The Last Spade

by otakubynature

Cardverse. Alfred is in his last year of school when he suddenly receives the mark of the King of Spades. He leaves his everyday life behind and begins training to be a royal under the supervision of a certain green-eyed gentleman employed at the castle. USUK/UKUS. Rated M for language, sexual content, and later chapters.

6. Chapter 6: Genuine

Alfred lifted Arthur's unconscious body from the ground and carried him in from the gardens. Upon reaching the castle, he was immediately intercepted by Yao, who was pacing nervously in the main hall. When Yao saw the King enter, he rushed over to Alfred.

"Your Excellency! Thank God, our sorcerers have just told me they are receiving a royal signal. It is most certainly the Queen's this time, we need to hurry and pinpoint..." Yao's voice dropped off as he took notice of the unconscious Arthur in Alfred's hands. The Jack's face looked like he was just about to inquire about what had happened to Arthur, when his eyes fell on the large and apparent mark that was still visible from under Arthur's partially opened shirt. Yao's eyes widened and he stared up at Alfred in utter disbelief. The King's expression was complicated, but he mumbled out a single phrase.

"I already know, Yao."

Slowly, the pair ascended to the Kings quarter in silence. Alfred gently laid Arthur in his bed upon reaching the King's chambers. Alfred cautiously covered him, trying to make sure the new Queen was comfortable. He remembered how much everything hurt after receiving his own mark, and he wanted to make sure Arthur's pain would be limited as much as possible. Alfred pulled up a chair to the bedside and sat down as he stared at Arthur. The Queen's expression had softened considerably and now it simply appeared as if he was in a deep sleep. Even after loosing consciousness and falling to the ground, he didn't appear disheveled at all. The color had returned to his face, and his breathing had returned to the soft puffs of air that Alfred was familiar with.

"I can't...I don't love you, Alfred."

Alfred winced at the memory. Arthur's rejection was still fresh in the King's mind and repeated continuously. Alfred's feelings felt muddled and complex. The man before him, the one who had quickly become his dearest friend, the one who had willingly stayed by his side throughout his training for kingship, the one who smiled at him so genuinely whenever he saw him, the one who had held him and kissed him so warmly countless times, had turned him down flatly before he had even had the chance to properly confess his feelings. And what were his feelings? Was it a mistake to assume his feelings were love when he knew so little of love himself? And what happens from here? Alfred furrowed his brow a little at the disappointed feeling that had yet to dissipate from his senses, and simply looked at Arthur sleeping peacefully in his bed. Yao stood next to Alfred deep in thought, every now and then shaking his head in disbelief. Then the Jack spoke.

"I had never dreamed that Arthur would receive the Queen's mark." He paused. "I mean, Arthur studied directly under the previous Queen, so it's not unbelievable, but still..." He pulled his gaze from Arthur and turned towards Alfred. "And you were with him when he received his mark?" Alfred nodded but didn't move his gaze from Arthur. Yao stared at the King for a moment before speaking.

"But isn't this a good thing, Your Excellency?"

Alfred turned to face Yao, confused by the Jack's statement. Yao continued.

"Recently I began to get the feeling that you were very worried about the Queen's arrival. It's not uncommon for the King or Queen to exhibit anxiety about a political marriage to someone they don't know." Alfred nodded and returned his gaze to Arthur as Yao continued speaking. "But that is not a problem anymore, Your Excellency. Arthur is far from a stranger, and you two are indeed close...aren't you the least bit relived?"

Yao was right. And if this had happened just a few hours earlier, Alfred truly would have been elated. This would have been the best situation possible. But now, Alfred almost found himself wishing that the Queen had indeed been a stranger.

"I don't love you, Alfred."

Alfred let out a small sigh, but forced a smile as he looked at Yao.

"I guess you're right, Yao."

The Jack smiled briefly before both he and Alfred's attention was drawn to the door. In the doorway, a small crowd of servants and palace staff had gathered, staring into the room quietly. Many of them looked shocked, while some were smiling at the scene before them. It wasn't hard to imagine the reason why. Someone employed by the castle had become a royal, something that had never before happened in Spades history. If this was how the castle staff was reacting, the pair could only image what would come with the official royal announcement. Yao turned to Alfred.

"I'll take care of that, Your Excellency. I'll make an announcement to the palace staff, guards and sorcerers to alert them that the Queen has been found and to make all necessary preparations." As the Jack stepped away from Alfred, he spoke again. "For now, just stay with the Queen, Your Excellency." Yao made his way towards the door, and the small crowd began to back away. The Jack closed the doors firmly behind him, and Alfred was left alone in his room with the Queen of Spades.

In the silence of the King's chamber, Alfred's thoughts began to get the best of him. Arthur had wanted the King's role. And while the Queen's role was only marginally less powerful, he could still harbor resentment. And the marriage. Regardless of how Arthur felt, a marriage between the pair was now eminent. Will Arthur be distraught when he awakens? Alfred removed his glasses and ran his hand over his face, letting out a labored sigh. He couldn't remember that last time he had been this tense. His carefree days of slacking off in class and spending time with his brother...even his lessons with Arthur. They all seemed like a distant and far off dream. What he wouldn't give to, just for a moment, have those carefree days back. The King's thoughts tumbled rapidly and aimlessly for hours. He didn't even notice when the night was slowly beginning to welcome a new morning.

At the first signs of dawn, Arthur began to stir. He frowned a little in his sleep and creases formed on his forehead as his eyes clamped shut harder just before his eyelids slowly fluttered open, revealing the shining green color. His gaze instinctively fell on Alfred. He held Alfred's gaze in a sleep-ridden state before he blinked, slowly beginning to become more awake.

"Alfred," Arthur sleepily mumbled the King's name, sounding just slightly confused despite his content-sounding tone. Alfred sucked in a quick breath of air as an anxious feeling began to return to his senses.

Arthur then slowly sat up, but almost immediately brought his hand to his forehead, wincing in pain. He murmured a curse under his breath at the pain he felt running throughout his body. Alfred quickly and gently helped Arthur to sit up a little. The King knew now that the pain was a side effect of being suddenly and rapidly endowed with magic in a physical body, but this was something Arthur was unaware of. He tried to reassure Arthur in his tired state.

"The pain'll go away soon, Arthur. Just bear with it for now."

Arthur nodded but still looked pained and confused.

"What happened, Alfred?" Arthur's question came slowly before he suddenly clamped his eyes shut as another wave of pain over came him. "Shit..." Arthur mumbled as the pain slowly subsided once more. As he opened his eyes again, he repeated his question. "What happened?"

Alfred was unsure of how to go about responding. As Arthur became more awake, he slowly became aware of his surroundings. Upon realizing that he was not only in Alfred's room, but in Alfred's bed, he visibly tensed up. He turned to Alfred, trying to remember anything that would explain his current situation. Alfred's expression was serious, and it lacked the life that Arthur was accustomed to. The King held Arthur's gaze in silence before his blue eyes slowly flitted downwards. Arthur followed the King's gaze, confused. As Arthur looked down he saw it. At first Arthur thought it looked as though something was stuck on his collarbone. Then, as he pushed the fabric of his shirt aside, his eyes widened in shock. The elaborate patterns traced all over his heart and the clear and bold symbol of a spade was in the center of the new design atop his skin. Arthur's heart and mind began to race. Slowly and cautiously he brought his hand up and traced his fingers over the mark.

"The Queen's mark..." Arthur whispered as he ran his fingers over the new design on his skin.

Alfred watched as the confusion began to fade from Arthur's face. Arthur was quiet for a moment, then a shy smile spread across his face. He looked genuinely happy. Arthur then turned to Alfred, the warm smile still on his face.

"When did...?" Arthur's uncharacteristically fragmented sentence as well as his elated tone took Alfred aback a little, but then the King brought himself to answer.

"Last night, in the garden. You lost consciousness after..." Alfred's sentence trailed off and he averted his eyes from the Queen. Arthur looked a little confused at first, but then his eyes widened and his smile immediately fell. The memory of the previous night came flooding back to Arthur, and silence fell between the two royals. Alfred slowly looked back up at Arthur to see something he hadn't expected. Arthur looked distraught. Any signs of his previous smile was completely gone and the Queen's expression instead looked distressed and even regretful. Arthur's gaze bore into Alfred and the King averted his eyes again. Arthur quickly spoke, sounding a little frantic.

"Alfred, I-"

"It's fine, Arthur." Alfred swiftly cut the Queen off, desperately not wanting to be rejected again. "It's fine...I..." Alfred collected his thoughts for a moment, still refusing to look Arthur in the eye. "I know this isn't your ideal situation." Alfred paused for a moment before forcing a smile. "But it's okay. Everything here will be...political." Alfred spat out the last word quickly, immediately associating it with Kiku's situation. Alfred then echoed the phrase that Arthur had said in the garden.

"There's nothing real here."

Alfred stood up, and began making his way towards the door.

"Alfred-" Arthur reached out a hand towards him, but the King headed to the door without pause. Arthur's gaze followed Alfred as he left through the chamber doors, closing the door quietly behind him. Arthur quickly tried to jump from the bed to chase down the King, but just as he began to sit up, the pain coursing through his body kept him right where he was. As the door closed, the gentle click echoed throughout the bed chamber.

Arthur sat in silence. He had become a royal. The Queen of Spades. The head of all magic in Spades. The very position that his grandmother had held. Under any other circumstance, Arthur would have been overjoyed, ecstatic, even. However, at the present moment, his new role was the last thing on his mind. Even the pain throughout his body was far from his consciousness. Arthur placed his hand over the Queen's mark on his heart, a painful expression taking over his face. He had hurt Alfred. Badly. And this time, he wondered if it was something that could ever be undone. Arthur closed his eyes, as an entirely different form of pain overtook him.

"Fuck..."

.

Alfred dove mercilessly into his work directly after leaving his room. He didn't even go down to breakfast, for fear of encountering Arthur. Alfred sat in his study, speed reading countless documents before scribbling his signature on it and moving on to the next. He had somehow manged to cast a low level spell on the door to his study, keeping anyone from entering, however just as the morning was giving way to the afternoon, he heard a soft knock at the door. Alfred tensed up, and waited a moment before calling out.

"Who is it?" Alfred held his breath until he heard the familiar response.

"It's me, Your Excellency."

Upon hearing his Jack's voice, Alfred relaxed in his chair slightly and lifted his spell on the door. Shortly after, Yao opened the door and came into the study. He closed the door behind him, but lingered by the door.

"I am about to make the official announcement to the palace staff," Yao paused. "In the ballroom. I'm going to announce the Queen's arrival." Alfred's muscles tensed at the mention of the Queen. He returned his attention to the papers in front of him.

"Oh."

Yao appeared to be deep in thought, then spoke up again.

"Won't you come deliver the announcement with me, Your Excellency?" Alfred returned his attention to Yao, this time, not even bothering to force a smile.

"I don't think that's a good idea, Yao."

The Jack didn't contest Alfred's statement, but he seemed a little sad at the King's response.

"Arthur will be disappointed."

At this statement, Alfred felt a twinge of sadness mixed with irritation. The wound of being turned down was still very fresh, but he was inconveniently torn between not wanting to even look at Arthur's face, and wanting hold him and kiss him like they always had. Faced with two equally appealing choices, the King chose not to decide at all, and returned his attention to his work.

