The prince only had the pleasure of knowing England; the rest of the nations in the world were a fascinating mystery to him. How he wished his wife and children were there, in Beijing, to see all the nations who answered to China's call! Except for Malta and Cyprus, in Tul-La's claws, the whole Commonwealth was there to fight by England's side.
"England!" The prince watched how that beautiful black woman, who would later be introduced as the nation of Kenya, got off the plane and ran to England's arms, almost knocking him down. "Good heavens! I was fearing the worst!" There was no doubt she was being sincere because even the human could perceive her body trembling.
"I couldn't do anything for the rest. Ireland, Wales, Scotland, America, Malta...All of them are still there..." England said in little more than a mutter, greeting her in his arms but not seeming very happy to see her—he looked like a phantom, not happy about anything at all.
"We will save them. Don't you worry." Kenya assured him, touching his chin affectionately, in a vain attempt to cheer him up.
"Are you the guy with the drinks?" The prince was distracted by another African nation, a man with long golden hair in a ponytail.
"No, I'm...Uh...Sealand's prince."
"Oh, so you are the one responsible for this..." The nation frowned, and the prince felt intimidated.
"Cut it, Botsie." Another nation intervened, a white one, with a band-aid in his nose. He would later find out he had been defended by Australia himself. "Look at him, he's not Hitler or anything."
"It's not even Sealand's fault." England intervened. "It was Tul-La. She poisoned his mind...Like the viper she is..."
"I have a better word for her, but I really don't want to use it around small nations." Botswana said, and would have added something else, but was interrupted by China ordering everyone to take their seats for the meeting to start.
"Please don't hate Sealand for this...He is not a bad boy...He's not..." The prince supposed he could come in, being the sole representative of Sealand, and made use of the time they had coming in to defend him before all those nations. "He just...just...I wish I had stopped him...been able to read the signs that he was not alright..."
Australia soon proved to be one of the least intimidating nations around, one he knew was on his side. "Don't think about it, mate. We are going to solve this."
Oh, that was what he hoped, the prince thought as he took his seat by England's side. Just thinking about Sealand doing evil, a puppet in that witch's hand, suffering harm, was enough to put a lump in his throat. He had grown up by his side. He had promised his father he would take care of him, make him big. But not like this. Not at all cost.
"You know about this, China!" He turned to watch that woman who had lost no time standing up to accuse the host. An Asian woman with a red flower in her long brown hair. Malaysia, the sign on her table said. "I hope you are not hiding anything from us for your own benefit!"
"Like you always do." Australia had his arms crossed and an eyebrow raised.
"I will tell you everything I know. I will hide you nothing." China was surely upset about these accusations, but he delivered as promised, telling the audience what England, Italy and Egypt already knew.
The story horrified the prince, it seemed like something taken from a horror movie! And it almost made him weep, now really aware of the danger his family was in, at the mercy of that creature. Among the audience, the one who was most shocked about the story was India, he noted. Of course, having been possessed by Tul-La in the past and saving his skin almost miraculously. He was asked by other attendees if he really didn't remember anything and he, pale, replied that he had no idea, and he was happy it was so. Thinking that he could have suffered Sealand's fate...
"I suggest we join forces and destroy her, and keep her soul captive in some tablet or anything, like the last time." A black man with curly hair spoke. Nigeria, said his plaque.
"But we don't have the spell, I remind you." China replied.
"So what can we do? Let her jump from body to body until all of us are dead?"
"That doesn't sound like a good plan." An Asian man with glasses and dark hair crossed his arms. Singapore.
"It's a terrible one, I must say." A tan-skinned, corpulent man with dark lips nodded. Tonga.
"Does any of you have a spell which can help us or any actual idea? Because if you do, I'd love to hear about it." China said. Romano also muttered something in his own language which the prince didn't understand, but, judging his expression, it meant he was as annoyed as China.
"Uh...Well, maybe I can call a shaman or..." A black young woman, a really pretty one in the prince's honest opinion, her name being Mali, could be heard saying.
"Japan, you have gods for literally everything, there must be one for these kind of situations!" A woman with dreadlocks and dark skin addressed Japan, almost shouting from the other side of the room. The prince couldn't see her plaque, but he would later find out she was Jamaica. Japan's shy response couldn't be heard from where the human was.
"And don't forget: we can't kill her." England spoke for the first time in a long while, as he removed his jacket.
"Why?" Someone asked among the attendees.
"Because, even if it was modified at her convenience, it is still Sealand's body." The prince could only nod energetically at that reasoning.
"Sorry, England, but right now I really can't give a crap about Sealand. That witch he unleashed is going to doom us all if we don't do something." Korea said.
"She might be coming for us now." Singapore nodded.
It was at this moment, when he was talking, when England started leaning to one side. Everyone was too focused on the important matter they were discussing to notice his paleness—they thought he was just as scared as everyone else. The prince was quick to grab him before he fell flat on the floor.
It was the first time in his life he ever saw a nation faint.
