"So, first things first, thank you for all being on time this morning," Ludwig was saying during the first meeting of the day. There had been two last night, both which Alfred was luckily excused from as he was giving dancing lessons to Lady Marianne and Emma, neither of which really needed them but was some good footage for the cameras nonetheless. He'd gotten to hear about the dresses they were preparing for the occasion, and managed to even joke about the party for a little bit before their thirty minutes was up. Starting today, however, he'd have to get to the holding facility members. First, Sir Thomas and Alfonso – knowing they were friends, they probably would have liked to go together. Lunch, two (hopefully short) meetings, feeding Hero, then Lady Avie, then there was another meeting he'd have to sit through, then hopefully Arthur after dinner-

"Alfred? You are our equal in everything but name, you know." Oops. It seemed that even with Elizabeta, he was the same old grumpy Roderich, who cleared his throat. "Please, at least let Ludwig know that you are present."

"Uh, right. Present."

"Alright, that concludes the roll call." Chancing a glance around the room, everyone was seated in their usual positions, with the hosting kingdom sitting at the last section of the U shaped circle. There were the two royals of Hearts and the currently presenting Ludwig, the four Diamonds royals, including the new Ace guy, the Clubs and...ugh, Ivan, and Matthew and Yao on his left. The Jokers were seated with their current kingdoms, with Gilbert sitting next to Francis and Katya sitting next to Yao. "Does anyone have any pressing issues that need to be addressed before we start with the scheduled topics today?"

There was the familiar sound of papers rustling. No one spoke. "Alright. Well, I'll start with the first item on our list, concerning Diamonds and their topic of their newly crowned Ace and the matter of his internship. Francis, if you would?"

The two kings exchanged a few words as they passed one another, before Francis took his place on the podium. Though Alfred had seen him drink a few glasses of wine last night, he didn't seem like he had overdone it. "Thank you. Everyone, as you may know, according to tradition our Ace must undergo a year of internship, and after much debate he has optioned it for later this year, around after the summer solstice."

Nods were exchanged; nothing out of protocol with that. Other than the fact that Feli looked exceptionally tired and on the verge of falling asleep, but nothing new there.

"Excellent. Now, I will invite him to speak regarding his choices that were submitted to him after I requested."

From what Matthew had told him after Antonio was elected to the position, the thing he had been known for was being the playmate of Francis and Gil when they were young, hence rumours that that was why he was chosen for the job. However, he didn't look incapable or foolish when he made his way to the podium, a small notebook in his hands and began to speak.

"First of all," he said, casting his gaze around the room, taking a moment to look at both kings and Yao. When his gaze met Alfred's he couldn't help but feel happy that he was still included. At the same time, why did all the Diamonds have such a blinding smile? Ring ring, the sun wanted its radiance back. "I'm very grateful by all the offers that have been given to me, as well as everyone's kindness. However, after much discussion with my Primary Suit, I have decided on the kingdom's invitation that I would like to accept."

The formal talk was kinda boring Alfred already, and it was nine in the morning.

"But Yao, I thought we discussed about not-"

"Not to worry," the two of them were whispering in very quiet tones, something he probably couldn't replicate. "Francis knows that we didn't work hard on our proposal this year for obvious reasons. I daresay Antonio is aware of that as well."

"Hearts," Nodding once at the three royals, Antonio beamed. Even Feliciano, probably the closest thing to a ray of sunshine they had, squinted. "May I enquire further on your offer?"

No one looked particularly surprised by his choice – Hearts's Deciding was different in terms of excitement. After a certain amount of training, there was nothing to do after they picked what they thought was the best candidates for the job and waited for the Fates to decide. The stakes in Spades were drastic – Alfred had always wanted a Deciding, and the event was still being plastered all over televisions and newspapers in Cards. As for Clubs, they were having one too, but it didn't seem romantic or anything. Come to think of it, he hadn't really paid attention to theirs.

Then again, who would wanna intern in a kingdom that had – ugh, Ivan – in it?!

"Thank you, Antonio, we are very honoured by your choice," Ludwig said. "However, I believe that Lovino, our Ace, should be the one to speak about it. He has worked very hard on our proposal."

The shock on Lovino's face was unmistakable. "Ludwig," he mumbled, sounding very different than the spiteful tone he used exclusively for the king, Alfred had heard Ludwig huff about it several times. "Are you sure that-"

"Lovino, you've almost singlehandedly done the groundwork for this project." his tone was stern. "It wouldn't be right if anyone else presented it."

With a bit more chiding from the now fully awake Feliciano, Lovino exhaled once and stood up, warily facing Antonio who was waiting with expectant eyes. "Well. As my king has said, we would be more than happy to receive you as soon as our Deciding concludes. Fates willing, literally."

"Is there a time estimate?" Vash asked, raising a pen to catch the Ace's attention.

"As we're left to the whims of our Fate, I can't give you a solid one, but at its current pace and examining past competitions, it shouldn't be past November."

"Really?!" Roderich and Elizabeta exchanged amused looks at his blatant excitement, one that almost mirrored Alfred's own. "Oh sorry. I mean, right! Whenever works for you, Lovino."

"What? No, not just for me." It looked like to him as if he were biting at his cheek to not throw out an insult. "We have a Deciding going on, like everyone else here."

"Not here, dear Lovino. I am not sure about Ivan's, but-"

"Francis, what the hell did you just call me?" The vein was practically beating out of his forehead as soon as the King of Diamonds spoke. Right, without the profanity and the bickering with him, he wasn't really Lovino, but the sudden change was kinda...funny. "I am the Ace of Hearts, not whatever you're trying to call-"

"But you surely must know that I call everyone that, what's the problem?"

