welp not much to say this week lmao

as always, i do not own the selection nor hetalia. these belong to kiera cass and himaruya hidekaz respectively.

"…you have to remember to place your focal point at the middle of your mind, so you can make sure it doesn't get out of hand."

Natalya rolled her forefinger underneath her thumb, cracking her knuckles as the Jack continued. It wasn't his fault that she was so bored of the lessons; it was just because she had learned this stuff already. Most of the time, especially during demonstrative lessons, had been spent pretending her ignorance and pushing her training down when they performed magic.

"Oh, look at the time, it's six," the Jack said. He folded the thin manila folder he had on hand and straightened out his robes, ready to go. "When you are all ready, you may have an hour of free time before coming down for dinner at seven sharp. Again, if you need anything please contact your maids."

The Elite all darted out of the room as soon as it was ordered. Natalya kept her gaze low as she made sure that she turned in a direction away from the general crowd, but instead of going off with Emma as she always did, Sakura followed her and Natalya felt the sensation of her hand on her shoulder.

"Natalya…I must speak to you now," she said hesitantly, her voice catching on her tilted accent. "It is about something I think you shourd – should know."

She tilted her head, confused, but didn't struggle or complain as the other girl led her to her room.

"I have been thinking recently, and I think I would rike – like to leave," she said haltingly, closing the door.

"What?" Natalya blurted. She was surprised, no doubt, but also a little hurt. Who else would she have with Sakura gone?

"The magic event is next week," she said softly. "And because of where I came from…I know I wourd find it difficult."

"What's happening with your background? I mean-" It can't be as bad as mine. Nothing possibly could be like that.

"I…I bought one of the registration forms…" Sakura admitted shyly, looking terribly embarrassed.

Natalya did a double take. "Is that it? Sakura, it's definitely not illegal. There's nothing wrong with girls buying forms for the person they love."

"Not a few hundred thousand gold, yes?" she continued. Even for a former princess, it was still a huge sum. Just for a chance at a stupid contest. Of course, it was free for her due to her brother being able to pull a few strings at home, but even so.

"You have been so kind to me recentry, so that is why I decide to telling you." Sakura confessed, brushing her hair back. "But I was afraid of this becoming something more than it shourd be…"

The other girl's eyes widened when she realized what she was saying. What? It wasn't supposed to because of that, uh, shit, it –

"I understand if you do not, um, reciprocate those feer – feelings, but I do not wish to act upon them, so please do not be sorry if you don't feel the same," Sakura said, sounding more and more embarrassed by the moment. "And I have not meant to be unfaithful to Prince Alfred, it was just a little thing I thought you must know."

"You like me in that much?" Natalya asked, sounding shocked. "Uh, t-thank you. But I…I haven't even been nice to you until recently."

"I do not know, but it is not important." she said quietly. "It is just…with everything that has happened, I think that you could use a friend."

But what was the deal here? she wondered. I haven't had someone in a long time that's befriended with me just for the sake of it.

"Do you want a favour, or something?"

"Ah…a favour? No, no, it is just with so few people that it is best to leave on good terms with everyone."

"Well, all right, then. Um, anything else you want?"

"I am going to tell the prince tonight…please do not tell anyone else, especiarly Emma, if that is all right?"

Natalya smiled for real for one of the first times in the competition, enveloping that petite hand in her own gloved one. "It's a deal."

The atmosphere that had faded on the Spades palace after the rebel attack had been glum. The Jack had announced at dinner that the forces were moving back, possibly for regrouping due to the fact that they had multiple groups in all the countries. The demand was yet again repealing world law that there could only be two Jokers in force at one time.

They were direct descendants from the first few Jokers, the ones that had come wielding direct and dangerous power. Somehow, that meant that all the other Kingdoms and their magic ceased to work when too many Joker children were produced. After the Virus struck, these numbers thinned and their magic dwindled, but there were still 'pure' strains of Joker magic that decimated the land. In a violent end to their story, they were banished on an island outside of Clubs territory, and no pure strained Jokers were allowed to exist anymore. The only two Jokers allowed to be using their magic were currently Katya and Gilbert, out of service to the crown. It had been Natalya's bedtime stories as a child, as an explanation as to why Clubs' magic was not as strong as the other countries were.

However, it didn't seem to really process in anyone's mind as everyone was preoccupied with the fact that Alfred wasn't at dinner. Matthew came in a little late and shared a few words with Yao as they sat down, but Alfonso couldn't help but lean over and ask him about Alfred. Emma came over his shoulder as well, but he looked sad and told him quickly what was going on. Even Hero, Alfred's dog, was absent from his little bowl next to his chair.

Arthur wasn't here as well. Natalya thought it must have to be something to do with his injured hand, but seeing his visibly upset stance it might have something to do with that as well, but it seemed like that no one really cared about it except maybe Alfonso.

