Hello!This is another story about Holy Roman Empire's death and the German Empire's unification, yes!
But there is a little difference: Germany is Prussia and Holy Roman Empire's love child but he doesn't know, yet!
We have 2 story-lines:
1, Everything after Holy Roman Empire's death (it begins with this chapter)
2, Everything before Holy Roman Empire's death (it will begin with the second chapter)
Warnings:Mpreg! HRE is the victim. Incest, sex-scene later and... nothing else, for now.
Holy Roman Empire\Germany: They are not the same person here but they are identical to each other and they have the same name (Ludwig)
[The Love Dies Young]
"If I die young, bury me in satin
Lay me down on a bed of roses
Sink me in the river, at dawn
Send me away with the words of a love song."
He couldn't believe it when it happened.
That he was gone.
Nein, nein… it had to be a nightmare, it just had to be.
"Gilbert?"
The Kingdom of Prussia was staring at nothing, his arrogant red eyes were empty, he looked like a broken doll abandoned on a chair next to the fireplace, "Gilbert?" Elizaveta called again kneeling on the carpet right in front of him, "Gilbert, please, you can't go on like this."
Gilbert didn't want to go on, it was different.
An infant was screaming in the next room, he hadn't stopped since that damned moment two days ago. It was like he knew what was happening around him and he cried desperately to vent his sorrow. Gilbert wasn't so brave, he couldn't cry because he couldn't accept what had happened.
"Gilbert?" Elizaveta tried again, "why don't you go to see West? He doesn't eat since… since… Please, Gilbert, don't let him die."
"He doesn't want me," Gilbert muttered without taking his eyes off of the fireplace, "he wants his mother."
Elizaveta closed her green eyes trying to not cry, "Gilbert, he needs you now, we can't comfort him, we have tried everything!"
Gilbert didn't answer, he heard the door open and close but he didn't turn around.
"We have to find another wetnurse," Roderich proclaimed sadly, "it's the second time only today!"
Gilbert snorted, "he doesn't want a wetnurse, he wants his mother. We didn't want a wetnurse since the start! Ludwig wants to feed him! Give the child to him!"
Elizaveta widened her eyes and Roderich did the same, they looked at each other until the Austrian came closer placing a hand on the Prussian's shoulder, "Ludwig is dead, Gilbert."
Gilbert laughed slapping that hand away, "he is just sleeping, you idiot! West doesn't make us sleep, I'm awesome enough to go on with my duties, Ludwig needs to rest but you're not able to take care of an infant enough to leave him alone for a while!"
"Gilbert…" Elizaveta murmured with trembling voice.
"Ludwig will wake up soon and West will calm down as soon as he will be in his arms again, believe me!"
Roderich moved in front of him grabbing his shoulders and shaking him violently, "wake up, Gilbert! Ludwig is dead!" Elizaveta stood up to make him stop but the Austrian ignored her, "he will not wake up, he will not come back! He has been dissolved one year ago!"
Gilbert's expression changed suddenly, "one year ago… he was fine one year ago…"
"He has been lucky, Gilbert," Roderich said gentler, "West has saved him that day."
"West?" Gilbert wasn't really listening, "Ludwig had turned weak and ill only after his birth."
Roderich froze, "you're delirious, Gilbert! You can't blame a baby! Ludwig would have dead with or without his son… He has lived a little longer thanks to that baby, to be honest! He has given another year to you and him and Ludwig has given one last precious present to you to live for. You can't blame his son… you can't blame your son, Gilbert Beilschmidt!"
Gilbert stood up suddenly pushing Roderich away violently, "Don't talk about that damned thing like…" the anger on his pale face disappeared quickly, "like… like…"
"Do you want to feel the baby?"
"Nein… Nein…" He was babbling.
"Can you feel it? It's strong, right?"
He didn't need to close his eyes to see that scene again: Ludwig's blue irises full of hope, his childish proud grin as he felt that little foot kick against his palm, Ludwig's bright smile, their lips pressed against each other, their fingers laced together over the younger one's belly.
