"It's been a day! Murata, what are you paid for if you can't find Wolfram in the hours you've had since we figured out that he's with humans?!"

"Excuse me Shibuya, but I don't recall getting ANY compensation for having to do your thinking for you. While we're on the subject, let's talk about my wages-"

"Men. Wolfram is so lucky that I and the rest of the women in Covenant are helping him. Left to yourselves, the poor boy would die of old age before the bickering ended!"

"Anissina! I insist you NOT talk so harshly to His Most Excellent Majesty! Obviously he is deeply concerned for the welfare of his beloved fiance, and-"

"I wouldn't say beloved fiance..."

"What was that Shibuya? I think Lord Voltaire didn't hear what you were muttering"

"Eeep!"

"Your Majesty-"

"Call me Yuuri!"

"Yuuri , perhaps it would be a good idea not to press His Eminence so much... He has been working very hard to locate Wolfram"

"And you are severely behind your paperwork, Your Majesty"

The room erupted in an explosion of noise.

"PAPERWORK?? Gwendal, do you have ANY idea what Wolfram will do to me if he finds out that I was too busy signing papers to find him? You'd need a new king!"

"Actually Shibuya, Lord Voltaire has a very valid point"

"I am merely pointing out a fact, Your Majesty"

"Now Gwendal, don't you think you're being unfair to His Maj- Yuuri?"

"A-ha! I have just devised a plan to rid this world of pesky men! I need a really sharp sword, and after I'm done my fellow sisters who are freed from the tyranny of males will lead me straight to Wolfram!"

"YOUR MAAAAAAAAAAAAJESTYYYYYYYYYYYYY!!"

Oh for Shinou's sake...

Giesela stood up quickly, the scraping of her chair against the stone ground attracting everyone's attention, Murata huffily pushing his glasses up the bridge of his nose, annoyed by the loss of ashamed-Yuuri entertainment.

Giesela made sure she had everyone's attention before smiling sweetly.

What she said was anything but.

"The next person who says something that I find useless in this situation will automatically be volunteering for 2 months' worth of bedpan cleaning duties. Since all of you are such resposible citizens, of course you'll gladly do everything I tell you to when on duty in the wards. Am I being perfectly clear?"

There was an audible gulp from all the men in the room, while Anissina happily grinned at Giesela's decision to take the reigns. She'd have done it herself, but this latest invention felt very promising, and she needed to concentrate.

Giesela smiled again.

"We'll do this very calmly. I will ask each of you, in turn, if you have any suggestions as to how we can locate Lord Bielefelt. If you do, share the information in a-, and I cannot stress this point enough,-calm and orderly manner. The slightest hint of bickering, and we're all going to have so much fun cleaning latrines"

The temperature in the room dropped a few degrees, and it was so quiet a pin dropping would have been deafening.

"Let's start, then. Father, do you have any plans?"

Gunter was hesitant to say anything, afraid that Giesela would take it the wrong way and he'd be facing a toilet bowl for the rest of his long, long life. Breathing in deeply for a boost of confidence, haltingly Gunter spoke.

"As far as I can tell, it is near-impossible to blindly locate any demon, and with the added disadvantage of Wolfram being in human land, he can't make any signal with his magic. I did consider the possibility of using one of Anissina's inventions, though, specifically the Find-Love-At-It's-Greatest-Source-Kun that we used when we first found the bearbees-"

Anissina shook her head sadly, and explained why this was impossible.

"Whereas the thread is created to be powered solely by the magic of a person's name, that invention and any others that can be used require demon magic, and a lot of it, to function even at half rate. It's impossible to keep such a steady supply as we search through one country then another. I'm sorry, but it can't be done."

Gunter's face fell as he turned to the red-headed woman seating to the side of him.

"Are you certain, Anissina?"

"Very much so. We had problems finding anyone while we were in the same castle, looking for Wolfram in Shinou-knows what country is dangerous and basically pointless. As yet I haven't found a way to fix this."

