Still Antonio's POV~! This chapter was hard to write, as far as I remember, because the events unfolded much to quickly for my liking. But I gave it my best shot, so oh well~!

A few months after Gilbert's arrival, High King Aldrick grew ill and had to be put on bed rest. The entire kingdom worried for the ruler, whom was one of the oldest kings on the continent [next to Lovino's grandfather], and gifts were sent to the Grand Castle on a daily basis. Then the day came when the High King passed away, and the land grew solemn. I was afraid that Lovino would have to leave because Aldrick was the person that accepted him, but Gilbert assured me that he would gladly allow the prince to stay. And so he became the new king to Angerym, with Ludwig as the next to the throne if something were to happen to him.

I had noticed that Gilbert assigned himself a personal bodyguard from a faraway country, and believe me when I say that the man was not noticeable in the least, so that was quite the discovery. His name was Matthew Cadana [or something, I forget] and Francis told me that Gilbert was very fond of him. I was happy that my good friend had found someone to spend time with during his busy life, yet still… I sort of regret walking in on something I shouldn't have. There, on the library sofa was the Angerymene king and his bodyguard, sharing a passionate kiss. I smiled secretively and trotted away, feeling even happier for Gilbert; he had a secret lover too!

I asked Francis if he had someone he was in love with, in which he replied, "I love everyone!" That answer pleased me [and weirded me out a bit], so I left it at that. Every day the Grand Castle grew more and more interesting as friends of Gilbert's from faraway lands would visit. One was an empress named Elizaveta, who was very strong and independent, but had her frightening moments. Then there was Gilbert's cousin, King Roderick. He was uptight and—as the Angerymene king described him to be—'too much of an aristocratic ass'. I think the most controversial visitors were Prince Vash and Princess Lily Swiss of Peaceland. Everyone could tell that the prince was very over protective when it came to his sister, but pleasant for most of the time when things didn't involve her. The king of Thernelands—Lars Dutch—showed interest in the young royal, but was threatened by her elder brother with an arrow shot near his head.

Day by day, more funny and unique monarchs from everywhere came and passed, until the time came when Lovino locked himself in his room. I supposed that he couldn't handle all the human contact and had a nervous breakdown, so I visited him every chance I had. Lovino seemed grateful and cuddled next to me near the fireplace during cold nights. Eventually, Gilbert had to leave the kingdom to handle conferences and such outside of the country once more, so it was a shock to all when he announced that he would leave Lovino in charge while he was gone.

The public was shocked, but why wouldn't they be? Their ruler was leaving the kingdom in the hands of a foreign prince, and one that had been sheltered nearly his entire life, at that. All Angerymenes disapproved of his choice, but said nothing and accepted Lovino. I, however, was worried. What if people tried to harm my love? So while ignoring his protests, I took it upon myself to sleep in his bedroom. For… security reasons. Yes, let's go along with that one.

Days went by, and then the day came when Gilbert returned. But what surprised me was the news he had to share; apparently, his soldiers arrested twenty seven people for plotting against the royals. It made me wonder about the issue of how many rebels that were still underground, waiting to strike.

One warm summer night I was strolling through the gardens out of enjoyment, when I spotted an orange glow from behind the trees. Rushing to the scene, I watched as horses raced out of the burning barn. I quickly called several servants but it took an hour before we could fully extinguish the flames, for they had begun to spread to the surrounding plants. After the incident, I reported everything to Gilbert, whom was obviously angered.

"The rebels! This is all their doing, I tell you! And they had the nerve to attack the outskirts of the Grand Castle! Who knows what could have happened if you didn't stop it, Antonio! They're coming after everyone now, with me as their main target. What if they try to hurt Ludwig?" He began to frantically pace and rant, not acting like his usual flamboyant self. I walked over to the panicking monarch and rested a reassuring hand on his shoulder.

"Calm down Gilbert, they won't get that far. Your brother is safe so long as you keep a cool head; relax. Now what would you like me to do?" He seemed to have simmered down and sunk onto the throne, not caring about appearances.

"Tell the guards, please. Make them patrol ALL areas, and especially the nursery," he ordered, then added with a smug grin, "And tell Lovino about what happened too." I happily complied, wanting nothing more than to see my lover as soon as possible.

