Austria was thrown down to the floor of the prison; the dagger was pointed straight at his temple. He spat out hot blood, letting it dribble down his chin and stain his already soiled uniform. His hands were bound tightly behind his back, cruelly cutting off proper circulation. How was he supposed to use those hands to play the piano with if they were going to be denied blood?
He barely suppressed a groan of pain and blearily opened his eyes to stare up at his enemy. The prison was dim and he could barely see anything without his glasses, but he could still recognize the dark red eyes glaring down at him.
Prussia slammed his fist down against Austria's skull, sending him sprawling on the cold stone. Pain shot through Austria's skull and his sight blurred momentarily. He clenched his teeth; he had known that Prussia's military was harsh, but this was just ridiculous.
"My apologies. This prison may not be up to your lavish standards," Prussia said in a voice even colder than the prison. "Not everyone can live the life of an aristocrat free of suffering."
"Oh, that's quite all right," Austria said lightly. "I don't expect much from frugal and pitiable Prussians. My standards were low to begin with."
"Well, I'm glad we're both at odd ends of each other," Prussia shot back. "I didn't expect anything at all from the Austrian army either."
Prussia slowly paced around Austria like a patient vulture. Austria kept his gaze steadily before him, not even flickering toward Prussia when he passed by. There was a bandage wrapped around Prussia's ankle, but he didn't even limp.
"Looks like the invincible Prussia had a bit of a nasty blow as well," Austria couldn't help but comment, eyeing the ankle.
"Don't even try to flatter yourself; it wasn't caused by any Austrian," Prussia said summarily, immediately halting directly behind Austria. Austria could feel Prussia's eyes glare down at him as he hovered like a Grim Reaper, waiting for the opportune moment to strike.
"If it was caused by an Austrian, you'd be bedridden," Austria retorted. He was not one to sit around idly while his enemy crushed his name into the dust.
"The most any Austrian can do to me is sicken me with their superfluous lavishness," Prussia snorted. "But thankfully, I've managed to get over it, no matter how disgusting it is." He moved in front of Austria and crouched before him. Austria stared defiantly back at the younger nation.
"So what shall we start with?" Prussia said coolly. "Can we skip immediately to the interrogation, or will we be required to dirty our hands and force it out of you?"
"How kind of you to offer the guest a choice," Austria said sardonically. Prussia chuckled and playfully patted Austria on the cheek before rising to his feet again. "What do you want from me?"
"Oh, I merely took you hostage because I enjoyed your suffocating and uptight presence," said Prussia. "I guess I'll have to get used to it, considering you'll probably be stuck with me for a good amount of time. It isn't like anyone would want to bust you out anyway."
"Not everyone is friendless like you, Prussia," Austria shot back.
"England would rather fight France than rescue you," Prussia continued stubbornly. "Netherlands barely ever gets his hands dirty helping you against me. Your own countrymen would rather attend some posh opera than do anything about you. Loyalty, what a pal."
Austria coughed, trying to avoid licking the blood that oozed down his lips. "There's still Hungary."
"You are a liar. She isn't even in this war," Prussia said automatically. "Just because you practically enslaved her under the Holy Roman Empire's rule doesn't mean she is obliged to run to your call like some mongrel."
"I never enslaved her," Austria retorted. He felt a blunt and heavy impact on his back that made him double over. His spine tingled with numbing pain. "It was arranged by the Hapsburg Monarchy! She agreed to it."
"Didn't stop you from forcing her to wear some frilly apron and making her do your shit," Prussia spat. "That wasn't how she was before at all. Back then, she wouldn't come near a dress or resign herself to house chores. She'd get off her seat and hunt or fight—none of this docile rubbish. What did you do to her?" Prussia wrenched Austria forward. "What did you do to change her like that?"
"Times and people change, Prussia!" Austria hissed. "You may remain hopelessly immature and ignorant all your life, but others change as time passes!"
The next thing Austria knew, he was flying headfirst into the stone walls of the cell. He crashed against the sickly rock and crumpled onto the ground, wracked from head to toe with agony. His head pounded as if the painful blows were coming from the inside of his skull instead. He knew he should have expected it; Prussia, being a violent and brash man, was so predictable when angered. He was like a cantankerous child. Austria couldn't help but chuckle at the thought
"You think this is funny, don't you?" Prussia hissed. Austria merely shrugged good-naturedly.
