A/N: Ah, I've received many comments about Arthur's speaking…or lack of speaking, I should say. So, I'll just say this:

1. Please do not take offense that Arthur is being considered a mute for the time being. It's an excuse his parents are trying to pull, but then again, his parents have not specifically said, "Our daughter is a mute". They're excuse is, "She cannot speak", so Alfred and everyone else is just assuming she is a mute. Either that, or she's sick with the flu or something. It's a different time period and no one's thoughts in the story reflect my own.

2. Some have said that this idea isn't exactly clever. I honestly could not think of another way to excuse Arthur's voice. I didn't want him to have a high-pitched, fake, girly voice because I think that would be comedic and give him away way too quickly, which is not where I want this story to head.

With all that in mind, I hope you enjoy this next chapter~

The Secret

Chapter 3

Arthur's sleep had been filled with restlessness. It was so hard to relax and close his eyes when that man, that man, he had just married was right next to him on their bed. Their shared bed. Arthur didn't think he could take anymore of this. The room had been pitch black when he blew out the fire from all the lanterns with the exception of the glimmer of light that entered the bedroom through the doorway. All Arthur could hear were Alfred's light snores and steady breathing. The sound was rhythmic and probably could have caused Arthur to drift off to sleep if it hadn't been for his nerves.

He couldn't help being nervous about the whole situation. A lot had happened in the past few days, and more so during his own wedding day. This one night he shared with Alfred was the start of many nights he would share with the man. Questions began to boil in Arthur's mind as he pictured his life in the future. What if Alfred never discovered his true gender? Was this to be what the rest of his life was like? Would he never take off his womanly garments? Would he never be able to sleep alone? Would he never step foot in England again? His home?

Arthur didn't want to think of the answers to these questions. They only caused his heart to ache more and more. He practically stayed awake that whole night until weariness had forced him into a deep slumber.

The sun shone behind a curtain that covered the only window in the room. The rays struck Arthur's back and warmed it. The rise in temperature combined with the soft light illuminating the room began to wake Arthur from his sleep. Scrunching his eyes and keeping his body perfectly still, Arthur listened to the sounds surrounding him. He was still in a sleeplike daze, allowing the warmth of the sheets and the comfortable dip in the bed lull him back to the land of dreams.

Breathing in an out slowly, Arthur listened for the sounds of another person in the room. Perhaps Alfred had not woken up yet and was still beside him on the bed. Straining his ears, Arthur tried to hear the sounds of any movement whatsoever. All he could hear, however, was soft humming. It was obvious that someone else was in the room, or at the very least outside it, but that wasn't what surprised Arthur the most. No, it was the fact that the humming sounded like a woman's voice…it was so familiar…it almost sounded like…

"Isla!" Arthur shouted, sitting up in bed immediately, eyes searching the room for the source of the humming. He was so sure it had been her voice, it was much too familiar. His heart was beating against his ribs at a frantic pace as he threw his head in all directions, searching for his sister. His eyes were wide and he could still hear the soft melody in his head, but it had faded in reality, leaving the room in complete silence. Only Arthur's thoughts played the hum now.

His body, shaken from having adrenaline course through it so early in the day, tensed for a moment before finally relaxing. Arthur slumped against the headboard of the bed and closed his eyes. He breathed deeply again and allowed the reality of his situation to seep back in. I must have been hearing things… he thought to himself as he rested his head.

Arthur was just about to try and get back to sleep, despite the fact that the sun had already risen, until another thought raced into his mind. Alfred!

Arthur quickly turned his head to see if Alfred was still resting beside him. His cover would be completely blown if the git had heard his voice!

But…there was no one there. That side of the bed was just a lump of tangled sheets, and no more. Arthur sighed with relief. It appeared that the man had woken before him and had taken off to who knows where. At least no one had heard Arthur speak for the time being…

Now that left Arthur all alone in their bedroom. Glancing back and forth, he decided it was high time he get out of bed before he had any more panic attacks. Arthur went behind the room divider to find no change of clothes. Arthur had figured that at least a servant would have come in by now to give him something to change into. Even Alfred could have given him something to wear.

