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.
Author's Note: Special thanks to the Froggiecool (Thank you for the support and understanding and being an awesome fan!), Randomstrike (For leaving one review for almost every chapter!), Jwyw (For the countless PMs we exchanged and the review!), aquamarinetiger98 (For the really long review that touched my heart and made me restless all day cause I was having all sorts of feels over the review!), ssweatm (For the review and yes, I think there will be character development for him sometime soon!) and finally OldNewLife (Yes it's capt Jack. Nope. Not gonna submit to your whims muahahaha but I did add a little fluff maybe? I'm not good at this OTL)
Sorry for the rather short chapter. I promised to get into the war part then I failed to deliver T_T I'm cramped with projects after projects and tests after tests these few weeks so it got rather low on word count, I feel like I'm letting down my fans ;(
Chapter 6: Battle of Six
Part I: Preparations
The period of peace hadn't last long in the world of Trump and as Spades prepare for war against Hearts, a piece of good news was delivered in person by the King of Clubs. He'd agreed to sign the alliance treaty however, the royals quickly learnt that Clubs was splitting into two – a half following their King's rule and a half following the Queen and Jack. After having known that their King had gone to meet up with Royals of Spades privately, both the Queen and Jack tried to overthrow him. The court was disheveled and internal war was breaking out from the two pacts. The duo couldn't stop the conflict and it was disadvantageous to their aid to Hearts.
Apparently, King Ivan had foreseen the situation and had managed to keep his crown and much of the able court officials along with the army forces in their hands. A formidable ally, in Arthur's words, had joined the Alliance camp. Ivan was currently seeking refuge around the borders of Diamonds and Clubs, well protected in his countryside fortress while Elizaveta and Roderich sought refuge in their villa near Hearts. Streets were empty and desolated in the Capital of the Kingdom as the last few peasants left in a hurry.
The only worry Ivan had, was his younger sister. He knew she'd be tough enough to withstand torture but it'd be a matter of time before she finally collapsed. Natashya was a Consul for Clubs and letting her reside in Hearts was a difficult decision for Ivan to make. But he knew, no one else would be a better candidate. His elder sister, Katyusha, had chided him about Natashya's imprisonment and often believed in the words of his dear Queen and Jack. Although she apologized fervently when she realized the truth behind the whole matter, Ivan knew he didn't have the heart to blame her ignorance.
Back in Spades, Arthur could feel his husband badly affected by the war day by day. He was always in a tense form. He couldn't eat, sleep or work properly. During the day, Arthur sees him dazing in meetings, dozing off during meals, busy writing and approving reports, grants and permits. At night, he flips restlessly around on the bed, unable to fall asleep. Arthur was rather annoyed at first but he knew his King was stressed. Arthur did his best to help Alfred fall asleep at night and shares his burden in decision-making while handling his own pressing matters from the military and internal affairs. Days seem to drag on when both of them finally fell ill and succumbed to the insurmountable pressure. Yao was out-of-town to rally up support in different dimensions. Everything fell to the poor Princely Lord and the two sick individuals. Lucky for them, neither side of the war had taken any form of action, at least for now.
It was a nice day today – a little dash of rain and some sunshine. "Ack, we'll go with that for now. You're dismissed." The officials left the room hurriedly to put the plan into action. The weakened Queen let out a few coughs and leaned against the vertical column of bed frame. A pair of hands squeezed his shoulders gently. He breathed out and looked over his shoulders wearily. "Auff, you should lie down now. I'll cah-take your temperature." Both of their eyes were cloudy and lost their usual shine. "38.3 degrees, not to far from mine." The King put away the thermometer and began handing the other a bowl of black soup. Arthur propped himself up into a sitting position and took the bowl. "Thanks. You too, remember to drink yours." In the midst of drinking their medicine, Matthew requested an audience anxiously, telling both of them an urgent meeting had been scheduled between the allied kingdoms on the first battle happening along the Clubsian town of Fogsgate. It was a secluded town, like its name suggests, fog-bound. It was perfect for a base to be set there. The allied soldiers had lost the battle there, fortunately, they retreated with minimal losses.
