Author's Note
This is (likely) the final part of my Sealand X Liechtenstein series. Hope it's sweet enough. A lot of this took me a very long time to plan out, so enjoy it!
Once Upon a Christmas
Liechtenstein sat at her window, looking up at the grey sky. Snow had been falling almost constantly for over a week now, and it was looking more and more unlikely that she would get to spend Christmas together with her boyfriend. The roads were treacherous at best, the airfield was covered in snow and black ice, and the trains were few and far between. In any case, the nearest station was two miles from where she lived with Switzerland, and hiking there in these conditions was not a wise idea. Ever since her trip to Fort Roughs earlier in the year, there had been a lot of things that kept her from inviting her boyfriend back for another visit, and so the two young lovers had corresponded through letters and the internet. Lili sniffed as she picked up the last letter she had received off him, dated to roughly a week ago, and read through it silently. As she read through the letter, a gentle knock sounded at the door. The door opened after a short while, and Switzerland walked in. Despite being generally grumpy and, at best, trucelent, he was a good deal kinder to his adopted little sister than he was to almost anyone else. He walked over to her window seat and sat down with her.
"Are you ok, Lili? You haven't touched your breakfast."
Whilst not a big eater, it was normal for Lili to finish off all of her breakfast without delay. The fact that her favourites were untouched was surprising to say the least. Lili looked up and leaned against her brother and guardian.
"I'm just sad that Peter can't be with us for Christmas. I really wanted him to be here."
Basch hugged Lili gently, blushing slightly as he did so. He wasn't a very touchy-feely kind of guy, even with his little sister, but he could tell she was very disappointed and sad. They'd still have a lovely time on Christmas Day together, but it wouldn't be as good for Lili as it would be if Peter was there with them, and despite his firm belief in neutrality no matter the cost, he had to admit that Sealand was a nice guy to Lili. He thought of something and gently let her go.
"Try and eat something please Lili, I don't want to throw all that away. I have something I need to attend to. Tea will be at five, alright?"
Lili sniffed as she nodded. Her jade-green eyes were full of tears, but she wouldn't cry. If she did, she'd find it hard to stop. Her brother left the room and walked into his private study. Swallowing his pride and beliefs in neutrality and isolation, he picked up the phone and began dialling for England's office in London.
.
To no-one's surprise, it was raining heavily in London. England was filling out forms, his distinctive eyebrows creased in a frown. He had never enjoyed tedious paperwork, and filling out over a thousand forms in his full signature for some obscure reason or other was just another factor that pushed the tedium level to well over nine thousand in his opinion. Just as he finished signing one, the phone rang. Sighing, and wondering what new twist of fate was going to make his day even worse, he picked up the phone.
"Arthur Kirkland."
"England, it's me, Basch. Switzerland."
"What is it? I'm pretty busy, and I..."
"Just shut up and listen ok? We have heavy snow here, and it's almost ten below freezing. There's no way a conventional aircraft can land at my airstrip."
"So I have to tell Peter he can't spend Christmas with his girlfriend? That'll go over really well, you neutral bastard. He's been..."
"WILL YOU SHUT UP? You have some... impressive military jump-jets that can handle these conditions. Bring him over in one of them tomorrow morning. And get the UN to call a meeting on December 26th. Including Sealand, Lili and me. I've finished that form you signed when I came to pick up Lili."
"Alright, fine."
England hung up and dialled for Sealand's home. After several rings, the micronation finally picked up.
"Sealand here."
"Peter? It's me, Arthur. Head to London as soon as you can, and bring some changes of clothes too. Don't waste any time."
"What's going on, England?"
"I've sorted something out for Christmas for you."
On the other end of the line, Sealand winced.
"If it's scones, then I think I'll pass. It was only a miracle I didn't die the last time I ate your cooking."
England flared up.
"Listen, pipsqueak, be here by eight in the morning or I'll MAKE you eat scones! And like I said, bring several changes of clothing. You're taking a very special holiday, little brother."
Peter frowned on the other end of the line. Before getting to know Lili at the World Meeting earlier in the year, England had treated him with frustrated contempt at best. He wasn't fully aware of the circumstances that had prompted a change in his brother, although something Lili had hinted at in one of their letters suggested that somehow Basch had got through to England in a way he never had. He hung up and began to pack in preparation for his trip the following day. Quite apart from wanting to see Lili during Christmas, he was very keen to avoid the blend of poison England affectionately refered to as his 'cooking'.
.
