Chap 8
No one objected to Arthurs orders. Everyone filed into a more organized group leaving a gap in the crowd so that Arthur could be seen from the island. They all watched the island grow bigger as they approached and moored the ship close to the Thorn. Francis had thought that maybe they would be greeted at the docks by ... well someone. But nobody was there. As they disembarked from the ship and walked up a long cobbled road to the fort like manor Francis had to try his best to suppress a shudder at the eerie silence.
Matthew clung on to Francis's arm as if he was afraid that something may pop out of the tropical forest on the side of the pavement and drag him into them. The poor boy looked terrified. Francis understood how the boy felt. The island looked more like a tropical paradise, but there was this strange feeling that everyone seemed to have in the pit of their stomachs that made them want to flee the island. The only one at ease seemed to be Arthur who was leading them closer to a large archway shaped front door.
Outside of the doors where two figures who were arguing. One was an albino man with red eyes while the other was a long brown haired woman who wore a pink flower in her hair. Neither of them seemed to notice the presence of the group standing behind them.
"Why is it that none of you thought about telling me that he was coming back? Oh no, continue your plans for the welcome back celebration, but don't tell the cook. How am I to get tonights dinner ready without the ingredients? " Shouted the woman swinging a frying pan threateningly
" kesese I guess I must have forgotten to tell you, sometimes even things slip my awesome mind!" Replied the Albino smugly
"Ahem"
Both of them froze and slowly turned to face Arthur who had just cleared his throat to announce his presence. Arthur stood with his arms crossed against his chest smirking at them.
"Welcome back sir!" The woman said walking towards him with a suddenly friendly demeanour
"Thank you Elizaveta. This is captain Francis (Arthur waved his arm in Francis's direction) and his crew. They will be my guests until my ship is ready to set sail in a few days. " Arthur announced
"In a few days? But sir that's impossible! A ship like the Thor-" Elizaveta started
"Not just my ship but the whole fleet. I'm leaving the preparation to you Gilbert ( Arthur patted the Albino on the shoulder smirking evilly) , that should keep you out of Elizavetas hair. " Arthur commanded
Gilbert looked a little shell shocked at the massive undertaking, however after announcing that he was awesome so therefore could take on anything he hurried off to carry out the order. As Gilbert went to pass by Francis he winked at him. Francis allowed himself to smile and give a curt nod, as the two knew each other very well.
"Come on Francis, Matty, we should probably freshen up before you have your formal audience with the king. " Arthur teased them
Arthur gave Elizaveta some orders to show the crew to the crews mansion. As soon as the crew had left with her, Arthur led Francis and Mathew into the large brick castle looking manor. As soon as he stepped into the mansion Francis held back an impressed gasp. The walls where filled with priceless works of art from famous artists, huge tapestries depicting very British scenes hung on any wall that dared not be covered with such paintings. A large crystal, and what Francis suspected where also diamonds , chandelier hung above a large double staircase with solid gold looking handrails. The place screamed wealth, and as Francis reasoned, why shouldn't it? It did belong to a pirate king after all!
"I will show you both to your rooms. They are on the third floor, right next to mine." Arthur told them leading the way up the staircase.
Once on the second level Arthur led the way through a maze of hallways. Each hallway had numerous doors, paintings and large Ming vases to decorate them.
"This is the captains floor. They each have their own room." Arthur half heartedly informed them
"I thought you were a captain?" Francis asked
"Yes technically I am. However I am a bit higher up in the ranks than that. No I have the third floor, which is where you two will be staying. " Arthur continued
Arthur walked to the end of the hallway and pulled open a plain looking wooden door. But when Francis walked through it he allowed his jaw to drop. They were standing in a tower with a curling spiral staircase. That bit wasn't unusual, it was the fact that the tower was made up completely of glass, stained with images of briar roses, knights, and ships. Even little Mathew looked around in awe.
Unfortunately neither of them could fully enjoy the architecture, as Arthur had disappeared up the stairs leaving them to hurry after him. When they flew into the hallway Arthur was stood waiting for them. He stood outside a room and once they got closer he opened the door and led them inside.
The room was obviously a young boys room. It held pictures of ships, wooden toy soldiers, numerous toy guns, a few real guns (which made Francis question the boys up bringing) and all the latest toys that any child would die to get their hands on. Mathew gave an excited exclamation and dove into the toys, which made Arthur smile.
" This is my son Alfred's room. You can stay here for awhile if you like Mathew. Alfred does have a second room but I wouldn't let anyone stay in there due to the mess he's made!" Arthur informed the two others
"Thank you! Can I also play with the toys?" Mathew asked shyly clutching at a white polar bear stuffy.
