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Bloom	By : chayron Category: +G to L > Kyou Kara Maou Views: 9093 -:- Recommendations : 0 -:- Currently Reading : 0
Disclaimer: I don't own Kyou Kara Maou! It belongs to its respective owners. This fan fiction is not a commercial project, and I'm not making any money from writing it.

Chapter List
- 1-Bloom
- 2-Part 2
- 3-Part 3
- 4-Part 4
- 5-Part 5
- 6-Part 6
- 7-Part 7
- 8-Part 8
- 9-Part 9
- 10-Part 10
- 11-Part 11
- 12-Part 12
- 13-Part 13
- 14-Part 14
- 15-Part 15
- 16-Part 16
- 17-Part 17
- 18-Part 18
- 19-Part 19
- 20-Part 20
- 21-Part 21
- 22-Part 22
- 23-Part 23
- 24-Part 24
- 25-Part 25
- 26-Part 26
- 27-Part 27
- 28-Part 28
- 29-Part 29
- 30-Part 30
- 31-Part 31
- 32-Part 32
- 33-Part 33
- 34-Part 34
- 35-Part 35
- 36-Part 36
- 37-Part 37
- 38-Part 38
- 39-Part 39
- 40-Part 40
- 41-Part 41
- 42-Part 42
- 43-Part 43
- 44-Part 44
- 45-Part 45
- 46-Part 46
- 47-Part 47
- 48-Part 48
- 49-Part 49
- 50-Part 50
- 51-Part 51
- 52-Part 52
- 53-Part 53
- 54-Part 54
- 55-Part 55
- 56-Part 56
- 57-Part 57
- 58-Part 58
- 59-Part 59
- 60-Part 60
- 61-Part 61
- 62-Part 62
- 63-Part 63
- 64-Part 64
- 65-Part 65
- 11
- 12
- 13
Disclaimer: I don’t own Kyou Kara Maou! – It belongs to its respective owners. This fan fiction is not a commercial project, and I’m not making any money from writing it.
Warnings: yaoi (male x male), violence, swearing, angst, drama. Wolfram-centric, out of character, original character.
Summary: With Yuuri’s upcoming birthday, Wolfram makes his decision. Where will it lead him and what is to become of them? Should eventually be Yuuri x Wolfram.
A/N 1: Yuuri – 18 years old. Wolfram – 20. Eldara – 31. Halea – 20. Athara – 18.
A/N 2: Greta doesn’t exist.
A/N 3: European/American/Japanese standards all at once depending on the plot requirements.
A/N 4: A tendency to ignore the anime/manga and supplement the story with my own imagined facts.
A/N 5: Season III is not taken into consideration, except for the fact that Wolfram’s uncle exists.
A/N 6: The umlaut in Gunter’s name is a bother.
Bloom
by chayron (lttomb@yahoo.com), beta-read by HARPG0
Part 12
“Your suite is arriving in two days,” Eldara informed Wolfram.
They were sitting in the duke’s office, Eldara at his desk. Wolfram was in a chair in front of it. After the doctor’s examination, the blond had dressed, visited the bathroom, and then had a light snack.
“Finally,” Wolfram said. “Took them long enough.”
Eldara gave him a benevolent smile which cut through Wolfram like a sword through butter. “You must be worried about your security. Rest at ease. From what I have heard, I can tell that you alone could defeat all of Raizgad’s army. The ardor, the splendor with which you charged at the enemy! My soldiers are in stupefied awe!”
“So you’d better I had left Halea to…” Wolfram wondered what the attackers had intended to do. “To be kidnapped?”
“Of course not,” Eldara said smoothly. “Your act is a perfect example of bravery and heroism. In fact, I’ve already sent a letter to His Highness Gwendal von Voltaire where I described your altruistic deed and stressed how proud he should be to have a brother like you.”
Wolfram inhaled sharply. “You didn’t!”
The duke chuckled. “Would you like me to send one?”
The blond glared at him. “No.” If Gwendal ever got wind of his temerity, he would come to Raizgad to personally collect him concussion or no concussion. It was obvious that the duke was perfectly aware of what influence Gwendal had on his life. On the other hand, it wasn’t difficult for him to figure out as he and his siblings shared a very similar relationship.
