FOR THE PERSON THEY LOVED THE MOST
Autumn painted the forest in gold and red foliage, as the two children were engaged in their own kaleidoscopic world beside the riverbank. The vivacious North Italy was giving Holy Roman Empire a lesson on fine arts, the passion that Italy loved the most that the blond wanted to learn ever since he met the girl at Austria's house. Holy Rome observed with adoration as the brunette with doe-eyed amber eyes created a simple picture of a rabbit on her once blank canvas.
"Ve, Holy Rome! Are you listening to me?" North Italy giggled as Holy Rome was all scarlet. Holy Rome quickly regained his composure and he nodded, his heart was beating wildly in his ribcage. He was never been this close to the Italian, a golden opportunity to be closer to his beloved he will never forget as long as he exist. For the first time after he set his eyes on North Italy, he noticed a strange curl sticking out on her left side. He was about to give a little tug on the curl when he was interrupted again by Italy.
"This is how I always begin my paintings…" Holy Rome shifted his attention to the lesson, his lingering curiosity was still tingling to give a gentle pull the curl of Italy. With abated breath he was about to touch the curl, his hand was hovering around the curl when Italy spoke again.
"Now it's your turn to paint, Holy Rome" Italy turned to Holy Rome and she gave him a heartening smile. Still blushing madly, Holy Rome nodded and he picked-up his paintbrush. Under the watchful stare of North Italy, Holy Rome was trembling and the brush slipped off from his hand.
"Oh, no! I'm sorry Italy!" Italy watched in curiosity as Holy Roman Empire scrambled to get his brush from the grass. He was getting messier as containers of acrylic paints poured on him accidentally. Italy could not control her mirth and she laughed, Holy Rome was an absolute peppy color of a mess.
"You're so funny, Holy Rome! Ha! Ha! Ha! Ha!" Italy chortled in an unladylike manner, tears of laughter formed in her closed eyelids. Holy Roman also joined the laughter their painting session was evidently stalled. The boy in black attire smudged the girl in maid's uniform in various colors of paints that he was covered in. The two children exchanged throws of acrylic paints, they were causing absolute prismatic and jubilant uproar. Their innocent cacophony in the warm afternoon was carried by the wind until it reached the ears of Austria and Hungary.
"What do you think the two were doing, Hungary?" Austria stopped playing his grand piano and went to the veranda to check the two children. Hungary joined him and they saw Italy and Holy Rome seated side-by-side at the autumn laden ground coated in different colors, their materials were lying around and now covered in assorted paints.
"Look what they have done! I should not have allowed that painting session! Humph!" Austria crossed his arms in annoyance.
CLICK! Polaroid slide down from the camera of Hungary and the fleeting moment of the two unaware children in that once upon a time of autumn were captured for eternity.
"You should be more tolerant to the two of them, Austria. Look at their faces" Hungary gently chided Austria and she handed to him the recently developed picture of Holy Roman Empire and North Italy. The ever cheerful Italy smudged in rainbow colors and so was Holy Rome with his loving look only reserved for the Italian; Austria never seen the two so happy before much more the familiar look on the blond's face, the same face that he had when no one's around except Hungary.
"I guess you are right, Hungary. I should been gentler to the two. Am I really that cruel to them?" Austria was ashamed that he never really been a fatherly figure to Holy Roman Empire and North Italy. They were probably obedient to him because he was scary, afraid to earn punishments from him. He dabbed his tears with his white handkerchief and he stared to the reality so subtle of the two young nations that were entrusted in his tutelage.
"It's not yet over for new beginnings, Austria. Perhaps you could give time for the two nations to get to know more each other? You know lessen time for Italy to do household chores and so the strict upbringing of Holy Rome?" Hungary grinned widely, sooner or later Austria will concede to her suggestion.
"How long have you known the harbored feelings of Holy Rome to Italy? Does Italy know about it?"
