So, the next few chapters will be flashback chapters. I'm also going to put a trigger warning here for different kinds of abuse for the next few chapters.

Disclaimer: I don't own Hetalia.

Chapter 10

Matthew looked around the room, his jaw dropping. He had never been in a bedroom like that before. He hadn't been assigned a task in one of the bedrooms yet, and he was still worried about being there.

"So, what are we going to play first?" Feliciano asked. He tapped his chin before he smiled. "Have you ever played chess before?"

Matthew shook his head. He had no idea what that even was. Feliciano's smile widened, and he went to one corner of the room, where many cases were stacked. He picked out one of the cases and pointed to a table with two chairs on either side. Matthew got the hint and went to sit there.

"I'll teach you how to play," Feliciano said.

He removed something from the case. It was flat and had a lot of squares. Feliciano put it on the table, before he frowned and turned the thing slightly.

"You need to make sure that there's a white corner at the bottom right," Feliciano explained. "Then, you lay out all the pawns."

"The… what?" Matthew asked.

Feliciano removed several items from the case. They were small, and Matthew frowned. What was the purpose of all of these? Feliciano took one of the smallest and held it up.

"The pawns are like the foot soldiers," Feliciano explained. "The first time they move, they can go two times, or even just one. But every other time, they only move one space ahead. Ooh, except if they take one of your opponent's pieces. Then they can only move diagonally."

Feliciano placed the smaller pieces – the pawns – on the flat space. Each one seemed to have its own square.

"And… what's this?" Matthew asked.

"…That's the board," Feliciano said, his smile falling slightly. "Don't you know how a game board looks?"

Matthew shook his head, his stomach feeling suddenly heavy. Was Feliciano disappointed? Was he angry? Matthew didn't like how Feliciano's smile fell, and he frowned while looking at the board.

But then Feliciano's smile returned, and the pressure inside Matthew lifted. So, Feliciano wasn't angry at him?

"That's okay," Feliciano said. "I'll teach you everything. Let's see, what next?"

One by one, Feliciano placed the pieces on the board, explaining to Matthew what they were and how they moved. Feliciano finished with the last piece on either side.

"And this is the king," Feliciano explained. "They can move in any direction, but only one square. The goal of the game is to get your opponent's king into checkmate."

"What does that mean?" Matthew asked.

"Well, if the king's in check, then that means that the next move the opponent makes will take the king. You need to get the king to safety then. But when there's nothing you can do to get the king to safety, then it becomes checkmate."

"So… if the king's completely cornered, then the other person wins?"

Matthew recalled when he was younger. A bunch of older boys had managed to corner him. Before that, he was able to run away, but every time he saw them, he was forced to flee. Suddenly, the game made a lot more sense. It was the job of all the pieces to corner the king so that they could essentially beat him up together.

"Okay, I think I understand," Matthew said.

"Great," Feliciano said. "So, white always moves first."

"Why?"

"…I don't really know. But, that way, we don't argue over whose turn it is to begin."

The two of them ended up playing about a dozen games together. Whenever Matthew would make a mistake with moving the pieces, Feliciano would gently correct him. And Matthew would soon learn when he made a bad move or a good move. Whenever he made a bad move, Feliciano would purse his lips, and whenever he would make a good move, Feliciano would blink a few times before his eyes darted over the board. Matthew didn't know whether Feliciano did it on purpose to teach him, or whether he didn't know that he was doing it. Either way, Matthew chose not to say anything about it, in case he ended up accidentally embarrassing Feliciano.

Feliciano naturally won most of the games, but eventually, Matthew was able to win one. Feliciano's hand hovered over his king, his eyes darting around, before he smiled.

"You finally won," Feliciano said. "Congratulations. So, do you want to play another round?"

Matthew was just about to answer before someone knocked on the door, and a few seconds later, the door opened to reveal Arthur. He bowed to Feliciano.

"Sorry for the intrusion," Arthur said. "It's time for dinner, and your father requests your presence."

"Wait, already?" Feliciano asked, before he looked over towards the window. "I didn't know it was so late." He turned back to Matthew. "Do you want to join us?"

"I'm afraid that won't be possible," Arthur interrupted. "Servants need to dine in the servant's quarters, and only once they have finished serving the masters of the house. However, since he's still young, we won't expect him to serve at dinner quite yet. I will take him to the servant quarters."

Feliciano pouted, before he turned back to Matthew with a bright smile.

"I guess it can't be helped," Feliciano said. "We should play tomorrow again. Is that fine?"

Matthew glanced over towards Arthur before he nodded. He didn't know if it was allowed, but he figured that Feliciano was the one that he needed to keep happy. He was a member of the family, after all.

"Then I'll see you tomorrow," Feliciano said, before he ran off. "Ciao, Matteo!"

Matthew stared after Feliciano until Arthur cleared his throat. Matthew shook himself, before he slipped out of the chair and walked towards Arthur. Arthur didn't say anything, but immediately turned around and walked away. Matthew suspected that he was supposed to follow Arthur, and fell into step behind him.

"It's been a while since I saw master Feliciano smile so brightly," Arthur said. "Perhaps it was a good idea to allow you to play together."

