Somehow, Yuuri didn't envision this as the sort of place Wolfram had come from. He supposed a lot of his fiancé's childhood must have been spent in Spitzberg country or in Covenant Castle with his mother, and maybe that explained some of it. The land was very harsh and cold, most of the vegetation low and twisted. (Yuuri had to borrow a shawl Gunter had in his bag to stay warm, and the wind was sharp enough that he didn't object to the fact that the shawl was lacy and a pale lavender shade.) Sure, Wolfram could be harsh and cold, too, but there was a pervasive lifelessness about the countryside that was in sharp contrast to Wolfram's fiery energy. He didn't belong here.

And maybe that, as much as the prospect of facing his father, was what had him looking so very muted. Wolfram's eyes were on the ground about ten feet in front of him. His hair was a windblown mess and he seemed not to notice, let alone care. The spark that usually danced behind his eyes was almost gone.

Yuuri drew Ao up beside Wolfram's horse. "So what do you think?" An inanity to be sure, but anything if it'd get Wolfram to buck up a little.

"It's either an outright trap or some elaborate scheme to gain control of you or the treasury. I haven't spoken to him in so long I don't know if he's after pure financial gain or he feels like influencing policy across the board." Wolfram glanced at Yuuri and his lips formed a smile his eyes didn't echo. He looked tired. Not sleepy, just incredibly put upon, like all his vigor had been sapped away by some demand or other. "We probably shouldn't have come."

"Well, if Maddox is right about the Tears of El growing near here, then at least the trip won't be wasted." Yuuri tried to smile, but Wolfram's black mood was contagious. "…Do you think that's true?"

"He wouldn't have brought the elves into it if it weren't. Risky. Even as small a number as live in the area can cause a lot of trouble if you displease them, and they don't care much for… Well, for anyone else. They don't even differentiate between human and mazoku. If it weren't for Alapai, even visiting them would be dangerous." Wolfram glanced over his shoulder. There wasn't much to glance at. Gunter was behind them, buried in his collar up to his nose against the wind. Conrad rode in front. Maddox was beside him, but at a distance. Between the cold and a vague worry of those bandits that had been troubling the countryside, no one was paying Wolfram or Yuuri much mind.

Wolfram let go of his horse's reigns for a moment to reach across and stroke the back of Yuuri's hand. "I don't think he'd dare hurt you, and you're well aware we're all ready to fight to the death to protect your royal, wimpy self."

"I'm not the one I'm worried about, Wolfram." Yuuri had seen what Mael did to Wolfram with almost no effort. He was a monster. At least he'd been left behind for Lady Celi and Gwendal to manage at the castle, but he'd learned from his father. And at home, how much easier would it be to reduce Wolfram to tears?

"Hmph!" Wolfram rolled his eyes derisively. "How thin-skinned do you think I am?"

How many times have they made you cry? Yuuri bit his tongue. Wolfram still considered any sort of weakness anathema. And he was pretty rigid about what constituted weakness. "Well, what about Maddox? Your father will hardly be happy that he's decided to side with us."

"I really couldn't care less. You seem to want to think Maddox is some sort of saint. He may not be quite as reprehensible a person as Mael, but he's still a bastard. Besides, I'm not at all convinced this whole thing about switching side isn't one of their plans." Wolfram was clearly refusing to be cheered up. Yuuri didn't blame him.

They rounded a bend in the road around a towering, odd rock formation. Yuuri blinked as the manor came into view. It was certainly… Ostentatious. It looked nearly as big as the castle. The walls surrounding the place were massive, made of marble that clearly bore no relation to the stone they were riding over. It must have been brought from quite a distance. The house rose high above the walls, a rambling, bloated structure that seemed to have grown organically, for how else could it have achieved that level of rampant expansion? There were columns and arches all over the place, and Yuuri could tell even at this distance it was all ornately carved. He knew those who lived in castles shouldn't critique architecture, but this was way over the top. A small village seemed to huddle up to the walls. The houses were shabby and the people didn't look happy as the maou and his entourage rode past.

Yuuri wondered where Hindelle's house had once stood.

A man he recognized from Evert's retinue was at the gates, which were as tall as three of Yuuri and painted in bright blue and gold. Upon seeing the travelers, he had to shout at the top of his lungs to get two more guards to turn a couple of cranks and actually get the doors open. Yuuri tried to say hello to them, and they just bowed.

The grounds inside the walls were strikingly beautiful, and suddenly Yuuri could see just a hint of Wolfram in the world again. Of course, the statuary and gardens were more obscene displays of wealth that could have been used to help the impoverished town outside. Yuuri disapproved, but he couldn't ignore the aesthetic effect. The statues were lovely, and the assorted flora well-chosen and beautifully laid out. It was still all scrubby, small plants, but pretty ones which complemented each other.

"It's very pretty here," Yuuri said, a bit blandly, impressed despite himself. Wolfram sniffed.

