Starting Over, Part 4

The first half of breakfast passed much the way dinner had the last time Wolfram had joined the others. There was an awkward silence hanging over
everyone and what little talk there was started and centered around Yuuri and Greta. No one mentioned where Yuuri had spent the night, though they must
have all known by then. Wolfram imagined how each had taken the news before his and Yuuri's late arrival. Gunter would have been scandalized that he'd
kidnapped Yuuri and spirited him off to the dark recesses of the soldier's wing to do who knew what to him. He would have run straight to Gwendal, who would
see it as proof that he really did want to sleep with Yuuri so long as it was on his own terms. His brother would object to the location, though, and how much
danger he'd put Yuuri in by forcing him to sleep with minimum protection. Conrad, well, he couldn't even guess how Conrad had taken the news. His mother
must have been tickled pink, which would certainly explain how she'd smiled at him when they entered the room. Wolfram told himself firmly that he didn't care
what they thought of it so long as they kept those thoughts to themselves. He kept his attention on his food, and on Greta, who was excitedly telling Yuuri all
about the new foal. It seemed she still hadn't been told that she would never be allowed to ride it.

"The mare's firstborn was a gift to her from Stoffel," Wolfram told Yuuri. "Unfortunately her foal is black."

"Unfortunately?" Yuuri repeated.

"He's like a little Ao!" Greta beamed. "I named him Night!"

Wolfram lifted his eyes, looking around the table, waiting for someone to say something. No one else looked up. They'd actually hoped the foal might die
when it stopped taking its mother's milk, just to spare them from having to disappoint Greta. She was so excited to have her own horse, which would have
been raised to answer to and seat only her. The mare was a lovely dappled gray, so they couldn't have guessed she would give birth to a black foal. Now
they were all waiting for someone to break the bad news. It had to be soon, before she became even more attached to it.

"Aren't you a little young to be riding a horse?" Yuuri asked Greta, smiling weakly.

"Nope! I've been learning on a little horse already!"

"A pony," Conrad reassured Yuuri. "It's perfectly safe."

Wolfram caught his eye, asking without words if he was willing to tell her. Conrad gave a sad smile and sighed. He would if he had to. It suddenly struck him
how amusing it was the way they'd all come to dote on a little human girl. She had all of them wrapped around her little fingers even more than Yuuri did.
None of them would willingly play the part of villain, no matter how necessary. He sighed himself. If none of them said anything, eventually someone would
inform Yuuri and he would be the one forced to tell her. She'd forgiven him for leaving, so she would forgive him for taking her new horse away easily. But
she shouldn't have to. They'd all known this was coming before Yuuri had even returned. They should have told her the day the horse was born.

"Greta," Wolfram said quietly, "do you remember why Ao is the only black horse here?"

She bit her lip, her eyes darting off as she recalled the lesson. "Because he's the maou's horse! And only the maou can ride a..." Her eyes widened and
most of the color fled from her face. "Oh..."

"What's wrong?" Yuuri asked, looking around in confusion.

Wolfram nudged Greta's chin up, smiling gently. "When Ao is too old to keep up with the other horses, he'll be put in a big pasture where he'll have beautiful
sons and daughters. And Night, your Night, will carry the king in his place. He'll make you proud." It hurt to see her blinking back tears, but she wasn't letting
them fall. She was so stubborn, more like him than Yuuri, or so he liked to think.

"Does he have to go away until Ao gets old?" asked Greta.

"No. He won't go anywhere for a year or two, and then he'll be back before you know it. In the meantime, we'll get you another horse. He or she can live in
the stall right next to Night so they'll grow up as best friends."

"Wait!" Yuuri said loudly, half rising out of his chair. He was torn between panic at Greta's teary eyes and anger at being left in the dark. "If it's her horse,
then-" Greta turned to him and he blinked in surprise. For a moment she looked much too old.

"Only the king can ride a black horse," she said sadly. "I forgot."

"That's what this is about?" he demanded, glaring at Wolfram. "You'd take her horse away just because of the color? That's a stupid rule!"

"Your Majesty," Gunter started. "Tradition-"

"No! It's stupid," Yuuri snapped, turning his glare on him. "If it's that important, just streak its mane and tail white. Problem solved. I'll bring some hair dye
from earth if you don't have any here." He looked around the table in exasperation. "I can't believe you guys would give her a horse and then take it away
because it's the wrong color. I get the black uniforms, but this is a horse we're talking about here."

"Pure black stallions are very rare," Conrad said quietly.

"I don't care if this is the last one ever born in this world. No one is taking my daughter's horse away from her. Not while I'm king." He folded his arms and
leaned back in his chair, scowling fiercely. He couldn't believe even Conrad could be so rigid over something so...stupid. Greta tugged on his sleeve. He
wiped the frown off his face and gave her a reassuring smile. "Don't worry, I won't let anyone take your horse."

"I'll give him to you when he's old enough," she said solemnly. She flashed a quick look at Wolfram. "I can do that, can't I?"

"Of course. You can give him to whomever you like."

"Can I have a white horse like yours? A little sister for Night?"

"I'll find you one myself," Wolfram promised. He flashed a quick look at Yuuri, who was frowning and gaping and looking as if he'd been smacked in the face
with a wet rag. His eagerness to stand up for his daughter was commendable, but Greta was mature enough to handle the reality of the situation. She'd
probably learned more about traditions than Yuuri had, despite Gunter's best efforts to educate their king. For all that she was human, she was already
turning into a fine mazoku princess.

"Greta," Yuuri frowned. "You don't have to do that."

"It's okay," she said quickly. This time she smiled. "Night is much too pretty to have white in his hair. Wait till you see him, Papa. He has the sweetest eyes
and his nose is really soft. He's tall, too. He'll be just as big as Ao when he grows up. I'll get him a sister. Or..." She turned back to Wolfram, "A wife? Is he
too young to have a wife?"

Wolfram laughed. "He's a little young to be tied down. Let him grow up before you arrange any marriages."

"Okay! A sister's better, anyway. They can share secrets."

Which was something she wanted for herself. Wolfram picked at his food as conversation started up here and there. With that crisis averted, or overcome as
it were, the mood had improved greatly. He didn't want to be the one to ruin it. Greta was lonely. Even if Yuuri married right away it would be years before
she had a sibling old enough to share secrets with. There were plenty of kids her age in the city, just a short walk from the castle gate, yet it might as well
have been a different continent. He had no doubts that she would be perfectly comfortable playing with them, but he cringed at the thought of how they would
treat her. She would have to be escorted, chaperoned, and even if she wasn't recognized the guards would be. The noble child closest to her age he knew of
was the Wincott boy, and he didn't want her anywhere near that brat.

A sudden silence caught his attention, and he looked up to find everyone staring at him. His eyes circled the table. A knowing look from Conrad, a scowl from
Gwendal, a reproachful frown from Gunter, a disappointed pout from his mother, and confusion from Yuuri and Greta. Those two were looking from him to the
others. He hadn't been paying attention, but it was obvious the topic had drifted to something they all held him responsible for. He dropped his eyes and took
a slow bite of his food. It wasn't until Gunter cleared his throat and spoke that he understood.

"The ceremony is very important," said Gunter, "but it's not something we have to worry about just yet."

"My celebration has priority," Cecilie smiled quickly, reaching over to stroke Yuuri's cheek so that he cringed a little. "Don't tell me you've forgotten about it
already?"

"No," Yuuri blurted. "Of course not. But the coming of age ceremony is supposed to take place on my birthday, right? That's only a week and a half from
now."

