Once upon a dragonslaying Unicorn [2a/?]
anonymous
February 15 2010, 00:40:52 UTC
I finally remembered to leave out the 'RE:' from the subject line. Enjoy the next chapter of 'Once upon a dragonslaying Unicorn'
Italics is the bedtime story Bold is America commenting on the story normal is England commenting/answering America's comment
Chapter 2': Meet the 'hero' Alfred F. Jones
At the castle, the inhabitants were slowly awakening, unaware of what had transpired that night. They were getting worried around midday, when they still hadn't heard anything from Arthur. He couldn't pass a day without cursing, no matter how many promises were made or how many times they mentioned it was unladylike. His mother's dream was more and more stumped on whenever she heard a curse from her beloved 'princess'. She still resented her husband who insisted on letting him do at least one thing that wasn't even remotely ladylike.
They sent someone to his chamber, who returned with the note that was left on the pillow the previous night. The queen fainted from shock, while the king called for his men after reading the dreaded note. His brothers were staring in awe at the note, because, were it not for the daily cursing, they could have sworn Arthur was a girl, and not their cross-dressing brother, that's how good their mother was at manipulating people. This note, however, was anything but ladylike, it wasn't even polite!
People living in the castle (I refuse to call you the f-word),
I'm gone, plain and simple. I'm not coming back, even simpler. Don't come looking for me, I'll kill you if you do (especially if you're blood related). You didn't want me as a boy, I don't want to be a girl, so to save you the trouble, you will have neither, nor a cross-dressing son nor a pretend daughter. The boy has taken the girl hostage, the girl has had enough of the secrets about the boy, take it how you will.
Since I was obviously nothing but a doll for you to play with, I've left a life-sized one in my quarters. (Aren't I nice, giving you a new toy)
The missing items are with me, I needed some clothes that matches my gender (my REAL gender).
See you (hopefully) never again
Greetings Go fuck yourselves
Arthur Kirkland (your 4th SON, your little BROTHER)yes, I'm rubbing it in, deal with it!
After reviving the queen with the coldest water they could find, if only to see her reaction, they started thinking up an action plan, while she got over the shock of the water and the shock of Arthur leaving. The queen, getting over the shocks quicker than she should have, already had a plan in mind to get the princess back. 'Princess', she mused silently, 'because even though he knows he's a boy, he'll always be my little princess, no matter what he says or does.'
The others were quickly informed of her plan and without time to protest, they made their way towards the closest witch. The plan was to get Arthur cursed in some animal, so he would come running home with his tail between his legs. Arriving at the witch, the queen laid out her plans for the second time, adding just one last thing.
“We don't really care what you curse him in, just make sure it makes him return home. With that I mean it shouldn't be an animal that can be kept as a pet, like a cat or a dog, or even an animal that lives in the wild. In both cases he could get the opportunity to talk them into keeping him. It has to be a mystical creature, if possible one that is wildly sought after as to make people forget common sense. I want them to only see money when they spot him.”
The witch smiled to herself and sent them away after the curse was placed. She promised it was a creature people couldn't wait to get their hands on, but refused to say what creature exactly.
Slightly put of, but happy the witch had complied, they went home to await the return of the wayward princess.
Once upon a dragonslaying Unicorn [2b/?]
anonymous
February 15 2010, 00:49:28 UTC
Silence “That's it?! Is chapter two really that short?” “Apparently... Wait, there is an AN.” furrowed eyebrows “What does that stand for?” muffled giggle “That means author's note, really Iggy, you don't know?” “Sorry for not having an interest in internet stories, git, I rather enjoy having a book in my hands.” “Fine, fine.” wave of a hand “Can you read the AN now?” “I will, after you explain to me what you have against books.” crossed arms. “Me? Nothing.” innocent smile. Sigh
AN: This is not the end of chapter two. Rather, this is the end of chapter one, which was written later, causing me to forget about it. I'm sorry about the confusion and I hope you will enjoy chapter two, which begins under this author's note.
