The time was 6 o'clock sharp and the grand ballroom was booming with music, laughter, and the sound of silverware on plates. Arthur sighed to himself as he adjusted his gloves and prepared to serve dinner along several other servants. They chatted among themselves, complaining and making fun of the over-the-top royals in the ballroom. When he was still a guard, he never really had a legitimate conversation with any of the servants, he really didn't even think twice about them. He felt out of place, yet he couldn't help but overhear their conversations.

"You would've thought with the King being from the countryside that things would've changed 'round here already" one of them argued.

"Yea, just because he has some sort of mark on him, he's trying to get accepted into their class and forgot about all of us down here. I would want to forget where I came from if I was him, but what a waste." the one next to him scoffed. Arthur bit his lip, trying not to let their comments make him say something he would regret. Yes they were talking badly about Alfred, but he couldn't defend him without giving away they had some sort of connection.

"Oi, newbie, he even took your title away, aren't you gonna do something about it?" suddenly aware that they were talking about him, Arthur spun around and quickly searched for words.

"I- that wasn't his doing, it was written in his father's will. While I'm upset about it, there's nothing I can do to change it" he decided to avoid problems and just state the facts as they were. However, the servant who called him out didn't take it the way he hoped.

"Oh so you're just gonna let them walk all over you just because they have fancy titles or whatever. Screw it, you're just like them, you're part of the problem" he snarled and pushed past him on his way out. The other servants murmured in agreement and began filtering out of the room with several plates of food to serve. Arthur said nothing as he watched them all leave. It's not that he was unaware of the class differences, but he always saw it as a duty to the Kingdom. If everyone acted their part then the kingdom could survive. Then why did he feel so empty? And why was the kingdom falling apart? He shook his head to clear the thoughts away, he wasn't ready to think that way. Instead, he joined the rest of the servants in the ballroom and tried to avoid Alfred's gaze as much as he could.

It had been about two hours into the grand ball, and Arthur was starting to regret being there at all. While trying his best to avoid Alfred, he had run into a certain guard about 3 times already. He thought that the worst part would be watching girls flirt with his lover, but he had completely forgotten that Francis would be there as well. Normally, they'd annoy the hell out of each other and no one would care, but since he got demoted to servant, there was no way he could yell at the other like he used to. At least not in public like this. It was probably the second worst thing in his life at the moment.

"Oh Arthurrrrr" his blood boiled at the sing-song sound of the blond guard's voice. Francis came to a stop right next to him, a little too close for comfort. "Don't you look adorable dressed up like that, perhaps you should try the maid's attire, I think it suits you better don't you agree?" he laughed, a mischievous glint in his eye.

"No. I don't agree" Arthur grunted back, a short but effective response, he thought. He stared straight ahead of him with his hands crossed. He wanted nothing to do with him right now.

"Aw, what's wrong? You know we haven't had the chance to talk since you're always with his Highness. Miss him much?" Francis pouted, trying to at least get his attention.

"No why would I miss him?" Arthur quickly replied, shooing those thoughts away. "It's not as if I chose to be his servant in the first place"

"But you two are close though, you knew him before he was king. Don't tell me that it's all professional now? The guard pointed out. The truth caught Arthur by surprise, and he finally turned to face him.

"Nothing happened then, and nothing will ever happen between us. Why are you so interested? Don't you have somewhere to be?"

"I never said anything happened" Francis chuckled, "I'm only asking since once he picks out a lovely maiden, I doubt he'll have time for you." The other scowled at him, really hating the fact that what he said really made sense.

"I don't really care. Plus I'm his personal servant. I doubt anything would change."

"You really haven't been watching have you? It already has." Francis sighed and looked up at the dance floor.

"What do you-" Arthur trailed off as he followed his gaze towards where Alfred was dancing with one of the women. Though it didn't look like they were just dancing. They were so close, and seemed to be whispering to each other. His hand delicately on her waist while the other caressed her hand so lovingly as if they were made to fit together. Nothing could distract them as they gazed deeply into each other's eyes. They looked like a true couple, and one that had been together for a long time.