Matthew didn't know what to say, and so he said nothing.

"You are allowed to continue playing with master Feliciano, as long as it does not interfere with your duties," Arthur continued. "And if master Romulus specifically gives you an order, then even if you are with master Feliciano, you will do it immediately. Is that clear?"

"Y-yes, sir," Matthew stammered.

"Remember, master Romulus has the highest authority in this house. He is the one that decides the rest of our fates. Whatever you do, do not do anything that would make him angry with you."

Matthew shuddered. The words sounded ominous. He promised himself that he would take Arthur's words to heart. He would make sure that he never did anything that would anger master Romulus.

…

Feliciano and Matthew sat side by side, a book open between them. Feliciano had found out that Matthew had never learned to read, so he took it upon himself to teach him.

"You've got it!" Feliciano exclaimed. "You're a really fast learner."

"That's because I have a good teacher," Matthew said.

He and Feliciano had spent enough time together that all awkwardness between them had completely disappeared. Matthew was able to speak his mind more openly with Feliciano, and Feliciano took it all in stride. Feliciano also confided in Matthew things that he couldn't tell anyone else in this house. It was starting to feel as though it was only the two of them against everyone else.

"Are you seriously teaching the servant to read?"

Matthew jumped at the sound of the voice. Standing at the doorway was master Lovino, Feliciano's elder brother. Even though the two of them looked so much alike, they were completely different. Master Lovino always had the power to make Matthew feel small, but he was still better than master Romulus.

"I'm teaching my friend to read," Feliciano said. Even though two years separated Lovino and Feliciano, the eleven-year-old never allowed himself to be intimidated by his elder brother.

"You should know that servants aren't our friends," Lovino spat. "They are beneath us. Their entire reason for living is to do the things that we shouldn't ever have to do."

Matthew felt himself shrink back at Lovino's words. Feliciano waved his hand at his brother.

"Well, at least I have a friend," Feliciano said. "And at least mine isn't fake."

"What is that supposed to mean?" Lovino demanded.

"You know that Antonio and Miguel are only your 'friends' because of Papa's money, right? They don't care about you. And Bella's only your 'friend' because she's hoping that Papa and her parents will come to an agreement to let you two marry so she can have access to Papa's money. You don't have anyone who actually likes you for you."

Lovino was red in the face, and Matthew worried that Lovino would do something bad. Instead, Lovino just stormed out of the room.

"He's mad because he knows I'm right," Feliciano said, before he turned to Matthew. "Are you alright?"

"…I-I should probably go," Matthew said, moving to stand.

"No!" Feliciano exclaimed, before he grabbed Matthew's hand. "Please, don't go. Lovino's just jealous because he doesn't have someone as wonderful as you in his life. And maybe, if he stopped acting like an arrogant narcissist, he'll see how nice it is to have you as a friend." Feliciano frowned. "Actually, not you. I don't want to share you with him."

Matthew looked down at their hands. Feliciano tugged at him, and Matthew allowed himself to be pulled down. Feliciano released his hand and turned back to the book. Feliciano carried on as though Lovino had never interrupted, and Matthew tried, but he couldn't get Lovino's words out of his head.

He knew that he and Feliciano weren't in the same sphere. He knew that they probably shouldn't be friends. But the only time when he didn't feel like trash was at Feliciano's side. And if other people didn't like it… did it really matter?

Master Romulus hadn't ordered Matthew to stay away from Feliciano yet, so he decided that it would be fine, for now. As long as Feliciano's father didn't see a problem with their friendship, then no one else could, right?

…

Matthew was in one of the bedrooms, straightening the bedsheets. The thirteen-year-old was deemed mature enough for a few more tasks, and making the beds was one of his tasks. He was proud to say that he did a good job. Even master Romulus was impressed with his efforts, and Arthur had pretty much made this his responsibility.

"Not bad, but it makes me want to see it mussed up again."

Matthew jumped at the sound of the voice. He spun around, and standing in the doorway was master Romulus's guest. They had a business meeting, Matthew remembered, and they had been told to remain out of sight as much as possible.

"P-pardon?" Matthew asked.

The man smirked, before he stepped inside. Matthew's eyes scanned the room. He didn't like the expression on the man's face. He didn't like this at all.

"Hey, kid," the man said. "How old are you?"

"Th-thirteen," Matthew said. "Is… is there anything I can help you with?"

The man's smirk widened, and Matthew didn't like it. He was used to wealthy people looking down at servants like him as though they were trash. Not Feliciano, though. But this man's expression… Matthew didn't like this at all. There was something evil in that expression.

"I say you can help me," the man said, before he shut the door behind him.

Matthew jumped at the sound, and his eyes jumped towards the hidden passage. It was too far away, and he didn't know if he could reach it in time. He looked back towards the man, only to find that he was getting far too close.

"W-what can I… w-what do you…?" Matthew could no longer remember how he was supposed to speak to the guests that approached him. It had never happened before, and he didn't like how it was happening now.

"Look at you," the man said. "You're pretty innocent, aren't you? You're so adorable. It makes me want you even more."

