Chapter 14
Hi!
Sorry again that there's no title and description, but someone has submitted this book... again TvT
---------
Chewing on the end of his pen, Alfred drummed his fingers against his desk with his free hand in a pitiful attempt to calm his nerves. He’d glance up the clock every now and then, sighing heavily before looking over at his whiteboards that were now almost completely full of all of his knowledge regarding the strange things that were happening to him, at this rate he was going to have to order another. For most of yesterday and today he had been trying to figure out what the trigger was to send him back to the garden, hoping that he’d stumble upon it eventually so he could go back and check on Arthur. He had been thinking about it before but because of certain events he was now more desperate to figure it out.
“I’m sure he’s fine,” he said, trying to convince himself and make him worry less. “He’s a grown man, right? He can take care of himself.”
But it was far from the truth, he was dreadfully concerned about Arthur for the last time Alfred saw him he was at the mercy of that horrid man, who injured his hand and said cruel things to him that caused him to shed some tears. Although Alfred was curious as to who that man was and why Arthur was afraid of him, he was far too worried about Arthur’s wellbeing to be thinking of such things. He believed that Arthur had a strong personality but it immediately crumbled when he was in the presence of the horrid man, and Alfred was keen to get back to make sure he was alright.
“It’s not eating and it’s not sleeping,” he huffed, standing up to stand before the whiteboards. “What is it that sends me back?”
He had gone over his notes again and again, but yet again he found no pattern nor what triggered his spontaneous visits to Arthur’s garden. As the day dragged on Alfred became more desperate to find out how to get back. He didn’t even get a proper sleep last night nor did he pay attention to anything that Yao had said to him, his mind was far too full of worried thoughts. He wondered what Arthur was doing at this moment. Was he still crying? Was hand taken care of? Did that man leave him alone? Or what if he came back whilst he wasn’t there? What if he hurt him again?
Alfred’s concerns for Arthur continued to build up so much that he snapped the pen he was holding in half, the ink spilling onto his jacket. “Dammit all,” he groaned, grabbing his handkerchief and attempted to clean up.
As he wiped up the ink as best he could, someone knocked at his office door and Yao entered seconds later. He stared at Alfred and appeared horrified. “What are you doing!?”
“It’s just ink Yao,” huffed Alfred as he continued to wipe away the black stain. “It’s not going to kill me.”
“No, I mean what are you doing here?”
Alfred paused and stared at Yao with a puzzled gaze. “I... work in here...?” With the way the Jack was staring at him Alfred had a funny suspicion that he’d forgotten something.
“Your afternoon tea with Lady Hamilton’s daughter is in ten minutes,” barked Yao, gripping the hat upon his head with panic.
Alfred dropped the handkerchief and looked up at the clock, the large hand moving towards the next minute. He then looked back at Yao with the same confused expression upon his face. “I thought that was later on.”
Yao ground his teeth against each other so hard they looked ready to crumble. “Weren’t you paying attention to me last night!? I told you the arrangements had been changed at the last minute, she’s coming here instead and she’ll be seated in the western garden in exactly nine minutes!”
“Nine minutes?”
“NINE MINUTES!”
Those nine minutes had to be the most stressful minutes in his life. Alfred had no time to dash to his room so he warped there instead, thank god for the ability to fold time and space. Once in his room he ripped off his clothes and jumped in the shower, scrubbing himself like mad to get rid of ink and at least smell presentable. Once done with the shower he had to quickly dry himself, tidy up his hair, polish his glasses and quickly dress himself with his fresh attire that was thankfully pressed and ready to go. Once he tightened up his tie and tied his shoelaces as quickly as he could, he warped back down to the hallway that lead to the western garden with thirty seconds to spare and with Yao waiting for him with a glare.
“Made it,” declared Alfred, trying to discreetly catch his breath.
“You look like a wreck,” huffed Yao as he stepped forward to straighten out Alfred’s tie and the rest of his clothing. “She’s just entered. Now please be polite and dignified around her, and for gods sake pay attention!”
“Yeah, yeah, yeah.”
“Just go!” Yao shoved Alfred through the door, the King almost tripping over his feet.
