Chapter 10

Parliament

Alfred hurried to the classroom and barged through the door. All eyes stared at him and the teacher sighed annoyed. "You're late."

"I'm sorry," Alfred said and sat beside Joao in the back. "I've fallen asleep this morning again," he whispered to him but the teacher told him to be quiet and Alfred apologized again.

"I'll start at the beginning again for our latecomers," he said and raised his brow at Alfred. "This week you'll meet the parliament and you're going to have the privilege to meet the important figures."

Alfred wanted to try to write what the teacher explained but he got distracted when he wrote his name down. It was so easy after so many days of practicing and it made him happy every time he was able to write or read a word. Out of curiosity he tried to write Arthur's name on the paper and liked how it looked and wrote it down again.

"Alan," Joao whispered beside him and got his attention. The teacher noticed that he didn't pay attention and Alfred laid down his pen while Joao's eyes graced over Alfred's paper with Arthur's name on it.

"As I was saying," the teacher said, "You'll have a discussion round with the parliament members of each category. Be it education, health or finances. The theme of the discussion is up to the members, all you have to do is to prepare yourself for the discussion by taking your last assignment for help. The parliament members will listen to your ideas and watch your performance on your problem solving. In today's lesson I'll show you a typical parliament conference."

-

Arthur came into his living quarters with Joao after their riding trip and noticed flowers on his table in the living room. He picked them up and took the card that hung between the roses. It was a courting gift from Alfred, his second one, this time pink roses and chocolate. He read through the poem in the letter and smiled at it knowing he got it from a book he liked.

"Who's the gift from?" Joao asked and Arthur sat down on the sofa.

"Alan," he replied and Joao turned on the radio on the side table only to hear an interview with Alfred. They talked with him about the dirigible accident and joked that a lot of accidents happen with Alan before Joao switched the radio signal to music.

"Again Alan," he muttered. "He seems to be infatuated with you."

"Why would you think that?" Arthur asked and put the card down while Joao sat beside him and put his arm around his shoulder.

"Pink roses mean admiration."

"Of course he admires me. He's here to court me." Arthur put his hand on Joao's thigh and traced over it. "Why? Are you jealous?"

"Certainly. You're all alone with multiple alphas-"

"And I promised only one of them to marry him," Arthur ended the sentence for Joao.

"Right," he said and leaned in to kiss Arthur's head.

For a couple of days after the date with Alfred, Arthur had been thinking about Alfred more often. His words that he was only a human echoed in his brain, words he never heard from anyone before. Everyone expected him to do the right thing and everyone would get upset with him for being only a human.

-

The day of the parliament conference came for Alfred and he sat in a large circled room. There was a table in the middle and three rows of benches forming a half moon around it. Behind those benches were others all around it and Alfred sat with his group consisting of him, Joao and Julia on one side of the halfmoon and the parliament at the other side with the Prince. There were five parliament members, all in black robes and all with the number 9 on their neck.

One of them stood up, his hair and sideburns white and his corner of the mouth looking downwards almost like he's never smiled before. "My name is Lewis Wright and today we will discuss with your little group some of our current problems in the kingdom," he said and held his head high. "Each of you will have the chance to say their opinion and ideas to change or improve the situation. If someone disagrees, there's always room for a debate. Naturally, the Prince and us, the parliament, will judge your competence."

The man sat down and Alfred straightened his back. He was ready for it, he had practiced with Yao together and could say in confidence that this would work out for him.

"First we'd like to talk about the increasing unemployment rate in our kingdom, especially with the young, and what we could do about it," Wright said. "Sir Joao, what would you suggest?"

"I'd suggest making the work more pleasant for them and making it their second home."

"That's way too unrealistic," Julia threw in.

"What would you suggest, miss Julia?" Wright asked her.

"Reducing the work hours would be my idea. The young don't want to work? Fine, let them work for a couple of hours, that's more than enough."

Wright seemed to be pleased and turned to Alfred. "And you, sir Alan?"

"I agree with sir Joao," Alfred said, pronouncing his name wrong. "Work should be safe and the employer should treat their employee more kinder." A real event from his life, Alfred thought it was a good idea to pull that in.

"It seems there are no real original ideas left," Wright said uninterested.

Julia leaned to Alfred and whispered: "It means you're dumb."

Alfred furrowed his brow, he worked for this conference and can't look dumb in front of Arthur, not again. "I also suggest abolishing the work limitation of the Card Levels and let people work and study the job they'd like. All young people in the lower classes work and look for more work than there are places, and I'm sure it would even out the situation."

"We're only talking about the upper and middle class, mister Taylor," Wright said.

