Words: 3338
Also, I forgot to mention, there will be smut. It won't be for several chapters, though. Sorry :(
The next two days passed by very quickly. Between getting acquainted with being King and preparing for his coronation, Alfred had no time to relax or to explore the castle. Arthur was busy resting and recuperating, per the doctor's orders, so Yao was in charge of introducing Alfred to all of the duties he was expected to fulfill as King. In fact, the King and the Queen didn't even see each other again until the day of Alfred's coronation.
Arthur found the ceremony to be identical to his own. It was a lot less nerve-wracking, he reflected, being on the other side of the coronation. He stood at the front of the room, next to Jack Yao and the empty space where the King would stand, and waited for the music to begin. The Queen stared straight ahead as he waited, burning a hole into a spot on the wall as he steadfastly ignored the whispers and not-so-subtle glances in his direction. He had been right when he predicted the people would not take too kindly to his continued sovereignty.
The music began and everyone quieted down immediately. From the opposite end of the room, Alfred entered and began slowly walking down the aisle in time with the music. Arthur distantly noticed that Alfred seemed nervous; it was to be expected. He remembered his own coronation, the combination of fear and nervousness, balanced with a touch of excitement, as he was sworn in. Back then, he was naïve. Some part of him thought he could be different than the previous queens. Some part of him was excited at the power and prestige he incorrectly believed his position would bring him.
Not that it mattered. Arthur would have been sworn in whether he wanted to or not, just as Alfred was being sworn in now. But he berated himself still for being stupid enough to think that anything good would come to him from this mess. At least Alfred's obvious enthusiasm was not entirely misplaced; it was wonderful to be King.
Once he reached the front Alfred stood to stand between Arthur and the mysterious Ace. Arthur saw him give him and Yao a nervous smile, which Arthur did not return. Alfred then faced the front of the room as the hooded Ace stepped forward.
"Esteemed citizens of Spades," the Ace began, "we are gathered here today to recognize and crown the next King of Spades." Acknowledging his cue, Yao stepped forward and kneeled before the Ace.
"Do you, Jack Yao, recognize and accept Alfred Jones as the rightful King of Spades?"
"I do," Yao replied solemnly.
"Do you swear to serve the King, and the Kingdom of Spades, by protecting and advising the King to the best of your abilities?"
"I swear it."
Arthur stepped forward as Yao returned to his position, still refusing to look at the crowd of nobles. He kneeled before the Ace and stared at the ground.
"Do you, Queen Arthur, recognize and accept Alfred Jones as the rightful King of Spades?"
"I do," Arthur replied impassively, just as he'd been trained.
"Do you swear to serve the King, and the Kingdom of Spades, by protecting and providing for the King to the best of your abilities?"
Arthur paused at this. Protecting and providing for- he wondered what would happen if he said no. He wondered what would happen if he said nothing at all, if he just stood up and left the room, if he started walking and never stopped, never looked back- he swallowed. Took a deep breath. He could not escape his duties.
"I swear it."
Arthur stood as he completed his oath and obediently returned to stand next to Yao. He ignored the worried look the King sent him as Alfred stepped forward and bowed.
"Do you, Alfred Jones, solemnly swear to govern the people of the Kingdom of Spades to the best of your abilities; to protect and maintain the order of the Kingdom; and to protect and defend its people and its culture for as long as you shall live?"
"I swear it," Alfred said immediately.
"Then with the power vested in me, I now proclaim you King Alfred Jones, King of Spades." The crowd cheered as the Ace placed the King's crown on Alfred's head. Arthur couldn't help but noticed how pale and shaken Alfred seemed. As if these words actually mean something, he thought ruefully.
Alfred stood with a smile to face the crowd as the newly crowned King of Spades.
Arthur accompanied his new King as they went around mingling at the coronation banquet. This was Alfred's first time meeting most of these nobles and aristocrats, all of whom were very interested in getting on the King's good side. Having come from nobility, Arthur had been around these people since before he was chosen Queen. And it was because he knew them so well that he wished nothing more than to get away from them. Arrogant, self-centered pricks, he thought as he calmly introduced Alfred to another Duke. At least the banquet didn't require them to dance.
