Chapter VI

They returned to the castle with two more wagons behind them.

Kiku and Ludwig had kindly spared them twenty healers, ten Purgers and ten Herbalists, and explained that if they needed more help, all they had to do was ask. Arthur had, in return (on the behalf of Alfred), given his word to send their Engineers to the Kingdom of Hearts in the next three days to do their research and collect information and specifics about the machinery the Hearts Kingdom needed.

Arthur could sense Alfred's impatience hanging in the air when he insisted that the Healers would be tired from their journey and needed to be allowed one day to settle down and rest after a good dinner, but the boy King had bit down on his lip and agreed, leaving Arthur and Yao to discuss Dinner and Room Arrangements.

Throughout dinner he was a good host, and Arthur grudgingly found himself both impressed and proud that Alfred finally understood what it meant to be King. The Alfred a month ago would have enthusiastically pressed for the Healers to head down to the Lower Towns immediately to help the people; no matter how much goodwill was in that demand, it would probably not prove well on a diplomatic level. Arthur found himself slightly thrown off balance at Alfred's lack of resistance to his arrangements, and- maybe, just possibly- slightly guilty that he had to put formalities before the well-being of their own people. That he had to force Alfred to put national ties and courtesies before their own people.

Alfred was stifling several yawns by the time Yao arrived to show the guests to their rooms, and Arthur had chased him off to bed, warning him of an early morning. Alfred nodded and stumbled off, half-sleep walking, not bothering to retort against Arthur's nagging for him to make sure he took a bath before he slept, because god knew how much sweat and dust was currently clinging on to him.

Arthur found himself standing in front of the doors to Alfred's room ten minutes later, a tray in hand, on his third argument with himself if this was absolutely necessary. It wasn't, of course, his brain told him- for the third time in the past five minutes- he had only done what was Correct and Expected of a Queen; Ludwig and Kiku had been overly generous and understanding, sparing them help without asking them for anything in exchange (Arthur had been the one who insisted that their own engineers would be sent immediately, and not the King and Queen of Hearts themselves). He had the obligation to ensure that the Healers were not treated like mere workers at their disposal. Alfred, as King, should know that this was the least respect they could show to a Kingdom that had swallowed their terms and agreed on an alliance so easily, despite everything that had happened in the past.

But yet-

Arthur sighed, rubbing his temples. This really was getting rather out of hand. For him to feel bad for Alfred doing what he was supposed to be doing in the first place was... strangely redundant, and most certainly unnecessary. But yet, he told himself, Alfred was only a kid, new to the throne and politics and diplomacy and responsibility, and surely his behavior today meant that he should be rewarded, somehow?

He looked down at the tray in his hands.

He had requested the kitchen to prepare a special dessert for Alfred, as discreetly as he could. The maids had a rather strange smile on their faces when he slipped into the kitchen during the course of the dinner and asked for them to make sure it was ready for Alfred later. Custard pudding, topped with cream. A little too much, perhaps, judging from that small stomach that Alfred was beginning to cultivate (he saw it every now and then, particularly when Alfred dressed down when they were practising in the mornings), but it would probably make him happy.

Or, Arthur thought to himself darkly, maybe he would throw a tantrum and complain about how Arthur was treating him like a kid again.

He knocked.

"Uhm, come in?"

"Alfred." Arthur nodded at the door. The rather surprised expression on Alfred's face did not help much with the awkwardness in his own stomach. "I uh, thought you might want something sweet."

Confusion only stayed on Alfred's face for a few more seconds before they were replaced with- thank god- glee. "Pudding! Really? I can? I mean-" Halfway through taking the tray out of Arthur's hands, Alfred looked warily back up at him, "You're not going to... go on about how it's not good to have something this sweet before sleeping?"

"... I... suppose we could make today an exception."

"Really." Alfred raised an eyebrow at him, but turned gleefully back to the pudding. "And what's this for?" He set the tray down on the bedside table and spooned himself a mouthful.

Arthur made a noise in the back of his throat. He didn't want to answer that question. "The sugar might help with the fatigue from the long journey." He tried, to the best of his abilities. Admitting to Alfred that he had felt bad for doing something any decent Queen would have done was silly, and rather damaging to his own pride, and any mention of a reward for his good behavior might get Alfred worked up over Arthur being patronizing again. (What Arthur had learnt, over the past few weeks of being with Alfred, was that he had a strong resentment against being reminded that he was a kid- not that Arthur stopped doing it when Alfred deserved it, but when it was unnecessary Arthur refrained from creating trouble for himself.)

