Thank you to everyone for your generous messages of support and encouragement. It's been a struggle, but it makes everything easier when you have even strangers on the internet who care for you. Thank you for continuing to read my stories and leave your comments. They're always a highlight of my day.
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Memories of Sand Chapter 12 - Captured
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It took a while for Wolfram to truly comprehend the dark eyes looking back at him in the most warm and loving way. For so long, he never thought he would see someone look upon him in such a compassionate way nor feel slim fingers weakly reach up to stroke the hair from his eyes like so many times before.
"Hey there...haven't seen you in a while, huh?" Yuuri's gravelly voice sounded like music to Wolfram. "Missed you…"
It was the exhausted, sweet smile that broke Wolfram from his trance. That smile he had missed for so many years and thought he would never see again. He forgot himself.
Yuuri grunted when Wolfram pushed himself up from his spot on his chest and promptly captured his lips with his own. Yuuri only paused for a second before sluggishly returning the kiss, but with no less passion.
It felt so good. So good to have Yuuri kiss him after years of being apart. Wolfram was awash with relief, unable to think of anything else but to feel Yuuri's lips against his own, as it should be. Feeling their breaths mingling and their chests against each other felt so right. To be encased in Yuuri's arms felt so perfect that it almost made the past four years never matter...
Wolfram's joy went cold. He wasn't supposed to be touching Yuuri like this! He had promised to keep himself away from Yuuri, unless absolutely necessary.
Wolfram yanked them apart with a surprised gasp from his fiance. He almost fell back trying to get away from Yuuri as far as possible, rubbing his mouth to see if any saliva was on his lips and had gotten into Yuuri's mouth. He stared wide-eyed in panic and shame, realizing the danger he had so stupidly put Yuuri in because of his own inability to control himself.
"W-Wolfram?" Yuuri's arms remained holding the air where Wolfram was just a second ago. "What's wrong?"
"Forgive me," Wolfram said despairingly. "I'm not allowed to touch you. I promised not to touch you."
"Wait...What?" Yuuri was confused, and hurt. "Why?"
Should he tell him? No, he couldn't. Wolfram felt the knot in his throat. The fear of losing Yuuri was too great. What if everyone was wrong and Yuuri did reject him? He had no idea how Earth's culture regarded those with such a lecherous disease. The Sage was unusually accepting and forgiving of Wolfram's condition, but that didn't mean Yuuri would be the same...or his family. Yuuri's older brother for sure would reject Wolfram and blame him if Yuuri contracted the same illness.
"Why?" Yuuri repeated, trying to reach for Wolfram.
But Wolfram was already shaking his head at being beckoned back into Yuuri's arms. Though the temptation was powerful.
"I'm...sick," Wolfram managed to mutter sadly.
Yuuri frowned. "With what?"
"A….cold," Wolfram said the first lie he could think of. "I shouldn't be touching you when you're still recovering. We don't want you ill."
Yuuri just blinked. "Is that all? You're hardly going to kill me from a head cold!"
'If only that were the case,' Wolfram thought and looked down at the floor as he nervously straightened his clothes. "You should rest, Yuuri. I'll fetch the others. They'll be happy to know you're awake."
"Wait a second, Wolf!" But Wolfram was already gone.
He returned a few minutes later with Conrad, Gwendal, Murata, and Sir Ben. Conrad let out a relieved breath when he saw his godson and pulled him into a happy but gentle hug. Murata did the same. Gwendal gave one of his rare smiles but otherwise remained distant while Sir Ben immediately went into checking Yuuri's vital signs and asking the king how he felt.
Yuuri was clearly happy to see his friends and easily cooperated with the healer, but he kept glancing back at Wolfram, who chose a spot in the far corner. Yuuri looked as if he wanted to say something, but was interrupted each time by inquiries from the healer and the others about his health and if he remembered anything.
"It's...still foggy," Yuuri replied. "Everything feels like a distant dream."
