Eleven: FARAWAY

(Recap)

It wasn't long before he knew. "Your Majesty Saralegui," began Murata, "the High Court has decided that you must leave Shin Makoku within the week."

(End Recap)

Saralegui's smile froze on his face. Leave?! No! Not now! Why now?

A moment passed before he could gather his composure again. "I would like to request of the High Court as to what the charge is," he said, mask back in place and smiling politely at the huge assembly of nobles.

The officials twitched and murmured, clearly unsure of how to judge a king directly to his face. Even though his country was much smaller than Shin Makoku and could not affect them militarily or economically, he was still a king, and as they had unwillingly observed, he was powerful mage. The fact that they could probably bring him down in a combined, concerted effort did not seem to have occurred to them.

At last, one of the nobles on the dais who looked remarkably like Wolfram spoke up. "Following the occurrence in the ballroom last night that a large portion of this court can bear witness to, we have established that you are a dangerous individual, in possession of a powerful magical artifact. After hearing His Majesty Yuuri's account of what happened, the court has decided not to press charges, but we would like you to leave as soon as you may at our behest."

"I see." Saralegui kept his voice bland. "Thank you for your kind decision, but I am afraid that I cannot abide by your request."

"Why not?" inquired another noble with bright magenta hair who sat next to the Wolfram lookalike.

"I am here in Shin Makoku for diplomatic reasons," explained the blonde king. "That is, I represent Shou Shimaron in our desire to forge closer relationships with Shin Makoku and the countries allied to it." A beat, then, with a particularly sweet smile, "With the death of my mother, I also represent Seisakoku, with the same purpose."

The muttering broke out again, more intense than before. Yuuri, however, looked hopeful. "Um, Gunter, why don't we go along with that? I'd be really happy if Saralegui joins our alliance. I mean, two more countries! That's wonderful!" His voice rang out clearly over the murmured conference of the other nobles.

There was a pause. "Well, that… changes things," remarked Wolfram-the-elder-version, sounding very displeased with this particular change. "Your Majesty Yuuri, please remember that this is an important decision that you are making."

"I know that," argued the soukoku. "But Sara – Saralegui – is here for the alliance. I believe him! And the alliance will be good for all of us!"

"Your Majesty Saralegui, have you taken Dai Shimaron's inevitable displeasure into account when making this request?" growled Gwendal, also on the dais. "Do not think you can lie to us. Each member of this council is fifty times your age."

"I'm not," piped Yuuri.

"With the exception of His Majesty Yuuri," amended the grizzled Mazoku grudgingly.

"Why would you think I am lying?" asked Saralegui, pretending to be shocked. "It is the truth. If you wish, I could provide you with the documents from my court proving my purpose here. Moreover, I had thought that Yuuri had already informed the court of the truth behind the proceedings of the unpleasant incident at last night's ball."

The court winced collectively at his familiar use of the Maou's first name. "We… have heard," said the Wolfram lookalike. Saralegui had already decided that this person must be a very highly ranked noble, probably the head of the court in the absence of the Maou. He also sounded very unconvinced. "However, we have… reason to doubt His Majesty Yuuri's account, as he also mentions that he was hypnotized by your mother at some point. Begging Your Majesty's pardon," he added, with a brief glance at Yuuri.

"It's the truth!" protested Yuuri. "I saw her fighting Sara! And she definitely did something strange to me, like, she started talking to me and then everything went fuzzy and I wasn't quite there anymore…"

"Precisely. You were in no shape to have had a clear understanding of what was happening," declared the blonde noble. "That is why we have issue with your account of the matter."

"If I may make a suggestion?" ventured Saralegui politely.

The court's collective gaze fell onto him again. "What is it?"

"We could negotiate the trade and alliance agreements within the week, I'm sure, if we put our best efforts into it," said the blonde king. "After that, I will leave of my own accord. I believe the terms given earlier were for me to leave at the end of the week, and that should be sufficient time for us all."

Yuuri nodded decisively. "Yes. Let's do that. I think that's the best plan." The court mumbled in dissatisfaction, and the Maou shot them an exasperated look. "Sara, wait for me in your room? I'll sort it out here."

Saralegui gave the soukoku the best, most brilliant smile he could muster. "Thanks, Yuuri."

xXxXx

At first, it was clear that Mazoku council were under the impression that he, like their own Maou, was the kind of king who only did the flashy diplomatic things (and several less diplomatic things alongside) while leaving the actual nitty-gritty of the economy, development and so on to his council of nobles. They thought he would be a pushover when it came to agreeing on seemingly inconsequential figures, such as the number of trading ships expected and the taxes levied. They couldn't have been more mistaken.