Taking a deep breath Alfred composed himself and made his way over to a garden table that was beautifully arranged with polished silverware, gorgeous china cups and a lovely bouquet of flowers arranged in a vase. Surrounding them were large blue rose bushes and lavender planted in large white pots. A steward stood nearby with a tray of tea, milk and sugar, ready to serve the couple with a dignified smile. It was a calming atmosphere but Alfred thought that this garden was plain compared to Arthur’s.
Then of course there was the lovely guest who awaited him, a fair young woman in a light yellow dress and wore a matching hat, she bore a regal smile and carried an air of purity around her. Alfred couldn’t deny that she was an eye catcher, with large chocolate coloured eyes, long dark eyelashes, long wavy brunette hair and a figure any girl would kill for.
As he approached she curtsied before him, and he bowed back. “Lady Hamilton, I presume?”
The woman giggled. “You may call me Charlotte, your majesty.”
“Lets drop the formalities and just call me Alfred.”
She giggled again and allowed Alfred to seat her before taking his own seat. Alfred wasn’t nervous about impressing her, in fact he was confident he could woo any woman, but after rushing about whilst being concerned about Arthur he couldn’t think of anything to say to her, so he asked her about her upbringing and after that she pretty much took control of the conversation. She spoke of her home, the school she attended, her hobbies and interests all the while they drank tea and shared biscuits. Her voice was gentle and soothing, nothing she said was boring or out of place, she even had a bold sense of humour that actually got a chuckle out of Alfred. She even admitted to liking sweet things like candy and pies, was inspired by heroes she read about in her books and favourite TV shows, and discreetly revealed that despite her strict upbringing she did enjoy a video game once in a while. She even told a few good jokes, and laughed at one of Alfred’s own silly jokes, the pair of them enjoying each other’s company a great deal. She was definitely a woman that Alfred could see himself sharing a future with... only...
“Could you excuse me a second?”
Charlotte smiled and nodded. “Of course.”
Alfred got up and made his way over to Yao, who had been silently observing from afar, the Jack appearing much calmer now that everything seemed to be running smoothly. “Well? You two seem to be hitting it off.” Yao seemed pleased with that.
“Um... yeah,” replied Alfred, folding his arms and bounced on his heels for a moment. “I don’t like her.”
Yao’s expression dropped. “What?” He looked over at the young woman before looking back at Alfred. “Are her breasts too small or something?”
“No,” hissed Alfred, turning a little red. “She’s perfectly fine.”
“Then what’s wrong with her?”
“I don’t know, I’m just not... interested in her.”
“Did she say something to offend you?”
“No, she’s a perfectly delightful lady.”
“Is it her age? It’s actually not a bad thing to date a woman five years older than you.”
“Yao, nothing is wrong with her, it’s me! I’m not interested in her.”
Yao now appeared terribly confused as he tried to figure this out. Charlotte Hamilton was a well sought after woman, a lot of men and even some women were desperate to win her heart and from what he heard she had a personality that would even attract Alfred. “Why don’t you like her? You two seem perfect for each other.”
Alfred shrugged. “I... just don’t feel anything for her.”
“Maybe you need to spend more time with her?”
“No... I... I don’t... I mean I can’t see her as someone I’d take as a wife.” Alfred wasn’t sure how he could describe this, rubbing his hand through his hair.
She was indeed a one in a million catch but for some reason he wasn’t at all attracted to her. She had the body of a goddess and an amazing personality but none of it was setting off sparks of romantic ideas. Alfred felt a little confused, for he had flirted with girls like her in his youth and had even played the hopeless romantic at some point, but now he couldn’t even picture him and her dating or even getting married.
Yao seemed to get the idea and sighed. “Well I can’t force you to see her again, but what are you going to say to her? Her mother has been acting like you two are a sure thing.”
Alfred blew air past his closed lips. “I’m just going to have to tell her I’m not interested.”
“You can’t say it like that,” hissed Yao, “be polite and gentle. I don’t want her running back to her mother in tears.”
“I can do that,” chuckled Alfred as he gave him a wink and headed back to the table.
