Gwendal wanted to pretend to be asleep until the day he died.
Already three hours had passed since he had woken up because of three needs: hunger, thirst, and he really needed to relieve himself. There was an equal amount of reasons why he wasn't able to get out of bed: Yuuri had his arm around him, Yuuri knew Gwendal was having "personal issues", and Gwendal's body was being troublesome again.
He didn't want to deal with the second problem. The fact Yuuri knew about the General "struggling" was bad enough, but "working through it together" was an entirely different matter. Gwendal hadn't even wanted Yuuri to find out, let alone "help", whatever that entailed.
"Gwen?"
The whisper against his ear sent a shiver down his spine, which he knew was all the confirmation the Maou needed.
"You are awake," Yuuri mumbled, nuzzling the back of the demon's head. "I thought so."
Gwendal couldn't even bring himself to speak, concentrating as hard as he was on calming himself.
"Do you feel any better?" the boy questioned, to which the General gave a fervent nod in answer. "Are you hungry?"
As if on cue, the demon's stomach gave an audible gurgle.
Yuuri snickered against Gwendal's neck, sending another thrill along the man's skin.
"Can you sit up? I'll get the maids to deliver some food."
The General was grateful for when Yuuri not only got out of the bed, but hastily left the room. Not wasting even a second, Gwendal leaped from the mattress and snatched up his robe before dashing from his chambers. He was going to the baths with plans on hiding there until his body was willing to cooperate with him.
This, as he later realized he should have guessed, was a horrible idea.
Yozak was already in the baths and being the man he was said nothing even as Gwendal, oblivious to the spy's presence, stripped and settled into the bath.
"G-Gurrier!" the demon shouted in disbelief when he saw the half-demon was sitting across from him and looking positively pleased with himself.
"Well, hello, your excellency!" Yozak gave a wave. "You look perky this morning!"
"I swear..." the General growled as he glared at the spy with hopes this would not only silence the other man, but send him running as well.
Seemingly unfazed by his superior's glower, Yozak smiled.
"Would you like some time alone?" the spy questioned. "Or should I go call his majesty for you?"
"Why would I need his majesty?" Gwendal decided to play dumb. "And what do I care if you're in here, Gurrier? It is simply common courtesy to announce yourself if you're present."
"Ooooooh." Yozak laughed. "Okay. I think I understand. Well, at least, you seem better than you were a few days ago."
The demon crossed his arms, glad when he realized seeing the spy had killed his body's desires.
"Wait. A few days ago?" Gwendal gasped, looking up at Yozak in surprise.
"Yup," the spy nodded. "His majesty, the Captain, Lord von Christ, and Little Lord Br...I mean, Lord von Bielefeld all just returned this morning from an expedition. Lord von Gegenhuber thought they'd found a box, but he was mistaken."
"I've been asleep for a few days?" the General questioned.
"Off and on," Yozak clarified. "Gisela, the maids, Anissina, Greta, and yours truly have been tending to you. Don't worry: we didn't do anything too embarrassing."
Gwendal groaned, resting his head on the side of the tub.
This wouldn't be the first time he'd been unconscious for days at a time, but this was the first time said unconsciousness was caused by his being overworked. Frustration set in and he pinched his brows together.
"Lord von Christ has been managing the paperwork for you," Yozak threw in as if to comfort the man. "Oh, and your mother has returned. She wants to go on a picnic, she says."
Muttering some kind of response, Gwendal tried to work out in his head what this situation would mean for his position. As General and Adviser and as a Lord, he had no right to let something so trivial as being overworked put him out of commission for this many days. It was appropriate for the others in power to question his ability if such a simple thing was enough to bring him down.
He recalled in years past when the front lines of battle would mean sleepless nights and restless days. Somehow, he had survived those with minimal fatigue and even been a successful warrior and leader despite the hardship.
Now, paperwork of all things got the best of him.
"Oh, stop beating yourself up, your excellency," Yozak chuckled. "It's not the end of the world."
Gwendal seriously wondered about that before dismissing himself and redressing.
Wandering back to his room, the General wasn't surprised when he saw Yuuri waiting for him with furrowed brows.
"Where were you?" the boy asked, but paused when he noticed the demon's wet hair. "Oh. Do you feel better?"
The demon stiffened, hoping the youth didn't mean what it sounded like he meant.
