To Turn the Other Cheek
part fifteen“Will we be there soon, Conrad?” Yuri asked, chin resting on his open palm as he stared out the window at the fading townships on the horizon.
This was perhaps the worst and longest journey he’d made since his coronation.
With Gunter insisting that all the fineries and glittery spectacles of the court be present in their caravan, what seemed to Yuri to require only a few men on horseback had become an out of control, parade-like escort through Shin Makoku. Everyone and their grandchildren now knew of his visit to the Ackart lands outside their borders. It unsettled Yuri to bring so much attention to himself; in all this other travels, being discrete had been the main objective. With banners streaming from every corner of every carriage and every horseman in dress attire unsuited for the long ride, it was an amazingly embarrassing demonstration of power, money and stature that made Yuri blush with discomfort.
“Don’t frown, Yuri. We’ll be there shortly.” Conrad’s smile was genuine and warm, as though he was unaware of how long they had been sitting alongside Gunter in their stately coach. It seemed to Yuri that, though Wolfram had inherited Cecilie’s good looks, Conrad had been blessed with her cheerful disposition and optimistic outlook on life.
He smiled a little, thinking of his friend. “Say, Wolfram’s still stationed along the border, isn’t he? Will we be anywhere near where he is?”
“Ah...Wolfram is most likely too busy to be bothered, Your Majesty,” Gunter answered. “I doubt you will have much free time, either. There are many things to talk about with Lady Emily’s family, as well as formal rites to perform--”
Yuri drowned out the rest of his speech, though he felt badly for doing so. He’d studied the parchments on proper greetings when meeting the family of a prospective bride; how to make a toast, which foot to enter the home with first, what to say upon entering a room, which eye he should wink with before praising their draperies--it was extensive and exhausting and Yuri had no stomach for it. He was nervous enough as it was. He’d never dated anyone before and he’d certainly never gone to their home to meet their parents. To be expected to follow so many ridiculous traditions was only making him more anxious. He’d asked Emily to explain to her brother that he wasn’t accustomed to the ways of nobility yet and he hoped not to offend anyone when they arrived. She understood how different their cultures were; he trusted her to make sure her family was aware, as well.
At least, as far as family was concerned, he only had one member to meet. Her younger brother and head of the family, Lord Frederick Ackart. From what he had heard, the man was very gentle-hearted and merry. Yuri could not erase the imagined image, though, of a man chasing him away from his precious sister with a pitchfork from his mind. What if Lord Ackart didn’t like him? Could he keep his sister from having anything to do with him after that? What if she stopped liking him because her family disapproved?
Yuri let out a long-suffering sigh. Things were never as easy as he wanted them to be. Whatever happened to boy meets girl? Now it was boy meets girl, boy takes ridiculously extravagant road trip to see girl’s family, and then what? Boy is hung from a tree because of a misunderstanding?
“Yuri.”
The king blinked his eyes, snapping back to reality, and looked at his companion’s still smiling face. “We’re here.”
“What?” Yuri leaned forward and out the window of the carriage. Sure enough, the front door to the manor was right across from the door of their coach and the coachmen were already laying out a fine carpet path between them. “I’m not ready yet!” He took hold of Conrad’s arm in panic. “Can we circle the block a couple times?”
Conrad laughed slightly and shook his head. “You’ll be alright. Don’t worry so much. Just be yourself.”
“That’s alright for you to say: you’re not here to be judged.”
Conrad laughed again and left the carriage first as the coachmen held the door open for them, followed by a fretful looking Gunter. Taking a deep breath, Yuri stood and exited as well, blinded shortly by the light of the sun peeking over the rooftop.
He heard his name shouted at the top her lungs before he felt her arms wrap tightly around him. The smell of her perfume made him smile and he hugged her back as his nervousness faded away. “Emily. It’s very good to see you again.”
“Oh, Yuri, I missed you. Did you miss me?”
Yuri nodded and took her hand in his as they walked the carpet to her front door. “I wish Greta could have come. She says hello, though, and hopes you’re doing well.”
“Very well. I can’t wait for you to meet my brother.” Emily’s face was as bright and cheerful as the sun and she held his hand tightly as they came to stop in front of a small group of people gathered to greet them.
Yuri looked at the most nicely dressed of the lineup and felt more and more relaxed with every detail he took in. Frederick was indeed as handsome a young man as Emily had described and his face bore none of the wrinkles Gwendel displayed from frowning all day long. He offered his hand to shake the Maou’s and Yuri grasped it firmly.
“You must be Lord Frederick.”
“I am. Please, titles are not required here. You may call me Frederick, if I am to call you Yuri, as Emma has requested.”
Yuri nodded, pleased at the lack of formality, though he believed he could hear Gunter’s resolve cracking behind him.
The inside of their home was spacious and warm. Yuri thought it looked like something out of a movie with its fresh-cut flowers adorning every surface and filling the rooms with their fresh scents. He was glad the tour of the home included a walk through the garden. Back on Earth, most gardens he’d seen were small planter boxes arranged along a small concrete porch. The ones he found in his home away from home were larger than a baseball diamond and full of flowers he’d never seen before. He was sure the novelty of such things would wear off in time, but he was also aware of Emily’s brother’s fondness of horticulture and wanted to find some grounds on which to speak to him.
“Oh, you have Secret Gwendel,” he exclaimed, kneeling before a patch of pale green-grey flowers with long, soft petals that hung delicately from their stem. “I didn’t think Cecilie’s flowers were grown anywhere else.”
Frederick smiled at his enthusiasm. “I’m sure you are aware that many half-blooded mazoku live in this township. I was lucky enough to have immigrants come here with seeds with which to grow them. Even if it is a small detail, having flowers native to one's home around you does make a new place feel more like home itself.”
