The first thing he noticed was that everything hurt. Consciousness flowed into Alfred's still shock addled brain, though it wasn't entirely welcome, the swordsman actually preferred unconsciousness as he would have been spared the pain. Alfred's hand slowly made it's way up to his face, he winced, that was what hurt the most, it felt a bit swollen too. He tried to groan but found that he was gagged by a cloth, it tasted really disgusting so he rather not think about where it's been. The ringing in his ears started to die down until he could make out horse noises and squeaks of wheels, come to think of it the ground felt shaky and rough. Alfred felt around some more, after finding out his limbs were bound and that a blindfold was tied over his eyes, he bit down hard on his gag and started to kick at his surroundings, hoping to strike at foe.
"Alfred stop" The swordsman's body froze, that voice. Arthur held on to one of the wooden prison wagon's bars, he looked pityingly at the swordsman and turned away once his eyes landed on his swollen face "Don't do anything that will anger the guards, once we get to the kingdom they'll treat you according to you behavior" Alfred thrashed at the mention of the kingdom, his breathing went wild and he even started to try and hit the bars with his bounded legs. One of the guards surrounding the wagon turned to look at the prisoner, Arthur shook his head at the guard and motioned that he'd take care of it, the guard nodded and turned his attention elsewhere. Arthur sighed and reached through the bars, placing his hand on top of Alfred's head "Please Alfred, I knew you wouldn't like this but calm down. I talked with them, you aren't on your way to execution" Alfred aggressively shook Arthur's hand off his head and scowled. The mage expected the reaction but it still hurt that the Alfred that put his trust in him completely was evidently gone.
They had a short time together but for the most part it wasn't all that bad. Other than Vlad, Alfred was the only one persistent enough to try to get to him, it was something he appreciated "I'll meet with the royal advisor later this afternoon, I promise you I won't let them do anything" Alfred snorted and turned away from the mage as best as he could, he didn't feel like interacting with the mage right now. Arthur frowned and stepped away from the wagon, he walked faster until he caught up with Vlad up front. The other royal mage raised an eyebrow, sensing Arthur's change in mood "What's wrong?" Arthur waved him off dismissively "I must have eaten something bad, don't worry" Vlad sighed and comfortingly gave him a pat on the back "You should be happy, we caught some of the rebels. Maybe this silly little uprising will finally sort itself out, everything will be back to normal again soon, you want that right?" Arthur let a small smile slip but his troubles were yet at ease "I do Vlad, but at what cost?"
Vladmir raised an eyebrow at Arthur's question, when the mage sensed that his friend didn't understand he continued "You know what the kingdom has done, even before the rebellion, the lives of our very own people, sacrificed…" Vlad pursed his lips and turned his gaze away from his fellow mage "A price of lives for the purchase of a future. The kingdom always make tough decisions Arthur, you know that, to achieve something we have to abandon part of another. Even us, the mages, had to go through so much till today, after all the orthodoxy from which we hail is currently weakening, we're lucky enough that only some parts of the kingdom turned to anti-magicism" Arthur nodded solemnly. Anti-magicism, that's what started this whole rebellion. The last royal family had abused their mages, the people grew fearsome, now things once sacred are being desecrated left and right. The hierarchy of the magicis orthodoxy had been attacked twice already. Despite Alfred's group being the most active one there were more rebels to be dealt with.
"Just push those thoughts aside Arthur, I feel we'll be seeing the end of this rebellion soon, catching this group is our start of a line of victories. We just have to hold on a bit longer" Arthur stayed silent, he opted to venture into his thoughts for the time being. Vlad respected his need for privacy and settled with just walking with him. They've been travelling for two and a half days now, the kingdom was just over the boarder pass now. "Psst Alfred" Alfred's ears perked up, he wiggled around uselessly to indicate his attention in case the other person was also blindfolded "I can see you Alfred stop, you'll draw attention" It was Yao's voice. The swordsman let out a muffled noise of happiness and tried to smile through his gag "It's nice to see you're in good health as well, though I wouldn't say much about your face" Alfred groaned, he almost forgot about it.
Yao smiled, he was relieved to see that Alfred was okay, it scared him that the swordsman was out like a rock for the past two days, he worried for him. Maybe it was sheer luck that he tore a small part of his blindfold on a floor nail that he happened to see Arthur talking to Alfred, he couldn't make out what the mage was talking about though, he still resented Arthur and it took all of his self-control not to lash out at him "Alfred, we're heading to the kingdom, do you know that?" Alfred grunted in response and lamely tried to nod "Alright, now we have to be quick about this, I don't know where Matthew or Gilbert is, the hole in this blindfold can only show me so much. Do you have anything sharp on you?" Alfred shook his head sadly "As I thought. Look we're in a dangerous situation right now, we don't have many options. If we act now we might put either Matthew or Gilbert in danger…." Yao kept his voice down until only Alfred could hear the next part "I sent word to Lukas a few days ago, hopefully the message will get to him before anything happens. For now we have to be on our best behavior"
Alfred let out muffled protests and started to kick again. Yao shushed him "Hear me out Alfred, think of this as a reconnaissance, we'll be inside the kingdom for now so we have to do our best to gather as much information as possible about it, do you understand?" Alfred reluctantly calmed down but didn't respond. Yao sighed and leaned on the bars of the wagon, they didn't have any better plan than this and hopefully it will work.
