Chapter Two: Together
Alfred led his chosen one to the middle of the dancefloor, turning to face him.
"Have you ever done any ballroom dancing before?" He questioned the shorter male.
"I-I have… but only once or twice, I'm not all that familiar with it." Arthur flushed and cleared his throat, keeping his gaze away from that of the Prince's.
"Well, don't worry. I'll be here to help ya' through it, okay?" The sandy blond grinned brightly, resting his left hand on the bottom of Arthur's back and taking his other hand into his own right hand. Arthur responded by placing his free hand upon Alfred's shoulder; although he was cautious of all the people looking at him. "Don't be frightened. I'll protect you." Alfred murmured softly, sensing the other's unease as they readied their stances for the dance.
The Prince then gazed to the orchestra and nodded softly. The conductor bowed to him, before turning to the instrumentalists and leading them into playing a beautiful waltz.
Alfred took the lead of the dance almost instantly, stepping to the side with Arthur following behind him. The blond Briton looked down, his eyes constantly watching their feet as they stepped in time with the music. The Prince sighed softly and removed his right hand from Arthur's; before cupping it under his chin, his thumb grazing over the soft skin. "Why won't you look at me?" He frowned pitifully; clearly doing this to tease the poor Englishman.
"Ah! I-I do apologise...!" Arthur shut his eyes tightly and muttered a thousand apologies. The Prince just started to laugh, so he hesitantly opened his eyes again, gazing up at the man above him with flushed cheeks and a small shimmer in his eyes.
"I'm only kidding, though I would like to look at you. You're very beautiful," Alfred cooed softly, causing the Briton to flush even brighter, and turn his face away. "Aww, please let me see your face. I want to see your responses to my compliments."
The emerald-eyed male glanced up at those sapphire orbs concealed behind thin sheets of glass. "I…I am flattered, Your Majesty…" A dainty smile formed on his lips and his eyes sparkled. "But, truthfully, you are the one who is most beautiful of the two of us." Arthur whispered, a small pout on his lips, and his cheeks flushing a brighter red than ever before.
Alfred, surprised by the compliment, blushed softly, "Well, thank you." His sapphire irises began to sparkle as well and his heart began to race. "May I…um…?"
Arthur looked up to the Prince expectantly as he heard his voice, "Hm? May you...?"
The Prince stopped their movements, removing his hand once again from Arthur's and bringing it to the other's cheek, his thumb gently grazed over his warm flesh. "May I…k-kiss you?" Alfred, immediately after saying the words which had left his lips, turned his face away in fright.
Queen Amelia watched in fear for her son as his cheeks flushed brightly, worried that the boy he was dancing with had cursed him in some way, making him fall in love with him; she knew that her son, her only child, would not be one of those vile creatures.
Arthur's face turned beet red at the Prince's question, "K-Kiss, Your Majesty?" His emerald irises shimmered with fear, yet a sense of devotion and love could be found within them, his heart racing at a million miles an hour. "I…I suppose I cannot really argue with you Sire. You may do with me as you please."
"I don't want to force it upon you…It's your choice, and your choice alone. If you do not wish to, then we do not have to," Alfred smiled awkwardly, the red on his cheeks spreading to his ears.
The Briton gazed up at the American Prince and bit his lip in thought, "Prince Alfred…I…" He stammered, his voice shaking and insecure as he considered what he was about to say next. "I want you to kiss me...~"
The Prince's sapphire irises sparkled with joy; he had found someone, finally! Alfred could feel his heart fluttering in his chest, beating so fast that it could simply burst from his ribcage. He cupped the male's chin gently between his fingertips and leant in slowly. Arthur responded, by moving the hand he had placed on the Prince's shoulder, to the side of his neck, the soft cloth of his gloves creating a smooth sensation against the sun-kissed skin.
The crowd watched the moment in awe, many were smiling and getting ready to applaud for the new couple.
Alfred and Arthur softly pressed their lips together in a delicate kiss; both of their shivering seized and their heartbeats stopped momentarily. When their lips connected, it seemed as if the whole world had stopped around them. Pure love was all the two males experienced as they embraced one another gently in their kiss.
They pulled away from one another, both males' eyes half-lidded in romance, their irises were hazy and they smiled in unison to one another.
"I have found the one for me…" Alfred whispered softly, pressing his forehead to Arthur's, running his fingers through the sandy blond locks. Arthur's smile grew in response, the blush on his cheeks darkening to a pure rose.
