AN:
Hello, I know that it's been a really looong time since I have updated GSQ. I do apologize for that but I promised myself that I will finish this long fanfic. Please bear with me as it might take awhile. I already half forgotten about this and how I wanted the story to progress. I'm slowly getting it back on track.
As I reviewed my past additions to this fic, I started editing some of its contents. (primarily spelling and misuse of certain words and scenarios) I hope you like it. I will also insert image links for imagination purposes along the way. Since FF doesn't support placing images mid chapters.
Please use this link to view image references since FF doesn't allow mid chapter images. Please also be reminded that all the photos in the pinterest link are NOT mine. All the credits goes to their original owners because they made really amazing photos that I can use for inspiration.
The board contains images of how I imagine Branwen's looks, Her Clothes etc. I will be continuously updating this together with the fic.
/leiiiriuuki/god-save-our-queen-story-board/
Disclaimer: I do not own Kyou Kara Maou and any of its characters. This story is made solely because I can't get enough of Conrart and Yuuri.
WAIT WHAT? ENGAGEMENT? My jaw dropped at that.
What the hell just happened?
Guinter spoke with pulsating worry, "Your Majesty for you to propose at this early stage, You must have really liked him" For me it's more like a sobbing voice anyway.
"ME? PROPOSE? ENGAGE? WITH THIS BRAT? NO WAY!"
Bewildered, I looked from Conrart to Guinter aching for an explanation. But before Conrart could utter another sound, we heard a chattering sound of breaking glasses and falling utensils from the little lord brat's side.
"I have never.. Once in my life I have been humiliated like this before!" Coming from the blond boy.
Me on the other hand as if on instinct, faster than for Conrart and Guinter to utter the words "Your Majesty Please Don't pick it up!" rushed to pick the utensils on the floor "Look at what you just did you brat! Do you have any manners at all?" and faced the young man with anger.
To my surprise, yet again he just snickered "YOU PICKED IT UP" I looked at the object in my right hand and it was a fork and on the left, it was a knife. Confused as I was, I spaced out for a moment trying to search for answers from those who are around me. But I can only see excitement from Lady Cherry, the look of amusement from Lord Gwendal's eyes, Guinter wiggling with remorse and Conrart rubbing his temples with his hand like signifying that there is a lot of trouble coming. Just when I was trying to gasp the situation and angry voice spoke again "YOU DARE POINT THOSE AT ME? YOU REALLY ARE ASKING FOR YOUR DEATH!" I looked at him with semi angry confused eyes and he turned back with eyes as if wanting to eat me literally alive. He faced his back towards me and said "Tomorrow noon, make sure not to be late. You can decide on what method we are going to use." he then continued out of the hall leaving just the sullied dining hall and the confused me.
The only words I managed to say was "What the heck just happened?" O_O
Upon gaining my composure, I turned to Conrad and asked about what just happened.
"I haven't even eaten half my meal and all of this happened. Can you please explain to me?" Guinter made his way between Conrad and I and he explained everything. While Guinter was explaining, Conrad asked one of the servants to prepare another portion of the meal for me and urged me to eat while they explained what happened and what's going to happen tomorrow.
Conrart and I made our way to the courtyard after eating. He had a soldier prepare some stuff for me. It was a beautiful open courtyard with a fountain in the middle. This can actually be a really relaxing place if not for the events earlier. I sat down at the edge of the fountain feeling really exhausted and down.
"I still can't believe it! Slapping a person with your right hand to the left cheek means that you propose to that person and if the other faces left, he or she accepts regardless if it was just your first meeting or the reason for the said action. I'm still too young to get engaged! In addition to that, purposefully scattering utensils on the floor is a duel invitation and if the other party picks it up, he/ she agrees to the said duel and more over, if the fork, is accompanied by a knife pointed to the person who asked for the duel signify that the match is to the death." I ranted as Conrart arranged what he needed to arrange. I am full of fury!
