A prolonged silence fell over the room. Alfred's heart began to race, and his thoughts seemed to tumble aimlessly. The royal signal. The Queen of Spades has appeared. Kiku looked from Alfred to Yao with an equally alarmed look on his face. He then broke the silence.
"King Alfred...you can't stay here, you have to go."
Alfred looked at Kiku, the reality of the situation causing an anxious feeling to churn inside of him. Kiku spoke up once more.
"King Alfred, you have to go greet your Queen."
Alfred frantically looked around the room, desperate to find something to distract him.
"...but I haven't finished the paperwork for our alliance."
Kiku stood up and stepped closer to Alfred.
"Never mind about your paperwork, King Alfred. This is a very important moment in your reign. I'll finish the paperwork and have it sent to your castle." Kiku turned to Yao, still in the doorway. "Yao, have your guards prepare the vehicle. Our meeting is officially over."
Yao nodded and dashed from the room, leaving Alfred and the Queen of Hearts alone again. Alfred slouched over in his chair and brought his hands to his face. Apparently whatever Arthur and the palace sorcerers had been working on worked. Kiku gently rested his hand on Alfred's shoulder. His voice came in a calming tone.
"King Alfred, this is nothing to despair over. You and your Queen...you could truly come to love each other. There is no reason why that couldn't happen."
Alfred thought for a moment. Kiku was right. There really was no reason why he wouldn't end up loving the Queen of Spades. But why was his mind filled with thoughts of Arthur right now? And why did he feel like his heart was in so much pain? Why did he feel guilty? Why couldn't he get Arthur Kirkland out of his head? As all of these questions came to a conclusive point, Alfred felt a dark realization taking root in the back of his mind. Alfred's voice came out in a low whisper, speaking more to himself than to Kiku.
"...what if I'm in love with somebody else?"
Kiku's eyes widened, and as Alfred looked up at him, he saw a saddened expression take over the Queen of Hearts' face. Kiku opened his mouth to say something, but just then, Yao re-entered the room.
"The vehicle and guards are ready for you, Your Excellency. Come."
Alfred looked up at Yao, then turned to Kiku. The Queen of Heart's expression hadn't changed, but he gently gave Alfred's shoulder a reassuring pat.
"You'd best be off, King Alfred." As Alfred slowly stood up, Kiku let his hand fall from the King's shoulder and spoke again. "Know that as Queen of Hearts, I will always be here for you should you need someone to hear your thoughts."
Alfred sent Kiku the best smile he could and nodded.
"Thanks."
Yao led Alfred back to the Hearts castle's main entrance and they got inside the vehicle. The events before him seemed to move in an unfocused blur as he descended the main steps of the Hearts palace and entered his royal vehicle. As they began to pull away, Alfred saw Kiku standing on the main steps that led to the palace doors. Kiku waved his hand at the Spade's procession as they pulled away, and Alfred smiled. Kiku was a good man. But while the Queen of Hearts didn't outright admit it, he was unhappy with the arrangements at his castle. Would this mean that soon, he would be in a similar situation as Kiku? The Hearts castle began to fade from view, and soon, they were on their way back to Spades.
The ride felt agonizingly drawn out. Alfred definitely wasn't dozing off on this ride back, and he seemed to grow increasingly restless as they sped back towards his country. They arrived back in Spades in almost half the time it took to get to Hearts, but by then, the sun was rapidly setting in a orange tinted sky. When the castle came into view, Alfred saw a sight that he wasn't fully prepared for. Standing on the palace steps, was Arthur. He was still donning his sorcerer's cloak and wore an exhausted expression. He looked as if he hadn't slept. As the vehicle pulled up to the palace steps, Yao practically sprung from his seat and rushed up the steps to Arthur. Alfred fell in step behind Yao, far less eager, and frankly, feeling a little terrified. As soon as they reached the top of the steps, Yao spoke.
"Have we pinpointed the Queen's location?"
Arthur shook his head and looked over Yao's shoulder to Alfred. Arthur's face was covered with concern and his features looked exhausted. He quickly returned his eyes to Yao and spoke in a rushed tone.
"We have pinpointed the general location, but we may have a problem...we are receiving a lot of problems with this signal." Arthur gestured towards the castle hurriedly. "Come. We have everything set up in the dungeons."
Yao and Alfred hurriedly followed Arthur into the castle and down to the dungeons. As they arrived at the bottom floor, there were several sorcerers wandering about, casting spells and working with strange instruments. Arthur led them to a large room where several sorcerers were working. However, when they saw Alfred and Yao enter the room, they all bowed and left the room, leaving the royals alone with Arthur. He led them to the center of the room where a large table had a map spread out on it. As they got close to the table, Alfred saw that this particular map was embedded in the table and had a number of glowing locations on it. The location for the Spades castle was gleaming brilliantly, with two beams of light radiating from it. However, just outside the capital where the Spades castle was, there was a thin, but bright, glowing beam of light. Arthur spoke up.
"That is the royal signal we are receiving. However we are picking up some problems." Arthur gestured to a couple of magic instruments that had been left on the table. "Not just from precise measurement spells, but just by looking at it, you'll be able to see it too. Take a look."
Alfred and Yao stared at the glowing beam of light outside of the capital. At first, nothing seemed wrong, but then they saw the beam of light flicker, ever so slightly. Yao's eyes widened, and Alfred quickly spoke in response.
"What does that mean?"
Arthur looked dumbfounded, and began flipping through a nearby magic text.
"I'm not sure. It could mean a number of things. The Queen is supposed to be graced with far more magic than that. There is no reason for the signal to flicker in such a manner." Arthur briefly pressed his fingers to his temple, at a loss. "It could be any number of things. It could be that the Queen is weakened. It could be that the Queen is dying. It could even be someone releasing magic on such a high level that our sensors are picking it up as a royal signal. I honestly have no idea. But there is something very wrong with the Queen if that is indeed their signal."
Alfred looked at Arthur and then to the map, unsure of how he should be feeling.
Yao brought his hand to his chin and thought for a moment. He mumbled to himself.
"Maybe..."
Alfred and Arthur looked at the Jack of Spades, picking up on his quiet remark. Arthur spoke up.
"Do you know a reason why the signal could be this faint, Yao?"
Yao narrowed his eyes and watched as the glowing beam of light flickered once more.
"Possibly..." Yao turned to Arthur and Alfred. "For the time being, we should go verify the situation. Where exactly is the signal coming from?"
Arthur set his book aside.
"That's another problem in of itself. The signal is coming from Eavesworth. It's not that far from here, but the population is so high, it is going to be very difficult to find the signal. Its surrounded by five universities and has our largest trade port, there's no way to easily find the signal in a place like that." Arthur gestured to Alfred. "It was easy finding Alfred, he was from such a small village that it was easy to search its entirety in one day, but Eavesworth...it could easily take a week before we find them."
Yao narrowed his eyes and thought for a moment before speaking.
"Well, we won't find anything if we don't start looking." Yao looked at Arthur. "We need to find the Queen. We leave tomorrow morning. We shall search as long as it takes."
Arthur had an unidentifiable expression on his face, but nodded.
"Of course, Jack."
Alfred spoke up, feeling very left out of this decision process.
"What about me? Should I go too?"
Yao turned to the King and after careful consideration, spoke.
"I think it's best if you stay at the castle, Your Excellency. No need to worry, Arthur and I will be back within the week."
Alfred opened his mouth to protest, but Yao turned his attention back to Arthur.