Alfred shot him another look, as if he wasn't convinced, but shrugged and went back to devouring the pudding. "So, mmh, the Healers."

"What about them?"

"Tomorrow?"

"They said they would head down right in the morning."

Alfred looked relieved at that. "Great!" He grinned.

"- Hold on, you're going where?" Arthur asked, incredulous.

"... With the healers?" Alfred raised his eyebrows, walking backwards to face Arthur while continuing to move towards the set of double doors which linked their wing to the foyer.

"To the lower towns? With just the healers?"

"Yeah? Where else?" Alfred laughed. "Well, these two guys too, of course. Can't let anything happen to foreign dignitaries and stuff," he answered, unfazed in the least, beckoning at the two guards to follow him.

Arthur just stared at him, waiting, waiting for Alfred's realization of what he was doing, of what had last happened when he was doing the exact same thing and-

"Sooooo, listen," Alfred's eyebrows remained quirked, as he approached the door. "If there's nothing else, the healers are waiting, so I'll just-"

"Are you daft?"

The two guards stopped short, as did Alfred, poised with his hand right above the doorknob. Alfred blinked, a little stunned.

"... No?" Alfred tried, looking at Arthur warily, cringing away.

Arthur felt like smacking his head. His own, then Alfred's. Was the boy out of his mind?

The events from before their trip to the Hearts Kingdom were still fresh in his mind, if no one else's. Does Alfred have an issue of short term memory loss? The last time he had gone out into the lower districts, there had been a bloody riot! Which he, not for a lack of trying, could not stop.

Two weeks is not a long time in any sense, Arthur thought. The people are still... Raw from it. Raw and healing. Which brought him back to the present situation, where Alfred was just getting defensive at that look on Arthur's face.

"Hey, you were the one who was all about- About decorum and hospitality and all that with the healers, that's just what I'm doing too!" He protested, frowning.

"But I wasn't a sodding idiot about it Alfred!" Arthur snapped, suddenly immensely irritated, because how on Earth could he not see that? The look on Alfred's face could be described as nothing short of affronted, as the two guards looked away from them nervously and-

Oh sod it.

Unclenching his balled-up fist (when did that happen?), Arthur gestured for Alfred to follow. "If you'll excuse us for a moment, gentlemen," he managed to grit out to the guards, storming into one of the nearby rooms, tapping his foot as Alfred stormed in too (not after glaring pointedly at him), before he slammed the door behind them.

"Did you forget," Arthur seethed, "what happened just two weeks ago? Or has it already been wiped clean from your idle mind?"

"W-What- Of course not!" Alfred shouted, tone rising in tandem with the colour in his cheeks. "I'm not an idiot!" He hates being told off like this, a distant part of Arthur's brain reminded him. A more dominant part told him that the safety of Alfred- the safety of the King of Spades- came first.

"Oh really?" Arthur shouted back, as he matched Alfred's volume, irritation bubbling up, unstoppable. "Because you're doing a fine job of imitation then! What were you thinking, Alfred, going down to the Lower Districts, barely two weeks after a riot? If you were thinking at all? The people there are still bruised from it, and no matter what you may think of them, not everyone is free from the hunger of revenge, Alfred!"

A brief pause, as Alfred's eyes flashed angrily at him behind his glasses.

"I have been thinking, Arthur," Alfred spat, mocking his turn of speech. "About the people. The people who need this cure and who need those damn healers right now, and if my being there can help- I don't know, speed up the process, open more doors, even if I can just help them collect information- Then I should! Instead of just- Just sitting around here doing nothing!"

"But you're King, Alfred! Kings don't go out into the streets when the people are vicious- Not everyone is as naive and forgiving as you may be!"

Alfred smiled, sardonic. "Well maybe that's because you don't let them be."

Arthur stifled a flinch. The retort had cut a deeper than Alfred had probably intended. Looking at the smirk on Alfred's face, the shift of his muscles as he prepared to stand up, thinking that he had won (Arthur too had no idea when this had become a game), made something in him flare up again, hot, scalding his insides.

"At least I don't play King, Alfred," he bit back. "Because that's what you're doing, by- By making stupid, rash decisions like this because you can only see the present. You're not thinking long-term, what if you get hurt? Killed? What is the Kingdom going to do then?" Arthur paused to catch his breath, as he watched the freeze of Alfred's muscles mid-move.

"What can the Spades do if their new King is killed? Right after the old one passed on? Do you think that will bring anyone stability Alfred? You getting hurt, because you were too silly to think about the consequences?" The words spilled out of Arthur seemingly beyond his control. He was on fire, if nothing else, lit by this sudden panicking urgency which seemed to arise out of no where.

