^_^ first part of the vacation arc~(if you can call it that o.o)

I hope you all enjoy~

Lukas Bondevik- Norway -northern elf;

Emil Bondevik- Iceland- northern elf;

Mathias Køhler- Denmark- northern elf;

Tino Väinämöinen-Oxenstierna- Finland- northern elf;

Berwald Oxenstierna- Sweden- northern elf

Kismet

Chapter Fourteen: The Potions Master

Lovino awoke to the sun shining brightly in his room. He looked in confusion because he never slept in. Ever. Maybe that stupid spell was lifted or out of range. He was glad. He actually felt really well rested and happy.

He rolled over and found Antonio wasn't there. The bed was unmade and his night clothes had been thrown to the floor, but he was not there. Lovino glared and pushed out of bed to stretch, before heading downstairs, not even bothering to change into day clothes. He found his missing Sverran in the kitchen laughing with three of the six guards.

"Lovi~! Good morning, my love! Did you sleep well?" Lovino blushed, realizing he was in his night clothes in front of complete strangers.

"Uh … I slept okay … did you?" he asked awkwardly, trying to avoid the stares he was getting from the three men. He sat down on the stool that Antonio pulled out for him and rested his head on the counter in front of him.

"I slept wonderfully, my Lovi~! The ocean air is perfect for relaxation!" he laughed, scooping something onto a plate for Lovino and himself, "You can have some, too, just save a bit for the others."

"Thank you, your majesty." one spoke.

"Please … while we're here, call me Antonio or Toni~ and get some different clothes, too! I don't want to draw suspicion with you wearing my crest."

"Yes sir." another spoke. The third looked at Antonio then to Lovino.

"So how did this happen, if you don't mind me asking? I've seen him around the castle, doing your chores … but I never thought he'd be your lover."

Antonio smiled as Lovino's face turned red, "I have been in love with my Lovi since the moment I laid eyes on him~"

"Does the old queen and court know?"

"No. that's why you've been sworn to secrecy."

"But what about his-"

"I'm done talking about it." Antonio said firmly, feeding Lovino a bit of the meal.

"O-okay, A-antonio." he muttered, looking down at his plate.

Lovino felt babied, being fed like this. It wasn't so bad when they were in private, but in front of these men he didn't know, he felt ridiculous. If it wasn't for those gorgeous green eyes, Lovino would have stormed out of the room and locked himself in the bed chamber for the rest of the week.

Antonio continued to feed him, until Lovino resisted anymore and excused himself to go change. He slowly made his way up to the room and stripped of his clothing, wondering if he should try again to seduce the older man. It seemed like a good enough time, right?

He sighed and dug through his dresser. Antonio was bad at putting things away, Lovino learned. He grabbed a vest and some pants and underwear to put on.

"Lovi~! What is with you and suddenly becoming naked all the time? Maybe I should bring you to the beach more often~" he laughed as Lovino's face turned red.

Lovino bit his lip and pulled on his clothing, deciding against seduction. It was hard trying to think of something to say when the man you wanted was laughing.

He turned to Antonio, a sudden smirk on his face, "I was waiting for you, actually, Antonio~" he wrapped his arms around the older man's neck, effectively shutting him up and giving him a blush to match Lovino's.

"L-lovi?"

Lovino pulled down Antonio's face to meet his and he slowly began kissing the king. Antonio kissed him back by tilting his head back to deepen it.

The Illonian moaned audibly into the kiss, something he knew drove his love mad. Antonio bit Lovino's lip, a sign Lovino took to mean he'd done well. His hands slipped from Antonio's neck and slid down his chest and under his vest. His fingers brushed the older man's nipple, causing Antonio to gasp lightly and push Lovino away, "I'm sorry! Don't be mad at me Lovi, I promise not to go too far …"

Lovino frowned, slightly confused, but he started laughing, "So that's it! Oh, man bastard, are you ever wrong …" he kissed Antonio again, "What are your plans today, Antonio?"

The king looked at him, puzzled by his sudden mood swing, "I … uh, was hoping to go into the market place early for the festival to look around. Then there's the festival, then we come back here."

"Okay, let's go then." Lovino pulled on his boots and waited for Antonio to do so as well, but he kept getting confused looks.