"That is to be expected," Murata said with a nod. "You've been the source of a very powerful spell for several years. You were the most affected so it will likely take much longer for you to recover."
"But we are just thankful that you are alive," Conrad smiled, sitting in the place where Wolfram wished he still was. He bit back the envy when Conrad took hold of Yuuri's hand, as if he too needed physical evidence that their king was alive.
"Where is Sara?"
The room went dead silent. Wolfram hoped to the gods that Yuuri wasn't concerned for the traitor's wellbeing.
Murata broke the silence. "He is the one who trapped you. We rescued you from him just days ago. We're trying to get back to Shin Makoku to mobilize our defenses."
Yuuri just stared at the faces of the people around him, eyes glazed and blankly moving around the room, not quite focusing on anything. Yuuri chose to stare at his lap, brow furrowed as he tried to reconcile what Murata just told him.
"What...happened?" Yuuri whispered.
"We were all tricked and enslaved by an evil king who let his jealousy and arrogance control him," Murata said gravely. "It is only because of Lord Bielefeld that you are even alive."
"Wolfram?" Yuuri looked at the blonde questioningly.
"Yes," Murata nodded towards Wolfram. "His Excellency, through sheer will and a moment of brilliance, saved you from dying because of Saralegui's spell."
"Wolfram, come here," Yuuri looked upon Wolfram with knowing affection and gestured for Wolfram to be closer to him. But Wolfram didn't move.
"He must remain distant, your Majesty," Sir Ben intervened quietly. "Your health is still compromised and we can't take any risks."
Yuuri just looked at the healer in irritated confusion. "Over a damn cold?"
"A cold?" Sir Ben echoed, but glancing back at Wolfram he caught on. "Yes… a cold."
Wolfram's brothers and the sage followed, immediately realizing what Wolfram had done, and none spoke against the ruse.
The king eyed his companions with suspicion. One by one, he caught their gazes with narrowed eyes, not entirely believing them and trying to see if anyone might give away the truth. But no one came forward.
"Is that it?" Yuuri's tone conveyed his skepticism.
"Yes," Sir Ben was unmoved by his king's questioning.
A knock stopped Yuuri from inquiring further. They all turned their attention when a harried sailor burst in without waiting for permission.
"My lords! We spotted three Shou Cimarron ships in the distance and they are gaining upon us! They will catch up within the hour!" He gasped.
Instincts kicking in, they all forgot their shared lie and made to defend their king and ship.
"Arm the cannons and have every able-bodied man prepare for battle!" Gwendal ordered without missing a beat. "Have the captain keep our course!"
"Yes, my lord!" The sailor ran back up to the deck to relay the orders.
"He recovered faster than expected," Murata muttered. "We don't have the means to fight a warship, much less three. We have to focus on outrunning them and slowing them down."
"What the hell is going on!?" Yuuri demanded, looking frantically between his retainers and the sailor.
"There isn't enough time to explain," Murata said hurriedly. "Just know that Saralegui used you for his own selfish means and wants to get you back at all costs. Stay here and do not come out for any reason. Got it? You're too weak to be of any use. Stay. Here!"
Yuuri sputtered. "But-but! Conrad!"
"He is right, your Majesty," Conrad said sternly, gripping his sword that was ever at his side. "There is no time. Remain here where it is safe. Everything will be fine."
Gwendal, Conrad, and Murata made their way out of the cabin to rally the men and make preparations. Gwendal took his own sword from his belt and gave it to Wolfram.
"Protect the king at all costs," he ordered.
"What about you?" Wolfram took the weapon.
"I have a spare," Gwendal headed to the door. "No touching!" he barked over his shoulder.
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He would get Yuuri back and kill the bastards that ruined his plans.
Saralegui stood on the bow of the lead warship. The royal ship was just a few yards ahead of them. He could see the purple flags fluttering in the wind on the ship's staffs. If they kept up their speed, they would overcome them soon.
