Alfred sighs heavily as he rolls over in bed, unable to fall asleep.

What a day this has been.

Or days, really. He's still working over how long it's been.

What he thinks was morning —when Gil arrested him on his way back to the Capital— was actually four days ago now, since it was night when he broke out, and add to that, that the fire warping used to get them here wasn't instant like it seemed. He's still trying to get his head around that, Mattie's explain it three times already, but he's still confused. How can something feel like seconds to them, but actually take days to happen?

He sighs and rolls onto his belly, throwing his arm out to hang off the side of the bed and let his fingers run through soft fur.

Beside the large bed, lying on a pile of soft rugs, Arthur sleeps.

After Gilbert's magic wore off and Arthur could see again, he had become overly protective of Alfred, pulling the knight under him and growling threateningly at the others.

The whole thing quickly developed into a mess of Al trying to calm the wolf, explaining to him what's going on even though he still doesn't fully understand it all, while Mattie tried to tell him more, with Gil storming out, shouting back something about fixing his arm, with Elizabeta asking if he'll join them, and all the while Antonio stood there smiling as if this was funny.

In the end, they decided to call it a night.

A quiet knock on his room door brings Al out of his musings.

He turns to sit up and squint through the darkness as the door opens and Matthew pokes his head in.

"Mattie?"

"Hey... Can I come in?"

"Sure." He nods, watching as his twin slips in, closing the door behind him.

"I thought you might be hungry, you didn't really get a chance to eat earlier." He says as Al now notices the tray he's carrying.

At the mention of food, Al's stomach grumbles loudly as if in agreement, making his brother smile in amusement, "Your still the same as ever."

"Mattie your a life saver."

His brother makes to approach, but stops before taking a full step, eyes landing on the slumbering wolf.

"Um..."

"It's okay, he's out cold. Just step around him."

Easier said than done, as Al watches his brother creep closer, as if he were about to step on a land mine if he so much as brushed up against the wolf. It takes a minute, but eventually he manages to get close enough to hand over the tray, before just going for it and jumping over the wolf's body to land on his twins legs on the bed.

The pair stare at each other for a moment, Al holding a tray of food up over his head, Mattie sprawled awkwardly across his legs, before they both burst out laughing.

Their giggling tapers off when Arthur grumbles at the sound, rolling onto his back, side pressed up against the bed.

Mattie sits up, moving to the side off his twins legs while Al puts the tray in his lap, using one hand to eat while reaching the other over to pet Arthur's head. It takes him a second to notice Matthew staring at him.

"Sorry. I know Gil and Dad's journals said you could Bond with a beast, it's just... surreal seeing it is all." Matt apologises, watching as the wolf seems to lean into his brothers hand.

"Yeah, I guess it would be..." Al sighs, "It's been two years Mattie. I missed you."

His brother smiles softly at that, "Yeah, I've missed you too."

"I thought..."

What did he think, really? That just because he had Arthur now, he could go walking back in and they'd welcome him with open arms? That he'd just be accepted, just like that?

He was an idiot.

Gil used to always tell him that he didn't think things through, that that was his biggest weakness.

He hates that he was right.

The man he idolised, is a traitor to the Kingdom and has been manipulating him all this time.

He can never look at him the same way again.

But...

He looks up to meet his brothers eyes.

"Saved me? I never asked to be saved." He glares, staring the red eyed man down.

He can't agree with this, any of it.

How could he?

"None of us ask for the life we live, we just have to make the best of the hand we're dealt." Gil answers back with cold reasoning.

"Make the best of it? Innocent people have died today because of you!" He snaps back, looking down as he mumbles, "Everyone...who...Arthur..."

"That wasn't Gil's fault." Matthew cuts in, surprising Al, "It's mine."

"What?" He stares.

"...You were coming back, well before you should. The King had ordered Gil to kill whoever it was, but we couldn't let that happen." He murmurs sadly, shaking his head and looking to meet his twins eyes with determination, "We had to change our plans, and fast. We had to find a way to protect you from the King, but doing so would compromise us, so, we had no choice but to move ahead and work with what we had. It was my plan, I was the one who made the decision to have you thrown in jail. I used my magic, to manipulate the guards and servants, and you. I made it so you would be mistaken for an actor, so both you and the wolf would be in the royal play."

"Why Mattie?"

"...We...we needed a distraction, and to get you out, before we lost our chance. I'm sorry. It's my fault all those people died, I made a mistake, I miscalculated. I thought you had total control over the beast, I...I thought... I'm sorry..." He trails off, unable to keep looking his twin in the eye.

How can he look at his brother the same way either?

It's not like with him, being unwittingly manipulated.

Mattie is willingly working with them.

His brother's a traitor too...

But...

The King called for his head, for Arthur's head, and he ran...

So...

He's a traitor too...

"Al? I know this must be hard for you to understand, but we are doing this for good reasons."

"You say that Mattie, but..."

"If you won't listen to us, then maybe you'll listen to Dad."

At his confused look, Matt pulls an old leather bound book out of his tunic and hands it to him.

"This is one of Dad's journals that I've decoded. Read it, then give us your answer."

His brother smiles at him, before climbing off the bed, easier to do now that Arthur isn't sprawled all over the place, and heads for the door.

He pauses, just before leaving to look back, "It was good seeing you again." And then he leaves.

Left alone with Arthur in the darkness once more, he sighs.

He knows he's not going to get any sleep tonight, so, he fumbles about to light the candle by his bedside, and starts reading.

Authors notes: BOOM! I live!

Alfred's still processing, Mattie is felling guilty, and Arthur is sleeping.

Buckle up, we're about to go on a wild ride.

R & R people.

Until next time, stay awesome!