Alfred was thrumming with happy energy. Yao was giving him more responsibilities every day, asking his opinion and discussing important issues instead of simply telling him to sign this or read that. Soon he would be allowed to deal directly with petitioners from the Kingdom, and even if Yao would probably be shadowing him for a while, Alfred was excited to meet his subjects and hear their problems.

He felt good about himself, confident and like he was brimming with purpose. There were fewer days that he looked in the mirror and hated everything he saw or wished he was someone else. A year and the physician's disgusting face crème had done wonders, and while little bits of him were still soft and pudgy, Alfred wasn't so bothered since the rest of him was filling out in a better way. He'd written to the Jack of Diamonds during the winter and asked for any advice on how to further his strength and athleticism, and had been given a list of simple exercises. A few weeks of doing them in the morning and before he went to bed, and Alfred saw exciting changes in his body.

Whether or not Arthur noticed, Alfred couldn't say. He had been so forward and sure during their first kiss that Alfred felt no inclination to try being more aggressive. He assumed that Arthur would continue guiding their courtship, but that turned out to be wishful thinking. In the weeks after the incident at the lake, the only kissing Alfred had done were the chaste pecks on the cheek that he'd had to be satisfied with for a year prior. And sometimes Arthur would look at him with such intensity, like he was trying to solve some important puzzle, and he wouldn't know what to do. He wasn't sure if he was supposed to initiate any further intimacy, or if Arthur was just being Arthur and getting unnecessarily flustered over the whole affair.

Or maybe Alfred had been such a terrible kisser that Arthur had decided he never wanted to try again.

King Francis said kissing was easy; that all Alfred had to do was "listen to what Arthur's body wanted and respond", whatever that meant. The idea that kissing was something more than just touching lips was radical to Alfred, and then Francis had said something about tongues and Alfred had become so embarrassed that he folded the letter away without reading the rest of it.

But now that Alfred had the rest of the afternoon free and the familiar ache that came with missing Arthur was throbbing it's way through every bit of him, Alfred rummaged through his drawers to find the letter and hopefully figure out what he was supposed to do. It was absurd that Alfred should miss someone he saw every day, but that didn't alleviate his displeasure; now that Arthur's feelings had changed, every moment not spent with him felt like a waste. Alfred thought he could curl up forever in Arthur's affection, however shyly and slowly given.

Alfred re-read the part of Francis' letter about the art of kissing, but most of flew over his head. He skimmed the rest until he found a passage that seemed particularly helpful.

As for your concern that Arthur has not confessed any true love for you, I think you are too hasty. Think about what you are asking of him. Love is both the simplest and most complicated thing one can share with another person, and our dear Queen is nothing if not overly-cautious and self-censored. He will love you when he loves you, not when you want him to, and even still, I doubt he will admit it right away. You have fallen for a skittish young man. Stubborn and skittish; a daunting combination. I want you to think on this: true love, lasting love, can only exist on the basis of respect, trust and understanding. I'm sure you respect and trust Arthur, but how well do you understand him? Not how well can you describe him, but how intimate are you with every aspect of who he is and why he is that way? As soon as you have gained an understanding of him, you will gain his trust and his love and all three will grow, never-ending. Love is not a goal, Alfred. It is a process. There is no finite, satisfying destination, so get that silly idea out of your head right now and start working for what you want.

Alfred was taken aback and had to read the passage over several times before it made any sense to him. The furthest he could get in trying to explain Arthur was that Arthur just was who he was and that was all. Now he realized that that wasn't good enough and that there were so many things he didn't know and had never thought to be curious about. He knew nothing about Arthur's family or his childhood before coming to the palace, he knew hardly anything about his interests and his hopes and dreams. Arthur was still something like a stranger to him, and that made Alfred uncomfortable. Determined to follow Francis' advice, Alfred set off in search of Arthur.

He walked down the hall to Arthur's quarters, finding both the outer and inner doors leading to the bedroom open. Even Arthur's balcony window was flung outward, and understandably so now that the last bits of pleasant spring weather had left only heat. Alfred poked his head into the sitting room just in case Anne was around, but no one was to be found and he continued on into the bedroom.

