Authors Note: I do hope this story isn't too relatively close to anyone's story. If it is, I apologize ahead of time and can delete this story if asked. Besides that little note, enjoy the story.

Story Summary: It had been an old secret held only by the poor. It was said that Alice, future queen to an old kingdom, held a secret relationship with a strange being. If that wasn't enough to garner people's attention then perhaps when they heard that this relationship was with a mythical beast, would change their mind.

Pairings: FemArthur X Alfred. A little America X England fluff at the end (I think).

Disclaimer: I don't own Hetalia.

Once Upon a Fable

Once upon a fable…In a kingdom long faded in the memory of history, there existed a secret amongst the servants of the royal palace. Kept alive through word of mouth, no servant ever dared to place this story onto paper, for fear of the consequences from the nobles. So widely spread was this secret, but so carefully hidden from the royal family and the nobles, only people under the reign of the elites were told of this tale. Passed down from generation to generation, this story miraculously survived the test of time and even outlived the kingdom itself, where it first originated. Only when all traces of the royal family and its kingdom had passed along in the dust that the wind carried away, did a sole individual grab pen in hand and began to seal this ancient secret on paper. The last descendant to countless servants of this dead kingdom, this individual completed his task honorably. Before his dying breath escaped him, he quickly hid the book in a place where only the bravest and wisest would choose to look, and quietly passed onto the next life; content that this fable did not die with him.

Perhaps, in the next life, he would meet her majesty again…if the secret did not hold complete truth. Should he chance upon her kind soul, he would ask her simply one question.

Was this fable true?

…Did she truly have a secret relationship with a being that should not have existed?

Hence, the hidden book lay buried for many decades, waiting for the chance when it would be opened again and have all its secrets spilled out…

…And at last, the time came; its yellowed pages gently turned in curiosity.

…Her name was Alice. Petite with long blond locks of hair that flowed down her back, her emerald eyes could easily penetrate the soul of whoever caught her glance. The only child to the current royal family, she was greatly beloved and held highly amongst her many servants. She had manners. She had compassion. But mostly, she held curiosity.

Although she was well behaved with her parents as the princess, amongst the nobles she was only regarded as the sole heir to the throne. A dangerous threat to their line of power.

The elites did not do well in hiding their contempt for the princess of the royal family. Thus, she developed a deep disdain for nobility in general.

But she continued to nurture her love for the people of lower rank and status, going as far as to reach out to them despite cries of alarm from her guards or elites who saw her actions.

Alice could do so much for her people, that much she knew. But…she didn't want to get married to a selfish nobleman who was only looking to gain more power. They would definitely ignore her attempts at helping her people. As future heir to the throne, Alice could not allow that. Thus, she stayed determined to complete every task set before her with endless courage and strength. Unfortunately, the nobles began to see this resolve with great fear. She could not attain the throne should…something happen to here, now could she?

Plotting with all malicious thoughts in mind, a group of wealthy nobles, quite close to the royal family, sought to find a way to rid themselves of this wretched child without bringing suspicions upon themselves. Soon enough, a plan was formed and eagerly put to action.

Many of the servants were aware of the child's deep curiosity for the unknown. It was for that reason that the servants of the royal palace took great lengths to keep an eye on her. But even under their most watchful gaze, Alice always found a way to slip away from their view and wander outside the palace walls. No ill intentions were ever present in her actions of escaping her home. She simply wanted to see more than the usual guards outside her room.

Through a servant that had crack under daunting pressure from some elites, the group of power hungry men found that Alice's curiosity was her weakness. It could very well be her downfall.

The men soon found a perfect time to set out their evil plans of ridding the princess. They secretly bribed a few guards to look the other way when it was deemed that she would make another escape out of the towering royal walls and waited.

On the day she escaped, a rumor was also spread by the wicked nobles to the underprivileged citizens of their kingdom that witches had been seen deep in the forest near their villages. As quickly as this rumor spread, the little princess immediately grew interested in the chats that ran rampant among the poor and their children. She took her time to ask many of the village children what the details were and received a flurry of stories ranging from the smallest sighting of a flying broom to the farfetched, overblown tales of brave endeavors of fleeing their grasp.

After hearing so many vivid tales, Alice could no longer contain her excitement of magical happenings in the nearby forest and sprinted off naively in the direction where a disguised noble had pointed her in. He smirked with the betraying hope that she would not survive her exploration through the uncharted, dangerous forest that most common people knew to avoid, by nature.

