The next day...
Arthur's POV...
Alfred was folding the clothes as Arthur pretended to read a book, looking down at his stomach. The results of the test didn't come back yet, the nurse promising to notify them once it was ready. The prince was in an extremely good mood, so good of a mood that John refused to let him do any of his paperwork save he be too lenient in his decision making. Right now even, he was whistling a tune as he folded the clothes, having earlier told the maid that he's like to tend to himself for today. The brit would have loved to be as cheery as the other, but he knew that his pregnancy wasn't confirmed, and that the results may still come back negative.
Arthur sat up on his elbows, staring at his lover in order to get his attention. Alfred glanced at him questioningly as he folded the last of the clothes. "Yes?" he asked, picking a pile up and heading over to a dresser, organizing it. "Are you feeling okay?" Arthur nodded. "Hmm?" The prince turned around in order to see the omega, who nodded again.
"I just don't wanna feel too excited in case the results come back negative." Alfred nodded in understanding.
"That's smart, I'll admit. But the thought of you giving me a son is too exhilarating to not get my hopes up." Though he was turned around, Arthur could still imagine the dopey smile on his face. "When should the test be ready?" He asked as he retrieved another stack of clothes from the foot of the bed. Arthur hummed.
"In an hour or two, if I recall correctly. She said it should be done no later than noon." The thought made him shiver. He would know whether or not he was pregnant within the span of two hours; so close yet so far. He tried to force himself to relax, laying back down and looking up at the ceiling. "I would have preferred to have gotten pregnant after we were married, but I do hope I'm pregnant." Alfred hummed as he walked over to the brit, crawling on the bed and flopping down beside him. They began to cuddle, Arthur tucking his head underneath his neck.
"We can still get married before he's born." Alfred mumbled. "We'll probably get married before's he's born."
"Oh, really? How? We still have no proof our marriage was approved of, which it wasn't." He said grimly, the prince shaking his head.
"John already forged the letter. He's been writing in place of my father for a very long. There is no difference between their handwritings." Alfred informed. "So now that the technicalities are dealt with, we only need to deal with my mother's nagging."
"How long until I meet her?"
"Well," Alfred started. "We're sailing straight to Virginia, so... in about 3 more days we should see the shore."
"Hmm, alright."
"She won't be that bad." Alfred added. "She'll stare you down for a few moments, and walk around you in circles. When she does that, don't be alarmed, she does that to every new person she meets. Then, she'll offer a hand; make sure to grip it firmly. Afterwards, she'll ask you questions about your past, but I'm sure you can handle those. She'll proceed to question Arnold, and he'll know what to say. She'll be cold to you for a little while, but just be yourself, she isn't a fan of overly enthusiastic people."
"Okay." The brit made a mental note. "When do we tell her I'm pregnant, if I am?" He asked. Alfred hummed for a little while.
"Once you're showing. It'll make her cold heart melt." He chuckled, and Arthur sighed. "Which wouldn't be anytime soon, my guess being that I impregnated you after you woke from your coma." Arthur scowled. He didn't even want to think about the cliff incident. "Making you about a month in."
"8 more months to go."
~~~~Wounded Knight~~~~
3 hours later...
Arthur scoffed as he watched Alfred and the crew members celebrate as they downed shots of whiskey. Arnold and John were dancing with some of the maids, sipping glasses of wine. "Look at them," he muttered. "Everyone's drinking but me." He took a long sip of his tea. He couldn't help but find it crazy that, though the party was for him, he wasn't partaking in it. "I mean, I'm the pregnant one." he grumbled. The only person paying him any attention was the nurse, who sat beside him as she sipped some tea.
"Oh, don't mind them." She advised. "This isn't your official babyshower or anything. Right now, they're just congratulating the prince on his new life. We've been worried sick over him for the last month or so, we're just happy all his suffering has paid off." Arthur hummed, finding her explanation valid.
"When will my babyshower be, then?" he asked. He wanted to get a chance to celebrate this with his family, i.e Chancy, Davie, Matthew and the frog, Francis. He didn't really know these people all too well, and would prefer to celebrate with his close friends. Who knows, maybe his inner circle will expand once he gets to the palace.
