Full Summery: Cardverse AU. To the East lies the rich lands of Diamonds, the most extravagant of all the four nations and nicknamed "The Land of Light". To the south is the warm country of Hearts, "The Land of Love", know for their kindness and festive cultures. In the west is the agriculture land of Clubs, "The Land of Happiness". And finally, up north lies the cold land of Spades, the country of technology, innovation and scholars. This country is also doubled as "The Land of War". All the nations have a secret that they've been protecting. And all these secrets starts to unravel themselves with the overthrown of Spade's King.
Sorry, I know I have too much dialog. Deal with it. I will try my best to give some descriptions.
Declaimer: I don't owe Hetalia, it belongs to Himaruya Hidekazu.
Chapter 1: Connections
The blond youth sat alone in the tavern, listening to the ideal cit chats of the people around him.
"It's the King."
"It's all that cursed King's fault."
"If only a new King would rise and take the throne from him. Then we'd be ride of such cruelty."
"But I thought he killed all possible candidates for becoming the next Heir."
The youth let out a smudged laugh, bringing his drink up to his lips.
"No, he hunted down all those with the mark of the next Monarchs, and along the way, killed other innocents as well."
"Oh, how cruel!"
"It's no wonder the Clock won't move."
"But I heard there's a group out there planning for a Revolt. They're going to overthrown the King."
"Oh how-"
"And then what? How are we to survive without a Monarchy? Surely you do not expect the Jack to rule alone. Lord knows that cruel King never found his Queen and actually killed the former High Priestess and his Ace, along with some other noblemen, and all because they've displeased him."
"The former High Priestess! How could he?"
"She would've been Queen."
"She should've been Queen, but the King was fearful of the Mark appearing on her body and got ride of her."
"I thought the Mark did appear on her already."
"But then, why did he kill her? She was so good."
"He never did liked her. Something about blackmail."
"No, he liked her."
"He loved her."
"She was having an affair."
"With the Ace."
"No, she didn't. But he killed her anyway. Such a horrible King."
"I think I shall join the Rebels."
The blond youth smiled, his blue eyes lighting up.
"I don't think he's horrible."
A frown quickly replaced the smile on his handsomely young face.
"I mean, he's keeping the other nobles at bay."
"At bay?"
"Our economy's okay."
"Have you seen the our lives lately?"
"And we haven't been at war with the other countries lately."
"But we-"
"And our alliance with the other countries are good."
"But tension is still blowing. Do not forget all the unreasonable wars with Diamonds. And even though we are trading, it's still tense. And then there was the sudden interventions into the affairs of Hearts with no justified reasons, and there's still tension there too."
"We didn't even gain anything from that. In fact, Hearts has become even stronger then us with its current King in throned. Why did he even let that country go? And he even let Clubs off when we could've just taken them at their weakest hour instead of lend them a hand and then let them exploit us! Just look at how bad we are compared to them! Clubs! Of all country!"
"Come now, my friend, use your brain for once. You are a scholar, surely you understand our King's just decisions."
"Just decision? You call what we are going through now justice?"
"At least it's not bad, if you really think about it."
"Yes, it could've been worse."
"It will be, if we don't do something about it first."
"Why don't we just wait this out until he dies and stop civil war from occurring?"
"But civil war will still be occurring even if we wait and suffer this through until he dies," the youth spoke up, turning his head around to the group behind him, his blue eyes sharp yet still friendly. "Just think about it. No one's on the throne. The country will go into turmoil. There'll be power struggles and confusion everywhere. The country will become weak to outside attacks by then. It's best to do it now rather than wait form him to die. Besides, that King hasn't show his face in over 16 years, you think he really cares? You think he knows what's going on in the country with the his Ace dead, by his own hand? And he no longer consults with the members of court and abuses his powers, unyielding to the Council and the Four Dukedoms, who are suppose to check and balance his powers. Without having to fear and listen to them, he's become an absolute monarchy. He's doing whatever he wants with no restrictions. That's why the nobles and the others wants him gone. Not to mention, the fact that he cruelly killed their family members or those they knew."
