In Spades 6a/??
anonymous
October 30 2011, 18:24:29 UTC
I know everybody is eagerly waiting for Arthur to have a larger role! Well... there's still a few more chapters until then so I hope everybody is patient. ^^; Yeah, this isn't turning out to be a short story.
Alfred quickly tugged his clothes on, ignoring the way they clung to sweat and... other things. He just wanted to get back to his room and sleep, just like every other night for the past week.
“I'll see you tomorrow, then.” Arthur lounged on the bed, wrapping a blanket around his naked body. “Or you could stay the night...”
Alfred stiffened. “That would be suspicious. You're the one who agreed to Matthew not finding out about us.”
“That I did.” Arthur rolled over. “Good night, then.”
“Good night.” Alfred fled.
*****
Matthew rolled over again, a sigh escaping. He peered through the dark at the outline of the empty bed nearby - fuzzy without his glasses - and frowned. Alfred still wasn't back. He hadn't been kidding about working late... How ridiculous. He really ought to be paid more if he was working more.
Matt had to chuckle at that thought. After everything the twins had been given, they really didn't deserve more - they were getting far more than they deserved! - no matter how late Alfred was working.
But still. They shouldn't take advantage of him.
The door finally opened, admitting a figure that definitely had Alfred's outline. Without bothering to undress (Eww, stable clothes in his bedding!) Alfred dropped onto his bed, face buried in the pillow. Matthew smiled and let his eyes drift shut, but they snapped open again at the muffled sound that emerged from his brother's pillow.
Was he... crying?
Alfred didn't cry. Except when he was really scared, or when he and Matthew got into an argument, but he didn't really cry. Alarmed, Matthew slid out of bed and hurried to his twin's side. “Al?”
Alfred's face jerked up. His glasses were askew on his nose. “Matt?”
Matthew knelt down beside him. “What's wrong?”
Alfred just stared at him, jaw dropping. “You...”
“What?” Matthew frowned, wondering what... oh. He glanced back at his bed, realizing what he had done.
“You're up!”
“Yeah.” Matthew's lips curved.
“Hey, sit down.” Alfred tugged Matthew onto his bed. “Don't overexert yourself.”
“I'm fine.”
“So... all that nasty shit Tino's been feeding you is paying off?”
A small laugh escaped. “It seems so.”
“And all the poking and prodding...” Alfred squeezed him close. “I'm glad.”
“You're changing the subject. Why were you crying?”
“Uh.” Alfred stiffened. “Was I? Oh yeah.” He laughed weakly. “Oh, well, a horse is sick.”
“Al...” He pretended to be tough, but he really was a big softie. “I'm sure the horse will be fine.”
“I hope so.”
“Are you sure you're okay?”
Alfred laughed, sounding delighted. Matthew cheered up now that his twin's tears were gone. He had been worried for a minute there. “I'm just fine, Matt.”
*****
The weeks passed, leaves falling and air chilling. Matthew dutifully drank whatever concoctions Tino presented to him, and put up with examinations that sometimes grew painful. But every day he grew stronger, able to move on his own to everyone's delight.
It certainly made the nights in Arthur's bed worth it to Alfred. He endured being the Queen's whore because every day the signs of his twin's illness faded, and there was no price he wouldn't pay for that. Even as he dreamed of life outside the palace - as a soldier of a kingdom he was proud to defend, or a traveling merchant, or an entertainer; visiting his home kingdom of Hearts he hadn't seen since he was a child, or venturing out of the Kingdoms to see the world - he was resigned to his fate of spending the rest of his life as a spoiled royal's toy.
In Spades 6b/??
anonymous
October 30 2011, 18:25:27 UTC
But at least, when he was struck by the reality of his situation and couldn't keep his emotions inside anymore, he remembered to do that in private, whether he thought his brother was asleep or not.
*****
Alfred tapped on the study door before peeking in, gulping as he walked inside. The Queen, looking up from his book, merely waited silently. The room was nice and homey, with a fire crackling away, bathing them in its golden light. Rows and rows of books stood on the many shelves that would probably give Matthew an orgasm from the sight of all of them. There was a couch at one end, and a desk at the other, covered in paperwork.
“Um.” Alfred rubbed the back of his neck. “Well, I thought maybe... now? Then I could have the night off, and...” He trailed off with a shrug.
“Now?” Arthur placed a strip of cloth in his book before slapping it shut.
“Well, Matt's out.”
“Out?” Arthur's generous eyebrows raised.
Alfred nodded. “Shopping.”
“By himself?”
“Tino said it was okay.”
“Well.” Arthur stood. “He's certainly improving.”
“I know!” Alfred couldn't help the grin that spread across his face, not caring that it was the Queen he was talking to, and the Queen was only interested in one thing. “It's amazing, thank you so much for letting us borrow Tino, this is the best thing that's ever happened to us.”
