CinderIce: Iceland x Finland Hetalia!

5 (V.2)

A week had passed now, and Emil was locked in the attic with no way to escape. His window had been nailed shut, the door key was burned. He was completely trapped and had been left to die, even by Lukas and Berwald.

"Berwald." Emil thought as he laid himself on the cold, hard floor. "Did he betray me? Did he tell Mr. Køhler about the suit? Why didn't he help me in the carriage? Why won't he help me now?"

He could hear yelling downstairs in the kitchen. Mr. Køhler had begun making Lukas and Berwald clean up the house. "I wonder how that's going."

Suddenly, he heard the front door open. Curious, he pressed his ear deeper to the floor and listened in. Even then, he could barely understand what was happening. After a few minutes, he gave up and closed his eyes. He had accepted that he would die in here; whether it be from bleeding out, hunger, dehydration, or maybe Mr. Køhler would finally beat him to death. Whatever would come, Emil would accept it.

As he felt himself drifting off to sleep, the door suddenly bursted open and revealed some of the castle guards standing there with a huge hammer-like object. One of them picked him up and carried him downstairs, where his horrible family sat with the prince and a few other guards.

Berwald and the prince looked absolutely shocked. Prince Tino rushed over and took Emil from the guard and held him in his own arms. "Emil, what happened?"

Unable to form proper words, Emil simply garbled some gibberish and hoped for the best.

"What?" Prince Tino turned and scowled at Mr. Køhler, "What the hell have you done? You sick monster! Guards, arrest him!"

One of the guards grabbed Mr. Køhler and handcuffed him. "Are we arresting these two, as well?" He gestured to Berwald and Lukas.

"Emil?" Prince Tino looked down at the young man questioningly, "I'll leave that up to you, okay?"

"No." Emil managed to speak, "Leave them be."

"As you wish. Guards, let's get Mr. Køhler to the dungeon and Emil to a hospital."

A few hours later, Emil was already feeling better. His abuser was finally in jail and he was free from the nasty old attic. All he wanted to do was laugh, but his throat hurt too much.

Lukas and Berwald came to visit him when they were allowed to. Naturally, Lukas didn't have much to say. Berwald, however, was very apologetic.

"Emil, I'm s'rry."

"Are you, Berwald? Are you really sorry?"

"Y's, of c'rse I am."

Emil grinned miserably. "If you don't mind me asking, how did Mr. Køhler find the suit?"

"I was p'lling a book out 'nd the suit c'me w'th it, and he c'me in at that mom'nt. I'm s'rry."

"Okay. One more question."

"Y's?"

"Why didn't you help me when I needed you the most?"

Berwald paused and looked away. "I...wh't?"

"I'm grateful that you helped me clean, and gave me that suit...but, why didn't you ever try to stop him from hurting me, or locking me away?"

"I didn't kn'w how t'."

"Why not?"

"I couldn't g't close en'gh to your door w'thout h'm app'ring, and I would've d'ne something in th' carriage, b't then every'ne would've g'tten h'rt someh'w."

"I guess that makes sense."

"At least he's g'ne now."

"Yeah, and so's my dignity."

"I'm...st'll so sorry, Em'l."

"I forgive you."

Berwald sheepishly left the room while Lukas came forward a second time.

"Oh hey, Lukas. Do you finally have something to say other than 'fuck you?'"

"Yeah."

"Okay, let's hear it."

"I think we should go to family therapy when this is over."

"That's all?"

"Yes."

Emil stared at him for a long moment, dumbfounded by his nerve. "Well, okay then."

The prince came in soon and took Lukas' spot beside Emil's hospital bed. "How are you feeling, Emil?"

"Not so good, how about you?"

"Ah. Well, better than you. Mr. Køhler won't be out for quite a while."

"That's good news."

"Yeah. So, I was wondering if you'd like to go out for coffee sometime. When you're feeling better, of course."

"Sure, I could use some fun."

"I'm sorry you had to go through all of that."

"I'm sorry, too. I should've just poisoned Mr. Køhler's tea or something. Ugh."

"Now, Emil. Don't be like that."

Emil smiled gently. "It's getting late. I'm going to get some rest now, okay? You all should, too."

"Alright. Goodnight, Emil."

"Goodnight."

Prince Tino stood up and left the room with Lukas and carried on down the hallway until their shadows were gone, then Emil closed his eyes and fell asleep happily for the first time in a while.

Months went by and his relationships with Berwald and Lukas were much better, thanks to therapy and Mr. Køhler being absent from their lives. Emil eventually learned to forgive, but to never forget.

Also, he and Prince Tino decided to give it a shot and got married, and have been ruling the kingdom fantastically together since then.

The End.