Arthur was slumped over his writing desk, forehead touching the dark wood and an ink pen still in his left hand, relaxed and ready to slip away. An involuntary smile flitted across Alfred's lips and he watched Arthur indulgently for a few moments before crossing to him and kissing his head. He debated gently waking him, but decided to leave him be and made to leave the room.

"I'm not asleep, you know."

Jumping, Alfred laughed. "Oh! Sorry. What are you doing, then?"

Straightening up, Arthur threw the pen down and ran his hands through his hair before stretching his arms up with a sore sigh. Alfred was distracted by the flash of milky skin that appeared momentarily under the hem of Arthur's lifted shirt which was untucked with the sleeves rolled up.

"Writing to Kiku. I don't ever know what to say to him, though." He turned over his shoulder to look at Alfred. " I want to get to know him better, but I feel that he's put off by me. I'm afraid I'll say something foolish. What's so funny?"

Alfred stopped his giggling and pointed to Arthur's cheek. "You've got ink on your face."

"What? Oh. Damn." Arthur started rubbing at his face violently, but only made the smudge worse.

"Here. Let me." Alfred drew Arthur's frantic hands away and thumbed off the rest of the ink. He paused, then made the same wiping motion with his thumb along the curve of Arthur's cheekbone, slower and softer. Arthur's eyes flicked down to watch, then lifted back to Alfred. He cleared his throat abruptly and pulled away, packing away his writing supplies haphazardly.

"What have you been doing all morning?"

"Yao had me look at a proposition from an inventor in the city. He wants to present something called an electric lamp. I didn't really understand it, but it sounded interesting."

"Ah. And now?"

"I'm done for the day. I came to give you something."

"What's that?"

Alfred pulled Arthur up from his chair and held both his hands, swinging them back and forth playfully. He shrugged with a grin and leaned forward. "Just this."

Tilting his head to the side, Alfred kissed Arthur as unassumingly as he could manage considering how long he had been waiting for the opportunity. Arthur didn't react for a moment, but then Alfred could feel his lips twitch into a shadow of a smile as he went on tiptoe to push back against him. Alfred didn't understand why he did that when they were practically the same height, but it was endearing and gave Alfred the hope that Arthur was excited. He pulled away only to have Arthur follow after and rest his forehead against Alfred's.

"Oh."

"Yeah, oh."

Arthur bit his lip and sighed, arms going up around Alfred's neck like the first time they had kissed, like he was going to kiss him again, but then he pulled back and peered out into the sitting room and hallway beyond. He kissed Alfred quickly, then turned to pick up a stack of books on his night table.

"Take these back upstairs with me?"

"What? Why? I thought we could-"

"Just come?"

Alfred didn't understand why Arthur had decided a trip to the library was so important at that very moment, but he sighed in defeat and followed nonetheless.

The library took up a good portion of the third floor, endless rows of shelving packed with books sectioning off the massive room. The ceiling was taller here than on the second floor of the palace and the sound of the door closing behind them echoed slightly. Sunlight filtered in, amber and fuzzy, from the great arched windows along the wall facing the garden, and everything was so hushed and still that Alfred felt like he was trespassing. Arthur seemed to relax the moment he stepped foot on the thick carpeting and made his way down a row of shelves. Alfred trotted behind, not nearly as acquainted with the maze as Arthur was.

"Why are we up here, exactly?"

Arthur looked over his shoulder and smiled but offered no answer. He found the section he was looking for and examined each of the books in his arms before putting them back in their proper place.

"Can we go back down now?"

Shaking his head, Arthur reached out and pulled Alfred closer by his shirt. "No one ever comes up here."

"Yeah, so?"

Arthur smirked and arched an eyebrow, which might have looked ridiculous if there weren't also something cocky and sensual about the expression. He was obviously waiting for Alfred to say something, but Alfred still didn't understand why they had come up to the library at all. Scoffing in exasperation, Arthur rolled his eyes and put his hands on either side of Alfred's face to keep him still as he kissed him with more enthusiasm than he had in his bedroom.

Alfred felt stupid for not realizing what Arthur had meant earlier, and wrapped his arms around Arthur's waist. Arthur made a soft noise of surprise, and melted against him, hands slipping back until his wrists dangled over Alfred's shoulders. Alfred wanted nothing more than to stay like that forever, pressed against the warmth of Arthur, feeling the pulse of his heart against his chest and the sticky drag of his mouth. But he needed air and space and moment to regain his ability to stand.

