Re: Chronicles and Myth [Warning R-18]

[Queen of Spades]

Arthur was subdued by his quick win. Of course Alfred wouldn't argue with him for long, there was no point to it. Arthur was trained to be diplomatic, it was much of her job. And she knew that this wasn't something they could easily skip out on, secret baby or not. Alfred's "compromise" was actually a relief to Arthur, she wouldn't mind staying the night places. Even before she was pregnant being in a carriage for too long was uncomfortable.

"Yes, we'll stay the night. I'll have someone look at the best routes possible to let the owners know where we'll be staying. It's only polite to give notice." Arthur was good at ensuring that most everyone would be appeased.

She gathered the enveloped and invitation, and turned to receive her kiss from the King. To her it was Alfred's way of showing that he was sorry for being strong-headed.

"I'm going to my own study to draft the acceptance letter and seal it. Please do your best to do at least a little work and not come knocking every three minutes."

[King of Spades]

Alfred watched Arthur walk out of his study, those hips moving like pure seduction and the king idly thought about how his husband managed to learn being, well, so feminine. Arthur had always been physically androgynous but not really girly. Then again, female or male, they weren't that different.

But Alfred scolded himself for being too soft on Arthur. "You're one awesome king- let your wife win in an instant," he grumbled. All of the sudden he also remembered that he hated balls with a burning passion. He hated dancing, hated phony people as they tended to gather during such occasions.

Even though balls were more than just fancy dancing parties, everybody knew that information and connections were shared and established at the same time, Alfred preferred being at home in his own castle. Sometimes he was inclined to be a little bit isolated. There were times where he was tempted to just shut his kingdom off from any international influences. But one part of him knew he couldn't do that.

"Enough complicated stuff," he murmured and rose from his seat to stretch his arms. "Time to play with Edward....bet he prefers reading his boring books anyway."

Maybe he should go check on Arthur again, but then he remembered that he would only end up having a door slammed in front of his nose.

When Alfred entered Arthur's study (he had waited for half an hour before entering as not to annoy her again)she was about to give a messenger the finished acceptance notice.

"Well, we're going to see the outside world, huh? Oh but you've been to Diamonds, haven't you? I remember I couldn't go to their ball, cause I happened to catch a cold at that time. How was it?"

[Queen of Spades]

Arthur, on the other hand, loved balls. She always had, even when she was a he. The dancing, music, mingling, it was all very appealing. It helped that Arthur was used to being subjected to the public eye, and used to dancing. Plus, orchestral music was his favorite type, and she loved getting dressed up. As a woman her dresses would be much more lovely than her old suits, but she would talk to the tailor later. Right now she had to actually inform Clubs that they would be in attendance.

She sat at the desk in her study and pulled out the fanciest paper she had. With her best penmanship and ink she wrote a flourishing letter to Queen Elizabeta, thanking her for the invitation and graciously accepting. It would be best to leave Edward at home, he was too young to go to these events, but she and the King would be in attendance gladly.

With the letter finished she sealed it and handed it over to her messenger as Alfred barged in.

"It was fine. Diamonds is far more extravagant than I assume Clubs will be. They are the flashiest of nations. Still, I think we should have outfits made that show our suit. It's not likely we will outshine Diamonds, but we should still put our best foot forward."

Arthur remembered back to their wedding, and the uncomfortable dancing that had occurred. "Do I need to teach you how to dance, or do you remember?" It was important that they didn't look foolish or weak.

[King of Spades]

Alfred wanted to back away and decline the offer of more dancing lessons, he really hated dancing. It was a dumb act, especially because royals danced for show only. The whole world should see the glittering jewels of the kings and queens. It was all nothing but a parade for fools. Well, he liked to think so, though in truth his hated has merely based on his terrible dancing skills. But obviously, he couldn't mention all these things in front of Arthur, Arthur who was being hormonal, moody and difficult.

Then again, if Arthur was going to give him dancing lessons, they would be alone. No teacher or ballroom guest would surround them. It would only be the two of them. And he didn't mind pressing his body close to his queen and sway along romantically. So he smiled and nodded. "Let's practice. Good thing you learnt the ladies' part,"

Gently, he took Arthur's delicate hand, so different than the male version. He pulled the other closer to his body, not caring about the correct position. "I personally think your boobs make a good cushion," he said with a cheeky grin as a reaction to her breasts pressing against his chest.

[Queen of Spades]

Arthur lightly smacked Alfred on the cheek. "Watch what you say, love. Don't be crude. Now, first you have to go over the basics." Which meant that she separated them, placing her own hand on his shoulder. "We can't waltz pressed closely like that. Not with your terrible skills." She began counting the steps out loud while pushing him in the directions the King needed to go. He was truly atrocious at dancing, and poor Arthur had a long way to go in teaching him.

