The Inability to Continue
Disclaimer: I don't own Kyou Kara Maou or that kiss in the ova would have been completely onscreen. Dx
Chapter 1: An Interesting Event Takes Place
"That wasn't a very happy story; Greta would rather hear the one about Anissina fighting the giant evil toads again." Greta pulled the covers off to go to the bookshelf, and went in search of said storybook.
"You didn't like it at all?" Wolfram tried his hardest to conceal the sadness he was feeling.
"Well, the king kinda looked like Papa Yuuri, and Greta liked the colors, but it had a sad ending. And if the king was supposed to be Yuuri then that would have made the blonde Papa Wolf. Papa Yuuri and Papa Wolf have to have a happy ending. Greta says so." Once she had found the aforementioned book Greta crawled back under the covers and handed the oversized book to Wolfram.
"Oh, alright." Wolfram smiled a little and Greta smiled back in reply. "Do you want me to read it from the beginning or where we stopped last time?" Wolfram kept the other book in his lap. He'd written and illustrated it himself. He was rather proud of his artwork; he was now much better at drawing, in his own opinion. Even Greta could tell it was supposed to be Yuuri.
"Start at the beginning, that's the best part, anyway." Greta was already so tired; Wolfram knew he wouldn't have to read to her for very long.
"So, the great Anissina was once again traveling through the unexplored parts of the Great Demon Kingdom, alone and armed only with her astonishing wit…"
After Greta had fallen asleep Wolfram trekked back to his own room. Well, the room he shared with Yuuri. At the moment said demon king was back 'home' on Earth. No one knew when he would be back, because no one ever knew when he was going to leave. Yuuri had been doing it less often, but sometimes it still felt like he came and went as he pleased. Yuuri was more mature, Wolfram would give him that much. But he was still a wimpy king who couldn't see what was right in front of him.
Wolfram didn't notice the tears his own eyes were shedding until they started dripping off of his face and onto the front of his shirt. Even then he ignored them. Deep down he knew why he was crying, and he was just glad he hadn't started crying earlier. Tomorrow he would be engaged to Yuuri for another year. Unbeknownst to Yuuri, if he got back in time, tomorrow he would have to take part in a ceremony for the very occasion. It was a long practiced tradition in Shin Makoku to have an appraisal ceremony for the king and his fiancé on their second year engagement anniversary. An appraisal, for the fiancé…
He kept on walking until he reached the door to the king's chambers. He paused before grabbing the handle. He could hear noises coming from inside. Was Yuuri back already?
"Wolfram? Woooolfffraaaamm?" Yuuri called from the other side of the door. Just before Wolfram could even think to answer the door opened in front of him.
"Wolfram, there you are." Yuuri smiled warmly. "I knew you were somewhere around here."
"Oh?" Wolfram couldn't respond anymore than that, or Yuuri would have been able to tell he'd been crying. Right now it was too dark for him to be able to see anything.
"Well, come on, I've got something for you." Yuuri hurried back into the room and Wolfram followed behind moving as slowly as he could without arousing any suspicion. He also wiped what was left of his tears on his sleeve when Yuuri turned around. Wolfram then noticed he was still holding the book he had made. For the moment he hid it behind his back.
"Did you bring something back from Earth?" Wolfram tested his voice and found that it didn't sound too bad. It faulted a bit on 'Earth' but it always did that, no matter how he was feeling.
"Well, yes, but don't be angry about it, okay? I mean, I was there anyway and then I decided, well… Would you light a torch or two? I would, but you're so much better at it, and every time I try I just end up burning myself." Yuuri fumbled around in the moonlight and Wolfram let him struggle some more while he hid the book in one of the various drawers of his own dresser. After he'd done so he lit two of the torches nearest to them with a flick of his wrist. Wolfram could now see Yuuri clearly as he turned towards him and beamed.
"Thanks. Now I can find it, my mother made me bring back a couple more things than I wanted to, but it's ok…Aha, here it is!" Yuuri pulled out a medium sized plastic bag with some sort of clothing item in it. "I didn't know what size to get you exactly, so I hope it fits."
"What is it?" Wolfram took a few steps closer to Yuuri, knowing there was no way the wimp could tell he'd been crying if he hadn't figured it out by now.
"Well, my mother always gets you such frilly nightgowns, and even though you have one yourself, I thought maybe you'd also want a pair of pajamas, like mine, so I went and picked out a pair I thought you might like…Maybe, I guess. Saying it out loud it makes it seem kind of silly, doesn't it? Hahaha…" Yuuri scratched the back of his head and smiled nervously, clutching the bag to his side.
"Give it here, let me see." Wolfram reached for the bag and Yuuri handed it to him, watching him closely. Wolfram didn't think he'd received this much attention from Yuuri in a long time.
