Consequences of the Maou\'s Heart

Rated M for foul language, alcohol usage, dark themes, and homosexual sex. If you are not mature enough to deal with these please turn back now.

Chapter 20

The sun shone callously into the office of one greatly overworked Mazoku. Each ray seemed to viciously attack the room’s occupant’s eyes at every opportunity. Blindingly white stacks of paper practically glowed, the well polished desk reflected a mirror like gloss, and worse yet metal knitting needles shone as maliciously as any of Anissina’s inventions under the midday light. The only thing keeping Gwendal from shutting the curtains and blocking out the evil sunlight was the fact that that would involve facing the sun lit windows first.

He’d spent half the night worrying about Wolfram, something wasn’t right with his youngest brother, and now that the blond had departed on this new mission it could be months before Gwendal would get another chance to properly question him. The boy was acting oddly. He hadn’t thrown a temper tantrum about the engagement fiasco nor the subsequent ousting from the castle. Gwendal would like to have believed it was a sign of maturity, but it was illogical to think that Wolfram would go from bratty kid to saint overnight.

Abandoning his knitting, Gwendal groused over the morning’s events. As usual he’d watched over his brother’s exit from the castle, only this time Yuri had run out to see him off looking like some sort of disheveled lunatic. Letting out a sigh he accepted that the Maou simply didn’t know of Wolfram’s preferences when leaving after all. His brother had always made a point not to leave the castle while Yuri was in residence. Either way what’s done was done; Gwendal could only hope that no harm came to his baby brother.

“Gwendal?” a voice softly sounded through the slightly ajar door.

“What?” Gwendal couldn’t help but grumble impolitely. The man who opened the door was well accustomed to such grumpiness and would have been concerned were it not present.

“I thought I might find you brooding in here,” Gwendal was less than happy about the added white surface to the room Gunter’s entrance provided.

“Humph, I’m not brooding,” he didn’t bother to attempt hiding the mass of blue yarn vaguely resembling a kitten from Gunter.

“Of course not, you’re merely plotting how to take out Big Cimaron with a pair of knitting needles.” Some of the statement’s sting was taken out as Gunter moved to close the curtains with sure motions, finally blocking out foul sun. “He’ll be back you know, I don’t think that boy knows how to stay away or back down,” Gwendal grunted in response, “It has to be better than watching him follow Yuri around like some sort abused dog. He’ll end up a better man for having the experience, painful thou it may be. Better to have love and lost than to have never loved at all?”

“Are you quite done with the trite platitudes?” Gwendal growled at Gunter’s odd attempts at cheering him up.

“I was trying to figure out how to add ‘two beebears with one stone’ but it just didn’t seem to fit.” Gunter sighed at the still dour look on his love’s face, “As much as it pains me to say it, the brat is strong enough to survive a bit of heartbreak and maybe this little mission with be good for him. A chance to work through his anger and sadness will not being surrounded by pity and rumors. If memory serves they’ll be headed in the opposite direction from the areas his men patrol. Who knows maybe he’ll meet a dashing young man or a delicate flower of a girl who’ll take his mind off matters completely,” Gunter paused to admire the traumatized look on Gwendal’s face at the mention of Wolfram finding someone before continuing, “You might even end up with a different double black as a brother in law.”

“Argh don’t say things like that and besides…” Gwendal trailed off mumbling something too low to hear.

“What was that? I couldn’t hear you.” Gunter watched Gwendal sigh and rest his forehead in the palm of his hand.

“I said he wasn’t angry,” at the surprised look on Gunter’s face he continued, “When I was talking to him last night he seemed… distant. I could tell he was sad but it wasn’t … I don’t know, he wasn’t sad enough.”

“You…” Gunter’s eye’s showed white as he gripped one hand over his heart and pointed the other at Gwendal dramatically, “You sadist! You wanted your own brother to be miserable!”

