Author's Notes: Happy Memorial day! Make sure to remember those who died in battle or joined the service to fight for your country. Anyways, I am a bit sad everytime I create a new chapter because that means I have to delete one of starcrossed. I do not know. I feel this weird emotional attachment to that story (is that weird?). Back to the topic of A Clockwork Spade, so I think this chapter is kind of cute. Also there's a bit of Usuk and Prucan, for all of you Prucan shippers. Honestly, I do not know which is a better pairing: Franada or Prucan. Or my personal favourite: Mapletea. Haha, yes! However, this week is a busy week so maybe an update or maybe not. I am a bit fresh out of ideas to that means more naps and less writing. Urg. By the way, the italic part is a dreamsequence, just in case you did not realize. I hope you like it. This was a very long chapter, compared to the others, but that is quite alright. I did not really have a better place to cut it, or it would have been too short. Also, here some background about Jokers. The Joker kingdom was never quite affected by the Great War as the other places so did not have to build from scratch. Their kingdom is around the advancements of the modern day, while the others around the end of the middle ages with somes twists, and keep the other kingdoms occupied by isolating themselves from the world. The only way to be turned into a Joker is to have an uncorrupted heart, seeing as they fear their technology will spread to the other kingdoms and war will break out again. By the way Here's a giant hug to my reviewers/ and lovely readers! Do not forget to vote for this story on a poll on my profile! Hope you enjoy chapter 12!
Warnings: Strong language.
Disclaimer: No hetalia for me.
"Alfred! Matthew! Time for supper," their mother's amiable voice called through the rustic, rural wooden house. The two boys, no older than eleven, scrambled through the hallway from their room into their respective wooden chairs at the dinner table.
"What's for dinner?" the younger of the two asked impatiently.
She sighed looking into her pot ashamed that she could not provide her children with the proper nutrition they needed. "Just stew again."
The two boys slumped into their seats, yet did not complain. Both had very well known that they were not the richest of families, but had enough to get by. "Wanna see my tooth? It's really loose! I think it's gonna come out today!" Alfred exclaimed wiggling a tooth with his tongue. Alfred was always good at changing the conversation into something lighthearted.
"That's very impressive," their mother cooed while her cobalt eyes were fixed on swirling the mixture with a wooden spoon once more.
The small front door opened then closed letting in a gust of cold air. "Daddy!" the two shouted scurrying from their seats to greet their father.
"Hi boys," he said scooping the two up and placing them on either shoulder before walking the two into the kitchen. "Hello Amelia," he said planting a kiss on her lips making his sons gag in disgust.
"Now you three wash up," she scolded before there was a knock at the door. Amelia looked confused but went over to answer the door anyways. "Hello?" she asked the richly dressed man standing in her front door, which was never a pleasant occurrence. His attire consisted of a silk puffy shirt and navy blue trousers.
"By order of the King himself, all families must pay a tax based on the number of persons in their household," he stated officially holding up a piece of parchment in his left hand.
Amelia looked down at her stained apron. "And how much is this tax?"
"One hundred spade coins per person. The money is due by midnight, ma'am."
"Midnight!" she said dejectedly looking into her hands. "What if we do not have that kind of money?"
"Maybe we could make a bargain," he said raising his dark blonde eyebrows twice looking around the house seeing nothing in particular that he wanted, until her sons skipped merrily back to the table. "I'll take your sons off your hands. Name your price."
"Never," she said clenching her knuckles together until they turned white. She would give up the world before losing her sons.
"Or I could buy you. Just one night," he suggested reaching to unbutton her shirt before she slapped his hand away.
"Thank you, kind sir, but you better be on your way," she said as politely as she could before slamming the door in his face. She exhaustedly slid her back against the door thinking what am I ever going to do?
"Who was that Mommy?" Matthew asked naïvely.
"Want to play a game?" she asked clapping her hands together.
The two boys looked at each other with curiosity. "What kind of game?" Alfred asked.
"Hide and seek! You two are going to hide in the woods until we come and seek you," she stated.
"The woods? At night?" Alfred asked trembling in his seat. If there was anything worse than the woods, it was going to the woods at night. There are legends of beasts, evil fairies and ghosts that wonder there at night and their parents would not be around to protect them.
"Please, boys, we do not have much more time left. Please be a brave hero, like in the stories I tell you. Please hide in the woods, for Mommy, okay?" she asked with pleading blue eyes.
The two nodded and headed off into the woods. Hours passed and the sun was beginning to come up and their mother was no where in sight. The two boys, well Alfred, decided it would be best to at least go back to their house for a snack. Matthew followed along, only because he did not want to be left in the woods alone. The two opened the front door horrified at two bodies lying on the floor. He went over and tapped his mother's shoulder, hoping she was just asleep, and asked "Mommy?"
Alfred's eyes shot open and scanned around the room in comfort. It had been around the fifteenth night he had encountered the same dream, and he had only been in the castle for six weeks. While trying to return his breathing back to normal he stated to no one in particular "it was just a dream."
"Kesesese was it?" a raspy voice asked in return.
Terrified, Alfred whipped off his heavy blue covers before sprinting into Arthur's room. "Arthur?" he asked opening the cumbersome wooden door halfway.
Silence.
"Arthur? Come on, I know you're in here," he said walking over to his canopy bed.
Arthur's eyes fluttered open before looking at Alfred. "How in all of Spades did you get in here?" he asked embarrassed.
"I used the door," he deadpanned.
