Chapter 4:
The Spade castle seemed desolate, silence clouding over the servants that were forced under new rule as they cleaned up the castle. On their hands and knees they scrubbed the floors of the blood of their own, tears gathering in their eyes as they were forced to mourn the ones they had lost under the watch of their attackers. Without the King and Queen there was no hustle and bustle, no light or smiles, no songs or good passing – just terrorised men and women scuttling about the castle desperate not to see the cause of such devastation.
Down in the dungeons the mood was grim; cells that had remained empty for months now packed with loyal followers and believers to the Spade King and Queen. Yao was one of many, silently sat in the cell waiting for anything to happen. He sat on the old, uncomfortable bed staring at the ground. His thoughts were alight with ideas and hopes – all of which were resting on his fellow royal's shoulders.
With him, Matthew Ace of Spades sat on the floor. He hugged his knees to his chest as his back rested against the cold stone of the dungeon walls. His lavender eyes watched the iron bars that held them prisoner, the small rays of sunlight that managed to filter into the gloomy cells reflecting off the lenses of his glasses. Guards stood beside the doors to their cells, watching over them and making sure that none of them made any threatening moves. Surprisingly, the only one who had made any sort of gesture towards the guards had been Matthew.
Usually quiet and reserved, Matthew had been in their face for most of the night before he'd given up to attempt to get some sleep on the floor. That only proceeded to make him grumpier when he awoke in the morning, now resorting to staring at the bars as if they would melt under his gaze. Yao assumed that being held within the cells he had helped build was not a scenario Matthew had pictured.
The sounds of approaching footsteps caught everyone's attention, eyes turning to see who would greet them on the other side of the bars. Crammed in the cell opposite Matthew and Yao were Arthur's brothers – Alistair, Connor and Dylan. The sound had Dylan, the youngest of the three, halting in his feeble attempts to tend to Alistair's wound with only the fabric of his shirt and the water provided to them that morning.
It was quickly revealed that the owner of the steps was indeed the Queen of Clubs herself, striding down the corridor and coming to a stop outside Matthew and Yao's cell with two guards glued to her side. She gave the man outside their cell a single nod of which he responded by opening up the door. Matthew instantly got to his feet as did Yao, the younger Ace standing several inches taller than the Jack. Both silently questioned what it were the Queen was doing down in the dungeons, her green eyes flickering between the two before finally landing and focusing on Matthew.
"The blond one," She said before turning on her heel and walking swiftly out the dungeons without another word. Yao gave Matthew a startled look as one of the guards entered the cell, gripping Matthew's arm and dragging him out the small space to chain his wrists behind his back before he could even put up a fight. Violet eyes looked back to see the Jack was clearly worried about him, brown eyes wide.
"I'll be fine," He assured Yao and everyone else locked away in the dungeons giving him worried glances. The Ace was quickly shoved out the dungeons before he could say anything else to his companions and was roughly forced up the stairs. "I can walk you know," he muttered yanking his arms free of one of the guards grip and giving him a glare that dared him to grab it again. He left the others behind and appeared at the top of the stairs into the familiarity of the castle walls.
Elizaveta was stood waiting for him, eyes silently looking him over before leading the small group in the direction of the throne room. Matthew could have laughed at his escorts; Ivan really thought he needed 4 armed men and his Queen to lead him to him? Matthew was almost flattered.
He was positioned in the centre, men blocking him from each angle but giving him enough room to walk. He stood slightly taller than the rest, eyes peering around their heads and trying his best to give the servants that they passed a sign that everyone down in the gloomy cells was alright and that there was still hope left residing in their royals. After all, the servants had no idea what had actually happened to Alfred or Arthur.
Heads turned as he passed, regulars of the castle watching in horror as their Ace was lead towards the throne room where Matthew knew Ivan would be lying in wait for him. Elizaveta strode ahead of him with confidence although several times she led them down the wrong corridor, hushing Matthew with narrowed eyes and red ears each time he snickered at her mistakes.
