Warnings: Spoilers for Episode 52 (Conrad Stands Tall)
Author's Notes: Okay, so, I know it's been forever since I updated, but after watching the dub of season 2, I was so excited about the KKM fandom that I just had to update this! I've also developed an idea for a more angsty/drama-filled fanfic, but I won't post that until I've written basically all of the chapters.
On another note, does anyone know what date Yuuri's birthday is? I know it's in July (Omg, I had the biggest fail ever – I researched his b'day on google and some noob said it was on the 29th of September, and I totally believed it for ages until I remembered that 'Yuuri' supposedly means 'July' in Shin Makoku. Gah, biggest Godfather/Conrad fail ever! I'm sorry, Conrad! I forgot that your whole relationship to Yuuri is based on his birthday being in July! Waaah!), but does anyone know what date it is? I've heard the 3rd, the 23rd and the 29th as possible dates. Thanks.
Thank you for the 242 Reviews! I'm so thrilled!
Disclaimer: Tomo Takabayashi is the official creator of KKM.
Captivation: to attract and hold the attention or interest of, as by beauty or excellence; enchant
– In The Face Of Anger –
Chapter Ten: The Captivation
Silence. That seemed to be the only thing surrounding me at that point. It wasn't an unpleasant sort of silence, just...everything was quiet. It was nice, this peacefulness.
Mere minutes ago I was totally committing myself to something involved in my dream, but now I couldn't even recall what the dream was about. I consciously tried to grasp at it, just for the sake of remembering, but it slipped away too easily.
Slipping away...something...someone...no...
I felt the warmth of the morning sun on my face, and I squinted as I slowly peeled my eyes open. The decorative ceiling of my bedroom came into view, shadows darting across to the opposite side of the room.
My mind felt incredibly hazy. I spent several moments staring blankly up at the ceiling, but despite the sleep clearing from my eyes and movement returning to my limbs, my brain seemed to remain in some surreal state. It was as if everything I was looking at was about to vanish before my eyes, like a dream.
The room was way too quiet for my fiancé to be beside me. My eyes slid to the side and I saw the bed sheets twisted and ruffled from Wolfram's erratic sleeping movements, but the blonde Prince himself had vacated the area. The only thing beside me was an empty, messy space – and silence.
The silence seemed to be pressing on me. It was disturbing, but I couldn't summon the energy to get dressed and walk out into the corridor, where there would certainly be soldiers, and therefore noise. No, I kept lying on my bed, still and silent, like the room.
It was an odd thought to occur to me, but despite the tastefully coloured sheets, paintings, walls and ceiling, everything just seemed to remain grey. At least, that's what this room felt like today – grey. Just plain, old miserable grey.
I couldn't shake this weird feeling that something was missing. My hazy mind kept repeating, "Colour, colour," and it suddenly occurred to me that perhaps my last night's dream had been in black and white. It didn't happen often, but I did occasionally dream that all the colour in the world had disa-
The door creaked open suddenly and Günter appeared in the doorway, a bright yet slightly concerned look adorning his features. "Your Majesty! I'm so sorry," He expressed quickly, noticing that I was still lying down. "I hope I didn't wake you, Your Highness! But, you see-!"
"Is it late?" I interrupted, turning to look at him but not moving from my current position. Something seemed really off today. Maybe Bad Omen birds were lurking around the castle...
"Well, yes, Your Majesty. It is quite late," Günter admitted apologetically, his concern rising. "Sorry, Sire, but, you see...It's rather unusual for you to sleep in, so I was worried that you were feeling unwell. It is strange that Sir von Bielefeld would rise before you – the man is a glutton for sleeping – and so I thought I should come in and check to see if you're all right! Are you ill, Your Majesty?" He added, worry dancing across his eyes.
I offered him a sheepish grin. "No, Günter! I'm not sick at all. I feel fine, just a bit tired."