"When you brought Italy in your house, I knew that Holy Rome was smitten at first sight at Italy. Italy was unaware of the feelings of Holy Rome for her; and the very reason why he constantly follows her around the house. He just wanted for Italy to notice him. He loves her so much, Austria. Just like the two of us" Hungary spoke with such passion on the innocent love of Holy Roman Empire to North Italy, somehow she was reminded of their own romance. Austria smiled he understood what Hungary wanted to imply. Who was he to hinder the young nation from pursuing his love interest?
"Do I have a choice? Woman, I always can't say no to you" Austria smiled and he gave the woman of his life a forehead kiss before clasping his hand onto hers.
"Let's go to the backyard and check the two, Roderich?"
"Lead the way, my dearest Elizaveta" Though their marriage was for political reasons the two nations nevertheless loved each other more than anything their own countries had planned. Their own governments had no power to dictate the hearts of a certain Elizaveta Hedervary and Roderich Edelstein from loving the person right by their side.
A woman with porcelain skin, crown of waist-length auburn tresses that ends in ringlets, wearing a blue cotton dress stirred in an elegant carved oak canopy bed with hangings ornately decorated with Turkish designs. She moved unconsciously time-to-time until a pair of doe-eyed amber eyes finally woke up from years of deep slumber. The woman sat up and observed the luxurious room where in she was right now. The room was in different hues of gold and royal green, with paintings of Medieval Age hanging on the walls and a bronze chandelier was dangling at the middle of the room. There was also an obsidian vanity at one corner of the room, a wardrobe and several mahogany tables within the carpeted room. The woman stepped out from the bed and walked towards the open veranda, after years of sleeping she beheld the great Baltic Sea gently lapping on the shore. Breeze from the sea wafted through the room, her auburn hair danced in the wind, a wonderful feeling she could not put a name on it. She saw the shore stretched widely, her inquisitiveness was kindled to discover the end of it. She never looked back to the room and proceeded on her little excursion. Barefoot, she was amazed how soft the sand was under her feet. For the first time she opened her eyes and beheld the wonderful world, she saw how mesmerizing the blue sky was. Standing under the blue sky, she lifted her right hand towards the sky, like a child believing he could reach the heavens with his hands outstretched.
"What are you called that you are so beautiful I will never get tired looking up at you?" the lady spoke, her sing-song voice passed her rosy lips and was carried by the wind to unknown places, to the blue sky her wide amber eyes looked imploringly. She waited for her question to be answered but she was only addressed by the lulling sound from the sea and the squawking of the seagulls hovering at the beach. The woman was disrupted from her trance when a man in a long green coat, brown pants, knee-high boots, a tan scarf around his neck and a red fez hat on his head approached her.
"That one you were admiring is the sky" Turkey bowed his head before the brunette and he handed to her a pair of sandals. "Though the sand feels soft under your feet, there are still sticks and stones out there that might hurt you, my lady"
"Uh… Well, thank you for your kindness, sir" the lady smiled and her signature curl curled into the shape of a heart.
No one could ever rival your beauty even if you had become human, Italia. You have always been beautiful from the very start. I will not allow the world to pick the most beautiful rose that easily. I will protect you, Feliciana.
"Allow me to put these sandals on your feet" Turkey kneeled down and one-by-one he placed the sandals on the feet of former representative of North more North Italy reached out to him, the more his love for the woman burns in his heart. His heart seemed to burst with his overflowing euphoria now that Feliciana was finally recovered from comatose. He had waited for so long for her to wake up and now that his waiting was over, they could begin a new life. Turkey was excited like a first grader who was thrilled to start the first day of classes and meet new friends.
"Thank you…?" Feliciana was embarrassed, she hadn't know the name of the man.
"Sadik Adnan"
"Thank you so much, Sadik!" Feli grinned but her smile quickly faded.
"Is there something wrong?" The Italian fidgeted in her place and it took minutes for Turkey to make her speak.