"Finally." Arthur's voice was hoarse and low.

"What?"

"I've been waiting forever for that."

With a chuckle, Alfred kissed him again. "Me too! Why didn't you say something?"

"Why didn't you? I thought you would-

"I thought you would-"

"We're both idiots."

Alfred nodded and hugged Arthur so tightly that he almost lifted him off the ground. Arthur hid his face in the crook of Alfred's neck and laughed.

"Come here."

Holding his hand, Arthur led Alfred over to one of the recessed windows and the cushioned seat there. It was warm and bright, the cool, dry air of the library cutting the heat of the day. Neither one of them said anything for a while, either looking down into the garden or out past the stone wall into the orchard, or just smiling foolishly at one another. Arthur smoothed down Alfred's hair and then ran his fingers through it at the temple, and Alfred shivered pleasantly.

"I don't like not seeing you all the time."

Arthur rolled his eyes. "We see each other often enough. We both have business to attend to. That's not going to change once we're..." Arthur trailed off and looked out the window, but Alfred could see he was blushing.

"Maybe we should just tell Yao that we're-"

"No! Absolutely not!"

"Why? He would probably be happy about it!"

"It's not his business, though." Arthur crossed his arms and scowled. "It's not anyone's business. We have to get married as a legal arrangement, but anything beyond that is private and I'd like it to stay private. This- whatever this is- should just be about us, all right?"

Alfred pouted and slumped his shoulders. "I don't know. I think Yao and everyone would like it if they knew we were really together."

"You just want to brag."

"Well, of course." Alfred laughed and put his hand on Arthur's knee, rubbing a slow circle. "You're wonderful, so why wouldn't I?"

Arthur pushed the hand on his knee off only to intertwine their fingers. "Inflating my ego does not change my position. Besides if Yao knew we were courting, he'd watch us like a hawk. We'd never get to be alone in the same room together."

"I like that."

"What?"

"You said we're courting. It sounds so proper and romantic."

"Tch. That's as close to what we're doing as I can think of. Don't ruin it by being sentimental." Arthur tried to sound harsh, but Alfred could tell he was teasing.

"Well, since you're the expert, I have question for you about courting etiquette."

"Oh?"

"Yes. When two people are courting, what are the rules about kissing? Does one of them have to ask the other's permission, or are they allowed to just kiss each other whenever they feel like it?"

"Hmm." Arthur pretended to contemplate it for a moment, brows furrowed in mock concentration. "I'm not quite sure what the fashionable youth are doing these days, but I, for one, don't prescribe to asking permission. I think it's much easier to-"

Alfred cut him off with a kiss, revelling in the happy groan Arthur let slip. They were still clumsy about it, unsure where their hands should go and what they should do when they got there, and Alfred didn't have good aim or instinct, which meant the kisses were lopsided and overly wet. Arthur didn't seem to mind, though, keeping up if he could, pushing back if he couldn't. There was a small part of Alfred that was confused by the lack of gentleness and innocence that he had half-hoped would follow confession. He'd had a rosy view of what their romance would be like, something soft and easy, filled with sweetness and chaste touches. And that was completely absurd given Alfred's other, more desirous thoughts.

But that's what he wanted. He wanted a clean division between the goodness and purity of love and the overwhelming temptation of passion. This, what they were doing now, was neither. It was a mess, a disaster, but as bewildering as it was, Alfred knew it was perfect. He and Arthur had always been something of a fiasco, and it seemed that nothing would change when it came to being lovers.

Arthur took advantage of Alfred's inattention and advanced. He unfolded his legs and shifted until he was on his knees on the cushion of the window seat, and Alfred had to tilt his head back to stay connected. He didn't have any leverage now, and Arthur seemed to be enjoying that fact. His hands had been playing with Alfred's hair, but now one was gripping the windowsill and the other landed on Alfred's upper thigh. Something about the heat and heaviness of Arthur's hand there made Alfred's heart start racing, and then that hand slipped up higher, thumb stroking along the inseam of Alfred's trousers. With a jolt and an unseemly gasp, Alfred pushed Arthur's hand away and scooted himself to the opposite end of the seat. Arthur's eyes were still closed and his mouth still pursed in something close to a kiss when he found himself completely unsupported and almost fell forward. It would have been hilarious if Alfred hadn't felt both overwrought and suddenly timid.

