Arthur's POV...
A few hours later...
He rubbed his eyes, the prince rambling as he got ready for his big day. It was very early morning, the sun wasn't even up yet. However, the international guests were now arriving, it would only be formal for the prince to greet them. Arthur groaned, beginning to crawl out of bed when the other stopped him. "Where are you going?" Alfred asked suddenly, the brit confused.
"I'm getting ready." He yawned. "To meet them." The prince smiled at him before telling him to get back to bed. "Why? I just need to wash my face." He protested weakly. Alfred shook his head.
"You can meet them all tonight." He assured. The American gently pushed Arthur back into bed. "Besides, you need to watch Julius." After a brief kiss, he tucked the other in successfully, smiling in triumph. Alfred bent forward and ran a hand through the blond curls of the sleeping toddler. The couple have become very fond of the little boy, so fond that Chancy was wondering if they were going to formally adopt him. At this point, Arthur didn't know. Alfred was unbelievably tender towards the boy, and when Arthur was busy with something, the American would jump at the chance to have Julius for the day. The brit would like to think the toddler saw them as more than just babysitters, but he didn't want to jump the crossbow and say the child saw them as parents. It has only really been a weak.
"I won't be able to sleep without you." Arthur argued playfully, and the prince hummed.
"You'll find a way." He chuckled.
"What if your mother comes back?" He questioned, and the prince stiffened.
"The moment you think you're in danger, come find me." He instructed, but that was much easier said than done. Arthur scoffed, and the prince hummed. "You have magic, dude." He sounded exasperated. "Throw something at her, or call for help. Whatever makes more sense at the moment."
"She can just tear out my throat bef-"
"I've never seen her kill anyone, she's not a fan of blood." The prince interupted. "She usually has other people to do that for her." Arthur shivered.
"Can you leave some guards at the door?" Alfred looked back at his semiconscious features.
"Of course." The prince went on with picking an outfit until there was a knock on the door. "Come in." He said simply, not even asking who it was. Arthur shrunk back as John walked in, looking wide awake and alert.
"Prince Alfred, a few more guests have arrived. They're in the lobby, and they're eager to go to bed." Alfred nodded.
"Whose here?"
"The Italian twins and their mates." John looked up at the ceiling. "The shogun of Japan's son in law... I forget his name, and his mate... the Archduke of Greece? At least I think that's who he is, I can't be too sure. The mexican representative, and the Turkish king have arrived, the Australian Prime minister tagging along with the Minister of New Zealand." He paused for a moment. "That's all I'm sure, for now at least. More boats are docking as we speak." Arthur was suddenly excited. He wanted to meet these people as soon as possible. He slowly pushed the covers off of himself, the prince not noticing his subtle movements. "It was quite a long journey, they are growing impatient for their rooming accommodations."
"Tell the maids to take their bags." Alfred ordered.
"I already have."
~~~~Wounded Knight~~~~
Alfred's POV...
He was lead by John to the double doors of the great hall, the American mentally preparing himself for everything for this early morning meeting. He yawned, disappointed that he could no longer control his fatigue. He snapped his fingers, the guards pushing open the door, the alpha now being able to hear the voices of his equals. As he entered, he took note of the small group, being a little larger than he had expected because John failed to mention the presence of the Chinese emperor and his entourage. The prince had managed to convince his mate to stay in the room, ensuring him that it was just a brief boring meeting and they wouldn't even remember it in the morning. As he approached the group, he realized Francis and Matthew were already there. The prince bit his lip. Should he have brought Arthur?
"Hey." Matthew said informal, approaching his brother with open arms. They embraced, the beta smiling softly at him in excitement. "How are you feeling? Are you excited or anything?!" Alfred smiled widely under his brother's warm gaze, nodding wildly.
