Declaimer: I don't owe Hetalia, it belongs to Himaruya Hidekazu.
Chapter 4: The Spring Festival
The palace was decorated with flowers and festive decorations. Many people were walking around the grounds, enjoying the beautiful scenery and the entertainments provided for them, such as plays, picnic in the beautifully arranged gardens with the view of many different flowers blooming, and food stands, games, and performances by the guards, knights and palace servants to keep them all happy.
Matthew was dragging the unwilling Alfred around the palace, determined to find the Queen.
"Mattie, I'm tired," Alfred whined. "Can't I go play? Please? We've been doing this all day man, it sucks!" And indeed they have been searching all throughout the morning without rest, and yet, the silver pocket watch, that Alfred was given when the card of the King of Spadeslanded on him, in Alfred's coat pocket had not move at all since Michelle stopped its time so that Alfred could find the Queen.
"No Alfred," said Matthew. "We must find the Queen."
"Why can't we leave it to Yao and the others? They have that mirror Michelle gave them, they can find the Queen using it."
Michelle had even Yao, Matthew and the Four Dukes one of her special mirrors to allow them to detect real markings of the Queen on each of the citizens' body. But so far, nothing has turned up yet.
"You're not going to slack off while the others have to work hard for you, Alfred," said Matthew. "If you don't want to find the Queen, then you can go back and finish those paperwork."
Alfred pouted. "You're so mean. Just one game? Please?" He gave Matthew the cute puppy-dog face.
Matthew stared at his unreasonable brother for a moment before finally sighing and giving in.
"Fine," he said. "30 minute break."
"YEAH!" Alfred cheered and ran off.
"Wait! AL!" Matthew called after him, but soon lost him in the crowd.
Alfred laughed as he noticed that he'd lost Matthew. He had intended for that to happen, as he had wanted more time to play around then just mere 30 minutes. That wasn't enough to do anything.
Alfred had not gotten much time to himself until the guards were ordered to come after him and he had to run from them. He ended up turning a corner and entered a huge double door to hide from the Yao and the guards after him.
Closing the door, he pressed his ears to it to listened.
"Damn it, where did he go aru?" he heard Yao's voice.
"Maybe he's in that room over there, my lord?" suggested one of the guards, pointing toward the double doors Alfred had disappeared in to.
Alfred tensed him and chanted under his breath for them to go away and not find him.
Yao looked over to the room the new guard had pointed no.
"No," he said. "He couldn't have gone in there. That place is locked aru."
And he turned away, leaving with the guards to go and find Alfred somewhere else.
Alfred breathed out a sigh of relieve and slid down to the door. Suddenly, his eyes widen as he thought of something. "Wait," he said. "What does he mean it's locked?"
"He means exactly just that," came a voice from behind him and Alfred finally turned around and finally took notice of the room he'd entered.
It was a dimly lit room filled with blue roses blooming everywhere. It may have just been the light, but Alfred noticed that the leaves of the roses were black instead of green. Around the walls were blue lamps providing lights for the room and in the middle was a white fountain.
Alfred's eyes scanned the place until he came across the only other person in the room. It was a man dressed in blue, and he was standing amidst the blue roses in the garden, one rose in his hand.
"Who are you?" he asked.
The blond haired man merely smirked and looked at the single rose in his hand, spinning it about gently.
"Who I am is of no importance," said the man. "After all, I am merely a by passer." He walked over to Alfred. "But you on the other hand…" He looked down at the pocket that held Alfred's watch and he smirked. He looked back up at Alfred and the young King noted he had forest green eyes. "Shouldn't be running from your own guards, your majesty." And he walked passed Alfred.
Alfred, wide eyed, turned after him, shocked. "How did you-" But the man was already out the door and it shut behind him.
Alfred debated on weather he should follow or not, but really didn't want to get caught. And for some reason, being in this dimly lit garden alone seemed to calm him instead of frighten him like it usually wound.