Christmas Eve dawned choppy and stormy in the North Sea. It was almost as if the sun had not risen as Peter climbed the ladder to his helipad, upon which rested a military helicopter. Abruptly, a powerful gust of wind blew, and a huge wave soaked the micronation. Gasping from the cold, Peter hastily pounded on the side of the aircraft, and scrambled inside as the door was opened, dropping his bags on the floor. The rotors started and the helicopter bore Peter to the mainland. One of the crew members wrapped a blanket around the young boy, prompting a muffled 'thanks' as the helicopter began its' descent. Soon, the helicopter touched down at the airfield where England had met with Spain and Andorra earlier in the year. Parked at the end of the runway was a fighter Sealand vaguely recognised as a Harrier jump-jet. The rain was no better on the mainland, so Sealand took a deep breath, opened the door of the helicopter and ran for the Harrier. The pilot opened the cockpit as the micronation scrambled up the ladder. Behind him, two of the helicopter crewmen carried his luggage to the jet and stored it in the fighter's tiny cargo compartment. Waving to the pilot, the men ran back to the helicopter, out of the way of the jet fighter. The pilot passed Sealand a helmet and visor, cautioned the youngster to strap in, and began revving up the engines. Although he'd flown before, it had always been in a civilian aircraft, and never at any proper speed. He knew that Harriers were famous for being the first mass-produced fighter that could take off without a runway, but little more than that. As the jet shot down the runway at ever-increasing speeds, Sealand felt a grin form on his face. Already his Christmas was looking to be awesome as the retired fighter took off and headed for Switzerland. Inside one of the hangars, England stood with the crew of the helicopter that had just brought Sealand to the airfield.
"You DEFINITELY put the packages I gave you in the jump jet with Peter's suitcase?"
The men nodded. Aware that Peter had little spending money, Arthur had organised a surprise for his sibling and, with the help of Hungary, had purchased several presents from various shops, hoping they would be nice surprises for Lili. All had been signed in Peter's name, and all he had to do now was make sure Peter didn't somehow blow it. Walking to a hastily put-together communication array, he contacted the pilot and asked to be put through to his little brother, silently wincing at having to sound all military.
"Harrier Jump Jet Nine Four, this is Ground Control, please respond."
The pilot responded promptly and, from the sound of a certain background noise, somewhat irately. Arthur gave a small smile. It wasn't often that pilots trained to dogfight had to ship hyperactive youngsters over to the European mainland.
"H J J Nine Four, I copy Control."
"Please put Peter on."
There was a burst of static, then Peter's voice filled the speakers.
"What is it, England?"
Arthur's eyebrows raised slightly. Sealand had long been one to call his older brother names. Although his voice bordered on a blend of boredom and excitement, which probably meant the micronation was expecting a telling-off of some sort, this would normally prompt insults in and of itself. Hastily the older nation spoke to his sibling.
"I had a word or two with Hungary, and there's a number of gifts in the plane for Liechtenstein. Basch invited you just yesterday, and that's where you're going. I hope you have a good Christmas, Peter."
In the co-pilot's seat, Sealand was surprised by his older brother's thoughtfulness. He'd settled with the idea of a slightly less gruff England in the summer when he'd gone on his first date with Lili, but at the time the looming prospect of going to see the girl he'd fallen in love with had thoroughly eclipsed any thoughts of Arthur. Interaction between the two was irregular at best, but out on his home, most of his thoughts had been on how to achieve his dream and his new girlfriend. It was rare of him to think of England at all, and most of his encounters with him had been negative ones. But then he abruptly remembered before going to see Liechtenstein. Despite the workload he invariably had to do, England had still come to try and help him. Was that a genuine sign the older nation had changed and wanted what was best for his free-spirited sibling? He shook his head and spoke into the mouthpiece.
"Th-thanks, Arthur. I hope...yours is ok too."
"I'll see you soon, brother. Goodbye."
Peter looked over his shoulder, even though all he could see was the back of his seat. Wishing him well? Calling him brother rather than pipsqueak or midget? Getting help to pick out Christmas presents for his girlfriend? Was it possible, truly possible, that the stodgy old Brit had a soft spot for him? Peter was silent as the jet nearly broke the sound barrier to convey him to Switzerland. At any other time, this would have him whooping for joy so loudly the average pilot would eject him just to save their eardrums from being burst. Before he quite knew where they were, the jet had passed over the English Channel and was speeding over France. Confused, the micronation began to doze in the chair. Sight-seeing in a jet was not as fun as it had been in Switzerland's luxurious plane.
It was approaching eleven am by the time the pilot woke Sealand from his nap. Peter looked around blearily and wondered what was going on. All around him there was snow, and as the fighter slowed down, he became increasingly aware of the winds outside. He gulped and spoke to the pilot.
"Are we somewhere in the Alps?"
"Don't distract me kid, we're making a vertical landing."
Peter nodded and waited in the co-pilot's seat. After what felt like forever of looking at the whirling snow, there was a thud, and the engines died down to a whine. Outside, Peter could hear voices. There was the sound of something being opened, and then the canopy over his head slid forward, exposing him to the bitter cold of the Alps. Shivering and balling up, Peter didn't notice Basch climb up the ladder set against the fighter, but soon took notice when he felt the warmth of a thick coat draped over his small form. Switzerland spoke in a loud voice to be heard over the howling wind.
"Come on, I don't like to be out in this weather either. Liechtenstein's waiting at home for you."
Upon hearing Lili's name, Peter pulled the thick coat on and, still shaking from the cold, began to get up. Soon, he was climbing down the ladder to where Basch waited for him on a large snowmobile. His belongings were out of sight, presumably in the snowmobile's boot. He stepped off the ladder and climbed onto the back of the vehicle, looking nervous. Switzerland gave an impatient sigh and turned back to face him.