"In your world," Conrad reminded him. "A single week in your world can mean months in ours. After the ball you can travel between worlds and see exactly
how time moves between the two. Then we'll have the proper date to plan the ceremony for."

"Oh. Okay." He wondered if he'd have time to celebrate with his parents before coming back here. Or maybe he could bring them with him. His mother was
dying to see Shin Makoku, and he really wanted to introduce her to Greta. His daughter slipped a hand onto his leg and he smiled down at her only to find
that she wasn't looking at him. He followed her gaze and jolted in alarm. Wolfram was ash white, staring blankly at the tabletop. "Wolfram?"

"Excuse me," Wolfram said, rising mechanically.

He was barely out the door when Gwendal rose and stalked out after him. Gunter rose a moment later, and Yuuri stood up himself.

"What's going on?" Yuuri demanded.

"Nothing that need concern you, Your Majesty," Gunter said quickly, before hurrying after the two.

For a long moment he stared at the door they'd disappeared through. Then he slammed his palms down on the table, utterly frustrated. "When are you guys
going to start telling me what's going on around here?"

"Papa..."

He winced guiltily at having raised his voice in front of her. "I'm sorry, Greta, I-"

"Gwendal doesn't like Wolfram anymore," Greta whispered.

"What?" He took one look at the tears forming in her eyes and lifted her out of the chair, hugging her tight. "Of course he does."

"He doesn't..."

Cecilie circled the table, easing close enough to pet Greta's hair. "Gwendal loves Wolf-chan very much. He just worries about him. That's what big brothers
do."

Greta just shook her head, hiding her face in Yuuri's chest. Yuuri shot a desperate look from Cecilie to Conrad, who quickly joined them. As much as he
wanted to be a good father, he was completely out of his element here. He couldn't stand to see her cry. That made him want to cry, too.

"Did someone say something to you?" asked Conrad. "About Gwendal and Wolfram?"

She stopped shaking her head, but she buried her face even tighter into Yuuri's shirt. Cecilie exchanged a quick look with Conrad.

"Or did you overhear someone gossiping about them?" Cecilie murmured, in a teasing voice. "A rumor, perhaps?"

Greta stiffened and raised her head, frowning at Cecilie. "Princesses don't pay attention to rumors," she said stoutly, before ruining it with a sniffle.

Cecilie beamed back at her. "My son's taught you well. No, princesses don't listen to rumors. But they do hear them, now and then..."

"What did you hear?" Yuuri asked her, finally catching on. "It's okay," he said, when she ducked her head, "you can tell me anything."

"I was in the kitchen again," Greta whispered.

Conrad sighed, shaking his head at the confused look Yuuri shot him. "She started sneaking in there last month. We've all talked to her about it. As far as
mischief goes, it's a minor offense at best. One of the guards always follows her to make sure she gets back to her room safely."

Yuuri hugged her, dismissing her mumbled apology. It was sad that she lived in a world where sneaking to the kitchen for a midnight snack was dangerous.
"It's okay, Greta. I did the same thing when I was your age." Without needing a guard to follow him there and back. "Just tell us what you heard."

"They said he's sick of him and he's going to get rid of him." She whipped her head around to stare at Cecilie. "He wouldn't do that. Would he...?"

"Never," Conrad said sharply.

"May I?" Cecilie asked Yuuri, her arms outstretched. She settled Greta on her hip, not minding how her dress rode up a little. "You know all those funny
animals Gwendal makes? He's made enough of those for Wolfram over the years to fill an entire room. Ask Wolfram about them sometime. He'll blush and
scowl just like a little kid. Wolfram has always been Gwendal's favorite." She flashed a smile at Conrad, who relaxed enough to return it.

"Tell me, Greta," Conrad said quietly. "Are you sure the people you heard were talking about Gwendal?"

Greta ducked her head. "Are you going to ask me who they were...?"

"No," Yuuri assured her. "If we need to know, we'll find out for ourselves." She peeked at him and he smiled back. "I promise."

She nodded back at him, then frowned at Conrad. "I'm sure. They said Gwendal deserved to be king and Wolfram would be awful, and that's why he was sick
of him trying to up-" She worried her lip for a moment. "To do something, I can't remember the word. They said he was sick of him trying to do it so he was
going to get rid of him for doing it. But Papa is the king. There's only one king. I don't understand."

"You don't need to understand," Cecilie said firmly. "They were petty gossips with too much time on their hands. Whereas we have very little time at all to be
wasting on such nonsense. We still have to get you fitted for your new dress."

"Now?" Greta asked, making a face. "But she pokes me..."

"Only when you fidget," Cecilie teased. "Gentlemen, if you'll excuse us now, we have ladies' business to attend to."

Yuuri leaned close when Greta waved at him, letting her kiss his cheek and returning the gesture. "Try not to worry so much, okay?"

"I'll try my best," Greta promised. She frowned up at Cecilie as she was carried off. "Do I have to get new shoes, too?"

"Every new dress must have new shoes to match."

Greta let out a very unlady-like groan, and Yuuri smiled after them. Once they were out of sight, the expression faded away. "What's really going on around
here, Conrad?"

"Let's take a walk," said Conrad. "This is a conversation best kept away from prying eyes." He gave a pointed look over Yuuri's shoulder.

Yuuri glanced back just in time to see the servant door close. Judging by the rustling sound of skirts hurrying away from the room, they probably could have
stayed right where they were. But if Conrad wanted to talk about it somewhere else, that was fine by him. They could talk on Earth if Conrad wanted to, just
as long as he finally got some straight answers.

.-.

Wolfram let himself be guided all the way to Gwendal's office. His brother had caught him just outside the dining room and he didn't have the strength to shrug
off the hand he'd latched around his arm. He was still recovering from the shock. He'd thought he had the time difference figured out. Yuuri had said he'd
only been away for weeks in his world, meaning each week was less than a month here. He could keep this up for a few weeks. But he'd never asked exactly
how many weeks. For all he knew the flow of time in Yuuri's world could be even slower now that he had used his own portal to cross over. If he was facing
months, he didn't know what he'd do.

Gwendal finally released him, leaving him standing in the middle of his office. A moment later the door opened and Gunter slipped in. Wolfram flinched when
his brother rounded sharply.

"Not you!" barked Gwendal.

Gunter jumped, but quickly nodded. "You won't be disturbed," he promised, before leaving the room.

Gwendal sank into his chair, where any nervous hand movements he made would be hidden behind the desk. His scowl darkened until it bordered on
murderous before he could bring himself to speak. "The engagement can't be broken. You made that impossible the first night you spent in his bed."

Wolfram paled so much he worried that he might pass out. Shame twisted his stomach painfully. At the same time he was relieved to finally have it out in the
open. He had never expected Gwendal to find it in himself to address the issue personally. The engagement was important because it kept Yuuri from being
swept up by someone who would manipulate and influence him. It tied him to the family and kept him out of the hands of misguided men like Stoffel. The
nobles would have sent the most cunning and beautiful girls they could find for that exact purpose. That was why Gwendal hadn't challenged Yuuri's
proposal. Yuuri was harmless and by his own hand, he'd tied himself to the family. But Gwendal had no part in Wolfram moving into Yuuri's room. That had
been his mother's idea. It was revenge, pure and simple. By refusing to take it back and then defeating him, Yuuri had locked him into the engagement. He'd
wanted to lock Yuuri into it as well. He had known Yuuri would never touch him, his mother wouldn't have suggested it otherwise, but he'd also known Yuuri
was too kind to break the engagement if he knew what it would do to him. He'd been sick of hearing Yuuri speak of their engagement as if it were something
insignificant he could ignore and undo whenever he got around to it. So he'd taken the one step available to him to trap Yuuri just the way Yuuri had trapped
him. But things were different now. He refused to blackmail him into being miserable for the rest of his life, especially when that meant being miserable
himself. As for his reputation, it became more tattered the longer the engagement lasted. Keeping up this farce wasn't helping his reputation in any way.