"You do have a name yet I do not know who I am! I am so frustrated that I cannot remember anything, even my name!" tears of disappointment pooled in the Italian's amber eyes and it streaked down her fair skin, dripping into the grains of sand. Turkey's heart seemed to break into pieces, seeing Italy wept because of her disappeared past. The weight of becoming human was too great and North Italy never anticipated that she would lose her memories – would she ever regain what she must abandoned to have what she was at this moment? Or would Turkey aid her to redeem her past life, her former shell of the representative of North Italy or would he just shied her away from who she was before for the sake of protecting her from the world?
"Neither do I not even know who you were" Turkey responded to the unhappy Italian, empathy was evident on his brown eyes. "If you would like I will help you remember your past" North Italy's sadness faded a little, the man in front of her was sincere to help a stranger like her regain back her former life.
"You will?" a small smile crept on the corner of the Italian's lips and her eyes were twinkling with liveliness. Turkey nodded and he too was beaming, he knew that it would not be that long before she could forget her purpose. Feliciana stared at the tall man with absolute happiness.
What is this feeling? Why am I feeling such bliss talking to him? Feli felt butterflies on her stomach even though it was their first encounter. She wanted to ask Sadik about this pleasant feeling but she decided to discover it for herself, she might even glimpse something on her past.
"Before I forgot, how about calling you Yesenia for the meantime?" Sadik has chosen the name Yesenia because for him, North Italy resembled a flower – the most beautiful flower that everyone desired to pick among the rest. Turkey could still not fathom that such fate would befell on her, she did not deserved to live a mortal life. If it weren't for the decision of the Italian populace, Feliciana wouldn't be here with him.
"Yesenia…" the brunette smiled and nodded. This day would be one of the happiest moments in Turkey's existence.
"How about we walk together by the sea, Sadik? You sure not busy today?" Yesenia's voice was bubbling with delight. She was a charmer that was for sure. Her cheerful demeanor could easily influence anyone nearby even him was already drawn towards her. If her beauty couldn't bring a person close to her, her personality would.
"May I join you, Yesenia?" Turkey watched her, how could he not love a goddess like Italy? She was everything that he could wish for – a lady with surpassing beauty rarer to be found among her fellow female representatives; a sanguine personality with its own pocket of sunshine and rainbows, and her warming smile brighter than the sun leaves beauty in its wake.
"Indeed, Sadik! I am more grateful if you could accompany me" Yesenia linked her right arm at Sadik's left appendage and the two of them ambled to the seashore, they watched together the rolling waves from the Baltic Sea. Yesenia's soft, sweet bell-like voice was like a flowing stream of life Turkey had the chance to hear amidst the roaring waves of the sea and honking of the seagulls. It was the single most beautiful sound Sadik ever heard and in his opinion, it could put angel's singing to shame. From the corner of his eyes, he observed Yesenia babbled on about her future, her past was almost left behind until she reminded herself to find out who she was before she met Sadik.
"I am sorry Sadik! Am I too talkative?" Yesenia was worried that he was getting irritated to her.
"Actually, I kind of like if you keep on talking. I never had met someone as joyful as you" Turkey smiled and Yesenia went scarlet all of a sudden. Sadik gestured to the waiting stretched of seashore as he surveyed the woman of her life standing before him. He truly cannot believe that he would be very much head over heels to this lady, after all no words put together could ever describe his love to her. "I will always accompany you if you want, my lady"
"Si! Grazie molte, Sadik!" Yesenia was surprised he could speak a different language. "What did I speak?"
"You spoke Italian, my lady. It is either you are fluent in Italian or you are an Italian by birth" Turkey put a happy masquerade to share her enthusiasm but deep inside disquiet stirred within. He never foresaw how quickly Italy's past meet her present life. He could not believe that it wouldn't that be long before Feli find out who she actually was or else someone closed to her discover that she was still alive yet bereft of memories.