"Why, of course not. You must have mistaken my bitter sobs for laughter. I'm deeply heartbroken, really," Austria said smoothly.
Prussia struck him across the head with the hilt of his sword. Pain shot through Austria's skull and his sight blurred momentarily.
"You stole my best friend," Prussia whispered dangerously. "You took her away from me. Do you know how that feels?"
Austria didn't respond. He was trying to clear his head as the pain dizzied him horribly. Prussia's voice was coated with something Austria had never expected to come from the other nation. It was broken, even human. Prussia's words affected him in a way he did not expect; it struck him in the stomach in a collected pit.
But it couldn't have been guilt. Austria loved Hungary. He did not regret loving her.
"If I had it my way, I wouldn't even bother imprisoning you," Prussia growled. "To hell with country relations or for the balance of the world. I would have killed you the moment I saw you."
Austria could barely move; excruciating pain paralyzed his entire body. It was even more effective than handcuffs or chains. Prussia placed his heel on Austria's cheekbone, threatening to crush his face. Cold bits of glass were sprinkled on his bruised cheek; the remnant of Austria's glasses.
"So what do you want from me?" Austria grunted. Prussia added pressure on Austria's cheek at every syllable he spoke. "War plans? Military secrets?"
"I can demolish you even without any of those," Prussia said stoutly.
"Then what is it?" Austria demanded, his throat searing. Each word clawed the inside of his throat before being forced out, as if dragging its nails in desperation. "What do you want?"
Prussia smoothly shifted his weight to one foot, crushing Austria's cheekbone. He could feel it crackle under his soles and grinned at Austria's sharp gasps of pain. He bent down low enough so that his lips were close to Austria's ear.
"I said it before, didn't I?" Prussia said in a low voice that reminded Austria of a snake. The words coiled around his neck and suffocated him. "I look forward to hearing you plead for your life."
A metallic clang echoed through the cell as the iron doors slammed shut, trapping Austria in Prussia's mercy.
"I'll have you warned now," Prussia said quietly, his voice resonating in the cold and dank room. "When you get killed, the only reason you'll be going to heaven is because you've already served your time in Hell here."
"Any news?"
Hungary bit her lip hard, following Maria Theresa fervently as she paced across the grand hall, fumbling with her own fingers nervously. The tension oppressed them, squelching any sound made. Time became lame, crawling lethargically like a cripple and making every second seem like an hour. Virtue be damned; patience was a cruel and spiteful enemy.
"None so far," Maria Theresa admitted. Hungary let out a heavy sigh of defeat. Her heart fluttered frantically liked a trapped bird, batting against her ribs like wings against a cage, wildly desperate for freedom. Austria had gone to battle with England against Prussia but there had been no sign of them since.
"They're probably just running late," Hungary mumbled, crossing her arms tightly across her chest. "I mean, Austria tends to get lost a lot…perhaps he's returning home right now but he lost his way…"
"He would be with England, though," Maria Theresa pointed out. "England would have led him back if that was the case."
Hungary bowed her head, trying to hide her nervousness. This was why she hated it when Austria went to war. It was too much fear and uncertainty that she could bear. Especially when his enemy happened to be Prussia. Her heart jolted with anger at his name. Her muscles tensed immediately, as if already preparing themselves to pummel the life out of that boy.
"You don't think that they were completely defeated in battle, do you?" Maria Theresa asked worriedly. "I mean, it is two against one nation, but Prussia is a harsh enemy—"
"Not at all!" Hungary said feverishly. "I know Prussia. He may sound ruthless and powerful, but he's much less than that. In fact—in fact I've beaten him up several times! Austria and England would have no problem!"
Maria Theresa gave Hungary a quick smile at her optimism before turning her back on the nation to cover up her continuous anxiety. Hungary could not blame the queen; ever since the morning Austria left for battle, Hungary could barely sleep or eat properly. She was stricken with concern for him.
"Your Majesty." Hungary and Maria Theresa quickly turned to the entrance way of the grand hall to see a servant at the door. He gave a sweeping bow. "The Austrian army has arrived from battle."
"Finally!" Maria Theresa exclaimed, a relieved smile softening her features. She hurried out of the castle to greet her soldiers with Hungary tailing her. Outside, Hungary craned her neck to try to see over the soldiers' heads and her heart skipped a beat. There were far less soldiers returning than there were riding out to battle. Dread pervaded her senses, washing out the brief but sweet relief that only had about two minutes in the limelight.