"Talk to me about our father, Gilbert."
Gilbert fell on his knees, he hid his face in his hands.
"Will you talk to our baby about me, sometimes?"
"Ludwig…" He sobbed, "Ludwig… Ludwig… Ludwig…"
For the first time after two days of silent sorrow, Gilbert Beilschmidt cried.
Ludwig's face wasn't so pale, after all. He had always been pale.
The royal chapel was cold but Gilbert could feel nothing but that horrible emptiness inside him, he looked like some tramp of the streets. He was only the shadow of the proud knight he used to be but he didn't care, he didn't want to look like the old awesome self when he didn't feel awesome at all.
Awesome… Everything looked so stupid, so futile, right now. His own life didn't have value anymore, he would had been happy to die. He was already a living dead, after all.
But Ludwig.
Ludwig was beautiful, he looked like a prince who was waiting for his true love kiss.
His skin was cold but perfect, the bags under his eyes were disappeared, the pain had abandoned his features. Ludwig was perfect like he had always been. The Holy Roman Empire was perfect like he had to be.
His golden hair was almost shining.
Gilbert brushed his index against his lips: they were full and soft like his pale cheeks.
He was wearing a white uniform, his hands were resting on his chest, the old flag of the Holy Roman Empire was covering the lower part of his body. The blue cornflowers surrounded him: he used to love those flowers and Gilbert used to give them to him very often just to see his little brother get angry and blush.
Ludwig looked like a sleeping angel and Gilbert would had done everything to take him back to him.
Please, he begged silently, please, Ludwig, wake up. You can't leave me like this! Please, God, you've already taken away my father and Friedrich, give him back! Give my little brother back and if you don't want to do it for me, do it for that brat! I don't care but… Give him back, please!"
"Gott, bitte…" He muttered at the still body in front of him, but Ludwig didn't move, he didn't open his gorgeous blue eyes, he didn't smile shyly at him reaching out to touch his face, to wrap his arms around his neck and to kiss him again, again, again…
"Gilbert…"Ludwig wasn't going to call his name one more time.
The Kingdom of Prussia closed his eyes tiredly grabbing the edge of that coffin with both his hands, "I wasn't able to protect you, Ludwig," He said like the younger one could still hear him, "can you forgive me?" He looked up at the high ceiling of the royal chapel, "And you, father? Will you be able to forgive me to not have been able to save your precious heir's life?"
Their father was dead to give birth to Ludwig, he had made Gilbert and Roderich promise to take care of their little brother, to love him, to protect him. They have tried, maybe, they had been good for a while, maybe… But they had failed, at the end, and it was the worst of their sin!
"Gilbert?"
He didn't turn around, he knew that voice very well.
"What do you want?"
"We're almost ready for the ceremony," Gilbert felt him move closer but he didn't take his eyes off of Ludwig's face: his little beloved brother was so beautiful.
"Gilbert…" The Austrian had stopped right next to him and Gilbert couldn't help but notice the white bundle in his arms. For the first time after three days, the Kingdom of Prussia saw his son. He didn't have a real name, yet. Gilbert had nicknamed him West when he was still inside Ludwig's belly and they had continued to call him in that way even after his birth waiting to find a good name for him.
They have waited too much…
The baby boy was sleeping peacefully but his little face was a little too pale and there were two ugly dark bags under his eyes. Gilbert made a face, "is he fine?" He asked and Roderich's expression turned severe, "do you care?"
Gilbert sent him a cold gaze without answering and then he stared down at Ludwig again sadly, "what the hell did you put on his head?"
Roderich just sighed deeply looking at the sleeping infant in his arms, "It's just a baby bonnet, it is too damp for him inside there," he looked down at the dead boy in the coffin, "he is still beautiful."
"I know…"
The Austrian looked at the sleeping baby in his arms, "he doesn't look like you."
"I know…"
"Gilbert, please, stop to ignore this baby, he…"
"I want to stay alone with my brother a little longer," Gilbert said coldly losing his patience quickly, the Austrian didn't move, "He was my brother, too."