However as he got closer and closer to the table, he suddenly found that nothing was coming into his mind. All the words he thought he had were nowhere to be found and no matter how hard he tried he couldn’t think of anything to say. He wanted to let the lady down gently without hurting her feelings, wanting her to feel like it wasn’t her but rather it was him, but he didn’t know how to say it right. The last thing he wanted was to offend her and get a slap to the face.
“Are you alright Alfred?”
“Hm? Oh yeah I’m fine, yeah totally fine.” Alfred sat back down and stared at her, his hands clutching his knees as he tried to think of what to say. “So... Miss Charlotte,” he began.
“Yes?” She smiled so innocently at him and Alfred became scared he was going to say something to upset her.
Staring down at his knees Alfred concentrated really hard on what he should say to her, seeking out the pattern of words that would aid him in this situation. Nothing was popping into his head and ten seconds had already passed since she answered him. He had to think of something, he had to say something, but what? What should he say? What would Arthur say? Arthur would know what to say. Was Arthur alright? Did he get away from that horrid man? Dammit, he knew now why he couldn’t think of anything, he was still worried about Arthur and it was affecting his thinking.
“Dammit,” he silently cursed.
“Alfred, are you alright?”
Alfred eyes widened as the voice that said that didn’t belong to a woman. He looked up and found himself seated at a small dining table in a familiar room and sitting opposite him was...
“Arthur!”
Arthur stared at him from where he sat, a hint of concern in his green eyes. An empty plate upon a tray was in front of him with used cutlery placed on it and he was currently holding a glass of water. It appeared he had just eaten and Alfred must’ve arrived after he had finished his meal. He seemed to be alright and healthy, he was definitely better than the last time Alfred saw him.
“I just finished lunch,” sighed Arthur, downing his water and wiping his lips with a napkin. “Good thing really, it’s not polite to talk during a meal, especially if the guest can’t eat anything wether he wants to or not.”
Alfred stood up from where he sat and walked round to inspect Arthur, his eyes scanning every inch of him and noticing that his left hand was covered in bandages. “Are you alright? Did he hurt you? What did he say to you? Are you feeling better?”
Arthur seemed taken aback by the sudden barrage of questions. “I’m fine, I’m fine,” he insisted, setting his water down.
“Really? Are you sure? Is your hand ok? It’s not broken is it?”
“It still works.” Arthur bore an amused smile as he wiggled his fingers to prove it.
“Are you really ok? Do you need to talk about it? Did you cry it out? Sleep ok?”
Arthur was starting to get irritated. “Enough questions if you don’t mind, I’m perfectly fine as you can see so would kindly drop it.”
Although he stated he was ok, Alfred could not help but make certain that he was 100% ok. “It’s just that... he hurt you and he said stuff that made you cry and-...”
“Alfred I appreciate your concern,” scoffed Arthur who appeared amused for some reason, “but I put up with that every now and then, and unfortunately he caught me had a bad time, and I was a little upset about the flower I gave him, that’s all. So what’s bothering you now? You looked a little troubled when you appeared.”
Seeing how Arthur was acting like nothing bad had happened and then tried to change the subject shocked Alfred. He remembered how that man smashed his foot against Arthur’s hand, how he grabbed him by the hair and almost crushed his face with his fingers, and how he said horrible things to him that caused Arthur to shake like a frightened child and cry. After going through something like that he should at least be somewhat upset or at least a little miserable. It was a good thing he wasn’t but still he seemed to treat the whole thing like it was nothing and it wasn’t just that. Alfred had spent a day and half worried sick about Arthur, dreading that he was still an emotional wreck, desperately trying to figure out how to return to the garden to check in on him, only to find him enjoying a lunch and acting like it was nothing!?
“I was worried about you dammit!”
Alfred’s loud voice caused Arthur to shudder and he stared up at him with wide open eyes. Alfred stared back, not realising he was glaring angrily at him whilst heaving heavily, his fists clenching so hard his knuckles were turning white.
“I thought you were in trouble! I thought that creep was hurting you! I was trying to figure out how to come back here to check on you, and you’re acting like it never happened! I was worried sick, you insensitive jerk!”
