When asked whether they should tell Yao, Arthur suddenly looked down. Should they tell Yao? Yao would probably won’t believe them even if they told him about it especially since Yao had been with Alfred far longer than Arthur had been, right? So, there was no way that Yao could have missed something as vital as Alfred being able to do some kind of magic.
“I.. I’m not sure, Alfred..” He fidgeted. “Maybe, you could.. wait for a little bit more..? Maybe, uhm.. we can keep it as our little secret for now..?”
~~~~
Alfred blinked as he noticed Arthur fidgeting and stuttering on his words. He for one thought it was really exciting if he could use some magic. Then he would be able to protect Arthur in more ways then just using his sword or his brute force! So when he heard Arthur’s words of keeping it a secrete he was a little disappointed, but he knew Arthur would know what would be best, since he was the one with more powerful magic and with more knowledge them him with how to use it.
“Ah, okay.” He sighed but gave the other a small smile. He then thought for a moment and his eyes brightened up with an idea. “Hey, if I really do have magic I should be able to use a bit of it right?” Alfred took one of Arthur’s hands into his own with a big grin on his face. “Then would you mind trying to teach me some of the very basic stuff Arthur?”
Arthur then looked down at the stone and was surprised to see it glow. His eyes widened as he stared at Alfred. “Alfred.. the stone.. it’s glowing.” Well, it wasn’t all that big but it had to mean something, right? “Alfred.. Maybe, you could do some magic after all..?”
~~~
Alfred continued to give Arthur a smile knowing that the stone was helping. Though his expression changed to confused when he noticed that Arthur was starring at him with wide eyes. Then at the mention of the stone he looked at himself and was surprised to see that is was indeed glowing.
“Ah wow… I… I’ve never seen them do this before…” Alfred watched the stone with awed eyes. “I mean… Mattie would always tell me that it worked and helped him when he held it up to his heart, and I would see him use it sometimes but…”
Then at the suggestion of him being able to use magic Alfred looked up at Arthur with excited and questioning eyes. “Y-You really think so?! I-I mean I can’t see the aura’s or whatever you call them or anything magical and Yao always said that I was challenged in that area…” But then again, how was it that he had made the stone change color? Alfred always assumed that it was the stone itself that was magical not him. And there was also the fact that the stone was glowing… meaning it did have magical properties…
“Do you think we should tell Yao?” Alfred asked. “Can you imagine his surprise if I really can use magic?” He couldn’t help but laugh.
Arthur then took a short break and leaned against the wall as he took out the emerald-green stone that Alfred gave him and asked for help. He didn’t want to feel depressed and useless but, it seems, that the stone thinks that he was since it wasn’t working.
With a heavy heart, Arthur continued to work.
~~~
Alfred worked for a little bit, but then suddenly looked up. He blinked before he looked around, as if he had heard something. He let his eyes drift across the room, before he looked over at Arthur.
Alfred smiled as he saw Arthur working as well. He was about to look away when his gaze caught sight of the stone in Arthur’s hand. Alfred’s smile turned into a little frown. Was Arthur feeling bad and trying to use the stone? Why was Arthur feeling bad? Was he still feeling bad?
Alfred scooted over to Arthur and whispered quietly so as not to scare him, since he was still working. “You’re holding it wrong…” He gave a bit of a smile when Arthur looked up.
“Here… let me show you…” He put his hand over Arthur’s, the one that was holding the stone, and guided it to Arthur’s chest, holding it over his heart. Alfred then looked up at Arthur and gave a small smile, not noticing that the stone was glowing a bit. “Does that feel better?”
“Also, I understand that talking to others might help improve relations with other kingdoms. So, don’t worry. I’ll try to befriend the royalties from Diamonds the moment that they arrive.”
~~~
Alfred frowbed for a moment before he shook his head. “It’s not that I really want you to befriend everyone, no wait, I mean it’s not like I don’t want you to have friends, but not too many friends, no I mean-” Alfred’s cheeks were red as he tried to say the right words but nothing was coming out right.
