A/N Many thanks to Kimpatsu no Hoseki for being my beta!

"By the power vested in the Court by His Majesty 27th Maoh, the Court announces the verdict – guilty of high treason, repeated disloyalty, and perfidious attack on our homeland Shin Makoku as a leader of hostile forces and attempt on His Majesty's life. As a malicious traitor, the condemned is sentenced to death by hanging. The execution will be carried out tomorrow on the sunrise."

The silence was absolute. The gavel fell with a deafening bang, but no one flinched. Everyone was petrified. Not by the verdict, but by the deed of the convict. His guilt was evident, and it was terrible.

The Maoh was staring into the space, his eyes cat-like, unmoving, empty. Only Cheri-sama dared to raise her eyes to cast a quick glance at the prisoner. He neither looked up nor flinched. The judge – and one could hardly recognize in that solemn stern person the cheerful and frivolous Sir Günter von Christ – cleared his throat,

"Conrart Weller, do you comprehend your penalty?"

The man slowly closed and opened his eyes in sign of agreement.

"Do you have something to say?"

The doomed moved slowly. He rose to his feet and said softly, "I thank the Court." Then he sat down, looking calm and peaceful.

"That is all you have got to say?" couldn't help shouting Günter. But the prisoner neither uttered another sound nor moved. In fact, that was his longest speech since he was captured.

"Take him away," ordered the judge to the guard.

The Maoh, never looking at his former knight, rose to his feet and left immediately.

4,5 months ago

"Your Majesty, you've finally came to!" Gisela clasped her hands. "Dakoskos, alert everyone – his Majesty has woken up!"

"Gisela, I need to talk to Conrad now," still weak, the young king was barely able to prop himself on his elbows

"Of course, Your Majesty, I'll send for him immediately!"

"Karl," she called another guard, "Go find Sir Weller this very instant!"

The guard came back only when everyone had already gathered in the king's bedroom.

"I'm sorry, Your Majesty, I couldn't find him. His room is empty, and his things are gone." The guard looked lost.

"Maybe Murata sent him on errand. Murata?"

"Eh? Oh no, I didn't give him any assignment."

"Then where did he go to… I will go look for him myself!"

"No, Your Majesty, you are still weak. He will come back, he surely will." Gisela gently pressed the Maoh back onto his pillows.

Two weeks later.

"Are you sure, Yosak?"

"I know the captain. That was him."

"I wonder how we will be able to tell this to Yuuri…"

"Tell me what?"

The boy suddenly entered the room.

Yosak, Günter and Gwendal lowered their eyes.

"Tell me. I order you to tell me whatever it is."

With a sigh, Yosak started.

"Umm kiddo…"

"Don't call me that!"

Everyone flinched at this sudden outburst.

"Sorry, Your Majesty, three days ago Conrad Weller was crowned as the king of Dai Shimaron."

Yuuri swayed, as if hit. He closed his eyes, when he opened them again, they were cat-like and void of any emotion. He turned and left, without having said a word.

The night was falling slowly, gently, tenderly enveloping the earth in its dark embrace. A hooded figure appeared in the dungeon of the Blood Pledge Castle. The guards fell to one knee, "Your Majesty". The Maoh nodded curtly. He wasn't a boy anymore, appalled at every worship. He'd just turned 19, had grown a lot, become a tall, lithe, well sculptured handsome young man, but that's from his human nature, which was seldom shown in the past months. Only in his sleep he remained Yuuri Shibuya, by day he was the dreadful Maoh. He had been able to control his Alter Ego by that time, he just didn't want to.

He swiftly walked to the door of the best guarded cell. Eight soldiers saluted.

"Go to the entrance of the dungeons. Stay there until I come back. And do not let anyone near this cell," ordered he in an iron voice.

"But Your Majesty," dared to protest a lieutenant. "It's dangerous!"

The Maoh gave him a spiteful look, "Don't you dare to underestimate your King! Wasn't it I who captured him?"

Flashback.

"They are approaching. I can see Weller. He dared to come. The scum has guts," commented Gwendal, observing the future battlefield intently through the telescope.

"Your Majesty, whatever happens, please hold back", put in Günter, worried.

There was a great rush of maryoku, and when they looked back, they could only see a blue flash on the place where the Maoh just had stood.