Saralegui had to pull from every resource and magic skill at his disposal to keep from losing total control of his subjects. After his quarries disappeared into a random garden fountain, Saralegui had to use his own hints to reconvene his troops and override the disorientation left by the desecration of the vector spell.
The story was that Yuuri had been poisoned and kidnapped by the traitorous demon princes. His headaches were a result of weeks' of careful administration of poison to weaken him enough to be captured. They were in cahoots with two vagabonds and were able to steal the king despite Saralegui and Berias' attempts to stop them with human magic. It was all part of a scheme to rid the demon kingdom of the half-breed king and his human affianced. Once he had Yuuri back, he would place the same hint on the young king.
With the help of his hints, the story was bought immediately and he had the warships prepared and armed. They set sail immediately as they had given the demons a two-day head start. He knew that the royal ship chosen for Yuuri's journey wasn't built to outrun the sleek and faster warships of Shou Cimarron. It was a royal barge that was fixed with weapons for only defense and would be an easy capture for ships built for naval battle.
"Your Majesty!' Saralegui turned to Berias. "We have the ship in sight. We will catch up to them very soon."
"Good," Saralegui purred in satisfaction, looking back at the royal demon ship. "I want Weller, Voltaire, the Sage, and that blonde slut captured. Kill all the others."
"May I ask why, your Majesty?" Berias looked at him curiously.
Saralegui expression turned murderous. "I promised Lord Bielefeld that I would have him executed by order of King Yuuri Shibuya, after I make him watch his family suffer the same fate. I keep my promises."
Saralegui wanted a special fate for his rival. That sniveling little lord brat had destroyed everything he had worked tooth and nail for. That little twat existed solely to ruin Saralegui's ambitions and his claim upon the Demon King. Yes, he would think of the most heinous punishment for the blonde demon and have him witness his precious Yuuri give the sentence.
A loud splash broke Saralegui from his thoughts. "They've opened fire!" the sailor from the crow's nest cried. Several cannonballs landed in the water in front of them, one hit the hull of the ship just beyond the bow where he stood. The cracking of wood echoed over the sounds of the men shouting order and getting into position.
'Put up a fight?' Saralegui sneered to himself.
His ears rang from the cannons firing in retaliation. The plan was to immobilize the ship and capture it. He didn't want to risk drowning Yuuri and ordered the cannons be aimed to slow down the ship so it could be overtaken. They were in fairly shallow waters and the royal barge was tough. It could take a few hits before going down. He watched the pieces of wood fly off from the ship's stern, not quite breaking the hull.
If they could flood the lower bowels of the ship, then they would win.
He could see the men on board scurrying to strike back at them. One of their cannons landed without harm into the water just beyond the starboard bow.
"Your Majesty! Please, get to safety!" Berias shouted at him as he came to lead him to the safer parts of the ship.
Saralegui followed Berias without speaking, casting one more glance over his shoulder at the ever-closer royal ship.
More cannons were fired. He heard a sailor shout that the hull of the runaway ship had been breached. He smiled. He would get his king back and enact revenge on those who dared to defy him.
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When they made it to the deck, the men were already firing at the quickly-approaching enemy ships.
Their ship wasn't meant for battle. The royal barge should have been accompanied by battleship escorts, but due to extenuating circumstances, they hadn't gotten that far. Murata, Gwendal, and Conrad emerged amidst sailors running to and fro, arming their few cannons and trying to slow down their assailant by breaching the hull. Everyone recoiled when a retaliating cannonball hit their stern and wooden shrapnel flew in the air.
"Can we outrun them at all?" Gwendal was the first to reach the captain at the helm. Looking behind them, they could all see that there were three fastly approaching Shou Cimarron ships, all fully equipped for battle.
The captain looked at him like he was stupid. "No! The ship's too big and bulky. They'll be on us any minute! We're trying to slow them down with the cannons!" The captain swore when another enemy cannon hit them and the force was felt through the ship. "Looks like they got the same idea!"