Saralegui had been groomed for the throne practically from birth. He had councilors, yes, but he never trusted them as far as he could throw them. He might have started off the negotiations at a disadvantage, but that did not mean he could not drive a hard bargain.

It helped immeasurably that the Maou was present in all the meetings. He was clearly bored out of his mind by the proceedings. A little extended-hearing work told the blonde king that Yuuri generally avoided meetings of this sort like the plague, and his presence was throwing the Mazoku nobles slightly off their pace. Everyone guessed that Yuuri was there primarily to give moral support to the other king, and although Saralegui never thanked him aloud in case he got scared off, he was unspeakably grateful.

After a mind-numbingly frustrating week struggling against the cold disdain of the Ten Nobles, Saralegui finally managed to hammer out an agreement between Shou Shimaron and Shin Makoku. The nobles had declared that Seisakoku would not be acknowledged until Saralegui could provide the relevant documents as proof of his succession.

On the last day before he boarded the ship back to Shou Shimaron, Saralegui went with Yuuri for a ride through the countryside. It was the last time they could be together for a while, until the Maou managed to talk his nobles around.

Naturally, they weren't alone. Berias and Conrad accompanied their respective kings, though from a discreet distance to allow the two youths some privacy.

"I don't like having to be away from you for so long," complained Yuuri. "I mean, really, who's the Maou around here?"

"It's okay," consoled Saralegui. "Come to Shou Shimaron as soon as you can. I'll wait for you there. When you come, we'll visit to Seisakoku together."

The Maou smiled brightly. "I'd love that! Have you ever been there before? What's it like?"

"Well, I was born there, I think, but I don't remember it at all," explained the blonde. "Berias told me about it, though. He said that it was a bountiful land where everyone was happy… until the Holy Sword was stolen."

"Holy Sword… You mean Veni there?" Saralegui had introduced the soukoku to the sword already, and in return had been introduced to Yuuri's Morgif. He privately felt that Veni was better than the strange demon sword any day. That thing was ugly.

"Yes, Veni. It was stolen by raiders centuries ago, I think. They brought it out of Seisakoku, not knowing the full extent of its powers, and into human lands. Alazon left my father and I to search for it," added Saralegui grimly.

Yuuri's eyes grew sad. "Oh, dear. That's… sad. Why was it so important?"

"The Holy Sword is what makes the soil of Seisakoku fertile and shields its people from disease. It is called Holy for a reason," the blonde informed him, chuckling slightly. "Without it, the water dried up; the land turned brown and cracked. It took centuries to reach that state, as the rulers and priests poured their power into keeping the land alive, but in the end they too ran out of power."

"Why?" The Maou seemed genuinely curious.

"The houryoku of the Shinzoku comes from the Holy Sword," replied Saralegui. "Over the decades, with no renewal from the Holy Sword, the magic in everything slowly depleted. Power could only be gained from others. It's a dark time – people kill each other to absorb their houryoku and life-force, so that they can survive just a little longer in the dead country."

Most of this was, naturally, conjecture on Saralegui's part, based on Berias' information. He hadn't actually interrogated Veni yet about Seisakoku, being much more interested in the houjutsu the sword could teach him.

"That's terrible!" exclaimed Yuuri. "You must go there and return Veni at once! I'm sorry for keeping you here so long –"

"No, no, it's not your fault," Saralegui reassured hurriedly. "I'm here because I want to be here. Right now, I have no idea what kind of reception I might receive in Seisakoku – I did kill their queen. Besides, the trade agreements were real."

"Oh." The soukoku calmed down a little, though he didn't seem completely at ease. "You still should go."

Saralegui sighed. "I will, as soon as I can. But I need your help."

Yuuri blinked, nonplussed. "I'll be happy to help, but how?"

"I can't return life to the land," explained the blonde. "My powers are too different. From what I've heard –" he hadn't told Yuuri of how he could communicate with Veni, and wasn't planning to do so in the near future "– the Holy Sword must be wielded by one who has power related to nature – in other words, power over water, air, earth. I have only a little influence over air, and nothing for the other two."

"I can control water and earth," ventured the soukoku. "Or at least, the Maou can. So that's what you need me for?"

"You could say that," agreed the older king.

"But I'm not sure I can become the Maou when you need me to," protested Yuuri. "I usually only change when I'm angry."

"It'll be fine," said Saralegui firmly.

Before Yuuri could object further, Berias and Conrad caught up with their young charges. "Your Majesty, it's time for lunch. We should return to the palace," said Berias.

