M:   Rowen chuckled quietly as everyone sat down, "I don't mean to brag but I have been told many times that I am the best by my fellow knights."

"He is the best," Mandara proclaimed, "We watched him spar with Saxon this morning, he sliced his Tamordo in half and used his own to kick him in the face."

"Well, in Sir Saxon's defense," Rowen said, "a Tamordo is a weapon that takes years to master, he fought exceptionally well for his first time. Not to mention he actually managed to injure me," he motioned to the bandages wrapped around his arm, "no man in my army has managed to do that in over twenty years, so credit is due where it may."

N:   "Well done, Saxon," Celtica applauded, "turns out you are not useless with a spear after all."

When they had received their dinner, they all began to tuck in; however, the Celt was cautious about her food. She had heard while traveling about the spicy cuisine of the Mandorians, and when she took a small bite, she recoiled slightly when she registered the spice.

Saxon saw her and realized that, while Johann, England, Saxon, and Anglo didn't have spice in their food, she did. As inconspicuous as possible, he motioned her to switch her plate with Anglo since the winged country hasn't eaten any spice yet. She nodded, and while Anglo was in a conversation with England, she switched their plates. The entity smiled and waited for what would happen.

Anglo looked down at his plate and noticed something off, he looked up to Celtica, who glanced at Saxon. Realizing it wasn't his plate, he asked Saxon to hand over some water for him, and while the entity did, Celtica mouthed the word 'spice' and pointed at the plate in front of him. The winged country smirked and switched his plate with Saxon's.

When the entity handed the water to him, the winged country took a large bite from his food and pretended to choke from eating spice, fluffing up his wings to try to convince Saxon. The entity only laughed and then took a large mouth full of his food, and immediately choked on his food.

"What ... how?!" he asked, between breaths, and looked up to see a smug smile on both Anglo, who had miraculously recovered from his spice attack, and Celtica. He growled but his throat gave up and he continued to cough again.

The winged country laughed and handed over the glass of water that Saxon gave to him, "nice try," he chuckled, "but next time, try not to cooperate with Celtica again."

M:   The two Mandorians giggled at the backhanded prank, "this is why it is better to announce one's visit instead of sneaking in", Rowen said to no one in particular, "We have learned a fair deal that English can not handle spice."

"British," Mandara corrected, "Anglo said that Lady Celtica doesn't like to be associated with English."

"Oh, well then my apologies, Lady Celtica," the captain apologized, then motioned for someone to swap her, now Saxon's plate, for one without spice.

"The amount of food we've had to replace has been a lot," he muttered under his breath.

N:   "It is alright, Sir Rowen. You didn't know," Celtica spoke, and continued to eat her food.

"Why don't you associate with us," asked England, causing both his fathers to stare at him as if he's asking for a fight, "it makes it much easier when us four go abroad for foreign affairs to just be called English."

"Well, dear England," Celtica said calmly, but her eye twitch from the question and she placed her fork on the table, "let me remind you about the many times you went to war with my son Scotland and invaded his land ..."

"Ah, yes," England replied, but the Celt continued.

"And the countless number of times your kind invaded Ireland, and how the English didn't care about the Welsh," then she pointed at Anglo and Saxon, "and how these two invaded the British Isles in the first place."

"Ok, ok," the younger country raised his arm, "I understand. You don't like invaders."

"This is why we don't talk about it with Celtica," Anglo muttered, then he spoke up, "let's talk about something else, please."

M:   "Derogan picked out a new horse," Mandara blurted, "Gemstone gave birth today and he named the foal Spirit."

"Well it's good that he has a new friend," Rowen said, "though I hope it doesn't take away from the memory of Thunderstrike."

"It won't, and he still has his plushy to remember him," Mandara reassured him, then said to Celtica, "so what about your horse, what's their name?"

N:   "Technically, the horse is not mine. Republic of Venice gave Areion to me so I could ride over here as fast as possible," she smiled and shook her head, "the guy is poetic for sure, naming the mare after a Greek mythological horse. To make up for the speed that the mare's namesake has in the myth, she makes up for her intelligence."

"What do you mean by intelligence?" Johann asked.

"A sort of intelligence that gets on RoV's nerves. He has a bunch of horses since he's a nation who trades a lot, and I mean a lot, and one time, Areion was bored, so she lifted the lock that kept the other horses in their stalls. What came next was RoV running around, trying to retrieve all his horses, while that clever mare just watched him and nickered in amusement." She laughed, "it was quite the sight."

