CC101- Hey guys! So here is the next chapter. I was on vacation so it has been really nice to get back to working on my fanfiction.
Disclaimer- I do not own Hetalia.
Warning: There has been a mistake and I have had to rewrite this chapter from scratch!
Chapter Twenty-Four: Questions Answered
When Arthur next woke up, the support beneath him was shaking, as if there was something rocking it back and forth. Slowly opening his eyes, he found himself being carried down a hall with gold linings. However the bright light caused him to shut his eyes again. His head felt terrible, his whole body was aching in pain. The Queen felt as if he was run over by a herd of wild horses. His mouth felt extremely dry and his stomach felt as if it was on fire.
"Whot's happening?" He slowly whispered, grasping at the person, whoever it was, that was carrying him down the hall.
"You are missing diner that's what my Queen," said a rather deep voice.
"Huh?" Arthur raised his blurred eyesight at whoever had him in the hold. Blinking to get his vision strait, he froze.
It was King Ivan of the Clubs Kingdom.
The Queen of Spades was too tired to move away, but he did tense up noticeably. He might of felt like shit, however his pride did not let him show it to the Clubs royal. Despite his sore throat, he managed to wheeze out, "Where the hell are you taking me?"
"To lunch, my Queen," explained Ivan, making a left turn down a hall. "You have slept too long."
The shorter growled, both from the pain in his head and his aggression towards the King carrying him. Clubs and Spades were allies but their relationship was strained. Of all the Kings, Alfred and Ivan got along the least. Their headstrong personalities crashed into one another and neither of them were going to back down. "I am not your Queen. Where the hell is Alfred?"
"The King of Spades is currently dealing with his guests. You have been asleep for a long time, so I went to find you. I offered to the doctors to bring you back to the Royal Solar for lunch!" The Russian male said with his smile on his face, now going down some stairs..
"Alfred wouldn't go anywhere without waking me," Arthur insisted. He started to try and move from Ivan's girp. However, his body was so rundown, it hurt to move. He felt as if the word was pressing down on his shoulders and that all the energy in him had evaporated. "Let me down!"
The grip got tighter. "No, Alfred has duties as a host King, da? He doesn't need you now, so I take care of you, da?"
The Queen, now not recognizing where they were, started to panic. He didn't want to go anywhere alone with Ivan- only if Alfred was with him. Right now, he didn't know where he was specifically, but he knew that he didn't want to be here.. Arthur started to try and move out of the hold more fiercely, his muscles burning and protesting. "ALFRED, HELP! ALFRED!" His throat was raw but he managed a yell.
Instead of Alfred, he got several Clubs guards and very few Spades guards rushing towards in. Purple and green contrasted as they watched the Spadian Queen.
Ivan frowned. "No need to yell like that that, I only take you to lunch."
Arthur managed to crawl over Ivan's shoulder to escape. "ALFRED! ALFRED, PLEASE HELP ME!"
Speak of the devil and he shall appear. The King of Spades came rushing in, a large frown on his face. "WHAT IS GOING ON HERE?!" Alfred demanded of everyone in the immediate area.
The Spades' Queen kicked his legs furiously, causing Ivan to hold him down even tighter than before.
"I SAID, WHAT IS GOING ON HERE?!" Alfred yelled furiously, repeating his words.
"We're just having a fucking picnic, like usual!" Arthur yelled back. "I mean, I'm totally not being taken away from you without you even noticing!"
Alfred almost smiled, "But I did send Ivan, Arthur." He waved a hand at the guards who all bowed and left the scene. "I needed someone to come get you and Ivan was the strongest besides me but I needed to stay with the guests were are hosting."
"You sent for fucking Ivan, above everyone else in the fucking bloody building?!" Arthur screamed, his head pounding but he pushed through it.
"Is there something wrong with me?" The Clubs' King asked innocently.
Alfred smiled at the other King.. "You are fine. Arthur is just crabby from being woken up. Usually he would notice that an ally such as yourself is trusted." He stared into green eyes. "Spades trusts its allies." The American knew that he had to be tough in front of Ivan, but he would maybe apologize later to the poor Englishman.
Arthur gritted his teeth. He knew that he was being scolded indirectly. He needed to be a proper Queen and apologize. "I just don't see why Alfred couldn't have done it for me. I got anxious." He wiggled in his position.
