The room was dead silent as everyone stared at the Niblet's still form.
"W-what just happened?" Alfred said barely above a whisper.
Arthur was the first to move. He took Alfred's plate away from him. The Brit intently looked over the plate for a moment before he picked out an odd plant and stared at it with a dark expression.
"It's hemlock…" Arthur stated in an eerily calm voice.
"Hemlock?" Alfred said with wide eyes. Alfred didn't know how to identify the plant but he knew what it was and what it could do. "D-does that mean someone… that someone was trying to…"
"Someone was trying to poison you." Arthur finished darkly.
There was pure rage and fury on the Brit's face. Alfred had only seen that look once before, the day Arthur left him to join the war. The look sent chills down his spine. Even Matthew and Peter looked scared of the Brit.
"BELLA!" Arthur shouted for the cook at the top of his lungs, causing everyone to jump.
Bella appeared moments later, looking quite startled by the sound of Arthur's voice.
"Y-yes sir?" She quaked. "Is everything alright?"
Arthur strode angrily to her and lifted the plate to her face.
"What the bloody hell do you make of this?!" He snarled at her. His eyes narrowed.
"I-it's your dinner." Bella stuttered. The cook was afraid and confused, still not understanding what was wrong. "Was it not to your liking?"
"I'm not talking about the food!" Arthur's voice became louder as his anger grew. He picked up the hemlock and waved it in front of her face. "I'm talking about THIS! What the hell was this doing in Alfred's food?!"
Bella's eyes grew wide in understanding. She began to tremble from head to toe. "Master Kirkland, I swear to you that I did not put that there. I would never wish any harm on you or your guests!"
"I don't care that you didn't do it!" Arthur yelled furiously at her and threw the plate against the wall causing it to shatter and fall to pieces. "This happened on your watch! You are the one handling the food! You are the one who served us! How could you possibly miss something like this?!"
Bella looked close to tears. She opened and closed her mouth at a loss for words. She didn't know what to say or even how to defend himself.
Before Arthur could start screaming at her again, Alfred placed a firm hand on Arthur's shoulder and forced the Brit to face him.
"Arthur, you need to calm down." Alfred stared at Arthur intently and spoke in a steady tone hoping it would calm the other.
Arthur glared at Alfred. "I will not calm down!" He seethed. "Don't you understand you could have died?! Not only that, there was only hemlock on your plate. Someone purposelytried to kill you!"
Alfred's eyes widened. He didn't really think about it until now. His plate was the only one to get poisoned.
Did that mean… someone in this house wanted him dead?
Alfred looked around the room to take in everyone's faces.
Bella was still trembling and still on the verge of tears.
Matthew looked terrified and was muttering something about curses under his breath.
Peter continued to stare at the dead cat with a blank expression.
Arthur still looked furious. The Brit was enraged that he almost lost his American when they had only just reconciled.
Alfred felt sick from it all. He couldn't comprehend why anyone would want to kill him.
Unable to bring himself to look at anyone else, Alfred said, "I'm going to my room… I've lost my appetite."
Alfred walked out of the room, feeling a little disappointed when no one stopped him or even bothered to comfort him. But Arthur was too enraged to be of much comfort to the American and Matthew would most likely bring up the curse. And a curse was the last thing Alfred wanted to think about.
It had been a week since the incident with the poison occurred. Finding no clues to tell them if someone purposely put the hemlock in Alfred's food, everyone decided it must have been an accident.
Arthur apologized for his outburst but still became very cautious after the incident. At every meal he had Bella taste test their food before they ate.
Lars was upset that Arthur was making his sister but he never voiced his thoughts lest he make the owner of the household angry.
Alfred decided that it was an eerie an terrifying feeling to come that close to death. It shook him up a bit that first day, but now the American was back to his normal self. He, just like everyone else, accepted that it was merely and accident an accidents happen.
Well… everyone but Matthew accepted it.
The younger sibling was furious with Alfred for still denying that it had anything to do with the curse.
"This is only the beginning!" Matthew told his brother a few days after the incident. "If we don't leave now, things are only going to get worse. Before you know it, we will both be dead!"
"Mattie, it was just an accident." Alfred had consoled his brother. "Arthur's made precautions to make sure it won't happen again. We'll be fine."
That didn't make Matthew happy at all. He just continued to have a constant look of fear and irritation on his face and kept himself locked in his room.
Alfred was frustrated that he couldn't get his brother to leave the room or try to accept their new home, but at least Alfred finally had some alone time with Arthur.