The look of disappointment on the otherwise scarily-cheerful face of the inventor made Giesela feel sorry for her. It must be a terrible feeling, to know that your invention is so close to giving everyone the answer, but it can't quite provide it.

"With you Lady Anissina, I'm certain it's only a matter of time before you come up with something. Don't stop inventing, and get father to help you with the more unusual components"

Giesela turned her attention to Wolfram's two brothers, both of whom were showing signs of distress.

"Lord Voltaire? Any ideas?"

"Yes. Seize the castles of all human kings and search through them all until we find him. I will personally make sure that the paperwork to avoid an international war is completed before any action is taken. In fact, I've already started on some-"

"Thank you Lord Voltaire, but I think we'd all prefer something less... aggressive. And you, Conrad?"

Conrad merely shook his head, not trusting himself to speak. He felt like he had failed Wolfram somehow. Shouldn't an older brother always know where his sibling is? Though renowned for his sword skills, Conrad didn't believe for a moment that he could provide crucial insight for this problem; all the women and men sitting around him were born with an inate ability to get things done.

He was a glorified grunt soldier.

He couldn't even begin to imagine how to find Wolfram; saying it out loud may jinx any hope they have to save his brother.

So he just shook his head and tried not to sorrowfully look at his feet.

The healer could guess Conrad's feelings. Giesela suspected that Conrad felt like the years and years worth of scorn and disdain Wolfram had poured on him (not so much in recent years, of course) has become valid, and that more than anything else was depressing the brunette. She made a note to herself to talk to him, before he slumped even deeper into self-recriminations.

"Your Majesty? Do you have any way to find Wolfram?"

Yuuri had been dreading this. Even Gwendal had come up with a plan to find Wolfram, bloody-minded though it was. He was a king, supposedly with the strongest magic since Shinou's reign, reputed to have brought peace to the world, and he hadn't a clue how to find his friend.

"Umm, sorry Giesela... I have no idea how to find him"

He laughed nervously, then choked a bit when he saw the look he got from Giesela.

"Your Majesty, are you saying that even with your unparalleled ability in magic and stature as our king, you can't suggest ANYTHING?"

Giesela looked disgusted, her tone cold and heartless.

She was really annoyed with the young boy, but she knew she was over-reacting.

It was too hard to stop herself from being rude to Yuuri though.

Giesela remembered when Yuuri was the one who had disappeared, and Wolfram had been the one searching for him. The blond was unstoppable, happily disregarding direct orders in order to go after him. Yuuri had never really been removed from Wolfram, Wolfram having long since put a tracking device on his king.

Now with their situations reversed, Yuuri was just sitting there, saying he couldn't think of anything to do.

So maybe he never really cared for Wolfram as his fiance, but for Shinou's sake the poor boy has been there by his side without fail for years. He didn't even try!

Giesela felt herself steadily getting more and more annoyed with Yuuri. The calm, analytical part of her knew Yuuri's strong point wasn't tactical planning, and she was just taking out her frustration on him, because Yuuri was the one most likely to quietly take whatever she threw.

The Giesela who had watched Wolfram grow up hurting wanted to hit Yuuri with a chair.

"Giesela! I demand you apologise to His Majesty!"

"I was merely stating my opinion father. I was only surprised that while Wolfram would have walked every inch of this world to look for his fiance, His Majesty could not even suggest anything to find his friend"

That quietened the table even more, everyone noticing Giesela's silent fury. A few agreed with her, the rest certain that her behaviour was too harsh.

Yuuri didn't say another word, head bowed as he stared angrily at the wood grain of the table. Giesela shouldn't, shouldn't have said such a thing. It wasn't that Yuuri hadn't thought about Wolfram (he hadn't thought of anything ELSE in days); he just knew that he could never be intelligent enough to find him. Even if he didn't want to spend every waking moment clamped to the blond simpering like a swooning girl, Wolfram was his Wolfram.

No way in this world or the next would he let anyone take his friend away from him.

