EnglandxReader~Finding Face~Ch 6

Finding Face~Ch 6~

"What in blazes are you doing on Thursaunia turf?!" Vash growled.

"You got mein letter, frau?" the man with snow-white hair and apple-red eyes asked Elizabeta with a smirk.

"I did," the Thursaunian princess answered bitterly.

"Ksesese~" the albino laughed—if that's what he was doing. "Zhen you know I'm here to pick you up and take you back to Dotriba, ja?"

"Not on your life, Gilbert!" Elizabeta snapped, a fierce glow alight in her deep green eyes.

"You know vhat happens if you don't~" Gilbert said with a mocking singsong voice.

"Hey, Artie," you whispered to the Brysogwig prince, "if this guy's from Dotriba, then shouldn't he have some answers?"

"I believe so, but it would have been best to do this in secret," Arthur answered with a frown. He redirected his eyes onto Gilbert.

This "Gilbert Belishcmidt" guy looked quite intimidating: he was clad in light, but strong armor that you were sure was mythril, a meld of silver and steel; his long white cape flowed rather majestically behind him with a black insignia of a sword, a spear, and an axe; and then there was that…

Wait a sec…

"Piyo!" it grunted.

Nestled into Gilbert's hair was a little yellow bird that chirped with a deep voice. It was rather strange, to say the least, that someone who looked so flashy could have something so harmless on his head.

"Suck it, losers! Ze awesome me is totally more awesome than all of you!" Gilbert smirked and pointed specifically at Roderich who looked like he was about to explode.

"Royal audience or not, you have no right to be trespassing on my family's grounds," the Thursaunian prince said adjusting his spectacles.

"Says you, you unawesome four-eyed loser," Gilbert scoffed.

"Artie, is that a word?" you asked quietly.

"I don't think so," Arthur replied making a mental check on his vocabulary.

"Say what you want, Gilbert, but I'm not going with you," Elizabeta huffed and crossed her arms.

The albino laughed again. "Oh, but you will—unless you like ze taste of blood as I rain total annihilation on your asses!" He turned slightly. "And while we take over Thursaunia, we'll also grab Bryso—Vhat ze hell?! Vhat are you doing here, Bushy Brows?!"

"I'd ask you the same question, but your big mouth just made it clear," Arthur replied in a cold voice. "And since you've been so kind as to come here, I need to ask to you—Hey! Wha—Let go of me, you bloody git!"

"Artie!" you cried as Gilbert stealthily disarmed Arthur's scabbard and tied him up in a fashion similar to when Logan had bound you on your horse.

"Ksesese!~ This is totally awesome! Now I don't have to worry about going to Brysogwig, myself!" Gilbert laughed and slung Arthur over his shoulder.

"Wait a minute! Guards! After him!" Vash yelled throughout the courtyard.

You watched as suddenly, guards began to pour out of the Edelstein Castle and surrounded Gilbert as he was headed outside of the walls. With a smirk and a confident gleam in his ruby eyes, the Dotriban drew his sword out and hurled Arthur unceremoniously ("Wanker!" Arthur spat) to the ground.

"So you guys are going to do zhis the hard way, eh?" Gilbert sneered. "So be it, but don't start crying like sissy crybaby girl boys when I kick your asses~"

"I'm not complaining if he's going to forget about me," you heard Elizabeta grumble.

"Eliza, we should get out of here," Roderich suggested. "You, too, ___________. The moment another member of royalty attacks another without proper reason, it's a declaration of war."

"What about Arthur?!" you cried as Roderich pushed you away from the guards that were battling Gilbert.

"Arthur will be fine," Roerich said hastily. "Gilbert's an ass, but he's smart enough to know that if he so much as hurts him, Brysogwig will erupt into war."

Not with the throne being so unstable… you thought bitterly.

"Don't worry, Eliza!" Gilbert called as he cut down another guard. "When I'm done with these unawesome guys, I'll come back for you, and we'll get married by tomorrow!"

"Never!" Elizabeta growled and pushed Roderich away.

