A grumpy Italian was seated, crossing his arms, in a large comfy chair in a dimly lit room. On his lap was a very large book that was covered in dust. The soothing sound of a nearby fire crackling was the only other sound in the room. . . . Until…
"No way; that stupid bastard, Antonio, cannot force me into this!" he exclaimed, thoroughly pissed. A soft laughter was heard from the side.
"But Lovino, I'll give you a nice, big, juicy tomato!" Antonio was the one to call… more like sing this bribe. Lovino twisted his face into a grimace. Never could he turn down a tomato. His mouth watered just thinking about the fruit.
"F-fine! Have it your way, you stupid bastard!" With that, he forcefully opened the book, causing dust to fly everywhere. After a coughing fit, followed by a quick grumbling of numerous curse words, Lovino took a deep breath, as if to start reading. He blinked a few times though, confused by the poem that opened it.
"What the crapola is this?! This… this …. Thing… makes no sense! People actually like this stupid story?" He turned and glared at the Spaniard, roughly setting the book back down on his lap. "Why did I even allow you to persuade me into reading this shit, asshole?!" He cursed under his breath, fumbling with the book to pick it back up. Finally, he cleared his throat, beginning the story for real this time.
"'Sigh no more ladies, sigh no more, Men were the deceivers ever; One foot in sea, and one on shore, To one thing constant ev-' Really?! Seriously, I can't ever understand this bull! What is all this about sighing ladies? Did Francis attempt to convince them their skin was like his bed sheets and he wants to sleep on them or something? Stupid sick perverted bastard!" He rolled his eyes dramatically and continued on. "'Then sigh not so, But let them go, And be you blithe and bon-'You know what?!" The Italian had grown fed up. "Screw this shit! I can't even read this! If you want to hear this story so badly, go read it yourselves, you lazy bastards!"
He threw the book at the floor and stormed off, though not out of the room. Just off to the corner, where he fumed and raged.
Antonio let out a sigh and shook his head with a smile. "Dios mio." He went over and picked up the book and continued where Lovino had left off.
"'And be you blithe and bonny, converting your sounds of woe into Hey nonny, nonny.'" He chuckled and called back at Lovino, "You see, it wasn't so bad now, was it?" The Italian grunted and stuck his tongue out at Antonio, which only succeeded in making the Spaniard laugh even more.
"Now then," Antonio continued, "Our story begins in the Hungarian city of Budapest, where an elderly man, Gustav, was given a letter announcing the visit of one such Ludwig Beilschmidt…."
"That potato bastard!"
Gustav sat in his garden, surrounded by his brother, Julius, his great nephew, Lovino, whom were both visiting from Italy, and his strong and beautiful daughter, Elizabeta. It was the early afternoon and the four of them had been out on a picnic.
Gustav was a very respected and well-to-do man as governor of Budapest. He was very kind and was very proud of Elizabeta, who was at the age to marry.
Suddenly, a young boy ran up to the group with a message. He immediately handed it to Gustav, who thanked the boy by giving him a coin for his pains. The boy darted off back from which he came. Quickly, he opened the letter.
"It seems here, we are to be visited by the one and only Ludwig Beilschmidt of Germany. He comes to Budapest tonight!" There was much rejoicing, for Ludwig was the most respected nobleman in this part of the world. He was very generous and intelligent, and more importantly, Ludwig and Gustav were very good friends. They haven't seen each other since the war had broken out.
As he continued to read the letter, a smile grew on Gustav's face. "Ludwig seems to be bringing with him a young Austrian by the name of Roderich. Perhaps he will make a decent husband for you, Elizabeta!" He winked at his daughter who responded with a groan and crossing her arms.
"I don't need a husband, papa! Nor do I need you to choose who I am to marry!"
Suddenly, a groan was sounded by Lovino. "Please don't tell me that bastard Antonio is coming with him as well." Lovino knew too well that the Spaniard had left with Ludwig to this war, along with Ludwig's brother, Gilbert.
Gustav chuckled at this, "I'm afraid so, Lovino. There will be no escaping Antonio this night." Lovino responded with a pout and a set of grumbled curse words, which earned him an elbow from his grandfather.
"Now stop that sailor's mouth and smile for once, Lovino," Julius said cheerfully.
"I'll say what I want to say, asshole!"
The older Italian just shook his head, smiling, "Kids these days."
All too soon, the sounding of galloping horses was heard. Elizabeta jumped up to her feet to investigate where the sound was coming from.
"Sir Ludwig approaches!" She exclaimed and she started to run down to the front gate, holding up the skirt of her dress as to not trip on it. She was followed by the three others to great the men who were coming to stay.
Ludwig and his crew, Gilbert, Antonio, and Roderich, rode into the city on their finest horses, dressed in their finest clothing. They were all in good spirits, as to the war was over and the side that they all were fighting for had won. Gilbert and Antonio were laughing and showing off for the people that had become their entourage, running in order to keep up with the horses. Ludwig and Roderich were both displaying stone-faced seriousness. Eventually, the people had fallen behind the four horses and went back to their everyday routines.
Elizabeta had already opened the gates and was standing there waiting for them to rush through them. Not too long had passed before the horses galloped through it and were slowed to a stop. They were just being dismounted when Gustav, Julius, and Lovino had arrived.
"Ludwig!" cried out Gustav, who went instantly to give a friendly handshake to the German. "How have you been? It's been too long, old friend!"
