A Sequel to Heels Over Head
Chapter One – Princess Charming and Stupid Masochist
A ConYuu Fan-fiction
By: Ami
Beta-reader: ProudSnapist a.k.a Sherlockian Slytherin
Alternate Universe, no spoilers (so far)
Warning: This fic will be severely confusing if you haven't read Heels Over Head. Kinda like HOH's 15th chapter with a new title actually.
Specially dedicated to: Prosopopeia, a lovely friend who listens to my rants, tells me the things I need to hear, and writes a wonderful Kakairu fic that makes me the happiest yaoi-addict. 'The Esoteric' next chapter, please? –glittering puppy eyes-
Standard disclaimers apply.
XXX
Life in Fairy World was actually not very different from ours. They had families; we also had families. They worked for a living; we also worked for a living. They loved their pets just like we did; in that same way we rush home to see our beloved poodles again. At first glance, there was almost no difference at all, except for the fact that there were some things that could make them feel ultimately jealous of us, just as we envied their everlasting lifespan, or their traffic-jam-free lifestyle.
One of those things that fairies seemed to envy was the permanent figure that was given to each of us at birth. Actually, they had the advantage of being able to choose whose figure to imitate, but most of them seemed to hate the ability. They wanted to be themselves and not just an imitation!
The other was the fact that they existed merely to work for us. And last, but not least…
"Finally," Murata's eyes glinted as he glanced at the calendar on the wall. Behind him, a sleepy-looking Wolfram came out from his room, yawning loudly as he stretched his pitch-black wings, randomly knocking down the unfortunate furniture around him. His parents had seemingly given up on the idea of trying to discipline Wolfram's messiness. Besides, he had just returned home after years of absence. They didn't want to lose him again, even if it meant that they were keeping an evil wolf in their previously peaceful lair.
"That 'Wolfram' figure seems to be your favorite, I see."
That statement had seemed to bring him to full-consciousness. With a faint blush on his cheeks, he approached his smiling stepbrother and turned his eyes to the calendar, or rather, to whatever thing his brother had himself been occupied with before. It still looked like their usual, stupid, boring wall-calendar to him. He always thought that the numbers were too small to read. Oh, damn frail eyes. They were just getting worse each year.
"When are you going to change that awful appearance, anyway?" He spoke back as soon as he found something to insult his brother back with. Well, actually, that retort wasn't exactly a good choice, since so far, Murata Ken's figure had been Wolfram's favorite look on him. It fitted his brother's tricky personality very well.
"Hmm… not so soon, I think. I'm not bored with it yet." As usual, Wolfram never succeeded in provoking his brother in to a serious argument. And he didn't think that anyone could.
"Why are you still here, anyway? You're late for work." His fiery red eyes fell on the digital watch on his left wrist. It was one of the reasons why he had chosen to become an executor fairy instead of a dream one: his work started at two in the afternoon, which was three more hours to go.
"I don't have work. Neither do you." Murata replied lightly as he made his way to the dining room, preparing a late breakfast for his little brother. Wolfram trailed his steps from behind.
"What do you mean?" The blond asked as he flopped down on his seat, yawning once more while Murata set his breakfast in front of him. The sight of his brother's handmade pancakes was enough to make his stomach grumble. To think about it, Murata's cooking skill was a lot better than his father's—or Murata's mother's.
"Father always calls you a workaholic. Now I see his point." Murata only smiled lightly as he poured down a generous amount of strawberry-flavored syrup on his freshly baked pancakes. He and Wolfram's—their father were the only living beings who knew about the boy's ultimate sweet tooth. "You don't even try to remember the date of your own holiday."
Wolfram glanced down at his breakfast and didn't seem to care about anything else other than the alluring object in front of him. It took him one bite and a short while to digest his brother's previous remark.
"…Holiday?" He blinked, as realization dawned on him. "…That stupid, pointless, boring, long vacation?"
Murata sighed and smiled teasingly, "Ck… ck… That's not how little boys should react to that sacred word."
"I am not a little boy!"
"Want more syrup on your pancakes?"
"Yes!"
The older fairy smiled victoriously, while the younger one flushed bright red. Oh, it was just the family Murata had always been longing for. Although their parents were mostly out at work, his little stepbrother alone was enough to make him feel homey.
"I'm sure that you find the holiday boring because you don't know how to spend it." Murata cheerfully handed the pancakes back to his embarrassed little brother, "My holiday also starts today. Unlike you, I've thought of an interesting activity, for both of us if you'll keep me company."
Wolfram's mind had been frantically screaming a repeated 'YES!' even before Murata had finished his sentence. But he managed to keep his facial muscles from twitching in excitement and asked casually, "What is it going to be? I'm not going if it sounds boring."
Murata only smiled.
XXX
By the time he opened his eyes and saw the bright daylight from outside of his window, Conrad knew that something special was going to happen that day. It began when he was getting dressed; he was able to click his belt up on the very first try. Great, another good sign it was going to be a good day. But the best was yet to come.
It was probably the strongest positive feeling when he saw Yuuri right after exiting his room.
Trying not to think that the young king had been waiting there for him, he deftly put on his usual courteous smile and greeted him good morning. It took a while before Yuuri's stammering reply rang in his grateful ears. Boy, the demon king looked ten times cuter with that faint blush on his cheeks, making it extremely hard for him to keep his hands to himself. It was definitely the best sign of the day.
Silently praying that Yuuri would not notice why he had his fists clenched, he went on with his usual polite mode and asked the boy how and why he had gotten there so early in the morning. Yuuri's reply sounded distorted in the beginning, but fortunately, the words were becoming more coherent nearing the end.
"…So, I thought… I'd come to pick you up today since the meeting place was changed to the main hall for this morning."
Conrad nodded, not showing any of his bafflement. At least, he had gotten Yuuri's point. Barely. He was not sure how to reply.
"I understand," Cliché, but safe, "Let's do it then." Do what?
He held back a relieved sigh as Yuuri turned around and started walking. Assuming that the king was going to lead him somewhere, he followed. I mean, literally trailing Yuuri's steps, and he somehow never "managed" to reach the annoyed boy's side. He had been experimenting with this newfound habit for almost a week, but it never bored him to try it, again and again; just like the way he always called Yuuri 'His Majesty' instead of how Yuuri insisted Conrad should call him. It was a small indulgence, but it made him feel cared for when Yuuri scolded him for not being obedient. Somehow, he could hear Yozak's loud 'masochist!' from behind his back.
"Come on," the king frowned at him, "Does it hurt that much to walk beside me?"
There it was. That was the feeling.
Not wanting to upset him more, Conrad nodded and stepped up to Yuuri's side, returning his sated smile as they started to make their way to who-knows-where.
Most of the time during their short trip, Yuuri was quiet. Sometimes he could catch him stealing glances at him, before quickly turning away in embarrassment. Conrad wasn't exactly sure how to react to Yuuri's odd behavior, even while his heart palpitated at dangerous speeds at the attention Yuuri was giving him.
Conrad tried to hold his happiness in and keep up his impassive face. But heartbeats could never lie, nor could genuine feelings.
Trying to ignore his tightening chest, the man turned his eyes to his side and saw the freshly built garden. Nearly all the people in the castle had acknowledged Yuuri's recent fondness of flowers, and they took it quite well. Soon, nearly all the empty fields around the castle were filled with flowers. Cheri was, of course, the most excited one about the 'romantic' idea, even more than Yuuri himself. She, who usually spent a lot of time abroad seeking for love, had chosen to stay for a little while longer until all the flowers bloomed.
