Arthur didn't even get to ask about the glassiness in Alfred's eyes before they hastily started their practice, sliding on their gloves haphazardly as the music started to play.

"So, anything about the Deciding that you could advise me on?" Whirling him around, he was envious of the fact that his partner didn't sound wheezy or out of breath at all. "Y'know, with the holding facility schooling and stuff."

"I doubt that I'll know anything that you don't, Alfr-" He caught sight of the camera in the reflection of the mirror, "-Your Highness. Could we, er, slow down?"

Coming to a halt so abrupt he was surprised it didn't give him whiplash, the pace did slow but ended up with Arthur practically stamping on his toes and gripping too hard on his back, causing him to double over. "Ow!"

"A-Ah, A – Your Highness, I apologise greatly, I-"

"Artie," he hissed through gritted teeth. Oh, bollocks. Had he broken a toe? Mortified, he continued to stumble through his words.

"I did suggest that I was bad at this dancing malarkey-"

"Laugh it off, okay?" Both of them were now anxiously looking at the reflection of the cameras in the wall length mirrors. "I'm fine. Trust me."

"Er, all right." They exchanged a high strung sounding sort of laughter, barely concealing their nervousness.

They continued to move throughout the room in time to the music, which Arthur recognised at the back of his mind to be a classical Spades tune, one played with lilting violins and soft oboes. "Don't worry, I know." he said under his breath, turning – the motion was fluid, but there was a roughness to it that suggested to him that not even the perfect Spades prince was as good as he'd believed. There was a restlessness in the quirk of his foot turning that made him feel like he was more interested in their conversation than the actual movements. "Feeling okay so far?"

"Yes, I'm doing all right." If not for your hand on my waist, the precarious distance between us, the eyes of a continent trained on us, and the feeling of your forehead laid on mine still resonating through my skin as we speak. "Regarding your question, I'm not exactly an expert on the Deciding, but my sister is."

"Erin, right?" Their hands swapped position, and Arthur found his breath hitching, unsure whether it was due to the surprise that he remembered her name or the fact that Alfred's waist was so warm underneath his unkempt gloves.

"Yes, she's my only sister." A sparkle betrayed the triumph in his blue eyes. "She was around four when your parents had their Deciding, and my older brothers tell me she was enraptured."

"En-rap-tured?"

Arthur's right foot fumbled, momentarily distracted by his reflection of his face behind Alfred's shoulder. Were his cheeks that red? "Er, basically," he said, "She really liked it. For years afterwards, we used to buy her old documentaries of past Decidings, and it's partly become a tradition to buy her one each birthday."

"Oh yeah, the documentary stuff. I guess they still haven't run out of those, huh?" They almost forgot to turn a corner, resulting in an late jerk to the right. He was worried about the actual dance if this kept on happening.

"You'd be surprised to see how many of them there have been these past fifty years," Arthur snorted. "With every royal struggling to protect their kingdom as you do, Alfre – Your Highness, the need to keep their crown close, and their people closer to their hearts, has increased."

If his strong arms hadn't helped propel him around just in time, they would have crashed into a wall. Wonderful.

"Psst, I thought dancing was more about moving than talking." Arthur was so tempted to just wipe the smirk off his mouth. He wished what he was saying wasn't true, though his lack of confidence was surprising.

"Well, I'm only good at one of those things, and twirling around the room isn't one of them. As you know."

"All I know is that it'll be great to see you on Sunday evening," Alfred grinned, the two of them parting briefly to move onto the next set of steps.

In the midst of his complaining, though, something happened that he'd been both anticipating and dreading at the same time. Arthur had read about the move, coupled with idiotic diagrams of useless arrows and two people multiplying into four then six then eight, with steps between and people weaving in and out of each other, but when he tried to imitate the step alongside both his partner and the music he failed miserably.

Bracing himself for his unflattering contact with the floor, he attempted to twist his body so that he'd fall on his shoulder rather than his back. But instead of feeling cold wooden floor against his sleeve, he managed to barely perceive a quiet thump as Alfred's arm caught him just in time, breaking his fall.