“Oh.” Arthur looked down at his book. “You're, uh... you're welcome.”
“All right, we've got some time.” Alfred strolled over to the couch, shedding clothes as he went. He was rather excited about the thought of getting a full night's sleep in his own bed. Naked, he lay down on the couch.
Arthur froze, staring down at him. “What are you doing?”
“What?” Alfred looked at himself. Oh. He was laying on his back. “Oh, right. Well, in this book-”
Arthur frowned. “You're finally learning to read, and that's the sort of book you're using?”
“No, I was looking for a book to use, and glanced through this one, and it had... illustrations.”
“I see.” Arthur studied him a moment, lips pursed. Face reddening slightly, he looked away. “Well... no. No, we better not.”
“All right.” Alfred flipped over. After a moment of rustling clothing, Arthur joined him, sprawling atop him. His chest was quite warm against Alfred's back.
They moved together in a familiar dance. Alfred moaned as pleasure spiked through him while his body was used for its purpose. Above him, Arthur grunted and sighed as he moved. His hands skimmed over Alfred's body, and he left a few possessive bitemarks.
Arthur finished with a groan, resting atop Alfred for a moment afterward before tugging out and rolling off of him. Alfred shivered at the sudden burst of cold against his back. He grabbed his clothes and stood up, before anything that had been left inside him could drip out onto the nice couch.
Nothing more was said with the exception of hurried goodbyes as Alfred left.
*****
Matthew picked up the cup, eyes widening at the pricetag. It claimed that the cup was made of genuine porcelain from a far-off land outkingdom. Well, just because he was no longer broke didn't mean he wanted to throw his money away. He set the cup down, and wandered over to the next stall.
It was the first time his physician friend had okayed a trip by himself outside of the palace. It had taken a bit longer to convince his overprotective brother, but Tino had assured him Matthew would be fine, if he didn't stay away too long, and immediately returned if he felt at all unwell.
So far so good. Matthew had made a few purchases for himself, his twin, Tino, and some of the other new friends he had made in the palace.
As Matthew browsed a snack vendor's wares, a man cloaked against the cold joined him. What was visible of his face was quite handsome, though Matthew tried not to be too obvious about sneaking a peek.
“Excuse me,” the man said, just as Matthew was preparing to move on. “Are you all right?”
In Spades 6c/??
anonymous
October 30 2011, 18:26:58 UTC
Matthew blinked. How did he know he was unwell? “Yes, I'm fine, thanks.”
“You're sure?” The other man turned to him with a smile. He really was handsome, and had a hint of beard. He had an accent Matthew couldn't place. “Because it must have hurt when you fell from the heavens.”
“What?”
“Sorry.” His smile grew apologetic. “If I told you you had a nice body, would you hold it against me?”
Matthew frowned. “I... What?”
“Ah... never mind.” With a defeated sigh, the stranger turned to leave.
“I wasn't questioning you out of ignorance,” Matthew said with a roll of his eyes, and the man turned. “I was just surprised that someone would seriously use such awful lines.”
“But it got your attention, didn't it?” He stepped closer again. “What is your name?”
He hesitated on the verge of walking away. “Matthew.”
The other man took Matthew's hand and kissed the knuckles. “I am...” He paused. “Francis.”
“Is it really?”
“You doubt me?” He chuckled.
“You paused.”
“It is not a well-liked name in this kingdom.”
“Ohh...” It hit Matthew. So that was why his accent sounded unfamiliar! Francis was a very common Diamonds name. The kingdom Spades was pretty much always at war with. “Are you really from...?”
“Originally,” Francis said quickly. “No worries.”
Matthew glanced around. He was living in the palace due to the Queen of Spade's generosity, and here he was speaking to someone from the enemy kingdom! “Can't you... mask the accent a bit?”
“Very few of the general population would even recognize it these days. You're proof enough of that.” Francis flashed an annoyingly winning smile. “Could I treat you to dinner?”
“I'm afraid not,” Matthew said, shaking his head. “My physician wouldn't like me staying out that late.”
“Oh, you are ill?” Francis' eyes widened in surprise. “Lunch, then? Or just a drink?”
Why not? Now that he could, Matthew wanted to enjoy himself whenever he could. And he had to admit, the handsome Diamonds man intrigued him. “Lunch would be nice.”
Re: In Spades 6c/??
anonymous
October 30 2011, 20:43:40 UTC
This is really shaping up nicely, author!non. And seeing Mattie walk! It made me squeal with excitement. I hope Alfred's situation improves soon, though, because it just breaks my heart to see him like this. In any event, this is excellent, one of my favorite fills of the now, and I know it'll only get better. Bravo!