"Hold onto me, or you'll fall off. I've already unloaded your things and they're here. Come on, lets get inside."
Even more nervous, Peter moved up the seat and held Switzerland around the waist. Wasting no time, Basch accelerated and headed for his mansion nearby. As soon as they were safely out of range, the Harrier took off again. In a matter of minutes, Basch and Peter were at the front of the mansion, and the Alpine nation got up, almost dragging the half-frozen micronation with him. He yelled something in German, and a man hurried out to take the snowmobile to a garage. Basch unloaded Peter's belongings and helped the youngster carry them up the steps to the front door. Unlocking the front door was not easy, but shortly the two were inside. Sealand gasped. Whilst he had been there before, the place had not been decorated. Lengths of tinsel decorated the banisters in streams of blue, white, yellow and red. Beautiful wreaths hung from the ceiling, quite a feat considering how high the ceiling was. Some, but not all, of the lights were coloured. Switzerland looked at his young guest and gave a gruff smile.
"Well, I hope you like it, Sealand. You remember the way to the guest room you were in last time don't you?"
Peter looked back at Basch and nodded, silently wondering if anyone would believe him if he said that the so-called 'Permanently neutral nation' was being friendly to him. He picked up his suitcase and started to pick up the five presents England had signed in his name when Basch forestalled him.
"I'll put these under our Christmas tree in the main lounge for you. When you get up to your room, take a bath or something to warm up. Lunch will be at half twelve, alright?"
"Alright, th-thanks."
Peter walked upstairs with his suitcase as Basch carried the five presents into the main lounge. He took his time walking up, preoccupied with the lavish decorations. He smiled as he came to his room from the last time. Whether by Liechtenstein's hand or Switzerland's, it had been fitted with a silver plaque that read 'Sealand State Room'. Walking inside, he saw that his national flag was stretched over the bed, and in a glass case near the door, was actual currency from his home mint. Smiling broadly, Peter closed the door, and went to get changed and freshen up before dinner. Even if he hadn't been drenched before his journey began, he'd have still wanted to warm up and clean up after the long flight. Running a hot bath, Sealand sank into the water and shut his eyes in bliss. After bathing and warming up, Peter cleaned himself, drained the bath, and dried himself off. He began to get dressed again when a timid knock sounded at his door. Blushing furiously, Sealand hastily finished pulled on his blue jacket before speaking up.
"Yes, I'm just finishing in the bath. Who is it?"
There was an audible gasp, and the sound of retreating feet. Peter gave a sigh of disappointment as he walked into his room again. Undeniably, that had been Lili, come to see him. Seemingly, Basch had told her he was here. He tried to think of the way to Liechtenstein's room, but he was unable to recall exactly the way to go. He opened his suitcase and began to transfer his clothing to the chest of drawers and wardrobe. Just as he finished, there was another knock at the door. Peter hastily answered, only to see it was Basch. The gruff mercenary looked him over and nodded briskly.
"Good, you did get cleaned up. Is everything alright in your room, Peter? Is it warm enough?"
Peter nodded.
"Yes, thanks. Where's Lili please?"
Basch checked his wristwatch.
"It's only ten minutes until dinner, you may as well come down now. She'll be there."
Peter gulped as he turned off the lights in his room and followed Switzerland downstairs to a dining room. Switzerland opened the doors and they went in. Peter's breath caught in his throat as he saw Liechtenstein sat at the table. She was wearing a white, long-sleeved dress adorned with blue ribbons. Her usual purple hair ribbon was replaced with a bright red one today, and upon hearing the door open she seemed to jump a little. She turned around and upon seeing Peter, her face broke into a radiant smile that took the micronation's breath away. He blushed and smiled back, prompting a fleeting smile from Basch, seen by neither of the youngsters. He cleared his throat and spoke to them both.
"Courtesy dictates that you, Peter, sit on the other end of the table, and I sit at the head."
Peter nodded and began to move towards the far end. He froze when Basch put his hand on his shoulder and continued to speak.
"But it's Christmas. So sit where you like, both of you."
Liechtenstein smiled at her brother, subconsciously making him blush. Peter moved towards Lili, and sat on her left. Surprising them both further, Basch sat next to Peter, and their food was brought in. For the next few minutes there was only the sound of the clink of cutlery and the three eating, but when the meal was over, Lili began to talk, asking Peter about how life had been on his home fort. Basch listened mostly, looking assessingly at the young boy who had won the love of his adopted sister, as well as something resembling respect from him. Although normally hostile to outsiders, Liechtenstein's affection for the micronation had convinced the gruff mercenary to be friendly, although he would waste no time in dealing out retribution if the boy ever made Liechtenstein cry. He explained about how he'd found Liechtenstein in the aftermath of the first world war, starving, weak, and alone, and had gone on to take care of her ever since. Peter scratched at the corner of his eye, remembering what Liechtenstein had written of the time in one of her letters.
'It's only... I knew when I saw you that I couldn't just leave you there. I'm glad that you've gotten better like this.'
