Kasumi's Note: Moshi-moshi, minna-san! * waves hand high up * I was bored waiting for a certain George deValier to update his stories (Auf Wiederhersen Sweetheart and La Patisserie de la Rose ) so I decided to write a story. But I had no idea that planning it would be so time consuming and that it would turn out to be a series of stories!
So, I present to you the first chapter of the first story in this Chronicles. It's straight… I know… But I just love this pairing and I couldn't resist writing about it. Don't worry, my fellow fujoshis, yaoi pairings are also mentioned here. Let's just keep this safe for the innocent teens out there.
Oh, and since my bestfriend asked nicely, I get to dedicate this whole Chronicles to her. So, to my beloved Sakura Huuga, here is the fairytale plot you begged from me. I hope you enjoy reading this since I spent every waking moment of my life into making it.
Warnings: lots of OOCness, slight BOYxBOY, Disney-like plot, character death (maybe?)
Disclaimer: I'm sorry, but Hetalia does not belong to me. *sigh* If only it did, I can't imagine what I would do. I only take credit for the plot and the names of the fictional places. And I would like to make it clear that I change Liechtenstein's last name into "Vogel" because she is not related to Vash in any way in the story. [see here: /wiki/Liechtenstein]
The White Rose of Innocence
The cool afternoon breeze flowed through the branches of the beautiful elm trees as a choir of birds sang to the bright and glowing sun. The afternoon in the Kingdom of Eiweiß was as hot and fresh as the pieces of bread that lay on the table in the middle of the vast garden.
The sweet-smelling brioche was left untouched since its owner was stuck in her own world of thoughts. Her long braided blonde hair was dangling towards her left as she stared at something beyond the high walls of the garden. Her deep green eyes were filled with a desire for something she could not quite grasp…
"Freedom…" she softly uttered, making her chambermaid lean in to hear more.
"What was that, your highness?" a woman with green eyes and long, brown hair replied.
Princess Lili Vogel quickly shook her head, making a waving gesture with her right hand. "Oh, it's nothing…" she lied, "I was just thinking about how beautiful the garden is today, Miss Elizaveta…"
The older woman looked at her with a concerned face. "I see, your highness…" was all she could say.
Lili gave her a sweet smile before turning her back and returning to her thoughts. Only one word was on her mind.
Freedom. Something she had longed to have for a while. For fourteen years, she had been locked up in their castle, never given the chance to go out. She longed to see what was outside the castle walls. She dreamt of running in a meadow filled with beautiful daisies then taking a rest in a nearby brook, just like the girls she read about in stories.
She also dreamt of adventure. Of going to neighboring kingdoms, meeting their leaders to tell them about her own little kingdom. She wanted to know more about the world she lived in and not just her room. She wanted…
"Excuse me, your highness…" Elizaveta interrupted.
Lili shook her head at the sound of her chambermaid's voice. She then began to lightly hit her head with her palm, making the older woman stifle a few giggles.
"W-W-What is it, Miss Elizaveta?" she stuttered, blushing at the woman's reaction.
Elizaveta took a deep breath to calm herself. Brushing a few strands of hair from her face, she began to speak.
"Vladimir informed me that Her Majesty requests your presence in the throne room immediately…" she said.
Lili looked confused. "She requested me to proceed to the throne room?" she asked.
Elizaveta nodded.
Lili's brow began to crinkle. "May I ask why?" she asked again.
Elizaveta looked at the ground, sighed, and tried to put on a smile. "I do not know what is the nicest way to say this, your highness…" she began, "But… I believe you have forgotten a very important event again…"
The younger woman's eyes widened in realization. "The Knighting Ceremony!" she exclaimed, standing straight up, "I was too focused on something unimportant that I forgot about the Knighting Ceremony!"
Elizaveta nodded solemnly. She lightly touched the princess' shoulder, making the shorter one calm down.
"Do not fret, your highness…" she assured her, "The Ceremony will not start until an hour from now… You were supposed to be fitting for your gown about two hours ago, though…"
The younger frowned. "Oh! I'm sorry!" she apologized, "Mama must have been furious with you! Oh! It's all my fault again!"
The older smiled at the other's humility. "Not to worry, your highness…" she assured, "Her Majesty is not the kind of woman who would get angry easily…"
Lili let out her breath and smiled nervously. "Oh, that's good…" she sighed, "I thought she would be angry at you… I honestly do not want that to happen…"
"Yes, yes. Your highness…" Elizaveta nodded, "Now, let us get you to the throne room. Her Majesty might really get angry with us if we kept her waiting…"
Elizaveta motioned for two attending maids to clean after the princess' afternoon snack. After that was taken care of, she took her place two steps behind the young woman and they made their way through the wide halls towards the throne room.