Re: In Spades 6c/??
anonymous
October 30 2011, 23:31:32 UTC
You have no idea how happy it makes me Matthew and Francis finally meet. I get so excited when I see an update from you, A!A. You place this so beautifully, and the world you build is fantastic. Lovely work~
In Spades 7a/??
anonymous
November 4 2011, 00:18:27 UTC
Alfred glanced down at the “shopping” list in his hand. “Bread, jam, apples...” He was still learning, so Matthew had helpfully illustrated each word. “What in the world is that last one?” Matthew was very intelligent, teaching himself foreign languages and math just by reading about them, but he wasn't the best artist in the world. “Maybe one of the cooks will know, if they're there.” It sounded like Mattie was planning a picnic; probably with his new friend. Alfred smiled to himself as he thought back to a few days ago.
“You're going out again?” Alfred, in the middle of getting ready for work, turned to stare at his brother. “You just went out yesterday! I don't know if that's a good idea. Why not rest for a couple day?”
“I'll be fine,” Matthew said. “I won't be doing anything strenuous. I'm just going out for drinks and chatting.”
“With who?”
“With Francis. I met him yesterday...” Matthew smiled, tracing the pattern on his blanket with a finger. “He's very handsome and nice.” His smile promptly fell and he ducked his head, chewing on his lip. Alfred realized with a grimace that Matthew was waiting for him to disapprove, to be angry that someone would dare be too friendly with his precious brother.
Well... maybe he was a little. But mostly he was glad that Matthew could have a life. “Sounds fun!” Alfred grinned at his twin's surprised expression. “Is that what you're going to wear? I've got something a little nicer in here somewhere. You're about my size, right?”
And they both laughed at the stupid joke, purely happy.
“Of course, if he does anything I don't approve of to Mattie, he's toast,” Alfred said to himself. And strangely enough, now that he had mentioned toast, he could swear he smelled something burning. He paused as he approached the kitchen, sniffing the air. Tucking the list away with a frown, Alfred stepped closer.
He definitely smelled smoke. It didn't look like there were any unwanted flames in the kitchen... Nose twitching like a rabbit as he sniffed, Alfred walked into the kitchen. Somebody must have left something in to cook and forgot about it. Well, Alfred had spent too many years on the brink of starvation to let a little char stop him from salvaging food.
Standing in the kitchen was none other than Queen Arthur. He was hovering near the cooking fire, swearing as he fanned at the thick plume of smoke.
Alfred froze. “Er, Ar-Your Majesty?”
Arthur whirled around. “What are you doing here?”
Alfred looked around at the assorted food. “Getting something to eat? Well, Mattie sent me with a list, and...” He shook his head. “What are you doing here? Uh, if you don't mind me asking...”
“I cook,” Arthur said, sounding almost defensive. “I wasn't always royalty, you know, I'm not helpless.”
“Uh, I wasn't going to-”
“It just got a little too hot too quickly.”
“Maybe you should take it off the fire now?” Alfred stepped closer, peering at whatever it was the Queen was killing. What appeared to be a sad little blackened chunk of meat sat in the fire. Alfred grabbed some tongs and rescued the poor smoldering thing. “I don't know that this can be salvaged.”
“Well...” Arthur coughed. “I can cook.” He turned and quickly strode out of the kitchen.
“He's got five thousand cooks working for him...” Alfred muttered to himself as he disposed of the ruined meat, and set about hunting down Matthew's supplies. “Oh well. I guess he gets tired of being waited on hand and foot, if he wasn't born into it.” Should he have asked Arthur what the last item on the list was? Ah well...
*****
Matthew thought he might pass out as he clung to Francis. Their slick bodies writhed together on the inn's luxurious bed. Matthew was lost in a haze of sheer heavenly pleasure - Francis had spent so long worshiping every inch of Matthew's body with hands, lips and tongue, by the time they had gotten to the actual lovemaking, Matt had been too far gone with floating on pleasure to even pay much attention to the discomfort. Francis brought him right to the verge of orgasm and kept him there, until he thought he would go mad. When he finally did come, it was the most intense sensation he had ever felt.
In Spades 7b/??
anonymous
November 4 2011, 00:21:05 UTC
They lay there afterward, tangled together on the soft sheets. Francis idly trailed his fingers along Matthew's side as they basked in the afterglow, listening to their breathing calm.
“That was good,” Francis said at last. “You are sure that was your first time?”
“I'm sure.” Matthew laughed tiredly. “There was no skill involved on my part, that was all you.”
“Why thank you. So was it worth the wait?”
“I'll say.”
“Good.” Francis moved his hand to comb through Matthew's damp hair. “You look lovely like that, all flushed and tired and happy.”
“Mm.” Francis seemed to like everything about him. He was always finding something new to be enchanted with: his eyes, his glasses, his laugh, his knowledge of the Diamonds language, the way the cold didn't bother him as much as it did Francis. In return, Matthew found just about everything about Francis enchanting. His zest for life, his sweetness, his corny jokes and even cornier petnames, his fondness for birds, his fondness for sweets...
