"YAO!" called out Arthur. They had reached the castle but instead of stopping Lumen proceeded to enter and halt by the infirmary. "Yao! You best be ready with that room!" Arthur called out as the doors burst open. He carried Alfred's limp body bridal style. His broken leg was being bound by Arthur's makeshift cast of his coat. There was a particularly nasty scar on his arm caused by rushing through the branches of the trees; the bleeding was being stopped by Arthur's scarf.

"Aiya! Place him on this bed quickly! I have everything prepared, but I need to know how he was injured." Yao said as he began to remove the scarf and coat off Alfred's injuries.

"According to Acacia and Dahlia he was attacked by the Umbra Cor. . ."

"WHAT? They couldn't possibly have escaped the barrier! It's impenetrable! He was hurt by one of them was he?"Yao asked worriedly.

"No, according to the fairies he was injured by falling off a cliff and running through the branches." Arthur replied as he stared at Alfred hoping he would reawaken.

Yao was now truly shocked. Arthur's mother, Queen Elizabeth, had created that barrier. She had even sacrificed herself to protect the kingdom! Unless someone had found a way to summon more of these demons. . .

"Yes, I know. I'll go tell the palace guards to warn the rest of the kingdom. No one is allowed to head outside these palace walls alone." Arthur said as he headed towards the Throne Room. He stopped and looked over at Alfred one last time before he left. Who ever did that to him would pay.

"After we have waited so long for peace, aru. . ." he shook his head, "now is not the time for worrying! I have to help this child!" Yao began to remove the boy's tattered clothing to apply bandages when he noticed something. "Aiya! This . . . this is impossible." Yao was staring at the boy's chest. Right above the boy's heart was a birthmark; in the shape of a spade.

~~~~~~~~~~UKUS~~~~~~~~~

"Call all of the palace guards to the throne room! There is an urgent manner we need to discuss!" Arthur bellowed.

"But sir, The ceremony!" One of the guards inquired.

"The ceremony can wait. Apparently there has been an attack by the Umbra Cor!"

"WHAT? BUT THAT'S IMPOSSIBLE!"

"I thought so too but the Fae saw it. Now hurry!" Arthur ordered his two chamber guards. They hurried away quickly and he commenced his walk to the throne room.

'Why now. Why him?' Arthur thought. 'Was the boy just a random attack? I am going to have to look this up once the meeting is over.' And with that final thought Arthur opened the doors to the throne room.

~~~~~~~~~~UKUS~~~~~~~~~

"Alfred! Alfred F. Jones! Where have you been young man! I have been waiting all day for those berries!" Alfred's mother shouted. Alfred stared wide eyed.

"How did I get here?" He asked.

"What? What do you mean how did you get here? You just got home." Alfred's mother was furious.

"But, but but there was a big black thing and it was chasing me and I FELL! OH MY GOD! I fell down a cliff and then there were fairies and this guy. . !" Alfred was explaining in a very rushed and shocked voice when his mother cut him off.

"Were you daydreaming again? You didn't get a fever did you?" She asked as she placed her hand on his forehead to check his temperature.

"Mom I'm fine! I swear that did happen!" He pleaded.

"But not for long."

"What?" Suddenly everything was dark and bloody. There were screams and blood everywhere. IN the midst of it all was that dark thing.

"You are mine now." It said before it lunged at the terrified Alfred.

"AAAAHHHHHHHHHHH!" Alfred cried in his sleep.

Arthur who was coming back from his meeting sprinted down the hall when he heard Alfred's scream. He ripped the door open to see Yao trying to sedate the kicking and screeching boy.

"Aiya! Wake up! It's all a nightmare!" Yao said to no avail. They boy commenced his struggling.

Arthur approached the boy and pinned his arms. "Alfred, open your eyes!" The boy opened his eyes but they were glazed over. He couldn't see Arthur.

'How should I wake him up!' Arthur thought desperately. A sudden memory appeared.

"If you be my boat, I'll be your sea, a depth of pure blue just to probe curiosity, ebbing and flowing and pushed by a breeze, I live to make you free, I live to make you free. But you can set sail to the west if you want to, and past the horizon till I can't even see you. Far from here where the beaches are wide just leave me your wake to remember you by." That lullaby. His mother had always sung it to him.

Alfred ceased his struggling and stared at the person pinning him. Green. That voice. Was he dead?

