I do not own KKM or any of its characters
This chapter has been reviewed and updated in January 2021.
Please enjoy!
Chapter eight: The Royal Wedding Part Two
Wolfram was knackered. The parade had taken forty minutes to go around the town and start heading back to the castle. Every street was crowded with people waving, cheering and throwing flower petals towards the newly-weds. Those same people then turned to their neighbours to whisper and look pointedly in his direction. Wolfram had sat up straight in his saddle and ignored everyone, but their stares and whispers pricked at his mind like hot needles. At each pointed look and whispered word Wolfram had to force himself not to react. He knew the people of the town were waiting to see a demonstration of his infamous temper but he wasn't going to give them the satisfaction. He would navigate this wedding in stoic silence with dignity even if it killed him.
Wolfram glanced to his left at Greta. After their talk of goodbyes she had become quiet and thoughtful. But the atmosphere soon took effect and she was smiling again. Wolfram could see an underlying sadness in her smile but he could only hope that would fade in time. Greta returned his smile before her gaze went back to Abby. Greta had been watching Abby closely during the parade but Wolfram wasn't sure what it was she was trying to see. Maybe she was trying to picture Abby as a part of the family? Or was she trying to see what it was Yuri had seen in her? If it was the latter then Greta would be looking for a long time since Yuri was only marrying her because he got her pregnant.
Wolfram thought back to his and Abby's conversation the day before. In his mind's eye he saw the way Abby had glared at him, her face set with conviction as she delivered her threat: "If you do anything, anything, to try and take Yuri away from me and our child, I will make you regret it for the rest of your days." Wolfram shivered in the summer heat. He was shocked she had said something like that. Abby wasn't really intimidating but in that moment Wolfram had been afraid of her. More accurately, he had been afraid of what she might do in order to deliver on her threat.
Wolfram sighed and allowed himself to relax back into the saddle as the horses walked back up the steep hill towards the castle. The band was marching on ahead but Wolfram could tell they were starting to tire. The horses were sweating and puffing as they climbed up the steep hill towards the castle. Wolfram patted his mare's neck and she tossed her head with a snort in response. Abby was walking a fine line if she thought she could get away with threating a member of the Ten Nobles. Even being married to Yuri didn't give her complete protection from rebuttal should her actions become public knowledge. Wolfram didn't know why he held his tongue, he certainly didn't owe Abby a thing, and he could only assume it was because he wasn't sure if anyone would believe him. After all, it wouldn't be much of a stretch to assume he was being purposefully vindictive by saying these things in order to cause a rift between Abby and Yuri.
Stop thinking about it, Abby isn't your problem, Wolfram told himself. It was easier said than done. Wolfram glanced at Abby to see her lean forward towards Yuri. As if sensing his gaze on her, Abby looked up and her eyes locked on his. Immediately her eyes went dark and she glared challengingly at him as if daring him try something. Wolfram glowered back with as much dignity as he could muster. Abby made no effort to disguise her eye roll before she turned back to face forward. Wolfram felt a muscle in his cheek twitch as he clenched his jaw. Four years ago he would have challenged Abby to a duel to make her answer for her insults, but he was different now. Her obvious hostility and belief that he was trying to sabotage her wedding out of spite made Wolfram angry and defensive, but he was better at keeping his opinions to himself these days. He didn't want to cause a scene, not here, so he pushed the frustration down and did nothing.
A few minutes later the parade finished its journey in the castle courtyard where the official guests waited for them. Yuri stepped out of the carriage first before helping Abby out and both were swarmed by their guests. Yuri seemed quiet and withdrawn but Abby chatted and giggled enough for them both. Wolfram swung himself out of the saddle while trying not to look too obvious as he searched for Casper among the guests. Disappointment flashed painfully through his chest when he failed to spot him. Wolfram shook his head and berated himself for being so sentimental. So what if Casper wasn't here to welcome him back? He'd only been gone forty or so minutes. It didn't matter that Casper was all Wolfram wanted to see right now. It didn't matter that all Wolfram wanted was to find someplace quiet and stay there with Casper until this day was over.
"How did the parade go?" Wolfram jumped at the sound of Casper's voice right next to him. He turned in surprise to see Casper standing behind him with a warm smile. Wolfram's heart did a flip as the disappointment from before was swept away by a tide of warmth. Oh stop acting like a love struck fool, Wolfram bit his tongue and composed himself as Casper gave him a puzzled look.
"The parade went very well. I think the whole town turned out to see His Majesty and his new wife." Wolfram answered turning back to his horse to fuss over her saddle so Casper wouldn't see him blushing. It was ridiculous that he could be so happy just to see Casper. Had he really become so attached to Casper that he couldn't be parted from him for more than a few minutes at a time? It was humiliating. He used to be more independent than this.
"Wolfram, is everything alright?" Casper asked looking concerned. Wolfram turned back to him with a puzzled look.
"Of course everything is fine," Wolfram answered.
"It's just I was calling your name before and you were ignoring me. Have I upset you somehow? Maybe I shouldn't have left the group to talk to you?" Casper glanced back at the gathering of dignitaries on the steps and Wolfram followed his gaze. Yuri was watching them. Wolfram's eyes met Yuri's and held for the space of a heartbeat. From Wolfram's point of view Yuri looked almost…sad? Maybe regretful was a better word for the expression that Yuri was wearing. Before Wolfram could read Yuri further however, he turned away to speak with Hyscliff. Wolfram frowned and looked away. What was that about?
"I'm sorry I didn't reply to you Casper, I was lost in my thoughts." Wolfram smiled at Casper whose gaze was lingering on Yuri. Casper turned back to him and Wolfram looked into the violet eyes that had held him captive since the day he woke up in a strange place with no memory of who he was. "I'm glad you came to see me."
"Then I am glad as well." Casper smiled. At that moment a guard appeared to take Wolfram's horse back to her stall. Wolfram patted his mare's neck before falling into step with Casper heading towards the hall where the wedding gifts would be presented before the banquet lunch. "Oh, I met a couple of your friends today Wolfram." Casper spoke suddenly making Wolfram glance at him in surprise. "Their names are Lady Elizabeth and Lady Flynn."
"Oh," suddenly Wolfram felt nervous. Those two had made him spill more information about his feelings for Casper than he'd intended. It had been a relief to share what he felt with someone instead of carrying it around inside his chest. While Wolfram knew Flynn and Elizabeth wouldn't say anything, he was still worried that they might have said something to Casper about what they'd talked about.
"They are both wonderful people. I'm glad you have friends like that, Wolfram." Casper smiled as they walked up the castle steps together towards the hall. "They both obviously care about you and want what's best for you."
"And what did they say was best for me?" Wolfram asked with a smile. Casper shrugged but his eyes were smiling as he glanced at Wolfram.
"They said that is for you to decide." Casper answered. Wolfram smiled and shook his head. He was going to have a word with those two about nosing about in other people's business.
"There you two are we were starting to wonder if you'd gotten lost!" Elizabeth called waving her arm to get their attention. "Come on or they're going to start without us!" Elizabeth claimed Wolfram's arm before he could protest just as Flynn claimed Casper's arm.
"We're sitting at the same table so let's go in together." Flynn said her green eyes shining with mischief. Wolfram was surprised to learn they would be sitting together and resolved to find his brother later and thank him.
