This was suppose to be a Stoffel/Gwen bonding fic but Gwendal/Conrart sort of stole the show! Sorry-! I hope it's enjoyable anyway! :)

The flowers in the garden were in full bloom, the sun was shining and Covenant Castle was full of commotion.

The queen, Cäcilie von Spitzweg was just about ready to give birth to her second child, expecting to welcome him or her into the world within the next few weeks. Gwendal was just about ready to lose his mind from all the courtiers telling him he was going to be 'such a good big brother!' and that the little prince or princess was going to be 'sooooo cute!' he couldn't make it three feet down any hall without hearing someone commenting about the event.

However, not all of the baby-talk around the castle was positive.

Because his mother's new husband was a human there were whispers that her child, (his new brother or sister) was going to be half-human.

Rumor had it that the country and its people wouldn't allow such a distasteful birth to take place in the capitol, least of all in such an esteemed place as Covenant Castle that there might be a riot and possibly even an assassination attempt on the Queen's or her child's life. Gwendal didn't fully understand it but he got the gist as he watched his mother's servants packing her belongings for her. His mother was leaving the castle to travel to neutral territory, a place called Luttenberg to give birth.

She had to because that man was human and humans were the sworn enemy of the Demon Tribe.

"It's only for a few weeks," she had said, petting his hair as he looked up at her face past her swollen belly. "Once your brother or sister is born, we'll come back to the castle and you'll be the first to meet them."

"I don't want to meet them." Gwendal replied bitterly, "I don't understand why I have to go to Uncle Stoffel's- why can't I go with you?"

"Oh, Gwennie do not say that!" she said sternly, "You're going to be a big brother and I'm going to need your help. I'm sure Uncle Stoffel can't wait to spend time with you."

She couldn't say it... but she was sending her little prince to her brother's manor to ensure- (should the worst happen) that at least her first born son would be safe.

"I'm sure once you finally meet the little one, you'll adore them."

That had been yesterday- today his mother was boarding her carriage to leave the country and Gwendal could only watch her from the castle steps and sigh.

"I'm jealous!"

The cheerful, booming voice of Dan-Hiri Weller said as a large, heavy hand landed on Gwendal's shoulder.

"You're going to have such a great time hanging out with your dear ol' Uncle Stoffel over at his place. You'll probably get plenty of good sleep too, without a baby- or your mother- crying all the time, waking you up..."

"Don't touch me!"

Dan-Hiri's hand only retreated for a second before it came right back, this time landing atop Gwendal's head, mussing up his carefully combed locks. "I'm joking, of course. Stoffel seems like a major bore. Hopefully your mom will pop out the baby in a week or less so you don't have to stay there too long. If it takes longer, I'm real sorry bud. My heart goes out to you."

"I don't need your sympathy." Gwendal's steely glare sent Dan-Hiri into a fit of deep laughter as he slapped the boy's back, making him stagger forward a step. "Anyway, kid- having a sibling is great! Not that I've ever had one... but that's what everyone tells me!"

"I hope my mother comes back a widow." Gwendal growled through clenched teeth, making Dan Hiri's eyes glitter as he bent down and held a finger in front of the boy's face. "Hey now, you better watch that tongue or I'll cut it off." he warned.

Gwendal couldn't tell if he was serious or not, the man's tone was playful but his eyes were dark.

"Tch!"

"Dani~" his mother called, waving out the carriage window. "Did you remember to ask the maid to bring my satchel?"

"Errr..." Dan-Hiri scratched his head. "Nope! But it's too late for that now, my love. Let's be off!"

"What!? Dan-Hiri Weller! You go back inside and get that bag or so help me-!" With a wink, Dan Hiri disappeared inside the carriage and Gwendal watched in despair as it took off, flanked by a small army of guards.

He stood alone in the courtyard and watched until he couldn't hear his mother shouting at her husband anymore.

"Are you ready to head out as well, Lord Voltaire?" Raven asked, approaching the young boy slowly from behind. "Let's go." Gwendal snapped, allowing the older man to lead him to his own carriage.

Their destination? His uncle's manor: The von Spitzweg Estate.

Gwendal watched as his uncle's soldiers unloaded what little supplies he needed for the unknown amount of time he would be spending at the man's estate.

"Stoffel is currently busy dealing with matters of state." Raven said, leading the boy up the large front steps and down the manor's long halls to his temporary accommodations. "I'm sure he would have loved to see you arrive, but you'll have a chance to see him at dinner." Gwendal didn't know what to say to that, so he kept his mouth shut as Raven opened a heavy wooden door to an ordinate bedroom.

"These will be your quarters for the time being." he said, opening the thick, velvet curtains to shed light on the space. "Is it to your liking?" he asked, pausing to examine the boy's face.

"It's fine." he grumbled, setting his own personal bag down on the bed.

"Should you need anything don't hesitate to ask for me. I'll be glad to assist you."

"Thanks..."

With that, and a bow- Raven left Gwendal alone at last.

With a weary sigh, the prince opened his personal bag and emptied its contents onto the bed. A ball of soft yarn, knitting needles, a half-finished knitted project, (that looked suspiciously like a baby's toy...) a few different books- (some for pleasure, some for study) and last but not least: a familiar, worn blanket.

The blanket was special- it was one he'd had since he was an infant.

It brought back memories of his father- memories of being wrapped in its soft warmth and cradled in his father's large arms during thunder storms or long winter nights where the wind would howl. Gwendal could remember sitting on the man's couch in his office, wrapped in the blanket as he read or played with toys- watching his father work.

