Calm before the Storm

Pairing: Wolfram and Yuuri of course!

I don't own Kyou Kara Maou. I wish i do though.

Chapter 4

The sun casts its first light, blanketing the land with warmth. Sunny yellow buttercups bloomed amidst the thick grass which swayed softly, in one with the wind. Foxglove sprang tall and purple among the trees that served as a house for small creatures. Already, kohi's flew about bearing parcels to deliver to merchants, to be sold or traded that day.

Already, people have managed to stagger out of bed to start their day - feeding the livestock, chopping wood for fire, setting out the laundry. Peddlers and merchants are already arranging their wares. Children run about to play under the watchful eyes of their mothers, who took advantage of the time to gossip with each other. All in all, an ordinary day it would seem.

The sound and bustle of the scene is so picturesque to anyone who will stay still and watch. Normal people going on with their normal lives; unsuspecting of any danger that might be lurking silently in the shadows.

In a blink of the eye everything has changed. Clouds rolled to layer the sky so that light cannot force their way to bask the land. Fearful of the sudden change, people stopped whatever they're doing to get inside the safety of their homes. They never got the chance. A heavy fog surrounded the once serene scene, enveloping everyone in sudden darkness.

When everything cleared up, nothing can be seen anymore.

XOXO

"Wimp stop fidgeting!"

Yuuri pouted, eyeing the blonde beside him grumpily. He's not used to sitting in a throne. Much less having a jeweled crown at the top of his head that weighs a ton and a cape that wishes to strangle him held close by an equally heavy brooch bearing a figure of 3 water dragons in it, the design of his new seal. He really can't see why they he has to wait for their guest here in the throne room instead of waiting out there in the courtyard with Gwendal and Gunter. Everything feels so wrong about this…this display of wealth and power. And it doesn't help that Wolfram kept on making snide comments. Wimp you say…you're not the one wearing a boulder in your head!

Murata snickered at the other side of the king, obviously enjoying his friend's discomfort. "Well Shibuya, didn't you choose to be like this on your 16th birthday? Well here you are now, heika."

"Stop with the heika crap Murata or I am throwing this crown at you like a baseball!" Yuuri exploded; frustrated at the fact that he really can't do anything about his current situation. He did choose to fulfill the responsibilities of the Maou. However, he didn't know that part of the Maou's duty is to wear things like crowns or jewelry.

Conrad, whose shoulders were suspiciously shaking a while ago, tried to comfort the irritable, albeit amusing, Maou. "Now Yuuri," Conrad placated, making sure to use the Maou's first name. "It's only proper for you to wait here for the guest because you're the Maou of this country. People come to you not the other way around."

Yuuri slumped at his throne, ignoring the sounds of disapproval Wolfram was making at the back of his throat. "I got that from Gunter Conrad. I just don't understand why we have-"

The double doors flew open, to reveal a sweating Dorcas catching his breath. "Heika…the Callisto king is on his way to the throne room! His Excellency sent me ahead to warn you and give you time to compose yourself!" And with that, Dorcas closed the double doors again, leaving the occupants of the room.

The Maou immediately straightened in his chair, weeks of Gunter's droning lecture about decorum and conduct playing over and over his head. He tried to refrain from fidgeting again, sensing Wolfram's stare. He's afraid the blonde might knock him over if he so does so much as breathe.

Yuuri's spine was hurting already from painfully seating up straight as Gunter instructed, when the double doors opened again. He felt the people standing at his sides tense as they all waited for their first glance of the visitor.

"His Majesty, King Spencer Erebus Callisto, 13th King of Callisto." A soldier announced from the door. "And his regent, Lemnos."

The soldier stepped aside, allowing the people behind him to enter. Yuuri's mouth fell slightly open as he found himself staring at a young man with black hair and black eyes so much like his own.

XOXO

Dinner was an extravagant affair, showcasing the best cuisine in Shin Makoku. Bottles of wine chilled to perfection accompanied each of the dish served in the 25-course dinner. Everyone was dressed in their formal attire, and Yuuri, though relieved to take off his crown, was still wearing the heavy cape which made him swelter throughout the whole meal.

