"I love you as certain dark things are to be loved, in secret - between the shadow and the soul."

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PROLOGUE

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Sweat glistened on his forehead as trembling hands swept away dark damp locks from fluttering obsidian eyes. His heart wildly throbbed in his ribcage like a tempest. A hard solid fist collided against the cool stone wall; he took the growing pain in his hand as a welcomed distraction. A light metallic scent filled the air around him and warm red liquid seeped between his knuckles.

His skin was on fire. A string of curses tumbled out sanguinary lips followed by a sharp hiss. Another delectable shiver ran down his spine as he yearned for the delicious friction between their skins and the overwhelming heat that pooled to the pit of his stomach along with the want for some sort of release. Just thinking about it, made him burn with passion, desire, and maybe shame but that was the last thing on his mind.

A bright flash followed by excruciating pain had him staggering. He slid down the stone wall, hands flying to his temples. His head was killing him; tiny orbs of white swam in his vision. He wouldn't go down without a fight. Not when he has come this close.

Something is amiss.

That was his first thought when he awoke. Wolfram sat up from the gorgeously upholstered divan and ran his hand through his damp and messy blonde locks. An inexplicable taste of metal permeated his mouth and verdant green eyes narrowed. He fell asleep at the library table, he recalled - the military book he was reading earlier lay face down below where his face had been. His blue uniform jacket was still draped elegantly on the chair across from him right where he last remembered leaving it but what bothered him was his current state of undress. Sure he was a violent sleeper. He tossed, turned and even punched and kicked (Yes, punched and kicked) in his sleep but he has never recalled ever waking up in this state. His white button down dress shirt was torn open. A few buttons littered the intricately patterned rug along with his cravat – and his belt. Yes, his belt – which he doesn't recall ever unbuckling. He was having an afternoon nap, damn it! How did he end up in this state? He quickly checked his pants and realized that they we're not only unbuttoned but also unzipped. Wolfram tensed but forced himself to relax.

How long was he out? He glanced at the decorative wall clock hanging on top of the ornately carved wooden door. It was half past three in the afternoon. No time to dwell on it now. He'll think about it later besides, he felt fine. Greta's lessons are already over and Wolfram knew that she was most likely already on her way over to the library to meet him. They're heading down to the town square to do a bit of shopping for Greta's two week-long stay over at Cavalcade with her best friend Beatrice. They're trying to get her accustomed to it before she starts studying at a boarding school there next spring. He stood up, buttoned and zipped his pants then picked up his cravat and belt. In the middle of his second attempt to close his shirt and modestly clothe himself, Greta energetically bounced into the room.

"Yuuri finished his paperwork early! I just saw him down the hall and he says he'll go to the town square with us and - Wolfram, what happened to your clothes?" Greta bit her lip and looked on worriedly.

Greta was sitting on the bed fingering the lace hem of her skirt when her other father, Yuuri walked into his and Wolfram's shared bedroom.

"Is Wolfram done?" Yuuri asked just as Greta jumped into his arms.

"Yuuri!" She pecked his cheek. "Almost, I think. He tore his shirt a while ago." She added with a concerned expression on her face.

"Tore his shirt…." Yuuri didn't get to finish as Wolfram casually strode back in the room now wearing his casual green tunic. "I'm almost done, wimp!" He sat on the bed and quickly pulled on his boots. "Don't call me a wimp!" Yuuri automatically retorted. The blond picked up his hairbrush from the dresser and quickly ran it through his hair. Wolfram noticed his fiancé's apprehensive gaze. "I was napping and..."

"Oh! I see." Yuuri brightened in sudden realization. He knew how bad Wolfram's sleeping habits were. After all, they've been bed-mates since his first week as Maou in Shin Makoku. He usually woke up from Wolfram's flying fists and sudden kicks; it wouldn't be strange at all if Wolfram tore his shirt a bit being the violent sleeper he is.

