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The Blooming Secret	By : roryheadmav Category: +G to L > Kyou Kara Maou Views: 3224 -:- Recommendations : 0 -:- Currently Reading : 0
Disclaimer: I do not own Kyou Kara Maou, nor any of the characters from it. I do not make any money from the writing of this story.

Chapter List
- 2
- 3
DISCLAIMER:
This story is a non-commercial work of fiction based on the anime/manga
Kyou
Kara Maou. Original copyright of Kyou Kara Maou belongs to Tomo
Takabayashi, Temari Matsumoto, Kadokawa Shoten, Studio DEEN and NHK. Absolutely
no monetary gain has been made with this work.

THE BLOOMING
SECRET

©
January 12, 2006 By Rory V. Pascual

CHAPTER THREE: The Budding
"Now, now, Casanova-heika. Please
calm down. I sincerely apologize for not giving you better accommodations,
but I'm afraid the castle is undergoing renovations, and this is the best
room we have."
Yuuri quickly fled from Casanova's
chamber before he could be subjected to any more of the human king's tirade.
Rubbing his pounding chest, Yuuri
breathed out a relieved sigh. "I thought he was going to kill me."
Murata, who had been sitting out
in the hallway, approached his friend. "You can't blame him for being furious.
Then again, I'm glad you put as much distance between him and Gwendal."
Indeed, the chamber in question was
at the far end of the castle, and it would take a long walk through winding
corridors and sprawling gardens before anyone could reach the wing where
Gwendal's chamber was.
"Well, I had to do something," Yuuri
exclaimed, as they went on their way back to Cheri's suite. "I can't get
what I saw out of my head. It's like watching AV�LIVE! What a pervert!"
"I could only just imagine what Gwendal
was going through," Murata said in sorrow. "I'm not surprised that he summoned
you here."
The Maou found himself stopping in
mid-step at that last statement. "HUH? Are you saying that it wasn't Shinou-heika
who brought me back to Shin Makoku?"
Murata nodded. "That's why I took
so long at Shinou's Temple. I was actually talking to Ulrike. According
to her, it was not Shinou who summoned you here. She was not able to trace
who did it, but the most likely assumption is Gwendal."
"But I don't think he has the power
to do something like that."
"Who's to say what a Mazoku is capable
of doing when he is in a desperate situation? I don't think that Gwendal
was even aware that he had called you here. For him to do it subconsciously,
I think he is in far worse trouble than we originally believed and he just
could not cope with it anymore."
"Are you saying that he might break
down?" Yuuri asked worriedly.
"It's a strong possibility, if we
don't get him to open up to us," Murata confirmed. "And that's IF he will
decide to confide everything to us. But I seriously doubt it. For as long
as he thinks he could handle it, Gwendal will keep on plodding along until
he explodes or his mind turns to mush."
"Or if that ranting pro-wrestler
suddenly decides to waylay him again." Yuuri's face darkened. "I'm disappointed
in Günter. He and Gwendal are best friends. He's the last person in
the world whom I thought would abandon him."
"I too was surprised by Günter's
reaction. Somehow, I can't shake away the feeling that he's somehow involved
in this, but I don't want to pry. Gwendal is in a difficult situation as
it is."
"To tell you the truth," Yuuri reluctantly
revealed to his friend, "I don't think I want to find out what's going
on. I'm afraid that it's something that I couldn't handle. What if I can't
help Gwendal?"
"Aren't you already doing something?
Never underestimate yourself, Yuuri," Murata strongly advised him. "If
it was indeed Gwendal who had called you back here to Blood Pledge Castle,
I'm very sure it's because he sees you as a good friend who would stand
by his side."
"Do you think I could be able to
do something?"
"You're a miracle worker, Yuuri.
We all have faith in you." Murata gave his friend an assuring pat on the
back. "For the moment, we need your ears, so let's hurry. I'm dying from
suspense."
When they arrived at Cheri von Spitzberg's
suite, Konrad and Wolfram were already there, waiting for them. As expected,
Günter did not show up. But Yuuri was shocked to see Gwendal lying
in Cheri's bed. His lovely mother was sitting beside the bed in a chair,
holding his hand.
"Gwendal, what's wrong?" Yuuri exclaimed,
running to the bedside. "Are you ill? Did Casanova do something else to
you that I don't know about?"
"Gisela had already checked me out.
It's just a little fever," Gwendal said wearily, trying to sound reassuring
but failing miserably. "Nothing to worry about."
