And I seriously love this pairing. Just a forewarning: This chapter is honestly just full of Spamano. No plot continuation. A little on the castle life. 97% spamano. Don't fret, the next chapter starts up again with plot. And Feliciano. Not sure if anyone saw the pattern with the POV's, and how I somehow get Romano's chapter's out a lot quicker than Feliciano's, but that must have something to do with him being my favorite character.

And happy new year! Which I should of said last chapter but forgot to. SO HAPPY NEW YEAR

Enjoy!

Romano forced a smile at the hundredth commoner that strolled in. "Kill me." He muttered under his breath.

Next to him, Antonio laughed. "It really isn't that bad, Feli. I know it seems boring, but at least you get to hear some interesting things. Besides, they all look up to you!" He gestured to a women staring at him in appreciation. To Romano though, she seemed to be looking through him. Like she was looking for a flaw to point out. Is this what it was like to be prince?

"It would be interesting if I could do anything." Romano said. "Right now all I'm doing is sitting here and listening. The Queen's doing all the real work"

He was right. Queen Katerina had taken charge the second she had sat down in her royal throne, solving problems and directing trade, everything Ludwig said Romano would be doing. She remained poised and collecting, kind and firm. Romano couldn't see how she and Feliciano were related. Maybe they only looked alike and Feliciano was actually adopted.

Romano smiled to himself, amused at the fantasy. If that were the case, than maybe he was also part of the royal family! Imagine it- everyday Romano was pampered and seen to. He could have all the consorts he wanted and people would bow as he walked by. He would have a family who loved him. He would have enough money to drown Madame Albetta in gold. And maybe, he would be the one engaged to Prince Antonio. They'd fall in love and make love and-

Whoa! Romano shook his head furiously. Where had that come from? His face colored. His fantasies were really out of whack these days. It must be all the perfume the nobles wore, clouding his thoughts and making him sick.

"Hey" Antonio whispered suddenly, butting his elbow. "If your so bored, would you be willing to sneak out with me?"

Romano raised an eyebrow at him. Antonio hardly looked like the kind to sneak out of a social obligations. "And risk being caught?" He asked, hating himself for how much he sounded like a good, Catholic school boy.

"Sure. The Queen's about to make a grand speech. One the count of three we back out of the room. One..."

The faux-prince risked a glance at the Queen. She was completely preoccupied.

"Two..."

He could do this. His hesitation was ridiculous.

"One!" Antonio finished in a hurried whisper. He grabbed Romano's hand, and together they disappeared.

[=]

After many twists and turns, both Romano and Antonio were safely away from the throne room.

The only problem was that the deeper the two went, the less and less of the palace that Lovino recognized. Soon they were completely lost.

"The gardens should be right down this hall" Antonio said, sounding less and less certain. "Or was it this hall...? No, no, it was this one! That way!"

They took another wrong turn and Romano walked smack into a wall. "Fuck" Romano whined. That had seriously hurt!

"Are you okay?" Antonio exclaimed, running to his side.

"Do I look like I'm okay?!" Romano gingerly pressed a hand to his head. "Goddamnit"

"Here, let me see" Antonio slowly remove Romano's hands to inspect his wounds. Romano was shocked by how fast his head could swell. A faint throbbing brought tears to his eyes. "That looks kinda bad. You want to stay here and rest?"

"Yes" Romano sat up before sliding back down with a whimper. "I'll just lie here."

Antonio stared down at him in concern before sitting down next to him and reaching out an arm. "What are-?" Romano started, before he found himself propped up and leaning heavy on Antonio, wrapped up in his arms.

"Better?" He asked. Romano couldn't say he wasn't. Instead, he settled for not moving.

They stayed that way for a while. Slowly, the throbbing slowly resided and Romano could sit up by himself, but he still didn't move. There was nothing wrong with appreciating warmth when it was given.

Antonio was getting anxious though. Romano could feel his leg bounce as he tried to sit still. What was with this guy and moving? After a minute more, he sat up with a groan. "Okay, I'm better"

"Great!" The taller cheered, bouncing to his feet in a matter of seconds. "When we were sitting, I think I remembered the right way. Follow me!"