"Good Heavens! Is it because I woke you? Is it because I kept you up late studying yesterday evening? I'm so sorry, Your Highness!" His voice increased in pitch as the questions and apologies kept coming.
"No, no! Günter, please, it's fine! Really!" I assured him as best as I could, raising myself slightly out of bed as if to back up what I was saying. "I'm not that tired! It's not your fault, I swear!" It really wasn't. The guy really needs to calm down about this whole thing...
I ran my fingers through the back of my head and sighed as Günter continued dishing out apologies and concerns. I stared ahead, not seeing the bed sheets or floor that came into my vision.
Everything felt so grey, I mused tiredly – and, truthfully, in confusion. What was this weird feeling, anyway...?
"Günter," I interjected again, cutting off his rambling quickly.
"Your Highness?" He said immediately. Ah, such formalities...
"I'm not tired anymore. I'm going to get dressed and have breakfast," I told him, sitting up completely now and fixing a smile across my cheeks. It wasn't totally insincere, I reasoned – my body felt energetic, but my mind was still lost in some strange, surreal whirlpool, just spinning and spinning and spinning... Lost in thought, I believe the expression is.
"Ah, Your Highness..." Günter's address interrupted my brain's dribble, "...Well, it's actually lunch time now, and the cooks have prepared many meals for lunch, but somehow I don't think there is anything from the breakfast menu available..." He trailed off, then looked up and saw my look of shock (Shock at the fact that I slept in 'till lunchtime) and misunderstood it.
"Oh! Forgive me, Your Majesty!" He wailed, causing me to almost jump with alarm. "You're the Maou, what am I talking about! You may have your breakfast! I will see to it, I assure you! I will not fail you, Your Majesty! Please forgive me! Dokaskos!" He called down the hallway to the bald man that was currently not in my vision, "His Majesty requests breakfast! Lunch meals are not acceptable! Inform the chefs immediately to prepare the most delectable breakfast in all of Shin Makoku for His Majesty! Right this instant!" He added before the man could protest about all the other duties he was supposed to be doing.
"Günter..." I tried to tell him that I didn't mind having lunch – since it kind of made sense to do so – but the look of determination and dedication in his eyes when he faced me was over-powering. I stared at him, speechless, and slightly fearful of his excessive enthusiasm.
"Your Highness, I will see to the preparations of your meal. A breakfast in bed it shall be! I shall return soon!" He darted out of the room and disappeared from sight, his wailing echoing along the halls as he retreated further from my room.
It was at least a whole minute before Günter's cries no longer reached my ears. I sighed, bowing my head tiredly.
Silence. Again. And a world of grey.
What's with me, anyway...?
Stuffed to the brim with pancakes, jam, crumpets, toast, omelettes, croissants, other savoury foods and a few exotic dishes that I was unfamiliar with – but were nevertheless delicious – I walked about the castle with a considerable ache in my gut. I nursed it with my right hand as I struggled down the hall, determined to find at least one of three people: Wolfram, Conrad or Murata.
Günter had insisted that I begin my studies after such a delicious and energising meal, but after pleading with him for a little while, I convinced him that I was too "out of it" to even contemplate the history of Shin Makoku. It was a little too much for my strangely slow brain to handle today. Heck, it's too much for my brain to handle any day...
Out of the corner of my eye I spotted my Godfather standing in the hall to my left. He appeared to be instructing two of his soldiers, and after saluting him, they marched away determinedly. I took that as my cue to approach him, and he offered me a warm smile once he noticed me. "Good Afternoon, Highness," He offered, using the word 'afternoon' a bit cheekily. I wondered for a brief moment if he had heard/saw Günter flailing down the hallways a little while ago.
"Ah, yeah, hi-ya, Conrad!" I responded, forcing enthusiasm into my voice. "Uhh, are you busy?"
"I always have time for you, Your Majesty," He said kindly, and I couldn't repress my sigh of relief. He tilted his head to the side analytically at my groan. "Is there something wrong?" He inquired.
