English Education: Part Two

*Read the description below, there is a picture/drawing from a fellow deviantART member that goes along with the short story.*

Alfred gulped and put the scone down. He stood up before his brother, and held his hands together, rubbing them nervously.

"I I think I have some studying to do. Can...can I finish tea early and study a little extra before class?" He watched his brother. Nodding to the child, he set his cup down, and then stood back up. Gazing sternly at the boy, and clearing his throat.

"You may be excused to the library and study on the reading skills." He walked over and took the boy by the hand, hoisting him up. Holding him steady, he spoke in a slow tone. "Go straight to the library Alfred, do not cut any corners, and get down to your studying. I trust you."

Alfred at this point was too afraid to disobey his older brother and nodded his head.

"Yes Arthur I promise, I want to study...I..I don't want to get the hickory stick again." He sniffled a bit just saying it. Arthur nodded and watched the child.

"Alright then Alfred...go on ahead. Take out one of the older books from the collection and start on the reading. I will be on to check up in about half an hour. I need to go to my study for a little while, so go on ahead young man." Arthur left the room, and walked down to his study. The library was on the other side of the mansion.

Alfred had very good intentions now and ran to the library to do some studying, he didn't want to get even one more stroke of that wicked Hickory and went to try and catch up on all this slacking in the reading and writing department, it wasn't going to be easy, but he felt he needed the reprieve.

Arthur arrived in his study, and sat down at his desk. He shook his head, and felt extremely bad for having used the cane on the boy. But he shrugged off the guilt. He thought to France, and how the nation had turned out. His womanizing, and vivacious ways turned him off, and he would be damned if he let his little brother turn out like that.

Alfred was searching through the books to find ones that may benefit him the most when he found a strange book wedged between two other ones. He pulled it out. It was thinner than most books and had fancy French letters on the cover with a picture of a woman in undergarments. Alfred blinked he hadn't seen a book like this before it seemed curious and wondered of it contained any new information that might help him in school and thus he pulled it down and opened it.

England sat dazed at his desk. There was just so much to do, and with so little time, he needed to crunch. He looked up at the clock, and noticed that he had left Alfred about fifteen minutes ago. He would wait, and then check on the child. Hughes walked into the study, and stood by the door.

"Master Kirkland, can I get you anything?"

Alfred's eyes got wider and wider as with each page he turned...he had no idea such a world existed and that woman wore so many strange stockings and undergarments...he thought everyone wore the same sorts of undergarments. And what were those two pillow like things are their chest why were there chest so big and fluffy...it was perplexing and then there were some words he didn't know what they meant but they were short words and easy to remember and write down. Alfred could feel himself blush as he was learning. Back in the study, looking up to his butler, England smiled with tired eyes.

"Ugh, Hughes...I believe another cup of tea, perhaps with some caffeine. But eh...listen, I need to go and check on Alfred, but I am simply wiped...listen, do me a favor, can you go and check on him, and perhaps bring him back to the drawing room, maybe ring the bells, I will be there in a little while?" The butler nodded.

"Yes my lord...I will go and see about the little Master."

Alfred was taking notes now writing down all these new words. He was surly going to impress Arthur now, and he just couldn't seem to take his eyes off of those ladies and there most amazing garments. They made him blush with each turn of the page, then there was this one page that folded out. The page seemed like a puzzle at first and he started to unfold it.

The butler took to walking down the hallway. He was feeling very sorry for the child still, and wanted to make sure everything was alright, as the boy had left looking slightly upset. Walking to the double doors, he hoisted them open, and looked around. Casting a gaze over to the couch, sat the little Alfred, and in his hands, Hughes' eyes popped out of his head.

"YOUNG MASTER ALFRED!" Alfred looked up and waved, not thinking anything of it.

"Ah hi Hughes....maybe you can help me. I found these new words but I cant seem to find a definition even though they are short words. What does "biiitch..hore..and slut mean? Oh and there is this C word one that sounds funny when try to say it ."

Hughes walked over to the boy, and quickly snatched the book out of the boy's hand.  He did not say much as he walked over to the couch, pulling up little Alfred by his ear.

"Young Master...I almost felt sorry for you with your brother punishing you before, I thought you came down here to read some sensible material!"

The boy gave a slight gasp, and twisted in the grip of the butler. He was not sure what was wrong with him looking at the book, other than it really wasn't something he knew he should be studying. He moaned and whined to the gentle man.