Passed aging roots and oddly shaped trees Alice wandered deep into the forest, fear absent in her glowing eyes. The dear child only held pleasant dreams of finding magical creatures to play with or meeting witches and their spell using partners. This was all she dreamed of since the time she was first told of tales involving unicorns and enchanting spell books. She pressed on deeper into the forest for a few hours until at last she came to a clearing along the trees. Slowly walking into the fading sunlight in the middle of the clearing she realized a terrifying fact.

She was lost.

Despite the anxiety that welled up inside her, Alice patiently calmed herself down and returned back towards the direction she came from. All she needed to do was find some path that looked familiar to her and she would be easily on her way home. Although she was a tad disappointed that she had not found a trace of magic or supernatural creatures, Alice did her best to recognize any wilting trees or moss covered boulders.

Walking endlessly for about an hour nothing seemed to bring up any recent memories. From leisurely walking through the forest to madly sprinting passed lying landmarks, Alice finally panicked in her current situation. She collapsed miserably into the forest floor, sobbing in dread that she had been foolish enough to get herself lost in this blasted forest. And it had gotten so dark; she could barely see where she was going anymore. The princess timidly wrapped her arms around her herself, willing the piercing cold to go away and shakily nudged her way to a broken tree stump where she curled up and slept for the night.

Try as she might, sleep was a fleeting at the morning sun that shone blindingly in her eyes the next morning. The constant shifting sounds and rustling bushes had done well in keeping her majesty from getting any shut eye. And if that wasn't the problem then it was the freezing temperature that had also aided Alice in receiving close to an hour of sleep.

She tiredly rose from the shelter of the tree stump and shyly looked around her environment. Taking a few steps forward, the child felt something tingling in her belly and took note that she had not eaten since yesterday, at breakfast. She fiercely cursed herself for allowing her excitement to skip out on lunch and grudgingly wandered back into the forest.

All of the trees looked the same in every shape and form, further confusing the little princess. She was only 8 years old and already, she was doomed to wander aimlessly around these lands until the wild finally claimed her. She dropped herself onto the floor again, crying into her little hands at all her hopes and goals being ruined because of one stupid little dream. All because she wanted to meet a mystical creature!

Who was going to help her people now? Who was going to change the kingdom for the better? Now, she couldn't quite frankly say her father failed to take their people into consideration at times but…just sometimes…he leaned his ear too close to those filthy noblemen and their selfish whims. Alice knew that much more could be done, but none of that matter now seeing as how she was going to die pitifully out in this mazelike forest.

"Stupid forest…I hate you! You know that!" She cried out to the forest around her, her tiny fists banging onto the ground.

"Hey! Are you saying you hate my home?" Spoke a small voice behind her. Panic driven deep into her chest at the unexpected reply, Alice whipped her head in the direction where the voice came from. But found nothing.

"W-what?" She trembled at the thought of some filthy thugs or rogues wandering these woods, looking for an easy victim. Someone like her…

Shaking her head in fierce denial the princess stood up, albeit a little shakily, and searched for the random voice. If she was going to die here, at least she was going to die fighting!

"W-where are you? Show yourself!" She demanded, a stern glare planted on her small face. Next thing she knew, she heard cheerful chucking directly behind her back.

"Who!" She turned around once again and was met with something blue. Actually, it took her a few seconds to realize that she was staring into the sapphire eyes of a boy around her age, perhaps a bit older, as he grinned dumbly at her.

"Hello!" He chirped, his hand reaching up to his blond hair as he laughed at her erratic reaction. Such a funny girl she was…

"What's the matter? Ya lost?" He questioned, a cheerful glow to his cheeks as he approached the princess. He tilted his head and neared the princess before she flung her arms wildly in his direction.

"Leave me alone! You thief! You-!" She held her eyes tightly shut, unwilling to see that her assailant was no threat to her.

"Hey, hey! Calm down! I'm not going to hurt you, so stop your wailing already!" He tentatively took a few steps back from this, a frown plastered on his face. Why was this random girl wandering around in his forest, the boy had no clue. Settling down from her initial freight, Alice cracked an eye open and looked up at the boy.

"W-who…are you?" She asked, a puzzled look on her face. The blond haired boy smiled.

"Oh. Finally calmed down huh? I'm Alfred! And you?" His smile was back on his face, his head tilted in curiosity once again.

"A-Alice…But…why are you here?" She couldn't bring herself to ask Alfred if he was lost too. It would be a hard blow to her pride after all.

"Heh. It's my forest, silly. I'm suppose to be here." He gave her a lopsided smile when he heard her stomach growling. "You hungry?"

She turned her head to the side, embarrassed by her situation but hesitantly nodded. "Yeah…but…" What could this weird boy do for her anyways? Help her find a way out?