"I had to entertain our guests or perhaps you would like Vash to scold us again?" The America shook his head, a small grin on his face. Arthur was being too cute. "I don't. Once was enough for me."
The older male huffed with a light blush. "At least get me up and tell me whot's happening."
Alfred rolled his eyes. "I could not wake you up. So I sent Ivan who I told him to explain to you where he was taking you."
Arthur could see that he was obviously not going to win this time, and slumped under Ivan's grip, letting himself be put into a bridal position. "Fine."
Alfred looked at the other King, who was completely silent as the two Spadians argued. "You can let him walk now. He is awake enough to walk."
Ivan smiled wide as Arthur was placed back on his feet again, the shortest of the three. Arthur bowed his head. "I think I can walk myself now," he muttered, "but thank you for trying to escorted me. I apologize for being so rude."
"Okay." the tone was cold as ice. The Russian walked away with his guards. It was obvious that he was insulted by how Arthur had acted toward him.
The Queen of Spades groaned, running a hand through his hair in embarrassment. He turned to Alfred. "I am sorry," he quietly mumbled. "I did not think..."
"You have to," Alfred scolded lightly. "How you act in here effects what happens at the Deck Meeting. You told me that the first time we ever had a Deck Meeting. Remember? When I was trying to dance with Queen Lili?" Alfred refrained from smiling at the memory. "You told me it would interfear with the Diamond of Jack's generosity towards us."
"Well, I got fucking nervous, Alfred, I am sorry!" Arthur frowned, "I did not believe him when he told me you had requested it!"
"Why?" Alfred demanded, not really that angry with Arthur but he needed to act like he was.
"Because I know you two do not get along, and so I figured that he would try and take me from you!"
Alfred started to walk away. "He was the only one able to carry you."
"Are you calling me fat?!" Arthur went after him in anger. The anger made him forget about all of his aches and pains.
"No, I'm calling you a man."
The older bristles, "And?! I still do not see why you could not have done it yourself! I am pretty sure no one would take offense if you said that you were going to wake your Queen and would be right back," insisted Arthur.
The King sighed, "Because I was serving our guests dinner. I don't want to seem rude again. Vash already yelled at us once."
Arthur grumbled something under his breath, and stormed off ahead of his King. Stupid Alfred and his stupid loyalty to everyone but his Queen!
Alfred rolled his eyes. They always got into those fights and they would make up later. He walked back into the Royal Solar, making an excuse for both Ivan and Arthur.
Arthur went off to his room, ignoring the now growing pain in his stomach that proclaimed his hunger.
The King never appreciated him! It was always someone else! He hadn't felt this jealous since he found Alfred with that maid whore! He was his Queen! The most important person to the King was his Queen, right? And Alfred had vowed to protect him at their marriage. But right now, those were false words.
A pessimistic voice came to him. 'But he didn't mean it. The words were ceremony and tradition. If he did not 'marry' you, he would not get the thrown. Just some empty words for a Kingdom. Although most of the married Kings and Queens have eventually fallen in love, there are exceptions. However those rulers have ruined the Kingdom!'
The Queen glared up ahead as a lighter, much more optimistic voice inside of his voice. 'You know for a fact that Alfred always cares about you as a friend, and it's only increased since you became closer friends. He was just being a good King to the other Royal Deck members.'
'He is still a man whore...'
'But that doesn't matter because Alfred's happy with that, and that means you're happy, too!'
'Oh so we're in love again?'
'Not in love. He is, as cliche as it sounds, the brother you never had a chance to have, and he makes you happy like a best friend should. There is no romantic love behind any of this.'
Arthur's head spun as the voices argued. His stomach loudly complained, hungry for substance. He struggled to keep his eyes opened as he felt very tired. His feet stumbled to the side, his arm thumping against the wall harshly. He groaned as the cramps started to speed up without mercy and gave him more pain. He collapsed to the ground, clutching his stomach and clenching his eyes shut. The agony from his stomach and the dizziness of his now pounding head came in waves, washing over him and blurring his eyesight.
Slowly he crawled into the near nearest room, hoping to find anybody that could call for help. A knock came from the door.
"Arthur? My Queen?"
