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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
- 4
- 5
- 6
Chapter Four
Gwendal stood over the map laid out on the table, smoothing out the folds with his hands as he trailed his fingers across the blue pattern of open waters. Dotted lines traced the boundaries between international waters and those belonging to the shoreline countries. He pressed a line of figurines across the map, placing three white ships near a further five red just inside Trebician waters. Outside the dotted line five black ships stood in opposition, miles off any shore but obviously hailing from the large blob of burnt-orange the map proclaimed "Big Cimarron" in bolded caps.
"Three?" the other man in the room asked. His skin was fair with a rust colored beard trimmed to the chin and a mustache so bushy it obscured his lips completely. He pointed with a thin rod to the black ships. "Five is an estimate; there could be far greater numbers and they've a shorter distance to travel than your fleet. You really think three is enough to keep them from simply bringing back more?"
"It has to be. It's what can be spared from our own armada. You've plenty of armed merchant ships to fall in should anything happen."
The visitor nodded, spidery brows knitting together in contemplation. "It's still a more formidable show of force at any rate. When can we expect them to arrive?"
"They will return with your own ship, Sir Veleif, so long as our terms are agreed to."
"Food and beverage for three fully manned vessels," Sir Veleif repeated from their earlier conversation. "Lord Voltaire, it is quite a burden."
Gwendal put his hands on two of the three white ships and began to pull them back from the other reds. "We could always send fewer."
Sir Veleif's mustache bounced over his lip with an agitated breath as he grumbled to himself, eyes fixed on the map.
The door to the war room was thrown open without a knock, leaving very little question in Gwendal's mind as to who had finally arrived. He turned his attention to his guest. "I'm afraid we'll have to reconvene tomorrow."
"Gwendal!" the king shouted, marching to the table, not caring in the slightest who else was around.
Gwendal felt a headache coming on. Sir Veleif, however, seemed delighted.
"You must be him!" he exclaimed, walking over to Yuuri with his hand outstretched. "Sir Bersi Veleif of Trebic, Your Majesty. It is an honor to finally get to meet you!"
Yuuri took his hand and shook it hard. "You're probably just the man I want to see." He pointed a finger at Gwendal, scowling. "Whatever that man did, we're undoing it. Right now."
"Wha-...Your Majesty?"
Gwendal cleared his throat, shaking his head minutely. "This is not the time for this."
"I'm not leaving this room until you tell me that we're getting Wolfram back!"
Sir Veleif looked between the two mazoku with a confused look on his face. "What is the meaning of this, Lord Voltaire? We were told the marriage was legal and recognized by Shin Makoku."
"It is."
"It is not!" Yuuri grabbed Sir Veleif by the arm, dragging him away from Gwendal and the map. "Look, I don't care how things are done around here but in my country, we don't force people to get married for stuff like this. We're allies because we're friends, right? So it doesn't matter who marries who because we're going to help each other out regardless. So just let us have Wolfram back and there's no hard feelings."
Gwendal came to stand behind Yuuri, looking down at his king with tired eyes. "His Majesty is ill informed on these matters. We'll discus this further in private."
"We'll discuss it now!"
The tactician met his king's angry, unwavering stare. Yuuri's black eyes were sharp and daring, cold fire like ancient obsidian. Gwendal closed his eyes and walked away, opening his desk drawer and throwing to the table pages of parchment. One page he kept in his hands. "These are all the letters of inquiry we've received this week. Each and every one of them is a confidential request for information regarding Shin Makoku's plans and how their territories may be involved. Some of these are from ruling families within Big Cimarron."
Yuuri walked over to them, picking them up, not bothering to pretend he could read them. "What does this have to do with Wolfram?"
"Tales of your kindness and ideals spread slowly but even those not interested in politics pay attention to wedding news. A royal union between a human and a mazoku that is acknowledged by both Trebic and Shin Makoku has gotten wide spread attention. Things are changing and more and more people are coming to accept that these race wars have gone on too long." Gwendal held out the remaining piece of paper to Sir Veleif. "Take it. It's Wolfram's formal dismissal of his engagement to the king should you have any doubts that this marriage has been in good faith."
Sir Veleif shook his head. "That is unnecessary. I will take your word for it."
Yuuri took it instead, looking long and hard at the page before handing it back. Gwendal eased the marks from the parchment and placed it carefully back in his desk drawer.