"I want to stay alone with my lover!" Gilbert exclaimed closing his fists, "is it clear, Roderich?"
The Austrian didn't move for a while, "Gilbert…"
"Go…"
Roderich closed his eyes nodding, "we'll began the funeral soon."
Gilbert stiffened. Nein, bitte! Don't take him away from me! Don't bury him! I will take care of him like a fragile broken doll… Don't take Ludwig away… He forced himself to nod and Roderich turned around and left the chapel.
The silence fell upon them.
Gilbert sat on the edge of the coffin slowly reaching out to grab the heavy lid, he looked down at Ludwig. He cupped his cheek with his free hand bending down and resting his forehead against his little brother's. He would had never been able to touch Ludwig again, to stay so close to him, to look at his beautiful face. "Ich liebe dich…" he murmured kissing those cold lips one last time.
It was their goodbye kiss.
"Ich liebe dich, Ludwig," Gilbert repeated staring at his love's face one last time, "auf Wiedersehen…"
He closed the coffin.
It was over.
"Gilbert…"
Ludwig wasn't going to woke up, anymore.
"auf Wiedersehen, mein Liebling."
There were a lot of important men in the royal chapel that day.
The Prussian's King, the Austrian's Emperor, Generals, Soldiers. They didn't really care about Ludwig, they were here to respect their countries, nothing more. No one suffered because of Ludwig's death but three people: Roderich was the only one to look at the coffin on the altar, Elizaveta was crying pressing a handkerchief against her mouth, Gilbert could help but stare at the exhausted baby boy in the Austrian's arms.
Yes, he was the perfect little copy of Ludwig.
He remembered when his father had helped him to hold that little screaming bundle centuries and centuries before that damned day: Ludwig had been his first birthday's present and Gilbert had loved him since the first time he had seen him. Six months ago, his beloved Ludwig had given to him a similar present, precious like the first one, unique.
"Do you hear him?"
Ludwig had never been more beautiful than that day. The day that West was born.
"It's your son, Gilbert! Your son!"
It had been the best day of their life…
He didn't know what he was thinking, he just lifted his hand reaching out to touch the baby boy. He brushed his knuckles against the pale soft cheek absently. Roderich didn't fail to notice it, he looked up at the younger one and Gilbert stared back at him. The Austrian moved slowly, the albino hesitated a little and then he snorted taking the infant in his arms.
West whined in his sleep but Gilbert held him closer to his chest shushing him gently, "Shhh, West…" He whispered standing up and walking towards the exit of the chapel.
Elizaveta looked up at the albino and then at the Austrian, Roderich nodded slightly taking the young woman's hand, she nodded back forcing a smile and turning towards the young man who walked out of the chapel.
Gilbert didn't step inside Ludwig's bedroom since his death, but, when he opened that door seeing their private heaven where he and his lover had spent the most happy moments of their life together, he felt like he hadn't seen that room in centuries.
Ludwig's real room was in Vienna, in Roderich's palace, but he hadn't sleep between those four walls since their first kiss, more or less.
Gilbert had turned his old bedroom in their bedroom.
They have made love for the first time on that bed, they have conceived West on that bed, Ludwig had given birth to him on that bed and they had spent a lot of nights cuddling him on that bed, until the day Ludwig had died on that bed. Gilbert didn't want to desecrate his personal sanctuary: everything in that room was dead with his beloved Ludwig. But the baby's stuff were still inside there.
Gilbert walked towards the rocking chair: he liked that thing and West liked it, too.
He sighed deeply sitting down and resting his shoulders against the chair's back, West had half-opened his blue eyes tiredly: he looked so weak and Gilbert didn't like it, "you barely eat since Mama's death, right?" He asked and the baby nuzzled his head against his chest closing his eyes again. Gilbert forced a smile, "no wetnurse is good for you, West. But your awesome Papa knows what to do."
