Numbers of his Life
Story by: VeNgEaNcEoFrAiN
Disclaimer: Hidekaz Himaruya owns every personified country as well as this Cardverse AU ideas, I merely exploit his ideas for my own personal uses muahahah! Everything else is purely fictional, any resemblance to other stories is purely coincidental – I don't really know if there's a similar story around but this idea just popped up in my head so I decided to write it (all I can say is great minds think alike). Some fundamental ideas like how the pocket watch chooses the royalty in Spades is kept in this story. I would like to credit the person coming up with the idea but I think it'd probably be hard to track who started it. If you think I violated copyright laws, erm, I can take it down if you send me a mail or review.
Summary: Time is what chooses the royalties of Spade and the same Time chose Arthur in the 21st century universe as Queen. Will this Prof survive in that universe? Cardverse!AU USUK and other possible pairings.
Author's note: Hey peeps! I think some paragraphs are really really long and the font is rather small but I hope you bare with me cause I honestly don't know where to partition them properly so that they don't disrupt the flow (I work on MS Word so they seem rather ok to me in there). I seriously need a beta reader for my lack of grammar, vocabulary and what-not lol. Special thanks to these following people for their reviews 3 - Kem, kooliobutterflyhahaha, CelestialCiel, RawrGodzirra and MintMilkTea. Truth be told, I am working hard on chapter 4! Anyhow, do enjoy chapter 3!
Chapter 3: Kingdom of three
"You must be bloody kidding me." A loud groan sounded throughout the castle corridors. A few servants stopped to survey the source while some just strode away as if it was normal. In actual fact, it was normal. A loud thud was heard from one of the beautifully garnished doors when someone's chin made contact with it. A few lips pressed into a thin line as eyes averted the direction of sight. "Eyebrows, I mean, your Majesty, this is all in preparation of your coronation ceremony. There are many more things we have to do before you can retire to your bedroom tonight. Your schedule for today is very packed. I'm sorry but we do not have the time for a break, let alone tea. We'd be in trouble if your Majesty does not complete today's tasks."
"And his Majesty can't even have a break or something he loves. Please kill me right now."Arthur sighed as he pressed his shoulders against the side of the table while laying his head on it. He looked out of the window. He watched the raindrops hit the windows. Multiple drops merged to form bigger ones while sliding down with the force of gravity. His weary mind started drifting. It was two week ago when he got teleported to this strange world, met the King in a freak chance and be chosen as the Queen. Now in a month's time, he was to know everything there is to this world and Kingdom – honestly that took Alfred and Yao more than 5 years to do it. The worst of all, he was literally forbidden to have tea breaks and whatnots by his lady-in-waiting and tutors. Before his personal attendee could come up with a retort, the door creaked open.
"Are you throwing a tantrum again, Artie?" A familiar voice sounded behind him. Frankly, Arthur was too tired to even be bothered turning his head to face the owner of that voice. "What do you want?" He groaned with eyes half-lidded. He already gave up trying to correct the other about his owner laughed and a shuffle of feet could be heard. Then, the door clicked close right after. "Some quality time with my dear Queen would be good!" A faint familiar fragrance drifted towards Arthur. Immediately, he sat up in recognition of that smell: freshly brewed tea. He swallowed audibly. A small smile played across his face as a 'thank you for saving me' gesture. Alfred sure knew when he needed a lifting of spirits. After putting away all the books, papers and documents stacked high above his table, Arthur could finally rest with a nice cup of tea and relax to the raining scene outside of the window. As much as he enjoyed reading and learning new things, those evil things on his table coupled with the cool weather made him nod off several times. "How're you getting along with the preparations? Was the lady-in-waiting good enough? I can get her changed if you like." It was nice to hear how concerned his future 'husband' was to his well-being. It was nice to be pampered once in a while though there was no way he was going to admit that.
"For the preparations part, I'm literally dying. I'm not saying the history and geography of Spades is boring but there's just too much to remember in such a short time." His fingers pinched the bridge of his nose in attempt to ease a rising headache. "The lady is strict but good, she's considerate but has my whole schedule packed like sardines. It's ok if you don't change her, at least she make sure I finish every single thing on time, that I'm afraid, also means my meal and sleeping times. Don't even get me started on how she tried to murder me if I were in the bathroom a minute more than the allocated time." Arthur picked up the teacup while rolling his eyes at that thought. He stole a few sips of tea and a few moments of well-earned rest. The warm liquid rolled over his tongue enticing his taste buds in little sparks of pleasure. He fought down the urge to moan when he felt warmth spread throughout his body starting from his stomach.