"It's surreal." He was then practically swarmed by the cluster of royals around his age, each congratulating him with bright smiles but tired eyes. They were all still dressed in their travelling clothes, and though Romano, the prince of Italy, was smiling, Alfred could sense his normal grumpiness returning. He turned his attention back to John, who was waiting there patiently for his next orders. "Send more guards to my room. Make sure no one gets in or out." He ordered, John nodding obediently, shuffling out of the room. When he turned back to the group, they all wore mischievous expressions, eyeing him knowingly. Yao, the emperor of Japan, spoke first.
"So," His eyes were blown out in shock. "The rumors are true aru." He tilted his head, and the prince shrugged, a slow blush spreading across his nose. The emperor was perhaps the smallest in the room, standing at a mere 5 feet and 4 inches. His black silky hair was pulled into a side ponytail, his grey traveller's suit a little dusty. "Someone has done the impossible." He sounded very mystified, a soft murmur erupting.
"Ve~" Feliciano, the crown prince of Italy started, a wide grin on his face. He was smiling so hard that Alfred could ghardly see his amber eyes, and his tanned cheeks were red with excitement. "What is he like?" Everyone nodded, wanting to know. Alffred stammered, unsure of how to respond. He hadn't expected the meeting to go like this, he expected it to be more formal. However, considering they were all the same age, and they were all pretty much friends, the meeting had turned into a gossip session. He hummed as he panicked, the French King Francis scoffing.
"Mon amie," He started, placing a hip on his waist, flipping his blonde hair. He and Matthew were dressed a little more formally because they didn't need to travel. He wore a simple blazer with black slacks, a sleevless purple tunic over his outfit. Matthew's wheat blond hair was combed back, and he wore a red shirt with brown pants, a red sleevless tunic over his outfit. "You can go hours talking about him. Start with his appearance." He suggested, and Matthew chuckled. Alfred nodded dumbly.
"Uh... He has shoulder length light blonde hair, that isn't straight, but isn't curly. It doesn't really have a texture, like, it's not wavy, but it's... messy. He has messy blond shoulder length hair." He started, the rooming eyeing him as they nodded. "He's pale, ohohoho he is very pale. So, like, whenever I upset him, he just turns into this red mess and flips out and curses." He chuckled to himself, before frowning. "However, if I take it too far, he starts to cry. He's kind off a baby. Umm...Oh yeah! He's British, and he's the son of King Uther Pendra-"
"What?" It was the Spanish King who interrupted him, Antonio Carriedo. His usual cheery face had morphed into one of skepticality, and annoyance... almost anger. His Green eyes were boring holes into Alfred, who stared back at him with equal intensity. Alfred sighed, shaking his head.
"There's no reason to be alarmed." He assured. "You'll love him. He doesn't live up to any stereotypes." He started, but the Spanish king scoffed. He then turned his sharp gaze towards the French King Francis, who looked away momentarily deep in thought.
"Mon Amie" Antonio said coldly, the Frenchman turning his attention to his bestfriend. "You knew about this? A surviving English royal?" Francis shrugged.
"The boy didn't even know he was royalty until his brothers-"
"Brothers?!" It was now Ludwig Beilschmidt, crown prince of Germany speaking, his stern voice booming. His blonde hair was slicked back and his deep blue eyes were piercing. His body was built like a brick house, the American sincerely curious about how much he can lift. He too looked skeptical, analyzing the situation in his head. "I assume you met him during your stay in England, then." He sounded tight. Alfred sighed, taking a random seat at any random table.
"I know, what you're getting at." He muttered. "But he's not a spy. He's nothing like that. He's beautiful, kind, and overall just a really great person to be around and you guys really have no reason to not trust him."
"Is that why you didn't bring him?" Kiku Honda, the shogun's son in law, said calculatingly. His short black bangs covered all of his forehead, his dark eyes robotic. Alfred stared off into space for a moment, losing his stoicism.
"I didn't bring him because not only is it too early in the morning, I figured this meeting would be boring and add unecessary stress to him on the eve of his wedding." He deadpanned, the group turning silent. Prince Romano suddenly wacked Antonio hard across the shoulder, whispering something to him. The Spanish King sighed, and then cleared his throat.