"It will be my honour to escort you, My Lady." Casper grinned at Flynn and kissed her hand like a true gentleman. Flynn laughed and shook her head making her earrings jangle.
"Oh stop that, you'll make Elizabeth jealous." Flynn winked at Wolfram. Wolfram felt his cheeks heat at the gentle tease. If Yuri had kissed Flynn's hand like that he would have been jealous but seeing Casper act that way didn't upset him at all. Wolfram went quiet as the turned that revelation over in his mind. What was it about Casper that put him at ease?
Wolfram, Casper, Elizabeth and Flynn were the last to walk into the hall. A rectangle table had been set on a raised dais at the far end of the hall were Yuri and Abby sat in the centre facing the hall. On Yuri's right sat Greta and next to her was Cecile followed by Gwendal and Conrad. On Yuri's left sat Abby and next to her was Stuffel followed by Gunter and Murata. Usually, the family of the couple sat next to their respective children. But since neither Abby nor Yuri's family had turned up, the previous Moah and her family took the prime seats. Arranged below the raised dais were round tables where the invited guests took their seats. The tables had been placed to allow for a wide aisle directly in front of Yuri and Abby where guests could present their gifts. The more important the person the closer they sat to the dais. The Ten Nobles took three tables directly in front of the dais as did Saralegi. Sitting with the boy King was his uncle and servant Berius, and Hyscliff with his daughter Beatrice. Flynn led the way confidently to a table just behind the Wincott table where the three generations of the Wincott family were seated.
There were four chairs around the table arranged to that no one had their back to Yuri. At each setting there was a piece of card with their name written on it. Casper sat on Wolfram's left while Elizabeth claimed the seat to his right. Wolfram caught his brother's eye and gave a short nod. Conrad's lips twitched upwards as he nodded back. When everyone was seated Gunter stood up and clapped his hands for silence.
"Welcome everyone to the banquet lunch held in honour of His Majesty's marriage to Lady Abby." Gunter waited for the applause to die down before he continued. "As you all know I shall ask each family in turn to come forward to present their wedding gifts to His Majesty and Lady Abby. Once the gifts have been presented lunch will be served." This was followed by more applause which made Wolfram smile. Apparently Casper wasn't the only one who was hungry. He heard whispered conversation and glanced to his right and saw Elizabeth leaning in close to Flynn to whisper something to her. Flynn smiled at her and whispered something back. It was a private moment between two people that filled Wolfram with an odd sense of longing.
Wolfram glanced at Casper now as Gunter continued to drone on. Casper was watching Gunter with a neutral expression on his face with his hands folded neatly in his lap. As he watched him, Wolfram wondered why he didn't feel that same longing for Casper as he used to feel for Yuri. Was it because he and Casper were already far closer than he and Yuri had ever been? Wolfram looked away and glanced at Yuri from under his eyelashes. Did Yuri ever stop to wonder what life could have been like if things had happened differently? If he'd never been captured by those bandits or if they'd never left the safety of the castle? Would things be the same as they'd always been? Would he still be chasing after Yuri, desperately hoping that Yuri would see him as something more?
After experiencing Casper's attentions Wolfram was beginning to see that the hopes and dreams he'd clung to for a life with Yuri were made of sand and salt. One blow collapsed everything leaving only scattered dreams and shattered hopes behind. He'd been chasing after something that was constantly moving out of his reach. Wolfram looked at Abby, pink with pleasure as she laughed at something Gunter had said. He'd resented her for taking Yuri away from him but in truth Yuri had never really been his to begin with. Their engagement was false and their wedding was never going to happen. Oh, how that realisation hurt. Wolfram balled his hands into fists until his nails dug into his palms. I've been such a fool, Wolfram closed his eyes then opened them again. He'd made a complete fool out of himself these past four years chasing after Yuri. Why did it take being kidnapped and tortured for him to see this?
Wolfram jumped slightly as a hand covered his hand gently. He looked up to see Casper holding his hand again, just like he did during the wedding. Casper looked away from Gunter and smiled at him in a way that told Wolfram that Casper knew exactly how he was feeling and that he was here for him if he needed him. Wolfram felt his heart break. He uncurled his fists and took Casper's hand in his. Another hand took his right hand and Wolfram glanced at Elizabeth with a smile. Elizabeth didn't look at him but she gave his hand a quick squeeze.
"We shall now move onto the gifts." Gunter spoke, catching Wolfram's attention. "I ask King Saralegi of Small Shimaron to present his gifts." Wolfram sat up a little straighter as Saralegi stood up, sweeping his white cloak out behind him. Saralegi had that smile on his face that meant trouble.
"My dear friend Yuri and his lovely wife," Saralegi bowed and Abby giggled. "I hope you will accept my most humble gift. I did not have time to collect treasures from all corners of the world but I hope my gift will nonetheless bring you great joy." Wolfram narrowed his eyes suspiciously. While Saralegi had been talking Berius had left the hall and was now marching back in with a small group of guards in the colours of Small Shimaron. Wolfram saw Flynn tense out of the corner of his eye at the sight of the uniforms. Like all Caloria natives she held a healthy suspicion of anyone in a Small Shimaron uniform.
The guards were carrying something large and roughly rectangle covered with a cloth. Wolfram had to roll his eyes at Saralegi's dramatic flair. Of course he'd want everyone to wait until the last second to see what gift he had brought. Gwendal, Conrad and Gunter were eyeing the covered object as if expecting a large and deadly predator to be hidden within. Wolfram wouldn't put it past Saralegi to bring the kind of present that could kill you as soon as it looked at you. Returning a wedding gift was the height of bad manners and would cause uproar. Returning a gift from a foreign King could lead to a breakdown in relations and even war. Yuri looked at the covered gift in trepidation but Abby looked excited. Clearly she didn't know Saralegi very well.
"I present to you my gift made of the finest wood my Kingdom has to offer." Saralegi bowed and moved to the side as the guards put the object down. Saralegi grabbed a corner of the cloth. Everyone leaned forward in their seats making Saralegi smirk. He whipped the cloth aside dramatically. There was a stunned silence as everyone started at the gift Saralegi had brought. Yuri turned scarlet while Abby clapped her hands over her mouth. Conrad was frowning, clearly unimpressed, while Gunter sat down rather suddenly. Wolfram's heart did a funny double skip as he stared at the gift. How dare he walk in here with that and still have the nerve to face me? Wolfram clenched his jaw as heat suffused his face.
The gift Saralegi had so blatantly brought for Yuri and Abby was a crib. It was a beautiful piece of work and Wolfram couldn't help but admire the craftsmanship that had gone into the smooth railings and solid looking base. The wood was light coloured and polished so brightly it almost glowed in the sunlight. The headboard featured carvings of flowers and Saralegi had the foresight to add a mattress for the baby to sleep on. The railings had neat metal grooves allowing it to be dropped down so the mother could more easily pick up her child. The crib was large and obviously intended to be used until the baby grew into a toddler.
"My gift represents my heartfelt hopes for you both to experience the joy of parenthood in the hopefully not too distant future." Saralegi spoke breaking the stunned silence. "I sincerely hope this crib will provide a safe place for your children to sleep when they make their entrance into our world." Saralegi bowed again but his glance at Yuri spoke volumes. He knows…how the hell does he know? Wolfram couldn't believe that Yuri would have told Saralegi of all people.