The most positive thing Arthur could find in the whole event was that his family had deemed it unnecessary to attend. His family was noble, and with three older alpha brothers, Arthur had seen more than his fair share of pandering and attempted social climbing. He found it particularly ironic, then, that although he was technically the most successful of his brothers as Queen, none of them envied his position. They were more than happy to make fun of the defiant and insubordinate omega being chosen as the ultimate submissive omega Queen. But then, they had always picked on Arthur for what they considered to be resisting his nature. Arthur, for his part, blamed having three alpha brothers on his abnormally rough personality.
Arthur hadn't seen his family since his own coronation, a couple of years ago. He suspected that at least a few of them may have also attended his execution, but he hadn't gotten a chance to see if his suspicions were correct. Either way, it didn't matter now. All Arthur had to do was point out important people and whisper to Alfred their names and why they mattered. It s a simple enough task, seeing as most of the people seemed to be ignoring Arthur's existence. Again, not unusual for these types of events, but Arthur was worried some of them might be tactless enough to ask about his execution or continued reign as Queen.
Alfred appeared to be perfectly happy going around and meeting new people. It was entirely expected of an alpha, as far as Arthur was concerned. Aside from whispered questions and sideways glances, Alfred did not attempt to talk to Arthur or drag him into any conversations, for which Arthur was grateful.
Most of the night was passed in this manner, and Arthur expected it to end like that. Towards the end of the night, however, Arthur found Alfred walking with determination toward a man Arthur didn't recognize.
The man turned as they approached, and Arthur nearly dropped his champagne glass in shock. He looked almost identical to Alfred, with the exception of slightly longer hair and a slightly gentler smile. Arthur immediately noted that he was an omega, and based on the ill-fitting suit he assumed the man didn't attend many events like this.
"Hey, Mattie! You came!" Arthur was startled at the noticeable difference in Alfred's tone. What he had mistaken for friendly enthusiasm when Alfred was talking to the nobles turned into actual joy when talking to 'Mattie'.
"Hi, Al. Sorry I'm late," he said with a small smile, bowing slightly. "I wasn't sure I'd be able to make it in time. I'm sorry I missed the ceremony."
"Don't worry about it! I can't believe you actually made it. I thought you had classes. Oh!" Before Matthew could respond, Alfred turned to Arthur.
"Arthur, this is my twin brother Matthew. Matthew, this is Arthur," he said, beaming brightly. Arthur could not think of a single reason why he should be introduced to Alfred's brother, but he nodded in Matthew's direction nonetheless.
Matthew bowed slightly, and seemed a bit nervous. "It's uh, a pleasure to meet you, Your Majesty," he said.
"The pleasure is mine," Arthur replied coolly.
Alfred grinned and began to chat animatedly. Arthur learned that Matthew was apparently, "like the smartest guy in the world"; he was attending medical school and wanted to open a practice of his own eventually; he didn't have a Royal mark so he and Alfred attended different schools after they turned ten; he had a pet polar bear (Arthur began to wonder if any of this was true); and he was, as Alfred put it "annoyingly easygoing". Arthur smiled and nodded and listened to Alfred babble the rest of the night away.
"So, Mattie, how long are you staying?" Alfred asked as the night drew to a close. Matthew smiled sheepishly.
"Oh, I'm afraid I'll have to leave first thing in the morning. I've got work this afternoon," he said.
"Skip it," Alfred said unconcernedly. "You should take a vacation. Stay at the castle. I wanna show you around!"
"I'd love to, Al," Matthew said with a smile, "but I'm really busy right now. Classes end in a few months; I can ask off of work and take a vacation then."
Alfred frowned petulantly. "You don't need to work. You don't even need to go to school!" Alfred's eyes lit up as an idea formed in his mind. "I'm King! I'm loaded now! You don't ever have to work again, Mattie. You can move here to the castle with me!"
This time it was Matthew that frowned. "Thanks, Al, but I'm not sure that's such a good idea." He hurried to continue at Alfred's downtrodden expression. "It'd be great to move closer here, but I can't do that until I'm done with school. And I do want to finish school, Alfred. I'm not just working because I have to; I want to help people. I'm not sure what I'd do with myself if I was just sitting around the castle all day."
Arthur resisted the urge to glare at him, resentment burning in his stomach. You still have a choice. It wasn't fair, Arthur thought as he stared at the omega with big dreams and a bright future. It isn't fair at all. He was surprised by the strength of his resentment and quickly brushed it off.
