AUTHOR'S NOTE:

THANK YOU TO ALL MY REVIEWERS! It makes me really happy when you discuss the plot and the possibilities in the reviews!

I got two big reviews, and I am going to address some of the concerns they have.

But first, thank you to my guest reviewers for liking my OC. It is truly heartening when a newly created OC, that too Wolfram's rival of sorts, is being accepted. It is very, very gracious of you, as I know how much you want it to be Yuuram. The whole point of not showing downright animosity between these two characters was that they are both young and good people, and love triangles are very real, part and parcel of life (I know 'cuz I was in one...) and they both have bigger things to be wary of, rather than each other.

I was glad about where you ship for WolframxIrene, even if it's a joke, as the thought crossed my mind when I was writing the chapter, and I wondered if anybody else thought that too. So, you actually really did make my day! :D (The threesome suggestion is not a bad idea... Maybe a one-shot, eh?)

Alright, the issues now:

One, the nobles and the family: The following chapters should offer some clarity as to what has transpired among them. But in the end, Yuri is the King, and a good one at that. Granted, such an action will impact the trust they have on him, they might even go against him, but it is still his choice who he wants to spend his life with. The family did not act out before as they hoped it would work out between them. Yuri did not break it, as like it is said, he had agreed to the marriage in his mind, before Irene came along... And even after that. Which brings to my second point.

Seven years leap - This is set five years after the last episode of Season 3, and I will be very honest, I only introduced the time gap because I wanted to show a certain maturity in the characters. I know it's sloppy and highly improbable, but I have assumed that the dynamics of the Yuuram relationship has not changed much in the five years, only for the sake of the plot. Yuri is still reluctant to explore the nature of their relationship then, and so, now as well. Like the Civil War was so bad in Big Cimaron, it was implied the king could barely hang on to the throne. By five years, either it should have ended, or Ranjeel should have been dethroned. But in my story, it is still continuing that way only.

I realise and understand it's not ideal, and if I ever write another fanfic, I will pay more attention to these details. Till then, please continue to support my story and encourage me. Seriously, your support means everything. I was ready to give up on Chapter 3, would have, if my readers had not encouraged me.

Third, the allied countries - It's still relatively new, so they are not aware about it yet.

I do wholeheartedly agree with point number 4, though. It's like you read my mind; I never thought I would ever meet another soul who would feel the same way. Wolfram loves Yuri, because it's Yuri, and it has nothing to do with his sexual orientation! It made me so ecstatic; I thought I was wrong in thinking that way.

I wrote the next chapters some time back but the plot somewhere is not matching up, so I refrained from posting them too soon. I am posting them now because I do not want to lose my readers before the story is complete (and there is a major part left).

That had to be the longest A/N ever. Phew.

CHAPTER 10 – YURI'S DATE

'Why is he being made to come with us?' Yuri wailed.

A couple of days had passed since Irene was discharged from the Infirmary. It was evening and Yuri and Irene were all set to go out on their first real date. They were standing in front of the castle with Gunter.

'I can understand your discomfort, sire, but there is no other option. Conrart has gone for border patrol and Gwendal is busy dealing with the hoard of letters that are coming in each day by the thousands' Gunter told him apologetically.

'But Irene is with me. She is as good a bodyguard as any!' Yuri argued.

Irene nodded. 'Yes, Lord von Kleist. I will protect Yuri; Wolfram need not bother. Just a few soldiers –'

'We cannot be too careful when it comes to the safety of our King, Lady Irene; I hope you understand that' Gunter said sternly, over-riding her.

Irene quietened. She had not told Yuri this, but ever since the news of the royal engagement breaking came out, many of the castle's inhabitants had been treating Irene with a certain animosity. Greta had stopped coming to visit her. Lady Celi, who was previously quite friendly and chatty, now gave her a wide berth at the time of meals. Gwendal would frown even more in her presence. The worst was the Bielefeld Regiment, the members stubbornly refused to even acknowledge her any time she chanced upon any of them. Only Conrart and Murata treated her the same way as they had before. She suspected that it probably had something to do with the fact that they had seen, first-hand, Irene suffer the consequences of Wolfram's wrath.