Wolfram slowly pulled out the pajamas, already marveling at their color. If they weren't the exact same shade of blue as his uniform he'd be astonished, they looked so similar. They even had black in them, around the edges. They also shined and felt smooth. For so long Wolfram had become accustomed to wearing a dress to bed, but now Yuuri himself was giving him a pair of silk pants and a matching shirt to wear to bed. It was like Yuuri was giving him permission to be a man again. Though, Wolfram should know not to look that deep into it when Yuuri was involved. Yuuri just probably thought Wolfram would like to wear something other than the frilly pink dresses he always wore to bed. And that was just truer than Yuuri could understand.
"I love them. Thank you." Wolfram looked up at Yuuri, and he thought he'd been smiling. But the look on Yuuri's face told him otherwise.
"Then why are you crying? You were crying earlier, too, weren't you? And you had something in your hand, a book; you put it in your dresser." Yuuri wasn't angry, just a bit distressed and confused. He didn't know how to act when Wolfram got like this. He never knew how to act around Wolfram to make him happy. Yuuri didn't like to see Wolfram cry, in fact he hated it, but somehow he always messed up and it ended up like this. Yuuri wished that there was some guidebook on how to make Wolfram happy. He would read it multiple times just to make sure he understood it all.
"N-no, I'm fine. It wasn't anything important, don't worry about it. I love these pajamas, I really do. And the fact that you picked them out yourself makes me even happier. Thank you so much. I'll just go try them on right now." Wolfram usually didn't cry in front of people, he was too strong for that. But with Yuuri his emotions just broke free and ran amok. Wolfram quickly made his way towards the adjoined royal bath chambers, knowing that he could have just gone behind the changing screen…
"Wolfram, wait!" Yuuri reached after him as he walked away, having to chase after him a bit before finally grabbing a hold of his wrist. "Please, don't walk away. I, um, have something else to give to you…"
Wolfram stopped when Yuuri grabbed his wrist, but he didn't turn back around instantly, he just stood still, as if frozen by Yuuri's touch.
"After today we've been engaged for two years, right?" Wolfram finally turned towards Yuuri and stared at him so intently that Yuuri couldn't meet his gaze and had to look towards the window, scratching the back of his head nervously.
"For once you're right about something, wimp." Wolfram replied, suppressing the feelings that had just been stirred up by Yuuri's offhand comment. Did Yuuri really care?
"To be honest, Conrad reminded me a couple of days ago and that's why I left. I didn't really know what to get you, but I felt like I should get you something…" Figures that Conrad would have to remind him, but Wolfram was still shocked that Yuuri felt an obligation to do anything. Wolfram had been so worried about the ceremony tomorrow that he'd forgotten all about the fact that they'd actually been together for another year. He really should have gotten Yuuri something.
"…all of the necklaces were really girly, but some of them were, well, I don't know, you might have liked them. I kind of wished you'd been there to pick it out yourself. But then again, what would be the point of me getting you a present if you knew what it was? On second thought, maybe you should open it up tomorrow. Unless you really want to open it now…" Oops, it looked like Yuuri had been talking to him and he'd missed the first chunk of his babbling. Yuuri really didn't like sitting in awkward silences and always felt the need to jabber through them.
"It can wait." Wolfram replied quietly. He didn't want to open whatever it was Yuuri had picked out for him tonight and then just have to give it back tomorrow after… Well, maybe tomorrow wouldn't go so badly. Maybe Wolfram was just being a pessimist.
"Ok then, I'll put it away until tomorrow." Yuuri went over to the bag of things and just put it next to his dresser. That was his way of 'putting things away.' "It's almost tomorrow now, probably, with how late it is." Yuuri got his pajamas out and went behind the changing screen. Wolfram finally made his escape into the bath chamber.
"Wolfram?" Yuuri looked from behind the screen as he tried to get his shirt on as he heard the door shut. Yuuri sighed. He thought they were becoming great friends lately. Yet he still never knew how to make Wolfram really happy. Sometimes Wolfram was his happiest when Yuuri felt he'd done nothing in particular to please him. And then whenever Yuuri tried to make Wolfram happy it almost always ended in tears. Yuuri was too tired to think about the matter for much longer, and the instant his head hit the pillow he was fast asleep.
The only noise in the royal bath chambers was Wolfram's irregular breath. He couldn't calm himself down, and even though the tears had stopped he still couldn't regulate his breathing.
Yuuri just had to be so thoughtful, didn't he? Wolfram didn't want to have to go through the appraisal ceremony tomorrow, and the fact that Yuuri was sure to witness it now only made things worse. There was a rumor going around in the halls of the castle about a device Anissina had made just for the occasion tomorrow, and it didn't sound good. Tomorrow Wolfram would be humiliated, in front of everyone in the court as well as the ten nobles and whatever spectators came to watch. There had been other appraisal ceremonies for other fiancés, but it'd been awhile. His mother was never engaged long enough, always jumping straight into marriage. He had to admit, the ceremony hadn't taken place for a long time, which just meant this would be even more painful. He read somewhere that the last time there had been a fiancé appraisal it'd ended badly. Even though the king and his fiancé had been happily engaged (by choice and not by accident, of course) the fiancé had announced the next day that they were no longer engaged. Wolfram knew this would somehow end up even worse than that. He'd be humiliated, he'd no longer be Yuuri's fiancé, and because he'd been 'sleeping' with Yuuri for so long his reputation would be that of a slut. He only really cared about one of those things, though, and surprisingly it wasn't his pride or his reputation.