Glaring at Alfred, Arthur righted himself. "What are you doing?"

"What are you doing?"

"What do you mean?"

"What was that?"

"What was what?"

Alfred felt hot and nervous and he didn't want to talk about anything anymore. This was supposed to easy, but instead he was getting worked up over a little touch on the leg. Maybe he needed to read Francis' letter again more closely.

"Nothing. Never mind." Alfred stood and held out his hand. "We should go back before Yao comes looking for us."

Arthur ignored the offered hand and stood, fussing with his clothing and hair. He was chewing on his lip, and Alfred felt bad that he'd made things awkward and had given no explanation. He just didn't know how he was supposed to say that he wanted things that he couldn't handle, or that he couldn't handle the things he wanted. It was complicated and Alfred didn't know what he was thinking or feeling, so he could hardly expect Arthur to understand.

"Fine." Arthur stood and walked briskly across the library, but away from the doors.

"Wait, where are you going?"

"To get more books. We'll need an excuse to come back here." Arthur paused for a moment then shook his head and turned a corner. Alfred could just barely hear him say, "Unless, that is, you don't want to."

By the time Alfred caught up, Arthur was perusing a shelf with great interest, one hand covering his mouth as if he were making a vastly important decision. In reality, he was trying not to look upset, but failing miserably since his shoulders were slumped and his eyes were pained. Alfred approached him cautiously and wrapped him in a hug from behind, resting his chin on Arthur's shoulder.

"Of course I do."

Arthur pretended not to hear Alfred nor notice his physical presence, instead reaching out to grab two books and inspect them critically.

"Haven't you already read those?" Alfred recognized them both as volumes of faerie tales, and he looked past Arthur to the books on the shelves. They were all myths and legends and children's stories. "Haven't you read all of these?"

"Yes, and what of it?" Arthur tried to loosen Alfred's grip around his middle, but Alfred didn't want to let him go in such a down mood. He kissed his cheek and thought about what Francis had said about understanding.

"They must mean a lot to you, then."

"I- I suppose they do."

"Why?"

Arthur huffed, but relaxed into Alfred's hold. This is what Alfred had wanted. There wasn't anything dangerous or exciting about touching Arthur like this, but it was still making him feel warm and light and happy.

"I don't know. They're simple, but they're not. They have lessons to be learned and they mean something different every time I read them. And even if terrible things happen, it's all for the best in the end. And I can see them. In my head, I mean. I can imagine everything and it's a... a beautiful distraction from things that aren't so beautiful."

Alfred hummed his response and thought for a moment before asking, "Do you have favourites?"

Arthur laughed. "Of course I do. All the ones I used to tell you when you'd beg me to read to you." He wiggled his way out of Alfred's arms and turned around, smiling self-consciously up at Alfred before turning away. "I always saved the best ones for you."

Watching as Arthur pulled down another book, an idea struck Alfred. If he wanted to get to know Arthur, it seemed this fascination with fantasy was a good place to start. He took the books from Arthur and cradled them in one arm, then offered Arthur his hand once more.

"Well, why don't you tell me them all again? Let me see what's in that head of yours."

Arthur blinked in shock, then eyed Alfred warily as if it were some trick. "Why the sudden interest? It's been years since you've cared to hear about these things."

"Because they're important to you. And you're important to me."

Arthur's expression softened and he shook his head and laughed to himself. Placing his hand in Alfred's, he squeezed gently and let a real smile loose.

"All right. If that's what you want."

They didn't get private time together for another week, and this time it was Arthur that was stuck at Yao's side. The first correspondences from the Kingdom of Hearts regarding the Deck Council had arrived and with the meeting scheduled for early fall, Yao was already worked up over the details. Arthur didn't mind the long talks and stacks of papers to be sifted through, though; he liked being useful for once instead of writing letters and waiting. However, he did mind being bereft of any time spent with Alfred. If Arthur gave himself leave to think on it, he realized that for the first time in his life he was acting like a frustrated adolescent. Not frustrated in terms of his situation or work, but because he had someone he cared about and desired and he couldn't do anything about it most of the time. He'd never felt the need to be around someone so badly, with the exception of Matthew in the earlier days of their friendship, and it scared him. Alfred wasn't a source of discomfort anymore, at least not because of secrets and obligation. He made Arthur uncomfortable in an entirely new array of ways, but it was also thrilling.