"How…thoughtful," Yuri said hesitantly, looking at the crib as if it was a poisonousness snake that was about to attack him.
"It is beautiful King Saralegi," Abby said earnestly. "I'm sure it will come in most useful." Abby smiled at Yuri and kissed his cheek. Yuri went scarlet as he nodded jerkily.
"Thank you for your, err, most generous gift King Saralegi." Gunter stood up again having recovered from his shock.
"My pleasure," Saralegi shot Wolfram a triumphant grin before taking his seat. Berius directed the guards to place the crib at the back of the room which had been sectioned off for gifts. Wolfram scowled and looked away. He held no malice towards Abby's baby, he or she hadn't asked for any of this and they were the only person in this situation who was totally blameless. But seeing physical confirmation of their impending birth made his heart hurt. Having a child with Yuri was something he'd never know.
"I thought no one outside of His Majesty's inner circle knew about Lady Abby's pregnancy?" Casper whispered to Wolfram.
"They don't," Wolfram answered through clenched teeth. Sensing he was touching a nerve, Casper withdrew into silence.
"I ask the Wincott family to present their gifts." Gunter continued. As Del Kierson was the current Lord he stood up to present the gift. He clapped his hands and several soldiers in the Wincott family colours marched into the hall carrying a large wooden box covered in beautifully detailed carvings of birds in flight. The guests leaned forward, eager to be the first to see what gifts the box contained and compare it against their own gifts.
"Majesty, please allow me to present to you the gift from the Wincott family in celebration of your marriage." Del Kierson walked so he was standing directly in front of Yuri and Abby as his soldiers placed the box at his feet. "I present to you a selection of the finest perfumes, creams and lotions in our fair Kingdom." There was a collective 'oh' from the audience as a soldier opened the box to reveal row upon row of fine crystal bottles filled with different coloured liquids. Del Kierson bent down and picked a perfume bottle filled with a rose coloured liquid and offered it to Abby. "My fair Lady, would you care to try this one? It contains a blend of rose, lily and orange blossom."
"Thank you Lord Wincott," Abby stood and accepted the gift. She sat back down before spraying a small amount onto her wrist. She lifted her wrist to her nose and sniffed delicately. A wide smile broke out across her face. "This is by far the most delicate and beautiful perfume I have ever smelt, Lord Wincott." Abby sniffed her wrist again and nodded. "I shall take great pleasure in wearing this scent. Thank you for your most generous gift."
"The pleasure is mine, My Lady." Del Kierson bowed with a smile. He turned and selected another bottle, this one with a clear cream inside, and offered it to Yuri. "Your Majesty this lotion is for the skin and has powerful healing properties. The scent is lavender which also helps to relax the user."
"Thank you Lord Wincott," Yuri looked uncomfortable as he accepted the gift. Yuri gently removed the stopper and sniffed. "You can certainly smell the lavender!" Yuri laughed looking everything but relaxed.
"You need only use a small amount at a time, Your Majesty." Del Kierson smiled but Wolfram could tell he was panicking at the thought that Yuri didn't like his gift. Yuri must have sensed that too as he replaced the stopper and smiled broadly at him.
"These are wonderful and very thoughtful gifts, Lord Wincott. You have my, um, our thanks." Yuri glanced quickly at Abby as he corrected himself. Del Kierson looked relived as he bowed. He made a motion with his hand and the soldiers closed the box and carried it away. Wolfram breathed out a sigh of relief.
"For a minute there I thought Del Kierson was going to name every bottle and lotion in that box. We would have been here till this time tomorrow." Wolfram whispered to Casper who snorted.
"It appeared to me that His Majesty does not care for perfumes much." Casper whispered back.
"He brought what he called 'cologne' back from his home world once; it smelt horrific and made my eyes water." Wolfram scrunched his nose up at the memory. "I made him thrown it out. Anything in that box will smell ten times better than that rubbish did." Casper chuckled as Del Kierson took his seat.
"Thank you for your most generous gifts Lord Del Kierson Von Wincott." Gunter stood up. "I now ask Lord Stuffel Von Spitzweg to present his gift."
"Your Majesty and my dear Abby," Stuffel boomed as he leapt down from the dais to stand before the couple. "I do hope my humble offering brings you much pleasure." Stuffel coughed loudly and four guards in the Spitzweg colours marched into the hall each carrying a corner of what looked like a large framed picture. Wolfram had to press his lips together to stop himself from laughing. There was no way. Surely Stuffel didn't do what he thought he had? A snigger to his right told him that Elizabeth was thinking the same thing. "I present to you my gift!" Stuffel boomed as the guards set the picture down. A blue cloth covered the face of the painting and one guard tore it away dramatically. Yuri's jaw fell open while Abby squealed in delight. Stuffel waved a hand and the guards turned the painting around so everyone could see. Wolfram snorted with laughter and covered his face with his hand.
The life size portrait featured Yuri standing in front of a cascading blue curtain with Abby sitting beside him gazing adoringly up at him. Yuri was in full military dress and had a hand on his sword, morgif, his other hand on Abby's shoulder while he looked into the distance. The picture's frame was thick gold coloured wood with carvings of flowers. Wolfram had never seen anything so gaudy and so awful. It was no wonder what Yuri looked horrified. Wolfram snorted again and had to press his hand to his face to stop the laughter from escaping. Stuffel looked very pleased with himself as the guests giggled and whispered to each other.
"T-thank you," Yuri stammered. He looked like he wanted to flee from the hall in horror.
"I commissioned the finest painters in the Kingdoms paint this portrait." Stuffel boasted. "I pray it will hang on the castle walls for many years."
"Err yes of course," Yuri answered hesitantly. Stuffel waved a hand and his four guards moved the offending portrait to the gift pile.
"I don't believe His Majesty shares Lord Spitzweg's fondness for that painting." Casper muttered to Wolfram who shook his head. He was afraid if he tried to speak he would start laughing uncontrollably.
"Thank you for your most generous gift Lord Stuffel Von Spitzweg," Gunter dabbed at some blood that trickled out of his nose. "I now ask Lord Waltorana Von Bielefeld to present his gift." A murmur swept around the hall like a sudden breeze. Waltorana didn't even stand up as he glanced at Yuri.
"The Bielefeld family brings no gift." Waltorana said simply. There was a gasp as everyone took in this slight. No one had been expecting Wolfram to offer a gift but for the Bielefeld family as a whole to refuse to bring a gift was a clear snub. Yuri turned scarlet and looked down at the table while Abby stiffened. Her eyes cut into Wolfram but he raised his head and met her angry gaze.
"Right," Gunter coughed obviously embarrassed. "I now ask Lord Radford to present his gift."
"I present His Majesty and Lady Abby with forty barrels of the finest wine in the Kingdoms!" Lord Radford jumped to his feet and swept an arm out almost knocking the hat from Lady Rocheford's head. Soldiers in Radford's colours rolled forty wooden barrels of wine into the hall. Wolfram rolled his eyes; of course the old booze hound would give wine.
"Your gift is most generous," Abby said since Yuri was still in a state of mortified shock at Waltorana's lack of a gift. Lord Radford beamed and bowed.