Because Alfred's safety was a legitimate concern, he told himself. A legitimate national concern. Because what could a country do without a King? What would the court do without the King?

What would he, the Queen, do without him?

The thought was jarring, as Arthur's eyes flickered to Alfred, seated heavily back in the armchair, slightly slumped. He watched the line of his throat, the slight curve of his adam's apple bob as Alfred swallowed thickly, eyes downcast, and felt a similar downwards tug at his chest.

Oh bugger it.

As much as Arthur thought that it was the role he was supposed to take on, as strangely-paired as it might be with this new attraction he had developed, Arthur very belatedly realised that he was not Alfred's father. That he was never, and should not be.

I am his Queen, he reminded himself, rolling the word over in his head, feeling it, testing its weight. Queen, he mentally repeats, eyes still locked on Alfred's slumped form.

An equal partner to the King, someone to assist him in running the Kingdom. Because Alfred is, inescapably, the King of the Spades Kingdom. And he should make his own decisions.

(And I will be here to help him.)

With that thought, Arthur turned to leave the room. He could feel Alfred's gaze on him - part-wary, part-curious - as he murmured, "Give me a moment".

A few minutes later, he came back with a linen sack at his side, which Alfred eyed suspiciously from his position in the armchair. His gaze eventually locked with Alfred's, and he held it for a few moments, considering what he was supposed to do.

He tossed Alfred the sack, which he caught on reflex.

"What-"

Arthur turned on his heel. He was never terribly good at apologies, or stepping back, and part of him- the part which was technically aged a hundred and fifty-nine years and yet still doesn't quite know how to deal with these situations- twinged.

"I said you weren't to go as the King." Arthur managed to heave out, the voice at the back of his head still questioning, picking at the edges of his senses that told him that this was wrong, and that he really shouldn't- "... If you're responsible enough you'd make sure you come back unscathed. And no starting riots or getting the Healers of the Guards involved in anything stupid."

Alfred was staring up at him, mouth agape like the sack in his lap. "Uh, Arthur, but-"

"That Alex kid that was going around that day." Alfred twitched slightly at the mention of that name. "I suppose he'd be concerned enough to hang around with the Healers and the other volunteers around town to check if everything's alright."

"How did you-"

"Alfred F. Jones is in the castle, grounded by the Queen. And thus, no riots will occur due to his presence in the lower town, and he can't be harmed either." Arthur huffed; his words sounded ridiculous and it was tearing down at his composure, because if Alfred was going to laugh at his efforts to try to be a good Queen this time he was going to-

"Thanks, Arthur. I mean, m'Queen, sir-"

Over his shoulder he caught a glimpse of a rather goofy salute and an equally goofy grin from Alfred, still on the arm chair, the sack of clothing in his lap.

Arthur exhaled. "You are to be back by evening. Dinner. It would be inappropriate if the King was not at the dinner table to receive his guests."

"Won't miss it." Alfred cracked, "Gotta be hungry by then."

It took three days before the Healers finally returned with the good news that they had found a working cure. The Herbalists had broken down the contents of the contaminated water and come up with a counter-drug, and the Purgers were currently removing the harmful particles from the bodies of those who were in critical condition. After they had been Purged they would have to take the medication that would help readjust their bodies back to their previous state, and to ensure that the long-term effects of contamination were permanently removed from the system.

The cure was distributed amongst the local doctors, and Alfred had insisted (despite the Court's protests about their lack of budget) on the medicine being provided to all the civillians in the Lower Town at no cost at all for the next month.

"It's our fault they had to suffer. Surely we can't make them pay for the medication." Alfred had said, rather indignantly at the older men around the table. "One month. The Healers said that by then all the harmful effects would be Purged from the body. We can afford to give them that."

"But your highness! Surely you realise that we do not have the funds to do something like that! The Queen's previous proposal is still pending, and it is the Kingdom that is paying for all the manpower used to fix all the faulty filters and waterways. With this extra cost we would not be able to-"

"Just cancel all the random balls and events for the next month and we'll all be fine! I mean, trade between the Hearts and Spades has started up again, and our Engineers have received a large amount of orders from the Hearts Kingdom. And as of now," Alfred had cleared his throat, a rather triumphant grin gracing his features as he announced, "We'll be working towards fixing up our relations with the Diamonds."

Four hours later, he was fiddling about in the arm chair of his own study, throwing worried glances at Arthur opposite him, going through the minutes of the meeting.

"The Diamonds." Arthur drawled, looking up from the papers at Alfred across him, "You told the Court that."

