A/N ...Another week has passed. I AM SO SORRY that it takes me a while to update. Math is a bitch. It'll be done forever in February, though! So please, read and review whilst I do homework DX

Julius was beginning to feel awfully worried about his oldest son. He hadn't appeared for quite a few days now, and the old king was beginning to wonder if the young prince had left for good.

It was hard on him, showing affection for Lovino. It wasn't that he didn't love the boy, he really did, it was just...loving Feliciano was so much easier. Giving Feliciano compliments was so much easier. And Lovino was just so difficult sometimes.

Lovino disappearing wasn't a rare thing, but he was usually back for dinner that evening. Julius now wondered if perhaps some particularly cruel comment had been passed unnoticed by anyone else, but had affected Lovino somehow. He wouldn't have been surprised.

Now worried out of his mind from too much thinking, Julius ran over to his guard to inquire about the young prince.

"Have any of you heard from Lovino?"

"No, sir. The Prince hasn't been seen since two days ago."

"Awesome." Now all Julius could think about was Lovino.

He'd go play some guitar. That would help.

Then, with a great clatter and flourish, the doors to the great hall flew open, and in strode Lovino.

Only, he didn't quite look like Lovino. His shoulders were less hunched, he seemed to walk a little straighter, and there was a look of certain confidence on his face that Julius hadn't seen since he was a little boy. And that singular curl, the sole cause of teasing when he was younger,

"Lovino!" the old king bounded forward. "What happened? You look so different!" He leaned in very close, and said, in a rather loud conspiratorial whisper, "Did you get laid?"

Lovino blushed heavily. "Get off Father. I have news."

Even his speech pattern was different.

"I am officially announcing my engagement to the Princess of Spain!"

Anita's eyelids fluttered open. Groaning, she attempted to rub her eyes, only to find that they were bound behind her back. Struggling, she glanced up and caught sight of a masked man standing over her.

"Good evening, my little tomato."

"You!" Anita gasped. "What have you done?"

"Anita!" the voice of Francesca wafted her way. "Don't listen to a word he says!" Anita twisted around to see her friends, bound and lying on the ground few feet away from her.

"You bastard!" She whirled around to face Sadik. "What have you done with my friends?"

"Oh, nothing yet." A sly sneer grew on his face. "But I can't guarantee it will stay that way." Anita scowled. "All you have to do..." he leaned down, "Is tell me who your lovely Prince Charming is."

Anita felt her blood run cold. "No," she whispered. "You bastard, don't you dare touch him!"

Sadik's smirk grew wider, if possible. "Oh, my," he said. "I do love it when you get feisty, dear." He tickled her chin. She jerked away, never once breaking her death glare. "But why choose him, when you could just as easily have me?"

"I will never choose you!" Anita spat on the ground.

Sadik slapped her. "Don't get saucy with me, wench," he snarled. "You have no idea what you are getting in to."

"I don't care. Kill me, then! There are worse things you could do to me."

"Oh, and I'm sure I can imagine quite a few-"

"His name is Lovino."

Anita whipped around, staring wordlessly at Roderica. Gillian and Francesca were looking at her with identical looks of disgust on their faces. Sadik began to grin again.

"Prince Lovino? Of Italy?" He began to laugh maniacally. "Oh, but this is too good! He is a fool! I don't have to kill him!"

"What are you going to do to him?" Anita began to shake.

"Tonia!" Sadik called his daughter in. Anita gasped. Tonia had styled her hair exactly as Anita did, and was wearing a dress mirror to hers. They looked identical. She doubted even Sadik could tell them apart.

"You wouldn't dare."

"Tonia," he grinned triumphantly, "go show our little Prince Lovino how much Anita loves him."

Anita began to scream as Tonia walked out the door. Tears began to roll down her cheeks. Sadik turned to her. "Shut up!" he roared, brining his fist down as he knocked her unconscious again.

Anita's last thought were of Lovino. Of his hair curl, and hazel eyes. Please, be safe.

My Lovi-tan.

"What do you mean, she doesn't exist!"

Lovino could not believe his ears. What the hell did his foolish old man think, saying Anita was dead? "I'm telling you, she was killed years ago. She has a tomb and everything!"

"But there's no body, is there?" Lovino challenged. "I'm telling you, she's fucking real! I met her! I-" His voice stopped abruptly as his hand traveled to his lips.

"Maybe he's right." Lovino glanced up to look at Feliciano. "Maybe she really was kidnapped."

"Feliciano..." Lovino whispered. Was his brother actually agreeing with him?

"Either way, whether Lovino is telling the truth or not, we have no way of proving it." Julius sighed. "Therefore, we can't announce the engagement."

"What!" Lovino was furious. "But I have to break the curse!"

"Son..." Julius looked at Lovino in pity. He might have thought he was going crazy, had it not been for the sudden bursting down of the doors to find a rather harried-looking messenger.

"The Princess of Spain has just announced that she will be making a visit here to meet her engaged, Prince Lovino, in two days hence!"

"HAH!" Lovino glared triumphantly. "Told ya, fuckers."

"How did you get this message?" Julius was completely dumbfounded.

"We passed her on the road, Your Majesty. She asked if we were from Italy, and when we replied in the positive, she demanded we run here and deliver you this message."

"That's her, all right." Lovino couldn't stop grinning. "That's her."

A/N But it's not! No Lovino! Don't listen to the evil Tonia!

If anyone was wondering who Tonia is and what is up with her, she's Spain. In a sense. The dark side, you could say. You see, when Swan Lake was being performed, Odette and Odile (the bad guy's daughter) were played by the same ballerina. The phrase White Swan and Black Swan originally comes from Odette and Odile.

Super special awesome thanks to all my reviewers! You are the reason I get up off my lazy ass to write this story! I love you all!