A/N: Thank you all for the kind feedback and I apologize for the lateness! I hope this longer chapter will be enough. In this chapter there's implied SwissAus and Giripan. If you're curious about the premise or the pairings in it, please check chapter one.
The Princess and the Frog
PRINCESS & FROG
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CHAPTER FOUR
The Masquerade Ball
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The only sound that could be heard in the empty saloon, currently basked by the fading lights of the sunset, was the tapping of Bella's expensive golden shoes. She couldn't believe it; she was only gone for a little while to check that everything was perfect when suddenly Liz had disappeared and now Lovina was in a staring contest with Ludwig. The blonde firmly held her mask while she ran as quickly as possible – with those shoes! – to where the group was standing.
She couldn't let anything ruin her ball, and that included her friends and the missing trio. After all, this was the date she planned so carefully for when dear Tony would finally meet the girl of his dreams. With that thought in mind, she marched like a queen.
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"So, potato freak? Explain yourself!" If Lovina's voice wasn't already fearsome, her flaming eyes certainly were.
"Potato freak? Where did that come from?" Those were the words Ludwig meant to say. However, he didn't dare utter a word to the strange girl, partly because he didn't want others to pry into his brother and Eliza's privacy and partly because he was actually afraid of her. From behind Lovina, Feliciana was shaking slightly. The younger Vargas wondered how come Lovi wasn't scared of the huge and serious man standing in front of them, but then again, Lovi always surprised everyone. And if someone didn't do something fast, the Italian girl would probably attack the German.
"I asked you, wurst obsessed, what did you say to Liz?"
Both Ludwig and Feliciana flinched at Lovina's wrath.
"Lovi, I don't think that's something very nice to say-"
"Stay out of this, Feli. I know you like big sis Liz even more than I do, so you ought agree with me." Lovina answered with a serious expression.
Feliciana frowned at her sister's tone and spoke no more. It was hurtful whenever Lovi became like that – she never seemed to think of other's feelings. Before the older Vargas could continue her verbal assault, however, another voice boomed through the saloon.
"May I ask what's going on over here?" Typically happy Bella asked with an even more serious tone than Lovina had used. However, instead of looking at either the twins or the German, the Belgian looked at no one else than her brother. "Lars?"
At that, everyone turned to see the quiet man, who had been in the room all along. Now that Ludwig was looking at him, he remembered that Lars only accompanied Bella so far as she left the saloon. He had stayed.
Turning his favorite pipe in his hands, Lars answered with his deep voice. "Luddy mentioned Gil to Liz. That's why she got upset." And with that, he left to the balcony to smoke.
"Oh, so that's why!" Bella's laugh was especially louder this time around. "Well then, problem solved! I'll go check on Liz, 'kay? Girls, remember to set the food just right and Ludwig, are you done with the cables yet?" Before she could hear a reply, the blond girl was gone.
The room was now much quieter and less tense than before. Feliciana sighed while keeping an eye on her sister while Bella left the saloon. Lovina seemed to have quieted down and then left to the kitchen, mumbling all the while. The youngest Vargas was left with the still slightly scared German. While Feliciana was still afraid of him, she felt the need to apologize on behalf of her sister.
"Uhm, I'm sorry, Signore. Lovi easily gets angry and that leads her, well, us, into lots of troubles." Darn it, she was already messing her words. Breathing deeply, Feliciana tried to calm herself down. He didn't seem angry. "So… no hard feelings?" She asked with a slightly strained smile and still tense hands.
Ludwig could see the amber-eyed girl was scared of him – everyone usually was, really – so he gave a shot at his best smile, which felt alien on his face.
"It's fine."
He cringed by his own attempt at trying not to be scary. He could still remember his older brother's loud laughter whenever he would see Ludwig smile unnaturally (which was as rare as his natural smile). But somehow, it seemed to have worked, albeit just a bit. The girl's smile was less strained now and she was looking at him with a different expression than before. Strangely, his heartbeat rose for just a bit.
"Thank you, Signore!" But the smile was quickly gone, replaced by a frown. He didn't know why, but Ludwig felt slightly sad to see such beautiful smile gone. "Hm… Calling you Signore seems kind of weird, though, since you're my age and all… Wait, you are my age, right?" Realizing her early assumption, Feliciana tried to avoid letting the German become mad. "Ah, I'm seventeen... N-not that I'm calling you old or anything, Signore- I mean…" She decided to shut her mouth, fearing she had already said too much.
To her surprise, though, he only laughed. Idly, Feliciana wondered how someone so serious-looking could have such a handsome smile. His voice brought her back from such thoughts.
"Yes, I believe I'm a bit young to be called Signore, even though some tend to call me just that. I'm also seventeen." Noticing her dumbstruck expression, he realized he hadn't introduced himself yet. "Oh, I apologize for my manners! I'm Ludwig Beilschmidt." He extended his hand to her.
Smiling, she took his hand and gave him a hug, startling the stoic German. "Hi, Ludwig! I'm Feliciana Vargas, but you can call me Feli!" Letting go of his hand, but still smiling, she continued. "My sorella may seem scary, but don't worry! Lovi is actually very nice!"
Still blushing, he frowned. "Lovi?" The name didn't seem new to him. "Pardon, but… by any chance, is your surname Vargas?"
"Yes! How did you know?"
"My brother and his friends often mentioned your names…" Ludwig was now deep in thought. Sure, he remembered hid Bruder and Francis cooing over how cute a certain Feli was, and even how Antonio himself, long ago, used to talk about a Tomato Lovi… or was it Tomato Love? His memories seemed very blurred right now. This girl also remembered someone else-
"Brother? You mean… Gil is your brother?"
He nodded.
"Wow! Davvero? But you two look nothing alike!" Feliciana gasped.
