Fall So Hard

Once, a long time ago, in a beautiful city, was a kingdom. Though peaceful and happy in appearance, the inside of the kingdom was treacherous and dreadful. The reigning ruler was a young man near the age of twenty with auburn hair and amber eyes. A wild curl came from the left side of his head. The young man, Feliciano Vargas, appeared to be a cheerful and energetic man, though inside, he was cruel and vicious. The kingdom ruled by Feliciano was, decidedly, called 'Italy'.

Feliciano had a servant, who looked quite similar to the young ruler. Though the servant's hair was a few shades darker than that of the prince's, his eyes were the same shade of amber. Like Feliciano, the servant had a long and wild curl coming from his head, though his curl came from the right side, instead of the left. The servant was Lovino Vargas, the elder brother to Feliciano. Lovino was only two years older than Feliciano, though he somehow looked to be the same age as Feliciano.

Lovino had never been sure as to how his younger brother had become the kingdom's ruler, though he believed it had to do with their grandfather's influence, seeing as their father, the rightful ruler, had died soon after Feliciano's birth due to sickness. Feliciano had always been Rome's favorite between the two, seeing as Feliciano looked more like Rome than Lovino did.

Lovino hated the way his younger brother ruled the Kingdom of Italy. Feliciano was selfish, and took money away from those who needed it. Lovino knew, however, that Feliciano only took money away from the citizens when he felt he didn't have enough. The thought made him sick; how could he be related to such a monster…? However, Lovino could never question his brother's choices, not even Feliciano's decision to purge those who went against him.

"Lovino, mio fratello, can you help me, ve? It's almost time for my bello subjects to kneel before me. You're the only one I trust enough to dress me." Feliciano's sweet smile always convinced Lovino, though the latter knew that the sweet smiles were fake and laced with a promise of pain for those who spoke back to him. Lovino didn't dare show his disgust as he kneeled before his brother, his eyes looking at his brother's currently bare feet.

"Sì, mio caro fratello… I will help you." Lovino stood from his position in front of his brother, making his way over to the large chestnut wardrobe and opening the doors, scowling as he looked at the expensive clothing inside. He would never let Feliciano know that he despised the beautiful clothes, that he despised the kingdom and that he despised his brother. "What would you like to wear today, mio Signore?"

"What do I want to wear…? Hm… Oh! I want to wear that giallo-oro outfit that Signora Kasimira made for me! I haven't worn it in a while, and Signore Vash and Signora Kasimira will be here today to speak with Roderich and Elizaveta." Feliciano told his brother happily. Lovino only nodded and pulled out the yellow-gold outfit. He would never tell Feliciano that yellow-gold was a terrible color on him, and blue suited him much better.

"Per favore, stand up, mio caro fratello. I cannot dress you if you remain lying in bed." Lovino gently placed the yellow-gold outfit on a nearby chair, extending his gloved hand to help the young ruler up out of bed. Feliciano smiled at his brother gratefully, closing both eyes in a childish fashion, and pulling himself out of the bed, using Lovino as leverage.

"Grazie, fratello maggiore." Feliciano's smile was filled with pure love for his older brother, though Lovino didn't return the smile. How could he? The kingdom was suffering all because of his tyrannical younger brother, the man who could be his twin if not for age. It was in less than fifteen minutes that Lovino had stripped his brother, run a cool cloth along the bare skin, and re-dressed the young prince. He did it all with a straight face, his gaze never faltering from his own hands. A knock on the large cherry door drew Lovino's attention away from his hands.

"Ve?" The door opened quietly, allowing the Austrian servant to poke his head inside the room before entering completely. Roderich bowed and adjusted his unneeded glasses before addressing his prince and student.

"Principe Feliciano, please excuse my intrusion, however Signore Vash and Signora Kasimira will be here within the hour and Elizaveta has your meal completely cooked and placed on the table." Roderich stated smoothly, running a hand though his brown locks. Feliciano smiled and nodded happily, clasping his hands together in joy as Lovino gathered the clothing he had taken off his brother to bring to Elizaveta. Feliciano happily thanked Roderich and ran out of the room, down towards the dining hall where, undoubtedly, his meal would be waiting. Roderich paused before leaving, walking over to Lovino and placing a hand on his shoulder. "What's wrong, Lovino?"

"…You already know, don't you, Roderich?" Lovino asked softly, looking up at the man who has known him since his birth. Roderich nodded in confirmation, taking his hand away from the older Vargas' shoulder. Roderich knew all too well how Lovino was feeling. After all, it was a special day for Lovino, as well as Feliciano. It was March 17th, the shared birthday of the two. Amazingly, Feliciano had been born on Lovino's second birthday.