Yuuri hadn't realized it, or maybe he secretly had, but Wolfram was changing because of him. And now Wolfram had gotten to the point where he really didn't know what he would do without him. If Wolfram was no longer Yuuri's fiancé, if he no longer spent the night in his bedroom and stuck by his side as his fiancé he'd be lost. Yuuri didn't need another guardian, he had Conrad for that. Yuuri didn't need an advisor, he had Gwendal for that. He didn't need a friend, he had Murata (not to mention everyone else in the entire kingdom), and he didn't need a teacher, he had Gunter. The only thing that set Wolfram apart from the rest was the fact that he was Yuuri's fiancé. If he lost that status he wouldn't only lose his chance to gain Yuuri's affections, but he'd also lose his chance to be close to Yuuri at all.
If he became just another royal there would be no place for him at the castle. His uncle would insist that he go back to Bielefeld and start his preparations for ruling over his homeland. He'd be very far from everyone here and only come back to Blood Pledge Castle for important official Bielefeld business. He'd eventually become one of the ten nobles and come here for meetings, but those would be the only time he'd even see Yuuri. He'd probably never speak to him one on one again.
But maybe that was for the better? Maybe he should accept his fate. And if he was that far from the castle and never had to speak to Yuuri directly again he might be able to get over it, get over this. Wolfram didn't think he'd ever, well love someone else, because he loved Yuuri, he'd admit that, but he knew he'd never get Yuuri to love him back like he wanted him to. He might be able to move on, though… That would be better for everyone, wouldn't it? He could finally prove to everyone that he was more than just the spoiled, bratty prince, or the jealous fiancé. He'd be the best Bielefeld there ever was.
Accepting his fate, and actually feeling better, Wolfram stood from the place on the floor where he'd been sitting. His resolve cracked a little when he remembered the excuse he'd made for coming in here. He was supposed to be trying on the pajamas Yuuri bought for him. He picked them up; admiring them one last time before folding them up and tucking them safely back into the bag they'd been in before. He knew he should give them back, leave them with all of the other earth things next to Yuuri's dresser and go back to his own room. But he wanted to keep them, even if he could never bring himself to wear them; he wanted to know that at least Yuuri cared enough to worry about how comfortable he was.
Wolfram tucked the bag under his arm and stepped out of the bath chamber, looking around to make sure Yuuri was asleep before closing the door behind him. Passing Yuuri's bed he smiled at the sleeping king. He looked so young when he was asleep, smiling, huddled under the blanket. It made Wolfram chuckle inwardly to think of all the times he'd stolen the covers and left Yuuri to hug his knees to his chest for warmth. They'd never done anything sexual, but Wolfram would miss the joy of sleeping with Yuuri. He'd especially miss those nights when Greta would come into their room and sleep between them after having had a nightmare. Those were the nights when all three of them would sleep peacefully through the whole night.
Greta… that was another problem with leaving the castle. Yuuri was a great father and all, but he never taught her anything and was always too busy to read her a bedtime story or just have a private lunch with her. But… Greta has always wanted a mother, and if Wolfram was gone…
Wolfram had told himself he was done with crying for the night but he couldn't stop the tears that came with that thought. He felt pathetic and helpless, and betrayed. How soon after the engagement was broken off would Yuuri marry some woman? He was young and full of hormones, it wouldn't take that long. He'd probably marry the first woman who had a marriage interview with him.
Wolfram set the bag with the pajamas next to Yuuri's dresser and left the room. He'd had enough of Yuuri's empty gifts. The pajamas didn't mean anything, nothing Yuuri ever gave him meant anything to the young king other than that they were just 'friends.' Tomorrow, after they were through humiliating him, Wolfram would be glad to go back home to Bielefeld, where he belonged.
Yuuri was cold when he woke up, but it wasn't because the covers had been stolen by Wolfram again. The sun had just started to hit his face, which is what had disturbed his sleep, and he had the covers on, so why was he cold? He looked over to Wolfram's spot and noticed the spot was cold, like it'd never been slept in. Usually Wolfram woke up before him but that spot was always still warm when Yuuri woke up. Secretly, whenever Wolfram was already out of the room, Yuuri would crawl into that spot and enjoy Wolfram's left over body heat. Yuuri's pillow usually smelt like his drool and sweat but Wolfram's pillow always smelt like flowers. Except today, and the coldness of that spot seemed to be sucking the heat away from Yuuri, which explained why he was cold.