"Ok!" He happily clapped his hands together. "Wait here! I'll get you something real quick!" And off he vanished into the shadows of the forest, ignoring the princess's cries of distress, as she was abandoned.

Not even ten minutes later, the boy returned to Alice holding a warm loaf of bread in his hands. "See? I told you I'd be back!" He grinned, handing her the very warm bread. It was almost as if he had purchased the bread fresh from the bakery…

"How…how did you get this?" She asked, disbelief ever present in her voice. She turned the bread around in her hands before greedily consuming in, glancing up at Alfred.

"Hmmm…" He tapped his chin with his index finger. "Do you really wanna know? Cause it's kind of a secret and all…" He dawdled. The princess gave him a weird look.

"Well…yeah! Is…is the exit close by? Because I'd like to go home right abou-."

Alice was curtly cut of mid-sentence as Alfred grabbed her by the shoulders, disappointment written all over his face.

"No! Don't leave! I…I just met you. Don't you want to play a game or something?" Alfred nervously fidgeted in front of the princess his bare feet moving from side to side. The loose white robes that he wore flapped impatiently against his body as he continued to fidget under Alice's solid stare.

But no matter how hard she looked at the boy, she could not see anything in his eyes. No fears, lies, or…hate. Just…nothing. How strange for Alice that Alfred was the first person whom she could not see into his soul or much else anything for that matter. Taking the last bite of her bread, she finally responded.

"Do you…know any magical creatures?" If she wasn't going home yet, maybe she could make this adventure worth while by finding what she had previously sought out in the first place. I mean…this boy had survived for who knows how long in this forest. Surely, he knew the way out. Once she was done exploring the world of magic, Alice would be more than happy to ask Alfred for directions back home.

Eager as any child would be upon finding a new person to play with, Alfred dragged the young princess deeper into the forest and led her to a crumbling building well concealed between the trees and bushes.

"Ta-da~! My home!" He offered an outstretched arm towards the place and smiled widely when the young girl inquisitively walked towards it.

"What is this place? And you never told me how you got that loaf of bread for me! Do you have your parents inside here cooking?" It was completely strange and out of the norm for a child to be living out in the forest with his parents. Normal peasants would stay close to the palace where they could rummage for any remains that the nobles threw out to them.

"Parents? Heheh! I don't have parents. And this place…" He turned towards the crumbling walls and its fallen pillars. "…Well…I guess you could have called this an alter at one time." His lips sunk into a crooked smile when Alice stared at him with wide eyes.

"Did…did you say…altar?" Shock was her only reaction to this sudden news. If this was truly an altar then…maybe all those legends she heard were true! The royal family really did have a guardian to pray to at one time!

"Oh…yeah? …Yeah! It's an altar…I guess. No one comes by here anymore though. Oh! But you wanted to know about how I got you that bread, right?" Alfred bounced energetically on the balls on his feet.

The princess nodded. "Yeah. You say you don't have parents so how…?" How did he survive out here in the wilderness?

Alfred smirked devilishly. "Watch this!" Taking a small jump back, Alice gasped out in astonishment when the blond boy suddenly disappeared. No smoke, no fading. Just flat out vanished into thin air! "Alfred! Where-?"

"Behind you." Giggled Alfred. And true to his words, Alice turned around to find Alfred gleefully standing behind her. "Pretty cool, right?"

She trembled slightly, not completely sure if it was from shock or from excitement. This boy was not human. He was one of them! The magical creatures she dreamed about! "What…what are you?" She felt so conflicted between keeping her distance and approaching this strange boy. Opting to go against any worried feelings, she cautiously went up to the boy and poked him. Maybe he wasn't real or…

"Your weird, you know that Alice?" He chuckled as Alice poked his stomach.

The princess in question huffed indignantly. "Oh really! And I'm hearing this from some kid who just disappeared in front of my eyes? Are you magic or what?" She crossed her arms in preparation for whatever response Alfred was about to give her.

Alfred joyfully grabbed her hands and held them tightly, daring the girl to refuse his next question. "I'll tell you one two conditions!" The girl reluctantly nodded. This was her best chance to ever meet anyone close to magic.

"First, you have to agree to be my friend! And second, you have to come visit me every once in a while. Got it?" Alice nodded again, before Alfred commenced with his account.

"I'm…I'm not human if that's what you're wondering." He said slowly. Alice continued to stare.

"I'm…Hmmm. I guess you could say I'm the guardian of this altar." And with that, Alice could begin to feel her heart skipping in jubilance as Alfred continued.

"I'm not really suppose to exist to tell the truth. But one day…I just opened my eyes and just like that…I was alive." Alfred tilted his head at Alice's strange expression. She looked like she was about to explode or something. "Ummm…are you alright?"