And it seemed that Arthur was returning the favour, if Alfred's skittishness in the library was anything to go by. Arthur hadn't thought it to be anything worth getting upset over; it was just a little caress and if they were going to go around kissing all the time, it would follow naturally that that would occur. He'd forgotten that Alfred wouldn't be fifteen for two months yet and that he didn't know anything about that kind of thing. Not that Arthur did, but at nineteen years old and with a pent-up and active imagination, Arthur at least knew what he thought he wanted. And it was much more than sitting nicely next to Alfred and talking about the weather. It was all too confusing to think about, but there were times when Arthur wouldn't see Alfred as a whole but in tantalizing bits and pieces. Noticing an ink stain on Alfred's fingers would turn into fantasizing over how large and warm his hands were, watching him speak or smile fostered daydreams in which those lips were making soft visits to places other Arthur's own, and every twitch of muscle or flash of skin gave Arthur awful tingles. He was embarrassed by it, but perhaps he was due his impure thoughts and impatience for having to put up with Alfred's precocious flirtations early on.

Late in the evening, there came a sharp rap on Arthur's bedroom door. He rolled himself off his bed, waistcoat open and shirt half undone as he'd been lazily preparing to sleep, assuming Anne must have forgotten something when she had left earlier that afternoon.

"Yes, what is it?" The door swung open to reveal Alfred, and Arthur had the briefest thought that he should grab his dressing gown and maintain some level of decency but then he realized that there was little point since they'd seen each other undressed at the lake.

"Oh! Sorry! I didn't realize you were changing, sorry, I'll wait out here." Alfred immediately closed his eyes and turned his head and Arthur might have thought it endearing if it wasn't also a part of his problem. He sighed and went over to kiss Alfred's cheek before retrieving his dressing gown moodily.

"Don't be absurd. Come in."

Alfred opened his eyes, but kept them trained on the carpet as he closed the door behind him, not looking up until Arthur was appropriately swaddled in the stuffy robe.

"How was Yao today?"

"Frantic, as usual. He's worried about our presentation for the Council. He doesn't know that the Clubs will support it. They're so private."

"What does he want to propose?"

"I didn't tell you? Oh." Arthur sat down on the edge of his bed and patted the spot next to him in invitation. Alfred hesitated for moment and it was then that Arthur noticed the package behind his back. "What have you got, there?"

"I'll show you in a minute." Alfred sat next to him, but did so primly and without being too close. It was obvious he was still uncomfortable, which Arthur found laughable considering they'd shared this bed more than once, but he didn't pursue that line of thinking. "What about the Council?"

"We've begun using the new steam locomotives for the transportation of goods, right? Well, not only does Yao think we should expand the rail system to connect all the Kingdoms, but he wants to fund research into improving safety so that they can be used for travel by ordinary citizens."

"That sounds brilliant! I've never seen a real locomotive, only the model one!"

"Well, I don't think you'll be seeing one anytime soon. Yao's convinced the Clubs will oppose. They already have such strong defence of their borders, so they'd hardly want to fund an enterprise that makes it possible for their country to be intruded upon."

"But it would make travel easier!"

"Yes, and more dangerous. Workers die on these things, Alfred. Imagine subjecting more people to that."

"If they made it more safe, though, it would be a good thing! We wouldn't have to sit around in bumpy carriages for days! Improving science and technology can never be a bad."

Arthur reached out to touch Alfred's upper arm. "It's more complicated than that. We don't understand it all yet, and we don't have the money to do it right now anyway. It's just an idea, and if we can't make it more palatable for the Clubs, we won't take it to Council at all."

Alfred slumped a little after that, and Arthur smiled at his childish excitement over new ideas. Arthur had never taken much interest in science, so most of what Yao told him went over his head, but if it would please Alfred to have advancements made, Arthur wanted to work out a way to make that happen.

"Forget about it for now. What did you come to show me?"

