Now the first real chapter. Scotland will be Shetland's father for this story, since I couldn't think of anyone better, but in my ordinary Hetalia head cannon, he's just her boss. This AU will have a lot of differences like this, as seen in this chapter and the ones following after.

I do NOT own Hetalia.

Chapter One

Everything's all wrong. This town, this life, this…this…job! But I can't complain out loud, or father will call me an ungrateful brat again and just to keep my nose clean, don't go starting trouble. Trouble. Like, I'm a cause of that in this town.

Right. Best get onto basics. This town is called New Norsecrest. Don't ask about what happened to the old one, that's a company secret. The company, of course, being Norsecrest Enterprises. It's owned by the Kjøller family, who in turn, owns the town, where everyone who works for the company lives their little lives, under the watchful eye of Norsecrest. I'm not kidding when I say everyone works for Norsecrest. If not a first job for them during the day, some sort of other during the night. Day teachers for children can double as security guards and librarians can double as night secretaries. Go figure.

I, myself, am one of the head maids at the Kjøller mansion. There are seventeen housemaids in total for a house that big and then about ten or so scullery and kitchen maids to help the cooks. I don't mind it, but it's taxing. Working in the company head's personal home makes you stress enough, but then…there's him…the heir to the company. Nikolaus Kjøller. Coincidentally, he's the biggest pain and wanted bachelor in the town.

All the female employees in the mansion gossip about him and talk about how nice it'd be to become his woman, the apple of his eye and the object of his desire. Who would want to with that ridiculously messy blonde hair (God, he actually thought that was stylish?), obnoxious Nordic accent, and childish and arrogant attitude? Not me, that's definite. I'd actually like to ram one of his father's prized axes up his—

"Sinclair, get your head out the window and start up the fires in the young master's room!"

"Yes, Ms. Lý." I curtsied quickly to my superior and hurried along.

Her name was Lý Lan Tuyen, Tuyen being her first name and Lý being her surname. For a Vietnamese woman barely my age, she acted much older and crankier. But she was one of my few good friends I made here, someone to bail me out and vice versa. That meant all the soubrettes that just loved being around the "young master" were of course, idiotically girlish and childish. Just how he liked them, apparently, since I often caught him with one, or more, of the maids in his bed or many of other "secret spots," as he liked to think, around the mansion. Disgusting.

I emptied the last of the ashes in a small plastic bin before tidying up. I blew out a puff of air at the annoying strand of hair that had come loose from my bun. My soot covered fingers couldn't tidy it up without looking like I rubbed my head in the fireplace. I sighed and ignored it, taking out the scrubbing brush to scrub at the soot stained walls of the fireplace. What the hell did these people need fireplaces for, anyway? They did have central heating and were richer than anything. It was for atmosphere rather than anything useful, most likely. Wasteful.

"Niko!" I heard a surprised, yet happy squeal outside of the door.

"Shh…they'll hear you, engel!"

Then a shower of giggles rained after his words. Sickeningly sweet and oh so fake, just like he wanted them to think he was. I rolled my eyes and scrubbed at the bricks harder. I had to work in the house of this…idiot…this…ignoramus. Ugh. And now he was seducing some love struck, naïve girl right outside the room. For sex, of course. Nothing else really mattered when it came to him and women.

Just when the door started to open, I threw down the brush into a bucket. It startled them, making them jump. I turned my face to the door and there stood the surprised young master. I must have been glaring by accident, since he was looking at me rather irritated, his eyebrows knit together. I loosened my facial muscles and gave a small, heartwarming smile, then curtsied for the "you're much better and wealthier than me, sire" affect.

"Sir," I said, looking at the carpet, then at him.

He smirked slightly at my act of submission. Bastard. I collected my cleaning supplies quickly as he led the girl more into the room. I squeezed out of the door just as they made it to the bed, losing it immediately behind me. I could have sworn to have heard them laugh as I made my way down the hall.

oOo

"This is torture, Tuyen!" I sighed as I put down my sandwich. "I hate seeing him do such vulgar things and just…having no shame!"

"Well, don't be so dramatic, Cait!" she rolled her eyes and sipped her coffee. "He's a man, and a rich one at that. He has needs and he'll act on them, no matter what it looks like."

"An absolutely idiotic one."

We were outside during our lunch break, in the gardens. It was just beginning to be autumn, so it wasn't all that warm, but at least it was peaceful, unlike in the old servants' quarters. The help in there was chatting up a monsoon or something like it. As far as I knew, we were the only ones outside during this time, so we talked as we pleased.

"Mm…what kind of girl did he bring in this time?"

"What kind of— a stupid one!" I huffed. "That's the only kind willing to have him touch them!"

"Besidesthat, Cait." She clucked in Vietnamese under her breath.

"You expect me to remember every detail…"

"You are the one with a nearly photographic memory."

"Right, right…" I thought back for a moment. "She was…blonde. With wavy hair and some ribbon like a headband…"

"She sounds familiar…"

"She sounded a little…Dutch, I think?" I shrugged. "She was wearing a sweater and skirt, too. Looked like the university type."

