There are some things I need to make clear:

I've used "Britain" as the name of little England, because I didn't want to use "England" as there were no Angles or Saxons (yet)

I didn't change the names of Scotland and Wales just not to complicate things, but mind that their names were not the same at that time.

This is set around 5th century AD, when the Roman Empire falls and with it, all its provinces. That includes Britannia.

I think that's all.

He trusts you

"Stop crying. Now."

Wales did not know what else to do. The little child he had taken in his arms would not stop crying no matter how hard Wales tried to calm him.

It had been many days since the last time he saw his mother. He did not know where she was or what had happened to her. It was as if she had just vanished from the earth.

And he had to take care of the little one.

"Listen, little Britain, you have to grow up from right now. You are now a big boy, so please, don't cry anymore."

If the little blond had listened to his older brother, he barely had paid attention to his words. All he did was to cry with his tiny hands covering his eyes. Wales tried several times to move them away but instead that made little Britain cry even more.

"Agh, I don't know what to do! Why has it got to be you? I don't even understand why Mother loved you so much. You're the most annoying out of all of us, damn!"

Strangely enough, little Britain seemed to have listened to those words and stopped crying.

"Oh, you've stop-"

But before he could finish the sentence, the little one had gone running away.

"Hey! Come here, Britain!"

Britain had run into the woods. Wales followed him, his heart beating hard. Guilt and shame made him feel like the most horrible bastard. To speak like that to a little child, to his little brother...

He could still hear his crying, but it was dying away.

"Britain! Stop! Please!"

A dry branch crossed his path and he tripped. He fell to his knees and silenced a hiss. That mishap had made Wales lose Britain's trail. No sound of crying was heard. Nor a childish voice. Nor a crack.

Nothing.

Just silence.

Wales felt anxious.

"BRITAIN!"

Twilight was coming.

Scotland was sharpening the point of his arrow. Today had been a peaceful one. No wild animal around his house, Rome's troops had infiltrated in his lands. Today had been a good one, or it was until someone banged on his door.

Scotland sighed.

"Brother! Open the door! Now, please!"

Scotland grumbled, left his arrows on the ground and went to the door. He opened it a little, putting his head out.

"What do you want? I hope it's important..."

"It is!"

"Is it about Mother?"

"Eh... no."

"About Rome?"

"No."

"About the monster in my lake?"

"Which monster?"

"Forget it." He said with a movement of his hand. "Does it have to do with new visitors that are threatening my land?"

"No."

"Then, I'm not interested." He said finally closing the door.

"Wait! Britain's disappeared!"

Scotland stopped. Wales swallowed as there was a moment of deep silence between the two.

"What?"

"I can't find him! He just ran off into the blue. I don't know where he is!" Wales seemed about to cry. His brother was looking at him frowning at the corner of the door. Wales felt scared and ashamed.

"What do you mean by running off into the blue? What have you done?"

Wales shivered. His brother was always frowning at everything and everyone, but this time he could see real desperation in his eyes. He could not lie to him.

"I-I just told him to stop crying and that, well, that he was annoying and I didn't understand why even Mother loved him and... I'm sorry! I know I'm a horrible brother! I was just tired of hearing him crying. He couldn't stop doing that-"

"I don't want to hear your excuses." Scotland interrupted. "Where has he gone to?"

"To the eastern woods."

Scotland knew the eastern woods were near the most prominent cliffs of his land... and Britain was lost there...

"Let's hurry up."

Britain had stopped running and crying a long time ago.

He was now sitting down at a huge and ancient tree. That place was the fairies house. He used to go there with his mother, the fairies would dance and his mother would sing along with them.

Now, none of that was there.

Britain embraced his legs and blew his nose with his tiny hand. A little rabbit put his head out of a rock and timidly approached to him.

"Hi, Mint." The child stretched his arms out, his voice sounded not so happy. "Sorry I can't play righ' now."

"What's happened, little son?" The magical rabbit settled down in his arms.

"I'm sad."

"Why is that?"

Britain tightened the embrace and buried his face in the rabbit's fur.

"I dunno... Nobody loves me..."

The rabbit tapped his face and put a light kiss on his forehead.

"Do not cry, my dear."

"Britain!"

Britain was startled by the scream and the following noises of leaves. He began to tremble and tears were falling, unable to stop them. Then, someone jumped into the clearing.

"Britain." Wales said catching his breath "Here you are"

Wales sighed satisfied. Finally he could find him before the sun settled down. And he was sure his brother would have killed him if their little brother was still lost round there alone.

"Get off me! I don' want you!"

"Britain stop. We have to go home right now. Big brother is worried about you too."

"You lie! Leave me here! This is my home!"

"Britain, please, don't make this harder. Come."

Britain could not do much, so he let his brother take him in his arms and he began to cry again. The rabbit stayed there and waved goodbye. For sure, they will meet again, but for now he should be going to his brothers.