"Indeed, I do know what it is, Lovino. However, it is out of your control, you know. Rome decided that Feliciano would inherit the throne. Feliciano is a cruel ruler; everyone knows that. Everyone also knows that you would be a much better ruler than Feliciano. There is nothing you or I can do about it. I'm sorry, Lovino." Roderich left towards the door, pausing before leaving the room. "Happy birthday, by the way…"

~*~

After the meeting with Vash and Kasimira, which had gone surprisingly well, Feliciano made his way to his balcony, waiting for his subjects to kneel before him. This was usual; Feliciano would meet with someone, then, once they left, he would go to his balcony and watch all of his subjects kneel before him and praise him, love him, adore him.

Lovino would always watch from the shadows of his brother's room, still visible to those in the back of all of the kingdom's subjects. He would see those far enough away from Feliciano's balcony glance up at their prince before their gazes would turn to him, the rightful heir. Their gazes were longing, pleading, begging him to overthrow his younger brother and turn their economy around.

Nevertheless, he could not. Lovino couldn't overthrow his younger brother. As much as Lovino hated his brother, he also loved him, and would do anything to protect him.

However, while scanning the subjects in the back of the group worshipping his brother, Lovino spotted one particularly out of place man. His skin, lightly tanned, complimented his somewhat curly brown hair and green eyes. Lovino found this man beautiful; he wanted to know more about this man who had so suddenly shown up in the Kingdom of Italy. He doubted this to be possible, however, seeing the muscular blue-eyed blond next to the brunette. They seemed to be lovers, or at the very least, close friends.

~*~

Feliciano approached Lovino soon after the subjects went back to their daily work. His usual cheerful demeanor had disappeared, and had been replaced by a look of trouble. It was unusual to see Feliciano in such a confused state, despite the boy being less-than-advanced in the intelligence department.

"Caro fratello? Is something wrong? You look troubled." Lovino questioned, placing a bowl of gelato on the dining table before gesturing for Feliciano to sit in front of the sweet treat. The younger of the two did so, sitting in front of the ice cream, though still confused about how to feel about the blond man he had seen earlier. He had become so taken with the man that it was impossible for him to not think of him. Feliciano sighed and rested his chin in his palm, gathering some of the gelato onto the spoon. He popped the spoon into his mouth, savoring the sweet flavor of the gelato, sucking on the spoon momentarily, before removing the object and playing with it between his fingers.

"Fratello… There was a man in the crowd today that I have never seen before…" Lovino internally flinched; Feliciano wasn't talking about the brunette, was he? "He was very handsome… He was very muscular, and his hair was blond and slicked back… I want him to be mine, but he seemed to really like the brown-haired guy next to him, ve… Lovino, I want you to get rid of the brown-haired guy for me, so I can have the blond."

Lovino winced and clenched his eyes shut; his brother wanted him to kill the man that he himself had become taken with. He had no say in the matter, however; Feliciano was the prince, and Lovino was just the servant. He would have to kill the beautiful man, even if it killed him inside. Lovino knew that killing the man he had seen would be torture, to see that pretty, lightly tanned face in pain, shock and confusion… Lovino already felt sick at the thought of it.

"Sì, mio signore… It will be done…" Lovino's voice was no more than a whisper. Feliciano's eyes lit up happily, hearing the accepted assignment from his brother. It would be only a matter of time before he could have that man for himself…!

"Ve~? You mean it? Oh, grazie, mio fratello meraviglioso! Grazie!" Feliciano exclaimed, embracing his older brother quickly before returning to his snack with newfound vigor. "Oh, and fratello… you'll destroy the brown-haired man's country for me as well, sì? Grazie!" Lovino couldn't help but continue to feel nauseous at the thought of his brother's request. Excusing himself from the room, Lovino fled, looking for the one person whom he knew could offer him comfort; Elizaveta.

Making his way down towards the kitchen, where Elizaveta was no doubt cleaning a spotless room, Lovino only thought of the man he was ordered to kill. Lovino didn't bother to knock as he entered the kitchen, spotting Elizaveta easily, seeing as she was the only person in the room. Lovino cleared his throat to gain the woman's attention. Elizaveta turned around and smiled softly, seeing the dark brown-haired male.

"Hey, Lovino. Did you need something?" she asked, resting her broom against the counter. Lovino nodded and walked further into the kitchen, hopping up onto the counter opposite Elizaveta with a sigh. "Wanna tell me what it is that's bothering you?" she asked softly. Lovino sighed and looked down, his bangs falling into his face.

"…Feliciano became infatuated with a man from outside the kingdom today… He was blond with blue eyes and very muscular. With him was a brown-haired man with green eyes and tanned skin… I-I think I like the brown-haired one… but Feliciano told me to kill him and destroy his country so he could have the blond… but I feel sick just thinking about what I agreed to do… Help me, Elizaveta, please…" Lovino wasn't one to beg, but… Elizaveta sighed.