Then everyone saw an explosion amidst the enemy's troops, smashing the smooth ranks of soldiers, bodies flying asunder. The Maoh's power erupted, destroying everything around, just not the man he came after, though the mighty rush knocked the newly proclaimed king down.

Yuuri kneeled in front if the prostrate body of his former guardian, and pleaded,

"Conrad, I came for you! Come with me!"

The knight slowly looked around, shocked, and averting his gaze from his former sovereign uttered, "No! Please, go away! I cannot bear seeing you!"

"Then I'll take you by force!" The Maoh was terrible in his anger

Brushing off the most hated memories, the King said firmly, "If I am interrupted – by anyone –, I will hang up all of you this morning as well."

The Demon King watched the soldiers disappear behind the corner; afterward he performed an elaborated spell, only then he slowly unlocked the cell and entered.

It was dark, and the Maoh lit the torches with his Maryoku. The spell produced not only light, but also heat, so the cell slowly began to warm up. The prisoner was sitting on the floor leaning against the wall, slumbering. At the sudden light his head shot up and he muttered, almost surprised, "Your Majesty?"

Only half a year ago the retort would have been, "It's Yuuri, Nazekyoya!" Everything had changed…

"Conrart Weller."

"Your Majesty, you must leave. It's inappropriate…"

"In this kingdom, it's I who decide what is appropriate and what is not."

The King quickly crossed the tiny room, took the chains that were attached to the heavy iron shackles on the prisoner's wrists and fastened them to a hook on the stone wall. Now Conrad's hands were over his head, and he looked puzzled.

The Maoh crouched and examined his captive closely. It was a miserable sight. The many tortures he was subjected to had made of a healthy man a wreck. The prisoner's robe wasn't fastened on his chest. His body was covered with long ugly gashes, nose broken, cheeks hollow, deep shadows under his eyes.

"Your Majesty, the prisoner refuses to talk. We are afraid we will have to resort to extreme measures," Gwendal reported.

"So be it," the Maoh remained quite impassive.

"But. Well… Would you please sign this then?" Gwendal offered a piece of parchment.

"What is this?"

"This is royal authorization to use torture on the captive."

"Do I have to sign it?" asked the young king hesitantly.

"I'm sorry, Your Majesty, but in Shin Makoku only the Maoh has the right to submit someone to torture. If you don't sign, we can't do it. If you do, we might get an answer to your questions. If we will be able to find a torturer. We don't have any at the castle since -"

"Fine," cut the King short. He put his signature, neat and calm.

"But do not bother me with this anymore."

Gwendal looked terrified.

"He deserves it. For destroying you." He said barely audible.

The Maoh choose to pretend he didn't hear it.

Behind the closed door, Günter was waiting.

"Oh Great Shinou, he signed it. I cannot believe it. He did." He wrung his hands. "What do we do now?"

"Torture Weller till he gives in," said Gwendal gloomily.

"No, I mean, what do we do now without Yuuri?" sheer despair in his voice

"I don't know, Günter… I don't know." Gwendal shook his head, slumping his shoulders.

The Maoh stretched a hand, and a flow of blue maryoku filled the room.

"What are you doing!" shouted Conrad terrified. "Your Majesty, don't! Don't waste your power on me!"

"Silence!" barked the king, and the former soldier fell silent, crestfallen.

After a while the Maoh examined the body once again. Obviously he was content with the result. He gave to healing spells the large part of his training not for nothing.

"Why?" dared to whisper Conrad barely audible.

"Because I needed to get rid of some energy to be able to do this", the Maoh concentrated, strained, and after a minute there was not Maoh, but Shibuya Yuuri standing in front of Conrad. And if the prisoner looked bad, the boy looked even worse. Pale, care-worn, thin, eyes empty, dead, a mirror of a burnt to ashes soul. He attempted to make a step, but swayed and stopped to recollect himself.

Conrad couldn't help a gasp.

"Admiring your handiwork, Con-rad?" it still sounded very Maoh-like. The boy took a deep breath, and spoke almost in his old manner, "This is probably the last time someone would see Shibuya Yuuri. Tomorrow, he will be dead. Only the Maoh remains. Because this country needs him. But no one needs Yuuri."

"It can't be!" shook his head Conrad.

