MAIN PAIRING: Yuuri x Wolfram

DISCLAIMER: I do not own Kyou Kara Maou! However, I do so claim the rights to the originality of this plot.

WARNING: No explicit slash scenes in this chapter, though there's going to be fluffy moments between our two favourite boys again. Also, there's going to be a bit of fighting and some utilization of unsavoury words.

Let it begin!

Chapter Two:

Gwendel peered intently at the other man. "So the rumours are true, Hube?"

"Yes," answered the one-eyed man. "King Berard has been forcibly abdicated from the throne, and his nephew, Ranjeel the Second, will be taking his place."

"That's quite a sudden development," said Gunter thoughtfully.

Yozak turned his head to face Lord von Christ. "It was inevitable, don't you think? Berard made more than a few slip-ups."

"Even the territories under his control have been opposing him recently," continued Hube, "so it has been decided that Berard is no longer fit to rule."

"Well then, what kind of man is the new king?" asked Gwendel.

Raising his hands in the air in a shrug, Yozak replied, "There are a number of suspicious tales surrounding him."

"Such as?"

"Other people were nominated for the throne as well, but for unknown reasons, they have either fallen from power or run into near-fatal accidents."

Gunter narrowed his eyes. "And Ranjeel is responsible for this?"

"Word has it that he's using a secret organization to eliminate his competitors," answered Hube.

"What's even more surprising," added Yozak, "is that there is a connection between that organization and the thieves who're after valuable swords that we've been investigating."

"We need to know more information," Gwendal said.

Yozak nodded in agreement. "Then I'll be heading to Dai Shimaron at once to do just that."

"I'll come along," Conrad finally spoke up.

"Conrad."

The brown-haired captain merely turned determined eyes to face his older brother. After a while, Gwendel sighed. "Very well. But don't do anything rash."

Conrad smiled slightly. "Okay."

The doors to Gwendel's study opened and Murata stepped into the chamber. "About that…" he said with a smile. "Mind if I come along too?"

Yozak grinned. "Why not? The more the merrier!"

Murata grinned back at him.

Yozak turned back around to face Gwendel. "You know, Your Grace, shouldn't we inform His Majesty about this too?"

"No," replied the blue-eyed man. "He's already busy dealing with a set of very important documents that needs his immediate attention. Besides, His Majesty's eighteenth birthday is coming up next week and I don't want to burden him with news like these at such an inconvenient time. Let's just handle this ourselves for the moment."

Murata raised a hand to push his glasses up, the light from the setting sun catching his lenses and hiding his eyes from view. "Shibuya's not going to like it when he finds out that you've kept this a secret from him; especially since he specifically asked you to start including him on political affairs not three weeks ago."

"True," agreed Gwendel. "But His Majesty is not fully prepared to take on delicate situations like these where one tiny mistake can invoke an all-out war between Shin Makoku and Dai Shimaron. We'll let him know when things have calmed down a bit and are not so precarious."

"You're underestimating just how strong that young man has become," Murata murmured quietly. But the others did not hear, already deeply engaged in making preparations. Only Gunter caught the nearly-silent said phrase and he raised an eyebrow slightly but said nothing, mentally storing away that particular little trinket of information for later perusal.

000o000

Wolfram was feeling rather happy in the afternoon as he leaned leisurely against a tree growing beside the training grounds as he watched his men mock-duel each other in pairs during one of their daily training sessions. It was particularly due to the wonderful present Yuuri had presented to him that morning. He smoothed the pad of a fingertip over the smooth obsidian pearl embraced tightly between the claws of a sleeping silver dragon which had blue-gilded scales with its head resting along one side of the pearl while the rest of its glimmering body curled around the blonde's wrist until its tail hooked into the other side of the black gem.

"I had this custom-made for you," the young king had told Wolfram in the privacy of their room when they woke up, both speaking quietly so that they would not disturb the still slumbering Greta. "Well, the dragon was commissioned but the obsidian jewel is formed purely with my magic." Yuuri had held out the bracelet and Wolfram had reached over to take the offered gift. "I imbedded many protection spells into the gem and it will instantly alert me if you're in danger or simply because you wish for my presence. Just concentrate on me and I will come."

Wolfram had gaped incredulously at the other. "Since when did you learn to use your maryoku?"