"Stay on course!" Gwendal ordered.
"Can-can his Majesty use his water magic?" The captain asked desperately.
Murta joined Gwendal at his side. "No, he cannot. He is too weak. To use his magic would be dangerous. We have to focus on getting away and incapacitating the enemy."
"Aim the cannons for the hull of the ships!" Gwendal added. "Have the men focus on sinking the lead ship! Have the rest prepare to be boarded."
"Aye, Lord Voltaire!" The captain said, and relayed the order to the first mate.
Conrad watched the men preparing for battle. The air pulsed with the sound of the cannons firing. "Do we have enough ammunition to fight them off?"
"I don't know," Gwendal said worriedly. "We didn't prepare for battle in our haste. I'm not close enough to land to use my earth magic and Wolfram is out of the question. So is the king."
"We just have ourselves," Conrad muttered in resignation. "How close are we to demon lands?"
"A day's voyage," The captain said.
"Can you feel the power of our homeland?" Conrad asked his brother in desperate hope.
Gwendal nodded. "It's getting stronger. But we're still not close enough. It can't be relied on."
"We'll work with what we've got," Murata interjected. "Just stay ahead of them as far as possible. Keep them at bay!"
Murata looked to the stern of the ship. The Shou Cimarron warships were even closer now. The men frantically fired cannon after cannon to slow down the ship but the effect was minimal. They were only just barely ahead. He could make out the individuals on the approaching ship and he even sought out Saralegui but didn't see the human king on deck. They had likely sent him below to safety. He could see them preparing to forcefully board their ship.
Another round of cannon fire came at them. The men stumbled at the impact, including Murata as even more pieces of the hull went flying. One cannon broke the railing along the ship and into a poor sailor's leg. The man lay in immense pain just a few feet away from the sage. Sir Ben rushed over the help the man along with another sailor and they dragged him away from the chaos. Other men bore cuts and bruises from the shrapnel, but bravely continued to fight.
Murata glanced at the ammunition supplies. He was convinced Saralegui was on one of those ships, they just had to figure out which one. If they got that one, they would be in the clear. If they got the wrong one, they might still have a chance, but if Saralegui wasn't in danger then he knew the king would push forward.
If they stayed ahead and tried to cripple at least one of the other ships, maybe they could still get away.
Murata looked toward the demon lords. Gwendal and Conrad were amidst the men, shouting orders. He could only feel respect for them as he knew they were still feeling the lassitude of the spell. They pushed past the fog of the vector spell and acted as the experienced warriors that they were. He just hoped they didn't push too far.
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"Wolfram, please tell me what the hell is going on?" Yuuri begged, trying to stand up from the bed.
"Stay there, wimp," Wolfram said, never taking his eyes off the door, sword poised for anyone that dared to break in. "We're under attack and that's all you need to know right now."
They both stumbled when something hit the ship. Since Gwendal, Conrad, and Murata left it was within minutes that they felt the increasingly frequent hits and rocking from the ship as they fell under fire from Shou Cimarron's forces. Yuuri heard the desperate groans and creaks of the ship as it tried to elude its attacker. He could hear the stifled, incoherent yells and harried steps from above as the men fought.
"Yuuri, I said stay put!" Wolfram scolded, when Yuuri moved to stand.
"I can't lie down when all this crap is going on!" Yuuri shot back. He groaned as he felt his joints creak from lying to sitting on the edge on the bed. His body felt like it had been trapped with rocks in a washing machine on the spin cycle. Everything felt like it weighed a ton and was sore as all hell.
This was too much. He was overwhelmed. He awoke from some deep, confusing trance to be reunited with his lover only to be told by a random healer that he couldn't touch him, and now they were being attacked. His mind honestly didn't know where to start in making sense of it all.
So it focused on reassembling the scattered memories that fought for his attention. Yuuri felt dizzy and slightly nauseous from the spinning visions. He couldn't come to terms with it all. Yuuri grimaced and rubbed his face to calm himself.