“WHAT!” Gwendal stood sharply, knocking over the chair he’d been sitting in. “What the hell are you talking about!”

“My suave and manly charms aren’t enough for you, I must procure a blond wig and …ack,” Gunter was cut off by Gwendal’s hands wrapping around his neck. Being well trained in combat, Gunter was able to dislodge the murderous grip. Of course being terminally clumsy outside of battle, Gunter tripped on his own cloak and sent the pair tumbling to the ground. The two tussled for several moments as Gwendal slowly lost the urge to throttle his older lover. Finally, Gwendal lay panting over Gunter, holding his shoulders to the ground.

“Why do you say things like that!?” Gwendal growled in exasperation at Gunter’s less than contrite expression.

“It really is the only way to get you out of a funk,” Gunter smiled serenely and placed a chaste kiss on the lines permanently etched on Gwendal’s brow. “Now what where you saying?” The groan Gunter received from his question was strangely satisfying.

“You’ll be the death of me… if I don’t kill you first,” sighing Gwendal attempted to get up, but found Gunter had wrapped his arms around his waist and seemed to have no intention of letting go. “Fine, have it your way,” Gunter smirked at the victory, “I don’t want Wolfram to be depressed over this, but I expected him to be. It’s unnerving seeing him like that; it makes me wonder that something more is wrong.”

“Hmm, I suppose he did seem a bit weaker than normal,” Gunter finally remembered the incident he’d seen in the hallway. Looking at the somewhat more relaxed expression his lover was carrying, he thought it best not to mention it to him till he’d had an opportunity to speak to Gisela about it. “But I’m sure it was nothing to be worried about. Now then,” Gunter released his hold on Gwendal and made to stand up. Gwendal grumbled a bit but stood and helped Gunter to stand as well. “I do believe you have some paperwork to get ready for our beloved Maou?” He almost felt guilty at the look of unholy glee that passed over Gwendal’s face, almost. Whenever Yuri had massive mountains of paperwork a ‘break’ for a lesson always seemed like a good idea to the young Maou.

*****

Gisela took the tending of the herbs and other various plants used for healing very seriously, which is why she always spent part of her day elbows deep in soil. If the work provided an excellent method of finding peace on the most stressful of days, well then all the better. Of course, today those plants were being mangled instead of lovingly cultivated; stressful didn’t do justice to the nightmare of a day that had begun.

First, she has to watch Yuri further trample over the heart of one of her closest friends. She could be lenient and assume that Yuri just didn’t know that running out there like an idiot in the morning was something that Wolfram sincerely did not want. But, that made it worse, one more thing he never bothered to learn about the man he’d been engaged to for so many years. The through of it just infuriated her.

Then her Maou obsessed father had to come talk to her about his ‘concerns’. Thinking of the incident resulted in the tragic lose of another tiny herb in the garden. Sighing to herself, Gisela brushed the soil off her hands and abandoned any hope of finding peace in the normally relaxing hobby. Instead, she returned to the infirmary replaying the scene with Gunter, trying to decide if there had been some way to steer the conversation differently.

*****

“Gisela! Gisela!” Gunter’s voice echoed about in the infirmary in a panic, nearly startling the woman in question into dropping the carton of vials she’d been retrieving from one of the supply closets.

“What?” she called back, rushing out to meet him and wondering if someone had been injured.

“You must give Heika a physical exam!” Gunter looked at her pleadingly. Her first response was to stare at him stupefied.

“A what?” The term wasn’t one she’d ever heard used before.

“Heika told me about them. You take off his shirt, check his weight and height, and make sure his spine bends right to insure he is healthy and prosperous!” Sometimes Gisela really wondered why she respected her father, this was one of those moments.

“Why would I need to give Heika one of these ‘physical exams’ anyway?”

“I fear this whole engagement ordeal may be affecting him negatively,” Gisela perked at his response hoping he’d ask her something so that she could tell him about Wolfram’s condition. “It’s too bad Lord Bielefeld has already departed or I’d have you give him one as well. No matter I’m sure that if Heika is fine the he must be also.” It was through sheer force of will that the healer didn’t give into her more violent tendencies and choke the life out of her father.