The raven-haired young man had smiled at the awed look on the blonde's face and replied, "I've been getting Ulrike to teach me and the training is slowly paying off. Now, here, take it."

Feeling honoured for receiving such an obviously powerful gift, Wolfram had slipped the bracelet onto his right wrist and had started when the dragon had pulsed once and had shrunk until it had fitted him perfectly.

"It also can't be taken off by anyone but yourself," the raven-haired young man had added.

"Thank you, Yuuri," Wolfram had breathed. He had then looked up. "But why are you giving this to me?"

Yuuri had reached over and had cupped the other's cheek, a thumb lightly running over the blonde's lower lip. "Because I want to," he had said softly. "I want to be able to protect you even if I'm not there. Besides, it makes me feel all giddy inside to know that you'll always be keeping something that is essentially a part of me with you."

He had been greeted with a stunning smile at that and Wolfram had wasted no time in showing his appreciation by kissing the young king until he had a dreamy, dazed look on his face.

Wolfram lightly touched his still tingling lips at the remembered kiss and smiled. He still could not believe that he could walk up to Yuuri and kiss or hug him whenever he wanted. That time the two of them shared their first kiss in Yuuri's study about three weeks ago had made him smiling almost goofily for the rest of that memorable day.

His mother had been more than pleased to hear the news that Yuuri had finally confessed to Wolfram and that he was now in the process of officially courting her youngest son. She still would not stop cooing whenever she saw the two of them together. His brothers had merely smirked knowingly at him while Murata grinned as if he knew it would have ended up like this all along. As for Gunter, the man had fainted dead away when he accidentally walked in on another kissing session between Yuuri and the blonde. After lamenting on how he had lost His Majesty to another man, Gunter had finally gathered himself together and had sincerely congratulated the couple with a joyful smile on his face.

The news that he and the king were together had spread like wild fire and in a matter of hours, the entirety of Shin Makoku knew the turn their relationship had taken was one of official courtship. It was a furiously blushing Yuuri who had waved in thanks to his cheering and encouraging people with an equally red, but smug looking Wolfram beside him.

The bracelet was the first gift in the courting ritual stating the suitor's honest intent to provide and give protection to their chosen. The first gift was to show the person being courted that the suitor would do everything in his power to protect their chosen and give the chosen a piece of themselves to demonstrate their purity of heart. And in this case, Yuuri had given him a gift that neatly and wonderfully combined all the rulings together. Wolfram would have to present a gift to Yuuri that matched the value of the young king's gift if he was to express his acceptance of the first step of the courting ritual and that he was willing to move on to the second step with the raven-haired young man.

The blonde smiled again. He already knew what he wanted to give to Yuuri. He just had to wait for it to be finished.

His attention was brought out of its reminiscing thoughts when one of his men—'Larry's his name,' thought Wolfram—made his way over to his captain and stopped in front of him.

Wolfram straightened from his position. "What is it, Larry?"

"I have something important to show to you, sir," replied the tall man as he saluted his commanding officer.

"Very well." The blonde pushed away from the tree. "Lead the way."

"Sir!" Larry saluted again and gestured to the left. "It's this way."

Wolfram and the soldier turned around the bend until the training grounds were no longer in view and into a vacant, small courtyard. Larry pointed to the stone wall almost blocked from view by thick shrubbery located to the far right. "It's right over there, sir."

Batting aside the foliage, the blonde commander pushed aside the branches to look questionably at the ordinary-looking wall. With his back turned to the soldier, he did not see the glint that appeared in Larry's lust-filled eyes as he eagerly stared at his commanding officer's backside.

"I don't see anything wrong here, Larry," said Wolfram, still staring quizzically at the stone wall. "Are you sure that there's—oomph!" The blonde let out a startled gasp as he was yanked around and unceremoniously slammed up hard against the wall.

Glaring angrily at his subordinate, Wolfram scowled, "What do you think you're doing, soldier! Unhand me this instant!"

"I'd rather not," Larry replied huskily, his hands pinning his commander's arms in such a fashion that the blonde could not even move to free himself. The soldier leaned forward and nestled his nose into the sweet-smelling hair of the blonde. "I think I can get used to this. Do you know how much of a tease you are? Strutting around and swinging your hips so seductively with each step…I just want to eat you up!"

