Time of Spades

by blueberriheart

King Alfred and Queen Arthur were about to celebrate their 10th anniversary of marriage when Alfred suddenly found himself on a time line where he never met Arthur. Returning back to his time line became a difficult task when his foe who changed the course of his life turned out to be much stronger than himself. A sequel to Song of Spades.

1. Alternaive Spades - Part 1

Chapter 1

Alternative Spades - Part 1

The palace was too big.

Not that Alfred could complain about living there and owning more than 100 acres of land, not including his other palaces and the actual mass of the kingdom. However, walking all the way from one place to the other was a whole workout. Even if the palace had its sections and each section had everything one needed, the main entrance of the palace was at one place only.

He rushed through the corridors with its dark wooden pillars carved in various patterns, blue carpet and pictures with mesmerizing landscapes. Walking by huge windows with the view to the never ending garden and not stopping when a flash of scenes crossed his eyesight.

A vision of a young servant appeared in front of him. She turned around the corner and accidentally let a vase fall to the ground when she got startled by Alfred. The vision was blurry like a dream and a blue shimmer followed her every movement. It went as sudden as it came and Alfred already saw the corner coming closer.

The servant turned around the corner just like in his vision and flinched when she saw Alfred. The vase slipped off her hands but this time he catched the vase and grinned.

Her eyes were wide and she stammered an apology when Alfred handed back the vase. He didn't worry about the vase, nothing happened after all and rushed through the palace again. He had to be on time when Arthur would arrive at the main entrance of the castle.

He adjusted his brown tie and his blue waistcoat correctly. After sitting for some ungodly amount of hours, his clothes were a little crumpled up but he didn't mind that and thought that he still looked adequate enough to meet his husband.

He hurried into the foyer and down the white flight of stairs that curved in a half circle and mirrored another flight of stairs beside them. In between the two flights of stairs was a dark hallway that led to the throne room but he paid that no mind.

The marbled floor reflected him and the high ceilings let his footsteps echo in the wide hall. For a swift moment, his gaze shifted to the two big dragons at the entrance that were carved as pillars and seemed to climb up the wall towards a large transparent clock above.

He opened the large door not waiting for any servant to come by and do it for him and his smile widened when he saw Arthur stand at the bottom of the stairs with a large amount of servants taking his belongings and carrying them through another entrance at the side.

"Arthur!" Alfred yelled out and his husband turned his head and smiled when he saw him running down the stairs.

Arthur was taken aback when Alfred suddenly swept him off his feet and spun him around instead of just hugging him or bowing or taking his hand as any civilized noble would do. But his husband wasn't just any noble, he was the King and did as he pleased no matter who watched and where he was. Arthur didn't mind if he did those things at the palace when they're alone but sometimes it was too much when he was that 'wild' in the eye of the public.

"Be careful." Arthur chuckled and Alfred stopped spinning him and looked up at him.

"I've missed you too much, my heart," Alfred said and put his husband down to the ground again.

A warm look crossed over Arthur's face and he gave him a quick peck on the cheek. "I've missed you, too, darling."

Alfred didn't want to let go of Arthur and still held him tightly while the servants unpacked Arthur's belongings from the black car.

"Two months are way too long. I almost went insane without you. Next time I'm coming with you," Alfred said in a playful voice but with a hint of seriousness in it.

Anytime Arthur went away for his political business of trading, conflicts and other external kingdom affairs, he's left alone in the palace. Of course he had his own things and projects to do and most of the time his mind was full with work when he had to discuss the internal problems of the kingdom. But when he's alone in his bed he can't think of anything else than Arthur being somewhere else, also alone. Most of the time, it's only for two or three weeks but two months was a little too much.

"Now I'm here again and we can spend as much time as you want but only after the planning of our anniversary of course," Arthur said and got out of his grip and looped his hand around Alfred's left arm made out of a golden metal which was covered by his white button up shirt.

"You're going to love what I've already planned so far. The room, the deco, and the menu are all set. The guests' invitations are also ready, I only need your signature on them. And there's even a little surprise for you," Alfred said in a cheerful tone and caressed Arthur's hand which held his arm as they walked up the stairs to the foyer.

"I also have a surprise for you but don't you dare and spoil yourself," Arthur said. "I know how curious you are about your presents."

