A/N: I-I've gotten so many reviews, thank you all so much! This was a few days late due to filling out all these college apps ^^; But they'll finally be over by Friday, so yay! Anyhoo, please enjoy the next chapter~

The Secret

Chapter 4

It had been two weeks since…the incident.

And unfortunately for Arthur, he discovered that Alfred was somewhat of an affectionate sort. While Arthur would lay in the bed, stiff and wracked with guilt, Alfred constantly tried to move closer to his form. He would attempt to drape an arm around Arthur or kiss him on the cheek, but Arthur would shy away from these ministrations. After the first few days, Alfred seemed to get the picture. It was for the best, Arthur would tell himself.

They hadn't kissed since…that night. Arthur wouldn't allow for it. He could see the hurt in Alfred's eyes whenever he turned his head from an act of affection, but it had to be done. Many a night Arthur would rub his tired eyes, his head throbbing and aching, trying to overcome the stressful situation he was in.

Despite the lack of any physical romance, Alfred and Arthur had spent the two weeks fairly well, sneaking out to the town like they had before. Arthur was less enthusiastic about these little rendezvous. However, it was much better than wandering the cold, barren castle or accidently bumping into his parents. It seemed whatever connection the two of them had had before was still there no matter how hard Arthur was trying to prevent it. He couldn't prevent it, he didn't want to, even though his mind told him to do so. There was something about Alfred that spread warmth, warmth instead of the icy chill of his parents' stares, the emptiness of the castle, the overall coldness that was, and had always been, his life.

Alfred, normally solemn while stuck in the castle, was as enthusiastic as ever when he was outside. He showed Arthur all the little details he loved about the outdoors. There was a tree he had climbed when he was very little that he still loved to climb till this very day. There was an enormous field of grass that stretched for miles, untouched by farmers or any person for that matter. Alfred ran through the field like an imbecile, hollering and laughing as he did so. Arthur slapped his forehead at the sight, but it just…fit Alfred. So he couldn't help the small smile that spread to his face as well.

But as the days had drawn on, paperwork began piling up and they were expected to attend meetings between their parents to set up the proper terms of agreement between the two kingdoms. It seemed that Alfred's parents weren't too enthusiastic about having to give up all their power and land, but Arthur's parents would settle for no less. Sir and Lady Jones were trying to convince Arthur's parents that they should wait until Isla gave birth to an heir, and then they could take all the land and power they wanted. Although it was Isla having the child, by the time Arthur's parents died, the heir would be that of Alfred and his family, putting them in power once more. Alfred's parents had seen the sheets and assumed consummation, but whether or not Isla was pregnant remained to be seen.

Arthur never saw many people from the castle. He was either in the meeting room, in the bedroom, or outdoors. He preferred to stray from those who lived in the castle, trying not to make his presence known once that dreadful day came…the day when his secret was to be discovered. It was drawing closer and closer. Images of everyone's reactions played constantly in his mind. He couldn't help but think of all the horrendous acts they would force upon him, all the tortuous death sentences they could pick from that he may have to endure. When the mind was scared, it managed to think of a variety of twisted thoughts, striking more fear into poor Arthur.

He could be hanged like a peasant, beheaded, disemboweled while alive, burned at the stake…all these possibilities made Arthur want to vomit, and sometimes at night, while Alfred was sleeping and he was wide awake with these thoughts flitting about in his mind, he would nearly do so. Nights at this castle had never been friendly to Arthur, and his dreams became more and more grotesque as the days wore on. Not once had he had a peaceful night of sleep since the day he walked through the castle doors, and Arthur began to think that day would never come.

Although, there was always the smallest possibility that Arthur's secret would never get discovered…that he would somehow manage to outlive Alfred's parents and their need for an heir and remain a woman for the rest of his life…

Arthur shook his head at the thought. If he never showed signs of pregnancy, Alfred's parents would surely send him to a doctor, where they would then discover…

Arthur clamped his hands on his head, pulling on the hair of his wig. He was sitting in front of the new vanity set Alfred had placed in the room. His husband had bought it recently, claiming it was his two-week anniversary present. Alfred had used his own money to purchase the gift, which was endearing in a way. But as of right now, Arthur was not thinking of Alfred. He was too busy staring at his pathetic reflection while Alfred was in the other room, at yet another meeting.