"I'm sorry, Lovino, but there isn't much you can do…" she said softly. Lovino sighed and buried his face in his hands; that poor foreign man had no idea he had sealed his fate by entering the kingdom that day…

~*~

Lovino was disgusted with himself. He was covered in dirt and blood. On his way back from the Kingdom of Spain, Lovino had to stop multiple times to empty his already empty stomach. He had killed so many people, the last one being that man he had seen earlier; Antonio Fernandez Carriedo. He had learned the man's name only hours before killing him, tears streaming down his face as he impaled the Spaniard through his chest with a knife. Lovino could only apologize profusely through his sobs, resting his head on the bleeding Spaniard's chest before running from the room, violently vomiting once outside the room. He never checked to see if Antonio had actually died; he didn't have the heart or stomach to.

Before killing him, before destroying the Kingdom of Spain, Lovino had watched Antonio interact with the subjects of his kingdom. Antonio had been so loving and so kind to each of his subjects; Lovino had been touched by the warm smiles exchanged between Antonio and the people of Spain. It killed Lovino to know that in just a few hours, that wonderful man would be lying in a pool of his own blood, dead.

"Ve, fratello, did you get rid of that man and his country like I asked?" Feliciano asked cheerfully as Lovino entered the castle. Lovino nodded stiffly, his face shadowed by the cloak he wore. He would never allow Feliciano to see that he had been crying for a man he had never met. Feliciano laughed happily at the news that the man that had been keeping his beloved future partner away from him was now gone. "Oh, that's wonderful, fratello! We should celebrate! Anyways, what was the name of the man you killed?"

"…I'm sorry, mio caro fratello, but I cannot celebrate with you... I'm covered in the blood of the Spanish Kingdom's people. The man you had me kill was the Kingdom of Spain's prince, Antonio Fernandez Carriedo…" Lovino spoke softly, swallowing the lump in his throat and pushing back the bile he could feel rising in the back of his throat. He could hear the giggle coming from Feliciano.

"The Kingdom of Spain's prince, ve? That makes it all the better, ve? Grazie, fratello, for doing this for me. Ti amo, fratello…"

~*~

It had been discovered that Feliciano had ordered the attack on the Kingdom of Spain. The blond that Feliciano had adored had discovered Antonio in the pool of his own blood. Antonio had told the blond everything that he had heard from and through Lovino's sobbing, one of those confessions being that it was Feliciano who had ordered Lovino to kill him. By the quick hands of his blond friend, Antonio had been patched up quickly and nicely, and was taken back to the Kingdom of Germany, where the blond ruled over the land, despite him being younger than his albino brother.

Feliciano had heard of the Kingdom of Germany's decision to execute him. It terrified him, to know that the man he had fallen for was determined to have him killed. Lovino saw his brother's fright, and, believing that the man he had fallen for was dead, devised a plan to save the life of his little brother. Lovino swore that he would die in place of his brother.

"Fratello, no! You can't sacrifice yourself for me! I won't let you, ve!" Feliciano cried as Lovino dressed himself in his brother's clothes; clothes that should belong to him instead of his tyrannical brother. Lovino smiled softly as his brother begged him not to go through with it. Lovino was determined to take the place of his brother, if only to meet his beloved Antonio in the afterlife.

"Feliciano, mio caro fratello minore, I must. I promised Grandfather I would protect you, didn't I? This is how I am protecting you, fratello minore; by dying for you." Lovino looked at the grandfather clock. It was 2:30 in the afternoon. He would be dead in half an hour. "Fratello, per favore, get dressed in my servant's wear and put on a cloak. Everyone must be at the execution."

"Lovino…! Per favore, don't do this! You can't die!" Feliciano wailed, letting tears stream down his face. Lovino gave a wry smile. "Lovino, per favore… per favore… Having Ludwig isn't worth your death! Fratello!"

"Ludwig, is it…? His lover was Antonio… Did you know, fratello, that on the day you fell for this Ludwig, I fell for Antonio? I saw him in the back of the crowd of your subjects. I fell for him instantly… and you ordered me to kill him, the man I had fallen for… Fratello, this is the only way I can be with my amato Antonio." Feliciano's eyes widened at the information his brother was feeding him.

"Lovino…"

"It's time for me to go, Feliciano. Roderich and Elizaveta will bring you to the execution. Once it is over, flee. This is my last request for you, il mio amato e caro fratello minore." [my beloved and dear little brother] Lovino said softly moving towards the door after pulling and clipping his sensitive curl onto the left side of his head in a pale imitation of his brother. More tears fell from Feliciano's eyes as Lovino spoke and left the room.