M:   "Oh dear, it's like Star Dust all over again," Rowen sighed with a chuckle, "Star Dust is my mare and she's just as intelligent and naughty as Areion. She can open the stall doors so we always keep the stable gates padlocked shut, but that doesn't stop her from letting out Xanthos, King Mandoria's horse, to help her bust out, that Shire is built like a bear I tell you."

"I still think Star Dust has a crush on Xanthos," Mandara piped in, "she only opens his stall and they stick together when they escape." For whatever reason, him explaining the horse love made Mandara say, "I also think it has something to do with Rowen's crush on Father."

Rowen gasped as he was swallowing his water and immediately started coughing, shocked that Mandara sold him out.

N:   Saxon smirked, "Is that true, Sir Rowen? It is clear to anyone how close you two are, but to have a crush is on a different level."

"I would also like to know if it's true," chimed in Celtica, but the winged country only shook his head.

"Can the both of you not ask that right now," Anglo asked, as he stood up and went to the captain's side, "are you alright, Sir Rowen?"

"I'm sure he's fine," Saxon said, "I'm just wondering what will come out of it. Wait, does Mandoria know?" Anglo glanced at Saxon, wondering if he was still a kid, and England kept on asking his father to be quiet.

Finally, Johann piped up and asked in all seriousness, although his smile gave himself away, "Sir Rowen, do you like King Mandoria?"

M:   "He does," Mandara answered for Rowen since he was still recovering from nearly drowning, "Father doesn't know and he made Derogan and I swear on our wings not to tell him, though I'm surprised that it is still a secret since Rowen is fairly obvious about it."

"Mandara," Rowen scolded when he found his voice, but instead of denying these accusations he planted his head on the table and sighed, "it's true, I like the king a little more than I should, I have never told him because I know that he only has eyes for women, not men." He lifted his head to rest on his chin, "it's not forbidden for same-sex affairs in the kingdom, but I know that if word got out that the captain of the army is in love with his king it will bring great shame on both of us from other kingdoms and countries, Prussia being one such example and he would tell the whole world if he found out."

Rowen completely lifted his head and looked to everyone pleadingly, "I beg of you, do not let this conversation be heard by open ears, it will bring great shame to me and my king, and I would rather die than let that happen, so please tell no one, I beg you, please.

N:   Anglo nodded, "I swear on my wings that I will not tell a soul," he replied, "No one deserves to experience such shame." Celtica, England, and Johann nodded in agreement; all swore not to tell anyone.

"Hmm," Saxon grinned, "a case of forbidden love, I see," causing England to facepalm himself. However, the entity's smile faltered when the winged country whacked him upside the head with his wing. "Oww, sorry," he apologized, but he still got an annoyed stare from Anglo, "I also swear not to tell anyone."

"So, um," Johann started, attempting to change the topic, "Sir Rowen, since I would prefer to not stay in King Mandoria's room for the third night in a row, would I be able to stay at yours?"

M:   Rowen sighed in relief that everyone agreed to keep the conversation a secret, and when Johann changed the subject he gladly jumped on it.

"Of course, you're under my care after all. I don't actually live in the castle, the knights and I have a separate neighborhood nearby where we live with our families, it's only walking distance away."

"You'll come back tomorrow right," Mandara asked, "Derogan might feel better by then."

N:   "I definitely will," Johann answered, "but I might go and check on Derogan before I go."

"And while you're there," Anglo said, glancing at England, "tell that England's sorry for what he said before." England looked away but he nodded in agreement.

The human boy furrowed his brow, "as long as England doesn't say it to him himself, I doubt he would accept it, and I'm not sure he would accept it in the first place in his current situation."

The table went silent as everyone finished off their dish, and when they were finished, Celtica stood up and bid everyone good night, and England did the same and led the Celt to the wing where the rest of the British were staying.

M:   Rowen followed the children to the princes' room, also wanting to check on Derogan. When they arrived and opened the door, it was dark inside and the older prince was sound asleep, holding his plush horse rather tightly.

"I think we should let him rest," Rowen whispered, quietly shutting the door," Mandara, are you planning to sleep in your father's room again?"

"No, Derogan needs me more than Father does," Mandara said, then hugged Johann, "thanks for helping comfort him, you are such a great friend."

N:   Johann hugged him back, "It's nothing really. You did a much better job than I could ever do, but I'll do anything for a friend." He let go, bid the prince goodnight, and waved as he followed Rowen outside.

Looking up to the now starry sky, Johann strolled beside the captain, and despite being excited to see his new home, he tried to contain his excitement and walk as calmly as possible.