"Make all preparations. We leave tomorrow morning, Arthur."
"Yes, Jack." Arthur's voice was strong, but tired.
Yao turned and left the chamber, leaving the King alone with Arthur. Alfred's gaze lingered on the thin beam of light, still flickering every so often.
"Hey."
Alfred looked up as he heard Arthur's voice. Arthur had a small smile on his face despite how tired he looked. He seemed a little more disheveled than usual, but he still maintained his air of composure. Alfred's mind spun back to his revelation earlier in the day. His own voice echoed throughout his head as if he had heard it long ago.
"What if I'm in love with some one else..."
Alfred blushed at the re-emergence of this thought and averted his gaze back to the map, feeling heat spread across his face.
"Hey." He responded to Arthur's greeting, however after thinking about how he was in love with Arthur, he was having difficulty finding his words. How did he even act around Arthur normally? As he searched for proper words, Arthur spoke up again.
"How was Hearts?"
Alfred glanced up at Arthur and smiled quickly before averting his eyes again..
"Good."
Silence fell over the room again. Thoughts of the Queen of Spades came rushing back to Alfred. Arthur opened his mouth to speak, but Alfred swiftly cut him off, not wanting to hear anything else regarding the new royal.
"I'm going to uh..." Alfred gestured to the door and continued. "I'm going to turn in."
Arthur nodded
"Alright. Get some rest."
Alfred swiftly left the room and closed the door behind him. Arthur had seemed equally distracted. As proof, Alfred opened his hand revealing a small glowing device. It was the same compass-like instrument that Arthur had used to locate him, and Arthur hadn't even noticed that the King had slipped it off the table right in front of him. Alfred tightened his grip on the device and placed it in his jacket's pocket.
"'Stay in the castle' my ass."
Alfred waited until he heard both Arthur and Yao retreat to their rooms for the evening. It was just past midnight, but Alfred had spent the past few hours preparing. He had packed a small bag with enough food for a couple of days, and a few changes of clothes. He had no intention of waiting at the castle while Yao and Arthur went to seek out the Queen, and instead intended to find the royal himself, giving him the upper hand on the situation. He figured that if he found the Queen before any of the palace staff did, then maybe they would be more likely to negotiate anything regarding their future together.
Alfred opened the door to his bedroom and looked out. The hall was dim and empty. Even most of the servants had retired by this time. Alfred slowly and quietly slipped out of into the hallway and made his way through the castle. He actually didn't encounter anyone until he reached the main entryway to the palace. As he expected, there were a handful of guards standing by at the doors. This, however, was exactly what Alfred had planned on. Earlier in the evening, after Arthur had retired from the dungeons, Alfred had returned to look up a certain spell. It had taken him a while to find it, and it would have been leagues easier and faster if he had asked Arthur for help, but he didn't want to see Arthur, nor did he want to risk his plans being found out.
He had never tried a time spell before, but given his circumstances, there was no other way he could leave the castle unnoticed. Alfred removed the spade-shaped pocket watch from his jacket, and focused on the face of the clock. He closed his eyes, and slowly mumbled the words to the spell. It was a short incantation, however, he immediately began to feel a burning feeling in his core and over his heart. Suddenly, a flash of bright light emanated from the watch and quickly faded away, almost like the flash of a camera. Alfred looked at the watch. The hands had stopped moving. Alfred looked around. Everything in his surroundings was a pale, de-saturated version of it's former self, and nothing appeared to be moving. Alfred continued to feel the burning feeling over his heart. Just to be sure, Alfred removed a coin from his pocket and let go. The coin, hovered where he had let it go, and while it was not completely still, it was still enough for Alfred to know that the spell had worked for the most part.
Alfred quickly started towards the doors with the unmoving guards. His movements were labored and heavy. Time spells were very taxing, and Alfred was gradually beginning to realize this. The burning feeling over his heart grew more intense as more time passed, and Alfred begin to notice that things would occasionally flicker back into color before returning to their less-vibrant state. Alfred cursed under his breath as he struggled towards the door. The pain in his heart grew more intense, and just as he thought he wouldn't be able to hold the spell any longer, he opened the castle door, closed it behind him, and disappeared into the night outside, releasing the spell as he did so. Alfred fell to the ground, catching his breath and looked around. Everything had returned to its original color, and the rustling of the leaves and songs of the birds indicated that time had indeed started moving again.
"I guess that's a spell that needs a lot of practice," Alfred gasped as he was slowly beginning to recover. A little surprised that he was able to cast the spell somewhat properly, Alfred let out a short laugh. However he was soon on his feet again, moving in the shadows of the castle's inner gardens.
It didn't take long for Alfred to slip out one of the Castle's back entrance after one more short use of the time spell. Once he was off of the castle's main grounds, he went to the stables that were located on the outer perimeter of the castle. He and Arthur had ridden horses around the castle once, and it wasn't too hard to locate the building. All of the horse keeping staff had long since retired for the night, and before anyone was the wiser, Alfred saddled up a horse, and disappeared into the Spades night, shrouded in mist and darkness.
Arthur's description was indeed correct. Eavesworth was several hours East of the Spades capital, and by the time Alfred arrived, the sun was just beginning to peek over the ocean's distant horizon. The night had been cool, but upon reaching the coastal port, the mist that shrouded Spades slowly began to fade and dissipate for the day. This in turn revealed how vast the city of Eavesworth was. From where Alfred was standing on a high pass overlooking the city, and as the mist faded more and more, he knew that his work was definitely cut out for him. He ran his hand through his hair and let out a short sigh. He still felt exhausted from the time spell that he had preformed just hours before, but with the realization that he didn't have that long before Yao and the rest of the palace staff realized that he was gone, Alfred started for the town with a new found energy. He had to find the Queen. And if he was going to do it before Yao and Arthur, he would need to be quick. Alfred looked at the compass shaped device that was glowing faintly. The signal was still weak. Alfred summoned all of the energy he could muster and began his search for the new Queen of Spades.
Alfred walked through the streets of the foreign city. After leaving a generous tip with a stable boy to watch his horse for the day, Alfred had begun searching the town. A few hours had passed since, but he still wasn't having any luck. It was now very bright outside, and the paths were packed with people on the broad, cobblestone streets. While it had been announced that the King of Spades had been found, no one knew what he looked like yet, so he had no problems moving among the people without commotion. Alfred would occasionally look down at the glowing compass in his hand, and look for any changes, but he hadn't had any luck so far. He shoved the compass back into the bottom of his bag and looked up. The sun was already very high in the sky and it was approaching noon. He felt dread churn inside him. Arthur and Yao were most certainly up by now and knew that he was gone. They were probably even on their way to Eavesworth at this very moment. Alfred swallowed. He needed to hurry and find the Queen before they found him. As Alfred continued to walk down the street, he eventually reached a high path that walked parallel to the pier.
Exhausted, Alfred sat on the ledge and looked out at the sea. Fishermen with their boats were beginning to come in to the pier for lunch. Alfred watched and let out a sigh. He was beginning to feel a little hopeless. He hadn't found any leads, and he felt frustrated. He almost wished that he had someone to at least help him look for the Queen. Alfred looked out on the horizon then let his gaze turn back towards land. He squinted as he saw a collection of tall, tower-like buildings on the other side of the pier. Curious, Alfred focused on one of the larger buildings. On the roof, there was an emblem that he felt he had seen before. Then Alfred gasped.
