CC101- As I promised, the next chapter is up. I don't know when I can have the time to edit the 17 chapter though... Oh well, I know my lovely followers won't mind...too much. In compensation, I will try to make these longer.

Disclaimer: I don't own Hetalia or Game of Thrones!

Alfred smiled as they headed off toward the tournament. He pulled his horse around and started a slow trot. After all they were in public.

Arthur followed after him steadily, keeping a steady pace behind him. Flora stayed even closer to Night Runner than she usually did, so close that there was barely any room between where the two horses were steadily trotting. He wondered if it was time for her to find a mate, if she hadn't already. Although it was summer, Alfred's birthday passed not too long ago... Maybe it was a delayed heat? Well if Flora was in heat, Night Runner would not be as calm as he was. He would have flipped Alfred and mounted the mare. Arthur would have to speak to the Stable Master about it later.

When the two arrived at the Sun Gate, the location of the Spades Blades, it was no surprise that there was a large crowd around one of the rings. Alfred got off first, handing Night Runner to a servant, and then gently helped his Queen off.

"Are you going to compete?" Arthur wondered, albeit worried, when he was placed on the ground.

Alfred nodded. "I always do."

Spades Blades had three stations. The Arena for mock battles, a long area of flat dirt called the Yard for jousting, and the Fields for archery. Most of the spectators would stand but there were wooden seats for the royals.

Smiling, Alfred led Arthur to the Arena to open the yearly tournament. Later on, he would fight the winner as half the prize. The Arena was actually a large bowl shaped pit and people would stand above. The sides were not very steep so one could simply walk up and down with little trouble. The High Royals had a small tent to stay in and watch the games. Arthur quietly stood beside Alfred as they met Yao at the podium to officially open the tournaments.

The Jack scowled when he saw them approaching. "You two late aru," he murmured, eyeing them with a glare.

"Oh come off it, Yao, relax," the Queen shook his head.

The American nodded. "Really, Arthur needed the sleep."

Yao sighed. "I told you to go to sleep sooner. Stop sleeping so late aru."

"Ohhh, well sorry for doing paperwork for my Kingdom, Mother dearest. Next time I won't do it and get reprimanded by you."

The Jack sighed. "Let's just get this thing started." He turned to the Arena. "Citizens of Spades!"

The area suddenly got very quiet. Even the horses seem to hold their breath.

"It my pleasure to announce the beginning of the 452nd Spades Blades!"

The crowd cheered along with their King.

Yao waited before continuing. "In first match, we have Sir Jamie of the Lannister House and Sir Alasdair of the Kirkland Family!"

Loud clapping ensued for both sides, and the duo in the match sauntered out, trying to get the crowd riled up. Alasdair Kirkland, one of Arthur's brothers, bowed to the King and Jack, but did not even make eye contact to the Queen. Arthur didn't make a comment; there was no need to. His family still seemed to be as stubborn and hostile towards him as always.

Sir Jamie was of the Lannister House, one of the major royal families in Spades. He had golden hair and light emerald green eyes. His prowess with a sword was known throughout the country.

The Lannister past symbol was a lion. This previously caused some tension between the Lannister and Kirkland families, both of which had lions as their symbols. Several generations ago to stop a war from breaking out, the Queen ordered the families to add a second animal. The Kirkland family chose a unicorn and the Lannister clan chose a lioness.

"This is not going to turn out well for them," Arthur murmured. Yao gave a quiet hum in agreement; the Lannister's and Kirkland's were both competitive and they hardly ever backed down from a fight.

The King however didn't care about the tension much. It would just make a better match. As always, Alfred added his own part to the match. "I wish you luck, may the best man win."

The two armed men got into their own stance, and Arthur waved his arm to start. The combatants clashed their swords fiercely, fighting against one another and blocking the others' assaults. Arthur hoped that his brother didn't have to go against Alfred; that would be a bit too much for him.

Alasdair, it seemed, had learned more grace, because he wasn't swinging his blade like a beast. He had control and his dark green eyes seemed to be calculating Jamie's steps. That being said, Jamie's own eyes, a much lighter shade of green, were doing the same thing.

