Canada didn't know what to think as he sat on his bed in silence, staring solemnly at his trembling hands with a wince. The image of the creature still haunted his mind and he knew that it wasn't going away anytime soon.
The smell of blood and metal and smoke still lingered and he could almost taste the iron on his tongue with every second he looked back on the image of it all. Something he couldn't really ignore nor dismiss from his already scarred senses, conflicts swirling and battling around in his head and a million questions still flooding his thoughts.

He sighed quietly, glancing over to where his blazer hung from the rack, the cloak still clipped onto the shoulders and hanging on for dear life. His gaze softened for a moment as he stared at it, the only piece of clothing he still had from his mother. Made by his mother.

It was difficult for him. Not knowing why his mother left and where she had gone to. If she was even still alive. His father kept so much from him, and when he thought he had moved on and gotten used to it, another bombshell had collided with his life.

Now, there was a creature lurking and chained in the depths of his home and he didn't know why. Something that Canada could have almost considered to have been an angel from another world. But then again, his world was already filled with deadly creatures, cautious species and so many other mysteries that had yet to be solved and discovered.

It scared him...

Ireland had ushered him back up the steps and back into the safety of the red and dark halls he had been used to all his life. A subtle reassurance that he was still home... although it didn't seem as homely now. Then again, when had it ever been comforting and secure for him? It was more like a prison... nothing new there.

He fidgeted and stared down at his boots nonchalantly; trying to distract himself from the thoughts that were clawing at the walls of his mind. The pain that throbbed heavily in the centre of his chest like a grave burden.

And he couldn't bear the pain and anguish that drove his head to near insanity as he forced himself up onto his feet and marched to the door of his room, grabbing his blazer which he slipped on with ease with little thought.  The door swung open and he stepped out into the corridor with a frown upon his face and his eyes cold and narrowed. It was empty, and luckily for him, no one came walking around the corner. Only met by the cold aura of his so-called home and the distant sounds of marching soldiers that were armed to the teeth with armour and weapons- all to kill innocent creatures and beings.

His father never really talked to him, and he would do his best to keep away from him as much as possible. But he couldn't help the fact that his father seemed to enjoy shoving him into situations where both of them had to keep close and act formally together. Dinners, meetings, talks and socializing with his father's putrid and serpentine allies who seemed to be even worse than the demons his father's soldiers hunted down and murdered.

Canada made his way through the castle, eventually stepping into the corridor of multiple distanced doors. Heading towards one of the first doors, knocking and waiting anxiously- glancing around as he did and keeping his senses up, high and active. Listening to hear if anyone was approaching from around the corner. The door opened and Canada quickly looked over to see Ireland standing there with a surprised expression on his face, brows raised and eyes glistening. But the General took no time in stepping aside to let in the Prince who hurried to cower and retreat into the comfort of his uncle's calm room.

It was larger than his own. Bookshelves decorating the walls with several banners made of expensive silks and materials that had been brought from far away; a larger set of windows opening up the room to the outside Kingdom that could have looked beautiful. But instead symbolized and looked like nothing but broken hearts, ash and a lingering depression that left a saddened frown on Canada's face.

Ireland cleared his throat, the door now closed behind him.

Canada flinched and sighed before he turned to face his uncle.
"I've been... thinking..." He started off, glancing over and slowly sitting down at Ireland's desk- still messy with papers, letters and maps that had been battered with age and stains of the past. Some still sealed with untouched ties of beige string and crimson wax that had been stamped on into the centre.
"Considering what you asked of me...
 Of what it requires me to do. How it may jeopardize my life here." The Prince spoke as calmly as he could, and yet still could hold down the distant tremble that ran through his words.
"I need you to tell me more," he breathed, "and then I may be willing to do what you want me to do. Whether or not it may go against my father, I'll still do it."

His uncle glanced towards the door cautiously, listening to Canada and then the silence that followed. Almost trying to make sure that no one was eavesdropping or walking by to hear what was being discussed. And once he was satisfied by the silence and the lack of footsteps did he exhale and uncross his arms, letting them hang by his sides loosely.

"Your father has been keeping that poor thing chained and bleeding down there for almost a year now. He only showed me a month or two ago, and I've been... struggling to keep the truth away from you." Ireland exhaled shakily with something like defeat and a tint of pain.
"He's been using its power. Its blood and breath. Torturing it and beating it... And he'll continue doing so until it breaks and finally gives him the information he needs to destroy another Kingdom and its species..."

The General rubbed at his eyes, and Canada could see how much stress and pressure he was being drowned in. Especially with the thoughts and secrets that were storming in his head; going against every belief of peace he had ever made to himself.