Irene made a conscious effort to not take it personally. She assumed their reactions would be the same had it been anybody else in her place too. No matter what the King wanted, Wolfram was the one they were loyal to. Irene, being the newcomer, should expect that she would be biased against in such a situation. Besides, it was not that bad. Fortunately or unfortunately, royalty had to maintain superficial cordiality at all times, so she was never subjected to downright hatred.

She was thankful that at least Yuri was spared of the blame game – both boys already had a lot on their plates without the added complication of dealing with rumours and the people dividing into distinct groups.

'But, Gunter… It would be so awkward!' Yuri pleaded.

'It cannot be helped, Your Majesty' Gunter said with a tone of finality.

Yuri made to object but Irene quickly squeezed his hand warningly. Yuri understood it was a lost cause and let it go.

They were ready to head out. Wolfram was waiting near the castle gate, with the members of his personal guard, stroking his mare. A carriage had been arranged for Yuri and Irene. When the two arrived, a Bielefeld soldier made to unmount his horse to open the carriage door for the King. Wolfram, who was already on his feet, gestured the soldier to stay mounted; he himself walked to the carriage and opened the door, waiting for the King to climb in. If Yuri was taken aback by this action, he did not show it. Instead, walking up to the carriage, he offered his hand to Irene, who took it and climbed in. Yuri followed her and Wolfram closed the door. Ray and Donna of the Bielefeld Regiment loosened their cravats, exchanging nervous glances; despite the low temperatures, the atmosphere appeared to have heated up.

Wolfram mounted his mare and the entourage headed out. As per protocol, Wolfram, being the Chief of Guard today, was required to ride exactly alongside the carriage; he could both hear and see (from his peripheral vision) Yuri and Irene conversing and laughing casually inside the carriage for the entire journey. To say that it made him uncomfortable was an understatement; he could not help but feel as if he had been demoted. He determinedly tried to banish the thought – after all, it does not do well to dwell on the past.

The sky had darkened by the time they reached the place that Yuri had decided on for their date.

Irene inhaled sharply. Unbeknownst to anybody else, so did Wolfram.

Yuri had the date set outdoors in a pasture, away from the Covenant Castle and its very many prying eyes. There was a lake, the water in which was so clear that it seemed a part of the sky itself. Nearby, on a mound, a small, well-lit gazebo was set up, with a Tuscany table underneath it, complete with a set of two mahogany wooden chairs. The hazel-coloured gazebo was decorated with purple fairy lights, and its poles had pretty blue and white flower creepers wound around them. A small ornate lamp rested at the middle of the table, and a server was waiting with a dinner cloth around his left arm, smiling amicably. 'Good Evening, Your Highness, Your Ladyship' he called respectfully.

'Wow!' Irene squealed. 'You did this?'

'Sure helps to be King when it comes to arranging dates, doesn't it?' Yuri winked.

They both headed inside, while their guard took their positions at some distance. Wolfram had turned away, under the guise of scrutinizing the surrounding area – it was a ruse to quickly rid his eyes of those annoying tears, which burnt his eyes, and would shed treacherously without a care for his dignity. He blinked rapidly, trying not to think about how easily Yuri showered his affection on someone he had met only a couple of months ago…

Yuri pulled a chair out for Irene to sit and then took his seat opposite her. Their server poured wine into their glasses. Irene coughed nervously.

'I wish I had changed into something more appropriate' she said, tugging anxiously at the sleeves of her usual jacket.

'Relax, will you? I, too, am in my uniform. And you look as beautiful as ever, Irene' Yuri complimented her easily. He raised his glass and Irene 'clinked' her own glass with his. 'Though, now with the Guard, you could have left the sword' he said, as he eyed the hilt of the blade on her side.

'I am obviously more used to being the King's bodyguard than his date' she jested.

'But protecting someone does come with an inherent liking, does it not?' Yuri asked teasingly.

'Don't kid yourself, Your Highness; I only joined for the work experience' Irene retorted playfully.