"Do you like the flowers?"
Yuuri's question brought him back to his senses. He soon realized that he had stopped walking to stare at the garden. Multitasking was not his thing, he guessed.
One job at one time, he turned his eyes to the king and smiled, one love for one life.
"Wait there, I'll get some for you."
Before Conrad had a chance to stop him, Yuuri jumped past the hedge to the garden, standing in front of it for a moment to choose, before running back with a handful of various-colored flowers in his hand.
"There!" He grinned cheerily as he handed those flowers over to the astounded man, "I don't know which you liked, so I got one of each type. You can place it in your room later."
Conrad only smiled as the familiar pain in his chest returned. Then he realized that it came from his forefinger. Some of the flowers had thorns. He only watched it lifelessly as the thick red blood started to flow down the tip of his right-hand forefinger. Yuuri's frantic gasp could not reach him; nothing could.
Perfect. It was just the perfect punishment for getting carried away. How he wished that the blood could wash his sins off.
Perhaps Yozak was right about calling him a masochist.
With a gentle smile and a pat on the king's shoulder, it didn't take very long for him to reassure Yuuri that he was going to be all right.
XXX
In the main hall, everyone had gathered, including the semi-awake Wolfram who was starting to doze off in his seat. Conrad had to fight a smile as Yuuri carefully approached the blond and pressed his thumb and forefinger on his younger brother's nose, closing his air circulation, which soon resulted a blue, awake, and angered Wolfram.
He gave in to his feelings when he watched the others laugh at the silly quarrel. A chuckle successfully escaped from his lips.
"He started it!" Wolfram retorted when Gwendal told him to stop chasing after their king. One stern look from the eldest of the brothers finally silenced him. Throwing the grinning king one of his infamous death glares, Wolfram retreated to his seat.
After confirming that everyone was ready, Gunter stepped up to the podium, with his assistant following him from behind with a stack of documents. Yuuri moaned at the sight and hoped that the meeting would not make him skip breakfast. His earlier bickering with Wolfram made him feel even hungrier than before.
"Don't worry,"
Yuuri's previously pale face started to color as he looked up and saw Conrad's smiling face.
"It won't take very long."
Another accurate mind reading. Yuuri's blush deepened. With that malicious ability, the man had definitely known... about... his...
"Today, we can start this good day off with some good news." Gunter's cheerful voice snapped the king out of his thoughts. Conrad's eyes were also quickly averted to the front, only that there was one big difference with his and Yuuri's reasons. Yuuri reacted at the 'good news' part, while he appreciated the 'good day' part. Somehow, the phrase intrigued him. Somehow.
"We have patched up our broken treaty with the Geinzers Clan." Gunter's eyes glittered as he spoke, as if he had just gained his first official halo above his head, "During our most recent meeting, they agreed to join our alliance and help us in our time of need should we require assistance." Yuuri was starting to regret how he always just signed whatever documents Gunter told him to sign without really listening all too closely what the documents were about.
All the people in the room, other than the still-clueless Yuuri, looked positive about the news. Gunter especially looked quite happy to spring this surprise on his beloved Heika, seeing as how everyone knew Yuuri liked festivals.
Conrad, being the only one who noticed Yuuri's puzzlement, volunteered to explain.
"Geinzers Clan rules a small, but well-developed nation near Shin Makoku." He started, "Many years ago, they were a part of Shin Makoku. After years of struggle, we finally let them go to liberate themselves. They were not our enemies, but not exactly our allies either. In the past, they refused to affiliate with us as a neighboring nation, thinking that we might have been trying to get them back."
Yuuri nodded, starting to get the whole picture.
"Losing Geinzers was one of our biggest mistakes, since Geinzers had many potential fighters and scientists that would have been able to help us in developing our country. Having both strength and brains, even now, they are well-known as the richest, and also the most powerful human resources throughout the world."
"Superhumans!" Yuuri could not hold back his amazed gasp this time, "I can't wait to see them!"
"However," Conrad held back an amused smile as he continued, "Nobody's perfect. They have one incurably big flaw that eventually draws them closer and closer to us."
"What is it?"
Conrad only smiled. So were the other people his black orbs fell on.
Yuuri was getting even more baffled.
"You'll know once you see them," Wolfram smirked evilly, "I'm SO going to enjoy their visit."
"They're visiting us?" Yuuri turned back to Gunter, who quickly turned his eyes back to his document.
"Yes. Their officials are scheduled to come to this castle next month. Preparing to welcome them is the main subject of our meeting today." Gunter studied his document carefully before resuming, "We have several choices. First, a festival at the town…"
Conrad once more pitied Yuuri for being the only confused one in the room. It was what he deserved for not studying his history textbooks well.
"…A noble party at the castle…"
Wolfram stole another glance at the blinking king and smirked.
"…And…"
"Wait a minute," Yuuri could no longer contain his curiosity, "They're all parties! Isn't it supposed to be a boring official visit? What exactly are we trying to do? Coax them in to coming back to us with sake, geisha and sushi?"
All the people in the room turned their eyes at him in both puzzlement and amusement, while Conrad was clutching his stomach, chuckling uncontrollably at another one of the king's stupid antics. Nevertheless, that was one of the things that made King Shibuya Yuuri special.
"Schmoozing is the very last thing in our minds at this moment, Yuuri." The brunet explained after managing his breaths, "We're doing that, simply because parties are the only things Geinzers enjoy."
"What?" Yuuri glanced at him in disbelief, "But aren't they strong geniuses…"
"Geinzers party on a daily basis to relieve themselves from stress." Gwendal added, "They even celebrate the date of their birthdays in every month. Therefore, a big party is the best thing we can present to them during their first visit."
"I understand…" But Yuuri's expression didn't really match his words, "So, what party are we going to hold for them?"
"I think a town festival will be more enjoyable for them. Besides, I think they'll like the atmosphere better." Cheri suggested, "What do you think, Anissina?"
"I also don't think that an official noble party is enjoyable." The red-haired lady replied, "They'll enjoy a town festival more."
"There is not enough time to prepare a festival." Gwendal seemed to oppose the idea, "It will also be more difficult to secure the party. Most of all, I'm concerned about His Majesty's safety. He will definitely roam around and forget everything about his safety during the festival."
Yuuri pouted. Of course he would! He didn't want to stay alone in his room while the others were having fun at a big town festival!
"I have a suggestion."
Conrad looked around and sweat-dropped. He knew that he was usually the most silent one in meetings, but they didn't have to give him that 'what possessed you?' look. They definitely forgot that when it came to their baby king, he would not be able to refrain from speaking out.
"How about mixing both choices?"
Their stares still remained on the smiling brunet's face, but now, with varying degrees of expression. Gunter and Gwendal's were burning an imaginary hole into Conrad's forehead. Wolfram made a thinking face and showed no reaction. Cheri's was sweet and proud, while Anissina's… was as impassive as usual.
The loudest reaction came from their demon king. His dark eyes glimmered as if he had just scored a homerun for his team. This time, it had nothing to do with his infatuation. He really thought that it was a brilliant idea, coming from the most brilliant thinker in the world.
"That's it!" The king exclaimed in joy, "We can mix it! Nobles and common people together in one big party…"
"NO!" Gwendal's tone was cold and final, "We can't do something like that."
Yuuri's frown almost equaled his, "Are you trying to say that those nobles are going to refuse to mix with common people?"
