A few days had passed since Feliciano was in the castle. He was slowly starting to merge into life in the castle, helping the maids and talking to his former friends about how he was living his former life as the personal servant of Ludwig. Apparently he was quite the shy one (shy? Seriously?) who tended to stammer during his first few years.

"Was I really scared of everything?"

"Well, not everything. Most things, really." Ludwig scratched the bottom of his chin. "But after what happened, it wasn't that surprising…"

"Eh? W-what happened, Ludwig?"

"…I think you should remember it on your own first…"

Feliciano found himself not questioning it as he followed the general to the dining room. He thought it was kind of weird that he trusted him 100% with his life, not even remembering why he did so. Being in love with him couldn't be the only reason why he trusted him…

"Are you all right?"

"Eh? Yeah, I'm fine. Don't worry about me."

"You're a little pale."

"P-pale?" Feliciano didn't seem to notice it. "Well…I think I should be eating a little more, don't you think?"

"You should. Like I should be considering looking after you a little more."

"E-eh?"

"Hm? How did your skin get so red after being that pale?"

"I-I don't know…"

"You must be sick with that changing skin color. Goodness, what am I going to do with you…?" Ludwig sighed. "Let's just have breakfast right now and see if that makes you feel any better."

"All right."

Feliciano smiled at him, causing the older man to turn away and hide his face as they finally reached the dining room. To their surprise, there was another figure joining Gilbert and Roderich at their meal, one that stood at the sight of him and which made Ludwig walk forward with shock all over his face.

"Vatti?"

"Ah, Ludwig. It's so good to see you again~" The man hugged him back. "And would you look at that? You have Feliciano back at your side! Here I thought it would never happen again!"

What does he mean by that? "I-I…it's nice to meet you…"

"Eh? What does he mea-?"

Ludwig quietly whispered everything he needed to know in his ear, and his father nodded in understanding. He turned toward a confused-looking Feliciano, smiled and walked toward him, standing a good distance before him so that he wouldn't scare the confused man.

"I'm the king of this land. Legolas Beilschmidt." He lifted up his hand. "It's nice to see you again."

"N-nice to see you too." Feliciano blushed, shaking his hand. "My lord."

"Ah…you don't have to be so stiff, Feliciano. You're a loyal dog to my youngest son, after all! I trust you completely."

"Eh? Dog?"

"It's not a bad thing, you know! Ludwig loves dogs!"

The two of them couldn't help but blush at that statement, leaving Gilbert laughing uncontrollably in the background. Feliciano started rubbing his cheeks and dashed quickly to his seat at the table, leaving the son alone with his father. They exchanged glances for half a second before the king escorted him out, leaving Feliciano at the whims of the idiotic prince.

"Ah, Feliciano, you should have seen the boobs on that woman! They were huge! Heck, you can probably play drums on those things!"

"Please try not to sound so rude and perverted in front of Feliciano, my lord." Roderich fixed his glasses before leaning in, threatening. "Bhí an teagmháil chased amach as an teach."

"What? Are you serious?" Gilbert leaned forward. "You can't take that tone with me! I'm your boss! Besides, conas a rinne a tharlaíonn? An raibh sé é féin a thabhairt ar shiúl?"

"I know how to deal with you, you know. Spiorad an ruaig air amach."

"Bhí eagla air de roinnt spiorad diabhal?"

"Uimh Dar leis, seilbh an spiorad dó agus ghlac sé air féin amach."

"Tch…you win this time, Roderich…" Gilbert leaned back, seemingly defeated. "Is é seo an spiorad cinnte amach dó."

Feliciano looked back and forth from his chair, wondering what in the world was going on in the argument between the two forces before him. He almost wanted to stop the argument, but seeing as how it was a language he could not understand, he stepped back and started eating his breakfast in peace, wondering if he should step in anyway.

"Buille faoi thuairim mé ansin nár cheart dúinn a insint dóibh mar gheall ar a marthanais?"

"Ah, ag an ráta seo, d'fhéadfadh muid chomh maith a insint dheartháir go mór dúinn a teach aíochta nua buan!" Gilbert grinned and turned to Feliciano. "So…how are you?"

"Oh, I'm…fine." Feliciano blushed, eating his eggs. "I was just wondering what you guys were talking about?"

"We were just arguing as usual." Roderich answered with a sigh. "Gilbert here is a bit of an idiot, as you no doubt already realized."