A cool, gentle breeze blew, rustling the grass around. The night progressed, suave and pleasant. Wolfram had settled himself near a tree, leaning against the trunk, watching the stars and trying to drown the voices of his ex-fiancé flirting with his new date. If only Irene had been a bitch, he could freely loathe her for the rest of his life. In fact, he probably would not have stopped her in the first place. His mind drifted. What if he hadn't stopped her? What if he had taken up Yuri on his offer of an arranged marriage between best friends? How different their lives would have been… Things would have definitely been better for him. For one, he would be Prince Consort, riding inside the carriage rather than alongside it like an outcast. But for Yuri…

Wolfram stole a glance at the couple. He watched as Yuri broke into his characteristic toothy grin at something Irene said. The biggest miracle had been watching the "Maoh" and "Yuri" merge slowly, almost imperceptibly, day-by-day. He could not help but feel somewhat proud. From the boy who could not even ride a horse, he now ran an entire kingdom, warding off its threats and enemies, and working for the development of its people. Leaving his life on Earth behind, he had not only dutifully accepted his role as their Maoh, he was also carrying it out with utmost sincerity, which had been somewhat uncommon in the rulers before him. In lieu of all that, he surely deserved to be with the mate of his choice; he surely deserved to be happy, right?

Wolfram closed his eyes, listening to the quiet mutterings of his squad members and the grass rustling some distance away.

His eyes snapped open. The rustling did not match with the direction of the flow of the wind. 'Watch out, Maurius!' Wolfram shouted, as unsheathing his sword, he sprang to his feet. Maurius turned, just as a cloaked man leapt out of the tall grass near him; because of Wolfram's warning, he was able to counter his blade with his own sword.

'It's them again!' Wolfram shouted, as his soldiers positioned themselves, ready to defend and attack.

There was no doubt about it; the cloaks were similar to those of the men who had infiltrated the Covenant Castle a couple of months back during the ball. Wolfram's jaw clenched as more figures jumped out of the long blades of grasses, armed with swords and esoteric stones. He quickly sized them up. They were around twenty-five of them, easily outnumbering his own soldiers by five to one. Wolfram decided against sending a dispatch to Covenant Castle – he needed every last Mazoku to fend off these guys.

Around half of the intruders surrounded them in a huge circle, creating an esoteric barrier with their stones, caving them in, while the other half quickly advanced towards them. He saw Donna release her Fire Majitsu in the form of a whip, lashing out two of them simultaneously; she engaged a third one with her sword.

Abel too summoned his fire and was continuously aiming balls of fire at every attacker he could lay eyes on, but many of his attacks faltered when they fell on their powerful barriers.

Ray summoned his Earth Maryouku, and punched at a nearby tree, which shot out long, black tendrils, and entangling the attackers, withdrew rapidly, binding the trapped men to the trunk.

Wolfram himself took on around five of them at once, unleashing his Lazuline Flame. The five combined their powers and created a humongous beast, which roared, sending forth a huge purple beam to counter his blue fire. Both parties kept feeding their creations their power, but Wolfram's Majitsu was limited in its capacity, especially given the effect of the proximity of esoteric stones. Slowly, the interface of their energies bulged towards Wolfram, ready to tear through his Flame. Wolfram persisted, just as he felt a gush of wind blow across from behind him. The silvery white wind spiraled around his Flame, feeding it. Rejuvenated from the extra air, the fire roared and increased in size; the convex of the interface redirected at the men, before finally ripping through the purple beam and destroying the beast. The men were hurled off their feet and crashed a few yards away, where they lay unmoving.

'Not bad' Wolfram allowed, as Irene quickly stepped beside him, slashing her hand at two other attackers; two white arcs emerged and warded off a couple of men who were approaching them with swords.

'Can't let you have all the fun' Irene quipped.

Yuri waved his hand and innumerable water dragons appeared out of the lake, each heading off after a separate assailant. Seeing the Demon King's power, several of the men who formed the circle, left their positions and hoarded together, creating one strong barrier to repel the water dragons.

'This is useless!' Wolfram shouted. He closed his eyes and concentrated on summoning the White Flame.

'NO, WOLFRAM!' Yuri bellowed.

'But Yuri-'

'You promised me, Wolfram, you would only master it, not use it!'

'I don't remember promising anything!' Wolfram shouted pointedly.