A short time later, they were back in the carriage, riding into the village, which wasn't far. When they arrived, the market was bustling with people running around and getting ready for the Summer Festival.

While Lovino wandered around the carriage, looking at the different stalls being set up, Antonio was busy making the same threat and deal with the carriage driver, before telling him to meet them later. He sneaked up behind Lovino and kissed his cheek, "Come on, I know a great little shop to start with~!"

He grabbed Lovino's hand and began dragging him through the crowded streets to find the shop he mentioned. Lovino saw decorations being put up and children running around in costumes and masks. Women were wearing festive dresses unlike any he'd seen before and the men were setting up stall with foods that smelled wonderful.

Antonio stopped in front a shop and turned to go inside. Premade clothing lines the walls, all of it bright and colorful like the many dresses and outfit he'd seen.

"Since it's traditional, I thought you would enjoy having an outfit to wear today~! Go pick one out~" He pushed his love towards the colorful clothing. Lovino looked around and glared back at Antonio whom was looking at some weird lavender jacket thing. Gold trim lines it and twisted in patterns all over. There was a matching vest for underneath.

Lovino sighed and turned back to the racks. He wasn't wearing a dress. There was no way, but he didn't know what to look for in the men's wear. They were all jackets, vests and pants, overly decorated and what not, but if Antonio wanted him to wear it, he would.

He chose a maroon jacket and it's matching set, with the gold trim. And tan pants that looked a few sized too small.

Antonio looked at him, "Did you find something you liked? The tailor has a back room where she can fit it to you, if you'd like~!" Lovino blushed lightly and nodded, following the young woman to the back. With the help, he managed to put on the confusing outfit. Everything fit fine, minus the shirt underneath it all. The tailor woman found a smaller one and then the outfit was complete. Lovino had begged for a larger pair of pants, but the woman said he looked fine and sent him away.

The Illonian slowly made his way out of the room, completely embarrassed by the outfit. When he came out, the king was dressed in his already. Where he changed, Lovino would rather not know. A dark blush stained his cheeks when he noticed Antonio's pants were a little too tight as well, tighter than his pants were before.

"Oh, Lovi~! You look great! I love it! How do I look?" he turned around showing off his ass. Lovino bit his lip, his neck and face growing more warm than before.

"It's okay, are we done in here? And … do I really have to wear this?" he was beginning to think the dress was preferable since it wouldn't hug his legs.

"Yeah, let me pay and we'll go find something to do." he counted out the gold for the outfits and the woman's services and dragged Lovino back into the crowds. Lovino didn't want to walk through the streets, even if most of the men he saw were also wearing the strange outfits. He got stares, but mostly from young women who giggled at Antonio.

The first stop was a stall that had just opened up with a weird game. There was a large bucket on the ground filled with apples and water, "Interested in trying your luck at bobbing for apples?"

Antonio looked at Lovino, "You want to try it?" the Illonian looked at him and shrugged, "Sure, how do you do it?"

The stall vendor smiled, "For one gold, you can have three tries to grab and apple using only your teeth. If you get one apple, you win that apple. Two apples, you win two apples and a sample of my craft wares," he pointed to a small decorated dagger like knife hanging behind him, "And three apples gets you three apples a larger knife and a discount off your first purchase of my weaponry."

Lovino shrugged, "Okay …" he reached for his pocket, where the stash of gold he'd brought was, but Antonio threw a piece on the stall counter first, "I'm paying for everything, my love." Lovino blushed.

"No way … I have a lot, I can handle myself!" He crossed his arms.

Antonio smiled and kissed his cheek, "I know … but I want to pay." Lovino huffed and turned to the bucket.

"Remember only your mouth!" the vender smiled.

Lovino knelt down in front of the bucket and placed his hands on the edge where it was marked and plunged his face in. The water was cool on his face, which was good since it was already heating up outside. He latched onto an apple and bit hard to lock it in place before pulling out of the water.

"Very good!" the vender and Antonio cheered. Antonio took the apple from him and the Lovino plunged in again. This time, he ran out of breath before finding any of the apples.

"One more try, young man!"

Lovino took a deep breath and aimed for the cluster that built up and he felt one of the apples hit his head, which would probably be sore for a while. He took his time trying to grab one of the apples and bit into it, happy he'd snagged it.