"He won't be disappointed," Alfred mumbled as he picked up his pen.

"I believe he will, your Excellency."

Alfred looked back to Yao. He really did want to believe him, but nonetheless felt unconvinced. Arthur probably didn't want to see him either. Yao let out a reluctant sigh and turned back towards the the door.

"Did you know that there is an upper balcony in the ballroom?"

Alfred looked up to see Yao looking at him out of the corner of his eye. "There's a stairwell that leads to it just across from the library." Yao slowly exited the room with one final statement. "I'm sure you could watch unnoticed from there..."

As the door closed behind the Jack, Alfred's eyes laid fixated on his work. Yao had said that on purpose. Alfred sat in silence, at war with himself for a few minutes, and then, unable to fight his curiosity, he stood up.

"I'll just go and look."

.

Alfred made his way to the library and located the small door positioned just across the hall from the book-filled room. Alfred had passed this hall countless times in the past few months but, assuming the door was just a hall closet, had never opened it. As he walked the hall, he could already hear Yao's voice speaking. It had already begun. Quickly and stealthily, Alfred slipped through the door and jogged his way up the narrow staircase. Upon reaching the top, he was surprised. The ceiling of the ballroom is so liberally adorned with silver, sapphires and blue velvet drapes that he had never noticed that an upper balcony even existed until now. It was vast and far larger than he had expected. Arthur slowly made his way to the front of the balcony and leaned close to a decorative support beam as he peered down at the main throne room below him.

Most of the palace staff was present, standing in a large, informal crowd clustered near the center of the ballroom. The knights, the guards, the palace magicians and sorcerers, even the maids, cooks and cleaning staff were all present. Standing before the large crowd was Yao, thanking everyone for gathering on such short notice. Alfred eyes widened slightly. It had just begun. He was assuming he would have missed some of it already, but Yao appeared to have started later than Alfred had predicted.

Alfred's eyes fell past Yao to the Queen who was standing to his side, just a little behind him. Arthur looked a little worse for wear. Physically speaking, he was very well put together, in an especially nice vest suit, and his hair perfectly in place, however something felt off. The composure that always seemed to come naturally for Arthur seemed forced, even from where Alfred was watching. The way Arthur's fingers fidgeted inside his fist, and every now and then, a hand would rise to tug at the cobalt blue tie around his neck. And then there was his gaze, Arthur's piercing gaze skimmed the room swiftly and efficiently, but the longer he did so, the more disappointed his gaze appeared. A fleeting thought fell through Alfred's mind, wondering if it was possible that Arthur was looking for him. He quickly dismissed the thought, but as soon as he did so, something peculiar happened. Arthur delicately traced his fingers over his heart where his mark was located under his clothing. He closed his eyes briefly, but almost immediately opened them, a confused, yet determined look on his face. Not a second later, his green eyes flitted upwards, instantly locking with Alfred's.

The King was taken aback. The way he was standing in the balcony, he was mostly hidden by a pillar. How did Arthur know he was there? Arthur's expression immediately softened a little at the sight of the King, but his expression quickly changed into a complex mesh. He looked like he wanted to say something, but given their distance and Arthur's current situation, there was no way that words could pass between them. Their gazes stayed locked for a few moments before Alfred began to feel the uncomfortable memory of Arthur's rejection return to his mind. Alfred turned his face away, casting his eyes downwards. And although the King was unable to see it, a deep sadness flickered through Arthur's eyes.

"...And it is with great pleasure that I present to you at long last our Queen of Spades, Arthur Kirkland." Yao finished the small speech that he had prepared and turned to Arthur. The Queen's eyes remained on the balcony for a moment but returned his gaze to the crowd in front of him at the sound of a roaring wave of applause. Even though the crowd only consisted of palace staff, the cheers were loud, warm, and genuine. Arthur flashed a slightly bashful smile as Yao continued.

"The coronation will take place a week from today in the throne room. Many alternative assignments and schedules will be made in preparation for the ceremony. Plan accordingly, and be ready to receive your assignments. That is all."

Alfred quickly exited the balcony and slipped back down the stairs and into the hall. Some of the palace staff were already beginning to to flow into the hallway from the ballroom. Alfred quickly turned away from the crowd to head back towards the study from which he came.

"Alfred!"

As soon as he heard his name, he felt a hand grasp firmly around his wrist. He turned around to see Arthur's green eyes bearing into him. The Queen, slightly out of breath, had seemingly sprinted to to catch him.

"Alfred..." Arthur began, then glancing down at where his hand was grasping Alfred's quickly let go and straightened up, attempting to regain composure. His eyes danced downward for a moment before the Queen gasped out his continuation. "You came."

Alfred was unsure of how to respond. He wanted to ask Arthur how he had known to look in the balcony, but his thought was cut short as Yao walked up behind Arthur.

"Ah, Your Excellency. Perfect. I need to speak with you." He glanced to the side to face Arthur. "You as well, Your Highness. This concerns both of you."

Yao turned and made his way down the hall. The two royals turned to glance at each other questioningly before falling int step behind the Jack.

.

It didn't take long for them to reach the Jack's study, where Yao situated himself behind his desk. He shuffled through a book filled with dates, while the royals stood in uncomfortable silence before him. An air of tension hung over the pair. Alfred fidgeted by running his fingers over the embroidery on the hem of his jacket, and while Arthur was staring straight ahead Alfred could tell his thoughts were probably anything but calm. Yao found the page that he was apparently looking for and spoke up.

"Lord Arthur's coronation will be taking place a week from today," Alfred blinked in surprise at the formality that Yao now attached to Arthur's name. He shot a short glance at Arthur, who seemed generally unfazed. Yao then continued speaking.

"And I will release a statement to the papers and the press this afternoon."

"So soon?" Alfred chirped the phrase out before he could mask the concern in his voice. Yao looked up at the King.

"Of course, Your Excellency. Now that the palace staff knows the Queen's identity, it's only a matter of time before the news finds it's way into town. Best to be proactive." Yao flipped a page over in the book and returned his eyes to it. "That said, we need to determine the date of your marriage."

Alfred's thoughts came screeching to a halt. Yao continued to babble on, something about choosing a date before the end of the month, but Alfred at this point was only half listening. The gravity of his position, situation and his recent rejection came rushing back to him. And Kiku. The Queen of Heart's situation seemed to be all but guaranteed for him, as well.

"Alfred."

The King snapped back and looked at Arthur, who had apparently already called his name at least once.

"Which date?" Arthur asked delicately, taking great care at addressing the visibly unnerved King. Yao had placed the book before them on the table, and all of the remaining dates of the month after Arthur's coronation were displayed on the table. Two weeks, at the latest.

Alfred could only look at the book for a few seconds before he quickly averted his eyes downward and shook his head. He let out a forced laugh before breathing out an answer.

"You pick."

Alfred turned and quickly rushed from the room. He only made it down the corridor before he heard footsteps running after him.

"Alfred!"

Arthur's voice echoed down the hall to him, only further emphasizing the reality of his position. Alfred picked up his pace.

"Alfred!"

Arthur's voice echoed down the hall again, yet more distant this time. Alfred didn't stop rushing through the various halls, and eventually, he no longer heard Arthur's footsteps behind him. Alfred stopped as he caught his breath, and turned down the hall. Arthur had stopped chasing after him. A painful and sour feeling stirred in his heart, and as Alfred turned away slowly returned to his room.

.

The following couple of days, Alfred continued to throw himself into his work. He rarely left his study, and even began taking all of his meals there. Although he wouldn't admit it himself, at this point, Alfred was actively avoiding any possible encounters with Arthur. Initially, the King had even been refusing to retire to his bedroom to sleep until Yao explained that Arthur had begun staying in the opposite wing of the castle. Despite them living in the same place, several days passed without Alfred encountering Arthur at all, and he was doing everything he could to keep his mind busy.

It was just past noon when Alfred heard a light knock on his study door. He looked up from his work as he lifted the spell he had put on his door. He waited patiently as the door cracked open, but his heart immediately softened as he saw the familiar face that peered at him from behind the door.

Matthew walked into the study, clad in his palace uniform, and greeted his brother with a smile. The King grinned.

"Hey Matt,"

His twin nodded as he surveyed the King's study and it's messy state. He then laughed.

"This brings back memories."

Alfred looked around at the clutter and let out a short laugh while pushing his glasses up the bridge of his nose.

"I guess it is pretty messy, huh?" Suddenly Alfred paused. "Wait. What are you doing here, Matt?"

The King's twin stopped surveying the room and looked back at Alfred.

"It's Friday, Al. I'm here for my duty and training."

At the realization that it was already the weekend, Alfred blinked in surprise.

"Oh, right..."

Matthew squinted at his brother accusingly. "Al, when was the last time you took a break?"

"Uhh..." Alfred tried to think over everything that had happened since the ballroom announcement that Monday. Taking Alfred's lack of answer as an answer, Matthew walked around the desk to his brother's side.

"I'm about to go practice arching. Come with me." Without waiting for Alfred's response, Matthew grabbed his brother's arm and tugged him out of his chair. Alfred didn't have time to decline his normally shy brother's request, and soon he fell in step behind Matthew.

Out on the palace's practice yard, Alfred lounged casually in the shade of a tree as he heard the satisfying thump of another arrow entering the target. Matthew let out a groan from a short distance away. Alfred raised his voice so that his brother could hear.

"You'll see better with both eyes open."

Matthew had a habit of closing one, or sometimes both, of his eyes when shooting an arrow.

"R-right." Matthew stuttered as he drew another arrow from his quiver.

Up until a few moments ago, Alfred had been firing off arrows with Matthew. However, Alfred had been rather good at the sport all through school, and once he had filled the bulls-eyes of three targets, he reclined under a nearby tree while Matthew continued practicing. There was another thud of an arrow hitting the target. Alfred turned his head to look at the arrow, closer to the center of the target. Matthew was gradually getting better.

"So, um..." Matthew began as he began preparing another arrow. "I saw the papers in town...about Arthur." Alfred didn't say anything but returned his gaze to the blue sky above him. Matthew continued. "But...I'm guessing by your attitude that there's a reason why you're upset? I...I noticed right when I saw you that something had to be wrong."

Alfred heard Matthew launch another arrow and waited until he heard the thump of the target board.

"He turned me down."

"Huh?" Matthew turned towards where Alfred was sitting beneath the tree. Alfred let out a quick sigh before he continued.

"On the night before he became the Queen. He turned me down."

"Oh..." Silence fell as a gentle breeze blew across the open field. "That sucks."

Alfred snorted at his brother's simple response.

"Yeah, it does."

"So now what? You two are going to be married...what has Arthur said about it?"

"I don't know. I haven't spoken to him since Monday."

Matthew turned around to look at Alfred. Alfred spoke up again before his twin could implore any further.

"I mean, I'm sure it's uncomfortable, right? Being loved by someone he doesn't love in return." Alfred paused and smiled sadly as he sat up. "My feelings could end up making him miserable. And now he's stuck with me. There's no way out for either of us." Alfred pushed his bangs out of his face as his expression hardened a little. "I mean, obviously, I'll try my best to bury my feelings but...I can't exactly move on very quickly when I'll be seeing him everyday."

