Disclaimer: I do not own Kyo Kara Maoh or any of it characters

Claimer: I, chop4tess, own this story, its plot and any and all original characters

Welcome to chapter two! Enjoy

Chapter 2: Kidnapped

Yuri was sleeping soundly in his bed, tired out from a make out session with Wolfram, when the door burst open with a bang and the lights went on.

"Huh what?" Yuri asked sleepily as Wolfram jerked awake next to him. "This had better be important." Yuri said eyeing the soldier.

"Excuse me your majesty but Conrad sent me as he had to leave at once and could not tell you the news himself."

"What news? Were did Conrad go?" Wolfram demanded looking pissed.

"Prince Ryan appears to have kidnapped Sir." The silence was thick as the two royal persons stared at the soldier who shuffled his feet uncertainly. "Lord Conrad and some other soldiers have ridden out to try and find a trail Sir."

"Ryan has been kidnapped?" Yuri cried as he grabbed the sheets and Wolfram went even paler than normal.

"Come on Yuri," Wolfram said his voice shaking, "We have to get up and meet the others we can't do anything about it in bed." Wolfram waved the guard away and jumped out of bed ignoring the pain from his rear as he pulled on his blue uniform. Yuri also got out of bed and pulled on his clothes as if in a trance. Wolfram fixed his clothes with shaking hands and took Yuri's hand and ran down the corridors and into Gwendal's study.

"Your majesties." Gunter, Gwendal and Josak bowed but Yuri waved the formalities away.

"Where is my son?"

"We don't know your majesty but Conrad rode out the moment we heard the news and has taken his best soldiers out to try and find a trail." Gunter shook his head knowing full well how he would feel if Honey was kidnapped.

"Oh no." Yuri sank to the floor and Wolfram felt like following him. Ryan was their only child and the heir to the throne. Yuri had spent years teaching Ryan how to be a just a kind king yet everyone could see that Ryan had his dad's kind heart with his father's mischief. Now they have lost him forever. To keep from falling into a pit of despair Wolfram started pacing begging Conrad to find their lost son. If anyone could it would be him.

"Well I want to help!"

"Young man you can't go in there!"

"Get out of my way fools!"

"What in world is going on out there?" Gwendal muttered as he strode to the door and opened it to see Ryan's best friend Alviss almost snarling at the guards trying to get past into the room. "What is all this?"

"My Lord this boy…."

"I want to help look for Ryan!" Alviss cut in staring at Gwendal his blue eyes full of worry for his friend. "I heard him scream and I was too slow to get to him and that meant that he was taken." Alviss bit his lip to hold back the tears that blurred his vision. "I have to find him." Alviss's voice trembled and the guards looked at him with pity. Alviss sniffed trying to regain some control over his emotions when he felt a pair of arms circle his waist and hug him tightly.

"Y-your majesty?" Gwendal stuttered as Yuri hugged the boy.

"It's ok Alviss; it's not your fault ok? I need to know what happened. You said you heard him scream?" Yuri steered Alviss into the room and he nodded.

"I was with Elvira cleaning sliver and R-Ryan was in the hallway opposite mopping the floor."

"Why on Earth where you doing that?" Josak asked in amazement his blue eyes wide.

"It was our punishment for skipping practice today." Alviss said with a wobbly smile. And Wolfram gasped in horror.

"I ordered that punishment."

"But you couldn't have known that Ryan would be kidnapped as a result. If Ryan and been with Alviss and Elvira this wouldn't have happened." Yuri stepped in before Wolfram could start blaming himself. He wrapped his arms around Wolfram who clutched his shirt. "Then what?" Yuri asked Alviss.

"I heard him call my name and yell for help and Grim held Elvira and me up. Once we were free of him we ran to the hallway but Ryan was gone and whatever attacked him was no where in sight. Elvira and I looked for clues but all we found was some blood. That's when Grim turned up and the three of us told the night guards who passed the message on."

"Holy shit." Josak said and Alviss gave him a shaky smile.

"I said something similar too." Josak clapped the young boy on the shoulder.

"You did a good job kid; there was nothing you could have done ok?" Alviss nodded but his shoulders shook. Josak's quick eyes saw it and he gave the boy a hug. "It's alright, Conrad will find him; they couldn't have gone far." Alviss let himself relax in the hug thinking that a lot of royal people were hugging him tonight. There was a period of silence then the door opened and a tried looking Conrad walked in, with out Ryan.

"Conrad where is Ryan?" Wolfram almost threw Yuri aside as he stared up at his brother begging him with his eyes to tell him that his son was fine.

"There was a trail leading to a large tree but no marks after that, they wanted us to follow the trail and find this." Conrad held up a note.

"What does it say?" Gwendal asked the frown lines on his forehead deepening with worry for his nephew.

"It says: 'We have taken Prince Ryan and you will not see him again unless you meet with our demands. First, the king will resign his position over to a person of our choice. Second, the king and all related to him through blood or marriage will leave the country in exile and not return. Once these demands are met the boy will be kept in the castle as a slave in good health to make sure neither the king nor any others try to return. If anyone does return, he will be killed instantly and your forces will be turned on you'." Conrad held out a lock of black hair that was the same colour as Yuri's. It had to be Ryan's.

"No." Yuri fell to his knees and his husband collapsed next to him tears streaming down his face.