Yuuri finally realized there was a clamor outside his door when he heard Gunter's familiar voice shout "His Highness isn't up yet? But the ceremony is to take place in just under an hour!" There was always something going on that Yuuri was unaware of until Gunter burst into his room the morning of the event to tell him about it.
"Your Majesty, please pardon my intrusion, but you must get up and get ready for the ceremony!" Gunter exclaimed, breathless, as he barged into Yuuri's room.
"It's ok Gunter, I'm up. See?" Yuuri said as he stood up out of bed. He was glad for an excuse to get away from that cold and empty spot next to him.
"Oh thank goodness. You should bathe and make sure to wear your royal uniform, and do it quickly! We wouldn't want you to be late." Gunter was already heading back out the door when Yuuri stopped him.
"Wait, what ceremony is today? I can't remember exactly… does it have something to do with Wolfram and me being engaged for two years?" Yuuri was confused, and the fact that Wolfram had slept next to him last night was troubling. He knew something like that shouldn't trouble him and that he should be thankful for the privacy, but he'd gotten used to it. He'd even go so far to say that he missed it…
"Yes, it has everything to do with that! Didn't Conrad tell you? After two years of engagement it is Shin Makoku tradition to have a public appraisal of the king's fiancé." Gunter paused and when Yuuri didn't start moving he added, "Now please get ready, your highness, it wouldn't be proper for you to show up to the ceremony looking like that. It'd only make Wolfram's evaluation harder." Yuuri nodded, and that was enough to get Gunter out of the room.
"Wolfram…" Yuuri muttered, thinking aloud. He had no idea that this would happen! What kind of appraisal could Gunter mean? Knowing long honored traditions in Shin Makoku, he knew it couldn't be good. Why hadn't Wolfram told him about this last night? And again, why hadn't Wolfram slept next to him last night? Maybe this ceremony was even worse than Yuuri could imagine… He wanted to save Wolfram but he knew there was nothing he could do. If only he'd known about it sooner, maybe there could have been something he could have done…
Anissina's invention looked like a torture device mixed in with one of those brightly colored things on the magic box at Yuuri's house. Wolfram did not want to sit in it, especially when he could see where his arms and legs would be strapped down and some sort of device would be placed on his head. He felt more like a prisoner of war than anything else…
At least he was allowed to wear his royal uniform and not some sort of elaborate costume; he'd look respectable while losing his dignity. The ten nobles were all here and most of them were already seated at the table placed before Anissina's contraption. He hadn't seen Yuuri yet, but that wimpy king had to be around here somewhere. Even though Wolfram wished Yuuri was still back on Earth, then he wouldn't have to worry about Yuuri judging him. Everyone else could think he was a bad fiancé, but Yuuri… He hoped Yuuri wouldn't laugh and nod his head in agreement when all of the nobles said that Wolfram was a bad fiancé. If that happened, Wolfram didn't know if he'd be able to stop himself from crying, and then he would be even more humiliated.
What was he thinking? It didn't matter anymore; didn't he figure that out last night? He hadn't slept at all, but he'd made up his mind. He wasn't going to let this bother him. And after he was forced to break off his engagement to Yuuri he would go back to Bielefeld. He'd work hard and become a respected noble. This engagement would always be dangled over his head, and he'd probably get snide comments for the rest of his life, but he'd live. And he'd prove to everyone that he'd changed for the better, that he was no longer a 'selfish loafer.'
"Tell me again, Conrad, what's the point of this?" Yuuri asked for the third time. Conrad didn't lose his cool, and answered with that kind, understanding smile. Sometimes Yuuri thought it was too understanding.
"It started with the 4th Maou, who courted many different people and would get engaged but then break the engagement off after two years for different reasons. Eventually he found out that the nobles started questioning every fiancé that lasted more than two years, to make sure that they were reputable and their intentions pure. If they found out that the fiancé in question didn't meet their standards they would pressure that person until they left the king's side, which explained why he had so many different fiancés. When he found this out, instead of scolding the nobles, he thanked them, and made it an official ritual. He said that if the nobles all agreed he shouldn't marry a person then they were probably right. Also, if one of his fiancés had really loved him, they would have stuck by his side even with the pressure for the nobles. And that's how this tradition started, your majesty." Conrad told the story slower each time, which was good, because Yuuri had a hard time grasping its contents.
"It's Yuuri, Conrad." Yuuri sighed, "And thanks for retelling that story again, I think I finally understand. It just doesn't seem fair, to have ten nobles who are kind of like high class strangers judge someone's reputability. I'm fine with Wolfram, he's super cool, so why don't they just go home and we call it a day?" Yuuri didn't like seeing the ten nobles all at once, one on one he could handle, but get them in a group and they were scary!
"But your majesty, even Adalbert came today to represent the Von Grantz family; he received special permission to enter the castle grounds. Everyone has gone out of their way to attend the ceremony today." Did Yuuri just say that the ten nobles were scary? He meant the 9 nobles that usually showed up were scary, add Adalbert and they were absolutely terrifying! He was glad that he wasn't the one being appraised! But poor Wolfram, he definitely didn't deserve this…
"But what about Wolfram's feelings? Surely he doesn't want to be subjected to this kind of thing…"
"He has no choice, he must take part in the ceremony whether he wants to or not. But I'm sure he's not very happy about the situation."