“I can see how that’s true. We have roses here and where I’m from. Things are so different on both worlds, but being able to point to something and recognize it for what it is makes me feel less awkward.” Yuri stood and looked around for more things he could recognize. “You even have Cheri’s Red Sigh and Conrad Stands Upon the Earth.”
It was hard not to smile wistfully at the pale blue flower. It held such memories for him of a painful era that he was glad he hadn’t had to live through. It stood for triumph, though, and perseverance. No sadness could hide such qualities.
“My guest is also very fond of those.”
Yuri turned his head quizzically. “I didn’t know we were intruding on you and another guest.”
Frederick shook his head. “Don’t think of it as an intrusion. A Miss Jennifer and Miss Betty have been staying with me here as they pass through to Shin Makoku. Perhaps you will remember them. They have come from Caloria.” He looked away, back out at his flowers. “Miss Jennifer speaks very highly of Your Majesty. I admit I was a bit unsure of how I felt about you, because the rumors I’ve heard. She helped me feel much more at ease with you as a leader.”
“And what of me as a person?” Yuri asked, fearing whatever answer he might be given.
“I haven’t decided yet.” Frederick smiled at him again. “But I see how happy my sister is when you’re around and for me, that is enough.”
Relief rained down on Yuri like water on a desert, soaking into every pore of his body and taking the place of the fear he’d felt. He looked to the terrace were Emily stood speaking to Conrad, though, and couldn’t help but frown.
“Beautiful Wolfram.”
“What?” Yuri’s attention was Frederick’s again. “What did you say?”
Frederick smiled and picked a blossom off the nearest patch of golden yellow flowers whose long petals splayed out like welcoming arms. “You didn’t notice the Beautiful Wolfram.”
Yuri took the offered blossom by the stem and frowned thoughtfully. “Who could miss it? It’s the only flower that opens this big.”
“Sometimes the hardest things to see are the ones right in front of our faces.”
That was certainly true. Yuri could remember many occasions when looking through the refrigerator at home that the milk he had searched for long and hard on every shelf was always the most elusive when it was sitting not four inches from his nose in plain sight. His mother often teased him for being blind to the obvious, but at least she attributed the same trait to his father and brother. Men, as she put it, made mountains out of mole hills because they were easier to find.
“Cecilie is working on a new flower strand right now. God Save the King. I’ll be sure to send you seeds once she’s settled on the one she likes. The black isn’t black enough, she keeps saying”
“I would gladly welcome such a flower here.” Frederick motioned him back to the terrace, where the rest of their party waited.
It was by chance that Yuri looked up at the second story as they walked along the path. The flutter of the curtains from an opened balcony door caught the corner of his eye and drew his full attention.
He didn’t even know he was running until he felt Conrad’s strong grip on his arm, pulling him to a halt. He didn’t want to stop, though. What if he disappeared again because he hesitated?
“Yuri, what’s wrong?”
“I saw him.”
“Saw who?”
Yuri looked up at the balcony but nothing but the curtains dancing in the soft breeze remained there. The jubilation he felt slowly faded, not there long enough to even notice until it was gone. “No one I guess.... I’m sorry to worry you.”
Gunter followed his gaze and turned to their host. “Which room connects to that balcony?”
“The guest suite Miss Jennifer is occupying presently.” Frederick’s voice seemed less cheerful. “She often sits beside the door, especially on days like these. It’s much too hot for her to be about, though.”
“Is she sick?” Yuri asked.
“No, Miss Jennifer is pregnant. For her comfort and safety, she mostly stays indoors. It is for that reason she has stayed so long in my company. I admit to having no qualms about it, though. Her sister is an excellent housemaid and Miss Jennifer is the most engaging and brave woman I have ever been blessed to meet.”
Emily cleared her throat nosily and wrapped an arm around her brother. “I think your guest’s ears must be ringing terribly right now. Why don’t we give her some peace and speak on something else.”
Frederick nodded, though his face still looked sullen. Yuri couldn’t help but think there was something more going on than what they spoke of. It piqued his interest and made it hard to tear his eyes from the balcony as they filed back inside to complete their tour.
At dinner the table was set to fill the stomachs of thirty men. With only the five of them seated in the formal dining area and nearly fifty people taking their meal in the kitchen, it seemed a rather odd ruling in favor of propriety that the largest amount of food be set before the smallest assembly of hungry people.
Yuri sat at the head of the table, flanked by Conrad and Emily, while Frederick sat at the other end with Gunter and an empty chair to his right. Yuri noted the chair with some interest as they began their meal.
“Shouldn’t we wait for your other guest to join us before we start eating?” he asked, watching Emily as she filled his plate with food.
“Nonsense. I haven’t seen her all day. Could be your presence here has made her nervous,” Emily explained, drizzling gravy over his poultry.
“I should check on her.” Frederick scooted his chair back.
Yuri had his chair pushed back and was on his feet before him, though. “No, you go ahead and enjoy your food. If I’m the reason she’s decided not to join us, it should be me who goes.”
“Your Majesty,” Gunter began, but Yuri cut him off.
“Meeting new people can be scary, especially if it's a king. I want to show her I’m just your average person. I’ll be back down as soon as I’ve spoken to her and hopefully she’ll come down with me.”
Grudgingly, Gunter conceded. Conrad just nodded slightly, a sign that he approved but would keep an ear open should he need to be called upon.
Excusing himself, Yuri followed the hallway to the central staircase and up through a pale yellow hall. He wasn’t sure which door it was and knocked on several before he got an answer. The voice that called through the door was familiar though muffled, but still gave rise to the same rush of excitement he had felt on the terrace.
With a slight creak of resistance, the door opened, and Yuri’s jaw dropped.