Arthur woke up tangled in Alfred's bear, which made everything worse.

Last night. What else was there to say about last night, other than how disastrous it went? The way his voice had sounded just before breaking away, like a magical string seconds from snapping, sung with withheld words that Arthur just wished he could say out loud.

Then again, that was what he wanted to do as well. And like a coward, he could get none of it out.

"Sir Arthur? It's time to get up now, I hope you're feeling better," Anna's voice came behind the door, and there was a shuffling as she let herself in. Placing down whatever she was carrying, she made her way over to his bed and gave him a once over. "Oh dear. Something happen last night?"

"No," he mumbled into his bear, rather unconvincingly.

His maid pursued her lips as she pressed her smooth hand against his forehead. "You don't seem to be running a fever," she said. Arthur could see the chocolate flecks in her eyes as she leaned closer. "That's good, at least. Since flu season's ended and the number of Chosen has gone down relatively quickly, we're safe from an outbreak inside the palace, so it's not that. Is it…"

The lingering question in the air was enough to send another flash of pain down Arthur's groggy consciousness. He'd been barely able to find sleep because of the conversation last night.

She interpreted his silence correctly. "Oh. Well…well, these things happen every Deciding, do they not?"

"It doesn't feel like that at all, and it was a serious one, I just…"

"Did he ask you to leave?"

With that sentence, he fell silent, replaying every single word that had come out of Alfred's mouth.

"I thought you were saying one thing, maybe you meant something else. If...If I'm coming on too strong, then it's okay."

"Three months is kinda fast, I guess."

"I'm sorry. Really, I am."

Why were you apologizing, Arthur asked to himself, willing his composure when he remembered the sadness in his eyes, the weak smile he'd tried to so hard to wear, the hesitance in his voice, when it should be me?

"…No. Not truly."

She gave him a small smile in response, withdrawing. "Then you have nothing to worry about. Maybe a talk or something, but you don't have to worry about going home. At least, I'm doubtful that you're the only Chosen to be upset with him, after that bombshell Broadcast! I wonder if anyone else knew past then. Well, there was the Chosen he'd kissed, but other than that."

Arthur's fingers stilled on the bear that he had been trying to put down. By the way his Adam's apple moved nervously, Anna paused to stare.

"Wait."

"Anna, I…" he looked away, taking a deep inhale.

"Sir Arthur, when did you-" Her mouth was hanging open, making him feel even more self conscious. If a pin were to drop from the bobby cushion she'd taken to keep his clothes intact, they'd hear it.

"Remember the night of my birthday? Where I stated that I would be preoccupied for the evening?"

"Yes, of course, but that was when you two kissed?" Her words were a breath above a whisper.

"…The first one," Arthur admitted, placing down the bear with another ragged breath. He turned around to instantly see her inquisitive gaze. "…Anna?"

"You're saying the first one for the reason. That means there's more than one, right? Right?" Probably noticing the hesitance in his face, she took one of his shaking hands in hers, giving him a firm nod. "Whatever's said here stays here. Maid's promise. Not a peep in the workroom. Please! You don't even have to tell me how many, just a yes or no."

Releasing a shuddered breath, Arthur nodded.

With that, she released his hand and let out a loud cheer, thrusting her arms in the air. "Haha! I knew it! Fates, I knew it!"

"Wait, you knew that we-"

"See, well…I'm not sure you should tell this to the other Chosen if their maids haven't, but…" Anna gave the front door one quick glance to make sure it was closed before she continued, clearly trying to tamp down her excitement for his sake. "Since the competition's been cut down so much, there's been a smaller pool of people to root for, and that makes everyone competitive, right. Apparently, almost all the other Chosen were having a very heated discussion before you went to bed, so you'd might want to think of an excuse."

"They were essentially trying to find out who was the culprit?" Arthur said slowly. Perhaps he shouldn't go down to breakfast after all.

"Partly. Well, the Jack stopped by the Drawing Room and told them to go back to their rooms since it was past curfew, but I don't doubt that they were trying to do that." She paused, examining his stricken expression. "Sir Arthur…you don't have to go down to breakfast. You know that."

