Disclaimer: I do not own Hetalia, most of the characters (besides any OCs, of course), or the idea for this AU. Thank you.

Characters

Eva - Northern Ireland

Edmund - Ireland

Peter - Sealand

Alistair - Scotland

Harry - Wales

Life in the countryside isn't that bad. Birds are always singing their chipper songs, the sun is always shining, and the oak trees make perfect reading nooks. Doesn't that sound wonderful? A gentle breeze sweeps through the trees, causing the leaves to quake. A temperate atmosphere. What a perfect day to laze away-

"Arthur!" -and there goes the moment.

A high-pitched shout of an elderly woman ran through the clearing, only to be partially muted by the angry squawking of birds fleeing from their nests. The shouts also managed to wake a young, bushy-eyed boy from his napping branch.

With a little, frightened squeak, the dirty blonde boy almost fell off of the branch. Although he caught himself, his epic, hardback copy of Beowulf toppled out of his lap and landed at least ten feet below with a crash.

"Damn.." Was all he could whisper out before a stout lady, who shared quite a resemblance to the lad, rustled out of the bushes.

"Oh! There you are boy!"

Arthur raised his eyebrows in her direction, swinging his legs over the side of the branch.

"What do you want mum?"

"Don't you 'what do you want mum' me, sir!" His mother, whom had her hands placed firmly on her hip bones with balled fists, scowled deeply at her disobedient son. "You know exactly what I want, so come down this instant!"

It took all of Arthur to not turn his face away and fake a gag or imitate his mother rudely. Instead, he let out a very loud groan and slide down the base of the tree with as much ease as a squirrel. After his feet were planted on the stiff ground, Arthur's mother grasped onto his arm, evidently very angry.

"You are absolutely filthy! You can not go into town to the Prince's ceremony looking like this. A bath it is for you."

Arthur only replied with a sharp glare and a little 'hmph'. Turning his face to look behind his shoulder, Arthur peered over to his book that was left pressed against the ground, the grass flattened underneath its mass. How he wished to rip away from his mother's grasp and retrieve the epic, but he was already in enough trouble as it was. Best not poke the bear with the stick some more. All he had to do was remember to get it later. He'd probably be back in the clearing before the day was over if he had any say in it.

It was only a short walk to the quaint, little cottage that Arthur called his home. Made with smoky stones that were crawling with ivy and had a thatch roof made of straw, the cottage seemed warm and inviting the any visitor. However, Arthur saw it as a prison that his mother forced him to spend time it. From the screaming of his younger brother Peter to the bullying of his older brothers and sister, Arthur hated what was to come when he stepped in the door.

Behind the house were rows upon rows of fertile soil currently being plowed up by a young man, a few years older than Arthur, with his chesnut gelding. That happened to be Arthur's older brother Edmund. Edmund wasn't the eldest of the troupe of children, but he definitely earned his way up to be hardest working.

Arthur's mother dragged the poor boy into the cottage, placing him in the room with another one of Arthur's siblings, a young girl named Eva. Eva, who was the twin of Edmund, was currently working on yet another knitting project that would probably fail to be completed.

Turning away from Arthur, stepping lightly towards a hallway, Arthur's mom turned her head to look at her son. "You stay in here with your sister while I draw you a bath."

Arthur slid down to the floor, listening intently to the footsteps descend into the hallway before letting out a drawn out sigh. His sister glimpsed up at him, then returned her attention to her knitting.

"You know she is only doing this out of love." Eva spoke, filling the room with her honey-sweet voice followed by the clicking of her knitting needles.

The boy shifted in his spot, raising soft eyes to meet the others, taking a short glance before ripping his gaze away.

"I know, Eva. I know. I've heard the stories over a hundred times. The Queen is growing weaker every day, so the High Council is-"

"-going to choose someone to take her place at tonight's ceremony." Arthur's mum, who entered the room silently, finished hers son's sentence, leaning against the door frame.

Knowing exactly what she needed, Arthur rose to his feet in silence, shuffling towards his mum, head lowered. As she lead him into the bathing room, a short sigh escaped her lips. "I know you do not wish to go. I honestly wouldn't want to go either. However, it is for the family.."

Arthur, who was halfway through undressing at this point, stopped suddenly, letting his linen white, cotton shirt slip to the ground. He stared up at her with hardening eyes, tears welling up in his tear ducts at the very mention of the word 'family'.