“She forgot about the end? How could she do that?” “I don't know, but I'm sure it's not intentional. She wouldn't be apologizing if it was. Do you have to complain about everything?” “Sorry. I'll be quiet now.” 'Yeah, for five minutes if I'm lucky.'
Chapter 2: Meet the 'hero' Alfred F. Jones
“Why did she keep the title?” “Why are you still talking?” “Who knows, guess we'll both never know the answer to our question.” cheeky laughter suffering sigh
Four years later, on the other side of the planet, a 18 year old boy was getting ready to begin his journey around the world, just like his father had done before him. His objective, however, was different from his father's. While the father went around the world slaying dragons for the money, almost always being robbed of the earned money on the way back home because of his naive nature, the boy was planning to travel around the world to save all the damsels-in-distress he could find, and if he had to slay a dragon or two to do it, that wouldn't be a problem.
His story, although not on the same line as Arthur's, is interesting in its own right.
It began 18 years ago, when his mother, unexpectedly, gave birth to twins. His brother, who was born first, was named Matthew and, besides being quiet for a newborn, was a healthy baby. The second one, however, seemed to have complications with breathing, screaming his lungs out without actually getting oxygen in his body and after watching him go from pink to blue and back again various times, they decided to wait with giving him a name, afraid he wouldn't survive his first few days. After the first week had passed and he was still alive, they decided to name him Alfred.
His childhood was a stressful one, at least for the parents. It was an endless battle for his life, one day bleeding into the other, his family often fearing that the attack was too severe for him to survive it yet again, but he kept pulling through. It was as if he simply refused to let his life slip away, no matter how hard the day had been. His parents decided to dress him in girl's clothing, as a warning of some kind to the boys so they wouldn't play too wild with him. They never lied to him about his gender nor did they lie about the reason whenever they were asked and Alfred himself didn't seem to mind too much.
“What's with all the cross-dressing? Is it the theme of the story?” “How would I know, I'm not the writer. If you really want to know, why not ask her?” “I will!!” Stretching silence. “Do you even know where you got the story from?” quirked eyebrow. Acted thinking “No” cheesy grin. Rolled eyes “Idiot.”
Fate seemed to be at least partially on their side. After a successful dragon hunt and a safe trip home before the birth, the father was able to put down work for a while. That way, whenever Alfred needed special attention, one of the parents could entertain Matthew, so he wouldn't feel left out. He, being the healthy one, walked and talked way before Alfred did and possessed the curious nature that all little children seemed to possess. What's more, sometimes it looked like Matthew was curious enough for two, as if he explored not only for himself, but also for his brother who was unable to.
Once upon a dragonslaying Unicorn [2c/?]
anonymous
February 15 2010, 00:56:02 UTC
On the twin's sixth birthday, it looked as if a switch was turned and a button was pressed. Alfred was doing a lot better, he acted like he didn't had to fight to get to his sixth birthday and although his lungs had apparently fixed themselves, his mother didn't want to take the risk. He was still prohibited from playing outside for longer than one hour and called inside whenever it started getting too wild. After the hour he was still checked thoroughly for any wounds that indicated rough play, just in case, and put on a chair with a book for the rest of the day, but unlike usual he often switched places with his older brother, because no matter how many times he heard the story of his first few years and the fear his parents felt, he couldn't resist the call of the outside, the call of adventure that followed him everywhere. Especially during the changes of a season was it difficult for Alfred to resist the call of the outside, when some things were no longer reachable, while others had never been so close. He wanted to investigate all the changes that happened and explore the new land he saw. That was the only drive he needed to get farther and farther on his explorations, day after day.
