A/N: This is very late and much shorter than I had originally intended. I'll try to make up for it by updating again within the next few days.
The clatter of hooves filled the courtyard as the entourage of the House of Diamonds spilled through the palace gates, white, almost pearl-like carriages glistening in the fading afternoon sun. Alfred squinted in an effort to make out the faces of the passengers inside, but everything was a blur of gold and orange. Yao was giving out last minute instructions to both Arthur and him as they stood waiting on the steps of the entryway to greet their guests, words gritted and nearly unintelligible through his plastered on smile. Alfred didn't care what he was saying. He knew he was supposed to bow and let Yao do all the talking until he was introduced, and then the guests would be shown to their rooms by the house staff; he didn't have to impress or engage, he just had to appear stately and collected. Still, the hammering of his heart as excitement built to its boiling point made him wish he could shout and run a lap around the courtyard, or, at the very least, reach over and squeeze Arthur's hand in his own.
Sneaking a glance up at Arthur, he could see that he was having difficulty channelling his nervous energy. Arthur was blinking too much again, and his facial expressions changed rapidly in attitude, making Alfred think he was either having some sort of attack, or was trying them on for size before the Diamonds made their appearance. Arthur decided on something between a smile and a wince, eyelashes still whipping up and down like frantic moth wings.
"You're going to be fine."
"What?" Arthur still looked uneasy as he spared Alfred a quick look.
"I'm right here, so you're going to be fine. Nothing bad is going to happen."
Arthur might have said something sarcastic, but then he winced again and breathed a giant sigh and said, "Thank you."
Finally, the noise of the carriages came to a halt, and Alfred's eyes widened as one of the doors opened, a footmen dressed in the orange and gold livery of the House of Diamonds offering a hand to the passenger inside. A slender, pale arm, decorated with a few glimmering bracelets reached out and a waif of young woman emerged, blinking cheerfully in the light as she inspected her surroundings. She was dressed modestly for travelling, the childish cut of her yellow and white dress making her look younger than she was, and Alfred smiled, knowing that this was Lilli, the future Queen. It was said that her brother, the Jack, was extremely protective of her, even to the point of prohibiting her from wearing certain clothing or attending Council meetings in the past. This was to be her first time sitting in on the Deck Council, and Alfred took comfort in the fact that he wouldn't be the only inexperienced one there.
Vash emerged, looking put out and irritable, then set to straightening Lilli out, giving her a thorough inspection and even retying the ribbon holding her small straw hat in place. She submitted to his nitpicking demurely, seemingly happy to be plucked at and manoeuvred like a living doll. That's what Alfred thought she looked like; she was so slender and poised and perfect looking that if it wasn't for the fact that she breathed and walked and blinked, Alfred would have sworn she wasn't real at all.
Another carriage door opened, and an older man with an absurd amount of rings reflecting on his fingers emerged, steadying himself as he stepped down with a brilliant ivory and gold cane. It was obvious he didn't actually need it to walk, but enjoyed making a show of himself. Alfred knew that that must be King Francis.
As the trio climbed the stairs to the palace door, Alfred realised how similar they all looked. All shining in their silks and linens, all with shoulder length golden hair and expressive aristocratic faces, all wearing some amount of expensive looking jewellery. For as conservatively as Lilli was dressed, there was nothing reserved about the large teardrop diamonds dangling from her ears, and even Vash had a gemstone pin on his jacket. They made a handsome group.
King Francis was at the centre, and he bowed with a practised flourish when he reached the top of the stairs, tucking his cane beneath an arm. Arthur, Yao and Alfred returned the gesture and Yao moved forward to take Francis' hand in his own in a friendly half-embrace.
"It is so wonderful to finally have your esteemed court return to our palace. It has been far too long!" Yao declared jovially, and Alfred thought it must have been the first time in a while he had ever heard Yao sound genuinely excited over something.
