Love and Blood, part 3
New chapter is here!
Name: Love and Blood
Fandom: Kyou Kara Maou
Pairing: Gwendal/Conrad
Warnings: incest, yaoi, lemon (citrus in general),
Rating: T - M/NC-17 - R
Summary: The brothers were always very close, maybe even closer than brothers could be. Especially two of them. But what if the truth came out? Maybe it's time for Conrad and Gwendal to reveal their greatest secret.
Disclaimer: Sadly, I do not own Kyou Kara Maou. The geniality of it doesn’t belong to me.
Seeing beyond the surface brings understanding
A month has passed since Gwendal and Conrad had told their friends and family about their secret relationship and things couldn’t have been more weird. Wolfram returned to his immature bratty self, this time defying not only Conrad, but Gwendal as well. Günter stopped talking to them altogether and spent his day either in the library or in his rose garden. He went as far as to avoid His Majesty because Conrad and Gwendal always seemed to be somewhere around him.
Anissina on the other hand took things normally (when you considered putting Gwendal through various experiments and tests on her inventions normal) and their mother, Cheri-sama, was in bliss. As for Yuuri...He jumped whenever Conrad or Gwendal said something to him and was unusually tense around them. Needless to say, it hurt Conrad. But he wouldn’t be Conrad if he showed it.
„Gwendal,“ (the regular jump) „could you separate those files ready for sorting in from that stack?“ he was interrupted by one of the coughs, which have been plaguing him for a few days now. „I’m almost finished with these.“
„They’re over there.“ Gwendal motioned to the folder just in reach of his right hand.
Conrad coughed again. „Ah. I’ll get them in a minute.“
„Shouldn’t you do something about it?“
„You’re right, I’ll hurry. I’ve been doing this for almost half an hour now. I apologize for my slowlyness.“
„I wasn’t talking about the sorting.“
Conrad looked puzzled and Gwendal sighed. „I was talking about that coughing. Shouldn’t you go and see Gisella?“
Conrad smiled. „I’m fine. My throat just feels a little sore. Maybe I’ve been talking too much.“
Gwendal gave him a ‚you’re-making-fun-of-me‘ look and Conrad sighed. „I’m fine.“
Seeing that Conrad was finished with the stack he was holding, Gwendal stood up, took the folder and approached his younger brother, trying to convince himself that he only wanted to hand it to him, that he really didn’t want to regard him from close distance to assure himself that Conrad was really alright.
He handed the folder to him, his fingers brushing for a moment over Conrads hand. But he didn’t even notice that as he looked closely into the warm honeybrown eyes. Something was definitely off - they looked tired. Speaking of which, Conrad hadn’t been to his room since the night before they told their friends about their relationship.
His hand was still touching Conrad’s ever so slightly and his face was exactly two inches away from the face of his brother, but Gwendal seemed oblivious to this. Conrad didn’t seem that way though, as he smiled and took the papers, ignoring the worry in Gwendal’s eyes. „Thank you.“
„Stop it! Just stop it!“
Everybody present in the room turned towards the shaking Yuuri. Now, was he raging or crying? One couldn’t tell because his bangs hid his eyes.
„Your Majesty?“
„Did we do something wrong, Yuuri?“ It was one of those rare times when Conrad called Yuuri by his name without the boy reprimanding him to do so and it had to be this time, to everybody’s surprise and shock, that Yuuri flinched right at the moment when his name left the swordsman’s lips. It couldn’t go unnoticed, unlike the pain which flashed through said swordsman’s eyes.
„Nothing. I’m just hearing things.“ He picked up his feather-pen and resumed signing, the dark bangs still shielding his eyes.
Conrad closed his eyes, soundlessly sighing. „May I be excused?“ It wasn’t that he needed to hide somewhere and cry, or scream, or smash something. And it also wasn’t the tollerance to give Yuuri time, even if he wanted to make himself believe so. No. It was simple cowardice - escape from the tension, even if it was just for a moment, being unable to bear it any longer.
He got only a nod as an answer, but it was enough. These days it was enough. Putting the folders into Gwendals hand, he almost rushed to the door. As he yanked it open, he got face to face with none other than Günter. With only one look of something between dislike and disappointment, he brushed past Conrad and went straight towards Gwendal, calling: „You can’t be together!“
Gwendal sighed in exasperation. „As I said, we don’t care what the others thi“
That was as far as he got, when the open palm of Günters right hand almost connected with his left cheek, wouldn’t it be for Gwendal’s sharp reflexes. Everybody stopped to move and for a split second Conrad looked like he was about to faint.
„As I said, you can’t be together! All these years you sent signs towards me, kept me in hopes of a requitted love-“ that was as far as he came as Gwendal interrupted him.