Ludwig frowned lightly. "Well, you and your sister don't seem very similar either… I mean, not in your looks or anything, it's just-"
Feli laughed at that. "True. Sorella and I may be twins but we're very different! Did you know she like tomatoes? I'm not much of a fan; they're usually too sour… I like pasta and potatoes more-"
"FELICIANA! STOP BABBLING AND COME HERE THIS ISTANT!" The shout undoubtedly came from the kitchen.
Still laughing, Feliciana took off to the kitchen, but not before shouting to the flustered German. "See you later, Ludwig!"
Deciding to put the foggy memories of a sweet young boy who somehow remembered Feliciana to the back of his mind, Ludwig shook his head. He had cables to take care off, or God help him if some of the lights failed during the ball.
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"Why were you talking with that potato freak, Feli? Did he threaten you or something?" Lovi asked angry, but the worried tone was clear.
Feliciana just smiled and shook her head. "Not at all, Lovi! You know, Ludwig's actually pretty sweet. He didn't yell at me even though he looks scary!"
The older Vargas could swear all that was left of her younger sister's sanity was gone by now, probably by fear of that stupidly tall German.
"Pretty sweet? Who the hell were you talking to? Because it just can't be that potato freak!"
Feliciana frowned and did what was the closest thing to a glare. "Don't say that, Feli. You don't know him."
"Oh? And you do? You just met him!" Lovina was close to screaming now.
Feliciana's frown only deepened, adding to her now pensive expression. "I know, but… somehow, it seems like I know him from a long time ago. He reminds me of someone else… like, from before Nonno passed a-"
"Stop, Feli." Lovina drew a sharp breath and went back to setting the plates. "I don't want to hear about it. That time had long passed, remember?"
"But, sorella-"
"Feli! Do you or do you not want that restaurant?" That made her shut up, Lovina concluded with no real smiles. "Then get to work!"
"Si…" Feliciana said in a tone devoid of all her previous happiness.
After they finished up setting the plates, Feliciana was gathering the cutlery while Lovina made sure everything was in place, all the while glaring to a certain German. Feliciana would also direct her gaze to said German, but with smiles.
Needless to say, Ludwig couldn't look either Lovina or Feliciana in the eyes, albeit for different reasons.
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"Liz? Is everything okay?" Bella asked in a soft voice, very much unlike her usual one.
Her answer was a sobbed "come in". Nodding, the she entered the room. This was one of the biggest guest's rooms in the mansion and Bella had refused to give it to anyone else than Elizaveta. When she found out her Hungarian friend from her pre-teen years had recently asked for a divorce and had no place to live, the Belgian offered one of the elite rooms for the upcoming ball. She knew Elizaveta would make a much better use of this place rather than some ignorant rich fool.
"Oh, Bella, don't worry about me." The brunette said in a surprisingly firm voice. Then again, Elizaveta had always been the strong one. The only clue one would have about her recently crying would be her bloodshot emerald eyes. "I'm fine, really."
Bella sighed and sit down on the bed next to her friend. "Do you really think I wouldn't know you, Liz, after all these years? You can tell me these things, y'know."
"Even if I do, it's not like you'd understand, Bel." That grabbed the blonde's attention. "You never had to work your ass off to get some things in life. Then again, neither did I. The most I ever did was fight my way through life, and look what that got me." Elizaveta's laugh was anything but joyful. "Now, Lovi and Feli… those two know what hard work really is."
Slightly putout, Bella answered glumly. "My life hasn't been exactly a sea of roses either, Liz." At her friend's unconvinced look, she continued. "Okay, so I didn't marry a guy with a stick-way-up-his-ass who turned out to be gay for his Swiss childhood friend. Okay, so I also didn't lose my friendship with my long time albino crush… but Liz, you're only focusing on the bad side of things! At least neither Roderich or Gilbert ever mistreated you, did they?" Bella took her friend's silence as a 'yes'. "Besides, you're still respected every way you go. You can always start over and there will always be someone for you. You don't have to worry about money or family name."
At this, Elizaveta finally realized what Bella was referring to. While the Hungarian's love life had always been a difficult subject between the two friends, Bella's past and family name had practically been a taboo. After all these years, all that Elizaveta could gather was that she was mistreated by her parents, who worked with less than legal subjects. That's why the Belgian girl, who had always been in an excellent financial situation, suddenly found herself stuck in an orphanage when she still had her parents – who had been arrested for such activities. Despite her family line and money being forgotten, the Belgian always seemed to have enjoyed best her days in the orphanage with her and the twins. Even so, Bella had never lost hope as she continued to chant her beloved fairytales. Liz eventually realized this was her way of coping with her situation at the time. It took her half-brother's hard work to get her out of the orphanage and take her as a full family member of his side of the family. Of course, Lars and Bella never seemed like anything less than loving siblings and that was all that mattered in the end. And even to this day, the Belgian had always maintained her upbeat attitude and love for fairytales and romances.
Feeling slightly guilty for bringing up the subject, Elizaveta sighed and hugged her friend. Even if the Hungarian had learned how to cook and be a proper lady, it was still rare to receive physical contact from her – unless it was from a frying pan. Smiling, Bella hugged her back.
"So, are you ready to try on the dresses I chose for you? We should be rather quick since there are twelve!" The Belgian squealed happily.
Instead of rolling her eyes like usual, Elizaveta just sighed. Bella would always be Bella.
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The masquerade ball was going great. Everyone was wearing very elaborated masks and some people were even wearing costumes. The heavily decorated ballroom seemed to glow as brightly as the present women's jewels. The pristine floor reflected the standing and dancing guests while the walls were filled with the best type of lights, elegantly placed on golden candelabrums. The ballroom was heavy with laughter and excited chatting, every now and then with some soft music coming from the hired band. The delightfully organized colorful appetites had been, more than once, highly praised by many of the guests.