Alfred looked across the library room to the place Arthur sat peacefully reading a book. The dim light from the fireplace illuminated the Brit's soft features. The American couldn't help but smile at the endearing site. It had become nearly impossible to get a peaceful moment like this. Especially, when Peter was hanging around Arthur whenever the Brit got close to Alfred. (The American was beginning to suspect that Peter didn't like sharing his cousin.)
But this moment was nice for Alfred. It was just him and Arthur in the quite sanctuary of the library. And Alfred didn't want a single minute of these beautiful moments to go to waste.
"So what are you reading?" Alfred inquired as he kneeled next to Arthur's seat. He nonchalantly leaned as close as he could towards the Brit.
"Just a book of poems." Arthur answered, not taking his eyes off the book.
"Well, that sounds boring." Alfred frowned when he did not get a reaction he wanted. But he quickly perked up and asked, "Why don't we do something fun?"
"Reading isn't boring." Arthur said in a slightly offended tone. He turned away from his book to face Alfred. He obviously wasn't expecting Alfred to be as close as he way, but didn't let it deter him. "You sound like Peter. Why don't you get a book and join me?"
"Because it finally stopped raining for the first time since we've gotten here." Alfred replied. "We should take advantage of this slightly less depressing weather and go outside together… alone."
Arthur glanced around the room and seemed to realize for the first time that he and Alfred were all alone. Finally understanding what Alfred was getting at, Arthur closed the book.
"Go outside? What would you like to do out there?" Arthur questioned with a sly smile.
"I don't know. Maybe take a stroll through the garden. You can show me all of those black roses your family is famous for growing. And I hold your hand." Alfred smiled coyly and wrapped his hand around Arthur's.
Arthur's eyes gleamed as he leaned closer to the American. Their foreheads were pressed together and there was barely any space between their lips.
"That sounds like a lovely idea." Arthur murmured. His lips brushed lightly against Alfred's as he spoke, sending a pleasurable jolt down the younger man's spine. His heart pounded with anticipation. "Perhaps we could even-"
"Go horse riding!" Peter exclaimed loudly from the doorway causing Alfred and Arthur to jump apart.
Alfred's face burned red and he felt irritated that Peter had interrupted them.
"Arthur, you promised me we could go horse riding soon." Peter said as he strode into the room. Alfred scooted further away from Arthur when Peter took it upon himself to sit on his cousins lap. "Besides I also wanted to show Alfred his new horse."
Well that got Alfred's attention. "You got me a horse?" The American asked with wide eyes.
"Yes… but that was supposed to be a surprise." Arthur gave Peter a scolding look for spoiling the surprise.
"Woah! That's awesome! You're the best, Arthur." Alfred leaned in to quickly peck his lover's cheek. "We totally have to check it out right now."
"Urgh, you're just as childish as Peter." Arthur sighed and ignored his cousin's cry of 'I'm not childish'.
Both boys looked at Arthur expectantly. So the Brit let out another sigh and said, "Peter… go call Lars and tell him to get the horses ready."
Peter excitedly jumped out of Arthur's lap and ran out of the room. Calling out for Lars the entire way out.
"Sorry about that stroll in the garden." Arthur turned to Alfred with an apologetic smile. "We'll have to do it another time."
"I don't mind, as long as I'm with you I'm happy." Alfred held out a hand to Arthur to help him up.
As soon as Arthur's cool hand was intertwined in Alfred's, the American pulled the Brit forward.
Arthur stumbled into Alfred's chest and Alfred immediately wrapped his hands around the Brit to keep him from moving away. Arthur tensed at the sudden gesture, but immediately relaxed. He rested his hands on Alfred's shoulders and looked into sky blue eyes.
The Brit was looking at Alfred in such a way that filled his insides with fire and burned all the way to his toes. It made Alfred close the distance between them.
Alfred and Arthur had only kissed once before (and the American always replayed that kiss more times than he is willing to admit since the Brit reappeared into his life), but this was different. While their first kiss was shy and innocent, this one held more hunger and longing. The American couldn't help but deepen the kiss as Arthur's fingers ran soothingly through his hair. The Brit's sent was overwhelming and made Alfred want more.
But of course, it all ended too quickly.
The two lovers broke apart when they heard frantic shouts coming from the backyard. Alfred and Arthur looked at each other in concern before running to see what the ruckus was about.
"PETER STAND BACK!" Michelle shouted at the boy.
Alfred and Arthur came outside just in time to see Peter crouching near the stables. Michelle was standing close to the house looking frightened and Lars was sitting on top of a madly bucking black horse.