"The fact that it's coming out of your mouth! I'm trying to give a presentation, and here you are with-"

"We're listening," Vash said acridly, elbowing Francis lightly. The guy was probably pleased that they could save their budget on not having to scout the other kingdoms. Then again, he was the one that came up with the joke about having supposed 'trade deficits' for not hosting what would be a pointless Deciding. "Please go on, Lovino."

By then, however, Alfred was daydreaming about the rest of his day, and how he was gonna help inexperienced people dance when he wasn't really good at it himself.

Arthur woke up to his face being stuffed in his bear's soft stomach, one leg tossed over his ruffled blankets, and Anna standing teasingly over him.

"Good morning, Sir Arthur," she sang, and he could just about see a blurry envelope in her hand, though with the speed she was waving it around he couldn't make out the colour. "Got a good rest? Were you interested in breakfast?"

"I...erm...oh, I'm so sorry," he mumbled, pawing at his face and clearing his eyes of sleep dust before sleepily facing her. "Yes, I am, apologies. I – we were dismissed late last night."

The corners of her lips crinkled into a smile. "No worries, I heard that the dinner started late last night. Would you like your usual, then?"

"If that's all right." Realising he was still cuddling his bear – thankfully, only his maid knew that he slept with it daily – he quickly put it underneath his bed sheets and covered it up to its chin. He hadn't written a response to Kiku yet, and with the starting of the new school year his family was probably busy. Who else would send him something...was it... "Anna, is the envelope-"

Almost like she had been waiting for him to ask her, she shot forward, her brown eyes sparkling. "Mhm! Open it, open it! It's blue! And probably from the prince!"

Blinking a few more times, he leaned forward and realised that it was indeed blue – probably blending in with the general colour of the room. Yet the cynic in him had to ask, "Did he come deliver it to you this morning?"

"Well...well, no," she said, deflating a little, but quickly regained her composure. "But he's very busy with Meeting things this week, so he might not have had the time!"

That was a fair point, but for the sake of his pride he wouldn't exactly say it. Leaning forward to take it from her, he paused as she made a playful expression, one he'd now gotten used to seeing, and motioned at his hands. Exhaling once, he cupped them together and held them out as if he was at church praying to the Fates. She promptly put the letter in his hands with a tiny wink. "Go on, then! Whilst I get your breakfast..."

"Oh, er, it's all right if you wanted to stay," Two months, almost two and half with her meant that he had started to get to understand her a little more. Disguising her excitement wasn't one of her strong traits, though she had many. In some ways, she reminded Arthur of Erin – the enthusiasm, her optimistic nature, even the way she looked out for him was similar to that of an older sibling. He'd have to ask more about her family when he got the chance, he thought as she pulled up a chair to sit in front of him.

"To Sir Arthur," he said. The writing was clearly not his and probably a template, seeing said busy prince wouldn't have time to handwrite all his notes to all his Chosen, given there were twenty of them still here. "I am writing to request your presence at the main hall tonight after dinner, to give you some assistance regarding dancing at the upcoming ball. As this is compulsory, you may not need to attend,"

"Like that would happen," Resting her chin on her palms, she looked incredibly smug. Arthur snorted, acknowledging her truthful comment, before continuing. "But if you do not wish to have this lesson, do let me know as soon as possible. Please bring a pair of gloves if you do wish to attend. Best regards, Prince Alfred."

"Aw," she remarked as Arthur carefully folded the note back into its small envelope. "Gotta say, that was painfully short. I mean. You are going, right?"

He nodded once and got up from his position on his bed, uncrossing his legs. Taking one look at the mirror behind him, he grimaced at the sight of his hair. "I'd be a fool not to, I think."

"Precisely! All right, with that excitement about the way, I should probably go and fix your breakfast, eh? I've already eaten mine," she said once Arthur started to ask about her as he usually did every morning. "So no worries, you can leave it up to me! I'm also getting your suit ready, so don't worry about that. I'll bring down the gloves too."

"Thank you for all your hard work," he said, giving her a tiny thumbs up. "Apologies for being busy these few days. I hope the mess hasn't been too terrible."

"Nonsense. Nothing wrong with you doing all that reading, it hasn't been a problem at all." she said, returning the gesture in a way that made him self conscious – did he really hunch his shoulders and stick out his head when he stuck out his thumbs? "Though it's nice to see all your planning and research about the dancing. Do you think it's helped?"

"They're – oh, bollocks," Arthur's hand flew from his bird's nest of hair to his mouth. Had she managed to catch a glimpse of the titles that he was borrowing? Sure, he may not have technically been allowed to the library, but as everyone was busy, he may have snuck in and borrowed a few books about the art of dancing, balls, and whatever social life of a member of the Inner Circle would contain, after the reprimand from the Jack. "You didn't happen to see..."

Stopping from where she was about to exit his room, she folded her arms. "Sir Arthur, I clean your room practically daily," she said, still wearing the same smug expression. "There's no embarrassment about reading up on etiquette. Heck, when I was hired from the countryside, I did a lot of reading like yours."

Ah, so she lived in the countryside, Arthur thought, shelving the information later – it would probably be a better conversation when it wasn't so bloody early in the morning. Unlike before, though, she didn't look awkward whilst divulging more about her background, a sentiment he shared. "I see...so it's commonplace?"

"It shows you're working hard, at least to me. I'll be back in a moment," and with that she was off.

Working hard? He only allowed himself to think about it after the door closed. Labelling his actions like that hadn't really occurred to him. Perhaps he was actually trying now, which simultaneously reassured and frightened him. He'd always thought as if he'd be trying hard at his studies, or working at a mage association by now, but striving to impress someone the likes of the Prince of Spades...