[=]

The gardens looked a thousand times better in the sunlight. Romano wondered how much time went into each plant. Ludwig hadn't bothered to answer any of his little questions before he went gallivanting off to save the Prince.

"Feliciano, over here!"

Romano looked up with a jerk to see Antonio had already raced across the grounds. He was standing under a large tree that seemed to explode out of the earth, reaching greedily for the sun. But it wasn't the tree he was interested in. "You never told me you had tomatoes in your gardens"

"That's because you never asked" Even as he said that, Romano tried to see where Antonio was pointing. Tomatoes... those were his absolute favorite. Whenever he could squirrel away money from Madame Albetta, he spent it on tomatoes in the market place.

Antonio reached for one, plucking it off it's branch. "Back home, there are tomatoes all across the gardens. Not only is it our greatest export, but it's also my favorite food." He grabbed another and handed it to Romano. "Try one!"

Romano accepted it greedily. He refrained from making a snarky comment and instead began to munch down on the fruit. He moaned, missing the explosion of flavor he was so fond of. It didn't take long for juice to run its course down his hand and he lapped at it absentmindedly.

When he looked up, he noticed Antonio staring at him with a slight blush. "What?" He asked.

"Nothing!" Antonio squeaked. "You just look really..." Hot? Sexy? "Cute!"

Romano felt his blush deepen tenfold. "I do not!"

"You do! If only I could get a painting of you, I'd carry it with me all day"

"That's be really weird" Romano scoffed. "And besides, you don't want a painting of me. You want one of Feliciano."

Antonio gave him an odd look. "Of Feliciano?"

But Romano was already backtracking, picking up on his mistake. "I mean, we're the same person damnit. So of course you'd want a fucking painting of him. And me. And, fuck."

The confused look on Antonio's face melted off into a laugh. "You're silly, Feli. A lot different than I remember and you swear more, but I think I like it"

The sun couldn't produce as much light at the smile he beamed at him, and just for once, Romano smiled back.

[=]

Soon enough, night fell and Antonio and Romano were forced to return to their quarters. Lovino was hesitant to say goodbye. Despite everything, he had fun.

"Cheer up!" Antonio said. "There's going to be a big feast in two days, so you'll see your dashing prince again real soon!"

"Dashing p-prince?" Romano stuttered. "As if!"

"But I am! I'm handsome and funny, and super strong!" Antonio grinned as he boasted, making Romano want to cut him down to size.

"Not at all" Romano smirked. "You're more like annoying and pushy"

Antonio's eyes widened "You don't believe me? Fine! I guess I'll have to prove it"

Romano laughed at the prospect, but the chuckles soon slowed to a halt when he noticed how close Antonio had gotten. Was he going to...? He was!

Antonio reached up a hand to rest on Romano's neck, running his fingers through the soft hair at the base. Slowly, he leaned down, placing his lips on the others; hesitant, like he was nervous of rejection.

Well, Romano didn't know what Feliciano's problem was, but he wasn't one to look a gift horse in the mouth. He kissed back with vigor. Given this was his first kiss, Romano thought he did pretty good. His arms, once useless at his sides, came up to wind themselves around Antonio's neck, and he did his best to not completely melt into the feeling. Which was starting to become very hard.

When they broke apart, Romano was breathing heavy and ready to sell his soul to the man standing in front of him. Antonio smiled. "You're much more enthusiastic"

Romano flushed. "Yeah well, you're attractive. Sue me. Now go to bed! You're face is ticking me off"

Antonio smiled. "Goodnight then, mi amor" He leaned down for one more, chaste kiss, and then turned off to go his own way.

[=]

Ludwig did not return that night. Or the day after. Romano was getting the slightest bit panicky. Sure he didn't like the guy, but all this overexposure to castle life was making his head spin. The morning after his little adventure with Antonio, the Queen cornered him, forcing Romano to tag along on a Sunday brunch with her and her most treasured guests, who had all arrived to 'support' the supposed merger with the Prince. She had claimed Feliciano was quite the charmer.