"Well, not really," I acknowledged, scratching at the back of my head distractedly, eyes to the ground. "I feel like playing catch. Do you mind?"
"Not at all, Your Highness," He replied cheerfully, and I followed him outside the inner walls of the castle and onto a vacant grassy area.
Soon baseball gloves covered our left hands and we were pitching a ball back and forth to one another. Our pleasant chit-chat seemed to be missing from our usual games of catch, and so after a while I felt a blanket of awkwardness descend upon us. It was unnerving to play catch in such circumstances, I thought. Catch always seemed like such an entertaining pastime for us – it was our thing – and yet, today, it didn't seem to satisfy me.
"Your Majesty," Conrad's voice penetrated my thoughts, "Are you sure there's nothing wrong?" Throw.
Catch. "Yeah, everything's fine," I lied, though I didn't really understand what the problem was myself. Throw. Catch. Throw. "Why do you ask?"
"You seem a little distracted today." Catch. "I thought something might be bothering you, Sire." Throw.
Catch. Throw. "Well, I guess I am a little distracted. It's weird." Catch. "It feels like I'm half-asleep. Not in the sense I want to go to bed-" (Throw. Catch.) "-but in the sense that I haven't quite woken up yet."
"Were you up late?" Throw.
"I guess, but I slept in 'till midday." Catch. "I dunno what it is. It's strange."
"Maybe you have a cold...?"
"Nah, I don't feel unwell," I informed him, throwing the ball again and lowering my glove. Conrad stopped tossing the ball as I continued speaking, "I don't know how I feel. I just feel...'off', if you know what I mean..." I trailed off uncertainly, not really sure if I knew what I was getting at.
Conrad tossed the ball into his mit, withdrew it and then tossed it again. He repeated this as he contemplated my words, trying to deduce my current mental condition. "Are you stressed?" He questioned. "Worried about your sixteenth birthday?"
"Wha-? Oh, no," I said, suddenly realising that those concerns hadn't entered my mind at all today.
"Is there anything stressing you at all?"
"No. I don't feel stressed. Honestly." It was actually quite alarming how relaxed I felt, even with my birthday steadily growing closer – it was less than a month away now.
Conrad also seemed perturbed by my sudden carelessness. "Really?"
I nodded slowly, but with certainty. "Yeah."
Conrad allowed confusion to overcome his expression as he frowned at me. "Yuuri," He began, using a more personal address, "I know this is a bit repetitive, but...Are you all right?" Concern crept into his voice. "You seem a bit...detatched."
I shrugged noncommittally. What a detatched response... "I don't know. I feel all right...like, health wise and physically, but...I dunno." I looked at him confusedly. "Does today seem dull to you?"
Conrad kept pitching the ball between his hands as he mulled my question over carefully. "I wouldn't say today stands out more or less than any other day," He replied. "Especially recently. Do you think today is dull?"
"Maybe dull isn't the right word..." I trailed off, tripping over my words as I became more self-conscious of how stupid I was beginning to sound. "Actually..." I frowned with determination, "Yes. Today seems dull. Grey, dull, and kinda boring." I fixed Conrad with a firm stare and he looked back at me with bemusement. "I don't know why. Today's just...not...vibrant...or colourful, or..."
Conrad didn't seem to know what to do except listen to my 'grey' ramblings, and in all honesty, I couldn't blame him for not really knowing what to say. What the hell was I going on about, anyway? The sky was cloudless and sunny, the grass was a proud green and multi-coloured leaves decorated large trees and littered the ground, creating a carpet of red, orange and yellow.
"I just don't get it," I tried hopelessly, bowing my head. "I feel like the world's just...so grey today. I know that doesn't make sense at all... Sorry, Conrad..." I added embarrassedly, laughing a little as I closed my eyes and tugged at my hair anxiously. "I'm not making sense, am I?"