The wig wasn't holding up too well anymore. He kept having to pin it on his head. His makeup was in a state of despair as well, but Arthur had learned in his time as Isla how to apply it fairly well…he felt more like a woman than ever before when he did so. Arthur was even becoming used to the dreadful corset. It still squeezed his waist and made breathing extremely difficult, but he had been eating less do to its constricting ways, and found that the less he ate, the less constricted he felt.

Arthur scratched at the wig, his own scalp itchy underneath it. The stupid pins always managed to dig themselves and pull strands of his hair out, only causing the top of his head to become irritated. Arthur looked around the room and listened for the sounds of anyone approaching the bedroom. There was nothing but a heavy silence. He sighed in relief. Fingers diving underneath the wig, Arthur carefully undid the pins that clamped so tightly to his hair. After he undid all the pins, Arthur lifted the wig off and rubbed the top of his head.

He looked again at his reflection. If he thought his hair had been messy before, he was in for a real shock now. His sandy locks were all over the place, some having been flattened down by the wig and pins while others stood up wildly now that they were no longer confined. Taking the brush left on the vanity, Arthur tried his best to tame his hair.

"Isla!"

Arthur's hand froze midair when he heard that name. Hastily fitting the wig back atop his head, Arthur's gaze went immediately to the door. Alfred popped right in, taking in his "wife's" disheveled look. "O-oh, sorry, maybe I should've knocked first," he said, closing his eyes and scratching the back of his neck.

Arthur's face was red, not because Alfred had decided to pop in, but because he had almost been caught. The pins were no longer in place, so there was nothing secure holding the wig onto his head.

Alfred waltzed inside and plopped down on the edge of the bed, taking his shoes off and basically becoming at ease in their bedroom. However, he wasn't completely at ease. "Um, Isla…?" he began, looking at her back, catching his reflection in the mirror she was currently facing. He had placed the vanity against the wall opposite to the edge of the bed. There wasn't much distance between the wall and the bed, and Alfred could easily grasp Isla's shoulder from where he sat.

Swallowing thickly, Alfred tried to coax her to turn around. "Isla, I need you to look at me…"

Alfred's former ease had dissolved into something far more serious. Arthur didn't want to turn around, fearful of what he might see in those eyes. This could not be good news, especially since he had not been allowed to attend the meeting Alfred had just been to. However, Arthur obeyed, and turned his chair around so he could face his husband.

"You do…like me, right Isla?" he asked, pink tinting his cheeks. Arthur didn't answer, instead averting his eyes to the other side of the room. He couldn't allow Alfred to recognize any sort of romantic affection he may have had, else he was certain he'd see that horrid vision again.

"You can just…nod your head or something…" Alfred mumbled, his lips almost forming a pout. Arthur wanted to roll his eyes. Was this a serious topic or not? He was acting a bit childish again, but along with his childish actions was a hint of sincerity that never ceased to puzzle Arthur.

Arthur decided it was best to merely shrug his shoulders, not answering the question, nor ignoring it. Alfred sighed at the action. "That doesn't really answer my question…"

Alfred placed his hand on the side of Isla's face and turned it so that he could look her right in the eye. Before he could say something, however, Isla had swatted his hand and proceeded to walk away, her back turned.

"S-so then…it's a no?" he asked, fearful that maybe Isla really didn't hold any affection for him…but that would be too bizarre. They had spent so many memorable moments together, and for the first time in a long time, he felt…happy. He wasn't afraid to admit that Isla made him happy, either! Sure, she was grumpy and stubborn and kind of a prude, but she was also persevering, independent, and strong. She carried herself with her shoulders and back straight, would glare if done any sort of injustice to, and…well, Alfred really didn't know how to describe her. She always seemed as if she had many burdens to bear, but instead of simply lying down and taking it, she stood up for herself…at least, that was the vibe Alfred received from her. He felt as if she was a person who could endure, and Alfred had to admit that endurance was something he admired.

Her parents were cruel. Alfred figured that out after the first few meetings he had with them going over the terms of agreement. They belittled her, sniped at her, insulted her, yelled right in her face, noses touching, and sometimes they smacked her if she didn't respond how they wanted her to respond. When Alfred attempted to stand up for her after witnessing their abuse for the first time, she merely extended her arm out to block him, staring straight at her parents with a glare and nothing more.

