Chapter 14
Accusation
TW for the first scene! - SA content
It was dark in Arthur's bedroom with a single lamp shining by his bedside while his eyes flattered close and open again. He had no idea how late it was but the book he read occupied his mind and he couldn't put it down, he had to know what's going to happen next. Suddenly a loud noise startled him in his bed and he looked around in confusion. It was silent again and he thought he's already imagining things and laid the book down.
The door to his bedroom opened and all of his senses perked up. "Who's there?" he called out. No one should be here at this time of the night, not even his servant Leo.
No one spoke and Arthur tensed, his body on high alert and his eyes staring at the door. A figure looked through the door and both stared at each other. Arthur couldn't see the face of the intruder under their mask and didn't dare to move until the intruder leaped forwards at Arthur.
The Prince's body reacted on its own and he jumped from the bed. He ran into his study, thinking he could flee from there to his living room and outside but the intruder was faster and grabbed him by his shoulder. Arthur turned around to get out of the grip but the intruder pushed him hard against the office desk. They pressed their arm against Arthur's neck, suffocating him. With the other hand they tried to take off Arthur's pants and pressed themselves between his legs.
Arthur tried to push the arm off of him but the attacker was stronger than him and Arthur squirmed around trying to get out of the grip and the attackers intention. He stretched his hand out to grab anything on his table and grasped his scissors that he left there. He took the momentum and stabbed the intruder in the hand.
The intruder cried out and let go of Arthur's neck. Arthur immediately grabbed a vase behind him and hit the attacker's face with it, making them stumble backwards.
Arthur ran as long as the intruder was distracted for the moment. He ran out of his room and into the corridor but there were no guards. He ran along the corridor yelling for them until some guards who were not his came to him and took him into safety.
They inspected the living quarters and the corridor but the attacker was gone.
-
"The guards have looked through the castle and no one had seen anyone coming in or out," Yao said as he walked up and down his own office after coming back from a conversation with the Ace.
Arthur sat on a sofa facing the door, tired of the night. He didn't sleep that night in fear of the attacker still hiding somewhere, and thus he spent the night with Yao in his office, keeping him from sleeping as well.
"Where were my guards?" Arthur asked.
"They thought getting a snack during their shift would be a good idea."
"Fire them."
"I already did that." He sat down on the opposite standing sofa facing Arthur. "They might have done that for quite some time and someone knew."
Arthur was silent and thought that someone had watched them to attack him like that. Someone had planned this and knew about the guards, this couldn't be anyone from the outside.
"We think the attacker might be from the cult that Wright had found lately and who escaped," Yao said.
"No. It was someone else." Arthur shook his head.
A guard knocked and came into the room. "We've looked through all the rooms and the candidates rooms and found the culprit. It's Alan Taylor."
-
Alfred sat in his room on the sofa with the Ace, two guards and Wright around him. The Ace, a tall blond alpha with a fierce look in his eyes, sat in front of him, holding a black cloak and a mask which he'd found in his room beneath his clothes.
"These are not mine," Alfred said, looking straight into his eyes while his hands were clenched in a fist.
"What's it doing here then?" the Ace asked.
"I don't know." Alfred glared at Wright who stood beside the Ace. "Someone put it in here."
"This boy was always suspicious to me. You should put him into jail."
"I need the Prince to identify this cloak," the Ace said and stood up.
"There's no need for it. It's the same as the Prince has described it," Wright told him and crossed his arms. "You should arrest him."
"Don't tell me how to do my work Mr. Wright. For now, Mr. Taylor is under arrest in his room until the Prince speaks on it," he said and they walked out. The Ace didn't notice the smug smile Lewis Wright gave Alfred.
Alfred wanted to punch that smile off his face and tear his eyes apart for hurting Arthur. That man was sick in his head and Alfred wanted to kill him for trying to hurt Arthur and take his dignity only to blame Alfred for it to punish him. But if he'll do that he'll definitely be arrested. And if he's arrested he'll never see Arthur or his family again but there's no way he could let that man go away with a crime like that.
Alfred had to talk to Arthur somehow, he needed to know he was alright and let him know the truth, that it wasn't him, that he would never do that. He tried to talk to the guards to let him talk to Arthur but they didn't let him. He asked for a visitor instead but they allowed only one person to visit him for the whole duration and Alfred wanted them to call for Matthew Williams.