"Exactly," the dark-haired mazoku remarked, "They definitely won't attend such a party."
"Screw them!" The king retorted, "If they don't want to come, then don't come! I don't need stupid arrogant-heads at my party!"
"The fact is," Gunter's voice was slightly calmer than Gwendal's, "we need to show them the importance of this party. Or the Geinzers will think that we're not taking them seriously."
"Common people are not less important than those bigheaded jerks!" Yuuri spat, "Besides, even if they refuse to come, I will be there to greet them personally. Doesn't that give it enough importance?"
This time, nobody was able to cross the infuriated king. Gwendal knew that he was supposed to oppose his king's every stupid idea, but he couldn't bring himself to do it this time. Not when Cheri and Conrad seemed to show full-support to the seemingly ridiculous idea. Besides, he had to admit that everything Yuuri had said was true. Damn those bigheaded jerks. How he wished he could have said it out loud.
"Still, there is another problem."
Yuuri looked at Gwendal in obvious impatience.
"We don't have enough time to arrange the whole festival, and now mixed with a castle party. We only have one month, and we haven't even come up with the main performance." Gwendal said, as-a-matter-of-factly, "If you can tell me how to finish the preparations in one month, you'll have my support."
"There is a way."
Conrad sweated again at everyone's combined stares. His comrades sure were rude, although they didn't explicitly seem so.
"When I said about mixing the two choices, I didn't mean we had to hold both parties at the same time." He calmly explained, "The point is to make the Geinzers feel comfortable, with a party that would not take long to prepare and that was not hard to secure."
"My point is, we hold the party in the castle, but we also invite people to hold a small festival here."
This time, Gwendal and Gunter said no word to dispute, but they didn't look too sure as well.
"…We're bringing those common people…inside?" Gunter sounded like he was talking about eating potato chips with his nose, "You mean, inside this castle?"
"Yes." Conrad nodded. "That way, the Geinzers get the comfortable atmosphere they want, and we get the easy-to-set and secure party we want."
"Getting those people inside is not exactly secure!" Gunter frowned, "If we freely let those strangers inside the castle, who knows what they will be doing? They might try something to hurt His Majesty!"
"We're not letting them roam freely inside. We'll just let them build their stands in the front yard. I think it's large enough for a small bazaar." Conrad continued, "We'll set the main party inside this room, place guards on each entrance, set the stage right there where you're standing, serve food on the table, and let everyone do what they want to make themselves at home."
A pregnant silence echoed in the room before Yuuri's clapping hands, followed by the others', could be heard. The proud and happy look on Yuuri's face was enough reward for the smiling half-mazoku. The good signs he had experienced in the morning seemed to have been true. Indeed, those signs kept their promise. It was a wonderful day. But Conrad would probably be happier to know that the best… was yet to come.
XXX
"Is that true that we're allowed to join a noble party, Sir?"
Conrad smiled at the middle-aged man and nodded. He turned to his horse and reached for a piece of paper with a big 'THE BIGGEST EVENT OF THE YEAR! COME AND JOIN!' printed in red from inside of his pack.
"If you're interested in joining, you can fill the forms and submit it to one of the officers." He handed the brochure over to the man, smiling good-naturedly before retreating to the back of the crowd. When he was on the front line, everyone just kept coming to him, asking the exact same thing about the first ever party that invited both nobles and common people, despite the large number of officers he had brought with him for the special promotion mission. This kind of party would probably have been impossible without Yuuri as king. Once more, he thanked Shin Maou for sending Yuuri to brighten their lives.
Conrad felt a bitter smile at the corner of his mouth. It hadn't even been half-a-day, and he missed the goofy king already. It was like he was being pulled deeper and deeper in by his own feelings. He had failed, as both a commander and a man. Thinking about Yuuri during his official mission was just as bad as drinking sake in the middle of work. Well, it was probably the only similar thing about being a Yuuri-admirer and an alcoholic: both drove a previously sane man to be an intoxicated drunkard.
Realizing that he had been spacing out for long enough, Conrad glanced up at the road and inhaled.
"I'm going to make my rounds." He told one of the officers. Before the officer could reply, his commander had already gone out of their sight.
XXX
"Eeh? He's gone???" Yuuri could not hide his disappointment after hearing that Conrad had left to go to the town for the promotion of the upcoming party. "He hasn't asked for my permission! Besides, why should he do something like that? You could have asked some someone else to go!"
"If you're thinking that it's a trivial task, then it will only prove your lack of study, Your Majesty." Gwendal had never forgotten to add a little taste of sarcasm in each of his words, "Conrad is the only one we can rely on to make this plan public. Many people know him, trust and even idolize him. He can guarantee the accomplishment of this mission."
"Well, I know that, but," The king glared at the frowning man, "I also need him so I can discuss about the main performance!"
The raven-haired mazoku could only pinch the bridge of his nose in exasperation, seeming to try his hardest to keep his fading patience. Fortunately, Usagi-chan was still by his side to keep him calm.
"Listen," tapping his right fingers on the table, while his other hand stayed to support his chin, Gwendal started, "Conrad will most likely not come back until afternoon suppertime, so I suggest you go and find Wolfram, Anissina; whoEVER to fill his position until he returns."
"But---"
"Just what do you expect me to do right now?" His tapping became faster and louder, "Send someone to pick him up with an emergency message? Do you think he is going to leave his job just because YOU can't live one day without him?"
Yuuri could feel his cheeks flaming at the older man's last remark. "I---Of course I can! You---I---whatever!"
Gwendal heaved a sigh as the king stormed out of the room.
It seems that Mother was right…He quietly opened his drawer and revealed a small stuffed mouse/rabbit/dog/pig/whatever. Its fur had already been worn out, but it was dust-free. Gwendal kept it clean every time with his fingers when he brushed its soft surface.
As I thought… He closed his eyes, resting his head on the chair with another exhausted sigh. He's going to be the downfall of this family…
XXX
It was afternoon, an hour after proper lunchtime, and Conrad was sitting alone in one of the double-tables in the restaurant. As usual, paperwork was on the table instead of normal food. His officers were scattered all around the place, chattering, laughing, and enjoying the moment together. Sometimes the peaceful sight could make Conrad feel really resentful. He wished he knew the secret of their carefree attitude.
Mentally scolding himself for spacing out, again, he picked up his pen and brought it close to the paper. Then a loud scream from outside made him drop it again.
Probably another street-fight, he told himself, while wondering who would have been stupid enough to start a ruckus in the presence of his infamous squad.
"What should we do, Sir?" One of his soldiers asked him.
Conrad didn't necessarily think that it was something to be fussed about, but he knew that underestimating a problem was not a nice habit to develop. Besides, he had to set the best example for all of his subordinates, who were currently watching him, waiting for his reply.
"It's your break time. Stay here. I'll go and take a look." He decided a brief moment later. He could still feel their intense stares until he reached the front door and walked out of the restaurant.
First of all, he couldn't see a thing but a large crowd forming not far from the restaurant. People were too busy watching the scene that they did not notice his presence.
"Excuse me," he asked a young girl, who happened to be standing closest to him. The girl blushed furiously the moment she saw him, and stammered a weak 'good afternoon', bowing her head deeply.
"Do you know what is going on here?" He asked, while wondering what he could do to make the girl less nervous. Smiling seemed to make it worse, and everything else didn't seem to work.