Stuck in his nightgown, his horrible, lacy nightgown, Arthur trudged back to the bed, sitting on the edge and resting his head in his hands. His wig was falling off and was in desperate need of brushing. The tips of the wig were now tickling his chin and the back of his neck. It wasn't like real hair. It wasn't soft or easy to run fingers through. It was thick and coarse, but at least it maintained its figure well, despite its new tangles.

An eternity seemed to pass before someone finally decided to enter the room. Looking up, Arthur saw his parents glide forth into his bedchamber, sticking their noses up at the state of the bare room. It didn't have much furnishing due to Alfred's family being quite poor at the moment.

"Your hair…" was the first thing his mother muttered out of her mouth. She grabbed his chin with her thumb and forefinger, pinching where her nails bit into his skin. She forced him to look up at her while she produced a brush in her other hand. Lady Kirkland began to roughly brush the wig, stuck on his head with who knew how many pins, causing his real hair to be tugged as well. Arthur held in his grunts at the pain as best he could when he felt his hair being pulled out of its own socket.

His father began to pace the room up and down, eyeing the bed with a suspicious look on his face. The bed was messy on Alfred's side, but quite tidy on Arthur's since he had stayed still during his restless night, uncomfortable with a stranger in his bed.

"Did you…?" his father asked Arthur, his voice trailing off as he finally decided to look his son in the face. Arthur knew what he was implying, but he wouldn't speak out of spite. His parents wanted him mute? Then so be it.

The nails on his cheeks bit harder while his mother stated, quite sternly, "Your father asked you a question, Isla."

Arthur wanted to ring her neck for calling him by his sister's name, but he was in no position to do so. She had finished brushing his hair but continued to hold his face in place. But Arthur was a stubborn person and refused to let his parents win this battle. He stuck his tongue in his cheek and bit down to prevent any further noise to be emitted from him.

His father merely got angry. He gritted his teeth and stroked his beard, frustrated and trying to think of what to do. His son was stubborn. He had always been stubborn whenever it came to obeying him. "I want to know…" he said, trying to suppress his rage. He was an easily angered man. "…whether or not that bastard fucked you! Do you understand?!" he ended up shouting, letting his temper take control. His wife letting go of Arthur's head, he grabbed his son by the shoulder roughly and put his face right into Arthur's so closely that their noses touched. He could look very menacing when he wanted to.

"Give…me…your…answer…" he said slowly, staring Arthur right in the eyes. Arthur stared right back, acting braver than he truly felt.

"And what if he did?" he answered his father with a question of his own, not willing to back down. A sharp sting fell upon on his right cheek as he felt his father slap him. Rubbing the sore spot tenderly, Arthur almost felt bad for doing the same to Alfred the night before. He glared up at his father, suppressing his own rage to lash out then and there.

Lady Kirkland faced her husband with a bored expression and said, "He couldn't have, or else out little secret would no longer be a secret." Her husband stared at her for a moment before nodding in agreement, having calmed down. But still, why were the bed sheets…?

Arthur sensed his father looking down into the bed sheets once more. He followed his eyes until he came upon what looked like a damp spot. Upon further inspection, it looked to be a spot of cream near Alfred's sheets, as if someone had dripped it on the bed recently. His father gave him an accusatory look. Arthur's eyes widened and he immediately tried to get out of his parents' grasp before they…

"You slept with the bastard, didn't you?!" his father screamed at him, both hands clutching the sides of his head.

"I-I swear, I didn't! I don't know where that stain-"

"Don't you lie to your own father, you worthless fag!" he interrupted, screaming and starting to shake Arthur.

With a well placed kick to the stomach, Arthur managed to get his father off of him as he scrambled to the other side of the room. He leaned against the wall, opposite his parents, his chest beating wildly. He was near the window now. If only he could inch closer, he could just escape and run free from this dreadful place…

"Stop it," his mother ordered to her husband, looking at Arthur as she said this. Her voice had an unusual way of halting activity, having a stern, commanding undertone with everything she said. "It doesn't matter at his point."

Lady Kirkland began to take strides across the room to where Arthur stood. When they were directly in front of each other, she began to speak again. "If Alfred knows, you are to make sure your gender stays hidden from everyone else for a little more than two weeks. We will have everything packed by that time. Have sex with the boy as many times as you like, but…" She bent down, eye level with Arthur. "If our cover is blown, you will pay dearly."