"Mount Spade University..." Alfred mumbled in shock. Matthew's college. With everything that he was dealing with, it had completely slipped Alfred's mind where Matthew's college was located. At the thought of his brother, Alfred sprung to his feet.
"Matthew will know what to do," Alfred said to himself. Matthew was majoring in Spades based studies. Maybe he would know a way to help him find the Queen. Feeling hopeful, Alfred dashed towards the distant buildings, his exhaustion seeming to dissipate with every step.
Mount Spade University was one of the most prestigious colleges in Spades. It had a high reputation for producing elite scholars and sorcerers alike and the shining campus really gave off that impression. Once Alfred reached the campus, He came to the realization that he had no idea where he would be able to find his brother. He figured he would check the dorms first, but he didn't even know which dorm Matthew was staying in, let alone his room number. The King wracked his brain, trying to remember Matthew's address which was written on the outside of the envelope his brother had sent him, but to no avail. Alfred wandered into one of the College's grassy courtyards, hoping that at the very least he may have a chance of bumping into Matthew. Just then, he saw a sign leading the the campus's library. 'The Library, of course,' Alfred thought to himself. Just as he began to walk towards the building, a voice called out to him.
"Matthew?"
Alfred spun around to see a girl holding a small stack of books with a bag swung over her shoulders. She had her brown hair cut just above her shoulders, and dark blue eyes. When Alfred looked at her, her eyes lit up in surprise.
"Oh, I'm sorry. Wrong person." She sputtered out quickly. She turned to walk away, but Alfred immediately stopped her, grabbing her shoulder.
"Wait! Hold on!" Alfred quickly stepped closer to the girl and she turned around again. "You know Matthew?" The girl paused, staring at Alfred's face.
"Yes, I do...are you his..."
"Brother. His twin, actually." Alfred replied quickly. The girls face lit up in recognition and nodded.
"Oh...I didn't know he had a brother. But that makes a lot of sense." The girl let out a short laugh. "I'm Leah. Matthew in I are in the same politics class."
"Oh. I see," Alfred said, relieved to have found someone who knew Matthew, but a little sad that he hadn't told anyone that he had a brother. "I'm actually looking for him. Do you know where he is?" The girl immediately frowned.
"He must be in his dorm. Apparently he wasn't feeling well, and he didn't even go to class this morning." She softly lifted up the books in her hand. "I'm on my way back from our class, and he wasn't there. Rob, who lives across from Matthew told me he was sick, so..."
Alfred's mind raced. Even when he was sick back in school, he would always go to class. Alfred never understood it, but Matthew genuinely seemed to enjoy learning. Alfred looked back at the girl in front of him.
"Do you know which dorm he lives in?"
After receiving Matthews dorm building from the girl named Leah, Alfred took off in the direction of the tall housing complex. He found the building after a brisk walk across campus. After looking at a board in the lobby, he quickly found which room was Matthew's and made his way to the eighth floor. Matthew's dorm room was the last door on the left and Alfred darted down the hall before reaching the room. Alfred knocked loudly on the door and waited. The door was covered in notes with small drawings and smiley faces in different hand writing. Alfred smiled. He didn't need to worry about shy Matthew having friends at least. Matthew had always been very quiet and often kept to himself. Alfred was glad to see that he was making friends. Suddenly, he heard some footsteps inside the room and shortly after the door opened.
"Yes...?"
Appearing in a black hoodie and pajama pants stood the boy with curly blonde hair and glasses. He looked slightly disheveled, as if he had just woken up, and he looked tired. He stared at Alfred for a few seconds, squinted, then his face lit up in the largest smile he could possibly produce.
"Al!" Matthew gasped. Alfred smiled at the face he hadn't seen for just over two months.
"Hey Matt," Alfred said, letting out a relieved laugh. He almost fell backwards as his brother quickly crashed into him in a large hug. Alfred patted Matthew on the back and pulled away to look at his only family member. Matthew was positively beaming.
"What are you doing here, Al?" Matthew asked happily. Alfred's face fell a little, remembering the reason why he was in Eavesworth. He looked at his twin with seriousness beginning to re-emerge in his eyes.
"I need your help, Matt."
Matthew's smile fell a little bit, instantly picking up on his twin's emotions.
"Of course. Absolutely, Al. I'll help you."
Alfred let out a relieved sigh at his brother's unconditional response to help him. He felt like a weight had been lifted from his shoulders. Matthew quickly stepped aside in the doorway. "Come on inside, Al. Let's talk."
Alfred stepped into the dorm room, and Matthew closed the door behind him. The room was a small standard dorm. There was one wooden bed shoved up against the wall, dressers, a small sink, and a desk, all of which were very neat and in order. There were books all throughout the room, but they were in proper organized stacks. The only thing that was a little messy was Matthew's bed, which was unmade and it appeared as if he had just gotten up. Alfred turned around back to face his brother.
"That's right. I bumped into one of your classmates...are you doing okay Matthew? They said you didn't go to class. Are you sick?" Matthew's face lit up then a re-assuring smile spread across his face.
"Yeah, I'm fine, I just..." Matthew scratched the back of his head in embarrassment, "I pulled two all nighters this past week, and when I woke up this morning, I was feeling really sleepy, so I slept in to try and recover some sleep. Nothing so dramatic." A smile spread back across his face. "But I'm glad I didn't go to class. Otherwise you may not have been able to find me!" Alfred smiled at his brother's positivity and sat on the edge of his bed.
"Good."
Matthew came to sit beside Alfred, some seriousness entering his face.
"What are you doing in Eavesworth, Alfred? Is everything okay?"
Alfred told Matthew everything. He told him about how the Queen had yet to be found, how they had started receiving the signal while he was in Hearts, and how he had slipped out of the castle to try and be the first to find the Queen. Matthew listened intently and enthusiastically, and once Alfred finished, Matthew quickly spoke up.
"Wait. So you actually used a time spell?"
"Yeah."
"Wow..." Matthew sat and thought for a moment. "Why didn't you just wait to go with the Jack and his assistant to look for the Queen?"
Alfred swallowed. While he had told him everything regarding his search for the Queen, he hadn't told him anything about his feelings for Arthur and how that had motivated his actions. Alfred nervously looked away from his brother.
"I don't know, Matt. I just...I can't feel happy about having an arranged marriage. I thought that if I met with the Queen first, in confidence, I may be able to reason that our marriage could be just political."
Matthew raised his eyebrows, in surprise, but the expression quickly softened as he put his arm around his brother.
"I understand, Al. I wouldn't like that either." Alfred looked back up at Matthew who was wearing a reassuring smile. "I'll help you find the Queen, Al. Just tell me what I need to do." Alfred smiled.
"Thanks, Matt. I really owe you one." Alfred paused. "I've been looking all day, but I don't know where else to look." Matthew stood up and walked over to his desk, removing a particularly thick book on Spades history from a small stack.
"Well, just by looking at historical records, we know that the Queen always has some experience with magic, even if it's just a little bit." Matthew looked up from his book. "There are a handful of magic schools in Eavesworth. We even have a magic department at this university." Alfred immediately felt better at the wave of information Matthew had just provided him. He stood up excited. Matthew closed his book and grabbed another one. "Since we're here, let's check this school's magic department." Matthew skimmed through the book before he found what he was looking for. "Do you have a Clockscope with you?"
Alfred frowned in confusion.
"A Clockscope?"
Matthew flipped his book around, revealing an index of strange instruments with pictures.
