Starting Over, Part 5

Gunter didn't protest nearly as much as Yuuri had expected him to. He did, however, repeat a number of the points Wolfram had made. Technically, he
already had full control over his magic. In his Maou state he could perform magic that could have taken a full mazoku most of his life to master. Gunter saw
no reason to worry that he would ever lose access to that persona because it was, in his opinion, merely a glimpse of Yuuri's future self. Rather than losing it,
he would gradually become it, absorbing it into himself so that he could perform magic just as instinctively. This would happen with age and wasn't something
that could be forced or rushed. As for meditation, that was no more necessary for Yuuri than it was for Gunter himself. That was only truly needed for
youngsters who had faulty control of their maryoku and hotblooded people prone to outbursts. Wolfram, in other words.

Since this lecture took place in Gwendal's office, Yuuri couldn't help but notice the way his eyes flicked to the animals on his bookshelf at that last bit. Knitting
was his way to meditate and 'cleanse his soul', as Gunter liked to put it. But if Gwendal took exception to being lumped in with the young and hotblooded, he
said nothing about it. What he did do was suggest that Gunter tag along if he was so concerned with Wolfram having a bad influence on him. At this
suggestion, there was a long look exchanged between the two men that Yuuri couldn't decipher. It reminded him of the strained atmosphere that had filled the
room when he'd walked in earlier. It seemed Wolfram wasn't the only one at odds with Gwendal these days. Yuuri almost felt sorry for him.

Wolfram was naturally shocked when Yuuri turned up with Gunter at his side. He probably shouldn't have been, though. This would give Gunter a chance to
look over his squad, while also protecting Yuuri from whatever scheme he thought this was. It couldn't have sat well with him that Yuuri himself had decided to
tag along. Yuuri going out of his way to seek him out was difficult enough for Wolfram to accept. It must have been quite a hard pill for Gunter to swallow. He
wouldn't be surprised if Gunter was just as suspicious as he was as to Yuuri's motives.

The moment they rode out, Yuuri realized just what a mistake it had been to bring Gunter with him. Gunter led the way, riding slightly ahead and between him
and Wolfram. That was awkward enough considering he hadn't even asked Wolfram where he'd intended to take his squad. Gunter took control of the trip as
if it were perfectly natural for him to do so, and judging by Wolfram's glare, the move was an open insult. He was sorry for giving Gunter a chance to start
another power struggle with Wolfram. Then there was the distance between them. Yuuri had seen this as a way to show interest in Wolfram's training of his
squad, so it would be easier to slip his way into future excursions, even if he wasn't taking part in the training itself. Watching the group meditate couldn't be
any more boring than watching him and Conrad toss a ball back and forth for an hour straight, something Wolfram had done more than once. Even if it were
boring, it would be worth it if he could get Wolfram used to having him around for these things. With Gunter along, taking all of Wolfram's attention, Yuuri
might as well have still been back at the castle.

The real reason he wanted to go was harder to admit. He didn't like the vibe he'd gotten from watching Wolfram interact with his squad. He wasn't worried
about Wolfram cheating on him, of course, no more than he was seriously worried one of his men might tempt him to do so. Wolfram put way too much
emphasis on virtue and loyalty to risk his own. But seeing them together, especially now that he knew something about their history together, left him worried
and envious. Wolfram wasn't just avoiding him, he was avoiding him in order to spend time with them. Even when he'd been right there in front of him,
Wolfram's attention had still drifted to those men of his. He felt left out and had an irrational fear that if he didn't do something fast he was going to lose him to
them.

As important as Conrad made Wolfram's training sound, he'd probably be spending all of his time on it in the foreseeable future. Thinking rationally about it,
Yuuri had to admit they hadn't really spent that much time together at the castle even before all the trouble with the boxes came up. Staying at the castle had
always meant spending his days in a room with Gunter and only getting a reprieve when he snuck away or some disaster broke out. Wolfram occasionally
showed up just outside the door when he was released for meals, or spent a few hours reading nearby when he was locked in the library. Otherwise, he only
saw him in the morning, at meals, and at night. Thanks to this training of his, Wolfram wasn't even showing up at each meal. But that wasn't the real problem.
The more he thought about it, the more convinced he was that the real issue here was the sleeping arrangements. Inserting himself into Wolfram's daily
routine might make up for not seeing him during the day, but it wouldn't help get him back in his room. He had no idea how to accomplish that. He really
doubted he'd be able to move into Wolfram's room as easily as Wolfram had moved into his. Wolfram got violent when he was angry and he was still a lot
stronger than him.

He sent a furtive look at Wolfram, finding him still narrow-eyed and stone-faced. That was Gunter's fault, Yuuri reminded himself, and maybe Gwendal's, for
for suggesting he come along. He glanced over his shoulder at Wolfram's squad. As usual, the collective sight of them made him feel horribly inadequate.
There were fewer of them present right now, and he had noticed earlier that the blonde was missing. The ones remaining looked pale and tired, yet each one
still radiated 'skilled pretty boy' to Yuuri's eyes. The only one of them he could imagine approaching was Florian, and only because the guy had shown him
the quickest way to Gwendal's office earlier. Even with him, Yuuri was overly self-conscious. He couldn't forget what Conrad had said about him and
wondered if Wolfram knew that Florian had a crush on him. The idea that Wolfram had known, and sent Florian to escort him for that very reason, wouldn't
leave him alone. That would be a really low thing to do. If Wolfram was trying to make him jealous, there were easier ways to go about it.

