A/N: Hallo hallo! So, thanks for reading, by the way. I just wanted to say that this chapter is not yet on confederation, so I apologize if my facts seem a bit off. .

1760.

"Papa…" Matthew called, tugging on Francis' jacket. "Papa… please, wake up…!"

The war was over now.

"I don't have time for this." Said a man observing a few feet away. He wore a bright cardinal red coat. Swinging his rifle onto his back, he moved closer. "Matthew, come with me." He brought his left arm swinging down like a sword.

Matthew was pulled up by the arm, letting go of the fabric clutched in his hands.

"Non!" He cried, struggling with the man now restraining him. "Papa! Help me!"

"Silence, boy!" The man said, his words sharp and precise. "You're now property of Arthur Kirkland, the great British Empire."

Matthew was captured prey. Like a rabbit in a snare, he thrashed within the man's forceful grip, letting out a cry of anguish at his fleeting freedom.

Arthur pulled Matthew away from Francis. "Matthew," He snarled. "Didn't the French teach you any manners?"

Francis said nothing.

Arthur let out a small laugh. "Oh, that's right. The French don't have manners. They have cowards."

Francis opened his mouth to speak. It was a dry well, void of words. Instead, he lay still behind them. His uniform was stained in crimson patches of blood and black gunpowder. He blinked his eyes slowly, tears dripping down from his face and into the mud.

He could hear Matthew screaming, "Papa! You promised!"

Helplessly, he watched Matthew go.

1777.

"Mattie?"

He moved like a shadow in the night, sneaking through the front door like a ghost.

The house was so quiet. So empty and unchanged. It felt as if years had past since he was last here, like time had marched by, undaunted by wars, forgetting this little house along the St. Lawrence River.

It was here Alfred met Matthew.

At the time, Matthew had recently been signed away by the French colonial empire. For a few months, he would sit outside under the maple leaves, mumbling quietly. When Alfred would approach to play a game with his brother, Matthew would shake his head and hide his head in his hands. It was only later that Alfred would realize that Matthew only spoke French and couldn't understand his English.

Alfred felt very sorry for him.

Arthur had allowed Matthew to speak French, even if he was now a subject of the British Empire. "To keep some of his heritage," Arthur reasoned.

Perhaps it just didn't feel right to eliminate a whole side to the boy.

But this is where it happened, where Matthew first learned English and finally spoke to Alfred, "Would you like to play a game with me?"

Alfred smiled. Time had flown by so quickly that he had forgotten how long ago he had last seen Matthew.

He hoped that Matthew had not forgotten.

"Hey Mattie." Alfred called quietly. He creped up stairs, the floorboards creaking in his wake. "It's me, Alfred."

"I know." Came a voice. "You and Arthur are fighting."

"Yeah." Alfred swung the first door open.

It was empty.

"It won't stop, will it?"

Alfred crossed over to the next room.

Also empty.

"Eventually." Alfred said. He could feel his frustration beginning to seep through his words. "…Matthew, you can still be free if you try."

"I don't want to. Arthur treats me well." Matthew replied quietly.

Alfred gritted his teeth, his words now seething and scathing. "Arthur is a tyrant!"

Again, Matthew spoke, his voice gently above a whisper. "Arthur is my family."

The last door.

Alfred jiggled the handle.

Locked.

Alfred leaned against the door his hand against the wood. "Mattie, open the door."

Silence.

"Mattie, please, open up."

Finally, "No."

Alfred frowned. He wasn't expecting this sort of reaction. The colonies deserved to be free. Why Matthew didn't want this was strange beyond reason. What had Arthur done to scare this boy into fear of revolution?

Alfred picked his next words carefully. He didn't want to make himself out to be the bad man here. "…I just needed to let you know that whatever happens, we'll still be brothers, okay?" After a brief pause, he continued. "I wish we wouldn't have to fight. If you just joined me…"

Quickly, Matthew countered, "I'm not doing that, Alfred."

There was silence.

"Please, this is our chance for freedom! For glory! For ourselves!"

"Go away, Alfred! I told you, I won't!"

"Don't you see, Matthew? Arthur has turned us into enemies." Now Alfred was begging. "This is our chance. We could be one! I wouldn't ever have to leave you!"

Matthew opened the door, his ghostly white face peering back at his brother's.

"I'm saying no, Alfred."

1813.

"Burn it down boys," He shouted, "Don't be sloppy!"

In front of him a great inferno raged, sending billowing grey smoke into the black night sky. It ate away the wood of the building like a carnivorous monster. He stood, his back silhouetted by the gold of the flames, smiling.

This must be what it feels like, he thought. What justice feels like.

"Alfred!"

He spun around.

A man was running towards him.

Matthew.

"What are you doing?" He screamed, obviously carrying pain on the left side of his chest.

"Are you enjoying the show, Mattie?" Alfred asked, giving way to devilish grin. He gestured to the burning building behind him: the legislative assembly now in a roar of crackling wood and ember.

A display of shock and terror crossed Matthew's face. He touched his chest, his eyes slowly watering. "B-But… Alfred…"

"Lesson one, little Mattie," Alfred sharply replied, "No one can help you but you."

1814.

Matthew frowned.

"You're fighting for Britain." Arthur said, resting a hand upon Matthew's shoulder. "You're fighting for York. Make them proud."

Matthew looked up, his gaze meeting the sandstone walls of the building. He held a single match between his fingers. Contemplating.

Arthur's hand instinctively clamped down tighter. The boy's heart was throbbing against his chest. "Matthew, this is an order. Burn. It. Down."

Matthew turned to the crowd, slowly moving from face to face. They all peered back at him, lips set in coy smirks and crossed arms: expecting. Once again, he faced the wall of the building.

To the roar of cheering soldiers, Matthew struck the match.

"I'm sorry." He said as he tossed it into the White House.

Hokay, so notes!

First, Alfred only goes kinda crazy after the second peice because America was pretty much not okay with the fact that there were still British colonies in North America. After the American Revolution, America didn't like the British Empire, which happened to include the Canadas. AND NOW YOU KNOW.

Second, I cut this up into 4 sections:

1. The Battle of the Plains of Abraham - which dealt with the French Colonial Empire trying to beat (though losing) the British Empire over New France. This war was won by the British Empire, which led to the signing of the Treaty of Paris, which gave the British Empire control over New France. I got kind of lazy, and decided that Arthur should just take Matthew and then do the paperwork later.

2. This is just a general time frame, nothing too special is going on with Matthew. However, below the border, the American Revolution is happening, and essentially Britain was against the American colonies who wanted to become independent. Also, Matthew was a British colony. This was uncool with Americans.

3. Holy shit man, now we're into the Battle of York/War of 1812. I apologize if some of this is wrong. Really, I'm just gleaming what Wikipedia has taught me. So feel free to correct me. : ). Now, like I just mentioned, Upper/Lower Canada was British as hell. They were like, 'We're a British colony, bitches!' America, after just coming out of their war for independence victorious, still harboured some bad feelings for the British. It also didn't help that Americans kind of wanted that land that Upper/Lower Canada was sitting on because British supply lines were around there. So yeah, they went to York and burned down the legislative assembly there, and they were like, 'FUCK YOUR SHIT'.

4. And lastly, the Burning of Washington/War of 1812. Technically, we were still part of the British Empire. Remember how the Americans burnt York? The British were like, 'NOT COOL MAN' and then burnt down the White House for retribution.

NEXT TIME: PRE-CONFEDERATION. WHY DID IT HAPPEN? AND... ACTUAL THE CONFEDERATION.

Thanks for reading!