Eight: Keep the Faith
I've half a mind to dress up as a girl, just to tease them all, Saralegui confessed to Veni.
The ancient sword gave the mental equivalent of a laugh. I like that idea. If I've read you right, you first met this Yuuri when he was in a dress, didn't you?
Precisely. I'm sure he remembers it too. The blonde didn't notice the genuine smile that was tugging at his lips, methodically combing his long, silky hair. Besides, I'm sure I can pass for one better than him – for one thing, I don't have to worry about wigs. The only problem is who to get the clothes from.
Ask the maids. Palace maids, in my experience, are always very helpful when it comes to pretty youngsters like you, Veni said, with more than a touch of drollery in its tone. And those maids earlier were clearly very pleased with you.
Saralegui actually gave the suggestion some thought. You have a point there. I can just mesmerize one of them to get me a dress and help me with the outfit.
Maybe you should check whether this is a really large-scale party or just an intimate gathering, or your public image will end up in such minute fragments that even I wouldn't be able to piece it back together, warned Veni, clearly alarmed that he was really going to carry out the absurd plan.
Hmm. That would be a problem, agreed the young king wryly. Should I call a maid and ask…?
It's a perfectly innocent question; go ahead.
Opening the door, Saralegui was mildly surprised to find one of the maids – the one with red hair and a green dress, named Lasagna or something like that – rather too conveniently walking down the corridor. He had a strong suspicion she had been waiting for him to exit his room, perhaps to be the first to see his outfit for the party (even though it wouldn't be for a couple of hours yet). He'd never really understood the workings of the female mind.
"Excuse me," he began politely.
She colored visibly even in the dim light, coming over at once. "Can I help you, Your Majesty?"
"Perhaps you could," replied Saralegui with his most disarming smile. "Would you happen to know the scale of party to be held tonight?"
"Um, if you mean how big it is, it's just for Blood Pledge Castle. Sir von Christ said that the big party – when all the important people are invited – will be tomorrow, or the day after tomorrow," explained the redhead.
He rewarded her with another smile. "Thank you very much for your help." Even as he spoke, he drew on his power, letting it flow up to his eyes. With Veni, even something as simple as this was accelerated; his eyes glowed blue and his power reached into the woman and the guards around (a particularly interesting and useful skill Veni had taught him). A few quick commands, and she was off to do as he'd instructed; the guards were completely unaware that anything had happened. Saralegui, meanwhile, retreated back into his room.
Good job with the mesmerizing, commended Veni. I'm still amazed that you're actually going to do this, though.
It's a small party; the rest of the 'important people' wouldn't be here. I'm sure Yuuri and other people here will be very forgiving. A smile appeared on his face again, but it wasn't nearly as nice as the one he'd given the maid. We'll make sure of that, won't we?
Veni laughed again, only this time the mental impression carried traces of a half-insane glee that came from wielding much too great a power for much too long a time. Of course we will.
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The expression on Berias' face when he came in to escort him to the party was simply priceless. Saralegui managed to restrain his laughter – just barely. "Is there something you'd like to say, Berias?"
His bodyguard coughed, quickly composing himself. "Your Majesty, do you mean to attend this inaugural party in such a… flamboyant outfit?"
Flamboyant? Well, now that I look at it again, it does seem a little elaborate… Maybe it's the hairpiece. I knew I should've just left my hair down, but that maid was so insistent… Saralegui faced the mirror, admiring the new – female – person he saw there. The earrings were a nice touch, but perhaps they were too much? Maybe he should've paid more attention to female fashions before. "Should I remove some of the accessories?"
Berias surveyed the feminine figure before him, this time with a rather calmer frame of mind. "Your Majesty, I strongly recommend wearing things that are relatively easier to change out of, because I highly doubt that you will stay in this for the whole night."
"That's true," conceded Saralegui. "I guess the layered underskirt is a little too troublesome." Come back, he sent down the mental connection he had, feeling it might come in useful, maintained with the maid. She reappeared in a matter of moments (servants always had ways to get around fast), eyes glazed as she helped in the removal of the aforementioned garment.