It was Alfred's voice. The deep tones echoed in his head. If only he could call out. Arthur groaned quietly, gradually moving from his stomach onto his side as the pain seemed to rip at his nerves. Everything hurt, his body felt as if it was being ripped to pieces. He wanted to crawl away and get to his room, or somewhere else, somewhere he knew. He didn't want to pass out, but if he had to because of the pain... Gradually, despite his struggle to stay awake , he started to slip into unconsciousness, even as he forced his eyes to stay open
Suddenly a loud noise came from his left. He could barely see the door before him. All he could see was a figure kneeling. He blinked slowly, giving a quiet gripe in response to a gentle hand against his cheek.
He distantly heard the words, "Arthur? Arthur?! Damn it Arthur!" The voice sounded worried.
He tried to raise his head, but it took too much energy, and his neck started to ache from the action, so he rested it against the ground once more. He tried to open his mouth but the words refused to be formed.
The next few minutes were a blur. He was picked up and carried, presumably by Alfred. He could barely make out that they were traveling to the Medical ward. His head was feeling as if it was being crushed by a whole castle! The Queen could tell he was trembling, hands limp against his stomach. His mouth was dry and he failed to moisten his lips. His body was still as the movements stopped and he detected more voices, somewhere near and somewhere he couldn't see. The body holding him, probably and hopefully Alfred, responded in some way before walking again.
After sometime, he couldn't really tell, Arthur felt himself being laid on something soft. 'A bed perhaps', he thought. Closing his eyes, he felt peace until his chest felt cold. Peaking between his eyelashes, the Brit saw and somewhat felt a figure touching his ribs and torso. With a weak groan, he tried to move away from the hands, but another figure held him down lightly. He couldn't tell if Alfred was still here or not. Through the pain he was suffering from, he hoped that he was.
Suddenly, he felt his mouth being opened, and a cool liquid slipped down it. He didn't resist the warm substance from entering him, and he could feel his body settling down just a little bit as a result. After that though, he felt extremely drowsy. The hands stopped touching him and it just all faded to black.
When Arthur next woke up, the room was dark and only a razor thin strip of light was bleeding through from behind the curtains that were as still as a corpse. He had only a slight headache located at his temple, and although he did feel a bit satisfied in concerns to his stomach, he felt a bit of hunger still located inside of him.
He also felt very warm. Looking at his stomach, Arthur learned his was tucked in with thick fluffy blankets tighter than a bug in a rug (a saying he learned from Alfred)! He tried to shift but found it quite difficult to do so. He frowned at his predicament, and tried to look around. He was definitely in a hospital ward, but he didn't know- he couldn't remember- how he had ended up in such a place.
A voice came from behind his head, where he could see anything. "Arthur? Are you awake? Are you okay?" The owner of the voice moved to beside the Queen. Alfred looked down worried; Arthur could tell by his eyes. They looked pained.
"I'm awake...," he weakly answered, his throat sore as he spoke and still a bit raw. His voice sounded horrendously hoarse. "Whot happened?"
"Wait, let me get you water." Alfred hurriedly got a sipping spoon to give water to the smaller. "Here you go," he said as he poured the water into Arthur's mouth. "I found you delirious in one of the halls. Do you want to tell me if something was wrong?"
"I do not know." He shrugged small, flinching at the pain that slipped inside of his movements. "I cannot remember much of whot happened to me."
"Well I know what happened and I am not even remotely pleased Arthur! Why would you do that?! You know it is dangerous! You are not a teenage girl!" Alfred complained loudly. He was so scared when he saw Arthur laying on the ground, shivering. He thought that an assassin had spiked his drink or something!
Arthur flinched, cringing from the angry blue gaze. "I apologize, Alfred. I don't have the slightest idea on whot you are talking about." He was as bewildered as Alfred. He knew that lately he had not been feeling great, but he never thought it would be this bad. Perhaps he had caught a really bad stomach bug. However, he seemed fine now. "I feel better Alfred. I'll be okay."
The sapphire eyes softened slightly. Alfred took a deep breath before getting serious. He needed to make Arthur understand. "You haven't been eating or drinking enough, Arthur! You could have killed yourself! In fact, you almost did!"
The Queen looked away, a blush rising to his cheeks. He didn't say anything, for there was nothing to say. He never thought that he was starving himself. The Englishman felt ashamed of himself, he caused everyone to worry.