“Anyway,” Eldara said, getting serious. “About my visit to His Majesty Orinth the Fifth. To put it short, the King of Kardera welcomes Emissary Wolfram von Bielefeld and wishes him and his suite a pleasant stay in his country.”
“Oh, does he?”
“Yes, he does.”
“That’s nice.”
The sarcastic intonation made the duke give the blond a glance. “Well, Gwendal von Voltaire is a power to be reckoned with.”
“Do you even take Yuuri Shibuya seriously?”
The sudden question made Eldara laugh softly. “Yes, sometimes I do. But most of the time I don’t,” he admitted, grinning. “You will have to forgive me for saying this about your former fiancé but, with a few exceptions, he’s practically apolitical.”
The unexpectedly honest reply made Wolfram chuckle. It was surprising to hear the duke answer so directly, and, to show his appreciation, Wolfram inclined his head. He didn’t even feel guilty for not trying to defend his king’s honor. Everything Eldara had said was true: Gwendal von Voltaire was the head of Shin Makoku, and Yuuri was its…weapon? This sounded strange, keeping in mind that Yuuri was a pacifist to his core. For a moment, Wolfram pondered on the contradictory thought. Then, he shook it off.
Shuffling the papers on his desk absentmindedly, the duke watched Wolfram for a few seconds. “I don’t think I can express in words what Halea means to me,” he said softly, putting his elbows on the desk and lacing his fingers together. “I am forever in your debt.”
Startled, Wolfram leaned back into his chair. He smiled awkwardly. “Well, as said, I just evened the score out.” Uncomfortable, he squirmed as the duke gave him a long searching look.
“Right,” Eldara said tapping his fingers on the desk, the spell breaking. “You just made me think that you’re just about as apolitical as your king.”
“Well, I’m sorry I didn’t request you to give up your county to me in reward.”
Eldara’s eyebrows rose. “You’re not too late to do that yet,” he said, grinning. “I’m afraid, I’ll refuse to give it up, though. It won’t do to have such an apolitical leader as you.”
Wolfram rolled his eyes. “Nobody said I’d be the one ruling it.”
The duke nodded. “Oh, if it’s Gwendal von Voltaire, then I promise to think about it.”
The blond gave a tortured sigh. “You like my brother a lot, don’t you?”
“Not really. I simply noticed that the very mention of his name makes you sit straighter. But never mind that. If you really feel alright, I would like to keep my promise and show you around the town,” the duke suggested. “Well, certainly, you did that with Halea, but nonetheless. Are you interested?”
“Of course I am,” Wolfram said, his posture on the chair changing, his whole body leaning forward enthusiastically. “When are we going?”
“It never ceases to amaze me, your eagerness for outings.”
“Mmm…” Wolfram drawled, suspicious. “In which way does it amaze you?”
“In a good way, Wolfram, in a good way. I think we should leave shortly after lunch.”
“I’m all for it.”
---
As soon as Wolfram entered the dining room, Halea ran up to him and grabbed him into a hug. “Oh, Wolfram, thank you! Thank you! Thank you!” she repeated squeezing him.
Startled, Wolfram made a few steps backwards but then stopped as he realized that he was dragging Halea with him. If he retreated any farther, both of them would simply stumble on the fluffy carpet and fall.
“I was so scared!” Halea cried, kissing him on both cheeks. “I thought it was over!”
Wolfram patted the animated woman on her back soothingly. Over Halea’s shoulder he could see the duke watching them. He was smiling and there was something approving in his eyes, and, suddenly, Wolfram thought that maybe, contrarily to what he had believed, Eldara didn’t exactly mind him being close to his sister. The suspicion unnerved Wolfram and made him painfully aware of how intimately his and Halea’s bodies were touching.
“You’re my hero now,” Halea said, laughing. She released the blond from her embrace to look at his face and, Wolfram answered her with an awkward laugh. He gave her hand a few light pats. Then, still feeling out of place, he hurried over to his usual seat for comfort.
When Athara entered the dining-room, and the younger male’s eyes set on Wolfram, the blond immediately became aware that something had changed. There was not a trace of former hostility on Athara’s face: the man smiled brightly and rushed towards him.