The young king examined his reflection critically before deciding that his figure was indeed still passably feminine with the help of the careful cutting of the fabric. Decorative sandals served adequately as footwear. After another moment's thought, he removed the earrings and bracelets, though he left the choker necklace alone. "Better?" he inquired of Berias.
His bodyguard's frown seemed to deepen even further, but he nodded slowly. "If Your Majesty is indeed set upon this…"
"I am," replied the blonde, rather tartly. He pointed ignored Berias, instructing the mesmerized maid to hang on to his more conventional party clothes, meet him when he called and so on.
A woman's costume needn't always mean a woman's character, commented Veni. Not that I have anything against women, but you're currently exhibiting the behavior of the worst of them.
Is it wrong to want to have fun? Saralegui wanted to know.
Certainly not. But you can't blame him for being disapproving, answered the sword. He's just worried for you.
I'll be fine. What can they do to me in the Maou's presence?
Veni sent him the impression of a sigh. Well, I for one am rather anxious. You won't have me around, not while you're in that outfit. If you actively try to extend your consciousness into my range, that might still be possible, but it's costly in terms of power and not advisable unless in case of an emergency.
I highly doubt that there will be an emergency. Like I said, I'll be with the Maou, repeated the young king, beginning to get exasperated.
The sword seemed to sense his emotions and immediately backed off. Very well then. Go ahead, and good luck.
For some reason, that made him calm down. Thanks.
Bring me to the ballroom by an alternative route such that nobody will see us, he commanded the maid. Carrying Veni, she moved to the door. Saralegui followed, with Berias at his heels.
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Yuuri's eyes looked like they were about to pop out of his head. "Y-you – wait, you can't be Sara… right?"
The other king feigned hurt. "I'm shocked that you couldn't recognize me at once, Yuuri." He smiled, in a way that might have come across as either seductive or secretive. "Doesn't this remind you of the first time we met?"
"Oh! Yes, it does." The Maou blushed at the memory of himself masquerading as a girl and dancing with Saralegui. Behind him, the blonde fiancée was spluttering indignantly, red-faced with rage and just barely restrained by his brothers – who looked like they might consider the idea of just letting the younger boy have go at him.
Cheri-sama appeared at that point, effectively dissipating the tension while she praised all her sons and Yuuri on their outfits. The tension returned with a vengeance when she started cooing over Saralegui's choice of dress, however.
"My dear, I can see that you are a real man! To think that you would dare to wear a dress! My boys would never have done it willingly," she told him, pursing her lips disapprovingly at her sons. "They think people would think less of them for it. I really don't see how that would happen, would you? Especially not a a nice private gathering like this!"
Gwendal muttered something that sounded like "for good reason"; Conrad wore a smile that was starting to look rather stiff; Wolfram, if it was possible, became even more incensed. The blonde king bit back the laughter that threatened to spill from his lips any moment.
If the purple-haired Mazoku hadn't interrupted at that point, Saralegui might just have been beaten up by Wolfram. As it was, the purple-haired Mazoku did interrupt. "Everyone, what are you doing? You know very well that this is a dry run practice before the real party next week!"
"Oh? That means we're to dance, right?" Saralegui put on his brightest smile. "I love dancing!"
The purple-haired Mazoku looked suitably dazzled. "Why, that's lovely! Your Majesty Yuuri, do you see? Dancing is an important social skill!"
"Um, Sara, this is Gunter," said Yuuri, a blatant attempt at changing the topic. "I forgot to introduce him to you earlier. He's my tutor."
Saralegui laughed inwardly, remembering Yuuri's previous explanation of how his tutor would keep him captive in mountains of books during their tour of the castle. "I'm honored to meet the Maou's tutor," he said, straight-faced.
"No, no, the pleasure's all mine, Your Majesty Saralegui," replied Gunter immediately, clasping the blonde's extended hand.