The Italian twins had already received six different jobs – and dance – proposals from many gentlemen, only to be turned down. According to Lovina (who was wearing a rounded green mask, matching her dress), they were there to make sure their part was correctly executed and that was all. Feliciana, (with the light blue matching dress and mask), only smiled politely at each refusal. She wasn't too bent on dancing, especially with such dresses, so she agreed with her sister. Although, she had to admit that she wasn't been the most helpful with the food. Instead of watching the guests eat and ask for their opinion, her attention was usually diverged to a tall, blue-eyed blond man.
Bella, wearing the most pompous pink dress and mask in the whole ballroom, was skipping from place to place at all times: either she was chatting with guests or dancing with possible suitors. Lars, after the initials guests had arrived and he closed some business deals, was now outside finishing his first cigarette of the evening. Elizaveta seemed to be the mysterious woman of the night. With her violet and slightly simples dress – which was great for hitting fools, she concluded when Bella showed her the dress – and her matching mask, she wouldn't gather much attention. But it was her fierce attitude, combined with her long hair let down and sparkling emerald eyes that caught everyone's attention. She had turned down every single dance proposal, almost hit two men until they passed out, ate half of the food by herself in an unladylike manner, and was now hanging around a very embarrassed Ludwig.
"So… have you checked your room again?" She asked, trying to be subtle.
With a loud sigh, Ludwig answered. "For the fifth time, Liz, yes, I've checked it; and they haven't arrived yet."
"What about the entrance?"
"Not there yet."
"The gates?"
"I've asked the guards, not a single shadow."
"The backdoors?"
"Same."
"The chimney? You know how those three can be-"
"Liz! They aren't here yet!" At the German's outburst, several heads turned to his direction. Ludwig recognized with a blush, a kind pair of amber eyes… and one not so kind. Trying to keep his voice low, he continued. "I apologize, but I can't spend the whole evening searching for those three! Bruder promised he would be here before the ball, but he isn't. Knowing those three, like you said, they are probably in one of the bars or passed out on the streets." He ignored Elizaveta's protests. "Which is exactly why you shouldn't go search for them." Ludwig finished with a serious expression.
Frowning, Elizaveta gave up.
"Fine! See if I care!" The Hungarian pushed a man out of her way and went in the direction of the entrance for the ninth time that night.
Ludwig could only sigh tiredly. This was not how the party was supposed to go like. His brother and their two friends should've been the first ones to arrive and maybe then – but just maybe – his outfit wouldn't have been so stupid. Really, who wears a solder's uniform in a masquerade ball? Frowning, the German also realized he couldn't hold the bridge of his nose, which was currently covered by a simple, white mask. Every time he tried to change his outfit something would come in his way, namely Elizaveta and her intense desire to see his brother, Gott knew why. Perhaps now that she would be gone for five minutes, he would be able to change from this horrible outfit. Seizing the opportunity, Ludwig quickly started to walk in the opposite direction of where the Hungarian girl went a few moments ago.
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Elizaveta wasn't just fuming; she was almost combusting. She couldn't believe her night was turning out like this. Where the heck was that stupid, infuriating albino? He had promised not to her, but to his dear little brother who he smothered all the fricking time, that he would be on time. And now here she was, already at the middle of the ball with no white hair in sight. She knew for a fact that the whole Bad Friends Trio – she realized grimly that they couldn't use the royal in their name any longer – plus Ludwig would be wearing soldier uniforms as their theme costume so it wouldn't be hard to find any of them in the party since all the guests were using old, Victorian outfits. But of course they didn't arrive on time.
She shouldn't have expected any of them to show up, she knew that. They had always had a knack for trouble and attending balls was never their preferred activity. It was naïve of her to think that they would do so just because of Antonio, their best friend, current situation. He needed to attend this ball, not for fun, but for financial purposes. She and Bella were all too aware of his disinheritance and they wanted to help their old friend. But then again, she suspected Bella's way of helping wouldn't be exactly what he was searching for. Antonio had never been the type to settle down. Or maybe she should say that about Francis.
But Gilbert was different from the other two; he was another story. The narcissistic albino, while absolutely maddening, had also been her best friend – a phrase that was, sadly, in the past tense – and even an eventual crush. However, their situations and future goals didn't match at all.
Initially both planned to join the army, but Elizaveta discovered that, as a woman, she would only be able to join like a nurse. Besides, she was the only heir of the Héderváry household and marriage was not an option. Her family even considered Gilbert a possible suitor – the Beilschmidt family was the most powerful of both Germanys anyway – but it was his loud refusal of even discussing the subject that made the Hungarian royalty give up. Instead, Roderich, Gilbert's cousin, was elected as a promising husband and they were quickly married.
She had never hated Roderich at all and with time, she learned to love him. The shadow of her past friendship was forgotten in the first years, but with time, memories started to flourish – for both of them. The couple agreed to support each other in the reestablishment of past broken friendships: Roderich with his Swiss bodyguard and friend, Vash, and she with Gilbert. It had been frustrating to achieve nothing on her part while Roderich quickly regained his part friendship and soon enough Vash was always with them. She had never hated Vash either, even when he told her of his long kept feelings towards Roderich.
