Just because I posted two chapters in one day does not mean I will post often. Expect each chapter to take a few months.

Praeparationem - the act of preparing

Chapter 1

Four years later

March 28, Year *319

"Rise and shine, your highness. You have a long day ahead of you." Lovino groaned as a strip of light fell just over his eyes, and he covered his head with a blanket. He heard a loud sigh, and his blanket was promptly wrestled out of his grip. Lovino sat up and glared at his manservant, who just stared at him with a deadpan look on his face.

"Matt, I'm really fucking tired, let me sleep," Lovino huffed. Matthew shook his head and grabbed Lovino's wrist, pulling him out of bed.

"No can do, sire," he hummed. "Get changed." Lovino rolled his eyes and grabbed a change of clothes. Matthew bowed deeply to him and went to wait outside for him.

"What's on my schedule today, Matthew?" Lovino asked as he exited his bedroom and started heading downstairs to the dining hall. Matthew followed close behind him.

"After breakfast, you have training with the Queen until 10:30," Matthew began. "Then you are reviewing nobility with Prince Marcello until noon, when you have lunch. At 1300, you are testing the new recruits' dragons with Miss de la Cruz. At 1500 you are to observe the recruits' skills and calculate their stats. At 1800 you will have dinner and at 1900 we will be sitting with the Court to determine a new plan. You may retire back to your chambers afterwards, sire."

"We're your friends, Matthew," Lovino sighed. "You know you can call us by our names." Matthew smiled wryly at him.

"It's just for formalities, sire," he teased. Lovino gave him a pointed look, and Matthew's serious demeanor broke as he laughed openly at his friend. Lovino rolled his eyes and sat down at the table.

"Boungiorno," he greeted his family. They echoed his greeting back at him in varying tones. A maid brought his food out to him and Matthew poured water into his glass before stepping back in the shadows with the other servants.

Ever since Matthew lost his own kingdom to his brother's hands, he was left with nowhere to go. Lovino suggested disguising him as a servant, and so he took on his mother's maiden name. It was a common name despite it also belonging to the Kanata royal family, so he managed to avoid suspicion in that way. He became Lovino's manservant.

He swapped his previously fine cloth to the best quality fit for a manservant. His intelligence was put up to him being bred into royal duty. His hair grew out and was put back into a short ponytail at all times. He wore fake glasses over his violet eyes, which were a trait only shared by the royal family of Kanata. The glasses were charmed to show the color of his eyes as a dark blue unless one were to get close enough to know of him.

Matthew had the natural ability to be invisible, so it was little trouble for anyone to recognize him. He had always been rather reserved as a prince anyway, so not a lot of people would be able to recognize him other than his cousin, Francis, his brother, and his friends. Only a select few people knew of his true identity.

Matthew sighed softly as he followed Lovino and Fina out of the room at promptly 08:30. It would be another long day of dealing with the war…

"Mattie! Lovi!" The slim figure of a young lady leaned out of the top window of the royal dragon stables. Her long, black hair was tied back so it wouldn't get in the way, and her clothes were like that of a stable boy's. With a grin, she slipped back inside and ran down the steps to greet the two at the front door.

"Tala," Matthew greeted warmly. The girl, Tala, pressed a kiss to his cheek in response, and she did the same to Lovino as well.

"Magandang umaga!" she said cheerfully. "Or, I suppose, magandang hapon!There are a lot of dragons inside right now! Lovi, you're going to have such a hard time going through all of them!" Lovino groaned.

"Don't call me that," he sighed. "Lead the way." Tala nodded and started heading inside to the back. Lovino eyed her clothing critically, as he always did. Matthew just shook his head a bit.

"There are a surprising amount of new recruits that made the cut," she began babbling, breaking off to wave at the dragons that littered around. "It makes my workload so much harder! Not to mention a lot of them are dragons of stuck-up royals! No offence to you two, but there a lot of really conceited royal families and these dragons have been growing up with their children. They won't listen to me until Marisol grows at them! Like, you're about to go to war! You don't have time to-"

"Tala, breathe," Matthew interrupted, amused and bewildered by his friend's ability to just talk. Tala grinned sheepishly at him.