“We can never thank you enough for what you’ve done!”
It was obvious that he wanted to either grab Wolfram’s hands or pull him into a hug. Thus, Wolfram kept nodding at him and smiling generously, but remained firmly seated to avoid any contact. He had never liked touchy-feely people, and, for some reason, the thought about Athara touching him was very disquieting. The whole ordeal was making him wish he had skipped lunch.
“There is no need be so shy,” Athara commented, amused as Wolfram just kept smiling at him. “You’re an official hero now.”
Wolfram didn’t know what to answer to that, and then thought that it was probably good that he didn’t as he noticed something suspicious flit over Athara. It was short, but it was unmistakably there.
The blond also caught the duke watching him and his brother with something akin to disappointment on his face, and his lips were pressed into a stern line. The expression disturbed Wolfram and even more so as he couldn’t figure out why it was there. He couldn’t wait to get out of the dining room.
When hot dishes were brought in, Wolfram gave them a critical eye. This time, it was something black and seemingly squishy. It smelled strange as well, not unpleasant but strange. He waited for a servant to lay a plate in front of him.
“Athara, what happened to the food?” the duke asked after having watched Wolfram stare at his plate, then take a tentative bite, after which his eyes widened. The blond then continue to move the contents of the plate from one site to another without eating anything.
“What do you mean?”
Eldara gave his brother a warning look. “During my stay in Shin Makoku, I thought that the food there was god-awful. I think I did ask you not to torture Wolfram with ours?”
“Err…” Wolfram drawled, concerned when the tension at the table grew suddenly. “It’s fine. I’ll just take something else,” he said hurriedly. But after a glance at the table he realized that there was nothing he would want to try. “That…mm…goulash looks quite attractive.”
“That’s tomato sauce,” the duke said.
“Oh.” Wolfram deflated, his cheeks reddening.
“Would you prefer some pancakes, scrambled eggs or maybe both?” Eldara asked him.
“Mm…scrambled eggs, please.”
The duke nodded, and a servant was immediately sent to the kitchen to fulfill Wolfram’s wishes.
After the scrambled eggs had reached the table, and Wolfram tore into them with ravenous appetite, the lunch continued smoothly with the four of them chatting about the festival and Eldara’s journey to the capital. Wolfram noticed that after his brother’s reprimand, Athara was more subdued than usual. He tried not to show that it had affected him, but it was obvious. Wolfram thought that maybe inviting him to go to the town with him and Eldara would improve his mood. However, it had been the duke who had invited Wolfram and the blond wasn’t certain if he should interfere. In the end, Athara was first to leave the dining-room, and Wolfram lost the chance to speak up.
---
Wolfram looked at the sky and wrapped himself tighter into his warm cloak. It had started snowing. The tiny snowflakes whirled lazily in the air, almost floating in the absence of wind. They were thinly spread and sparse and melted as soon as they touched the ground.
They had already ridden down the hill and reached the same grove where Halea had been attacked. There were twice as many guards today than at the time when Wolfram had been with Halea, and he felt absolutely secure. However, the large amount of men around them made it hard for Wolfram and Eldara to strike up a conversation. When they entered the grove, it dried up entirely. It didn’t feel uncomfortable, though. They simply rode next to each other silently, the sounds of metal jingling, horses snorting, and hooves hitting the ground echoing around.
Wolfram was brought back to the first time when he had examined a row of huge and detailed portraits in the castle, hanging on a wall just when one climbed the stairs to the second floor. There were nine von Ashiras, Eldara’s full-body portrait hanging last. Out of sheer curiosity, Wolfram had compared his and his father’s, Ernest von Ashira’s, portrait. Eldara was nearly his father’s copy: facial features, build, and even the intense aura, everything was shared. If Eldara cut his hair short, it would be hard to tell them apart. Nonetheless, Eldara must have inherited his strikingly blue eyes from his mother. His father’s, just like Halea’s and Athara’s, were hazel.