"It's stress, Heika," Cheri replied
sadly. "Everything that's been happening�it's just too much for him and
I�" Tears began to pour from her lovely green eyes.
"Please don't cry, Mother. I told
you, I'll be fine." Gwendal squeezed her hand gently, but this gesture
only caused more tears to flow.
"I don't think we should talk about
this right now," Yuuri suggested, truly concerned. "You should get some
rest first."
The elder Mazoku, however, shook
his head. "No, it must be brought out in the open now. I was really�ashamed�that
you had to see�that. I owe you an explanation."
"But Gwendal�"
Gwendal trained his weary gaze to
his younger siblings. "They have to know as well. I don't want them ending
up in the same situation as I am."
Konrad pulled up a chair for Yuuri,
as they all settled around the bed. "It's all right, Gwendal. Come on,
tell us. We're all here for you."
After a moment's pause, it was Cheri
who began the narrative. "It was right after the Battle of Rutenberg. Because
of the war, the city was practically left defenseless, especially the shorelines.
It was during that time that the armada of Capistrano arrived, with the
clear intention of invading the land. I believe that spies had been sent
to Shin Makoku to catch us at our most vulnerable. Back then, Konrad was
still in the frontlines, being nursed back to health by Yozak. Wolfram
was not in Shin Makoku. I had him sent off to Cabalcade to get him away
from all this strife. It was Gwendal, just returned from battle, who was
the only one with me."
"As expected, Casanova demanded that
we surrender the country to him. With only a few soldiers, it was impossible
to defend Shin Makoku. My brother, naturally, wanted to give in to
his demands. But Gwendal refused to do so, saying that he would rather
give up his life in the defense of this land than just simply surrender.
I don't know if it was Gwendal's obstinacy or his physical beauty that
had drawn the Capistrano king's unwanted attentions towards him. Whatever
it was, it was during our talks that Casanova broached the recommendation
to forge an alliance between our two kingdoms, specifically by requesting
Gwendal's hand in matrimony. Gwendal obviously had no desire to be wedded
to a human�until Casanova stood up from his seat at the council table,
walked over to him, and with sheer deliberateness slapped him on the left
cheek." Cheri gazed at a shocked Yuuri. "You know what that means, Heika.
After all, you are engaged to my son Wolfram through that same ancient
custom. Gwendal had no choice but to go along with this engagement. What
neither of us expected was what Casanova would do next to make the bond
between them permanent."
"You mentioned blood magic earlier,
Mother," Wolfram inquired with growing fear and concern for his eldest
brother. "What did he do to Gwendal?"
Cheri continued quite reluctantly,
"Casanova told us that he did not believe in the permanence of this custom,
and he said that he would wish to forge a bond between him and Gwendal
that would last until they were actually wed. You see, I did not wish for
them to be joined just yet. Given the fact that we Mazoku are slow to age,
you could say that my son was still a boy back then, just out of adolescence
by human standards. So I�agreed�to his suggestion. Like I said, we did
not have a choice."
At that last, Cheri broke down completely
and Gwendal took up the painful narrative. "Casanova requested that we
go to a private chamber, with my mother to serve as the witness to our
bonding. I was already expecting that he would bed me, especially when
he asked me to take off my clothes, but what he did to me was much worse.
He took out a blood red houseki, no bigger than a gold coin. With a knife,
he slashed both our palms and let our blood drench the stone. It was terrible,
holding that houseki. While most types of that stone would simply drain
away the energies of a Mazoku, this�thing�wanted to�merge�with me. There's
no other way to describe it. That rock would've forced itself into the
slash on my palm if Casanova hadn't taken it. I thought I was rid of that
malevolent stone. But then, Casanova ordered me to lie down on the bed.
As I did so, I was already anticipating�that, and I was telling myself
over and over again that no man ever died from a buggering." Gwendal's
voice choked at the terrible memory. "Casanova�he took his knife again�and
he mutilated me." With trembling hand, he gestured to the region between
his legs. "After he had opened me up, he put the houseki inside me."
A collective gasp rose among the
listeners. Konrad was deathly pale. Wolfram was on the verge of tears.
Cheri, again, began to weep anew. Only Yuuri and Murata remained strong.
Murata knew that this control was difficult for his friend, but Gwendal
needed Yuuri's strength to be able to recount this terrible ordeal.
"It hurt like you just couldn't imagine.