"Is it from Hearts?" Alfred asked when they entered the foyer.

"I do have a gift from the Queen and King of Hearts but it's not the surprise." He grinned.

"Now I'm curious," Alfred said. "I don't know how I should control myself when I know I will get a gift from you." He stopped walking and took him around his waist and pulled him closer to which Arthur put his arms around his shoulders. "I think you have to get my mind off this present with something else."

"Someone's very touchy today," Arthur said in a low voice, not wanting anyone to hear him.

"I missed you," Alfred whispered back to him like it was a secret no one should know.

"You've already said that."

"And I'll say that again." He grinned and leaned down to capture Arthur's lips who closed his eyes but their kiss was disrupted when they heard a familiar voice calling out to Arthur.

"You're Majesty, welcome back," Jack Yao said as he approached the couple.

Arthur let go of his husband much to his disappointment to greet the newcomer. "Yao, you're late."

"The King was sprinting to get here first the moment he saw you coming and left me behind." The shorter alpha with the long brown hair looked over to Alfred who just grinned and knew he must have confused the older one when he saw a vision and said nothing. "I doubt he came here first to tell you the news about the parliament meeting."

Alfred's happy facade turned into a glare and he knew that Yao did this on purpose to have his revenge. He knew Yao for 11 years now and under his wise and calm face, this man seemed to be just as childish as him.

"What happened again?" Arthur said with the annoyed look which he always wore when Alfred did something that could cause a rebellion against him. The only thing that was missing from the complexion was the disappointing sigh of his, and the King was glad when he didn't hear that at least.

"Nothing, absolutely nothing," he tried to reassure his Queen.

"He took on another project," Yao explained.

"Alfred..." Arthur said with the disappointing sigh that was missing before.

"I can't just say no to this. It's about demolishing buildings and factories that are not in use or are harmful to spread agriculture," the King defended himself.

"I've told you not to take another project upon yourself, you'll get burned out," Arthur said worried.

"I feel fine and the more I do, the faster things can get better."

"They will not get done faster if you take one project after the other. In the end you have no time to do any of them! Did you even sleep tonight?"

"Of course!"

"He didn't," Yao told the Queen and got another glare from Alfred. "He was in his office the whole night and was ringing up the kitchen to get him coffee and snacks almost every hour. He didn't even take his breakfast this morning."

"I can't believe it." Arthur sighed again and put his hand over his forehead, rubbing it.

"He's lying," Alfred said but Arthur didn't believe his words and shook his head.

The Queen waved his servant over to him and told her that he wants to have dinner in about an hour and should call him when it's ready. She bowed and left to which Arthur also parted ways with Yao and walked up the flight of stairs on the way to his quarters.

Alfred stood there baffled when his husband didn't say anything further and ignored him when he walked away to which Alfred followed him through the corridors.

"Are you mad at me?" Alfred asked as he trailed behind Arthur.

"Why would you think that?" Arthur asked simply.

"Because you just turned your back on me and walked away?"

"I will not discuss this with you, I already did plenty of times." Arthur walked into a bigger corridor which led to a stairwell and started to walk up to the next floor, holding onto the smooth surface of the white wooden railing. "You don't and can't please everyone."

"And I want to be the greatest King that ever lived, in regards to my low life heritage." Alfred said and stopped in the middle of the stairwell, holding onto the railing for balance when he felt a rush of bad feeling squeeze his gut.

"I know, darling but you're already doing great. Where else do you want to go?" Arthur asked as he approached the top of the stairwell.

"The Stars?" Alfred tried to chuckle when suddenly his head spun and his sight blurred in front of his eyes.

He had no idea what that was but the bad feeling was no good sign. Maybe he was just hungry.

His head stopped spinning and he looked up at Arthur when he heard him talk.

"My sun, are you not feeling well?"

"No, I'm feeling fine, just tired I think," Alfred said and slowly walked up to Arthur, losing the bad feeling in his stomach. "Just tired and hungry, yes."

"I'm not the only one who needs rest. Come." Arthur took his hand and Alfred was about to go the other direction when Arthur pulled at his hand. "Ah-ah. Your room. We don't want to get into the servants' way."

"Right," Alfred said with a low voice and let Arthur lead him away.