Subconsciously, Peter was aware that this was something extremely personal between Lili and Basch, and quite possibly the first time he'd ever spoken of it to anyone. He came to realise, abruptly, that for now at least, Switzerland trusted him. He silently vowed to be a good boyfriend to Liechtenstein however he could. Basch left the room, heading for his private study, whilst Lili took Peter by the hand and took the micronation to the library. She began to look through the books until she found one, and took hold of it and opened it up.
"Can you read German at all, Peter?"
Peter looked back at her, his interest having been temporarily occupied by a painting on the wall.
"N-no, not really. Were you once a part of Germany, Lili?"
She nodded.
"Yes, once I was. Then I became independent, even though I'm small. After the Great War..."
Her jade green eyes welled up. Hastily taking a handkerchief out of his pocket, Peter hurried up to her and was promptly hugged by the small nation. He was surprised and a bit frightened that she was crying, and tried to recall England's advice from earlier in the year. He rubbed her back soothingly and whispered to her, just loud enough for her to hear.
"Don't worry, Lili. I'm here now."
Lili sniffed and nodded.
"Thank you Peter. It's just...the pain I felt from the aftermath...so many starving...the cold..."
Peter kissed her on the cheek softly. Lili drew away and smiled at him through her tears before kissing him back. Peter dabbed at her tears gently and then hugged her. She glanced at his wristwatch and her eyes went wide.
"It's already one. Do you want to do anything special, Peter?"
The micronation pocketed his handkerchief and pulled Lili to a large armchair, one of several that dotted the room. He sat in it and smiled.
"Well this is such a big house, why not hide and seek? I'll count to a hundred, you go and hide."
Lili nodded.
"I'll stay on the ground floor so it's a bit easier for you. And any rooms I may be in, I will leave the door open a little bit."
Peter smiled just before he began to count.
"Lets hope that this goes better than my attempt in your hedge maze."
Lili laughed and ran as Peter began to count. After some time Peter uncovered his eyes and went to search for Lili. He scoured each room she had left the door slightly open, checking behind the curtains, inside any cupboards, and every single place he could think of. But no matter where he searched, Lili was nowhere to be found. Slumping against the wall in the last room he searched, he ran over all the places he'd searched through, before coming to a conclusion. He'd thought nothing of the library door being open, but what if she'd opened the nearest doors at hand before slipping back into the library? It was certainly worth a try, he reasoned as he walked back into the library. A few moments later, he saw a suspicious lump in the curtains nearest the door. He smiled and silently approached before grabbing the curtains. Lili gave a gasp of surprise as her boyfriend hugged her, and giggled.
"You found me! How did you know?"
Peter shrugged modestly.
"Well, when you're an awesome nation like me, finding the prettiest nation becomes pretty easy."
Lili blushed as they hugged, and soon came up with an idea for how to spend the rest of the day.
"Why don't we send Christmas cards to all the other nations? I'm sure we have some around the house somewhere."
Peter considered as they parted from the hug.
"Will they be able to understand them if they're written in English or German only? I know lots of people understand our languages, but not all of them do."
Lili took Peter's hand and began to pull him towards a study on the ground floor.
"I'm sure we can find ways on computers to translate what we mean."
Peter nodded as Lili turned the light on. A quick search soon revealed a stack of envelopes, but very few Christmas cards. Lili finished counting them out and looked disappointed.
"Only nine cards. But, we need at least seventy more!"
She sat down, looking depressed. Peter suddenly noticed the computer in the corner of the room and smiled.
"It's alright Lili, we'll just make them ourselves! The people we know who can read English or German without a problem will get the first few cards, and we'll make the rest on this computer, wishing them merry Christmas in their home language."
Lili looked over at the computer, brightening up almost immediately.
"Well it could work I suppose. Alright then, lets begin."
She began to write five cards to Belarus, Canada, Prussia, England and America whilst Peter followed suit with the four left over, having to leave out America. As soon as the cards were written and addressed, Lili and Peter switched on the computer and began the long task of designing and writing cards to every other personified nation they knew. Lili advised Peter on what to use for illustrations whilst the micronation wrote Christmas greetings in each particular nation's home language. By the time they were finished and printed out, it was almost four in the afternoon. Taking great care to package them neatly, Lili wrote on the envelope of each one, and soon there was a pile of mostly home-made cards addressed to every nation they knew of. Peter smiled as he turned the computer off and walked over to the pile of envelopes. Without warning, the door swung open and Basch strode in. Lili jumped slightly, surprised by her adopted brother's sudden appearance. No sooner had he entered the room than he began singing a Christmas carol at the top of his voice in German. Peter looked from Basch to Lili and whispered to his girlfriend.
"Is he drunk?"
Lili giggled at the idea of Basch getting inebriated, but soon saw that it was indeed the case. Around Christmas every year, Switzerland did tend to relax a bit more than usual, and the two always had a lovely time together. But it was equally normal for him to keep his wits about him. Struggling to keep a straight face, she walked up to her brother.
"Big bruder, have you been drinking?"
Basch stopped his carol, looked at Lili without really seeming to recognise her, and staggered over to Peter, throwing an arm around the surprised micronation.
"Ah, P-peter, you're a good lad to m-my sister. You really love her, don't you?"
