Alfred could only stare at the assortment before him. Each wall of this alcove was dedicated to a different kingdom, shelves protruding to the ceiling to display everything from paintings to statues. Items that been donated by visiting dignitaries through generations. "Is there even any room?"
Eduard hummed, place a hand on his chin as he studied the puzzle before him. "I think if we move some of these around we can find space right here at the front." He pushed a roughly carved piece of wood in the shape of a large bear to one end of a shelf and placed Alfred's sketch in its spot. "That was your predecessor's. It's said that he brought a new one with every visit and this was his favourite journey to make, so much so that he would come twice a year!" He chuckled quietly. "That was before my time. I believe Toris knew him better."
The bear watched unblinking and Alfred reached out a finger to touch the tip of its nose. This made the man that came before him feel far too real and likeable. Not all the blame could rest on a man who been well received in every kingdom and left some large shoes to fill. And from what he understood he had always been destined to be king, it was just an unfortunate circumstance that it was sooner than any had expected.
"Yours is the last gift from the royals currently ruling the four kingdoms."
Alfred blinked out of his own thoughts. "You mean Francis and Ludwig have items here too?"
Raivis grinned. "More than that!" He pulled open a drawer and dug through producing a photograph which he brandished in front of Alfred's nose. "Yao always makes us something tasty."
When he finally manged to snatch the picture away he realised he recognised the dish as he had seen Yao reproduce this recipe a few times in the castle kitchens. Though as he thought harder he found he couldn't recall ever trying it.
Raivis' mouth was watering as he recalled his own memory. "It was so good! And we all ate together and he told us stories about his home village."
Eduard nodded and pointed to a typed transcript that was pinned to a corner of the shelf his sketch sat on. "I find him to be a talented storyteller as well as chef."
Alfred's mouth felt fairly dry. "What about Arthur? You have something of his?"
He was indicated towards a vase in ocean blue where several roses rested with a familiarity that made him feel a bit guilty. "He enchants the flowers to remain like that. Not traditional, but your queen does work hard on them."
"But come see the others." Raivis grabbed his arm and half dragged him several feet to the side where the faded wall was once a vibrant red and pointed to a masterfully completed oil painting hidden behind a collection of folded paper birds. "Of course the Jack of Hearts originated from here." His childish smile grew with pride. "You can always tell a club citizen."
Alfred's eyes roamed the shelves dedicated for Hearts, taking in the years that been spent amassing the collection. "What about Francis and them?"
Eduard and Raivis shared a look. "They don't quite get it."
Confused, he was brought before the Diamonds display and his guides waited with expectant faces for him to agree. He did his best to not let it show how lost he was. Many of the shelves held strings of pearls which he knew were a favoured fashion trend of some of the elite. It was certainly flashier than the others.
Raivis sighed. "He doesn't get it either."
While he felt his skin heat up, Eduard intervened. "Diamonds have a habit of bringing us things that are expensive. Not something that is art."
"You're forgetting the time a king tried to pass off art he had bought from our kingdom as his own."
Eduard made a face. "Nearly caused an incident between the ruling families."
Foremost centre sat a necklace made of loops of pearls and bright jewels and he found it hard to understand how these were so frowned upon to be resting here in this cathedral among the grand marble statues. His thoughts must have shown on his face as Eduard leaned as close as he dared. "The muses favour items that have been worked by the hands of followers. Just being able to spend money on something does show effort to please them. It makes the gits from your kingdom far grander here."
Alfred smiled, pleased at what Eduard had suggested of his own gift while his attention drifted. "So does that make that wall the one for Clubs?"
His guides quickly showed him the way and his eyes went to scanning the display for what it was that Ivan had donated, hoping he could guess what it could be. There were a number of small trinkets made in a variety of materials which may have fit in something the size of the box that he handed them. His attention was so focused on studying a miniature stone statue that he didn't notice that the box in question had been brought out. "I think we should place this one on display for a while." Raivis quickly agreed, sticking close clutching his hands together.
Alfred watched as the lid was opened and Eduard removed a delicate glass flower. He could see why it had received the praise that it had as it looked like the real thing had somehow been transformed. This one took the place of another and the pair fiddled until they were sure it looked just right before letting him approach it to examine the work. The petals were thin and clear and as he leaned closer to look at the finer details he could feel the air chill around the tip of his nose.
"It's… ice?"
"Yes! Ivan has certainly mastered the power belonging to the Club monarchs."
He felt he couldn't look away, wondering when Ivan found the time to create it or where he had found the inspiration to do so. There were hardly any flower gardens here and it wasn't the same as Arthur's roses. "What are you doing with the one you just took?"
"Some we sell on, some we keep stored. Some of these are a part of numerous collections across the world."
He nodded and bit his lip as he thought. "Do you have any more of the king before me?"