"I know," said Wolfram. "I accept full responsibility for my actions. It was my choice and I will live with that choice. It doesn't matter what sort of reputation I
have. Once the engagement is broken, I won't have anything more to do with the court. I'll be just another soldier."

"You will not," Gwendal growled. "Why can't you understand that? Too many people know who you are. Even in the human kingdoms, you're as recognizable
as he is."

"I don't care. I'm sorry, Brother, but I really don't. I'm not going to continue forcing this on him. He is the Maou. He has the right to decide his future." For the
first time in months, he was able to give his brother a genuine smile. "And I have the right to decide mine."

.-.

Conrad led him to one of the small plant-filled courtyards. It was early enough for the air to be a little nippy, but the boxed in courtyard was empty, with no
doors or windows close enough for any eavesdroppers. Yuuri propped an elbow on the rail while Conrad made himself comfortable against one of the pillars.

"Wolfram is still young for a mazoku," Conrad started. "If he were human, he wouldn't be much older than you are. He's always fluctuated between being
immature and too mature for his age, but in the last few months the balance has tipped and it's alarming for those who've known him his entire life."

"You don't seem alarmed," said Yuuri. "You're the only one who doesn't seemed worried at all."

"That's because I have eyes and ears where the others don't," Conrad admitted. "Florian doesn't tell me much, but he tells me enough. Do know anything
about Wolfram's squad?"

"Just that they're all magic users, an elite guard."

"They were originally an honor guard. The volunteers came almost exclusively from Gwendal's men, to keep an eye on Wolfram and protect him when we
couldn't be around. They wore his colors so anyone who saw them would know he was never alone. Mother used to show him off, you see, when he was
little." He gave a nostalgic smile. "She was so happy to have a child who took after her. She'd greet her suitors with him in her lap, all decked out for the
occasion." His smile faded away. "But not all of those suitors were there to see her. It was a rude shock for all of us to realize anyone might target him. He
was younger than Greta, just a baby. Mother hid him away for years until Gwendal and I could start training him to protect himself. Even when he started
training seriously in magic with others his age, we hated letting him out of our sight. As soon as he graduated, the squad was created to watch him for us.
Except Wolfram never saw it that way. He took charge of it from the start and, one by one, replaced all of Gwendal's men with the kids he'd grown up training
with. Kids he'd already surpassed himself."

"That's why they're all so young..."

"Exactly. Gwendal's men meant well, but they knew their job was to protect him. Of course they couldn't follow his orders when it meant endangering him, and
they certainly couldn't fight seriously with him and endanger him themselves. Instead of learning from them and being protected by them, Wolfram created a
squad of kids he could teach and protect. His men were never meant to see battle. Yet he has turned them into the best collection of magic users we have.
As the war general, that's on Gwendal's conscience now." He shook his head, smiling proudly. "Wolfram has a better sense for magic potential than his
academy instructors did. Either that, or he's simply better at bringing out that potential. Taken collectively, those 'kids' of his could best any group of grown
magic users Gwendal could pit against them. And he knows it. He would never willingly send Wolfram into battle, but if the need arose he would have no
choice. Wolfram's new training just makes things worse. With the entire squad present, they could defeat someone stronger than Wolfram. But hoseki
renders them all but defenseless."

"He said no one had any reason to attack them," said Yuuri.

"That's what he believes," Conrad sighed. "We hid him too well. He doesn't understand yet that he's visible in a way he never was before. What Greta
overheard is part of a feud that started while you were away. Many of the nobles were pushing for Wolfram to take the throne. That's due in large part to his
training with hoseki. We still don't know how they found out about it so quickly. They were impressed by his initiative and support him taking it as far as it can
go. If even one small squad of mazoku can overcome that weakness then our human enemies won't have any defense against us. They want that, and no
matter how worried Gwendal is, he can't put a halt to the training with that much support for it. He can't even take charge of it because those nobles are
convinced Wolfram is the only one who can carry it out and succeed, precisely because he and his squad are young and adaptable. They see Gwendal as
too old fashioned and worry he'll restrain and crush any attempt at progress. On the other hand, some of the nobles are against Wolfram because they fear
he'll ruin the alliances we have by making the human kingdoms feel threatened. We don't know how far word of this has spread yet. It's only a matter of time
before the human kingdoms find out, if they haven't already. When they do, it won't be our human allies we have to worry about."

"Do you think we should stop him?" asked Yuuri. "Stop the training?"

"No. You must have seen it yourself. More and more humans are using hoseki. As long as you continue traveling to human lands, he'll continue following you
there. All it takes are a few well placed stones to render him useless. He wants to be able to stand on his own. We can't deny him that."

"What can we do, then? I asked to go along, with you there so it's safer. I haven't been trained in healing, but I'm sure I could help some. But he brushed me
off, saying we could discuss it later. He meant never."

"Having you there would be a mixed blessing," Conrad admitted. "Healing would help if there were an attack, but you should be wary of empowering him too
much."

"What do you mean?"

"Right now the biggest thing limiting them is the distance. They have to be far enough from the city that no mazoku are affected by the hoseki, but they can't
spend the night out there so he has to stop the training while his men are still able to make it back to the castle safely. If they were healed on the spot, they
would push much harder, not having to worry about being in good enough shape to make it back. Although having a healer on hand would be useful, you
shouldn't offer your services too freely. Also, while having both of us there would give me just cause to place guards around the perimeter, the targets would
be doubled. The field Wolfram has been using is not a good place to establish a useful defense. There are too many civilians traveling through the nearby
area to identify them from true threats. The most logical solution would be to have him move the training onto one of our older, more private training grounds.
That would require having him stationed away from the castle."

"How would that be safer?" Yuuri asked, not quite panicking at the idea. "Having him further away?"

"High level magic can be very destructive. There are a few places in Shin Makoku that still bear the scars of war. There are no villages nearby because
nothing grows in those areas, so they remain the best locations to train those most likely to damage the landscape or endanger nearby towns. Each area has
natural defenses, which is the reason they were the scenes of so much conflict in the past. With the proper supplies, even a small group of proficient magic
users could hold one of those areas secure against an outright invasion, let alone a few would-be assassins. From a defensive stance, it's the safest
alternative. It would, however, isolate them from far out of the reach of any healers, including you. Some of the nobles have been pushing that as a way to
minimize the effect this training has on the kingdom and our allies, while conveniently taking him further from the throne. But it's not a solution any of us
support. Perhaps in the future, depending on how things turn out, but not now. Gwendal and Wolfram were never fighting over the throne to begin with, no
matter what the rumors say to the contrary. With you back, it isn't even an issue."

"I never even thought about who would become king after I left," Yuuri admitted. He wondered if this contention was what Wolfram had been referring to when
he spoke of the kingdom tearing itself apart trying to decide on the next king. He couldn't imagine anyone seriously pitting Wolfram against Gwendal. While
he felt he should be loyal to Wolfram, he didn't honestly believe there was any comparison between the two. Gwendal was the obvious choice, with age and
experience, and as far as he could tell Gwendal already ran the country even without being king himself. All Yuuri did was talk to people and sign papers, and
put his foot down on what few issues Gwendal and Gunter saw fit to tell him about. He grimaced at that. He wanted to know all the things that were going on
around him, things a king should know, but he was afraid that even if Gunter told him, he would be overwhelmed and most of it would go right over his head. It
was going to take time, maybe a lot of time.