"It measures large amounts of new magical output. They often use it to find new royals." Alfred looked at the images in the book before recognizing one of the instruments. The compass. Alfred jumped from where he was standing and started rustling through his bag.
"Yeah, I have one, Matt! It's just here in th-"
Alfred froze, staring at what his hand had latched onto. He slowly removed the Clockscope from his bag. It was radiating light, and as he removed it, it began producing a faint ticking sound. He turned towards Matthew, who appeared equally stunned. Alfred moved slightly closer to Matthew, and the ticking sound grew louder.
Alfred's thoughts raced frantically. Matthew? The Queen is Matthew? Alfred stared at his brother, who seemed shocked. Slowly Alfred spoke.
"Hey, Matt...uh. Did you by any chance pass out this morning?"
Matthew's face illuminated in alarm.
"Well...yes. I mean, no, Al. It was just...exhaustion. I'm sure..." Matthew's sentence fell off at the end. Alfred stared at the glowing instrument in his hand. The more he thought about it, the more plausible it seemed. Matthew clearly was well informed about Spades. He had indeed practiced magic once, but just for a day. He had lost consciousness, just like Alfred had when he received his mark. And the reaction of the Clockscope made it impossible to come to any other conclusion.
"Matt, I think..." Alfred swallowed, unable to fully grasp what he was about to say. "I think you may be the Queen of Spades."
Matthew's eyes widened and the book he was holding slipped from his grasp. Some silence passed between them before Matthew's voice came out in a whisper.
"This has to be some kind of mistake, Al..." Matthew backed away from his brother, and leaned on the desk behind him, worry clouding his face. Alfred shoved the Clockscope back into his bag and walked back over to Matthew.
"It's fine, Matt." Alfred said in a clumsy attempt to calm his brother. He thought for a moment. "For the time being, let's check for a mark. We may not find one...maybe the Clockscope is busted." Matthew looked back up at his brother and nodded, the worry beginning to dissipate a little. Matthew rolled up his sleeves and began examining his arms. Alfred watched as well, while his thoughts continued to race. What if Matthew was the Queen? What would happen?
"We wouldn't have to get married." Matthew's cautious words pulled Alfred from his thoughts. Matthew looked up at his brother before pushing his sleeves up a little farther and examining the new area. "There have only been two times in Spades history where the King and Queen positions were related by blood. And in both of those instances, the marriage tradition was excused."
"Really?" Hope rushed into the King's voice at these words. Matthew nodded.
When it became apparent that there were no marks on his arms, Matthew stood up, removing the lumpy, black hoodie he had on. He looked down at his chest and stomach, both of which had no mark. He turned around.
"Do you see anything, Al?"
Alfred scanned Matthew as he rotated, looking for anything that resembled the Queen's mark. Just when he was about to shake his head, he froze. He stood up, his hands grabbing onto the back of Matthew's shoulders as he stared at his back. In the lowest portion of his twin's back, was something. It was almost hidden by the high top of Matthew's pajama pants, but it was definitely there. As he got a closer look, he immediately recognized it.
"I see it," Alfred said quietly. He felt Matthew jump a little, and Alfred could feel his shoulders tense up.
It was a small dark Spade. Matthew had the royal mark. Alfred's mind began to tumble a million miles an hour, but then stopped. The mark was not as elaborate as Arthur had described it would be. Upon closer inspection, he saw that there was a design in the middle. A triangle? Alfred narrowed his eyes.
"It almost looks like a capital A in the middle of it."
Matthew spun around quickly, his eyes wide.
"There's an A on the mark?"
"Yeah, that's what it looks like to me. Why?"
Without answering, Matthew rushed over to the mirror that was by his sink and craned his neck to look at the mark on his lower back. His eyes widened.
"This isn't the Queen's mark, Al."
Alfred's frowned in confusion.
"What do you mean it isn't the Queen's mark? What other mark could it be? All of the other roles have been filled."
Matthew turned to look at his brother, Seriousness taking over his facial expressions.
"That's not true, Al. There's one more role in the royal deck." Matthew paused before continuing. "The Ace."
Alfred stared at his brother, still confused. Matthew walked back over to where he was standing, grabbing another book on his way.
"The Ace? What do you mean?" Alfred desperately tried to make sense of Matthew's statement.
Matthew began eagerly flipping through the book, searching for something.
"The Ace is the only role that isn't filled every royal term. It's been three terms since that last Spades Ace." Matthew stopped on a page and stared at it. "The public doesn't know much about what the Ace role does, and their faces are never revealed to the public. All we do know is that their mark is characterized with the letter A." Matthew closed his book, looking sad. "I wish I knew more...but I don't. I don't even know what I'm expected to do..."
"Hey, it's okay Matt. You won't be expected to assume your duties right away. They'll help train you. I'm sure of it." Matthew looked back up at his brother, looking a little less worried.
"Really?"
"Really. They did the same thing for me. And I'll be there to help you too. There's nothing to worry about." Alfred blinked at the realization that this was the first time that he had far more information than Matthew. He smiled at his timid brother who mirrored the gesture.
"Thank you, Al."
The pair sat in silence for a moment before Al stood up.
"Well for the time being, lets head back to the castle. I'm sure Yao will know what to do."
The pair rode back towards the castle, leaving Eavesworth behind. The ride was long, but it seemed to go much faster now that Alfred had someone to talk to. By the time they reached the castle, the sun was low in the sky, just beginning to set. Upon reaching the main gates, several guards rushed to open the gates before the King. Quite a few of them had assembled, And Alfred groaned at the thought of how the whole castle had been put on high alert since his disappearance. Alfred tried his best to assume an air of confidence and power though. Matthew had seemed increasingly nervous the closer they got to the castle, and being cautious himself wouldn't make Matthew feel any better. The twins dismounted and walked towards the doors of the main palace. A pair of guards opened the gates before them, and they stepped into the main hall.
Alfred only made it approximately three steps inside the door before he heard his name.
"Alfred!" The King immediately recognized the voice and turned to see a visibly angry Arthur storming towards him.
"Where the hell have you been, Alfred?" Arthur's voice came out in a low roar and was positively dripping with venom. Alfred had never seen Arthur looking so furious and the King physically flinched backwards at the onslaught of his instructor's rage. Arthur stopped directly in front of Alfred before he continued speaking. "You think this is just some kind of fucking joke where you can waltz off into Spades without telling anyone?" Alfred tried his best to not be taken aback at how angry Arthur looked. He swallowed and tried to remain composed.
"So...you didn't go to Eavesworth?"
"No, you bloody nit. That fucking time spell you did was so powerful that it completely destroyed the calibrations on all of our magic instruments! I had to spend the whole damn day fixing them!" Arthur grabbed Alfred's collar and pulled it towards him as his voice dropped off into a lethal whisper. "So you better tell me where the hell you went and why, or so help me Alfred, I will fucking murder you right here and now."
Alfred scowled at the level of hatred Arthur was spewing at him. He was just about to retort, when he heard another voice coming towards him.
"Now, now, Arthur. I know you're upset, but I can't exactly ignore that threat you just made to our King of Spades."
Alfred looked up to see Yao approaching him from down the hall. When he reached them, Yao bowed slightly.
"Welcome back, Your Excellency. We were all very worried about you." His voice too had a darkened edge to it, however he was far more polite and composed than Arthur.
Alfred shoved Arthur's hand off of his collar and took a step back, smoothing his shirt's collar and sending Arthur an angry glare. Then Yao continued.
