Hey guys. I'm really sorry for being so late with this. It's hard for me to transition from Buddyfight back to KKM all the time, so it always takes me a while to get into the mood of writing this. Not that I hate writing this. I love this fic. Trust me! I just hate that I always leave you guys hanging for so long. Not to mention the chapters are less than adequate. I don't even want to hear you guys lie to me. I know they're boring. And I'm sorry. But I'm trying to lead up more into Wolfram and Yuri's relationship development now as well as their recovery. I'm trying to get it done as quickly as possible but I can't rush their relationship. Otherwise it will look really cheesy and terribly written. Please bare with me.

However, since I'm working on their relationship that means we will be getting closer to that lemon I promised (why did I do that!? Why?!) So, that means I need to learn how to write a lemon *sweat drops* That should be fun.

Anyways, I'm rambling. Better shit next chapter. Promise. I need to get back into the flow and things will get better.

Whispers in the Dark

Chapter 23

Adjourned

"Now then, back to our discussion." Gwendal said.

With everyone once again focused on the problem at hand, Shouri's interruption in the back of their minds, the meeting continued. There was still plenty to discuss.

Lord von Karbelnikoff started off by saying, "What do you all suppose we do? About Belar?"

"I say we capture and execute him. It's what he deserves." Gwendal said, putting in his input.

"No," Yuri asserted. He slammed his hands on the table and stood up tall. He ignored the pain in his leg and held out, biting his lip as he did. Yuri kept his eyes closed as he took a few deep breaths for continuing. He opened his eyes, "I won't allow it. I won't allow anyone to shed any more blood. There has to be another way."

"There may not be another way." Wolfram muttered in reply. Yuri looked back at him, surprised by his words. Wolfram stepped up to be by his side and continued. "We have to think logically here, Yuri. Belar has been planning this for a while. He's been MIA since his attack on Saralegui and Small Cimaron. He could have multiple strategies planned out. He wants you dead! He won't stop until you are dead!"

Yuri turned away from Wolfram and back at his clenched fists on the table. He didn't want to think about it. About Belar and his plots to kill him and take his revenge. The way he was now, there was no way he could take on Belar again. Not now. He needed time to recover. But there was no telling when Belar would strike again.

"I know." Yuri mumbled. He clenched his fists tighter and bowed his head. "I know that. But," He can't take Belar's life. He couldn't. It went against everything he stood for. It went against all human moral. He couldn't do it. He couldn't live his life, knowing that he contributed to a murder that he could have prevented. "I can't kill people. I don't want to see anyone dead because of me."

Silence filled the room. An uncomfortable silence. But they knew Yuri was right. He was unable to kill. Especially humans. But what would stop the others? There were plenty of other soldiers who could kill him? But would they do it? Could they go against Yuri's words and kill Belar anyway?

Was it safe to leave Belar alive? For the sake of the Demon Kingdom, was it safe to keep that man alive? Or would it be better if he were killed? It was the question on everyone's mind.

But could it be done?

"Yuri," Conrart started. A hand on his god son's shoulder he spoke calmly, watching his words. "I know you're worried. After everything that Belar has put you through, you're weighing your options carefully. We all are. But we have to make a decision on what's best for you, as well as the people of the Kingdom. It's hard to do, but that's what must be done."

The Aristocrats, as well as Wolfram, waited patiently for Yuri to respond. The last thing they wanted was for their king to feel rushed or even pushed to a decision he didn't want to make. That was the last thing they wanted.

"Belar is an evil man, who has done terrible things to others as well as myself. He's hurt people that I care about. But I still don't believe that killing him is the way to go. Why stop lower than he's gone? It doesn't feel right to me." Yuri reminded them. He sat back down in his chair leaned back, resting his head on the back of the chair as he stared up at the ceiling. "War and blood may have been a usual thing here all those years ago, but to me, this is new. But even so, I know that killing anyone is wrong. Even if they're someone as bad as Belar. But there are people who have done worse, and they did not die by our hand."