Through the crowded streets of Eiweiß, past the busy merchant's guild and beside a small, run-down inn was a humble little shack. It was rather old, beaten and battered to the point that no one would even imagine that it was still habitable. The roof was incomplete, as the left side of it was blown off during a storm three months ago. The walls were cracked, with vines dangling around them and paint chipped off. The oak door creaked when it was opened and the windows were missing some glass. It was quite a sight to see, causing passersby to stare at it before continuing on their destination.
But to the mother and son who lived in it, it was considered home. And the continues threats of their property being taken from them didn't stop them from celebrating the son's knighting in the Vogel Castle in two hours time.
"Gracious me! I can't believe you made it!" Adelheid Zwingli gasped after hearing the news from her eighteen-year-old son.
"I did promise him I'd take his place…." her son replied in a serious tone. His green eyes began to wander to an old, weathered picture of a tall, lean man with bob cut blonde hair. The man was smiling rather proudly, a sword raised to the camera on his right hand while the other was on a little boy's head.
Adelheid smiled knowingly, squeezing her son's calloused hand. "He must be very proud of you right now, Vash…"
Vash Zwingli tried to fight back tears, remembering the smile his father had on his face when he told the old man he was going to be a knight. He gazed briefly at his mother, who was also looking at his old man's picture with a gleam in her eyes.
"Protect your mother for me…"
Vash closed his eyes and nodded. His mother wiped at her eyes and lightly tightened her grip on his hand. He looked down at her; she gave him a warm smile.
"Dear me! We shouldn't just be standing here doing nothing!" Adelheid suddenly burst out, moving away from her son. "We should be getting you ready! You said there was a party after the ceremony, am I correct? You must look your best to impress His Majesty!"
She began to move around the small shack, muttering things about a suit her husband stashed somewhere in the dreadful place. Vash became terribly exhausted just by looking at her. She was old, but boy, could she move. As Vash took a seat on a nearby chair she was already crouching down to get something below an old tattered wardrobe.
"Found it!" she cried triumphantly, producing a dusty box from under the ancient wardrobe. She walked towards her son and put the brown box into his lap.
Vash looked at the box, then looked at his mother quizzically. The old woman motioned for him to "go on and open it". The younger did as was told and blew away the dust before gently opening the box's thin lid.
Inside the dirty, old box was a surprisingly spotless white dinner jacket. He took the soft fabric into his hands and inspected it for stains or rips. It was perfect. There were even a white tie and pants underneath it to complete the entire ensemble.
"Mother… Are you sure I can…"
His mother shook her head in reply. "Do not refuse, Vash…" she said, "Your father would have wanted you to wear this… He never had a chance to wear it when we bought it…"
Vash gently put the delicate piece of fabric into the old box. He was not a man of emotion or words, and all he could do to thank his mother for everything was to stand and gently embrace her.
"Thank you, mother…" he whispered gently into her ear.
The woman put her wrinkled hand around him. "Oh, dear…" she replied, "This is what a mother is for…"
The mother and son stood in each other's arms for a while, before Vash realized he was a grown man and blushed in embarrassment. His mother just laughed at his awkward face before urging him to try the white dinner jacket on.
Of all the rooms in the castle, Lili considered the Throne Room to be the most spacious. It ran thirty meters long and fifteen meters wide with the ceiling almost twenty meters high. On both sides of the room were two arched windows with mirrors set between them that almost occupied the entirety of the walls. To the northern part of the room, on a dais surrounded by bouquets of white roses, were the three thrones of the royal family. A portrait of King Leonhard, Queen Elise and baby Princess Lili Vogel hung behind the three golden thrones.
The moment Vash had stepped into the Throne Room in his tailor-made armor; the first thing he noticed was one of the thrones was empty. King Leonhard, with his blonde hair short, wore a purple velvet cap, a tunic, and over this a long-sleeved cloak. He seemed to be chatting merrily with Queen Elise, who wore an elegant scarlet gown and long, pointed shoes.
Vash leaned on one of the white pillars as he waited for the other knights to appear. As much as he tried to deny it, he was very much anticipating the arrival of Princess Lili whom he was entrusted to protect.