Alfred sat on the edge of the bed. He put his hand on Arthur's chest. "Why? Why would you do that?" To be honest, Alfred blamed himself. In the past, Alfred asked about Arthur's weight. The older told him it was one hundred and twenty pounds. He should have realized that it was not enough for a man Arthur's size. I should have known.
The older let out a quiet sigh. "I..." He tried to curl up and only succeeded into turning his body to the side. "I don't know..."
Alfred moved closer to his Queen. "Did you even notice it?"
Arthur shook his head. "No... I guess it explains why I am always tired and therefor sleeping as well as why I seem to always be cold."
"I could see your ribs, Arthur," the King whispered, still horrified by the mental image when the doctors opened his shirt. Arthur's ribs were defined so much from lack of fat on his body. "I was so worried."
Arthur gulped, now he felt even worse. Alfred looked haunted by the memory. "Th-that's...terrible..." He sat up slowly, his back hurt, and rubbed his left arm. "I am sorry.
The taller ignored the apology. "I brought some food for you."
The Queen nodded slowly. "Whot kinds?"
Alfred turned to get it, a frown appearing on his face as he turned back around with a tray. "I wanted to give you really fatting foods, like pastries and pasta, but the doctors said that with how little you have been eating, giving you big meals like the one you had at breakfast is actually harmful for your healing process. So, I brought you broth and some crackers." He set the tray on his lap. "The doctors say that you can get the rich food in two days, depending on how you react towards the broth and crackers."
"That's good..." Arthur shifted uncomfortably. "I am sorry," he repeated.
The American ignored the older's apology again and moved into position so that he had the spoon and bowl facing Arthur properly. "Here, let me feed you." He dipped the spoon into the broth and carefully moved the spoon to Arthur's mouth.
The older opened his mouth slowly, and the spoon landed perfectly and gently. The soup was warm, and tasted surprisingly good. "It's good..." However the taste was diminished because of how Alfred was ignoring him.
"Good," Alfred replied as he refilled the spoon with broth. "Is it warming you up or did the blankets do that already?"
Arthur shook his head. "The blankets and this is warm broth really fixing the warm problem.
"I see. Well, unfortunately, I cannot stuff you with food like I wanted." Alfred looked irritated at the thought. "The doctors say that I need to give you slightly increasing amounts of food. So I warn you, I will make sure you eat at least four times a day."
The Queen sighed, and nodded. "Alright..." He sadly looked up at Alfred, forcing the somehow lump in his throat down. "I'm sorry, Alfred..."
The younger paused what he was doing, staring Arthur in the eyes. "You will only be forgiven once you gain some weight back. Do you understand?" Alfred said after a few minutes of silence and feeding the other.
Arthur glanced up in hurt at the other, but then nodded slowly, eyes and head downcast and refusing to even take a glimpse of Alfred. "I understand..."
"I can't feed you if you can't see the spoon, Arthur." Alfred grunted as he put the soup down. "Do you want the crackers now? They are really good, I snagged a few while you were asleep! Isabel says they have good grain or something!" Alfred smiled, trying to make the other cheer up some, even though he himself felt the opposite of happy.
"Okay..."
The King set the plate of crackers down, realizing that something was wrong besides the eating problem. "Talk to me, Arthur."
The older focused on the wall nearby, his voice void of all emotion but sadness. "Whot is there to say..."
"About whatever is bothering you," Alfred said sitting down on the bed again. "What's wrong?"
Arthur shook his head and closed his eyes. "Why speak when I won't be forgiven until a bit of my weight returns? Do you hate me now?"
The King shook his head, "How could I hate you? It is because I am worried. Now as your King and more importantly, your best friend, I want you to tell me what is wrong," Alfred said calmly.
Arthur sighed, finally looking up with a grimace. "Will I really not be forgiven until I gain my weight back..."
Alfred sent him a bright smile, trying to hid his nervousness. "Not really, if you keep pouting like that, but I still will force you to eat."
The emerald eyes glared at him, showing a serious nature and telling Alfred he wasn't joking.
The King dropped the smile and responded with same level of seriousness. "I am telling the truth. I can never deny you for too long..." His mind drifted back to the younger Joker's words. Then he forced the words away. Now was not the time. He blushed slightly.
The Queen face split into a small smile. "That makes it a bit better..."
"I change my statement," Alfred informed the smaller. "If you promise to eat more and I mean my kind of more, I will forgive you."
