"Take him." Two maids gently lifted the silk stretcher holding an inert Arthur. They slowly, but briskly, stepped onto the path to the stairway. Yao waited until he could no longer hear their footsteps before he finally let his emotions overtake him. He walked to the bench just in time for his legs to fall out from under him and collapsed onto it.
Visions of what had transpired danced before his eyes. Phantom screams echoed in his ears. Yao had never seen anything like what he witnessed today. All at once, the memory sprang to his eyes and he was taken under by it.
He made a curiously small splash considering his size and the height at which he had fallen. Yao paid no mind to it though. He retracted the whip and placed it back in his pocket. He watched as the surface of the water where Arthur had landed erupted with bubbles. At the same time, the garden was filled with the sounds of muffled yells. This also worried Yao very little. The lake may have had quite a large surface area, but it was also quite shallow. You'd have to try in order to drown in it. With this in mind he continued to wait for it to be over and the ceremony done.
A dark sludge rose to the waters surface, and it fanned out slowly from there. Yao was alarmed. It was normal for Queens to discharge some of the black substance Arthur was, but never this much. Not nearly. What could Arthur possibly be, that he could have this much corruption inside of him?! Yao figured it was time to pull the boy closer to the edge, where he could be pulled out if need be. Yao shed his outermost robe and lay it down on the bench. It would only bog him down, and what good could come of it getting wet? He slowly stepped into the pool.
As a Jack he was already immune to the water's touch. Even if he weren't born a Jack, he'd spent his youth training to be one. He was as pure as they came. To him, it was just regular water. Nothing more, nothing less. In the back of his mind words from a mentor in the dispant past echoed. To feel, you must first touch. To hear, you must first listen. This lake is much more than a bath, Yao. Remember that. Yao shrugged it off as nonsense, as he always did, and waded forward.
The water rose to Yao's waist as he waded out further and further. He stopped when he was finally chest deep in it. He'd reached the circle of sludge. It was emanating from where Arthur was in the water. Yao was hesitant to enter it. He beheld it in disgust, nearly retching when he brushed it with his hand.
Its consistency was that of gelatin melted in the hot summer sun.
Yao struggled to understand what was happening. In all of his days, he had not seen the ritual like this. When a Queen usually went through the cleansing process, a light shined bright. Maybe they gave off a little black mist and felt a slight tingle. One might take a little bit longer than another, but never by too much time. Arthur's cleansing was already the longest one he'd seen.
As Yao stood in front of the welling mass of black sludge erupting from the water, he was struck by a sudden feeling of primal fear. It vibrated deep in his bones. His heart quickened, and his clenched fists were damp with sweat. It was almost as if an animal had taken over Yao's body. Just as soon as it had occured, the feeling was gone. Yao felt dazed and confused, but soon remembered his purpose.
He reached into the water, stopping when his face was only milimeters from the sludge. With a deep breath he screwed his eyes shut as tight as he could. Then, he went under. The water itself was warm. Almost as if it were a bath. The sludge though, to Yao's shock and disgust, was freezing cold. It formed a thick layer on top of the water.
Yao searched blindly for Arthur. He came up short for a while, but suddenly spotted him just out of his reach. It was as if the boy was frozen in time. His face was the very definition of pain, his eyes shining brightly as if they were spotlights.
Yao attempted to move towards him, but Arthur was farther than he seemed. Soon he was practically swimming in the pool towards him, but still no Queen. He began to feel a pressure in his sinuses, and his heart was trying to jump out of his chest. Yao tried to pull back up so he could take some breath. No matter how he tried though, he couldn't reach the surface.
It was at this point that he noticed the floor had fallen out from beneath him. He thrashed around in a blind panic. Soon the only thing going though Yao's mind was the need for air. He kicked his legs and waved his arms in a wild attempt to swim upward. He struggled like this for several seconds, before finally giving up and turning back to Arthur.
Perhaps when Yao had Arthur the forces working to drown him would disappear. Still, no matter how much Yao struggled, Arthur was still only couple feet away from him, as if he hadn't moved at all. Finally, Yao let go of his last breath. He let the darkness that had been cornering his vision slowly consume him whole.