“What effects one may not do the same on the other; really I should examine both of them.” She hoped Gunter would suggest calling Wolfram back to the castle to Yuri.

“You may be right; well you’ll just have to examine him once he returns. He’s a grown man and I’m sure he’ll seek medical attention should it become necessary. I’ll add the exam into Heika’s schedule for tomorrow. Well I’ll leave you to your work, I’ve got lessons to prepare myself,” Gunter nodded once satisfied at his words and all but flounced out the door leaving Gisela to stare at the space he’d just occupied. It took all her will to not simply bang her head against the nearest wall until she stopped thinking. With a mournful sigh she abandoned the infirmary to tend to the herbs, muttering darkly to herself

“Oh I’ll ‘examine’ him; I’ll ‘examine’ him to within an inch of his life.”

*****

Whilst having tea in one of the gardens with an unusually sullen Greta, Yuri felt a shiver of fear race down his spine. He’d been trying to reclaim her favor since he belatedly realized that he’d affected her life as well with his self admittedly rash actions. Not that he’d intended for everything to happen so fast. Sure he had wanted the engagement to end, but everything was so sudden.

“There’s a fly in your cup,” Greta monotoned in Yuri’s direction. She’d been surprised that Yuri had instigated a small tea party with her after lunch instead of hiding out till everyone stopped being so mad at him. Usually it was Wolfram or on rare occasions Gwendal that she took afternoon tea with.

“What! Oh haha thanks Greta,” Yuri laughed nervously.

“You’re welcome, after all, being a family means you warn each other before bad things happen,” Yuri would have to have been deaf to miss the accusation in her voice. His little girl was growing in to a young lady with quite the sharp tongue.

“Greta,” Yuri winced at the cutting look he received, “I didn’t intend to not tell you before it happened, but everything spiraled out of control faster than I could have imagined.”

“Why didn’t you do it sooner? Why did you let me get used to the idea of the three of us being a family? Why did you make him wait so long, just to throw him away in the end?” Anger was flooding the princess’s voice as indignant tears swam in her eyes.

“Oh Greta, sweetie, I never planned to hurt you or Wolfram either. There was always something pressing going on and I…,” seeing the scornful look in his daughter’s eyes Yuri bowed his head, “There’s really no excuse is there? I guess, I guess I just got used to having him beside me. It’s comforting to know that no matter what there is always someone beside you. I guess, it was easier to not think about why he was there.” Watching her papa struggle with his words and emotions, Greta let go of a tiny bit of the anger she’d been carrying on Wolfram’s behalf.

“I still don’t understand why you don’t love him. You’ve called him beautiful when you think no ones watching.”

“Greta! How… When…?” Yuri’s mouth gaped open like a fish as he started at Greta.

“Well you’re not the only one who likes to sneak out of Gunter’s lessons, I’m just better at not getting caught.” Arms crossed defiantly across her chest and a cocky grin graced her lips, Yuri smiled at the display so reminiscent of her other father.

“I’d tell you to stop skipping your lessons, if I didn’t try so hard to do the same.”

“That’s ok papa Wolfram usually…” her expression drooped at the mention of Wolfram, “Why can’t you love him or at least marry him? He’s your best friend right? What more could you want in a spouse?”

“Greta, it’s not that simple. Where I come from men can’t marry men, it’s not allowed.”

“That’s not what grandmamma Jennifer told me,” Yuri cursed his mother as Greta spoke, “She told me that in some places on Earth you can marry anybody you want, man or woman.”

“Ah well I guess that’s true now, but Japan isn’t one of those places.” Yuri shifted uncomfortably, his mother never failed to remind him of the changing marriage laws on Earth whenever he visited.