"Eliza, no!" Roderich and Vash cried as the rebellious princess picked up Arthur's sword and entered the fray.

Gilbert was good. He wasn't even breaking a sweat, and he was slashing away the guards left and right with that smirk still glued to his face. When Elizabeta maneuver around the guards, you caught a slight air of surprise about the Dotriban, but it faded as soon as it came, and Gilbert greeted her presence with a laugh.

"Ksesese, so you've decided to accept my proposal? I knew you couldn't resist mein awesomeness~"

"In your dreams, Dotriban!" Elizabeta hissed.

"Now would be a good time to collect Arthur," you heard Vash whisper to you.

"Right," you nodded and went around the quarreling prince and princess.

"…You've gotten better, Eliza! Did you learn a thing or two since I last beat you with mein awesome skills?!" Gilbert mocked.

"If I remember correctly, you didn't beat me—it was a draw!" Elizabeta retorted.

"No one has ever been able to beat you, so a draw to you is a victory for me!" Gilbert insisted and thrust his sword down upon Elizabeta; luckily she blocked it just in time, and with them being so distracted, it wasn't hard to sneak around them.

You were worried for the princess, but Arthur was of bigger importance. When you reached the tied-up Brysogwig prince, his eyes were alert and fearful.

"__________, you shouldn't be here," he said. "The other one should be here, too."

"What other one?" you asked as you crept closer to Arthur.

"He's here somewhere," Arthur said quickly. "Go away, while you still have the chance, ___________!"

"Ridiculous," you hissed and came to within an arm's length away from him. "You've done so much for me, so now it's my turn to help y—"

-----

"______________...? _______________, are you awake yet? ______________."

"Ugh…" you groaned and immediately put your hand to your head. There was an aching sore where someone or something hit you straight on your noggin. "What happened?"

"Hell has happened. That's what," Vash frowned.

Suddenly, you shot up from your sleeping position. "Where's Artie?!"

Roderich was there, too. He furrowed his eyebrows and adjusted his spectacles.

"I'm afraid Arthur was taken by Gilbert along with Eliza," he answered.

"What?!" you cried. "That's the last thing we need right now!"

"Isn't that obvious?" Vash asked sarcastically.

You rubbed your head. "I don't understand. Why would Gilbert need Arthur if he has Brysogwig where he wants it?"

Roderich and Vash exchanged confused looks.

"What are you talking about?" Roderich asked. "Are you saying there was another reason Gilbert came here?"

You blinked. "What happened after I blacked out?"

"Well, Eliza was beating Gilbert, "Roderich explained. "His brother, Ludwig, knocked you out. After that, he went over to fight alongside Gilbert, and of course, she lost." He made a scowl. "I don't understand why Eliza had to be so hasty, though. She could possibly have thrown Thursaunia into war if Ludwig didn't step in."

"What are they going to do to Artie?" you asked.

"Oh that," Vash jumped in. "The Dotriban albino said he was going to hold Arthur as a hostage until the king and queen gave Dotriba the province of Chottsym."

Now you were completely confused. Wasn't Dotriba the reason the Arthur's parents were dead in the first place? Didn't they know that Brysogwig didn't even have a proper king at the moment?

"Elizabeta's parents are worried sick right now," Vash explained, "but this doesn't involve my affairs, and if you ask me, Thursaunia is in no position to go against Dotriba."

"F-Forget about that!" you snapped and got to your feet. "Brysogwig's in big trouble!"

"Not really if all they want is Chottsym," Roderich said casually. "It's just a little strip of cold, humid land, anyway. Arthur's parents would trade that province in a heartbeat."

What? Something wasn't right. All Dotriba wanted was Chottsym, the most worthless province in all of Brysogwig? The only thing it had going for it was the fact that it had access to the oceans, but even those were nearly impassable with rough waters always beating relentlessly at the cliffs—or at least, that's what you had heard from travelers.

"I still need to go after him," you said with a note of determination. "There might be something that Dotriba doesn't know, and Artie and I can't let them find out what that is."