"Then we should save him! We could put a stunt double in his place and hide him in one of the closets in one of the rooms somewhere they'll never find him! And he could wear a wig, so that if they do find him…"
"Yuuri," Conrad interrupted him, and it had to be serious business if he was using his name, "This isn't a game, we can't save Wolfram…" Conrad looked away, like he was in pain.
"You want to save him, too! You know how much this must hurt his pride, to be questioned like some sort of game show contestant."
"It's worse than that…" Conrad stopped himself before he said anything more. "Let's get going."
"But you were just about to say something! Something about how it's even worse than that, or whatever. Just tell me, what exactly does all this mean for Wolfram?" Even Yuuri's puppy dog look didn't break Conrad's resolve this time.
"You'll know soon enough, there are only a few minutes left until the ceremony is supposed to start. Let's get going." Conrad didn't smile as they walked towards the courtyard, and this made Yuuri worry even more.
The courtyard was full of people, and even more people from the town watched from the beyond the front gate. People young and old, from nobles to peasants, there were all different kinds of people here today! Yuuri had forgotten how important these kinds of ceremonies could be for the people. And he was always surprised at how quickly people made a path for him from wherever he was to wherever he was supposed to be. There was a platform set up, like a stage, and some sort of brightly colored machine was right in the middle of the makeshift stage.
Had Yuuri said something about a game show earlier? As they approached the stage Yuuri could see that the machine looked just like something out of a game show. There was even a panel of judges in front of the stage, with one spot left open right in the middle. He assumed that was supposed to be his spot. But what was up with that machine? Yuuri couldn't do anything but stare at it in disbelief.
"Anissina really outdid herself this time, didn't she?" That was an understatement!
"What is that thing?!" Yuuri pointed to the machine on the stage.
"We'll find out soon, won't we? Why don't you sit down, I think they're waiting for you to start."
"Oh yeah, sure thing." Yuuri suddenly felt all eyes on him as he made his way over to his seat. This was going to be terribly awkward. And if it was this awkward for him, he wondered how Wolfram must have felt right about now…
Of course the wimp was late, and of course he had to act like an idiot, and of course Conrad had to keep unnecessarily touching him. Yuuri was a big boy now, Wolfram was sure he could get into his chair without all that extra attention from Conrad. Wolfram hoped that Conrad could feel the glare he was giving him because he was glaring at him with all his might.
"Ladies and Gentleman, welcome!" Oh no, not already… five more minutes at least, please! And did that voice belong to who he thought it did?
"Thank you for coming! I know the question on all of your minds, 'what is that beautiful machine right there?' and I'm ready to tell you the answer your question! This is 'Truth-or-Lie-I-Decide-kun!' This machine can tell us if the person sitting in this chair is answering a question truthfully or not!" There was a pause for applause. And Wolfram knew who that voice belonged to all too well.
"How can it do that, you might ask? Well, let's bring out the star of the show so you all can see how it works!" Oh no, please… Wolfram felt a push from behind and now he was up on the stage and all eyes were on him. Wolfram glanced over at Yuuri to see him staring right back at him with an apologetic face. Well, at least the wimp understood that this wasn't some sort of silly game. Even if this colorful machine made it seem that way…
"Right this way, sir." Every nerve in Wolfram's body was telling him to put up a fight, to try and get as far away from that machine as he could. But he didn't resist and sat down in that horrible looking chair. He didn't even flinch when Anissina started to strap him in and was surprised by his resolve.
"You strap the subject down like so, and place this specially designed cap on his head…" There was no turning back now, Wolfram was officially stuck. "And then you ask the subject a question! Let's start with something simple." Anissina gave Wolfram a smile that made him want to vomit, this wasn't going to be good.
"What's your name?"
"…Wolfram Von Bielefeld." The machine had a tall back with two colors, red and green, with a long needle in the middle. After Wolfram said his name the light on the top blinked twice, a loud 'ding ding' was made and the needle pointed towards the green.
This was beyond strange.
"Good job! See, when a truthful answer is given it will point to the green and make a cute 'ding' noise! Now, let's ask a more difficult question… Any suggestions?" Anissina wanted him to get angry so he had to keep his cool.
There were a lot of suggestions shouted and Wolfram couldn't hear any of them very clearly. But he did notice that Yuuri's lips didn't move once.
"Oh I heard a good one! So, Wolfram, what is your height and weight?"
"Um, well, I believe they are 178 cm and 51 kg." He'd gotten taller this year, right?
Wrong. Wolfram was immediately shocked by the cuffs around his ankles, wrists, and the contraption on his head simultaneously and the machine made a 'bzzt' noise along with the needle pointing towards the red. Oh, and the light flashed, too.