"Thank you for your most generous gifts Lord Radford," Gunter yelled over the sound of the wooden barrels rumbling over the stone floor. Gunter waited until Radford's guards stacked the wine barrels in the corner of the room. "I now ask Lord Gyllenhall to present his gifts."
"I present His Majesty and Lady Abby with twenty of the softest sheep skins." Lord Gyllenhall stood up and flicked his long blond hair over his shoulder. "I also give them ten rose bushes so with each passing year His Majesty and Lady Abby will be reminded of the beauty of their shared love." Wolfram held back the snort. He wasn't so sure the love was shared equally. Gyllenhall's guards presented the skins and potted rose bushes.
"The sheep wool is the softest I have ever touched." Abby marvelled as she stroked the sheep skin. "And the roses are beautiful. We must have them planted in the gardens so we may admire them always." Abby smiled at Yuri who managed a shaky smile back.
"Sounds like a great idea." Yuri nodded.
"Uh oh, she's using the royal 'we' already." Elizabeth muttered making Flynn and Wolfram snigger.
"Thank you for your most generous gifts Lord Gyllenhall," Gunter nodded. The guards added the gifts to the rapidly growing pile. "And now I ask Lady Rocheford to present her gifts."
"I give to His Majesty and Lady Abby the finest furs in the kingdom." Lady Rocheford stood up and stroked the fur she wore around her neck. "They will keep you warm even in the coldest nights." Lady's Rocheford's guards showed Yuri and Abby the various furs before taking them to the pile.
"Thank you for your most generous gifts Lady Rocheford." Gunter took a deep breath. "I now ask Lord Gwendal Von Voltaire to present his gifts."
"I present to His Majesty and Lady Abby a matching set of swords." Gwendal rumbled without getting up. One of his guards approached the table holding a long box. He opened it to show a matching pair of short swords with precious stones set into the hilts. Wolfram could see engravings along the length of the blades but he couldn't see what they were of from this distance. The swords were beautiful.
"How thoughtful Lord Gwendal," Abby smiled at Gwendal but he just grunted. The guard looked at Gwendal uncertainly and Gwendal jerked his head towards the present pile. The guards shut the case and hurried off.
"Thank you for your most generous gifts Lord Gwendal Von Voltaire." Gunter said with a forced laugh. "And now I ask my daughter, Gisela Von Christ, to present the gift from the Christ family." Gisela stood up from her table to the left of Wolfram's and walked up to the table. She bowed low and snapped her fingers. Two palace guards ran in carrying small boxes.
"The Christ family presents two jewellery boxes. Both are inlaid with mother of pearl and the insides are covered in the finest felt to protect the gems." Gisela motioned for the guards to show the guests and there was a collective 'ah'. The boxes were made from a rich dark mahogany and the mother of pearl depicted flowers and birds in stunning details.
"They are exquisite," Abby clapped. "I now have a box to keep my wedding gift from Yuri inside without fear of it being damaged." Abby held up her finger so the light caught the gems making them sparkle. Yuri said nothing. He seemed to be lost in his own thoughts. Gisela nodded at the guards and they placed the boxes with the rest.
"Thank you for your most generous gifts Gisela Von Christ." Gunter nodded and Gisela nodded back before taking her seat. "I will now ask Lord Densham Von Karbelnikoff to present his gift." Gunter called out. Before Densham could stand up however, his sister Anissina beat him to it. Wolfram hadn't recognised her at first since he rarely saw her out of her red uniform. The red and white dress took him by surprise as she marched up to the table. Yuri turned white as Anissina turned her bright blue eyes on him.
"I shall present the gift of the Karbelnikoff family to you, Your Majesty!" Anissina proclaimed and Densham buried his face in his hands.
"Um, ok," Yuri gulped nervously.
"What is the bane of any married woman's life?" Anissina asked putting her hands on her hips and fixing Yuri with a glare. Yuri blinked in shock and glanced at Abby for guidance. "It's cleaning up after her husband's mess, of course!" Anissina answered her own question before Abby could say anything. Abby's eyebrow shot up while Yuri looked perplexed. "So I have designed a genius invention to help Lady Abby with her household chores!" Anissina whirled around in a swirl of red skirts and pink hair to point at the doors to the hall.
"What household chores?" Casper voiced the question Wolfram was thinking. "Doesn't she have maids?"
"Yes she does," Wolfram answered slowly feeling a sense of doom fast approaching. A couple of palace guards were wheeling in a strange cylinder object with arm-like protrusions on either side of what Wolfram assumed was the body. He had a very bad feeling about this.
"Um Anissina, what exactly is that?" Yuri asked looking as scared as Wolfram felt.
"I have named him help-around-the-house-kun," Anissina was grinning from ear to ear with her hands on her hips. "He will clean and do the laundry so Lady Abby is free to pursue her hobbies."
"Lady Anissina I really appreciate the gift but Sophia –" Abby began only to be cut off by Anissina shaking her head.
"Never underestimate the messy habits of men, Lady Abby! Help-around-the-house-kun will make your life much easier! Now, I just need some maryoku to get him started." Anissina looked at Gunter who had gone white with shock.
"No, absolutely not!" Gunter protested with a squeak.
"Now Gunter, don't you want His Majesty's wedding to go perfectly? You wouldn't refuse granting him his wedding gift would you?" Anissina grinned evilly as Gunter flinched.
"No demonstrations are necessary Anissina!" Yuri stood up waving his hands.
"Of course you need a demonstration how else will you see how it works?" Anissina laughed. Wolfram wondered if it would be alright if he took cover under the table. "Gunter, come here now." Gunter, who looked like he was walking out in front of a firing squad, stood up and walked around the table until he was standing before Anissina. "Now place your hands here and fill help-around –the-house-Kun with your maryoku!" Anissina spun around looking even more manic than usual. Wolfram gulped.
"Must I really?" Gunter tried to protest but Anissina grabbed his hands and forced them onto a rod that was sticking out of the back of the strange object's 'head'. There was a bright glow and suddenly the object started waving its 'arms' around.
"There, as you can see he's perfectly –" Anissina was cut off in mid-speech as help-around-the-house-kun suddenly took off towards the nearest table, which happened to be the Wincott's. "Ah, no stop, wait, not now," Anissina shouted as the creature grabbed the table cloth and yanked it off. Lindsey screamed as plates and glasses went flying. Del Kierson grabbed his son and leapt away from the mad creature as Odile beat a fast retreat. The whole hall went into an uproar. "You two grab him!" Anissina pointed at the two guards who had pushed the creature into the hall. The guards jumped the creature which made a sound like an enraged scream and started rushing around the hall flapping the table cloth over its head as people dived left and right for cover.
"Anissina get that damn thing under control!" Gwendal roared as the creature almost crashed into a table.
"Push the red button! The red one!" Anissina yelled at the guards clinging desperately to the creature. The guard tried to push the red button as instructed but the creature did a sharp turn throwing the helpless guard clear across the room. Wolfram jumped to his feet and heard a loud snort. He looked down in surprise to see Casper shaking with suppressed laughter.
"You think this is funny?" Wolfram exclaimed.
