Streaks of Sunlight
Chapter 2
Arthur's jaw dropped in shock as his eyes widened in horror. There was absolutely no way that Alfred could be serious. Arthur Kirkland as the Queen of Spades? Was that even possible? He was frozen with shock for a moment as his mind tried to process the information, "...You're joking right?"
Alfred shook his head negatively, "No, I'm not kidding. I had to think of something to keep the other kingdoms at bay." He attempted to justify his actions.
"So you betroth yourself to me against my will?" Arthur asked, venom coloring his tone.
He placed a hand on Arthur's shoulder and spoke in a tone desperate to make Arthur understand, "Arthur, you don't understand! I didn't have any other choice!"
"Of course there is! You could have picked anyone other than me! How dare you use me like that? Just because I'm not from this world doesn't mean you can just force me into something!" Arthur was beyond furious. Alfred spouted shit about true love, yet he forced another, Arthur, into this 'marriage' just to save his own arse, "You're a despicable hypocrite Alfred."
Every word hurt and every word was true. Alfred could have had anyone in the kitchen - anyone. He wasn't sure whether to feel self-pity or anger. Who was Arthur to order him around? Alfred was the King of Spades. Arthur was just someone from another world. A glare appeared on Alfred's face, "How dare I?" He stepped closer to Arthur and leaned over him to arrest his dominance and remind Arthur of his situation, "I am the King of Spades. No one questions me and no one calls me a 'despicable hypocrite'. Not you. Not Yao. Not even Francis. I suggest you remember where you are."
A sharp glare was leveled at Alfred as Arthur stood up to his full height and stared the King down, showing him that he didn't care who he was, "I don't give a bleeding fuck who you are! King or not, you can't tell me what to do. I may not come from this world, but you can't push me around. Do you honestly think you can just get others to bend over backwards for you because of your title? That's utter rubbish!" Arthur spat out each word, blazing emerald orbs never looking away from Alfred, "At the end of the day, you are still a person just like me. Being a King doesn't make you immune or all mighty! Abusing your power just makes you an arsehole!"
He tried his hardest to keep his glare on his face and his body firm. No one had ever dared to yell at Alfred like that before. It left him speechless. Once he gathered his words, he continued to speak in a low and threatening tone, "Let's get one thing straight. In case you didn't hear me before, I'm not doing this for myself. I'm doing this for my kingdom; for Spades. I will die before I let anything happen to this place that was made strong by my ancestors. I chose you as Queen because it was the first and only solution I could think of. You don't have to like it. You can hate it for all I care, but no one is going to threaten the safety of my kingdom."
"How very noble of you," Arthur sneered back at him, hating him more with every passing second, "I'll marry you, but don't expect me to like it. I absolutely loathe you Alfred, and I don't plan to hide it."
A part of Alfred was relieved that Arthur was going to marry him without a fight. He didn't think he could handle fighting tooth and nail with Arthur and juggle all of his duties along with the threat of war. Alfred attempted to sound as indifferent as possible, "Fine." Truthfully, he couldn't have Arthur. He had no reason to, but Alfred couldn't see how he was the villain in all of this. Making sacrifices was what Kings do. If he couldn't marry for love, so be it. In the back of his mind, he knew that he had stolen any chance for Arthur to marry for love as well.
"However, if I find a way to get home, don't expect me to stay," Arthur bit out, "I'd rather die than stay here with you."
"That sounds fair," Hearing what Arthur said didn't sit well with Alfred, but he couldn't deny that Arthur was wedged into a situation he had no business being in all because he merely appeared in Spades. Arthur didn't have to love him. He was fine with that. All that mattered was the well-being of Spades. Alfred took his gaze away from Arthur temporarily to pick a relatively easy book from a shelf beside him, "While you're here, you need to learn the basics; the language, the history, the currency, and the traditions."
"Very well," Arthur responded dully, feeling hollow inside.
Alfred pulled out a chair from the table beside Arthur and stood by it, waiting for Arthur to sit, "Come on. We have to start fast. You've got a lot to learn."
Arthur shot a sharp gaze Alfred's way, but sat at he was told, waiting for Alfred to begin teaching him, silencing any harsh words built up inside him, knowing it was futile to argue with the stubborn King.
He ignored any kind of look Arthur gave him and placed the simple book in front of Arthur. Alfred read the sentences slowly and translated every word. The sooner Arthur understood the Spades language the better.
Arthur concentrated very hard on the lesson. He hated not understanding the language of Spades. It was a major weakness for him, one he would not tolerate.
Once Alfred explained a few sentences, he told Arthur to read the last sentence on the page and translate it. He expected Arthur to know at least a couple words. He could probably guess what the sentence was about.