He had been absent from that particular meeting, busy liasing with Yao and the messenger from the Hearts Kingdom over the list of orders from King Ludwig for their technology and machinery. It was only after the servants had cleared their dishes off the dining table did Alfred look at him sheepishly and asked if they could talk in private in his rooms.

"Well. Uh." Alfred shrunk a little, in his chair. It was a decision that he had made on the spot, when he realised that he had to convince the Court that their expenditure would be covered, somehow, in the not-so-far-away future. Obviously, he realised ten minutes later, Arthur was going to explode. He could already guess what Arthur was going to say (shout) at him. Everything about not having insight and not planning ahead and did he really think that things were so easy in this world? "I thought... It made sense. Since, y'know, we kinda... Made ammends with the Hearts Kingdom... and the Diamonds Kingdom has always been neutral and focused on trade and commerce..."

"One day without me in the Court and you go ahead and announce that you're going to fix relations with the Diamonds?"

Alfred tried not to flinch. "I-It makes sense right? Increasing trade with them would help the Kingdom a lot! They produce all sorts of rare metals that we need in our machinery! The engineers would have more to work with, and we can-"

"And what makes you think that they'd just suddenly offer to increase trade?"

"The cure." Alfred breathed in slowly. Arthur wasn't raising his voice yet; he still had time to prove that he had thought about this - to an extent, at least - and that he had done his research. "The river that was polluted, it runs into the Diamonds Kingdom and I know that relations have been foul between us and them because of that, among other things. I thought... I thought we should go over, give a formal apology and all that, yea? Along with the cure, of course. They're bound to be affected, even if it's not all over the news- maybe, maybe they don't know yet, and we ought to warn them, and-"

"Alfred."

"And I really did my research after that so-"

"You're rambling." Arthur snorted, placing the paper in his hands back down on the table.

"I-I am, aren't I?" Alfred deflated onto the table. He looked up slightly, giving his best shot at what he hoped was his best kicked-puppy look, "Are you mad?"

Surprisingly, Arthur twitched in his seat (strange, Alfred mused, because he was pretty sure that Arthur never really bought his kicked-puppy looks before) and let out a drawn-out sigh. "Not mad. A little exasperated, definitely, but... possibly less mad than all those other times." He leant back in the chair, "I have been considering the same thing. Recovering relations with the Diamonds would be very good for the Kingdom, not just for the rare metals that they produce through Alchemy, but because the Diamond Kingdom has the largest port. With good relations our merchants could have greater access to those ports."

Alfred's face brightened up.

"But," Arthur shot a glare at Alfred, which made his face fall again, "I didn't expect you to announce that so soon. Spade-Diamond relations have been... Awkward, to say the least. Way before your Father, even. Wars have been fought before. It's not as simple as fixing our relations with the Hearts Kingdom. I would have wanted more time before you announced that you would take action."

"I just thought that... Since we found the cure, it'd be a good time, yea? They'd need it too and all, and if we waited too long before we went to go and present them with the cure it'd be strange wouldn't it?"

Arthur frowned at that, lips tightening into a straight line for a moment. "... you have a point."

"I do?"

Pause.

"I-I mean, of course I do! Yeah!" Alfred coughed, sitting up and trying to not look too flustered altogether. He was not used to Arthur admitting that he was wrong - of course, it wasn't as if Arthur said anything like that, but to say that Alfred had a point was (in Alfred's terms and experiences dealing with Arthur) pretty much conceding defeat.

"So I thought... We could try, at least, yeah? I asked Mattie, he said the Diamonds Kingdom doesn't like going to war and stopped fighting altogether around seventeen years ago? So they probably won't declare war on us if we went for a friendly visit to present them the cure and talk about, you know, possibly patching up our friendship right?"

Another sigh from Arthur, "... That is most probably right."

"So! The Court can't really blame us if negotiations fail, since we've tried. And we won't know if it's hard to patch up or not until we try either, right?"

Arthur was looking at him now, eyes slightly narrowed, his face scrunched up in thought.

"Come on I did my research this time and I tried to have insight like you've told me to!"

This time Alfred was pretty sure the sigh that escaped Arthur's lips was a sigh of defeat. "... It's worth a try."

"Yes!" Whether or not Arthur was going to chide him for being childish later did not matter as Alfred leapt up from his chair and did what Matthew called his Dance of Victory. He flashed a grin the incredulous look Arthur sent in his direction and grabbed his hands. "Thank you!"

Arthur spluttered a bit. "What-"

"For- I dunno, giving me a pass grade for once? Yes! I did it! I CONVINCED ARTHUR KIRKLAND TO SAY YES TO MY PROPOSAL!" Alfred shouted to the nearby bookshelf.