Matthew paused, carefully letting what Alfred had said sink in. The Ace then looked at the target, and fiddled with the arrow still in his hand.

"Can't you just go back to the way things were?"

Alfred shot his brother a surprised and slightly irritated look.

"What?"

Matthew paused for a moment as he pulled his bow in preparation of launching the arrow. As he took aim, he spoke again.

"I mean, I don't know your entire situation, Al. But I imagine this is probably rough on Arthur too." Matthew turned to face his brother, locking eyes with him before speaking again. "You two were obviously close, and you still are, right? If there were ever a point in time where you both were genuinely happy and comfortable with each other, why not recreate it?" Matthew returned his eyes to the target and took a deep breath. "Even if it's a lie at first, it may turn into truth. You both are facing a difficult climb ahead. And I think it would be a shame for either one of you to make the climb alone."

Matthew unleashed the arrow, and it flew into the center of the target. An excited smile spread across his face as he turned back towards Alfred.

"What do you think?"

.

It was the evening before Arthur's coronation. The sunset painted the skies above Spades in a vibrant orange, and the warmth of the day began to dissipate. Much to Alfred's surprise and dismay, he had caught up on work and was left with nothing to keep him busy anymore. Matthew was in solo training for the next two days, and even after pleading with Yao to give him something to work on, the Jack turned him away.

"I'm sure there are other things in the palace that could use your attention..." Yao said suggestively. Alfred frowned and left the Jack's study. As the King slowly made his way down the hall back towards his own office, he paused at one of the large glass windows. Even from three floors up, he could immediately tell who it was. In the East courtyard, pacing and running a hand through his hair, was Arthur. The King was too far away to see him clearly, but there was definitely a prominent crease on the Queen's brow as he paced slowly around in a circle. He was grasping some sort of book in his hand, and even from this distance, it was easy to see that Arthur was muttering to himself.

That's when Alfred realized. Arthur was preparing for his coronation. The same practicing that was required of Alfred was now required of Arthur as well.

Except Arthur had to do it alone.

An overwhelming sense of guilt washed over Alfred. He had left Arthur alone during a week that was intensively strenuous. Regardless of his own rejection or whatever awkward air may exist between them, Arthur probably could have used some support. Alfred retired to his room for the evening. He would need to talk to Arthur before the coronation.

"Why not recreate it?"

Matthew's advice echoed in the Kings ears. He was certainly going to try. Both for Arthur's sake, and for his own.

.

The coronation was set to begin early morning, and thus Alfred awoke far earlier than normal. He quickly put on his royal garments. Today's were more formal than usual, as Alfred would be taking part in the ceremony as well. After getting dressed, Alfred hurried down to the first floor of the castle. He walked past the throne room, where Alfred could already hear countless voices, but the King kept walking. If his inclination was correct, Yao probably would have had Arthur wait in the same room that Alfred had before his own coronation. He made his way to the closed door of the waiting room, took a deep breath then opened the door.

Alfred entered the room and saw him. Sitting on the windowsill, gazing out at the early morning mist, was Arthur. He was clothed in the Queen's ceremonial garments, and the flowing sapphire fabric shone in the morning light with the accents of silver and gold dancing across the fabric. Alfred lost himself for a moment.

He looks like a God damn painting.

The door echoed as it closed behind Alfred, and Arthur turned to look at him. Some silence passed between them. Alfred powered through the pressure of emerald eyes bearing into him, and took some steps toward the Queen.

"So...uh. Are you ready?"

Arthur returned his gaze out the window and said nothing. Alfred forced a smile and sat across from Arthur on the windowsill. Arthur still didn't look at Alfred, but the King took notice of how Arthur was actively fidgeting with the trim on his garments. Alfred furrowed his brow in disbelief.

"Are you...nervous, Arthur?"

The Queen shot an irritated look at Alfred.

"Fuck, yes, Alfred I'm nervous." Arthur's voice hissed out low and slightly shaky. The King blinked at this unexpected revelation. He stared at Arthur in disbelief as the Queen returned his attention outside.

"Why? What could you possibly be nervous about?"

Arthur shot his eyes back at Alfred. He stood and towered over the still-seated King.

"I don't know, Alfred! The fact that I'm about to become the Queen of a nation? I'll be leading people, Alfred. Millions of lives are now in my hands. And what if I'm not a good Queen? We're already on the precipice of war with Clubs and thousands may die under my watch. My mistakes could lead the very fall of Spades itself if I'm not careful."

Alfred was almost alarmed to see Arthur this upset and this unsure. He spoke up.

"Arthur, that's ridiculous. You don't have anything to be so worried about-"

"I'm scared."

Arthur's voice was raised and sounded so desperate that even Arthur seemed shocked at his outburst. A moment of silence passed and Arthur tried to collect himself. He spoke again, calmer this time.

"I...I'm scared, Alfred...and I don't know what to do. I...can't be a Queen like her, she was wise beyond belief and I am just..."

Alfred's eyes widened. The pressure of his grandmother. His irrationally fearful outbursts made sense now. Arthur was in the unusual case that he was a direct descendant of the previous Queen, and there is no doubt that comparisons will be drawn even more harshly upon him. Most would probably be stemming from himself. Alfred's expression softened. Leaving Arthur alone with these thoughts for a week was certainly a mistake that had deteriorated Arthur's usually consistent confidence.

"Arthur." The King rose to be at Arthur's eye level. "I'm sorry Arthur. I didn't know."

Arthur's angry expression softened. Some silence passed between them before he took a step forward and gently rested his forehead on Alfred's shoulder.

"Where the hell have you been, Alfred?" Arthur's voice sounded both accusatory and exhausted, but his facial expressions were hidden from the King's view.

"I know. I'm sorry." The King thought for a moment before finally speaking. "Arthur, You're selling yourself way too short. As if you'd let Spades citizens die on your watch, you won't even let me sleep in." Arthur let out a puff of air that Alfred identified as a short laugh. Alfred smiled and he placed his hands on the Queen's back.

"War, my mistakes, your mistakes, whatever you have to face as Queen, Arthur, I'll be right beside you. You don't have to do this alone. You're not alone." Arthur was silent, so Alfred spoke up again. "I'm not sure how much help I'll be though-"

"You will be." Arthur interjected. The Queen slowly wrapped his hands across Alfred's back, returning Alfred's embrace. "You will be, Alfred." Arthur repeated his statement in a whisper and Alfred slowly felt all of the the tension, rejection and negative feelings from the past week melt away. Despite Arthur's rejection of his confession from the week before, somehow, Arthur really needed him, and apparently, had missed him. Alfred decided he didn't really need Arthur to love him back. Just so long as Arthur needed him and wanted him around, that really felt like enough. Alfred smiled. Relieved that they had returned to some form of normalcy, Alfred held Arthur close for as long as he felt Arthur needed it. Arthur lifted his face from Alfred's shoulder to look at Alfred properly. The stern expression that Arthur had earlier had been replaced with a soft smile. He gently pressed his forehead to Alfred's and smiled a little. Alfred's face felt warm at the intimate gesture. Slowly, Arthur's expression fell and became more thoughtful. Before Alfred could ask, Arthur spoke.

"Alfred,"

"Yeah?"

"...can we move forward?" Arthur sloped his head a little, causing their faces to slide a little closer together. Alfred's breath caught in the back of his throat.

"What...what do you mean?"

A knock on the door echoed throughout the small room. Arthur did not let go of Alfred, but turned his head towards the door. When the door opened, Yao appeared in the doorway. His eyes widened briefly at the current situation the royals were in, then smiled coyly.

"As Jack, I couldn't be happier to see that you two are getting along, but it's about time for the coronation."

Alfred quickly let go of Arthur and took a step back, feeling a little embarrassed. He looked at Arthur, searching for any indication of what he meant by "move forward," but judging by Arthur's expression, his mind was now completely focused on the coronation. He looked a little nervous, but not nearly to the degree he was before. Yao spoke again.

"Come, Your Excellency. You will need to take your place at the throne." He turned to Arthur. "As for you, Your Highness, please follow me."

Alfred had already practiced for this day months before, around the same time he had been crowned. This ceremony was to be essentially identical to his, though now that Alfred had been crowned, he would be leading the ceremony as opposed to the Jack. Alfred stood before the thrones at the head of the throne room while Yao stood off to the side, holding the Queen's crown. Finally, when the clock struck the hour, the wide double doors opened, and Arthur made his way through the crowd. As he approached, Alfred got a better look at his face. His gait and posture were composed, though in his eyes it was easy to tell that he was calculating every movement. Arthur finally reached the altar and stopped a few feet before Alfred, before he dropped to one knee, bowing deeply, placed his hand over his heart and closed his eyes. It was times like these that Alfred needed to remind himself that Arthur wasn't a royal by birth. After a brief second, Alfred collected himself and took a deep breath before speaking.

"You who bear the mark of the Queen,"

Alfred himself was surprised at the power-laced tone that he had just spoken with, and was surprised to see Arthur flinch ever so slightly. He continued.

"You have been chosen by Spades to rule at my side. Do you formally accept your role as Queen of Spades?"

Arthur slowly opened his eyes and took a deep breath.

"I accept my role as Queen. As Queen of Spades I promise to grant my wisdom to our forces, my magic to our military, my powers to the kingdom," Arthur looked up at Alfred before continuing. "And my love to the King."

Arthur's final statement had sounded so sincere, yet he knew that Arthur was just following the traditional script. Still, that didn't quell the thoughts in Alfred's mind, nor the skip in his heartbeat.

Yao stepped forward to Alfred's side, holding the Queen's crown. Alfred took it delicately in his hands. Only slightly smaller than his own crown, the crown was a radiant and reflective silver adorned with sapphires, diamonds, and the country's emblem. Arthur lowered his head, allowing Alfred to place it on his head. Once the crown was securely on, Alfred pulled his hands away leaving one extended towards Arthur. The Queen took the King's hand in his and kissed it gently. More pomp and circumstance. Alfred continued when he felt Arthur's soft lips pull away from the back of his hand.

"You may rise, Queen of Spades."

Arthur rose to his feet, without letting go of Alfred's hand. Arthur took a step closer to Alfred and gently kissed Alfred on the cheek. It was uncustomary for the King and the Queen to publicly kiss before their marriage, thus the kiss on the hand and cheek were ceremonially meant to illustrate their relationship to one another. Alfred knew that this was all part of the ceremony, yet still he had to temporarily struggle to remember his next lines. As Arthur pulled away to face him again, Alfred spoke.

"Queen of Spades, As your King I formally swear to rule alongside you. I will assist and guard you, as you will do unto me, for as long as I live."

Arthur nodded, then slowly the pair turned, and walked towards the two thrones. As they took their respective seats, Yao stepped forward and addressed the crowd.

"Those who serve the Kingdom, I present to you Queen Arthur of Spades."

The crowd erupted in cheers. As the deafening sound of applause filled the room, Alfred turned to look at Arthur. He was smiling proudly and almost sheepishly at the scene before him. He instinctively turned towards Alfred after feeling the King's eyes on him. He smiled a positively radiant smile and gently tightened his grip on the King's hand, which he still held atop the pair's armrest. Alfred smiled. Just a few short months ago he sat upon this throne alone, and now, the very person he wanted beside him was right here, the new official Queen of Spades. But what comes now? Marriage, for one thing, to his best friend who had told him that he wasn't in love with him. And then there was Arthur's inquiry to 'move forward' and what that could even mean. Alfred tightened his own grip on the Queen's hand, truly wondering where they could move forward from here.