"Oops!" She giggled and unlocked the back door. "Marisol! Gather everyone up for me, please!" Her voice took on a bit of her accent as she said 'please.' With a roar, a large, dark blue dragon flew overhead before landing beside the door. Around twenty dragons hurried over, tripping over their feet as they stood at attention. The rest of the dragons milling around ignored them.

"Salamat, Marisol," Tala thanked warmly, smiling as she gently stroked her dragon's leg. Marisol leaned down and gently nuzzled her, purring softly.

Tala's dragon, Marisol, was about as large as the stables itself. In order to accommodate so many dragons, it was built about five stories high. Marisol's scales were like cool, dark, azure stone, circular rather than sharp to a point. Her tail was as long as her body itself, and transparent fins scaled the sides of it. Her wings were accommodated to soar through the air as well as glide through water. Her snout was sharp and narrow and her horns split off like small tridents on her head. Spikes receded down the back of her neck.

"Giacinta has gone off somewhere, as always, but she should be back soon," Tala said as she stroked Marisol's snout.

"Aurèle, Kumajirou!" Matthew called, seeing his familiars wrestling on the ground. Immediately, they stopped and snapped their heads towards him. Aurèle took off flying towards him while Kumajirou sprinted to his feet. Matthew laughed as he brought the two of them into a hug.

Aurèle never grew any taller than Matthew's knee. He was just a bit taller than Kumajirou, and his tail was about twice the length of his body. His small size helped him get through small places and enter places unnoticed. His wings were small, yet powerful and his scales were bright red and sharp. The end of his tail looked to be a flame. His horns curled in and then protruded out sharply at the ends. Much like Marisol, he also had spikes receding down his neck, except they went all the way down his back to his tail.

Meanwhile, Kumajirou looked exactly the same. He still looked like a polar bear cub, but he had gained the ability to shift into the adult bear he was when need be. He was a Familiar after all.

(Dictionary Guide to Terran Abilities - #276: Familiars

Familiars – the creature summoned at any age from three years to twenty one years. It is meant to be a companion and bodyguard to their summoner and will live out the rest of their days with them until their master dies.

Common Familiars-

Cats

Wolves

Crows

Etc

Rare Familiars-

Lizards

Nymphs

Gryphons

Etc

Editor's Note: The rarer the familiar, the more powerful the summoner. Rare familiars may also be common familiars with strange power, and they are more common in royal families)

"Tala, are you going to tell me the names and positions of all these dragons or give me the paperwork?" Lovino asked impatiently, turning his gaze to the girl who was nuzzling Marisol happily.

"Oops! Forgot them upstairs!" Tala giggled and let go of the Water Dragon. "I'll be right back!" She ran off, her footsteps light as she headed up the stairs. Lovino shook his head and leaned against the doorway.

"That girl…" he sighed.

"She tries," Matthew said, smiling. "And she's good with the dragons, so that's something." At his feet, Aurèle and Kumajirou growled at each other. Lovino just shook his head again and waited patiently while Marisol made sure the new dragons stayed put.

There was a knock on the front door and a call of "Hello?" that could be heard, even from all the way in the back. Lovino exchanged a puzzled look with Matthew before he began to head to the front door. Not a lot of people came by, and knowing Tala, she would be too busy searching for the papers, so Lovino would have to send off whoever was coming by.

"Sì? Is there something you need?" Lovino asked as he opened the door. He observed the young man in front of him. He looked to be about his age, maybe a little older. He was tanned with a sunny disposition. His hair was dark brown, and it looked rather unkempt, although that may have just been because it was slightly curly. His eyes were a deep green, reminding Lovino of Giacinta. His clothes were finely woven, giving Lovino the impression that he was possibly another prince.

"Ah, am I in the right place?" the man asked. "I was sent to help out the Vargas family and the King said I could start by helping Prince Lovino in the stables!"

"Yeah, you're talking to him, and these are the stables." Lovino could already feel the growing headache just by being in this guy's presence.

"Oh, it's nice to meet you, Prince Lovino!" the guy exclaimed. "Sorry if I was being rude! I am Antonio Fernandez-Carriedo, at your service!" He bowed in greeting, and Lovino nodded to him. He recognized the man now that he heard his name.