"Oh will you keep it down!" Arthur hissed at him, throwing a rather worried glance at the door, "Unless you didn't notice the servants have been looking at us with increasingly funny looks for the past few weeks or so, and I'm pretty sure that won't help at all!"

"It won't? Why? We're finally getting along aren't we!"

"No we're- what, how in the world does that count as getting along-"

"I dunno," Alfred shrugged, suddenly a lot calmer than he was a moment ago. "I mean, you said yes, for once. Not that you didn't... Kinda say yes other times, but I'm pretty sure this was the first time you said... Just yes, yeah?" He grinned at Arthur's furrowed brow, dismissing any other possible queries or retorts with a "Anyway! It's a good thing!"

The look on Arthur's face was around the lines of 'Really, now.' but Alfred let out a contented sigh instead, leaning against the edge of his desk. "So well, since we kinda ended on a pretty good note on that discussion," he turned his head slightly, "Could you help me with one more thing?"

Arthur regarded him warily for a minute or so, eyes scanning his face (that Alfred tried to keep as innocent as he could) before finally opening his mouth, "What."

"My dad. You knew him right? I mean, all the Court people saying you're his Royal Guard or something and all that. Could you, you know, tell me about him?"

"What?"

"Mattie and I don't know much about dad, see." Alfred added hurriedly. "It's like, we saw him once in a while but we don't really know much about him and all. I've heard more about him from the rest of the Kingdom than from himself, and I just thought... you know, what was he like? Before... Everything else." He waved a hand in the vague direction of his window, indicating (figuratively) at the state the Kingdom was currently in- or so he hoped Arthur would understand, anyway. "Like, everytime I talk to people about him- the ones who aren't trying to kill me with rocks anyway- they keep telling me that he changed, and that he was different before he went mad and all that..."

Arthur was looking at him, wide-eyed and frozen in his seat. It was that look, Alfred realised. That Look that sometimes would come over Arthur, ghosting over his eyes for a split second and wrinkling his brow ever so slightly before it was gone again, like it was just a passing thought. It was the first time he saw it linger for so long.

When Arthur opened his mouth, Alfred was pretty sure the look on his face wanted to tell him something completely different to what he was going to say. In fact, there was a lag between his mouth opening, and his voice finally finding its way out. For a moment Alfred braced himself for what Arthur had given him that night, the first night after he announced that Arthur would be his Queen. Meaningless empty words that served only the purpose of keeping Alfred at a distance-

"He was like you." The words finally came, and Arthur looked uncomfortable for a moment, shifting in his seat and leaning on the side that was the furthest away from Alfred. "Before all that," he waved the arm he wasn't leaning on dismissively, "madness or what not the Kingdom calls it came about. An idealistic kid who was more of a man than a King. A Kingdom for the people, he said, the day he was coronated."

"But he never kept to that." Alfred looked down at his feet, wondering if perhaps that was why Arthur and the rest of the Kingdom would react the most violently to his idealism more than anything else.

"He did." Arthur sounded a little more distant than he was. "He kept to it. If you look at the books that describe his rule before his madness, what they say - it's not propaganda or lies made to glorify his rule. He was, truly, a King who cared for his people more than anything."

"If that's the case, then why-" The words tumbled out before anything else could register in his head. Because what Arthur was saying had the numbingly distant warmth that was akin to a dream that you didn't know if you had really dreamt, the foggy first years of one's childhood that humans never remembered. "Why did he end up-"

"Alphonsus was a Man before he was a King." Arthur said, eyes cast in Alfred's direction but looking at something much further away. "When your mother died, he-" Arthur swallowed, eyes darting over to the corner of the desk. "He lost it, I suppose. Grief can do strange things to humans." Arthur closed his eyes, before taking in a deep breath. "Mathilda meant a lot to him. Perhaps more than the Kingdom did. And so he made mistakes any other man would have made in grief."

Arthur stood up at that, straightening out his robes. "And that's enough of a bedtime story."

"Arthur-"

"Yes?"

"Do you... do you forgive him? My dad, I mean. I only know he did terrible things to everyone but-"

Arthur paused, half-way out of the door. Alfred could hear him swallow.

"... It is not in my position to talk about forgiveness."

Alfred couldn't help but snigger as they walked past the seventh floor-to-wall tapestry in that corridor, as Arthur shot him another look. Well it's not like it was his fault, because seriously? Four naked-woment-tapestries in one hall (not to mention that two of the others featured nude men)? Arthur had seemingly seen this coming.