Especially accompanied by the thought that he could be sent home at any time, the little cynic that had always resided in his head seemed to puff out its chest and make itself known when it came to Alfred specifically. He wasn't particularly fond of the bugger, but had to admit that even the cynic was trying to protect him. Mostly.

But, with this note, his expectations of his elimination were called into question again. The disappointed look he'd given him had told him something, but then this blue note told him something else. It wasn't his fault that Alfred wasn't able to make time – amongst Kings, Queens, Jacks, Aces and Jokers and the other Chosen – for a single member that was probably more divisive than what was considered normal at this stage.

His attention drifted back to the note. Turning it around uncertainly, not sure what to do next, Arthur was once again certain that no amount of books nor research could prepare him for seeing Alfred again.

"Why do you think they're attacking Diamonds the most, then? There hasn't been any precise statements they've given us either."

"It's because we're the only ones with a full Primary Suit, and have the most to gain if they do something drastic such as, Fates forbid, infiltrate our governments as they'd threatened before."

Francis sighed, rubbing at his stubble. "That was then. Who knows if their mode of attack has changed, or even what they want? If they'd stop being only a passing nuisance. Then again, that'll bring another layer of challenges."

"It's the strangest rebellion we've ever seen. The only thing we know is them wanting to be accepted as a separate kingdom of Jokers, but we've always been able to only have two on Cards at the same time!"

"We don't know. For now, they're still laying low in their hideout, but that's all we know. That's why we need to allow Alfred to sit in these meetings, in case things suddenly change."

"Oh, is that the only reason?" Alfred clenched his jaw at Ivan's remark, delivered by the infuriatingly cheerful expression on his face. Fates, he had been fucking with him all day, to the point where all the fun he had with Alfonso and Thomas's dance lessons had completely disappeared.

"Ivan, please," Elizabeta, by far his favourite member of the Clubs royalty, patted him on the arm. Besides Yao, who was in a meeting with all the Jacks and Aces regarding trade or something, she was the best to diffuse their less than amicable rivalry of sorts. "It will be a matter of time before he is king, and if he's filled in earlier, it'll make it easier for everyone. Understood?"

He could barely fight back a snicker as Ivan bent his head in acknowledgement, sounding as if he'd been reprimanded by a mother. The other kings and queens shuffled in their seats awkwardly, which made him feel a bit bad, but it wasn't his fault that the Clubs king was a bit of an ass. He didn't quite know why they never could quite see eye to eye, but as long as Ivan kept pushing he'd do the same.

After the two of them quietened down, Ludwig bent over to hiss something in Alfred's ear. "Luckily your favourite advisorship wasn't here to see that, or you'd be getting a chewing out."

If only you knew. Privately, he hadn't hidden his disdain for them with his best friend, who was a fortress when it came to these things. With the other Primary Suit members, the Spades advisorship weren't particularly popular either, but it still made him stiffen at the thought. "Y-Yeah," he hissed back, trying to shrug it off.

"...right, well." Elizabeta was picking up the conversation again. "Do you require any assistance on your end with the theft? Especially regarding Lili." She placed her hand on her knee in what looked like an automatic gesture, but that didn't surprise Alfred either.

From what he'd heard, after her mother, Jeanne, died from the sickness when she was still a toddler, Elizabeta had took into account their kingdoms' relative closeness and the fact she was raising her eldest daughter at the same time to help take care of Lili alongside Francis and Vash when she could. She'd even looked out for Alfred and Matthew in a similar way. It looked like she'd assumed the same role for Ivan after his uncle was finally slain in a violent military campaign in the Easterns, but that had been some years ago. Had her influence really helped him?

For starters, he'd started the Deciding for some reason though he didn't look particularly interested in marriage and it would just have been easier to just elect someone to the position, but perhaps he didn't trust anyone enough except Roderich and Elizabeta? Katya couldn't take up the position, with her being Joker and everything, so...

Crap. Is that sympathy for – ugh – Ivan? He was largely tuned out to what the others were saying now; it was pretty common knowledge that geographically Spades was the farthest away from the Joker rebels's hideout, and politically they had the least to gain from attacking. But wondering about his rival's position, he thought as he glared at him from the corner of his eye, he realised how fortunate he was.

The kingdom wouldn't be anywhere without Yao and Matthew, and even when he ascended to the throne it would be the same. Katya constantly assisted them all with their duties whilst excelling in her own, and he had friends all over the four kingdoms, as well as being well liked by his people, and been left a strong legacy from his parents. Ivan, on the other hand, seemed like the only choice after his uncle, and he hadn't had nearly as much buzz about his Deciding compared to Alfred's. He couldn't say that most of the other royals had the same easy friendship with him either.

Was that because of his lack of popularity, or something else?

Lili's voice was what woke him from his thoughts. "Alfred? You've gone very quiet," she said, her voice echoing through the room like a tiny bell, "We don't have to talk about it if you don't want us to."

"Oh, uh, not at all, Lili," he said, giving her his thumbs up. Oops. That kinda was a bad explanation. "Please, uh, do carry on. I'm not...super knowledgeable on this kinda stuff."

"All right. You've been the one keeping tabs on the precious metals these few months. Anything you'd like to share?" Ludwig's voice was gentle when speaking to the small queen – maybe the reason was that Francis was in the meeting, but also maybe the fact that everyone shared a mutual adoration for her.

She leafed through her hand written notes before speaking. "Well, um, we've been keeping an eye on the numbers and it doesn't seem like there have been a lot of dis-rep-ancies," she said. "It seems like the more guard presence around the area has made them go away for a bit."