That was an effective way to prevent him from ever wanting to lie about anything ever again. He really thought he'd gotten taller, though, honest!
Had Anissina somehow seen a game show before? Yuuri knew she must have modeled this after every bad Japanese game show out there on TV. And poor Wolfram! His hair was frizzled a bit from the shock and he did not look happy at all. This was just the beginning, too! Yuuri wished there was some way to stop this before it got even worse…
"Alright! Now that everyone knows how 'Truth-Or-Lie-I-Decide-Kun' works I'll let the Nobles take over the questioning." Oh no, this was going to be bad. What kind of questions would they ask him? And what if he didn't know the answer? Finally, would Yuuri have to ask something, too? He didn't want to ask the wrong question and make the machine shock Wolfram again…
"I'll start, little sister!" Von Karbelnikoff replied. "Let's get started on the serious questions, Von Bielefeld. What are your intentions for his majesty?"
Wolfram looked nervous; he obviously wanted to give them a good answer but at the same time was scared of getting shocked again. 'You can do it, Wolfram!' Yuuri cheered inwardly.
"I intend to stay by his side and protect him as long as he allows me to do so." Wolfram closed his eyes as he waited for judgment, and his shoulders visibly relaxed when the machine emitted the 'ding' noise and pointed to the green.
"That's good, but not something I'd expect a fiancé to say, wouldn't you agree Von Roshvall?" Densham Von Karbelnikoff smiled at the noble sitting next to him, she smiled in reply.
"I agree entirely. Just what is his majesty to you, Von Bielefeld?" Von Roshvall asked. Yuuri saw Wolfram look at him and then quickly look away.
"He's my fiancé, of course." Green, that's good.
"Yes, but what does he mean to you?"
There was a long pause. Everyone was silent, which hadn't been the case before, there had been some background noise but now everyone was watching and waiting. Yuuri didn't realize it, but he was on the edge of his seat, gripping the table until his knuckles turned white.
Wolfram opened his mouth and closed it again without making a sound.
"It's a simple question Von Bielefeld, please answer it promptly." Von Wincott added, trying to ease the tension with a smile. It only made Wolfram look more nervous.
"…He means a lot to me." Wolfram's face turned a little red and he looked away from the table where the nobles all sat. The indicator pointed to green.
"That's a very vague answer, so I will rephrase the question. Do you love his majesty, Von Bielefeld?" When Von Karbelnikoff said this Wolfram's face flushed completely red, which was made even more obvious by his pale skin and blonde hair.
"What kind of question is that? Of course I do." Wolfram stated like it was just another fact of life, and the needle still pointed to the green. Yuuri was a little shocked. He knew he shouldn't be, that to anyone else it really was an obvious question. But Yuuri still felt his face heat up a little, especially when Wolfram looked towards him and their eyes met. Yuuri should have known that Wolfram…l-loved him, but, well, he was still shocked to hear him state it so matter-of-factly like that.
"That's good to hear." Gwendal muttered under his breath sarcastically. He obviously didn't want to put his younger brother through all of this needless embarrassment.
"What did you say, Von Voltaire?" Von Spitzberg prompted, loud enough to get the other nobles attention. "Did you want to ask the next question?"
Gwendal sighed inwardly. "Alright. Von Bielefeld, what is your opinion on his majesty's anti-war policy?" Gwendal thought it sounded formal and like something he was expected to say.
"I admit to being opposed to it at first, but lately I have realized it might be in the best interests of the country to try and…talk things out with opposing human countries." Wolfram could feel the shock begin and the needle point to red and added, "Except for King Saralegui. He is not to be trusted." Wolfram closed his eyes and didn't open them until he heard that reassuring 'ding ding.'
"Why shouldn't we trust Sara? I think he proved that he could change." Yuuri blurted out, not realizing that he'd just asked the next question until he saw everyone looking at him, including Wolfram.
"He betrayed us once and might do it again." Wolfram replied, but was given a shock and the needle pointed to the red in response.
"So, how do you really feel?" Gunter prompted.
"…I'm jealous of how close his majesty and King Saralegui have gotten." Wolfram corrected, blushing. Yuuri couldn't help but be more troubled about Wolfram not calling him by name than his jealousy. Wolfram was probably even jealous of Conrad, which there was no good reason for that, but Yuuri got the feeling that he was. Yuuri was more perceptive to Wolfram's emotions recently than the blonde thought.
"Well, is there any good reason for your jealously? Is his majesty unfaithful?" Waltorana Von Bielefeld asked. Yuuri opened his mouth to answer that he wasn't a cheater, but realized the question wasn't directed at him before he did anything foolish. He had to give himself a brownie point for not making a fool of himself.
Wolfram looked somber and at a loss for words on stage, the exact opposite of what Yuuri expected. Why wasn't he getting angry and yelling about how Yuuri was a 'useless, cheating wimp,' or a 'horrible, flirting king?'