"For the family? What has the king ever done for the family?" Arthur wanted to scream, but his anger only choked down his voice. Oh! How he hated the royal family. How they primped and preened around their castle and probably rolled around in golden coins. How they ripped people away from their homes and stuck them in an army where they were sure to go to their deaths. Where was the good in that? It's nowhere. The royal family hasn't done anything for his family and never will.

"Arthur-"

"No! They took Da away. They took Da and Alistair and Harry. They are gone because of the royals. We are suffering because of them. It isn't fair!"

Silence filled the bathing room as Arthur threw the remainder of his clothes to the ground aggressively then slipped into the wooden tub full of warmed water. If his anger could be shown physically, the water would be boiling.

Arthur's mum only kneeled down beside him with a saddened stare. She couldn't deny his accusations. Arthur was right. It wasn't fair. However, that's life. Picking up a rag from the floor, Arthur's mum soaked it in the water and started scrubbing away at the dirt.

"Baby. Life isn't always fair - especially to people of our financial circumstances. That's why I need you to go tonight. There is a chance that you can change everything for our family. Eva and Harry wouldn't have to work so hard. You and Peter can get an education. Everything will be better."

Sinking down further, Arthur held only his nose and up above the water. With a huff, the boy lifted his mouth up to speak.

"What makes you think I'll be picked?"

"Intuition" She replied as she ran the warm, soapy cloth over a faint birthmark on Arthur's shoulder blade that resembled the mark of the kingdom; an ornamental spade.

• • • • •

When Arthur was finally dry, his mother forced the boy into a stuffy cotton shirt with silver buttons and horrid brown trousers. Everything was a hand-me-down. From his elder cousins to his elder brothers, and then to him. The youngest, Peter, will probably gain them once he's old enough to fit the clothes.

Although it wasn't nearly the best clothing in the world, it was the best the family could afford. Maybe things could change eventually. Arthur had always dreamt of becoming a famous author; with fabulous stories of wonder and fantasy, he wanted them to be enough to buy his family a new farm and better equipment. The dream would never come true, however. Arthur was destined to become a farmer. He didn't even have a proper education other than being taught how to read by his mother.

Anyways, before his mother would let Arthur out of her hands, she just had to try and tame the messy hair. No matter what, the hairs wouldn't sit on his head. By the time she was done, she had done more harm than good. Poofy, dirty blonde hair stuck up in every direction. The sight of Arthur looking like this caused her to chuckle, which prompted Arthur to shake his hair down.

A defeated sigh escaped her lips as she stepped away from her son to examine her work. A light, airy smile graced her lips. Arthur always admired his mother's smile. She looked like a queen, lighting up the room with her pearly teeth.

"There you go." She cooed, pulling him towards her chest so that she could hug him gently. "You look fit enough to be a prince."

Arthur didn't try to respond. Instead, he stared at the cold floor with furrowed eyebrows and a very prominent frown. He didn't want to go to this ceremony. Nothing good would come of it. He could feel it in his bones.

"Poppet, everything will be okay. I've always promised you that. I just want to try and give you a chance for something different. If you don't get chosen, then you can come home and I will make you those pastries you love. Alright?"

"Mum, it's sundown." Eva called as she popped her head into the bathing room. She was dressed in her best as well which was a long, dark grey cloth dress over a simple under dress, held together with black lace. Arthur's sister was taking him to the ceremony in searches of a suitor herself. She would do anything to get away from the cottage.

Their mum with yet another sigh, one that seemed like it had a hint of sadness, let go of her son. "Alright my dearest one. Eva is going to take you into town."

Arthur looked up at his mum, tears daring to pour out of the corners of his eyes. With a sniffle, the boy wiped away his eyes with his shirt sleeve and stepped towards his sister. "Alright mummy. I love you."

"I love you too, my little one."

With those final words, Eva took hold of Arthur's hand and led him out of the hallway and out of the little cottage. Once outside, Arthur glimpsed towards the back, only to see Edmund teaching Peter how to lead the plow horse. Peter, who was only seven at the time, looked as if he was having the time of his life. Edmund placed the boy on top of the chestnut gelding that was hooked up to the plow and led them down the rows.

Arthur was envious. Oh how he wished he could take off these awful clothes and run free through the forest. No. Instead, he had to walk into town and possibly be chosen as queen to-be. It wasn't fair.

As the two walked down their little forest path that led directly to the little village that bordered the towering Castle of Spades, the sun began to lower in the sky. Voices of gathers could be heard, rising in volume as the siblings neared. Lanterns hanging on great posts were lit, flooding the streets with a warm, flickering light.