"There are a thousand criticisms my father deserves, but no one would dare say he's not a man of taste." Wolfram was sitting rigidly, and abruptly winced. "I believe our welcoming committee is here."

Yuuri followed Wolfram's gaze and jumped, almost tipping off his horse. There was a woman in a flowing silvery coat approaching them. She was petite and slim. Her hair was the color of sun-ripened wheat and curled down her back delicately. Her eyes were wide, a clear, spicy hazel.

She could have easily impersonated Lady Celi, but was an absolute dead-ringer for Wolfram.

Maddox jumped down off his horse. "Naomi."

"Maddox, I wish you'd call me Mother." She didn't look any older than Maddox. But then, given her close resemblance to Wolfram's mother, Yuuri decided he'd best not judge. "Wolfram, dear, hop down. Your father's waiting for you." She even sounded like Wolfram. An octave higher and a little less burr to the voice. But Yuuri hadn't heard her yell yet.

"Naomi, this is Shibuya Yuuri, the twenty-seventh Maou of Shin Makoku." Wolfram seemed in no hurry to get off the horse. "My fiancé. Yuuri, this is my stepmother, Lady Naomi Von Bielefeld."

Yuuri should have been surprised, but he wasn't. He dismounted and exchanged pleasantries, holding his arms out for Wolfram to use him if he needed help getting down. It was cold, and they'd been riding for hours. His legs might have gone a little stiff.

Interestingly, no pride flared. Wolfram accepted Yuuri's hand down with a slight smile. Conrad was talking to the groom about stabling. Gunter looked frozen. Yuuri guessed being as tall and thin as that meant it was hard to retain any heat.

Naomi proved a master of smalltalk, and chattered charmingly as they followed her into the house. Yuuri felt no compulsion to listen, walking beside Wolfram with his hand tightly around his fiancé's. When Maddox and Gunter were between her and Yuuri, the maou whispered to Wolfram, "A man of consistent tastes too, huh?"

"We're almost… ah, there." Wolfram pointed through an arch that led to a large room full of pictures and other artworks. Most prominent was a row of large portraits of lovely, blonde women, one of which was Lady Celi. She was the tallest and most buxom. The others brought Wolfram to mind more than his mother. "Mother was number three. He collects them. Eventually they generally decide he's not worth the money or he gets tired of them."

Yuuri shivered suddenly. They really did all look like Wolfram. "…Are you safe around him?"

Wolfram stared at him, stopping dead for a moment. He went a bit red, then bone white. "Yuuri… that's horrible." He wasn't angry or scandalized or any of his usual responses. He seemed more shocked than anything.

"I know. I just—"

"Don't say anything like that again." Wolfram looked like he'd really rather not think about it. Yuuri didn't blame him. He felt bad already for bringing it up. Yuuri glanced around for a change of subject and his eyes fell on Gunter, who still had his arms wrapped around himself and looked a bit pale.

The maou smiled at his retainer. "Are you alright, Gunter?" Wolfram made his usual scornful noise at Yuuri's rather awkward segue, but at least he didn't look horrified anymore.

"Kind of you to ask, Your Majesty. I simply don't do very well with cold temperatures. Once I warm up I'll be fine." He sneezed, a comically high pitched noise, and Yuuri felt a bit cheered.

They entered a large hall that looked pretty much exactly like a throne room. Just in case anyone suspected Lord Von Bielefeld of a deficit of arrogance, he supposed. Evert was sitting in the massive chair, a gothic looking structure of dark wood and gold leaf. He stood and bowed majestically, as Naomi walked to stand beside him, looking radiant and empty-headed and very decorative.

"Your Majesty. I'm glad to see you've accepted my invitation." He walked down the few steps up to his ugly chair and bowed again. Feeling very servile for a guy who'd been caught in conspiracy and attempted murder, wasn't he?

"Yes, well, I'm glad to be here." He was going to try and be nice. Everyone deserved a second chance, and enemies had become allies before.

Unfortunately, not everyone was so open minded. Yuuri blushed a moment at the dead silence behind him, then turned to check. Wolfram was staring at the floor, his stance that of a five-year-old receiving a lecture, hands behind his back, toe trailing random patterns on the floor. Maddox was just scowling and looking toward the door. Conrad nodded icily. Gunter sneezed.

And he'd been so excited to come on a diplomatic mission with His Majesty. Gwendal had declared he didn't trust himself to be civil to Evert, but an extra sword had been judged appropriate while a full contingent of guards would have been threatening and attracted attention. Yuuri hoped Gunter wasn't going to have a cold the whole time.

Yuuri shook his head, trying to focus. If no one was willing to help, he really had no choice but to stick it out on his own.

"I have entertainment planned for the evening, but you're here a little earlier than I expected. The roads must have been doing better." Evert smiled ingratiatingly. "In the meantime, I'll have you shown to your rooms." He clapped his hands and four servants appeared. "Maddox, I assume you know where you sleep."