He rolled his green eyes. "Of course," he muttered to himself. I guess I will have to put a spell on the door, he thought to himself. "Why are you in here?"
"There's a ghost in my room!"
He snorted "all mighty King of Spades afraid of some ghost?"
"Yeah, and I had a bad dream," he said looking at his feet.
His expression became softer. "A bad dream, huh?"
"Do you think I could…you know…sleep in your bed with you, just for tonight?"
His green irises widened but instead replied "o-of course, just for tonight, and stay to your own side!"
"Thanks Artie!" he exclaimed throwing his arms around Arthur's neck.
"Do not call me that, or I will send you back to your room!"
"Sorry," he said snuggling into the opposite side of the bed. "Night, Artie!"
When Arthur awoke the next morning he was shocked to see his body tangled in Alfred's strong arms, their bodies cocooned in the shape of a crescent, as he thought letting him stay for the night was just a dream. He wiggled out of his position and turned around to face his future King. Asleep, he was peaceful almost childlike as he brushed his hand through Alfred's golden hair in an attempt to flatten a stray piece of hair. Soon enough, he swung his feet off of the bed and headed towards his wardrobe where a new pair of indigo trousers, a silk eggshell poet shirt and his signature cloak lied limp atop.
"G'morning," Alfred said brightly startling Arthur as he stumbled over and landed on the stone floor. "Sorry, I didn't mean to frighten you!" he exclaimed ripping off his covers and walking over to him.
"N-no it is completely okay," he said flustered that he was currently shirtless. "I will just g-go to the washrooms and change."
"Why? We're both guys!"
Shit Arthur cussed under his breath. "You need to be dressed too," he said coming up with a brilliant excuse for him to leave.
"It's too fucking early," Alfred complained noting the sun's position in the partially eerie grey sky.
"Now, now, you know the Ace is expecting you for training."
Alfred pouted. "Fine, but will you at least come with me?"
"Are you afraid the ghost is still there?" he suggested fastening the last button on his shirt.
"I'm not scared of ghosts!" he protested watching Arthur drape his cloak around his body and attached the Clock to a chain dangling near the bottom. Then, he grabbed a pair of white gloves prior to placing a jewel encrusted crown atop his blonde head. "I'm a hero!"
"Of course, my King," he said motioning for Alfred to follow him back into his own room.
"Call me Alfred or 'The Hero'," he explained trembling at Arthur slowly opened the door making an uncanny creaking noise. "Ahh! It's the ghost!" he cried locking his arms around Arthur's neck.
"Will you bloody get off of me? It was just the door! There are no such things as ghosts!"
"Okay," Alfred said hesitantly releasing his grip on the Queen. Within minutes, Alfred changed into a white dress shirt, dark purple trousers and a purple cloak, which Arthur attempted not to peak at. "Isn't there anything more comfortable around here?"
"If you like servant rags, that is," he smirked before hauling him out of the room and down the regal staircase into the main room.
"It's about time you got down here," Yao said tapping his foot impatiently. "The Jokers have been waiting around an hour, aru!"
Through gritted teeth Arthur asked "why was I not informed earlier about this?"
"We can discuss this later. Right now you need to get in there!" Yao yelled pushing the two into the throne room.
"Gilbert, Peter, what a pleasant surprise," Arthur forced himself to say through his clenched teeth. He wasn't that he, perchance, hated the Jokers. It was just these particular Jokers. They were the rulers of the Joker Kingdom, however they were not called royalty. Instead, the citizens of the kingdom had an odd thing called elections in which a president and prime minister were designated to represent the kingdom.
"It's the ghosts!" Alfred yelled clinging to Arthur's arm and pointing to the two Jokers in the room. Their figures were gray-scaled, almost invisible, with black demon tails and two horns atop their head.
"We're not ghosts, dummkopf!" the taller of the Jokers said before slapping the back of Alfred's head. He had silver hair and glowing red eyes which matched the red cotton t-shirt and black denim jeans.
"Ouch!" Alfred interjected rubbing the back of his head.
Arthur crossed his arms across his chest. "If you are just here to insult my King, I suggest you leave at once."
"Oh come on, Art, we were just having some fun!" the younger of the two pouted and sat on Arthur's throne. He looked indisputably like Arthur, only the Joker was younger with sandy blonde hair and sapphire eyes. "It's not everyday we get to visit you!"
"Too often if you ask me," he muttered although it was quite the contrary. Arthur loved seeing his younger brother and his friend visit, however his cold exterior prevented it from seeping to his emotions.
"Now where's this kid?" Gilbert asked looking around the throne room with his vulgar red eyes.
"Over there," Arthur said pointing to the doors which led into the infirmary. The four walked into the infirmary as Arthur pointed to Matthew asleep on his cot. "That is Matthew."
Gilbert walked carelessly over to his cot, managing to knock over a few trays of medicine, and sat down beside him. Matthew murmured in his sleep before his purple eyes shot open. "Hello?" he asked uneasily yet polite.
Gilbert blushed. "Why hello Matthew. I'm the totally awesome Joker, Gilbert," he said grabbing Matthew's hand and kissing it twice.
"You're very kind, Gilbert," he said flattered with his face flushing red.
"Are you gonna hit on my brother or what?" Alfred asked protectively, and frankly quite disgusted.
"Oh yeah," he said, his face redden to an almost scarlet color. He pressed his hand against Matthew's chest for around two minutes before smiling brightly. "It's would be an honor to have you as a Joker."
To Be Continued...