"Who ever invented such a stupid rule?! Even if it's tradition here, Conrart, shouldn't I be exempted from those for I have not been properly informed about it? No matter how I think about it, I wanna teach that brat a lesson but can't I be allowed to rest my mind and body? even just for a little while?" I asked.
Conrart walked towards me and kneel. "Forgive me Your Majesty, I was the one who failed to inform you about the traditions of this county. It is I to blame that this misfortune befall you."
"What are you doing? You don't have to do that!" I was shocked by his action and leaned back towards the pond. ohh no! I don't have a backrest! I closed my eyes to prepare for the impact yet it never came, I peeked and saw Conrart's panicked look; half kneeling half standing; one of his hands on my wrist and the other's on my waist. "That was close! Are you alright, Your Majesty?" I couldn't help but be wary of our state so I quickly pulled away.
"Goodness! It's a good thing you caught me! Thank you." I looked at the things he was rummaging at earlier and saw that it was a variety of swords. Small ones that I think he had gathered for my size. I picked one up to feel hilt on my palm and examined it. "These are very well made! It's a bit heavier than a baseball bat and a fencing sword but the grip is nice. It feels really nostalgic!" I said remembering the good old days.
"I tried to have them find the one that will suit you best but on a short notice these are the only ones that were gathered. You may choose any of those to practice with Your Majesty. I'm pleased to know that you liked them."He said.
"Wait highness, You just said that it's heavier than a fencing sword. Does that mean that you're a_" I immediately cut him off.
"I can see that you're surprised. There are a lot of things that you don't know about me. When I was younger my mom enrolled me in different sports and self defense classes. She said that I will need it since I'm a lady. A few of them are fencing and baseball." I explained. I can't help but smile at the bitter sweet memories of me playing baseball.
He must have noticed the expression on my face. He smiled and frowned. "If you love baseball so much, why did you quit playing then?" It was my turn to step back at his question. I remember the good old days when I still played with the team. It was fun, baseball was my only life. I traded some of my activities just to play baseball. Then that incident happened.
"... I flew into a rage like a while ago, as soon as I hit the coach I was kicked off the team" I explained.
"That's the reason you left the team isn't it? What I am asking isn't about the team, why did you quit baseball?"
"Well, I had other responsibilities ahead of me, my mother wanted me to try different things aside from baseball too."
I didn't realize that I was spacing out till an object suddenly came flying my way. I manage to catch it on instinct. It was a round object. Before I can fully know what it was, Conrart spoke. "Why don't we play catch for a little bit Your highness?" It was only then that I saw him waving a mitt at me. I missed playing so why not!
"Does this country have a word for night games? Do you play baseball at night somewhere?"
"We don't. We have extremely few words for baseball... it's just something me and the children have an interest in..."
Conrad handed me his own personal glove. As usual, glove. Not a mitt. While I muttered 'well it can't be helped', I looked at the light brown hard leather model you wear with your index finger on the outside. It isn't an old model, it's a fairly recent infielder's glove. I have my heart teacher's favorite model Zett, but this isn't a Mizuno, or Descente. Of course this is a different world, so it couldn't be a brand I know. But this boomerang mark I am used to seeing...
"...Nike... it couldn't be"
We separated by 10 meters, and Conrad swung his hand wide.
"Heika, here it comes"
In the glove I held diagonally above my face, a hard ball landed in my glove. The unique feeling of leather and leather hitting and rubbing. It crashed into the center of my hand but a throb made it all the way down to my elbow.
"It's a hard ball"
That's right. But it feels good. Up until now I've always played with soft balls.
As I moved the baseball to my right hand, it's unexpectedly smooth but not uncomfortable. If I look closely there are some lines that look like letters that could fade away any minute written there. Of course I can't read the mazoku language but, it seems like a name on the ball, from an outsider's view it looks very childish. I slowly pulled my arm back, lightly snapped it back. Because it didn't go as far as I thought it would, it made a nice sound in my partner's glove.