He waited for a couple of hours until the door opened and Matthew walked in confused. "Alan, why did you ca-"
Alfred ran up to him and grabbed his shoulders. "I need your clothes!"
"Huh?"
"I need to talk to the Prince but they won't let me, please, switch clothes with me," Alfred whispered to him, wanting his blue military clothes.
"I can't do that," he said, shocked.
"Please. I need to tell Prince Arthur that I'm not guilty."
"I can get in trouble," he whispered back.
"I'll be careful, I promise." Alfred looked at him with a pleading look and Matthew sighed.
"I hope I won't regret this."
Alfred patted him on his shoulder. "You won't"
-
Alfred went out of his room and passed the guards, telling them he'll be back soon. He just needed to fetch something for the prisoner and they believed him. He wanted to go to Arthur's room but he stopped when a vision flashed before his eyes of him and Arthur in the garden under the tree. And so, he sneaked into the garden and he was right. Arthur sat under the tree with a book all alone in the dark garden surrounded by lamp posts.
"Good evening, Your Highness."
Arthur looked up and his eyes widened. "What are you doing here? You're not allowed to be outside your room."
"I know and please don't be scared, I'm not here to hurt you." He came closer to Arthur who laid his book down. "I would never do that. Someone has put those clothes in my room and framed me. But no one believes me and I need you to know that I would never try to hurt you like this or in any different way."
"Show me your hands," Arthur said and stood up.
Alfred presented his hands and Arthur took them, but only inspected his right palm and the back of the hand. "I believe you," Arthur said and Alfred's eyes widened.
"Really?"
"It gives me proof to my theory. I've been thinking who'd do this to me but then I thought who'd do that to you." Arthur let go of his hands. "There is only one man I know who'd do dirty things to break people and their image. Lewis Wright."
Alfred was surprised by his conclusion but also more surprised that Arthur knew Wright did things like this which made him wonder. "Why would you think that?"
"I think he got mad or too excited when you yelled at him during the conference." Arthur crossed his arms and huffed. "It wouldn't be his first time to do anything like that."
"What do you mean not the first time? Did he hurt you before? Does the King know about that?" Alfred asked with wide eyes.
Arthur shook his head and placed his hand on Alfred's arm to comfort the troubled alpha. "Don't worry about that, nothing of that sort has happened to me. And no, the King knows nothing, she thinks he's a saint."
"He can't get away with that," Alfred said and placed his hand on top of Arthur's.
"Sadly, he can. She'd never believe he's done anything bad without proof and I don't have any proof. But I won't let him win," Arthur said and squeezed his arm. "Leave it to me, I'll make sure you won't get arrested. I can't let you rot in prison for nothing."
If Arthur only knew that Alfred had all the reasons to rot in prison, he probably wouldn't have said that. He just hoped whatever would happen, Arthur wouldn't find out the truth about him. "Thank you, my Prince but what about you? You got attacked, I hope you're not hurt?"
"I'm fine, Alan. It was scary of course but I got away." He pulled his hand away and looked down at the ground. "I'll put Wright back to his place for what he did."
Alfred nodded. "Good. If you need help, I'm right here."
Arthur let a small smile grace his lips and his eyes shifted to the blue uniform which Alfred wore. "The Spadian Uniform suits you but I doubt it's yours."
"I got it from Matthew." Alfred chuckled.
"Ah, your doppelganger," Arthur noted and smiled. He brushed over the suit and the two different blue tones with the golden buttons, feeling Alfred's chest underneath it. "You should probably give it back to him."
"Of course," he said, getting excited over the touch.
Alfred took Arthur's hand and kissed it to say his farewell to him. He hoped whatever the situation was with Wright would end soon but on the inside he knew, it won't be so easy.
-
3 years ago
"Excuse me! You can't do this!" Arthur yelled at his mother in her office.
"I can do it very well! You refuse to talk to the alphas I've been giving you and you refuse to go on any dates with them. I gave you a choice but you won't take it, so I'll arrange a marriage for you instead." She sat behind her desk and gritted her teeth.
"But Wright, really? You want to marry me off to Wright!?" Arthur sat on the edge of the chair in frustration.