Wolfram snarled and jerked his head away. "Let me go or you'll regret it!" he hissed in rage, helpless fury roaring through him followed by fear. 'Yuuri!' he mentally cried out. 'Where are you?! Please, help me!'

"I don't think so." The solider lowered his head, inching his lips closer towards Wolfram's. "I like you just the way you are; helpless and completely at my mercy."

A large hand flashed in between Wolfram and Larry's faces before the soldier could make lip-contact, slamming into the soldier's nose and forcing him to stumble back with a pained cry.

Wolfram felt himself sag back against the stone wall in sharp relief as a familiar tall body clad in black silk situated itself between him and the cursing Larry.

"And just do who you think you're touching, soldier?!"

The man clutched at his bleeding nose which was most likely broken if the amount of blood spilling out of his cupped hands was any indication. "YOU!" he exclaimed in shock. "What are you doing here?!"

"That should be my question," Yuuri rumbled dangerously. "Just whose fiancé do you think you had the audacity to threaten?!"

"Shut up!" sneered Larry. He ran forward with wildly swinging fists.

The raven-haired young man ducked smoothly under the crazed swings and surged forward, his clenched fist punching up into the soldier's gut with incredible force.

Larry was slammed back several feet onto his side with his breath knocked harshly out of him. Coughing for air, he scrambled to his feet and ignored the fiery pain emanating from his stomach. He ripped his sword out of its sheath and charged forward with a cry, a mad glint flaring in his eyes. "Die, you fucking bastard!"

The king did not move as the sound of sliding metal hissed from behind him, allowing a blur of blue and yellow to rush past him.

Wolfram blocked the soldier's strike with his own sword, his eyes hard and flickering with emerald fire. "Watch your tongue! Not only did you insult your king with your vulgar profanities, you now dare strike at him, you traitor!"

Larry snarled, spittle flying from his mouth that was pulled back in a bared sneer. "Shut the fuck up, you slut!" he cursed the blonde and swung his sword, forcing Wolfram to parry the thrust and then to take a small leap back to maintain his balance.

Cerulean light flared, bathing the small courtyard in blazing tendrils of blue. The Maou waved a hand, throwing Larry back away from Wolfram with ease before the soldier could attempt to attack the blonde again. The glowing king stalked forward, the dragons swirling around him roaring their anger in answer to their master's simmering rage.

Larry struggled futilely against the twin dragons pinning him in place against the wide trunk of a tree with their jaws. His wide eyes were horrified as he watched the Maou glide towards him, the young king's onyx eyes were slit and swirling with dark fury.

"You have no right," hissed the Maou, his hand reaching up to lock around the soldier's throat, "absolutely no right in uttering such derogatory words to Wolfram, you filthy ingrate!"

A wisp of power snaked from the young king and slammed into Larry's forehead, leaving a bleeding scar in the shape of a broken circle: the symbol of treachery and shame.

The Maou tightened his firm grip on the throat in his grasp and growled deeply in his chest. "For your vile attempts on my fiancé and raising arms against both your sovereign and aforementioned fiancé without any justifiable cause, you are henceforth exiled from my kingdom and the lands of Shin Makoku will never welcome you to take part in its life again," snarled the glowing king. "As decreed by the Maou of Shin Makoku, so shall it be carried out." Releasing his strangle hold on the soldier, the Maou stepped back, his maryoku receding back into his body as Larry collapsed harshly on the ground without the support the water dragons had provided when they had him tied up.

"The scar marked on your forehead will speak of your treachery and dishonour forever!" the young king hissed at the traitor. "Now go and leave my kingdom! Should I see you once more, I will not be so lenient as to let you live again!"

Whimpering in fear as he scrambled to his feet, Larry was roughly led away by several guards who had been alerted of the situation by the influx of the Maou's raging power earlier.

Gunter came into view when he skidded around a corner and hurried over to his king and Wolfram. "Your Majesty! What happened? I sensed the flare of your maryoku and rushed here as fast as I could!"

Yuuri's eyes narrowed as they landed on the soldier being forcefully dragged away. "A cretin took it into his mind to manhandle Wolfram and when questioned about his behaviour, the soldier even had the nerve to badmouth Wolfram in turn."

"And he clearly marked himself a traitor when the impudent boy attacked Yuuri!" Wolfram added with a scowl. "You can see his mark of treason and shame on his forehead. Yuuri's maryoku judged that it was a just punishment and he has also banished the prat from Shin Makoku."