Yuuri was not the only one uncomfortable during the meal. Wolfram was seated near the opposite end of the table, far from Yuuri's place at the other end. Ever since the unofficial breaking of their engagement, Wolfram had taken it upon himself to sit far from the king, seeing that it is no longer his place to sit at Yuuri's immediate left. He didn't mind much before, seeing that he's trying to avoid the other boy. But now, he had to deal with the intense stares being directed to him by the human king, who is seated opposite from Yuuri at the other end of the table. It took so much of Wolfram's discipline not to shout and demand why the heck he was staring. As a result, Wolfram was not able to eat that much, conscious of the other king's stare.

"I am sorry for gawking at you for a bit earlier." Yuuri addressed the other king in the room as the maids cleared up the last of their dinner plates. "It's just that I've never seen anyone with black hair and eyes like me and Murata here."

Spencer slightly bowed at the Maou. "No matter heika. My appearance often caused me extra attention, especially in Callisto, so I am used to it."

"Ah you don't need to be too formal. We're going to be allies now. You can call me Yuuri!"

"Thank you hei- Yuuri. Please call me Spencer."

"Sure Spencer!" Yuuri smiled widely, obviously liking the human king.

"If you don't mind me asking," Murata spoke up from Yuuri's right side, a smile gracing his features. "Do your parents also have the same coloring?"

"I don't mind Geika. No they're not. My father has brown hair and hazel eyes while my mother has beautiful blonde hair and blue eyes. My father explained that I probably got my coloring from a Mazoku ancestor who possesses black hair and eyes."

"Oh I see." Murata said, his head nodding in understanding, his lenses reflecting the soft light coming from the lamps. "You probably a throwback from a few generations back! In any case it's good to have you here."

"The pleasure is mine, Geika."

XOXO

Wolfram walked tiredly as he made his way towards his bedroom. Greta was sure hard to put to sleep today, asking 2 stories from him and Yuuri before going to bed. And that was before she insisted on knowing how the Callisto king looked like and how the formal dinner went. Wolfram feared that he was going to lose the ability to speak tomorrow, if not for Yuuri being there to share the load.

Yuuri. Wolfram mused, his mouth turning down a fraction of an inch when he recalled the awkward goodnight they gave each other. After they tucked Greta in, Yuuri continued to walk towards the royal chambers chattering about Greta, obviously forgetting again that Wolfram no longer slept there. Wolfram had to remind the Maou by saying goodnight and walking off to a different direction.

I don't know whether I should be happy or pissed off because Yuuri still haven't announced the nullification of our engagement. Its not that he didn't remind Yuuri. He in fact tried to bring up the subject the other day but the Maou just stammered and stuttered incoherently until Wolfram waved his hand in disgust and changed the topic. He's obviously still afraid to hurt my feelings or whatever. Wimp.

"Good evening Lord von Bielefeld."

Startled, Wolfram found himself looking at dark eyes that remind him of Yuuri, his right hand already resting at the hilt of his sword. I wonder what he's doing here, Wolfram thought, removing his hand and relaxing his stance. He bowed formally. "Good Evening Heika. Are you perchance lost? I can escort you back to your room."

"Please Lord von Bielefeld, cease the formalities. I am not accustomed to such. You can call me Spencer, like Yuuri heika." Spencer said with a wave of his hand. "And no I am not lost. I usually can't sleep at night so I thought I'll just walk around."

Wolfram shifted slightly, unsure of what to say next. The uncomfortable feeling he felt during dinner slowly resurfaced as the black eyes of the human king continued to bore into his. "In that case heika, I'll leave you alone in your thoughts." Wolfram bowed slightly, intent on getting away from the human king.

"I've told you Lord von Beilefeld call me Spencer." The other black haired king sighed, running his fingers in his hair. "After all, I am sure we'll become…friends."

Unsure on how to react, Wolfram slightly bowed again, managing to escape to his room without calling the king anything.