"Our magic systems weren't operating normally for most of the day, so we were unable to track you or any power outputs. You'll have to forgive us, but we were just very worried about you." He paused and glimpsed at the King's instructor who was still visibly fuming. "Arthur especially was very concerned."
Alfred watched as Arthur's eyebrow twitched downwards angrily. He certainly didn't have a good way of showing 'concern'.
"I'm sorry," Alfred said lowly. He truly hadn't realized that the time spell would have this effect.
"Sorry doesn't cut it, Alfred." Arthur's voice was still positively livid. Yao shot a menacing look at Arthur before returning his gaze to the King.
"He has a point, Your Excellency. Please at least tell us where you went."
Alfred's face darkened in resolve before speaking.
"It wasn't the Queen."
Confusion took over both Arthur and Yao's face. Alfred turned back towards the door. Matthew had been standing in the doorway this whole time, watching the scene unfold. As his gaze met his brother's, he took it as a signal to step forward. Arthur and Yao had yet to realize he was there until the boy came to stand beside the King. Yao blinked.
"Matthew? What are you doing here? Is everything alright?" Yao said, instantly recognizing the King's twin whom he had been in occasional communication with. Alfred spoke again.
"It wasn't the Queen's signal we picked up on." He placed his hand on his brother's shoulder. "It was the Ace's."
Both Arthur and Yao's faces lit up in shock. After a moment of silence, Yao spoke.
"Matthew is the Ace of Spades?"
At Yao's statement, Alfred removed the Clockscope from his bag. Arthur's expression hardened again at the realization that the King had taken it. Alfred took the instrument and held it close to Matthew. The device released light once more and began that familiar ticking sound. Yao's eyes widened a little.
"There hasn't been an Ace of Spades in decades..." Yao mumbled, speaking more to himself than to anyone else. Arthur looked mildly surprised as he eyed Matthew.
"That does explain why the signal wasn't as strong as the Queen's..." Arthur squinted. "I hadn't even considered that the Ace's role could be filled this term."
Satisfied, Alfred put the device back in the bag. Yao looked up at Alfred again before speaking.
"And you confirmed the mark?"
Alfred nodded before letting a broad smile come to his face.
"Sure did! It's on his ass."
Matthew's face flushed before he slapped his brother's hand off his shoulder.
"Excuse you, it's above my ass!"
Yao cleared his throat.
"In any case, things are going to get busy around here again. Your Excellency," Yao turned to face Alfred. "While I would normally condone your leaving the palace grounds unattended, you did successfully confirm the mark and bring us our new royal. And all within one day, too. Well done." Yao looked genuinely pleased before turning to Matthew. "Welcome to the palace, Ace of Spades. We have much to discuss." Yao turned on his heel and turned back down the hall. "Come. For now, lets have some dinner. I'm sure we are all hungry from this particular day."
The small group fell in step behind Yao towards the dining room. Alfred turned to look at Arthur, who's expression was still irritated. Arthur glanced at Alfred out of the corner of his eye before turning his gaze back to the hall in front of them. Then, without looking at Alfred, he held out his hand and gestured to Alfred. The King immediately knew what Arthur wanted, and he fished the Clockscope out of his bag and handed it towards his instructor. Arthur took the compass from Alfred without a word and shoved it into his own pocket before walking a little ahead of Alfred. Alfred let out a small sigh. This was going to be a long night.
Once they were all situated with food in front of them in the dining room, Alfred turned to Yao and spoke up.
"So what exactly are the Ace's duties?"
Yao turned his attention from the food in front of him and looked at the twins.
"The Ace is a very special role. It is technically the role under me, however the Ace reports directly to the King." Yao swallowed briefly before continuing. "The Ace role is not filled every royal term because an Ace is only chosen when the Spades System deems in necessary." He paused. "Usually for times of distress of war." At this, Matthew spoke up.
"But what am I supposed to do exactly?"
"The Ace's duties remain secret to most of the public because the Ace's tasks are all predicated on flying under the radar. In times of no war, the Ace's duties include going out among the people, and collecting information on how the royals are being perceived. They are also responsible for collecting information on how the other countries view Spades, as well as any perceived plots against us. Think of yourself as...well. A spy, for lack of a better word."
"That's perfect for you, Matt," Alfred said. Matthew had always been good at keeping a low profile in addition to being a good listener. He recalled how when they were young, Alfred hated playing hide and seek with Matthew because no matter how well he looked, he would never find him. Eventually the pair had stopped playing that game all together.
Matthew seemed relieved that his duties weren't as intimidating as he had imagined. However, Arthur then spoke up.
"In times of war, however, the Ace's duties change very drastically. In times of war, the Ace becomes the highest guard to the King and is responsible for taking out any immediate threats." Arthur looked up at Matthew, his eyes very serious. "In war, you play the role of an assassin."
Matthew and Alfred's eyes widened at this. The King turned frantically to Yao.
"Is that true Yao?"
The Jack nodded.
"Yes. It rarely comes to that. However it is true. You're essentially the highest guard to the King of Spades. The Ace maintains a magic ability that allows them to instantly reap the soul of anyone who threatens the King."
Matthew's face grew worried at this statement, and Yao immediately spoke up.
"However, out of all of the Aces in Spade history, they very rarely get the opportunity to use such power."
Matthew swallowed, looking a little pensive.
"But...with such a strong ability like that, isn't that dangerous, I mean...what if I use my power on accident?"
Alfred turned to Yao, and watched as his features softened into a smile.
"There's no need to worry about that, Ace. There is an incantation that you need to learn, as well as your weapon which you need to be holding in order to use your ability. In addition, you can only use your ability if the King permits it. It is nearly impossible to reap someone's soul accidentally."
Matthew's features softened at this explanation. Alfred took in the new information as well before making a realization.
"Wait. So will Matt have to stay here in the castle?" The King leaned forward, listening intently for Yao's answer.
Yao thought for a moment, then continued.
"Not necessarily. While Clubs is exerting some pressure on us from the North, we are not at war right now. I think Matthew can approach his duties via our first explanation; collecting information and blending in among the people in Eavesworth while still attending school. However, I do advise that you stay at the castle on weekends and days off from school. I also think it would be best for you to attend any and all royal events and meetings." Yao turned to face Alfred. "Of course, with the Kings permission, of course." Alfred turned to Matthew.
"What do you think, Matt? Does that work for you?" Matthew smiled and nodded, pleased with how well things worked out. Alfred was also happy. His only family would be with him with whatever he faced in the future as King. Alfred's smile fell a little though, at the realization that the Queen had still yet to appear. His problems had remained as present as ever. He looked over at Arthur from over the rim of his glasses. His expression had softened considerably since his angry outburst, and now he seemed emotionally neutral.
Over the course of dinner, they discussed many things concerning Matthew. It was decided that Matthew would have a short session of training in the morning before heading back to Eavesworth for his evening classes. The small group stayed discussing Matthew as well as Alfred's general schedule for the rest of the week. Alfred noticed that suddenly, Arthur stood up from the table and disappeared down the hall leading to the kitchen. Alfred frowned slightly, thinking that Arthur was retiring for the night, however Arthur returned only a few minutes later with a teacup in his hand. He looked over at Yao who was mid sentence with Alfred.
"There's new tea in the kitchen if you want any, Jack."
Yao immediately perked up at this suggestion. He had a love of the beverage almost as much as Arthur and he quickly stood up.