"While you are correct, at least he hasn't gone all out yet."
"Yet, but he's somewhere along that line with the King of Clover."
Some people shivered at that. Even though they hadn't experienced it as bad as the people in the country themselves, it was still pretty bad, what the King of Clubs did after losing his wife so suddenly. And it had been the King of Spades who had stepped in and saved the country and their King, and then lunch himself into the affairs of Hearts and it's ragging civil war at the time. While at the same time, juggling relationship with Diamonds and almost starting another war over yet another travel matter, whatever it was at the time.
"Though, it is also quite possible for power struggles to occur even if the Revolutions went through. As you've said, the nobles are becoming rebellious. Who knows, maybe it's not what you think. Maybe the King is actually protecting us, but the nobles are keeping him down."
"That is still a possibility."
"No way, that's impossible!"
The blond smile. He was waiting for this. "Civil war won't happen."
"What makes you say that?"
"Because," said the blond, standing up and walking closer to the group. "Haven't you heard the rumors? They say that the next Heir has been found by the rebels. And it's a King." And with those words, the youth turn and exited the traven, leaving behind a room full of shocked citizens.
"That should do it," said he, stepping out into the cold winter of Spades.
The youth walked in the night street, checking his silver pocket watch to make sure that he still had some time left before he was late. That would not be good.
"M- g-good evening sir," came a small voice in front of him.
The blond looked away from his watch and down at the little black haired girl in front of him, who kept shifting her green eyes from the ground to his face and back again.
He studied her worn and shaking form. Her face was flushed red from the cold, despite the black scarf tied warmly around her neck, covering the lower tip of her scarlet red lip. Her long black hair looked disheveled and one of the red ribbons in her hair was loss. Her clothing looked warn out, with unfixed tears here and there, and she wasn't even wearing shoes.
"The tax," the blond grumbled out through grinned teeth.
The girl flinched at his tone and kept her eyes on the ground, her hands still fumbling with the hems of her skirt in that familiar way he knew another certain someone always does. Speaking of which, he needs to quickly return home, otherwise he'd get another glare and a dreadful lecture for sure.
"I'm sorry," he said, switching to a much more friendlier tone and a kind smile on his face in hopes of easing the girl's fear. As it was, he knew exactly how that felt. He knew it all too well.
The blond kneed down to the small child's level and put a hand on her shoulder, smiling a little when she flinched at his touch and tried to back away only to be stopped by his strong grip on her shoulder. "Did you need something?" kindly asked the blond.
"W-well," replied the girl, holding up her basket. "T-these... Um, m-my mother m-made them, a-and she's sick. I-I wasn't able to sell all of them, a-and I-I need the m-money-"
"How many do you have left?" asked the blonde.
"T-two, sir," she answered, trying to hide her face in that little scarf of hers.
'Cute,' thought the blond. 'Just like-' "Oh crap," his eyes widened in realization as he once more checked the time. "Not good." He turned back toward the girl and, taking out some some money from his pockets, he took the brown basket off her hand. "Here, take this and get home, kid. Your mother's waiting." He quickly stood up in a panic. "I gotta go."
The child looked confused. "I'm sorry, did I make you late?" she asked. "You look like a man about to get into trouble with his wife- oh! I'm so sorry! I shouldn't have prayed, seeing you so young, I thought- I mean, noblemen now a day usually... I'm sorry. But if you are late, then give your wife one of the protective charms in the basket, it's to protect and to connect you to the person who gives one to you, and the bond will only straitened if you have a pair. I'm sure she'll be pleased with that."
The blond smiled, somewhat uneasily for moment, before quickly concealing it. "I was planning on that. Thanks kid, now get home, and stay warm!" And he quickly ran off, leaving the child all alone in the cold winter night.
The young girl watched him go with until his disappeared from her sight, a warm smile on her face.
Once he was out of sight, the girl turned and walked into the dark corners of the street.