His face was so close, even worse than their tryst behind the curtain owing to the fact that this time Arthur could see every nook and cranny of his surprised expression because of the lights. Eyes widened with the speed of the movement, his fringe dangling forward and covering the right side of his handsome face, his eyebrows contorted with concern, the tiny sound of his clock and dog tags jingling. Their breaths mingled, coupled with the small singe of electricity between them, he couldn't help but press his lips together and stop breathing through his mouth. His gaze tracked a single droplet of sweat gliding down the side of his forehead. Knowing his heroic nature, he probably even asked him if he was all right, but it barely registered in Arthur's frazzled mind.

It even seemed as if the cameraman had abandoned his equipment and had planned to rush to his aid before Alfred caught him. Every single second of the moment, amplified – one corner of his mind shouted about all the trouble he'd get once this aired on televisions around Cards, but every other cell in his body shivered at his closeness and the fact that he could feel every corner of skin laid against skin, barely disguised underneath sleeves and shirts.

"What – what had happened to you treating me like a normal member of the Deciding?" Arthur croaked. It came out sounding like Allistor before he quit smoking. Wonderful.

"Huh? Are you saying that I wouldn't catch any other Chosen member like this? That's unfair. T-Then again, I..." Alfred retorted, but the sound was hushed, almost as if there was something sacred around them that he was afraid to break with words. Thanks to the way his fringe brushed past his eyes, he couldn't see his entire expression, either, reminding him that parts of the prince were still an enigma that couldn't be discovered. "Arthur, I...you know you're not-"

"You're too close," he whispered feebly, trying to stop him from saying anything that could mean that the extent of their relationship could be discovered prematurely. Pull away.

Neither of them moved.

He shouldn't want any of this. By all accounts, he shouldn't want Alfred to lean forward and dip him further, his mouth seeking out another treacherous desire coming right on the heels of the two of them promising to be more discreet. He shouldn't want to pull his arms up, trapping them inbetween their chests, surrendering to him.

Yet the most dangerous thing was the way his emotion, however undecipherable, was reflected in his blue eyes, laid plain only for Arthur to see. Something, something that he didn't quite understand yet, frightened him.

"Your Highness! Sir Arthur, are you all right?" the cameraman called, urgency registering in his tone and in both of the boys' frazzled minds, causing them to spring apart immediately after Alfred helped him get back on his feet. "That could have been quite a fall. That was an excellent effort, Your Highness."

"Yes, I'm quite all right, thank you," he said, clearing his throat. He daren't look at Alfred now. "Your Highness, I must thank you for your assistance."

"Hey, that's what a hero does! I'm glad you're okay, Art – Sir Arthur," he could practically hear the charismatic grin, and wondered for a moment whether or not he felt the same tension, easily disguised the moment the other person arrived. "Though, if I've tired you out so much, maybe we should leave you fresh for Sunday, huh?"

This had been the most he'd ever managed to read the atmosphere, so Arthur eagerly took the escape route. "Pardon? Oh, yes, yes, though I have to say it is in no part due to you. I must thank you for your accommodation of my poor skills, Your Highness."

"Don't be so hard on yourself, you did quite well." I fell, what else do I need to be a laughingstock?

Then again, it was because of you that my reputation and I are intact.

"Uh, anyway! Would you like me to escort you to your room?" Arthur barely fought off an instinct to wipe his clammy hands on his dark pants, before remembering he was wearing gloves. Perhaps the guide did come in handy after all, though it did no good in teaching him how to handle his own confusing feelings, exacerbated by the fact that Alfred was still unfazed whilst he could still feel the hairs on his back from the way he caught him.

"I'm sure you're very busy, so that won't be necessary. I do know the way to my own room after all." There, a joke for the cameraman who had returned to his tripod. Hopefully it would be more interesting than whatever had just taken place between the two of them, though everything he'd learnt about the Deciding during his studies knew that almost nothing during that practise could have overshadowed that moment.

He could even have passed it off as a joke between them, if not for the way Alfred's defined jaw twisted in disappointment before they exchanged formal bows and parted ways, leaving him alone in the room.

The night of the ball, Alfred managed to duck into his room and get a quick shower after his last meeting before the event. As he was rushing into his room, though, the faint glow of the light underneath the crack of Matthew's room told him that his twin – probably back from his own meetings – had the same idea.