"One word from you and I won't ever say anything to him. But I thought you had the right to know." Those had been his words. And how could she have possibly denied him that? It would've been hypocrisy to forbid him to tell his feelings when she herself only wished to do that for many years. Even if she searched deep inside herself she knew she would never hate her precious Germanic boys, friends and battle companions (aside from Roderich). Her tears when signing the divorce documents were only of happiness for two of her best friends who had found each other. The only thing she had asked was pictures and many other records of the Germanic couple, to which Roderich and Vash acquiesced while brushing brightly. She still had some very enlightening pictures of them, which Bella even asked to buy, but the Hungarian vehemently refused. Seeing those two together, happy, even after years of hardships coming from their houses only gave her hope. Even if she never acquired such ending with Gilbert, she needed to have his friendship, at least. Which led her to her current predicament.
After finally receiving news of the infamous trio and knowing of their arrival at Italy – due to Bella's kind invitation – she also came to the Southern part of Italy. It seemed so promising in the beginning, meet her friends again after years of being apart: Bella and her brother, the adorable Italian girls, the trio and especially Gilbert. Little did she expect to see them all so changed! The twins were now all grown up and worked harder than many adults Liz met during her travels, and so was Ludwig, who she suspected was already much taller than his older brother. Bella was also different from before; her sparkling eyes, while still kind, held more maturity than girls of their age. Even Lars seemed a bit different, still silent, but much kinder ever since Bella's arrival at his life. And from the many pictures Ludwig showed her, she could see the trio also grew up… albeit only physically. Even so, she couldn't wait to see them again. Bella's plans still echoed in her mind and she would do everything possible to make their wish come true.
"Listen closely, Liz. I didn't invite you only so you could mope around realizing everyone grew up." Bella said when they were picking their dresses a couple of hours ago. "I have a plan, you see. I want to reunite everyone while we're all here in South Italy! And I mean everyone: my family and your family, the trio's whole family – and don't give me that look - Roderich and Vash, and the adorable twins!" The blonde clapped her hands excitedly. "Oh, how I would do that? Well, that's very simple! All we need is a celebration big enough to make everyone come; a happy celebration, of course. And by that, I can only mean-"
A wedding, Elizaveta remembered with a smile. With new resolution, she continued to circle the ballroom. Everyone would come and perhaps now they could finally see each other without bitterness or hurt. That was what she wished the most.
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"Sorella?"
"Yes, Feli?" Lovina answered half-mindedly to her sister as she continued to examine each card they've received in the last couple of hours. Most of them were from very renowned places, she realized with distaste, and some were also quite suspicious. Either way, she wouldn't give them much thought. Her goal was to own a restaurant after all. "…What is it, Feli?"
"Huh? Oh, right!" Lovina dismissed her sister's low attention spam, as always. "Uhm… why didn't you like Ludwig?"
Lovina rolled her eyes. For a moment, she thought this would actually be an important question. "Because I don't, Feli. He's annoyingly serious and has a stick way up his ass, just like that prissy Roderich."
"Roderich was very nice, sorella! He and Liz used to take care of me and they were the nicest!"
"Yeah, they used to take care… of you." Lovina answered angrily.
Feliciana only sighed sadly; Lovina never did get over the twin preference deal. Personally, Feliciana also resented that, but she knew the only reason she was initially more liked by others was because Lovina wouldn't open up for anyone.
"But, Lovi… uhm…" She was at lost with words. Lovina was already pretty irritated and God help her if she'd worsen her mood. "Bella likes you best?" She tried with a smile.
"Humph." Was Lovina's answer, but both knew that always made the older Vargas a little bit happier.
Before Feliciana could continue a loud voice boomed through the saloon.
"Liz! They aren't here yet!"
Turning around, Feliciana noticed whose voice it had been. The voice belonged to the German young man she had talked before. He was frantically talking with Elizaveta, but he didn't seem particularly mad, like his voice had seemed. What was his name again? Ludwig… something. Okay, so maybe Feliciana still couldn't remember his last name, but it was German and that language was difficult! Just remembering his name was enough for her anyway; it's not like she would call him by his last name or anything, that was way too formal and she thought of him as a friend.
From beside her Lovina flinched. The older Vargas mumbled something about "scary potato freaks (or was it head?)". Feliciana frowned slightly. She didn't think Ludwig was that scary. Certainly, when they first saw him she had covered behind her sister – an action she wasn't exactly proud of, but then again both Vargas were a bit of cowards… not that Lovina would ever admit that – and she had hesitated to even look him in the eye… but now she wasn't the slightest bit scared anymore. For all his seriousness and strong build, Ludwig looked more like an awkward child than a huge mountain right now. Somehow, Feliciana thought it was cute.
Noticing that Liz was leaving the room – all the while shoving many young men out of her way – Feliciana decided to finally go talk with Ludwig. It was the first time in the evening she had seen him alone after the beginning of the ball and she wanted to spend some time with him. Lovina was still fumbling with her cards and Ludwig started to leave the room as well. This was no time for being indecisive, Feliciana concluded. Subtly, she left the surroundings of the buffet. Ignoring the increased rhythm of her heartbeats – surely it was only because she was sneaking out of Lovi's sight – she followed the pacing blond man out of the ballroom.
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Ludwig started to slow down on his track. Was it just him or there seemed to be steps right behind him? Small, quick, skipping steps? He wasn't exactly sure, but only one person could possibly fit such light, happy steps. Filled with curiosity and just a little bit of hope, he abruptly turned around. The view before his eyes was better than he could've possibly imagined. There stood in front of him a petite Italian girl, gasping for breath, with light brown hair and eyes, hidden only by a light blue mask. He idly noticed her dress matched the color of the simple, yet quite artistic mask; it was probably handmade.
"Wow, you're –huff- fast, aren't you, Ludwig?" She asked with a smile, still a little short of breath.
"What are you doing here?" He asked gruffly, lost in this surprising, yet delightful moment. However, his voice sounded much harsher than he intended.
Feliciana flinched slightly. "I-I've seen you leave the ballroom, and I wanted to talk with you, so I came after you but…" The hurt tone of her voice seemed like a knife to him. "…I can leave if I'm bothering you."
