Chapter 7 - Brutal
"I'm sorry, Your Highness," said the teacher. "Vould you care to repeat zat?"
"I asked can ve read zis?" the seven year old prince repeated, holding up a thick hardback book.
Prussia, who happened to be in the same room, looked up. The dark elegant writing – that was printed on the cover – read 'Aurea Bulla'. "Ze Golden Bull," he asked, raising an eye brow. "Vhy do you vant to read zat?"
"Mon ami," France purred. "Just let ze boy read it. It would 'elp 'im know a little bit of Latin."
"Shut it, Franny! Besides his father just said zat he vasn't allowed to learn Latin."
France rolled his eyes. The French nation was visiting his old friend whilst king was away. Prussia and France had decided to join the Crowned Prince with his lessons, but promised that they would not interfere. Little Frederick didn't mind the two nations being there, he loved them both as Prussia was his guardian and best friend as well as his sister and France...well, Frederick was starting to like his culture and wanted France to teach him some of his language. France, finding the young prince so adorable, promised Frederick that he would. So, now the two nations were catching up as well as watching the prince having his lessons.
"Prussia..." said Frederick.
Prussia mentally groaned. Here come the puppy eyes! And as Prussia looked towards his future king, his suspicions were confirmed. The eight year old prince was standing there, the book tightly clutched to his chest, his bottom lip slightly poking out and his big blue eyes widening.
"Oh, Prussia~" France cooed, standing up and kneeling down beside Frederick and embracing him like a mother would to her child. "You cannot say no to zis face...s'il vous plaît~."
And the blonde pulled a pouting face, mirroring Frederick's. Prussia sighed and slumped further into his seat. "Fine, good ahead zen, but if you get caught..."
Frederick smiled and hurried over to the Prussian and hugged him. "Zank you, Prussia!"
Prussia's scowl suddenly softened and he hugged his Crowned Prince. "Yeah, yeah, happy to help, now, go on. Read ze damn book."
Frederick smiled, released the nation and hurried over to his teacher, Dunhan, who looked a little unsure. Prussia noticed this.
"Its fine, Dunhan, just make sure ze kid is happy."
Dunhan nodded and sat down with little Fritz and read the book. France stood up and walked back over to his seat. He poured himself a glass of wine and glanced up at his oldest friend.
"'E seems to 'ave you wrapped around your little finger doesn't 'e?"
Prussia glared at his friend. "I'm only making sure zat he's happy, you vould vant ze same for Louis, vould you not?"
"Oui, I would. I make all my rulers 'appy even my people."
"Zere you go!" Prussia growled. "So don't—"
"I wasn't criticizing you, mon ami." France cut in. "But I must say ze boy 'as taken a shine to you. And you to 'im."
"So, vhat if he has?" Prussia said, leaning towards his friend so that the child couldn't hear. "He'll have to vhen he becomes my king."
"Hmmm, true." France purred. "Louis and I are quite close...as some would put it."
Prussia looked at his friend. He blinked once, twice. Then the penny dropped. "Oh, so you two are..."
"We are, indeed." France said with a glint of glee on his eyes. "'E definitely knows 'ow to satisfy a man. Goodness knows 'ow many times I've wanted 'im to take me full—"
"Franny!" Prussia hissed. He nodded his head over to his prince, who was still reading the book with Dunhan. "Vill you keep it down und don't mention zings like zat in front of Fritz?"
"Desole, mon cheri." France said, sipping his wine. They both gazed at Frederick for a moment before France broke the silence. "Do you zink you two will become lovers when 'e grows up?"
Prussia glowed bright red. "France, shut your mouth, please!" he hissed. "Und change ze topic."
"All right, all right, if you so wish."
The door opened and Prussia's eyes widened at the sight of the King. Scheiβe, Prussia thought. Dunhan and Frederick looked up and the four gazed at the old king, who stood in the doorway. Frederick William's gaze wandered over to France, who was sitting calmly and swirling his wine glass. His cold eyes hardened at the sight of him. Prussia knew how much the soldier king despised the French and its culture and had told France to stay away from the king.
Slowly, the king walked over to where Frederick and Dunhan were sitting. "How are your lessons coming along, son?"
"Fine, thank you, sir." Frederick said.
Frederick William smiled...then faltered. Prussia felt the blood in his cheeks drain. The king had noticed the book. The king reached out for the book and raised it to his eyes.
"Frederick?" the king asked. Nobody could mistake the anger that was starting to boil in his voice. "Vhat is zis?"
Frederick began to shiver from the tone of his father's voice. "I...it's ze Golden Bull."
The old king began to flicker through the pages. "Zis...is in LATIN!" he roared. "I ordered you not to learn zat foul language! I forbid it!"
"But—" Frederick started.
"I'll 'Golden Bull' you." His father roared.