Although the tea wasn't as good as it is back at home, it'd do for now; and how perfect it would be if only someone were to massage his aching shoulders. As if on cue, he found hands giving rhythmic squeezes to his slender shoulders. "You must have had a tiring day. You should have let her know if you wanted a break." He didn't mind the little intimate advances the other was making anymore. He figured it was all to make both of them feel comfortable with the future days ahead. He wouldn't mind falling in love with his idiotic King if he were so considerate, careful and gentle all the time. To be honest, he wasn't picky of gender anymore after he gave up looking for love. He got so tired of chasing after it, he'd rather wait for it to come knocking at his door.
"Oh please, you should have seen her face when I tried to even bring the word 'rest' up." He rolled his eyes in annoyance yet again. There had been so many things he had to roll his eyes at. But it was alright considering how he finally had what he yearned for. Ohh, just thinking about all the authority he could get when he's finally named Queen sent shivers down his spine. Revenge would be sweet. His lips curled in a smirk against the rim of his teacup. A sigh from behind him then broke his trail of thoughts. It was followed by the halting of the comfortable massage on his shoulders. He could sense the lad's worries and judging by the dark circles below his eyes, the King probably couldn't get a good rest too. Perhaps he should say something to console the other, but what could he say? 'You're doing great. Sit down and relax a little.' Or 'Don't worry too much; I'll be there to help soon.'? Both didn't really sound good enough. He decided, he'd let silence do the consoling. Maybe it was better if he kept quiet – he had little knowledge of what was going on anyway. His lips drew into a thin line while his brows furrowed. The sense of being unable to help someone in need was simply unbearable, was he feeling the same? He watched as blue eyes stared fixatedly at a spot on the carpeted ground.
"Alfred! So you are here in the Queen's study, aru! I've been looking for you all over the palace!" The door opened, revealing an averagely heighted man with his raven hair tied neatly back into a ponytail. The clothes he was wearing displayed his rank in court and the way he called Alfred by his first name showed that he was the other royalty of Spade. "How dare you escape the meeting with our heads of ministerial boards? You cannot treat this like a game! Lives are at stake!" The raven royalty flared in anger. How can his King be so irresponsible? Recently he had been visiting the Queen's study room so frequently for breaks and now he skipped a meeting for him? Sometimes Yao really hoped the Queen did not appear. He was a freaking distraction for Alfred! He eyed suspiciously at the man seated in a comfy arm chair and the other leaning against the side of the arm chair.
"Hey hey calm down man! I didn't skip it! I asked for a postponement! They can't even produce proper figures to argue their concerns! It's not my fault, seriously… Besides if I've been working my ass off, shouldn't they do the same? And I think I deserve some rest and spend some time with my soon-to-be spouse." The King retorted, while frowning.
"He has a point…" Yao thought. He let a sigh escape his chapped lips. Like Arthur, Yao never failed to notice the eye bags and dark circles below Alfred's eyes. Though to most people, they might seem light due to his rather tanned complex. Both the Queen-to-be and the Jack knew deep down, he was just finding a reasonable excuse to escape for even a minute from the tense atmosphere; the atmosphere in which the King pretended not to know or succumb under. He had the whole Kingdom on his shoulders. Even if he chose to spend time with Arthur to escape temporarily from this life, Arthur wouldn't mind. He was a little glad he existed somewhere in Alfred's thoughts as someone who could make him forget the world for a while. "There's no burden heavier," Arthur thought. "A mature man in his late thirties wouldn't be able to do this well, let alone a nineteen-year-old." He vaguely remembered a handsome and charismatic man of many contributions and responsibilities to his country: a Prime Minister of great talents. He was greatly admired for his efforts in office during the Second World War. Having seen and been in countless wars in his lifetime, he pulled through many obstacles and emerged victorious. Now, if only Alfred could pull through this like him. Oh! Or even be half of what Alfred the Great was like, well they do share the same name…
The room grew awkwardly silent. Arthur cleared his throat in attempt to break it. "Well, Alfred and I should be done with our little break-time soon; keeping note that we both have got lots to do. Would you care to join us for five minutes? I do believe you need some rest too." A friendly gesture to leave a better impression for the Jack he hoped.