The princess was quickly summarizing the story of the kingdoms guardian in her head, and made sure that she had every question set to ask towards Alfred. Because he was it! He was the famed guardian that her people had long ago prayed to in the olden days of their newly formed kingdom.

To make sure that she was right, Alice hastily asked Alfred to listen to a story she had been told as a young toddler by her loving servants. They were always eager to give the princess a good story if it got her to sleep at night. One of these stories had eventually become the legend of her kingdom's guardian.

"Listen well Alfred! This is my favorite story of all time and I think you should hear it, alright? It starts out like this…"

So it began, princess Alice unraveled a legend of a mythical beast that was said to dwell deep in this forest, its spirit quietly resting within this altar that her people had built eons ago. It was a beast of great admiration for it was said to contain the power of the skies above. If worshipped during droughts, the skies would gratefully shed rivers from above and revive the land when it seemed like all hope was lost. When there was too much rain and no sign of the sun ever returning, the people would crowd around the altar and call upon this mythical guardian to bring forth the sun. Once summoned this beast, a dragon like creature, would rush through the kingdom, in the form of wind and gales and would return the kingdom to a peaceful state of tranquility. The land could flourish and the people could thrive so long as they continued to worships this dragon of the sky. But over time, they started to forget about his presence. They started to come less and less to his altar until finally, no one came to the foliage covered building. Trees began to surround the ancient altar and in time, the people of the kingdom forsaken this being. No longer did they have a need for this beast they had prayed to in the past. They had learned to become more independent from the deity while slowly becoming more dependant on the royal family that boosted the growth of the once small kingdom. Damning the creature to a cursed label of cruelty towards anyone who bothered to sympathized with it, the people eventually lost any faith in the dragons existence and simply allowed its memory to survive in tales and stories told to children.

"After being abandoned by its own people, it's believed that the poor dragon faded into nothingness, it's final moments forever embedded in the sounds that's rush through this forest. That's why my people are scared to go into this forest because they say that if you go too deep in here, you can hear the dragon crying in the wind." Alice solemnly glanced at Alfred, her eyes tinged with tears. "And all that time…the poor creature never received the thanks it truly deserved for always caring for the people in their time of need…"

Alfred quietly watched the princess wipe her stray tears away and warily placed a hand on her shoulder.

"Don't cry. Please. The dragon doesn't like it when people cry for him. What's done is done. Nothing can change that." He gave Alice an apologetic look before standing up. "And besides…I think so long as there are caring people like you in this kingdom then perhaps…I won't have such a hard time watching over your people." Spoke Alfred carefully, a small smile on his lips.

Alice looked up at the boy with wide eyes. "So you really…are…" She was left speechless.

"I'll always keep an eye out for you Alice. Just don't forget your promise alright?" Alfred grinned on last time before disappearing altogether in a flurry of wind.

After that encounter, Alice somehow found her way out of the forest. This time, without any problem or confusion. It almost seemed like she was being pushed into the direction of the exit, with the guide of rushing wind that changed its route every so often.

At night, safely at home and tucked in bed she could hear the sound of a faint breeze trailing passed her check. With this breeze, she could feel some warmth. Like…someone was caressing her face. She would fall asleep comfortably to this feeling for the remainder of her childhood life, knowing quite well that Alfred keep true to his words.

The burdens that came with being born into royalty just about melted away in Alice's life, now that she had befriended Alfred. He always made sure to watch her back when she was too busy to do so herself.

He had countless time warned her of noblemen with nefarious plans and plots aimed at removing her from the line of royalty. The men who had originally tried to rid Princess Alice were immediately caught and executed, thanks to Alfred hushed words, whispered into Alice's ears the night after she came home from the forest. The elite class that had once mocked Alice as a child now greatly revered her as a noteworthy heir to the throne, whether out of fear from her or conceded defeat.

From there on, Alice made sure to keep her promise as well. She would ever so often find a perfect moment to slink away from her palace and run into the forest where Alfred would meet her at the entrance every time. There, the two children would spend endless hours, talking or playing with the creatures that Alfred was best accustomed to calling his "family." Unicorns and wyverns, pixies and fairies, the two children played with them all. At one point in their jolly adventures, Alfred pulled the little princess to the side and gifted her with a small dagger. Although he resented violence, Alfred thought that should the day come that he could no longer protect the princess or reach her in time that she should carry this dagger with her. He cheerfully added that it was enchanted so as she grew up, the dagger would also grow with her until it became an eloquent sword for her to use. Alice had been left speechless again that day, unable to convey proper feelings for the kindness that this spirit had brought for her. She could only hug him with much love in her heart for this gift.