Peter looked torn between fear and a mad desire to laugh at the drunken Swiss man, and stammered out a response.
"W-w-well, yes, of c-c-course I do."
Basch grinned widely and ruffled his hair through his sailor hat.
"Yeah, one day you two will get married and live happily ever after. Are you gonna propose to her?"
Peter flushed a bright shade of red, matched only by Lili's. Basch looked from one to the other, as if expecting them to pop the question to one another right there and then. Acting quickly, Peter pointed out of the window.
"Is that Italy or Romano out there in the snow?"
The effect was immediate. Basch's jolly, drunken visage vanished as he ran from the room and up the stairs. Lili smiled at Peter as her brother vanished to shoot at the intruder.
"How did you think of that so quickly? And how did you know that Italy has, in the past, come streaking past our house?"
Peter sat down quite abruptly on a chair that wasn't there. Lili went over to him and helped him up.
"Are you alright, Peter?"
Peter nodded,
"Yeah, I'm ok. Just a little... well, surprised."
Lili smiled.
"It isn't often big bruder gets drunk. He might have a little bit each week, but not much."
Peter brushed himself down, taking off his jacket. He still wore his usual sailor suit, but had replaced his usual trousers with jeans that morning, expecting the alpine location to be less than warm at this time of year. Just as he put his jacket over the back of a chair, Basch reappeared in the doorway, looking very uncomfortable. Lili and Peter both turned to look at the older nation. Basch gave a sigh and spoke to them both.
"The blizzard's died off for a while. Do you... want to go and have a snowball fight?"
Lili and Peter raced for the front door, both eager to get out in the snow and play whilst it was still light. Basch followed, showed Peter where there was a spare coat the right size for him, and in five minutes, the three were digging hastily in the snow to make a low wall to crouch behind. After several more minutes, the makeshift barricade was ready. Basch retreated a short way and bent down to scoop up some snow. Giggling, Peter and Lili hastened to do likewise as a snowball sailed lazily through the air towards them. The two hastened to make snowballs, and Lili threw one in Basch's general direction but missed. Peter threw his with greater speed and force, and only narrowly missed the older man. Basch pitched a snowball towards the youngsters, missing them by mere inches. Soon, the air was thick with flying snowballs, but by some miracle or other, no-one had yet been hit. Peter brought an abrupt end to the misses when he had Basch low on the leg. Almost seeming to smirk, the Swiss man hurled a snowball at the micronation, missing him but hitting Lili instead by mistake. She gasped and shook off the snow, throwing a snowball back in retaliation. Peter threw one a mere second afterwards, with the surprising result of hitting Lili's whilst it was still in mid-air. Both youngsters looked at one another in surprise, inadvertantly dropping their guard in the process. Basch flung a snowball at the two. Lili pushed Peter down as she was hit by the snowy missile, prompting a gasp from Peter as he struggled to get up again. Hastily making a snowball, he threw it at Basch, and was rewarded with a direct hit on his chest. Lili threw two snowballs at her older brother, although neither hit. Several minutes later, all three were flinging snow with greater ferocity and speed, although some of the projectiles were missing by a greater margin. Basch, Lili and Peter all threw a snowball simultaneously, and miraculously, all three hit in mid-air. Basch blinked in surprise. Lili and Peter hastily threw all they could at the older nation, scoring several hits. Basch glowered at them and tried to retaliate, but was slowly being overwhelmed by the icy barrage thrown by the energetic youngsters. Finally, he raised his hands in surrender.
"You two win."
Lili and Peter grinned and cheered. Basch picked up his spade and walked to the mansion, leaving the two outside in the snow. Peter looked at the snowy barricade they'd made and was about to voice a suggestion when Lili pulled on his arm. Peter blinked and looked at his girlfriend.
"Should we go inside already? It IS very cold out here, and getting dark."
Lili nodded and took Peter's hand in hers. The youngsters walked slowly towards the mansion, Peter talking about how even though Britain had had an especially bad winter in 2010, Sealand itself had been completely free of ice and snow owing to the salt water surrounding it. As they walked into the house, the sounds of festive music came to their ears. Both youngsters removed their winter wear and walked into the dining room, where a delicious aroma of food was coming from the table. Both Peter and Lili gave an astonished gasp at the sumptuous meal laid out for them. Basch was already there, waiting for them. Lili seized Peter's hand and hastily sat next to Basch, pulling Peter into the chair next to her. All three ate heartily, greatly hungered by the activities they had taken part in over the course of the afternoon. Lili and Peter chatted to Basch about the cards they had made for the other nations, although the older nation was relatively quiet as he ate. After their meal, the three went to the same room they'd been in earlier when making the Christmas cards. Basch opened a cupboard and took out a chess set. Setting the board out, he placed all the pieces in the right places and then sat down at the table. He looked at Peter and nodded.
"I'll play you, Peter. Don't help him, Lili. I want to see how good he is at strategy."
Peter gulped and sat opposite Basch, Lili watching the two as they began their game of chess. Basch was remorseless in play, and in the space of ten minutes, Peter had lost six of his eight pawns and four of his major pieces. In comparison, the micronation had taken just two pawns and a rook. Frowning in concentration, Basch moved his remaining rook into position.
