Bibliotheca Mundi

Chapter 14

"Listen, we'll fight tomorrow. My boss wanted it to be a surprise attack. Prepare."

Before England gets to hear more from France, he needs to hang up the phone. To his door knocked his boss, and entered. Seeing it's him, England stands up. He can feel his heart banging against his chest, a drop of sweat forming on his forehead. The man gets closer.

"Did you call someone ?"

"N- Yes, I did sir." It's safer to not lie about that, England thinks. He can always pretend he was calling someone else.

"Why do you look so nervous ?" the leader asks, after walking closer to England's desk.

"I-I..."

Standing now in front of England, he leans his body against his hands on top of the table, squinting his eyes at the country. Something looks suspicious to him.

"I called him, sir."

Both men turn at the feminine voice coming from the door, still opened.

"Oh, you did, Mary ?"

"Yes, sir." the lady affirms, walking in. "I informed him about a very important paper he needs to fill, that I'm bringing him now."

"Hm, alright." The man stands back up and heads to the door, out of England's office. "I will let you work on it." he adds, a frown on his face and a dark glare aimed at the other man, before closing the door.

England's body instantly falls on his chair. The increasing pressure he's been feeling the last weeks crushes him, physically and emotionally, tiring him faster everyday. It's the early afternoon, yet he already wishes to go home and sleep. Or at least try. He hardly ever got any sleep, a mix of anxiety, worry, and fear keeping him up. The usual British biscuits and sweets he takes during tea time have been replaced by calming pills and a glass of water. What he got the courage to do today only made him feel worse, as he almost got caught. Pinching the bridge of his nose, England asks, doing his best to look decent, "Sorry, I must have forgotten you called me." With a sigh, he adds before reaching for his water bottle, "What's that paper I need to sign ?"

"There is no paper, sir. And I didn't call you."

Letting out a quiet, nervous chuckle, he opens his bottle and drinks. "If you're trying to prank me to cheer me up, I appreciate it, but I'm really not in the mood for it, sorry."

She insists, with a serious frown, "I don't think it would be the best time for pranks and jokes, sir."

England almost spills out his water. "Huh !?"

"It wasn't a joke, sir. You should be more careful with who you call."

He slowly starts realizing what happened. Taking a few seconds to process it, he then looks at her with his most confused face. "You knew ? B-but why did you lie !?"

After not saying anything for a long moment, she finally answers, "Yes, I knew who you were calling, sir. And... I didn't want him to discover it."

Feeling like it's the start of a long conversation, England shows her the chair across the desk, inviting her to sit down, and leans his forehead against his hands. "But why !?"

As she sits on the chair, Mary crosses her legs to support her folder on her lap, and looks down at it. She starts confessing in a lower voice, "I know how harsh he is being with you. And I'm aware that you don't agree with him."

"W-what !? That's not true !"

"Please, avoid lying to me, sir. I know you don't want to fight the countries you've been an Ally with for so many years, decades, or even centuries. Some were more than just Allies to us in the past, they were our friends."

Hearing this left England motionless, as he keeps staring at her with his mouth opened.

"I know you don't want him to be our leader, sir."

This made him jump out of his chair with a gasp. "No !! I-..." But he can't take it anymore, and falls back in his seat, hiding his face against his crossed arms on the desk. "Yes, yes..." he admits with a calmer voice. "It is true..."

"I understand, sir. Me too."