When they arrived in Alfred's quarters, the Queen immediately turned into his bedroom and raised his eyebrows. "I already forgot why you're always in my quarters." He eyed the clothes on the floor, the unfinished food with the cold coffee on the table and the huge pile of books on his bed, wondering if Alfred even slept in his bed. "Does no one clean here?"

"Do you really want to talk about the mess here?"

"No," Arthur said and pulled Alfred closer and opened up his husband's waistcoat, not leaving eye contact. "Only the mess you're going to make out of me."

Alfred's hand caressed over Arthur's waist and down while he grinned. "Someone's in a good mood."

"I missed you," Arthur said simply.

"You've already said that."

"And I'll say it again." He finished unbuttoning his waistcoat and started to kiss Alfred.

The kiss began to get deeper and sloppier and their hands roamed around, touching each other through their hair, back and shoulders.

Arthur let go of Alfred and stepped backwards towards the bed, breathing heavily while pulling off his clothes beginning with his coat then his bow and his vest.

Alfred followed him with a hungry grin on his face and pulled off his tie, throwing it on the ground to the other clothes followed by his waistcoat. He was done unbuttoning his shirt when Arthur arrived at the edge of the bed and Alfred pushed him down by laying on top of him with a deep kiss.

"Ow, ow," Arthur squealed and Alfred broke the kiss, confused and thinking he hurt him in some way.

"My heart, what's wrong?"

Arthur pulled a pen from underneath him but didn't keep on dwelling on that thing and the books that laid right beside him. He threw the pen behind him and pulled Alfred back into the kiss.

While kissing Arthur, Alfred undid the Queen's trousers and pulled them off with kisses and bites on his neck over the 'Q' and down to his navel.

"Just go inside," Arthur said with a heavy breath.

"Are you sure?" Alfred asked when he hovered above Arthur again and kissed his chest.

"I'm wet enough."

He didn't need to tell him twice and Alfred swiftly pulled off his shirt revealing his full left arm made out of golden metal while the other arm had a tattoo of a dragon across his shoulder down to the elbow. The letter 'K' rested on the right side of his neck in black but with a faint blue in the light.

Arthur smiled and Alfred knew full well how much he liked to stare at his body. He must admit to himself he started to look different when he got older. Due to the rich lifestyle his body got more fuller but also more muscular. He was more than just satisfied and even more satisfied when his Queen was thirsting over him.

Alfred opened his pants and propped up his leg underneath Arthur's leg on the bed while his other was still on the floor. Arthur dug his nails into Alfred's skin and his dragon on the arm when he pushed himself into him.

Alfred moved his hip against Arthur's and let his husband moan in pleasure and touch his body, digging his nails even deeper when he felt that he was about to finish.

"Alf..red.." he moaned and rolled his eyes back.

Alfred himself felt the ecstasy overflowing but also something else. The bad feeling from earlier crept into his stomach and his head spun once again, but he also was so close.

"Arth-" He bent forwards and for a split moment everything went black in a blink of an eye. Something pulled him backwards and his eyes shot wide open. "-ur," Alfred ended but it drowned in a sea of noises.

"What," Alfred muttered when he noticed a huge crowd all around him. People were loudly talking and walking by, pushing him into a stand to which a man grunted annoyed.

"Don't touch my stuff!" He growled dangerously.

"I didn't touch your stuff. What even is this? Where am I?" His head began to spin again and wherever he looked were people in dirty and torn clothes. Stands with food and fabrics stood at the walls with a very low and gray ceiling. The whole place seemed to be in a building with a very tight passageway.

"Alfred?"

Someone called him but he didn't pay that any attention. His eyes looked confused around the tight but very long place and it seemed very familiar. His heart raced when he realized where he might be.

"Alfred?"

"What?" Alfred turned to the person that called out to him and looked down at a black haired omega beside him who laid his hand on his arm.

"Is something wrong?"

Alfred pulled his arm back to himself and stepped back. "Please don't touch me."

"Don't you feel well?"

With a confused mind he tried to get past the crowd and find the exit. The passageway was long and at every fourth stand was a corner and this corner led to another corridor full with people and stands. He shook his head, thinking this couldn't be, he needed to get out and after some turns he saw the light of the sun and hurried outside only for his hope to fall.