"Ha!" barked Yuuri. "Who needs me? You? Then why did you run off to Dai Shimaron? Why did you become their king? Why you of all people started a war against Shin Makoku? Even Belal didn't make it this far, but you did? Why?" Yuuri screamed, clenching his fists.

Conrad cast his eyes down, "If you thought that in the face of death I would tell you what I hadn't told in those months of tortures, you were greatly mistaken, Your Majesty. I accept my fate, and I must tell I'm happy about it. Tomorrow I will stop haunting you."

"Fine." Yuuri said firmly. "Seems no one can out stubborn you, Weller. Die, if it makes you happy. But before you will abandon me for the third and the last time, I want to do something I've been dreaming of doing for ages."

Instinctively, Conrad looked up, just to be met by Yuuri's lips. His eye widened with horror, but his protest remained silent, because Yuuri pressed his lips hard, embraced his head with both hands, not letting to turn away, trying to nudge man's lips open with his tongue. But Conrad resisted, his mind reeling. If anything could make him give in… This would be worse than all tortures taken together. He was able to endure any suffering without a sound, but he wasn't able to endure this. And when Yuuri gently licked the corner of his mouth, he gasped. The young man used this moment to slip his tongue into Conrad's mouth, and his knight was lost. He moaned uncontrollably.

Satisfied with the effect, the King finally broke the kiss.

"So you've wanted this. Seems I wasn't mistaken," he uttered, musing. His hand hovered over the man's body, and suddenly lowered itself onto his crotch.

Conrad tensed, face all red and covered in sweat, and whispered, "Please, don't!"

"How can you be so hypocritical when you are already hard, just from one kiss?" wondered the king. "But well, as custom follows, I will grant you the last wish. It would be fair because it's my last wish as Yuuri, too."

Conrad nearly fainted at the strength of emotions. He thought he was going insane.

Yuuri started slowly unbuttoning his notorious black suit.

"It is some kind of torture?" asked the soldier, just to check whether he was still following the happenings.

"Torture? Maybe, but if so, it's for us both," said Yuuri cryptically. He discarded his jacket and unfastened the trousers, slowly slid them off and remained in his g-string. With one swift movement he tore the man's robe and pulled his trousers off. The prisoners of Shin Makoku weren't granted any underwear. Conrad's arousal lay stiff in its glory. Yuuri licked his lips, and Conrad gulped at this small gesture.

"I'm unworthy…" he started, but the boy silenced him with another fierce kiss.

"I told you – this is just granting our last selfish wishes."

With this, he peppered a line of chaste kisses across the man's jaw, wandering towards his ear, licked the earlobe, and nibbled at it. Conrad hissed. The Maoh was observing the reactions of his captive very intently. He nibbled again, and licked the earlobe and stopped to admire his work. The tiny pause gave the soldier a moment to compose and he said, voice raw and ragged, "Please…"

"Whatever you want," the king interrupted him, continuing down his neck, "consider me deaf to your pleas, just like you've always been deaf to mine."

He suckled at the jugular, and sighed. "Shut up and listen".

Not looking up, he continued in whisper, "As it doesn't matter anymore, because in a few hours you and the Yuuri who loved you, will be dead, you will have to hear me out. May this be your last torture."

"Yuuri mustn't die!" tried to exclaim Conrad, but choked, when Yuuri tenderly brushed his thumbs over the man's nipples.

"But he is doomed. When one body is occupied by two personalities, in case one weakens, the other takes over. Yuuri... Well let me speak for myself the last time. I," he brushed the nipples once again, applying more pressure this time, making Conrad's body arch and his lips form an exquisite sound of ecstasy or pain.

"When I was 15, you were my closest friend, advisor, helper, tutor, my nazekyouya, the person in the both worlds I adored most and wanted to be alike, my idol. I thought it was normal for a teen to have such kind of admiration." He licked and sucked one nipple. Conrad arched again and made another beautiful sound.

"When I was 16, I noticed that I could only feel good and comfortable when you were near me. When you were away, I felt on edge and frustrated." He assaulted the other nipple, grazing it with his teeth. Conrad threw back his head, hitting the stone wall painfully.