Their lesson was about an hour long, that was all Arthur could currently spare. She still had work to do, and lots of it now that they were to be travelling to clubs. She had to prepare servants and carriages- much more work than usual. When they were done she parted after giving the King an earned kiss. He had complained nearly the whole time, if not through his words then his bored look, but he still completed the lesson and wasn't as terrible as before.

"I have work to do, and I know you do too. I'll have to see you later, Alfred, don't come bothering me because you're worried. I'll instruct my guards to not let you in." It seemed harsh, but Alfred worried to much. Alfred was fine.

[King of Spades]

He hated that Arthur was so overly professional lately. Maybe she was a little bit miffed about his over protective antics, but she really didn't have to be so serious all the time. Where was the loving? Alfred knew that his husband turned wife was the serious kind of person, which was a good thing for a monarch, but he missed the playful love. However, he decided not to make a big problem out of that, since he figured that it might have been a way for her to cope with the changes of pregnancy.

Time passed and in the meantime Alfred had sent a few Spadian spies to investigate the Kingdom of Clubs. The sudden out-of-nothing invitation was still suspicious, so he needed information about any abnormalities going on in said kingdom. Though nothing seemed to be out of ordinary— the spies couldn't find any evidence of potential conflicts. So Alfred ran out of excuses to ditch the ball.

Meanwhile Arthur's belly was definitely visible, even though she had been wearin loose dresses. Soon they were going to leave for the celebrations in the other kingdom. He already wasn't looking forward to the reactions of the people, not to mention the awkward situation of having to explain how the male Queen ended up female and pregnant.

[Queen of Spades]

Arthur was nervous, not only about the pregnancy, but about her new body, the other Royals, and a myriad of other state items. Primarily, she was worried that she wouldn't be able to read her new body, and that if something were wrong Arthur wouldn't know. Plus, there was now a ball that Clubs was throwing, and he couldn't find a reason for it. Sure, a country is allowed to throw a ball for no reason, but that wasn't Clubs typical style. Their Jack was very stingy. There had to be a reason, and the fact that Arthur couldn't see it put her on edge. But, it would be rude to refuse so she did her best to seem excited for it.

Arthur's worries were only heightened as the date grew closer and her belly grew bigger. She hadn't really considered that she might be obviously pregnant by the time the ball rolled around. Even the biggest tunic dresses couldn't hide her baby. Not that she was ashamed, but she worried what the other Royals would do or say once they saw her. Plus, she wasn't completely confident in travelling while this pregnant. By now, she was glad for Alfred's clingy worry-wart habits. He insisted on at least two doctors coming, and she didn't object. She didn't object to him pestering her as much, either. Arthur felt more tired, and any help Alfred gave was more than appreciated.

As their departure came near, Arthur was heavily relying on Alfred to do many of the things he normally saw to. Their trunks, the carriages, ensuring everything was in order. Walking for extended periods of time was tiring. Arthur reached over to grab Alfred's hand, rubbing the skin with her thumb.

"Thank you for being so helpful to me recently, Alfred. I've been so tired lately."

[King of Spades]

Alfred hugged his queen just before they were about to get into the carriage, taking in the scent of her long hair, enjoying the severely missed moment of intimacy. Well, he didn't mind that Arthur was relying on him, as it did make him feel more useful rather than being an annoying overprotective klutz. "I'm actually glad that I can help, you know. Of course you're tired— you have a mini me in you...well, a mini us."

He would have stayed in that position for some more, though the coachmen urged them to continue their lovey-dovey inside the carriage, for there was no time to waste and they had to make haste. Alfred only grumbled and helped Arthur climb into the small cabin, where they had to spend many long hours of sore butts— and not the good kind. He was about follow her, but was stopped by a small voice calling out to him. He turned to see Edward running towards him, clumsily carried by his itty bitty legs. Damn he must have been cute like that when he was small, but minus the grumpy personality.

"Hey little king," he crouched down to catch his son in a strong embrace and scooped him up. Edward struggled, his cheeks red and eyes fighting the tears in his eyes. While he was flailing, his other hand kept a tight grip on Alfred's shoulder and thus betraying his true intention. He didn't want his father to leave. Of course, it was the first time where both of his parents were leaving.

"You gotta take care of the castle, young man. A castle needs a king, you know. You can protect it for us, can you?"

Edward's lips trembled and his blue eyes were now clouded by the tears welling up and threatening to spill. But he kept the sobs from coming and nodded. "Pwotect mama," he said and paddled his feet, so that Alfred would let him down. Just before he was about to run off, back into the nun's arms, he turned one last time to leave a peck on Alfred's cheek and waved with determination at his mother.

