Thank you Exca314 and Axaelys for your kind reviews! You got it almost spot on, I'm impressed :P

The next chapter will be posted July 17th, so stay tuned.


Miles and miles of road stretched out beneath the taxi's drive from the airport was a long one, and Lovino was struck by the true beauty of the countryside. Golden sunlight filtered through the trees, and every once in a while there was a break in the landscape to show off a truly magnificent view. He was mesmerized, but kept a stony face.

The same could not be said for Feliciano, who was pressed against the glass of the window. "Oh wow!" He said. "I can't believe we've never traveled this far before."

"The sights are amazing" The taxicab driver acknowledged. "But there's something about heading deep into these woods that makes me glad to just visit."

Lovino agreed. It was pretty, sure, but he preferred the comfort of Italy. He hoped the trip would not be a long one.

Eventually, the road narrowed and the trees began to block out some of the bright sunlight. The woods became thicker, so thick in fact, that Lovino wondered if they had taken a wrong turn. He was about to ask if they should turn around when the car stopped.

"Is this the manor?" Feliciano asked, leaning forward. "I can't see it past the trees."

They had arrived at an old stone bridge, spanning across a large chasm. Lovino dared to take a look down to the void below, but swallowed hard when the image of falling upon those rocks made his heart race.

The taxicab driver frowned momentarily. "Yes, yes it's ahead." He inched the car along further, before stopping again. "This is as far as I can take you."

"What?" Lovino snapped. "Not even to the door? That's bullshit"

"You can't just leave us in the woods" Feliciano worried. "I don't know where we are!"

"It's ahead" The driver said again, agitated. "Please, leave now"

Unable to believe what was happening, Lovino quickly scrambled out of the back side of the car to the driver's window, hoping his proximity would make a difference. "What the fuck?" He began to yell. Mixed with Feliciano's shouts and pleas, they did not hear the second car pull up behind them.

"What seems to be the problem?" A familiar german heavy accent asked, and Lovino looked up to meet eyes with an older, greying gentleman with deep circles and a stiff expression.

"He won't take us any further!" Lovino said through gritted teeth, gesturing to the taxi driver. "We won some contest and we're far from home and we need-"

"You're the contest winners?" the new man interrupted. His stiff expression seem to get harder as he looked at Lovino with a new light. "Well that changes things now doesn't it. Excuse me, sir" He said to the taxi driver, leaning down to the window. "I believe I can help these young men from here."

Feliciano broke out in a nervous giggle from the passenger window. "Oh thank Mary, Jesus, and Joseph, we've been saved!"

The older man raised a calculated eyebrow. "My name is Ubel Droge and I work for the Lord of Darkmoor Castle. I believe we spoke on the phone…"

"Oh I remember you!" Feliciano said, brightened. "Lovino said you sounded like a creep but I don't agree at all"

Another frown, more engraved this time. "Lovely. I can take you from here."

Mr. Droge paid the taxicab driver, giving him a wry look at he did so. With the luggage transferred to the new car and both brothers seated, their journey began once more. Slowly the trees melted away as they crossed finally the bridge, revealing an entirely new sight. Straight ahead was a large stone castle, connected to the bridge and rising off the mountainside. A large tower hugged the side, and Lovino could see well tended to greenery all around. It was clearly old, dating farther back than hecould guess, and looked the part. He wondered if the inside matched the antique look of the outside. However, despite it's age, it was still the most imposing thing Lovino had ever seen.

"Welcome to Darkmoor Manor" Mr. Droge said, stopping the car. "Your new home."

"For two weeks" Lovino added.

"Of course. Right this way"

When they entered the front door, Feliciano had already bounced ahead, eager to be the first to enter and the first to take in the sights. "Oh my god" He gasped, standing in the midst of the foyer. "This place is huge!" He raced to the nearest suit of armor, shined and with an ax at the ready. "Can I touch this?"

Mr. Droge scowled. "Absolutely not. That is an antique dating from the 16th century-"

"What about this?" Feliciano had already begun to run his fingers along an ceramic vase sitting precariously on its stand.

"No!" Mr. Droge snapped, snatching his hand away before he could do any damage.

"Don't touch my brother, you dick" Lovino snapped, cradling a Faberge egg that had caught his eye.

A vein noticeably began to throb in the man's temple, but he calmed. "I believe I have lost my cool for a moment there." He released Feliciano's hand and carefully pried Lovino away from the delicate egg. "Please, your rooms are this way"

The brothers shared a look. Messing with this man would be quite fun, but they wouldn't push it. Not tonight. They followed Mr. Droge up the grand staircase.

Each step through the castle brought on new wonders. Suits of armor, large drapes that lifted so light could stream through the windows. Deep, rich colors set the scene of reds and golds and beautiful greens. As they walked, Droge began to speak. "I must inform you that we have two rules here at the Castle. No one may roam freely at night, and you may not enter the study. Apart from that you have free reign until dinner."

Feliciano hummed. "You mean we can do anything? How cool is that!"

"Where is everyone?" Lovino asked their host's back. "For such a big place it feels like a ghost town"

Mr. Droge pulled a crooked smile, as if it pained him to show a moment of pleasure. "All servants are preparing dinner. You will meet the Lord tonight, and the rest of the guests will awaken- I apologize, arrive in the coming days." He gestured to an ornate, heavy door they had arrived at. "This here is the room for Master Feliciano. I hope it is to your liking"

Feliciano smiled wide as he looked inside. "Oh boy it's huge!"

"If it's huge he'll like it" Lovino told the guide solemnly and was about to follow before Droge's cold voice stopped him.