Ao shook his head, prancing a little as if to remind him that this was their first ride since his return. He patted the horse's neck before sneaking another look at
Wolfram. The white horse was as stiff as its rider. Wolfram was in full-out regal mode, his back as straight as a board, looking every bit the prince on his
solitary white steed. Someday Yuuri would figure out how to do that. When he narrowed his eyes like that and put on a mask of indifference, he just looked as
if he were stoned or half asleep or something. He suspected it was the nose. Wolfram's nose was upturned enough that when he lifted his head his entire
demeanor just screamed aristocracy. Yuuri shifted in his saddle, glowering between Ao's ears. If Wolfram really did overcome hoseki, then getting over his
seasickness would be easy. He'd have no flaws left except his temper and his strange taste in art. That so wasn't fair.

When he had imagined coming back here, he had seen himself as an adult, visibly older than Wolfram, preferably with a clear height advantage. He'd thought
he would at least be mature and dignified enough to stand beside him without looking like some wall-flower of a pity-date. He resented being such a bad
match for him. It made him wonder what Wolfram's men thought when they looked at the two of them together. Did they merely see him as the king and
withhold any further judgments? Or did they take one look at him and wonder what the hell Wolfram had ever seen in him? He knew none of them would say
anything, either way, but he still felt depressed and defensive thinking about it. He couldn't make himself age any faster, and even if he did he wasn't sure it
would make much difference visibly. For all he knew ten years from now would find him the same height while Wolfram shot up to tower over him like the rest
of his family did. If Wolfram was growing up as fast as Conrad implied, then he might not even have that long. There wasn't anything he could do about it. As
for what Wolfram saw in him, Yuuri had no idea. If it wasn't attraction, then his looks had nothing to do with it. Wolfram had thrown the word love at him a few
times, but he'd never been mushy or overly affectionate with him the way their mothers were. Their relationship mostly consisted of them butting heads, with a
lot of exasperation on both sides. He could only assume that was it. Wolfram liked him for the same reason he'd liked Gisela as a kid, because he argued with
him and kept life from being boring. Once upon a time, Yuuri had imagined himself settling down into a peaceful life like his father had, with a normal job, a
pretty wife, and very average kids. Then he found out that most of them were demons, his mom ran his dad ragged, and the whole 'normal' thing was only on
the surface. He suspected life with Wolfram would be just the opposite. A hurricane on the surface with still waters lying content beneath.

Gunter was leading them to the training fields. Wolfram couldn't say he was surprised. One of the biggest criticisms Gwendal had against his training was
where it took place. He rarely took his squad out among the other groups who trained near the castle, namely because those areas were always occupied
and chaotic. With hoseki, he had a perfect excuse to avoid placing his squad in a little corner amidst the others. There were plenty of full mazoku training
there and even distant hoseki might distract them enough to cause serious accidents. It would have been safer to train here, where training belonged, but
then he would have to wait and schedule the drills when there was no one else around. That happened so rarely that it would mean only training once a
month, if that. Gwendal knew that, and hadn't pressed the issue, but he still didn't like them having any sort of drill on what was, technically, civilian land. That
was a problem Wolfram would have to revisit once they advanced to having actual duels near the stones. Taking them here was probably Gunter's way of
reminding him.

Wolfram held his silence bitterly. His men were tired, and so was he. This was a much longer ride than he'd intended to take them on, and with all these
distractions nearby it would be much harder to concentrate. He didn't like having Yuuri out here, either. Already, Yuuri was staring around him wide-eyed and
apprehensive. They were supposed to be keeping him away from the soldiers, not taking him directly into the heart of them at their most violent. The way
Yuuri was looking at the chargers in particular told him that Conrad wouldn't appreciate this any more than he did.

For a moment, Yuuri felt as if he had traveled back in time again. They passed a small army of brown uniformed men on horseback, who could easily have
been the same troop he'd seen Conrad ride out with that night, twenty some years ago. But these were fighting each other, the wind carrying the clash of their
blades, pounding hoofbeats, and a sense of urgency. It looked far too real. He had decided on total pacifism, so those men would never go to war so long as
he was king. Yet they were training as if they would, their battle every bit as violent and dangerous as that spar Wolfram had been having with his own man.
Were they all like that? Wolfram had told him bits of it, and he had seen glimpses of it himself in Conrad, now and then. That war had left a deep mark on
those who'd survived it. He understood why they would want to ensure they didn't suffer the same casualties if it happened again. But the important thing was
to make sure it didn'thappen again. Wouldn't it be better to turn that energy toward preventing it rather than preparing for it as if it were inevitable?

