The weather was beginning to cool off, sliding into a steady descent into winter and sure to come snow.
Lovino didn't care, had escaped to his field after the early council meeting. He kicked the ball to and fro, trying not to think too much. His guard, Herakles, was asleep at the edge of the grassy open area, propped up against a tree as he always was. The prince ignored him, used to the constant napping.
It was around midday, the sun hiding behind clouds but still bright enough to cast shadows. A large one travelled across the field, growing larger as whatever was making it dropped lower and lower towards the ground. Lovino froze as it passed over him, ball flying away from his foot and disappearing into the forrest. He looked up slowly, startled to see a dragon with brilliant emerald eyes locked on him.
He should have ran, but fear had locked his joints and frozen his heart in his chest, and Lovino was only able to stare in horror and panic as the dragon drew closer and closer.
Just as it's sharp talons, glinting in the light, approached him, his senses returned and he he scrambled to get away, screaming at Herakles, who didn't even budge from his sleep. But it was too late, as strong, large paw wrapped around his torso, yanking him up and into the air. He watched as the ground got farther and farther away, leaving him dizzy, sick, and filled with dread.
No one really noticed the absent prince until dinner when only Feliciano was sitting beside his grandfather. Lovino's normal chair, on the other side of the king, was vacant, plate of heaping food steaming in front of it, untouched.
"Where is your brother?" Roma asked Feliciano, glancing at the empty space about halfway through dinner.
"I haven't seen fratello since lunch." Feli said, frowning.
"I'm sure he'll show up." The subject was dismissed just like that, to the king anyway. The younger twin wouldn't be distracted so easily though, honestly worried about his missing sibling.
As soon as dinner was finished, Feliciano hunted down Herakles, knowing he and Kiku, Feliciano's other friend, had been married and shared quarters down the royal halls, along with various priests and others high in their hierarchy.
He knocked, smiling when Kiku answered the door. "Good evening, my prince." He greeted cordially.
"I need to speak to Herakles, please."
"He always goes out to kick around a ball, and I fell asleep-"
"As usual." Kiku interjected, sighing.
"-And when I woke up, he was gone. Figured he had gone back to the castle without me again." He finished in his drawling canter. Feliciano nodded, frowning. He would have to go find Ludwig after this, head hurting from all the new information he had received.
"Thank you!" He enthused, smiling brightly and waving at the two.
'Now, where would Ludi be?' He wondered.
In the end, Ludwig found Feliciano rather than the other way around. The prince had gotten distracted by a kitten out by the servants entrance to the kitchen, petting and playing with it. It wasn't his fault that kittens were so cute and pettable!
"Feli? What are you doing?" A deep, gruff voice asked, making him jump and squeak slightly in surprise.
"Ludwig!" He said, springing upward. "I've been looking for you! Or, I was until I saw this kitty! Isn't she so pretty?!"
"Why were you looking for me?" The knight had, thankfully, learned to understand Feliciano-speak long ago, when they were both children.
"Romano is missing!" Feliciano said, as if he had just remembered, "Even Herakles doesn't know where he is!"
"We'll find him." Ludwig assured, because while he wasn't particularly fond of Lovino, he was pretty sure he was in love with his goofy, sweet younger brother.
"Put me down, you stupid bastard!" Lovino screamed, voice cracking some from all the screaming he had done in the past hour.
He was freezing, scared, and sick from being so high.
The dragon that had stolen him just ignored him, continuing to flap it's huge wings and fly away, farther and farther from Lovino's home, the kingdom of Hetalia.