He stood in the subcity. The lowest part of the town with sky buildings up to 120 levels and still not high enough to cover up half of the mountain beside them. Beneath them was nothing but darkness and above them hung a huge cloud of fumes making the air and people sick, and barely letting any sunlight come through. He was back in his hometown, the one thing he hoped he never had to see again.

"This can't be..." he whispered to himself in shock.

"Al, dear. Are you alright?" The guy from before catched up to him and looked worried when Alfred gripped onto the rusty and wobbly railing that could break at any given moment.

"Is this a prank?" Alfred asked, not wanting to believe he could truly be here.

"What? You're confusing me."

"Alright, you got me. Very funny, well actually it's not," Alfred said and turned around with a fake smile. It had to be a prank, he couldn't explain it to himself otherwise. Probably a joke for his anniversary with Arthur. "I don't like this. It's too realistic. How-how did Arthur even do this we were-"

"Who's Arthur?"

"We were..." Alfred muttered and remembered that he was with Arthur in his room and they were intimate with another before he got here. Did he put something into his coffee, no. He didn't drink anything. Did he just pass out of exhaustion? No, he felt fine but there was this feeling.

He looked back at the smaller guy and his curly black hair. He looked oddly familiar but he was sure he never saw him before. "What's your name?"

Memories crossed his mind and he remembered meeting him because he worked with his mom but that never happened. The name Paul flew into his head but he didn't know anyone with that name.

"Paul...we're married," he said and Alfred's eyes shot up. "Al, you're making me worried. Is everything alright?"

"I don't know... I-I'll be back," Alfred said unsure and walked along the metal platform that surrounded the whole building while more memories of him and Paul streamed through his head. Them meeting on a skywalk bridge during a storm when it almost collapsed, his mother encouraging Alfred to marry him, them kissing.

Alfred didn't understand what was going on. These things never happened or did they? He looked around and had the feeling that he never was gone, that he always has been here but that couldn't be true. He was King. He was the most powerful person in the whole of Spades, he couldn't just be a factory worker. But that's who he was, that's who he was born as. The memories of Arthur and his noble life seemed so blurry and like a dream but it wasn't, was it?

Alfred grabbed his hair and looked through the holes of the platform down at the other level. "What is happening?"

-

Alfred sat on the platform edge leaning against the railing and looking down into the abyss. He rubbed against his copper arm which should be golden and in a better condition. This one looked worn out, broken and hard to control. He couldn't understand why he forgot Paul for a small moment. He remembered everything in his life all too well, from his first job in the coal mines to him trying to buy a room in the upper floors of the sky buildings for better air quality but failed.

But there were also the memories of Arthur and him as the King that flew around his head. It confused him.

Paul came to Alfred again but Alfred didn't look up when he talked.

"How do you feel?"

"I'm not sure."

"Who's Arthur?" Paul asked again and for a moment Alfred had to think of that question himself.

"The Queen?"

"Why would you think of the Queen? Did you hit your head?" Paul brushed gently over Alfred's dirty hair and Alfred let him do it. They were married after all, that's what he remembered.

His feelings however told him something different. That this was all a lie but it couldn't be, not when he knew that this was real. Doubt crept slowly into his gut and told him that he purely had a bad dream and that Arthur was not real. He wasn't even sure if their Queen was called Arthur, he never heard of the Queen's real name before.

"When I come back from work, I'll make you your favorite soup," Paul said.

"Potato soup," Alfred whispered, remembering when Paul and him were excited to have some potatoes for dinner when they moved in together.

"Mhmm," he hummed and Alfred could hear the smile in his voice. "I'll go to work now, you should go, too, soon."

Alfred nodded and Paul left. He really should go to work now or else he's going to lose the position.

His way to work was as always through the smog and the skywalk bridges that connected the buildings on various floors. They shook when strong winds picked up and at some of them, the railing was broken and Alfred had to walk in the middle.

The memories that had flooded his brain before stopped like a bad dream and he could concentrate on his work. His everyday work at his everyday factory but something in his gut told him that this was not real, not for him. And in the span of an hour when he started to work, he accidentally broke an already wobbly lever.