"I hadn't even realized I was eating so little..." Arthur nodded after a moment of silence. "I promise that I will eat more until I am at a healthy weight."
Alfred grinned and reached for Arthur's hand. "Then, I forgive you."
"Thank you." The Englishman nodded and entwined their hands together. "Thank you."
Alfred turned serious once again, somewhat glaring at the Queen, "But if you ever do this again, I will force feed you. I swear by the gods, understand?"
Arthur nodded, that was the most serious vow one could make. Breaking a vow to the gods was seen as one of the worst choices a human could make. "I understand clearly."
"Good!" The American smiled again. He felt better now that Arthur promised him to eat more."Now eat your crackers. It's almost time for the afternoon session of the Deck meeting!"
He nodded, and proceeded to eat the crackers slowly. "So..." He swallowed the food before speaking. "Why did you come back?"
"I saw you didn't go to lunch and didn't eat. So I went to find you during the siesta."
Arthur took another bite from the cracker, finishing it. "Hm...and to think I had believed you didn't care about me..."
"Silly Queen, of course I do! You're like family, as mine are all gone."
Arthur chuckled. "You're sweet for saying that." He sat up slowly to embrace the younger. "Thank you, dear friend."
Alfred returned the embrace, "Of course, my Queen."
The two broke apart and Arthur took another bite of a cracker. "These aren't that bad, actually. They're quite nice, to be honest."
"Okay, can I snag a few? I forgot what they taste like." Alfred asked, teasingly.
The older gave his friend two brown crackers, "Of course." They were gone before he could even blink.
Alfred licked his lips after he swallowed the snack, "Yum. Thank you, Arthur."
"You are welcome, Alfred." The older laughed loudly and suddenly. "Someone was just as hungry as I am."
"I did not eat very much because I was looking for you. I can eat at the Deck Meeting."
Arthur chuckled, "How ironic. You scold me for not eating well and you have not even eaten yet."
"I normally eat enough for two!" The taller male argued.
"True, true." He moved next to Alfred to rest his head and eat quietly. "You know my words contain no bite in them."
Alfred intertwined their hands again. "I know." He let them have a moment. "Do you feel any better?" He checked the King's clock. "We have about ten minutes until it starts. I could say that you are ill still if you do not wish to go."
Arthur shook his head. "I should be fine in a couple minutes or so." He took another sip of broth. "Just give me some time."
"I will wait for you."
The older Queen nodded, quietly finishing the rest of his crackers and enjoying their moment. However, when Alfred stood up, the moment ended.
"Arthur, we need to leave now. You need to change." Alfred turned around and picked up Arthur's folded clothes from the bottom of the cart that previously carried the tray. "Here," he said, laying the clothes on Arthur's bed. "I will be outside waiting for you." With that, the King of Spades left the Medical Ward.
The English royal sighed. He shakily removed himself from the bed and stood up. His legs were slightly shaking with the effort. How had he not noticed? Arthur sighed. "I messed up big time…" Slowly, he put his clothes in proper order. He was somewhat tired by the end of the dressing, so he decided to use some magic. The magic wouldn't make him healthy, but rather, give him enough energy to last the Deck Meeting.
Looking around, he saw tree branch above the balcony. Shuffling outside, Arthur reached out to touch the tree branch. Arthur began chanting as his skin came in contact with the bark. After the incantation was finished, the Queen could feel the energy from the tree moving into his body. He stopped the spell when he had sufficient energy. His legs were stable again and his stomach did not feel pained. Turning around, he walked out from the balcony and outside the Medical Ward where Alfred was sitting on a chair, waiting.
Alfred smiled as he saw Arthur walking. "I see you look better." He gestured the path to the meeting room. "Do I need to carry you?"
As much as Arthur would love to be carried, he knew that it was not proper for a Queen to be carried unless they were injured severely. If someone was carried, the person was considered weak. The Queen would have to suck it up and walk, his pride and Kingdom honor were at stake. "No, I am fine thank you.
The King nodded and the two walked to the meeting room.
The King of Spades sighed as he watched the clouds float by the small window in the room. Clubs, Spades, and Diamonds were all present, but the guards had not found hide nor hair of the Hearts Kingdom royals. Unlike before, this wait was completely silent. No royal was talking to one another.
