A/N Ahhh I'm kinda pleased with how quickly this story is letting me write it! I'll try to get the third chapter done tonight after my appointment, but no promises.
LindenOwl- Thank you so much for being the first commenter on this! I love getting feedback. I don't want to give away why Gilbert is the way he is, so all I'll say is that it WILL be explained.
Home. That word echoed over and over again in the child's mind as he clung on to the mane of the beautiful stallion. Did he have a home? He was very confused. To the best of the child's knowledge, he didn't even have a name, and the man with the silver hair had not recognized him until the grave he had emerged from had been seen. Perhaps the man was someone he had known before, and he himself had been hard to recognize until the name on the stone had been seen.
The ride itself did not scare the boy, whose fingers gently curled into the soft hair of the mane he was holding, no, it was oddly familiar. Comforting even. The small blonde was simply afraid of angering the man who chest he sat against on the creature, lest he be left alone to the cold and the dark once more. He wanted to speak, to say thank you, to ask where home was, what his name was, but his voice he could not yet find. The trees began to dissipate, and so too with went some of the child's fears. He could see light starting to peek through the dim light brush, growing more and more until...
Until they broke free.
The child found himself sucking in a deep big breath of clean crisp air, his first that he'd been able to enjoy since waking in the ground, puffing out his cheeks to hold it, a small amused snicker coming from the man behind him.
In the end, Gilbert couldn't help himself. No matter how much this child brought rage to his stomach, watching the small filthy boy hold his cheeks like that was mildly entertaining, although, he mused, it was more likely he was laughing at the boy, not with him.
"You know, you don't have to hold it. The air isn't going to run out, welp." He pointed out dryly.
The boy simply looked up at him over his shoulder, giving the older man a look that made his blood run cold and any hint of a smile vanish, his eyes once more hardening. It reminded him far too much of the almost sardonic looks Dieter would so often give him when he was trying to piss the boy off. The looks that almost seemed to question if Gilbert was trying to be mean, funny, or make conversation while making it abundantly clear he was failing at each and every option. Spoiled, arrogant little fucker Dieter had been…
The albino stopped the horse, sliding back an inch from the child. Before the boy had time to silently ask why they had stopped, the man had taken off his coat and wrapped it around the child, covering all but the boys eyes. "We have to ride through the city to get home. You are an absolute mess. You haven't seen yourself, so I suppose you didn't notice, welp, but I will not be seen riding with a child whose clothes are torn, and who is covered from head to toe in blood and dirt." Gilbert huffed out gruffly as they approached the city, one arm staying around the boys now coat covered stomach to keep him close. The last thing he needed was the kid falling off the horse and everyone seeing. Then he'd have to start explaining who this boy was. He really wasn't in the mood for such irritation. It was far too early in the day.
The boy remained quiet of course, even as he curled a little smaller into the coat. He didn't want to be seen anyways. He still didn't even know who he was. All he knew was the silver haired man behind him, the scary stranger who despite the harsh tone and rough hands, was taking him to a home, his home. Was protecting him. This was the person he could trust the most. Small fingers reached out hesitantly, curling around Gilberts fingers on the reins, looking up at the man with a timid smile- the first one he'd offered since he'd been found. Or even since he'd woken.
There was a sharp intake of breath from the Prussian, his eyes hardening more and his chest momentarily stilling as his body went rigid. There it was again. That urge to vomit, to scream, to hit this presumptuous little brat who didn't even know that he was replacing Gilberts everything, and still had the audacity to so innocently and sweetly touch him. Still, he didn't force the boys hand away, just stared straight ahead, crimson eyes focused on getting the boy home so he could leave him to be cleaned with the nurses. So Gilbert could flee to the safety of his study and drown this agony with a good stiff drink.
"Welcome home, Hasi." Gilbert told him as they rode up to the palace. Even with the pet name that felt so soothing and familiar to the boy, Gilbert's voice remained cold. But that name... The child had been called that before, he knew he had, but by a softer voice. Regardless, even with the bitter tone, the word brought a feeling of warmth and safety to the little one, who subconsciously cuddled back into the warmth of the albino, not noticing as the man once more stiffened.
