Main Pairing: Gerita

Rated M. Cardverse and Omegaverse.

I own nothing. No copyright infringement intended.

**The companion fic to Paper Crowns! This is Germany and Italy's version of the story. I took a short break in between, but now I'm back and kicking! I'm hoping that this one will be better than the other. I'm aiming to make my writing less choppy and rushed. Hopefully this will be more detailed and better quality than the first. Prepare for adorable Feli and Ludwig coming up!

The first time Roma met his three grandsons also turned out to be the last day for a long while that he stopped seeing them.

The day was cloudy but warm. Roma was weeding his little vegetable garden. He wiped the sweat off his brow, breathing in the air. Faint sounds floated towards him from the village in the distance. It was a busy market day.

Then a sound broke out that was much closer than the market: the cry of a baby.

Roma saw his daughter for the first time in years that day. She was pale, and frail looking. She held a baby on her hip, another child's hand in her own. Yet another tagged onto the end of the trail.

Lovino was six that day, wide eyed and quiet. Feliciano was a bubbly three years, curious and lovely. And Marcello was barely a year old.

"I will come back, Roma." she'd said. "I just need time. I can not raise them while I try to put a steady life together at the same time."

So he accepted the children. What else could he do? He watched over them for a year. She never came back.

He cared for them as equally as he could. From time to time he had had to enlist the help of a woman or two from the village, but he managed. All three were classified as omegas, which was mildly disappointing to Roma. He had hoped that his bloodline would be full of strong alphas. He knew, however, that sometimes these things skipped a generation.

But a year after she left, a group of foreigners came to their village. They were searching for a child to bring back to their own country, Diamonds. Roma wasn't sure why - something about raising a foreign child in their own country, making him become one of their own. The ambassadors seemed somewhat confused about the whole thing, too.

Roma thought they had left. But they came to his little cottage. And they took Marcello away. Feliciano was four. He didn't remember his younger brother in his later years. But Lovino was left to deal with the pain of losing a brother, on top of losing his parents.

Feliciano grew more beautiful every year. His smile was radiant, his eyes bright. The entire village loved him, even though they barely saw him. Roma tried to keep Feli's spirit tied to the little cottage and the fields in the country.

Lovino grew beautiful as well, but his beauty was colder, his hair darker. He barely smiled, and when he did, it was brief. He was constantly moody and he pretended not to love his family, but Roma saw straight through it. Feliciano did, too. Oh, he had his happy moments, his good moods, but he tried to keep them under wraps.

However, it wasn't until he was thirteen when Roma knew that he had really gotten out of control.

Feliciano had gone out on his once a week venture to the markets in search of a snack. Lovino had followed him, grumbling, a few minutes later. Roma smiled. Even when he was being stingy, Lovino loved his brother.

Roma was used to the two staying out until at least dark, so when he saw a small figure running back towards him, under an hour later, Roma was instantly worried.

It was Lovino. He didn't stop to speak to his grandfather. He ran straight into the house and locked himself in his room. He was crying bitterly.

Roma set out to find Feliciano. He was sitting under a huge tree about halfway to the village. He was holding his small basket, filled with ripe fruits and vegetables and herbs. When Roma had asked him what happened, Feliciano told him everything.

The boy was rambling with worry. But Roma understood most of what had happened: There was a new stall in the market. Feliciano had gone to buy from it, and Lovino had been distrustful. He attacked the merchant, whom he had called an "untrustworthy bastard." The merchant himself hadn't fought Lovino, merely pushed him away, but some other men in the village had taken the opportunity. They gave Lovino a black eye and a mouthful of dirt.

Roma lost all of his control over Lovino. He became defiant and rude. Often he would leave without bothering to tell Roma where or for how long.

It was one of those days, in the afternoon of a hot summer, when the travelers came back.

They were not the ambassadors of Diamonds. Roma had met this group before. They were tanned and likeable and friendly, singing songs with the locals and walking around with guitars and bare feet, flower crowns on the girls. They were from the palace of Hearts. They went on vacations to the countryside every once in a while. Every time they had a few new younger ones, but the main crowd stayed the same.