"Seems to me he already found a future queen, huh?" Francis smiled at the sight. He always had a soft spot for young love. But as he turned back towards Arthur, he realized the other wasn't there anymore. Confused, he searched around wondering where he could've gone. "Hm, perhaps there's more to this than I thought…" he murmured to himself.

Arthur gasped for air as he shut the door of the pantry behind him. He had rushed into the kitchen as fast as he could before anyone saw the pitiful tears running down his cheeks. No, not again, he cursed. It really was stupid to cry over him twice in one day. But he couldn't help it, not after what he saw. Was Alfred really looking at her like that? Why? Countless thoughts ran through his mind, rendering him unable to move from a corner. He couldn't even fight them because he wasn't doing anything wrong. Alfred was just following tradition, he was doing what was expected of him. He couldn't be angry at him for that, so instead he got angry at himself for having these stupid feelings of jealousy.

"God I'm such a damn fool, thinking this could work out at all" he hissed to himself, covering his face with his hands. "Dammit, why did I think there was any hope!" Arthur cried, looking up at the dusty cream ceiling as the tears continued to create rivers on his skin. No longer trying to hold them back, he let himself come undone. All the frustration, the worries, the pain, the anger, the guilt, the jealousy, the grief. Had it all been for nothing? His gaze wandered down to the mounds of food on shelves. It made him even angrier, knowing that here he was crying over the love of his life while people were starving every day in the countryside. Fuming, he wiped the foolish tears off his face, and tried to gather back the little sense of self-worth he was clinging to. That is until he spotted a half filled-bottle of whiskey at the end of the shelf. He only hesitated for a moment before he reached for it, popped it open, and realized that no one would even be looking for him anyway. The guards saw him as a servant, the servants saw him as a problem. And Alfred, well this would make it easier for him to move on. He put his favorite poison to his lips and drank every last drop.

** Later that night **

Arthur slowly blinked open his eyes to discover he never had been more dizzy in his life. He groaned as he pulled his body up from the cold ground and tried to remember where he was. It was dark and he could barely make out anything in front of him. Standing up proved to be even more difficult as he had to hold onto one of the shelves for balance. Slowly but surely he began making his way to the exit, following the faint light under the door of the pantry. With a weak push, he was able to liberate himself from the darkness though he immediately regretted it. "Fuck, ow!" he cursed as the bright kitchen light blinded him and made his head spin again. He stumbled around for a while, squinting, before he got adjusted to the brightness and realized where he was. Memories then came flooding back to him, about Alfred, about that girl. Arthur grit his teeth with hate and wondered what they were up to. Now a little more stable, though still very drunk, he found his way out of the kitchen and peered into the ballroom that was just around the corner. It was mostly empty now with several servants cleaning up and one or two royals bidding each other goodbye. He quickly realized that it must be quite late now, and that he should probably retreat to his sleeping quarters before anyone noticed just how intoxicated he was. Arthur sighed and headed the opposite way, trying to walk as normally as he could when his head was pounding like crazy. He stared at the ground as he shuffled his feet along, not really having the motivation to move, and fully knowing there was no chance he was going to sleep tonight. On the brief moment he managed to lift his head, he looked out the window, noticing the bright full-moon in the sky. It shone so proudly as if it were mocking Arthur's sadness with how beautiful it made the night. This was a new low for him, getting mad at the moon. He sighed to himself and was just about to move on when he noticed a figure in the darkness of the outside. His guard instincts began kicking in when he realized how rare it was for someone to be out this late at night. His eyes followed the figure, trying to determine who it was. It was only for a split second, but once the moonlight lit Alfred's messy blond locks, specifically a certain cowlick that never seemed to behave, he began to run. Arthur ran outside without thinking, just knowing that there was something wrong. It wasn't until he saw the greenhouse, that he saw the second shadow standing in front of it. Quickly, he found a hiding spot behind some bushes and watched as Alfred approached the other shadow. It only took the moonlight again to reveal the gorgeous blue gown and short, flowy locks of the princess. His heart broke again for the second time that night, but Arthur held onto the smallest piece of hope in his soul. Hope that this was all a misunderstanding. He held his breath as he tried to hear parts of their conversation, but they were whispering too softly for him to make out anything. This only served to annoy him further because from the way they were acting, it seemed like they were keeping some sort of secret.

