Prologue
As the personifications of nations, they had never been bound to the laws that grounded most physical beings. As their nations and land masses lived, so too did they. And as their nation changed, so too did their bodies, shifting through centuries; through depressions, famines, war, economic booms and empires. They were ever changing.
This extended to all aspects of their lives. It could affect their personalities, their ways of expression, their body's size and their gender. They might grow smaller with age, or larger. They would become stronger or weaker. They would wake male one morning and female the next, all depending on the mood of their people.
England, 1912
America hauled her bag out of the car that had brought her there, paid the driver, and headed to the door of the manor house. She wound her way up through the garden path under the warm and pleasant sun. Her hat kept the sun off her shoulders, but her dress was still warm. She made her way to the door, and set down her suitcase to extend a gloved hand to ring the door bell. After a few tries and no answer, she huffed. England's Rolls-Royce Silver Ghost was in the drive way, it's not as if England could have gone anywhere. Well, if England wasn't hearing the bell, perhaps the house was empty, but the garden was occupied?
She descended the steps to the door and took the path around the house to the back gardens. The sun floated beautifully on it, and butterflies flitted from bush to bush in the afternoon sun. It looked like a perfect dream. Then again, England always kept the most beautiful gardens.
As America made her way down the path, she finally spotted England, kneeling among the herb garden. Excited, America called out.
"England!"
England stood, startled, and quickly brushed her hands off on the apron she wore over her plain, light cotton dress. Her hair was rebelliously beginning to come loose from her bun that rested under the wide brimmed straw hat she wore. She quickly reached up to try and tuck it back up, and she looked thoroughly flustered.
So maybe America hadn't been invited in the strictest sense.
"America!" England said, and began bustling towards her, still trying to get the dirt off her hands. "Whatever are you doing here dear?" she asked as she walked down the path towards her.
"Well, I was getting frightfully lonesome, and I thought it was high time you invited me over for a visit. You must know how dreadfully disappointed I was when you didn't. Anyways darling, I managed to get though it and realized how busy you must have been to have forgotten me. Poor dear! So I spared you the trouble and the postage on an invitati0n and invited myself. You may thank me whenever you catch your breath." America said in hardly more than a single breath, putting her hands on her hips and grinning as if quite satisfied with herself.
"America!" England started to chide. But they were finally next to each other on the path, and America pulled her into an embrace. England was helpless but to return it.
"America, you know better than to do something like that. Have you no manners? You're simply incorrigible." England said, shaking her head. America just chuckled.
"Oh deary, you know that whatever I knew better than, I very seldom decide to do it. Now, shall we sit somewhere and have something cold to drink? I am positively spent from all that travel darling, you have no idea."
She knew it would annoy England that she had not only invited herself but then also offered herself something to drink, but what was she to do? It wasn't her fault England was a miserable host and had no idea when to offer a woman something to drink.
England simply sighed.
"Well come along then. Shall we go in? I suppose I shall have to finish that up later…" she said wistfully looking over her shoulder at the garden.
"Yes yes, the garden can wait." America said, as England let them into the back of the house, and to the kitchen. "There's much more exciting things to talk about, other than your garden." England looked over her shoulder again and huffed as she led America down the hall while America spoke. "Although, I must say the peonies in the front are coming in beautifully." America added, her earlier haughty tone abandoned for a softer, lighter one.
"Do you think so?" England asked mildly, but America could tell she was thrilled to have the compliment.
America wasn't sure why she needed it. They all knew her gardens were simply the best.
America loved her own garden, but it was more of a practical affair.
They reached the kitchen, and England turned to her.
"Well, what should you like to drink?" She asked and then began taking out glasses.
"Oh a gin and tonic would do me wonders I believe."
England snorted quietly.
"I suppose the afternoon's as good a time to start as any." And she went to the liqueur cabinet.
"Oh, you'll have one two won't you dear?" America asked lightly.
"Well, naturally," England answered. "It simply wouldn't be hospitable of me to allow you to drink alone." America saw she was grinning.
If it wasn't three o'clock, and they were going for drinks somewhere in the city instead of the small table beneath England's magnolia tree, America suspects they would try to drink the other under the table.
After pouring the drinks and adding little lemon (England spoiled her, really. Then again, she always had) they went on back outdoors.
America loved afternoons spent like this, in lovely weather, with lovely people and a bit of drink in her. Well really, she knew how to have a good time without the drink, it was England who needed it to be able to loosen up.
And so they sat in the afternoon shade of the tree, and England commented on her dress, and America happily informed her it was the very latest, and she had left out from New York and simply couldn't help herself. England chuckled and wished her the best of it.
England caught her up a bit more on what had been happening in Europe, and some other details of her experiences since America's last visit, and America gave her own.
They were comfortable that way, and so much more so than they had been, that America was quite pleased with herself for having decided to stop by. Things with them had been getting better steadily; decade by decade they began to trust more and more. It was hard to think a century ago England and America had been in a little war. But a century was plenty of time for that sort of thing to cool down. And there they sat, nicely together, and America secretly felt hopeful.