Arthur hugged onto Eva's arm as they walked into the crowd. In the middle of the square was a rather big gazebo. The gazebo's primary function was to host the monthly farmer's market, but tonight it was lit for the king to introduce the prince and for the guards to search for the incoming queen. Everywhere there was chatter. It filled Arthur's head and he wanted to run from this wretched place.

Eva, who wasn't really paying attention to her younger brother, yanked her arm away from him, giving him a side-eyed stare before looking forward. "Go find the other children your age. They will check your group first."

The young boy reached out for his sister once again, brushing his hand against hers. Arthur would rather not be alone right now, especially with so many people around. What if they got hurt? Eva ripped her hand away from Arthur and stuck her nose up.

"Fine.." Arthur muttered out, furrowing his eyebrows in disgust at his sister. Moving out of the crowd, the boy caught sight of heads bobbing from around the corner, followed by the sounds of hoofbeats.

From his position, he could see men in shiny armor carrying beams that held lanterns so that their paths wouldn't be obscured. These men were followed by a rather tall man clothed in lavish robes of navy on top of a dappled grey stallion. Behind him was a younger boy on top of what looked like a bay paint horse. Arthur, however, didn't see what the boy looked like before he turned on his heel and bolted out of the square.

Once Arthur was far enough away from the square that he could barely see the lights, he stopped in his tracks, leaning up against a tree to catch his breath. Besides his heavy breath, the only thing that Arthur could hear was the sound of his heart beating.

The forest was always the worst at night time; wind howling causing the leaves and branches to creak and groan as they were tossed back and forth. Sounds of creatures scampered through the leaves. The moon was starting to peek out of the horizon, a lonely little crescent in the sky, reaching up to touch the stars.

Arthur peered upwards at the moon, welcoming what little light it brought to the surface. Pressing his body closer into the tree, the boy slid down to a sitting position with his knees pressed against his chest. Laying his chin on his knees, Arthur closed his eyes and took a cool breath of air. It was going to be okay. It was going to be okay. Maybe he could find the path and just go home early. Make up that he wasn't chosen and curl up in his bed like it was any other night.

After a few moments of peaceful silence, loud crunching managed to startled Arthur out of his thought, shivers running up his spine like little pin-prickles. Something was around the tree. Something big and probably something mean. Putting his hands down beside him, Arthur pressed closer to the tree and held his breath. Hopefully, whatever it was would get bored and go away-

"Hello?"

A voice?

"Is anyone there?"

From what Arthur could hear, it was the voice of a boy, but he had a strange accent. It was definitely not something he had heard before.

Another crunch of the leaves came towards him. "I know you are there. I saw you running from the square. I wanted to know if you were alright."

Arthur let out his breath slowly, trying to gain his wits to turn around and confront this stranger. As slowly as possible, Arthur started twisting around, holding onto the rough bark to poke his head out from behind the tree. Although there was little light, Arthur could make out a bit of the boy's features. A strong jawbone and a straight nose with strangely captivating, sky-blue eyes, the stranger was definitely someone he had never met before. As soon as Arthur poked his head out, the boy's lips widened in an impossibly large smile that showed off his perfect teeth.

"I knew someone was out here! I knew it!" His cheers grew louder as he started laughing giddily.

Arthur's eyes widened as he made his way to his feet rather quickly in order to cover the other's mouth with his palms. "Hey. Hey. Please. Be quiet. You don't want anything finding us. There are wolves in these woods."

The other boy raised an eyebrow then nodded, stepping away from Arthur, the smile still stained on his lips. In a rather theatrical way, he put his fingers to his lips and acted like he was zipping it closed with an invisible zipper.

Arthur let out an exasperated sigh, closing his eyes for a second then letting his shoulders drop.
"What are you doing out here anyway?"

The boy, who acted like he unzipped his lips, let out a little noise that sounded like laughing but muted. "Well, I saw you run away from the crowd and I had to come and get you. I couldn't let someone get hurt on my watch."

"Oh, how kind of you-" Arthur replied sarcastically. "-I've lived here my entire life. I wouldn't make a stupid enough mistake to get hurt. So thank you for the help, but I don't need it."

Suddenly, the boy stuck out his hand with a grin. "My name's Alfred. What's yours?"

Staring down at the hand in front of him, Arthur questioned this stranger, now known as Alfred. It took him a few seconds before he took it hesitantly and shook it in return. "My name is Arthur. Arthur Kirkland."

"Well! It's so very nice to meet you, Arthur. Might I ask why you ran away?" Alfred's eyes sparkled with interest, his grin never failing to fade away. Arthur was seriously worried about this kid. Who could be this happy?