With Alfred protectively watching over her, Alice grew to a wonderful adulthood, never once finding a need to use her magical sword as she ascended to the throne.

However, as the princess grew into a beautiful queen, Alfred had also grown into a handsome guardian, his once loose pale robes transitioning into a striking white uniform similar to the ones that Alice's royal guards wore. Alfred struggled with one problem though, despite his amazing childhood with Alice. At some point in their adolescence, he found himself falling in love with her majesty…

But he never once spoke a word of it to Alice.

Alice herself could not say she did not feel some similar feelings towards the spirit of the sky. Alfred had done so much for her. He was truly a guardian who watched over her growing up but…she saw no way for them to be together. It was something impossible.

Alice, now queen of her kingdom, was the sole ruling royalty to her people, her parents and a majority of her distant relatives having long ago died from old age, natural causes or illnesses. And she refused any suitor who came to court her, claiming that her heart had already been stolen long ago, but never quite revealing by who. To shield herself from a broken heart, she dedicated all her time to her kingdom. And only her kingdom.

Her visits to the forest she had spent all her childhood in, suddenly became less and less until finally she stopped going altogether. But Alfred continued to wait.

Even when he whispered by Alice's ear and watched how she would refuse to go into the forest whenever glancing in its direction Alfred never gave up hope that she would come again one day. She had promised after all…

Through the years that slowly passed Alfred by he continued to care for the kingdom where Alice resided. When she felt too cold, he would brighten the rays of the sun just to bring her a bit more warmth. When she would listen to the pitiful pleas of peasants who wept over their dying crops all Alfred needed was to see Alice look up to the sky and he would bring fourth rains that would inexplicably bring the crops back to life. He would do anything for Alice if it meant he could see her smile again.

If it meant that she would be happy, Alfred would do it.

Years went by and though the kingdom prospered more wonderfully than any other era in their history, the people could not help but wonder whether her majesty would ever get married. Whether she would ever consider bearing children. Because…the people needed an heir to their kingdom. A child just like Alice with good intentions for them all.

Queen Alice refused though. And Alfred…

Alfred felt seclusion strike him hard at his heart. He was a guardian of the sky, a spirit that could take on the form of a dragon anytime but…he still felt a part of him that wasn't a deity. He felt a human part, and that part began to feel the start of howls vibrate from within his throat. Because her majesty had not come to visit him in 10 years.

What had he done to deserve this? He had protected her without orders to and gave her so many gifts…so why? Did she not remember that she had promised? He knew that they could not be lovers but did she not promise that they would be friends. That…she would visit him once in a while. Ten years was most definitely not once in a while.

The people of the village soon started to hear a mournful howl echo from the forest nearby and quickly ran to the palace, fear shining in their eyes.

At age 32, Queen Alice had made great stride in improving the livelihood of her people. They had more food than ever, and illness seemed to have waned to a small portion of people. She could not ask for more.

Except…

There was one thing she greatly wanted now, more than anything. As a child she had dreamed of only magic when her goals of helping her kingdom were pushed to the side. Now, with her many royal achievements complete, Alice only wished for love.

She wished for the chance to be together with Alfred. Regardless of their duties…

It was the voices of troubled peasants and servants that grabbed Alice's attention promptly when they mentioned hearing terrifying sounds from the forest. Split between confronting her love whom she had avoided for so long and placing her people's concern to rest, Alice's decision was ultimately made for her. Within a week of hearing the first conversation of unease, one night, struggling to find some sleep, Alice felt a familiar presence near her bed. Initially, she was surprised for she thought these visits had all but ceased at the end of her childhood. When they reached adulthood, both Alice and Alfred had agreed that these visits were no longer necessary; reasoning that they were old enough to care for their own well being. Although they both dearly missed the ritual occasion of the past.

Listening with sharp ears, Alice froze all movement but could still not decipher what the whispering voice was saying. She was only able to catch the last words before any lingering breeze faded away into the night.

"…I'm so sorry."

The next day, Alice woke up to shrieks of terror and fear. Running over to her room's window, she could see her people scrambling all over the land that was being ravaged by a startling sight.

"No….Alfred…!" She mumbled, watching in disbelief as a giant white dragon laid siege to her kingdom. Tornadoes devastated the villages and threw people around everywhere. The sheer speed of the winds was quickly killing civilians by breaking them up amongst the materials that were caught up in the violent gales. If the people managed to escape from the brazen storm brewing above them they were easily disposed of through the crumbling buildings that fell around them as the white dragon roared over their homes.

Sprinting out of her room and running towards the palace walls, Queen Alice was roughly held back by her guards that insisted on her staying within the safe confines of her castle. They felt that only her place could provide adequate protection from this monster's rage.