"Good work. Yes, she's right; the increased presence seems to have delayed their previously consistent theft of the amplifiers. Best to save costs on those, as Vash says."

"It's pretty clear they don't want anything to do with the people, anyway. From what little we know."

"Correct. At the same time, though, their lack of physical action worries me more than it comforts. It at least suggests that they're interested in infiltration more than huge actions."

"That, or their leadership is scattered all over the place."

Alfred shrugged; finally he had something to comment about. "I mean, if they were doing massive on scale assaults, we couldn't have gotten everyone to visit. At least one member of every Primary Suit would have had to stay back. And as Eliza said before, we could be in a really bad spot if they'd started full on assaults, so their lack of preparation is to our benefit."

"True," Ludwig replied to that with a tilt of his head. "It's best for all of us that they're a passing nuisance. Though, Francis, Lili, I must ask – have they been targeting the nullifiers, per chance?"

"Erm, I don't think they've been touching the supplies there."

"Fair enough. That should rule out the mages as a target."

"Mhm." Ivan – ugh, Ivan – nodded cheerfully. "It's not surprising that the rebels aren't interested in throwing away what little magic they can use, right?" A ripple of laughter went around the group. "But if you have a problem with troops, we can provide them. If things get worse."

Francis paused, looking at Elizabeta for confirmation. After she gave him a nod, he reached over the table to shake Ivan's hand and that was that. "Thank you, Ivan. In terms of Diamonds, we now no longer have anything to present in terms of the Joker rebel movement, we have nothing else to say."

With Hearts and Clubs having already presented what little they knew about the Joker rebel movement, Ludwig asked Alfred if there was anything on their end, which there obviously wasn't.

"Right, excellent. We are a little ahead of schedule for the next meeting, so. I'll see you all at the next meeting in," he looked at the clock, "Thirty minutes. It'll be in room three one six, as detailed on your schedules."

Oops, Alfred had stuffed it down the inner pocket of his jacket, and tried to flatten out it so it didn't look so crumpled. By Ludwig's severe expression when he saw it, it didn't really work. What was with him and his schedules, anyway? Thankfully, as the one siting the closest to the exit, he managed to get out of there the fastest. Great, he could spend time with Hero before the next meeting!

Hold your partner at an appropriate length, not too far but not too close as to not court scandal. If either of you blunder, do your best to correct your mistake before anyone notices. When using dance cards if requested by the host, tie them securely around your wrist and ensure they do not fall off.

"Erm, Anna," Arthur asked, fingers lingering on the page he was about to turn over. She was currently organising the clothing he was supposedly to wear on Sunday, and she peeked past his closet door to listen. "Do you know what a 'dance card' is?"

"A dance card? Oh, I think so, a little bit," she replied. "Haven't actually used one, but I have a fellow maid who once worked in the Inner Circle, and she told me a story about how everyone used one whilst going to balls and stuff. Basically, someone writes their name in a dance card if they want to reserve you for a specific dance, I think."

"Oh, that makes sense, sort of. Thank you," he said. Another thing for him to deal with. His dance card would probably be empty, but that was fine if he could discard it by the end of the night.

Do not overly indulge in the foods at the ball in case of bloat. Highly recommended to eat a meal before leaving home. If unfamiliar with the venue, find out where the bathroom is beforehand. In the event of an injury, however slight, rest immediately. It is not worth the potential injury, and following embarrassment and excruciating pain, should something happen to you. Bring a pair of gloves. If eating, be sure to remove them, but otherwise it would be best to have them on for the majority of the evening.

He couldn't help frowning at a few of the points as he continued reading. Fair enough, the guide was meant for high society and some concepts were foreign to him. Even with that expectation, too many things confused him. Why not just ask for a dance on the spot? Why not eat the food? Why did people attend these instead of just staying home and being in peace?

After reading up to point thirty, he decided that it wouldn't magically teach him to dance. He'd managed, from the few diagrams it actually had, to pick up a few steps, but that was it, and he'd be careful to make sure no one else was in his room when practising them. The only thing he could do was copy all the etiquette that seemed like it had been eerily lifted from a handful of his favourite classical novels. Seems like some things never changed for the wealthy.

Looking at the clock, he realised he wasn't thrilled about seeing where the first hand rested. Fates, twenty minutes until dinner started. One wary look at the barely open window showed the sun just about setting, confirming his nerves. Which meant, after dinner, it would be...

Suddenly, all the excitement from seeing him again dissipated. Anna, just having finished hanging his suit on the hanger noticed his tense fingers on the book he was reading and went over to him, pulling up a chair as she did so. "Arthur, you okay? You're looking quite uncomfortable."

"...Oh, Anna, I apologise, I was lost in my..." she looked at him sternly, as if to say don't try to dodge the question, "...Yes. My lesson's due for after dinner, and it's already dark. I don't know what'll happen if I do the wrong thing, which I'm sure to do. With all the cameras and everything, I fear that the prince will dismiss me-"

He didn't even realise he was shaking until she placed a hand on his shoulder. "Sir Arthur, I hope this makes sense, but I doubt that he will send you home based on the fact that you're not really proud with your dancing skills."

"But people are usually sent home after dances and whatnot-"

"Yes, but this is just a practise. At the real thing too, it wouldn't matter if he really liked you, and I'm sure he does." He searched her face, but there was nothing that didn't betray sincerity. It crossed his mind to tell her, though he hadn't told a single soul, about their kiss, but there was probably too much on her plate right now. "If you don't want to dance too much on the night of the ball, I'm sure he'll understand. Putting in an earnest effort is probably all that he'd like from you."