"I think I understand."
"Huh?" I opened my eyes and let my mouth hang open in surprise at the strength in his response. He was smiling gently, in that fatherly way that he always used. The guy must have the patience of a Saint...to think he actually has the capacity to sought through my verbal garbage and pick out the treasures that have some relevance.
What a guy.
However, instead of elaborating on his sudden epiphany, he simply said, "You know, I saw Wolfram in the courtyard earlier today." Before I could ask why he suddenly changed the subject, he said, "Maybe you should go see him."
"Oh, you think?" I couldn't hide my utter bewilderment at his suggestion, but his smile revealed nothing, albeit there was a glint of mischievousness in his brown eyes. "Uhh, well..." I looked at the baseball and our gloves uncertainly, and in response he pulled the mit off his hand.
"Hand me your glove, Yuuri," He instructed and I obeyed without question, tugging it off and tossing it to him. "I'll put this away. Go and see Wolfram."
I nodded and left, confusion swirling around me more and more as I walked.
Well, at least Conrad had some idea what was going on. Kinda weird that everyone works out what's happening in my life before I do...
I didn't spot Wolfram the moment I walked into the Courtyard. In the centre was a large circle of flowers, filled with those exotic flowers that Celi named after herself and her sons. I paused to observe the bright colours of yellow, blue, red...all of them were vibrant shades, and yet...
I turned to my right and saw the entrance to a canopy of flowers, petals wide open and bathing in the sunlight. I smiled gently to myself as I walked towards it, entering the area and noting the way the flowers managed to cast a shadow about the entire area because of how thick they'd grown.
Colours danced before my vision: blue, yellow, pink, red, green, orange, purple, and more. There were white flowers that looked like lilies and strikingly beautiful black roses hidden amongst the pink, blue and yellow. Even still, despite the vibrancy and beauty around me, I couldn't help but feel there was still...something...
And, as my eyes fell upon Wolfram's figure up ahead, everything seemed to click into place. His blonde hair blended in with the Beautiful Wolframs and the other golden flowers, and his blue and white uniform stood out against the mass amount of pink and orange surrounding him.
When he looked up at me, I couldn't help but stare in awe. Even though a pout was set on his lips and a slight scowl was directed towards me, it felt as if all the colour and vibrancy in the world had been transformed into a single person, and I was looking right at him.
As I got closer to him, I couldn't help but admit (Silently to myself) that he was the most beautiful thing I'd seen all day.
"Yuuri," He greeted moodily, and I suddenly snapped out of my current thought pattern. Embarrassed, I shook my head and scratched the back of my neck. Get a grip, Shibuya...! I mean, are you serious? This is Wolfram you're talking about here! "You slept in."
"Ah, yeah, I guess," I laughed, my face flushed and my voice cracking slightly. Get a grip! Just get a grip, you idiot! "Uhhh..." I slapped myself across the face to snap myself out of my stupor, causing Wolfram to look at me in alarm.
"What the hell are you doing?" He demanded.
"Nothing!" I informed him definitely, then gave him a firm stare. "And why do I sense there's a reprimand in your words, anyway? Just because I slept in..."
"You're the Maou; you have responsibilities."
"And what about you?" I said, flabbergasted. "You sleep in almost every morning!"
"I always wake up on time to fulfil my duties," He told me with a scowl, offended that I was insinuating that he was lazy or undependable. "You, on the other hand, wake up early for other reasons and avoid responsibility at all cost."
I placed my hands on my hips in frustration, gritting my teeth a little. "I don't see why I can't sleep in every now and then! You do it all the time, so surely being a Prince, a soldier, my fiancé, or whatever, you would have a lot more duties than you let on!" I just referred to him as "my fiancé"...sounds so weird coming out of my mouth instead of his...I said it kinda possessively, too...