Fighting back bitter feelings of sadness, Gwendal shoved the blanket back into the bag. However, as he did- something he'd overlooked fell out and onto the mattress before him.

It was a letter, wrapped in a rose-colored envelope that Gwendal didn't remember packing.

'Dear Grumpy,'

Gwendal rolled his eyes, it was from Anissina.

'I know you're going away for a while and you'll be separated from Lady Celi and Lord Weller so I had the maids pack you one of my inventions in case you get lonely.'

Tch! As if he'd ever resort to using one of her inventions for anything, least of all loneliness!

'I can't wait to see the new baby! Hopefully you won't be gone long, I have a lot of inventions and experiments I need your help with when you get back. - The Poison Girl Anissina '

Not seeing the insane inventor was one of the only pro's on a long list of con's this trip held for him.

Gwendal shoved the note inside the front cover of a book just as a knock was heard at the door.

"My lord," it was a soldier- flanked by two more. "Where would you like us to put this...?" behind the men was a large trunk, big enough to hide a person inside. "W-what is it?" Gwendal asked, eyeing the trunk suspiciously... all of his clothes had already been unpacked by the maids. He didn't remember seeing this trunk when they had loaded up the carriage at the castle.

"It says: 'Let-Me-Be-Yours-Kun!' " the soldier read the flowery label on the side of the trunk aloud.

"N-no! Don't bring it in here!" Gwendal's voice wavered, making the men raise their eyebrows at him. "J-just...leave it outside! Get it out of my room!"

The first soldier bowed to him. "Yes, my lord... May I ask, is it dangerous?"

Gwendal made a face... well, so long as no one opened the box or used their maryoku on it, whatever Anissina had invented probably wouldn't explode all on it's own.

"N-not really, no..."

"Alright, we shall place outside your door in the hall. It is very heavy so should you need to move it, please let us know."

Once the soldiers left he gave a sigh of relief and put his knitting tools away before heading outside, he needed to bathe before it was time for dinner.

The dining room was eerily quiet as Gwendal ate alone at a table set for seven.

A dozen or more servants stood nearby, nervously flitting about him. Each one had been assigned to refill certain sections of the table: bread, wine, dessert, sauce, etc. yet- with only one person dining... they quickly became redundant; borderline annoying, even.

Gwendal would eat one piece of bread and a whole new loaf he wasn't going to eat would appear. He would take a sip of juice only to have the sip instantly refilled. He was use to servants, but this was ridiculous! Not to mention the silence was sickeningly awkward. Thankfully the large door to the dining hall opened just as Gwendal felt he was about to suffocate.

"Prince Gwendal," Raven greeted as he entered the large, echoing room. "I apologize, Lord Stoffel is still occupied by matters of the state- he sent me to check on you." the man sat at the table across from him as a servant began to assist him in filling a plate. He took note of how nervous they were. It wasn't often that a member of the royal family came all the way from Covenant Castle to visit the von Spitzweg estate- usually it was the other way around. Not to mention this time their guest was none other than the adorable crown prince.

"How's the meal?" he asked with a small smile, that was met with grumpy blue eyes and a solid frown.

"It's fine."

Although Gwendal was glad another person that was allowed to talk to him had joined the table- he wasn't much in the mood for conversation as he picked at his food and listened to Raven speak. Raven filled the prince in about daily routines at the manor and the different sections of maids, servants, guards and soldiers and how to distinguish them from one another. He spoke of the gardens and the baths and of the lesser traveled areas within the manor, such as the library and observatory.

"Not to pry or change the subject, Gwendal, but are you hoping your mother will have a son or a daughter?" Raven asked, trying to change the subject to something a little more light-hearted.

"I'm hoping she doesn't have either." Gwendal grumbled, eliciting a small gasp from one of the maids. Gwendal shot her a dirty look.

"I see..."

Just then, the doors to the hall opened once more revealing Lord Stoffel at last. The stocky older man made his way to the table, shoo-ing away the maids who followed him in an attempt to remove his cape. "Gwendal, welcome! I was afraid I wouldn't make it in time to see you." Stoffel said with a large false grin, sitting in the seat directly next to his nephew. "I'm glad to see you haven't finished yet. Have you been adjusting well enough?"

"I'm almost done." Gwendal said quietly, eyeing his uncle. "I'm adjusting just fine."

"We were just talking about Gwendal's new sibling." Raven said, giving the blonde man a cautionary look. "He doesn't seem pleased, perhaps you can lend him some of your advice- seeing that you're the eldest of two siblings..."

Stoffel shook his head at his nephew as he began to dig into his plate. "I hope for your sake it's a boy." the man said. "Although I adore my sister, growing up with her as my younger sibling was... erhermmm..." he took a deep sip of his wine.

Raven's carefully maintained smile fell into a scowl. Damnit! Stoffel was suppose to say how wonderful it was to be an older brother- not this!

"All of your parent's attention is going to be on that child for quite some time." he continued, making Raven grow more pale. "So, it may do you good to get use to receiving sloppy seconds..."

"As the first prince and beloved son of the Maoh," Raven cut in, "I highly doubt he will be overlooked." Stoffel shook his head, a distant, resigned look in his eyes.

"I use to tell myself that... before my sister was born..." he sighed wistfully.

Gwendal cleared his throat, pushing his plate slightly away from himself.

"Ah, yes!" Stoffel clapped, "Did you enjoy the Bearbee?" he asked, motioning towards the boy's empty plate.

It took a moment- but the room eventually fell dead silent as Gwendal's eyes grew wide. He turned slowly, until he was looking into his uncle's eyes.