Yes, she could endure. And there was also something about the way she was outdoors. She didn't seem like she appreciated being outside at first, but that was probably because, like himself, she had been cooped up in a castle all her life and told not to venture outside. But once Alfred had showed her the beautiful lands of America, something sparked in her eyes. Alfred didn't know what it was, but he definitely saw something…

She was unlike any girl he had ever known. She had all these traits coupled with the fact that she looked really cute when she blushed, which Alfred took as an extra perk.

But he really wanted to know what it was about him that she didn't like. He asked again. "I-Isla, so, you really don't like me then?" It contradicted everything if she said no to this question, but he really had to know the answer…especially after what had happened at the meeting while she wasn't there…

Isla slumped her shoulders and turned around, sighing. She rubbed her eyes and walked over to the bed, climbing up on its surface and sitting where she usually slept. Alfred got off his spot from the edge of the bed and sat on his own side of the bed, bringing his legs into his chest. He stared right at her and she stared straight ahead. She looked tired, as if she didn't want to deal with this situation. But Alfred could be just as stubborn as she was.

Since his pout hadn't worked before, he tried poking her in the cheek to provoke a reaction. She swatted his hand away as if his actions were completely normal, which they were, but now she almost seemed bored. But the gravity of the situation hadn't been placed upon her shoulders just yet.

Arthur decided to lay his head back down against the pillows. Maybe he could feign sleep if he had to. Alfred had nothing important to say if all he was worrying about was their relationship at the moment, and Arthur had already mastered the key to avoiding the subject. Although these talks were becoming more frequent, it was nothing Arthur couldn't handle.

He stared up at the ceiling as Alfred sighed to himself. He mentally berated himself for hurting the man so much, but it would obviously cause much more pain of anything romantic between the two continued.

Suddenly, Alfred had turned towards Arthur with a grim look on his face. It wasn't the same pout or expression he wore when talking about their relationship with one another…it was far more serious.

"Isla," he began, looking at Arthur straight in the eye. Just what was making Alfred look so damn nervous?

"We need to consummate the marriage. Tonight."

Alfred looked away, afraid of Isla's reaction. Arthur laid still, stiff in bed. Just what was he saying? He continued to speak.

"My parents…they want to see signs of your pregnancy in about four months, and if not…they said they'd exile you from the kingdom of America for being sick and infertile…"

Arthur bolted upright, staring straight at Alfred as soon as the words left his lips. Exiled?! I'm going to be exiled?! he thought frantically to himself, his eyes wide with disbelief, so much so that he hardly noticed the expression on Alfred's face until a few seconds of silence had passed.

Alfred was staring at him with a face much more shocked than his own. "I-Isla…?" he asked, his lips quivering, eyes wider than Arthur had ever seen them before. Arthur nearly cocked an eyebrow, wanting to know just why Alfred was wearing that expression until he rested his hand on the pillow.

He felt hair.

No…

Arthur glanced down quickly to confirm his suspicions. And there it was, his wig, lying right on the pillow after he had sat up so quickly. He looked right back at Alfred, practically choking on the air in an effort to realize the situation at hand. Arthur's throat swelled and he found he couldn't say anything but stare straight back, eyes just as wide as his husband's.

His face was suddenly grabbed, his head being forced down into the pillow as Alfred roughly placed his lips on his own. Arthur was too shocked to react to the situation until he felt Alfred's knee slide right between his thighs and…

"Oh my God!" Alfred screamed as he leapt off of Arthur, landing on the ground, eyes wide with fear and pointing at what he thought was a woman. "Y-you're a guy?!" Alfred's pointed hand was trembling now, his lips quivering more than ever as he tried to take in the situation.

Arthur realized that Alfred had thrown him onto the sheets to test for his gender, and even though his secret was now revealed and his heart was thundering in his chest, he couldn't let Alfred shout like that. He ran off the bed and forcefully placed a hand over Alfred's mouth.

"Please, just be quiet! Everyone will hear-" But before he could continue, his hand was ripped off as Alfred stood, leaning against the wall as if Arthur's touch had scorched him.

"D-don't touch me!" he shouted. "H-how? Wha-? W-what's going on here?!"

Arthur begged, "Please, I'll tell you everything, just be quiet! No one can know-"

"Y-you were a guy?! T-this whole time? I…I don't even…agh!" Alfred shouted, fisting his two hands into his hair on both sides of his head as he stared down at the woman, no, at the man, begging before him.

Isla…Isla was a man. She, no, he, was…

No, it couldn't be, it just couldn't be!