He was Yuuri Shibuya of Japan and king of Shin Makoku. He got that. He had an adopted daughter, a brother, a godfather, a mother and father, and many friends. He became king at the tender age of fifteen. How old was he know? Twenty. He turned twenty only a couple of months ago. He was four and a half years into his reign. He was in training to become a healer and would take his certification exams in the winter. He had successfully created several treaties and trade agreements with human countries to the betterment of the kingdom's economy and foreign relations. He was engaged. He hadn't been officially single once during his entire reign.
His mind kept switching between Saralegui and Wolfram, who now looked nothing like he remembered him. He could remember proposing to Wolfram that night they first met. The slap that started it all and would be the catalyst for their friendship-turned-relationship. He didn't remember proposing to Sara at all. He just woke up and they were to be married. He and everyone had completely forgotten about Wolfram.
He looked at Wolfram's back. A memory emerged. That night when he cared for the seasick demon, he saw the scars underneath his shirt and tried to find out where they came from. He had given into the underlying desire he had for the then-William and kissed him. He never felt such passion for Sara as he did in that single moment with what, at the time, had been a total stranger. Those feelings made sense now.
He tried to see the scars underneath Wolfram's shirt. A part of him hoped that they weren't there and were just another faulty memory. Wolfram stood just in front of him, ever the vigilant protector. He wanted to reach out and see if his fiance was truly alright. He could see the paleness in Wolfram's neck and face. He could sense the weakened magic underneath as he was taught during his medical training. He could feel his own magic struggling inside him. He had never felt this weak before in his life and he hated it. He couldn't protect the ones he loved.
His thoughts went back to the mysterious scars. Of all the unanswered questions, they bothered him the most. They said they had all been tricked by Saralegui. Was Saralegui responsible for Wolfram's injuries? Yuuri somehow knew the answer was yes, even though he didn't want to believe it. He never missed the rivalry between Saralegui and Wolfram, and was often the unwilling referee between many a fight between them, which led to later fights between him and Wolfram followed by endless proclamations of his love. It was one of the biggest challenges to their romance.
Yuuri eyes widened when an adjacent memory revealed itself. The rash on Wolfram's feet. Those little raised bumps reminded him of something. They were hardened and bright red, lying just at the surface of Wolfram's skin. Some had even broken and were scarred over. Yuuri absently looked at his own, unmarred palms. A lecture from one of his healer classes along with a pamphlet from a high school sex education class came to his memory.
Yuuri looked at his fiance, who couldn't see the growing horror on his face. 'No way…'
"Wolfram?" Yuuri called out quietly, completely forgetting where they were.
"What?" Wolfram remained tense and focused on the door.
Yuuri slowly slid from the bed and straightened up to stand. He fought the lightheadedness.
This time, Wolfram glanced back at him. "Don't push yourself!"
"Do you still have that rash on your feet?" The question was weighed with apprehension.
Wolfram's face went blank. He hesitantly came out of his stance, forgetting their situation as well. "I…"
A loud crash seemingly from within the ship broke their mutual stares. The floor tilted sharply and they both fell against the cabin door and the various objects in the room either slid with them or fell to the floor. Yuuri pushed himself off of Wolfram and balanced on the lopsided floor.
"What the…!"
Wolfram was the first to move. He yanked open the cabin door and stared out into the narrow hall. Yuuri watched him stiffen and he turned to him with a frightened look.
"Get on deck!" Wolfram said urgently and grabbed Yuuri.
Another crash and they both fell onto the wall as the ship tilted even more. The distant sound of rushing water came through. Wolfram kicked the door back open and they could see the water rising just down the hallway and hear the panicked yells from the deck.
Yuuri allowed Wolfram to drag him from the cabin. The stairs to the upper decks sat in the rising water. Yuuri hissed when his barefeet made contact with the icy water, but kept up. They were up to their waists in water when they finally reached the stairs. A third hit, this one just beyond them, sent various objects and wooden shrapnel flying. Parts of the lower deck started to collapse as water rushed in. The ship would be underwater within minutes.