Mustering up a weak smile, he sat up on the bed. She was making such a significant effort to be kind, and as a gentleman he had to repay it. "No, I…I must," he said, "There's no way I can escape it forever. Not to mention, my behaviour will be even more suspicious if I don't show up to breakfast, yes?"

Anna reached out and gave his hand one more squeeze before walking over to prepare his clothes for the day. "You'll be all right."

As soon as he was out of her sight, though, he looked back at Alfred's bear one last time, reaching out to let his fingertips linger on its soft ears.

"You were not feeling well?"

"I apologise, I was feeling a little unwell last night," Alfred heard Arthur's voice before he even saw him that morning. "I hope I didn't miss too much action."

The sound of a butler's footsteps distracted him. "Your Highness? Will you be having the usual?"

"Oh, uh, yeah, thanks," he replied. Not realising he sounded listless, it was only when Yao reached over the table to speak with him that concern registered.

"Alfred? Did you have a late night yesterday?" Out of the fear and stress, he unintentionally went hunting for any sign of disapproval in his mentor's question, but there was nothing but worry.

Katya nodded, moving closer as well. "You're not very you this morning, has something happened?"

"He went to bed late, I heard him," Matthew chipped in right after he'd put in his request. Blue met violet in an unspoken agreement to keep the crying he'd done during his shower between the two of them, it didn't have to concern the surely busy Yao. "I don't blame him though, it was some Broadcast, eh?"

Alfred forced the corners of his lips to turn up.

"I guess you didn't miss anything, like, super important, but with the whole reveal thing, it was…"

"Oh." Arthur's voice deflated to the point where even from here it was audible. "Did they figure out who it was?"

"For Prince Alfred's sake, we've decided to put it on the backburner for now, but I don't think people will stop looking. Y'know."

His voice receded even further. "That's wise."

"Yeah. Yeah, it really was some Broadcast," Alfred said loudly, a little too loudly, to distract himself from what the others were saying further away. It didn't help that both Yao and Matthew were worried about him, but everything else that had come with the Broadcast hadn't helped. Now the Chosen were going to second guess every single gesture he did, even moreso than before, and with a dozen of them the stress was mounting. He was just so excited, so happy to have gotten to a point with someone he really cared for that he didn't even think about the consequences. As usual.

"The Express, for the paper – ah, actually, get one for Joker Katya too, if you please." Yao was saying, yet his gaze didn't waver from Alfred's form sitting in the chair. "Alfred, if you're tired, you must get some rest today. You have that date outside tomorrow, correct?" At his nod, he continued, looking at his colleague. "Katya, is it not all sorted?"

She nodded, as if to ease both of their nerves a little. "Already received the plans for that ahead of time, so you can get a break if needed. After the Meeting and now this, you have been working very hard. Honestly, more than a teenager should."

"Maybe not for one that's gonna be king." Alfred gave her a wry look, but patted her hand, thankful for her reassurance. "I'll sleep early tonight, okay? Promise. Hero's honour."

At that, everyone seemed to be satisfied, and the breakfast continued on. For some reason though, the food tasted duller than usual – his berries felt mushier, the yoghurt in his spoon seemed to curdle and even the cereal felt less crunchy. That was nothing compared to the bed of rocks that seemed to have settled in his stomach, anyway.

He tried to direct his attention on the side of the table where Arthur wasn't sitting at. After yesterday, he'd promised him he'd give him some space, so it was only the right thing for him to honour it. The room was certainly quieter than it had been the previous week, with twelve instead of twenty, and it brought with it a more tightly knit atmosphere. Gone was the tension, in its place were burgeoning friendships.

Clare was feeding Marianne a spoon of strawberries, Emma was laughing at something Thomas was saying, and Natalya was helping herself to some hot soup. Avie was peeking at him, which led him to wave lightly at her with a grin, causing her to flush yet wave back.

"They're all doing well this morning, are they not? Ah, Yao, the paper's here – thank you for getting me a copy as well-"

"It's good to see them in light spirits," the Jack agreed with her, opening the paper to a massive headline that caught Alfred's attention for better or for worse.