"Well, perhaps a month before you are due." She guessed. "So seven months from now." Arthur sighed, so far away. "Oh, it'll be beautiful, they always are. Because we're making good time, we'll arrive at the capital in early June. So that means we'll make the coronation, and you could make friends with the nobles from all over the world. Your babyshower will include every superpower."
Arthur quirked a brow. "Well that threw away my plans of having a small babyshower?" The nurse shook her head.
"You can still have a private one, but the focus will be at the public one." She informed.
"Arthur!" Alfred hooted as he stumbled over, arm slung over an equally drunk crew member. The brit looked over at his obnoxiously intoxicated alpha before asking what he wanted. "I just came up with the best plan!" he had a slight slur. Arthur waited for him to tell him. "Do you wanna hear it?" Alfred asked dumbly. Arthur sighed.
"Yes."
"Alright, dude!" he said with a chuckled. "I just realized we'll be home weeks before the coronation-"
"Just three weeks." Arthur interrupted.
"Yea, whatever" The prince said, sitting down beside his omega. "That gives us more than enough time to plan a wedding."
Arthur stared at him blankly before narrowing his eyes. "But what about your mother?" Alfred waved the thought away.
"She can't decide who I marry once I become king. So the day after my coronation, we should just get married!" He had a wide smile. "I mean, all the important people from around the world will be there already, so we might as well get married. I'll have someone independently plan for the wedding without my mother's knowledge, and by the time it starts, she'll have no power to stop it." Arthur had to admit the plan was very clever, and his heart raced in anticipation. He kissed the other on the cheeks.
"That's a great idea!"
4 days later...
"That's an awful idea." Davie and Francis deadpanned as they downed a shot. The ship had arrived the day before, the castle hectic and large and full of unfamiliar faces. They arrived at night, and because the queen was out of town for a few days, Arthur and Alfred made a bee-line to Davie and Chancy's room, where they ran into Matthew and Francis. There were a few tears shed from Davie, soft sobbing from Chancy, and loud laughing from Geoffrey. Arthur discovered Chancy to be very pregnant, already showing underneath his pijamas. They had ended up staying the night in their room, the group not wanting to part ways just yet.
Now it was morning, and Alfred had consulted with Davie and Francis about his new plan. The prince had discussed it with Arnold and John, who thought it was a decent back up plan in case the mother rejected Arthur outright. The pair, however, didn't really like it one bit. "Why?" Alfred asked, and Davie folded his arms.
"What if she finds out? It'll be more than just awkward, I can tell you that." He bent down to give Geoffrey a sip of water from a bottle, the infant crawling around near his foot. The sight of the baby reminded Arthur that he hadn't told them about the pregnancy, wanting to wait until he was showing before inform them. He had ordered his mate not to tell anyone, and he had made sure to swear the crew into secrecy before they had docked.
"She won't find out if you don't open your big mouth." Alfred shot, and Davie rolled his eyes.
"I'm great at keeping secrets." he said simply, before narrowing his eyes. "But I guess not as good as you two." His tone was slight accusatory, the couple uncertain of what he was hinting at. "Oh, you can't use your magic to read my mind?" He teased, and Arthur snapped his head towards Chancy, glaring. The Frenchman shrugged.
"He kept asking about that night at the harbor, so I had to tell him that I was a witch." he explained in French. "He asked about your involvement and I let it slip by accident. I'm sorry." He looked down at the ground, no longer meeting the brit's eyes.
"I have not told anyone." Davie added. "I mean, that'd be dumb, considering Chancy is my husband to be. He'd leave me otherwise." Arthur smiled, trusting the darkhaired man.
"Marriage? I assume your parents approve of Chancy now." Arthur said, taking a sip of tea. Davie shook his head.
"They still hate him." He corrected. "But I've stopped talking to them."
"You've cut communication off with your parents?" Alfred asked, genuinely shocked. Davie nodded.
"The back and forth wasn't worth it anymore. I wasn't going to annull my mateship." He explained. Arthur was happy for them, glad that things worked themselves out.
"Oh, so are you still talking to your parents?" The brit asked Chancy in French, Francis humming.
"They died a few years back in a fire." Francis said lightly, and the brit threw him a confused look. No, no they didn't. However the brit kept that knowledge to himself. Chancy can read his expression, releasing a deep groan of frustration. Arthur shook his head at him, as a way to tell him without really saying that he doesn't need to tell the truth after right now. Francis stared at the pair for a bit before moving on in english. "But back to your little plan. Yes, I agree a wedding a day after your coronation would be fantastic, but think of the influence your mother still has. If I were you, I would start building up Arthur's public appearance right now before your mother comes back." Arthur nodded, but he was unsure of how to do that.
