Chapter 4

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Two days had passed since the ceremony in The White Room and the ensuing rush to concoct the elixir which would heal them both. Wolfram, as Murata instructed, had been taken away by carriage back to Blood Pledge Castle. "I, however, wish to remain in The White Room a little longer," he explained to the shrine maidens assigned to attend him. "I'll sleep on my cot for a few more nights." He glanced at the bed the women had set up for him to rest. It was simple, but would do. "My body, I suspect, will take days more to heal."

Actually, it wasn't the healing he needed so much as a chance to forget everything.

At first, Murata didn't care how long he slept. He just wanted to—to "recharge" and to "let go," for as long as he could. To allow everything that had come to pass escape him. But, much to his chagrin, his memories started to emerge when his mind drifted and he was swiftly becoming "himself" again.

"Just when I was at the point of being fine with knowing nothing," he murmured to no one only to open his eyes and see a fuzzy image of Shinou peering over at him. This was not what he wanted. "Go away." And, with that, Murata rolled onto his side, back facing The Original King.

"Please yourself," Shinou said, slightly amused. "But I think that you can hide here for only so long."

There was a pause and then an annoyed "I'm not hiding."

"Hmmm… So, you say…" Shinou's voice was a little further off this time. "Still, your presence will be needed at the castle soon. Rest here…but not for too long…"

Murata slowly sat up in the cot, wary of Shinou's vague message. "Why?" The Original King only prodded him these days when something amused him or when he had insight into an action that had to be done immediately. Consequences could be dire should nothing be done.

The Original King's shadowy form made its way toward the door even though Shinou really didn't need them. "See for yourself."

"Why?" he asked again while reaching beneath his cot for his glasses. They were on a silver tray along with his wallet and other small personal items.

"Seek and understand."

He could be maddening sometimes. "Damn you, Shinou."

"You're welcome."

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An unpleasantly rushed, tepid bath provided by the temple and a ride on a rambling horse with his own damp hair clinging to the back of his neck didn't really change Murata's disagreeable mood all that much. But, he had to, at least, appear pleasant once he got there. Thus, was the image of The Great Sage in this generation. And he had to play the part well.

The heavy wooden door closed behind him and he decided to let his mood go little by little with each step. Murata, this time, wearing his usual maddeningly affable smile on his face, walked down the main hall at Blood Pledge Castle. He had missed lunch—a pity because he could still smell the enticing scent of roasted duck. He would have to drop by the kitchen later to see if anyone could make him a sandwich with the leftovers. That would, indeed, be nice. A brief sniff of the air. Apple cinnamon cookies… A seasonal favorite. Yes, he'd like some of those, too.

He smiled pleasantly each time he met eyes with someone—maids with mops and buckets, members of Wolfram's Elite Guard going back to the barracks, and gardeners with their wide brimmed sunhats. Castle guards on duty were no less the same. They all gave him long looks—each face different, each expression dissimilar. But, without a doubt, the sage knew, he was ripe for gossip fodder just by being there again.

A part of himself thought he didn't deserve this. Another part decided to just go along with it. Too bad he was walking alone. If he was found with someone interesting (from the viewpoint of the gossipers) to be with, that would make life very entertaining, indeed. Murata smirked a little. Too bad Anissina or Conrad wasn't around. Now, with either one, there would be an unusual pairing. After all, no one would buy him playing around with Gunther.

He smiled inwardly, imagining the inanity, until…

"Cheater! What were you thinking?!"

"No, Wolf! Wait! I wasn't cheating. I just bumped into her in the hall."

Feet were stomping hard in his direction and Murata suddenly felt sick inside. Not this soon. I'm not really ready. I'm not even sure what kind of face I should show them.

"Yuuri, I saw you! You did that on purpose!"

"What?!"

The sage stiffened and light flashed over his glasses, hiding his eyes. It would be any minute now.