"I… I… was… well…" The girl tried her best to keep her legs steady. It helped when she didn't face the handsome man's face directly, or she would have fainted on the spot. "Umm… I… I'm… not sure… but… I think… there's a fight… over there…"
Conrad turned his eyes to the crowd. There was not enough information, but at least, his suspicions had been confirmed.
"Who are involved?" He asked again, and mentally sighed at the way she staggered at his voice.
"T—T---Two---two foreign young men… and… a… a group… of… local… thugs…"
"I see," Conrad thought of throwing her another smile along with his gratitude, but for her own sake, he left her alone with a short 'thanks' before making his way to the center of the crowd.
XXX
"Sheesh, I'm always telling you,"
Right after getting through the crowd to the center of the commotion, Conrad's eyes fell on a pair of young men in dark hoods and dark capes. The slightly taller one seemed to be trying to soothe the other down.
"Don't pick a fight in the middle of a street. Look around you. Don't you think we've gained enough attention?"
"I don't care! He stepped on my toe and asked me to compensate for his broken leg!" The other yelled furiously, trying to pry his 'partner' off. "People like him don't deserve life! I'll send him to the world of no return and---"
"Sshh! Get a grip! You've said enough!"
Their conversation was rather foreign to Conrad. From the way they spoke, it seemed that they were not from Shin Makoku. But the furious one's voice somehow sounded familiar to him.
"Alright, runt!" One of the thugs raised a finger at the troubled couple, smirking, "My friend has been suffering for long enough! You have to pay for the injury your sorry ass has caused now so we can take him to the hospital!"
"Why you---" The shorter foreigner radiated his fury; it almost seemed like he had never been called a 'runt' before, nor had he ever been referred to as a 'sorry ass' in his life, which was probably the truth. One of the foreigners produced a black wand from the thin air and swung it to the bewildered thugs, emitting a blinding red glow. Only people with their sunglasses on would have been able to see the real horror coming up from the sky. A pitch black, spinning ball of nothingness was forming above their heads, and was coming closer and closer to the ground.
Knowing what was coming next, his partner deftly reached for his own white wand and raised it to the sky, closing his eyes during his brief chant. And POOF!
For a moment, the thugs thought that the sky was falling as they saw one of the clouds coming down on them. A moment later, they were buried under its soft surface.
The people who gathered around them could only blink in shock. They had seen fire magic, water magic, lightning, earth or the ice one, but it definitely was most definitely their first time witnessing a spell that could produce a clump of cotton-balls falling down from the sky!
Before everyone could recover from the shock and demand explanations, the two 'foreigners' had disappeared.
While everyone else was focusing on getting the thugs out of their 'fluffy' problem, Conrad made his way to the place where the two people had been to seek for any traces they had left behind. He quickly noticed something near his feet, before slowly picking it up in astonishment.
What…Fortunately, Conrad was used to keeping his emotions in check, especially his outward appearance. This was the only thing that kept him from exclaiming out loud his astonishment at what he had found.
XXX
For the first time during the whole day, Conrad found himself not thinking about Yuuri. The two mysterious magicians had an impossible strength that made him feel quite uneasy. Surely, they came from another part of the world, since he had never seen anything like that in his life. Although the magic appeared ridiculous to everyone, even he, who had never been blessed with the ability to perform any of them, could feel the intensity of its strength.
While his horse was making its own way back to the castle, his mind was desperately seeking for answers to his doubts. He was sure that he wouldn't be able to sleep that night over this matter.
Well, in fact, he had been having a hard time sleeping due to problems that revolved around the same person who had been occupying his mind so much recently. (Okay, there's no need to offer a pack of strawberry pocky to the person who can guess who this is since we all know who the 'mystery person' is. Besides, the prized pocky is going to be useful for the one who can reveal the second mystery: what are the problems?)
The first problem was the one Conrad could share with everyone who loved the king in the country. A few weeks before, everyone had been flabbergasted when a group of professional assassins had suddenly shown up in the castle and had attempted to murder Yuuri. Everybody thought that those ruffians had deserved it, but Conrad still regretted how he had lost his temper and had killed all of them mercilessly, with his own hands. If only he had had a little bit of patience to let the last one live, they might have been able to squeeze the information out of him.
They tried to kill Yuuri, his heart ached as he recalled what one of the assassins had said to him a moment before he had slashed his rotten life out of him.
"…instead of a king!"
Conrad flinched at the unpleasant piece of memory. At the second thought, perhaps, they had deserved even worse.
The second problem took the stage as one of the biggest, unsolved problems in Conrad's life. It had started quite innocently. Conrad hadn't expected it to grow this big. Life surely had its peculiar twists. And he was sure that he had pissed off someone up there to deserve such a fate.
"Sir,"
Conrad mentally slapped himself for another dozing off session. Fortunately, his smart horse didn't really need him to find its own way to the castle, or they might have ended up in another region.
"We're here."
As he looked up, it took him another brief moment to make sure that it was indeed Blood Pledge Castle, not somewhere else (or he wouldn't have been able to show a straight face in front of his subordinates again). After dismissing everyone, he climbed down his smart, smart horse, gave it one last thankful pat, and turned around, going straight inside the castle.
Before Yuuri's appearance, whenever he returned from a mission, the very first thing on his mind was handling the report. It was never pleasing to write one, especially when he was dead tired after a long trip. It was the reason why he always used his break time to write it, so he could submit it right after arriving and get some rest.
There were too many things that changed in Conrad's life after Yuuri's appearance. One of them was what he was feeling at this moment. He wanted to see Yuuri's face more than anything, even more than his comfortable bed.
While his brain was on autopilot mode, trying to figure out where Yuuri could be at the moment, Gisela suddenly stepped in his way, looking both pleased and surprised at his presence. Even before she spoke a word, Conrad knew that she was going to lead him to his beloved king.
"Oh, welcome back, Sir." The girl bowed her head down politely at him, "Have you just arrived?"
Conrad smiled and gave her a nod, "Is everything okay here?"
"I suppose. Even better, if I might add," Gisela smiled brightly, "Anissina-sama is going to handle the main performance. I'm sure that everything she comes up with will be fabulous."
Nobody in the castle doubted Anissina's sense of creativity. She always came up with new and sometimes controversial stuff. But her true magic was the way she convinced everyone to follow her ideas obediently. Even Gwendal was helpless under her heel.
"By the way, Sir Weller, I have a message from His Majesty for you."
Conrad just loved the way his hunch never betrayed his expectations.
"He wants you to see him right away after arriving. I think he's in the main hall at this moment, but…"
Conrad restrained his feet from turning away and running straight to his king's place while keeping the modest smile on his face.
"…But of course, you're allowed to get changed first…" Gisela's eyes were fixed on his damp uniform. The sun was stinging outside, and the color of his outfit just helped him absorb the heat even more. "…Or take a bath. Yes. Maybe a hot bath will be better. I'll tell him about your arrival soon."
Giving the girl another appreciative nod, Conrad finally proceeded towards his next destination.
XXX
There was no reason for anybody; I repeat, anybody, to be lurking around somebody else's bathroom unless he was 1) a maniac/pervert 2) a rabid fan of the 'somebody else' 3) both. Although the authentic-ness of the statement had been long guaranteed by many random philosophers, Yuuri still found it hard to accept that he was somewhere inside the three categories, so he created another category that was specially reserved for ones of his type: 4) a curious teenager. There, it sounded much better. It didn't make him feel less guilty for making it this far, though.