Quickly asking his maid to help get his military suit for the night out of his closet while he dried his hair, he decided to barge into his brother's room right when he started to come out his bathroom.

"You're just like your Chosen sometimes, you know," Matthew grumbled, but there wasn't any real ire behind it as he let him in. He was wearing a similar outfit to Alfred, but since he hadn't served in the military, he had less medals pinned to his suit. "At least, the way they constantly duck in and out of each others' rooms. Look at you, coming in all your finery."

"What's wrong with that?"

"You're dancing tonight. If you insist on wearing your clock, your tags and all of them, wear five at most."

"Okay, geez," Alfred grudgingly began to unclip most of them from his lapel, his maid swooping in from the doorway to scoop them up. "Though, how d'ya know everyone does that? Oh, uh, it's okay, you can put it on his chair there, I'll put it on myself, and the badges you can just put them on my dressing table-"

"Sometimes you should really watch the covering of your own Deciding, Al," he said. Unlike the usual occurrences, there wasn't any bickering, probably offset by the fact that the heady feeling from getting ready just after a shower was just too refreshing. Briefly collecting his clothes from his maids, he turned back to speak to him, only to find his twin scrambling with his dresser handle.

"At least put on a badge! You'd look really good with five too – I'll scramble around for one-"

"Hands off my drawer. I don't want to sound like the palace treasury when I take a step forward. Don't tug, or you'll break it!"

"Hey! I don't sound that loud-"

"Anyway, planned out your dances yet?"

"Darn, I was just trying to help."

"You've pulled it off six times, that's not a coincidence."

"There's only sixteen planned dances for today, and there's twenty of them," Alfred said as he shucked on his suit pants and conveniently changed the subject, "So I might have to chop and change."

"Only planned, meaning there's going to be way more," Matthew laughed as he followed suit, wiping at a stray bit of moisture on his leg before he did so. "You know how these things go, every single time they last until three in the morning."

"Could you blame them? I mean, with all those royals here tonight, everyone wants to stick around. Uh, is there a darker blue tie you have maybe? No, if it's back in my room you don't have to get it, miss, it's too much of a ha – ah, she's gone..."

"So, one dance a person? Seems like so much work for you. Actually, fairly sure you as a hunk of muscle'll do fine. Yes, you can put it at the entrance, I'll wear them shortly before I leave – thank you."

"Hey, that's mean! You're the better dancer between the two of us, anyway. Though I'm better at swordplay, magic, swimming-"

"Breathing?"

"Breathing. Wait, Matt, hey!" His brother could barely contain his snicker. "That's not-"

"It's not very fair if you compare an Ace's incredibly weak magic to that of a future king, you know," he replied, tugging at his wavy hair then frowning at how it hadn't dried enough. "You and your bizarre super strength is what makes you good at it moreso than you studying actual magic. It's only fair that I'm better at something rather than nothing, eh?"

"That's not true, though. Yeah that's perfect – thanks for the tie!" Adjusting it as he spoke, he came to stand next to his brother's ornate dressing table, topped with blue, violet and gold accents and three massive mirrors, where he was scrambling for a hair dryer. He took the tie from his maid and started adjusting it behind his chair, whilst Matthew pulled at his dozens of small compartments to find it. "You're better at a lot of things than me."

"Really?" He sounded absent minded, plugging in the dryer and flicking it on, producing a blast of wind that made both of them squint and take off their glasses, putting it on the dressing table in a brotherly unison. "Not going to stop you from singing my praises anytime soon."

"Ha ha ha! Anyway, who are you dancin' wi-"

Violet eyes caught on Alfred's white shirt quizzically. "Your tie is knotted completely wrong. Didn't you practise with Yao earlier last week?"

"H-Huh? I mean yeah, but...don't avoid the question!" he sputtered, scrambling to fix his tie. "Any plans?"

"Not particularly, no," Matthew replied, continuing to dry his hair, though he turned it on a lower intensity. "Carlos is busy with paperwork, but I'll try to convince him to join in later tonight, so perhaps with him if he has time. Francis and Yao, maybe. Then with as many royals as I can, for the sake of the cameras. With that in mind, I'll be sure to steer clear of your Chosen."

