hello people,,,

OK to basically explain my absence, what happened last week is that a. i came back from CNY trip, b. i (finally) finished my english mocks and i had a biology final to study for. yippee.

oh, and FFNet was being horrible. really cut into my motivation.

so it's a longer chapter today! i hope you all enjoy it!

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

When Arthur woke up that morning, his body was curled tightly against all over the luxurious heater that was his fiancé. He had wedged his face against the crook between Alfred's chin and his shoulder, and both hands were on top of his chest, legs entangled with his so he didn't know where his limbs started and Alfred's began.

Last night…they had spoken for hours upon hours sharing stories until it had gone past twelve and Arthur's head was drooping onto his shoulder. The memory was hazy, but he remembered vaguely being lifted into Alfred's arms, being helped into his bed that carried his scent, and falling asleep almost instantly, surrounding by his burning warmth – a gift during the early spring…

Raising his head, still groggy from sleep, he took a good look at Alfred's room. Of course, it was blue like eighty percent of the palace, but it was a deep one compared to Arthur's lighter shade. Gold touches lined the tops of the walls, and an almost obnoxious light ran its fingers along the whole room as Arthur shifted his legs into a sitting position as he peered underneath the luxurious curtains.

"H…hey," came the lazy drawl of a sleepy crown prince. "Morning, Arthur. You're up really early…"

"Oh, good morning, you," Arthur said, turning around slowly to brush his lips quickly against his. When Alfred whined at the lack of contact, he merely shook his head: "Darling, I have morning breath, it's not proper…"

"I don't caaaare," Alfred said playfully, tilting himself up, the hood of his onesie falling off his head. "Lemme kiss you, sugar…"

"If you insist," Arthur sighed, but there was nothing but fondness in his voice as he leaned in, pressing his slightly damp lips against Alfred's chapped ones. "Mmm, we're in your bedroom this morning, funnily enough…"

"Haha, they're gonna have to remove a room so we can find an excuse to cuddle," Alfred joked, relishing the feeling of Arthur against his lips. "Knock this one down, maybe. For a nursery?"

"Oh? I thought this was the same man who said that we'd have time to enjoy ourselves," Arthur replied wittily, moving his body so that he was perched on top of Alfred. "I suppose that Father of the Year is a competitive title…"

"Pfft," Alfred laughed, but brought one hand to caress Arthur's face, his voice tender. "Though, uh…I wouldn't mind carrying the kid. Whatever suits you, I'm okay with. Scandals don't matter to me unless the kid's healthy and stuff."

"…as long as you're the father," Arthur said, and Alfred's eyes softened at how quickly he blushed. "As long as it's between us, I wouldn't mind as queen…I'd want to, really. Traditionally, it's the queen's duty to bear an heir."

"Yeah," Alfred said, linking his fingers behind Arthur's waist, pulling him close. "As long as it's ours, and we love it, what else matters? We even abolished the whole male heir thingy before Cards was even here."

"Well, if we laze around like this it'll be a while. And we'd be lucky to even conceive on the night of the wedding…" Arthur mumbled into his defined chest, but Alfred shook his head with a grin.

"Hey, there's no pressure to have a kid, as we agreed, yeah? And we'll wait for then. I remember last night you told me about planning the wedding and stuff…we should do that and take things as they come. Okay?" Alfred's smile was encouraging, and that alone made Arthur nod once, nuzzling his head against his chest.

"I miss you," Arthur whispered against his skin, "Especially since we're parted. I know we won't be seeing each other much since planning and things, but I want to see you at least once a day."

"I'll come to yours at night, okay?" Alfred murmured, tilting his chin up to meet his eyes. "If…If you're nervous, I'll restrain myself, I promise."

"…oh," Arthur said, ears reddening as he caught the meaning of Alfred's very serious words. "No, I know you're honourable, you'd never try to jump me. And it's only a few days…we can wait for that little longer, yes?"