Wolfram cleared his throat noisily. "Are we going to dance or what?" he demanded.
"Of course we will." Gunter gestured to the group of musicians, and almost at once music filled the hall.
"Wolfie, I'll dance with you!" Cherie pulled her protesting son into the middle of the dance floor.
Saralegui smiled at Yuuri. "Shall we?"
"Eh? B-but –" Yuuri had somehow managed to turn the color of Cherie-sama's blood-red nails in five seconds flat. "Um, I don't know how to dance!"
"What are you saying, Your Majesty? You are an excellent dancer!" protested Gunter, clearly affronted that his protégé was denying his skills in front of another king.
"But –" Yuuri looked very uncomfortable. "But Saralegui –"
"Well, I'm sure there won't be a problem," interrupted the blonde chirpily. "Let's go." He took the Maou's arm and all but dragged him to the dance floor.
"Sara, I –" The soukoku still didn't look particularly happy.
Saralegui moved closer to the other king, so close that his lips were just behind Yuuri's ear. The younger boy stiffened even more. "I just want to dance with you again, Yuuri. Only, this time you'll lead."
There was a muffled shriek from behind, presumably from Wolfram, which both of them ignored. "Um… if you say so, then…" Yuuri, hesitantly, moved in an awkward imitation of the dance.
Smiling, Saralegui followed him smoothly, subtly guiding the younger boy. The dance itself was simple, and the female's steps weren't that far off from the male's anyway. "You can dance, Yuuri."
"No, I'm sure you're much better than I am, Sara," said the other king at once, that familiar sheepish look adorning his face.
They talked quite easily after that, about everything and nothing, about themselves and their countries and anything in between. The dance was a waltz, the kind that seems quite interminable and never really ends as long as people are still dancing, and time became meaningless. It was just them – two boys, two kings, two immensely powerful mages – talking and laughing and dancing together…
The music finally ended, and Saralegui stepped away from the Maou's hold not without some reluctance to perform the obligatory curtsey. "Thank you for the dance."
After a moment's hesitation, Yuuri bowed as well. Rising from it, he smiled at the blonde, a smile full of honest happiness and enjoyment. "That was fun!" he said.
"Now, Your Majesty, how many times have I told you – you must not show obvious favors to a particular partner, as this will be constituted as…" Gunter bore the soukoku away, a flood of reprimands pouring effortlessly from his mouth. Saralegui grinned at Yuuri's helpless expression and made for the seats at the edge of the floor.
A sudden, strange feeling passed over him, and he instinctively looked around. Outside the window, the moon was colder than it had any right to be; no clouds softened its sharp outline against the equally cold, dark sky.
Alazon… For some reason, the image of the woman who birthed him appeared in his mind. He banished it at once, but was still unable to shake off the feeling of unease that had accompanied it.
He quickly called for the maid to bring his proper clothes. If she appeared, it was clearly a wiser choice not to face her in a dress.
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Over the next few days, Yuuri took it upon himself to get Saralegui acquainted not just with Blood Pledge Castle and its inhabitants but also with the village, villagers and a good bit of the countryside surrounding it. The blonde king had no complaints – his mission was to get the Maou on his side, and what better way to do that than to spend time with him?
In any case, it wasn't as if spending time with Yuuri was a chore. Yuuri was sweet, really sweet and not the fake sugary sweet that he knew so much better from his courtiers. It was refreshing and amusing to the older boy and he enjoyed being the one receiving it.
And yet, that somehow made him scared. Not of Yuuri, but of himself. In the other's company, he realized that there was so much he dared not show, so much darkness, emptiness, rage, pain and ruthlessness that the innocent and idealistic Maou would surely draw back from.
He dared not be himself, because he was such a corrupted being that he had no right to be with Yuuri.
Stop that, scolded Veni. He's not some god, completely flawless. He does have his flaws. Simply because you are more worldly doesn't mean you are worse than he is.