'Guys, focus!' Irene snapped at them as she created a twister, directing it at the core of their formation.

'Leave them to us, just get Yuri out of here, Irene!' Wolfram screamed at her.

'No, Wolfram, you lead him out, I will try to stop as many of them as I can with my breath-holding spell!' Irene shouted back. She tried using it on the attacker engaged in a sword-fight with Abel, but the guy only gagged a little before continuing to fight.

'Damn it!' Irene muttered angrily.

'Looks like they have come prepared. Their stones must be even more powerful to possess Houjitsu that strong' Wolfram hissed scathingly. 'Irene, just get Yuri out of here!' he repeated.

'Wolfram-'

'Forget it, guys! I am not going anywhere' Yuri yelled as clouds suddenly shrouded the stars and it started to drizzle. His water dragons were finally able to penetrate the barrier and the men were flung backwards with the impact. 'I will not leave anybody behind' he finished authoritatively.

Irene looked at Wolfram exasperatedly. 'He is always like that?'

'Always' Wolfram affirmed grimly. 'The retirement benefits are just not wor-' he froze mid-sentence. A couple of men had freed themselves from the tendrils that Ray had created previously, and were speeding towards Irene, who had locked swords with another man, unaware of the upcoming onslaught. Being nearest to her, he quickly intercepted them, blocking both their attacks single-handedly.

Irene turned partly to look at Wolfram. 'Uh – thanks' she said, surprised.

'Now, we are even' Wolfram replied back.

Both of them continued to engage with their opponents, Wolfram swiftly dealing attacks at twice the speed to match his attackers.

Just as Wolfram disarmed one of the men, a third sword materialized on his side and swiped deep at his torso. He screamed in pain as he fell to the ground, clutching his injured side, feeling warm liquid flow out freely. He heard concerned yells of 'Captain!' from his soldiers as his attacker loomed over him, ready to deliver a second blow.

The ground shook.

'AAAAAARGHHHH!' Yuri howled in rage, as numerous huge spikes of rock erupted from the terrain below, one after the other, relentlessly, flinging away the rest of the attackers, including the one that assaulted Wolfram, just as Irene quickly dragged Wolfram out of the way.

Wolfram, who had momentarily passed out from the pain, opened his eyes, feeling the pain reduce slightly. 'Wh-What are you doing?' he asked Irene, surprised. She had propped him up against a tree, and was bending over him, brows furrowed in concentration. She was panting slightly and her palms were facing his wound, a green glow emitting from them.

'It's my fault… It's all my fault' she whispered, trying to blink away her tears. Wolfram felt the bleeding cease some more. He had never seen anyone heal a wound this deep so much so quickly.

'Irene, no, that's enough –'

'It's alright, Wofram, we were trained at the Academy to carry out basic healing… Just a little more-'

Wolfram grabbed her wrists and directed them away. 'I said it's enough!'

'But-' she panted.

'You have healed it to a manageable extent, alright, so let Gisela take care of the rest' Wolfram assured her. 'You are already exhausted, and someone needs to stop him.' He jerked his head towards Yuri, who was now levitating in the air; even though most of their attackers were rendered unconscious, the jutting out of spikes of rock from the ground continued. The sky lit and thundered, followed by stray prongs of lightening traversing the expanse. It had started to rain heavily now.

'Wolfram' Irene started quietly. 'I don't think I can stop him; I don't think anyone can stop him right now… except you.'

'What do you mean?' Wolfram demanded.

Irene looked around at the destruction surrounding them. The gazebo was shattered beyond recognition, the remains of the roof now atop a particularly huge spike of stone; the server was crouching behind it, scared out of his wits.

'Only that you were right. He will never love anybody as much as he loves you.'

Wolfram stared at Irene, flabbergasted. Irene smiled at his astonishment. 'Come on, let's get you up. He needs to see that you are alright.'

She helped him up, and put his arm around her neck, holding it. She then grabbed his waist, carefully avoiding his injury, and inclined herself to her side slightly, allowing him to lean on her. She then slowly led him towards Yuri, carefully walking around the spikes.

'Yuri!' she called.

