Disclaimer: Animerockchic does not own Hetalia or Beauty and the Beast, not matter how much I want to.

Lovino pushed open the heavy wooden door and entered the dungeons. He retched slightly at the smell of waste water and long perished souls. He covered his nose with his cloak and tried to breathe through his nose. "Hello? Nonno? Feliciano?"

A soft voice answered him from one of the dark cells. "F-fratello?"

Lovino rushed to the cell from which his little's brother's voice had come. Romulus sat in a corner, curled up in a ball and shivering violently while Feliciano sat close to the bars, staring at his beloved brother. Lovino reached through the bars and grasped his brother's slightly smaller hand. "Fratello, you have to get out of here!"

Lovino gripped his brother's hand tighter. "Your hands are like ice. Who did this to you?"

Feliciano put his other hand on Lovino's warmer one. "Fratello, you have to go, there's no time. Get out now."

Lovino shook his head stubbornly. "There's no fucking way I'm leaving without you or Nonno!"

Suddenly Lovino felt eyes watching him from the shadows. He stood up and peered into the gloom. "Who's there? I know there's someone there."

"The master of the castle." Answered a voice.

"Then...then you're the one responsible for this!" said Lovino, sounding a lot braver than he felt. "Let my family go, dammit!"

The voice growled, sounding a lot closer now. "I am the master of this castle! I do not take orders from anyone."

"B-but it's fucking freezing down here. They could die!"

The owner of the voice stepped into the half light. Lovino bit back a scream of fear. He had to be brave.

"Then they should not have trespassed here! Gilbert! Throw him out!"

A suit of armour clanked out of the darkness and grabbed Lovino. Lovino writhed and kicked and managed to free himself from Gilbert's grasp. He grabbed the beast's arm.

"No wait please, I'll do anything!"

The beast grabbed him and flung his to the side. "There's nothing you can do!"

Lovino took a deep breath. "Take me instead."

The beast stopped dead. "What?"

"Take me instead, dammit."

Confusion painted the beast's face. "You would do that? You would take their place?"

"If I did, would you let them go?"

The beast at him steadfastly. "Yes, but you must promise to stay here. Forever!"

Lovino's eyes widened. "S-sempre?"

"Siempre! Or they die in that dungeon. Make your choice."

Feliciano grasped the bars and began begging with his brother. "Lovi, don't do it! Please don't!"

Lovino closed his eyes and ears to his brother's protests. "You have my word."

"Done."

The beast unlocked the cell and pulled Romulus out. Feliciano rushed to his brother, wailing. The beast grabbed Feliciano and flung him and Romulus at Gilbert. "Take them to the crossroads."

"Wait, no! Not yet!" Lovino cried.

Feliciano ran back to his brother. "Fratello!"

The beast lashed out and slammed Feliciano into the wall. Lovino tried to go to his little brother but the beast caught him and threw him viciously at the other wall.

"Feliciano, let's go." Romulus pulled his younger grandson to his feet.

"But we can't leave fratello!"

Romulus pulled, with the help of Gilbert, Feliciano from the room, avoiding eye contact with his other grandson.

Lovino sat on the ground, barely holding back tears.

"You...you didn't let me say goodbye."

The beast stared at him. "Que?"

Lovino wiped away a few stray tears that had slipped past his eyelids.

"I'm never going to see my family again... and you didn't even let me say a fucking goodbye, you bastard."

The beast stood there slightly awkwardly. "Well then...I'll...I'll show you to your room." Lovino glanced up confusedly through tear-soaked eyelashes.

"W-what?"

"Do you want to stay in this dungeon?" Lovino shook his head. "Then follow me."

Lovino picked himself off the ground, wiped away his remaining tears and began to follow.

They walked in awkward silence though the gloomy halls. The beast cleared his throat. "This is your home now. If you need anything, my servants will attend to you." Lovino said nothing but stared unwaveringly at the floor. They stopped outside a door.

"This is your room. You are free to go anywhere in the castle, except the West Wing."

Lovino looked up. "Why?"

The beast grabbed him and snarled into his face "It's is forbidden! Entiendes? DO YOU UNDERSTAND!"

"Yes!"

The beast released Lovino and opened the door.

"You may call me Antonio. And what should I call you?" Lovino didn't answer. "I heard you brother calling you Lovi, I'll call you that."

"No." Lovino whispered.

"Que?"

"Only Feliciano can call me that. Everyone else call me Lovino."

Lovino entered the cold, dark room and sat down on the bed. The beast watched him from the doorway.

"And one more thing." Lovino looked up. "You will join me for dinner tonight. That is not a request!" He slammed the door shut.

Lovino looked around at his new room. It was cold with almost everything covered in a white sheet and a thick layer of dust.

He felt a deep sense of longing for his warm den/bedroom under the eaves of the roof of his home. No matter what the beast thought, this would never be his home.

Sitting there, he found himself missing the most basic things that had been a part of his life for so long. His brother's pasta, eating tomatoes with Romano perched on his lap in the warm seat under his bedroom window with a good book, the photograph of his parents, him and Feliciano; the last picture of the four of them together. Lovino buried his face in his hands; he wanted to go home so badly.

There was a loud knock on the door. Lovino looked up. "Who's there?"

"Ms Murphy, pet. I thought you might like some tea." Lovino got up and opened the door.

In hopped Ciara.

"Nothing like a nice warm cup of tea to make the world seem a bit bright." Lovino stared at her. "Something wrong, pet?"

Lovino started spluttering. "But I...You're..."

"Mrs Murphy." Said Ciara firmly. "But most people call me Ciara."

Lovino backed into a large wardrobe in his surprise.

"Like, be careful there, would ya?" Lovino jumped about a foot in the air.

"Who the hell are you?"

The wardrobe scoffed. "I'm Feliks, duh! You ever hear of me?"

Lovino shook his head.

"OMG! I just can't believe I've been forgotten! I was totally the best of the best! And then this stupid spell happened..."

"Whisht!" hushed Ciara.

"But, whatever, how should we dress you for dinner? You look totally unfabulous! Hang on." Feliks started rooting through his drawers, searching for the right outfit. Out came a large pair of flowery bloomers.

"Sorry, those are mine. Tada!" Feliks pulled out a smart suit. "It's like perfect for you! Take it!"

Lovino pushed the suit away. "Hell no. There's no way I'm going to dinner."

Feliks laughed slightly bitterly. "But you heard him. He like totally ordered you to go."

Lovino balled his fists. "He may be your master but there's no way in fuck he's mine!" Lovino sat back down on the bed and hunched up into a ball, feeling oddly drained.

Ciara and Feliks looked at each other then looked at Lovino. Ciara jumped onto the bed beside Lovino.

"That was a very brave thing you did." She said gently.

"We all think so." Feliks agreed.

"But...I want to go home." Lovino mumbled into his knees. Ciara patted him gently with her spout.

"Cheer up, petal. It'll turn out alright in the end, you'll see. We're here for you." Lovino looked up at her. She smiled back at him. "Even though I don't know you well, I hope we can be friends. And who knows? You might find a home here too. Keep the faith."

A/n: Not the best first meeting, I'm sure you'll agree :L But no one ever said falling in love was easy. Anyway, I got a DVD of our local production of Beauty and the Beast and the guy on the microphones liked leaving them on. So I think it was a moment when a younger group were getting into position and one of the smaller children wasn't sure where to go. So you can hear me, loud and clear as my microphone's still on, saying in a pedophile-ish voice, "This way, little one." *Facepalm*

Anyway, enjoy, favourite and review :)

Ja!

-Animerockchic