"How?" Alfred asked.
"Maybe have him ride through the town with you in a really pretty dress. Americans like a pretty queens. Then a few days later have him distribute some money to the poor. After that, introduce him to the nobles formally at a dinner." He listed these things off the top of his head. "Then, once everyone is already fond of you, the queen-mother will be partially inclined to like you."
Arthur blinked slowly as the prince nodded. "I have a ride through the town scheduled for today, actually, and a meeting with the nobles tonight." He turned to his omega. "We can start today."
"I'm fine with that, I guess." He mumbled. "I guess its time I put my training to the test."
"Oh, you'll be fine." Matthew said suddenly. The prince had just finished taking a nap on Arthur's lap. "They're shallow as hell, if anything, they'll be competing for your favor, not the other way around." The brit nodded, appreciative of the other's reassuring words. Arthur found himself aching to tell them about his pregnancy, but he ignored the pain.
"Thank You."
There was a shy knock on the door, and a maid shuffled in with breakfast. It was the typical bacon, eggs, sausages, fruit and milk. He wasn't in the mood for any of those things, be he feared the other's might notice his cravings so he just stomached it. He had a moderate portion of eggs and sausage, the smell of the bacon almost making him gag a few times. The food wasn't sitting right with the brit as he forced it down. Eventually, he couldn't take it any longer, getting up abruptly and rushing out of the room, into the bathroom, puking in the first empty bucket he saw. In a minute Alfred was crouching down beside him, skillfully pulling his hair back as he vomitted. He rubbed his back gently as he hummed a tune, their favorite tune, to calm down the other. Then there was a knock, Matthew peaking in.
"Are you alright?" He asked, arms folded in concern. Alfred stared back at his brother unblinkingly before replying with a short yes. "Should I bring a physician?" Alfred shook his head.
"He'll be fine." He assured. Matthew left slowly, eyeing the pair as Arthur continued to vomit in the bucket. "Everything'll be fine." He whispered to the brit. "I'll get a rag ready." He stood up slowly and left the room. Arthur muttered to himself in Arabic, the prince coming back with a cold wet rag. "Tell me when you think it'll be over." he ordered, and the brit nodded.
About an additional 10 minutes had passed before the omega finally decided that he was ready to get up. The prince wiped his face and handed him a cup of water to rinse his mouth with. The two exited the bathroom awkwardly as the room watched them with concerned eyes. "I can give you a little check up. I would prefer to, actually." Davie said, standing up carefully as to not bump into Geoffrey. He went over to his desk, and Arthur protested.
"I'm fine, love, really." He said. "I've already seen a physician, they said it's nothing major, just random waves of sickness." He waved his hand to seem more convincing, however, the excuse was dumb so they all looked at him with suspicious eyes. He sighed, needing a more convincing story. "I was... uh... impaled." Alfred snapped his head towards his lover as they sat down, growling at the memory. The room went silent, this incident not being discussed the night before. In fact, Arthur left out the whole evil brothers thing as a whole, only wanting to enjoy the moment. "It's a long story. Alfred should tell it." he passed the batton.
The prince made a face before shrugging. "His brothers were behind the kidnapping." The room gasped, some in shock that his family would do something like that, others in shock he even had brothers. "They took him back to England, kept him in a cave while they tortured him disguised as the palace sorcerer." He took a puase, looking at Arthur. "Is that when they... burned you?" he asked lowly, and Chancy gasped loudly, swearing as he stood up, walking over to his desk. "What're you doing?" Alfred asked the smaller, and Chancy replied in french.
"They want to burn him? Well I got a good look at them that night, I'm gonna curse them." he was fumbling with his a few beads as he arranged them in a circle. He couldn't be serious.
"No!" Arthur inputted. "It's not worth it, really. The burns healed, see?" he lifted up his shirt to show a hand sized rubbery patch shaped like a cross. The room gasped, Davie ordering Chancy to make some scar cream. The blond nodded, heading to his drawer and pulling out some ginger root. "It's okay, really. I've tried everything, this is about as good as it gets."
