Temple of the Winds 12
By: sagelibra
Pairing: Yuuram
Rating: PG-13
Summary: There's one more custom Yuuri doesn't know about.
Disclaimer: Don't own any of them.
-o0o-
Wolfram glared balefully at his locked door as yet another spate of knocking echoed around the room. That had been going on for the last half-hour, with Wolfram steadfastly refusing any and all attempts to welcome him, and his family taking turns trying to get him to open up.
"Sweetie, won't you open the door and let your Hahaue in?"
Wolfram paused in mid-pace, his eyes rolling in disbelief. The last thing he needed was his mother's non-stop prattle.
"No, Hahaue. I'd rather be alone right now." He kept his voice even with an effort. "Go away."
"But Wolfram-"
"Go!" Wolfram pressed his lips together, fighting to keep his temper from exploding. His mother didn't deserve that.
A momentary respite.
"Wolfie, you do know that Greta's waiting for you to go and see her, don't you?" Celi's voice, though muffled by the door, was nonetheless insistent. "She'll be crushed if you make her wait too long."
Oh gods, Greta. Wolfram could feel the walls closing in on him, and he shuddered.
Too much.
It was just too much, too soon.
How could they expect him to face his daughter – like this?
Out of sorts. Out of control.
Wolfram let loose a string of invectives. He couldn't help it. He couldn't settle down. Couldn't calm down, couldn't quiet the rioting emotions inside him.
He glanced wildly around the room, and his eye was caught by the stark blue sky outside his window.
Out. He needed to get out of there.
Now.
That decided, he threw his door open and strode out.
"Your Excellency!" The guards standing outside his door snapped immediately to attention, testament to how well his brothers knew him.
"Stay!" He growled, the flash in his eyes enough to freeze them in their tracks. They were soldiers from von Bielefeld, under his command, and they knew better than to disregard a direct order from the blond prince, especially when he was spitting mad. "And that goes for you too!" He told Celi forcefully before setting off down the corridor.
"Yes sir!" The soldiers wisely waited until he'd disappeared around the corner before one headed off to notify Lord Weller.
"Such a vile temper." Celi commented wryly, shrugging before heading down the opposite direction. "Well now at least we've gotten him out of his room."
Wolfram was already up in the saddle by the time Conrad caught up with him.
"Wolfram!"
"Leave me alone!" Wolfram snarled before digging his heel into the horse's flank, causing the beast to shoot out of the stable in a dead run.
Conrad shook his head even as Yozak led his horse to him, all saddled up and ready to go.
"Good luck, Commander." Yozak drawled out after noting the furious cloud of dust Wolfram's horse was kicking up.
Conrad sighed. "I'm going to need it." He swung up the saddle lightly. "Hold the fort, will you, Yozak? And please try to cheer Yuuri up." He thought quickly. "Remind him that if Wolfram had really meant to hurt him, he would have used his flame instead of his fist."
"You got it." Yozak eyed him thoughtfully. "Sure you can't use some help with the kid? He's pretty mad."
Conrad smiled, grateful for the offer. "I'll be fine." He assured the orange-haired man. "Wolfram's bark has always been worse than his bite."
"Alright." Yozak stepped back. "Just a suggestion though, Commander – you might want to let the kid burn something down before trying to talk to him. You know, let him get it off his chest before trying to talk some sense into him." He added helpfully.
"I'll keep that in mind." Conrad grinned before urging his horse to move.
"And if all else fails, duck!" Yozak hollered at the departing figure. He shook his head in amused exasperation. "Kids!"
Following Wolfram was not difficult, Conrad found, especially since the blond prince made no effort at all to cover his trail. In fact, Wolfram rode with no care at all for anyone or anything that he passed.
Conrad knew how that felt. He'd been there too, once, when the demons raging inside him had all but blinded him to the outside world. He knew how driven he had been, and how useless it had been to try and talk to him.
Which was why he contented himself to following Wolfram from a discreet distance, at least for the moment.
There would be time to talk, if Wolfram wanted to talk. Time to listen, if Wolfram needed someone to just listen. Whatever his brother needed, Conrad was going to be there to give it to him.
