Exchange

Chapter 6

Wolfram stared with wide, watery green eyes as Yuuri slowly fell to his knees and finally onto his stomach and chest when Stoffel ripped his sword from the king's body. Wolfram screamed his beloved's name once again and struggled out of the grip his was captured in. He wasted no time in kneeling at Yuuri's side and pushing him onto his back, blood flowing out from underneath as Yuuri looked at him with glazed black eyes and a smile on his face. Wolfram shook from head to toe and gripped Yuuri's shirt as tight as he could, leaning down and resting his head on the other boy's chest. Yuuri lifted a hand and ran his fingers through soft honey blonde hair as the owner of such beauty sobbed their heart out.

"Wolf...ram..." He dared to sit up and Wolfram immediately caught him in a fierce hug, head buried in his chest once more. "Wolfram..." Yuuri said more clearly, "I need you...to go back... I need you to...t-take care of everyone... T-They need-d you..."

"No. No, they need their Maou. Yuuri, they can do without me, but they need you! ...I need you!!"

Yuuri found enough strength to circle his arms weakly round Wolfram, holding the boy close. "I love you Wolfram...I promise I'll find you again" He buried his own face into the crook of Wolfram's neck, eyes slowly closing and body going limp in Wolfram's arms. The Mazoku's grip tightened and his eyes squeezed shut, praying and begging Shinou to save their Maou. Stoffel was grinning from ear to ear and motioned for his soldiers to pull Wolfram away. Obeying the command, Wolfram was torn from Yuuri's body with a bloodcurdling scream of protest. He struggled to the best of his ability, clawing at the soldiers, twisting violently in their grasp not caring if he injured himself - he needed to be at Yuuri's side, dead or alive.

Conrad and Gwendal's heads shot up as Yozak entered the room with a grim look. Conrad became worried and Gwendal kept his eyes to his desk. Yozak sighed softly. "Bad news I'm afraid. ...The kiddo's been slain...Stoffel found them"

Conrad's fists gripped at his sides, while Gwendal swallowed thickly and dared himself to look at the spy. "What of Wolfram...?"

"Stoffel has him, I overheard he broke his arm in a struggle to get away"

"Do you think Yuuri can be brought back?" Conrad asked, a shimmer of hope still in his eyes. "Ulrike and His Eminence might be able to do something"

"It's pointless Conrart, if His Majesty is gone then His Majesty is gone" Gwendal replied but without a snap in his voice.

"And what about when we get Wolfram home? How do you think he's going to react if we tell him Yuuri is never coming back?"

"Captain does have a point..."

Gwendal sighed. "We will deal with that when it comes to it. Right now we have to focus on rescuing our brother from that fiend of an uncle. If something can be done about His Highness then Ulrike and His Eminence will already be trying everything they can. Surely they must know if His Majesty Shinou is with them"

Yozak and Conrad shared the same look of grief and all three silently agreed not to say anything to Cäcilie, Günter or Greta until they were certain on everything.

Wolfram howled in the room he'd been thrown in at Stoffel's castle. The corridors surrounding the room echoed his mournful screams. He was huddled on the floor by the corner window, sobs wracking his lithe body, arms wrapped round himself as if trying to capture the feeling of Yuuri's embrace, the same one as at their wedding. Wolfram looked at the marking on his hand from the ceremony, the mark that they shared, that named them as a married couple. More sobs shook through him as he looked up at the darkened sky. Clouds covered the moon and stars tonight. "Yuuri..."