Time passed and Arthur checked his Queen's clock several time. With each glance, he was getting more worried. It was never like Hearts to be this late! Both lunch and the siesta were over. Yet he knew he and everyone else would just have to wait.
Eventually a servant came rushing into the room. "My Kings and Queen!" His purple servants garb suggested he was a Spadian servant. "My Kings and Queens," he repeated, bending over in an exhausted bow.
It seemed as if the entire room jumped from the outcry. "What is it?" Francis and Alfred asked in unison.
The servant panted for breath as he straightened up. "H-Hearts is under attack!"
The Royal Deck members ran out of the room, with Yao and the Ace of Diamonds, Antonio, the first ones out the door. Arthur was frozen in his spot as he recalled the words he and Isabel shared yesterday about battleships. 'The ships are almost at the coastline of Hearts. Another few months and they will be here.'
Alfred picked up Arthur and carried him outside the meeting room. The servant was currently telling how Hearts left in a hurry with no warning, even some of the Hearts servants were left behind!
Antonio was on the border of hysterical, worried eyes wide as he spit out rapid Spanish and Francis held him back. The Diamonds King was ordering Vash and Lili to start packing and to get ready to head back to their Capital, Bela Ru, commonly known as the City of Gems.
"Whot's happening with us? Will we be leaving for the Capital?" Arthur quietly questioned his King.
Isabel frowned, moving closer to Alfred and Arthur. "The pirates attacked Hearts main naval station. Soon they will be able to cross the seas unchecked."
"We're leaving," Francis admitted, finally letting his friend go. Antonio embraced him tightly and started to shake. "I would razer 'ave Antoine 'appy zan miserable."
"Whot are we doing?" The Queen of Spades asked Alfred again. "Are we leaving for the Capital?"
Alfred nodded. "Isabel, I want you to ride for Seaport Watch and start our fleet. Arthur," he paused, think of something the Queen could do with his condition. "I want you make preparations to leave here, command the servants to pack quickly. I will be talking to Berwald. We leave in three hours, understand?"
Isabel and Arthur nodded, and departed. Yao went up to Alfred nervously, brown eyes shining with tears ready to fall but none did. "A-Alfred..." He took a deep breath. "I need to go to Hearts, aru..."
The King was filled with pity. "I can't let you go. Kiku will be safe, these men are still on the sea. Queen Kiku has an entire army to protect him if they come on land. I can't send you as well. What I need you to do is get help for Hearts. Send ravens to the Lords and Ladies. We may not have signed the new treaty but we promised to help Hearts if war came."
The Jack choked back a sob and nodded. "I-I will aru..." Arms hugging himself, he quickly ran off to do as he was told.
Alfred quickly said farewell to the others. Then he quickly found his way to Berwald's office. Berwald was the chief commander of the army. Only Alfred, Arthur, Yao, and Isabel had more power than him over the army.
Berwald was already waiting outside of his door when Alfred saw him. His accent was thick and he was extremely tall, as well as the lover of Tino. He nodded when he noticed his king. "'lfred," he greeted him in his strong, quiet voice. He bowed his head. "I was just about t' come get ye."
The American nodded, not happy at all with the situation. "I am guessing you know why I am here."
"Yes," the Swedish man replied. Nodding solemnly, he promised, "You tell me what to do 'n I'll prepare th' s'ldiers."
Alfred walked into the empty office and stood next to the map on the wall. He pointed to the western side of the map. "The pirates are on the west coast. I want experienced men to go to the west ports. For the new men, I want extra training. We will be ready if they come here."
Berwald started to write on a sheet of parchment with a nod. "Understood. I will get this done quickly."
"Anything else to report?"
"Not much. We have good sold'rs. They train hard every m'rnin'."
"They also train at night now. Start at sunset, get them used to fighting without the sun." Alfred commanded. "The seas are deadly, even at night."
"Alright. Before n' after dinner, they will train h'rd. Aft'r dinner, they will train again 'til before dawn."
" Morning and afternoon is for sleeping and battle strategies," ordered the American, his sapphire blue eyes sharply glaring at the map still.
"Mm." He nodded. "I'll inform them of th' schedule."
The King smiled as he faced his Chief General. "I know you'll do fine." He slapped Betwald's back.
"Tack(1)... What we ye be doing, m'King?"
