Kyou Kara Maou – Yuuri's Hot Date

Summary: Wolfram challenges Yuuri to have a date with a girl. Loosely part of my Epilogue story arc.

Disclaimer: I have no rights to Kyou Kara Maou of course.

AN: I wasn't happy with Chapter 10 as an ending – too abrupt for such a leisurely paced story full of inner reflection. I hope this is better… well, let me know…

Chapter 11 – Family Counsel

The Aristocrats' Summit was over, most of the Aristocrats having departed that morning. But the von Bielenfelds stayed another night for visiting, and the delayed promised marriage counseling. Kieran and Sylvain had lingered as well.

Yuuri found Wolfram already waiting in the salon, looking rather protective of a list he was composing. Laundry list, no doubt, thought Yuuri sourly, and started considering his own for this 'marriage counseling' session. We're not even married, yet! Yes, but you have three children, four if we count Efram. These and similar meditations put him in an ever dwindling mood for this 'counseling'.

He rose to greet Aldrich as he arrived, and narrowed his eyes when Friedrich and Manfred followed him in. "Ah…!" he began. I didn't agree to this, damnit!

"Please, relax, Yuuri," replied Aldrich smoothly, as the three older men got comfortable, Friedrich closest to Yuuri and Wolfram. "We felt my father is the best person to lead this discussion. Chichi has the most positive experience with marriage of anyone I've ever known. Chichi, you weren't much older than Wolfram when you first married, right? So…over four centuries married for love, and now well over two centuries in a political marriage."

Friedrich nodded and held out a hand for Wolfram's note. Yuuri felt relieved that Wolfram looked intimidated, too. Yes, there is a man who intimidates me more than Manfred…

Friedrich continued the introduction. "Aldrich has taken a break from marriage counseling since his wife passed away last year. He wanted to help the two of you, but Manfred and I are concerned about him. And… in truth, Manfred and Aldrich are more experienced in severe relationship problems. The two of you have an enviable relationship. It just needs a little fine-tuning."

Manfred and Aldrich nodded. Wolfram gnawed his pen, a pillow clutched in his lap. Yuuri sat as far from him as possible on the short sofa they shared. Friedrich calmly reviewed Wolfram's list of issues and glanced over the two young men and their body language.

"Interesting," he said. "Do you not have a written list, Yuuri? Have you given some thought to your issues? I think taking a little time to write them down would be very helpful."

Friedrich sent Wolfram away to arrange tea. At first Yuuri thought he'd still be too self-conscious to write. But once Wolfram was gone, the older men settled into a soft-voiced conversation about Efram's education, removing their attention from him. Rather than feeling awkward, he ended up being more focused than usual. He found it fairly easy to identify and list his key turning-point decisions of the past few days and use those as the basis of his list. Aldrich and Manfred were dispatched to bring Wolfram and the snacks back, while Friedrich read over his list.

"It feels strange, talking about our relationship with three men who are all straight." Yuuri laughed nervously.

Friedrich glanced up in mild surprise. Who said we were straight? "Well, we're not going to chat about sex, anyway. It's a relationship. Everyone has male and female aspects. And most Mazoku remember lives as the other gender, sooner or later."

Aha! That's right, I used to be… Suzanna… Yuuri mulled on that until the other men returned and everyone settled back in.

Friedrich began, "I find these lists very interesting. So here's Wolfram, a passionate firebug, gets angry and lets the world know it right then and there, a flash and the anger's gone. And Yuuri, I read you as the slow-burner type, like me – you let small irritants slide, until they build up beyond tolerance. Then you get mad and stay mad about the whole backlog and use your anger to get things fixed."

Wolfram and Yuuri both nodded rueful agreement with this assessment.

"Now here's the interesting thing," said Friedrich. "Wolfram blows up over something right here and now, but his list contains, oh, years worth of niggling irritants, doesn't it? And Yuuri, who actually blows up when he reaches critical mass of niggling irritants, has a list focused right here and now. And what's the problem that you still want fixed? That you don't trust each other after what's happened the past week. The miscommunications have more or less been straightened out, behaviors revised, apologies accepted. But you're not sure this won't happen again. Isn't that essentially the problem now? Restoring trust?"