What didn't help to calm his parents was how much fantasy he possessed thanks to all the fairy tales he read. It didn't matter if he was inside or outside, he would always find something that needed saving or needed to be defeated. He even attacked Matthew once in his bed, when Alfred was sure his brother's covers were really snakes in disguise just waiting for Matthew to let his guard down, so they could choke him and have him for breakfast. Most of the times, Alfred's saving/defeating games were amusing to watch, but sometimes, like with Matthew, he took things too far. It happened that Alfred got so into his game that he couldn't tell fact from fiction anymore and he attacked anything he saw on his path. In those cases, Matthew, who was luckily slightly stronger, had to follow him, act as if he was the bad guy of the story Alfred was re-enacting and then 'capture' the hero, to take him to his lair, which was the house they lived in. Once back home, Alfred would be locked in a room filled with nothing but pillows and not allowed outside until he stopped attacking everything in sight.
There was one period Alfred was quiet. It happened a few months after the twin's 14th birthday and people were at the same time grateful for the silence and resentful to the means of accomplishing said silence. No one was sure what had caused it, but there were rumours going around town that one of his games had gotten too out of hand. This particular rumour was supported by the fact that Matthew was suddenly covered in bruises, with no clear-cut explanation for them, other than that it was an accident and he really should have watched the stairs. Alfred had finally conquered the bad guy that foiled his plans time after time. He managed to outsmart his eternal rival, but when he snapped out of his 'hero' daze, all he saw was Matthew, his big brother, beaten to a pulp, and his hands, covered in blood.
“She makes it sound like he's a psychopath.” “While that may be exaggerating, you can't argue he isn't completely normal.” pout “I think it's not fair, just because he has an over-active imagination, doesn't mean he can't control it.” sigh “I know that, but everyone can lose himself into a game if they aren't careful.” “I still think it's not fair.” “I get it: the author is not being fair.” suspicion, “Why are you so hung up about it?” “No reason, no reason”, 'Watch it America, if you aren't careful, he'll catch on.' quick kiss on the nose, 'there, that'll distract him.' blush “What are you doing, dimwit, let me continue the story.”
Most people didn't publicly resent Alfred, but he could feel their heated glares in his back and he could see the pitying glances they shot at his brother. That was when Alfred decided he would never save someone or defeat an enemy ever again, no matter how much it might hurt his heart, as long as it kept his family safe.
Once upon a dragonslaying Unicorn [2d/?]
anonymous
February 15 2010, 01:00:17 UTC
For the first few weeks, this new Alfred was well liked and well loved. They no longer had to watch what they said or did for fear of triggering Alfred's hero-response and when he and the other children played, he would always be an innocent bystander, ready to help the real hero fulfil his duty. It helped him see things from another point of view, but he couldn't help but miss his times as the hero in those games.
Slowly but surely, Matthew's wounds were healing and with each wound that sealed itself, Alfred's resolve to never play the hero ever again was crumbling. Each time he saw Matthew, he was filled with guilt over what he had done, but he couldn't ban his fairy tale side, whispering to him how he was a real hero, having defeated his life-long enemy at long last. Alfred did his best to ignore that side, telling himself he didn't want to do that to Matthew or anyone else again, but on their 16th birthday, Alfred realized he needed to take action. The side of him that liked to pretend life was one long fairy tale was getting the upper hand again.
He took up sword fighting. It started out as a way to vent pent up energy, the games they played no longer enough since he wasn't the one running around town to save everyone, but it grew into a real hobby, searching for the sword best suited for him, really taking care of the sword instead of just dropping it on the floor when he was finished with his routine. It really helped in the way that after he finished his long routine of training his mind and body and then cleaning his sword, he was exhausted enough to not want to go outside to play hero anymore, but he wasn't quite sure what he wanted to do when he needed to look after himself.
Inspiration struck him when he followed his father, who was going to look for his next dragon to kill. When they took the path towards the centre of the town, instead of towards the woods, Alfred became suspicious, when they stopped in front of a giant wooden board, filled with requests upon requests, he was slightly saddened. What about the adventure, the excitement of the unknown, the thrill of the hunt? He turned back around, determined to go back home, when they caught his eyes. All thoughts of never playing the hero again left his mind when he saw how many requests there were for the retrieval of missing girls. Princesses, servants, it all didn't matter to him, because they were all damsels-in-distress, waiting for their prince in shining armour.