"Get up!" Wolfram shoved Yuuri towards the stairs. "Don't stop!"
Yuuri obeyed and rushed up the stairs with hands and feet, ignoring the painful splinters. His clothes were freezing and soaking wet.
Yuuri made it to the top of the stairs, but turned back. "Wolfram?"
"I'm here," Wolfram assured. "Don't slow down!"
Yuuri climbed onto the deck where there was even more chaos. Sailors ran around them trying to fight off the Shou Cimarron soldiers. Yuuri yelped when a sailor fell in front him with a crushed skull due to a wayward cannon ball. He turned to make sure Wolfram was at his side. The demon appeared and positioned himself in front of Yuuri.
"Stay behind me!" Wolfram ordered.
"Wolfram, look!" Yuuri shouted.
Wolfram barely reacted in time to block the sword from an enemy soldier. He fell into a fight with the man, determined to keep himself between his opponent and Yuuri.
Yuuri frantically looked around for Conrad and the others. He didn't see them at all. He only saw the Shin Makoku sailors and soldiers fighting for dear life while being slaughtered by the Shou Cimarron men. He spun around, trying to locate the others and found that they were surrounded on starboard and port sides by Shou Cimarron.
The king was at a loss. He had no weapon and his magic felt distant and weak inside him. He turned in all directions in a desperate attempt to find something he could defend himself and Wolfram with. He saw Wolfram still fighting, this time against two enemies. He could see Wolfram struggle to fight them off, now further away from Yuuri, leaving the king vulnerable. Wolfram was slowing down, completely on the defensive and barely deflecting their strikes. Yuuri cursed at himself for being unable to come to his aid.
"Rescue the king!" An unseen voice yelled. "The ship is lost!"
The majority of the Shin Makoku soldiers were either already dead or trying to escape, only to be slaughtered when they tried to abandon ship. Yuuri gaped at the blood-stained water that spread across the ship as the torrent waves washed over the sides. He had to look up at the enemy ships.
He heard Wolfram yell from behind him. Yuuri saw him trip backwards over another body, his sword clanking to the ground, far away from him. The two men proceeded to beat and kick him, one produced a rope and moved to bind Wolfram.
Yuuri didn't care if he got killed. He wouldn't let them take Wolfram.
"Leave him alone!" He yelled, running to Wolfram's side.
To Yuuri's surprise, the men paused but looked at him in total confusion. "Your Majesty?"
They weren't here to kill or capture him?
"Don't touch him!" Yuuri placed himself between them and Wolfram, briefly glancing to make sure the blonde was alright. Wolfram was clutching his side, blood staining his shirt. Yuuri didn't care to figure out what this insanity was anymore. Not until Wolfram was safe.
"He's trying to kidnap you!" One of them argued. "He's the enemy!"
"No, he isn't!" Yuuri didn't budge.
The second soldier's expression calmed in realization. "It's the hint. His majesty doesn't know better."
"What are you talking about? Let go of me!" Yuuri yelled when one of them grabbed his forearm and yanked him away. Yuuri couldn't put up much of a fight when the man twisted his arms behind him.
"Forgive me, your Majesty," the soldier said sincerely. "There is no time to explain."
Yuuri was getting really tired of people not answering him. He fought as the much stronger man dragged him away from Wolfram and towards the enemy ship.
"We have the king!" the man shouted.
"Wolf!" Yuuri screamed, fighting the man's unyielding grip. He watched the other one strike Wolfram right in the head, stunning him long enough to be bound and dragged to where they were.
"Wolfram!" Yuuri shrieked when they lifted him up to the enemy ship. He watched them tie Wolfram to a lift just below him. Yuuri could make out the blood stain and shouted when they handled him so roughly. He only wanted to get to Wolfram long enough to heal him.