Conrad is taking a bath inside…
He brought a hand up to make sure that his nose hadn't reacted to his 'normal-healthy-teenager-active-imagination' the statement had provoked. Right after Gisela had informed him about Conrad's arrival, and that he had intended to take a bath before meeting him, the devil inside of him had managed to take over his body, and POOF! There he was: standing in front of the bathroom while the angel and the demon inside of him were having another deadly combat. He didn't rely on the angel too much, though. After all, he was a demon king. Wouldn't it make him the most evil of all?
Getting fed up with his worries; Yuuri inhaled another deep, deep breath before placing one hand on the door. However, it still refused to push, knowing that its owner was far from ready. Biting his bottom lip, Yuuri retreated and returned to his previous stance. A few months before, he would have been able to enter without hesitation, knowing that he would have been able to put up a straight face and act casually around the man. But in his current state, it felt impossible to cover up his excitement. The last thing he wanted was Conrad catching him red-handed staring and nosebleed-ing at his naked form. Besides, he hadn't come up with a good reason to intrude someone else's bath. It had to be a real good, reasonable reason that he couldn't wait until Conrad was done.
Yuuri closed his eyes, trying to put some random strings together in his mind, swapping each with another until it felt natural enough. It still didn't sound quite right, but he could already imagine what kind of face, tone and attitude he was going to mask himself with once he was inside. Surprisingly, he had prepared with precautions in case something happened. After contemplating for a few more moments, Shibuya Yuuri, Harajuku Fuuri, was officially ready to face one of the hardest challenges in his puberty.
As he braced himself to step inside, he realized that he still had his eyes closed, half-terrified, half-excited of what he was about to see. He could smell water and Conrad's scent. It took him another brief moment to soothe his nerves down. Since he could not do a thing about his blushing face, he'd just blame the heat when Conrad asked him about it. He wasn't sure if Conrad shared the bathroom with the others or not, but five in the evening wasn't exactly everyone's favorite bath-time, so Yuuri assumed that there was nobody else in the room at the moment. …To think about it… it had been a bit too quiet…
Yuuri opened his eyes and was greeted by the sight of a large pool of hot water. The bathroom looked almost similar than the one that was reserved for him, only that it was slightly smaller. Since he was not there to observe the bathroom, he immediately looked around and tried to find any signs of Conrad, but even after he reached the brink of the pool, he still couldn't spot the brunet anywhere.
Strange… He scanned the whole room again, and once more, failed to recognize any signs of another living thing inside. Did I come to the wrong room?
His mental question was answered in a rather violent way. He didn't even have enough time to gasp as he felt 'something', or rather, 'someone' push him toward the pool. Faintly during the brief moment when his brain was struggling for air and recollecting his scattered senses, he could hear two more splashes after his.
As soon as he got to his feet and brought his upper body out of the water, his eyes roamed around to find the culprits who had just made him take his second bath of the day. He held his breath as he saw two tiny figures surface, unmoving, looking as good as dead. Overcoming his shock, Yuuri hesitantly approached one of the doll-sized figures and gaped.
…What?…
XXX
Conrad was used to recognizing people from the sound of their footsteps. He developed the ability during his sleepless nights, whenever senseless paranoia forced him to stay alert, or when bad dreams made him jump out of his bed to check up on Yuuri in his room.
After countless sessions of observation, he learned that when the steps sounded light, sometimes sloppy and cheery, it was Yuuri. Firm and fast steps were Wolfram's, his personality imbued in every part of himself. It intrigued him most that Gwendal and Gunter's were the most soundless ones. Gwendal: because he had an unexpected gentle side underneath the stern leader figure; Gunter: because he had an unexpected manly quality underneath the clown-like attitude. It was something of a twist to think that Gwendal could be a lot gentler when no one was looking and Gunter was more careful and thoughtful than he looked. Snapping out of his reverie, Conrad took note that these hazy and careful steps were definitely…
"You've been taking baths a lot lately, I see."
Buttoning up the last button of his white shirt, Conrad didn't bother to hide his grumpiness.
"For the last time, Yozak, please KNOCK."
The redhead only grinned playfully as he casually approached his superior and stood beside him, watching their reflections in the mirror. The fact that Conrad rarely bothered to smile when Yuuri wasn't around really amused him. Thinking about it, it had been one of the reasons why he had teased the brunet for having special feelings to their new king for the first time. Like a schoolgirl having her first crush, Conrad refused to show any weaknesses in front of Yuuri, and it was just beyond cute.
"I've seen you naked. Don't be shy." He decided to annoy the man more before getting to the main subject. Looking at Conrad's tensed face, Yozak felt incredibly lucky that a sword hadn't run through his forehead yet. Yet.
"I would really appreciate it if you would kindly inform me of the reason for your visit."
Oh, shiver. The more polite Conrad was, the closer he was to the gate of hell. Yeah, heaven would be way too boring for the likes of him.
"We haven't talked to each other for a long time and I can't visit you without a reason? I thought we were the best of friends!" Yozak feigned a wounded look as he settled himself on the bed, trying to distract his commander from working on the buttons of his uniform by batting his eyelashes.
Conrad's expression darkened at the reflection in the mirror, but he still seemed patient enough not to kick the happily grinning man out of his room. After all, they had been friends for so many years. He knew that he should have been used to Yozak's antics, but the redhead was just too creative for his own good. He would always find a new technique each time to get on his nerves. The eyelashes-trick was an old, but most annoying, one though.
"I have to go soon. If you want to talk, do it later." He tightened his belt around his slender waist, feeling a lot more comfortable with the weight of his sword and that he had found an excuse to escape his subordinate's pranks.
Yozak didn't look disappointed as he stood up and was prepared to leave, "I see, I see. King's orders are first priority. I'm still hurt that you're ditching me, though."
Conrad ignored him as he reached for the written report on the table, intending to deliver it before going to meet Yuuri. He flipped through the neatly organized papers to make sure that he hadn't left anything behind and had put his seal on it properly. For a moment, the two mysterious foreigners came back to his mind. As Conrad made a note to talk to Gwendal about it, his report had been snatched away from his hand.
"I'll take care of this for you," Yozak quickly remarked at his commander's deadly glare, "King Yuuri has been waiting, hasn't he? Wouldn't it be wise not to let him wait for too long?"
It was not that he didn't trust Yozak, but Conrad couldn't help hesitating. Yozak was never a helpful person to begin with, and the man was the type who normally didn't just help others without given an order to do so. If the report had contained something more important than the promotion of the party, he would have taken it back and insisted on delivering it himself. However, in this case, he didn't think that persistence was necessary, so he just heaved out another sigh and nodded, ignoring the dreadfully suspicious smirk on the other party's face.
"Thank you for your hard work." His expression said something altogether different, though. Rather than expressing his gratitude, the remark seemed more like a warning to Yozak to not mess around with his report and deliver it right away.
"Leave it to me," Yozak batted his eyelashes one last time as he exited the room, "And good luck, Romeo."
It had sounded like Yozak's casual teasing line in the beginning, until realization hit Conrad straight on the head.
There had never been a Shakespeare in Shin Makoku.
XXX
Murata had been busy drying his hair with the towel Yuuri had given him a moment ago, while Wolfram had stopped scrubbing, placed his towel on the top of his head as his fiery red eyes roamed around the familiar room, valuing everything he saw quietly.