Giesela pointedly ignored Yuuri, now addressing the amused-looking Great Sage.

"Your Eminence, your turn. Any inspiration that will help us find Lord Bielefelt?"

"An inkling of one, Giesela. It needs Shibuya's help, but I think he's too self-absorbed to do much"

There was a loud snap, then a groan of pain. Everyone turned to look at Yuuri, the boy still whimpering and rubbing his neck. He had looked up so sharply when Murata had said he could help, he had dislocated something. Though now in substantial pain (Giesela pointedly looking away when a bit of magic would have made him feel better), there was no way Yuuri would be stopped from listening to Murata.

Murata laughed softly, enjoying how half the table were glaring at Giesela, the other half at Yuuri.

Lucky thing you reminded me of this now Shinou. Otherwise I think we'd have a few dead bodies slumped against the table by the end of today.

Oh well, can't have you "important people" dying on my country.

"Glad to see I have your attention Shibuya. I thought you'd be too busy being in denial to be of any use"

"In denial? What do you mean, in den-"

"Shush. Do you want me to talk or are you solving this by yourself, hmm?"

Yuuri paled at the words, irrationally worried that Murata would follow through with his threat. It was one of the rare times when he really hated not knowing what went on behind those sneakily-glinting glasses. Not being able to read Murata meant there were no guarantees someone wouldn't get hurt in all this.

His blood would have left his body, not just his face, had he seen the look Giesela threw him. Luckily he was too absorbed in Murata, unknowingly breathless in anticipation of rescuing Wolfram.

Murata pushed his glasses up the bridge of his nose, basking in the attention he was getting from everyone.

"Now, do you all remember that black globe Ulrike can use to seek demons? I believe we've used it numerous times to find you Shibuya." Murata grinned. "The only reason I haven't mentioned this before is because it differentiates demons by their strength of magic, and if Lord Von Bielefelt is surrounded by repressive esoteric magic, the most we could hope for would be a tiny blip, though I think it's most probable we won't see anything at all"

Yuuri groaned even more at this. Trust Murata to raise then dash his hopes, and make him sprain his neck something awful.

For once in his life he truly wanted to hit his friend; no one should ever have to go through this. Over and over again, Wolfram kept getting lost! It was infuriating, and Yuuri couldn't resist the slight growl, nor the scowl of anger he made as he faced Murata.

"Murata, tell me that there's a way to fix this, or I will go after him myself."

Have fun getting a new damn king, you perverted sage, if I knew you'd waste my time like this I'd have gone for Wolf a long time ag-

Yuuri's snarling internal monologue was interrupted by the object of his anger.

"Calm down Shibuya. Unlike another double-black I could mention, I actually think things through before blurting them out. There is a way we could get Ulrike to find Wolfram, and the only reason I decided this might work is because you just reminded me what both of you are capable of when extremely annoyed"

"What's that supposed to mean? Murata, this is one time I really, really don't want to listen to you being twisty."

Yuuri felt the anger drain out of him, tiredness and depression making him sigh and drop his face into his hands. It should be so simple; they either could find Wolfram now or they would find him later. This state of maybe-maybe not was utterly exhausting, and Yuuri found himself wishing very hard that Wolfram wasn't in an even remotely similar situation. The pain he imagined Wolfram would be in from the esoteric stones was enough.

Murata smiled again at Yuuri, though much more sadly this time. The best way to get Yuuri to act was by appealing to his sense of morality or apalling his sense of justice. When Yuuri is as confused as he is over how to categorise Wolfram, it would be near-impossible for him to make a decision, and time was one thing Lord Von Bielefelt was in sore need of.

He hated doing this to Yuuri, but Murata knew, probably better than both Yuuri and Wolfram, what would happen if one was lost to the other before the tangled mess between them was cleared up.

Gently he patted Yuuri's back, and continued in a softer tone.