"You let them get away with that?!" Matthew barked at his brother, Alfred's mouth opening and closing rapidly. "Wow! Wow, unbelievable, Alfred!"
"I didn't figure it out until they already had Arthur under a death curse, so any misstep could have cost me his life." He said in his defense. "After pretending to help him for almost a month, they threw him off a cliff where he was impaled by a rock. His powers just kicked in just in time to save his life." The room was still glaring at the prince. "What was I gonna do? Jump down after him? I was nowhere near there because I was swordfighting with the redhead-"
"The redhead?" Davie and Matthew asked in unison. Matthew continued to speak. "The redhead, as in the one who killed dad?" Arthur took a long sip of his tea as he looked down. He just opened up a can of worms, huh?
"Yes, but-"
"But he's still alive, huh?" He shot back, eyes filled with disgust. "You were literally given every reason to kill that man, but you wouldn't!"
"It's not that I wouldn't, it was because I couldn't! He wiped out an entire camp of soldiers single handedly, he's not what I would call a weak opponent. Furthermore," Alfred took a breath. "In the middle of my fight Arthur was delivered all torn up and shit. So my priority wasn't avenging dad, it was making sure Arthur was still alive. And even after that, I had no idea how to treat a wound of that size; his organs were busted and his lungs collapsed. I needed people with magic to help heal him with magic." Matthew huffed, turning to Arthur.
"And how did that work out?" he asked, and Arthur shrugged.
"They poisoned me." He blurted, realizing his mistake as everyone in the room began barking at Alfred, who settled on glaring holes into his mates face. "He couldn't have known. He had only started to suspect things after my seizure." He explained in his mate's defense. There was an awkward silence before Francis scrunched his nose in disgust.
"You watched as they put him in a seizure?" He spat, Alfred looking at him incredulously.
"I didn't just watch-"
"Really, because this entire story just sounds like you were just watching as your mate got hurt." Matthew shot, Alfred fliching at his harsh words.
"Guys." Arthur tried to calm them down, but they were just picking him apart.
"Claiming ignorance won't make his burns go away." Davie stated.
"They put him in a death curse, and you probably did nothing but conceed to their demands, what did the ask for?" Matthew inquired, and Alfred shook his head. "What did they ask for?"
"Guys! Stop it-" The omega was interrupted by the prince's hum swallowing up the noise of the room, everyone soon falling into silence. Once everyone was settled down, the prince stood up and exited the room wordlessly, closing the door behind him. Arthur felt his heart bleed with guilt. His stupid big mouth caused this assault on his alpha. The room was full of murmurs, still talking about Alfred's failings. "Guys." Arthur said, getting their attention. "I know you guys are upset that I got hurt, but you shouldn't take it out on Alfred. He was doing his best considering he was dealing with supernatural beings. He had no idea who to trust, and for the majority of Alfred's encounter with Allister, or the redhead as you know him, I had to continuously beg Alfred not to try and kill him."
"But," Matthew started, and Arthur hushed him softly.
"I can only imagine how much of a wreck he was while I was missing, or in a coma. I can only imagine how angry he was when he actually had to conceed to their demands, otherwise I would have died." Arthur informed. "Though he's acting all confident all the time... he's come out of this realizing that he wasn't invincible, and that no matter how well he planned, there are just some things out of his control. This entire situation was out of his control, and he had to adapt to it as best he could. I doubt any of you could do any better." With that, he stood up slowly. "Now, I'm not mad, but I won't be apologizng for any of you. So, I'm off." he said, leaving the room with that, off to find his mate.
2 hours later...
Alfred sat silently as they rode the carriage through the city, the brit being forced to wave and greet the civilians alone. Though, it wasn't as hard as it sounded because he was doing so from his passenger window, and guards were walking alongside the carriage to protect his face in case someone tried to throw anything dangerous. However, to Arthur's delight, the only thing the people were throwing were flower petals, calling out the omega's name in song. He was flattered, but his happiness was dampered at the fact that his mate wasn't enjoying it as much as he was.
He sat down in his seat as the carriage rode over a bridge. "Alfie, I hope you still aren't thinking about earlier." He rested his head on the other's shoulder. "I wish you'd lighten up." The prince glanced down at him in response, before looking forward once again. "I said I was sorry, for being as stupid as I was and telling them what I had." He mumbled, before humming. "I scolded them after you had left. I told them the situation was out of your hands from the very beginning."