Even as he thought that to himself, he already knew what sort of answer he would be given. For them, it was inevitable. From what little history he'd learned
so far, the demon kingdom had always been at war. A few months of peace were nothing to those who lived as long as mazoku did. Even the last twenty
years of uneasy peace might be like a blink of the eye to them. He doubted he could change that. He didn't think he should even try because if the day came
when his ideals fell apart and the kingdom really did have to go to war again, at least this way they'd be ready for it. He would do everything in his power to
make sure that day never came. And they would continue to ready themselves in case it did. At times like this he longed for his life back on earth, where wars
were things that distant strangers fought and he only heard about on the news and in history classes. They were all right when they said that ignorance was
bliss. He couldn't put his head in the sand here, no matter how much he longed to.

Wolfram was looking at him. Yuuri quickly plastered a smile on his face. If Wolfram realized that little mock battle had upset him, then he might never let him
near his squad again. Whatever Wolfram said about Conrad, he was just as guilty of trying to shelter him. "Do you guys do that?" he asked, waving at the
group in the distance. "Fight on horseback?"

"No."

Wolfram watched as Yuuri nodded and faced the front again. Yuuri didn't do a very good job of hiding his relief. Wolfram was glad he hadn't explained why
they didn't fight on horseback like Conrad's men did. He eyed the cavalry group resentfully for a moment before disregarding them. He had tried to get
himself and his best swordsmen into one of those mock battles, with Conrad's approval, but it had been a pointless and irritating experience. The men had
been too careful to avoid pushing any of them for it to be considered training at all. It wasn't fair. They might have been younger and smaller on the ground,
but their horses were every bit as strong as any of the ones Conrad's men rode. In fact, he'd even say their horses were superior because they had been
trained to ignore magic, whether it was cast from their backs or right beneath their heads.

After that one futile attempt, they'd taken to having their own mock fights on horseback, but it was more to entertain each other than anything. There weren't
enough of them to have anything resembling a real charge. And there were techniques men in the cavalry were trained in that Wolfram couldn't learn on his
own, certainly not well enough to teach to his men. Without having those skills, their training on horseback always emphasized magic over swordplay. He tried
to make the best of it, though. There was a certain pride in learning to fight on horseback without touching the reins, offensive magic in one hand and the
sword to defend in the other. That wasn't something they would ever pick up fighting men who wielded no magic. He knew some of Gwendal's men were far
better at it than he was, but until his brother brought it up, he wouldn't mention it. He didn't want his brother taking control of any aspect of their training. He
knew if he gave him the smallest opening his brother would end up taking charge of everything they did. They hadn't yet proved themselves well enough to
risk that.

Gunter took them all the way to the far end of the field, where the forest began again and there would be a nice shade. At that, Wolfram decided the man
might not have intentionally been trying to antagonize him. If Gunter had truly been looking to irritate him, he'd have stopped them in the sun, closer to the
groups training, and then dared him to prove that his men could handle both the heat and the distraction. Wolfram knew his men would have proven just that,
but he didn't want them to have to. This was supposed to be a relaxing and soothing exercise, not more torture. Still, he supposed he would have to give
them a few days off after this. By the time they got back to the castle, they would be exhausted. He already was.

He paused immediately after dismounting, waiting till a wave of dizziness passed. Gunter was conning Yuuri to make himself comfortable near the tree line, all
the while giving him a prettified version of what sort of things the soldiers did around here. If Yuuri believed even half of the things Gunter was saying, then he
was more naive than Wolfram thought he was. He almost hoped he was. He didn't want Yuuri to turn into a cynic where conflict was concerned, like the rest of
them had. That stubborn optimism of his was one of his more appealing features. Eternally frustrating, but very appealing all the same. He quickly turned his
attention to the men dismounting around him, watching for anyone who might feel as lightheaded as he had. Philipp was the only one left who'd suffered
bloodloss yesterday. The others had less maryoku, though their control was nearing perfection. Unlike him, they actually enjoyed meditation, communing with
their elements and nature. Their maryoku might not increase much by the time they reached adulthood, but with their control it would be more than enough.
They would never have to worry about using too much and running out the way those with an excess of maryoku and lack of control did.

Wolfram did his best to emulate them. He had to cheat a little, since he couldn't sit still very long unless he was literally too tired to fidget, or mentally too
preoccupied to move. Right now he was aiming for the former, which meant eliminating the things likely to distract him once he sat down. He left his horse
near the tree line with the others, and then threaded his way through his men. The brothers were sitting together where their energy could feed off each
other, something only those two could do as far as he knew. The rest had ranged themselves at a comfortable distance from one another, some sitting
crosslegged, one earth element lying flat on his back in the grass. Philipp was sitting near the edge of the shade, biting his lip, and sending furtive looks
toward Gunter and Yuuri. Getting him to meditate was difficult when it was just the squad. Today it might very well prove impossible. Wolfram was determined
to try, though. If anyone needed this sort of exercise, it was him. It frustrated him to no end to be faced with so much potential and to not be able to harness it.