„I kept you in high hopes, you say? Of all people I?! Might I remind you that it was you who clung to me in the first place and then stopped with it because of His Majesty? I promised you nothing Günter and I never wanted anything from you. I’ve been in love with somebody since 20 years ago and there is never going to be anyone else.“ (Nobody noticed the light blush on the cheeks of a certain brunette)
Günter frowned. „Is that so?“
„Yes.“
Günter nodded. „If that’s the case,“ he turned towards Yuuri. „Your Majesty, I express my wish to be freed of my duties as the royal advisor in order to be able to leave this castle and return back to my grounds.“
Before Yuuri could say anything, the angered voice of the swordsman resonated through the room. Conrad had enough. „You are behaving like a child and not as a royal advisor, Günter! Stop this foolish behavior and calm down. Can’t you see how ridiculous you are being?“
Everybody gaped openmouthed at Conrad, but the half-mazoku didn’t budge and inch and stood straight on the spot, resonating natural authority. Actually, that they had never seen that kind of a behavior from him didn’t startle them as much as the fact, that he showed it towards Günter, not only the head of a noble house, classes higher than Conrad, but also his former teacher.
„Con...Conrad...“
Günter narrowed his eyes, ready to defend himself, but whatever he wanted to say was interrupted by a violent coughing fit.
„Conrad!“
The brunette wasn’t even able to reply anything as violent coughs wrecked his body. Both, Gwendal and Yuuri, rushed to his side and Gwendal put an arm around him and held him up under his shoulder. As he saw Conrads knees grow weak Gwendal put his brother’s arm around his shoulders to give him the support his knees denied him. It was then that he saw that the blush from earlier didn’t disappear and the face was drenched in sweat. As he put a hand on Conrad’s neck, he discovered it was hot.
„He has fever!“
„I’m fine...“ Conrad managed to say in between coughs, but Gwendal bluntly ignored it. Instead he put the most of Conrads weight onto his broad shoulders and carried him without another word out of the office.
*
As Gisella entered the office everybody looked up from what they have (not) been doing. Everybody was worried about the Lord Protector’s well-being.
„So, what do you say about his condition?“
„It looks like he caught the season influenza.“ Gwendal really had to struggle with keeping a straight face instead of gaping open-mouthed. The last time Conrad had influenza was...was...he couldn’t even remember when. „He’ll be fine in a week, but for now he needs to rest.“ Gisella continued. „I prescribed him some medicine and he’ll also need plenty of fluids. Cheri-sama is now with him.“
Gwendal nodded. „I see. I’ll look go to see him in a while.“
Gisella nodded. She also already knew about the relationship between the two brothers, having learnt it from her father. But unlike him, she didn’t have the slightest problem with it.
„Thank you Gisella.“ Yuuri said. „You are dismissed.“ She bowed to His Majesty and left the room.
*
Gwendal did as he said and visited his younger brother half an hour later. As he entered the room he saw Cheri-sama, sitting on the chair next to the bed, changing the wet cloth on the forehead of her middle son. When she heard the door open and close she turned around and smiled at Gwendal reassuringly. The oldest of the brothers approached the bed and stood right next to her.
„He’ll be fine.“ It sounded rather like a statement, but Gwendal still heard the reassurance in it. He found himself nodding.
*
Conrad dreamed. He dreamed about clinging to his brother as lightning cracked the sky and lightened up the darknes sof the room in a mysterious and eerie light. He dreamed of the warmth he had felt that time... Then the warmth faded as he felt numbness and coldness around himself, the shocked look of his younger brother settled on him. The face turned to angry and he yelled something at him and then stormed off. And he felt so cold... There was fire everywhere around him. Fire and pain. Fire and blood. But in spite of that he still felt numb and cold. Dirt and dust...screaming, fighting, the clashing of swords...it all resonated through him. He heard himself howl as he dashed forward, swinging his sword, bringing it down, cutting, killing, death everywhere around him. Pain, seering pain and numbness. Cold, darkness. Warmth. Warmth from a long time ago. Warmth he knew. The warmth of a touch...a voice far away...calling his name...
„Conrad...Conrad...“
He wanted to answer that voice, but he didn’t know how.
„Conrad, wake up...“
Was he asleep?
„It’s just a dream, just a dream...“
A dream? No, not a dream, everything happened, was happening, always there, coldness, pain... Warmth. A touch and a voice, so caring... The coldness faded, the images weren’t real anymore, the voice became more clear, it was close, it was there, calling him.
„Conrad...“
He felt somebody shaking him.
And he remembered... „Gwen...“
„Drink this.“
He felt himself being pulled up and something was held to his mouth, something cold. Glass. The water was cold against his raw throat, but it was pleasent, it felt like life.