"I get what you're saying, Gwendal, but this doesn't have to be the way! We can still change people's minds without--"
"You can't undo what has been done. Whatever sacrifices Wolfram has made have been made whether or not you summon him back now." Gwendal towered over his king, trying to look a giant when he felt small as a mouse. "All you can do at this point is cause confusion and uncertainty in those who have become curious as to our goals."
Yuuri shook his head, mouth moving but nothing coming out. The floorboards creaked. Gwendal looked up to see Conrad enter, hands out to clasp around Yuuri's shoulders. Yuuri fell back against him. "This can't be happening."
"It's already happened." Gwendal turned back to his map, pressing his two white ships back to the line of six. He collected the papers from the table, tapping them into a neat stack to be placed back in the drawer where they belonged.
Sir Veleif cleared his throat. "I'll have an answer for you in the morning, Lord Voltaire," he said, inclining his head in respect before turning to Yuuri with a proper bow. "Your Majesty. Will I be seeing you at dinner tonight?"
"Yes, he'll be there," Conrad answered. He smiled slightly. "I hear you have news from Wolfram?"
"Ah, of course! I had almost forgotten." Sir Veleif opened up his breast pocket and pulled out a letter stamped with the royal seal. He held it out to Yuuri. "I was asked to give this to you."
Yuuri took the letter, looking at it intensely and its scarlet emblem of a dolphin before a sickle and gear. With a final bow the visiting dignitary left the room.
"I..I can't read," the king said.
Conrad took the letter from him and snapped the seal, unfolding the paper to read it aloud to him. Rather than words, Conrad's mouth formed around a laugh. Both Yuuri and Gwendal turned curious stares to him, which Conrad met with a smile.
"Dear Brother," he read, "Tell the wimp to learn to read already. Love, Wolfram."
Despite himself, Gwendal chuckled. It was a relief to hear Wolfram sounding playful.
"That's all he wrote?" Yuuri asked, looking around at the page which certainly looked longer than that.
Conrad could not wipe the smile from his face as he started to read again. "Dear Yuuri, Welcome back. Greta missed you so make sure you do something special with her. I asked Nicola and Hube to take care of her when I left but I don't know how long they were able to stay. Tell her I love her and I miss her. We're in chapter eight of that book you got her. You chose terrible books. The princess was locked in a tower and she had to have the dragon help her escape through a portal that could tell if she was lying. I think I know how it ends but you'd better write back when you're done with it and tell me so I know if I'm right or not. It's the least you could do. You never-" Conrad stopped, pursing his lips together while his eyes scanned the page. They waited for him to continue, Yuuri growing concerned as Conrad's smile finally slipped away. "You never understood my love for you, but I know you care. You care about everyone equally and that's what I hate and love about you. I've tried to do my best in living up to your ideals of how the world should be. Everything revolves around my love for you and for Shin Makoku. Since you couldn't be bothered to come rescue me when you had the chance, don't bother doing anything stupid now. We both have to just accept that you're stuck being a wimp of a king and I'm stuck here in Trebic. I made this choice and I'm living with it. Alfgeir's not so bad once he finally shuts up and even at your wimpiest Conrad and the others still seem to put up with you. Just be a good king, Yuuri. The rest of us will do our best too. Write back or else. Wolfram."
Yuuri fell into a chair, worn out from stress. "This doesn't feel real... who's Alfgeir?"
"His husband," Gwendal answered, rubbing at his face.
"Alfgeir?" Yuuri's expression turned sour.
Conrad nodded, folding the paper again. "There is time to explain everything. For now, I'm sure Greta will be very excited to have her father back. Shall we go find her?"
Yuuri sighed and rose from the seat, looking back at Gwendal with more sympathy than before but still a hint of anger. "Whatever that man is here to discuss, I want to be a part of it. This is still my kingdom."
Gwendal inclined his head. "I will brief you tomorrow before we meet with Sir Veleif again."
Yuuri made an affirmative sound and walked out of the room, posture slouched with hands deep in his pockets. Conrad held the letter out to his brother before following. "There's more. Addressed to you."
Gwendal froze for a moment, slowly taking hold of the document with its royal seal, turning it over several times before sitting down and slowly peeling the folds apart.
Conrad smiled gently and hurried after his king.
- 4
- 5
- 6
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A Marriage of State