Alfred still seemed disappointed, but he nodded in understanding. "Yeah, I know. Just," his voice was tight with some emotion Arthur couldn't identify, "write to me more often. When you're done with your degree, you really should move here."
"I'll write and visit as much as I can," Matthew said with a small smile. "It was really great seeing you today, Al. Congratulations." Arthur was impressed to find that Matthew really meant it; he didn't sound sarcastic or bitter at all. So that's what a decent brother is like, he thought.
Alfred and Matthew said their goodbyes, and Arthur and Alfred headed off to their separate rooms, ready for the end of a very long day. Arthur drifted to sleep with colorful dresses and bright fake smiles in his mind, the genuine happiness in Alfred's voice as he spoke to his brother causing all the pomp and circumstance to fade into the background.
He slept soundly that night.
On the afternoon following the coronation, Alfred attended his first Royal Council meeting. The Royal Council was a group of high-ranking advisors to the King; typically they were nobles, or wealthy and influential businessmen. There were Dukes and Earls and people with all other types of fancy titles, and although it wasn't a rule, all of them happened to be alphas. Each one was meant to represent a portion of the Kingdom, and to know about and consider those people when discussing issues and making decisions. Alfred had met many of them individually over the past few days, but this was his first official meeting and he was fairly nervous.
"There are no particularly urgent issues to deal with, so the meeting should run pretty smoothly," Arthur advised as they walked down the hall towards the conference room. Alfred wondered if he looked as anxious as he felt. "I imagine they'll ask a bit about you, to figure out how to best get in your favor. They'll also want to know if you plan on making any changes now that you're King, but I doubt they'd be disappointed if things are left the way they are now."
Alfred nodded as Arthur continued speaking, trying to absorb all of the information. Would he be expected to run the meeting from the start? He wished Yao didn't have another meeting to attend; Yao was really good at taking charge. Then he wondered if Arthur could run the meeting.
Before he had a chance to ask, the couple reached the door to the conference room. Arthur opened it without hesitation, gesturing for Alfred to enter first. Alfred did so, attempting to walk with a confidence that he didn't feel.
The room consisted of a large oval table with papers and briefcases scattered across it. People were milling about and chatting, discussing everything from controversial political topics to how their distant relatives' wives were doing. Alfred thought it was oddly reminiscent of the banquet yesterday.
Since there were still a few more minutes before the meeting was supposed to start, Alfred began wandering the room and introducing himself to the people he hadn't meant yet. Arthur didn't join him, instead choosing to immediately sit down at his spot at the head of the table next to the King's chair.
By the time the meeting had started, Alfred had managed to relax. He made a brief formal introduction before turning the floor over to the room, seeing as he didn't have anything pressing he needed to discuss. As Arthur had predicted, most of the questions were about whether he had plans to make certain policy changes.
"Sir, how do you plan to address the growing crime rates in the Outer Districts?" a Councilmember asked around an hour later, after Alfred nodded to her. "I understand King Henry made plans to increase the police presence in certain areas, once he worked out some issues with funding?"
Alfred looked through his notes, finding the aforementioned plan and scanning it. Yao had given him all of the paperwork he might need for this meeting, and then some, but Alfred hadn't had a chance to read it all before the meeting and wanted to do so before agreeing to anything.
"Yes, I have those plans, but I want to review them before making any final decisions," he said. The woman nodded respectfully. Alfred had quickly learned, to his relief, that most of the Council members were extremely polite and accepting of the King's decisions. So far, at least.
"The meeting's almost over," Arthur muttered quietly. That was one thing that had thrown Alfred off; Arthur hadn't said one word since the meeting began. He had been perfectly fine talking on the way to the meeting room, and obviously knew what was going on and what Alfred should expect of the meeting, but he hadn't actually participated at all. Alfred couldn't ask in the middle of the meeting though, so he had just ignored it. Now he looked at the clock, and saw that Arthur was right; the meeting was scheduled to end in five minutes. Alfred decided to begin wrapping up.
"Alright, the meeting will be ending in a few minutes. Is there anything else you'd all like to discuss?" he asked. One Councilmember cleared his throat quietly. Alfred nodded to him.
"Your Majesty, has it been decided who your new Queen will be?" he asked. Alfred was startled. What sort of question was that? Arthur had attended his coronation ceremony as Queen, and he had taken the oath. He didn't notice Arthur now stiffen next to him at the question.