Alfred perked up and placed the package on Arthur's lap. It wasn't anything but a stack of papers held together by thick chord along the edges and then bundled with a blue ribbon.

"What is it?"

"Read it and see!"

Arthur undid the ribbon and flipped open the first page of the papers. He looked up at Alfred quizzically when recognized that it was Alfred's own handwriting, but Alfred just gestured at him to continue on. Arthur hadn't even gotten through the first sentence when he looked at Alfred again, smile threatening to erupt.

"What did you do, Alfred?"

"They're your favourite stories. I remembered them and wrote them down and now you won't have to go find all the different books when you want to read them!"

"That's absurd, Alfred, it's not-"

"Keep turning the pages!"

Shaking his head in disbelief, Arthur thumbed through a few more sheets until he found an illustration done in ink and water colour. It was of a wood sprite petting the muzzle of a fox, and Arthur immediately knew which faerie tale the scene was from. With blood rushing to his face and ears, Arthur flipped through more pages and found still more drawings of creatures and forests and knights. They were crudely drawn, but their lack of polish made them endearing in their homeliness, and Arthur was overcome with a strange surge of emotion.

"You did these?"

"Yeah. I was never as good at drawing as you, so I'm sorry that they aren't very good. But I remembered you saying that you could see the stories in your head! None of those books had any pictures, so I just thought-"

Arthur pushed the bundle aside and threw his arms around Alfred's neck, kissing him with such force that Alfred teetered on the edge of the bed until he planted his feet and returned the embrace. He pulled away first, breathless and laughing, his spectacles slipping down his nose.

"So you like it, then?"

Pecking at his lips again cheerily, Arthur pushed Alfred's glasses into place and stroked his cheek. "It's brilliant, thank you. I don't understand when you had all the time to do this!"

"You were busy with Yao, and I didn't have anything to do, so it was easy! It's not finished though. I want to send it into the city to get bound properly, but I couldn't wait to give it to you."

Arthur let his hand coast down along Alfred's arm so he could take hold of his hand. "You're too sweet to me. I don't deserve it."

"Hey, I've waited along time to get to be sweet to you, so now I'm going to take every opportunity I get." Alfred grinned and kissed the back of Arthur's hand. "Besides, this is a part of you and I want to love every little bit."

"I care for you, as well." Arthur felt guilty for not being able to use the same word Alfred had, but even if he wanted Alfred more than anyone, he couldn't bring himself to say he loved him. Alfred still didn't know how much all of this was a part of Arthur, and he debated keeping it to himself a while longer. But then he looked over to the bundle and beyond the bed to the music box on his night-table and he knew there would never be a better time. If he was ever going to love Alfred, he needed to be honest with him.

"I have to tell you something, though."

"What?"

"It's about why this is so important to me. I know it must seem silly to you; they're just stories." Arthur couldn't contain his nervous energy and stood, pacing a little ways away from where Alfred sat, arms crossed over his stomach. "Do you remember the secret I told you when we were children? When I read you stories and you fell asleep here?"

"Secret? No. Arthur, are you all right? You're worrying me."

"You said you wished they were real. All the spirits and faeries and creatures; and I told you... I told you I could see them."

Alfred's face scrunched up in confusion and he shook his head. "What? You mean, like what you said about being able to imagine it, right?"

"No." Arthur took a deep breath. "It's called the Gift. Or it was, anyway. All these things are real, Alfred, and only some people can see them. I'm one of those people. My mother was, too. We can see the things in these stories that everyone else thinks are just fictional, children's lore."

It was a while before Alfred said anything, staring at Arthur blankly with his hands clenching the bedding. Then he cleared his throat and looked away. "And, uh, what did I say? Back then, when you told me."

"You thought I was joking. You called me a freak."

Arthur felt a pang of guilt when Alfred flinched, but he needed to relieve himself of this burden, even if it meant Alfred would be afraid of him or think he was crazy.

"I did? I don't- I don't remember that. Why don't I remember that? I-" Alfred shook his head and stood, wrapping Arthur in a hug. Arthur was shocked and didn't move, arms still wrapped tight around his stomach."I'm sorry! I'm so sorry, I can't remember that and I can't believe I said that! No wonder you hated me."

When Arthur found his voice again he murmured, "I didn't hate you. But you- you believe me?"