Yuuri and Wolfram were both sitting forward rapt now, nodding. So far none of this session was what they were expecting.

"Well, you both know that you can trust each other on the big things. Right? Majutsu-powered monster puppets, Mizrati marauders, kidnappers, global catastrophe, life and death – you can trust each other absolutely. But on the little stuff? The day to day adjustments of making a life together, ruling a kingdom, raising children together? You don't trust each other. And you know what? You're right not to trust each other! Because your reactions belie your words. Wolfram, there's not a single item on this list that would cause you to go ballistic like you did last week. Yuuri knows that. I'm sure he stopped listening to these things long ago. Yuuri, there's nothing on your list of conclusions that would have prevented last week's blowup either.

"Gentlemen, my goal here isn't to pick on your lists. But they won't fix your breach of trust. Because if you're telling each other this stuff, essentially you're lying to each other, and deep down, you each know that. Your words don't mean a thing! The good news is, they don't have to. These details in the outside world – Wolfram has a sister, Bertram and Frieda exist – they don't mean anything in and of themselves. It's the emotional load on them that causes tears.

"Wolfram, what was at stake when you thought of Yuuri meeting Kieran? The fear?"

Wolfram blinked, then gulped, considering. "I… I was afraid of losing Yuuri."

Friedrich nodded. "One. Who else was affected in your feared scenario?"

"Um, well, Kieran. All the kids. If we broke up…" Wolfram stopped and cleared his throat, near tears, "then… our work together, my… home…"

Friedrich stopped him gently. "Good, thank you, Wolfram. It's alright. The point was, everything you hold most dear was at stake. But Yuuri missed that part.

"Now, Yuuri, let's say you sit down to supper and pick up a strange spork. Not being a connoisseur of fine sporks, you… eat with it. Wolfram suddenly goes ballistic – blows up about as high as he did last week, spewing utter gibberish about Great-Aunt Petunia and the Daffodil Curse. You're sitting there agog saying, 'Hunh?!' Last week's Yuuri came to the incorrect conclusion that Wolfram had lost his mind. This week's Yuuri is older and wiser. He is not easily distracted by dramatic spork tales. He concludes – what?"

Yuuri nodded slowly, almost smiling. "By Wolfram's reaction, I see that he's frightened of losing all that's most dear to him. So, I focus on understanding that and reassuring him. Then deal with the spork."

"Gold rose answer." Friedrich nodded, pleased. Bielenfeld first prize was typically a gold rose on a blue ribbon.

"'Lost his mind?'" repeated a quavering Wolfram.

"Ah… yeah," said Yuuri reluctantly. He took Wolfram's hand and held it. "When you tried to apologize for going to the baths, but I didn't really accept your apology? And… I told you to call me Sire… I'd decided your behavior was so extreme that you needed to learn a lesson, that… I couldn't tolerate that anymore. And after you told me that you didn't… do anything… at the baths, I… was still afraid that you were too unstable, too untrustworthy. And I couldn't say it, because… Wolfram, I know how much you're afraid that Mizrat really did make you… unstable –"

"OK, stop," said Friedrich gently. He put a hand on Wolfram's knee to help stabilize him, Yuuri still holding his hand. "Wolfram, you're not crazy. Emotional, yes. Passionate, yes. Crazy, no. Or rather, no crazier than the rest of us. As you said, Yuuri, he was simply afraid, for all he holds most dear. Yes, his words didn't explain his reaction. Spork gibberish, the lot of it. And Wolfram will do it again. We all do it."

"I'm not crazy?" Wolfram whispered, still looking devastated.

"Definitely not, pretty vixen," said Manfred. Aldrich nodded assurance. Wolfram rallied a little.

Friedrich held onto Wolfram's knee, but looked at Yuuri appraisingly. "Speak, Yuuri. You're still concerned. Believe me, it's safe to speak in this room. Wolfram can take it with all of us by his side, especially if you hold him."