"Look at them," Maria Theresa whispered. "They look as if they saw Hell."
"They must have," Hungary said darkly. A memory of Prussia flashed in her mind before she chased it off fiercely. She tugged at Maria Theresa's sleeve. "Come. Let's go somewhere higher up so we can see everyone that arrives. Our short statures won't help on the ground level."
Maria Theresa nodded and followed Hungary away from the throng. However, she stopped short and let out a defeated chuckle when Hungary launched herself onto a tall tree and shinnied up.
"You do that yourself," Maria Theresa called up to her. Hungary shrugged, considering climbing trees completely natural. She balanced herself on a long tree branch, shading her eyes to spy upon the arriving army better. She strained to catch sight of a stray strand of brown locks in the midst of the dirty and bloodied uniforms or the glint from a pair of familiar spectacles. She must have been perched up on that tree for a good thirty minutes, scanning the crowd as the gnarled tree bark scratched her skin and the leaves tangled into her hair. Every spare minute heightened her already swollen uneasiness.
"I don't see him," Hungary admitted shakily. She had to raise her voice over the clang of tired weapons and the low rumble of many soldiers' voices speaking at once. "Your Majesty, I don't see him!"
She looked down and took a double take in surprise to see that Maria Theresa was no longer with her. She nearly fell out of the tree in panic only to spot the queen a little ways off with the general. She slapped her forehead in aggravation before swinging down to the ground. That would have been a much simpler and easier choice than clambering up a tall tree and getting jumbled in the branches. She combed the stray sticks out of her hair before dashing toward Maria Theresa.
"Have you seen Austria?" Hungary would ask desperately as she wheedled her way through the large crowd. "Roderich? Have you seen Roderich? Is he here?" Everyone she asked would give her a confused look before shaking their heads. She swallowed down her urge to cry out with frustration and hopelessness. So many soldiers were horribly wounded and scarred, their own blood already seeping through their thick and tight bandages and their eyes hollowed out without any emotion or sensitivity left in them. Had Prussia done this to Austria's soldiers? The thought made her bristle with indignation.
"Your Majesty?" she said hastily as she arrived at the queen's side. She felt her heart sink to her stomach at the sight of the graveness in Maria Theresa's face. "Where is Austria?"
"We've—we've lost the battle," Maria Theresa coughed. Hungary cast a second glance at the disheveled remainder of the Austrian army. It was almost as if the word 'lost' was too much of an understatement.
"What of Austria? Roderich?" Maria Theresa insisted, turning to the general once more. "Where is he? Did he not return with you?"
Hungary felt the pit of cold dread in her heart slowly spread throughout her entire body. "Where is Roderich?"
"We don't know," the general admitted softly. Hungary could barely breathe. She felt as if someone punched her in the heart. "We all have returned, but no one knows where he is."
"You don't think—he couldn't have been—" Maria Theresa stuttered, her face paling. "He can't be killed, can he?"
"No!" Hungary said quickly, her voice shaking. "Surely some of the soldiers might have seen him! They must know where he is!" She stared pleadingly at the messenger, begging him to confirm her thoughts.
"They have," the general said quietly. Hungary's face brightened, but the general still remained grave and cautious. "Some of the men saw him fighting Prussia. After that, he was gone."
"What?" Hungary breathed. The mere thought of Prussia made the lump in her throat toughen and ache with fury. "What do you mean by that? He couldn't have just pulled a disappearing act after that!"
"It was complete disorderly chaos. It is hard for anyone to truly understand what's going on in battle!" the general protested. "Others have said they saw Prussia taking Austria as a prisoner of war."
Hungary felt all the blood in her face drain away. She felt her entire body stiffen with shock. Maria Theresa was no calmer; she looked as if she were sick, for she was frighteningly pale.
"That can't be," Hungary stammered. "How could he have been? Austria—Austria wouldn't let that happen! Of course not!" She could feel the beginnings of a desperate rant creep up on her. She couldn't help it; she was still drenched with disbelief and panic. "Prussia couldn't do that! He isn't that strong!"
"Many soldiers said the same thing," the general said regretfully. "He was fighting Prussia, beaten down, and bound. It can only mean one thing."