"No! I- I'm sorry. Please, stay." The words escaped his lips before he could even think. He wanted to hit himself for sounding so desperate. But all his frustration disappeared when shining brown eyes turned to look at him. She was still here. She didn't run off scared to somewhere and that was more than most people did when alone with him. Suddenly feeling bold, he asked the first words that appeared in his mind.
"D- Do you… Doyouwanttodance?" He skipped over his own words in a haste attempt to get the words out before his courage disappeared.
He sincerely believed that would only make her smile widen, but instead it became a frown much similar to her sister's for his taste. Damn, he screwed up. At those times – and only during these times, mind you – he wished to be more like his "crazy, didn't care for any consequences" older brother.
.
Feliciana blinked in awe. She didn't expect this turn of events or the fact that he actually wanted to spend some time with her. From what she heard from Bella, Ludwig seemed to be from a pretty important family and had a lot of responsibility, which somewhat justified his too serious attitude. And as far as she knew, the Vargas family had never rich or very famous. The closest she was to important family names would be to their second cousin Francis, but after Nonno's death they hadn't met him again.
Because of Ludwig's social position, she understood why he wouldn't want to talk with her, even if it hurt. She couldn't help the happiness and anxiousness that possessed her when he called her back. For a moment, she indulged herself in thinking that social positions didn't really matter; they were just two people knowing each other.
Upon his request to dance, however, she frowned. Honestly, she was very much flattered that someone like Ludwig would give her the time of the day. But in this case, she shouldn't accept such request. Who knew what she, Clumsy Feli as Lovina called her, could do during dancing? She didn't even know how to dance like the guests in the ball did; all she did was flail around when the opportunity presented itself. She barely knew how to behave herself in such formal attire, imagine actually dancing and then proceeding to make a spectacle of herself? That feeling turned much worse when it was actually Ludwig, a guy she cared about, who was asking her. The way his face scrunched up in pain just made it all worse. Attempting to correct the mistake, she started:
"Uhm, it's just that I… don't really know how to dance." She mumbled awkwardly. God, what would he think of her now? This dress wasn't ever hers so start with!
The sound of a soft laugh snapped her out of those thoughts. The next words weren't, by far, what she'd expected to hear from the German gentleman.
"That's okay, I don't know either." His voice was much softer than before; and she could almost feel his smile in those words.
When she looked up, she swore she passed a whole minute without breathing.
Feliciana lost herself in their little awkward dance. Ludwig didn't have to be an astounding dancer to give her tingles and make her cheeks blush like never before. But he had to have such a beautiful smile that would bring one out of her as well. Her smile widened when she realized her dress and mask were the exact same hue of blue that his eyes were. It was a light, beautiful blue.
She started noticing little things during their quick, somewhat unbalanced steps: how Ludwig was much taller than her, but not to an uncomfortable level; how his hands were bigger and warmer than hers, how his breath tingled just a little above her ear and how calm and kind he really was. Most strangely of all, this feeling, this proximity didn't feel exactly new to her. A sense of nostalgia filled her.
And, for the first time in her life since her Nonno died, Feliciana started to believe in fairy-tales again as she danced with Ludwig.
.
"Miss. Vargas?"
Lovina eyed the two Asian businessmen. She tried to smile nicely – like Feliciana did so effortlessly – but it came out as a grin. Frowning at her failed result, she went straight to the subject.
"So, did you bring the contracts? I mean, we've been waiting for you two to show up for a long time now. And look, we even received a few cards! So you better sell the restaurant to us pretty quick, huh? You know, now that we've got the money and all-" Oh God, she was babbling. This was humiliating.
"And where are the contracts? You aren't holding them or anything and you guys don't seem to have one of your fancy black suitcases or anything…" Grim understanding started to sink in. "Y- you know what? I'm just going to get Feli and then we can all sit down and discuss the details, okay? You need both our signatures after all, I know that, but my stupid sorella probably forgot, so I'm just going to get her and then-"
"Miss. Vargas-" The Chinese man said her name in a tone that closely resembled pity.
Lovina bit her tongue back, but she couldn't help but glare at the man. Who did he think he was, to pity her like that? Willing herself to shut up, she let one last question in the air. "So, uhm… the contracts?" She tried to keep her voice as controlled as possible, but the underlining desperate sob was noticeable.
The Japanese man whose name she couldn't remember – damn, where was Feli right now? – sighed.
"Miss. Vargas, please try to understand."
.
Strangely, there were no guards in sight by the hall's entrance. In a normal ball that could be possible, since there was never enough personnel in such occasions. However, since this was happy, savvy and smart Bella's ball, Elizaveta knew something was wrong in this situation. Bella would never allow anything short of the best quality and since she could pay it, she would take every single guest's security.
The Hungarian briefly considering changing from that awfully uncomfortable dress and take the entrance's security by herself. The idea seemed very good, but her feminine pride – and stamina – wouldn't be able to take Bella freaking out with the destruction of her oh so precious violet dress. Before Elizaveta could envision another plan, a groan came from behind her. Turning around, she found no one else than Prince Carriedo.
"Antonio?" She asked, stupefied.
The Spaniard didn't seem to have heard at all and he kept groaning and touching his head while murmuring some obscenities. This was definitely weird. Whoever knew Antonio well would know two things: one, he rarely stopped smiling and two, even when he did so, he did not mumble obscenities. That was the type of thing Francis and especially Gilbert did.
"Antonio?" Elizaveta tried again.
