Arthur had not been expecting where Allistor took them. He looked around as Allistor stopped them in front of the Queen's Courthouse, in awe of the marble columns at the top of the many stairs. Allistor knelt between them, gesturing at the stairs as he spoke quietly.
"See the stairs, how they make the building look tall? That's a trick they use to give you the impression that they're above you, lads. yyou must keep on your feet when going anywhere, lest people use your own mind against you." Arthur blinked, seeing the logic in the situation as Allistor stood, planting a hand on each boys' head.
"Dreadfully sorry to ask, lads, but would you wait out here for a bit?" Arthur and Francis exchanged a look, both of them shrugging before Arthur nodded. "Yea, uncle. We've got biscuits to keep us company." Allistor smiled and patted their heads before taking off up the steps in great bounds.
"Wonder what he needs to do here..." Arthur huffed, maintaining a 'holier then thou' attitude as he led the way for them to sit on the second step. "Obviously he's here on important business that he has to keep secret, foolish frog." Francis hummed under his breath.
"You know, I've always kind of liked frogs, Angelterre." Arthur scoffed, shaking his head as he retrieved his remaining biscuits from his pocket, popping a piece of a crumbled ginger snap into his mouth. "I don't see why you would. They give you warts." Francis laughed softly, nibbling on his own biscuit slowly.
"Non, they acttually don't, Angelterre. That's a myth, you see. I worked with a chef in France who made a special dish- cuisses de grenouilles, frog's legs. They're considered a delicacy in my home country..." Arthur snorted. "Further proof that the French are fools."
"Non, we aren't, Angelterre. We're just different from your people."
"I rest my case." Francis shook his head, giving his deep blue eyes a roll. "Angelterre, I honestly hope that one day you'll learn to accept other's differences. I really do." Arthur huffed a scoff out, taking a bite of his biscuit.
"The day I do that is the day England loses every colony it has." Francis shrugged easily. "Well, a an can hope, can't he?" Arthur let out an indignant huff. "since when are you a man?! How old are you, anyways?!" Francis had to hink a moment.
"I believe I turned fifteen three months ago." Arthur's mighty eyebrows rose. "Really? you look younger..." Francis shrugged. "Yet another family trait." Arthur nodded slowly. "You must have an interesting family..." Francis shrugged. "I wouldn't know. All I know about them is from a woman at the orphanage I was at, who was a friend of my Mama's. She always told me stories about what god people they were..." Francis sighed, looking up at the gray sky.
"Looks like it's going to rain..." Arthur shrugged lightly, biting into his last ginger snap. "Yea, it does that. More of drizzles on and off, though..." Franics smiled , glancing at Arthur covertly. "In France it rained sometime, but it was more sunshine than rain. You could always get a job working fields in the summer." The French boy laughed quietly as the first drop of the impending rain showed it's face, landing on Arthur's cheek. "Oh, Angelterre. It was beautiful there. As much as I adored the bakeries and shoppes, I loved the farms most. You could see for miles on a clear day, and there was always enough foor to eat..." Arthur could practically see the rolling fields of grain and hear the cows in the dairy barn.
"That sounds wonderful, Francis..." Arthur stiffened a moment as Francis leaned a shoulder into his, putting his head on Arthur's shoulder. Both of them waited for the other to react to Francis' risky move, but nothing happened.
They sat together in the rain in silence, two lost boys who'd found a home, each with the other.
"Lads! Hop skip, now!" They jumped as Allistor barreled past them, Arthur looking for the pursuers as Francis stood and stretched. "Mons-- I mean, Allistor, what's the alarm?" Allistor shook his head, practically bouncing in place, his joy clear on his face, imbedded in the feirce joy in his green eyes.
"Nothing! Come along, now!" Arthur was pulled to his feet as Allistor bounced about. "Not a moment to lose, we must go and fetch me lads and set out for Southampton at once!" Arthur grinned, excited at the prospect of leaving London for the first time in his life. "Honestly, what's got you riled up, uncle Allistor?" The red head shook his head, grinning like a man who enjoyed his secrets.
