"I hated you so much for that."
Yuuri opened one eye, squinting in the bright sunlight. "I told you it wasn't my fault," he pouted. "You know I'm a pacifist."
"Is that your word for 'wimp'?"
"Don't call me a wimp!"
Wolfram smirked and leaned back against a tree trunk, looking up at the cloudless sky. He held up one graceful hand to shade his face from the sun. "Can you blame me? You came into my home -"
"Gwendel's home -"
"My family's home, and my half-breed brother was already slobbering all over you like a cat -"
"You mean a dog."
"Would you just stop interrupting?" A tiny wrinkle appeared between the fair boy's eyes. "And when I tried to defend my honor, you cheated me with your ridiculous tactics, and used the power of the Maou to scold me like a little kid."
"In my defense, you were acting like kind of a brat."
"My uniform was ruined."
"Good thing you have at least six more exactly like it."
"Not to mention my reputation."
Yuuri looked up mischievously. "Is it really so shameful to be engaged to the king?"
Wolfram sighed in exasperation. "None of this is the point. We're getting completely off track. Okay... when you're trying to control your magic, you have to channel -"
Yuuri sat up suddenly. "Hey, do you wanna race? I bet I can make it to that tree over there before you do!"
"Eh? Wait, Yuuri, what about your magic lesson? Hey-!"
But the dark-haired boy had already leapt up and was tearing across the yard, throwing a string of taunts and catcalls over his shoulder.
Wolfram sighed and shook his head. "Fine," he said to himself, brushing off his uniform. "If that's how you want to play..."
The surprised shriek that echoed around the courtyard when the goal tree burst into flames was the most satisfying thing Wolfram had heard all day.