"I told him he had to get rest..."
England felt like floating...As if he had no material body and he was just...consciousness...Perception...He couldn't see, but he heard voices around him...Familiar voices but not as much as to link them to people he knew...At that moment he barely remembered anyone...He couldn't move, but could feel he was lying on a leather sofa, his shoes were gone and he had a cold hand on his forehead.
"No, it's not that..."
"What do you mean, Mr. China? Did you get news from Europe?"
"Indeed..."
"Well? What is it? What happened?"
"British people are spreading videos and messages in social media. All they can. Tul-La..."
There was an echo of a recorded voice of a middle-aged woman, barely understandable because of terror. What could be perfectly heard was a belch in the room England was in. "Oh, mio dio...", said the one responsible for that.
"Please turn it off...Turn it off, Veneciano! I can't see that!"
"Of course...Of course...If she wants to conquer the world, she is going to need an army. An army of strong men. Those who aren't valid are useless to her, so..."
"...And she started the selection in Sealand and United Kingdom..."
"Dear Lord, my wife, my children..."
"We have to do something now, before this becomes a massacre..."
"Should we tell Mr. England about this when he wakes up?"
"Do you think he doesn't know already?"
A creak, and a bump. Surely a door opening and closing.
"...You...What are you doing here?"
"And who are you?"
"I'm...Canada..."
"...What's wrong? For the love of God, why are you crying? What happened now? Please tell me there's no more bad news..."
"We...We've got news...And...And...Sniff."
"Come on, boy. Say it. There will be plenty of time to cry when this is all over."
"What? What happened? Say it, damn it!"
"You know France, how he is all for freedom, the liberté, egalité, fraternité thing..."
"Jesus, speak clearly!"
"He tried to stop that woman from harming England's people and she...she made him disappear! She..."
"Oh, no, not Fratello Maggiore Francia!..." And a series of sobbings and hiccups.
"Does someone else know about this?"
"I wanted to tell all of his ex-colonies..."
"No. Not yet. Just...Sigh, give me a second..."
"Hear my advice: lose no time mourning those who are beyond help. Help their spirit part in peace by avenging them."
"...I suppose you are right...We can't let her keep killing anyone else."
"What about England?"
A little pause.
England...was him, right? Yes, what about him? It was funny how placidly he waited to hear what had to be said about him, still not moving.
"Stay with him, mister. Try to keep him away from this. He needs to rest. Also...He is so anxious about Sealand he is not going to be much of a help...And you..?"
"I came to talk to him. Go. I may join you in battle when the time is right."
"Alright...Uh...Come on, guys. There's no time to lose."
Again the door closed. The people remaining in the room did not speak—the atmosphere seemed a bit tense. England felt a hand on his forehead again.
"I know you are awake, Great Britain. Open your eyes."
It seemed difficult, but England tried. He needed a lot of effort, because he couldn't or maybe didn't want to do it. France was dead, he couldn't stop thinking, a sign that he was wide awake. He had dreamed about hearing those news for centuries and had even planned what he would do when that moment came: raid France's cellar, steal his best champagne and drink it after dancing on his rotten corpse. But now that his wish had come true...The last thing he wanted to do was celebrate. France was dead. And he didn't kill him. A monster did. He died trying to defend his own people? What kind of nation was he, letting the one who used to be his enemy defend what was his?
His ruminations disappeared of a sudden when he saw the face he had in front of him and found out why that voice was so familiar to him in a strange way. Why China and the others were so surprised to see him there. Why Sealand's prince couldn't take his eyes off him.
"Algonquin..."
In other conditions England would have felt offended, seeing how he was looking at him like one would look at a spoiled brat who was throwing a tantrum, but he was still too mentally weak to feel angry. For the moment, he just could be surprised to see him there. He wore jeans and a leather jacket like any other common man, his long hair free but with the marks of having been in two braids; only his curious hat, decorated with feathers, and his peculiar features, with deep golden eyes, betrayed his origin, his essence.
"That witch is slaughtering the weakest members of your society." Algonquin said.
"I know...Please, don't say it..." With the help of the prince, England stood up.
"Not talking about it is not going to make the facts disappear. You know what it is like: you won't stop feeling one and each of your people being killed until you make it stop. America did not tell us about this threat. It was Canada the one who spread the word in our continent and was kind enough to take me here, representing the other tribes. I see we are dead to the world for you..."
"You aren't technically countries..."
"I know. I know we are ignored in favor of...greater nations. But when it comes to situations like these, all of us need to be together. All of us. We fought in the great wars by your side and we want to be there now."
"And you don't have the resources to fight..."
"Oh, and you do?"
How England hated when Algonquin looked at him like that...
"I did not come here to reproach anything, though." The Native American continued. "Choctaw is very worried about her ally Ireland. And all of us are concerned about America's safety. I assume he has been captured?"
"Yes...And I don't know if Tul-La killed him too or what..." England sighed.
"Is that its name? Tul-La? You never told me about this ancient entity."