Giving the Maou a meaningful look, Conrad added, "Wolfram will not be happy if you're late."

The soukoku threw up his hands in defeat. "Okay, okay, let's go back. I'm hungry… hope there's that awesome cheesecake they gave us yesterday…"

Saralegui laughed along with the others, patting himself on the back for successfully persuading his fellow king to his cause. Even as he waved back to the company that had come to see them off – Yuuri had insisted on it – he didn't worry too much. No matter what the rest of the Mazoku said, he would have Yuuri at his side when the time came.

xXxXx

Three months had passed before Saralegui could sail for Seisakoku. Many things had delayed his departure – conferences and arrangements with his nobles and merchants about the new agreements with Shin Makoku, coming up with a suitable reason to leave for this unknown destination, and finding out exactly where Seisakoku was.

After all, Seisakoku had sealed itself from the rest of the world for almost a millennium. The only people to find it were pirates and the occasional trading vessel lost at sea. No maps included it. Saralegui had to work from Berias' memory of his voyage from there to Shou Shimaron before he could even begin to estimate its location.

But eventually it was done, and they could set sail within a few days once the notice was given. Saralegui retreated his room after a long day of research and planning, preparing for a little chat with Veni.

Do you think it would be a really, really bad idea if I teleported him here? he asked.

Being in his mind, there was no need to clarify who exactly 'he' meant to Veni. The sword's thought-voice dripped with sarcasm. No, certainly not. His advisors wouldn't be in the least worried if their precious Maou vanished without a trace for months on end. It would be the least thing on their minds.

Yuuri says that sometimes he goes back to that 'Earth' place without warning and for weeks at a time because of, as he says, 'time lag' and what I believe is an inability to control his arrival time. It would be a perfectly sound excuse, argued Saralegui.

Well, if it's all so well-thought-out – by the way, don't think I don't know you've been thinking about this. Just because I'm not talking doesn't mean I don't listen to what goes on in here, warned Veni. If it's all so well-thought-out, why are you discussing this with me?

The young king chuckled. I like you to think I do include you in the decision-making process, he replied playfully. Well, to be honest, I just felt that discussing it made it seem more… legit, I guess.

Discussion or not, it's still a kidnapping, said Veni, as tartly as a mind-voice could sound.

Saralegui sighed. Okay, it's because I need your help to do the teleporting and you won't do it if you're not happy with me, he admitted. Please?

The sword gave the impression of a sigh, much more heartfelt than Saralegui's. You do remember that it is taxing, don't you? And Shin Makoku is no mean distance. A round trip will probably cost you at least two days in bed. For the matter, how do you plan to explain teleportation to the Maou?

That was a painfully valid point, which Saralegui had ignored thus far precisely because it was so inconvenient. He paused. I guess I'll have to hypnotize him through it…?

Then how will you explain to him how he arrived in Shou Shimaron? continued the sword, merciless. You can't hypnotize him forever. Not just in moral terms – the teleportation will cost your power, and you may not have enough to maintain a hypnotism after that draining. Tell him the truth, young one. You'll have to eventually, if you ever want to really be sure he can trust you and you him.

Saralegui bit his lip. Tell Yuuri the truth? Did he trust the soukoku enough? True, the Maou had seen his power during the fight with Alazon, but he had been mesmerized at the time. Surely the full extent of his power was something best left to the imagination.

What is there to be scared about? Remember, he is the Maou. He wields fearful power in his own right, Veni reminded him. Besides, if you were as nonchalant about him as you keep insisting, why should you care so much about whether he gets scared and wants to keep a distance from you when he finds out? it added, mischief creeping into its mind-voice.

Oh, whatever. Saralegui wryly conceded the point. The sword knew that the not-relationship between the two young kings was a sore point for the blonde. Fine. I'll tell him the truth. Now will you teleport me there?

What time do you want to arrive there? Inquired the sword. It's evening here, but it's midafternoon over there.

Saralegui blinked. He'd never realized there was such a thing as a time difference between different countries. It had never been important because the time difference occurred slowly along the sea journey, but clearly it did matter when it came to teleportation.

Shall we say… about daybreak? The annoying blonde fiancée apparently slept in the same room as Yuuri, but Saralegui would rather take his chances than search all over the castle for the Maou at any other time of the day. Daybreak in the Maou's bedroom was the most likely bet.

Okay then, let's go. Hold tight. The world began to spin around him, first slowly, then faster, until it was a blur of meaningless colors. Saralegui felt himself dissolving into that whirl of nothing and everything and time and nothing and he was everywhere, nowhere, there was no him, just consciousness that spread and flowed like the rest of the world swirling around an unidentifiable point.