"B-bearbee...?"

"Yes, the meat! It's very rare, I don't think they even allow the hunting or selling of it in the capitol- but out here it can be found for a price. It's wonderfully tender, don't you think?"

Gwendal suddenly leapt to his feet, pushing his chair back so violently that it crashed to the floor.

"H-how could you!?" he shouted, face red. "B-bearbees are a protected species!"

Stoffel's shock mirrored Gwendal's as he set his fork down, dabbing his face with a napkin. "In the capitol they're protected but out here they're open for hunting..."

"They're h-harmless!" he sputtered, feeling ill. This must be a joke-!

"So are elk- well, save for their grazing habits." Stoffel mused, "Are you alright Gwendal? Don't tell me you're upset over a little Bearbee meat..."

With that, Gwendal stormed out of the hall to his room, doing everything in his power to keep himself from lashing out (and potentially using his maryoku) in anger.

"My lord," Raven sighed dramatically, resting his head in his hand once the prince had vanished, "Why did you have to request to serve Bearbee?"

"What!? What's wrong with it?" Stoffel gaped, pointing a fork at the empty seat where his nephew had been, "I thought it would be nice to have for such an occasion!"

"Are you not aware? Prince Gwendal loves animals." Raven said, "Especially animals that are... pleasing to look at."

"Bearbees are pleasing to look at...?" Stoffel said skeptically as he ate a piece of the meat. "Hardly!"

"All I'm saying," Raven said quietly as he stood to leave, "Is the prince will be here for some time, perhaps... you should try to learn his likes and dislikes so this doesn't occur again." Stoffel watched him go, mouth agape.

It wasn't his fault that his sister was raising her son to be a sensitive whelp!

Gwendal sat sprawled out on one of the many dusty arm chairs in the library, gazing listlessly at the ceiling.

Two weeks.

It had been two whole weeks of nothing but mind numbing boredom.

Wake up and eat breakfast alone (or with Raven), go to the grand hall with Raven and study for five to seven hours, eat lunch alone (or with Stoffel), go to the garden to practice swordsmanship with Sir Rolland- the captain of the guard, then dinner alone (or with Raven and Stoffel) then he had free time for a few hours before preparing for bed.

This had been his routine for the past 20 days or so and he saw no end in sight. The only excitement he got was in trying to avoid his uncle between meals.

'Please,' he pleaded to Shinou or Soshou or anyone who would listen, 'please let my mother give birth already so I can be saved from this purgatory...'

Sitting up slowly, Gwendal removed the knitting project he'd been working and the book he'd been reading from his lap. He was startled when something fell out of the book and onto the floor. It was Anissina's letter- he'd almost completely forgotten about it.

Picking it up, he re-read it one more time.

'...I had the maids pack you one of my inventions in case you get lonely...'

He wasn't lonely or a masochist... but he was very, very bored...

No. It wasn't worth it.

Gwendal shoved the letter into his pocket as he stood from the chair and made his way out of the library.

He needed to speak with his uncle, before he lost his mind completely.

Stoffel was surprised when, after nearly two weeks of avoiding him, his nephew suddenly turned up in the entrance to his office.

"Uncle," Gwendal addressed him, "I want a horse."

"Er..." Stoffel scratched his head, "W-well, as you may know... I'm in charge of your safety while you're here..." he said carefully, looking anywhere but at his nephew. "I think it's for the best if you stay within the walls of the estate."

"There's no point in having a horse if I can't ride it outside the garden." Gwendal grit out, "You can send Sir Rolland with me if you must- but I should be allowed to explore outside the manor."

"Sir Rolland has his duties here, he is not a babysitter." Stoffel said, standing his ground. However, he still flinched when his nephew slammed his fist down upon his desk. "H-hey- watch it-!"

"He is the captain of the guard in your estate, how is his duty not in protecting the crown prince? Also, I am NOT a baby!" Gwendal snapped, forcing Stoffel to stand- using his height to try and intimidate his nephew.

"You will watch your tone when addressing me!" Stoffel said, looking down at the boy.

Silence fell between them as they glared at each other- both equally stubborn...

Stoffel caved first upon seeing his nephew's desperate expression. "Fine." he sighed, turning away. "You'll be allowed a horse- under the conditions that Raven or Sir Rolland will accompany you on every ride you take and that you'll only be allowed to ride in the daytime- no further than the first district." Gwendal's shoulders relaxed as he breathed a deep sigh of relief.

"Thank you, uncle." he said, giving the older man a small smile before darting out of the office- leaving him alone once more.

Stoffel slumped, boneless in his chair. Damnit, all! His nephew had learned that he could manipulate him with his expressions! It wasn't fair!

However... he was smart, he'd give the boy that. 'He's just like his father...' Stoffel thought fondly as he remembered the respectable demon- who'd been a far cry from his sister's current churlish choice of a mate. A soft knock on the door interrupted his thoughts as he looked up to see Raven entering the room.

"I didn't mean to eavesdrop but I overheard..." Raven said with a smile, "You're allowing the prince a horse, if he is accompanied?"

"Raven! Yes, well... So long as you or Sir Rolland accompanies him, I don't see the harm in letting him outside the manor for a while..." Stoffel said, defeat in his voice. Raven came closer as he spoke, long fingers ghosting up Stoffel's arms as he stood behind the seated man.

"Perhaps you should go on a ride with him," his dark haired adviser said, as he began massaging Stoffel's stiff neck and shoulders with his hands. "It'd be a wonderful opportunity for you to get to know your nephew."

