Before I start the story, I want to give all of you a small heads up, lol.

1.) Even though this is going to be a historical fanfic, not everything in it will be 100% accurate, so please do not hate me for it, okay? I will try to be as accurate as I can, but if I make a mistake, please do not give me any hate speech or something. Just politely tell me if something is wrong, and I will do my best to correct it for future chapters. I WON'T use a lot of the traditional speech, either, mainly because I don't want anyone to have trouble reading the story.

2.) Finally, I want to dedicate this book to one of my besties on Instagram AND on here, h_chxrry. She has been SO supportive of my works, and I can NOT thank her enough for everything that's she's done for me! You're the best, girl, and I love you, bby! ❤❤

Well, this is it, so let's get onto the story, shall we? Happy reading!

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Arthur

"Ha, too slow, Your Highness!"

"Stop moving!"

"If you balance your hips and keep your feet light, you may get lucky."

"This is foolish," I huffed as I dropped my sword onto the stone floor with a metallic clank, sitting down on a wooden crate. "You are too skilled. How am I supposed to become King if I cannot even defeat you?"

"Giving up so easily?" Henry, the Head General of my army and my closest friend, laughed. "That is quite unlike you."

He walked over to me, and I stood up to face him again. I tripped his feet under him, swiftly taking his weapon away as he landed on his back. I pointed the sword's tip at his throat, a mischievous smile creeping up my face.

"Never let your guard down, Sir Henry," I told him triumphantly.

"Well played," Henry chuckled.

"I could kill you, right now," I added, "so you need to learn how to sharpen your perception. Otherwise, I will have to relieve you of your title."

"But you will not," Henry countered with a grin of his own. "You are too merciful of a ruler to do it."

"Only because my sister holds me back," I replied, helping him stand up. "She is my only sanity from my suffering due to this War."

"We will win it," Henry assured me. "We are the great and powerful England! Nothing can stop us, not even the Franks!"

"While I admire your spirit," I began, "I am afraid that this War goes deeper than just being great and powerful. It has already been fifty years, and it needs to end."

"What are you planning?" Henry wondered.

"Nothing, yet," I answered. "I am trying to find allies, but Spain and the Holy Roman Empire are sadly on our enemy's side."

"You mean that France took them over," Henry corrected.

"Yes, I suppose so," I chuckled lightly, preventing the sudden idea of taking over another country from entering mind.

"What about Ireland, Scotland, and Wales?"

"Never."

"We need someone, Arthur!"

"And we will," I calmed him. "But not right now."

"Then how do you expect us to fight in the War if we do not have any allies?" Henry inquired.

"We do not," I stated simply. "The French do not tolerate resistance, so let us not resist."

"And you expect yourself to be King of England when you will not even attempt to solve our main problem?" Henry answered, appalled. "What do you expect your people to do, then?"

I opened the doors to palace throne room, walking in as Henry followed me.

"Cease to question me, and things will go as I have planned them," I explained, sitting in my throne nonchalantly.

"What do you mean, Sire?" Henry questioned, unsure of my reply.

"If we stop resisting France," I answered, "they will think that they have won. That means they will eventually stop making their monthly rounds, or at least decrease their numbers."

"And then what?" Henry replied. "You attempt to make an alliance with their prince?"

"Precisely," I told him, standing up again and walking over to a window and looking out of it with my hands behind my back. "The only way we can end this War is by making an alliance with France, by whatever means necessary."

"That is a death wish!" Henry cried, fearful. "What about your sister? She would have no one left! Your parents are dead, Arthur, so if she were to be left alone, she would go mad!"

"A King needs to be willing to do whatever it takes to see that the good of his country is put first," I replied as I looked at him, my voice firm. "If that means facing their ruler and dying, then so be it."

"Then that is all of the more reason why we need allies," Henry stated. "We cannot afford to lose more of our country to those Devilish beings!"

"And you underestimate me?" I glared at him. "How dare you?"

"What you need, even your sister, is a suitor," Henry told me. "If we can alert everyone that you are in need of help and are willing to get married off to a beautiful princess and handsome prince somewhere, then you will have allies."

"I am not marrying a woman that I know absolutely nothing about," I replied, "and I will never put my sister into that same situation."

"Unfortunately, this is not my suggestion," Henry admitted. "The Court wants you to, your sister as well."

"And who would we marry?" I questioned. "My sister is still too young. I will not allow her to marry a thirty or fifty year old man!"

Whenever it came to my sister's safety, I would argue to no end with the Court to make sure that she was protected.

Henry went silent since he knew that I was failing to see reason. He just nodded with agreement, bowing before making his exit.

I sighed, looking out of the window again. My kingdom wasn't great. In fact, it was filthy, the people were poor, and even the Nobility looked like peasants.

The doors on the opposite wall beside the thrones opened, and I turned my attention to the noise as my sister walked into the room and up to window as well.

"You do not have to protect me, you know," she smiled sadly, overhearing the conversation. "If I have to be married off, I will do it for you and my country's safety, and that alone."

"Oh, Alice," I answered softly, placing my hand on the side of her face and looking into her green eyes that matched my own, "the War has to end, but not like this."

Alice put her hand on top of mine, letting out a soft breath.

"You have always been so kind and protective of me," she began, "but you need to let me marry someone to help England."

"Alice, you are only eighteen," I replied harshly, pulling away from her and sitting in my throne again. "I would rather die than let you become the bride of an enemy!"

"Then why are you afraid of my marriage and not your own death?" Alice wondered, looking at me.

We were twins, so no one was able to tell us apart when we were children. The difference was easier to see now, though, considering that Alice has long hair like a woman and I have short hair like a man.

"Because I do not want to lose you," I told her, an ugly silence falling upon us.