After what felt like ages, or maybe a few seconds – time meant nothing (and everything) in that void – Saralegui felt himself reforming from the dregs of self, pulling out of the endless spinning of time and space to land on reassuringly solid stone. He willed his brain to stop rattling and, once it obeyed, looked around to get his bearings.

Veni had been spot-on – he was in Yuuri's bedroom in Blood Pledge Castle, all right. Saralegui had been here on several occasions during the last visit, much to the displeasure of Yuuri's self-proclaimed fiancée. Not that Saralegui and Yuuri had done anything remotely improper. The fiancée was always getting his underwear in a twist the moment Saralegui so much as looked at Yuuri. He'd visited only as part of the tour of the castle, and for what Yuuri called 'hanging out', which generally involved both of them sprawling in various spots around the room and talking about nothing in particular. Saralegui had liked those 'hanging out' sessions, which was why he remembered the bedroom so well.

Speaking of the fiancée… Saralegui glanced at the bed. There was only one shape on it, one with black hair visible from under the pillows and duvet, so it appeared that the annoying blonde hadn't slept with the Maou that night. Saralegui felt irrationally pleased by that knowledge.

He pushed himself to his feet and moved swiftly over to the bed. Yuuri was indeed alone; not even Greta was there. That was a little odd, but Saralegui decided not to dwell on it. Instead he nudged the sleeping Maou. "Yuuri."

Yuuri burrowed deeper into the pillows. "Mmmh… stop kicking me, Wolfram…"

Saralegui leant closer, repeating his whisper directly into the soukoku's ear. "Yuuri…"

The other king twitched, his forehead wrinkling for a split second before his eyes flew open. "… Sara?!"

"Shhh!" The blonde quickly hushed him, simultaneously sending out a wave of houryoku to mute the room to anyone who might be eavesdropping outside. "Good morning, Yuuri."

"Wh-what are you doing here?" Yuuri sat up quickly, his face flaming. "Why – how – Wolfram, Greta, wake up – oh, they're not here. Sara, how –"

"Shhh," repeated the other king, soothingly. "I'll explain everything later. Firstly, though, Yuuri – do you remember your promise to help me save Seisakoku?"

The soukoku nodded, slowly at first, then more confidently. "Yes, I said I'd help save your country using Veni, right?"

"You remembered," breathed Saralegui, relieved. Yuuri seemed as forgetful as he was clumsy, and he'd been worried he'd have to persuade the other king all over again. Gathering himself, the blonde smiled in what he hoped was a suitably pathetic, hopeful, sweet manner. "Do you think you could come right now?"

"N-now?" Yuuri exclaimed. "B-but I can't just leave without telling anyone –"

"You said before that you go back to your home, Earth, without warning and for long periods at a time," the blonde pointed out. "Can't you say that's what happened? Nobody would know the difference."

The Maou frowned. "I can't lie to them like that. Besides, I can only travel back and forth from Earth with Shinou and Murata's help. Murata will know. I'll tell them all properly."

"Yuuri, please." There was no way the Mazoku would let their king leave with him, not when the incident of his killing Alazon still fresh in their minds. If he didn't take Yuuri now…

There was a short pause as the two young kings stared at each other, bewildered dark eyes and pleading gold eyes meeting. The soukoku was the first to break the connection, closing his eyes with a sad smile. "Sorry, Sara, but I can't."

"Please," repeated the blonde, a note of desperation in his voice that he did not try to hide.

"No." The Maou's voice was soft but firm. "I can't do that to them. Conrad, Wolfram, Murata… they would be worried sick. I can't make them go through that kind of pain; I can't lie to them like this. Sara… I care about you, and I want to help you, but please, don't make me lie to my friends."

"I thought I was your friend," whispered Saralegui. He felt as though a glass wall had appeared between him and the other king, even while he gripped Yuuri's hands in his own. His chest felt constricted, as though a heavy weight had settled on it.

Rejection.

There were three things Saralegui hated and feared most in the world.

Those were being ignored, being scorned, and being rejected by people he cared about.

For a brief moment, Saralegui seriously considered hypnotizing the other king, and to hell with the consequences.

But then we'll never really be friends.

"I am your friend," the soukoku reassured him. "But they are my friends too. Talk to them, Sara. If you explain everything to them, I'm sure they'll be fine."

The blonde shook his head, stamping down the creeping beginnings of hysteria. "They'll never let me bring you with me. They'll probably kill me for invading your bedroom unannounced," he said frankly.

