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Rain pattered steadily on the glass window separating Yuuri from the rest of the world, a strangely comforting sound despite the fact it was a direct cause of him being cooped up inside all day. He sat with his chin on his hand, watching beads of water form and slide down the pane of colored glass, infinitely distracted from the things he should have been doing. He couldn’t help it, there was just something about the sound of falling rain that evoked sentiment in him, or maybe nostalgia. Perhaps it was because the elegant windows of Blood Pledge Castle were nothing like the modern, insulated windows of his house back on Earth, against which rain hardly even whispered anymore. He didn’t know why the sound comforted and contented him, since he had plenty of reasons to be annoyed at the rain and curse it for robbing him of a perfectly good day on which he could be walking in the garden, playing catch, or doing just about anything else except sit in his study and attend to his royal duties. At least he wasn’t alone – Wolfram was curled up in a cushy chair on the far side of his desk, his nose in a book. Since returning to Shin Makoku and resuming his station as their king, Wolfram had rarely let Yuuri out of his sight, content just to be in the same room as him if he needed to be studying or signing decrees or something. At the moment, Yuuri was supposed to be going through all the letters and correspondence that had piled up for him while he was away on Earth living his other life, but he found it much more interesting to sit backwards in his chair and stare out the window at the courtyard slowly turning into a blur of green and brown behind curtains of rain. He heard the soft intake of breath behind him that warned Wolfram was about to make some kind of droll comment. “Get used to it,” he said shortly after. “The rainy season lasts through the end of spring.”

“Ah, does it?” Yuuri turned around to find Wolfram still sitting with his head down, concentrating on the book in his lap. “I guess that’s good for the flowers and plants. It doesn’t rain every day, does it?”

“No. Only most of them.” A slight smile curved Wolfram’s lips as he sat there reading. “You won’t be able to go outside as often. You’ll just have to spend your days here in the castle with me.”

“Better you than Günter.” Since Yuuri’s recent return, Günter had been unbearably clingy, torn between fretting that he would forget them if he spent too much time home on Earth and overjoyed that Yuuri chose to remain Maou. While he liked Günter, there was only so much gushing and doting Yuuri could take. Fortunately, right now he was occupied with castle business elsewhere, or else he might have been alternately lecturing Yuuri about staying current with his duties and swooning over any little decision or proclamation the young king might make. Wolfram was good, silent company by comparison. Yuuri turned around in his chair and leaned his elbows on his desk, sighing over the pile of letters awaiting his attention. He’d only gotten through half of them before being distracted by the sudden rattle of raindrops on the window. “Do I really have to answer all of these?” he complained.

Wolfram glanced up from his book. “You’re the Maou,” he reminded. “You don’t have to do anything. But anyone with half a brain and the tiniest sense of decorum would know that it’s proper to send a response even if you have nothing to say.” He sniffed insolently and put his head back down. “I wouldn’t expect you to have been properly trained in etiquette where you come from. People in your world have no sense of manners.”

“I don’t even know any of these people,” Yuuri said with a pout, picking up one of the letters he had opened earlier and thrown aside. “They’re just…fan letters! People writing to the Maou because they can. I don’t have time to write a personal response to every one of these.” He eyed the stack growing on the corner of his desk. At least Günter had done him a courtesy and sorted them between nobles and regular folk – somehow, he understood that it would be prudent to at least see what the nobles had to say, since they had the money and the clout around the kingdom. Not to mention, the pile from nobles was smaller.

“You have all the time you could possibly need,” Wolfram said, sounding bored. “What else are you going to do? Things have settled down. Peace is holding. There’s no reason for you to go gallivanting across the countryside on some fool adventure. Give yourself a few days to just sit there and write, ‘Thank you for your kind correspondence, I wish you and your family well, sincerely, Maou Yuuri.’”

“I need a stamp,” Yuuri decided, sitting up a little, “that I can just stamp my name on form letters. Celebrities do that. I could totally do that.”

“Idiot.” Wolfram cast him an annoyed look. “Your royal crest won’t be prepared until you come of age. Until then, you have to be content with signing your name.”

“Oh…that’s right!” Yuuri had completely forgotten about it. “I can just stamp my seal on letters, and decrees and everything!” He gave Wolfram a flippant grin. “That’s not that far away, you know. I’ll be sixteen very soon.”

“Good. Maybe then you’ll be adult enough to take some of your responsibilities seriously.” Wolfram very nearly added, “Like our engagement,” but didn’t. He was happy to have Yuuri back, and things back to normal, he figured he could let one little reminder of their bond go unspoken. There were plenty of opportunities for him to needle Yuuri about it on any given day, anyway.

Groaning, Yuuri went back to poking through the letters, using the sword-shaped letter opener on his desk to slit them or break their seals so he could at least glance through them and find out who they were from. Most of the time, he had to ask Wolfram if he had heard of this or that family, as it seemed just about everybody in Shin Makoku had some kind of gentrified title they could flaunt in official correspondence with the king. Just when he was about to give up and go back to watching it rain, the door on the far side of the room opened and Murata breezed in as if he belonged there, grinning broadly. “How goes the mail, Shibuya?” he said cheerfully as he crossed to the desk.

Yuuri shot him a look of pure annoyance. “Did you come all the way down here from the temple just to gloat?”

“No. I’m bored.” Murata shrugged and stuck his hands in his trouser pockets. “I thought maybe I’d have some fun poking at you for a while. Günter said you were in here reading the letters that came in while we were gone.”

Yuuri made a face at the pile of half-opened letters on his desk. “I ought to have Günter answer these for me when I’m gone. But of course, when I suggested that to him, he got all scandalized and said the Maou should never allow someone of less importance to look at his personal mail.” He tossed another one aside and looked helplessly up at Murata. “And I can’t find any other excuse not to do it, because it’s raining and there’s nothing else to do.”

“Yeah, it sure is the rainy season,” Murata mused, looking past him out the window streaked with raindrops. “It’s going to be like this till summer. Until your sixteenth birthday,” he added with a grin. “You’re coming of age really soon, Shibuya.”

“I know,” Yuuri said, glad to have been reminded of it yet again. “It’s kind of nice, not having to wait until I’m twenty like back home in Japan. I’m looking forward to it. I bet I get to have a huge royal feast or something.”

Murata gestured toward the stack of letters. “Even better, pretty soon you’re going to start getting marriage proposals.”

Yuuri frowned in confusion. Beyond them, Wolfram looked up sharply. “Marriage proposals?” Yuuri repeated. “What do you mean?”

“Once word gets out that the Maou is about to come of age, all the eligible noblewomen here and abroad will want their chance at becoming Queen,” Murata said with a suggestive waggle of his eyebrows. “You’re going to get a lot more interesting mail coming across your desk.”

“Yuuri is already spoken for,” Wolfram curtly reminded him. “There will be no proposals.”

Glancing briefly at him, Yuuri wasn’t sure whether he should stop Murata right there or indulge his curiosity. “You know,” he said warily, “I’m not so sure about that. I remember what happened the last time someone tried to bring a proposal to me. It ended badly. Very badly.” He looked away grouchily. “Though I guess it’s not my fault everybody involved had ulterior motives.”

“Oh, they all do,” Murata said airily. “You think any of the nobles who would propose marriage to you would actually do it for love?” He grinned sadistically. “Sorry, Shibuya, but that’s the way it goes. You’re the Maou. Anyone who marries you gets to be big cheese, and they all know it. They’ll peck each other’s eyes out for the chance at your power and status.” He shrugged. “Happens all the time. Any noble without a chance in hell of inheriting any estate or title or anything has no hope except to marry up, and there’s no higher station than being married to the Maou.”

Yuuri stared at him, and then chanced a quick look at Wolfram. The young nobleman was glaring at Murata, but trying to hide behind his book at the same time. Yuuri’s brief interest in being courted by ladies from all over the kingdom and beyond faded quickly at the thought of their true motives. “Then, I guess it’s hopeless,” he sighed. “I’m not going to marry somebody who’s only interested in my status.”

“Of course you won’t,” Murata said knowingly. “But that doesn’t mean you won’t get the chance to meet an awful lot of pretty girls. And some not-so-pretty ones. Maybe some men, too.” He grinned and turned away, in the other direction as if able to sense the fire of Wolfram’s glare on his back. “Consider this a friendly warning. Whether or not you want it, it’s going to happen sooner or later. The closer you get to being sixteen, the worse it’s going to be.”

“Great.” Yuuri hid his head in his hand, trying to think of some way to change the subject before Wolfram burst a blood vessel from the effort of holding in his outrage. “What about you? Doesn’t being Great Sage get you any perks?”

“I get to stand at your side and look at all the pretty ladies coming to meet you,” Murata beamed.

“You’re so much help,” Yuuri groaned. He hunted around his desk and found the baseball he had brought from home as a memento, and threw it at Murata to see if it would either distract him or actually hit him. Murata yelped and lunged to catch it, rather than dodge it, and then laughed some more. Yuuri found himself beginning to smile. “Don’t you have some Sage work to do or something? Unless you’re going to help me write thank-you notes to all these people, you’re just making this take longer.”

Murata idly tossed the ball in the air and caught it, carefully so as not to threaten any windows. “I don’t think you want me writing thank-you notes to stuck-up noblemen.”

“You’re probably right.” The young king picked up the next one on the stack and glanced at it before prying off the seal, recognizing the crest as having come from Caloria. He unfolded it to find a smooth, flowing hand, with something of a feminine flourish, and realized a couple of lines in that it was from a friend. He sat up in interest. “Hey…this one’s from Lady Flynn.”

Still tossing the ball to himself, Murata glanced idly aside. “Oh?”

Wolfram also looked up from his reading. “What does she have to say?”

“It sounds like everything is Caloria is going okay,” Yuuri reported, summarizing the first paragraph of pleasantries. “That’s good. Oh…she’s heard about my upcoming birthday.” As they watched him read, they saw his face suddenly fall, and his eyes grow wide. Almost without thinking, he began to read aloud as if to make sure he was correctly interpreting the Mazoku lettering. “’It seems to me that both our countries could benefit from an alliance formed by marriage…’ Marriage?! ‘I am not of an appropriate age and a widow, but there is a young woman related to me who will soon be eligible and would make a proper wife. I wish to introduce you, or at your consent, direct her father to write you with a proposal.’ What in the…?” He looked up and stared hard at Murata. “Is this what you’re talking about? People are going to start coming out of the woodwork with marriage offers?”

“First one,” Murata complimented. “Way to go.”

“Murata!” Yuuri noticed Wolfram’s green eyes burning again. He quickly read over the rest of the letter, but there wasn’t much beyond the offer to note. He read it over again and then sighed. “This is so weird. I mean, I like Lady Flynn, she’s nice. But…she’s trying to marry off one of her cousins or something? What does that mean, an alliance formed by marriage?”

Murata glanced briefly at Wolfram, but hid his reaction to the seething look on the young noble’s face under his aloof Sage attitude. “Oh, that’s even better,” he said understandingly. “Sometimes, if there’s a chance war could break out with one of our neighbors, one of the ways to make peace is through a political marriage. It still wouldn’t mean anything, unless you happened to start liking the girl, but the marriage would unite two countries where a regular peace treaty might not hold.”

Yuuri did his best to try to think about that. “But…Caloria is already one of our allies. And a pretty good one, at that.”

“But they don’t have a lot of strength,” Murata mused, stroking his chin. “Lady Flynn doesn’t think herself a capable ruler and would like to step down, and choose someone else to be her successor. If she chooses a relative with an eligible daughter, then sometime in the future when they really need it, Caloria would have a certain ‘in’ with the Maou.” He smiled to himself. “Very crafty, my lady. Very crafty indeed.”

Wolfram suddenly slammed his book shut. “It’s all moot because Yuuri is already engaged,” he said firmly, trying to keep his voice low and in control. “There will be no political marriages, no arranged marriages of any kind. And that is final.” He pushed himself out of the chair and stormed across the room, blustering out and letting the door slam behind him.

Yuuri winced at the noise. Murata just shrugged. “Couldn’t hurt to find out if she’s pretty,” he said casually, resuming tossing the baseball in the air.

Shaking his head, Yuuri put the letter down and pushed the pile away from him for now. That unexpected offer was not something he could handle right away, he needed time to think about it before forming a response and writing back. Yes, he was engaged…but Murata was the Great Sage, maybe he was right. Maybe someone else in the castle with less of an emotional investment in it would have better advice. Whatever the case, Yuuri resolved to take care of it later. Right now, he was too startled to even think about writing thank-you notes to his fans, and rose from his chair. “C’mon, I need to get out of here and take a walk or something. I hate being stuck inside all day. Let’s go…I don’t know, drop water balloons off the highest tower or something.”

Murata gave him a puzzled look as he came around the desk and started for the door. “But we don’t have any water balloons.”

“I’m sure we’ll think of something.” Anything was preferable to sitting there in the study, alone or with Wolfram’s accusing eyes on him, trying to force his way through the mail. Not after that shock. After that, Yuuri could have found himself swarmed by kohi or fed to dragons and wouldn’t have minded.

For the rest of the day, Yuuri did his best to put the letter from Caloria out of his mind by hunting for entertainment and letting himself be goaded into harmless pranks by Murata. Unfortunately, there weren’t any good targets – Günter could never be offended by anything the Maou did to him, Conrad would laugh it off good-naturedly, and Gwendal…well, they knew better than to piss off Gwendal. Circumstances sent them in different directions before they could get into any actual trouble, Murata back to Shinou Temple and Yuuri off with Greta to talk to Anissina about the progress of her schooling. After that came dinner, and by then, Yuuri had just about forgotten about the letter. Wolfram showed no signs of reminding him about it either, sitting down beside him at supper like normal and conducting himself with proper restraint. Then, Günter inclined his head respectfully towards the king as they sat mulling over an after-dinner glass of wine or dessert. “Your Majesty,” he began, “have you gone through your correspondence? Was there anything of importance awaiting you?”

Yuuri cringed and nearly dropped his teacup. “Uh…well,” he began, aware of a circle of intent faces waiting on his reply, “most of it, no. Just a lot of…you know. Letters of appreciation. Honestly, Günter…” He turned to the counselor seated a few chairs to his left. “…I think it would be good if you were to at least go through and open all the post while I’m gone, because there was an invitation in there to some kind of hunting party at an estate up near Rochefort that I totally missed the chance to go to. It was three weeks ago, and I didn’t even read the invitation until today. I hope the family isn’t upset with me that I never replied to their letter,” he said sheepishly. “It isn’t my fault I didn’t get it in time.”

“But, your Majesty,” Günter said modestly, “that is your personal correspondence. I have no right to even view it.”

“It’s not like there’s any kind of big secrets in there,” Yuuri laughed. “I just don’t want to offend anyone by not responding to their invitations. You have my permission, Günter. You can open it all and just make sure there isn’t anything urgent, and if something like that comes up again, just jot them a letter to say that I’m away on business or something and will try to make it if I’m back in time. It’s common courtesy, you know,” he added prudently.

“You do have a point,” Günter admitted. “Very well, your Majesty. I will see to it that none of your admirers are offended by a late reply.”

“I’m sure the party’s hosts will understand that you’ve been away and only recently returned,” Conrad said to put Yuuri at ease. “They may have simply become used to you being available, as we had.”

“Yeah, it did seem like everybody treated me pretty much like a king ought to be,” Yuuri noted. “Big flowery letters full of nothing, just trying to bend my ear or get my attention so they can maybe find favor with me. I’m not used to it.” He set his cup down and lowered his gaze to his half-eaten dessert. “There was one letter…”

The faces stared at him again, making him want to shrink down and slide under the table so he could crawl away. He glanced aside at Wolfram, but the young nobleman showed no signs of reacting, even though he had been there and knew exactly which letter to which Yuuri was referring. Too bad Murata was back up at the temple as usual, he could have broken the ice better. “Yes, what is it, your Majesty?” Conrad prompted.

“Well…” Yuuri glanced at Wolfram again and decided to just say it. “Lady Flynn wrote me, from Caloria.”

“Oh, how is Lady Flynn?” Cheri gushed from across the table. “I do adore her so much, she’s so very sweet.”

“Uh, fine, I guess,” Yuuri replied. “But she…she said she had an offer for me, on account of me turning sixteen pretty soon. A…marriage offer.”

Around him, eyes widened, all except for Wolfram’s. Lady Cheri suddenly clapped her hands together in delight. “A marriage offer from Lady Flynn!” she exclaimed. “How wonderful, your Majesty!”

“No, no, it’s not from her,” Yuuri quickly assured. “She, uh…she said she had an eligible relative she wanted to introduce to me. Someone’s daughter, I guess. Don’t get me wrong,” he added with a sheepish grin, “I like Lady Flynn. She’s very nice. But she is a lot older than I am.”

“Not a wise position for a Mazoku to put himself in,” Gwendal murmured half to himself. “Marrying a human woman more than twice his age.”

“All the more reason for Lady Flynn to wisely suggest someone more His Majesty’s age,” Günter put in.

“What is she like? Is she pretty?” Cheri pressed.

“I…I don’t know!” Yuuri stammered. “It wasn’t an offer, just an offer of an offer. She wanted my permission to let the girl’s father write me about it. There wasn’t a picture or anything, she didn’t even tell me her name.”

Conrad smiled amicably at him. “Now that you’re close to coming of age, offers like this will begin to come in.”

“Yeah, that’s what Murata said.” Yuuri sighed and stared down at his plate again. “I’m just not sure what to think, is all. I mean…if I let one person write to me and propose, it’s going to encourage more of them.”

“Isn’t that romantic?” Cheri swooned, lacing her fingers together before her. “Secret admirers from all over the kingdom, and even beyond our borders, writing you to declare their love!”

Yuuri rolled his eyes. “It’s nothing like that. The girl doesn’t even know me. It wasn’t an admirer…” He glanced around, to the wise Mazoku who formed his panel of advisors: Gwendal, Günter, and Conrad. “Lady Flynn suggested a political marriage. To unite our countries.”

The three elder men gazed at him in interest, while Lady Cheri and Anissina looked at each other curiously. Only Wolfram kept his head down, and on his other side, Greta went about her cake as if it was the only important thing in the world. “I see,” Günter said after a moment. “An arranged marriage to solidify the alliance between Shin Makoku and Caloria.”

Yuuri gave him a worried look. “Do those kinds of things happen?”

Günter looked surprised for a moment, and then grew pensive. “It isn’t unheard of, but they’re not as popular as they were in the past. Before the war twenty years ago, political marriage was all the rage to try to keep fragile alliances holding in the face of uncertainty. There hasn’t been one across national borders in a very long time, and I shall have to look deeper to uncover whether there has ever been an instance of the Maou agreeing to a political marriage for the sake of stability or mutual benefit.”

“These days, it’s more likely you’ll find arranged marriages such as these between noble houses within the country,” Conrad explained. “To settle a debt, arrange a partnership, or otherwise unite two houses under a common thread where more traditional arrangements weren’t working.”

“The suggestion from a human territory that the Maou marry a human woman is outrageous,” Gwendal put in, looking grouchy. “It goes in the face of many deeply-held beliefs and traditions among us.”

“But if I’d never come here or learned I was the Maou, I would have probably married a human girl anyway,” Yuuri reasoned. “I don’t care if someone is human or Mazoku or half-and-half. That doesn’t bother me.”

“His Majesty is more permissive on such matters, Gwendal,” Conrad reminded his elder brother. “And considering the nature of the conflicts still remaining, a political marriage between the Maou and a human noblewoman might go a long way toward setting an example for others to follow. It could break down all the barriers between humans and Mazoku that still remain.”

“That’s all well and good-sounding,” Wolfram suddenly broke in, his voice showing the strain of holding in his anger, “but in the end it doesn’t make a difference. Yuuri is already engaged, so entertaining the notion of any kind of arranged marriage is pointless.”

“Now, Wolfram,” Günter gently scolded, “these are matters of the future of Shin Makoku and the stability of the entire world. We’d do well to discuss them rationally.”

“We shouldn’t be discussing them at all,” Wolfram seethed. “Yuuri is in no position to field any offers from anyone, political or not. We have perfectly good treaties already, Caloria’s alliance with us is just fine the way it is.”

“He does have a point,” Conrad conceded. “Of all the human nations making alliances with us toward peace, Caloria is the last one I would suggest needs help. Their loyalty to the Maou is unshakable.”

“But as a nation, they are small and weak,” Günter pointed out. “And Lady Flynn may not remain in power there much longer. While the alliance is strong now, it may not remain so in the future. Perhaps the proposal is intended to look ahead to rockier times when they might need it.”

“It would hardly be a surprise,” Lady Cheri reasoned, a sly smile on her full lips. “It’s been a very long time indeed since Shin Makoku had such a young, handsome, virile king on the throne. His very existence invites his allies to want to strengthen their bond with us through marriage.”

Yuuri’s face twisted uncomfortably. Virile? “Unless,” he tried to counter with a weak laugh, “humans see it with the same kind of offense that Gwendal mentioned. Like, how dare a human woman let herself be married off to the Maou?”

“You’re talking about this as if it were a plan set in motion!” Wolfram raged, clenching his hands into fists on the table. “There will be no political marriage! You are already engaged – to me!” He sent a glare around the table. “Something a number of people here have conveniently forgotten!”

“Hm, yes, that is true,” his mother mused. Then a brilliant smile broke out on her face. “But engaged isn’t the same as married! There is just enough time, your Majesty, to have a look around and see if anyone interests you.”

“Perhaps it is something we shouldn’t discourage,” Günter said sagaciously, across the table to Conrad and Gwendal. “In these times, it would be a means of gauging the stability of some of those alliances and determining whether there is anything His Majesty can do to reach out to our human allies.”

Wolfram shot up out of his chair so quickly that the backs of his knees knocked it over. “I don’t have to sit here and listen to this!” he snapped at everyone present. “If you want to go on and insult me, do it behind my back, please!” He stormed off around the table, fists still rigidly clenched at his sides.

The mental vision of himself melting into a puddle and oozing away unnoticed under the table came to Yuuri again. The others glanced at Wolfram’s retreat and more or less shrugged it off. “It would be nice to see just how open the human territories are to the concept of humans and Mazoku mingling,” Anissina decided to add to the conversation. “When treaties are signed and alliances are made, they can say one thing to the Maou’s face and believe the opposite among their own people.”

“Perhaps then, we should wait and see if any other human nations are willing to offer political marriage,” Günter suggested. “That some proposals should come from other noble houses in Shin Makoku is understood, but it’s the ones from outside our borders that interest me.”

“Your Majesty,” Cheri said in her most efficacious tone, “I think it would be splendid if you wrote Lady Flynn and told her to introduce you to this nice young lady she knows. She might be very nice. Too bad it isn’t Lady Flynn herself,” she added with a pout to herself. “She’s so sweet and kind. So strong, to lead her people the way she does.”

Yuuri stared at her, unsure he was hearing this properly. Was Lady Cheri actively ignoring her own son and encouraging Yuuri to cheat on him? To his dismay, Günter added his support to the idea. “Yes, your Majesty. Do write Lady Flynn and ask her to set the proposal in motion. We can’t properly judge the value of an arranged marriage between Shin Makoku and Caloria without knowing what we are being offered.”

“She may not be Miss Shin Makoku,” Cheri put in, “but she may still be pretty.”

“Well…” Yuuri found he didn’t know what to say about that. A small grain of curiosity in his nature told him that part made sense. But the overwhelming discomfort he felt drowned it out. He glanced at the empty chair beside him, and Greta sitting on the other side blinking at him, not understanding a word of the adult discussion.

“You aren’t accepting any proposals, your Majesty,” Conrad said gently, seeing the conflict on the young king’s face. “It is merely a chance to gauge everything and weigh it rationally against the good of the kingdom and your own feelings.”

“Feelings hardly matter in the case of a political marriage,” Gwendal grunted.

“Well, yes. That’s true.”

“I do have to write Lady Flynn back,” Yuuri mumbled, rubbing his forehead where a headache was starting to come on. “It’s only proper.” He pushed himself away from the table and got up, giving his table companions a quick look. “If you’ll excuse me. I think I…I need to go think about something else for a while. I need time to let this all sink in.”

“Can I come too?” Greta nudged her chair away from the table, with the help of one of the maids who came to her side instantly.

The little girl’s cheery voice put a weak smile on Yuuri’s face. “Yeah, that sounds like a good idea,” he decided, reaching to take Greta’s hand. “Let’s go take a walk, shall we, Greta?”

The others remained seated out of respect while the young king guided his adopted daughter out to the rest of the castle proper. Only then did they give each other keen, pointed looks. “I don’t know,” Conrad said warily. “Accepting a political marriage may be more trouble to us than it would be worth. At the moment, Shin Makoku has nothing to gain from any suitors…”

“Except a perfectly lovely Queen,” Cheri finished for him.

“If we encourage the search,” Gwendal mused dubiously, “we may find that some of our allies and even enemies are willing to sacrifice some woman’s future for the sake of having the position of preference with the Maou. I do not want to see wars break out over which one of them is going to be favored by the Maou and have that bargaining chip against all the others.”

“To say nothing of the wars that will break out among the women, when they come clamoring to meet him,” Anissina said slyly.

“Rather than encourage,” Günter murmured, “I say we simply do not discourage. His Majesty is close to his coming-of-age. These offers will come in whether we encourage them or not. If word gets out among potential courtiers that a human nation has already proposed, the others will follow, and show us by their actions what their true intentions are.”

“Ah, yes,” Lady Cheri said knowingly. “Since His Majesty intends to write Lady Flynn with a proper response anyway. Word will get out, without us having to lift a finger.”

Gwendal sighed and kneaded his forehead. “The next few weeks are going to be a nightmare.”

Yuuri had not heard Gwendal’s prophecy, but he found himself agreeing with it very quickly. He had sat down the following day to write Lady Flynn a cordial response, and while it was hard to write the words, he forced himself to allow her permission to open a dialogue between him and the relative whose daughter they wanted to set him up with. Yet, no sooner had it been sent away by courier, and the other offers began. As expected, the first few were from noblemen and gentry within Shin Makoku, merely inquiring whether His Majesty was open to the idea of meeting their daughters and sisters and cousins in the hopes of striking it off and making an arrangement. Then, came the others; letters and portraits from the countries bordering Shin Makoku, blunt proposals and shameless offers of dowries that included promises of fealty and trade agreements. It was as if a world of spies had seen the letter land on Flynn’s desk and immediately provoked every other ally to ante up their own proposals. At least one letter per day, by Yuuri’s count, for two full weeks. At first, he wanted to keep Wolfram from seeing any of them, but he quickly discovered that that would be impossible. Wolfram knew about this clandestine plan to field marriage proposals, so every day when the post arrived, and every time a special courier appeared at the castle gates, he was there, arms folded, eyes dark, waiting to see what Yuuri would discover. His only response, apart from a general air of irritation, was to remind Yuuri curtly of his engagement and stalk off somewhere to brood. After doing this in front of Günter one day, he found himself being sternly reprimanded. “Your Excellency,” Günter huffed in displeasure, making Wolfram stare at the use of his formal title, “might I remind you that these affairs are far more important to the future of Shin Makoku than your personal feelings? Even His Majesty knows that a sacrifice may have to be made to secure an alliance with an important neighbor.”

Wolfram’s eyes narrowed. “What about you?” he snapped. “You’ve made your own feelings about Yuuri clear over time. How can you stand there and let him field these worthless proposals, knowing that you’re selling him off to someone who doesn’t love him?”

