Disclaimer : Don't own Hetalia, or its characters. But you guys already know that, don't you?

Chapter 4

"What are you going to do now?"

Nat looked up at Matt. "I will have to leave for my temple, along with Alfred. I will have to take the guidance of the Mother Priestess, and do as she says."

Matt couldn't believe the day's turn of events. He heard it first from Gilbert, and Natalya had just finished telling him what had transgressed. His brother, whom he had been forbidden to see, was in the other room, sleeping, and the woman who had killed his father was drinking tea and eating biscuits with him.

Gilbert had rushed into his office in the middle of a meeting, his red eyes wild, his skin burnt. Matt had rushed out, only to be led by Gilbert downstairs to the dungeon. Gilbert had talked incoherently, and Matt could only make out 'priestess', 'light', 'screaming' and 'chains' before he halted in front of his brother's cell whose bars were severely deformed, and the binding chains were out of shape. His brother was awake, sitting against the wall, holding the unconscious body of the priestess close to him.

"Who is this woman?" he had asked.

Hearing his brother's voice, after that incident of mass massacre, always made his heart stop. "She's a priestess."

"Did she kill dad?"

Matt nodded.

"She did all of us a favour, then," Alfred had said. He got up, lifting Natalya in his arms. "Both of us need rest. Especially this one."

Matt nodded. He would have offered to take Natalya from him, considering how wounded he was, but Alfred's tight grip on the priestess made him reconsider. "Come with me."

"W-Where are you taking him?" Gilbert asked.

"To my house."

And there they all were, sitting in Mathew's apartment, drinking tea. Gilbert had taken a few shots of whiskey, and then taken the entire day off. And after hearing what Natalya had to say, Matt wished he'd, too, taken a couple of shots of whiskey. Or vodka. Whichever was stronger.

"You're saying my brother might have done it under the influence of the demon?" Matt had asked her in the middle.

"That is very probable," she had replied. "His behaviour now on will confirm it."

Now, they sat in silence. Nat looked drained out – she was having trouble just raising her teacup to her lips. But the persistent pain in her eyes was not there anymore – it had reduced to a dull ache. He watched as she put her cup down, and leaned back into her chair, closing her eyes.

"Tired?" he asked.

"Very."

"Stay the night here. The temple is a bit far from here, and you don't look like you could travel right now. And I've got enough rooms."

"Sounds…like a plan."

Matt smiled. "I'll have dinner ready for you. You can have it whenever you wake up."

"What…are you…making?"

"Waffles with maple syrup and vanilla-cinnamon ice-cream."

"Sounds…delicious."

"And chicken soup."

"I…want to…eat…" And, just like that, she dozed off.

Matt smiled. He got up, gathered all the crockery, trying not to disturb Nat. But considering the slumber she was in, he didn't think he could disturb her even if he wanted to. He put all the dishes in the sink, then got out all the ingredients he needed to make dinner. The familiarity of the motions calmed him down, allowed him to think clearly.

She was going to take Alfred with her, back to her temple. He had to cremate his father's body, and officially take his father's office. He would have to appear publically, give speeches, accept condolences, even cry for his father. Plus, he'd have to make up a credible reason for his father's death.

But now, he didn't want to.

He didn't know what was going on, and it got on his nerves a little bit, knowing that outsiders seem to know more about what was happening right under his nose than he was. But, the more he thought about it, the more things made sense. Why he was left behind with mama. Why he was made the heir and not Alfred. Why he was forbidden to see Alfred after the incidents.

Mathew knew his brother too well, and his gaze didn't miss anything. Not only did his father know that, he used it well to his advantage.

He…he needed to get away from all this. He needed to figure out what the hell was going on. He needed to know who it was that he called his father.

Matt heard a loud crack, and looked down. He chuckled, and rubbed his face wearily. He's managed to break the chopping board while cutting vegetables.

He set the knife down, and rubbed his face with both hands. This was…he needed to think, to figure out what he had to do next.