"Fates, I wish I didn't find you so gorgeous sometimes," Alfred said, running his hand through his wheat coloured hair in bashfulness. "Just thinking about it now…you in that dress, walking towards me…and we've been wearing each others' clothes a lot recently. You look so cute snuggled up in my shirt…but then you also look really hot with those legs…"

"Oi, oi, you're not any better yourself," Arthur sighed, but felt his heart beat just a little faster. "That picture on the telly last night alone – I wonder if they have an extra copy I could purloin?"

"Aww, come on," Alfred said, flushing hotly, "I was kinda hoping you'd forget that! I can do a lot better, Artie, and you know it…hey, I'd take my shirt off now if you'd-"

"Don't strip, it's still bleeding cold in the mornings," Arthur chastised him, but cupped Alfred's hot face in his cold hands. "We'll have to wait for only a few days more, Alfred. Before you can have me a-all to yourself."

Alfred grinned, lifting Arthur's hands from his face and placing them against his stomach, Arthur shifting into a sitting position as Alfred sat back up on the bed, his elbows supporting his position. "I know you wanna take a little peek, yeah?"

"Yes, but…I'm afraid that once I start, I won't….I can't stop," Arthur admitted, a little embarrassed at their suggestive stance and the sensation of almost skin to skin contact. "Promise me that you're going to somehow stop me?"

"Yeah, but…" Alfred said, and for a moment his head dithered. "I trust you, Arthur. I've seen you in a beautiful dress, I've always thought you're super handsome…but I kinda want you to see me as I am, though. After the caning…I always worried about how you'd see me."

"What? Oh, love, it changed nothing and it never will," Arthur said urgently, his fingers splaying out against the slightly exposed tan skin. "There's nothing to be ashamed of. I'd never be afraid to touch you, even after what's happened. However, I would like to catch up on what I missed that day in the gym…"

Alfred leaned in with an unabashed grin, putting his lips against Arthur's ear as he felt deft fingers start to pull at the edge of his onesie.

"Help yourself to what's yours, princess."

"Come on, couldn't you have, like, asked Alfred to deliver another television or something," Leon asked, but he was smiling a little, legs crossed on the bed he and Emil shared. "You're not serious!"

"Yes, it's true," Arthur said, "I got fitted for a dress and everything. It's happening next Friday."

"I definitely told you," Leon said, a smirk on his face. "It's been a while, though. How have you been?"

"Never better," Arthur smiled, "But I wanted to ask a favour of you, if that's OK. I have a few more things today so we can't hang out just yet…but I hope that's going to change soon."

"Sure, that's totally no problem. I understand you."

"Could you be…my bridesmaid? At least, one of mine," Arthur asked, a little shyly. "I know that there are some issues with you and Emil coming back into the public eye, and Alfred and I will work them out, but for now would you be all right with it?"

"This shouldn't even be a question," Leon said, his previously grounded expression dissolving into a laugh. "Don't you remember? I promised to be your bridesmaid if you would be mine. And I totally know that you're keeping the part of your deal."

"I wouldn't miss it for the world," Arthur replied, touching his hand in a gesture that he had missed doing. "I'll talk to Yao again with your reintroduction back into society. We'll cross that bridge when we get there, but…it's been so nice talking to you again. How have you been?"

"You've asked me that question three times today, Art," Leon said, but his tone was fond. "Emil's been out with his work today; he asked me to spend some time with his puffin as well so that's why I didn't get your note until a little after lunch. I had to fix something for one of the butlers to eat since they were working an extra shift organizing for Emma's trip home. It feels totally weird that she's leaving while Alfonso isn't."

"For a while, I was so scared that it was going to be her and not me," Arthur confided, shifting himself a little closer to Leon. "And when she left…I understood why."

"I guess it's hard to get over the boy you've loved so fiercely for such a long time, huh," Leon thought out loud. "I'm not going to lie, eight – almost nine months is a long time. I'm, like, happy for you, though. We're both in a great relationship."

"Not without cost, though," Arthur said quietly, taking Leon's hands in his own again. "I'm sorry I didn't have Emma's strength. It might have been enough to try to stop yours and Emil's caning."

"Yeah, well, even if you had joined her, I doubt you would have done any more," Leon said wryly, looking down at his hands. The scars had slowly started to fade, but they would probably mar his hands for the rest of his life. "It doesn't matter at all anymore. What totally matters is that things turned out well in the end."