"Are you satisfied now?" asked a voice, as a man with light brown hair emerged from the shadows. He dropped a luxurious blue cloak over the child's shaking body while his other hand swiftly threw something toward the forming shadows. He narrowed his green eyes as the red dragon on his shoulder breathed out fire and killed all of the loaming shadows. "They really do love you, don't they?"
"...It's too cold here," the child whined, hugging her cloak close to her body in order to keep warm.
The man turned back toward her and smiled. "Well of course, it's winter. What did you expect? ... Honestly, after all these years of being in Spades, and you're still not use to it. It's no wonder he... Well, come on, let's return before he noticed anything off." He picked the child up and she sneeze. "And before you catch a cold. Lord knows what he'll do to me then."
"Maybe... I want to go to the hot springs for a few months. What do you think?"
"And let him handle everything on his own? Don't you think you're a little cruel here?" The man smiled slyly.
"Well it's either that or have me bedridden and unable to protect you from him. Your choice." The girl looked crossed.
"... Hot springs it is then, but who's telling him?"
"I could, if I could muster enough strength to successfully deceive him again."
"Right... I'm staying up all night again tonight then."
"I could join you. Two heads are better then one, and you know how well I know him."
"No, you rest. He'll be worried if you're not... You've done enough these last few years, going behind his back like this and all that. I'm surprise he hasn't caught on yet."
"Oh, he has, you know he has. I know you report to him about my every move, don't deny it."
"Oh come now, I don't tell him every-"
"But that's fine. There's nothing he could do about this anyways. Besides, he was cruel first. Separating us and doing all these things. He had it coming."
The green eyed man laughed. "You really have no mercy, do you?"
"Hump. You should know never to come between a woman and her child."
"Hell hatch no fiery like a woman's scone indeed," the man sighed, walking toward the dark forest that led to the palace. "I just hope he'll be okay."
"I hope we'll all be okay and make it through this without too much lost on the way..."
And they disappeared into the forest that lead up to the palace of Spade's Monarchy, the cloaktower loaming behind them.
The blond youth ran passed the enormous gate and toward the towering mansion up ahead. He checked his pocket watch again and suddenly spat up. Finally, he arrived at the entrance and paused for breath and baring. After a moment of heaving and telling the butler to wait, the blind finally straightened up and handed his coat over to the waiting man and stroll into the mansion, his stance composed and dignified.
"In the dinning room sir," said the aged old butler, his eyes closed.
The blond nodded his head and made his way toward the dinning room. But before entering the, he paused and looked down at the basket still in his hand. Interested, he reached in and pulled out two chained charms. One of them was silver in color and had the symbol of Spade in the middle, in the form of a blue crystal with silver wings fanning out. The other one had white and lavender crystals falling down, and at the bottom was a blue crystal shaped like tears. At the top of it were small wings and inside was the symbol of Spade in a deeper shade of blue.
The blond nodded his head at his chosen chose and processed to walk into the room with confidence.
Sitting on one side of the table was a blond haired girl dressed in a purple gown. Her long, wavy blond hair tied into two pig tails just above her shoulders and held together by a red ribbon. She was quietly sitting on the table, alone, waiting.
The bond male approached her and she looked up, her purple eyes meeting his sky blue ones.
"Al-" she began, but was interrupted when the blond held out the purple charm to her. "What's this?" she asked, taking the handmade charm and studying it. "It feels like it has magic, but it's faint."
"It's a charm," said the male, sitting down next to him. "On my way back, I ran into a little girl. She... She..."
The girl looked up and raised at eyebrow at the uneasy expression on her partner's face. "Reminded you of us?" she put in.
"Well, if you what to sum it up that way, then yeah," agreed the teen. "But she... Actually resembled you more, now that I think about it... I mean, hair tied just above the shoulders by two red ribbons and all."
"But Alfred, back then, my hair wasn't long, and I was only wearing one red ribbon," said the girl.