"So what's the Diamond Kingdom like?" Alfred had asked, curious. He had heard that Arthur had engaged in "tussles of sorts" (Arthur's words, not his) with the other Kingdom. Their King, in particular.

Arthur's nose wrinkled, as he stared out of the carriage at the landscape rolling past. "Alfred," he mused, seemingly more to himself than Alfred, "there is only one thing you need to know about the frog."

"The frog?"

"The King of Diamonds," Arthur waved his hand distractedly, as if just switching between monikers. "Alfred, I am serious." He fixed Alfred with a deadly serious gaze. "Do not get anywhere near that perverted bastard."

He had laughed it off right in Arthur's face a few hours earlier, but now, faced with not one, but six very... Interesting tapestries, he wondered if this was one of the cases in which Arthur wasn't just being a stodgy old man.

Although Alfred had not personally visited the Diamond Kingdom in the past, he had most certainly heard of it. The third of four Kingdoms on their continent, the Diamond Kingdom had the most prominent sea port, engaging in major trade with the rest of the continents. It was known as a beautiful, flamboyant, metropolitan city, bustling with trade, art, and nortorious for their huge, annual festivals in the main city. It was known to have a rich, lavish culture, and standing there, in front of the gold-gilded doors to the throne room, Alfred realized that they weren't kidding.

A stern looking blond man came up to them from a side corridor, frowning. Alfred eyed the large, sleek black rifle he had in hand.

"The King and Queen will see you now," he said, after a brief bow, opening the doors (still holding the gun). Alfred raised an eyebrow at Arthur which sadly, went unnoticed, as they walked into the large room.

More square than the long hall of the Hearts Kingdom, the room was amazing, for the lack of a better word.

The wrinkle over Arthur's nose and between his brows seemed to crease itself permanently.

"Really, Francis? Peacocks?" He asked, dry, and frowning disdainfully at the creatures parading around.

"I like them," came a silky, slightly accented voice. "They are creatures of beauty, aren't they?"

Alfred looked up from the two peacocks strutting around himself and Arthur, at the two thrones (gilded with gold again, on miniature platforms of marble and god, Arthur wasn't kidding about the lavishness), to the man and woman (girl?) seated upon them.

The man, King Francis, as he had learnt, had been the King of the Diamonds for quite a while now, as compared to the newer reigns of Kings Ludwig and Alfred. The Diamonds had a long-standing no-allies tradition, which after the war of seventeen years ago, between the Diamonds and the Spades, had turned into a policy of neutrality (long story, Alfred had learned, after pestering Matthew for a recap, two days before they left). Their Queen, Queen Lili, was apparently the sister of the Jack. She sat atop her throne, mild as could be, looking even younger than Alfred. The Queen of Diamonds took charge of courtly affairs and the arts, the latter of which formed a huge part of Diamond culture.

"Beauty," King Francis continued, smiling witheringly at Arthur, "which you obviously don't know the first thing about." Arthur gave Francis a painful looking grin (more of a grimace, actually) back, and Francis's gaze finally snagged on Alfred.

"Oh!" His eyes lit up, as his tone grew considerably lighter. "King Alfred, how wonderful to finally meet you!" He stood up, his cloak streaming out behind him, as he rose to meet Alfred at the front of the room.

"May I present Queen Lili," Francis gestured to her, as she nodded graciously, smiling, "and our Jack, Vash." The man who had escorted them in nodded at them curtly, still frowning (and gripping the gun like it was his lifeline). "I am, of course, King Francis!" He smiled, all charm and mirth, inclining his head at Alfred, as he (accidentally?) swept his arm and cloak at a spluttering Arthur.

"Welcome to the Diamond Kingdom!"

Alfred grinned at him, before looking around more to admire the room. "Thanks! You've got a really nice place here! It's very um," he paused. "Shiny!"

Francis laughed openly, as Lili too giggled softly behind a hand. "Well that is certainly one way to put it. The Diamond Kingdom is famous for it after all!" He swept his hand out in a broad gesture (narrowly missing a scowling Arthur, who ducked in time). "For our beauty!" Francis' eyes glinted mischevously, coming back to settle on Alfred.

"A beauty, of course," he continued, coming to put an arm around Alfred's shoulder, "which is very much enhanced by your presence here today, King Alfred-"

"Do not touch him, King Francis," Arthur cut in, glaring, as Francis merely laughed.

"Oh Queen Arthur," Francis mocked in the same tone, "jealous are we?" And that left Arthur spluttering again, which worked to clue in the kind of relationship these two had. Something about having met each other on the battlefield, according to Matthew, who had checked the books for him.