"I didn't mean to come across as accusatory." He said in a weak apology. "But, you understand our skepticism, si? Everyone in this room aided the fall of the British Empire, and you expect us not to expect the worse from him? It's unrealistic mijo." Alfred nodded, looking down at the table before him.
"I know it seems that way," He started. "But the last 7 months of my life have been the most bizarre experience I've ever been through. At this point, anything is possible." He said it more to himself than to the others, but when the Greco archduke patted his shoulder in support, he smiled. "Thanks Heracles" He mumbled.
"If it counts for anything," Francis said suddenly. "I absolutely adore him." He sighed fondly. The Turkish King Sadik Adnan cut the man off with a loud burp.
"When can we meet this englishman?" His green eyes sparkled in interest. Alfred hummed.
"In a few hours."
"Are you sure about that, Ve~?" Feli said, pointing at the entrance. Alfred began to pray. If Arthur was truly standing by the door, God really has foresaken him. The American slowly turned to see a half conscious Arthur trying to drag... a dog. It was a rather huge white fluffy dog that had decided to perch in front of the door of the Grand hall. Arthur was still in his nightgown, not even wearing shoes. He was muttering in another language, but by the way he was going about pulling the dog made it clear he had not noticed the band of royals.
Arthur scratched his head, groaning as he stormed out of the room, the giant dog still perched in his spot, panting. There was an awkward silence, no one sure as of what to do. The brit came back now, with a big black box, and put it in front of the dog. "Get in." He ordered. The dog glanced at him, then the box, then back at the brit, barking suddenly. Arthur jumped back in shock. "Get back in." He said again, before switching to an array of languages, one by one a royal behind Alfred gasped as he spoke in their native tongue. "I'm begging you, if anyone finds me out here they'll tell the queen-mother." He said desperately. "Do you want food?" He stood up, leaving the room again. Alfred turned back to his guests, who were all confused.
"Well," Heracles started. "He is very beautiful." Alfred groaned, approaching the dog. The white canine began to growl at him, the prince growling back. The white canine whimpered, quickly realizing the other as his master.
"Whose dog is this?" He asked, sitting himself by the animal and petting it. The dog seemed to be a Great Pyrenees. "How did you get in here?" he said in a squeaky voice, allowing the canine to lick him. The door creaked open as Arthur began to walk in, talking to someone.
"Earl, I am so serious." He said seriously. "I do not want it. Tell him to take it back... because it doesn't behave!" When Arthur saw the prince sitting next to the dog, the brit dropped his platter of meats in shock, rushing out of the room. Alfred stared at the door in disbelief, before calling for the guards.
"Find my mate and bring him here." He sighed, annoyed, walking back to the group. The royals looked thoroughly amused by the situation, perhaps not even tired anymore. "I swear, on a daily basis he's normal."
~~~~Wounded Knight~~~~
Arthur was now dressed properly in a blouse and trousers, looking down at nothing but the black box in his hand. Alfred was currently holding onto a sleeping Julius because he had mixed feelings about leaving him alone. All eyes were on him, the brit growling as the dog licked his cheeks. Alfred sighed. "What did you do?" He said bluntly, catching everyone in the room off guard, especially the brit, who eyed him.
"Uh... it's a really aggravatingly long story." He said simply. "But to keep it short, I was sent a dog, who broke out of the room. I don't know how it left, or how it got here. But... anyway, it doesn't matter now, because Earl is returning him." Alfred frowned at him. Who the hell is Earl?
"Whose Earl?" He asked, Arthur pursing his lips.
"The messenger for the council." He answered. Alfred stared at him in confusion before making the connection. The minotaur. So this had some magical aspect to it. The American groaned.
"Whatever." He said weakly, turning in his chair and standing up. He gently offered the toddler to the brit, who took him gingerly. "Won't you guys stay with my mate? I'll be right back." He said, leaving the room. Alfred was of course looking for this Earl character. He must still be here if he hadn't yet retrieved the dog. As he walked down the hall, he had realized what he had just done to his poor mate. He stopped. Should he turn back? For all he knew, they were insulting him. However, they could also be speaking cordially. He groaned, walking back to the Grand Hall. As he walked, the ground began to rumble a bit, the prince looking around. Horses? No! It must be that beast. He walked towards the sound and... it was strolling down the empty hall. Alfred stood in front of it, the creature taking notice of him and stopping.