Ludwig smiled slightly and said simply as he shook the elder man's hand, "Indeed it has, Gustav, indeed it has."
"Why, you haven't changed one bit! You're still the dead serious Ludwig I knew before you left!"
While Gustav and Ludwig conversed among themselves, a sort of miracle happened when Roderich first laid his eyes upon the fair Elizabeta. He had been quietly observing the Gustav and Ludwig speak to each other with a bored look on his face, until he started to let his eyes wander around his surroundings, and paused when he gazed upon her. The Austrian blinked in awe of the young woman before him. He admired her pretty features and found that simply her very presence was worthy of his attention; watching her absent mindedly.
Elizabeta frowned when she felt someone looking upon her. She looked around the room to find whose eyes they belonged to. Finally, her emerald green eyes found his and widened as soon as they did. She was instantly star struck; her jaw dropping slightly and a small gasp sounded from her lips. She found him and all of his features, right down to the glasses upon his face, to be outstandingly handsome. This instance lasted no more than half a second though, for she quickly moved her eyes to the ground and blushed a light pink. The girl who just earlier said that she didn't need a husband decided right then and there that maybe marriage wasn't so bad.
However, this exchange didn't go unnoticed. Gilbert had also been admiring Elizabeta's good looks. He followed her quick glance to the Austrian who had traveled with him and his brother and glared at him. The Hungarian girl would become his beloved wife he decided right there; and Roderich was not going to take her away from him. If he did, he would find some way to break the two of them apart.
While this was happening, Antonio came over and put an arm around Lovino, who cringed and frowned.
"Hola, Lovino!" The Spaniard greeted.
Lovino groaned, "Yes, yes, ciao, you bastard. Now get your stupid face away from me."
The Spaniard laughed, "I'm not going anywhere for about a month, mi amigo."
"What?! What the crapola!? A whole month!?"
"Yes! Isn't it great? You'll see my smiling face every day for a month!" The Italian groaned in despair.
Gustav interrupted everyone's private thoughts and conversations with a big announcement. "In honor of my dear friend Ludwig's visit, we shall have a ball tonight! Everyone is invited! Now come inside and allow me to show you to your bedrooms!" He was, as he usually was, being a very hospitable host. His house was certainly large enough for everyone that was going to be residing in it for a month. There were more bedrooms than there were people. At last, all but Roderich, who still was standing, lost on cloud nine, and Antonio; but who knows why he stuck behind.
"Hola? Señor Roderich? Yooohoo! Are you there?" The Austrian snapped out of his trance and looked over at the Spaniard, who had waved a hand in his face.
"Hmm? What is it, Antonio?"
"Nothing. Just waking you up from your little day-dream, amigo."
Roderich sighed, still a little lost in thought. "What do you think about her? The girl with the green eyes?"
"You mean Señor Gustav's daughter? Elizabeta? She's muy bonita, but, not really my type." again
"Elizabeta…..I… I think like her, Antonio." Roderich closed his eyes and tried to picture Elizabeta in front of him again to himself silently; the usual serious line that would be his mouth struggling to remain that way as the corners of his mouth curled that line into a small smile.
"Ahhh. Dreaming about marriage, no?" Antonio asked, as if reading the Austrian's mind, before scoffing. "I could never fall in love with a woman, much less marry one, Roderich. I'm more… of a free spirit, wanting to do whatever I wish, without some woman tying me down. If that's the path you wish you take, amigo, then go for it!"
"M-marriage?!" the Austrian shouted, startled. "Whatever gave you that idea that I wanted to ma-marry her!? B-besides, I -I don't know if she even feels the same about me, and I don't even know if I can tell her how beautiful she is!" Roderich looked down at the ground as he spouted this; trying to make out that the blush on his face was purely out of embarrassment rather than Elizabeta's doing. At the moment, Ludwig came back outside.
"Are you not coming inside, you two? What has you still outside anyways?" the German man was impatient.
Antonio smirked and blurted, "Señor Roderich here is in love with Senorita Elizabeta but too scared to tell her!"
"W-what!? Antonio!" Austria blinked, "Why would you even say that?!"
"Because it's true, amigo! You just admitted to it!"
Ludwig face palmed and slid his hand down his face. "Look. Come inside now. We've got a costume ball to get ready for!"
"Costume?" Both the Austrian and the Spaniard asked at the same time.
"Hey! Perfect! I've got an idea for you Austria! What if Ludwig here disguised himself as you and confessed your love to the señorita for you?" Antonio suggested.
"What?!" Both Ludwig and Roderich exclaimed.
"Oh come on! It'll be fun! And, you wouldn't have to tell her yourself, amigo, since you find her too intimidating."
"I-I do not! I just am afraid she doesn't like me." Roderich replied as he turned his back to Antonio and crossed his arms.
"Please? Por favor? It'll make life so much easier for you, I promise!" After much pleading and persuading, Spain finally talked the two other men into this plan, no matter how ridiculous it seemed. Soon, the entire house, guests, residents, and staff were getting ready for Gustav's ball.
AN: Hey, you guys! Thanks so much for reading the first installment of Much Ado About Hetalia. I got this idea while we were watching the movie version of the play in my English class. It was a lot of fun to right this first chapter and I hope you thoroughly enjoyed it! I'd also love to thank my dear friend who helped me along with writing out a few parts of this!