But for now, Wolfram needed time and space to sort himself out. And he needed someone to watch his back while he did so.
So that was what Conrad was going to do. He was going to watch over his kid brother until the latter was ready to deal.
-o0o-
"I messed up, didn't I?"
Murata nodded in agreement, not looking up from the book he was reading. Shibuya had been moaning about his mess for an hour now, and showed no sign of letting up. Gwendal had wisely bowed out of the show, muttering about needing to alert people about Wolfram's uncertain temper, and Günther had floated out with him. The Great Sage sighed, thinking longingly of the maidens waiting to continue their interrupted play.
Yuuri's chin sank to the top of his desk. "He'll never forgive me now." Despair tinged his voice.
Murata clicked his tongue. "You know what I find truly amazing, Shibuya?" He drawled out finally. "When Wolfram was over there and you were plotting to snatch him back, you were every inch the king and ruler. But the moment you succeed in rescuing him, you turn back to the wimp we all know and love. Now don't misunderstand, I'm happy that the brat's here, but you have to admit that from a certain perspective, it makes one wonder if retrieving him was actually the better decision."
Yuuri stared at him, speechless.
"For instance," Murata went on blithely, "you're doing exactly what Shibuya the wimp would do – bemoaning the situation you've landed yourself into. But let's pause for a moment and consider – what would the recent Wolfram-less Shibuya do in your place?" He smirked. "Somehow I don't think he would let a small thing like a von Bielefeld tantrum stop him from his objective." He peered over his book at the stupefied king. "Assuming he has an objective?"
Yuuri blinked. Then he was off his chair and striding out the door.
The smirk morphed into a full-fledged grin, and the book snapped shut with alacrity. "Mission accomplished."
-o0o-
Yuuri rushed down the corridors to Wolfram's room. He was going to make the stubborn blond listen, if that was the last thing he ever did.
"Ah, Your Highness?"
Yuuri flashed the orange-haired man a distracted grin, and would have slipped past him, except that a strong hand landed on his shoulder, nearly jerking him off his feet.
"Yozak, I'm a little busy right now…" He began.
"He's not there." He was informed with a jaunty grin.
"…and I – what?" Yuuri stepped back to stare at Conrad's second-in-command. "Who's not there?" Reason kicked in. "Wolfram's gone? Wait, where did he go?" And that was the beginning of panic.
"Whoa." Yozak was quick to reassure the dark-haired king. "He just took a short ride. Don't worry, the Commander's keeping an eye on him."
"Oh." Suddenly deflated, Yuuri heaved a big sigh, head slumping.
"You alright, Your Highness?" Yozak peered at him concernedly.
Yuuri shook his head. "I was just – I really needed to talk to Wolfram, that's all." He mumbled, turning to head back to the study.
"I see." Yozak nodded sympathetically, matching his stride to the king's shorter one. He eyed the boy's long face consideringly. "May I speak freely, Your Majesty?"
His sudden formality pricked Yuuri's morose mood. "Ah, sure, Yozak. What do you have in mind?"
Yozak pursed his lips. "Well, I do a lot of watching people, y'know. It's my job. And I've been around those brothers quite often…"
Yuuri's face brightened.
Yozak laughed. "Thought that might get your attention."
Yuuri blushed, but forged on bravely. "I think I need all the help I can get."
"That you do." Yozak agreed wholeheartedly.
No more was said until they reached the now empty study. However, the moment the doors were secure, Yuuri turned to the spy eagerly.
"Tell me what to do."
But Yozak was already shaking his head. "Majesty, that's not my job. I'm here to give you a couple of clues, not tell you what to do."
"Fine." Yuuri expelled an impatient breath. "What's the clue?"
"Clues." Yozak corrected cheerfully. "First, the Commander asked me to tell you that if Lord von Bielefeld had really meant to hurt you, you'd be nursing a burnt cheek, not a bruised jaw." He grinned. "Guess the brat still has a soft spot for you after all."
Yuuri's eyes widened as realization dawned, and color stole into his cheeks even as hope blossomed once more in his heart.