"When I was 17, I talked to Cheri-sama one day. I asked her what love was. She gave me a rather plain answer, she said – if you think of a person every day when you wake up, and if his face is the one you see before your close eyes when you fall asleep – so that is the person you love. That is how I knew I was in love with you. But I was afraid to approach you with those feeling. I still could have been mistaken. But when a girl kissed me once and I found it horrible, and that night I'd dreamt of you kissing me – than I knew I was lost."

Yuuri was simply drawing circles over Conrad's broad chest. The man tried to catch an escaping moan, but failed.

"And that was when I became afraid. What if I opened myself to you and you were disgusted by me? I wouldn't have been able to bear it. What if you simply rejected me and remained my faithful servant, as usual? I would have hated it. But more that that, I would have hated if you accepted my feelings just to oblige me, just in order not to hurt me. That would have been the worst. I couldn't harass you that way. When I was 18, I was going insane. I couldn't think of anyone but you, not to mention the thought of having sex with anyone but you. I wanked myself raw every night just thinking of a short smile you'd given me that day." He places his palm on Conrad's cock and squeezed gently. Conrad gave out a cry. "You cannot imagine how often I have thought of bursting into your room, falling to my knees and begging you to take me and to fuck me senseless. Even if you didn't really care."

If Conrad wanted to say something at this point, all coherent thoughts left his mind, when Yuuri lowered himself and took him into his mouth. "Arghhh!" Conrad thought he could have died.

But Yuuri wasn't going to bring it to an end just then. He withdrew, settled down on Conrad's hips and continued, "But I was watching you. I was watching you carefully; I tried to tell apart what was just your loyalty, and what might have been more. I followed every gesture of yours, every word, every sound, every smile. I compared them to those of the others, who, I was sure, didn't have any other feelings for me but respect or friendship. And I started to get the impression that you might like me in a way that has nothing to do with the affection of a loyal subordinate."

Conrad was about to say something, but that moment Yuuri changed his position so that their loins were aligned, took their erections in one hand, and stroked, rather hard. Conrad thrashed uncontrollably.

"So now I know I have not just believed what I desired." He stopped. "Are you listening, Conrad?"

"Yesss." The captured looked up, eyes delirious, teary, dark, "Please no more, I cannot take it anymore!"

But Yuuri disregarded him once again. "This is torture, remember?" He straddled the hips and traced the shape of the man's ribs and abdominal muscles with his finger.

"You know what, Conrad? I was about to confess to you… And if you shared my feelings I was about to propose to you. But then I fell ill and when I got better, you were gone. And that was right after I had such a wonderful dream of you coming to my bed, kissing me softly and saying, "I love you, Yuuri." A single tear escaped the young man's eye and fell onto Conrad's abdomen. It burnt worse than red-hot iron they used to torture him. The soldier gave an anguished cry. He was losing his mind. The discordance between how good his body and how bad his soul and mind felt tore him into pieces.

Yuuri brushed the tear off his skin. "Sentiments apart, we are coming to the point now".

Once again, he sucked on Conrad's cock, generously covering it in his saliva. That was the most terrible torment the soldier had ever endured. With a pop, the king let go of the cock.

"Do you want me?" Yuuri slowly, tantalizingly slowly crept up, spread his tights and likewise slowly brought his fingers towards his own opening.

A sharp "ah!" escaped Conrad lips at this. "I've been preparing myself for you. Stupid of me, I know." Yuuri brought his fingers to his mouth, and sucked on them generously. Then he started slowly fingering himself. Conrad closed his eyes; it was more than he could stand.

"Look at me!" shouted Yuuri so that the soldier startled. "Watch me closely, don't you dare to turn away. I want to you to watch me preparing myself for you. I want you to remember this sight." Obediently, the soldier opened his eyes and watched, mesmerized. Watched long slender fingers slide in and out the tight flesh. Watched Yuuri flushed, sweated, erect and longing for him.

Yuuri slowly aimed for Conrad's cock, but when the soldier jerked his hips up in agony, he stopped suddenly. "Do you want me, CONRAD?"

Finally, the body won the hopeless battle. Mind blank and void of any coherent thoughts, acting only on instincts, Weller hissed, "Yesss"

"Call me Yuuri, like you used to, just one last time"

"Yu-u-ri", it came out broken and hoarse.

"How much do you want me?" the king pried.

"More than anything!" the soldier exhaled.

"More than death?" insisted the Maoh.