Günter closed his eyes, a stricken look passing briefly across his elegant features. “True, it does pain me to see His Majesty perusing the offers, knowing that any one of them might take him away from me,” he sighed. “But I know my place, and that is to guide His Majesty to choose the greater good and do the right thing for him and his people.”

“The right thing is for him to honor the promise he has already made,” Wolfram said with dread seriousness. “The rest of you are goading him to break it, and sully any last remaining shred of honor he might have. So go ahead.” He focused burning green eyes on Yuuri. “Pick yourself a wife out of all of these whores. Throw away your honor to some greedy human nation, see if I care.”

“Wolfram!” Günter cried. “These women are not whores!”

“Aren’t they?” Wolfram lunged out of the way of Günter’s attempt to take his arm and escort him out. “They’re offering themselves up to him not because they love him, they don’t even know him. They just want his power and wealth, and want to be seen as a pretty plaything on the arm of the Maou. They’re not doing it for Yuuri’s sake, or their people’s sake, they’re doing it because they can be bought for a price. The last I checked, that was the very definition of a whore.” He spun on his heel and stalked out, needing no invitation from Günter to do so.

After he was gone, Günter turned to Yuuri, clasping his hands contritely before him. “Please, your Majesty, don’t listen to him. Wolfram is upset, you know how he gets. You aren’t throwing away your honor. Forming a marriage alliance to help bring about peace is a very honorable deed.”

Yuuri blinked at the letter from Schildkraut that had provoked this argument, lying open on the desk in front of him. It was a far less serious offer than some of the others, but no less extravagant. “Hey, Günter,” he said softly. “Is Wolfram right? Do all these women just want a piece of me because I’m the Maou?”

“Well…” Günter gazed pityingly down at him. “Your Majesty, you must understand. On the surface, it is only an arrangement made based on your station. But that doesn’t mean you couldn’t meet someone nice, and in time, perhaps grow to like or love her despite having been made to marry for political reasons.”

“But that’s no guarantee.” Yuuri sighed, and then folded up the letter and set it with the others. “It isn’t fair. Not to me, and not to these women. They’re not even writing the proposals, their relatives are. I can’t stand to think that one of them is going to wake up one day and be told that the Maou wants her to come to Shin Makoku and marry him and sit as his Queen even though she never met him and maybe hates Mazoku or something.” He rested his chin on his fist. Not to mention, he thought to himself, it isn’t being fair to Wolfram. Even if our engagement was an accident.

Günter stood on the other side of the desk with his hands clasped together. “Your Majesty,” he said as gently as he could. “It is a credit to your honor that you worry about the feelings of these women. But you must look at the grand design. It could be that five, ten, twenty years down the road, we will need to be closely allied with one of our neighbors, in a way that a mere peace treaty couldn’t hold. Marrying two rulers together marries nations together, the people can’t help but feel connected to their king and accept their in-laws whether they like them or not.”

Yuuri frowned at the growing stack of letters, some of them with pretty painted portraits of the girls being offered to him. “So, now you’re asking me to try to predict the future and know which country I should marry into.”

The counselor blinked in surprise. “Well…that is, I…”

“No, it’s okay, Günter.” Yuuri rose and left his desk without responding to any post. “Don’t worry about it. Like Conrad said…I’m just looking over the proposals, I’m not accepting any of them. I need time to think.” He drifted out the door and closed it quietly behind him.

It was easy to set aside the proposals and promise to think about them and respond later, but then the first delegation showed up at the castle. It was only some small-potatoes nobleman from the sea coast of Shin Makoku, come to present his daughter to the Maou and try to seek favor with him, but he had the misfortune of coming at a time when Wolfram was with Yuuri. Rather than wait to gain audience in the throne room, Sir von Schroeder and his attendants and daughter and daughter’s maids came up to him in a pack in the great hall, wanting to speak to him right away without waiting for proper arrangements to be made. Yuuri listened to him speak and smiled helplessly toward his daughter, a nice-enough girl but no beauty pageant winner, but before he could say anything, Wolfram snaked a hand into the crook of his arm and tugged possessively at him. “I’m very sorry you wasted your time making this journey,” he said curtly, “but Yuuri is already engaged. To me.”

Von Schroeder’s eyes widened. “What? Engaged to you?”

Wolfram nodded firmly, holding his head high. “He proposed to me the very first day he came to this castle. We have been betrothed since.”

The girl clapped her hands over her mouth. Her father straightened up and mustered as much of his dignity as he could. “Well, I…I did not know that. Surely, if that were true, an announcement should have been made…”

“Yes, you’re quite right,” Wolfram said with an air of superiority. “And you can believe that I will be seeking out someone in the castle to correct that oversight as soon as possible. We can’t have more people being put in your position.”

“I’m really sorry,” Yuuri added for himself. “I didn’t realize people would be making this big a fuss over me. I feel bad that you had to come all this way during the rainy season just to find this out.”

Sir von Schroeder bowed politely. “No apology is necessary, your Majesty. I understand that in your short reign so far, you have done more than some Maous do in a lifetime. Perhaps it slipped your mind.”

Yuuri glanced at the daughter, who was gazing at him with mingled pity and disgust, but mostly pity. He smiled to put her at ease. “Look at it this way. At least you got to travel and see Blood Pledge Castle.”

“Ah! My dear Schroeder!” Everyone started and glanced aside when they heard Lady Cheri’s delighted cry across the hall. She sauntered towards them, the shawl over her revealing dress barely keeping any of it covered. Wolfram sighed in exasperation, Yuuri rolled his eyes, and von Schroeder actually blushed. She came up to them and clasped his hands affectionately. “Ah, it’s been far too long. You’re looking well.”

“As are you, Lady Cecile,” the nobleman said, definitely sounding happier than he had a moment ago. He bent his head and kissed her hand, making her giggle. “Truly, to see you again has redeemed my trip and made it all worthwhile.”

“Oh?” Cheri raised en eyebrow at the gathering and grasped it immediately. “Ah! You came with a proposal for His Majesty, did you?”

Sir von Schroeder presented his daughter, introducing her to the former Maou. The girl’s eyes began to sparkle, as if she had come here all along to meet the famous Lady Cecile rather than the current Maou. “It is a shame, though,” her father said. “To have come expecting to gain audience and discover that the Maou already has a fiancé.”

Cheri glanced at Wolfram and Yuuri, not ignorant of the hand on Yuuri’s arm. “Yes, that is a shame,” she sighed. “But that means you’ve already met my son, Wolfram.”

“Your son?” Von Schroeder looked at the boys anew. “Well! I suppose then the competition is over before it started. No one can hope to go against the former Maou’s son, if he already has His Majesty’s heart.”

“If you’ll excuse us, Mother,” Wolfram broke in, “it seems you and Sir von Schroeder have some catching up to do.” He yanked Yuuri’s arm to steer him toward the door.

“Sorry – it was nice to meet you,” Yuuri said sincerely as he was dragged away.

Once out in the corridor, Yuuri pulled Wolfram to a stop. “That wasn’t very nice of you.”

Wolfram turned sharply. “What do you mean? I stopped you from making a fool of yourself. It’s better off they find out right away, than have you lead them on and make them think you’re available, only to find out in the end that you’re not.”

“Well, you don’t have to be so harsh about it.” Yuuri folded his arms and looked away, not admitting that Wolfram had a point. “You can be more tactful, you know. Wasn’t it you who was lecturing me about decorum and proper behavior?”

Wolfram snorted dubiously. “Your idea of decorum is to let them walk all over you. There are times when the best response is a straight one.”

“Even so…” Yuuri sighed, unwilling to fight this battle. “Next time, let me handle it, okay? I’ll let them down easy. I need practice at the decorum thing anyway. I promise, it’ll be fine.”

Sadly, Yuuri’s experiment in decorum didn’t go at all the way he wanted. The next time a delegation arrived at the castle with a prospective bride, his idea of letting them down easy had him seated at dinner with them after a long audience, at which he got a good glimpse of the girl’s true nature. She was a little more plump than some of the waif-like flowers being shoved at him, but not ugly, until they got to dinner. Then her true side came out; she wavered between simpering at every little word he said like a brainless twit and snarfing down food with a glutton’s fervor. Thankfully, Wolfram returned from an errand in the nick of time, and Yuuri was willing to let him have his tantrum in front of everybody, because it successfully scared off the bride and her uncle with no ambiguity about it. As soon as they were out of the castle, Wolfram rounded on the others – but not Yuuri himself. He could be forgiven for being a wimp and not knowing how to properly reject people, but Wolfram had a few choice words for Günter and Anissina, who had witnessed the entire thing. “It was you,” he accused Günter. “You sent me out of the castle on a fool’s errand! You knew these people were coming and sent me away so I wouldn’t be here to interfere!”

Günter looked startled but didn’t deny it. “These matters are for His Majesty to decide, not you!” he declared. “This is his life and his future, and people are here to see him. He ought to handle it as best he sees fit.”

“He doesn’t know how to handle them,” Wolfram argued. “He can’t even tell people who’ve kidnapped him that he doesn’t want to go with them, how do you think he’s going to handle a bunch of honey-tongued noblemen coming here to flatter him and make him believe that they have his best interests at heart?”

The storming and door-slamming came very quickly after that, giving Yuuri a chance to slink away to someplace private and try to puzzle out what had happened. He found himself in a high hall of the castle where a long series of tall windows looked out on the courtyard. The golden flowers inlaid in colored glass at the top of each window glowed dully with the dark, rainy skies outside, leaving the corridor dim and dank. Yuuri sat on the sill of one window and gazed down at the wet, gray courtyard below, happy to find the glass cold and moist against his heated forehead. For all the yelling and snarling Wolfram was doing, Yuuri had to admit that for once, he couldn’t be said to be overreacting. He knew Wolfram would yell upon finding him entertaining a potential bride, and somehow he was looking forward to it. But then he considered, what if the girl hadn’t been a boor? What if he had met someone nice, and delicate, who he might have wanted to get to know, and Wolfram had come thundering in with all his rage and bluster? Not that it hadn’t happened before, but how was Yuuri to know that Miss Elizabeth wasn’t there for him in the first place? Because she was brought by Stoffel, that’s how, he chided himself. He may be Lady Cheri’s brother, but he’s never been anything except manipulative toward me. Come to think of it… He pondered over Wolfram’s accusation. Günter had manipulated him, too, sending him away from the castle just in time for a delegation to come with another marriage offer. It seemed to Yuuri that no matter what Wolfram’s behavior was like, he didn’t deserve that. But everybody knew Wolfram, knew what he was like, what he would say. It was easy for them to predict his tantrum and head it off one way or another. Sighing, Yuuri closed his eyes and tried to forget about it. It didn’t help that Wolfram was the only one in the castle not on board with the whole arranged-marriage thing. If there had been just one other, someone Yuuri could trust to think with his head and not his heart, who could tell him what his instinct craved to hear – that this was all wrong, and he shouldn’t be doing it…

Gwendal glanced up when he heard his door creak, and gave his visitor a disgruntled look. “One of these days, I’m going to have Günter teach you to knock – the hard way.”

“Sorry, Gwendal,” Yuuri said quietly. “I’m not disturbing you, am I?”

Gwendal returned his attention to the papers in front of him. “Is there something you need?”

“Yeah. I…uh, need to talk.”

The soft, uncertain tone of the Maou’s voice made Gwendal look up again. He hadn’t seen Yuuri look so awkward and closed-off in a long time. After a moment of thought, he gestured with the end of his quill to one of the chairs beside his desk. “About what?”

Yuuri prowled noiselessly across the room and sank into the chair, clasping his hands in his lap and keeping his gaze turned away. “This whole stupid marriage thing.” He took a deep breath, and then everything came pouring out. “I don’t think I should be doing this. I mean, it’s not just my own feelings that I have to worry about. I’m probably ruining some girl’s life by making her expect that she might have to come here and marry the Maou. Not the ones who are just throwing themselves at me because they want to share some of my status, but the other ones. The ones from the human nations. The ones being brought here by their fathers and essentially sold off. I know everyone keeps saying this is for the good of the kingdom, and it’ll make alliances, and promote cooperation between Mazoku and humans, and that all sounds good, but…I can’t help it. Something just doesn’t sit right with me.”

Gwendal listened to his tirade, and then just went back to writing. “You’re asking the wrong person,” he said bluntly. “I’m no expert in matters of love. I know nothing about it.”

“It isn’t about love,” Yuuri complained, “and that’s the problem. I was brought up to think that I was supposed to find someone to love, and that was who I was going to spend the rest of my life with. You’ve met my mother.” He cracked a wry smile. “She’s a hopeless romantic who can’t stop thinking that fairy tales are the way to happiness. So, because fairy tales end with the prince getting the princess and living happily ever after…”

“Life isn’t that way,” Gwendal interrupted. “It’s a cute notion, but that’s all it is.”

“Yeah. I know.” Yuuri slumped over in the chair, elbows on knees and chin in hands. Gwendal glanced up and felt a flash of pity through his stoic heart. “I mean, even my mom and dad aren’t perfect. When we were kids, they used to yell at each other a lot, but I know they still love each other and never stopped loving each other. And I can’t stop thinking about Hube and Nicola.” That made Gwendal look up again, and finally set his pen down, realizing he wasn’t going to get any work done if Yuuri kept saying things to startle him. “How they were split apart, and Nicola almost married against her will just to keep Hube alive. They had everything going against them, the whole world tried to tear them apart, because Mazoku and humans aren’t supposed to be together.”

“Yet, they are together,” Gwendal said heavily. “Geigenhuber and Nicola have your happily ever after. And I believe they owe it to you.”

“Yeah.” Yuuri stared at the floor between his feet. “But…that doesn’t mean everything will work out the same way if a human girl tries to marry me. I’ve met a lot of people since coming here who’ve shown me that not all humans are bad and many of them are willing to go along with the idea of letting humans and Mazoku be together. But I’ve also met a lot who think the opposite. I know it sounds like a grand, noble idea, putting a human and the Maou together and watching the rest of the world wake up see that it’s not bad, but…why does my heart tell me that it’s not going to be so easy?” His voice softened to nearly a whisper. “Can I put some human woman who doesn’t even know me through that? Can I go through that? Can I ever be sure that Mazoku won’t suddenly disown me and overthrow me like Lady Cheri if I took a human wife?”

A few silent minutes ticked by after he trailed off. Gwendal folded his hands on his desk and stared at them without expression. “That is a lot to think about. A lot that you will have to weigh before making any decisions.” He frowned as Yuuri looked up at him with the most plaintive, pathetic eyes ever. Gwendal’s heart was moved by such an adorable look, but not so much that it overrode his common sense. He forced himself to remain impartial as he said, “I told you, I don’t have much expertise in matters of the heart. I know you want me to tell you what to do, but the truth is, I can’t. You are the only one who can judge your own heart and decide what’s best for it. The good of the kingdom and peace between Mazoku and humans are very important goals.” The briefest flash of emotion glimmered in his deep blue eyes. “But sometimes, the sacrifice isn’t worth it. No one can help you decide that, Yuuri. Only you can.”

Yuuri lowered his head, and after a long moment, pushed himself out of the chair. “Thank you, Gwendal,” he said in that low, calm voice. “I knew I could trust you to be honest with me.” He left the room as abruptly as he had come, without a farewell. Gwendal sighed hard, not sure that he had said everything Yuuri needed to hear. The plea he had seen in the Maou’s black eyes had nearly broken his heart, and he sent up a silent prayer that Yuuri would find the answers he needed before it was too late.

At last, there came the day Yuuri had dreaded, the day a letter arrived in response to the proposal that had stirred up this whole nasty nonsense, a letter from Caloria. Fortunately, Wolfram was currently out in the muddy courtyard working off his frustrations via a good long sword exercise with Yozak, one of few in the castle his equal in skill. Yuuri had been watching them from the window, glad to finally have a day where it wasn’t raining, though it was still chilly and overcast. All the tension around the castle and the constant reminders of these marriage proposals had left Wolfram in a constant snit, he really needed this workout, Yuuri thought to himself as he watched the lithe, blond Mazoku lunge and whirl around the courtyard, dodging, parrying, and thrusting at a confident Yozak. Despite the chill, both were down to their last layer, Yozak in nothing but a sleeveless tunic and Wolfram with his coat off, his shirtsleeves rolled up. They weren’t very well matched in terms of size, but they fought with equal passion and skill, quick on their feet and undeterred by the mud squelching beneath their boots. Yozak may have had the edge in strength, but Wolfram was full of energy and rage and as long as he didn’t make any careless mistakes, could remove that edge with sheer determination. As it looked from above, only Wolfram’s brothers and Günter were better swordsmen in the castle than those two. Then, a page interrupted him with the day’s post, and Yuuri sat down heavily to find a thick envelope bearing a seal from a well-known house in Caloria.

The letter was written in a very plain and straightforward style, not the lacy flattery so many of the other proposals had been filled with. This man was a close relative of Lady Flynn’s, so close that if something were to befall her before she could choose a successor to lead Caloria, he would step in as ruler. He spoke of the worries among Caloria’s people that their proximity to Shimaron was their biggest weakness, and that if they could be manipulated before, it could happen again. He knew what he was asking was a lot, and how difficult the decision must be for His Majesty, but he begged Yuuri to consider that if Flynn were not there, Caloria’s heart would be weak and they would be susceptible to being either wooed away or forcefully taken away, whatever Shimaron chose to do. A marriage alliance would not solve all of their problems, but it would make Shimaron less interested in bothering them, if there was any chance that the Maou could come to his wife’s people’s rescue with all the power of Shin Makoku behind him. He also seemed to understand how outrageous it was for him to propose a marriage between a human and the king of all Mazoku, but knew that Yuuri despised the racial division and hoped that he could see in his heart to take a step forward for the good of all. It was a fantastically-written letter, Yuuri had to admit. Along with it came a watercolor portrait of the man’s daughter, a stunning beauty with cascades of brown hair and full lips. She was a little young, her father admitted in the letter, but being as Mazoku live longer and mature more slowly, she would be ready for him when the time was right. Yuuri read through the letter three times and then quietly set it aside, not on the stack with the others, but with important papers to him, like a map of the kingdom and happy letters from people dear to his heart, like Nicola. It required more of his attention, and more time. Unlike the proposals full of blatant pandering, he had to actually think about this one.

He found Conrad standing at the doorway to the courtyard, also watching the sparring match between Wolfram and Yozak. Hearing his approach in the echoing stone corridor, Conrad turned with a raised eyebrow, and then smiled when he saw who it was. “Good afternoon, your Majesty. Come to see what all the fuss is about?”

“Nah, I know they’re practicing,” Yuuri said with a glance through the door. “I could see them from upstairs. Actually, I wanted to talk to you for a minute.”

“Of course.” Conrad turned away from the spectacle outside and began to walk slowly up the corridor, allowing Yuuri to fall into step beside him. “What is it?”

Yuuri made an uncomfortable face, but sighed and steeled himself to ask anyway. “When you were in Shimaron,” he began, “did it seem to you that all of the people there are horrible, or just King Berard?”

Conrad glanced at him in surprise. “Why do you ask?”

“Well…” Yuuri clasped his hands behind him as they walked. “They’re the only country around us who has tried to provoke war, and hasn’t made any offers to ally with us. Everybody else is in a panic over what Shimaron could do or might do either tomorrow or some day down the road. But…if not everybody in Big Shimaron is so anti-Mazoku, maybe some of those fears are overblown. You know?” He looked up hopefully.

Conrad heaved a long sigh. “Unfortunately, your Majesty,” he said darkly, “a fair number of those in Big Shimaron share their king’s prejudices. They were very much behind him when he spoke of claiming the four boxes and using them to overthrow the Mazoku. The idea of being the dominant power in the world appealed to them greatly.” He glanced aside at Yuuri. “So much so that they were willing to drag half-Mazoku into the fray, like me, seeing us as inferior to them because we were tainted by Mazoku blood.”

Yuuri looked at him in revulsion. “That’s horrible! How could they do that? Don’t they see that you’re people just like them? We’re all the same, no matter if we’re Mazoku or human. We don’t even look any different!”

“Some prejudices run very deep,” Conrad murmured. “They are learned from birth at the knee of parents and relatives who have in turn been ingrained with them, and are supported by the king and other authority figures in power. The people of Big Shimaron aren’t stupid, they have simply been taught one thing all their lives and would have to relearn to accept a different story from what they’ve always been told.”

“So…” Yuuri grew even more downhearted. “…even after Berard isn’t in power any more, the next one could be just as bad, and the next, and the next.”

“Most likely,” Conrad nodded. “But there is always a chance, however slim, that the next person to rule Big Shimaron breaks the trend and extends the hand of peace. You simply cannot know until that time.”

“Yeah…I guess you’re right.”

Conrad gazed concernedly at him. “Is there a reason you bring this up, your Majesty?”

Yuuri shuffled along staring at the ground, figuring he may as well say it because everyone was going to find out sooner or later. “I got a letter from Caloria. From the people who Lady Flynn wanted to introduce me to, and make an alliance. I’ve been kind of upset about all this political marriage stuff, but…their argument makes sense. They’re worried that if something happened to Lady Flynn, or she were no longer ruling Caloria, they’d be easy pickings for Shimaron. If what you say is true…then…maybe their fears are justified.”

Conrad stopped in the middle of the corridor, forcing Yuuri to slow and turn to face him. “Yuuri,” he said gently, indicating that he was probably about to say something very personal that the Maou’s mentor should not be saying, “if it upsets you, then you should weigh that along with any good arguments people have been making. You can no more predict the future than any of us, so trying to set up a means to combat a theoretical advance from Big Shimaron could fail as easily as it could succeed, if things don’t turn out the way people expect them to.” He set a fatherly hand on Yuuri’s shoulder. “I can’t tell you what to do about Caloria. You’re the only one who can decide whether you want to accept or reject the proposal. All I can say is, you should make sure you have all of the information you need before making that decision.”

Yuuri shifted his eyes uncomfortably away. “You mean, I should send a few letters to this girl, and maybe meet her and stuff, before I even think about an arranged marriage to protect her country.”

“It might be best.” Conrad withdrew his hand and straightened up. “Whatever the case, I don’t think you should enter into this lightly. There is much to consider, and sometimes, a king has to make choices he never wanted to make in order to preserve peace.”

“I know.” Yuuri sighed long and turned away. “Thanks, Conrad.”

“If there’s anything else…”

“No, that was all I wanted to know.” Yuuri tucked his hands into his pockets and returned the way he had come, glancing as he did to see that the courtyard was now empty and it was raining again. Around the corner he blundered into Yozak, still panting from exertion and rather sweaty and splattered with mud. “Oh, Yozak,” he said. “Are you all done practicing?”

“It started raining,” Yozak complained. “Just when it was getting good. No sense risking slipping and killing ourselves on our own swords, we quit while we were ahead.” He tossed his head. “Wolfram is off to the baths to clean up, I think. I knocked him over and got mud in his hair.”

“Oh, he can’t be too happy about that,” Yuuri chuckled.

“Of course not.” Yozak winked and then waved as he continued past, on his way to dry off and clean up as well.

Yuuri continued on his way, deciding to leave Wolfram to his own devices for a while. When he was good and pretty again, he’d find Yuuri, it was almost a given. Right now, Yuuri was fairly certain he didn’t want to face Wolfram’s questions or accusations, especially once he found out about the letter. It was bad enough to watch him stomp about the castle in a huff, every little thing set him off and every time it did, someone would make some comment about him acting like a brat, and that only made it worse. What bothered Yuuri most was that Wolfram had actually been coming along nicely, but all of this business with the arranged marriages was making him revert to the behavior he had displayed when Yuuri first met him, the kind of behavior that had gotten them engaged in the first place. He was short-tempered with everyone in the castle, he didn’t linger at meals or hold conversation with anyone, and instead of reading or painting while Yuuri was busy with the daily chores of a king, he now just lurked in the back of the room eyeballing everyone for suspicious words or actions. Yuuri could only hope that Yozak had beaten the anger out of him and he would be quieter for a day or two.

More offers came with the next day’s post, some undeterred by the noncommittal answers or skillful evasion from the Maou and coming back with ante upped, including pictures and flattering biographies of the noblewomen in question. It was as if they were openly competing with each other for the Maou’s approval, as if this were the new national beauty pageant and he was sole judge. Anissina had come in searching for Gwendal when the post arrived, so she helped Lady Cheri peruse the stack of offers and compare positive qualities of the entrants. Yuuri tried to ignore them, as he had some real decrees that needed to be signed first, but some of what they were saying was kind of funny. Anissina held one letter up and proudly read from it, emphasizing the poetic language, after which she gave Yuuri a dry look over the top of the page. “Which means, your Majesty, that she’s not pretty and not all that bright, either.”

“What?” He frowned at her. “How can you say that?”

“Come, now. Every woman knows what such euphemisms mean. ‘A kind nature and pleasant personality’ is meant to cover up the fact that she’s ugly. ‘A unique perspective on life’ means, quite literally, that she doesn’t think the way the rest of us do.” She cast a knowing look at Cheri, who smirked. “He’s doing his best to sell her good points, but if she doesn’t have any, that’s the best he can say.”

“That’s terrible,” Yuuri said, but laughed.

“All things considered, you don’t have a very good pool from which to select, your Majesty,” Anissina sighed, going through more bios. “This one is actually a convicted thief, so just throw it out. This one has been divorced twice already, not a good sign.”

“And so many of them are just gold-diggers,” Cheri said sadly with a shake of her head. “My, my. It’s as if none of the other noblewomen in the kingdom wish to take after us, Miss Anissina.”

“How true that is, Lady Cheri,” Anissina said with a similar disappointed shake of her head. “They just can’t hold themselves to our high standards.” She picked up another letter, which just happened to be the one from Caloria. Her eyes suddenly sparkled with interest. “Ooo, now this is a different case.”

“Let me see. Ahh!” Cheri clapped her hands. “How beautiful! Your Majesty, you should invite her here to the castle to meet you.”

“Uh, well…” Yuuri looked up helplessly at the tall, intimidating women gathered at his desk to inspect his correspondence. He hoped none of the prospects were at all like either of them. “I haven’t gotten that far yet. I only just got the letter yesterday, I need time to think about it.”

“Oh, don’t think, just go for it!” Cheri encouraged. “This is quite possibly the prettiest of them all. Bring her here, your Majesty. Let her see Shin Makoku for herself. If she likes it, then…” She winked smartly. “You might have a keeper.”

Yuuri gave a hesitant chuckle, but then his eyes darted to a flash of golden movement directly across from him, between Cheri and Anissina. He only caught the deadly glare of green eyes before Wolfram turned on his heel and whisked out of the room without a word, the force of his wake pulling the door closed behind him of its own accord. Lady Cheri glanced toward the noise, but seeing nothing, shrugged and went back to looking over the pictures of women from around the world.

When at last the women left him alone, Yuuri read over the letter from Caloria once more and then left the room seeking escape, or more importantly, seeking wisdom. He had read it over and over and still didn’t know how to answer it, whether he should take Cheri’s advice and invite the girl to the castle to meet her, or turn it down cold, or any number of options in between. He wanted desperately to find someone to tell him what to choose, someone logical and rational with no emotional stake in the outcome. That left half the castle out – Anissina wouldn’t care, Cheri had already made her point clear, and Günter was as unstable as a ship on rocky seas. Gwendal was busy, Murata was at Shinou Temple engrossed in more important matters, and Conrad was overseeing the positioning of the castle guards at the moment. For half a second, Yuuri thought the only one in the entire castle left available to talk to was…Morgif. But then, coming around a corner with his head down and wrapped in dark thoughts, he smacked bodily into his answer. Yozak chuckled as Yuuri stepped back and rubbed his bruised nose. “We’ve got to stop meeting like this, your Majesty,” he grinned.