"They won't!" protested Yuuri. "And how did you come, anyway? You still haven't told me."

"I'll tell you next time," replied the other king, recovering enough composure to put on a smile, though it felt even more artificial than usual. "I'm surprised that your daughter and fiancée aren't with you."

"Oh, Greta's visiting Anissina's home in Karbelnikoff and Cheri-sama took Wolfram to join her on her love cruise two days ago. He's not back yet, probably having lots of fun…" Yuuri gave his characteristic self-deprecating laugh, and Saralegui felt his smile become just a little less forced.

"That's nice," said Saralegui, because their absence was definitely good for him. "Yuuri, I… I'll come back another time. I'll do all the proper things, so your council won't be angry with me again."

The soukoku laughed again, still sheepishly. "They're not angry at you, Sara."

They both knew that that was a lie. Saralegui's smile became tinged with sadness. "Yuuri, just promise me that you'll definitely come with me. Please."

"Of course I will! Your people are suffering in Seisakoku, aren't they? I'll definitely do everything I can to help them!" The Maou grinned, brimming with confidence. "It's the least I can do to help a friend!"

"Yuuri…" Impulsively, Saralegui reached across the glass wall between them, his hand caressing the soukoku's jawbone. Yuuri blinked, surprised, as Saralegui leaned even closer. Gently as a butterfly's wing, their lips brushed, barely more than a fleeting touch of warmth. "Thank you," he whispered, their faces less than an inch apart.

"S-sara…" Yuuri stared at him, dark eyes enormous, a blush rising fast in his cheeks.

"I'll see you soon, Yuuri," said the blonde, releasing the other king and standing up straight. Veni?

Back we go then, responded the sword. Houryoku built, flaring into visible light.

"Sara, wait! What – why did you –" The soukoku struggled for words, clearly still flustered.

"See you soon, Yuuri." Saralegui let his body and consciousness slip into the increasingly familiar space-time void, but not without a last smile at the other king.

The return to self was less of an enjoyable experience as it had been earlier. Saralegui stumbled to his own bed, exhausted beyond words, and collapsed onto the sheets. Bitterly, he asked, Why?

Young one, I know that rejection is a most unpleasant feeling. It's not your fault that you expected him to be as amenable as always, but people have certain boundaries. At least you know where his are now, said Veni, in what it probably considered a reassuring manner.

Saralegui did not feel particularly reassured. Why am I worth less than his other friends?! he screamed mentally.

That's not it, the sword replied patiently. You are overwrought, Saralegui. Getting worked up over it now will be of no help to anyone, least of all to you. Go to sleep, and see if the light of day brings greater understanding.

Berias, thought the young king. I need to, to get him to send a letter to Shin Makoku, get the ship ready – Berias! That last he amplified with his power, reaching out for his faithful bodyguard's familiar presence. It seemed much further away than usual, and he barely managed to touch the golden aura that was Berias in his mental vision.

The bodyguard, however, knew his charge's touch when he felt it, no matter how weak it was. Seconds later, there was a knock on the door, and Berias came in without waiting for a response. It was just as well, because Saralegui was fairly sure that audible speech was beyond his capabilities at that present moment.

Berias… get the ship ready to sail for Shin Makoku. Send a formal letter to the Maou to tell him we are coming in peace to request his assistance. The dark well of sleep tugged at him, relentlessly closing him in. And… don't let anyone near my room until I say otherwise.

Yes, Your Majesty. Dimly, Saralegui felt Berias gently removing his spectacles, boots and belts, and then covering him with the duvet. At last, he let himself fall into the inviting depths of unconsciousness.

Yuuri's huge, dark eyes continued to haunt him, even though his sleep was dreamless.

xXxXx

A/N: Hello…? Is anyone still out there? Sorry for abandoning this fic for sooooooo long. It's been what, two years?! Real life and other fandoms have been extremely distracting. But I was just having a nostalgic relook at my old account and decided that I really ought to tie up all the loose ends I have lying around here. What with my renewed love for Saralegui, Shades of Violet became the first candidate.

University applications make this an absolutely terrible time to be off writing fics but I will do my best to complete this fic. It might be a little too much to expect many readers, but I really want to have a fictional monument to our blonde pretty-boy king to stand against the various Sara-bashing fics out there. He deserves all the love he can get from his vastly outnumbered fans.

Updates will be much less frequent than before but please hang in here with me! Thanks to any and all who have stuck with me thus far, and also for reading this very long A/N. ^^; Reviews would be love!