When Wolfram had unwittingly followed the duke to his chambers after their ride in the park, he had accidentally seen the portrait of the whole von Ashira family in Eldara’s room. Ernest and Eldara von Ashiras were standing side to side, behind a couch on which Halea, still a little girl, and her mother were sitting. Athara was no older than two or three years and was sitting on her knees. When it came to that, Wolfram didn’t even know her name. He knew now, though, from whom Athara had inherited his blue hair. The woman had long, blue, cascading hair of exceptional beauty.
“I don’t want to appear to be rude,” Wolfram said suddenly, “but what actually happened to your parents?”
The duke gave him a surprised look at the impulsive question. He turned his horse so that it would step closer to Wolfram’s.
“Why are you interested?”
“Hmm… I’m just curious, I suppose.”
Eldara chuckled. “Fair enough.”
The duke indeed was much more knowledgeable about Wolfram’s affairs than he was about the duke’s. Nevertheless, the blond was inclined to think that after having spent quite some time with the man, he got to know many things about him as well. For one, he knew that if there was anything sacred for Eldara, it was his family.
“My mother died of pneumonia,” Eldara said. “Ernest von Ashira was killed in Derington Battle.”
Wolfram’s face showed surprise and the duke nodded. “Yes, your father was killed in the same battle.”
“Thousands of people died then,” Wolfram muttered somberly, staring at the wet ground. The Battle of Derington took place in Big Cimaron sixteen years ago, when he was only four. He didn’t remember anything about it, only what he had read in history books. It had been the last battle during which the Demons had been driven out of Humans’ lands. Or so Humans thought. Demons, of course, believed that since they had lived there since time immemorial, the territory was theirs, and Humans were driving them out of their homes.
“Yes, thousands of them,” Eldara said softly. “And what was the point? Demons are coming back again with peace and trade treaties.”
“Do you hate Demons?”
“That’s not a very smart question to ask, Wolfram. But no, I don’t hate you. Instead, I am rather wary of you. Demons are tougher and smarter. You mature faster as well. I always try to remember that when dealing with you.”
“I noticed that you don’t particularly like your Demon heritage.”
“I wouldn’t say that I don’t like it. It’s just there. It wouldn’t make much sense not to like or like it. But there are cases when I really appreciate it.”
Wolfram was silent for a moment. Just as he had suspected, Eldara did have a contract with one of the elements. Athara used water, and Halea a wind element. He wondered which of the four the duke controlled.
“When we had been attacked, no one used esoteric stones,” Wolfram wondered. “It had been a planned attack. They must have known Halea is able to use one of the elements.”
“Not necessarily,” Eldara said. “Most half-bloods are resistant to esoteric stones. Thus, in all probability, they thought there was no point in taking them. Besides, they are hard to afford.”
Wolfram smiled to himself.
“What are you grinning at?”
“I am pretty certain that there have already been quite a few attempts at you and your family. By this time, probably the whole Raizgad knows that esoteric stones don’t work on either of you.”
Eldara laughed softly. “You’re clearly recovering from your concussion.”
“I suspect that this is the closest to a compliment that I will ever receive from you,” Wolfram said.
“I didn’t know you were interested in receiving my compliments.”
Despite the cool air, Wolfram’s face flushed red. Eldara gave him a curious look. He hadn’t expected the blond to react to the light teasing like this. Wolfram’s eyes stayed fixed on the ground, and it was obvious he was at a loss as to what to say. The duke suddenly realized that the younger male was very conscious of him. Eldara wasn’t certain what had caused this, but this was an interesting observation.
Eldara cleared his throat, but then understood that anything he would say would only make the matters even more awkward, so he kept quiet. The sound, though, made the color on Wolfram’s face even deeper.
Until this moment, Wolfram had not realized that he, indeed, wanted to be complimented by Eldara. It wasn’t that he experienced some romantic feelings towards the duke. It was probably the matter of Eldara being more experienced, very intelligent, and also older than him. He also respected Eldara and felt a little intimidated by him. A compliment from a person one looked up to was always precious.
The blush slowly receded from Wolfram’s face. He was grateful to the duke for not commenting any further. He was apprehensive to think what Eldara thought of his embarrassed silence.
“What element do you wield?” Wolfram asked, hoping that this sounded like a sensible transition between topics.
The duke was very tempted to tease the blond again then decided against it. Wolfram would probably clam up and ignore him for the rest of their outing. And he rather liked talking to Wolfram.