"More than death or life." whispered the captive.

"Tell me everything, and you will get what you want."

The man gave a sound of a wounded animal, but the boy persisted,

"Tell me the truth, and I'll fulfill your inmost desire, tell me a lie, and mark my word I can tell apart now, and I will leave you like this, and in a few hours you will be executed with a painful hard-on. Keep silent, and I'll leave, but I'll change the verdict – I'll commute your death sentence to a lifelong banishment to the farther place of this world, but the image of me naked and wanting over you will haunt you till death. It will drive you insane, because you won't be able to eat, sleep or walk without seeing me like this. You will never ever forget what you'd done to me"

"NO!" Conrad looked terrified.

"Then speak! Why did you do it?"

"I cannot tell you, it might kill you!"

"Conrad, look at me, I'm worse than dead! Why, tell me!"
"To protect you!" Escaped Conrad's mouth and he bit his tongue.

"Hahaha!" roared the Mao. The laugh was angry, bitter, and full of suffering. "You fool! You wanted to protect me, but you destroyed me instead." Dangerous blue flames of maryoku erupted all over the slim body, and the pupils instantly morphed into cat-like slits. The king took a deep breath, and managed to compose himself. When he opened his eyes, they were slowly returning to normal.

"I used to have better control over it…" mused he. "Seems I'm really at my end. And this is your fault."

Tears flooded the eyes of the soldier.

"I saw it," he whispered. "That's why I gladly accepted all the tortures, and I happily accept my death. There's no way I can even start begging for forgiveness, because what I'd done cannot be forgiven. Promise me, Yuuri, that you will not forgive me!"

"I give you the word of Maoh! But before we both die I must know why I have to execute not only the love of my life, but also my true self. I have the right to know! Please!" Yuuri couldn't hold his tears. They flooded freely all over his face. "Please, Conrad,"

He assaulted the swollen lips once again. "Tell me everything!"

For the first time in his life, the Ruthenberg Lion surrendered. Looking defeated, he opened his mouth, and after a few failed attempts he started,

"Dai Shimaron's elders had discovered that the country will regain its bygone flourish only when a person with the blood on the Ancient Rulers will take over the country. The only known person of such ancestry is sadly me. So they approached me with a preposition, which I naturally declined. So they worked out a wicked plan. I guess the remnants of the White Crows were behind it. They developed some kind of magic that could influence someone from afar. It could inflict short pain or long disease or make you trip over the root or… die." Conrad swallowed. Yuuri gaped.

"They showed it in action several times. Remember when Ao died? That day I got a letter, which said, watch the Maoh's horse. I didn't let you ride him, and he died in terrible agony."

Yuuri shuddered, he remembered it too well, his kind strong horse thrashing on the ground, eyes protruding and blood-shot, mouth covered in lather, agape, but he couldn't even make a sound. It was Conrad who embraced him tightly and hid his face from a soldier who had to stab the poor animal.

"But I thought it might have been a coincidence. Next time, I got another letter, telling, "Watch the Maoh's hands," and I watched, but you managed to get that deep cut just from the dining knife."

Yuuri gasped and eyed a faint scar at the juncture of his thumb and palm.

"Why didn't you tell anything to me or anyone?"

"I couldn't Yuuri, I just couldn't. There was that other letter, which said, if someone was to know, you'd die a long a painful death. I panicked. I didn't dare to alert you. The next letter said, "The Maoh will fall ill today, he will be unconscious until you change your mind. If you don't, he'll die next week." I rushed to your chambers only to find people hovering over your body. You didn't get better no matter how everyone tried. So I sent the reply, that you will have to recover as soon as I leave and that they will never threaten your life again, on that condition I will join them. They swore by the fate of Dai Shimaron. I left. But I hoped I'd be able to find whatever they used to control you. As soon as I got there they started preparing for war. You know the rest."

Yuri looked down at his knight, his expression so mixed that it couldn't be deciphered no matter how hard Conrad tried.

"I won't die."

"What?"

"Dai Shimaron ceased to exist. After you were captured, your army fled, we caught all the generals; unfortunately, they committed suicide before we could question them. Dai Shimaron was annexed to Shin Makoku, and Wolfram was sent there as a legate."

"So it is true then. I thought it was just a trick to make me speak."