"What's wrong with telling us?" Vash asked.

"If I remember what Artie said correctly, your family was bent on staying neutral until hell froze over," you retorted shutting the prince's mouth.

"___________, it's dangerous to go into Dotriba," Roderich said with concern written all over his face. "The ruling and military systems may be strong, but the outlands are full of barbaric savages."

"If it means saving Artie and Brysogwig, then I'll go there," you said. "Artie saved my life. It's the least I could do to pay him back."

"____________..." Roderich's voice trailed off.

"Do whatever you want," Vash snorted. "I've got to get back to my own family's castle, anyway. I can't imagine what sort of reactions they'll get when they hear that a prince of Dotriba actually kidnapped two members of royalty from Brysogwig and Thursaunia—Elizabeta, especially."

"It's late, Vash," Roderich said turning to his friend. "Are you sure you don't want to stay?"

"I've been keeping Lili long enough," Vash sighed and turned to leave. Before he headed out, he stopped to say something else.

"_____________, if you really are mad and go to Dotriba, then I suggest you bring some sort of guide. The lands there are twisted, and bandits tend to confuse new travelers into theft and murder."

"It's okay," you said. "I'm a thief so I—"

"You're a thief?" Roderich interrupted you with a surprised question.

"I, uh…" You scratched your head sheepishly. "Yeah."

"Then what was that whole story about you being robbed and tied up earlier?" Vash asked suspiciously.

"It's a long story," you sighed. "If I return with Artie—and Elizabeta—then I'll be sure to tell you about it."

"I'm sure it's one worth hearing," Roderich commented with a slight smile despite these desperate times.

"It will be," you grinned. "I just hope I live to tell it…"

~~~~~

"Unhand me, you Dotriban swine!" the hot-headed Thursaunian princess snapped and hissed at her captor and soon-to-be husband.

"Ksesese~" Gilbert laughed. "Zhat's vhat I've always liked about you, Eliza. You're so feisty, you're awesome!"

"You disgust me," Elizabeta growled as she was led into a room accommodated by a bed, and vanity, and a wardrobe. She noticed that the only window was barricaded with forged iron bars, and the door was composed of wood from ironwood trees.

"Make yourself comfortable, frau, because tomorrow, you'll be mein awesome wife!" Gilbert smirked and shut the door behind him, his bird chirping as he laughed all the while.

"Swine…" Elizabeta spat and rubbed her eyes to clear her sockets of any tears that might've tried to escape. Well, there definitely could have been a more romantic way to marry a princess, but by no means did she want her kingdom to go to war over some stupid arrangement. Nevertheless, she was in a jam. There had to be a way out somewhere…

~~~~~

"Augh! Bloody git, I swear when I break free, I'll throw a thousand curses upon you!"

"That stupid silly magic stuff is for unawesome sissies such as yourself," Gilbert smirked and gave Arthur a sharp kick in his side. "Now if you'll excuse me, mein awesome kingdom has an awesome wedding to prepare for!"

SLAM!

"Like she'd ever stoop so low as to marry you, you sausage-loving wanker," Arthur grumbled. "Now where am I?" His hands were tied up, but at least his feet were able to move a tad with only his ankles being bound. As he attempted to sit in an upright position, an eerie voice called from the depths of his dungeon.

"Hello…? Is someone there…?"

"Ngh!" Arthur gasped. "Show yourself, devil! I may be tied up, but I've fought ten men with my right hand behind my back!"

"Relax," the voice said in a more casual tone. "I'm not going to hurt you. I'm a prisoner, too."

"How can I be so sure of that?" Arthur asked cautiously squinting his eyes so he could adjust to the darkness.

"Hang on. Let me see if I can get closer," the voice said. Arthur heard a shuffling noise that sounded as though it was getting louder.

Finally, Arthur was able to make out an outline of a rather tall man with an intimidating appearance and upright blonde hair.

"Bloody hell…" Arthur breathed. "Aren't you Tim Maes? What are you doing in Dotriba? Wait. Let me guess: Gilbert wants a part of Belethren, am I right?"