“Care to guess?”
“Hmm… Earth?”
Eldara gave him a searching look. “Why would you think so?”
Wolfram chuckled. “I’m right, aren’t I?”
The duke nodded, smiling. “Yes, you are. I didn’t think it was so easy to tell, though.”
“Well, all earth element wielders have a few distinguishing traits.”
“Such as?”
“I think you know them pretty well yourself.”
“But of course. However, I am very interested in hearing your version.”
“Are you? All earth wielders that I’ve ever met were tyrannical, bent on power and control individuals.”
Eldara didn’t even try to hide his grin. “It is usually said that we have authoritative and responsible personalities, but, yes, I like your version better.” Eldara’s grin widened even more; he was thoroughly enjoying himself. “And what do people say about fire wielders?”
Wolfram flushed red for the third time since he had woken up in the morning. People often said that most fire wielders were hot-tempered, whimsical, and arrogant. It was commonly said that they also have a higher sex drive than others. He would rather die than repeat all that. But it seemed that the duke was satisfied with the question alone, giving him mercy and not waiting for him to answer.
“Most of what people say is nonsense anyway,” Wolfram muttered.
Eldara burst out laughing. “Well, yes,” he agreed. He gave Wolfram a wink. “I didn’t receive any strange reports from my maids. I’m afraid, however, that people might be right about the rest of the characteristics.”
Wolfram muttered something under his breath, most likely an insult.
Eldara chuckled. “Don’t we get along just splendidly?”
“Yes, like a house on fire.”
“Indeed, indeed,” the duke said, completely ignoring the blond’s sarcastic tone.
Wolfram wondered how much his status had changed after he had saved Halea. Athara had certainly warmed up to him, Halea adored him, but the duke still kept treating him like a kid instead of acknowledging him. This annoyed Wolfram to no end.
“Well, let’s head for Odule Temple,” Eldara said. “We’ll look around on the way.”
Only now did Wolfram become aware that they had entered the town. The time had just flown past unnoticed, and he hadn’t even had time to get bored; maybe to get a little bit annoyed, though.
“Odule?” Wolfram drawled questioningly.
“It is right there,” the duke extended his hand to show a dark stone building far ahead, a few squares away. “The God of Lightning.”
“I see. How many gods do you have in Kardera?”
Eldara shook his head, amused. “I am not certain. It is pretty hard to keep track of all of them. The total number would probably come up to over a hundred.”
“I suppose I should have asked about Raizgad instead.”
“Well, there’s Aurun, Odule, the God of War, the Goddess of Peace, the God of Fire, the Goddess of Rain, the Goddess of Cattle, the Goddess of Luck and so on and so forth.”
“You don’t seem to be a very religious man…”
“Oh, I’m a very big believer, Wolfram. I believe that everyone should believe in something, be it heavenly punishment or reward. Religion is a very good disciplinary measure. The more believers there are, the easier is to control them.”
“Like sheep, aren’t they?” Wolfram muttered. “You can practically make them do anything if they believe that their god demands that.”
The duke gave him an appreciative look. “Exactly.”
Wolfram sighed. “I am glad that Shin Makoku limits itself with four gods,” he said, deciding not to pursue the topic.
“Ah yes, you have it easy. The God of War, Love, Fertility, and Death. I have always been amazed by the logical counterpart each god has.”
“It is disputable, but some historians claim that the logic came during the reign of Hadrian the Blackbeard. He seems to have reorganized the entire pantheon at a sword’s tip.”
“An efficient man.”
“Yes, he indeed was,” Wolfram agreed, watching a peasant scurry out of their way. The reaction to the duke, just as Wolfram had guessed, was different than to Halea. People tried to avoid their party, and, if their and Eldara’s gazes met, they bowed deeply and hurried away.
“Where does Athara spend his time? He rarely stays in the castle,” Wolfram asked after a few minutes of looking around. He was surprised to see that his question made the duke frown in distaste.
“I’m certain your curiosity will be satisfied soon,” Eldara said. “He mentioned something about taking you together with him in thanks for your heroic deed.”
“I see.” The duke didn’t elaborate anything more on the subject, and it was clear to Wolfram that any further inquiries would be brushed off.