The fight went on for a long while, no side winning against the other, but soon Alasdair was able to sneak an attack that nicked off a strap of Jamie's armor and send his sword flying. The Kirkland sent his rival to the ground, pinning him down with his sword and cheering along with the crowd.

Alfred stood up and motioned for the two to stand. "Congratulations Alasdair. You advance to the next round. Come to see me."

Arthur watched his older brother critically, not saying a word but giving him a sharp glare. Alasdair put his arm behind his back and raise his third fingers so that no one would see him. The Brit scoffed, and rolled his eyes; he was such a child.

Yao announced the next game, and Alfred and Arthur went through the ritual all over again. In the middle of the fight, Alasdair came up to them. "My King"

Arthur ignored his brother, but the American grinned in a friendly manner.

"What is your request?" The Scottish male inquired when Alfred did nothing for a time.

Alfred smiled. "I wish to talk to you alone for a minute, Sir."

The younger blond stood up and walked off towards the higher sections of the stadium, where no one would be able to hear them and the area wasn't as secluded. Nearly everyone wanted to have a seat to the action as much as everybody else.

"What is it that you need, my King?" The Kirkland wondered.

Alfred looked up at the sky. "Tell me, do you like your brother?"

Alasdair chuckled, shaking his head in disbelief. "He was always the favorite in the family," he replied with a bitter tone. "My mother loved all of her children, but out of all of 'em, A'thur was treated with the most care."

"I didn't ask for a story," the King snapped. "I asked for a yes or no. Now I consider you a smart man, Alasdair. Don't prove your little brother right."

Alasdair looked surprised, but it disappeared. "No. I don't like him. I resent my brother. Is there a problem with that?"

Alfred shook his head. "No, I believe you should feel however you want." He turned away. "You're not the brother I need for this assignment."

"And what the hell does that mean? Do ya want ta fuck my brother?"

The American shook his head. This would go better bluntly rather than beating around the bush. "I want you to find the person who fucked your brother."

Alasdair was quiet for a few seconds before bursting loudly into laughter that could have been heard by the entire arena. "My baby brother was fucked, that's good, farm boy! Where's the proof?"

"One, he bragged about it. Two, I found a letter between Arthur and this person who goes under the alias of America." Alfred stated getting a piece of paper from his pocket.

"Why should I? If he didn't tell you, you shouldn't get into his business. I may detest my brother, but we stay out of his business and he stays out of ours. We don't want anything to do with him, so we leave him alone"

The taller tried to put in a more forceful tone. "So you won't help me?"

The Scottish man thought for some time. To turn down a King would be terrible for their family. "My younger brother, Andras, he's just a couple years older than Arthur. He can never deny you if you need help. He would want to do it."

Alfred nodded. "Is he here?"

"He's out in the crowd below, but I don't know where exactly."

"When you have a chance, send him to me."

Alasdair nodded. "Of course, Your Highness." He said the last two words in a sneer, glared at the King, and then was off.

The King finally rolled his eyes. Arthur was right, the man was an ass. More than likely he would have to find Andras himself.

"Alfred?"

Said person turned around again. "Yes?" He looked around for the person that called him.

It was Arthur, with his arms crossed yet relaxed in front of his chest and a look of confusion on his face. He was frowning. "Why were you talking to Alasdair?"

Alfred smiled. He had thought up a lie/plan last night. "Oh, nothing. Just a favor."

The look of suspicion didn't waver. "A favor for whot?" He wasn't happy that his brother and best friend had secretly been conversing behind his back, but it made him even more infuriated as to what he concluded.

"It's a surprise Arthur. I can't tell you or even Yao." Alfred said with a smirk. "You can't know."

The Queen's eyes narrowed. "That doesn't reassure me that you're telling the truth."

"You don't have to believe me because I don't have to tell you."

"Alright then." His gaze lingered on his King once more before he finally started back to his seat.

Alfred followed like a puppy dog. His blue eyes rested on Arthur's ass as he trailed the other.

"I almost had a heart attack because I didn't know you had gone." The Englishman said, facing the taller. "I almost ordered a few guards to search for you."

