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A Marriage of State	By : Niko Category: +G to L > Kyou Kara Maou Views: 2727 -:- Recommendations : 1 -:- Currently Reading : 1
Disclaimer: I do not own Kyou Kara Maou or any rights to its story, characters or plot. I make no money from this.

Chapter List
- 23
- 24
It had not taken long to sort through the assorted odds and ends his mother had sent with Yuuri in his travel across worlds. Clothes and photographs had been expected but tooth brush, floss, folded socks and clean underwear put the stamp of motherhood firmly on more than half the packages. He supposed good hygiene in a slightly archaic world was something every contemporary mother worried about. It made him miss her already.
Greta adored her new outfits and paraded in them for her fathers for the better half of the afternoon hours, twirling in her petticoats. She liked matching Wolfram, made him dance with her in her red party dress by a mirror in which she could see them together. Wolfram was attentive to her in ways Yuuri hadn't seen before. Their daughter was always most excited when Yuuri returned, wanting his attention above all others. With Wolfram's absence the most felt, the tables felt turned. Now it was Wolfram she wanted to compliment her and Wolfram whose smiles were highest on her list to capture. Wolfram was only too happy to oblige, his sterner side not necessary in the frivolities of homecoming. Yuuri had always felt that perhaps he himself was the favorite father, the real parent as Wolfram's attachment to the human girl seemed vested in his relationship to the king. Wolfram took everything seriously, though. Fiance or not, he was still very much Greta's father. Yuuri enjoyed getting to sit back and watch them, clapping or cheering as the mood required.
As dinner approached, Conrad moved Yuuri and Wolfram from the bedchamber to a greeting room, Greta free to run off to wash up while her father's remained trapped in their other roles. Protocol and decorum, necessity born of political factors all set to maintain functionality and outward appearances. It was not fitting for dignitaries to be entertained in the king's bedchamber, not unchaperoned and not after dark. The casualties of propriety. Yuuri plopped down in the seating provided, wanting to complain but sure he knew exactly how far that would get them. He'd speak to Gwendal, or that Iorund guy. If he had to have someone else with him every time he wanted to be around Wolfram, if he had to make an appointment for each and every encounter, it was going to be a very long three weeks.
Conrad and red uniformed guards took to post outside the door but at least the door was shut. Wolfram stood by the tall window on the other side of the room, looking out over the gardens his mother still attended to on occasion. The night was still cherry hued and stars were still unseen.
"It was never this big a deal when Sara was around," Yuuri mused, leaning his head back to best watch Wolfram.
"That's because you were never engaged to him or caught kissing him." Wolfram gave him a warning glare. "Or I should hope it was never a matter of simply not getting caught."
Yuuri waved his arms defensively. "No, no, nothing to catch. Sara's just a friend."
Wolfram challenged him with a glare for a moment longer then let it drop and turned back to the gardens below.
"So it's Gwendal who has all this extra security in place, huh? Not your guys? What does Gwendal think is going to happen?"
"Apparently we do impulsive and stupid things when left alone together." Wolfram shrugged. "He's probably worried you'll sleep with me and somehow inadvertently become the king of Trebic too."
Yuuri was quite sure he would never be able to look Gwendal in the face again if that was truly the reason why. In this case, Wolfram did not seem to simply be teasing him, though. Yuuri groaned and slouched down in his seat. "I'm sorry but that is really the absolute worst means of crowning a king."
Wolfram nodded his head but said nothing.
Yuuri wasn't quite sure which was the more insensitive: to say something or to say nothing. He wasn't entirely sure he even knew what to say. He wasn't an idiot. He knew what it had meant when they spoke of Wolfram's second marriage. Maybe not at first, worried as he had been and frantic with the state of things, but in hindsight he knew or felt he did and he was glad the man had gone up in flames at Wolfram's hand. Wolfram still seemed the same to him, didn't act differently or any more so than he had in their brief encounter in Caloria. It was only when he was quiet and aloof that Yuuri wondered where his mind was and what thoughts occupied it. Looking listlessly out the window, Yuuri felt that worried curiosity piqued once more.
Wolfram looked at him, chiding him in his more playful of tones. "Are you afraid I'll disappear if you stop staring at me?"
"Huh? Oh, sorry... I guess I have been staring a lot." Yuuri smiled gently, looking away but still with his body leaning in the corner of his eyes. "I was just thinking. About that general guy. The.. uh.. one you were married to."
The Prince Consort's voice turned cold. "I have to accept that marriage as legal for political reasons only. As far as I'm concerned, I have had only one husband and outside my official capacity I will acknowledge no other."