"Your father has no intentions in telling you anything that he's doing. Especially things about his plans for that poor creature he's been holding in his grasp..."
Ireland gritted his teeth, "I can't stand it anymore. I don't like what he's doing to that thing. It's just cruel and disgusting." He spat, gripping the cuffs of his jacket bitterly.

"First he steals the land of other helpless species and creatures. Polluting their land, destroying the beautiful towns and buildings they built and ripping up their forests. Then plans war against a massive Kingdom. And then steals away a beautiful creature that shouldn't be stuck in a cage, locked and chained like nothing but a pet bird.

It should be out there. Free and be able to fly as much as it wants without losing its magic, blood and whatever's left of its hope and faith. With the people it used to stick with, in the home it used to live in... a place it maybe could have ruled before."

Canada was on the edge of his seat as he watched his uncle continue to talk. Noting the way how his face slowly became grimmer and grimmer with every word and truth that he spilt, every idea and belief he held close to his heart. How Britain's actions went against it all.

...And it hurt.

Because he knew how much Ireland was struggling now.

Not being able to tell many people how he felt, having the dreadful responsibility of keeping weighted secrets on his shoulders along with his duties; all while attempting to stay loyal to his brother and keep the rest of his family face.
While wearing a mask of confidence, pride in his Kingdom and King, and a smile on his face.

"...So what do you want us to do..?"

Ireland stared at him.

Expression cold and eyes glassy.

"We're going to break that thing out of here."

✞———————❖———————✞

The thought of the... mortal, was a confusing one. A questionable one that had the King of Werewolves furrowing his brows and fidgeting with his claws almost every single day during his free time. Along with the occasional meetings that he would attend to with his Admiral and General.

Russia cocked his head to the side as he stopped his walking. Gazing out of the window with a frown across his face, pupils glowing as he watched the clouds and the small groups of sparrows that occasionally sprang out of the nearby trees of the forest. Singing and flapping their minuscule sets of wings almost childishly; feathers almost golden and amber under the bright and yet gentle sunlight.

A sigh escaped him and he dragged his eyes away, blinking away the bright light from his pupils and gazing down the hallway. Tail swaying behind him, his body adorned in his rich Royal attire, golden bands and numerous rings for both his hands and the horns that arched from his head like the antlers of an ancient deer.

It had been some time since he had last talked to America, and though he wasn't too keen on the way he acted and his irresponsible attitude... He still wanted to get to know more about him.

And prod some truth out of his sealed heart.

And so he turned and began to hunt for the mortal who was cowering in the midst of his giant home, eyes narrowed as he leisurely began to sense him and wonder more about the stranger who he had let into his Kingdom.

The enemy in the heart of the place he protected and kept under guard.

✞———————❖———————✞

America stared up at Kazakhstan who stood at his door like a statue of concrete power, superiority and an almost disheartening aura of something he could have mistaken to have been dangerous.

The last moments he had had in the library of the castle was something of mixed feelings and a lack of speech. America having been left in a state of shock after the final words of the Admiral who had crouched there on his knees in a fit of pain, sorrow and yet also hope. And he had done nothing but stare at his friend, slowly pull away and back out of the room before he whipped around and sprinted back into the small comfort of his quarters which he had eventually found after a struggle.

Kazakhstan sighed sadly and glanced away as he picked at the collar of his blazer awkwardly, "I... wanted to talk to you... about what happened... what I said."

America hesitated, standing there nervously until he stepped to the side and looked away, letting the hybrid step into his room and head over to the window. He pushed the door shut and turned to look back at Kazakhstan who was nonchalantly staring outside, wings hanging loosely behind him like a cape of gold and expensive silk. "I am aware that you will have quite a few questions that you want-... need to ask me."

"...How do you know." America gritted his teeth as he took a step closer to Kaz with trembling hands, "tell me how YOU KNOW!?"
The Admiral turned around, only for America to grab a hold of his collar and shove him against the window sill with a snarl on his face and blazing eyes. Tears forming mercilessly.
"TELL ME!?" He screamed, voice straining with anger, pain and so many other emotions that had the smaller shaking and jerking as he proceeded to retain his friend with a violent grip.

The hybrid gazed down at him with a frown across his face, eyes glowing gently with power. And yet, he maintained his calm and composure, doing nothing to shove America away or attack him in self-defence. Allowing him to keep him there; inches away from the glass.

"I'm a shadow speaker, America. Don't you remember..?
I can work out people's secrets, find out what they hide away and keep from people..." He sighed gently, ears flattening behind his hat.
"I don't mean to do it. I can't really help it.
That's what happens when you have this ability, and it can become troublesome and painful.
Especially when you're trying to keep allies and friends close to your heart..."