He took it to the repair man but he was not at his station and he picked up a pen and found a paper with data which he turned around to write on and ask for a replacement in the next couple of hours. He stopped writing in the middle of the sentence when he noticed that he never learned how to write or read. He's never been to a school simply because none existed in the subcity.

He turned the paper, looked at the data and understood what was written on it. He stepped back from the small table in disbelief. The only place where he learned to read and write was the palace but that was a dream. Alfred's gut squeezed together and he looked around into the large hall with the loud machines.

Someone messed with his mind. Something was utterly wrong. It was like someone had changed his memories or filled it with things that never had happened but also did. Someone messed with him, someone changed his life, someone changed time.

Alfred stared into nothingness when he realized what was happening.

The Time Stone.

Someone used the Time Stone and changed his life.

Alfred's breathing got heavier and he grabbed his hair. That made sense, it was one of the side effects. When someone changes a person's life, they will remember their original timeline. Someone wanted him to stay here and never become King but who? He couldn't stay here and he wouldn't. He worked so hard for his place on the throne and no one would take that away from him. Whoever knew about this had to be a royal, only they knew about the Magic Stone and the true history of the world.

"Alfred, what are you doing here? Go back to your station," A man told him, who he recognized as his station boss.

Alfred nodded and went away but not to the station. He wouldn't stay here, he wouldn't work or live here and go back to his life as a cheap brute. He would go back to the palace, find out who changed his life and get his real life back.

-

Going back to the palace was harder than he thought. There was only one way to go up the mountain and to the middle class level, and that was with the elevator. He tried to use his future visions but they didn't work. He never had triggered them in this timeline and couldn't control them. He needed some luck and waited at the entrance for some options until he saw an entrance for goods.

Large containers of goods were transported into a large elevator and Alfred sneaked into the elevator when the alphas who were transporting them with a vehicle were busy with another container. He thought of Paul and that he would look for him. Alfred wanted to leave a note but Paul couldn't read. He felt bad for leaving him but he couldn't stay, not when this was not his real life.

He managed to go up and sneaked out of the elevator and walked into the suburbs area of the town. The houses were quite small but more spacious.

Walking to the palace would take him too long and he noticed a motorbike standing at a house. Stealing wasn't something he would ever do but in his situation he didn't see any other option to come to the palace faster.

Memories of Arthur teaching him how to ride a motorbike crossed his mind when he sat on the metallic vehicle. The more he concentrated on those memories the more they felt real to him, and that's what he wanted to do. He didn't want to forget them and think of them as only a dream.

He started the vehicle and drove off.

The streets looked different than he remembered but Alfred told himself that he never really has been in this area of the town before and brushed it off but when he came to the center of the town with their huge sky buildings and the confusing roads that went over bridges, through buildings and crisscross, he frowned.

It looked so empty. There were cars and people all around but it was more empty than ever. The buildings looked like they would crumble together and the road on which he drove was damaged. Something was off with this timeline. One more reason to change it.

He parked some streets away and knew a good way to sneak into the palace without anyone noticing. He covered up his tattoo with the number 3 on his neck by pulling his collar up. No one needed to know that he was from the low levels.

He went along the corridors, not noticing much change in his former home. In front of him were two servants walking straight ahead and he couldn't let them see him. Therefore, he swiftly hid in a room with an open door. It was a small library and he doubted they would go in there.

He waited until they were gone and wanted to go again when he heard a shuffle in the back. Curious, he sneaked around the corner and saw his husband, Arthur. In this world just Queen Arthur and not his husband. That thought let his gut squeeze again and he wondered if Arthur would remember him.

The alpha watched the Queen look through the books and step on a ladder to get to a book at the top of the shelf. His balance looked wobbly and Alfred came closer just in case and in the right moment when Arthur did lose his balance and fell backwards. Alfred ran up to him and catched him in his arms.

"Careful, there," he said and grinned when he still held him in arms.

The Queen immediately moved away from him, much to Alfred's disappointment. "Thank you," he said and adjusted his brown vest.

"Of course. I couldn't let my Queen fall."

A swift expression of confusion crossed the omega's face before he put on his serious facade again. "Who are you?"

The small hope Alfred had left him when he asked him that question. Arthur didn't remember him, it was only Alfred who could remember the other timeline. "I'm just a servant. I, uh, wanted to clean the library."