Francis nodded and gestured dramatically to his surroundings. "Indeed it has! I do always forget how beautiful this part of the country is." He flashed a charming smile toward Arthur and Alfred. "And who do we have here? Certainly this cannot be the young Alfred I have heard so much about; he is far too grown to be the little child I remember!"
"Ah! Yes, may I present Alfred, heir to the House of Spades, and Arthur Kirkland. Gentleman, this is King Francis, who has so graciously offered to help in financing this year's Deck Council so that you may have the opportunity to attend."
Alfred bowed like he knew he was supposed to, but his curiosity could not be stopped. "Have we met before, sir?"
"You were hardly more than a toddler, so I do not think you would remember. I had only just taken the throne, myself. Many years ago, and so much has happened since then. I do not wish to bring up bad memories, but know that I held the greatest respect for your parents. They are still much missed by those of us whom had the opportunity to serve the country with them."
Alfred didn't know what to say, but he felt a swell of pride in knowing that people still cared about his parents, even after all of the scandal and heartbreak leading up to their deaths. He bowed again and murmured a thank you, but it seemed that Francis had already moved on to Arthur.
A spark of jealousy fired off in Alfred's chest as he watched King Francis take one of Arthur's hands in his own and bow with even greater exaggeration than earlier before kissing it softly. Alfred was sure that Arthur would pull his hand away and protest, but he didn't and was instead staring wide-eyed down at the spot where he had been kissed with intense fascination.
Francis straightened again, chest more puffed out and posture elongated, and Alfred couldn't help but thinking he looked like one of the vain roosters that strutted and squawked in front of the laying hens out by the barn. Alfred immediately decided that Francis was foolish, and he didn't want him strutting and squawking in front of Arthur; he didn't want him near Arthur at all. But Francis still held onto Arthur's hand, covering it with both of his own.
"I met your parents once. Your mother is one of the most handsome ladies I have seen in this Kingdom. I see more of her in you than your father." There was a honey-sweet quality to his voice that made Alfred want to retch, and he hoped Arthur would be perturbed and say something snappish like he usually would. Instead, Arthur flushed and shook his head uncertainly at the roundabout compliment, thanking Francis meekly. Alfred wasn't sure if he was more upset at Francis for being such a flirt, or at Arthur for not soundly stopping it.
Yao cleared his throat, apparently just as uncomfortable from the pair's prolonged eye-contact as Alfred was, and Francis finally dropped Arthur's hand to gesture over his left shoulder at Vash.
"You know my Jack, of course!" He then took Lilli's hand with a flourish, showing her off proudly as if she were some trinket. "And may I introduce Lilli, my future Queen!"
Arthur took her hand and kissed it stoically as Yao had coached them to do in the presence of Queens, but he lacked the grace and confidence that Francis had. Alfred took his turn and Lilli smiled at him. There was a vacant, ethereal quality to her eyes, as if she wasn't quite seeing what everyone else was, or at least, didn't care to be bothered.
"It's my first Council, too. I'm so very excited! Brother says they are boring and I won't like them, but I think it will be fun, don't you?" Lilli's voice was high and childish, and Alfred couldn't tell if it was just how she spoke or if it was an affected speech.
"I'm also looking forward to it!"
"Oh, good! I hope we can all be friends!" she cried, bouncing slightly and clapping her hands gleefully, then she went forward and pecked Alfred on the cheek.
"Lilli!" Vash glared at her disapprovingly and she smiled apologetically.
"I'm sorry, brother, I'm just so happy!"
Yao took the moment to interrupt. "And we are so happy you are here. But surely you must be tired! I will have you shown to your rooms. This way, if you please." Sweeping them into the grand foyer, the Diamonds were accosted by house staff, not to be seen again for the rest of the evening. Alfred heard a shout of laughter, and then Gilbert's voice yelling. "Franny, you bastard, get over here!", but then all was quiet once more and he and Arthur were dismissed back to the parlour to wait for the next arrival.
"What do you think of them?" Arthur asked when they were seated back on the sofa and Yao had wandered off again.