.

Alfred let out a contented sigh. The Spades morning was warming up nicely, and summer was soon reaching its peak. Alfred had his eyes closed, but he could feel from the warmth on his face that the sun that was shining brightly through the leaves dancing above him. Two days had passed since Arthur's coronation. Alfred had had lunch with Arthur directly after the ceremony, but shortly after, Arthur was whisked away by Yao. Alfred assumed the pair was going over the Queens countless formalities and duties, and probably introducing Arthur to the paperwork that Alfred was already overly familiar with. Alfred no longer was actively avoiding Arthur. After their talk before the coronation, Alfred was fully dedicated to resuming his closeness with Arthur, regardless of if Arthur wasn't in love with him. That said, he would be giving himself the necessary space required for his own feelings to settle down. Namely, not getting too handsy with Arthur. They were staying in separate wings until their marriage anyway, and additionally, Alfred had begun waking himself up early so that Arthur wouldn't get the chance to. Today, he had woken up a little too early, and since he was still ahead on his work, after breakfast the King went out to the line of trees near the back of the castle and was resting in a short Teardrop Oak tree. He had originally brought a small book with him, but in the comfortable and broad branches of the tree, Alfred found himself nodding off.

Just when Alfred felt he was about to slip completely into slumber he felt an added weight on the branch he was resting on and the familiar click of a pair of boots. The warmth from the sun dissipated, and Alfred opened one eye to look up at his visitor, even though he could already tell who it was.

Arthur had received his royal garments the evening of the ceremony. His cobalt coat was draped regally over his frame, and flowed in the light breeze, showing off the blue vest suit he wore beneath. His sandy blonde hair was perfectly in place despite the breeze, and Arthur wore a friendly smile as he looked down at Alfred. The King smiled and opened his other eye before speaking.

"You're not wearing your hat."

Arthur's smile turned to an irritated frown. Arthur's royal garments were designed with a top hat that Arthur apparently didn't care for, and he swore to most of the palace staff that he would only wear it outside of the palace. Arthur lowered himself on the branch to sit beside Alfred. He leisurely placed his hand over the King's chest.

"And you're not wearing your tie."

Alfred laughed.

"Touche."

Arthur removed his hand and looked at the book still in the King's hand and raised his eyebrows.

"A spellbook? How very studious of you."

Alfred rubbed some sleep from his eyes and sat up a little, tossing the book in his hand.

"I don't know, I just thought I should learn about spells for...wait. How did you find me here?"

Arthur squinted and tilted his head to the side.

"You're serious? It's impossible for me to not find you." Arthur's statement was met with a blank look from the King. Arthur rolled his eyes. "Did you pay attention at all when I taught you about the powers of the Queen?" Alfred thought for a moment. Far before Arthur received his mark, and when Arthur was teaching him the basics of the royals, even mentioning the Queen brought Alfred such dread that he actively tried blocking the information out. When it became apparent that Alfred wasn't going to answer his question, Arthur let out a small sigh, but calmly continued.

"The Queen is a role that has a handful of passive spells; magic that is constantly being cast so long as the Queen is alive. One of them allows me to track royal magic output." Alfred's eyes widened.

"Wait. So you mean-"

"The King is constantly exuding magic. You produce more magic than you know what to do with. My locating you, is essentially easier than locating the sun in a sunrise." Arthur paused. "Given, I won't automatically know your exact location, especially over long distances, but it at least gives me a direction to look."

"Is that how you found me in the balcony during Yao's announcement?"

Arthur nodded. Alfred thought for a moment before fear clouded his azure eyes.

"Wait. If you're hyper-sensitive to my magic output, does that mean that it's...painful for you to be around me?"

Arthur blinked in surprise before looking down a little.

"No. No...on the contrary. Being around your magic feels...nice." Arthur let the green of his eyes meet with Alfred's, and he slowly leaned closer to Alfred. Alfred tensed up a little, familiar enough with the Queen to know that Arthur was going to kiss him. Knowing that their intense sessions would not assist in his quest to smother his feelings, he spoke up, stopping Arthur's movement towards him.

"Is it possible for me to cast passive spells too?"

Arthur stopped a few inches from Alfred's face.

"Yes, of course. In fact, should we engage in war, I would highly recommend that you cast as many passive spells as possible. It saves time."

Alfred sat up completely, placing more space between him and the Queen. He halfheartedly flipped through the spellbook, looking for passive spells to cast.

"Huh...oh! Arthur..." Alfred turned to the Queen, who looked mildly dissatisfied. "...Did you need something? Since you came out here to find me."

Arthur thought for a moment then blinked.

"Oh, right. Yao wanted me to come get you. He wants to meet with the two of us."

"Oh." Alfred closed the book with a smile and hopped down from the branch, landing on his feet with a thud. And turned back towards Arthur. "You coming, Your Highness?"

Arthur frowned where he sat at the overly-formal term Alfred had jokingly used. But soon a stifled smile overtook his face, and he hopped down and followed the King back to the palace.

.

Once back at the palace, the two headed to the Jack's study to find Yao organizing his office. Once the royals entered, he straightened up in his chair.

"Ah, Your Excellency, Your Highness. Perfect timing." Yao rested his chin on his bridged fingers as the pair approached.

"You wanted to see us, Yao?" Alfred said, questioningly.

"Yes. We need to discuss Diamonds."

Alfred thought for a moment, surprised that Yao was talking about the Western-most nation.

"Diamonds?"

"Yes. As you recall, we formalized our alliance with Hearts. We were supposed to do the same for Diamonds until our business trip was cut short by the royal signal...well, the Ace's signal anyway. And after that with the chaos surrounding the Ace's arrival, and then the arrival of our Queen, we still have yet to formalize an alliance with Diamonds. Convincing them to not take a position of neutrality is of the utmost importance."

Arthur held up a hand, trying to calm the Jack's frantic thoughts.

"Be at ease, Yao. With our newly formed alliance with Hearts, Diamonds will be sure to follow suit. The negotiations shouldn't be that taxing."

"That's what I'm hoping for." Yao paused. "For the time being, I'd like for this to get done as soon as possible, should Your Majesties be willing." Yao flipped open his large planning book. "As of now, Your wedding is set to take place twelve days from now. If possible, I would like for an alliance with Diamonds to be forged before your union...can we depart for Diamonds in two days time?"

"Yes, that is fine with me." Arthur turned to the King. "Is that alright with you, Alfred?" Arthur turned to look at the King, who wore a complicated expression. He soon forced a smile and nodded.

"Yeah, that's fine."

"Excellent, I'll begin getting everything ready. You two as well should prepare for Diamonds. We'll depart at first light the day after tomorrow."

Alfred nodded but then immediately left the room. Readily jumping at the fact that he needed to focus on negotiations for Diamonds, Alfred headed towards his study where he knew he would be able to resume busying himself with work. Alfred made his way down the empty corridor, actively seeking to distract himself with preparations for Diamonds. Arthur called after the King, and Alfred flinched.

Not again...

The murky and complex feelings he harbored towards Arthur were not so easily stifled, it seemed. He picked up his pace, away from the Queen's voice. However, this time, Arthur ran after him.

"Alfred." Arthur called after the King but he didn't slow down.

"Alfred!" This time some anger leaked into his voice, but the King still didn't slow.

Suddenly Alfred felt his body whipped around and slammed into the wall of a side corridor, and was met with a pair of piercing green eyes bearing into him mere inches from his own. The King tried to move, but judging by the low glow emitting from the Queen's eyes, and his own muscles unwillingness to move, Arthur was using magic to hold him in place.

"Alfred." This time, there was an unmistakable edge of irritation in his voice. Alfred forced a nervous smile and looked to the side.

"...Yeah?"

Arthur frowned.

"What do you mean "yeah"? What's happening, Alfred? You seem like you're constantly so desperate to get away from me recently...and I honestly don't understand it. You don't even..." Arthur's voice dropped, and the irritation was slowly replaced with disappointment. "...you don't even look at me anymore."

Alfred glanced at Arthur, unsure of how to respond. This seemed to contradict many of the things that Arthur had said in the garden just a few short weeks ago. The disappointed look on Arthur's face was so unusually sincere that for a brief moment, all Alfred wanted to do was kiss him until the expression faded. However brief the King's thought was, the inclination had somehow come across to Arthur, much to the King's dismay. Arthur moved a hand to the side of the King's face. He slowly stroked the side of his face with his thumb as he brought their faces a little closer. Alfred wanted to remain strong, but he could feel his resolve to stifle his feelings melting away. He tried to move, though Arthur's spell was intricate enough that he was having some trouble dispelling it in his current state. His eyes frantically sought out anything aside from Arthur, but as the Queen got closer and he felt his familiar breath on his skin, he could no longer look at anything except for those mesmerizing pools of green.

"...Arthur..." The King's voice came out in a desperate whisper. "...Arthur, please don't..."

"...Don't what?" Arthur lazily traced his other hand up the King's side. Alfred's breath hitched at the new contact that sent a tingling sensation up his spine.

"...uh..." Alfred tried to get his thoughts in order, but he could feel his resolve slipping away from him. Arthur paused with just enough space to keep their lips from meeting.

"...Tell me to stop, and I will."

Every tangible protest died before they could fully form in the King's brain. Arthur lowered his hand from the side of Alfred's face and slowly traced his thumb across Alfred's bottom lip.

"Don't fight me if this is what you want, Alfred..." The King thought he heard 'please' at the end of the Queen's statement, but Arthur's voice had dropped to a whisper, and Alfred's heartbeat pounded erratically, muffling sound. The King's azure eyes searched desperately for any further explanation from Arthur's expression, but was only met with the earnest expression that he knew. He slowly felt Arthur removing his thumb from where it rested, and he replaced it with his own lips, closing the space between them.

Arthur's spell was indeed keeping the King from moving, but it was hardly necessary. Soon, any desire to escape his situation fully slipped away as Arthur gingerly kissed Alfred in the quiet corridor. There was a gentleness and a sincerity to the way the Arthur was kissing him, and in his current state, all Alfred wanted was to be closer to Arthur. The King closed his eyes and tilted his head allowing Arthur to kiss him better. The Queen instinctively deepened the kiss and brought their bodies closer together. Slowly, Arthur lifted the spell keeping the King in his place, who wholeheartedly stayed where he was of his own accord. Far from wanting to stop, Alfred immediately traced one of of his hands into Arthur's hair and the other firmly around the Queen's waist. Arthur gasped a little in surprise before returning the King's fervor. The initial gentle kisses were rapidly replaced with hungry kisses with moans catching in the back of their throats. The pair briefly pulled back to breathe, but Alfred readily leaned forward again, relishing the closeness that he had deprived himself of for so many weeks. He laid a trail of kisses along Arthur's jaw before sucking on the shell of the Queen's ear. As Alfred focused on the new area, Arthur sighed happily as he pressed their bodies closer together.