"I've got nothing to say to you, Kirkland scum," the eldest prince of Belethren snorted.

"Why bother with the rude remarks when we could be thinking of a way to escape?" Arthur asked with a frown.

"Even if we did, I don't want to go out there," Tim said. "It's foreign land. It could be dangerous."

"I never knew the heir to the Belethren throne was a coward," Arthur mocked the Belethren prince hoping he could convince Tim to help him out of the dungeon.

"I'm not. I'm just smart," Tim insisted with a stubborn tone.

"Bloody hell," Arthur sighed. He was aware that Tim could be a helpful person, but he was as conservative as Vash with a wallet tighter than spandex two sizes too small. It was going to take a lot of talking if he wanted to get out before Dotriba attempted to make a deal with the deceased.

~~~~~

"Uh, look, I swear I don't have any money on me," you said putting up your hands for the tenth time.

"Your lying, little missy!" one of the bandits snapped. "I smell the scent of aristocrats on you. You must be one of those idiots that think you can slip by just by forgetting to put on a little perfume and touch-ups, huh? Well, it ain't working on us!"

I knew I shouldn't have eaten all of those [favorite fruits]… you thought miserably. You had only gone a few steps into Dotriba's border when a group of bandits jumped you and demanded money. You had evaded their knives easily enough, but after some quick maneuvers, you had gotten exhausted and surrounded. This wasn't a good start to your solo quest.

"Well, it ain't going ta be solo for long!" a loud voice cried suddenly from outside the ring of bandits.

"Who said that?!" a bandit asked and turned around.

"Get 'em, Kody!" the unseen person said. He sounded rather familiar to you.

As if in an instant, one of the bandits fell over as a gray lump of fur clung to his face. Then, several more bandits were knocked off their feet when something struck all of them with a single projectile that spun around and returned to the person who threw it.

"L-Logan!" you cried and leapt over the distracted bandits.

"It's been a while, lil' missy!" the wild-haired tracker grinned. The weapon he had been using was a single piece of curved wood that looked like a bow, but it was unbendable and much thicker. Once again, he threw the piece of curved wood and struck the rest of the bandits in an expert-like fashion.

"I say it's time we make like a banana and split, eh, miss?" Logan smiled after using that overly used punch line grabbing your hand and running out of sight.

What's a banana? you wondered as the two of you made your escape.

-----

After you two were sure you were safe, you both took a moment to catch your breaths.

"It wasn't fun trackin' you down, girly," Logan panted.

"I have a name, you know," you wheezed.

"Yeah?"

"It's _____________."

"Oh, yeah. Artie told me that once, I think."

"What are you doing in Dotriba?" you asked with your breath still short.

"I told you. I was supposed to bring my big bro back to Kirkland Castle."

"You're Artie's younger brother?" you asked bewildered. "I thought Artie only had one."

"Ah, well, they don't like to include me in their tree 'cause I'm always out an' about, ye see," Logan chuckled.

"Yeah, I do see that," you sighed. Suddenly, you had an idea. "If you're looking for Artie, he's at the Beilschmidt Castle right now."

"What's ol' Bushy Brows doin' there?" Logan asked raising one of his equally thick eyebrows.

"He's been kidnapped because the prince thinks he can trade him for Chottsym," you explained.

"I don't see why anyone would want that no-good province, anyway," Logan said dismissively, "but if it's for Kirkland pride, then I guess I'd best be goin' after him."

"I can go with you, right?" you asked.

"I don't see why not," Logan answered. "Just make sure your toes stay sharp, and your nose remains quick!"

Don't you mean "nose stays sharp" and "stay on your toes?" you wondered, confused.

"Uh, Logan, by the way…What is that thing?" you asked pointing to the lump of gray fur clinging to the wild Kirkland's leg like an oversized hairy leech.

"Oh, this little fella?" Logan pointed to the lump. "This, here, is my best mate, Kody! He's a koala!"

What's a "kowalla?" you wondered.