"Yes, and I can also check the bed for knives all on my own. I'm independent that way.' He stormed off theatrically, and Yuuri was almost completely sure the emotion wasn't feigned. One reclaimed for the powers of goodness, two to go. Hopefully.

"Aren't our rooms near each other?" Yuuri would really rather have Conrad and Gunter within easy distance should any sort of trouble arise. And Wolfram could sneak into bed with him much more easily. Yuuri had a sense he and Wolfram would rather spend this night cuddling.

"The same floor, but won't you need help with luggage?" Evert raised a quizzical eyebrow.

"Not really. We're all carrying our own bags."

"I had forgotten how utilitarian your tastes are, Your Majesty." Condescending, but Yuuri wasn't quite sure how. A regal hand wave and all but one of the servants dispersed. Somehow, it didn't seem to Yuuri that people should be that well trained. "Well, settle in. A gong will ring when dinner is served."

The woman who led them up the stairs was small and very timid. When Yuuri asked her name, it took half a minute to answer. He felt sorry for her, but it was rather easy to talk her into letting them have rooms all together instead of randomly spread out on the third floor amid empty guest rooms. Wolfram gave the orders, and she was clearly conditioned to listen to any member of the family, even the one they all picked on.

Yuuri followed Wolfram into the room that was apparently officially his, though he hadn't visited in an eternity. The maou was curious. Like everything else about the place, it really didn't suit Wolfram at all. The walls were made of dark wood panels carved with arches. There were windows, but they were tall and the glass was frosted. No light and no life. Yuuri hugged Wolfram from behind, figuring he might need it.

He jumped. "Why did you follow me?"

"I'd rather spend a little time with you than sit around in my own room. I don't have much to unpack." It seemed a safe answer, even as cranky as Wolfram was.

"I suppose." He set his bag down on the bed. "You shouldn't let him speak to you like that." He pulled out a dark gray coat with darker gray lining. Yuuri recognized it as his coat from that disastrous party while Wolfram was recovering.

"It doesn't matter what he says to me." Yuuri didn't like this. Wolfram would normally have chewed anyone to pieces who displeased him. "Isn't that pretty formal for a visit to your family?"

"Not for one of Father's banquets. He's quite a one for etiquette. I'm sure you'll find your state clothes in your bag as well. Gwendal arranged the packing." Yuuri made a face. He'd carried that stupid rock and carpet across half the country? And what about warm clothes? They were going up in the mountains. Wolfram chose not to notice his expression, pulling out shined boots and the pants that accompanied the jacket. Yuuri didn't object to that, certainly. The outfit was lovely on him. And the dark gray marked him as the maou's consort. Ha. Take that, Evert.

Yuuri was about to speak again when Wolfram pulled a small, stuffed fox with black ears from the bag and blinked repeatedly. Yuuri bit back a snicker. "Ah. Perilous Sly came along?"

"Gwendal must have packed him. …It." Wolfram tried to look dignified, but he obviously didn't want to put the toy down. "If Maddox or Father sees me with this I'll never hear the end of it."

"But you're so cute together." Yuuri grinned and stepped in front of Wolfram, covering each of his fiancé's hands with his own and lifting them so Perilous Sly was held to Wolfram's cheek. "And he and I will take care of you tonight, okay?"

Wolfram stared at him for a moment, then pulled Yuuri into such a tight hug it was a bit of a challenge to breathe. "Like… like I need a wimp like you looking out for me." His face was buried in Yuuri's collar. He sounded like he might be crying. Yuuri hugged him back for a few minutes, and then Wolfram straightened.

"You'd better go and unpack." His eyes were just a little shinier than usual. "Go on. Perilous Sly and I will be fine." Now he seemed to be teasing Yuuri. Ah, how easily the tables turned. Yuuri smiled and shrugged. He turned to go, feeling a little better, and Wolfram grabbed his arm and dragged him back for a very long, very hard, very deep kiss. When Wolfram let go, Yuuri was gasping for air.

"Breathe through your nose, simpleton." Wolfram smirked a little and turned to the wardrobe. "Now go get settled in. You can come back and bother me later."

"Well… I will then." Yuuri wasn't sure what had just happened, but Wolfram looked much happier. So why complain?

He did have his royal accoutrements in the backpack. Dark giant gemstone. There was also a warm coat and a hat with bear ears, so Gwendal wasn't really leaving him to freeze in the mountains for the sake of an appearance. Yuuri still felt justified in griping, though. Before he could head back to Wolfram's room, though, there was a knock on his door and Conrad stuck his head inside.

"Yuuri, we've maneuvered so my room is next to yours and Gunter's is across the hall." He sighed and closed the door behind him. "So make sure Wolfram comes in here tonight."

"I'm pretty sure he would have anyway." Though Yuuri's been thinking of spending the night in Wolfram's room. It wasn't exactly friendly, but more so than the one Yuuri was stuck in. "So you're expecting the worst, huh?"