"He'd be the perfect successor to the throne and I trust him."
"He's old."
"That doesn't matter. I need a good King and an heir," she said and Arthur grimaced in disgust at the thought of having an heir with Wright. "I say you're going to marry Wright and that's it."
Arthur was outraged, he didn't want this, he didn't want to marry this disgusting old alpha. He needed a plan and the only thing that came to his mind was Francis. Arthur had to swallow his pride to write Francis a letter. They just had a fight once again and he didn't want him to think he's coming back crawling. Sadly, Arthur had no other choice than to ask his mate for help. He wrote two same letters just in case and sent them away, hoping he would get them and reply quickly.
He waited a couple of days and just as he thought, one of those letters didn't get far when Wright came up to him in the corridor with one of the letters he'd sent away.
"Why did you try to contact your past lover, Your Highness?" he asked.
"I can contact whoever I want." Arthur wanted to walk past him but Wright grabbed him by his wrist.
Arthur told him to let him go and pulled but Wright didn't let go. He pushed him against the wall and took his face. "When we're married, I can touch you whenever and wherever I want. You should get used to it."
Arthur grimaced in disgust at the closeness and tried to shake his head off his grip but it only rubbed against the wall in pain.
"Your mother organized an interview with the radio for you to announce our engagement. The people in the town are curious about the rumors of the Prince looking for a mate. They'd be happy to know he found someone." He let go of his face and traveled with his hand along Arthur's cheek. "Don't try to get into contact with your past lover. He won't be there for you and he won't be able to help you."
They might fight a lot but he's sure Francis won't let him down in a situation like this. He would rather marry the King of Diamonds than Lewis Wright.
"You don't matter anything to him," Wright said but Arthur didn't believe him.
He waited for two more days and the radio interview came closer and closer until he decided to call him. He never called over the telephone in case anyone would listen to them but he had no time left. Francis' assistant picked up the phone and explained that the King received the letter but was too busy to write back. Arthur wanted to speak with Francis personally but they told him that Francis doesn't wish to speak to him and that his matter doesn't concern him.
Arthur trembled and his heart hurt in his chest even more than all the other times when Francis broke it. He really didn't care.
Arthur felt lost and close to tears. No one there to stop his mother from marrying him off to an old disgusting man. He didn't want to give up that easy, he couldn't. He needed to save himself in a different way.
When the day of the radio interview came, Wright sat beside him in the room with the radio host, looking proud for being announced as the next King.
"We've heard rumors about you looking for a new King, is that correct Your Highness?" The host asked rather energetically and in a good mood.
"It is." Arthur could not reciprocate the mood towards the host when he spoke into the microphone.
"That's amazing! Who's the lucky alpha if I might ask?"
For the past hours, Arthur had been making out a plan. Even if his mother would hate him more than she already did, he saw no other option for himself. "There's no alpha yet. I'm still looking and here too announce that I'm doing a Royal Selection to find them."
The host was surprised and amazed, asking Arthur more questions about the Selection. He was in disbelief to have another Selection in such a short amount of time after his brother. Scott had one but his chosen mate never had a coronation and neither did they marry and thus, she couldn't be the next one on the throne. Wright's smile dropped and Arthur tried his best to ignore his mad gaze.
His mother was furious with him and wanted him to take it back but according to Yao, if a Selection was announced, the Selection began on that day.
Arthur was satisfied with himself and his decision although he feared to have a Selection. He'd seen the things that went on in his brother's Selection and hoped he could find a good alpha and get it over quickly. There was someone on his mind, an alpha who already tried to court him and he hoped he'd be there. But after a few days he read something awful about himself in the newspaper that would make things more complicated.
In an article of Ms. Belle, she wrote that Arthur was mated to the King of Diamonds and had a secret love child. Arthur got furious and wanted to know where she got that blasphemy from. Sure the mating was true but not the love child, and the only one who knew about this was his mother and some other members of the parliament. Their relationship was a secret to the public.
But Arthur didn't need to look far to understand that it was Wright who ruined his reputation, only because he didn't want to marry him.
The King was furious about the rumors and glared at Arthur in her office. "No one will participate in the Selection now!"
"You don't know that," Arthur said.
"I know that no one wants an omega who whores around."