"Excuse me, your room is farther down this way."

"We're not staying together?"

"It's the Lord's wishes." The man said, walking away. "And Feliciano," he called as an after statement. "The Lord requests you join him for dinner tonight."

Lovino gritted his teeth. This was beyond all his brotherly instincts. He and Feliciano always shared a room. And with how far down the hall Droge had gotten, he guessed his room would be nowhere close.

"It'll be ok!" Feliciano said brightly, patting his arm. "I'll see you at dinner!"

Lovino frowned. He still wasn't sure- "Hug time!" Feliciano cheered, reaching his arms out to ensnare his brother. Lovino bulked.

"I hate your stupid hug time!" He yelled as started running down the hall to get away.

Feliciano smiled. He knew that would work.

[=]

Down another two halls, and up one more flight of stairs. "Jesus, where am I staying? The fucking attic?" Lovino thought as they walked. They passed two doors Lovino found himself drifting to, but the second he touched the handles, he was reprimanded.

Private, private. Every door seemed to be off limits.

It was not long after the second time that they arrived at his room, and Lovino was grateful for the rest.

"Your room is placed at the Lord's request." Droge said stiffly.

Lovino peeked in. The bedroom itself was as nice as the rest of the castle, with a large soft bed and an adjoined bathroom. Investigating deeper, Lovino discovered the amenities to be quite old. He wondered if the toilet even worked. "How old is this place?" Lovino asked, turning around to his guide, but Mr. Droge was nowhere to be seen. Good riddance.

After unloading his suitcase on the bed and inspecting all features of the room, Lovino decided it was high time to do some exploring of his own without Mr. Stiff Ass berating him. Cautiously exiting his room, he looked down the hall.

Something was... wrong.

When they first arrived, the hall was filled with a soft light. It was light, wasn't it? Lovino remembered, because there were soft yellows trailing his every step. But now… Now it was darker. The candles mounted on the walls flickered quietly, beckoning him further. Maybe he was wrong. Maybe he was lead to the dungeon, not the attic. Whatever the case was, he was going to find his brother's room.

Lovino began down the hall, following where he had come. Each twist and turn led him deeper and deeper, but there was nothing he recognized. Lovino let his hands trail along the large paintings, pulling his fingers away when he realized there was a thick coat of dust. Had none of the servants dusted? If there was a party going on….

Doubt began to nag on his mind. Dust to dust, dust to dust, dust to dust… dust to dust, dust to dust, dust to dust- He froze.

Ahead of him was a stout woman clinging to a pile of sheets. She looked up to meet Lovino's eyes. "Excuse me! Ma'am-"

The woman tucked her hair quickly into her headband and began to walk very fast.

Lovino followed her just as quick. Was she running away from him? What the hell? He knew he hadn't had the chance to shower after the flight but this was just ridiculous! "Ma'am, I just wanted to know where my brother's room was-" She turned a corner.

Ahead stretched a long, long hallway. But there was no maid to be found. Lovino frowned. Had he just imagined her? Maybe he had gone too long without contact with a woman and now he was just envisioning someone his age. Yeah. That was it.

Lovino looked around at this new setting. He was much farther away from where he knew to go. It was time to just pick a random door and hope for the best. The first was a linen closet. Opening it, he got a face full of moths.

"Gack… the- the fuck? Get away!" Lovino swatted the air and spent a good minute trying to cough the bugs out of throat. Choking and sputtering, he reared backwards and felt his back hit the opposite wall. But instead of holding his weight, the wall began to creak open. Lovino had one second to yelp before he was falling down a stone staircase, sliding on his butt to the bottom.

[=]

Meanwhile, Feliciano hummed about his room. The clothes go on the floor, his paintings go on the dresser, his head goes on the pillow. Stretched out and comfortable, Feliciano smiled.

He had always wanted to see the world! Lovino was always afraid of something, of leaving, of leaving him. But not Feliciano. No, the second he was free from school he was going to become a famous artist and paint the most beautiful sights and people. And he was going to find what was always calling him away from his comfortable life.

Now this, this trip was perfect. Something new was just what he needed.

Feliciano was about to fall asleep, until a quiet knock shook him out of his lethargic state. "Who is it?" He asked, picking his head up.

There was no answer. He was about to chalk it up to his imagination when- BAM BAM BAM

The quiet knock turned into a forceful bang and Feliciano near jumped out his skin. "I'm coming! I'm coming!"

Running to the door, he threw it wide and came face to face with a tower of a man, standing awkwardly in the doorframe as if he did not know why he had come.

But the second Feliciano opened, the man's blue eyes pierced his own. It was quiet. The man looked at Feliciano as if he was a dead man who begun to walk; as if terror began to overcome the joy of defeating death.

"Ve… can I help you?"

"It is dinner time." The man bit out, his voice rough and strong. "Did Droge not tell you that you were expected for dinner with the Lord?"

Feliciano shrugged. "He didn't say what time. I was going to nap"

The blond man's careful demeanor changed quickly, growing angry in the shadows of the hall. "You cannot nap!" He thundered. "You are expected to have dinner with the Lord and I forbid otherwise."

Brown eyes widened in shock as Feliciano shrunk backwards."Um, I-"

The man backed up slowly, taking a deep breath. He held his hands up in a placating gesture. "Please, I apologize." He held the breath he held. "It has been a very long time since anyone has come to dinner here. It would be my… honor to escort you" He began to look stiff and unsure again, but this time slightly less menacing in the light of the door.

Never deterred for long and attracted to strong men, Feliciano cautiously walked forward. "Lead the way" He said, shutting his bedroom door behind him.