Alfred looked out the window. "I will go back to the Captal. We need to prepare the coasts and I need the Lords and Ladies to assist me."
Berwald gazed out at the sun as it made its gradual decent from the sky. "I wish you luck. I will do everything in m'power to keep this kingdom safe."
"I know you will," Alfred said with confidence. "Let's just hope this ends quickly." He turned to face the doors. "Make sure you get enough food supplies."
Berwald nodded, and sat down behind the wooden desk. He started to plan out for the training grounds and the Tooth's future.
Alfred walked out the door. Going to the nearest servant's quarters, he quickly disappeared into the dark passages with a burning candle he took from the servant's quarter.
Arthur had gone to all of the four Royal Deck members from Spades and began to order all servants to help pack away all belongings to be placed on the carriages for their departure. Yao was frantic with writing to the Lords and Ladies, his handwriting shaking so much that it took four pieces of paper to write the first one correctly. The distress was clear on the Jack's face; the Queen of Spades was surprised that his friend hadn't left or had broken down yet.
Alfred suddenly appeared out of thin air. "Are we almost ready?"
Arthur jumped at the sound of Alfred and his entrance, so much that he dropped the several light bags that he was hauling onto his feet out of shock. "Gods, Alfred!" He hissed in pain, shoving the baggage off his feet to rub his toes.
"Sorry," the King hurried over and picked up the items for Arthur. "I didn't mean to scare you but we really have to hurry."
"All we have is this to get down to the carriage. That will be the last of our stuff that we brought to the Tooth. I had a servant order the cooks to stock the men with all the food, water, and wine that we need," he replied. "Isabel has already left to prepare for Seaport Watch."
"All letters sent," Yao mumbled as he sent the last raven out the window.
Alfred nodded. He grabbed Arthur's hand with his right hand, while his left picked up the bags his Queen was previously carrying. "Let's go!" With that, he started off towards the carriage that would take them back to the Castle.
The trio made their way to the front of the Tooth at a snail's pace. Arthur had to make sure everything was in order while Alfred helped the last of their stuff into boxes. Then he ordered the boxes onto the back of the carriage and explained the issue to the driver. The Queen, after seeing that their belongings were all where they were supposed to, looked around to talk to Yao, but couldn't find him anywhere. He did notice, however, that there was a horse missing from the nearby stables stables.
"Alfred!" The Englishman cried out. "Do you know where Yao went?!"
The King sighed. He turned to see the surrounding area, "Yeah. Yeah I think I do," he said in a remorseful voice.
Arthur sighed, and examined their surroundings too. "I don't blame him. Wanting to be beside your lover through a dark time...I'd go."
Alfred set the inside of the carriage to be a bed. "Yes," He grunted with a slight amount of pain, "Me too." The taller withheld a groan as his shoulder protested the movement. It was still hurt from the Spades Blades and he agitated it by helping with the packing.
The older climbed in beside him on his own, pushing away Alfred's shirt to examine the wound. "I haven't looked at your injury yet. It doesn't hurt as bad as it sounds and looks, does it?"
Alfred sat on the bed and shut the door. "I had a sword lodged in there. What do you think?" He replied sarcastically as he tried to ignore the pain. He did not mean to seem so angry but he was angry at the situation, not Arthur. "Gods this hurts!"
"I thought it would get better, relax." Arthur rummaged through a first aid kit that was sealed in a bag of sorts on the wall, and removed the bandages. The scar was starting to heal, but not enough to have it uncovered. "I'm sorry this happened."
Alfred grunted. "I told you. Heroes don't let their special people get hurt." He blushed a bit as he said the words. Those 'special people' usually were love interests.
Arthur's cheeks flushed as well with a small smile. Even after what happened, Alfred still considered him special. "You'd do anything for me, I bet." He started to wrap new bandages around the wound.
Alfred blinked a few times, thinking about what the older had said. "I think I would," he admitted. That thought cause his blush to grow. For the millionth time, Peter's words flashed though his mind.
His head hurt from all the thoughts running through his head. On one side, there were Peter's words. He supposedly loved Arthur. Heck he saved his life and even had a wet dream about the small Queen. The other side of the divide was denial. Arthur was his best friend! Of course Alfred would save him! And a silly sex dream? So what? He didn't have his maid that night! Perhaps everything would be settled and the issue would never happen again.