"I… don't want to hurt him."

Friedrich nodded, but gestured him to go on.

"I… when I… decided to keep going, not call an end to this date thing with Wolfram, after the baths thing was explained… I was thinking about Aldrich and Glynda." He glanced over in concern, but Manfred had a hand on Aldrich's shoulder. "I was thinking about Bertram and… you getting suicidal and… hostage taking and… that it really wasn't OK to keep going like this."

Wolfram made a strangled squeak and squeezed back into the sofa, away from Yuuri, face crumpling. Friedrich took his hand away from Wolfram's knee, gesturing to Yuuri to take over.

As Wolfram fell apart, Yuuri felt as though he'd been released from a spell. Suddenly calm and clear, he folded Wolfram into his arms and held him. "I love you. We'll handle this. We will. Sh, love."

Wolfram dissolved completely in his arms. "I don't… oh, Shinou, I can't trust me anymore! I'll never be over that damned Mizrat thing, and –"

"Sh, love," crooned Yuuri, stroking the ever-tousled blond hair. "I believe in you. I misunderstood, but that's over now. I've got your back. Even when you can't believe in you, please believe that I believe in you. I love you. You're alright, Wolfram."

When Yuuri had managed to gentle Wolfram back from his terror, Friedrich began speaking again softly, with vast compassion. "Wolfram, you're not alone. Mizrat was your own unique wound. But please know that your father, and Aldrich, and I, we each bear some unique trauma analogous to yours. Probably half the people you meet, as well. A world full of the walking wounded. Some heal better, some worse. Some wounds are so awful, the best way to slowly heal one's own wound is to help others. That's what the three of us did. Well, that, and some bizarre personal quirks to blow off steam." He shot a crooked green-eyed demon smile at his son and Manfred. They blinked blandly and ingenously back at him. This surprised an almost-chuckle out of Wolfram.

Friedrich poured himself some more tea, and freshened Wolfram's cup. "So. Trust. You know you can trust each other in life-threatening situations. Where you broke trust was with your emotions. Some people talk of giving each other their hearts in love. Poetic, but not very instructive. I prefer to think of it as giving each other one's pain, one's squishy bits and fears, one's vulnerabilities, as a sacred trust. If you live any length of time at all, you will hurt. You will fail. You will collect regrets and wounds. Your relationship is where you can bring those things to heal. The words… may always amount to spork tales, really. But we can understand each other's feelings, our need for security, for someone to love us anyway, to help us be brave again. That kind of sacred trust. Do you think you can trust each other again now?"

Wolfram and Yuuri nodded at each other, and rested their foreheads together.

"Then you've accomplished a great deal today. Well done. And I have babbled long enough. Are you two wrung out, or could we go on a bit longer? I'd hate for you to miss Manfred and Aldrich's spiels – they're very good."

Wolfram looked at Yuuri, and said hesitantly, "I'd… like to hear them." Yuuri nodded and squeezed Wolfram's hand.

After a brief consultation, Aldrich went first. "First off, I have to congratulate the two of you. You are… so lucky. You truly do love each other, and there is so much in your relationship that is beautiful and strong and true. I loved Chichi's take on emotional trust – that's a rare treasure! I would point out, though, that Chichi was speaking from his experience with the great love of his life, his first wife. Chichi, I really can't picture you giving your soft squishy bits as a sacred trust to Hahaue, hm?"

Friedrich chuckled. "You might be surprised, but, for the most part, no. Alana and I aren't each other's closest confidante. The age and cultural gaps are too vast."

Aldrich nodded. "Yet they still have a magnificent adult marriage. They cooperate, they fight fair. They raised me with a minimum of conflict. They take care of business and act on each other's behalf. They never embarrass each other. The terms of their marriage are draconian, and there is no reprieve. Their marriage contract is in force until all three of us are dead. But, they're content with their lot, I think?"

"Very," agreed Friedrich. "It's worked out surprisingly well. Present company very much included, son." Father and son smiled at each other.

