Yukai-suru

The young boy sat in the garden once more, his knees pulled in to his chest and his head buried away. He was dressed all in white and a tall hat, that of the Pope's, lay on the seat next to him. His mousy brown hair was messy and flopped in random directions which made no sense what so ever.

This boy was, in fact, the Pope. It was a surprise to many that he had made it into office at all, with his timid attitude he was more suited to other, less stressful, work. Though somehow he had gone and got thrown into the job, even though it wasn't his choice. His brother and sister were the ones who wanted this and he still resented them for this.

He could hear the voices of his subjects calling for him to come out, to get ready to meet the people, to go to a meeting, to do something that he wished not to. He could already imagine his brothers scolding voice, his sisters harsh glare at his cowardice. He wished once more that he would never have to leave this tranquil garden, never have to go back his job which he never wanted.

Footsteps approached his hiding place and his tried to make himself smaller, so small that he would vanish and appear in a different world altogether. Unfortunately this didn't work and the person got even closer, so close they could finally see him.

"Ah! Your highness." His sister looked down at him disapprovingly at the young boy. "You need to come at once. There is a meeting that you must attend to." She spoke in a slightly gentler manner than usual, hoping to coax him out and take him back as fast as she could.

Alessandro peeped up over his tear stained sleeve at his older sibling, her eyes sternly meeting with his weak, soft ones. He wanted to refuse, wanted to stay in solitude where he would be free from the pressure of ruling the Vatican. Even though he did not do much, but make the decisions given to him solid and unquestionable. He knew he should argue with many of the ideas his brother came up with, but he could not. He was too cowardly, too scared of the Duke of Tuscany's wrath.

"Come." His tall, powerful sister gestured for him to follow her. She wasn't being as harsh as normal, probably because she wasn't around Francesco and fighting for control.

"Ah.." He looked sadly around and then up at the blonde, pleading with her mentally to let him stay.

She must have understood the look in his eyes because she frowned at him and then turned, walking out without questioning him.

The Pope stared after her in relief and shock. She never had been so lenient. Was something wrong? Was she ill? He mused it over while smiling slightly, nervously, trying to understand her kindness.

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Caterina walked out from the bushes, pushing the twigs out of her way in a regal manner. She almost stepped onto Francesco who was waiting outside. He looked down on her in his usual glare and asked her if she had found his highness yet.

"No I have yet to find him." She replied, almost letting a smile slip past at the look her brother gave her. Duke of Tuscany stormed away from her and the blonde lady with the crimson hat allowed a smile to creep out onto her face, before turning and ordering the searchers to look further a field.

The Duchess of Milan wasn't quite sure why she had let her little brother stay there, but she tried to follow her instincts as much as she could. That was unless she was at a meeting or in a dire situation. For now she would leave him and let him come out in his own time, or when he was discovered.

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Alessandro looked up at the sunlight coming through the gaps in the ivy that covered most of the worn out roof. He had meant to get someone to fix the holes so that when it rained he didn't get wet, but he had decided to keep it like that. It the gave the place some character.

As he looked up he saw the light shift slightly and then it was blocked out as something landed on the unstable roof with a thump. The Pope thought it had to be a bird, or maybe a flock, as more thumps were heard. He looked up at the dark hole, which had been filled with sun beams a moment ago. The boy almost flew backwards, and would have if he hadn't ran into the wall.

An eye was staring down at him through the hole. An eye filled with evil intentions, evil thoughts. A hand broke through the rotten wood behind him and he was dragged through and into the outside. The sunlight was shaded by a clump of trees and the three figures before him wore cloaks of dark cloth. He was about to scream for help, but a pale bone-like hand covered his mouth.

Alessandro thought he saw a glowing white smile coming from in the cloaks headspace. He noticed the fangs. The fangs of a vampire. The mousy haired boy fainted in the arms of his captor and they carried him out of the Vatican from the way they had come. No one noticed the Pope was off the grounds, they all thought he was still hiding and continued their searching.

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Oh no! what's going to happen to the pope! Will hey save him! Tune in for the next chapter to find out :)