He walked out of the kitchen, and saw Nat had curled up in the sofa, fast asleep. He chuckled, and walked over to her. Picking her up as gently as he could, he made his way to an unoccupied guest room, and laid her in bed. He spread the sheets over her, and left the room.

Maybe she could give him what he needed.

"You're awake, priestess?"

Nat didn't bother to look up from her meal. She continued to shovel food in her mouth, even as Alfred brought back a plate loaded with food with him, and sat down at the table before her. "My brother cooks well, doesn't he?" he said, but she was too preoccupied with eating as much as she could before she had to take her next breath.

Alfred watched her for a while, then chuckled. "Thank you." She raised her head to stare at him, but he started shovelling food into his face at a faster rate than Nat had been. Surprised, she looked down at her bowl. She needed more soup.

She got up, taking her empty vessels with her. She set her bowl next to the lidded vessel containing the heavenly ambrosia, and busied herself with cleaning her used cutlery. As she washed her plates, she felt the food settling into her stomach, giving her the feeling of fullness she had wanted. By the time she was done washing her vessels, she was feeling relatively full.

She went to the vessel containing soup, and filled her bowl with it. "Do you want some soup?" she called out to Alfred over the counter, loud enough for her voice to be carried till him.

He didn't raise his head, but held a thumbs-up in the air, signalling her to get the vessel with her. She carried her bowl in one hand, the vessel in the other, and made her way to the table. She set down the vessel before him, and sat back into her seat, planning to savour every drop of the soup she was planning to help herself to.

"I mphh know yphhh name."

Nat raised an eyebrow at the pig before her. "What?"

He swallowed. "I still don't know your name."

"Natalya Arlovskaya."

"Where are you from?"

"Senchessy."

Alfred frowned. "You're not from this country."

"That is correct." Nat continued to drink her soup. "You didn't tell me why you thanked me."

"You killed the old man. You freed me. They're reasons enough."

Nat looked at him, surprised. "You are thanking me for killing your father?"

Alfred nodded, and with a loud sigh of gratitude, sat back. "That was awesome."

Natalya continued to stare at him, not paying attention to his complement of Matt's food. "You are happy?"

He shrugged, and frowned a little. "Not happy. The old man did mean something to me. But I also know what he's done, what he did to me. It's not something I can forget."

Natalya studied the man before her. He'd cleaned up, and was wearing a vest and a pair of sweats. She could easily see why he was Matt's twin brother – they had the same facial structure, height and build, and the same blue of the eyes. Matt's eyes were calmer, thoughtful, while Alfred's eyes shined brilliantly. Both were blond, but Alfred's hair was a shade lighter, and it fell straight over his forehead, unlike Matt's soft curls.

"Can you tell me what is going on?"

Nat looked up at him. From where was she to tell him? "When your father died, I realised he'd made a contract with a demon. To prevent the demon from running loose, I had to bind the demon to myself. The demon told me to find the child who had parts of the demon bound to it. I found you, and from what I understand, the demon has left both of us, and your father's spirit rests in you."

Alfred blinked at her. "That makes no sense."

Nat sighed, rubbing her forehead. "I didn't think it would. When we reach Senchessy, there will be people who can explain it better to you."

"Woah, woah, woah. We?" he asked, raising his eyebrow.

Nat frowned, not quite understanding. "You will be coming with me to Senchessy."

"Hold it right there, lady," he said, leaning forward. "I'm not going anywhere with you. I barely know you!"

Nat stared at him, at the incredulous expression on his face. She kept staring at him, until the expression on his face changed from incredulous to uncomfortable. "W-What"—

"What are you going to do here?"

He blinked at her, flabbergasted. "W-Wha..?"

"Everyone believes you are dead. Leaving this apartment would serve nothing. You don't have a job to go back to. Your only family is sleeping in the other room. What are you going to do here?"

Alfred's face was writ large with shock. His eyes were large, and he gaped at her, comprehending what she had just told him. She was…she was…

She was right.

She looked at him. He wasn't very good had hiding his feelings, or keeping them off his face. Every emotion that ran through his mind was clear on his face. Natalya decided to let him think about it, and continued to drink her soup.