"No," Casper shook his head and looked up at Wolfram, "it's hilarious!" At that point Casper dissolved into laughter. Wolfram looked back at the creature, which was apparently taking part in a game of tug of war with a guard who was trying to wrestle the table cloth from it. Anissina was jumping up and down shouting 'push the red button!' while Gwendal was herding guests away from the creature looking thunderous. Yuri was standing in place with his jaw hanging open in stunned shock while Abby looked close to tears. The guests were running around in panic and shouting incoherently at each other. As Wolfram watched, black smoke started to pour out of the back of the creature's head prompting even more chaos as someone shouted 'fire'.
"Good grief," Wolfram sighed. He picked up a hard fruit from the basket on the table and took aim. He drew back his arm and threw the fruit at the creature's head just as the table cloth tore in two. The guard went flying backwards knocking Conrad over, who'd been rushing to help, who in turn knocked over a table. The fruit smacked the creature on its head with an audible 'thump'. The creature made a strange beeping noise before becoming still. There was a breathless silence while everyone stared at the creature. Anissina was the first to recover. She strode towards the creature and checked it over.
"He has been successfully deactivated," Anissina announced as if there had never been any real danger from the start. There was a collective sigh of relief and a few people turned to glance admiringly in Wolfram's direction. Ignoring them, Wolfram went over to his brother and helped him to his feet, brushing bits of broken china off his shoulders.
"Are you alright Conrad?"
"Nothing that won't heal in good time," Conrad answered with a pained grimace. "That was an excellent shot by the way."
"Thank you," Wolfram smiled. He glanced at the head table to see Yuri hurrying towards them looking pale.
"Conrad, are you alright?" Yuri fussed over Conrad who gently pushed Yuri's hands away.
"Yuri, I am fine."
"Wolfram," Yuri turned to Wolfram who arched an eyebrow. Suddenly, out of the blue, Yuri pounced and hugged him. Wolfram froze and went rigid. "Thanks for stopping that mad thing. For a moment I thought it was going to destroy the whole hall. Someone could have been badly hurt." Yuri seemed to remember who it was he was hugging as he stepped smartly back his face bright red. "Err what I mean is….um, thank you." Yuri rubbed the base of his neck in that self-conscience way that was so familiar to Wolfram he couldn't help but smile.
"I was simply doing my duty." Wolfram answered with a small bow.
"Aha, I see what went wrong!" Anissina cut in. She was elbow deep in the creature's head and already had a smear of oil on her dress sleeve. "I'll just fix this and –"
"No!" Several voices all shouted at once. Anissina looked shocked.
"Anissina, thank you for the, um, gift, but I don't think it will be necessary." Yuri said giving the creature a wary look.
"You'd think differently if you have to do the washing." Anissina muttered as she started pushing her creature towards the gift pile. Yuri breathed a sigh of relief.
"Conrad, how about we have the maids clean up a bit before we have lunch? I think everyone could do with a rest after that." Yuri turned to Conrad who nodded.
"I agree," Conrad glanced at the broken furniture and torn table cloth and his lips twitched upwards. He glanced back at the top table and his smile vanished. "Yuri, might I recommend you speak with your wife?" Yuri looked confused for a moment before he followed Conrad's line of sight. Wolfram looked up and saw Abby, with a face like thunder, glaring at them with tears in her eyes. She pushed herself to her feet, turned and stormed out of the hall.
"Oh hell," Yuri muttered before hurrying after his departing wife. Whispering and muttering followed Yuri's hasty exit. Wolfram shook his head and surveyed the damage. It could have been a lot worse all things considered; at least no one was hurt. Casper arrived beside him at that moment, still chuckling.
"Best wedding ever," Casper proclaimed with a grin. Wolfram rolled his eyes but he couldn't stop the smile from breaking out over his face.
-:-
It was early evening and the sun was slipping behind the castle in a cascade of gold painting the sky pink. Already the brightest stars could be seen shining brightly in the darkening sky. The maids and guards had lit row upon row of candles giving the great hall a warm soft glow. The chandelier hanging from the ceiling cast pools of light as the fine crystal tears reflected the candlelight across the hall. The curtains had been swept back from the floor to ceiling windows giving a magnificent view over the darkening gardens. Lanterns had been lit along the garden paths so guests could wander freely if they wished. The buzz of conversation filled the hall to the ceiling. The atmosphere was warm, soothing and relaxed. Wolfram only wished the atmosphere could somehow seep into his blood and relax him a little. He felt awkward and out of place standing in the hall with the other guests waiting for Yuri and Abby to make their debut.
After Anissina effectively ruined the lunch party with her mad robot it had taken the maids an hour to clean up the mess and replace the broken china. During the lull Yuri had returned to the hall with Abby, but it had been pretty clear that Abby was still upset. Her face had been pale and her lips pressed into a thin bloodless line. Once the guests were seated again, Gunter had continued the presentation of wedding gifts from Hyscliff and other human dignitaries including Flynn, who gave Yuri and Abby a selection of gemstones. It ended up being a rather rushed affair as the cook wanted everyone to start eating to prevent his fine meals from spoiling. Wolfram had hardly eaten anything and he couldn't remember what any of the five courses had tasted like. His gaze had kept straying to the crib sitting in a pool of light as if Berius had placed it there on purpose. None of the other dignitaries had presented baby gifts, much to Wolfram's relief. Elizabeth and Flynn had kept the conversation going with Casper joining in but Wolfram had stayed quiet. He was starting to wish the day would just be over with and he had a headache.
Wolfram sighed and glanced at the band setting up their instruments at the far end of the hall. Wolfram recognised a few of them from prior Royal occasions. They were the best Shinmakoku had to offer and Wolfram knew the music would be top class. It was too bad he couldn't have cared less. Wolfram shifted impatiently, wishing the happy couple would just show up and do their damn dance already so he could go back to his bedroom with a tall glass of something lethally strong and try to forget this day had ever happened. He knew the wedding had only been going for twelve hours but it felt more like twelve days. Abby had retired to her bedroom after lunch to rest and Yuri had vanished soon afterwards. It wasn't unusual for the married couple to take a breather after lunch as they usually changed clothes for the evening ball. Wolfram had to show his face to watch the couple have their first dance but after that other couples would start dancing and he'd be able to sneak away without anyone noticing, hopefully.
"Where's your shadow, Wolfram?" A silken voice said to Wolfram's left. Wolfram breathed in deep and tried not to clench his fists. He didn't need to look to know who it was who had spoken.
"Evening King Saralegi," Wolfram answered. Saralegi stepped level with Wolfram and smiled at him.
"What has happened to your delightful companion?" Saralegi grinned wider. "I haven't seen him stray from your side since you arrived here yesterday, apart from the Royal parade of course. I'm surprised you didn't wrangle an invite for him to that exclusive party as well."
"Casper is around somewhere," Wolfram shrugged as if he didn't care one way of the other. In fact he hadn't seen Casper since lunch finished. He'd left the table to talk with his mother and brother after dessert was cleared away, and when he turned to look Caser was gone. Wolfram had tried not to let Casper's absence worry him and had instead stayed with his mother for the remainder of the afternoon.
"Oh dear, I do hope you haven't scared him off already." Saralegi smirked as Wolfram turned red.