"Yes, I think I'll have some. Just a moment, Your Excellency, I'll be right back" The Jack briefly turned to the new Ace of Spades. "Would you like some, Ace? I can show you where the kitchen is." Matthew nodded before standing up and following Yao out of the room. As the two disappeared down the hall, silence fell over the room. Arthur walked back towards the table with his tea in hand. However, instead of going back to where he had been sitting for dinner, he took the empty seat beside Alfred. Arthur hadn't said much during dinner, and Alfred supposed that this was because he was still upset. The two sat in silence while Arthur sipped at his tea. Feeling full from dinner and tired from the events of the day, Alfred was too exhausted to be too concerned with the silence between them. The King absentmindedly put his elbow on the table, propping his head up with his fist. He immediately felt a little sleepy, and almost didn't realize when Arthur set his teacup down. Alfred glanced over at Arthur only to be surprised when he felt a pair of warm lips gently connect with the corner of his mouth. As Arthur pulled his face away and his eyes slid open again, Alfred found himself lost in the abyss of the deep green color. Arthur's hand gently came to the side of Alfred's face and softly guided the King's face to mirror his own, allowing the next kiss to connect more properly. Readily forgetting the anger that Arthur had showed him earlier, Alfred closed his eyes, allowing Arthur to kiss him how he wanted. Something was different. Arthur kissed Alfred gently, and softly, letting his lips linger before tenderly pressing his lips to Alfred's again. He pulled away just slightly, opening his eyes to look at Alfred. Alfred stared back into Arthur's eyes, his heart pounding warmly in his chest.
"I thought you were mad at me," Alfred said softly. He watched as Arthur's eyes began to slide closed again. Alfred eyes began to close as well before he heard Arthur's whispered response.
"I am."
However, the kiss that punctuated that statement seemed to imply anything but anger. When Arthur pulled away his eyes stayed locked with Alfred's. Alfred was almost shocked at the way Arthur was looking at him. He was gazing at Alfred as if he was looking at something precious. As if he loved him. Alfred's pulse quickened at the thought of his feelings for Arthur being reciprocated, however, no later had he had this thought, Arthur's hand slipped from the King's face and he returned his attention to his tea as if nothing had happened. Just when Alfred was going to ask Arthur what that had just been, he heard the voices of Matthew and Yao heading back towards them from the hall. They re-entered the room, tea in hand and rejoined the pair at the table, completely unaware of what had just transpired between them.
Alfred sat on the edge of his bed, talking leisurely to his brother. Shortly after the group had finished their tea, everyone retired for the night. The Ace's quarters had been unused for decades, and even with the staff scurrying to clean it up, it wouldn't be ready in time for Matthew to stay their tonight. Yao proposed that Matthew could stay in one of the guest bedrooms in the West tower, however Alfred insisted that Matthew stay in the King's chambers with him. With all of the heavy business talk, he was looking forward to catching up with his brother about his time at college.
And Matthew did indeed share many stories about his time at college. The classes he was taking, the professors, his group of friends, the girl named Leah who constantly asked for help with her assignments, parties, exams, even a few dates (although Matthew claimed that they had never led anywhere). It all seemed so exciting to Alfred, and even if it was just for a little bit, he felt slightly envious. University was a foreign experience that sounded very fun, yet Alfred knew he would never be able to participate in it. Regardless, when he saw Matthew smiling so genuinely, he felt as though he was enjoying it enough for the both of them. Alfred's laugh died down a little as he fell deeper into thought. Matthew immediately noticed.
"You okay, Al?"
"Yeah, I just..." Alfred thought of how much Matthew's college experience would be limited now that he was the Ace. "I'm sorry. All of this Ace stuff probably wasn't in your plan, huh?" Matthew frowned.
"The Systems chose me to be Ace, Alfred. While I still don't understand why, the Spades System chose me. You had nothing to do with it."
"But still-"
Matthew held up his hand, cutting his brother's protest short.
"Al...do you even know why I chose to major in Spades history and politics?"
Alfred shrugged.
"I don't know...I just assumed you were masochistic."
Matthew stifled a laugh in response, and a small smile crept across the King's face.
"No, Al. I wanted to help you." Alfred's eyes lit up in surprise before his twin continued. "Even in high school, I had no idea what I wanted to major in. That was part of the reason why I was so hesitant to go to university. But once you got the King's mark and gave me the opportunity to go, I knew that no matter what, I wanted to help you too." Matthew paused for a moment before continuing. "Regardless of my receiving of the Ace's mark, I was planning on going into service at the castle after graduation." Matthew shrugged ans smiled sheepishly. "So the only thing that's changed is that I've skipped a few steps, Al."
Alfred smiled what Matthew had just told him. He was so happy that he now had some family who would be with him through his role as King. He punched his twin's arm affectionately.
"Thanks, dude." Matthew smiled at his brother's familiar gesture. Then his smile fell a little.
"So what has been bothering you, Al? Is it just this search for the Queen?"
Alfred's face darkened at the re-emergence of his current least-favorite topic. He nodded lightly.
"It's this missing Queen, the threats with Clubs, and it's just...I don't know Matt. I just can't get on board with the idea of going through with an arranged marriage right now."
Matthew nodded reassuringly before he paused.
"Is it because you're in love with Arthur?"
Alfred was mid-breath before he began choking on his own lungs in shock at what had just escaped Matthew's mouth. As he coughed and tried to recover, he shot a panicked look at his brother.
"Wh...what?" Alfred exhaled, trying to dismiss his brother's comment. Matthew, however, didn't take the hint.
"Arthur. Your instructor. Are you in love with him?" Matthew asked bluntly this time so that he wouldn't be misheard. Alfred scrambled to shove his hand over his twin's mouth and then he briefly listened to make sure he couldn't hear anyone in the hallway. Matthew shoved his brother's hand away from his mouth, annoyed.
"You're being ridiculous, Al."
Alfred shot a desperate questioning look at Matthew, but still tried to feign innocence.
"Where did you even get that idea?" Alfred's question flew out in a rushed whisper. Matthew shrugged.
"Call it a lucky guess, a feeling, twin's intuition, whatever you want to call it, I'm right, aren't I?"
Alfred remained silent for a while, before leaning over and placing his face in his hands to attempt to hide his embarrassment. Matthew let out a laugh at his brother's embarrassed display.
"Aw, you dork," Matthew said, half-genuine, half-teasing. Alfred groaned.
"Shut it, Matt."
Matthew let out another short laugh before his mind returned to the King's predicament.
"I do see your problem though, Al." Alfred looked up from his hands at his brother, who continued. "Have you told him how you feel?"
Alfred rolled his eyes at the generic-sounding advice Matthew had just fed him.
"No, but..."
"This is just my opinion, but I think it would be better if you told him how you feel before the Queen shows up." Alfred looked up before Matthew continued with his statement. "I mean, if it goes well, you'll have something established before the Queen arrives. Which I feel would go much better than trying to establish a relationship after you're already married." Matthew looked at Alfred with a serious look in his eyes. "The Queen is going to appear Al. Whether you want them to or not it's going to happen. The only thing you can do is try to move forward before the Queen's appearance."
Alfred nodded. Matthew did have a point. Alfred leaned backwards on his bed, staring up at his ceiling. He was right. Although he was still a little hesitant to admit it to himself, he did love Arthur in some way. And the situation between them would only grow more strained the more time went on. Alfred swallowed nervously as he made a decision. He would tell him
Matthew smiled at his brother.
"I'm sure everything will work out just fine, Al."
Alfred nodded and let out a heavy sigh.