Fairly confident in his abilities with the sword, he decided he would give real life saving a try, sure that he wouldn't need somebody's help, as long as he didn't actually take a saving request that involved dragons, he would take care of it without any trouble.
Scanning the requests a few times, Alfred decided on one close to home. He didn't want to worry his family. The request was about a girl from the village, a few years younger than him, who disappeared seemingly overnight. The name didn't ring any bells, but she looked familiar. It was a face he used to see when he was younger and still played the hero. She was always standing near the forest, searching for something in it, but never quite going in.
He went home, grabbed his sword claiming he wanted to train in a different environment, and made his way towards the forest.
In the forest, Alfred made up a battle plan. There was the possibility of the girl just being lost, but he couldn't rule out the chance of there being bandits, not to mention the wild animals that lived in these woods, so he couldn't rush in, no matter how much he wanted to. Plan in mind, he slowly walked towards the spot he always saw her standing at, searching for a clue that might give away what went on here. Not immediately seeing something, he made his way farther into the forest, keeping his eyes and ears open for anything out of place. When he saw something glinting on the ground, he carefully picked it up, before carelessly throwing it back away. It was only a knife and there was no possible way it could measure up to his sword.
Once upon a dragonslaying Unicorn [2e/?]
anonymous
February 15 2010, 01:05:12 UTC
After a good hour of searching, he was surrounded by trees and utterly lost. Not knowing what to do and slightly out of breath because he wanted to run, he sat down on a tree stump. Catching his breath, he suddenly heard something that sounded like yelling, but he couldn't make out the words. Going towards the noise, not really caring if he was heard, he could slowly make out two figures standing in front of each other. Getting even closer, he recognized one of the figures being the girl that needed to be saved, but when he surveyed the scene, it looked more like her companion needed the saving. Not really wanting to meddle in a lover's quarrel, if the shouting was anything to go by, but needing to make his present known he coughed in his hand. When he had their attention he slowly explained his reason for being there.
“There was a notice on the board about a girl who disappeared and I decided to search for her.” Alfred said. “What do we have got to do with it? Can't you see we're busy?” the girl asked, annoyed. “That's the thing, you're the missing girl.” he answered, realization setting in “I found the missing girl!” he yelled, excited. “Well done, can you leave now, we need to finish some things.” she replied, not impressed. “No, no, no, you don't get it. You are the missing girl. I need to save you from the bad guys and bring you back home.” he tried to explain, not understanding why she wasn't jumping in his arms out of gratitude. “That's not gonna happen. Not before I've finished this conversation.”she snarled back, turning her back on him.
'So this is what they call an inner dilemma' swiftly passed Alfred's mind before turning back to the matter at hand.
On one hand, there was a girl who needed saving, without looking like she needed saving. On the other hand, there was the boy, being verbally abused by the girl again, who didn't need actual saving, but clearly looked like he could appreciate any help he could get.
Mind made up, he rushed passed the girl, threw the boy over his shoulder and ran like the wind, asking the boy for directions. The girl, not ready with the boy, followed him, hurling rocks and sticks at him in her rage, unknowingly going towards her house. Out of the forest, but not out of the woods, Alfred kept running until they arrived at the girl's house. Once there, he literally dropped the boy, knocked on the door and by the time the girl caught up, the door was opened. He was ushered inside, together with the girl, where he finally got to hear the whole story. It turned out to be one big misunderstanding.
The girl had left a note, stating she was sick of her boyfriend cheating on her again and again and that she was going to call of the engagement once and for all, no matter what her parents said. Unfortunately, her parents panicked upon seeing the empty bed and immediately posted a request on the board, without checking her room. Around midday, a breeze had caused the note to flutter down, where her parents finally noticed it. When they read the note and knew what mistake they had made, the request had already been chosen by someone.
Thanking them for the story and not in the slightest put of by the lack of a reward, Alfred made his way back home, telling himself that he'll think twice before deciding to rescue a boy from a girl, having been kicked repeatedly by the girl, because of his interruption.
