A long time ago, within the Roman Empire, two small children were born. The newborns were given the names Romano and Feliciano. What these two children did not know, as they grew into a somewhat comfortable stage, keeping close to their grandfather, was one would be the reason the other would perish. One was meant to be a Prince, the other somewhat of a Pauper. They would flourish until the horrid wars began and their childhood began to slip away from them...
"Fratello! Fratello!" A small boy called, his tan brown hair fluttering in the breeze as he ran as fast as he could. Another boy grinned and accepted his brother with a great big hug. "How are you today, Romano?"
"I'm wonderful now that you're here, Feliciano." Romano smiled, hugging the boy close. "Oh, look!" He cried, pointing out into the field. "It's Grandpa Roma!" They both giggled, waving to their grandfather. The man waved back, a soft smile on his face.
"Grandpa Roma! Grandpa Roma!" Feliciano jumped up, running over to his elder. "What're you doing here today?"
"I...I need you Feliciano..." He whispered this in Italian to the boy and he shuddered, whimpering a little.
"B-But...I-I want to take Romano with me then!" He argued in a softer Italian, tears flowing down his face already. His older brother realized what was going on and jumped up to help support his brother.
"Feliciano. Settle. Down." His grandfather held an almost harsh tone of voice, the Italian coming out sharp. "I know you love your brother very much and famiglia is important...but I need you for this. The state of Italy depends on it. Romano." He turned to the older of the two, noting he was close to tears at the thought of being separated as well. He placed a large hand on the small boy's shoulder. "Romano, I trust you to be man of the house now. I have to go to war after I've trained Feliciano a bit more thoroughly."
"B-B-But! G-Grandpa Roma! Y-You promised you wouldn't go to anymore wars!" Feliciano cried, beating at the man's calves helplessly. The man gave them both a sad look, sitting down in a patch of the enormous field of flowers. The boys got on both his sides, hugging him tightly.
"My army is dwindling and I'm not what I used to be...it'll be soon that I'll perish and leave land to you two...I have the highest faith you'll be quite remarkable and accomplished in agriculture, Romano." He ruffled his grandson's hair, making the boy smile in pride. "And I'm certain you'll be quite accomplished in things such as the arts, Feliciano...you've never been the best at physical labor like Romano...But you'll both find your place in this large world. Now, Romano, if I leave with Feliciano, promise me you'll be strong for your mother and keep her from worrying, alright?" Romano nodded, feeling tears streak his face at the thought of losing his brother. "And Feliciano." The man ruffled his hair as well, making the boy smile a bit. "Try to be strong with me, seize every day, alright?"
"Y-Yes..." He glanced at Romano who gave him a reassuring smile. "I will try my best."
"I'll try my best as well..." The boys giggled a bit, hugging each other before kissing their grandfather's cheeks. They all laughed, so painfully happy in that tender moment.
This was all too short for the Italian brothers. Romano was left to help his mother with the chores and tend to the crops. Years had passed until the brothers were able to see each others' faces so close...
"F-Felici...ano?" Romano was unsure to if he was looking at his brother or another person. They had considerably grown, about teenagers now. Their lives had taken two completely different paths.
"R-Romano?" They were breathless and the younger was all too happy to hold back tears. He hugged his older brother tightly, murmuring soft words in Italian. Romano just about busted with tears, but pushed Feliciano away suddenly. "W-What are you doing, Fratello?"
"I'm sorry Feliciano, but...My boss told me to stay away from the Northerners...That includes you..." He let tears spill as he saw his brother's heart broken face. "Maybe...Maybe you could find somewhere we could hide from my boss if he tried to keep us apart?" He smiled, kissing his brother's forehead softly, then kissing the tears away.
"Ah! In Northern Italy then, brother. Surely nobody would think to look for you there." Feliciano smiled, kissing Romano's lips softly.
"I'll wear a disguise then." Feliciano nodded and they ran off to Romano's house to get him dressed into something else.
The night time came soon however and they tried desperately to get to the younger child's home. When they got there, Feliciano had begun to have somewhat of a paranoid attitude...He would look both ways as he walked through his large house before they moved on. When they finally got to Feliciano's room and lit a lamp, Romano was stunned.
"F-Feliciano...?" He sat on his brother's bed softly, not wanting to ruin the silk fabric. "You never told me you'd become a prince!" Feliciano glanced off to the side, embarrassed.