“You are okay? Tino cleared you for such strenuous activity?”
Matthew lightly smacked him. “I'll be fine. But I probably won't stay too much longer.” He brightened. “Why don't you come back with me? Alfred wants to meet you, I'm sure.”
Francis chuckled. “To the palace?”
“On second thought, I don't know about the policy regarding guests... It's never come up.” Matthew let out a sigh. “Maybe we should hold off on you visiting me.”
“That's okay. I'm not a big palace fan...”
“Well I won't force you. It's nice here.” Francis had a favorite inn he stayed at whenever he was in the area on business. His home was in the Leaf area of Spades, a goodly distance away. Matthew supposed he could make the journey some day, if Tino didn't mind accompanying him. “Maybe I'll bring Alfred next time. He'll worry less.” Matthew chuckled when he realized how that sounded. “About my health, I mean, not you.”
“I will have to think of something fun for us all to do together,” Francis said. “And something special for us to do next time we're alone.”
“You've thought of all of our activities,” Matthew said. “I'm going to plan something special this time.”
“Okay, then.” Francis laughed, giving Matthew a squeeze. “Ah, I'm so glad I found you...”
*****
Matthew was still floating in a pleasant fog after he returned home. Not in the mood to return to his room, he wandered through the vast, elaborate halls (and okay, so he was a little sore, but it was nothing he couldn't handle.). He stopped to talk to various nobles and servants, swiped a roll from the kitchen, admired the artwork and tapestries, and finally stopped to gaze at a large stained glass window he was pretty sure he hadn't seen before. Lost in thought about his lover, he gazed at the light filtering in through the blue and green mosaic pattern for many minutes.
He stepped away when he realized he was no longer alone in the hallway. Another man stood in one of the doorways, looking surprised to see Matthew there. What did I do wrong? Matthew thought desperately. I saw other people here, this isn't a restricted area. Is it?
“Well hello.” The other man smiled. He had ridiculous eyebrows. Ridiculous, familiar eyebrows. Why did he look familiar?
It only took about a second for it to hit Matthew, and he gasped. “Y-your Majesty.” Panic quickly seized him. In the time he had lived in the palace, he had yet to actually meet the Queen. What did he do? Everything he had studied about court etiquette fled his mind as he was confronted by a real life royal. He was supposed to bow, of course. But by then enough time had passed that it would seem like an afterthought, he was standing there staring like an idiot, and-
“There's no need for that.” The Queen stepped closer. “There's nobody else here.”
In Spades 7c/??
anonymous
November 4 2011, 00:22:47 UTC
Matthew let out a breath. “O-okay.” The panic lessened, but only slightly. Why was the Queen still there? Still walking closer and smiling at Matthew and... Well, Alfred had said that the Queen had rather quickly befriended him and invited them to live in the palace. Maybe he was just friendly.
The Queen smiled, reaching out to trail his fingers along Matthew's cheek. Matthew gulped, wondering just how friendly royalty was. They had not even properly introduced themselves yet, even if they knew who they were! And then Matthew found himself being spun around and embraced from behind.
“Your Majesty!” he yelped.
“It's Arthur,” the Queen said.
“Arthur, then!”
“You're awfully stiff...” His hands roamed lower, running over Matthew's stomach before resting on his genitals. “And not in a good way.”
Matthew squeezed his eyes shut, starting to tremble. So this was it. After it had seemed like everything in their life was just getting better and better, Matthew was going to be raped. And there wasn't a damn thing he or anybody else could do about it because it was the Queen.
“I know how to loosen you up.” Arthur's hand thankfully moved, but soon it was massaging Matthew's ass. “Come on, let's go back to... um...”
Nothing was said for a moment, then Arthur spun Matthew around to face him, frowning. “Why are you so scared? You're hardly breathing! You...” He peered closer. Almost comically, the blood drained from his face, and he backed away like Matthew was a dangerous animal. “Oh shit. Are you Matthew?”
Matthew stepped back until he bumped against the wall, eyes wide. “You thought I was Alfred.”
“I thought something was a bit off when I saw you...” The blood had returned to his face in full force, leaving the Queen quite red. “Um...”
Matthew fled past Arthur, ignoring his startled yelp as he hurried through the hallway, back toward his room. He avoided surprised servants and annoyed nobles, not slowing down until he reached the now-familiar fancy room that had become his.
That had apparently become his because his brother was having a royal affair he apparently did not feel Matthew needed to know about.
