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: Hello from a long M.I.A! I was overseas for the holidays and school started. Probably gonna go on another M.I.A again since I'm cooped up by school. I realised Chapter 4 has overshot my chapter word number limit so I'm breaking it down into parts. I guess you could see my chapter names are implicative of what ideas I'm introducing. Special thanks to Captain Arthur Kirkland for the review ;)
Enjoy Chapter 4 part I, pardon for the paragraphing again. I do hope to publish a bit more often. :/
Chapter 4: World of Four
Part I: Pre-Coronation Blues
It was a bright and sunny day. The key word was 'was'. One can only say the sky was pouring. Fingers fumbled awkwardly with each other while palms got sweaty. Arthur's heartbeat is racing. At that moment, he didn't know if he was nervous because of the coronation or was it caused by the many servants, nobles scurrying around in the last preparations of the ceremony. All he knew was the rain was certainly not very welcomed. It messed up most of the preparations and delayed many scheduled items. Perhaps the cold weather also made his hands cold and made his body fidget about. The palace needed all the manpower it had so Arthur was left alone in the dressing room after his clothes were fitted. He could hear loud footsteps merging and resonating outside his door.
He had to wait till his lady-in-waiting came over to get him for the actual ceremony. It was like a royal wedding like the recent one he saw down Downing Street. He and his brothers got invited to a street party by an old English colleague to their parents who had known them all their lives. He was thankful to have witness the drive-pass of the newlywed Duke and Duchess of Cambridge. It was something he wouldn't have been able to see first-hand if he stayed back at home on Prince Arthur Road. He swore it was coincidental. Before he bought that apartment, his brothers would joke if he had been a Prince, he wouldn't need to buy it; it would have belonged to him naturally. Up till today, his brothers would still bring it up every now and then to piss him off. "Idiotic brothers…" He rolled his eyes at that thought. He couldn't imagine what it'd be like if he told them he was to be named Queen. A sigh escaped his lips.
"Whatever made my beautiful Queen sigh?"
Arthur whipped his head toward the source. A stunning man stood at the door. A cerulean suit jacket, double-breasted with two neat columns of silver round buttons covered over a midnight blue stand collar shirt. The borders were designed with a classy flavor – embroidery highlighting the edge of the jacket breaking into slight swirls where the notched lapels started. The same design was for the inner shirt except the embroidery on both edges of the shirt met in the middle. Two elliptical shapes, one mildly bigger than the other and symmetrical on both sides of the shirt, branched out from the middle of the stand collar. The right shoulder of the outer jacket had something akin to an epaulette sewn onto it. The material of the epaulette looked similar to a cross between the elegance of silk and the sophisticated feel of platinum. The extended fabric fringe fell smartly in place against his right shoulder while the gold coloured shoulder cords tuck neatly to his sides. An obsidian cape rested on the left shoulder adorned with a beautiful sapphire gem as its anchoring point.
A black cord held the cape in place spanning across the chest, twirling around the Spade-shaped gem while tucking underneath the epaulette on the other shoulder. The gem, Arthur noted, sat above the buttonhole intended to hold a boutonniere. Perhaps it was just a way this world's royal suits were designed. He'd say he liked the design quite a bit. The bottom half was rather simple but stylish: two lines of the same needlework ran down the sides of each leg of the dark dress pants. A pair of reflective black leather shoes to top the grand royal look off.
Then, he realized, their shirts for the ceremony matched. His own attire was of a similar set-up. The only differences were the design. His suit jacket was carmine in colour. The front ended near the waist level in a upward triangle cut while the back extended into swallow tails like that of a tuxedo. The cutting revealed a little of the white waistcoat underneath sitting comfortably above the belted waistline of the dark dress pants. Silver woven edges ran a circumference around the stand-collared jacket and met in the middle, just beneath Arthur's chin. The lines then split into two paths down his chest – one following the overlapping perimeter of the double breasted design while the other ran in opposite and symmetrical direction. His buttons were linked by leather braided cords.