A racket farther down the street attracted their attention. The duke motioned for some of his guards to move forward and their horses broke into gallop. Wolfram was immediately aware of how his interpreter had moved closer to him; the man reasonably thought that the safest place was near someone who was able to summon a destructive fire lion.
When Wolfram and Eldara rode into the scene of action, they were met with a curious sight: the guards had formed two small groups to isolate someone inside. A crowd of onlookers had gathered as well.
“What is going on here?” the duke inquired the captain, who had hurried over to them both.
“There was a fight, Your Grace,” the captain explained. “It seems that those three men,” he pointed at one group, “assaulted the son of Lennon Barista of Elkia.”
The duke glanced at the three men then looked at the opposite side where one man stood separated from the crowd. “Ah, the baron’s son,” he said. A bit farther, a man was lying on the ground. A few villagers were tending to him.
“Yes, Your Grace.” The captain pointed at the man on the ground. “His guard is unconscious, but Barista has escaped serious injuries. Just a few bruises.”
“Your Grace!” Barista’s high-pitched voice echoed through the crowd. He moved forward but was held back by the duke’s soldiers. “Your Grace!” he called again to get the duke’s attention.
Listening to his interpreter’s quick prattle, Wolfram watched Barista, who was on the verge of starting to wrestle with the soldiers. His nose was bloodied and he was shaking in barely controlled anger.
“Your Grace, I demand justice! These lowlifes attacked me out of nowhere! They injured me and beat my bodyguard unconscious. They should be hanged at once! Thieving bastards!”
“You scum!”
“Liar!”
Some bustle followed in the second group, the guards forcing one of the men to the ground and trussing his arm behind his back. Other guards had a firm hold on the other two men.
“Quiet!” the duke snapped as the third one was still continuing to struggle and curse mindlessly. Eldara threw the reins to the captain and slid off his horse. Eldara walked closer to the baron’s son but his face was carefully blank, he not showing much reaction to the man’s demands. “Sir…?”
“Sir Verinas Barista, Your Grace,” the son of the baron introduced himself, bowing lightly. “Your Grace, could you tell the guards to release me? It’s those damn peasants who are dangerous criminals.”
Eldara nodded. “Yes, of course. Just don’t move far away from my men in case those beasts break free.”
Wolfram watched the guards separate to let Verinas go free. However, the man stayed close to the guards just as advised. Eldara hadn’t come closer to him either, and Wolfram realized that the duke was taking a neutral stand.
“So, what happened?” Eldara asked.
“Your Grace, I was riding down the street to the fountain when I was suddenly attacked! They dragged me and my bodyguard off the horse and then…”
“Yes, thank you. And previously?”
The baron’s son gave Eldara a questioning look. “Your Grace? They are thieves.”
“He raped our sister!”
The duke turned to the other three men. “Oh? Did he?”
“Your Grace, he…”
“How dare you lie!” Verinas cut the man off. “She kept clinging to me day after day! What rape are you talking about?! I have been trying to get rid of her for a whole month! She wouldn’t leave me alone! She must have had a heinous plan to rob me. So when she hadn’t succeeded, these three jumped me!”
“You piece of shit! You…”
“You’re dead! You’re so fuckin’…”
“I’m gonna rip you a-”
Eldara snapped his fingers, giving a signal to his soldiers, and the shrill voices quieted down, the three men collapsing in a heap of groaning and moaning mass.
“I won’t repeat myself, gentlemen,” the duke said. He looked at the crowd, which shrank back a little. “Where is that woman they are talking about? I’d like to have a word with her.”
“Your Grace, why would you listen to some half-witted villager?” Barista started. “She is j-”
“Your Highness! Lord von Bielefeld! Have mercy!”
Wolfram was completely stunned for a moment when one of the three men launched himself at him. It was clear that Wolfram wouldn’t be able to move his horse out of the way so fast. But before he or the guards could make their move, the duke had already made a few steps forward, knocking the man away with an abrupt backhand hit, sending him spinning to the ground.
“Now, listen,” Eldara hissed down at the groaning man. “One more brilliant idea like that, and I’m sending you directly onto the scaffold. Understood?”
The man nodded dizzily, touching his split lip.