Alfred walked up to one to the rose bushes and puck a rose from it. He had never seen a blue rose before, didn't even know they exited. Smiling, he decided to pick some and give them to Michelle, wanting to visit her later and tell her how he's day's been over lunch.
The man hide behind a wall and snuck a peak back at the doors he'd just excited from, his face paled.
"Oh, whatever," he said, turning away. "That girl probably has the key anyways. Now, to get out of here without being noticed... Bloody hell that power of hers has improved over the years I've not been here." Readjusting his top hat and hiding the single rose in his coat, the man made his way out, cautious of others he may run into, but appearing indifferent on the outside.
Alfred walked around the garden and picked up the different shades of blue roses along the way. He now had a banquet of three different shades of blue flowers in his grip and he had arranged it with having the royal blue color in the middle, having the smallest number, followed by a slightly lighter shade of blue surrounding it and finishing up with a light blue surrounding the outside. Once satisfied with his work, Alfred left the room, cautious still of running into the guards, and may his way to the Cathedral, where he knew Michelle would be.
Alfred peeked his head into the room and looked around only to find that there were still people sitting on the floor and that the white curtains had been placed in front of the pool. Victor was standing off to one side of the curtain and noticed Alfred slipping in.
Hiding the bouquet behind his back, Alfred stepped into the room and stood off to the side, watching as Michelle answered the questions of the people had for her and how exited they were to just see and hear her talk to them. Even if it was behind a curtain and they couldn't see her face very well.
"Alright everyone," Victor spoke up. "Time's up. The High Priestess must eat now. You can come back later."
The people, though disappointed, understood and began to fan out of the room.
Once everyone left, Alfred walked behind the curtain after Victor.
"Ah! You were right to tell us to prepare two extra sets of plate, my Lady," said Annalise, upon seeing Alfred enter. "Though I only see His Highness… where is Lord Matthew?"
"He'll be here soon, Annalise," Michelle replied just as the door cracked open once more. "See, he's already here."
Alfred stiffened and moved back just as Matthew entered.
"Michelle, have you seen-" Matthew stopped midway upon seeing Alfred. "Alfred!" He ran over and checked Alfred over, worried. "Where have you been? I was so worried! Don't ever do that again! You got the entire palace in an uproar! Moses, I swear Alfred F. Jones!"
"Now, now, Mattie, calm down," said Alfred, trying to calm his raging brother down. "I'm fine."
"Fine?" Matthew shouted, grabbing Alfred's held out hand. "Your hands are bleeding! What have you been doing eh?"
"Um…"
"What are you hiding behind your back, Alfred?" asked Victor, noticing that Alfred had one hand behind his back.
Alfred smiled and walked up to Michelle. He handed her the rose bouquet.
"For your hard work," he said. "Oh, don't worry, I got all the thrones out. Though some of them didn't even have any…"
Michelle's eyes widened upon seeing the roses. Excepting them into her embrace with a fond smile on her face, she said, "So you've found it… that rose garden…" She looked up at him. "But Alfred, how did you get in?"
"How?" Alfred repeated. "Well, it was open, and I was running from the guards, so I went in there to hide."
"So, it was open?" asked Michelle, handing the roses off to Annalise so she could put them in a vase.
"Yeah," Alfred replied, sitting down on the table that priestesses had set up for them before leaving the room at Victor's command.
"Strange," said Michelle, looking down as she pulled out a silver key. "He usually doesn't leave it open."
"Well, it was open," said Alfred. "And he was in there too."
Michelle looked up, shocked and confused. There also seemed to be a lingering look of fear on her face as well, but Alfred ignored it. "Who?" she asked.
"Who?" Alfred repeated. "Well you know… the guy you were talking about? Whatever his name was?"
"Alfred…" Michelle looked serious. "The guy I was referring to was the late King. And he's dead."
Alfred's eyes widen as his face paled over. "No wait." He shocked his head. "That guy didn't look like the late King," he reminded himself, comparing the two together. "Though they both had blond hair, their built was different. The man I met was smaller, and he had green eyes, I think. I couldn't really tell…"
Michelle's eyes widened.