"What is that supposed to mean?" Wolfram asked icily. First Abby, now Saralegi wanted to have a go at him. Wolfram wasn't sure if he could keep exchanging verbal blows like this.
"With that scary look on your face I wouldn't be surprised if Casper found himself a more palatable person to converse with."
Do not rise to the bait, Wolfram drew in a deep breath and glanced at Saralegi who was clearly waiting for a response. "I'm not in the mood for your games, King Saralegi."
"Clearly not," Saralegi chuckled making Wolfram's hackles rise. "I am just worried for you; it would be nothing short of tragic if Casper left you the way Yuri did." Wolfram's heart stopped and started again. He kept his face blank as he looked at Saralegi's smirk.
"Casper and I are not in a relationship." Wolfram stated.
"What a relief!" Saralegi gasped placing a hand against his chest. "When I saw him getting cosy with a certain someone I feared your love life was doomed to failure!" Wolfram scowled and forced the thousands of questions down with supreme force of will. Who had Casper been talking to? Where was he?
"I am absolutely certain that my love life is none of your business." Wolfram said loftily. "So why don't you go find someone else to verbally torture?"
"You are quite the sour grape aren't you? I do hope my little wedding gift is not what has put you in such a dark mood?" Saralegi knew exactly where to hit. Wolfram's back stiffened at the reminder. "I assume you are aware of the wonderful news?"
"I am aware of Abby's condition but I am at loss to explain how you came by such privileged knowledge." Wolfram gave Saralegi a hard look. The boy King gave a mock shiver.
"Oh, what a scary look you are wearing on your face! My dear Wolfram, it was merely an educated guess. The suddenness of Yuri's new engagement, the rushed wedding, it all added up to one possible explanation. I just took a gamble and it paid off." Saralegi flicked his blond hair over his shoulder. "I can't imagine what you must feel though. After all, Abby is having what should have been your baby with your fiancé."
"Former fiancé," Wolfram reminded Saralegi but his voice shook slightly. "Our engagement was annulled before the child was conceived."
"Yes, I suppose technically Yuri was within his rights to take another to his bed but the morality of the conception would appear to be a greyer area. I suppose it is a matter of perception," Saralegi tapped his finger against his chin. "How long should someone wait after the 'death' of the person they loved to seek comfort in the arms of another? One would assume that the more someone loved their dearly departed the longer they would wait before holding another, if at all."
"Do you have a point, King Saralegi?" Wolfram spoke through clenched jaws.
"All I am trying to say is that it would appear, to an outsider at least, that Yuri really didn't love you very much."
"No, he didn't." Wolfram answered and a trumpet sounded to announce the arrival of the Royal couple. Everyone turned to watch the large double doors, pushing to the front for the first glimpse of the couple. Wolfram didn't look up. Saying those three words out loud was completely different to thinking them in his head. Speaking them made the words so final, so absolute. Those were not the three words he'd dreamed of associating with Yuri.
"If you know that, don't you think it's about time you let go and found your own happiness?" Saralegi said so softly that Wolfram almost didn't hear him. Wolfram looked up in time to see a swirl of white cloak as Saralegi swept away into the crowd. A movement caught Wolfram's gaze and he caught sight of Yuri and Abby. Abby had changed and was now wearing a beautiful dark purple silk gown with black lace decorating the bust and sleeves, and was split down the front from her waist to the hem to show her black underskirts. Yuri was still in his wedding attire but this didn't surprise Wolfram. Yuri didn't care much for clothes and most likely considered two outfits for one day to be 'overkill'.
Yuri looked a little harassed but Abby was beaming. A murmur ran through the crowd like ripples spreading across the face of a pond. Everyone was smiling as they watched Yuri walk past with his new Lady wife on his arm. Wolfram watched silently as Yuri led Abby to the middle of the dancefloor and took her waist. Their hands clasped together as Abby draped her free arm around Yuri's shoulder. The band started to play a beautiful waltz and Yuri moved across the floor with Abby in his arms, moving in perfect time to the music. They must have been practising the dance non-stop for weeks because Wolfram had never seen Yuri move so confidently across the dancefloor and with such grace. Wolfram could do nothing more than stare. Yuri had never danced with him, and he certainly never would have danced with him while so many watched.
Yuri spun Abby around and for a heart stopping second his eyes met Wolfram's. The carefully blank mask slipped slightly, but Yuri spun again so his back was to Wolfram before Wolfram could understand the fleeting glimpse of emotion in his eyes. Maybe she noticed Yuri looking at him or maybe she had planned to do so all along, but Abby suddenly leaned forward and kissed Yuri on the lips as they danced. A happy sigh rolled around the hall accompanied by giggles as the assembled crowd marvelled at the unusual public display of affection. When Abby pulled back she was smiling but even staring at the back of Yuri's head Wolfram knew that Yuri was bright red. The damn wimp wouldn't know what to do with himself after something like that. Anyone with eyes in their head could have seen that Abby was staking a claim.
Wolfram glanced past Yuri and saw Casper standing on the other side of the room. Their eyes met and held. "I wouldn't be surprised if Casper found himself a more palatable person to converse with." Saralegi's words hit him again and nearly made him stumble. Years of self-doubt came back in a rush that threatened to overwhelm him. Did Casper actually like him or was it all in his head? Would Casper too become bored of him and find himself someone else? Wolfram tore his gaze from Casper and watched Yuri dance in a pitiful attempt to distract himself from the thoughts plaguing his mind. Yuri looked so elegant dancing with his bride. The sound of violins and flutes swirled around the dancers like a caress as they swept across the floor. It felt like a lifetime before Cecile glided onto the dancefloor dragging an unhappy looking Raven with her. That was the signal the other guests had been waiting for. Men and woman rushed onto the floor and took their partners' hands for the Royal waltz. Wolfram used the sudden rush to cover his escape from the hall which suddenly seemed so small and cramped. He slipped out of the hall and into the cool night air.
The sun had disappeared leaving nothing more than a dim yellow glow on the far horizon. Wolfram walked through the gardens in the twilight with his heart pounding so hard it hurt. Wolfram stopped walking once he reached a small fountain and stood there shaking as he stared at the bubbling water. He could still hear the soft melody of the waltz dancing on the air around him as if mocking him with its whispers of love.
"Wolfram, what's wrong?" It was Casper's voice. Wolfram closed his eyes and tilted his head back. His hands clenched and unclenched. "Wolfram…?" He heard Casper step closer. Wolfram opened his eyes and turned to face Casper.
"Yuri never loved me." Wolfram stated bluntly. Four wasted years chasing an impossible dream had led to this moment. Casper was silent for a moment, his face partly hidden in shadow. After a pause he stepped into the light of a lantern and Wolfram saw the echo of his feelings reflected in Casper's eyes. They were the eyes of someone who had known betrayal.
"He didn't love you the way you wanted him too." Casper allowed.
"What about you?" Wolfram demanded making Casper start in surprise. "Do you…" Wolfram stopped. 'Love' was too strong a word. "Do you have feelings for me? The kind of feelings I want from you?"
"I've told you how I feel, Wolfram. But I can't –"
"You can't give your heart to someone who loves another." Wolfram cut in bitterly. "Yes I know, you told me that. But Casper, the more I hear it the more it sounds like an excuse. Yuri always used to say he wasn't gay when I made any kind of attempt to get close to him. And his rejections hurt. But what you do to me is far worse."