"Hrmm... I don't think he would enjoy that very much." he grumbled, allowing himself to relax into the other's grip. "You never know," the man replied, "You both could come back thick as thieves."

Stoffel looked up at his friend's up-side down face.

"You really believe so?" he murmured and Raven smiled.

"I'm sure of it."

"You may be right... but more importantly, I need to tell him about his mother..." Stoffel said quietly.

"You haven't told him-?" Raven asked in shock, tilting his head at his companion.

"How could I? What could possibly be the right time to tell him something like this...?"

"Soon." Raven said firmly, "You should tell him soon, he deserves to know." he squeezed his friend's shoulders, before running his fingers through Stoffel's hair. "Tomorrow... If I don't receive any new news. I'll tell him." he sighed, giving in once more partly due to the man's administrations.

"It's going to be alright," Raven assured him softly, "It'll turn out for the best..."

Gwendal had awoke early the next morning, intent on starting his day with a leisurely horseback ride around the countryside.

He'd thought the act would help ease his cabin fever- but all thoughts of enjoying the ride flew out the window when he realized his uncle was going to be the only one accompanying him on his jaunt.

He could stomach a ride with Raven, Sir Rolland or any of the guards- but his uncle...?

"Well now!" Stoffel said, taking a deep breath of fresh air from atop his horse. "It's a fine day for a ride, isn't it?"

Gwendal immediately dismounted and began to head inside.

"W-wha- Gwendal, wait!" the man called out, "Where are you going!?"

He didn't make it far before he had to stop dead in his tracks. No, it wasn't his uncle's desperate words that made him stop- it was Raven's tall frame stubbornly blocking his way back inside. After a few minutes of pointlessly fussing with the two men, Gwendal found himself reluctantly leaving the courtyard on horseback alongside his uncle. His only solace was in the thought that perhaps at some point he could make a break for it and separate from Stoffel for some real fun around the town- after all, he had his sword and his Earth maryoku to protect him if need be.

They rode, (never going faster than a leisurely trot) past the manor's town and through the forest until they reached a long, well-traveled dirt path. The path was covered by a canopy of overgrown tree branches with a creek on one side, and rolling hills and farmland on the other.

It would have actually been somewhat enjoyable if his uncle would just stop talking.

"Such a lovely day!" Stoffel said for the third time in half an hour, making Gwendal groan as he felt a headache coming on. "Have you ever gone on any long trips, Gwendal?" the prince was silent for a moment as he remembered a camping trip his mother had forced him to take a few months back with Dan-Hiri Weller.

It had been the single worst experience of his life.

Reluctantly he forced himself to converse with the man. "Mother forced me to go camping recently," he said bitterly, "with Dan-Hiri..."

"Oh..." Stoffel's face winced with sympathy as he looked back at the young prince, "I can't imagine that was much fun, was it...?"

"No." Gwendal grit out. "I hated it."

"He's not very elegant, is he." Stoffel said with a rueful grin. "He's disgusting." Gwendal replied with a frown.

"We had to hunt for fish in a river... he tried to teach me how to bite the poor thing's head off before cooking it." he shivered at the traumatizing memory.

"How barbaric!" his uncle said, shaking his head in disapproval. "Why in the world would you mother send you on such a trip?"

Gwendal shrugged in irritation. "She wanted me to bond with him." he said bitterly, looking out over the scenery.

'Just like she's doing now, sending me here to stay with you...' he thought to himself.

"Just so you know, I always thought your father was a great man." Stoffel said, turning back over his shoulder to look at his nephew. "He was wonderful to your mother, despite their arranged marriage and I know they loved each other very much. Dan-Hiri Weller cannot hold a candle to his memory."

'I know.' Gwendal thought to himself, looking down at his hands.

"It's an insult that she would try to replace his presence in your life with that human."

Gwendal rubbed his eyes with the back of his hand as he felt tears prickling up there. Thankfully his uncle was no longer looking at him, instead keeping his eyes on the path ahead. They rode in silence for a while, Stoffel lost in his memories and Gwendal attempting to get his emotions under control before the man spoke once more.

"S-speaking of your m-mother... I wanted to tell you about your sibling..."

Gwendal wanted to curse- he just knew the conversation would eventually end up here.

"I wanted to tell you this earlier but I thought it would be best if you and I were alone." Stoffel said, slowing down his horse until he was riding along side his nephew. "I didn't want to worry you in case it was nothing but I haven't received any new news... so I'll tell you what I know as of now."

"W-what? What is it?" He hadn't been expecting such a serious tone from his uncle. "H-have you heard from my mother...?" he asked nervously.

Stoffel wasn't sure how to tell the young prince... but he'd received bad news from his sister.

She was having complications.

If his sister (Shinou forbid!) didn't survive this curs-ed human pregnancy... It would affect his nephew the most; emotionally and otherwise. As the crown prince, he would be next in line to take the throne as soon as he was of age.

"I received a letter from her yesterday- s-she ah... went into labor early yesterday morning but she's... still in labor as of now." he said, trying to hide the worry in his tone.

"W-what?" the boy gasped, his brow furrowing in confusion. "I thought that when they... go into labor... the baby is born immediately-?"

"It's hardly an immediate thing, but you are correct. It shouldn't be taking this long." he said quietly.

"What does that mean?" Gwendal demanded as Stoffel slumped his shoulders. "We don't know... the birth can still be successful or... the child might not survive or sometimes it means the m-mother might not survive... sometimes it means both won't." Stoffel had to look away- his nephew's horror-stricken features were too much.