“I…I just want you to be happy…” Alfred mumbled as he looked down at his hands. “I mean… I don’t want to force you to make friends, but at the same time I don’t want you to force you to just always talk to me…” he rubbed the back of his head a bit awkwardly.
“And I mean… I don’t really like talking to the kings of the other kingdoms… but I’m nice and stuff since its good for relations and everything but I’m not close with any of them….” Alfred trailed off lamely. He then looked up at Arthur and gave a small smile.
“You don’t have to befriend anyone from the Diamond kingdom unless you want too. Though I would like it better if you didn’t like Francis as much.” He couldn’t help but narrow his eyes when he mentoned Francis’s name. “But I’m glad you are thinking of the kingdom and are going to try to be nice and everything… and be happy.” Alfred gave Arthur another smile.
“Uh.. Alfred..?” He breathed in and out, trying to muster up the courage to speak out his thoughts but then, he got scared. He didn’t know whether or not he wanted to know the answer. “Nevermind.. Uh, let’s just finish your work, all right?”
~~~
Alfred blinked when he heard Arthur. He looked up with questioning eyes. “What’s wrong Arthur?” He was wondering what was causing the other to hesitate and sound so troubled.
At the prospect of him getting back to work, Alfred let out a sigh. “Yeah there is still a bit left to do…” But before he picked up back to his work, he stood up and kissed Arthur on the cheek. “Just know you can tell me anything Arthur…” He whispered with a smile, before he sat back down, and started to do his work once more, but still continued to talk a bit.
“But if you get along with Lilly well, then you’ll have another queen to talk to besides just Kiku. That should be fun right?” He gave a laugh and a smile. “I mean I know I got to be boring to talk to all the time…” He forced a laugh as he let out a tiny fear he had in him.
“And I understand you would want to talk to other people in your position. So that’s cool and all. I would talk to the other kings and all… but well… yeah…” Alfred finished a bit lamely as he continued to scribble down on some papers.
Arthur blinked up at Alfred with wide eyes. “O-Oh, i-is that so..?” He looked away when Alfred smiled at him, feeling a little flustered. How could he even imagine Alfred hurting him like that? He should’ve known better. “Well, if he starts insulting you, you should just insult him too.”
~~~
Alfred sighed before he gave a childish pout at Arthur’s words. “I do! But usually that just gets me in trouble with Yao, or it comes right back in my face, becasue Francis just points it out to everyone that I would be childish enough to do that.” He didn’t either realize or care that he was acting sort of like a child at the moment.
He then looked back up at Arthur. “But like I said, it’s going to be different this time because you’ll be there with me!” he gave him another smile. “And I guess it won’t be all bad… I mean Vash is coming with Lilly… and Vash is pretty cool. Back when I was a little younger, Vash was the one who started to teach me how to sword fight!”
“Though, he does act super protective of Lilly. I would too I guess if my sister turned out to be the queen… Especially if they had to be paired up with Francis…” Alfred couldn’t help but grumble under his breath with the mention of Francis’ name.
“Oh, and I’m sure you and Lilly will get along.” Alfred smiled once more at Arthur, his mood seeming to brighten as he was starting to not think about Francis. “She really likes flowers, and cooking and she’s really quiet… but she’s nice. Though, I never really got the chance to talk to her before, but I’m sure the two of you will get along!”
Arthur then pulled away from the hug and patted the other man’s shoulders. “Is that so..?” He started out quietly, making sure that his voice was free from any emotion. “Don’t worry, I’m sure that the King of Diamonds probably just wanted you to feel jealous or something like that..” He nodded to himself as he started to arrange the books in the shelves to keep himself busy. “Don’t think too much about it, your highness. It will only dampen your mood.”
~~~
“Jealous?” Alfred looked up from his work to gaze up at Arthur. He then frowned and shook his head. “It wasn’t to make me jealous, it was to piss me off!” Alfred growled and held his head in his hand.
