✔ Masquerade | England [EDITING]

f o u r t e e n

Rapunzel

The next morning found you lazing on the deck, not doing any of the work Arthur ordered you to do. As the wind blew, you closed your eyes and exhaled.

Really, you couldn't work because you found yourself thinking about what happened to Arthur last night. 

I've never seen him look so distressed before. He looked like he was on the brink of death. I wonder about what could it have been.

Thinking about how your arms were around him as his head was rested upon your chest, made those parts of your body tingle. 

You opened your eyes and to your right a distance away, you saw Arthur blankly staring at the sea. He looked towards the north. Suddenly, a hawk called out. Arthur quickly looked up and raised his arm; The hawk landed on his arm carefully. He bent down to its leg and took a rolled up piece of paper.

He read it quickly and sighed. 

"Pestilence and famine in England, eh?" he spoke to the hawk and rubbed its chin, "Not that I care." he continued. 

Hearing this, you stood up and walked to Arthur curiously. 

"Commander! What news does the bird bring?" you asked.

"Nothing of importance." he said, but told you anyway, "I am informed by a close acquaintance that famine and pestilence rages in England." he rubbed his eyes. 

"You seem tired." you said.

He nodded.

"If I may ask, what happened to you last night?"

He let out another sigh, "I told you, it's nothing of consequence." 

"But it seemed as though you were at the brink of death!" 

"I wasn't."

"Well, whatever it may be, are you tired because of it?"

"I suppose I am."

Not keen on hearing his vague answers, you decided it would be best to leave him alone. You made known to him your intentions. 

"Very well," he sighed again, "I thought I told you to clean the deck. Get to it."

"Yes sir." you replied, "Before I go, Arthur, I have a question."

"What is it?"

"You told me last night that my bedchamber now is the outdoors. I want to know why this is the case."

"I thought I told you that I have not yet decided where you should sleep."

"Yes, you did, but sleeping outdoors would make anyone catch a cold."

"Personally, I think having a cold is way better than not having a supply of citruses." He said.

"Alright! I get your point. I'll sleep outside."

----

Arthur's P.O.V

As soon as she was out of sight, I rested my head on the rails.

"Bloody hell," I grumbled, "Not getting sleep gets me wonky like always." 

"If that's the case, nothing's going to go right today," 

I turned around and scanned the deck with these heavy eyes of mine. In the distance, I saw Alfred skipping towards me with a book in hand. He came up close to me with a smile and held out a story book in my face. 

"Sister gave it to me!" he exclaimed.

"So?"

"Can you read it to me?" he pleaded, looking at me with those bloody cute blue eyes of his. 

"Not now kid, I'm busy." I grunted, in attempt to shoo him away, "Ask ____ to read it for you."

"But she said that she had to clean the deck."

"Then ask Antonio or Feliciano or whoever."

"I don't want to. I want you to read this to me," he said, suddenly sounding firm. 

"So you're going to be as firm as the Northern Star, eh lad?"

"Yeah!" he grinned and asked me once more, "Will you read this to me?"

I snatched the book from him and looked at it. 

Rapunzel, huh?

"Where did you get this?" I asked.

"Sister gave it to me. I don't know where she had gotten it." he replied.

"It must be Beilschmidt." I shook my head, "He's always buying these things. Well, no matter. I'll talk to him about it later. Right. I'll read this to you. Now, where in this bloody ship do you want to sit?"

Alfred thought for a minute and then pulled me to the stern.

"Let's sit over here!" He exclaimed.

----

After about thirty minutes, with a heavy sigh, I concluded the book and slammed it shut,

"The End."

"YAY!" cheered Alfred as he fist pumped the air, almost punching me. 

"Careful with your fists there, boy!" I snapped at him, giving him a knock on his head with my knuckles. 

"I'm sorry, Artie." he apologized with a giggle and got up.

"Whatever." I sighed, stood up, dusted myself and handed the picture book back. I was about to walk away when Alfred said,

"Artie! Thank you for reading this to me!" 

"Don't call me that." 

I walked away, grumbling. "That dumb brat." I murmured, "Why is he so adorable?"

I turned around and looked at the azure sky, dotted with a few puffy white clouds. 

"The sky is so pretty, it's annoying." I sighed and searched for Antonio.

"Antonio!" I called.

"You called?" came a reply in that annoying Spanish accent. 

"Wherever you are, I need you to come with me." I said and made my way to the library. Antonio emerged from behind the wheel and followed me.

Soon as I entered, I took a map and a compass, sat down and carefully eyed the sepia colored map. Antonio sat down too, looking at me curiously.

"What's on your mind, Arthur?"

"I think we're close to South Africa." I mused.

"Really?!" his face brightened up with that annoyingly radiating smile, "How many miles so far?"

 "We must've traveled about eight thousand miles from the New World."

"Wow, that is a lot."

"Surprisingly fast too, considering how less the storms at the Atlantic were." 

"Less storms?" he questioned, "Now that you mentioned it..." 

"Anyway, we need to replenish our resources." I interjected

"So, you're implying that we need to stop somewhere, right?"

"Exactly. Where should we stop..." I nodded, looked at the map and scanned for an island to stop by for a few days. My eyes fell on a particular island.

"I've decided, Antonio," 

"Well, where are we pausing our journey?"

"Seychelles." I smiled.

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