"The maids already delivered our breakfast," Yuuri said, opening the bedroom door. "I picked out your clothes. I hope you don't mind."
Staring at the attire laid out on his bed, Gwendal's stomach squirmed with excitement.
"I haven't worn this in a long time," the General commented as his hand ran over the red vest. "Conrart gave it to me as a gift for succeeding my uncle as Lord of Voltaire."
"Do you...like it?" Yuuri asked, worry in his voice.
The demon gave a quick nod before gathering the clothes and stepping behind a folding screen.
"You have a lot of clothes," the boy suddenly spoke. "I was really surprised...I really hope you don't mind that I rifled through your stuff."
"It is fine," Gwendal replied as he threw his night wear onto the top of the screen. "We are engaged after all."
"Yeah, I know, but..."
"Are you implying you would dislike it if I went through your belongings?"
"N-n-no!" Yuuri gasped. "I don't have anything to hide...uh...er...actually...I'd probably want to go through my room first before I let you look through things."
"Really?" Gwendal couldn't believe what the boy had just confessed. "There are things you wouldn't want me to see?"
"Well...sort of?"
"Such as?"
"If I don't want you to see them, why would I tell you about them?" Yuuri made a whimpering sound. "A-and...it's embarrassing..."
Gwendal contemplated pushing the boy for answers, but then decided he didn't want the favor returned.
"Y-you know," Yuuri began slowly. "Um...I do like you, Gwendal."
The General was glad the pants Yuuri had picked for him were slightly loose: his body was rebelling again.
"So..." the boy continued. "I've been...r-r-r-researching."
"Researching?" the demon repeated in surprise. "Researching what, exactly?"
"You know," the Maou mumbled, his voice becoming quieter. "About...men."
Gwendal stopped dressing as another reminder of how innocent Yuuri was came crashing down on him.
"You don't know?" the General asked, his voice sounding hoarse to his own ears.
"I do!" Yuuri corrected, sounding bewildered. "M-m-my mom gave me the whole rundown...actually, several times...and I got the standard education when I was eleven in school! B-b-but they don't really talk about...men...doing that...to other...men..."
"Why?"
"It's not...as commonly accepted where I'm from...as it is here."
Gwendal didn't know how to respond to this, so remained quiet as he continued dressing.
"I just wanted to know...some things," Yuuri eventually said. "So I started researching."
"I see." He didn't know what else to say.
"I'm too...scared," the boy admitted. "To research in detail. I'm sorry."
The demon gave a sigh as he came out from behind the folding screen.
"There's no need to apologize, Yuuri," he stated as he undid his ponytail. "You're young still and...incredibly innocent. It's part of your charm and one of the many things I like about you."
The demon reached the mirror on his dresser and began to tie his hair again.
"Gwendal," Yuuri suddenly blurted, sounding rushed. "I really want to be able to help you!"
Freezing, the General stared at the boy in the mirror and tried to regulate his breathing.
"W-what do you mean?" he finally choked out.
"I want to help you w-w-with your...problem."
"My problem?" the demon asked, watching as the boy's face became red.
He knew exactly what the youth was alluding too and he hated how it excited him. The best solution he could find was forcing Yuuri to say the words aloud. If he couldn't then Gwendal had all the excuse he needed to call Yuuri a child, which would scare the boy into not following through with whatever ideas he had gotten into his head.
"Y-you know what I'm talking about," the youth predictably mumbled, fidgeting where he stood.
"If you're talking about what I think you are," the General growled. "Then you should know that it is highly inappropriate and even dangerous for a child such as yourself to suggest such a thing to an adult, even if they are your fiance."
Despite what he assumed was a victory, Gwendal couldn't stop himself from feeling disappointed.
"I've been thinking," Yuuri spoke out, surprising the demon. "That I might already be sixteen. I mean, I counted the months and everything and I should be. Murata says I'm not though. Something about the significance of my earth birthday or...I don't know..."
"His eminence is likely correct." The General placed his hands on the top of his dresser.
"I just..." The boy gave a sigh. "I can tell you're suffering. I know you're in pain. I can tell. You avoid me too. Sometimes, you won't even look at me. It's like you're ashamed and it...it hurts."
The demon frowned.
"I don't like seeing you hurting. I don't want you to be in pain because of me."