"Check."
Peter scratched at his head through his sailor cap and moved his only knight to take the rook. Basch remained silent as he moved his white bishop into play, unable to check Peter's king but enough to worry the youngster. Peter moved one of his remaining pawns forward, seemingly oblivious to the threats posed to his pieces. Basch moved a pawn forward to block Peter's piece, but whether by accident or design, Peter's remaining rook kept it from moving, so he settled for bringing a knight into play. Peter took the knight, by now looking very worried indeed. Basch moved his queen close to Peter's, but if the micronation saw it as a threat, he gave no sign of concern, simply moving his pawn closer to the other side of the board. Basch moved his queen back, frowning, unable to tell what Peter was up to. Peter moved his queen to the centre of the board, his eyes flicking up to look at Basch briefly. Basch moved one of his pawns forward once, silently hoping Peter was doing more than just shooting in the dark. Once again, Peter moved his pawn forward, just one space between it and the far side. Basch recognised the threat and moved his queen into a perfect intercepting position. Peter moved forward regardless, successfully checking Basch's king as his pawn was turned into a queen. Basch frowned and used his queen to take the new one, only to realise he'd been suckered completely. Peter used his queen to take Basch's and sat upright, smiling quite broadly at his opponent.
"Check mate."
Basch shook his head as he surrendered.
"I must admit, I did not see that coming. Where did you learn to play, Peter?"
Peter shook Basch's hand as Lili cheered for him.
"I've played a few times against England and China. China taught me how to use that combination. You were tough to beat, Basch. I didn't think I could win."
Basch gave a rare smile and got up.
"Now try against Lili."
Peter reset all the pieces as Lili took Basch's seat. Both looked uneasy as they began to play, and neither seemed willing to defeat the other or even take a piece. For almost half an hour Basch watched as the two played without taking a single piece between them. Finally, Lili and Peter gave up and both lay their kings down, declaring the match a draw. Glancing at the clock, they were surprised to see it was already past six. Lili coughed and, to Peter's surprise and delight, began to sing a Christmas carol in German.
"Stille Nacht, heilige Nacht,
Alles schläft; einsam wacht
Nur das traute hochheilige Paar.
Holder Knabe im lockigen Haar,
Schlaf in himmlischer Ruh!
Schlaf in himmlischer Ruh!
Stille Nacht, heilige Nacht,
Hirten erst kundgemacht
Durch der Engel Halleluja,
Tönt es laut von fern und nah:
Christ, der Retter ist da!
Christ, der Retter ist da!
Stille Nacht, heilige Nacht,
Gottes Sohn, o wie lacht
Lieb' aus deinem göttlichen Mund,
Da uns schlägt die rettende Stund'.
Christ, in deiner Geburt!
Christ, in deiner Geburt!"
Peter applauded with real enthusiasm, as did Basch. Lili smiled and blushed.
"Did you like it, Peter?"
Peter nodded.
"You sing beautifully! Do you sing much? Also, was that Silent Night?"
Lili giggled as Basch gave a slight smile.
"I sing a little bit. Yes, that was Silent Night in German. Do you sing, Peter?"
Peter shook his head. They walked into the same lounge they'd watched a film together in during Peter's first stay and sat down together after Lili had picked a film for them to watch; Spirited Away. Turning off the lights and snuggling up together, with Basch on the other end of the sofa, they silently watched the film.
Two hours later, Peter and Lili were both trying valiantly to appear wide-awake, despite their yawns and drooping eyelids. Basch got up and went to his study, muttering something about incomplete work. Peter tried to get up off the sofa, but felt extremely comfortable where he was. It didn't help that Lili was snuggled up to him and seemed to be asleep already. Deciding to stay put, the young micronation hugged Lili back and dozed off in the warm, dark room.
.
When Peter woke up, he realised that he was still cuddling Lili. Yawning widely, he saw that outside it was already light. He got up and stretched before freezing. Quite abruptly, he realised it was Christmas morning. He milled about, wondering what to do. Just as he decided to go to his room, wash, dress and then come back downstairs, Lili woke up. She smiled sleepily at Peter and stretched, sitting up.
"Merry Christmas, Peter."
The micronation smiled back.
"Merry Christmas, Lili."
Lili got up, brushing down her white dress as she did so. Before Peter could mention the possibility of presents, she had seized him by the hand and was pulling him towards the Christmas tree. She gave a gasp of surprise on seeing the five presents there with her name on them, and looked at Peter with watery eyes.
"Oh Peter, how did you know? You didn't have to get me anything!"
Peter blushed and shrugged.
"Well, you're special, so I wanted to..."
