Hello, I'm back as promised with the next chapter.
Once again, I do not own Hetalia, Sleeping Beauty or Disney. Enjoy!
CHAPTER 4 : A ROYAL MESS
Italia looked up and saw her owl friend, still entangled in the cloak, hung up on a branch. The Sprite King could not believe he had been so distracted he had let a stranger get close to Italia and struggled to free himself without revealing his true nature to Italia or the stranger.
Italia turned her head to look into the palest blue eyes she had ever seen. The man was tall, had blonde hair that was slicked back and was very handsome but he was a stranger. She pulled her hands from his, nervously but he managed to catch hold of one of them again as she tried to back away. The other sprites were ready to intervene when the man spoke gently.
"My apologies, faulein (miss)," he said in a Germanic accent. "I didn't mean to startle you." The girl in front of him was nervous and kept trying to pull her hand from his but he did not want to let her go which surprised Ludwig. Girls did not usually affect him this way although he always treated them politely.
Being betrothed from the age of three, Ludwig never allowed for any possibility for romance to develop but he had long since realized that he had affections for men which was fortunate since his betrothed was male. But it made his attraction for this slender young girl totally confusing.
"Ve~ It is not that," the girl replied, shyly. "I'm not suppose to speak to strangers." Ludwig smiled at her.
"But we've met before."
Italia tried to think about when she had last met anyone. She could only think back to when she was five. To Rome and the boy in the carriage. She had never forgotten but could this be him?
"Where, when?" she asked, hoping he would say Rome.
"You said it yourself, faulein," the man replied. "Once upon a dream." Italia was disappointed but could not help but laugh at his teasing. He was very handsome and he made her young heart race.
"Would you take a walk with me?" he asked. She knew she should not but she agreed. They strolled, Aster following on their heels and the sprites flying and scampering around, ready to come to Italia's rescue if required. As they talked about this and that, she fell deeper and deeper in love. Eventually they found themselves at the edge of the forest, looking at the distance castle.
As Ludwig stood looking at King Romulus's castle, he was reminded of his betrothal and suddenly the sight made him feel uncomfortable. He would one day rule this kingdom and his own with Prince Feliciano by his side but, other than his name, he knew nothing of the absent prince. No one did, not even his own parents. It was done to keep the prince safe but it made for some awkward complications.
He would be a complete stranger. There was no guarantee they would even like each other. Just because Ludwig preferred men, it did not mean that he and Feliciano would get along. Not that mattered in an arranged marriage but it would be an uncomfortable life together.
"Ve~ I've look at that castle so many times," Italia sighed. "But I know so little about it. Do you know anything?" Ludwig swallowed, uncomfortably.
"It's the castle of King Romulus, the Ruler of Italy," he replied. Italia smiled.
"I was named after Italy," she said. "Country of my birth."
Ludwig felt the girl's head fall against his shoulder. It was unconsciously done but it still made Ludwig's heart raced. He knew nothing of this girl either but at least he had met her. He had the feeling he had met her before, but where? The curl and amber eyes reminded him of something then he remembered when he was eight and his carriage had almost run over a five year old girl who had made his heart thump like it did now. She had a curl just like that, eyes just that shade and after eleven years she would be about the age this girl was now. What had been her name?
Oh yes! The man he had assumed to be her father had called her Chibitalia as well as Italia. This girl said she was named after Italy. Could it be her? He had to know!
"What IS your name?" he asked.
Italia raised her head from his shoulder, pulled from her revelry by his question.
"Vee~ ?" she said, a little dazed. "Oh! My name! It's..." suddenly she realized what she was doing. What would her uncles say? She was supposed to stay away from strangers.
"Vee~ I can't!," she exclaimed and began running back into the forest. "Arrivederci!" (Goodbye!)
"Wait!" Ludwig called after her. "When can I see you again?" He did not know why he was asking that question when he could offer this girl no future with him. But he wanted to see her again.
"Never!" she called back, picking up her basket as she ran past. He did not like that answer and, strangely, neither did she! She felt her heart become heavier with every step she took away from him. "Well, maybe some day."
"Tomorrow?" he asked, hopefully.
"No," she replied and then added. "Tonight! At the cottage. In the glade." Then she was out of his sight, followed by her animal friends.
Ludwig stayed where he was for a while, suddenly feeling alone as if the sunshine had disappeared from his life. Then he retrieved his clothing (the owl having mysteriously vanished), walked back to his horse and returned to the castle.
Back at the cottage, things were not going well.
