Hetalia – Of Magic and Might

Chapter 7! Woo, I don't even have much to say. I'll just want to leave you the chapter, so I present you it here,

Enjoy!

The North, The Nordic Kingdom, Reception Hall of Royal Palace

The North was an eternally cold place. Ruled more by its harsh elements then its nobility, the winter folk had short days and long nights as they stood above the world. And while it did indeed stand on top, the North in the past hadn't escaped from Emperor Ivan's cruel tyranny. It had been the same year Ivan had seized the throne when he had invited the Northern King Magnus Densen to the Winter Palace, under the guise of a treaty proposal. Eager to affirm his country's safety, King Magnus had travelled along with his beloved queen south to the Capital. Leaving the care of the Kingdom and their only son in the trustworthy hands of an old friend, Berwald Oxenstierna. The Royal Couple had left to secure their peace, but they were never to see their son again.

Ivan had never even intended to hear their terms, choosing to have their throats slit the moment they stepped inside his bloody board room. Knowing that the North would be vulnerable without their monarchs, Ivan sent a powerful legion of warships to conquer the Nordic Kingdom while it seized up in disarray. But the Emperor had underestimated the hearts of the Northerns. Under its temporary ruler the whole North rallied and pushed back the southern invaders, managing to divide Ivan's Air Force by near half. Knowing better then fight a fruitless battle, Ivan called off the invasion and instead worked to cut off communication between them and neighbouring countries. Effectively isolating the Nordic Kingdom from the rest of the Isles.

But the long silence that the North had be submitted to had finally been broken with the arrival of the Rebels. As the Ludwig's company had been hurriedly escorted through the town to the Palace, inquisitive natives had strained for a glance at the outsiders from an alien world to their own. The Palaces's reception hall had welcomed the rebels with blazing fires and hot broths upon their arrival, the rebels nodding their thanks and inhaling the steaming fumes gratefully. It was just after that Arthur had finished his cup when a stout uniformed man had entered through the doors to the Grand Hall, breathing heavily from the exercise.

"Ahem! His majesty King Simon Magnus Christensen Densen of the North graciously welcomes you to his Kingdom and will now graciously take up audience with you. Please proceed into the Great Hall and present yourselves before His Grace" The balding man bellowed with a surprisingly loud voice for one of his small stature. Ludwig straightened his black cloak and motioned for Arthur to join him at the lead of the charge, placing him on his left while Kiku occupied his right. Alfred and Matthew gave Arthur an encouraging thumbs up as he reluctantly left them standing with Jonny and the rest of the men.

"Remain calm, and speak only when spoken to. First impressions amount to everything with royalty. And Arthur," Ludwig whispered to Kiku and Arthur under the noise of the rest of the rebels forming a rough line behind them "everyone in there who are going to be curious about you. But there's someone in there I think particularly wants to meet you, try to stay close to them at all times" Arthur nodded and thickly gulped down the lump that had formed in his throat as the Great Hall Ironwood doors slowly opened.

The Great Hall was towering and made of stone with small chandeliers hanging from wooden support beams. The polished boarded floor was crowded with muttering furred clothed men and women of varying age and appearance. Large fabric banners hung from the ceiling proudly bearing the crest of the Royal House. At the back of the hall a platform stood with a set of stairs the same width of the wide room. A magnificent Elder-wood Throne with intricate carvings of leaves and trees was centre of said platform, upon it sat the man who could only be King.

King Simon Magnus Christensen Densen of the North was a rather young man full of youth and spirit. His wild short blonde hair stuck up skyward and his clear aquamarine eyes danced as they watched the approaching Rebels. He wore no crown but a black and red furred coat with two silver badges pinned above his left breast. By his right hand stood a tall stern man who was legendary hero that stopped the invasion of the North, Berwald Oxenstierna. His posture was tense and rigid as his ivory green eyes flicked behind thin rimmed glasses. On the King's left stood perhaps the oddest person in all the room and for Arthur, the most familiar for unbeknownst to him Arthur had already seen him in a dream. The fair skinned man had long wavy ash blonde hair that had an independent swirl and spot floating beside it. He was robed in a dark navy cloak and had a black strip of cloth wrapped around his head, indicting that he was blind. Curiously Arthur saw what looked like a tiny troll like creature perched on the man's shoulder clinging to the end of his hair. No one seemed to be reacting to this at all so Arthur, with relief and wonder, realised that it was his Sight that allowed him to perceive it. He hadn't lost his gift after all those years of privation from magic, there just hadn't been any magic to see. Arthur's questioning thoughts on why that man had a troll following him around was interrupted when the King stood up and raised his hand for silence.

"My warmest greetings my most favoured guests. I King Simon Densen of the North welcome you to my Kingdom and hope you accept our earnest hospitality. I trust your journey here was smooth?" The King asked in an obviously rehearsed manner, his glowing appearance contradicting the formal words on his lips. Ludwig bowed deeply causing all his men to follow suit, before rising and addressing the King in a respectful tone.

"Thank you Your Majesty for allowing us into your home. You are most gracious and generous host. Our journey was uneven to begin with, however we managed to pass over the Capital without much ado. Though our ships still harbour battle scars and must be restocked and refuelled before they are ready for flight again" Ludwig explained to the King, though it was his right hand that nodded and seemed to make a mental note of the situation. He reminded him of himself in all honesty, Ludwig had thought in silence as the King spoke up in reply.