This time around, he heard her. Turning his head in her direction, he stood still for a few moments. Neither knew what to say. Elizaveta was very much freaked out by her old friend's appearance out of nowhere – with his two friends still missing – and his very out of character actions. Antonio was serious, pensive as he looked at her. This was definitely not normal. While they weren't exactly the best buds of all, they had never shared such an awkward moment before, even after her divorce. She thought he would say something, but in the end nothing came out.
"Antonio." Her patience was really running thin. "What happened to you? Why are your clothes all dirty and… shouldn't you be in your royal uniform or something? And most importantly of all, where is Gilbert?" She was nearly shouting now. Realizing she had missed something, the young woman quickly added. "And Francis?"
"Gilbert?" He frowned at her. His eyes visibly read "What the hell are you talking about, woman?" and Elizaveta did not like that. No one had the right to look at her like that, especially not dumb, smiley Antonio. It was too much of a familiar look – one she wasn't prepared to receive just yet.
"Yes, Antonio, Gilbert! Where the hell is he? Where the hell is Francis too, and where the hell were you all? Bella had been completely freaking out!"
Had the Spaniard cracked his head open or something? He was acting more aloof than ever.
"Just Bella had been completely freaking out?" He asked with a smirk that was very much unlike his own.
Elizaveta had seen Antonio's smirk only once before, albeit quickly, during a fight training. She used to train and fight with the boys when they were little until they – and she herself – found out about her gender. After that, only Gilbert continued to train with her. She had seen Antonio smirk once when he won by a landslide. It had been an arrogant, but also naïve smirk. No, what she was seeing now was not Antonio's smirk.
This was Gilbert's smirk.
"Antonio, is that really you?" She asked with an unbelieving voice. How could she even ask something crazy like that? But something wasn't right, and her fighting instinct was never wrong. Damn, she should've brought a frying pan with her.
His smirk quickly disappeared and he started to laugh awkwardly as he examined his own arms. Before he could explain – and he would explain, she would make sure of that – a shout echoed from the beginning of the hallway.
"Antonio! You're finally here!"
And without a moment's notice the smiling Belgian had engulfed the prince in a strong hold. Even though this scene should be normal – Bella always greeted Antonio like that – it was incredibly awkward. This Antonio wouldn't hold her back; in fact, he seemed like he had no idea what to do. Elizaveta stood aside from that, scrutinizing the Spaniard. Something was wrong.
"Oh, Toni, you'll have to tell me what happened with you guys, but later, okay?" The Belgian was smiling at him. "I've received Francis's note; it's such a pity he and Gilbert won't be able to arrive today! But at least you came, like agreed!"
Bella didn't give him time to answer as she dragged the prince to the ballroom. Elizaveta stood a few more moments at the entrance before going after them, dance plans forgotten. How did Francis send Bella a note when he wasn't even near the entrance? Why was Antonio acting so out of character and where was Gilbert? And Francis, too. The Hungarian lady was watching the Spaniard very closely. Something was definitely wrong.
.
"Attention, everyone! I'm Bella, the host of this wonderful masquerade ball! I'm here to announce that Prince Carriedo of Spain has finally arrived! Please give him a round of applause!" A round of applause, mostly of politeness, followed her announcement. "And now, the prince is going to choose the first lady of the night that will have the pleasure to dance with a prince!" At that, the applause increased with many women's shouting.
Antonio only laughed uneasily as he stared at the crowd in front of him; the fact that everyone was wearing masks just made it all the more unnerving. Bella's constant pressing from beside him and Elizaveta's glare was enough to make him sweat.
A young brunette went to them while the women's shouting continued to increase in hopes of drawing the people's attention.
"Lovi! Perfect timing!" Bella smiled.
Antonio couldn't take a good look of her face as she whispered something to Bella.
"You mean Feli?" The blonde answered somewhat lower so others wouldn't hear. "Last I've seen she was with Luddy, dancing!" Bella squealed delightedly. "Speaking of which, why don't you do the same to the handsome prince-"?
"Feli was what?" The Italian woman, Lovi seemed to be her name, yelled indignantly. "Feli doesn't dance! Feli doesn't have time to do that type of thing, Bella! She has to take care of our rest-" A broken sob came from the brunette.
Both Bella and Elizaveta rushed to her side, asking her what was wrong. With another sob, the brunette shoved them away and ran to the entrance.
"Lovi, no!" Bella sighed loudly. That was unusual, he gathered. "Liz, could you go after her?"
The Hungarian solemnly shook her head, all the while glaring intently at him. Antonio silently gulped.
Somehow, the exchange didn't seem to have gotten anyone's attention at all. The guests were still talking loudly and the women were still shouting and coming closer, trying to get the prince's attention.
Bella sighed irritably once more. Elizaveta, while not exactly the easiest to get along with, didn't have a habit to search for enemies at every corner, and much less to be hostile to old friends (aside from Gilbert). The Belgian noticed how different the prince was acting, but she only blamed the moment. His two best friends bailed him out – Francis with a girl and Gilbert was probably too scared to face Liz – so she could act understanding. Gazing at the crowd of girls who were quickly coming their way, she came up with a solution. So the first dance didn't go as planned, but she would do something about it later. Lovi could wait for a little bit longer.
"Antonio, would you dance with me?" She asked, half-willing and half-worried.
The prince nodded gratefully.
They started dancing simply, not too close or not too far from each other. They had had lessons when they were younger, but she thought he was slightly off rhythm. Tonight's happenings must've been really tough on Antonio, she thought, the Spaniard never lost his touch with dancing. Right now, he seemed like some awkward young man who didn't seem to have much practice in it at all.
"So, uhm… Bels?" He asked tentatively. She smiled at their old nickname; it had been a long time he had called her like that. "This Feli that you've been discussing… you know, the one dancing with Wes- Ludwig. Is she, by any chance, called Feliciana Vargas?"