Putting all circumstances aside, Matthew actually rather liked Elizaveta. Alone she was a kind, well-respected woman with a caring personality but her loyalty to her King and their kingdom was to blame for Matthew's current situation. Had Elizaveta stood up to her own King maybe he wouldn't have attacked under such circumstances and would have approached Alfred fairly. Matthew found it cowardly that to gain an advantage Ivan had to sneak around and catch them unaware.
As soon as they arrived at the throne room Elizaveta wasted no time in throwing open the doors and allowing her men to shove Matthew inside. He grunted as he was herded into the centre of the room before violently thrown to his knees, arms remaining chained behind his back and jostling with every movement. An overwhelming sense of sickness washed over Matthew as he looked up to see Ivan sat comfortably in his brother's throne, his green robes stark against the soft blues of the castle and showing he did not belong where he sat.
"How dare you sit where he sat!" Matthew yelled, swallowing a small cry of pain when Elizaveta kicked him hard in the chest.
"You speak to your King with respect!" She hissed, green eyes ablaze as she waved off all the other guards in the room watching Matthew double over and gasp for the air that had knocked out of him. With the clanging of chainmail, the guards filed out the room until only the Club King and Queen plus Matthew were left in the room. He was a little surprised by the Queen's small outburst considering they had once got on rather well but by no means did that mean Matthew was going to sit and swallow someone pretending to be his brother.
"He's not my King."
Ivan rose from the throne immediately and sauntered over to Matthew; Elizaveta silently backing away from the Ace as her King slowly began to circle him. Matthew could honestly say that the dungeons felt warmer than the throne room in that moment. Ivan seemed to carry a cold air with him, the blond supressing a shiver as Ivan's purposely heavy footsteps sounded around him.
"I sit on the throne of Spades and still you refuse to call me your King?"
"You will never be the King of Spades."
"Now, Matthew. I thought we were friends?" Ivan asked childishly, stopping and crouching down in front of Matthew. The Ace held his head high, refusing to flinch even when Ivan's icy fingers gripped his chin tightly and made sure to hold him in position so their eyes wouldn't leave each other's. Matthew glared at him with such vigour and hatred that Ivan seemed genuinely shocked at the frosty reception that he was receiving.
"That was before you tried to kill my brother."
Ivan returned the glare and pushed Matthew's chin to the side, forcing him to look in that direction before he rose back to his feet. He loomed over Matthew as if he were looking down upon a pile of dirt, clasping his hands behind his back and walking back and forth in front of the younger male.
"If you don't want this to end badly then I highly suggest you do everything I ask of you. Tell me where your brother and his husband are and I will let you go without harm. Refuse and every single man, woman and child that hides their location from me will face horrors you can't begin to imagine. Do I make myself clear?" Ivan stopped directly in front of Matthew once more, using the long silver staff that had appeared in his hands with a club symbol on the end to lift Matthew's head so their eyes could meet again.
Matthew shook his head off the staff and held his head of his own accord although it was impossible to remove the worry in his eyes as he thought about his kingdom's villagers. Ivan was willing to hurt innocent bystanders, mere children, in his maniacal quest just to get to Alfred?
"I don't know where he is. No one does. You can hurt me all you like but I don't know where they are. The only person that knows their location is Arthur."
Apparently Ivan didn't accept this as a reasonable answer and the staff that he was holding quickly came down at Matthew's face, hitting him in the jaw with an echoing slap. The Ace bit his lip to hold in a whimper, his cheek stinging from where the sharp edges of the staff had caught at his skin. Ivan's eyes seemed to burn down on him now and Matthew could see that all sense of reasoning had flow directly out the window.
"Keep at this and this is going to be a very long day for you indeed."
"I can only tell you what I know and I don't know where he is. You can torture me, you can beat me down, you can ask every single one of us locked up in that dungeon right now and no one will give you an answer. Not even Yao knows where they went, so really, the only thing you are doing here is wasting time," Matthew explained, trying his best to get his point across.