"I don't know yet." Alfred admitted, then scooted closer to Arthur. "What do you think?"
Arthur didn't say anything right away, mouth pursed as he tried to gather his thoughts. "Well, I think Lilli is very pretty."
"Yeah, she is. She looks like an angel."
Alfred didn't miss the way Arthur rolled his eyes, but he was surprised at how venomous his voice sounded as he responded.
"An angel? She looks like a child still. There's something dysfunctional about her and her brother. He's far too protective of her. She's a sheltered ninny."
"He's just trying to look out for her! What's wrong with wanting to protect someone you love?"
"Nothing, but he's controlling her. Like how she can't be Queen for two more years? It's sad."
"Well, I think he just wants her to be safe. And I don't think she's a ninny. She seems nice."
Arthur glowered some more, and Alfred crossed his arms over his stomach. "It's Francis who's the creep, anyway."
"What's wrong with Francis?" Arthur barked.
"He's just so full of himself!"
"He takes pride in his position! And he behaves so maturely!"
"Well, yeah, he should! He's an old man compared to everyone else!"
"He is not! You should try to act as kingly as he does." Arthur sneered, and Alfred could feel himself getting sick with anger.
"Well, what about kissing your hand? That didn't seem very appropriate to me!" He stood, facing Arthur with his hands on his hips.
Arthur's face got red all the way up to his ears, but Alfred couldn't tell if it was because he was embarrassed or because he was getting defensive. He stood as well, and now they were shouting at one another from across the room "It's a common greeting! We had to do it to your precious Lilli."
"She's not my precious anything! I just don't like it."
"What do you care who goes about kissing my hand, anyway? And if you want to talk about inappropriate, what about Lilli kissing your cheek, hmm?" Arthur returned haughtily, and Alfred could hear the underlying accusations in his questions.
"Why do care who goes about kissing my cheek!"
Arthur fumbled for a moment, fuming. "I don't!"
"Well, I don't care either!" It was a lie, but Alfred was so angry he wanted Arthur to believe it.
"Good! You shouldn't.
They were quiet, panting and still standing defensively, not breaking eye-contact. Alfred cleared his throat and straightened his clothing.
"Fine. Then I guess it's established that we both don't care."
"Right."
"Right."
Arthur clenched and unclenched his fists a few more times, trying to keep his expression indifferent, but Alfred could see the cracks beginning to reveal the hurt underneath and he wished they hadn't fought. Making a little gasping noise before whirling around, Arthur moved to sit at the window again with his back to Alfred.
"You're impossible," he muttered and Alfred didn't know what to say to that.
The rest of the afternoon was painful. Other than the arrivals of the remaining monarchs- which now seemed like intrusions rather than introductions- there was nothing to punctuate the foul mood that rested between Alfred and Arthur. There had been only one attempt at speaking, made by Alfred, and that had been utterly rejected. He wasn't quite sure what he had done wrong other than state the obvious truth about Francis, but Arthur was genuinely upset, so he knew there must be something he had missed.
The Clubs arrived last, and it was so late that their greetings were brief and informal, Yao insisting that they be shown to their rooms and given food and drink right away. Socializing, he said, could wait until the following day. Alfred was glad for that, not liking the tall, awkward King of Clubs, nor the way the Queen kept smiling at Arthur and him as if she knew some big secret and was laughing wildly in her head. Elizaveta was stunning, but in a very different way than Lilli. She was not sweet and demure despite her royal veneer of ladylike behaviour, and Alfred was more than a little intimidated by her.
So far, the only normal Council members seemed to be the Hearts, and even their Queen was odd. He had declined the traditional greetings, resolutely avoiding bodily contact with anyone despite what custom dictated. Kiku had given Alfred a sidelong appraising look, never fully making eye-contact, but obviously trying to judge him before he revealed anything about himself. Alfred got the sense that the Queen of Hearts was an extremely private person, and even though he knew he shouldn't, he felt the urge to crack the stoic exterior and learn more about his past and personality. As the only male Queen on the Council, he must have an interesting story or two.