Arthur thought it was an intelligent idea as the horizontal outline made him look 'bigger' and less 'scrawny' – in Alfred's words. The lines then form a vague hexagonal shape, enclosing all the buttons within. The partition of the jacket was made to end in the middle extending from the hexagon and joining the upward cut. His gem was a brilliant ruby in place of the sapphire while his collar was decorated with three free swirls outwards and a loop inwards, equally beautiful on both sides.
"It's nothing, you should concern yourself with." Arthur let out another sigh while giving his eyes a little rest from the stunning sight he just saw.
"Aww, com'on I'm about to be your husband! And wives shouldn't keep secrets from their husbands!"
He could feel his right cheek twitch in rhythm. "I'm a guy. I'm not your wife. If anything at all, I'm your husband, you git. With that said, it's not really a secret or something important that you really have to know." He stated.
"If it's not a secret then tell me. I want to know." The young King persisted.
"It's just.. My brothers always teases me about the road my apartment is on." A slender brow raised in question. "It's called Prince Arthur Road. God, I can imagine them rolling in laughter when I tell them about this." He rolled his eyes in great annoyance. A momentary silence enveloped the two. Arthur sneaked peeks at his company. The lack of response made him rather curious. Then, he swore he shouldn't have been concerned.
"Bwahahahaha! Oh god, the mental image is crazy man! Dude, do your brothers have thick eyebrows like you? If they run in the family, our children would get them too!" The sheepish laughter ceased immediately when Alfred found a pair of eyes glinting dangerously at him. He looked away shyly while saying, "Well.. Erm, your brows are sexy, babe. I could stare at them all day and be in a lovely daze thinking about them." He once again earned himself a look, something that said, "Why do I find it hard to believe what you're saying?" Alfred was trying hard getting on the good side of Arthur but damn, he was so amusing to tease. Honestly, it was fun and all, but he was sure it was the truth; though a different part of Arthur's body – his gorgeous eyes.
"Again you seem to have forgotten that I'm male. I can't produce children, neither can you. And sweet-talking is not going to get you anywhere. Though, I'd say, nice try." A satisfactory smirk found its way onto the blonde's face. Alfred sulked in defeat before he turned and look outside the rain-stained window to recollect his thoughts. He came in here for a purpose. He needed to let Arthur know he's apologetic about everything. The new clueless Queen had more than enough to worry about, now he'd been dragged along all the emotional hurdles Alfred had to face. The rain was not getting lighter anytime soon and the ceremony was hours away. If Alfred had told Arthur the truth, about how he felt, would he still stay? Would he still fight along him? He needed answers, answers straight from the other's mouth.
"Hey Arthur,"A little stammer shook his voice while he started. "I.. If I told you, I'm marrying you for the sake of the Kingdom and not for love, would you despise me? If I told you, I'm just toying with your feelings, would you hate me?" He kept his gaze on the ground and his lips drew into a thin line. "Because I think you should." He thought. Remorse was what he was feeling now. He'd told his mother he was a man of heart not strength, and his heart tells him now, Arthur needs to know the truth. Alfred couldn't let go of the past and the death of his parents. He knew no matter how much he tried, he couldn't abandon them and hold the new Queen in the same emotion-filled embrace. Frankly, his mind was void of spaces for a new person to enter. Yet, he didn't want this relationship to be false. He didn't want to be unfair to Arthur. He wanted to fall in love naturally, not like how intentional his advances were in the last month.
"I've thought over it long and hard and I really want you to have the choice. The freedom to choose to stay, be married to a man you barely know and not get bound to this world that you don't belong or to leave and find a way to get back to your world." Alfred bit his lower lip as he uttered those words. He felt hurtful for both himself and for Arthur.
"Is there a rule that said I can't manage both? From what I know, there seem to be no such rule." A firm reply sounded from the other. "There's no way right now I could get home so I don't see a reason not to stay. You seem pretty confident that I won't fall for you and otherwise. What makes you so sure?"
