Love takes off masks that we fear we cannot live without and know we cannot live within ~James Baldwin

~arthur~

There was something about Alfred that drove him crazy, beyond words and feelings and emotions. Just a small glance from that American made his Heart flutter and made him smile like an idiot. It made him feel restless and shy, not that he already wasn't.

The Brit gazed upon his King as the King was training outside, the Suns light almost glowing upon the Americans tan skin. He was shirtless!

Alfred swung his sword as if he were a valiant Knight ready to fight in a duel with an enemy. He swung his sword left and right, piercing the air and making perfect turns. The American came to a halt when he wiped the sweat from his brow, he turned to look at the Brit.

"Hey Artie! Shouldn't you practice with me? Or will you keep enjoying the view?" The American spoke as Arthur felt his cheeks redden.

"Shut up! Git! It's not like that! I was just-just...taking notes on your pathetic skills"

"Pathetic skills?" Alfred asked with a surprised look before he laughed a little.

"Y-yes! Pathetic." Arthur replied as he avoided the Americans gaze and grabbed a sword. "You're The King, I'm Your Knight. I'm suppose to protect you" Arthur said as his green eyes glanced up to look into the American Kings Blue ones. His eyes were hidden behind his glasses. Arthurs eyes trailed from his face to look at the Kings Body. Admiring his firm muscles and tan skin, as well as the way he was standing. A hand upon his hips.

"Artie? You know...you don't always have to protect me"

"I do! It's my job!" Arthur replied with a stern prideful tone. He was a knight who had to protect his king. That was his job, and especially during these games.

"And what is mines? Just sitting down to watch my pawns and pieces die?" Arthur replied as he had a hand on his hips, and his gaze was piercing. "I'm a King, a crown won't make me who I am. I have to protect my people, just as they protect me"

"Alfred...it's not that I'm saying you're a burden or you can't protect-" Arthur began saying when Alfred smiled a little. "J-just...I'm saying...you need to let yourself be protected"

"Really?" Alfred asked, in a teasing tone as he walked closer to Arthur, taking him by his waist and pulling him closer to his bare chest. Arthur felt his cheeks redden, and one of his hands was upon the Kings Bare chest.

"A-Alfred. Stop. Damn idiot. Stop that" Arthur spoke as his hand began to feel the Americans chest, what was he thinking? He was merely a Piece, nothing special. Yet Arthur couldn't comprehend why he loved the American so much.

"I think...you really want me to stay like this" Alfred said in a husky sexy tone. Arthur felt his cheeks redden even more. He lowered his gaze and closed his eyes, trying to sum up the courage to push his love away, "Arthur, look at me" Alfred ordered

"No...damn...wanker"

"Arthur" Alfred warned, as his hands cupped the Brits cheek. Arthur looked up and looked into beautiful bright blue eyes that stole his breath away. Causing his heart to beat faster, butterflies in his stomach and the warm sensation upon his skin everywhere the American touched.

"You always try to hide and push me away...but you know as much as I do that you like me and I like y-"

Arthur pushed the American away, afraid to hear those words. "Shut up! Bloody wanker. Dont say those things" Arthur replied as he looked at the ground, clenching his fists. He had dropped his sword on the ground. The Brits heart was beating extremely fast, his cheeks burning, hearing those words would make it harder for Arthur to do what he was doing...

Breaking the rules. Breaking the Chess Games rules...meaning his future death.

"Arthur?" Alfred asked as his tone was hurt, but after a short silence...Alfred laughed, "y-yeah you're right...I'm just playing around" he said as he nervously scratched the back of his head. Arthur nodded.

'He's just playing with me' Arthur reminded himself, 'he doesn't mean it...he could never love me' Arthur told himself.

"Let's get back to work" Alfred insisted as he crouched down and picked up his sword. Arthur didn't look up.

"I-I'm...I need to go" Arthur said as he immediately rushed out of the gardens. Alfred restrained himself from trying to stop the British Knight. Arthur rushed out, almost bumping into the Taiwanese girl, Mei. She was the second Knight.

Arthur rushed through the corridors of the mansion until he made it to his room. He closed the door and threw himself on his bed, immediately a fairy appeared at his side,

"What's wrong Arthur?" She asked in her sweet voice, Emma.

"I hate feeling this way!" Arthur yelled through his pillow, as Emma sat on his head.

"Calm down, what feelings? Love? Sadness? Anger? Happiness?" Emma asked as Arthur pushed himself off the pillow, causing Emma to fall on the bed, with an 'umpf'

"Sorry Emma"

"Ouch..." She muttered as she stood up and rubbed her behind, Emma gazed up at the Brit and smiled. "That hurt! But tell me what's wrong?" She asked sweetly as she flew up and sat on Arthurs shoulder.

"Well...it's that stupid Git. Alfred. My King-"

"The love of your life?" She asked, As she laughed. Arthur began blushing.

"H-hes not!"

"Oh come on Arthur, I was kidding" Emma insisted,

"Emma! Please refrain yourself from comments as those!"