But everything suddenly began to start making sense, no matter how desperately Alfred tried not to think about it. Isla's face, her body structure, the fact that she couldn't, no, wouldn't speak…

Alfred's hands were trembling, trying to make sense of everything that had just happened. He wanted to shout, he wanted to scream, but everything he wanted to say was stuck in his throat. Alfred could barely hear what Isla, no, this stranger, was saying, too focused on trying to get his thoughts on one track…

"What's going on in here, eh?! What's with all the commotion?" a man shouted upon stepping into the room.

Arthur turned around in fear, shielding his hair with his hands as if it could hide his true gender for only a few moments more. But when he finally caught a glimpse of who was at the door, disbelief struck him. "A-Alfred?" he asked, glancing back and forth between the two men.

"Alfred, who is this guy?!" the man said, looking frightened himself. The man grabbed the small sword from his holster and held it out in front of Arthur's face, arms trembling while his face gave the expression of absolute fear and horror. "W-who are you?!" he shouted, becoming more nervous, causing the sword to shake even more.

"P-please, g-get that away from me!" Arthur shouted, his hands in front of him defensively. Was he really going out like this?

"W-wait, Matthew, don't!"

The man, or Matthew, rather, turned to Alfred with a disbelieving look. However, he did as he was told and put the sword back, crossing the room to stand in front of Alfred defensively. His face, first full of apprehension, had become serious and almost dangerous. He was obviously protective of Alfred. "Who are you? What have you done with Isla?" he asked gravely, scrutinizing Arthur.

Arthur gulped. "I-I am Isla, b-but if you would just allow me to explain…" he said as his voice trailed off after seeing Matthew's expression becoming even angrier.

"Then explain already! Why the hell are you in here with my brother?!" Matthew screamed, but his shout caused something to click on Arthur's head.

"Y-you're…you're twins…?" he asked hesitantly. Matthew nodded angrily in response. Arthur felt an even bigger weight crash onto his shoulders. They were twins. Twins. Just like…just like himself and Isla…

Arthur buried his face into one of his hands. "O-oh God…" he said, trying to stop the tears that threatened to roll down his face. This was just too much for him to handle all at once. He could usually endure anything thrown at him, but the absolute stress of the situation was clenching at his chest, causing pain to reverberate throughout his entire being.

He heard Matthew whispering something to his brother. Alfred was still shaken up and could hardly form a cohesive sentence.

Matthew looked towards Arthur, muttering, "Just wait here…" before leading his brother out of the room and locking the door behind him.

The two brothers had spoken for a while outside while Arthur waited in the bedroom. He had curled up into a ball and was trembling all over. He had thought his tears had run dry, but apparently they hadn't. He clutched his knees with an excruciating force, trying not to let such emotions overtake him.

He knew this day would come. It had been on his mind constantly since he first entered the castle. But never had Arthur suspected it would happen so…quickly. Not with the way things had been going before. A voice in the back of Arthur's head told him that if he knew to expect this, then he shouldn't be such a weakling about it. But Arthur couldn't help himself. He was so scared now, scared of how everyone else would find out, scared of how he would be executed, scared of his parents' reactions, and scared of Alfred's reaction as well.

Arthur, although he had already seen Alfred's reaction, continued to fear how he would react now that the initial surprise was over. What if it turns out he became violent? What if he put Arthur to death himself? What if they killed Alfred too, just because he was married and supposedly consummated with a man? These thoughts were doing nothing to help Arthur's mood.

Hearing the door click open, Arthur immediately looked up from his spot on the bed to see Alfred and his brother standing in the doorway. Alfred's eyes were red, which probably meant he had shed a few tears as well. Arthur couldn't blame him, seeing as how his eyes were still spilling tears down his own face.

Matthew was apparently quite the brother since he seemed to have calmed Alfred down while maintaining a level head of his own. Matthew looked both solemn and angry. Alfred continued to stand by the door as his brother walked into the room and stood near the edge of the bed, staring at Arthur. Alfred eventually leaned his body against the door and slumped down, head in his hands.

Arthur looked up to Matthew, waiting for him to speak. When he said nothing, Arthur took that as his cue to start sharing his story. "U-um, you must be wondering who I am…" he began, nervously glancing into Matthew's face. Now that he thought about it, the two did look slightly different. The hair was a different length and the eyes were different colors. They even had different shaped hairs that stuck up.

Matthew nodded in response, waiting for him to continue. "Well…my name is Arthur Kirkland, and Isla is my sister." Matthew cut him off at this point.