Once upon a dragonslaying Unicorn [2f/?]
anonymous
February 15 2010, 01:14:13 UTC
This went on for a while, until he decided to spill the beans to his family. His father had suspected for a while, Alfred always accompanying him to the boards, whenever he went. Matthew was happy for his brother, because he found a way to follow his dreams, without the danger of getting lost in said dream. His mother had known since his first rescue attempt, the gossip in town spreading like a wildfire amongst the women and while initially against his choices for fear his illness rearing his ugly head, she contended herself with the fact he was very sociable and would probably find someone to help him if it was really necessary.
And now here he stood, the day after his 18th birthday, ready to begin his first saving action across the sea, one particular request having caught his attention. It was something about a princess from Brittangel, who ran away four years ago on her 16th birthday, after she was cursed by a witch. No one knew what she was cursed as and a huge sum would be given as a reward if you managed to get her home in her cursed form. Not really interested in the money, but intrigued by the prospect of adventure, Alfred had quickly gone home to pack his bags and hurried to the haven where he searched for the right ship.
Once the ship had left, he looked back to his home, until recently, slowly leaving his sight, and then towards the horizon, where an adventure he couldn't have imagined, was waiting for him.
Now both main characters have been introduced and their history has been told. Next chapter Alfred and Arthur meet... multiple times.
I apologize about all the crossdressing, this anon has discovered her secret kink is crossdressing. I'll cut down on it in the following chapters.
I really enjoyed writing it especially Arthur's note and I hope you enjoy reading it
Italics is the bedtime story
Bold is America commenting on the story
normal is England commenting/answering America's comment
Chapter 2': Meet the 'hero' Alfred F. Jones
At the castle, the inhabitants were slowly awakening, unaware of what had transpired that night. They were getting worried around midday, when they still hadn't heard anything from Arthur. He couldn't pass a day without cursing, no matter how many promises were made or how many times they mentioned it was unladylike. His mother's dream was more and more stumped on whenever she heard a curse from her beloved 'princess'. She still resented her husband who insisted on letting him do at least one thing that wasn't even remotely ladylike.
They sent someone to his chamber, who returned with the note that was left on the pillow the previous night. The queen fainted from shock, while the king called for his men after reading the dreaded note. His brothers were staring in awe at the note, because, were it not for the daily cursing, they could have sworn Arthur was a girl, and not their cross-dressing brother, that's how good their mother was at manipulating people. This note, however, was anything but ladylike, it wasn't even polite!
People living in the castle (I refuse to call you the f-word),
I'm gone, plain and simple. I'm not coming back, even simpler. Don't come looking for me, I'll kill you if you do (especially if you're blood related). You didn't want me as a boy, I don't want to be a girl, so to save you the trouble, you will have neither, nor a cross-dressing son nor a pretend daughter. The boy has taken the girl hostage, the girl has had enough of the secrets about the boy, take it how you will.
Since I was obviously nothing but a doll for you to play with, I've left a life-sized one in my quarters. (Aren't I nice, giving you a new toy)
The missing items are with me, I needed some clothes that matches my gender (my REAL gender).
See you (hopefully) never again
Greetings Go fuck yourselves
Arthur Kirkland (your 4th SON, your little BROTHER)yes, I'm rubbing it in, deal with it!
After reviving the queen with the coldest water they could find, if only to see her reaction, they started thinking up an action plan, while she got over the shock of the water and the shock of Arthur leaving. The queen, getting over the shocks quicker than she should have, already had a plan in mind to get the princess back. 'Princess', she mused silently, 'because even though he knows he's a boy, he'll always be my little princess, no matter what he says or does.'
The others were quickly informed of her plan and without time to protest, they made their way towards the closest witch. The plan was to get Arthur cursed in some animal, so he would come running home with his tail between his legs. Arriving at the witch, the queen laid out her plans for the second time, adding just one last thing.
“We don't really care what you curse him in, just make sure it makes him return home. With that I mean it shouldn't be an animal that can be kept as a pet, like a cat or a dog, or even an animal that lives in the wild. In both cases he could get the opportunity to talk them into keeping him. It has to be a mystical creature, if possible one that is wildly sought after as to make people forget common sense. I want them to only see money when they spot him.”