“Sorry, Yozak,” Yuuri sighed. “I’ve just got a lot on my mind, I wasn’t paying attention to where I was going.”

“So I hear.” Yozak looked down at him with a cool half-smile. “Things are kind of crazy around here these days, huh?”

“You don’t know the half of it.” The young king’s shoulders heaved with another sigh. “I’m so tired of these stupid offers to arrange marriages. It’s like someone put a big target on my head that says, ‘single Maou, open for business.’”

Yozak narrowed his eyes in a confused sort of frown. “You’re not single, though. You’re engaged to Wolfram, aren’t you?”

“Uh…” That caught Yuuri for a moment. Of course he was, he knew very well he was, but this was the first time anyone besides Wolfram himself had mentioned it. “Well…yeah…”

“Are any of them good offers?” Yozak wondered idly. “I mean, what have they got to offer you? You’re the Maou, kiddo. You have everything you could possibly want. And Shin Makoku is more powerful than all those little countries put together. Sounds to me like the target on your head is more likely to read, ‘naïve young Maou with money and prestige to exploit.’” He frowned comically and stroked his chin. “Hmm, maybe I ought to put on a dress and apply for the position myself. I could use a leg up in my status.”

Yuuri made a face at him, even though it was a hilarious thought. “Yozak…”

Yozak grinned. “What? It’s true. Most of them just want to rub shoulders with the Maou, they couldn’t care less if you were old and ugly instead of young and cute.”

“I know. But…” Yuuri tucked his hands in his pockets and walked on past the burly soldier, thinking aloud. “Not all of them are like that. I have some offers from some of our allies, who sound like they could really use the aid. As much as I want to tell them, ‘no, sorry, I don’t like the idea,’ I don’t think I can. It isn’t a justifiable response when someone suggests marrying their daughter could unite two kingdoms and make them stronger.”

“I don’t see why it wouldn’t be,” Yozak shrugged. “An arranged marriage with any human nation wouldn’t make Shin Makoku any stronger. Just the human side.”

“I guess.”

Yozak watched him walk and think, and smiled slightly to himself. It was unusual that the Maou should go to him for advice, but he had always felt a sort of brotherly affection for the kid. “Just make sure the offer is good enough before you go breaking your engagement to Wolfram,” he said with a hint of flippancy.

Yuuri turned suddenly toward him with wide eyes. “What?”

“Well, you’re engaged to Wolfram,” Yozak reminded him yet again. “Before you go taking any offers from any other party, political or not, you have to break it off with him. Naturally.”

Yuuri stood there staring for a long time. Naturally…so why hadn’t it occurred to him up until now? He moistened his lips nervously and looked up at Yozak. “I don’t think Wolfram will take that very well.”

The soldier snorted. “He sure won’t. You’ll be lucky to get out of that room alive.” His expression changed, to one of keen thought and narrow eyes. “But you aren’t doing him any favors keeping it up like this while fielding offers from around the kingdom at the same time. You can’t have it both ways. Don’t like the idea of marrying yourself off for political gain? Seems to me, you already have an easy out,” he retorted. “Just tell them the truth – you’re engaged. Easy. Not even the most pathetic country with the best humanitarian reasons to need a political marriage can argue with that. ‘Sorry, I’m already engaged.’ Seems to me like it’s an easy thing to say.” A smirk came into his eyes. “Unless you don’t want to marry him.”

“I…” Yuuri stood there with his mouth open, and then realized nothing more was going to come out. He shut it and looked away sharply, unnerved by Yozak’s deadly insight.

“Didn’t think of it that way, did you?” Yozak went on. “Getting engaged means you’re going to marry him someday. If you’re not going to marry him, then why are you still engaged to him?”

Yuuri glared up at him. “Are you telling me to break it off with Wolfram?”

“I’m not telling you to do anything,” Yozak laughed, though it was a cutting, smug sort of laugh. “None of this matters to me, I have no stake in it. It just seems to me, you’re all dancing around this central issue, and until you deal with it directly, you’re going to keep dancing. And then things will never calm down around here,” he added with a droll sigh. “I can’t take it anymore, all this mincing words and Wolfram slamming doors and Weller and Günter brooding about things behind the scenes. It’s enough to make me want to sail over to Caloria myself and take up farming.” He smirked dangerously. “Or put on that dress and pose as a noblewoman to get your attention.”

“This isn’t a joke, Yozak,” Yuuri said darkly.

“From here, it looks like one huge joke,” Yozak said in return. “Whether it’s them playing it on you, or you playing it on yourself, that’s for you to decide.” He turned and headed off in the other direction, waving a hand in farewell. “Good luck with the ladies, your Majesty. Can’t say as I’d want to be in your position. Especially when Wolfram finds out you might marry a lass from Caloria.” With that, he disappeared into a room down the hall.

Yuuri stared after him. How did he know about Caloria? Were rumors circulating that badly around the castle? Did Conrad tell him? Twice as frustrated as before, Yuuri spun in place and stormed off to find someplace where he wouldn’t run into anybody, giving up on the idea of finding good advice among his counselors. None of them had wanted to say what Yozak had no problem saying: that in order to seriously consider and accept a political marriage, first Yuuri would have to break it off with Wolfram. It meant he had to confront his feelings, his very purpose for still being engaged to him, and no one could help him with that. All that was left to him was to go find someplace quiet to think for a while, and then talk to the one person he hadn’t talked to at all.

The rains had stopped and a brisk wind was making the clouds play chase with the sun, causing shadows to drift rapidly across the castle grounds. High in a tower where some dusty old armor and tapestries sat on display for no one to see, Yuuri could lean on the window and feel the wind ruffle his hair, and watch the kohi trying to glide against the wind. It looked so futile, the way they flapped their leathery wings and never got anywhere. One even banged into a different tower and lost a few bones. Yuuri felt like the kohi, beating his wings against a furious wind and not being able to go forward. Something was standing in his way, something shaped like Wolfram. He couldn’t go forward until he dealt with Wolfram, face to face, heart to heart. The truth was, he had never asked himself whether he wanted to be married to Wolfram. The engagement had become just another part of his character, an unspoken quality that he didn’t have to do anything about, it was just there. The way Wolfram was always just there, at his side, either pouting or yelling or glaring or sometimes even smiling. But “engaged” was easy. “Married” was harder. Would it be any easier if “married” meant a strange girl from another country who didn’t love him, though?

He stood there in the window for a long time, watching the kohi struggle against the wind, pondering the source of his discomfort. Was it marriage that was scaring him? Wolfram? Strange girls? Gold-diggers? The future? He wanted so badly to do right by his neighbors, not just Caloria but Francshire, Cabalcade, Schildkraut, and even Shimaron. Yet, which one deserved the marriage alliance? Did any of them? Would it matter if his heart was always pining after another that he could not have? Would it matter if her heart pined after another? And always, no matter which direction his thoughts went, they always came back to Wolfram. He knew Wolfram wouldn’t take it well. How did he know that, though? Was it just because that was how Wolfram acted whenever the thought of cheating came up? No, Yuuri sighed to himself. He knew. Wolfram loved him. Some part of him understood this clearly, and warned the rest of him that if he didn’t handle it carefully, he was going to get scorched. In the end, when he came down from the tower, Yuuri was no closer to knowing what he wanted than when he went up there. But one thing stood out in his mind foremost: he had to talk to Wolfram. Whether or not Wolfram was capable of rational thought and could be made to understand the value of making political marriages, none of this could go on without talking to him about it. It affected him directly, and they could no longer ignore his feelings on the matter.

All the way across the castle and up the stairs to his room, Yuuri steeled himself for what might happen. Maybe he was wrong, and Wolfram could gladly sit down with him and discuss the facts. Maybe if they talked it out, Wolfram would understand Yuuri’s conflict and give him the space to make a decision about it. Maybe… Yuuri closed his eyes. Maybe Wolfram didn’t want to be engaged, either. Maybe he would find it a huge relief to have Yuuri break it off, take the burden off his shoulders. Maybe he wanted to check out girls, too, and was being prevented from doing so by this engagement hanging over them. Maybe that’s why he was so angry. Yuuri didn’t actually believe any of these things, but the more he told the lies to himself, the more he convinced himself to believe them temporarily. It gave him the tiniest glimmer of hope that Wolfram wouldn’t take his head off in one swipe of his sword. Yuuri didn’t know what he would say to his fiancé, or what point he wanted to make, but he knew he had to just talk to him. Nobody else seemed to want to. Maybe they all subtly sensed that this was Yuuri’s responsibility, and it was high time he faced up to it. Yet, he stopped outside the door to his room and stood there in a haze, hesitating all over again. From what he gathered, this was where Wolfram had gone earlier. There was no way this could be avoided, he had to just go and do it. Face Wolfram, and broach the sensitive subject, regardless of how Wolfram might react. His hand reached for the doorknob before he could order it not to, and the door swung open before him.

The last thing he expected to find upon entering was Wolfram packing a bag. He had changed out of his uniform and into the peasant clothing he wore when trying not to attract attention, and was slowly, methodically, rolling things up and stowing them in a saddlebag on the bed. He didn’t glance up at the sound of the door, but when Yuuri stepped in and closed it behind him, Wolfram finally looked his way and seemed mildly surprised to see him. “Hey,” Yuuri began. “Am I interrupting something?”

“No,” Wolfram replied, returning to his task. “What do you want?”

“I just…want to talk.” Yuuri nervously kneaded his hands together. “Things have been so messed up around here the past couple of weeks, and…and I realized you and I haven’t really talked about it. Considering how much it affects you…” He glanced at the bag, then. “What are you doing? Are you going somewhere?”

Wolfram wadded a peasant shirt into the bag and closed it. “I thought maybe if I got away from the castle for a few days, you could go about your business without having me looking over your shoulder all the time,” he said in a low voice. “Take a jaunt around the countryside, like Günter did. Maybe then you can think things through and make a decision, and end all of this nonsense.”

“You don’t have to go away for me to do that,” Yuuri assured. “It’s okay. I’ve been thinking over a lot of things, and I want to talk to you about them.”

Wolfram turned to him and folded his arms over his chest. His green eyes were wary, but not angry. “Fine. Talk.”

“Uh…” Now that he had been called on the floor, Yuuri’s mind went completely blank. He stood there staring at Wolfram, still knowing that he had to talk to him, but unable to find the right words to begin. He scratched his head and tried a goofy smile. “You know, I don’t blame you for wanting to take a little trip to get out of here,” he said with a faint chuckle. “Things are kind of tense. I almost wish I could go with you.”

Wolfram’s gaze held steady. “How would that bring you any closer to a decision on these proposals you’ve been fielding?”

“Well…” Yuuri’s brow furrowed. “Who says I have to make a decision about them?”

The first flicker of resentment awakened in Wolfram’s eyes. “You haven’t told any of them point-blank that you’re engaged and can’t accept, except the ones I’ve told for you, so that means you have to make some kind of decision what to do with them.” His lips pursed in a tight frown. “If you need my help throwing them all out and writing back to tell them you’re not available, why don’t you just ask?”

“You know I can’t just do that, Wolfram,” Yuuri said helplessly. “This is a bigger matter than just getting engaged to some stranger. This is about the future of the kingdom, and protecting the human nations smaller than us…”

“You can tell yourself those things all you want,” Wolfram cut him off, “but it doesn’t make it true. Those are the same words everybody else has been feeding you. You aren’t thinking about this for yourself.”

“That’s because there are people around here who know better than me.” Yuuri sighed and paced in a little circle, hands on his hips. “I don’t know everything, and I know when I need advice from people who are wise and understand these kinds of things better than I do. I can’t just go from my gut like you, in this case, I have to think things through. For all I know, Günter and Lady Cheri and everybody are right, and a king has to sacrifice in order to protect his people…”

“Sacrifice what?” Wolfram challenged, pouting even more. “Why don’t you come out and say it, Yuuri? Or are you too much of a wimp to do it?”

Yuuri spun to face him, irked, but decided at the last second not to rise to the challenge. Wolfram just used that word to provoke him, he was starting to catch on. “Look,” he said as calmly as he could, “you don’t know how much I’ve been thinking about this. I’ve tried to ask for help and no one can give it to me. I’m at the point where I have to decide, for myself, and I don’t know what to do. I can’t just send back all those letters, it would start some kind of international incident. I have to handle this like a Maou should, and consider everybody’s side.” His hands dropped to his sides, and he stepped back, sighing to himself. “I know it’s making you upset, too, because I can’t make up my mind. I don’t want to see you upset. So just…hear me out for a second. What if…?” Yuuri’s mouth went suddenly dry, as if to prevent him from saying it. He swallowed and tried again. “What if…just…hypothetically speaking…if we broke off the engagement? Just so I can have the time to listen to all the offers and weigh all the consequences without you having to worry about me cheating on you…”

Wolfram’s eyes widened briefly, and then went dark and cold. He stood across from Yuuri, hands falling to his sides, his mouth a tight, thin line. “Is that what you want?” he asked in a seething whisper.

“I don’t know what I want,” Yuuri admitted. “I just thought…maybe if we broke it off for now, it would make things easier on both of us. It would be easier on the ones sending in the offers, I can look at them with a clear conscience and judge fairly. And, you don’t have to be constantly worrying about me, you can go your own way and decide if maybe you wanted someone else, too.” He shrugged stiffly. “Maybe someone like Miss Elizabeth…”

He took a step or two forward toward Wolfram, hoping he would understand the rationality of it all. Wolfram quivered for a moment, and then raised his hand and backhanded Yuuri across the right cheek with all the force he could muster. It knocked Yuuri staggering, and left his face stinging for a long time afterward. He glanced to see Wolfram gone from cold to blazing hot in that instant, his eyes on fire and his entire body poised to attack. “How dare you say something like that?” he shouted, his voice rising shrilly. “I don’t love Elizabeth, I don’t love anyone else except you! Haven’t you gotten that through your thick head yet? What makes you think I’d be the least bit pleased to have you break off the engagement and send me on my merry way?”

All hope deflated out of Yuuri. Holding a hand to his burning cheek, he tried to pick himself up and face Wolfram’s fury head-on. “I’m sorry!” he said quickly. “I just thought, maybe…you might be getting tired of me. Always making things hard on you, making you angry and suspicious…”

“You don’t understand anything!” Wolfram cried. “How can you be so horrible? You don’t care about me at all! You’ve never cared! You’ve never taken the time to see that I have feelings and that I take this engagement very seriously! It’s all a joke to you, isn’t it?” He advanced on Yuuri, making him scramble backwards until he smacked into the bedpost. “This whole world is a joke to you. It’s a fantasy land for you to live in when you want to, and when you don’t, you can just go running back to Earth and not care anymore. And I’m the biggest joke of all.” Tears sprang to his eyes, turning the green in them velvety. “All along, I’ve been nothing but a joke to you! ‘Ha ha, oh look at Wolfram, he thinks I’m going to marry him. Won’t he be surprised?’ You’ve been looking for an opportunity to break it off with me all along, and now’s your chance. Is that it?”

“I tried to take it back the first day!” Yuuri angrily reminded him. “But you wouldn’t let me!”

“It was different then,” Wolfram muttered. “Then, it was a matter of pride. It isn’t so shallow anymore. From the first day, I’ve wanted to be together with you, but you’re so dense you never saw it. You’ve never so much as glanced my way in all this time. I’ve stood by you every step of the way, and for what? You show more compassion and empathy to complete strangers on the street than you do to me! You want to solve all the world’s problems, but you don’t care enough to see mine! Some peasant child in Suberera is more important to you than your own fiancé!”

Yuuri stared, taken aback. He wanted to protest, but realized with crushing clarity that Wolfram was right – his kind heart extended itself to every last man, woman, and child, Mazoku or human, and yet he had a huge blind spot where Wolfram stood. “What do you want me to do?” he cried defensively. “I’m the Maou! Every person has to be important to me!”

“I’m not talking about your damnable duty as Maou!” Wolfram shot back. “I’m talking about you, Yuuri, as a person. I’ve been at your side and watched you deal with people, never once did you think you were doing it out of duty. All of a sudden, you’re trying to hide behind duty when it comes to whether or not to stay engaged to me. Forget duty!” His fists shook at his sides from the force of trying to keep his tears from falling. “Tell me to my face that you don’t love me and don’t want to marry me! You’ve kept it to yourself for all this time, stop being a coward and just do it! I know you don’t care about me, I just want to hear you say it!”

“What do you mean I don’t care?” Yuuri argued, beginning to find his courage. “Of course I care!”

“Then why won’t you acknowledge my feelings for you?” At last the tears began to run down his cheeks, but Wolfram’s voice remained steady as he railed against Yuuri. “You’ve never noticed! You’ve never seen what it does to me when you cheat on me, or even think about cheating. Every single proposal that comes in cuts me to the quick, but you just let them keep coming, you never stopped to think about what it does to me! And everybody else in the castle advising you to entertain these proposals is just making it worse,” he blazed, teardrops dripping off his chin and spattering his green tunic with dark spots. “None of them care about me, either! They know full well that we’re engaged, and yet they’re telling you to meet girls and have fun and pick out a wife who means nothing to you. How could they do such a thing? How could any of you dismiss me so casually?” A sob welled up out of him, but he bit it back and kept going, eyes squeezed shut. “Why aren’t any of you taking me seriously? I have feelings! Don’t they matter? Am I just the brunt of everybody’s joke now? It’s bad enough having you stomp on my feelings, I have to deal with every last one of them throwing it back in my face!”

Yuuri froze again. “Wolfram,” he stammered, “I don’t think…it’s not like that…”

“It’s exactly like that!” Wolfram shouted. “You hear them clucking their tongues and see them rolling their eyes at poor, stupid Wolfram, always flying off the handle about every little thing. Doesn’t it occur to you that maybe I’m angry for a reason?” He gritted his teeth to keep from sobbing. “Or don’t my feelings count?”

“Well, you haven’t exactly been nice about it sometimes,” Yuuri said sullenly.

Wolfram took a breath to continue, but a genuine sob escaped him and made his shoulders tremble for a moment. He forced himself to straighten up and throw back his shoulders, to face Yuuri proudly no matter how badly he was weeping. “It’s so easy for you to dismiss me, too,” he accused bitterly. “You don’t want me because I’m a boy, no matter how much I might love you. You’d rather run off with some human girl you’ve never met just because she has the right parts, than care about someone who cares about you but doesn’t have the right parts. I’ve tried my hardest to show you that I can be what you want, that I love you more than any girl could, and you still haven’t given me a chance.”

“Wolfram!” Yuuri protested uselessly.

“It doesn’t matter what reason they tell you for making an arranged marriage, it comes down to whether or not you want it,” Wolfram snapped. “If you had any thought for me, you’d turn them all down, but I can see now that I’m just wasting my time. I shouldn’t expect you to ever want me, if you’re so quick to jump at the chance to meet strange girls from far-off lands and marry them sight-unseen. Not even my own mother supports me in my wish to marry you, so why should I cling to the notion?”

A nasty thought crossed Yuuri’s mind, and in his current state of confusion, he didn’t know he should have banished it instantly instead of speaking it aloud. “Maybe because I’m the only thing you’ve got?” he grumbled. “Half the women being set up for me have more to their names than you do. You’re the third son of the ex-Maou, you have nothing.”

“So you do understand,” Wolfram said harshly. Yuuri twitched, not expecting that at all. “I have nothing, and I’ve always been treated as nothing. Then you came along and proposed, and I saw my chance. Being married to the Maou wouldn’t be such a bad thing. I didn’t expect to fall in love with you.” He shuddered and dashed a hand across his cheek to wipe away the tears. “It may have seemed like that was my reason, but it isn’t. It hasn’t been. But you could never see that. You still think I’m just some arrogant child who wants to make trouble for you. You’ll never believe that I might actually love you and be hurt that you’re giving these marriage proposals a second glance.”

Yuuri needed to try one more time. “I have to! It’s for the good of the kingdom!”

“It is not!” Wolfram’s anger blazed forth again. “That’s just what they’ve been telling you to make you go along with it, and you’ve been swallowing every line! It has nothing to do with the kingdom! Those little countries can take care of themselves, how are they ever going to learn to stand on their own two feet if you’re always coming in to hold their hands when they’re scared? You’re just repeating back every stupid rationale they’ve been feeding you and not thinking! The only thing you should be thinking about is whether or not you love me and want to marry me!” He clenched his teeth, and his fists, as a fresh round of tears splashed down his face. “But if you came in here to ask me to break the engagement, I think I can guess what your answer is! Just for that, I refuse! I refuse to ever break the engagement, so that even if you do, so you can go off and marry some girl from Caloria, you have to live with that black mark against you forever! You will have to suffer with your loveless political marriage knowing that I never broke our engagement, and you are a cheater of the worst kind!”

Yuuri fell back in shock, all the fight draining out of him. He stared as Wolfram turned his back sharply and stumbled toward the window, looking for something to lean on to steady himself. Pushing himself away from the bedpost, Yuuri tried to chase after him. “Wolfram,” he said pleadingly. “Why would you want to stay engaged to me if you hate me so much?”

Wolfram whirled back towards him, teardrops flying everywhere. “I don’t hate you, I love you! I love you more than anything! Don’t you understand? If I gave up while I still love you, I would be lying to myself and betraying my own heart – something I cannot do. I will not betray that love and willingly let you marry someone else!” He choked back a sob. “But I’m angry with you, so leaving the engagement intact is the only way I can punish you for being such a jerk!” He pushed Yuuri out of the way and stomped over to the bed, snatching the bag off it and slinging it over his shoulder. “I can’t stay here and watch you crush my feelings under your heel , so I’m leaving!”

“No, Wolfram!” Yuuri started and reached for him, failing to grab him and hold him back. “Wait! You don’t have to leave! I don’t want you to leave!”

“I do have to!” Wolfram cried, turning back to glare at him. “You don’t understand this at all! If I had agreed to break off the engagement, I could stay – less my dignity, but I could keep my home. But because I love you and would rather keep the engagement, I have to leave my home. It’s a matter of honor. You can’t have your betrothed staying under the same roof as you and your new wife. It’s improper.” He set the bag down temporarily, and located a few more things to stuff into it now that he had chosen to leave permanently rather than temporarily. But he had a few more choice things to say to Yuuri, who just stood beside him, staring. “This should make it easier on you, too. You don’t have to look at me anymore, and be reminded that you were obligated to me. You can go and marry some patron’s daughter now, I’m sure you’ll be happier with a female. I just hope that’s what you really want. You never gave me a chance to show you what it’s like, you never even kissed me. You don’t care about me at all, I’m just an obstacle in your way and now, it’ll be gone. So you can have that girl you wanted. Whoever she turns out to be.”

“Wolfram, please!” Yuuri cajoled. “You can’t do this. This isn’t right! I don’t want to see you leave, think of what it would do to your brothers, and your mom…”

“Mother doesn’t care either!” Wolfram cried, instantly set off again. “She was the one who told you to invite that girl to the castle and make her want you! Nobody here cares about me, I’ve always sensed that – now I know for real. Now I see their true colors. And you’re going right along with them, you would rather play the noble, suffering king being carried along into this political arrangement than stand up for yourself or for me and do anything about it!”

“Well, then, give me a chance!” Yuuri forcefully begged. “Just don’t do something so rash!”

Anger blazed in Wolfram’s green eyes with such force that he might have been able to summon flame without an incantation. “How dare you accuse me of being rash?” he snarled. “You’re the one about to throw everything away for the sake of some muddled logical argument you can’t even be sure you agree with. You’ve recklessly toyed with my feelings and treated me like a secondary character! You may feel like this life in Shin Makoku is some kind of game, but it’s very real to me and this is my only home. You’ve taken everything from me – my dignity, my feelings, my place at your side – and now you’re taking my home away from me, too. I have nothing left, not even my name. Being cast off by the Maou will bring me nothing but shame, no one will want to even look at me once they hear that the Maou broke off his engagement to me. The only thing I can do is leave, and never bother you again!” He cinched the pack tight and yanked it off the bed, facing Yuuri squarely. “I have nothing left to lose, so I’ll leave you with this!” He grabbed Yuuri by the front of the jacket, before he could react and try to avoid it, and pulled him into a hard kiss. It was neither aggressive nor sexual, but firm, and sad. Wolfram was shaking and his cheeks were wet, but he kissed Yuuri with his last ounce of strength and then shoved him away, turning and bolting for the door.

Yuuri staggered for a moment, bewildered by the sudden kiss and blinded by a storm of conflicting emotions. He pulled himself up to try to follow, crying out, “Wait! Wolfram!” but a jet of flame burst in his direction, causing him to immediately retreat with a yelp. It wasn’t enough to hurt him, just enough to warn him not to come after Wolfram. By the time he had regained his feet, the doorway was empty and Wolfram had gone. Gritting his teeth angrily, Yuuri took off in pursuit, calling out “Wolfram!” ahead of him.

Wolfram raced through the castle with the bag over his shoulder, head down so no one could see his face as he passed. He had only one thought in mind – escape – but he still maintained his wits enough to think clearly about what to do. He ran out to the stables and nearly rejoiced to see a couple of his own personal guards saddling their horses for a patrol, talking amongst themselves and not paying attention to the figure barreling towards them. There was no time for Wolfram to saddle his own white mare, people would be down to try to talk him out of it before that could happen, so he blundered through his guards and leaped onto the nearest saddled horse. The guard to whom it belonged cried out in surprise, giving Wolfram a valuable half-second to lunge down out of the saddle and snatch the oiled traveling cloak out of his hand and throw it over his own shoulder before wheeling the horse and thundering out of the yard.

Yuuri was too far behind to catch up to Wolfram, and he knew it, but he tried just the same. It didn’t help that he got turned around in an unfamiliar corridor and wasted precious time backtracking, but then he had a clear path down the stairs and through the main halls to the door, hoping that someone else had seen the blond nobleman’s passage and tried to stop him. Before he could duck out and run down to the stables, however, Günter came around a corner and exclaimed in happy surprise. “Your Majesty! There you are!”

“Not now, Günter!” Yuuri yelled as he came running straight at him.

“Your Majesty – wait!” Günter lunged and skillfully got in the way, stopping Yuuri short and holding him at arm’s length to look at him. “What has gotten into you? You shouldn’t run in the castle…”

“I don’t have time, Günter!” Yuuri said desperately. “Did you see Wolfram go by here?”

“Wolfram?” Günter blinked, confused. “No, not at all…”

Yuuri tried to wrest his arms out of his counselor’s hold. “I need to find him. Now. Please, Günter.”

“Wolfram can wait,” Günter said as patiently as he could. “Gwendal has finished preparing the judgment papers for you to sign. They’ve been delayed too long already, you must sign them so we can distribute them.”

“What?” Yuuri managed to pull one arm free. “No, Günter, you don’t understand! I upset Wolfram, he needs me to…”

Günter gave him a displeased look. “Oh, is it that again?” he sighed. “Wolfram needs to go and cool his head, your Majesty. He will be fine. Take some time and see to these judgments, and when it’s over you can find him. I’m sure he’ll be in a much better mood.”

“But Günter!”