"That said," Yozak went on briskly, "there's just one other thing you should keep in mind. Heck, you should have figured this one out by now."
"What?" Yuuri asked bemusedly, still not quite over the first clue.
Yozak cocked his head. "That for all the noise Lord von Bielefeld generates, it isn't what he says that shows what's in his heart." He said slowly. "All that ranting and screaming – they're just to distract you from what's real." He sketched a small bow and headed for the door.
"Yozak, wait!" Yuuri struggled to absorb the last clue. "That's it?"
"Uh-huh." Yozak grinned. "You've got to do some things on your own, you know? Remember, keep you eye on the real thing."
Yuuri stared at the closed door for a long while after Yozak had left.
-o0o-
The sun was setting by the time Conrad felt it was safe enough to approach his younger brother. Wolfram had ridden for hours, traversing most of the kingdom and almost breaching the border before slowing down and finally stopping on this spot. Since then he had not moved at all.
Not wanting to surprise the blond, Conrad made sure to make enough noise to warn Wolfram of his presence as he guided his horse to the latter's side.
However, Wolfram merely slid him a glance before returning his gaze to the rolling hills before him, now bathed in reddish-gold light.
"There was a place exactly like this, near the Temple." Wolfram remarked after a long silence. "I used to ride out on Wimp often, and always there was this old monk on my tail."
Conrad inclined his head carefully, but wisely kept his mouth shut.
"At first I thought he was worried that I was going to run out on the Temple." Wolfram went on baldly, "Later I realized something he'd known all along – that there was no where left to run to. There was only the Temple. He wasn't there to keep me from escaping; he was there to help me. To guide me."
Conrad had his own ideas about the kind of 'help' the Temple of the Winds was giving, but he chose to keep them to himself. For now.
"He made me see that true happiness isn't about love." Wolfram said softly. "That the reason why I've been so unhappy is because I've been chasing after something that wasn't real."
"I think your feelings for Yuuri are very real." Conrad commented gently.
"Maybe they were." Wolfram emphasized the last word. "But hoping that Yuuri would return them – that was pure fantasy. I should have realized that much earlier." He let out a deep breath. "You shouldn't have let him come to the Temple. I was –" He searched for a word. " – fine."
"But we didn't know that." Conrad pointed out. "We were all very worried, Yuuri most of all. He was desperate to find you."
"I was fine." Wolfram insisted. "It was rough at first, I'll admit that. But later, I finally got it. I knew what I was doing."
"Do you regret coming back?" Conrad asked quietly.
Wolfram was still for a moment. "Yes, I do." He replied honestly. "I'd started over, Conrad. I'd put the past behind me. I was fine." He bowed his head. "Now I'm lost, all over again."
"This is your home, Wolfram." Conrad reminded him. "We are your family. We can help you. And Yuuri – he really does love you."
Wolfram shook his head. "That's his guilt talking."
Conrad gazed at him for a telling moment. "Can it not be that almost losing you made him realize how he really feels about you?"
Wolfram's mouth twisted. "You expect me to believe that what had not been there in all the months we'd been engaged suddenly materialized when we no longer were?"
Point. Conrad couldn't deny the logic behind Wolfram's patent disbelief. However, since when had emotion been logical? "I expect you to acknowledge the fact that Yuuri defied the Temple to bring you home. That he wanted you enough to risk your anger and go against your express wishes." He spoke quickly. "Consider this, Wolfram. If all Yuuri wanted was to serve the Maou's justice, he had already done so when he followed you to the Temple and offered to bring you home. But when you chose the Temple, Yuuri's obligation to you as the Maou ended." Conrad watched his brother carefully. "It isn't because of justice or duty that Yuuri brought you back, Wolfram."
"Then why?" Wolfram demanded.
"I think you know why." Conrad countered softly.
"Riddles!" Wolfram snapped impatiently.
"Truth." Conrad returned with an unruffled smile.
"Hmp!" Wolfram sniffed, tossing his head. However, not before Conrad detected a light of uncertainty in the green depths.
He sat back, a small smile gracing his lips. Kids, he thought affectionately.
-o0o-
End Chapter