(A/N First Hetalia fanfiction, and first completed and published fanfiction in at least a year, so please be gentle! I apologise for any mischaracterisations. It is hard to write characters in a Cardverse AU, as they have had different past experiences than those in canonverse. Also, Erika Vogel is Liechtenstein, while the King (as it will be revealed later on) is Francis Bonnefoy, aka the personification of France in regular Hetalia. It'd be appreciated if you reviewed this afterwards. If you do choose to criticise, then make sure that it's constructive. Flames will just be laughed at.
Also, please note that Liechtenstein is in love with Belarus in this universe and that they have been together for 2 years. Perhaps I will expand more on the idea if this story turns out to be popular. As for Francis... Well, you might find out.)
In one of the rooms of the extravagant palace located at the capital city of the Kingdom of Diamonds, a small figure stirred, sitting up. It was midnight, according to the clock sitting next to her bedside. And, she couldn't sleep. Not when she was so full of worry and fear. She heaved a sigh, and stood up, pulling on her dressing gown. She then pushed the heavy wooden door open soundlessly.
Seeing that the coast was clear, Erika Vogel smiled to herself and shut the door behind her.
"Going somewhere?" A soft, low voice sounded, and she jumped.
"Your Majesty!" She squeaked, her heart hammering rapidly.
"At this hour? The air is chill." She heard, as a slender blond man rounded the corner, a serene smile on his face. "Mind if I accompany you?"
That's it, Erika thought. I'm done for! He knows that I absolutely detest this marriage, and he's going to punish me.
She frantically tried to force herself to calm down as she backed away slightly. "Your Majesty, I-I think I'll be fine. I just-"
Brilliant blue eyes scoured her, and her companion sighed.
"You aren't the only one who despises the situation." He said, his tone suddenly brittle. "If anything, I am the one who hates it even more."
Erika froze, unsure of what to say.
"Come here." He said, extending a pale hand. His fingers were long and slender, but calloused if you looked at them closely. They were both the hands of an artist and an army man, Erika thought.
Erika didn't need him to prompt her twice. She took his hand and followed him.
He darted down the corridors swiftly, reaching the end, running up a flight of stairs, and rounding the corner before stopping before a magnificent door made of mahogany. He put his hand on its surface, and the mahogany door disappeared. Ignoring Erika's shock at that, he walked in calmly.
The door reappeared as soon as she entered the room. Meanwhile, her companion had perched himself on a sofa, a glass of wine in his hands.
"Would you like some?" He asked, his voice soft and melodic, and she shook her head. She had never been a fan of wine.
"Here, we can talk, without the fear of being heard. Even the nosiest of servants know better than to come near the King's chambers without permission." He stated, an uncharacteristically bitter expression crossing his face for a split second. "So? What is on your mind, Queen Erika?"
Erika narrowed her eyes and clenched her fists. "Don't." She spat. "Just… Please don't call me that." She sighed, closing her eyes.
"It's so unfair." She continued. "I know it's childish and bratty of me to whine like this, but it is. Just last week, I was a simple country girl living with my brother and his goats in the South of this country. But then, the darned clocks changed all that. I regret it, so so much! If only I hadn't picked it up at the flea market!"
Her companion watched her, a contemplative look on his face.
"Would you like my honest opinion on this?" He questioned.
Erika stared at him, but before she could reply, he ploughed on.
"I despise all of this. Everything is nothing, but a sham. When I was younger, I read a book that told me we married out of love, not duty. A page caught me reading that one day and alerted our Jack, who went and burned that and all the books in the library and replaced them with new, censored ones. I once dreamed of a free world, where we could love freely. I… What is the word? I suppose I'm a romantic at heart, even though I was trained ever since I was a child to be a ruthless ruler."
He paused for a moment, then continued. "Perhaps, all these lies are the Heavens' way of punishing us. More specifically, our forefathers. They were arrogant, faithless and proud enough to believe that they could truly make choices for themselves. That nothing was dictated. So, despite having guidance from above, they strayed onto wrong paths. They made the wrong decisions. And that resulted in a terrible, horrifying war. Our Kingdoms were built decades after all that happened, and in order for us to never make the wrong choices again, the builders of our Kingdoms pledged that they would follow the Heavens' word, no matter what. We were gifted these clocks, and told that they would only work in the hands of those destined to be the rulers of this Kingdom. It seemed fantastic at the time. To be told who your soulmate was, some thought. They thought that the King and Queen would fall in love with each other at first sight."
"Ha!" He barked a bitter and harsh laugh. He scowled, handsome features twisting. "Never have a King and Queen ever been truly in love! Sure, they put on a good show for the public. But in private…." He shook his head, as if trying to clear his mind.
"It was the deities' way of reminding us of our mistakes and failures. They would eternally punish the rulers of the Kingdom by mocking their entire existence. Marriage, once a sacred and beautiful thing, is now reduced to something ironic. Instead of love, it is necessity and duty that we marry out of."
Erika's eyes were wide and she could feel them watering with tears of resentment and bitterness.
"And if a King ever falls for his Queen, or vice versa…. They suffer a fate worse than death." He concluded, and clasped his hands together.
"Well, then. Now you know my true colours. I hate every bit of this lie that we're forced to live, but I have no choice in the matter. But, I refuse to completely obey. Call me arrogant, but I am smart enough to find loopholes in the sets of rules we are supposed to follow. I've always bent the rules whenever I pleased, to show that I was not satisfied. I refuse to be a mere pawn on the chessboard, and I want to show them that I have a will of my own despite what they say." He declared.
Erika had thought many things about King Francis when she first met him. Beautiful, charismatic, and intelligent had been her first impression. She later learnt that he was an adept swordsman, a talented artist and cooked the most delicious foods in the Kingdom. He seemed like the perfect husband, yet she could not bring herself to love him. Despite knowing that it wasn't his fault, she still hated and feared him for taking away her freedom and forcing her hand in marriage. But now, knowing that he felt just as angry at the marriage, she felt better. As if she had finally been able to find a friend in this place, full of riches and grandeur and fake smiles and false niceties.
"Erika." He said. "I know you are in love. With a woman, though I have yet to find out who."
Erika inhaled sharply. "What… What are you going to do?"
King Francis chuckled. "Don't worry. Has there ever been a generation of Royalty without the scandal of affairs? I doubt so. Just… Keep her away from the prying eyes of the public and I'll turn a blind eye." He shrugged lightly, and she heaved sigh of relief.
"Oh, and one more thing. I know that you aren't attracted to men. Not the slightest. So, I will not bed you if you do not wish. It is not absolutely required of the Kings and Queens to produce an heir, after all. And even if it was… Well… Let's just say that I have connections that could help us solve that problem." He smirked, and Erika sagged with relief.
"So does that mean-"
"Tomorrow, after the ceremony, we will be sent up to the same bedroom. We will sleep in the same bed, but your virtue will be in no danger." He assured, and Erika felt herself sag with relief. That had been one of the things she was dreading the most.
"Your Majesty." She spoke up at last, and he turned to face her, his eyes questioning.
"We are in no danger of falling in love with each other, as I prefer women. This world seems to be a lonely place, and it would be nice if there was someone to seek solace with. So… Would you like to be my friend?" She finished awkwardly. When he didn't reply, she flushed and her heart began to hammer rapidly. Oh no… What if I said the wrong thing? What if the reason he didn't want me was because I was a lowly commoner and that he thought he could do better?
"Yes, Erika." Came the reply, and Erika froze, then relaxed. "A friend…." King Francis mused. "Nobody has called me that for so long…."