Yuuri nodded his head briskly. "Gunter, if you don't mind, please make sure that the traitor be taken out of Shin Makoku and inform others of his new change in status. Also, please notify the soldier's family the events that transpired for him to earn such an exile; if they wish to leave with him, they are free to do so. Please don't forget to reassure them that they will not be labelled as traitors if they do—not unless they had a hand in this incident. However, I do not want to see the soldier's face ever again in my kingdom."

"That soldier attacked the both of you? Well, I never…" sputtered Lord von Christ. He gathered himself together and bowed his head to his young king. "I salute your efficient deal of hand you imposed on the traitor. I will take my leave now to ensure that your commands be carried out without any undue incident."

The raven-haired young man smiled tightly at Gunter. "Thank you, Gunter. That would be appreciated."

"Well then, Your Majesty, Wolfram." Gunter dipped his head once again and strolled away, gesturing the men holding Larry captive to follow him.

The glow of his maryoku faded away completely and Yuuri immediately made his way over to Wolfram. His hand reached out, his fingers threading into silky golden hair. "Wolfram? Are you alright? Are you hurt anywhere?"

The blonde shook his head mutely in answer. The raven-haired young man frowned in concern. "Then why won't you look at me?"

The other did not reply.

"Wolfram, love, please, look at me."

At that, the gold-crowned head lifted and wide, shimmering emerald orbs met his concerned gaze. Without a word, Yuuri opened his arms and Wolfram fell into them with a choked sigh. Yuuri curled his arms around the slender blonde and held him close, cradling him to his chest.

"You came when I called," whispered Wolfram.

The arms around him tightened. "Always will," was the soft, firm reply.

Wolfram snuggled in deeper, the warmth radiating from the strong body luring him into relaxing the tension running through the lines of his body. Absentmindedly, he noted that it seemed like Yuuri's shoulders were a little broader than normal but he quickly dismissed it from his thoughts when a gentle kiss was pressed on top of his head.

"Thank you," the blonde said.

"There is no need for thanks," responded Yuuri. "You don't need to thank me for protecting you. I will do so again without hesitation." He pulled back but kept an arm around Wolfram's waist. He nudged him until the blonde looked up and he swooped down for a claiming kiss.

"Only I can touch and kiss your lips," Yuuri purred against Wolfram's lips. "They are mine and mine only."

Shivering slightly at the possessive, dark tone running in undercurrents beneath the low purr, Wolfram released a soft moan and leaned deeper into the taller boy's hold. "Yes, they are," he agreed before tilting his head up and drawing Yuuri down for another drawn-out kiss until the both of them were left panting for breath. He nipped lightly on the young king's lips and drew back a bit. "Just as yours are mine."

Yuuri smiled warmly. "Indeed they are," he replied. Then, he scanned the blonde with concerned eyes. "Now, are you certain that you're not hurt anywhere?"

"I'm fine."

"You absolutely sure?"

Wolfram crossed his arms and pouted. "Yes, I'm sure!" He gave a quiet squeak of surprise when Yuuri swooped down again and nibbled at his puckered, lower lip. Worrying the soft flesh in between his teeth, the raven-haired young man pulled back with a last quick, playful lick of his tongue on the other's lips.

"Don't do that—that expression, I mean," he said breathlessly. "Not unless you want me to ravish your lips."

Wolfram blushed but he could not stop the smirk from appearing on his features. "I'll be sure to keep that in mind."

The young king groaned in good-natured exasperation at the blonde's teasing tone, his black eyes sparkling with mirth. "Come on." He started to lead Wolfram away from the small courtyard. "There's something I want to share with your men about this particular incident."

He paused and cast a glance at the emerald-eyed young man.

"You don't mind, do you?" Yuuri asked as an afterthought. "I won't be undermining your authority in some way if I do this, will I?"

Wolfram grinned a decidedly wicked smirk. "Not at all. Especially not if I add in threats of my own to fortify yours."

A matching smirk spread across Yuuri's expression and he gave a low chuckle. "Well then, shall we go and scare the pants off your men?"

Wolfram scrunched his nose. "Thanks for the disgusting images, Yuuri."

"It's an expression, Wolfram."

