Soft blue skies (countryhumans revolutionary war)

warm

Neth watched the cold raindrops splatter on the windows of his house, clearing away the layers of filth and grime.

It was the first of April. He had nothing to do at all, except wait.

Canada had promised to visit soon in his last letter, that had arrived yesterday.

"I must be a fool," he whispered to himself. "He won't arrive right now."

Neth reached into his pocket and pulled one of Canada's loon feathers out.

He stroked the tip of the black plume. 

It was worn down from it's use as a quill, but it was still comforting for him to see.

It was almost like he had a little piece of Canada with him.

He was not alone in his house, but he still felt lonely.

His sisters, Luxembourg and Belgium, had no territory.

They stayed close to him. He hoped that one day they could be independent nations.

His sisters usually weren't seen without each other.

Neth sighed. It was going to be another boring year, where nothing interesting would happen.

"Brother?"

He turned around to see Luxembourg standing on the top stair, her eyes wide with fear.

"Lux? Are you okay?"

Neth approached his sister, who ran up to him and buried her head in her brother's arms.

"The thunder scares me..."

He could feel her small body shaking.

Neth sighed.

"What part of it scares you?"

"It's so loud!"

He stroked her soft hair, hoping that it would console her to some degree.

Neth heard footsteps from upstairs.

Belgium emerged, with a book in hand.

"You forgot to read to us tonight."

"I'll go do that, I guess."

He let go of Lux, pursuing Belgium up the stairs. Lux rushed after him.

The girls hopped into their beds. They shared a room, and didn't like to be separated for long.

"Read us the story of Cinderella, please!" Lux begged.

"I read that one to you yesterday," Neth grumbled. "Wouldn't you like to hear a new story?"

"No." She refused. "We want to hear Cinderella again."

He sighed in exhaustion, before selecting the book containing the story from one of the mahogany shelves that lined the room.

"A long time ago, in a kingdom far away..."

He didn't need to look at the book while he read. 

Neth had already memorized every line of the story from all the times he had read it before.

He could see his sisters dozing off slowly, but still making an attempt to stay awake.

"And so, the birds pecked out the eyes of the evil stepsisters."

He closed the cover of the book.

"I'm so sorry, brother!"

Belgium tripped over Lux to wrap her brother in a hug.