"It means, Shibuya, that with suitable stimuli, we can get a flare out of Wolfram's magic strong enough to be located on Ulrike's crystal. The only problem is, even the Great Sage doesn't command enough of His Brattiness' attention to get a rise from him. The only person that could get Wolfram to react violently enough to produce magic in human lands is you."

Hesitantly Yuuri peeked from between his fingers, not daring to believe that they finally had a plan.

"Really, Shibuya. If you can figure out the one thing that is sure to anger Wolfram enough that he will literally explode, I'll find you your Lord Von Bielefelt."

"Promise, Murata?"

With a large grin, the bespectacled boy slapped Yuuri's back hard.

"Of course! Would I lie about something like this? How am I supposed to have a chance with Wolfram if I don't rescue him, eh?"

"Murata!"

Around the table, brows furrowed almost simultaneously.

"What will we do now?" asked Giesela, brisk and efficient as ever.

"The one thing that makes Wolfram angry like nothing else could..." Gwendal muttered to himself, before sharing a look with Conrad.

Gunter barely managed an "Oh no!" before Anissina burst into a hearty cackle.

"Well? We all know His Majesty won't figure it out until one of you tell him!" Anissina was incorrigible.

Glancing at the rest of the table's occupants, Conrad decided that here was one field he was best equipped for. The thought was enough to make him smile. The sage had come up with a plan to save Wolfram, and he, Conrad Weller, could be of help.

"Yuuri?" Disrespectful though it felt to refer to his king this way, Conrad made sure to use his name and keep the boy who sat near him calm.

"Yes, Conrad?"

At least he's not staring at his hands any more.

"I don't know if you've noticed this Yuuri, but the one thing that still gets Wolfram utterly furious, despite how much he's matured over the years, is your engagement... More specifically, anything you do that seems to him like you're cheating on him. Perhaps you should keep this in mind, Yuuri?"

Slack-jawed, Yuuri could barely manage not gaping like a fish at his godfather.

"But, but, he hasn't scolded me for being a cheater for months now! Even after that ball where I had to dance with so many noblewomen, and when I hugged Beatrice for her birthday, and- He hasn't scolded me AT ALL!" Yuuri was flushed now, and told himself that the twinge in his chest was because he was upset they thought so lowly of Wolfram, and not because it seemed like maybe Wolfram didn't care much for him any more.

Conrad smiled even wider, and Gwendal snorted.

"Yuuri, you should know that Wolfram's soldiers are much more skilled in sudden combat than both mine and Gwendal's"

"What does that have to do with anything?"

"When Wolfram is... frustrated, he enjoys practicing with his men. Especially in recent weeks, alongside the increase in your social activities, Wolfram's troops have gotten a lot of practice. While I am truly proud of how well Wolfram's grown over the past years, when it comes to you Yuuri, the best he can do is channel his anger somewhere else, not dissipitate it completely."

Conrad met Murata's gaze, and the boy nodded.

"I think that's what His Eminence meant, Yuuri. The best way to anger my brother into reacting is through your engagement"

Yuuri thought for a while, before biting his lower lip and staring blankly at his godfather. In a quiet voice, Yuuri began to speak.

"Conrad. Does this mean that you want me to tell Wolfram something that will hurt him enough that even while the human magic is nearly killing him, he'll still lash out at me with magic?"

Please say no, please say no, please say no...

The muscles in the brunette's jaw tightened, and his fists were clenched so tightly his knuckles were turning white.

"After all that Wolfram's been made to go through recently, I wish we could get him without hurting him this badly. But emotional scars heal more cleanly than physical ones, Yuuri, and right now I care more for finding him than looking after his feelings"

There was a pregnant pause, the tension in the room thick enough to choke.

Then Yuuri burst.

"This is making me furious. Why did these people take Wolfram away to begin with? Now because they're so smart, not only is Wolf in pain from his wounds, the esoteric magic, and whatever horrible things they must have done to him by now, I'm going to have to stab him to get him back"

Thunder clouds would have fled from the look on Yuuri's face.