The first meeting was pretty horrible. He recalled being brought to the throne room to meet and greet the other royalty of the Kingdom by Alfred. En route to the room, he got rather pissed by Alfred's constant rambling of what is what, where is what etc. It ended up like an unofficial tour of the palace. Of course, there were some places that made him awe in wonder. But in his defense, being dragged around the place in lighting speed would make anyone growl in anger. When they did get to the throne room, he exhaled a small 'finally'. He remembered the wheat-head call out the other's name enthusiastically (of course). He couldn't really catch what his name was but when he did see the other royalty, the only thing that went through his mind was "Oh my, an Asian." It wasn't in a bad way because given his work experience and interactions with Universities and exchanges over the world, he now classified the ones he worked with as passionate and hardworking on the subjects of their interests. Arthur was really looking forward to working with this raven haired man. He swore he was until…
"Who is this weird person with thick eyebrows aru? You're not supposed to bring commoners into the throne room. Alfred, you know the rules."
Well, one can only say in a calmer manner that he snapped like an overstretched rubber-band. In reality, he did more than snapping. A good word to describe would be he exploded. As if the teasing and pissing him off of the King wasn't enough, even the Jack had to tick him off. He had no complete respect for the person who would be the Queen soon. Blinded by anger, Arthur wouldn't find an excuse for this guy, instead, he jumped onto him and the two started fighting. Little did Arthur know that the Asian was a martial arts expert. He was easily subdued in a matter of seconds. The Brit only got his limbs untangled with the help of Alfred when he tried to explain the situation. Really now, was that arm-lock necessary? Arthur narrowed his eyes on the shorter man. Yao did the same. Alfred was pretty sure he heard a low scowl from Arthur. He could've sworn he saw sparks flying off between their judgmental stares. He faked a cough in attempt to get the other two's attention. For now, the thing he needed most now was a peaceful introductory, that should be enough for the cooperation matters and management of the Kingdom. At least that's what he thinks…
"Ahh well, erm, Yao, this is Arthur Kirkland. He's our future Queen, not a commoner. And Arthur, this is Yao Wang, the Jack of Spades." His eyes darted nervously between the two figures. A wave of awkward silence seemed to blanket over them yet again. Then, Yao's head turned in Alfred's direction. His facial expressions contorted into one of shock. His pupils widened a little. He looked at his King intently in search of a joke or a lie but the King just gave a huge grin and scratched his neck. He gave a small frown in annoyance, and then proceeded to checking the stranger out. To be frank, Arthur felt being violated under that constant stare which ran up and down the length of his body. He avoided all eye contact while his cheek twitched in response.
"You're kidding, aren't you? How can this uncouth person be our future Queen aru? What is with his dressing? It looks out of this world." Before Yao can even utter the next word, he felt a pair of green eyes eyeing furiously at him. The intensity of the stare caused his breath to hitch in his throat. The owner then breathed deeply and stated calmly, "For that, I clarify that yes, my dressing is indeed out of this world because I don't belong here in the first place." Arms folded across the chest in defense. Oh if one saw that look of pure horror on the Jack's face, they would be so satisfied. Revenge is pretty sweet, Arthur would say. A satisfactory smirk lingered on his face. He took this chance to observe the robes the Jack was in. Honestly, the silken extension at the bottom made the robe look like a dress and it didn't help when Yao had a pony tail. The man can be easily mistaken as a lady!
The Jack's expression then morphed into one of worry and concern. Without a word, he hurried out of the room, seemingly recalling something. "Was it something I said?" The blonde said while watching the door close. In his heart, he wasn't sure whether to feel relief that the Asian has left or to feel worried if he knew something about Arthur's world. What if because he's an alien in this world, he was supposed to be gotten rid of. Perhaps Yao remembered something that could send him back? "Oh that would be marvellous!" Arthur held high hopes for the latter.
"I'm not sure myself. He did rush off without a word you know. I don't have telepathic abilities sheesh." The King shrugged. It sounded as if Arthur asked a dumb question and when he just gave the act some thoughts. He narrowed his eyes at the taller figure, unimpressed by his 'unintentional' answer.
"Why did I even ask you?" The blonde rested his forehead against his palm.
"I don't know? Maybe because you think I know everything! You think I'm smart! Aww Artie, you're so sweet!"
"You'd wish."
"I do wish! But now that I know my Queen's gonna' sweet and understanding, there's no need for wishing!"