When I reached his room, I could hear the sound of his singing. I loved when my prince sang; it was full of emotion and depth. So I quietly opened the door and entered the room, gently closing it behind me. He jolted at the sound, turned around, and then relaxed again. Lovino was on the balcony with his arms resting on the railing. I knew he loved to look at the stars, and tonight was especially clear, so I grabbed a quilt and wrapped it around the two of us. It was so warm and cozy; I could have died happily in that position!

"What is it?" he inquired, though the Liatian's voice was barely a whisper. I buried my face into his hair, relishing his scent, and rested my head on his.

"Aww, I'd love to tell you but it would be such a mood breaker, Lovi." I knew he was scowling at the sound of my endearing nickname for him, but I ALSO knew that he secretly loved it; no one else but ME could call him that. Lovino grunted in response, and then guided me to his bed, where the two of us rested next to each other.

"Now tell me," my love ordered. I caressed his olive toned cheek and obeyed.

"There was a fire in the barn; a purposeful one, at that. It was about to spread, but I came just in time and stopped it. Gilbert suspects the rebels were the cause." Lovino's eyes widened in shock and I instantly regretted informing him. Days earlier Gilbert had told him that the rebels planned to assassinate Lovino because he was a foreign prince, which had put the Liatian royal on edge. Knowing that the people who were after him had been near scared Lovino, even if he didn't admit that out loud. I reached out and embraced the prince, rubbing smooth circles on his back.

"There there, my love. The king has all the guards patrolling, so they shouldn't come near the Grand Castle again. There's no need to worry, alright?" I tried my best to be comforting and lightly kissed the tip of his nose. Then I felt him hug me closer, until a sudden wetness soaked through my shirt and onto my skin. Lovino was silently sobbing in the comfort of my clothes, and it hurt my heart to watch.

"I left my kingdom so that I could escape those after me, and for this to happen again, it's like… like something is out to get me. What if the rebels hurt Ludwig? Or… Or Gilbert?" Then he faced me with a sorrowful expression. "What if they hurt you?" Oh no, I had thought. Lovino began to cry harder, but muffled the sound with my chest. My poor, poor prince.

"That won't happen, love. I promise, it won't. You trust me, don't you?"I asked. His head shook up and down a bit, indicating that he was nodding. I stroked his hair with care and brought my love's face up so our eyes could meet. Lovino's hazel green orbs softened and the prince moved upwards, pecking my lips lightly.

"I love you," he said as the tears slowly stopped flowing. I smiled and kissed him back with more passion and emotion. Then I held his gaze and lovingly pet his lovely face.

"I love you too. Forever and always. That's a promise." He laughed softly and closed his eyes from the exhaustion I suppose he was experiencing.

"I believe you."

Screams and cries of agony echoed throughout Agedytr, influencing goose bumps to crawl on my flesh. A great flame had engulfed the capitol, its orange glow lighting the pitch black sky. The Grand Castle was located on a mountain overlooking the city, so it was safe from the flames for a short while. I saw Gilbert, Matthew and Ludwig preparing to ride on bare horseback with their belongings in a wagon.

"What's going on?" I screamed, confused beyond belief. I had been in the forest earlier, so the event taking place then had caught me by surprise.

"Antonio! The rebels have set the city on fire, as you can clearly see, and I'm going to call for backup on the forces taking the flames out. But you need to look for Lovino; we couldn't find him anywhere!" he shouted as the king helped his younger brother onto a horse with Matthew as the main rider.

"What?" I asked, not fully recovering from shock.

"Hurry and go! Matthew is going to take Ludwig to Francis' home for protection, and I must leave to find help!" Gilbert yelled.

"Okay then, be safe everyone!" I was about to run off to find my love until the king grabbed my shoulders.

"You too, Antonio. I know how much you love him, that grumpy Liatian prince," he stated calmly, and I felt as if that moment would be the last we'd see each other. I smiled sadly.

"He's not grumpy, just shy. Oh, and good luck with Matthew." I winked and raced in the direction of the Grand Castle, praying that Lovino had stayed away from the dangerous areas.