"Well done! That's a total of two apples! Come over here to collect your prize." the vender tossed him a towel to dry off his face and leaned under the counter to pull out a box filled with the small knives. Lovino had never owned a knife before, so he found this to be exciting. Maybe if he'd had one that day, he and his brother wouldn't have been kidnapped … but … then he would never have met Antonio, so he shrugged. Things worked out.

He placed the towel on his shoulder for a second to pick his prize. There were many styles to choose from, but his eyes caught on a really nice one. The blade was sharp and smooth on one side, but the other looked like flames coming off the blade. Twin dragons twisted around the handle, one had its mouth open spouting said flames. There were tiny jewels in place for their eyes, one a golden brown and the other a odd brown stone with flecks of shining green.

"That one." he pointed to it.

"Ah, you have a good eye, young man! The handle was inspired by an old tale of dragon brothers who were the pit of balance. One was always angry and mean, very powerful, but the other was soothing and calm. While one destroyed, his brother was the voice of reason and calm.

"They were the dragons that created all of Erydia." Erydia was the name for all of the kingdoms in the area. It was one of the seven.

"This seems much too expensive for one gold …"Antonio commented as the man sheathed the blade in a large leather skin and handed it to the younger man.

"Not really. My business has been prospering and it's all in fun, right? Besides, once you taste how sharp and easy to use my weapons are, you'll bring me more business," he winked.

Lovino thanked the man and held onto the prize as Antonio led him down the streets to find more things to do. Several games later, it was time for lunch so the Sverran king stopped by a stall and smiled, "You've eaten a churro before, right?"

Lovino looked at the sweet smelling coils and shook his head, "No, but I've seen them served at your parties."

Antonio paid for a few and handed some to Lovino, "I love these~!" he happily ate the fritters.

The Illonian looked down at them and shrugged, biting into it. It was hot, but tasted delicious. He ate the rest and they continued on their way. They joined a rope pulling contest, Lovino and Antonio's side winning. Then a knife throwing contest. Antonio won third prize, which was a set of throwing knives, imported from far away. They were special, with mermaid scaled embedded in the handles. He would have preferred first prize, and Lovino heard him complain, which was a set of these and a set of long swords he'd never seen before, all fitted with mermaid scales.

Lovino looked around, while Antonio bought another churro from a different stall. There was a stall opened up that many were walking away from rubbing their arms and covered in dirt. He grew curious and walked over. A short, pale man with pointed ears looked up.

"Can I help you?" he asked in a thickly accented Sverran. His hair was pinned back on one side with a cross and a little curl hung from the back of his head. His clothes were foreign and there was a lack of. He also wore armbands, however, these were silver with a sapphire ring around it.

"Uh … I was just looking … you're not from around here, are you?" Lovino asked, looking at the large obstacle course. There were two men, dressed similarly to the vender. Blonde hair like theirs was rare to find in Sverran. The only ones he knew of were Femke, Tessa and Daan.

"No, actually we're from the elven tribes up north." the man explained.

"So, you are elves?" Lovino looked at the man's ears again, recounting how Femke told him elf ears were pointed.

The man nodded and said some words in a language he didn't understand, "We came here to get our wares out. I'm a potions master, along with Tino and Emil. I'm Lukas, by the way." he muttered.

Two more men joined his side, carrying trays of refreshments, "Oh~! Another customer? Should I tell Berwald?"

Lukas shook his head, "He hasn't paid or anything. We were just talking." he turned his blank look to Lovino again, "You're not from here either. It's faint, but you have an accent, too."

Lovino blushed lightly, not realizing he still had his Illonian accent, "Yeah, I moved here from Illonia six years ago."

"I've been there once. Dangerous place, but I needed the dragon venom for one of my potions." Lukas remarked, gabbing a cup that the blonde man had brought him, "This is Tino," he pointed to said blonde, "And Emil," the silver haired man, with an odd bird, looked over.

"I'm Lovino …" the Illonian introduced himself. Tino was also wearing the armbands, his silver with pale blue gems randomly placed all over.

"What's with the arm bands?" Lovino asked, leaning against the stall. Tino looked at his arms and smiled, "They're just for decoration, really. Most men in our village wear them, why?"