"Hello, Alfred Jones." He hummed, Alfred nodding at him in recognition. "I suppose you know where Arthur and Smudge are? It would be bad for your mate to lose his gift so soon." The American nodded, pursing his lips.
"I assume Smudge is the dog. If so, they're okay." He assured, looking up at the beast. "Your name is Earl? You don't look like an Earl." Alfred said suddenly, the minotaur turning his head.
"Well, it's just something the young master calls me." He informed. "You can call me something else." He offered, but Alfred shook his head.
"Nah~" He chuckled. "You'll grow into the name. Besides, multiple names will just confuse you." There was an awkward silence until Alfred remembered why he wanted to talk to the magical entity. "Hey..." He started, unsure as of he should go about it. "Who sent Arthur this gift?" The minotaur sighed. "And why?" The prince added.
"These are not very simple questions." The minotaur said softly. "But, if you have the time to listen to my explanation, let me tell you immediately. Somewhere private." Alfred nodded. He wanted to know every single thing about this 'Council' and why they were so interested in Arthur's life. The prince began to lead the creature to his solar, opening up both doors as to left the minotaur in.
"This place is sound proof. No one can listen in." He assured as he closed the door. The minotaur nodded as he took a seat on the ground, groaning.
"Well, what is your first question?" He asked, and the prince hummed, trying to pick out the one of the million questions he had.
"What's this council you speak of?" He asked, sitting down on the floor a few feet in front of the beast. Earl blew steam from his nose.
"It is the Council of Imperial Magick, the executive branch of the Holy Order. They're... the administration." He explained. Alfred quirking his brows.
"What is this Holy Order?" He asked, and the minotaur remained silent. "I won't tell." Alfred swore, but the minotaur still remained silent. "Why can't you tell me?"
"Because" He started. "You are human."
Alfred scoffed bitterly. "I wish." The minotaur tilted his head in confusion. Alfred groaned, not really wanting to go through explaining it again. "I'm a lycan... of sorts." He flashed his eyes for emphasis, the minotaur nodding slowly as he marinated in the information.
"Well then, that is indeed surprising." He said, mystified. "I will have to inform the Order."
"What?" Alfred shook his head. "Dude, I don't even know what this order is!" The minotaur shook his head.
"The Holy Order was put in place to protect magical beings by providing them the tools to enhance their powers and abilities. They also provided solace to magical beings who cannot cope with their gifts. They are located on another plane of existence, but it is relatively easy to travel between worlds. There, they have built communities of anomalies, who coexist similarly to how humans do. For those of us who live in this plane of existence, in order to protect them and others, they have branches such as the Council to give guidance. The Holy Order is salvation." The prince quirked a brow. It sounded good at first, but the last part made it sound like a cult. They were always watching.
"Does this Council only watch over witches?" The minotaur nodded. "Who is in charge of this council?"
"There are five Grand Leaders, each specializing in a kind of witchcraft."
"That doesn't answer my question."
The minotaur shrugged. "The answers mean nothing to you. But if you insist. The main leader, Salvator Fulgur sees to all covens. The other Salvatores are Salvator Tempestas, Salvator Motus, Salvator Venti, and Salvator Venari also do the same thing. I should say, they do all do the same thing, equally. The rest of the lesser members, they just handle the files." Alfred was mystified, this whole organization...
"Who sent Arthur the gift?" The minotaur huffed.
"It was Salvator Fulgur." He sounded... disappointed. "He... had never taken to someone like this before. He never sends gifts." Alfred pursed his lip. Taken?
"What do you mean by he's taken to my mate."
"Not like that." The minotaur could sense some hostility. "He's been watching Arthur since his youth, helping him when he could. Most of Arthur's survival is really due to the graciousness of Salvator Fulgur. This gift is only the first to come, there will be many more." Alfred felt a little uneasy.
