Checkmate~ Cardverse!EnglandxReader~ Chapter 3

Arthur, Alfred and the rest of the court returned to the castle later on that day. The Queen of Spades immeadietly retreated to his room, struggling out of the long riding boots and shimmying out of the high-collared jacket as soon as the door closed. The garment was soon enough a pool of royal blue at his feet, the royal perching on the end of his yeilding bed and flexing his muscles. His entire body ached, his hair tousuled and falling less than artfully into his eyes; though no matter how much he wanted to rest, Arthur still had things to attend to.

Heading towards the rose garden, through the now humid air, the Queen held a book protectively to his chest. He was going to meet up with ______ in one of the more over-grown, seculded areas of the land belonging to him: It was a panoramic little spot, right on the banks of a large lake bordering the castle. There was a little cottage there too, abandoned however, and he often frequented it when he wanted to converse with his lover or get some peace and quiet. Approaching the sheilded path towards it, Arthur almost didn't hear the voice. "Might I ask where you're going, sir?" It was Yao, the lithe Jack carrying a pile of folded pile of freshly washed clothes. "It's rather late to be wandering around, isn't it?"
"I'm just going to go for a walk before dinner, I've some books to be reading...history, politics and such." The Queen tried to not betray what he was really doing, angling his body so Yao couldn't see the faint blush on his countenance. "That's fine, then." Arthur gave an internal sigh of relief "Though make sure you're back in time, the King of Diamonds and his Queen are visiting." The shorter blonde raised an eyebrow, an irritated sigh expelling from his parted lips. "Why wasn't I told? You know I can barely endure that idiotic Frog's company."
"It's nothing of importance, the King of Diamonds simply wants to discuss some financial issues."
"Than that's fine. Just don't make me be nice to him if he provokes me." Yao, rather skillfully, then began to avoid the topic; delicately skirting around it and reminding Arthur of his task.
"Enjoy your walk, sire."
"Thank  you, Yao."

Arthur trailed his feet in the lake, smiling at _____. The two read passages from his book together, sometimes telling tales they made up themselves. The Queen seemed to be best at that, guesturing at the wide expanse of water and conjouring up images of alluring merfolk and sunken ships "Don't you think this water is beckoning?" He murmured softly "These are docile waters, yet they are still beautiful and hypnotizing in their entirety...they stretch on for miles, murky and black and lapping at the rocks."
"The waterways around here are enchanting..." ______ smiled, looking at the wistful expression on her lover's face. She knew he loved the sea, that if he could he'd wander along the beaches and sail like the pirates in his stories "But, if you don't mind me saying so...you seem far more distracted than usual."
"I'm fine...I suppose I've just been thinking too much."
"About what?"
"You couldn't comprehend...."
"Maybe if you told me I could?" _____ rested her head on Arthur's shoulder, the setting sun casting a radient glow on their faces and the pristine expanse of shoreline. "It's not good if you bottle it up."
The blonde shrugged, placing a tender kiss on her forehead "I don't want you to worry about me, poppet."
"But I do!" They kissed again, Arthur's laughter reverberating against _____'s skin as he enfolded her in an embrace. They toppled over into the grass. "You really shouldn't." Another persistant kiss, a resonating laugh from Arthur's lover.
"You know, I think you want something~" She teased, looking up into the intense green eyes. Arthur's face was tantalizingly close, their foreheads touching as he hummed softly to himself. "I wish we could, my love..." He breathed, a hand ghosting over her hips "But it'll have to be another time." He sat up, feeling reluctant. "I don't wish to, but I have to go and see the King of Diamonds."
"I suppose such things don't concern a servant like me." _____ sighed. The Queen of Spades shook his head furiously.
"No...don't say that..." He cooed, cupping her face in his hands "You are a princess, my dear, don't let anyone tell you otherwise...I shall tell you what that idiot has to say, if it even is worth telling~" And with that, he got to his feet and disappeared unwillingly towards the castle. _____ hated how he avoided topics concerning his own feelings, wished she could reassure him and show him affection more than she already did. There was a thrill about stealing kisses in empty hallways, but the two had to endure long periods of waiting if they wanted to spend time with eachother so intimately.

"Good evening, mon cher~" The flamboyant King of Diamonds said, greeting a rather averse Arthur. The emerald eyed blonde simply gave a curt nod, skirting past the older man. "Good evening, Francis."
Francis Bonnefoy, the King of Spades, was a dangerous man in many ways. He enticed all kinds of women, and was secretly a very jealous and greedy lover. Although he appeared collected and suave, really he could be malicious; Arthur was one of the only people who had experienced that savage side to him. Clad in silk, dyed aureate shades of gold and amber, the King was admittedly striking; but behind the mask was a bitter interior. Said man watched the back of the Queen of Spades, wondering why on Earth he always toyed with him in such ways.
Taking his seat next to Alfred, Arthur let out a small sigh. "These things are boring..." He muttered under his breath, surveying the polished china piled high with sumptuous delicacies common in the Kingdom of Diamonds. Everything was sugar-coated, or glazed with honey- Although the Queen had a sweet tooth it was still far too much to endure without feeling sick. Alfred still kept shovelling it down though, in some strange demonstration as respect to the visitor, pausing mid-chew every so often to speak to Francis. Arthur felt very uncomfortable to say the least, picking at the food in front of him with an ornate silver fork. Yao and the Jack of Diamonds (a rather intimidating looking blonde whom Arthur couldn't recall the name of) were watching too, and rather subtlely the Queen's ebony-haired advisor guestured for him to eat some of the food because-
Oh no, Francis was watching him.
Arthur returned the stare Francis was sending him, ignoring the sultry, sensual voice and dangerous glint in the ice-blue eyes. Indeed, the Queen sent the King a simple glare that seemed to wholly convey exactly how much he despised him. "Why is your Queen so cruel, Alfred?" Francis purred, changing tactics. Alfred stopped staring owlishly at the food, giving a wide grin "Ah, he's always like that." He smiled at Arthur, who scowled at him too "I suppose he's just tired."
Arthur was fed up with the two already, and that was perhaps one of the things that cinched it for him. Being referred to as Alfred's Queen, being treated as if he were a doll or expensive property. And tired? Was Alfred really that inept at reading the atmosphere? Arthur snickered to himself as he realised that the King of Spades would probably think 'the atmosphere' an archaic tome depicting knowledge about the sky and things he'd probably get terribly bored of. It was quite comical considering the King reading absolutely anything at all!

It was the final straw for Arthur. The three were now eating a heavily decorated cake, covered in vast mountains of icing and whipped cream; and the insults and taunting had been taken miles too far. The Queen contemplated shoving his dessert into Francis's face, frowning at the sweet delicacy and trying to block out the obnoxious French laughter, but surely it wouldn't be proper for him to do such a thing? No, Arthur realised that he'd had to find some other way of manipulating the King of Diamonds.
It may not be tonight, the Queen mused to himself, but when the time comes I shall greatly enjoy watching him squirm in embarrasment~