His eyes were wide with awe as he saw the palace, tugging on Gilberts sleeve and looking up at him excitedly, as though to ask if this were home. The albino simply rolled his eyes, glaring down at the boy. "Yes, Hasi, that is home. You really are a pest, did you know that? Of course you didn't, stupid child, you don't even know your name." He muttered crankily- this really was not how he'd been planning to spend his morning ride.
Of course, in hindsight, he should have been expecting something like this to happen sooner rather than later. It was very rare for a power such as Dieter had been to fall as he did and no replacement to appear. And it had been two years- that was generally how long it took the chosens body to stop the symptoms of post mortem, and undergo the changes necessary to transition to the body to one of their kind. That could, of course, vary a month or two here and there, Gilbert had observed, depending on how mangled the body was prior to the change. And none of them ever remembered their previous lives, their names, their birth families. None knew how or why they were picked, perhaps it was God himself who decided, as his first master had told him while beating the sin out of him. If so, God was cruel. But no more cruel than Gilbert himself, the albino mused, had he not killed innocents, children before too? Had he not let his own brother, still merely a petulant child, ride to his death?
He'd been hoping no replacement would come. Even as his king grew anxious, even as the whole German Empire became anxious, and rooms were prepared for wherever the expected child would be discovered...
He didn't want to tell his king. He knew he had to though. It wasn't as though he doubted the king would be kind to the child, he knew he would. But this pathetic thing was scrawny and weak. Gilbert would not lose another. He had sworn himself to protect this boy, even through the deep hatred that boiled in his blood. After all, he had found him. That made Gilbert the child's guardian, his family, the one in charge of naming him.
... But he would never call him brother.
Perhaps he could simply train him himself? That was a laugh, as though he had a choice. He had not wanted to become finder of his dear brothers replacement. This child, for all that he reminded Gilbert of the overconfident little bastard, was not his Dieter.
And in the end, it had taken Dieter falling for Gilbert to realize the boy really was his everything.
"Come along, Hasi." Gilbert's voice was quiet as he slid off of the horse, lifting the child and bundling him a little tighter in the coat, holding him to his chest as a husband would a bride and carrying him inside, letting the servants return his horse to the stable. Mangled fingers reached out of the coat to curl into Gilberts pristine white shirt, leaving it bloody in their wake. "Damn brat." He muttered once more. "Do you know what a bitch blood is to get out? Now I'll have to clean both my coat and my shirt."
They were approached by three of the nurses, their eyes wide as tiny blue eyes peeked out nervously from inside the coat, those fingers curling in tighter, the bundle starting to shake. "Now hush." Gilbert scolded quietly. "These are to be your nurses, you needn't shake like a wet leaf, urchin." A sharp pang hit his chest as those blue eyes locked on his own crimson, the childs head giving a nod of understanding- of obedience. He didn't want to disappoint this man.
"Sir Gilbert… is that….?" One of the nurses dared to ask, her voice breathless with excitement. Could this be the child they'd all been waiting for, preparing a bedroom and clothes for? Could this truly be their new young master? The nurses had been with Dieter the most, and all of the women had adored the boy, adored having the presence of a child who was not royalty in the palace. And he had been such a strange child to begin with.
"Yes, it is." The Prussian replied, his voice barely concealing his anger at the excitement the women displayed as he sat the child down, using the coat to wipe some of the maggots from his filthy hair before revealing him to the nurses. How quick they were to forget his dear one! To happily move on to a new child to spoil and adore! It made his contempt for the boy now hugging onto his leg shyly all the more intense. Dammit all to hell. Why had he stopped upon seeing the boy? Now he was stuck, with this all too real reminder of his failure to his dear one at his side, guilt over the loss eating him from the inside out. A drink. That was right, he needed a drink.
"Take him to be cleaned. He will not meet Frederick and Luise today. He must be properly taught etiquette as well. Feed the boy and care for him until after supper. When he is in his dressing gown this evening, you may then bring him to my study, and not a moment sooner? Understood?"
The youngest of the nurses, a pretty woman with dark brown hair, of no more than twenty years herself gave a nod. "We understand. Come along, little master." She murmured, moving towards the boy to try to coax him away from the Prussian. "We won't hurt you." She had not expected the swift open hand that met her cheek, staring up at Gilbert in shock as tears welled in her eyes.
"Ludwig." Gilbert spat out coldly, eying her angrily. "His name is Ludwig. Not little master. He is never to be called that. He will never be little master, do you understand me? He is to be addressed as master Ludwig, or even young master Ludwig. But never little master."