His whole world faded to nothing.
Except it didn't.
Yao wasn't sure what was going on, but they were no longer in the water. Floating several feet in the air, right in front of him, was Arthur. Instead of the tortured look he wore from just moments ago in the water, Arthur's expression was peaceful enough that it almost looked like he was sleeping. Yao reached out to touch him.
"You'd do well to let things in strange positions lie."
Yao whipped around and faced a vaguely familiar figure. The world around him took on an oddly violet tinge. The silhouette stepped forward so Yao could see him clearly. Yao briefly let the shock show on his face.
Only in the ancient textbooks and art had he seen the transcendent being before him. In Clubs he was a god, in Hearts he was the devil, but in Diamonds and Spades he was only a silly legend. His name was General Winter.
Yao felt the chill of the air settle around him. He was frozen to his spot, watching warily as General Winter stepped towards Arthur's body. He walked right up to him, and with a wave of his hand Yao was back in the water. Arthur was still unconscious but he was the same as the Arthur of his vision. The black sludge was nowhere to be seen. Yao grabbed Arthur and kicked his feet for lift. Instead of meeting more water though, his feet came into contact with the floor of the pool. He erupted out of the water with Arthur in his arms, hardly waiting to catch his breath before hurrying to the closest lakeshore. At times he glanced down at his sleeping cargo as if he could solve him by just looking at him.
He knew one thing for sure: Arthur was not human.
"The king is expecting you, M'lord," the servant boy announced, before bowing deeply and waiting for a response.
Alfred looked back over his shoulder at the child. "Tell father I'll be down in no more than 10 minutes," he said.
The servant bowed again, and left with a quick, "Yes m'lord." As he quietly stepped outside the large and ornate oak doors, Alfred couldn't help but note how far the servant had come since he first came to work in the palace. He used to be a stuttering mess, awkwardly bowing and hiding behind his blond fringe. Alfred had him assigned to his service immediately. He sighed with nostalgia. Oh the times, how they change.
The maid working on his sleeve mistook his sigh for a gasp of pain. She immediately jumped back.
"My deepest apologies, Prince! Have I pricked you with the needle?"
"No, you did nothing of the sort. Don't fret." Alfred flashed his famous smile at her and noted her symmetrical face and pretty hair.
Almost under his breath, in a soft guttural he added, "I'd like to prick you though."
The maid flushed deeply. "C-come here now," she said, averting her eyes, "and I'll finish up your sleeves."
He stepped forward and lifted his arm once again. She slowly took hold of the needle and finished her work. After packing up her supplies she left the room, her face hidden in her fringe and with an armful of fabrics.
"That was cruel."
Alfred glanced at Alice's reflection in the mirror. He ran his fingers through his wheat blond hair and gently closed his eyes. "It was only a bit of fun," he said smoothly.
"At that poor girl's expense," Alice replied, punctuating it with a forceful airing of the blankets.
Alfred sighed, "I don't recall asking for you opinion." His dismissive, but hard, tone drove home the disparity of their positions. He: An Heir Apparent and Alpha, and She: a maid and beta.
The air in the room grew heavy. Alfred watched her through the mirror, and she watched back. Finally, after a terse and elongated couple of seconds Alice gave in with a forced, "I'm sorry, m'lord".
His steely gaze held for a second more and the corner of his mouth tipped up ever so slightly.
"So did ya hear about my new bride?" Alfred asked with a radiant smile.
He didn't wait for her answer before he started speaking again. Alice gripped the sheets tightly in her pale bony hands. She could feel them shaking as her body took on a faint tremor. She didn't dare look back up at him. Alice had to fight to keep her eyes from welling up with angry tears. The little brat!
Welp. There you have it.
How's that for taking a while to update? I'm sure it's broken one of my many records. I'm sorry if I've left anyone annoyed by it.
If it helps, I was totally kicking myself over it for months. It was just the worst.
Once again, I'd just like to thank the lovely SakuraMoriChan for all the work they've done in helping this little old author turn the toxic sludge she writes into something readable.