"Why Alfred? Why are you doing this?" the words escaped my lips in a cracked whisper as I fell to my knees, feeling numb. The one question I desperately needed answered had been asked, but I was afraid to hear the answer.
"Look at you England, you used to be so strong and here you are on your knees in the mud, tears shamelessly running down your cheeks." Alfred said his voice cold and emotionless, far from the happy carefree tone I had grown so used to hearing. "Nothing I do is ever good enough for the mighty United Kingdom. You were never around Arthur, you weren't there when I needed you…It's time for me to become my own country." I could see a flicker of pain pass through his crystal blue eyes. Oh how those eyes held the power to break me with one mere look. His words barely registered in my brain as Alfred said "Just go home England, I don't need you here anymore." My heart shattered upon hearing those last five words. Throwing my flag into the mud at my knees he turned to leave, giving me one last emotionless glance. The little boy I had found wandering in the field all those years ago had grown up and left me alone. No more would I be able to hear that joyous childish laugh, or see that radiant smile. Rain cascaded down from the sky as if to reflect the overwhelming pain pulsing in my chest. My tears, now flowing freely down my face blended in with the raindrops. Half of myself had left with the boy I knew so long ago. I watched his retreating back knowing that I had not lost a colony and a war; I had lost something much more precious. On that day, I broke.