That, simply left Arthur speechless. He wasn't sure whether he should be angry or should he feel depressed by the fact he was going to be stuck with an idiot. His fingers calmly massaged his temples trying to ease an upcoming headache. He closed his eyes for a rest. Why did he think this would be a good change to welcome? Regretting was not going to help at all. He knew very well he had to face this just to get home. And home, would be the main driving force now. "Hey, you've been rubbing your temples for quite a while now. Are you alright? If you like I can get servants to prepare a room for you to rest in."
A gentle smile formed on Alfred's face. The Englishman's eyes softened at that warm smile. It reminded him of a similar scene deep within his memories. A little boy, a toddler of age five perhaps, was smiling like an angel to his nine-year-old self while holding his tiny hands in his own. He roughly made out the surroundings from vague memories. It was probably somewhere near a tiny stream and a vast field as a background. He reckoned it was near his old home in Bristol before he moved to London while his brothers all over Britain. He was very fond of the boy. They've constantly met up in the same area for a few weeks before the boy disappeared. Arthur thought maybe he got adopted by someone and couldn't get back to the usual meeting place. He'd gotten rather attached but since the boy found a new home, he was glad. He never thought he would remember it in such an awkward situation. He averted his gaze on the wheat-head to a spot on the carpeted floor near him.
"Yo, dude? You alright?" The shadow on the ground moved to cover the spot he was spacing out at. That snapped Arthur out of his thoughts. He turned to face the owner of the looming shadow and found him too close for comfort. Arthur stumbled a few steps back to regain lost personal space. "Yes, I'm alright and you're coming too close. Back up a little, will you?" His lips pressed firmly into a slight frown. He wasn't comfortable with anyone invading his circle of personal space, even his brothers.
Then, hands jolted up and grabbed the sides of Arthur's head. The blonde's shoulders tensed up and his pupils widened in surprise. He stepped back in response however, he was held in place by the firm grasp. Fear began coursing through the future Queen's veins and adrenaline raced across his entire body. What was this person going to do? Is he going to hurt him? Arthur gritted his teeth and attempted to look away from the sapphire eyes that are boring into his. He eventually had his eyes shut trying to brace himself for anything at all. His own fingers gripped tightly onto the forearms of the young King, adding some sort of pressure in hopes of making the other releasing him. The taller of the two frowned at the situation. Alfred had never seen someone so resistive to his inspection. It was the normal procedure here to check if the patient was alright. Now that Arthur had his eyes closed, Alfred couldn't see anything that would show symptoms. He didn't know if it works elsewhere but in Spades, one could tell the illness from the symptoms shown through the eyes. Alfred puffed up his cheeks in slight annoyance. "Open your eyes, Arthur."
"Open your eyes, I'm not gonna' hurt you." He prompted again reassuring Arthur. Slowly, Arthur's eyes fluttered open though eye contact between the two of them was still avoided. "Dude, how hard is it to get you to look straight at me? Am I that scary? Or am I too hot and sexy that you'd get embarrassed just by looking?" Alfred wriggled his eyebrows at Arthur. That only made the latter roll his eyes in annoyance. Shifty eyes finally met with stern spectacled ones. Alfred felt himself getting pulled into those deep shades of green. They were almost similar to the forests he used to play in. Similar to the person he met when he was a kid. And at the same time, Arthur couldn't help but feel the same about those beautiful shades of blue. It reminded him of the lake he used to stare at for inspiration and relaxation. He'd say Alfred's eyes matched the skies but it wasn't often one would see a clear blue sky in England. Unknowingly, both figures leaned in closer as if there were a force pushing them forward, as if in a trance that had them trapped. Closer, mere inches apart…
"Erhem… Am I interrupting something aru?" The black haired royalty cleared his throat. The sudden voice jolted both of them from the apparent trance. Yao watched as two pairs of pupils widened in shock while the figures stumbled back away from each other. He looked at the King trying to regain his composure with a small blush across his face. Then he looked towards the future Queen clutching the cloth over his chest seemingly lost in thoughts and seemingly a little shaken. "Ahahaha! You're funny! What could you be interrupting? There's nothing at all! Hahahah!" Alfred attempted to laugh the matter off nervously. Eventually the laughter died down and was replaced by shifting gazes and a slender finger scratching the side of his face. "Anyway, you rushed out a while ago after I introduced Arthur. Is something wrong?"