Everyone was oblivious to that except Lukas, who had watched the disaster unfold before his eyes. He knew this was going to happen. He just knew it. Arthur's clothes-making skills were worse than his cooking, if that were even possible, and Vladimir was in danger of winning the 'Worst Cook' award from him.
Vladimir was trying to decorate a cake that was falling into a messy gloop. He tried propping it up with a broom and the icing and candles were sliding down the handle. Arthur tried to say some good about Vladimir's first baking effort.
"It's …. unique," he commented, tactfully. Vlad desperately tried to keep it cake-shaped.
"It'll be firmer when it's bake," he replied. Lukas rolled his eyes. Even Arthur knew enough to bake before decorating. Even if he was likely to burn the cake. Now, about this monstrosity he was modelling.
One sleeve was twice the length of his arm and while the other fitted the length, it was belled out
and flapped about his other arm. The neckline was trying to strangle him and the tunic was far too short. The leggings match the sleeves but on opposite sides. Everything was tacked together loosely and threaten to fall apart at any moment. Vladimir tried to be as tactful as Arthur.
"It's different to the book, is it?" he pointed out. Arthur waved that off.
"Just one or two changes," he stated, defensively. "I was thinking a little more decoration, here and there."
"Perhaps," Vlad said, secretly thinking that nothing short of the fire grate could make it look better and turned to Lukas to pass the critic baton to him. "What do you think, Lukas?"
But Lukas had had enough.
Sweeping his arms out to his sides, (at which point the stitching on the extra long sleeve gave way and it flew across the room.) he fumed, "I thinking about what Italia is going to think about this mess." He stepped off the stool and as he walked towards the stairs, more stitching snapped and the 'garments' began falling off him in pieces.
"And I still think I'm right," he added. "I'm getting the wands!" He disappeared up the stairs. Material covered the room and the 'cake' finally became a puddle that dripped off the table and between the floor boards.
"Maybe he's right," Vladimir admitted. Both of their efforts were unmitigated disasters and both of them knew it. Lukas returned with the wands which were trailing magic, having not been used for so long.
"Careful, Lukas," Arthur warned, grabbing the wands and putting them under his jacket to contain the magic and then ordered, "Close the doors and windows. Make sure there's no way the magic can leave this room." Lukas and Vlad ran around, doing as they were told, plugging any gaps with the material that was littered about.
"Vladimir, you make the cake," Arthur said, handing Vladimir his wand and turned to give Lukas his.
"I'll ..." That was as far as Lukas got.
"Clean the room," Arthur finished, looking at the mess. "And I'll make the tunic." Lukas fumed inwardly and cast his magic at the broom, bucket and mop which began to clean up the mess.
Vladimir cast his wand at the ingredients and cooking utensils. A cup scooped three cupfuls of flour into the mixing bowl, sugar measured itself out and joined the flour, eggs cracked themselves and dumped their contents into the mix and a wooden spoon began to mix them together.
Arthur aimed his wand at the cupboard which opened and more (pink) material flew out of it. Scissors leapt from the sewing basket and expertly cut the right pieces just the right sizes, then sewing needles threaded themselves and began to stitch the pieces together.
Lukas looked over from where he was supervising the clean-up and groaned. Pink again! That was it. No prince should be dressed in pink and he cast his wand at the slowly being created garment and it turned royal blue.
Arthur nearly jumped out of his skin when the cloth suddenly changed colour. He gave Lukas a glare and changed it back to pink. Lukas stood with his back to the tunic and still managed to flick his wand and it became blue again.
"Cut it out, you git,"Arthur snapped and changed it back with a growl of annoyance. Lukas took aim at a mirror. The spell reflected of it and shot toward the tunic but this time Arthur saw it coming and stepped in front of it and his clothes turned blue.
Lukas turned away from Arthur to hide the smile that was threatening to grace his face when a spell hit him and his clothes turned pink. After that it turned to a war between the Fae, throwing colour spells at each other, unaware that the chimney was unblocked and pink and blue magic were blasting up the flue and shooting in the air above the cottage.
Where Natalya's crow saw it as he was passing by.
Italia quickly made her way back to the cottage, thinking about how she was going to tell her uncles about the man in the woods. They would be angry that she had not only spoken to a stranger but also invited him home. But he was so handsome and she wanted to know more about him. And she was so happy to have found a new friend.
She sang her heart out as she made her way home.
Magic flew back and forth in the room, over the head of Vladimir as he obliviously continued to light the candles on the now baked birthday cake. The tunic and leggings were now finished but flashed from pink to blue and back as it was hit by random colour spells, as were Arthur and Lukas's clothes.
"Take this, you wanker!" Arthur threw another spell that Lukas avoided.