He was a reasonable man, even with the craziest of people. He tried to see the good in everyone and give them a second chance when they deserved it. Despite Ivan's actions, Matthew would put all his cards on the table just so that the others wouldn't get hurt. Alfred wouldn't want his friends and family getting beaten for him, so if Matthew could prevent it then some of the guilt he knew Alfred could be feeling would lift once he returned. Of course, he knew as the Ace he would get the first beating – he was the King's twin brother after all. Yao would be up next he assumed and, if desperate, then Ivan presumably turn to Arthur's brothers.
"I'll try this again," Ivan sighed heavily. "Where is Alfred?"
"Go to hell!"
SLAP
Matthew groaned as the staff was whacked into his ribs this time, falling forward as he tried to regain the breath knocked out of him again. So being reasonable wasn't going to work. Ivan was clearly past that. Matthew was also past it, he hated Ivan with every fibre of his being. He didn't want to play nice anymore; he just wanted to get this over with. Ivan hadn't brought him here to ask questions. He had brought him here to do what he couldn't do the night before.
"Leave us," Ivan's voice spoke out to Elizaveta whom Matthew heard leave the room immediately, leaving him alone with the Club King. Some support she was. Matthew's stomach dropped but he knew he could take it. He would do anything to save his brother's life, and if this would give him more time then he would endure any suffering that Ivan planned for him. Alfred would do the same and he trusted that Arthur knew what he was doing. He just hoped beyond hope that Alfred hadn't turned completely against Arthur for his actions.
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Arthur had hoped that a good sleep would have cooled off Alfred's temper a little but it seemed he'd put a little too much hope into that idea. Instead, the King was stewing over his anger, walking in silence with his head held down in thought. He refused to speak to Arthur nor would he look at him but Arthur supposed it could be a good thing. If neither of them were talking then at least their voices wouldn't be recognised once they entered town.
The only conversation the two had shared since leaving the house on the hill was that of Arthur's plan and that had been purely one sided. He had explained to Alfred that they were only heading into the small town for a short moment and then they would retreat to the forests and go around the outskirts of Spades where they were least likely to be detected. A long, tedious journey but the safest one they had.
Walking straight into town was dangerous and risky, but it was riskier to have their royal attire on their person – if they were found with the King and Queen's bloodied clothing they would be arrested immediately without any guards needed to even see their faces and would be handed straight into Ivan's hands. Luckily, Arthur knew just the people who would rid them of such clothing without speaking of their identity or royal blood to a soul – the Queen trusted them and was heavily reliant upon their agreement.
With the hoods of their cloaks covering their heads, Arthur led them down into the small village just a short walk from the house they had spent the night in.
Not many people lived in the small area and those that did were always friendly and walked the streets with a smile. They were going about their morning duties as Arthur and Alfred entered, the Queen leading his King down the back alleys and behind the houses so they were less likely to be noticed. As with any small village of few people, strangers were almost instantly picked up upon. Everyone knew each other and newcomers were easy to pick out amongst those you saw every day. Alfred followed without words; head remaining low and his eyes following the floor and Arthur's feet.
Occasionally he would look around and take in the sights of such a village that he hardly had the opportunity to see. He had been harboured within the castle since the moment of his birth, travelling this far out of the kingdom was something he'd rarely ever done. The most time he'd spent in such barren villages was when he was travelling through them to get to other kingdoms for important meetings with his fellow King's. Arthur thought that had the circumstance been different Alfred might have been interested in what his people lived like this far away from the high life of the castle.
As they were walking between two small houses, Arthur stopped and almost had Alfred run straight into the back of him. The Queen sighed and turned to Alfred, his throat dry as he tried to swallow back the hurt he felt seeing Alfred refuse to lift his head.
"Al…"
"What?"