"It's our job. Hopefully the night will be perfectly uneventful." Conrad shrugged. "I've never been able to tell what that man was thinking. Not that I ever saw a lot of him. Even when Wolfram was very young he was mostly left with Mother and me."

"I'm not letting him pick on Wolfram." Yuuri scowled. "It's unforgivable! He's already miserable. I'm willing to let bygones be bygones, but not if he keeps picking on my…" He froze. Yuuri was still oddly embarrassed by the situation, even knowing Conrad was perfectly well aware of it.

Conrad smiled softly. "If anyone can manage that, it's you." A loud gong sounded and he winced. "Better hurry and dress for dinner."

That was fairly easy for Yuuri. He just had to put on his dumb looking shoulder carpet and giant rock. And there was a thin circlet in the bag. Well, if there was anywhere he might actually want to throw around his authority as maou… He put the silver coronet on and stepped outside. Right into Wolfram.

He righted himself quickly, mainly by shoving Yuuri backward to recover his center of gravity. "Ouch. Can you watch where you're going?"

Yuuri tried to answer, but his jaw was busy dropping. Wolfram was… resplendent. Last time he'd seen Wolfram all dressed up, he had still been in denial about his love for the fiery blonde, and he'd been flustered the night of the party anyway. The silver-gray silky cloth of his coat was tight down to the waist and then flowed halfway down his thighs. The pants were a bit tight. Yuuri had never noticed Wolfram's legs for a reason other than injury before, but he had a sense he was going to spend most of the night noticing them in a very thorough fashion. With Giesela's masterful healing and Wolfram's life of strict training, they were back to normal and very… well formed. And he had those boots Yuuri suspected were Lady Celi's again. The ones with the heels. They brought him up to almost half a head taller than Yuuri. Lucky the maou had no pride to speak of.

"Yuuri?" Wolfram snapped his fingers an inch from Yuuri's nose. "We're going to be late. What are you gawking at?"

"You…" Yuuri said faintly. He was so obviously sincere Wolfram was a little taken aback, and blushed as he extended an arm. Yuuri hooked his around it and with a shared smile, they walked downstairs. He felt Evert's and Naomi's and even Maddox's eyes on them. Yuuri pulled a chair out for Wolfram, who was so surprised by this sudden acquisition of manners it took him a moment to remember to sit down. Still, Yuuri thought the effect was good.

Conrad was already seated. He didn't seem to have made any concession to fashion. Whether this was because he hadn't brought anything or because he was perfectly willing to defy Gwendal and Evert's expectations was hard to guess. Gunter had his hair tied back with a shiny gold ribbon and had on an ivory bracelet. Yuuri would have felt rather overdressed if Evert and Naomi hadn't been wearing matching cloth of gold.

As Yuuri slid into his seat and Evert babbled a long welcome, the maou leaned over to Wolfram. "How old is your stepmother?"

"Two years younger than I am," Wolfram answered at the bottom of his voice, repressing a scowl. "Why?"

"I… I thought something like that. I guess I just felt sorry for her."

"Don't. She chose it." Wolfram sniffed. His father was done being superciliously verbose now, so whispered conversation was harder to hide.

Yuuri couldn't suppress a little bit of gaping at the meal that was set before them. There had been many a sumptuous feast at the castle, but this looked ready to surpass them all—for the seven people at the table! There was a massive roast with a glaze that almost glowed in the light from the enormous fireplace. Rolls and pastries were in half a dozen baskets randomly placed among fruit, relishes, salads, some sort of fish that smelled delicious… Yuuri's mouth was watering. A quiet man in a tidy suit poured him a glass of something red and fizzy and delicious. He reminded himself not to let his guard down and dug in.

As the meal began, while no one could resist the food, the atmosphere was rigid and rather hostile. Evert made conversation, but every reply he received was curt from Conrad, chilly politeness from Gunter, grunted from Maddox, earnestly nervous from Yuuri, and nonexistent from Wolfram. There were a few musicians playing lovely stringed instruments. Parting at Morning. That was the song Yuuri and Wolfram had first danced together to.

He smiled at his fiancé and got a smile in return, albeit a shy one. Yuuri felt Wolfram relax. The blond felt everything so intensely that his emotions radiated in a roughly meter-wide radius. He took a sip from his fizzy stuff and Wolfram picked up the same glass. Yuuri's have called him on being the damn-dirty drink stealer he was, but it was a tiny sip, and he mouthed "indirect kiss" as he set the glass down.

Wolfram felt better, if not at ease, and that was enough to make Yuuri feel… almost competent. Or maybe that was the contents of the punch he was downing very quickly. It was delicious and he didn't really think twice about it. "You have any concrete ideas for mending broken bridges, Lord Bielefeld?" He didn't think that was exactly the right form of address. Yuuri couldn't make himself care about titles, and it was hard to keep them in mind as a result. "There's definitely a lot of bad blood left behind."