"Nothing is wrong aru. I brought someone to verify something. Prince Matthew if you please." A shy boy with honey brown, a little past shoulder length hair appeared from behind the Jack. A dangling strand of hair longer than the others stuck out of his parting. He looked so similar to Alfred. If Arthur didn't look carefully, he'd have thought they were the same person. The only distinguishing factors were their hair length, eye colour and maybe their personality. "Hello your Majesty, I'm Matthew Williams, Princely Lord of Spades. I'm Alfred's elder twin." A timid hand gestured a welcome-handshake. Arthur reached out his own and gave it a firm shake. "Pleasure to meet you Prince Matthew." A smile developed on the twin's face. "You're exactly like my mother said." Two pairs of eyes concentrated on him interested and surprised by what the noble said. The Jack simply stood there, consciously listening.
A genuine laugh from the quiet boy earned him confused looks from both the King and the Queen-to-be. "A few weeks before the Queen of Spades die, they would be able to foresee the future Queen's characteristics. It's the same with all the royalties, the clocks merely confirms the candidate. Based on that, the lords, nobles will begin searching by batch of people for the new Queen. Hadn't you realized that those people you've inspected have similar characteristics, Alfred?" A quick nod was the answer. "The dying Queen usually writes down what she sees in her visions and passes on to someone she can trust to bring the correct Queen to court. I didn't understand what mother meant when she said, "He comes from another world." But now I do. You really came from another world." The blonde was at a loss of words. What the Prince meant to say was his life was already destined to be like this. He was fated to come to this world and rule this Kingdom. That also meant his life back in London was a deplorable lie and that this life is the shocking truth. His world began to spin. Arthur staggered for a few steps trying to gain balance. His body swayed a little sideways. The magnitude of the dizziness and headache from when he first arrived in this world began amplifying. His eyelids squeezed shut endeavoring to screen out the escalating pain. The next thing Arthur knew was crumbling into someone's arms and blacking out immediately.
When he finally awoke, he almost cried out in joy saying, "Thank god! I'm home. It's just a dream!" But when he looked around carefully, it doesn't look like his bedroom or his research room in the university. He let out a solemn sigh, throwing his head backwards in defeat. His gaze lingered at the unfamiliar blue ceiling. "I see… It's not a dream…" He lifted his arm outstretched to an upward direction, curling his fingers slightly. Arthur leaned his head against the bed's headrest and laid his forearm against forehead. He rested his eyes, retracing back what had happened. He had collapsed amidst a conversation. Was the information too much for him to absorb? Ahh, but the headache started when he first met Alfred in the garden beside the tombstones. It got worse during the unofficial tour and the git's constant blabbering. What caused it? Nonetheless, it was a definitely terrifying experience for someone who had never fainted before, not that he recalled anyway. What a terrible feeling it was, similar to that one time he got drunk with his brothers. They had to get bailed out by his Danish friend. He was so apologetic and embarrassed about troubling him as well as the innocent public.
The door creaked opened slowly and a shuffle of feet against the floor came along with it. "Oh! You're awake! You scared the crap outta' me back there!" The 'American's' statement made Arthur's cheek twitch in response. He didn't have to open his eyes to know who it was. With that said, well, anyone would know the owner. A familiar sensation began to form within his head. He pinched the bridge of his nose in attempts to ease the upcoming headache, however, it kept increasing in magnitude. To Alfred, the scene was frightening. He witnessed Arthur's body jolted forward, hands gripping the sides of his head, jaws locked in tensed grit and facial features wringed together. He heard Arthur's breaths change in tempo and contained groans of pain breaking loose. Yet, there was nothing he could do to help. Matthew said that Arthur was going through a phase all Queens would: amassing magic from nature and making it their own; even though they were completely unaware of it. Another condition was that the other two royalties were forbidden to have any contact with them in this phase. That meant Alfred could only watch the other suffer the excruciating pain. Words of comfort seemed useless and trapped within his throat. His lips drew into a downward curve while frowning and his hands gripped into tight balls by his side. He had to resist the urge to hug his Queen protectively saying it'd all be alright. His mind wondered to how his mother survived this pain.