Scotland was frowning harder than before. Where the hell was his brother? Could Wales find him or would he return empty-handed? Maybe something bad happened to Britain and he was waiting at his little house for nothing.

Wales had told him he wanted to have one last look where Britain had escaped to and Scotland could not find him by the eastern part.

"Shit." Scotland cursed. "Where are you, Britain?"

His blood was about to boil if he did not see any of them soon.

Then, some sobbing alerted him. Wales appeared with a little child crying hard. Yes, it was the little bunny.

"Ah, you're back."

"Well, it's not been easy to find him." Wales said while tapping the child's head in a motherly way "And to bring him here."

"Well, it's all right now. Don't make him cry and all will be right."

"Of course! That's easy for you to say. You have not carried him, as far as I can tell. Why don't you hold him for a bit, huh?"

Wales gave his little brother, who was still crying, to Scotland, who did not want to accept, but could not help but to take him.

"Ssh, come on. Don't cry, Britain."

To Wales and Scotland's surprise, Britain began just to pant. His sobs were vanishing until he was completely calm.

Wales eyes widened. Scotland gave him a questioning look.

"I can't believe it." Wales was completely taken aback. "You've made him stop. He has calmed! Ah, I think it's my time to cry."

"Don't you dare do that." His eldest brother replied. "See? It's not so difficult, you idiot."

"Is it? He's been crying the whole day with me and now he's not!"

"What do you mean?"

"As long as you stay with him, he'll be fine! You are the only one who can calm him down!"

"Wha-, I-I'm not!"

"Aah, it's my time to go to bed. I need to sleep a bit as I couldn't for days because of him. Now seeing he's perfectly fine with you, there's no need to worry!"

"Don't talk about yourself! Besides, I don't know why he has calmed..."

Wales smiled broadly.

"Maybe because he trusts you."

Scotland did not answer back.

There was a long silence and Wales knew it was because of his brother's lack of ability to express any emotion. He smiled again.

"Well, I'm going to bed. Make him some food before you two go to sleep."

Wales entered going straight to bed. Scotland stayed a little while looking at his little brother in his arms before closing the door, still silent.

He sat cross-legged with his brother on his lap. Britain was watching him curiously, still calm. But that made Scotland feel a little anxious.

"We're calm now, aren't we?" his little brother did not say anything. Scotland stretched his hand to the table "Here. Eat some fresh bread."

Britain ate the bread eager. Scotland watched him and caressed his blond hair.

"Do you like it, bunny?"

Britain nodded with enthusiasm to which Scotland smiled shortly.

When he finished, he was still calm. Scotland had to admit that he was very surprised at how different little Britain was around Wales and around him. He did not know what the reason could be, but actually he did not care.

"Brother..."

The innocent voice broke into his thoughts.

"What is it?"

"Has mother gone because of me?"

That question was unexpected. Scotland could not say anything nor think of anything to tell his little brother who was looking at him teary-eyed, wishing for an answer.

When Britain blinked, a brave tiny tear rolled down his pink cheek and Scotland cleaned it with his thumb, caressing his face in the process.

"Of course not. Why are you saying that?"

Britain lowered his look.

"I went to the clearing and she was not there and then I couldn't feel her so I thought it was my fault she's left me. She's left you too. That's why you don't love me?"

Scotland felt something breaking inside him. To see his little brother so sad, so fragile and innocent, was tearing his heart apart.

Scotland lifted him up in his arms and pressed him to his chest in a strong embrace.

"Máthair loves you, I'm sure of that. I can feel her right now."

"Where?"

"Here." said Scotland pointing at Britain's heart.

"Here?" repeated he.

"Aye."

"But how is she here?"

Scotland thought carefully about his answer.

"Because... We love you." Britain looked surprised. "I do. That's where máthair is. She wanted us to be together, to protect each other, and that's what we are doing." He caressed his cheek with a finger "Although she is not with us, we still have us, don't we?"

Britain nodded still touched by his eldest brother's words. Scotland saw him about to burst into tears and then said: "Let's go to sleep, bunny"

Scotland put him in between Wales and himself, but it seemed that Britain preferred to be held by his eldest brother. And Scotland allowed him to.

"Are you warm?"

Britain nodded, his head buried in his brother's chest. Scotland smiled tenderly and kissed his head.

He knew he could not blame his little brother for what had happened to their mother. He should not and he did not want to. Britain was just so little. A little nation who barely knew about the outside world, who was too naïve for his surroundings. And he had to protect him from all harm.

"Grow strong, Britain."

"Mh..."

He sounded asleep and Scotland did not know if he had heard him.

"Guid nicht, brother."

Scotland thought at that moment of his mother's words. He could still hear her in the wind, in the waterfalls, in the leaves. Protect him, no matter what.

But why him?

"Good night, brother."

Scotland smiled broadly, his eyes closed. He understood why. The words of his brother had been the same as his mother:

You are the one he trusts.

English is not my native language, so sorry about that.

I hope you all enjoyed this.