"I..." He placed the blue invitation – which he had been using as a bookmark – into the page he was reading and gingerly closed the book. Twenty minutes left. He should get ready by making sure what he was wearing was presentable, since he was certain the encounter would be filmed. "Are you sure?"

Getting up from her chair and walking back towards her wardrobe, probably thinking the same thing as him, Anna nodded. "Yes, I'm sure! I'm going to help you go all the way, remember? I can only help you though, if you'd have a bit more confidence I'm sure that it would be easier."

Giving her a shaky smile in return, Arthur followed her example and decided to help out with whatever she was doing, especially if it meant he had to pick out a set of clothes. He had an appointment to prepare for.

"Don't worry, Vash, I've been keeping up with my sword training!" Alfred mumbled out the side of his mouth as he continued to cut into his carrots.

No, he hadn't. It had been three months since he'd picked up his sword, but he should probably do it again soon. Was there such thing as a romantic sparring?

Currently, it seemed like everyone else was listening to whatever Feli was saying, so it was probably the best chance for the Jack to ask about his swordplay, which he hadn't worked on for a while because of...you know. Even though Cards was at its most peaceful it had been for decades, it was to be expected that Vash, as a former captain of the guard, would still want to keep sharp. It wasn't like they had many other overlapping interests, so it left that.

"Oh, really?" At least he sounded impressed. "Then, how say you we spar for a bit after dinner? The grounds aren't occupied by the guards at present, correct?"

Shitshitshitshitshiiiit. Though he himself was plenty strong, he couldn't measure up to one of, if not the strongest, fighter in Cards, and that stern expression made him nervous. Thankfully, Yao came to the rescue, breaking away from another conversation to kindly remind both of them that Alfred was busy tonight.

"Ahaha, yeah that's right! Sorry, Vash, we can do this later, right?" He took a sip of his soda, carefully disguised in a porcelain cup so it didn't look like it unless you were sitting super close to him. "Mmf. Right!"

Back to his meal. The gurgling in his stomach, though, wasn't because he was eating too fast or something, but the fact that he was busy tonight. The small conversation with the Jack had helped him forget about it temporarily, but it was now back with a vengeance. Dancing with Arthur...

Man. He had felt nervous when interacting with everyone else, but not like this. It wasn't a problem if he really didn't want to dance or wasn't very good at it, but they hadn't really spoken since they'd shared their first kiss. Alfred's first kiss, but he didn't need reminding from himself. Shh.

Ballroom dancing was something he'd only gotten to train in once he'd returned from the military, around two years ago. As a result, whilst Matthew was going around Spades, conducting research, drumming up support, as well as learning to dance excellently as part of the social life of the Inner Circle, he was only average. From Arthur's comments, he wasn't good at it either, but there wasn't much they could do about that now other than their best. Cheesy, but it was true.

More importantly than his lack of experience, he wanted to ask him so many things, say so many things, do so many things, and just spend time with him, pretty much. Realising he'd finished his meal earlier than most of the royals sitting around, he risked a glance at Arthur who was sitting a little lower than he usually did. He looked happy, yet his meal was only half eaten and he seemed preoccupied talking to Sakura and Leon. Content to observe his happiness for awhile, he let his gaze flicker restlessly until Arthur suddenly turned around.

Their eyes met again in what had felt like forever. Caught off guard, his mouth was parted slightly in a soft o, annoyingly devoid of food stains or something Yao would usually tell him off for. Alfred watched his green eyes catch the light of the chandeliers as he looked back. All the embarrassing thoughts, the sensation of his hands resting on his chest, the faint scent of mint in his room, the sound his lips had made when they detached from his own, came flooding back. All of a sudden, it didn't matter that there was only a few minutes between dinner and spending one on one time with him, he couldn't stop wanting to be close.

"Stop staring, idiot," Arthur mouthed, trying to shake his head discreetly. What was Alfred thinking, trying to look at him when every other royal from Cards was sitting with him, not to mention nineteen other Chosen and cameras? It didn't seem to shake his starry eyed gaze, meaning he either didn't hear it or chose to ignore it, and the longer it went on his resolve started to weaken further and further.

He didn't miss him. He didn't. Not those energetic blue eyes, or his steel glasses, or the sound of his laughter echoing in his dreams.

Everyone was looking at their direction anyway, and Arthur's gaze managed to blend in, but the fact that he managed to catch his attention meant something else, standing out against the hubbub of the crowd. Abruptly – the exchange must have only lasted a few seconds before he was swept up in another conversation with the Queen of Clubs. Neither of his friends seemed to notice too much either, still finishing their meals.

Thinking that their brief interaction was over, he tried to continue eating, but not without chancing another glance at him. That was a huge mistake. At the same time, he realised that Alfred had had the same idea when their eyes met once more. It was such a simple action, something so unimportant that it shouldn't have sent shivers down his spine, but it did. He had been smiling at something that Queen Elizabeta had been saying, and the exhilaration was infectious. It was just a glance. It wasn't important. This competition wasn't important.

So why did it make him feel this way, just by a simple look?

Forcing himself to tilt his chin high enough so the exquisite light of the chandeliers would drown out Alfred's, he fought back whatever emotion that had started to bubble up to his surface. After dinner, he'd need to do his best to pick up whatever he could regarding dancing with a partner. Yes, that would mean that they'd get to spend time with each other, but he'd tackle that aspect later.

Risking one last glance at Alfred, who was now engrossed in conversation with the Clubs couple, he went back to his food but found that he could barely eat as much as he usually did, out of nervousness.