"I know you don't even want to look at me right now and I understand that you probably hate me too but I need you to listen. Can you do that?" Arthur asked, eyes lighting up a little when Alfred's head lifted and his blue eyes met with green. He couldn't believe he was having to talk to his own husband as if he were a small child and Alfred didn't seem to appreciate it either but it got his attention. He could see the King was struggling with his emotions and he could practically feel the hostility radiating from him, but Arthur had a job to do and if was going to be the only one thinking straight then so be it.
"I don't hate you…" Alfred mumbled, readjusting his hood on his head and dropping his gaze. Arthur's lips curled into the smallest of smiles at such simple words that meat so much to him after the previous night.
"That's a relief," He chuckled, trying to make light of the situation but failing and only proceeding to make things awkward. He cursed himself for his lack of people skills and wished that he could make Alfred himself again; use magic or something to turn him into the man he was before Ivan ever became a problem. He was the one who made light of any situation, he made people smile with hardly any effort and people adored him.
Arthur felt wrong trying to take his place.
To shift the awkwardness Arthur shook his head and returned to the topic at hand.
"Around this corner is a house that we are going to approach. I know this is very selfish of me to even ask but I need you to trust me. Just let me do the talking and once we are inside I will explain everything, alright?" Alfred nodded silently and Arthur clenched his jaw to get rid of the feeling of the desperate need to hug his husband. Now more than ever he wanted to hold Alfred – he missed his touch and the way they fit together snuggly in every embrace.
Instead Arthur turned on his heel and strode out onto the street. His cape fluttered out behind him with his steps and he could hear Alfred close behind him as they turned and approached a small house. The King stood behind his Queen as Arthur knocked on the door, the two waiting a short moment before the door opened and an elderly lady greeted them with a questioning glance.
"Excuse me ma'am," said Arthur quietly so his voice wouldn't be heard by others passing on the street behind him. "I was wondering if you could help my friend and I?"
For a small second all the woman did was stare at Arthur with deep brown eyes as if trying to figure him out and Alfred was certain that she was going to shut the door on them. However, Arthur was determined not to let his plan fail like this, discreetly lifting his hood just enough so that the woman could see his face. If Arthur knew anything about his own face it was that his eyes and his eyebrows were very recognisable. Immediately her face lit up with a bright smile and her mouth open wide to say something but Arthur pressed a skinny finger to his lips. She followed the silent instruction and instead went back to frowning as if Alfred and Arthur were simply strangers on her doorstep; which, in some sense, they were.
"Of course, come on in." She held the door open and allowed the pair to enter her home; Alfred cautiously following Arthur's lead into the house where they were instantly in the kitchen area. The house was small and the kitchen was basic, a small wooden table in the centre of the room and old cooking necessities – it didn't even compare to the luxury Alfred knew the castle kitchen's had.
As soon as the front door was shut and they were closed off to the outside world, the elderly woman beamed a bright warm smile from ear to ear and opened her arms towards Arthur.
"Arthur, my darling! I can't believe it's really you!" She grinned, Arthur crouching down into her arms so she could hug him and hugging her back without much hesitation, his hood falling from his head and revealing the spiky blond strands underneath.
"I'm so sorry from dropping in during such desperate times but I need a favour. You're the only one I trust to help us."
The woman let go of Arthur, her hands patting his shoulders as she looked him over, eyeing his less than formal clothing, before her eyes flickered over to Alfred who was still stood hesitantly beside the door hiding his face under his hood. Arthur noticed he was even looking down at the ground so that the fabric hung loose around his face. Arthur couldn't help but roll his eyes, explaining that the hood was unnecessary; they were safe whilst in the walls of this house. The King's blue eyes gave him a wary look but eventually headed his advice and allowed the hood to fall behind him. Arthur's elderly friend gasped and tapped Arthur on the arm excitedly as if Arthur had never seen Alfred up close before either, her brown eyes wide and star-struck as they took in the picture of Alfred in front of her.