"As I said," Conrad smiled, "it's no longer an issue. Unless you're intending to leave again...?"

"No!"

"I'm glad. We're all glad to have you back, Your Majesty."

Yuuri sighed, "Don't-"

"Yuuri," Conrad said firmly. "You should know that the problem between Gwendal and Wolfram isn't just about his training, or the way the nobles have been
bickering over the throne."

"He said that. Wolfram said he wasn't living up to his expectations?"

Conrad shook his head. "He's making decisions for himself. He always has, but now he's stating them rather than sharing them. He doesn't volunteer
anything anymore. Gwendal fears we lost him in the temple that day. We walked in there with the golden-haired baby we all did our best to hide away from
anyone who would even think of hurting him. The Wolfram we got back is practically an adult. It's painful to have the baby of the family grow up, but it's
especially difficult for Gwendal. They were always close. Now he has no idea how to talk to him. They're more similar than any of us realized. Secret
Gwendal." He smiled, looking off over the courtyard. "We never imagined we would someday have a secretive Wolfram."

"He is different," Yuuri said quietly, thinking of that dark smile. But then there was the way he'd laughed in the bath. He'd never heard him laugh like that
during the entire time he'd known him. Even when Ulrike had reduced his mind to that of a child, his laughter had been wild, bordering on hysterical. His
laughter last night had been easy, satisfying, and entirely natural. "I don't think he's changed that much, though. I mean, so what if he wants to keep some
things to himself? I don't think that has to be a bad thing..."

"Neither do I," Conrad assured him. "Florian isn't the only eye I've had on him when he's away from the family. Nothing I've seen gives me an reason to worry."

Yuuri's eyes narrowed, and he gave Conrad a suspicious stare. "Have you been having Yozak follow him?" Conrad's enigmatic smile was all the answer he
needed. In that case, maybe Cecilie hadn't been the one to pay him and Wolfram a visit last night. "Conrad..."

"I can neither confirm nor deny that," said Conrad. "The fact remains that Wolfram is on the verge of adulthood, and neither Gwendal nor Mother is ready for
the baby of the family to grow up."

"But you're ready?"

Conrad's eyes softened as he looked past Yuuri to the walkway they were standing in. "Do you remember what you called me the last time we were in this
hall?"

An inexplicable blush broke out on Yuuri's face. All he'd been thinking of at the time was getting the keys back, getting Wolfram back. It had seemed so
natural to call him that. "Brother..."

"Yes, Yuuri." Conrad pushed away from the pillar and ran a light hand over Yuuri's head, ruffling his hair. "I'm very proud to see my little brothers grow up.
Both of them."

Yuuri stared after him for a long time, that blush holding firm on his face. It might have been hours later when Gunter found him, still standing there, and
whisked him off to the desk stacked high with papers that awaited him. He worked his way through an entire stack of them in a daze before that blush finally
faded away, to be replaced by a smile.

.-.

Just as Yuuri was about to take his first break of the day, Greta showed up at his door with a little white dove perched on her shoulder. From the way Wolfram
had spoken of it, he'd expected her new pet to be an actual pigeon, the filthy sort that were such a nuisance on Earth. Then again, on earth the only
difference between the two was size and behavior, so he supposed that might be true here as well. The little white bird perched so daintily on Greta's
shoulder was definitely a dove, as pretty and clean as any of the ones he'd seen delivering messages around here. He was immediately charmed when Greta
had her friend perch on his finger as she showed him how easily she slipped messages into its little carrier. It turned out that she had gotten a response to his
invitation even sooner than he had. He spent a good hour talking to her about Beatrice's upcoming visit, and the new dress Cecilie was having made for her.
They both preferred her cute pants-suits, Yuuri because they were adorable, Greta because they were easier to move around in. By the time she left and he
headed back to his work, he was determined to take her out for a day of tree climbing as soon as possible. Once she had a full time governess, she'd
probably be stuck in dresses all the time, learning to be a little lady, and that would be the end of her wild tomboy days. That idea depressed him nearly as
much as the idea of her growing up at all. He swore she'd shot up a few inches since he left.

His wrist was killing him by the time lunch rolled around. He told himself firmly that the half-covered desk he left behind him was worth the pain. He had made
some serious progress and was feeling quite proud of himself. He'd even learned a few things from the papers he was signing. Generally the foreign words
blurred after a few hours and he was just scrawling his name on pages that could contain declarations of war for all he knew. Not today. He now knew there
was a bandit problem near their border that had apparently been a recurring issue long enough that some of Gwendal's men had taken to doing bi-weekly
sweeps of the area. They wanted permission and funds to station two retired soldiers and their families in the town permanently. The request came from the
town itself, which was more than eager to have them but couldn't afford to build homes for them. He supposed even retired soldiers would be enough to give
the residents a sense of safety and discourage would-be thieves. And having people in position to discourage trouble was certainly better than sending them
out after the trouble had already started. He'd signed the document happily and headed to lunch eager to ask Gwendal what sort of pension soldiers got
when they retired, if any.

Gwendal didn't show up for lunch. Gunter and Wolfram were conspicuously absent as well. Only the fact that Cecilie was also missing kept him from jumping
to conclusions. If the real problem between Gwendal and Wolfram was a brother issue, then it really didn't involve him. He didn't want to intrude and possibly
make things even more awkward between them. He'd hoped to judge the atmosphere at lunch, so he'd know if it was safe to take his signed papers to
Gwendal's office later. Now, he supposed he'd just have to keep stacking them on the floor next to his desk until Gunter showed up. He put his questions to
Conrad instead, and received what he could only call a lecture on Shin Makoku's version of Japan's national pension program. He nodded often, a weak smile
spread over his face, and dragged himself back to his desk with his head hurting even more than his wrist had. He decided he preferred Gunter's rambling
explanations over Conrad's attempts to liven up topics by inserting puns that were more painful than funny.

There was no chance of him getting back into the paper-signing mood after that. He bypassed his desk to gaze out the window at the activity below. The
castle seemed especially busy these days. He suspected some of the more stiffly dressed people he'd seen riding up or stalking the halls were
representatives of nobles and allies, but since none had show up in his office, he couldn't be sure. A few minutes passed before he realized he was looking
for blue amid all the gray down there. He spotted a small group of brown on horseback, talking to a lonely green before riding out the gates, but the majority
were what he thought of as castle-guard-gray. And Dakaskos, whose bald head he would recognize anywhere, darting from one gray to another before being
grabbed by a colorful trio in skirts and being hauled into the castle with them. Out of all the people moving around down there, he only knew the names of
those four. He turned away from the window feeling uneasy.

Was it normal for a king to be surrounded by strangers in his own home? He didn't know any of those people, didn't know what sort of lives they led or the
troubles they had. He knew Dakaskos by name, but he didn't know why the man was always running around like an errand boy instead of standing silent
guard or being send out like the other gray-uniformed soldiers. He'd seen those three maids so often he couldn't view them as servants, yet he had no idea if
they were mazoku, half mazoku, or even human. Each of them was as pretty as could be, but none of them were married. Or were they? For all he knew,
they could be full mazoku and have a dozen kids hidden somewhere in the castle, or away in a village where they sent their wages in lieu of being there
themselves. He knew nothing about them. They were all just familiar faces moving around in the background. Just how self-centered was he to have gotten
used to this so quickly? True, he was kept insanely busy, to the point where he'd barely touched the tip of all the knowledge Gunter was trying to cram into his
head, but these were people he saw every day. He knew more about that little pirate-wanna-be Rick than he did about Gisela and how Gunter had come to
adopt her.