Bella blinked. How on earth did Antonio know who the Vargas twins were? So he knew all along? Was her plan really ruined now?
"Yes, that's her. But I really think you'd be more interested in her older sister, you know, the one that just passed over us. Her name is Lovi-"
"So this Feliciana is spending time with Ludwig, huh? Can I meet her later?"
Resisting the urge to kick him in more than one place, she gave him a tight smile followed by a curt nod.
Antonio smiled somewhat smugly. "Great. I've never imagined those two would bond again. I can't wait to see them!" He said right as they finished their short dance.
"Then you'll have to wait, Carriedo. Looks like you've got a line waiting for your… dancy-feet." Elizaveta deadpanned as she looked at him. She didn't call Antonio by his last name, suspicious of how he was acting tonight – especially with that half-assed dancing, completely unlike him – and the fact that two people were still missing and no one seemed to care. Elizaveta didn't feel like being the most tolerant person right now. Especially since that idiot still hadn't arrived.
The horde of eager young ladies was still there waiting for their chance. After all, it wasn't every night you could dance with a prince.
.
Stupid, stupid, stupid! The words were reverberating in Lovina's head. How in the hell did this all happen? Just yesterday, heck, and just a few minutes ago she thought her happy ending was finally coming. Their hard work paid off and they'd get the restaurant of their dreams, of Nonno's dreams. She thought this was what really mattered; apparently, not to Feli who was already dancing with some boy and forgot all about their restaurant. She couldn't believe it. Her whole dream ended right before her eyes.
"Miss. Vargas, please try to understand. A new buyer showed up this morning and offered the double of your amount, with the objective to build a local marketing – a place that would also benefit the city more than your project, if I may add. I- we deeply apologize for changing our world now, but this is certainly an irrefutable offer. We sincerely hope you and your sister will understand."
Lovina felt like punching those two Asians in the face, with a loud sound of something breaking, if she could. She resisted that urge, not without sending them both to hell, before she went to search for her sister. Everything else from then on was just a blur. Bella's happy and annoying words, Elizaveta standing beside the Belgian and looking all weird, that Spanish prince who was a friend of Bella's… she didn't even give him a second glance like Bella insisted her to, but then again it's not like that type of thing mattered to her. The Italian girl ran faster than ever before, leaving the mansion to stop only at the garden, almost at the gate's door. She briefly considered leaving altogether, but remembered her darling sorella was still in that nightmare of a ball, so Lovina just slumped down on the soft grass, fancy dress be damned.
Almost there my ass, she thought bitterly as she gazed at the moon.
She had just lost her dream. She lost her drive to work hard and she lost all her purpose after these long, tiring years. She wanted nothing more than lie down and spend whole days crying in bed. But Lovina wasn't that type of girl; she wouldn't spend days moping around hoping someone would rescue her or anything like it. She was a woman of action and damn it, she would get her restaurant and make hers and Nonno's – apparently not Feli's anymore – dream come true. Looking up above, she saw a single bright star that she recognized from her childhood days. Ever since that night in the orphanage when she and the girls stood around to make a wish upon a star she had never really given much attention to the stars again. Taking a deep breath, she calmed herself down as she dried the tears stains from her cheek.
She couldn't believe in what she was going to do. Desperate – no, childish and immature, she added – measures called for desperate, childish and immature acts. All was lost anyway, so why couldn't she indulge herself in a little wondering? God, she hated how much she sounded like both Feli and Bella right now.
"I- I wish…" Lovina took a deep breath once more. She was still shuddering. "I- I wish-" Damn, she couldn't bring herself to complete even a single phrase. Silently, she closed her eyes and completed the wish in her mind "I wish my, Feli's and Nonno's dreams come true." When she opened her eyes again, nothing had changed. Of course, she silently added. These things were for children, not grown, independent women. But still, one could only wonder.
The slightest movement made her turn slightly back. Down on the ground, camouflaged amidst the green grass, stood a bright green frog. If it weren't for the frog's very different appearance, she'd have just ignored it. However, the frog was very much standing up while looking at her with the most beautiful chocolate color she had ever seen on anyone, be it human or animal. It almost seemed like it wanted to say something. Great, now she was seeing things too. Deciding to be playful, Lovina leaned down and whispered to the frog.
"I suppose you want a kiss?" She asked with a snort.
What she didn't expect to hear, however, was a response.
"Kissing would be nice, yes?"
Wait.
Did that frog just… talk?
What.
Turning her head with such quickness she could've probably hurt a nerve, Lovina glared at the frog. No, there was no way he said it. There was no way in hell the frog had actually spoken and worse, said such lewd words. Yep, she was just crazy. Maybe tonight's horrible development got her even worse than she thought.
"Uhm, excuse me, señorita? You did offer me a kiss, did you not?" The frog mouthed the words perfectly as he raised his arms to make his point, all the while speaking in the most humanly way possible.
Lovina did not take pride in the girlish scream she gave at the moment. Grabbing whatever she could find nearby, from garden decorations to her own mask, she started throwing everything in that aberration of a frog's direction. Amidst her terror, she was utterly annoyed to realize the frog had easily dodged all of her throws, all the while excusing himself and commenting on how she had "a very strong arm, princess" with a wink! Growling, she grabbed the frog in her right hand before emitting another high-pitched scream.
What the heck was that disgusting slime?
The frog acrobatically jumped and fell gracefully on the soft grass. Oh, Lovina was really beginning to hate the amphibian's guts.
"Princess, please," He stretched out the last word. "I desperately need your help to turn human again. A wicked wizard got me and my friends and the only way for me to turn back is with a kiss!" He said it all so seriously that Lovina almost believed him.