The sound of boot heels on the stone floor alerted both of them to someone’s rapid approach, and both turned to find two of Wolfram’s personal guards running towards them. “Your Majesty!” one called out.

Günter let go of the young king and allowed him to turn and face the guards. “You two! Have you seen Wolfram?”

“As a matter of fact, your Majesty,” one said breathlessly as they came up to him and bowed hastily. “His Excellency just passed us in the stableyard, he took one of the horses and rode off!”

“Oh no!” Yuuri’s heart sank into his shoes, and his shoulders sagged visibly with the weight of it. “He really did it…”

“Has something happened, your Majesty?” the other guard asked worriedly. “It isn’t like His Excellency to just run off like that. He said nothing to us, just took my horse and left. He seemed upset.”

“He had a pack,” the first guard reported, “and took a traveling cloak from us.”

Yuuri’s gaze hardened. He may have committed an unforgivable blunder, but he could still make up for it before it was too late. “You two. I need you to go after Wolfram. I don’t know if you can catch him, but at least track him. Find out where he’s going. Report back as soon as you can, I need to know if there’s any chance I can catch up to him before he gets too far.”

Both guards nodded. “Is it bad, your Majesty?” one asked timidly.

Yuuri closed his eyes and sighed. “Yeah,” he said morosely. “I’m afraid I really hurt him this time. He said he was leaving…for good.”

“Your Majesty!” Günter gasped. “You can’t be serious!”

Yuuri turned to him with eyes full of worry. “It’s true. I’ve done something horrible, Günter. I made Wolfram so upset that he thinks he has to run away or lose all his honor. I don’t have time to sign papers, I have to go after him.”

Günter gave him a tight-lipped frown. “Your Majesty, you can’t go acquiescing to every one of Wolfram’s temper tantrums. He’s being selfish and manipulative. Let him go, he’ll come back when he’s hungry and tired and has gotten it out of his system.”

A flash of anger shivered up Yuuri’s spine. It was just as Wolfram said – they were dismissing this as normal behavior! But Yuuri had been there, heard it all, seen it with his own eyes. This wasn’t just Wolfram being Wolfram. He scowled at the taller counselor. “You don’t understand! This isn’t the time to just pass it off, Günter. This is real. I went to talk to him, about all the marriage proposals, and he just…he lost it. He won’t break his engagement to me so he decided to run away and leave me to do what I want. I know he doesn’t want me to follow him but I have to! I have to know he’s not going to do something crazy…”

“I don’t think he would do something like that,” Günter cautioned. “Give him some space, your Majesty, he’ll come back.”

“I don’t think he will,” Yuuri said with a shake of his head. “He’s really serious this time. I tried to stop him from leaving but he shot fire at me…”

Günter’s eyes flew wide in shock. “He attacked you?” he cried, scandalized.

“No!” Yuuri frowned urgently. “He didn’t attack me, he was just…lashing out. It wasn’t enough to hurt me, just to keep me from following him.” He sighed in exasperation. “And now he’s probably long gone and I’ll have no hope of catching up to him. He’s already on the road, and I don’t even have a horse saddled.”

“There’s no sense in chasing after him,” Günter reasoned, still looking rather unsettled about the report of fire-elements being thrown at the Maou. “I’ve seen this behavior before, and it’s no excuse for him to cast majutsu toward you. I’m sure he can be tracked and found later, when he tires and stops for the day. You have important matters to attend to here.”

Yuuri glowered at him. “And what if I refuse?”

Günter put on his most saintly look, closing his eyes and folding his hands piously. “Then I shall have to call Conrad, and together, the two of us will take you into your study and tie you down in your chair until you see to your duties,” he said in a weary, light-hearted tone. “Allow that we might know what’s best for you and for Wolfram right now.” He opened his eyes and gazed down at the young king trembling with the force of his anger, and his heart cried out for mercy. Günter could never ignore the Maou’s pain. His eyes softened. “Send these two out to track him,” he said gently. “They know His Excellency best, they will know where to find him. You need some time to calm down and regain your senses, your Majesty. It will be better for both of you.”

Yuuri gave a little whimper of resignation as Günter’s hand came down on his shoulder. He wasn’t going to win this one. He turned back to the personal guards awaiting further order. “Please,” he asked them, “go find Wolfram. Make sure he’s all right. I want you to report directly to me when you know anything, okay?”

“Yes, your Majesty!” the pair chorused, straightening up to attention and then dashing back the way they had come.

Feeling guidance on his shoulder pressing him to come along, Yuuri turned and dejectedly followed Günter to his study to sign the judgement papers. Inside, he was still shaken and reeling from all the things Wolfram had said, but the only thing foremost in his mind was how much he had hurt Wolfram, how deep and significant the pain in those green eyes in that instant before he spun on his heel and ran out of their bedroom. This had gone beyond any temper tantrum, leaving Yuuri to wonder just how upset Wolfram could be and whether he had it in him to do anything to hurt himself, or worse. All he could do now was trust the guards who attended Wolfram on a regular basis, and hope they would get to him sooner than later. He couldn’t bear to think of what might happen if they didn’t. It wasn’t until much, much later that he realized he had just gotten his first kiss – and it was the saddest thing he had ever experienced.

Afternoon stretched into evening, and suppertime came, but still there was no word from the guards in pursuit of Wolfram. Everyone gathered for the meal as usual, leaving his chair next to Yuuri empty, though no one seemed to need to ask why he wasn’t there. Yuuri had only told Günter, and Conrad when he came in to check on the Maou’s progress, but from them word had easily spread. Yuuri sat poking at his plate with little interest in eating, his stomach knotted with grief over the words that kept pounding through his head. The attitude prevailing around the dinner table only brought the conflict into sharp relief, as everyone from Gwendal to Cheri to Günter assured him Wolfram was just acting out as usual and would be back when he had cooled his head. The smell of rain was in the air, so everyone seemed fairly certain that he would come slinking back when he was wet and cold and couldn’t take it any longer. Yuuri didn’t want to hear their excuses anymore, he could now see them through Wolfram’s eyes and grasped what he had meant by accusing his own family of not caring. But his own disheartened mood kept Yuuri from saying anything to them, preferring to brood on his own worries and glance out the windows darkening with the onset of night. Halfway through dinner, he was startled out of it by Sangria appearing at his shoulder, bending down to speak gently to him. “Are you feeling all right, your Majesty?” she wondered with sincere concern. “You haven’t touched your dinner. Is there anything else I can get you?”

“What? Oh…no, thank you,” he said sheepishly. “I just…don’t have much of an appetite tonight, I guess. It’s not that it’s bad…it smells delicious, as usual.”

The maid stood back and smiled. “Thank you, your Majesty. If there is anything I can bring you instead, just let me know.”

“Your Majesty,” Conrad said with a touch of exasperation. “It won’t do you any good to fret over Wolfram’s absence. You need to eat.”

“I can’t help it,” Yuuri said. “It’s my fault. I pushed him too far, he finally snapped.” He glanced toward the window again. “I just hope he’s all right.”

“Wolfram can take care of himself,” Cheri said confidently. “He’s always been a little headstrong. So, have you thought any more about that pretty young girl from Caloria we read about?”

Yuuri stared at her, disturbed. “No, I…no,” he settled for answering lamely, lowering his eyes to his cold meal. “I don’t want to talk about it.”

The others decided to leave him to his thoughts for the rest of dinner, chatting amongst themselves about other castle goings-on until one of the maids came to take Greta away for her bath. At that, Yuuri excused himself and got up to leave, but then the pair of blue-coated guards he had sent on the mission earlier came blundering through the door, followed by Dorcas, who was shouting at them to have some sense of decorum and not bother His Majesty at dinner. Yuuri waved him off and paused to listen to what they had to say. The others at the table turned to hear, as one of the guards reported, “I’m sorry, your Majesty. We followed the trail as best we could, but it turned cold not far outside the city gates. We lost it in the regular traffic on the road. He must have been going at a pretty good rate, to get that far.”

“We asked around, and some villagers remember seeing him ride past,” the other added. “But that was much earlier. We tracked him until nightfall, and then we lost the trail. Our apologies, your Majesty.”

Yuuri held up a placating hand. “It’s all right, I’m sure you did your best. Which direction was he going when you lost him?”

The first one gestured vaguely. “He left the city through the western gate, but he seems to be on his way north. There isn’t much that way except small farms and villages, and eventually the dragon sanctuary. Whatever his intent, your Majesty, he doesn’t seem to be stopping. He’s well outside the city by now.”

Yuuri did his best not to be downhearted, though this was anything but good news. “All right. Thanks,” he sighed. “You’ve been a huge help. Go rest up and take care of your horses, I’ll make sure somebody else takes up the search.”

“Yes, your Majesty.” They bowed and departed.

Yuuri stood there a moment longer, trying to stop himself from making fists and punching the nearest wall. He then heard the scrape of wood on stone and the soft step of a boot behind him. “Your Majesty,” Conrad said patiently, “there isn’t anything more you can do tonight. It’s late. Even Wolfram will have stopped for the night to rest. We can resume the search in the morning.”

“No.” Even Yuuri himself was surprised at his defiance, but he figured it was time to stop playing around. He turned to Conrad with a frown. “I want you to find some guards or scouts or something and send them out to try to find Wolfram’s trail. If it rains tonight, it’s going to wash away the tracks and we’ll never find him.”

Conrad looked sad. “It doesn’t sound as though he wants to be found.”

“I know.” Yuuri’s frown deepened. “But I can’t just let him go. I can’t sit by while he throws everything away just because he thinks it’ll make me happy. I screwed up and I need to make it right. I need to find him.”

“Please, your Majesty,” Lady Cheri said sweetly, rising and coming to Conrad’s side. “Don’t worry about it. If anyone knows my dear, bull-headed son, I should. He may be upset, but he’ll get over it. You’ll see. Why, I’ll bet he crawls back through the door in the morning, once the cold night and the rain have doused all that fire in him.”

A glare settled into the king’s black eyes. “Aren’t you the least bit worried about him? I know Wolfram can be hot-headed, but he’s never run away from home before! None of you think he might actually be in trouble?”

Conrad held a steady gaze. “Wolfram chose to leave of his own volition.”

“Yeah, because I drove him out!” His chaotic emotions were building to a head inside him, making Yuuri’s whole body tense as he faced the indifferent expressions from the household. “You weren’t there! You didn’t hear what he said – what I said.” He dug the heels of his hands into his eyes, trying to block the heated flush rising in his cheeks. “I went to him to ask him how he would feel if I did happen to break our engagement, and he…he broke completely down. He said I never cared about his feelings, that I always pushed him aside and worried more about people I didn’t even know.” He raised his eyes to find Conrad and Cheri gazing at him with some sympathy, but no shock. The others still seated at the table were not even looking at him. For some reason, it made him seethingly angry. “He’s right. He’s right about all of it! I never showed him any respect, and now I’ve gone and destroyed the one thing that had any meaning to him. It’s no wonder he ran! I wouldn’t want to be near me, either!”

Discomfort flickered in Conrad’s brown eyes. “Is that what upset him so?”

“That doesn’t even begin to touch it.” Yuuri glared daggers at his friend and his partner’s mother, so long as they were there in front of him. “None of you treat him with any respect, either. I didn’t even notice it until he said something, but he’s right. All this time, you’ve been dismissing him like he doesn’t matter, like every time he speaks out or acts up, the reason is something totally stupid and selfish and ‘oh, that’s just Wolfram.’ All night long you’ve been telling me that, that this is just Wolfram being himself. But none of you get it! None of you were there, you didn’t see how much I hurt him and how desperate he was when he left!”

That got the attention of those lingering at the table. Anissina and Gwendal turned toward him in their chairs, frowning in surprise, while Günter got to his feet. “Your Majesty…”

“You guys did this to him,” Yuuri breathed with the raw, bitter tone of someone who had just had a light flicked on inside his head to reveal what the darkness was hiding. “You never took him seriously, and it’s been building and building until he finally snapped. And I played right into it,” he added with a note of grief. “I listened to all of you instead of Wolfram, trying to convince me that arranging a marriage with a girl from a human country was important and I should do it, but you never once considered his feelings! You acted like the engagement never existed! I’m still engaged to him! I never broke it off! How come none of you acknowledged that? All I ever heard from you was ‘this is good for the kingdom,’ and ‘there’s lots of pretty girls to meet,’ and all that. No one ever said, ‘Wait a minute, you’re engaged to Wolfram.’ Why?” He looked wildly around the ring of dumbstruck faces staring at him. “Why doesn’t our engagement matter?”

The others looked at each other, unable to form a response. As much as he needed one, Yuuri didn’t expect one, and just blazed on, hands balled into fists. “I may have hurt him today, but it’s everybody’s fault! You keep trying to talk me into breaking my engagement without saying the words, buttering me up with all this talk of pretty girls and doing right by our allies. I can’t believe you would do such a thing! You didn’t regard Wolfram at all! You just pretended he didn’t exist! And then when he has the nerve to get upset about it, you all dismiss him like he’s just overreacting about nothing! All of you!” He had particularly savage glares for Cheri and Günter, who tended to make such excuses more easily. “It’s no wonder he flew off the handle, if that’s the way you’ve been treating him ever since he was a kid! And now none of you are even the least bit concerned about going after him. Well, for once, I’m going to do the right thing!” He whirled in place and darted out the door, pounding down the hall toward the nearest exit.

Yuuri figured the others would chase him down, but he didn’t care. He had made his decision – to go out to the stables, have Ao saddled, and hit the road in search of Wolfram. If nobody else wanted to do it, he would have to do it himself. He got through the door and halfway across the courtyard when he heard the steps right behind him, and then a hand came down on his shoulder to drag him to a stop. “Yuuri, wait,” Conrad said breathlessly. “Don’t go running off like this. Stop, think about it!”

Yuuri flung away his hand, though he did stop and stand there, panting, in the middle of the courtyard. “What is there to think about? None of you want to go find Wolfram. If I can’t round up some guards to go and pick up his trail, I’m going to have to do it myself! If you want to come, by all means!”

Conrad shook his head. “You’re not thinking clearly. It’s late, it’s dark, and another storm is coming. You can’t just run off without preparing, you need a warm cloak, you need someone to saddle your horse, you need an escort and protection. Come back inside, we’ll sit down and talk about it. I’ll send out a search party in the morning, if Wolfram hasn’t returned by then.”

“No!” Yuuri glanced at the door behind Conrad to see everyone else crowding through it, faces full of wonder and bewilderment. They had come to see if Conrad could stop him, if anything could be done to calm him. Yuuri had no intention of being calm, and now he had a captive audience. “Don’t you get it? He needs us now, not in the morning! He needs to know that I haven’t given up on him, that I still care about him! If you really cared, you’d send out that search party now, not later! You’d come with me and help me saddle Ao so I can go find Wolfram!”

Conrad held up a hand as if trying to tame a barking dog. “I understand that you’re hurt, your Majesty,” he said in a cajoling tone. “Getting into a fight with Wolfram is no small matter, I won’t dismiss it. But you’re not thinking rationally. Neither was he when he ran off, and now he’s pulled you down with him.”

“You don’t know anything!” Yuuri screamed at him. “It wasn’t just a fight! I tore his heart out and threw it on the floor in front of him, I did what all of you were convincing me to do and asked him to break our engagement! That was all he had! That was the only thing anyone ever gave him, without strings attached, without him having to feel worthy of earning it! He’s your own brother, Conrad! How could you treat him like that? Nobody ever asked him if he wanted it, you just pushed and pushed until I thought it was the only logical conclusion to break it off with him. He never asked for anything in this whole world, all he had was his name, his home, and his bond with me – and now I’ve taken all of it away from him!” He didn’t even notice that tears were now flowing freely down his cheeks, he was so concentrated on bringing up every last crime they had committed against Wolfram and letting them have it on his behalf. “His own brothers and mother treated him like he wasn’t even there, talking about marrying me off to some stranger right in front of him! I know you didn’t forget that we’re engaged. How could you forget? He brings it up at least once a day!”

Beyond Conrad, Cheri suddenly clapped a hand to her mouth. Beside her, Gwendal bristled at the accusation. “How dare you! We have known Wolfram since he was born, you’ve only been here less than a year…”

“And in all that time, did you ever take some time out to sit down with him and talk to him and ask him how he feels?” Yuuri shot back, his throat burning from all that yelling. Gwendal flinched as though given an electric shock. “Maybe Wolfram was a brat sometimes, but did you ever think that it was maybe because you treated him like one? I’ve had to deal with his accusations of cheating, and his shouting, and all those other little annoyances, but you made the Wolfram I’ve had to deal with! You shut him out and made him think he was worthless, that all he could look forward to was slouching about the castle or maybe getting married off to another noble just to get him out of your hair. You never gave him a chance! You never took the time to see that he has feelings, and now it’s all backfired!” He staggered back a few steps, as if part of his mind was still looking for a route of escape. “You ignored his feelings, you didn’t bother to see that he loved me, he still loves me, and all this talk of arranged marriages was killing him inside! It hurt him to the point of him wanting to get away, to let me have some room to think, but then I came in and destroyed his last hope of ever being able to be with me!”

Conrad’s hand stood poised in the air to grab him again, but flexed uncertainly, as if he expected to be burned if he dared touch Yuuri. “Yuuri,” he stammered. “If he loves you, why would he do this to you?”

Yuuri’s head sagged onto his chest. “He loves me enough to throw away what little he has,” he said savagely. “For all I know, he’s running away to find a place to lay his life down and leave me free…” The power had been building in him, threatening to unleash at any minute, but that spark of thought, however irrational, set the pyre aflame. Every Mazoku in the vicinity twitched as a ripple of maryoku washed over them, blasting outward from Yuuri’s lean figure like a shockwave. Conrad even stepped back, aware that Yuuri was beyond reaching, now. The courtyard became awash in blue as the Maou’s aura burst to life, chilling the muddy ground and sodden gray vegetation as if by a flash-freeze of ice. The members of Wolfram’s family and the castle household stood paralyzed, having no way of talking Yuuri down or offering any words that might dissuade his inner self from punishing them. Slowly, the Maou raised his head, so they could see his cold, slitted eyes, but his expression stunned them. His lip was trembling, and there were tears clouding the black gems of his eyes. He tilted his head all the way back so he was staring at the sky, and then began to speak in a low, murmuring tone. “So many crimes,” he sighed. “So much pain. So much wrong. What can I do? What can I say, when I myself am guilty of the same crimes I see around me?”

Several of the others shivered at the sound of the Maou’s voice. “What is he talking about?” Günter fretted. “What is wrong with him?”

“He’s unstable,” Gwendal answered darkly. “It is the Maou, but…he cannot pass judgment when he himself is guilty.”

“Then why has he come out?” Cheri gasped.

“He can’t help it.” Gwendal’s eyes narrowed as he observed the Maou, his power, his countenance. “He reacts instinctively to protect those who need it, to protect those whom Yuuri loves. But he was responsible for some of it, so all he can do is grieve, and react.” A chill light of fear gleamed in his eyes. “There is no way to predict what he will do, if he has no control over himself.”

The Maou stood with his chin tilted up, blankly staring at the clouded sky. “There is no justice here,” he muttered, “only pain. Sins of omission, failure to act. A heart cries out to me, but it doesn’t want justice…it only wants to be cared for. How can I stand by when he is in such pain? How can I look the other way when I can see what it is doing to him? I have failed.” He blinked, and a single tear streaked down his face. “I have caused pain. But in this, I am not alone.” His head lowered until he could focus that supernatural glare on the little knot of people crowded in the doorway. As if to echo his grief, a few raindrops began to fall, plopping dully on the wet ground and spotting his black coat. The Maou stared them all down until Lady Cheri and Anissina looked away, unable to meet his eyes any longer, and then he took a deep breath to speak. “The guilty stand all around me. Fools, who may not have intended to hurt, but did so anyway. You speak to loving your brother, your son, your companion, but you do not respect him. Love alone cannot mend a fragile heart. Betrayal! You have all betrayed him, in your own way, and left him to die slowly, bleeding from a thousand cuts! You left him with nothing, so that all he could do was grasp for the tiniest kindness extended to him out of an accident. And then, you sought to take that away from him also!” The Maou’s voice was rising with anger, and the aura swirling around him became correspondingly more agitated. “Deliberate or not, you mocked his pain and counseled the one he loves to cast him aside! You would rather have two hearts crushed and left to die over a pointless, loveless marriage than seek other means of uniting the kingdoms of the world! For that, I have no sympathy! Guilt is all around me, and I am a part of it! May punishment rain down on us all!” He lifted his arms, and the skies opened up, showering a cold spring rain on all those gathered.

Conrad took a hesitant step toward him, ignoring the water running down his face, down his neck and into the collar of his coat. “Yuuri,” he whispered. “Please, come back to us. We will work this out…”

The Maou’s eyes shifted to him with the cutting swiftness of a blade. Out of instinct, Conrad raised an arm to shield his head. “There is nothing to work out,” he said coldly. “Until the lost heart is found and healed, none of us have a right to speak. Have you no shame? Can you not see in your heart what you have done and find the strength to admit your guilt?” His aura began to lash out toward Conrad, as if probing his vulnerabilities and seeking a means of punishing him on the Maou’s behalf. Pure anger and grief pooled in the glittering black eyes. “I will not let you restrain me! If I cannot restore what I have broken down, at least allow me to share the pain I have caused!”

Suddenly, a tiny figure burst out from behind Gwendal, running heedlessly across the open ground and tackling the Maou about his knees. Everyone had been so stunned by the frightening countenance of the Maou and the sense that he was about to do something very violent with his maryoku, none of them saw her until it was too late for anyone to lunge and stop her. Not even Conrad could react quickly enough, though he saw her pass and cried out when he saw what she was doing. “Greta! Get back!”

Greta didn’t seem to hear him, her focus was on Yuuri alone. She hugged him about the knees and squeezed her eyes shut. “Yuuri, stop it!” she begged. “No more yelling! It’s scary! I don’t want you to be mad, I want you to stop yelling! Please?”

The Maou’s aura faded instantly, as if the breath had been knocked out of him. With the rain pouring down on him, he sagged and then collapsed to his knees, his arms falling around Greta’s little shoulders. She hugged him as only a child could, snuggling into the shelter of his arms and chest, while he clung to her desperately. After a moment or two, she and everyone else realized that he was sobbing. Yet, none of them could move, they just stood and stared, aware that Greta had narrowly averted disaster for all of them. A pure, unrestrained Maou could have destroyed the castle and killed every last soul inside, innocent or guilty, and then himself. Each felt a creeping shame at the edge of their senses, but for the most part they were simply shocked to have witnessed these events and heard the proclamation against them. Only Conrad stirred, going to Yuuri and kneeling down beside him. His hand came to rest heavily on the young man’s shoulder. “Yuuri?” he chanced.

He lifted his head, revealing that it was Yuuri again, broken and crying without shame. Greta blinked at him and then snuggled even closer. “Yuuri, don’t be sad! I didn’t mean to yell at you, please don’t be sad…”

Yuuri held her close, protecting her from the rain. “It wasn’t your fault, Greta,” he said quietly. “You did a good thing, thank you. I just…I…” He swallowed a sob and wiped his face on his sleeve.

Conrad’s hand on his shoulder remained steady, and he made no further move toward Yuuri. “Let’s go inside out of the rain,” he suggested. “I will send Yozak and a couple of scouts out right away, to try to track Wolfram before the rain washes away his trail. But you need to rest, you can’t help them like this. You should get a good night’s sleep and prepare to join the search in the morning.”

Yozak had been in the audience the entire time, having gotten wind of something going on and come out to hear Yuuri’s entire tirade. He stood at the back of the pack, arms folded, looking rather disgruntled. Yuuri nodded and accepted the offer, pushing himself to his feet and scooping Greta to his side as they started back across the courtyard to the shelter of the castle. The little crowd melted back ahead of him, shrinking away from him but not exactly ready to run off and leave him alone, yet, whether out of morbid curiosity or some lame hope to maybe apologize or say something that would cheer Yuuri in the slightest. Yuuri didn’t look at any of them, feeling no obligation to apologize in turn for his behavior. He had poured out his rage on them, and now he was simply cold and empty, feeling the weight of his own guilt on his soul. Conrad took control of the moment, removing his hand from the young king’s shoulder and turning to face the group. “I will be sending scouts immediately to track Wolfram down overnight. He may not want to be found, and this rain won’t help, but we must try.”

“What’s the point?” Yozak said distrustfully. “Wolfram can take care of himself. Do we really need to play this game?”

“Yozak!” Conrad said sharply, his eyes flashing. Yozak shut his mouth and looked away.

“Why are you indulging the boy’s tantrum?” Anissina pouted. “It’s no different…”

“Anissina,” Gwendal said in such a tone that would have made anyone quake in fear. She sniffed and turned away, folding her arms stubbornly. Gwendal just nodded to Conrad. “Do as you must. Will His Majesty be joining the search?”

“In the morning,” Conrad said. “Günter, see to it that his horse is saddled and travel preparations are made by then. When Yozak reports to me, I will go with His Majesty.”

“Oh, so I’m to be the scout in question, is that it?” Yozak said in annoyance. Conrad eyed him again, but Yozak just raised a hand to stop him from scolding a second time. “Fine, fine, I’m going. I don’t feel particularly generous toward His Excellency right now, but given the options…” He glanced toward Yuuri’s soaked, sullen figure and just sighed to end his comment.

Günter took a step toward Yuuri, but carefully, for the tirade had struck home with him and made him extremely unsettled, unsure whether Yuuri liked him anymore. “Your Majesty?” he said timidly. “May I take you up to your room to change into something dry?”

“Maybe you better let me do it.” Murata’s reedy voice surprised all of them, as he came up behind them and passed through the astonished group. He went straight up to Yuuri, who sniffled and looked pathetic, and patted him on the shoulder. “Boy, this is a mess, isn’t it, Shibuya?”

“Murata…” Yuuri said in question.

“I sensed the little power display down here and came to find out what’s going on.” He peered curiously at Yuuri. “Is it true? Wolfram’s run away?”

Yuuri nodded dejectedly. “It’s all my fault…”

“Something tells me that’s not entirely true.” Murata turned back and gave Conrad a chipper smile. “I can take care of it. Leave him with me for a while. Shibuya needs an old pal more than anything right about now.” He turned back and glanced down at the child clinging to Yuuri’s chilled hand. “Miss Greta? You want to come with us, so we can tuck you in?”

She nodded enthusiastically and tugged at Yuuri’s hand, getting him to come along. He trudged away between them, hardly noticing where he was going. Behind them, Conrad returned to the others and shared a look with them. They were all thinking the same thing, but didn’t know how to admit it. They knew they had done something wrong, but could not yet see it all for themselves, except that Yuuri was beyond upset and that worried them. Yozak slunk away as ordered to round up a couple of scouts and hit the highways, while the rest simply broke up and went their scattered ways. Conrad placed his hands on his mother’s shoulders and guided her away himself, as she was sniffling into her hand and trying not to let the others see.

Murata dropped Greta off with one of the maids, so she could be properly bathed and dressed and put to bed, while he guided Yuuri into his room. He hadn’t been back inside it since Wolfram stormed out, but for all the verbal mess, the place looked completely undisturbed. Murata patiently waited until Yuuri had changed out of his rain-soaked uniform and into pajamas, and then stood there with his arms folded, looking him over. “So,” he began. “Wanna talk about it?”