Lars had his teeth bared as he tried controlling the large animal. He shouted at it to calm down and pulled the reins but it wouldn't stop. The horse shook it's head back and forth like it was in pain and would not cease from trying to throw off its rider.
Arthur made a movement to go forward and help but Alfred quickly grabbed his wrist to stop him.
"Are you crazy?! You can't go near that horse!" Alfred exclaimed over the horses loud whines and stomps. "That animal looks like it's gone mad and it could seriously hurt you if you get too close!"
"Well I can't just let that animal run around like that." Arthur argued. "We have to stop it before someone gets hurt!"
But alas, it was already too late. Just after Arthur had said those words, the horse thrusted back harshly onto its hind legs causing Lars to lose his grip and fall onto the ground.
The man let out a loud yelp as his ankle twisted beneath him. It was obvious he had broken it by the way the foot was pointing in an odd direction. Lars found that the pain in his leg had left him immobilized where he laid on the ground.
Before the tall man could make any other movements, the horse bucked up again and brought one of its great hooves down onto Lars.
There was a sickening crack as the hoof smashed down into the man's forehead. Everyone stood horrified at the sight of the man's squashed brains spilling onto the floor. Remnants of his shattered skull stuck to the bloodied lumps.
Everyone stood still in stunned silence. The only source of noise came from the wild horse.
Arthur was the first to recover. His bolting forward to stop the horse caused Alfred to snap out of his shock and rush forward to aid the Brit. The two men narrowly avoided being kicked but together they were able to stop the giant horse from bucking.
It still shook it's head madly and dug it's hooves into the ground as the men held it steady.
"I don't know how this happened." Arthur exclaimed in shock as he took the reins off the horse. "She was a kind spirited horse when we got her. That's why I picked her out for you."
Alfred didn't know why the fact that this was supposed to be his horse made him feel sick all of a sudden.
Behind him, Michelle had already gotten Peter and was ushering him quickly into the house while shielding the boy's gaze from Lars' body.
Alfred assisted Arthur by taking the saddle off the horse. As soon as it was removed, the horse calmed down and stopped whining.
'That's strange.' Alfred thought to himself.
"Alfred… what is that?" Arthur was looking oddly at the saddle in Alfred's hands.
The Brit let go of the horse (it walked away calmly as if nothing was wrong) to get a closer look of the saddle. Alfred turned the saddle over to see exactly what had caught the Arthur's eye.
"What's that?" Alfred repeated Arthur's question when he saw two long stems with fuzzy leaves sticking to the bottom of the saddle. Alfred went to grab one but Arthur smacked his hand away.
"Don't touch it!" Arthur ordered. "That's Stinging Nettle."
"Stinging Nettle?" Alfred inquired, not knowing what that was.
"It's like poison ivy." Arthur explained. "It drives the horses crazy and irritates their skin, which is why we have it growing in the furthest corner of the garden."
Both remained silent for a few moments as Alfred let this information sink in.
"Arthur…" Alfred said quietly. "You don't think someone put that there on purpose do you?"
Arthur's expression became dark once again. The sight sent chills down Alfred's spine… and it wasn't the usual pleasurable chill he felt when he was near Arthur.
"It seems like it." Arthur finally answered. His voice strangely calm.
Alfred was speechless. Another death had occurred and it looked like this attack was meant for the American.
"I won't let it go this time." Arthur whispered harshly. "I'm going to find out who's doing this."
Alfred opened his mouth to try and calm Arthur, but was cut off by a high pitched screech.
"Lars!" Bella cried in despair at the sight of her brother. She ran forward and fell to her knees in front of her dead brother. She looked into his dull unseeing eyes and burst into fit of tears.
The sight tore at Alfred's heart. He wondered if Matthew would cry over him like that if he was in that place… Alfred knew he would cry over his brother in deep despair if the other ever died.
Alfred walked over to kneel next to Bella and patted her head lightly, knowing it wouldn't help much. Arthur pulled a small hand towel from the saddle an respectfully placed it over Lars' face and injury. Bella wept louder as they did so.
Alfred pushed the thought of his life being put in danger once again and concentrated on what was happening now. He and Arthur remained with Bella to help her mourn the loss of her beloved sibling.
I feel soo terrible for killing Lars! QAQ Being trampled to death is a painful way to go.
I hope you are all enjoying the story so far. Does anyone think they know why all this crazy stuff is happening? See if you can guess ;D
Please leave a review to let me know what you think of the story so far. n_n (Reviews are very much appreciated.)