"And just where is your sister?" he asked suspiciously.

Arthur gulped. "S-she's dead…" he said quietly, now realizing that it might be much harder to delve into this story than he had previously thought. Matthew furrowed his eyebrows at the news while Alfred picked his head up and began looking at Arthur. Feeling a bit more self conscious, he continued. "Isla was…she was my twin sister and…on our way here, a rebel took out a knife and…and stabbed her…" he said, wringing his hands together.

Matthew's face looked a bit torn, one side showing sympathy and the other disbelief. "Do you…do you have proof?"

Arthur flared up. "How about the fact that she's gone and I'm in a goddamned dress?!" He was breathing heavily now. He became angry like he always did when it concerned his late sister. He shook his head, muttering "sorry" as he tried to clear his mind for a moment. "I have…I have a scar, on my back…I tried to protect her, but…" his voice trailed off, recalling the scene vividly in his mind. All the blood, the panic, the painful emotions of the moment scorching at his heart…

Arthur was aware of Matthew walking around the bed where his back was turned. Matthew tugged down the back of the dress to reveal the scar hidden there. "He's telling the truth about the scar, Al…"

It was at this point that Alfred stood up, albeit reluctantly. Arthur's face was red when he felt Alfred's stare on his back, but he said nothing. Alfred breathed in deeply ran a hand through his hair as he walked in front of Arthur. He stared straight into his eyes, shaking his head and asking, "Just…why?" He sounded exasperated.

Arthur gazed down at the bed sheets. "My parents…they forced me to do this…"

"I-I just…I…" But Alfred couldn't continue his train of thought. His mind was still a jumbled mess and he couldn't wrap his head around the fact that this guy's own parents forced him to do this.

"Alfred, please…" Arthur said, staring straight up at the man. "Please don't tell anyone about this…at least…at least until my parents leave…" he said. He couldn't believe he was actually willing to let his parents escape, but he feared their fury more than being caught. If his parents were found to be guilty, then they would surely do their best to recommend a death sentence for Arthur…

Alfred stared back, his face wearing a tired, almost indifferent, expression. "We need to get you out of here…"

"W-what?" Arthur asked, unsure if he heard Alfred correctly.

"We need to get you out of here. Both of us. This isn't going to work, not with the way my parents are snooping around now…" Alfred's tone of voice was very serious. His face looked drained and Arthur could see bags forming under his eyes.

"We can all go."

Both Alfred and Arthur looked towards Matthew. His face was serious as well. "Alfred's right, this isn't going to work. Someone's going to find out one way or another…" He stepped towards Alfred, his head looking down as if he was ashamed. "And…I really need to get out of here, too…"

The other two men wore surprised expressions. Just what else was going on here?

Matthew looked up and faced them both. "I was going to do this just next week but, we can escape the castle tomorrow."

"M-Matt," Alfred quickly cut in, "I don't think we can just up and leave, shouldn't we plan something…?" His eyebrows were furrowed as he stared at his brother.

"I've already got a plan. I've had one for a while…" he said, averting his eyes. "That servant girl…Katya. We were planning to elope soon."

"W-what?!" Alfred shouted. "What do you…Are you serious?" he asked, unsure if maybe everyone was just bent on tricking him today. Matthew muttered a soft "yeah" before turning his head and looking at Arthur.

"You know…you and Katya had the exact same hair…I would say you two almost looked alike, if you were a bit more feminine…" He sighed, staring straight up at the ceiling and closing his eyes, trying to revise his original plan in his head to accommodate both Arthur and his brother. He had really wanted to reveal Arthur for who he was, but outside the room, Alfred had seemed dead set on keeping Arthur alive for whatever reason. Alfred had finally said that he would be killed too because their parents thought he slept with "Isla"…

Arthur looked upon Matthew with incredulity, something finally dawning on him. "It…it was you…?" he asked as he stared at the man. Matthew looked down.

"What?" he asked, unaware of what Arthur was referring to.

"You…the kiss, two weeks ago, I saw you…that was you and…and a servant girl?" he asked. His mouth was gaping as he realized that what he thought was Isla really wasn't. And the voice…the voice he had heard that sounded just like hers after waking up on his first night in the castle…was it possible that voice had been hers, too?

Matthew's eyes widened. "Y-you saw that?"

Alfred stepped in at this point. "Now, wait a minute! Let me get this straight," he said, still trying to sort the situation out. "Y-you're a guy," he said, pointing to Arthur, "and you've been having an affair with that nice servant girl?"