America gritted his teeth harder as his rage began to burn. "You can't know. YOU CAN'T KNOW?!"The mortal snapped harshly, keeping his hand on Kazakhstan's blazer. "If you know. You will tell Russia. YOU will tell EVERYONE.
A- And you'll use it against me. And you will throw me back to..." He cut himself off and his body jerked.

"You'll..."
America let him go and stepped back, staring at his hands and tears slowly began to run down his face.
"You'll throw me back to my father..." The mumble escaped him.

Kazakhstan stayed put. Still leaning awkwardly over the window sill, wings pressed up against the glass.

But he eventually pulled himself away and straightened his posture with a forced cough.
"I don't plan on doing so unless you want me to. And by the way you're acting and reacting, you don't seem to ever want to go back to your old home."
He tilted his head to the side and watched his friend, "it wasn't nice there... was it.

He threw you away. Didn't he."

A flinch.

America gasped and fell on his knees, and the image flashed in his mind of when his father had discarded him in the rain. Riding away into the distance and fog; leaving him there to cry and die.
Abandoned and unwanted.

The Admiral slowly walked over to him and crouched down in front of him.
"As much as you hate it, you won't always be able to deny who you truly are America.
You're a Prince, and you know that just as much as I do. Even though you aren't living there anymore."

"..I did nothing wrong. I never did anything wrong, I tried my hardest," he whimpered. Gripping onto his knees and shrugging off his tears to no avail. "I pushed myself and I tried to be as strong as my brother. I tried to do everything I could but it wasn't good enough...

wasn't good enough for him."

Kazakhstan reached over and pat his back, wings gradually wrapping around the smaller as he scooted over to sit beside him.
"He mistook you for who you truly were," Kazakhstan said, looking up to watch the clouds through the window nearby.

"And that was his greatest mistake." A smile.

"You shouldn't be there. You don't belong there. Not anymore.
This is your new home. And though there is hardly anyone here who is like you, it doesn't mean you won't be accepted.
But that doesn't mean that there won't be a change when everyone does eventually find out who you are... A lot of us have gone through hell because of what your father has done.

What Britain has done."

The smaller rubbed at his eyes, sniffing quietly and sighing shakily. Doing his best to grab his breath back and fill his lungs.
"I know... I've heard of some of the things he's done. Horrible horrible things...
I hate it..."
"And that's why I'm proud of you. And that's why you're a perfect friend and ally." Kazakhstan smiled down at America, "you don't agree with what your father is doing. And you understand that what he's doing is wrong."

"...I... My brother. He's still there. I know he is..."

Kazakhstan rose a brow before he sat up, "ah. Prince Canada? The sorrow-eyed Prince I've seen standing behind your father in his shadow?
He doesn't seem too happy with what your father is doing either."

A silence followed the two and they listened to the distant singing of the window outside, and the crying of the sparrows that lived nearby.
The distant clanging over swords and daggers from the training grounds and the energetic shouting of the guards who fought against each other with nothing but happiness and playfulness.
Kazakhstan exhaled gently and his wings slowly brushed against America's sides as he sat up and hauled himself up to his feet with a small wince. Wings gradually dragging across the wooden floors and carpet as he surveyed the view out the window and perched his hands on his hips and belt. America glanced up at him silently, pulling his legs up to his chest and hugging them close.

The Admiral stood tall and narrowed his eyes, "I think it's time I paid your brother a very very unwelcome visit."

Even though the hybrid was someone of a gentle nature, he still did a good job in pairing his words with nothing more than a dark smile laced with venom and something else America flinched at.

And so he held himself there like a powerful being.

Planning his felonious visit into the heart of the enemy Kingdom.

-------------------------

OKAY

I am so so so so sorry that this Chapter took so long to be published </3

I've been going through so much bullshit related to my family, relationship and school. And I've been having issues with my past trauma and bad memories which have been causing me to struggle with the things I usually enjoy doing.

I never wanted this chapter to take so long and I'm deeply sorry a

:'/ also I'm so sorry if this chapter sounds very detached from things- I've been struggling to remember what I write in previous chapters and just struggling to remember how to write in general if that even makes sense.

So I apologize if you've been let down by this chapter.

uh have rlly old sketches </3

Word count: 3067

(I'm about to publish this and I genuinely think I'm going insane because at 4am last night I saw a large ass flashlight LIGHT on my wall coming from under my bed, and I had a panic attack. And there was nothing even under my bed when my parents checked.

So now I'm beyond terrified and I'm hearing things so I might be actively passing away </3)