"I let my baser instincts get the best of me," Evert said, smiling blandly. "I don't intend to do so again. We all have enemies who get under our skin as no one else does."

"Yuuri doesn't," Wolfram said to the table. Maybe he was talking directly into his roast beast, but at least he was speaking. Yuuri smiled at him.

Evert coughed, looking a bit surprised. Hadn't expected Wolfram to dare grow a spine, hmm? Yuuri tried not to think that way. He'd cracked tougher shells than His Lordship's. "It's my policy to not… not trust people." That could have been said in a much more impressive fashion.

Fortunately, Gunter picked it up for him. Gunter looked slightly pink in the cheeks, and for the first time Yuuri wondered what was in the punch. "His Majesty's gentle benignity has already transformed the world as all of Shin Makoku and the human nations understood it!" His voice rose in pitch at the end and the speech culminated in what sounded suspiciously like a hiccough. Evert smirked a bit, and Yuuri once more had to talk himself out of being angry.

So Gunter was a bit of a lightweight. That'd be easy enough to guess by looking at him. And, alright, it was a little bit amusing. But Evert didn't need to look that derisive. "So are you just relying on your strength of character and upstanding nature to win your way back into favor?" As close to sarcasm as Yuuri was really capable of getting. Wolfram looked startled. Conrad grinned into his glass.

Ah. Conrad was drinking water. Sensible of him. At least they had one person still being reasonable.

Yuuri wasn't sure if he'd done good, bad, or nothing in being a bit snippy. Evert seemed like the sort who might respect a show of impudence and guts, but he might also feel more inclined to punishing said show. As the evening wore on, he tried a few different tactics. He was polite, warm, obliquely threatening, and snippy again by turns. He even gave imperious a try, but he wasn't very good at it. Lord Bielefeld remained bland and polite and willing to listen, but Yuuri found reading him to be pretty easy. He'd gotten used to Mael and Maddox, and both of them took a lot of their mannerisms from their father. There were even a few echoes of Wolfram, in haughty, condescending sorts of ways.

Yuuri didn't really see any real remorse. He looked very hard, too. He hated bad liars. (Though in the case of Lord Bielefeld, it was more that he lied the same way his sons did and Yuuri had gotten much too used to that.) They made his policy of universal trust impossible to be faithful to. He could trust Evert to be a self-righteous, selfish, scheming jerk, but that wasn't really his policy in anything but letter. The spirit of the law was always the important part, as far as Yuuri was concerned.

Dinner broke up. The musicians left, timid servants cleared the plates, Gunter stumbled to bed looking a little ill. He muttered something about rich food. Yuuri decided to just pretend to believe him. Conrad walked Yuuri and Wolfram upstairs and left them at the doors to their rooms.

"Wolfram, are you…?" Yuuri felt oddly self-conscious of asking him to stay the night.

"I'll be there." Wolfram sighed. "But in a few minutes. If I don't fold up my formal things very carefully, Gwendal…" He looked up and twisted his face into a ludicrously severe, frightening scowl. "He'll do that."

"I guess I'd better, too…" Yuuri winced. "Alright. See you then." He walked into his room, but found it didn't really occupy much time to take the carpet off his shoulder and wrap it around the oversized red rock. He'd asked Gunter. Apparently it was a massive garnet, not gem quality but sturdy enough to cut. So he really was just wearing a big rock. Bleh.

The door opened and he heard light footsteps behind him. Yuuri smiled, impressed that Wolfram had been able to get out of the elaborate buttons on his coat and get it packed according to Gwendal's standards so quickly. He turned and immediately reached for the pretty blonde for a kiss. Then stopped dead.

Hazel. Those were hazel eyes, not green. Yuuri dropped his hands rigidly. "Lady Bielefeld… I… didn't hear you… knock." What? What the hell? She was smiling at him in what suddenly seemed a predatory way, and Yuuri felt a sudden and great affinity to a mouse facing a snake.

"Oh, you didn't?" She batted long eyelashes at him, but she no longer looked so very empty headed. "I apologize for my intrusion, then, but my friend Elizabeth particularly wanted me to say hello to you for her."

"Oh!" That wasn't a very good explanation, but it was one. "That's nice to hear. How has she been?"

"She's attracted the eye of a young knight from her father's neighborhood. Doing nicely. She seems to have taken rejection by Your Majesty fairly well."

"Oh, I didn't… I mean, she wasn't interested in me from the first. She was just trying to win back Wolfram. She's a very pretty girl…" What would have happened if his proposed bride hadn't been Elizabeth? Might he have married some pretty, decorative noble girl? What would have happened to Wolfram? Yuuri decided not to think about it anymore. "I don't blame her for trying to steal him back."

