Chapter 4
"... Shouldn't we warn Shibuya and the others?" the young priestess turned to face Murata, a troubled look in her violet eyes.
"It would do no good to worry them, Your Excellency. Something bad is about to happen, but it has nothing to do with physical danger. His Majesty and Wolfram alone must face this trial. That is the will of the Great One." she said. Murata frowned.
"A trial? What, a test of how much they care about eachother?" he asked, adjusting his glasses and turning his head to the altar of the Great One. Ulrike nodded.
"Yes. The Great One believes that His Majesty and Wolfram's bond must be tested before officially approving their union." she replied. Murata glared atthe altar.
"...You're a jerk, you know that? Listen, old friend, I can understand your doubts, but it's bad enough we have to worry about Mirette and Annisina plotting to cause trouble. Shibuya and Wolfram don't need to have to worry about 'divine intervention' ruining a good thing." he said bluntly. Sighing, he added,
"Whatever you're doing...just don't take it too far, alright?"
xx
"So...your friends and family actually believe you went to Francia? Are you serious?" Mira sighed and nodded.
"Yeah. It was the only thing I could tell them. If they knew why I really left, they'd freak out. My uncle more than anyone, I bet." she replied. The young woman sitting across from her ran her tan fingers through her dark blue hair and shook her head.
"You'll never change, Mira. You know, I'm surprised you're wanting the same guy after all this time. If I were you, I'd give up and find a different guy to set my sights on. He's never going to-"
"The lead, Kira. You said you had a lead on where I could find him." the human woman sighed and took a piece of paper out of her pocket.
"Rumor has it, he's heading to this town in Big Shimaron. It'll be dangerous for you to be there if they find out you're from the Demon Tribe. Best dye your hair and get contacts for your eyes. That hood won't keep you from being noticed forever." she said. Mira looked down at the piece of paper. It was a map of Small and Big Shimaron with one of the towns in Big Shimaron circled. To help her friend, the human took a piece of charcoal and drew an 'X' on one spot.
"We're in the village I just marked; located just outside of Small Shimaron. You've got quite a ways to go. I brought a horse you could use. I just wish you luck. I know you'll need it." she said, shaking her head. Mirette threw a pouch of coins on the table and put the map in her satchel.
"Don't worry about me, Kira. I can handle myself just fine. Thanks for the help. I knew I could count on you."
xx
"So where exactly are we going, Yuri?" Wolfram asked. The demon king smiled and winked at his fiance.
"You'll see. You're going to love it, believe me."
"..."
When the horses finally stopped, they had reached a forest clearing with a waterfall and small pond on the west edge of it. Growing all around the area were sweet smelling apple trees and flowers. But...not just any flowers. When Wolfram dismounted and noticed them, he gave a small gasp of surpise.
"Hey...aren't those...?" Yuri nodded and took a picnic blanket from his saddlebag.
"Yep. They're Wolframs. Lady Celi gave me the seeds about a month ago after I found this spot. I thought they'd make a nice touch. I thought about planting roses, too, but they'd have overpowered the fragrance of the other flowers." Laying out the blanket and taking a picnic basket from the back of his saddle, he smiled.
"Well, shall we have lunch?"
As the two sat and ate, a thought crossed Wolfram's mind.
"Hey Yuri?" he asked.
"What's up?"
"...Well, I was wondering...when Mira talked to you in your world...she didn't threaten you, did she?" Yuri seemed slightly surprised that Wolfram would ask this.
"No, she didn't. Really, she just wanted to make sure she could trust her best friend with me, that's all. She asked how I felt about you, but she didn't make any threats." he replied. Wolfram breathed a sigh of relief.
"Good. Sometimes...Mira can get carried away. Especially when she thinks she's acting in someone else's best interests. ...By the way, what did you tell her?" Yuri blinked.
"H-huh?" he asked. Wolfram turned to him.
"What did you tell her when she asked how you felt about me?" he repeated. Yuri's cheeks turned crimson and he turned away.
"W-well um...I-I actually didn't get the chance to answer her. She can only project an image of herself somewhere far away for five minutes, and...she was already there for two when I reached her. Before I could answer, she disappeared." he replied. This did not deter Wolfram, however.