"Yuri, we're never going see him again." Wolfram sobbed and Yuri knew what he said was true. Even if they did what these men demanded, Ryan would be forced to be a servant living in the castle.

"We can't do what's demanded." Yuri whispered his heart breaking. "If we do, our land could be forced into chaos, who knows who they will chose as king? No, we can't. Ryan wouldn't want that, I would rather he was dead than forced to grovel at the feet of his captors as a servant in the castle that is his by birth. I know he would feel the same as well." Wolfram let out a sob and Yuri held him tightly in his arms.

"Yuri is right." Conrad said with his head bowed.

"Yes." Gunter wiped his tears, "They could kill so many people, anyone who was still loyal to us to strengthen their position."

"I agree, but I don't like this. It's wrong and if I ever get my hands on those men they are going to be sorry." Josak hugged Conrad who was crying for his godson's missing child.

"I also agree." Gwendal said hugging Gunter who had started crying again. No one saw the shadow outside the window which listened to their conversation then slipped away.

Alviss couldn't say a word, a huge lump was in his throat and he just wanted to scream and smash things. He knew what the adults said was correct. They couldn't give in to the demands of the kidnappers but that didn't mean they had to give up on Ryan. Alviss looked at the letter hanging limply in Lord Conrad's hand and reached out to snatch it before running out of the room.

"Poor boy, this is going to hit him hard." Josak said sadly and everyone nodded. Only Conrad noticed that the paper was gone but he said nothing. Alviss was smart and Elvira had a logical brain. They wouldn't do anything stupid and get themselves killed.

Alviss ran to the stables were his and Elvira's horses were saddled and waiting with Elvira. He told her what happened and showed her the letter. She said nothing as she read the letter and then she nodded.

"Ok, let's go."

"Go where?"

"Are you giving up on Ryan?"

"No! Never in a million years!"

"Good 'cause neither am I. We are going to find him Alviss if we use our brains and figure out were they took him from the clues they gave us. Now let's go and find our friend." Elvira jumped into the saddle of her chestnut mare, Frost, and trotted out of the open door and Alviss leapt onto Hellfire and followed her. No one stopped them as they trotted into the town and Elvira led Alviss to an old house and jumped out of the saddled and tied her horse. Alviss followed suit and Elvira knocked on the door loudly. There was a pause then the door creaked open and an old man looked at them for a moment.

"Is this them?"

"Yes, let them in. I have news for them." Elvira walked in and Alviss followed uncertainly. Elvira walked up to an old blind woman and bowed formally and Alviss copied her. "You have good manners." She said her voice dry and wheezy.

"Please tell us your news." Elvira asked and the old woman nodded her head and looked at them as if she could see.

"Give the note to my husband." Elvira handed it over and the old man took it into another room. "He will be able to tell you were the note came from." The old woman answered their unspoken question with a small smile. "Now about Ryan. He is alive, the blood you found was his but it was placed there to scare you. His captors are evil human men who thirst for power. They ride great winged animals and no land animal ran outrun them."

"Dragons?" Alviss asked amazed that they would let a human ride them.

"No boy, I don't know what they are but they leak evil and dragons do not. You will need dragons to save your friend, travel to the valley of dragons and find one of sliver who will side with you. Fly far south to the human's land. I don't know were he is being kept; I am blocked by their stones, but I know you will find him."

"How can we get a dragon to side with us?" Alviss asked thinking that taming a dragon was impossible for any demon apart from the king himself.

"Your love for your friend is so strong it fills this room to brim. You will not give up on him, but you must go alone; only then will the sliver dragon side with you." The old man came back in and nodded at the kids.

"Human country, south by the sea I don't know any more."

"How did you know that?" Alviss asked and the man smiled.

"I used to be a paper merchant and I kept a piece of paper from every country I visited; human and demon alike. This paper is identical to human paper and is from the trees in the south with a faint smell of sea and a little salt from the sea air on it. That's all I know, that and this paper was written before Ryan was taken. The ink is at least 2 days old."

"Thank you very much." Elvira bowed and Alviss copied her frowning.

"Don't worry young man, my husband and I speak only the truth. I may be blind but there are thing that I can see that others can't. We don't want to see any other king than the present one sitting in the throne. But our hearts go out to the young by who waits for rescue believing his friends will find him and not giving in."

"He still believes in me?" Alviss whispered and suddenly Elvira understood. Alviss blamed himself for not saving Ryan.

"He believes in both of you, and he knows you will find him."

"Ready Alviss?"

"You bettcha."

"Then let's go save out best friend." Elvira smiled and turned her horse towards the dragon valley and trotted away with Alviss riding beside her. They both felt the pain from not having Ryan beside them with his cheeky smile and bright green eyes that were so much like his father's. We will not give up on you Ryan, so don't you give up on us. Alviss sat up and Hellfire sensed his master's strength and stepped out quickly. They had food, water and a map. The rest was up to them.

The old couple watched quietly and then the old man turned to his wife his eyes shinning with worry.

"They are too young."

"They are strong and their loyalty lies deep. Even if the girl wavers the boy will not."

"How can you be so sure?"

"Because," The old woman smiled at him, "love is the most powerful thing in the world."

*End Chapter*

But the old woman is right isn't she? Love is very powerful :) So are reviews btw ^_~