Prussia saw what was coming. The king threw the book aside and grasped his cane. The cane began to wave madly in the air. The stick struck across the right eye of Dunhan, making the teacher cry out in pain. Frederick started and moved from the table. Prussia leapt up from his seat just as the cane began to collide with the prince. Frederick cried out in pain and began to flinch. Once, twice, thrice the cane hit Frederick, his yells filling the room. Something snapped in Prussia's mind and he hurried to the child's side, took him into his arms and grasped the cane in a tight grip before it hit his prince again.
Prussia glared at his ruler. "You may vant to consider zis carefully before you strike again, Your Majesty." Prussia warned.
Frederick William snarled. "Don't order me around, Prussia. I do zat. Now, move out of ze vay."
Prussia moved his prince around so that Fritz was standing behind him, or cowering and sobbing quietly behind him. "If you vant to punish your son, you'll have to go zrough me."
The Soldier king glared. "Dunhan, I forbid you not to teach my son anymore Latin und you can burn zat book. Prussia, take my son und zat filthy nation over zere out of my sight. Your lessons vill finish early today."
Prussia nodded sternly and picked the child up into his arms and gestured for France to follow. France put down his glass and walked over to Prussia.
"Well, I'd better be going anyway, mon ami. Louis will be waiting for me~, au reviour, Dunhan."
"Au reviour, monsieur." Dunhan said, whilst wiping the blood from his eye.
He then turned to the king in front of him and glared. Prussia nudged him forward and they walked out of the room. They walked along the dark hallway.
"You okay, Fritz?" Prussia asked.
The little Prince nodded and sniffled. Prussia stopped and moved his head to inspect the child. There was a cut above his eyebrow and his lip was bruised. His eyes were puffy and red.
"Are you sure?"
"O-oui." Frederick whimpered.
"If you say so," He then turned to France. "I'm sorry about before. Zis is ze first time zat ze old codger has ever acted like zat."
"It's perfectly fine, Prusse. I'll 'ave to leave anyway – as I said my king is awaiting. Au reviour, mon petit Frederick." France cooed before kissing the young prince on his forehead.
"Au reviour, France." Frederick sniffed.
France chuckled and left the palace. They both watched him go. Prussia looked back up at his prince and smiled at him.
"Come on, Fritz; let's get you patched up und in your room for a long rest. Does zat sound good?"
"Yes." The prince nodded. Prussia grinned, hoisted Fritz up in his arms and hurried to the palace doctor to cure him.
"Zere ve are, Your Highness. All better now." the doctor said, cheerily. Frederick smiled at the doctor.
"Zank you so much." Frederick chirped, hopping down from the chair and hurried to Prussia's side.
"Danke, doctor, come on, Fritz, let's get you tidied up for dinner tonight."
Fritz looked up at him. "Must I? I don't vant to after vhat happened."
Prussia sighed as the puppy eyes came back again. He smiled at the doctor as the nation led the prince out of the room. He knelt down in front of Frederick and placed his hands on his shoulders.
"Look, Frederick, you'll just have to forget about it. I know it hurts but hopefully zis vill be ze first und last time. I zink your fazer just overreacted – after all he can be a little hot headed at times." Fritz sniggered. Prussia smiled. "Now, don't repeat zat. Come on, let's go und relax, get dressed for tonight und zen...ve'll raise a little bit of hell after vards."
"Can Wilhelmine come along?"
"Of course, she can, if she's not caught up looking at boys."
Frederick laughed and too the pale nation's hand and together, they ran down the corridors of the Hohenzollern castle, like rebellious school children.
A/N:
Hello, me again! Right, I got the inspiration to write this chapter when I was reading my book on Fritz and when I read this little section I couldn't help but think 'how would Prussia handle this?' so I decided to write it. Now, just to let you know this chapter was when the whole abusive relationship between Fritz and Frederick William started. Before this Frederick William treated his son like he was something very valuable. Now, Frederick William was a bit of tyrant when he was crowned king, he was cruel and when Fritz was around and he got into a bad mood or become really angry, he would reach for the first thing he could – his cane or a riding crop even his fists – and punish anyone who was in his way but mostly Fritz and sometimes his sister, Wilhelmine, would get a beating even his members of court, but his wife, Sophia, wouldn't get any beatings just a few harsh words.
But aside from the abuse, the father and son did have their moments, as of one time when Fritz was ill; Frederick William broke down and apologized profusely as though Fritz was lying on his death bed. Frederick William also hated the French, that's why he thinks France, is a 'filthy nation', of which I disagree being a France lover myself. When somebody was being sentenced to a hanging, he would dress them up in French clothing so that the crowd watching would witness the 'horror of their neighbour's fashion'! If I was around during his reign, I probably would have slapped him in the face.
Anyway, I hope you enjoyed this chapter...well, maybe not with the first time abuse from Frederick William.
Reviews are love :)
Also, hope you've had a great Christmas and happy new year to you all. Let's hope it treats you well.
M.S.P.
Xxx
Translations:
Aurea Bulla – Golden Bull
S'il vous plaît- please
Desole, mon cheri – Sorry, my darling
Scheiβe – shit
Monsieur – sir/mister
Prusse – Prussia
Au reviour, mon petit – goodbye, my little one
