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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
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Chapter Two
Alfgeir Havard was a loud man with the face of a thief in the dress of nobility. His wiry beard of coarse orange hairs was spotted with crumbs from their meal and specks of wine, the splatter of relish on his left lapel with a spot of grease on the cuff of his sleeve. Like a trained beast he seemed well versed in manners but too large to execute social graces with any amount of delicacy. His roar of a laugh was full of joy and amusement, not forced or subdued by his surroundings; a great belly laugh that could overpower any conversation. He was a thick, boisterous individual who could command attention through volume alone and sitting at his table of meats and bread Conrad could hardly keep himself from cringing with every happy howl.
Wolfram sat to the right of his betrothed, left cheek swollen in amethyst. He glared at him as he tore into his food though Alfgeir seemed to find his indignant rage endearing.
"Come now, my pet, I didn't mean any harm," the Trebician prince said, hand on the mazoku's shoulder.
Wolfram shook him off. "Do I get to use that excuse too?"
The large man belly laughed and smacked Wolfram across the shoulders, causing him to lurch forward. "I like your spark," he said, and went back to his glass of red wine. Wolfram glared at him, hands fisted on the table top, spark ready to explode.
Conrad wished his brother would look at him, catch his eye and share a quick thought. Wolfram seemed intentionally avoiding as much, stabbing at his food instead or burrowing holes in the table with his stare. The only words Conrad had left to say were It will be alright but sitting in the company of his soon to be brother-in-law, Conrad wasn't so sure it was a fair statement.
"Your Majesty is very kind to invite us for dinner," the soldier inclined, feeling pressed towards diplomacy. "However, if you keep touching my brother with such force, one of us is likely to do something very rash." Conrad smiled his perfect smile, dulling the edges of threat with good cheer.
Alfgeir chuckled, wine glass heavily brought back to the table top with a splash. "I must seem like quite the brute! I do apologize. I have big hands, you see, and feet bigger still. I guess it's true I really don't know my own strength!"
Several Trebician sailors cheered and laughed as though it were a joke or common complaint turned anecdote. Conrad took a deep breath, finger stretched along the body of his knife. "I suggest you learn your limits in that case, Your Majesty. Our king will not honor any alliance if he finds you've broken him."
"Now, then, Brother, don't worry about that! I'll take very good care of him." Alfgeir smiled and tipped the bottle of wine to fill Conrad's cup. "He'll want for nothing be it finery or affection. You have my word as a gentleman and the heir to the Trebic throne. I will honor the letter and intent of the alliance and only ask that you do the same. Have faith in me as I do in you."
Conrad bit his cheeks and swirled his wine. He was not ready yet to be such a man's brother even if his words were encouraging. "Of course. We will all do our best."
"Splendid! Tomorrow morning we sail for Trebic. My men will help load Wolfram's things onto my vessel if you will lead them to his quarters. I will give to you the treaty with our royal seal to take back with you as proof of his acceptance."
Wolfram's eyes widened as though waking from near sleep. "Your ship. Why would I sail the rest of the way on your ship?"
"Did you not receive the message?" Alfgeir looked between the brothers, neither of them looking less surprised than the other. "No ship from Shin Makoku will be allowed to dock in our marina at this time. We can't guarantee it would be safe after so many months of armed conflict. Even if we called out the royal guard, there would be no way to ensure no rouge canon would fire and harm your ship or someone on it. For the safety of everyone and to lessen the stress on our civilians, no ships from Shin Makoku may dock."
"You can't just alter the plans like that!" Wolfram shouted.
"Our alliance is not popular with our people at this time. If we make sudden changes, there could be an uprising. The intent of the treaty was to lessen casualties and that is what we are trying to do."
Conrad eyed the ginger man for signs of dishonesty: a twitch to the eye, a pull of the lip, the darting of his line of sight to avoid question. He displayed none. "If the treaty is so unpopular, how do you intend to keep my brother safe?"
Alfgeir smiled at Conrad, hand slapping down on the table, place settings jumping. "That is exactly what I am trying to do by bringing him in on my own ship. There I have my personal guard, hand picked and all of them in loyal service for no less than a decade. I trust them with my life and by extension with his. Once we're in the castle things will be much safer and after the wedding the fears of occupation should die down as they see nothing has changed."
Conrad nodded, chest aching. "I had planned on following him to Trebic and attend the ceremony as representative of his family. Would there be a way to arrange my passage home if I came with you?"