I didn't say anything, protested Saralegui. Besides, that doesn't matter. I'm going to use him anyway.
The sword sent him a very pronounced feeling of exasperation. You are truly annoying when you refuse to see what is in front of your nose.
I have no idea what you are trying to say, replied the young king stiffly.
You have to know that Yuuri is not the one who obliterated the Dai Shimaron army that time. It was the Maou, and I can safely say that the Maou is as merciless as you are, Veni informed him. Get your perspectives straight, child. Who are you facing? Who is your target? What do you want from him?
I want the Maou, and I want him to help me defeat Alazon and resurrect Seisakoku, said Saralegui firmly. But to get to the Maou, I must get Yuuri first.
Will he not aid you if Alazon were to attack you in his presence?
The blonde king thought about it. She might be able to persuade him that I am the renegade who stole you from her.
Do you really believe that? You're his friend, as he says. You would have a much greater hold on him than your mother.
Very well, I admit that he is more likely to help me. And do not call her my mother. She disowned me; I do not acknowledge her, said Saralegui sharply.
As you say. Veni didn't seem concerned about that. I would just like to remind you that you need him to know you. He already trusts you, but that won't help if you feel that he is trusting the façade you show him and not the real you. Open yourself to him, child; you might be surprised at his reaction.
How would you know? demanded the young king. You know him even less than I do.
That is not exactly true. I know him better than you because I can see him with clear eyes, while you are blinded because you are constantly comparing him with yourself. And I know because I have met that spirit, the spirit of the Maou, a long time before, many millennia ago – though at that time it occupied another body.
There was a knock on the door, and Saralegui immediately pulled his attention away from the silent conversation to answer the door. It was Yuuri, in the flesh. "Hi, Sara, sorry to disturb you so late…"
"It's no problem," replied the blonde reassuringly, closing the door behind the other king. "Is there anything you need me for?"
The soukoku looked vaguely uncomfortable, not embarrassed, but almost as though he was doing something against the rules. "I… wanted to show you something."
"Oh? What is it?" Saralegui cocked his head, curious.
Yuuri bit his lip. "Come with me?"
"Sure." Unobtrusively, the blonde mesmerized the guards outside to not notice anything out of the ordinary. Then, he followed the Maou out.
They made their way through the palace without any incident, partly due to Saralegui's efforts to mask their presence with Veni's help. He'd brought the sword along just in case.
Eventually, they made it to the place Yuuri wanted to go to – the top of the tallest tower in Blood Pledge Castle.
The wind whipped through his long hair, but Saralegui paid it no mind. The stars were brilliant points of light in the velvety night sky; the moon looked amazingly close, seemingly within reach, and it bathed the entire scene in bright silver. Everything looked positively ethereal. Even the leaves of the trees were silver, as though they had somehow grown out of metal.
From this height, the village and the farmhouses outside it looked small and faraway. "It's beautiful, Yuuri," he said softly.
"I know." The Maou was gazing out at everything, turning in a slow circle, his eyes holding a strange light. "This is my country. This is my land, my people, and I love them all. I want to protect them… preserve this for someone else to see."
Saralegui felt something strange within himself, something like sadness but not quite, something like regret and yet not really. Can I ever love anything, anyone, so purely?
There was a long moment of silence, a silence so full that it spoke much more than words could. Then Yuuri turned to him with a smile. "That's what I wanted to show you. Isn't it great to be a king, Sara? We can do so much to help everyone!"
The blonde king felt his mouth open, speaking of its own volition. "Of course."
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A/N: Finally got it done! I don't feel very happy with it, actually, but I guess it does serve its purpose. I'll put more SaraYuu bonding in the next chappie, since I kinda skirted the issue here. The angsting was weird… :-X but I think it needs to be there. I personally like the dance ^^
I officially love Veni. It's like the best idea I ever had. Conscience, conspirator and confidante all in one – what more could I ask for? XD
Please review!