"I know but still…ugh, I really didn't need those pictures in my head."

Yuuri's amused laugh echoed pleasantly in the air at the response.

The pair turned around the corner and into the vicinity of the training grounds. The moment the duelling soldiers saw their commanding officer make his way towards them with a grim expression beside their blank-faced king, they stopped in their movements and immediately bowed their heads in respect.

"Listen up, men!" barked out the emerald-eyed commander. "There are a few words that His Majesty Yuuri would like to share with you."

With expectant expressions on their features, the soldiers shifted their attention to the raven-haired young man.

"Not mere moments ago, I came upon a scene that infuriated me beyond belief," spoke Yuuri. "You may have noticed the sudden flare of power earlier and that would be due to my reaction in accordance to this particular event." Dark eyes narrowed until they were dangerous slits of veiled, seething fury. "Should I ever see or hear about anyone making moves on my fiancé again, know that the culprit will be dealt with dire consequences by yours truly personally," he hissed lowly, his features set in cold, harsh lines. "And rest assured, I will not be forgiving. Being exiled will seem like child-play after I'm done."

Wolfram resisted the urge to flush at the possessive words being uttered, a warm, bright heat spreading out from his chest with each beat of his heart. Schooling his features that wanted to break into a wide, giddy grin into an icy mask instead, the blonde took a step forward, drawing the frightened gazes of his men. "Let me add that the next person who even thinks or looks at me the wrong way again, not only will Yuuri make you wish you had never been born, I will personally castrate you myself before he deals with you, do I make myself clear?" he snapped, his own green eyes blazing with restrained anger.

Sufficiently cowed by the dark threats from their king and their commanding officer, the soldiers ducked their pallid faces and fervently chorused their understanding.

"Excellent." Yuuri's normal, bright smile came back onto his features and he waved lightly at them. "Now then, don't let me keep you from your training!"

The soldiers had to hide the sudden onslaught of shivers racing up their spines and raising the hairs on the back of their necks at the quick and sudden change in their king's mood. Gulping uneasily, they nervously glanced amongst each other and were speedy in obeying the raven-haired young man's subtle order.

Yuuri shifted to face the blonde. "You're going to stay here for a while longer, right?"

Wolfram shook his head. "No, I'm done for today," he replied. "I usually leave around this time and they continue on for about half an hour or so before they leave too."

The raven-haired young man grinned and slipped an arm around Wolfram. He brushed a light kiss on the blonde's pale cheek and led them both back inside the castle by his hold on his waist. "Then let's head inside. Dinner's going to start soon."

"Sure," agreed Wolfram amenably. "I'm starving."

When the pair entered the dining hall, they were greeted with a happy cry.

"Yuuri! Wolfram!"

Chuckling, Yuuri knelt on one knee and scooped up Greta into his arms. "Hello, my little princess," he greeted her.

"Hello, Yuuri!" His adopted daughter snuggled into his chest for a moment then reached out her arms towards Wolfram, who had been watching the scene with a soft smile on his face. "Wolfram, I want a hug too!"

The blonde grinned and swept the small girl into his arms from Yuuri's offered hold. "Good evening, Greta. Are you hungry?"

Greta smiled up at her other adopted father and wrapped her arms around Wolfram's neck. "Mhm," she nodded into the blonde's shoulder. "But we were waiting for you and Yuuri before we started eating."

"That's very kind of you, Greta."

The small girl wiggled out of Wolfram's arms. She slipped a hand into the blonde's and grabbed one of Yuuri's hands with her other. Tugging the two of them towards the table already ladled with food, she said, "Come on, Daddy, Father, I really am hungry and now that both of you're here, I want to eat!"

"Alright, Greta, we're moving," chuckled Wolfram. He pulled back her chair as Yuuri helped their adopted daughter into the seat. The blonde flashed a smile at his fiancé when the raven-haired young man pulled out his chair for him, tilting his head back slightly to receive a brush of a kiss on his lips.

Yuuri grinned back at Wolfram before making his way to his own chair and sitting down. He nodded in thanks as his soup was placed in front of him and frowned when his gaze caught sight of two empty seats.

"Where are Conrad and Murata? Are they not joining us?"

"Conrad left with His Eminence to go on a tour of the country," responded Gunter.

"Without even a notice?' asked Wolfram. "Where to?"