"Thank God, finally," Arthur whispered eagerly above Alfred's ear before the King returned his attention to Arthur's lips. Both royals had felt vastly deprived over the past few weeks since their talk in the garden, and it was soon impossible to ignore the unavoidable effect that this contact was having. Alfred was becoming painfully aware of the growing situation between his legs. In between the kissing and the wandering hands, there was a very obvious friction between them. In their fervor, the disoriented pair stumbled backwards into the nearest room, their kiss never breaking until the King fell back into the plush cushions of a couch in the empty lounge room. Arthur immediately climbed atop the King, straddling Alfred's hips and grinding down into him. Alfred let out a muffled groan as Arthur repeated the movement with a smirk on his lips. Alfred mumbled a few choice curses as Arthur quickened his pace, Alfred now unable to keep his own hips from moving. Arthur connected his lips to Alfred's as his fingers quickly made work of the buttons on the King's shirt, exposing the King's intricate mark. Alfred let out a sigh of pleasure. He couldn't count how many times he had fantasized about this. He had never slept with Arthur, regardless of the countless times he had imagined it. They had always stopped themselves before they passed the point of being unable to stop, which was not to say that he hadn't helped himself along with thoughts of it later. Though today, with both of them in their current state, it was very unlikely that they would be able to deprive themselves any further. Arthur rolled his hips down into Alfred, seemingly desperate for the contact.

"Alfred..."

Arthur exhaled the King's name pleadingly into his ear. Alfred shuddered in pleasure at Arthur's voice, at the thought of Arthur wanting him. Arthur turned to face Alfred, hovering over the King. Arthur gently ran his hands down Alfred's sides.

"Alfred, please..."

Suddenly the pair heard the door knob twist, and a palace servant entered the room. Most likely for normal cleaning, but as soon as the servant saw the pair on top of each other, the servant froze in place at the door and dropped the duster they were holding. If a single look could kill, the servant would have instantly and brutally been been murdered. The Queen sent the disruption such an livid glare, that Alfred feared that all of Spades may freeze over. The servant babbled out a scrambled apology before slamming the door and running away, blushing furiously. Once the footsteps could no longer be heard, Arthur let out an irritated sigh and returned his attention to Alfred, placing a kiss on his ear.

"To think they would have the nerve to interrupt a Queen and his King."

Alfred's body stiffened at Arthur's statement as their situation came spiraling back to him. Roles. Their roles. Arthur is actively doing this because of their roles. He's only pursuing him because he feels like as a Queen, he has no other choice. Because Alfred is his only choice. Alfred sat up, Arthur getting pushed away slightly in the process.

"Alfred?"

"...Are you only doing this because of our roles?"

Arthur's expression darkened in confusion at the King's inquiry.

"What?"

"Are you only doing this because you feel the King and Queen have to love each other?"

Silence fell over the room. Alfred turned to look at Arthur, who said nothing. I knew it. Alfred shook his head, feeling like a fool for thinking that any of this might have been genuine. Arthur didn't love him. Why did he keep fooling himself into thinking otherwise? As the King stood up and headed for the door, Arthur frantically caught him by the wrist.

"Alfred, wait, I never said any of that." Alfred turned to face Arthur, the hurt apparent in his expression.

"Arthur, you don't have to force your ideals on us." The king averted his eyes before spitting out a final comment. "It's patronizing." Arthur's eyes widened at the King's statement. Alfred then pulled his wrist free of the Queen's grasp and left the room.

Arthur sat in the room alone. He rested his face in his hands.

"...how do I keep messing this up?"

.

The ride to Diamonds was long. The pair of royals had not spoken in the two days prior to their departure, and the fact that they had a several hour trip alone in the the royal vehicle together was a little more than uncomfortable to say the least. Yao rode in a smaller royal vehicle directly ahead of them. Before departing, Alfred had discretely pleaded for Yao to ride in the larger vehicle with them.

"Why? Is something wrong?" Yao said just before climbing into the smaller royal vehicle. Alfred made a complicated face, recalling he and Arthur's most recent encounter.

"Well...I wouldn't say 'wrong,' but..." Alfred whined quietly. Yao made a knowing, yet exhausted look.

"Look, Your Excellency, I have no firm grasp on what exactly exists between you and the Queen, nor do I wish to be filled in, but please. Kindly sort out your frustrations and discrepancies before we arrive in Diamonds."

And with that, the Jack left Alfred to climb into the larger vehicle with Arthur. They hadn't said a word to each other throughout the ride to Diamonds, and they were more than halfway there. Alfred was trying his best to look out the window, avoiding eye contact with Arthur. The Queen, situated directly across from him, held an open book in his hand, but his gaze was bearing into Alfred. He could feel Arthur's gaze, and the King sighed uncomfortably out the window until he turned his head towards the Queen, confirming the stare that he had felt. This wasn't good. He had to break this tension somehow. Alfred cleared his throat.

"Is it not interesting?" Alfred spoke, finally breaking the silence. Arthur blinked in surprise, visibly caught off guard.

"What?"

"The book. Is it not interesting?"

Arthur's eyes flitted down to the book in his hand.

"No. Not particularly."

Alfred's face brightened, immediately thinking of an idea to break the tension.

"Then do you want to do something else?"

Arthur raised an eyebrow and closed his book, placing it beside him.

"What did you have in mind?"

Alfred smiled, seeing that Arthur had taken interest. He sat up in his chair slightly.

"Cool. Hold on..." Alfred closed his eyes and mumbled some incantations under his breath. Then, directly between them, in a small holographic projection, a shining blue chess set appeared, suspended in mid air between the two royals. Arthur's eyes widened as genuine surprise took over his face. He leaned closer to the celestial projection, a smile tugging at the corners of his mouth.

"This is a very intricate spell, Alfred. How did you learn to control your magic for a spell this precise?"

Alfred smiled at Arthur's praise.

"I was in my office for a few weeks and only have so much paperwork?" Alfred laughed shyly before continuing. "I think it's partially your fault for putting so many spellbooks on my bookshelf."

Arthur looked up and smiled at the King in front of him until Alfred gestured to the board in front of him.

"The Queen gets first move."

Three hours, and four (of Alfred's) losses later, the Spades vehicles pulled into the outskirts of Diamonds. Alfred's mouth fell agape as he returned his attention out the window. Alfred had never been to Diamonds, and only heard of the country's wealth in passing, but upon rolling into the capital city, all of his thoughts had proven to be vast understatements. The towering marble buildings with gold trim and intricate detailing stretched upwards and only grew grander and more extravagant the deeper into the city they got. The citizens of Diamonds were also very different from those in Spades. Many wore what Alfred deemed to be excessive amounts of jewelry and make up, and many of the clothes they wore were things that Alfred had never seen before.

"This is your first trip to Diamonds, isn't it?" Arthur's voice came over Alfred's shoulder. The King nodded, not taking his eyes from the scene in front of him.

"Yeah. I never imagined it would be like this..."

"Diamonds is the smallest country in Cards, though throughout history they have maintained a vast wealth. I've been here many times when I accompanied the previous Queen on business." Arthur paused before continuing. "Diamonds can get overwhelming, and they place a lot of emphasis on beauty, but they do have an eye for aesthetic. But if I had to pick, I'd pick Spades over Diamonds any day." Arthur sat back in his seat and let out a short sigh. "The King of Diamonds is an earful though." Alfred turned his attention from the window back to Arthur.

"You know the King personally?"

"King Francis of Diamonds? Yes. I met him for the first time back when I was seventeen and he was twenty. He is quite comfortable with his role, as he was crowned at eleven. That isn't too unusual for the royals of Diamonds...they are often chosen by the Diamonds system when they are still quite young." Arthur realized he had derailed from his original point. "Anyway, for a while he was the only royal in the castle. The other roles were not filled until just last year...and when I came here with my grandmother, he would often seek my company since we were close in age."

Alfred paused. Arthur had not disclosed what exactly he meant by 'company'. Before the King could inquire any further, Arthur turned his attention out the window.

"We're arriving."

The short Spades procession pulled into the Diamonds castle, which was truly a sight to behold. Never had Alfred seen a building so grand and over the top. The castle was golden, with accents of the whitest marble imaginable. The towers and walls were adorned with Diamonds, both the country's symbol, and the actual gemstone. Alfred stared in shock and awe as he exited the vehicle. He then heard Arthur's voice coming from behind him.

"It's just as obnoxious on the inside as well, I assure you." Arthur squinted at the shining castle and muttered something under his breath about being a 'waste of resources', but soon the King's attention was directed towards something else. Descending from the shining staircase, was a royal, though not the royal that the Spades had been expecting to encounter on this trip. Alfred's face lit up at the familiar face.

"Kiku!"

The Queen of Hearts turned towards the sound of his name and smiled. Alfred ran up some of the steps to meet the Queen halfway. The Queen lowered his head in a friendly bow.

"King Alfred. I'm glad that I was able to encounter you before I left." The Queen looked over towards a Hearts vehicle waiting a short distance from the Spades vehicle before returning his gaze to Alfred.

"What are you doing here Kiku?" Alfred said, trying to make sense of why the Queen of Hearts was in Diamonds.

"My dear cousin Yao was kind enough to inform me of your plans with Diamonds. I've just spoken with Francis and tilted the odds in your favor as far as negotiations may go. I've primed the field for you, in the hopes of your successful alliance with Diamonds." Alfred smiled at the Queen of Hearts.

"Really? Wow, Kiku, thank you for doing that."

"Nothing to thank me for, I'm simply assisting my ally and friend." Kiku's face softened. "It's good to see you in high spirits, King Alfred. Last I saw you, you were in such distress about your Queen. Did everything end up going alright?"

"I'd say that things turned out alright for him."

The King of Spades and Queen of Hearts turned towards the source of the voice who had just walked up behind Alfred. Arthur smiled at the other Queen. "It's good to see you again, Kiku."

Kiku's eyes widened at the new Queen of Spades.

"Lord Arthur...so the rumors were true..."

"I'm not really a lord anymore Kiku," Arthur corrected before giving a friendly smile. "...though it's good to see you again. It's been years. I can't remember the last time I saw you."

The Queen of Hearts looked away, seemingly just the slightest bit embarrassed.

"Oh? I remember it clearly."

Arthur said nothing, but shuffled a little where he stood. Alfred looked at the two Queens trying to ignore what exactly was being implied. Kiku returned his attention to Alfred and spoke again.

"Well then, King Alfred, it would seem that your Queen situation could not have ended any better for you." Alfred tried to fight off embarrassment from Kiku's comment. Kiku laughed softly and gently placed a hand on Alfred's cheek. "I'm only teasing you, King Alfred. Forgive me." Without removing his hand from the King's face, he turned to Arthur. "Lord Arthur, it's so good to see you again. I couldn't be happier to have an old friend as a fellow Queen."

Arthur's eyes kept darting between Kiku, and where his hand was currently resting, on the King's face. He finally nodded, giving a polite smile.

"Likewise."

Kiku smiled warmly before returning his attention to Alfred.

"I must be returning to Hearts now. Next time you visit, we shall be sure to give you the proper tour this time." Kiku finally removed his hand from Alfred's cheek and looked at the two royals. "Best of luck with your negotiations. Farewell." And with that, The Queen of Hearts made his way down the steps, briefly stopping to talk with Yao, who was still at the bottom of the steps.