"Ugh, if only I could get a little closer…." he thought to himself, peeking out from the side of the bushes. He glared at them, hating how close they were and how they seemed to have gotten so close in a matter of hours. Pure jealousy ran through his veins as his brain entertained multiple scenarios where Alfred replaced him with this new girl. It was a bit irrational, but he was still very drunk and watching them, it all made sense. It made even more sense when Arthur finally heard part of their conversation.

"Marry me!" Alfred exclaimed with excitement as if he had made up his mind about it before. Those words delivered a huge blow to Arthur's heart, and the final piece of evidence his mind needed for him to completely shut down. So it really was over. Suddenly he felt chills and a wave of dizziness came over him, making him lose his footing. Crack. Arthur had stepped on a nearby branch, causing a sound too loud to miss.

"Fuck" he cursed under his breath as he retreated back into the bushes, but it was evident that the couple had heard him. Yet, he was too curious to see what would happen next, so he stayed hiding. Later, he would regret that very decision as what he saw next would deliver the last and final blow to completely shut down any hope he had left for their relationship. The kiss. He watched as the two came close and committed the act so sinful to him, but he could not look away. The image burned into his mind and this time instead of anger, he felt a huge hole open up inside of him. He felt empty with grief, no tears could even express the emotions flowing through him at the moment. And when it was done, all Arthur could do with himself was run away. Run far far away into the night. He carried his unrequited feelings like useless pieces of armor that clung to him and pulled him down. He probably wouldn't have ever stopped until he ran into the person he least wanted to see, as if having his heart shattered wasn't enough.

"Arthur?" Francis put his arm out to hold him back, his voice carrying plenty of concern and rare seriousness. Arthur didn't even try to struggle against him, but he looked to the ground instead, breathing hard. He felt weak and couldn't bother to fight back. "Arthur what happened? Arthur?" the guard tried again, shaking him a bit when he got no response from the other.

"None of your business" he finally managed to mumble out, still looking at his feet. However, after the adrenaline rush from the sudden running started fading away, he felt sick and his knees gave in. Embarrassingly, Francis was quick to catch him before he hit the ground.

"Looks like it is now. You've been drinking, don't try to lie to me I know you" he sighed and tried to steady him back on his feet while letting his weight rest on himself. "Let's get you inside, it's freezing and-"

"You were right" Arthur suddenly cut him off. He raised his head to look up at the other, his eyes were red and puffy. "I love him. But it doesn't matter anymore, he found someone else so you can stop bothering me about it" it was pitiful, but he had to fight back tears as he heard himself say it out loud. Francis looked less surprised than he would've liked, but still shocked nonetheless. He was quiet for a few moments before he replied.

"I'm sorry Arthur, but we both know it's for the best. He will be safe and happy. This is just the way things need to be, just give yourself time and it will be alright" he comforted. He didn't know too many details about their situation, but to see the other this way, he must have really fallen in love. It hurt him to see him this way, even though he loved to tease and pester him, he still considered him a friend. Unfortunately his condolences seemed to have had the opposite effect as Arthur started sobbing.

"I wish I never found him. Fuck it all!" he cried through clenched teeth. "I just want to forget it all, I need to forget."