"Thank you, Chichi. The point is, marriage for duty is not a bad deal. It's a whole lot easier than marriage for emotional satisfaction. If you develop both, you double the strength of your foundation. Yuuri, you already heard my standard spiel the other day at lunch – repeated by Toby. 'Even if you marry for love, align to duty, then you'll still be pulling together when the romance cools'. I encourage Aristocrats to keep an eye to their duty in a marriage, and to the higher purpose it serves. Aligning to your duties, helps you keep working together. It provides structure to fall back on days when the emotional foundation of the marriage is problematic. It keeps you from stomping on each other's toes. And keeps you from getting hypnotized by silly spork tales.

"So what is this duty? Wolfram, what is Yuuri's duty?"

"To rule Shin Makoku, of course," replied Wolfram.

"And your duty to him in that regard?"

"I support him as his political advisor."

"Exactly. However, this week… how well did you keep mindful of that duty?"

Wolfram blushed scarlet. "I… badly."

Aldrich nodded. "You were a public embarrassment to him. And Yuuri? What's Wolfram's duty? Aside from supporting you in yours – he also has his own duty, in which you support him in turn."

"He, ah, raises our children, primarily," said Yuuri. He wasn't used to thinking in these terms.

"And your duty to him in that regard?"

"Ah… I'm not sure," Yuuri admitted.

"Wolfram? What do you see as Yuuri's duty in regard to you raising the children?"

Wolfram stole an irritable glance sideways at Yuuri. "The same as mine – to support my authority. Not to undermine me with the children."

"Oh," said Yuuri. "Greta going to the ball. Ah… yeah. Sorry."

Aldrich continued, "OK, those are your main shared duties. I would also suggest that you encourage each other to pursue your separate duties. Yuuri's… I don't know, aside from his friendships and his birth family. Wolfram's, I do know – he's my vassal, not yours, Yuuri. Wolfram is no longer a military commander. I ask you to support him to find other avenues of expression as a Lord von Bielenfeld, independent from being your advisor and raising your children. Wolfram cannot be only your servant. It demeans him.

"Chichi talked to you about trust – deep emotional trust. I'm talking to you about respect. Yes, you're lovers, you're cute, you're fun to be with, yada yada. That's nice. But you are also men – the highest Aristocrats of Shin Makoku. I encourage you to take great pride and satisfaction in carrying out your duties, and to respect each other and your work."

Aldrich took their lists back from Manfred, who'd read them last. "I suggest you rewrite your lists." He flamed the pages. "If you write them together instead of at each other, and list your shared and separate duties, I think you'll find a lot of the little neuroses of marriage take care of themselves. Give each other respect and scope, to live up to the very highest in yourselves."

Wolfram and Yuuri both sat up taller through this. Wolfram said, "I do want that. I've been… hiding in our relationship. Since Mizrat. Yuuri? Is that… OK with you? If I take up more responsibilities as a Lord von Bielenfeld?"

Yuuri nodded thoughtfully. "Yes. I'd encourage you to do that. I love having you here, and with the children, of course, but… Wolfram, love – I never meant to demean you as a Lord in your own right."

Wolfram smiled at him. "Alright, my liege Aldrich. This isn't the right meeting, but… Let's do that."

Aldrich smiled. "Excellent. Then I hope to see you at Squires' conference after Manfred gets back from Donaghie."

"Chichiue?" Wolfram asked, surprised. "You're leaving again so soon?"

"Yes, didn't Efram…? No, I guess not," said Manfred. "Efram and I are leaving tomorrow with Aldrich and Friedrich. I'll get Efram settled back into school, then head out to Donaghie to survey their social needs, public health and such. I plan to look in on Dougal von Donaghie, see what can be done about improving his quality of life, possibly transferring both him and Kieran to the Bielenfeld Institute. And visit Pitchblende, and see how well the population is recovering from the poison. Then report back at the Squires' conference."

Aldrich explained, "The Donaghie refugees flooding into Bielenfeld are in pretty bad shape. And they're likely the strong ones. We'll probably ask the conference to extend Bielenfeld aid until Sylvain can get Donaghie back on its feet enough to provide social services. They have nothing now. And public health is fundamental to any hope of economic recovery."