He broke off as Liechtenstein hugged him. He hugged her back, silently thanking England and Hungary for their time, money and consideration. Lili let go and opened the nearest present, revealing a soft, honey-coloured teddy bear. She gave a gasp of pure delight and hugged the bear eagerly, sitting it on her lap as she opened the next gift. Inside was a flag, in both her colours and Sealand's. She smiled warmly at Peter and opened the third. A delicately painted landscape of a Kestrel hovering over a field of alpine roses was set in a gorgeous silver frame. Blushing fit to burst, she opened the last two presents, revealing a dress of silver and a second one of light azure. She held the dresses up, admiring them, and turned to Peter, tears of joy running down her cheeks. Before the micronation could articulate a word, Lili embraced him lovingly. At first Peter was taken aback, but he soon recovered and hugged his girlfriend back. Neither of the youngsters noticed Basch in the doorway, smiling as he saw how happy Lili was. Finally, Peter let go of Lili and kissed her gently on the cheek. He got up, excused himself to go and wash, and left the room, followed by Lili. Some time later, Peter reappeared fully washed and dressed in a fresh set of clothes. Lili followed suit, and came down in her new blue dress. For the rest of the morning, the three played various festive games with one another. Seeing Basch relax so much was an odd but welcome change. Before they quite knew where the time had gone, it was lunch time. To Peter's surprise, the table was not overburdened with food. All three sat down and began to eat quietly. After finishing what was in his mouth, Peter spoke up.
"Do you have your Christmas meal in the evening?"
Basch nodded.
"Usually, but all three of us have been invited to a World Meeting tomorrow, so we'll have our Christmas meal there."
Peter's eyes widened.
"Why me? England, I mean Arthur, makes a point of keeping me away from them."
Unless Peter's eyes were deceiving him, Basch looked suddenly uncomfortable.
"America said something about even micronations being invited. I don't quite know what's going on myself, Peter, I just know all of us have to be there by noon tomorrow."
There was silence as they finished their food. The grandfather clock struck one in the hall, prompting a surprised look from Lili. Unseen by the three, a mouse ran down from the clock.
"Time really seems to go quickly when you're with us, Peter. I suppose that saying about time flying when you don't want it to is true."
They left the table and returned to the lounge, Basch accompanying them. He opened the DVD player and chose another film for them to watch; The Polar Express. Lili sat down in the middle, her boyfriend on her right and her brother on her left. She gave a contented smile as the film began to play.
Four hours and two movies later, Lili and Peter were hard-pressed to find a care in the world. Basch got up and left the two by themselves. For the rest of the evening, the two lovers spent their time telling one another amusing stories they'd heard from their friends. Neither moved until it was time to go to bed at nine.
.
The next day, Basch, Lili and Peter were at the World Conference centre by eleven in the morning. Much to Basch's surprise, almost everyone else was there already, with only Russia, Belarus and Ukraine missing. Peter looked around in some confusion. A woman wearing pink who he hadn't met before but was fairly sure was Taiwan was there, as was Canada, America, France, Germany and practically every European nation. He waved to Latvia, who hesitantly waved back. Even without Russia there, the smallest of the Baltic trio still appeared highly strung, to put it lightly. Presently, the sound of Belarus's screeches filled the air, and she appeared with her brother and sister. Unseen by the somewhat unbalanced nation, Lithuania gave her an admiring look. The nations all took their various seats, with nobody managing to sit on Canada for a change. Peter looked in some surprise at the place labelled 'Sealand', and silently wondered if this was some kind of joke. Germany rose before America and began to speak.
"We are here today to rectify a wrong made in our past. Peter Kirkland, come here."
Hesitantly, Peter got up and approached Germany. Next to Germany, Italy was humming a tune, blissfully oblivious to the meeting going on around him. Germany towered over the micronation, trying to look less intimidating, before handing him a form.
"Twelve of us have voted on an issue with your homeland, Peter Kirkland."
Peter looked at the form in confusion that rapidly turned to pure rapture. Switzerland, Liechtenstein, Italy, Hungary, Belgium, Spain, Germany, Japan, Canada, Latvia, Taiwan and England had all signed forms declaring him a nation. Held in his hands was his dream come true. He felt his eyes well up as Germany handed him a second sheet of paper, and beckoned for Liechtenstein to join him as well, passing one to her. Germany sat down and there was silence. Peter didn't care that so many nations were watching, he simply let the tears fall. Lili hugged him and whispered for him to make a speech. Quite abruptly, Peter spoke up, his voice trembling.
"Th-thank you, everyone. I promise to be the best nation I can possibly be, and to help you all make a better world."
There was silence for a few seconds, before applause broke out for the new nation. Peter gave a watery smile as he took his place again, amazed that his wish had been granted, and not just by one nation, but twelve.
Arthur hurried to where his brother sat as the meeting broke up and put a hand on his shoulder.
"Could I have a word with you please, Sealand?"
Peter nodded and climbed down from his chair, following Arthur to a side room. The older nation shut the door and beckoned for his brother to take a seat. Arthur sat down and looked at him.
"First off, I want to let you know that your military matters are being handled by me. You're an independent nation now, but if there's ever any pirates again, just let me know, alright?"
Peter nodded and looked at his older brother. Was it the light, or were Arthur's eyes getting watery?
"I also want to apologise. I haven't been the big brother to you I should have been. You've done nothing to deserve that. I was stung still over America wanting to become independent so fast. Switzerland is a far better brother to Liechtenstein than I've ever been to you. I was wrong, and I was foolish. A lot of things have been tedious to me, but I should have realised far sooner that while you wanted to be your own country, it didn't mean we'd have to be apart. I can only say sorry for what I did, and ask that you forgive me. No matter what, you'll still get food and medical supplies from me."