"Gifts for a transition? Isn't that a bit overkill?" The minotaur, once again, shrugged.
"And for the pregnancy." He said casually, the prince flinching. They Knew! He shot up to his feet, face red and growling.
"H-how do they know!?" The minotaur ignored him, finally standing up.
"My break is over." He groaned. "I have more messages to send." Alfred frowned, but he didn't argue. "I will return with the next gift."
~~~Wounded Knight~~~
Alfred walked back to the Great Hall to hear loud laughter. As he stood in front of the double doors, he mentally prepared himself for the rest of the day. It was just about 8 am, when he would normally wake up. He heard more voices than usually, leading him to believe that even more guests were arriving. He sighed. Maybe he should just send a guard to escort Arthur back to his room.
"Why are you standing out here, Ve~?" Alfred jumped, turning around to see Feliciano, Arthur, Chancy and Julius. The brit walked over to him, concerned eyes.
"Are you alright?" His hands grabbed his cheeks, his big green eyes searching his. "You were gone for a while." Alfred nodded, bending down to kiss his mate's forehead sweetly.
"I'm sorry. I'm fine." He took hold of the other's hand. His free hand was occupied with Julius, who was tugging at his fingers. "Are you doing fine? I kind of abandoned you." Arthur's cheeks became red with excitement.
"Oh yes! Everyone is just so nice." He said eagerly. "Especially Feliciano." He moved to the side so Alfred could face Feli, who was having a in depth conversation with Chancy. The two omegas were both sporting noticeable baby bumps now, the prince grinning at the scene. He couldn't wait for Arthur to show. He cleared his throat, gaining their attention.
"Thank you for being kind to him." He said simply as he bowed, the Italian shaking his head.
"Arthur is great!" He said lightly. "He is so smart and funny." Alfred nodded as he stood straight.
"Well, since the ceremony is in a few hours, I think Arthur and I should go get ready. Is that okay with you?" Alfred asked, and the omega with the light brown hair nodded. Alfred turned back to look at his mate in time to see a flash of disappointment in his eyes. "Unless, you want to stay. You don't really have all that much to get ready, so you can acquaint yourself with the others while I'm gone." He offered, and his big green eyes lit up. Alfred had wanted to tell him everything he had just learned, but so much has happened recently. This information can wait. The American turned to the little frenchman. "Will you be okay?" Chancy placed a hand on his stomach, nodding.
"Davie's in the Great Hall." He explained. "If anything seems off, I'll find him." He said warmly. Alfred nodded.
"Alright, I'm off." He gave his mate a parting kiss before he walked away, waving behind him as he made his way down the hall.
2 hours later...
Alfred gazed at himself in the mirror, annoyed at his shaking. "Why am I so nervous?! I'm never nervous... haha..." He patted his face lightly. "Get your head in the game, dude! It's only a few lines, and wink at the crowd, and a metal hat being dropped on my head! I can handle this!... Right?" He turned to Marshal, Thomas, Clark and Davie, his entourage. The four nodded eagerly. They were all currently in the royal dressing rooms, a whole bunch of butlers and seamstresses bustling about to get the prince prepared. Thomas shot up from his seat on the black leather couch and approached him, readjusting his glasses. Alfred swore he was going blind, he couldn't make it out of his room with his god forsaken glasses.
"Don't doubt yourself, dummy." He said softly. Alfred nodded, knocking his glasses out of place. Thomas readjusted them once more. "It'll be over before you know it." He assured, before smiling. "At least I assume, I've never actually been crowned before." He shrugged and walked away, Alfred growling. He turned to his mirror again.
"Should I change my outfit?"
"Again?" Marshal groaned. "You look dashing in that attire. You clean up well." He joked, and the prince shivered. Oh god, this is happening. He looked at his outfit. His blue surcoat had white embroidery throughout it. It was sleeveless so his freshly polished steel armor was visible, for now at least. He had a number of robes he would have to change into for the day, and he was already dreading the experience. He was close to breaking a sweat, his nerves and the weight of his armor getting the better of him. He glanced back at his friends, who matched his apparel.
