Sunday was Father's Day. At least, it used to be. When the castes had first been abolished, a lot of holidays from the old American continents had been brought back, though various other monarchs had quickly ended the ones they didn't approve, and others simply died out.

Father's Day, however, was an excuse for every king to get some sort of appreciation from their children, and by extension, the rest of the country. So naturally, Arthur really, really did not like Father's Day.

On the other hand, King Nicholas was in an extremely good mood. He'd slept in for once that morning—all the work he'd needed done had been passed on to his wife and sons—and been woken up to a hot breakfast made personally by the queen. She had always been an exceptional cook, and along with fresh coffee, he could only wonder why this couldn't happen every day.

Of course, his son's constant defiance against what was best for him put a damper on his mood, but the boy had been unusually compliant today—probably because it was Father's Day, not that it had ever stopped him before.

The King made his way leisurely down the halls, ambling towards the Men's Room. When he entered, he wasn't surprised to find Terrence Masters there. He was always there, flipping through magazines or how-to gardening and cooking books, a cup of coffee by his side.

So naturally, seeing him talking to Arthur (with Ed listening quietly from nearby) was enough to shock him out of his cheery mood and back to reality, so to speak.

Now, Nicholas didn't have anything against Terrence Masters, necessarily. The boy had a good heart and a good head on his shoulders, someone that would do good to keep Arthur in check. However, while Nicholas really didn't care much about sexuality—honestly, with Arthur, he wouldn't have a choice in the matter—but he did care about the public.

He wasn't stupid or ignorant; he had spent much of his free time at Arthur's age reading up on history. He knew how Illéa came to be and the truth about the man that founded it, and he knew about King Maxon and Queen America, how the castes had been abolished. People hadn't been ready for that. The proof of that was in the riots. It was why the castes had been reinstated in the first place, with the added chaos of the war with Russia. Had they not done so to restore order, Illéa would have collapsed.

If Nicholas had it his way, they would've once more been a republic, a democracy run by the people. The country that had populated the continent before… Despite its flaws, the country really had been better off than it was now. And perhaps, he never would've been king. Perhaps he could've followed those dreams he'd given up on so long ago.

But of course, that couldn't happen. Nicholas was the King, and his first priority was his people. And the people would not approve of Terrence Masters. The truth was, he was not fit to be a monarch. And thus, his son could not fall in love with the boy, for the good of the country.

"Arthur," the two's conversation stopped abruptly, Terrence hurriedly standing and bowing to him. Ed simply watched on, and Arthur gave his father a level stare. The King didn't say anything and turned, leaving the room; he knew the boy would follow.


"Yes, father?"

He looked impatient, arms crossed and foot tapping against the tile flooring of the hallway. It was quiet, and all the guards and maids had vacated the area. They always did when the two of them were alone.

"You know what I've told you about that boy."

The Prince looked affronted, standing a little straighter. "We're just friends."

"If that's all you are, then he needs to go. This is a Selection."

This time, Arthur openly glared. "I don't see what you have against him."

"He's unfit for the throne."

The boy's knuckles turned white, his arms turning red where he clenched them. "Is it because he's male?"

"He is unfit for the throne. Regardless of gender."

His son took a deep, shuddering breath, the way he was taught. "This is my Selection. I won't let you interfere anymore. I don't give a shit whether or not you're the King or not." Blue-green eyes glared at him with a fiery defiance that, in some way, made him proud. "Someday, when this is over and I'm the King, there won't be any room for you anymore. You won't have any more control over my life or over this country."

Nicholas's hand moved before he had fully processed the words. The sharp sound rang throughout the empty halls, bouncing off the ceiling and echoing. Neither of them moved for a long while, both in a state of shock.

Arthur moved first, slowly, agonizingly. He brought a hand up to his face, where the red hadn't faded and was already beginning to swell. He flinched when his fingers grazed it at first, and when he finally turned his head to face his father, his eyes were watery, wide.

Nicholas's hand stung; his fingertips tingled with the action they had just performed. He was too far in his shock to really move, his green eyes staring yet not really staring into his son's eyes.

It was only a few moments before Arthur moved, hair hiding his eyes as he brushed past his father, shoulder bumping into Nicholas roughly as he practically ran down the hall and out of sight.

Nicholas stared at his hand. It was still red from the impact. He knew he was strict, and more than often unfair, but he had never hit anyone before. Especially not his family.

He had never seen that look on his son's face before. Always, the boy had been so lively, so defiant and rebellious. But then, he had looked at Nicholas with something he had never seen. He'd been afraid.

Nicholas's fingers twitched. They still tingled.

Sunday was Father's Day.


So. Depressing things. But I really wanted to give a little more insight on the king. Because I really hate him but I also really like him. And we need for background on the mean people. (THERE'S A REASON THEY'RE MEAN. ALWAYS.) So yah. Father's Day.
Also, I've gotten several suggestions, but for Kyousuke and Kira, I'm seeing Kirasuke the most. xD I want to say Kisuke, cause Bleach, but I'll keep my nerdiness at bay. For now.