Wayfare

Chapter 19

Alfred stood on the front as people from all around the Kingdoms greeted him, bowing at him and stating their names. Everyone on the ball had their gowns and suits in the color of their perspective Kingdoms so that they won't mix up.

"Good evening, your highness. It is a great pleasure to be invited to your ball." A tanned lady with a pigtail from the Diamonds, or so it appears judging by the color of her clothes, greeted with a smile. Alfred bowed at her pleasantly. "My name's Michelle, Michelle Bonnefoy." She gleamed gracefully, Alfred looked at her curiously.

"You don't happen to be a relative of Francis, do you?" He asked and the girl nodded. "I am, he's my cousin." She confirmed before bowing once more, "I hope to have some salty fish on this ball, I love them!" And with that, she walked off, letting the person behind her introduce themselves to Alfred.

This went on and on for almost half an hour, people complimented the decorations, others complimented him. Imagine the relieved sigh Alfred heaved as the final guest greeted him.

"Omg, I'm in Spades!" The last man exclaimed cheerfully as he looked around with glee before hurrying off to his friends.

Alfred looked at the stairs far away from him, as if waiting for something, or rather, someone, and beamed with joy as he finally saw Arthur go down. Running towards him, he shouted a loud "You're finally done!", making the people around him look at the two. Arthur resisted the urge to run back upstairs, to lock himself at the room he was in earlier.

"You bloody wanker, you didn't have to scream like that!" Arthur whisper yelled as the excited man child was finally in front of him, he shouldn't shout as it would attract even more looks from them and he did not need that.

"But I can't help it, you attended! I'm not dreaming, am I?!" Alfred continued to humiliate them more by speaking loudly. Arthur deadpanned at him. "I was literally in this place since earlier morning because you won't let me go home."

But then he shushed him, the pinkish hue the what???? in his cheeks from embarrassment almost unnoticeable. "Don't speak loudly! You're attracting stares!" He looked around discreetly, almost everyone was staring at them. He coughed, and everyone finally snapped out of their dazes and continued speaking to one another again, a few glancing at them from time to time.

Looking back at Alfred, Arthur gave one of his unamused stares. The other just chuckled and placed his arms around Arthur's shoulder. "C'mon, let's go talk to everyone! I have to find my Queen after all!" Arthur sighed and let the King drag him.

....

It was bad for Arthur right now, he had just lost Alfred.

Alfred was supposed to stick to his side and not leave him alone, dammit! Now he's all alone, he doesn't know anyone on this ball except for Alfred, and he couldn't see him anywhere! He muttered curses as he continued looking for signs of his idiotic friend, occasionally bumping into some monarchs and high officials from time to time.

Bumping to another person, he apologized. "Oh, I'm sorry Miss." A woman with a long braid, the one he bumped into, smiled and waved him off.

"No, it's fine." She said before walking away.

Sighing, he continued on his way. 'So far, so good. At least, I haven't caused a scene yet.' he thought. At least people haven't scolded nor outright shouted at him, right?

He kept looking everywhere, sighing. Where was his friend?!

As he looked around, he bumped into someone. Turning around, he apologized. "I'm sorry si-" but before he could finish his sentence, he stared at the man.

"Non, it's oka-" The man also cut his sentence and stared at him, narrowing his eyes and looking at him up and down. Arthur was stunned, gaping his mouth at the person in front of him. The man had blond, wavy hair, indigo eyes and a stubble on his chin. As he finished examining Arthur, his eyes widened and slowly raised his hand, shakily pointing at him.

"A-Arthur?!" The man yelled.

"Francis?!" He yelled back in confusion.

The man, Francis, was here. His childhood not-axactly-friend was in this occasion. His arch frenemy attended this ball. His not so long time rival whom he haven't seen since the day they fell the river was in this place. The frog he loved to ridicule for being an aristocrat was -

"ARTHUR KIRKLAND!" Francis shouted, snapping Arthur out of his daze.

"What are you doing in here, Francis?" He asked dumbly, still not fully comprehending the situation. Francis looked at him in confusion and shock,

"I should be the one asking you that, what are you doing here?!" At this point, everyone's staring at the two. Arthur's face flushed for the umpteenth time in embarrassment, don't they all have better things to do?!

"W-well," Arthur managed to speak, "a friend invited me." He answered slowly. Francis' confusion was plastered into his face, "Oh, well who did? I didn't know you were friends with someone here." 'I didn't even know you were friends with someone.' he added in his mind.

"Alfred..." Francis' eyebrow raised in confusion, "...Alfred invited you? As in Alfred FREEEDDOOM no jk it's Franklin why is it Franklin ew Jones invited you?" Arthur nodded.

"Oho, I didn't know someone like you are friends with him." Francis scoffed, attempting to humor  him, but Arthur's mind was somewhere else, he looked like he was trying to remember something.

"Arthur? Cherry booyy? Is your mind in this world? Hellooooo???" Francis called out, waving his hands on the other's face.

"Where the bloody hell is that idiot?!" Arthur suddenly exclaimed, startling Francis. "Arthur, you have to stop surprising me every minute!" The older complained.

"Sorry, but I don't have time right now. Maybe we can just catch up later? I really have to go and find Alfred, he's the only one I know in this ball." Bitch what is France a roach??? Arthur explained, looking side to side for any signs of his earlier companion. Francis sighed and put a hand on the other's shoulder.

"How about we just find him later, and you can stay with moi the time being? I want to know what's currently happening in your life!" He requested with a smile. Arthur stared at him for a couple of seconds before sighing in defeat. "Alright, but only because I also want to know if you're still as arrogant and stupid as you were before."

France gasped in mock hurt, putting a hand on his chest. "Well, I can't believe you're still as grumpy and rude as before! And your eyebrows have gotten thicker since the last time we've met!" Arthur widened his eyes, offended. "Well, I see you have grown an ugly beard! It shows how old you are!" He snarked back.

Francis glared at him, "My stubble is gorgeous! Atleast, I don't wear such an unfashionable-looking hat at a grand ball!!" That was it for Arthur. "How dare you?! It looks cute! I'm not the one who looked so ugly that a frog thought you were one of them!"

The other scoffed, "It was your fault, you know! If only you didn't force me to climb with you that day, we wouldn't have fallen into the river!" Arthur clenched his teeth, he was so close to throttling his frenemy.

"You copied me that day! Mine would've been higher if you didn't!"

"What do you mean I copied you?! You were the one who got so mad you cheated and threw a rock at my obviously winning kite!"

"WHY DID YOU EVEN TREAT IT LIKE A BLOODY CONTEST?! WE WERE ONLY PLAYING A KITE!!!"

"WELL THEN, WHY DID YOU GET SO ANGRY ABOUT IT?!"

"I WASN'T!!!"

"Sir, I would advise you not to fight with the King of Diamonds, otherwise we'll have to resort to violent measures."

Arthur turned to the source of voice, about to pour his anger on them, but then he saw who interrupted them and faltered. They were guards. Then he thought about what they said, The what of what? He looked at Francis, who just smirked at him, and looked back at the guards. He tried to say something, to find himself closing his mouth again. He gaped like a fish.

"YOU'RE THE KING OF WHAT-"

Pls finally I recovered from writer's block