A large wall stretching for quite a distance arose overhead. The concrete structure contradicted it's surroundings of fresh greenery and flowing rivers, it stood out like a tree in the middle of a dry desert, the height of said wall was higher than even what it holds behind it, the only indication that it was serving a purpose was the blue flag fluttering at it's center and guards surrounding it's perimeter. Arthur breathed out a sigh of relief, home, he stopped walking for a short while to take in the scenery, as he walked towards it he relished in the atmosphere it brought, the way the grass crunched in every step, the sounds of the flowing rivers rushing around the kingdom's area, the critters that scurried along, everything. Vlad grinned at him and pulled him into a one armed hug "Good to be back right?"
"Very" The two friends shared a laugh of joy, after being so far from their home for a long while they were finally permitted to return, the mages walked side by side with the other relieved soldiers accompanying them. They were home. The group inside the wagon however didn't share in the joy that the troops were feeling. Yao breathed in heavily and watched the overwhelmingly huge walls appear before them, Alfred laid silent on the ground unaware of events "We're here…" Yao whispered. The swordsman seemed to stiffen at the words "MMFGH?!" A third voice joined in. The doctor tried to look around but couldn't see anyone or anything other than Alfred "Whoever you are stomp once for Matthew and-" Two loud stomps resounded followed by a third and a fourth "…Gilbert.." The albino nodded vigorously, expecting that someone had seen it. Yao breathed out a sigh of relief "Thank god, do you know where Matthew is? One for no two for yes"
Gilbert stomped once "Blindfold and gag?" Two stomps "HEY!" A guard came up beside the albino and jabbed at him with his lance through the bars, Gilbert growled at the guard "Keep it down rebel!" Gilbert held back the urge to spit at the guard because for one it wouldn't work with his gag on and two, more lance jabs and not the gentle kind. The guard scoffed and returned to his position around the wagon, leaving the group alone once more "Next time don't stomp too hard Gilbert" Yao warned. Gilbert snorted and shrugged off the warning "I know you won't like this but we're at the kingdom's entrance right now" Gilbert shouted out in surprise through his gag and thrashed around more violently than Alfred had "Calm down now, we all don't like it, I've talked with Alfred already. Here's the plan…"
Arthur looked behind him, he had seen the wagon shake violently for a moment in the corner of his eye "Looks like our little friends are awake" Vlad commented tiredly, honestly the rebels were a pain to deal with during their journey, especially that one guy Matthew, who would've guessed someone who looked so harmless could be such a relentless guy. Arthur looked back at Vlad, what was he going to do? He found himself in a predicament, for all it was he had grown a soft spot for the resistance yet his love of his homeland nearly cancels out that fact completely, he could never think of betraying the people who had looked out for him all his life. The resistance group were ordinary people, people who just had different ideals and points of view, all they've ever done was stand by their beliefs, just like the kingdom.
It wasn't the first time these thoughts crossed Arthur's mind, in fact it was sparked to life when the rebellion started, it was the only time he ever doubted what the kingdom did, at first he refused to heed his own thoughts but as time marched on he pressed deeper. Of course thoughts like these weren't without compromise, just like what Vlad had said 'To achieve something we must abandon part of another' a tough decision indeed.
The walls towered over the whole group and the only way through it was a draw bridge. Guards were lined up at the entrance, awaiting any visitor or foe alike. One of the guards stepped forward to greet the group "We welcome you mage Vladmir, mage Arthur" He nodded respectfully at them both. Arthur greeted him back while Vlad stayed stoic "Yes greetings, has the royal advisor been informed of our requested audience with him?" The guard waved to his men behind him to open the bridge, the black slate lowered gently until any gap between the kingdom and the world outside closed "Yes sir, he is awaiting your arrival at the palace megaron as we speak" Vlad thanked the guard and waved him off, leading the group into the kingdom without another word.
The kingdom didn't just get its name spontaneously, it was a vast land that might as well be mistaken for a small country, protected by a wall of great width and surrounded by a forest so remote and thick that only it's inhabitants know the way in and out, it was rich in many things that it was as if it were trapped within a golden age, it's palace stood at the very center of it all standing high and mighty that part of it might even be seen over the wall. As Arthur walked through the bridge memories of his homeland rushed back like a wave, he smiled at the children who ran about in their own little world of games, such was their lives shielded behind a wall that would never show them the corruption of the outside world. The village was just as busy as he remembered it to be, the market place was bustling with people- sellers and buyers alike- and shouts of sales and bargains resounded throughout the crowd.
Women and men came and went doing their routines of the day whether it be work or recreational activities with others. Vlad even stopped to say hello to one of the merchants who sold good staffs. Once they were out of the busy streets they passed by a field, there were people spending their time just relaxing or enjoying the day with others or family, Arthur waved at one young couple who were sharing a meal together, they waved back with a smile. It always made the mage happy when he would get to spend a bit of time interacting with the kingdom's people, though not perfect they were friendly and lively enough that you couldn't resist joining them in whatever activity they were indulging in, Arthur could remember a time when he drunk himself to oblivion with some of them then they all became sick together in the morning. Fond memories.