"I'm sorry, but Alfred seems to have been hurt in the aftermath of the rebel attack. He has asked for some privacy and prefers to take his dinner in his room. If you want to see him after dinner, please see him after then."

Alfonso ate listlessly, Emma twirled her fork around her noodles, Sakura slowly scooped food to her mouth and forgot to wipe her mouth like she usually did. Even Marianne scraped at the side of her bowl and seemed distracted as she ate, and Natalya realized just how devoted everyone was to Alfred for how long this competition had gone on.

After dinner and bidding goodbye to Emma and Alfonso, narrowly missing Natalya, Sakura went up to find Alfred. Her stomach had not settled ever since the first bite of bolognese had passed her mouth, and she quickly checked for stains in one of the ceiling length mirrors before straightening her blue tulle and knocking on the door.

"Your Highness?"

Alfred, who had been sitting in his chair with Hero on his lap, turned around sharply. He knew only one person who still insisted on calling him by that title.

"Miss Sakura? Please, come in, what's…wrong?" he began to say, but stopped short when he saw her forlorn expression. He gave Hero another ruffle on his head and let him down from his lap onto his bed.

"Mr Alfred," she said breathlessly, just like when they had first met.

He could surely forget about his wounds for a little, right? He knocked away the pain on his back as she appeared to be holding back for just one moment. She leaned on her heels for a moment before breaking into a run, her periwinkle heels sounding on the marble floor before he pulled her into a hug, burying his nose into her hair as she laughed into his shoulder.

"Hey, what's the pressure?" he asked as he brushed her fringe from her face in a comforting gesture that only they shared, and they watched as her eyes followed his touch.

"I am very rerieved that you are all right," she sighed, looking up onto Alfred's taller height. "I only wished you and Mr Arthur could have joined us in the safe room at the time, we were all so worried."

Alfred bit his lip at the mention of the other boy, but tilted his chin up to answer her anyway. "I'm so sorry about that. But now your Alfred is back, there's not a thing you should worry about that's within your power."

Sakura's dark eyes shone for a moment, before she fiddled for the gold buttons on her jacket before looking nervously back at him.

"I wish…I wish to be eliminated," she said tersely, carefully pronouncing the last word.

Alfred's eyes widened in surprise, and he took in a baited breath.

"Is there, uh, a specific reason? D'ya think I'm not good enough for you?" he said.

"No, of course not, Your Highness!" she said hurriedly, looking dismayed. "You have been nothing but helpful to me…and my English lessons, they are arl, um, all helpful." Sakura cleared her throat as she tried to correct her strange, patchy accent. It had improved in leaps and bounds ever since their one-on-one dates had begun.

"What's wrong, then? Is it because of the rebel attacks?"

"Sortly," Sakura said, then halted and corrected herself hastily. This had always been the main thing they were both afraid of, the thinning language barrier between them. But these things took time, and right now Alfred didn't have much of that, either.

"Partly, I mean it was quite scary it is also the magic trials you mentioned on the Broadcast. I read about them before I came here."

"But if you aren't good at magic then it isn't a problem. Yao – or I could teach you even more in our English classes-" Alfred offered.

"I…My family bought the form for me," Sakura interjected softly. "I come from one of the richest families in the Hearts Inner Circles. That is why I am two years older than you, Alfred, and they let me in. I did not ever attending a holding facirity. Did you…did you know?"

"Yeah, sorta," Alfred said, but there was no anger on his face. "I figured out as much."

"I cannot do good…good magic up to the standards even if I tried my very best," she stammered. "The Jack has been trying to help me where he can, but now you mention the Trials I feel as if I wirl get my hopes up too much."

"But why would you think that?" he continued. "You know, you and everyone have had a chance since day one!"

"You have always tried to give everyone a chance," Sakura said, sounding a little wistful. "And you are so very good for making sure of that."

"T-thanks, but I'm not sure why that has to change."

"I do not think I'm saying it has to! But I can see you have already found your last few. I can see it in your eyes when you look at them each." she said with a small smile. "You might not know yet, but in your heart you do."

Alfred simply gave her a wan smile and entwined his gloved fingers, protected from the winter cold, with hers in a comforting gesture.

"Hey. I'll let you stay as long as you want, okay? This was meant to be a no strings attached thing. The only thing, heh, was in this competition is that you still like me. I'm," he swallowed before continuing on his sentence. "I'm, uh, sorry for sounding so needy but is it because of me, really?"

"No, no, Your Highness!" she insisted, shaking her head almost fiercely. "You are wonderful, and I am very sure you wirl, um, will, find your soul mate here. But I know that here, this is not where I will find love. I do not want to take your chance away. You are as lovely as they are nowadays."