The roar of the excited crowd caused Arthur to pull away slightly and wave to them once more, smiling brightly.
"You're so beautiful!" Someone screamed.
"I love your hair!" Another woman yelled. Arthur touched his hair, wavy because Alfred had wet it and braided it up, unbraiding it once it was dry. "Your dress is amazing!" Another hooted, and Arthur glanced down. He was wearing a red dres very similar to the lavender dress he wore almost 2 months ago. Alfred had picked this dress out. The brit sat down again, looking over at his mate who was waving to the people on his side of the carriage, smiling as people praised him and called his name. However, even from here, Arthur could tell the smile was fake. Once the prince sat down comfortably, he frowned at the roof of the vehicle in deep thought.
"Are you alright?" Arthur asked, a little annoyed. "I had already apologized for what happened earlier, why won't you just get over it?" he growled lightly, the prince glaring at you. However he didn't say a word, in fact, he only watched you. "What? What Alfred, what?" He whined, grabbing the other's arm. The other began looking forward, ignoring the omega. If Arthur didn't do anything this will continue all day. "Alfred, for the sake of the baby, just tell me what's bothering you." Yeah, he went there, and after a few tense moments he reluctantly shifted in order to face his mate.
"Nothing." He said simply, and Arthur frowned. He grabbed the other's hand and placed it on his stomach. Alfred groaned. "It's not about earlier... well it is but...ugh!" He scratched his eyes. "It's not just about earlier. I guess it's everything that's happened in the last 3 months or so. I'm just worn, is all." He muttered. "I don't blame you." Arthur furrowed his brows.
"You should talk about it." He suggested, and the prince shrugged.
"I mean, there's not much to talk about." He offered. "Matthew's as mean as ever, Francis is as judgmental as ever. Davie's... well I expected it from Davie. Chancy yelling at me was just bizarre." he let out a bitter chuckle. "But, even before the ship shored on England, John had already lectured me on my failings. My mother told me, before I had left, that you were probably dead, that this was a wild goose chase. I remember shrugging the doubts off, that I was faring better than others would in my situation, but I guess now that everything has settled, looking back in hindsight, I made some mistakes." His eyes wouldn't reach Arthur's as he spoke.
"You're right about doing the best you can with the opportunities given; you're not a failure." He muttered, kissing the crestfallen prince on the forehead. "You are a completely capable alpha, so stop looking back at the past and focus on the future. Like cake flavors and themes for our wedding." Arthur placed his forehead on the other's, smirking at the wide cheesey smile on Alfred's face. "Now," he said, pulling away. "Lets get back to business." He returned to the window, waving at the crowds of people laughing in delight. Arthur waved as Alfred pushed next to him, the two sharing a window.
"Prince Alfred! Prince Arthur!" the people cheered in excitement. Alfred placed a soft kiss on Arthur's cheek, the crowd going wild.
~~~~Wounded Knight~~~~
The prince and Arthur were sipping their drinks as the nobles shuffled in. They all took seats, practically staring at the brit. Arthur was in the mood for fried chicken, pleased to see an entire roasted chicken arrive on a tray. His mouth was watering as a maid cut the chicken, the golden brown skin of the foul tantalizing. The brit figured he should be patient, looking around the room. They weren't in the main hall, but rather in the private dining room. It was no larger than Davie and Chancy's bedroom, the wall a simple black and the floor red. The table was made of expensive wood, with a chandelier hanging above it. The black wall had a few flower accents, along with some lights. There was a candelabra at the center of the table, the flame burning brightly.
Arthur looked arond at the expectant faces of the nobles, each one looking surprisingly unique when compared to the others. One woman and her husband had pitch black hair with bright feather hats. They had birdlike noses, and dark eyes that contrasted very well with their very pale skin. Another couple had golden blond hair, the woman's hair flowing down to her waist, her husband's stopping just short of his ears. She had lime green eyes, and he had warm brown ones. She also had a very pretty ruby necklace on. The next couple was an African Ameircan one, the woman's kinky hair spiralled into neat curls that were resting on her shoulders. Her husband had short kinky hair and a large top hat, a big mustache on his upper lip that connected to a neatly trimmed beard. What really stood out about them were their silver eyes, that seemed to bore into Arthur's soul. He turned his attention to the next couple, a woman with messy brunette hair that had twigs in it, and a man whose hair was gelled backed into a wave pattern. They looked like polar opposites, but here the woman was, adjusting his tye. The last couple were people he was already familiar with: Davie & Chancy. The blond smiled at him brightly and waved a bit, Davie offering him a curt nod. To make a blanket statement about all of the nobles: None looked over 25.