XOXO

Yuuri was prowling around the castle restlessly. He just finished his breakfast and he had a few hours to spare before he was closeted in his own personal torture room – the library with Gunter. And to make things worse, he knew that after that, he will be ushered to his office, signing endless documents until sundown. He wants to do something fun with anyone before his duties but there's just no one around. Conrad disappeared right after breakfast, saying that he'll be back after a while. Greta is still asleep and Yuuri doesn't want to wake her up. As for Wolfram… Actually, he has yet to see the blond Mazoku soldier today. He didn't show up for breakfast and he's not in his room when Yuuri went to check on him earlier.

"Where did everyone go?" Yuuri huffed under his breath as he walked towards the garden, in hopes of finding Wolfram.

"Heika" A voice called Yuuri from behind, stopping the young king on his tracks.

"I told you to call me Yuuri Conrad…" The king turned around slightly to look at his godfather. "Anyway, have you seen Wolfram? I've been looking for him for ages!"

Conrad managed to hide his surprise from his godson. It is extremely rare for Yuuri to look for his younger brother. Usually, it's the other way around. "He is in the training grounds with the king of Callisto, hei-Yuuri. I was also on my way to fetch him after I get you. Gwendal wants both of you in his office straightaway."

"Did something happen?" Yuuri's demeanor changed from slightly irritated to concerned, and began walking towards the direction of the training grounds. They walked in silence, Yuuri's mind filled with horrible thoughts about what may have occurred.

Two slender bodies, both lithe and graceful, danced at the tune of steel kissing steel. Mesmerized, Yuuri stopped walking transfixed at the sight before him, forgetting his earlier worries. Although drenched with sweat and puffing from exertion, Wolfram was still a sight to behold. His golden blonde hair reflecting sunlight, making him look like an angel. A warrior angel that is, with his sword ready to be wielded to protect those he loves. Big green eyes were shining with determination as he charged at his partner, his face tinged with red from the heat.

Conrad's slender form entered Yuuri's line of vision, interrupting his thoughts of Wolfram. The Maou shook his head, hitting it slightly with his left hand. Warrior angel? Wolfram? The sun is seriously affecting my brain.

A shadow loomed in front of Yuuri, shading him from the sunlight. "Good Morning Yuuri. I trust you slept well."

"Good Morning Spencer! I missed you at breakfast today! How was your first night at the castle? Where you comfortable?" Yuuri cheerfully greeted, mentally removing the last vestiges of his previous thoughts.

"Yes I was thank you for asking. You're castle is extremely warm and welcoming. I'm sorry I wasn't able to catch you in breakfast. You see I am a morning person and I don't really eat in the morning. I saw Lord von Bielefeld up and about so I asked if he could train with me." The human king gestured at the blonde Mazoku, who was still talking intently with Conrad.

"Ah I see! You can do whatever you wish here Spencer. Treat this like your home."

Conrad and Wolfram walked towards the Maou, their faces unreadable. "Heika, we should proceed to Gwendal's office now." Conrad said, after bowing slightly to the other king.

"Okay sure! Spencer I'll look for you after the meeting to show you around the castle. Please don't hesitate to do whatever you want for the meantime." Yuuri said with a wave, already heading back to meet with Gwendal.

Spencer nodded slightly, not moving from his position. His profile illuminated by the sun, he watched the three as they walked towards the castle.

XOXO

"What do you mean another Mazoku village disappeared?!"

"Like before heika. The villagers vanished. Gone and nowhere to be found." With a grunt, Gwendal leaned back to his chair, his face stoically refusing to let others know how he felt about the current news. The recent turn of events made Gwendal's head throb daily. God how he hates feeling helpless. "Yozak came here earlier with the news. The villagers of Cronus have disappeared much like the people of Boeotia. No signs of struggle or violence were seen."

"And that also means no evidence." Murata mulled, crossing his arms as he leaned back to the wall. "My, my, this is becoming serious isn't it?"

"Murata! Of course this is serious!" Yuuri ranted, as he started pacing around the room. "I really think I should person-"

Conrad was again quick to object at their Maou's plans. "No heika. That could be exactly what whoever was responsible wants." Gunter nodded sagely at Conrad's words, his purple hair falling in his face from his motions.