Looking at the sentence closely Arthur thought a moment and guessed the meaning, hoping he was correct.
Alfred corrected Arthur but reassured him that he was close to the original meaning.
Nodding, Arthur corrected himself. He felt determined to succeed despite his anger at the situation.
After teaching Arthur the very basics, Alfred decided to move onto the history of Spades. It would be easier to teach than the language.
Arthur didn't show any emotions as Alfred continued his lesson. He just listened intently; taking it all in as he tried not to think of all he had lost.
Since Arthur wasn't quite responding, Alfred stopped the lesson, "Are you paying attention at all?"
"Of course I'm paying attention. I'm listening to what you are saying," Arthur replied, trying not to roll his eyes.
"I was just making sure. If you're going to be Queen, you have to know that Spades first started with an agriculturally dependent economy and then later switched to trade." Honestly, the least Arthur could do was respond every so often and look alert.
"Pardon me your majesty. Would you like me to interrupt you every ten seconds to tell you I understand?" Arthur bit out sarcastically, "I thought it was polite to just be quiet and listen until you finished."
Alfred glared at Arthur. He was lucky that Alfred didn't have him thrown into the dungeon for speaking so disrespectfully, "Watch what you say," Alfred warned.
Arthur glared, "Or what?"
"Or I'll lock you up. The room you'll be staying in isn't meant to be a prison but I can make it one." It was different. Alfred had threatened other people before, but threatening Arthur was definitely different. If it was guilt that Alfred felt, he certainly didn't show it.
"Go right ahead. You've already taken away my freedom. There's nothing else you can take from me."
"I could take a lot more than that." Alfred decided not to say exactly what he could take. He figured that Arthur could think of what it was.
"Go right ahead and kill me. Then you're without a Queen again and you're a murderer."
That was it. Alfred slammed the book he was holding shut and tossed it onto the table, "Get up," He commanded.
Arthur stood up, not showing any emotion on the outside despite shaking with fear on the inside. He honestly didn't want to die be thrown in the dungeon or be killed, but perhaps he pushed Alfred too far.
"Come with me," He continued to instruct Arthur as he left the room.
Following after Alfred, he couldn't help the constant fear rising at the question of where they were going. He wouldn't actually do anything would he?
Alfred stopped in front of a room and opened the door to reveal a lavish bedroom designed for only the most honored guests that would visit the kingdom of Spades, "Get inside," Alfred commanded.
Arthur barely had time to register his surroundings as he walked into the bedroom under Alfred's command.
"Lessons are done for today. Yao will bring you dinner soon," He spoke with a cold edge to his voice. Alfred didn't want to deal with Arthur and his immunity to his threats.
Arthur just nodded hollowly, wanting to be alone.
Without saying another word, Alfred closed the door as he left. He figured Arthur just needed some time to cool down.
As soon as Alfred left, Arthur sunk to the floor, the full reality of his situation crashing down on him. His eyes welled up with tears but he refused to cry. This couldn't be the end of everything he knew. It just couldn't.
Alfred walked down the hall with his thoughts all in a mess. How dare Arthur talk that way to him? He was the King! Arthur was only spared because Alfred needed him. That was all. He couldn't seem to pay attention to where he was walking due to the growing pit of guilt in his stomach.
Arthur continued to sit on the floor, his thoughts a jumbled mess. He had nothing more to say to Alfred. It wouldn't change a thing. Hatred burned in his chest as he thought of the arrogant King. He claimed he didn't want to be treated like a King, but Arthur suspected he only wanted to be treated like a King when it was convenient for him.
Alfred walked into his office and collapsed down into his desk chair. He groaned softly in frustration.
Yao was furiously working all morning and afternoon on engagement planning. He had a few questions for Alfred so he went to go look for him. Walking over to Alfred's office and knocking on the door, he called out respectfully, "Your majesty, are you in there?"
Alfred took off his glasses and pinched the bridge of his nose. "Yeah," He grunted just loud enough for Yao to hear.
"May I come in?" Yao asked, sensing the tenseness in Alfred's tone.
"Yeah," Alfred grunted again and slumped against his chair to relax a bit.
Yao came into Alfred's office and closed the door quietly. He bowed to Alfred before sitting down in a chair in front of Alfred's desk, "Alfred, what's wrong?"
Alfred placed his glasses back on his face. He sighed and explained, "I had a fight with Arthur."
"...Who is Arthur?" Yao asked.
"...Arthur is my choice for the Queen of Spades," Alfred answered hesitantly.
"Oh, I see," Yao replied, slightly surprised, "That's wonderful," Finally having a Queen was just what they needed. Alfred seemed terribly troubled about their fight though, which distressed Yao, "Do you wish to talk about it?"