The King had mentioned during a short and private discussion they had that he was confident in placing Vash as a personal knight for his beloved daughter. Vash had agreed, proud that the King had given him such a responsibility before he was even knighted. But he gave a condition, stating that he had to see the Princess first and ask for her opinion.
"I can't begin to imagine what it would be like to protect a Princess who doesn't even want protection…" he muttered under his breath, thinking of all those princesses out there who could handle a sword better than him.
As he stood there thinking about boyish princesses riding around in horses, he didn't notice that a fellow knight had begun to approach him. His scarlet eyes were filled with mischief as he tiptoed towards the serious figure. With a grin, he pounced on the young blonde's back.
"Hey there, Swissy!" he yelled, calling Vash by his unwanted nickname.
Vash staggered forward by the unexpected force he felt. He turned around, furious at the laughing albino. "That really wasn't funny, Gilbert…"
Gilbert Beilschmidt laughed even harder, his right arm caressing his stomach. "Kesesesese!" he laughed, "Man! You should've seen the look on 'yer face, Swissy!"
Vash blushed, something he did when he got embarrassed. Seeing his cheeks turn red pleased Gilbert even more and he had to wipe the tears that formed in his scarlet eyes.
"J-Just stop laughing!" Vash threatened, looking around at the other knights. "You're attracting too much attention! Stop laughing!"
Gilbert began to quite down, covering his mouth with his free hand. "I'm just so awesome!" he boasted, "You're usually so focused but I was able to scare 'ya!"
Vash tried to regain some composure. He avoided looking directly at the albino, fearing that maybe both of them were going to be kicked out of the room. "Whatever Gilbert…" he replied, "Just pray there won't be a second time… OR you'll end up being one testicle short…"
Gilbert winced. "Ouch…" he spoke, "Hand off my vital regions will 'ya, Swissy…"
Vash smirked, satisfied with himself. Gilbert was about to say something when trumpets began to blow loudly. They dashed towards their respective rows and watched as the King and Queen stood up to approach the knight who was holding the sword they were to be knighted with.
But they suddenly stopped in front of the man and did not retrieve the sword. The whole room silenced as they waited anxiously for the royal couple's next move.
Queen Elise smiled at them. "Brave and honorable knights…" she spoke, "The very fact that you are here standing before us proves that you have withstood the treacherous training that my own husband prepared for you…"
Gilbert grinned, proud of himself. Vash remained serious as he strained his ears to listen to the Queen's voice.
"Yet, this does not mean you hardships are over…" she continued, wiping the grin off of Gilbert's face.
"All your hardships begin now…" King Leonhard spoke, "You are to leave your trust, your sword and your lives at our command… You are to…"
Before the King had finished, the trumpets blew again and a petite girl came running into the room. She was wearing a beautiful two-piece dress consisting of a white skirt with a light blue overskirt dress and her long braided hair came undone as she tried her utmost best to run faster. As she neared the royal couple, her white mid-heel canvass shoe got caught on the carpet and she came crashing down with a loud thud.
The knights roared in laughter as the girl sat in the middle of the gathering, fixing her tousled hair. Vash felt a pang of pity as the girl's pale face turned red and her arms began to shake in embarrassment. Without warning, he stood and approached the poor girl.
"Let me help you, my lady…" he said, reaching out his hand.
The girl looked at her, deep green eyes shimmering with hidden tears. "T-T-Thank you, kind sir…" she stammered nervously, taking Vash's outstretched hand.
As he helped her stand, Vash was surprised at how light the girl was. He helped her put on the white-rose choker-necklace that had fallen off her when she ran. When Vash thought she looked perfectly fine, he noticed that she kept looking at the ground.
"Are you looking for something?" he asked.
The girl nodded without looking at him. "Yes…" she replied, "I seemed to have lost my…"
"I have your crown, my dear…" the Queen finished.
Vash's eyes widened as he watched the girl approach Queen Elise. She kept apologizing as she tried to explain why she was late. He could only hear some words she spoke.
"I-I-I'm sorry for arriving late, Mother…" she stammered, "I-I-I tried to-to put the dress on hastily and… I-I-I…"
The Queen shook her head and the King ruffled the girl's hair. "You were not at fault dear…" they said in unison.
The room silenced as Her Majesty placed the shimmering crown on the young girl's head. At that time, a sudden realization struck Vash.
"Princess Lili…" he said unconsciously, staring at the vulnerable girl standing before them. He could finally see why the King had wanted him to protect his only daughter. He had been the best among the knights during training and he was very capable of protecting anyone. But, he had a strange feeling that he won't be able to protect her from himself…