Yuuri leaned forward, listening intently. "Please don't take too much on for Bielenfeld, Aldrich. All of Shin Makoku would be willing to help."

"I appreciate that, Sire," replied Aldrich. "But Bielenfeld excels at disaster relief, and our public loves doing it – it gives meaning to life and our wealth and so on. And Wolfram has agreed to attend. Wolfram, if you feel Bielenfeld is… over-dominating Donaghie, I hope you'll speak up."

Manfred interjected, "But this meeting was about your relationship issues…"

Aldrich smiled. "Yes, sorry, Manfred."

Manfred grinned. "It's alright. We know we can't take you anywhere without it getting political, Aldrich. We love you anyway. So. My turn?"

Aldrich said, "Yes. Though I would like to point out – it was a hell of a lot more interesting and productive than a spork tale. Which was actually my point. I'll shut up now. Yes. Your turn, Manfred."

"Well, we all know my experience level with marriage," said Manfred. "Wolfram and Yuuri are way ahead of me. However. I do have some experience dealing with emotional problems that are too hot to handle. And raising kids. I'd like to suggest, for you two, that the kids are emotionally loaded."

Friedrich and Aldrich were nodding emphatically. Wolfram and Yuuri still looked puzzled.

"Wolfram… losing Yuuri would be bad enough. But are you capable of rational thought about anything, if you're afraid of losing the children? Or if you're afraid that the children are in danger?"

"No!" cried Wolfram, with every fiber of his being. "Oh…"

Manfred nodded. "Yuuri, at the thought of your engagement breaking up… did you happen to get… concerned? decisive? panicky? … regarding the children?"

"Completely flipped out," agreed Yuuri, looking nervous at the very thought. "Ah… at several points, I could easily have made up with Wolfram, until I thought of the children."

"Exactly. Your children are your greatest asset, your greatest joy. And your greatest risk. In any emotional situation, add any threat to your access to your children, and the emotional stakes go cataclysmic. Get the children out of the stakes. In any conflict between the two of you. In fact… I'd encourage you to come to agreement on that – what happens if you break up – right now, before we leave this room. You're both good enough parents. Can you make that commitment to each other? That you will support each other as parents, even if you break off your relationship with each other?"

"Yes," they both answered slowly, looking at each other.

"So what happens?" Manfred persisted.

"Greta lives with me," said Yuuri, "but she's old enough to go back and forth, as she chooses, if Wolfram doesn't stay here. And I'd encourage her to spend significant time with him and the little ones."

Wolfram nodded gratefully. "Where Frieda lives is up to Adelbert. Bertram lives with me. But… if I move away, I'll bring him back to visit, and encourage a strong relationship with you, Yuuri. I was raised that way, and… you know how much I believe I benefited from my relationship with Chichiue. Believe me, I'd support your relationship with Bertram. And if Frieda is still with me, the same for her."

Yuuri took a deep breath and let it out slowly, and they shared a long embrace. "That… wow. That took a load off my mind I didn't even realize was there."

Wolfram nodded. "Me, too."

Manfred summed up. "Trust, respect. But especially, trust and respect each other as parents. Or things shall go ballistic and become well-nigh impossible to solve. Anyway, that was my spiel."

"Thank you, Chichiue!" said Wolfram, heartfelt. "Thank you to all of you. This isn't at all what I was expecting… But it helped. I feel like… well, a lot more secure. And like I know what to do next, and that it will work."

Yuuri nodded. "Yes, thank you, Manfred, Aldrich, Friedrich. For ourselves, and the kids. Thank you."

Manfred and Friedrich smiled and said, "You're welcome."

Aldrich said, "You're welcome. And thank you. For working to have the best marriage you can. We have a tendency to think of our marriage woes as a private agony, but it isn't all that private. Your children, obviously, but your whole extended family, the servants, and through your positions, the happiness of the entire realm is affected by the quality of your marriage."

"It really is impossible to take him anywhere without it getting political," Friedrich said to Manfred.