"I don't whore around." Arthur gritted his teeth.
"The rumors say you do because King Francis left for suspecting infidelity and that the child is not his."
"There's no child!"
"It doesn't matter! The only alphas who'd be willing to come to the Selection would be here to get the throne under their hands and fuck you because you're so easy to have!" She breathed out angrily and Arthur sat there wanting to cry. "That's the worst decision you have ever made."
His reputation was gone. His mate was gone. It felt like everyone was against him.
Sometimes Arthur wished he'd died that day instead of his brother.
-
Present Day
"I think Wright is trying to frame Alan and I need your help," Arthur said to Yao in his office.
Yao collected some papers on his desk and frowned with his forehead. "Why do you think that?"
"I've hurt the attacker and they should have a wound on their hand and their face," Arthur explained.
"Why do you need my help? You could ask the Ace."
"I have but he said I have not hurt the attacker hard enough. That little bastard."
"You shouldn't lose your temper. He's only doing his job."
"A bad one." Arthur sighed. There was so little he could do to help Alan but he'd try his best. "Could you please check the hands of the parliament members?"
Yao hesitated but nodded and Arthur thanked him for his help.
In the meantime Arthur would avoid the Ace who followed him around and tried to get his approval on the cloak and the mask. It frustrated the Ace but also the Prince who didn't want to speak on it just yet. He needed more time but at some point the Ace gave Arthur no way to escape and he had to confess that this cloak and mask was the attacker's.
Arthur immediately went to Yao and catched him up in the corridor.
"Do you have anything? They'll put Alan into jail."
"None of them have any wounds on the hand or the face," Yao explained.
"That's not enough." Arthur had to think of something else. He had followed Wright around but he didn't find anything useful for himself.
"Maybe you were wrong and the attacker was from the outside."
"I highly doubt it," Arthur said and turned around running into Julia who came around the corner.
"Oh, I apologize, Your Highness. I wanted to console you for the things that had happened," she said sweetly.
"Thank you but I'm in a hurry." Arthur wanted to walk past her when she spoke again.
"I've heard you talking about a wound on a face."
Arthur stopped and turned back to her, curious what she had to say about it.
"I've noticed a candidate wearing his hair very strangely in front of his face, almost as if he is trying to hide a pimple or maybe a wound." She raised her eyebrows expecting Arthur to understand where she was going with that and he did, he did very well. "You should talk to him."
Arthur nodded and knew a good time to do that. Dinner would start very soon and there was no better option than to reveal a criminal in public. Arthur wanted to know more and they went together to dinner.
When everyone was seated at dinner, he stood up and walked over to the alpha, Ian Femish, which Julia had talked about. His hair was long and placed weirdly over the side of his face, just like Julia described. He had the number 8 on his neck and Arthur wondered what could have driven him to do this, what did Wright promise him?
The other 20 alphas curiously watched him walk over to their competitor and the guards followed their Prince with their eyes as well.
"Show me your face, and your hands," Arthur demanded calmly.
"Uh, my hands?"
Arthur nodded and he hesitantly moved backwards with his chair, presenting his hands.
"Without gloves."
"Oh, uh," he stammered and made a move to take them off but instead, he stood up and pushed Arthur to the floor and started to run away.
The guards immediately chased him and tackled him to the floor while the other alphas helped Arthur to stand up.
"That's not fair! I was promised the crown!" he screamed when the guards dragged him away.
Arthur was proud of himself for catching the real culprit but it also made him upset that it was one of his candidates. His mother would probably nag on him for that and what great alpha's he'd chosen.
-
"He confessed that he tried to hurt the Prince and framed Mr. Taylor for it," the Ace said in the King's office.
Arthur knew it wasn't the whole truth but he reckoned the alpha wouldn't confess working for Wright. It made Arthur wonder if anyone else in his Selection worked for him.
"I'm glad we found the real attacker," the King said, rather disappointed. "We'll decide in court what'll happen to him."
The Ace bowed to her and walked away. Wright also stood up and Arthur noticed how silent he was during the whole conversation and followed him. Wright noticed that and stopped in the corridor.
"Is there something you need, Your Highness?"
"I know you framed Alan for yelling at you in the conference," Arthur said.
Wright laughed and turned around slowly. "You think that's the reason?"