“Why wait, Your Grace?” Barista chuckled. “Th-” He clamped his mouth shut as Eldara’s hand moved, making the soldiers look at him. The duke didn’t say a word but gave him such a look that Barista grasped at once that it was best to keep quiet for now.
Eldara gave him a sharp smile. “Thank you, Sir. Now, if somebody would be so kind as to show me to the heroine of this spectacle, I would be grateful forever.”
“Can I go as well?” Wolfram asked when the words had been interpreted to him.
The duke gave him a thoughtful stare then looked at the man he had hit and who was already being dragged back to his brothers. “I suppose you can,” he said softly. “It seems you have already gotten involved after all.”
“Well, he did ask me to intervene,” Wolfram remarked. “I will. Even if only for the sake of satisfying my curiosity.”
“Curiosity?” Eldara shook his head, snorting but said nothing. With a few soldiers in tow, the duke approached a couple of men who had stepped forward.
From afar, Wolfram watched them converse. Of course, he understood that any interference on his part was practically impossible. The duke was going to do with the brothers anything he wanted. After all, they were his subjects. All he could do was to observe the situation. It had been surprising enough that Eldara hadn’t commented on his words.
The duke and two of his soldiers started following one of the two men, who had started showing the way. The rest of the guards stayed in place while keeping watch on Verinas and the three brothers. Wolfram urged his horse after the duke, his interpreter and bodyguards moving together with him. There had been no invitation for Wolfram but the blond figured that the duke’s earlier agreement granted him all permission he needed.
In fact, Wolfram didn’t feel so much of interest in the incident itself. He was more curious about how the duke was going to resolve it. As Wolfram had to rely on his interpreter, he didn’t dare to venture any presumptions about the situation.
Fifteen minutes later, one of the soldiers was knocking on the door of a shabby looking cottage. An elderly woman appeared in the doorway, and Wolfram listened to them exchange words. She glanced at the duke and bowed, moving out of the doorway. Nonetheless, Wolfram could tell that she didn’t want them entering. She didn’t have any choice, though.
Eldara climbed off his horse, motioned for Wolfram and the interpreter to follow him, then went after the woman and his soldier inside. When all four of them filed into a small kitchen, the woman looked aghast. She asked them to wait until she warned her daughter about visitors. She disappeared behind a large wardrobe which separated the kitchen and the bedroom.
Wolfram could hear the women whispering behind the wardrobe. His exceptional hearing allowed him to catch every word but he couldn’t understand them. Wondering if the duke’s hearing was as good as his, Wolfram moved closer to the tiled furnace to warm up. The air smelled of herbs. He found the smell unpleasant. Wolfram looked around the modest kitchen. Despite the fact that it was a bright day outside, it was only half-light inside, the smoky glass windows letting in only vague light. However, there was nothing much to see: it was poor but clean. Everything seemed to be old and worn: the table, chairs, cupboards, and even the furnace itself. Things had been fixed over time: two chairs had new legs, the furnace had a few slabs of stone tiles, a new mug stood next to one with chipped brim. The brothers probably didn’t even live here anymore; all three of them looked strong and old enough to build a house and have their own families.
The woman reappeared only five minutes later. Reluctantly, she took them behind the wardrobe. The smell of herbs was much stronger now. A young woman bowed lightly as soon as she saw them. Wolfram had the impression that she was a little unsteady on her feet. The duke motioned for her to sit down on the bed. Her face looked as if she had been crying a lot.
The duke looked around, taking in the room but there was nowhere to sit down except three worn beds. The elderly woman was about to rush out to bring a chair from the kitchen but Eldara stopped her. As soon as he sat down on the adjacent bed, something whooshed off it and hid under the bed, making the duke and the soldiers start.
“A cat,” Wolfram, whose eyes were better at discerning moving things, said.
The daughter was apprehensive, nervously staring at them. Wolfram was certain that if what the brothers had said was true, it hadn’t been a good idea for all of them to be here; three armed men and a Demon could make anyone wary.
Wolfram listened to the duke and the woman converse silently. At first, the interpreter had started whispering into Wolfram’s ear, but then the blond stopped him as it was distracting both the woman and the duke. Only when they had stopped talking did Wolfram ask for the interpreter to sum up their conversation.