Antonio Fernandez-Carriedo was the Heir to España, after his brother Miguel, who became the King when the Queen had been assassinated the year before. He was said to be kind, but powerful and deadly, especially when angered. He was also said to be incredibly lazy.

"Don't add the Prince to the beginning of my name," he sighed. "Come on in, I guess. Matthew!" He looked back, knowing Matthew had followed him just in case.

"Yes, sire?" Matthew asked, appearing from the shadows as if he had teleported. Antonio jumped, and Lovino had to bite back a smirk. It was always amusing seeing people react to Matthew's invisibility.

"Go inform Tala that we have a guest," he ordered. "You know she hates surprises."

"Yes, your highness." He bowed and then started heading upstairs.

"And stop calling me that!" Lovino called with a huff. He scowled as he heard the resounding laugh from Matthew's lips. He shook his head and looked back at Antonio. "Let's wait in the back."

"Ah, sì, of course!" Antonio nodded and followed Lovino as he headed to the yard. "May I ask who that servant was? He has an interesting ability…"

"That's my manservant, Matthew," Lovino answered. "He's quite helpful, especially with that ability of his. Sometimes it's hard to control though, but you'll get used to it if you stick around long enough. It may take a while to remember his name…" A side effect of the Invisibility power was that, unless under complete control, the person wouldn't be remembered by anyone who doesn't know them.

"I see." Antonio hummed curiously. Lovino was perfectly fine when they lapsed into a silence once again, but then Antonio started talking again. It seemed like Antonio was the type of person who absolutely hated silence, and Lovino could feel that headache coming on once again.

Luckily, he didn't have to wait long, because Tala and Matthew soon returned.

"Lovi, I have the papers!" Tala chirped and handed the neat stack to the prince of Italia. She spared a single glance towards Antonio before ignoring his gaze.

"About time," Lovino grumbled half-heartedly, flipping through them. "Be more organized." Tala smiled and was about to get the dragons to line up again when Matthew caught her arm.

"Tala, don't be rude," he said softly. Tala looked at him, and then at Antonio before quickly looking back at Matthew. She suddenly looked awkward, her stance shifting as she began to play with her fingers.

"Ah, right…" She bit her bottom lip gently. Matthew sighed.

"Your Majesty, this is Miss Tala de la Cruz," he introduced, gesturing to her even as she ignored his gaze and looked just a little bit to the left. "She's the Dragon Trainer, hired by the King and a neutral party in the war. Tala, this is Prince Antonio of España. Be polite."

"It's a pleasure to meet you, señora," Antonio said smoothly, grinning at her. Tala nodded. She hesitated before trying some attempt at a curtsy, despite her lack of a dress.

"The pleasure is all mine, your Highness," she said softly, a clear contrast from how she had acted just a minute ago. She didn't seem to notice the pink dusting across her cheeks.

"May I ask why a lady such as you is wearing a boy's clothing?" Antonio asked. "And they're much like rags too. Surely you shouldn't be in those clothes, even if you are a Trainer." Tala shifted, clearly uncomfortable with the questioning.

"That's what I've said," Lovino said without looking up from the papers. "She says it's because it's easier to do her job. I keep telling her that we can get her a dress that wouldn't get in the way of being a Trainer, but she won't let us."

"I don't have to wear a dress," Tala protested. "These probably work better anyway."

"You may not be required, but you are still a woman, and thus should wear what suits you," Lovino said harshly, looking up at her with a sharp gaze. "You are not a Fighter, you are a Trainer. A dress will not completely hinder your work."

"Your Highness, Tala, you are in the presence of a guest," Matthew interrupted. "You've had this argument before. Lovino, just let her work. It's true that those clothes may not be entirely accepted for her to wear, but they would make work easier. Tala, if you please." He gestured to the dragons, and Tala nodded.

"Right. My apologies, your Highnesses." She nodded to them, unable to curtsy, and went to round up the dragons once more. Lovino huffed and rubbed the back of his head.

"Lo siento," Antonio apologized, looking truly upset. "I did not mean to start an argument." Lovino waved him off.