Alfred snapped out of his gaze. "I was only five minutes."

"Yes, I know it wasn't very long time, but still. When one doesn't know where his best friend is, one would become panicked."

The American smirked. "Oh Arthur." He wrapped his arm around the smaller's waist. "You wouldn't be falling for me again, would you? Are you jealous of me spending time with your older brother?"

The Queen blushed red, his tongue stumbling over his words. "Ah, w-well, um, no, not, I mean, eh..." Arthur definitely had feelings for Alfred, but they were nowhere near romantic. "I, I don't feel for you like that anymore, Alfred. I know you're not into that, but I do love you as a friend. A-and I was just wondering whot you were doing with the brother that hates me the most out of my siblings."

"Aww, Artie you're so cute sometimes! Worried about the hero!"

Arthur laughed quietly, and grabbed Alfred's cheek gently. "And you're exactly the same, Al. Worried about your Queen, aren't you?"

"Of course! Arthur is my bestest fwend in da whole world!" Alfred said in baby talk. "I wuv you!"

This time, the sound of amusement was louder. "Oh hush up, you!" He shoved the other jokingly, a wide grin on his face.

Alfred smiled as they walked into the tent. Before though, Alfred saw red eyes staring at him. The King looked where he believed the eyes were, but didn't see them. He figured it was the trick of the light, and sat beside Arthur.

The matches went on for a time. The high royals ordered some food to eat for lunch. Alasdair only made it halfway before he was beaten by a mystery knight. Mystery knights always had a mask or helmet on. This was to allow the lower class to compete and maybe earn some fame. This mystery knight had black armor and had twin dragon designed swords.

"He's good," Arthur mumbled under his breath to both the King and the Jack. His sword skills were amazing, and the way he held himself elegantly was with such grace and finesse, it was enchanting to watch him. His eyes wandered down his body the best he could through the armor. "Very good."

Alfred noticed the tone of partial lust in the voice of the Brit. "Don't tell me, I don't want to know Arthur."

The older looked over at him in confusion. "Whot do you mean? I'm just saying he's very talented with a sword."

"I can see you looking at him and that tone. I don't want to listen to it..."

"Whot the hell do you mean 'that tone'? There was no lust in my voice, Alfred; I don't want him in my bed!"

Alfred rolled his eyes. "Rrriiiggghhhttt..."

Yao, from Arthur's other side, rubbed his eyes thoroughly, knowing what was about to happen next.

Arthur glared, his teeth gritted against each other, and stood up. "You're ridiculous, Alfred, I'm not trying to be sexual towards someone I don't even know and probably will never get to know, so fuck off and stop being such a judgmental bastard of an arsehole!" He stormed out of the tent, stomping down the stairs and sat himself in a more crowded area of the arena to cool down.

Alfred shifted in his seat, pouting. "Arthur..."

Yao sighed, and then looked at the King. "You confuse me. You flirt with women but scold Arthur for same thing with men aru. Why you do that?"

Alfred looked surprised. "I wasn't scolding him. I was trying to joke around with him. I was only teasing!"

"It not sound like you joke, aru. You sound serious. You know Arthur not take comments like that as a joke aru. You know why, shì?"

"Yeah... I'll go apologize."

"That best idea aru."

Meanwhile, Arthur was brooding, leaning forward with his arms stretched over his stomach. How could Alfred be so rude to him when he knew he didn't take a joke like that lightly? He had explained to him months ago about his sexuality. How his brothers (or the two oldest ones and his sister) had teased him for it and bullied him continuously for it. It seemed as if others always had a problem with him being the way he was. He had thought his best friend would understand that, but it turned out he was wrong.

Feeling guilty, Alfred walked outside the tent. He asked several people where his Queen was and he followed the directions given to him. Eventually, he saw him sitting alone. Gathering his courage, the King walked toward the Brit. "A-Arthur?"

Ok, so he was nervous! He was still a hero!

The Queen, apathetic, glanced up to look at who had spoken, but then focused back on the tournament occurring with a glare. "Yes?"

