Author notes: Hello, Readers. Thank you for reading my First Eruri AU so far. It's the first yaoi fanfic I write and post. Please, don't kill me.

Before you start reading, I wanted to clarify that English is not my original language. I apologize for any error you might find.

Thank you and good reading :)

Chap 1: A Carillon Caked with Blood

A silver, blue and green carillon with a couple of dark haired, elegant dressed man and woman was tuning a slow, sweet melody-like lullaby as the figures of the dancing couple gracefully twirled around the center of the music box before the lid slowly closed it, music stopping.

An old woman with combed grey hair, wearing a long red and golden dress and carrying a green foulard around her shoulders, gently picked up the small carillon before tucking it in her purse. Portraits of royal family members encased in elegant frames rested on the table.

She walked down the stairs, out of her palace and up to the carriage that awaited her.

There was a time, not very long ago…when we lived in an enchanted world of elegant palaces and grand parties.

It was a lovely snowy night. Carriages and cars filed up one after another on the streets to the grand palace on the center of the large city, crossing the tall bronze gates and into the large courtyard in front of the castle.

The year was 850…and my son, Ken, was the king of imperial Sina.

The woman walked to the entrance of the palace. The royal guards, dressed in brown military uniforms and carrying spears, bowed respectfully before her.

Inside the grand hall, illuminated by the big bright chandeliers on the roof, the guests were dancing across the dance floor as music resonated through the party.

The woman, or better, empress Ackerman made her way to the throne before she sat on the fine red velvet of the chair.

- Hello darling! - she called out with a smile as she waved.

We were celebrating the 300th anniversary of our family's rule.

On the hall there were three people dressed in royal garments and uniforms.

One was a man with dark hair, wearing a green uniform with a golden sash across the chest and shoulder, white pants and black ball shoes.

The woman was rather short but beautiful. She had long dark hair and grey eyes. She was dressed in a cobalt blue dress with silver decorations and she wore a golden tiara on her head.

And right behind her, happily looking around, dressed in blue uniform and white pants, was the youngest member of the Ackerman's royal family…with his short dark hair and stormy grey eyes within his serious looking like eyes.

And that night…no star burned brighter than that of our kind Rivaille, my youngest grandson.

The little boy noticed his grandmother sitting on the throne and waved at her before running straight to her.

- Hi grandma! - he greeted with a smile.

- Hello, Rivaille. - she cooed - How is my little prince doing? -

- Fine so far. Look! - he said before pulling out a drawing.

- Oh, my. So lovely. - she said happily at the gift. - I also have something for you, my dear. -

The boy may seemed to have a permanent sour face (all credit to his father), but his grey eyes shone with curiosity.

He begged me not to return to Maria Kingdom. So I had a very special gift made for him, to make our separation easier for both of us.

As the two chatted, they didn't notice a blonde boy sneaking through the back of the throne with an apple in his hand.

- What is it? - he asked with a smile.

- First…close your eyes…- the empress said. The boy did so and when he opened them again, he gasped in surprise.

The grandmother had in her hand a silver, blue and green precious box. It was small, so that if could fit even in the child's hands. Its surface glittered in the lights.

- For me? - He asked in surprise - Is this a jewelry box?-

The blonde boy was still looking at the scene when someone gripped his shoulder and called out to him.

- Erwin, didn't I told you to stay put at your station? - asked the taller and older man, one of the guards of the palace and royal family.

- Sorry dad…- the boy apologized.

- Come on. We should go back. - the soldier said to his son as the both of them walked away back to their position.

Rivaille studied the small box in his hands until the grandmother showed him a small key.

- Look. - she said as she inserted the key and gave it a few twists.

The lid of the carillon opened and revealed the two dancing figures inside as the music begun to play.

Rivaille's eyes glittered in amazement - It plays our lullaby. - He smiled.

- You can play it at night before you go to sleep and pretend that's it's me singing. - The older woman said to her grandson.