"I...I didn't want to be one though...Grandpa Roma forced it on me...There are so many consequences...so many people keep dying because of my poor intelligence in military work...I'm so scared I'm going to fail Grandpa Roma...." He started to cry and Romano realized the large burden on his brother's shoulders. He got up and hugged Feliciano, kissing his tears away.
"You won't fail Grandpa Roma, Feliciano..." He sat his brother on the bed and rubbed their foreheads together. The younger of the two blushed ever so lightly, his tears coming to a halt. "Be strong...we promised each other we'd be strong so we could see each other again...and see? We finally got to see each other and not through notes..." He kissed his brother's lips softly. "I was strong for you, now you need to be strong for me, Fratello."
"R-Romano..." Feliciano hugged his brother tightly, enjoying his brother's presence.
They knew their bond between brothers would never be broken, even in romantic situations. Feliciano turned down all who tried to marry and Romano did the same despite the difference. They knew if they married anyone they'd lose their bond in a tsunami of heart break and hatred. They loved each other too much to leave one another for a woman.
"R-Romano...Ahh..." Feliciano moaned as he felt Romano's delicious mouth suck at his neck. The Italians shifted slightly in the bed, the older of the two sitting up.
"You're so beautiful, Fratello..." Romano muttered sweetly in Italian. Feliciano shivered, always loving his brother's voice. Especially in this state, lustful yet loving. "Here, sit on my lap." He lifted his brother slightly and Feliciano followed immediately. When he was on Romano's lap, he could feel his brother's erection and it made him gasp slightly. The older brother rubbed their curls together, earning a cry of surprise. He cried out as well, but not as loudly. He got them partly tangled and kissed his moaning brother.
"Mm...ahh...ngh..." Feliciano fumbled to unbutton Romano's vest. He'd been in a butler's outfit in order to continue to be with Feliciano. He wasn't too fond of the job, but he would do anything to stay with his beloved brother.
"F-Feli...Feliciano..." Romano groaned softly, rubbing their curls together more, causing his brother to pull from the kiss for breath and to moan. This caused Romano's lust to jump a good few levels. He slid his vest off and began to unbutton his brother's plain dress shirt. When his delicate Italian brother's shirt fell from his skin, he attacked immediately, licking over the hot skin, leaving love bites and saliva trails in his wake. His brother gasped in pleasure, grasping his brother's shoulders.
Though they wanted to make love and be closer than before, the two did no such thing. They satisfied their lust in a simple manner before they grew tired and fell asleep. Though they wanted to be one with each other, they knew if they went further, matters would be horrible and one might be executed for such an act. Even this act of love was against laws the government had set.
"Buongiorno, Fratello!" Feliciano giggled, pecking his brother's cheek as he awoke. Romano smiled, rubbing his head softly and running a hand through his hair to comb it.
"Buongiorno, Feliciano." He smiled, pecking his brother's cheek. "Shall we get dressed then? I hear you are to meet the Prince of Spain today, sì?" Feliciano nodded and began to dress in his best outfit. He pulled his cerulean jacket on and buttoned it up swiftly.
"Ready, Romano!" Feliciano giggled, pecking his brother's cheek before leaving ahead to eat breakfast.
"I'll get dressed then..."
What the loving brothers did not know however, was the Prince Of Spain was the most handsome of rulers. His eyes an emerald you couldn't resist, his hair a messy dark brown, but all the more alluring. They did not know one would fall for this handsome ruler so easily, causing the other to force the captured into killing the Spanish Prince.
"Ah, Feliciano, Romano. Welcome. This is the Prince of Spain, Antonio Fernandez Carriedo." The Prince Of Austria, Roderich, announced to the Italian brothers. Romano stopped behind Feliciano and stared at Antonio. His eyes were so beautiful...He felt his cheeks flush as the Spanish prince smiled at him. His younger brother took notice of this and inwardly frowned, but kept his smile.
"I'm very pleased to meet you, Prince of Italy and...your servant I assume?" Feliciano bowed and Romano followed simultaneously.
"Yes, he is a very faithful servant. He comes with me everywhere I go." Antonio nodded, bright as the sun, it seemed. Romano couldn't take his eyes off the Spanish Prince at all, his beauty had captured his heart more quickly than his brother's had.
