After a long wait I finally found the time to write another chapter for this story! Yay! Anyways… I also had writer's block too on how to begin this chapter—like I knew I wanted to open it in Blood Pledge Castle but the 'what' was really evading me… oh well.

*The 3 Acts of KKM: The Melodious Wedding*

Within the next couple of days all the delegates slowly but surely left to go back to their own respective countries to resume their work as leaders. The only ones who truly stayed behind were Lady Flynn Gilbit and King Saralegi, and they only remained to try to help the Maoh's and his fiancé's wedding planning to the best of their abilities. Though the two weren't really assigned anything, they helped out in whatever they could since the wedding was planned to happen that July, only a few short months away, just four months to be more specific.

Currently Yuuri, Wolfram, Flynn and Sara were standing around a table, planning the seating chart for almost three hundred guests (most of the numbers were the delegates and their families and important lords of these countries and that of Shin Makoku, especially with the inclusion of the Ten Aristocrats and Yuuri's family which will be brought forth from Earth with the exception of Bob and his workers since quote 'Someone has to remain to leave this side of the gate open'). "I think that our families (with the addition of Gunter) should sit at the main table with us Yuuri." Wolfram stated as he stared at the large paper before them with a bunch of equally spaced-out and sized tables, thirty-eight tables in total; the 'main table' that Wolfram referred to being a long rectangular table before the other tables which would sit fourteen people (including Yuuri and Wolfram).

"I agree with you there but the way you sat them… I disagree." Yuuri said as he took his pencil and started to scribble lightly on the paper, not scratching out Wolfram's idea but merely writing above them. "I agree with the seating for your half of the table (with Lady Celi first, then Gwendal, Conrad, Gunter, Hube, Nicola and finally El), but you sat Greta next to me, and as much as I love my daughter, it should really be the first direct relative, i.e. your parents first. I think that it should be mom, dad, bro, then Greta then Murata at the end on my side."

"How could you say that and push your daughter away?" Wolfram sounded.

"May I add something?" Flynn interrupted before things got a bit too heated. "I agree with the Maoh. It should be his parents to sit beside him first and I'm sure Greta will understand once you tell her the seating arrangements. I fear it is His Excellence whom will have a difficult time since he is pushed to the very end of the table."

"But both sides of the table are uneven." Sara commented. "You have seven people on Lord Wolfram's side and only five on Yuuri's. It doesn't look appealing."

"Then what to you suggest?" Wolfram asked in his usual 'I know I'm right so shut up' tone. "They are all my family and should sit on my side. It's not my fault Yuuri doesn't really have a lot of family and close friends."

Yuuri sighed after feeling that jab pierce his back. "I could always find two people to add onto the end of the table…" Yuuri looked up at Sara who met his gaze. "Perhaps you and Kasey could sit on my side of the table."

Sara automatically shook his head. "That wouldn't be wise, especially if we were to sit next to each other. I can't be too certain that our… bad tidings will be healed by then."

The Maoh sighed again and reluctantly nodded. "I suppose…" He grumbled.

"Ah!" Wolfram sounded suddenly as he clapped his hands together. "Put Anissina and Josak at your side then. They are close friends and they would be honored to be included in the table."

Yuuri smiled warmly at his fiancé. "That's perfect. We'll put Josak at the corner then so we're not rude to Anissina."

The blonde lord nodded once. "I still don't think that Greta should sit all the way near the end of the table though."

Sara sighed. "Sorry Lord Wolfram but I agree with Yuuri and Lady Flynn. His parents should sit beside him, not his adoptive daughter."

Wolfram glared at the King of Shimaron. "I see the point but still…"

"Wolfram." Yuuri called his name, attracting the attention of his fiancé. "It's just more respectful to my parents. Sorry." With that Yuuri went ahead and erased Wolfram's intended seating arrangement and penciled in the new version as well as added Anissina's and Josak's names.

"Now the hard part." Lady Flynn commented as she started to look over the thirty-eight empty round chairs, each that could sit a max of ten people but no less than eight (it would look too empty).

"I think that these two front tables should be for the rest of the Ten Aristocrats and their families.
Yuuri stated as he pointed out the tables.

"Royalty should be seated as close to the front as possible. In fact, we should seat everybody by rank." Wolfram added.

"That wouldn't do." Yuuri said. "We have friends that are just lords or even of a lower rank that should be seated close to us. I do agree that royalty should be seated closer but I think friends should take more precedence."