Arthur smiled warmly as he patched the last of his close friend's bandages, and, after making sure it was securely on, pushed his clothes back over his shoulder. He didn't know what to think of those first two words, but he didn't let it bother him. If Alfred would take a blade to the shoulder, what else would he take for him?
Suddenly Arthur felt fear. With these pirates, Alfred and himself would have to go and fight. Right now, Arthur was not in the best condition to fight. His starvation would have taken a lot of energy. If one got past Arthur's defenses, Alfred would step in the way, possibly killing the King in cold blood.
His stomach curled in fear; it was childish and overly ridiculous to say it, but he really didn't have a clue on what he would do if he were to lose Alfred. He could never lose his King like that. The Englishman wouldn't be able to live with himself if he did. Being without Alfred would be without a reason to carry on. He would succumb to loneliness once again, and he didn't want that to happen. It was the worst feeling he had ever witnessed, and he wanted no more suffering to come from it.
Alfred quickly moved to lie down in the bed. "I just need rest." He smiled at the softness of the pillows. "Mmmm, Arthur?"
Whatever his King had said, the Queen did not hear, his attention on his hands instead. If he were to lose the American to a self-sacrifice, he would feel guilty. He would blame himself for it. Hell, he wouldn't be able to think properly. He would only be half of a person, with the other six feet into the ground. That terrified him the most; it would be lonesome, and cold. Alfred hated cold weather, he knew for a fact. Alfred would be buried, which he now knew was the younger's worst fear. Arthur hated to imagine what would go through his head.
"Arthur?"
Said person still didn't hear, more focused on his troublesome thoughts. But would it really matter? Alfred was dead. He would have no life, no smile, and no laugh. And all because Arthur was careless and didn't defend himself properly.
"Arthur?!"
He would never enjoy the next summer, or his next birthday. Even the next holiday!
"ARTHUR!"
The Queen turned his head sharply to Alfred, trembling as his thoughts finally brought him down into tears that he tried extremely hard to hold back.
The American sat up. "What's wrong?" He implored of the smaller. For what he could tell, Arthur was not hurt.
Arthur dug his face into Alfred's uninjured shoulder, shuddering into Alfred with a soft whimper. His thoughts, and now images, raced through his mind at a fast pace. He tried to force them away, but one that was worse than the previous one always showed up again.
The younger wrapped his arm around the older. "Hey now," he said in a (hopefully) soothing voice. "Everything will be alright."
"No, it won't," he muttered into fabric. "I worry you will lose your life one day sacrificing yours to keep mine here..." He hid his face from view, hoping to find warmth and comfort with his King. "I found that I cannot live without you."
Alfred used a hand to make Arthur look at him. His sapphire orbs confident, "I won't die until I am old." He kissed the other's forehead. "I promise."
Arthur sniffed, his eyes a mixture of emerald anger and sadness. "You better not die early on me or else."
Alfred smiled, "Of course! Now, let's head for home." He turned his head to tell the diver of the carriage to start. Once the carriage lumbered forward, Alfred turned back around. "I will rest most of the ride."
The Briton nodded, curling into his King's side. Arthur felt the same way. With all the commotion and excitement, the energy that he took from the tree wasn't enough. Well…that and he didn't want to leave Alfred's side at the moment; it was too warm and comforting to his boggled, aching mind.
Alfred laid back and snuggled into the bed, "Sleep well, my Queen."
The Queen shifted into his arms, sighing when he was consumed by warmth and closed his eyes.
The younger smiled slightly. He could live with this. The Kingdom might be going to war but he had Arthur in his arms. "Yeah, he whispered to himself, "I can live with that."
Arthur looked up in confusion, having heard the taller speak, but then settled back down.
Soon the two fell asleep in each other's arms.
(1)Tack: Swedish; thanks/thank you
CC101- Alright guys, there it is! Sorry for the mix up. I don't know what went wrong! So, I rewrote this so not everything is the same. There were no guest reviews and only two warnings:
1. I have a new poll, go vote.
2. My rp partner, LadyScarlettofSkaro, will write a one-shot for my 200th review!
I have a tumblr: ilovemyfatcat . tumblr . com
Also, for more info about my stories, you can look up any of these tags: CC101's fanfics, CC101's drawings, Of Kings and Queens, To Breed a Naga, The Love Between Cats, OKAQ, TBaN, and TLBC.