“Then why does Ja Pan have so many books devoted to two men being together?” Unable to form words, Yuri sat stone still, color draining from his face. Surely his mother hadn’t? “She even told me you used to read some of her show-nin-aye mon-gah.” Despite the less than stellar pronunciation, it was clear to Yuri that his meddling mother had corrupted his innocent little girl.

“I.. I… I was just a kid; I didn’t know what I was looking at. I even had dreams, no nightmares! Defiantly nightmares for weeks afterwards. Never read anything she gives you unless I approve it first ok.” Yuri caught Greta’s eyes, hoping that he wasn’t too late, hoping that his mother hadn’t shown her any of those publications of boys doing things to other boys.

“Geez Yuri it not like they have anything worse in them than what I’ve seen uncle Gwendal and Gunter doing when they think they are in ‘private’.” If he’d been listening, Yuri might have heard the call of a bad omen bird high over head but all he could do was try to keep his brain from breaking at the thoughts racing through it.

“Gwendal and Gunter!? Since when!? And why in the name of everything good and holy are they doing stuff like that where people can see them?! They aren’t even married!”

“Since like forever. They try and be subtle but Celi-mama, Anissina, and Gisela know. I’m pretty sure uncle Conrad and papa Wolfram know too. They just keep quiet so uncle Gwendal doesn’t get mad. Gisela says they aren’t married cause her dad’s an idiot, who is so afraid of loosing the man he loves, he can’t hold on to him properly. Since when do you need to be married to kiss?” seeing the look of shock on Yuri’s face, she couldn’t help but add, “What kind of mon-gah did you read?”

“I ah,” shoving away images of things going into places, Yuri tried to respond, “I ah didn’t know those two were so ah involved. And yes you have to be married to kiss, especially princesses. No kissing or anything till you’re married.” Greta rolled her eyes, clearly not taking her father’s declaration seriously.

“Soooo you don’t mind if Gwendal and Gunter get married, it’s not wrong?”

“No that’s fine; if they love each other then they should be together.”

“So you don’t think two men marrying is a bad thing?” Greta held her breath waiting for Yuri’s answer.

“Hum, well I guess not.” Really thinking about it Yuri couldn’t see anything wrong with the idea other than it’s unacceptability on Earth and he wasn’t on Earth at the moment.

“So why won’t you marry Wolfram?”

“But… He’s a guy!” Yuri sputtered nervously.

“Is that the only reason? If he was a girl would you marry him?” Greta waited a moment to see if her father could answer her. When he remained silent she stood up, dusting off her clothes. “Well I’ve got a riding lesson to get to I’ll see you later Papa.”

Yuri watched his daughter walk off towards the stables while turning her question over in his mind. He’d never really considered if there was a reason other than his gender that made Wolfram unsuited for his spouse. He tried to imagine a woman with all Wolfram’s qualities and shuddered at the intimidating image. But a woman just like Wolfram wasn’t Wolfram. Really Yuri knew Wolfram was quite the catch just at he was. Unprompted a thought floated through the Maou’s mind, ‘if I was a girl I’d probably go for him’. When he realized what he’d just thought he shut down that train of thought, labeling it stupid and doing his best to forget it ever popped into his mind. Shaking himself slightly, Yuri stood and exited the garden.

*****

In one of the ports along Small Cimaron’s coast, a small pigeon landed delicately on the arm of its intended target. Cooing happily it accepted the treat offered to it and allowed the note wrapped around its leg to be removed. When an aura of pure malice began to form around the bird’s perch, it hastily flew over to land on the railing of the ship it’s former perched stood on.

“Raven!” The bird watched as a tall dark man appeared in its field of vision summoned by the woman who had taken his note.

“Yes Lady Celi?” The blond woman smiled viciously at the man she’d managed to commandeer for her latest cruise.

“I think it’s high time we returned to Covenant Castle, there’s something I need to do.”

*****

AN: Ha ha so begins the ‘back at the ranch’ style chapters.