The witch smiled to herself and sent them away after the curse was placed. She promised it was a creature people couldn't wait to get their hands on, but refused to say what creature exactly.
Slightly put of, but happy the witch had complied, they went home to await the return of the wayward princess.
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“That's it?! Is chapter two really that short?”
“Apparently... Wait, there is an AN.” furrowed eyebrows “What does that stand for?”
muffled giggle “That means author's note, really Iggy, you don't know?”
“Sorry for not having an interest in internet stories, git, I rather enjoy having a book in my hands.”
“Fine, fine.” wave of a hand “Can you read the AN now?”
“I will, after you explain to me what you have against books.” crossed arms.
“Me? Nothing.” innocent smile.
Sigh
AN: This is not the end of chapter two. Rather, this is the end of chapter one, which was written later, causing me to forget about it. I'm sorry about the confusion and I hope you will enjoy chapter two, which begins under this author's note.
“She forgot about the end? How could she do that?”
“I don't know, but I'm sure it's not intentional. She wouldn't be apologizing if it was. Do you have to complain about everything?”
“Sorry. I'll be quiet now.”
'Yeah, for five minutes if I'm lucky.'
Chapter 2: Meet the 'hero' Alfred F. Jones
“Why did she keep the title?”
“Why are you still talking?”
“Who knows, guess we'll both never know the answer to our question.” cheeky laughter
suffering sigh
Four years later, on the other side of the planet, a 18 year old boy was getting ready to begin his journey around the world, just like his father had done before him. His objective, however, was different from his father's. While the father went around the world slaying dragons for the money, almost always being robbed of the earned money on the way back home because of his naive nature, the boy was planning to travel around the world to save all the damsels-in-distress he could find, and if he had to slay a dragon or two to do it, that wouldn't be a problem.
His story, although not on the same line as Arthur's, is interesting in its own right.
It began 18 years ago, when his mother, unexpectedly, gave birth to twins. His brother, who was born first, was named Matthew and, besides being quiet for a newborn, was a healthy baby. The second one, however, seemed to have complications with breathing, screaming his lungs out without actually getting oxygen in his body and after watching him go from pink to blue and back again various times, they decided to wait with giving him a name, afraid he wouldn't survive his first few days. After the first week had passed and he was still alive, they decided to name him Alfred.
His childhood was a stressful one, at least for the parents. It was an endless battle for his life, one day bleeding into the other, his family often fearing that the attack was too severe for him to survive it yet again, but he kept pulling through. It was as if he simply refused to let his life slip away, no matter how hard the day had been. His parents decided to dress him in girl's clothing, as a warning of some kind to the boys so they wouldn't play too wild with him. They never lied to him about his gender nor did they lie about the reason whenever they were asked and Alfred himself didn't seem to mind too much.
“What's with all the cross-dressing? Is it the theme of the story?”
“How would I know, I'm not the writer. If you really want to know, why not ask her?”
“I will!!”
Stretching silence. “Do you even know where you got the story from?” quirked eyebrow.
Acted thinking “No” cheesy grin.
Rolled eyes “Idiot.”
Fate seemed to be at least partially on their side. After a successful dragon hunt and a safe trip home before the birth, the father was able to put down work for a while. That way, whenever Alfred needed special attention, one of the parents could entertain Matthew, so he wouldn't feel left out. He, being the healthy one, walked and talked way before Alfred did and possessed the curious nature that all little children seemed to possess. What's more, sometimes it looked like Matthew was curious enough for two, as if he explored not only for himself, but also for his brother who was unable to.