"Now that you two are acquainted, we can resume business between the Italian kingdom and the Spanish kingdom." Roderich waved to the two Princes to come over to him. Feliciano gave Romano a look that said his brother would not be needed and Romano left the room quickly.
Night had come swiftly and Romano was pacing the halls instead of going straight to sleep with his brother. Feliciano has given him permission to pace for however long he needed to. The older Italian was truly thinking about the Prince of Spain. He could not remove the male's voice or appearance from his mind. His jade eyes scanned the halls for any signs of somebody walking around as well. He heard foot steps, but he saw no one.
"Is somebody there?" He called as quietly as possible in case somebody else in the castle heard him. He was suddenly attacked and he held his mouth shut to keep the surprised yelp from escaping.
"I finally found you. I figured you might be pacing with how flustered you looked back at that meeting. My, you're much more gorgeous than your brother...I almost mistook you for him!" The voice said this quietly, but it was loud enough for Romano to hear every word.
"What do you mean?! How do you know all this?! I mean...that me and Feliciano are twins?" The stranger laughed and let him go. That laugh...it was Antonio?
"I grew up near you two...your brother used to be like a little brother to me. He told me about you and how he missed you so much while traveling with your grandfather." He looked into the younger male's jade eyes a moment, sensing the other was getting flustered rather easily. "Ah, what's wrong? Your cheeks are rather flushed..."
"Did you...did you mean what you said a few moments ago? About me?" Antonio blinked a few times before realizing what Romano meant.
"Oh! Yes...I meant every word." He smiled and Romano melted. The Italian couldn't hold it back. He kissed the Spaniard quickly, their lips making rough contact before he pulled away and turned his back to Antonio. "Ah...Do you...like me?" Antonio smirked, embracing the younger male.
"Y-Yes..."
"Then...follow me to my room." The Italian followed the sweet Spanish Prince, knowing exactly what they were going to do.
"A-Antonio...A-Ahhh!" Romano hissed, feeling the Spaniard thrust in and out quickly, their bodies drenched with sweat. His arousal was at its peak and he was so close to going over the edge. "P-Please...m-m-more!" He cried as quietly as possible, not wanting to wake anyone, let alone his brother. The Prince would surely kill Antonio for this.
"Ngh...R-Romano...Ahh..." Antonio reached around the Italian's thin body and grasped his arousal in his hands. Romano let out a startled gasp and bit into the pillows as he felt himself speed over the edge of bliss. The Spaniard came not all too soon after and collapsed upon his lover gently. He pulled out quickly however, looking for a way to clean their mess without anybody finding out what they had done.
"Here." Romano grabbed a handkerchief that was in one of his pockets. They hadn't completely undressed in case they'd needed to redress hastily due to an unannounced visitor.
"Gracias." Antonio smiled, taking the cloth and cleaning up the semen, cleaning Romano up as well. He dressed himself easily, steadying his balance as he stood. The handkerchief had the obvious smell of sex now and Antonio wrinkled his nose slightly. He placed the piece of cloth in his wash basin, making sure to get every bit of the smell out in case Romano wanted it back.
"I hope...I hope nobody knows we did this...this is going beyond the laws Austria had set for the Italian Kingdom...dammit..." He felt a tear fall at the thought of losing Antonio. Though they had only been together for one night, one morning, he felt a deeper connection with him than with even his own brother. Antonio kissed the single tear away, nuzzling his sweet Italian's cheek.
"Nobody will know. It can be our secret." The Spanish Prince smiled, intertwining their pinkies and kissing Romano's lips gently.
"Thank you...Antonio..." Romano hugged his lover once more, tighter than ever. He had a feeling this would be their last time feeling each other's soft skin and hearing each other's sweet breathing.
"Romano." It was early morning and almost all of the castle was asleep. All but the Italians. Feliciano found it easier to think over matters involving other kingdoms or war when the rest of the castle was asleep. It was the day of rest, as everyone else in the kingdom called it.
"Yes, Feliciano?" Romano replied, standing completely still behind his brother's throne.
"I have a task I need you to accomplish." Romano felt his jade eyes widen at the serious tone in his brother's voice. He knew it all along. Feliciano was going to do what he'd feared most. He gulped silently as he awaited the assignment details. "I order you to slay Antonio Carriedo. He is a threat to our bond as brothers. Is this understood?" Romano nodded and held back tears.