"I just thought he was loud." Feliciano answered back with a smile. "It's all right. I'm not that worried about it."

"Ah…you're so kind, Feliciano~" Gilbert's eyes started to sparkle. "There should be more perfect individuals like you."

"Oh, I'm not…perfect…" He looked down, blushing lightly. "I'm just ordinary…"

"Stop being so modest, Feliciano!"

"B-but…" He looked away. "Really…"

/=+=/

"How was the uprising, vatti?"

"It's going rather smoothly, fortunately." The king smiled. "I don't know how in the world my brother was able to rally such an army against us, though…it troubles me."

"Most of them are employed by the nobles that supported him, remember father?" Ludwig stepped forward. "The rich have the resources to fund another war."

"I know…that's what worries me."

Ludwig could see the stress taking its toll on the man he knew as the true king of the land. His older brother took that title away for those cruel and heartless twelve years of the land's history. There was no way to bring back the countless of lives that were taken during that dictatorship…during those horrible times…especially…

"You're thinking about him, aren't you?"

"Vatti?"

"Feliciano."

"Uh-!"

"I remember it too, Ludwig. And you need not worry about the noble's army. Our subjects are loyal; they will not want a repeat of what happened before."

"I know…" He took a deep sigh. "I don't want…to see him in that same situation, you know."

"Those are your worries, and I have mine." The king went to the window. "I wish to stop the war before my time comes."

"Before your time…why?"

"You already know why. Or have you forgotten about it?"

"…Gilbert."

"Exactly. I do not wish to see an incident where a father and son must battle to the death. If anything, it should be kept between brothers."

"If you did not wish for this to happen, then why did you give the title of future king to my brother?"

The king stood there for a minute, unanswering, leaving his son standing there with a confused look on his face. Everyone in the kingdom knew that it was Gilbert, the son of the ousted king, and not Ludwig, the actual flesh-and-bone, who was the heir to the throne. Yet no one really had a clear answer on why. And by the look on the king's face…

"I…I don't know either."

"What?"

"I just thought that…he would be a better king than you. You are more…emotional than he is." The king was rubbing his head, trying to remember his reasons. "He knows how to handle himself in a room full of nobles. You only know how to command troops in a battlefield."

"Of course I do. That was the very thing I trained for the minute you announced your heir." Ludwig was getting rather annoyed. "I would've been a better king if you had given me the crown! Why did you think otherwise, huh?"

"Because you have a weakness!"

"…Feliciano."

"You openly admit it."

"You're calling him a weakness?"

"I'm saying that it's glaringly obvious that it is." The king leaned forward, sighing. "Look, I don't know why I did it either. But that is my best guess at that moment."

"Are you-?"

"Sire! There's another uprising in the northern mountains!"

"Another one…"

"Let me handle it, vatti…" Ludwig spat. "It's apparently the only thing I can do now."

Without so much as another word, Ludwig stormed off with the messenger, leaving the king alone in the hall to contemplate on what just happened. A few minutes later, the banquet doors flew open, and the three inhabitants inside started talking to each other about something he couldn't catch. Gilbert was the first to notice the difference.

"Hey, where's bruder?"

"…he's been sent to help stop another uprising in the northern mountains." The king turned to him. "They're starting to pop up somehow."

"God…another one…" Gilbert grumbled. "Bastard can't catch a break."

"W-where is he now?" Feliciano stepped forward.

It was then that the king got a good look at Feliciano. He was such an innocent figure, having gone through hell and back and yet still having the eyes of a five year old asking for dinner to be served. This was what he meant. This is why Ludwig could never be the king. If anything happened to him, he would break down. The kingdom would suffer for it. Yeah…was that the reason?

"He would already be on his way by now. He's one for being quick to the job."

"Oh, all right…" He looked down. "I just wanted to say good-bye before he left."

"Don't worry. The town isn't that far from the castle." Roderich smiled. "He'll be back before dinner."

"OK~" Feliciano chirped. "I'll go ahead and wait for him, then."

"That's my Feliciano." Gilbert giggled. "Now then…why don't we head to the gardens?"

/=+=/

For those of you who don't buy the whole "yeah, you have a weakness and that's why you're not king" excuse…it's a plot point. I'm just saying that because I know that someone is going to complain about how easy that explanation is.