.

"There's nothing for me there. Many of those who were forcibly removed have returned safely, but it will take years before the economy truly recovers. My sister and her husband would like to return once things have stabilized there, but I doubt I ever will."

Wolfram didn't need the look Gunter shot him to realize Yuuri's conscience was about to get the better of him. With a quick nod to Reinhild, he conned Yuuri out of the room before he could insult the man by offering aid, apologies, and promises he couldn't keep. They certainly didn't want Yuuri revealing his ignorance about all that had happened in the last few months. Once they were in the hall, he shushed Yuuri and explained. "Lady Flynn has taken as much help from us as she can. Now the country has to recover on its own in order to prove itself. It's a matter of pride to show their own strength."

"Pride?" Yuuri grimaced. "Foolish pride, maybe. If they need something we have, then we should give it. It's as simple as that."

"Do you think Shin Makoku's resources are inexhaustible?" Wolfram asked, exasperated. "Talk to Gunter about that before you meet Lady Flynn at the ball. Just don't do it in front of Reinhild. He may never intend to return to Caloria, but it's still his homeland. You've embarrassed him enough for one day without offering charity."

"What? How did I embarrass him?"

Wolfram groaned, "You're so clueless."

"I'm serious," Yuuri scowled. "All I did was talk to him. You're the one who didn't even know where he came from. He could have been a Cimaron spy, for all you know. You're lucky he turned out to be a nice guy."

Of course Yuuri was sure of that. One reasonable sounding story and Yuuri was convinced. Wolfram sighed, shaking his head. "You have no idea how fortunate you are to have us around to look after you. Left to your own devices, you'd have this kingdom as war-torn and poor as Svalera within a year. Being trusting and helpful are only good qualities if you don't take them to extremes. Honestly, I'm beginning to think Gunter should let me take up some of your paperwork so he can spend more time making a man out of you."

"Excuse me?" Yuuri yelped. "What do you mean by that? You're the last person who should be lecturing me about being a-" The door opened behind them, and Yuuri flushed. Reinhild quirked an eyebrow at him, making his face darken as he hurried to get out of the way. He hoped the man hadn't overheard them bickering.

"Your Majesty," Reinhild nodded politely. He went to Wolfram and presented him with a little stone box. "I hope I will have the honor of working with you in the future. In the meantime, I wish you the best of luck."

Wolfram froze, not even watching him leave. His eyes were locked on the stone box, that felt far too heavy for its size. This couldn't be what it looked like. His thumb brushed over the smooth speckled gray and black surface, then flicked the latch. The lid popped open and for one brief moment he thought he might pass out. Then he snapped the lid shut, taking deep breaths and blinking to get the red haze out of his eyes. No, it wasn't what it looked like. It was a thousand times more unexpected.

"What is it?" asked Yuuri. He'd seen a flash of something, but Wolfram had been holding the box too close for him to get a good look at what was inside.

"A necklace," said Wolfram. He slipped the box into his pocket and shook his head, staring after the man. Suddenly Yuuri was right in his face, snapping him out of his daze.

"He gave you jewelry?" Yuuri demanded, in something very close to a screech. He whipped around, his hands curled into fists. "Who does he think he is? I was standing right here and he gave you jewelry? I knew it! I knew something was going on with him. I suspected him all along!"

"You did not," Wolfram scoffed, amused despite himself. "And it's not what you think. If anything, it's a token, a bribe so I'll continue to pay him for his services. It's not unusual to stay on the good graces of one's employer."

"It's not unusual to give another guy's fiance jewelry?" Yuuri sputtered. "You don't even wear jewelry!"

"Exactly. Rest assured you'll never see me wearing this around the castle, either. Mother is the one who wears shiny baubles, not me."

"Then why did he give it to you?" Yuuri's eyes narrowed. Wolfram was being far too casual about this. "Does he know we're engaged?" There was no immediate answer, which was all the answer he needed. His shoulders straightened and he marched off down the hall. He didn't get far before Wolfram caught up to him.

"What are you doing, Yuuri?"

"I'm going to find him and tell him to take his 'bribe' back and leave my fiance alone!"

Wolfram grabbed his arm and yanked him to a halt. He nearly laughed at Yuuri's belligerent expression. "Don't be ridiculous. I swear to you this is not some token of his affection, or anything of the sort. So calm down before someone sees you and thinks you're jealous."

"Well, maybe I am," Yuuri snapped. He scowled, dropping his eyes uncomfortably. "If someone's going to give you jewelry, it should be me. I'm your fiance. That's what fiances do. Right...?"

Was that what bothered him so much? That he wasn't 'doing it right'? Wolfram dropped his arms with a sigh. "No, Yuuri. If I were a girl, you would give me jewelry, but I'm not. I don't wear it. If you wanted to give me something, I'd rather be given something I can use. But I've never given you anything, either, so it's not as if you're failing in some way that I'm not."

"On earth people give each other rings when they get engaged."

"There's no such custom here regarding jewelry. Just poke around the treasure room some time. As the Maou, you'll be given as much jewelry from allies as Mother receives from her admirers. It doesn't mean anything untoward."

"So he really was just giving you a necklace to thank you for hiring him...?"

"Yes," said Wolfram. It wasn't quite a lie. Reinhild had given him the necklace to prove his usefulness, and to show his support for the training itself. Even if he didn't check out, Wolfram would be able to continue the training without him so long as the stone in the necklace remained active. Eventually the energy would fade away, but by then he would be able to find a replacement for Reinhild. By giving him the stone, the man was saying that he thought the training was a good idea and should be continued, whether he was the one helping them or not. It would have been better if he could tell Yuuri what the necklace actually was, but he knew that was a bad idea. Yuuri would worry, Gwendal would hear of it, and the stone would be taken away. He would turn it over once it had lost its usefulness. Anissina would undoubtedly be interested in the stone case. He was rather interested in it himself.