Alfred pulled back and gripped Arthur by the shoulders. "I don't know. I mean, I don't think you would lie to me, but I've never heard of any of this, I've never heard of people having the Gift before." A fearful expression crossed his face and he gulped. "Is it true? Can you really see things?"

"Yes! I swear, I wouldn't lie to you. No one talks about the Gift because it's considered shameful in this country. I don't know about other places, but here everyone values reason and science and progress, and my abilities are thought of as backwards. Th-that is, they don't think these things exist because you can't see them, you can't prove they are real unless you have the Gift."

Alfred sat back down on the bed and shivered, looking around the room in paranoia. "So, can you see ghosts? Are there monsters and-"

"No! I've never seen a ghost or anything like that. Just things like faeries and sprites. Nothing bad. Or at least, nothing that's ever tried to hurt me."

"But there might be bad things?"

"Maybe. I can't say for sure. I don't know enough about any of this to say."

"Are there things living here? You would tell me if something was here, wouldn't you?"

Arthur could see that Alfred was starting to panic. He leaned down and kissed his forehead, holding him close against his chest for a moment.

"Nothing's here, Alfred. I- I haven't been able to see anything since I came to live here. I thought I had, once, out by the lake, but I've never seen anything since. I don't even know that I still have my Gift. I just needed someone to share this with."

Alfred looked relieved, but still nervous. "You never told anyone about this?"

"Yao knows because he knew my mother. He seemed to think it was fine. But no, after you called me... well, anyway, no I never told anyone about it. "

"And you don't know if you still can see things?"

"No. From what little I've heard, it's not uncommon for children to grow out of the Gift at some point. My mother did. Maybe I have, too." Arthur tried not to sound sad over it, knowing it might be a fact he had to live with, but Alfred caught the tone of his voice anyway and rubbed soothingly up his arm.

"Do you miss it?"

Arthur opened his mouth to respond, but he didn't think he could speak without becoming more upset, so he just nodded his head.

Alfred didn't say anything for a while, looking up at Arthur with an unreadable expression. Then he nodded to himself curtly and stood, holding both of Arthur's hands in his own.

"I don't understand any of this, and if I'm going to be honest, I don't like it. But if you say that this is how it is, then I believe you. I'm sorry that you've never been able to share this with anyone, but I'm going to talk to Yao and we're going to do something about it."

"Like what?"

"Where's the last place you saw something?"

"My home. Years ago, though. Before I ever came here."

"Then let's go."

"What? Where?"

"Back to your home. If that's where you know they are, then let's go and see if you can still see them."

Arthur gasped incredulously and he struggled to articulate why it was an awful idea. "But we can't! That's preposterous! Yao would never let me go all the way back home just to poke around in the garden!"

"I'll worry about Yao. He'll be fine with it. He'll let us go." Alfred smiled gently and kissed the tip of Arthur's nose. "Don't think I'm going to let you go by yourself. I want to see this Gift for myself."

"But my parents-"

"Will love having you home for once. And I want to meet them."

"You have met them!"

"But I don't know anything about them! Shouldn't I know my Queen's family?" Alfred tilted his head to the side and Arthur knew he was losing this battle.

"Don't look at me like that. This is an awful idea."

"But you miss it! What if you still have the Gift!"

"And what if I don't!" Arthur hadn't meant to shout so desperately, and he rested his forehead on Alfred's shoulder miserably. "What am I going to do, then?"

Alfred hugged him and rested his chin on top of his head. "We'll deal with that if it happens. So, can we go?"

Arthur sighed heavily. He was so happy and so scared, two things that he had been feeling in combination almost consistently since Alfred had foolishly climbed up the tree and proposed to him a year ago. One secret had been flushed out, and now another was threatening to define their relationship. But it was something that defined Arthur himself, or at least had, and Arthur could understand why Alfred thought it was worth pursuing. He had a feeling Alfred was still sceptical of his claims, and would probably run to Yao first thing in the morning with a list of questions. For now, however, Arthur let him nod against Alfred's shoulder and feel as accepted as he could hope for.

"All right. We'll go."

A/N: Sorry for the longer-than-normal gap between updates. Thanks for sticking it out, and I hope you're all still enjoying yourselves!