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What didn't help to calm his parents was how much fantasy he possessed thanks to all the fairy tales he read. It didn't matter if he was inside or outside, he would always find something that needed saving or needed to be defeated. He even attacked Matthew once in his bed, when Alfred was sure his brother's covers were really snakes in disguise just waiting for Matthew to let his guard down, so they could choke him and have him for breakfast. Most of the times, Alfred's saving/defeating games were amusing to watch, but sometimes, like with Matthew, he took things too far. It happened that Alfred got so into his game that he couldn't tell fact from fiction anymore and he attacked anything he saw on his path. In those cases, Matthew, who was luckily slightly stronger, had to follow him, act as if he was the bad guy of the story Alfred was re-enacting and then 'capture' the hero, to take him to his lair, which was the house they lived in. Once back home, Alfred would be locked in a room filled with nothing but pillows and not allowed outside until he stopped attacking everything in sight.
There was one period Alfred was quiet. It happened a few months after the twin's 14th birthday and people were at the same time grateful for the silence and resentful to the means of accomplishing said silence. No one was sure what had caused it, but there were rumours going around town that one of his games had gotten too out of hand. This particular rumour was supported by the fact that Matthew was suddenly covered in bruises, with no clear-cut explanation for them, other than that it was an accident and he really should have watched the stairs. Alfred had finally conquered the bad guy that foiled his plans time after time. He managed to outsmart his eternal rival, but when he snapped out of his 'hero' daze, all he saw was Matthew, his big brother, beaten to a pulp, and his hands, covered in blood.
“She makes it sound like he's a psychopath.”
“While that may be exaggerating, you can't argue he isn't completely normal.”
pout “I think it's not fair, just because he has an over-active imagination, doesn't mean he can't control it.”
sigh “I know that, but everyone can lose himself into a game if they aren't careful.”
“I still think it's not fair.”
“I get it: the author is not being fair.” suspicion, “Why are you so hung up about it?”
“No reason, no reason”, 'Watch it America, if you aren't careful, he'll catch on.' quick kiss on the nose, 'there, that'll distract him.'
blush “What are you doing, dimwit, let me continue the story.”
Most people didn't publicly resent Alfred, but he could feel their heated glares in his back and he could see the pitying glances they shot at his brother. That was when Alfred decided he would never save someone or defeat an enemy ever again, no matter how much it might hurt his heart, as long as it kept his family safe.
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Slowly but surely, Matthew's wounds were healing and with each wound that sealed itself, Alfred's resolve to never play the hero ever again was crumbling. Each time he saw Matthew, he was filled with guilt over what he had done, but he couldn't ban his fairy tale side, whispering to him how he was a real hero, having defeated his life-long enemy at long last. Alfred did his best to ignore that side, telling himself he didn't want to do that to Matthew or anyone else again, but on their 16th birthday, Alfred realized he needed to take action. The side of him that liked to pretend life was one long fairy tale was getting the upper hand again.
He took up sword fighting. It started out as a way to vent pent up energy, the games they played no longer enough since he wasn't the one running around town to save everyone, but it grew into a real hobby, searching for the sword best suited for him, really taking care of the sword instead of just dropping it on the floor when he was finished with his routine. It really helped in the way that after he finished his long routine of training his mind and body and then cleaning his sword, he was exhausted enough to not want to go outside to play hero anymore, but he wasn't quite sure what he wanted to do when he needed to look after himself.
Inspiration struck him when he followed his father, who was going to look for his next dragon to kill. When they took the path towards the centre of the town, instead of towards the woods, Alfred became suspicious, when they stopped in front of a giant wooden board, filled with requests upon requests, he was slightly saddened. What about the adventure, the excitement of the unknown, the thrill of the hunt? He turned back around, determined to go back home, when they caught his eyes. All thoughts of never playing the hero again left his mind when he saw how many requests there were for the retrieval of missing girls. Princesses, servants, it all didn't matter to him, because they were all damsels-in-distress, waiting for their prince in shining armour.
Fairly confident in his abilities with the sword, he decided he would give real life saving a try, sure that he wouldn't need somebody's help, as long as he didn't actually take a saving request that involved dragons, he would take care of it without any trouble.