"I don't care what other reason you have but this is just absolutely disgusting of you." He came closer to him, his brows furrowed together and ready to verbally fight this man. His hands however trembled. "You can make up bad rumors about me and do whatever it pleases you but you will not under any circumstances do anything to my candidates."
"I do what I think is best for the kingdom."
"Hurting Alan Taylor is considered doing the best for the kingdom?"
"King Harriot would get rid of him at last."
"It doesn't matter what King Harriot wants. You should not play around with my subjects like that."
"The King trusts me with my decisions, therefore I do what I think is the best." He came too close again and looked down at Arthur. "I'm above law and you should be a quiet and obedient omega."
"I am not scared of you, neither of the King. Alan is under my will here and under my protection, and soon I'll be your Queen and you can start taking my orders now! Leave him alone or I swear I'll make your life a living hell." Arthur glared up at him.
"As you wish, Your Highness," Wright said calmly and stepped back.
Arthur walked away and hid his hands in front of him and hoped Wright didn't notice his shaking hands.
-
Alfred put his clothes on, finally able to go out again. He had to meet the Prince and thank him for getting him out of this but before he could even go, the door opened and Wright walked in.
"What do you want?" Alfred asked and put his tie around his neck. The hate inside of him towards that man began to boil once again. He wanted to fight him but if he goes physical, he'll be under arrest once again.
"You can consider yourself lucky." He came closer and took the tie, binding it together for Alfred. "You have some lovely protectors. The Prince was so determined to keep you here but trembled like a little lamb when talking to me, and the other was Alexander."
"Alexander?" Alfred asked, confused and Wright let go of his tie.
"He wasn't amused that I tried to get you into jail. Just yet. I'm curious why he wants a filler to be here so badly if he doesn't need you at all," he said and walked around Alfred and into his room, letting his eyes gaze over his stuff. Clothes laid around and a huge pile of books laid on the desk and beside it on the floor. "I'll let you lose just so slightly. I don't need the Prince on my back and I don't need Mr. Johnson to be upset about his filler."
"You'll leave me alone?"
"Not so much. I'll keep an eye on you and I will under any circumstances expose you to the world when Mr. Johnson says he doesn't need you anymore."
"Why is it so important for you to expose me? I have a deal with Alexander, not you." Alfred glared at him.
"Prince Arthur seems to have a liking for you and it would be incredibly sad if you'd break his heart. It'd be worth it to see his world crumble and shaken," he said amused.
"The Prince doesn't like me that much to be shattered by my lie." He didn't believe that Arthur liked him. He'd love to but not from his mouth.
"Prince Arthur is more emotionally connected to people when he likes to show. I know it. I have known him since he's a child."
"That doesn't mean you know him as a person."
"You'll see yourself when the time comes."
-
Some days have passed since the incident and soon enough Alfred could help the woman and her orphanage to have a charity festival for the children. People streamed into the garden and looked over the stands with the children's crafts while some other kids tried to play instruments. It was horrible but they laughed and the people thought it was cute.
Alfred stood by a stand with three children to help them sell their pictures of animals and little sculptures when Arthur walked up to them with his servant Leo.
"I see your charity project is going well," he said and smiled.
"It does! There are more people than I thought." He chuckled.
They had a talk about Wright and that Arthur couldn't find evidence of him paying Ian Femish. But Alfred was happy enough that Arthur believed him and that he's out of this mess, at least for now.
"I'm glad your charity is a success and I'm not only here to have a look or stroll around and donate." His servant Leo took a blue rose out of his carrier stand and gave it to Arthur. "I'm also deciding who I want to keep for another month and I choose you."
He handed the rose over to Alfred who accepted it with a huge grin on his face. "Thank you. I'm really happy about this. Would you like me to show you around." He went around the stand and Arthur looped his hand around his arm. "The kids are going to have a show soon. They wanted to dance."
"I'd love to see that."
Although Alfred was happy to stay longer by Arthur's side, he'd go eventually and Arthur would know the truth and be hurt. He wasn't sure how much the Prince really liked him and he didn't want Arthur to hate him when he'd find out. He wanted to do something against that, he didn't want Arthur to get hurt by him or anyone else. He needed to find a way to preserve Arthur's feelings.