A loud thud sounded as Arthur's body fell limp against the mattress. Beads of perspiration lingered for a while before sliding down the sides of his head. His already pale complex seemed a tone paler. Alfred made his way around the bed. He sat down on the space near the edge. His eyes roamed the smaller figure, watching the evening rise and fall of the other's chest. His hand moved to stroke Arthur's hair. It felt soft but a little wet from the ordeal. He recalled how his mother used to make the pain disappear whenever she does that. The young lad had hoped it'd let the other find comfort and rest again. Forest green eyes opened half-lidded. The colour, Alfred noted, was a little duller than they were back in the garden. The soothing caress seemed to make Arthur feel better and more relaxed. He very nearly drifted back to sleep before…
"I told you he'd be here. And it seems like our Queen has awoken as well aru." The Jack ushered the company into the room before closing the door behind him. Arthur propped himself up on one elbow with much effort before getting lifted to sit upright by Alfred. He vaguely made out the people in the room at that moment – his eyes were still blur from the headache. Alfred looked on from the side of the bed as an old noble stepped forward. "Your Majesty, your condition is normal. It is experienced by all the other Queens in the history of Spades. You are merely absorbing magic from nature and changing it into your own. Past Queens have been known for their pool of magic spells that led us to countless victories. This condition will last for a few days depending on your body. I hope you understand that the Jack and King are not supposed to come in contact with you during the trance. But you have to remember you are not alone. We have brought you some medicine that may help reduce your pain." He gestured for the accompanying servant to serve the fancy bowl of black soup. Even if Arthur couldn't see what was in it, he very well could smell the bitter herbs used. His nose wringed in dismay as it took in the scent. "What in the world is that thing you're about to make me drink?"
"It's Chinese herbs not poison, ahen. An old saying goes like 'Bitter medicine is good for illnesses; bitter advices are good for behavior.' So drink it all up." The bowl was taken over by the Jack and shoved close to his mouth. Arthur could feel tears filling his eyes as he was force fed that horrible tasting thing. The said liquid travelled down his throat. He could've sworn it burnt his insides as it moved. Though, it did sort of work, his head doesn't feel like spinning any longer while his vision cleared up after blinking some tears away. He was greeted visually by five others in the room: the King, the Jack, the Prince, a weird old man and a young maid. His eyes than wondered off to checking his surroundings: beautifully garnished room, an English flavor to the style. He liked it. It made him think of home. A small smile formed on the Englishman's face: a small signal that Alfred picked up thinking he liked the room. He was glad Arthur did. It was his mother's old study room. If he didn't like it, everything here had to be moved – the one thing Alfred would prevent from happening.
"I hope you're feeling better, your Majesty. We have your schedule planned out for this month. Your coronation ceremony would be held in a month's time. Thanks to that you've bought us a month to settle the negotiations or prepare of war." The old noble stated. Two claps echoed the entire room and the door opened. A group of servants appeared led by a well-dressed lady. "Allow me to introduce, your Majesty. This is Wan Mei, your lady-in-waiting." She was another Asian so Arthur thought she might be related to the Jack. Well, the annoyed look on the Jack's face confirmed that. Her slight brownish hair was neat and in place except for a particular curl that seemed to hang from the top of her head. A little Epsilon shape near the bottom of the curl added to her sweet look. Something he very nearly got fooled for. He let out a sigh. The little flashback occupied his mind for quite a while. This break time was rare, he'd better treasure it rather than let his mind run.
"Artie? Arthur? You listening?" A hand waved inches in front of Arthur's face. A few blinks ensued before his head jerked back to a comfortable distance. "You're zoning, man. Didn't your headaches stopped a few days ago." A worried look spread over Alfred's face. A prompt shake of his head gave his answer. "I'm fine. Thank you for asking." He quickly dismissed the worry.
"Well then, I will be taking my leave, ahen." The raven haired royalty stood from across the table and bowed before walking towards the door. "So will I. I'll see you at dinner tonight, Artie. Not forgetting the dance session after dinner!" A huge grin plastered on the wheat-head's face before he turned to join the other royalty outside the opened doors. The corners of Arthur's lips tugged a little upwards while having another sip of tea.
"Silly idiot…" He muttered before getting back to his mountains of books.
Footnote: In case you're wondering if Alfred's married to his mom (Marital status linkage for King and Queen), the answer is no. Why? It's because in Spades, so long as the King and Queen are related by blood, there is no need for marriage. It is considered that trust in each other is enough to run the Kingdom. Marriage of non blood-related Kings and Queens is to promote the same trust that hopefully wouldn't shatter in the long run by using the power of love. Alfred is trying to achieve that with Arthur. This would be mentioned again in later chapters.
I hope this is a enjoyable pre-christmas gift to all Hetalia (US/UK) fans. Happy holidays, Merry Christmas in advance! Santa Claus is coming to town~~