Alfred watched as Kiku got into his vehicle and pulled away before he spoke.

"You and Kiku are close?" Alfred tried to keep the curiosity and jealousy from leaking into his voice. Arthur turned to the King and cocked an accusatory eyebrow.

"...no closer that the two of you seemingly are."

Alfred looked at Arthur, who avoided eye contact, but looked visibly irritated. Close? He had only met Kiku three times, including today. Just when Alfred was to retort against Arthur's implication, Yao joined the two Royals where they stood on the stairs.

"Ready?" Yao said, unaware of the conversation that had just transpired. Arthur nodded and started up the steps.

"Yes, let's get this over with."

.

Once at the top of the stairs, the large, shining doors were opened by Diamonds guards, and the three Spades entered the castle's main entry hall. As Arthur had said, the inside was just as lavish and extravagant as the outside. The trio walked further into the castle towards the throne room, but only made it a few paces before a voice echoed into the hall.

"Well, well...A full set of Spades in my court," The Spades turned towards a grand staircase to their left. Half way down the stairs was a man liberally dressed in gold leaning on the handrail as if he were posing for a painting. Everything about him suggested extravagance to excess, from his clothes to his posture. His golden locks flowed down to his shoulders, and his dark blue eyes were locked on the royals, an entertained expression on his face. As he descended the staircase, Arthur spoke.

"King Francis."

Alfred returned his view to the man who was now walking towards them. However, the King of Diamonds' eyes were fixated on Arthur. He spoke as he approached.

"And to think, the 'Arthur Kirkland' crowned Queen of Spades would be my Arthur Kirkland." Francis got close to Arthur and placed a thumb under Arthur's chin, tilting the Queen to look at him. Arthur swiftly knocked the hand away, his eye twitching in irritation.

"I don't have any recollection of ever becoming your Arthur Kirkland, Francis."

Everything about their interactions rubbed Alfred the wrong way, but most notably how Arthur had temporarily used no title before the King's name. Francis rubbed his own hand, feigning injury.

"Really? I can recall several occasions when you practically begg-"

"King Francis!" A rage crept into Arthur's voice that Alfred had only heard on a few occasions, as he swiftly cut the King of Diamonds off. Arthur took a step closer to Alfred before continuing. "King Alfred of Spades and I are here to discuss negotiations for war. Can we please keep all discussion political?" Francis looked at Alfred up and down, then nodded quickly with a bored expression.

"Yes, yes, I heard from Queen Kiku already. Delightfully dull topics through and through, but I see no problem with it." Francis' face lit up again. "But that aside, I'll be throwing a party tonight. You Spades will attend yes? A quaint gathering with only a few hundred nobles, but we have more than enough room for you to stay-"

"King Francis." Arthur cut the other King short again, and Alfred could hear the irritation in his Queen's voice. "Negotiations first. Before anything else, I want this on paper." Francis made a sour face, but then let out a sigh.

"Fine." The King of Diamonds turned to Alfred.

"King...Alfred...was it?" Alfred nodded, and the King continued. "Grand. You and Arthur come with me." Francis paused and looked over to the Jack of Spades. "Yao, always a pleasure to see you. I'll send Basch to help you work out the stickier details." Yao nodded and waited where he was as Francis led the two other royals to a discussion hall.

.

The discussion hall was a large marble table surrounded with plush chairs and plush walls located deeper in the castle. Arthur had prepared some papers and rapidly went over the alliance that he had hoped to establish. Alfred had made the alliance with Hearts clumsily (albeit swiftly) weeks ago, but this particular alliance was mostly directed by Arthur under Alfred's authority. In fact, Arthur was so thorough and professional with the negotiations that Alfred almost felt a little embarrassed at the straightforward manner in which he had established the alliance with Hearts.

Most of the negotiations were going well. Francis was agreeing to most of what they were asking of Diamonds. However, Alfred was irked by how close Francis was behaving towards Arthur. It had become blinding clear what Arthur had meant by 'company.' Francis kept leaning closer to Arthur and touching Arthur on the arms and face, and while Arthur kept swatting Francis' advancements away, it hurt to see him acting so patient, or to even fathom that at some point Arthur may have enjoyed it.

Alfred slowly began to feel as though he didn't even need to be there. While Arthur would turn to ask for Alfred's approval or opinion every now and then, the majority of the negotiations could inarguably take place without him. Additionally, the King of Diamonds all but ignored that Alfred was even sitting there, as he continued to make casual advances towards the Queen of Spades. About one hour in, it all became too unpleasant for Alfred to watch, and he swiftly stood up. Arthur looked at the King of Spades.

"Alfred, whats wrong?"

"Yeah, I'm..." Alfred casually gestured towards the door. "...I'm just going to go get some air."

Arthur began to stand up.

"Shall I go with you?"

Alfred swiftly made his way towards the doorway.

"No, I'm good. You stay here."

Arthur slowly sat back down again.

"Alright."

Alfred quickly left the room and walked down the hall, away from the Diamonds discussion room.

.

.

As soon as Alfred left the room, Arthur turned towards the King of Diamonds with a livid expression on his face.

"What the hell is your problem Francis?" The King of Diamonds smiled nonchalantly at Arthur's visible rage.

"What ever do you mean?"

Arthur's eyes filled with cold anger as he continued his verbal assault.

"Don't fuck with me, Francis."

"I used to."

Arthur's expression darkened and he said nothing. Francis' smile immediately fell. While he never muttered the phrase 'sorry' Arthur could tell he meant to. Arthur let out an exasperated sigh and returned his attention to the papers in front of him. Francis leaned in closer to the Queen of Spades.

"Why does it matter so much to you?"

"Don't you have a Queen of your own, Francis?"

The King made a sour face and frowned.

"She's still a child, Arthur. No matter how cute she is, I'm not into that." Arthur said nothing, and Francis looped a hand around Arthur's waist. "Come now, why not have a little fun with me for old times' sake?" Arthur grabbed Francis' arm and peeled it off of his waist.

"I heartily decline."

Francis raised an offended eyebrow.

"Oh? And why is that?

"I have Alfred."

Francis frowned in confusion.

"What does your King have to do with it? Surely you just have fun with him too, right? I've never known you to have it any other way." Arthur cleared his throat and remained silent for a moment before speaking again.

"Alfred is different."

"What do you mean, different?" Francis furrowed his brow for a moment before his eyes lit up. "Wait. Are you really telling me you actually..."

"Enough, Francis. Let's just finish this quickly."

"No no no, I want to hear you actually say it."

Arthur frowned before an uncharacteristic blush tinted his usually composed face.

"I love him."

Francis raised his eyebrows in surprise and leaned away from the Queen.

"Well, well. I never would have seen this coming." The King of Diamonds rested his face on the back of his fist. "It was you yourself who told me that you doubted you would ever fall in love with anyone."

Arthur didn't tear his eyes away from the papers in front of him, but spoke.

"But Alfred is...I don't know. I can't explain it properly, but I seem to feel so at ease with him. His aura is warm...and in everything he does he seems so...genuine."

Francis squinted at Arthur in mild disgust.

"You've got it bad, my friend."

Arthur neither affirmed nor corrected the King's statement, but shuffled the papers in front of him into a neater pile.

"So if you would be so kind, I would love it if you would keep your hands to yourself," Arthur sighed and rolled his eyes. "...or at the very least, to your multiple other suitors."

Francis placed his hand over his heart and made an offended face.

"You wound me, Arthur."

The Queen of Spades let out a snort at the King's over-dramatic display. The Queen of Spades then stood up and made his way towards the door.

"Off to retrieve your prince charming?"

Arthur looked over his shoulder at King of Diamonds.

"Shut it."

.

Alfred wandered through the endless corridors of the Diamonds castle. There were countless servants preparing for the ball that Francis has mentioned. As Alfred passed by, they would stop and bow before returning to their duties, and soon, as to keep from interrupting work, Alfred made his way outside. He wasn't sure what part of the castle grounds he was located on until he looked out and saw the amazing sight before him. Behind the Diamonds castle were rolling hills with millions of gold-colored flowers in bloom. Alfred had grown accustomed to the woods and gentle forests that surrounded the Spades palace, but Diamonds was surrounded with flat, rolling hills. The golden flowers stretched outwards as far as the eye could see until they met the distant horizon. Alfred walked out into the field, in awe.

"Whoa..." Alfred said, taking in the foreign sight. Suddenly, he heard a small gasp a short distance away. The King of Spades looked down. A few feet away from him, was a young girl sitting among the flowers. Unlike the normally flamboyant fashions of other Diamonds residents, she wore a simple white dress that was shyly decorated with the Diamonds crest. A black ribbon was tied in her short blonde hair that hovered just above her shoulders, and while she was an adolescent, in her light green eyes it was apparent that she still harbored the heart of a child. She was braiding a chain of the golden flowers, but her trembling hands were stilled as she gazed up in surprise at Alfred. The King smiled warmly and let out a friendly laugh.

"Sorry, I didn't mean to startle you."

The girl shook her head.

"It's alright..." Her voice was small, and she sounded unsure of herself, but there was a warmth to it. Alfred knelt down slowly and sat across from the girl, reaching her eye level.

"What have you got there?"

The girl looked down at the flower chain in her hands, then back to Alfred, a little bashful of her craftsmanship.

"...I was trying to make a flower crown..." She paused and looked at the place where her hands had stopped. "...but I haven't quite figured out how to get it to go in a circle..." Alfred smiled and gestured his open hands towards the girl.

"Can I see it?"

The girl hesitated at first, then carefully handed the flower chain towards Alfred. He gently took the flower chain and leaned closer so that the girl could see what he was doing.

"I have a brother named Matthew. He really loved making these when we were little." The girl's tension automatically dropped with the mentioning of a brother. She gave a small smile.

"I see."

Alfred slowly braided the end of the chain into the beginning and then held it up.

"...And that should do it!" He looked back at the young girl. "May I?" The girl giggled and leaned forward a little, allowing Alfred to place the flower crown on her head. Once placed, she sat back up and smiled warmly. It suited her.

"Thank you very much!"

Alfred lowered his head playfully.

"You're very welcome!"

The girl giggled again before her eyes settled on the spades decorating Alfred's royal jacket. She looked back to Alfred.

"Do you serve the house of Spades?"

Alfred nodded, realizing that he hadn't introduced himself. He scratched his nose nervously.

"Yeah! I am a Spade. I have the King's role, actually." Alfred waited for some sort of flustered reaction from the girl, but she only showed mild surprise before she smiled again.

"I see! The Spades King! I heard you would be arriving today, but I figured I wouldn't get to meet you...I'm still to young to attend negotiations."

"Attend negotiations?" Alfred thought for a moment before his eyes lit up. "Then you must be..." The girl smiled shyly.

"I may not look the part, but I am the Queen of Diamonds. My name is Lili."

Alfred paused before surveying the small royal.

"You seem so young..."

"I've just turned thirteen, but I received my mark last year..." The girl lowered her gaze and poked some nearby flowers. "In Diamonds, the system often chooses us when we are still quite young." Suddenly she looked back up at Alfred. "So, King of Spades, -"

"Just Alfred, is fine, Lili."