Sarcastic, angry Yuuri was about as much of a rarity as Wolfram going a day without calling him a wimp at some point. Suffice it to say, all eyes were on the dark, growling monarch.

"Tell me Murata, since you seem to know everything. What can I do that would be horrible enough? Marry another woman tomorrow? Publicly break our engagement while smiling widely? Sleep with a different noblewoman in every castle I find? Because it's starting to look like nothing else will get Wolfram back, and damn it, I will get him back. So tell me Murata, all of you, what do you want me to do?"

Yuuri hadn't even realised that he had stood and knocked over his chair, hadn't realised he had been screaming at the top of his lungs. The unequalled fury he had felt at the thought of having to break Wolfram's heart, even if it was all a lie, had been the only thing on his mind. He doubted he would have noticed if the castle had caught fire.

"May I make a suggestion, Your Majesty?"

"What? "

Giesela merely smiled.

"They started this with a letter, Your Majesty. I suggest we end this with another"

oOoOo

Breakfast had been replaced by a gentle influx of biscuits and tea, the maids careful to keep a steady supply despite not understanding why the most important people in Shin Makoku were cooped up in the library. They guessed Wolfram was the subject of their hushed discussions, though the fact that Dacascos had almost exhausted the store of royal stationery to bring parchments and quills to the men and women was an even bigger mystery.

"Shibuya, if you write it like this, Wolfram will die of a heart attack. I suggest you keep the word "sex" out of it"

"You were the one that said I had to shock Wolfram silly."

"Yeah, not kill him"

There was the sound of paper being scrunched up, and a forehead connecting soundly with a table.

"Let's try this again. We are almost through, and so far it certainly sounds like the kind of letter His Majesty would write if the engagement was truly dissolved"

"Gwendal!"

"Your Most Excellent Majesty, perhaps this word instead of that would suit the situation better?"

"Aha... Thanks Gunter!"

Quills scritched for a while longer, each occupant writing a part of a letter that would hopefully light the fuse for Wolfram's much-needed explosion.

"Done!" Seven voices chorused almost simultaneously, Gunter in particular taking the lack of "Bad Omen" squawks to heart.

"Let's read our parts all, shall we?" Murata grinned widely, pleased that they had accomplished so much before the lunch bell had rung. With a bit of a push, the nearest human countries would get the letter before they sat down for dinner.

"On the count of three, Giesela, if you would be so kind so as to start"

Acting out his secret fantasy of being an all-powerful director in the company of beautiful women (there are two here, at least), Murata held up three fingers and counted them down. Pointedly he ignored the glare from Gwendal and the disbelieving snort from Yuuri, and smiled encouragingly at Giesela.

The girl didn't really need encouragement, and in a voice that was all patronising righteousness, read out her lines.

"My most sincere regards to your highly-esteemed self, Lord or Lady Wolf-taker.

Recently, my engagement to Lord Wolfram Von Bielefelt of Shin Makoku has been eliminated, on the grounds of his persistent absence. Now free of the bond, your intriguing self has captured my attention."

A clear, masculine voice picked up where Giesela left off.

"I have heard many kind words about you, and I have been looking forward to meeting you, dear Lord or Lady evil brother-kidnapper. My former fiancé is a very jealous person, so only our separation has allowed me to reach you"

The name-calling was done so casually, Conrad keeping his faint smile through his part, that had anyone not paid attention, Lady "evil brother-kidnapper" would have seemed like an actual name.

"With Wolfram away and our engagement formally terminated by my decree as king, I would be honoured if I could go to your Castle of Miserable Bastards to meet you properly, or if you would come and see me at Covenant Castle instead. We have many rooms available for your entourage. You could bring your family, should you wish"

Gunter looked scandalised, Murata was trying hard not to laugh, and Yuuri merely nodded seriously, as Gwendal ended his part.