"I bear a message from His Eminence." Lord von Christ rummaged a hand in his robes and withdrew an envelope from within the folds. "Here you are, Your Majesty."

Yuuri blanched at the heart sticker on the back of the envelope. He broke open the seal and perused the contents inside.

Dear Shibuya,

I will be out on a journey for a while. A lot of areas around here bring back memories, so I plan to walk around and visit them.

Lord Weller says that he's knowledgeable on the geography, so I'm borrowing him as both my guide and my escort.

Signed, your only pal,

Murata

P.S. Good luck finishing the rest of your documents. I don't know when exactly I will be back but I have a feeling that it will be soon once you're done with the looming, parchment tower of doom by the window that I saw you eyeing sceptically last night after dinner. Don't worry though; I will be sure to be back in time to attend your birthday celebrations. (Hope Lord von Christ does not get too carried away with the preparations…)

P.P.S Oh yeah, would you mind telling Ulrike that I won't be coming to see her for a while, please? Thanks! Later, Shibyua!

Yuuri inwardly narrowed his eyes on the last parts of the letter, instantly picking out the subtle, hidden messages behind the innocent words. He made a mental note to get started immediately on the pile of documents by the window that he had indeed been eyeing with dread last night. And judging from the innocent request added at the end, Murata wanted him to make a visit to Shinou Temple too.

'This 'journey' is not what it seems and apparently, Gwendal and Gunter knows exactly what it really is,' thought the raven-haired young man. 'But they're not telling me. I wonder why?' He glanced at the surreptitious glimpses both Gwendal and Gunter were throwing his way and pasted a smile on his face, catching sight of Wolfram's suspicious narrowing of his emerald eyes from the corner of his black eyes. Yuuri fought the urge to smile at the blonde's subtle reaction. Wolfram really did know him well if he could distinguish Yuuri's genuine smile to that of a false one. Everyone else, surprisingly including Shori and Conrad as well, still had difficulty differentiating what his authentic expressions were compared to his faked ones.

The young king refolded the letter and tucked it into his pocket. "I see. So Murata's just taking a touring trip with Conrad. He says that he doesn't know when he's coming back though."

Gwendel and Gunter nodded in unison in response. The raven-haired young man noted with a mental smirk at the slight lessening of tension from the two men at his nonchalant words. Yuuri darted a quick glance to the side and gave a minute shake of a head in Wolfram's direction. He caught the tiny relaxation of the blonde's shoulders a second later. Wolfram had gotten his message that Yuuri would explain it to him later on in private. The young king smiled and dipped a spoon into his soup.

Halfway through dinner, Yuuri suddenly shoved his chair away from the table and doubled over with a gasp. Clutching at his stomach, he vaguely noticed gentle hands supporting him as he swayed precariously on the edge of his seat.

"Yuuri! Yuuri!"

"Your Majesty!"

"Someone get Gisela!"

The worried voices of the blonde and of the others in the dining hall were like far-away sounds in the distance as his heart thundered loudly in rhythmic beats in his ears. He let out a sharp cry when an abrupt wave of heat surged through him, the feeling much more intense than the other times, and by the time it faded away, he was left gasping for breath.

Not a millisecond later, there was another onslaught of power raging through what felt like every cell contained in his body, setting aflame his nerves and making his slip from his seat. Then, just as quickly as it had come, the overwhelming heat and waves of pain washed away from his body, leaving the young king blinking dazedly up at the worried face of Wolfram.

"Yuuri? Are you alright?" Wolfram brushed aside some stray hair strands of black silk away from Yuuri's face. "What's wrong?"

Yuuri turned his head into the soft touch. "I don't know," he admitted weakly. "This has happened from time to time for the past couple of weeks but it was always in the morning right after I wake up and it was never this intense. I don't know what has changed."

"Your Excellency, if I may?"

The blonde looked up and nodded, leaning his upper torso a bit ways from Yuuri so that he was not obstructing Gisela's view of the young king.

Gunter's daughter did a swift scan of the raven-haired young man before she leaned back to rest her weight on the balls of her feet. "His Majesty appears to be in perfect health. I don't detect anything harmful in him. Also, His Holiness had informed me before he left that if something like this happened to His Majesty, we did not need to worry. He said it was something that His Majesty will need to get used to for a while. He didn't elaborate on why, just said that it's 'no big deal'."