"…I don't know, his majesty likes everyone and is friendly with all of the people he meets. …Except me." For some reason when the machine pointed to the green it didn't seem happy or relieving, and even the happy 'ding' noise it made sounded muted.
Yuuri's heart sank. Wolfram really believed that? Ok, so he did get angry and slap Wolfram after they'd first met, but when he said it like that it just sounded… well horrible.
"What do you mean? Why everyone except you?" Von Gyllenhaal asked. All of the other nobles that didn't already know about their first encounter nodded their heads.
"His majesty," ouch, Wolfram used his title again, "is known for his kindness and understanding, especially with allies in the human territories. Upon meeting his majesty I did not think him fit for the position and insulted his human mother, which I regret deeply. His Majesty got angry with me and slapped me on the spot." Again, the 'ding ding' noise didn't sound so cute anymore.
"But that was his majesty's engagement proposal, how could that be a bad thing?" Von Wincott asked.
"His majesty hadn't known that it was a proposal and… it was just an act of rage. An accident." 'Ding ding' never sounded sadder.
"So this whole engagement was the result of an accident?" Von Radford gave him a stern look over the tops of his glasses.
"…Yes." Wolfram replied meekly.
"But his majesty had claimed he would not take it back at the time, making it official." Cecilie added from her place on the sidelines.
"Oh, so the engagement was official, then." Von Radford sat back in his chair.
"That still makes this whole engagement a misunderstanding, doesn't it?" Von Roshvall asked. Wolfram's head sunk even lower.
"Yes." A sad, slow reply. That machine shouldn't be so colorful, it was really clashing with the mood.
"So what makes you fit to be his majesty's fiancé despite that initial mistake?" Stoffel questioned.
"Nothing…" Wolfram's voice was just barely audible. But they were all surprised by the machine shocking him and indicating the red.
"Oh, so the machine disagrees!" Gunter commented excitedly.
"So there must be some reason why you're a good candidate for his majesty." Von Karbelnikoff commented.
"He keeps me from becoming a wimpy king." Yuuri said, smiling when Wolfram looked up at him in surprise. Yuuri had said something right this time! Two more brownie points for that one. But Yuuri was suddenly embarrassed when he realized everyone was giving him looks of disbelief, except for Wolfram, who was smiling again. Yuuri decided he could live with the embarrassment if it got Wolfram to smile.
"Is this true?" Von Karbelnikoff asked.
"Of course." Wolfram was confident again, especially when he heard that annoying ding. He locked eyes with Yuuri and gave him a smile that he hope expressed his gratitude. Yuuri smiled back and Wolfram could feel butterflies in his stomach. That smile… whenever it was just for him Wolfram could feel his insides melt. It didn't happen very often, but just now, Yuuri had smiled just for him.
"So, Von Bielefeld, we've established that you love his majesty, but does his majesty love you?" Von Roshvall questioned. All of Wolfram's confidence was gone just as quickly as it had come. He looked down towards his feet once more.
"His majesty likes everyone." Wolfram replied quietly. The green was indicated.
"Yes, you've already said that. But does he like you the most?"
Wolfram knew the answer to this one, it was easy. Getting it out of his throat, now that was the hard part. It was only one syllable, it should take this much effort to say it.
"No."
The crowd waited for the machine to indicate the green before erupting into a huge uproar. Yuuri could hear things like 'scandalous!' and 'who could it be?' and 'so he was cheating!'
Yuuri was usually the first to admit that Wolfram wasn't number one on his list of people he liked, but he was up there! Actually, before this, Yuuri really hadn't thought about it like that. He definitely liked Wolfram, as a friend, and lately Wolfram had become, well, his best friend. And Wolfram was probably in his top three, if he thought about it. But when it was put like that, it did seem suspicious… Maybe Wolfram was his number one? Not, like, a love interest or anything, but… Well, if given the choice Yuuri would spend the day with Conrad, but only because Wolfram didn't play baseball. And if it was between Conrad and Wolfram for defending him Conrad was usually better at it. And if he needed to vent to someone, it was usually Conrad… But for some reason he thought that, especially recently, Wolfram might be better than Conrad. With Conrad he was a lot older than him, well, so was Wolfram… But Wolfram was kind of like the same age as him, and lately there was less yelling between them and more understanding. Wolfram still called him a cheater, but not as often, and there were times when Yuuri knew he was joking a little. Plus, with Conrad, Yuuri knew he had a dark past, and he had betrayed him back at Shimaron, even if it turned out to be for the better. Wolfram was just always there, and always willing to help him as best as he could, always trying to please him. But more than that, he didn't try to shelter Yuuri like Conrad. Wolfram also pushed him to be a better person.
There were other, smaller reasons. Like the way Wolfram would read to Greta at night and take care of her when he was gone or too busy. Or even his silly paintings, which both flattered and confused Yuuri. And then there were just times when Wolfram surprised him with his kindness. Yuuri knew Wolfram wasn't the same brat he'd first encountered, but he still had a hard time believing he was the one that caused Wolfram to change.
