The England Experiment

Remorse

Allistor, Ciaran, Dylan, and Arthur walked out of the room, out of the office that Oliver sat smiling in without a second glance. They strode from the room, finding Matt leaning against the wall out side, and followed him down the winding hallways in relative silence.

Oliver's eyes lingered for a moment in a solemn longing on Arthur, but he payed his 2p no heed.

They made little small talk as they left the 2p's realm, leaving the Canadian behind as they travelled through the mirror back to the large meeting room. The three brothers followed Arthur on the way back to Ludwig's house down the road. They watched Arthur on his way back to his temporary home, and watched in surprise as his expression changed. As they had been leaving the white room and Oliver's office, Arthur's eyes had been red and his cheeks blotched from tears, with a look of sadness overcoming his features, and shoulders slouching slightly with fatigue. But now, one hundred meters from the house, Arthur's face looked no different than the brothers usually saw. His clear skin, thick eyebrows and mouth twisted downward slightly to create a look of monotone annoyance, and his strait posture indicating a look of superiority, even flouncing an ego. It all looked so 'normal' for the brothers, so 'in character' for him, that they had never stopped before to wonder how many times the Brit had put on this mask.

Ciaran and Allistor's eyes met with a mutual look of concern whilst Dylan looked on and studied his youngest brother.

They knocked on the oaken door. Ludwig answered it, they had given up on him waiting by the mirror in the meeting room and just staying at the house due to Oliver's unsteady finishing times.

"Arthur, and the Kirkland brothers. Please come in," Ludwig nodded and outstretched his arm politely. They all entered and the brothers stood by the doorway next to the wooden pegs. As they did Arthur began to walk down the corridor, when he was roughly halfway down Ludwig grabbed his upper arm, pulling him in closer, muttering words in his ear. His light blue eyes were full of concern as he murmured in Arthur's ear. The brothers couldn't hear the conversation but saw Arthur sigh and say somthing back to Ludwig, who listened patiently. When it seemed Arthur was done talking Ludwig squeezed his arm lightly, saying somthing else quickly, and then let Arthur walk into what looked like the kitchen.

Ludwig walked down the corridor towards Allistor, letting out a sigh from his nose. His sky blue eyes met Allistor's green ones.
"Will you be staying long?"

"No, sorry, we would if we could, but the current state of the United kingdom's government has left our bosses needy, we're wanted back in a meeting at 8."

Dylan checked his pocket watch, it read 7:06 PM. Ciaran had always said his old, golden pocket watch on a chain was old fashioned and outdated; but he loved it, he had gotten it in the 18th century, and it has a lovely spiralling design of a daffodil on the top.

"Very well, that's understandable. Thank you for coming on such short notice."

Allistor shook hands with the strong German, giving thanks for taking care of his younger brother as they stepped out of the door into the cooling night air. As Ludwig began to close the door, Allistor pulled him close with his jacket cuff. Ludwig blinked in surprise.

"Promise me, that you will keep him safe."

Ludwig's blue eyes looked solemn in the dim light of the clouded moon. He said nothing, but nodded.

Allistor, Dylan, and Ciaran disappeared into the night as they nation hopped back home.

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Arthur walked through to the kitchen and sat down on one of the stools for the island that sat in the centre of the room. He put his head in his hands and sighed. Gilbert was sitting on the stool opposite him, a glass of low alcohol beer pressed to his soft lips. He studied the Brit for a moment, before setting his glass down and standing up.