"Yeah, right. Look, I'm just seeing things and finally getting crazy after this horrible night. I'm sure that by tomorrow all this" She emphasized raising both hands to point at everything surrounding them. "...Will be over and I'll go back to my stupid life. "Because you," She pointed at him with a fierce glare. ", a frog, doesn't talk and I certainly do not kiss frogs. Is that understood?"
Gulping, the frog tried to find another way out of this.
"Perhaps I could also be of your assistance?"
As a reply, she snorted very unladylike. The frog frowned. Was this really supposed to be a princess? But then again Francis did comment on how girls from Southern Italy were way more blunt and rude than normal. Mentally sighing, he tried another strategy.
"You see, I'm a prince. And a foreign one, to boot!" Another snort. Ignoring, he continued. "Yes, I am a prince, thank you very much. Therefore, I could help you if you helped me. I'm sure that as a prince, I possess fame, money and connections – all things that could help you achieve whatever goal you seek." He said slowly. "Perhaps I could grant you a… wish?"
He smirked when he could see the brunette's resolve falter for just a bit. God, he was really hating how much he sounded like Francis right now. But then again, Antonio Carriedo could not spend his whole life as a frog and that was final.
"Just… one kiss, right?" Lovina asked, suddenly doubtful of her own resolve. Was she really going to do this?
The frog was smiling like Christmas day had come early. "Of course. Unless you beg for more." He licked his lips in what was apparently supposed to be seductive. In the end, it just came off as utterly gross.
Oh God. She really was going to do this, Lovina deadpanned in her own mind. Taking a deep breath and mentally preparing herself for one of the worst sensations she would ever feel in her life, she quickly bent down and kissed the frog.
Surprisingly, the kiss itself hadn't been unbearable, but it didn't feel much like a kiss either – then again, how would she know when she had no experience in such subjects? – But the feeling afterward was. Her limbs started to hurt all at once and her subdued migraine started throbbing. Lovina closed her eyes to shield from the pain, but it only kept getting worse. From far away there seemed to be a voice calling to her, probably from the frog. He had tricked her, Lovina thought with rage. But there was nothing she could do now, with all her body hurting and heat surrounding her.
Just when it was all getting unbearable, it stopped. Like a popped bubble, she came back to her senses as she looked at her surroundings. The grass was now much closer to her face and the trees and moon seemed much farther than before. When had she lied down? Probably during that painful experience, she thought. Looking around, she was surprised to see so much of her dress let down on the grass. She didn't realize it was such a big thing before.
It all clicked when she turned around and saw the frog, with an expression of disappointment – how dare he? - That stupid frog that tricked her that was right… right in front of her.
She couldn't have screamed higher even if she had wanted to.
"Princess, princess, calm down!" The frog was trying to hold her with no success.
As she screamed and backed away from him, Lovina realized her skin color was also green, but in a lighter shade than the frog's. How disgusting.
"What did you do to me? I'm small; I'm disgusting… I'm green and I'm covered in slime!" Lovina didn't even bother trying to subdue her screams anymore. She was a frickin frog!
"Oh, no, it's not slime, princess." The frog laughed slightly. "It's mucus." He answered with a smile, seemingly proud of knowing that little piece of information.
"You little-" Without another thought, Lovina the Frog proceeded to strangle him.
If only the mucus would make things easier, she thought bitterly as the stupid frog once again escaped her grasp, all the while smiling and laughing like a loony. Why was the idiot so happy, anyway? Before she could venture to ask her question, however, another scream – this time, high above – interrupted them.
"FROGS! FROGS IN THE GARDEN!" A blonde guest wearing a yellow dress started shouting at them.
"Huh? Another princess?" The frog asked confusedly as a horde of guests surrounded them. "Wait, more princesses?"
Lovina noticed that all of them were holding nets to catch them and then do who knows what to them.
"Stop crying, Bella, it's just frogs!" Someone cried from faraway. Lovina realized that it was Elizaveta. A surge of hope rose in the small frog. Maybe Liz would help them, she was always the one with the reason and-
"Fine, I'll get rid of them for you. Just stop crying, you sissy!" Elizaveta's voice rang loudly as another set of light, but steady steps approached them. "I'm in no mood for more problems tonight. Do you hear me? No. Frickin' Mood!" The brunette screamed angrily as she held a frying pan in her hands.
Anyone who knew Elizaveta also knew she was deadly to all living things when she held a frying pan. Frogs were no exception.
"RUN!" The frog shouted to Lovina as the frying pan seemed to get nearer and nearer.
Both of them started to jump awkwardly in a hurried attempt to leave the grounds. Lovina noticed with hatred that the frog wannabe-prince could still jump better than her. It should be no surprise, considering the idiot was a lunatic and had been a frog all his life, but it still irked her enough to give her a boost in running… or jumping. Whatever.
The last thing she registered before that slimy, wicked, stupid frog dared to pull her was the disgusted and scarred looks of Bella and her sorella. Oh, that and Elizaveta's very heavy frying pan, which barely missed her now mucus-filled leg.
This nightmare of a ball just got worse.
.
Vocabulary:
Signore – Mister, Sir in Italian
Davvero? – If I'm not correct, it means, "Is that so/Really?" in Italian.
Si – Yes, in Italian.
Gott – God in German
Señorita – Miss in Spanish
Wurst is German for sausage, which is a food greatly consumed in their country, leading to some stereotypes. Being Lovi, she would probably use that (and potatoes) to address Ludwig.
A/N: So you can see I'm changing some things from the original story, especially because this cast is bigger than the movie's one. Again, I can't promise dates but I can tell you the whole story is already planned out and sketched. In the next chapter there will be the explanation to what exactly happened with the Bad Touch Trio.
See you in the next chapter,
Fieldings aka LovelyToMeetYou