"It's not..." The General turned around, but couldn't continue talking when he saw the tears running down the youth's cheeks.
"It's my fault." Yuuri wiped at his eyes with the back of his hand. "You got sick because of me."
"It wasn't..."
"Gwendal." The Maou looked up, determination coming to his face. "Do whatever you need to do for yourself and don't be ashamed! We'll work through the rest together! I promise!"
The General could only nod and was startled when this seemed to cause the boy some relief.
"I don't know..." Yuuri continued as he dried his face. "I don't know what I can do to help. I want to help, but I don't know what's right. And I am scared. I'm sorry."
Approaching the youth, Gwendal placed his hands on the boy's shoulders.
"I won't do anything to you, I promise," the General assured him.
"I don't want that either," the Maou admitted. "I mean, I like...what you do."
Closing his eyes, Gwendal exhaled.
"Yuuri, you're going to be the death of me. I'm too old for this."
"I'm sorry," Yuuri whispered, but he didn't sound like he meant it.
The demon opened his eyes and smiled down at the youth.
"Can I kiss you?" Gwendal asked and watched as Yuuri flushed.
"Y-you don't have to ask."
Smiling even wider, the General leaned down.
The kiss felt like a seal of agreement, Gwendal realized later as he ate his now cold breakfast. The moment their lips touched, a sense of ease had washed through the demon and he hadn't felt as guilty for his nightly ritual or for spending the past few days in bed. Yuuri saying they would work through everything together was the reassurance the General had needed. Conrart's meddling and Yozak's teasing had only put the demon on edge and, though the Maou had a tendency of shoving Gwendal over that edge from time to time, he always made sure to throw the demon a lifeline.
It was one of the many things Gwendal liked about Yuuri.
"Of all the places," Gwendal growled as he rode his horse beside Yozak. "She had to pick this place for her little outing."
The spy snickered as he glanced back at the carriage which Yuuri, Greta, and Cecilie were occupying. Behind the carriage, Conrad and Wolfram took up the rear of the procession.
"It's not that bad," Yozak commented. "Besides, it looks totally different from way back then."
"I don't care," the demon snapped back. "She's only doing this because she wants..."
"She wants?" the spy prompted.
"Never mind."
Though Gwendal had visited the Nameless Village multiple times since that fateful day, he never enjoyed his days spent there.
"Why are you riding up here with me?" he questioned to draw his mind away from painful memories. "Shouldn't you be with your other half?"
Yozak gave a groan.
"I really wish you would stop saying that," the spy told him. "Someone might overhear you and get the wrong idea, your excellency."
The demon grunted.
"As if they haven't already just by looking."
"I'll have you know, I have only utmost respect and admiration for my Captain," Yozak stated. "Nothing more."
"Uh-huh."
"Anissina's more my type," the spy admitted.
Gwendal instantly threw his head back, a laugh erupting from his throat.
"Oh, jeez," Yozak snarled. "It's true! Come on! Don't laugh! It's creepy as all hell!"
The General reigned in his laughter when he heard the carriage door open behind him.
"Gwendal?" Yuuri called. "Was that...you?"
"Gurrier!" the demon shouted back. "Was mocking how he thinks I would laugh!"
"I was not!" Yozak defended himself. "Your majesty, that horrific sound you just heard came from none other than the excellency's own mouth!"
"I didn't think it was horrific," the Maou objected. "I thought it sounded nice, if surprising."
Gwendal tensed, blush coming to his cheeks as Yozak began to laugh.
"What are you two talking about?" Yuuri asked, suddenly interested.
"Women!" Yozak called. "Lots of beautiful women!"
"I...don't want to know," the boy decided, closing the carriage door.
Gwendal relaxed a fraction and glared at the spy.
"Do you really find Anissina attractive?" the General demanded.
"She's a beautiful woman," Yozak explained. "And you don't find many people with a personality as big as hers. I mean, it's huge! A huge personality like that can't be overlooked and it's quite attractive."
The demon huffed.
"Well, if you mean what you say..." Gwendal looked away. "I won't object or stand against you."
This brought a chuckle from the spy.
"Oh, I'm not suicidal," Yozak corrected. "I wouldn't dare confess. She'd chew my head off to see if I was strong enough to stand beside her and I honestly don't think I'd survive. The only person who I think I could survive is probably..."