Servants frantically grabbed her majesty and tried to pull her away into the castle, but Alice pulled away. Tears flowed down her face as she saw her guards charge towards their death; their bodies being ripped to shreds in the grasp of the dragon's claws.

In Alfred's…

She jerked herself away from her servants and dashed towards the beast, avoiding the corpses that littered the land.

"Alfred!" She cried out, standing her ground defiantly as the dragon paused in its destruction and turned towards her voice. For a few seconds, they stared at one another. Trembling green eyes looking up at merciless blue eyes. In an instant, the dragon lifting himself into the sky and headed back towards the forest, where it had first rushed forth from. Alice did not hesitate to run after the deity, her royal gown getting ripped from all corners as she advanced through the forest.

It was almost as if the forest was angry at her. Condemning her for breaking her promise to its guardian. The queen reached the old altar in a ragged state, her chest heaving from her exertion.

Nestled between the sacred site and what few trees dared to surround the area, stood the dragon, patiently waiting her majesties arrival.

"Why! Why Alfred? Are you truly this angry with me? Angry enough to slaughter my people!" Screamed Alice. Through messy blond bangs, Alice glared up at the sky spirit.

The deity took an intimidating step towards the Queen; its fangs bared and hot breathe flooding into the forest. Alice, who had a hand hovering near her side, finally withdrew what she had hidden.

Her enchanted sword.

She swayed slightly under the dragon's intense gaze, unsure of her resolve. "How could you…?" She whispered to the wind. The holy beast gave one sharp roar to the sky and lounged himself wildly at Alice.

With sword in hand, the Queen ducked underneath the beast's chest.

"I loved you!"

And buried the sword deep into his heart.

All winds, gales, and tornadoes throughout the kingdom evaporated instantly. The village remains were dropped back onto the earth and survivors looked tearfully to the sky where the sun was hurriedly obscured by a swarm of dark clouds, thunder vibrating from within.

Back with Queen Alice, she stood to the side of the altar, watching numbly as the slain dragon began to fade away. In its place stood Alfred, staggering weakly with the tip of the Queen's sword protruding from his back. Blood seeped through his white uniform, dying the clothing crimson red, while his head hung low. In a painfully slow motion, Alfred lifted his head up and smiled sorrowfully at Alice before dropping onto his knees.

"Alfred!" Shrieked Alice, rushing over to his side. Supporting him gently by the shoulder, her majesty tried to rouse any reply from the unresponsive man. "Why did you do it?" She begged, forcing back any unwanted sobs.

"I do too…" Spoke Alfred quietly.

"What?"

"I do too…I love you as well, Alice." Completed Alfred in a quivering voice. The blood from his chest simply refused to stop flowing, despite the sword still being lodged inside.

A few sobs escaped Alice, tears freely falling down her cheeks. "Then why? Why…?" Alice felt her heart break into tiny shards as dull blue eyes looked up at her.

"I…I would never do anything…to hurt you. I'd sooner hurt myself then do harm to you…" He coughed up little splatters of blood and swayed in Alice's grip. "It was lonely without you…and I foolishly let my guard down."

"What do you…mean?" Her voice cracked at the end.

"In my sorrow…I did not sense an evil presence near me. I realized…to late…that someone…had placed a curse on me…When I had slain them…it was too late…" Alfred voice was becoming more strained with every breathe he took.

"You had no control over yourself…" Finished her majesty in a hushed voice. She wrapped her arms around Alfred, who nodded weakly, and suppressed the screams that wanted to strangle her. She knew with every fiber of her being that she would be responsible for his death…

"Alfred…my love…will you truly leave my side…?" She couldn't bring herself to continue her question, but felt a tinge of hope when Alfred softly shook his head in her embrace.

"No…I may return to the skies above…but I will always be the wind that caresses your face whenever…you're sad…or lonely. No matter what. After all…you kept your promise…You returned to see me here." By then, the clouds overhead rumbled to life and began to release a gentle drizzle upon the tattered lands below.

"…You idiot. If you're really…returning to mother nature than…" Alice pulled back from her awkward embrace and softly pressed a kiss to Alfred's lips. "…Then I swear to never love anyone but you, because the moment you stop existing will be the moment I will be incapable of love." Alfred smiled affectionately in response.

In one fluid movement, he pushed himself away from her majesty and ruthlessly yanked the sword out of his chest, its bloody blade clattering onto the wet ground. He was still smiling despite Alice's cry, and continued to smile as she dove to catch his falling form.

"No! Alfred!"