Eduard smiled and nodded, passing the box in his hands to his companion. "Would you like one? I can continue our tour and we can have Raivis search for them." Raivis didn't appear to be overly fond of this idea, but he mutely accepted his duty and darted off as soon as he was commanded. "Now, if you will follow me I can show you some of the interesting pieces in our collection…"
Was it possible for your head to hurt simply from learning? Alfred rubbed at a temple having forgotten names of artists seconds after Eduard said them. There was a part of him that wondered if he was missing some grand idea when the most he understood was that he liked some works more than others. His fingers travelled to his eyes and massaged them while trying to keep his jaw shut as he felt a yawn coming on. They had moved to the less crowded library wing where his guide was promising something spectacular that he simply had to witness first hand.
It made the situation worse when he was directed to a large soft armchair and could feel exhaustion threaten him as soon as he sat down in it. He barely heard Eduard's explanation about what was about to happen. "This entire room is charmed. It took the magicians over a month to get it work correctly. But now you only need to make a selection…"
Alfred blinked when he realised that a sheet of paper was being held out to him and pointed to something random as he didn't really understand anything that was on it. Whatever he chose was praised and he was left alone to wait. He jostled a foot in attempt to remain conscious and stifled another yawn as the lights dimmed. Music played eerily from somewhere unseen and in a shimmering cascade of white light figures began to appear in the open room.
He had seen this sort of magic before, but never to this extent or done with this much care. The floor rippled to depict the scenery and miniature dancers took to their stage to keep in time with the music. Alfred leaned forward in his chair, all thoughts of exhaustion gone as he watched everything with rapt attention until the final chords began to fade along with his private show. As the lights brightened he was on his feet. "That was amazing! What did I choose?"
Eduard looked pleased. "That's a scene from one of the old ballets. We usually favour that one in the spring."
"Wow!"
As they exited the library Raivis caught up with them, still out of breath as he came to a halt just before Alfred. "I found them…"
He opened a small padded case wherein several wooden carvings rested and Alfred felt he could recognise the same level of craftsmanship as he had with the bear. His hand drifted over them, stopping on one of a plump owl with an amused expression. "It's really okay if I take one?"
"You are his legacy," Eduard told him as he picked up the owl and turned it around in his hands. At certain angles the owl appeared to planning something tricky, and others like he was chuckling at a good joke and it brought a smile to the Spade king's face.
"I like this one."
"Which one do you like?"
Alfred quickly hid the figurine in the pocket of his coat, turning his body to hide it as Ivan strode up to rejoin him. His face felt hot as he pointed a finger towards a collection of statues to his right. "That one."
Ivan's, along with the three clergy's, heads turned in that direction. Slowly the king of Club's eyebrows rose. "The one of the god of fertility?"
He blinked as he saw to which one he was still indicating. The predominant figure had the head of an animal and the body of a man with exaggerated genitalia. A second nude man cowered beneath the god's massive shadow and Alfred's mouth hung open. "Uh… Yeah…" It felt far too warm to remain indoors and he pulled at his collar nervously. "You know what they say, go big or go home."
Ivan smirked. "Unfortunately you cannot go home quite yet."
"You're a genuine royal pain in the ass."
"Did you enjoy your tour of the cathedral?"
Alfred took in a breath, finally feeling some of the heat that flooded his face begin to dissipate. "Yeah, this place is great. I'd like to visit again. Maybe see another one of those dances."
"We would be honoured to see you here again." The trio bowed low to him and with a wide grin he returned it.
"We should get the press out of the way before we return home." Ivan thanked them for their time and began to lead the way back to the door. A few guards straightened as they approached, one mumbling into his wrist watch that they were leaving. Alfred kept to Ivan's side, knowing it was important for any images that could be taken that they looked like they were equals. Ivan paused just before the exit and sighed. "I always hate this part."
Alfred flashed him a grin. "I don't know why not. You get all kinds of attention. Let me do the talking."
If he were allowed to, the king of Spades would pushed the doors open himself. However, here two attendants scrambled to get them open so that neither king would need to slow as they emerged from the arched cathedral doorway and descended the few stone steps to the cobble courtyard. The remainder of the guards were keeping the crowd at bay, but there was a significant increase in noise and electronic flashes as they appeared. Alfred easily smiled and waved to anyone who looked his way, a stark contrast to the stiff form that walked beside him.
"Mr. Jones!" someone called out of the cacophony of noise, "What have you been doing since you've arrived in Clubs?"
Alfred held up a hand and cleared his throat. "I am visiting Clubs to strengthen ties between our nations. This is the closest our two countries have been in decades. And Ivan has been a great host and been showing me around." Without any hesitation he flung an arm around the other king's shoulders, startling him in the process. "In fact, I'd say we've become the best of friends!"
He held there, a massive grin spread across his face, one arm holding Ivan close against him and the other holding out a thumbs up. The crowd went crazy, pictures being snapped and their shouts rose to a near deafening roar. After a full minute, Alfred released him, waved a few more times and headed for the autos, Ivan dumbly following right behind.
