Author's Notes: Salutations, dearie. It's BetweenDreamsAndReality once more with another chapter of A Clockwork Spade. I hope you like the storyline so far because it's just going to get more complex from next chapter on, and by complex I mean yaoi. Maybe. I'm sorry for the terrible cliffhanger(s) I have at the end of the chapters. Albeit (I just love this word), it's helpful, yet somewhat irritating. I don't think I am going to have a cliffhanger next chapter. Oh well. Just for reference: the positions for King, Queen and Jack are merely political, but there are certain *cough cough* circumstances in which this can be tweaked. Thank you for reading and reviewing, you're all too kind. Okay...on with the chapter!
Warnings: Honestly, none.
Disclaimer: I do not own hetalia or Cardverse AU.
"What in the name of Spades was that for?" Arthur gritted through his teeth sitting on a mauve colored chair placed before his mahogany desk. The memories of Alfred's capture ran through his head in slow motion, having to relive the moments of watching from the carriage with sympathetic green eyes as he stumbled in chains to the castle. He slammed his hands onto the desk in pure rage making the desk shake a bit as if to wave off his memories.
Yao sighed. "Please calm down, your majesty."
"Calm down?" he shouted with a chuckle and turned around in his seat to get a better look at the Jack. "How am I supposed to calm down? You arrested an innocent man!"
"How was I supposed to know you would run away?"
"I did not run away," he murmured crossing his arms across his chest, but Yao wouldn't understand. He was a strict man of timely behavior and any nonsense with exploring was purely unheard of for royalty. Royalty had jobs to do; and leaving the castle do those things were strictly prohibited, especially in a land without a King.
"Why do you care anyways? He will be let go tomorrow morning," Yao explained rashly, and then composed himself. The Jack was never one to become appear foolish, publically at least. That was a special section saved by Arthur's obnoxious brothers who visited him ever so often. Too often if you ask Arthur.
Arthur shook his head once. "You don't get it, do you? That man is going to be the future King of Spades!"
"What?" he said with wide dark brown eyes then waved the thought away. "It-it's not possible, aru. A peasant with no known legacy can not be King."
"It wasn't my choice," he stated entwining his delicate fingers with the platinum chain of his Clock. Arthur pondered shouldn't Yao be happier? If he is the King there'd be less dependency and workload on him.
Yao shook his head twice and sighed. He felt a major migraine setting in just below his dark brown hair line in between his temples. He was going to need some herbal tea after this all blew over. Rationally, he stated "it will be impossible to convince the other kingdoms."
Arthur's lips aligned and raked his hand through his blonde scraggily hair. "Pretend he is some nobleman. I will have to explain this situation. If you had let everything fall into place like I had hoped, maybe we wouldn't be in this predicament!"
Yao placed a hand on the Queen's tense shoulder. "It's late; please, wait for morning."
"I'm sorry Yao, this cannot wait," he grumbled and headed towards the large wooden door at the front of his bed chamber. "Please tell him to meet me in the throne room." With those words, he left the room, leaving Yao baffled.
The Queen? Of all the possibilities the Queen? Alfred thought to himself trying to break the metal chains that bound his hands together. Even his strength and knowledge of metals and weapons could not withstand or rupture the chains encompassing his ankles and wrists. What was it made of anyways, diamonds?
There was a knock at the chamber door before the door opened before his sapphire eyes. "The Queen has requested an audience with him." The Two and Three propped Alfred up and loosened the chains around his ankles just so he could walk, barely.
"Please, Jack, I beg for mercy," he pleaded with tears streaming down his face.
Yao adverted his eyes from the young man, leading him into the throne room. The Two and Three pushed him along, seeing as he refused to see the Queen. It was obvious to him that he would be killed on the spot leaving his brother to fend for himself for such a short period of time until he would pass too. The throne room unfolded before his sapphire eyes, decorated in hues of indigo with the crest of Spades embedded on all of the furniture. Two platinum thrones stood in the middle of the room, each embedded with amethyst and sapphire gems. Sitting in the smaller of the two thrones was Arthur with a devious smile placed on his lips, holding his head up by one of his fragile white gloved hands. Alfred bowed upon his knees, crying silently. He knew he was going to be executed, there was no doubt in his mind. "Everyone else, leave!" the Queen ordered watching the crowd bestow hazel glares upon him. "Yao, make sure nobody eavesdrops on our conversation." Yao nodded escorting all of the other visitors out of the room and into the gardens. "Rise, my boy."
Alfred nodded and wiped a brackish tear away as Arthur came closer to him and unlocked his chains with a silver key in his purple cloak's pockets. He rubbed his scarlet colored scarred wrists softly and stood up with shaky, uneasy legs. "Why?" was the only thing Alfred could ask. He was almost positive he was going to be murdered right then and there.
Arthur exhaled loudly. "You are quite worthy, Alfred. Do you still have that Clock I granted to you?" He nodded slowly taking it out of his torn pockets of the rags he wore, now in worse condition than before. The cloth already had a few patches sown onto the pants near the knee caps and being locked up in the dungeon didn't do much to help. "Excellent. Now, I want you to manifest a crown in your mind then place one hand on the Clock."
Alfred raised an eyebrow but continued anyways. Within seconds he was transported into a new scene. Only, it wasn't a memory this time. His sapphire eyes watched the throne room reappear for him, only crowded with guests of magnificent hues and symbols painted on their clothing. He was sitting upon the taller throne, having an elegant crown placed upon his blonde head before the scene faded into crystal lavender dust.
"You see, the Clock I granted you can only be given to a member of royalty. Specifically, the King of Spades."
Alfred's blue eyes widened unnaturally. "Your majesty, you cannot be suggesting-"
"I am," he interrupted with a sly smile gracing his lips. "My dear boy, you will be alongside me as King."
His knees grew weak, weaker than they were before. "I have too many responsibilities at home with my brother being sick and all…"
"Sometimes we must sacrifice our personal needs for the needs of our country," he said wisely.
"Isn't that impossible?" he said thinking of all the potential. King? "A peasant could not rule as King."
"There is one way, my King," he stated before gulping. "You have to marry me."
To Be Continued...