Scanning the requests a few times, Alfred decided on one close to home. He didn't want to worry his family. The request was about a girl from the village, a few years younger than him, who disappeared seemingly overnight. The name didn't ring any bells, but she looked familiar. It was a face he used to see when he was younger and still played the hero. She was always standing near the forest, searching for something in it, but never quite going in.
He went home, grabbed his sword claiming he wanted to train in a different environment, and made his way towards the forest.
In the forest, Alfred made up a battle plan. There was the possibility of the girl just being lost, but he couldn't rule out the chance of there being bandits, not to mention the wild animals that lived in these woods, so he couldn't rush in, no matter how much he wanted to. Plan in mind, he slowly walked towards the spot he always saw her standing at, searching for a clue that might give away what went on here. Not immediately seeing something, he made his way farther into the forest, keeping his eyes and ears open for anything out of place. When he saw something glinting on the ground, he carefully picked it up, before carelessly throwing it back away. It was only a knife and there was no possible way it could measure up to his sword.
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“There was a notice on the board about a girl who disappeared and I decided to search for her.” Alfred said.
“What do we have got to do with it? Can't you see we're busy?” the girl asked, annoyed.
“That's the thing, you're the missing girl.” he answered, realization setting in “I found the missing girl!” he yelled, excited.
“Well done, can you leave now, we need to finish some things.” she replied, not impressed.
“No, no, no, you don't get it. You are the missing girl. I need to save you from the bad guys and bring you back home.” he tried to explain, not understanding why she wasn't jumping in his arms out of gratitude.
“That's not gonna happen. Not before I've finished this conversation.”she snarled back, turning her back on him.
'So this is what they call an inner dilemma' swiftly passed Alfred's mind before turning back to the matter at hand.
On one hand, there was a girl who needed saving, without looking like she needed saving. On the other hand, there was the boy, being verbally abused by the girl again, who didn't need actual saving, but clearly looked like he could appreciate any help he could get.
Mind made up, he rushed passed the girl, threw the boy over his shoulder and ran like the wind, asking the boy for directions. The girl, not ready with the boy, followed him, hurling rocks and sticks at him in her rage, unknowingly going towards her house. Out of the forest, but not out of the woods, Alfred kept running until they arrived at the girl's house. Once there, he literally dropped the boy, knocked on the door and by the time the girl caught up, the door was opened. He was ushered inside, together with the girl, where he finally got to hear the whole story. It turned out to be one big misunderstanding.
The girl had left a note, stating she was sick of her boyfriend cheating on her again and again and that she was going to call of the engagement once and for all, no matter what her parents said. Unfortunately, her parents panicked upon seeing the empty bed and immediately posted a request on the board, without checking her room. Around midday, a breeze had caused the note to flutter down, where her parents finally noticed it. When they read the note and knew what mistake they had made, the request had already been chosen by someone.
Thanking them for the story and not in the slightest put of by the lack of a reward, Alfred made his way back home, telling himself that he'll think twice before deciding to rescue a boy from a girl, having been kicked repeatedly by the girl, because of his interruption.
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And now here he stood, the day after his 18th birthday, ready to begin his first saving action across the sea, one particular request having caught his attention. It was something about a princess from Brittangel, who ran away four years ago on her 16th birthday, after she was cursed by a witch. No one knew what she was cursed as and a huge sum would be given as a reward if you managed to get her home in her cursed form. Not really interested in the money, but intrigued by the prospect of adventure, Alfred had quickly gone home to pack his bags and hurried to the haven where he searched for the right ship.
Once the ship had left, he looked back to his home, until recently, slowly leaving his sight, and then towards the horizon, where an adventure he couldn't have imagined, was waiting for him.
Now both main characters have been introduced and their history has been told. Next chapter Alfred and Arthur meet... multiple times.
I apologize about all the crossdressing, this anon has discovered her secret kink is crossdressing. I'll cut down on it in the following chapters.
I really enjoyed writing it especially Arthur's note and I hope you enjoy reading it
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Cannot wait to see they meet...multiple times lol
Curious about the animal Arthur changes to~
Maybe a rabbit?
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