"I – I don't –" Casper stammered.
"You make me fall in love with you," Wolfram accused. "You make me care and you make me believe that we have a chance. You look at me with those eyes, as if you want me, and I start to believe that maybe I've found the person who returns my feelings. But then you pull away." Wolfram's voice shook as he recalled that afternoon under the oak tree. The kiss they'd shared taunted him as did the look on Casper's face as he left him there, alone. "You light this fire inside me but then you dump cold water all over me as soon as we get close. I don't know what you want! I feel so confused. One moment you want me and the next you're pushing me away saying we can't be together after all. I can't keep up with this game you're playing." Wolfram looked Casper in the eye. Casper had gone very still and his face was completely blank. "I am not going to spend another four years chasing someone trying to figure out if they love me. So make up your damn mind Casper."
There was a moment where neither of them said anything. The only sound was the water splashing in the fountain and the faint sound of violin music from the hall. Wolfram's heart was thumping in his ears and he could hardly breathe. But no matter how much he feared Casper's decision this was something he had to do. He had learned his lesson from chasing fruitlessly after Yuri and refusing to voice the question in his mind for fear of the answer. He wasn't going to repeat that same mistake with Casper, no matter how afraid he was of Casper's rejection. If Casper rejected him now it was would hurt less in the long run. He didn't want to force Casper into a relationship, and he wasn't sure he was ready for one yet himself, but he had to know what Casper felt. Was this feeling something they could build and explore together or was it all in his head?
Casper shook his head slowly and Wolfram staggered back a step. This was it, Casper was leaving him too. Maybe Saralegi was right, maybe his love life was doomed to failure? Wolfram licked his lips and drew himself up, ready to walk away before he broke down right here in the garden and made a total fool of himself. Before Wolfram could take one step however, Casper moved forwards and wrapped his arms around him. Wolfram didn't have time to draw breath before Casper crashed his lips against his own. Wolfram didn't even hesitate. He clutched Casper tight as if afraid he would vanish at any moment while he kissed Casper back with everything he had, his hand fisted in Casper's thick brown hair to hold him in place.
The kiss blasted away the memory of Yuri saying his vows like a bridge of twigs in a tsunami. The kiss ripped away the pain of realising that the love he'd wanted was never to be. The kiss was a blazing wild fire that ruptured the careful walls that Wolfram had built around his heart and ravaged his soul. The fire cauterised the scars on Wolfram's heart, thawed the ice in his veins and neutralised the thick black poison that jealously had been choking him with. Wolfram pulled back to breathe and the air rushed freely into his lungs for the first time since he could remember. The kiss had left him weak and shaky but as he leaned against Casper's body, he felt stronger than he'd felt in a long time. Wolfram looked into Casper's deep violet eyes as the other boy breathed hard against his lips.
"Consider this my choice." Casper whispered huskily.
"About damn time," Wolfram whispered back. Casper blinked in shock then started laughing. Wolfram was still pressed impossibly tight against Casper so he could feel his body shaking as he laughed. Wolfram felt his own lips curve into a smile as he breathed in the other boy's scent. It felt so good to be held like this. In this perfect moment there were no barriers between them. Wolfram pressed even closer as if he could somehow fuse himself to Casper and the other boy would have no choice but to hold him like this forever.
"You know your Uncle is going to have me killed right?" Casper said as he stopped laughing.
"I'll protect you," Wolfram promised with a smile. He untangled a hand from Casper's hair and opened his hand, palm facing the sky. A bright orange flame appeared above his hand casting a warm glow over Casper's face. Casper glanced at the flame and smiled.
"Your control over your maryoku is improving every day. It must mean you're getting stronger." Casper turned his gaze back to Wolfram and the molten heat in the depths of those violet pools made Wolfram's knees weak.
"Don't look at me like that, Casper." Wolfram warned as he closed his hand and the flame vanished.
"Why not? I thought you wanted to know how I truly felt about you." Casper's grin was teasing now and he shifted his hand around Wolfram's waist a little lower.
"Because it makes me want to drag you to my bedroom and do things to you that well brought up Lords shouldn't do before marriage." Wolfram breathed out as desire ignited his blood. "But I want to take this slow." For a heart-stopping second Wolfram thought Casper was going to drag him away regardless, if the heat in those eyes was any indication. Wolfram felt a thrill run through him and for a wild moment he considered letting Casper have his way despite what he'd just said. But then Casper sighed and dropped his head on Wolfram's shoulder.
"You sure know how to kill the mood, and you accuse me of pulling away when things get too serious." Wolfram could hear the smile in Casper's voice and it made him relax. He ignored the shiver of disappointment that wormed its way down his spine. He and Casper had nothing but time to explore what was happening between them, and to figure out where it was going. "Honestly, I want to take this slow too. I jumped headlong into a relationship once before and it spiralled out of control faster and faster."
"And I spent too long waiting around when I should have taken action." Wolfram smiled. "We make quite the pair; you move too fast and I move too slowly."
"Let's hope we can reach a happy middle ground between the two of us." Casper raised his head and went to kiss Wolfram again before hesitating. "Is kissing ok?"
"Kissing is definitely ok." Wolfram answered making Casper grin. Casper kissed him again, gentler this time. This kiss was soft and tender rather than blazing passion and frantic energy. Wolfram sighed and let himself drift as he relished the feeling of another's arms around him and the press of lips against his own. Casper nipped Wolfram's lip gently, more of a question than a demand, and Wolfram opened up to him. Their tongues tangled and Wolfram fumbled his way through the kiss hoping that Casper wouldn't notice that this was only the second time he'd kissed someone like this.
"Now I know for certain this relationship is going to work." Casper said suddenly pulling back slightly from Wolfram's lips so Wolfram could feel the puffs of air against his face as Casper breathed. Wolfram frowned in silent question. "You kissed me and you weren't thinking of him." Wolfram felt his face flush but there was no judgement in Casper's voice. His eyes held Wolfram's and told him that he wasn't condemning or accusing him of anything. Wolfram closed his eyes for a moment before opening them.
"I might always have feelings Yuri," Wolfram said softly. "But that doesn't mean I can't have feelings for you too."
"I know, and I've decided that I love you too much to let him or my insecurities get in the way of this." Casper gently cupped Wolfram's cheek and ran his thumb across Wolfram's lips. Wolfram smiled but as Casper's words registered he jerked back to see Casper looking a little sheepish.
"You….you love me?"
"Is it too much too soon?" Casper asked looking apologetic. Wolfram opened to mouth to say there was no way Casper could have fallen in love with him that fast only to shut it again. Casper had first met him nearly five months ago during his stint in captivity. True he'd been unconscious for a few weeks, but the truth of it was that they'd hardly been apart since. How had so much time passed without him noticing it? "Wolfram…?" Casper looked very young and uncertain as his gaze searched Wolfram's for an answer.
"If you love me why did you pull away that day you kissed me for the first time?" Wolfram asked softly.
"I pulled away because I loved you," Casper explained. Wolfram creased his forehead as he tried to understand that one. "I was in love with you and I thought you were in love with someone else." Casper elaborated with a sad smile. "I was afraid that history was repeating itself."