"Hughes! I am sorry! I…I didn't know, what is this? There are wicked pictures in it, and…and…"

Hughes looked at the boy, bewildered and shaking his head. Wherever did the child even get this book? Shaking his head, he walked over and grabbed the book from the child's hand, and gave him a very grim stare.

"Young man...wherever did you get this book?" He thumbed through it and was horrified. "Adult literature? Explicit reading material...whatever will your brother think?" He had remembered what the boy had said in the beginning. "And those words you mentioned...are very, very naughty...do not repeat them." Alfred frowned a little.

"I found it there it was between the dictionary and encyclopedias …Arthur said I could come here to study! I...I didn't know it was naughty!" Now Alfred felt afraid that he was about to be in more trouble. "I..I don't understand Hughes" Closing the book, Hughes shook his head.

"Little one...it was to my understanding that you were sent here to follow up on your studies, not read a book on your leisure." He stood crossing his arms, and really wonder how he was going to explain. He cleared his throat. "Alright...well then...sometimes there are certain reading materials that are only for adult eyes, and you young man have found that." He reached to the boy, and gently grasped him by the ear. "What I am slightly upset about is you not paying mind to your brother, and getting on with your studies. And worry not, I will have a word with Master Arthur about this." He held up the book. "Come now..."

"Ehh ehhh.....b-but I didn't know it wasn't a study book! It was in with the study books!" Alfred whined "I am too trying to be good and listen to Arthur...oww owwww stop pulling on my ear ow ow OOWWWWW" Alfred whined and tried to pull away but it hurt too bad and was forced to follow along to wherever Hughes lead.

As the two walked down the hallway. Hughes remembered that England wanted the boy brought down to the drawing room, but knowing England was in his study, he made his way there first. Arthur sat at his desk, looking over some formal documents. He sighed, and signed away. He was distracted though, as he heard slight whining coming from down the hall. Looking to the door, he saw Hughes approach the door with the struggling little Alfred in tow. Raising an eyebrow, the nation looked up at the two.

"Hughes....what is the meaning of this?" England looked to his butler, and then back to the boy. Alfred had quit struggling it hurt too much on his poor ear.

"Arrthurrrr...I'm sorry I'm sorry I didn't know it was naughty and bad!" Alfred started right away hoping if he apologized right away it would make him be in less trouble with his brother, he still felt it wasn't his fault.

Looking to his butler and then back to the child, England shook his head, and was still very confused. He breathed a sigh, and then closed his eyes.

"Okay...Alfred...please elaborate with me on whatever are you talking about? I would greatly like to know this because when you start out a sentence with I am sorry, I didn't know it was naughty and bad, then I know for a fact that you have done something naughty and bad, and then I will not be pleased. And another thing young man..."

England was stopped as Hughes released the boy's ear and approach the desk of the elder nation, he quickly planted down the filthy reading material. England's eyes widened.

"Er....Hughes..."  England said slowly, and the butler leaned in a little keeping his eyes locked on Arthur with a look that can only be described as threatening. With a calm voice he spoke to Alfred...without even turning around.

"Young master, if you would kindly go wait in the drawing room and use the books laid out there to quietly study while I have a WORD with your older brother." Alfred rubbed his ear and was suddenly a little confused. It seemed that he was going to be the one in trouble but now Hughes was speaking to Arthur the way Arthur usually spoke to him when he was in trouble and this was both interesting and unsettling at the same time.

"Uhh yes sir Mr. Hughes" The boy quickly still rubbing at his ear, and glanced over to England.

Arthur's eyes widened, and with the butler speaking to his younger brother, he did not dare contradict the man, since he NEVER said a word against his butler, as he was still very afraid when the man spoke to him in this sort of tone. Looking over to the boy, he gulped.

"Uh....Alfred...listen to Hughes...and I will see you in a little while. Um...go on little chap." He made his focus now to Hughes, and bit his lip back. "Um...Hughes...whatever can I help you with?"

The boy left the two to talk, and headed down the hall. There sat Arthur staring up at his butler, and was still slightly unsure of what he was going to say. But when he was about to talk, Hughes cleared his throat and picked the magazine up and pointed at it keeping his eyes locked on Arthur.

"Master Arthur, I am aware that you are no longer a child, but I must say I am extremely disappointed in you right now. Not ONLY did you seem to feel a need to keep a thing like this hidden, but to keep it hidden in a place that innocent eyes could find it?" He then tossed it at Arthur so it landed in front of him on his desk. "I want an explanation, and I want it NOW!"