Yuuri stopped pacing and threw his hands exasperatedly. "If it is then at least we'll know the person or group behind this! I am the king yet I can't do anything! And this is the second village that disappeared! I can't just sit around in this castle when my people are god knows where!"

Wolfram approached the young Maou, and placed both his arms at the other boys' shoulders and started shaking him. "You wimp!" He exclaimed at the Maou's face. "Don't you realize that we're only protecting you? You're not sitting around doing nothing. What do you think will happen to Shin Makoku if you too disappeared?!"

Yuuri shoulders slumped, his head hanging down, hiding his face from the people in the room. "But I just want…" His voice trailed off helplessly, all the energy seemingly drained out of him.

Murata straightened up and walked towards their Maou. "We know Shibuya. Which is why everyone here in the room is trying their best to find the culprits. But you know we can't risk you. So," the Great Sage turned towards Gwendal. "It's unwise to send more troops to protect Mazoku villages for they might also disappear. Strength in this situation does not call for numbers but for brains. Is Yozak still around?"

Gwendal nodded. "I made him rest for a bit since he hasn't slept for days."

"Good. Because we need him to stay sharp and ready."

XOXO

Yuuri tried to immerse himself with work to help him stop thinking about the missing villagers. Besides, he felt guilty that he can't really do anything to help Gwendal find them. So for the past few weeks, Yuuri tried to be a model Maou. He signed all the documents without complaint, even going as far as asking Gwendal if there's more once he finished. He listened to Gunter's lessons, studiously taking down notes and practicing speaking and writing in Mazoku language. He spent his free time with the king of Callisto, whom they decided should be kept in the dark about the recent happenings in Shin Makoku, and with Greta, who tags along with them after her own studies.

At night however, all thoughts he repressed during the day came rushing back to him. Yuuri tossed and turned all night in his large bed, praying for sleep but with no avail. Every time he closes his eyes, images about people being tortured, suffering and being put to death kept flashing in his mind, screaming for help. He tried everything to put himself to sleep – counting sheep, reading an extremely boring book, drinking milk, running around his room 50 times, tossing his baseball up in the air and catching it till he feels that his arm will fall off – but with no avail.

As a result, Yuuri was exhausted, his eyes dark from lack of sleep every morning. He wakes up from his 'sleep' before Gunter comes into his room to do something about his exhausted appearance and make himself look more…well…alive. His efforts did not go to waste. Every morning, he greets Gunter and Conrad with a wide smile, seemingly ready to take on the day. After all, with the trouble they're currently facing, no one is really paying attention to the Yuuri's appearance.

XOXO

"Then they transported us to the castle of the Maou on Earth by making us get in a contraption made of steel. When we asked, it's not houseki nor maryoku making the thing fly, but something called eng-gin. I tuned Yuuri out because he started saying things like phi-siks and whatnot that my head started to hurt."

Wolfram was in the garden with Spencer, lounging around after their morning training. This has slowly become a habit seeing that Wolfram has nothing to do. His troops are sent out by Gwendal to search for clues about the villagers so there's no one to train. Greta spends his time in Annisina's lab, being tutored herself. And since Yuuri has work to do, Wolfram became the unofficial Mazoku companion of the human king during his stay.

"Yuuri's world must be extremely different from ours then…" Stephen mused, tilting his head to look at the sky. "It must be hard for him to adjust to the way of life here, growing up in a different world."

Wolfram nodded sagely. "His first day here he managed to start a duel and get himself-" The blonde suddenly stopped remembering that he was the one Yuuri got engaged to. He's not sure why he's this talkative around the human king, answering his questions and telling him things about himself.

"-engaged to you isn't it?" The human king continued Wolfram's statement, looking at the blonde for confirmation.

Slightly embarrassed, Wolfram gave a slight nod. "But things are different now because the engagement is about to be dissolved."

After scrutinizing the blonde's face, Spencer gave a short laugh and resumed his inspection of the sky. "Okay I can see that's quite a touchy subject. I won't pry anymore if you don't want me to."

