Chapter 20:

CONFUSION

Yuuri's POV (Flashback)

Yuuri sat in a wine barrel, being carried to the boat that Conrad and the others would be sailing off, with. The guard had gone to great lengths to keep the king's teacher from noticing his absence, planning an escape and hiding him in the barrel. He would more than likely get caught due to his suspicious behavior, but he had no other choice, besides face the 27th Demon King of the Great Demon Kingdom's wrath. Well, the wrath that he imagined he'd inflict.

The boy knew that he could never bring himself to hurt anybody, yet he threatened the guard with unwavering confidence and only prayed that he'd take his word for it. Thankfully, he had.

"Forgive me if I may seem rude or intrusive, your highness", the guard began, warily, while he carried the barrel. "But you must really care for Lord Weller, to go through these lengths, for him. I-I admire that..."

He sounded as though he'd actually been afraid of the boy and was walking on thin ice, taking a great risk by expressing genuine admiration. It made Yuuri feel guilty for being so assertive, earlier. "Thanks, I guess", the Maoh stuttered. "Ah... What's your name, again?"

"Diederick Bauer, your highness. Thank you for asking." He could hear the smile on the guard's face and it lessened the guilt in his heart, replacing it with love and joy that he'd made the man smile.

"Diederick", he sounded out. Again with the weird names, on this planet... "You don't have to be so formal with me, you know? I'll try to find a way to pay you back for this."

"You're too kind, your highness." A moment of silence passed before he was placed onto a solid but slightly swaying surface. "May I ask you something, your majesty?"

Yozak's POV

As they walked to the interrogation room, Gunter, Gwendal, and Wolfram spoke about the guard that attempted to assassinate the king, while they were on the boat. His highness, Conrad, his eminence, and Yozak, on the other hand, all walked in a tense silence.

Eventually, Conrad spoke up, though the tension only seemed to thicken, once he did. "Your highness, please forgive me for stopping you so abruptly. I didn't mean to offend or disrespect you in anyway and-"

The king picked up his pace and the captain stared after him with hurt and disappointment written all over his face. Once he realized that Yozak had been staring, he furrowed his brows and snapped his head to him, glaring furiously. The spy only responded by whistling nonchalantly and following his majesty with the same speedy pace.

Once the two were far enough from the others not to be overheard, he whispered, "Your majesty, I can't help but think that this runs deeper than betrayal."

The boy said nothing but gave a slight nod in response, staring straight ahead with a stressed look on his face. Yozak wasn't going to press it any further, after seeing that his highness wasn't in the mood to talk. The captain can sometimes be such an idiot...

Conrad's POV

He'd messed up several times, consistently failing the king, and it was beginning to make him weary and break his heart, yet it somehow made him desperate to please Yuuri. He wanted to do something - anything - to make him see his love, at the very least. He didn't have to shower him with praise or even forgive him for his wrongdoings, but he had to at least understand that Conrad would do anything for him. Anything. And if all he could do to please his highness was to protect and aid him, he would do his best, asking himself with every step, "What would his highness do?" That's the least I could do, yet I don't know another option.

Yozak's POV

They walked into the interrogation room and, not surprisingly, the assassin was tied from head to toe with rope. Only his eyes could be seen. "Gunter", he began, clearly restraining himself from snapping at the man while only revealing to the common eye a tick of irritation and a twitching eyebrow. Once you get to know the captain, he's so easy to read. "Isn't this a bit overkill...?"

"Absolutely not", the man screeched, dramatically. "He tried to assassinate his highness! He needed to be restrained! What would we ever do if he were to get loose? Oh, I'd have to kill myself for my incompetence could never be suitable for his highness' aid!" He deflated and dramatically fainted to the ground, groaning the whole way down.

Everyone in the room but Yozak and his eminence sighed heavily and a bead of sweat rolled down their faces. The spy looked at him out of the corner of his eye and caught him looking back with the same questioning look. It was as though they were both telepathically asking each other whether or not they were both thinking the same thing. It appeared so, but he wanted to be sure before assuming anything. "Your eminence", the red-head asked, abruptly drawing the attention of the room's other occupants. "What's your take on this whole situation?"

The Great Wise Man put a hand on his chin and looked at the assassin. "There's something that doesn't sit right with me. Was it really just a coincidence that the assassin came to kill Shibuya during the time that Sir Weller was gone. And why was it that Big Shimaron's army just so happened to be heading our way?"

"You think that they knew we were coming", Gwendal stated, receiving a nod from the boy, in response. "But how could that be possible? It was only last night that we planned the trip and we did so during an unplanned meeting. If you're suggesting that someone came to listen to our conversation, how could they possibly know to listen in?"

His eminence dropped his hand and looked at Lord Von Christ with a contemplative look on his face. Just when Yozak was about to prod further into the mind of the old-souled boy, his eminence turned his attention back to the red-head, this time staring with a look that implied the situation was more dire than it sounded, which would make it pretty bad.

"Either we're dealing with a very skilled strategist", his eminence began. "Or we've got a rat nested in the castle."

I'm baaaack! Didn't know I was gone? Oh, well... that's not surprising. xD Sorry, I just got a new phone and didn't even have time to write until Monday night, but I didn't even have any notes up, to gather inspiration! ;o; Last night, though, I came up with a lengthy plot for this series, so be ready for another 20 or so chapters :3

ThInGs ArE gOnNa GeT cRaZaY.

Or at least more complicated and interesting.

Toodloo~ ( ~ • u • ) ~