She picked her head back up and began to glide her way out of the room. Arthur's father, a bit confused at the turn of events, followed her out.

Arthur leaned against the wall for a while before slumping to the ground, tired, with his head between his knees. He desperately wanted to cry, but he had done that more than enough lately, so all that came out were dry sobs and curses. He breathed in shakily before looking around the room again. He would have to either stay in the bedroom or wander out in his nightgown. He was still wearing the corset, so his figure wouldn't give away his gender that easily…

But it would be utterly humiliating. The nightgown was more like underwear than anything else…

Arthur had no choice. Standing up and walking towards the window, Arthur looked out into the grounds before him. Sighing, he lifted one leg up and over the ledge, feeling around for a something soft underneath his feet. When he felt his toes touch the edge of a bush, he quickly lifted his other leg and brought it through the window, dangling by his arms, which still grasping the window's edge. He let go quickly, his whole body landing into the scratchy leaves of the bush below.

Arthur wasn't sure what he was planning to do at this point. He could try to run away, but it didn't seem as if that plan would work. Settling both bare feet on the stones and grass below him, Arthur trudged forward into the green land, the land his parents had strived to own for so long, and began to wander.

The grass had started out wet with dew, but the sun had all but dried it after Arthur trudged for at least an hour. He found himself in the woods, hot and sweaty after walking around for so long. His gown was sticking uncomfortably to his skin and his corset wasn't making it any easier to breathe. The fabric that had been clumped to form breasts was especially irritating, rubbing against his skin constantly. However, it was his feet that ached the most.

The tiniest of rocks would nick the bottom of his foot at any time. The dirt was getting in between his toes and it was especially hard to climb over the roots springing from the trees. He would jolt up whenever he thought something was climbing on his leg, and half the time something was.

The sun was beating down on his exposed neck. Isla's hair had been quite short and Arthur really regretted telling her not to grow it out. Arthur was, at this point, completely miserable.

It wasn't that he couldn't take such extreme conditions. He would sometimes go hunting for pure sport. But at least he had proper clothing, a steed to ride, a cooler temperature to travel in, etc. Now, Arthur was feeling very weary. He would lean against the trees to catch his breath at times. He was just so tired. Tired of everything that had happened to him so far, and he wanted to escape. He knew Alfred's parents would probably deem him a loon for going out like this in nothing but a nightgown, but he honestly didn't care at this point. All he wanted was to be as far away from that castle as possible, even if only for a short while.

After brushing aside some branches, Arthur spotted the glimmer of a lake before him. He licked his dry lips, his stomach grumbling. He hadn't eaten or drunken anything that morning and he was terribly thirsty. Making his way towards the body of water, Arthur thought he heard something. He stopped in his tracks and listened, but heard nothing. Apparently, he was hearing things today.

Taking a few more tentative steps forward, Arthur was sure he heard the sound of water splashing. It made sense, he was clearly by a lake, but the waters looked too calm to be making the splashing sound on their own. So…was something in the water?

Arthur walked toward a tree and poked his head around it to spy on the entire lake. Sure enough, Arthur spotted a man swimming around in its waters. Arthur almost decided to turn back. If it was someone from the castle, they would surely spot him and bring him back! But…Arthur listened closely again, the voice of the man sounding so familiar…

Alfred?!

Rushing forward until his feet were at the lake's edge, Arthur stood and stared at his husband thrashing around like an idiot. Alfred was shouting and wooping with glee as he swam about. He climbed on the surface of rocks and jumped down, the emotion of pure elation written all over his face. The smile he wore was absolutely blinding. The nervous, nearly solemn boy he had seen yesterday was nowhere to be found. Instead, this man was quite thoroughly enjoying himself and the waters.

Arthur was aware that he couldn't make a sound. He could obviously throw a rock at Alfred, but that would accomplish nothing positive. Instead, he stood there staring, waiting for the man to finally take notice of him. Arthur had no idea why he was doing this. It was reckless and stupid of him. He would immediately be taken back to the castle as soon as Alfred spotted him.

But…something told Arthur that he was staring at a private moment. Certainly no one else in the castle had ever been swimming in this lake. From what he could gather, they were all stuck up aristocrats, practically scared of the outdoors and probably scared of even bathing. He had assumed Alfred was the same. Everyone in the kingdom of America seemed so secluded and unwelcoming of anything relating to the outdoors. And Alfred seemed so happy here…it was a complete turnaround from yesterday.