I have no doubt in my mind that he failed to the notice the 'my fiancé', but he chose not to comment. Although, a smug smile did slide onto his lips the moment it left my mouth... "I think I would know my duties better than you do, Yuuri. Hell, I probably know your duties better than you do!"
I sighed heavily, allowing my head to loll to the side. My eyes opened to find bright, golden flowers before me, and I extended my arm out to pluck one from the bunch.
Wolfram, for whatever reason, looked horrified. "Yuuri! Don't pick them!" He scolded angrily. "They're still growing!"
"They look like they're in full bloom to me," I replied irritably, twirling the blossom between my index finger and thumb. I glanced from the flower up to Wolfram and saw the expression on his face: his cheeks were red from his anger; his teeth slightly bared as he ground them together at my cool expression; his eyebrows were furrowed together in a frown; and his brilliantly vibrant, emerald eyes shone at me with such emotion I couldn't help but feel breathless.
"Beautiful."
"...What?"
"Beautiful Wolfram!" I recovered quickly, my face turning a bright pink. I held up the yellow flower as evidence. "See? It's a Beautiful Wolfram! Right?"
Wolfram's scowl deepened, and then he let out an audible sigh as he analysed the flower. "Yes, it is. Mother named it."
"Yeah, and that red one is Celi's Red Sigh," I said confidently, pointing at the bright red flower hanging above us. "That blue one is Conrad Stands Tall, and-"
"I hope you delivered those to the soldiers, wimp."
"Huh? Don't call me that! And yeah, I...did..." I stared at Wolfram strangely, a weird feeling ensnaring me. It was as if I could see Wolfram from an entirely new perspective. "Hang on...You..." I struggled to find the words.
In response, Wolfram turned and walked away from me, heading further into the tunnel of flowers. When I found the ability to stop spluttering and collect my thoughts, I dashed after him. "Hey! Wolfram!" I called after him, stopping once I caught up to him – he had paused at a certain area of flowers. Their petals seemed to be slightly shrivelled and the stems didn't seem to have the strength to hold up the buds. "Hey..."
Wolfram extended a hand out and hovered it above the wilted flowers. A soft and familiar green glow emanated from his palm, shrouding the flowers in magic. "Hey, uh..." My mind went blank for a moment as I watched, then I finally remembered what I was curious about. "You...you remember...do you?"
He didn't respond. I decided to phrase my question a little more clearly, "Do you remember me being there? Like, I wasn't there for long, and my hair was red, and I had contacts in, and Lady Julia was there! And your uniform was purple and the...the war was going on! And I-!"
"Yes, Yuuri, of course I do," He answered impatiently, cutting off my ranting successfully. I gasped quietly as the previously dying flowers suddenly perked up, their petals extending out and returning to a much brighter colour.
I saw the green glow fade away into nothingness, replaced by lively flowers that seemed to shine up at us. "That's...that's so strange that you remember!" I cried, my arms flailing around me in shock. "I can't believe it! And here I thought that when I entered the Demon Mirror I entered some alternative universe that didn't even exist, and...and..." Wolfram was smiling at me now; a cross between a smug and a gentle one.
"And that's what you call Fate, Yuuri," He told me confidently, as if there was no other possible explanation. "It was fate that you met me that day, just as it was fate that we were to be engaged."
"Err, I dunno about that..."
Wolfram pretended not to hear me as he approached another section of flowers and began to strengthen their stems again. "Absolutely, Yuuri. Fate. Why else would you go back in time to that period? After all..." His words became incomprehensible as my mind drifted into a cloudy, dream-like state – and the focus was Wolfram.
The focus was his beauty, it really was. Today, for whatever, reason, I couldn't ignore how amazingly bright his hair, eyes and skin were, and just how bright he was... It was as if he couldn't stop shining today; today being the greyest day I'd had in a while, for whatever reason.
But then again, I realised, was it really only today that his beauty was so far beyond that of everything else in this world?