"Of course you can. " Arthur replied kindly
Francis was not paying any attention to the conversation. Instead he was looking at the beautiful ly carved chesterfield chest of draws. At first he had been admiring it, and then he had noticed a small framed painting leaning against the wall on top of the Chesterfield. In the painting there where two people; one was Arthur, who was wearing a brilliant red and gold coat and laughing. Sitting on his shoulders, with a large hat with a very fashionable ostrich plume perched on his head and trying to hold it up with one hand, was... Mathew? Francis frowned at the picture, clearly puzzled. Why did Arthur have a picture of his son? He turned to Mathew who was looking at the picture curiously after his attention had been brought to it when he had noticed his fathers intense gaze upon it.
" Mattieu mon cher, est ce toi? (Mathew my dear, is this you?)" Francis whispered
"Aucun papa, il n'est pas moi. (No dad, it is not me)" Mathew answered staring wide eyed at the picture as well.
"That's my son Alfred. You can see why I confused Matthew for him can't you?" Arthur said from behind them making them both jump.
"Oui I can." Francis replied frowning at the photo.
The boys didn't just look similar, they looked identical! Almost as if they where twins, but how was that possible? Francis wondered at the puzzle the painting had given him . Matthew seemed to have the same idea float across his mind. This was his twin brother, he was almost certain! He knew that dream was not just a dream, it was real. He had to meet Alfred he just had too!
Arthur had stopped looking at the painting and pushed a bundle of clothes into Matthews hands. They where black pants, a plain white shirt and little brown mid calve leather boots.
"They belong to Alfred, but you look to be the same size as him so they should fit you. The bath is across the hall." Arthur informed them while turning and walking away from the room.
Truth be told the room was too painful for him right now. Seeing Mathew standing in it was just adding to the pain. He walked quickly into his own room, not noticing that Francis was following and had slipped into the room before Arthur had shut the door, and sighed with his head in his hands.
"Well that was stupid. Still at least it reignited by passion and purpose. " Arthur muttered to himself
Arthur turned round with his back unwittingly turned on Francis. He pulled of his shirt and threw it to the side. Before he could do anything else he felt two arms round his waist and pull him close to the person they belonged too. He smiled slightly leant back into the embrace. It took only three seconds for him to realize what was happening. He jumped free of the hug and turned towards the offender.
"What the hell are you doing?" Arthur hissed
"Aww do not get angry Arthur, you seemed to look like you where enjoying it. Besides I could not help it as you looked like you where in so much pain." Francis pouted
"Right, right. Just get out of my room! Don't you have to get dressed or something?" Snapped Arthur blushing at Francis concerned comment.
" I do but you didn't show me to my room. Or per'aps you are trying to subtly tell me that we are to share zis room?" teased Francis
Arthur rolled his eyes and started shifting through his closet until he reached a large locked metal chest that was welded to the floor. Francis looked at it curiously from over Arthurs shoulder. He received a quick kick to the shin and stepped back cursing in French.
"Get lost frog! Your room's across the hall directly opposite to this one. Still you're going to do whatever you like anyway, so do whatever. However if you touch me in any way I will castrate you got it?" Threatened Arthur
Francis smirked and left the room. Before he did so, Arthur noticed him glancing at the chest. He laughed quietly to himself knowing that the curiosity was probably killing the Frenchman. Still as he opened the chest and pulled out his red pirates coat with the real gold thread and golden rose buttons he smiled knowing that Francis would probably be disappointed at the chests contents. He pulled out the hat with the giant ostrich plume. With this change of clothing he went and took a bath.
Just as he had finished changing into his finest pirate clothing, completed with large jewelled rings, a knock was heard on his door. A young pirate peered though looking nervous.
"Captain, a letter has arrived to you. I'm not sure how..." he said
"I didn't tell you that you could come in. Still what's done is done. I have explained to everyone how I receive letters here and on my ship. If you choose not to believe in magic then you're going to be in for a lot of surprises. " Arthur lectured the young man
" Yes sir. It looks important, it has urgent written on it." The pirate said shakily
"Fine, fine, I'll read it when I go to the main room. " Arthur replied pushing it away
There were only a handful of people in the world who could send letters by magic, and most of them were his family. Arthur didn't get along with his family. He had four elder siblings, the nations of Scotland, Wales, Northern Ireland and his elder sister the republic of Ireland. All of which hated him and led the British navy in the hunt for him. As such, Arthur was never to keen on reading their gloating letters that tried to goad him out of the safety of his island.