Yuuri immediately regretted saying anything at all. He cleared his throat uncomfortably, palms sweaty against his knees. "Ah.. no, I understand. I mean, I can imagine. I mean.. no, I really can't imagine. I'm sorry." He turned his face back towards his friend, still unable to look away for too long. Maybe he did worry he'd disappear. "I don't guess you'd want to talk about it. And that's fine. I don't really know how good an ear I'd be or if I'm even the person you'd want to say anything to about it. But I guess I just thought maybe you should know that I know. Or that I think I know. And the only difference it makes to me is how much I hate that guy and how much I admire you with everything that's been happening."
Wolfram did not look at him or say anything. His back seemed straighter, shoulders arching up off his back like a nervous cat. With night continuing to fall, the window's surface was becoming less translucent and more of a mirror, reflecting his troubled face and pinched pout. Yuuri cursed his awkwardness and rose up from his chair, walking slowly over to him and putting his hands gently on his shoulders.
"I'm sorry, Wolf."
The blonde shook his head. "It's not that." He placed his hand over Yuuri's, looking over his shoulder at him with a shaky smile. "You.. you really admire me?"
It was all Yuuri could do not to whop him on the back of the head or plant his own face in the embroidered rug. He kissed his cheek instead, rolling his eyes. "That's what's got you teary eyed?"
"I'm not teary-eyed, Wimp." He was but doing a fine job of keeping himself in check. He leaned back against Yuuri, allowing the king to snake his other arm around his waist as they stood by the window. Wolfram tugged the drapes to close, green draperies swinging down to hide them from preying eyes.
They'd been friends for so long, Yuuri had wondered what it would be like to try and move past it, what it would take to become more-than-friends. It wasn't too hard if he just tried. There were plenty of things about their friendship he didn't want to lose. He wanted Wolfram to tease him now and then, he wanted to be able to be silly and childish sometimes, he wanted to be able to tease him right back. Just allowing himself to hold someone--not for comfort or aid but just to be close--it made it feel different, like being closer in this way could actually make them closer in others. They'd never touched all that much, even after sharing a bed for so long. Touch had always been the one element missing from their sham of an engagement. Yuuri wasn't all that surprised to discover he liked the feeling of his heat, his weight, the echo of his breath so near. There was even a little bit of thrill in the knowledge that at any minute the door could open and that perhaps even this much would be seen as too intimate for the pair.
Wolfram sighed gently, his exhale felt in the sinking of Yuuri's hand. The king tightened his arm, tucking his chin over Wolfram's shoulder.
"Maybe being king over Shin Makoku and Trebic wouldn't be so bad."
Wolfram elbowed him in his ribs, a shock of mild pain catching Yuuri off guard. "Don't even joke. Zorashia's been campaigning for that from the very start. I need you on my side, not theirs."
"What side? I thought we wanted it to be Greta's decision." The pause in his reply made Yuuri uncertain. He pulled away, tugging at Wolfram to turn and face him like a top spinning on its string. "Wolfram, what do you mean 'your side'?"
He skewed his face, looking both hesitant and persistent as he took a deep breath in preparation. "Bersi and I both think it will be best if Greta becomes queen."
"That's not what you and I said. And Bersi isn't a part of this."
"He's involved enough for his opinion to count," Wolfram said.
"More than mine?" Yuuri shook his head hard, crossing his arms with indignity. "No, Wolfram. I'm not going to make Greta do anything she doesn't want to."
"There's more to it than just that, Yuuri. You said so yourself: going through me to crown a king is a terrible way to go about things."
"I'm not denying I said that or that I feel that way. But-"
"Once Greta is queen, Bersi and I will meet with the nobles to try and establish a new reign of monarchs appointed by the noble class rather than through blood line. Once they agree we will have Bersi elected as the new king and Greta and I will come home." Wolfram paused for a moment, making sure Yuuri was following him fully. "Even if Greta doesn't become queen, this is what Bersi and I have settled on. The only difference is with Greta on the thrown, I don't have to marry anyone."
"But if that doesn't work, Greta's as stuck as you are." Yuuri frowned as he worked his way through the details, not at all happy with the Wolfram's insistence. "You didn't even want to involve her in the first place but now you're actually trying to get her to rule over there?"
"That was before I knew that Bersi was planning to keep Alfgeir's promise to me."
Yuuri paused, a jealous flare still burning at the mention of that name. "What do you mean?"