"Heh…no crying…please?" He chucked weakly. "I'm sorry it had to end this way, your majesty…But…you know it had to be done." He grimaced slightly before smiling serenely once again. At peace.

The queen clutched onto the dying blond desperately. "Alfred, wait! I have one more thing to say!" He looked up at her curiously, his blues eyes glazed over.

"When you return to the winds I swear to you that we will have our chance again. Our chance at happiness! I…I will never bear any children but somehow…I will live on. I will find a way to come back to this world again and when I do…I'll expect to see you again. Then we can be together! No matter what my next live is!" She finished rapidly.

Alfred chuckled lightly and closed his eyes. "I'll be waiting for you…Alice. No matter what happens to us from here on out…I'll be waiting…Maybe…I won't remember right away…But even so…for that reason…you have to wake me up. Got it?" He started to fade away slowly, his smile never leaving his lips.

"Of course! I love you…Alfred. And I will-." Suddenly, Alice felt cold hands grasp her own tightly, with enough strength to stop her trembling.

In his final moments of life, Alfred directed her majesty towards the altar and told her about his final gift to her..

A spell book.

He mumbled how this spell book was meant for her the next time she visited him, but with his current situation, now would be the last time he would be able to see her kindly smile at him. He quietly explained how this spell book would only be useable to her and her alone. Then, he contently added that with her stubborn resolve to never leave his side, the book would allow him to identify her majesty again in another life. Because only her spirit could use it. Whether she was Queen Alice or any other person. The two lovers embraced one last time, Alfred's form disappearing along in the rain that poured solemnly from the heavens.

"I'll always love you and…I'll always be waiting…if not in this life…then in the next…"

With that last thought spoken, Alfred vanished and the Queen silently mourned his death, alone, in the isolated forest.

Eventually she would return to her kingdom and help rebuild the land with her people, but the pain would never leave her. Her heart was hollow without him…and it would remain like that until her last breathe of life.

The reign that Queen Alice held over her kingdom was one of kindness and great joy for the people. After the "incident" with the beast that sprang from the forest, the people never heard a sound from there again. However, they talked furiously amongst themselves whenever they saw her majesty wander into the forest, alone. As Queen, no one stopped her or questioned it. Her actions were something private to her and did not require prying questions. Although many of the villagers and civilians would see a melancholy expression on her face, whenever she would go into the forest.

If her business there weren't strange enough then the people tilted their heads in puzzlement when they chanced upon her majesty talking to the sky. But…no one was ever around her to explain who she was talking to.

Usual gossipers of the kingdom staunchly believed that she had a secret affair with one of the guards that had been killed during the dragon's rampage of the kingdom but somehow…a rumor was spread that she was actually weeping for the beast that everyone knew she had slain herself. From there on, the story developed into the fable that now became common in children stories, alongside with the revived legend of the kingdom's guardian.

Queen Alice never accepted nor denied these allegations and although she still held a dislike for the nobles, she stared at them emotionlessly whenever they strongly refuted the silly idea that she held love for a creature of legends.

Over her aging year, she remained unmarried and childless. In time, she found others like herself, interested in magic, and involved them in her rituals and prayers at the guardian's altar. To a friend whom she deeply trusted, she gave them her spell book, asking them to guard it safely and pass it down onto a line of honest keepers, until the day came that the book would find her again.

The people of the kingdom also noticed how the weather would always respond to her pleas. They saw how it would always react positively, whether through a playful breeze, warm sunshine or cooling rain showers. Natural disasters rarely occurred under her reign. Another thing to be thankful for.

But at last, her majesties time came. Surrounded by close servants and caring individuals, it is said that Queen Alice held a peaceful smile on her death bed and reached towards the window by her bed side. To those that were present at her death, they said that she whispered a grateful, "Thank you…" towards the window and passed away.

No one ever understood who her thank you was meant towards…

Time passed fleetingly, and the kingdom grew old. Wars had sadly ensued after Queen Alice's death, nobles and peasants fighting over who would become the next ruling monarchy. Blood was shed, the kingdom enveloped in chaos and…the forest was burned down. In a momentary time of pause in war, the people of the ancient kingdom accidentally stumbled upon the remains of the sacred altar. They were stunned by the ancient site.

With a gentle and calming atmosphere surrounding the charred land, the people lost the hatred that seized their heart during war and decided to restore the sacred altar. Not all issues and strife were resolved immediately with the discovery of the guardian's altar but…during times of conflict the people found themselves coming to the altar more and more often. Finally, their faith had returned. And when the forest grew again and protected the site, people who visited the altar would always claim to having heard a hushed voice in the wind.

