Once Upon A Time | A Hetalia x Reader

Chapter 15: A.X.I.S.

It took us a few hours until we arrived to a small town. We were getting closer and closer to the kingdom...

Most likely because I could see the ocean and it smelled a lot like fish.

We let our horses astray near a place filled with hay that was set upon in an enclosed area.

... Hey, that rhymed!

You know... astray, hay...

No?

Well, nevermind then.

Anyways, Alfred and Arthur recommended that we go find a small inn to sleep in for a night and then travel over to the other side of town to get to the boatsman and their boats.

Based on the donations Yukina and Dana gave us, which was three sacks of gold and approximately two large bags containing bread, meat, and other contents involving food. I kept the books Yukina gave me safe in the saddle of my horse.

As soon as I realized I was left alone, out and about, and all lost without the supervision of Alfred and Arthur, my mind grew blank.

"A-Alfred? Arthur?" I called out, extremely shocked and spaced out from my realization. Everywhere I look, no sign of certain blondes with blue or green eyes.

I tried to stay calm nonetheless. It would be embarrassing for me to start panicking in public.

As soon as I made sure my hood was kept above my head I continued to walk, slowly, cautiously, but scared.

Who knows, a man may suddenly grab me and pull me to another unfamiliar place in which I am surely not supposed to be in.

Then, a voice spoke up.

"Hello, bella~! My, you look so scared."

The voice seemed awfully familiar, causing chills to crawl upon my back.

-=-

"What do you mean, 'I lost her'?!"

"Well, I mean, I lost her!"

"I AM NOT DEAF YOU DIMWIT!" Arthur screeched, rather pissed at the sudden news he received. He didn't seem pleased. "You know how dangerous it is to just... Leave her out there in the open! We need to find her, immediately!"

"Well, I'm worried too, but where do we start?"

"You idiot, we obviously go retrace our steps and try to see if she's anywhere near there!"

Alfred simply nodded. Hearing that (Name)'s safety at risk fills him with determination.

And so they started ahead, walking upon the path towards where they last saw the princess.

-=-

"AHH! HELP! HELP!" I screamed, flailing and started to tremble in fear.

Most of the townspeople either stared at me in confusion, while others continued to walk, assuming it was all just some sort of act.

"Uwahhh! I'm so sorry, bella, I didn't mean to discomfort you!"

The unfamiliar - or possibly familiar - man started to wail in what seemed like... Sadness?

As soon as I relaxed, I turned over to realize it wasn't Luciano - but a man who looked quite similar, but completely different at the same time.

"Oh, it isn't him," I mumbled, most directly to myself. "I'm sorry, I thought you were someone else."

The man stopped wailing, and soon the crowd slowly dispersed.

"Oh, it's okay! I-if you don't mind, may you tell me who you were thinking about?"

"Well, um, it's..." I hesitated. "It's sorta personal, I guess?"

"Ah, okay! I'll give you some time to have some space then!"

Suddenly a man yelled in the distance.

"FELICIANO! What did I tell you about flirting with another woman?!"

There stood a well-built man whose eyes grew stern and menacing. Compared to my height, it felt like he was towering over me, despite the distance between us.

"Um, hello." I greeted him, a tad bit shaken as I stared into his cerulean blue eyes.

He awkwardly rubbed the back of his head and proceeded to slowly shuffle behind said person, 'Feliciano'.

"Hello," he mumbled, sheepishly.

I seemed to still be intimidated by his tense gaze, and soon enough Feliciano started to speak again.

"So, what brings you here to this village? ...and why are you wearing a cloak?"

"I-I just don't feel comfortable showing myself to public, so I wear this cloak... I'm trying to find my friends right now but I don't seem to find them."

"Well," Feliciano chirped, happily taking my hand. "I can tour you around town! Maybe in the process you might bump into your friends."

"And...would you mind if you take off your hood? It might cause suspicion towards the town's guards." The stern man said, reaching out towards my hood.

Suddenly panicking, I started to get away from Feliciano's grasp.

"M-maybe later, I-I don't want to right now..."

"But the guards - it's for your own good." The man replied, getting his grasp on the edge of my hood.

By then, growing uncomfortable, I started to attempt in removing his grasp on my hood. Feliciano stood there, adazed by the scene, his hand still on my wrist, tightening.

"W-wait, please! I really don't want to!" I shrieked, eyes growing wider and filled with fear.

Maybe...maybe they're Luciano's men....

"Alfred! Over here! Take that man down!" A familiar voice called, and soon enough Alfred came to view, headbutting the stern man by the stomach.

Feliciano wailed in the process removing my grasp, and came running to the man who fell to the floor, shocked.

"(Name), are you okay? Did they hurt you?" Alfred asked, looking straight into my eyes even through the darkness of my cloak. I nodded meekly, relieved that my savior has come.

"T-they didn't hurt me...I just...I was scared that they were....they were..."

Alfred then looked towards the stern man and then towards Feliciano.

Arthur then arrived towards the two of us and smiled lightly, possibly relieved that no one was particularly hurt.

And, in the end, the man's name was Ludwig. He claims to be rather shy around woman, so in this moment he didn't exactly know what to do when he supposed I was a suspicious girl who might've been an assassin of the kind.

He apologized, and I forgave him.

And even Feliciano insisted us to stay at his place for the night, which was an inn with a restaurant at the first floor.

They were both so very kind.

-=-

"I ONCE KILLED A MAN USING A MUSTACHE AND A GRAPE."

-=-

heheh, I always wanted to put that quote here in this story ever since Dana and I started.

lolol

Also we appreciate the 590+ reads! We're so happy to hit that much readers - over half 100 reads, am I right? :D

- Author-kun