"My most-esteemed tutor Lord Gunter Von Christ has made preliminary arrangements, and will do his best to serve us both so that we can meet. He is a most reliable man, do not hesitate to trust him"

Everyone could see the stars bouncing around Gunter's head as he gazed adoringly at Yuuri, who didn't know if he should be upset that Gunter thought Yuuri thought of him like that, or pleased that the lavender-haired man had basically volunteered to field all the replies from prospective "brides"... and "bridegrooms". Shinou was thanked profusely when Giesela cleared her throat and Anissina began.

"Your contributions to your country, though somewhat lacking in promoting the superiority of the female race, is admirable, and it would be a pleasure to discuss matters that are near and dear to me with you. There are a few opinions that I have regarding education and gender inequality that I would thoroughly enjoy debating with you, and I anxiously await your response."

Murata had resorted to choking his laughter with a glass of water, while Yuuri quietly decided there would have to be some edits on the original before the letter was sent.

Laughter quenched, Murata sat up straight, and began in his best imitation of Yuuri's voice. The resemblance was so uncanny that even Yuuri was spooked by who was speaking.

"Often I have found myself wishing I had met you sooner, if only for your delightful company on lazy afternoons and cold nights. If I may be so bold, I would like to say that since the moment you came to my attention, not a day passes without something beautiful reminding me of you, Lord or Lady stupid git who thinks he or she can hide Wolfram away from the startlingly intelligent Great Sage."

Trust Murata to make me sound like some kind of long-suffering pervert! No way I'm signing this letter until I've edited EVERYBODY's lines! Oh wait, it's my turn now-

"I really hope this letter has shown you clearly how much I like you. We may never have been properly introduced, but I have always believed that love will prevail regardless of how long we've known each other, our age, our race, regardless even of our gender. This has been a sore point between Lord Von Bielefelt and me, and I hope with all my heart it will not be so for us.

Yours, in admiration,

Shibuya Yuuri, Harajuku Fuuri.

27th Demon King of Shin Makoku"

Anxiously Yuuri looked around the table, trying to see the reactions of the people around him. Their parts had been so cordial, they dripped with charm. Sweetness that was obviously not for Wolfram, that would guarantee a tantrum had the blond heard them say it.

Yuuri had just struck out the best way he knew how; with Wolfram, saying that he didn't want a relationship because they were both boys had been the most definite way of upsetting the blond. Naïve though he was, Yuuri knew that saying he would love a man as much as he would a woman would be the ultimate betrayal of Wolfram's feelings.

It made him feel like a murderer with the blood of a Bielefelt on his hands, but if this meant Wolfram would get angry enough to be able to summon fire in a human country, his conscience would survive.

"Shibuya, if this doesn't make him explode, nothing will. Wow, I never would have believed you would know how to twist Lord Von Bielefelt's feelings this much!"

"Neither did I, Murata"

oOoOo

The silence in the chamber was broken by the sound of a door opening. Yuuri, who hadn't moved from his seat on the floor in front of the crytal globe, turned and grinned weakly when he saw it was Murata.

Silently the bespectacled boy walked in and sat next to his friend, admiring the jet-black globe with it's dancing twinkles of light, two of the largest pinpricks right next to each other.

"The letters have been sent to all the human nobles, the earliest ones are expected to reach our neighbouring human countries by tonight. It's a good thing Shin Makoku pigeons were bred for speed and endurance, right, Shibuya?"

The trivial information fell on deaf ears, Yuuri once again staring fixedly at the globe.

Murata sighed.

"You do know that absolutely nothing will happen until tonight, and even that is if we're lucky?"

"It doesn't matter when it happens, Murata. Even Ulrike told me to go rest until later, but it doesn't matter. If I'm not here, I might miss finding him. He's found me so many times, without your help, without Shinou's help, almost without help at all. But whenever something happens to him, I've never worried about him or anything. I think Conrad disappearing scared me even more than the time Wolf broke our engagement. And I think Shinou or someone is really upset that I don't really care for him the way a person should for his friend, and I'm scared that out of spite for me or love for Wolfram, his magic will spike an nobody will see."