Alfred cleared his throat as the food was placed on people's plates. "Thank you all for meeting on such short notice." He started. The nobles nodded, kind smiles on their youthful faces. "I, uh..." The prince trailed off, humming. "I don't know what I'm doing." He said honestly. "Can we just cut the formalities, our parents aren't here." He groaned. There was a relieved sighed released from various members at the table. The woman with the feather hat spoke first, tipping her hat at Arthur.
"Hello, my name is Anabelle Drake, and this is my husband Thomas." She introduced, her accent thick, but the brit unfamiliar with where it came from. Arthur offered his own name back. She smiled brightly. "Pendragon? As in Uther Pendragon? Was he your father?"
"Yes, of sorts." Arthur sighed, taking a sip of his sparkling water. The woman with the long blond hair began to speak.
"Ah, yes. I ran into your adoptive father last night." She had a southern accent, it was charming. "He's quiet the character, I appreciated the eccentrics." She took a slow sip of her wine. "My name is Julia Livingston, by the way. This is my husband, Marshall." The blond man waved at Arthur, reaching into his pockets and pulling out his bright blue glasses, putting them on his face.
"Alfred has a pair like that, but they're red." Arthur looked at Alfred. The prince made a face.
"I hate those things." He shuddered. "It makes me look like a dweeb." He said, taking a long swing of his wine. "But they look great on Marshie." He complimented, Marshal frowning at the nickname.
"We aren't 15 anymore, Alfred. You're to be king in less than a month-" Alfred cut him off with a yawn, Marshal rolling his eyes, turning to Davie. "Did you really deal with him for 3 years?"
"Hey!" As the boys bickered, the African American woman introduced herself from across the table.
"My name is Isabelle Deen, and this is my husband, Clark." Arthur twitched at the last name, flashbacks to little over a month ago.
"Are you related to Mayor Clara Deen? I met with her a while back." Clark answered.
"She's my younger sister. I heard about what went down in her government building, I'm sorry for the trouble." He offered. Arthur shook his head.
"Oh, it's no cause to apologize." he assured. "I like your hat, did you import it?" He changed the subject, the current one uncomfortable. Isabelled interjected.
"I made it, actually. I run a hat company on the side." Arthur was impressed. "Your adoptive father is a business man, what does he do?" Arthur took a sip of water.
"He's in the arms business. He's trying to get rid of all his inventory soon though." Isabelle asked why. "Well, I don't know if I can say, but he's upgrading his weapons." She nodded, taking a bite out of her food. The woman with tangled brunette hair with leaves in it cleared her throat loudly, clinking a fork against her wine glass to quiet everybody down.
"My name is Mary, and this is Jorge." She had a spanish accent, Jorge nodding to his greeting. "It's a pleasure to meet you."
"Likewise," Arthur replied, smile on his face. "You have a few..." He motioned to her hair, and she shook her head.
"Yes, I know." She said, taking out a twig. "Chancy pushed me into the bushes earlier. I don't normally look like this." She assured, and Chancy gasped.
"It was an accident." He said in a deep french accent. "You scared me and I panicked." He pulled a twig out of her hair in apology, the girl smiling. Davie and Arthur chuckled in unison. Marshall called your attention.
"You seem like a sane, pretty man, why did you settle for Alfred?" The blond asked, the table erupting in laughter. Oh, looks like it's time to implement his lessons.
"You mean like how we met?" He asked a clarifying question, the table nodding. "Oh, I honestly just ran into him one day. He was dying, I was naked, you know, the usual." The table erupted in laughter. "No, but seriously. It was some time in November, and I had just escape the tunnels of London. I was taking a longawaited bath in a stream when I heard... thudding and groaning. I hop out the river, naked, my clothes wet because I had just washed them. I turn to see Alfred, in a full set of armor, passed out on the ground. I knew it was an American, and after three years underground, the last thing I wanted to do was help him. My conscious got the better of me, fortunately, and I tried to treat his wounds. It gets... complicated from there."
