A.N. This is frightfully short, but there are a few things that happen/come up/are mentioned that are crucial later on. I'll let you figure out what those things are. School starts up tomorrow and I'm a nervous wreck, so I just wrote this quickly to ease some of my nerves. In the future, I plan to update on a weekly basis. Hopefully.

Sir Arthur of Twos was a difficult person to figure out. Despite having been Queen for less than a year, Amelia had met many of the nobles in her country over the months, and they'd all been very stoic and quiet, didn't come across as friendly sorts. Her new escort was slightly different.

While as prickly as Yao in any social setting, Arthur was more pleasant when it was just the two of them, and even if there was something to be said for his sharp wit and good humor, Amelia was a bit perturbed that she'd become comfortable with him so quickly. There was absolutely nothing substantial to their acquaintanceship aside from a mutual desire to be polite and good-humored, though despite that, they were very informal with one another.

Growing up, Amelia had preferred the company of her cousin and the other boys in her village, loved nothing better than a good tussle in the mud, and the only woman she had constant contact with had been her mother. She'd been denied companionship for fear of someone discovering her true identity, though Amelia had already been cautioned against telling Arthur anything long before he arrived; not that she would give up her secret for anybody, especially not when so much was at stake.

For all he appeared to be unapproachable when in the presence of others, Arthur was surprisingly talkative once you got him alone, though it took nearly two weeks after their initial meeting before Amelia was able to pry any information about his background out of him.

"I was wondering… how did King Christian come by you when searching for an escort for me?" Amelia inquired, running the tip of one finger over the multitude of hardbacks books as she searched for any title that peaked her interest. Banned from all political matters, Amelia was often left floundering to find ways to occupy her time, and aside from sewing or strolling about the garden, she liked to spend hours in the palace library. Arthur didn't seem to mind much and was always too happy to accompany her, though Amelia wondered if he found her activities to be trite. "Surely the son of a Duke wouldn't need to concern himself with such a task."

"Should I not be interested in the well-being of my country's Queen?" Arthur's voice sounded from the other side of the bookcase. Amelia could hear him sliding a book back into place. "The Dukes of Twos have been within the Kirkland family line for many generations, and since it is the most desirable of the acquirable positions in the Kingdom, the Kirklands are known to be viscous sorts, if only to protect what is ours."

"You do not seem all that nasty. I recall you calling yourself a gentleman on many occasions."

"A gentleman can still protect his own." Arthur chuckled. "While your King immediately sought out my father's assistance, my older brothers were initially considered for the position. However, they are all married with families of their own and had little time to spare. I was the only one available on such short notice, I'm afraid."

Amelia frowned, tugging at the collar of her dress restlessly as she continued to scan the shelves. While Lilli and Elizabeta wore dresses that left little to be desired in the bust area, Amelia was always forced to wear high-collared dresses that concealed her King tattoo effectively. It hadn't bothered her as much in the winter months when she was first crowned Queen, but now that summer was fast approaching in the Kingdom, she found her skin being constantly irritated by the extra material of her clothing.

Truth be told, the best part of the Queen's day was when she could retire to her room, remove all her clothing, and lounge around as free as she'd been the day she was born.

"When Christian mentioned an escort, I suppose I always imagined a big, muscly guy following me around all day."

"So sorry to disappoint." Arthur drawled, and Amelia sucked in a breath, fearing she'd said something to offend, though the books in front of her face disappeared suddenly, revealing a self-satisfied smirk. "Though I assure you. While I may be the youngest of my siblings and the smallest of the boys, I'm every bit as terrifying in a fight as my father. I can do my duty just fine."

Amelia scowled, reaching out to shove a few of the books over, blocking Arthur's view of her. "Honestly, I still don't see why I need a personal guard. I can take care of myself."

"Oh, I don't doubt that. Queen of Spades or not, I certainly wouldn't want to meet you on the battlefield. But may I remind you that attempts have been made on my life since the day I was born. I can practically smell malicious intent. You seem too naive yet."

"You mentioned siblings?" Amelia wasn't particularly in the mood to be teased. She hadn't slept well the previous night, tossing and turning in her bed for whatever reason.

"Three older brothers and one older sister. Scott, Liam, and Owen are in their late twenties and spend their time tying up loose ends within our father's land. My sister Bridget recently married into the Hearts Kingdom and is now their Duchess of Twos."

"Although," Arthur added somewhat smugly, "my sister has sent letters saying that the Twos of Spades are much more powerful than that of Hearts."

Amelia didn't doubt it. Truthfully, she'd always heard stories about the barbaric demeanor of the Twos in their land and had never wanted to be caught on her own out in their territory. But, as King, she had no room to fear or judge any of her citizens. Twos were quick-witted, ambitious, and the strongest of the Numbers in her country if one didn't count the Aces, or Ones as they were sometimes called.

"Do you?"

"Pardon?" Amelia said, distracted, lost in the pages of a book she'd pulled forth while Arthur was talking.

"Do you have any siblings?"

"No, unfortunately, I do not." Amelia sighed, closing the book and tucking it under her arm as she continued to look for more stories to take back to her room with her. Any mother whose firstborn child was a King, Queen, or Jack was not expected to have another child, for giving birth to such a powerful soul was taxing on both the body and spirit. "But my mother's sister had a son a few years before I was born. We all lived together, so he's always been like a brother to me."

Arthur was quiet for a few moments before speaking again. "Did something awful happen for you to speak of your cousin in such a tone?"

Figures. Arthur was far too skilled at his job of sensing moods and reacting to them accordingly. Amelia had been trying to get it under wraps for a long time, the melancholic tone her voice undertook whenever she spoke of her dear cousin. "Matthew fell ill when we were younger, and while he eventually got better, he never completely recovered. The illness reappears during the winter months, but a few years back, it lasted until spring and then summer after that. He took a turn for the worse the month I was inaugurated as Queen. I just fear for him."

Their families hadn't been well off. Amelia remembered walking to the market with her mother, aunt, and Matthew and watching as the two women hocked jewelry and a whole assortment of things just to make ends meet when the crops refused to grow. Amelia had demanded to be taken to the palace when the old Queen died not just to save her country, but her family as well.

When Matthew got sick, they couldn't afford a proper doctor to come and take a look at him and had to settle for local remedies that did nothing but lessen the symptoms somewhat. Amelia had feared he was going to die and had hoped to ease his suffering by revealing her nature as a King to the Council, though she couldn't have been more wrong about that.

"I'm sure he will recover." Amelia turned her head as Arthur appeared from around the side of the bookcase, not a book in his hand or a smile on his face as he watched the young woman carefully. "Illness is common in these times. But with your and King Christian's inauguration, things are bound to look up soon."

Amelia tightened her grip on the one book she'd managed to find and turned away before Arthur could see the unease that was surely painted across her face. Things certainly were not getting better. Arthur's presence alone was proof enough of that. If it weren't for the discord in the land, he wouldn't even be needed. "Indeed. I wish to retire to my room now."

Arthur only nodded. "Of course."