Lovino pulled off his jacket and lifted the sleeve of his shirt, "My friend went up north and sent me a pair."

Tino smiled, "Gold looks good on you~! Your friend is from the mainland, yes?"

The Illonian nodded and pulled his jacket back on, wondering what was taking Antonio so long.

Lukas sipped at his drink, "Mathias wears gold ones, with rubies. I'm surprised yours doesn't have a gem stone or two … there's a few tribes who prefer simplicity over decorative ones. I've never visited them, though."

One of the other two men walked up, after sending another contestant running with sore arms. He laughed and spoke in a strange language, before Lukas said something back angrily.

"I'm Mathias! You running the course? I don't think you'd be good about it?" the wild haired man laughed.

Lovino glared and crossed his arms, "Shut up! I could, too!"

Mathias looked at Tino and Emil, who were shooting him looks, one worried , the other a glare, "I don't think you could. Come on, for two gold, you can run the course. If you beat the hourglass, you win three fun potions. If you beat the course at all, you win two. One, if you make it halfway, without messing up once~!"

Lukas grabbed the elf's necklace and yanked upwards, "Stop being so rude to our new friend. Baiting him won't do any good." Mathias yelped in pain until Lukas let go.

"I'm sorry about him." Lukas looked back at Lovino, "But that's the game if you're interested." Lovino glared, "I'll run it. And I'll beat it!" he slammed the gold down on the counter. Mathias walked with him to the course, where Tino followed closely behind, a small bottle in his hands, filled with a pale red liquid.

"Okay, Waldy, we have another runner~!"

The tall, scary looking man turned, "D'n't call m' W'ldy." Tino stood next to the larger man and Mathias pointed to the course, "Babies in my village can do this. You'll start by climbing this wall, only the roped to help you. On the other side is a fun little bridge that you have to cross. From there, there's another wall but a little more difficult than the first. Wooden bars for you to cross by arm strength alone and … well … you should be able to figure out what each level does. The hour glass gives you a half hour to complete the full course. Have fun~!" he turned the glass over.

Lovino grabbed the rope and began pulling his weight up the wall, his grip slipping as he used his feet to walk. Luckily, he wasn't a heavy person and after years of carrying heavy baskets of clothes and buckets of water, he had some hidden strength in his arms. He swung his legs over the edge, cursing the tight pants. Sweat was pouring down his face so he tore off the jacket and tossed it aside before stepping into the bridge Mathias had mentioned. It was made of round disks of wood, connected by ropes.

It wobbled under Lovino's weight and he cursed his klutziness, but decided to use his speed as an advantage. The bridge barely had time to slide out from underneath him as he darted across. He landed on the other side of the bridge and looked at the wall. It was a stone wall, put together with a few rocks here and there jutting out from certain spots. He grabbed onto one and smirked. He'd show that blonde bastard that he had underestimated Lovino's strength. One didn't carry heavy things for a living and not be able to do this. Plus, carrying said things down stairs and back up helped, too. He scaled the wall and dropped to the platform on the other side.

The wooden bars were each about arms length apart and were suspended over a muddy pit. Lovino grabbed the first one and hissed in pain as a splinter stabbed his hand. He bit hit lip and pulled his sleeves over his hands for a little more protection. He'd had many a splinter before from crappy mops and brooms, and had to endure that until later at night when Antonio would be able to pull it out for him. He swung from one bar to the next, groaning in pain that was seeping into his muscles and from the splinter. He reached the other side and rubbed his left arm and looked at the rope in front of him.

The rope dropped him to a lower platform where there was a long wall. A long strip on metal went from one end to the other. Lovino grabbed on and hissed, having to rely on finger strength to get himself across. The bar raised about half way and even had a sizable gap in between, which Lovino swore he'd cross. He managed and once on the other side.

Lovino looked at the new part and raised his eye brow. It was just a bunch of wooden poles, large enough to hold one foot. He stepped on the first one, but it was loose and Lovino almost fell. He growled in anger at the dirty trick but tried to make his way across before falling. At the last log, Lovino slipped and hit the platform hard, but held on and climbed up.