Arthur stared at him for a minute, the questioning look in his eyes only growing as the time passed. "Hmm," He cleared his throat, "Well, I'm not the biggest fan of crowds, but my mum forced me to come. I just.. I didn't want to be there."

Alfred's grin finally faded a little, turning into a bit of a pouty frown. The other boy was kind of taken aback by this because all he has seen so far was the happiness that filled this boy.

"Hey, hey," Arthur started, holding his hands out a bit, "It's okay. I'm okay now. See. No harm done."

"Okay, fine," Alfred sighed, the frown disappearing into a subtle smile as he softened his gaze at Arthur, "As long as you are okay, then I am okay!" Another laugh erupted from the boy causing Arthur to groan. Why did he bother?

Shaking his head, Arthur looked up to the sky and said, "It's getting late. I really need to get home. My mum should be wanting me back." As he said this, Arthur started turning away from Alfred, but the other boy's hand reached out to stop him.

"Wait. Is there anyway I will be able to see you again?" The cheery boy's shoulders rose up in pre-excitement, hoping for the other boy's answer.

Poor Alfred didn't have many friends, which was probably the reason why he ran after Arthur in the first place. Oh was his father going to be mad when he returns as filthy as he is.

"Um," Arthur looked down at his feet, shifting his position a bit on his hips, "I don't know how we will manage to do that, but okay. I guess we could try."

Arthur was almost in the same position as Alfred; barely any friends with way too much time on his hands. He has been known to waste the day away in the trees, reading and talking to his imaginary friends.

Alfred felt as though he could jump up in the air and cheer, and he almost did until Arthur stopped him. "Oh! Right. Shh." The blue-eyed boy giggled slightly as he raised his index finger to his lips.

A snort came behind Alfred and what sounded to be pawing at the ground. Arthur peered around Alfred only to see the beige paint horse from the square.

"Oops," -Alfred turned quickly on his heel, running over to the horse then giving her a gentle pet on the snout- "I got to go. It was very nice meeting you. Bye Arthur!" Swinging his leg over the horse's back and settling into his pristine, leather saddle, Alfred waved goodbye to his new friend, promptly galloping off as fast as he first arrived.

Arthur couldn't even bring his arm up to wave back. His jaw hung open in utter surprise and, wait, was this terror? Had Arthur just made friends with the Prince of one of the largest kingdom in the realm.

No, no, no. That was impossible. Maybe he was just seeing things. It is late after all. Shaking his head, Arthur pivoted away from his spot, heading towards the direction of the moon. Navigating the forest at night wasn't all that hard with the moon and stars and all, the only problem was being silent enough that nothing heard him.

Thankfully, Arthur saw the dim light of his cottage through the leaves. He was home. Breaking out into a run, the boy sprinted through the bushes, not caring about the branches that snagged at his clothing.

Flinging open the door, Arthur stepped in, almost forgetting to close it behind him. In the sitting room was Eva, Edmund, and his mother, cradling a now sleeping Peter."

"Arthur," His mother whispered harshly in a hushed tone, "Where in the High Council's name have you been? We've been worried sick."

"Mum, I just got separated from Eva. Everything is fine now. I wasn't chosen."

"Yeah, no one was." Eva interjected.

Arthur's mum let out a sigh, shaking her head slightly. "That just cannot be. No matter. They will continue the search until the chosen one is sought out."

Letting a small smile pull at the corners of his lips, Arthur tiptoed over his mother, giving her a tiny peck on the cheek. "I am going to go to bed now. Alright?"

"Alright, my dearest one. Goodnight."

After a few scattered goodnights from his family, Arthur practically pranced to his room (one that he shared with Peter) and closed the wooden door behind him. Sinking into the soft sheets that covered his soft straw bed, Arthur haphazardly pulled off his shirt and snuggled into bed. Moonlight still managed to fill the room due to the holes in the moth-eaten curtains, but Arthur still closed his eyes, thinking about the day.

Life seemed like it was going to be quite a bit different now that Alfred was in his life. He could feel it in his bones.

A/N: Here we go! Another story. A different story. Something new. This is a story that I have been meaning to write for over 4 years now. It's based off of an old roleplay that I had a long, long time ago with the Cardverse AU and the USUK ship. It will always be my favorite roleplay I've ever had and I would've love to continue on with it (although it was almost done in completion). I hope everyone enjoys The Fields of Hyacinth as much as I have enjoyed writing it. ~Spoon