Author's note: Hello everyone! This used to be the first chapter haha but anyway, it's about the Kingdom of Spades and we find out how the Kingdom's state has broken Alfred and pushed Arthur to his limits. :)

For old readers, in case you're confused about the change in order, I apologise for the mess-up of chapters! One very helpful reviewer has kindly pointed out the really bad structuring, which I have amended and hopefully it's better now. :) I have changed the order such that the story opens with Lovino first, and then goes around the other Kingdoms so as to give you readers a clearer idea as to how the other Kingdoms are run (haven't touched on the Kingdom of Hearts yet though) and also the backstories of the Royals.

I do not own Hetalia.


"Your Majesty."

"Yes?"

There was a rustling of robes as the King of Spades turned around from the window. Outside, the rain fell in a melancholic melody against the glass and the wind sent the velvet curtains billowing around the tall man, leaving his blond hair in darkness. Yao noticed that the King had yet again forgotten to light up the room and slightly concerned, asked, "Your Majesty, would you like someone to light up the chandelier for you?"

"No." Bold, blue eyes, now shades darker due to the shadows, met Yao's chestnut brown ones.

"It's fine," the King said simply, turning away from his Jack yet again and clutching the curtains gingerly as he gazed outside. Thunder crashed, the lightning lighting up the room momentarily and Yao jumped, but the King did not even flinch.

"Your Majesty," Yao said again. "I… Urm…" He chewed on his lower lip again and shuffled hesitantly, gripping the papers in his hand.

"There's been another case."

Yao watched helplessly as his King's hold on the curtain seemed to tighten, then loosen, before slowly trailing down the smooth fabric and falling to his side limply.

"Yao," the King's voice had fallen to a whisper. "Get the Queen."

Yao opened his mouth to protest, balling his free hand into a fist. It was his responsibility as the Jack to help the King, he had to bring the King back to Earth – back to the Kingdom. The Kingdom needed their King more than anything at that moment. They all needed him. Gathering whatever courage he had, Yao remarked, "Your Majesty, this cannot go on! Your Kingdom needs you-"

"I SAID GET THE QUEEN!" the King yelled, slamming his fist into the wall. The storm bellowed yet again, making the King's glasses flash menacingly. Yao wasted no time in running out of the room.

After his Jack's footsteps faded and all that was left was the symphony of the rain, Alfred finally let out the breath that he had been holding. Luckily, the room was too dark for anyone to see his tears.

Long ago, there were five kingdoms, ruled by five Kings and five Queens. The Kings and Queens were aided by a Jack each, and together they were the main rulers of their respective kingdoms. Each were born with a mark on their bodies, and it was through this mark that they were identified as the next ruler of the Kingdom. Most of them proved themselves as capable leaders, and for centuries, there was little war and harmony existed between five of the kingdoms.

Alfred F. Jones, whom you have already met, was found with a mark in the shape of a spade on his right shoulder and hence has been leading the Kingdom of Spades as King for quite a while. Yao was discovered with his mark on the back of his neck, hence determining him as the next Jack. The current Queen lives by the name of Arthur Kirkland, who found the mark on his back and thus donned the crown. With Alfred's leadership, Arthur's support and Yao's wisdom, the Kingdom of Spades soon rose to great heights, with flourishing agriculture, a booming economy and the people were satisfied. But all doesn't seem to be well, as we return to our Jack of Spades, now running through the castle halls to get the Queen…

Yao found Arthur in his study. After knocking on the door and hearing Arthur say to come in, Yao entered and was immediately hit by a sharp and pungent smell. He was once again reminded of his dilemma as to whether he preferred Alfred or Arthur. The former could be quite temperamental at times, especially due to the rising number of people falling victim to the disease, but he could also be friendly and cheerful. The latter had a mood that could be compared to the colour of the skies that night – grey and overcast – but Yao thought that Arthur was the more sensible out of the two. Alas, he failed to pick yet again, but before he could consider further, Arthur's voice pierced through his thoughts.

"Yes, Yao? I apologise for the smell, I was working on another potion… The previous one didn't quite work out…" Arthur's voice trailed off as he transferred a bright blue liquid into another container carefully. Yao watched, eyes glued to Arthur's hands as he set the container down and peeled off his gloves.

Arthur turned to him, and the burns on his hands made Yao wince. "Your Majesty, let me tend to those," Yao told Arthur, heading over to the cabinet in which he knew Arthur kept his medical supplies.

"Thank you, Yao." Arthur's smile was small and tired, and as Yao returned to his Queen, he noticed the eyebags under Arthur's eyes had become more prominent.

His eyes, like Alfred's, had lost their shine and while they used to sparkle with wit and a dash of arrogance, they were now dull and lifeless. The realization of how much Arthur was doing for the Kingdom leapt out at Yao, and as he took his Queen's hand to clean up the burns, he found that Arthur's wrist had become bonier. "Your Majesty, may I know how the cure is going?" he asked.