"Why didn't you tell him we're engaged?"

This time Wolfram was the one to look away. "I wanted him to respect me because of what I'm capable of, not who I am or who I'm engaged to. He's human, a soldier. Nobility doesn't mean anything to people like him. Besides..."

"What?"

Wolfram eyed him distastefully. "You don't look much older than his niece. I can just imagine the sort of outburst he'd have made if he found out you were engaged at your age. He knows I'm older than I look and treats me as such. If he started thinking of me as a child, too, I'd never be able to work with him."

"Too? You're calling me a child?" Yuuri gaped, all but stomping his foot. "Why are you trying to pick a fight with me today? Is this because I told Gisela about the kiss?"

"Shut up," Wolfram hissed. He sent a frantic look around to make sure no one was nearby. "Don't mention that where someone might hear you!"

"I'll mention it, alright! If you keep acting like this, I'll go out into the courtyard and scream it as loud as I can."

"That isn't funny!"'

"I'm not joking," Yuuri scowled. "You're the one who always went around bragging about us being engaged. Now you're acting like you're ashamed of me or something. If I'm doing something wrong, then tell me already. Because I have no idea what your problem is."

Wolfram flushed furiously. "You're embarrassing me by acting like this, that's the problem."

"I'm only acting like this because you're being a jerk!"

"Then stay away from me! I was minding my own business, you're the one who came butting your nose in where it doesn't belong."

"That's rich coming from the guy who used to follow me everywhere I went," Yuuri scoffed.

"Yes, and you hated every second of it. If you're trying to give me a taste of my own medicine, then congratulations, you've succeeded. You can stop now."

"That's not what I'm doing."

"Well, it certainly looks that way from my end."

"I'm not." Yuuri groaned. This wasn't getting him anywhere. "I'm just worried about you."

"Like I was worried about you?" Wolfram demanded. "There's a very big difference, Yuuri. Unlike you, I can take care of myself."

"Yeah, right. You did a great job of that last night."

"What do you mean by that?" Wolfram's face burned in indignation. If he was referring to the way they'd woken up, he swore he would punch him. Gwendal could haul him off to the prison for all he cared. "You hadn't exactly taken care of yourself, either, from what I recall." He could scrub all the skin off his knee and he still wouldn't forget that.

"Oh!" Yuuri blushed until his ears were red. "No! I didn't mean that! I mean-" His mind provided a vivid image of Wolfram taking care of himself and he nearly combusted on the spot. How could Wolfram talk about things like that after freaking out over a little kiss on the lips? "I can't believe you thought I meant...you..."

"What else was I supposed to think you meant?" Wolfram blustered, his own ears reddening. If Yuuri hadn't meant it like that, then he was the one with his mind in the gutter. What was wrong with him? "Just forget I said anything!"

"That will be pretty hard," Yuuri whined, scrubbing a hand over his eyes. He couldn't get the image to go away.

Wolfram really wished Yuuri hadn't used that word. He shifted his weight, barely resisting the urge to rub that burning itch off his knee. He was turning into a lech and it was all Yuuri's fault. "Can we just change the subject, please? The point is, you don't have to try so hard-" He cringed. "Just...don't do what I did. If you want to 'do it right' then don't do anything I did. Everything I did was wrong..."

"What do you mean?" asked Yuuri. He lowered his hand so he could look at him.

"I should never have done any of that. Using the engagement to force myself on you - and you know I don't mean it like that!" he blurted, before Yuuri could take his words the wrong way. "I know you've been coming to my room to pay me back for doing that to you, but you don't have to. I know I should never have done that and I'm sorry. I apologize. I won't do it again."

"But I want you to," Yuuri said quickly. "I didn't go to your room for payback. Well, maybe a little payback, you should have seen your expression. It was great. Um," he winced at Wolfram's glare, "but that was just a side benefit. Honest, that wasn't the real reason I went in there. I missed you. My bed is too big for just me, and I miss getting to talk to you in the morning when you're all grumpy and cute...uh, that didn't come out right." He huffed in exasperation. "What I'm trying to say is I like sleeping with you. I liked it before I left, I just got so used to complaining about it that it became a routine. You'd call me a wimp too scared to sleep by myself and I'd whine about you stealing my bed and kicking me out of it in your sleep...you know, our usual interaction and all...um..." He blinked dumbly and gave up. He might as well just tell him and get it over with. "I'm moving into your room. I'll be sleeping in there with you from now on."

"What!"

Wolfram's shriek bounced off the walls, striking his ears like an icepick. Yuuri cringed painfully. "Yeah. Sangria already started moving my clothes in there. So...we're roommates again."

"You...!" Wolfram grabbed the front of his uniform and shook him, his eyes livid. "You just decided this on your own? What makes you think you can do that? Eh?"

"I'm your fiance," Yuuri squeaked.

"Not if you're dead, you're not!"

"Don't spill blood in the hallway, the maids have enough to do as it is," Anissina commented, strolling past the two.

Wolfram froze mid-shake, Yuuri hanging limply at the end of his fist. His eyes followed her as far as possible without turning his head. Then he looked at Yuuri. The wimp was back for less than a week and here he was, reverting back to form. He hated his life. All of the fight drained out of him and he released his hold, watching dully as Yuuri skittered to a safe distance. Then he turned away, trudging off in the direction of a room that was no longer his alone.

"Um, Wolfram...?" Yuuri watched him walk away, too wary to follow. "I'll see you tonight!" A bristle started from Wolfram's feet all the way to his shoulders, but he didn't slow or look around, so Yuuri supposed that meant he had accepted the new arrangement. A slow smile spread over his face. Wolfram had taken that much better than he had expected.

.-.
TBC