His face still slightly abashed, Wolfram shifted the topic to the tall figure of Lemnos, who was currently standing beside a nearby tree, his face bearing a scary expression that can rival Gwendal's, his arm crossed. "Does he ever talk? I don't think I've ever heard him utter a single word since you guys got here."

"Don't mind him. He's a nice guy just a bit shy at times."

Years of education about proper conduct refrained Wolfram from letting out a snigger. Describing someone as tall and built as Lemnos as shy doesn't really fit. Spencer, as if reading Wolfram's mind, reiterated his former statement. "Really he's just shy. When he feels up to it, you'll see that he's as friendly as me."

With that, Spencer stood up, offering a hand to help Wolfram up. "Come on, you said you're going to show me the library in the west wing."

XOXO

Sitting across Yuuri as they ate dinner, Wolfram frowned. Although he hasn't spent much time with Yuuri by choice, he can't help but feel worried about the other boy's state. The Maou obviously is not sleeping well, fatigue clearly etched in his eyes as he forced himself to laugh at one of the Spencer's jokes. His appetite was affected too, Wolfram observed as he watched the Maou pretend to eat by pushing the contents of his plate from one side to another.

A lot of people are missing at the dinner table tonight. Gwendal for one is not present, obviously dinner not his priority at the moment. Gunter's presence is missing too, which is unusual because he always feels that he has to hover at Yuuri's side most of the time. What's even stranger is Conrad's not there. He follows the Maou like a shadow no matter where Yuuri goes.

Greta's cheerful chatter brightened what should have been a somber dinner. Thank God for Greta, Wolfram thought as he finished the last of his meal. Yuuri's obviously not in the mood to be entertaining tonight.

"Wolfram, I trust that we can train together tomorrow morning? I always look forward to training with you." Spencer said, wiping his lips with a napkin.

The blonde Mazoku nodded immediately. He and Spencer have been spending time together almost everyday ever since the human king got here. In fact, he has seen more of the other king than Yuuri himself. He and Spencer, together with the silent Lemnos spend the days together, exploring the castle and the village and sparring in the training grounds. It's no hardship in Wolfram's part for the king was an interesting companion. He's smart and knowledgeable about world affairs and military strategy. He's funny too and can make Wolfram laugh, which for the blonde is not an easy feat. After all, he rarely finds things funny.

Out of the corner of his eye, Wolfram saw Yuuri's eyes narrowed slightly as he listened to the exchange. He waited for Spencer and Lemnos to go out of the dining room before speaking. "What's wrong with you Yuuri? Do you want anything?"

Yuuri ignored him for a moment, speaking to Greta. "Greta, you better go to bed now. It's quiet late. I'll check on you later."

"Okay Father!" Greta chirped, giving Yuuri a goodnight kiss and hug. She ran to the other end where Wolfram was seated to give him a goodnight kiss and a hug too. "Good night Papa! I'll see you tomorrow okay?"

Yuuri kept his smile at his face as he watched his daughter go out of the room with a maid to help her get ready for bed. As soon as the door closed, his smile vanished and he looked at Wolfram. "So you've been spending quiet a lot of time with Spencer these past few days…In fact I don't even see you around in the castle anymore…"

Wolfram remained silent, trying to figure out Yuuri's mood. What can you say to that anyway?

"Is that why you've been shirking you're duties? People are vanishing and there you are gallivanting around with Spencer when you're supposed to be helping to find the missing people! I've always known that you're a selfish brat but this is too much!" Yuuri finished with a shout, half rising from his chair.

Offended and wounded at Yuuri's words, Wolfram stood up and walked closer to the Maou. "What did you say to me again?" The blonde said in a dangerously low whisper.

Yuuri, unaffected by Wolfram's attempts to keep his temper on check, also stood up. The two are practically nose to nose, eyes narrowed as they glared at each other. "Didn't you hear me the first time? I said-"

The door burst open revealing Conrad's troubled face. "Good only the two of you are here. Follow me." Without waiting for Yuuri and Wolfram to even move, Conrad closed the door.