"My Goodness… The King of Spades is in my house! John, Get in here!" She called out into the small house and Arthur was thankful that the houses in the villages were not attached to each other. If someone heard them now, his plan would be ruined and they'd be right back where they started before they'd even began. Heavy footsteps sounded not too far away and approached the kitchen until an elderly man entered from the living area and froze instantly upon seeing Arthur and Alfred stood tall in his kitchen, his wife merrily looking between them with a dazed - but happy - look on her face.
His faded blue eyes looked shocked and startled, focused entirely upon Alfred for a moment before he registered that Arthur was in the same room stood just beside his wife. His eyes lit up with newfound life almost immediately and his lips cracked into a genuine smile that perhaps hadn't been present on his face in a while. He seemed to stare at the Queen as if not believing he were real before shuffling across the kitchen as fast as his old legs could carry him to Arthur where he practically dragged him into a hug. Arthur bent down to his height with a small laugh to cover how startled he was by the sudden contact, patting the old man's back as he returned the hug.
The moment almost reminded Alfred of parents seeing their child again after years of being apart – a reunion that had clearly been long overdue. The elderly couple were obviously very fond of Arthur and clearly he thought dear of them too yet Alfred couldn't recall the Queen ever mentioning them before. They looked at Arthur as if he was their son but Alfred knew that that were impossible - Arthur's parents were as dead as his own.
Each time their eyes turned to him they were wide and Alfred could assume that the pair never imagined that both King and Queen would come knocking on their door and stand in their kitchen. Of course it was intimidating, they were powerful rulers and not only that but both he and Arthur stood at least a head taller than the couple as they got lost in their own thoughts and trivial conversation, observing and picking at Arthur and his clothing.
Arthur only remained still and let them do as they pleased, smiling happily and Alfred felt a slight tingle of jealousy stab at his chest, almost painfully so. He hadn't seen that loving smile in weeks and now a pair of strangers, that Alfred didn't know the identity of or relation to Arthur, were causing that breath-taking smile to appear without any effort at all? Alfred couldn't help but be jealous. He was confused too. Arthur was looking at them as if they were long lost family members.
As if sensing his sudden change of mood, Arthur's eyes glanced over in his direction and noticed the way his eyes were darting between the three, trying to put some sense into what was happening. Arthur cleared his throat and stood straight, brushing down his clothing and in turn stopping any approaching hands that were previously picking at his cloak or tunic.
"Alfred. This is Mary and John. They're old friends of my family-"
"Like the son we never had this one," John grinned as he elbowed Arthur in the ribs, cutting him off and forcing the Queen to put on a smile as he rubbed the offended area. Alfred instantly recognised the signs of not-so-well-hidden pain on his husband's face and realised that John had just jabbed Arthur not so far from his recent wound. "You're a lucky man Your Majesty."
Alfred's blue eyes widened ever so slightly at the forward comment, looking at the old man before his eyes slowly wondered over at Arthur. The Queen looked around ready for the ground to swallow him hollow; the tips of his ears were turning pink and he refused to look Alfred directly in the eye – only giving him a fleeting apologetic glance before his eyes dropped to the ground as if begging it one last time to open and let him fall away from the situation presented to him.
"I am indeed."
At his response Arthur's head snapped up so fast Alfred was worried he was going to hurt his neck, the Queen clearly not expecting such a simple and kind answer if there was to be an answer at all. His green eyes were shocked and Alfred couldn't help but look at him softly.
In that one moment, everything felt normal.
John had spoken sense – Alfred was incredibly lucky to have a man such as Arthur as his Queen never mind as his husband. Not only was he a King with all the highlights and lowlights that came with such duties, he had found the love of his life along the way and despite all currents events he still loved Arthur with every fibre of his being. He was just holding a heavy grudge.
"So," Mary spoke out, seeming to sense that there was unknown tension between the two royals. "What can we help you with dear?"
