Surprise SuFin epilogue!

Epilogue

Berwald winced visibly as he opened the letter. Across the carriage, Tino looked up from his determined scrutiny of a book he wasn't really reading.

"What's the matter?" asked Tino. They didn't bother looking at the empty seat beside Tino, the one that would usually be filled with their energetic adopted son. Neither were ready to face that pain again.

"It's fr'm him," said Berwald, and he handed Tino the letter. It was written in red ink on a worn out sort of foreign parchment that for some reason reminded Tino of war and tigers.

My good advisors –

What the hell do you mean, you failed to take the one thing I asked for!

"Oh, so he's heard," said Tino mildly. He read on.

I asked you very specifically to invade Hearts and pluck me a Queen. I did not ask you to wage a colossal war against all Four Kingdoms, I did not ask you to collapse the Clubs economy, and I did not ask you to fall to a handful of soldiers wearing a card deck!

"He clearly misses all the work we put into this effort," said Tino, irritated.

And now, what's more, you expect me to accept this resignation? I gave you a job, good sirs, and I paid you good money in advance for its completion. What kind of mercenaries are you?

"Did you explain Peter to him in your resignation? asked Tino. "He sounds irrational."

"He's alw'ys irration'l," said Berwald.

Very well, it is no matter. I have no need for you any longer, so consider your resignation accepted, despite the incredible rudeness. When I make my move, you can also consider yourselves collateral damage I do not mind making. And don't expect me to forgive so easily just because you were foolish enough to lose a son to a false queen and the star-crossed lovers.

"Well-informed as always," said Tino. "Now he's threatening us as if he has his own army to spare." He gave a soft laugh, folding the letter and handing it back to Berwald. "You're worried."

"He may succ'd," said Berwald with a frown. "If he does, what w'll become of P'ter?" Tino's confidence wilted like a flower in the frost.

"He can't possibly succeed," said Tino. "We're the most powerful technologic force in the world. If we lost, how can he win?"

"He does have a psychologic'l adv'ntage," said Berwald softly.

"Berwald," said Tino, leaning over to take his husband's hands. "You said yourself that you were impressed by this Queen of Hearts."

"His res'lve and quick w't were admirable," said Berwald.

"And I have high faith in the Jack of Hearts," said Tino. "And we have been told that the King of Hearts is more admirable than the two of them put together. While I find this hard to believe, it does say something about the people in whom we have been forced to place our trust."

"Trust?" said Berwald. "Cautious necessity, I c'll it."

"Peace terms," said Tino softly. He squeezed Berwald's hands, finding it already difficult to hold back the tears. "Peace terms. They'll keep Peter safe. They have to."

"Ev'n from…?"

"I don't believe he'll succeed," said Tino. He tucked the letter into Berwald's coat pocket. "He has nothing but a handful of radical supporters. What is the most damage he could possibly do?"

"I s'ppose we'll find out," said Berwald.

Tino leaned back into his seat and watched the rolling Hearts countryside as the carriage took him farther and farther from his precious son. But Peter was a good boy, and he was determined to succeed in the position they had offered him. They would take good care of him. That was, if they didn't also become collateral damage. A fight would happen, and Tino hoped and prayed that the fight wouldn't last.

He hoped that the monarchs of Hearts were loyal to their kingdom, because the next fight coming to them would be waged through psychology. If any of them lost faith…well, they would just have to hope that didn't happen.

Uh-oh. Who is this mysterious HIM that Berwald and Tino are talking about? We'll have to find out in A QUESTION OF FIDELITY, the sequel to this bad boy that will hopefully arrive on computer screens everywhere in the near future! I'm really excited about AQoF, because of a few things. 1) Yes, the story is still primarily about Kiku, but Ludwig also has POV! 2) It's all about backstory. And oh, dude, it'll be great. 3) Like Tino and Berwald say, it's a psychological war instead of a let's-blow-up-Geneva war. 4) It's more romance-heavy than this is. I couldn't pull off the GerIta I wanted in this, but it will be there with the addition of Ludwig's POV.

On another note, none of the POV characters ever learned Tino's name, so I kept having to refer to him as the Northern Doctor for the ENTIRE story. It's a relief to write something from his eyes. Tino is also kind of a badass.

Well, that's all for A Question of Arrangement! It has been a journey. I'm not entirely satisfied with this thing, as my plot kind of ran away from me at about Chapter 7 and didn't come back until now, but I like how some things turned out. Character-wise especially. Thanks to everyone who supported this fic with your reviews, favorites, follows, or just your views! I appreciate everything you've done! Much love!

Let me know what you thought, and I'll see you in A Question of Fidelity!

~Elsi