Heart Themed Canvas [UsUk]

Heartless [Ch.3]

It wasn't too long into the night before Arthur heard a knock at his door. He wasn't sleeping, anyway, so he figured he would answer it. After all, if someone wanted him this late, it had to be important.

Arthur stood up quickly from his bed, from which he was looking out a window, and opened the door a crack to see if he could figure out who it was.

"Francis?" Arthur asked, opening the door wide enough for the man to enter and then closed it. "What do you want?"

"I figured I should tell you," Francis sighed, leaning against the closed door.

"Tell me what?" Arthur rolled his eyes.

"The reason your frères protect you so much," Francis stated.

"I've been told this story hundreds of times by my smug brother," Arthur rolled his eyes. "He found me in the forest-"

"That is not the entire story," Francis interrupted him. "That night, deux boys went missing from a village. One named Arthur, the other Alfred. They went into the woods alone on a purple moon."

"Alfred...?" Arthur muttered to himself. Why was that name so familiar?

"Legend says one night," Francis continued, "the wizard found his apprentice. A petit boy in the woods with his friend. The friend gave up his life to make sure the boy was safe. If the rumors of Ivan are true..."

"You can't think that I would be the wizard's apprentice," Arthur stated. "I don't even have magic."

"Oh, you do," Francis nodded. "I have seen it. Your frères have worked very hard to hide it from you."

"I don't have magic," Arthur shook his head.

"There is a reason they did not want you to come," Francis stated. "Any chance of you being taken is too much."

"You think this Arthur and Alfred that went missing could be me and...someone else?" Arthur asked.

"If the legend is true, Alfred gave his life for Arthur," Francis nodded. "It means the wizard would have some kind of loyal servant."

"And if Ivan is the wizard, then Fredka would be Alfred," Arthur muttered. Fredka did seem very familiar and he could have sworn he had seen Ivan somewhere other than just that one other occasion. "I don't have magic," Arthur shook his head, turning around.

"Why don't you remember anything that happened the night you were found or before that?" Francis asked. "You were as young as 9 or 10. Something happened you didn't want to remember."

"Like my only friend sacrificing himself for me?!" Arthur nearly shouted and turned to glare at Francis.

"I never said anything about only friend," Francis stated. Arthur opened his mouth to retort, but he suddenly smelled burning. He looked over to his bed, where the smell came from, and found a small fire beginning to grow right in the center of it. Francis immediately set to work putting it out as Arthur stared at it in shock. There was nothing in this room, not even a torch, that could have set that fire...

"Fredka is Alfred," Arthur murmured. He didn't remember much, but he did remember a boy. Shimmering blue eyes, shiny wheat hair, and an obnoxious smile. Fredka looked so much like him...but there was something off. He was so dull, almost like his personality was being shoved back, or possibly just ripped out.

"Quoi?" Francis asked, turning back to Arthur now that the fire was out.

"He told me go leave, get out of here," Arthur muttered. "That is Alfred, but something is wrong."

"So you are the boy in the forest?" Francis asked.

"If I know Alfred, then I must be," Arthur stated. "I remember him as a fun-loving, happy, excited child. Fredka is far from that. Something must have happened to him."