Yuuri rested his chin on his knees, but his eyes never left the hovering orb.

"After the horrible things we wrote in the letter, if we don't find him this time I know Wolfram would be too tired to explode again. Then it'll be my fault that Wolfram never returns to Covenant, and my fault that we lost him again"

Yuuri's voice echoed eerily in the silent hall, but there were no witnesses except for Murata and the haunting ghosts of old memories.

"I'll never ever complain about the engagement ever again, even when he's being his most obnoxious, even if I fall in love with someone else, as long as he comes back. More than anyone else, I don't think I would be able to forgive myself if when it really mattered, I couldn't keep Wolfram safe."

Murata jabbed the young king on his shoulder, deciding to mess with Yuuri's currently pliable mind to get them both some definite answers about the future. Wolfram's, because his future more than even the king's will be affected by the outcome of Yuuri's decisions.

"Don't say things like that, you idiot. If Wolfram finds out you're being so cool and lovey-dovey about him now, it'll only hurt more when the day comes that you finally get enough guts to break the engagement."

Silence reigned before Yuuri began speaking again.

"Murata, as the Sage, answer my question honestly. If you were asked to sacrifice your future the way it would be now in order to save me, what would you do?"

"Save you, of course! Shibuya, you're the king of a country! And who's to say that the changed future isn't even better than the one before? At least it won't be filled with guilt for not saving you"

"So why do you think I'm not being serious about what I said? Wolfram's Wolfram. However different it'll be to marry him and not the pretty girl from that art supply store in Japan, I can swear to you it won't be as bad as living with her whenI could have made him stay safe in the castle, as his husband. We all know me pulling rank would only end with my death. I'm very sure I'm being stupid, but an indefinitely upsetting future is better than one where he doesn't come back"

"Or one where he does, but leaves with a broken heart?"

Black eyes grew damp but hastily Yuuri rubbed them with the sleeve of his shirt. There were too many emotions cluttering his mind that he couldn't understand, but what he knew for certain was that the thought of Wolfram being taken away from him, or being unhappy enough to leave him, made him want to scream and cry. Even if his friend was watching.

"I'm a freak, aren't I? For being willing to marry a boy just so that I can order him not to get hurt?"

Murata sighed, happy that Yuuri at least acknowledged that he needed to protect Wolfram, saddened that his straight-and-narrow friend thought he was an oddity of nature for feeling that way.

And we haven't even mentioned the "L" word yet.

"Is it worth doing this just to keep that bratty blond safe?"

"Yes."

"Then you aren't a freak. We can figure out exactly what you are later, after the fireworks start and Lord Von Bielefelt is home and safe from evil brother-kidnappers and miserable bastards. Believe me, I'm a sage!"

Murata flashed his most winning smile, the kilowatts fading slightly when Yuuri made no move to look at him.

"I don't, but I'll wait for Wolfram anyway. Thank you, I think, Murata"

Murata hummed a toneless tune and leaned back to rest on his arms.

"What else would be the point in having a Great Sage, if not to tell you when you're being dense. Right, Shibuya?"

MaybeTBC

OOOOO

See, I did update in August! The next chapter will be a bit late, my exams are about to start. Hope everybody was in character, I did try to keep them their usual adorable selves. And it's a long chapter suddenly, isn't it? Sorry if it came as a bit of a shock...

The next chapter is on the same day as this one, be warned! And one more thing; which would you prefer? A very long chapter, or one of decent length that doesn't quite explore Hedrid and Mikael's personality? I feel really terrible to have started this story with 3 pages then go this wild. So please tell me which is preferred, I'll edit out the wolfram with mikael and/or hedrid scenes if nobody likes a lengthy update.

Umm… as usual, I'll only update when faced with demand. And a great big THANK YOU to every one who reviewed the previous chapter! I'm exceptionally pleased that Mikael is so kindly received! You guys are awesome!

Ok then, thanks to vi and my sister and lots of other nice people! May there still be readers as the chapters grow!