"Like how?" Isabelle asked. The brit groaned.
"Well, months prior my adoptive father and his father had correspondence over marrying me off to Alfred. I knew about it because I had left the tunnels about 6 months before our initial meeting." the room nodded in understanding. "It was agreed that my brother and I would be fetched from the tunnels by Americans and taken to the fortress where I could meet the King and prince. However, when the day came, the Americans separated my brother and I, which wasn't a part of the plan. I realized a day in that something was off, so I escaped them, which was why I was in the river instead of my way to the castle. I had no idea I had run into Alfred until I had stopped his bleeding. When he had told me about the raid at his campsite, thats when I realized the bandits my father had used to carry letters had crossed us."
"Who were these bandits?" Julia asked, raking through her hair.
Arthur bit his lips. "The leaders were the other children of Uther Pendragon, better known as the Kirkland brothers." The room gasped.
"You're a Kirkland?" Jorge asked, and Arthur held up his hands.
"Not really. I wasn't raised with them, and I had only learned of them and my heritage in the middle of the war. I'm hardly a Kirkland, and I think they'd agree."
'How do you know? Have you spoken to them since?" Anabelle asked, and Arthur nodded.
"They're the ones who kidnapped me, and they pushed me off a cliff." The room was silent. "Anyway, now that I knew the king was dead, and that my 'brothers'" he made air quotations. "Had kille him, I couldn't just tell Alfred the truth out front, he'd have me guillotined. So I lied for a few weeks. I eventually told him, and we got into an argument. I left, going to search for my brother, who I hadn't seen since we were taken from the tunnels, and almost died of frostbite. He retrieved me, said he wasn't that mad, he was still angry, but he was less angry now. Uh... Then the Kirkland brothers sent a spy to infiltrate my inner circle, using her to enter the fortress and try to kidnap me."
"Why?" Davie asked, confused.
"Because." Arthur shrugged. "Parliament had told the that they'd retore the british crown if all surviving children of the king come together. I ended up getting stabbed by one of them, but I survived. Then I found out my younger brother was dead, which, of course, devasted me. Fastfoward a few months, we're in New York, and the Kirklands have somehow followed us. They killed two people as a threat, and a few weeks later they kidnapped me under a disguise, pretended to save me, and then pushed me off a cliff." He told, the room nodding solemnly.
"But I bet Alfie put them in their place." Clark surmised, other around the room nodding in agreement.
"They were poisoning him by the time I realized they were the ones behind all of this." He said softly. "Arthur was dying and they offered to give him... an antidote in return that I sign a document to remove all troops from England. If I said no, Arthur would have died, so... no I didn't put them in their place." He muttered, Thomas shrugging.
"Well, that was a bizarre situation. I'm sure your hands were tied." He said nonchalntly, taking a bite of his food.
"Why thank you Tommie?" Thomas glanced at him with a face.
"We're not 14 anymore, Alfred, so don't. Or else I'll beat you up." He had a wicked grin on his face. Alfred smirked.
"I'll glue that ugly hat to your head." He threatened playfully. The feathery couple gasped in offense, clutching their headwear. Alfred rose a brow. "What? Those hats aren't your colors. A solid green one would do you justice." he suggested, and Anabelle hummed, taking off her hat and examining it.
"Maybe..." She mumbled as she tried to imagine it. As they were doing that, Julia, Chancy, Mary, Isabelle and Arthur began to talk random things.
"For a moment," Mary started. "When I walked in, I thought my information was wrong because I saw you in such a flattering dress that I had thought you were a woman." She looked dead serious. "I seriously thought I was going to reevaluate my life for a moment." Julia shrugged.
"I do like your dress, however. Did you wear it around town?" Arthur nodded. "Did the people like it?" Arthur nodded.
"Yes, I believe they did. Alfred picked it out for me." The circle glanced at the prince in shock.
"Really?" Chancy asked. It shouldn't be that surprising, right.
"He picks most of my outfits." He continued. "If I were left to pick my own clothes, I would just wear his, and stain them." The circle chuckled.
"I wish I could trust Jorge with such a simple task." Mary sighed. "He's too immature; he'll pull out lingerie." Arthur chuckled.