Argument forgotten, Yuuri flashed Wolfram a worried look, exhaustion clearly visible now in the Maou's face. Without another word, the two went out of the dining hall.

They made it outside and followed Conrad in, Yuuri presumed, Gwendal's office. In total silence, the three trudged along the corridor, with Yuuri and Wolfram only exchanging fleeting glances to each other behind Conrad's back. Conrad respectfully held open the door when they reached their destination, allowing Yuuri and Wolfram to past through first.

The atmosphere inside the office was tense and grim. Gwendal was seated behind the table, his arms crossed and his face contorted in a scowl. Murata was seated on a chair in front of the desk, his mouth in a straight line, his huge black eyes somber and sorrowful. Gunter was unusually subdued, his long lavender hair curtaining his face.

Taking in the scene before him, Yuuri gulped. "People disappeared again, didn't they?" The Maou asked, his eyes pleading the people in the room to deny his fears. Wolfram moved closer to Yuuri, his hand resting on the other boys' shoulder as they waited for an answer.

"Yuuri…" Conrad started helplessly, looking towards Gwendal for help.

Gwendal observed the forlorn Maou, angry at the fact that he will further aggravate the young boy's worries. "Heika people did not disappear this time." The Mazoku soldier mentally slapped himself when he saw a spark of hope brighten the Maou's dark eyes. Now he knew it's better to tell the truth straight out. "People did not disappear this time. They were killed."

Yuuri froze, his entire body unable to move in shock. He distantly felt Wolfram and Conrad guiding him to a chair. With glazed eyes, he turned again to Gwendal. "Which village is it? How many survivors?"

The stoic Mazoku soldier tried to contain his emotions as he remembered the scene he just left. Blood spilled all over the place, covering the area with a sickly red color. The bodies were all gathered in one place, dragged from wherever they're slain. Men, women, children and the elderly were grouped together. The soldiers assigned to that territory were found in the barracks, burnt to crisp. "It's the village of Cecros, about 5 miles away from here. I'm sorry heika. There are no survivors."

No survivors. Gwendal's words echoed over and over again in Yuuri's brain. He rested his head between his hands and squeezed, his despair evident to all the rooms other occupants. Yuuri was beside himself. He's supposed to protect these people. Yet he failed them, miserably.

Wolfram watched Yuuri, unable to provide comfort to the grieving Maou, his head still reeling with what he just heard. He trained his eyes at his eldest brother, assuming correctly that Gwendal downplayed what happened to Cecros to the Maou. He'll get the full details later after they attended to Yuuri.

"Shibuya." Murata softly said to his friend. Getting no response, Murata continued. "I've tried to predict what village they're going to attack next. So I sent Yozak covertly to Cecros, because I have a feeling that village will be next. But we sent him too late. When he arrived, the bloodbath is already over and all Yozak saw was what was left of the village." The great sage said regretfully, his face downcast.

Murata's self-recrimination penetrated Yuuri's brain enough to incite him to action. "No Murata, even if you're the Great Sage, you can't always know everything, so don't blame yourself. You have correctly guessed the village that's going to be attacked! The one who is to blame is responsible for this." Summoning whatever strength he has left, Yuuri turned to face Gwendal again. "Did you find any clues?"

"A troop of soldiers are currently in Cecros investigating. I will personally go there later to search for clues. So far, all we've gathered is that the people are killed by both magic and sword. We have yet to know whether the attackers used houseki or maryoku. As for witnesses…so far no one has come to us with information."

Yuuri straightened from his seat, and nodded. "I trust you Gwendal to brief me once you've returned. Now," The Maou said, standing up. "This has been a long day. Everyone deserves to rest. We'll talk about this tomorrow after we're all rested."

One by one the occupants left the room, hoping to find a moment of respite in the privacy of their rooms.

XOXO

Alone in his bed, Yuuri tossed and turned again. No matter how hard he tried, he can't fall asleep. He considered asking for Gisela for a sleeping pill or something, if such a thing exists in Shin Makoku. But he hated the idea that he might be dependent on medication to fall asleep. Thus, he continued to toss and turn, squeezing his head in his pillows.