Mere nights ago, I had gone to my bedroom and found Wolfram already dressed for bed and dozing on the mattress. The gentle amber glow of the single light that was still on cascaded across his figure.
As I lay down beside him after getting dressed myself, I remember lying there for at least half an hour before I fell asleep. I hadn't turned the light off before I slipped into unconsciousness, and Wolfram gave me a good scolding in the morning. But...I couldn't take my eyes off him.
The amber light made his skin incandescent; it was luminous. His dark eyelashes contrasted brilliantly against that skin, and his cheeks were tinged with a faint pink. His mouth was parted as he breathed deeply – in, out, in, out...
I feel asleep gazing at him with a strange feeling settled in my heart. I remember how I just couldn't take my eyes off of him, his face, his parted lips...
"Yuuri!" Wolfram's hands were pressed firmly on his hips as he leaned forward and leered at me accusingly. "What are you thinking about? Have you been listening to me?"
I couldn't help but chuckle to myself, bemused by his frustration. When he growled I laughed louder. "Sorry, Wolf!" I actually giggled, despite his murderous looks. Smiling widely, I twirled the Beautiful Wolfram in my fingers and then slid it behind his ear, much to his surprise.
I grinned. "It blends in with your hair."
"That's probably where the inspiration came from when Mother named it," He murmured, but all the heat in his voice had faded entirely. Instead, a small, soft smile replaced his frown, and it really was a lovely sight.
He looked at the flowers to his left and tugged a black rose out of the earth. I allowed him to slide it behind my ear. This whole thing seemed a wee bit too girly for me, but I was happy anyway. "That flower was grown by my Mother too, you know," Wolfram said informatively.
"Oh? Did she name that one, too?"
"Yes, after you," He told me to my surprise. "'Yuuri Dreams Of Peace'. It suits a wimp like you." I wasn't sure if he was referring to the name of the flower or whether the black flower suited being behind my ear. It was a compliment, nevertheless.
We were quiet for a moment, gazing at one another with expressions that revealed – and hid – so much.
The entire time, my mind was screaming, "Kiss him."
But I didn't. And following today's events, I couldn't rationally work out why.
"You're probably wanted back at the castle, you know," Wolfram finally said, his smile never leaving his face. "The Maou shouldn't be hiding here in the flower gardens."
"I guess..." I looked at him, puzzled. "Why are you down here, anyway? Doesn't the gardener take care of the flowers?"
"Yes, he does," Wolfram admitted, "But tending to the flowers reminds me of the first time you and I met." I tilted my head to the side confusedly and he added, with annoyance, "During the war, wimp."
"Oh! And the Demon Mirror! And the Gardener had gone off to war, and-!"
Suddenly, Wolfram took my hand before I even had a chance to react. "Be quiet, Yuuri." He tugged me along, back out of the canopy and into the open courtyard, where I was almost blinded by the beauty of the castle, the sunset, and Wolfram. "Wimp! Let's get back – it's late!" He reprimanding me. His eyes were glimmering with happiness in a way that I had never seen before.
I let out a loud laugh, my heart almost bursting with the joy of just being with him. It was, I guess, irrational and foolish to act like this, but I couldn't deny how happy Wolfram made me.
"Don't call me a wimp, Wolfram!"
Later, as I fell asleep beside Wolfram - whose body glowed beneath the amber light - I came to a hazy realisation: 'Yuuri Dreams Of Peace'. Today, everything felt like a dream – waking up, breakfast, playing catch, the courtyard, Wolfram. Everything about today was surreal. A dream.
And apparently I dream of peace, which I couldn't argue.
So maybe Wolfram gives me peace is his strange, argumentative, angry way. It was so contradictory, but it made sense in my sleepy, hazy head.
At the very least, today he brought colour into my grey world. Somehow, Conrad knew he would.
And subconsciously, so did I.
Author's Notes: Fluff? Corny? Hey, at least it's a chapter! Leave me a review at let me know what you think, guys!
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