Matthew's face colored, embarrassed at having his own secret revealed. "Yes…" he responded, nodding his head the slightest bit.

Alfred just turned around and grabbed a fistful of hair with his hand. He leaned against one of the walls, breathing deeply. Too much was going wrong at the moment…

He turned around at the sound of a cough. Matthew was ready to speak again. "What I need you guys to do is be up at dawn. Go down to the main door and I'll meet you there with Katya."

"But Matt, they always guard that door-" Alfred began to say before he was interrupted.

"No, they won't. The guards are friends of Katya's, they'll do anything she asks. It's the safest way out of the castle because she's already convinced the guards to make up a story and lead our parents in the wrong direction, the exact opposite of where Katya and I are heading…" Matthew reassured Alfred. He knew he would have no problem getting Katya to convince those guards tonight. It was a bit earlier than he had originally planned, but he was confident it would work.

Alfred looked like he wanted to object, but sighed instead.

Matthew put a hand on Alfred's shoulder sympathetically. "Pack your stuff tonight, Al. I promise we'll get out of here…" His voice was solemn as he said this. "But…hey, it won't be so bad…Maybe you'll finally get to live in the outdoors you love so much, eh?" His last statement was meant to cheer Alfred up, but all he got in return was a fake smile and a hmph.

Deciding it was best to leave, Matthew walked past his brother. He eyed Arthur warily for a moment before closing his eyes, turning around, and walking out of the room.

When Matthew made sure the door was closed behind him, he was just about to head straight to Katya before he felt a body grab him from behind and put a hand to his mouth. Struggling in this person's grasp, he took a quick intake of breath when he recognized the person's voice. "So, l'amour is in the air?" the voice asked him. Matthew could practically hear the smirk and his lips began trembling. This man…Francis…had heard everything, hadn't he?

After Matthew had left, the atmosphere had been eerily silent between Alfred and Arthur. Alfred, who would usually talk so much, didn't say another word. Arthur struggled to come up with apologies or anything to break Alfred out of his trance, if that's what you could call it. Alfred had simply ignored him and began packing. By the time he was done with both of their things (not that Arthur had many things to begin with), he blew out all the lanterns and went to bed.

But of course, Arthur couldn't sleep. How could anyone possibly expect him to sleep now? When he was so stressed and worried and fearful of what his future would bring him?

But…there was also the smallest bit of hope. He had thought that once anyone found out about him, he would be killed. He had been prepared to either beg for mercy or take it like a man, to go out with dignity…He hadn't expected an opportunity to be spared. If he managed to escape the castle, even if he would no longer see Alfred again…he would be free. He wouldn't have to worry about his parents or his marriage or anything… He could start over and have a new life, a more decent one. And as much as that thought scared him, it comforted him as well.

It would be a struggle, of course. But at least it was better than being burned alive! It was better than being disemboweled! And Arthur was prepared to take any actions necessary to see this through.

Arthur stared out into the dark room, figuring he would rather stay up the whole night than try to sleep. It was pointless. His dreams were dreadful and his mind was always restless. Hugging his knees into his chest, which was hard with the corset still on, but possible nonetheless, Arthur let his head drop.

There was one lingering emotion that kept nagging at him. It was about Alfred. The guilt that had been in his heart had grown to an enormous size. Even though he had tried so hard to prevent it, he still…cared for Alfred. But now that Alfred knew the disgusting truth, nothing could ever work out between them, not even the most decent friendship. And then there was the fact that it was basically his fault Alfred had to leave the castle. If only he had never gone through with this plan in the first place, things would be different for him…Arthur only managed to break his entire family apart. Joy.

When dawn rose, Arthur nudged Alfred on the shoulder. Alfred got up quickly and quietly, not sparing a glance at Arthur. He really didn't know what to make of what happened last night. Too many secrets had come out at once and bombarded him, and now he was leaving his home and family for good.

Everything just…stung. That was the only word Alfred could think of. It was as if someone had stabbed him in the heart, rubbed salt on a wound, etc.

Alfred tried keeping himself from talking. He had no reason to talk now, really. But in reality, it was out of fear that he said nothing. Alfred felt that if he began to talk to Arthur, he would find out the guy's true colors. He would find out that everything they did together was fake, that every happy moment they shared was just Arthur fooling around with his heart…

And it was this that stung most of all.