There was silence as Gwendal felt faint- his breathing shallow and rough. 'This can't be happening...' he thought to himself as his vision began to blur with tears. When Stoffel finally gathered the strength needed to comfort his nephew- the boy was already in the process of turning his horse around.

"W-wait-! Where are you going!?"

Gwendal ignored him as he violently turned his steed around and kicked the beast into a full-blown gallop. His uncle's frantic voice faded behind him as he rode with the wind in his hair the entire way back to the manor.

Never in all of his petty thoughts had he ever even considered that his mother's pregnancy wouldn't go well- that she could possibly... that she might...

That she might die, just like his father.

Gwendal missed lunch that day, turning away guards, maids and even Raven as he cried frustrated, angry tears into his pillow.

His mother could be dying and he wasn't with her-
she could be dying and it was all Dan-Hiri Weller's fault-
she could be dying and he had been so selfish.

Guilt, anger and sadness waged a bitter war within his chest as he clutched the blanket his father had given him. He couldn't imagine a life where his mother was no longer with him. If she passed away- Dan-Hiri would be king until Gwendal was old enough to take the throne.

He would have to live under the man who killed his mother...

These thoughts only made the young prince cry harder, his maryoku rippling out of him in waves as he tried to get his emotions under control. Another knock came on the door as Gwendal covered his head with a pillow.

"Gwendal, it's your uncle." Stoffel's voice was muffled by the thick wood. "Please open the door, it's nearly dinner time."

"Go away!" he screamed.

"It does no good to worry," Stoffel said, "I know you're hungry so if you would please open the door perhaps we could..."

"I'm not hungry!"

Stoffel sighed, taking out his key ring. He wondered if he was even capable of comforting the prince about this matter. He had to try... it was painful to see his nephew in so much distress. "I'm coming in, Gwendal." Stoffel warned as he began to turn his key in the lock.

Suddenly, the door had opened so quickly that the keys were pulled right out of his hands.

"Leave me alone!" Gwendal shouted, standing in the doorway with mussed hair and red-rimmed eyes. His chest was heaving with hysterical breaths.

"You-you're using your maryoku, control yourself!" Stoffel gasped upon witnessing the small sparks and ripples of power radiating off the child. "If you don't learn how to contain your maryoku and separate your emotions-"

"Shut up!" He snapped, trying to slam the door shut once more, only to find it blocked by his uncle's boot.

"Ow! Ow! Ow!" the man hissed as the door slammed his foot repeatedly. "Stop that-!"

Both of them were suddenly interrupted by a loud BANG and rattling as the heavy metal trunk near Gwendal's bedroom door began to tremble violently- perhaps reacting to the maryoku the child had been unconsciously emitting into the hall. Gwendal's eyes grew wide as he and his uncle stared at the box which held the label: 'Let-Me-Be-Yours-Kun!'

As if the box was aware that it was being watched, it ceased all movement- sitting motionless and silent once more.

He and his uncle shared a concerned look.

"What is-"

Stoffel didn't even get to finish his sentence before the box exploded: throwing both of them off their feet as smoke instantly flooded the hallway.

"A-auch..." Gwendal groaned, sitting up and rubbing his head from where it had hit the stone floor. 'A-Anissina...! I'm going to throttle her!' he thought as he slowly got to his feet, squinting through the smog.

"Lord Stoffel! Prince Gwendal!"

The guards called out to them- their heavy footsteps filling the air as they frantically searched for the nobles amidst the smoke and chaos.

{"LET'S BE FRIENDS."}

"Wh-what is that thing-!?" Gwendal heard one of the guards gasp as a figure began to slowly rise through the smoke.

{"LET'S BE FRIENDS."}

"Augghhh!" the guard screamed as the sound of metal against metal could be heard.

"Gwendal!?" he heard his uncle calling for him, "Gwendal where are you!?"

"I'm here!" he called back, coughing.

"Are you unharmed!?"

"Y-yes!"

He could hear movement as the soldiers ran about in a panic and his uncle's voice grew closer. "What in the world is that thing!?"

Gwendal gritted his teeth as the smoke began to clear and he was faced with Anissina's 'gift' to him: 'Let-Me-Be-Yours-Kun!'

or in other words: Giant-Metal-Monster-Kun...

"Anissina what have you done!?" Gwendal hissed, backing away from the creature that looked like... it looked like... the young prince paled. It looked like a giant metal version of Anissina- only about 8 feet tall with glowing red eyes, claws and sharp-looking metal strips for hair. Once the visibility in the hall increased there was a collective gasp as all members came face-to-face with the monster.

"My lord!" Raven called out to Stoffel, "It's unsafe here, please take the prince and go!" Gwendal looked over at his uncle who was only a few feet away from him now. The hallway was split into two groups: Raven and the guards on one side, Stoffel and himself on the other and 'Let-Me-Be-Yours-Kun!' in the middle.

{"LET'S BE FRIENDS."}

The monster said as if it was speaking through a metal pipe, it's eyes began to glow a fierce red as it's entire body shuttered and groaned.

"Look out!" Sir Rolland shouted as the creature aimed at Gwendal and fired some strange light from it's eyes. Gwendal only briefly felt the heat of the light before his uncle had yanked him out of the way by his arm as the beast completely decimated the spot where he'd been standing. Upon seeing the sheer destruction the invention could cause, the guards began to tremble in their armor- clanking and clattering as they attempted to stand their ground.

"R-run!" Stoffel squawked as he turned on his heel and fled, dragging his nephew as he made haste down the hall.