His words seemed to cause Arthur to blush furiously and he looked away out of shame. “I’m... sorry that I worried you,” he mumbled, “but I’m used to it and-...”
“That’s the problem! You shouldn’t be used to it!” Alfred stamped a foot against the ground and tried to stop himself from punching the air. “You jerk, you selfish ass! Go to hell dammit!”
“Alfred, I think y-you need to calm down,” pleaded Arthur, recognising the temper tantrum that was about to explode.
But Alfred couldn’t. All of his pent up worries and fears had been replaced with anger and confusion and he couldn’t contain it. He began to storm around the room shouting curses and screaming bloody murder, his arms waving about like they belonged to a madman. He called Arthur selfish and insensitive, he complained how his concern for him almost ruined his day, how he couldn’t even think of what to say as to not hurt the feelings of a nice lady. He went on and on until his voice was starting to get sore from his continuous ranting, and finally he stopped in his tracks and glared down at Arthur, who was completely speechless. Alfred’s lips trembled, his face was red with anger and he didn’t realise that some tears were almost forming in his eyes.
“You... you... JERK!”
Alfred then folded his arms tightly around his chest and huffed as he sat back down, not even looking at Arthur. A moment of silence passed and eventually Alfred was beginning to regret some of the things he said, but he couldn’t help it. Seeing Arthur acting like he normally did after having that happen to him and then claiming he was used to it set something off inside of him. It was like an explosion of emotion that he had to let out, fireworks of anger, disgust and bitter sadness were let loose and it let it all explode right in front of Arthur, and it was probably the last thing he needed. He should say something, apologise at least and let Arthur know that he wasn’t really angry at him.
“I’m... sorry.”
Hearing that apology caused Alfred to flinch. Looking up, Alfred could see that Arthur seemed to be in shock and was embarrassed by all that ranting, his face blushing a bright red and he was fumbling with his hands. He couldn’t even look Alfred in the face and was actually struggling with his words.
“I appreciate your concern,” continued Arthur, “it’s just I’m... I’m not used to having someone worry over me... that passionately.” He almost mumbled that last sentence.
Alfred bit his bottom lip, feeling really bad for what he had just said and for putting the pair of them in an awkward situation. Still, to hear Arthur say that made his heart ache and he knew he had to get rid of this tense atmosphere fast.
“I’m sorry too,” said Alfred, wheeling himself around to face Arthur, “I was going through one of those days and I left you at the worst possible moment, and I just couldn’t help but worry.”
Arthur managed to give Alfred a small smile. “I appreciate it, but you don’t need to. Like I said I’m used to it and he actually caught me on a bad day.”
Alfred still didn’t like that answer. “Who is that jerk anyway? Why is he so mean to you?”
Fiddling with his fingers, Arthur seemed to be trying to think of an answer. “He’s... sort of both my landlord and my boss.”
“You work for that guy!?”
“Kind of.” Arthur scratched his head and looked like he was hiding something. “It’s really complicated.”
“Well you should quit and move out,” declared Alfred, knowing if their situations were reversed he’d move out in an instant.
“What? And leave him with my garden?” Arthur scoffed at the very thought. “Did you see what he did to that single rose I gave him? He couldn’t maintain a simple flower patch if the instructions he had were written in very simple and oversized words that even a two year old could understand! If you think I’m going to let him have my garden and wreck it, you’ve got another thing coming.”
“You could always grow another one.”
“Oh really? Where?”
Alfred pondered on that for a moment. “Well, my place has a few gardens.”
“Your... place?” Arthur seemed surprised to hear that.
“Yeah! I’ve got lots of gardens!” Alfred suddenly seemed excited about the idea for some reason, liking the idea that all of his gardens would suddenly become beautiful and vibrant like Arthur’s garden. “With your skill you’d be head gardener in no time.”
Arthur opened his mouth to say something but nothing came out. He appeared to be genuinely happy about the idea but at the same time he looked very sad about it. “It’s a nice offer,” he said at last, “but I can’t.”
“Why not?” Alfred was mortified that such an offer would get turned down.
