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These Moments
Wolfram
felt annoyance spark within him as he searched for Yuuri. His hour-long search
had yielded nothing and it was strangely quiet in the castle. He couldn’t even
find Greta and that was beginning to worry him because the three of them were
supposed to go out to town by midday.
Wolfram smiled though. After all, spending quality time with Greta and Yuuri was
always something he looked forward to and especially nowadays, when things were
just so hectic and busy for everyone. That was why he had been looking forward
to this day, to spend time with Yuuri and Greta on his birthday. Not only that,
his birthday usually meant a quiet dinner with his mother, brothers, Yuuri,
Murata, Greta, Gisela, Anisinna and Gunter, depending on everyone’s schedule.
However, that reminded him, this year would be a little different. Both Conrad
and Gwendal were away taking care of things in bordering nations and everyone
was running on different schedules.
Although, he would never admit it, Wolfram did enjoy having dinner with his
family and friends, celebrating together. However, he was one hundred and two
years of age today and he wasn’t a child anymore and so, he suppressed the small
feeling of disappointment within him.
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Wolfram walked towards the stables, this was the only place he hadn’t checked
yet. What greeted his vision was not Yuuri, but his daughter dismounting her
horse.
“Wolfram!” Greta spoke happily. “I was just about to go find you.”
“Greta?” Wolfram questioned. “Where did you go? We’re not going out to town yet,
are we?”
“No,” Greta smiled, “but can you go with me somewhere before we go out?”
“Can it wait? I’ve been trying to find Yuuri but I haven’t seen him anywhere, so
. . .” Wolfram spoke, but stopped talking as he looked at Greta’s brilliant
smile and pleading eyes and gave in.
“Humph,” Wolfram grumped. “It’s the wimp’s fault if we leave him behind then!”
“I know you don’t mean that,” Greta laughed. “I’m sure we’ll run into him after
we get back. . . It’s kind of far, so let’s ride to there.”
Wolfram gave his daughter a look and tried to look stern, but he knew that he
couldn’t win against her smile and smiled in return. He then mounted his horse
and followed her lead to wherever she was taking him.
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Wolfram wondered why it was getting noisier as they reached an upstream. Not
only that, but as they rode further away from the castle, he felt something was
out of place. Not necessarily dangerous, but something was different and it was
likely that there was some sort of gathering. He then made out the figures of
his family and friends in the distance. ‘But why were they all there and not
at the castle?’
He dismounted his horse and walked with Greta towards the group with a
questioning look. What he hadn’t expected was a shout of surprise of ‘Happy
Birthday’ and the smiling faces of his mother, Conrad, Gwendal, Yuuri, Murata,
Gisela, Anissina, Gunter, the maids and his soldiers.
Wolfram blushed when everything registered in his mind finally, that everyone
was gathered here for him, wishing him a happy birthday.
“Wolfram!” Cheri spoke and gathered him up into her embrace.
“Mother,” Wolfram stated, as he blushed harder from all of the attention.
“Wolfram,” Conrad placed his hand on Wolfram’s shoulder and smiled in his
direction. While Gwendal frowned deeply, whether at the excessive noise or their
mother’s affection as she turned to embrace all of her three sons into her arms,
Wolfram was not to sure.
Then Cheri let them go.
“Happy birthday Wolfram,” Yuuri spoke as he walked towards them, “you were
probably looking for me, but I thought surprising you would be better…”
“Don’t be shy Shibuya,” Murata said as he came up behind his friend and pushed
him towards the blond.
Wolfram cushioned their fall as Yuuri landed on top of him. He looked at Yuuri
in surprise, but it wasn’t too surprising that the reason of their situation was
once again due to the Great Sage’s interventions. Wolfram shook his head, now
was not the time or place to think of such things because he realized that
everyone had turned their attention to them on the ground. . .
Wolfram spoke quietly so that only Yuuri could hear, “thank you for bringing
everyone together.”
“Now, get off you wimp! How many years have I trained you to not be taken by
surprise!?” Wolfram yelled out to cover up his blush.
“Hey!” Yuuri stated and glared at the blond, “what do you mean by that?”
“What do you think I meant you wimp!”
“You know, after going through all this trouble to keep this a secret from you,
this is the thanks I get?!”
“Humph.”
“. . .”
“You don’t need to glare; it doesn’t even scare me you know.”
“. . .”
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“They never change do they?” Cheri asked fondly, to no one in particular.
“I think they’re actually getting younger by the years,” Greta responded to
Cheri and continued to laugh as she listened to her fathers’ conversation.
“I thought marriage would have matured them by the least,” Gwendal spoke as he
massaged his forehead while Conrad looked peacefully at Yuuri and Wolfram.
Everyone just smiled in response to Gwendal’s statement.
“Wolfram, Yuuri, everyone,” Cheri called out, “let’s eat now!”
She directed everyone to take a seat by the table they had all prepared earlier
in the day. She still had the whole day to spend with her beloved sons and she
wouldn’t have missed this for anything as she knew Wolfram’s brothers and
friends wouldn’t have either.
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