"Let's go this way, Artie," Alfred suggested, and Arthur followed him down the hallway.
"So, what exactly happened between you and Natalya earlier?" Arthur interrogated as they ran.
"She and I bumped in the kitchen hallways," Alfred explained, "I tried to be courteous, but she was snappy. I knew she was trouble, but not like this."
"Matthew said you were raving about how gorgeous she was."
"Yeah, but that was before I realized she was the last person in the Deck I should be trying anything with."
As they came to a corner, Arthur motioned for Alfred to stop and listen. Voices could be heard from the next hallway.
"I think that's Natalya," Arthur whispered, "She's talking to someone."
"Well, what are we waiting for?" Alfred asked, pushing past Arthur and around the corner.
"Wait a second, you stupid git!" Arthur exclaimed, following Alfred and nearly bumping into him when he stopped in the new hallway.
Ivan and Natalya were standing right there, looking at them.
"Why, Queen Arthur, what a pleasant surprise!" Ivan greeted, a large smile on his face, "And who is this with you? He almost looks like sweet Matthew."
"It's not your stable boy, Brother," Natalya pointed out, "He's the obnoxious kitchen hand I told you about."
"I'm not obnoxious," Alfred defended, "And how the hell do you know Mattie?"
"My goodness, Matthew might have been right," Ivan joked with his sister, "His voice certainly is annoying."
"Quit the crap, Ivan," Arthur intervened, "Your sister here just killed Ace Mikkel."
"I know she did, I ordered her to," Ivan countered, the smile becoming more sadistic, "Just like how I am now ordering her to kill you as well."
"Over my dead body, you bastard!" Alfred yelled back, standing in front of Arthur and pulling out his sword.
"That can be arranged," Ivan responded, "Natalya, kill them both."
"Yes, Brother."
Natalya pulled out two daggers, and charged at Alfred with a bloodthirsty look on her face. Arthur immediately backed off as Alfred went to block the swings of Natalya's daggers, and watched in fear as the two fought.
After a couple minutes of fighting and circling, Natalya found an opening, and a dagger made it to Alfred's chest.
"Alfred, no!" Arthur screamed in horror.
Alfred backed away from Natalya, hand at his chest. He then looked down and removed his hand from where the dagger struck.
No blood. Just a torn shirt.
A torn shirt, revealing a blue Spade Mark on his chest.
"Bloody hell, Alfred," Arthur gasped in shock and relief.
"You've got to be kidding me," Natalya groaned, "He's a Royal?"
"It appears so," Ivan observed, "The question is, which one is he?"
"He's the Ace, of course," Arthur said, "Considering Mikkel was just killed."
"Well, whichever one he is, I can still command Natalya to kill him as well."
Before Arthur could ask what Ivan was talking about, a dagger appeared at the King's throat.
"I wouldn't count on her fulfilling that order, if I were you," a very familiar blond said, coming out from behind Ivan, holding the dagger in place.
"Mattie, about time!" Alfred cheered, blocking another attack from Natalya.
"Matthew, how lovely of you to join us," Ivan greeted, "Now, why the angry face?"
"You killed Berwald, that's why," Matthew said, glaring at Ivan.
"What?" Arthur gasped.
"I don't know what you're talking about, my sunflower," Ivan said.
"Liar," Matthew accused, pushing the blade a bit harder against Ivan's throat, "I saw you holding a dagger in Berwald's chest."
"Get your blade away from my brother's neck, you pathetic stable boy!" Natalya ordered, before swinging her daggers at Alfred in the moment of distraction.
"Not until you drop your weapons and stand down, Natalya," Matthew countermanded, turning his attention briefly to Natalya, whose attempts Alfred successfully blocked.
"You can't order me around, you wretch!" Natalya refused, taking out her anger on Alfred, who kept blocking her blows.
"Are you sure about that?" Matthew asked, turning back to face Ivan again. Holding the dagger steady at Ivan's throat, Matthew used his free hand to pull off his shirt. Arthur had to remember not to stare at the lad's muscles, focusing instead on the newly exposed Spade Mark across his shoulder blades.