Yuuri shook his head. “I don’t need any more people trying to give me advice, Murata,” he complained. “You see where it’s gotten me.”

“I’m not here to give you advice,” Murata countered. “Let’s put aside Maou and Great Sage for a minute and just go back to being Shibuya and Murata. You’re having a crisis. Let’s talk about it.”

Sighing, Yuuri slumped to a seat on the bed, glancing aside as Murata plopped down beside him, making the whole bed bounce. Yuuri scooted back to give him room, and as he did, he found something tangled in the turned-back bedcovers. Something pink and soft – Wolfram’s nightgown. He hadn’t taken it with him. Yuuri sat there and stared at it a moment, his mind blank, and then for no conscious reason, pulled it to him and tucked it in his arms. “So,” he murmured. “How much do you know?”

“I hear things, here and there,” Murata said idly. “But I want to hear it from you. What happened?”

Bowing his head, Yuuri told him, from the first to the last, not only about the fight itself but how everyone had been encouraging him to take the series of marriage proposals seriously and ponder how they might best benefit Shin Makoku and its allies, to the detriment of Wolfram’s personal feelings. Murata listened with his chin on a fist, saying nothing, until Yuuri trailed off and rubbed his nose. “I thought of calling for you up at the temple and asking for your advice, but I was afraid you’d say the same thing as everybody else.”

“I wish you would have,” Murata said, “although I don’t think this could have been avoided. It was going to happen sooner or later.” He shook his head. “Let’s not talk about the marriage proposals, though. That’s not the real problem. That’s not why you’re upset.” He glanced up with a keen look. “You’re upset about Wolfram, just him, only him.”

Yuuri nodded morosely. “I really hurt him, Murata.”

“Sounds like it.” Murata rested his chin on his hand again. “I bet no one ever told you love was going to be so hard. He really loves you, doesn’t he?”

“I think so.” Yuuri stared at the blanket. “I just never really took the time to notice, you know?”

“What, you took being engaged for granted?”

“Well…” Yuuri frowned uncomfortably. “It’s just, he’s always going off about it, calling me a cheater just for smiling at people and rather forcefully reminding me that we’re engaged, so it’s not like I forgot about it. But we got engaged by accident. It’s not like I chose to ask him to marry me.”

“That doesn’t make a difference,” Murata shrugged. “The fact is, you’re engaged, and if you treat it like it doesn’t matter, then you’re better off not being engaged.” He peered at Yuuri. “Just what is your reason for not breaking it before? Why have you stayed engaged to him if you didn’t love him?”

“I…” Yuuri stared at him for a long moment, mouth agape. “I…don’t know,” he said at last.

“Seriously?” Murata blinked at him. “Man, no wonder you’re so confused. So, do you love him?”

More gaping silence. Murata finally waved a hand. “You don’t have to answer that right now if you don’t want to,” he assured. “I know it’s hard to talk about.”

“Why should it be hard to talk about?” Yuuri countered, frowning all over again. “It’s just…”

“Feelings are always hard to talk about, even when you’re sure of them,” Murata said understandingly. “And when you’re not, it’s even worse. But it seems to me, part of your problem is, rather than figure out how you feel, you just let things go on as they were and didn’t realize you were leading Wolfram on.” He tilted his head. “Unless you do like him, and are just afraid to admit it. Still a problem, but a completely different one.”

Yuuri averted his eyes. “I don’t know if I do,” he said quietly. “I can’t really say, I haven’t really thought about it. Not like Wolfram obviously has.”

“People accuse you of wearing your heart on your sleeve, but he’s even worse than you,” Murata mused. “You two are a lot alike, you know. Most of the time, you have no problem showing your emotions, but when it comes to something that really matters, you bottle it all up inside. Wolfram does it because he’s been brought up with the proper training of a nobleman. I have no idea why you do it.”

Still looking away, Yuuri pouted. “It’s not like I’ve ever been in this situation before. I don’t know about you, but I’ve never been in love. I’ve never had anybody even like me, I don’t know what I’m supposed to do about it.”

Murata sat back on his hands and gave a wistful sigh. “I haven’t been in love in this lifetime, yet. Just hit on girls a lot. Not that I’m not interested in love, I just haven’t had it come up yet.” He cocked his head again. “Come to think of it, you’re not really into hitting on girls like I am. The last time we had our chance, you were all distracted taking care of business while I got to be with the girls. You didn’t even look twice at the bikini ladies.”

“Well…” Yuuri shrugged stiffly. “Maybe I’m just not that kind of guy.”

“Could be.” Murata smiled pointedly. “Could also be, you don’t like girls.”

“What?” Yuuri sat up straight and glowered. “I do so!”

“Relax, Shibuya. I’m not questioning your manliness. It’s okay to not like girls. It really is.” Murata’s eyes were calm and gentle behind his glasses, he wasn’t teasing this time. “I’ve been in that situation before. More than one of my lives, I’ve chosen to be with someone of the same sex. It doesn’t make you any less of a man.” He sat forward and smiled. “Or woman, as the case may be. It just depends on what your heart prefers. You don’t have a problem with Wolfram liking you. So why should you take offense if it turns out you like him back?”

Yuuri looked diligently away again, not wanting to face the piercing keenness in those eyes. “I told you. I don’t know how I feel about him. I really, honestly, don’t.”

“No, nothing? There haven’t been any times when you might have felt just a little something? Even if you don’t know what it is?”

“Well…” Yuuri thought about it, returning his attention to the soft nightgown in his lap, which he had been idly caressing with his fingertips while they talked. Whenever Wolfram came to bed in it, Yuuri tended to shy away from him, and not let him touch him if he could help it. So, he hadn’t really noticed before how nice the fabric was. Though, those ribbons had to be scratchy on Wolfram’s skin. “Maybe…once or twice. When he’s not being annoying.” The more he thought, the more mental images came to him, showing him moments in his memory he associated with a flash of feeling deep in his heart that he couldn’t identify, but craved to feel again. “Sometimes, when he hasn’t fallen out of bed or pushed me out, and I wake up in the morning to see him curled up there, it’s kind of cute. There was that one time.” His eyes darkened. “After Maxine opened the first box. I was so weak and lost, I thought I was going to fall and die, and then all of a sudden, out of nowhere, there was Wolfram, with the sun in his hair like some kind of angel. He came all that way to save me…” The feeling welled up inside him again, invoked by the memory. “He does surprise me, sometimes. Every once in a while, just a little thing here or there…” A faint smile crossed his face. “Like when he tucked the rose behind my ear. Or when the bearbees hatched, and he came and helped me instead of trying to kill them.”

“So…it’s fair to say Wolfram might actually have a few qualities worth liking.”

“Well…yeah.” Yuuri made an annoyed face. “He’s not a bad guy, really. He’s just…a little overbearing sometimes. And stuck-up.”

“Does that surprise you?”

Yuuri lowered his head. “Not anymore. I thought about what he said. He’s right – everybody treats him like a brat, so that’s why he acts like one. He’s not perfect, but none of us are. He just has a few personality quirks, he’s not an awful person.”

Murata stared keenly at him. “I think I know what your problem is.” Yuuri looked up, and asked the question with his facial expression. “You don’t know how to feel about Wolfram because you’re still under the delusion that it’s wrong for boys to be with boys. It’s just a silly hang-up you carried over from Earth, but it’s standing in the way of you wanting to like Wolfram back.”

Yuuri looked positively confused. “But…that doesn’t make any sense. I can’t marry another boy. It just doesn’t work that way.”

“Why shouldn’t it?”

“Well…aren’t I supposed to be thinking about finding a Queen, and producing an heir to be the next Maou? If I marry a boy, we can’t have kids, and there wouldn’t be anyone next in line…”

To his shock, Murata burst out laughing. And kept laughing, for minutes on end, until he slumped over on the bed holding his stomach. Yuuri gave him an exasperated look. “You’re not helping.”

“Sorry…” Still giggling, Murata pushed himself up and wiped a tear from his eye. “Oh, that was a good one, Shibuya. I’m going to be laughing over that one all night.”

“What the hell did I say? It makes perfect sense to me.”

“Hasn’t Günter taught you anything by now?” Murata asked incredulously. “Rite of succession isn’t by heredity among Mazoku, here or on Earth – or how else would your brother be next in line to be Earth’s Maou?”

Stupidity crawled across Yuuri’s face. “Oh…I didn’t think of that.”

“The Maou chooses his or her successor, regardless of whether it’s a family member, a partner, a counselor, a war hero, anything,” Murata went on. “Sure, sometimes the best person for the job is a son or daughter, but not always. You don’t have to have a blood relative on the throne after you.” He gave his friend a wise look. “Same-sex partnerships are not rare among Mazoku, we’re wired not to care about biology when choosing a life partner. Sure, to have kids you have to have a male and a female, but procreation and lifelong bonds don’t necessarily go together. Only humans have that stigma, in both worlds. Think about it.” He waggled a finger. “It’s the human nations who are throwing women at you, right? They haven’t offered a male partner, have they?”

“Uh…no…”

“They assume you’re like them, and would want a woman. They never asked your preference, or if you have one, and if it’s all for political gain rather than love, then it really doesn’t matter.” He waved a hand. “But that’s not the point. The point is, there isn’t any logical reason why you can’t like Wolfram. It just comes down to whether or not you do. If you just simply don’t have feelings for him that way, that’s fine. No one can fault you for that. But you shouldn’t try to convince yourself that it’s wrong, or it doesn’t work that way.” Murata sobered briefly. “It isn’t your fault that you’ve been raised to have that expectation. That’s the way humans on Earth behave. But if you want to understand people here, and make sense of this whole business with Wolfram, you have to learn to see it another way. If there’s even some small part of you that really does have feelings for him, you have to let it out. You can’t keep squashing it under your silly notions that boys aren’t supposed to like boys.”

Yuuri’s arms tightened around his chest, enfolding the nightgown to him. “But how am I supposed to know if I have those feelings?”

“You just know,” Murata smiled. “When you stop trying to think about it, and let your guard down, what you really feel is going to be right there, and you’ll kick yourself for not seeing it all along.”

Yuuri shook his head. “I don’t know if I can. I mean…I don’t dislike Wolfram. He’s okay. I just don’t know where the line is between friendship and…love.”

“Sometimes, there isn’t one. It could be that you do love him, it just hasn’t hit you yet. If you’re blocking it out with all your preconceived notions of what’s right or wrong…” Murata frowned very slightly. “You know, as much as you’re trying to break down the prejudice against humans and Mazoku who want to marry and be together, you had better not be introducing a new prejudice in its place.”

That made Yuuri sit up sharply and stare for a long moment. He wanted to assure Murata that he wasn’t, but even he had to admit, all his bristling and recoiling around Wolfram, and not being open to telling people that they were engaged, made it look like he was encouraging prejudice. What if he shoved Wolfram away, and thereby discouraged everyone who might have been looking to the Maou as a proper example? He shook his head quickly and gave his friend a plaintive look. “But if I don’t really feel anything for Wolfram, even if I try to look and it’s just not there?”

Murata nodded. “Then, you owe it to Wolfram to break it off. It’s going to be painful no matter what you decide, because you’ve let the engagement go on too long. But Wolfram needs to know for sure whether you even kinda-sorta like him.” He reached out and clapped a hand to Yuuri’s knee. “Only you can decide how you feel about him. Nobody can tell you one way or the other. But I’d suggest you do that before making any further decisions about the engagement. If you dig deep down and find out you simply can’t love him, for whatever reason, he needs to know that. Sure, finding that out is going to hurt, but it’ll hurt worse for you to keep lying to him and to yourself and stringing him along.”

“I know,” Yuuri moaned. “We can’t just let it go on anymore. He deserves to be free if there’s no way I can ever marry him and be with him.”

“And you deserve to make up with him and really enjoy being engaged if it turns out you do have those feelings buried in there under all that crap you brought with you from Earth,” Murata added. “I heard something in your voice a little bit ago, when you were talking about the ‘little things.’ I can’t tell you how you feel, but I can tell you what I saw.” His eyes twinkled mischievously behind his glasses. “You were blushing when you talked about him being cute.”

Yuuri sat up and gulped a deep breath, and only then realized he was blushing, and clapped a hand over his face. “Murata!”

“Hey, don’t yell at me, you’re the one blushing about it,” Murata teased. “It’s okay, really. If some little thing about Wolfram gives you a happy little tingle in your heart, go with it. He’s not pressing you to get married, so you may as well take your time being engaged. Just don’t do it for his sake.” His wise frown returned. “Do it because you like him and wouldn’t mind being married to him, not because you feel obligated. And really think about that, Shibuya – think about being married to him. If you can’t handle that, you shouldn’t be engaged. One leads to the other, you don’t just stay engaged forever.”

“I know,” Yuuri sighed, though it felt good to hear someone actually say that, and get him thinking about it. It was so easy to banish thoughts of marriage to the back of his mind when there was no hurry to resolve the engagement. He rubbed his aching forehead tiredly. “And it was marriage that got this whole thing started – those stupid political marriages. I can’t even give any of them an honest look until I get this resolved with Wolfram.”

“You know, I’ve always been against political marriages,” Murata said airily, as if being asked his opinion on food. “Even if it seems like a good idea at the time. They always end up causing more problems than the one the marriage might have solved in the first place.”

Yuuri boggled at him. “What? Why didn’t you say so at the beginning?”

“What, like my opinion counts?” Murata smirked. “I know there’s all kinds of rational arguments for the practice, but in my experience, it always ends badly. To have the couple fall in love once they get to know each other and are already stuck being married to each other hardly ever happens. Most of the time, you’ve got the bitter or resentful wives who aren’t being loved and know they’re just a bargaining chip, or the angry husbands who cheat or get cheated on because the marriage has no foundation and doesn’t matter. Too much trouble, if you ask me. There’s lots of better ways to secure treaties and agreements.”

Yuuri made a face. “Then why did you advise me to accept the offer from Lady Flynn?”

“I wasn’t advising, as the Great Sage,” Murata said as if it were obvious. “I was just saying I wanted to know if the girl was pretty. I want to meet them, I totally admit it.”

His friend sighed long. “You’re such a pervert, Murata.”

“Yep.” Murata beamed unashamedly. “I can’t help it. You may be able to accept your natural duality, but right now, in this life…I like girls.” He grinned even more widely. “I like girls a lot. You have no idea how hard it is to have to be in the temple up there with all those gorgeous girls around me every day and not be able to touch a single one of them.”

Yuuri found himself laughing tiredly, as he was so drained by now that the mere thought of Murata chasing shrine maidens Benny Hill-style sent him into hysterical giggles. “Just don’t go slapping any of them on the left cheek,” he advised. “Look where that got me.”

“It wouldn’t count, they’re not noblewomen.” Murata smiled to see his friend laughing again, though there was still pain and weariness in his eyes. “So, feel better after a nice talk?”

Thinking about it, Yuuri took a deep breath and let it out slowly. “I don’t know. Maybe. Thanks, Murata.”

“I know it’s tough. That’s what I’m here for – I’m your pal, I have none of the barriers the rest of your court have. I can tell you to your face when you’re being stupid and need to pull your head out of your ass.” He smiled wryly. “Seems like you got that one by yourself this time, but that had to really hurt. I don’t envy you that.”

Yuuri nodded faintly. “I just don’t know how I’m going to get Wolfram to listen to me, and come back here. He’s so angry with me, and I don’t blame him.”

“Is that why you’re going out with the search party in the morning?” Murata slapped his knee again and then pushed himself to the edge of the bed, making to stand up. “You want to find him and apologize to him, do you?”

“I want to make things right,” Yuuri insisted. “I was wrong, and he didn’t give me the chance to see that before he left. I know better, now. I want to tell him that.”

“As long as you’re doing it for the right reasons.” Murata rose and wandered towards the door. “If you just feel bad about making him so upset, but you don’t really care about his feelings toward you, then it doesn’t really matter if he comes back or even accepts your apology, does it? You can find him and say you’re sorry, and then come back home with a clear conscience. End of story.” He glanced over his shoulder as he reached the door, his eyes piercing in their clarity. “But if you really do want to heal your relationship with him, it’s going to take a lot more than an apology. And I don’t know how you’re going to get him to trust you again. Good luck.” He pulled the door open. “I should let you get some sleep. You need to be up early to ride.”

Murata’s parting shot didn’t make Yuuri feel any better, but he still stopped his friend at the door by speaking his name. “Thanks,” he added. “I needed that.”

Murata nodded and smiled. “Sure thing. Go to sleep, now.”

As much as he knew he needed sleep, it was a long time coming. Yuuri laid awake most of the night in his big bed, his head and heart too full of racing thoughts and powerful emotions to let him rest. He had always complained about Wolfram sharing the bed and wished he had it to himself, but now that he did, he discovered that he hated it and missed Wolfram’s presence immensely. The snoring, the kicking, the general restlessness that often resulted in one or the other falling out of bed in the middle of the night, didn’t seem so irritating now that it was gone. Halfway through the night, he dug out the rumpled pink nightgown and curled his arms around it, snuggling it to his chest to try to find the familiarity that he was missing. His bed felt too big, too empty, without that other body in it, even if he did his best to never touch Wolfram while they were sleeping. Isn’t this what you always wished for? he berated himself, finding the answer to be No, never this way. This isn’t how I want it. Regardless of what he thought of their relationship, or the concept of being with Wolfram, his heart seemed to know what it wanted, and felt the emptiness of the bed magnified as a great ache in his soul. He could hear the rain pattering on the tall windows and hoped that Wolfram had found an inn or some kind of roadside lodging, maybe a farmhouse somewhere off the beaten trail, so he wouldn’t be cold and wet. He could just imagine Wolfram trying to huddle under a cloak in the wet grass, with the rain soaking him through and no fire because the wood was too wet, and it made him start to sniffle all over again. It was the longest night he had ever spent in Shin Makoku.

The stablehands were up bright and early to prepare horses for the search party who would be on their way as soon as word was received. By the time Yuuri dragged himself out of a fitful sleep that left him poorly rested, Conrad brought him the news that Yozak had just returned and could lead them to Wolfram’s trail. There was enough time for Yozak to rest up and grab some food while Yuuri got dressed and prepared his secret weapon. Late in the night, as he laid awake thinking, he had finally come up with an idea to help get Wolfram to come back with them, or at least keep him from leaving again. It was risky, and probably stupid, but it was the only thing he had. Surely, Wolfram was not going to have a change of heart just because Yuuri himself came out there and tried to make nice. He doubted Wolfram even wanted to see him, much less listen to anything he would have to say. He came down to meet Conrad in the stableyard where the horses were picketed, and the handful of guards that would be escorting them were packing up. Conrad was head to head with Yozak over a map, but glanced up when Yuuri arrived. He then noticed who Yuuri had with him and frowned in alarm. “Your Majesty…why is Greta here?”

Yuuri had asked the maids to dress Greta in appropriate riding clothes, the smallest pair of breeches they could find and a warm tunic, along with a short cloak. She looked sleepy and rather uneasy to find herself outside with the soldiers and horses, but she held her adoptive father’s hand securely and followed him without question. Yuuri gave Conrad a firm look, as if to head off any protests in advance. “She’s coming with us,” he said bluntly. “I need her help.”

Conrad frowned right back at him. “That isn’t a very wise idea.”

“I know.” Yuuri held his ground, looking deadly sober. “But right now, Wolfram doesn’t want to see or talk to anyone from the castle – not his family, not you, not even me. Greta is the only person in his life who actually loves and respects him, so she’s the only one who might get through to him.”

By his frown it was clear Conrad still disagreed with the idea, but he accepted it for now. “Are you ready to go, then?”

“Anytime you are.” Yuuri knelt down beside the little girl, making sure her cloak was clasped and straightening it on her shoulders. “Are you ready to take a ride with me?”

Greta nodded. “We’re going to see Papa Wolfram, right?”

“Mhm.” Yuuri smiled sadly. “I know I haven’t really explained this all to you, but just bear with me a little while longer, okay? Wolfram needs you right now, he needs to see you. He’s kind of mad at me, though.”

Greta pouted. “Did you have a fight?”

“Yeah, kind of.” Yuuri adjusted her cloak again, not that it needed it. He just needed to cover the swell of nervousness in his chest. “But we’re going to go find him and make it all better, now.”

“Okay.”

“Your Majesty,” Conrad broke in. “I think it would be better if Greta rode with me. I am the better horseman, I will make sure she doesn’t fall.”

Yuuri pushed himself to his feet and gave a nod. “I think you’re right, Conrad. I can barely keep my own seat sometimes, I was kind of worried about how I was going to ride with Greta. If you’re willing to take her…”

Conrad nodded back. “I will. I will take perfect care of her.”

“We may need to ride hard,” Yozak put in, as if they needed more convincing. “He’s got a half a day’s lead on us, even if he is into the bush, now. It’ll slow him down, but not by much.”

“Where is he headed?” Yuuri wondered. “Can you tell?”

Yozak shook his ginger head. “Not precisely. He left the road and is cutting across country, roughly in the direction of the dragon sanctuary, but it’s tough to say what his intent might be. He’s trying to cover his tracks, so he really doesn’t want to be followed.”

“It’s a good thing Wolfram’s skill in hiding his trail is slightly less than Yozak’s ability to find one,” Conrad said dryly. “Very well, we should get moving. The sooner we can catch up to him, the better – I don’t want to spend a night in the bush if it’s going to rain again.”

Yozak glanced up at the sky – overcast, dreary, but not wet. “Can’t say. It might. Well, then. Let’s ride.”

Yuuri turned to swing up into the saddle, only to be stopped by a stablehand holding out a cloak to him. It was a thick canvas traveling cloak treated with oil to slick off the rain, in the event he might need it. He thanked the young man and draped it over his shoulders before mounting and getting himself settled. Conrad had the help of the stablehands to lift Greta into his saddle, and he made sure she was firmly seated in front of him and gripping the pommel of the saddle before he dared to turn his horse and give it a kick. Yozak thundered out to the lead, and the others strung out behind him, with Yuuri in the middle. Once they had left the city walls they took the first stretch of road at a gallop, as they had no need to slowly hunt along for tracks just yet, and Yuuri silently thanked Conrad for volunteering to carry Greta. There was no way he could have kept the little one safely in front of him, he was still a rather mediocre rider and the punishing pace tested him severely. Conrad rode with such surety that he looked no different than if he had been sitting still, and Greta, to her credit, didn’t complain. No words passed among the party for a while, though they slackened the pace enough to preserve their horses’ strength for what could be a long ride. Yozak led them skillfully, keen as a hound on the scent as he rode at the head of the pack. Yuuri glanced back to see two guards keeping up the rear, never letting him fall behind them. Even on such a personal errand, he was still the king, and could not be allowed to travel without protection. Then, Yozak pulled up short, and waved in signal before turning his horse down a narrow path that cut away from the road into the trees. One by one the others followed, plunging into a thick, green cavern that dampened all sound except for the tramp of the horses’ hooves.

The nature of the course forced them to slow down considerably, but eventually they came across two more scouts from the castle, the ones Yozak had left out here to mark the trail while he rode back to fetch the search party. From that point forward they had to go at a walk, so the trackers could make sure no one trampled the secret signs of Wolfram’s passage. Yozak hung back now, explaining to Conrad and Yuuri all the little things that made him certain that Wolfram was going this way, and how far ahead he guessed him to be. They were catching up, but gradually, meaning it might take most of the day before they could successfully overtake him. “If he wasn’t so intent on hiding his trail, he might have a significant lead on us,” Yozak casually remarked. “He’s chosen stealth over speed, so we might be in luck.”

“We’re so far from the castle,” Yuuri noted. “Why is he still covering his tracks?”

Yozak shrugged. “Got me. Maybe he’s gotten wind of our pursuit.”

“Or maybe somebody else is after him.” Yuuri sank in his saddle, fretting. “We need to catch up to him.”

“Doing my best, your Majesty,” Yozak assured before riding ahead to see how the scouts were coming along.

They got their first clue that they were hot on the trail when the scouts ahead alerted them to a horse coming back down the path towards them. It emerged from the brush to reveal that it bore no rider, its reins tied back so they wouldn’t snag on anything. The tack was unmistakably from Blood Pledge Castle – it was Wolfram’s horse. Yozak caught it and towed it back to Conrad to show him. Yuuri stared in alarm. “He’s lost his horse? That’s not a good sign.”

“Easy there, your Majesty,” Yozak cautioned. “See? He’s tied up the reins and taken his saddlebag. It’s not trouble. He sent it back to try and distract us – so he can go ahead on foot. He knows we’re right behind him.”

“Or someone is behind him,” Conrad mused. “Whether or not he realizes who, it’s hard to say.”

“So is it easier to catch up if he’s walking and we’re riding?” Yuuri pressed.

“Maybe. Speed-wise, yes. But now he has the advantage of being able to go up into the thick brush where the horses can’t follow,” Yozak explained. “I’d say, a quick sprint and we might catch him before he gets too far in.”

“Hurry,” Yuuri demanded. “He might be in trouble. I want to get close enough to try to get his attention.”

Tying the riderless horse to the back of Conrad’s saddle, they continued forward at a brisk trot, following the crashing path the horse had taken through the underbrush. It may have obliterated what trail there was, but it cut an even more obvious one as it made its way back out to the other horses from its home stable it had smelled. The uneven ground tripped up more than one of them, but they were definitely on the home stretch now. Some distance in, the trail abruptly stopped, marking the place where Wolfram had dismounted and gone ahead on foot. Yozak was about to start forward and hunt up his tracks, but Yuuri stopped him with a word. “Which way?” he asked.

Yozak looked around and settled on a direction. “Up that way,” he pointed.

“Conrad…let me have Greta.” It took some careful maneuvering, but Greta changed horses and curled up in Yuuri’s lap instead, clinging to him while he directed Ao to go ahead of the other horses. “I’m going on alone. Stay here…in case he comes back.”

Conrad looked about to protest, but he just sighed and nodded. “If we find anything new, I’ll send someone to alert you.”

Yuuri nodded and gave his horse a tiny kick, sending it forward into the trees along the path Yozak had indicated. It was even darker in the thick forest with no sun to light the way, and a chill dampness made the air taste like earth and greenery. All that rain had sent the trees and brush bursting into leaf, so there was enough undergrowth to make sighting any creature through the forest nearly impossible. Though she wasn’t scared, Greta held on tight to Yuuri, keeping safe in the shelter of his arms and cloak as he let his horse pick its own way through the wood. He paused every now and then to listen, but he only heard the drip of water on leaves and the occasional chirp of a bird at roost. Then, at one pause, Ao lifted his head and snorted, possibly scenting something familiar. Yuuri knew nothing about horses and their abilities, but he took it as a sign. “Say, Greta,” he said quietly. “Now’s the time when I could use your help the most. I’ve got to watch the sides of the trail, so I need you to call for Wolfram. Make sure you yell nice and loud, so he can hear you.”

“Okay.” Greta faced forward in the saddle and cupped her hands around her mouth. “Wolfram!” she called out as loud as she could. Ao twitched an ear in surprise. “Wolfram! Are you out there? Come out, Wolfram!”