"Um... Ca-May I sit?" Alfred asked timidly, trying to use correct grammar. He didn't want to make Arthur even more infuriated.

"If you want…" He still didn't look at the King, even as he gingerly sat down beside him.

"I...uh...need to apologize to you...about earlier. I was just trying to joke with you. I didn't mean to insult you." Alfred explained, rubbing his knee nervously.

Arthur wasn't able to stay silent for long, and sighed. "I'm sorry as well. I suppose I... No, I know I shouldn't have called you those names, it's just...well, you know...everyone always judged me for that trait..."

Alfred grabbed his hand gently. "No, it's all my fault. I know how you feel about that." He rubbed his thumb against the back Arthur's hand. "There are some things you just don't joke about, and I am sorry that I overstepped the line."

Arthur smiled at him. "That's absolutely right. There are things that we all find sensitive to talk about." He blushed a bit as Alfred's fingers once again began to stroke his hand. "Thank you for apologizing. I forgive you."

The American bent down and kissed Arthur's hand. He felt giddy that he wasn't hated. "Thank you."

The smaller scooted closer to Alfred as a chilly breeze washed over the crowd. "Would you like to go back up to the tent, or do you want to stay here?"

The King pulled his Queen closer. "Here."

The older was startled by the movement but moved even closer to him. He was warm, a comforting kind of heat that kept him relaxed. He gave a quiet sigh, resting against Alfred without disturbing him. "How do you stay so warm?"

The American smiled brighter. "I am more active!" He said. "Not to mention the King has to wear these stuffy clothes. I can't wait to take them off. I'd rather go el' natural!"

Arthur chuckled. "I bet you would walk around completely without clothes if you could."

"Only at times..."

The blond raised an eyebrow. "Whot does that mean?"

"Well, I need my clothes sometimes."

"True. It'd be quite awkward if you were to walk into a Deck Meeting completely nude."

"I bet Francis wouldn't mind!" Alfred said smirking. He put on a terrible French accent. "Zat ass!"

Arthur laughed but tried to stop himself. "That'd be terrible! He'd probably strip down too and then try to grope you!"

"I am already naked..."

The Queen's cheeks blushed slightly, he could tell. He needed to stop feeling so much emotion for him. He loved Rachel; he wouldn't say that he was beginning to, but he didn't want to betray his girlfriend by falling for Alfred again. "Well, not necessarily. You're more clothed than naked."

Alfred gave a face. "I thought we were talking about if I was naked during the Deck Meeting."

"We are. I'm talking in a general sense."

Alfred nodded as the crowd cheered. He watched as Yao signaled to him. "I must go. Will you be staying here or go back to the tent.

Arthur frowned. "I'll stay here." His lips raised in a smile. "I'll be cheering for you."

The taller stood. "Thank you." Quickly, he walked over to the tent to get dressed.

Arthur watched Alfred walk off, emerald green eyes wandering down to his arse before he stopped, looking away with a blush. He couldn't fall for Alfred, he reminded himself. He had a girlfriend now. It was obvious his King did not have the same sexual preference as he did. But he found his heart beating erratically whenever the American smiled at him.

And it had been happening a lot lately. Alfred was now always acting like the kind and caring person that he wanted. Was he, perhaps, falling in love with Arthur? Of course not. There was too much of a difference. Perhaps it was one of his maids that had caught his eye and now his heart. That would make sense. The Brit's thoughts were interrupted as the crowd went crazy again. Looking up, the Queen saw that Alfred's opponent was announced. It was the mystery knight.

Arthur's stomach churned. Both were strong fighters, and it was obvious neither of them would be giving up easily. He didn't know what Alfred's thoughts were as of right now, so, with the rest of the crowd, he cupped his hands over his mouth and hollered "Come on, Alfred!"

The King made no sign that he heard him. Yao raised his hand and then threw it down. "Start!"

The mysterious knight charged forward instantly and swung his weapon at Alfred, nearly nicking him. Arthur covered his eyes, but peeked through his fingers to see the King blocking and now defending himself. "Oh gods, Alfred, please don't get hurt."

This went on for a while before the knight took a huge step back. His posture turned more relaxed as he put up his eye guard. The person had the same red eyes that Alfred saw before.