Wolfram groaned. "We can't do that. It wouldn't be right towards the royal families."

"They can handle it for a few hours."

"Yuuri!"

"Don't take that tone with me Wolfram."

"Listen to your fiancé and place them by rank."

"We'll place them by rank once I sit our friends close to us."

"You're just being a wimp because you're afraid to upset them."

"Don't call me a wimp!" At that moment knocks sounded at the door. "Come in."

Conrad came in through one of the doors, a letter in his hands. "This is for you Your Majesty, from Prince Kasimir."

Mixed reactions occurred in the room. Lady Flynn's was of interest for she has yet to meet the half-blood prince of Taurogo, Wolfram's was of annoyance since it interrupted their important wedding planning, Yuuri's was of excitement to be receiving a letter from his old friend and Sara's reaction was an expected one—he tensed up at the mention of Kasey's name. Conrad walked over and handed the letter to Yuuri, the Maoh opening it up quickly, his eyes reading over the words on the page just as fast. "It seems that the campaign's not really going anywhere at the moment. Apparently it was discovered that he had a wind elemental power and the humans now either fear him or hate him or both. But he's getting better in his powers and now can use them in Taurogo for a longer period of time without getting too exhausted. Huh. Kind of reminds me of myself when I first started to use my powers."

Wolfram crossed his arms before him and scoffed. "Yeah, and what a wimp you were passing out all of the time."

The Maoh groaned and grumbled… "Don't call me a wimp… it was because I wasn't used to it yet…" Yuuri then started to read the second page of the letter and halfway through the page he was taken aback visibly, sounding a loud 'huh?' as he finished reading the page and moving on to the next.

"What is it Yuuri?" Wolfram asked as his fiancé finished reading the letter.

In response Yuuri first chuckled, more to himself than anything, before answering. "Apparently he's turned into a copy of me."

"What do you mean?" Flynn asked.

The Maoh chuckled again once more and started to reread that first part of the letter that shocked him a bit. "He saved a child from being killed…"

*The 3 Acts of KKM: The Melodious Wedding*

A few days ago news spread to Taurogo that in Shin Makoku a now unified Shimaron had finally joined the alliance after years of hard work. Kasey was leaning against a wall in town, a hood over his head to cover his appearance (he was waiting for Riscard who was getting some items for him since it was easier for the protector to get things instead of the prince himself) when the news reached to him. At first it was some distant yelling, the town crier making his rounds, and it was very hard to determine any words of the message. But as the crier got closer the words became clearer and eventually the message came out.

"Shimaron joins the Shin Makoku alliance! The Triplicate states no concern for the news!"

The prince scoffed. "Called it." He muttered to himself, he referring to the Triplicate being completely unconcerned that they remain as the only countries (besides Taurogo) out of the alliance. As he stated to Yuuri before, it would have to take Taurogo to force them to join. At that moment Riscard came out of the store, untied their horses from the post and walked over to the alley where Kasey was leaning on to pass time. "Come on, Riscard, let's go back."

The ride back was quick and silent and upon arriving to the castle, a stable boy, one who showed complete apathy towards both the king and prince of his country, took their horses and led them back to the stables without once speaking a word. Kasey half sighed half groaned. "Your Highness?" Riscard asked in curiosity as to why the prince was in a bad mood.

"I just wonder when I will finally have people behind me. It's obvious that boy is apathetic about everything and I wonder if he's apathetic because he knows that King Tansil is nothing but a tyrannical bastard or if he just doesn't know anything."

Riscard didn't move or didn't say a word, just began following the prince when he started moving towards the castle (he having to go around to the front since he wasn't allowed passage through the front gates, only the servants' gate in the side). The items in Riscard's hands, a basket with some random things like some reading material for when Kasey decides to read before bed, some new targets for archery practice (since the soldiers refused to give the prince any for his own use), some new bows for said archery practice, and more paper since he was running out in his room due to his constant letters to Yuuri (which reminds him, he needed to respond to his friend's latest letter). Riscard began to once again think about his prince as he walked. The Prince of Taurogo really was nothing more than a normal guy underneath his title and his abilities, both in the fields of fighting, leadership and elemental powers. He enjoyed normal things such as reading and writing (something he said he would have done if he wasn't a prince—be a novelist). He was also pretty creative for he did build that shishi-odoshi for his room to put him to sleep.