Alfred entered the carriage with watery eyes. "He loves me after all."

[Queen of Spades]

Arthur couldn't help but smile as Edward gave Alfred a hug goodbye. She knew the child could be sweet, and he knew he loved Alfred. He just never showed it for whatever reason. Arthur sat quietly as they said goodbye, and gave Edward a brief head kiss before he ran away. Arthur knew he would be safe here at home.

He waved out the window to their little prince and took Alfred's hand when he sat down.

"Of course he loves you, Alfred. He always has. He just holds you to a higher standard. That's all."

Arthur gave her King's hand a kiss, and leaned her head on his shoulder. It was going to be a long and uncomfortable ride, one she wasn't looking forward to especially when pregnant. But they had to attend the Club's ball, if only to be polite and prevent a rift from separating their Kingdoms. A war was far worse than a few hours of being uncomfortable.

Arthur had to make the carriage stop a few times along the way, at risk of feeling queasy, but she managed the ride with as much dignity as possible.

"When we arrive, I'd like to take a rest if possible."

[King of Spades]

Alfred was simply relieved that their journey remained without hindrance. Of course, it ended up being a longer trip than it usually was, due to Arthur's condition and they had to take a break several times. During the night they resided in the nearest residence of an aritocratic family. Alfred's biggest fear had been that the whole trip was too much for Arthur, as she looked so fragile in her current state. But it seemed like he was worrying over nothing. And while it was tiring, Alfred also finally realised that pregnant Arthur wasn't a porcelain vase either. And he only felt dumb afterwards.

Now the next thing that still worried him was their presence in Clubs. How would the people react? Rumours had already spread, so it wasn't really a secret any longer, but he still didn't look forward to the stares. Still lost in thought he missed the passing of Clubs' border, and before he knew it he was already approaching the capital. Alfred could already spot the city wall from afar and the festive green banners. Faintly, the peaks of several towers were visible from behind the tall, intimidating, wall. It looked like it could be a lively city, considering that there were so many vehicles also heading for the capital.

Unlike Spades however, the castle wasn't immediately within the capital. It was quite far up, a fortress on a mountain. And very befitting of the tense situation, dark clouds were looming above the castle.

Alfred squeezed Arthur's hand. "I need a rest, too. We should both nap once we've arrived," he said with a small and tired smile. His head turned back to watch the castle with unease. "I'm not looking forward to meeting King Ivan. We never really took to each other. Bad chemistry I guess."

Once there, they were relieved to find out that they were spared from any unwanted exposure for now. They were simply greeted by the Master of Household and shown to their shared chamber to rest. They hadn't met the royal couple yet...or any other royals. Everything was saved for the evening.

Alfred immediately crashed on the bed, happy to feel the softness as a welcome change to the carriage seats. "God, I don't wanna go tonight..." He whined.

[Queen of Spades]

Arthur patted Alfred's hand and took the spot next to him on the bed. "Don't worry about King Ivan. I'll try to distract him with bland conversation as much as possible." Arthur was good at being diplomatic, that was his primary job. He had to ensure good ties with the other nations, no matter the cost. It was the whole reason they had come out to this ball in the first place. Diplomacy.

"I know you don't want to go tonight, love. But it will be fine. If anything, you have an excuse to stay with me the whole night." Arthur would likely need Alfred near, anyway. The farther along she got, the more fatigued she found herself. She was nervous for the ball, not only because of the reactions the other royals and court members might have, but also whether or not they might perceive her as weak. If there was one thing Arthur couldn't stand, it was to be seen as weak.

Arthur desperately needed a nap before the dinner and dancing, so she took the chance to lean against Alfred and fall asleep. She trusted the maids would be by to wake them up in plenty of time. Her dresses were still designed to hide the majority of her baby bump, and for that Arthur was grateful.

However she was more tired that she thought, and when it came time to wake up and get ready, Arthur found it hard. it took her a good few minutes to be awake enough to sit up and change dresses. It was more of a pain than it should be. There were too many maids rushing, too much to be done. Arthur wasn't sure she fancied this part of being a woman. She missed those lovely cloaks.

So much so, that she looked at Alfred's evening wear with envy. "It's so much easier for you to get dressed."

[King of Spades]

Alfred couldn't help but chuckle at the sight of his queen's highly displeased grimace as one layer was built up over another. Clearly, Arthur was annoyed by the complexity of their most formal wear for women. She was always properly dressed when they were back then in the castle, but a royal ball was on a completely different level in terms of the dress code.