"Well, I thought for someone who was forced to accept all this, you would feel resentful and stuff. Or you would, I don't know, fight your way to get the ending you want? Or on the bright side it may end up like a kismesis!"
Arthur gave a small chuckle at the use of that urban word.
"You really are an idiot. You can't be helped, can you?" Arthur's lips curved into a musing smile. "There's nothing I could do and I already know that. If I'm going to fall in love with you, so be it. If not, we're not fated to be. That's all fine and I know perfectly that your Kingdom needs me so I'm not about to run away crying about you mistreating and playing with my feelings." His expressions softened and his gaze fell upon the mirror on his dressing table. The reflection showed how taken aback the young King was. It was rather annoying to see the latter so surprised. What sort of man did he think Arthur was? "Frankly, the only one you're lying to is yourself. Whatever that is in your mind that's keeping you back, I can only say time will help you forget and allow you to proceed."
"You… You saw through my facade? But, but how?" Azure eyes widened a little in realization.
"I tend to observe… Behavior and actions. You could say that was how I found out. I may be a history major but I'm also interested in psychology when I was in college." He casted a glance towards Alfred who wore a confused look on his face. "Ahh nevermind, but yes, the next time you lie, do it more convincingly. It might help us win a war if we ever got caught as prisoners." Arthur mused, in hopes of lifting up the atmosphere.
"Thank you." A brilliant smile spread across the King's face. The smile seemed to reach down and touch Arthur's heart. It felt warm and lovely. A similar smile was mirrored on Arthur's face. Silence settled comfortably between the pair. There seemed to be a mutual understanding between the two. No exchange of words was needed. Alfred reached his hand out and took Arthur's into his own. His thumb brushed against the other's fingers. The same smile lingered on both their faces.
"Friends?" The Brit uttered.
"Best friends."
The taller of the two replied with his trademark grin. Arthur put his hand over Alfred's, reassuring his decision. Trust was a funny thing, Arthur thought. The more you tried to forcibly gain trust from someone, the more you fail; yet, very much the opposite, when feelings come into play. The unconditional belief in someone and the entrusting yourself to the whim of someone didn't come naturally for most. But for the person standing in front of him, trust seemed only ordinary, not much effort was needed. Perhaps it was a rule for the King to put unreserved faith in his new Queen. Arthur shook off the thought. It was a good feeling to indulge in.
"Erhem.." Someone cleared his throat. "I know you lovebirds cannot spend a second apart but the groom is not supposed to see his bride before the wedding aru. And you know that Alfred." Yao crossed his arms, displeased. A few giggles came from the servant maids behind the Jack. "Please refrain from touching each other and crumpling those suits you're wearing. They are of utmost importance in presenting your graciousness and our Kingdom's formality."
"Touching each other and crumpling those suits…" The soon-to-be-wed pair thought simultaneously at the phrase. Both of them went pink at the thoughts that ran wild. The once connective touch became pretty uncomfortable. Alfred had his hands raised by the side in defense while Arthur dropped his hands to his sides and averting his line of vision onto the flooring beside him. When the latter's mind cleared, he felt a tinge of frustration arising at particular words in the statement from the loyal Jack. "What bride? I'm also a groom for god's sake. When you tell me Queens are mere positions undistinguished by gender, why the hell do you keep mixing my gender up? Which part of me is feminine?"
The room grew silent. The blonde inhaled deep breaths to even out his breathing. Just when he thought there were no second opinions that he was a true man (gentleman), a voice from beside him stated, "Well, if I were to say something, I'd say your hobbies are definitely feminine. With that said, you're pretty much the same with every other Queen in history. I'll remind you only one out of the six past Queens is male and that's the very first one, I guess it'd rather hard to adapt to the honorifics. So you can't blame them Artie! Besides, I mistook your gender all-oof."