"Ah," Wolfram nodded. "And now, are you still afraid of history repeating itself?"
"You're worth the risk," Casper answered with a smile. Wolfram felt a rush of heat to his cheeks. He shook his head with a snort that made Casper laugh. Wolfram pulled Casper in close and hugged him tight. He laid his head against Casper's chest and listened to the steady sound of his heartbeat.
"That's good to hear since I think you are worth the risk too." Wolfram said softly. He couldn't say the 'L' word just yet. Casper gave him a gentle squeeze and Wolfram knew he understood. "Hey, can you dance?" Wolfram raised his head to smirk at Casper.
"What kind of country bum do you take me for?" Casper said in mock outrage, grinning wickedly. "Of course I can dance."
"Well then, let's put you through your paces." Wolfram grinned back. "Besides, I want to show you off."
"This cannot end well," Casper groaned but he was still grinning. Arm-in-arm they headed back towards the hall. The tiredness from earlier had vanished and Wolfram felt lighter than a cloud. So this is what love feels like, Wolfram smiled. I like it.
-:-
"Would you like to dance?" Conrad jumped in surprise at the voice at his ear. He turned to see Josak's sparkling blue eyes. Conrad smiled and shook his head.
"We're working," Conrad answered.
"Party pooper," Josak pouted which looked completely wrong on his face. Conrad chuckled and leaned in close to whisper in Josak's ear.
"I'll give you a private adult dance later."
"Now that's worth waiting for." Josak purred, which had all sorts of thoughts going round Conrad's head. He grinned at his partner but whatever he'd been about to say was interrupted by the arrival of his mother.
"Conrad!" Cecile beamed as she swished into view. Conrad swallowed down his disappointment at his mother's untimely interruption and forced a smile. "In my humble opinion the wedding has been a complete success, and I should know since I have been a part of many of them!" Cecile laughed and tossed her blond curls over her shoulder. Conrad felt his annoyance at his mother's interruption vanish in the face of her obvious happiness. Cecile hadn't been truly happy since Wolfram went missing all those months ago. It was good to see her smile and hear her laughter once more.
"I agree mother, everything has gone very smoothly." Conrad reached out and drew his mother closer to place a kiss on her cheek. "And you look most beautiful tonight, mother."
"Thank you Conrad," Cecile smiled and cupped her son's cheek in her left hand. "And you look very handsome. In fact, all my sons look handsome tonight." Cecile included Josak in her statement and dropped him a wink. Josak blushed lightly. Conrad chuckled. He should have known that his mother would figure out their relationship. Conrad didn't like public displays of affection so he wanted to keep their relationship low key. He knew Josak was more the flamboyant if-they-don't-like-it-they-can-take-a-running-jump kind of person but he respected his wishes.
"Speaking of brothers, where is Wolfram?" Conrad asked stretching his neck to see over the heads of the couples sweeping across the dancefloor to an upbeat foxtrot. Yuri and Abby were currently taking a breather and talking to one of the ten nobles. Conrad could see Gwendal standing in the far corner talking to Gunter. Elizabeth and Flynn were dancing together in a flurry of skirts, lost in the other's eyes.
"I saw Wolfram leave the hall shortly after Lady Cecile started dancing." Josak said quietly looking worriedly towards the doors. "I haven't seen him come back in." Conrad felt his heart contract in empathy. It was obvious that Wolfram was suffering but he was doing his best to mask the pain.
"What are you talking about Josak? Wolfram is right over there, dancing with that lovely Casper Falken I might add." Cecile pointed and smiled broadly. Conrad followed his mother's finger to see Wolfram indeed dancing with Casper. They made a handsome couple as they spun around the floor with a grace that would have put a professional dancer to shame. Casper clearly had had some dancing tuition at some point. But it wasn't Casper's expert dancing skills that made Conrad stare.
Wolfram was smiling. Conrad had never seen Wolfram smile like that; as if he had no worries or cares in the world. Wolfram's gaze was locked with Casper's as they spun around the dancefloor in a fast but perfectly controlled foxtrot. Casper was taking the lead and he steered Wolfram around and between other couples as if he'd been dancing in Royal ballrooms all his life. There was a warm red flush to Wolfram's cheeks and he looked more relaxed than Conrad had ever seen him. Wolfram had always had this tightness in his shoulders and around his eyes as if he felt that everyone around him was constantly judging him. But right now, spinning around the dancefloor, that tension was gone. Wolfram looked like a young carefree Lord who was simply dancing with a boy he liked and who liked him back.
Conrad felt a weight lift off his chest as he watched his brother dance. It was time Wolfram had some happiness in his life. It felt like bad luck had attached itself to Wolfram, not just over the past few months but over the past few years. Conrad looked at Casper and felt a wave of gratitude towards him for making his brother feel this way. Conrad glanced at Josak and smiled as warmth blossomed in his chest. Now Wolfram was finding a happiness of his own, maybe he could worry a little less about him and focus on his own happiness without feeling guilty?
"Uh oh," Josak sounded grim, "I think Lord Bielefeld is not entirely pleased with his nephew's choice of dancing partner." Conrad glanced over to where Josak was looking, and saw Waltorana watching Wolfram dance with a fierce look of outrage on his face.
"Allow me," Cecile winked at Conrad before sweeping away to intercept Waltorana before he could interrupt Wolfram's moment.
"You'd think after everything Wolfram had been through, seeing him happy at last would make Lord Bielefeld happy too." Josak grumbled, shaking his head.
"For some people, social standing is everything." Conrad shrugged. "Mother won't let Waltorana ruin tonight for Wolfram. She can be a force to be reckoned with when her sons' love lives are under threat." Josak snickered and Conrad glanced at him in silent question.
"I bet you a gold coin on whom is going to have the next Royal baby." Josak looked pointedly at Wolfram, who was laughing at something Casper had said while Casper gazed at Wolfram as if amazed they were really dancing together. Conrad groaned loudly and shook his head.
"Don't even go there Josak, Waltorana would have Casper's head and I don't think I can handle anymore baby drama for at least another five or so years." Josak laughed and slipped an arm around Conrad's middle. Conrad leaned into the touch for a moment before pulling away and standing up straight. Josak smiled but made no comment.
Conrad glanced at his mother to see her smiling serenely at Waltorana as he visibly shook with rage. Even his face had gone red. Conrad sighed, there were going to be ramifications tomorrow for tonight's actions. Conrad glanced past Waltorana to see Yuri standing to his left. Yuri was staring at something over Waltorana's shoulder, his face pink and his body unnaturally stiff. Conrad followed Yuri's gaze to see Casper lean forward and whisper something in Wolfram ear making Wolfram smile. Conrad's gaze cut back to Yuri. He saw Yuri's face tighten as if in jealously and he turned away as if the scene caused him physical pain. Yuri marched away into the crowd and vanished. Watching him leave was Abby. As Conrad watched, she glanced at her departing husband before her eyes narrowed and swept over the dancefloor. She spotted Wolfram with Casper and she glowered. There was no mistaking the anger in her eyes, even from this distance. Conrad groaned out loud.
"What's wrong? Are you feeling unwell?" Josak asked Conrad in shock.
"Josak," Conrad sighed, "I have a bad feeling that this little drama is far from over."
*End chapter*
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