"…come with you?"

"Huh?" she asked, not hearing what he'd said clearly. "What?"

"What will I do if I come with you?"

Nat looked at her bowl, raised it to her lips, and drank the remaining soup in one gulp. Delicious. She set the bowl down, and looked at him. "There is something dangerous happening here, in this country," she said, getting up. She walked over to him, and sat on the edge of the table before him. "Your father was involved in all of this. The problem is bigger than anyone imagined. We need to understand what to do next."

She looked down towards him. "You have a link. Whether it is to your father or to the demon, I do not know yet. That shall be determined later. With your help, we can understand what is going on faster, and do what is necessary."

He averted his gaze from hers, looked down. She looked at him. Matt had told her about the kind of life Alfred had to lead, and none of it had sounded pretty. Her life had been tough, but she somehow managed to find people in front of whom her life seemed like a bed of roses. Alfred was one of them.

She could just walk away from all this. The demon was no longer within her, and by the looks of it, no longer within him, either. She could leave all this behind, and go back home, having written off the mission as successfully completed. Johnny Doe had been killed – that's what she was even in this God forsaken country for in the first place.

But…

"Why should I even do anything at all?"

"Because you can."

Honestly, all she wanted to do was hit that man on the head now, for having ingrained such bothersome values into her. But there was nothing she could do – he'd drilled all the values he had into her, and had made sure they'd stayed deep in her head. And she wasn't going to turn away from any of it.

How troublesome.

"You…"

Nat blinked, and looked down at Alfred. O Boža, his eyes were the most dazzling blue she had ever seen.

"You speak really formally, don't you?"

Nat felt a vein throb in her forehead. "Oi."

Alfred grinned, and she blinked. It was like looking at the sun. "That's better." He got up, took her bowl from her. "I'll think about it. Good night."

Nat looked at him as he went into the kitchen. She didn't really know what he had to think about, but she wasn't going to ask – she had her own thinking to do.

She got up, and made her way to her room. There was still a couple hours left before the sun rose. She planned on writing letters and sending it ahead of her to the House of Wheel, letting them know of what was going on.

She entered her room, and gave both the writing desk and the bed a contemplative look. Finally, with a sigh, she threw herself into bed, and sighed deeply. So soft…

Lazing in bed was a luxury, and she was going to take it.

"What are you doing?"

Nat looked up from her paperwork as Alfred walked in. "I could ask you the same thing."

"No one's at home except you. Plus, Mattie must be on TV."

Nat frowned. "The funeral?"

Alfred found the remote, and hopped into bed. "The funeral of the greatest, most powerful man who ever lived," he said, switching the TV on. He lowered the volume, and the murmur filled the entire room. Nat continued to work, not giving the television a glance.

"What are you doing?" Alfred asked after a while.

"Writing letters."

"Whom to?"

"To my Ozi Maya. The head of my temple. I need to report to them what happened."

"Will you be adding that you kissed me as well?"

Nat was glad her back was to him, for she didn't want him to see her blushing wildly. "That was the only way to not get killed. It shall not happen again."

"Pity. I enjoyed that," he said ruefully, and she felt his gaze shift from her back. She sighed softly. She'd been trying to get that…incident out of her mind for some time, and he had to go and remind her just as she'd begun to forget.

"Weren't we leaving today morning?"

We? She asked herself wryly. "Your brother told me to wait for two days. He said he wanted to come as well."

"Woah, broski's coming? Awesome."

He kept quiet for a while after that. Nat finished her letters, put them in the envelope and sealed them. She'd go down to the sister temple in the evening, and ask them to send the letter over as soon as possible. She turned around, and saw him staring at the ceiling. The TV was still running, showing Matt saying something. But Alfred wasn't watching it.

She got up, and walked over to him. She took the remote from him, which he handed over without a protest, and switched off the TV. He didn't say anything, just continued to stare at the ceiling.

"Matt told me I'd been locked in there for seven years."