"Ne, hurry up! The stores will close if we don't go now!" Greta pouted her lip cutely looking at her two fathers. "Beatrice really liked the maou-maou popping candy rocks we got last time when she visited us, so I really want to get her some of those and also some maou-manju since it's hard to find those at Cavalcade!"

Black eyes met green in a silent understanding. Yuuri and Wolfram walked out of the room with their adopted daughter Greta prattling between them. Unbeknownst to the three - a lone hooded figure was watching their every move.

Conrad couldn't help but grin. It's been a while since the royal family had been together like this. It was pleasing to see Yuuri and Wolfram fawning over their daughter as she frantically ran from shop to shop. He took a quick glance at the guards that accompanied them as they carried boxes of assorted sizes back to the royal carriage; one of them was his orange haired friend, Yozak who threw him a playful wink. This must be what they call the calm before the storm. It was a sad thought but it was the truth. This might be the last time those two can be together like this. He'd watch them like he always did and burned this moment in his memory. They might forget but he will remember.

A slight disturbance to his left had him snapping to attention, his hands automatically flying to the hilt of his sword. Yozak was immediately at his side, ready to draw his sword as well. Someone was watching them. Brown eyes hardened as they scanned the lively crowd of townsfolk for any suspicious characters. The orange haired muscular spy beside him did the same. "Conrad! Yozak! Ne, Conrad!" – The brunet soldier turned his head back. "Is something wrong?" His godson stood there looking anxious.

"You're looking good today, bocchan." Yozak good naturedly teased followed by a whistle.

"Yozak! You think so? Wolfram bought it for me and insisted I wear it right away." Yuuri shyly grinned looking a bit embarrassed.

"It suits you, Heika." Conrad complimented. His younger brother had good taste. The jacket suited their young king very well.

"That's Yuuri to you, Conrad." The young Maou pulled on the collar and sleeves of his new black jacket, looking pleased. Its sleeves and collar are delicately embroidered in dark silver threads and embellished with small brilliant sapphire stones and opals.

"Hai, Yuuri." Conrad replied with a smile. Yuuri headed to a nearby outdoor café with Conrad following behind him. He threw a meaningful glance in Yozak's direction. The muscular spy returned it with a smirk. Trouble is brewing and he's going to get to the bottom (or rather the middle) of it.

"I'm so glad I finished all that paperwork!" Yuuri exclaimed as he stretched his arms over his head. Sapphires and opals from his new jacket glistened in the sunlight. The 19 year old Maou has grown into a fine young man in the past four years. Soft boyish features have morphed into a sharp handsome face. "Here you go, Heika." Conrad handed him a sandwich and some sort of chunky soup. "Conrad, you're the one who named me! How many times must I tell you to call me Yuuri?! You named me after all." He lightheartedly chided his godfather as he started to eat his sandwich.

"I know. Yuuri." Conrad replied; a soft smile grazed his face. They were sitting together on an outdoor café waiting for Wolfram and Greta. The pair had gone off to search for frilly dresses, frilly dresses and even more frilly dresses.

Yuuri wasn't fashion conscious and knew nothing about the current fashion trends in Shin Makoku clothing unlike his fiancé who apparently is some sort of style leader in this world. Yes, his accidental fiancé - Wolfram von Bielefeld. Their engagement has dragged on to four years before he knew it. He wants to break it off but things just kept happening all around them. The war between humans and demons, Soushu, Shinou, Alazon and Janus, then there's also the mess with the boxes and of course Saralegui of Small Cimaron among other things.

Through the years he somehow found himself accustomed to having Wolfram around at all times. The blond constantly followed him, scolded him, and invaded his personal space. Truth be told, he found Wolfram very attractive, more so than any man or woman he has ever laid eyes on.