Arthur slowly let go of Alfred and noticed that his cheeks were stained with tears. He unconsciously wiped them away. At this Alfred finally came to his senses.

"GET AWAY FROM ME!" He yelled as he pushed Arthur away from him. Bad idea. His arm and leg were still hurt. "AHHHHHH!" He shrieked in pain.

Arthur caught himself gracefully and was about to yell at the boy, "Why you!" then he looked Alfred in the eyes. Alfred was terrified; he was hurt and had no idea where he was.

"Calm down. It's alright. No harm will come to you." Arthur consoled him.

Alfred stayed where he was. He didn't believe him. 'That's just great.' Arthur thought to himself.

"Where *sniff* where am I?" Alfred asked tentatively.

"You are in the infirmary. If you want a more precise location you are in the infirmary of the Castle of Spades." Arthur replied.

Alfred's face went from one of terror to one of shock. "WHAT? HO-HOW IS THAT POSSIBLE?" Alfred tried to stand and ended up hurting himself, again.

"Calm yourself. I'm not entirely sure. My fairies were able to bring you to my stables and from there I brought you here." Then a thought occurred to him, "Where are you from?"

"I'm from Marecia a small village miles from here." Alfred answered.

"That makes no sense." Arthur remarked. Marecia is to the west of the Spades kingdom while the Umbra Cor's barrier was to the east. Why would one of those travel all the way there. Not only that but to keep itself hidden with no attacks. This was leading nowhere.

"What?" Alfred innocently asked.

"It's nothing. Ah, yes I haven't introduced myself to you. My name is Prince Arthur Kirkland." Arthur gave a slight bow as he introduced himself.

If Alfred was shocked before he was blown away by now. "WHAT? P-P-PRINCE! I'M SORRY FOR PUSHING YOU AND MAKING YOU GO THROUGH ALL THIS TROUBLE." Alfred said flustered.

"I did most of the healing." Yao grumbled as he walked in with Alfred's food.

Arthur smiled; he was adorable, "Do not worry yourself. I'm guessing that you are hungry, are you not?" He asked as a loud grumble emitted from Alfred's stomach.

"I will take that as a yes."

Alfred ate his food with good vigor. This food was amazing! It almost gave his mother's cooking a run for its money.

"We'll speak later." Arthur announced and walked out of the room.

"Prince Arthur there's an important matter which we need to discuss." Yao said quietly.

"What is it Yao? Speak up." Arthur asked.

"When I was healing the boy I noticed he had a birthmark."

"Yao many people have birthmarks including me." Arthur laughed lightly at this. 'How in the world was this important?'

"Exactly sire. He has the same birthmark as you in the same location, right above the heart."

Arthur's eyes widened. "But that's not possible. Only royals have those marks!"

"Yes that is what concerns me." Yao responded. "We need to keep a close eye on our new friend. I think the reason the creature came after him was not to kill him."

"I'm heading to the Royal Library." Arthur said quickly. He turned on his heel and walked briskly away.

'It is him! This is who I have been waiting for. But for what? For now I'll just keep the lad safe. Mother where are you when I need you?' He thought to himself.

"Guards make sure no one gets in or out of these doors." Yao ordered the guards.

"Yes sir!" they replied.

Yao walked away to his chamber. He would need to confer with the scrolls.

~~~~~~~~~UKUS~~~~~~~~

Alfred finished eating and then began to think.

'It was him. That guy in his dreams was Arthur, there's no question about it.'

He looked over at his injured arm and leg. He wasn't going anywhere anytime soon.

"Ah man! Mom's going to be worried sick! I gotta tell her where I am!" Alfred moved to quickly and his vision began to swim. "After a nap I'll. . .tell. . .her. . ." And once more Alfred fell asleep.


AHAHAHA! Mysteries! I have a tendency to do that. Maybe I should change the genre to mystery XD There meeting was maybe more or less epic than you probably thought it was going to be. I tried to make it realistic and funny. I wonder who's the bastard who was trying to kidnap poor little Alfie. Only time will tell :O Ah snap if you can guess the real name of Alfred's home town you get a cookie!

Thanks for the reviews Renuki, OMGitsgreen, sweetyamiyugigirl, Mintbunny07, IceQueenMirrorQueen, simply anonymous and l Ashuri l. ;)