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They fought bravely against Shou Cimarron, but it was to no avail. The lead ship caught up with them despite their best efforts to slow it down with the cannons. Their port-stern was breached and the ship tilted sharply as water rushed in beneath them.
Conrad fought despite the heavy fog that remained on his mind. Pushing back the warring visions, he focused on his one true purpose; protecting his godson and king. His unanswered questions could wait. Right now, someone threatened the life and safety of Yuuri and he would not allow that.
Conrad tried to reach Yuuri and his little brother, but the erupting panic around him kept him from reaching them before they were surrounded on both sides and the enemy invaded the ship. Conrad found himself fighting off four men, while looking for Gwendal. He caught his oldest brother trying to protect the Sage and also trying to make his way towards the entrance to the lower deck of the ship. Conrad fought even harder. He couldn't let Wolfram and his godson drown after all they had done.
Another cannon was fired, this time it hit the mast just beside Conrad. He cursed when the main mast began to fall now that it only hung on by a single piece of wood. The sails came crashing down around them, rendering the ship completely totaled. In the distraction, one of his opponents took the opportunity and knocked Conrad off balance. He stumbled backwards but that was all it took for him to be overwhelmed by the other men.
"Keep him alive!" one ordered.
They pinned him down, landing a few punches when he tried to resist. They dragged him away from the waist of the ship where he could only watch in fear as he had yet to see his brother or godson emerge.
They lifted him onto the enemy ship. He felt relief when he saw the Sage and his brother bound and kneeling on the deck, but it faded when they were still missing Wolfram and Yuuri.
"Gwendal! Your Grace! Are you hurt?" Conrad asked when they aligned them up.
"We're alright," Gwendal heaved, shifting uncomfortably. "We were far outnumbered. Where is the king?"
"I don't know," Conrad said worriedly. "I didn't see them come from below deck when they caught me."
Gwendal swore. "Let's hope they escaped…"
A shout from the sinking royal barge caught their attention. The enemy men rushed to the starboard side to pull on the ropes. A familiar black youth appeared over the rail amidst threats and shouts for Wolfram.
"Put me down! Put me down! Dammit!" Yuuri shouted as the men roughly brought him on board. "Let me see him! He's hurt!"
"Your Majesty! We're trying to help you!" One of the men tried vainly to reason with the king. "You're not in your right mind!"
But Yuuri didn't hear him. "Wolfram!"
Conrad watched them hoist a bound and injured Wolfram over the edge. They ignored the swearing and grunts and bound him further. They placed him next to Conrad. The middle prince could see the pale skin and red-stained shirt.
"Wolfram! Are you alright?" Conrad asked fearfully.
"It's not bad," Wolfram panted. "A surface cut. It just hurts like a bitch."
"Take it easy," Conrad cautioned. They turned their attention to the now emerging Shou Cimarron king, who looked upon them in smug triumph for just a moment before turning to the still protesting Yuuri.
"Yuuri! Thank gods, you're alive!" Saralegui cried in joyful relief. The men let go of Yuuri's arms to allow Saralegui to embrace the confused king. "I'm so happy! We feared the worst!"
Arms robotically lifted to half-heartedly return Saralegui's embrace. Yuuri's wide eyes glanced between the human king and his bound friends, mind obviously racing to make sense of the situation. He finally settled on Wolfram, eyes going from confused to worry when they settled on the darkening stain.
But to their surprise, Yuuri instead turned to the other king. "Sara, what's going on? Why are you capturing them?" Yuuri pushed Saralegui to look upon him doe-eyed and voice heavy with innocent concern. "They're my friends!"
"They deceived you, Yuuri," Saralegui glared at them. "They were trying to poison you and place the blame on Shou Cimarron."
"What in the…" Yuuri looked at them in disbelief. "But that's not possible! There must be some mistake!" He moved to stand in front of them. "Conrad, please tell me that's not true!"
"It's not," Conrad started to say but the Sage beat him to it.