"Where is he now?" Victor asked, seeming quite argent.
"I-I don't know," said Alfred. "He left, and I didn't follow him."
"Damn it," said Victor, getting up and walking over to the curtain. He stopped and turned back. "Why didn't you tell me he was coming back, Michelle?"
"I didn't know," said Michelle, her eyes close. "You know him. You know how strong he is, Dylan. Not even I knew where he's been all this time, despite trying hard to find him. What makes you think I'd know he returned if he didn't want me to know?" She opened her eyes and stared into Victor's desperate green ones with her calm blue.
Victor tsked and turned back around as Michelle went back to eating.
"Alfred," she spoke up. "Would you mind accompany me outside the palace today? I want to go out, and you said you'd take me."
Victor stopped, his eyes wide.
"W-what?" Alfred asked, shocked by the request.
"Would you please allow me to go outside? Unveiled? I want to see the parade this afternoon, but I don't want to go as the High Priestess. I want to go as a normal citizen of Spades." Her eyes saddened over. "It's been a long time… since I've been one…"
"… Okay," Alfred agreed upon seeing her sadness.
Michelle looked up at him with a bright smiled.
"Thank you-" she said.
"Alfred!" Matthew shouted. "You can't! You're supposed to be finding the Queen! And you have to go back and apologize to the others for causing trouble!"
"But Mattie-"
"My Lady," Victor had walked back toward Michelle and now stood to her side. Michelle ignored him and continued to eat. "It is against-"
"Alfred allowed it," she interrupted, looking up at Victor. "And besides, he and Matthew will accompany me. So you don't have to worry. And Matthew," she turned toward the Ace, "not everyone came into the palace today, you know. And outside is a lot bigger than in here. There are more people there to watch the parade, don't you think?"
Matthew's eyes widened at the hidden meaning of her words and he sighed, giving in. "Alright," he said.
"My Lady," Victor spoke up.
"It'll be fine, Dylan," Michelle assured him. "I won't be kidnapped. I promise. The boys will take care of me, right boys?"
"Yeah," said Alfred. "Don't worry. We won't let anything happen to our beloved High Priestess."
Victor sighed. "All right," he gave in, massaging his temples. "You children… just make sure to come back before dinner time."
"Great!" Michelle stood up and dragged Annalise into her private chambers to change.
Victor sighed and turned back toward them. "You two should change to," he said, and snapped his figures, changing the boys' clothings to look more like an ordinary nobles'.
A few moments later, Michelle and Annalise came out, Annalise dressed in Michelle's priestess clothings while Michelle changed into a plane, light blue dress with a bow tied to one side of her lip. The skirt came up to her upper knee and she wore long white socks to cover her skin. Michelle also had on light blue children's high heels with laces along the open curves and a bow stuck to the side. Annalise handed her blue clock while Victor gave their boys theirs and they all put it on.
"So, how are we going to leave without passing the guards?" asked Alfred.
"Leave that to me," said Michelle, stepping up and holding out her hands. She closed her eyes and concentrated as a white framed, body length mirror mesmerized itself in front of her. "Voila, our ticket out of here. So, who wants to go first?"
"Ah, why not? I'll be brave and go first," said Alfred.
"All right then, step right up sir," said Michelle, moving to the side as Alfred came to stand in front of the mirror. "By the way, Alfred."
"Hah?" Alfred turned toward her.
"Do you know what blue roses symbolize?"
Alfred looked confused at Michelle's smile. "No? What do they symbolize?"
Michelle's smile widened as she shook her head and said, "Just walk right through it Alfred. And you'll appear in town."
Alfred, confused, took a deep breath and walked threw.
Michelle turned to Matthew. "Matthew?" Matthew walked up and, taking a big breath of air, walked through it as well. Michelle turned back to Victor. "I'll meet him outside. Tell him not to be late." And she walked through the door.
"Got it," said Victor, turning around and leaving Annalise alone behind the curtain as the people piled into the room.