Gwendal peeked over at the half-demon.
"You're a stronger person than you give yourself credit for," the General stated. "And you're wrong about Anissina. She would just downright refuse you."
"Ouch."
"Not because she thinks you're unworthy," the demon clarified. "But because she's selfish and she recognizes this about herself. At least at this time, she knows she would struggle between devoting her time to herself and devoting her time to someone she cared about."
"Sounds like how you used to be," Yozak pointed out.
"I wasn't being selfish," Gwendal explained. "I simply wasn't looking to begin with. For me, Shin Makoku was more and still is more important than a relationship."
"Don't let his majesty hear that."
"I'm fairly certain Yuuri is aware of my stance on this." The demon glanced at the spy. "But I think you love Conrart more than Anissina, don't you?"
The spy rubbed at the back of his neck and shook his head.
"I only said Anissina was more my type," Yozak reminded him. "And of course I love the Captain. Who doesn't?"
"Adelbert, King Belar, and Wolfram claims not to."
"You know what I meant," the spy muttered before breaking into a grin. "You know, you've changed."
"And you're trying to change the topic."
"No, I mean it. We've never talked like this before. I remember the day I joined the Naval Academy and you just looked at me like I was the scummiest little slug you'd ever seen."
"I never thought that," Gwendal informed him.
"Oh? So what did you think?"
"Seeing you brought back painful memories," the demon told him. "That's all."
"About Dunheely?"
"Among other things."
"You've become amazingly open about your feelings," Yozak pointed out. "His majesty is a good influence on you."
"Be quiet," Gwendal growled. "Before I suspend you from spying duties."
The spy rolled his eyes, knowing full well the demon never would.
"I won't tattle on you," Yozak promised. "We wouldn't want to ruin your serious grumpy image you've fooled the rest of the kingdom with; however, I'm pretty sure Greta could spill the truth with just one word."
"Oh, and that is?"
"Papa!"
The demon yanked his horse to a stop and the spy followed suit. Behind them the carriage also came to a halt.
"Your excellency?" Yozak mumbled after a second of staring at the demon's stunned features. "Are you all right?"
"You take your jokes too far," Gwendal accused in a hiss.
"Is everything all right up there?" Conrad shouted. "Has something happened?"
The General kicked his horse into a trot while Yozak made some excuse for the break.
After a little while, he slowed his horse and wasn't surprised when Wolfram rode up beside him instead of Yozak. Relaxing, he immediately asked Wolfram how his training had been going lately.
"Were you teasing Gwendal again?" Conrad asked as he and Yozak continued the trip at the back of the procession.
"I may have gone too far on the last one," Yozak admitted, grinning at his friend. "But I'm sure he'll survive."
"You may want to consider laying off all teasing for awhile," Conrad suggested. "He's been under a lot of stress lately between everything that's been going on. I'm worried what it will do to him in the long run."
"You're babying him," the spy huffed. "Besides, other than the last one, I think he was enjoying himself."
"What did you say exactly?"
"Oh, I touched a nerve about him and Greta," Yozak confessed. "It was wrong and I knew it. I'm sorry."
"Greta, huh..." Conrad mumbled, staring ahead at where his brothers were riding side-by-side. "He's still struggling over whether or not she's his daughter."
"I think it's more an 'it's not official, so I shouldn't, but she acts like she is, so maybe I can' sort of deal."
Conrad sighed.
"I know Greta also struggles with this," the man hesitated. "Maybe I should talk to her."
"Don't push her."
"I think she feels she needs permission."
"Don't pus her," Yozak repeated.
"Well," Conrad shrugged. "It's not a concern for today."
Yozak smiled.
"Whatever you say, Captain."
Gwendal stared up at the branches of the tree he was resting his hand on as memories of years ago played through his mind. He had hoped Yuuri would prove enough of a distraction to keep him from returning to that place in time, but the tree and the story wrapped around it had won.
A hand slipped into his and he looked down to see Yuuri was standing beside him now.
"You want to take a walk?" Yuuri suggested, glancing away.
After peering back at his family and Yozak...who was he kidding? Yozak was part of the family.
After peering back at his family, Gwendal agreed and the two headed down the hill into the vineyards.
"Did you know," the General began speaking before he had even organized his thoughts. "I hated Dunheely Weller?"