"Ah, yes!" Arthur hurriedly pulled the satchel from his shoulder and walked to the table, placing it down and pulling out the clothing. Mary gasped in horror once it was handed to her and she saw the blood stains, opening her mouth to speak her concerns but Arthur cut her off before she could even start. "We're fine; Ivan's blades cause wounds that I cannot heal with my own magic that's all. I need you to get rid of these as best you can. Sell the material, burn it, use it somehow; I don't care. Just destroy it so it can no longer be recognised as clothing from the castle."
Mary's fingers felt at the fabric of his coat carefully and Arthur stood still with bated breath as he waited for her response. He was relying solely on these two people to help destroy evidence that they had been in this area of the kingdom. If Ivan knew the location they had apparated to then it wouldn't take him too long to scour the surrounding lands and figure out their intended course back around to the castle.
When Mary nodded her head slowly Arthur felt as if a tonne of bricks had been removed from his shoulders. She looked from the fabric to his face, placing it down on the table so that she could take his hand into her own. Her eyes silently looked over his pale fingers for a moment before they lifted and met with his questioning gaze. She appeared happy and sad all at the same time.
"Promise me that you're alright."
"Mary, I promise you. My wounds are healing as we speak," He reassured her softly as he patted her hand with his other. He couldn't let on that they were not healing as well or as fast as he would have liked them to but they were on their way, like any other cut or graze. Going from healing wounds to not just took some getting used to that was all.
Somewhat comforted by his words she released his hand and turned back to the satchel, pulling out the remaining clothing and holding up Alfred's coat. She observed the blood stains in a similar fashion, pinpointing where they were on the coat and where most of the blood had gathered before her eyes turned to Alfred and located the same area on his body. He smiled under her concerned gaze and rubbed his arm gently.
"I'm healing too."
"Your Majesty, if you're hurting we can-" John tried to offer up more help but Alfred held up his hand to stop him mid-sentence. He sent grateful looks to both Mary and John before his eyes finally stayed on John.
"What you are doing for us is more than enough. Arthur and I will be forever thankful for such assistance. King Ivan can be cruel and unforgiving. I will not let him take this kingdom from us and lead such caring people like you into misery."
Arthur agreed wholeheartedly that they could not accept any more help from his friends; it would be asking them for too much and would get them into too much trouble in a fight that was not theirs. It was nice to know that despite everything at least he and Alfred agreed on something. John nodded at Alfred's words and held out his hand, Alfred taking and the pair shaking in a firm handshake.
"As long as we have rulers like you Spades will thrive. I have lived here many years and seen many rulers. Although the youngest I have complete faith in you. Don't let a bully such as the club scum tear you apart." John gave Alfred another nod of his head as he released his hand and wondered to the table to observe the clothing his wife was spreading out across the small table, leaving the King stunned by his words.
His pale blue eyes noted the blood, the fabric and shared in small conversation with his wife about what exactly they would do with all this expensive fabric even if it was stained. Eventually he mentioned to Arthur that there was a small market on the Heart border that would buy such material without question on where they obtained it – obviously if they cut out the bloodied areas and burnt them first.
Arthur agreed that it was a reasonable plan and would get the job done. He told both Mary and John that whatever money the materials sold for was all theirs to keep and it would be well deserved. After all, they were hard working people who acted like his parents when he had none. Two brilliant, kind people who had no reason to take in four orphaned boys deserved more than what they were living by currently. If anything, Arthur wished that his position as Queen could allow him to give them more than the shoddy house they lived in.
"I do hate to appear after so long and then leave just as quickly. Believe me when I say I would much rather stay and catch up but I have a kingdom to reclaim. I need to get a King back on his throne," Arthur grinned over at Alfred who, although was trying his best not to, cracked a smile and rolled his eyes. Arthur felt perhaps they were on the road to recovery but as quickly as it was there it was gone, Alfred's eyes dropping to the ground at his feet once more.