Some said it was a calm voice. Others thought it sounded a bit sorrowful. But all agreed on one thing. This voice would always whisper one word.

"Alice…"

Is this fable true? Did her majesty, the great Queen Alice, hold love for the kingdom's guardian? No one is quite sure. Her legendary spell book was never found, or discovered, and any secrets she held were taken to the grave at her death. The kingdom itself no longer exists. Just another chapter to the grand history book of our world. It only leaves one to wonder…

Was it once upon a fable?

At the end of the last pages, gloved hands timidly closed the book and carefully placed it on his lap. From behind, a door creaked open where another individual entered the room, his sapphire blue eyes staring in surprise at the seated person.

"Yo England. What are you still doing here? The meeting ended like, an hour ago." America crossed his arms in confusion, tilting his head to the side. "Are you camping in this room for the night, or what?"

Rather than smack him like he usually did, England shook his head in silent disbelief, and rose up from his chair, carrying the fabled story book behind his back. "I'm not staying here, you git. I'm just…gathering my notes. Do you have a problem with that?" He looked up at America expectantly, daring him to throw out a stupid remark. He wasn't really angry at the young nation. Just…annoyed.

"Ha. Not really. Hey! Is that your spell book?" Questioned America, leaning his head to the side in attempts at getting a better look at what England was hiding. The Briton craftily threw his notes on top of the fable book and backed away from the American.

"Do you mind! If you must know, my spell book is back home, where it's supposed to be. And another thing! Don't you have to be somewhere soon?" England gave the blond a quick glare before turning back to the table, gathering the rest of his belongings.

"Actually, yeah. I do. But I can't leave without you. France keeps making advances on me and Russia insists that I become one with him, meanwhile what's his face keeps disappearing and China is too busy reminding me of my debt to bother hanging out with. Will you just hurry up already?"
England sighed, irritated. "Why can't you just leave without me? I'll catch up later on. Idiot…"

America turned towards the door but refused to budge any further. With a pout on his face he grumbled out, "Geez! Why do I always have to wait for you?"

England instantly froze at that comment, wondering whether America knew the deeper meaning behind those words. Did he…know? How…?

When the young nation turned around, curious about England's silence, he regretted his words right away as he saw a sad look on England's face.

"Whoa! Hey Iggy, don't take me seriously! You know I'm just an inconsiderate fat jerk. I'm sorry if I…I mean! I'll always wait for you! No matter what! Who cares if the other guys ditch me, er, us I mean. We'll just show them how much of an awesome time we'll have at lunch without them!" He finished his excuse by sheepishly scratching the back of his head, his gaze deeply interesting in the carpeted floor of the meeting room.

Oh…that's what he meant. Lunch…

England's emerald green eyes softened at America's attempt of apologizing and quickly gave the nation a small peck on the cheek before walking passed him and out of the room. With his back retreating from the nation, England mumbled out a shy, "Thank you…git," and proceeded to exit the room. He madly tried to mentally erase the blush that spread across his cheek, embarrassed that he had rashly given the obnoxious nation a kiss.

America, on the other hand, stood temporarily rooted to his spot, surprised that England had actually kissed him rather than beat some sense into him. Shaking his surprise off, America whipped his body towards the door and strode after his companion.

"Hey Iggy! What did I do to deserve that? If I do it again, can I have another? Or maybe we can go to my place and continue from there!" America grinned but received no response. Striding after the Brit he saw his notes slip and caught sight of the book underneath.

"Oh! You have a story book? Can I read it Iggy?" With that lone innocent question, America was thrown a vibrant response.

"NO, YOU BLOODY WELL CAN'T YOU STUPID ARSE!" Yelled England up ahead, quickening his pace to a full out dash.

"England! Why are you being mean to me again? Hey! Wait for me! McDonalds isn't that way!"

And thus, America never got to read this fable. Nor did he find England all day as the island nation hid in some random alley, praying that America's loud voice would not reach his hiding spot. He grumpily glanced down at the large book in his hand and sighed with exasperation.

"There's no way this story can be true…" He then stealthily slide away from the alley and headed home where he would place the book back in his bookshelf and ignore the millions of voice messages he got from America.

"I'll never believe this story to be the truth unless that moron proves me wrong himself!"

Even the craziest of stories hold some truth…

Oneshot! Well, at least I can say I tried…I don't know how this came out but in case this is too sad (or sappy) to anyone I decided to add this little humor relief at the end. Whether anyone wants to believe this fable or not, its all up to them. I'm going to my corner now…=w=

Also, Excuse me for any mistakes found in this story and I'm sorry if I butchered this idea completely or if it makes no sense.! Like I said…I tried! TwT

Tis the best way to get the mind working again…