Suddenly Kasey stopped before him and Riscard nearly ran into him, thankfully his quick reflexes saved that from occurring. I should really stop spacing out… Riscard thought as he wondered why His Highness so suddenly stopped. "What's happening over there?" The prince was looking out into the courtyard and when Riscard turned his head he could see the prisoner transport carriage sitting in the courtyard and two guards dragging a young boy, probably no older than five, going towards the dungeon.

The next thing Riscard knows is that he sees Kasey practically storm over to the guards and the child. "Wait! Your Highness!" The protector calls after the prince as he too storms over there behind his master.

"What's going on here?" Kasey asks as he reaches the guards and the child. The boy was obviously a peasant boy, his family most likely lowly craftsmen since that is this country's general occupation. He probably came to a measly three feet tall at best, light auburn (almost brown) hair ending in curls around his neck but spiking up at the back of his head and his bangs covering some very impressive dark, moss green eyes; overall an adorable child… almost too adorable to be in a predicament like this.

"Your Highness!" Both guards say at once (both wearing the typical royal blue uniform, black boots and waist belt, and tan beret that the royal guard wear), stopping at his voice, each with one hand grasping either arm of the boy.

"'Your Highness'?" Prince Kasimir asks currently dumbfounded. Since his time here no one has called him that except Riscard and frankly he didn't count.

"Yes, sir." The guard on the left said a little confused. The prince noticed that he had a patch on his left arm signaling him as a captain. He was a captain of darker color, like a native skin tone, his hair pitch black like Yuuri's and eyes a very light brown. "You are the prince, sir." The guard beside him nodded, his regular skin tone and brown hair with matching eyes really seemed completely plain beside his superior.

So they actually support me? Kasey thinks before he gets focused back on his original intent. "What happened with this child that he's being carted away to the dungeons?"

"Sir, he's a thief, sir."

Riscard watches as the prince looks at the child between the guards and feels pity for the kid; he looks like to be on the verge of tears. "What did he steal?"

"Bread sir." The other guard speaks out.

"Just bread? What is this? Jean Valjean personified? I don't see a big problem with it."

"But sir, he took the loaf without paying, thus—"

"I know what it is to steal. You needn't explain it to me."

"Yes sir."

The prince gestures with his hand for the guards to back away, and they do with some reluctance. After they moved away Kasey kneeled, placing one knee on the ground to be eye level with the boy. "Let's see if we can't fix this, shall we? Why did you steal the loaf of bread? Obviously you were hungry, probably still are since you were probably caught without eating any of it, but why are you hungry in the first place? Don't be afraid, I want to help you."

The boy shuffled his feet and was very nervous for a multitude of reasons, some obvious, the more recent one is that the half Mazoku prince is talking to him and eye level with him. "W-well… m-my father can't work since he, um, he can't move—he's been losing the use of his body lately… it's been happening for a while… i-it's just him and me you see and we're poor and I was hungry… and so was father and I… I…"

"You say he's been losing the function of his body?"

"Yes sir. He says it started at his fingers and toes and then, um, then spreaded and-and he said he f-feels everything…"

Prince Kasimir sighed. "Sounds like Lou Gehrig's..." He stated more to himself.

The boy picked up then, smiling at him. "You know what it is? Can you save papa?"

The prince gulped and felt his heart tighten. "It's just a hunch but… I won't lie to you son but if it's what I think it is…" The prince sighed again, finding this conversation really difficult. "It might be amyotrophic lateral sclerosis, ALS for short or better known as Lou Gehrig's disease. It's a disease that attacks the nerves and muscles, especially that around the spine. What it does is that it slowly kills the person, painfully since the person can feel everything that is happening to them and they're conscious throughout all of it. Eventually it'll attack the brain, he'll have strokes and then die, all the while he'll be pretty much rotting from the inside out and there's nothing anyone can do…"

The boy grunted then and tears began to cloud his vision. "Papa… no…"

Kasey felt like he had suddenly become the bad guy, for telling the kid the truth at the matter. His hand reached out and grasped the boy by the back of his head and pulled him in for a hug. That's when the boy really began to sob and cry onto his shoulder. "It's alright, son. It's okay to cry. Just let it all out." They were probably like that for a period of ten minutes, all the while the two guards and the prince's protector were watching on in awe. When he felt the boy's body still and the sobs quieted down to mere hiccups, Kasey pulled the boy away, smiled softly at him and brushed his bangs from out of his eyes. Kasey then looked up at the guards. "Get our horses." He ordered them; nudging his head towards Riscard as he did so, signifying to get the protector's horse as well.