For worse, he thought, when he realised that the main headline was about his Deciding. Great. As much as he was grateful Cards being at peace, some moments he wished there were better things to talk about. What about a reconstruction project someone started on the Spades beaches? Or maybe still having Meeting coverage?

But nope, instead of that, there was a massive headline proclaiming THREE MONTHS INTO THE DECIDING reminding him that it had really been that long and he should be trying to ascend to his position as soon as possible, then Yao and Matthew wouldn't have to work so hard, then he would stop feeling so useless, then he could finally prove to himself and the world that he could solve anything alone, that he was strong enough to-

"Alfred? You can just have my paper if you want to read Katya's," Yao was reaching over with a sigh, giving him just enough time to blink away the storm in his face. "It's nice for you to start taking an interest in maintaining a connection to the news."

"Mostly cuz it wouldn't be fair for Matt to have to use his time to fill me on a bunch of news now he's so busy too," Alfred said, which was partly true.

"Huh? You're being considerate of me? Maybe that sleep deprivation's getting to you."

"Hey, c'mon, Matt!"

The four of them shared a laugh, causing the Chosen to follow suit. Caught up in the comfort of his family, Alfred forgot about not looking to the left of his table.

From the back, he could see Alfonso's face peek out behind two people. Sakura was giggling behind her sleeve and Leon was trying not to laugh, nudging him and attempting to make conversation.

He couldn't ignore Arthur forever. At the same time, every time he looked, he remembered his expression faltering, those arms tucked underneath each other in an attempt to shrink away. Even as he thought of the paradoxical beauty of those green eyes, laced with tears that Arthur clearly fought hard to keep from falling down his face, he still longed for them.

As much as it hurt, no matter how much it hurt, being without him was worse.

He had to honour his wishes; it wouldn't be fair otherwise. It didn't matter how much pain he had to go through for the sake of the people he cared about.

Just one quick look should be okay, I guess. Maintaining the same expression on his face, he gave Arthur a quick glance. Sunlight from the early morning was falling over his face, wreathing its palms over the crown of his hair and his jawline. Never mind.

Alfred turned away almost immediately, unable to catch how Arthur looked in his direction for much longer before finally dropping his gaze.

After breakfast, thankfully Jack Yao was the one to fill in the Chosen on the week so that Arthur could concentrate.

"As we are entering the last twelve in the competition, I would just like to take this time to congratulate you all on this achievement," he started out with brief applause. "With that in mind, I would like to announce the commencement of introduction to formal education next week. In other years, this would come later when there are ten of you, however with the unusually high volume of holding facility candidates present, we have decided to begin it early. As is usual, said candidates who have received formal training in their schools will be exempt from the first two weeks as we bring the others up to speed so that no one is at a clear advantage."

Arthur and Alfonso shared a look that was almost friendly in its confusion. Holding facility members having…an advantage? That was certainly a first.

The Jack might have sensed this as he allowed the Chosen to chatter amongst each other before he continued. "Afterwards, the lessons will be conducted twice a week, an hour each, until the competition has proceeded further. Depending on the number of people still with us, the prince, Ace and I will coordinate on beginning advanced education specific to a queen's role."

"Your Highness," Clare put her hand up, "Can I ask whether our lessons will interfere with our interactions with the prince?"

"No, that won't be a possibility. The prince has coordinated whatever engagements he will take anyone on to not be within the timeslots assigned each week." By the relaxing of people's shoulders, it seemed as if he had answered a question everyone had on their minds.

"Any more questions?" At the uncharacteristic silence that settled itself over the dining hall, the Jack drew himself up. "All right. I understand that everyone has things to get to, so I will explain the intricacies of the lessons on our first one on Tuesday. The room number will be present on your schedule for that week. If you need me, I will be at my study, if not you should leave a message."

With that, they were dismissed. Arthur wasn't sure what else to do but follow Leon, so he was surprised when his friend and Emma didn't start making his usual way to the Drawing Room but stayed back in the dining room.