"Mister Alfred, then. What are you doing out here? Did the negotiations not go well?" Lili prepared to stand up. "Be...because if they aren't, I can try my best to put in a good word for you! I can talk to-" Alfred held up his hands attempting to calm the surprisingly headstrong Queen.

"No, it's going fine. It's just..." Alfred thought for a moment, choosing his words carefully. "Your King is a little too much for me."

"Francis is?" The Queen slowly sat back down and thought for a moment. "Ah...I guess he can come off as a bit much at first glance. But he's actually a very, very kind man...I like him." The young girl blushed a little, doing little to hide the large crush she had on the King of Diamonds. "He is very kind to me...but in the very same way, he won't pay me any mind. He's always with other girls and other men..." Lili laughed nervously. "I mean, I'm half his age...it's to be expected that he wouldn't have any interest in me..." Lili caught herself and shook her head, trying to dispel the negative thoughts. "Sorry, I'm rambling. I'm sure you have little to worry about. Francis will surely come around to you."

"Thanks, Lili."Alfred said, not wanting to bring up how blatantly Francis was chasing after Arthur. The Queen smiled and spoke again.

"Both you and Francis are very nice Kings, I'm sure the two of you will become friends in no time!" Alfred squinted and frowned, trying to picture him and Francis becoming friends. Lili crawled to sit beside Alfred and and leaned on his shoulder. Alfred was unsure of how to react to the attention at first, but then Lili spoke.

"You're very kind, Mister Alfred. You remind me of my older brother."

Alfred relaxed with the Queen of Diamonds resting against his shoulder. In a way, her gentle nature did remind him of Matthew when they were younger. In whatever way, the two had seemed to quickly establish a familial form of friendship.

.

"Miss Lili!"

A voice called to the Queen from a few yards away. The pair of royals turned to see a woman in a palace uniform approaching. Lili's eyes widened.

"Bel, I'm over here!" Lili called and waved her arms to the approaching woman. As the servant got close, her eyes lit up in recognition at Alfred. She stopped a few feet from the pair of royals and bowed.

"King Alfred of Spades..."

Lili nodded eagerly and leaned closer into the King.

"Yup! We became buddies!" Lili smiled up at Alfred. The woman named 'Bel' looked surprised at first, then smiled at the young royal.

"I see! That's truly wonderful, my lady. I'm glad." Bel knelt down to be at the Queen's eye level and continued speaking. "The Jack has finished his portion of the negotiations. He wants you to join him for tea." Lili's face lit up in a bright smile.

"Big brother has? Really?" The Queen of Diamonds quickly stood up. "Then, I'll hurry to go meet him!" Lili started off towards the castle before turning back towards Alfred. She pointed to the flower crown on her head and beamed at him.

"Thank you, Mister Alfred!" And with that, Lili ran back into the Diamonds castle. Alfred stood up and dusted some of the petals from his clothes. Bel stood as well and hesitated before bowing again.

"King of Spades?"

"Alfred."

"King Alfred, I am Bel, Miss Lili's lady's maid. Um..." Bel took a deep breath. "Forgive me for asking, but was what she said true? You've become Miss Lili's friend?" Alfred nodded with a smile.

"Yeah! She's a good kid, I like her."

A relieved smile spread across Bel's face.

"Oh, I'm so happy to hear that, King Alfred!" She paused and looked over her shoulder before speaking again."You see, Miss Lili only received her mark recently. She never finished school, and no longer has contact with those her own age. His Excellency Francis is betrothed to her, but they speak very little and will have little and limited contact until she is of age to marry. I...I try my best to be close to her and offer her support, but given my position, she may never take my friendship legitimately." Bel looked at Alfred pleadingly. "She's the youngest royal in all of Cards, and has a lot of difficulty speaking to the other royals...she has no friends among them." A smile spread across the servant's face. "So, I was so happy to see her open up so readily to you!"Bel's sheer happiness took the King aback for a moment. He blinked in surprise.

"Really?"

Bel nodded fervently.

"Yes, absolutely! I hardly ever see her smile like that around anyone but the Jack." Alfred squinted, remembering the stern man that he had seen at his first ball as King.

"The Jack of Diamonds?"

"Yes, Sir Basch! He's Miss Lili's elder brother. It's a very heartwarming tale, really. They say that as soon as the Diamond guards came to take Miss Lili away to the palace, he received his mark right then and there! Many in Diamonds love that story." Bel placed her hands over her heart at the memory. Then her smile fell again. "But finances is a very important part of Diamonds. And Sir Basch takes his role very seriously. He rarely sees Miss Lili throughout the day, try as he might to keep her company." Suddenly, Bel grabbed Alfred's hands in hers and squeezed them lightly. "Please, King Alfred. Could you truly consider Miss Lili a friend?" Mildly startled at the pressure exerted from the headstrong servant, Alfred quickly nodded before speaking.

"Yeah, of course! I mean I'm a new royal, and I'm younger than many of the other royals too. Lili and I are kind of in the same boat."

Bel smiled widely and Alfred thought he saw some tears in the corners of her eyes.

"Thank you, King Alfred! She will be so pleased." She let out a relieved laugh and Alfred couldn't help but smile at the servant. She really cared about Lili.

.

"Am I interrupting something?"

Alfred turned around to see Arthur standing just a few feet away, arms folded across his chest, and a polite smile thinly veiling his displeasure. Alfred and Bel looked at each other, where the maid practically screamed in alarm at the fact that she was still holding the King of Spades hands. She swiftly whipped her hands away from the King and bowed lowly where she stood.

"I-I-I'm terribly sorry! Forgive me, Your Excellencies!"

Alfred turned back towards Arthur as he approached, the polite smile now gone from his face.

"Arthur, hold on, it's not what-" The Queen grabbed the King's arm with an iron grip then spoke.

"Now." Arthur's tone was even and composed like normal, but by now, Alfred could tell that he was upset. Arthur began dragging the King back towards the castle. Alfred briefly looked back over his shoulder at Bel, who still had her head bowed. However, Arthur soon picked up his pace and Alfred turned his attention back in front of him.

"Ow? Arthur, slow down, what's wrong?"

Alfred assumed Arthur was taking him back to negotiations, but instead, Arthur pulled Alfred to a secluded courtyard in one of the gardens behind the castle. Arthur was quite familiar with the Diamonds' castle layout. Once there, Arthur cornered the King against a tall marble wall, their faces only inches apart.

"Are you doing this on purpose?" Arthur said, doing nothing to hide his anger.

Alfred narrowed his eyes at Arthur in confusion while he rubbed the part of his arm where Arthur had grabbed him.

"What?"

Alfred only had a moment to be confused before Arthur kissed him. As he pulled away, Arthur spoke again.

"Are you doing this to me on purpose?"

Alfred breathed heavily trying to get a firm grasp on the situation.

"Arthur, what are you even talking about?"

Arthur leaned forward and kissed Alfred again, deeper this time, equally depriving themselves of air and causing their heartbeats to quicken. When Arthur pulled back, he kept his face close, so that when his voice came out in a whisper, his lips still grazed over the King's in front of him.

"Kiku, that maid, even the Queen of Diamonds? Your eyes are on absolutely everyone." Alfred scowled at Arthur's accusation, but was more enraged at Arthur's hypocrisy. Alfred retorted swiftly as he pushed Arthur away slightly.

"Arthur, you're being absurd! And how could you possibly reason pointing your finger at me when Francis in there is practically hanging off of you? Do you think I'm too stupid to read between the lines? How long were you with Francis? And even with Kiku? Am I just another royal to check off your list?"

"No!"

Arthur's raised his voice so unexpectedly that the King was rendered silent. Alfred had never heard Arthur sound so hurt. Just by looking at the expression on Arthur's face he immediately knew he had gone too far, and felt horrible. Alfred slowly spoke, humiliated by his own jealousy.

"...Arthur, I didn't mean..."

Arthur stood still, a complex and hurt expression on his face. Alfred sighed, not wanting this disappointing scene to continue. Alfred placed his hand under Arthur's chin and angled his face toward him before kissing him. Alfred let his lips meet Arthur's a couple of times before Arthur sighed happily and finally returned the affection. He placed his hands on Alfred's sides and complied eagerly as he pressed their hips together. Arthur nipped at the bottom of Alfred's lip, and the King gasped, allowing the Queen's tongue to explore. The pair of royals kissed in the shaded garden and allowed their hands to wander, until their movements became more desperate and their kisses became more rushed and needy. It was growing difficult to ignore the effects that this contact was having. They pulled away briefly, gasping for air. Arthur breathed out a comment into the side of the King's neck.

"How are you doing this to me?"

Before Alfred could inquire what exactly Arthur meant, he felt Arthur's hand brush past the front of his pants. Alfred let out a short moan, already aware of the growing problem between his legs. Alfred thought he saw a smirk tug at the corners of Arthur's mouth before he felt the motion repeated. Another sound caught in the back of Alfred's throat as Arthur leaned upwards towards the King's ear.

"You're mine." Arthur whispered as he slowly continued stroking the front of Alfred's growing bulge."Understand?" Arthur breathed against the King's ear. Alfred nodded shakily. The Queen punctuated his statement by pulling the King briefly into a kiss. It only lasted for a short moment though. Arthur pulled away, placing a second kiss on the King's collarbone, and shortly after Alfred felt Arthur draw away. Alfred sighed, expecting that yet another of their sessions was coming to an end, only to realize that Arthur was not drawing away, but dropping down. The Queen knelt before the King onto his knees while his hands sought out the buckle on the King's pants. Alfred's eyes widened as he watched the scene unfolding before him in disbelief.

"Arthur, what are you-"

"Hush..." Arthur soothed as he unfastened the buckle and tugged the King's pants lower.

"Shit, Arthur, here? What if-" Alfred's protest died in his throat as he felt Arthur drag his tongue across the area just below the King's navel. Alfred let out a short groan as Arthur hummed in approval. The Queen said nothing but wasted no time tugging Alfred's already hard member free from his undergarments. Alfred's face flushed with color at the sight. Arthur smiled as he gave the cock a few tentative pumps, his eyes clouded in a lust that the King had never seen before. Alfred bit his bottom lip, unsuccessfully trying to stifle a moan in the back of his throat.

"Arthur...you don't have to-"

All further protest died as Alfred felt a strong sucking motion. His entire body went rigid as he felt a wet warmth enveloping him. Alfred threw his head back and let out a sigh of pleasure. Fuck, it felt so good. The King dared to look down at the scene before him and stifled a moan at the sight. The same man who had been his royal instructor, his friend, the one who had taught him everything about being a royal, was now kneeling before him, sucking his dick. Alfred's hips bucked forward and he let out another groan. Arthur grabbed the King's hips and pushed them back against the wall, holding him in place. Arthur smirked and resumed his work, bobbing his head and setting a steady pace.

"Ah, Arthur..." Alfred moaned out the Queen's name and threaded his fingers through his blonde hair below him. It took every last shred of Alfred's strength not to thrust forward again for fear of hurting Arthur. Arthur quickened his pace, sucking and swirling his tongue around the head, then deeper until Alfred felt his cock hitting the back of Arthur's throat. Alfred let out a moan. Fuck, he was good at this. How many times had Arthur done this before? The King could barely dwell on the thought for more than a second though, as Alfred tightened his grip in Arthur's hair. Alfred felt a familiar clench and knew he was getting close at an embarrassingly fast rate. He looked down to see his cock moving in and out of Arthur's mouth which only pushed him closer to release.