"Well, that wouldn't be the problem. Enough ships have crossed paths accidentally in these waters, having a meeting like this again wouldn't be hard at all. But there's no date set for the wedding. Could be you'd be there weeks or months before the atmosphere was right for a ceremony," Alfgeir explained. It was the first time Conrad had seen him frown. "I'd like for you to be there too, Brother, but these matters of state are decided by smarter men than me. I can't even promise I could tell you the date with enough time given for you to return here from Shin Makoku if you waited there instead."
Conrad shook his head and opened his mouth to respond only to nearly be pushed from his chair to the floor instead by the volume of Alfgeir's command, "No, no, this won't do at all! Bring me the captain! If this man wants to see his brother married then let's not waste time! Tonight we wed!" Conrad's mouth fell agape as sailor's cheered and the prince took his hands in his. "Brother, I can understand your worries of leaving him in my care with only my word as a gentleman he would be untouched till our wedding night. I hope this sets your heart at ease."
Conrad managed to meet Wolfram's seething stare over the shoulder of his betrothed. The young prince stood, pushing his chair back far with a loud squeal of wood on wood. "I am not getting married on at sea. If it takes months then it takes months and you will wait for Conrad and anyone else for that matter when the day comes!"
"But pet, it's perfect. Just think of it: married on international waters as a symbol of all nations and no boarders. Don't worry, you'll have an extravagant state wedding as well but for our brother's peace of mind, let us not wait. I'm sure you've had your fill of length engagements."
Wolfram picked up an apple and threw it at his head, the piece of fruit making nothing more than a dull thunk before falling to the floor off the large man's head.
Alfgeir roared with laughter. "Feisty, isn't he?" he cried out, sailors joining him in an uproar at the impotent apple chuck. Wolfram's fists balled at his sides, body shaking with the effort it took to not launch into an attack. Alfgeir took him by the arm and pulled him close as Wolfram stumbled against his chest. "You look lovely as you are but I will give you one hour to prepare as I ready our deck for the ceremony. I am an honest man of good intentions and I want our brother to bare witness and report to the others that you are bound by marriage to be cared for."
Conrad watched both panic and fear cross his brother's face half hidden in Alfgeir's scarlet breast. "Your Majesty, it's not necessary-"
"One hour, Brother. Then I hope you will sleep easy knowing I have made honest men of us all." He let Wolfram go, guiding him over to Conrad's side of the table. Conrad tried to take his wrist but had calloused hand smacked away as Wolfram stormed past him out of the room.
"Like a bandage," Alfgeir said.
Conrad looked at him as the man winked and roared his way into the ranks of the sailors calling for lanterns, carpets and the captain's ready command. He waited only a minute to follow his younger brother, crossing back onto the Shin Makoku ship where the nervous air had still not passed. Eyes darted in the direction to which Wolfram had flown, down to the belly of the ship in his stately quarters. Conrad was slow to follow, making his steps hard enough to be heard. He knocked and admitted himself, not surprised to see his brother's face in a bucket with the echo of dinner sloshing to the bottom. He sat close by, not daring to touch him further as it seemed to him unfavorable.
"I'm sorry."
"You... idiot..." A gulp and a wretch.
"It was planned to happen sooner or later. Does tonight make so much of a difference from tomorrow or the day after that you would hold this wish against me?"
"Now Yuuri can't--" Sentence interrupted by what had been grapes and cheeses. Can't object. Can't call it off. Can't arrive in time to take him back. Conrad heard even what was never spoken.
Frowning, hands clasped between his knees, he bowed his head in resignation. "You'll be safer this way. No one would dare touch the prince's husband."
"I'm not so weak as to need this kind of protection."
"Gwendal and Mother will still be glad to hear it none the less."
Wolfram's arms hugged his grey bucket. Face hidden in its hollow, it was hard to tell sobs from the croak of breath around bile.
Under moon and starlight, washed in the warm glow of hanging lanterns, standing before the Captain and the power bestowed upon him, Prince Alfgeir Havard kissed his bride to the amusement and cheer of the Trebic sailors who tossed feathers in the air--a hastened replacement for confetti. With every flinch of trepidation and glimpse of the bright purple stain on Wolfram's left cheek, Conrad felt his resolve and acceptance crumble till only the solider part of his mind could bare to witness further. His own king wished for his subjects and retainers to forgive and trust in everyone who showed the best of intentions. Hard as he tried, Conrad felt only cold and numb towards his brother-in-law whose ease of manner kept him on edge. Alfgeir lifted Wolfram from the decking, cradling him in his arms with a knowing roar from the crowd and snickers of approval. An awkward conversation never had, expectations and concerns. Conrad watched the ginger man in scarlet carry his brother below deck for only so long as his stomach would let him. For the first time after many years at sea, Conrad felt sick.
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A Marriage of State