Flowers in the Snow (A CountryHumans Fanfic)

Chapter 4

Sorry for the long wait, school decided to beat me up and bury me in assignments so I had little time to work on it. 

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They ran.

Fire towered behind them.

They ran.

People begged for help.

They ran.

People begged for death.

They ran.

Arrows struck them in the back.

They stumbled.

They still ran.

~~~~

Reich yawned, walking briskly down the spacious hallways towards the dining hall. He fastened the ties of his cloak around his neck, the fabric billowing out behind him. His hair was tied into a messy bun, messier than usual due to their haste. He knew his father would scold him for his unprofessional appearance but he was frankly too tired to care.

Guards saluted him as he passed, Reich giving them a distracted nod of acknowledgement. He nearly ran into a maid, throwing out a quick apology before speeding away. They soon reached the dining hall, the guards opening the doors.

Even before the doors opened, he could hear a heated debate coming from inside. He instantly recognized the raised voices of Spain and his father, their volume only raising once the doors opened. He quickly slinked inside, noticing Britain sitting silently across from his father, Weimar, surprisingly, sitting next to them. Deciding it would be best to avoid the increasingly aggressive argument, Reich seated himself beside his brother.

"Late again, I see", Weimar whispered.

"Oh hush, I had to stay up late last night."

"Oh, so you've finally begun to take your studies seriously?"

"Ha! You wish. Unfortunately, my reasons lay in the fact that I'd prefer to not incur father's wrath."

Weimar laughed quietly, drawing a glance from Britain before they returned their gaze to their uneaten plate of food.

"Well, at least you're not sneaking into my room in the middle of the night to steal my notes," Weimar continued with a chuckle.

"That was one time, Weimar! One time!" Reich quickly retorted.

"If you say so..."

"What is that suppose- You-", Reich took a breath, "Anyway, care to explain why father and King Spain are at each other's throats?"

"They are attempting to make a somewhat reasonable invasion strategy," Britain answered in a quiet mutter. "Unfortunately, your father and Spain hardly see eye to eye."

They turned towards Reich, locking eyes as something flashed in their eyes, almost smug but more akin to a reminder. They quickly looked away, their attention back to their plate.

Reich stiffly nodded before turning their attention to the argument. Weimar glanced between them, having caught the odd flash but not knowing its meaning.

All three jumped when Spain suddenly stood, chair scraping and clattering to the ground in his rage. His tail ignited into a bright orange flame, flickering dangerously. Out of the corner of his eye, Reich observed as Britain suddenly paled, bright pink rhododendrons blossomed on their antlers.