"Alright, in that case, what would you have told her?" he asked. Yuri's blush darkened.
"Come on, did you have to bring this up?" he asked. "It's embarassing." Wolfram scoffed and stood up.
"So you're saying what we have is embarassing?" he demanded. Yuri, too, stood.
"Come on, Wolfram. That's not what I meant at all. Don't get mad." He tried to put his hands on Wolfram's shoulders, but the blonde smacked them away and turned his back to Yuri, crossing his arms.
"Hmph!"
"Wolfram, come on, what do you want from me?" Wolfram turned, a certain fire in his emerald eyes.
"I want you to answer my question. How do you feel about me?" he asked. Yuri sighed and ran his fingers through his hair.
"Come on, you should already know that without me having to say it." he mumbled.
"So you don't even care enough to put it into words? Fine!" Wolfram snapped, getting back up on his horse.
"Wolfram, hey!" Yuri ran over and grabbed the reigns to keep Wolfram from leaving.
"Alright, alright! You win. I...I'll say it. But...but first you have to get down off your horse." Wolfram scoffed, but complied. Yuri exhaled nervously. He didn't know why he was so nervous about it, he was already engaged to Wolfram, right?
"...Wolfram...I...I l-lo-" he tried to finish the sentence, but for some reason the words wouldn't even come out in a nervous stammer. And when he tried to say something else, that didn't form into words either. What was going on?!
xx
"That's strange." Annisina mumbled, searching through her cabinets.
"What's wrong, Lady Annisina?" the red haired woman turned to the bald man.
"Dacascos, have you by any chance seen my new invention? It's called the Mister Magic Brew Master 3000. It has the power to turn any tea brewed in it into the ultimate potion. Depending on what kind of tea is used, a lot of different effects are possible. For example, rose petal tea can become a love potion, chamomile will put the drinker to sleep, and Geizela's special cherry blossom and lavender blend would most likely act as a silencer." Dacascos blinked, then thought a moment.
"Well...there was an odd looking teapot in the kitchen, but it's gone now. I think His Majesty packed it to use on his picnic with Lord Wolfram." he replied. Annisina was surprised at first, then smiled.
"Oh really? Thank you, Dacascos, that's all I needed to know. You can go now." the soldier nodded and dismissed himself. When he was gone, Annisina smiled and shook her head.
"Well...my plan worked even better than expected. Although, I planned to test it on them myself by brewing some rose petal tea and having one of the girls serve it to the two of them. Oh well. A success is still a success, after all." she said.
xx
Wolfram blinked.
"Huh? What is it, Yuri? How come you all of a sudden stopped talking?" he asked. Yuri pointed at his throat and shrugged, indicating that he'd lost his voice, but didn't know why. Glancing behind his fiance, Wolfram had a realization.
"...Hey, doesn't that teapot look like one of Annisina's inventions?" he asked. Yuri turned and smacked his forehead. Of course. Annisina. Who else would have a teapot with such a strange design. And on the side were some inscriptions:
"Mr. Magic Brew Master 3000- Turns any tea blend into users desired potion"
"In case of accidental use of wrong tea blend, drink water to cure."
Wolfram took Yuri's water skin and filled it in the crystal clear water of the waterfall. When it was full, he took it back over to Yuri.
"When we get back, Annisina is going to have some explaining to do." he said. Yuri nodded and took the water gratefully. After a few gulps, he tried to speak again.
"I-I wonder if...hey! My voice is back! Awesome! I wonder if...do you think she planned for us to 'accidentally' grab her weird gizmo for our picnic instead of a real teapot?" he asked. Wolfram scoffed.
"I wouldn't put it past her. But that's not important now. Finish what you were saying before." he said, his eyes locked onto Yuri's. The young demon king sighed. Oh, brother...
"R-right. I...oh come on! This is rediculous, Wolfram! You know I love you! So how come you have to make a big deal out of whether or not I say it?!" He then jumped in surprise when Wolfram hugged him. Pulling away, the blonde smiled.
"See? Is it so hard for you to say it once in a while? I'm not usually one for sappy stuff, but I think verbal communication now and then is important in maintaining a good relationship." he stated. Yuri blinked.
"Um..."