Arthur desperately wanted to make a sound, but instead he continued to stand there staring. His legs were beginning to get tired. He looked down, shifting his weight, and noticed that the sound of splashing had ceased. Looking back up, Arthur found Alfred's head coming up from the water, staring him right in the face. Raising an eyebrow at the boy, Arthur crossed his arms and waited for a response. For the first time in the last few days, Arthur felt like he had a bit of power.

And he did have power over Alfred, apparently, because the next thing coming out of that poor boy's mouth was, "I-Isla?!" He quickly dove under the surface and reemerged near the shallower waters where he could stand. He desperately tried to cover his bare chest with his arms, a fierce blush making its way through his cheeks. Arthur almost wanted to smirk.

"I-Isla…w-what are you doing here?!" he asked, clearly embarrassed at having been caught. Alfred was staring right at Isla, his eyes wide as he looked her in the eyes. He couldn't believe someone had finally caught him swimming here…and it was his wife of all people! No doubt she thought he was a complete idiot. And what if people were following her? They would surely find out Alfred's secret lake, and the thought that he would probably be locked in a room with Isla for the rest of his life did not sit well in his stomach…

But upon further inspection, Alfred noticed that Isla was wearing nothing but her nightgown and corset. Her cheeks were cut and her feet were bare. Alfred's eyebrows, which had shot up with surprise and fear, now formed a worried expression on his face. His blush, however, remained.

"I-Isla, c-can you turn around for a second?" he asked. He was only in his braies, which merely covered his lower waist to the tops of his knees. When he saw her turn around, he quickly sprinted out of the water towards his clothes. He had brought a loose set of pants with a baggy white shirt. Securing his pants with a bit of twine, he said, "O-okay, you can look now."

Isla turned around and did a one over with her eyes. Alfred felt her stare straight at him. He wasn't dressed in his royal garb at all. Instead, he was wearing something only a peasant should wear. But…it wasn't his fault that this outfit was comfortable. Sure, it wasn't decorated with fancy embroidery or made with tight, constricting material, but to Alfred it screamed freedom from the castle. It was an outfit fit for someone of the outdoors, the place Alfred adored.

His hair was dripping and he knew his clothes were getting wet as well. He hadn't dried off with the bit of cloth he had brought with him in his haste to get dressed. Alfred began to shiver and thanked the sun for being so bright today and warming his back.

Wringing his hands together nervously, Alfred approached his wife. Taking a hold of her shoulders and looking at her straight in the eyes, he pleaded. "Please…" he began, "please don't let anyone know you saw me here. If my parents ever found out, they'd…they'd lock me up in that stupid castle for who knows how long!" Isla, once again, raised one of her enormous eyebrows in response. She shrugged her shoulders and closed her eyes.

"So…you won't tell?" he tried to confirm. Isla shook her head. Alfred breathed a sigh of relief. "T-that's so great, thank you!" Alfred yelled, picking her up in a hug and spinning the both of them around. He felt the palms of her hands collide with his shoulders repeatedly. Isla was probably annoyed that he had picked her up so abruptly. Settling her down, Alfred gave her a dazzling smile. "Sorry…" he said, closing his eyes and scratching the back of his neck.

Arthur crossed his arms, eyebrows furrowed. He looked away from Alfred's face towards the lake instead. He couldn't help the blush that rose to his own cheeks. Honestly, the person he had married was truly childish in his nature.

"You know, you're actually pretty heavy for a girl…"

Another punch to the arm.

"Ow! Ok, sorry, sorry!" Alfred apologized to Isla for the hundredth time. He saw the tinge of pink on her cheeks like she had had yesterday. Apparently, whenever she punched his arm, she tended to blush right after. She could actually be pretty cute when that happened, which only made Alfred want to tease her more.

A smile on his face, Alfred gestured his wife over to the rim of the lake. Walking until his feet touched the water's edge, he looked out across the beautiful waters. Isla stood next to him, looking out as well. "You picked a pretty good day to pay me a visit out here…" he began. "The water's got a nice temperature, there's no wind blowing, and the sky looks pretty damn perfect…" he said, looking up into the sky as he did so.