A black blur streaked past Murata in the hallway. From the fleeting shape, it was more than obvious who it was. "Oi! Hi, Murata!" the double black called over his shoulder as he ran, elbows pumping hard. There was a boyish glee there that was unmistakable. Yuuri's athletic build was working in his favor now. He was gaining speed and his profile showed how proud he was of himself.

He turned a corner.

More stomping—the sound of booted feet this time. And, now, a blue uniformed blond came into view. "I'm talking to you, Yu-" and then he came to a sudden halt, almost falling over as he did so—boots not gripping the floor as well as he was banking on.

Murata forced a smile on his face. He needed to do this—for both of them. "You are doing well. I am pleased to see this," he said in his most formal, High Mazoku tongue. Surely, that would satisfy the blond fire wielder.

Wolfram simply stared, fixed and frozen.

"Your face has healed nicely and your hand seems better…no scars…," he went on, hoping to start a civil conversation that would end up far more comfortable than this awkward beginning. He was doing all the talking, after all. "You are healthy again."

Nothing and Murata looked at him with growing uneasiness.

The blond shook his head slowly, barely breathing, and his eyes filled with tears. His mind was searching for something—desperately. "…K-Ken…?" Wolfram lowered his head, seemingly defeated. "Ken, how…?" in a trembling voice.

Briefly, he covered his mouth with an unsteady hand.

Ken? Murata worried. He just called me 'Ken." Something cold ran through the sage's blood. It wasn't supposed to be this way. With the ceremony, with the potion—everything was supposed to go back to the way things were before. "I shouldn't have come back if it upsets you so," Murata told him, easing away. "I'll go now. I'm sorry."

A broken "No!" and the blond grabbed his forearm, holding him fast and hard. "Please…just please…"

It was a painful grip, but Murata chose not to react to it. It wasn't necessary. The sage stared down at his arm and, immediately, Wolfram released him with a shaking hand. Seemingly not knowing what to do with himself, the blond folded his arms against his chest and turned to Murata with a heartbroken expression.

"It is fine," the sage promised, trying to pacify.

"No, it isn't." His words were barely above a whisper.

"I see…" Murata put a friendly arm around Wolfram's shoulders, drawing him in. They were practically face to face now. It was so hard being close to him again, to smell his scent and to feel that vibrant soul. But, he knew. He knew. "Listen…" And green eyes met his. "It's okay to leave me."

A single tear slipped from his eye. "N-No."

Murata turned Wolfram's face slightly, smudged the tear away with his thumb, and then motioned towards a blind corner. Yuuri's head was just now peeking out around it and the young double black had a very troubled frown coming to him.

"Look," Murata said, "he's come back for you. Everything is fine again."

Wolfram's body shook slightly and Murata knew he would have to help him through the next few moments—step by step.

The double black approached them both, not hiding his emotions at all. Could he ever? But, before he could say anything, Murata told him, "I think the three of us should take tea in the rose garden. Wouldn't that be fun?" The sage met eyes with Wolfram. "It would be, right?"

Wolfram nodded vaguely and Murata decided to take advantage of it. "Then, would you mind leading the way?" He intentionally left off calling him by name and would do so for the time being. He motioned to Yuuri to join him as they walked behind Wolfram toward the outer doors which would take them to the rose garden.

Luckily for Murata, that particular door was at the end of a long corridor.

As Wolfram walked, Murata noticed that he tried to wipe his face with his sleeve as casually as he could.

The edge of the sleeve came back wet.

He's crying.

Switching to Japanese, Murata did his best to keep his voice even and to sound as conversational as he could. "Shibuya, there is something I think you should know."

Yuuri's black eyes moved from Wolfram's back to Murata. "What is it?" It had to be something serious for them to discuss it in Japanese this way. The two of them often used the language as a kind of secret code after meetings when they didn't want to be overheard by the castle dwellers or foreign dignitaries lingering around. After all, Blood Pledge Castle always had eyes and ears everywhere. They were eager to "stir the pot" or to stretch the truth more than a little.