"Let's hope it stays that way," Arthur said solemnly, and the two friends sat within close proximity of each other, the luxury of that moment marred by the silence. They had taken a long and arduous journey to get to where they both were, but there were still things to sort out…

"Hey, why, like, the total long face? Cheer up," Leon said after a pause, slipping his feet into his sandals and winking at Arthur. "We're supposed to be celebrating good news today, not worrying about things that have happened. Come on, let's spend as much time as we can before you're queen."

"I've been trying to forget that," Arthur said, but tipped his head to one side, wearing a grin on his face. "But of course you're right."

Arthur held the receiver underneath the space between his shoulder and his chin, nodding absentmindedly as he tried to slot his pen in the metallic holder on his new desk.

Ever since he had returned from that invigorating conversation with Leon, he had (attempted) to reinstate himself in his new desk. Alfred was off for duties arranging for the other kingdoms to come for their ceremony, so thankfully that distraction was over and Arthur could try to settle in a little more. For now, the table was a little bare bones, with a notebook, stationery and a phone on the corner. The phonograph that he and Alfred had danced to before was perched near the window at the back wall, and a light tune played as pleasant background noise.

Trying his best to ask for both food for a quick lunch and food for the reception down in the kitchens was not the same story, though. They were busy, and he had asked Anna to prepare herself for her promotion to his right hand woman, and so he was without a maid for the day. Right…he had to work on rehiring again…

Add that to the list, he thought internally, jotting the list of people he had to call. He had scratched out three names so far out of the seven; one had been to Jack Yao to confirm the new line was working, another had been to the seamstress out in the Inner Circle about her designs, and he had just finished talking with the kitchens. The next few names were his family, a few shops that he had attained the names from looking at the directory book that sold decorations and other furnishings, and there was a group he had wanted to hire for music, but then costs, and…

"Aargh," Arthur said out loud, putting the phone back into the cradle. "I know planning the wedding was a romantic notion, but I wouldn't have expected it to be like this…"

He felt his shoulders tense up as he crossed another name off his list, the scent of the blue ink wafting up his nose as he capped it shut. So many things to do…but these were the duties of the queen anyway, weren't they? So maybe this was just prep?

I want a cup of tea, Arthur thought internally, but drew himself up as he quickly realized how haughty he sounded. Please, you have to work.

But I'm hungry…

Internally apologizing to Erin, he moved her down the list one before calling for some refreshments.

Arthur walked briskly past the front of the library's roaring fireplace, his usual haunt when he preferred to spend time alone. As soon as he had made that call to Erin, he was off – but not without gathering some intel.

After asking around, he managed to get a few old newspapers from the archives section in the library, and now stared blatantly underneath the lavish portrait of the late King and Queen of Spades.

The way she had carried herself in that portrait was formidable. Her hands did not lie at her sides but demonstrated a confident yet gentle grace to her character. Arthur could tell that her skin was painted darker than her husband's, and with those blue eyes that seemed to shine even in the portrait he could discern that Alfred took after her, more so that his father.

So, she's the person I must live up to, Arthur thought gingerly, craning his neck to see the painting a little clearer. He thought back to Erin's boundless worship of her when she was still alive; how popular she was with the people due to her lighthearted and compassionate attitude. Yes, Arthur had greeted several people when he went to Hearts, but they were all supportive – how was he to deal with someone who was neutral or even hostile towards the monarchy?

But it's not like we are so vastly different. She was brought up with a fine education in Diamonds, mirroring the one I received in the holding facilities…

It truly struck Arthur about how little he knew about his predecessor. Yes, Alfred would know a lot about her, but he didn't want to burden him with past memories and he assumed that his fiancé had several duties of his own that he had to tend to. So even though he had cleared out the calls he had to make in his new, unfamiliar office, it would be time to give that television a try…

Rearranging the booklet in his arms, he set off again.

"Well, for starters, this is certainly a unique Deciding we have this year, Prince Fitzgerald! It's also your first private interview today, and we'd love to know your thoughts. First, we'd like to know your first impressions on the thirty enchanting women that you've chosen for your Deciding."