Arthur looked up into the sky as well. It was just like the sky he had seen before he had left England. The one Isla had been striving to discover in America. Memories of his sister rushed back into his heart, but this time, they weren't laced with anything solemn or aching. This time, the memories were fond…

"Don't you think so?"

Arthur was broken out of his reverie and looked towards his husband. Alfred's smile shone more brightly than ever before. The sun was right behind the man's head, illuminating his hair beyond reason. But these features weren't the ones that made Arthur freeze. It was Alfred's eyes that seemed to halt his breath.

His eyes were practically sparkling with a sort of pride, bursting with joy in sharing this perfect scenery with his wife. They were the bluest eyes Arthur had ever seen. And that's when something in Arthur clicked.

His eyes were just like the sky. Just like the sky Isla had been yearning to see. If she had been the one to meet Alfred, she would find the sky right there on his face. It was so painfully obvious.

Was…was it possible that Isla could have been happy with Alfred?

This man was just like the damn sun, radiating his emotions no matter what they were. And right now, Alfred was radiating joy, and Arthur couldn't help but bask in the positive energy. For the first time since he had come here, Arthur felt…happy. Happy, because instead of marrying a heartless bastard like he thought he was going to, he married this naïve boy instead. Alfred screamed innocence like no one else Arthur had ever met, and it was almost…endearing.

Almost.

Arthur was as stubborn as ever. He blinked his eyes and tried to look away from Alfred. He didn't want to trust the man. He didn't want to be happy in his current situation. He ought to be feeling miserable. It was the only emotion Arthur had been determined to feel throughout the whole ordeal, and this man was ruining it all. Arthur tried letting the bad memories flow in, but they kept getting erased as he attempted to focus on his surroundings.

As a matter of fact, his surroundings were starting to blur. Blinking more rapidly now, Arthur began to scrunch his eyes. The sun was beginning to irritate him more than it had earlier that day. Sounds were beginning to become more obscure. Arthur could have sworn he heard Alfred trying to say something.

A hand was waving in front of his face, but before Arthur could respond to it, he dropped to the ground.

Arthur awoke an hour later with a massive headache. He opened his eyes slowly, his vision sharpening after a minute or so. Alfred's face was hovering over his, concern etched into his expression.

"Hey, you're finally awake!" Alfred shouted with relief. He placed another cool rag on top of Isla's head. They were still outside by the lake and he had wet the rag in its waters. He had just been about to carry her back to the castle if she didn't wake up. She seemed all right now, so Alfred was no longer worried.

"You must've passed out due to the heat," he said, searching in his bag for something.

Arthur continued to lie on the ground, looking towards Alfred. His husband was sticking his tongue out in concentration, which was, dare he think it, almost adorable in its childishness.

"Here we are!" Alfred shouted, bringing his hand out of the bag and producing what looked like a loaf of bread and some cheese. Arthur's stomach gurgled achingly in response. He was still very hungry.

Alfred handed over the food to Isla once she sat up. She took it eagerly, breaking off a piece of the bread and putting a small chunk of cheese on top. Isla readily stuffed her mouth with the ration of food, savoring it while closing her eyes. She continued to eat at a rapid pace, practically shoving the food in her mouth. She must've been starving… Alfred thought to himself.

Alfred took his own piece of bread and began to munch on it as well. When he saw Isla finishing up her bread and cheese, he got up and filled his canteen with water from the lake. He handed it to her once he sat back down. She took it almost greedily and drank the entire canteen dry. Wiping her mouth on her arm, she handed the canteen back to him. "You sure can put it away, can't you?" Alfred asked, chuckling a bit. Isla's cheeks colored and her eyes glared in his direction, but it was that cute glare Alfred was finding himself adore more and more.

While looking at her face, Alfred noticed the small cuts once again. He had dabbed them with a cloth while she had been knocked out, but they were still clearly visible. He wondered how she had gotten those cuts since she hadn't had them last night. The fault probably lied in the branches scratching her face since she had trudged through the woods.

Speaking of which, Alfred desperately wanted to ask just what she had been doing sneaking around on the grounds like that without any shoes or proper clothes. "Isla…" he began, looking at her with a worried expression. "Just what were you doing out here, anyway? You don't even have shoes on…" he pointed out, looking towards her bare feet. They were pretty big for a girl, but then again, Isla didn't exactly scream femininity.