Finally they reached the castle walls, Vlad ordered the soldiers to take out the prisoners and present them to him. As commanded the soldiers opened up the prison wagon and pulled out the rebels rather harshly "Move it" One of them growled and pulled Yao out so fast that he almost tripped "Aiyah!" The doctor skidded to a stop outside and was shoved forward before he could even balance himself resulting in him falling to his knees on the ground. The next one was Alfred, he was pulled out by a hem of his shirt and pushed to the ground, he gritted his teeth and tried to stand back up to take on his assailant but was thwarted once more and was held down by two men. Gilbert was the last, he put up a good fight and managed to kick one of the soldiers in the face, he smirked triumphantly and continued his thrashing "That's enough!" Someone decked him and he ended up flat on the floor, a boot was pushed into his back to keep him from standing up "Not so tough now are you?" The soldier sneered, digging his boot deeper into the albino's back, Gilbert let out a pitiful groan "Hey! Hey! Take it easy now they're not due for any punishment until the royal advisor gives the word!"
Arthur tried pulling the soldier off Gilbert but the man didn't seem to appreciate the boot shaped mark on his face "He looks tough he'll live" When the soldier wouldn't budge a taller more muscular one walked out from the palace and shoved him off "When you are told to stand down stand down" He glared at the lieutenant as if daring him to defy. The soldier stiffened and stepped away "My apologies colonel…" Gilbert had been listening and almost had a hard time registering what he just heard, before he could do anything- which wasn't much considering his restraints- he was helped up so that he was at least kneeling "Take off their blindfolds and gags" Came Vlad's orders.
Light rushed into the groups' eyes like a shower of bullets, Alfred blinked a few times and even looked down just to get his eyes to adjust to the glare of the sun, Arthur winced at the swelling that took place on his face, maybe he really shouldn't have hit him that hard, Yao had no problem seeing as though he had a hole through his blindfold, Gilbert on the other hand wasn't having problems with the sun, his problem was staring right at him with the same shocked face "Bruder?" Ludwig snapped out of his shock quicker than Gilbert, he stood back up and cast aside the blindfold and gag "You've mistaken me for someone else rebel, I am Ludwig Gnuhcslaf, colonel of the kingdom's army" Gilbert shook his head and even tried to stand up to face him but was pushed back down as expected "No no, bruder don't do this, not to me your big brother! OTTO HEY!" The colonel ignored the albino's shouts and waved him off dismissively, turning away to join Arthur and Vlad up front "OTTO DON'T YOU DARE! WE'RE GONNA TALK ABOUT THIS! HEY! " Gilbert shouted at the top of his lungs, he bolted up so quickly that once he was upright he just fell back down again due to lack of balance. Ludwig paid him no mind and stood side by side with the two mages, one who looked hesitant and the other emotionless.
"Rebels I-"
"YOU SHUT IT! I'M NOT LISTENING TO YOU UNTIL I TALK WITH MY LITTLE BROTHER!" Gilbert all but screamed. Vlad turned to look at Ludwig who shook his head "That man's delusional, I've no idea of what he talks about" The mage clucked his tongue at Gilbert and motioned for one of the guards to put a gag back on him, Gilbert saw what he wanted to do and threw his head back once one of the guards were close enough "BITE ME YOU PIECES OF SHIT!" He growled. It took two to four men to put the gag back on seeing as Gilbert would constantly try to hit them or bite their fingers in the end he protested through muffled phrases. Vlad crossed his arms and sighed disapprovingly "We could go through this talk without much damage you know, do any of you have anything to say as well?"
Alfred nodded, purposely avoiding Arthur's gaze"Yeah where's my brother?!" Vlad raised an eyebrow at him until his eyes sparked in recognition, he sighed "Dear me I almost forgot. Bring in that summoner" The swordsman could have beat up everyone there once he saw what had happened to Matthew. The summoner was pulled in by one of the guards from behind the wagon, Matthew staggered and instantly fell to the ground, he tried to lift his head up weakly but struggled with the action all the same. He didn't look good honestly, Alfred could see the bags under his eyes and the way he moved just screamed out that something was wrong with him, he could even notice that his brother was struggling to stay awake as it is " .you.DONE?!" Alfred went to charge at Vlad but as expected he was almost immediately caught in a sea of weapons. He ground his teeth and scowled at Vlad and even spared Arthur some of it to which the mage looked away from.