M:   Rowen led him to the first house on the street, the castle was still within view of the neighborhood. The homes were modest-sized but by no means small, built to house a family of four and Rowen's was no different.

"I can not begin to tell you how excited I am to finally bring you here Johann," the captain said, placing an arm around the boy, "living in a house this big gets pretty lonely, with only a dog and a cat to keep me company, it will be nice to have another human to share it with."

He led Johann inside, it was quaint and inviting inside with a warm atmosphere that made one want to stay. The door led to the living room where a large Maine Coon cat was warming itself by the fireplace, then soon a German Shepard came padding in to greet his new housemate.

"This is Titan," Rowen introduced the dog to Johann, "and over there is Lyra"

N:   "Hallo, Titan," he greeted the dog approaching him. He held out his hand so the German Shepherd can familiarise with the human, and when he did, the boy started to softly stroke his back.

After a moment, he went over to the fireplace and greeted Lyra, and when she didn't respond, Johann stretched out his hand to stroke her fur. However, when he got too close, Lyra hissed and whacked his hand away with her paw, causing the boy to jump back.

"Scheisse," he yelped, quickly withdrawing his hand, "so it may take some time for us to be on friendly terms." He pointed at his eyes and then pointed at the cat, "I'm watching you," to which Lyra only replied with a meow and faced away towards the fire.

M:   "Sorry about that, Lyra has always been a little sassy," Rowen told him, "she wouldn't purposely try to hurt you though.

The adult led Johann further into the house, Titan followed close behind, Rowen went up to a door and opened it, revealing a bedroom.

"This will be your room from now on," he announced, "it was a guest bedroom so it's still a little bland, but I took it upon myself to buy you some new clothes so you can wear something clean tomorrow, since I'm fairly certain you have been wearing the same clothes for the past three days. Is there anything I can get you before you settle in?"

N:   Johann looked around the room and he couldn't believe that this room was going to be his. He wandered a bit and rested his hand on his bed, and smiled as it slowly sunk from its softness. Wanting to test out the pillow, he placed his head on it and closed his eyes while his head sank from its own weight. After all this time, he's finally home. He quickly pulled Rowen into a hug, "Danke, danke, danke, (Thank you, thank you, thank you,)" he repeated, "this is perfect."

After repeatedly thanking the captain, he looked up and asked, "could I have a glass of milk before I sleep?"

M:   Rowen simply hummed in response to the request, just hugging Johann like their lives depended on it. He always wanted a family and now he finally got his wish, it was probably the happiest moment of his life and he would cherish every moment of it. He eventually let go and went to fetch Johann's milk while Titan decided to give him kisses to welcome him to his new home.

N:   Johann laughed when he received the kisses, "that's a lot, boy. HAHA, thank you Titan, thank you." He rubbed just under the dog's ears, causing him to bark and form what resembled a smile. "You like that, don't you," the boy smiled, and after a moment he stopped, "I need to change now so you need to wait outside, ok?". When the German Shepherd did, the boy closed the door and began changing into his new pajamas, and when he opened the door, he grinned to see Titan sitting right outside.

The German Shepherd followed the human as the boy went to the bathroom and cleaned himself up from the slobbery kisses and brushed his teeth before returning back to the bedroom. Sliding into bed, Titan rested his head on the covers, so Johann patted his head, getting small sighs of contentment.

M:   Rowen returned to see Titan had jumped up into bed with Johann to keep him company, causing the adult to chuckle in amusement.

"I guess Titan has already taken a fondness for you," he stated, placing the glass on the nightstand, "I think you will have no problem settling in Johann. My room is just down the hall on the right if you need anything else, just watch where you step because Lyra will try to eat your ankles if you walk into her."

N:   Johann's eyes widened when he heard and pulled his legs closer to himself. "I'll keep that in mind," he muttered, scanning the floor for a certain feline. However, Titan quickly dispelled his fears by planting more kisses on the boy's face, making him laugh.

He bid Rowen goodnight, and when the captain had left, he took a gulp of his milk. As he got himself comfortable, the German Shepherd huddled into him, and the boy quickly dozed off.

——— o ———

"Had the fighting stopped, Mama?" the young Saxon boy asked his mother. She turned around and glanced worryingly at her husband, who also was equally unsure of the answer.

"Yes, mein kleiner Junge (my little boy)," she answered uneasily, "I'm sure Herr Saxon had come to some sort of peace with Herr Prussia." However, she was interrupted by shouting and screaming outside the house. The mother pulled her son closer while the father peeked through the window to see what was going on. He quickly ducked down, his eyes filled with fear, and mouthed, "Sie kommen (they're coming)."