"Oh, Wolf's a popular type." Yuuri didn't think this woman ought to be allowed to call him "Wolf." She seemed to be trying to make it sound maternal, but… Maybe it was because she was younger than he was. Maybe because she was… "Well, as I can attest." She smiled and took a step toward Yuuri. There was an unwelcome chair between Yuuri and further retreat. "Small, blond, and pretty. Is that more to your tastes, Your Majesty?"

Yuuri tried to back up despite the pesky solid object in his way. His spine was poked in a very unsettling way and he was off balance, but it availed him nothing as she reached for him, smirking wickedly.

"Yuuri!"

Could an angel's voice be sweeter? Yuuri twisted around her and bolted for the door, ducking behind Wolfram and hugging him, forgetting to be bashful while he was being rescued. Then he stopped dead halfway through ducking. Wolfram's eyes had darkened, narrowed. Yuuri thought for a moment he was furious. That was his way, of course. Then he realized it was pain he was seeing.

Oh, hell, did Wolfram think even for a minute that had been voluntary? Yuuri leaned against Wolfram. Protesting his innocence would probably just look suspicious. Everything looked suspicious to Wolfram. "Make her leave me alone!"

It was already fading, that horribly sad look. Yuuri didn't know if it was thanks to his efforts or not. Maybe Wolfram had just seen how absurd it all was. But Yuuri would have a hard time getting that piteously sad look out of his mind, and he noticed Wolfram's hand had darted to Yuuri's ring. Yuuri reached out for that hand, too.

"What do you think you were doing with my fiancé?" Ooh, Yuuri had seldom seen Wolfram look so dangerous. All this time he'd been trying to catch someone flirting with Yuuri. Now that he actually had, there were months' worth of backlogged fury ready to come pouring out. Yuuri found it oddly gratifying.

"Hmm. And what are you?" She turned and smiled, looking smug. Yuuri followed her gaze and realized suddenly that Wolfram was wearing a very short, blue nightshirt instead of his usual pink monstrosity. It was rather tight on him. There was a thin robe on top, but it didn't do much to help. It looked… very nice on him to say the least. Yuuri had to drag his gaze away. "My, what a loose little thing you are."

"But you—that's not… I, I forgot to pack anything to sleep in!" Wolfram was blushing. "This fit fine when I was thirty or so… But that's not important! You were flirting with Yuuri! More than… than flirting! You were trying to seduce him!" He was back to seething. Yuuri wondered what the danger was of his splitting a seam on his too-small nightshirt. He wondered also whether that would be at all a bad thing.

Yuuri kept his grip on Wolfram's arm. It was reassuring to have him close, impressive to have him so angry and protective, and it meant he'd have to at least drag Yuuri's weight if he intended to start a fight.

"You'd dare accuse a lady of such a thing when you're sneaking into your fiancé's room at night dressed like a lady of the evening?" Yuuri felt Wolfram cringe again. He hadn't realized his fiancé was so modest. Or rather sensitive. It was so easy to break through Wolfram's brittle armor. Yuuri ought to be protecting him, not the other way around.

"Stop that! What right do you have to say horrible things like that?" That white-hot anger spark was stirring behind his eyes. No, he couldn't let the maou out. Not now. Not like this. This was Yuuri's job. "You were trying to seduce me, and you're married. And I'm going to be! Wolfram's my fiancé!" Exactly as Yuuri had intended, Wolfram seemed to perk up considerably at that.

"No wedding date, no agreements between the families… Why, Wolfram, I believe His Majesty is even under sixteen. Any such agreement made is to be considered quite tentative and likely to be abandoned under such circumstances. And still we find you in his bed, hmm?"

"Stop going on about that. It's entirely chaste. We just like to be near each other." Wolfram wrapped a very protective arm around Yuuri, gripping so hard it hurt. Yuuri suppressed a grunt. He was starting to get his head around this. She couldn't really think she'd get away with this stunt.

"Well, it's clear you do. Where are you thinking of tempting your poor Maou with that little getup? Seems to me he needs to be rescued."

Yuuri was about to tell her off when Wolfram drew himself up to his full height. "Get out. Now! I'll talk to my father about this in the morning."

"And who's he going to believe, his lovely wife or the little slut?"

"Why, are they different people?" Yuuri jumped at the new voice and turned to see Maddox lounging against the doorframe. "Naomi, you're such a slut you put Mael to shame."

She looked really worried all of a sudden, losing her smirk for a conciliatory smile. Wolfram might not have a hope of convincing his father, but Maddox was a step up in the pecking order. "Maddox, such language. What are you even doing down here?"

"Wolfram, you left this here a couple decades ago," Maddox said simply, extending his hand. He was holding a small, mother-of-pearl comb. "I think it's your mother's."

"Thank you. It is." Wolfram was having a hard time calming down. He actually looked grateful, which Yuuri smiled at. At least he could be reconciled with one brother.