An acute sensation of pain stretched across his abs. His body arched to the impact of the action. He had grown used to the feeling and numbness which ensued. He swore if one of these day he was found dead in his room, the murderer must be his dear Queen. Since Arthur got hold of the vast magic spells available in this world from the Spades royal library and mastered close-range combatant skills from Yao, Alfred was practically at his mercy. With that said though, Alfred could still easily overpower him; Confundus spells didn't seem to work on him and his dense head, and Constringo spells, well, he didn't have to say more. The man just breaks through the magical vines like they were thread. The only way, Arthur noted, was to catch his King off guard. That came pretty easily since 'guard' was non-existent when Alfred was around him. The Brit reached out his hand in attempt to stablise the stumbling man as the other pressed his hand onto his abdomen to ease the pain.
"Argh… I guess I probably have a higher chance of getting killed by my Queen than on the battlefield, ahahaha…" The wheat-head straightened himself while nervously laughing the matter off. A shuffling sound of fingers brushing against clothes and a tug right in front of him made him focus on the sudden movement. His Queen-to-be was straightening his shirt for him, making sure he looked presentable after that 'assault'. A gentle caress across his vest, a small gesture of goodwill, well, that was all he needed for now. "Serves you right." Arthur muttered as he folded his arms across his chest. He tilted his head away from his King at angle accompanying his semi-irritated state. One of these days, he'd accidentally-on-purpose murder the airhead for the stupid things he did.
"Your Majesty, you shouldn't be here. The Jack and the officials were running all over the palace searching for you. The Queen's crown and heirloom have been safely transported. Nobles of the Kingdom and honorable guests from other Kingdoms have already assembled at the ceremonial hall. I have received word that the respective royalties have also arrived." The young lady-in-waiting informed all three monarchs of the situation as her assistant scurried off.
"You should get going, Your Majesty." Arthur gave Alfred a pat on the shoulder with a formal and serious look. "Don't keep them waiting."
"You too, don't keep me waiting, my Queen." He winked and blew a flying kiss in the other's direction. The Englishman let out a long breath that he'd been holding while his lips curled up into a silly smile. He'd fallen in love with his exotic King's heart-rending smile. And the tosser managed to make him smile so many times in a day for the past month. It was a definite change in personality for him, not to mention a change in lifestyle. It was perhaps a good change after all. There are people to love him, people who need him and people to love..? His heart skipped a beat as he realized the thought. "I shouldn't. I have to go back to my world someday… Starting something knowing that it would end soon, it's not like me at all." He sighed as his eyelids fell shut in disappointment. All Arthur needed to focus on now, was to fight this war and win it. Then make sure this kingdom can stablise itself, what should come after was his farewell.
He heaved a breath before proceeding towards the wet balcony. The pouring rain reduced to a light drizzle from the time spent with his King. It was a good sign. A bright sunny day would usually ensue after a storm and it would be less of an omen when he succeeded the throne. The non-believers had made a fuss out of how he wasn't suited for the position, how misery would befall upon the Kingdom and rude words of how Arthur would bring disaster to everyone. Refusing to listen to all that, Alfred stood protectively in front of Arthur, without a word. The firm stance and those fierce eyes dismissed second opinions of Arthur's eligibility. Uncertainty, a word he'd been so familiar with ever since he arrived in this world. His well-planned life had been disrupted by this sudden event. He figured that at the end of this episode of his life, he would grow too attached to this world to think about leaving. Perhaps a magic spell someone casted misled him, perhaps it was the magic of adaptation. Perhaps like Alfred said when they first met, he'd willingly stay.
"It's time to leave for the ceremonial hall, Your Majesty."
Footnote: In case you're wondering, this world has everything our world does except it's probably in the 17th/18th century kinda era though the setting is pretty medieval. The next part of the chapter is probably the wedding and the dinner+dance - something pretty much every author would write about after. I do hope I do a good job! The dinner and dance is the part where Arthur finally meets and greets all the other monarchs of 'neighbouring' kingdoms. I'm making Arthur and Alfred agree to a small pact of partnership and not love at first. A little change of mind when I found that it was going too fast in the falling in love part. Nonetheless I hope you enjoyed this part of the story. See you the next time I publish!