He paced, back and forth the length of their room. He paced until his feet were sore and Tino would lecture him on overexerting himself. All he could think was Why? Why had Alfred lied to him? What was he thinking? Had the whole stable boy thing been a lie? No, Matthew had seen him working, Alfred couldn't have created that elaborate of a ruse. But the working in the stables at night... Matthew fumed, pacing quicker. It had never really made sense that he would have to disappear for so long each night just to check on the sleeping horses. How could he have fallen for something so stupid? Alfred was off with his lover each night, piling on the lies when he returned, and-
Matthew gasped, hand flying to his mouth. He came to a stop, anger draining from him, replaced with a sharp stab of worry. Alfred had returned one night from the “stables”...
Re: In Spades 7c/??
anonymous
November 4 2011, 00:42:51 UTC
Hooooly shit, I was waiting for that to finally happen. Matthew's going to kick both of their asses, isn't he? (Maybe Arthur should have learned to greet people before groping? I mean, come on, even Francis probably does! ... Probably!)
Also, I can't wait to see Arthur and Francis interact. That should be epic.
Re: In Spades 7c/??
anonymous
November 4 2011, 00:57:05 UTC
A!A, you have made my day wonderful. Franada sex and then Matthew finding out what Arthur and Alfred have been up to? Absolutely perfect, I cannot wait until everyone gets to interact together. Lovely, lovely work!
Re: In Spades 7c/??
anonymous
November 4 2011, 08:31:49 UTC
Perfect way to find out his brother is sleeping with the queen, poor traumatized boy. But I as a reader enjoyed it greatly, that was a very well-done scene.
Oh and Arthur being a failure in the kitchen was completely adorable, I' glad Alfred finally gets to see his more human side. (somebody will have to prevent the queen from Matthew's rage)
Alfred quickly tugged his clothes on, ignoring the way they clung to sweat and... other things. He just wanted to get back to his room and sleep, just like every other night for the past week.
“I'll see you tomorrow, then.” Arthur lounged on the bed, wrapping a blanket around his naked body. “Or you could stay the night...”
Alfred stiffened. “That would be suspicious. You're the one who agreed to Matthew not finding out about us.”
“That I did.” Arthur rolled over. “Good night, then.”
“Good night.” Alfred fled.
*****
Matthew rolled over again, a sigh escaping. He peered through the dark at the outline of the empty bed nearby - fuzzy without his glasses - and frowned. Alfred still wasn't back. He hadn't been kidding about working late... How ridiculous. He really ought to be paid more if he was working more.
Matt had to chuckle at that thought. After everything the twins had been given, they really didn't deserve more - they were getting far more than they deserved! - no matter how late Alfred was working.
But still. They shouldn't take advantage of him.
The door finally opened, admitting a figure that definitely had Alfred's outline. Without bothering to undress (Eww, stable clothes in his bedding!) Alfred dropped onto his bed, face buried in the pillow. Matthew smiled and let his eyes drift shut, but they snapped open again at the muffled sound that emerged from his brother's pillow.
Was he... crying?
Alfred didn't cry. Except when he was really scared, or when he and Matthew got into an argument, but he didn't really cry. Alarmed, Matthew slid out of bed and hurried to his twin's side. “Al?”
Alfred's face jerked up. His glasses were askew on his nose. “Matt?”
Matthew knelt down beside him. “What's wrong?”
Alfred just stared at him, jaw dropping. “You...”
“What?” Matthew frowned, wondering what... oh. He glanced back at his bed, realizing what he had done.
“You're up!”
“Yeah.” Matthew's lips curved.
“Hey, sit down.” Alfred tugged Matthew onto his bed. “Don't overexert yourself.”
“I'm fine.”
“So... all that nasty shit Tino's been feeding you is paying off?”
A small laugh escaped. “It seems so.”
“And all the poking and prodding...” Alfred squeezed him close. “I'm glad.”
“You're changing the subject. Why were you crying?”
“Uh.” Alfred stiffened. “Was I? Oh yeah.” He laughed weakly. “Oh, well, a horse is sick.”
“Al...” He pretended to be tough, but he really was a big softie. “I'm sure the horse will be fine.”
“I hope so.”
“Are you sure you're okay?”
Alfred laughed, sounding delighted. Matthew cheered up now that his twin's tears were gone. He had been worried for a minute there. “I'm just fine, Matt.”
*****
The weeks passed, leaves falling and air chilling. Matthew dutifully drank whatever concoctions Tino presented to him, and put up with examinations that sometimes grew painful. But every day he grew stronger, able to move on his own to everyone's delight.
It certainly made the nights in Arthur's bed worth it to Alfred. He endured being the Queen's whore because every day the signs of his twin's illness faded, and there was no price he wouldn't pay for that. Even as he dreamed of life outside the palace - as a soldier of a kingdom he was proud to defend, or a traveling merchant, or an entertainer; visiting his home kingdom of Hearts he hadn't seen since he was a child, or venturing out of the Kingdoms to see the world - he was resigned to his fate of spending the rest of his life as a spoiled royal's toy.
