Dawn

Wolfram left Greta’s room and turned down the corridor. Even though it was still very early he knew that the next person he had to see would already be in his office. He stood outside of Gwendel’s door and knocked. He heard his brother’s voice bid him enter and stepped through.

Gwendel had been looking sightlessly down at the collection of papers on the desk in front of him. He had heard the knock and assumed that it was one of the castle guards here to make another inquiry or report. When there was nothing but silence he looked up and was unable briefly to keep the shock from his face as he spied his youngest brother standing before him.

“Wolfram!” he began, “What has happened?” Gwendel immediately rose to his feet, he knew his blond sibling never sought him out here in his sanctum unless something grave had happened to either the kingdom or Wolfram’s own skewed vision of what the kingdom should be.

“As far as I know, Gwendel, everything is as fine today as what it was yesterday when I left. Why? Have things changed since then? I didn’t expect the news to spread beyond the kingdom so quickly that our Maou had left us…” Wolfram looked decidedly puzzled.

“That’s not what I meant Wolfram.” Gwendel replied. He started to sit back down. It had been a long time-in fact Gwendel couldn’t readily remember another time when Wolfram had seemed so utterly calm when speaking to him. He sometimes remembered Wolfram as a little child when he’d been asleep and quiet. But even when he’d seen his brother down in the practice fields deep in concentration there’d always appeared to him that his brother was fighting for control over himself. “I merely wanted to know why you were here this early wanting to see me. Are you all right? If you haven’t slept yet-“

“Gwendel stop being ridicules.” Wolfram cut him off. “I am here to talk with you about the plans you’ve already made to defray the panic our people will feel when they realize that the Maou has left. I also want to talk to you about your plans for keeping the peace treaties secure in Yuri’s absence. I have some concerns about how some of the human rebels might try to use this information-“

“Guards!” Gwendel bellowed as he stood again facing what at first had looked to be his little brother.

“Gwendel! Stop being an idiot! I have every right to hear what plans you’ve made; I know you’ve already told Conrart what you mean for him to do. Why am I any different?” Wolfram rose from his chair to yell back to his brother as the castle guards poured into the room through the door to Gwendel’s office.

“That might be true if you were actually Wolfram.” Gwendel stated. “Guards, surround the imposter and alert Lord Weller that I need to see him immediately, tell him we may also need his friend Yozak. The prince has been kidnapped.”

“G-G-Gwendel!” Wolfram sputtered, as he saw the imperial look on his brother’s face he continued, “You idiot! I am Wolfram von Bleifield!” Wolfram shrugged out of reach of the guards, “You never go anywhere without the dumb little dolphin charm Yuri gave you, in fact-“

“Guards! You are dismissed, release Wolfram and summon Lord Weller at once.” Gwendel interrupted. He sat down again as the guards left. He was worried. He was confused. Right now the only thing he was completely certain of was that he knew he didn’t like being either worried or confused. He watched as Wolfram shook out the sleeves of his coat that had been grasped by the hands of the guards. Wolfram’s face was losing the red of frustration and was once again its more normal shade of ivory as he took a seat in front of Gwendel’s desk.

Both were silent until a few minutes later when Conrart entered the room. His face didn’t give anything away as he closed the door behind him and surveyed his brother’s office. It was a sight different from any he’d ever seen before in Gwendel’s office. There was no Annissina to be seen and yet he could tell from Gwendel’s face that he was disconcerted. Even stranger was the sight of Wolfram, seemingly of his own volition, seated before Gwendel. As far as Conrart could see there were no ties keeping Wolfram in his seat, and even more surprising was that there was no apparent look of bored disdain of Wolfram’s features.