"Why did you do all this?" Yuuri asked finally.

"Like I told you, I wanted to protect you!" exclaimed Conrad pained.

"And why do you always want to protect me, Conrad?"

"Before I had to leave, I came to your chambers and told you I loved you. I knew there will be no turning back for me."

"So it wasn't a dream then!" Yuuri exclaimed. "Tell me again. Tell me you love me"

"I love you! Love you more that anything!"

"Then why was it when I captured you, you told me "Go away! I cannot bear seeing you!"

"Because more that anything it hurt me to see what I had done. Now I see that there are things far worse that death"

"That is so true…" sighed the king. "Why haven't you ever given me a sign? A tiny hint?"

"Because it is treacherous for a subordinate to wish for his sovereign in a way I wished for you, not to mention when this sovereign is a boy of fifteen! When I saw your longing for me, I decided I will never give in. I couldn't have possibly let you bind your fate with a simple swordsman like me."

"Weller, why do you always decide for me? That is good that I'm no longer the silly boy I used to be," and he started kissing his beloved all over again.

"Yuuri, please," resisted the soldier, "I told you everything, I swear, I know you hate me now, but I beg you, let me touch you! Let me hold you this one last time! This is my last wish! Please!"

"No," said the boy coldly. "I'm already granting your last wish."

"Just let me hold you! Please!" the man begged, eyes filled with tears. But Yuuri disregarded the bitter plea. Instead, he started working Conrad's neglected cock in earnest.

"Yuuri, no! I'm going to…!"

"Yes, I want to see you come, Conrad!"

That was the soldiers end. He came so hard he fainted. But before he did, he heard three whispered words, I Love You.

When the knight came to senses, his shackles were gone, and the king was quietly and quickly dressing. Noting that the man had came to; Yuuri threw him his pants, and ordered "Get dressed, quickly."

Obediently and not quite comprehending he pulled on the loose pants and the remnants of the robe.

"Ready?" The Maoh inquired.

"It depends on what are you going to do with me," Conrad answered warily.

"And what do you think I'm going to do with the man who loves me so much that he's completely lost his mind?"

"But you mustn't forgive me! You gave the word of Maoh!"

"You'll have to ask him when he shows up then." Conrad looked betrayed.

"Don't worry; I'm still far from forgiving. In fact, I've already thought of a punishment for you!"

"I'll take any penalty gladly!" Assured the knight.

"Fine! Then no sex till the wedding!"

Conrad looked very much like a fish thrown on the shore – eyes goggling, mouth opening and closing – but no sound came. His exhausted mind seemed to be unable to process this new development.

"Oh come on Conrad, you don't want our wedding to be some ten years ahead? So hurry up, let's find Günter and Gwendal!"

But before Conrad had made a step, the cell's door cracked open and the two of aforementioned mazoku burst in. And froze.

Yuuri was there. Unharmed. And Yuuri was Yuuri. And he was smiling.

"Speak of the devil! Perfect timing, you two!"

Now they had two more fishes in one cell. The first to regain his composure was surprisingly Günter, "The shield you created, Your Majesty, is beyond praise. It took us almost half an hour to break it."

"I just didn't want to be disturbed. Did the soldiers alert you?"

"No, Your Majesty. We thought you might get the idea and decided to check. In fact, the soldiers gave us quite a fight."

"Good, then I won't have to execute anyone in the morning. Oh, and by the way, in case you forgotten, my name is Yuuri, and let's leave 'Majesty' for official events."

The both gaped again, and after eyeing Conrad for a while, Gwendal uttered solemnly,

"For bringing back Yuuri I forgive you all the crimes you have committed."

"Please don't, Sir von Voltair." Conrad bowed politely. "I cannot be forgiven."

"The smile on Yuuri's face atones for all your sins. I hadn't seen it for half a year. And I'm your brother, in case you'd forgotten. And I'm sorry I have inflicted all the pain on you, but you can be one stubborn brother."

"Yuuri, did he speak?" wondered Günter .

"Yes, very much so" the smile on Yuuri's face could have lit the whole city.

"How…" started Gwendal, but Yuuri interrupted,

"The Maohs have their own secrets."

Günter chuckled.

"In fact, I was going to look for you. I have some urgent matters to discuss." Both statesmen bowed their heads in apprehension.