He was gently laid down again and warm sheets covered him. „Sleep.“ The voice said soothingly and Conrad drifted off again.
*
Gwendal stood next to the bed of his little brother, regarding him with worry in his eyes. Conrad...One would think a sleeping Conrad was a cute Conrad, but Gwendal knew better. After 20 years of sleeping together with the man his brother was now, he learned that Conrad didn’t have the strength to keep his smiling facade up in his sleep. Peaceful and smiling by day, trashing and frowning at night. Conrad was a very violent sleeper - Gwendal had bruises to prove that - but his movements still remained precise and strong. One time he even broke Gwendal’s rib - and kept apologizing nonstop for two months straight. He didn’t know if it had been before Julia’s death like this as well, though he remembered Yozak’s body spotting with similar bruises. And as a child Conrad would always make a tour through his bed and half of the room in his sleep, but that one Gwendal blamed on Dan Hiri and his travelling spirit. Only as a baby, as a small baby still in his crib, Conrad would sleep a deep, peacefull and ‚eventless‘ sleep, looking exceedingly cute and utterly innocent. He left the tours for the daytime.
Gwendal would never forget the scare he had given them the one time he had disappeared for a day. It was only at the break of the night that they found him sleeping in the hay in the stables, absolutely oblivious to the ruckuss he caused, smiling and blabbering in his sleep. The idea of the spanking Gwendal wanted to give him flew out of the window, the image was too cute for that. Later he used that cuteness as a weapon against them. He was a very troublesome child and he always knew what he wanted. What’s more, he knew exactly how to get it and once he used that sad face on them, there was no way anybody could resist him. Maybe that’s why he got so damn spoiled.
Gwendal sighed and traced a damp strand out of his brother’s face. To get sick was a rarity for Conrad. And to catch a season influenza, the simplest, most primitive of sicknesses (not that Gwendal complained) was almost a joke. A very bad joke. Just like Conrad, seriously.
Sighing again, he kissed his baby brother’s (because he still saw him as the small baby he used to babysit, especially when Conrad used his sad face to get what he wanted) forehead, unaware of the person standing in the doorway, watching them.
*
The next day a very unpleasent surprise awaited him.
It happened when he was heading for his office, an infant of a smile on his face. Conrad had woken up early in the morning, his eyes clearer and his fever gone down, feeling obviously better. Gwendal even managed to get a light breakfest down his throat and was looking towards lunch, when he intended to feed him some soup. Summing it up, Gwendal was in a very good and high-spirited mood. But that changed drastically as he turned the corner, heading towards the stairs, in front of which eight people stood. Each having an own domain, none of them was normally seen at Blood Pledge Castle, and most certainly not all at once. That occured only in emergency cases and/or meetings concerning the state. The members of the round table. Bielefeld, Gyllenhall, Kleist, Rochefort, Redford, Kharbelnikoff, Wincott, Spitzberg. And the first one looked really pissed.
„Lord Gwendal von Voltaire.“ The deep voice sounded icier than usually. „Chief of State of Shin Makoku. Half-brother of my nephew. Son of the previous Maou. Born into a noble-family, raised in the highest and most distinguished class. Why would a man like you begin a relationship with a mere swordsman, a halfbreed and on top of it all, the one whom you share the half of your blood with. Explain yourself.“
„You forgot to mention the honorable warrior, Lion of Ruttenberg, Lord Protector, and also son of the previous Maou.“ Gwendal bit back with an equally icy tone. „And now if you’ll excuse me, I have work to do.“ He attempted to brush past them, but the Bielefeld Lord wouldn’t have any of it. He seized his arm and bellowed with a loud voice: „The round table shall gather!“
*
And they did gather around that round table, the Maou in the center, in that blasted chair, looking no more enthusiastic than the von Voltaire heir. Apparently, he hadn’t been informed about this meeting, because he looked genuinly surprised as Waltorana marched into his office and demanded his presence in the conference room.
„We’ve gathered here today to discuss the inapropriate relationship of two people of high status.“ Günter started. Gwendal expected him to have an hours long speech of praise for His Majesty but to his surprise nothing like that followed. „The inapropriacy of this relationship lies in the fact that those two, namely Lord Gwendal von Voltaire and Lord Conrad Weller, are bound by blood through their mother, making them brothers and their relationship incestual.“
„What do you have to say about this accusation, Lord von Voltaire?“ Waltorana asked and the chair snapped towards him.
„First of all I’ll let you know, Lord von Bielefeld, that I don’t take that as an accusation, but a fact. A very lucky fact, because I love Lord Conrad Weller with all my heart. As a friend, as a brother and yes, as a lover. Whether you are or aren’t willing to accept this, depends all on you, but let me tell you, that it won’t affect the relationship with my brother as inapropriate and incestuous it may be.“ As he said this, his eyes rested on Yuuri, who was now turned to him, for a split second and saw the awe in his eyes.