Much like the time they'd visited the library, Arthur dithered in the dining room until everyone had left – he'd explained briefly to his friends that he'd finally gotten his dancing lesson, to which they all responded to with excitement. Even if his relationship with him was at a focal point, being able to form bonds with someone else other than his family and Kiku meant a lot, though he wasn't happy to demonstrate it outwardly for fear of losing his pride. Still, he managed to say goodbye to them before he sat awkwardly in one of the chairs, quickly explaining that he was scheduled to be with the prince when one of the servants asked to take it.

Inadvertedly, he started kneading his fingers back and forth in his palm, nervously watching where he was interacting effortlessly with the other royals. It was pretty obvious they adored him, from King Francis's hair ruffling to Joker Gilbert's arm slung over his shoulder. Practically everyone was clustered around him. How did it feel to be the person in the room that people rushed to talk to? Having that charisma and power was something he'd only be able to dream of, but with Alfred it seemed to come naturally.

The Queen of Diamonds, easily the smallest out of the group, turned around, peering to where Arthur was sitting. A hint of a smile appeared on her face as she turned back, scooted up to Alfred and tugged at his sleeve, whispering a few words to him before making her way back to her father. Whilst she did so, Alfred looked behind his shoulder, noticing him as well. Arthur raised his hand in greeting, careful to not look too imposing.

He wasn't able to hear what he was saying from a distance, but he clearly said something to his fellow royals that caused them to exit the room with friendly greetings as they did so. Thankfully, none of them seemed to notice him sitting on the chair. Quickly getting to his feet when Alfred approached him, the first thing he did was bow in greeting. "Your Highness."

"Sorry about the wait, Si – Artie," it was funny to see how he changed so quickly once the royals were outside of the door. "Haven't talked to them in ages, and with all the meetings and stuff today it's been kinda frantic."

"No, I understand completely. I...I hope you're well? Since you've been working so hard?"

Alfred grinned; reminding him how easy it was to win him over...but why was it only with him specifically? "Yeah, I have! With all the lessons in between, I'm also super tired."

"O-oh. If you're too tired, we can postpone-"

"Nah, don't worry about it! Unless," he sagged a little, "You don't wanna do it? I mean, it's not compulsory or anything."

"No, I do," Arthur blurted, a little too fast. "I mean. I'd like to. Of course. I even, er, brought my gloves."

"Heh, you're really that insecure about your skills?" Alfred was teasing, but there seemed to be an unspoken question behind it.

Did you want to spend time with me? Both of them waited with baited breath, but Arthur couldn't bring himself to tell the truth. Instead, he defaulted to what he knew best. "Correct, I absolutely have two left feet. I'd prefer to not make a fool of myself on television and dozens of people on Sunday."

"Not like I'm any better. Alright, let's go!"

Waiting for him to open the door, the two of them walked to what Alfred called meeting room six.

"Is it a studio within the palace?"

"Uh, not exactly. It's kind of a room where we have a music player and a gramophone installed, whichever someone wants." 'Music player' meant the dingy white plastic machine that was provided to the dorms in the holding facility, so Arthur was curious as to how a palace version would look. "Anyway, it'll give us a lot more privacy than compared to the Drawing Room or the dining hall."

"I imagine, yes." he said. "Fates forbid all my fellow Chosen watch me stumble over my feet. It'll feel like the longest thirty minutes of my life." Are neither of us going to acknowledge the kiss?

Out of the corner of his vision, Alfred tilted his head over to him. "Ah yeah, actually," he said, causing Arthur's head to nudge over to face him, "There's something about that you might wanna know. I'm not sure if the other ex holding facility members have told you, but I've been having longer sessions with them."

Arthur's thick eyebrows rose slightly. "I haven't heard of that, no."

"Awesome, since yanno. I kinda promised them to secrecy, but anyway, I've been doing it quietly since I don't want any jealousy issues to be a thing. I'll spend around another hour, maybe a bit more if you need. I'd just prefer you to not talk about it with the others, if that's okay?"

"Yes, that's all right – I haven't been talking about the kiss either, so-" He realised what he'd said far too late. Judging by the blush that spread across Alfred's face, he was feeling the same way about it. "I...I apologise, that was untoward-"

"I, uh...don't do that, Artie, there's no need." His eyes darting around, it seemed like he was trying to look for someone or something else, but Arthur was so taken in by him that in that moment it didn't occur to him what it was exactly. "Seriously. Don't apologise."

"But with the whole incident outside the dining hall, I felt...that you might not have the greatest confidence in me anymore," Arthur confessed. "At least, I felt as if I had let you down, that you had made the decision in the heat of the moment. And I wanted to apologise for that."

"The incident in the dining hall? Oh, uh, that. Listen...it's kinda hard to explain, but I felt like I couldn't protect you. Let's discuss it a little before we head to the room, if that's okay? Have you been thinking about this a lot?"

Coming to a sudden stop in the middle of the hallway, Arthur followed him to a small area between two curtained windows. Protect me? What could he mean by that? "Are there cameras?"

"Nah, they're waiting at the studio. I guess they thought we'd arrive sometime after dinner or something, so we still have some time. So," his face grew serious as they faced each other once more, "Have you been thinking about that? About the arguments you've been having with the other Chosen?"

"Well. A little. I'd like to say that I knew how to act properly, but it seems as if I'm always caught at the worst of times." He tried to play it off with a shrug, but by Alfred's frown, it didn't look like he was too convinced. "I do get along with people."

"Yeah, I don't need to worry about that. But do you think there's another motive to them targeting you?"

"I don't know about that, but...was that why you haven't talked about the kiss on the Broadcast?"