“Francis always likes to take things. That’s how the Diamond Kingdom got to be so wealthy. He sees something and he has to take it! L-Like Mattie! And he always loves to see me angry, and he loves to point out my flaws.” Alfred then sighed. “I just can’t believe Mattie… was acutally went with him… he saw what he is like…”
Alfred looked up at Arthur with an upset face, before he reached out and took Arthur’s hand and held it gently. “But at least you’re going to be there when Francis comes…” His expression started to relax. “With you there, I won’t be able to be upset.” He smiled then kissed Arthur’s hand.
“And, don’t worry, Alfred. I’m sure that whatever King Francis says wouldn’t be so bad. I’m sure that it won’t change my opinion of you, much less my love for you.” He smiled and he kissed the other man’s forehead. “And, I’m sure that goes for the rest of the Kingdom. So, don’t worry about it too much, okay?”
~~~
Alfred blushed and looked away uncomfortably when Arthur asked what was in the letters that he had gotten from King Francis. “Ah, well, uhm…” He cleared his throat trying to figure out how to figure out who to explain, though after a moment he just decided to come right out with it.
“He, he was flirting with my brother!” He held his head in his hands. “Heavily flirting I mean…” Alfred shook his head as if trying to get ride of the memories. “And he would always put in how much better Matthew was then me, and how he was glad he ‘escaped’ from me…” Alfred gave a frown and looked to the floor.
At the kiss to his forehead, Alfred looked up at Arthur and smiled. He couldn’t help but reach up and wrap his arms around him, in an attempt of a hug. “Thanks Artie.” He whispered, a soft smile still in place. He then looked down at his paperwork for a moment and let out a sigh. “I just hope Francis dosen’t stay long…” He then picked up a pen and began to sign the different documents.
“Well, you don’t have to tell me if it’s a private matter.” He then waved it off like it was nothing and proceeded to look over at the papers that Alfred was supposed to be working on. “So, shall we get started with your paperwork then?”
~~~
Alfred looked at Arthur and gave a sigh. “No it’s okay…” His eyebrows then furrowed as he gave a frown. “It’s just Francis has always been… weird… And not in a good way or anything.” Alfred crossed his arms across his chest and looked away. “He likes to treat me like a, a child! And he’s the one who acts immature! And sometimes the things he would say!” Alfred’s cheeks then turned a bit red, but he still kept the angered expression.
“And the letters he would send me, were annoying. You know how Matthew went away?” Alfred asked looking back at Arthur. “He went to the Diamond kingdom, well according to Francis’s letters anyway. And the stuff he wrote… it made me angry.” Alfred then took a seat at the desk but didn’t move to do any of the work yet.
“So… I’m not really looking forward to seeing Francis again. He’s just going to act like a total jerk I know. And he’s going to make fun of me infront of you, Yao, and the rest of the castle when he comes…” Alfred then sighed and rested his head in his hands.
As they continued to walk down the hallway, Arthur started to ponder about the Diamond Kingdom. After all, he had met the royals from Hearts and Clubs. He wondered what the King and Queen of Diamonds would be like? Are they allies or foes?
He surely hoped that they were allies.
~~~
“I will be sure to set up a meeting with them then.” Yao gave a nod. He then turned to Alfred. “And it has been awhile since you have spoken to the king and queen of Diamonds your highness, It would be good if you increased your relations with them.”
Alfred frowned at Yao. “Ah… yeah sure. Lilly is no problem to get along with, but Yao-“
“No but’s your highness.” Yao cut him off. “You will improve relations with the king of Diamonds. You have to remember your duty as king, and the good of the kingdom.”
Alfred let out a sigh and crossed his arms in a pout not liking the idea of having to improve relations with the Diamond Kingdom.
“Now,” Yao spoke motioning to the large pile of papers on the desk in the study. “You have work to get done. And Arthur, make sure he gets them done, thank you.” Yao gave Arthur a smile, and a bow. “I will be drawing up that invitation to the King and Queen of Diamonds.” Yao then promptly left, leaving the other two alone.