"Come on, we should pack up and head back to the castle. Annisina is probably missing her trouble making invention, and it looks like rain clouds are rolling in." Wolfram tossed Yuri some things to put away and the dark haired teen sighed. Somehow, he felt he'd been tricked. Heaving a sigh, he started putting things back in his saddle bags. Oh, well. At least this little date didn't end in total disaster. Still, it was a closer call than he would have liked...
xx
Mira sighed and stoked her campfire. It had been three days, and no matter who she asked, no one seemed to have seen who she was looking for. Maybe...maybe she really was in over her head here. Maybe it was a mistake to pursue him. Maybe it was time for her to let go of something she couldn't have and search for new love. After all as the saying went, there were plenty of fish in the sea. Sighing, she took a mirror out of her satchel. it was one of Annisina's inventions. The Cupid Show Me Your Grand Design or Else! Mirror. It would allow the user to supposodly see who their true love was. It was made to show them their soul mate. And apparently, after having been tested on Hube and Nikola, it was proven to have worked.
"I swear...Annisina has the weirdest names for her stuff. But...I have to know who my true love is, so..." she murmured, closing her eyes. Tightening her grip on the handle of the mirror, she concentrated as much power as she needed into activating the mirror. When the jewels around the edges lit up and an image appeared, Mira gasped at the person who was revealed to her.
"I don't believe it. All this time...and my true love was that man? A wasted trip, then!" she said with an exasperated sigh, putting the mirror away.
Though, she couldn't say she was completely surprised. There had been a few times when she felt that her love for the person she was searching for was little more than a crush. Though she never expected that her true love would be the person shown to her. Heaving another sigh and laying down in her bedroll, she closed her eyes.
"Guess I'll just have to leave this place tomorrow, then." she murmured.
xx
Yuri rolled over in bed and wrapped his arm around Wolfram's waist. He didn't know why, but for some reason, it felt pretty cold tonight. Then again, it was February, and it most likely wouldn't hit the hot weather until early May. His movement stirred Wolfram slightly, and the green eyed demon rolled over to face his fiance.
"What's the matter, Yuri?" he asked tiredly. Yuri blushed.
"Well..um...it's a little cold tonight, so um...I thought it might be warmer if we slept closer together. D-do you mind?" he mumbled. Wolfram smiled and closed his eyes again.
"Not at all. After all, I am your fiance." he replied.
Yuri stared in shock at what he was seeing. He and Wolfram had gone into the tomb of the Great One with the intention of having their engagement blessed. But...everything happened so quickly. Wolfram had gone up to the altar first. That was when it happened. Someone came out of practically no where and stabbed him before Yuri could so much as blink.
"Wolfram, no!" Grief and panic rushed over Yuri as he ran to Wolfram's side. When he looked up, he saw a cloaked figure standing over Wolfram and himself.
"Why?! What did he do to deserve this?! ...Wolfram, please...I can't lose you...I can't..." He pulled the dying Wolfram close to him and sobbed. When he turned a hateful glare back on the culprit, he gasped in shock.
"N-no...Mira...? Mira, how could you!? I thought you two were best friends!" Mira's violet eyes held a dark glint in them as her lips turned to a cruel smile.
"Do not worry, Your Highness. You shall die with him." she said, bringing the bloodied dagger in her hand down upon the demon king.
Yuri bolted upright, his whole body shaking. A dream...just a dream. Even so, the very thought haunted him. His grip tightened on the blanket. He had to get stronger. He just had to. Wolfram was a warrior, it was true. However...it didn't mean Yuri shouldn't prepare to protect his fiance in case of the event that the dream meant something.
{Even if the part about Mira was just a dream...the rest might not have been. I can't...I can't ignore it if there's a risk that someone or something might try to take Wolfram away from me.} he thought, determination blazing in his onyx eyes.
He had to keep that from happening, no matter what it took.
(a/n: And that's it for Chapter 4. By the way, this is near the end of Season 2, but before they find the fourth forbidden box; the Bottom of the Mirror. I thought I should let anyone who's reading this know that before advancing the story any farther. I will be covering the Season 2 finale and some of Season 3 as well, by the way. As for who Mira's true love is and where she's going, that will be revealed when the time comes. Until then, I hope you're enjoying the story so far and Chapter 5 will be up before you know it!)