"Y-you coward! W-what about Raven!?" Gwendal shouted as he tried to plant his feet to no avail. His uncle didn't answer him as he continued to drag the prince to safety, leaving Sir Rolland, Raven and the guards to handle the beast alone.

Raven sighed in relief as he watched Stoffel and Gwendal disappear down the hall. In the very least, they would be safe.

"Stand your ground, men!" Sir Rolland shouted, raising his sword as he rushed forward in a flash of bravery, striking the creature upon it's chest with a loud metallic 'CLANG!'

{"LET'S BE FRIENDS."}

The creature's eyes glowed once more as they focused on Sir Rolland's blade, engulfing it in red light. He was forced to drop the red-hot sword with a yelp as it melted into a steaming pile of scrap metal upon the ground...

...

...

"R-run away...!" Sir Rolland shouted, as his men bravely turned and fled, leaving the creature to lay waste to the hallway in their wake.

"W-wait, we can't just leave it here, it'll destroy the manor!" Raven shouted as Sir Rolland dragged him down the hall to safety. "We're outmatched!" the captain of the guard shouted, "It's best to get to a safe place and send for back-up!"

"What if back-up can not defeat it!?" one of the guards shouted as they descended into the basement through a hidden staircase. "We'll deal with that when the time comes." the captain replied, as several men pushed the heavy stone door shut, sealing them within a hidden labyrinth of stone hallways beneath the estate.

"What about Lord Stoffel and the prince?" Raven asked nervously.

"Lord Stoffel knows of the labyrinth, doesn't he? He grew up in this manor." Sir Rolland said, as they began to traverse the maze.

"Y-yes... he does, I just hope he remembers how to enter them..."

"Once we reach the exit we'll be in the forest. We'll send for assistance from there and send a search party to find them."

"I'll go." Raven said firmly, stopping in his tracks. "I'll travel the labyrinth alone and find them, you send for assistance."

"You shouldn't go alone-!"

"That's an order!" Raven said, turning on his heel and running in the opposite direction. "I'll be fine, just go!"

'A finger length.' Gwendal thought.

One measly finger length was all the space Gwendal had between him and his uncle as they huddled in fear- their backs pressed against the door of a closet in one of the many hallways within the estate. It was incredibly cramped and a mop kept toppling over in the dark, falling in his face.

"What is that thing?" Stoffel hissed as he prodded the wall in front of them. "Why in the world would you bring such a thing into my manor!?"

"It's not mine!" Gwendal snapped, "Anissina-"

"It doesn't matter," the man groaned, "My estate is done for..."

"We have to move." Gwendal said through clenched teeth, fighting with the mop once more. He would push the offending object back just so a broom could fall in it's place.

"Just be quiet!" Stoffel hissed as dust rattled down from the ceiling signifying that the monster had entered the hallway they were hiding in. Gwendal held in a sneeze as the slow, heavy steps of the creature loomed closer. "It's going to find us-" Gwendal murmured, "Can you hurry up?!"

"I don't remember how to open it!" Stoffel cried in despair, "There's suppose to be a secret doorway here-!"

"Are you sure this is the right closet?" Gwendal asked as he heard the beast's footsteps stop nearby. Both of them held their breath and Stoffel began to quietly pray as the monster's metal claws scraped against the stone walls.

{"LET'S BE FRIENDS."}

"Dear Shinou..." Stoffel whimpered, clutching his nephew to him with bruising force. "G-get off me-!" Gwendal gasped, trying to push the older man away.

Miraculously the beast continued lumbering down the hall, ignoring the closet completely as it burned holes in the windows and tore down paintings. When the hallway was quiet once more, Stoffel breathed a sigh of relief and let go of his nephew. They sat in silence for a moment, to frightened to move.

"G-Gwendal... I wanted to say... if we don't make it out of here alive-"

"Don't." Gwendal groaned, pushing the mop out of his face once more.

"I care deeply about you-"

"Uncle, please-"

"I'm just trying to say that I-"

"Auuuuggh!" Gwendal cried in distress, shoving his fingers in his ears. "Help!"

"This is important you brat!" Stoffel shouted, grabbing his nephew's hands and prying them from his ears, "I wanted to say that, regardless of whatever happens, I-" Just then, the door to the closet opened outwards causing both of them to fall ungracefully into a heap on the floor.

"There you are!" Raven said, kneeling down to help the two nobles to their feet. "I was so worried!"

"Raven!" they said in unison.

"What are you doing out in the open? It's dangerous-" Stoffel said, glancing around in fear.

"It'll be alright," Raven said, "But we must get going-"

As if on que, 'Let-Me-Be-Yours-Kun!' appeared from around the corner it had just turned down- it's glowing eyes focusing on the trio once more.

Stoffel squealed, leaping back inside the closet as Gwendal stepped towards the monster. "What do you think you're doing?!" Stoffel snapped at his nephew as he attempted to drag Raven into the closet with him.

"Enough!" Gwendal shouted, rolling up his sleeves. "I can't believe Anissina made such a useless, awful device! I'm going to put a stop to this!"

"Sire, wait!" Raven cried as Gwendal placed his hands upon the ground, sparks radiating from his palms. "Hear me, beings within the Earth!" he called upon his magic as the stone floor began to shatter beneath him. "Take this!" he shouted, causing a wave of rock and debris to rush towards the figure. Within moments a tidal wave nearly ten foot high engulfed the monster completely, covering it with heavy rocks and jagged marble. Once the dust from the attack had settled, Gwendal stood up and brushed his hands on his pants, looking proud.