"What the hell?" Natalya shrieked, "You both have Spade Marks?"
"They sure do," Arthur confirmed, "And if Alfred is the Ace, then Matthew is..."
"The new King of Spades," Matthew finished, switching the dagger to the other hand while shaking the sleeve of the shirt off his right arm.
"Well, if that's the case," Ivan sneered, a large smirk forming on his face while a swirl of green magic formed around his right hand, "then long live the King."
"Matthew, look out!" Arthur shouted in warning, as the swirl of magic transformed into the Clubs Sword. Ivan swung the Sword, but Matthew quickly brought his dagger-wielding left arm down to block Ivan's blow. Matthew quickly ducked below the Sword, before pulling Ivan's arm behind him. Pegging the Sword-wielding arm behind Ivan's back with his right hand, Matthew brought the dagger back around to Ivan's throat with his left hand.
"Natalya, stand down, or I'll kill your brother," Matthew threatened from behind Ivan's shoulder.
Alfred took the chance to swing his sword at Natalya, and she backed off. As she kept pointing her daggers at Alfred, she glared at each of the boys in turn.
Loud voices suddenly shouted, and Arthur turned to see Yao arriving with guards from behind him. More loud voices came from behind Matthew and Ivan, as Emil showed up with another group of guards.
"You're surrounded, Natalya," Matthew stated, "Drop your weapons."
Glaring venomously at Matthew, Natalya stepped back from her fight with Alfred, throwing her daggers to the ground.
"Guards, bind her hands," Yao ordered, and a couple guards stepped forward with some rope. Alfred approached and held his sword at Natalya's neck, while Arthur went behind her to place a spell on the binds.
"I stepped down willingly," Natalya growled, "Keep that away from my neck."
"Just making sure you cooperate, honey," Alfred shot back, with a sadistic smile forming on his face.
"Alfred, behave yourself," Matthew ordered, moving in front of Ivan so the guards could also bind his hands.
"You really should have waited for me in the gardens, Matthew," Ivan scolded in a playful tone, "You wouldn't have had to deal with this."
"And serve as your alibi for Berwald's murder?" Matthew retorted, "I don't think so."
"Matthew, put your shirt back on before he's tempted to keep flirting with you," Arthur instructed, handing Matthew's shirt back to him. As Matthew walked towards his brother, Arthur came behind Ivan, and summoned a spell for his binds.
"Aw, you want him for yourself, don't you?" Ivan queried, "Can't say I blame you."
"Shut up, Ivan," Arthur threatened, "or I'll have your mouth bound shut as well."
Once the spell was complete, Arthur backed away, and turned to Yao.
"Go tell Elizaveta and Roderich that the Clubs Royalty must leave Spades immediately," Arthur commanded, "My magic will keep Ivan and Natalya bound until they cross the border."
Yao led the guards out of the room with the two captives, leaving Arthur alone with Matthew, Alfred and Emil.
"Servants are already taking care of the bodies, Arthur," Emil reported.
"What happened to Mikkel?" Matthew asked.
"He was fighting Natalya in the main hall," Alfred said, "She landed the killing blow."
"So Berwald and Mikkel are both dead," Arthur summarized, "And you boys are the new King and Ace."
"Wait a second," Emil realized, "Since Berwald and Mikkel died within minutes of each other, doesn't that mean either one of you could be King?"
"That's very true," Matthew agreed, "How do we find out for sure?"
"There's only one way to find out," Arthur said, "You two need to visit the Spades Timepiece."
Author's Notes
One of my original ideas was to have them check for Alfred's Mark in the previous chapter when they were with Mikkel's corpse, but having Natalya cut his shirt open during a fight to reveal it ended up being more interesting.
I was originally expecting these three chapters to need six chapters, but it looks like my ideas may not need that many words to articulate. Ah well, we are going at a fun pace now. I've been looking forward to this chapter since I outlined it, and we're going to start having more fun stuff happening soon.