It felt much worse than a sword through the gut. I could feel it going
up inside my belly," Gwendal revealed. "I thought I was going to die from
sheer agony. I don't remember if I had screamed, but I think I had. The
pain was just too horrible. I don't know how long it lasted. Then, the
pain just ended up abruptly. When I reached down, I discovered that I was
whole again, like nothing had happened. Yet, the blood on the bed sheets
was proof enough of the�injury�that Casanova had inflicted upon me. He
told me that I was bonded to him and that no one could ever break it. Before
he returned to his homeland, Casanova told me that he would come back to
Shin Makoku at the time of my budding. I did not know what he meant back
then, but now I know."
"Your budding?" Yuuri asked gently.
"What do you mean?"
"Ever since that time," Gwendal continued,
"I had been praying that I would never see him again. Not a single day
went by that I did not remember what he had done to me, and his promise
to return to Shin Makoku. But four months ago, while on my way back from
a conference in Caloria, the pain hit me again, and I almost fell off my
horse. Before any of my men could come to my aid, I asked to be left alone
and I rode off to a stream that I knew was nearby. When I got down from
my horse, I was horrified to see the seat of my saddle drenched in blood.
But it was worse when I finally removed my trousers and I saw�"
Slowly, Gwendal pulled down his blanket
to reveal the robe he was wearing underneath. Closing his eyes, he lifted
the hem of the robe and raised his legs, bending them at the knees and
then spreading them apart.
Konrad stood up in fury, seeing what
had been done to his oldest brother. "I'm going to kill that bastard!"
He would have stormed out of the chamber if Murata had not gripped his
arm and stopped him. Wolfram would've done the same, but Cheri flung her
arms around her youngest son.
Swallowing hard, his face as white
as a ghost, Yuuri reached out and carefully pulled the blanket back up.
"Gwendal, are�are you turning into a woman?"
"No, I don't think so," Gwendal replied.
"But as you have seen, I possess a woman's nether parts. I have no doubt
that I also have a female's reproductive system as well."
"It must be the houseki," Murata
concluded. "It's the houseki that brought about this change in your body."
"Why didn't you have it removed,
Gwendal?" asked Yuuri in despair. "Was there no one who could have taken
it out of you? Why didn't you go to Ulrike? She could've interceded with
Shinou-heika on your behalf."
"I did, immediately after Casanova
had left Shin Makoku," said the elder Mazoku. "But Ulrike could find no
trace of it. She would not dare risk getting it out of me, without knowing
where it was or what it might do to me."
"This is the�budding," Konrad muttered
under his breath. "Casanova had done this to ensure that you would be able
to sire his children. No other bond could be more permanent than to have
you bear his child. I suspect that this change occurred because Casanova
had made the decision to return to Shin Makoku."
Gwendal could only nod in agreement.
Turning to his mother and his brothers, he asked, "May I please speak to
Yuuri alone for a moment?"
"All right, son," Cheri said, smiling
wanly, as she escorted her two sons and Murata out of the chamber.
When they were finally alone, the
tears that Yuuri was struggling to hold just began flowing from his eyes.
Taking Gwendal's cold hand in his grasp, he sobbed, "I'm sorry. It's too
difficult for me to accept that such a terrible thing was done to you.
Like Konrad, I want to kill him. I can't forgive him for what he did to
you!"
"I don't want you to bloody your
hands on my account, Yuuri," Gwendal whispered kindly, a rare smile going
up his lips. "This is a cross that I will bear alone."
"Don't do that! What am I here for
if I cannot help you bear this trouble? Gwendal, you must tell me something.
Casanova said that someone had� Is it true?"
At that query, Yuuri was shocked
to see Gwendal's eyes mist up with tears. "Yes, it's true. The idea that
I was going to bear his children was detestable to me. For the first time
in my life, I panicked and I�" A stray tear trickled down his cheek as
he closed his eyes. "I made a terrible mistake."
"Who was he, Gwendal?"
Gwendal stubbornly shook his head.
"It's a secret I will take with me to my grave. I will not involve him
any more. It was stupid of me to believe that he would understand. I should
have realized that he loved someone else."
"You must have loved him deeply to
do something this risky."
"True, but like I said, it was a
mistake. I will not tie him to me unwillingly the same way Casanova had
done to me. This is my fate. I will not fight it any longer. I will be
wedded to the King of Capistrano."
"Are you going to give up so easily?"
Yuuri declared angrily. "That doesn't sound like the Gwendal I know."