His wife looked away at that, turning her green eyes opposite from his face. She probably couldn't talk about it. Alfred still wasn't sure whether she was mute or sick with a sort of flu…or maybe…she had just been too scared to talk before.

"Why…why can't you talk, Isla? Are you mute?" he asked, hoping that yes or no questions could allow her to respond. Her breath hitched for a second, before she shook her head. So…she wasn't a mute then…

"Are you sick…?" Alfred tried again. Isla merely shrugged her shoulders. Alfred pouted at this. He wondered just what was wrong…

"Can you…can you whisper?" he asked, looking to her with earnest eyes. If she could whisper, then they could communicate, he was sure of it!

Isla looked a bit flustered for a second, wringing her hands in her lap. "Sort of…" she whispered in a voice that was barely there.

Alfred's face immediately formed a bright smile. "Y-you can whisper?! That's fantastic!" he shouted, edging closer to her. "That means we'll actually be able to talk! Will you ever get your normal voice back?" he asked excitedly.

"N-no…" she whispered again, averting her eyes. Alfred's grin dropped a bit at that, but stayed in place all the same. At least they now had some form of communication, albeit very limited.

Alfred's expression became serious again. "So…can you tell me just what the heck you were doing wandering the woods? Without any shoes, I might add?" He looked to her face for an answer. She simply shrugged her shoulders.

He sighed, rolling his eyes. "So, are you telling me I married a lunatic?" he half teased, half wondered. Alfred heard Isla make a hmph sound at that. He smiled. Getting her riled up was turning out to be really fun.

Isla looked towards him and mouthed her next word. "Stain…" she appeared to be saying as she eyed him angrily. Alfred's eyes widened.

"O-oh…" he said blushing. He realized what she was referring to. "U-uh, what about the stain…?" he asked warily. Isla's eyes glared even more.

"W-wait, you don't think…" Alfred asked. She nodded in confirmation. Alfred could only guess that she hadn't been too pleased to see such a stain left on the bed. That morning, he had asked his trusted servant, the one who had given him the ring, to get him a small spot of cream. He dripped it onto his side of the sheets. Alfred knew that his parents would be examining the sheets later to see whether or not he and Isla had…consummated the marriage, and it was all he could think to do at the moment.

"I-I swear, it's not what you think!" he said immediately. "I asked the servant girl to get me some cream to drip onto the sheets!" He looked straight into her eyes, wanting her to know that what he was saying was true. She looked extremely suspicious, but she eventually dropped her gaze and looked away. All Alfred could see now was the back of her head, which strangely enough reminded him of the servant girl. They had the exact same hairstyle and hair color…they actually looked a lot alike, apart from the servant girl having a much bigger bust than Isla.

Alfred turned his attention towards her feet. There were scratches and blisters forming from walking around outside without shoes. He dug around in his bag for the medicine he always kept in case he got injured outdoors. Finding the salve, he picked up one of her feet and was about to start tending to her wounds when the foot suddenly jerked away. Alfred looked towards Isla who was now clutching her foot and glaring angrily at him.

"I-I was just going to put some salve on your feet!" he said, hands up in mock defense with the jar of medicine held up as well. Isla gave him a suspicious look. She shot out her arm towards Alfred, in clear demand that he give her the salve himself. Alfred found himself producing a small grin.

"Oh no, you're my wife! I have to protect and take care of you, you know," he began, smiling and keeping the medicine at a distance from her outstretched hand. Isla rolled her eyes. This was a good sign…she was overcoming her bad mood. "And that includes tending to all injuries!" he added brightly, making sure to give a bigger smile.

Isla rolled her eyes again, but gave in. She placed her foot on his lap and he began to tend to the cuts. Alfred washed the foot with some water from the lake first, cleaning it. Then, he rubbed the salve on. The rubbing motion was obviously making Isla uncomfortable, as she started squirming where she sat. Alfred looked towards the foot he had just tended to and got an evil smirk on his face. He began to tickle the foot mercilessly, causing Arthur to jump and shove his hand in his mouth in order to prevent any laughs from coming out.