So, in the end, Wolfram might be his number one, Yuuri wasn't sure yet, and of course he wasn't ready to admit it. But Wolfram looked pretty sure that he wasn't his number one, and the machine said it'd been true. This time Yuuri didn't know what he could say to make Wolfram smile again, but he wished more than anything that he did.
Even with that very long inner monologue the crowd hadn't quieted down just yet, but they were almost there. But even as the crowd finally calmed down no one knew what to say next.
"So, do you know who his majesty's number one is?" Von Wincott asked. Great, Yuuri thought, now they were talking like he wasn't even here.
"…I don't know." A painful looking shock and this time Wolfram couldn't help but cry out.
"Conrart." Wolfram spat out, "It's probably Weller."
Green. That didn't make Yuuri feel much better. And now he could feel the glares being directed at him.
"So his majesty has been cheating on you with your own half-brother, Wolfram?" Waltorana's anger was very obvious, and his glare at Yuuri was without a doubt the most intense.
"No, not cheating. His majesty just likes Sir Weller more than me. If Weller is not his number one, than it is surely our daughter, Greta." It was the truth, well, the truth according to Wolfram.
"You two have a daughter together already?" Von Radford asked.
"She's a human child his majesty adopted, and since we are engaged I look after her, as well." It was the truth again and the nobles who hadn't known about Greta nodded their heads.
"So it wouldn't be like breaking up a real family, then…" Von Gyllenhaal commented.
"Yes, so if the engagement was broken off today then the child would just stay with his majesty." Von Roshvall added.
Gunter looked like he was going to burst, so he finally asked his question, "Are you sure about those being the only two candidates for his majesty's number one?" Gunter stared at Wolfram intently, making Wolfram very uncomfortable.
"I don't know." The green, good, he was off the hook and Gunter looked a little more at ease.
"What would you do if the engagement was broken off today, Von Bielefeld?" Stoffel suddenly asked.
"He'd probably run out of here crying." Adalbert chuckled.
"I would move to my homeland, Bielefeld, and begin my training to take over the estate there." Wolfram said with an air of resolve. Yuuri hadn't known about this, had Wolfram already planned this all out? Had he known it'd end up like this? Now that they were saying the engagement was going to be broken off Yuuri didn't know if that was what he wanted, exactly. Sure, he didn't think he liked boys, but if it meant Wolfram would move away… Yuuri was torn.
Waltorana was estatic. "And we'd welcome you with open arms."
"But haven't you been, well, sharing a bed with his majesty for quite some time now?" Von Wincott couldn't help but blush at the implications of his own question.
"Yes, but not in any sort of romantic way. His majesty and I have only kissed once, and at the time I was possessed by Shinou. We've never gotten any farther than that." Wolfram looked a little embarrassed to have to admit something like that, but the machine indicated the green. Yuuri remembered that kiss… it'd been weird. And made twice as weird by the fact that it was Shinou in Wolfram's body at the time. Yuuri liked to pretend it'd never happened.
"So at least you could leave this engagement with your dignity intact." Waltorana commented. Wolfram highly doubted that, but sure, whatever.
"Well, if everyone agrees, then shouldn't the engagement be nullified?" Von Roshvall prompted.
"Are there any objections?" Waltorana asked. Everyone was silent, even Wolfram, to Yuuri's surprise. Should Yuuri object? But why would he object? Hadn't he been trying to end this engagement since it began? Recently he hadn't been so adamant about it, but hadn't he always wanted this? If this was what he really wanted then why did it feel so wrong? This was happening way too quickly…
"Your majesty?" Conrad touched Yuuri's shoulder to wake him out of his own thoughts. Yuuri shook his head, and avoided looking straight at Wolfram. Wouldn't this be better for the both of them? It would be better, right?
"Alright, everything is settled then!" Waltorana was much too excited about this. "The engagement is officially terminated."
There had been something, a moment, in all of that hysteria, when Wolfram had believed that it would all be ok. When Yuuri had helped him get through that one part he thought he might make it, and that the engagement wouldn't be terminated. But it turns out that it just wasn't meant to be. He must have imagined that moment they shared, that moment of clarity, he'd thought. Turns out it was nothing. Oh well. It was all over and done with now. His engagement to Yuuri was finally over…
There had been a moment in all of that hysteria when Yuuri thought that everything would go back to normal, but even better. He'd said the right thing for once, right there in the middle, to make Wolfram give him that smile. For some reason Yuuri couldn't stop thinking about that smile. But he'd made the right decision in the end, right? Wolfram could get engaged to someone better suited for him than Yuuri. Wolfram, even if he was a guy, was way too pretty to be stuck with someone like Yuuri. And now Yuuri could finally court women without having to worry about an angry Wolfram riding atop a white horse bursting into the room. His engagement to Wolfram was finally over…
So why wasn't he happy?