Fingers stuck in his tie, Alfred frowned, not really paying attention to what his brother was saying. "Uh, I mean. There's no need for that," Dislodging a badge, he quickly fastened it back to its rightful place. "They're not off limits to anyone. Y'know, they get the rules and stuff."

"Oh. That's a fair point. I guess after all the planned dances are over, if they're still interested. Will you have a round to dance with Ludwig, at least? Or Gilbert? Actually, Lili has been itching to speak to you about the Deciding ever since I picked the Diamonds up from the train station."

"Huh, really?" To that question, Matthew nodded, moving around his hairdryer as he did so, the movement slightly shaky owing to the fact that without his glasses he was practically blind. "I hope so, maybe. And I should talk to her outside of meeting stuff, you're right. Will see if Gilberry has another slot in his program, I guess; if we're talking about the other royals, but then maybe you might be encouraged to dance with at least one or two of the Chosen for the cameras. Did ya happen to want to have a dance with Katya?"

The hairdryer stilled, and he took it as a sign that his brother was thinking, not to mention his furrowed brow. "Only as friends, Alfred, there is nothing special in my relationship with the Jokers. Anyway. I'm half expecting plenty of them will mistake me for you, and be all too triumphant until they look at their dance card and it's my name on there, so you know."

"Hey! You're not allowed to tease me on that anymore."

"Uh huh, lover boy. It's sort of my birth right to do so."

"Hmph. Anyway! We're dressed pretty different with our ties tonight, if nothing else. The uniforms too, but they're both royal garb stuff." Alfred remarked, after he'd somewhat managed to fix his own. "And you're the Ace, after all, so it's kinda hard to not know who you are. I'm still nobody."

"Good one, Al." Closing the bottom shelf of the cupboard, he reached for the front desk, revealing a carefully organised desk with letters on one side, stationery in the top half and a few pieces of jewellery that Alfred couldn't quite see before he took out the pair of gloves laid on top of his journal and closed it. "You're the prince of Spades."

"A prince. Makes me feel so weak just saying it out loud."

"Who'll be king before the end of the year, probably," Matthew sighed, shutting off the hairdryer before Alfred started patting at his cowlick with a brush in an attempt to straighten it, with little results. "Ivan getting to you? Honestly, you two are exhausting. Thank the Fates Yao can handle the pair of you after interning in Clubs all those years before, or we'd have a mini explosion every single diplomatic visit."

"He deserves it," he muttered, picking up his glasses and squinting at his reflection again. "Guy just wants a rise from me."

"Don't give it to him, easy," came the reply. "Right, guess I won't look as fresh as this after everyone starts drinking. At least we had dinner early tonight. What's the time?"

"Easy for you to say, Mr Gets Along With Everyone. You could be friends with Roderich, who's the most boringest person ever." Barbs aside, Alfred leaned forward to adjust his brother's curl so it bobbed out of his face. "There you go. Now you're also Mr Super Handsome, But Not As Much As His Brother. Every single person's gonna be drawn to ya."

"Yes, that's me," Matthew remarked dryly, but still let himself snort at what his brother perceived to be an incredibly gracious gesture. "Excuse me – if you don't mind, what time is it? How much longer do we have to prepare?"

"Twenty minutes, Your Highness."

"Thank you. Al, we have to go. Put on your jacket," he said quickly, standing up from his chair and polishing the last bit of dust from his circular glasses. "Do you have a pencil for the dance card things?"

"I, uh, I mean, they're only really just for the Chosen, so I didn't bring one from my room-"

The top drawer was open before he'd finished his babbling. "Keep it in your breastpocket, and return it to me tomorrow morning."

"Pshh."

"What?"

"You said 'breast'. Ha ha - ow!"

By the time Leon and Arthur came downstairs and picked up Sakura and Emma from their rooms, all four buzzing from their preparations for the ball. After he'd watched Leon half dance, half move briskly around in his room when he was waiting for Arthur to finish adjusting his suit, being impressed managed to wave away some of his nervousness. Unfortunately, as they went downstairs, meaning the sound of merriment grew louder and louder, he found himself trailing behind his three friends.