As much as Yuuri wanted to add his voice to hers, he knew it would just make matters worse. He nudged the horse to step forward slowly, and swiveled his head this way and that to watch for movement on either side of the trail. Even if he didn’t want to come out, Wolfram could not possibly hold still and just let Greta go by, if he heard her. Every few steps she called out afresh, even if she didn’t know why. It was enough to know that Wolfram was out there and needed to hear her. At last, just when Yuuri was starting to fret that he had guessed wrongly, the bushes ahead of them rustled. He tugged at the reins to get Ao to stop and wait. Tree branches swayed in the dim gloom, and then Wolfram pushed through a thicket of brambles, camouflaged by his cloak and green tunic. Only his hair, golden as the sun, picked him out against the trees as he stepped out onto the path and glared hard at what he found. Greta sat up with a happy cry. “Wolfram! We found you!”

Wolfram glared past her to Yuuri. “I didn’t think you could sink so low as to use Greta this way,” he grumbled, pulling his cloak around him. “I knew it was a trap, but I couldn’t ignore her.”

“I’m not using her,” Yuuri protested. “I just knew you wouldn’t want to see me, and if I tried calling for you, you’d just keep running. Greta is the only one you’re not angry with.”

“Papa Wolfram, what’s wrong?” Greta asked him, peering around the horse’s neck to see him. He remained several yards away, not daring to approach too close lest he be ambushed. “Yuuri said you had a fight. How come you ran away?”

Wolfram’s composure wavered for a moment before he clamped down on it. “It’s hard to explain, Greta,” he said as patiently as he could. “But I had to. I don’t belong at the castle.”

“But you do,” she argued. “You and Yuuri are my two daddies…you can’t go away.”

“Please, Wolfram,” Yuuri begged as Wolfram turned away to hide the flinch of pain on his face. “Come back with us. Don’t do this. I don’t want you to leave.”

Green eyes glared sharply at him. “So you’ve come to fetch me back to the castle, is that it?”

“No, I…” Yuuri sighed and tried a different tactic. “It isn’t like that. I’m just worried about you.”

“You don’t think I can take care of myself out here?” Wolfram sniffed. “Does that make me the wimp, now?”

Yuuri growled. “Stop twisting everything I say! Please, Wolfram! Just listen to me for a second!”

“Wolfram…” Greta wormed out of Yuuri’s grasp and began to slide off the side of the horse, intending to get down and go to him. But it was a long way to the ground for her, and just before she could let go and fall, Wolfram dashed forward and caught her. Greta tumbled into his arms and hugged him around the neck. “Please don’t be mad. We came to find you. Please come back!”

Yuuri lowered his voice to a hush. “I didn’t tell her anything,” he explained.

Sighing, Wolfram hugged Greta and then held her back at arm’s length to look into her adorable brown eyes. “I’m sorry, Greta, but I can’t. I wish I could tell you why.”

“But it can’t be that bad,” she reasoned, pouting. “You didn’t hurt somebody, did you?”

He shook his head. “No…”

“I don’t want you to go, I’d be sad. Yuuri was sad, too. It was scary, he was yelling a lot and then crying, he made everybody scared.” Greta pressed forward and hugged him again, turning her head to whisper in his ear. “Papa Yuuri got better when I hugged him, so you’ll get better if I hug you, too.”

Wolfram gritted his teeth to fight back the rush of emotion that nearly melted his resolve. He forced himself to let go of her and stand up, shifting his accusing glare to Yuuri. “If you think this is going to somehow get me to forgive you and forget what happened…”

“I don’t,” Yuuri said plainly. “I just want to make things right. You’re still mad at me, I can accept that. It’s okay, I deserve it. But I feel horrible for what I did, and I needed to at least tell you that I’m sorry. I’m really sorry, Wolfram.” He let go of the reins and held up both hands entreatingly. “Please. Don’t do this. Come back with us, we’ll work it out. Somehow.”

Wolfram shook his head and turned away. “There isn’t anything you can do to make this go away. I have nothing left to go back for.”

“You do.” Yuuri gazed sadly at him. “You have Greta. She still loves you. And whether or not you want to believe it, I do care. I wouldn’t have ridden all the way out here and made Conrad and Yozak find you if I didn’t.”

Wolfram scowled at that. “Weller and Yozak are here, too?”

Yuuri tossed his head. “I left them back there. We found your horse, he came right to us.” Displeased with looking down on Wolfram while talking to him, he dismounted and left Ao’s reins trailing. “Come on, Wolfram. I know we both said some awful things, but I’m trying, here. I’m really trying. I know anything I say to you right now is going to sound meaningless, but I’m being honest. I miss you, and I feel awful about driving you away. I don’t want you to feel like you have to leave, I want to work it out.” He held out a hand, palm up. “Give me a chance. Please?”

Greta tackled Wolfram’s legs. “Please?” she concurred.

Wolfram bowed his head, but before he could even think about it, they both heard rustling in the underbrush beyond them. Ao picked up his head, and then gave a snort and shied away. Yuuri yelped and lunged for the reins, but that only startled the horse further, sending him crashing back through the trees the way they had come. Wolfram spun immediately, flipping back his cloak so he could grab for the handle of his sword. Seeing as he had lost the horse, Yuuri did the only thing he could and grabbed Greta, pulling her back into his arms and hiding her. He was unarmed, anyway, all he could do was protect the child while Wolfram protected them both. They both looked around wildly, hearing something advancing on them through the woods but unable to catch a glimpse of it. Wolfram spoke over his shoulder. “Take Greta and run. Follow your own trail.”

Yuuri’s eyes hardened. “I’m not leaving you alone…”

“You’re not armed, stupid,” Wolfram snapped. “I’ll hold it off, whatever it is.” The sword whispered from its sheath and gleamed dully in the dim light.

“Wolfram.” Yuuri picked Greta up and wrapped her in his cloak. “I won’t leave you alone. Besides, we wouldn’t get far. What if it got around you and came after us?”

“You’re such an idiot,” Wolfram spat. “Fine, just don’t get in my way.”

They held still for a moment, scanning the trees around them for a sign of movement. They could still hear it, but not see it. Then, a branch trembled, and out from the thicket beside them crashed a huge stag, head erect and eyes wide, nostrils flared to pick up their scent. Whether it was being chased by something else or had just stumbled on them, it didn’t like finding them, and snorted in challenge. It pawed the ground and shook its impressive rack of antlers at them, but Wolfram raised his sword. The flash of light off the edge of the blade startled the stag enough to make it think twice, and it turned and fled as abruptly as it had appeared. Both boys sagged with a sigh of relief, and then chuckled faintly at the thought of how worried they had been over just a deer. “Good job,” Yuuri said. “You sure held that off, all right.”

“Shut up,” Wolfram grumbled. “You were just as scared.”

Yuuri put Greta down and took a deep breath. “Wolfram…please. Let’s stop this. I know you don’t want to be out here, in the cold and the rain, trying to live off the land or find a village to start a new life in. And I don’t want you to…I want to see you safe and happy back home where you belong. I’ll do whatever it takes to make it up to you, I really will.”

Horses burst into the clearing, then, as Conrad and Yozak thundered to the rescue of the Maou who had lost his horse. They came upon the boys and Greta and stopped short, a little surprised to see them just talking and not in any danger. Wolfram had been on the verge of acquiescing, but the arrival of his half-brother and his companion set him glaring all over again. “Wolfram!” Conrad exclaimed. “Is everything all right?”

“It’s fine, Conrad,” Yuuri answered. “Ao just got startled by a deer. We’re okay.”

“So it’s true.” Wolfram frowned sourly at Conrad. “I see, now. You’ve all come to drag me back, whether I want to go or not. Fine.” He closed his eyes and bowed his head. “I surrender. You win, Yuuri. You can have the last shred of my dignity.”

Yuuri blinked. “What? Wolfram…”

“I might have been able to recover some dignity in exile,” the young nobleman declared, “but in forcing me to go back to where nothing awaits me but shame, you’ve taken the rest of it. I truly have nothing left. If you want so badly to take me back, I’ll go.” He turned his shoulder and stalked back into the thicket, retrieving the pack he had left there and going to sling it over the saddle of the spare horse tied behind Conrad. His elder brother glanced at Yuuri as if to ask what had happened, but Yuuri just shook his head and picked Greta up, handing her up to him so she could get situated in his saddle again. Yozak had caught Ao, so Yuuri was able to mount up and prepare to leave. He glanced at Wolfram, but the young man had his head down now and refused to look at any of them. He still held his back straight and proud like a nobleman ought to, but his eyes remained downcast even as they all turned and rode back out to where the escort awaited them.

The little search party was far enough out from the castle that it would take more than a half a day to ride back, and night was drawing on fast. They stopped in a small town along the road for the night, pulling rank on account of the unexpected journey and imposing on the local innkeeper’s respect for the Maou to acquisition enough rooms for everyone. The innkeeper was more than overjoyed to have His Majesty staying there, and willingly gave Conrad everything he asked for: rooms in a private wing, all the hospitality and food they needed, and no questions asked. They hadn’t expected to need to stay anywhere, so they had not brought much money along, but Conrad gave the innkeeper a gold piece and promised a fair compensation after they returned to the castle. One of the guards asked him if he intended to set a watch on Wolfram, who had a room to himself at Yuuri’s request, but Conrad declined. He hated to see Wolfram looking so wretched, but he knew that there was no chance of him escaping on them. He had given in, he had no intention of slipping away again. Yuuri waited until very late to look in on him, in case there might be an unpleasant reaction, and found Wolfram already asleep, overcome by his long journey and the emotions which had plagued him the entire way. Yuuri stood for a moment in the doorway, gazing sadly at Wolfram’s crumpled figure so deeply asleep that he didn’t stir or snore for once, and then closed the door quietly and retreated to the room he was sharing with Greta. The little girl had happily curled up to sleep right after dinner, not catching on to any of the dark moods around her. All she knew was that Wolfram was coming back, so to her, everything was all right now.

Upon returning to the castle the following day, Wolfram left his horse in the care of the waiting stablehands, threw off his riding cloak, and took his pack with him straight up to his room and slammed the door. He hadn’t said a word since joining Yuuri and Conrad, and gave no explanation for his hasty retreat into solitude. The stablehands bent their heads together and began whispering the minute Wolfram had stalked away out of earshot, but Yuuri gave them all a glare to shut them up while he helped Greta down from Conrad’s saddle. As Conrad swung down from his horse, he gently called to Yuuri to keep him from dashing off in pursuit. “You’ve brought him back,” he noted, speaking quietly so as not to give the gossiping stablehands any more fodder. “Now what do you intend to do?”

“I don’t know.” Yuuri looked away, to the high walls of the castle just beyond them. He would find out eventually where Wolfram had gone, but he had a pretty good guess already. “I can’t even imagine how he feels right now. I suppose I should give him some space, and let him think about it, before I try to do anything crazy like talk to him.”

Greta was tugging on his coat, so he waved his thanks to Conrad and turned to guide her inside, so she could change into something more normal and go get some lunch, now that they were back. Conrad watched him, aware of Yozak’s presence creeping up behind him even before he spoke. “Doesn’t look good,” the burly soldier mused. “We’ve got a real mess on our hands, don’t we?”

Conrad sighed. “I thought Yuuri might have simply been over-sensitive, and was taking Wolfram’s argument too hard,” he murmured. “But now that I see him, I’m worried about Wolfram.” He gave Yozak a solemn look. “I’m afraid we might have finally broken his proud spirit.”

“True, I’ve never seen him like this,” Yozak admitted, resting his hands on his hips. “He’s damaged, but not broken. There’s a chance.” He shared Conrad’s serious look. “Just enough of one.”

A few people had seen Wolfram’s green shadow whisk past them on his way up to his room, but none tried to stop him or speak to him. When Yuuri had seen to Greta and turned her over to the capable care of the maids, he went up to verify that Wolfram was shut away in their room and found him curled up on the bed with his back to the door. He had thrown his pack on the floor, unbuckled his sword belt, and kicked off his muddy boots, but otherwise remained in his dirty, sweaty peasant clothes. Seeing him so withdrawn, Yuuri left without saying anything to him, leaving him to himself as he no doubt wanted. Not five steps down the hall he was accosted by Günter and Lady Cheri, wanting to know what had happened. He only told them that Wolfram had returned at his request, but gave no details and asked that they respect his privacy before pushing past them and disappearing into the dark halls of the castle. He didn’t know where to go or what he needed to do, but he had to do something, anything, to push the conflict to the back of his mind for a little while.

The rest of that day and all the next one, Wolfram remained shut away in his room, refusing to eat or see anybody. Anyone who tried to even peek in to ask him if he needed anything got an angry earful that sent them into instant retreat, though the maids were prudent enough not to take it personally. That he could muster such venom whenever anyone dared show their face to him was taken as some sign of life, but not a very good one. He wouldn’t hear from his brothers or even his mother. Lady Cheri left the doorway in tears after Wolfram screamed at her in rage, hurling hateful insults at her to get her to leave him alone. She sought out the Maou to give her sympathy and tell her he would handle it, but Yuuri only gave her a blank look and asked that she give Wolfram some space before turning and going off on his own errands. He had one thing that needed to be done, and after walking around the castle thinking about it a while, he hunted down Günter. The silver-haired counselor shrank timidly back from him, still on edge after the other night, but Yuuri approached him with graciousness and courtesy. “Say, Günter,” he began when he could pull Günter aside, “can I ask your help drafting a letter for me?”

Günter blinked in surprise. “A letter, your Majesty? Are you having difficulties with your writing again?”

“It’s not that,” Yuuri said sheepishly. “It’s just…I need it written in the nicest, most polite language possible so as not to offend anybody, and you’re good at that sort of diplomacy stuff.”

Günter placed a hand over his heart and bowed slightly in respect. “As you wish, your Majesty. What do you wish the letter to say?”

Yuuri closed his eyes, drumming up the words that had been floating around his head most of the day, both before and after returning to the castle. “It needs to go out to all the noble families in Shin Makoku, and all the leaders of the human countries that are our allies now. Tell them that His Majesty the Maou will not be accepting any proposals of marriage for the sake of any alliance. You don’t have to mention Wolfram or our engagement,” he added, lifting his eyes slightly. “Just tell them that…that I don’t believe in making people marry against their will, or to gain any kind of power or money or influence. I believe marriage is something to be shared between two people who love each other, so I won’t be available to make any alliances that way. If they want to discuss any arrangements or treaties, we’ll do it the regular way.” He gave Günter a hopeful look. “Can you make that sound nice and diplomatic?”

Günter held his gaze for a moment, and then smiled very softly. “I have been an admirer of your pure and gentle heart since the moment we met, your Majesty,” he said, though with a degree of seriousness that seemed so unlike him. Usually, such thoughts tended to make him gush. “I can understand your position, and I will not dishonor your feelings. They have guided you well so far, you should probably listen to them.” He bowed even more deeply. “I will draft a letter stating your intention, and bring it to you to approve. If it meets your standards, we will make copies and send them to everyone as you wish.”

“The quicker, the better,” Yuuri said wearily. “This business has gone on long enough. I don’t want any more people throwing themselves at me. It’s kind of pathetic – they don’t really know what they’re asking of me. I just can’t do that.” His eyes became worried. “Is there any way I can outlaw that sort of thing?”

“I would advise against it,” Günter replied. “At least within our own borders, other noble families may see the need to arrange marriages for the stake of stability. It may seem offensive to you, but there are cases where it works, or indeed may be necessary.”

“I guess,” Yuuri sighed. “I just hate to think of it, though. I really hope there’s no families out there forcing their sons and daughters to marry against their will. But if they know what they’re getting into…I guess it’s not my duty to tell them to stop.” He shook his head. “I can’t even handle my own affairs.”

Günter raised an eyebrow. “And what of your engagement, then?”

“That’s for me and Wolfram to work out between us,” Yuuri answered, straightening up and taking on an air of authority. “Just get that letter written as soon as you can. I want to start sending it out to the Mazoku nobility right away.” He turned and headed off down the corridor to his study, thinking of one letter he had better write personally. The rest could be form letters, written in Günter’s fluid hand and signed by the Maou, but there was one that required his own hand to form the proper rejection of the offer.

That evening, when most of the household began to retire, Yuuri went up to his room to change and see about bed as usual. Knowing that Wolfram had not come down for dinner and had sent back what the maids brought him uneaten, he figured it was going to be a rough night, but he had no idea. Wolfram hadn’t moved from his spot on his side of the bed, but he was facing the door now, perhaps all the better to yell at anyone who came in. Hearing the creak of the door, he lifted his head, but upon seeing that it was Yuuri, he just closed his mouth and dropped his head back down, saying nothing. Yuuri gave him a little wave of greeting, but left it at that and went around to the bureau to retrieve his pajamas and change. The clammy cold of the rainy season made the castle’s flagstone floors even more cold, so he scuffed his feet into a nice pair of knitted slippers and ambled about the room for a bit, making sure his dirty uniform was in the laundry pile and even setting Wolfram’s boots aside to be taken out and cleaned at the maids’ earliest convenience. At last, he went around to the far side of the bed and sat down heavily, feeling all the fatigue of the journey catching up to him. The moment his body settled, Wolfram’s shot up out of the bed and he wandered off across the room. Yuuri turned, bewildered. “Wolfram? What’s the matter?”

“You want to go to sleep,” Wolfram noted. “You can have the bed.”

Yuuri blinked at him. “But…aren’t you tired? Don’t you want to get some sleep, too?”

Wolfram crossed the room to one of the big windows and sat down on the sill, turning his attention toward its dark pane. “I’m not tired. I’ll just sit here.”

An annoyed frown crossed Yuuri’s face. “Don’t be silly. I know you’re still mad, but that doesn’t mean we can’t get a normal, civil night’s sleep.”

“I’m not mad,” Wolfram said immediately with his face turned away. “Don’t concern yourself with me. You want to sleep, sleep. I’ll be fine.”

Yuuri sighed in frustration. “No. You don’t want to share the bed with me? Fine.” He got up and came back around the bed. “I’ll go sleep somewhere else. You can sleep here. Don’t sit up all night and catch a cold or something.”

Wolfram gave him the slightest glance over his shoulder. “There is nowhere else to sleep. Unless you plan to make all of Günter’s fantasies come true?”

“No!” Yuuri threw up his hands in exasperation and then yanked a pillow off the bed. “I’ll go sleep on the floor in Greta’s room. That should be safe enough.” He stormed to the door and opened it, turned to say one more thing, but lost the will to continue as he gazed at Wolfram huddled in the corner of the window, arms folded around himself and face turned insolently away. He couldn’t even apologize, or say good night, so Yuuri just let himself out and went next door to Greta’s room. It wasn’t worth fighting over. His adopted daughter was already asleep, so he made a nest of blankets and pillows on the floor and curled up to spend a rather long and agonizing night trying to sleep. It wasn’t Wolfram’s attitude that bothered him, it was the fact that this was the first time in many long months that Wolfram didn’t want to share a bed with him.

Yuuri ended up having to spend two nights in a row on the floor in Greta’s room, but at least by the second he had wised up and gotten the maids to bring him a spare feather mattress to make it a little easier on his aching back and cold toes. By day, he left Wolfram alone except for the moments needing to go in and change or fetch something. Every time, Wolfram was curled up on the bed like a child, though there was evidence that he had moved around a little, perhaps going to sit by the window for a while. The sun had come out, so it wouldn’t have surprised Yuuri to find Wolfram gazing out at the world below their bedroom, watching it go by without him. Yuuri was the only one permitted to enter; every other attempt was rebuffed with sharp words, and after several had tried their own tactics (kindness, begging, bribing, or scolding), everyone learned to leave him alone. Only the maids continued to try, leaving him snacks or tea or small meals outside the door. He didn’t touch a single one.

Official business kept Yuuri busy the morning after his second night on Greta’s floor, enough to make him forget about the crick in his neck. Günter had skillfully woven a beautiful letter to send to all the nobles as a blanket rejection of their marriage arrangements, and Yuuri eagerly sat down to add his official royal signature to each one before sealing them and giving them to couriers to begin disseminating throughout the kingdom. He had sent letters to Caloria by post the day before, one to the girl’s family to thank them but explain his reason for rejecting the offer, and one to Lady Flynn to politely remind her that he was already engaged, but could still pledge his full support to Caloria in times of trouble without a marriage tie to encourage it. After the couriers whisked away to their deliveries, Yuuri sat back with a sigh of relief, hoping that he wouldn’t get any more letters after this. There was one in the post the day before, but he tossed it in the fire along with all the other letters piled up on his desk without even opening it. They had a second day of sun in a row, miraculously enough, so he considered maybe going to check on Wolfram and see if he was up to sitting by the window for a while, even just to watch Yuuri toss a baseball around with Conrad in the yard below. He headed in that direction, but along the way, Daxas and Günter met him, looking rather flustered in their own ways. Daxas was hounding the counselor about something, and Günter’s elegant features were marred by a displeased frown. “Your Majesty,” he said urgently as they met in the corridor. “My sincerest apologies. I know you just sent out the letters to the noble houses of Shin Makoku, but I’m afraid Daxas has not quite heard that news yet and allowed a delegation access to the castle.”

“A delegation?” Yuuri wondered. “What do you mean?”

“Apologies, your Majesty!” the soldier yelped, saluting him. “I was not informed that I was not to give passage to delegations, my lord!”

Günter sighed his most put-upon sigh. “A wealthy landowner from Cabalcade has brought his daughter to present for possible courting and marriage, and he requests audience with you. I’m terribly sorry, your Majesty…this one slipped past us.”

“It’s okay,” Yuuri assured him. “It’s not Sir Heathcliff, is it?”

“No, not him. Another of the major heads of state of Cabalcade.”

“Okay, good.” Yuuri shivered. “Beatrice is way too young for me.” He took a deep breath. “Take me to him, I’ll see him.”

Günter blinked in surprise. “Your Majesty?”

“If he’s going to get a rejection, he may as well get it from me, personally,” Yuuri reasoned.

The delegation was waiting in the back of the throne room, unsure whether they were going to get an official audience with the Maou or something more casual. The doors opened to present His Majesty with Günter alone at his side, now that Daxas had been sent around the barracks with the Maou’s official decree that there were to be no more visits from potential mates. The nobleman, his personal guard, and his daughter turned to meet them, the man doffing his hat and jaunty wig to reveal his shiny bald head in the manner of Cabalcadian greeting. Thankfully, the indoor light was not so bright as to reflect wildly off it. “Your Majesty,” he began humbly. “It is a pleasure to see you again, and looking so well.”

Yuuri wondered for only a moment, and then remembered meeting this man when the heads of state of Cabalcade gathered to sign a treaty of mutual alliance with Shin Makoku. “Ah, Mr. …Gastineau,” he said, hoping it was the right name. “That’s right, you were there to sign the treaty. Hello – welcome to Blood Pledge Castle.”

Sir Gastineau looked extremely pleased. “You do remember! Thank you, your Majesty. I trust we are not taking your time away from some important matter.”

“Not really,” Yuuri admitted. “I hope you had a good trip?”

“Wet,” the man said with a grin. “But not altogether unpleasant. It is a wonder to be here, and see your magnificent city and the place you call home. May I present…” He turned to the young girl beside him. “…my daughter, Illia.” She curtseyed in a very well-schooled manner.

Yuuri just lifted a hand. “Nice to meet you. Ah…”

“We heard word that you had received offers from other fine, upstanding houses seeking to arrange a marriage alliance with you,” Gastineau explained, “and we thought to throw our own hat into the ring, so to speak. My daughter is a lady of utmost character, and it would please me to…”

“I’m sorry,” Yuuri interrupted him. “I know what you’re trying to say, but I can’t accept it. You see, I already have a fiancé. I’ve been engaged since the first day I arrived,” he confessed, as the Cabalcadians’ eyes widened collectively. “It isn’t that I opened it up to receiving marriage offers, they just started coming. I’m sorry you came all this way for nothing, I’m not available to any proposals. I just sent out letters declining all these offers, but you got here before I could send them.” He turned directly to the girl, smiling sympathetically. “I’m really sorry. It’s nothing personal, I just can’t do this. I can’t be made to marry anyone for political reasons, I don’t believe in that…and I’m already engaged.”

To his utter surprise, Illia’s eyes lit up with joy, and she lunged to catch up his hands and clutch them gratefully. “Thank you, your Majesty! You have no idea how happy you have made me!”

Both Yuuri and Günter wore the same dumbstruck look. “Uh…” the king burbled, “…what?”

Illia squeezed his hands. “You see, I already have someone as well,” she gushed. “Back home, in Cabalcade, but my father has forbidden me to run away and marry him because he wants to promise me to someone of a higher house.” Her eyes glittered with tears. “I love him very much, but I’ve been made to push him away. I want to marry him someday, but when we heard that the Maou of Shin Makoku was available…”

Yuuri shook his head sadly. “That’s terrible,” he lamented. “You shouldn’t have to break up with your boyfriend just because he’s not high-class enough! You see?” He glanced at Günter. “This is why I don’t like these political marriages! Nobody should ever be forced to marry someone they don’t want to! You should be free to love someone, and marry them because you want to, not because you feel you have to for the good of your country or anything. It doesn’t matter who they are – human, Mazoku, boy or girl.” He squeezed Illia’s hands back and then let go. “Go home to your boyfriend, and tell him you have my blessing. It doesn’t matter who he is, as long as he loves you and treats you right, and will bring you flowers and breakfast in bed and stuff like that.”

Illia fairly swooned over that, but her father looked considerably less overjoyed. “But, your Majesty!” he stammered.

Yuuri faced him with a frown. “It isn’t right to keep your daughter locked away to be the price of somebody’s alliance,” he said disapprovingly. “If you really love her, you’ll support her no matter who she wants to marry. Who knows? You might be missing out on a really nice son-in-law. Parents should want what’s best for their children, not what’s best for themselves.”

Sir Gastineau lowered his head, shamed at being reprimanded by the Maou himself. Günter was swooning almost as much as Illia. “Your Majesty!” he breathed. “Such kindness and uncommon wisdom! When the Maou himself is the champion of love, all boundaries between us shall certainly fall!”

Yuuri wasn’t feeling quite that heroic. On the contrary; he had heard the words come out of his own mouth, but they rebounded back on him as if someone else had given him the advice. He faced the delegates soberly and said, “I really believe people ought to be free to love anyone they want. I wish you all the best, I hope you can get married and have a wonderful life with this man. If you do, make sure to send me a wedding announcement.” A slight smile tugged at the corner of his mouth. “I’ll send a present. If you’ll excuse me, I have a very important matter to take care of.” He bobbed his head politely and turned away, striding briskly out of the throne room and leaving Günter to see to the delegation’s departure.

The corridors around the rooms of residence were empty and silent, except for one little figure crouching outside the door to Yuuri and Wolfram’s room. Greta looked up worriedly as Yuuri approached, a little surprised to find her there. “Greta,” he said softly, so as not to be heard on the other side of the door. “What’s the matter? What are you up to?”

“I came to see Wolfram,” Greta answered forlornly. “He hasn’t come to breakfast or dinner in two whole days, so I wondered if he was sick.” She pouted at the floor. “I knocked but he must be sleeping. Everybody else says not to go in there, but I’m worried about him.”

Yuuri laid his hand on her head and ruffled her curly hair affectionately. “Yeah, I’m kind of worried too,” he admitted. “I was just coming to check on him. Do you want to come in with me?”

Greta looked up and nodded briskly. Yuuri pulled the latch and pushed the door open just a crack, so both of them could peek inside. Wolfram was curled up on the bed again, having stripped off his dingy green tunic at some point in the past day but still wearing the loose shirt and breeches. His back was to the door, and he didn’t give any sign of having heard them. Yuuri belatedly figured that Greta might be able to help him out one more time, and go first to break the ice. He didn’t intend on just sneaking in, retrieving something, and sneaking back out this time – he needed to talk, whether Wolfram wanted to listen or not. He nudged Greta on the shoulder, encouraging her to go ahead. She stepped a foot inside and softly asked, “Wolfram?”