Alfred appeared in a corner between two buildings and looked around. He really was outside the palace. Matthew stepped out of tin air after him.
"Al?" he looked around for his brother only to find the teen peeking out toward the street. "Al, we still have to wait for Michelle."
"I'm here," said Michelle, appearing after Matthew.
"Hurry up, the parade's coming!" Alfred waved them over.
He took hold of Michelle and Matthew's hands once they caught up with him, and proceeded to brave through the crowd and up to the front to watch the parade.
"Ahh," said Michelle, breathing in the free air of the outside world. "It's been so long since I've been out. Sixteen years almost…"
"Sixteen years?" asked Alfred, shocked. "How old are you?"
Michelle looked pointed at Alfred. "It's rude to ask a woman her age Alfred," she said. "Never ask unless she tells you."
"Meaning," Alfred leaned in to whisper to Matthew while Michelle watched the parade pass by with childish delight in her eyes. "She's older than us. But she sure doesn't act like it."
"At times, yes," Matthew agreed. "But you can't really blame her though…"
"True," Alfred agreed. "Guess she's just like them, then. Cursed." Matthew nodded in agreement.
After the parade finished, Michelle and the boys decided to tour the town a little longer, as they still had seven hours left until they had to get back to the palace in time for dinner.
While lost in the fun of laughter and delight, Michelle stepped back and into someone.
"Oh! I'm sorry-," she looked up and met eyes with the person she ran into. She smiled. "Found you."
"Why do you always have to step on my foot, woman?" asked the man, annoyed.
Michelle smirked as she moved back. "Nice meeting you too," she said.
The man groaned before smirking as he studied her appearance and seemed in thought.
Michelle frowned. "What?" she asked.
The man met eyes with her. "Can't say you've grown since last I saw you," he said smugly.
Michelle became angry by that. "And just whose fault is that, you jerk?" she yelled out, throwing her flower crown at him. It was a good thing that a small crow had blocked her from the boys, who were still having fun with the kids. "I'll give you three seconds to run before I yell. One-"
"Oh, bloody hell-"
"Two-"
"Damn it, woman!" The man held onto his hat and made a run for it.
"Three!" Michelle launched herself after him, clinging onto the man's neck. "Help! Help! Thief!"
The man screamed and ran faster, trying to pray Michelle off of him as Matthew and Alfred finally took notice and ran after them.
"Let her go!" Alfred shouted after them.
"Oh, no duh!" said the man, sarcastically. "Like I so want to take her with me because she won't turn on me later! What does it look like I'm trying do, you bloody git!"
"Michelle!" Matthew yelled out just as Michelle fell to the ground in a heap.
He helped her up just as Alfred shot the man's hat off his head.
"Really! That hat?" the man yelled, pausing.
"You should know it's always the hat," Michelle remarked, brushing herself off.
"Yeah, they make really good targets. If you don't want to kill a person, aim for their hat," Alfred added.
"Damn it," said the man, noticing that he was cornered in and that Alfred still had his gun out and pointed toward him now.
Matthew's eyes widened at the sound he heard coming from Alfred's coat pocket. "Alfred," he said.
"Now then," said Alfred. "Returned what you stole."
"I didn't steal anything!" said the man.
"Liar," said Alfred. "Michelle said you did."
"She's the one who lied! Oh, whatever. Not like anyone ever believed me anyways." The man made a run for the streets, but Alfred's bullet stopped him.
The man glared. "So we're doing this the hard way then," he said, taking out a black cane from under his coat. He ran once more only for Alfred to open fire at him, but the man blocked with his cane.
"Damn it," said Alfred, running after him.
"Are you okay, Michelle?" Matthew asked.
Michelle nodded her head and noticed Matthew's worries. "You're brother is a real idiot sometimes, isn't he?"
Matthew sighed and carried Michelle bridal style. "I'm going to try and catch up to him," he said.
"You needn't worry," said Michelle. "I told you, we'll have our Queen in time for the carnation. Besides, with that person coming, Alfred won't need to do much."