"Yeah." Alfred studied his companion carefully, causing her to blush. "And you also weren't wearing a dress back then either, Mattie, nor were you ever called Madeline. But then again, you still acted like a girl, and I did still call you Maddie even then."
"S-shut up, Al," Matthew shattered out, looking away in embarrassment. "It's not like I want this, but..."
"Yeah, that guy has a really sick sense of sarcasm."
"Al," Matthew looked up, "you shouldn't say that. He took us in and helped us after... After..." Matthew's face saddened over.
"After the incident," Alfred said grimly. "I know. What a coincidence though. I mean, we were raised in the countryside, but because of what happened there, we ended up on the front door of this Duke's mansion and he took us in. And after working here for a while as his son and nephews' playmates, they accidentally stumbled upon our secret. One that we didn't even know about. But it all made so much sense though." He brought his arms behind his head and looked up. "I just don't see why he has to make you dress up and pretend to be a girl, Mattie. I mean, not that I'm complaining or anything. You look pretty cute, and you do attract some guys. Right, Matt." He winked at his brother.
Matthew blushed and looked away, hugging his bear tightly in his arms. "I said shut up. It's not like I mean to or anything. I mean, I did try to hold myself back, but..."
Alfred laughed and Matthew stared at him.
"So, how was your trip out?" Matthew asked.
Alfred sat up. "It was good. We got stuff done, got some new recruits... The citizens' pretty riled up too, from the looks of it. But there are still some loyalists here and there, but nothing we can't handle. Anyways, I think we'll probably be ready in about a month or so," Alfred answered.
"... Don't your think you're rushing this just a bit, Alfred?" questioned Matthew. "What if..." He struggled to find the right words that would not set his brother off. "What if they're not ready eh?"
"Nah." Alfred relaxed and leaned back in his seat. "I have confidence in my men."
"... But are you sure that this is the right thing to do, though?" Matthew looked uneasy.
Alfred sat up once more, his posture entirely changed. "Matthew." Matthew flinched at the icy tone in Alfred's voice and tried ad void his brother' scold eyes. "Have you forgotten what that King did to us?" He raised from his seat.
"N-no, I-"
"Do I need to remind you, Matthew, why it is we are here today? Why we are here instead of back at our mansion in the countryside? Why you have to pretend to be a girl and why I had to join the rebels? Have you forgotten what happened to our Mother?"
Flashes of a burning building and soldiers in blue coming to take away a black haired woman and a blond haired man crossed Matthew's mind, and he quickly closed his eyes in order to forget the painful memory of the day he and Alfred were left all alone in the world, with only each other as company.
"No," whispered Matthew, his eyes downcast in sadness. "No, I haven't, Alfred..."
"Good." Alfred sat down and crossed his arms. "I thought you did. What with you and that-"
Alfred was interrupted as more footsteps sounded throughout the room and both boys straightened their posture as a red haired man with green eyes walked into the room, wearing a long, blue trench coat trimmed in gold braids. He was followed by a white haired man with piercing red eyes, dressed in a navy blue military uniform. Following behind him were three teens, looking to be around the same age as Matthew and Alfred, all male.
The first was a boy, a little older then Alfred and Matthew, with dark brown hair and green eyes, dressed in another blue military uniform and holding a small koala in his arms. The boy's uniform though, was not as high ranked as the albino and instead of a black tie with a black iron cross in the middle, the boy had a red kerchief tied around his suit collar. The boy behind him, who seemed closely in age, had blond hair which curled a bit at the end, and green eyes just like his cousin. He had a small sheep in his arms, with the sheep having a blue ribbon and a golden bell tied around its neck, and he was dressed in a long blue suit, a blue rose placed above the place his heart should be located. The last boy, the youngest of them all, also has blond hair and shared the same green eyes of his family. And like his older cousin, the boy was also wearing a similar blue military uniform.
