Chapter 3:

As the two men finished their meal, the servants lead Alfred and Arthur back to their shared bedroom. Alfred happily got ready for bed, and plopped down on the bed, waiting for Arthur. Arthur, however, was more hesitant in getting ready for bed, especially in front of a stranger.

"Turn around… I don't want you to see me naked…" he muttered quietly, refusing to make eye contact. He began to undress after Alfred had turned away, getting in his night attire as quickly as he could.

After he had gotten dressed, he looked around the room. "Where's the other bed?" he asked, not willing to be in the same bed as someone he had just met that afternoon. Especially if it was another man.

Alfred shrugged. "Couldn't tell ya, dude. Maybe we can just share tonight and figure it out tomorrow morning? I mean this bed is big enough for like four people!"

Alfred wasn't used to having an actual bed, let alone one of this size. He had grown up either sleeping on the ground, an old mattress that his family had rescued from a garbage, or a pile of weeds or hay. Living in a castle was a luxury that Alfred never believed that he would have the opportunity to actually be able to live.

Arthur groaned. "I will absolutely not share a bed with you! I just met you!"

Sighing, Alfred took some of the many pillows of the bed and stacked them down the middle of the bed as a sort of barrier to keep Arthur on his side of the bed and Alfred on his. Seeming to be more willing, Arthur pulled back the covers and crawled into the warm embrace of the blankets. Alfred followed his lead and began to smile all over again at the feeling of warmth and comfort began to fill his body once again for practically the millionth time that day.


As the sunlight began to creep through the fabric of the curtains, someone knocked at Alfred and Arthur's door and came inside.

"Your highnesses, you are to report to the meeting hall in about an hour to meet with the other Royals from Hearts, Diamonds, and Clubs. Will you need a maid to run you a bath?"

Arthur sat up, and yawned, smiling at the servant in the doorway. "Yes please, thank you."

The servant took his leave, and there was loud and obnoxious yawning next to Arthur as Alfred began to sit up as well. "I dun wanna wake up now…" Alfred whined, rubbing his eyes weakly.

"Well too bad. You're King, so you better start acting like it and not some miserable savage."

Alfred looked over at Arthur dumbfounded and hurt. He dropped his hand from his face and looked away in sadness. He got out of bed and headed out of the room to find where they would be bathing. All that Alfred could think about was what Arthur had said to him. It hurt more that it should've. He had been called names all of his life, especially by the people he knew in his village, but he always smiled and brushed it off because he knew it wasn't true. Now, he felt superior and that was a bit scary for him to have to deal with. Alfred felt pain when Arthur scolded him. Sure, he wasn't as good as Arthur, but a savage? He had never been called a savage, and he had never really felt like he acted like one.

Once Alfred had found the bathing room, he opened the door to see two beautiful looking maids. They looked up from where they were running the bath, and smiled brightly at him. Smiling back, Alfred walked over to them. "Good morning, ladies~!" he said sweetly.

"Would you like us to wash your hair, sir?" the brunette one asked.

Looking at her quite startled that these girls wanted to see him without clothes on, Alfred shook his head quickly. "No thank you! I know how to do that myself…" He mumbled, a hint of a blush dusting his cheeks.

Soon after Alfred had stripped his clothes and sunk into the warm, bubbly bath, Arthur walked in. Freaking out and splashing water, Alfred tried to alert Arthur of his presence.

Rolling his eyes, Arthur looked over at Alfred. "Hurry up. I want to take a bath too, you idiot. Stop splashing around and get clean."

Blushing, Alfred quickly did as he was told, and cleared his throat to wordlessly ask Arthur to turn around so he could get to his new royalty attire. "Sorry, Arthur…" He mumbled as he ran out of the room, in embarrassment for having Arthur be so cool with him naked but not being okay with Alfred seeing Arthur naked. Was Arthur hiding something? Was he ashamed of himself? Whatever it was, Alfred was going to get it out of Arthur no matter what it took.