"I'm not just a lousy king," he muttered to himself, "I'm a lousy friend."

Morgif grumbled, emoting exasperation, restlessness, and dissatisfaction all in a few groans. Yuuri pulled him free of the sheath, lifting him up so he could eye
him better.

"I got a lot done today," he scowled. "I'm allowed to take a break."

The pursed face Morgif made told him that if he were going to take a break, he could at least do something more productive than stand around being gloomy.
A condescending moan and a few garbled groans later, he'd successfully conveyed what he thought they should be doing with their time.

Yuuri scoffed, "You lost all that power you had before I left. You're back to being a sword that can't cut anything. Why do you think I hate training with you?"
Morgif let out a low grunt. "Yeah, I know I gave your gem to Yosak, but-" Those white lips stretched upward into a high pitched lecturing tone. "Okay, so you
helped me avoid Adelbert's blows that time, but-" His sword started a flurry of sounds that made him want to cram his hands over his ears. He gave it a hard
shake instead. "I get it, already! You're all pumped up because you got to look cool the last time I used you. Just remember this was your idea. Don't blame
me when you get sent flying." He sheathed his sword, ignoring the insulted and arrogant noises it made. It was depressing to have a sword that was better at
playing shogi than it was at being a sword. He had no one to blame but himself, though, so there wasn't much he could do about it. He hadn't wanted the
humans to view Morgif as a threat, so now he was stuck with a sword that no one could call a threat.

He glanced back out the window. This time he spotted two people he did know, very well. Conrad rode out of the stable, followed by Greta on the cutest little
gray pony Yuuri had ever seen. It had a ridiculously long mane and tail, tufts of hair falling over its hooves, but it held its head just as high as Greta did. His
daughter riding a horse. He grinned proudly at the image she made, her back straight, the reins held confidently in her little hands. She even had thigh-high
riding boots on, which were far too cute for her. He watched them pass through the gate, sighing once they were out of sight.

"You know what that means," he said to Morgif. He rolled his eyes at the dismissive noises the sword made. That was easy for Morgif to say. He'd been
hanging off his right hip during breakfast, so he hadn't seen the way Wolfram had looked when he'd left the room. For all he knew, that had nothing to do with
Gwendal at all. He could have been suffering some sort of relapse from that training yesterday. Even if it was just brother issues, he doubted Wolfram would
be interested in helping him make an idiot out of himself. Yuuri blinked, a droll look falling over his face. What was he thinking? Wolfram was constantly
harping at him for not training more. He would probably consider smearing his face in the dirt therapeutic. "But I don't know where Wolfram is. Do you-" Loud
snores broke out in the room, and Yuuri glowered. "Right. Useless as always. I'll have you know I don't believe for a second that you actually slept through
being carried last night. If it was Yosak, then-"

A light knocking distracted him. He turned in time to see a little piece of paper slip under the door. Bemused, he crossed the room and looked out into the
hall. Empty. Even the soldier usually stationed down the way was absent. There were plenty of doors nearby that a person could have slipped into, but if this
was what he thought it was, he wouldn't bother chasing. He lifted the paper and promptly snorted. This definitely had Yosak written all over it. Well, assuming
he had intentionally drawn the crude map to look like it was done by a child's hand. The only actual child around here was Greta, and he'd watched her leave
with his own eyes. Yosak had probably been out there the entire time, listening to him talk to himself, just waiting to slip the map in the second his name was
mentioned. It irked him a little that his own sword was playing along with the whole secrecy thing, but in this case he didn't mind too much. It was obvious
where the map would lead him. If Yosak wanted to help him without doing so upfront, then he'd just go along with it.

He was considerably less grateful when he found himself in Wolfram's wing after being led up three flights of stairs and back down again for no good reason.
Of all the strange and surprised looks he'd gotten along the way, none of them compared to the way the guards here reacted. Their eyes widened, and they
snapped to attention with pale faces as if they hadn't tried to bar his way just yesterday. He smiled weakly, nodding as he passed, and walked a little quicker.
The map took him through a few more turns, up and down another flight of stairs just for the fun of it, before ending in a boxed courtyard empty of greenery
but teeming with blue. He could swear there were more guys than Wolfram had rode in with yesterday. That might have been due to the way they were
crowded together, though. Yuuri approached the edge of them, failed to see past them, and finally pushed himself up to sit on the railing where he'd have a
view over their heads. There he was, just as the little red x on that rotten map had promised. But, from the looks of things, Wolfram had already found
someone to vent his issues on with his sword. He was fighting that blonde guy from the bath, convincing Yuuri that it really was the dark-haired one he'd had a
crush on and that some of his jealousy was still hanging around. Why else would he be trying to kill his third in command?

Yuuri propped Morgif up so he could watch the match, since this was probably the most action either of them would see today. He watched nervously as
Wolfram rushed the blonde with a furious rain of blows. The blonde met the attack without giving way, his face focused and determined. Then he suddenly
tipped backwards. Yuuri's mouth opened when it looked as if Wolfram's sword would follow him down, but instead of landing on his back, the blonde twisted
and swept Wolfram's feet out from under him. Morgif let out a grunt that might have been sympathetic when Wolfram hit the ground instead, rolling to the side
and narrowly avoiding the sword that stabbed into the dirt near him. A small flash of fire caught the air between them, sending the blonde diving away. He
swept a hand over the ground, sending up a tiny whirlwind of dirt that caught Wolfram right in the face. Yuuri heard one of the guys closest to him hiss and
mutter something to the person next to him, who elbowed him in the side. Fire swept down the length of Wolfram's sword and he swiped it through the air in
front of him, his other arm scrubbing over his eyes. He got to his feet just in time to meet the blonde's attack, which was every bit as violent as his had been.

Yuuri leaned forward, unaware of how close he was to losing his balance. Wolfram looked like he was holding his own, but they weren't just fighting with
swords. In the back of his mind he noted that the blonde was using wind, meaning the dark-haired guy used earth and was definitely the one Wolfram had
crushed on back in the day. At the front of his mind, he was more concerned with how heavily Wolfram was breathing, his cheeks flushed on his pale face,
eyes reddened by the dirt still clinging to his lashes. What was he doing fighting like that after covering the front of his uniform with blood just yesterday?
Wolfram shoved his opponent back and snapped his head to the side when the blonde swiped a hand in his direction. Yuuri could see the gust of wind ruffling
Wolfram's hair on its way past. Wolfram continued to tip sideways until one knee touched the ground, then his sword twisted and struck the blonde's near the
hilt at the base of the blade and sent it spiraling away. Most of the soldiers there backed up, leaving one familiar brown-haired man to catch the sword on its
way down. Yuuri barely took the time to recognize Conrad's man. His attention was caught by Wolfram's expression. He was smirking, looking as pleased as
could be, and the blonde was smiling back as if neither of them had ever had any intention of killing the other. Yuuri's face screwed up in annoyed confusion.
Something wasn't right here.

That guy who'd hissed a moment ago let out a quiet whoop. "The captain is so cool!" he whispered.

The boy next to him snorted and shoved him on the arm. "Challenge him, then, you idiot."

"Ugh, don't rock me. You'll make me sick again..."