The brothers exchanged glances with each other at the arrival of the boy not dressed in military uniform, wondering what a priest was doing outside of Church. Despite this being his home, the boys knew that Joshua was rarely ever able to come home and often stayed at the Church, despite his father being the Duke of the house. Most of the times, it was them who had to go visit him. Though it's mostly just Kyle, the eldest of them all, who went the most, seeing as they were both very close with each other.
The albino sat down next to Matthew, across from the brown haired teen with a koala. Before he sat, he and Matthew exchanged a small smile with each other. Finally, with everyone seated, they began to eat dinner.
The sound of moans and sheets shuffling could be heard in the dimness of the night. The shadowed figure of a man raised up, showing his naked muscles, unexpected of the petit body hidden underneath the blue uniform of Spade's knight. His red eyes stared down at his blushing lover.
"Birdie," he purred out, going in for another bit.
Matthew moaned, his eyes closed. "G-Gil," he whispered out, both hands on his temples as sweat breathed down his forehead.
Gilbert smirked. "You're so cute, Birdie. You really do know just how to push me to my limits."
Matthew didn't say anything and only gasped louder at the hard thrusts. Instead, he looked toward the giant window and gazed at the moon.
Gilbert frowned. "What's wrong, Birdie?" he asked, keeping the rhythm slow and appearing concerned as a hand went up to Matthew's head.
"I- I don't know, Gil," said Matthew, his voice laced with worry under the heavy breathing of pleasure as he used his arm to hide his eyes away from his lover.
"Hey, Birdie. Look at me. Look at me." Gilbert stopped the rhythm and moved Matthew's head toward him, successfully pulling the boy's arms away from his eyes. Both stared at each other.
After a moment, Gilbert said, "It's about your brother, isn't it?"
Matthew paused for a moment, his eyes down casted, before nodding. Gilbert sighed and got off, giving Matthew room to sit up so they could talk.
"Are you still scared about what he'll do to me when he finds out about this?" asked Gilbert. "I told you, Alistair already knows, and I can protect myself. I trained both of you, after all."
Matthew nodded, his gaze still down. "I know," he said. "But... Although I am still worried about Alfred becoming trigger happy with you when he finds out about us sleeping together, I mean, sure he could take knowing about us having feelings for each other eh. Though I don't think he knows what you're thinking, just me eh." Gilbert shrugged. "But that's not what I'm really worried about." His shoulders fell.
Gilbert studied his lover for a moment before before reaching out for his check, causing him to look up only to meet with Gilbert's sharp gaze, the eyes he only used when he's truly being serious. Matthew's heart skipped a beat.
"Then what is is, Birdie?" he asked, worried. "Tell me. You know I'm here to listen. I'll always listen. Seeing you like this hurts me, you know that." He brushed a tender hand on Matthew's soft cheek.
Matthew smiled. "Sorry," he apologized. "It's just," Matthew leaned into Gilbert's hold, "Alfred..." Matthew sighed. "I don't know, Gil. I'm having second thoughts."
Gilbert raised his eyebrow. "Second thoughts?"
"Yeah," said Matthew, his eyes seeming far away. "About the revolt."
"Oh." Gilbert relaxed, but then frowned, his eyes also trailing off into the distant.
Matthew smiled and looked up at Gilbert's worried face. "Why? Did you think I meant something else."
"Birdie," Gilbert whined, causing Matthew to let out a laugh at his childishness. Really, who would ever thought that this guy was only a few years younger then Alistair.
"You were saying something about the revolts?" Gilbert went back to the topic at hand, his face now a frown and his eyes calculating as he played with Matthew's long hair.
"Yeah." Matthew turned away. "I don't know... I wonder if what we're doing is the right thing. I mean, I know that the King is cruel; he kills without much thoughts, and he rules without anyone holding him back. Not to mention, he took away my mother and uncle when Alfred and I were only eight... I know that the only way to avenge the unjustified deaths of our mother and uncle is to kill the King, or at least, I thought that... But now... I don't know Gil. Growing up here, having to pretend to be a girl, I see and hear lots of things. Things Alfred probably doesn't even know or fully understand..." Gilbert snorted and Matthew glared up at him, causing him to cover his moth and look away.