"Jealous of what?" Arthur finally managed to spit out, face slowly going red.

"Of my beauty and- Oh."

Alfred turned to Francis, wondering what made him stop short. A slow, wicked smile spread out on his face, and the look in his eyes, to Alfred, was actually quite scary, in a can-he-see-through-my-clothes kind of way.

"Ohh," he breathed, letting go of Alfred to stride towards Arthur. "Oh rosbif, I see."

"W-What-" Arthur backed away from him minutely, face turning redder. "What on earth are you playing at, you perverted-"

"No," grinned Francis, moving ever closer. "It seems that I am not the perverted one in this situation, dearest Arthur as you seem-"

"Don't be ridiculous!" Spluttered Arthur. "Do not insinuate-"

"There is nothing I am insinuating here," Francis practically purred, barely half a foot of space between him and Arthur now, which somehow made something in Alfred twinge uncomfortably.

"Could we get down to matters then?" The business-like tone of his voice, the very fact that he said those words, startled him, and apparently, everyone else around him. Of all of them, Arthur looked the most stunned, while Francis didn't expect it either, the both of them freezing mid-move.

Arthur recovered first, catching on. "Yes, of course." His tone was crisply professional again, as he took another step back, moving to align himself closer to Alfred. "We are here for diplomatic reasons." Francis himself straightened, tossing another charming smile in Alfred's direction, as he moved back to his seat.

"Of course," he drawled, and Alfred could have sworn that Vash rolled his eyes from his position in the corner.

Back in their original positions (peacocks still prowling), Arthur was all business once again.

"We represent the Spades Kingdom today, in the interest of improving relations between our two kingdoms," Arthur stated, giving the signal for the two servants who came with them into the throne room. They moved forward, to Arthur's side, one bearing a box, and the other, a leather-bound book.

"We understand that our Kingdom's water pollution problems has contaminated the Lower Point's water sources, and are deeply regretful for causing such an inconvenience." The words were crisp and professional, and not for the first time, Alfred was impressed at Arthur's dedication to his job.

"Recently, with the aid of the Hearts Kingdom's healers, we have finally been able to find a cure for the illnesses which have plagued our Lower Districts, which, we have heard, have also been affecting your citizens in the Lower Point." Arthur gestured to the two servants, indicating the box and book in hand.

"We are currently in the midst of tackling the root of our pollution problem. As a peace offering, from the Spades Kingdom to the Diamonds, we would like to offer you the recipe to the cure we have jointly found with the Hearts, as well as a small prepared supply of the cure." Arthur bowed his head, in the only act of deference Alfred had seen him perform, in the presence of King Francis. Alfred found himself following suit.

"We sincerely hope that you would accept our peace offering, and would perhaps consider mending relations between our kingdoms."

Neither the King nor Queen of Diamonds replied immediately, and Alfred was almost tempted to sneak a peek at what was taking them so long. Eventually, King Francis broke the silence.

"Vash, could you please accept the gifts?" His voice was as smooth as ever, but carefully toneless.

Alfred looked up at the click of heels in front of him, with Vash taking both items from the servants, walking back to his previous position.

There was another long silence as Francis considered them, gaze appraising and considering. Arthur gave a polite cough.

"Ah," murmured Francis. "My apologies, I was merely," he gestured vaguely, "considering. Reminiscing, if you will." He smiled, not the broad grin of earlier, but slightly more contained, cordial. "We appreciate your gifts, and will use them appropriately."

"However," he continued, "we politely decline your request to ah, further solidify relationships."

Alfred could feel Arthur visibly stiffen next to him. "I see," Arthur said, voice as even as Francis' managed to be. "May I ask why, King Francis?"

"Well you see, Queen Arthur," Francis mocked again, as he seemed to delight in addressing Arthur by his title, "I have, as you have very politely asked me to, considered your proposition."

"And I have choosen to refuse."

But why, was right at the tip of Alfred's tongue, but he held it in, scarcely daring to breathe.

"I hope," Arthur ventured, "that this has nothing to do with our... Personal relationships with each other." He caught Francis' gaze dead on. "I was hoping that we could be sensible about this."

Francis laughed at this, a little colder than Alfred had expected, the sound making a shiver run down his spine.

"Oh, but Arthur, I am being sensible. Sensible on the behalf of the Diamonds, of course." He smiled, cocking his head a little. "Your kingdom will continue to trade with mine, regardless of the state of our ties, we both know that. And if trade continues on our terms, we have nothing to lose, no?" Francis paused, considering.