Murata glanced forward and murmured. "It's him."

A brief nod of the head. "I thought so. What's upsetting him?"

Murata's face became serious. "He's breaking."

Yuuri's eyes widened impossibly. "I noticed something was off about him over the last few days and that he wasn't eating or sleeping well. But I thought after the ceremony everything would go back to normal…eventually."

"It did for me."

"But not for him?"

"Apparently. But, it's not from his lack of trying."

Yuuri cringed. "What do we do now?"

Murata put his hands behind his back and thought about it while he followed Wolfram. "Well, it's a problem, isn't it?"

"I don't understand."

Murata glanced at his friend but kept going. "He's not as he was before. He can't let go. He's been through too much. He's 'breaking' because his heart is telling him to choose between us. He feels conflicted and he's certain that, in the end, he will windup alone."

The double black swallowed hard at the blunt news.

They walked on with the door in sight at the far end of the hallway. Wolfram coughed slightly to mask a sob. Murata wasn't deceived. It was all Wolfram could do to hold on right now.

"I know you care for him, Shibuya. I don't know if it is 'love' just yet. But, I know that your feelings run deep. He's in your heart and you would do anything for him."

Yuuri blushed at that, not denying it at all.

"Yes, I know," Murata told him, "but there is something you should know as well." Now was the time to confess it. "I care for him, too."

"Wha-?" Yuuri's jaw dropped more than a little. "Both of us…?" and, silently, he pointed at Wolfram.

Murata stared at Wolfram's back. It was a little easier that way. "I've been in love before…in my past lives, I mean. I've experienced this feeling enough times to recognize it. Though, I must say that 'love' feels a little differently in each lifetime and with each partner. It has an individual 'flavor,' so to speak."

"Then, you're right… I guess, we both care about him. And this really is a problem," Yuuri agreed, fidgeting with his fingers. Murata could tell he was feeling a mixture of conflicting emotions—probably identifying with Wolfram's feelings a lot more right now. "Too bad Wolfram can't marry both of us," he said without really focusing on what he was saying.

Yuuri tended to be like that.

Murata frowned. "As the groom? It's impossible…considering his social standing as a lord and the fact that you are a king and I am The Great Sage. It would be the height of arrogance for him to even go along with such a proposal." Murata shifted his glasses with a finger. "He loves us both…passionately, but not without reason. For the sake of decorum alone, he'd never listen to a word of it." Wolfram wiped his cheek with the same sleeve, the sage noticed. It made something tighten in Murata's chest. "And, if pushed to his limits, I don't know what he would do to release himself from this pain."

"You've been 'broken' before," Yuuri reminded him. "What did you do?" Maybe, there was an answer there.

For the first time in their relationship, Murata gave his closest friend a lonely, almost haunted, expression. The double black was taken aback.

"Do you want the truth or a lie?" Then, Murata gave a harsh sigh to himself. This wasn't the kind of thing one should discuss. "On second thought, forget what I just said."

"I'm sorry," the double black told him, placing a comforting hand on his shoulder and giving a gentle squeeze. "Then…let's look at it another way…" Yuuri scratched the side of his cheek a little, thinking hard. "It would be impossible for a lord…but not for a king. Would it? Marriage, I mean?"

"The three of us…together?"

Murata's eyes smiled. Yes, the thought had crossed his mind, too, but he had been determined not to bring it up. He was still the sage to a king. It was about time he started acting like one again. But, Murata knew that he could be a little bit selfish, too, and very human in this lifetime.

"That would be allowed," he told him. "In such a ceremony, you would be marrying two spouses at once. One would be assigned international dealings while the other would be assigned to more domestic duties within the castle. Not a bad division of labor, mind you, in terms of your eternal stack of paperwork." He glanced at Yuuri and back again. "But I would caution you…" Murata said as Wolfram paused and opened the door for both of them to pass through.