"I'm surprised he left out the theology," agreed Manfred.

"It was implicit," suggested Friedrich. Manfred laughed.

Aldrich grinned wryly. "Yes, well. That is why I took up marriage counseling. Anyway. Are we done here?"

They got up to hugs all around.

-oOo-

After the group broke up, Wolfram hung back a little and tugged on Yuuri's hand.

"Hm?"

"Yuuri, do you mind if we… I'd like to find Efram. Is that…OK?"

Yuuri squeezed his hand with a soft smile. "I'll come with you."

They found him in the nursery, playing with Bertram and Frieda in the pillow-piled floor-wrestling corner. He quickly turned away and wiped tears from his face, but then turned back to them with his customary bravado. "Hey, hey. You had a long meeting – serious stuff, huh?"

Wolfram and Yuuri half-lay down with him on the pillows, toddlers in the middle. Wolfram toyed with one of Bertram's springy green-blond cowlicks, and murmured, "Chichiue said you're leaving us. Bertram's going to miss you, pixie."

"Eh. I'm just another 'not-Chewy' and 'not-Wimpy' to him, right, chu trickster?"

Frieda giggled. Bertram said, "Effum," and tripped over a pillow into his arms, then giggled as well.

Yuuri said, "I understand you're working on three degrees back at the Institute? You're such a phenomenal student, Efram!"

Wolfram had missed that discussion, and looked at Yuuri thoughtfully. "Well… I wish I'd finished my healing degree before I got too far into adolescence. You might want to finish that one first, pixie, instead of doing them round-robin. Just… finish one at a time." Efram showed no interest in this line of discussion. "Have you told Greta yet? That you're leaving?" No answer. "Hey, I just agreed to come up for the Squire conference after Chichiue gets back from Donaghie. I should bring Greta, shouldn't I, Yuuri? She could help you run the children's party, right, Efram?"

That made Efram look up and grin. "That'd be a blast! Those parties are a ton of work. I could sure use her help."

"Good, it's settled, then," said Yuuri. "Be sure and tell her, OK?"

Efram looked down at Bertram and hugged him some more. "Yeah…"

"Oh, there you are," said Manfred. He and Cecilie came in and joined them. He ruffled Efram's hair. "You know, pixie, I agreed not to tell everybody because you were going to. Remember?"

"Yeah… Chichiue, I don't want to go!"

Manfred plonked down next to him, and held out his arms for a Frieda tackle. Cecilie perched on a table nearby, hand to mouth, gazing inside at bittersweet memories, by the look of it. "Mm," Manfred said. "Saying good-bye is hard. Even when you know it's time to go. It's been a while since you've seen your mother and your other siblings, though."

"She kicked me out," said Efram. "All she writes in her letters is nag, nag, nag about my degrees."

"Mm, when we see her, maybe you could find a constructive way to complain a little about that. That you never hear about the kids, and your step-father's new program at the Institute, and whether Lord Krist is still talking about a Krist Majutsu Institute. That would tell her you care, but prod her into something else to talk about besides nagging. I'm sure she doesn't like being a nag."

"I'm not so sure about that," said Efram darkly.

Cecilie laughed softly. "Well, Effie, I'm sure about that."

Efram scowled at her a little – he hated being called Effie. "Chichiue, I want to go to Donaghie, with you."

"You're welcome to come," said Manfred neutrally. "Actually, you could make a very good argument that it supports your degrees in healing… and nobility." He scratched his nose ruefully.

"My degrees are in healing, majutsu theory, and counter-houjutsu," said Efram, eyes narrowing. "Not nobility."

"Aldrich… would like you to get a degree in nobility as well," said Manfred. "You weren't a Lord when you chose your degrees, pixie. They're awfully… technical. For a Lord."

Efram looked at him in outrage. Wolfram chuckled. "I predict you won't last until Bielenfeld Pier, Efram. Aldrich will talk you into it, and you'll be all over the idea. It is a much easier degree, though."

"So I don't have to stay in Bielenfeld?" asked Efram, hopefully.