"Work can be done by anyone if they're taught." Alfred was positive about his idea. He realized if he could do anything to make the life for his family easier than it's here and he had to fight for it. It was his chance to give those people an insight and let them understand and hopefully take on his idea.

"Letting people do the job of another level would mean a promotion to another level."

"It would give them a chance for a better life and they'd be more willing to work and study."

"Mister Taylor, there's a reason for our Card System." His mouth curled even more downwards and his nose even higher. "People are born into their levels and they will die in their levels. We're separated by status, power and intelligence and everyone should understand what they're born for. This task is definitely not in your strength."

"I can do more than just labor work." Alfred tried to stay positive and smiled, still trying to change the man's view.

"People often misinterpret their abilities and I doubt you ever showed the opposite with your actions." He cleared his throat and wrote a note on his paper about Alfred. "But we're not here to talk about your inability, we're here to talk about the kingdom."

"The subcities are also a part of the kingdom and their overworking has to be solved, too," Alfred said before Wright could say anything else.

"By letting them work on the upper level? Not ever."

"The people living there do the most work for the upper classes' own enjoyment like metal and clothes but their problems aren't solved ever. They do the most work for you but it doesn't seem that you do a good job for them." His gaze was fixed on the alpha. "Mister Wright," Alfred added and in the corner of his eye, he noticed a very amused Julia watching them while everyone else was silently following the debate.

A twinkle in Wright's eyes lit up, either of anger or challenge. "We're only discussing the important problems."

"The working class is not important?" Slowly the positive demeanor fell and got replaced by anger and unfairness in which he had to live his whole life. He understood now why his life was miserable, because the people in power never cared. "Is it not important to let the working class have better food and health access?"

"Why would that be important? The lower class are nothing but cheap brutes."

"Cheap brute? Is that what you think we are?"

"I don't think, I know," he said calmly.

"These are people who are getting neglected because you think they're a brute. I had a sister that died of a virus because their boss liked money more than getting them help, this can't be normal."

"Lowborns are like rats on the streets, everywhere and replaceable but money is crucial for the economy. Her boss did a good job."

"The economy can't be more important than people's lives." Alfred's voice got louder, wanting to let the man understand the situation but it felt as if every word of his was sweeped away and thrown into a dark hole.

"Mister Taylor, I'd advise you to stay calm."

"I am calm." Alfred was tense and gritted his teeth at Mr. Wright's calm and irritating demeanor.

"You shouldn't take those things personally, they're of no concern to you. Thus, people like you would not understand the sacrifice we have to make."

"What sacrifice? Sitting around, eating and doing nothing while we're working our butts off for you with nothing in return because we're not important?" Again, Alfred's voice got louder.

"Please stay calm," Wright said once more but Alfred snapped and stood up.

"I won't stay calm and let my life get dictated by an old asshole like you!"

"Alan, that's enough!" Arthur shouted in and Alfred looked over, realizing where he was and who he wanted to impress and once again failed.

Julia chuckled beside him and Arthur stood up and told him to follow him. Alfred looked back at Wright who sat there with a proud smile on his face, proud of making Alfred snap and look bad in front of the Prince.

-

Alfred followed Arthur to a library and was told to sit which Alfred did with crossed arms.

"You shouldn't have yelled at him and you shouldn't have disrespected him," Arthur said standing in front of him. "Didn't you see that he did this on purpose, that he played with you?"

"What else was I supposed to do? Sit back and let him talk about me in a bad light in front of all those people?" Alfred was loud while moving his hands in the air.

"It was stupid of you to talk back to him and now I stay in a bad light!"

"What does that have to do with you?"

"Everything you say and do, every awkward radio interview or mistake at dinner comes right back at me. And they judge me for keeping you here as a potential King and it doesn't make it better that you're a CN5."

"Why are you keeping me then! Why not have a bunch of 8s and 9s here? Why go through this trouble and take in people you think make you look bad! You're saying your reputation is bad and then you do exactly the things that make people look down on you!"

"My reasons are none of your concern! And you will apologize to him."

Alfred stood up, staring at Arthur and coming towards him, making the Prince back away. "I will do no such thing. I will not apologize for speaking my opinion and I will not apologize to someone who talks down to people like me. You have no idea how it feels to be talked down my entire life. Always listening to people say how useless I am and that I should stay in my place and do what I have been born for! Nothing ever came to me on a silver plate like for you or that old asshole. I had to fight for every crumb I see while being pushed around and I will not get disrespected for wanting a better life for me and my family!" Alfred breathed out and stepped back from Arthur, noticing his discomfort.