Natalia looked at him. Normally, she wouldn't entertain any sort of unnecessary conversation, but she understood that Alfred was in a daze, and wasn't quite himself. She didn't blame him – if he was really in that cell for seven years, he would have been completely isolated from the world.

"It's crazy." He smiled, and he looked so sad it managed to tug on Natalya's heartstrings. "Mattie, when we were together, was super shy. You can't even tell it's the same person. He was so shy people didn't even know his name, or forgot it altogether," Alfred chuckled. "And now…" he sighed. "And now, he's on TV, making up some bullshit reason for the old man's death, telling people how sad he is when he doesn't even know what to think."

"What do you think?"

Alfred turned to Nat. "I don't know what to think. I didn't know there was a…'demon' trapped within me, although it does explain a lot, like why there seem to be blanks in my memory, or why I was locked up in that place. From what I understand, the old man put that demon within me in the first place, then locked me up to look good." Alfred sighed, but without any bitterness or sadness. "And he was the only person I ever saw, expect Mattie"—

"But Gilbert said"—

"He wasn't supposed to see me. But he wouldn't abandon his own brother," Alfred said, and smiled fondly. "Mattie's a good guy."

Nat nodded, and looked at the blank TV screen. "I didn't think he would let me in after he found out that I…"

"Oh, that wasn't out of the benevolence of his heart. Maybe he realised that you were the only one telling him the truth after all the lies he'd been fed for so long."

Nat looked at him, confused. "Wha…?"

But he didn't answer that. He got off the bed. "I'm coming with you. You're right; I don't have anything to do here. Maybe you can put me to good use, who knows? But, I will warn you – I'm very annoying."

Nat sighed quietly. This was not going to be anywhere close to a quiet, quick job. But she should have probably thought of that before she got involved in this mess. "I had a feeling you would be."

"See you at lunchtime, priestess." With that, he walked out.

Nat looked at the table, where her letters lay. The faster Ozi Maya got the letters, the quicker they could formulate a plan. She got up to get her coat, then pocketed her letters.

Time for a walk.

Matt loosened his tie, and threw it across the room. He pulled off his coat and removed his socks, all of which went flying in different directions. He walked to the easy chair towards one corner of the room, and plopped himself onto it.

He had a raging migraine, and he felt weary, body and mind. The countless condolences, the crying, the media…it seemed like there was no end to any of it. A ceremony. That's what they'd all wanted for their hero. A ceremonial farewell to the man whose life was one big adventure.

Matt groaned, and curled over to his side. Who was his father? He had no idea now. Was he the man those people worshipped and cried over? Was he the man his mother fell in love with? Was he the man who was lauded for punishing a monster, even though the monster was his own son? Was he the man whom Matt had obeyed and followed without question?

Or was he the monster harbouring a demon for a bigger cause?

Matt lay in the chair, motionless. He thought his life had changed, from being unknown to being someone with power. But people still didn't know his name – from "Who are you?" to "Alfred Jones Sr.'s son." He was still not known as Mathew Williams Jones. He was still a nobody riding on someone else's name and power.

He had never understood why Alfred used to rebel so much against the old man. Matt had a feeling he was finally beginning to understand.

For years he had done what he was told. For years he had believed in everything around him. The only time he had ever defied his father was when he had gone to see Alfred in prison. He had transformed himself from a shy, quiet boy to a silent, firm leader, just to earn his father's pride.

He had earned it. His father had never been stingy with praise – in fact, he was very generous with his complements. He had been a good father to him – Matt couldn't think of any way in which Alfred Jones Sr. lacked as a father.

Except for honesty, his mind supplied.

He sighed. His headache was lessening. All he'd needed was a bit of quiet and rest. And some medicine and food.

Matt blearily opened his eyes. It was evening. Antonio Fernandez Carriedo, his father's right hand man and now his right hand man, had cancelled the plans for the evening, stating that Matt could no longer keep his composure. Matt had been grateful, and astonished by the elder man's strength. While Matt only knew about his father's demon from reports, Antonio had seen its power before his own eyes. The very fact that he was able to keep his composure and façade despite all that had happened made Matt realise why he had earned his title.