This year, there was a new addition that was obviously the gem of the group. He was young, he was gorgeous, he was friendly and kind. His smile shone like the sun. He was one of the three that requested to stay in Roma's inn. They others were scattered all through the village.

There was only room for two in the inn. So the gem sacrificed the large rooms and slept at Roma's, on the floor. He said that he didn't mind. He introduced himself. His name was Antonio.

He ate with them as well. Feliciano chatted with him endlessly, but Roma couldn't find it in him to do so. He was beginning to be worried about Lovino. He had been gone before the sun came that morning.

Eventually, he asked Feliciano about it.

"What, Lovi?" he asked. "I thought you knew he leaves so much no wonder you look so worried! He's in the old barn of course that is where he always goes and sometimes he falls asleep there and I have to wake him up. It do not know how he can stand to sleep on the itchy hay and honestly I do not know why he likes it so much there but then again I like to sit by that tree down the road and that is kind of weird too. Don't you think, Grandpa?"

Roma had learned to tune out Feliciano's mindless chatter over the years. He merely nodded along, wondering how far away the barn was from the house.

Antonio's eyes lit up. "Who is this Lovino?" he asked. "Another member of your lovely family?"

"Yes, he is my brother!" Feliciano said excitedly. "After we eat we can go see him if you want to! He might be sleeping but he has to come home soon anyways and you could get a chance to stretch your legs a bit. It is a good thing for everyone! Even Grandpa Roma will get some quiet time to relax."

"Now now, Feli," Roma interrupted with a mischievous twinkle in his eye. "I am not so old that I don't enjoy a good hustle and bustle in my life. I live for surprises."

"I know, Grandpa," Feliciano said, smiling widely. "Can we go find Lovi now? Please please pleeeeaaase -"

"Alright," Roma said. "Go ahead."

Perhaps Roma would simply rest his eyes a bit while they were out...

"STUPID BASTARDS WAKING ME UP WHEN I WAS SLEEPING WHY DID YOU DO THAT YOU IDIOTA? AND HERE I THOUGHT YOU WERE GETTING SMARTER AS YOU GOT OLDER BUT NO-O-O -"

Roma woke suddenly to Lovino's anger. The door was thrown open and Lovino stormed in, followed by an apologetic Feli and a smiling Antonio. Why was he smiling?

"Your little one has quite the mouth on him, does he not, Roma?" Antonio said amiably. "It is quite endearing. Just a little while ago he was sleeping so cutely..."

"STOP TALKING ABOUT ME LIKE THAT YOU PERVERT YOU DO NOT EVEN KNOW ME AT ALL WHY ARE YOU EVEN HERE YOU LOOK LIKE A STUPID FARMER OR SOMETHING -"

"Are you not farmers?" Antonio asked innocently. For once, Lovino sputtered and choked on his words. His face was quite red and he turned and ran into the kitchen. Roma shook his head, trying not to laugh. From then on, Lovino and Antonio's relationship was always like that. To Roma it was obvious how much Antonio wanted his grandson, even when he tried to hide it. It was in his eyes. But Roma didn't expect Lovino to put much stock in it...

When Antonio left, Lovino went with him. Feliciano didn't understand why Roma's heart broke. He didn't understand why, for the next five years, Roma couldn't relax. Why for the next five years the boy was kept under tight watch. Why he wasn't allowed to see many people.

Roma didn't know how else to keep his grandson safe.

Feliciano was happy. Today was the first time in over a month that his grandpa had let him go out to the market. He carried his little basket decorated with ribbons and he had a pocketful of coins. He skipped along the road to the market, kicking loose stones and humming a little song. The air was fresh and sweet.

When Feliciano first passed under the pretty arches that led to the market, he paused in the middle of the path to admire everything. The light was bright this afternoon, shining over everything and making it beautiful. Feliciano took a deep breath in. At home, he had grown accustomed to Roma's scent. Here, in the market, there was a delicious mix of nature, people, and food.