Arthur thought about his answer. “I’ve put in a lot of effort into my garden, and I can’t just abandon it,” stated Arthur with a sad smile. “I appreciate the idea, but I’m going to have to decline.”
He wanted to say something to change his mind but Alfred could tell that no matter how much he begged or pleaded, Arthur would still say no. It did make sense that he didn’t want to abandon his garden that he put so much time and effort into, but to put up with that horrid man was something not even Alfred could handle. Was Arthur willing to live here and work for such a cruel person if it meant he could continue tending his garden? It seemed like it and Alfred felt a little hurt that Arthur would choose his garden over his offer.
“Still, you shouldn’t let that guy walk all over you,” huffed Alfred, deciding that if he couldn’t get Arthur to leave, he could at least get him to learn to stand up for himself. “You gotta get tough and show him you mean business.”
Arthur rubbed his temples with a single finger. “I don’t think I could,” he confessed, his expression looking rather sheepish.
“Seriously? C’mon Arthur, you threatened me with a poker and your library when we first met, and you scared the hell out of me!”
Arthur snorted as he recalled their first meeting. “You were pretty scared.”
“Right!” Alfred hated admitting that he got scared but he was determined to boost Arthur’s confidence. “So when that guy grabs you just hit him, or push him away. Shout at him if he says mean things, get angry, it’ll throw him off guard and you might even scare him. Make him see that you’re not a walking doormat.”
“But that was different. You can’t physically touch me.”
“You didn’t know that until you tried to hit me with that book! You threaten to knock the daylights out of me or something.”
“W-well... you’re not him and-...”
“That’s no excuse! If you could scare me with words alone, you can do the same to that creep!”
“You make it sound so easy,” chuckled Arthur, possibly finding it funny that it was now Alfred who was giving him advice.
“It is easy, just gave a little faith in yourself and you’d be surprised with what you can accomplish.”
His words seemed to put Arthur in a somewhat better mood, and the small smile he was making seemed genuine. “I’ll give it a try,” he promised.
“No! No trying, you’ll do it! Right?”
“Alright, Alright,” snorted Arthur, trying to stop himself from laughing, “I will, I promise.”
Alfred sighed with relief and could only hope that Arthur would keep his word. He doubted his confidence would boost overnight so Alfred decided that every time he came here he’d continue to build up Arthur’s confidence, shower him with words of strength and inspire him to find the courage to fight back. Hopefully the next time that jerk came to torment Arthur he’d be ready to stand up for himself, or better yet he himself would be there to give him some emotional support.
“You know, you’re the last person I’d expect to hear such inspirational words from.” Arthur was now giving Alfred a cheeky smirk. “You’d either be complaining about tarts or talking about little girls in frilly dresses.”
Alfred pouted. “Oh come on, I can give a good pep talk.” He then slumped forward and huffed. “At least I can do that, I can’t even think of what to say to this lady without hurting her feelings.”
“What lady?” Arthur seemed curious.
“Oh, before I came here I was having tea with this nice lady,” explained Alfred as he sat back up. “It’s one of those blind date kind of things.”
“You were on a... date before coming here?”
Alfred sighed, not noticing the oddly envious expression Arthur was making. “It was all set up because they want me to get hitched fast, and she is nice and all that but... I’m really not interested in her... and I want to tell her that without hurting her feelings.”
“Oh. I see.” Arthur coughed to clear his throat. “So you want to let her down gently?”
Alfred nodded. “You seem good with stuff like that, right? What should I say?”
Arthur thought for a moment, thinking hard on what words to use or rather what words he could give to Alfred. “First you look at her in the eye, eye contact is important here. Speak in a clear and normal voice, don’t try to sound upbeat like you normally do but at the same time try not to sound too serious. Now you say her name... what’s her name?”
“Charlotte.”
“Ok, you say; Miss Charlotte, I have enjoyed our afternoon together and I have never met such a lovely young lady who has intrigued me so. However at this moment in time I’m afraid I cannot see this relationship between us grow any further, which is no fault of yours but mine alone. I am certain you will find a gentleman who is far more deserving to court you than I and I can only wish he will come for you soon. I thank you for understanding.”