"Yes sir. There is also a man and a young boy waiting outside your room." The young pirate said
"Very good. You are dismissed." Arthur replied to the relief of the young pirate
The young man scurried out the door with Arthur following in a slow regal pace. Once he stepped out of his room and closed the door he turned to Francis and Matthew. Francis stared at amazement at the Englishman's outfit. Arthur noticed his eyes trail over the golden vines with red and white cross stitched roses on the hems of Arthurs coat. Arthur cleared his throat.
"Should we go now?" Arthur suggested
"Those clothes..." Francis wondered
Arthur shrugged and walked quickly down the hallway leaving the other two to catch up with him. Left, right, right again the place was like a labyrinth, but then that was how Arthur had designed it. The main room, which was where he was going, was centered at the heart of the mansion. It was where he received all his pirate visitors and where all of his crews came to hang out in their spare time. After what felt like miles, which it very well could have been, Arthur flung open the heavy wooden double doors and swept into a giant room with Francis and Matthew following closely.
As Arthur strode into the room down the main walk way all eyes snapped to him and Francis and Mathew. A silence filled the room. Mathew gripped his papa's hand tightly again, as the crowd of pirates where very rough scary looking people. One man had one eye, another had missing teeth, the list went on as pirates of all sizes and appearances flocked to the scene leaving a walkway for Arthur. At the end of their pathway was a huge table filled with distinguished looking men in fancier clothing than the other pirates, but not as fancy as Arthurs. That had to be the captain's table, and in the centre was an elaborately carved chair that resembled a throne. It was obviously the pirate kings chair.
Francis felt his jaw drop as Arthur flopped down into it and kicked his feet up on the table in front of him. He smirked as he rested his head in his hand and surveyed the pirates around him. The young pirate from before came forward looking close to tears clutching two letters, one marked urgent and the other with a royal seal. Arthur held up a hand and the pirate froze in his tracks.
"Gentleman and the few ladies, I have returned. Antonio still has my Alfred, which is unforgivable. As such I will show him just what happens when he messes with me. I will crush him, whether he has that Armada of his or not. It is time for the king of the seas to surrender his throne to me, King of Pirates. " Arthur bellowed to the room at large, his voice echoing round the room in it's silence.
The room was filled with various emotions that varied from disbelief to fear. Francis still looked stunned and Mathew looked terrified. Arthur let out a cold laugh and beckoned the young pirate to give him the letters. Everyone watched in silence as his eyes flicked across the pages of the letters contents. After reading the letter marked urgent he let out a hiss that went across his teeth and mumbled idiots.
One letter was from the queen of England who had always secretly offered her support to Arthur when it came to robbing Antonio's merchant ships. The second letter was from his brother Wales telling of Antonio's location and that he and his brother's where going to try and save Alfred. This didn't please Arthur at all, because he felt that soon Antonio would claim all of his family. He rose to his feet.
"Is there any captains or crew who have left the port?" Arthur demanded
"Ludwig has sir. He left in the disguise of a fishing vessel to go and find you." Someone replied
"Very well I will contact him. Prepare all the vessels! As soon as possible we are going to set sail to get Alfred back. If I find that any captain questions me on this voyage I will personally kill him got it? I am going to ask some of you to do something quite insane, but it if it works it will go down in history as genius. Now go! We leave in a week's time!" Ordered Arthur
Arthur got up and left the room with Francis and Mathew following. Mathew was sent to Alfred's room as Francis rushed into Arthurs. Arthur was a little taken back as Francis slammed the door shut behind them and pinned Arthur to the opposite wall. Francis was frowning but Arthur looked quite relaxed.
"You are ze Pirate king?" Francis said in shock
"Yes. Imagine how lucky you are to have saved me." Arthur responded
" How?"
"If you hadn't saved me I wouldn't be in your debt. Infact, I could freely kill you. But as it is you saved my life and now I will do anything you wish of me in order to repay you. " Arthur replied
"Anything?"
"Yes"
Arthur noticed a lustful look in Francis's eyes and knew what was coming. Really he couldn't have planned this better. He would take Francis as his lover therefore forcing him into his pirate fleet. The only drawback was that he would have to bath far more often to get the smell of frog off of him. Once he had Alfred it was goodbye froggy and Alfred clone.
Authors note: Sorry about the rubbish quality of this chapter, and the lateness. I have been working an average of 10 hours a day and now have ferrets to look after and Irish dance class. No rest for the wicked.