Day 13, Noon

[yuuri_maou]

[[from here*His clothes are damp from the light rain, and his face scratchy from the grass he fell asleep on, but he feels better than he has in a long time. For a moment he remains still, looking up at the sky, and offers a prayer for Conrad’s soul. Then he finally gives into the gentle prodding of Jerey to get him out of the wet

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[originalmaiden]

Ulrike is wandering down the halls, peeking into unlocked doors to see if the Shinou is inside. There are many, many doors. She could ask a guard to escort her to the Shinou's side, but then she would lose the opportunity to explore the castle!

The guards standing outside of one room aren't sure what to make of her presence in the castle, though they do know who she is. One of them tells her the Maou shouldn't be disturbed, but now she is excited to visit Yuuri-heika! Poking her head inside the room, she squeals happily to see him. "Yuuri-heika! Good afternoon!"

[originalmaiden]

Ulrike giggles at the response and nods. "Yes he does." She gestures for him to lean down and she whispers in his ear. "He is wonderful, but he often likes to show off a little." Winks.

[yuuri_maou]

Something that sounds a lot like a giggle escapes his lips before he can clamp his hands over his mouth. "Ulrike," he says after a minute, trying to hold back another bubble of laughter.

"I think, he's probably just happy to be back again. And, and, and....remind everyone of what a powerful person he is."

[originalmaiden]

So, so glad to see Yuuri-heika happy, even for a moment. Ulrike nods again, swinging her legs. "Shinou-heika is happy to be back, yes.

"I am happy for him, though I miss his presence in the Shrine."

Ulrike turns a somewhat serious, curious face on Yuuri-heika. "Does Yuuri-heika miss Shin Makoku when he goes back to Earth?"

[yuuri_maou]

"Well," he starts slowly, "If Shinou gets to be out of the Shine, you should be too. After all, isn't it your job to listen to what he has to say to everyone? Well then, you can just follow him around, and then you'll never be lonely!"

Gently he pats Ulrike's hand and smiles softly. "I think about here whenever I'm back home; what everyone is doing, how everything is going, what Greta is learning, what the town is doing, I think about it all the time. Because, this is home too. And I have a family here that's different than my family back home, but still important to me."

[originalmaiden]

o.o! What a splendid idea! Yuuri-heika really is very smart. "Thank you, Yuuri-heika, I will ask him when I see him next!"

She is also very glad to hear that the young king thinks of Shin Makoku as home. Though the other nations have come to his side slowly, his own people could not love him more. Herself included. To find that he thinks so highly of them as well makes her very happy.

Ulrike looks around the room. "Your rooms are very quiet, Yuuri-heika. Is Sir von Bielefeld out?"

[yuuri_maou]

At her words, he falls silent and, after a moment, stands, his arms crossed over Conrad's book held close to his chest. "Wolfram is," he starts, trying to think of some way to put it so that Ulrike doesn't worry, "Wolfram is, justifiably taking a walk to get some air."

[originalmaiden]

Ulrike nods, bouncing a little in her seat. "Will he be back soon? I don't wish to take up too much of Yuuri-heika's time. My Maidens like him very much, they think he is quite cute." She giggles. "And they adore Princess Greta, Heika. They offer prayers for her every day."

She holds his hand. "Have you heard from Dai Shimeron, Heika? When are we to see her again?"

[yuuri_maou]

He pauses and then squeezes her hand before wandering over to the window. "I don't know if when Wolfram will be back."

"I thank you and the maidens for keeping Greta in their thoughts. I means a lot to me, and I know it would mean a lot to her."

"But no," he says finally, gazing blankly out the window. "No more words from Dai Shimeron, no news from the front lines, nothing from Gunter though it is a little too early for anything from them."

[originalmaiden]

Ulrike shakes her head, covering her mouth with one hand. "I am truly sorry, Yuuri-heika. Sir von Christ will get her back safely."

"Is there anything I can do to help, Yuuri-heika?"

[yuuri_maou]

Taking a deep breath, he turns back around and manages a small smile. "Just keep being yourself. You're the happiest person I've talked to in a long time. And that's a good feeling. It reminds you that the darkness won't last forever. The night has to end and the sun will rise, right?"

[originalmaiden]

Ulrike smiles back serenely and nods. "Yes, Heika. It always does."

She knows what it's like to worry about a child -- or someone almost like. And she's seen others fall upart under the strain Yuuri-heika's facing now. But he is bearing up admirably, and that will make all the difference.

Ulrike slides down from her seat and stands beside him. "Cheri's gardens are very beautiful, aren't they? Like a painting.

"You can always tell a good flower from the very beginning. The same is true with kings, I think."

[yuuri_maou]

Yuuri nods in agreement. "Yes, she very talented. The colors all rest gently with the others."

"From the very beginning, when I ended up in your fountain that first time we met, what did you think? A good flower? I know it wasn't the best first impression."

[originalmaiden]

She giggles at the memory. "You made the best impression you could. And yes, I thought you were a good flower from the beginning. Yuuri-heika has a good heart, and is very honest and kind."

Ulrike beams up at him. "Besides, Shinou-heika chose you. He doesn't make mistakes." ^_^

[yuuri_maou]

Yuuri blushes softly and smiles at the little shrine maiden. "Thank you, Ulrike. That means a lot to me."

[originalmaiden]

She curtsies. "You're very welcome, Heika."