Maria Theresa turned away from the general. She paced to and fro, her hand to her mouth with alarm. Hungary silent took Maria Theresa's arm and led her back inside in the palace, her own nerves strained and battered. Her deep resentment toward Prussia surged rapidly like a powerful fountain. How could he have done all these horrible deeds to Austria? What did Austria ever do to him?
"Your majesty?" Hungary coughed out, closing the mahogany doors behind them. Maria Theresa didn't appear to have heard her; she continued pacing without even stumbling or changing her pace. Hungary raised her voice. "Your majesty!"
Maria Theresa finally jerked back to reality. She quickly whirled around toward Hungary, her face contorted with distress.
"What things could Prussia do to Austria?" Maria Theresa inquired. "Would he be able to kill Austria?"
"He wouldn't. He can't," Hungary blurted out, though a part of her didn't even believe her own words. This was Prussia they were talking about. The merciless, monstrous Prussia. Killing a fellow nation would seem kindhearted to him. "He wouldn't dare."
"But what would he do to Austria?" Maria Theresa cried. "They must have kidnapped him for a reason. They want something from us."
"Prussia definitely would," Hungary said in a low voice. Nothing could hunger Prussia's insatiable hunger for power. "What shall we do?"
"I don't know what Prussia wants from us," Maria Theresa admitted grimly. "We're going to have to find out somehow. He would probably send word to us, declaring his actions and demanding a price."
"We can't just sit around and wait for him to give us conditions!" Hungary cried. "I refuse to be bullied around by that—that horrid man!" There were many other choice names she would have called Prussia had she not decided to be more careful with her tongue as a lady.
"If I send my men to attack, Austria would be at stake," Maria Theresa pointed out. "Not to mention the men themselves. In all honesty, we don't even know where Prussia is keeping Austria in the first place."
"We'll give Prussia a taste of his own medicine!" Hungary declared. Her mind was bubbling with thousands of ideas to seek revenge against her newly declared foe. It was a strange place to be in, desiring to hurt a former best friend, but all Hungary could think about was Austria's wellbeing. She would not rest until she knew he would be safe. "We'll kidnap some of his officers and force the answer out of them! Surely they would know! Or—"
Suddenly, the idea hit her like a sledgehammer. She froze for a moment, her mind so engrossed on her idea that it almost forgot the rest of its duties. Finally, she let out a gasp and spun around toward Maria Theresa.
"Maybe—maybe I can wheedle the answer out of him!" Hungary exclaimed.
Maria Theresa gave Hungary a very confused look. She shook her head. "I'm sorry, but how would you be able to manage that? What difference is there between you and—I don't know—a different country?"
"Because he knows me," Hungary insisted. "We've known each other since we were born, practically. He trusts me—to an extent. And—and he doesn't know that I'm your ally yet!" Her words became more feverish and rushed as she continued on. "He might think I'm neutral, so he wouldn't expect anything! And then I could find out where Austria is—maybe I can save him!"
Maria Theresa's face had an unreadable expression. "Would that be all right?"
"What do you mean by that?" Hungary demanded.
"I meant, would you be all right with that?" Maria Theresa asked carefully. "You have his trust. Would it be safe to break it now in the long run?"
"I don't care," Hungary said stalwartly. She gripped her fists. "He hurt Austria. Prussia already lost my trust. Might as well make it mutual."
Maria Theresa bit her lip. "But what if Prussia finds out your deeds and keeps you as prisoner as well? Then I'll have two missing nations on top of everything else!"
"You needn't worry, your majesty," Hungary assured her. "I know how to deal with Prussia. I could defeat him myself; I've done it before. It would be nothing close to a challenge."
Hungary could see the apprehensive doubt in Maria Theresa's face. "I promise you, your majesty! I will succeed! Please trust me in this. You know how strong I am."
"I don't doubt your prowess," Maria Theresa confessed. "I worry of Prussia's wrath."
"You needn't," Hungary replied without skipping a beat. "It is nothing we cannot handle." She rushed over to Maria Theresa and beseechingly took her hands. "Let me go, your majesty."
Maria Theresa hesitated for a brief moment before finally nodding. A flow of victorious excitement coursed through Hungary as the adrenaline pumped with every concise heartbeat.
She had been waiting for a chance like this for far too long.
She was dying to hear Prussia beg for mercy.