I'm hurting guys. The more I write this the more it destroys me. The thing is there's so much I want to do in this fic but I also have other ones I want to finish but I really want to commit myself to this one before completing anything else because this one has really been the most fulfilling for me. It really gave me a lot of room to stretch outside of romantic comedies as well as see the improvement of my own writing. I can't read chapters 1 through 8 because they were written nearly 5 years ago. Anyway, here's the new chapter. I hope you enjoy it. I hope it hurts you.
"Lieutenant Beilschmidt."
Ludwig looked up from the papers on his desk. He wasn't paying any attention to them however. Feliciano was reading a copy of some dramatic love story, but the book was in German (a language Feliciano did not know), so he made up a story about a bear burning down a city. He still kept looking at the book, hoping he was getting it right. Ludwig only smiled at him, encouraging him. Whatever nonsense Feli spoke was far more important that whatever nonsense the author had to spew. He looked at the man at the door.
"Yes, Herr Putzig."
"The Andromeda is in sight."
The warmth in Ludwig's eyes went out and only left a biting cold, "Ready the canons. Kiku will not escape."
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Arthur watched Kiku study his maps for the hundredth time. The man had committed himself to mapping the stars and ocean currents. Death Islands don't have stars but these will also keep him from being lost if the sky is clear. He grinned watching the Japanese man scribble down notes and diagrams. He felt his grin softening into a little smile but he tore his attention away and looked out the large window of the captain's quarters. He picked up a telescope from the creaking floor and extended it fully before looking through it. His grin returned.
"Kiku let everyone know to pull into the fog, our friends are here."
Kiku stood up and took the telescope from Arthur and looked through it before whispering, "Ludwig."
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Feliciano was lying by the hearth, his cute stupid act completely dropped, "Don't you think it's strange?"
"What?"
"You found a specific group of pirates, out of all the different pirates in this immediate ocean?"
"My crew is very capable," Ludwig said, more to himself.
Feliciano only smiled, "If you say so Boss Man."
Feliciano rolled away form the fire. He didn't seem phased at all. Ludwig eyed him. Feliciano knows something. No, he doesn't know anything for certain, he only has a hunch. The Andromeda is one of the most powerful ships among the pirates. It wouldn't be strange if they were only found when they wanted to be. If that's the case then why would they want to be found by Ludwig? Was it a plan for Kiku to return to King Francis and the princess? Could it be the king was wrong or that the king was lying? He would know the truth when he found Kiku again.
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"Our spy has told us that the princess has been taken by The Brandenburg, by Captain Beilschmidt."
"And we shall use Lieutenant Beilschmidt to trade for the princess."
"Very quick, Kiku. We'll port in Grimm in three days time. Send a bird to find The Brandenburg and let Gilbert know we've got his brother."
"That sounds too simple, Arthur."
"The simplest plans are the best." "But how do we capture Ludwig?"
"The same way we captured you. My fairies are already leading him to us."
"Magic isn't real, Arthur."
"Death Islands are real, Fairies are real, and just wait until you see how real Magic is."
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The Andromeda sailed deeper into the fog. Ludwig as now at the mast, he left Feliciano in his office. He knew Feliciano could handle himself in a fight but he didn't want to chance it. He had become so attached to the boy in the short time he's known him. Feliciano reminded Ludwig that there was red blood pumping in his veins, he turned Ludwig into a power house. He was wrapped around the boy's little finger and he had no intention of trying to free himself. Since The Unravelling Ludwig has felt lost, without purpose. Serving Francis was just a way to keep himself busy. Feliciano was different. He felt Feliciano everywhere. The scorch marks lingered on his hands, his shoulders, his lips. Feliciano charred Ludwig's skin with each heated kiss, with each lusting bite, with every sweltering moment choking on the spoke in the air around them.
Had Kiku joined forces with the Andromeda? Ludwig wasn't a fool. He had no reason to trust what the king said. Kiku truly never held any loyalty to Francis, however he was loyal to the princess. Kiku couldn't have known about the princess's kidnapping, so why team with The Andromeda? Would he turn over the pirates and use Ludwig? Perhaps all he wanted was to return to the palace, kill Francis, and take Alfred with him? Everything Kiku ever did was for Alfred. Of that much Ludwig was certain.
Feliciano was also out to kill Francis. Should he turn them both in? It was amazing he was still in power. No one in service to him felt even a shred of loyalty, not even Ludwig. Thinking on it it never occurred to Ludwig that killing Francis was an option. There was always something strange about Francis. The closer Ludwig was to him the more he felt his power. Francis had something inside of him that brought those before him to their knees. Maybe that was why Kiku could always fight, he and Francis would only be in the same castle for a month at best. If Francis were killed who would take his place? He succeeded in unifying one-third of the world. Who else could manage it and not lose their mind? Perhaps Francis had already begun his descent into madness. Ludwig decided not to think on it any further. When he saw Kiku he would know what to do. He would learn the truth when Kiku appeared.
And so his ship sailed deeper into the fog, following the Andromeda. He was prepared to fight but not to the death. It wasn't time for him to die, not when he had found the new will to live.
Sorry this chapter was so short. I want to take a minute to talk about the possible spin off. In the last chapter I mentioned how China had disappeared entirely. When Rescue Me is done I was thinking of a story set in the same universe focusing on Russia and China and what happened. Let me know if that's interesting to you.