Matthew didn't understand what the man was saying, but then he lunged towards Matthew. Matthew tried to dart away, but the man had grabbed him by the arm and tugged him towards him. Strong arms encapsulated Matthew, and he started to struggle.

"Please, stop this," Matthew begged.

"And what is it that I'm doing?" the man asked.

Matthew didn't know, so he couldn't answer. The man chuckled and grabbed Matthew's chin. Matthew's eyes widened when the man's lips crashed against his.

He had seen people kiss before. It was supposed to be a tender act, one of love and compassion. But this wasn't like the descriptions. It hurt, and the man bit at Matthew's lips. He opened his mouth to scream in pain, and he could feel something slimy enter his mouth. He wanted to bite down, and he did.

The man jerked back, and Matthew had only a few seconds to register that what he did might have been a mistake. He released Matthew's chin and slapped him, sending Matthew's head to the side.

"I didn't think one of Romulus's slaves would dare to fight back," the man said. "I thought you were all timid and broken. Lucky me, I found one that isn't. I'm really going to have fun with you."

Matthew flinched at the word 'slave'. That was what he really was, but everyone always tried to pretend that it wasn't the case. He knew that it was because everyone could get in a lot of trouble, and they couldn't allow them to be in trouble.

He couldn't allow Feliciano to get into trouble.

The man kissed him again, and this time, he didn't resist. He didn't enjoy this, but he couldn't fight back. He gasped when he felt the man's hand under his shirt. What was he doing?

The man pinned him on the bed he had worked so hard to straighten. The man moved away from Matthew's mouth and went to his neck. Matthew whimpered when the man bit his neck. All the while, the man's hand continued to explore Matthew's body, going places where he didn't want that hand to go.

The door slammed open, and Matthew's stomach fell. He was going to get in trouble. The bed was probably a mess, and this man was keeping him from his work, and excuses weren't allowed, and…

"Mister Kohler, I suggest you leave this boy alone so that he could carry on with his work," Arthur said. "Also, your carriage has arrived, and mister Bondevik said that he doesn't want to wait for you."

The man – mister Kohler – groaned, but pulled away from Matthew. Matthew just lay there, too afraid to move.

"I guess we'll continue this next time," mister Kohler said.

Matthew continued to lie there, his tears slowly starting to fall. He didn't know what had just happened, but he knew that it was terrible and he was afraid.

"I need to make sure he leaves," Arthur murmured. "Take care of him, and let him rest. The next time mister Kohler comes, we will need to make sure that he's far enough away."

Matthew could hear movement, and soon enough, Yao came into view. He didn't know what Yao was doing there, but Matthew was grateful to see him.

"Are you hurt?" Yao asked.

Matthew's hand went to the spot where mister Kohler had bit him, and he burst into sobs. Yao pulled him up and hugged him. It wasn't anything like mister Kohler's embrace. It wasn't hard, and it was warm.

"It will be alright," Yao said. "He didn't do anything else, did he?"

"W-why was he doing that?" Matthew asked. "W-what was he…? I-I don't understand."

"…You don't know what it was?"

Matthew shook his head, and Yao told him. It was a bit of a long explanation, but by the time Yao was finished, Matthew understood the full horror of what had happened, and what had almost happened to him.

"Why?" Matthew asked. "Why would he do something like that?"

"It's about control," Yao said, his face twisted in disgust. "They like to exert their power over people that can't fight back. They think they can do whatever they want. And unfortunately, they get away with it. Because in the end, we're not people that anyone would really care about." Yao sighed, before he stood. "Come, let's go back to our room. We'll say that you're sick. That should give you a day or two to recover."

Matthew nodded. He turned to look at the bed. The sheets were in disarray.

"I'll sort this later," Yao said. "Come on."

…

"Matteo, did I do something wrong?" Feliciano asked.

Matthew jumped. Three days had passed since his encounter with mister Kohler, and Matthew had avoided Feliciano.

"What do you mean?" Matthew asked, not looking towards Feliciano.

"You won't even look at me," Feliciano said. "A-and every time you see me, you run away. Matteo, did I do something to make you mad?"

"No, of course not. I just… I was just sick the last few days, and I don't want you to get sick too."

Feliciano was silent, and Matthew felt the knot in his stomach. Feliciano's silence was rarely a good thing. He kept still as he waited for Feliciano to leave. But then he felt a hand on his shoulder, and he was roughly turned around. Feliciano gasped.

"Matteo, what happened to your face?" he demanded.

"I… it's nothing," Matthew said. "Don't…"

"Matteo, you have bruises! Who made them?"

Of course, Feliciano knew that the bruises along Matthew's jaw were made by fingers. Matthew didn't know if Feliciano could see the light bruise on his cheek, where he had been slapped.

"It doesn't matter," Matthew said. "I-I need to go on with work."

Feliciano looked hurt, and Matthew turned away.

"Was it my father?" Feliciano asked. "Or one of my brothers?"

"No," Matthew said. "Just… It doesn't matter. Please."

Feliciano's eyes brimmed with tears, and he threw his arms around Matthew. For some reason, feeling Feliciano's arms surrounding him caused Matthew to burst into tears.