He licked his lips and looked at the final obstacle. Honestly, he had no idea how to get across the mud pit this time. Four panels long on each side, the obstacle was simply a flat wall. The panels were too far apart to use his arms. They were up different heights, which meant he wouldn't be able to use hands like on the other one. Two panels … he placed his hands on the first panel and lifted his leg to the other. There! He only hoped he could cross …

The first few movements were okay, but the farther he went, the harder it was to hold himself up and extend his leg out to the side to move over. Sweat dripped off his nose and he shook his head. He was going to beat this thing! He was almost there! Just … a … few … more … steps!

He slid his foot down and dropped to his hands and knees, "Ha! I did it! I told you I could do it, you blonde bastard!" he looked up into bright green eyes.

He suddenly found himself in a tight embrace, "Lovi~! I'm so proud of you, my love!" Antonio pressed kisses to Lovino's lips and face, "I watched the entire thing, too!"

Lovino blushed, "Y-you did?" he looked up at his love and smiled softly.

"Yeah! I was so worried because I didn't see you anywhere after I turned around … but then I saw you toss your jacket to the ground and came to watch you! I'm so proud!" he pressed his lips to Lovino's tenderly, "I'm definitely treating you to a special prize later~! Your favorite meal perhaps?" Lovino just looked at him.

"Well, well, well. You sure surprised me, shortie. And you beat the hour glass! Tino we need to celebrate the first person to actually beat the course … not many people figure out the last obstacle." Mathias explained to Lovino.

Lovino rose and stumbled, but Antonio helped him, "My arms are fucking killing me …" he huffed. Antonio nodded, "I think I know what to get you for a prize, but for now, let's continue to enjoy ourselves. What did you win?"

"He won three of our potions!" Tino smiled. Lukas pulled out a long box and opened it up to reveal almost a hundred colorful vials. They sparkled in the sunlight and Lukas pointed to little pieces of parchment with words Lovino couldn't read.

"This row is a strength potion. Gives you unimaginable strength for a few hours, due to the small amount I'm giving. This row is love potion. Lasts one day in this amount. Be careful, though, toying with one's emotions can be … fatal."

"He doesn't need it~" Antonio wrapped his arms around Lovino's waist, causing the younger male's face to erupt in a dark blush.

"So I see. This next line is a healing potion. It is very powerful, even in this small dosage. Any wound or sickness will be healed instantly. I developed it special myself and you won't find another anywhere." Lukas moved his hand over, "These green bottles are for fun. The potion will change your features for a short time. Well, your hair color, eye color and skin color at least. The effects last three hours. This one over here is another fun one. It gives you animal ears and a tail to match. Effects last two hours. These two rows allow you to talk to animal, and this one plants. Strange, I know, but Tino says flowers tell the best stories, as they see a lot."

Lukas looked at the next row with his blank look, "This one allows for some control over the elements: fire, water, earth and wind. It sounds good, but can be very dangerous. Fire can still burn you. The effects last a week." he pointed to the last two row, "Flight, well … it's as it entails. A day to be able to fly and what not … however, you would need to take small breaks to not tear up your body and it can be dangerous.

"This final potion is a special potion. A truth serum, if you will. For ten minutes, anyone who drinks such a potion will be forced to say nothing but the truth." he pushed the box forward, "Any three you want, even three of one."

Lovino was dizzy from the explanation, but grabbed a healing potion. Who knew when such a thing would come in handy. Most of them didn't interest him much, like flying and love. He had Antonio, which was like both. Maybe the animal ear and tail one? Would that be fun? Maybe it would make a nice gift for Feliciano when they met again? He grabbed it. None of the others interested him. He sighed and grabbed another tail and ear potion.

"Thanks …" Lovino muttered, tucking the small vials into the skin with the knife.

"Anytime, Lovino." Lukas muttered, locking the box up and tucking it away, "Here's my information if you ever need any type of potion. Mathias, Tino and I have taken a liking to you. You will receive discounts on my potions." The elf passed him a piece of paper with words written in his language and Sverran, "Message me anytime, Lovino. I can make any potion for anything."

Lovino nodded and thanked him. He would keep it in mind, he thought, tucking the paper away.

TBC

Veeeee~ let me know what you think guys~

~Lady Pyrien