Queen Arthur was glad to finally arrive on the private (volcanic) island that, by far to their knowledge, only the Spades Royals and their selective servants knew about. It had been, what, escape attempt number ten already? There was only so much he could do to Alfred before even the Queen figured a different tactic must be made. And so, with a heavy heart, he decided allowing Alfred some time to 'be free' might help ebb at his desire to escape.
Of course, the ride over was an uneasy one. They had to leave in the middle of night in disguise and use one of the icky boats to not alert anyone to their presence. The whole time Arthur had, yes, kept Alfred on a literal tight leash--linked by metal and reinforced with magic. He never let Alfred leave his sight nor did he sleep much because he had to always keep his eyes wide open. Which was why he was letting out a cute, high-pitched yawn when they finally reached the interior of the fortress walls.
The leash was still around Alfred's neck, but Arthur finally gave it some slack as he leaned against him, pouting, "I'm tiiiired..." Waving an arm a bit, he continued with, "Carry me!"