The child before him was 2, or 3, or something (he never was good at placing ages). The Holy Roman Empire had collapsed and morphed into a cluster of dozens of warring tribes who wanted to unite on paper without giving up efforts to dominate over one another.
Internal conflict left a child who could barely focus his eyes on something right before him. What it left was a child who was fiercely ill, and not experienced enough to understand that he should hide it in front of an observer. Especially when the observer was a battle-sculpted, callous nation who had never once hesitated to fight an enemy with every ounce of malice he had within him. Especially when a warrior who was riding a victory and felt nothing shy of invincible towered over him, the young nation should have been terrified.
But the conflict within him had caused this child to become lethargic, unfocused, and seemingly unable to even acknowledge the fact that there was anyone else in the room.
Prussia's king had assigned him to take care of this little one, and to help him grow into something worth aligning with. It was an odd bit of charity, and he'd retorted just as much, but obedience was a virtue. And, as Prussia always prided himself in being virtuous, he had agreed to the task. He had, however, come to reconsider as he looked over the child.
It… (Prussia took a quick moment to check, because damned if it would speak and confirm) he might have been brain-dead, blind, for all the movement it was doing in the hour Prussia had been in front of it… him.
This new nation was utterly defenseless, and couldn't as much as stand up with all the troubles its parts were causing. If Prussia even hinted to the rest of the world that a new nation had been formed, in this state he certainly would have been slaughtered. It wasn't like Prussia who'd essentially been born with a sword in his hand. This child was something very different.
Prussia told him that he had been extremely lucky, and was now the little brother of the most awesome nation in the world. There was no response whatsoever.
Prussia said that he'd been assigned to take care of him, and raise him to be strong and a warrior and whatever the like. Again, nothing.
Prussia asked him if he was stupid, or if he was just trying to ignore his older brother. The child looked up with as much interest as he could muster.
Prussia told him that he'd be called Ludwig from then on, at least until Prussia had decided him strong enough for anything else. The child didn't even blink.
Prussia seriously doubted the boy could even see him…
There was chirping from some bird somewhere to the right, and who was now Ludwig snapped his attention to the noise. He reached out for the bird to come to him, but as was typical of random birds it completely refused.
At least Ludwig could hear and move. He was still something that needed to be built completely, but at least it was a start. Or something.
Prussia picked the toddler up and headed back to his house.