Since the temperature difference between day and night is big, even though it is spring my breath is white. Like that one scene in field of dreams, after we carefully warmed up a bit, I looked at Conrad's expression. Once I was sure he was having fun I asked.
"Can I try to squat?"
"Squat?"
"Yeah, umm, step 6 steps back. Ok good, try to throw from there"
"It's far, Heika"
"It's ok, I'm already a high school student! Come on, throw it straight, right in the center!"
I squatted, putting power in one part of the soul of my foot. The coming back strong one pound, I caught it at my knees between my legs. Because it was thrown with such horrible form, it didn't have any weight or speed.
"Who taught you how to throw that way?" I ran the ball back to him, I was surprised that even his finger position was wrong.
"Like that you just get speed. Anyway, Where in the world, who taught you this nonsense?"
"I didn't learn from anyone. just by watching a baseball game, I thought maybe it was this way myself. The grip and the throwing style, I figured out from observing it from afar"
"If there are games there is also practice right? So there are teachers and students right? Alright, you hold the ball with 3 fingers like this, base your fingers on the stitches"
"I see... um, this way you can throw strong balls?"
"Of course!? With that firm grip, it'll have a hard time leaving your hand. Where was the game? Does this country have a stadium or something? Friday night for the citizens' enjoyment, beer, nighter, Giants?"
"I don't really know of a league named the giants...But Heika, in this country there isn't baseball. The game I'm talking about, wasn't in our country"
While I listened to his vague half hearted reply, I put my glove in my armpit and I grasped Conrad's hand to explain. See this is four-seam, crossing over the seams gives you a hoping feeling. Rather than hearing about this world's baseball, I was particularly enthusiastic about teaching.
"Do you move your body weight with the wind up? If you don't you can't stand firmly on your pivot leg. The whole time keep your gaze on one landmark, don't turn away from my mitt. Now, the stride should be short but it depends on the person throwing, you have to find the best way for you. Your follow through is a little unusually large but..."
While I was saying it, inside me it somehow made me happy. While holding my partners hands and shoulders, moving them according to my words, the child within me was revived, my chest started to feel warm.
"... So it was like this, huh?" I blurted my thoughts.
"What?"
"I thought it might have been like this. when I was taught. When I was 10 or so, a pro baseball player came for a one day baseball class. At that time I was a crying catcher, my father got tickets from one of his connections, I slipped into the grounds"
I wasn't particularly big, nor was I really emotionally firm. I was just an elementary school student who decided my position from one word from my father, scared of fast balls coming towards him, and players thrusting towards me. I was wearing a mask but, things coming toward my face were scary. As a catcher to the well proportioned professional catcher, I hung my head and spoke frankly.
"I told him I was scared, I guess I just don't have the aptitude for it huh? But that person crouched me down you know, with himself behind me, like this, kinda like he was hugging me, He placed the mitt he was holding for me, and then called a nearby player."
He was a pro player more than 180 cm tall but, above his largely brandished legs, in the middle of his blue glove he gripped a ball, he held it out into the air with long fingers. Now that I think about it I'm sure it was a really slow-ball. But even after the brand new pure white ball flew into my mitt, while I even forgot to blink, I just sat there in that spot.
"Then, over my shoulder, the teacher asked. Were you scared? but even so I still..."
"You were able to catch a pro's ball. but you are still afraid of junior's balls?" while looking into Conrad's hand, I remembered that day's wind. there wasn't a roof yet. the sunshine was right on my cap.
"...I can't forget that, that feeling"
"That teacher 's warmth?"
"Not warmth! Besides it's just that I decided on my own that he would be my heart teacher, I haven't spoken to him since that one time, I didn't even get his autograph!"
"But Heika you are... that teacher's team's fan right?"