"Yes, your majesty." Feliciano smiled darkly as Romano walked away.
"Oh, and don't forget my dagger! It'd be best you use mine since nobody would suspect me of killing him." Romano nodded silently, grabbing the weapon on his way out.
"Ah, Romano!" Antonio smiled as he noticed his lover walk into the room Antonio had been enjoying lunch in. "I figured you'd be fast asleep. In my kingdom, we don't usually sleep all day today." Romano did not reply and this worried the Spaniard. "Are you alright, Romano? Did something happen?" Antonio stood and walked over to him. The Italian drew the dagger behind his back. The Spanish Prince had not heard the metal coming out of its case and Romano felt hot tears run down his cheeks.
"I love you...more than anybody in the castle, Antonio...More than anybody in the world...please...forgive my actions..." He prepared his muscles to quickly stab the Spaniard and withdraw the sword from his body. He waited another second or two, watching his love get so confused.
"What do you mean Romano?"
"These next moments...are all Feliciano's orders...and I can not disobey a Prince." He hastily stabbed the Spaniard, causing blood to splatter and stain his black over coat. Antonio choked and Romano felt more tears run down his cheeks. He withdrew the dagger as quickly as possible before replacing it in its case. "I'm more sorry than ever, Antonio..." Blood dripped from the Spanish Prince's lips and Romano kissed him, pushing his body to the ground after keeping him in place long enough for Antonio to enjoy it before all of his life left his body.
The death of Antonio had sent a shock wave of terror through the kingdoms all over the land. 'Who would want to kill such a kind hearted ruler?' They had all wondered. This news spread all the way to even the Kingdom of Prussia. The King of Prussia, Gilbert, was not satisfied in hearing this news. He had been close companions with Antonio Carriedo and demanded revenge on the murderer.
"Gilbert, you can not just go about blaming whoever you wish. We need true evidence it was him." Roderich reasoned with the King of Prussia. Gilbert did not agree at all with this sense.
"Who else would it be though?! I remember you telling me Feliciano could have held some form of hatred towards him, am I not correct?!" The Prussian towered over the Austrian. Roderich stood up to stare him in the eye, orbs of ruby meeting fiery orbs of wood.
"Then we'd need to check his weapons then! If you insist on spouting nonsense, then I'll let you check his only weapons for yourself! If there is any form of proof on any of them, then you will have reason to execute him!" The Prussian King grinned in triumph and sped off. Before he was completely out of the room, he shouted.
"I already have any idea of what weapon was used thanks to you letting me see Antonio's corpse! It had to be a dagger, and we all know Feliciano has at least one of those!" Roderich felt unsettled. Why would the Italian truly want to kill Antonio other than for stealing his brother? Maybe the Spanish Prince had offered to control the Southern half of Italy where his brother lived? No...that couldn't be it...then why did it sound so true?
A fist pounded angrily against the wooden door. It rattled on its metal hinges and the Italian Prince looked up. "Romano, let them in."
"Yes, Feliciano." His brother whispered back, walking away from his position behind the throne to open the large door. Gilbert stomped in, pointing an accusing sword at Feliciano.
"I am the King of Prussia, Gilbert Weillschmidt. Under the permission of the Prince of Austria, I am allowed to view all of your weapons. This is all in good cause I assure you, Feliciano Vargas." The Prussian was grinning in complete triumph as Feliciano looked stunned a moment. The shock washed away, however, as the Italian Prince stood and walked over to a closet outside of the throne room.
"Here is the only key to the weapons closet. This also unlocks the other one in my room. If you need to search both to be completely satisfied, I give you permission to, your majesty..." Feliciano bowed and Gilbert bowed in reply, hastily opening the closet. The Italian called for Romano and the two left the hall to head downstairs. It was lunch time by now and the younger Italian found it more polite to leave the Prussian alone.
That same day was the day Feliciano was given five more days to live that horrid Monday. His execution day was on a Sunday, the typical day of rest. Though no one could rest with the thought of a murderer on the loose. After his execution, the villagers in the kingdom could then rest peacefully again.
"Feliciano?" Romano questioned as he lay on a bed with his brother.
"Yes, Romano?" Feliciano smiled and the older Italian felt a tear streak his face.