On the wind

'Cross the sea

Hear this song and remember…

(Rivaille joined in the singing, his voice sweet and high pitched due to his young age. They held hands as they swung slowly in rhythm with the carillon).

Soon you'll be home with me

Once upon a December

The little boy giggled at the end of the song.

- Read what it says. - The grandmother said as she gave the kid the key. It looked like a couple of wings, blue and silver colored, tied to an equally silver necklace.

-"Together in Maria" - he read on the flat side of the key. - Really? - He asked hopeful and happy - Thanks, grandma - he hugged the empress.

The older woman laughed happily as she returned the little boy's hug.

So far, everything seemed to be just perfect…people happy, a beautiful family and all good things that came with it.

But we would never be together in Maria. For a dark shadow had descended upon the house of the Ackermans.

Then, the doors suddenly slammed open and the lights dimmed, almost darkening the ball room.

A cloaked figure stood on the porch, corpses of two guards lying limp on the floor behind him in a pool of their own blood.

People gasped or screeched in horror. They backed away when the figure walked straight toward the throne, arms extended to make its way through the crowd.

His name was Kemono.

We thought he was a holy man, but he was a fraud. Power mad and dangerous

Kenny, the king, walked bravely up to the man, a scowl on his glaring face.

- How dare you return here! - he growled.

The man pulled off his hood to reveal the long beard, rounded glasses and dirty hair.

- But I am your confidant. - the figure stated simply.

- Confidant? Tch. You're a traitor. Get out! - Kenny ordered.

- You think you can banish the Great Kemono?! - The wizard bellowed, showing a green cylindrical glowing relic in his hand. - By the unholy powers vested in me, I banish you with a curse! -

The crowd gasped in horror. Rivaille glared at the man with a mixture of fear and anger. His grandmother had her hands on both his shoulders, protectively, her face stricken with fear and worry.

- Mark my words. - the madman hissed, pointing at the king - You and your family will die within the fortnight! - He stated. The guests gasped as some begun to step back.

- I will not rest, until I see the end of the Ackerman line forever! – he lifted the artifact, and a supernatural green fog encircled it as a ray shot out, hitting one of the chandeliers and causing it to fall in the middle of the ballroom. Guests quickly scattered out the way before they could be crushed by the falling object.

Consumed by his hatred for Kenny and his family, Kemono sold his soul for the power to destroy them.

The wizard stood in front of a well as he casted a spell that summoned the forces of darkness and hell. A dark vortex erupted from the well, sucking in the man's skin, flesh and soul, leaving just a skeleton. From the vortex appeared an artifact decorated with bronze snakes and a skull on top. As soon as the skeleton grabbed it, skin and flesh were restored to him once again.

Kemono grinned like a madman as the skull's mouth opened and small, little green demons with bat wings of green fog lurked out of it.

- Go, fulfill your dark purpose.- he loathed - Seal the fate of the king and his family, once and for all.-

From that moment on, the spark of unhappiness in our country was fanned into a flame that would soon destroy our lives forever.

An angry mob, armed with torches and forks, gathered on the front of the gate and shouted imprecations.

The tiny green demons reached for the gate's lock, easily breaking it open and allowing the mad people in. Hell broke loose then…royal statues were brought down and the people inside the palace begun to run for dear life.

- Help! -

- Hurry, children. -

The guards that were still loyal to the crown quickly ran toward the front gate to stop the insurrection, ready to intervene. With them was also the blonde boy, but he was stopped by his father.

- Erwin, stay here! It's too dangerous. - The soldier stated.

- But father! - the boy called out - I want to help! -

- Do as I say! - the older man replied as he and the others rushed out to fight.

Erwin remained standing in the hall as people ran past him in order to escape the bloodshed.

But then, one of them ran past him in the opposite direction, catching his attention.

- My music box! - Rivaille thought as he ran back to his room. - I have to find it.-

- Rivaille, come back! - came the worried voice of the empress as she tried to keep up with her grandson.

