The Consummate Oath
part oneWolfram tucked the blue dress into the waterproof bag, shaking his head slightly at the absurdity of it all. They both knew what they would be getting into and to bother bringing anything more substantial than underwear was a futile effort. The dress would never leave the bag and if it did, it would only be worn for five minutes tops before being thrown off in haste. Still, Yuri had pointed to that one specifically as the one he wanted packed and ready. Knowing how nervous his fiancé was, Wolfram found it best to not argue over the small matter of luggage.
It was raining outside, water running down the windows in small streams, racing towards the ground. What had started as a light drizzle the night before had become a continuous downpour by the morning. The ground was covered in puddles that engulfed the feet of anyone who stepped into them and Wolfram was glad he would not be staying there for any more of the wet misery of the weather.
Late autumn was a lovely time of year, but with the bitter cold winds adding the extra bite to the uncomfortable dampness, it was hardly enjoyable. The trees, which had burned with color just weeks prior, were now sagging under the weight of the wet, dead foliage that still clung to the widespread limbs. In a few more weeks, two perhaps at most, the first snowflakes would begin to fall and the stormy uncertainty of autumn would be like a groggy dream, half-remembered. Wolfram enjoyed the snow and looked forward to spending his first real winter with Yuri. There would be romantic outings, nights by a cozy fire, and, knowing Yuri, the wimp would end up getting a cold and ruining the whole thing. Even so, Wolfram couldn’t keep the smile from his face as he planned ahead for the season to come.
With the dress packed and the bag sealed tight to keep it dry, Wolfram left the room and headed down to where he knew Yuri would be waiting. It never failed that when the king was stressed or missing, he could always be found sitting alone in his private bath. Whether it was the steam, the seclusion, or just the comfort of the warm water, Wolfram had no idea. His one and only attempt to aid him in his relaxation had gone terribly awry, though. After that, he left his lover to his own devices when he took sanctuary in his bath, making their bedchamber his official grounds for setting the Maou straight.
As he walked, he saw Conrad come out from around a corner, his thin, pleased smile stretching across his face as their eyes met.
“Wolfram. I was sent to find you.”
The blonde sighed, stopping in the middle of the passageway to allow his brother to come to him. “What’s he worrying over now?”
Conrad laughed a little and shook his head. “Nothing related. He wanted to get a few things done before it was time to go, though, so he’s with Gunter at the moment. This at least gives you a little time to say goodbye before you head out.”
“It would,” Wolfram agreed. “But I’ve already done so. I saw Mother and everyone else last night after the banquet. If they require I make additional efforts to say goodbye to them this morning as well, they had best come to where I am. We’ll never leave at this rate as it is.”
“Nervous?”
Wolfram cast him a dirty look. “Why should I be? I know full well what to expect upon our arrival. Yuri’s the one blowing it out of proportion.”
Conrad nodded a bit and motioned for Wolfram to walk with him. They started back down towards the bath. “Perhaps. It means a lot to him, though.”
That was an understatement. There had been no restful nights since Yuri had come to the decision and no amount of consolation could settle his nerves save getting it over with.
Wolfram sighed and swung the bag gently at his left, missing the weight of his sword at his side. “I know. I don’t think we’ll be gone too long, but we’ll see how things go. I’m sure you’re looking forward to not having to chase us around the castle.”
“On the contrary, I wish I could go with you.“ Conrad smiled at his brother, patting his shoulder. “I understand it’s a private matter, though. I hope you enjoy yourselves.”
“Well...I doubt I’ll have time to even think about anyone at home but...I might miss you.”
Conrad’s smile grew at the rare admission as the pair headed down to the unoccupied bath. At least, it should have been unoccupied. As they neared the large doors, though, the sounds of splashing could be heard echoing out of the sealed room.
Warily, Conrad put his hand to his sword, stepping in front of his brother to protect him should someone be waiting within for the royal party. Perhaps they thought their movements would be undetected amidst the backdrop if raindrops. Such foolish spies and assassins would soon find their assumptions quite wrong. Sword drawn, the half mazoku soldier pressed against the cool metal of the door as he sprung them open to the surprise of the intruders.
Two intruders to be precise.
Bobbing in the bath wearing the purple swimsuit Gwendel had bought her, Greta waved ecstatically as Conrad came into view. Murata greeted him as well, wiping the moisture from his glasses as he knelt down along the edge beside the princess.
“Is Shibuya ready then?” he asked, looking around Conrad’s broad form for any hint of his son.
Conrad put his sword down and shook his head, standing aside to let his brother pass. “I’m sorry, Your Grace, but no. It shouldn’t be much longer, though.”
Wolfram shook his head at the dark-haired trespasser as he came to stand beside him. “You can’t just help yourself to whatever you want, you know.”
“Well, Greta was getting impatient you see.” Murata Ken smiled sheepishly. “I thought explaining things before you two were ready would help speed things along.”
Greta pulled herself from the bath and walked quickly to her father’s side, bouncing with excitement, water flying from her hair and causing dark spots on Wolfram’s pressed trousers. “Greta will not be afraid! I’ve been practicing holding my breath for when we’re in the water.”
“That’s good. Yuri says we should end up in a pond near his home.” Wolfram held out the waterproof bag. “Your dress is in here for you to change into when we get there. You want to make a good first impression, don’t you?”