"I just... Things could've been a LOT worse for him. He was disrespectful to me and I was only trying to teach him what he needed to know!" Alfred threw his arms up in the air in exasperation.
Wrinkling his brows in confusion, Yao replied meekly, "Your majesty, would you care to explain the situation to me fully, because it seems a lot more complicated than you have previously stated."
"I was teaching him about Spades because he's not from here and when I asked if he was paying attention, he got all pissy and started insulting me."
Raising a delicate brow Yao continued, used to Alfred's childish antics, "Alfred, why do I have a feeling he had another reason for his actions?"
Alfred looked to Yao in shock, "What're you implying?"
"I'm merely implying that you shouldn't dismiss his feelings as nothing. If you want things to work you should take the time to ask him what's wrong and really listen. Nobody gets angry without reason."
Alfred held Yao's gaze for a few seconds before looking away, "Alright, when dinner's ready, take some to Arthur."
"Alfred, perhaps you should take it to him. You need to talk to him," Yao wanted to meet Arthur, but he knew Alfred had to sort out his issues with the Queen to be now, before they became worse.
He blinked absently, "Yao... I've got stuff to do. Like... Read and sign contracts."
Yao looked at him sharply, "Keeping good relations with your future Queen will strengthen Spades. The contracts can wait until you talk to him."
"Fine," Alfred huffed childishly, "I'll bring Arthur his food."
Yao smiled gratefully, "Thank you."
"You're welcome, but I'm only doing this because you think it'll be good for Spades," He stood up and stretched, "Was there anything you needed?"
"It was merely questions about his majesty King Francis' unexpected arrival, but they can wait until you've sorted things out with him."
"Alright, I'll see you later then," Alfred gave a halfhearted wave before walking to the door.
Yao nodded politely, before leaving Alfred's office as well.
Alfred took his sweet time walking to the kitchen and fetching Arthur his food. Once he gathered all the food he thought Arthur would eat, Alfred trudged up to Arthur's room and knocked on the door.
Glancing up when he heard a knock, Arthur for up off the floor finally and opened the door. Upon seeing Alfred, Arthur stepped out of the way to let him enter.
Alfred walked into the now dark room and set the food tray down on the ornate table, "Why didn't you light the lamps?" He asked.
"...I didn't think to." Arthur replied softly, not meeting Alfred's gaze.
Upon hearing Arthur's tone, the guilt welled up within Alfred, extinguishing any anger he had, "Go ahead and eat. It might look different than your usual food, but it's really good," He spoke gently as he walked around the room and lit the gas lamps.
Arthur sat down and looked at the food quizzically, wondering what it was. Knowing better than to complain, Arthur just muttered a quiet thanks and started to eat it.
"You're welcome," Alfred nearly whispered before hesitantly sitting across from Arthur.
The following silence in the room was increasingly awkward as Arthur continued to eat. He had many questions for Alfred, but chose not to voice them.
After another few silent minutes, Alfred couldn't take it anymore, "Tell me."
Looking at up him in confusion, Arthur cocked his head cutely to the side, "Excuse me?"
Alfred willed himself to look away from Arthur, "Tell me," He said again, "I'm supposed to listen, right?"
"Well yes... But what am I supposed to tell you?"
Alfred dug through his mind as he tried to get Arthur to talk, "About your feelings I think."
"I have nothing to say..." Arthur said, staring at his food intently. He knew Alfred didn't care what he had to say, so why waste his breath?
"Come on and tell me. I want to know," Alfred wasn't lying. He genuinely wanted to know what made Arthur seem so empty.
Arthur looked up at Alfred with a raised brow, "Why?"
"I want you to feel better," Alfred answered a little too quickly.
Arthur sighed, "Well, I tried to use a spell to go home from boarding school, but I ended up here instead. I miss my home, my life," Looking off in the distance Arthur continued despite the tears in his voice, "Then when I ended up here, I didn't know what to expect. I just thought you were a normal person, like me. I knew you were wealthy from your clothing, but I never expected you to be royalty. Then when I realized you were the King, it hurt that you lied, but I would have gotten over that. When you mentioned marrying for love, I thought the King, you were different. I just never expected you to betroth yourself to me as an easy out. I'm certainly not Queen material... I was angry that I lost everything..."
For a short time Alfred didn't dare say a word, "I'm sorry," He whispered.
Arthur stayed silent after the long speech he just gave, returning his gaze to the unfinished food in front of him.
Alfred hesitantly spoke again, "... Arthur, I'm sorry."