Food. Yes.

Feliciano searched around the stalls for his favorite merchant - a pretty beta girl who smiled at him and giggled a lot. Most merchants were in fact betas - they wouldn't scare away the omegas and they wouldn't be afraid to serve alphas. But this one was special. She sold Feliciano's favorite fruit. She was the only one in the village to do so.

Bitukin were incredibly rare. They were only found in Diamonds, in amazingly precise conditions, and it had to be a certain time of the year to even be able to pick them. To preserve them, you had to soak them in liquid sunlight for an hour every night - no wonder no one would buy them. They were fairly expensive, taking up half of Feliciano's purse for one fruit.

But they were worth it.

They were golden, and round, and smooth and firm to the touch. When Feliciano first bit into his, the skin gave off a pleasant crunch and the juice burst into flavor, dribbling down his chin. Feliciano's eyes rolled back in his head. Bitukin were impossibly good.

Feliciano was nearly tempted to buy another, but he didn't.

He rested next to a thin little tree and folded his feet as he ate. He wished the spicy sweet flavor was easier to come by. But Feliciano only got to taste it every month or so. Sometimes longer. And if Roma knew he was wasting so much money on a single fruit... it wouldn't end well.

If Lovino were here, he would call Feliciano an idiota for spending so much.

Feliciano leapt to his feet. He would not think of Lovino right now. Not when he was so happy. He didn't want to start crying.

To take his mind off of things, Feliciano visited another stall and bought himself a pretty flower crown. He really needed something to make himself feel good.

The next place he visited was the local pub - it was an extension of his Grandpa's inn, and the workers didn't mind if he came there. Many of the regulars were there already, hanging out and chatting loudly. Feliciano settled himself on a chair in one corner and relaxed. It was time to have his own quiet version of fun.

He liked to people watch. So that was what he spent his time with on the days that Roma let him go out. He utilized his time, stretching his stays until the sun lowered and Roma would begin to look for him. It got lonely, staying in the fields all of the time. Feliciano got his dose of socialness here.

But when the sun began to dip down tiredly in the sky, Feliciano heaved himself to his feet with a sigh and knew that it was time to head on home. He exited the pub with a little curtsy to the people at the counter and a general wave to the room. He left the town, carrying his little basket slung over his arm.

The basket was soon slung over the jarred edge of a broken branch as Feliciano reached the tree. It was the only one on the journey home, but it was huge. Feli had always wanted to climb to the top, dreaming of 'tasting' the sky, but he had never even been able to reach the first branch. The broken one? That broke off the first time he tried to climb it. He hadn't tried again.

Feliciano leaned against the wood and settled himself in a little shallow hole in the dirt, where the roots curved around and made a bit of a hollow just the boy's size. As the light dimmed, sounds of little insects filled the air and Feliciano was content to simply feel the breeze brush his skin. He closed his eyes for just a moment -

And when he woke, it was dark. Jumping up with a gasp, Feliciano realized just how late he was - ohh, his grandfather would be furious. Feliciano was terrified to think of the punishment he might get. So he ran off right away, little feet pattering against the ground.

He didn't realize that he had left his precious basket behind.

When he got home, his grandpa was asleep in a chair. A lamp was hanging dimly next to him. The house was otherwise dark and quiet.

Feliciano put out the lamp and gave Roma a blanket. Then he tiptoed upstairs and crawled into Lovino's bed. He didn't fall asleep until very late.

"When will he wake?"

"It is hard to tell. Some days he sleeps long, some days he is up before the crack of dawn. It is best to let him wake on his own."

"Mmm," a voice said. "We will have to train that out of him if we chose him. An omega, you said?"

"Indeed."

"How old?"

"Nearly nineteen summers."

Feliciano opened his eyes. Roma and an unknown man were standing in the doorway. Roma saw that Feliciano was awake first.

"You came home late last night," he said. "Where were you?"

Feliciano lowered his eyes. When his grandpa was being stern, he was pretty scary.

"I-I'm sorry Grandpa but I fell asleep under the tree, and, um..."