"A likely excuse."

Yuuri eyed the two of them worriedly for a second before seeking Wolfram out again. Did that mean the blonde had challenged Wolfram and not the other
way around? Somehow, he disliked that even more than the thought that Wolfram had started it. Surely this wasn't a normal training exercise. Right?
Wolfram wiped his eyes with a handkerchief, leaving a smear of dirt across one cheek that Yuuri found oddly appealing. He didn't get to see Wolfram dirty
nearly often enough. He promptly shifted back on the rail, mentally smacking himself for letting that thought slip through. He watched Florian hand the sword
to the blonde, who gave a little bow before stepping back to the edge of the watchers. Then the blonde lifted his head and looked directly at Yuuri. A blush hit
his cheeks immediately.

There was no expression on the blonde's face, but he was looking at him as if he expected Yuuri to know what he was thinking. He had no idea what the guy
was thinking. Did he realize Yuuri had been with Wolfram last night and seen him with his boyfriend? Or was that look because he was watching the squad
now? He hadn't seen much in the shower aside from the liplock, but he'd seen enough to tell him neither of those guys held a candle to Wolfram, even if he
had been gay enough scope them out, which he wasn't. If the blonde had a problem with him watching their spar, then that was just too bad. If being engaged
meant they could enter each other's rooms without permission, then surely they could spy on each other's training as much as they wanted. And it wasn't as if
he were really spying. Anyone who turned around would see him, including Wolfram. It wasn't his fault Wolfram was too busy looking at Florian to notice him.
He was starting to think Wolfram was a little closer to these 'kids' of his than Conrad realized. He didn't like it very much.

Wolfram was almost finished venting. A few rounds with Daniel was enough to tire him out on a good day, which today certainly wasn't. Gwendal still refused
to accept his decision. Had Yuuri been anyone but the Maou, Gwendal would have forced them to marry ages ago. With the engagement hanging on Yuuri's
decision, all Gwendal had to do was convince him not to dissolve it. Wolfram knew there was a way to sway his brother, he just hadn't come up with the proper
bargaining point yet. At best, Gunter simply wouldn't tell Yuuri that his coming of age meant he could dismiss the engagement as a foolish mistake of his
youth. In that case, Wolfram could still count on Conrad to tell Yuuri the truth. The worst case scenario was that he'd have to tell Yuuri himself, and even if he
did, there was a good chance Gwendal would guilt-trip Yuuri out of exercising his right. He had never expected to be caught up in his own trap. And while he
could tell Gwendal he was ready to take responsibility, the idea of actually talking to Yuuri about all of this was horrifying. He didn't think he could lie to Yuuri
as easily as he had to Gwendal. He was fully determined and ready to have the engagement over, that was true enough. But he was terrified of what might
happen afterward. He didn't need Gwendal to warn him of how many people knew who he was. He'd been hearing thoserumors from the very start. It didn't
matter how prepared he thought he was, he knew he would end up killing the first idiot who had the nerve to proposition him to his face. Removing himself
from the court would keep proposals at bay, but it wasn't marriage offers he was worried about. If the rumors started saying he was as desperate for 'free
love' as his mother was, he might seriously have to contemplate suicide. Which, in his case, meant taking a leaf out of Gegenhuber's book and seeking out
opponents strong enough to do it for him. The very thought of being reduced to that made him want to hurt someone.

Florian caught his eye, one hand falling to the hilt of his sword. Wolfram smirked and lifted his own sword. He wasn't quite finished venting, after all. That was
the great thing about training. The slightest lapse in concentration was dangerous, so there was no room for needling thoughts and worries. Putting on a
show for the others was an added benefit, that being the closest thing to an apology they would get for yesterday's training. They rarely got a chance to see
him beaten in a fencing match and Daniel had come very close in that last round. As tired as he was now, Florian could disarm him easily. Assuming he had
the guts to do so. That was the trouble sparring with him. Wolfram refused to use magic against him, since it would put him at an unfair advantage. And
Florian refused to put his full weight into his attacks, since that would put himat an unfair advantage. That left them both holding back so that any spar they
had degenerated into a frustrating exercise of restraint. But it was good to let Florian show his skills now and then, and to remind the others that they would
be in situations where they couldn't use magic and would have only their swords to rely on. He very much doubted they would be able to summon even a little
magic when, not if, he got to include a hoseki-enhanced sword in their training. He had already warned them that would be the next stage. If they couldn't
hold their own against Florian now, they wouldn't stand a chance once hoseki was added to the mix. Even a light spar like this served to both impress and
intimidate them.

He took the attacks two-handed, feeling his right arm shake with each impact. If Florian would strike just a little harder, he'd lose his grip altogether. Despite
how much he hated being pandered to, it impressed him how well Florian could gauge his opponent's strength. The man did the same thing when he fought
Daniel, though he eventually disarmed him every time. Wolfram had never been able to accurately judge an opponent that way. He simply couldn't tell when a
person was holding back and when they were really as weak as they seemed. He was left guessing, often with humiliating results. The only reason he knew
how much Florian held back was because he'd seen him fight with Conrad. Anyone who could last that long against him should have been able to hold his
own with him. The only physical advantages he had over Florian were his speed and willingness to hit the ground if necessary. He'd only seen Florian hit the
ground once, tripped up by Philipp, of all people, and then he'd been so surprised he'd had his sword knocked away before he could even think of getting
back up. One of these days he'd pass that tip along to Conrad. Men who regularly fought on horseback should be quicker to recover from an unexpected fall.

He remained on the defensive until one of his knees faltered and Florian pulled up sharply. Telling himself not to be annoyed, he accepted the end of their
duel as graciously as he could. Not very graciously at all. He scowled and sniffed at the man's apologetic smile. Ostensibly, the point of this was to wear
himself out physically so the meditation would go smoother, not to wind up bedridden himself. It was difficult enough keeping the squad occupied without
Lukas around. He didn't want to think what trouble they could get into with only Daniel to watch over them.

He waved off Florian's acknowledging bow. He hadn't come close to winning that match and they both knew it. Daniel stepped forward again, and he raised
an eyebrow at him. Between Lukas wearing him out last night and their matches this afternoon, Daniel couldn't possibly still have the energy to fight. Unless
Daniel had done the wearing out this time. There was really no telling with those two. He sniffed and stepped back, letting his third take his place. Daniel
caught his eye before looking past him. Wolfram turned just as the two soldiers met with a clash of swords. His eyes widened when he spotted Yuuri, sitting
on the edge of the wall across the way. He made his way over to him quickly, confused as to how he'd found them, and uncomfortable at the reminder of the
talk he might have to have with him. By the time he reached him, he was resolved to deal with that issue when the time came and forget about it for now. If it
really was a month or two before Yuuri came of age, then there was no use obsessing over it just yet.

"How did you get out here?" he asked, stopping on the outside of the wall and frowning up at him. "Didn't any of the guards warn you this was the soldiers'
area? You could get hurt roaming around here by yourself."

"The guards didn't say anything to me," Yuuri answered honestly. He didn't plan to mention Yosak's note. "And I'm perfectly safe. You'd have to send a
sword flying pretty far for it to come anywhere near me." Wolfram's eyes narrowed, and he smiled at him. "Morgif wanted some action, so I thought maybe we
could fight a little. But it looks like you've already worn yourself out, huh?"

"Hardly," Wolfram sniffed. "I could take you in my asleep." A snort sounded from behind him, and he stiffened, paling as he realized exactly what he had just
said. His eyes narrowed and he turned slowly to stare at the boy standing closest to him. "On second thought, I am a little tired. Why don't you fight one of
my men instead. I believe you just volunteered, Philipp?"

