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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
- 25
- 26
- 27
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 – 21. Eldara – 32. 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.
A/N 7: Thanks to my new beta bishie82 ^_^

Bloom

by chayron (lttomb@yahoo.com), beta-read by bishie82

Part 26

The castle was ringing with laughter and songs. Most of those who had taken part in the hunting were enjoying themselves at the table, eating freshly roasted and boiled meat. Wolfram had grown hungry during his outing and was eating with unconcealed appetite. He was nearly moaning around the juicy bits of the boar Eldara had supposedly killed. In truth, it had been one of the duke’s men.

The merriments also continued after dinner. The musicians and singers spared neither their throats nor their instruments. They went on till the late evening, when most guests had drunk themselves under the tables. Wolfram was neither a good dancer nor a singer, thus had avoided shaming himself by engaging into a few inspiring discussions about today’s hunt. He expressed his deepest regrets of not having been able to take part in it.

In the morning, shortly after breakfast, most guests departed. The duke saw everyone off then disappeared to take care of odds and ends that usually were the aftermath of hosting such big banquets. Now there were only a few guests left, and those seemed the kind that were able to entertain themselves quietly. Since Eldara had disappeared right after the meal, Wolfram decided that he should use the opportunity and do the unpleasant but necessary task – write a few letters.

Once in his room, he sat down in front of a stack of blank sheets of paper; he was certain he’d need every single one of them. He had come to a decision and it had not been an easy one. But now he believed it was, definitely, the right thing to do.

Since the blond expected it to be the easier one, he started with a letter to Yuuri. He crumpled up the first paper after the first two sentences. The next draft lasted longer. He managed about seven sentences, until his frustration won and he tossed it across the room. He did not want to write it at all – dealing with Yuuri was still painful.

Finally, half an hour later, he was done and no one was going to make him rewrite it. Wolfram looked at his masterpiece.

Your Majesty,

I hope my letter finds you in good health and high spirits. First and foremost, I would like to express my gratitude for the wonderful present. It will be an honor to carry it at my side. It is regrettable that Your Majesty had not been able to take part in the celebration.
Secondly, in answer to Your Majesty’s inquiry about my health, I assure you that I am sound and healthy. Thank you for asking.
This letter should reach Your Majesty on the arrival of Lord Von Christ and my mother. Let us hope their journey home will be safe. I should return to Shin Makoku in about a month although I do dread to set my foot on a ship again.
I hope everything is well with Your Majesty and Your family.

Yours Faithfully,
Wolfram von Bielefeld

Wolfram exhaled in relief and folded the letter. He pushed it aside and took a new sheet of paper. This was going to be a much longer, full of unnecessary explanations and exclusion of a lot of truth kind of letter. Gwendal, however, would still know all the “hows” and “whys”. Yozak and Fajdal were going to make sure of that.

It took the blond over an hour to spin out a five-sheet letter for Gwendal, and even then he wasn’t certain if he had done it exactly the way he had wanted it. When he was done, he asked the guard at his door to call Gunter then returned inside to wait for him at his desk.

When von Christ entered, Wolfram was holding the sword in his hands, and the older man didn’t know whether it was a good or a bad omen. He was very curious about what Wolfram needed.

“I would like you to send Lord Weller a message for me.”

Reluctantly, Gunter nodded. This didn’t promise anything good. Why not write a letter? But then, Wolfram had never written Conrart a letter. Not after…
“Tell him I appreciate the sword - it’s a magnificent blade. Also, tell him that if he is interested in my progress here, he can write me a letter.”

Gunter’s eyes were round in disbelief. It was Wolfram’s proposal of peace between him and his half-brother. After these long years - it finally happened when he least expected it. He was stunned to say the least.

“O-of course,” Gunter said. “I’ll tell him.” He thought that, maybe, the duke’s influence was good for Wolfram – unless this was a part of some cunning plan. He, however, doubted that.
After hearing the news, he assumed that Conrart would want to visit Kardera and see Wolfram in person. However, Conrart would be too afraid that such a radical move would ruin the laid foundation for the possible renewal of their relationship.

“I also want to ask you to deliver two letters,” Wolfram said. “One is for Gwendal, the second is for His Majesty.” Wolfram walked to the table where he took two envelopes then approached von Christ.

“Of course,” Gunter said, taking the letters. He watched Wolfram sit down and pour himself a glass of water. Gunter shook his head in refusal when Wolfram offered him a glass. Von Christ twirled the letters in his fingers. “Can I ask you what resulted in your sudden change of heart concerning Conrart?”