Gilbert had been debating names the whole trip, Emmerich simply wouldn't do, none of them maintained any part of their previous life when they changed. He hadn't fully decided on one up until that point, but hearing the woman use that name…. his dear ones name.. he had spat out the first one he had thought of. Ludwig. It would do. It was a good name for one of their kind. A strong name.
Ludwig. The boys face lit up as his name was spoken, pretending he hadn't seen the tense, frightening encounter, and obediently taking the nurses hand as he smile up at Gilbert, giving a sweet little wave goodbye. He had a name! His name was Ludwig.
"Yes sir, I understand." The scolded nurse replied meekly, staring at the ground even as she felt the little ones hand slip into her own. She couldn't but smile down at Ludwig, crouching to his level and gently thumbing some of the dirt off of his cheek. "You really are a mess, aren't you, young master Ludwig? No matter, we'll get you all cleaned up and looking like a li- young master should in no time!"
"Yes, crawling out of your own grave will do that to you." Gilbert agreed dryly, a sadistic smile tugging at the corner of his lips at the look of horror on the young woman- Adelaide, he believed her name was- 's face.
Adelaide quickly shook it from her face, turning her attention back to the child and leading him down the hall. The cleaning staff would take care of the mess she knew. Her job was to soothe and clean little Ludwig, to make sure he was acceptable to see Sir Gilbert in the evening. "Come along, dear one, we're going to run you a nice warm bath and get you all cleaned." She told him, her finger gently laying a tap to his nose.
Ludwig couldn't help but shyly smile up at this woman- she seemed so kind, and like she honestly cared for him. The nine year old tightened his hand in hers, lighting up at the mention of a bath. A warm one even! But of course, could he expect any less inside a palace?
The other nurse began to warm the water, adding soapy bubbles for the child as Adelaide helped him slide out of his tattered clothing, a small sigh of delight escaping Ludwigs lips as he got into the large washbasin, a quiet giggle escaping him as his fingers began to play with the soapy suds, trying to ignore the pain in the digits. Come to think of it, that was the first actual sound his throat had allowed him to produce. Would he be able to speak again soon? He hoped so.
The child melted into the warm water, obediently letting the nurses wash the dirt and blood from his body, revealing porcelain skin and pinkened cheeks as the dirt disappeared. It would be best, he decided, if he waited until he saw the man once more to try to speak. His hair was next, golden locks revealed as the filth dissipated, Adelaide smiling down at him once more and playfully pinching his cheeks.
"Look at you, young master Ludwig! It seems there's a handsome little boy under all that dirt after all! For a while, I feared we'd find nothing at all!" She teased him, delighting as the child laughed, growing more and more relaxed around her. "Won't Sir Gilbert be pleased to see what a handsome kleiner bruder he has when you're actually clean!"
Ludwig paused a moment, processing this new information. Sir Gilbert, that was the silver haired mans name, wasn't it? And if he was Sir Gilberts little brother than… than Gilbert was his großer bruder! He had a big brother, a family! The thought thrilled the blonde, a shrill noise of delight and excitement falling from his lips, all the more eager to let the nurses scrub the dirt from him and clean his wounds, even though it hurt. He wanted to impress his big brother very much with what a clean, obedient little boy he could be.
After his bath, he was dressed in pants and a blouse with an open neck, adjustable with laces, a small coat being put onto his arms. An outfit reminiscent of bruders, he noted with no small amount of pride. However, he couldn't help but squirm as his hair was brushed down carefully, blonde bangs falling into blue eyes.
Adelaide gave a quiet sigh as she saw her young master all cleaned up and dressed like the nobility he was. He looked so much like the little master… without a thought she reached out, idly brushing the bangs up and off to the side, making him look far more the noble child. Dieter had always fought them on it, insisted they remain down. Ludwig simply smile up at her and let her do as she wished.
But then, this child was entirely different, she noted. Whereas everyone in the Palace had been well aware of the tense and often violent relationship between the little master and Sir Gilbert, of the mutual contempt they had help for one another, the younger as much as the older- this child seemed only too eager to please. It was clear from every movement, from the grin when he was told Gilbert was his brother, to the pride that now shone on little ones face.
"Come along, little one." She murmured softly, pushing those thoughts back from her mind. "How about we get you something to eat?"