Part 1 - Chibitalia
The sky lit up with a blinding flash, booming thunder following not a second later. Little Feliciano cowered in his bed, too terrified to move. Tears streamed down his face as flash after flash lit up the sky, visible even through the layers of blankets he had tangled himself up in. Rain lashed against the window, branches whipping against the panes with the wind. A crash sounded from outside, presumably from a branch falling. At the sound, the child burrowed further into the blankets, desperately praying for it to be over.
Suddenly, he heard the door open; soft, even footsteps approaching the bed he lay in. He tried to wrestle himself out of the blankets, only succeeding in entangling his small body even further. His heartbeat hammered in his chest, the lack of air in the fabric covering his face only increasing his panic. He heard the figure step closer and closer, stopping, it seemed, directly in front of him. He felt a hand on top of the blankets, reaching for him. A voice called out to him, gentle and motherly. He sobbed hearing it, knowing the comfort he craved had found him.
"Shh, Feli. It's alright, you're alright. Just hold on a moment". Her voice continued to murmur words of comfort and reassurance. His struggles slowed, the panic in his mind receding at her warm touch. He stopped wriggling, allowing the figure to disentangle him from the maze of blankets. Finally, the fabric was lifted from his face, freeing him from its suffocating warmth.
"There we go. You're safe now, little Feli."
He greedily sucked in the cool air of the room, gasping and sobbing with relief. He felt himself being lifted up and into a pair of soft, gentle arms, then a sense of rising and swaying as the figure carried him away, into another room. She started singing softly to him, her voice matching the sway of her hips as she carried him.
He was set down on another bed, much bigger than his own. His panic now gone, he looked around, taking in the features of the room. It was huge, decorated in white and gold, a gilt mirror on the wall across from him taking the centrepiece above a huge fireplace. One wall was covered in paintings, the other large glass windows, covered by heavy velvet drapes. Although he couldn't see it, he knew the floor was covered in a rich plush rug. A piano stood in the far left corner of the room, facing the windows so that the player could look out at the stunning views, when not obscured by rain. A small table stood in the other corner next to the bed, the shiny wood reflecting the light of a solitary candle placed on it. An elegant dresser stood to the right of the mirror, the surface littered with combs and hairpins, again in gold. A triptych mirror stood on top, its panels closed to ward off dust.
The bed he now sat on was an elegant four-poster, covered in cool, soft silk sheets, with a down comforter thrown to the end. He couldn't resist running his small fingers over the smooth fabric, taking comfort in the way his hands slid over it.
He heard a low chuckle, and looked around to see a man lying next to him, propped up one arm. He had dark brown hair, ruffled slightly from sleep, with a stray curl on one side. His violet eyes regarded the boy with affection, a small smile on his face.
"Is that all it takes to stop your tears? A silk sheet?" the man laughed softly, making Feliciano jump.
"Don't tease him, Roderich. He's terrified of thunderstorms, and who can blame him? He's only a child." The woman sat on the bed next to Feliciano, frowning at her husband.
"I know, Elizabeta. I'm not angry at him. He'll learn eventually that it's nothing to be scared of. Isn't that right, Feliciano?"
The little boy did not look convinced. As if to disprove the man, a crash of thunder sounded again, making him jump and cower into Elizabeta's arms. She drew the child close, hugging him tightly and kissing the top of his head. She looked over the boy in her arms, seeing her husband looking at the two of them with a strange expression on his face. She smiled at him, then looked down at Feliciano, who was now nodding off in the safety of her embrace. She looked back up at Roderich, then spoke softly.
"I think he'll be alright now. It would only disturb him to move him again. Let's keep him here with us, just for tonight. Please?"
Roderich didn't answer, merely laying back down again and closing his eyes. When Elizabeta didn't move, he opened an eye and held his arms out to her, questioning.
"Well? What are you waiting for?" he asked, his voice laced with sleep and love.
She smiled happily at him. Placing Feliciano into Roderich's outstretched arms, she slid into the bed and drew the covers over them all. Feliciano shifted in his sleep as Roderich laid him down between them, fussing slightly, then settled down. His small hands reached out to grasp each of them, one clinging to Roderich's finger, the other tangling in a lock of Elizabeta's long hair. Roderich and Elizabeta shared a smile at the sight. He slung an arm over them both, making a loose cage, and Elizabeta snuggled into him, careful not to jostle the child between them.
Outside, the sounds of the storm gradually lessened and faded away. The rest of the night passed in silence, the only sound that of the gentle patter of the rain on the window as it lulled them all to sleep.