Location- Somewhere in the northern Most territory of the Thirteen British Colonies of America
Date- July 18, 1732

Sniffles floated across the terrible scene that Matthew had arrived at, cackling laughter and crackling fire almost drowning it out. The cabin that his little brother lived in was on fire. Standing outside, laughing at the flames, was the person Arthur hired to watch Alfred but the little boy was no where to be seen. The maid, 15 in age, saw Matthew dart into the clearing. Her eyes widened as he started to run towards the cabin.
"Let the demon burn! Not even the gentlemen who lived here cared for him! They said to burn the demon if he became a nuisance! He has no worth! He'll just bring bad fortune and death wherever he goes!"
The maid yelled, trying to convince the young adult to abandon the abomination disguised as a child.
Matthew, hearing what she said, started to move faster and broke down the door, hearing the sniffling coming from the cellar door. A blue eye was watching him from the key hole, trust brightening the little one's eyes.
"Mattie!" The child sounded happy to see his big brother, clapping as if he didn't know what was happening to him. Matthew understood that Alfred actually had no clue as he was mentally and physically two years old which filled Matthew with rage at the maid and Arthur. He didn't even hesitate to rip the door off the hinges and scoop his baby brother, far too skinny and small, out of the fire and into safety. The maid was screaming that the Lord would judge Matthew's soul for helping the demon. He dashed out as the cabin started to sway. As he left the cabin, he realized the implications of what the maid had said. Matthew grabbed the lady's arm before she thought of running away from the angry 15 year old.
"What did you say about the gentlemen who lived here? What did they look like? Most importantly, who beat this child?" He tried to sound calm but the maid was shaking in fear. She knew it wasn't a question.
"There was a British gentleman, blonde with large eyebrows, who rarely visited. He paid me to check that the demon was locked in the cellar. When he was here, the demon screamed constantly. The French gentleman, blond with wavy hair and a charming aura, who only stayed for a few days when he would come, made the demon scream worse. There was always blood everywhere after they would leave. My grandmother and my mother before me told me that it would be a mercy to kill the demon before the gentlemen returned. Nothing worked and they are arriving in a few days. I was only doing the Lord's work!" The maid stated, voice wobbling in fear.
"Tell them he is dead. Do not mention anything about my presence. After they have left, I will pay you a lifetime amount." Matthew instructed, trying to work out the best plan of action to protect his little brother. What scared him most was the fact that his brother could have suffered for 147 years without any help. Matthew released the woman to rock his brother, whispering promises that Alfred barely understood. He and the maid made up a story that the older countries would believe. She knew what to do. Matthew let her go, disappearing into the woods.
"I'm here, Alfie. Don't be afraid. Ill always be here and I love you no matter what." He kissed his little brother's head, watching as Alfred fell asleep.
The maid ran home, vowing to keep this secret for the rest of her life, scared that the teenager she saw would harm her. When the strange gentlemen showed up, she told them about how during a fierce storm, lightning had hit the cabin. There were no survivors when she arrived. The bones they found in the cellar were of the correct age. Neither seemed saddened by the death of the child. They seemed disappointed.
"I did tell you that he was a very weak personification, mon âme." The French man stated dismissively. Arthur nodded, agreeing that Alfred was the most useless colony he had. Francis wouldn't allow Arthur to meet Matthew, afraid that Arthur would be as brutal as he was with the little personification. Part of him knew, though, that the little nation wasn't dead. Arthur just decided to ignore the 13 colonies existence even more, spoiling his other children rotten. The little personification was forgotten by them.
Andrés Carriedo Villanueva, the personification of Mexico, and Matthew Williams, personification of Vinland and Canada, spent quite some time raising their brother away from any mortal eye. All the others of the contenants of North and South America joined the effort after meeting the shy two year old. Laughter and joy prevailed until the American War of Independence. The little one fell ill, hidden safely away in Matthew's house.
Arthur and Francis found the boy in the spring of 1776, wandering by a battlefield with a horrible fever. Arthur tried to kill the baby while Francis just watched on, not caring at all. The personification of Spain, Antonio Fernandez Carriedo, who had been urged by Andrés, had been there along with Gilbert. He shot Arthur before the small toddler was killed. Francis had seized the chance, grabbing the barely conscious child and running. The child was his ticket off of this battlefield. Gilbert knew what Francis was thinking and caught up with the Frenchman.
"Francis, why are you doing this?" Gilbert questioned, seeing the terror in the little American's eyes.
"I need a bargaining chip against Arthur and this burden is the only thing that'll work! If Arthur starts winning in Europe than I can forcefully take Alfred, subdue and break him." Francis was heartless to the little brother of his beloved son.
"Give him to me, Francis. I'll even pay you." Antonio budded in. Francis agreed when the price was agreeable. Alfred was passed to Antonio and Gilbert. Francis went back to retrieve Arthur's body before it was healed enough and got off of the battlefield. They would never glimpse the little nation for hundred of years. That was also the day that Gilbert met Matthew.
"Alfred! We're are you?!" Matthew called, running around the forest with Andrés, looking for their precious little brother that Greenland aka Erik Køhler accidentally left alone for thirty minutes. It was decided only a decade ago that Erik, Andrés, and Matthew would be Alfred's guardians most of the time.
"Alfred?!" His voice was panicky. Gilbert and Antonio heard the frantic calls of at least one possibly two personifications that they recognized. Alfred wiggled, looking for his big brother. Gilbert and Antonio walked further into the woods, farther away from the battlefield.
"Andrés! Matthew!" Antonio called. Gilbert had never met the 17 year old with blonde hair and purple eyes nor the 16 year old white haired and purple eyed personifications.
"Alfred the two exclaimed as they fussed over the child in concern. Matthew glared at Gilbert, the Prussian scared for his life.
"Canada and Greenland, meet Prussia. Prussia meet Canada and Greenland." Andrés stated as he plucked Alfred from Gilbert's arms. Antonio knew better than to reach for the toddler back, recognizing the gleam in Matthew's eyes. The Vikings had that look when they were protecting their loved ones. Gilbert only reacted by instinct. Two knives were at his throat in a millisecond.
"Forget you saw him. Don't even speak about him or we will make you regret it." Matthew's aura was so dark and cold that the temperature dropped enough that the two could see their breath in the air. Erik's aura was about the same, a berserker just waiting to go on the war path. Gilbert shat his pants. Antonio seemed unfazed.
"Of course. Have a nice day. Andrés, you and your brothers are coming for dinner next month as usual, right?" The three nodded their heads, watching as Antonio dragged Gilbert away. They rushed back to Matthew's home by the border that only they knew about. Erik started laughing.
"Did you see his face?! He was petrified!" Erik couldn't stop laughing. Matthew and Andrés agreed, sharing a few chuckles. Alfred stayed glued to Matthew's side, laughing because they were.
"Mattie?" Alfred asked softly and uncertainty.
"I'm here, Alfie. I'll always be right here. I will always care about you. I swear that." Matthew whispered, soothing away some of the fear Alfred had.