"Because I didn't know about her either...Happily so. "
"You natives have shamans and all that kind of stuff." The prince dared to address Algonquin. "Maybe you can help us trap that witch again? She possessed my poor Sealand and twisted him into something horrendous...I don't know...Like a dream-catcher or something of the sort?"
Algonquin's lips twisted into what seemed like a smirk.
"I am sorry, little man. I cannot offer that kind of solution."
"But all these people say the only way is to kill that woman, but if they do that, Sealand..."
"Sealand..." Algonquin turned to England. "He sounds important. Is he your new pupil? Will you never learn?"
"I learned my lesson." England frowned. "And it turns out everything went to hell anyway..."
"Then I suppose you didn't really learn. Come. Let's take a walk."
"That is not going to solve anything."
"Come with me, I said. You too, sir. The two of you might have the key to this situation."
Fresh air really did England well. With his head clear, he felt like he could think again and in no time he was able to walk without having to hold himself onto the prince. The bad thing was that a clear mind was able to go back at the former ruminations. Sealand's furious face looking at him, Scotland's words («Enough people have died because of you!»), the image of America thrown to the floor like a rag doll...
England stopped when Algonquin held a corn cob in his face.
"Eat. I heard you haven't eaten in a long time. A full stomach will help you get a clearer mind."
England supposed resist it would be futile, so he accepted and ate it in front of him. The truth was that his stomach and his whole body thanked him for that and he felt much better indeed.
"You can be so stubborn..." Algonquin shook his head.
"Excuse me, and I don't want to be rude, since you came here to help, but you don't know a bloody thing about me." England replied.
"That is not true and you know it. We have had the deepest connection two souls can have. First my enemy, when I was on France's side, then ally, when it was convenient. I saw you in your darkest moment, when you had to face..."
"I really don't need that right now..."
"When you had to face the nation you helped build."
England sighed loudly, turning his head.
"And history, once again, repeats itself." Algonquin said.
"This is different." England said. "America was an ingrate. Sealand has been influenced by something evil."
"I see guilt in your eyes. You are not being sincere to me."
"What you are seeing is me feeling how Tul-La is grabbing innocent people and cutting them open to rip off their hearts. How do you want me to look like? I am being honest. I hate it when you do that..."
"What? Point out your lies? I'm sorry if I don't buy them. You, sir, since you were responsible for the well-being of this Sealand..."
"Oh, well, England has always been good to Sealand. Ever since he was born, he has always taken good care of him! They were...They were like as thick as thieves!" The prince answered. "We had nothing to worry about because we knew England would be there...However, it's true that...Well, even though we still had his support Mr. England..." The human looked at the nation from the corner of his eye, shyly. "Sealand would often complain to us that he wasn't as affectionate as he used to be. He turned out to be extremely cold to him, that's what he often said..."
"I see." Algonquin turned to England too. "I think I see now..."
"...So? Do you think we can do something about it?" England didn't look at them.
"This Tul-La...I assume she has no territory or people of her own?"
"No. All of that disappeared thousands of years ago."
"And she has brought terror to the hearts of people ever since she woke up."
"Of people and nations."
"Good."
England and the prince looked at him with astonishment, increased by his carefree expression.
"What do you mean good? What is happening right now is far from good!" The prince exclaimed.
"Why are you so worried about harming Sealand? You, sir. Say."
"Well, of course I don't want anything bad to happen to him! I grew up with him...He was...is...my father's project. His dream. Maybe it started as a joke, but I assure you Sealand quickly became part of our family. He is...yes, he is home. Whenever he is near, I feel good things. A certain warmth. He makes me happy, and I love to see him happy. We have devoted ourselves to make him good, turned that platform into a nice place to live. Just thinking that I could never see him again...No, I refuse to believe that. I will fight to my last breath to bring him back."
"And you, England?"
"...He is technically not my responsibility, but we share the same origins, so I suppose...blood is thicker than water..."
"Do you love the child?"
"I do."
"Why is there hesitance in that response?"
"I am not hesitating. I love him. I do."
"Does that scare you, England?"
"What?"
"I asked you if you are scared of loving him."
"Of course I'm not! Why would I?"
"You know why."
"This is ridiculous." England snapped, stopping their stroll. "You didn't come here to help. You just came here to make us lose our time, with your cryptic nonsense. Scotland was right: I did this, I have to solve this on my own. Thanks for nothing."
He was about to turn around to leave when Algonquin spoke, his expression blank, really not bothered about his words.
"Scotland said nothing but the truth. You have more influence in the development of events than you think. But don't be mistaken: you are not the only one who can defeat that devil and bring Sealand back. Look at yourself. Look at me. Then look at this man. Remember what we are, what people like him are. The bond."
England paused.
"Come on, Mr. Bates. I feel alright now. Let's go back to work."
The prince followed England, leaving the Native American behind hesitantly. Algonquin didn't move. He just watched them go with that peaceful expression of his, which England found so irritating.