It seemed that Wolfram wouldn’t answer. The blond was studying the contents of his glass and a few moments passed before he finally shrugged. He sighed. “I think it was a long time coming. The final push was Athara’s attitude towards Eldara. The sword… It’s just a pretext for me to send him a message.”
“Mmm… Yes, I see, of course,” Gunter hummed, his eyes flying through one of the letters. He waved the letter in the air. “Why are you doing this? You can’t send it like this!”

Wolfram raised his head to look at him and saw the opened letter in his hands. “Oh, for gods’ sakes Gunter! Didn’t anybody teach you not to open other people’s letters?”

“Well, it has no seal on it. Besides, I did it in your best interests.”

Wolfram frowned at him. His new signature ring was still in the making and was going to be delivered to him in a few days. For now, he was sending his letters unsealed. Wolfram grunted in contempt. “I know how the letter sounds, but I am trying to avoid familiarity. I don’t want it to be personal between us.”

“Wolfram, you’re being unreasonable. You’ve known him for five years and it’s not going to just disappear.”

“Well, I want it to!”

Twirling the letter in his fingers, Gunter stared at Wolfram for a moment. He knew perfectly well where it was coming from, but Yuuri hadn’t deserved this. Wolfram was being cruel. He had read few of the previous letters the blond had written to Gwendal and knew how much they differed. Even when they sometimes intentionally missed some information, they were always affectionate and hearty. There was, however, not much he could do to change Wolfram’s mind about Yuuri.

When Gunter left, Wolfram lingered in his room but found nothing to occupy himself with. Thus, he decided to return to the hall and mingle with the other guests. Just as the duke had guessed, Reikia von Estram had not left for home and this made Wolfram wonder what the man was up to. When he was walking past Reikia, the baron noticed and greeted him with a curt obligatory nod then turned back to the woman he had been talking to. This made Wolfram think, that perhaps, he was being silly for reading too much into his stay.

The blond milled around the table with snacks, found a plate with his favorite goose liver pate, then gave Reikia’s back one last curious look.
While idly standing and munching on his delicious snack, Wolfram could distinctly hear Gunter’s voice engaged into a discussion about shipping something to and from Shin Makoku. He and other two men were sitting on the other side of the hall, behind the piano. Their enthusiastic conversation was drawing other guests’ attention.

Wolfram didn’t stand alone for long. Soon an elderly man approached the table for a glass of wine. A servant rushed to his side. The man took the glass and, with a friendly look, saluted Wolfram.

“These cufflinks go well with Sir’s brooch.”

Wolfram glanced at his cufflinks. This morning he had chosen a pair from the many he had received for his birthday. He raised his eyes back to the man.

“Could it be that these are your gift?”

The man grinned. “Indeed they are. I am pleased we share similar taste.”

Wolfram returned the smile. He tried desperately to remember the man’s name but his memory was blank. Noticing his hesitation, the man chuckled.

“I’m Eran von Sarda,” he introduced himself.

“Oh,” Wolfram said, blushing lightly. He wondered how he could have missed Fredrick von Sarda’s father.

“It’s not surprising,” the man said as if reading his thoughts. “There were so many people on the first day.”

Wolfram gave an apologetic nod. The man probably pitied him since there was a rumor that he had been after Halea as well - or was this an attempt to gloat? It didn’t seem so, at least.

“You and Eldara are quite a match,” von Sarda said suddenly, making Wolfram’s jaws stop working on the sandwich.

The blond blinked at von Sarda. “Uh… What makes you say so?” he asked carefully.

Eran chuckled again. “You aren’t even trying to deny it?”

“Why should I? I think it’s obvious already.”

Von Sarda’s hearty laughter made a few guests turn to them. “That’s why,” he said with a wink. “That’s why I say you two suit each other.”

Wolfram waited for him to elaborate but the man just gave him an enigmatic smile and with a nod, drifted away to the other side of the hall, where Halea and his son were. Wolfram was left to wonder what exactly von Sarda had in mind.

Within an hour, the duke appeared again, saw a few more guests off, had a light snack, then found Wolfram and asked him if he would want to do some training with their elements, as arranged. The blond agreed readily and, in half an hour, they left the castle and its nosy guests.
They rode in a party of ten, with their guards. Wolfram could see that neither Yozak nor Fajdal were excited by the idea of this little excursion. Yozak, however, had recently been nagging him too much. Thus, he decided not to pay too much attention to his sour face.