"You did?" Yuuri asked in surprise. "Why?"
"He was a human, for starters, but he also...abandoned our family," Gwendal explained. "After my father passed away, my mother didn't wait too long before taking Dunheely Weller as her lover. He lived with us, never once trying to be my father, for which I suppose I am grateful. Then Conrart was born."
The demon didn't continue at first as he paused to pick some grapes for the youth.
"I was never jealous of how he treated Conrart," Gwendal admitted. "Because I didn't want Dunheely to treat me as he would treat his son. He wasn't my father, though this made Anissina angry. She would always scold me for not accepting Dunheely as my father. I suppose she felt I needed a father."
"She was probably worried about you," Yuuri guessed.
"Probably," the demon nodded as he passed the youth a handful of grapes. "In the end, he abandoned us."
"Do you know why?"
"I didn't discover until much later and I wouldn't have accepted such an excuse at that time anyways."
They started walking again.
"Sometimes, he would send for Conrart and he'd leave to meet him some place remote to go on lengthy journeys. Mother remarried and Wolfram was born. I was forty-eight when Wolfram was born, but even ten years later I was still such a child."
"Demons really do age differently," Yuuri mumbled.
"Dunheely was only thirty years older than I was," Gwendal informed the boy. "Even though I've been around humans before, this fact always bothers me because I'm thirty years older than Conrart and I had still looked like a child when Conrart was born."
"You didn't like how quickly Dunheely aged?"
"I thought he was selfish," the demon admitted. "For hurting my mother by aging too quickly. For hurting Conrart by aging too quickly."
"He didn't have a choice in the matter. It's not like you can control your age."
"But he could have controlled falling for Cecilie and having a son," Gwendal growled. "He could have rejected her and never had a child."
"But then Conrad would never have been born."
"True," the General nodded. "And for a time I thought that would be better. All the suffering Conrart endured made him never being born almost seem worth it."
"You don't think that anymore though, do you?"
"No...not anymore."
There was a pause as they entered the village, wandering down the single street between two rows of buildings.
"So you hated him because he left?" Yuuri questioned.
"I felt he had abandoned us and I was angry at him for this," Gwendal answered. "Then one day he came back and convinced me with the promise of a duel to come to this village here."
"This one?" Yuuri glanced around at the villages. "Why?"
"At the time, this place was rundown and only half-demons lived here. They had been collected by Dunheely to come to Shin Makoku, away from the human lands where they were persecuted for having demon blood in their veins; however, they found no peace here either. The village wasn't recognized by Shin Makoku, so when bandits attacked them no one would send aid."
"That's...awful..." Yuuri mumbled.
"Dunheely brought me to this place because he wanted to see what my Mazoku Pride was causing." Gwendal gave a short chuckle. "So we stayed that night and fought against the bandits and he died at the base of that tree."
They fell into silence as they exited the village and entered the neighboring forest.
"We buried him," the General continued. "The village and I. Then I returned home to inform my mother and Conrart."
"Did they cry?" Yuuri whispered.
"Mother didn't," Gwendal answered. "She just smiled at me, nodded, and went to her room. Perhaps, she cried there."
"And Conrad?"
"He broke down when I told him, though I suppose he expected it to happen. I think a part of him was angry I got to see him last and not him. I'm glad he wasn't with us. I remember what it was like to watch my father die and Conrart was better off not experiencing his own father's death face-to-face."
"You really care about Conrart," Yuuri smiled. "Don't you?"
"But I hated his father," Gwendal reminded him. "Even though he was a larger existence within myself than anyone else."
He stopped walking and turned towards the youth.
"But that was because I hated him."
"Gwendal?" the Maou mumbled as if expecting what the demon was about to say.
"That has changed," the General braced himself as he put his hands on the boy's shoulders. "You are now the largest existence within me."
"G-Gwen..." the boy stuttered, flush rising to his cheeks.
"And this time," the demon's voice dropped. "It's not because of hate."
"I...Gwen...um..."
"Yuuri."
He hesitated, knowing this was exactly what his mother wanted him to do, but he continued when he realized this was what he wanted to do.
"I love you."
Note: I do not know what actually happened to Gwendal's father as there is no mention of what happened to him anywhere on the web, so this is pure speculation on my part.