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*****
Alfred tapped on the study door before peeking in, gulping as he walked inside. The Queen, looking up from his book, merely waited silently. The room was nice and homey, with a fire crackling away, bathing them in its golden light. Rows and rows of books stood on the many shelves that would probably give Matthew an orgasm from the sight of all of them. There was a couch at one end, and a desk at the other, covered in paperwork.
“Um.” Alfred rubbed the back of his neck. “Well, I thought maybe... now? Then I could have the night off, and...” He trailed off with a shrug.
“Now?” Arthur placed a strip of cloth in his book before slapping it shut.
“Well, Matt's out.”
“Out?” Arthur's generous eyebrows raised.
Alfred nodded. “Shopping.”
“By himself?”
“Tino said it was okay.”
“Well.” Arthur stood. “He's certainly improving.”
“I know!” Alfred couldn't help the grin that spread across his face, not caring that it was the Queen he was talking to, and the Queen was only interested in one thing. “It's amazing, thank you so much for letting us borrow Tino, this is the best thing that's ever happened to us.”
“Oh.” Arthur looked down at his book. “You're, uh... you're welcome.”
“All right, we've got some time.” Alfred strolled over to the couch, shedding clothes as he went. He was rather excited about the thought of getting a full night's sleep in his own bed. Naked, he lay down on the couch.
Arthur froze, staring down at him. “What are you doing?”
“What?” Alfred looked at himself. Oh. He was laying on his back. “Oh, right. Well, in this book-”
Arthur frowned. “You're finally learning to read, and that's the sort of book you're using?”
“No, I was looking for a book to use, and glanced through this one, and it had... illustrations.”
“I see.” Arthur studied him a moment, lips pursed. Face reddening slightly, he looked away. “Well... no. No, we better not.”
“All right.” Alfred flipped over. After a moment of rustling clothing, Arthur joined him, sprawling atop him. His chest was quite warm against Alfred's back.
They moved together in a familiar dance. Alfred moaned as pleasure spiked through him while his body was used for its purpose. Above him, Arthur grunted and sighed as he moved. His hands skimmed over Alfred's body, and he left a few possessive bitemarks.
Arthur finished with a groan, resting atop Alfred for a moment afterward before tugging out and rolling off of him. Alfred shivered at the sudden burst of cold against his back. He grabbed his clothes and stood up, before anything that had been left inside him could drip out onto the nice couch.
Nothing more was said with the exception of hurried goodbyes as Alfred left.
*****
Matthew picked up the cup, eyes widening at the pricetag. It claimed that the cup was made of genuine porcelain from a far-off land outkingdom. Well, just because he was no longer broke didn't mean he wanted to throw his money away. He set the cup down, and wandered over to the next stall.
It was the first time his physician friend had okayed a trip by himself outside of the palace. It had taken a bit longer to convince his overprotective brother, but Tino had assured him Matthew would be fine, if he didn't stay away too long, and immediately returned if he felt at all unwell.
So far so good. Matthew had made a few purchases for himself, his twin, Tino, and some of the other new friends he had made in the palace.
As Matthew browsed a snack vendor's wares, a man cloaked against the cold joined him. What was visible of his face was quite handsome, though Matthew tried not to be too obvious about sneaking a peek.
“Excuse me,” the man said, just as Matthew was preparing to move on. “Are you all right?”
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“You're sure?” The other man turned to him with a smile. He really was handsome, and had a hint of beard. He had an accent Matthew couldn't place. “Because it must have hurt when you fell from the heavens.”
“What?”
“Sorry.” His smile grew apologetic. “If I told you you had a nice body, would you hold it against me?”
Matthew frowned. “I... What?”
“Ah... never mind.” With a defeated sigh, the stranger turned to leave.
“I wasn't questioning you out of ignorance,” Matthew said with a roll of his eyes, and the man turned. “I was just surprised that someone would seriously use such awful lines.”
“But it got your attention, didn't it?” He stepped closer again. “What is your name?”
He hesitated on the verge of walking away. “Matthew.”
The other man took Matthew's hand and kissed the knuckles. “I am...” He paused. “Francis.”
“Is it really?”
“You doubt me?” He chuckled.
“You paused.”
“It is not a well-liked name in this kingdom.”
“Ohh...” It hit Matthew. So that was why his accent sounded unfamiliar! Francis was a very common Diamonds name. The kingdom Spades was pretty much always at war with. “Are you really from...?”
“Originally,” Francis said quickly. “No worries.”
Matthew glanced around. He was living in the palace due to the Queen of Spade's generosity, and here he was speaking to someone from the enemy kingdom! “Can't you... mask the accent a bit?”
“Very few of the general population would even recognize it these days. You're proof enough of that.” Francis flashed an annoyingly winning smile. “Could I treat you to dinner?”
“I'm afraid not,” Matthew said, shaking his head. “My physician wouldn't like me staying out that late.”