"I...I'm going to switch places with you Sunday. You don't deserve to die. I'm the one who needs to. I killed Antonio. I held that dagger. I forgot to clean it perfectly. I am the reason everyone is in such a frenzied state." He held his younger brother's hand softly and kissed it. "When I die, place a note in a bottle, whatever you want to tell me, and send it off into the sea. It'll find me, eventually. It will hold the strength of our bond and keep us together..." He kissed his brother's lips. He yearned to feel Antonio's again...They both felt so different...
"But...But Romano...why can't we just run?"
"Fleeing is no option, Feliciano. That could lead to both of us being killed. You deserve to live longer. You're younger and certainly you could become a servant in my place." He stroked his younger brother's cheek softly and kissed it. "They won't be able to tell by eye color. Gilbert acts too quickly to think over his actions. He'll end up mistaking me for you in his reckless haste to kill you."
"Romano...Please...promise to stay with me after you die...please?" Romano nodded and hugged his brother softly.
Sunday had come. Feliciano's time had ended.
"Feliciano, promise you'll be strong even without me...maybe we'll meet again, right?" He felt hot tears run down his face as he tied the string around the collar of the dress shirt his brother was wearing. The realization that his brother was going to die before his eyes had Feliciano's eyes wide in horror. As Romano pulled the cerulean coat over his shoulders and buttoned it, he cried out, reaching for his brother, but failing to reach and catch his arm. Romano had left him. He was already heading to the point at which he'd be executed in place of Feliciano.
Gilbert was more than happy to drag Romano into the open. He placed the Italian on a platform just outside the castle. Spectators had come to view the death of the murderer. They gave a cheer as Gilbert drew his sword. Feliciano was in the crowd, a brown cloak shielding his appearance to make it seem he was just another of the villagers.
"We are all here today to watch as this traitor loses his life. He has murdered Antonio Carriedo, Prince Of Spain and was our Italian Prince this whole time!" The crowd gave a displeased noise, Feliciano keeping silent as tears ran down his face. "I will have no mercy on his soul as he has murdered not only the Prince of Spain, but my closest companion I'll ever know. Antonio was more than a Prince to me. He has always been my close friend. Right along with the King of France." His sword gently tapped Romano's chin, causing the Italian to lift his face to the sky. He gazed at the clouds a moment, wondering whether he'd die and go to heaven or hell for such horrid acts.
"Kill the Prince! Kill the Prince! Kill the Prince! Kill the Prince! Kill the Prince!" The crowd shouted in a chant almost, their fists all raising together simultaneously and falling in the same fashion. Feliciano followed the actions, but said nothing, only to keep his cover. More tears fell from his eyes as everyone gasped, looking up to watch as red trickled from Romano's chin first. Then, a fountain of blood sprayed the air as Gilbert moved the sword expertly. The Italian's neck was sliced open and then completely cut from his body. His head fell behind him as blood stained the planks of the platform.
"The traitor is now dead, my dear villagers! You may all rest peacefully." Gilbert grinned in triumph, wiping his sword of the blood, as if it were dirt, with a handkerchief and then tossing the cloth on Romano's now fallen body. As everyone cleared out of the audience, Feliciano was left. Everyone was gone except for the still bleeding corpse of Romano on the platform and his weeping brother on his knees.
"R-Romano...Romano...Romano!!!!!!!!" Feliciano screamed, getting up and running for dear life. He had to leave this kingdom this hell.
Feliciano had fled until he reached a rather tiny kingdom. It had no name, but a stranger had taken him in. The stranger told him his name was Ludwig and he was Gilbert's brother. When Ludwig hadn't noticed, Feliciano ran off one day. He had ran to deliver the message to his deceased brother. The same way he had instructed he do the day before he died.
"Romano...I hope you receive this bottle...all of my wishes and dreams are written on this piece of paper and...I only want you to read them, no one else..." He held the rectangular bottle close, his expression far more serious than any he'd worn before. "May our bond as brothers deliver this bottle to you...wherever you are, sweet brother..." He tossed the bottle into the water gently, a tear staining his face, but he wiped it away.
"Thank you, Feliciano..." He swore he'd heard his brother whisper and he turned around, expecting to see him, but only the wind scattered his hair about, causing him to bust into the tears he'd been holding this whole time. Just hearing that faint whisper had given him so much hope and it was all crushed by the complete realization. He was only hearing things...
"If I could be born again...I hope you'd play with me then..."