The snow was soft and fluffy under the horses’ hooves. It would gust out in small waves when they rode through it. There wasn’t much of it yet and the horses passed easily. There was barely any wind. Further into autumn and eventually into winter, mounds of snow would appear and Wolfram doubted outings like this would be going possible. The men from both sides seemed to be glad about the opportunity to enjoy the fresh air. Light conversations soon struck up here and there. Soon, even Yozak’s face brightened and he nudged his horse closer to Karela. The two men started discussing something in the local language. Wolfram watched them thoughtfully. It was going to be difficult for Yozak to return to Shin Makoku. Wolfram couldn’t read Karela Ine as well as he could Yozak, but he could see that the captain liked Yozak as well. Due to their job, they disagreed and quarreled a lot, but there was undoubtedly a spark between them.

Wolfram knew that he was exactly in the same situation. He had been aware of the fleeting nature of his and Eldara’s relationship from the very beginning. It was very likely that it had been exactly the reason why he had taken the initiative – he felt that whatever happened, he could simply leave it behind when he went back to Shin Makoku. He knew now, though, that it wasn’t going to be so easy.

Wolfram saw their destination about an hour later. It was an empty field far away from any houses or trees. It was obviously a commonly used training ground. Nearing the actual training area, due to the thin layer of snow covering burrows and mounds, Wolfram had been warned to ride slowly and carefully. Yet, Rendar and the other horses still stepped into a couple of holes and blundered about.

Wolfram and Eldara dismounted and passed the reins to their guards. The blond still wasn’t certain what exactly was expected from him in this outing. As far as he was concerned, he simply wanted to test his element and see if everything had returned to normal. Eldara, though… The duke seemed to be expecting something special from him.

The guard that was holding Rendar’s reins stepped back when Wolfram’s fire element surged to life. The blond held a small fireball above his gloved hand tentatively. Feeling no discomfort or a sense of wooziness, he expanded it more. Observing his body and finding no difficulties, he created a few more fireballs to warm up.

Curiously, the duke watched six fireballs floating about the blond. Wolfram wasn’t one to waste time, but this was impressive for one’s warm up. Generally, strong fire-wielders had a very big advantage against earth-wielders because they could use various summons to aid them, and Wolfram was extremely good at them.

The ground shook lightly, indicating that the duke was also getting ready. Wolfram gave him an uncertain look. Were they really going to spar? He was excited, but this was dangerous. They could seriously injure each other. The guards had already moved a respectable distance away. Yozak had his hand on his sword. He looked like someone who was ready to butcher everyone around him. Wolfram felt guilty for putting the man in this kind of position.

“Ready?” the duke asked when he saw Wolfram summon one sizeable fire lion. The snow all around it had already melted and was currently steaming.

“I…suppose?” the blond said uncertainly.

The ground shook and Wolfram was flung backwards. Turning around in midair, he softened the fall with his hands, rolled over and got to his feet again while his flaming lion was already speeding towards the duke. The lion leapt into the air, but instead of landing on Eldara it hit a wall of earth. Loud whooshing sound and sparks of fire shot in all directions when the lion exploded. The wall of earth became a stream of molten lava and slowly flowed down to the ground. Eldara stepped back so as not to get burned.

Wolfram summoned another lion. The ground shook under his feet again and he stumbled, landing on all fours. Eldara was trying to disorient him, to make him lose his sense of balance. This was the common strategy earth-wielders used. Wolfram cursed softly when the folds of earth suddenly tore out of the ground and tried to squish him. He rolled over a few times, tried to get back to his feet, then was flung backwards again. He landed on his back, snow and his thick coat cushioning his fall. He had no time to check and wasn’t certain what happened to his summon and called for another fire lion. Turning to his side and getting on one knee, he launched a sizeable fireball in the general direction of the duke.

This time the animals were smarter and didn’t attack head on. Eldara watched them circle around, trying to find an opening in the wall of earth he had surrounded himself with. He flung a lump of soil at one of them but the lion easily avoided it by jumping sideways. He shook the ground under them, but, in contrast to their master’s senses, theirs weren’t affected at all. A fireball exploded somewhere near him, but he couldn’t even spare a glance. He had to keep Wolfram busy, since fighting three opponents at once wasn’t going to work.

A flaming lion jumped easily onto the incoming wave of soil then landed back on the firm ground. It puffed lightly and flames shot out of its nostrils. The master was somewhere at the back. The orders weren’t clear, the connection flickering.