"Where's your uniform?"

"I forgot to put it on. Actually I'm off the clock now but I forgot to clean this room and I wanted to do it quickly before I could get into trouble, yeah," Alfred rambled an excuse and thought it was a good one.

"Good. I won't disturb you any further. I don't want you to get in trouble."

"You can disturb me as much as you like," Alfred said with an infatuated smile which confused Arthur once more.

"What's your name?"

"Alfred."

"Alfred Jones?" Arthur asked and Alfred's eyes widened.

"You remember?" His grin widened in excitement but Arthur's expression darkened instead.

"Guards!" he yelled and now it was Alfred's turn to be confused.

"Huh? wait, no," he mumbled and watched as Arthur stormed out of the room.

He had no idea what was going on but he wouldn't stand there to find out and ran as well. To his right came two guards in their blue military uniforms and the silver morion helmets, and he ran the other way just to crash into another guard who came around the corner and grabbed him. The other two came as well, grabbed him forcefully, and put chains on him.

-

Alfred was put into a metal cell in the dungeon. The walls, the floor and the ceiling were all in bronze colored metal. There was a metal bed with no blanket or pillow. A single lamp hung from the ceiling and the only window was in the door which was closed. He also thought he wouldn't end up in a cell like this ever again but he guessed wrong.

The door to the cell creaked open and a guard declared the King's presence. The guard came in and put chains around his wrist and hooked the chain to the wall in case he wanted to make a run or hurt the King. Alfred was curious who the King was if it wasn't him. He guessed maybe Joao, after all, Arthur had promised him marriage once.

Alfred's eyes widened in realization when he saw the King come in.

"You're the intruder, huh?"

"Alexander..."

"It's King Alexander for you," he said and Alfred watched as he stood there proudly in his fancy dark coat and his round dark glasses.

"It was you wasn't it?" Alfred asked but didn't expect an answer. He already knew it. The proof stood in front of him.

"What do you mean? You have to be more specific."

"You used the Time Stone. You became King like you always wanted to."

"You remember," Alexander mumbled more to himself. It made Alfred question if he even knew about the side effects of the Stone at all.

"I won't let you get through with this. I won't let you take away what's mine," Alfred said determinedly. "You have lost a long time ago and you will lose again."

"And that's where you're wrong," Alexander said unbothered. "When I had to flee this kingdom because I was labeled as a criminal thanks to you, I asked myself how could a lowborn be better than me?"

"I just am."

"You're in the wrong position to be cocky." Alexander came closer, his expression dark and dangerous.

His stomach squeezed in fear and he stepped back but tried not to show his uncertainness on his face.

"I will take everything from you. Every single thing that's important to you, every single person and item and feeling you love. You will end up with nothing."

Something was very wrong with Alfred's body when he stepped so close to him. His heart raced inside and his sweaty hands trembled. He looked at the floor wanting to flee from his eyes even though they were hiding behind the dark eye glasses.

"Do you feel this? This fear inside of you?"

Alexander tried to look into Alfred's eyes but the alpha only stared at the floor not understanding how he could know what he felt right now.

"I never understood why it was always easy for me to make people obey me," Alexander began. "But then I met Alan and the cult he was in and the magic that existed in our world. After I fled I finally understood and felt so incredibly stupid because I never truly needed you, Alfred. You're not the only one with magic."

Alfred lifted his eyes in shock. "What?" he said in a low and trembling voice.

"You're the descendant of the Dragons and their time magic but I am the descendant of the Unicorns, the ultimate rulers of emotions and feelings," Alexander said and put his hand on top of Alfred's shoulder to which he flinched at the harsh touch. "You want to stop me? Try it. I'd love to see if your future visions are better than my control over your and everyone else's emotions." His hand pushed on Alfred and he could feel his shaking legs crumble together in fear and he fell to his knees. "I doubt they are."

A laugh escaped from Alexander as he watched Alfred sitting on the floor in front of him defeated and in fear.

"Don't worry," he said as he made his way back out of the cell. "I'll make sure your death trial will go fast and painless unlike your torture." He laughed again and left Alfred alone in the dim and cold cell. Feeling powerless against his foe and fearing for his future.