Wolfram scowled. "And why can't he just tell us why this is happening to Yuuri? It's obvious he knows what's going on!"

"Maa, Wolfram," Yuuri chortled softly, still slightly winded and turned his face so that his cheek was pressed against the warmth of the blonde's stomach, making the emerald-eyed young man blush lightly at the affectionate move. "You know how Murata is. He tends to only give information up after the event takes place. It's quite an irritating tendency of his."

The blonde sniffed elegantly and threaded his fingers into the black locks of the young man lying with his head in his lap. "I couldn't agree more."

"Yuuri, are you really okay?"

The raven-haired young man smiled reassuringly up at his adopted daughter. "Yes, Greta. See?" He moved to sit up with a bit of aid from the blonde. "I'm feeling perfectly fine already! I'm sort of used to this anyways so it's no big deal."

Greta blinked anxiously up the young king. "You absolutely sure?"

Wolfram suddenly coughed lightly into his fist, his lips threatening to break out into a grin when Yuuri flushed at the innocent question, obviously recalling how he had asked the blonde the very same question himself earlier on, and the cause of the light blush dusting the young king's cheeks now would be due to the fact that he was remembering the considerably possessive kiss he had claimed from Wolfram right after that particular question.

Shooting a slightly irritated glare at Wolfram, who merely smirked knowingly back at him, Yuuri knelt down in front of the small girl and drew her into a comforting hug. "Yes, I'm absolutely sure. Now come on, let's finish up our desserts, shall we?"

Two hours and half later found Yuuri and Wolfram alone in the young king's study. Greta had been put to bed and the others had wandered off after dinner to occupy themselves with their own duties.

Wolfram crossed his arms across his chest. "Alright, what was that about during dinner?"

Knowing that the blonde was referring to Murata's letter, Yuuri dug it out of his pocket and handed it over to the other young man. While the blonde read through its contents a couple of times to decipher to hidden meanings behind the words, the raven-haired young man rifled through the stack of parchments by the large window. Dark, obsidian eyes fell on a particular sheet of paper and he gently pulled it out from below the others.

Scanning through the document quickly, his eyes grew shadowed and his shoulders tensed. Wolfram glanced up as he sensed the sudden shift in mood in the study's atmosphere and instantly made his way over to the king, placing a slender hand on a silk-clad arm. "Yuuri? What is it?"

"It's a report on Dai Shimaron," replied Yuuri, indicating at the parchment in his hands. "It states that King Berard was abdicated and his nephew, Ranjeel the Second, has taken the throne in his place."

The blonde furrowed his eyebrows lightly in bemusement. "What does that have to do with your sudden change in mood? Sure, Dai Shimaron is a nation that opposes us, but that's nothing new."

"I know that. But what bothers me is the added statement here saying that there's suspicion that the sword thieves, the ones I've been getting numerous reports on, are somehow tied to this new king, even though there's no solid proof." Yuuri narrowed his eyes thoughtfully, a calculating gleam entering his dark gaze. "I won't tolerate having people from Dai Shimaron coming to Shin Makoku only to steal from my people. It seems that I will need to handle this problem personally. And," he added, "I bet that Murata, Conrad, and Yozak are on their way to Dai Shimaron to check this out too."

Wolfram blinked slowly, and then he shook his head with a rueful grin. "Alright, you pretty much concluded the same things that I have. So, what are we going to do about it?"

"First, we'll get ready for bed. Second, we'll attend that congress tomorrow morning and deal with the delegates. Third, we're going to visit Shinou Temple and make some preparations. After that…"

The blonde quirked an elegant eyebrow. "'After that'?" he prompted.

A decidedly wicked smirk surfaced on Yuuri's features, sending anticipating shivers down Wolfram's spine. "After that, we're going on a little, undercover mission."

A/N: And that's it for now! Woah, that was a probably the longest chapter that I've ever written on …Meh, well, I hope you enjoyed this chapter too! As for the part where a reviewer told me that the title of "Lord von Voltaire" is actually for Gwendal, would someone tell me then what is Valtrana's lordly title so I can fix my mistake, please? That'll be much appreciated!

Thank you very much for your reviews! They really encouraged me! I hope that you will review this chapter too! Thx in advance if you do!

À bientôt, mes amis!