However, Romano was not.

Not only did he spill tea on Antonio's adviser, but Francis also got an intentional kick to the crotch due to his wandering hands. He managed to insult the Queen not once, but three times, and to top it all off, his clumsiness reared its ugly head and he tripped and took out the sweetest young servant girl and the entire plate of food she was carrying.

Now he was hiding out in his room. He didn't know why there was a stash of chocolates under a mound of pillows but he wasn't going to question it. Chocolate was good for the sad and humiliated.

There was a series of knocks on the door and Romano shuffled a little from his pile of comfort

foods. "What do you want?" He called.

"It's me" A voice said through the door.

"Antonio?" Romano asked, hoping had guessed right.

"The one and only!"

"The door's unlocked, idiot." Romano said. "Come in"

The handle shook and slowly the door creaked open to reveal Antonio, wearing his normal, red princely outfit. Romano slid deeper into the blankets. He looked like a wreck. "What's with coming to bother me, huh?"

"I dunno, I guess I was kinda worried about you. Francis told me what happened at brunch-"

"Fantastic, did he also tell you what a loser I was?"

Antonio shook his head. "You're not a loser. Here, come out from under the covers. I can barely see you!"

Romano grumbled something, but stayed where he was.

"I can't hear you"

"I said that I'm not going anywhere. But you can join me. If you want"

Now it was Antonio's turn to flush a bright red. "In the bed?"

"No, I mean on the floor like I am." Romano mocked. "Of course I meant the bed! What are you, stupid?"

"Oh" Antonio did some shuffling of his feet before he apparently lost all inhibitions and furrowed under the covers to discover the little ball of fire that was Romano. "Hi" He whispered when they were as close as humanly possible. Without, you know, being inside him. Romano blushed at the thought.

"So what's wrong, Feliciano?" Antonio asked. He tilted his head, with a concern for his well being that had Romano's heart flutter.

But at the same time, the simple mention of the real Prince's name made something black boil in him. Every time he was foolish enough to believe that Antonio cared for him, the name just dragged him back to reality. "Please don't call me Feliciano" He said to the sheets, bowing his head so that he couldn't look in Antonio's eyes

"But that's your name, isn't it?"

Romano sighed, looking like he was debating whether or not to say something. Finally, he relented. "My real name is Lovino"

"But I thought-"

"Yeah, well Lovino means 'I ruin' in Italian, so I don't go by it." Romano looked over at Antonio's confused face. "Come on, it's not that odd to have more than one name, Prince Antonio Fernadez Carriedo"

The prince in question laughed, making Romano's stomach twist in a way that he had been getting used to. "Actually," He confided, poking at Romano's arm for his complete attention. "It's King Antonio Fernadez Carriedo"

Romano stared at him. "King?"

Antonio rubbed the back of his neck, in a sheepish gesture. "Yeah, King. I guess I never told you, huh? My father, King Carriedo, died last year. I got the crown, but when I had to choose someone to marry, Francis said it would be better if I didn't let anyone know. As not to scare them"

"Or not to have thirsty royals use you to rule." Romano guessed. By the look on Antonio's face, he had guessed right.

"You can't tell the queen though." Antonio said. "I don't think she'd be thrilled to find out I lied"

"I won't" Romano promised. Antonio smiled, this time at him, and Romano nearly melted at his feet. But before Antonio got the better of him, he blurted out- "You can't call me Lovino in front of the queen either. I mean, she hates the name almost as much as I do."

"Hmm" Antonio paused, as if giving the idea some thought. "What if I called you Lovi, for short?"

Romano made a disgusted face. "That's weird"

"But it's cute, just like you!" Antonio threw his arms out, catching Romano in them and dragging them both deeper into the fort of pillows. "Mmm" He sighed. "This is really nice"

"Yeah" Romano agreed. He felt like his heart was soaring.

"Would it be alright if I took a siesta here with you?"

"Whatever" Romano snuggled closer to him for a second, before relaxing. "I'm okay with that"