Yuuri winced as the boy who'd been whispering early turned around. His eyes were huge and his face was ash white. The poor kid looked terrified, actually
letting out a quiet whine when Wolfram stared him down. Yuuri kept his mouth closed, unwilling to trade places with him.

"My apologies, Ca- Your Excellency. I was caught up in the match and didn't realize we had company." The boy bowed at the waist and stayed that way,
clearly hoping for some sort of reprieve. The guy standing beside him glanced back at Wolfram and promptly sidled two feet to the right, putting himself out of
the line of fire.

Wolfram stared at that bowed head until he saw the ears turn pink. Although Philipp wasn't the worst on his squad with a sword, he froze up completely when
facing someone of a higher rank. Him being defeated by Yuuri wouldn't be a surprise to anyone. But if by some chance Philipp actually won, then Yuuri would
be the one humiliated. He'd never set the two to face off. The threat worked nicely, though. "In that case, continue to watch the match. From a different
location."

"Yes, sir!"

The boy darted into the crowd, circling toward the other side of the courtyard. A few of the men closest to them shook their heads as he passed. He was well
liked, considered the joker of the group, but he really did try Wolfram's patience. If one of his men wanted to poke fun at him, he should at least be brave
enough to take his punishment head on. Philipp had his laughs and then flinched, cowered, and cringed when he was caught. Punishing him was like kicking
a kitten. It left a bad taste in his mouth and didn't do anything to change the behavior. Once again, he told himself the boy would grow out of it in the next few
years. He just didn't know if he could keep him on the squad long enough for that to happen.

The part in the crowd gave him a glimpse of the match just as Daniel tried that sweep of his. Florian jumped right over it without a moment's hesitation.
Wolfram's eye ticked as he turned away. He'd tried that once, completely messed up the timing, and landed so hard he'd nearly given himself a concussion.
While he was waiting for Phillip to grow up, he sincerely hoped he grew some himself. He hadn't grown more than an inch or two in the last twenty years. If he
didn't hit a growth spurt soon he would have to resign himself to never being as tall as his brothers. That was unacceptable. His features took after his
mother, so why should his height take after his father? He might as well ask what his mother had seen in a man who was shorter than herself. It didn't bear
thinking about.

"You never answered my question," Wolfram said, moving back to Yuuri. "How did you get out here? Did you ask someone where I was?"

"No," Yuuri said honestly. "I probably should have asked someone, though. I walked up and down a lot of stairs before ending up here."

"So you were just wandering around the castle?" Wolfram let out an exasperated breath. He didn't know what to lecture him for first, how dangerous it was to
wander off without anyone knowing where he'd gone, or how embarrassing it was for them to have the Maou get lost in Blood Pledge Castle. Either lecture
would have fallen on deaf ears, so in the end he saved his breath. "Does Gunter know you walked out on your paperwork?"

"I haven't seen him since this morning, so probably not. I got all the invitations finished, though. And most of the signing done. I can finish what's left
tomorrow and be done by noon." He folded his arms over his chest proudly. Instead of the praise he rightfully deserved, all he got was a raised eyebrow.
He'd like to see Wolfram stuck behind a desk for days on end. "What are you up to?" he shot back. "I thought you would be taking it easy after the way you
guys turned up yesterday."

Wolfram humphed, turning his face away. "I'll have you know we're doing nothing but meditation today. This is just a way to ensure that those of us with more
energy will be tired enough to sit still for that long. We should have left hours ago, but I decided to let them rest until noon. There isn't a man here who isn't
eager to be out and about after being cooped up for most of the day. Bedrest is not a common occurrence for members of my squad, regardless of the
training we're doing."

"Right," Yuuri muttered. He noticed the way a few of the men within hearing distance straightened up out of the slump-shouldered stances they'd been in. It
was apparent to him that at least those few would rather have spent the day in bed. He felt sorry for them. The few 'training sessions' he'd had with Wolfram
had been painful enough. He couldn't imagine being ordered around by him every day. "So how do you meditate? Just sit on the ground out here or-"
Wolfram whipped around, eying him so closely he would have leaned back if he could have without tipping over.

"Gunter has seriously neglected his duty to you," Wolfram stated, surprise taking the sting out of the criticism. "Has he not even taught you the basics of
magic control?" Yuuri blinked wide eyes at him, and he realized just how close he'd gotten to him. He quickly stepped back. "I suppose he didn't see it as a
pressing concern," he sighed. "You do consistently tap into your power when needed. Assuming that other personality is a manifestation of your soul and not
another aspect of Shinou's meddling, you should be able to continue relying on it indefinitely. But if there's even a chance that personality has disappeared
along with him, then I'd think teaching you to control your maryoku would be a high priority."

Even if that personality came entirely from Yuuri, he should still be eager to take control of it. It wasn't just the sporadic power surges and memory loss to
consider. Yuuri said the strangest things when he was in that state, and the magic he performed was unsightly at best. With the proper control he could
handle just about any trouble that came up, using half the power and not coming off looking as if he'd lost his mind. If he were in Yuuri's shoes, he would
certainly have started training the moment he realized his potential. Then again, if he were in Yuuri's shoes he would never have relied on an alter ego in the
first place. Especially one as bizarre at that detective slash fire brigade slash whatever strange title he chose to call himself when he emerged. His mother
referred to it as Yuuri's "Maou" personality, but in Wolfram's opinion it had to be something Yuuri had picked up as a child on earth and simply never grown
out of. That personality had more in common with the extravagantly outspoken heroes in Anissina's novels than with any Maou Wolfram had ever heard about.

"I don't think that had anything to do with Shinou," Yuuri frowned. "I remember more each time I revert to it, and it's easier to come out of it. In the beginning I
didn't even know I'd done anything. Now...I think I could tap into it at will if I had to. Not that I'm against learning to control my magic myself! I'd rather be
learning to do that than reading all those books in the library." He laughed weakly. He'd seen Wolfram reading some of the books Gunter had assigned him,
as a peaceful way to pass the time. He didn't expect any sympathy from him and so he wasn't surprised to get none. It was interesting to think this was the
same Wolfram he'd seen in the past, reacting in horror to the mountain of books Julia dumped before him. He was just like Wolfram had been back then, so
maybe he, too, would learn to enjoy the history lessons eventually. Like twenty years from now. "So? How do you meditate?"

Wolfram waved a hand dismissively. "It depends on the person. The main point is to remain motionless and quiet so that all of your attention is focused
inward. You call up your maryoku and then rein it in to a level that you can comfortably maintain. Sometimes it helps to play with your element a little
beforehand. But you have access to all elements, so I wouldn't even know where to begin with you. Although..." He shot Yuuri a considering look. "I don't
recall ever seeing you use fire." He'd seen him use wind and earth along with his usual water, and even garbage, which he'd never considered an element
before and refused to start counting as one now. In his other persona, Yuuri had full control of liquids and solids, and even the air around him. But he didn't
use fire. Maybe because it was inherently destructive and more difficult to get rid once it caught hold of the landscape. "I could tell you about controlling that,
but I doubt you'd ever need to. You do well enough with water alone." At least it sank into the ground afterward, calling forth more growth than a thick layer of
ash ever could. "Regardless," he said firmly, "Gunter is in charge of your education in that area. Even if I were of a mind to invite you along with us, I wouldn't
dream of interfering with his training of you."