"As have I, My Lord," the Englishman whispered; his words caused the Prince to shiver slightly. Arthur pulled back from the embrace slightly to press a kiss to his love's cheek, before placing his gloved hand on the warm skin. "I'll always be beside you…Alfred. Until it is the day for me to die."
"Arthur…" The Spade Prince scooped the male into his arms and held him tightly to his chest, the Briton responded by resting his hands on his shoulder blades, tracing his fingertips over the slightly defined muscles there.
"People of Spade Kingdom! Our young Prince has found his true love and Queen!" Wang Yao called out and the people applauded for the two blonds as they embraced once more. "We shall organise the wedding post haste!"
"NO! Stop!" Amelia screeched at the top of her lungs; she rose from her throne and stormed towards her only baby boy. "Alfred, I-I was unaware that-that… you swung this way?!"
The people were disgusted at the Queen's tone of voice; protests against her rang throughout the ballroom. Many people pointed out that the Heart Kingdom had a male Queen. This was true, a Japanese male, by the name of Kiku Honda, was indeed the Queen of Hearts.
"Mother stop! You're causing a scene!" Alfred turned to meet his mother's infuriated figure, stepping in front of Arthur, holding his hand to protect him. "So what if I wish for Arthur to accompany me as my Queen?! You were only a peasant girl before my father met you in the village squa-!"
"ENOUGH OF THIS INSOLENCE! I will NOT have my only son marry another male! It is wrong and immoral! This action is not to be seen in the Kingdom of Spades; not now and not ever!" Amelia screamed in anger, but her cries were cut short as she fell to her knees, gripping her chest; deep breaths escaping from her lips.
Alfred, despite his temper, ran to his mother's side and knelt beside her, placing a hand on her shoulder. A panicked look glossed over his sapphire irises, as he looked up at his father in desperation; only to see King George dashing towards them at high speed, succumbing to his knees beside his wife.
Words of comfort and peace were whispered by the King to the Queen's ear. Soon, George stood up and turned his gaze to Alfred; "Keep the people calm, your mother just had a momentary panic attack. I'll take her out of here to rest. She may return towards the end of the evening but I'm not entirely sure. You need to fulfil your duty Alfred. Protect the people…protect your new Queen." His gaze briefly met with Arthur's, who bowed his head in fear and worry for the Queen, but also shame.
Alfred's eyes widened as his father uttered those final words… he accepted a male Queen? Nodding his head in determination, he knew he had to focus on the current task at hand, he got up and turned to address the people; who luckily kept their distance from the suffocating Amelia.
"People of Spades! I regret to tell you that my mother, Queen Amelia, must rest for a short while and therefore must exit the dance. She hopes to return by the end of the night, but if she does not, please carry her in your thoughts and prayers until she recovers from this." Alfred looked back over his shoulder, to see his father and Elizabeth assisting his mother out of the ballroom to her chamber. Guilt washed over him and he frowned deeply. This was his fault. His mother had lost control and lost her breath…because of him.
The music and dancing gradually resumed, lifting the tense atmosphere piece by piece. Alfred, however, felt like he was the one now being suffocated. Glancing out to the sea of people, his sapphire gaze could only focus of the dusky blond head of hair and emerald eyes of Arthur; a small smile graced his lips, but it was soon replaced with a frown. Glittering beads of tears filled the corners of Alfred's eyes.
The young Prince advanced to his Jack, "Wang Yao… can you keep things under control here? I just need a moment to clear my head."
"Of course, Your Highness. Take as long as you need, but return to us soon. I shall pass the message on to the people when need be." Wang Yao bowed graciously before his Prince. Alfred lowered his head for a moment, before walking away.
A pair of emerald irises flicked over and followed the Prince's retreating back. Sadness swept over Arthur; despite only having just met Alfred, he felt a deep connection with him already. Their kiss felt so natural, as if it was meant to be. Arthur could still taste Alfred's sweetness on his bottom lip.
Arthur excused himself from his family unit and followed the Spade Prince. The Englishman was afraid that he would be harmed for exploring the castle unaccompanied; especially since he was not from any of the four Kingdoms.