"We're being prepared for the date tomorrow!" she cheered.

"I'm sure it's, like, nothing serious," Leon said, his cool expression softened by his excitement. "We're just going outside."

"Oh, that's right," Arthur gave her a small smile, extending to Leon as he did so. "Please tell Sakura and I how it goes."

"See you guys for tea the day after tomorrow? If Emma and Sakura are okay with it."

"Ah, I think it sounds fun."

"Works for me too! Let's meet up at yours again, okay?" Giving Sakura a hug and Arthur a thumbs up, she skipped over to speak with Alfred, Leon following suit with another wave.

"He looks so radiant up there, does he not?" Sakura commented from where they were standing in the doorway, their contrast between their differing heights making their shadows stand out. "I wonder how he manages to do it all the time."

Arthur could only nod in response, feeling as if he didn't have the strength to keep his head up. Alfred was speaking so easily to the two of them, not to mention the cameramen and the guards they were planning to bring along for the event. Another pang ran through his heart when he noticed his two friends do essentially the same thing.

He was so preoccupied with watching Emma smile with Joker Katya that it took someone politely clearing their throat for him to turn around. A hint of recognition arose in Sakura's dark eyes before she dropped into a curtsy, him quickly following suit.

"Ah, Officer Oxen…Oxenstierna, Officer Kohler," she said, stumbling a little on the difficult to pronounce names. Three guards, two of them incredibly tall, were standing in the hallway. "Please excuse us."

"Hey, it's Lady Sakura!" The second tallest one, with wild hair and an energetic smile, gave her a wave. "We meet again! S'cuse – you too, Sir Arthur. Not at all, we just didn't want to get in your way."

"Sir Arthur, Lady Sakura," the other two said, giving bows before they too filed into the dining hall. It took Arthur another moment to realise that the shortest one was Leon's friend, who looked behind him at the two of them for a moment.

Arthur pressed his back to the panel of the wall, watching Alfred practically light up as the three guards approached. By the boisterous way they greeted each other, it was clear that he didn't care to think of ranking or social importance when it came to people he was friends with. Another way that made him even more perfect.

"Perhaps we shouldn't dillydally – er, sorry, stay too long," Arthur said to Sakura, trying to get out of his own thoughts. "It might make them feel a bit embarrassed."

"I agree," she said, leading the way out of the room. "Are you fully recovered from yesterday, Arthur? You seem a little pale still. Though you are quite pale already naturally, I just would like to ask. If you would like to spend some time doing something. It would be best if you are well rested."

About to reassure her, he noticed her fiddling with the waistband of her cream pants. With all the social events they'd had to attend to recently, with their temperaments being the same he assumed that she wanted to spend more time to herself.

"Actually, I do feel a little, er, out of breath," he said, pausing deliberately. At her disconcerted face, he was quick to reassure her. "I'm sure it's nothing, I'll…I'll see you at dinner?"

After Sakura gave him a reassuring nod, he started to make his way back up the steps to his room. It was just going to be one of those days, where he'd feel lethargic and attempt to pretend to be productive. Whereas now, instead of allowing himself to indulge in thoughts of the prince, he wanted nothing else but to forget the conversation in his room.

…Then again, he thought as his feet stilled from where they were about to ascend the stairs, perhaps it would be an unwise idea to go to the place where that awful night had played out. If he had to be holed up in his room, reading the few books he had left, it would probably invite all those dreadful emotions back.

Light laughter from within the dining hall wafted outwards, inspiring a further sense of urgency to give him space from Alfred, as the other so desperately needed. Just based on the way the prince had made obvious attempts at distancing himself from Arthur this morning, it wouldn't be unfair to assume that the behaviour would continue until…until…

Arthur let his hand slump against his leg as he realised he had no idea when their mutual silence would stop. Something had to happen, but what?

He might as well go to the Drawing Room for the day. There was enough space for him to read, and a desk should he need to write. The background noise of the news was pleasant, after all, and there wouldn't be a chance of running into Alfred. Surely, no trouble could be found there.