"We were trying to save the kingdom from this human serpent," Murata said coldly.
Conrad looked at the Sage. His face remained cold and stoic, not leaving Yuuri's own gaze. He only felt momentary confusion when he saw the calculated spark in the Sage's eyes. The Sage met Yuuri's gaze for only a second before Yuuri continued.
"Conrad...Gwendal...please tell me this isn't true," Yuuri's voice cracked with sorrow. Conrad glanced at his brother. Gwendal kept his eyes to the floor, face as stone as ever. Only Conrad could see the warring turmoil and confusion in his bother.
"Don't bother, my love," Saralegui said, taking Yuuri's hand to guide him away from the prisoners. "They will only lie to you."
Saralegui cupped Yuuri's cheek, capturing the other man's eyes. His voice became deliberate and slow. "Look at me. They are traitors sent to harm you. They've lied to you for years. I'm the only one you can trust." Saralegui pulled Yuuri into a sensuous kiss to assure him. He held Yuuri's lips for far longer than necessary before releasing him.
"I'm the only one..." He whispered, voice heavy with deception.
"Sara?" Yuuri said hesitantly, seemingly falling under his influence.
"Don't listen to him, Yuuri!"
Yuuri broke the trance to look at Wolfram. His expression hardened. "How could you do this? I thought better of you, William."
Wolfram was aghast. "That's not true! I'm your real fiance! Saralegui's the one you can't trust!"
"You're hurt?" Yuuri suddenly ignored him and leaned in to look closer at Wolfram's injury. He turned back to Saralegui. "They should be questioned. This one needs medical attention so he can be properly judged."
Saralegui shook his head in resignation. "Yuuri... You cannot show such kindness to these traitors."
"I am the demon king! All people should be treated humanely!" Yuuri said sternly. "If none of you will do it, then I will!"
"Don't!" Saralegui grabbed Yuuri when he tried to kneel before a shocked Wolfram. "He is diseased! To touch him is to seal your own death!"
"Disease?" Yuuri repeated. Wolfram diverted his attention to the ground.
Saralegui looked upon the blonde prince in disgust. "Yes. He has lues - a common disease among the prostitutes. This one is a whore for pay when not conspiring against the crown."
"Lying bastard!" Wolfram snarled, pulling vainly at his bounds which only got him a hard punch in the gut from one of the soldiers. Wolfram made a retching sound and crumpled.
Conrad noticed Yuuri's expression change from hard to unease. An expression of worry and compassion not simply for a traitorous friend showed for a only a second before it was replaced by nervous determination.
"I can't believe you all would do this! I considered you my family!" Yuuri choked, running his hands through messed hair in anguish. "Conrad! You're my godfather! You named me! Why?!"
Conrad could only draw a blank. "I...Yuuri…"
"Don't worry, Yuuri," Saralegui placed Yuuri's face between his hands in comfort. "They will get their comeuppance…"
"Maybe, you're right…."Yuuri whispered, downcast.
Saralegui smiled. "Of course."
And as if to mock them, pulled Yuuri into another lingering kiss.
Conrad could feel the anger boiling from his younger brother beside him.
Suddenly, Yuuri began to stumble, gripping his head with a grimace. "I-I feel sick. This is too much...I…" His eyes rolled back into his head and he collapsed with a loud thud.
"Yuuri!"
"Your Majesty!"
"Take him below deck," Saralegui said as the men gathered Yuuri. "He is still suffering from their spell."
He turned to his prisoners with vengeful hatred.
"As for you, throw them in the brig," He jabbed a finger at Wolfram. "And only keep this one alive long enough to be executed."
* * * * * * * * * * * * MOS * * * * * * * * * * * *
Chapter 12!
We're reaching the climax folks! How will our heroes get out of this one!?
Thank you again for those of you who sent messages of encouragement and support. This has been a challenging and impossible year for me, but having so many caring people makes it tolerable.
As always, your comments are welcome and I look forward to hearing from you!