"What?" Yuuri murmured quickly. Was there another problem?

"That if you are not entirely sincere in this venture, you will have more than one set of hopes dashed."

Yuuri scratched the back of his head. "Huh? I don't follow."

Murata smiled as they neared the table where they'd taken tea many times over the years. "What I'm saying is that you would be married to me, too." There was a wry smile accompanying it with a slightly flirtatious lilt to his voice now.

"Oh…" Yuuri grinned sheepishly, a hand behind his head now. "Well, if it's you, Murata…only you… I mean, it feels like we've always been together anyway. It's comfortable and I've always kind of liked you. We've been through so much...you know."

"Really?" Murata couldn't resist the question, testing Yuuri's veracity. If this new direction was taken out of pure guilt, nothing would work out well in the end.

"Yeah."

"In all of my lives, I've never had a 'happily ever after' and I'd like a taste of that just once." He smiled mysteriously over to Yuuri. "With you and Wolfram, I would enjoy that immensely…if you're sure this is what you absolutely want." He added that last part with emphasis, prodding a little. The double black had designed and agreed to this plan far too easily for his tastes.

"I heard you speak my name," Wolfram said distractedly as he pulled a chair out for Yuuri to sit down. "I don't understand Earth language, but I know enough to listen for my name…" Green eyes looked to the sage—a warmth and a sadness there. "This time, my first name..."

He raised an eyebrow. "Unhappy that I said it?"

"No," Wolfram replied, making his voice sound the way it usually did. But the stress was there, nonetheless.

"Ah, then there's something you should be aware of. We've come to an understanding," Murata whispered to him as Wolfram pulled out a chair for him, too.

Green eyes held an almost fearful look to them now. But Wolfram took a chair and forced himself to relax in it. Doria had seen them and was standing before them now. Murata noticed that she seemed a little nervous at the blond's expression. "Tea for three and whatever cakes or cookies that you have," the blond ordered without really caring. "That will be all."

"Right away." A curtsey and she left for the kitchen, not looking back.

"So," Wolfram said, waiting for the hammer to fall on him, "what have the two of you decided? Is it regarding me?" His voice sounded much weaker than when Murata had heard it in the hallway earlier.

"Yes," Yuuri told him, hoping to ease Wolfram's fears by using a kind tone. It had the opposite effect, however.

"I see…" He glanced at Murata. "Your advice, I take it."

With a smirk, Murata shifted his chair to one side and placed an affectionate arm around Wolfram's shoulders, much to his surprise. Yuuri, taking his cue, did the same thing. The blond was now between his two loves and found himself red-faced despite his best efforts. It was also too cruel in a way. Still, he could endure it. "What have you decided?" he asked dryly.

"We intend to court you…privately," Murata's tone became low and incredibly sexy.

Green eyes immediately turned to Yuuri to see if this was true. "Seriously? Is this real? And did he just say… 'we'?"

Outwardly a little sheepish, but just as resolute, "If you don't mind…we'd like to…"

Blond eyebrows pushed together in confusion. A lackluster, "Why?"

"Why not?" Murata answered wryly. "Are you opposed? Can you name a single reason why you cannot have secret tête-à-têtes with the two of us?"

Wolfram gave a confused look. "Ummm… 'tête-à-têtes'?" not understanding the word.

Putting his lips to a shell-like ear, the sage quietly translated it as closely as he could and Wolfram folded his arms against his chest with a disbelieving "humph." He said, "You use an old Mazoku word for 'chat' that as certain…implications." Green eyes grew slightly suspicious. "Are you aware of that? Certainly, you must be."

"Should I have used 'tryst' or something more modern?" he charmed lightly. Yes, Murata knew that he was well versed in the carefully choreographed rules of romance in this world even if Yuuri didn't know a single step. "So, is that a 'yes' I'm hearing from you?"

