♠️ Exceptis Centrum ♠️ ✔︎

Chapter 19

Needing a break from the fair and the children, Alfred found a quiet space in a nearby stone gazebo and he slumped onto the marble bench. He had informed Francis he needed to be alone to get his thoughts on order, but implored him to have a good time and he apologised for the whole Joker incident. Francis was still a little miffed about his ruined clothes but he couldn’t blame the whole thing on him, plus he was a little concerned about Alfred after the whole game. The children were still having a blast and everyone seemed to have forgotten that a Joker had been present.

Leaning back against one of the stone pillars, Alfred tried to put together everything he had learned this afternoon from Peter, the mischievous Joker. Some of it helped shed a little light on the whole thing but the rest of it left him confused. He learned that there was a cover up in his own Kingdom involving the Queen and Gilbert the Joker was somehow involved. He was also given a peculiar riddle and was told by the Joker that the thing that needed to be done was for him to pay for something he did.

“What did I do?”

What exactly did he do? Alfred couldn’t think of anything bad he had done in his life. Did it all have something to do with that door? The girl had told him that to stop what was behind that silver door he had to do what needed to be done, and the Joker told him that he needed to pay for something he did, but what did he do? In his youth he had stolen cookies, wet the bed, and threw tantrums but he doubted that was the sole reason. He threw wild parties that got a little out of hand as he got older, did some reckless things here and there but that didn’t sound like the problem.

He also wondered what that horrible imagery the mystery girl showed him was all about. Peter claimed that it was her who who showed him that dreadful sight, but why? The dead children reaching out to him, the rivers of blood, his stained hands and the axe. Why did she show him all of that? What was it all about? Was she trying to scare him... or was this her bizarre way of trying to tell him something?

“Argh, this all giving me a headache,” he mumbled as he leaned forward to rub the bridge of his nose.

As he tried to get his thumping headache to calm down he suddenly heard a light chuckle above him. For a second he thought it was Francis coming to check on him. He glanced up and to his surprise he was looking up at Arthur, the sunlight directly behind him and he was holding a pot with bright pink flowers.

“What are you doing?” snorted Arthur, who appeared amused for some reason.

Looking round Alfred found he was back in the garden and not in the stone gazebo, sitting upon the wooden bench he had sat with Arthur before. He was actually surprised to be back so soon after what he just went through at the fair. If it was indeed the mystery girl sending him here, why did she show him that ghastly sight with the dead children and then bring him here?

Arthur continued to chuckle away. “You look adorable,” he laughed.

That snapped Alfred out of his confusion and he blushed furiously at the comment. “W-What’s that supposed to mean!?”

Arthur pointed towards his head with a big smirk. Alfred raised his hand up to pat his own head and blushed even more when he realised he was still wearing those rabbit ears Peter put on him. He ripped them off and stood up, stuffing them into his pocket.

“These w-were just something I got from the fair,” he mumbled, trying to get his face to calm down. The last thing he wanted was for Arthur to see him looking ridiculous.

Arthur seemed disappointed that Alfred took them off. “So how was the fair? Did you entertain the children well?”

Alfred felt a little smug, recalling that he had been practically bragging to Arthur about the whole thing during the past week. “Oh they’re loving it,” he declared, “the rides, the games, the entertainment. I told you that I’m the greatest host and I never disappoint.” Alfred couldn’t resist bragging about how the fair went, deciding not to mention the bits with the Joker. He went on and on, keen to describe to Arthur what he had missed out on.