As he and Arthur walked silently toward their own rooms, dismissed by Yao with the warning to rest in preparation for the next day, Alfred wanted nothing more than to reach out and take Arthur's hand in his own. Where he had been excited and curious earlier, now he was only feeling depressed at the prospect of being on the outs with Arthur yet again. He wanted the physical comfort that had been denied him for years by propriety and duty, but he wasn't willing to forgo his pride and apologise when he didn't think he was in the wrong. It wasn't his fault Arthur had overreacted. He almost broke down and said goodnight when he reached his door, but the words stuck in his throat as Arthur didn't even pause, never breaking his stride, head held high.
Alfred spent the better part of an hour rolling around in his sheets, feeling too hot to sleep, but needing the reassuring feeling of the fabric around him in order to relax. He replayed the moment Francis' lips touched Arthur's hand over and over again, making himself more and more jealous with each remembering until his brain made the leap to imagining far worse things happening. Fists twisting his sheets as he stared crossly at the ceiling, he felt waves of nausea at the thought of someone else kissing Arthur's cheek and his throat and the little hollow above his collarbone, a place Alfred had only ever seen once when Arthur had scratched at his shoulder through his partially undone shirt. Still, one tiny glimpse was enough to make Alfred think of that place as a tiny heaven, somewhere he desperately needed to go but that would ultimately only be a checkpoint on the way to better, more exotic territory. Almost without thinking, Alfred unclenched one of his hands from the bedding and let it wander its way down his stomach, the pad of his thumb pressing roughly along the light trail of blonde hairs beneath his navel.
It was too easy to forget that Arthur didn't love him when he got like this. Flashes of skin he had never even seen except for on himself played on a continuous loop in Alfred's mind, the words he wished Arthur would whisper hotly into his ear sounded loud and real. The faster his hand moved, the farther in denial he ventured, to the point that the desperate whines coming out of his mouth weren't his own, but the cries of someone who wasn't even there. If he tried hard enough, he could even feel the phantom touches of his fantasy, but as soon as it was all over, as soon as there was a sudden, shuddering wetness in his hand and on his twitching stomach, reality washed over him heartlessly.
Alfred was alone, sweating and exhausted, with nothing but the dripping wish of his own spend in his hand to show for it. He wiped himself angrily on the sheets then kicked them aside, too hot and disenchanted to bother with the pretence of sleep. This was not the first long night he would lay awake and think about things he could not have, craving a touch he had never truly felt, nor did he think it would be his last.
Arthur was grateful that the day would start late, lounging in his bed for almost two hours before getting up and dressing. Anne brought him a tray of food, then left him to his own devices until the Council gathered. Unsure whether or not he was looking forward to it, Arthur ate slowly, then spent some time embroidering, trying not to think too much about the previous day's events.
He was still less than pleased with Alfred, thought he couldn't quite figure out why. It wasn't what he had said about Francis; frankly, Arthur had found the King's behaviour to be a bit much, even if it was flattering. He didn't think he was as cunning as Gilbert had made him out to be, though, and he could see little threat in his hollow flirtations. Lilli, on the other hand, he had decided he did not like. She wasn't a bad sort, but Arthur was put off by her innocent demeanour, which he was sure was just an act to garner attention. Alfred could fawn all he liked, but Arthur was not impressed.
The other Queens were nice enough; Arthur admired Kiku's reserved nature, and he thought Elizaveta was a strong and captivating woman. He wouldn't mind spending more time with them, as his duty would have him do. He just hoped they would be understanding of the delicate nature of his position.
Finally, evening approached, and he was forced to bathe and transform himself into someone attractive and charming enough to be the future Queen. He itched morosely in his fine clothing, annoyed by the heat and his own nervousness.