The mother tried to usher her son towards the back, but he refused to go, so she crouched down and whispered, "Johann, mein Sohn (my son), you have to listen to me and go, ok?" The boy, confused, nodded and began to walk away, but suddenly stopped when he heard the front door slam open. He quickly ran back and hid himself just around the corner to the living room, and his eyes widened when he saw a bunch of armed Prussian knights.

"Now, who we have here," one of them sneered, yanking his mother by the hair, "one feisty wife and an utterly useless husband." The boy glanced at his father, limp in the corner, and for a second he thought he was dead, until one of the knights kicked the man in the gut, causing him to cough.

"I wonder if they have a child," one of the knights thought out loud, and was about to search the place when another knight grabbed them by the arm, "I know who would like to get their children, but we got strict orders not to harm them."

The knight shrugged the other's arm off, "that damn Saxon ruining the fun," he muttered, but then he glanced at the fireplace and smiled, "we could, accidentally, cause a fire, and it's not our fault if someone burns alive in it. Plus, it would clear this place of any dreckige Bauern (filthy peasants)." With that, he tossed a ton of firewood into the fire, causing the fire to grow four times the size and the wooden structure of the home caught on fire. The knights cackled as they dragged the parents out of the house, leaving the home ablaze.

The boy ran as fast as he could out of the house, trying his best not to breathe in too much smoke, and when he saw his father's sword, grabbed it and ran. The moment he escaped, the house began to implode on itself, the fires licking their way to the top, and the boy could only watch as his home and life were taken away from him. "Run," was the only thought he could think, "run," and the boy turned and ran. He ran and ran, refusing to stop for anything. Refusing to wipe away his tears; refusing to believe that his parents were gone. He ran into the dark forest and refused to stop.

——— o ———

"MAMA," Johann shouted, suddenly sitting upright in bed, completely covered in sweat. The boy shivered, not able to let the image go, and hugged Titan tightly to try to comfort himself. He shut his eyes, trying to go back to sleep, but only saw the burning house, and his eyes began to water. It was pitch black in the room, the only source of light coming from the full moon that lit the sky.

Continuing to hug the German Shepherd, he asked him, "could y-you take me to Rowen, bitte?" The dog jumped down from the bed, and when the boy had gotten down too, he allowed the human to hold onto his collar as he led him through the dark corridor. When they arrived, Johann tentatively opened the door to the captain's room, and weakly asked, "Rowen, could I stay with you tonight?"

M:   Rowen was actually startled awake by Johann screaming, his disoriented mind wasn't sure if what he heard was real since he normally doesn't sleep with someone else in the house.

When Johann came in Rowen slightly jumped but relaxed when he recognized the boy.

"Yeah, of course you can," he mumbled tiredly, he scooted over in bed and moved the covers so Johann had somewhere to sit, "I heard you screaming, did you have a nightmare?"

N:   Johann nodded as sat next to Rowen, quietly thanking the captain for allowing him to stay. The boy drew in his legs and began to slowly rock forwards and backward as he hummed to himself, calming himself down. Titan padded towards him, and when he rested his head on the bed, the boy absentmindedly patted his head while he continued humming.

"I-I saw my home burn," he spoke softly, and he squeezed his eyes shut, "the fire was so big and I couldn't do anything." He laid down on the bed and kept his legs towards his chest, making himself as small as possible as if trying to hide away from the world.

M:   Rowen frowned, understanding dawning in his eyes, he pulled Johann close and hugged him tightly.

"I'm sorry you had to witness that," he said softly, "oddly enough I know exactly how you feel. My wife and unborn baby perished in a blaze as well, the cause was never determined. We both lost the ones we loved to fire, so all we can do is help each other to heal those burns."

He wiped a tear from Johann's face, "your old home may be gone, but you have a new home and a new family with me and the royal family, and I swear to the great spirits that we will never leave you."

N:   Johann snuggled up to Rowen and felt safe in his arms, listening to every word he said. "Danke," he whispered, and soon his shivering stopped, only the small rise and fall of the boy's chest as drifted to sleep. Occasionally, there would be a small whimper, but the human stayed sound asleep.

M:   Rowen slowly and carefully lay Johann down and pulled the covers up, the adult still held him close and would rub his back when he whimpered.

When the sun started coming up Rowen would normally be gone to work by now, but he decided to stay with the child so he wouldn't be scared.