"But Your Highness—"Both guards sounded at the same time.

"Don't 'but' me, get our horses. That's an order." Don't make me repeat it a third time…

"Yes sir!" The two saluted him before rushing out towards the barn.

Kasey scoffed with a curt nod and looked back at the boy. "I tell you what? Your papa can't work but you can, can't you?" The boy blinked at him, his facial expression reading both awe and bewilderment; Riscard on the other hand donned on shocked expressions. "I'll see if I can't find you a job here at the castle, maybe even work directly under me, and I'll pay money for your work so you can support yourself and your old man. How does that sound?" To Kasey it sounded like a loud of shit; a child working? There are laws against this on Earth but here in this alternate world, there really isn't any and there's nothing much Kasey could do without being too overly involved.

The boy stared at the half Mazoku prince for a while before a big grin broke out onto his face, one stray tear falling from his eyes. "I'll be a working man then!"

Kasey laughed and nodded. "Yes you will." The two shared a quick chuckle before Kasey reached behind him, pulling out a small bag full of money. "We're going to go see if perhaps we can't pay for that loaf of bread and give the baker some extra money for all the problems. Then I'll take you out into the market place and buy you all the food you think you need until you can get on your own two feet. Afterwards I'll take you home and I'll go say hi to your papa, tell him our plan and hopefully he'll be on our side."

"R-really Your Highness? You'd do that for me?"

"I'd do that for anyone in need, son." Then a realization hit Kasey in the face. "Oh, that's right. I don't know your name yet."

"I'm Julius. I'm five years old."

"Well, Julius, looks like those guards are coming with the horses," the prince stood then and gave Julius a big grin, "why don't we go do as we planned shall we?"

"Yes!" Julius replied happily. "Thank you so much Your Highness!"

"Don't thank me yet. We still have a lot of work to do."

"Sir, your horses." The captain said as he and his subordinate brought forth their horses which had just been un-tacked then re-tacked by a very aggravated stable boy.

"Thank you." The prince said before Kasey reached over quickly, grabbed the basket from Riscard's hands and trusted it into the hands of the captain. "And take this to my room afterwards please."

The captain (as well as Riscard and the other guard) were all wide-eyed at the prince. "Sir… aren't you concerned that I might just turn this into the king?"

Kasey stood there and deliberated for a moment before finally saying… "I guess we'll find out later if I should ever trust you again captain."

The captain inhaled deeply, his heart skipping a beat for being so trusted by the prince when he had absolutely no reason to trust anyone in the guard. "Yes sir!" The captain said with conviction before bowing deeply to the prince. "Come private."

With that the two guards left the trio alone and within the next few minutes both the prince and his protector were riding out into town, Julius sitting before the prince on his red chestnut stallion. Beside them Riscard watched them with a growing smile on his face, his bay below him clip-clopping at an even pace with His Highness' horse. Riscard chuckled softly to himself. "Prince Kasimir…"

"Hm? Did you say something Riscard?"

"No Your Highness." Kasey stared at him for a moment before shrugging his shoulders and focusing on their incoming destination.

Riscard's smile only grew as he finished his thought off to himself. Prince Kasimir… it looks like you now have someone to protect…

*The 3 Acts of KKM: The Melodious Wedding*

Kasey sat before his desk, fingers drumming on the surface as he wondered whether or not he should mention the captain that became his first official follower (not counting little Julius) in his letter back to Yuuri. They had returned but an hour ago after his promised market day to the boy and the meeting with his father. It was a sad state; the poor man was confined to the bed already, hardly being able to move. ALS was a horrible disease to fight through in a more advance Earth; it makes it all the more horrific now. Eventually, Kasey decided not to mention the Captain Greer—he later found out his name when he just returned for the captain was waiting for him to give his apologies for not stating his name earlier—it might give Yuuri too much hope for him, he was the type to do that. Instead Kasey started to write about Julius, not going into too deep into details but just enough to get the gist of the situation. 'I saved a kid from being executed because he stole some bread, his father's really ill, I'm helping them out' was pretty much what he said but he actually told Yuuri more of their little outing in the market.