Wolfram’s blond head shifted very slightly. “Is that you, Greta?” he said in a low tone.

“Mhm.” Greta clasped a hand to her chest shyly. “Can I come in?”

Wolfram’s head twitched in a nod, and he made some small, affirmative noise. Greta glanced up at Yuuri, and then padded timidly into the room, going up to the bed. Wolfram did not shift toward her, so she decided to go around the bed to the far side so she could see him. She was just tall enough now that she could lean on the side of the bed and rest her arms and chin on the top, and fix him with a plaintive, wondering look. Wolfram’s eyes were hazy and sad, his face slack with the unmistakable pall of depression. Greta blinked her big, brown eyes at him. “Are you all right?” she asked as only a child could. “You haven’t been eating. Doria said you send her tray back and don’t eat anything. Is something wrong? Are you sick?” Her lower lip curved in a big, sad pout. “Is it a tummy-ache?”

Wolfram winced at the sincere worry in her sweet voice. “No, it’s not a tummy-ache,” he murmured. “Greta…” He looked towards her. “Has your heart ever hurt so badly that you can’t breathe?”

Greta nodded with her chin still resting on her arms. “My heart used to hurt like that all the time. Before I met Hube.” Her gaze saddened. “Does your heart hurt?”

Wolfram closed his eyes to shut out her face from his vision. “It hurts very much.”

Yuuri was standing right behind him, listening to everything. Hearing this, he clenched his jaw, uncertain whether it was right of him to interrupt. Greta glanced past Wolfram to where Yuuri stood, but seeing as he wasn’t moving or speaking, decided to continue herself. “When my heart hurt, I used to go and talk to Hube. He always listened, and made me feel better. Maybe if you talk to somebody, you’ll feel better, too?”

Sorrow etched itself clearly across Wolfram’s youthful face. “I don’t think so, Greta. I don’t have anybody to talk to.”

She perked up a little, grinning. “You can talk to me…”

He was forced to chuckle a little at that. She was too cute to resist. “Did Yuuri put you up to this?”

Greta shook her head firmly. “I came all by myself. I just wanted to know if you had a bad tummy-ache.” She took on a thoughtful look. “The last time I had a tummy-ache, Doria gave me some hot milk and tucked me into bed, and said that if that didn’t help, she would have Miss Gisela come in and take care of me. But it was all better in the morning.” She trailed off, and then cocked her head curiously. “Wolfram, why are you crying?”

Yuuri started and glanced down; sure enough, Wolfram had pressed his face into the pillow, and his shoulders were shaking with each quick, shuddering breath to try to control his tears. It broke Yuuri’s heart to watch, and to see the genuine concern on Greta’s face as she stared and wondered what to say to comfort him. Whether or not Wolfram had sensed his presence, Yuuri could not stand by and do nothing any longer. He moved to sit gingerly on the edge of the bed, perching himself carefully so as not to jostle the bed and give Wolfram an unpleasant surprise. The blond boy did not react, perhaps too busy trying to hide his sobs from Greta. Yuuri looked across the bed to her. “Greta, can you do me a really huge favor?” She fixed him with a wide-eyed look, ready for orders. Yuuri’s voice had gentled to a raw murmur. “Can you go down to the kitchens, and tell them to make up some tea for me? But not right away. Have them bring it up in, maybe…half an hour? Can you do that for me?”

“Mhm!” Greta nodded. She hauled herself up on the bed just enough to reach across and pat Wolfram’s knee, the only part of him within reach. “It’s okay. I’ll bring you some tea, okay?” With that, she slid back off the bed and dashed around it, eager to run her very important errand and make her two fathers proud.

Yuuri sat still until the door closed, and then looked down at Wolfram. He had his fists clenched and arms wrapped tight around his pillow, his face turned away so no one could see him cry. As he sat there, Yuuri’s mind wandered idly back to a time in his youth when he might have been sick, or upset, and he remembered his mother consoling him. As if by instinct, he began to do the very thing she would do for him – he threaded his fingers into Wolfram’s silky blond hair and began stroking it gently. Wolfram suddenly let out a huge sob, and then broke down completely. Yuuri didn’t back off, he stayed right there and stroked Wolfram’s hair while he cried out his pain with huge, racking sobs. He considered it his penance to sit there and witness it, considering he had caused it, and had spent the better part of the last three days blaming himself for it. Whatever part Wolfram’s family and the others in the castle had played in setting the stage, Yuuri was the one who had wounded him, who had failed him when Wolfram needed him the most. Now was not the time for blame, though. Now was the time to accept his part, no matter how much it hurt to watch Wolfram cry so violently, so painfully. It seemed to last forever. When it seemed like he was quieting, Yuuri combed his bangs back from his face, but the tender touch only set him off again. This time, Wolfram flopped over and threw himself into Yuuri’s lap, clenching a hand on the front of Yuuri’s jacket as he descended into a fresh round of tears. It took Yuuri aback for only a moment, and then he settled back down and resumed stroking Wolfram’s hair, the only thing he knew how to do. He couldn’t speak, because his mouth had gone dry and his tongue felt ten times too large, and he knew if he opened his mouth just then, he would probably lose it, too. But he could sit still and let Wolfram rail against him, let his tears soak his jacket, and comb his fingers through all that soft, unruly blond hair.

Eventually, Wolfram’s sobs quieted to mere sniffles, and he lifted his head enough to allow himself to breathe, though the tears clogged his entire head and made him feel even more wretched. Yuuri finally stirred, digging into his pocket. Of all the things Günter had tried to impress upon him for the sake of proper etiquette, one of the few that actually stuck with him was the necessity of carrying a handkerchief in his pocket – lest some dignitary catch the Maou rubbing his nose on his sleeve. Therefore, it was ready and waiting to be handed to Wolfram, now that he was alert enough to realize he needed one. After that, Wolfram rolled back over to his original position, settling his head on his pillow and studiously avoiding Yuuri, though he made no protest to his presence. Yuuri’s fingers found their way into his hair again, unable to resist the silky texture, giving them a long, quiet pause in which to tacitly accept that neither was going to go anywhere. Yuuri leaned back against the bedpost and rested his head against it, heaving a long sigh. “I feel like I should say something,” he murmured, “but all the words in my head just sound so trite and pointless. And I don’t know if you’ll believe me, if I actually said I was sorry. I am, but to you they’re just empty words, they probably don’t mean anything because you don’t know if you can trust me to be honest.” He glanced down at Wolfram. “I haven’t been very good to you. Not just the other day – this whole time.”

Wolfram sniffled and cleared his throat. “And what do you expect me to say?”

“Nothing,” Yuuri admitted. “It’s my fault, not yours. You don’t have to say anything. But I’ve got a lot on my chest, so if you’re okay with listening to me ramble for a bit…”

No answer came for a moment, as Wolfram laid there facing away from him. At last, he mumbled, “I don’t think I have much choice.”

“You could tell me to go away.” Yuuri tucked a wayward strand of hair back behind Wolfram’s ear with a finger. “If you want me to, I will.”

Another sniffle, followed by another silence. Then, Wolfram’s head shifted so very slightly. “You don’t have to. This is your room, too.”

Yuuri rested his arm on the pillow so he could keep winding his fingers absently through the hair on the top of Wolfram’s head, since he was so intent on facing the other way. “I really am sorry. Not just for suggesting we break our engagement, but for never taking you seriously. I think part of me always knew you cared about me, but for some reason, I didn’t want to see it. I don’t know why. Maybe I was still thinking that we got engaged by mistake, and therefore none of it meant anything, even when I could see right in front of my face that you meant it.” He stared down at the hand in his lap. “I’m really stupid. It was right there all along, and I just didn’t notice.”

Wolfram rubbed his finger idly on the blanket. “You’re not used to that kind of attention from boys.”

“Well, no.” Yuuri shook his head. “But I haven’t had that attention from girls, either, so I don’t know why it should make any difference. I don’t get any of this. I’m new to it, so I don’t really know how I feel about anything. I just know that I haven’t been fair to you, and I’d really like to try.” He gazed curiously at the back of Wolfram’s head. “Tell me…why do you love me?”

Wolfram gave a soft sigh before answering. “There is no why. I just do.”

Yuuri smiled to himself. “I wish I could be so certain. I feel so lost, because I don’t know what’s going on and I don’t know how I feel. The one time I really need it to be cut-and-dried, it’s not. The only thing I know for sure is that I hate seeing you hurt like this, and knowing that I was the cause. I want to make it right.” He moved his hand, so he could brush the backs of his fingers along Wolfram’s shoulder instead, trying to get his attention. “I’m not going to marry anyone else. I sent out letters today to tell all the noble families to stop asking me, and I sent a special letter to Caloria to tell them no thank you. I’m not going to break off the engagement.”

Wolfram turned a little more towards him, but not enough to show his face. “Keeping the engagement just to make me happy won’t work,” he said morosely. “I wouldn’t be happy if you forced yourself to stay engaged to me just because you don’t want to hurt me.” He laid back down with his whole body turned away from Yuuri. “If you can’t love me, and willingly choose to marry me, then you should dissolve the engagement.”

Yuuri blinked at him, disturbed. “But…you don’t want that…do you?”

“Of course I don’t,” Wolfram grumbled. “But it isn’t fair to me to continue to lead me on. If you don’t love me, then set us both free so we can move on. It will be hard, but not as hard as staying engaged for all the wrong reasons.”

Yuuri bowed his head, knowing that he was right. “But I don’t know how I feel,” he said, a little more emphatically. “I really don’t. I’m so confused about all of it. I’m only just starting to see that a lot of what’s going on in my head is all…wrong. I have this expectation of how life is supposed to go, but it’s only because that’s what I’ve been taught to think by my world. All the things I said about wanting to meet a girl were just because it’s ingrained in me that that’s how life goes – that boys grow up, find girlfriends, marry them, and settle down. Nobody ever told me that there were other options. Nobody ever said I could think about it, and decide that I didn’t like that path and didn’t have to follow it. Not until I got here, and I could see for myself that there are other ways.” He clasped his hands in his lap and absently scratched his thumb. “I’ve been trying so hard to get humans and Mazoku to see that they can be together. Why can’t I accept that boys can want to be with each other, too? Or girls, for that matter.”

Wolfram finally rolled over to look at him, his eyes red and rimmed with shadows, but open and alert. “You said that it isn’t done that way, in your world.”

“It mostly isn’t,” Yuuri said lamely. “There are a few people who go their own way, but they’re looked down on and can even get ostracized and beaten up. All the more reason for me to get brainwashed into thinking that it’s not normal,” he added darkly. “When there’s a chance your family could disown you, or you could get beaten up on the street, or denied a job, it’s so much easier to just go with the status quo and shove down any thoughts you might have that you like another boy.” He shrugged wanly. “But it’s not like I’ve ever had a girlfriend, either. I’ve never chased a girl, never had a crush. I’m kind of confused by girls, actually. Murata’s always going on about them, and I can’t see what the appeal is. It’s weird.” He looked down at Wolfram, touched to see him actually looking back, listening to everything he had to say. “I don’t know if that makes me…or not…so I’m still confused…”

Wolfram gazed thoughtfully at him. “I didn’t know that,” he said quietly. “About the way people in your world treat couples of the same sex. Surely, not everyone is like that.” There was a flicker of life in his green eyes. “Your mother isn’t like that. She accepted me without a second thought.”

“Which is kind of weird, actually,” Yuuri said with a curious frown. “My mom is one of the worst offenders, when it comes to beating all that romantic crap about the prince and the princess and happily ever after into my head. She’s a sucker for that kind of stuff. But then, when she found out about us, she was all for it. She was so happy to hear I was engaged, she didn’t care that it was to another guy.”

Wolfram folded his hands on his chest. “Perhaps your mother understands Mazoku ways more than she will admit. Such things aren’t strange among us. Your father may have told her.” The tiniest smile touched his lips. “You have a point – among Mazoku, we don’t care if two males or two females want to marry and share their lives, yet the mere suggestion of humans and Mazoku together…”

“Prejudice is prejudice, Wolfram,” Yuuri said smartly. “Think about that one.” It reminded him of the encounter with the nobles from Cabalcade earlier, sending him off on another train of thought. He told Wolfram about them, about how they hadn’t gotten word yet that he’d decided to reject all marriage offers and how he told them he had a fiancé already, about Illia’s hope of love back home. “I told them it doesn’t matter, you should be allowed to marry anyone you want to marry,” he said at the end of it, “but it took me a while to realize that that meant me, too. Either way – if I really did prefer girls and want to marry one some day, or if I stopped listening to my prejudices and decided I really want to marry you. It’s my choice, and no one can tell me not to.” He looked pointedly down at Wolfram’s expectant face. “I’m not adverse to you personally, it’ll just take me a while to figure out whether or not I can love another man and want to marry him.”

A hurt look passed through Wolfram’s eyes. “And until then?”

“Well, I’m not going to give up the engagement,” Yuuri said plainly, “and it’s not just because I don’t want to hurt you. I want to try, I want to finally think for myself instead of letting society or my upbringing tell me what I want. Besides…” He shrugged and tried to smile. “I’ve gotten used to the way things are between us. I can’t imagine life without it, now.” The smile faded. “The past few nights have been really hard on me, you know. Especially that first one. I finally had the bed all to myself, you weren’t there kicking me or thrashing around…and I missed you so much.”

Wolfram bit his lip, shocked by the unexpected, unguarded emotion that slipped out of his companion. “Yuuri…”

“You were wrong about one thing.” Yuuri sat forward and rested his elbows on his knees, staring down at his hands. “You said I didn’t care about you. You’re wrong. I know I haven’t treated you like I care, but deep down, I do. I wouldn’t feel so awful about hurting you if I didn’t.” He glanced aside at Wolfram. “What you said about me caring about total strangers on the street – that’s true. And if I did wrong by one of them, I’d want to correct it. But with you, it’s different. Sure, I want to fix what I did wrong, but more than that…knowing that I broke your heart, and seeing what it did to you…it hurts. I feel wretched. I don’t just want to fix your problem, I want you to be happy. You’re important to me, way more important than some person on the street, or some girl in Caloria, or anybody else.”

Wolfram’s eyes watered again, and he pushed himself up to a sitting position, staring in disbelief. “You’re not just saying that to make me feel better,” he said warily.

“No.” Yuuri shook his head. “I don’t know yet if what I feel is love, but I know I care. I know you mean something to me. And I know that you love me…” He looked down again. “I may have been too stupid to notice before, but I can see it now. There’ve been times before when I’ve been able to see through the act to your real feelings, but you always put your guard up and act like a brat. Maybe that’s why I didn’t see it before. But not anymore.” He gave Wolfram a sorrowful look. “I know it’s real, now, and I’m sorry. I’m sorry I trampled on your feelings and ever said we should break it off.”

Ashamed, Wolfram lowered his eyes. “You’re only just realizing this now? You’ve decided to care so that I’ll be cheered up?”

“That’s not it.” Yuuri turned towards him and folded his legs under him on the bed. “I know it kind of looks that way, but it’s not. I’m being completely honest with you, Wolfram. Whether or not you want to trust me is up to you. It’s taken this awful thing to make me finally see that…whether I want to or not, I…I do care about you.”

Wolfram gazed keenly at him, wearing a look of distrust, or perhaps disbelief. “Why are you telling me all of this? Because if you think you can win me over with a lot of talk…”

“No, I don’t,” Yuuri said honestly, shaking his head. “I just…need to get it all out before I second-guess myself and decide to keep it all inside again. That isn’t helping either of us. There’s a lot I think you deserve to hear, a lot that I’ve been holding back because I’m too scared to say anything. It’s scary, you know – to catch yourself suddenly thinking about another boy when all along you’ve been taught that you should be chasing girls. It’s like you, having been taught all your life to hate humans, and then along comes this guy who turns your world upside down and now you’ve adopted a human girl as your daughter. It’s hard. I know how hard it must be for you, to change, but you’re doing it.” He smiled very slightly. “All I can do is ask you to understand how hard it is for me to change, too.”

Wolfram stared at his lap, but the pain on his face was slowly beginning to ease. As much as he didn’t feel like listening to Yuuri’s desperate attempt to talk him back to life, it was getting through. He blinked back his emotions. “You have to want to change,” he said very softly, almost a whisper. “You have to have a reason to change.”

“I think, knowing how much you love me is a good enough reason.” Yuuri sighed wearily. “It’s still big and scary, but if I stop trying to tell myself that I shouldn’t be close to you and just let it happen, it’ll get easier over time. I should just stop thinking so hard about all of this.” A wry little laugh escaped him. “When I’m not trying to think, and just go with my gut, I do the right thing. But no, I had to be all mature and think about this serious matter of political marriages, and totally shut myself off to your feelings. And mine. I knew I hated the idea from the minute Murata mentioned it, but then I went off trying to be smart about it and got us both in trouble.”

Wolfram shook his head. “You weren’t the only one. No one listened to me when I said we were already engaged. They convinced you to think that way.”

“I know.” Yuuri looked sympathetically at him. “That really sucks. I feel so bad for you. I could see it happening all around me, and I couldn’t believe it – they really treated you wrong.”

A fresh wave of depression made Wolfram’s shoulders sink, as he curled back into himself. “No one here respects me and my feelings. I shouldn’t have been surprised that you went along with them.”

“That really hurt the most, didn’t it?” Yuuri said sadly. “You hoped maybe I’d be different…”

Wolfram lifted his head and tried to look proud. “I’m not blind to your faults, but I thought perhaps because I love you, you would do something to justify it. Or else I would find out that I had been wrong about you all along and you didn’t deserve to be loved.” He dropped his gaze again, and his voice. “But no matter how much you hurt me, I couldn’t stop loving you. That’s why I left.”

To his surprise and glad relief, Yuuri suddenly reached and laid a hand gently on his knee. His head was down as he spoke. “You need to be honest with me, Wolfram. You need to tell me these things, and show me. You know how stupid I am.”

“Yes, I do.” But that was all the more flippant he could be about it. The solemnity of their talk weighed heavily on both of them, giving them reason to pause for a moment and think it over. When Wolfram spoke again, it was in a very tiny voice. “Yuuri…did you really yell at my brothers and mother after I was gone?”

“I think it was more than just yell,” Yuuri said sheepishly. “You’ll have to ask Conrad what I did. I kind of don’t remember parts of it. I only remember being so angry that I…I literally saw red. I was so mad it hurt.” He sat back and withdrew his hand. “I hope you can find it in your heart to forgive them. Maybe not right away, but…they know, now. If they don’t change, you can call them on it. I can’t do anything about that,” he sighed. “I can only change myself.”

Wolfram shook his head. “You’re only responsible for yourself, no one else.” He quieted again. “Thank you. Whatever you did.”

“It was just instinct,” Yuuri said modestly. They sat through another long silence, fidgeting uncomfortably. Yuuri poked around his jumbled thoughts to see if there was anything else he needed to say to Wolfram, now that he had his complete and willing attention. All that remained was to find out if his long, rambling apology had been accepted. He lifted his head and gazed at Wolfram for a while, unhappy to see how all the crying had affected his pretty face. He was pale, his eyes shadowed, and his hair was all messed up. There was still a smudge of trail dust on his cheek, muddied now from tears. Yuuri stretched forward and wiped his thumb across the streak of dirt, eliciting a gasp and look of shock from Wolfram. He sat back and tried to grin. “Sorry…instinct again,” he blamed it. “You had some dirt on your face.”

Wolfram shrank back and blushed. “Oh. Well…I haven’t had a bath in a few days.”

“You know, that sounds like it might be a good idea.” Yuuri smiled shyly. “Say, Wolfram…did I ever tell you? The first time I ever saw you, when I came to the castle and you came down the stairs…the first thought that went through my mind was…wow, he’s beautiful.” He, too, blushed. “That was my instinct, before all my prejudices kicked in. I always did think you were beautiful, even when you had an ugly attitude.” He peered at Wolfram. “And badmouthed my mom.”

Wolfram looked studiously in another direction. “Perhaps back then I was ignorant. I didn’t know your mother, then, I behaved as I had been taught just like you did.” He tossed back his hair and tried to give Yuuri a plain, unruffled look. “Now that I’ve met her, I know that your mother is a sweet and wonderful person. She approved of our engagement. I like her.”

Yuuri began to grin widely. “And to think, all of this mess started because you said something bad about her – and now she’s one of your best allies!” He laughed. “If that doesn’t mean something, I don’t know what does.”

Wolfram managed a chuckle as well. “Ironic, isn’t it?”

They laughed for a moment and then quieted, taking deep breaths and sighing softly. Yuuri sat back on his hands and gazed at Wolfram again, seeing the beauty he had spoken of hiding under all that pain. “So,” he chanced. “Are you feeling any better? At least, better enough to let me back into bed?”

Wolfram drew his knees up and curled his arms around them, resting his chin on his knee. “It’s clear you have been thinking about it,” he murmured. “More than I gave you credit for. I know I haven’t behaved very well, but…”

“It’s understandable.” Yuuri tilted his head and gave him a gentle look. “You’ve been pushed past your breaking point. I don’t know anyone who wouldn’t have done the same thing.” He sighed and looked straight at Wolfram. “You don’t have to apologize. I understand. I just…hope you can pick yourself up and go on with your life. I’ll stand by your side. I already made the order, there won’t be any arranged marriages and I expect the whole subject will be dropped.”

Wolfram closed his eyes. “There is more to it than just the arranged marriage. That was merely the spark that lit the fuse.”

“I know. The rest…well, we’ll just have to see what happens over time. I can’t do anything about the others. But I’m going to try.” Yuuri’s eyes were hard as they stared at his partner. “I want to try. I want to give it a chance, as long as you’ll let me.”

Wolfram lifted his head and nodded. “I accept.”

As if on cue, there was a light tap at the door and one of the maids peeked in cautiously. “Your Majesty?” she whispered. “I brought tea, as you requested…”

“Oh…thanks.” Yuuri hopped up to take the tray from her, noticing that there was a little plate of cookies next to the teapot and cups. He smiled and dismissed her with a nod, letting her escape safely while he brought the tea tray over to the table. He turned and smiled softly at Wolfram, who still sat curled up on the bed. “Want some tea? It might help clear your head. There’s cookies, too.”

Wolfram cast him a sullen look, but then pried himself up off the bed and padded over, his bare feet silent on the stone floor. He shivered and folded his arms as he came to Yuuri’s side. “I suppose. You bothered to have it sent all the way up here.”

“You should put some slippers on,” Yuuri noted. “The floor’s cold.”

“You don’t think I’ve already noticed that?” Wolfram grumbled. He pulled out a chair and sat down heavily, reaching for the tea, while Yuuri just shook his head and went over to the bureau to fetch him a pair of slippers. Somehow, sitting down to tea and not talking about such heavy matters any longer was the best thing to happen to them in a long time, leaving Yuuri feeling warm and pleased the rest of the day.

Tea was only the start of a slow recovery for Wolfram. Whether it was what Yuuri said or simply the act of him saying it, it was enough to allow Wolfram to accept the apology and still save face. That was as far as he went, though – he stayed in the room, even while Yuuri went out to take care of some things, and took a nap until dinner was brought to the room. Yuuri excused him as not feeling well, and didn’t much care that some of the household raised eyebrows when he said he would be sharing dinner with Wolfram in their room, with only Greta for company. At least Wolfram had slept a little and changed, and had no qualms about eating and conversing with his fiancé and daughter in the safe confines of their room. The family time did more toward healing his heart than anything else, short of the thought that Yuuri had gone Maou on the rest of the castle out of sheer worry and anger on Wolfram’s behalf. Yuuri may not have known how to say that he cared, but he had revealed enough in their talk for Wolfram to figure it out. It wasn’t the apology that won his heart, it was the unspoken sense that Yuuri really did care, that he was choosing how to act and react because he sincerely felt something for Wolfram, regardless of whether he could call it love. Wolfram knew better. He knew, but he didn’t say anything. That was for Yuuri to come to a conclusion about himself. Though, if he didn’t conclude it fast enough, Wolfram felt up to helping him along. For now, he dug up a weary smile for Yuuri and talked to Greta about just how many cookies a growing girl was allowed to have for dessert.

Without being asked, Yuuri took it upon himself to act as Wolfram’s protector, shielding him from the other people who had hurt him until he was ready to deal with them himself. He personally saw to the delivery and removal of their dinner, and kept the others away the rest of the night no matter how hard some of them pestered him. Wolfram didn’t want to see anyone besides Yuuri and Greta, so Yuuri was under no obligation to indulge them or even deliver news to them. There wasn’t much to tell; the reconciliation between himself and Wolfram was none of their business, and he wouldn’t know how to describe it anyway. Fortunately, Conrad clued in fairly quickly, and was able to act as go-between with his mother to let her know that Wolfram was coming around – though they shouldn’t expect a rapid about-face. This time, the healing would require time and effort on everyone’s part.

Late that night, after Greta had been put to bed and just about everyone in the castle had retired save for Gwendal and a few guards on duty, Yuuri pried open the bedroom door and peeked out. The corridors were dark and deserted, so he waved to Wolfram and went ahead of him out of the room. It was generally agreed that Wolfram really, seriously, needed a bath, but they waited until everyone else had gone to bed and the halls were empty before sneaking out and going down to the baths so Wolfram could have his privacy. At this time of year, with the chill and the damp, the baths were maintained well into the night anyway, but the king’s private bath was always ready for Yuuri no matter what time he might need it. The two boys slipped inside and closed themselves away, though they still spoke below a murmur in case the echoes of their voices in the bath hall might wake anyone. Yuuri had put off his own bathing in order to do it at the same time, as long as he was there, so the two of them stripped down and washed up side by side, losing themselves in the mundane routine of it for a bit. Wolfram remained rather quiet, having little to say and no energy to say it, so Yuuri’s question to him broke a long silence between them. “Hey. Wolfram. You want me to wash your back?”

Green eyes blinked dubiously at him. “Why?” Wolfram suspiciously asked.

“Does there have to be a why?” Yuuri shrugged. “You always want to wash mine. I thought it was something you’d like.”

Wolfram looked away and didn’t answer for a while, concentrating on scrubbing the travel dirt out of his hair. At last, he murmured, “If you wish,” and left it at that. A few moments later, he just about melted off his bath stool when he felt the rough texture of a washcloth rubbing patiently across his back.

The hot water chased away all aches and pains and left them both in a sleepy stupor, but they both needed the long soak badly. Wolfram leaned his head back on the rim of the pool and closed his eyes, sinking everything but his head under the water to let the heat permeate his limbs and soak away his cares. Yuuri sat nearby, somewhat relieved that with Wolfram in the water with him, there was no chance of a portal opening up and sucking him back to Earth at this very inconvenient time. He still had a long way to go toward making it up to Wolfram, but at least the healing process had begun. He glanced aside at his companion and smiled. “You’re looking a lot better.”

Wolfram didn’t open his eyes. “Are you saying I looked terrible before?”

Yuuri chuckled. “Well, you were on the road for a couple of days, it’s only natural.” He cocked his head in interest and looked more closely at Wolfram. It was hard to even tell that he had had a good cry earlier that day. “Do you feel any better?”

“Some.” Wolfram lifted his head and glanced to meet Yuuri’s gaze. “Don’t think that I’m going to just let you off the hook because you’ve decided to be nice to me. This wound runs too deep to soothe with just some kind words and a pat on the back.”