Peter looked on in surprise as Arthur actually began to cry. He'd seen his brother laugh, play with invisible friends, and get madder than Germany on a bad day, but never had he thought that England was even capable of crying. He got up from his chair and hugged his brother warmly, smiling, even though he could feel tears of his own tickling the back of his eyes.
"Sure I'll forgive you, England."
Arthur made no effort to hide the tears as he hugged his little brother close. Sealand squeezed his eyes shut as a few tears of his own fell. His wish had come true, he had just had the most wonderful Christmas imaginable, and was finally at peace with his brother. How long he hugged England for, he couldn't say, but when they let go, the two brothers were smiling at each other. Arthur wiped the tears from his eyes and ruffled Sealand's dirty blonde hair through his sailor cap. Sealand smiled and spoke up.
"Just promise me one thing?"
Arthur nodded.
"Anything, little brother."
"Well, alright, two things. One, call me brother more often."
"And the other?"
Sealand's smile took on a slight hint of mischief.
"Never ask me to eat your cooking again."
Arthur could tell his brother was joking, but pretended to take offense just to humour him.
"You little brat, either you eat my scones or you get stuck in a room with France!"
Sealand winced.
"Talk about getting stuck between a rock and a hard place! Have pity on me!"
Both brothers laughed as they left the room, heading towards Switzerland and Liechtenstein. Christmas might be over, but the beginning of a new, brotherly relationship with Arthur was just beginning. Switzerland looked slightly impressed with Arthur reconciling with Peter, and nodded at the Brit. Peter took Lili's hand in his, smiling at his brother and his girlfriend. A sigh of contentment left him as he and Arthur went to an empty conference room. Inside was a multitude of presents. Peter gasped in amazement and began to open them. From England, he had a Playstation 3. From Canada, he'd been given a hockey stick. From America, he'd got a poster declaring 'America rules the World!', causing him to sweatdrop. France had given him a book of love, which he gingerly put to one side. Spain, Germany, and North Italy had each sent both him and Lili free holidays in their respective countries. Taiwan had given him a huge plasma screen TV, much to his delight. Japan had left a note saying he had a mecha suit being made for him. China had offered to build a China Town on Fort Roughs. Romano had sent him photographs of Italian landmarks. Prussia had given him one of his seemingly endless supply of Gilbirds. Austria had given him a collection of music by famous Austrian composers. Switzerland had kindly given him an X-box 360. Hungary and Ukraine had each given him a book on how to handle women. Belarus had sent him a knife, warning him to stay away from Russia. Russia had sent him an offer to become one with him. Poland had given him a computer chair. Lithuania had given him a digital camera. Estonia had sent him an alarm clock. Latvia had given him a CD rack. Belgium had given him a year's supply of chocolate, causing the newly dubbed nation to shout for joy. Arthur smiled at his brother's gleefulness.
"I'm guessing you like your presents then, little brother?"
Peter nodded and then abruptly wondered how he was to transport the larger gifts home. He voiced his concern to Arthur, who shook his head.
"Not to worry, they'll be taken to your home by the end of the day, all of them. Do you want to go and find Liechtenstein now?"
Peter nodded and left the room. Stood outside were Lili and Basch. He smiled at them both.
"Thank you for your gift, Basch, I loved it. What did you get, Lili?"
Lili went into an eager description about her gifts. England had given her a yellow ribbon. Canada had given her a cuddly polar bear plush. America had given her the same poster he'd given him. France had given her scale models of famous French landmarks. Taiwan had given her a silver music box. Japan had given her a red, blue and yellow kimono. China had given her a cuddly baby panda plush. Romano's gift had been a basket of tomatoes, much to her surprise. Prussia had given her a Jilbird, along with a note that only someone as awesome as him would give her such a gift. From Austria, she too had been given a set of music. Hungary and Ukraine had both given her clothing. Belarus had also sent her a knife and a warning to stay away from Russia. Russia had sent her an offer to become one with him. Switzerland had given her a golden necklace. Poland had given her horse-riding lessons. Lithuania had given her a cuddly rabbit toy. Estonia had given her an iPod. Latvia had sent her an ornate dressing table. Belgium had given her too a year's supply of chocolate. Italy, Spain and Germany had included her gift with Peter's. Arthur nodded and smiled.
"I'm glad you liked your gift. If you'd like to come to London for New Year's Eve, you're welcome to. You too, Basch."
Peter looked up at his brother.
"Are you going now, big brother?"
"Yes, I have to get back to London. But I'll see you on New Year's Eve, Peter. Make sure you have fun."
The two brothers hugged, and then England left. Looking around to make sure they were alone, Basch spoke up.
"Would you like to stay with us until New Year's Eve, Peter?"
Both Peter and Lili gave a shout of delight. Basch led the two out of the World Conference centre, silently glad that Peter had been given his wish, and happy that Lili was going to spend some more time with her boyfriend. Peter and Lili held hands as they left, both smiling at one another happily.
The End