"Both of you…?" he repeated, still trying to wrap his mind around the concept.

Yuuri gave a hopeful look.

"I suppose… I'm fine with it." But this seemed all too new and much too fast for him to grasp at the moment. The pain from before was easy. This, apparently not. It was too perplexing. "But why the sudden change of heart…both of you? And what would happen should Gwendal find out?"

Unfazed, Murata leaned in even more and whispered, "Don't dwell on that."

"An easy answer for you. He's my brother."

A chuckle from Murata. "And, should all go well and you accept our affections, we would like you to consider an honorable marriage." The sage steepled his fingers and watched to see the reaction.

Predictably, a totally astounded look met him. "Marriage? What are you thinking?" It didn't end there. He went on, "And, not only that, I'm already engaged to…" He elbowed Yuuri in the ribs without really meaning to. There was an "oof."

Typical Yuuri.

He whispered harshly, as though divulging a secret, "You're asking the impossible."

Murata grinned and cocked his head to the side. "Legally speaking, he'll be the groom and we will be the spouses wedded into the royal house." He picked up Wolfram's hand and gently rubbed his thumb across the knuckles—a sign of fondness in this world. "A triad wedding. It has been awhile since our country has seen one. You'll be fine with that, right?"

The blond turned to Yuuri for confirmation. "But, you don't like me."

Muata watched Yuuri's face. That had to have hurt him.

"Come on, Wolf," Yuuri said with an indulgent smile but still struggling with something sad within his heart. "You know you want to. You've always talked about it."

Wolfram bit his lower lip slightly. "And you've always denied it. Isn't that so?" The words hurt—hurt so much. His eyes revealed it. "This scheme is ludicrous," the blond told himself, tucking a strand of hair behind his ear. "Giving you your freedom would be a kinder thing, I think, than allowing you to give in and offer marriage to me, Yuuri… Ignore whatever reasons that have forced you against your will to agree to this nonsensical arrangement." End things now for the better. And, on some level, releasing him was a simpler thing even if his heart was rebelling against the idea.

"End our engagement? Says who?" Yuuri asked lightly, trying to be charming in his own clumsy way.

Wolfram looked at him sincerely, no wrath and no rage. "Everyone…believe it or not."

Trying again, Murata told Wolfram, "Please consider what we are offering. But there is something you have to do in return." And, to that, the fire wielder released a tense breath. "I knew it." He turned to him with a new flame in his eyes. "This is some kind of joke or some kind of Earth trick that I'm allowing myself to get trapped into." His pained face returned saying, "What a fool I was to even hope."

The double black leaned behind Wolfram and gave Murata an almost panicked expression. How could it go this badly right off the bat? But, Murata had foreseen this and knew that he could put those fears to rest. Best of all, he knew exactly how.

Wolfram was about to get up when he felt a strong tug around the wrist. Murata had him, a warm and insistent hold. "Listen to me. The only thing you have to do, Wolf…my Wolf…"

The blond's face softened. He dearly loved that nickname Yuuri had given him years ago and the way Murata had just said it.

"And I do mean 'the only thing'," the sage emphasized, "is to give up this idea of having to choose between loving Yuuri and loving me. And I know the thought has been upsetting you as of late. You're torn."

Again, Wolfram's eyes widened and then he glanced to his left, taking in the double black. The sage never called him "Yuuri." It was always "Shibuya"—just that. That was how they always were together.

The double black quirked a grin. "Yes, Ken. I think you are right. But, he's my Wolf, too. So, when do we begin this 'secret courting' of our Wolf? And where should it be?"

Murata didn't have to think about it for very long. Doria was approaching them with a silver tray with tea, small sugar topped cakes, and apple cinnamon cookies. "Right about now, I think."

Underneath the table, they all held hands. And, to that, Wolfram looked to his left and his right. Then, he smiled within his heart. Maybe, miracles were real after all.

Maybe, he could trust this.