From the very start, Wolfram had been at odds with those who had an affinity for water. Before he'd met Yuuri, he'd had a few water users on his squad. But
they never lasted long. Like healers, they were needed elsewhere. Even those who fit comfortably into the squad were compelled to leave the moment they
mastered their magic well enough to be useful. He'd never had one long enough to get used to the way they worked with their element, and seeing Yuuri use
his didn't teach him much. He couldn't even ask him how he used it because Yuuri had no idea. Then there was Yuuri's brother. As far as he knew, all he'd
done was give him water to drink to form the pact and Shori had been able to use it at his discretion. He supposed he could disregard both of them as being
so powerful they simply had an instinctive ability to use the element without understanding how they did it. With normal magic users, he couldn't count on
instinct. Philipp certainly didn't have anything like that. He was the closest thing to a water user Wolfram had been able to find on his last sweep, though, so
he was determined to make the best out of him. Philipp's magic leaned toward ice rather than liquid, so he wasn't sought after the way most water users were.
If Wolfram could figure out how to teach him, he had a good chance of keeping him on the squad for the long term.

Teaching was not something that came easily for him. With Philipp it was even harder. He had great potential and enthusiasm, but he lacked focus. Wolfram
knew the boy had a bad case of hero worship toward him, but it wasn't much different from the way Philipp reacted when anyone of a higher rank payed too
much attention to him. He was far too self conscious, easily intimidated, and prone to freeze up in embarrassment. The kid was shy, pure and simple. And
Wolfram was the first to admit he had no idea how to deal with shy people. Yelling at them made them worse and pandering to them certainly wouldn't help
build stronger backbones. He could only hope Philipp's shyness went away along with his childishness as he grew older. In the meantime, he did what he
could to work around it.

Philipp blushed when he neared him, dropping his eyes and fidgeting. Wolfram sighed. "Turn toward the trees."

"What?"

"Turn," Wolfram ordered, pointing to the side. "If you're facing them, you'll look at them. If they're at your back, you'll worry that they're looking at you. Face
the trees. When you're tempted to look, stare at that tree instead and remind yourself why you're out here. They're not interested in us. There's no need to
be self-conscious about having them nearby. Von Christ wouldn't come all the way out here just to watch us meditate. They have their own reasons for being
here." The lie came easily and served its purpose. It may not have even been a lie. Gunter was obviously more concerned with Yuuri's interest in the squad
than he was in the squad itself. As for Yuuri, Wolfram still wasn't sure exactly why he had wanted to come out here, but he doubted his reason had anything to
do with intimidating the likes of Philipp. With one look, Yuuri would realize he was making the boy uncomfortable, and then he'd stop looking in his direction
altogether.

He watched as Philipp turned and closed his eyes. The blush faded away, revealing just how bad his complexion was. He'd looked fine when they left, a little
paler than usual, but no worse than the rest of them. The long ride had taken a heavy toll on him. If he had known Gunter would take them out here, he
would have left him behind. But Philipp needed this meditation even more than he did. One of the reasons hoseki was affecting him so badly was because of
his high maryoku. If he could control it better he should be able to handle the drills as well as Daniel. He had the potential, Wolfram just couldn't seem to
bring it out. He crouched before the boy and placed a hand over his forehead. Philipp's eyes and mouth snapped open, but he scowled them closed.

"Relax," he said quietly.

He closed his own eyes and concentrated on channeling his maryoku into a soothing ball. It was completely different from calling up an element like fire. No
matter how many books he'd been forced to read over the years, healing magic had never come naturally to him. He couldn't even lower a fever, let alone
heal a wound. But he could settle anxiety and general discomfort. Anyone could, really, if they were willing to expend a little energy for something so minor.
He stopped when he heard Philipp's breathing level out. The boy didn't look that much better, but he was more pale than gray, and he immediately called a
blue clump of energy into his palm. Wolfram watched until that wad smoothed into a ball, growing smaller until it was the size of a marble. He was convinced
the boy could maintain a higher level than that, but at least he was concentrating now. He left him to it.

Gunter and Yuuri were staring at him when he went over to them. He ignored Gunter and took a seat a short distance from Yuuri. They were the next
distraction he'd have to deal with before settling into his own meditation. He made himself comfortable and waited for it.

"Do you often perform healing magic on your men?" Gunter demanded.

As if he shouldn't. Wolfram sniffed, not even looking in his direction. "If I could, I wouldn't need Gisela's services, now would I?"

"Is that what you were doing?" asked Yuuri. "Healing him?"

"Not even that," Wolfram admitted. "I can't heal anything more serious than a headache. I was just helping him relax enough to concentrate. He was nervous
at having the two of you here." He wouldn't give Gunter the satisfaction of admitting that the ride out here had been too much for a member of his squad. He
caught Yuuri's eye. "It isn't every day you have the Maou himself watching over a simple meditation exercise."

"Uh, yeah," Yuuri winced, smiling weakly. "I guess not. Still. I forgot you were trained to do healing magic, too. I never see you use it, so..."

"He was never officially trained to be a healer," Gunter informed him. He tried to catch Wolfram's eye and failed. "Healing magic requires far more patience
and study than using elements because it relies entirely on the person's desire to heal, and their control of maryoku. With elemental magic, one's maryoku is
the catalyst, summoning and activating the element, and then fueling its execution. The elements themselves do a portion of the work, so there is less strain
on the caster. Healing magic at its most basic is the transfer and manipulation of one's maryoku. There is a finite limit to how much maryoku a healer can
expend safely. That's why healers are only used when absolutely necessary."