"I'm actually surprised by how, um, confident I was in choosing them," Alfred's father spoke, and Arthur could see the resemblance in Matthew by the way he fidgeted with the end of his jacket and the way he stammered on words. He leaned a little too forward, foot sliding a little further on the polished floor as he cleared his throat a little. "But it was a difficult choice, I can assure you…"

Arthur shifted his bare feet on the soft carpet laid in front of his couch, cold fingers scrabbling to open the booklet containing his paltry researchers, eyes scanning enthusiastically to the several newspaper clippings that he had purloined from the library's archives.

Making sure that Alfred was still busy when he returned back to his room at five, he had managed to get some older footage of the older king's Deciding. Maybe if he could see another process, it would help him transition a little better…

The interview played lightly in the background of the room; Arthur didn't have the heart to skip it when he was leafing through other bits. It was a documentary, not raw footage, so that was why it wasn't in order. Several headlines jumped out at him: detailing the country's initial response to the ending of the Deciding, articles dissecting the new princess, one even all the way back to the beginning of the process talking about all thirty candidates and an opening poll…

Seems like they were as thorough as us when they had theirs, Arthur thought to himself as he paged through faded polls, green eyes catching on the ones with Alfred's mother's name on it. Near the beginning, she seemed to be around the middle of the pack. He kept on leafing through entry polls and pictures of supporters while the documentary skipped through the initial interviews of the thirty Chosen, with only a few seconds for each..

"So, Miss Piper from Diamonds," the then Jack of Spades then said, his voice warm as she took the stage. Near the corner of the screen, there was a timestamp of when it occurred, but the young girl sitting on the blue sofa seemed to command all the attention towards her soft yet mature face. "It's certainly a different experience being here in Spades than in Diamonds, yes?"

"Oh, yes, Jack Liang," she said humbly, offering a winning smile to the crowd, her hands placed in front of her radiant chrome yellow dress. "Back at Diamonds, I was an only child, so I used to be alone all the time. But even with your daughter Chun Yan in the room – which felt pretty intimidating – the way the palace was welcoming the thirty of us girls…I felt welcomed. It's a lovely feeling."

"I'll pass that onto her," the Jack said to laughs of the audience. "Well. The thirteen girls that have gone before you have all said that our Prince Fitzgerald hasn't picked out a clear favourite. What do you think about that?"

"Hm, I think that maybe a week's a little too early," she replied, nodding her head once. "It would take a little more than that for me to learn a new piece, and I'm from a musical family! I guess love takes a lot of time, so no pressure there, Your Highness."

The camera turned to the prince, who ducked his head and gave her a little thumbs up – as soon as the camera cut back though, Piper was facing his direction until she quickly whipped back towards the Jack, her cheeks tinting with pink.

"Ah, that's very sweet for you to say! What do you think of him so far?"

"He's…kind, and gentle," Piper began, but her face was betraying the fact that she was thinking of what exactly to say. "I mean yes, he's wonderful to spend time with, but it's only been a week, so I can't say that I know him too well. I want to spend some time getting to know him…and I hope that he wants to get to know me, too."

"Actually, if you'd like, we can ask him right now," the Jack said, turning back and nodding at the prince. "Prince Fitzgerald, Lady Piper would like to know whether you'd want to spend time with her sometime this week?"

Arthur could see by the way her legs moved closer to where she was sitting and the way her back straightened as she looked at him that she was plenty nervous. And even though he knew the outcome already, he felt the same for her.

"But of course," Fitz said, and even underneath the slightly darker lights of where interviewer and interviewee sat. "And not just this week, but hopefully for many more to come."

Piper tilted her head – even though her golden earrings caught on the lights of the studio very well, they were not bright enough to match her smile. The blush on her cheeks and her bashful expression perfectly painted the image of a girl in love.

And just like that, Arthur could see how she had enchanted not just a nation but rather a whole continent.

After the light has faded from the Spadian skies, and Arthur has enjoyed dinner with Kiku for the evening, he tidies the shiny circular object – a disk…? – and his booklet of the previous queen into his drawer so that Alfred will not find them when they rendezvous for the evening. He allows himself a long, luxurious shower, thanks Anna for preparing it for him, then bids her goodnight.