"Can you even walk under a dozen layers of fabric and that ridiculous petticoat?" Her annoyed face made him chuckle and forget his own tension for a moment.

Eventually, they were fully dressed when Arthur's tiara was placed in front of her updo. They linked arms and proceeded to join the ball.

Compared to their arrival earlier, the castle was now brimming with people; noble guests and servants alike. One by one the most important guests were announced and each time the ballroom would grow silent for a moment, but not for very long.

When Alfred and Arthur appeared at the entrance, they were greeted by the master of ceremonies.

"His Majesty, the King of Spades. And Hi-her Majesty, the Queen of Spades."

And boy did all the king's horses and all the king's men fall silent. All eyes were directed at them. At Arthur to be precise.

[Queen of Spades]

"It's suffocating and insufferable. I'm utterly miserable." The Queen huffed and gathered her skirts in her arms as she moved about. It was hard with her belly in the way, but tripping would be worse. As they neared the ballroom, she had to take a couple of deep breaths from nervousness. No one outside their court had seen Arthur like this yet- both as a woman, or pregnant. And now everyone in the land would be seeing all at once.

Arthur ignored their gazes, walking forward with her head high and eyes fixed on the King and Queen of Clubs. She was leaning on the King more heavily than she normally would, but it was barely noticeable to anyone other than him. She made sure to walk like a powerful queen should, and act like nothing was wrong.

In reality, she was tired. Exhausted, even. The trip and her pregnancy was taking a lot out of her. Especially in the recent months, as the baby grew larger and heavier, moving a lot was troublesome. At first she was annoyed by the overbearing King, but now she was relying on him more than ever. More than she'd like to admit.

They strolled, arm in arm, over towards the King and Queen of Clubs and Arthur curtsied politely. She knew how to be perfectly courteous, even as a woman, as that was part of her job as the Queen of Spades.

[King of Spades]

The first one to react was the queen of Clubs. Her hair, which had unconventionally been kept loose, bounced at her abrupt movement towards Arthur, whose hands were grabbed by the other queen in excitement. Her jovial laughter sounded light and broke the stiff and formal atmosphere. Those green eyes stared at the Spadian queen with unconcealed curiosity and her painted red lips smiled without restrain.

"My, my, you look beautiful, Your Majesty. I can't help being jealous over the fact that you're prettier than me even as a woman. Your Oracle is capable of such powerful magic - we're all in awe. Right, Ivan?"

Ivan only nodded pleasantly. It was nice to see his queen so cheerful again.

"We congratulate you," he said and bowed at Arthur and then at Alfred.

Everything seemed so sickeningly normal. Had he been too paranoid after all? Maybe they all simply wanted to confirm the rumours about Arthur's pregnancy, nothing unusual about that. And yet he still had a bad nagging feeling.

"We are happy to see you healthy, Queen of Clubs," greeted Alfred as he took Elizabeta's hand to kiss it. "You too, King of Clubs."

[Queen of Spades]

Arthur was taken aback by the the Queen of Clubs sudden shrieking and bouncing. She wobbled when her hands were grabbed, balance was difficult to keep sometimes (she was a bit top-heavy) but thankfully Alfred's arm around her waist steadied her. Arthur was somewhat relieved that Elizaveta reacted so warmly to the surprised, she had been worried that it would be seen as cheating, since the Hearts Kingdom hadn't gone to such lengths for an heir, let alone a simple child. At least not yet.

Arthur smiled in return, gripping the hands of the Queen of Clubs. "Yes, our oracle is very kind. It means quite a bit to me to be able to have a child of my own. The King as well. Though I'm not sure I would be too keen on repeating the experience, it takes quite a toll." Arthur laughed, she was trying her best to keep it lighthearted. Show that this was all just very temporary.

She wasn't sure what the motivation for the ball was, but being here still made her nervous. The Queen of Clubs seemed to have reacted well, but who knew if the reaction was a natural one, or something fabricated to hide her real response. Arthur took her hands away from Elizaveta, to move her attentions towards King Ivan. She bowed at him again, maintaining eye contact.

"It is a pleasure to see you again, King Ivan. It's kind of you to invite us to your ball."

King Ivan stood to approach the couple, they were the last to arrive in his court.

"The ball was all Elizaveta's doing, she had the idea and planned it. It seemed pleasant to have us all meet together again, without politics."

Arthur smiled and went back to Alfred's arm. It seemed to be perfectly innocent, but Arthur couldn't shake a feeling of unrest. Perhaps she would talk to Alfred about it that night, if he didn't think anything was wrong then she would have to chalk it up to unfortunate hormones and try to have as much fun as possible. If he did, then they would both know to be very careful during their stay.

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