The King was confused until he remembered where he had seen those before. "Gilbert!"

"Ja!" The Joker smiled and raised his sword. Taking aim, he smiled at his target.

The Brit heard what Alfred had said, and then darted down the stairs in fury and haste, nearly falling. He pushed his way through the law, boisterous crowd, and stopped at the edge of the arena just as Gilbert swung. "Don't!"

The albino smiled as he maneuvered his body and chucked the blade at his real target, the Queen.

Arthur's legs stayed in place, but his arms shot up to protect the top of his head and his face. Yet the hit never came. Opening one eye, Arthur gasped at the scene in front of him. Alfred had stepped in the way of the path. The sword was sticking out of the King's armor. His left shoulder area injured as red began to seep through the cloth and onto the armor.

Finally, his feet were able to function, and he jumped over the barrier of the arena with amazing finesse and grace. "Alfred!" He grabbed at the King, who winced in pain and fell against the fence. The Queen knelt down beside him, hands trying to unlatch his friend's armor. "I can't believe...y-y-you...why..."

Alfred smiled, though it looked pained "I couldn't let you get hurt. You're special to me. Heroes don't let their special people get hurt."

The older smiled weakly. "Oh, Alfred. You are very much a hero. My Hero." He was able to slide the chest armor off, and inspected the wound. It looked shallow but painful. Hopefully, it hadn't harmed him too bad. "How badly does it hurt?"

Alfred looked at it. He made a face and turned his head to look at Arthur again. "It looks worse than it is, stupid Joker."

Arthur winced, wishing he could get rid of the sword but knowing a more medically experienced one would be better to handle these kinds of things. He glanced up to see Yao and a few medical men coming down to the arena. "Yao called for a doctor to come and help you. Hopefully...they'll be able to get this dealt with."

"Where is Gilbert?"

"I'll deal with that, alright? You just try not to move, luv." He stood up and made his way to Gilbert, who was standing with his arms crossed in the same spot.

The Joker smiled as the Queen stormed over. "Hallo."

"Whot the hell do you think you're doing here, Joker?" He snarled, glaring with emerald eyes that darkened threateningly.

Gilbert smiled. "Saving Spades as usual, you silly monarchs never do anything right." He practically danced around Arthur, his armor not making a sound.

"Whot do you mean by that?" He made sure his eyes were on Gilbert at all times, making sure he didn't do anything suspicious.

"Oh, nothing..."

The Queen grabbed the sword Alfred had abandoned and pointed it at the Joker. "I will have no problem slaying you where you stand, brother of the King of Hearts or not. You tell me your purpose for wanting to harm us before you find this sword in the exact same place as Alfred's."

The Joker smiled. "I already told you." With a snap of his fingers, his body turned into smoke and floated away with the wind. "Your brother helped." The wind seemed to whisper as the smoke vanished.

He tried to charge and swing at Gilbert, but he was gone before he could hit skin. "Dammit!" He threw the blade straight into the ground and went to Alfred, surrounded by paramedics and the Royal Family's two doctors.

Alfred looked pained as the sword was being taken out. "FUCK!"

Arthur bent down beside his King instantly, grabbing onto his hand as if it was his only chance of survival. "It's okay, Al," he whispered, kissing the top of his head gently to reassure him. "You'll be alright, I promise."

The American let out a pained laugh. "It's just a scratch Artie!" He squeezed the other's hand. "I'm not going to die."

"That is definitely not a scratch, Alfred." The other hand reached up and caressed his face gently. "You seem to be in a lot of pain, don't lie. You forget to stop an expression before it comes out, so you're easy to read."

Alfred shrugged then hissed at the pain. "I have had worse."

"You might have had worse, but this one is different. You were defending me." He looked down at the ground in sorrow before looking at the doctors. "Whot can I do for him?"

The older of the two doctors stood up. "Nothing really. Just clean the wound once a day."

Arthur nodded, waiting for the younger doctor to finish stitching and bandaging the wound before the Queen started to help his King rise to his feet.