"That person?" Matthew jumped from rooftop to rooftop in search for Alfred.
Michelle smiled. "He should've expected this when he decided to return to Spades. Now that he's back, there's no way he'll be let out again. At least, not without a fight."
Alfred chased the man down the street, switching his gun for a sword instead. "I said stop!" he called after the man.
"Like hell I would!" the man yelled back.
Suddenly, a figure landed in front of the man, and Alfred recognized the red hair of Alistair Kirkland.
Alistair looked up and green eyes met a matching pair.
"Hello Twally," smiled Alistair, getting up with his sword in his hand.
"Oh bloody hell," said the man, backing away only to be blocked by Alfred. He looked for another way out and looked up only to find Matthew standing on one of the rooftop, letting Michelle down. He glared up at her in hatred while she smiled back at him.
"I knew I felt something… How nice of you to finally come back home," Alistair spoke up, gaining the man's attention as he walked closer.
"I only came to pay respects to-" the man never got to finish his sentence as Alistair came at him and the man blocked with his cane, holding his ground. The floor beneath their feet dented at the intense impact.
"Whoa," said Alfred. "He's holding his ground against Alistair."
Matthew and Michelle came down to stand next to him. "Well of course he is," Michelle frowned just as the man pushed Alistair off of him and got up. "It'll take a lot more than that to bring him down to his knees and on the ground now a days. Alfred, take out both your guns."
The two men were now crossing swords, the smaller man trying to escape while Alistair tried to block him and bring him down to submission, all the while smiling evilly and appearing as though he was having fun.
"What?" Alfred seemed shocked.
"It'll be fine," said Michelle, bring out a sky blue bow and arrow out of thin air. "I'll reflect the attacks." Large, round mirrors suddenly surround them and blocked them off from the innocent civilians.
"Damn it, Michelle!" the man yelled out in frustration as he dodged Alfred's bullets. "I only wanted to-"
"I don't care," Alistair interrupted, blocking the bullets with his sword. "You're here now, I'm not letting you go off again, tube."
"Would you top it with the name callings already, you gormless nutter!" He dodged Michelle's arrow. "Bloody hell woman!"
"Like you should be talking!"
The two went at each other again, this time with Matthew joining. But the man was still able to handle both of them, as he held Matthew's Keyblade back with his bare hand.
"Alfred, knock him out!" Michelle ordered.
"What? Oh," Alfred ran in only to be meet with the pissed off little man's foot.
"Care to repeat that, love?" he glared at Michelle.
Michelle groaned and took aim. "You're wide open," she narrowed her yes, "you prat." And she let her arrow fly.
"What did you say?" the man yelled out, pushing both Alistair and Matthew away and grabbed the arrow with his bar hands.
"She said you're an idiot," came a voice from behind him as Alfred knocked the man to the ground and pinned him there, both hands locked behind his back.
"You bloody wanker, get off of me!" the man yelled.
"Not until you returned what you stole."
"Bli- I told you, I didn't steal anything!"
"He really didn't, Alfred," said Matthew.
"Wha-?" Alfred looked up, shocked. "But Michelle-" He pointed.
"I told you, the lass was buffing!"
"What?" Alfred looked to Michelle, who walked over to stand in front of them.
She smiled down at the man, who glared back up at her. "So, how does it feel to be on the ground for once, Mister Kidnapper?" she asked.
"I didn't kidnap you," the man retorted. "You came along willingly!"
"And you're going to come back with us willingly too, won't you?" she smiled at him.
The man face palmed himself. "This is why I'm weary of women," he said. "Learnt my lesson. Learnt my lesson!" He glanced at Alfred. "And would you get off of me? What are you? An Uphill Gardener?"
"What?" Alfred asked as Michelle tried to hide her laughter.
"It's another way of saying homosexual laddie," Alistair answered, coming up behind him.
Alfred's eyes widen and he quickly climbed off the man and sat on the ground. "No," he said. "No, that's Mattie."
"Alfred!" Matthew shouted.
"What?" Alfred turned to him. "It's true."