Alfred was seated on the marble railing of the balcony that overlooked the Kingdom that would, one day, be his. Every detail could be noticed by the Prince: the clusters of villages, each with their own unique name, every piece of owned land and the Enchanted Forest. His mother used to tell him tales of faeries and elves that resided in those trees; all they wanted to do was play with the young Spadian children during the day, never wanting to harm anyone. Unfortunately, after a sorcerer was discovered to have murdered the Ace of Spades, thirty years previous, magic was banned throughout Spades, in fear that a monarch would be harmed next.
Sorcerers and witches that were discovered, would be thrown into gaol until further notice. Occasionally, a trial would be held to weigh up evidence and decide whether the sorcerer or witch would be set free. However, in most cases, there was no trial… and those who were considered to be involved in the 'dark arts', even the innocent, were condemned to death by hanging, burnt at the stake or being stabbed through the chest by the Royal Executioner. Spades no longer held mercy towards those who practiced magic after the incident. They were considered untrustworthy and filthy due to their predecessor's sins.
The young Spadian Prince bowed his head, thinking back to his mother, wondering how she was doing; was she getting any better? Guilt made his heart clench and he felt like he was being strangled by his sin. To argue with his mother was trouble enough, but to make her unwell was a deadly crime; especially in front of their people.
"Your mother is doing fine Alfred," a familiar voice spoke. Alfred gasped and quickly turned to face the voice, expecting to see his father there. Instead, the dusky-blond, green-eyed Englishman stood before him, peeking around the broad glass balcony door.
"What are you doing out here? It's freezing, you'll catch a chill," Alfred spoke, his eyes fixating themselves on Arthur's thin outfit.
"A little cold never bothered anyone. Especially not me," Arthur smiled and carefully advanced towards the Prince, perching beside him and gazing out at the landscape. "I can see why you came out here; the view is very magical."
Sapphire eyes focused on Arthur's delicate features, the moonlight highlighting the high points on his face; the Briton truly was a thing of beauty. His pale skin illuminated by the blue hue of the moon. The Prince's thoughts were disrupted by a thick English accent.
"My Lord? Y-You appear to be staring at me?" Arthur had turned his head to face the Prince, a blush on his cheeks as he remembered the kiss they had shared in the ballroom only a short while beforehand.
The Spadian Prince placed his hand on Arthur's, his thumb caressing the smooth cloth of his gloves; desperation to touch his skin. "You're shivering, are you cold?"
"N-No my Prince! I'm fine!" Arthur stumbled over his words; he was not cold, but he did wish to be embraced by the male standing before him. "Although… Are you alright?"
"Hm? What do you mean?" Alfred cocked an eyebrow.
"What happened to your mother... it must have been very frightening for you," he intertwined his hand with Alfred, their fingers lacing together perfectly.
Alfred focused his gaze back out to the landscape of the Kingdom that would soon be his. Of course, he was worried about his mother. He wanted her to get better very quickly or he'd be criticised for her sickness. He had enough guilt as it is, being argumentative about finding a Queen, then about his sexuality. The Spadian Prince was afraid. Afraid for his mother's health. Afraid for his pride and dignity. Afraid of losing Arthur, the man he had only just met yet he'd fallen in love with.
"Alfred? I apologise for bringing it up, do forgive me," Arthur whispered, looking down at their interlocked hands. The Prince snapped out of his daze, upset to see the emerald-eyed male like this. He frowned, reaching to brush Arthur's straw-gold hair out of his face so he could see those shining emeralds. The other turned his gaze up to meet Alfred's sapphire, but he could not admire them for long as he was captured in a kiss.
A shiver ran down Arthur's spine at the sudden kiss from the Spadian Prince, but his cheeks flushed and his heart raced as he returned the kiss.
"Thank you… for being here tonight Arthur," Alfred spoke up after breaking away from their embrace, "Thank you making my night that more special." A goofy smile rose on the Prince's face, causing Arthur to chuckle softly. "We'll be together, no matter what happens next. That's a promise!"
Author's note:
So, a bit of drama! I liked the idea that despite it being alright for both males and females to become Queen, some people would definitely still be against it. That's just similar to society; not everyone likes one thing!
I really love writing sweet scenes with USUK, with America's goofy, happy side, then England's irritable side, with a few hints of affection. That's how I write for England, since no one I've read or seen really write for England like that. Not saying that their writing is bad! Everyone has their own interpretations of these characters!
And yes, the 'magic' section of this chapter will be used again later. Those of you who understand; you probably know where this is going!
Thank you for reading! Hope you're all enjoying the story!