Yuuri dropped his eyes. He knew that Julia had died from using too much of her energy on healing the wounded. Did Gunter resent Wolfram using Gisela to
treat his squad? Or was he worried that Wolfram might be overextending himself? Maybe that was the real reason Conrad had warned him not to offer his
own healing services too freely. He was worried about history repeating itself.

Yuuri glanced at the boy Wolfram had been working with. He was sitting as motionless as the others, his hand having curled tight over that little ball of
energy. If the point had been to help the kid concentrate, then it had definitely worked. And it didn't look as if Wolfram had used very much energy to achieve
it, so... He took a deep breath, shoved down the jealousy he'd felt just a moment ago, and turned a smile on Wolfram. "It's nice that you'd do that for one of
your men," he said. "I was starting to think you were a slave-driver."

Wolfram dismissed that, not wanting Yuuri to get the wrong idea about him. "I certainly don't coddle them, if that's what you're thinking. But I'm not cruel,
either. I ask no more than what I know they can give." He heard Gunter make a quiet noise of disbelief, and decided to address him directly. "I also take
responsibility for my mistakes. If that means performing what little healing I'm capable of, then I'll do so."

"Which is reckless," Gunter huffed. Only Yuuri's presence between them kept him from saying more. What Wolfram considered 'taking responsibility,' he and
Gwendal considered being irresponsible. They simply couldn't get through to him that he was more important than those kids of his. His safety and well-being
should have been the squad's top priority. But it never would be so long as Wolfram maintained full control over them.

Wolfram didn't bother to counter that. "Are you going to tell Yuuri how to meditate, or should I?"

"I shall teach His Majesty," Gunter said quickly. His back straightened, and he turned liquid eyes on Yuuri. "Not that you need it, of course. Why, you are the
very picture of a soul at peace."

Toning the man's worshiping praise out, Wolfram closed his eyes and concentrated on his maryoku. He didn't disagree with Gunter entirely. Yuuri's soul was
at peace, because it was Julia's and she had always epitomized peace. But meditation involved a lot more than calming one's soul. Touching one's maryoku,
calling it up, and deliberately manipulating it was just as important and that was where Yuuri would benefit from this sort of thing. Despite his 'peaceful' soul,
Yuuri's maryoku flared just as badly as Wolfram's did when his emotions were in turmoil. And unlike him, Yuuri had no control whatsoever when that happened.

Yuuri tried to pay attention to the things Gunter was telling him, but his eyes kept wanting to turn to Wolfram or to that boy he'd healed. He'd seen Gisela heal
plenty of times, and even been healed himself occasionally. But seeing Wolfram do it, the visible energy tinting his face and the soft expression of
concentration he wore, suddenly made it seem intimate, special. He couldn't stop himself from being jealous of that kid. He wanted Wolfram to pay that sort of
attention to him. It just didn't make sense. He hated having Wolfram fuss over him, treating him like some weak damsel in distress, the wimp who had to be
protected at every turn. He wanted to be the strong one for a change, to have Wolfram wake up with his head resting in his lap instead of it always being the
other way around. Yet at the same time he found himself wondering, jealously, why Wolfram had never once offered to heal him the way he had healed that
kid. He sighed at himself and tried to pay closer attention to Gunter's instructions. He had never offered to heal Wolfram, either, so he had no room to
complain.

.-.

It was late by the time Wolfram trudged from the bath to his room. The men he'd taken out had bathed together and it had taken forever for the last of them to
leave the bath. He hadn't wanted to rush them along, so he'd waited as patiently as he could. By the time he got in himself, he'd been so tired he only stayed
in for a few minutes. He was determined to sleep in tomorrow and had passed the message along on their way back to the castle. His men hadn't quite
cheered, but they'd been visibly pleased and relieved. It would probably be noon before the castle saw a bit of blue moving around.

A low moan greeted him the moment he entered his room. What was left of his good mood plummeted hard enough to leave a crater in the floor. His glare
zoomed in on the pale face twisting around on his desk. Then it shifted to the blanketed lump on his bed. This joke had been played out already. What was
he doing in here again? And he was asleep! He shut and bolted his door, leaning back against it and frowning at the bit of black hair poking out from under
the blanket. At least he'd brought Morgif this time. The sword had noted his entrance, so it would have raised a storm of noise if anyone else had walked right
in here while Yuuri slept. It was still dangerous. And frustrating. They'd parted on good terms earlier, with Gunter hauling Yuuri off to the library to fetch a
book he just had to start reading before dinner. Wolfram had even gone to dinner himself, and suffered through all the awkwardness his presence inevitably
aroused these days. So why was Yuuri here again? If it was just a little bit of petty revenge, then Yuuri should have at least stayed awake long enough to
enjoy his reaction.