"I hope so, Matt."
When Alfred woke up in the morning, Matthew wasn't in the room. He remembered them talking late into the night before the twins dozed off and fell asleep. Alfred looked around his room. Soft light was pouring in through the windows. Had Matthew left already? Just as Alfred got out of bed and started walking towards his door, the knob twisted and opened. Standing in the doorway, was his twin. He looked startled at first before he smiled again.
"Good morning, Al."
"Morning," Alfred said, taking in his twin's new appearance. Matthew was wearing a collared shirt with a vest, both of which were adorned with the Spades symbol. His dark pants just barely hid the strange shoes he was wearing and despite their bulky, heavy looking appearance, didn't make any noise as he stepped into the King's room. Matthew looked down and smoothed his collar.
"They fitted me for my palace uniform this morning," Matthew said, explaining his new appearance. Alfred nodded before starting towards his dresser to grab his own clothes.
"They look nice," Alfred said absentmindedly as he fished around in the drawer for his own uniform. Matthew spoke up.
"After breakfast, we are supposed to report to the dungeons for my training."
Alfred paused as he pulled his shirt from the previous day off. He called to Matthew across the room.
"Wait. Where's Arthur?" The King was unused to anyone but Arthur telling him his morning schedule. Matthew shrugged.
"I haven't seen him all day. I think he may be setting things up in the dungeon."
"Oh." The King's reply was short, as he thought about his resolution. He was going to confess to Arthur. But when? Alfred quickly got dressed in his own uniform before the twins left the room, heading to the start of Matthew's training.
Alfred and Matthew ate alone in the dining hall before heading down the hall to the dungeons. On their way, they bumped into Yao. The Jack of Spades stopped immediately and bowed.
"Good morning, Your Excellency," he paused and turned to Matthew, "...Ace." Alfred blinked in confusion.
"Are you going to be joining us for Matt's training too?"
Yao nodded.
"It will be more of a briefing than a training. After all, Sir Matthew needs to get back to his studies. However, yes, I was planning on overseeing it."
Yao quickly fell in step behind Alfred and Matthew as the small group made their way down to the dungeon. Upon reaching the bottom floor, they saw Arthur. He was wearing his sorcerer's cloak and was absentmindedly thumbing through a magic text. However when he heard footsteps approaching him, he immediately set his book aside and walked towards the trio.
"Good morning." Arthur's greeting appeared to aimed at no one in particular. His eyes briefly met Alfred's before flitting away. It was so quick that Alfred wondered if he had imagined it. Arthur turned to Matthew.
"I have everything set up in one of the practice rooms. Come." Arthur turned on his heel down one of the dungeon's corridors and eventually arrived at one of the stone practice rooms. Alfred noted that it was not the same room that Arthur practiced magic with him in, however the interior of the room was identical. As the small group entered the room, Arthur walked over to a small box propped against the wall. He held it with both hands before walking back towards the group. The box was old, and was decorated with the symbol of Spades with several metal ornaments. It easily looked as if it had been around for centuries. Arthur held the box out towards Matthew.
"You're the only one who can open it, Ace."
Matthew stared at the box looking a little concerned. He hesitantly reached his hands towards the box, before cautiously touching it. The Spades decorating the box briefly released a soft light before the box popped open a small crack. Matthew carefully opened the lid on its hinges and stared at the contents. Inside the box, was a strange metal object on a bed of velvet fabric. It looked like a silver rod, however it was just smaller than the length of Matthew's forearm. The shiny metal was almost reflective, and both ends were adorned with a small sapphire. Alfred looked over his twin's shoulder at the object and piped up.
"What is that?"
Yao answered without removing his eyes from the box.
"This is the Ace's weapon. It hasn't been in use for almost two centuries..." Yao looked at Matthew. "Take it, Ace."
Matthew carefully took the strange pole out of the box and held it in his hands.
"So...how does it work?" Matthew said as he cautiously turned the weapon over in his hands. Arthur walked over to the wall and set the box down. He spoke up on his way back.
"Most of the Ace's power should be based on instinct. Your weapon should react the same way." Arthur came to stand next to Alfred. "For example..."
Arthur removed a sheathed knife from his pocked and removed the blade from it's cover. Just as Alfred was about to ask what he was doing, he watched as the small pole Matthew was holding rapidly extended in both directions with a long, curved blade of a scythe extending from the high end. The transition was so quick, that Matthew had to step backwards to keep his balance. He seemed shocked as he stared at new form of the weapon in his hands. Yao, standing behind him, nodded with an impressed look on his face. Alfred stared agape at the large scythe, a weapon that he felt was very uncharacteristic of the timid brother who was holding it. Arthur smiled.
"Good. Now let's try this..." Arthur moved the open blade a mere inch closer to Alfred.
No one clearly saw what had happened next. There was no sound, no clear image, all that Alfred was aware of next was the scene of Matthew, holding the cold, silver scythe to the throat of Arthur. Alfred looked at his brother, alarmed. Matthew's usual bright and sunny eyes were dark, and filled with violent intent. It was as if for a mere moment, Matthew was no longer Matthew. Arthur even appeared a little taken aback. He lazily dropped the knife in his hand and the moment it hit the ground, Matthew snapped back to his usual self. He looked at the scythe in his hands, then where it rested near Arthur's throat and horror took over his face. He quickly pulled the blade away.
"God, Arthur. I'm so sorry! I didn't-I mean...I-" Arthur held up a hand, trying to stop the Ace's apology.
"There's nothing to apologize for. That's exactly what I wanted to happen." Arthur leaned over and collected the knife before quickly shoving it back into it's cover. Alfred looked almost as equally as disturbed as Matthew.
"What just happened?" Alfred asked, looking from Arthur to Yao. The Jack stepped forward from his place behind Matthew and spoke up.
"The Ace is a role that maintains a duty of both a guard and assassin. So long as the Ace is holding their weapon, a number of low level spells are automatically cast, including some speed and invisibility spells. If someone were to attack the King, the Ace would be the first to stop it." Yao's eyes flitted to the sheathed knife as Arthur put it back in his pocket. "Arthur did not actually attack King Alfred. However, if he had, I imagine that we would probably be mourning the loss of Arthur's soul right about now."
Alfred turned to look at Arthur, who looked unfazed at Yao's statement. The King then looked back to his brother who appeared distraught.
"I don't think I can do this..."Matthew said, looking at the weapon in his hands. Alfred was about to say something, but then Arthur spoke up.
"You want Alfred to stay safe, don't you?"
Matthew nodded eagerly without hesitation.
"Yes, of course! But-"
"That's all you're doing. You're keeping Alfred safe."
Matthew's eyes widened a little at this, as he looked at Arthur. Arthur continued speaking.
"Your duties will very rarely come to this, Matthew. We just want you to know the magnitude of your position. You have a lot of power. Just know who you're using it for."
After a few more explanations, Matthew's training ended for the day. He still had a lot he needed to learn, such as complex invisibility spells and magic that would help him collect information, but for now, he simply returned to Eavesworth. Matthew seemed too nervous to take his weapon with him, so for now he left his weapon behind with the promise of returning on the weekend to practice.
Alfred saw him off. They couldn't exactly send Matthew back to Eavesworth in a royal vehicle, since the Ace is supposed to stay hidden. Instead they arranged for a smaller, normal vehicle to take him to the outskirts of Eavesworth, and Matthew would walk back from there. Alfred hugged his brother before they parted ways with an informal 'See you'. They would be seeing each other again in just a few days, and they no longer worried about when they would ever see each other again. As the vehicle pulled away, Alfred thought about all of the events that had unfolded since his meeting in Hearts. With resolve, he turned to face his next obstacle. He needed to find Arthur.