"Ah, I see…College kid, you think?"

"Probably. Pretty big chest, too." I took a bite of my sandwich nonchalantly.

"He always goes with the girls with big chests."

"And long legs. Figures."

"A man's a man, no matter what you dress him up as."

"True…but God, Tuyen. I can't help but hate him."

"Hate him at home; you know everything has ears here."

She glanced around the garden, and I followed her gaze, stopping and glaring at a head of brown hair that peeked from behind a tree. I glared and drew a finger across my throat. The girl visibly gulped and ran off. I made sure no one else was listening before we began talking again.

"I'll hate him wherever I go, I'm afraid. He's such an influence here…I just…want him gone so badly!"

"I know, I know."

"And he'll just be there, wherever I happen to be! Did I tell you Tuyen, after I left the room what he did?"

"No," she sighed. "What?"

"They laughed!" Of course, I wasn't certain they did, but I knew better to suspect so. "They laughed at the poor maid having to leave because the young fucking master wanted to get under some girl's skirt!"

"Calm down…remember your blood pressure, Cait…"

"Blood press'uh moi arse!" Oh dear, I was turning to my native Scottish accent. I was pissed, that was sure. "Auhl I wont is tah wring 'is chicken neck! Make a fool o' the 'eir o' the Sinclairs, will 'e?"

I huffed, trying to finally clam down, crossing my arms tightly over my rather large bosom. It could be so irritating having a less than perfect body and then those large…things on my chest. They hurt my back, frankly, and they had long gone been past their intended use. I often considered breast reduction, but our family just didn't have money for it.

"Cait…"

"Wot?"

"Please…" She sighed, putting her hand to her forehead. "Can we talk about something else? All you seem to talk about lately is Nikolaus this, Nikolaus that, Nikolaus-I-want-to-kill-him this."

"Sorry Tuyen…" I looked into my lap.

"It's fine." She sighed again, then smiled. "Now, let's talk about 'Nina, instead, shall we?"

I immediately smiled at the mention of my daughter's name and we began a new conversation.

oOo

After work, I had to wait outside for my cousins. They were sort of half cousins, their other sister being my half sister through my mother. But my family's so muddled in its relations; I could be related to everyone in the town. It was only a little cold, surprisingly. Norsecrest, was known for harshly cold weather.

"C-Cait!" someone tearily called for me and I turned. "S-sorry we're late!"

"Yekaterina," I smiled comfortingly, "It's fine, really. Are you alright?"

"D-da." She nodded, sniffling. "I-It's just I lost my g-glove and…!"

"Sestra…"

I jumped slightly as Natalia came from behind her, clutching a beige glove in her own hand.

"I found this, sestra…"

"O-oh!" Yekaterina sniffled and put on the glove before hugging her sister. "Da! Spasybi."

Natalia patted her back stiffly, then righted herself when she let go.

"Shall we get going?" she asked coldly, starting to walk without us.

"D-da!" Yekaterina nodded tearily and started walking, taking my hand in hers.

"How was work, Yekat?" I asked over my scarf. She worked taking care of the children in the corporation's daycare center, and when she didn't, she helped the cooks as a scullery maid.

"Good as usual, da. A-all the children got along as usual."

"Good to hear," I smiled.

"Do you think 'Ninaya will want to come to daycare?"

I frowned. "No, I don't want her in the same atmosphere as that man. It'll poison her sweetness."

"Poison?" she frowned, confused. "B-but she must someday. You can't keep her at home forever."

"I know, Yekat. Believe me, I know. But I just want to keep her home a little longer…or until…until…"

I couldn't bring myself to say that I would keep her home until no one could watch her, specifically my father. His health wasn't in that good a condition to begin with and having lost his company to Norsecrest's competition seemed to make things worse…

"Da, it's alright, Cait." She patted my shoulder assuring me, smiling gently.

"Thanks," I gave her a small smile.

"Brat!" a shriek sounded ahead of us, without a doubt coming from Natalia.

"Oh no…" I sighed.

I watched Natalia take off after her brother, him seemingly running for his life, and Yekaterina running after them in turn.

"I will talk with you later, Cait!" she turned her head to call back at me before running to a full sprint after her siblings.

I could have sworn her breasts were making some sort of sound as she ran…but that's impossible and idiotic. Also, a thought hewould have. I shook my head to rid myself of thoughts of him. He's all I thought about lately, and it was worrying others, I could tell. But most of all, it was worrying me. To think about such a man all the time when my thoughts should be filled with things like what to dress Ani on, what new hairdo to try, how I can do better at work. Personal things.

Filling my head with thoughts of Nikolaus Kjøller was not personal in the least. It was almost fanatic the way I despised him and talked so ill of him. But he brought it upon himself, treating the town and all the people in it like it was all made for his amusement. Like this town was his personal playground. He threatened people, annoyed them, asserting his authority over them so they had to listen or their lives and jobs were on the line.

I hate him so much.