Neither of them had realised, but they were slowly inching towards each other as they spoke. "Kinda. At the same time though, I'm kinda worried that singling you out like that might make the issue even worse. Yao – Jack Yao and Ace Matthew and I have spoke about you at length and stuff. We can't really tackle the bad blood between them and you guys within the space of a Deciding, not to mention some of them are popular with the public. There's just a lot going on."

"Then, if you can't sort them all out, there's something else you can do." Pushing his fingers harder into his pocket, he took a deep breath, careful to look at the floor. Knowing he couldn't face him whilst he said what he had in mind... "What if you el-"

"No." Arthur saw his arms come forward, his thumb and middle finger forming a ring around his wrist. "Artie. You know I can't send you home."

"If...If I'm being a nuisance," he heard his own voice waver and immediately hated the weakness in it, "Or being objected to by the Jack and the Ace, t-then I'd understand if I needed to step aside as a result of their objections."

"Hey, it's not how-"

"I've been wanting to say this for awhile, but I've been haunted by my own weaknesses. If I cannot...I need to be able to live up to someone like you, Alfred. If I'm unable to do that, then – mmph!"

In a move so swift that he'd call it reckless, Alfred's arm had shot out to wrap around his waist and pulled him behind the velvet curtain. His other hand had tugged it over the two of them, meaning that other than the fact that the soles of their shoes were visibly touching underneath, they were completely concealed. With his right arm above them, only the faint light from outside lit Alfred's expression – cheeks flushed, dilated pupils darkening, leaning forward, his broken panting accentuating every moment spent in the darkness.

He could, from this angle, if he wanted...I don't know if he's been doing it with anyone else, but that's not my position to enquire either. With him being so perfect, there's no way I could deserve him, yet...

No words came from his mouth, but what he did dare to do was reach out and cup his face, relearning the soft bump of his cheekbones, the small patch of rough skin underneath his right ear, the hint of stubble on his chin. Shutting his eyes, he waited for Alfred to lean forward, hold him so close that it felt like he'd burst, but nothing came. It felt like he was waiting for something.

Arthur realised that it was himself. With all the restraint he'd shown, it wasn't surprising that the prince was uncertain about whether he felt the same. There were only so many things he could deny verbally, but their closeness made it so he couldn't fight off his longing much longer. With only the two of them, it felt as if there was no more space for secrets. Leaning slightly on his tiptoes, he felt so overwhelmed that he barely forgot to close his eyes as he pressed his forehead to his. He didn't even know where to really put his hands, but once Alfred pulled him closer with his left arm, unspoken strength slumbering behind that simple action, his fingers interlaced themselves in his tie, fixing their overheated bodies closer together, another anchor to keep him chained to reality.

This wasn't a dream, or a scene in a fairy tale novel. This was real. The action was soft, uncertain, and not even another kiss, but it was enough to send his mind reeling. The confusion from the last week seemed to have dissipated; giving way to a warm curiosity that seemed all too familiar.

"I'm not sure if I made it clear in your room, Artie, but there's a reason it's just been you I've been this close with," he murmured, voice lowering to a hum as he leaned closer, their feet shuffling uncertainly around the tiny space. "It should answer why I thought the stuff you said was really unfair to yourself. You told me you haven't been preparing to become a queen, right?"

"Y-Yes, that's true. I never expected this," his grip slackened on his tie, "Any of this to happen."

"Then why hold yourself to a standard of someone that's been prepping for this sorta stuff? It's unfair to yourself, right?"

"I suppose, but..." Arthur's rasping breaths stilled; the hand that had held up the curtain coming down to gently cup his chin, allowing it to fall and cover their silhouettes. "I worry, that even with adequate training, that this is all happening too soon. Two months is not a lot of time, correct?"

Alfred watched quietly, waiting to see if he was swatted away, but when Arthur didn't pull away from him he continued. "I get that. That's kinda why after the whole discussion about the nickname we had in your room, I haven't used it yet. I guessed you'd be uncomfortable with it, and things are moving kinda fast, you're right. At the same time though, I don't wanna slow down too much to the point where we're going nowhere. I hope that you feel the same."

"I do as well, but..." He couldn't quite meet his gaze, and he didn't know how to explain it away. "I'm just...it's difficult. I'm bloody difficult. I'm never confident in these things, and I apologise for my reservedness, but-"

"Hey, hey, no need to apologise, c'mon. If nothing, I'm happy you told me. I guess there's a reason you keep stuff bottled up, but I get that."

"But after everything you've done for me, I cannot help but feel as if I owe you something. I have all these insecurities and doubts, and you keep on giving me concessions, so for me to not fully communicate every emotion I'm feeling is surely beyond protocol, correct?"

He grinned, letting go of his chin, the loss of his warmth hollowing out Arthur's frame. "Artie, I think both of us know that we hate protocol. Especially me."

"All right, fair enough." he made a tiny shrug. "But still."

"I did that stuff, not cause I expected anything back, that's not how I want things to happen in this competition. It was because I like you." There was something boyish in the way that he ran his hands through his hair. Arthur could feel his shoes fidgeting around, accidentally colliding with his own a few times. "So what if you don't wanna express your feelings so soon? That's okay."

"Oi, wasn't that...whatever we just did-"

"I'm not sure what to call it either, but – aw, you look super embarrassed, man. That's kinda cute."

"Don't call me cute!" Arthur hissed. He was sure his cheeks were on fire at this point, but Alfred's small chuckle felt like sunshine streaming through the windows, in spite of the cool evening. Suddenly, he was incredibly self conscious of their closeness, and drew back the hand that was about to make contact with Alfred's. "R-Regardless. I may not be good with words, but I hope you...understand that...that..."

"Hm, hm. Yeah?"