Alfred laughed as he did this. Isla was really squirming now, trying her hardest not to laugh. Before he could continue his ministrations, her other foot came flying very close to his face. "Whoa!" he shouted as he dodged the foot, laughing even more. Isla's face was extremely red at this point, her legs clutched closely to her chest.

"I don't suppose you're going to let me heal your other foot…?" he asked, but he already knew the answer. Isla grabbed the jar of salve right from his hand and began to work on her other foot. Alfred gave a few more small chuckles before lying down, staring up at the sky. The sun would start to set in an hour or so. His parents weren't expecting to see him at all that day, too busy with paperwork handing over the land and power of the kingdom of America to Isla's parents. Alfred had thought of spending the day cooped up in the bedroom with Isla or annoying his brother, Matthew, but he hadn't felt like doing that today. Being outside was far more enjoyable, and it was actually more fun with Isla hanging around. That gave him an idea.

"Hey Isla!" he shouted excitedly. She was still tending to her other foot, but she turned her head around nonetheless. She raised an eyebrow in response, as if to ask, "What?"

"Want to come into town with me? I mean, there's nothing much, but the neighboring people there are really great, I think you'd love them!" Isla looked at him for a moment before shrugging her shoulders and nodding her head. Alfred's smile grew even wider.

Alfred, who had cleverly brought a change of shoes with him, gave the pair to Isla to wear as they walked into town. The townspeople were unaware that Alfred was the prince, especially with his outfit. He found a local shop and allowed Isla to dress herself in something a bit more proper than just a nightgown.

He began to introduce Isla to his closest companions there, calling her Isling, a nickname for Isla, in order to protect her identity. He didn't want any rebels getting to her if anyone realized that she was actually the princess from the kingdom of England.

They spent the day wandering, Alfred pointing out all the beauty of his land. He showed Isla the wonderful mountains, the green lands that stretched out for miles, a beautiful waterfall that could be seen out in the distance… America was a beautiful land indeed, and Alfred's heart swelled with pride at the knowledge that this magnificent land was his home.

Arthur's eyes continued to widen with every new feature of land he saw. Arthur couldn't believe just how wonderful America's land was. He could care less about how valuable it was property-wise. It spanned for thousands of miles, which was all his parents cared about. No, it was wonderful because of its nature, its stunning scenery…It was a land fit for someone of the outdoors.

It was a land that fit Alfred. It practically screamed his name.

Alfred had gathered some of his friends to the outer edges of town by a local shore. They lit a bonfire and gathered logs to sit on. Alfred made sure Isla sat next to him. All the townspeople recounted tales and local folklore. There was dancing and music and food, and just pure delight coming from these people. Alfred was no stranger to this environment.

Arthur sat on the wood and merely watched as they all enjoyed themselves, but couldn't prevent a smile edging its way onto his face. The way Alfred would dance so stupidly around the fire to the way he would belt out his horrible singing voice to the songs was just so…charming? Adorable? Arthur couldn't think of the right word. He found himself wanting to laugh at the man's antics. Alfred had even tried to get him to dance, but Arthur refused by pushing him away, crossing his arms, and, unfortunately, blushing. He was becoming more feminine as the days passed, it seemed.

By the time night was descending and the stars were coming out, the festivities had calmed down. Everyone was doing their own thing. Some were eating the leftover food. Arthur was grateful that there had been food at all. He was actually quite full now. Other people were talking amongst themselves, and Arthur found he couldn't ignore the excited man chatting right next to him in his ear.

"…and so then, I jumped into the lake and rescued the poor girl! Right on time too! That day, I was a hero!" he declared proudly, pointing a thumb into his chest. Arthur rolled his eyes, but gave a small smirk. Alfred was also very egotistical, but not in such a bad way.

Alfred looked up into the sky. It was clearly very late and he and Isla had to get back to the castle. Tugging on her arm, he motioned his head towards the castle, signaling that they should leave. Arthur nodded in response. Arthur got up and began to walk away as Alfred said goodbye to all of his friends. Arthur knew that this was obviously a great secret he had to keep about Alfred. His husband was socializing with common folk, and although Arthur would never have wanted to be caught with such people before, he found he had enjoyed the experience far more than any time he spent with aristocrats for company.