Matthew released the carrier wyvern. It flew a distance into the air and hovered near the eye-level of the duo. The orb it was holding then began emitting a light. A futuristic hologram-like smokescreen panels popped up in front of the King and Queen. Arthur looked on while Alfred greeted his counterparts. "I'm sure you've heard of what happened in Fogsgate. We need to act fast, aru." The Spades Jack stated in a serious tone.
"Relax Yao, Alfred and Arthur are still ill, are they not? There's only limited things they can do at the moment." Francis retorted in his panel. "Although I do agree, it's a strategic location they've captured."
"They've won over the hearts of the little town, portraying our soldiers as evil minions working for the devil. The townsmen were friendly to our soldiers and they've let their guard down." Ivan explained. "Highfort is next in line."
"The allied navy is situating themselves on Silverock Isle. We're prepared to attack Gloria when needed." The Brit reported to his counterparts. "Yao will get back in time to send our men to help on mainland. Meanwhile, Francis, please help Ivan out."
"Why of course, monsieur."
"I'll be heading over to Wolvesmarsh to join the navy at Silverock." The gentleman cleared his irritable throat.
"Antonio and Vash will be meeting you there at Silverock. It'll be easier on our navy to avoid the dangerous waters near Wolvesmarsh. Deadman's Cove is not named for nothing." The French iterated. Antonio was the best naval officer all of Diamonds have to offer and also a good land officer. Given his skills, he could change a situation and regain the upper hand once disadvantaged. He also earned himself a nickname - the burning passion. It was partly due to his expertise with fire-based magic. The few bad points about his, Arthur had been told, were his overly lenient training routine, laid-back attitude and his love for tomatoes. He nearly lost a battle because the enemy was threatening him with the idea of hurting tomatoes. Rumour or not, he'd like to meet the person himself before being judgmental. Vash, on the other hand, was a master at ranged weaponary and slightly adept at magic spells. He could identify the weapons of the opponent even by smelling and hearing the sounds from a distance, perfect for a sea battle.
"I'll be joining you with reinforcements once Yao arrives. Please make do with Antonio and Vash first." Arthur nodded before it developed into a sneeze.
"5 000 soldiers are stationed at the border of Woodsview. We're ready to defend the Highfort; however, a snowstorm is brewing in the Northern parts of Clubs. It'll come this way as predicted. We'll need supplies more than anything else." Ivan stated with worry.
"The supplies will be sent directly from the Diamonds-Clubs border. You don't have to worry." Francis reassured the fellow King. "The most important thing now is for the both of you to get well. A game of chest cannot start without its pieces in place."
"Yes indeed... The game can't start without its pieces in the right place at the right time." A pair of crimson eyes stared at the scene from afar before sliding into the darkness of the shadows.
"Not to worry. I'm sure we'll be fine soon." Alfred gave everyone a determined smile. "Once things are ready here, I'll join you on mainland." It was decided that the King was to join the land battles, much to his dismay, since magic is highly-prioritised in sea battles. He wouldn't be much help even if he had his way in court. Arthur on the other hand was getting better at summons and elemental spells. He would be a better choice to lead the allied navy.
"That's all there is on today's agenda. Make sure we keep updated on situations." The three other royals nodded and the smoke panels disappeared in a wisp. The carrier wyvern then flew back and rested on Matthew's hands. "I better get ready ack-" The blonde propped himself up on both elbows, attempting to get off the bed. "But you're not well yet!" The youngest of the trio protested. "You are too, now, we need to get those troops moving asap. Wa-!" Alfred tried to save his husband from falling, instead he went with him and tumbled down into a tangled mess. A loud thud was heard as Alfred hit the ground first. "Oww, You can barely walk and you want to lead a navy. Thing is you'd probably end up in the history as the most brainless Queen ever."