But Alfred had to be strong. Giving Arthur one last, pitying look, he began to walk out of the door. Arthur followed behind and they both walked into the main hall.

Matthew had been right. There were no guards now. They waited in silence in front of the large doors for Matthew and Katya to appear. Arthur was apprehensive about meeting her, especially since she had looked so much like Isla…

Alfred heard Arthur sniffle behind him and turned around. "You…you all right, man?" he asked, adding that last word because he still wasn't used to thinking of "Isla" as a guy.

Arthur was startled by the question. "I-I…" he began, but found he couldn't finish. Thinking about Isla did this to him. He was getting emotional far too often…maybe he really should have been born a woman…

Alfred took in a big breath. Arthur's face looked so distraught that it broke Alfred completely. This man had put up with so much in the past few weeks and it just…

As unfair as it was to Alfred, it was just as unfair to Arthur. He sighed. Looking at Arthur, he was just about to say something when they heard a voice.

"There they are!" said a man with blond hair and a bit of stubble. He was wearing a smirk and pointing at them. From behind, both Alfred and Arthur could see each of their parents approaching, along with multiple guards from the other side of the castle.

Arthur's eyes practically came out of their sockets. He shook his head, muttering "no, no, no" over and over again.

"Well, what are you waiting for?! Grab them!" Sir Jones screamed at the guards. Before Arthur or Alfred could run away, they were both surrounded, arms clutching them with no mercy. They struggled in the guards' grasps, but it was no use.

Alfred's father's eyes were filled with absolute rage. "Bring him to me! Strip him of that dress!" The hands around Arthur got to work as they tore the dress apart, leaving him in nothing but the corset and an undergarment. His wig was ripped off of his head and he let out a scream from his strands of hair being pulled so rapidly. Hands behind his back now, he was facing Sir and Lady Jones. He was clearly a man and they could see. "Take the damn corset off!" Sir Jones ordered, and off it came. Arthur surged forward, his abdominal muscles weak from misuse. It hurt to stand now.

"D-dad, please, stop this!" Alfred shouted, fending off the guards with all his strength. However, no matter how many guards he managed to outdo, more kept coming.

Alfred looked at his father with imploring eyes, begging him to stop. He heard a whimpering from farther away. Looking past his father, he saw Matthew struggling in a guard's arms as well, a hand clamped over his mouth. Matthew bit on the hand. The guard, quickly snatching his hand away, gave Matthew the opportunity to shout, "They know everything!"

Both Alfred and Arthur stopped struggling. By everything…that would mean…and the way Matt shouted…they know about his affair with Katya as well, then? Alfred thought to himself, mouth opening and closing without emitting any noise.

Arthur's parents were brought forward. Lady Jones glared at them with the utmost malice in her eyes. "Were you aware of this?!" she screeched. Arthur's parents looked at each other, anger boiling in their eyes, but decided it was best to answer truthfully. Perhaps their lives could be spared.

"We were," Lady Kirkland answered, her face calm but her shaking hands betraying her true emotions. Alfred's parents fumed even more.

"And you!" Sir Jones shouted, pointing an accusatory finger at Arthur. "If you are to dress like a woman, then you shall be a woman! Guards, send him to the chambers! I want him castrated!"

Wha-?

No.

No, dear God, no!

Arthur didn't have any cohesive thoughts as he struggled in the grasp of the guards, shouting at the top of his lungs. "No, please! Don't! Stop!" he screamed, his eyes begging Alfred's father to order the guards to stop.

But Sir Jones wasn't about change his mind. He looked upon Arthur with a furious eye, as if he would willingly murder Arthur with his own hands.

"Arthur!" Alfred shouted, desperately trying to break free from the guards.

As Arthur stared into Alfred's eyes as he was being pulled away, he only had enough strength to whisper, "Alfred…"

A/N: Another chapter~ The final chapter should be up in a few days to a week at most :)

So, in case you were wondering, Katya is referring to Ukraine. I think only one person came close to figuring out what the image was and it was her ;) Of course, I've definitely tried to describe Isla's appearance as being similar to Ukraine (with the hair and everything), but if this doesn't float your boat, then imagine Katya as a servant who happens to look like the Isla in your head

And it was Francis who was listening in the entire conversation. Kami001 wanted to see him, and that was the only place I thought I could put him ^^; I made him an evil, eavesdropping, noble :x

Anyhoo, hope you enjoyed this latest chapter :)