Wolfram was having trouble staying upright due to the continuous shaking of the ground under his feet. He had been thrown into the air a few times but managed to land successfully. He could see that his lions had cornered Eldara, but that didn’t stop the duke from shaking the earth. Wolfram waited for a calmer episode and flung two fireballs at the duke. This time they were much more accurate, crossing the air with more confidence and speed.

Eldara was too late to spot the two fireballs. He somehow managed to deflect them with another wall of earth, but they had been so close that drops of molten lava splashed at him. The duke raised another wall of earth to stop them, but this made him lose control over the protective wall he had around himself. Seizing the opportunity, the lions charged.

The ground started shaking again and Wolfram dropped to his knees. His sense of balance was so off now that he didn’t even know which direction he should be turning to. He was somehow able to stand up, but everything was shaky and wobbly and his head felt heavy with disorientation. He suddenly felt sick.

Eldara barely avoided the scorching heat when one of the lions flung itself at him. He jumped aside and summoned another wall of earth. He was too slow and now the second lion was almost on his back. Wondering if Wolfram was trying to kill him, he tried to raise a second barrier. Then he changed his mind and just ripped the ground off and flung it in front of him.

A swish of air hit Wolfram’s face and he instinctively tried to back off. His shaky legs didn’t listen to him and he stumbled. Then, suddenly, Karela smashed into him. They whooshed through the air and landed – none to gently – into a mound of snow a few meters away. Wolfram was lucky. He landed safely on top of Karela with the duke’s captain cradling his head. Karela was not so fortunate and cursed when his shoulder hit the ground painfully.

Dazed, Wolfram raised his head off the captain’s chest. He was suddenly grabbed by his arms and hauled to his feet.

“Are you alright?” Yozak asked, patting Wolfram over his coat, searching for possible injuries.

“Y-es…” Wolfram nodded weakly, pushing Yozak’s hands away when the captain started unbuttoning his coat. “Nothing’s broken. I’m just…” Pushing Yozak aside made him lose the support he badly needed, and he swayed while trying his best to stay upright. “I think I’m seasick,” he said, grabbing Yozak’s shoulder.

Karela was sitting in the pile of snow, cradling his dislocated shoulder and muttering under his breath. Seeing that Wolfram hadn’t been hurt, Yozak pushed the blond into Fajdal’s arms and squatted down at Karela’s side.

“Is he alright?” the duke asked after having reached them. He was still breathless. His clothes were singed here and there, and his dark violet hair burnt in patches.

Yozak snorted without raising his head. “Which one?”

Eldara considered flinging him a few meters into the air but then decided not to bother. He wasn’t certain what had happened. A few seconds ago he had been grappling with two rabid lions when they suddenly vanished and he was presented with the sight of both Karela and Wolfram on the ground.

“You nearly crushed him with that lump of soil!” Yozak accused.

The duke followed the motion of Gurrier’s head to the huge heap of earth nearby. He turned his eyes back to Yozak and Karela. His captain was giving him a look, a look that was asking him if he was in his right mind. Eldara turned to Wolfram, who was still leaning against Fajdal.

“He’s alright,” Fajdal said. “He’s just nauseous.”

Now the duke realized why the two beasts had been so vicious, Wolfram, obviously, had lost control over them. It had also been his fault – he had disoriented the blond completely. Eldara huffed and shook his head – this spar had been the stupidest idea ever. He had nearly killed Wolfram, and Wolfram’s lions had nearly torn him into pieces. They were lucky that the final outcome only involved his burnt hair, Wolfram being nauseous, and Karela’s dislocated shoulder.

While waiting for Wolfram to get better and be able to ride a horse, Yozak helped Karela to pop the bone back into place. There was a lot of cursing, again, but it subsided quickly.

Eldara apologized to Wolfram for putting him in danger. The blond, who was now able to stand on his own and didn’t look so pale anymore, shook his head. He pointed at the duke’s burnt hair.

“I think both of us miscalculated. You will have to do something about that.”

The duke ran his hand over his scorched hair. “That bad?” Wolfram’s nod made the duke sigh.

They returned to the castle when the sky was already darkening. With an order to send the barber to him at once, Eldara quickly vanished to his chambers. His barber, however, appeared to have gone to town and no one knew when he would return. The duke sent two guards to search for him. Then he left his study to see how Wolfram was doing.