"Don't worry about it, she'll get over it in about five minutes," he said. "It might take a while for her to warm up to you though."

"Lovi! Which training regimen would you like to cover first?" Tala called, her previous upset now masked.

"Let's start with the Water Attributes."

"Alright!" Tala began to gather the Water Dragons around, and Lovino looked at Antonio.

"Just observe for today. We'll show you how it's done."

"The new recruits do not train in the stables?" Antonio asked as he followed Matthew and Lovino out of the building.

"The other dragons would get disturbed and Tala likes it to be relatively quiet," Matthew explained. "Besides, there's the possibility that some things might get destroyed since it isn't made out of especially hard material. There's a whole other training arena for new recruits."

"It's close by, so the dragons don't have far to travel," Lovino said.

They were at the training arena within a few moments. Immediately, Lovino began singling out who looked like they would actually be able to survive on the battlefield.

"Everyone! Quiet! The Prince has arrived!" an instructor yelled. Immediately, the trainees lined up. Lovino noticed that some from more noble families were rolled their eyes. He couldn't wait to push them off their high horses.

"Alright, everyone!" Lovino said. "My manservant will tell you the schedule for today. Matthew?"

"The dragons should be outside by now," Matthew began. "To start, we want everyone to introduce themselves and state their Affinity. Then we want to see how you fight. You will be pit against one another, and the winners will fight the instructors. Anyone who manages to beat or last two minutes against them will move on to a higher level training. Everyone, head outside and find your dragon, then line up in a straight line side to side." The trainees from more common families began to move, but the nobles exchanged looks, unsure of whether or not to listen to a simple servant.

"Did you not hear him?" Lovino said. "Get moving!" Everyone started heading outside hurriedly at that, and Lovino sighed.

"Damn kids," he muttered and went out as well.

"Hotheaded, isn't he?" Antonio murmured, still a bit shocked at his behavior. "Shouldn't he be more, I don't know…"

"Mature?" Matthew laughed. "Yes, but that's not really him. Besides, he doesn't have much time for that. He won't get anywhere if he's being nice. Now, let's watch everyone." Antonio nodded slowly. He didn't think he really liked this prince…

"Noble sons can get arrogant," Lovino groaned, stretching as they headed up the walkway to the front of the castle. "I'm glad that's over."

"I say a lot of the girls have a good chance of surviving," Matthew hummed. "The common children don't have the same training, but with time, I'm sure they can become powerful." Lovino nodded and looked at Antonio.

"You haven't had a chance to meet the royal family yet, have you?" he asked. Antonio shook his head. "Well, get ready for a storm." They headed up the steps to the door, where a butler awaited them.

"Sire," the butler greeted, opening the door for them. Lovino nodded and stepped inside.

"Alberto, I assume you are aware that we have a guest," he said. "Show him to a room, and tell Mamma and Papà as well."

"Yes, your Majesty." Alberto nodded and turned to Antonio. "This way, sir." Antonio followed the butler up the stairs, a bit relieved to be away from the hothead that was Lovino.

Lovino and Matthew headed up to Lovino's own room. With a sigh, Lovino began to unbutton his overcoat.

"Matthew, draw me a bath," he said tiredly. "I need to relax, and I have thirty minutes before dinner anyway."

"Of course," Matthew agreed, turning to start his bath. "Would you like a massage, too?"

"No, a warm bath will do just fine."

The moment Antonio laid his eyes on Feliciano Vargas, he knew he was something special. Lovino knew that there was a reason he disliked him, and was restrained from kicking his ass.

"Lovino, you do not try to kill honored guests," Fina said sharply, glaring at her son from across the table.

"I wasn't going to kill him," Lovino grumbled. "Just maim him a little. Hey! Stop staring at my little brother like that you pervert!"

"I'm not staring at him in a bad way!" Antonio exclaimed.

"Don't think I don't see your infatuation!"

"Lovino!" Fina didn't raise her voice any higher, but it was so much more powerful. Lovino knew that voice, and he promptly shut his mouth. Fina shook her head and looked at Antonio. "I apologize for my Heir's behavior. He is very protective of his family, you see." Antonio laughed and shook his head.