The moment they walked through the main entrance, adorned by endless arrangements of blushing blue flowers, two attendants quickly strung small dance cards against their arms, resting them on the small joint of their wrists. Just their luck, as soon as they found their fellow Chosen in the crowd, it seemed to be another fun gimmick for the show. Great, another thing for Arthur to worry about.

Most of his grumpiness was alleviated by the general splendour of the huge room, though. The main rooms of the first floor of the palace had been opened so that they loosely formed a massive assortment of open hallways and doors for people to flow freely in and out of. Complimenting the majestic chandeliers that graced the ceilings, small blue candelabras cast their shadows on the walls that didn't seem to falter as their small group walked through the venue. Even the decor that had been resting in the dining hall and the Drawing Room was strewn around. People, more people than he'd ever seen in one place within the palace, were everywhere, wearing clothes from elaborate gowns to bold suits with colours from all the Four Kingdoms.

"I wonder if he's here yet," Emma whispered to them, almost certainly talking about Alfred. "The first dance doesn't start until nine, and it's ten minutes until nine!"

"How can you tell?"

"There's, like, clocks everywhere, not surprising since this is Spades after all." he gestured to the elaborately shaped clocks hung on the walls, offsetting the blue and purple with more blue. "We'll hear when he comes."

"These dance cards are bloody annoying, flapping all over the place," Arthur grumbled, half tempted to take them off and stuff them straight in the pocket of his jacket.

"Right? The string's rubbing at me, kind of."

"Did you wear them to your debut? I know Leon didn't have to, but..."

Leon and Emma exchanged a look. "I didn't either," Emma replied, tilting her head, looking at Sakura, causing all of them to do the same. She hadn't said a single peep about it, but was looking distinctly unbothered.

"Ah...only for three months," she replied, chuckling quietly behind her gloved hand. "Well, erm, it was quite hard at first, but you get used to it after awhil – erm, a while. We used to practise by tying a bit of string around our wrists all day before a big ball."

"We should totally try that. For the next one."

Emma hugged her friend hard. "You're full of such good ideas, Sakura!"

"There's going to be another one?!"

"Yeah, during the summer solstice, most likely."

Before Arthur could bury his face in his hands in despair, someone cleared their throat behind them. Right, since they were Chosen, they were wanted commodities now.

"Lady Emma?" A young lady wearing a pink dress, someone Leon and Arthur didn't recognise, was holding out her hand with a grin. "Would you like to dance?"

"Oh...of course," she replied, pushing back her brown hair and holding out her card so she could write down her name. She did sound a little disappointed that it wasn't the prince, but it was fair since he wasn't even here yet. "All right, see you later, guys!" Before they could look at it, she was gone.

"Who's..."

Sakura didn't look bothered, meaning that it was a good sign. "That is just the guard that stands outside the girls's floor at night," she said, waving a small goodbye. "She did promise to take us all on the floor out for a dance tonight. Maybe we should keep going?"

After awhile, a commotion could be heard at the entrance of the hall, signifying that a set of royals were probably arriving. As the trio pushed themselves to the front of the hall, the bright emerald colours signified it was the Clubs royals. Queen Elizabeta and Jack Roderich entered behind King Ivan, who immediately started to dance with someone he couldn't quite see, the couple starting to make their way to the dance room right after him. Another few minutes, and the Diamonds entered, fanning out and all taking different partners except the tiny Queen who started walking around with Joker Gilbert.

"Um, excuse me?" Arthur whirled around, coming face to face with Officer Steillson – it had been awhile since they'd spoke, but his gaze was fixed on someone beside him. "E-Er, Sir Leon, would you care for a dance? It's all right if you're busy with your friends-"

His friend broke into a smile, coolly adjusting his suit as if he didn't look like a model already. "It would be my delight, Officer Steillson," he said smoothly, and detached his dance card to let the guard sign it before leading him to the floor. "See ya," he mouthed to Sakura and Arthur, being swallowed in the crowd.

"Erm, you don't have to hang around with me if you don't want to," Arthur muttered, adjusting his gloves awkwardly, but she simply shook her head.