But before he could do so, Gunter confronted him as soon as he stepped out from his chambers. “I hear there was an accident during the outing?” he said, his voice nearly an enraged growl.

“Yes, <i>an accident</i>,” the duke confirmed. “Luckily no one was seriously hurt. Only my pride,” he said, pointing at his hair.

Von Christ’s mistrustful eyes swept over his face in contempt. It was obvious that the man was seething inside. The duke leaned closer to him and took him by his shoulders. He turned the surprised man around.

“Look,” he said softly, while inconspicuously pointing further in the corridor at Wolfram, who was talking to Cecilie. “Why would I want to kill him when I can have him?”

Von Christ’s whole body stiffened and he turned his head to face the duke. He knew, however, what the man was trying to say. It was both an outrageous insult and an uncanny compliment. Wolfram was young, handsome, and sharp, he would be an asset to any bed. Von Christ brushed the duke’s hands off his shoulders none too gently.

“He doesn’t have much experience.”

The duke gave the older man an amused look. “Experience is not something I would look for in someone who is barely twenty.”

Gunter’s lips pressed into a displeased line and he shook his head. “Still… I…”

“You treasure him,” Eldara said with a nod. “I will not be as insolent as to assert that I treasure him as much as you do. He, however, is dear to me in his own way. I would never hurt him intentionally.”

Von Christ grunted. “I’d like it to believe so, but this is…”

“Your Grace!”

Both of them turned to a guard who had run up to them.

“Yes?”

“I’m sorry for interrupting, Your Grace, but Sir Luana has broken his hip. He’s…”

“Have you called for Roldan?”

The guard nodded. “Yes, Your Grace, the doctor should be here in about twenty minutes.”

“I’m sorry, Sir,” the duke told von Christ, bowing his head. “We’ll have to finish this some other time. I have some serious matters to attend to.”

Gunter nodded. “Of course, Your Grace.”

Addressing his guard, the duke asked, “How did he even break it?”

“He slipped on the carriage stairs, Your Grace, and fell down to the ground,” the guard explained.

“He’s too old to travel already,” the duke said. “Last time he sprained his arm while trying to shoot a boar.”
Both men were soon seen rushing down the corridor. Watching the duke’s and the guard’s hurriedly receding backs, Wolfram approached Gunter. “Where did they rush off like that?” he asked curiously.

“Von Luana has broken his hipbone apparently,” von Christ said.

Wolfram let out an acknowledging grunt. “Ah, the elderly gentleman who drank himself under the table yesterday. He was already having a hard time walking due to his old injury. I can only guess how wine took care of that.”

“I think he was mostly sober already,” Gunter said, giving Wolfram a searching look.

“Mm?” the blond wondered.

“We need to talk, Wolfram – somewhere alone.” He could already see the discontent frown forming on Wolfram’s face. The younger man could already presume what it was about. Nonetheless, he nodded and led him to his room. They sat down at the table with the bowl of fruit.

“It was a mistake to spar,” Wolfram said, without waiting for von Christ to start talking. “We nearly killed each other. I underestimated him. He’s just a half-Demon and I didn’t think his element could be so powerful. I would have not agreed if I had known.” The blond raised a hand when von Christ opened his mouth. “Let me finish, Gunter. On the other hand, he also underestimated me. He probably believed I was still affected by the concussion. I am not, it seems. I was perfectly fine. Well,” he said softly while a light blush covered his cheeks, “getting seasick or nauseous is quite common for me.” He shrugged. “He apologized, but it was also my mistake.”

“Do you believe him, Wolfram?” Gunter asked.

“Yes, Gunter, I do,” Wolfram answered just as seriously as von Christ had asked. “I…” he trailed off, trying to explain it - to express himself better. However, he just shook his head when words eluded him. “I just do,” he said sincerely.

Von Christ watched him thoughtfully. He didn’t believe that the duke had wanted to hurt him either. It had only been a stroke of bad luck. Still, the duke should have known better – Wolfram was still very young, still just a child. His main problem with von Ashira was that he had much more experience behind his shoulders than Wolfram. It was very evident. The two were drawn to each other, doubtlessly. He didn’t think that Wolfram was in love, not yet at least. Wolfram had already been hurt once and he was still recovering, still licking his wounds. He didn’t want to see Wolfram in a similar situation again. Eldara was treating Wolfram well, but that meant nothing. Yuuri had always treated Wolfram well, but the end result had been a disaster.

Tbc
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- 27
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Bloom