Dinner was held in the grand dining room, and Arthur felt his nervousness reach a new height when he noticed Gilbert was not in attendance. He knew the Joker had only mentioned coming for the entertainment, but he had hoped he would be there for Arthur's first night among the company of the Council. Nervousness dissipated, however, as, for the first time, Yao permitted Arthur some wine. Alfred pouted for a little while at not being given the same privilege, but Arthur saw him sneak a sip and make a face of disgust, which seemed to lighten his disappointment considerably. Arthur didn't think it tasted like anything special, but he drank more than one cup thanks to Francis' generous pouring hand, and he found he liked the slight light-headedness that was hidden at the bottom of his second serving. Toasts were made and there was a much more casual feeling to the gathering than Arthur had anticipated.
After the servants had taken away the last course of dinner, coffees and teas were brought out with a selection of delicate sweets. Yao whispered in Arthur's ear that he and Alfred should excuse themselves to get ready for their performance, and they did so. Alfred appeared to be so nervous that he didn't even think to complain about not getting dessert.
Beautifully upholstered chairs had been set up and the piano placed in the largest of the music rooms. Arthur set about to tuning his violin wordlessly, while Alfred plunked morbidly as he tried to get reacquainted with the piece. After so many rehearsals, Arthur knew that Alfred had the piece well memorized and was simply over-thinking out of panic. He could have offered a comforting word, but he felt like he couldn't break through the wall between them, regardless of what had erected it.
A sudden thunk sounded from the piano, and Arthur was just about to turn around to see what had caused it when he was stopped by the firm hold of Alfred hugging around the middle from behind, face buried in Arthur's shoulder. He didn't move for a moment, then twisted until he could set his violin down, struggling since Alfred refused to loosen his grip.
"What's wrong, Alfred?" he asked, voice sounding gravelly from a lack of use.
"I can't play. Not if you're mad at me."
"I'm not mad at you," Arthur lied easily and tried to wiggle away.
"Yes, you are! I'm sorry for whatever I did and if you tell me, I won't do it again! But please, don't be mad at me!"
Sighing heavily, Arthur managed to turn himself around and return the embrace awkwardly. "I'm not mad, Alfred. And you're going to do fine. You know how to play. I believe you can do it."
Alfred looked up at him with an annoying hopefulness. "Really?"
"Yes, you fool, now let go before everyone gets here."
Alfred gave him a hard squeeze before letting go and returning to the piano, running through his music smoothly. They barely had enough time to practise once together before a servant was opening the doors and the Council began to take their seats, chatting mildly as they waited. Yao moved to the front of the room and cleared his throat, gesturing with arms thrown wide.
"Ladies and gentlemen of the Deck Council, the young wards of the House of Spades would like to demonstrate their gratitude and excitement at your presence by performing a musical piece. Under the guidance of the Jack of Clubs, they have rehearsed in your honour. I hope you will enjoy the product of their diligence." There was a polite smattering of applause as Yao took his seat and then all was left to Arthur and Alfred.
Taking a deep breath, Arthur made eye-contact with Alfred and nodded, another inhale synchronizing their movements as the first note of the song rang out. Arthur closed his eyes and let the music carry him, feeling unburdened now that he could relax into what he loved best. Alfred was playing brilliantly, neither following nor leading, but each playing as an extension of the other. It seemed to end much too soon, as if time had sped up and they had barely played at all, and Arthur opened his eyes, letting them wander to Alfred once more as the final note vibrated in the hot summer air, noting that he, too, was just now opening his eyes. There was a moment of silence, a moment in which some tender acknowledgement of intimate achievement occurred between them, but then the Council was clapping and Feli was calling out something loud, but encouraging and the chattering began again.
Elizaveta was the first to stand, boldly approaching the boys and reaching out to give them a fond pat on the cheek.
"You work wonderfully together. I look forward to seeing what else you produce in the future," she cooed, and Arthur felt his gut twist a little in knowing what she meant. She turned to Roderich next and congratulated him on the fine job he had done in his tutoring, kissing him tenderly on the cheek, then wiping away her lipstick mark with her fingers. No one batted an eye at the display of affection, and it was only then that Arthur realized their romantic relationship was no secret, and no problem.