The little girl nodded. “I’m going to meet my grandmother and grandfather and see Uncle Shori again!”
Wolfram smiled and kissed her wet hair. “I’ll go ahead and hold onto this for now. You go back to practicing.”
Greta nodded and hurried back to the water, jumping in and splashing Murata, who sat too close to the bath’s edge. With a politely uttered excuse, Conrad let them be and closed the door to rejoin his king.
“So, are you nervous?” Murata stood up, drying off his glasses again, though it seemed a futile effort.
“Why does everyone think I should be nervous? His mother is very fond of me and supports our relationship completely.” Wolfram watched Greta sink down under the water and waited to see her come back up. “Besides, she’s always said she wanted a daughter. The moment she sees Greta, I am sure she will be overjoyed and steal her away from us to dress her up like a doll.”
“Mama is quite predictable, it’s true. She may pout at Shibuya for a while but I’m sure she’ll quickly embrace the idea of being a grandmother.”
Wolfram nodded slightly, hearing him but not quite listening. He was watching the bubbles collecting at the surface of the water with interest.
“There’s plenty of other reasons to be nervous, though.”
“And Yuri has discovered every single one of them and then some.”
Murata smiled sadly. “There are factors involved here you have no understanding of, Lord Von Bielefeld.”
Before Wolfram could turn and ask him what he meant, the door to the bath opened again. With a heavy sign, Yuri fell back against the door, pushing it shut with his weight as though he lacked the strength to stand on his own. He looked worn and tired already.
“Everything alright, Shibuya?”
Yuri nodded, standing up straight as he unbuttoned the first few buttons of his black over shirt. “Yeah, everything’s fine. Gunter’s promised to take care of the Strelitz problem while we’re gone and Gwendel’s going to have his hands full keeping Shin Makoku in general running smoothly. We need flood relief for some of the low-lying lands just east of here. I kind of wish I could go myself.” He looked back at the door with an expression of defeat.
With a splash and large gasp of air, Greta flung herself back to the surface of the water. Yuri paused in slight alarm till he heard his fiancé clapping encouragingly.
“That was a long time. I’m very proud of your diligence.” Wolfram smiled warmly at her, then turned a stern look to Yuri. “Greta has been practicing holding her breath for the trip. You’re not going to insult her and all her hard work saying you’d rather stay here than show your daughter your other home are you?”
The king shook his head, opening his arms to his daughter as she flew to him. “Of course not. We’ll leave in just a minute.”
“You know, “ Murata interrupted, “You could just alter the flow of time between the two worlds. Then you could spend as much time on Earth as you wanted and still be back in time to help with the flooding issues.”
Yuri blinked at him. “I can?”
“As Maou you have a contract with all elements, including time,” the Great Sage explained. “Shinou had the power to manipulate it and now you do as well. Just ask time to go slower in Shin Makoku than it does on Earth and you should arrive back here seconds after leaving even if you stay at home over a month.”
Yuri’s smile began to broaden. “You know, this acquiring Shinou’s power thing is coming in very handy.” He walked over to his fiancé, kissing him briefly on the lips. “I bet you like the sound of that best. From now on, when I visit home, you won’t notice I’ve even left.”
“If you leave anywhere without me you will find the bedroom door locked upon your return.”
Yuri laughed a little, though he was unsure if Wolfram was being serious or not. He kissed him again, lingering a little longer against his soft lips before pulling away. “Not changing into something else? You’ll just be wet and miserable on the other side. There’s no telling if there’s any water pooling at my home, so I have to take us out through the pond by the park instead. We’ll have to walk the rest of the way.”
“I have to borrow something of yours when we arrive, anyway. I’m not concerned.”
Yuri nodded and crossed to the side of the bath. “If everyone’s ready then.”
Wolfram stood back and watched as Yuri looked down at the shifting water. Its appearance didn’t change immediately, but his expression did and no sooner did the peaceful haze come to his eyes than a small disturbance began to form before them. He held out both his hands, Greta taking one instinctively as Wolfram clasped the other. This would be his first time taking anyone other than Murata along with him on his own and it was agreed upon to be safer in general for the others to hold onto him lest they risk being left behind.
As he stepped into the water, it began to churn more violently. Greta held on tighter to her father’s hand, not feeling as excited as she had before now that the swirling waters threatened to pull her in.
“It’s alright, Greta. I won’t let go. Don’t fight it and it’ll be over quickly,” Yuri said soothingly, giving her hand a tight squeeze.
The princess nodded and felt herself already holding her breath as they stepped further into the water. The spreading tendrils of the current swallowed a rubber ducky right before her eyes, sucking it away to the other world. With a few more steps, she too would be whisked away. The closer they came, the more she realized the only thing keeping her from falling in was her father’s tight grip. Not even that made a difference, though, as they intentionally stepped within its grasp and fell under, riding the funnel as it pulled them down, down, down like a weightless freefall towards the dark nothingness. There was only the hand holding hers tightly to keep her mind from reeling in fright.
As everything turned black, though, and sound gave way to silence, Greta found herself in a darkness her father’s touch could not penetrate.
The king’s private bath was left empty, the water growing calm in their wake.