Undying Love

Prologue

Berwald

"Missing?! What do you mean he's missing? I came all this way to see him only to then show up and be told that he is missing. This is bloody unbelievable." The words started off as a shout, but then slowly ended in a barely audible mutter. It was obvious that he was angry, upset, and defeated. And yet, Berwald stayed silent.

"We are doing our best to find him. All the best detectives are on the look for him." Tino said, trying to give some reassurance to the British King. "They will find him."

Arthur scoffed, it was clear that he thought their attempts were pitiful. But they couldn't just leave and go look for Peter. They had a kingdom to run. There was a whole kingdom that needed them, they couldn't just leave. Tino wanted to, but he knew that he couldn't. That fact had been chipping away at Tino, Berwald could see it. With each passing day, Tino seemed more and more defeated.

"Detectives will not do. Don't you get it, you should have kept a closer eye on him while he was here. Once he is hiding there is no finding him unless he wants to be found." Arthur snapped at them, it was if they could go back and change what happened, but they couldn't, and Arthur knew that. The way Arthur snapped at them, and the look he had in his eye, Berwald couldn't help but have the sneaking feeling that Arthur wasn't mad at them, but himself.

Berwald couldn't help but feel sorry for the green eyed man that stood before him. This wasn't the first time he had lost Peter, it was the second. Granted he hadn't seen him since the first time he left but he had been told that Peter was found. To Arthur it probably sounded like some sort of prank. Tell him that his brother was found only to have him show up and his brother not be there. But Tino and Berwald were not the type of people to lie about this kind of thing.

Tino reassured Arthur once again that the detectives would find Peter. He had only been gone for less than twenty-four hours, surely he couldn't have gotten too far in that time. Tino also said that Arthur was welcome to stay for as long as he liked. Arthur seemed like he wanted to decline, but he ended up taking the offer.

"It would be nice to sleep in an actual bed for the night." Arthur claimed. With that, Berwald lead Arthur to a spare room. A servant could have done it, but Berwald wasn't used to this being royalty thing and had done a job he could have given to someone else. He had only been officially royalty for a few months now. He was still getting used to the change.

Berwald didn't have to go hunting. He didn't have to worry about money. He was married now, which he had never imagined so. He had a child which he loved. Obvious the child was not biological, the child was Peter, the little boy he had found in dirtied clothes and who had been so skinny and frail. Over time he had gained some meat on his bones due to living with Berwald, he had made sure Peter ate well, even if it meant he didn't. But Peter was gone, and Berwald didn't understand why.

"If you miss him, then find him. You might have a chance that everyone does not." Arthur's words swam around Berwald's head that night. Arthur had been just about to close the door to his temporary chambers when he stopped to tell Berwald those words. Berwald was tempted to go through with them. After all Peter had told Berwald himself that he saw the Swede as a father of some sorts.

It had been a night where Berwald had just gotten back from a hunting trip. It was late, and just a few weeks before he was asked to kill Tino. Berwald went into the house, trying to be as quiet as he could, not wanting to wake Peter. Not that Peter had been asleep, Berwald had expected him to be though.

Berwald had left Peter with Matthias like he normally did when he went on hunting trips. Matthias didn't do too much work, just the odd job here and there really. They had a deal, Berwald would feed him, and let him live with him, but if Matthias wanted to go out drinking, then he was to do it with his own money. Matthias has never broken the deal, he even cleaned the house more than one would think. Berwald knew it was his big brother's way of thanking him without having to actually say it.

"You're finally back!" Peter jumped up from his chair, running over to Berwald and wrapping his arms around him, or at least as much as Peter could. Berwald was shocked to see Peter still awake. He had told Matthias to make sure Peter went to sleep when he was supposed to. "It's not Uncle Matt's fault I'm still up. He thought I was asleep before he passed out."

Berwald rose an eyebrow upon hearing Peter's words. This was the first time he had Peter refer to Matthias as 'uncle'. "Uncle?" Berwald asked, he wouldn't have asked if Peter hadn't rubbed off on him at this point in time.

"Yeah, well I mean you are kind of like my father after all! You took me in and cared for me and since he's your brother that makes him my uncle!" Peter said, finding nothing wrong with what he said. Berwald could see the problem, Peter just assumed that he was willing to act like some sort of dad for the boy. He couldn't just assume things, and Berwald told Peter as much.

"So you don't want to be my dad then?" Peter sounded sad. He looked down at the ground, like Berwald had just crushed his biggest dream. Berwald instantly felt bad, but he had to make sure that Peter didn't go around assuming things, he had to know for sure and if not then ask instead.

Berwald bent down, kneeling on one knee. He put a finger under Peter's chin to make him look up at him. "I never said that." Berwald said. Upon hearing the words, Peter jumped at Berwald, wrapping his arms around the other's neck and hugged him tightly. That was a day Berwald would always remember.

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"King Tino has gone missing!" The words froze Berwald in his seat. Instantly his blood ran cold. Tino... Had gone missing? He slowly turned to look at the servant who had come rushing in. His eyes dark and threatening, daring the other to tell him this was just some sick joke.

"Tino's missing?" Berwald asked, afraid of the answer. Peter was already missing, he couldn't deal with Tino missing as well. But as it would seem, he was going to have to.

"We've checked everywhere for him, sir. He's no where to be found." As the words were said, Berwald couldn't help it as a pain shot through his chest. If Tino had gone missing, then he knew exactly why. Berwald knew in that moment that he couldn't sit around and do nothing about this any longer. He had to do something.