The Whistling Kettle

Indigo

"Ha! Beatcha again!"

"Oh, shut up Alfred! You cheated and you know it!"

"Not true, you're just too slo-OW!!"

The little boy tumbled to the ground, holding his wounded shin as the older stood in front of him with a piercing emerald glare. His little hands were firm on his hips, the sun shining off of the golden hair that was tousled by the wind that had whipped past them during their race. Soft lips were pulled into a stern frown, one he had mimicked from his stubborn father.

"What was that for?!" Alfred cried, unwilling to let Arthur see the pained tears that threatened to well up in his  sapphire eyes. He'd forgotten what a good kicker the other was- which was odd, considering Arthur kicked him so often.

"For being mean!" Arthur snapped back, dusting the dirt from his blue coat, "Cheating is against the rules and you know it!"

The young prince huffed, rubbing his brushing skin for a moment more before he stood up again. He suddenly paused, and his companion did too, as they realized just how dirty they had gotten. Their noble blue clothes were stained with earth and grass- Arthur's from being tripped, and Alfred's from being kicked.

"They're gonna kill us.." Alfred muttered, looking down at the muddied spades of his vest.

"They can't kill us!" Arthur snapped, though it was obvious that he was worried too, "We're the future King and Queen! They can't do a thing!"

"They can spank us, though."

There was a silence, then both boys scrambled to find their composure and run back to the castle as quickly as their little legs would let them.

♤♤♤♤♤♤

"We're going to get married, Arthur..." He said, his voice distant as the preteen gazed into the fire of the library. He'd stopped his writing a while ago, abandoning his studies so he could watch the way the flames flickered and danced in the fireplace before them. They always came here to work on the assignments given to them by the multiple private tutors and scholars that worked for the royal family. Though Arthur was not of the royal bloodline, he was from a noble and well-respected family; he also bore the Queen's Mark, so his status was most definatly similar to that of true royalty.

The elder of the two did not pause, and the scratching of his pen on parchment continued along with the crackling of the fire, "That is the way things are done, yes." He replied, "I can only become your queen by becoming your spouse, since I am not of your bloodline."

"I know that, Arthur." The young prince huffed, "But we're going to be married, like, forever. Haven't you ever thought of that?"

"Of course I have, I've thought of it nearly every day for the last 14 years."

"And that doesn't...scare you at all? That we've gotta-"

"Got to."

"Geez, ok- got to, get married, even if we don't love eachother or anything like that?"

Now, Arthur did stop his writing to look to his younger companion. The other still watched the fire, but Arthur could tell that he held the attention of the prince.

"We don't have to love eachother to be married, Alfred." He said, "My parents didnt, and they still dont, but look how well off they are."

"Arthur, your parents hate eachother."

"But they're respected and successful, are they not?"