"How about...never!" She asked as she giggled. "So what's up with Sir Alfred?" She asked as she looked at the English man. Arthur sighed,

"He teases me..he almost told me he liked me...then he tells me he's messing with me...you know it makes every bloody darn thing I'm going to do even harder for me to do!"

"What do you mean?" Emma asked,

"I'm going to overthrow the damn Board, end these games and probably die in the process" Arthur stated as he furrowed his thick brows into a worried look. Emma sighed,

"...I knew that..." She mumbled, "but can't you..give him a chance?"

"No! It makes things harder! If I love him...which I don't!" Arthur lied, his cheeks turning a lighter shade of red, "if I do...and I lost him in those games, if I failed...protecting him...I would die...of a heartbreak"

Emma sighed and fluttered her wings, making her fly to stand on Arthurs lap. "Come on! I believe you can do this! Besides...that reminds me, I need to teach you magic."she spoke determined, "you have magical blood in you! So use it!"

"I don't have magic. I'm a bloody Knight-"

"Arthur! You have magical blood in you. So do some other people here...but I need to focus on teaching you magic, if you want to save Alfred, and end these games! Then learn magic"

"E-Emma...I'm a bloody knight. Knights don't have-"

"But you do!" Emma insisted, "and I will teach you. Just hold your hand out. Let's try some simple spells...ready? Repeat after me...ignis."

"Ignis." Arthur replied, as fire appeared on his hand, "oh my god! F-fire!" As he spoke those words, the fire got taller and redder/orange

"Arthur! Calm down! Or the fire will expand! It all depends on emotion!" Emma yelled as Arthur breathed in and out. Trying to calm himself down,

"How do I...extinguish it?" Arthur asked as the flame was at a reasonable height.

"Think of it off" Emma informed as she watched. Arthur closed his eyes and imagined it turned off. Immediately he felt the heat of the flame gone. He opened his eyes and found it came true! He was so proud of himself. Emma clapped.

"Okay, let's go for water next and then Earth-"

"Can you teach me defense magic not offense"

"But-?"

"Please Emma...I just want to learn to protect"

"Well...i'll teach you a shield spell...but, I, required to teach you offense before defense" Emma spoke as she began to think about Arthurs request. "Master Caleb will get angry with me if I don't teach you offense first"

"Well...he can bloody screw himself, just teach me defensive-"

"Only one spell...and it's the strongest shielding spell. Okay? And then we go back to offense" Emma informed, as if she were a strict cute teacher. Arthur couldn't help but smile. The tiny fairy was his teacher,

"aliquid contra fidem" Emma chanted as a bubbled was surrounding her in an instant, it was a crystal clear bubble. Arthur looked rather confused, "it means 'protection against anything' it's a shield. A bubble. I pictured it as this and so it happened...now try and hit it" Emma ordered as Arthur poked at the bubble, feeling a shock of electricity.

"Hell!" He yelled as he jumped back, Emma laughed and soon she let the bubble burst into many beautiful sparkles around her.

"That was the strongest defensive spell. It depends what your thinking to protect"

"If it's a defensive spell why the hell did it shock me!?"

"Because it's both defensive and offensive. Meaning it defends the person inside and protects them by also hurting the enemy outside" Emma informed as she sat back on the bed. Arthur rubbed his finger, the feeling of shock was still there.

"Blood hell..." He muttered as Emma smiled,

"Don't worry that will heal. So, let's try it on you"

"What? Now?!"

"Yeah. If you're strong enough it will take you mere seconds. If not...we will be here hours" Emma said with a small disappointed voice, as Arthur pushed himself out of bed and stood in the middle of the big room. He began to imagine himself stuck in a bubble,

"aliquid contra fidem" Arthur chanted as he felt his energy draining. He opened his eyes and found a rather almost broken bubble. It was as if it had cracks in the Crystal Green surface. "Emma? Why is mines broken?" He asked,

"Because you don't have a strong feeling to protect yourself, come on! Arthur! Think of Alfred in that bubble with you! Don't you want to protect him?" She asked as her voice raised in a very enthusiastic tone. Arthur closed his eyes again and imagined Alfred inside the bubble with him, and enemy outside trying to attack them. He could feel the bubbles cracks being shifted.

Arthur opened his eyes and saw a perfect bubble around him, Emma clapped and laughed in happiness.

"That's it!"

"How...do I break it?" Arthur asked, as Emma began to quiet down,

"Imagine it breaking"

Arthur closed his eyes and imagined the bubbled breaking. Breaking into a million pieces, that sparkled and glowed as they fell. At his thoughts..the bubble bursted! Into millions of smaller pieces, flowing down to the ground and dispersing like a wonderful show of fireworks.

"That was beautiful!" Emma cheered as she flew to Arthur, "shall we try more? We have an afternoon together!" She said with a smile. Arthur smiled, and nodded.

His afternoon would be spent on magic, and learning how to protect and defend the people he most loves and cared about.

To be continued...