"You promised you weren't going to swear," Lukas snapped, throwing his own spell. It hit the kettle cauldron in the fireplace and it turned blue.
"Italia's not here," Arthur cast another spell and it turned the cupboard pink. "So I'll swear all l like."
The two built up their magic and threw their spells at each other and hit the newly-made clothing at the same time.
The effect was like someone had thrown pink and blue paint at them from two directions, one half pink, one half blue and a splatter pattern down the centre. Enraged, Arthur got ready to fire again when Italia's singing was heard outside the cottage and getting closer.
"He's back," Arthur panicked. "Quick, hide." He took the clothes and placed them on the chair, turning them back to pink and the kettle cauldron back to its burnt colour. As Arthur grabbed Vladimir and pulled him away as he lit the last of the candles, Lukas took advantage of his distraction and changed the colour of the clothes to blue then hid behind the wardrobe, turning it back, followed by the other two.
"The mop's still running!" Arthur exclaimed. The mop was sweeping across the floor and Lukas cast his wand at it. It froze then fell to the floor.
Italia burst into the cottage with the news of her meeting with the blonde man who would be visiting later, but stopped short when she saw the cake and the clothes. Folded as they were, she could not tell they were men's clothing.
"SURPRISE!" the Fae shouted as they leapt from their hiding place. Italia dropped her basket and jumped up and down in delight as she realized this was what they had been planning.
"Vee~ ," she hugged all three of them. "Ti amo con tutto il mio cuore (I love you with all my heart) Everything is wonderful. Just wait until you meet him!" The Fae suddenly froze.
"Him!"
"Italia!"
"Have you met a stranger?" Arthur demanded. Italia shook her head.
"Ve~ He's not a stranger," she said. "We've met before. Once upon a dream." Italia grabbed Vladimir's hands and began to dance around the room with him, singing.
"Italia's in love!" Vlad exclaimed as Italia pulled him passed.
"Oh no!" Lukas gasped. "This is dreadful!" That made Italia stop.
"Why?" she asked. "I am sixteen." Arthur realised that this was going to be delicate. He had to impart the news that not only was Italia affiancéd but also that he was male.
"It's not that, poppet," he said, softly. Lukas stepped forward.
"You're already betrothed," he said. "To Prince Ludwig, since the day you were born."
"Questo non è possibile! (That's not possible!) I can't marry a prince!" Italia protested, her dream of love beginning to erode. "I'd have to be a princess."
"Or a prince yourself," Vladimir replied. Arthur took Italia's hands in his.
"Italia," he said softly. "You're actually a boy. You were put into our care for your own protection and, for your safety, we pretended you were a girl. You are Prince Feliciano of Italy and tonight we're taking you home to your father, King Romulus."
No one saw the crow listening in through the door that Italia had left open. It turned and vanished through a glowing vortex.
Ital..Feliciano was pacing the room in agitation, breathing fast and uttering 'Ve~, Ve~." The Fae desperately trying to get her .. him to calm down. He did not know how to address himself. How could they let him live such a lie and how would he tell the man in the forest about his true gender. He would not want to be with him now. Then he remembered.
"But he's coming here tonight," she … he blurted out. He had been so excited but now! This had to be a bad dream.
"I'm sorry, love," Arthur said, gently. "But you can never see that young man again."
Feliciano began to breathe fast again. The day had started so wonderfully. It was his sixteenth birthday and he had fallen in love. Now it had become a nightmare. He was not who he thought he was, not even the gender he thought he was. The man in the forest said that castle he had spent years looking at was King Romulus's. His father's? To discover you are royal was a dream for others but to him, it had taken away what he thought was his life and what he dreamed might be his future. A sob escaped him.
"NO!" he wailed as he pulled away from his 'Uncles' and ran upstairs to his room where he threw himself onto his bed and cried himself to sleep.
Poor Feli, if only he knew.
Well, that was Chapter 4. I hope you like and forgive me for being too close to the film again. I did try.
To Aycee-san - I know, it's sweet but who wouldn't like Italia (Feliciano), she (he) is just too lovable. And you're welcome, I hope you did have a blast!
Giraffe the Otaku - Thanks for the great review. Love makes people do the strangest things, doesn't it? Maybe Lukas will become Big Brother after all and as for Kiku. I wondered if anyone would pick up on that. Kiku and another character coming up in Hetalia Tales 2 will alternately crop up in the future stories and I plan to explain their role in a later story. As to why he left, all I'll say is he had a task to perform and he left because he completed it.
Well, that's it for this chapter so until Chapter 5,
Hasta la Pasta!