Cringing slightly, the nation pulled at his white shirt collar, and gulped loudly. He picked up the magazine, and noticed it was something that France had given to him when he was a younger nation. The two had shared conversations, and laughed about it. England hid it in the library, hoping it would stay hidden, and out of young eyes.

"Why Hughes...this....this is nothing more than reading material...its nothing...in fact." The nation stood up, and planted his hands down on the desk. "France must have left it here...and well...he probably hid it in the library hoping I would find it one day...um…yeah." Hughes continued to glare at Arthur.

"Do you really think I am that stupid my Lord or do you just enjoy LYING TO ME?" He had seen the date on the magazine it was clear it had been hidden a long time ago, and France he personally knew would have not been so clever as to hide that in the library. The times he visited he was never left alone with Arthur. "Are you going to tell me the truth Arthur or are you going to continue to dig yourself deeper here? I am not impressed with this situation at all."

Putting the magazine down, Arthur shook his head slightly. He got up from his chair, and walked to the window, looking out, he then cleared his throat, and walked from his desk, towards the front, near Hughes. He just needed to explain, and then everything would be fine.

"Okay...okay Hughes...the magazine was something I had when I was a teenager...but...um...Francis gave it to me! Ugh..." He shook his head, and closed his eyes, keeping it down. "I should have hid it better, I knew somehow, someday someone would find it." He walked further from the desk, his back to the man. "What's the big deal old chap...its nothing Alfred wouldn't see later in life...I am almost too sorry he had to see it now."

The casual and non caring way that Arthur was speaking was only serving to make Hughes more livid.

"So....you see nothing wrong with a small child, your little brother finding your filth and all you can CASUALLY say is that "he would find out someday? THAT Master Arthur is INEXCUSABLE! and disturbing. If I didn't know any better, I would say you are turning into Francis!"

Hearing Hughes and every word he said, he turned to the butler, and slightly grew irritated.

"I see everything wrong with it, and so? What am I to do? Have the birds and bees talk with him? You barely finished that conversation with me Hughes..." He crossed his arms over his chest and huffed. The last sentence the butler had said though, really threw him over the edge. "And Hughes...I AM NOT BECOMING LIKE FRANCIS...HOW DARE YOU SAY THAT!" The nation pouted and stamped his foot, much like when he was a boy. "I simply can not believe this...how in BLOODY HELL did he find that?"

"You sent him to the library, the fact that you could be so irresponsible to leave such filth or your little brother is inexcusable. And another thing your attitude does not sit well with me right now. Maybe if you showed a little more repentance I would not be forced to take this next step of action." Hughes calmly but deliberately walked over to the desk and pulled open the drawer pulling out the Senior cane held within and tapped it in his gloved hand. "I do not believe you seriously understand what has happened here but I am about to make you VERY arware!"

Gasping at Hughes walking to the drawer, and pulling out the dreaded cane, something he had not felt since he was in Secondary school...around the age of seventeen he received the Senior cane from Hughes for poor grades. He quickly back away from the desk, and his backside clenched with fright.

"Oh.....um....Hughes...please....please no.." He shook his head, and more than anything in the world, he did not want it to come to this. "Please Hughes...I do understand...if you could just let me go and talk to Alfred...he will understand, and I will simply just stash the magazine somewhere where he can not find it!"

"Not good enough, and you will most definitely talk to young Master Alfred and set him straight. These sorts of books are not right for a fine upstanding Englishman, and you will DESTROY that filthy French magazine. I don't ever want to see something like that in your possession. You are better than this! Now OVER the desk Master Kirkland, do NOT make me tell you again!"

Hearing the instructions, and command to go over the desk, England swallowed hard, and with his eyes wide, he had no choice but to listen to the man, and he shook his head furiously.

"Ahhhh...um.....yes, yes sir!" England quickly ran over to the desk, and positioned himself over the desk, just like when he was in his younger years. He held both hands to the desk's corners, and leaned against it. He looked back, slightly sweating, and spoke up. "Hughes...Hughes I am...I am going to rid the mansion of the filth, I promise...but please...must you really go through with this? You haven't caned me since I was a young lad...please?"

"Yes seems it has been too long......if you have forgotten such lessons." Hughes went over to Arthur and pulled at his trousers tugging them down to his knees followed by his boxers. "This is to insure that you do not forget your responsibly to your little brother and to keep him and yourself pure from French influence. If I would have caught you with that magazine when you were younger you would have gotten the same as you are about to get now."

England shuddered as he felt his trousers and boxers being yanked down. He squinted his eyes, as he knew that a bare bottom caning was going to be brutal. It was always the worst, and he grimaced knowing what was to come.