"A...Arthur let go..." Beads of perspiration clung to Alfred's face as he let out ragged breaths of air. "...Arthur let go, I'm going to..."

Arthur let Alfred's dick slip from his mouth with a wet pop, continuing the stimulation by gingerly pumping it with his hand.

"Go ahead."

Arthur quickly returned his mouth to Alfred's member and quickened his pace, rapidly guiding the King to his climax.

"Arthur...Arthur...!" Alfred moaned out, his hips shooting forward as he released harshly into Arthur's mouth, spilling down his throat. Arthur continued bobbing his head, drawing out the King's orgasm as long as possible and swallowing all of his release. Alfred tried to catch his breath, still in the depths of his orgasmic high. Then, he felt the strength slowly leave his legs and he slid downward, sitting with his back against the wall behind him. As Alfred slowly came back down, Arthur leaned forward, kissing the King along the sides of his face, where sweat had accumulated.

"Shit, that felt good," Alfred whispered, his voice still ragged from what had just happened. Arthur gently ran his hand through Alfred's hair, pushing his bangs back from where they clung to his forehead.

"Good."

Alfred placed his hands on Arthur's hips and pulled him closer, lovingly staring up into the Queen's eyes, as his heartbeat gradually resumed its normal rate.

"What about you?"

"Me?" Arthur paused and his face flushed a little.

"Yeah, you." Alfred pulled Arthur closer and lazily traced his lips down the side of Arthur's neck. Alfred felt Arthur's breath hitch a little.

.

"Your Excellency! Your Highness!"

Yao's voice was distant, calling from just outside the Diamonds castle. Alfred pulled Arthur closer as the pair waited and listened in the shadows of the courtyard where they sat. Soon, the Jack's voice could no longer be heard, and they sat alone in the hushed courtyard. Arthur turned to face Alfred, the King staring at him with a want still stirring in his blue eyes. At the moment, all Arthur wanted was to continue, though he rationalized that it was better to stop before they completely lost themselves. Arthur smiled, a hint of disappointment in his expression.

"Yao is looking for us..." Arthur reluctantly sat up, putting a little distance between them. "...so I'm afraid I'll have to take you up on your offer another time." Alfred nodded, knowing that Arthur was right.

The Queen stood up and straightened his coat, trying to regain a sense of composure.

"I'll finish the negotiations with King Francis, if you'll return to Yao. He'll help you sign the work for the treaty."

"Alright," Alfred said, surprised at how quickly Arthur could return to normal after something like that.

"The ball..." Arthur said, turning his eyes back towards Alfred. The King had also stood, and was trying to return to a more presentable state. He looked over at Arthur.

"Yeah?"

"...Would you like to attend?" Arthur paused. "...Or we can simply return to Spades, if you're-"

"Let's attend." Alfred said, interjecting. "We can always return to Spades in the morning." Arthur smiled and nodded his head.

"Alright then." Arthur took some steps towards Alfred and gently pressed his forehead to the King's. "See you at the ball, then."

.

The ball was certainly as lavish as Alfred had predicted. Held in the Diamonds Castle's largest ballroom, there were easily several hundred people present in all manner of fashion. Yao was holding a lively conversation with Basch about the day's negotiations, which was finalized with benefits for both Diamonds and Spades in the event of a war with Clubs. After socializing with countless nobles from Diamonds, Alfred mostly propped up a wall, waiting for Arthur to arrive at the party. It was only a matter of time before the King used this time to try and identify what exactly did exist between him and Arthur. He couldn't really say they were just friends, especially not after this afternoon. Alfred blushed a little at the memory. They were going to be married, in just over a week's time, Arthur didn't love him, but then why did he behave like he...

"Excuse me." Alfred turned to his side, and saw a girl with long platinum hair and strikingly pale skin standing just a short distance away from the King. She was clad in a dark dress and was clutching a small glass. She had in interested look on her face. "You're King Alfred of Spades, yes?" Alfred looked at the girl, slightly puzzled.

"Yeah, that's me."

The girl immediately smiled.

"I knew it! I've been dying to meet you..." She gestured to the crest she wore on her dress. "I serve the house of Hearts. I've heard a lot about you, King Alfred."

Alfred tilted his head and gave a polite smile.

"Oh? Hopefully good things."

"Of course." She got a little closer to the King before her face expressed concern. "I couldn't help but notice, you seem to be troubled, Your Excellency." Alfred kept up his smile but let out a short sigh, thinking about his progress with Arthur.

"Maybe a little."

"This may be forward of me, but is it by any chance a matter of the heart itself?" Alfred shot an alarmed look at the girl. She let out a airy laugh. "Don't try to deny it, I have an eye for these sorts of troubles." The girl's eyes flitted down to the glass in her hand before offering it to the royal. "Here, take this. I assure you, your heart's worries will feel much lighter afterwards." She handed the small glass to the King, who slowly took the glass into his hands.

"Thanks, I guess."

The girl watched him expectantly. Alfred hesitated at first, then took a sip of the drink. It didn't taste like much at all, only slightly bitter with an apple-esque aftertaste. Alfred swallowed the beverage and tried to determine if there was alcohol in it, but smiled in gratitude as he relaxed a little.

"Thank you."

The girl said nothing and bowed.

"I hope you feel better soon, King Alfred."

.

"Alfred,"

The King turned to see Arthur making his way towards him, through a crowd of people. When Alfred saw him, a broad smile took over both of their faces. Arthur finally made it to the King's side.

"Sorry I took so long, this hall is enormous and kept getting stopped by old acquaintances desperate to hear about my new role as Queen."

"It's alright, I was just talking to..." Alfred turned to look at the girl, but she had long since disappeared. Alfred turned back to Arthur. "...never mind, not important." Arthur shrugged and accepted the King's statement. The orchestra began a new song, and many of the people moved toward the center of the room. Alfred looked at Arthur.

"I...still haven't given you my first dance," The King said. Alfred thought he saw Arthur blush a little before he looked down.

"That's true..." Arthur laced his fingers through Alfred's before pausing. "...before that, can I borrow you for a moment? I want to talk to you."

Alfred tensed up a little, sensing a little tension in Arthur's voice.

"Alright."

Alfred followed Arthur outside. Many of the guests were on a grand balcony overlooking the flower fields, but Arthur led Alfred through some of the lower gardens. He was familiar with the Diamonds castle's gardens, and he stopped near a fountain surrounded with white roses. Alfred gingerly set his glass down on the edge of the fountain and turned to Arthur. The Queen looked like he was at war with himself for a moment, before taking a deep breath and letting his eyes meet Alfred's. His emerald eyes seemed to practically glow in the dim illumination of the garden.

"Alfred, I..." Arthur rubbed the back of his neck briefly before dropping his hand and looking at the King. "...I needed to speak with you." Alfred felt uneasy at the level of care Arthur was speaking with. Whatever it was, this was serious.

"Ok...what's the matter?"

"It's about what you said to me in the garden a few weeks ago..." Arthur looked down, blushing ever so slightly. "...when you said you loved me."

Alfred froze, recalling the sour memory before forcing a smile.

"Oh, it's okay, Arthur. I know that you don't—-"

"Let me finish." Arthur spoke swiftly, catching the King off guard. Arthur continued.

"I...I may have lied. Both to you, and to myself." Some silence fell among them before Arthur continued. "If I'm being honest, I was actually very happy to hear it. We are obviously...close, but to hear that you saw me in the same way that I had begun to see you...I was elated." Arthur's expression darkened a little. "But I felt so disgusted with myself. I was going to become the very same thing I had despised; the very thing that emotionally broke the previous Queen." Arthur bit the bottom of his lip, clearly mulling over something painful in his head. "I saw those countless mistresses hanging off of the King and cursed them day after day for stealing the love that I felt the Queen was more deserving of. I felt that if I sought out any relationship with you, I would be the ultimate hypocrite; I wouldn't even be able to live with myself once the Queen appeared. So I...rejected your feelings, regardless of how much I wanted to answer to them." Arthur turned his eyes back towards the King. "But then I got my mark...given, it was far too late, I had already ruined any prospect of your returning my feelings again." A small smile tugged at the corners of Arthur's mouth and he let out a small laugh. "And yet you seemed to still love me anyway..."

Arthur stepped closer to the King.

"I know it's pathetically late, and you may no longer want to hear it, but I would like to properly answer your feelings if I may." Arthur looked at Alfred; his student, his best friend, the King of Spades, and summoned all of the sincerity he could. "I'm in love with you, Alfred. I have been for a while."

Alfred smiled broadly and tried to stifle the overwhelming joy and excitement that he felt. He took a step forward to the Queen.

Green. A dark, murky green overtook the King's line of vision and set the world around him spinning.

"Alfred?"

The King stumbled into something warm, though he could no longer see anything. The green color was soon accompanied with whispers; thousands of voices that seemed to overtake all of his senses and completely disorient him.

"Alfred, what's wrong?"

The King's breath became ragged, he felt choked and uncertain of everything, as if all of Cards had begun to fall from beneath him. It all intensified at an earth-shattering rate, and then, suddenly, it all began to subside. Everything fell quiet, and something inside Alfred now felt...empty. What was it? He could have sworn it was important.

"Alfred!"

Arthur stared frantically down at Alfred who seemed to have temporarily lost consciousness. Then, the King's eyes slowly fluttered open, his breathing returning to normal. Arthur let out a sigh of relief.

"Alfred, God..." Arthur brushed his hand past the King's cheek. "Are you alright?"

The King's blue eyes slowly focused on the Queen of Spades with a blank expression on his face. Then suddenly, Alfred frowned. He stepped away from the Queen, a dark and confused expression taking over his face. A deep concern grew in Arthur. Something was very wrong.

"Alfred, what's wrong?"

The King looked at Arthur with an accusing stare before saying three words that made Arthur's heart drop.

.

"Who are you?"

.

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Author's Notes

-Yiiiiiikes. What a chapter, huh? ^^

-This chapter was crazy long. I probably should have split this chapter in two, but I wanted to make up for not updating for so long ^^; Don't you hate it when school gets in the way of your fanfiction fun time? But I graduated and got a neat animation job, so trade offs?

-Matthew gives such pro advice. Wish I had a bro like Matthew.

-There was a lot of making up, and fighting, and making up, and fighting this chapter, but hey, what is love, amirite? Haha...*cries*

-I always pictured the Diamonds castle looking like an even shinier Versailles. If such a thing can exist.

-Sidenote: Lili is a sweetheart

-Yes, Bel was good 'ol Belgium.

-We got hints of past AsaKiku and past Fruk, but no worries, from here on out, it will be all USUK (boy oh boy Arthur gets around)

-So many kissies this chapter...I'm a very happy writer :3

- AAAAA I've never written a smut scene before...did I do okay...?

-Don't take drinks from people you don't know, kids

- All of the Spades roles are assembled, and we finally heard Arthur's feelings, but what's happened to Alfred? What will become of our heroes?

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-Thank you for your support, I really, really appreciate it! If you're enjoying this story, please let me know!