Morgif hummed at him, and Wolfram stalked over to his desk where he could glower at the sword properly. He wasn't as good as Yuuri at reading the
expressions on that contorted face, but he was sure he saw amusement at his expense. He also saw a stack of clothes sitting on his chair, along with that
book of Gunter's, telling him Yuuri had come prepared this time. Which meant he had intended to the stay the night when he'd set out for this part of the
castle, and hadn't simply fallen asleep while waiting for him to return. He shook his head, bewildered and annoyed by the whole thing. Another mocking noise
sounded from the sword, and he untied his sword and robe, tossing the latter right on top of that white face. That shut Morgif up for a few seconds before it
started huffing and twisting its face around to knock the robe loose. Wolfram was already slipping into his bed by the time the sword finally succeeded. He
pulled the covers all the way over his head and was asleep the moment his head hit the pillow, not even hearing the low reproachful complaints that sounded
from the other side of the room.

.-.

Yuuri woke feeling as if someone had dumped a bucket of ice water on him. He sat up with a shocked gasp trapped in his throat, eyes flying around his room
in search of the culprit. Except it was actually Wolfram's room and Wolfram was the only person in sight. He was also asleep. He stared down at him for a
second before a voice whispered his name out of the darkness. A shiver clawed its way up his back, forcing him to clench his teeth around what would have
been a very unmanly shriek had the sound met the air. He stared wide-eyed at the dark across from the bed and the sound came again. Just a breathy
whisper that sounded a lot less like his name now that he was paying attention. It was more like a windswept 'oowee' than anything. Morgif? He opened his
mouth, relief hovering somewhere above his head, ready and eager to crash over him. Then a glint of movement caught the corner of his eye. His head
snapped around and his breath caught in his throat. The doorknob was turning ever so slowly. He watched, frozen, as it turned as far as it could go. The
door moved inward a hair to press gently against the bolt. For a moment nothing moved and the only sound in the room was Wolfram's breathing. Then the
door eased back and the knob was turning again, slowly moving back to its original position. Yuuri continued to stare at the motionless doorknob until a gasp
broke the silence, bringing a rush of much needed oxygen to his brain.

He'd been dreaming. Something weird and nonsensical, that had suddenly turned dark and cold. A glance at the bed told him Wolfram had stolen the covers,
so that explained the sudden chill that had taken over his dream. Then something bad had happened that had shocked him awake in a blind panic. He was
awake now, had been since he'd sat up to get away from whatever had been in that dream. Which meant someone really had just tried to come into the
bedroom. A soft questioning noise came from the other side of the room. This time Yuuri recognized Morgif's voice immediately. Maybe that was what had
startled him awake, the creepy sound of his sword trying to speak his name. Because Morgif had known someone was out there in the hall.

He scooted to the end of the bed so he could climb off without going over Wolfram. If the person was still out there, the last thing he wanted was for Wolfram
to wake up and find out about it. Wolfram would rush out there without a second thought, giving the person exactly what he wanted. This was his room, after
all. It was possible someone had seen him come in here last night, and that he was actually the target, but he doubted it. Either way, he wasn't about to go
out there and confront whoever it was. If a locked door was enough to dissuade him, or them, then Yuuri definitely wouldn't be the one to unlock it. He picked
up Morgif, shushing him when he tried to con him into doing the brave thing and going out there to face the prowler. He'd been kidnapped way too many times
to do something that stupid. Wolfram had only been kidnapped once, but considering how spectacularly his rescue attempt had failed, he wasn't eager to try it
again. He carried Morgif over to the door and stood a foot away from it. No sound, no movement. There was a hint of light shining underneath the door,
though.

Moving as quietly as he could, Yuuri lay down on the floor so he could peek underneath it. The crack was just wide enough for him to see into the hall. There
was flickering light from the torches down the hall, but no feet or suspicious shadows. What about the guards? Surely they would have stopped anyone
suspicious from entering the wing. So maybe it wasn't someone suspicious, or it was someone the guards couldn't stop from coming in and doing whatever
they liked. It could even be someone who had slipped in during the shift change and hung around in order to peek in on them when the guards weren't
looking. He didn't think Yosak would go that far, but he could easily imagine Cecilie doing it. The guards certainly wouldn't be worried about her peeking in on
her son, so she wouldn't even have to sneak around to do so.

He sat up and looked closely at Morgif. His sword was ignoring him, that mouth pulled up into an angry pout at having been shushed earlier. Yuuri took him
over to the bed where he propped him up next to Wolfram's sword. He crouched down in front of him so he could whisper, hopefully without being heard by
anyone who might be hovering just outside the door.

"Do you know who it was?" asked Yuuri. Morgif blew a toneless huff of air at him, which was his equivalent of rolling his eyes. "Of course not," he sighed.
"You probably just heard footsteps, huh? Are they still out there?" The pout returned. Leave it to Morgif to be disappointed about that. "Thanks for waking
me up." That white mouth pinched out in another whispery 'oowee' that set Yuuri to shivering and rubbing his arms. "Yeah. That's really creepy. Creepy but
effective. From now on, you keep watch. Tomorrow I promise to get Conrad to knock you around as much as you want." The sword scoffed at that but
appeared mollified.