Alfred had to finish a small stack of work before he would be free for the day. It took far longer than he had wanted, and by the time he was done with everything, dusk had fallen. Immediately upon finishing his work, he went to find Arthur. He assumed that he would still be working in the dungeons. Alfred rushed back to the dungeon and looked briefly in the practice rooms before making his way to Arthur's magic study. He opened the door, expecting to see Arthur, but his eyes fell on the man named Gareth instead. He was sitting on Arthur's desk, looking through a heavy looking book. He looked up and immediately rose to his feet.
"Your Excellency."
Alfred's eye twitched in irritation at the man in front of him.
"What are you doing here?" Alfred's question came out much harsher than he had originally intended. He almost watched Gareth jump a little at his words.
"Sometimes Arthur lets me borrow some of his books..."
"Huh." Alfred narrowed his eyes, not trying to hide his displeasure. "Where is Arthur?"
The man shrugged.
"I'm not sure. He was here until about an hour or so ago. He said he was going to clear his head."
Clear his head.
At this, Alfred instantly knew where Arthur was, and left the room without another word to Gareth.
Upon entering the hidden garden Alfred immediately saw Arthur situated on the edge of the fountain. Usually, Arthur would come here with a book, but today he was just sitting, lost in thought as he stared at the glowing crystals surrounding the garden. He didn't even notice someone had entered until the King stopped just a few paces in front of him.
Arthur looked up at Alfred and didn't say anything. His face was blank and his expression unreadable.
"Hey," Alfred said, breaking the strange silence between them. Arthur's expression darkened for a brief moment before he smiled weakly. He looked as if he was at war with himself.
"Hello, Alfred."
Alfred took the opportunity to sit beside Arthur. His instructor's eyes remained on him as he sat down. The silence that Alfred usually felt comfortable in made him feel antsy. He was actually going to do it. He turned to face Arthur to find that Arthur was already facing him. Arthur looked like he wanted to say something, however when several moments passed without any exchange of words, Alfred decided to try and fill in the blanks. Alfred leaned towards Arthur's face and Arthur closed his eyes. The King slowly let his mouth meet Arthur's just like they had so many times before. They only kissed once before Arthur pulled back, turning away from Alfred with his eyes averted down.
"What's wrong?" Alfred looked at Arthur's profile, which appeared dark and his mind appeared to be racing.
"I think we should stop, Alfred."
Alfred tensed up at Arthur's comment. He let out a small nervous laugh, trying to dismiss the dark feeling that was beginning to grow in his stomach.
"Yeah, I mean...I guess it is pretty late, we should-" Arthur shook his head, firmly, cutting off the King's sentence.
"No. Not just today. Everything, Alfred. We should stop all of this."
Silence fell over the pair once again. Alfred smiled nervously, hoping he was misreading the situation. However when Arthur turned his gaze back towards the King, he could see just how serious he was. Alfred's heart began to pound frantically, and his smile quickly fell from his face. The King shook his head just a little.
"Why?" Alfred's single question came out sounding much more disappointed than he had anticipated, but he didn't even care at this point. He leaned closer. "Why, Arthur?"
Alfred's question went unanswered as Arthur's stony expression refused to change. Alfred spoke up, feeling that this may be his last chance.
"Arthur, I...uh. I've been thinking about it a lot lately. I've never really said this up until now, but...I think..." Alfred desperately and clumsily stumbled over his words, and a flicker of fear ran through Arthur's eyes.
"Arthur, I'm in l-"
"Alfred."
Arthur's voice was cold and stern as he cut off the King this final time. Arthur looked at Alfred and spoke in a flat, even tone.
"I don't love you, Alfred."
Alfred swore that he felt physical pain. He felt his heart twist intensely, and he felt as though the air may have been knocked from his lungs. His mind raced aimlessly, but was unable to come up with any tangible thoughts. He only stared back at Arthur's solemn expression, his green eyes completely devoid of any affection. Arthur spoke again.
"I'm sorry, Alfred. You must have misunderstood at some point." Arthur gestured between them. "This...this was just for fun. There was never supposed to be anything real here." Arthur averted his eyes downwards before spitting out one final sentence. "I can't- I don't love you, Alfred."
The King sat unmoving for a moment as the words soaked in. He couldn't place exactly what he was feeling. Embarrassment? Disappointment? Sadness? All of his feelings felt so murky and foreign. When he came to his senses, he realized that right now, he just didn't want to be here. He didn't want to be near Arthur at all. The King stood up and a single word slipped from his mouth.
"Alright."
Arthur turned back towards Alfred quickly as the King began to start towards the door. He stood up.
"Alfred, wait!" Arthur's voice called across the garden, and Alfred thought he heard footsteps behind him, but regardless hurried towards the door. Just as he put his hand on the door handle, he, against his will, quickly glanced back at Arthur out of the corner of his eye.
Alfred froze. Arthur was only a few steps away from the fountain, and something looked very wrong. He was slightly hunched over, and his eyes were screwed shut in pain. His hands clawed at the fabric over his heart, and his breathing sounded labored.
"Arthur?" Alfred called his instructor's name, worry completely overriding any other feelings in his mind. Arthur hunched over more and let out some desperate coughs as he continued to gasp for air.
"Arthur?" Alfred began to make his way back towards him, and watched in horror as the color began to drain from his already pale face. Suddenly Arthur's legs gave out underneath him as he fell towards the ground. Alfred rushed forward, catching the man just before his head hit the ground.
"Arthur!" Alfred called his instructor's name as the man lay in his arms, unmoving. Arthur's breathing seemed to stop for a brief moment and his body fell limp. Just as panic began to completely take over Alfred's mind, he watched as Arthur's breathing resumed and his chest began to rise and fall normally. Worried and confused, he stared at his unconscious instructor before something caught his eye. Over Arthur's heart, a soft blue light briefly emanated from under his shirt before slowly fading away. Alfred watched in confusion before he felt his own heartbeat stop.
It couldn't be.
Alfred quickly laid Arthur across his lap while his fingers shakily undid the buttons of his instructor's shirt. He only needed to undo three buttons before he saw it. Directly over Arthur's heart was a large elaborate mark with dark, swirling patterns. The mark's patterns branched over much of the left side of his chest, and in in the middle of the mark was the emblem. The dark, unmistakable emblem of a spade.
Alfred almost laughed at the sickening irony of his situation. Arthur had just flatly turned him down, and yet here he was. After almost a year since the previous royals had died, the last royal had finally been found. Arthur had just received the Queen's mark.
Arthur is the last Spade.
...
-It's about time isn't it? :3
-We got the triumphant re-appearance of good ol' Mattie
-We have an Ace now!
-I thought it would be funny if Matt's royal mark was a tramp stamp, and I laughed so much I actually made it a thing, oops
-This chapter focused a lot on our lovable twins (We'll have a lot more Alfred/Arthur next chapter!)
-Our dear Queen has finally arrived! (God save him)
-What's going to become of our heroes? Will their feelings ever meet?
Thank you for reading The Last Spade! Sorry it took so long to update, school really took it's toll this past quarter ^^ Hopefully I'll have lots of chapters coming to you in these summer months :3 Also thank you for all of your kind reviews! If you liked this chapter please feel free to leave a review! :3