They left the cottage in silence. Climbing onto his horse, Wolfram glimpsed a sight of faces behind the windows in the surrounding houses. The town’s people would have plenty of material for conversations for years to come. The duke had a thoughtful look on his face and Wolfram would have given a lot to know what he was thinking. The way Eldara had been talking to the woman had left a big impact on Wolfram. He hadn’t thought that the man was capable of such consideration and thoughtfulness.
“Should I get raped for you to start taking me seriously as well?”
The duke gave Wolfram a disturbed look and then shook his head. The ungodly joke and the moment in which the blond had chosen to tell it disgusted him. “You lack proper manners.”
“Yes, I do.”
Eldara rolled his eyes. “I’m taking you seriously. More than some people, actually.” For a few moments he was silent then spoke again: “You aren’t a very sympathetic person, are you?”
“Probably not,” Wolfram admitted. “Well, it’s not that I can change anything. I’m more interested in what you’re going to do about the baron’s son. You would not want to incur his father’s displeasure, would you? He seems to be an influential man.”
Eldara gave a look to the interpreter, who squirmed uncomfortably. “He is,” the duke agreed.
“So it’s better to stay friends with him.”
The duke rolled his eyes again. Of course it was better to get along with him. Lennon Barista of Elkia ruled over a rich land in the neighboring Arklend dukedom and was the subject of Neryan von Sedera. The duke and Baristas maintained a good relationship, which meant that the baron would complain to the duke.
The baron’s son kept his smile on when Eldara and Wolfram returned. If he was worried, he was good at hiding it. The crowd had not dispersed, on the contrary – even more people had joined in. The soldiers had to push them back to make more space. It was obvious that before they arrived heated discussions had taken place. The guards must have been troubled.
“Throw those three into the dungeon,” Eldara said, motioning with his head at the brothers. He slid off his horse, intending to have a word with the baron’s son.
Wolfram expected the crowd to start protesting, but it was silent. There was a commotion, though, and one of the brothers broke free from the guard who had been trying to tie his hands. Swords jingled, but the duke raised his hand to stop his soldiers. He watched the brother run up to him and fall onto his knees. Eldara grabbed the man with one hand by the front of his shirt and yanked him onto his feet before he could open his mouth to start begging. The sight of the bulky man in the duke’s grasp was somehow amusingly unsettling: the man was nearly twice as big as Eldara.
“I’m not interested in anything you want to say,” the duke said to the man. He pulled him closer so that their faces nearly touched. Eldara smiled. There was nothing warm in that smile. Wolfram listened to him hissing something at the man. The words were barely audible even for his ears. He didn’t know what Eldara was saying, but the man paled suddenly. He started saying something but Eldara punched him in the gut, and he fell over moaning. The duke prodded him with his foot, and the man let out a row of groans and howls as if his ribs were broken.
Appalled, Wolfram watched one of the guards drag the seemingly half-conscious man to his brothers.
“Sir Barista,” the duke said, walking over to him. “It would be much safer to spend the night in the castle.” He looked around meaningfully.
Barista took in the people surrounding them. The faces weren’t friendly. Nobody knew if he would reach the inn he was staying at safely. “Yes, Your Grace. It’s a good idea. Thank you very much for the invitation.”
“It’s the least I can do,” Eldara said. He nodded lightly and returned to his horse.
Wolfram was still waiting for the crowd to demand justice. Nothing happened. There were a few discontent murmurs and glares directed at both the duke and Barista but then the crowd simply started dispersing.
“I’m very disappointed in you,” Wolfram said when all of them had finally started moving towards the castle.
The duke’s eyebrows rose. “Are you? You break my heart, Wolfram. But I do have to maintain a decent level of order so that all of us wouldn’t suddenly find ourselves on burning sticks.”
“Well, we do have to stick together,” Wolfram agreed somberly, but with a little sarcasm seeping through. “But, really…this kind of thing…” He looked at the duke, but the man wasn’t even listening to him. Now, he was motioning for the captain of the guards. The man quickly rode up to the duke. The interpreter stayed silent, and, frowning, all Wolfram could do was listen to them exchange meaningless words.
Tbc
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