“Oh, you are ill?” Francis' eyes widened in surprise. “Lunch, then? Or just a drink?”
Why not? Now that he could, Matthew wanted to enjoy himself whenever he could. And he had to admit, the handsome Diamonds man intrigued him. “Lunch would be nice.”
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Lovely work~
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(although, I will have to go D: for poor Alfred.)
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It's nice that things are looking up for Matthew. :)
Looking forward to the next update <3
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Lots of love for this fill as always, updates make my day without fail.
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“You're going out again?” Alfred, in the middle of getting ready for work, turned to stare at his brother. “You just went out yesterday! I don't know if that's a good idea. Why not rest for a couple day?”
“I'll be fine,” Matthew said. “I won't be doing anything strenuous. I'm just going out for drinks and chatting.”
“With who?”
“With Francis. I met him yesterday...” Matthew smiled, tracing the pattern on his blanket with a finger. “He's very handsome and nice.” His smile promptly fell and he ducked his head, chewing on his lip. Alfred realized with a grimace that Matthew was waiting for him to disapprove, to be angry that someone would dare be too friendly with his precious brother.
Well... maybe he was a little. But mostly he was glad that Matthew could have a life. “Sounds fun!” Alfred grinned at his twin's surprised expression. “Is that what you're going to wear? I've got something a little nicer in here somewhere. You're about my size, right?”
And they both laughed at the stupid joke, purely happy.
“Of course, if he does anything I don't approve of to Mattie, he's toast,” Alfred said to himself. And strangely enough, now that he had mentioned toast, he could swear he smelled something burning. He paused as he approached the kitchen, sniffing the air. Tucking the list away with a frown, Alfred stepped closer.
He definitely smelled smoke. It didn't look like there were any unwanted flames in the kitchen... Nose twitching like a rabbit as he sniffed, Alfred walked into the kitchen. Somebody must have left something in to cook and forgot about it. Well, Alfred had spent too many years on the brink of starvation to let a little char stop him from salvaging food.
Standing in the kitchen was none other than Queen Arthur. He was hovering near the cooking fire, swearing as he fanned at the thick plume of smoke.
Alfred froze. “Er, Ar-Your Majesty?”
Arthur whirled around. “What are you doing here?”
Alfred looked around at the assorted food. “Getting something to eat? Well, Mattie sent me with a list, and...” He shook his head. “What are you doing here? Uh, if you don't mind me asking...”
“I cook,” Arthur said, sounding almost defensive. “I wasn't always royalty, you know, I'm not helpless.”
“Uh, I wasn't going to-”
“It just got a little too hot too quickly.”
“Maybe you should take it off the fire now?” Alfred stepped closer, peering at whatever it was the Queen was killing. What appeared to be a sad little blackened chunk of meat sat in the fire. Alfred grabbed some tongs and rescued the poor smoldering thing. “I don't know that this can be salvaged.”
“Well...” Arthur coughed. “I can cook.” He turned and quickly strode out of the kitchen.
“He's got five thousand cooks working for him...” Alfred muttered to himself as he disposed of the ruined meat, and set about hunting down Matthew's supplies. “Oh well. I guess he gets tired of being waited on hand and foot, if he wasn't born into it.” Should he have asked Arthur what the last item on the list was? Ah well...
*****
Matthew thought he might pass out as he clung to Francis. Their slick bodies writhed together on the inn's luxurious bed. Matthew was lost in a haze of sheer heavenly pleasure - Francis had spent so long worshiping every inch of Matthew's body with hands, lips and tongue, by the time they had gotten to the actual lovemaking, Matt had been too far gone with floating on pleasure to even pay much attention to the discomfort. Francis brought him right to the verge of orgasm and kept him there, until he thought he would go mad. When he finally did come, it was the most intense sensation he had ever felt.
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“That was good,” Francis said at last. “You are sure that was your first time?”
“I'm sure.” Matthew laughed tiredly. “There was no skill involved on my part, that was all you.”
“Why thank you. So was it worth the wait?”
“I'll say.”
“Good.” Francis moved his hand to comb through Matthew's damp hair. “You look lovely like that, all flushed and tired and happy.”
“Mm.” Francis seemed to like everything about him. He was always finding something new to be enchanted with: his eyes, his glasses, his laugh, his knowledge of the Diamonds language, the way the cold didn't bother him as much as it did Francis. In return, Matthew found just about everything about Francis enchanting. His zest for life, his sweetness, his corny jokes and even cornier petnames, his fondness for birds, his fondness for sweets...
“You are okay? Tino cleared you for such strenuous activity?”
Matthew lightly smacked him. “I'll be fine. But I probably won't stay too much longer.” He brightened. “Why don't you come back with me? Alfred wants to meet you, I'm sure.”
Francis chuckled. “To the palace?”