"Yeah, right," Yuuri snorted. He'd believe that the same day he'd believe Wolfram had decided to call off the engagement, marry a human, and become a
pacifist all in one go. "Since when do you care about stepping on Gunter's toes?"

"Since you left," Wolfram admitted frankly. "It's not my place to interfere with your magic training any more than it's my place to lecture you on tradition.
Technically I shouldn't have even worked with you on your swordsmanship. The only reason I did is because Conrad refused to punish you with sword the way
he used to with me. It's ridiculous that the best swordsman we have should insist on going so easy with you. You're not a toddler, after all. But his choice to
not teach you is justified in a way, given your resistance to hoseki and ability to use magic anywhere in the world. You'll never have to rely entirely on a sword,
so it doesn't matter very much if you're never taught. Magic is different. You're far too old and important to ship away to the academy to be trained from
scratch. Learning from an amateur would simply lead to accidents, which the kingdom can ill afford. It's up to Gunter to take your training in hand. Should he
suffer the same weakness Conrad has, then Gwendal will take over the training in his place. I have no doubt that Brother will train you into the ground before
even considering going easy on you." He tossed his head. "I certainly don't envy you if you're forced to learn from him."

Yuuri leaned forward, squinting at Wolfram. Was he babbling? He wondered if he had sounded anything like this last night when he'd talked about 'old times'
and shoved his foot down his throat so far his stomach hurt from it. The airy way Wolfram spoke, as if everything he said was perfectly reasonable, was
familiar. But none of the words he was saying came off as natural. More like an actor rehearsing lines. "What are you on about, Wolfram?"

"Excuse me?" Wolfram turned back to him, scowling. "Weren't you listening to a word I said?"

"I was listening. You just weren't saying anything that made sense." Yuuri shrugged and hopped off the rail. With an amused smile tugging his lips, he walked
to him and pressed the back of his hand against his forehead. "You don't feel warm. Maybe we should have Gisela take a look at you, just in case."

"Yuuri!" Wolfram bristled, glaring hard at the laughter in Yuuri's eyes. How dare he use that on him! He had been legitimately concerned last night when he'd
done that to Yuuri. And calling Gisela on him wasn't something to even joke about. He didn't even like hearing her name spoken out loud. She would take
one look at him and his squad and-

"Wolfram von Bielefeld! What exactly do you think you're doing?"

If looks could kill, Yuuri was sure he'd have been reduced to a crispy critter by the glare Wolfram shot him. It wasn't his fault! How was he supposed to know
just speaking her name aloud would summon her like that? He snatched his hand away from Wolfram's forehead and clapped it against his other hand, in a
praying position. "I'm so sorry," he whispered. Wolfram hissed through his teeth at him, and Yuuri shied away from him.

"Well?" Gisela demanded, coming to a halt directly in front of her target, both hands on her hips.

"We weren't training," Wolfram said quickly, if a bit weakly. He heard the spar break up behind him and knew his men were fanning out to back him up.
Judging by Gisela's face, he was going to need their show of support. "We took the entire morning off. All we're doing this afternoon is meditating. We're not
even going far for that, just to the tree, and we'll stay in the shade the entire time." He took a step to her, dropping his voice. "Daniel and I weren't affected
nearly as much as the others, and Florian wasn't affected at all. We were just wearing ourselves out so we'll be as tired and eager to sit around as the rest of
them."

Gisela smiled sweetly. "Those with the highest maryoku are affected the strongest by hoseki. Are you really trying to tell me you weren't affected as much as
the others...? That would be contrary to all known logic."

Then logic was wrong. Wolfram gritted his teeth so he wouldn't wince away from that smile of hers. He knew that was how it was supposed to work, but he had
seen the effect hoseki had on his men. He had never once felt as bad as some of them looked after a drill with the stones. He certainly hadn't needed
someone to help him keep his seat on a horse afterward. The only real problem he had was the bloodloss leaving him with dizzy spells. Like the one that was
looming right now. He wished he had the nerve to use Shinou's smile on her. Her smile was just as creepy, so it would only be fair. He took a deep breath
instead, as much to clear his head as to calm himself. "You had your chance to order bedrest on me yesterday. You chose not to because you could see for
yourself that I wasn't affected as badly as Lukas was. This light sparring session did no harm whatsoever. A few hours of meditation won't, either."

Yuuri watched Gisela's smile disappear, her face darkening into what some called her Sergeant look. He gulped and put himself in the line of fire. "I'm going
with him." The thunderclouds parted, leaving sunshiny sweetness all over her face. If his heart hadn't been lodged in his throat, he might have laughed.

"Oh!" Gisela smiled. "In that case, I have no objections." She tilted her head, turning her smile back to Wolfram. "Have a relaxing time meditating. In the
future, do try to limit the 'light sparring' so you aren't left as pale as a ghost. All right? If you pass out from exhaustion and overheating on top of the
bloodloss, then I'll have no choice but to order a week of bedrest on you. Imagine what your squad would think of you then." She turned on her heel,
marching away briskly and happily.

The moment she was out of sight, Wolfram turned on Yuuri. "Why did you say that? Now you'll have to come with us because if she finds out you didn't, she'll
kill me!"

"That was the idea," Yuuri shrugged. "Well, not the her killing you part, the me coming with you part. I want to know more about this meditation. And since
you've got this whole bizarre reason for not inviting me, I'll just invite myself. Don't worry, I promise not to get in your way."

"My reason was not bizarre," Wolfram snapped. "It was entirely legitimate. Gunter would have my head if I took you out of the castle, let alone to do
something that might interfere with his training of you. I have enough trouble without him getting the wrong idea and thinking I-" He closed his mouth, a
disgruntled frown covering his face. The light-headedness was getting to him. Bad enough he'd nearly finished that sentence in front of Yuuri without his
entire squad right behind him.

"Thinking you what? Invited me along? I'll just tell him it was my idea. He might throw a fit, but he'll get over it. He always does."

Wolfram nodded slowly, still very aware of the soldiers at his back. He'd come very close to making a fool of himself. "Why don't you do that. We'll be meeting
at the stable in an hour. If you can get Gunter's permission, meet us there."

"Okay," Yuuri smiled. "I'll go find him right now."

"Try Gwendal's office," said Wolfram. "He'll probably be there."

"Right. Thanks!"

Wolfram watched Yuuri hurry off. He barely lost sight of him before he smacked a hand over his forehead. "Florian!"

"Yes, Captain?"

"Go after him and make sure he gets there safely," Wolfram sighed. If Yuuri had really been up and down stairs, then it was a small miracle he'd ever found
his way here. He could be wandering the castle all night trying to find his way back. "You can meet us in an hour or take the rest of the day off, your choice."
Florian nodded sharply and hurried after their king. Knowing he was unlikely to see either of them again until tomorrow, he turned to the rest of his squad.

Despite what he'd told Gisela, Daniel did look a little peaked. Some of the others did as well. Just standing in the hot sun had been enough to leave them
wilted, despite their attempts to hide it. He shook his head tiredly and started singling the faded ones out. He couldn't remember the last time he'd taken a
group out without either Lukas or Daniel coming along. They wouldn't be going far, though. And it would serve Daniel right to be left behind along with his
more foolhardy partner. That would teach him not to attempt a match with Florian after going so many rounds with him. If he didn't know better, he'd suspect
his third was hoping for a promotion to second. Well, if Daniel improved his magic just a little more, he might even give it to him. It would be interesting to see
the two of them competing with each other for a change. Lukas was becoming far too complacent with his role as the 'stronger' of the pair.

.-.

PART 5

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