It sounded perfect, the perfect way to make certain Miss Charlotte wouldn’t cry, but there was now a new problem. “I can’t remember all that!”
Arthur sighed and rolled his eyes. “Ok, we’ll practice then. I’ll be this lady and you be you. Ok? Let’s begin.”
Roleplaying then? Alfred could do that, it sounded a little fun. So for the next few minutes he and Arthur practiced the speech over and over, the pair of them determined to get the words soaked onto Alfred’s brain. Sometimes Alfred would forget a certain word or he would say it wrong, so he’d have to start over. He even got some sentences jumbled up and his tongue would twist his words until he sounded like an idiot. Arthur would correct him and raise his hand up and down if his tone of voice was too high or too low. After a dozen more attempts Alfred finally mastered the speech and was able to use the proper tone of voice, much to Arthur’s delight.
“Ok, but what about after?” asked Alfred, wanting to be completely prepared, “What if she tries to persuade me to change my mind? What if she’s dead set on me or something?”
“Be firm, not too firm, but make it clear that your mind is made up. I can’t lie but if that does happen there might be tears.”
“I don’t want there to be tears.”
“Relax, just like you told me before, have a little confidence in yourself and you’ll be fine.” Arthur gave him a genuine smile of reassurance. “Just be yourself.”
Alfred couldn’t help but smirk after hearing that and he looked down at his folded arms after realising that it was true, their roles had indeed reversed. “Thanks Arthur,” he chuckled.
“Who’s Arthur?”
Alfred’s head snapped upwards and he found himself staring at a confused young lady. “Oh... um, no one. Sorry.” Alfred smiled nervously and tried to recompose himself, a little miffed that he once again returned from Arthur’s garden without any warning.
“Are you alright?” Miss Charlotte seemed concerned.
“Oh no, no, I’m fine,” insisted Alfred as he cleared his throat and remembered what Arthur had instructed him to do. Keeping his eyes on her he spoke in a calm and sincere tone of voice. “So... Miss Charlotte, I have enjoyed our afternoon together and I... I have never met such a lovely young lady who has... intrigued me so. However at this moment in time I’m afraid I cannot see this... relationship between you and me... grow any further, which is no fault of yours but mine alone. I am certain you will find a gentleman... who is far more deserving to court you than I... and I can only wish he will come for you soon. I thank you for understanding.”
There was an unbearable silence that followed right after that, with Miss Charlotte staring at him and Alfred having no choice but to stare back. For a moment he was scared that she was going to start crying and beg him to reconsider.
However she suddenly smiled at him and giggled. “That’s... actually a relief.”
“Huh?” Alfred wasn’t expecting that.
“Forgive me,” she chuckled, “but I was actually trying to think of something similar to say to you. You’re a handsome man Alfred and such a sweet person, but I’m afraid I’m not really... invested in a relationship with you.”
“You’re not?” Alfred wasn’t sure if he should be happy or sad about all this.
She then leaned forward and said in a hushed voice, “the truth is I’m currently and secretly dating this lovely lady from the Club Kingdom, and I haven’t told my mother yet.”
“Ah, I see,” replied Alfred with a small chortle.
The pair of them laughed after revealing their thoughts about a relationship together, and Alfred was just glad there wasn’t going to be any tears or heartbreak after all that. He felt like he had just wasted Arthur’s talent of speeches on something that didn’t even need one, and it just made him feel strangely giddy for some reason.
“Well Alfred, as much as I have enjoyed this, I think I better go and explain myself to my mother,” announced Miss Charlotte as she stood up.
Alfred stood up, offering to at least escort her to her vehicle that was waiting for her. “This lady you’re seeing sounds lucky to me.”
“Thank you.” She blushed a little as she smiled up at him. “And it appears you and I are not so different after all.”
“Beg your pardon?”
She said nothing but gave him a wink and another one of her charming smiles. Alfred discreetly rolled his eyes, wondering if he’d ever understand the mind of a woman as well as their hearts. Still he felt strangely happy that he wasn’t going to be continue his relationship with her, as if a huge weight had been taken off his shoulders.
Bạn đang đọc truyện trên: AzTruyen.Top