Arthur stared at him a while longer, only jolted from his thoughts when Mary's hand landed gently on his forearm. Instantly he looked down to her, brown eyes already waiting for his with a solemn expression on her face. Out the corner of his eye, Arthur noticed John divulge in parting conversation with Alfred – his mind instantly curious as to just what was being said. John had never really had the greatest filter, even when it came to important people such as royalty.
"You look at him as if you miss him?" Mary's voice was soft and quiet, her hands subconsciously rubbing Arthur's arm. He sighed and hung his head, perplexed as to how she had figured him out but choosing better than to lie straight to her face. He thought he had been rather sneaky and impartial with his feelings but apparently that wasn't true. Arthur should have known really; Mary had always had a keen eye for one's true emotions.
"He is mad, I can understand that. I made a choice and only I can live with those consequences."
"I can't imagine what you have been though these last few hours although your clothing does give me some insight. Don't think I failed to notice the way your clothes were more torn than his." Arthur almost rolled his eyes as Mary's hand moved to take his once more, turning him so that he was facing her. "You're strong Arthur, more so than you think. I'm sure whatever the King holds against you will not last forever. He loves you. I can see straight through him."
At that precise moment Alfred chose to look their way, listening to John as he continued to ramble away but blue eyes staring at over at Arthur. The Queen took in a deep breath as he returned the look, turning back to Mary and patting her hand that was clasped in his.
"I hope you're right. It will be a very long trip otherwise." Mary chuckled and gave Arthur a final hug, pulling him close and holding him in a tight, warm embrace.
"Your parents would be so proud of you Arthur. They'd be so proud of the man you have become, just as we are." Her words were feather light against his ear and meant only for him to hear in the small kitchen as he hugged her back, his hold tightening upon hearing such meaningful words. He felt tears threaten behind his eyes instantly, swallowing thickly to hold them back as she grasped at the cloak on his back as if wishing she could hold him forever. The hug was shorter than he wanted and clearly not long enough for Mary either as she fondled with the front of his cloak, not wanting to let go, but Arthur was very aware of Alfred's nervous and uncomfortable movements as he edged closer and closer towards the door. A silent and but clear indication they were wasting time that they didn't have.
He spared just enough time to give John another hug, the old man patting Arthur on the back and barely missing the wound on his shoulder. Arthur would have laughed at John's accuracy had it not caused him pain. He also mentioned Arthur's parents and how proud he was of Arthur, giving him a stern but loving look as they parted as if to prove his point to make Arthur believe it. He could only nod and bid them farewell as the couple showed them out.
Alfred left first, his hood up and over his head as he ducked out the door and onto the small pathway that led back out onto the street. He glanced around the streets, weary of the passer-by's even if they weren't paying all that much attention. Arthur understood – they had to make sure that Ivan's patrols hadn't reached this far out into the kingdom yet. He was sure patrols would be coming sooner or later. They couldn't stick around to find out.
Arthur was much more hesitant to leave. When creating his plan he hadn't factored in how much emotion seeing his former guardians would stir up or just how long they would spend with them. The sun was well in the sky by now and Arthur could only assume that it was afternoon already. As parting gifts, Mary and John handed Alfred and Arthur each one small bread roll and although it wasn't much Arthur was grateful. He didn't realise just how hungry he was until he smelt something as wonderful as freshly made bread. With a sad smile he bid them both farewells as he too followed in Alfred's footsteps out the door with his hood drawn over his head.
Alfred stood at the end of small path to the house and waited, watching as Arthur briskly walked past without another a word or look back. He motioned for Alfred to follow and the King did exactly as he was told, Arthur hearing his footsteps behind him exactly as it had been before they had entered the house.
And as if nothing in the house had happened at all, the two royals went back to walking in silence until they had left the village far behind.
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A/N: Yay for a super long chapter! This has a boat load of small hints to Arthur's past in it but all will be revealed next chapter.
Anyway, I hope you enjoyed reading! Leave a review if you did!