Yuuri huffed quietly in relief as he had gotten his wet uniform replaced. There actually was a tall stack of the same outfit in his dresser, but Yuuri decided to go with his daily shirt instead. Murata openly displayed his amusement as he appreciated the cute yellow duck on the front side of the over-sized white shirt, despite the blue-version of the same shirt he was wearing, and the red-version one Wolfram had. All of them had the same 'QUACK!' printed on the backside 72-Arial Black with matching color for each version. Yuuri was about to pull the orange shorts out of his informal clothing stack as he realized that Gunter wouldn't be pleased at the new outfit. So Yuuri reached for the black trousers instead and put them on.
"So," The king approached his guests and sat on the seat, facing both young men with curiosity, "can you explain what's happening? Well, I'm kinda used to weird things since I came to this place… but still…"
Murata didn't look at his brother for blessing. Wolfram was probably still sulking after the unsuccessful teleportation and the ruckus they had caused in the middle of the town.
"First of all, I'd like to thank you for saving my brother and I," he started, smiling good-naturedly, "Actually, we have nothing against hot water, only that it makes us shrink and lose our power."
"I wouldn't go anywhere near any hot springs if I were you." Yuuri held back a grimace at the indistinctness of the statement. The 'shrinking' part wasn't really bad, actually. Thanks to that, he had been able to sneak both guys up in to his room without getting too much attention. He remembered seeing Murata in his dream, and somehow, he knew that it wasn't the same Murata he had made friends with in the other world. They were pretty much identical, though.
Then he turned to the 'Wolfram' guy and once more, wondered how the young man could have looked so similar to the Wolfram he knew. Even the way he frowned at him was the same. Shin Makoku never failed to surprise him, he guessed.
"And your name is also Wolfram? Unbelievable." He subconsciously muttered his thought out, provoking another annoyed glare from the blond. For a moment, Yuuri thought that he was going to get yelled at. But all Wolfram did was pull the damp towel down before glancing at him as if he was the one to blame for that. Murata only chuckled at Yuuri's utterly clueless expression.
"Anyway, we came here for a vacation." The older fairy explained, "I was hoping to take my cute little brother around the universe during our holiday. After seeing you, we plan to resume our trip to another place. I hope we're not a bother."
"What are you saying? It's okay! And you have to know that your timing is perfect!" Yuuri's eyes glinted at the mention of his favorite word, "Actually I was going to ask you to stay here for a while. We are going to hold the biggest party of the year in less than one month. It'll be great if both of you stay here to attend it. How does that sound?"
"Really? Oh, we feel so blessed. Don't you think we're lucky, Wolfram?" Of course Murata had specially picked the occasion for his visit, but he decided to pretend that he hadn't known about it at all. Wolfram snorted at his big brother's spotless smile, recalling how the raven-haired young man had been endlessly chattering about the mentioned festival the night before.
"I'll give away one of my wings if you find our trip boring." Murata had confidently remarked, "And the other wing if the stupid couple couldn't keep you entertained."
Wolfram sulkily humph-ed as he stole another glance at one of the 'stupid couple', who was obliviously chatting with his brother about various random things. Being a remarkable genius his brother was, he had actually expected him to always say the right thing (frivolous lies were excluded). And of course, making off-hand bets was out of a genius' field, especially when the precious wings were put on the line. It was one of the reasons why he was secretly expecting a lot from this vacation. It sounded even more promising when he realized that Yuuri hadn't regained his memories during his unconscious state. The corner of his lips tugged with an almost unnoticeable smirk. For the sake of his brother's cherished transportation device, the two had better give him the best performance he had ever witnessed.
"What? A train?"
Finally, Wolfram was able to catch the current subject of their pointless conversation. It appeared that the fact that he and his brother had used a train to reach this world was too shockingly simple for the young king. Watching Yuuri's half-bewildered, half-disappointed face, Wolfram wondered what the demon king could have had his mind. Yuuri seemed like the type who liked to exaggerate everything he heard, though…
"You mean you didn't get flushed in a girl's toilet, swiveled under water, tossed on to hard ground and attacked by some rabid villagers for the color of your uniform?" Yuuri sounded like he was close to breaking down and cry, "That's so unfair!"
Wolfram rolled his eyes. It was part of the promised entertainment, he guessed. Actually, he kinda found the way Murata was awkwardly trying to comfort the heartbroken king amusing. Fortunately, he turned his eyes away just in time before his brother turned to him, silently begging for his support.
"Water transport is actually not that bad…" The pet-pats on the head continued as the older fairy tried to find the right statement to rationalize his previous declaration, "It's less… err… time-consuming… more practical… and free of charge… and… err…"
Wolfram only shrugged at his big brother's stern glare, remarking his exact thought mildly, "I still prefer train, though."
And Yuuri brooded more at the cruel, cruel thing called 'fate'.
XXX
Anissina was well-known for her powerful concentration and imagination. As much as it was recommended to see Cheri for expert love-advice, you were encouraged to see Anissina when you needed something new to be created. Given the super-important task to arrange the main performance of the party, Anissina was facing a new challenge to advance her creativity, which she was grateful for. It was one of the professions she hadn't tried yet: a theater director. Oh, the joy of manipula---I mean, directing the actors and actresses to act out her wick---creative script…
As expected from the rumors about Anissina's infamous concentration state, Cheri expected the other lady not to notice her at all as she gracefully let her personal bodyguard open the door for her and entered the room, greeted by the sight of the wrecked library. As if the room had just been visited by a hurricane, papers, pens, books, encyclopedias and dust were scattered randomly about. It was a bit of a wonder to her as she spotted a thick dictionary hanging by the windowsill with a remarkable balance between both sides of the 453-page long book. How it had managed to remain equalized with an odd number of pages was still a mystery for any random anime-detectives to solve (since real-life detectives only go for sadistic murders and stolen jewels).
Anissina was sitting in front of her desk, looking deep in thought. Neat, melodic 'tic and tac' sounds could be heard whenever she bent forward to work with her typing machine. With a wide, knowing smile, Cheri made her way to her friend's place, ignoring some random important historical papers she might have been violating under her flashy red high-heels. Just before she settled down on the stool next to the red-haired lady, she astonishingly noticed the empty trashcan. Not even wasting a single paper, Anissina must have been at her prime.
Cheri intended to wait until Anissina was done with her last page, but it seemed that the strong scent of her new perfume had completely disrupted Anissina's infamous concentration. Looking impassively confident as usual, Anissina turned to her side and smiled at her former queen, who was having a rare guilty look in her eyes for what she had just done.
"I'm sorry for not noticing your presence sooner, Lady Cheri." Anissina only gave her a slight appreciative bow, regarding their current crammed position, "What can I help you with?"
Cheri quickly shook her head and gestured her to ignore her and resume her work, "I'm so sorry. I didn't mean to disturb you."
"Don't blame yourself. I only stopped because I had no idea what else to write down." She would have sounded convincing enough if Cheri hadn't known her and her never drying pool of ideas. "I'm glad that you're here. Could you please take a look and tell me what you think?"
The guilt in the ex-Maou's face was replaced by a happy gleam. Pleased at the effect from her remark, Anissina returned to face her typing machine, took off the paper she had been working on carefully, piled it up along with its forerunners before handing the unfinished work over to the enthusiastic-looking blonde.
A moment after reading the first line, Cheri had started to feel confused. She wasn't sure how to spell the title, but it sounded weird either way.
"R---ROM---ROMERO---AND---JU---JURRYETTA?"