"At that age you were always making off with her stuff, trying to be pretty." Maddox seemed to consider a moment. "You know, I thought you were a girl for the first three years of your life." Wolfram actually growled at him. "Hey, kidding. Don't be a brat. Anyway, I'll talk to Dad tomorrow about the slut here. You guys go to bed. Naomi, leave."

"Thanks, Maddox." Yuuri ignored her shrill protestations. "Um, we were definitely in trouble there."

"She could only have pulled this on a gullible couple of kids like you. Oh, and Wolfram? Tomorrow night you can borrow something to sleep in. That looks ridiculous."

"Ah… oh." He nodded. "Thanks."

Naomi swept past them, more infuriated with being ignored than anything else. Maddox shrugged and closed the door behind him. Yuuri immediately led Wolfram to the bed. He noticed Perilous Sly poking his nose out of Wolfram's pocket. Yuuri plucked the fox out and set him on Wolfram's shoulder. "It doesn't look that silly."

"Hmph. No need to sugarcoat. I didn't expect to comfortably fit in anything that I wore when I was practically a child. It's only for sleeping in. No one's going to see but you." Wolfram suddenly looked a little worried.

"I think it's cute," Yuuri said quickly. "And it's nice that you're comfortable enough with me not to worry." He leaned over and nuzzled Wolfram's shoulder. "You're really tense."

"Do you blame me?" Wolfram glared in a way that dared Yuuri to blame… just about anything.

"No. Here." Yuuri's mother made him give her backrubs whenever she'd had a hard day. It was one of those things she figured her fictitious daughter would have done, and was therefore relegated to Yuuri. His hands were pretty strong from all the baseball practice. He dug his fingers into the tight, hard knots on Wolfram's shoulders. "Wow. You're really stressed. Relax. I'll work these out for you."

"Yuuri…" Wolfram looked a bit askance at him. "What are you doing?"

"It's called a backrub where I come from. …Maybe a massage, the way I'm doing it." Though that had connotations he was glad Wolfram didn't know. "It might hurt a little, but you'll feel much better."

"That seems a contradiction in… terms…" Wolfram's eyes slid closed. Yuuri was pretty good at this. "Alright. But just because you insisted."

Yuuri smirked and kissed his cheek. A few minutes later Wolfram seemed to be nodding off, so Yuuri tucked him into bed with Perilous Sly and stretched out beside him. He'd thought his fiancé was fast asleep, but found himself rather abruptly enveloped in Wolfram. "I'll have to do that for you sometime."

"You're welcome. Though you're probably strong enough to squish me." Yuuri wrapped his arm around Wolfram's waist. …That nightshirt really was awfully tight. Ooh. He should not furiously make out with Wolfram in his father's house. He really shouldn't. But he was so cute, and he'd be back to that pink thing soon enough. While charming and becoming, well, it just wasn't skintight and barely decent. "Mmm… Wolfram, you're gorgeous."

"What?" He really had been about to fall asleep, perfectly happy to do so curled up against Yuuri.

"I'm sure you know. But I wanted to tell you anyway." Complimenting him seemed the most appropriate substitute for kissing Wolfram until both their lips were worn out. "I'm so ordinary. I don't know what you see in me." He'd had it explained to him a hundred times, but he still couldn't see what was so great about his looks, Shin Makoku standards of beauty being what they were. Wolfram was beautiful. Gwendal and Conrad were handsome. Gunter was… ethereal, angelic for lack of a better word. Even someone like Josak had an engrossing, inviting charm. Yuuri was just…

"You don't know how cute you are." Wolfram kissed him, invalidating all Yuuri's struggles not to do it. "It's one thing I like about you. Now go to sleep. We're going to need all our energy tomorrow." He rested his head on Yuuri's shoulder. That arm would be completely numb come morning. Yuuri was learning not to mind.

It didn't feel like morning when Yuuri woke. He was disoriented for a moment. Wolfram was still there, snoring gently. It was pretty dark outside, but now that he looked, it was just very cloudy. Those were angry clouds. There must be a storm coming. Now why was he awake?

Ah. Someone was knocking at the door. "Yes?"

"It's nine o' clock, Yuuri." Conrad's voice. "About time to wake up?"

"I guess. It feels earlier." He sighed, shaking his head. "Wolfram? It's morning."

There was a grunt Yuuri interpreted as, "is not."

"No, I think it is. It's really cloudy out, but it's morning." He climbed over Wolfram and walked to the bag, pulling out his usual clothes. He wasn't going formal to breakfast. There was a mirror in the wardrobe door. Yuuri shook his head quickly, which flattened his hair out pretty well. It was nice to have straight hair for that reason. Wolfram looked a bit like a rooster when he woke up. It was pretty cute. He took the comb Maddox had returned to him the night before to his mop of curls.

"Um, I'll go back to my room and change." He kissed Yuuri quickly and opened the door. Conrad bit back a snort of laughter. Right, he hadn't seen Wolfram's childhood nightshirt yet. Yuuri was glad his fiancé was too busy yelling at his brother to notice Yuuri's laughter.