The nervous crowd gave a standing ovation at that. Alfred gave small waves as he walked toward Night Runner and Flora. Multiple people gave their concerns a voice. Alfred reassured them all. Night Runner stayed still as Arthur assisted Alfred in getting on his horse (despite his protests, his nearly silent cries of pain were noticed as well), and the Queen mounted Flora. "Oh stop pouting, Alfred, don't think I don't see it."

The King just smiled. "Fine. Let's just hurry home."

Arthur clicked his tongue to get his horse walking, and they gently yet hastily made their way home. The air was a bit crisper and chillier than before, but the older male continued on. Alfred simply waved to people and reassured them. It took a half hour with all the stops.

"How are you faring back there, Al?" The older blond asked, turning his upper body around cautiously.

The younger's smile fell as they entered the gates of the Castle. "Hurts like a bitch."

"You hang in there, alright luv? We'll get you to your room and some cool water so you can rest."

Alfred's face fell even more. "I can't believe I'm saying this but I don't want to rest..."

Arthur frowned. "Alfred...you know it's not right. You shouldn't do anything too physical for a while." He dismounted from Flora and assisted Alfred. "I'll help you for now, whot do you need?"

Alfred frowned, "That's my job..."

"Alfred, you're injured. Now, no whining. Until you get well enough to work without too much pain, I will make sure you're comfortable."

Alfred nodded. "Fine, let's go to my room then."

"Alright. Do you need me to get anything for you?"

The King shook his head as they started to walk. "No, I am fine for now. I'm not even hungry!"

He nodded. "Alright, that's good. Um...do you want me to keep you company?"

"Better you than anyone else."

Arthur smiled softly. "Thanks, luv." He and Alfred were going up the stairs, and he stopped from moving to the next one. His face bloomed a bright cherry scarlet before he turned around harshly, hugging his arms. He hoped that Alfred hadn't heard the last word. He really hoped he hadn't.

If he did, Alfred didn't mention it. The Queen let out a quiet sigh, and traveled the shorter way to Alfred's chambers.

Alfred followed meekly. "This is terrible. Will you bring me milk of the poppy?"

"Of course." Arthur let Alfred go into his room before going across the hall into the medical station and searching for the proper medication. When he came back, he found Alfred laying on his bed looking bored. He gave it to Alfred with some water to swallow it. "Here you go."

Alfred smiled as he drank the mixed brew. This stuff made him tired but never knocked him out like most people, he was to strong.

Arthur prepared a wash cloth and a basin, for later when his cut would need to be cleaned. "I remember helping raise my little brother when he was ill. He used to get so fussy when he had to take this. It always tasted bitter, he said, yet you drink it like water."

Alfred shook it off. "It's like drinking strong alcohol. I am used to that!"

The Queen pulled up a chair to the side of the bed, where the King was laying down, and seated himself. "Have you been drinking alcohol for long?"

Alfred nodded. "Since I was fourteen. I was popular with the locals before I became King. However, I put limits on myself unlike someone I know."

Arthur simpered. "You're hilarious, Alfred. Really. Maybe you should rest for a bit longer, eh?"

"Dude, this is resting to me. I want to do something or I'll go crazy. Not to mention, tomorrow we are going to be late to our own meeting..."

"Oh relax, Alfred, I'm not serious. Here, Feliciano lent me some art supplies a while ago, do you want to draw or something?"

The blue eyed male shook his head. "No, I can't draw. However you could help me over to my desk."

The Brit assisted Alfred in standing, trying not to put any pressure on his arm, and then helped him stand. The King managed to get to his desk, if not a bit lethargically, on his own. "Whot do you need over here?"

Alfred sat down on his desk chair. "I need my star charts. Also could you drag the chair over to the machine near the balcony? I need that." He grabbed a quill, ink, and something hard to write on.

Arthur did as he was instructed, eyeing the mechanism with interest. Alfred was always interested in stars and whatever was in the sky at night, and could probably name every constellation that was known to man.

"It's called a telescope. I had one of my engineers make it. With it, I can see the planets and some starts. It's actually really cool!" His blue eyes shined even with the pain of his injury. "They all seem to have a set path though, I am tracking them."