"Maybe the Gwendal you thought you
knew never existed in the first place." Gwendal patted his king's hand
reassuringly. "It might seem odd for me to say this, but I'm merely a mortal,
and as such, I am weak. I am just as prone to make mistakes like any other
mortal � Mazoku or human."
"No, I will not accept that!" Yuuri
shook his head in defiance. "We have one month. I'm sure we can think of
something within that time. Don't give up hope." A mischievous grin went
up the corners of his mouth. "Did you know that Murata called me a miracle
worker? If I can't work anything supernatural, I can just simply come up
with a law getting rid of that stupid slapping tradition once and for all."
Despite his dilemma, amusement twinkled
in Gwendal's electric blue eyes, seeing that cute puppy expression on Yuuri's
face. "Wolfram won't be happy to hear you say that."
Sure enough, Wolfram was ranting
outside the door, having heard clearly what his reluctant fiancé
had said.
"Wolfram, get a grip, will you?"
Konrad cried out, his voice strained from trying to restrain his baby brother
from breaking down the door.
"Let me go, Weller-kyo!" Wolfram
roared. "I'm going to beat some sense into that cheater! You're not going
to get rid of me with any stupid law you make, you wimp!"
Yuuri let out a sigh of mild exasperation.
"Eavesdropping again! As if someone like me has the capability to cheat.
Already seventeen years old, and people still think I'm cute, certainly
not boyfriend material."
"Wolfram doesn't think that way."
Gwendal gave Yuuri a meaningful look. "My brother is also just a boy, and,
because of this, he can be quite exaggerated in expressing his feelings.
But have no doubt, Yuuri. He does love you. I just hope that you
sort out how you feel about him." Sorrow crossed his handsome features.
"I don't want either of you to end up like me. I was too late to act on
the calling of my heart. All I have now is deep regret for a love that
could've been."
"Gwendal�"
The elder Mazoku did not give his
king any opportunity to say more. "Thank you for being a good friend, Heika.
Now, if you don't mind, I'd like to get some rest before I leave for Shinou's
Temple tonight."
"All right," said Yuuri, as Gwendal
turned his back to him. Standing, he walked towards the door. Still, he
could not help but glance back at the figure lying on the bed.
Yuuri did not even have to look closely
to know that Gwendal was weeping silently.

~~~~~~~~~~

It was at midnight when everyone
was asleep that Gwendal's departure was set. Rather than use a carriage,
it was decided that Konrad would bring him to the temple before going out
on patrol together with his men.
Gwendal made to get on his horse
the usual way, but a sharp pain in his still tender loins made him stop.
He stood, clinging to his trusty steed, waiting for the pain to abate.
Konrad brought his horse alongside
and raised his hand to his older brother. "Come, Gwendal."
Seeing that he had no other choice,
Gwendal took Konrad's hand, allowing the younger man to hoist him up on
the seat before him, sitting side saddle.
"Don't fret about anything, Gwendal,"
Yuuri offered reassuringly. "We'll take care of everything here. And Murata's
going to be at the temple to keep you company. He promised he'd speak to
Shinou-heika about this."
"Heika, I don't want you escaping
from all that paperwork," Gwendal reminded him. "I want them done when
I get back."
"Don't worry, Big Brother," Wolfram
declared, throwing a heated glare at his fiancé. "I won't let this
wimp slack off for one bit."
Yuuri groaned. "That's what I'm afraid
of!"
"What did you say?"
As Wolfram started pulling on Yuuri's
ears, Gwendal could not stop himself from gazing up at Günter's balcony.
Although he was not surprised by his friend's absence, he was unprepared
for the pain it caused.
Pulling the hood of his cloak over
his head before anyone could notice his sorrow, Gwendal said, "Let's go,
Konrad."
Nodding, Konrad rode off, his men
following behind them.
Unknown to Gwendal, Günter was
inside his chamber, leaning despondently against the wall, right beside
the exit to the balcony. Slowly, he sagged to the floor, burying his face
in his hands.
"Gwendal�" Günter muttered angrily,
his lavender eyes glinting like the sharp edge of a sword. "No matter what
you say or do, I can never forgive you."

* * * * * * * * * *

SHORT NOTE: It might take a little
time to come up with the next chapter. I've got deadlines, interviews.
Plus, I also need to update "Crimson Hearts" and "Gankutsuou Reborn". Please
be patient and I'll be back very soon.
- 2
- 3
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The Blooming Secret