"No, after Donaghie, you'd stay in Bielenfeld a while," said Manfred. "And – you can only come with me to Donaghie if your mother agrees. Otherwise… You don't have to live with her, fire pixie. In fact, Aldrich and I would prefer you live at the Castle. But I won't let you come to Donaghie without her blessing. And both of us expect you to finish at least one degree. Sometime soon. Please? Then you could split your time between here and Bielenfeld again, if you'd like."

"We'll miss you, Efram," said Yuuri.

"Yeah, yeah." Efram got up. "I'd better go talk to Greta."

"Thank you, son," Manfred murmured. He and Cecilie drifted out after him, exchanging sad smiles with Wolfram and Yuuri.

"You know," said Yuuri thoughtfully, once they were alone with the toddlers, "at the moment, I can't think of anything that matters less to me than whether I could have married a girl. I love you, Wolfram. I love our life. I care about this." He waved an arm encompassing them, their children, the castle, the family aspirations for self, and for country. "With you, by my side."

Wolfram swallowed. "Me, too," he whispered. "Though… what did you decide about the girl thing, Yuuri?"

Yuuri laughed and shook his head. "Spork tales, the lot of it." Wolfram looked down and away, unhappily. He stroked his lover's blond hair, and added gently, "I'm sure, Wolfram. You being a guy doesn't matter. I love you as you are. Because you are a guy, I love a guy. I don't want anyone else. This is our life, and I love it. I don't want another."

Wolfram smiled shyly, and then rallied to goad Yuuri. "So. But you haven't proven it, have you?"

"What do you mean?" asked Yuuri in alarm.

"I mean," said Wolfram, grabbing Yuuri's chin, and looking him menacingly in the eye, "that you've barely made love to me for days! Wimp."

Yuuri laughed out loud. "We made love when we got home from the Newt!"

Wolfram dismissed this with a wave. "We were tired."

"And the next morning. And the next night."

"Mm, still tired. Not enough enthusiasm," declared Wolfram. "I'm not convinced."

"Then we should fix that. Promptly. And thoroughly."

"Very promptly," agreed Wolfram, ringing a bell for the nanny to reappear. "And very, very thoroughly. I've got the rest of the afternoon free…"

-oOo-

Manfred lingered in the hall that night, looking into Yuuri and Wolfram's bedroom from the door. For Efram's last night, the young couple had all the kids piled into their bed for a bed-time story. Greta had brought Kieran along, already in a grey-edged pink nightgown.

Aldrich came up behind him softly, and put a hand on his shoulder. Dietrich ran into the room ahead of him and bounced up onto the bed to join in. "All of them together," Aldrich murmured.

Manfred nodded, not trusting himself to speak. He squeezed Aldrich's hand.

"What are we looking at?" inquired Sylvain, walking up. "Aha! Pig pile!" He grinned at the Lords at the door and went in to climb on the bed as well. Kieran shined a smile at him shyly, from across the bed. Sylvain grinned back and selected Frieda to cuddle.

Manfred and Aldrich gazed together on the happy scene for a few minutes. "It's all worth it," Manfred eventually murmured.

Aldrich nodded and smiled at him. "Let's go join them."

-oOo-

The End.

Not.

-oOo-

Be sure to check out the illustrations for this story via the author's homepage links, ish. BananaMoon drew an incredible ballroom dance scene of Wolfram and Kieran.

The saga continues in The Trouble with Trolls, which begins the demons-aren't-the-only-magical-race-in-town arc. Wherein – le gasp! – we find some demons are actually… angels?! And at long, long last, finally get around to The Dragon Insurrection.

-oOo-

Check out my published fiction: End Game. Set in Connecticut, this near-term SF adventure is pre-apocalyptic, where ordinary people choose extraordinary ways to face a climate and world gone haywire.

And my non-fiction: Indoor Salad: How to Grow Vegetables Indoors, E-Cigarettes 101: How to Start Vaping, a smoker-friendly guide, and E-Cigarettes 102: DIY E-Liquid, how to mix your own. Available in softcover and ebook at Amazon.