"Mi dispiace, il mio amato fratello e cari più anziani... Sono così, mi spiace..." [I'm sorry, my beloved and dear older brother… I'm so, so sorry] Feliciano whispered as the door to his own room shut with a soft click.

~*~

Lovino was placed into a bladeless guillotine at exactly 2:50 in the afternoon. It was decided by the Germanic prince Ludwig Beilschmidt that Feliciano, or in this case Lovino, would have at least five to ten minutes of humiliation before he was beheaded. Lovino accepted this as he was wordlessly placed into the guillotine, never raising his head to look at his brother's subjects. At 2:59, a minute before his beheading, the executioner demanded that Lovino look at the crowd. The executioner, the albino brother of Ludwig, whom was known as Gilbert, gestured to the crowd.

"Well, well, lookie here… All of your subjects are here to watch you die, Feliciano Vargas. Mein bruder is in the crowd as well. In fact, he's right over there, with the man you ordered to have killed. Look, though; he's still alive, thanks to my little brother's quick thinking. Your plan has backfired, tyrannische kleine Prinz. And in just thirty seconds, you'll be killed by my hands, kesesese!"

"Bruder, that's enough. Let the kid have a few last words before you kill him." Ludwig stated from his spot next to a healing Antonio. Antonio knew very well that the man in the bladeless guillotine was not Feliciano, but instead was the man who had apologized so many times for killing him, or at least believing he had killed the Spaniard. Gilbert scowled at his younger brother before shrugging and turning back to Lovino.

"Any last words, brat?" he asked sardonically. The answer to that question was always yes, followed by an insult of some form. Lovino only smiled, easily turning his head to look at Antonio. Ludwig frowned as Lovino looked at the green-eyed Spanish prince, but said nothing. Lovino took a breath and let it out, staring straight into Antonio's eyes.

"Lovino è… felice che tu sia ancora vivo, signore Antonio... e lui è molto dispiaciuto per avertentato di uccidere te. Egli può riposare tranquillamente, sapendo che sei ancora vivo e vegeto." [Lovino is... happy that you are alive, sir Antonio... and he is very sorry for having tried to kill you. He may rest peacefully, knowing that you're still alive and well.] Lovino said with a smile before turning forward once again, preparing for his death. Antonio smiled softly at the confession, mentally reciting a small Spanish prayer for Lovino as the church bells rang three times, signaling that it was three o'clock. Gilbert grinned sadistically, running his tongue along the blade of his sword as Lovino looked right into the crowd. As Gilbert brought the sword down, Lovino's eyes met with an identical set of amber eyes. Lovino only had time to mouth the words he wished he could say.

"Questo è addio, fratello..." [This is good-bye, brother] The last thing Lovino saw was the tear-filled eyes of his younger brother.

~*~

Days later, Feliciano stood in front of his brother's grave. A bouquet of white lilies, the flower of the Kingdom of Italy, as well as Lovino's favorite flower, was resting on the headstone that read the name of the true man who had died. Feliciano didn't bother to hold back the tears that fell as he read the writing on the stone.

Lovino Vargas

Born: March 17, XXXX

Died: March 20, XXXX

Aged 23 Years

~A beloved brother, as well as the first-born

Grandson of the late King Rome – he will be missed dearly~

Feliciano hiccupped as he continued to re-read the stone. He never noticed the prince he had ordered to be killed approach the stone, a bouquet of white carnations in his arms. Antonio placed the bouquet of the Kingdom of Spain's flower on the headstone, a small, sad smile gracing his lips. He said nothing to the exiled prince for a few moments, taking the time of silence to send a prayer to the man he had admired.

"…Your brother was a good man, you know. He apologized for trying to kill me." Antonio started. Feliciano looked at Antonio, who chuckled softly at the man's startled face. "Si, I knew that Lovino was the one in the guillotine, and not you. He told me after he had attempted to kill me that you were after Ludwig… I wanted to tell you that I am not Ludwig's lover."

"You're… not?" Feliciano questioned. Antonio shook his head.

"I'm good friends with him, seeing as I've been close friends with his older brother since we were children. I've known Ludwig since he was born. He is like a brother to me as well, as I am to him. I'm sorry things have not worked out for you, Feliciano." He said softly. Feliciano sniffled and wiped his eyes, turning to face Antonio completely.

"I'm sorry for ordering you to be killed… Lovino always told me that I've been a jealous and selfish person…" he said. Antonio smiled and patted the younger man's head fondly.

"I forgive you, Feliciano. Now, come; you have nowhere to go, correct? You can come with me, if you would like, and we can move past Lovino's death together, as friends."

~Da Una Parte - Finitura~