At first he thought of Wolfram as a mere pretty boy but the more time they spent together, the more he realized that the word pretty did not suit the other boy well. Wolfram was not pretty; he was definitely not just moderately attractive nor was he simply pleasing or plain noticeable. Wolfram is what he'd call beautiful in a warm and endearing way that made Yuuri want to bang his head on a table or any other plain hard surface nearby, run like a madman and sometimes even jump off a cliff. He was dazzling in a way that Yuuri found hard to explain. He was kind, gentle and attentive towards their daughter Greta. Always making sure to spend time with her amidst his busy schedule and attend to her every need. He was loyal to Yuuri maybe even more so than his godfather Conrad; always ready to help him, support him, guide him and above all believe in him. With Wolfram, he felt like he had an equal. He wasn't the all powerful majestic king of Shin Makoku, he was only Yuuri - naive, clumsy and spontaneous. Yes – he already long admitted to himself that he is indeed extremely attracted to his accidental fiancé but only in a purely aesthetic sense, Wolfram is a boy after all.

He greatly valued and treasured the fair prince, they are very good friends after all. But the more he thought about it – about them, the more he felt that it was really just wrong. Not only was the engagement a mistake brought about in the heat of the moment, the two of them weren't even in love. Moreover, two guys in a relationship – not only was it odd but it also left a strange taste in his mouth. He could only think of one solution to his dilemma and that was to dissolve their engagement. He knew that he would never feel anything more than friendship for the beautiful blond. They're both quite young and he was certain that with his accidental fiancé's heavenly good looks there was bound to be someone out there (a man or a woman) who is a better match for Wolfram than he is.

Yuuri's biggest concern was how to go about and do it without being barbecued by the end of the day. He wanted to break the engagement but at the same time, he didn't want to hurt his fair-haired friend. Yuuri absentmindedly rubbed his chin. Wolfram – he noticed, seemed to have mellowed out these past few months. They still constantly argued over silly little things but he no longer called Yuuri a cheater and he also hasn't chastised him at all whenever he interacted with other men or women, for a while now. He didn't know what brought on the sudden change in the blond but it was a highly welcomed and very pleasant surprise to Yuuri. Maybe Wolfram is finally coming around. Besides, he already told Conrad about her two months ago and his godfather respected his privacy and continues to keep silent about it even now. He wanted to be the one to tell Wolfram about her. Wolfram deserved that and so much more.

Earlier That Day.

The sound of glass breaking broke him from what he surmised as a headache induced stupor. Black orbs widened as he took a step back. A pair of guards appeared behind him but he promptly dismissed them with a wave of his hand. Shards of multicolor clear glass from a fallen vase lay on the floor, casting intriguing shadows upon the stone wall.

It started with a sudden wave of unbearable heat accompanied by a sharp headache then he knew nothing more. When he came to, he found himself right where he stood now, in one of the less busy hallways of Blood Pledge Castle. How he got there, he had no clue. He felt it. Small, almost non-existent but it was most indubitably there.

He took his spectacles from his breast pocket and quickly wiped them on his sleeve before putting them on. Was that blood on his hand just now? His thoughts were broken when he spotted young Greta walking towards him. He immediately plastered a smile on his face, hands on his back before moving forward and hiding the broken vase behind him. He really hoped the young child wouldn't notice. He'd have to get one of the castle maids to clean it up later.

"Good afternoon, Geika." Yuuri and Wolfram's adopted daughter politely greeted him and curtsied.

"And a good afternoon to you too, Greta-chan." He greeted her in return, hands rubbing the back of his head. "Where are you heading to?" He asked.

"Over there at the library, Wolfram is waiting for me." The young girl pointed out, eyes sparkling and obviously excited.

"I see." He turned his head to the direction of the library situated at the end of the hall. Something stirred within him. Not good. Definitely not good, he thought.

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EXTRA NOTES:

Thank you so much for reading my first ever KKM fanfic.

Many thanks to my beta-reader, chase3136

Hope you enjoyed it^^ Please read and review!

DISCLAIMER: KKM is not mine!

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