"Romeo and Juliet," Anissina corrected, not sounding mocking at all. Actually, she had spelled it with an exactly same sound the moment Yuuri had come up with it for the first time, "His Majesty said that it was the most famous, cliché script which everyone must have ever heard/played/watched/read at least once in their life. I found its popularity intriguing, so I asked him to tell me more about it. It sounds quite promising, actually."
"I suppose it's a love story. Romance is everlasting." Cheri chuckled mildly as she flipped through the neatly organized papers and went straight to the last page. The cheeriness on her face faltered as she carefully reread the words, over and over in disbelief.
"Eee??? No way! You were not trying to kill them, were you???" Losing the very last bit of dignity in her tone, she turned her glassy, puppy eyes to the calmly smiling lady, begging for mercy, "I thought we agreed to never work on tragedies! They're way too evil!"
"Don't worry. I won't use it for our performance." Anissina's tone remained steady, "The one you're holding is the original script from what I've heard from His Majesty's story."
Cheri was still pouting, placing the script back on the desk with a childlike disgusted expression. She looked like a four-year-old who had just spit the candy with her most disliked flavor out, only that her advantageous features allowed her to look slightly womanly cuter. "Promise me you'll not use this?"
Anissina gave her a firm nod, still smiling, "I'll rewrite it and make it more enjoyable." It sounded more like making a totally off-plot story of it, actually. After all, it had been a tragedy to begin with.
"That's brilliant! I know I can trust you to make the best performance!" A bright smile returned to the blonde's face as she clapped her hands, confirming the conclusion to their problem, "How about the cast then? Have you decided on them?"
"Sure. I have also been thinking about it." Anissina picked the dejected script up and reinserted the latest page back in to her typing machine, "Actually, I've been thinking of getting His Majesty as one of the major roles. Geinzers love beautiful things, and I think they'll really appreciate it."
"Kyaaa! His Majesty is going to look so pretty in a dress! I'll help him put it on myself!" Cheri squealed in delight, ignoring the fact that Anissina hadn't mentioned anything about giving him the female leading role at all, "How about the others?"
The red-haired woman made another thinking face, "I've been considering some difficult choices, and I still can't decide. It might be tougher than I expected, especially that we barely have enough time to get prepared."
Cheri only hummed a pointed thinking 'hmmmm…' sound, letting her friend have her own brief moment to finish the original script before moving on to the altered version.
As Anissina pulled the completed paper out, inserted the new one and looked up, she had been able to read most of the blonde's thoughts. It was how she kept her face impassive as the foretold statement flowed out, almost too fluently.
"…Can I suggest something regarding the problem?"
A shiver caused the previously drowsy guard's eyes snap wide open, as he hastily stomped away to obtain his mother's handmade sweater (with love in each strand, yes, that amount of love that would protect you in the middle of a storm of wicked ideas and devious plots).
A rather creepy, loud, un-Anissina-like laughter could be heard not long after.
XXX
Ignorance is bliss.
Some people would only snort at the famous quote, some would say that it was irresponsible, some would have agreed somewhere between half and three-quarters way, while the rest would carve it on their walls, using it as a personal living guidance.
The most ironic part of this quote was that the actual worshippers of it were also the people who didn't know/(try to) remember/care about the quote itself. Yuuri was probably the best example you could ever find walking on earth. A moment before, you would have found him weeping at his cruel, cruel fate, and in less than five minutes, he was already back on his feet, chattering cheerfully about the upcoming party that he was quite excited about.
"---And of course I was upset hearing that those good-for-nothing-but-leeching aristocrats refused to attend a party with common people. Then I told everyone this: 'I don't think it's necessary to convince the people. It'd be better to leave them out of the festivities and in remorse while we have a fun party…' (Roll up to verify each exact word), and…"
It would have been rude to interrupt Yuuri at his very prime moment, to which Wolfram had decided to unleash another of their special abilities that would probably have sounded quite enviable to us.
"Bro, make him stop."
Murata looked slightly taken aback at the sudden voice ringing in his head. Without looking up to Wolfram's eyes to confirm it, he replied.
"Can't. He looks so happy. Wait a little longer."
Wolfram was glaring black-holes now, but Yuuri looked oblivious and Murata pointedly ignored him.
"It has been one goddamn hour! Are you sure that he's still talking about that same goddamn meeting?"
"Great authors extend one simple kissing scene to a 10-page essay, you know."
Wolfram rolled his eyes. "Then make him write it out so I can burn it and send its remains back."
"JUST. WAIT."
The blond was contemplating which necessary blackmail material to convince his big brother when several polite knocks could be heard on the door. Never in his life had he ever imagined this 'saved-by-a-lowly-human's-knock' situation, although it didn't make him feel less grateful. He even almost smiled at the flushing messenger who looked quite traumatized at the sight of three bishounens, wearing similar cute, oversized shirts, in the same room.
"Is something wrong?" The oblivious king asked, as unaware as usual as he turned around and approached him, spreading the previously face-centered blush to every little part of the poor messenger's body.
"Ha, he has a fetish for cute things I see."Murata only chuckled at his brother's comment as he brought his towel up once more to wrap his raven-colored hair. There was no need to horrify the poor young man more by playing Maou.
"H---Her Highness---Lady Cheri----requested your presence in the Main Hall right away." The messenger managed to stammer; his eyes were still fixed on the cute duck on Yuuri's shirt.
"I understand." Yuuri turned to his guests, wondering where he should 'keep' them while he was away. But then, the answer came from the most unexpected source.
"Sir Wolfram and your guest can come too." The messenger was now staring at both guys sitting in the back. He must have been feeling quite dazed at the moment that he had forgotten that it was rude to stare. "And one more thing, Your Majesty."
"Yes?"
"Please use the backstage door."
XXX
As the number of people in the huge hall increased, Conrad was repeatedly reminded at how grateful he was for Gisela's concern and to suggest a bath for him earlier. The room that should have been able to hold hundreds of people suddenly felt quite stuffy with only a relatively small number of chosen people who had been ordered to assemble there. Most probably, the increasing heat was caused by Anissina's attempt to keep the room dark for better stage lighting effect. She had closed all the windows and most of the ventilation to avoid the afternoon sunray. Conrad was sure that she had also known about this 'little' temperature problem, so he assumed that the gathering would not take a long time, or she had prepared something really amazing to make the people forget about the heat and only focus on the stage, which was quite unlikely, he guessed.
"Stupid wimp…"
Conrad turned to his side and saw his younger brother, looking aggravated, gluing his emerald eyes on the entrance door. Both fists were clenched in his lap while he was impatiently waiting for his sluggish fiancé who hadn't shown any signs of his presence at all. Conrad decided not to irritate the blond more with any words of reassurance he had been preparing at the brink of his tongue. The heat was really unhealthy for people with short tempers like Wolfram's, he guessed. He silently wished for Yuuri to not show up at this wrong moment and choose to wait until Wolfram's mood got better.
Diverting his attention away from his fuming little brother, he turned to his left side and saw Gwendal, wearing his usual knitted eyebrowsTM while busying himself doing paperwork. Looking at the way Gunter was sorely trying to keep his fans entertained by signing autographs and doing lots and lots of handshakes, it was very possible for Gwendal's fan club to have invaded the place too. After all, Gwendal was never famous for being sociable. He had never walked out in public without a dozen personal bodyguards around him, day and night. Still, he had once heard from an admirer that it was actually one of one million reasons to adore the man. Women fell for the men they couldn't possess, as natural law stated. And Gwendal was pretty much certified as that 'sexily standoffish antagonist' (Cheri had invented the phrase).