"That may be true. But your majesty, their plots were focused on the entire population. This is dealing with you personally, as well as Wolfram. And as you may or may not know, those who attack His Majesty are to be dealt with." Lord von Rochefort added.

"It was going to happen to Greta as well. Until you whisked her away for a little adventure, remember?" Gwendal reminded.

"That's right. Greta had tried to assassinate you, Yuri." Wolfram said, looking back on it. He remembered when she was brought into the palace, on the assumption that she was Yuri's love child. And he remember how infuriated he was at that. Fortunately, she was lying. But in the end, Greta did become Yuri's child. And Wolfram's child as well. And now they were raising her together like a real family.

"But we saved her. Greta didn't have to die. She helped save Hube back then. And she's a good person. We know this." Yuri added.

"But you did not know back then, did you?" Lord von Gyllenhaal asked.

"I did know. I could tell that she was a good person." Yuri pleaded.

"His Majesty has always been able to sense a distinct aura in people." Gunter commented.

"But they haven't always been accurate." Gwendal added.

"Like Saralegui for example." Waltorana said.

"Now wait a second." Yuri shouted. "Sara is a good person. And we all know that."

"You're a fool, King Yuri." Lord von Rochefort declared. She stood up from her chair and pointed an accusing finger in Yuri's direction. "Did or did he not, King Saralegui, use you for your power?"

Yuri did not respond right away. He knew that she was right. But he did not want to look on Saralegui's past mistakes. On his fear of that Saralegui.

"He did. But it was all for the safety of Small Cimaron." Yuri replied.

Lord von Rochefort sighed and ran a hand through her hair. "Perhaps so, but your safety was on the line. And he did not care. All he wanted was your power to satisfy his own needs. Do not ever forget that."

She took her seat once again and things came to a standstill. No one spoke a word. Things had quickly taken their toll. From the discussions being about Belar, quickly escalating to their trust in Saralegui, or therefore lack of.

"I'm sorry." Yuri said softly. "But Sara is my friend. I don't wish to discuss this as if he was anything else."

"Your Majesty, you must consider this." Waltorana pressed. He folded his hands and looked at Yuri. "We're not saying to completely dismiss Saralegui altogether. That would go against our alliance. However, we are saying to not completely rule him out. He plotted against you once. There is no way of saying if he will try it again."

"He won't." Yuri replied confidently.

"And how do you know?" Waltorana asked.

"Because Saralegui has changed. He has no reason to go after Yuri or his power. He only wants to expand Small Cimaron with Big Cimaron. That's all. And he wants to do it on his own." Wolfram replied. He looked to his uncle. "Listen to Yuri. He knows Saralegui. And from the small time I spent with him, I know that he speaks the truth. He wants Yuri safe, not to plot against him. He would have nothing to gain from it."

Waltorana understood that his nephew was right and did not fight the subject any longer.

"Moving passed Saralegui, we should get back to Belar. What are we to do about him?" Gunter asked.

What do you do about a man trying to kill the Demon King?

Hours have passed since the meeting began. Murata, along with Shouri, were in the courtyard, the sun beating down on them as they waited anxiously for news on when Yuri would be released. Shouri, being Yuri's big brother, was worried for his brother's health. That the Aristocrats would push him too hard and his condition would only worsen. He didn't want that. For his brother's sake, he wanted to see him recover and thrive. He missed his little brother's bright smile.

"Who the hell do they think they are? Yu-chan needs to rest. Not be held down and questioned!" Shouri growled angrily.

Murata didn't want to spend the next-however long it was until the meeting adjourned- listening to Shouri mutter to himself. Although, he was allowed in all his right, however Murata just simply didn't want to listen to it in this very moment.

"The Aristocrats can do what they please, so long as it's for the good of Shin Makoku and its people. They shouldn't be questioned. Only if the Demon King disagrees with their motives should they ever really be questioned, as they have control over their lands." Murata explained.