He smiled small. "Sounds very intriguing." He raised a thin finger to glide across the surface of the telescope. "It seems complicated to work, though."

"Not really, it just a matter of focus that's hard. You can focus too much or too little. You have to find juuusstt the right spot."

"Hm." He bent down to it, trying to find where he could look through. "Could I give it a try?"

"Sure! Remove the cap at the end. It should still be stuck on the planet Gero, slightly to the left. Don't move the main part to much though, like a fraction of an inch."

"Whot the bloody hell do you mean a fraction of an in-" Before he could finish, he swung the telescope to the side, unfortunately swinging into the room and knocking both the curtains and the Queen to the floor.

Alfred sighed. "That's what I mean." He looked over the damage. "Are you ok? It's lighter than you think..."

Arthur pushed himself back on two feet, cringing as he rubbed the side of his face where he had been hit. "As much as I can be when your face gets slammed into a fucking telescope."

Alfred held his hands up. "I told you to be careful."

The older male grumbled incoherently under his breath, now gazing at the instrument with dislike. "Sorry for messing up the focus."

Smiling, the King nodded. "It's okay; just bring my chair closer please."

Arthur positioned the chair correctly. "Is this right?"

Alfred gave a thumbs up as he shifted. "Yup!" Carefully, Alfred set everything back up: first the direction, then the latitude, next the longitude, and finally the most important part, the focus. This all took the taller a matter of ten minutes or so, mostly because he painstakingly knew how much even a millimeter could change everything. "There, all better!"

"Wonderful." The Queen, who was seated at the other's desk with an apathetic look on his face, frowned. "Whot else can I screw up for you to perfectly fix?"

"Oh, come on. It wasn't that bad!" Alfred said not looking up from the eye piece. "You weren't used to it."

"It doesn't matter; I still screwed it up for you."

"But I got it all fixed! It's fine!"

Arthur still stayed seated with his back to Alfred, rolling his eyes at the comment. "Oh joy."

Alfred leaned over and flicked the back of Arthur's head. "Stop being mopey. You're supposed to be my support."

The shorter was silent for a few minutes before he sighed and stood up. "Alright, I'm sorry for being so...moody." He looked at his dear friend and smiled small.

"Is there something bothering you?" Alfred said looking up from his work again.

"No, not anymore. Why do you ask?"

Alfred looked at him thoughtfully. "You seem different lately."

His eyebrows scrunched together. "Different?" He looked down at his body, twisting slightly to look behind him. "Whot do you mean 'different'?"

"I don't know. I have been trying to figure it out all week and it's driving me up a wall!" Alfred said in an almost hushed tone. "It's really bothering me."

"That's so strange. I'm not acting any different than who I am usually." He ran his hands over his flat stomach. "Am I gaining weight? I'm getting fat, aren't I?! Is that it?!"

The King shook his head while waving his hand. "No, you felt the same when I picked you up earlier. I would have noticed if it was weight."

"That's true..." Arthur's hands stopped roaming. "Well- shit...I wish I could tell you whot it was, but...I don't, I don't know. I'm sorry, Al."

The American sighed. "I'll figure it out eventually."

"Don't be discouraged." The Queen rubbed his upper arm with a smile. "You'll figure it out."

"I hope so. I fear I am going insane!" Alfred whispered going back to his work. "This seems to be the only thing that can distract me at all times."

"Well you're not going insane," he attempted to reassure his King. "Perhaps it's just a bit of paranoia."

"Should I see a doctor?" Alfred asked. "Wait, what does paranoia mean again?"

"Paranoia as in you are worrying over something, or something is bugging you for some reason. You should still see your doctor, though, just to make sure it isn't anything too bad. I'll take you after our twenty questions tomorrow morning. How does that sound?"

"Do we even have a doctor for something like this?" One area Spades was having trouble with was schooling its citizens. As a farming culture, most children helped out in the fields. During winter, only some could make it to the school. This made for many people not being able to read and write. Therefore less people, even the richer, were being trained in fields of study.