The prince sighed once he finished his letter and gave it to his falcon who cried out before flying out the window and towards the port where the letter would be shipped out to Shin Makoku. The prince found his way to his bed and laid back on it, still in his clothing as he thought about the Demon Kingdom. So many memories, most of them good—all except for that one. Prince Kasimir closed his eyes and turned over, he shoving his check into his pillow, his arms folded under him. It wasn't so much of the rape itself—it was consensual at first, until Yuuri's name popped up—it was more of the fact that when Kasey first laid eyes on Sara he thought the man was very beautiful and he just couldn't wait to get closer to the King of Shimaron and perhaps even see if a relationship could be formed—all that just crumbled to pieces on that night. Well… not entirely. Kasey could still feel his heart breaking—not over the event (he was long over that) but over the distance between them. He just wished that he could close it up but the man who was once never afraid of anything was afraid now—he was afraid that if he saw King Saralegi that he wouldn't be able to look him in the eyes, speak a word, or even be in the same room… he had left so suddenly and neither of them had tried to close the gap.

"It's useless…" The prince sighed out as he started to let sleep fall over him, he not even caring if his day clothes were still on his person.

*The 3 Acts of KKM: The Melodious Wedding*

A new day was dawning in Shin Makoku. It was peaceful, quiet, serene… the birds were singing, the sun was shining radiantly, a gentle gust of wind made the flowers dance and still waters ripple softly. It was a beautiful morning. Until…

"You're leaving now?!" Wolfram screamed at Yuuri as he followed behind the Maoh and Murata, both walking towards the fountain in the Temple to head back to Earth for a bit (probably a few days so not very long).

"I want to get there early Wolf." Yuuri replied back as he glanced back to the angered demon lord.

"I wasn't told of this."

"That's because you weren't supposed to find out until after we left." Murata smartly put in with a grin.

"What loud of shit is that?! Yuuri!"

Yuuri groaned, stopped and turned around quickly, grabbing ahold of the blonde's arms. "I didn't want to bring you along with me for many good reasons Wolf." One of them being that I just know my mom would take you wedding dress shopping and that is definitely not happening. "I'm just going to invite them and get some input on some things… not to mention I have to call Bob, see how Shouri is doing as the Demon King of Earth and as governor of Japan… It's mostly business really."

"Then what is the input for? The wedding plans?"

The Demon King sighed. "Yes but it's not anything in relation to you nor is it too painfully important." Please don't see the lie, please don't see the lie, please don't—

"That's bullshit."

… Damn it…

"And another thing—where is everyone else? Shouldn't they be seeing you off? Why am I the only one here? In fact… where's Ulrike?"

Murata smiled and raised a finger. "They are all busy with your wedding preparations and Ulrike is with Shinou, also busy with some details for the wedding. We were all assured that we would leave quietly and then come back soon."

"But then I found out through some gossiping maids and not my husband-to-be!"

"This is ridiculous Wolf." Yuuri spoke then, placing a hand to his forehead in exasperation. He just wants to go home (on Earth) and get his objectives done then come back to do even more work.

"I'm going with you."

"You can't come with me!"

"And why ever not? If nothing you are planning to do on Earth pertains to me then I should be able to go with you if I please."

"But-but Wolf! Someone needs to stay here and oversee wedding preparations."

"I already informed mother on what I wanted for the wedding so I don't need to be here."

"Wolf! You can't be serious! Lady Celi handling the affairs of the wedding ceremony and the reception and—"

"Are you saying that my mother is incompetent Yuuri?"

"Of course not! Goddamn it we're running late and I'm getting a headache."

"Then let's get going." Murata stated as he quickly grabbed Yuuri wrist and within the next few moments the two half demons were falling into the fountain. The water engulfed them both and within seconds they were being transported back to Japan, more specifically a kiddie pool in the Shibuya home's backyard.

Wolfram yelled into the sky. "That wimp—I'll kill him!"

*The 3 Acts of KKM: The Melodious Wedding*

Next chapter is Yuuri's and Murata's stay on Earth and the beginning of the 'Melodious' part of the title of Act II. I didn't really like this chapter at all really… the only part I liked was Kasey's part and that was because that was written a while ago when I still had my muse (*winks*) and not this stupid writer's block… (if you think back {that is if you're reading all these author's notes} you can remember me saying something along the lines of 'Oh shit—I realized I was writing a section that would reveal too much on the prince!' well this Kasey scene was the part I was talking about).

Anyways… PLEASE REVIEW! PLEASE! I LIVE FOR THESE THINGS! Next chapter also figure out why I italicized 'muse' earlier—does it have any significance at all? Well it does! PLEASE REVIEW!