Yuuri circled to the foot of the bed and climbed back up. He didn't actually know if he'd be able to keep that promise or not. He'd definitely be talking to
Conrad about this, but he doubted Conrad would be in any mood to spar with him once he did. He hoped it was a false alarm and that it really had just been
Cecilie sneaking around out there. If it were, then he wouldn't have to explain to Wolfram why he'd let him sleep through the entire event. He'd never have to
mention it to him at all.

Once he was back in bed, he set about retrieving his half of the blanket. It wasn't even being used. Only Wolfram's legs were covered, the rest of the blanket
bunched near his feet and hanging off the foot of the bed. He pulled the blanket up to their shoulders and eyed him closely. He didn't have an excuse to put
an arm around him this time, and it would be a lot more awkward finding a comfortable position with Wolfram facing him. He settled with lying on his back,
close enough so there would be a little contact but no chance of nose or knee bumping if one of them woke up suddenly. Not that he expected to fall asleep
any time soon.

As much as he wanted to pass the visitor off as a nosy relative, he couldn't get that conversation with Conrad out of his head. If someone was targeting
Wolfram because of his training, then his solution would be to stop the training. He wasn't worried about upsetting the nobles, but he was worried about
having Wolfram turn against him. He didn't know if Wolfram would forgive him for doing something like that. All he did know was that Wolfram was never
sleeping alone in this room again. If he couldn't get him to move back into his room, then he'd move in here. Wolfram could be violent when angry, but he
didn't honestly believe he would hurt him. He'd give in eventually. And that would give the brothers the perfect excuse to station more guards in the area,
protecting Wolfram better without injuring that pride of his.

Despite his worry, he did end up dozing off after a while. He woke later to find the sun shining through the curtains and vague noises filtering from outside and
down the hall. By the time Wolfram started to stir, he was wide awake. He was also sporting a vivid blush. They had rolled together at some point in the night
and now had legs and arms in places they really shouldn't have been. He'd spent a good hour trying to decide if it was wiser to disentangle himself now or
stay right where he was until Wolfram woke up. In the end he stayed, blushing off and on. Wolfram opened his eyes while the blush was on, and Yuuri felt it
crank up a few notches until his faced burned from it. He didn't say anything, he just smiled weakly and waited. Wolfram blinked blankly at him for a moment,
then he shifted his left hand. As that hand was currently under the edge of Yuuri's shirt, the movement tickled his stomach in more ways than one. Yuuri
watched him freeze, emotions passing over his face in slow motion. Confusion, shock, disbelief, a furious blush, then he paled and would have scrambled
away if Yuuri hadn't had an arm and a half around him. Yuuri had reacted in much the same way when he'd first woken. After a while he'd realized that
however embarrassing and awkward the contact was, it didn't feel uncomfortable in a bad way. Just not something he was used to. Judging by Wolfram's
face, he wasn't used to it, either. He pulled him into a hug before he could work up the strength to scramble free for real.

"Good morning," Yuuri said. It was actually probably closer to noon, but he'd get to that in a minute. "Wolf? I'm sorry for leaving the way I did."

Wolfram stared at the pale blue pajama top pressing into his cheek. He was still trying to get over his horror at waking up to find a hand up Yuuri's shirt and a
leg thrown over him so his knee pressed right up against- A strained noise started in the back of his throat. He had removed both offending limbs the second
he realized where they were. This wasn't his fault. He couldn't help what he did in his sleep. Yuuri was the one who'd snuck into his bed. He squirmed back
an inch and froze at the feel of skin touching his back. There was a hand under the back of his shirt. That noise started in his throat again. Yuuri was just as
bad as he was! Was it contagious?

"Um, Wolfram?" Yuuri shot a worried look at the blonde head lying on his chest. He'd hoped to get his apology out of the way before he had to meet
Wolfram's eyes. But he had a feeling Wolfram hadn't heard a word he said. Steeling himself for the worst, he pulled his arm off Wolfram's back and let him
scramble free. He quickly sat up, catching one of his hands before he could leave the bed altogether. "Wait a minute! Just wait, okay? I'm trying to tell you
something."

"This is not my fault," Wolfram blurted indignantly. He yanked his hand free and sat on his knees, scowling at Yuuri. "This is my room. My bed. You're the
one who came in here uninvited. If this is anyone's fault, it's yours!"

Yuuri blinked in surprise, taken back and a touch amused. "Uh, okay. I wasn't planning to blame you, anyway. It was nice..."

"What!"

Wolfram was staring at him as if he'd lost his mind. Yuuri quickly grabbed his hand again, holding it with both hands this time. "Listen, Wolfram. I'm sorry I left
the way I did. The whole time I was gone I was planning to get back here someday. Shori was going to help me open a portal in the lake in Switzerland. You
know the lake I'm talking about? We were going to try opening a portal there once we had enough maryoku to do it. If I'd known I already had enough, I'd
have come back immediately. I'm sorry I didn't figure it out sooner."

Wolfram shot a quick look from the hand Yuuri was holding to the sincere expression on his face. What the hell did any of that have to do with them groping
each other in their sleep? "I see," he said, slowly. Well, if Yuuri was planning to pretend it had never happened, then he was more than willing to go along
with him.