"It is all right, Arthur, with just the two of us it is much more peaceful." That, at least, made him smile, helping him to dispel some of the nervousness. "Ah, there is Sir Alfonso and Sir Thomas – perhaps we should go to them?"

Following her, they found the two of them watching everyone else dance almost expertly on the floor, twisting Arthur's stomach. "Have you two gotten a dance yet?"

"Has the party not just started?"

"Yeah, but Lady Natalya's gotten one with the Clubs king already," Thomas said, fiddling with his dance card. With his steel glasses matching his tie, standing out against his dark skin, and hair perfectly styled into a line-up, he looked very put together. "Apparently Avie's been asked by the Diamonds Jack to dance as well. So it would be a good idea to prepare to be asked by a royal."

Alfonso nodded – he had cleaned up immensely well, his hair tied up and a healthy flush on his cheeks. "Don't envy her too much, though. Even without a gun he's terrifying. Speaking of royals, has he come downstairs yet?"

"I do not think so, no," Sakura replied. Arthur's eyes caught on King Francis's chrome yellow ribbon bobbing up and down as he danced with his daughter. "Have you?"

"Though all the guards and maids and whatnot are wearing some shade of blue, neither of them look like Prince Alfred. Oh wait, that's the...oh, that's-"

"Red?"

"Hearts," Arthur said automatically, a side effect of his education. He tried to keep his tone neutral, disguising his slight disappointment.

Jack Feliciano and Ace Lovino's matching coats were distinct as they entered, accompanied by the King of Hearts, dressed grandly in a coat that was adorned with golden epaulettes, tassels swinging against the fur lining. Without hesitating, Jack Feliciano reached a hand out to his husband, who took it and let him pull him to the dance floor, leaving Ace Lovino behind to disappear within the crowd.

"Aw, that's kinda cute," Alfonso remarked over the din. "Huh? Oh, have fun, Thom!" Watching his friend being led away, he turned to the two of them with a grin. "I asked everyone else, but who do you think's going to be asked first by Alfred?"

"Sakura, I'd say," Arthur admitted. Moving out of the way for a couple to attend to the dance floor, he continued. "After the outside date with him, and the fact that she's popular with the people, I think? At least, that's what they've been saying in the papers-"

"Yeah, they've been saying it on the television as well-"

"Ah, you two are being far too nice," she mumbled, two pink spots appearing on her cheeks. "I do not think it will be just based on rankings, I think he will at least try to take every single one of us out."

"Probably will take me out last, if at all, seeing how things have been going."

That was met with a exasperated grin as he rubbed on his mole. "No need to be a sourpuss, Arthur," he said. "He'll make time for everyone!"

"Not for a bad dancer – and there's sixteen, right? The schedule said there were sixteen planned dances."

"Planned doesn't mean there'll only be sixteen, there's so many people here tonight."

Sakura nodded, her small hand patting Arthur's shoulder just before she made her way to the front to see. "These sorts of balls last forever into the night, Arthur. Please do not be discouraged. I will see you two later."

"See ya, Lady Sakura!"

"Stay safe, Sakura."

Before he could feebly turn down their attempts at comfort, the hubbub at the front of the hall grew louder, and along with it three figures dressed in blue followed.

The moment the Spadian royals entered, along with Joker Katya, a hush fell into the room as they walked close to the middle. It was to be expected but the way that he could feel everyone – including himself, shamefully – straighten their backs and watch Alfred enter the room, the light clinging onto his golden clock, ornamental shoulder pieces, tousled hair, winning smile, everything.

Arthur reminded himself that first, it was unfair for him to put such a boy on a pedestal, and second, that he had to breathe.

"Fashionably late, huh?" Alfonso whispered, but he was enraptured all the same. Descending past the flowers, there was no need for a spotlight as the Primary Suit fanned out, Yao fading into conversation with Roderich and Katya speaking to her fellow Joker. The two brothers remained together, speaking softly to a pair of Chosen lingering near the entrance. "Rather smart of them to do that, though."

"Fifty gold it's the girl on the ri-" Just as soon as he started to speak, Matthew extended his hand to the girl whilst Alfred leaned down slightly to write his name against the boy to the left's dance card, handing the pencil to his brother after he'd finished. "Drat."