Arthur continued walking in the direction of the castle with Alfred until he felt an arm tug him. They were near the gates now, but Alfred continued to tug his arm, looking a bit nervous. "H-hey, can I talk to you?" he asked. Arthur didn't see why Alfred would ask all of a sudden. He did nothing but babble on all day.

However, Arthur followed Alfred nonetheless. They hid behind a tree, extremely far away from the townspeople, but still close enough to make out the fire. Alfred shifted on his feet. Arthur raised an eyebrow, questioning Alfred's sudden edginess.

"Isla…" he began, looking away. "I just…well, I want you to know that…I'm really glad I married you," he said, looking Arthur in the eyes earnestly. Arthur felt his heartbeat begin to rise. What was Alfred saying?

"And, like, I know that we kind of just met and all, but…" Alfred leaned in a bit closer to Arthur until he was backed up against the tree. "I…I really like you, Isla…a lot," he said, taking a hold of her face with one of his hands.

Arthur knew where this was leading, but before he could do anything to stop it, he felt warm lips placed upon his own. It was a small kiss, and Alfred only lingered there for a second before pulling back, a bit flushed due to embarrassment. Arthur's own face was even redder than Alfred's. He had just…he had just kissed the man.

"S-sorry…" Alfred muttered, looking away. "I just…wanted you to know that…"

Arthur desperately wanted to say something, anything. He wanted to scream out that Alfred had just kissed another man, that everything going on was a complete lie, and that he wasn't who Alfred thought he was!

…And, another part of him wanted to say he liked Alfred too.

Bloody hell, he was beginning to like Alfred. That way.

This wasn't good, this wasn't good at all. Arthur couldn't be falling for a man he had despised just the day before! Arthur couldn't be happy with Alfred out with common folk and sitting by the lake or anything of the sort!

This was bad, this was so very, very bad…

Alfred was still looking away, scratching the back of his neck. "I guess…I guess we should head back…" he started to say. However, before Alfred could turn around and begin walking towards the castle, Arthur did something very impulsive.

Arthur grabbed Alfred's face in his hands and kissed him squarely on the lips. Alfred was shocked for a second before eagerly responding, smiling as he softly kissed her.

Arthur had kissed girls before, of course, but never had he had a kiss quite like this. It wasn't messy or passionate or anything of the sort. It was a simple movement of his lips with Alfred's, familiarizing themselves with each other. It felt comfortable, safe, and…it felt loving.

There was just a certain spark about this moment that Arthur couldn't find the proper words for. His mind was a jumbled mess at the moment, one part wanting to kiss Alfred more and another part wanting to pull back and stop the madness in its tracks.

The latter part won, and Arthur pulled back abruptly, his cheeks completely flushed as he breathed in and out through his mouth. Alfred's smile was practically gleaming in the darkness of the night. Arthur swallowed and allowed the guilt of his actions to sink in. He wanted to say something desperately, but Alfred was much too overjoyed at the moment.

Grabbing Arthur's hand, Alfred practically ran towards the castle with him, small laughter emitting from his lips. Arthur's own lips were shaking with guilt and remorse for what he had done. By the time they had reached the side entrance, Alfred stopped and put a finger to his lips to signal silence. Arthur shakily nodded that he understood.

As Alfred fumbled with the lock, Arthur looked around. Out in the distance, he saw two people. They appeared to be kissing. Arthur squinted his eyes, trying to see what other couples there were out here. His eyes widened in shock at the sight.

The two people kissing looked just like Alfred and Isla! But…but that wasn't possible. Alfred was right here next to him, trying to quietly sneak the key into the lock without making a sound. Then who was…

Was this a vision of guilt? Was this an image of what it looked like when they had kissed? Was some higher power trying to tell him something? Feed him images of his sin?

He had just kissed a man. And he had enjoyed it too. Not only was he lying to Alfred, but he was causing Alfred to unknowingly perform an act of utmost sin in kissing him.

Arthur felt Alfred's hand tug him inside. Arthur spared one last glance at the horrible vision in the distance before he walked inside the castle himself, all the while thinking that for once his father had been right about him all along…

A/N: Phew, that was a long chapter xD This chapter did not want to be written, that's for sure xD

A quick little side note~ Isla is a Scottish name and Isling really is a nickname for it :)