"I've been thinking..."

"About a lot of things," Wolfram finished for him, dismissively. He'd heard this before.

"Well, yeah," Yuuri frowned. "I did a lot of thinking while I was gone. About what I'd do when I got back here. And about us." He dropped his eyes, looking
down at Wolfram's hand instead. "I want to start over. I'll do it better this time, I promise."

Wolfram stared at his own hand, feeling lost and more than a little wary. "What are you talking about, Yuuri?"

"I'm talking about us," Yuuri frowned. He was making a mess of this. "The engagement. I want to make it work. I know I never took it seriously, and I still think
I'm too young to get married, but I have to grow up sometime and you're an important part of my life here. I can't imagine marrying anyone else. I've liked you
for a long time, and I've realized I'm attracted to you, too, so while I still have some hangups about the whole two guys thing they're nothing as serious as I
thought they'd be. I mean, I've always said people should be free to love whoever they want, so it's not like I was ever really prejudiced against the idea itself.
It's just that my mom always wanted a daughter and I never quite got over the-"

"Shut up, Yuuri." Hurt dark eyes flashed up to his, and Wolfram rubbed his free hand over his forehead. "I don't know who you've been talking to, but this isn't
necessary."

"Wolfram-"

"Listen," Wolfram said quickly. "When you come of age you can dissolve the engagement as a foolish mistake made in your youth. You proposed by
accident. You accepted my challenge by accident. If had been older and better educated in our customs, none of it would have happened. Once you have
your coming of age ceremony, you can explain that and end the engagement with no formalities. It will be as if it had never happened. You don't have to
worry about hurting my feelings or injuring my pride. I promise I won't raise a fuss."

"But I don't want to end the engagement." Yuuri looked him over frantically. Did Wolfram want to end it? He couldn't ask. He couldn't even consider the
possibility of that. "I want to make it work, I'll try harder this time and do it right. If you'll give me a chance to."

He sounded serious. What if he was? Wolfram stared at his hand again, replaying everything Yuuri had said since he'd woken up. If Yuuri was really asking
for a second chance he would give it to him without hesitation. And then he would be hurt a thousand times worse than he had been when Yuuri had left. He
couldn't be serious. After all, he'd said he was attracted to him. That proved just how confused he was. Wolfram took a deep breath and looked him in the
eye. "Yuuri, no matter how much pink I put on, I'm still male underneath. I always will be."

"I know that!" Yuuri winced. He still wasn't entirely comfortable with that, but the knowledge didn't stop him from imagining things that simply wouldn't have
been possible if Wolfram were female. The fact that Wolfram was undeniably male never left his mind no matter how frilly and kitteny he appeared in some of
his more embarrassing dreams. He was fully aware of the fact that Wolfram could kick his ass, and in at least one of his dreams he'd done a lot more than
that. A furious blush took over his face and he squeaked on his first attempt to speak. He cleared his throat before trying again. "Believe me, I'm not thinking
of you as a girl. At all." Everything would be so much simpler if he could.

Judging by Yuuri's blush, Wolfram didn't want to know what Yuuri was thinking about him. His eyes widened as the implications of that struck him like a punch
to the gut. Yuuri was actually attracted to him. And considering the way they'd been wrapped around each other when he'd woken up, that wasn't something
he could simply overlook and dismiss. He tugged on his hand. "This isn't a conversation to be having while we're in bed together."

Yuuri blinked in confusion. "Isn't that the best place to talk about this sort of thing?"

"No!" Wolfram blurted. Even Yuuri couldn't be that naive. "If you're actually serious, then..."

"I am," Yuuri insisted. "I'm completely serious." If anything, this made Wolfram pull harder. "I'll prove it to you." He leaned forward suddenly. He managed a
light brush of their lips before Wolfram finally got his hand free and careened backwards off the edge of the bed. Yuuri cringed at the impact, then scrambled
down after him. Wolfram was bent over his knees, holding the back of his head in his hands. Yuuri winced and rubbed a hand over his bowed back. "Are you
okay?"

Wolfram shot him a wild-eyed look. "I can't believe you did that!"

He sounded far too scandalized over a tiny peck on the lips. Yuuri frowned worriedly at him. "Are fiance's not allowed to kiss here? Or is there some sort of
ancient tradition about kissing that I don't know about?" Wolfram was giving him that look again, as if he were insane. Yuuri huffed at him. "Are you attracted
to me, Wolf?" His fiance let out what he could only a call a squawk.

"That's none of your business!"

If it wasn't his business, whose was it? Yuuri watched bemused as Wolfram shot to his feet and disappeared into his closet, slamming the door behind him. If
that hand on his belly and knee on his groin hadn't already answered his question, Wolfram's fiery blush and quick retreat certainly did. He still didn't know if
Wolfram had accepted his apology, but at least he didn't have to worry about his attraction being one-sided. He got dressed and then sat down at the desk to
read some more of Gunter's book. He'd give Wolfram a little time to himself before conning him out of the closet.

.-.

PART 6

.-.

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