Feliciano didn't continue, knowing how Roma disliked excuses. "I'm sorry."

"Do not worry, Feliciano," Roma said. "It is alright. However, as you can see we have a guest."

The man stepped forward. "May the aces find favor in you," he said, bowing shallowly.

Feliciano wasn't sure what to do. The man seemed so sophisticated and calm.

"I am sorry," Roma apologized. "I have not taught him polite manners. We have never seen any need to do so..."

"It is alright," the man said. Roma gestured to Feliciano. He followed the two down the stairs.

"My name is Heracles," the man said. "Feliciano, please sit with me. Roma, if you would allow us to speak alone."

Feliciano perched himself curiously on the little couch while Roma shut the door quietly behind him. He was still a little tired but he leaned forward, bouncing slightly, wondering why the man was here.

"I am from the palace of Hearts," he began. "Our King, his Majesty Ludwig, has sent out several ambassadors to search the land for certain candidates. I believe that you may have potential for what he needs. I do, however, need more information from both you and your grandfather. Is everything clear so far?"

This sounded quite interesting. The King was interested in him? Ludwig sounded nice... Feliciano wondered what he was like.

"Ve? Oh, sorry, sometimes I get lost in my thoughts and I forget to answer people!" Feliciano said, smiling embarrassedly. "You said that I am a candidate? What does that mean?"

"It means that you could be the one chosen for what his Majesty needs."

"And what does he need?" Feliciano asked, tilting his head in just the way he knew would give the picture of innocence.

Heracles hesitated, but he didn't give in. "I will inform you once I believe it is wise to do so."

"Hmm," Feliciano said. Unfortunate. Heracles was good. Perhaps if he were an alpha Feliciano would have been able to get the information out of him.

"Have you told this to my grandpa?" he asked.

"Yes. May I continue?"

"Yes," Feliciano said. "Were you going to ask me questions now?"

"Yes. Roma is your grandfather? On your mother's side, if I am correct."

Feliciano smiled. "Yep! I do not actually remember my mama, though. Or my papa."

Heracles nodded, scribbling notes on a parchment. "And you are nineteen summers?" Feliciano nodded happily.

"Roma also informed me that you have not been taught polite social manners. Is that correct?"

Here, Feliciano hesitated. He wasn't sure what Heracles meant by that, but if Roma had told him that then surely he was correct, wasn't he?

Slowly, Feliciano nodded.

"Mmm," the man said. "You would have to be taught, then."

After a moment, he looked back up, directly into Feliciano's eyes. His next question sent blood rushing to the boy's face.

"When was your first heat?"

Feliciano let out a little squeak at the personal question. He stammered out his response. "I- I have not..."

"Ah," Heracles said, picking up on Feliciano's discomfort immediately. "Alright. And how many alphas have you spent an extended length of time with recently?"

"I do not see very many people," Feliciano said, already recovered from his embarrassment. "But my grandpa Roma, I am with him every day, even if he sometimes scares me a lot I love him so much! And yesterday I met a very nice man in the village who I talked to but that was only for an hour or so..."

Heracles frowned. "You would have to get used to that as well, then... There are many alphas in the Royal City. And you would have to meet with many of them..."

Feliciano was getting unbearably curious now. He fidgeted in his seat a little.

"Tell me, Feliciano. What do you enjoy to fill your time with?"

Feliciano smiled widely. This was an easy question.

"I love helping Grandpa Roma cook. He says I am really good at it! And I love painting too, and drawing, and sleeping!" Feliciano was proud of his talents. Grandpa always did say that he had a real knack for falling asleep anywhere, as long as it was siesta time!

"Hmm." Was all Heracles said. "Thank you. I will speak with your grandfather now."

"Ooh! I will go get him!" Feliciano shot up from his seat, humming as he bounced out the door. He passed straight through the kitchen and out a ways into the yard.

"Grandpa Roma, Grandpa Roma, the nice man out there wants to talk to you now!" Feliciano called. Roma looked up from where he had been tending to his vegetable plants.