The Queen shrugged, saddened by the lost look his King owned as of right now. "It's worth a try. Or, we could ask if there is someone that can. With the lack of education we have for the citizens, we need to at least see if there is someone like that."

"A psychiatrist? I think that's what they're called." Alfred said after some thinking. "Help me back to the bed? I am done here."

"Of course." He took the paper and other various utensils, placing them on the younger's desk before he helped the other stand. Again, he made sure there was as little pressure to the injury as possible, and helped Alfred limp to his bed. "Whot about, um...g-getting dressed...?"

Alfred looked down. "Well, just strip me down. I only have one layer on."

"There. That should be good." His eyes and then his fingers wandered over the wound with caution and care. The Brit nodded, and hastily yet cautiously stripped the King of any clothing. "Whot next?" He wondered, forcing his hands to stay still.

"Just help me into bed."

Arthur allowed Alfred to sit down cautiously, somehow without putting a lot of pressure on his arm. He then placed the covers over Alfred once he was on the bed, smoothing everything out to be flawless. "How's this?"

Alfred smiled. "One more thing and I promise I won't bother you anymore. Could you stack up my pillows? So they help me stay up?"

"You could never be a bother, Al." He situated the pillow, despite the fact that his eyes drooped down in exhaustion. "Is that good?"

Alfred smiled. "When you sit down it will be! You look tired."

The Queen chuckled and did as he was told, slipping his shoes off and putting them beside his chair before he rubbed the soles. "I am a bit tired, if I do say so myself."

"What did you do?" Alfred asked as he wiggles to get comfortable.

"Well I had a heart attack upon seeing my best friend getting wounded for protecting me, plus I had to help him with a few things- oh, and I got hit in the face with a telescope, so I am a bit tired."

The King laughed. "Sounds like a rough day, Arthur. Why don't you sleep?"

Arthur, who had leaned forward to rest his head on his crossed arms on the bed, chuckled and shut his eyes. "I will, I will. You rest too, Al. Or else..."

Alfred chuckled softly. "Of course. I will watch over you, my special Queen."

The Queen was too tired to answer, but hummed and smiled before he slowly fell into a relieving slumber.

Alfred watched as the smaller's breathing slowed down and went into a much needed sleep. His left hand reached out and started to comb his hand though Arthur's hair.

The silence gave him time to think.

Blushing slightly, the American reminisced about what happened today. He was a hero! He saved Arthur and that made him so happy. Usually, Alfred would never question happiness but something was different about today, about Arthur.

Taking time to ponder about his Queen, the King smiled softly. There was something off about the older but it wasn't anything bad exactly. It was as if Arthur had started to shine. Alfred noticed every little thing about his Queen. The way his eyes glowed, the way he spoke, even small things like how he ate with such care. As he had said during Spades Blades, "You're special to me. Heroes don't let their special people get hurt."

Alfred smiled at the memory. Even though his shoulder and the rest of that area ached terribly, it was worth it to endure the pain instead of allowing Arthur to be injured. He didn't know what it was, but he now had an urge to stay by his Queen's side and protect him at all costs. He didn't know what his limits were, but he knew they would be anything as long as Arthur was okay. And he was fine with that. The older might not be, but that was okay, because he wouldn't be harmed.

Arthur stirred from his place, and Alfred stopped combing his hair momentarily, waiting for him to get comfortable. And once again, here he was, noticing every little detail about the smaller. His scruffy ash blond hair swept across his forehead, some of the strands covering his eyes were hastily moved. The moonlight glowed onto him as if he was some mystical being that was worshiped by many. His skin, despite its paleness, was creamy and smooth, and his lips were two perfect shades of rosy. Even those bushy eyebrows just above his (currently shut) emerald eyes brought out the beauty in him.

Turning his head now to outside of his window, Alfred looked at the moon. Currently it was high in the beautiful night sky, a full moon. "Time for bed." Alfred got under the covers but kept his hand on Arthur's hand that was closest to him. "Good night, my special Queen."

CC101- Sooo... What did you guys think? I expect the most feels to be in this chapter.

Please review and tell me your thoughts and comments. I welcome everyone. Even the flamers, because I use them to heat my hotdogs!