Alfonso beamed, though surprisingly Arthur didn't detect any malice from him. "Pay up," he teased, making a motion with his gloved hand that was responded to with a deadpan gaze. "Kidding, kidding. You know, I will say that I had zero expectations for my chances, but it's still kinda sad to watch the guy you like go with someone else, right?"

"Yes, I suppose," Arthur said, pausing whilst Alfonso plucked two glasses of champagne off a passing servant and gave him one. "O-oh. Thank you."

"Why all the surprise? We're friendly, aren't we?" At Arthur gingerly nodding once, he only smiled wider. "Aight. Cheers."

"Cheers."

Clinking their glasses, they both turned around from where they were standing near the curtains to watch Alfred twirl around with the boy, looking radiant and possessing none of the uncertainty he had when practising with him. Arthur's chest suddenly felt funny, as if a knot had ensnared itself within it. It had to be the alcohol.

"Thanks for sticking around," Arthur mumbled – he had no idea how to do these things. "You could get a dance much easier without me hanging around, but. But."

"Huh? Could say the same for you," Alfonso said, taking a quick sip. "It's better to make friends than enemies. And there's a lot we have in common. Us 'holding facility kids' have gotta stick together. Oops, sorry about that, sir. Maybe we shouldn't sandwich the corridor by ourselves."

I didn't mean just tonight, but in general. I don't make friends so easily, unlike everyone else here, Arthur wanted to say, but steeled himself. Such words would drive any sane person away, and he was convinced that Alfonso was sane.

"Good idea." They began walking through the corridors, careful to blend in the side lines but still keeping the main dance floor in view. "Regardless, no one'll ask me out on a dance, I'm sure."

"Could still say the same about myself. I've only really been on a handful of dates with the prince-"

"Mhm."

"And the public support has been, you know. Meh. For me."

Arthur took a sip. The bubbles made him feel odd in a pleasant manner, but the same could be said for his companion. "You're still here, though."

Alfonso tilted his head, darker green eyes meeting his cheerfully. "Could say the same about you. And we both like him, right?"

Opening his mouth, he found that he had no retort to that, no matter how hard his eyebrows furrowed.

"Yes, I suppose."

"That's a lot more than many of the people from well off families, and the prince isn't a fool. He'll be able to sort them out from the guys who are here for the right reasons," they came to a rest behind a white plinth, not in the view of any major camera. Alfred was whirling someone else around now. The tight feeling in his chest grew worse. "And then the competition will really start, because something more important than the crown'll be at stake."

"His heart," Arthur echoed, so enraptured in the sight of Alfred's confidence that neither of them noticed Ace Lovino and Matthew exchange glances and approach them until it was almost too late. "Your Highnesses-"

"Ace Lovino, I'd like you to meet Sir Arthur and Sir Alfonso," Matthew said brightly as the two of them hastily bowed. "They're both part of the Deciding."

"Nice to meet you, gentlemen," Lovino said, bowing in greeting. It was hard to reconcile this fellow with the fierce individual that he'd studied about in classes, and it was possible to see the same thought run through Alfonso's mind. A flicker of recognition came over Lovino's face when he looked at Arthur, but he didn't voice it. "Are either of you free for a dance?"

Alfonso and Arthur exchanged a glance. "Of course, Your Highness," Alfonso said quickly, fishing for his dance card so it could be pencilled in by the Hearts Ace, who led him away.

Arthur, on the other hand, lifted his so Matthew could write his name in careful cursive. "I hope I didn't ruin a chat there," the Ace said softly, pocketing his pencil and following the pair. "You two seemed like you were having a good time. This dance is quite easy, so you need not worry."

"Thank you, Matthew," he began to say, but paused, voicing his question out loud. "Wait, how exactly did you find out I wasn't very confident in my dancing?"

A hint of mirth danced in his violet eyes. "At night, just before he goes to bed, my brother speaks at length about you and forgets that I live in the room next to his. It's too easy to hear everything."

Arriving at the main dance floor, where everything was paved in blue, Arthur pushed away the frayed knot in his chest and took a deep breath as he faced Matthew, focusing on his stray curl as if it would help him forget the way Alfred's hand felt holding his.