"My men will see you your ships, worry not. Now before we speak further, I have prepared a feast in honour of your arrival. I suggest we fill our bellies before we begin a discussion that will take half a day and longer! Come my guests, let us all travel to the dining hall where a mighty feast is waiting for us!" The King exclaimed to the applause of all occupants in the hall. Slowly both rebels and the Court Ladies and Sirs filtered out of the room, leaving Ludwig, Kiku and Arthur alone with the King, Sir Berwald and the unnamed blind man. Now the nosey nobility was gone the King dropped his overly royal persona and leapt off his throne to grasp Ludwig's hand and pumped it up and down furiously.

"I'm so happy you made it! I was starting to get worried you wouldn't make it. I'm hardly used to waiting being King and all" The King grinned widely as his attendees walked casually to his side.

"I can imagine. It is good to see you again Your Majesty, you've grown so much since I last saw you with Magnus. You've become quite the fine King" Ludwig politely replied though his voice held tones of softness and nostalgia as he described the past times.

"Now now Ludwig no need to be so formal, we're friends aren't we? Please call me by my first name when we are in private. All this posh snottiness really gets to my head. Ah, aren't you going to introduce to your men?" The King asked excitedly looking between Kiku and Arthur, Kiku had his head bowed deeply but Arthur didn't see the need to bow a second time.

"How rude of me. This is Kiku Honda, my right hand while we stay here. He is a gifted logical thinker to whom I trust deeply. He has served near eight years in our cause and has never failed a mission I have assigned him," Ludwig introduced indicting to Kiku who looked down embarrassed that the generous compliments and drawn attention. Ludwig continued and this time motioned to Arthur. "This is Arthur Kirkland, the sorcerer I wrote to you about" the King gasped in delight and reached forward to shake Arthur's hand in the same manner he had shook Ludwig's.

"It truly is incredible see that another sorcerer survive Emperor Ivan's Purge. I thanked the Gods when Ludwig informed me that he had found you. I thought that were would be only two left in the world" The King chattered unaware of how still his words had made Arthur. Another? Two left? Could he mean there were two sorcerers here in the North? The blind man with the troll on his shoulder stepped forward and reached towards Arthur, gripping him gently on the shoulders.

"You are Arthur?," The man asked, his voice low like a whisper. Not knowing how to respond, Arthur simply nodded with enough force that the man could sense it. "I am Lukas Bondevik and I to am a sorcerer that escaped from the Emperor. Although not completely unscratched" He said motioning to where his eyes should have been. Inside Arthur's emotions were rioting. He was not alone anymore, he wasn't the last of his kind. There was another like him and they were together. Ivan hadn't swiped out the sorcerers!

"H-hello Lukas. I, I have so many questions to ask you. I don't know even to begin!" Arthur cried as he returned Lukas' friendly grip, feeling a rush of companionship for this man he had never met. They were survivors and that instantly bound them together. Arthur was about to continue when Lukas placed a thin finger on his lips.

"I can imagine you have a whole list, but someone else you need to meet before we speak further." As Lukas spoke a set of echoing footprints approached the gathered men, drawing nearer and nearer behind Arthur. "He came to us roughly six years ago, around the time you went into hiding. We're been up here hiding to, sheltered by His Majesty away from the Empire. We're both waited for you for so long. We waited and waited. It's been unbearable on both of us, hasn't it… Allistor?"

They say when a person goes into shock, time appears to slow right down for that person. The world moves in slow motion as all thoughts leave the mind. The planet stops moving and in that suspended moment, the person can't understand the information they have learnt. They literally freeze. This is what happened to Arthur. His mind stopped for what seemed like an eternity as he slowly turned around and saw him. A man who looked like his brother. The same messy auburn hair. The same Greek Fire eyes crowned with thick eyebrows. There were differences, but none that Arthur cared about in that moment.

Stumbling like a baby taking its first steps Arthur took a step towards his brother, he didn't register the twin trails of tears that had spilled down his own bloodless face. Arthur took another step. And another. Unblinking he reached his hand out, afraid the image before him was but a phantom. That if he disturbed it then it would leave him forever. Allistor felt his own eyes moisten as he to reached out and brought Arthur's hand to his chest, so his brother could feel the steady pulse of his heart. Beneath his palm Arthur felt the undeniable beating of a healthy heart. A confirmation that his brother, his brother who was thought to be dead was alive.

Arthur's fingers tightened above Allistor's heart, scrunching the coarse fabric tightly. He gave out a pitiful sob and flung himself at full force at his brother, openly bawling as he desperately clung to him. Allistor temporally rocked backwards from the force his brother pushed him at before returning the suffocating grip. Tears now freely streamed down Allistor's face as he embraced his younger brother with enough strength they could of fused together. Arthur continued to hiccup and wail and sob into Allistor's shoulder, his tears soaking the dark green material all the way through. It was just them in the room, in the world. No one else mattered as the crushing pressure between the two brothers reassured them that it wasn't a dream. That they were really together, they were still alive and with each other.

Keeping his eyes closed Allistor's hand reached up and, like so long ago, ran it through Arthur's blonde locks with the tenderness of a mother. Arthur's shoulders tugged up and down as he howled and shook, feeling Allistor pull his head closer and rest under his chin.

"There, there Artie. We're home"

I'm not crying, I'm not crying :') I waited so long to write this scene. The reunion of Allistor and Arthur. It's been too long. This chapter, soo full of happenings. Introductions of setting and characters! Drama! There's so much!

We're really getting to the meat now. I am so excited for it all, these upcoming chapters are going to be 'fun'. There's not much else to say, the chapter was one of my better ones in my opinion and I was happy with how it came out.

Thank you for reading and I hope you enjoyed this chapter! If you are enjoying this story and wish to see it continue, please take the time to leave a review to tell me your thoughts, opinions and questions about the story. Once again thank you for reading and as always,

untill next time folks!