"I understand they hurt your pride but you have to take it politely. The people in the room will see any tiny vulnerable spot and hurt you, taking it to their advantage," Arthur said while Alfred looked away from him. "You can stay here or go to your room but you're not to return to the parliament conference for today."

Arthur walked away leaving Alfred falling to the chair, angry at Lewis Wright and Prince Arthur.

-

Arthur sat in the King's office, in the old and ugly office of hers that he hated so much. It felt choking and hard to concentrate in.

"Sir Wright told me about the candidates and about the incident with mister Taylor, again."

It has been two days since their fight and he hasn't talked to him since then. He wasn't sure what to tell him or what to do with him and kept silent.

"This can't go on like that, Arthur. Anything I hear about him is bad," she said. "He can't just yell at the parliament for doing their jobs. You have to eliminate him"

"I planned an elimination after the second round of the parliament conference," Arthur said, looking out the window and picking on his cheek. "And another date."

"That's too long of a wait."

"I need to get to know the alphas more."

"The alphas, yes, but not this one."

He furrowed his brows when she spoke about him like that. Sure, Alfred made a lot of mistakes and Arthur had thought of kicking him out but he was so vulnerable at that moment. They've made fun of him and he stood up for himself when nobody else did. Alfred was stronger than Arthur had thought, but also more hurt with no one who believed in his abilities. It reminded Arthur of himself but all he could do was sit and take it politely and he hated himself for that.

-

"I called you here to talk with you about this matter more calmly," Arthur said when Alfred sat down in front of him in the music room.

"Will you kick me out?"

"No." Alfred looked surprised at the Prince. "Although your reaction was inappropriate, I think you were right."

"What?" Alfred muttered.

"I've never had any thoughts about people in the lower class before, but this debate made me do my own research about the situation. The kingdom is crumbling with the regime it had for the past 200 years and there's a need for a change especially in the working class environment. Of course it's a crumble that didn't reach the upper class yet but it'll come fast and it'll hit the levels of yours much harder and I don't want you, your family or the kingdom to suffer."

"Are you serious?"

"I am."

A relieved smile spread across Alfred's face, he made Arthur see the situation, he had been heard. Hope blossomed in his chest and he was glad that he wasn't wrong about Arthur and his kindness.

The Prince stood up and went to a small table with alcohol on it and poured it into two beakers, holding one out for Alfred which he took but didn't drink.

"I understand your struggle of being looked down upon, Alan," Arthur said.

"Who should look down upon you?" Alfred asked, confused.

"My mother." Arthur swung the alcohol in his beaker against the ice cubes. "She always compares me to my dead older brother and doesn't want to see what I can actually achieve. And if she does it, everyone else does it. Sometimes I don't even believe or trust myself."

"She must be blind," Alfred said.

"You're not allowed to say something like this about the King."

"But it's true. She can't expect you to be exactly like your brother, and if she doesn't see the real you, it's her loss." He shrugged seeing a change of expression in Arthur's face, a softer one. "She might not believe in you but I believe you'll be a good Queen. You even listened to me and my problems and I really appreciate that."

"Thank you but I'll manage that. I don't care what she thinks, I never did." A hint of sadness laid in his eyes and Alfred catched the lie.

When Alfred was pushed around in his job he always had his family to go to but Arthur's family looked down on him. It made Alfred wonder who the Prince went to when he felt sad and pushed around by all the people who were supposed to help him.

Alfred realized why the Prince hid and wanted to be alone because he didn't have anyone. No one who would care. The alpha put his beaker down and hugged the Prince.

"What are you doing?" he asked, his body tense and his eyes wide.

"I think you need it," Alfred whispered.

"I doubt it," he murmured.

"Alright. I'll believe you," Alfred lied and couldn't tell if his heart beat that loud or Arthur's. "But I need it."

Slowly Arthur's arms lifted and his free hand carefully and lightly touched Alfred's torso. Alfred wanted to, no, he needed Arthur to know that he cared about him. Alfred brushed over his back and his eyes spotted one single strand of hair on his shoulder. He carefully brushed over it, took it and let go of Arthur, putting the hair with his hand into his pocket.

"Is that all?" Alfred asked.

"What?" Arthur asked flustered.

"Is there anything else you need to discuss with me?" Alfred smiled at him gently.

"Ah, no. You can go."

Alfred took Arthur's hand and kissed his knuckles while looking into his eyes, seeing Arthur taking on color. "Thank you, my Prince."

"For what?"

"For the hug." Slowly Alfred let go of Arthur's hand when he walked backwards and turned around to open the door but Arthur stopped him one more time.

"Alan! I wanted to tell you that it was good to see another side of you. You can't always hide your feelings behind a happy facade."

"I can try." He grinned and went away.