Conrad only held back an amused smile as that sexy frown of his brother's successfully chased another frantic fan away. Women always got what they wanted, he noted briefly. So he just stayed silent and let his brother think that scaring his fans away would set him free from them someday, while all his attempts actually multiplied the number of people who would die happy after earning one of his infamous death glares.
Turning his eyes further beside Gunter, was Gisela. Well, she was technically sitting beside Gunter, but was also practically out of Gunter's reach. With his rabid fans surrounding him, and Gisela's own surrounding her, they were drowned in a world of their own. Only that Gisela was a big smarter with her HERFM - IYLMTLM (Highly Effective Rabid Fans Management, If You Love Me Then Listen to Me). She played her role as an idol quite well, as numerous infatuated teenagers were shoving each other to win the ticket to become her personal slave. Life just couldn't get funnier when it involved a lot of people without a brain in their skulls.
Skipping several people he didn't really know, he finally saw Yozak, who was winking at him with a wide, suggestive smile. He decided that it was probably a bad idea trying to find him and immediately took a 180-degree flip and saw Wolfram's squad full-throttle spreading flying kisses and autographs to their fans while repeatedly stealing glances at their sullen leader.
It took another brief moment for Conrad to realize that the room definitely felt stuffed, aside from the air-deficiency, was the flood of fans-boys&girls coming in to the room to meet their idols. It was like they were having a press conference or some Film Festival Award rather than an official meeting. Scratch that. They were not making blockbusters before Anissina invented everything necessary for making one.
"You look so cute when you're spacing out."
Conrad felt his lips curving up at the gentle, warm hands on his shoulders. Whether he was ten, fifty or one hundred years-old, its soothing warmth had never changed.
"Where have you been?" He asked without looking up, bringing one hand up to brush the pale soft hand.
"I was at Anissina's place." Cheri replied mildly, "We were preparing for the main performance."
"You're responsible for that?"
"Anissina is. I'm merely her assistant." The gorgeous blonde smiled as she bent down and cuddled her son lovingly. It would have been very easy for any stranger to mistake them for an affectionate couple, but since everyone there knew them, they only stared at the lovely scene with a wide smile. Wolfram was technically pouting, but he was not any less pleased than the others. Well, a bit envious maybe, but never resenting.
"Is everything going well?" Conrad asked, enjoying the relaxed feeling of being in his mother's arms again. But Cheri didn't answer him this time, and only tightened her hold instead. It was then Conrad started to feel something strange from her. The way she had suddenly approached and embraced him… it felt like a silent apology.
"Mother…" he tried to not sound too demanding, "Is something…"
"Ladies and Gentlemen,"
Anissina's voice had successfully broken everyone's concentration from whatever activity they had been doing a moment before. Conrad turned his eyes back to the front to find a now properly curtained stage. Anissina could be seen with her microphone on the right side of the stage, and appeared somehow distracted with something else behind the thick, red curtains.
"Before we start the meeting, anyone who has not been summoned here shall leave or be escorted out."
Hundreds of fanboys and girls moaned loudly at the order, but obeyed and left quietly, leaving plenty of air and space for Conrad to breathe properly now.
"Now that all outsiders have left, let the real party begin."
Several gasps could be heard when all the lights were turned off, leaving only one bright spotlight focusing on the stage. But nothing could be seen yet.
"First of all, we'd like to congratulate you, because you're on the top-fifty list of the best-looking people we've specially picked to join us in the main performance for our festival next month."
Conrad could hear loud cheers from behind him. For someone who had just been complimented for being good-looking, Gwendal was cursing quite visibly (apparently, like others, he hadn't been told about the subject of said meeting). Gunter and Gisela seemed pleased, while Wolfram still looked as sullen as before since Yuuri hadn't arrived yet.
"And oh, guards, please let no one out before we're done. I mean, NOT a single soul," Anissina spoke calmly as she flashed her eyes to Gwendal who was trying to leave and tip-toeing towards the exit. The usually composed man shivered and cursed once more before obediently returning to his seat and growling at a chuckling Conrad.
"In case you haven't heard about it, our main performance is going to be a sentimental, touching, bittersweet love story between a young loving couple, Romeo and Juliet, whose star-crossed relationship was opposed by the people around them. It is going to be the ultimate romantic theatrical production of the year, where all people involved are going to put their pride and dignity on the line. Keep in mind that you are chosen people; therefore, consider yourself privileged, if you make it past the cast audition."
More cheers could be heard, followed by loud, loud clapping sounds. Anissina really knew how to stir people in to working for her, that was for sure. But, being the ambitious woman she was, she was not pleased enough at the positive reaction. She needed more astonishment and disbelieving gasps and heart-failures to satisfy her ego. A sly smirk surfaced onto her face as she stole another glance at the carefully closed curtains.
Anissina's smirk wasn't left unnoticed, and Conrad was positively wary, while the other bigger part was very curious of what the woman intended to do. He looked around in the dimness to see if a huge net-trap had been set to capture all the people in the room to become her guinea pigs for her latest invention. Thankfully, he couldn't sense any. His curiosity grew dangerously bigger as the curtains were being pulled apart, excruciatingly slowly.
"Before going to the crucial point of our meeting this time, let me present the major female role for our performance,"
Everyone was soon too deaf with the sound of their thumping hearts to listen to anything Anissina had to say, as the annoying curtains finally got out of their way, revealing the prettiest, cutest, most adorable princess they had ever witnessed in their previously oblivious Narcissistic lifestyles. The sight of the little gorgeous princess had definitely snapped them out of whatever ego they had been clutching on, and sent them straight to the most bottom part of their self-worth. Nothing entertained Anissina more than the priceless sight of good-looking people gaping at another beautiful creature without the slightest indication of envy in their eyes. It was just pure adoration.
Cheri was quite proud of her handiwork of making the heavenly sight possible. The fitting white turtleneck dress almost looked like a wedding dress, only that it looked a bit more modest with long-sleeves, less laces and ribbons. She especially liked the hair accessories, a waist-length chocolate wig that had been carefully held back by a glittery matching-colored net-bandanna. And sadly, for someone who had just desperately fought for his dignity as a male, Yuuri was playing his role beyond well. Showing no sign of struggling to keep steady in his glass high-heel shoes, the princess---err, king, with the most dignified womanly attitude he could muster, was standing in the middle of the stage with his shoulders relaxed, his arms slightly crossed in front of him, and his small hands clutching each other. The sheepish smile on his face improved his appearance almost dramatically. And when he felt bold enough to wave a hand, the crowd went wild.
Five minutes, thirty one seconds later (which felt exactly like fifty years to Yuuri), Anissina finally managed to 'soothe' the newly-recruited rabid fans with her recently invented disastrous biological weapon (wonderful violence: the easy solution to almost anything – nobody sue me for this line, okay?) and introduced the star properly.
"As you have all seen," she looked incredibly calm for someone who had just about performed mass murder and created a dead-town, "His Majesty has been chosen to play Juliet, the major female character. Don't you think it's the perfect choice?"
People started to nod furiously, never letting the mentally moaning boy off their predatory sights.
"Now that you have seen what we have to offer," another smirk surfaced on the redhead's face, but this time, everyone was too occupied to notice it, "it's your turn to show us what you have to offer to win a night as his temporary lover. How does that sound?"
TBC