"It fit fifty years ago! Shut up!" He stormed off, but his door was a few yards from Yuuri's, so it wasn't a very effective storm. The door slammed pretty loudly, though. Yuuri shrugged at Conrad.

"Um, so it was mostly uneventful."

"I was neglectful," Conrad said, looking sincerely penitent. "I should have extracted Lady Bielefeld immediately, but as she wasn't physically threatening you, diplomacy did have to be considered. Having Maddox address the issue is probably the best we could have hoped for."

"Yeah, what an issue…" Yuuri blanched. "That was kinda scary."

Conrad seemed to be repressing a smile. He coughed into his sleeve. "In any case, we should go down to breakfast. I'll wait while you two dress. I believe Gunter is still… not with us." He really did laugh a little then. Yuuri hurried through dressing, amused and content but vexed, a decidedly odd sensation. The indent of Wolfram's head, a long, golden hair, and a blue thread that had apparently given up sometime during the night were all very cheering, but Yuuri had never had to ask someone to please not attempt to seduce him anymore. He wasn't even sure it ought to be brought up with Evert, except that he should know his wife was hardly faithful. Yuuri still couldn't begin to guess why she'd have done it.

Breakfast, which took a while to get to thanks to Wolfram having lost one of his boots and getting slightly lost on the way, wasn't exactly the peaceful meal Yuuri was hoping for. Maddox and Evert were shouting at each other and Naomi was crying. Yuuri was very sorry for her and almost ran to comfort her before he realized she was in all probability faking. He still felt he should go and see. Just in case something unforeseen had happened.

"How dare you say such things about your mother?"

"She's not my mother. I barely remember my mother because you got bored with her when I was five!"

Nope, nothing unforeseen at all.

"That is not important to this conversation, Maddox Bielefeld. Naomi is my wife and the lady of this household."

"Yeah. The fifth one. That's the trouble with trophy wives after a certain age. I should hug Lady Celi for dumping you like you deserve."

"Your Majesty." Evert whirled. Yuuri had been half tempted to try to sneak back upstairs. Doing him one better, Wolfram had retreated up a few steps, though he had that simmering, angry look Yuuri was a little afraid of. "I hope your words will quiet my disrespectful, slanderous son."

"If, um, it's the thing about Lady Naomi… I mean, it's pretty true…" Maybe he should have lied, but if there was anything Yuuri hated more than violence it was dishonesty.

Maddox nodded in satisfaction. "You're acting like it's news that she sleeps around."

"That strumpet had her eye on my fiancé!" Ah, yes. Wolfram had been ready to blow up there. "That… that frivolous tramp with a dubious pedigree!"

Conrad looked slightly alarmed. "Wolfram, perhaps you'd better—"

"I will not calm down!" A spark flew past Yuuri's nose. Uh-oh. "Anyone who dares to touch my Yuuri had better be prepared to pay the price!" Yuuri found himself in another of those rib-compressing hugs. He hoped he'd be allowed to breathe again soon. "That bitch had presumptions on my betrothed!" Naomi's tears got louder, but Yuuri noticed there wasn't much in the way of actual wetness.

"Out. Now. I will not have my home darkened by such filth. Whoever speaks it." Evert snarled, pointing in the vague direction of the door. The room was in a corner of the house, so he had to be inventive.

"Father, you can't. There's about to be a snowstorm." Maddox looked suddenly very nonplussed. That was dangerous.

"Oh, we're leaving. I don't want my Yuuri anywhere near her!" Wolfram jerked Yuuri back up the stairs. "We're packing. Conrad, please wake Gunter."

"Wolfram. Snowstorm!" Maddox didn't like this idea at all.

"I don't care! Not near her." He continued stomping up the stairs. Yuuri let himself be dragged. He was sort of touched by Wolfram's determination, and they'd made it through snowstorms before. Conrad followed, shrugging.

Within an hour they were on the road. Yuuri was very, very confused. This whole thing seemed not to make any sense. Maddox had decided to come with them, choosing the cold outside over the heat at home, but seemed convinced they were all going to die in a snowbank somewhere. Gunter was hung over and miserable. Conrad calmly discussed searching for the Tears of El with Yuuri while Wolfram seethed and refused to let go of Yuuri's hand.

They'd had to leave the horses for stabling, an awkward situation to say the least. Maddox had spoken to the groom and assured them Evert was unlikely to notice. He didn't ride much, or even go outside when not necessary. Getting them back would be interesting, though.

The manor was situated halfway up the mountain range, and before they'd walked very long the ground got to be unpleasantly steep. Yuuri was glad for Wolfram's determined closeness. He was nice and warm. The snow began to fall, soft little flakes that soon turned into sharp, icy little missiles.

They had barely entered the pass when a deep, earth-shaking rumbling announced an avalanche.

A/N: …This chapter is made of silly. That's all I have to say.