Hearing Alfred apologizing so gently after everything was too much for Arthur to bear. He finally broke down into tears despite himself.
Alfred's eyes widened. Quickly, he got up and kneeled at Arthur's side. "Arthur, I didn't mean to make you cry - I-I'm sorry for being a jerk and - Don't cry, it's okay," Alfred spoke frantically and wrapped an arm around Arthur.
Sniffling, Arthur frantically tried to wipe his eyes, "I'm fine."
Alfred stood up and hugged Arthur close, not really knowing what he could say. Nothing would ever be the same for Arthur anymore and to add to the new life, Alfred had been an insensitive jerk.
Feeling Alfred's arms around him made him meet Alfred's eyes shyly with his own tear stained ones, "You don't have to..."
"I want to," Alfred's voice was firm but comforting.
Arthur felt oddly hollow and exposed, even with those strong warm arms around him. He'd never told anyone so much, or anything really. He'd never been held like this either.
Alfred continued to hold Arthur, "... I want to help you get home, if there's a way."
"What about Spades?" Arthur asked, confused to Alfred's change in behavior.
"I love Spades," He spoke honestly, "and I know that no matter what happens, I will be here to protect it for as long as I live. I don't expect you to feel anything for my kingdom. Spades isn't your home and that's okay." Alfred was trying to be as understanding as possible, "I'll find someone to be my Queen." Just thinking about looking for someone else to be the Queen of Spades made Alfred's heart clench.
Arthur hugged Alfred back tightly, tears welling up again, "Thank you."
Alfred's heart sank, but he kept hugging Arthur. "You're welcome," He absent mindedly began rubbing Arthur's back to help calm him down. Alfred would be busy trying to find a suitable Queen before the wedding, but it was worth it to make Arthur happy.
"Alfred, if I can't go home... I'll be your Queen," Arthur said softly, leaning into Alfred's touch.
Alfred's eyes widened in shock, "You will?"
Pulling away to look at Alfred, Arthur nodded, "Yes, there is no guarantee that I will ever go home after all."
Alfred smiled and his expression relaxed, "Thank you."
"You're welcome. I am curious though, what did I say to King Francis earlier?"
"Oh...," Alfred glanced away and answered quickly, "You said... 'I am King Alfred's choice for Queen. We are very much in love.'"
Heat rose to Arthur's face upon hearing what he had said, "Oh bloody hell! You can't be serious!"
Alfred winced and nodded, "I had to come up with something convincing."
Arthur put his head in his hands with a moan. This couldn't be happening, "Do we have to act like a couple while he's here?"
"I don't think we have to kiss or anything like that. Just being around each other should be good enough," Alfred reassured him.
"I can do that."
"It shouldn't be too hard to convince him," Alfred shrugged.
"That's good…" Arthur replied. The last thing he wanted was for Francis to become suspicious, but he still wasn't comfortable with the idea of kissing Alfred.
"Yeah," Alfred nodded and looked to the tray of food, "If you're done, I'll take your dishes."
"Are you sure? You really don't have to..."
"I'll be leaving the room anyway," He reasoned and then smiled, "Just because I'm a King doesn't mean I'm above everyone," Maybe a bit of Arthur rubbed off on him.
Smiling, Arthur leaned up and kissed Alfred's cheek, "Thank you... For everything..."
Color dusted Alfred's cheeks and he cleared his throat, "You're welcome. It's nothing, really."
Arthur smiled again briefly, "Goodnight, Alfred."
"Goodnight as well," Alfred said, smiling before leaving the room.
After all the emotional strain of the day, Arthur fell into a dreamless sleep shortly after Alfred left the room. It had indeed been a long day.
Another chapter done! Sorry it took so long. I really hated the way this chapter originally went so AuthoressSama and I totally rewrote this chapter and I fianally edited it today. Thank you for all the support so far! It means the world to us! Please review and we'll get the next chapter out asap! Obviously I own nothing! Lots of Love!
P.S. I was Yao as well as Arthur this chapter. I'm sorry if my Yao was seriously OOC. I love him, I really do, but I rarely write his character so it's not as easy for me. If you're wondering about the relationship between Alfred and Yao, Yao is merely being polite, he doesn't have to call him "Your majesty" I always feel they have a deep respect for each other in the cardverse. Yao is always very wise and advises Alfred in many things. He plans all the important events, manages money, teaches him, and they are quite close. Alfred respects his opinion, but also they aren't afraid to disagree. I don't know. Their relationship isn't explored so much in the cardverse because all the fangirls including me love USUK so much, but I think the relationship with Yao, their Jack is also such an important one, and that relationship shouldn't be overlooked. Phew sorry... I got carried away in my rant... I'll stop now. Byes!