"Of course I am!? My cell phone ring tone was the team song for a while, I always watch their matches till the end, on the weekends I check the FM, I'm a member of the fan club and I go to the baseball stadium. I've been keeping a news article scrap book this year is the 4th year, My stored videos keep multiplying... Who are you a fan of? I wonder what the team names like here?"
Conrad, crossed his arms with a meaningful facial expression
"Boston Red Socks"
"Red Socks!? Ooka! Orellano,WolcottClarkRhodes, to Kintetsu!"
"Who? I don't know"
"But in the pa... in my world they are former players in the red socks. well, I guess there is a team in this world with the same name, there are things like that, like there are tigers and the giants in both Japan and America, it's confusing with Japanese-American baseball, Cubs vs Giants, but the nationalities are completely different..."
"Giants, National League"
"The league name is the same too? And a place called Boston... that can't be it..."
If I think about it, this man is strange. He talks with me too easily. While gripping the ball, I stared at Conrad's face. I unconsciously gripped the ball dangerously hard, my index finger cramped.
I can't help thinking..I have to ask..
"Hey, Things that Gunter doesn't understand at all, you know very well. Like a merry go round, about my father... and on top of that the Red Socks... What is that? You said that wasn't about this country. Then where? What country in this world, does some human society like baseball? Where are the Boston Red Socks?"
It can't be.
"Is there one other than Earth, America, Massachusetts!?"
It can't be.
Conrad, wearing a glove threw with both hands, and shook his head no.
"Nowhere else. There isn't one other than, Earth, America, Massachusetts"
"Then, why"
"Because I've been there"
"Been there, where, who?" I'm so confused.
"I have been to Boston"
Boston?
"Not just Boston, I went to lots of places. Washington, Staten island, New Hampshire, Orlando, Quebec, Edinburgh, Wales, Düsseldorf, Cherbourg. While preciously protecting Heika's soul, I visited the world you lived in"
Walking on earth, visitor from another world.
"Seventeen years ago, after all my wounds were healed, while protecting Heika's soul that had become pure white, I went to the place you were born, to the United States of America. There I learned the fun of baseball, after I learned the future Maou was born safely I returned home. Heika's mother if a very firm person, even as it seemed she was about to give birth, she yelled at the taxi driver"
"Could you be... could you be the maker of my name who rode with her!?"
"I didn't think she would use it..."
He was responsible for my name.
"YOU are my godfather who shared his cab with my mother?" I can no longer hide my shock. The handsome man my mother was talking about.. I'm standing in front of him right now. Calling me Your Majesty.
"I've waited 15 years for the day I can finally meet you, Your Majesty." he continued.
The conversation stock in my left brain, at that time was thinking thanks or wanting to thank him on my mother's behalf, I was searching for something orthodox like that but, in front of his very human like facial expression, my right brain went against it and won, and I didn't have any other words.
"Don't call me Your Majesty or Heika. You named me." These were the only words I could manage to find.
"Yuuri. Call me Yuuri Conrart." My baffled expression was mirrored by his.
"So Conrart, in this world baseball isn't really popular yet right?"
"Not really, it is only, me and the children"
"So, right now, we can start a team here right?"
"Certainly you could be a player and a coach and a manager and a referee, above all you would probably be an owner. For a country team, the Queen is probably the owner."
"Being the Maou might be nice"
Conrad looked me straight in the eyes, and with his light brown eyes narrowed said.
"I'm glad, Heika. Your mood has brightened a bit"
My mood lightened Conrad. But something, something seems to be floating around in my head but won't come out.
"Eh, so because I am the Queen, I can make baseball the national sport?"
"Certainly Your Majesty! But before that, you must not forget your match for tomorrow. We have to practice." Conrart said with a stern tone.
"Yeah, I forgot! But I have a favor from you."
I whispered to his ear. He was a bit shocked but said okay with it.
Then after a few moments, We started sparring with our swords. The night is deep and the only sound that can be heard is the clashing of two metals.