Vlad calmly walked past him and stood right next to Matthew, he crouched down and lifted the summoner's face up to expect him. Surprisingly for Alfred, Matthew didn't jerk away or do anything "Stay away from him or I'll-!" A sword was pressed against his neck. Alfred looked at the sword and recognized it as his father's, Arthur shook his head at him "Don't" and said nothing more than that "Don't be so tense swordsman.." Vlad called out after he helped Matthew up on his feet "We aren't as heartless as you think we are, your brother here just needs a bit of rest, some food and water then he'll be right as rain. We'll even accommodate him in one of our guest rooms if that will put you at ease"
"I'm guessing I won't be able to see my brother then?" Alfred spat at Vlad but never looked away from Arthur "…Yes unfortunately, you three will have to wait until the royal advisor has a say on your fate, so until your brother is healthy you'll be separated for now" Ludwig spotted one of the guards up front waving them in, he nodded at the guard and dismissed him. The colonel turned to whisper something in Arthur's ear, the mage listened quietly and thanked Ludwig before waving him off to get back to his post. Gilbert let out a muffled shout and started to thrash against his binds when he realized that his brother was leaving, the guards let him struggle since there was no use trying to subdue him besides there was nowhere he could run "Vlad" Arthur sheathed Alfred's sword and ignored the mumbling that came from the swordsman "The royal advisor is calling for us now"
"About time he did" Vlad commented quietly and walked ahead with Matthew in tow "I'll be bringing the summoner to the guest rooms. You'll be taking care of the other three alright?" Arthur nodded briskly and sent Vlad on his way. He turned to the remaining three, looking them all in the eye, before walking ahead and letting the guards push them forward. They entered the palace and were greeted by a few servants and some attendants all lined up in a row. The palace was much more extravagant than how it's exterior led on, the walls were colored a soft yellow and it's many pillars were a polished marble, most of the designs were flower like and whimsical due to the queen's love of nature and of course the framed pictures of different fey like scenes came naturally since the king was a steadfast magicislist.
It was a shame really, the family was everything the kingdom ever hoped for yet the sudden disease that broke out among them hindered the good they could have done, it had to be kept secret lest there be any attempt on their lives as it had been for the previous family. By this time security had been doubled and everyone on high alert, they couldn't allow another family to fall, although it's quite hard having to juggle protecting them and subduing the rebels that somehow keep doubling in numbers, what was wrong with the world? "So artie" Alfred started casually despite the bite in his voice. Arthur craned his neck a bit for a sign of his attention then looked forward once more "What kind of game are you playing huh? Did you seriously wait for the time I actually put my full trust in you to stab us in the back? What was I in your little game?" Arthur sighed and walked a bit faster to put some distance between him and Alfred, he didn't want to answer those questions "Oh so you're silent now? Funny since you were pretty chatty before"
"Should we gag him sir?" One of the guards asked. Arthur waved his hand to show there was no need, Alfred's words weren't a threat. The swordsman took it as an insult but bit his tongue, he may be dense sometimes but right now they were in a serious situation and it wouldn't be hero like of him if he put his friends in an even more dangerous one "You know Arthur, the other funny thing is that I actually genuinely liked you, I was sure we'd be close by the time I get you to open up. I know Mattie and the guys never liked you but I did. And you know what else…?" The mage didn't want to hear it anymore, every word was a stab at his heart, he knew how much trust Alfred put in him from the moment he was captured, the swordsman tried so hard to climb over his defenses just to see him as not a mage but a person "I should be hating you right now, I know Gilbert and Yao do" The albino let out a grunt and rolled his eyes, Yao doing the same "But I don't Artie, I don't know why, I just don't"
"That's enough Jones" Arthur has had enough of his conflicting thoughts and emotions. His only concern was the kingdom and that alone, or at least that's what he's trying to convince himself at the moment to stay strong. The group had confused him, put him in danger, despised him and yet….
Stupid rare soul
"First and foremost you forgot that I'm a royal mage, the kingdom is my lifeline and I would do anything for it. I would never turn my back on it" 'Even if it means betraying you' The mage loved his homeland more than anything, he loved it's people and his richness in nature. It gave him a life when he had nearly lost his own, he would do anything to see it prosper and live on until the end of days, it was his whole reason for joining the ranks of the royal mages. But it wasn't in his nature to turn a blind eye to the people outside his beloved homeland, after all they were what the kingdom was supposed to be protecting and nurturing as a mother would her children. It was hard to be in his situation when he had to choose between one thing he loved and another he protected "Why don't you just marry the kingdom then Arthur?" Alfred muttered but it wasn't so quietly done.
Arthur ignored him and stopped in front of two towering mahogany doors, it was quiet which always had disturbed him since the megaron was always noisy with the quiet rustling of a small crowd, before it held the ambassadors and guests from visiting duchies seeking audience with the king and queen, now it was nothing but a tomb which was somewhat appropriate seeing as the family was now close to being terminally ill. Many feared for them, if an assassination wouldn't be their end this ailment of theirs will be, some were most likely paying close attention to the family's end- the rest of the parliament perhaps- to seize the throne when they've passed.
The mage turned to face the captives, he regarded them individually "Now, I expect you be on your best behavior, I'll be going ahead to discuss matters with the advisor. Don't try anything, we have guards stationed at every corner and Ludwig will be monitoring from the outside and your action won't be without consequence" The mage shot them stern looks before entering the silent room behind him. Arthur shut the door and let out a breath he didn't know he was holding, he hands shook as he let them fall to his sides, what was he to do?