She gives her a mischievous smile before closing the bathroom door, hinting that there is someone waiting for him as she drops off his towels. Arthur allows himself a few more minutes of a soak in between blue soap bubbles, then changes into his nightwear and falls into the arms of his perfection.

"I couldn't find you all day," Alfred whined, but his lips wove their way into Arthur's messy hair, freshly washed. "I guess you were busy, huh?"

"I had to set up shop in my new office, and I was trying to sort out decorations and entertainment for the wedding today," Arthur mouthed into his chest, relishing in the scent of apples that he carried after his shower. "And then I had dinner with Kiku. It's just timing that you found me while I was having a long soak."

"Well, I was under the impression that you wanted to see your fiancé," Alfred laughed, and enjoyed the familiar scent of roses in his hair. "I guess I don't have to come that early then, huh?"

"Y-You know what I mean…" Arthur said, flushing darkly and saying the words against Alfred's neck. "…idiot."

"I was busy too though, so I'm sorry for that," Alfred admitted, his body relaxing a little with Arthur's closeness. "I got the gardens approved for today. Also, I finished the invitations and they're sending them out tonight, and the seating arrangements before and after reception. Yao worked me hard today…"

"As expected of our future king," Arthur murmured, kissing him lightly on his blond stubble. "Still, we get this time together, as well as this morning."

"Damn, this morning huh," Alfred laughed huskily, shimmying a little lower to kiss him on the lips. "Is it bad for me to say that I liked it?"

"Yes," Arthur said, looking underneath his lashes and smirking a little as they parted. "I would have to agree with your statement just a little."

"Just a little?!" Alfred whined, but mirth danced across his handsome features. "Aww, what's a guy gotta do to get a break to prove himself?"

"I'm offering you an opportunity right now," Arthur said, leaning so close that their lips brushed. "And take note, crown prince of Spades, I'll be very busy tomorrow morning, so there won't be any time for cuddles…"

And as Alfred tugged him down between the sheets with a fervour - as if he were a man parched and Arthur a lake – he realized the amount of surrender, the amount of power Arthur had over him.

Then he decided to give all of himself to it.

replies

VivaDragnire - tbh he's too popular so i would be probably marched to my death if i made a whole kingdom OOC, lmao. heracles is probably like 'wha me...oh...'

CFAA - let caution be your guide here, wink wonk. but gilbert's not gone i promise!

hearthorse11 - hey don't worry! i've been getting less reviews lately since FFNet, and updates, etc. and thank you very much! emotions is something i'm trying to write better, tbh. al is a big softie and i felt that i had to show that ;v;

n kukuri chan - and OH MY we start off with a sort of comment that i'm going to have to gently censor for the children, HAHA. arthur probably will fling that dress out of the window and bolt the doors shut, lmao. ahh these horny teenage years does things to people, i bet! yao is the all knowing person that's been through it and just sits at his desk almost perfectly mirroring the 'this is fine meme' but sipping tea. and i suppose that i should give them a break before the sequel, muahaha! i believe erin would be quite angry with her little brother if she isn't at least a bridesmaid, pfft.

unfortunately i don't think i mentioned it in the actual chapter, but yep feli's not going anywhere until the heir's born! he would probably be getting a spa treatment, drinking some fancy (albeit mild, since tbh some alcohol during pregnancy isn't a crime in my opinion) champagne and commenting to his maids about everything. and woman please stop, you're going to wire my brain next and find out the whole plot of the sequel already lmfaooo. and describing that was pretty fun! i swear i don't give as much alfred fanservice as i do arthur and i swear i'm a bigger fangirl of alfred. honestly tho, neither of them are gonna be that good since it's their first time and they're probably going to end up in a 2000's sitcom situation, haha.

thank you for that comment! i feel that maybe these few chapters have gotten a touch sappy and i must balance out this anomaly as an Angsty Author (tm). i love me some angsty backstory which is 80% the reason of me writing the omake...and because i wanted alfred and matthew's parents to be more than a painting on the wall, ahah. thank you heaps as always xx

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