"That was incredible, Sire!" Raven said with a smile, as Stoffel could only stare with a slack jaw. "I know." Gwendal said with a satisfied smirk, closing his eyes triumphantly. However... his victory didn't last long.

Almost immediately after it had settled- the pile of rocks that had crushed the beast exploded as a large metallic arm shot out, grabbing Gwendal by the waist and dragging him across the shattered floor. The creature slowly stood once more, pulling the prince into the air.

"Gwendal, no!" Stoffel shouted, but his legs refused to move as he cowered in fear behind his companion.

"L-let go of me!" Gwendal shouted as the creature dangled him in space.

{"LET'S BE FRIENDS."}

"I don't want to be your friend!" He shouted, kicking the monster, his blows echoing throughout it's hollow chest. The beast then hugged him close, nearly crushing him in a tight embrace.

{"LET'S BE FRIENDS."}

"Nooooo!" Gwendal shouted, "G-get off!" he looked into the creature's glowing eyes and suddenly realization began to dawn on him... perhaps Anissina made the invention not to accept 'no' for an answer... If he was lonely- he would probably be stubborn... Not to mention she certainly didn't accept no for an answer and the invention appeared to have been made in her image...

"Gwendal, hold on!" Raven shouted as he got to his feet and began to desperately make his way over the broken rocks to assist the prince.

"A-alright! You win!" Gwendal gasped, barely able to breathe as his vision blurred. "I-I'll be y-yours, A-Anissina-!" he gasped and the monster shuddered and groaned as it began to shrink, dropping Gwendal unceremoniously to the floor. All three men watched in dumbstruck awe as the weird monster began to deflate, hissing air as it crumpled into itself in a dramatic display.

Once the smoke had cleared all that was left was a hunk of metal no bigger than a shoe box.

"What in the world- how did you do that!? Is it defeated?" Stoffel asked, eyeing the box cautiously. "Are you alright?" Raven asked as Gwendal got to his feet.

They both watched in anticipation as Stoffel very carefully nudged the box with the long end of a broom handle.

Nothing. Only silence.

"Quickly, we should leave before-"

{"LET'S BE FRIENDS."}

"AIIEEEEEEE!" All three shouted, leaping back from the box in horror.

However, nothing else happened... Well, except that the box began to rumble pathetically forward- bumping uselessly into a wall.

{"Let's be friends. Let's be friends. Let's be friends."}

"I think... it's broken." Gwendal said as he approached the device with a stroke of courage- kicking it with his boot.

{"Let's be friends. Let's be friends. Let's be friends."}

It turned slowly before running over a rock which caused it to flip onto it's side with a 'clank!'- it's wheels whirring helplessly in the air.

{"Let's be friends... Let's be friends... Let's be friends..."}

Gwendal looked into the creature's eyes, made of broken glass. They had once been red but now glowed a soft blue in color. 'It's kind of cute...' he thought as he looked the device over- a blush creeping onto his face.

Picking it up like a turtle, he turned back towards his uncle.

They all shared a moment of contemplative silence.

"Where's Sir Rolland...?" Stoffel murmured, fearing the worst.

"Sire!"

'Speak of Shinou and he'll appear.' Stoffel thought to himself with relief as his men flooded the hall they were in.

"We brought reinforcements!" The captain said, "When we didn't see you in the labyrinth we came looking for you, are you alright?"

"Yes," Raven said with small smile as he patted dust off Stoffel's shoulder. "We're fine, Prince Gwendal defeated the monster."

The guards turned their eyes to the destroyed hallway and the boy holding the dented metal box.

"A-amazing...!" Sir Rolland smiled. "Excellent work!"

The prince didn't reply immediately, his eyes glued instead to the man's hands.

"What's that...?" Gwendal asked, pointing at a crumpled letter Sir Rolland held in his hand.

"O-oh! I nearly forgot! When the reinforcements arrived they brought us a messenger carrying an urgent letter from her majesty the Maoh!" he said, unfurling the piece of paper. "Give that here!" Stoffel shouted, snatching the paper out of the man's hands as he began reading it carefully- Raven peering curiously over his shoulder.

{"Let's be friends. Let's be friends. Let's be friends."}

Gwendal hugged the metal box to his chest as he prepared himself for bad news, chewing his lip nervously.

There was a long moment of silence before his uncle locked eyes with him. "Gwendal, I think you should read this." he said quietly, passing the note to the boy who continued to hold the box like a life-line as he began to read.

'My dear brother, I am well. Please see that this letter reaches Gwendal.

Gwennie, I'm so proud of you for being brave and putting up with your stuffy uncle. My little prince, you can add 'big brother' to your list of titles now. I gave birth to a beautiful baby boy and we named him Conrart Lawrence Weller. He has the biggest smile and he can't wait to meet you. We'll be heading back to the capitol in a few days.

We love you very much! - Your mother, your little brother Conrart, DAN-HIRI WELLER. '

At the very bottom of the page was a footprint from the baby- tiny and cute, barely even half the size of Gwendal's hand.

Gwendal huffed upon seeing that man's bold signature scrawled at the end of the page, it looked rough and out-of-place compared to his mother's flowing script. Perhaps it looked so funny because he had something in his eye...

He rubbed his face, tears rolling down his cheeks.

"It's a b-boy." Gwendal said through his tears. "I'm so g-glad...!" he hic'd, wiping his face on his sleeves.

The soldiers chose that moment to cheer, clapping and hooting in the hallway as they congratulated him on becoming a big brother. Sir Rolland even picked him up as they slapped him on the back and ruffled his hair.