"I will be right in, Feli! Would you offer him drinks while I get cleaned up?"

Feliciano spun around and ran back into the kitchen.

"Mister Heracles! Would you like anything to drink or eat?" Feliciano asked, already opening the door to the cellar that held Roma's alcohol. But there was no reply from the man.

"Mister Heracles?" Feliciano rounded the corner. Heracles hadn't moved from where Feliciano had left him. But as the boy approached, he heard a soft sound coming from his guest -

Heracles had fallen asleep!

Feliciano quietly giggled to himself. "Mister Heracles is probably very tired from his journey here," he said softly, going back to the kitchen. I will simply make something for Grandpa Roma, then! And maybe myself as well..."

Roma joined him in the cellar, however, before he could sneak a little for himself.

"Feli, naughty boy," Roma scolded, with a twinkle in his eye. "If you had wanted some I would have given you a taste, but sneaking? That is not a good idea..."

"I am sorry, Grandpa," Feliciano pouted. "But guess what? Mister Heracles has fallen asleep!" he said, grinning.

A smile broke out on Roma's face. "He fell asleep on me, too, when he got here and we were first talking. I had just come back from the bathroom and - poof! He was sleeping!"

Feliciano broke out in a burst of laughter. Roma joined him for a moment. But then, just as suddenly, he was all business again.

"I suppose I must go and speak with him, then," he said. "You will be alright on your own, won't you, Feli?"

"Always am!" Feliciano said brightly. He ran up the stairs before Roma could get to them and ran out the kitchen door, still barefoot. "Call for me if you need me!" He shouted back towards the house.

He ran out on the path in between the tall grasses - the one that led away from the village, and away from the trees. If Feliciano kept running this way, it almost looked like he could keep running forever -

"FELICIANO!" a voice shouted. "DO NOT MOVE!"

Feliciano dug his heels into the dirt, crying out as the stones scraped his skin. He skidded to a painful stop, falling back onto the ground. Roma's voice was harsh and commanding. Feliciano burst out in tears.

"KEEP YOUR EYES ON THE GROUND, FELI," Roma shouted, his voice now laced with the efforts of running. "DO NOT MOVE."

Feliciano glanced back to see Roma and Heracles heading towards him, weapons in their hands - and that was his mistake. When he saw the weapons, his brain had to look for a reason - and before he could stop himself, he looked to the side and there it was.

It was powerful, muscle gliding under fur as it stalked Feliciano. But oddly enough, Feliciano wasn't afraid. He wanted to stand, wanted to go to it - but Roma's insistent voice kept him tied on the ground.

It was more dog than cat, Feliciano decided. In fact, it might have actually been a dog. It didn't look feral. It was just following Feliciano's every move.

Feliciano realized with a start that he recognized that kind of behavior. He'd met a dog once before, and it was even friendlier than him - it had wanted Feliciano to pet it so bad. The boy saw the same sort of look in this dog.

Not scary. Just lonely.

"Feli, do not worry, I am here. We need to stay still while Heracles kills it -"

"NO!" Feliciano screamed. "No, you cannot kill it Grandpa he is innocent he only wants to play look at him he does not want to eat me he is too cute for that! Please do not let Mister Heracles kill him please please please!"

"Feliciano that thing tried to kill you," Roma said. Feliciano wouldn't listen, he kept pleading and pleading until finally Roma had had enough.

"NO, Feliciano Vargas, I will not let that thing live! Now be quiet and do as you are told to do!"

Feliciano whimpered, blinking tears back from his eyes. He was forced to watch as the animal faced it's doom - but for some reason, Heracles seemed to be hesitating...

With an incredible burst of courage, Feliciano broke free from his Grandpa's hold and ran to the dog. One more command from Roma was enough to stop him in his tracks, but he grit his teeth and started up again. Even jogging was better than nothing.

When he reached the dog, it nudged it's head into Feliciano's hand and wagged its tail.

"See, I knew you were a good dog," Feliciano said quietly, smiling. Heracles approached him on the side.

"You were right," he said, surprised.