Matt felt some of his strength returning to him. He got up, and waited for his head to stop spinning. He pushed himself out of the chair, and slowly made his way to the kitchen, where the medicine cabinet was.

As he walked past the foyer, the main door opened. Natalya entered the apartment, and looked up to see him standing there.

She blinked. "You are back."

He nodded. "Where had you been?"

"To the temple. I had to mail some letters." She removed her sandals, and peered at him closely. "You look ill."

Matt chuckled mirthlessly, trying hard to keep the bitterness from spilling out. Taking a deep breath, he asked, "I was going to make some tea. Would you like some?"

Nat didn't answer, but continued to stare at him until he forgot about his headache and became fidgety. "What?" he asked after what seemed like a long while.

"Why did you ask me to stay?"

Matt looked at her, then looked away. "I need my medicine. Come on," he mumbled. Nat frowned, but followed him into the kitchen. She sat down on the counter, watching as he took some medicine, then sat down on the island counter opposite her, holding his head in his hands. Nat could sense his distress, could feel his pain, but…it wasn't her place to ask.

"I want to come with you. To Senchessy."

Nat blinked. She wasn't expecting that.

"I-I…I want to know what's going on."

Ah. Now it made sense. Nat got off the counter. "You need another day to arrange for things here."

Matt looked up, and Nat realised he was ready to cry. "Y-Yes."

She sighed. "Take your time. I shall leave on the morning of the day after, then. You don't have to explain to me your reasons." And before she could be morally obliged to wipe his tears, she left the room.

She sighed again, a little louder. She couldn't handle such emotions.

You can't just leave him like that. He needs someone.

She looked up, and saw the door of a room. Back to the demon's lair, then, she thought as she walked to the door. She knocked on the door, and when she heard a grunt of approval, came in.

Oh, my.

Alfred stood there, in the process of wearing his vest. His body was riddled with scars that he'd gotten from being bound by the chains, but even through the scars, she could see his taut skin, the powerful muscles bunching under it. His capris were riddled low on his lean hips, and she could see the band of his boxers underneath.

Her eyes finally travelled up his body, only to see him smirking at her. "Like what you see, Natalya?"

His slow drawl made her blush hotly. Irritated, mostly at herself, she looked away. "Your brother is in the kitchen. He needs you."

"He's not the only one who needs me, I think," he said lazily, and pulled on his vest. "What do you say, priestess?"

"I'll add another couple of scars to your collection if you keep talking like that, vyadarak," Nat warned, turning around to leave. "He seemed…distressed."

"Man, when is that baby ever going to grow up?" Alfred groaned as he walked out of the room. "Thanks, priestess. Appreciate it."

Without giving her another look, he walked towards the kitchen, and stopped at the doorway. "Oi, oi, crybaby, what's got you sweating from your eyes now?"

"S-Shut u-up."

Alfred leaned against the doorframe. "Is that really the best you've learnt to swear?" He sighed. "Some things never change."

Matt didn't reply. Alfred watched as his brother silently wept, and felt his anger growing by the minute. He didn't know whom he was angry with, just…he couldn't bear to see his brother in pain.

Alfred walked past his brother, towards the fridge. He took out the milk carton, poured the milk into a container, and set it to heat. He hunted down the crackers and his brother's never ending supply of maple syrup, and made maple cracker sandwiches as the milk heated. He put the crackers on a plate, poured the hot milk into a cup and dumped a sickly amount of syrup into the milk, wondering how his brother could even enjoy so much sweet. He walked over to his brother, and set down the cup and plate next to him.

Matt looked up from his hands, and then to Alfred, who just said, "Eat."

Matt picked up a cracker, while Alfred went and sat opposite him. "I remember mom used to make that for you, every time you started wailing during a thunderstorm. I still don't understand how you can consume so much of that stuff."

Matt chuckled through his tears. "T-That's rich, coming from the biggest g-glutton of all time." He picked up the mug, and took a sip of the milk. Alfred had made it just the way their mother used to. "You remembered."