"Either way, they have no right to drag Yuri down with them. If they expect him to get anything done they need to let him rest." Shouri complained.

"Please, Shibuya's older brother, calm down." Murata hissed. He was becoming more annoyed by the passing second. "I want Shibuya to rest just as much as you. But we can't stop them from doing as they want. We can only wait for them to finish and then urge Shibuya to rest. That's all we can do!"

Shouri has never seen Murata lose his temper before. Seeing him this way was foreign to him. He wasn't sure what to do in order to calm him down. So, he decided to oblige to his advice calm down himself, and not speak a word. He took a seat a few feet away from Murata and did as he was. And waited.

While they sat in silence, a familiar face watched them from the bushes. His golden blonde hair shined in the sunlight. Those deep blue eyes gazed on the two as they sat in silence. Those eyes lingered more on Murata, or so you say, his "Great Sage" and he wanted to keep his distance, to give the boy his needed space. Oh, but how he longed to be on his shoulder, chatting with him over nothing in particular. How he wanted to feel the boy's heartbeat and the warmth of his skin just enough through his jacket.

His feelings for the Great Sage just simply would not yield. His heart wants as it does, to be near him once more, and bask in the sunlight together. Even if his feelings for his long lost friend were unrequited, he wanted to take in every moment he could with him. That was no secret.

"I'll be here for you, My Sage. Every step of the way." Shinou said softly to himself. "You're never alone."

Shinou stayed where he was, watching Murata. Watching over him. It was where he felt most comfortable, in the presence of his best friend.

After an hour of dozens of plans being shot down by Yuri and Wolfram, the meeting adjourned. With no set plan, they were stuck at an official halt. Until a plan was thought out and approved, Yuri and Wolfram are to be watched over and supervised twenty four hours a day. Yuri did not object, but Wolfram showed visible discomfort towards it, but accepted the terms. This was all for Yuri.

As for Yuri, he was currently resting in bed, having changed into his night clothes, the fabric feeling almost foreign to him. Most clothes he wore now felt brittle and uncomfortable, thanks to his recovery. He still had a long way to go before he was completely healed.

The same could go for Wolfram, who was burned on most parts of his body. His feet were still weak from the blistering but were recovering swiftly thanks to the medical lotion that the clinic gave him.

However, Wolfram noticed something off with Yuri. Even now as he laid in bed, he was always rubbing his head with a pained expression on his face. He would say it was just a headache, but Wolfram wasn't too sure. But, he didn't really blame Yuri for keeping things from him. Whether it was serious or not, Wolfram understood what it meant to hide something from one another. He himself has yet to tell Yuri of his own struggles to use his Maryoku. The burn sensation that ran through his body when he tried, it worried him dearly but he never spoke a word of it to anyone. He wanted to hope that it would go away on its own, that his body still hadn't completely recovered from the fire and that he was just simply too bent out of shape to properly use his power. But there was no guarantee that was the case.

"Are you sure that you're going to be okay, Yu-chan? Are you sure you don't need anything?" Shouri pestered again.

Yuri smiled weakly. "I'll be fine. I just need to get some sleep."

Shouri sighed and adjusted his glasses. "Well, if that's the case. I'm leaving him to you, Wolfram."

Wolfram placed his hands on his hips. "Well obviously. He is my fiance after all. Not to mention that I sleep here too. Who else would watch him?"

Shouri smiled and Yuri rolled his eyes. "I guess you have a point there." Shouri laughed. He ruffled Yuri's hair one last time and waved a hand to Wolfram. "Like I said, I'm leaving him to you. Make sure if you feel anything is off, you report it to Gisela."

Wolfram nodded. "I will, don't worry."

Shouri turned around and walked out of the room, leaving Yuri and Wolfram alone to rest. However, when the room grew still and quiet, Wolfram began to grow uncharacteristically nervous. It was out of character for him to be nervous around Yuri. But now, being alone with him for the first time in a while after everything that has happened, he didn't know what to expect.

