For Eternity II: Clandestine Preceding (Vampire! 2p! Italy x Reader)

Chapter Fourteen - Waiting

        Romulus hadn't returned to Luciano's room that night, leaving a very bored and heartbroken young prince depressed and confined to his room since you had left after sneaking out of the castle. Since Romulus hadn't returned, you had spent the night as per Luciano's request so he could spend as much time with you as possible. The next night, you took a carriage home and curled up into a ball in the corner, hugging your knees to your chest as you silently cried to yourself. You didn't know what you could do anymore. The death warrant was probably already done being drafted, and Romulus had probably already signed it. You knew you probably didn't have much time left. You'd hopefully be able to say goodbye to your mother and father, at least that's what you wished for.

        The ride to your home seemed longer as the carriage crawled on the dusty roads at a snails pace. Once at your house, you were greeted by your parents. They looked worried as you climbed out of the carriage. Behind them were five royal guards. You weren't surprised though. They had probably been ordered to run here by the king. You sighed as you hugged both of your parents until one of the guards spoke.

        "Miss (y/f/n), we have been given orders by King Romulus to retrieve you and escort you back to the castle," the tallest of all of them said.

        "If he was going to have this happen, why didn't he just keep me at the castle...?" you grumbled to yourself after letting go of your parents and walking to the guards.

        The youngest looking one raised an eyebrow at you as the sound of your mother sobbing into your father's chest could be heard. "You're not going to resist us or try to run?"

        "What's the point in doing so? I'll only be captured in the end anyway and taken against my will. Let's just get this over with and go," you responded.

        "Very well. Take what possessions you need from your abode to feel more at home at the castle. The maids you escorted you through the castle two nights ago will escort you again but this time to your room in the West Wing."

        "... What?"

        "Must I repeat myself?"

        "No... I just... I think I misheard you. Did you say 'your room in the West Wing'?"

        "That's what I said, yes."

        "But aren't the dungeons in the East Wing?"

        "They are."

        "I thought I was to be imprisoned until my execution."

        "Execution? Why would the future princess be executed?"

        "I'm not being executed?"

        "We just sort of went through this. No."

        "But I... And the prince... We... And the king said that..."

        "Perhaps we should take her to lay down?" one of the other guards suggested.

        "We have no time. We need to take her back to the castle as soon as possible, or do you want to lose your job by not following through on simple orders?" asked the tallest soldiers.

        "No sir."

        "Then don't suggest stupid things."

        The two soldiers began to bicker with one another as you tried to figure out what was happening. Had Romulus changed his mind about the death warrant? He seemed firm on the idea of having you executed, so you didn't think that he did. Perhaps this was his way of psyching you out? Maybe he wanted to make it seem like he changed his mind so that you'd go more willingly back to the castle for execution? That seemed plausible to you given what you knew about the king. You shook your head to try and clear it of thoughts. One of the other guards not bickering approached you.

        "Would you like me to help you gather your things?" he asked you as he placed a hand on your shoulder.

        "If you wouldn't mind," you replied.

        The guard nodded and walked into the house with you. You walked to your room and grabbed a few of your more personal items that you held dear to your heart and some of your dresses to change into. A few books were also taken off of the shelves in your room so you could read if you had time to do so. After all, if you still were going to be executed, you had no idea when it would happen. You placed your items in a wooden chest, which the guard was holding for you. He closed it and locked it, handing you the key to it afterward. You thanked him before the two of you walked out of the house. The two guards that had been arguing had finally stopped. You sighed and walked back to your parents. Your mother had stopped crying, but was still clinging to your father. You gave them each a kiss on their cheeks and hugged them again before stepping back.

        "Be strong you two. Good luck with your business, Father. And Mother, don't be afraid to have another child after me. I know what might happen will distress you, but you need to move on with your life if mine ends, okay? I want both of you to do that. Don't dwell on me, please."

        Your mother sniffled but nodded. You knew she wouldn't want to have another child for a long time if you were executed. You then felt a tap on your shoulder from one of the guards.

        "It's time to go," they said.

        You nodded and said you final farewells to your parents before following the guards. It seemed like you'd be walking back to the castle, which you were fine with. You'd rather walk than take one of the stupid carriages again. The guards formed a circle of sorts around you with one guard at either side, two behind you, and one leading the way. The one leading was the one who had your chest full of items, so if you tried to run, you'd be without your prized possessions and clean clothing. You weren't took terribly materialistic, but a lot of what you packed were small portraits of you with your family or friends. You didn't want to lose those due to their value to you, so you stuck with the group of guards all the way back to the castle.

~Author's Note~

DreamsForDays here! Nothing too exciting happened in this chapter, but in the next chapter, some of the questions posed in this chapter will be answered, like why the guards said that Reader-chan will be going to a room in the West Wing and not in the dungeons. I really do hope that you guys are enjoying the series for so! I don't have much to say again, so I'll end this update here. Thanks for reading! Feedback in the comments is always appreciated! Until next time!