Cardverse Hetalia : Time

Chapter 16 - Life and Death

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-ARTHUR'S POV -

I look towards that man's face once more, can't believe my eyes that I actually see a known figure for me. Stefan, one of my best friends, came from the wizard family, stood in front of me. As I know, he died on a field trip 6 years ago when I was in university and hadn't he died at that time, he will be one year older than my current age, 22 years old.

For a normal person's reaction, undoubtedly they will scream in fear as they thought they were seeing a ghost in front of them. I mean, well, who isn't afraid when seeing a dead person stand in front of them. But, I saw footprints in the thick snow and this man's face is too old for a 17-year-old boy. So undoubtedly this is the real Stefan and not his ghostly image of him.

From Kiku's face, I know he was also in shock. Well, this guy is right. When my mother died that day, I went to meet Stefan first and he confronted me, and told me that he was always here for me. Then, a few hours before the funeral, I met Kiku and told him about my mother. He sympathised with me and wished that I would live with his brother and mother (his father had died in a plague on the battlefield). But I refused, telling him that my second and third brother, Carl and Dylan will take care of me. I was relieved that the next year, I got into university and stayed in the same hostel with Kiku. Truthfully, I never saw my eldest brother again ever since mum had died and Carl and Dylan, since after my inauguration as the Queen of Spades. Sorry, brother. I'm...Quite overwork. :(

"But...W...Why? After all these years?! If you're still alive, why haven't you come to pay a visit?!" Honestly, I'm about to cry when I watch him dead in front of my eyes. Even now I am about to break into tears when I look at his face but I tried my best to hold myself.

"You rulers are the main cause that our ancestors are suffering. Even you, Arthur. You betrayed us by becoming one of them!"

I can feel my heart bottled up with anger but dumbfounded at the same time. What in the world is this guy talking about?! Ancestors? Did he mean the wizards? Well, honestly, countless wizards have been hunted but that is the past. The wizard community had lived in peace even since the last war and not being discriminated against, well this is not implied on the councillors though. Even some of the elderly in my hometown had their disgusting view towards the rulers of the Spades even if I'm the Queen.

I tried to pull myself, not release all my anger onto him. "Stefan, did you think I'm expecting myself to be the Queen?! Not a single thought in my life that I would be the Queen of Spades. I even don't know what kind of fate that I'm facing now-"

"Fate? Ha! Did you think I believe in fate?! Don't you think I know?! Since you become the Queen, only the elderlies have some conflict with you but most of the wizard community accepts you to become their Queen! Don't you remember what they did to us-"

"That's in the past, Stefan! The past! Not all the citizens of the Spades discriminate against us nowadays! I admit that some people have a disgusting view on us but most of them accept us and we are treated like one of them!"

Stefan smirked. "Heh, what about Alfred. Did he accept you? Did he expect that you're the Queen?"

My mind then thought about Alfred. I honestly don't know. When I was brought into the castle before the inauguration, he smiled at me and gave me a warm welcome. Maybe because I feel awkward at that moment so he tried to calm me down. But he's a straightforward person who will always say directly so he is one of the people that I trusted the most besides Kiku, Yao, Matthew and Francis.