"Not so close, idiot! I...I..." The bloody words won't come out! Arthur's innate stubbornness was biting him in his arse, and he hated it. "How should I say this...you're being impossible with you staring at me like that...having fun at my expense, I can't believe you..."

"Hey, no need to worry, it's just the two of us, and there aren't any cameras prowling about – wait, actually, one sec," Alfred chirped, his free hand grasping a bit of the curtain and pulling him closer, making them two peas in a pod, as uncomfortably squished together as they were. Damned teenage hormones. "Maximum security, hero's honour!"

"People can still hear things through velvet curtains. See, it's not...I..."Rapidly running out of excuses, he scrunched his toes and tried to push away the prince's closeness. "I...I feel the same. Idiot. If it wasn't clear enough. Is that clear enough?"

Able to see Alfred's hair droop in the darkness, he continued. "Yes, well. I don't want to slow down completely, but I feel like our current arrangement is suitable."

"With all the secrecy and stuff?"

"Yes, that's what I meant." Relieved Alfred understood roughly what he meant, he allowed his shoulders to relax. "Treat me exactly as I am – a normal member of the Deciding."

Though he could barely see anything, he could practically sense his pout. "But that's not true," he insisted. "Have I done this," he leaned down to brush a little bit of Arthur's messy hair out of his eyes, sending all his barbed taunts and denials out of his mind, "or this," his free hand brushed Arthur's knuckles, "Or this-" He was going to-

"Wait, wait, at least let me catch my breath, we can barely breathe here," he protested. Overwhelming him like this, with touches of affection he'd never experienced and didn't know how to respond correctly to, was not playing fair, so he wasn't going to anymore either. "I don't know the answer to that question, Your Highness. Only you do."

"Huh? Of course I haven't!" Alfred wailed, causing him to laugh. His reaction had been even more adorable than he'd expected – not because he would ever admit he found him cute to his face, or anything of that sort. "You're the only person I've done stuff like that with!"

"Then," Arthur said, trying to fight both the strange relief and embarrassment he felt at the same time. "A-Are you planning to not do the same to others, ever? It's a Deciding, and you shouldn't saddle yourself with one person so early in the process."

"Not exactly, but – crap, we're running a bit behind schedule for the lesson stuff." The curtain they'd been hiding behind unfurled, and they adopted a brisk pace, which made Arthur feel a twinge in his chest. It couldn't be disappointment – he wouldn't let it be, it was the exertion. "Alright, let me just talk about it for a bit. I'm not gonna deny that that's probably gonna be a thing. It's how the competition is set up."

The same blasted twinge. It was probably because he couldn't keep up with his speed. "Right. I'm aware."

"But I wanted to warn you first, and tell you at the same time that even if it does, it doesn't discount our relationship and our feelings, okay?" Arthur turned his head to find that he was looking straight at him, the playfulness in the air evaporating for a bit. "Just...talk to me about it. If you're uncertain."

Much better said than done. I'm already withholding things from you that I don't think could be said right now.

"I'll do my best. Though, I still would prefer it if we kept it as private and quiet as possible, the way we're doing it now. I won't share any particular details about our relationship on the Broadcast, or to the other Chosen. If...that's all right with you? Not as if we wouldn't talk about it or anything, I'd just prefer it to be discreet." He was starting to speak faster and faster. "If that's not an issue, I understand if it were for the purposes of television but with nineteen other standout people around, I would think that it wouldn't be necessary."

"Hey, hey, Artie, it's fine," Alfred said, gesturing at him with his hands. The reckless punk inside him wanted to grasp them and pull them close, but he easily tamped it down. With what had happened behind the curtain, they'd probably pushed a boundary enough tonight. "Slow down, okay? I didn't quite get everything, but I'm okay with being discreet. So long as it, you know, doesn't get you into trouble. You want us to pretend like we're just normal?"

"Something like that, yes. If...if that's possible."

"Yeah, it's okay. Just as long as the both of us know where we're at, okay? Okay. Let's get the dancing thing done, yeah?"

Skipping off like that after having such an important conversation – I won't quite say that I understand you fully just yet, crown prince, Arthur thought ruefully as he shot off, but I won't say that I'm not interested in getting to know you more.

Making sure that Arthur couldn't see his bright red face; Alfred wiped down his clammy palms, fanned at the back of his neck and took a deep breath before resuming a slower pace. Being found out like that was dangerous, but the fact that he'd been driven to tug him behind the curtain, especially without any contact with him these past few days, was even more so. Yeah, he'd make an active effort to get to know the others, but right now...

"Alfred? Are you all right? You've slowed down a little bit."

He can't know just yet. "Yeah, I'm fine, I just thought I'd wait up for an old man like you, right? It's a heroic thing to do!"

"Who are you calling elderly?!"

"C'mon, I didn't say elderly, I said old – ow! There's no need to jab me with your bony elbow."

Oops. Once arriving at the room, he'd forgotten they weren't alone. "S-Sorry for being late," he heard Arthur mumble, immediately falling into a bow, and Alfred was tempted to do the same. Quickly rattling off an apology, he observed his reflection as the cameraman turned on the lights.

If I had just nudged my chin further forward back there, then we would have... He wasn't sure if Arthur had been completely comfortable with it and that was why he'd stopped, but the desire was still there.

Cheeks red underneath his glasses, his fringe sticking slightly to his forehead and dangling past his eyes, a glassy look to his expression – that wasn't something running around could cause all by itself. Not even if he ran around the perimeter of the entire palace once.

It would be so much easier if he could've brushed it off as exertion or sport or something, but when he saw his expression mirrored within Arthur's face, he realised that the situation might be more hopeless than he'd believed.