“On second thought, I don't know about the policy regarding guests... It's never come up.” Matthew let out a sigh. “Maybe we should hold off on you visiting me.”
“That's okay. I'm not a big palace fan...”
“Well I won't force you. It's nice here.” Francis had a favorite inn he stayed at whenever he was in the area on business. His home was in the Leaf area of Spades, a goodly distance away. Matthew supposed he could make the journey some day, if Tino didn't mind accompanying him. “Maybe I'll bring Alfred next time. He'll worry less.” Matthew chuckled when he realized how that sounded. “About my health, I mean, not you.”
“I will have to think of something fun for us all to do together,” Francis said. “And something special for us to do next time we're alone.”
“You've thought of all of our activities,” Matthew said. “I'm going to plan something special this time.”
“Okay, then.” Francis laughed, giving Matthew a squeeze. “Ah, I'm so glad I found you...”
*****
Matthew was still floating in a pleasant fog after he returned home. Not in the mood to return to his room, he wandered through the vast, elaborate halls (and okay, so he was a little sore, but it was nothing he couldn't handle.). He stopped to talk to various nobles and servants, swiped a roll from the kitchen, admired the artwork and tapestries, and finally stopped to gaze at a large stained glass window he was pretty sure he hadn't seen before. Lost in thought about his lover, he gazed at the light filtering in through the blue and green mosaic pattern for many minutes.
He stepped away when he realized he was no longer alone in the hallway. Another man stood in one of the doorways, looking surprised to see Matthew there. What did I do wrong? Matthew thought desperately. I saw other people here, this isn't a restricted area. Is it?
“Well hello.” The other man smiled. He had ridiculous eyebrows. Ridiculous, familiar eyebrows. Why did he look familiar?
It only took about a second for it to hit Matthew, and he gasped. “Y-your Majesty.” Panic quickly seized him. In the time he had lived in the palace, he had yet to actually meet the Queen. What did he do? Everything he had studied about court etiquette fled his mind as he was confronted by a real life royal. He was supposed to bow, of course. But by then enough time had passed that it would seem like an afterthought, he was standing there staring like an idiot, and-
“There's no need for that.” The Queen stepped closer. “There's nobody else here.”
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The Queen smiled, reaching out to trail his fingers along Matthew's cheek. Matthew gulped, wondering just how friendly royalty was. They had not even properly introduced themselves yet, even if they knew who they were! And then Matthew found himself being spun around and embraced from behind.
“Your Majesty!” he yelped.
“It's Arthur,” the Queen said.
“Arthur, then!”
“You're awfully stiff...” His hands roamed lower, running over Matthew's stomach before resting on his genitals. “And not in a good way.”
Matthew squeezed his eyes shut, starting to tremble. So this was it. After it had seemed like everything in their life was just getting better and better, Matthew was going to be raped. And there wasn't a damn thing he or anybody else could do about it because it was the Queen.
“I know how to loosen you up.” Arthur's hand thankfully moved, but soon it was massaging Matthew's ass. “Come on, let's go back to... um...”
Nothing was said for a moment, then Arthur spun Matthew around to face him, frowning. “Why are you so scared? You're hardly breathing! You...” He peered closer. Almost comically, the blood drained from his face, and he backed away like Matthew was a dangerous animal. “Oh shit. Are you Matthew?”
Matthew stepped back until he bumped against the wall, eyes wide. “You thought I was Alfred.”
“I thought something was a bit off when I saw you...” The blood had returned to his face in full force, leaving the Queen quite red. “Um...”
Matthew fled past Arthur, ignoring his startled yelp as he hurried through the hallway, back toward his room. He avoided surprised servants and annoyed nobles, not slowing down until he reached the now-familiar fancy room that had become his.
That had apparently become his because his brother was having a royal affair he apparently did not feel Matthew needed to know about.
He paced, back and forth the length of their room. He paced until his feet were sore and Tino would lecture him on overexerting himself. All he could think was Why? Why had Alfred lied to him? What was he thinking? Had the whole stable boy thing been a lie? No, Matthew had seen him working, Alfred couldn't have created that elaborate of a ruse. But the working in the stables at night... Matthew fumed, pacing quicker. It had never really made sense that he would have to disappear for so long each night just to check on the sleeping horses. How could he have fallen for something so stupid? Alfred was off with his lover each night, piling on the lies when he returned, and-
Matthew gasped, hand flying to his mouth. He came to a stop, anger draining from him, replaced with a sharp stab of worry. Alfred had returned one night from the “stables”...
Crying.
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Also, I can't wait to see Arthur and Francis interact. That should be epic.
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Lovely, lovely work!
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Oh and Arthur being a failure in the kitchen was completely adorable, I' glad Alfred finally gets to see his more human side. (somebody will have to prevent the queen from Matthew's rage)
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And Matt now knows! well this isn't going to be pretty at all, probably
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