Alfred nodded once, then pulled her into a hug. Her arms securely encircled his waist in response, and they swayed in the dimming light of his bedroom. It was like they had transported themselves into a sparkling ballroom, and he playfully spun her around and she let him hold her, both laughing happily in the end of their sweet relationship.

"This isn't me breaking ties. Your English is coming along pretty good, Sakura, don't give up, okay?" Alfred said before coming to a halt before her door.

"Thank you, Alfred," she said gratefully, letting go of the honourifics for once. "It means a lot to me. Please invite me to your wedding."

"I'm sorry, but you're gonna have to wait for a lil," he laughed, but nodded all the same. The two of them stood awkwardly in the doorway for a little before he spoke.

"Wait. Uh, do you want to do something tomorrow? Tell the others that you're leaving? Since we're such a small group now, they might like it," he said before she closed the door.

"Hm…" she wondered out loud. Maybe a dinner with her favourite foods? No, that is not special enough. We request things, anyway. Horse riding? Um, too big.

"A dance?" she wondered out loud, and after another moment looked back up at him. "Would a dance be all right?"

"What kinda dance?" Alfred asked, sounding intrigued.

"Um…um, if you do not mind, maybe all of the Elite could come and dance with you tomorrow night? We could fix up the ballroom, clear away the tables, if that is no issue?" she asked.

Alfred gave her a boyish grin in reply as she turned to bide him goodnight for the last time. "I think it's a great idea."

Sakura spent the next day telling everyone else what would happen that night. Emma burst into tears as Sakura told her she was leaving, and Alfonso looked a little forlorn as he came up to give her a hug, but other than that Natalya wasn't very annoyed by the news and managed to put on a good show. To her surprise, though, Sakura simply told her of the event later on in the ballroom and left out news of her departure, but perhaps it was fitting as Marianne simply nodded and went back to examining her nails. Arthur hadn't attended the Drawing Room for days and that left her to stop him after lunch – as he had missed breakfast as well – and tell him about it. He looked a little sad, but nodded and they shared a few words before he probably retired back to his room.

Within the space of a day, the ballroom that had been used for the Meeting had been transformed back into the shining atmosphere of the night. The curtains had been changed to a light blue, and the white of the ballroom had been partially covered by blue tulle to match the light atmosphere. A section of the archway had been covered to allow a small row of chairs to rest on the fake wall. A long table, filled with little garnishes such as a plate of tarts and a small selection of chocolates, was on the other side of the sprawling ballroom. The stage that had been built on the right side of the venue had a small troupe of musicians, testing out their instruments as soon as they had finished preparations.

However, the floor was completely cleared and the chandelier above seemed to shine especially brightly. Alfred took the opportunity taking her inside five minutes earlier to give her a surprise along with his dog. He covered her eyes gently with his palms and guided her forward into the doors, where he nodded to the musicians and they started to play a soft violin piece.

"I hope I did your request justice," he said as he uncovered her vision, and he couldn't help but smile as he heard her audible gasp of surprise.

"This is amazing!" she exclaimed, brushing a lock of her hair back. She rushed around everywhere, Alfred not being able to not laugh at her excitement.

"Do you like it?" he called from across the room to where she was too busy examining the food on the table. Hero ran up to his legs and started weaving in between them, sensing his owner's excitement.

"I love it!" she cried, laughing blissfully as her eyes cast up to the chandelier. "How could I ever thank you?"

"I just want all of us to have fun…this was a great idea!" he said cheerfully. Sakura wrapped her arms over her new dress, a peach coloured empire style affair that Alfred couldn't help but think looked very pretty on her.

"It's us up first, if you don't mind, my lady." he said lightly, allowing Hero to jump up on his chair and tuck in his stubby tail.

"I would love to," she said as she took his hand and the rest of the Elite filed in.

They were wearing new clothes per the request. Emma was wearing her signature red in a mermaid style gown, and she hugged both Sakura and Alfred as she entered. Alfonso had let the little bobbin of his hair loose tonight, letting it curl around his shoulders. Marianne was wearing a purple dress that hugged her figure, Natalya had done her hair in a braid and came in an icy blue, floor length tulle dress and Arthur came in a loose coat and a sky blue tie and seemed to get his hair somewhat under control. Sakura simply couldn't keep her smile off her face as the rest of the Elite sat down on their soft chairs and she and the prince took their place in the middle of the ballroom.

A group of maids were around the room, and a handful of butlers. They seemed to be content to serve, standing to the side and watching them.

"You ready?" he asked, letting her place her hand in his.

"As I will ever be," she said, sounding clearer than ever.

internally for some reason i think my writing's getting more um...i don't know the word, but it's getting kind of sloppy. reviews,

rewrites are...on the way, i guess

reviews, favourites and follows are what will keep me writing, so please go ahead and leave them! pls