The kid rushed into his room and managed to find his music box. The grandmother followed suit. Explosions and fire could be heard and seen from the tall windows.

None of them noticed a small white bat spying them through the glass.

- We have to get away from here. - the old woman hurried.

- Here. - a new voice called out.

The two turned to see a blonde young boy who was opening a secret passage within the walls. He donned the guards' recruit uniform and had short, blonde hair.

- Please, hurry! - he urged.

- Come this way, out the servants' quarters. - said the empress as she led the dark haired child out.

- Master Kemono, they're getting away! - the small bat exclaimed, worried and sweating.

- Wait, I... - Rivaille tried to say as he turned to the trainee.

- There is no time! Just go! – the blonde replied firmly as he slammed shut the secret passage.

The angry mob voices got louder until the doors of the room busted open and a group of harmed men stormed in the room.

- Where are they, boy? - One of the men hissed.

Erwin looked around for a weapon he could use until he picked up a heavy chandelier and used it to bring down a few men. But in the midst of the fight, the boy failed to notice a foe coming up from behind him and then he felt a stinging pain in the back of his head when the butt of the rifle hit him.

He fell to the ground, unconscious. Lying next to him was a small silver, blue and green music box.

-!-

The city was in chaos, burning with the flames of the revolution as the empress and the little prince ran across the frozen lake, trying to put as much as distance they could and reach the train station that would have brought them to safety.

- Keep up with me, darling. - the older woman said panting. It was already difficult to run across the snow and ice, not to mention that she was too old and his grandson too small.

They ran under a bridge when a dark shadow suddenly fell upon the prince, grabbing his legs and throwing him down on the snow.

- Kemono! - she cried out as she tried to help her grandson back up to his feet. The madman however had no intention of let go.

- Let me go, Damnit! - Rivaille shouted as he tried to free himself but it was in vain.

- No. you'll never escape me, child. – the wizard hissed threatening. - Never! -

As they struggled, the ice under Kemono's body begun to crack, until it broke with a sharp cracking sound and he fell into the icy waters. When the madman realized his mistake he was caught in panic.

- I said…Let. Me. GO! - Rivaille shouted as he gave a strong kick on the madman's face.

Losing his grip on the boy, the wizard struggled in vain to hold on the ice as his body begun to sink. The two fugitives took advantage of the situation and ran as fast as they could, far away from him.

- Bertolt! - the wizard cried out.

The small white bat fled down next to his owner.

- Master! – He gasped as Kemono definitely sunk down in the black waters with a strangled gurgling noise, his hand sinking was the last thing of him before it disappeared with the rest of him as well.

-!-

The trains howled high as people gathered to aboard the last exits. The very last train that could have helped the two royal escapees was just making its way out the station.

- Hurry, Rivaille, hurry! - the empress hurried as she tried to drive herself and the boy in the midst of the large crowd and toward their train.

The older woman reached for it first and was hauled up by the other passengers. Rivaille was having hard time to keep up.

- Grandma! - Rivaille cried out as he ran.

- Here. Take my hand. Hold on to my hand! - the older woman shouted, extending her arm out to help the kid.

Finally their hands entwined; but it was short lived as their hold slipped away. Rivaille tripped and fell to the ground, hitting his head hard. His vision blurred in and out like the voices around him as he tried to keep conscious, but soon darkness swept him away.

- Rivaille! - the grandmother screamed in desperation as the last living relative of her family disappeared in the crowd.

So many lives were destroyed that night. What had always been was now gone forever. And my Rivaille, my beloved grandchild…I never saw him again.

Author notes: I would be very grateful too if you can help me pinpoint possible errors. thank you very much for reading :)

No (unfortunately) you won't get smut or lemon in this story.

Bbut maaaybe…if I receive enough comments… you all will get a smutty bonus scene with the compliments of the house XD

Until we read again :)