“I figured.” Yuuri sank down in the water until it covered his chin, and fixed Wolfram with big, dark eyes. “I know there’s nothing else I can say. All I can do now is treat you like you ought to be treated, and let you figure the rest out on your own.” He lowered his eyes, distracted by the flicker of torchlight on the surface of the water. “But I’ll do anything to make it up to you. I’ll even let you order me around as your slave for a week, shine your boots and fold your clothes and pose for paintings.”

Wolfram let out a huge snort, as if he had tried (and failed) to stifle a laugh. “How would that look?” he said sarcastically. “The Maou tagging along at my heels like a puppy, trying to be my maid and my mother at the same time?”

“I bet it would look really funny,” Yuuri admitted casually. “And it would send Günter into hysterics.”

They eyed each other for a moment, and then Wolfram smiled a genuine, though pale, smile. “It does sound tempting.”

“Just no dressing me up as a maid.” Yuuri rolled his eyes. “I only let Yozak do that to save my life. This is so not even close to that.”

Wolfram’s lips twitched with another smile. “Would you rather I dressed you up like my mother?”

Yuuri nearly leaped straight out of the bath. “Gah, no way!” he cried. “Anything but that!”

Wolfram laughed to himself, and then settled back down in the water. “I’ll think about it,” he murmured, letting his eyes begin to close dreamily. The water sure did feel good. One serious thought flashed across his mind, and he decided to share it before dropping the subject. “You don’t have to fall all over yourself trying to make it up to me with good deeds. I don’t need that. All I need is to know that I am important to you. That my existence matters.”

“It does,” Yuuri insisted, sliding over to sit with his back against the edge of the pool next to his companion. “Maybe you haven’t saved my life as many times as Conrad, or given me as much good advice as Gwendal, but if you weren’t here…there would be a huge, gaping hole in my life. I can’t think of any practical reasons why I should need you…” He bashfully kept his eyes lowered. “But I do.”

They sat still and quiet for a moment, and then Wolfram leaned over and rested his head against Yuuri’s. Only that, and nothing more. From that point on, they shared the bath in silence.

As they climbed into bed an hour later, fresh and warm and ready to sleep, Yuuri wondered if Wolfram had something warmer than his pink nightgown to wear. It may have simply been the effect of the bath, but he felt like it was colder than usual in the room. Wolfram shrugged it off. “This is warm enough,” he assured. “I get warm at night anyway.”

“So that’s why you’re always kicking the covers off,” Yuuri figured. “Fine, suit yourself.”

He doused the lamps and plunged the room into peaceful darkness, and snuggled down into the warm blankets to sleep. He could feel the bed sag with Wolfram’s weight, and then there was a body beside him like it should be, curling up on his side and heaving a long sigh. Yuuri smiled to himself in the dark and closed his eyes, falling asleep in minutes. It took a lot longer for Wolfram to fall asleep. He may have consented to having Yuuri back in bed with him, and somewhere deep in his heart he was overjoyed to have him there, but it was just another reminder of the days they had spent apart and the sad reasons why. With clouds hiding the moon, there was hardly any ambient light filtering in through the windows, rendering Yuuri a dark, featureless shape beside him, but Wolfram still laid facing him as if to watch him sleep. There was so much on his mind and in his heart, but it was all unfocused, impossible to pin down long enough to actively think about. In the end, all he could do was close his eyes and try to chase sleep, contenting himself with the warmth of Yuuri’s body beside him, the clean smell of his hair and the soft, even breathing that indicated he was sleeping soundly. Small things, which he had missed terribly over the past few nights. Wolfram swallowed the tears of regret that threatened to overwhelm him and rolled over, facing away from Yuuri. That way, he wouldn’t have to think about him being there, and just accept that he was.

No matter how much he had improved, Wolfram was not ready to come out of his room the next day. Yuuri did not argue, allowing him to do whatever he wanted because he was an adult and could make his own choices. Truthfully, he didn’t think Wolfram was ready to face anyone else in the castle either, so he agreed to have the kitchen send up meals and promised to drop by and check on him in between his regular routine. It was raining again, so it wasn’t like there was going to be much else for them to do. Günter wanted the young king to study history a little more in-depth, now that he was taking his role seriously, so he figured on being closed away with books and a lecture for a while. When he finally escaped, Yuuri returned to the room to find Wolfram sitting by the window, dressed comfortably but not in his uniform and wrapped in a blanket…drawing? He had a board on his lap, and some loose papers, but as Yuuri came closer, he noticed shapes and figures on them instead of writing. Wolfram shyly scooped them up and set them aside, and turned to Yuuri to speak with him, to discuss plans for dinner and find out how his day was going so far. Yuuri was doing his best not to mother Wolfram too much, but it felt good to sit down in the window facing him and talk casually, as more than friends but less than lovers. The smile in Wolfram’s green eyes was nice, too.

Much of the rest of the household found themselves gathering in one of the castle’s many parlors around that time, being as the rain put an end to any thoughts of working or training outside and most were too restless to concentrate on their work inside. Gwendal had pushed aside all of his paperwork and was just sitting by the fire knitting up a storm, while Lady Cheri and Conrad discussed unimportant matters and Anissina tinkered with some gadget that wasn’t working and needed the benefit of her time and patience to sort out. Günter discovered them all there and swept in to join them after departing from Yuuri’s company. Conrad glanced up when he heard the door. “Ah, Günter. How goes His Majesty’s studies?”

“I have dismissed him for now,” Günter sighed. “His Majesty is doing well, but his attention is, naturally, elsewhere at the moment. It surprised me that he gave me as long as he did before asking for the break.”

Conrad smiled to himself, knowing well of Yuuri’s fidgety habits. “Where is he now?”

“He has gone back to his room, to look in on Wolfram.” Günter looked around at the others. “He hasn’t shown his face at all today, has he?”

Lady Cheri shook her head sorrowfully. “He is still too upset with all of us. His Majesty asked the maids to send all their meals up today, he plans to eat with Wolfram up there instead of with us.”

“What?” Anissina looked up from her tools. “Is he still indulging His Excellency’s tantrum?”

Conrad sighed. “I don’t think I would know what to say to him if he did come down.”

A frown darkened Anissina’s lovely features. “I’m surprised at you. I wouldn’t have expected you would let the selfish brat have his way for this long.”

“Anissina.” Gwendal spoke up in a low, threatening tone, never turning his face away from the fire. “If you say another disparaging word about my youngest brother when he doesn’t deserve it, I will ship you back to Karbelnikov House without excuse or explanation.”

Anissina turned and gaped at him. For Gwendal to stand up to her, it had to be serious. Even Günter seemed ruffled by the restrained anger he could hear in Gwendal’s voice. “You would do such a thing?” he exclaimed.

Gwendal’s blue eyes shifted from his knitting just long enough to glare over his shoulder. “Wolfram may not be the most charming young man, but I will no longer sit by while others mock him behind his back. If you have a problem with his behavior, say it to his face. He deserves that much.”

Anissina frowned even more sternly. “So. You’ve decided to take what the Maou said seriously. Blaming yourself for Wolfram’s latest escapade, are you?”

Gwendal never ceased knitting – if anything, the needles flashed even faster. “Every last person in this room is to blame,” he said darkly. “I place no more responsibility on myself than anyone else. But if anyone is under the impression that His Majesty was incorrect in any of his accusations, they should reexamine themselves closely.”

Cheri gave him a forlorn look. “But, Gwendal…His Majesty was upset as well. We all say things we don’t mean when we’re upset.”

“No. Yuuri was right,” Conrad said heavily. “None of us know how deeply he wounded Wolfram, for he has diligently hidden himself away from us. All we have to go on is what Yuuri tells us, and I have no reason to believe he has exaggerated any of it.” He gazed sympathetically down at his mother, who sat demurely in a chair beside him. “It may not have been conscious, but we have all, in our own ways, dismissed Wolfram and made him to feel worthless. It won’t do to pass blame, now, all we can do is recognize it and resolve to do things differently from now on.”

Günter’s brow furrowed. “But how much have we truly contributed to the problem? In recent days, yes, even I can see that we haven’t been fair to Wolfram in the matter of the marriage offers…” He shook his head solemnly. “Yet, to say that we have never respected him is hard to take. Respect is earned, not given freely, and even you can admit that Wolfram has not always acted deserving of respect.”

“Perhaps not,”’ Gwendal answered, beginning to turn around and join the conversation, “but the more unwilling we were to give it, the more he acted out in retaliation. He may sometimes behave immaturely, but we never gave him the chance to show us maturity and demand our respect. Every one of us, at some time, has treated him like a child well after he should have been seen as an adult and allowed to grow out of it.”

Conrad looked his way. “He respects you more than any of us, Gwendal. Is there anything you can do for him? If perhaps Yuuri allowed you to speak to him?”

Gwendal set down his knitting needles and sighed. “There is nothing we can say to him that will make this right,” he stated. “I’m afraid that right now, without the benefit of actions to back up our words, any apology will seem empty. We can only wait for him to come to us, when he is ready. Perhaps by then, we will know how we ought to treat him.” He stared down at his hands in his lap, and the half-finished animal sprouting from his needles. He hadn’t decided yet what it was to be, but some part of him wanted it to be something Wolfram would like. He had never knitted anything for Wolfram, not since he was a baby – well, except for the winter hat that matched Yuuri’s. Wolfram always seemed to resent being treated like a child, and stuffed animals were for children, but he had received the hat with uncommon joy. Even Gwendal knew that he could do better, he could be less stern toward Wolfram and give him the respect he deserved, as an adult and his brother and the Maou’s betrothed. He glanced toward Conrad, his stoic face betraying nothing of the crushing defeat he felt inside. “At least he is speaking to Yuuri again.”

“True,” Conrad acknowledged. “I thought that would be the hard part, but Yuuri seems to have gotten through to him.”

“To think, Wolfram would have given up his home and title simply because he could not stand by while His Majesty married another,” Günter said dramatically, bowing his head. Naturally, he was more concerned that he had upset Yuuri than Wolfram, but it had the same effect. “Such devotion. I never would have expected it out of him. To think, I claim to have a pure and selfless love for His Majesty, but even I counseled him to set aside his feelings and do what was best for the kingdom.”

“And what is best for the kingdom?” Yozak suddenly interrupted him in classic style. “To have a depressed Maou sitting on the throne, spending every day of his life lamenting that he threw away the only person who ever loved him? Seems to me it’s a hefty price to pay for political alliance.”

Conrad and Gwendal glanced to the door to find the brawny soldier lurking in the entrance, listening without intruding on the family conference. Yet, he was as guilty as they, and deserved to be in on it. “His Majesty has rejected all offers,” Conrad informed him. “There will be no political marriages during the reign of Shibuya Yuuri. Whether or not he and Wolfram still choose to marry…” he added, frowning at the floor.

Lady Cheri covered her mouth with a hand. “I don’t know how I could have been so cold toward my own son,” she said softly, thinking back to the sharp words Wolfram had flung at her when she tried to look in on him. Though it had been a lashing-out in anger, the accusations were no less true. “I honestly didn’t think! I fear he will never trust me again. My poor Wolf…”

“If you want his forgiveness, you will have to show considerable restraint,” Gwendal said curtly. “Possibly, to the effect of never mentioning weddings, marriage, or women in front of him for quite some time.”

Cheri gave him a withering look. “I feel bad enough about it as it is, Gwendal, I don’t need to be accused by two of my sons.”

“Yet, he has a point,” Conrad said, more gently. “Of all of us, Wolfram may feel the most betrayed by you. He only wanted someone to acknowledge that his engagement to His Majesty wasn’t meaningless, but his own mother ignored it.”

Cheri bowed her head, her green eyes shimmering. “Yes, I know. And I feel awful. But you don’t understand, Conrad. Wolfram is my baby, my last one. You and Gwendal can take care of yourselves…”

“So can Wolfram,” Gwendal said sharply. “He has outgrown the need to be coddled.”

“But he is not yet ready to be thrust out into the cold, hard world with no one to support him,” Cheri argued. “As you would do.”

“Please, this isn’t helping the situation,” Günter interjected. “I’m sure all of us would like to see matters rectified, but the only recourse is to police our own behavior, not each other’s. Each of us deals with Wolfram in his or her own way.”

Conrad nodded. “And there isn’t much any of us can do until Wolfram is willing to come out of his room and face us. I don’t expect that will happen in quick order.”

Gwendal raised an eyebrow at him. “Dare we say anything directly?”

“I won’t.” Conrad turned and clasped his hands behind his back. “I intend to show Wolfram, rather than tell him, that I respect him. If it is as simple as not raising my voice or rolling my eyes when he acts out. There is nothing I could say that would improve matters.” He glanced back at his mother. “Though, that is my personal plan. I would think, anyone who feels they have wronged him more seriously could do well with an apology.”

“Well, I for one plan to never mention marriages again,” Günter said hastily. “The subject is hereby taboo from my lips.”

Yozak grinned behind his back. “Until His Majesty comes asking you to plan his wedding.”

Günter spun and eyed him. “Don’t say that! Oh, how could I bear such a thing?”

Anissina cast Gwendal a distrustful look. “Do you expect all of us to go pussy-footing around Wolfram whenever he decides to come out of his room and stop pouting?”

Gwendal gave her an aloof look in return. “I expect that he will be treated normally, as any nobleman has a right to expect from his peers in the castle,” he replied coolly. “How you choose to go about that is your business. But I will make good on my threat if you can’t keep a civil tongue around him.”

Anissina shook her head slowly. “I have no intention of turning myself into the same kind of brat I accuse your brother of being. He has potential, I’ll give him that, but perhaps he would benefit from not having to deal with me for a while.”

“At the very least, anything said to Wolfram should be done in private,” Conrad suggested. “This needs to end, not be dredged up at every dinner table conversation or every time he raises his voice to one of us or to His Majesty.” He winced and tried to smile. “But yes, perhaps we should not talk about marriage for a while. Any of us.”

Cheri gave a wistful sigh. “Ah, it really is too bad. I could have seen His Majesty meeting a nice girl. It would have been nice to have a lovely queen in the castle.”

“If I may humbly suggest,” Yozak broke in dryly, “perhaps Her Majesty should buy a dollhouse, and a couple of porcelain dolls, if she wants to play at having a perfectly beautiful king and queen sitting on the throne of Shin Makoku.”

Outrage colored Cheri’s cheeks bright red, and she shot straight up out of her chair to glower at Yozak across the room. “How dare you?” she gasped. “You know nothing! You insolent – ”

“Mother,” Conrad cut in with a sharp tone. His back was still to her. “You may reprimand Yozak for his impertinence, but not for what he chose to say.”

Cheri whirled to her middle son instead, eyes widening at his similar audacity. “Conrad!” she gasped in disbelief. “You would defend him instead of me? Did you hear what he said?”

Yozak allowed a smug smile to curve the corner of his mouth, not ignorant of the fact that Conrad had just stood up for him. Conrad retained his usual calm, though he kept his face turned away so as not to start glaring at anybody. “He merely pointed out that you were doing exactly what we just asked you not to do – forget that your own son is engaged to the Maou and will, if all goes well, sit beside him as his consort. Perhaps not as politely as I would have,” he added wryly, with a glance toward Yozak. “But it needed to be said.”

“Sorry,” Yozak said thickly, though he definitely wasn’t. “Polite isn’t in my nature.”

Conrad continued to gaze at him. “You’re sounding considerably less adversarial toward Wolfram than you were before.”

The broad-shouldered spy leaned on the door frame, tilting his head in a sort of shrug. “I still think His Excellency is a bit of a brat,” he said plainly, “but he’s nowhere near the brat he used to be before His Majesty came here. Whatever I may think of him, he is the Maou’s fiancé, and any loyalty I bear to the Maou, I bear to Wolfram as well. On that principle alone, I’m ready to defend their engagement.” His blue eyes flashed. “Fiercely. In a few short months, His Majesty has done what none of you could do in years. He’s taken that lump of rock that is Wolfram and started to polish it to bring out the gem hiding inside. He deserves the chance to finish the job, and I’ll stand by him until he does.”

“I didn’t realize you had any sort of affection for Wolfram,” Gwendal murmured from where he sat, though only the man he addressed knew he meant it in humor.

Yozak flashed a sly smile. “He’s arrogant, proud, and a bit narrow-sighted, but what member of this family isn’t? I saw how he was when we found him. He wasn’t any of those things. Whatever happened between him and the Maou, it was bad enough to nearly break his spirit. Considering Yuuri is now the only person he’s letting near him – they must really have something worth defending.”

Gwendal gathered up his knitting, intending to leave this gaggle of bitter conversation and find somewhere quieter to work. “I agree,” he said bluntly. “Strange as it may sound, Wolfram and His Majesty might be the best influences on each other. They deserve the chance to continue to mold each other into a better man.” He gave his mother a long, appraising look before turning and striding for the door. “If you can’t quiet the itch to have a queen to doll up and commiserate with on courtly matters, perhaps it would help to remember that there is now a princess within the castle who would probably benefit from some education in the social graces.” He paused at the door for a glance over his shoulder, though as usual, it was impossible to read the emotion on his stern face. “Anissina’s instruction to Greta is only academic. She could use a strong female influence to guide her in manners and grace.”

As he departed, Lady Cheri sat up suddenly with a look of startled surprise. “Of course! Why didn’t I think of that? Oh…Greta would look so lovely in some nice new dresses!”

Conrad gave her an appreciative smile. “She is Wolfram’s daughter as well, which makes her your adoptive granddaughter. I can think of no one better to show her the subtle nuances of conducting herself as a princess ought to.”

Cheri gave her son a wary sort of smile. “Giving your poor mother a project to spend her energy on, is that it? Well, I accept! Wolfram certainly isn’t going to teach her how to sit in a dress and how to properly greet visiting royalty – and I can’t see His Majesty doing it either.”

Conrad heaved a long sigh of relief. “Good. Now maybe we can put this sordid affair behind us.” He looked away, into the fire, entranced by the dancing flames his younger brother so easily controlled. “If Wolfram can find it in his heart to forgive us.”

The following day dawned clear and bright for once, as the clouds melted away and let the sun warm the wet, gray grounds. It was so nice that the maids were even airing out bedding in the fresh breeze to get the damp out of them. And, it was nice enough to finally coax Wolfram out of his room. He still refused to speak to anyone, and tended to duck down intersecting corridors whenever it looked like he was about to cross paths with someone against whom he still took offense, preferring to be alone. Yet, at least he wasn’t closed away any longer, and his family members were willing to give him a wide berth if it encouraged him not to hide himself away in shame. Yuuri was delighted by this turn of events, and skipped out on as much of his royal duty as he could in order to see that no one bothered Wolfram, to the point of asking him to take a walk in the garden with him that afternoon. It was quiet and dull at this time of year, with all the flowers dormant and the trees cloaked in dim gray-green shrouds of tiny new leaves, but the paved walks were dry and clear for anyone to take at their leisure. Yuuri and Wolfram walked side by side but not touching, the young king with his hands in his trouser pockets. He looked up at the brilliant blue sky and breathed deeply of the warming air. “Ah, look at that,” he commented. “It’s like the whole rainy season got rolled up and tucked away in the closet until next year.”

“It’s only a break,” Wolfram said quietly. “It’ll go back to being rainy soon enough.”

“Well, that’s not a very cheerful thought,” Yuuri complained. “I guess we’d better enjoy it while we’ve got it, then.” He lowered his eyes to the walk in front of them, so as not to step on any worms or anything. “At least until the flowers bloom, and long, sunny days, and oo!” Something occurred to him, making him perk up. “Then maybe I can hold tryouts for the baseball team!”

Wolfram gave him an odd look. “Baseball team?”

“Yeah! Conrad went to all the trouble of having the baseball diamond built, and I know some of the kids in the town are learning the game. Spring is when you have tryouts, and build a team, and start playing games.” He grinned and thrust his chest out proudly. “As the Maou, I get to be the owner and manager of my very own team. What do you think of that?”

“I think you’re crazy,” Wolfram said matter-of-factly. “But, if that’s what pleases you…”

Yuuri gave him a smile. “You want to try out for the team?”

Wolfram shook his head. “Baseball is your thing, not mine.” He looked away up the path. “But I may be convinced to go down to the field and watch you play.”

“I don’t know how much playing I’m going to get,” Yuuri sighed. “A manager doesn’t play. But, I suppose, I’ll have to show them how it’s done.” He took a deep breath and smiled again. “As long as there’s baseball in Shin Makoku. A little bit of over there, over here. I like that.”

They walked on for a bit, falling silent for the moment, as the wind ruffled lightly in their hair. Glancing aside, Yuuri could see that despite having rejoined the world and donned his uniform once again, Wolfram still looked down about something. There hadn’t been an offensive letter since he had sent out the couriers with His Majesty’s official word on marriage proposals, so Yuuri couldn’t figure out what it was. That got him thinking all over again, and wondering about some stupid little thing that he hadn’t yet been able to wrap his mind around. “Say, Wolfram,” he began as casually as he could. “I’ve got a question.”

Wolfram glanced at him, eyebrows raised. “Oh?”

“If you and I got married…” Yuuri tried not to blush at that. “What would that make you? You’re not a girl so you wouldn’t be a queen…”

“Consort,” Wolfram replied.

“Consort…” Yuuri mulled it over. “That sounds kinda cool. It’s elegant.” He smiled gently. “It fits you.” He suddenly wagged a finger. “Aha, that’s where I’ve heard it before! Günter mentioned something about a previous Maou’s consort, when he was teaching me all that history of the royal line and all that. So…he must have had a male partner…”

“It isn’t rare,” Wolfram reminded him. “Even for the Maou.”

“I guess so.” Yuuri studied him, trying to read his somber expression and lack of wordy responses to know whether this line of questioning was bothering him. They passed from under a sleeping willow and a ray of sunshine hit them, lighting up Wolfram’s hair like gold and revealing the soft blush on his cheeks. It was just like the first time Yuuri had ever seen him, though then, he had looked so snippy, so proud and arrogant – but still with the sun in his hair and passion in his eyes. He may not have been feeling quite so proud, now, but he still looked just as beautiful. It made Yuuri stop in his tracks, and catch himself thinking. That brief, unguarded moment brought everything from the past few days into sharp relief, and made him gently call out, “Wolfram…”

Wolfram paused and turned back, idly wondering, “Hmm?” He found Yuuri just standing there, gazing at him, with one of his trademark blank looks. “Yuuri? What is it?”

Yuuri cracked a slight smile. “Come here. There’s something I need to do.”

Perplexed, Wolfram took the two steps back toward him, coming to a stop in front of him. Then, Yuuri raised his right hand, hesitated, and reached to give Wolfram a light tap on his left cheek. Wolfram stared, while Yuuri just smiled some more. “There. I thought maybe…you deserved to have me do it for real, and mean it. Instead of accidentally, like last time.”

“Yuuri…” Wolfram couldn’t stop staring, torn between passing it off as a mean joke and believing that Yuuri might actually have done something right for a change. Each option was equally unbelievable. But Yuuri didn’t stop smiling, with that light of sincerity in his black eyes that Wolfram had come to trust. At last, he gave a little sniff that might have been a chuckle. “If you’re going to do it for real, you have to put some effort into it, you wimp. Put your force into it!”

Yuuri flinched and frowned. “What? Are you crazy? I don’t want to hurt you!”

“Please. I can take a little sting on the cheek, I’m not a wimp like you,” Wolfram scoffed. “If you really mean it, slap me!”

Screwing up his face in frustration, Yuuri hauled back his hand and prepared to let fly a truly deadly slap, pulling it at the last second when he saw the gleam of a heartfelt smile in Wolfram’s green eyes as he waited for it. He still managed to deliver a slap strong enough to echo across the garden and leave a tingly red welt on Wolfram’s cheek. It made Wolfram gasp and catch his breath, and tears spring to his eyes, but he turned to face Yuuri with a solemn expression. Then, after a moment of holding himself in control, he lunged and threw his arms around the young king’s neck. Though surprised, Yuuri caught him lest he be tackled to the ground and left in a compromising position. He squeezed Wolfram back and murmured, “So I take it that’s a yes?”

Wolfram pried himself away and hastily rearranged his mussed-up hair, trying to regain his noble composure. “See? I told you I could take it. You didn’t hit me nearly as hard as you did the first time.”

“Yeah, well, the first time I was really angry with you,” Yuuri pointed out. “I hate this tradition! Who ever came up with the idea that when you love someone and want to marry them, you should slap them in the face?”

“I don’t know,” Wolfram shrugged. “It’s always been like that. Why? How do they do it in your world?”

Yuuri folded his arms and looked away as he thought. “Well, there’s lots of different ways to do it,” he admitted, “but most of all, it just involves asking the person outright. A lot of times, the guy gets a ring, and you go someplace special or out to dinner. And then he gets down on one knee…” Whether he consciously decided to do it or not, Yuuri sank to one knee right there in demonstration. “…and he takes his partner’s hand…” Again, he did so, almost without thinking. Wolfram stared at him, and noticed that his hand in Yuuri’s was trembling. Yuuri finally seemed to realize what he was doing, blinked in astonishment, and then blurted out, “Wolfram…will you marry me?”

A long silence stretched between them, as they shyly gazed at each other. Finally, Wolfram mumbled, “And what am I supposed to say?”

“You’re just supposed to answer,” Yuuri said. “Yes…or no, I guess. Or ‘I’ll think about it.’ Whatever you want.” From this position, so rife with meaning for him but probably completely pointless to his partner, Yuuri realized he had done more than just reaffirm their engagement. He had meant it. He was half expecting Wolfram to say “I’ll think about it” just to spite him, but to his surprise, Wolfram just closed his mouth and nodded.

Yuuri got to his feet, and once again Wolfram pounced on him, though with a little less fervor this time. It didn’t make them any more engaged than they already were, but it was still more to them than just a sentimental gesture. Wolfram buried his face in Yuuri’s neck, and then murmured, so only they could hear, “I like your tradition a lot better.”

Yuuri chuckled at him. “I don’t have a ring, though. Sorry.”

“It’s no matter.” Wolfram let him go, and then dutifully straightened his jacket for him, adjusting his collar and brushing an errant strand of blond hair off his shoulder. “You’re not going back on it this time. If you come creeping up to me with the suggestion of breaking it off again, this time, I’ll take your head off.”

Yuuri grinned sheepishly. He didn’t care, so long as that light of life had returned to Wolfram’s eyes. “I expect you would. And I’d deserve it.” They gazed at each other for a long moment, until Yuuri absently opened his mouth again. “Say…”

Wolfram groaned. “Don’t you ever stop talking?”

“What?”

“It’s a nice day.” Wolfram turned on his heel and made to continue walking, though he started out slowly so Yuuri could wake himself up and join him at his side. “There’s no need to ruin it with all kinds of talking.”

It took a moment, but Yuuri finally grinned and hastened his step, falling in beside Wolfram. They still didn’t dare touch each other, even platonically, but they were together. Had anyone peeked outside the castle windows to see them, they would have noticed, and maybe thought to themselves that it looked right. But no one did – no one saw the thrice-strengthened engagement. They would find out later, when His Majesty the Maou ordered that an oversight be corrected and an announcement sent out around the kingdom to declare that he had taken one Wolfram von Bielefeld to be his fiancé. For now, the pair enjoyed having that knowledge just between themselves – the rest of the world could hang itself.