Yuri turned to face Wolfram, who was still standing by the window, his hand on the hilt of his sword. He could feel the tense aura around him and sat up from his position on the bed.

"What's the matter, Wolfram?" Yuri asked.

Wolfram visibly tensed, his shoulders jumping at the sound of Yuri's voice calling out to him. He tightened his grip on his sword and turned to face him. "There's nothing wrong, Yuri. I'm just...taking one last look around."

Yuri didn't say anything at first, his black eyes staring into Wolfram, like he was staring into his soul. Wolfram looked away from Yuri, not wanting Yuri to find him out, that he was hiding something from him.

Yuri sighed and lied back on the pillows, his back resting against them. He looked up at the canopy above, frowning as he did. "I thought we were closer than that, Wolfram." His eyes closed for a moment, only to reopen them again. "What happened? Why are you lying to me?"

"Who said I was lying?!" Wolfram complained. "We're being surveillanced at all hours of the day. Belar could show up at any second. There's no telling what he'll do. Is it bad that to be a little paranoid?"

Yuri shook his head and turned his body so that his legs were over the edge of the bed. He looked at Wolfram, who still refused to look his way. "There's nothing wrong with being paranoid. It's just that...Wolfram," Yuri stood up from the bed and began to make his way over to Wolfram as best he could. "This isn't like you. You never get this worked up over something. You're always so confident." Yuri took Wolfram's shoulders in his hands and looked him in the eye. He could see that Wolfram was scared, he didn't have to dig too deep to know. "But now, you're scared. And what's worse is that you aren't confiding in me. I thought we were friends, Wolfram?! You can talk to me! I was there!" Yuri came to a halt in his speech and tightened his grip for a split second. "No. I wasn't there. When you needed me most, I wasn't there for you. You had to suffer on your own. I'm sorry."

Wolfram didn't know what to say. He was speechless. He knew that Yuri cared, but had no idea that the guilt of not being there for him weighed him down this much. Then again, it's obvious he would be. Yuri is a caring person and feels remorse for even the smallest of people.

"This paranoia...is it because of what happened back at the church? With those men?"

Wolfram shook his head and smiled. "No, it's not because of them. I promise Yuri."

Yuri smiled and took a deep breath. "That's a relief." He looked Wolfram in the eye. "But, if it's not that, then what? What has you so shaken up?"

Wolfram shook his head again. "It's nothing, Yuri. I'm just upset that I'm not strong enough to defend you on my own just yet." He smiled at his fiance. "Don't worry, Yuri. If anything were wrong I would tell you."

Yuri nodded and scratched the back of his head. "Yeah, you would." He lowered his arm and looked out the window and saw how dark the sky had gotten. "We should get to bed. It's late."

Wolfram grinned and grabbed Yuri's arm, putting it over his shoulder. "Come on, your majesty. Our bed awaits!"

Yuri blushed and tried to push Wolfram away, crying out his name as he did. Wolfram could only laugh as he did.

Later that night, while the two were asleep, Yuri showed signs of discomfort. He began to toss and turn in bed, his arm over his head, he tried to get comfortable and fall back into a deep sleep, but something was holding him back.

He opened his eyes and sat up in the bed. He scanned the area and saw that no one was around. He then looked to his side and saw that Wolfram was sound asleep, his blonde locks cascaded on the pillow and his mouth opened slightly. Yuri smiled first but was interrupted by a powerful pounding sensation in his head. He groaned and held his head. The pain was even worse than a migraine. He felt like his entire body was on fire and that the room was spinning. He felt his heart was pounding in his chest and he couldn't breathe.

Yuri knew he needed Gisela. But he was in no way getting to her like this. So, he had to rely on Wolfram. Yuri turned to face Wolfram again and reached out a hand shake him away, when a sudden wave of pain ran through him and all he saw was black.

There was no longer any pain, but rather a softness and warmth.