"Greetings comrade" A cheery voice behind him said. Arthur half smiled and faced the royal advisor standing next to the king's throne like he always did "Hello Ivan" The advisor smiled a hollow smile and stepped down from his place near the throne to stand in front of the mage. Arthur was still surprised at how tall Ivan was, it was as if the Russian man never stopped growing, and if he could remember correctly Ivan wasn't this tall when they met before "You are giving me creeps comrade, what is so wrong with me that makes you stare?" Arthur blushed in embarrassment and shook his head "Er no I'm sorry for staring Ivan, it's just that you've…changed somehow" Ivan tiredly nodded and ushered for him to sit with him on the ambassadors' chairs. The two old friends sat in comfortable silence for a while until Ivan spoke up again "I am tired…this advisor duties are taxing, not like when I was captain of guards, simple that time"
"Ah, yes those were good times. When things weren't so confusing and all I had to do was follow orders" Ivan raised an eyebrow at Arthur, he clasped his hands together and started "Arthur, sometimes you have to have courage to disobey. People are always finding obeying to be easy, too easy that it's scary" The mage looked at the advisor like he had grown a second head, what was he trying to say? Ivan saw the mage's confused look and smiled sadly "Have courage to disobey" Was the only thing he said before he completely changed the subject "I hear you have caught the rebels Arthur, good job, but I see you are hesitating. Is there problem?" It was clear that Ivan's heavy accent wouldn't go away, lots of people have had a hard time understanding him but some others like Arthur were used to it by now.
"Is it that obvious? I just…I don't know what to think anymore Ivan, that's all….The past few day's I've been with the rebels had shown me a lot of things that I didn't see from within the kingdom but I really…I don't just..I just don't know if what I always believed in is the same as what my moral code goes by" Ivan listened carefully and sucked in a deep breath, he stood up and towered over Arthur who still sat on the chair "Arthur, it is hard yes, but your loyalty to the kingdom comes first. The rebels confuse you nyet? They're very tricky and are unpredictable, you should not fall for their lies" The mage pursed his lips and sighed, shaking his head "What will we do about them then?"
"It's not for you to decide Arthur" Ivan helped him up from his seat and squeezed his hand firmly "You are in delicate state my friend, you must clear head first, you need time. I will be the one to judge their fate, you must steer clear of them so that you'll be able to think straight again yes?" Arthur didn't like the fact that Ivan was talking to him like a child, and what was this about having no say on the rebels' fate? He was the one who got to them first after all, Arthur was sure that he would at least know what would happen to these people. Knowing nothing about what will happen to them in the next few days made him uneasy "Do not be worrying comrade, it will be as if you never ran into them, now go. I will be thinking now" Ivan dismissed him and sent him back to the door, Arthur wanted to stay and talk a bit more concerning the rebels but from the tone of Ivan's voice his decision was final "Tell the guards to throw them in the dungeon first, we shall see what becomes of them"
The mage's hand stopped short from the door handle "Yes your grace" He responded and left Ivan alone in the tomb like room. When Arthur stepped out he wasn't surprised to see the guards he was with before being carried off to get first aid and the rebels held down by five other guards from the outside "Guards" Said people paid the mage attention whilst holding down the struggling group "Take them to the dungeon, the advisor's orders…" He stopped "Except for that one, he will be appointed as my new attendant" He was talking about Alfred. The swordsman stopped struggling and looked at Arthur in confusion, Arthur shook his head at him and motioned for him to hold his tongue. Gilbert and Yao looked at each other then at the swordsman "Alfred…" Yao whispered, uncertainty laced in his voice. Alfred shrugged at him and mouthed 'I don't know either'
"Well? Why are you fools standing here still? Take the other two to the dungeon and leave me to have a talk with my attendant" The guards excused themselves and took the unusually silent captives to their destination. Alfred was freed from his restraints and was left in the hallway with Arthur "Artie what are you-?"
"From now on you will address me with sir or my liege" Arthur interrupted him with a finger held up "You will show respect and follow me to where ever I go, when I call you will come and not a second later, speak when spoken to and lastly do not attempt anything funny is that clear Jones?" Alfred looked at his disbelievingly, expecting that he was just joking, but from the looks of it the mage was serious. He grimaced "Yes" Arthur raised an eyebrow, Alfred inwardly rolled his eyes "…sir" He added albeit forcefully "That wasn't so hard was it? Come, we'll have more things to discuss in my chambers" Alfred reluctantly followed the mage through the palace, surprisingly they were headed in the same direction Gilbert and Yao went, it fell short when Arthur turned a corner and went down some stairs.
They finally stopped in a place far too secluded for Alfred's liking, there was only a single room with in the hallway, he assumed it was Arthur's. Unlike the other rooms they passed before there were no guards, no attendants or servants patiently waiting outside, the swordsman wondered if Arthur ever actually had any of those people, maybe it was why those guards looked at him funny when he said Alfred was to be his attendant. Arthur stood by the doorway and crossed his arms, looking at Alfred in front of him "Well?" Alfred looked around then back at Arthur "Um..what?" Arthur rolled his eyes and motioned to the door "Are you going to open it or what? Honestly, you're the slowest attendant I've ever seen"
Alfred laughed a bit "You're kidding right?"
"Do I look like I kid?" Alfred frowned and waved his hand at the door then at Arthur "Dude! Your hand is closer to the knob! That's like a five inch reach for you!" The mage glared at Alfred "First day on the job and you're already showing disrespect eh?" Something in Arthur's voice gave a warning which caused Alfred to open the door for him a few seconds later despite his annoyance with the mage. What surprised him was that when he opened the door they were greeted with another room and another door. Alfred gaped at it and turned to look at Arthur "It's my antechamber you dolt, don't look so surprised every palace mage has a room behind a room behind a room. And yes that hallway was the first room, I use it for practice" Alfred decided that from now on he should expect that Arthur's lifestyle might be surprising. So after opening the second door they were in Arthur's bedchamber, Alfred half expected it to be prissy like everything else in the palace but it was actually a lot more simple, there was only a singular bed, a bookshelf, some desks and a few furniture pushed up against the walls. There were a few staves and swords displayed around the room but they seemed to be horribly ignored by their owner.