Yuri looked down and found Irene walking towards him, with Wolfram leaning on her for support. Immediately, the raining stopped, the skies cleared and the rocks crumbled to form little mounds of pebbles on the ground. Yuri descended back, and fell on his knees, panting, as Wolfram and Irene reached him.

'Yuri?' Wolfram asked, concerned.

'I am fine. You?' Yuri asked.

'I will be, don't worry.'

'I am fine too, thank you so much for asking' Irene muttered sarcastically. The boys grinned as they were joined by the worn-out Bielefeld soldiers.

oOoOoOoOoOo

'Dead? All of them? Again?' Yuri shrieked, both astounded and angry.

Yuri, Irene, Murata, Gwendal, Conrart and Gunter had assembled in the office the next morning. Wolfram was advised strict bed-rest by Gisela and hence had remained in his chamber.

After the episode, he, Wolfram and Irene had been driven back to the castle in the carriage, and the Bielefeld soldiers had remained behind to guard the prisoners. They had reached the Castle just as Conrart had returned from border patrol, and upon hearing what had transpired, he had immediately headed out with his soldiers to take the miscreants into custody, while the three of them were sent to the Infirmary to be checked by Gisela.

Conrart hung his head in shame. 'I have no excuse, Your Highness.'

'But what happened?' Yuri asked exasperatedly. Irene and the Bielefeld soldiers had themselves removed those dratted capsules out of the mouths of those assailants that had survived, while they were unconscious, and also taken care to dispose of the esoteric stones in their possession.

Conrart began to explain. 'When we reached, Your Highness, we bound those that had survived with ropes and began walking them here, back to Covenant Castle. There were around seven of them that remained.' He sighed, remembering his folly. 'I had not sensed their presence, Your Majesty. I am very ashamed.'

'Whose presence, Conrad?' Yuri asked, worried.

'Assassins, sire' Conrart informed him grimly.

'What?'

'Yes, sire. They fired seven poison arrows, each hitting their seven targets. There were three of them. We chased them, but they used their esoteric skills to create beasts to engage us and got away.'

'They – they killed their own people?' Yuri said disbelievingly.

'Talk about covering all the bases' Murata commented grimly. 'The way I see it, there is nothing you could have done to prevent this, Lord Weller.' He turned to face the windows again, pondering about the recent events. Murata always had some hint as to what could be the cause of the various ill-happenings. But this time, he had drawn a blank – and this gravely worried him. He continued, trying to deduce how much ever he could from the situation. 'What's odd is, the assassins did not attack Lord Weller or any of his men… It seems like they were after something very specific from the beginning.'

'The Demon King' Irene said slowly.

'Huh? Me?' Yuri asked, surprised.

'Yes, Yuri, you were there when both the attacks happened!' Irene told him.

'Well, so were you, Irene' Yuri reminded her. 'Maybe, they are after you.'

Murata frowned. 'Possible, but highly improbable. See, if Irene was the target, they could have easily attacked the Radford Estate; it is much less guarded than Covenant Castle. Irene had never stepped foot in this castle before that night. Why take such a huge risk?'

'Murata-'

'Think about it, Shibuya, not many were aware that Lord von Radford would be accompanied by his grand-daughter, right?'

'So, that makes me their target' Yuri said bluntly.

Murata sighed. 'I don't know for sure, but that is the best I can guess.'

Gwendal called for one of his Chiefs. Once he arrived, Gwendal crisply instructed him 'Double the forces protecting the castle. Two soldiers are to be stationed outside the King's quarters at all times. He is not to go anywhere unaccompanied by his guard. Understood?'

'Yes, Sir!' The Chief saluted and left.

Yuri gagged. 'Guys, relax! I am the Demon King! I can protect myself!'

'We are not going to leave anything to chance, Your Majesty' Gunter said strictly.

'But-'

Before Yuri could protest, the door opened and Dacascos marched it.

'Sir!' he saluted.

'What is it, Dacascos?' Yuri enquired.

'Lord von Radford has arrived here in Covenant Castle, and requests an audience with you, Your Majesty!'

oOoOoOoOo

Yes, it was half a Harry Potter reference. I adored Dumbledore. Catch on the hints, anyone? (I have said "hints" so many times, I feel like Saralegui) Please review. :)