Wolfram sighed at length, walking away from the drawn window to the loveseat patterned in rose colored leaves. He leaned against the armrest, arms at his sides and ankles crossed. He looked off towards the tapestry handing off the stone wall with a gaze that saw straight through it. "Alfie swore he would never to cheat on me. So to get around his not having an heir, he promised that if and when he became king, he would change the law so that rightful rulers would be crowned by merit and not blood or marriage. Doing so would also abolish the practice of marriage bound alliances since the prolonged ruling powers would rest in the noble class and not one individual." Wolfram smiled softly. "He was very thoughtful. And he thought very highly of you. Well, what I told him of you, anyway. He thought Trebic could benefit a lot if it allowed itself to find fresh ideas and perspectives in the men and women of its country. Maybe one day they'd have a progressive ruler like you who would do just as many great things."
Yuuri wasn't sure what to think of the dead man's praise or sentimental politics. As much as he liked the idea of elected officials, putting Greta anywhere near the throne of a country still living in the threat of further altercations with Big Cimarron made him uneasy and fearful. If she wanted to go, that was one thing. To ask her to go and put her in that position was still not something Yuuri felt he could do.
Yuuri walked over to him, standing a foot apart with his resolution set. "It sounds great, I agree, but it doesn't change the fact that if things don't go according to plan, Greta is stuck there, more so than even you are. I... I can't support that without knowing it's what she wants. And I need you to not try and convince her it is."
Wolfram glared at him. "What exactly do you take me for? I'm not trying to use our daughter to get myself out of this! In order for Greta to even have a choice we have to defend all the alternatives. Zorashia won't budge if they don't feel Greta will be able to return to them to fulfill her own birthright. This is our best argument for how exactly we plan to coordinate these issues!"
"Okay, okay!" Yuuri put his hands up in defense. "I get it. Sorry. I understand that whole countries have to be convinced in all this but as far as I'm concerned, Shin Makoku's stance on this remains that it is inevitably Greta's decision. I'm not going to say I agree or disagree with anyone except for her."
"Is that your official stance, Your Majesty?"
"It's Yuuri, Wolfram. Don't start that. You know how serious this is and I'm taking it seriously." Yuuri put his hand on his shoulder, annoyed when Wolfram refused to look at him. "Officially the only side I am going to take in this is Greta's. Unofficially I want to kidnap you both and run away to the mountains where we can live as hermits and raise goats."
Wolfram scowled. "Goats?"
"It could be bearbees. I'm not picky."
The Prince Consort tried not to smirk but failed, shifting his eyes to look at him though he tried to retain his look of indignation.
Yuuri smiled a little. "I'm not going to take any sides, Wolf. I'm sorry. But I do think, if it's what she wants, that it's a good idea. Alfgeir had some good plans and I'm glad Bersi thinks that too."
Wolfram took his hand from his shoulder and held it in both of his, hanging his head so his golden bangs obscured his face. "Well, if you're not going to help me convince Zorashia, what are you going to be doing?"
"Well, there's never been a shortage of things for me to do in the past. Shin Makoku still needs to be kept running smoothly and Greta still needs someone to play with." He gave his hands a squeeze. "I also need to try and court you right from under Gwendal's nose. That will keep me occupied."
"You're going to what?" Wolfram let go of his hand, eying him suspiciously.
Yuuri looked at the ceiling, trying to keep from looking like a nervous teenager with his books still clasped hip height. "Well, I mean... you know. On earth we call it dating and it's just... a period of time when you get to know someone."
"You already know me, Yuuri."
"Not like this."
Wolfram leaned forward, hand sliding up against his chest. Yuuri swallowed hard at the look caught in the emerald gaze, feeling his heart beat harder against the sturdy palm. "Like this you mean?" Wolfram's voice was huskier, lashes fanning the flames in his eyes.
Yuuri swallowed again, lips parting on instinct as he nodded wordlessly and leaned forward, watching Wolfram tilt his head just slightly as he closed the gap between them.
The door opened. Yuuri felt the hard shove and the unforgiving floor as he crashed down on it on his tailbone. From his new location on the rug, Yuuri could see Conrad standing at the door, eyes searching between them and the arch of his brow leaving few questions to be answered.
Wolfram stood up straight, pulling his uniform into place. "Are we expected in the dining room already?"
Conrad smirked, leaning on the doorknob. "You are. Lord Sturla has been asking for you specifically."
Wolfram nodded, looking down at Yuuri who has still refrained from rising. "It's not going to get any easier," he warned him.
Yuuri smiled all the more, confidence brimming within him. "I have three weeks to try."
- 23
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A Marriage of State