"Arthur…" Francis quietly started, but trailed off as he realized the other was probably not in a state to listen to anything he had to say. He decided it would be better if he got some rest. "Let's go inside, okay? Come on" the guard started walking forward, still holding onto Arthur to help him along. He was careful to scan the area for other guards as the pair walked into the castle. Fortunately, most of them were busy at the front gate where the King was arranging for Princess Joan to spend the night at one of the guest chambers. He didn't dare mention that to Arthur as he headed towards the servants' quarters. However, as they got closer, Arthur lifted up his head, realizing where he was being taken to and abruptly stopped.

"No, I don't want to go there. They hate me."

"I'm sure they don't it must have been a misunderstanding-"

"Don't take me there...please" Arthur pleaded, which got Francis's attention right away. He had never seen him like this, let alone trusting him to do the right thing. The guard sighed and nodded, quickly thinking of where to go next. He didn't want there to be any rumors, but he figured it might be better to tell a few white lies in order to cover up Arthur's affections for the King, which would be an ever bigger scandal. Francis led him to the guards' quarters. A new guy had taken over Arthur's old room, so he had to bring him into his own. Arthur in his bed wouldn't be a new thing, though it would be for a different reason. Sure when they were younger there was an undeniable flame between them, a secret that surprisingly never had gotten out to the public. But it was never spoken about now. It was almost as if it never happened. As the pair walked into Francis's room, Arthur seemed a little uneasy, though he didn't complain. He slowly lowered himself on the bed with the help of the other.

"Thank you...for this. Just- make sure no one knows I'm here. I wouldn't hear the last of it if Gilbert and Antonio heard about this." Arthur mumbled, giving him a rare smile. One look at that smile and Francis's head filled with memories from the past. That precious time, how he had missed it. He smiled back at him, gently leaning closer as he basked in nostalgia.

"You're welcome, and I'll take care of it, don't worry. Now get some rest." Their faces were just inches away from each other. Francis could see the heavy blush on the other's cheeks, but he knew better than to think it was just the alcohol. Arthur's brain was spinning as he looked back at him. Too many thoughts clouded his judgement, but at that moment he realized he had nothing to lose. He already knew he could tell when he was coming undone. It was no surprise to either of them when Arthur closed the gap and pressed their lips together into a kiss. Francis happily kissed back, taking the opportunity to push the other down on the bed. The two fell back into old habits almost naturally. It was messy, as expected of someone completely wasted, but for a split second the flame was back. Arthur let out a soft moan as his mouth was suddenly overtaken by the other's tongue. Working almost magically to make him melt and squirm beneath him. Francis was undeniably one of the best kissers, and he knew just how to turn him into a needy mess. They gasped for breath as the kiss finally broke, but Francis got right back to it, pressing his lips against Arthur's skin, trailing kisses down to his neck. That sent shivers down his spine and he tangled his fingers around his blond locks.

"F-fuck...Francis…" Arthur panted, hoping that whatever this was would make him forget. Yes, this had to make him forget, even for a little while.

"Mm? You're enjoying this?" Francis purred, then stopped to look back at the masterpiece he had created beneath him. He admired every inch of the other's soft, flushed skin. His hazy emerald eyes, messy hair, and swollen lips. That was a sight he'd never forget. Though he knew what had to happen next. "You look beautiful"

"H-huh?" Arthur lifted his head up slightly, confused and not knowing if he heard him right. At this, Francis got off the bed and pressed a last kiss to Arthur's forehead before stepping back.

"Goodnight, Arthur" he smiled, and just like that he turned away and walked to the door. Arthur quickly sat up, his mouth open in shock, but he didn't know what else to do. He watched as the other closed the door behind him and even stared at the spot for a few moments after. Slowly, the fog in his brain started lifting and he realized what had just happened. He felt angry then guilty then awful then empty again. Arthur looked up at the ceiling, wondering how he was ever going to sleep that night. If he couldn't even have that, or whatever this was...then what was there to live for? He didn't know anymore.