Shadows danced across Arthur's lap as he sat cross-legged underneath a large, spreading oak. All around him tall grass wavered in the breeze that swept across the hills, a soft whispering caress that comforted him more than anything else. A miniscule smile crept its way onto his lips as his eyes slid slowly shut and he sat. Silently he sat, enjoying the feel of the grass under his fingertips and the wind that danced over his skin and through his golden hair.

"Alone."

His voice was nothing more than a murmur when the word rolled from his lips, sweetly sticking and causing his voice to lilt upwards melodically. As his eyes slid open and he reached for his book, Arthur started humming a melody that stemmed from his airy alone.

He pulled out a pen and bottle of ink from his bag, carefully opening his book as if not to disturb the other pages. Dipping his pen in the ink, Arthur started writing.

With careful, graceful strokes the page was soon covered with meticulously placed words and phrases, and Arthur sighed happily.

"In the kingdom of mine, where the sun shines high

The golden-haired prince sits on his hill

Alone with only trees and wind and sun for company

With his ink and paper to keep him

The warmth of the sun dancing all around

But yet, he is alone."

Arthur nodded slowly, smiling softly as he whispered the words.

"That was awfully nice," A tiny voice whispered, making Arthur nearly jump out of his skin. He was supposed to be alone, wasn't he? Angrily, he spun to give the owner of the voice a piece of his mind, spying on him, the prince, like that!

His eyes hopped around quickly, scanning the area for the perpetrator. With his face settling into a scowl, Arthur crossed his arms.

"Where are you? Come out, now!"

"But I'm not hiding." The tiny voice said, louder this time than previously.

Arthur's eyes flew down, his gaze resting on a boy. The boy was at least three years younger than himself, with messy wheat-blonde hair (with a defining cowlick that looked as if it could never be tamed) and wide, curious, bright blue eyes. A huge smile painted the boy's features, causing Arthur himself to smile.

"Who are you?" Arthur's voice was softer this time, his emerald eyes sparkling with interest.

"Me?" The boy screwed up his face in thought. "Well, I have a lot of names. Most of the townspeople just call me troublemaker, and my mama always just called me brat, but my grandma always called me Alfred. I like that one best, so I'm Alfred."

Arthur nodded slowly, pursing his lips in thought.

"Well, Alfred, do you live with your grandmother?"

Alfred's sparkling blue eyes grew with interest at the question.

"Oh no, no," He shook his head slowly, "My grandma died a few years ago."

"So then you live with your mother?"

Alfred shook his head no.

"My mama doesn't want me." His voice was quiet.

Arthur's brow furrowed in confusion. "Well then, who do you live with?"

"Nobody." Alfred looked away nervously and he frowned slightly. A sudden urge came over Arthur to try and make the little boy's smile return to its proper place.

"How...old are you, Alfred?"

"I just turned eight years a few days ago." Alfred smiled smally, "How old are you?"

"Well, I'm twelve years."

"And what's your name?" Alfred's eyes started to sparkle.

"I'm Arthur."

"Arthur, we should be friends." Alfred's eyes were glittering and he inched closer to Arthur. Arthur smiled.

"Yes, I think...that I would like that very much." Arthur smiled at Alfred and patted his head, causing Alfred to screw his face up in a bit of an aggravated frown.

"Just because I'm younger doesn't mean that you can treat me like I'm not as good as you."

Arthur pulled his hand away, shocked and speechless for a moment. "What? Did I...did I do something wrong?"

Alfred crossed his arms and pouted. "All of the adults and older kids in the town always ruffle my hair and send me on my way like I'm just a stupid kid. But I'm not! I'm smarter than all of them combined, and they know it! They just want to make me feel bad." His blue eyes filled with tears that threatened to spill. "And you just did it too! I thought you wanted to be my friend..."

"I-I do!" Arthur's voice wavered as his eyes widened in panic. "I'm sorry, I didn't know..."

Alfred remained silent.

"I don't have many friends, so I really don't know how to act. Please forgive me, Alfred? Please?"

Alfred tilted his head to the side. "You don't have friends? Why?"

Arthur twisted his hands nervously in his lap. "Well, I'm...the prince of the kingdom. I don't really have friends."

Alfred frowned. "Why?"

"Because I don't have time to, or they get scared away." Arthur frowned slightly, looking at the ground.

Alfred sat thoughtfully for a moment. "I won't get scared away, and I can teach you how to be a good friend, okay Arthur?" Alfred smiled and stood.

Slowly, Arthur nodded. "Yes, okay." He smiled. "I would like that very much."

"Good!" Alfred clapped his hands together before he ran off into the field at the bottom of the hill.

Arthur hopped to his feet. "Alfred?" He called out to the running boy, who didn't stop.

"Alfred!"

The boy kept running.

"Alfred, wait!"

To Arthur's horror, Alfred kept running. Soon, the boy became a dot, which became a speck, until he disappeared from view.

"No," Arthur mumbled, sinking down onto the ground. "He was going to be my friend."

Arthur awoke with a start, clutching his head in his hands to allow his labored breathing to settle. That was the fifth time this month he'd had that dream, each time identical to the last.

"I'm nineteen years now," He mumbled to himself, "I shouldn't be having those dreams anymore."

But they wouldn't stop, at all. And they were fraying his nerves.

He'd never met a boy named Alfred, no matter how much he'd wished he did.

So...why wouldn't the dreams go away?

A/N: This concludes chapter one of "Alone". Reviews are love~