"Alfred you're drooling" The swordsman tore his gaze away from one of the swords he was looking at to turn his attention towards Arthur "Oh sorry dude- I mean sir- but wow you have good swords here" Arthur shrugged and sat down on an upholstered bench nearby "They're customary, when I joined my ranks I had been given those to assist me during my duties, I've had little use for them though" Alfred's eyes traveled down to his sword which was still in Arthur's possession, the mage followed his gaze and waved his finger from side to side "I don't think so Jones, you won't be getting this back any time soon" Alfred glared at him and crossed his arms "It's my dad's sword, you technically stole it. And what's this about being your attendant Artie? That was a super weird move"
"I don't know why I did it either Jones, I suppose I wanted to talk without any eyes watching" Alfred sat on the floor, arms still crossed "I'm listening" Arthur sighed and leaned forward, he clasped his hands together much like when Ivan was about to talk serious with him "I'll be honest, I'm having trouble with your capture" This sparked Alfred's attention, he listened closely "But I also can't have you run around causing trouble for the kingdom either as I'm sure if I did you'll only start rebelling again" Alfred scoffed "Ya think?"
"I'm just saying..why not stop? We wouldn't bother you and you won't bother us, you'll be free and you won't have to worry about fighting anymore" Alfred looked as though Arthur just insulted him, he sat up straight and shook his head "For your information Artie, your precious kingdom still has a few capitals under their thumb and the people don't appreciate it. Avia for example, you guys are using that place for weapons testing, and already there were casualties on the people's side, what the hell do you guys think you're doing?" Arthur bit his lip, Avia of course "I know about that but the scientists and soldiers are already secluding themselves in one part of Avia to avoid that"
"By doing what? Kicking out some of the townspeople from their homes to make their 'secluded experimentation site'?" 'To achieve something we have to abandon part of another' Vlad's words rang out in Arthur's mind, the mage didn't like that part of the operation but it was for the greater good, of course he wouldn't say that in front of Alfred since the swordsman would most likely retaliate "Artie can't you see? The people of our country are suffering at the hands of the kingdom, Avia was only one of the first to be oppressed, have you seen the state of Lehr? I don't think we can consider that place a capital anymore, it's close to a walled prison now"
"Lehr? What's happened to it?" Now this Arthur didn't know about. The last time he's seen Lehr the capital was thriving and the kingdom had been supplying it with resources to show their mutual trust with the capital, and a wall? Lehr was an open capital what was a wall doing there? Alfred tilted his head to the side in confusion, he didn't know that Arthur had no idea about the state of the once fair land. He started to explain "A month ago an army of royal mages and soldiers raided Lehr, they enslaved the people and forced them into labor, the women and children were evacuated and the men stayed. Soon this wall was built around it and lately there's been reports of strange things happening in there, we're not sure what but it's been heavily guarded. We've been trying to get in there for weeks now but as I told you, no luck" Arthur's blood froze. Lehr was his motherland
It must have shone on his face because Alfred crawled closer and looked at him with concern "Artie? You look pale" Arthur gripped the sides of his seats until his knuckles turned white, he abruptly stood up and marched towards the door, Alfred stood to follow him "No, stay. I'm going to talk to Vlad, he'll question why you're here, Ivan doesn't know what you look like or that you're with the rebels but Vlad does, stay here and don't answer the door until I come back" Alfred nodded and watched him go, it looks like he struck something but he wasn't sure if it was good or bad.
Arthur marched through the halls and looked around for any signs of his fellow mage, he asked some of the servants and even found Vlad's attendant scampering through the halls with a tray of food, he asked him where the Romanian man was "Oh, my lord is attending to one of the rebels right now, if you'd like I'll send him a message sir?" Arthur politely declined and told the attendant that he'll be accompanying him to see Vlad instead. Once they reached the guest rooms Arthur reminded himself to be polite and knocked on the door "Come in Ronald" Vlad called, referring to his attendant. Arthur asked Ronald to stay outside for a while so that he could talk with Vlad. Ronald hesitated before letting the other mage in.
"What took you so long boy? I expected you to-" Vlad stopped short and almost jumped in surprise when Arthur walked in, he placed a hand over his heart as if stabbed "My goodness Arthur, you could have announced your presence earlier, what have you done to my attendant?" Vlad smiled welcomingly and waited for the usual quip Arthur would come up with but it never came, instead it was something he didn't expect to hear "What's this about Lehr Vlad? What has happened to my motherland?" The mage's smile quickly faded into a hostile look, he turned away from Arthur and returned to tending to an unconscious Matthew on the bed "Arthur where did you hear that?" The mage glared at his friend's back, so it was right that he went to confront Vlad first "So you knew? You knew that something happened to Lehr? Vlad out with it! What's been going on since I've been assigned to the dragon's keep?!" Vlad slammed a hand down on the table closest to him, Arthur jumped and stared a the hand "I don't know where you heard this Arthur but I think you should drop it" Arthur clenched his fists and planted himself in his position "I'm not leaving until you tell me what's going on Vlad! My family was in Lehr! What did you do them?!" The aura Vlad was giving out was choking him, in all honesty he always was afraid that one day he'd be overwhelmed by the other mage's power, truth be told he was sure Vlad was on a whole other level. Right now it took all his strength not the quiver and fall to the ground, he legs felt so weak.