"It's not something I'd forget."

Alfred watched Matt eat the crackers and drink the milk, wincing as he downed the maple syrup in the milk. Alfred was the biggest glutton who ate the unhealthiest food, but his brother's obsession with maple syrup bordered to insanity.

"I-I'm going to Senchessy. With Natalya."

Alfred wasn't really surprised, but he was still curious. "What about the empire?"

"I spoke to Antonio about it. He said he would take care of it for me while I was away." Matt gripped his half full mug tightly. "There are some things I want to know."

"So you think going with the priestess will answer those questions."

"I'll find my answers somehow."

Alfred gave him a look so serious Matt doubted he was looking at his twin. "Why are you looking at me like that?"

"No reason." Alfred got up, and walked over to take one of the plain crackers from the plate. "I guess the younger brother of a hero is also a hero." He popped it in his mouth, and ruffled Matt's hair on his way out. "Finish your business by tomorrow. I'm getting bored sitting at home all day long."

"Even with the priestess here?"

Oho. So his brother still did possess his uncanny intuition. Alfred turned around, and gave Matt a lopsided grin. "I get to rile her up once in a while, when I'm not exercising."

"It's not really like you to take so much interest in someone."

Alfred shrugged. "Don't think too much into it. She's the first female company I've had for a very, very long time. And she seems to have a short fuse."

"She's a priestess, Alfred."

With a sexy body and a very, very kissable mouth. "Don't worry. I'll just amuse myself by baiting her. She doesn't seem to mind." And I get to see that cute blush.

Matt sighed, and gave him a watery grin. "I'll make you some dinner."

"You don't look like you could make yourself coffee. You can still order out in this day and age, right?"

Matt laughed, and Alfred felt his spirits lift. "It hasn't been so long, Alfred."

Trust me, broski, it feels like a lifetime ago. "Well, then. Order away. I trust you remember my favourites."

Matt nodded. "Mmhmm."

"You'll find me in your gym. And go talk to your priestess; you had her worried."

Matt got up, drank the last of the milk. Alfred winced. "She was worried about me?"

"Yeah. Send her my regards," Alfred said, and walked away, lifting his hand in a salute.

"Your…regards…?" Matt mumbled. He felt he was missing something, but just shrugged.

Now, what was he going to order for dinner?

Nat felt a vein throb in her head. "This is not a field trip."

"I don't know," Alfred said, "Looks like it."

Nat glared at him, but couldn't keep it up for long, since someone else was yelling into her ear.

"We also wish to come along with you!"

Nat looked at Gilbert. "Why?"

"We need answers."

Nat turned to Elizabeta, who had spoken. The woman carried genuine pain in those large, green eyes. "We need to know what's going on."

Nat eyed Eliza and Gilbert warily. They had reached the temple, and the head priestess had been gracious enough to provide transport to the three of them. Just as they were about to leave, Elizabeta and Gilbert appeared, the latter demanding Natalya take them with her.

"Please," Elizabeta begged, "let us come with you."

Natalya scowled. First Mathew, now them. The only one whom she actually needed to take back with her was Alfred, because of his connection with his father's spirit, but it looked like others needed to come along with her.

"It looks like you'll need a bigger car, Priestess Arlovskaya."

Natalya looked at the head priestess, who was smiling at her. Nat sighed, and bowed in gratitude. She turned to Eliza. "Just…handle this one," she said, pointing to Gilbert.

"How dare you? I am the awesome Gilbert! I can't be"—

Even Nat winced when the back of the pan connected with Gilbert's head. Eliza got out of her fighter stance, and grinned at Nat. "Done."

Nat suddenly felt a surge of respect and awe towards the elder woman. She just nodded, and bowed again towards the head priestess. "Thank you."

"Send my regards to your temple."

Natalya smiled, a genuine, heartfelt smile. "I shall." She turned to the four accompanying her. "Let's go."

As she walked to the car, she couldn't help but smile to herself.

She was going home.

A/T: Well, that's another chapter.

Hope you guys enjoyed it.

R. K. Iris.