Matthew blushed. "Still, you didn't have to say it out loud."
"Sorry bro," said Alfred. "I was just in shock."
Alistair had now taken the man off the ground, hands still behind his back. The man glared up at him and Alistair smirked back in return.
"Why do you have to keep doing this to me?" he asked. "Why can't you just leave me alone for once? Isn't what I'm doing now what you've always wanted?"
"It was," Alistair confirmed. "In the beginning. But now… I just want you back home and safe, barra." He hugged the man.
The little man blinked a few times at the affectionate nickname. "Are you trying to kill me, Alistair?" he asked.
Michelle laughed. "You guys really are bad with this kind of thing, aren't you?" she asked.
"Well, can you blame me for being suspicious? He tried to kill me more times then once! What's to say he won't do it again this time around?"
"What?" Alfred got up. "What do you mean he tried to kill you? When?"
The man glared back at them. "It started when I was eleven," he snared out.
"Did you really, Alistair?" Alfred turned to the man, who let go of the boy and the mirrors disappeared to reveal them all back in Michelle's room.
"I canceled it," said Alistair, looking down with a frown on his face.
"You may have, but he didn't."
"Artie!" Victor shouted out in happiness as he ran to hug the man. "I miss you so much."
"Somehow, I kind of find it hard to believe that you lot would miss me. What with how much you bullied me back when we were children."
"That was back then, Artie," said Victor. "We were kids who didn't know any better."
"I still won't forgive you. And I'm still leaving."
"Try it," Michelle spoke up, her blue bow suddenly turning into a gold handled rapier. "You're back in the palace now, you know. All it'll take is for one of us to call the guards or tell the others of who you are, and they'll surely go after you and won't let you go out here that easily, now that you're in."
The man glared at her. "You make it sound as though I have no way of escape," he said. "You seem to forget, love, you are not the only one here who could teleport."
"True…" Michelle's eyes glanced up and her smile widened as her eyes sparkled. "But he can ground you."
The man's eyes widened as he felt the silver chains tightened around him. He turned back to find Yao and the other Dukes standing there, Lukas with his book opened and his hands glowing as he commanded the heavenly chains. The man fell down to his knees when Lukas brought his hands down swiftly. He groaned in pain.
"Don't hurt him too much, Lukas," said Michelle. "We need him for tonight."
"I told you, I'm not staying!" The man yelled back, furious.
"You are staying," Michelle stated blankly, meeting eyes with him.
"What is going on here aru?" asked Yao. "Who is this man? And why is he here aru?"
"And where have you three been?" Lukas narrowed his eyes at Michelle, who hide behind Victor, a wide, guilty smile on her face.
"This is Arthur William Kirkland, our baby brother whose been missing from Spades for years now, and has just returned," Victor introduced.
"You have another brother?" Yao asked, his eyebrow raised. "Named Arthur?"
"Aye," Alistair confirmed.
"How come I've never known of it?"
"Hey, what's that ticking sound?" Jia Long spoke up, suddenly looking to Alfred.
Alfred dunged into his pocket and took out his silver watch. He gulped before opened it, and his eyes widened in shock at what he saw. His watch was moving. Since how long-
"It been moving ever since you ran into him, Alfred," Matthew answered his unasked question. "You were just draft not to have heard it."
"But-" Alfred looked to the man, then back to the watch. "But-"
"This is why I left you in the rose garden alone," said Arthur. "And why I called you a bloody idiot, git. You didn't even notice your own clock was ticking while in my presence."
"So it really was you who opened the door to that rose garden," said Michelle. "I knew it."
"Tsk. I shouldn't have been nice. I should've locked the git in. This always happens to me whenever I'm nice to someone. It always back fires on me."
"You're a guy!" Alfred shouted out finally.
Arthur stared up at him blankly. "No duh Sherlock. What part of me doesn't look like a guy to you hah?"
"But, but-. You're Queen! You're my Queen?"
Arthur stared blankly back at the panicking boy. "Hey," he said. "I haven't agreed to that yet."