„Is that all you’ve got to say?“ Waltorana!
„Yes.“ Gwendal!
„I don’t think it’s that bad.“
„I agree.“
The chair snapped to Delchias and then to Densham.
„Oh? Thinking about ways how to make money out of this?“ Lady von Rochefort!
„I have made contacts with many cotton wool producers in Small Shimaron. They would make a beautifull wedding suit.“ Densham!
Gwendal paled.
„A wedding?!“ the chair snapped to Stoffel. „How can you even say something like that in such a situation-“
„A wedding huh? Would be nice.“ Delchias!
„I wonder if I could set up Anissina with somebody if I got her to attend...“ Densham!
„You really wish for your sister’s happiness.“ Delchias!
„Of course!“ Densham!
„I would rather say that he’s looking for new trading partners because nobody wants to work with him anymore.“ Lady von Rochefort!
„Only because your trades don’t work out, it doesn’t have to apply to me.“ Densham!
„Oh? Somebody buys those missmatched pieces you call clothes?“ Lady von Rochefort!
„Only because you have no sense of fashion-“ Densham!
„HAVE MERCY!“ Yuuri finally exploded being sick and tired (the former dominated) of snapping between those two back and forth. Everybody stared at him, having completely forgotten that he was there.
„I say,“ the chair turned now to Lord von Redford. „that we hear what His Majesty has to say on the matter. After all, his word will decide.“
Yuuri drew deep breaths, trying to stop the rebellion of his stomach. „Just...give me...a minute.“
With one last breath he shook his head to clear it. Then he turned his head to look at Gwendal, still being turned towards Lord von Redford.
„Gwendal.“
„Your Majesty.“ The chair has also turned now the direction of Yurri’s head and they were eye to eye.
„I know I’ve been acting tense and weird around you nowadays and didn’t even bother to hold back my disgust over your relationship. But now, after all this spinning around and thinking it through last night, I came to the conclusion, that it isn’t as wrong.“
„But Your Majesty!“ the chair was torn between snapping to Günter or Stoffel, so it started to trash violently between them, while screams of terror echoed through the room.
„I agree.“ Now it snapped to the von Wincott heir. „There are no boundaries for love. And if Lord Weller and Lord von Voltaire are happy together, I don’t see a reason why they couldn’t be in a romantic relationship. Love is a wonderful thing.“
„I couldn’t have said that better.“ And towards Lord von Gyllenhall.
„I have been through many battles and know how fleeting life is. We should live it to its fullest and not let the chances pass.“ Lord Redford said. „And I’m sure that both Lord Weller and Lord von Voltaire know that, though I can’t decide which one of them does it better. And I’m sure you, Lord von Kleist and you Lord von Bielefeld, know this too. Though I’m not so sure about you, Stoffel.“
The blond man gritt his teeth.
„My point is,“ everybody turned to Yuuri (who was now a sickly unidentifiable whiteysh-greenish color, and mumbling rather than speaking) „that love has no boundaries and if we can accept the love between two people, which we find maybe very hard, we can understand each other better and sort out all of the differences between us. I know, I know it may be awkward. Maybe it makes us uncomfortable to think about it. Maybe we feel unable to accept it. But I’m sure that after some time,- for sure.“
„Your Majesty.“ Black eyes met indigo and for the first time in two months, Yuuri smiled.
Suddenly there was a commotion behind the door which was swunf open with a bang and a shout „You’re sick, you need to rest“ and there he stood, the swordsman in question: Lord Conrad Weller.
„I know it isn’t my place to either do this or say this“ he said as he marched in, face flushed and glinting from sweat, „but I can’t just sit and watch without being able to do anything. To make myself clear, I don’t care what everybody in the high society thinks about me, I never even have. And neither does Gwendal. What counts is that I love him and he loves me and nothing and nobody in this or the other world will be able to change that. We’re staying together. Basta.“
Everybody stared at the swordsman dumbfounded at the swordsman. This was...higly unexpected. Nobody was able to say anything or even move, but as Gwendal saw his brother sway, he was at his side in that instant, supporting him with his arm, not caring what the others saw, heard, or thought.
„What the hell are you doing here?! You should be in bed! Look at yourself. Pitiful.“ It didn’t sound as strict as Gwendal would’ve wanted it to and Conrad gave him a smile.
„I just wanted to make my position clear. And also, I didn’t want you to face this alone.“
Awe spread across Gwendal’s face and without any second thought he took his brother into his arm and planted a kiss into his hair. He was here with him and willing to stay at his side, maybe even forever, and that was all that mattered. The world could shatter, for all he cared.
----------------------------------------------------*
Hope you all liked it!