"She's alright." Stoffel said with a smile. "Thank Shinou."

{"Let's be friends! Let's be friends! Let's be friends!"}

"A boy!" Raven said with a smile. "Looks like you're going to have a friend for life, young man."

"Y-yes, I know!" Gwendal replied through a teary, relieved smile as he was placed back on his feet once more.

"Now... Let's clean up this mess!" Stoffel ordered, causing his men's shoulder's to slump miserably as they all eyed the massive amount of damage around them. "We're going to throw a celebration tonight and I'd like the manor to be in good shape!" that made the men perk up once more.

After all, a celebration meant free spirits-!

The party was elaborate as maids, soldiers, nobles and grounds keepers joined together in the courtyard to celebrate the birth of the new prince and the fact that the manor hadn't been completely destroyed- their livelihoods having been saved by the first crown prince.

Gwendal watched his uncle dance (horrible and stiff...) with Raven from a balcony off of the main ballroom. He had to admit, his visit at the manor hadn't been so bad. At one point he'd even somewhat enjoyed his uncle's company.

Slipping away unseen, he retired to his room early. He was exhausted from an emotional, eventful day.

{"Let's be friends. Let's be friends. Let's be friends."} 'Let-Me-Be-Yours-Kun!' said as it rumbled along at his heels, following the prince to his room.

"I'm still going to throttle her," Gwendal said to the invention as he opened the door to his quarters. "She nearly killed me!"

{"Let's be friends. Let's be friends. Let's be friends."}

"Hrmph!"

He landed on his bed with a sigh, breathing deeply as he took the letter his mother had wrote him out of his pocket and re-read it once more.

"Conrart Lawrence Weller." He laughed, "She ended up naming him that after all!" he said to himself with amusement.

Months earlier his mother had told him if the baby was a girl, her name would be Colette and if the baby was a boy his name would be Conrart.

Colette because it meant 'victory of the people' and Conrart... Because it had been the name of a lion from a children's story book that she loved. Gwendal had scoffed at his mother's silly choice in names, suggesting instead that if the baby was a boy they should name him something strong and fearsome, like Rothford, Draven or Lawrence... But his mother had insisted: it was Colette or Conrart- nothing else.

Dan-Hiri had only shrugged and smiled. 'Whatever she says goes,' he'd said with a laugh. 'She's the Maoh, right?'

Gwendal rolled on his side and sat up, opening his bed-side drawer to pull out the knitting project he'd finally finished. It was a toy lion, yellow and orange in color. He hadn't known the gender of his sibling when he'd started the project months ago- so he'd decided on a lion because it's colors were neutral.

However, he'd also chose the lion because he'd been secretly praying for a brother.

He'd worked long and hard on it- ensuring each stitch was made to the best of his ability and thankfully his hard work had paid off. The lion was flawless.

"I can't wait to meet you." he said with a soft smile. "Come home soon, alright...?"

With that, he picked 'Let-Me-Be-Yours-Kun!' up off the floor and set it on the bed next to him, wrapping his arm around the device and pressing the lion to his chest. He slept peacefully, not realizing that his uncle had been at the door, peering through the crack- a soft smile upon his face.

Gwendal, Stoffel and Raven stood on the steps of Covenant Castle as his mother's entourage rumbled it's way into the courtyard, stirring up clouds of dirt.

"Gwendal!"

It wasn't his mother's sweet voice- but Gwendal was sort of glad to hear it all the same as Dan-Hiri departed from the carriage, approaching him with large strides. The human man completely ignored the fact that his wife was struggling to carry their son and exit the carriage at the same time- leaving her in the dust.

Gwendal didn't even have time to greet the man before Dan-Hiri had scooped him into a bone-crushing hug; knuckling his hair as he squawked loudly in protest. "Let go of me, you're filthy-!" He shouted, biting and kicking the larger man with vengeance.

"Gwennie!" his mother said, bustling her way to his side. "Look who's here!"

She passed a small bundle into his arms just as Dan-Hiri stepped away, moving on to torture Lord Stoffel instead. Said bundle looked up at him with large, bright eyes. 'S-so cute...!' Gwendal thought, a blush reaching his face as he cradled the child closer, looking his brother over with wonder.

"Oh, I missed you!" his mother coo'd petting her son's dark hair and kissing his face. "Isn't he adorable?"

"We missed you as well," Stoffel said, roughly detaching himself from Dan-Hiri's gasp. "I'm glad to see you're safe."

"Oh..." She sighed, rubbing her back. "It was dreadful! It was so hot and sticky in Luttenberg and there were these awful horse-flies... then Dani had to go hunting because the town was too frightened to sell us any food- they were terrified of accidentally making me sick so all I ate for weeks was fish and deer!" she cried, looking pale.

"I fed you lots of potatoes, too." Dan-Hiri said with a grin. "It was great! That's all I usually eat, anyway."

"Great for you!" she snapped, "I nearly lost my mind! If I so much as see another fish..."

"Did you guys have fun?" Dan-Hiri interrupted his wife, a twinkle in his eye as he looked between the three men.

"I... I did, actually." Gwendal said softly, a smile reaching his face as he looked back at his uncle. "We had a good time."

"That's wonderful." Celi said with a relieved smile.

"Oh, I have something for you!" Gwendal said to his brother as he produced the knitted lion from his pocket and placed it within the child's grasp. "I made it just for you."

"Wow! That's a really well made walrus!" Dan-Hiri praised his step-son who froze, shooting him an icy look.

"It's..." the boy sighed as the child in his arms giggled and coo'd.

"It's a lion..."