A Bought Boyfriend (USUK)

Chapter 5: Let It Begin

Arthur was in a panic as he saw that Alfred was no where to be seen. They had checked the security cameras, and yet, there was nothing. Arthur felt his gut churning in pain and guilt as to what had happened to his friend. Maybe he felt more than that.

Stop it Arthur, you're not gay. It's an act, don't let it get to your head.

Tears pricked the green radioactive eyes that Arthur owned, and for once, he was truly depressed. He felt a hand on his shoulder, and looked up, only to spot his longtime friend and accomplice... Francis Bonnefoy.

~~~

Alfred looked around the dark room, spotting a few common things, although taking note as to what it seemed like. It was rather large, the walls looking a velvet from the dark that surrounded him. There was a dresser and a mirror that he could see, with feminine accessories that he could note were often light or extremely dark, none in between.

He was smirking, yet there was a tint of sadness hidden it. Suddenly feeling the pressure release from his wrists and ankles, he stood up, going to a window. It was sunset, for sure. The sky was a violet color, and trees were spotted as a silhouette. The castle walls he was encased in were worn dow, and he was able to chip at the bricks. He wished he was home. He wished that none of this nonsense happened. 

Honestly, he wouldn't care if Arthur was gone either. 

But that wasn't fair, was it? He had brought the East Amin into this. Arthur... The one who was accompanying him in this complete hoax of the century, or what he thought was. No one had known anything about what it was like before the Great War.

Alfred's heart cracked in half.

His mind wandered to the accent that the man he knew so well. His cute cheeks that flushed at any compliment that was directed towards him. His toxic bright eyes that shined under the lights of their bedroom. When he slept, his shoulder was forward, head angled in his chest. 

The door made an obnoxious noise as it was forced open, and artificial light shimmered its way in. A shadow stood in the doorway, and the figure made their way into the spotlight.

Natalia.

~~~

The search for Alfred was absolutely insane. Arthur was constantly out with flyers, ads, and heartbreaking facial expressions on the screens everywhere. The acting was catching on to him and it burned, it hurt and scarred. This weight of guilt was tearing the bushy browed man to the point where he tore his own hair out at night, rendering himself an insomniac.

Now, Arthur lay in bed, eyes puffy and dark, when he finally closed his eyes, falling asleep. In his dream, he saw him. It was Alfred, with Natalia, kissing, and then suddenly, his face was frozen, and she moved away from him. A dagger was wedged into his stomach, and he fell, coughing up blood.

And all she did was smirk. She walked over to Arthur, simply standing there. Finally, she spoke. "This is your fault Arthur. If you hadn't gotten in the way..." She had her hands around his neck, and he was being shaken, eyes blurring last seeing Alfred. The Prince was lifeless and pale.

"Arthur!" Natalia screamed. "Arthur! Arthur!"

His eyes snapped open, and he took in a deep breath. Gwen was there, and he wrapped his arms around her, and sobbed on her shoulder. She comfortingly rubbed up and down his back, Garth standing in the doorway.

"It's okay, it's okay..." Gwen whispered sweetly in his ear. "He'll be back, I promise." The thought of him having been kidnapped was too much for either to handle. He continued to beg, rocking back and forth.

"It's my fault, its all my fault! If I h-had just stayed away from him then he'd still be here!" Arthur felt his back moving up and down, and then he moved, rushing to the bathroom. He spilled the contents of his stomach into the white bowl, and he still continued to cry, head pounding and telling him to stop, that it was enough.

But this time, he wasn't acting. 

~~~

"Hello there dear Alfred." She was wearing red paint on her face, a band holding her hair back in a ponytail, the straight blonde locks away from her face. At this point, Alfred could tell she was wearing a pure black uniform.

"Get away from me!" He stepped back, growling at her. "What the hell are you doing? They won't care who you are, my army will kill you!" The Prince used the army to his advantage, and yet, she still snickered at his silly remark.

"Oh Alfie... I know your whole plot... Kissing that butler to get out of marrying me, I saw it the entire time. You don't fool me like you do your people, darling Alfred." 

"No way! I love him, and there's nothing you can do about it." Alfred huffed, a bit fidgety under the pressure of her beautiful eyes that pierced him. It was uncomfortable. 

"Oh no, I'm not offended." She cackled, almost laughing at him. "I get it, you think you're... all that. But anyways, that isn't my reason of marriage. I'm going to kill you. Whether it be here or as your wife, I will kill you."

"Why? Why you of all people?" Alfred asked, trying to face the bright side rather than feed into her ambitions. "You've got nothing against my people!"

"There's so much you don't know Alfred." Natalia set her gaze on him, twiddling a knife in her hand. "You are so innocent... Raised off the belief that no one remembers the Great War... You're wrong. We remember. We lived, and now we will conquer you like we were supposed to in the first place... Kiss your life goodbye." She went to leave the room when she turned around.

"And dear, how do you like your Matthew? Fried or baked?"