Vlad turned around so suddenly that Arthur didn't realize that the other mage was pulling him up by his shirt, Arthur gripped on to Vlad's hands to keep him from choking him "You've never heard of what happened in Lehr, you'll go on with your life and have nothing to worry about but the kingdom. This matter is of no concern to you am…I…CLEAR?!" Vlad threw the mage to the wall with such strength that it was shocking, ornaments fell and crashed to the floor. Arthur gasped painfully when his back hit the wall, he slid down and stared at Vlad with hurt and shock, his breathing went haywire and he had to place his hand over his chest to try and calm himself down, still staring wide eyed at Vlad "Leave Arthur. We never spoke of this" It was as firm as a command. Arthur shakily stood up, gaze still on Vlad even as the mage turned away from him "Yes..forgive me…" He ran out of the room and didn't even bother to excuse himself or apologize to Ronald for bumping into him as he ran out.
By the time he reached the hallway/room to his bedchambers Arthur collapsed to the ground and held his head. Why was everything not making sense to him anymore? He shook and let himself cry for the first in such a long time. He didn't care who saw him, he was frustrated, angry, confused and overwhelmed, it was too much. What was he going to do now? His own legs walked on their own accord and he stumbled into his room "Artie?" Alfred looked up from inspecting the swords around Arthur's room, he was about to apologize for touching his things but seeing the tear stains on the mage's face made him stop "W-what's wrong? Why are you crying?" Alfred gripped the sides of Arthur's arms and inspected him for any injures, he caught the blood seeping out from Arthur's head and his expression turned dark "Who did this?" He made the mage sit down on the bed while he took out the emergency kit he found stored under his desk.
The swordsman ran around the room until he had all he needed "Hold still Artie, I'll clean the wound" Alfred dipped a clean cloth into a basin full of water, he squeezed out the extra water and started to dab around the wound on Arthur's head, thankfully it wasn't a deep cut but it might be prone to infection "..I..ymore.." Arthur mumbled. The swordsman paused a bit to glance at him "What was that?" Arthur threw his hands up and covered his face, mildly shocking the swordsman "NOTHING'S MAKING SENSE! I DON'T-! WHY DID I HAVE TO MEET YOU AND YOUR STUPID GROUP?! WHY DID YOU MAKE ME LEARN THINGS I WAS BETTER OFF NOT KNOWING?! WHY?!" Arthur sobbed miserably, and screamed into his hands. Alfred frowned and set aside the wet and red marked cloth. He knelt down to Arthur's level, prying the mage's hands away from his face, Arthur made no move to hide from the swordsman, he continued to cry out his frustrations on Alfred's shoulder and the swordsman offered him comfort in return. Alfred could guess what had happened and he knew he had a part in it "Artie..I know it's hard but it's happening, we can't wish for it to go away…" Arthur gripped on to his shirt and shuddered, he gently pushed Alfred away "I…I need to think…will you wait in the antechamber please?" Alfred nodded solemnly and left the mage alone, he quietly shut the door behind him and sat on the floor in the antechamber.
A few hours passed and the swordsman was already nodding off, he was only snapped awake when the antechamber's doors opened to reveal a stoic Arthur on the other side. Alfred stood up and noticed that the mage had changed into different clothing, along with a new cloak much different from the green one he wore before, this one was black and it bore the kingdom's coat of arms- a lion being pierced by the blade of a phoenix- and this one had sigils stitched all over it on the inside. Arthur adjusted the hold on his satchel and walked into the antechamber with the most graceful strides the swordsman has ever seen. He stopped in front of him and pulled him over to the exit door "We're leaving Alfred" He said. Alfred had a hard time comprehending what just happened but he picked up his pace to match Arthur's "Where?" He asked, still a bit drowsy.
"Out of the kingdom" Arthur said simply while maneuvering them through hallways where there weren't much guards. Alfred's eyes lit up and he shook off his sleep "Are you saying that you'll help us?" Arthur glanced at him and turned a corner, Alfred skidded to a halt and turned as well "My answer to that question is undecided, I will still be loyal to the kingdom when she calls but right now I'll be acting on my own accord, that is until I've done what I must" Alfred's grin threatened to split his face open, in his excitement he nearly knocked a vase over to which Arthur reprimanded him for "Sorry but this is just so awesome dude! I can't believe it! You're actually gonna help!"
"Shh! Not so loud you git! We aren't safe while we're here within the kingdom's walls. Now listen carefully, you have to get to Gilbert and Yao while I take care of your brother, the dungeons are west of here, tell the guards I was ordered by Ivan to take them to Retus for execution. We'll meet up here and exit through the palace's tunnels, I'll arrange for a prison wagon outside, do you understand?" Alfred smirked "Hell yeah! Prison break!" Arthur smacked him on the back of the head for being too loud and comparing the kingdom to a lowly prison.