Arthur knew it wasn't an insult. Arthur reckoned it was his King's way of showing care and a nicer way of forbidding his Queen in doing reckless things. "A brilliant Queen like you should be written for the glorious accomplishments you've achieved!" Alfred beamed. He was recovering faster than Arthur since he was the one who passed the illness to his husband from sneezing in his face after their weekly 'rituals'. The later wanted to protest but the Princely lord interjected, "Get in bed, both of you. The last thing we need is the two of you extending your stay in bed." Matthew fumed rather comically, Arthur thought, since his gentle personality was in the way.
"I'll rest once I'm done with packing for the trip alright?" Arthur pushed himself off the floor, aided by Alfred. "There're some personal things I wish to bring." Matthew sighed. "I can never have enough authority to make both of you listen, do I? I give up. Do what you want. Just get enough rest before the journey." With that, he left the pair alone.
"What personal things?" The pseudo-American asked out of curiosity.
"Oh nothing you should concern yourself with, love." He answered while stumbling his way to his private chest just beside the dresser. He dug through his personal medicine box and found the pills he'd been looking for.
"What pills are those?" Alfred sneaked up on Arthur, snatching the package from him. "Give that back!" Arthur hollered. "Morning sickness…?" His husband attempted to read the words with a brow quirked high. The elder of the duo grabbed it and stuffed it inside his bag. "Grr, It's nothing. Go pack your own things, damn it." A clearly annoyed expression surfaced on the Queen's face. The King's face was filled with worry and concern as he deduced what he just read.
"Arthur, my love… Are you pregnant?" He blurted as he shakily grabbed both of Arthur's shoulders. Arthur stared at his husband with the most bewildered expression. "W-wh? Of course not, idiot! What made you think that way? It's the same drug for motion sickness, you dolt!" Arthur exclaimed, all flustered. Somehow a waved of relief washed over Alfred. He was glad Arthur wasn't with a child. Then again, he mentally cursed himself for not thinking logically. Arthur was a guy; he couldn't be with a child. What the hell was he thinking? Ahh, it must have been the cold. "Ahaha, yea you're right. So you have motion sickness? Like how bad is it? Could be days before you reach Wolvesmarsh."
"This package should be able to last me a month or so if my conditions are mild. Though I'm not sure how accurate the physicians are here. I should be fine." He reassured the wheat-head. "I'm not going to die such an inglorious death."
"Oh, right! We'll be splitting up in the war. It'll be at least weeks before we next meet again. You should totally pack some of my clothes, in case you get lonely." The King ended off at a rather suggestive manner though innocently like a passing remark. However, Arthur couldn't help but think otherwise. He was red to the ears, trying to hide his shame of having his head in the gutters. He made noises that weren't human along the way and unfortunately attracted his King's attention. Blue eyes glinted with mischief when he found his English Queen in such a state. "Penny for your thoughts?" He teased. "M-my thoughts aren't just worth a penny!" A quick retort to avoid the question.
"Oh…? But I think I know what's going through inside here." He tapped on the Brit's forehead as he neared. A naughty smile hung on Alfred's face. He closed the gap and snaked his arm around Arthur waist. "Don't be an idiot," Arthur looked away embarrassed. "All I have to do is trust you. I don't have to do anything sexu- I mean-… You know what I mean! I won't let the mark fade and you shouldn't too!" He struggled out of Alfred's hold, stomping off to collapse on the bed. All this inappropriate talk is making his mind hazy. Bed would be good for now. "Good night Alfred." The King climbed back into the bed with his feverish partner and gave a grin. "Good night Artie!" He kissed the side of Arthur's head before tucking himself into bed. Hopefully, the morning tomorrow will be a better one before they both set off for different directions in the war.
Footnote: Apologise again for the rather short chapter! Hopefully I am free enough to do up the next chapter fast and freaking get into the battle details. Also I think you probably need a map of where is where. So I drew one that's quite rough it's on deviantart under the same name as my penname. I included some details of the place. If you can't find the piece, PM me I'll paste you the link! Remember to PM me if you spot any mistakes! Thank you for reading! :)