Arthur's eyes flashed with something. Disappointment? "I… I can't quite get the spell right," he sighed. "I'm sorry."

"Your Majesty, please do not apologise. You are already doing your best and I know the people will thank you for that. But you do need to get more sleep, you are barely eating enough," Yao advised, bandaging up Arthur's hands.

Arthur seemed like he failed to hear any of Yao's words. "I doubt I will be able to do much about it. Even the Kingdom's best doctors have failed and now even we are failing as rulers," he told Yao dejectedly.

Yao missed how everything used to be. There was a time when he had to endure Arthur's sarcasm and not-so-kind words (though most of them were directed to Alfred and that provided entertainment for him and the other subjects at least), leading to him feeling that there would never be a strong bond between him and the Queen unlike the other Kingdoms. He recalled Arthur would sometimes come down to the kitchen in his free time to see what the cooks were making, and would sheepishly ask them to teach him their latest recipe.

"I would like to try cooking something for everyone," he would say, before coughing into his hand, embarrassed. Of course, the cooks tried, but after everyone in the castle had to swallow down twenty blackened dishes, Alfred had told Arthur quite kindly that cooking was not in his veins. Arthur had hit the laughing King on the shoulder and sulked for an entire day. And then there was the King. The King, whom everyone loved and enjoyed the company of. The King, who would visit his subjects during the day ("Good morning! You guys look great in your uniforms today! Keep up the good work!"), who would not mind getting his robes dirty as he enthusiastically cleaned the stables ("Wow! The horses sure are cute! Why not you let me take care of them for today?"), who would laugh off his wounds after hurting himself accidentally with the gardening shears ("Hey, how do you guys even prune bushes? It seems so tough, I should learn how to do it too! Then I can make a bush in the shape of Artie or something hahaha!"). Every dinner was filled with Alfred's boisterous laughter and Arthur's snarky remarks, often followed by the giggling of the maids who probably secretly loved watching Alfred and Arthur's interactions. Alfred was generous, and specially requested for everyone to eat together at a common time. "Everyone always works so hard! It's only right we all eat at the same time!" he had said, and Arthur had only rolled his eyes and mentioned that the dining room was not big enough, though eventually the knights, maids and advisors all began to have a common dinnertime.

Then the disease stroke. It was only one person, initially. Everyone thought it was merely the common flu, but within days another three people started showing the same symptoms. The flu-like symptoms went away after a week and made way for worse signs. Boils would appear on the skin and noses would bleed non-stop, while the victims slowly started losing their minds. It was something no one had seen before. Within two weeks, patients could completely lose the ability to speak or think clearly, and some would wake up screaming or wailing. As the disease spread, it became clear that an epidemic was on its way.

The doctors were called into the castle and given special orders by the King to start working on a possible cure, but none of them succeeded. Even the other Kingdoms were sending letters over to the Kingdom of Spades, all speaking of the mysterious disease. Only the Kingdom of Aces and the Kingdom of Hearts seemed unaffected so far. More people fell victim to the strange disease, and as the death toll rose, the rulers became more and more desperate. Alfred lost his laughter and Arthur's comebacks faded. Both lost their appetite as they became increasingly caught up with the troubles of the Kingdom. People were knocking on the doors of the castle, and for a period of time the King opened the main hall for the Kingdom's people to speak out their concerns. Most came to him begging for him to do something, but even the King was at a loss. He did not understand the disease; no one did. He was utterly helpless, and it finally broke him. The castle doors were closed and no one was allowed to come in.

"I need to be alone," Alfred had said to everyone one day at dinner. His voice had sounded strangely strangled when he slowly rose from his seat, wobbling slightly as he headed back to his room. From then onwards, he stayed mostly inside and whenever anyone saw him, his eyes were lifeless and his face was a deathly shade, and when he walked down the stairs he would let his hand merely ghost over the railings while his feet moved in a robotic fashion, seeming like he was staring ahead into thin air. Arthur, seeing that the King was obviously out of shape, took matters into his own hands and began research into ancient spells that could cure the disease. Before he was discovered to be the Queen, he had been a mage's apprentice after all. He spent hours cooped up in his study, trying spell after spell, and his subjects soon became concerned because on some nights they could hear him crying softly through the door. He took up some of Alfred's duties as well, reading through all of the letters the people sent in and trying to write replies. The letters came in flocks, demanding that the King solve the problem immediately. The people were getting more and more restless and as the days passed, Alfred's condition got worse. He barely talked, and only Arthur could get more than a sentence out of him. On one of the nights, Yao overheard the two of them talking.

"I'm scared," Alfred had said, his voice pleading and afraid. "I don't know what to do."

And Arthur had not replied, only pulling Alfred towards his chest as the King wept, because somehow, Arthur knew that there was nothing that could save the Kingdom.