"Gwendal, first you – would you please write Wolfram ASAP asking him to investigate an item or some kind of magical practice that could control a person from afar, like causing a disease or death. It could be anything, and possibly connected to the White Crows, he will have to find out." Gwendal nodded.

"And please add that I'm sorry. Or no, I'll better write it myself…"

To Conrad, he explained, "We had quite a fight. He'd cancelled the engagement and wanted to go as far away as possible from me. I cannot blame him. It is one thing to have a wimp for a fiancée, and quite another – a short-tempered Maoh. So I sent him to Dai Shimaron. I wonder why everyone still stayed by my side when I was such a nasty bastard towards everyone. I apologize," said he, looking at Günter and Gwendal.

"Günter, for you another question – how long does it take to arrange a wedding?"

"A wedding?" Günter clapped his hands gleefully. "It depends…"

"The soonest possible?"

"Well, let me see... We will have to make a list of guests. That would take a fortnight, or maybe more," started the blond, bending a finger.

"Why so long?" wondered Yuuri, disappointed.

"Believe me, it's a highly delicate matter – if you forget someone, it might have dire consequences," explained the statesman. "Then, we will have to write the invitations – depending on the amount of guests it might take a week or more. Then we will have to send out the invitations – that's another week. Then we will have to wait for the replies – you must count at least a month on this. And then according to the amount of persons replied arrange the festivities. Not to forget the people of Shin Makoku – they will need a special celebration, as well.

So I'd say no earlier than in four months."

"Four months?" Yuuri gaped.

"Your Majesty Yuuri," gave voice the in-four-month-to-be-spouse, sitting down. "I think I'd better stay in this cell and die in the morning."

"What?" Yuuri blanched, smile fading. Günter and Gwendal tensed.

"I must tell you that under those conditions I will be violating your trust yet again."

"What are you talking about, Conrad!" Yuuri pounced on him, grabbing the remnants of the robe.

Very quickly and barely audible, Conrad whispered into Yuuri's ear. "I won't be able to wait 4 month, I will have you tonight or die, I'm sorry" A violent jolt of excitement shot through Yuuri at this declaration. From very pale he turned to crimson in a matter of a second, and stumbled backwards.

"Ow, whatever you said, Conrad, say it again! I haven't seen His Majesty blush so adorably since his first year in Shin Makoku." Exclaimed Günter exhilarated.

Yuuri gave him his best Maoh-ish glare, but Günter didn't waver.

"By the way, you two interrupted my most important moment of life, besides the wedding," remembered Yuuri. "I ask you to honour us by witnessing this," Yuuri quickly covered the distance between him and Conrad once again, and stretched his arm. Conrad took it, and the king helped him up. With a good swing Yuuri slapped Conrad across his cheek. "Sir Conrad Weller, with this I reverse your death sentence and condemn you to staying by my side day and night, to never leaving my eyesight, to never disappearing for longer than 5 minutes, because I wouldn't be able to stand it any longer, to sleeping in one bed, eating in one room, in health and in disease, in richness and in poorness, in happiness and in sadness, and die on one and the same day. Do you accept your punishment?"

"Yes, Your Majesty, though your punishment makes me the happiest person ever existed, and I absolutely don't deserve it!"

"Conrad, don't! Come to think I might have executed you... I'm going to have nightmares for the rest of my life!"

"I'll always be there to comfort you!"

With that, Conrad finally drew Yuuri to his chest, and just held him like this, not moving, even not breathing, too afraid to wake up from the most miraculous dream of his life.

Still he was brought back to reality by an irritated cough, made by already very tired Gwendal.

"Conrad, I believe you should already bring his Majesty to his bedroom. And Your Majesty, I hope you'll be able to find ten minutes for me tomorrow, so that I won't have to burst into your chambers at a most inappropriate moment. And by tomorrow I mean tomorrow, because it's past midnight, and today you will be clearly incapable of any reasonable talk.

"And next time please don't bring your showdown onto the public level" put in Günter.

With that, the both statesmen left.

"Bed," exhaled Yuuri, squeezing Conrad's hand.

"Bed," agreed Conrad just a tiny bit too enthusiastically. He took Yuuri in his arms bridal style, and hurried up the stairs. Though they had forever, now was also very good.