"Uh, yes," he said, recovering. "Arthur will continue to be Queen." There was some murmuring around the table at this news.
"And what is to become of the Queen's execution?" the Councilmember asked boldly. Alfred frowned; Arthur was sitting right next to him!
"The Queen has been cleared of all charges," he said bluntly. The level of murmuring increased noticeably.
"Is that your official ruling? Hasn't the Queen committed treason?" Alfred looked at Arthur out of the corner of his eye, shocked at the tactlessness of the Council. He didn't understand why Arthur still wasn't saying anything to defend himself.
"There is no evidence of whatever treason the Queen has been accused of," he said firmly. "He has been cleared of all charges and is to remain King, by my orders." Full blown conversations began at this proclamation, and Alfred wondered if the meeting had simply dissolved. He looked uncertainly at Arthur again, who was staring resolutely ahead, ostensibly noticing nothing. Then, another Councilmember cleared his throat.
"In that case, Your Highness, have arrangements been made for the wedding?" he asked. Alfred froze. Wedding? The truth of the matter was, Alfred should have thought of this the day he was chosen as Queen. It was the law of the land that the King and the Queen must be married, as common and expected as the coronation. Arthur had even mentioned it when they first met, less than a week ago. And yet it had somehow completely slipped Alfred's mind that he was supposed to marry his Queen. He was supposed to marry Arthur.
He shuffled through his papers nervously, trying to buy time to think of a response. It was then that he came across a paper he hadn't noticed before, conveniently labeled with the word 'WEDDING' in all capital letters, and underlines three times. Apparently Yao had predicted this. All that was on the page were a few sentences prefaced with the words 'READ THIS'. Alfred read aloud shakily:
"'The wedding will take place one week from the coronation. Invitations should be arriving in the mail shortly'." He swallowed hard, re-reading the words he'd just said. One week from the coronation. That was in six days. He would have barely known Arthur for a week. I can't do this, he thought desperately, the reality of the situation sinking in.
Alfred was a bit of an idealist. He would be the first to say so, and he would say it proudly. He had big dreams for himself, and for the future: he would serve in the army, become a top-ranking general or a police officer or something, and save the world. Somewhere along the way, he would fall in love, get married, and start a family. It was the ideal scenario, and not really thought out at all beyond that, but it was Alfred's dream. He had realized when he'd been chosen as King that he wouldn't be able to stay in the army and he wouldn't be able to save the world (at least, not in the awesome punching-bad-guys-in-the-face kind of way), but he hadn't thought about how it would affect the other aspects of his life. He'd never be able to fall in love, or if he did then he'd never be able to marry them. He would have to marry Arthur, barely a week after they'd met, before he really got a chance to know him at all.
Next to Alfred, nobody noticed Arthur's increasingly pale face or the vaguely sickly look about him. Arthur, unlike Alfred, had not forgotten about the wedding. He also knew that it was customary for the wedding to take place shortly after the coronation, to make everything official as soon as possible. But this was the first time it was mentioned out loud, and it was impossible for Arthur to ignore the memories of his last wedding.
It was going to be a long week.
A/N: So the coronation scene is based off a ton of different things. I looked at coronation ceremonies in general, then the coronation ceremonies for British monarchs (which is super specific), then I read about the US President's inauguration oath, then I watched some movie clips of fictional coronations.
One thing I really wanted to put in that would have worked great for Alfred but that I couldn't fit was his middle name. With the president's inauguration, the Chief Justice recites the oath in parts and the president repeats it back. With Harry S Truman, the Chief Justice called him Harry Shipp Truman in the oath, but Truman repeated it back as Harry S Truman. It turns out, the S is his whole middle name. I really want someone to write something with Alfred in that sort of situation.
Also, I love Cardverse stories like this where the coronation and wedding happen pretty much immediately. In real life, it's not like that. In the British monarchy, for example, the new King or Queen typically waits at least a few months before the coronation, to allow a period of grieving for the late King or Queen. Also, a King or Queen will rule alone rather than rushing into marriage. While arranged marriages would happen, they weren't like this (obviously). My excuse is that the King or Queen's rule isn't official until the coronation, when they take oath, so it's scheduled for as soon as possible to avoid instability in the Kingdom. And since the King and Queen are chosen by magic, there's never only one ruler, so it's always an arranged marriage type of situation.
Sorry for the long author's note. Up next is the wedding, but no smut yet.