No survivors. Gwendal's voice still echoed in Yuuri's head, followed by images of dead children, men and women. He tried his best to block them, knowing that he can't do anything about it if he continued like this. But he can't. Tossing his covers aside, Yuuri felt around for his slippers and walked out of his room.

The two soldiers guarding outside his room gave a start and made a motion to follow Yuuri. With a wave of his hand, Yuuri asked the guards to stay where they are and started walking. As soon as Yuuri turned his back, one of the guards nodded and secretly followed the Maou to where he's going.

Yuuri walked and turned until he reached Wolfram's door. He hesitated for a bit, he's knuckles stopping a few inches away from the door. With a determined look, he knocked and was surprised to see Wolfram's face, his face heavy with sleep and his golden hair rumpled, immediately peek through the crack.

"Hi." Yuuri said softly. "I'm sorry did I wake you up. I can't sleep."

Wolfram rubbed his eyes as he peered sleepily at Yuuri. "You can't sleep so you decided to knock at my door?"

Scratching the back of his head, Yuuri ruefully smiled. "Well…"

Sighing, Wolfram opened the door, revealing his utilitarian blue pajamas. "Come in, wimp."

"Don't call me wimp!" came Yuuri's automatic reply as he stepped inside Wolfram's room. The room big, although not as large as his. It was sparsely decorated compared to Yuuri, with a few of Wolfram's paintings gracing the walls of the room. A cabinet undoubtedly holding the boy's clothes stood at the far end of the room beside a screen. A basin and a glass of water are on top of a bureau next to Wolfram's bed.

"Why are you not wearing you're pink nightgown?" Yuuri asked as his eyes wandered around the room, taking in the differences from his room.

"I don't need it anymore wimp. So anyway, what are you doing here?"

Yuuri looked at the boy, who sat back to his bed holding a pillow. "Well…I just thought…I don't want to be alone tonight…I thought maybe I can sleep here?"

Wolfram looked at the Maou in disbelief. Before, he even had to sneak in Yuuri's bed because he knew that the Maou doesn't like it and now here is Yuuri asking if he can sleep with him. But looking at the Yuuri's tired face, the blonde correctly assumed that the other boy is having a hard time falling asleep. It's a good thing that Gwendal didn't divulge all the gory details to their young and inexperienced king. Yuuri would be seriously traumatized by that.

"It's okay I understand if you don't want to! I just thought…well…I'll see you tomorrow then." Yuuri stood up, preparing to leave when he felt Wolfram move. He turned to see Wolfram turning down the covers at the other side of his bed before settling to the other side.

"What wimp do you plan to stand there the entire night or don't you want to sleep?" Wolfram grumpily said.

Yuuri smiled happily and hurried to the blonde's bed, drawing the covers up. Ah how comfortable this is. "Wolf…thank you."

"Go to sleep."

The Maou shifted closer to the warmth the blonde is emanating, until his back touches the other boy's back. "Wolfram…"

"Yuuri if you don't go to sleep I'm throwing you out."

Turning to his side, Yuuri smiled at the blonde's back. "It's just that…I am glad you're here." And with that, Yuuri closed his eyes, sleep finally coming to him at last.

XOXO

Yay for me I got another chapter done!) Thanks to those continue to read Calm Before the Storm, especially those who left a review and added me to their favorite/alert list! Hope you like this chapter again please leave a review..)

By the way, I am getting confused whether I should use "von Walde" or "von Voltaire" for Gwendal. You see, the anime and the novel (translations that is) uses both. So which is which?

Oh another thing, I recently found out that I made a mistake in the previous chapters, making Yuuri say that he's been in Shin Makoku for 2 years but he's only turning 16?! I know math is my poorest subject but this is too much..;D What I meant to say is that Yuuri has been staying in Shin Makoku for almost a year already. Sorry! This is what I get for not having a beta!) Again I apologize for the mistake and for any other mistake in the future!