"Agreed to it or not, you have the mark on your body," said Lukas. "Thus, you must become our Queen."
Arthur turned toward him, his eyes narrowed he met Lukas's own gaze. "And if I refuse?"
"Then go die, you eyebrow bastard."
Arthur turned toward Michelle, somewhat ticked yet a smile grace his lips at Michelle's irritated frown. "How about I drag you down with me this time love?" he offered.
"You really have no right to refuse, Artie," Victor spoke up, shifting Arthur's attention to him.
"Aye," Alistair agreed. "You escaped the clutches of the last King, but we can't let you go off again this time. You're too important."
Arthur glared at them. "So die now, or die later hah?" he asked.
"Well, either way, death awaits all," Michelle pointed out. "If you really have to die, you might as well die serving your country, right?"
Arthur glared at her and stood up, pulling the chains off of himself, much to the shock of the others down below. He glared at Lukas. "Don't ever do that to me again, Lukas," he said. "I don't like being bound, I hope you remember that, old friend."
"Sorry, Arthur," said Lukas. "Welcome back, by the way."
Arthur took a deep breath. "Guess I have no choice then," he said. "Can't run anymore, now can I? If I return to sea, you'll hunt me down and blow me up with cannons-"
"It was one time, Nyaff," Alistair defended.
"And if I escape off to other lands, you'll hunt me down and risk starting a war, so I might as well stay grounded and save you the trouble of that," Arthur finished.
"So you'll become our Queen?" Michelle asked.
Arthur glared at her. "Do you want me to or not?" he retorted.
Michelle smiled and came out from behind Victor. "Great!" She walked toward Arthur, her dress suddenly changing back to her High Priestess clothings as a card of the Queen of Spades appeared in her hand, floating just above it.
"I don't want to bow down," Arthur stated blankly. "I hate bowing down."
"I know," Michelle said in satisfaction. "But you'll have to bow down to me, and you have to get use to it, because you'll be doing it again at the carnation, so suck it up Eyebrows."
Arthur glared and gritted his teeth as he got down on one knee before her. Michelle smiled in victory.
"Wait!" Alfred spoke up, stopping everyone and causing them to turn his way. "Is this really alright? I mean, he's a guy, for goodness sakes."
"Yes, and?" Michelle questioned.
"You have a problem with me being your Queen, git?" Arthur asked.
"Yeah, I have a problem with it!" said Alfred. "You're a guy!"
"So? I can except it-"
"Yeah. After over sixteen years, you can," Michelle remarked quietly to herself, but Arthur still heard her and glared.
"Alfred," Victor spoke up. "Remember what we told you? You don't have to get married."
"And the position has no affect on gender either aru," Yao put in. "A Queen could be a man, a King could be a woman, gender doesn't matter aru."
"Really?" asked Alfred.
"Yes."
Alfred pouted. "Still though, why can't it be a cute girl?"
"If you want a cute girl, we can just put Artie back in a dress again," said Victor. "He looks really-"
"AHH! Shut up! Not doing it! I'm not doing that again, ever! If you do that to me, I'll kill myself!" Arthur said. "After I murder that bloody Frog and beat the living daylights out of you lot!"
"Hey!" Michelle spoke up.
"There's no need to be embarrassed, numpty," said Alistair. "I put Matthew in a dress and passed him off as a girl for…" He paused to count. "Was it seven years?" Matthew nodded and Alistair turned back toward Arthur. "Seven years."
Arthur got up and blankly walked over to Matthew. He patted the boy on the back in sympathy. "I'm sorry," he said. "I'm so sorry you had to go through that lad." He turned back to his eldest brother. "But I'm still not wearing a dress!"
"Okay, okay," said Michelle. "You don't have to wear a dress. Just except this card already, geeze." She threw the shining card toward Arthur, who caught it with one hand.
Arthur's clothing changed as soon as the blue sparks engulfed him, and a gold pocket watched appeared in his other hand.
The new Queen of Spades has been found.
Please Leave a Review!
Thanks for reading.