He was not going to let the king touch him so easily. Alfred scooted closer and closer to the edge of the massive bed every time he felt the warmth of the other male's body pressing up against him. His breath smelled repulsive and was hot against his skin, making the tiny hairs on Alfred's neck stand up and then shrivel away. This was the worst night of his life, at least so far. There would be years of marriage ahead of him, and plenty of awkward nights to suffer through.

"..Alfred, love.." slurred Arthur, clumsily crawling towards his new consort, with a goofy, drunken grin plastered on his face. "Come here, let me make love to you.." He then pounced towards Alfred, resulting in them both crashing to the floor below. "..We can do it here, right here."

"Get off of me! Dirty old fool!" His face flushed a deep embarrassing crimson that outshone the precious rubies in the kingdom's treasury, as he pushed the man's drunken weight off of his person. The king and his incessant blundering and perverted musings made him uncomfortable and angry. Alfred wasn't much of a drinker, but he was sure he wouldn't be a fool of a drunk like his royal counterpart. "..I don't want this, at least not while you're stinking and acting like a common whore monger."

"..A common..?" Arthur's speech was only barley understandable, his eyes flickered, and then his body went suddenly limp. His Majesty had passed out on the floor and his new husband was forced to clumsily drag his body back upon the bed. If this was under a different circumstance, Alfred would have laughed, but this was not a laughing matter. Something like this could bring them both great humiliation and mockery, if he let something as embarrassing as passing out on the floor during their wedding night become known. As a royal consort, Alfred had to keep his and the king's reputations intact. He vowed to respect his position, even if it meant lying the next morning about the consummation of their marriage.

Alfred covered the sleeping body next to him, pushing his own pillow farther away. For the night, he was allowed some peace and a little bit of quietness, since the other male seemed to snore every few minutes or so. As handsome as Arthur was, and as powerful, Alfred could not bring himself to feel any sense of love or even lust. The anger, sadness, and feeling of uselessness were the only emotions that were clear to him. Within time, maybe, just maybe he may feel differently. The future seemed so far away. Closing his eyes, Alfred soon drifted away in a deep slumber..

When the sun rose in the morning, Arthur was surprisingly the first one to awaken. His head was pounding from the night before, and nearly everything else was hurting as well. He wiped his brow, mumbling about the bloody pain. For the first five minute or so of sitting upwards in his bed, it was as if Alfred was not present. When he did recognize Alfred's presence, he noticed that the young male was curled up underneath the rich blankets like a small child. How amusing was his little consort.

"Wake up. Come now, Prince Alfred. You must arise," commanded the king softly, nudging the lump under the blankets, laughing as it squirmed from his touch. "Don't you wish to have your first royal breakfast? You may ask for anything."

"..Anything?" Alfred peeked out, quickly pulling himself to an upright position, crossing his arms as if in waiting for his food to walk through the door. "I want some sweets."

"Sweets? Is that all you want, love? Perhaps you care for wine too?" asked Arthur, ringing the bell which then alerted the servants who always faithfully guarded the chamber door. "While we wait, what would you like to do today? Have another ball in our honor? Perhaps meet with our ambassadors and have them shower you with gifts? We could always go rename a town or a village after you or set plans for an entire new cathedral built for especially you."

The young, newly crowned prince exhaled. "I just want food.. I don't want any balls, gifts, or anything like that. I'm not here to be treated like some golden object and worshiped like I'm better than anybody else..after all I was born a nobody. I don't understand how I woke up this morning married to the most powerful man in the country.."

"Fate is a wondrous thing, it is."

Three servants soon ushered inside the room, carrying dishes and glasses of the sweetest wine. They lowered their eyes respectfully, placing the silver trays over the laps of both Alfred and the king. After naming off the elaborate names of what they were served, each servants bowed, telling the tales of great celebrations that still rang out in each province over the royal marriage. Alfred paled when he was told about the many women who had given birth during the night, naming their sons after him. It was as if the were already worshiping him, just like the way they did with Arthur. The idea was deeply sickening for Alfred's empty stomach.

"I have such a disliking for French pastries. My kingdom's sweets are much more delectable. Wouldn't you agree, my dear?" inquired Arthur, in between bites of the food that he supposedly did not care for, even though he was greedily devouring them. "That French ambassador sent a rather large wedding gift, including baskets of his country's best food. Hardly the best."

After finishing breakfast, the two were then dressed and assisted by servants, and the daily kingdom news was briefed to the king, surprisingly nothing out of the ordinary was happening across his lands. Everything was peaceful, even at the usually busy borders where the most trouble was often had. With nothing important to go over, His Majesty was free to spend his time with his new consort. His advisers told him to visit the royal gardens for the day.

The royal gardens were as old as the kingdom itself, if not much more ancient than the first man to walk the grounds of this beautiful kingdom that Arthur's linage had established some four or five hundred years before his birth. This place was the jewel of all the king's possessions. His gardeners were of the finest to ever work with the ground, taking care of each and every inch of the acres of trees, flowers, and even feeding the small creatures that called the gardens home.

"This place..is amazing.." Alfred whispered almost breathlessly, admiring the sculptures that surrounded the ornate and carefully carved fountain. Many of these statues were made in the forms of angels, standing about the size of an average man. Their faces were serene, and the arms each had their own unique pose. One held a small child in her arms, stroking the tiny face so lovingly. Petals floated through the air, being carried and swirled gracefully around the skirts of these beautiful masterpieces. "Who made these?"

"No one is sure who made them. Some say it was the first king's favorite artist, but we cannot prove such. As far as we know, it's just a mystery," Arthur replied, a kind smile forming upon his face. He walked forward, chuckling at the awe in young Alfred's eyes. "It's a pity. Men wish to leave a mark in this world, to leave a name for himself, but everything is eventually forgotten, even his name.. That is why, Alfred, I have done things so wrong in my youth. I thought that the people then and now, and later on would remember me forever for better or for worse."

"A good king is better than a bad king."

"A good king is often forgotten. Only the terrible are remembered."

A/N: Been quite a bit since the last update, so here.