"But also as a King, your kingdom has brought my kingdom and I much grief which..." Alfred watched as Francis' gaze shifted to a strange, middling-distance, as his words grew slightly softer. "... Which for the foreseeable, cannot be so easily forgiven." His gaze shifted back to settle on Arthur.

"I'm sure you know very clearly of what I mean, Arthur Kirkland."

Somehow, Alfred could hear Arthur's audible swallow next to him. He said nothing.

Francis' gaze flicked away to the high, stained-glass windows, then to the larger clear ones which faced the courtyards. "Also," he continued, "why mend relations when your kingdom still owes me so much, hm, Queen?"

"Your Time Mages, they are still with me, as you might have known? Your kin, Queen of Spades, or have you already forgotten them?"

Arthur visibly twitched next to him, and Alfred felt a similar strand of irritation flash in himself.

"I have not," growled Arthur, eyes not meeting Francis'.

Francis merely raised an eyebrow. "I see. Then may I suggest cleaning up your own, ah, internal affairs first? Well," Francis mused, rubbing his chin. "Not so much of 'internal' as much as... 'Personal', in this case, yes? Or would you rather leave your women and children to seek sanctuary in my kingdom?"

Alfred couldn't help the flush of anger which rose in him at that. He could see the slow, flush of embarrassment on Arthur's neck, rising, and it tore at him inside, stronger than he had expected. As much as everything had started out diplomatic, Francis had made it downright personal, attacking Arthur. Attacking his Queen.

My Queen, Alfred thought to himself, his brain taking a moment to poke at those words, to turn them around and pat them down, waiting for him to acknowledge their new shape. Once they had a strangely dry, bitter quality attached to them, some what mocking at other times, because it was Arthur Kirkland, and everything the Time Mage represented seemed to rip at the image of what Alfred would have previously imagined his Queen to be. (She would be gentle, kind, fun-loving and supportive. Spontaneous and very much willing to jump into strange adventures with him. Look up to him and respect him. Depend on him and see him as the best man in the world and-)

But it wasn't as if he didn't notice how the tone had changed lately. When it first happened Alfred probably paid no heed to it, later he had tried to change it back, forcefully, because what in the world was he thinking?

My Queen, his brain repeated, and this time the fondness and pride (and possessiveness, but that wasn't right was it?) that oozed forth was undeniable and present.

Because Arthur was a control freak and a bastard who never seemed to be able to be cooperative, never seemed to have a kind word ready at his tongue, never seemed to be the type of person that could be a Queen- not to Alfred, anyway. But yet it was Arthur who spoke up for him in front of his people, his Court; it was Arthur who told him that he wasn't as bad a King as he thought he was. Arthur was the one who was always there to pull him out of danger and shout at him and reprimand him for being an idiot, but he was also the one who had trusted him in the end, and let him decide what his rule was going to be like.

Proud- and his brain took a moment to relish this new sense of clarity- because a person like Arthur had acknowledged him, somehow, in that twisted awkward way of his.

And suddenly, even though he knew that Arthur could recover, would recover, probably in time to continue what seemed to be an endless fight between himself and Francis, Alfred wanted to do it. To fight for him, to help, because he'd planned this out, dammit; he had thought it through, did his research and he was certain, so certain. So certain that he could do this, that he could make Arthur proud of him all on his own.

"Actually, King Francis," Alfred heard himself say. "Regarding the Time Mages who have seeked refuge with the Diamond Kingdom..." He took a steadying breath, eyes fixed forward.

"The second purpose of our visit is to inform you that we would officially like to welcome the Time Mages back into the Spades Kingdom for good."

Next to him, Arthur balked, head spinning around to look at Alfred, something reminiscent of terror in his eyes; not exactly what Alfred had been going for. Perhaps it's just shock, he told himself. He kept his gaze forward, pleasant and polite like Arthur had taught him, meeting Francis' startled expression.

"Thank you for granting us your time. We sincerely hope you'd reconsider the ties between our kingdoms."

A/N:
Another long chapter! It's ridiculous how our "filler" chapters turn out to be the longest ever. Thank you for your patience with us! Updates might be slightly sluggish, as Cass is getting busier with her new internship thing! Still, thank you for reading. Comments and con-crit is always appreciated.

We understand that some things in this chapter might not seem very clear at first glance (e.g. the history between the Spades and the Diamonds), but please understand that we can't really stick /everything/ into the main story. So we'll probably do some fact-sheet posts on our tumblr (link's in our profile) some time soon, to explain the relations between the Kingdoms, some of our headcanons for this AU and stuff like that. If it's not explained here, nor there, then well, maybe it's one of those things we're saving for later.

Hope you enjoyed this chapter! Have a great week ahead.