He stood up again walking towards the elegant crib, West whined when his parent leave him inside it, "don't complain, you aren't going to get everything you want, begin to learn it," the fireplace was almost dead but Gilbert take care of it quickly looking around for something, "did you eat your baby bottle, West?"
The baby boy whined loudly.
"Papa has said: don't complain," Gilbert repeated but he wasn't mad, he couldn't be mad when that tiny voice was calling him and only him in the entire world. He suddenly remembered why he had wanted that child so much, because to be a father was so awesome for him!
"Oh! I found you!" There was a thing on one of the nightstands, it looked like a teapot but it wasn't a teapot, "I've to wash it…" Gilbert commented observing the object carefully, "I have to think about the milk, too," he walked toward the door with that sort-of-teapot in his hands when the little thing inside the crib began to scream.
Gilbert frozen turning towards it, he smiled tenderly, "sorry," he muttered when he looked down at the angry baby boy, "I've left you alone enough, right West?" He asked sadly placing the object on the edge of the bed to take his son in his arms, Gilbert held that little body with his hands staring down at him seriously, his son looked up at him with his gorgeous blue eyes. Ludwig's eyes.
Gilbert smiled sadly and happily at the same time holding at that little thing against his chest with all the love he could demonstrate and closed his eyes. He could feel that little heart inside his baby's chest, it was tiny but it was strong and it was enough for Gilbert. His son was alive and nothing was going to harm him, nothing in the entire world.
"I would die for you," Gilbert whispered and kissed his baby's cheek gently, he smiled heartedly for the first time after weeks of sorrow, "let's go to find something to eat."
A few minutes later, Gilbert was on the rocking chair again with West in his arms and that sort-of-teapot in his right hand. The little boy was sucking his milk from the artificial nipple of the object without taking his blue eyes off of his father's face and Gilbert never felt the smile leave his face, "were you angry, right?" Gilbert asked placing the thing on the nearest nightstand.
"We're fine and alone, at the end," Gilbert said, "well… I'm not really fine but I feel already better with the most awesome baby boy of the world in my arms."
The baby boy began to play with his finger and Gilbert let him do, "do you know? You're almost six months old and you didn't have a real name, yet," the baby blinked, "Mama and I were sure that we just needed to see you to decide your name but… it's not been so easy," Gilbert began to cuddle his son sweetly, "do you have any preference, West? We need an awesome name for you, little one."
The baby boy gurgled and Gilbert placed a kiss on his forehead: his baby was calm, silent, almost serious! He laughed rethinking about his little brother's expression when he tried to look like an angry adult. The world had taken their childhood away too soon but it wasn't going to happen with their son.
The baby boy was focused on his bigger fingers, he was studying them curiously with the same expression of his mother when he tried to learn something new, "you look like Ludwig so much, little one," Gilbert commented with a sad smile and he froze, "Ludwig…" He murmured looking down at his son and the baby let go his fingers to watch him like he had understood what he had said. Gilbert smiled brightly, "Ludwig," he tried again and it sounded good like nothing else, "Ludwig," he nodded while a single tear slid down his face, "ja, you really look like a Ludwig."
He kissed his baby boy again holding him against his chest while he let himself vent to his sorrow one more time.
But it was already better.
It sounded wrong but if that little life was in his arms, Gilbert felt a little better, he felt like there was still a beautiful thing in the world to live for.
And it was enough, for now.
"Ludwig…" He called almost sobbing but he wasn't sure who he was calling that time, "Ludwig."
He needed to cry a little longer, the wound of Ludwig's death couldn't heal, he was sure of that.
The baby boy whined loudly and Gilbert rested his lips against his forehead, "Papa is here, Ludwig, you awesome Papa is here and he will never leave you alone, again."
But with his little West… His little Ludwig, the emptiness inside him wasn't so big anymore.
"You will be the most awesome father in the world, Gilbert! I know it!"
It was enough.
A.N. Google "ancient baby bottle" and you'll understand what Gilbert has used to feed Ludwig. Comments are love like always!
"If I die young"- The Band Perry