"And I wonder..." Matthew continued, his eyes sad again. "It is truly the King's fault for all of this? I don't know why, but for some reason, being in this house and surrounded by so many people who works in the palace... Whenever I'm in the palace myself, I feel a sense of... loneliness of a sort. Sad... Like something's missing. Like there's some sort of mystery looming about. In this house and at the palace. Something about the King's sudden isolation a-and his changed behavior... It's strange eh, and I want to look into it more..." He turned to Gilbert, whose face had turned blank. "Do you think I'm wrong for thinking that? Am I just imagining it?"
Gilbert stared down at Matthew's worried face for a few moments, wondering what he should do. Finally, he sighed and turned toward the windows. "Birdie," he said. "There are things in this world that just aren't-..." Once more, Gilbert let out a sigh and closed his eyes before turning back toward Matthew. "You have to remember that everything may not always be as simple as it appears. You may be right. There might be something there. Something everyone overlooked about the King. Who knows. But you and I both know your brother. There's no way he's backing out from this. Alistair knows that. That's why no one in this household has done anything, but cover up your brother's trails for him."
"I know..." whispered Matthew, sadly.
Gilbert looked at Matthew's sad face for a moment before bring a hand up to his head. "Ahh," he said. "Now I'm worried." Matthew looked up at him in confusing and Gilbert smiled. "If Alfred becomes King, then you will have to protect him from now on instead of him protecting you. I wonder just how Alfred's going to take that. As it is, he already hates the fact that you have to do this for his sake and considers himself the older of the two of you, thus his job to protect you."
"Yes. Well... No, not really," said Matthew, a small smile on his face. "Ever since we were kids, why back before the incident, Al's always teased me about being weak and girly. He's always protected me too. Always finding me and holding my hand, telling me to stop crying..." Matthew smiled at the pure memory of his early days of childhood with Alfred, back in the countryside.
"Teased you?" asked Gilbert, his grip on Matthew suddenly tightening, causing Matthew to gasped and look up at him.
"Gil!" he shouted, just as Gilbert attacked his neck.
"Sorry Birdie," said Gilbert, huskily. "Hearing that just suddenly made me really jealous for a moment there." He opened his red eyes, which seemed to have darkened into a crimson shade as he looked up at Matthew.
Matthew blush and moved away a bit, knowing exactly what that look meant, having seem it plenty of times before in the past and only just figured out what it truly meant about a year ago.
"Gil, come on," he said. "Alfred's my brother. My little brother, he wouldn't-"
"You don't know that," said Gilbert, his voice lowered as he whispered into Matthew's bare shoulder, causing the 15-year-old boy to shiver at the older man's touch.
Gilbert lowered him back onto the bed. "His last name is Jones and yours is Williams. You may have been raised by the same mother and uncle, but you know that your birth mother died when you were barely even a year old Matthew."
"S-still," said Matthew, trying and failing to stop Gilbert's advances. But then again, he wasn't trying very hard, and he knew that rarely could he ever win against this man whom he's been in love with since the young age of 12.
"Hmm," was all Gilbert said before their conversation ended and Matthew's moans started up once more.
Gilbert sat on the edge of the bed, fixing his black shirt collar and the iron cross on his tie. Once finished, he sighed and turned back to Matthew's sleeping form. Gilbert smiled and bushed some hair away from Matthew's peaceful face.
"So cute," he whispered. "I wonder... will you still stay this cute after all this is done and over with? Will this innocence of yours disappear too?" His eyes seemed to sadden over as he looked at Matthew and leaned in to kiss the boy's forehead one last time. "Goodbye Matthew... I hope you continue to have good dreams."
Gilbert stood up and put on his blue suit before grabbing a black long coat out of tin air and then donning it on. Opening his eyes now, Gilbert's expression changed to one of cold cruelty and smudged amusement. Without even a backward glance, he disappeared from the room.