The two separated and went their own ways to accomplish their mission. The mage reached Matthew's room and went in without asking for permission. He found Matthew sitting up on the bed with a piece of bread and what looked like tea, he scowled at the mage "Oh it's you" He spat. Arthur ignored the venom in his voice and urged him to stand up "Come on we're leaving" Matthew pulled his hand back "Execution? No thanks" The mage rolled his eyes "No you daft git! We're escaping! Let's just say I've had a bit of a revelation" Matthew's eyebrows furrowed together in confusion, this was enough for Arthur to make him stand up and usher him out the door "We have to hurry though, Alfred's going to get your two other friends and we'll meet up later. Go to the third hallway from this one, I need to make sure that the idiot didn't mess up the plan" Matthew turned to look at him, suspicion still on his face "How do I know I can trust you?" The mage smiled and shrugged at him "You don't" He turned to the hallway leading to the dungeon, leaving Matthew to go to the meeting place alone.
Arthur stopped short and turned a different direction once he was sure Matthew didn't follow him to Vlad's room, he knocked on the door and waited for the other mage's reply "Come in" He inhaled sharply and opened the door. Vlad looked up and gave Arthur an apologetic look "Arthur I…" He started as he stood up from his chair "About earlier, I'm sorry..really I am, I acted out of hand…" Time to put his acting skills into use. Arthur shook his head frantically and rushed in "Vlad! Something terrible has happened! The rebels are escaping!" Vlad bolted to his side "What?! How could this have happened?!" Arthur shook his head and combed a hand through his hair as if panicking "I don't know! I went down to check on them and I found the guards unconscious and the cells empty! Vlad we have to warn the kingdom! They're too dangerous! " The mage nodded and went to leave, but before he did he patted Arthur on the back "Good to see you thinking clearly again" Then he left.
Arthur watched him leave before going himself, he exited the palace.
Alfred ran through the hallways with Yao and Gilbert in tow, he looked around frantically "Are you sure you know where you're going aru?" The doctor deadpanned for the second time. Alfred shot him a look "This place is like a labyrinth okay?! YOU try remembering all the right hallways!" Gilbert shook his head in disappointment before speaking "Hey are you sure the worm's good? Cause I don't like trusting unawesome people" Alfred finally chose a hallway, hoping it was the right one, and ran through it with the other two "Arthur's okay guys! Really! He's the one who thought of this too" Yao and Gilbert looked at each other with concern. Alfred's trust was somewhat questionable right now, but they were in too deep already, they were going to have to go in blind "Mattie!" Alfred shouted once he spotted his brother in the hallway, Matthew waved them over before Alfred crushed him in a hug "Oh my god! I was so worried! Are you hurt?! What did they do?! Where's Arthur?!"
Matthew laughed and pushed his brother off "Calm down Alfred, don't start mother henning me, I'm fine. I'm not sure about Arthur though, I thought he said he was going to check on you?" Alfred's eyebrows furrowed "Huh? But he said we were going to meet immediately?" Yao had a bad feeling about this, he tugged on Alfred's sleeve "Everyone, I think we should leave…NOW!" Alfred was about to shake off Yao's frantic suggestion until a whole group of guards came flooding in from every hallway and surrounded them with weapons. Matthew scowled "Arthur.." Alfred shook his head "No way! Arthur wouldn't do this now!" Vlad stepped out from behind the soldiers with a less than amused look on his face "On the contrary, Arthur warned us about you lot escaping. A good thing too, looks like we were able to stop you"
Alfred's heart dropped, no no no this can't be happening "Looks like you're more trouble than you really are, I've spoken with Ivan. You're all being sent to Retus. GUARDS! RESTRAIN THEM!" The group was once again bounded and gagged, Alfred out of all of them feeling the most betrayed.
The prison wagon was the same one they came on, though they weren't so happy to be on it once more. Alfred hung his head and refused to look up at anyone, for the whole ride out of the kingdom he had been despondent. Yao, Matthew and Gilbert frowned at each other, they knew this would happen one day, Alfred's personality was a magnet for these things, they had always hoped it wouldn't happen, it was even worse when his trust was placed upon a royal mage. Matthew scooted as close as he could to his brother "Ahphem…" He tried to call him. Alfred's head lifted up ever so slightly to meet Matthew's eyes, Matthew sighed at him and nodded towards Gilbert and Yao, Alfred looked up at them and saw that they were also smiling sadly. A silent message was sent 'We had a good one' Alfred smiled as best as he could, perhaps if this was really it for them they would at least still be together.
"WHOA!" The guardsmen around them started to panic. The group looked up and tried to see what was happening but the wagon could only let them see so much "IGNIS!" Came a shout from up front. Alfred's head perked up at the sound of the voice, as expected there was an explosion of fire and the soldiers were forced to retreat, he knew that spell- though on a smaller level- this one was powerful and much more majestic than the one he remembered "RETREAT! RETREAT!" The soldiers fell back, running as fast as their legs could carry them. Once out of sight a black cloaked figure opened up the prison wagon's doors and freed the group of their bindings. Alfred grinned "You son of a gun, you scared us"
Arthur smiled from under his hood "You would have ruined my first plan anyway"
((A/N: This was part of the 8th chapter originally but I lost it during the blackout so I had to try and re-write everything))