"It's gotta wait until we meet with me crew, lad!" Arthur nodded in acceptance of the man's figurative silence and scampered down the steps, where he was surprised to find himself being hugged feircly.
"Uncle, what are you..." Allistor shushed him, and Arthur could hear a smile in his voice. "I haven't hugged ye in six years, lad. I need to make up for that time." Arthur hesiitantly hugged back, looking up when one of Allistor's arms left his side.
"Come here, lad, you're part of the family, too, now." Francis hesitated and Arthur rolled his eyes, waving him forward. the French boy looked ready to cry as Allistor wrapped an arm around him, group hugging like a boss.((lol, forget that, it's the 1700's. XD))
He released them after a moment, ruffling their hair joyously and waving for them to follow as he took off across the square. Arthur exchanged a glance with Francis, who looked happy in the sad way that makes cute puppies cry. "I think your uncle might be an angel, Angelterre." Arthur gave him a half smile. "Yea, you might be right." They quickly followed Arthur's uncle as he loped through London,masking the boys laugh as he nearly got hit by a stray horse and yelled something along the lines of "Go eat your own mother, ye bleedin' pisscutter!".
Allistor had them briefly stop as he chartered a pair of carraiges to take them to Southampton before setting off, this time finding themselves outside the same tavern as before.
"I'll take you in if you're good, yea?" The boys nodded, filled with anticipation of meeting Allistor's men as he pushed open the door, revealing a long and low room, the main spectacle of which was a group of men howling out a shanty in the corner, visably tipsy. Allistor held up a finger, winking before starting forward. Arthur and Francis exchanged a glance as Allistor headed straight for the rowdy men, a cry of regocognition going up as he was welcomed with open arms.
"Lads! Now, ye all knew me sister, eh?" The men all nodded or murtmered something like a "yes" and Allistor nodded. "And ye met her husband, damn fine Captain that he was." the men nodded and one called out above the rest,
"Why're you askin' us what we know, Cap'n?" Allistor grinned. "Because, Smelly Joe, now you lads get to meet her son and my nephew, the newest generation of the Kirklands!" Allistor waved Arthur forward and he hesitantly stepped forward. He could feel himself being stared at, like they expected him to do a trick or something. Francis saved him the embarrasment.
"Monsieur Allistor, you didn't tell me you had stereotypically named friends! How delightful!" Arthur heaved a sigh of relief as Francis took the attention off of him. the men immediatly started with questions about Francis and Allistor held up his hands. "Nay, lads! It's a long story, but we've got two along for the ride, and you're just going to have to shove the complaints, because he's a good lad." Francis gave just the right amou
t of bashfullness
"Non, only a good sense of where I stand." Arthur tried not to hate Francis. It seemed less like saving him from embarrassment and more like stealing the limelight now...
"Uncle, you said you'd tell us what the surprise was when we got here. Care to elaborate?" Allistor grinned, waving them all the way over as he sat down, seating Arthur on his knee like a small child while Francis took the seat on his left-hand side. Allistor grinned, slowly taking out an envealope and flicking it around at the table between is fingers, the madmans' grin back as he whispered quietly,
"We're legal, lads!" the men went into a roar of excitement as Allistor burst out into a grin.Arthur frowned. "Legal for what?"
"Why, we're officially privateers, now, lad! It's our Letters of Mark!" Arthur exchanged a glance with Francis as something became very clear.
Arthur's uncle was both insane and a pirate.
YOU ARE READING
For Queen and Captain {|Hetalia Human AU|}
Fanfiction"Lad, there are three people you look after. The Queen, your Captain, and yourself. You always come last, boy, so make sure that no matter where you hold your priorities, no matter where you find yourself in life, make sure you live for Queen and Ca...