"Oh no," Feliciano realized. "Roma is going to be so mad..."

"Feliciano," Roma said from behind him. His voice was quiet, and Feli couldn't tell what his Grandpa was thinking. "Why did you disobey me?"

"I just knew he was not bad, Grandpa, I could not let him die!" Feliciano pleaded. "I am so sorry, I will make it up to you I promise!"

"I am not mad, Feli," Roma said. Feliciano swiveled around, the dog whining at the loss of contact. And indeed, a small smile was growing on Roma's face. Feliciano could hardly believe it.

"I am proud of you, Feli. What you did took courage. You have never stood up against me before."

"I did so when you were yelling at Lovi," Feliciano corrected quietly. "Before he left. I told you to leave him alone."

"But you would not face me for four days afterwards," Roma reminded him gently. "Do not worry, Feliciano. This was a test."

Feliciano looked up. "A... test?"

"Indeed."

Feliciano looked over at Heracles, who was petting the dog. When he realized he was being watched, he looked up.

"I brought the dog," he said. "We were supposed to act like we thought it was going to hurt you, not that it was simply being friendly."

"When you saw that we were going to kill it, you wouldn't let us do it, even after I explicitly ordered you to stop. You passed the test, Feli. Heracles needed to know that you could do what was right even when others are influencing your decision."

Feliciano approached the dog. "So he is your dog?" He asked Heracles.

"No," Heracles said. "I prefer cats. He belongs to his Majesty Ludwig."

Feliciano looked closer at the dog, surprised. "Wow, if his dog is this nice Ludwig must be super amazing!"

Heracles smiled softly, delighting Feliciano. "How can you make that assumption?"

Feliciano shrugged. "If a trainer treats a dog nice, the dog will be nice! And a trainer would not treat a dog nice unless he was a nice person!"

Heracles shook his head, smiling. "Alright. Well, now that this is done with, I
still need to speak with Roma. I-"

"Can I play with him?" Feliciano said impulsively. He felt bad for interrupting, even more so when Roma frowned slightly, but Heracles nodded.

"His name is Berlitz," Heracles said. "Make sure he does not run off and get lost, please."

Feliciano nodded eagerly, sinking his fingers into Berlitz's fur. "I will be very careful!" he said, beaming. "Thank you!"

Feliciano watched Roma and Heracles walk back to the house. They were having a pretty lively discussion. He smiled and turned back to Berlitz.

"You are a good dog, aren't you?" Feliciano asked happily, playing with the dog's ears. "I cannot believe I was ever afraid of you! I hope you are not too lonely without Ludwig..."

Feliciano returned home a little over an hour later, Berlitz trailing behind. Roma and Heracles were seated at the kitchen table, making small talk. For some reason, Roma wasn't as hearty as Feliciano had often seen him. In fact, he seemed almost sad.

When Roma saw Feliciano, he stood, coming around the table to greet him. "Feli," he said. "There is something you need to know."

Feliciano tilted his head, smiling uncertainly up at his grandpa. "You do not look very happy, Grandpa, what is wrong?"

Roma took Feliciano's shoulder, looking directly into his eyes. "Feli, this man has determined that you are the best candidate for his proposition. He... he will explain what you are to do while you pack."

"Pack?" Feliciano echoed. "Are we going on a trip?"

Heracles joined the two. "Feliciano, I have determined that you are what this country needs most at this time, and your grandfather consents. Are you prepared to learn exactly what is being requested of you?"

Feliciano nodded, slower than he might have normally. Heracles seemed happy, but Roma would no longer meet his eyes.

What was going on?

"As you may or may not know, the country of Hearts has been missing a third of their Royal Court for some time now. I and several other have scoured the country searching for initiates. So far, you seem quite promising. So I will ask you now..."

Heracles stepped forward and took Feliciano's hands in his own. The boy's eyes grew wide and he stared up in shock as Heracles said:

"Feliciano Vargas, will you accept his Majesty's informal request? Will you join the Royal Court? Will you become the next Jack of Hearts?"