"Lovino!" I called, running through the halls and checking every room I passed. Then I heard a scream and my heart sank low.

Oh, please let that not be him.

Following the cry, I was greeted by the sight of a hooded figure pulling a pale Lovino by the hair and cackling loudly. Anger, violence and outrage clouded my thoughts as I shook uncontrollably. That bastard had harmed MY love and joy! He was a dead man.

"We finally got you, foreign prince! How much pain are you in, hmm?"

That did the trick. I hurled myself at the man and knocked him into the wall, hearing the loud [and satisfying] crack of his bones. Then I hurried to Lovino's side, my eyes widening when I spotted the arrow that had deeply pierced right through his shoulder. The wound was bleeding heavily, and it took awhile for my love to open his eyes, but he did.

"A-Antonio?" he croaked, the weakness in his voice shattering my heart into millions of shards.

"I'm here, Lovino. Oh, Lovi. Oh, my love, my sweet, why wasn't I with you?" Tears were streaming from both of our eyes, but he managed to make a small smile and patted my cheek affectionately.

"Now don't go blaming yourself foolish man; you did nothing wrong." I took his hand in mine and kissed it lightly, hating the icy temperature that contradicted my warm skin. He was so cool, so lifeless and so broken yet I couldn't do a thing to change that. I was useless.

"I… I broke my promise. I'm sorry. So, so, so very sorry, Lovi." The room became increasingly hot, and I knew that the fire was near from the sound of the loud crackling of the burning Grand Castle. Despite that, I heard him chuckle.

"Silly man, this wasn't your fault. And you promised to love me, which you do, of course." His voice began to falter a bit, and my grip on him tightened.

"I do love you. I love you so much, and it hurts me to see you like… like this. Suffering. But I won't ever leave you, my Lovi. I won't."

"I know," Lovino gave me a sad smile, "and I love you too. At times, not even words can describe how much I love you." He patted my hair and played with its brown curls. "Please smile," my love requested, and even though it hurt me to do so, I obeyed his last wished and felt the corners of my mouth inch towards a grin slightly. But the tears were bubbling out quickly, and if I didn't control myself for Lovino, I would have been sobbing by then.

"This is what I want; to die in your arms, seeing your smile as the last thing. You make me so happy, my love, and so very complete. If we were to be reborn again, I..," Lovino closed his eyes and the hand that had been calmly rubbing my cheeks slowly dropped. My breathing stopped completely. Everything stopped because it was the love of my life's last moments, and I could sense that.

"Lovi!" I yelped, fear overtaking my voice. This can't be the end! It just CAN'T!

"I will love you, forever and… forever and always. That's a promise," he whispered. Shaking, I leaned down and pecked his lips with the greatest of care.

"I believe you, and I love you too, my Lovi." He smiled and said his last words:

"My 'Tonio."

And then the world grew cold, and the fire meant nothing, and the people meant nothing. Only the motionless prince in my arms—with a smile resting on his peaceful face—could make me see clearly. The person that had become my only reason to live was gone. There was no point in continuing my existence without Lovino because there wasn't a day I wouldn't think about the Liatian.

"! DON'T GO LOVI! I NEED YOU!" I screamed in misery and held his limp body to mine, never noticing that the man I had attacked earlier had reached for his crossbow.

"You filth are all the same; disgusting and foreign! I may be paralyzed—and I'm sure that the fire will consume me—but at least I will have left this world having accomplished something."

What did I regret? Not saving Lovi.

What did I wish for? Only to be with him once again, and to be given another chance.

Then I heard a quick snap, and before I knew it, everything immediately turned black.

I DIDN'T WANT TO KILL THEM! HONEST! :( lol okay it kind of needed to happen in order to make the story work, but that's cool because they are given a second chance at life. Just because the power of Spamano love is that strong! :D

When I was starting the story, I thought about making the enemy another country, but then decided against it because I don't want to make any other characters bad guys. I mean seriously, Russia gets too much bashing just because he may or may not be psychotic! He just needs love! And Turkey too!

lol that was a random outburst. Anyways, next chapter is narrated by the awesomest character in the story! GILBERT!