"Hungary! Where are you?"

I was sitting in my room, brushing my hair at my vanity. I had stopped a moment, absorbed in the stains in my apron, which was once new and actually quite lovely, but due to every day's work, become dirty and sullen.

"I'm sorry, sir!"

I made my way to the kitchen, picking up the boiling water from the stove and beginning to prepare his tea, which was now officially late. I placed it on the silver platter that I brought to him everyday and made my way to the room he was always in at that time of day.

I opened the door.

"I'm sorry sir! I was…distracted…It won't happen again."

Austria didn't seem to acknowledge me, so I continued on my way to the desk we was placed at and put his tea in front of him. He seemed to be looking over some papers. I didn't bother figuring out what they were. He looked up at me a moment and I felt a shiver pass through my spine.

"…I'll go now, if you have nothing to say…" I tried walking away. My wrist was caught in his grip. It wasn't rough, but enough to shock me.

"…Wait. Sit down, won't you?"

I took a seat across from him after pulling up a chair, my heart beginning to accelerate. He only asked to talk to me when I had down something horribly wrong, and he was such a precise man, it could have been anything.

Instead of speaking, he continued reading over the papers that were pressed to the desk, as if I had actually been aloud to leave. He bit down upon his lower lip a few times, sometimes even sticking his tongue out of his mouth.

"…Do you need my help, sir?" I asked.

"Yes, actually…" He said. "…You like music, don't you Hungary?" I found it surprising he even asked. I had been there for so long, and every time I could I tried to hear him play that piano…It was always so lovely.

"Yes. I do."

Again, he seemed to think a very long moment. I sat there, patient. It seemed he was in too much of a quandary to even be angry at me for being late. I looked down at my apron, brushing it out a bit, and then back to him. He was looking straight at me.

"…Can you read notes?"

"…No, sir…I never learned…"

"Well…You can at least tell me if sounds any good…" He removed the first sheet of paper from the top of the small pile, and placed at the bottom, revealing sheet music. I was becoming less nervous.

He stood up, the curl in his hair bounding a bit. I found it funny that he spent so much time keeping it in order, and he left that one stand of hair. It was probably untamable…

Austria sat at the piano, which was one of many, and placed the sheets before him. He lifted the cover and brushed off a few of the keys. I knew he would ask me to clean it for him once he was finished.

Within a few moments, he was pressing the keys softly, pretty little noises coming out and forming a melody. As the song progressed, the notes became louder and more intense and so very full of feeling. There was another thing that surprised me about him. He was so cold and reserved, but when he played it was like opening up to an entire sea of emotion.

He stopped and looked back to me.

"…Oh…umm…I'm sorry. It was so good I couldn't find anything wrong with it…" I managed to smile. How stupid I must have looked. "…Did you write it yourself?"

"Yes. Believe it or not, I actually have hobbies…"

I think he was making a joke.

"…It's okay if you laugh." Austria actually looked offended a moment.

And I did.

He gave me a look as if he found me idiotic and somewhat adorable at the same time. "…Please dust this off, Hungary." He stood up and left the room. I only sighed.

I had been there such a long time, and it seemed like he didn't even want to get to know me. Of course, I was juts a maid…but when you see everyone everyday, it would be nice to think you become closer to them, regardless of rank, but I wasn't in any place to complain…

I began wiping off the piano, ugly noise coming from it. It wasn't the same instrument when I touched it. For a moment, I stopped, sat down and stared at the keys. I let my fingers press to them gently, and so very quietly I began to play a song I made up on the spot. Naturally, it was nothing like his…

"Hungary! What are you doing?" Italy was standing by the door, holding a miniature broom made especially for him. I waved him over. He came in quietly, knowing I was probably doing something I shouldn't have been. "Can I sit with you?"

"Of course, If I get caught, I'll already be in trouble…I'll just take the blame, alright?" I picked up his little body and placed him on my lap, still pressing the keys.

"Can I play too?"

"Yes, you just have to be quiet…"

"Okay!" His little fingers began pounding on the keys, and before he could make more noise, I lifted his arms by the wrists.

"Shh! Do you want us both to be thrown into the cellar? Here…like this…" I touched his hands to the instrument. "See?"

"Oh…I get it…"

We played softly together a while, then Italy asked to be let down.

"Thank you! But I have to go do chores now…"

"Alright…Don't work too hard…" I told him. How sorry I felt for him…he was so young and forced into a life of only work. I was amazed that he could keep such a bright outlook on his life, considered how often I felt depressed…

As he left, Austria re-entered the room, looking at me. Luckily, I wasn't touching the keys. It would seem I was just drifting away in my own thoughts. He looked at me questionably a moment, and without any words, I stood up.

"…I'm sorry, Sir…Your piano is clean now…I'll be going…" Before he could stop me, I brushed past him and walked down the hall towards my room…I had such mixed feelings about him…it was hard to tell if I would be punished later for this, but I didn't stop walking. I always found it worse when he had nothing to say to me. How I hated it when those lovely eyes said everything for him…