Ludwig shook both of their hands, mentioning that he too played the violin and would love to work with Arthur someday. Feliciano jabbered away about all the songs they could play, while Kiku asked Alfred if he may look at the sheet music, then began asking him questions about his process of study. Lilli was banished to bed by Vash, leaving only Ivan to smile oddly and nod his approval before leaving, and Francis, who was still seated as if he were waiting for something. Yao said little but a heartfelt congratulations, and Arthur was happy that he had not failed his caretaker.
After Arthur had packed his violin away, he looked to Alfred to start back to the rooms, but the other had a sour expression on his face, and Arthur realized it was because Francis had still not departed.
"That was excellently played, gentlemen. I especially admire your skill, Arthur. You play quite... passionately," he flattered, and offered an arm to Arthur. Feeling uneasy, Arthur took it, knowing he had little choice, and hoped that Alfred wouldn't cause a scene.
The walk towards their rooms was uncomfortable, with Alfred staying miserably silent, Francis asking question after question about Arthur's musical interests and background, and Arthur trying to remain polite without giving Francis the wrong impression. He knew the Diamonds were lodged on the third floor, so he hoped that Francis would not insist on escorting him all the way to his bedroom. The idea of the King being anywhere near his private chambers made his stomach flip in something close to fear, but it seemed that he would not have to worry this night, for Francis was saying his goodbyes and taking his hand between his own again.
"I look forward to seeing you tomorrow, when the Council truly begins. Sleep well, Arthur." He gave another flourish and kissed his hand, this time looking up at him through his thick golden lashes in a way that made Arthur's face heat up without his conscious consent. Francis spared only a nod in Alfred's direction, and Arthur thought that would be the end of the whole thing.
But then Alfred was stepping forward and said his goodnight loudly enough that Francis turned around just in time to see Alfred kiss Arthur on the cheek.
If it really had been on the cheek, Arthur might have understood that Alfred was just trying to get his point about propriety across, but the kiss was actually placed more on the corner of his mouth, so close to being a proper kiss that Arthur felt his heart start to beat faster in shock. Francis arched an eyebrow, but didn't say anything, and Alfred looked over his shoulder back at him. There was tense non-verbal communication between them that Arthur didn't quite understand, and then Francis was gone.
"Wha-?" Arthur was having trouble speaking again, but it wouldn't have mattered anyway since Alfred cupped his face with a gentle hand and half kissed him again. This time Arthur found the strength to push Alfred away with a none-too-friendly-shove.
"What do you think you're doing?"
Alfred blinked owlishly, as if he couldn't understand what he had done out of the ordinary.
"I- I don't know, I just-"
"Yes, well, figure it out before you try that again!" Arthur interjected, then turned to flee, his whole body feeling far too warm and itchy. He made it barely ten paces before he had a thought and gasped, whirling around to still see Alfred standing in the hallway, puzzled.
"No! What I meant to say is that you shouldn't try to do that ever again! That's what I meant." Arthur waited for Alfred to say something, but he didn't. "Do you understand? Don't- don't do that again. I don't want you to!"
Alfred's face crumpled and Arthur thought he might cry, but then he started laughing.
"Yes you do!" he crowed, and kept on laughing, even when Arthur stomped his foot in distress, mouth hanging open in disbelief, but unable to deny the accusation. He was too shocked by the whole affair to properly defend himself, and decided that a strategic retreat was the best plan.
Arthur could hear Alfred laughing the whole way back to his room, and he slammed his door shut against all of the jealousy, embarrassment and confusion he'd felt in the last forty-eight hours. He most certainly did not want Alfred kissing his cheek, he told himself, but the spot where he had was tingling so violently that Arthur tried to rub the sensation out with the back of his hand.
It didn't work.
A/N: Again, one million apologies for updating late and with such a terrible chapter. I'd promise the next one is better, but I shouldn't make promises I can't keep. Thank you for bearing with me!