Author's Notes: *determined* I AM GOING TO FINISH THIS STORY! Okay, so I made a promise to myself that I would finish this story and I will. I promise that to you, my readers! THANK YOU PRUSSIA-AWESOME REVIEWERS! PLEASE LEAVE ONE BEFORE YOU HIT THAT LITTLE RED [X]! IT WILL REALLY MAKE ME HAPPY! Here is the some what beginning of the climax...Well the end at least. Also the guard in the beginning is Mathias, just in case you are wondering. By the way this chapter is not supposed to be China/America but if you see it that way, so be it. It is a USUK fic. Arthur's part is coming in the next chapter and that will be the official start of the climax. I think there are about six chapters tops and maybe an epilogue. Originally this chapter was going to be longer but it works out that it is only this way. Sorry :( By the way, I am sorry for my mistakes. I will edit it tomorrow but it is late and my parents and I are going to watch television together so I have to go. Not to mention I am the laziest person ever...(I could really use a beta) Also updates will be scattered this week because I am going to visit universities! So I hope you enjoy this little chapter~!

Warnings: Some language.

Disclaimer: I do not own hetalia or cardverse.

"I'm here to see the King," Yao said crossly. His arms were locked across his slender chest, firmly as he stood before the guard who was fortified outside of Alfred's chambers.

The guard scanned him through his iron mask before shrugging and opening the double doors without hesitation or questions. The guard had no business in their affairs, anyways. Yao, however, thought nothing of the gesture as his mind was far too preoccupied with his King.

"Your majesty," Yao said in a desperate tone. He was quite relieved to even see the King, despite his current situation. This gave him hope that the predicament could return to normal. No matter how many times he would complain about the younger, Yao always had a special place in his heart for him and was relieved he was alive and well, all the same.

"How did you get in here I thought there was a meeting?" Alfred asked innocently. He twirled only his torso around from his place at his mahogany desk chair as his eyes scanned the Jack. He was definitely thinner than he remembered – his clothes were loosely fitting, especially around his flat stomach and prominent ribs.

"What is the last thing you remember?" the Jack of Spades begged.

"What?"

Yao grabbed the collar of Alfred's tattered shirt, threatening to rip the seams that barely kept it together. "Tell me everything thing you know." His copper eyes met Alfred's oceanic ones and kept them there.

"Yao…"

His lips curved slyly as he released his grip from the shirt, his knuckles returning to their normal color. "So you did not lose your memory, Alfred?"

The corners of Alfred's plump lips reflexively turned upwards. "I was hoping the wisest in all of Spades would have figured it out sooner."

"Please, stop your flattery." Yao waved his hand dismissively although his cheeks bloomed a carnation pink. "But why did you do this?"

"Iain took away my memory. It was the only way to convince them I am no threat while we take them apart from the inside…" Alfred paused briefly before asking "you know Iain and the others are evil, right?"

The shorter rolled his brown irises once. "You have to give 'the wisest in all of Spades' a bit of credit, Alfred."

"Sorry," Alfred replied sheepishly.

"Please forgive my sharp tongue. The time that you have been gone has not been peachy green," Yao apologized. He collapsed onto the King's bed, ruffling the violet duvet only slightly.

"Then how are you still alive?"

"I could ask you the same question," the older retorted inordinately.

Alfred flinched at his words, never hearing his Jack speak so roughly towards him. Yao always respected his King, and spoke to him accordingly. Yao must have been tortured quite thoroughly if he was speaking so acerbically to the ones he cares about.

"What did they do to you?" Alfred asked tentatively. They say ignorance is bliss, but who was Alfred to believe such lies?

Yao looked down at his loafers, unwilling to talk.

"Did they torture you?"

Yao's eyes burned with salty tears, his throat unable to form the painful words. The elder's vision turned into an indistinct blur of blue. His mind replayed the various scenes of the fiery red heads manipulating him with their cruel magic, forming his body into a kowtow position a handful of times.

"There, there," Alfred comforted. He stood up from his desk chair and joined Yao on his bed. The younger wrapped his arm around Yao's body protectively. Alfred pitied the Jack for he had never seen him reduced to tears. Or rather, he had never actually shown much emotion other than strict business. He was going to kick Arthur's brothers even harder the next time he sees them, which he was sure of.

"And what about…um…Arthur? Is he...you know…alive?" Yao finally asked. He wiped the last of his tears away with his sleeve and sniffled a bit.

"Artie? Yeah, he's fine, probably," Alfred said, although he would have rather left out the last word. He knew Arthur could handle himself on his own; Alfred just could not bring himself to fully trust his new allies. "A few others are watching over him and teaching him magic while they create an army."

"Then why did you come back?"

"Well…I came back to reclaim my land!" Alfred smiled heartedly, something Yao would never admit to that he missed.

"For such a great King, you are such a fool sometimes," Yao said shaking his head, but with a bit of playfulness in his voice. He could not bring himself to say it, but he missed Alfred. Sure he was obnoxious and loud and lacked etiquette. However, Yao missed his cheerful smile and his optimistic outlook and his cowlick that never stayed down and…just about everything!

"And I can see that is what they have made of you, eh?" Alfred said solemnly as he gestured to Yao's degrading jester clothing.

Yao scowled, his frown intensifying. "They are cruel bastards. You must know they are the ones behind this mess. This so called Red Revolution has been their plan all along."

"Yao, of course I knew this," Alfred explained, a bit of bitterness in his voice. Yao always looked so poorly onto the younger King, despite this elaborate scheme he had thought of. The least he could do was give him a bit of credit.

"But they are going to attack the Joker kingdom!"

"Well…that's new," Alfred retorted almost apologetically.

"And they are trying to get the help of the other kingdoms."

"I do not understand…" Alfred raised an eyebrow at the Jack.

"They are trying to take over all of Cards!" Yao clarified as if it were the most obvious statement in the world." This army you promised better come soon, because we are running out of time."

"How long do we have?"

"A week tops."

Alfred pulled the shorter man closer to him, Yao's face burying into his chest. "I will make things better, I promise."

"Someone is coming," the elder noted, his keen hearing noticing the faint sound of heels clicking that echoed in the hall.

"Then you must go," Alfred said, pulling the shorter man away from him. "We don't want anyone to suspect anything."

Yao looked over his shoulder before he left. "Goodnight, my King," he whispered.

"Be safe, Yao."

Yao nodded, tears to cascade down his rather plump cheeks as he exited the room. Before he could stroll down the corridor, Yao was grabbed by his wrist and pulled into a cove. A warm and accented breath whispered into his ear were the three basic words "tell me everything."

To Be Continued...