"I see, I see," he said. "I can understand that. My older brother is quite protective of me as well. I understand." No one missed the way he was a little unnerved by Lovino though.

"I see you are quite finished with your dinner," Fina stated. "Someone escort him to his room so he may prepare for bed. Feliciano, Marcello, head to your chambers as well."

"Mamma, why can we not sit in on your discussions?" Marcello whined.

"You are not yet prepared, Marcello," Julius said gently. "Lovino will tell you all that he can another time. Matthew, Lovino, please stand by while everything is prepared." Matthew nodded and gently led Lovino away.

"I don't like that guy," Lovino declared quietly to Matthew. They stood in the corner of the room, watching as the servants prepared the table.

"I know, but you can't keep Feliciano's suitors away forever," Matthew responded softly. "He seems like a nice guy. I think you can warm up to him some day…"

"Doubt it." Lovino rolled his eyes.

"Lovino, Matthew, sit with us," Julius ordered, although it sounded more like a request. They began heading over to the table. Lovino sat on one side of his father, who sat at the head of the table. Matthew sat next to him.

The high members of the Court trickled in one by one until they were all seated. Julius began the discussion, talking about what to do with the growing threat of the New Americana Empire. Lovino and Matthew stayed mostly silent as they listened to ideas be thrown back and forth for hours.

Some members of the court wanted to take the more peaceful route and talk some sense into Alfred Jones. A majority of the court said that they needed to retaliate. The New Americana was winning the war, and they had major Kingdoms on their side.

"I heard that Russia and China have joined his side," someone spoke up. Quiet gasps echoed amongst them.

"Two of the largest Kingdoms…" Julius murmured in awed fear. "The chances of us winning are getting slimmer."

"We need to find something against them!" Fina declared. "Perhaps Matthew could travel to China and infiltrate the Emperor's quarters. Perhaps he will find something there we can use!"

"They have impeccable security, I doubt he would be able to do it," the King's advisor said doubtfully. "Even someone of his skill-"

"I can do it," Matthew interrupted, his eyes a hard contrast from their usual softness. "I have no presence, and I know how to disguise myself. Believe me when I say I can do it."

"Alright, Matthew, prepare to pack up in a day's time," Fina decided before anyone could protest. "But what shall we do about Russia?"

"Perhaps Lovino's Trainer friend can help," a commander offered. "What was her name…? The young lady who wears boy's clothes. She's allowed to move freely throughout the kingdoms because of her job. Perhaps she can-"

"Absolutely not!" Lovino snapped. "She is a completely neutral party. I will not have her put on a watch list and in possible danger! She does not have the training to survive Russian lands anyway. I doubt she would be able to do anything for you. Do not force her to do your dirty work."

"Lovino, I understand that you don't want to put your friend at risk, but-"

"No, Julius, he has a point," Fina interrupted. "Trainers are completely neutral parties. If Miss Tala were to betray her duty, she could have her license revoked and possibly put on watch in many other kingdoms. I do not want our name slandered because we have forced a Trainer to break her Oath. We shall worry about Russia at a later time. We should focus on the New Americana first. Emilio, anything else to report on them?"

"Mexico and Cuba have been taken over," the advisor, Emilio, stated. "Nothing else of mention."

"Then I suppose this meeting is adjourned," Julius sighed and stood up slowly. "You are all dismissed. Once Matthew returns, we shall call another meeting."

"Yes sire!" rang across the dark room and everyone began to file out.

"Matthew." Lovino placed a hand on his friend's shoulder and looked at him with grim eyes. "Be safe." Matthew smiled at him.

"Of course, Lovino," he told him softly. "I promise we'll win this war. Now, let's get you to bed, sire. It's been a long day."

A little bit of an introduction here and there. Antonio and Lovino's relationship wasn't really shown because this was kind of just a daily life chapter. Is Tala too annoying? I really don't want to make her into a mary-sue.

Lovino - 19

Matthew - 18

Tala - 17

Antonio - 20

Alfred - 18

Magandang umaga - Good morning

Magandang hapon - Good afternoon

Salamat - Thank you