"We all look the same..." He muttered. "Whatever!" He began to shadow box, hoping back and forth. "I'm ready for anything."
"That's the spirit!" Davie said, standing, joining him along with Clark in his shadow boxing. Marshie laughed as he was forced to stand up by Alfred, Davie dragging Tommie up. The five began to shadow box, laughing at the ridiculousness of it all, the prince losing himself in the atmosphere. After a few more minutes of goofing around, there was a knock on the door, a seamstress opening it. The boys turned to see the queen-mother, dressed in a simple red dress with black embroidery. Her hair was done up, and crystals glimmered within the intricate loops of her locks. The laughter died.
Everyone in the room was informed of the Queen's latest assault on Arthur, the prince telling them the moment he had them all gathered together. They eyed her with disdain. She noticed, the prince was sure, but she just ignored it; perhaps used to it by now. She cleared her throat. "I would like to speak to my son privately." She said, the boys shifting on their heels. Alfred had made them promise not to leave him alone with her, but now that it was happening, it was hard to keep. Alfred shook his head.
"Whatever you came to say, you can do so in front of company." He said bluntly, the queen scoffing.
"Surely you can't be serious." She started. "I don't think you want them to know what I have to say about your dear mate." Alfred shrugged, the boys taking a seat on the black leather couch. She groaned. "You were always so difficult as a child." He muttered, and Alfred shook his head.
"No, on the contrary, I always did what you said." His friends looked up at him curiously. Alfred looked back at them in confusion before realizing he hadn't told anyone aside from Arthur that he had gotten his memory back. "I remember everything from my childhood now. " He confessed, the room erupted with gasps. "Yea, yea, dudes settle down. Nothing extraordinary going on, just got it back after I briefly lost my memory. I-i'll explain later." He waved his hands of the topic. "What do you want, mother?" he turned his attention back to the aging woman.
"Is it wrong for me to see my son before he is crowned?" She asked, feigning innocence. He shrugged.
"It's wrong to bruise his mate's ribs." He shot back, the queen sighing.
"That was a long story, but you do not understand the sheer panic I was in!" The Queen-mother frowned. "Perhaps it was wrong to jump to the conclusions that I had, but I truly did think he had something to do with... your returning ailment." Alfred hummed. "I wanted answers, and he was being so difficult that I... ugh! He was so insufferable!" She ranted. The prince scowled. "He's nowhere near as innocent as he comes across, I'm sure of it! I'm positive!" She was shaking her head wildly, hands shooting forward. "He has secrets no one knows about. Secrets that can mean life or death." She warned. Alfred shook his head.
"I don't need to hear this, not right now." He put his hands on his hips. "Arthur is harmless. You're just paranoid! Can't you trust my judgment enough to have faith in his character? I, and many others, adore him, because he is so... so... Arthur." The queen-mother looked at him with pleading eyes. "I know that means nothing because you only know him on a superficial level, but please, try to understand that just because you can't scare him into submission doesn't mean he's dangerous." She shook her head, about to speak. He cut her off. "Now, please enjoy the ceremony. Have a drink, flirt, mingle. And, if you're feeling up to it, apologize to Arthur for all the trouble you have caused him. Despite what others think... I know you're not a bad person. In fact, you're an angel in disguise." He said softly, walking over to his mother. He placed a short kiss on her forehead before opening the door, motioning her to leave. She looked shocked, and a little hurt, but she nodded anyway, walking out of the room silently. Alfred felt a pang on the side of his head, but he knew it was his mother who was really hurting.
As he stared at the door, his friends crowded around him, enveloping him in a big group hug. He sighed as he fell to the floor, blinking away the tears in his eyes. As his friends continued to cling onto him, patting him and telling him that he was right, and that there was nothing to worry about, he began to sob, as if the situation wasn't embarrassing enough. The voices stopped, instead, they held him silently, allowing him to cry.
