Blind Justice- The Sacred Angel and The Poison Prince

Act I- Priest

O-o-O-o-O

"The water drops of time fall along the leaves and branches.

The drops shiver and fall with an innocent prayer."

-Akiko Shikata, Ta Ga Tame no Sekai

O-o-O-o-O

The sun slowly sank below the horizon, the sky becoming a tempera of citron hues. Despite the fast-coming sunset, Rome was alive and brimming with activity. Street vendors hawked their wares and ladies, dressed in luxurious gowns of samite and silk, conversed with each other at the cafés. Flowering blossoms and fragrant herbs grew in abundance at storefronts, masking the sweet rot of the marketplace

Smelling the spiced aroma of the plants, a fresh wave of homesickness washed over Feliciano. The little boy gripped the leather reins tightly, swaying back and forth as the white palfrey he rode ambled down the cobblestone path at a leisurely pace. He stole a glance to the side, seeing the heavily armed guard Giovanni insisted they traveled to Rome with, and looked away, struggling to ignore the pedestrians who gawked at the small group.

Feliciano wasn't shy. In fact, he loved socializing with other people and bringing a smile to their faces. But here, without his family, he felt naked and exposed. There was no warm Nonno to comfort him if he erred and there wasn't Lovino to stand right by and defend him. Just a taciturn guard dressed in cold steel armor, and the aloof Monsignor. It was quite a shame he felt so uncomfortable here, else he would've loved Rome with its blushing marble architecture and gurgling fountains. He would've found the marketplace fascinating, despite the fetid odor of the fish and stranger items, and would have begged Romulus for some sweets. He would've chatted animatedly with the pretty waitress and gotten chewed out by Lovino, in turn.

However, he couldn't do any of that now. More than anything, he just wanted to arrive at the Priest's district where he would be trained and hide somewhere, never to be seen again. He wished Giovanni would hurry up and stop making him feel as if he were part of a freak show. He cleared his throat to speak but caught the guard's eye and fell silent, hanging his head.

The three continued to traverse the streets of Rome at a maddeningly languorous pace. Feliciano began to suspect that Giovanni was deliberately taking the scenic route, much to the younger child's dismay. He bit the inside of his cheek, struggling against the stinging tears that pricked the corners of his eyes. He was tired, mortified, and frightened. Why couldn't the Monsignor see that? The Priest back at home wouldn't be this cruel. So why would the Monsignor, a high-ranking official in the Church, subject him to this torture?

Feliciano looked down, studying the stitchery in the leather saddle, and began to mumble a prayer under his breath to pass the time.

-The Sacred Angel and The Poison Prince-

After just short of what seemed like an eternity, the trio finally arrived at the Priest's district.

Feliciano's eyes widened at the stately patrician architecture of the palazzo, his fear and anxiety momentarily forgotten. The grandeur of the buildings with their gilded cupolas and the marble villas with their shady orchards seemed almost sinful. It made his nonno's estate was a mere peasant's plot of land in comparison. A sweet breeze tinged with jessamine wafted through the courtyard, tousling his hair playfully. With a curt nod, Giovanni motioned for the guard to help Feliciano dismount, and gracefully got off his own chestnut charger.

Feliciano's legs wobbled, unsteady on solid ground after eight hours of riding. His back felt even worse, sore all over. He wouldn't be surprised if he had bruises. He teetered forward, his arms flailing as he struggled to maintain balance. The guard caught him just as the small child was about to fall face-first on the ground.

"Careful, child," intoned Giovanni, looking over his shoulder with a small smirk on his face. Feliciano sighed and bowed his head, muttering his apologies in an undertone. The Monsignor's lips quirked upwards and he shook his head, rolling his eyes. "It's nothing to be sorry for. I'm just warning you, because it would be a shame if something unfortunate happened."

"Sì, Signor," Feliciano replied, nodding his head. He folded his hands together, anxiously shifting his weight, waiting for the Monsignor to give further instructions. He hoped that it wouldn't be something along the lines of giving a speech. He doubted that he'd be able to speak. Already over the shock-and-awe of seeing such splendor in person, his nervousness was already returning, swelling into a lump in his throat. "Uhm.." he trailed quietly. Giovanni turned around, staring at Feliciano with a detached expression.

"Sì?" Giovanni replied. Feliciano pursed his lips into a worried line, hesitating. He looked down, examining the flawless stonework of the ground. "Child," Giovanni sighed, "if you have something to say, please say it." Feliciano drew a deep breath and slowly lifted his gaze up.

"What are we supposed to do now, ve?"

Giovanni gave him a rueful smile and liberally massaged his temples. Feliciano stared curiously at him, wondering why the Monsignor appeared so thoroughly exasperated. "I am waiting for Luca, who will come and relieve me, so I can return to the Vatican to report to the Cardinals," explained Giovanni. Feliciano nodded slowly, his eyes widening.

"Ooh."

"Giovanni! Monsignor!" A white-clad figure came dashing out into the courtyard, flapping his arms wildly. Feliciano gaped incredulously at the man as he stumbled to an abrupt stop, his umber locks messy, an angular curl sticking out to the side like a sore thumb. Giovanni groaned and buried his face in his hands.

"You…" he grumbled, looking up at the disheveled Priest with a black look. The Priest laughed airily, hastily flattening his hair and turned his attention to Feliciano, giving the child a warm smile.

"Are you Feliciano Vargas?" he asked and held his hand out. Tentatively, Feliciano held his hand out in reply. The Priest shook it eagerly and leaned forward so he could peck the child on the cheek. "It's nice to meet you, mio cugino!" Feliciano cocked an eyebrow, staring dubiously at the Priest.

"Che cosa?"

Abruptly, Giovanni cleared his throat, stepping between the two of them. "This man here is Luca Vargas, your mother's younger brother," he interjected, cutting off the Priest's answer. Luca's mouth snapped shut and he nodded, a sheepish grin on his face. Feliciano's mouth formed a perfect little "o" as he scrutinized the Priest with an amazed expression.

"How come Nonno hasn't mentioned you?" he asked. Giovanni hurled a stabbing look in Luca's direction, muttering a virulent stream of words under his breath. Luca chuckled, his golden-brown eyes sparkling.

"To be honest… Him and I don't share the best relationship. It's a long story which explains how I actually-"

Giovanni snorted and folded his arms. "Don't you have any shame? You're talking about it far too casually!" he snapped. Luca shrugged, tilting his head to the side.

"You should know I'm a stranger to shame," he replied offhandedly. The Monsignor's eyes flashed, his distaste almost palpable. Feliciano took a step forward, holding his hand up.

"Uh… what is the rea-"

"Nothing no child should ever know," Giovanni interrupted curtly. "Maybe when you're older. In the meantime-" he shot Luca a withering glare "-I trust I didn't make the worst mistake of my life."

Luca rolled his eyes, folding his arms. "Definitely not of your life," he grumbled, an acidic note edging its way into his voice. Giovanni bared his teeth in a fierce approximation of a mock-smile.

"We all sin, dear Luca. I just pray that you act responsibly when handling this child. 'Lest, I'll have to contact his eminency about the incident. I assure you, he will not be pleased," he sang sardonically. Luca waved his words away, appearing utterly annoyed.

"Sì, sì. Whatever you say, Signor. I'll be sure to behave." He looked back at Feliciano with a forced smile and performed a quick bow. "Are you excited to meet your Shield?" Feliciano stared blankly at him, bewildered at what was happening. It felt as if he were tripping after ingesting something nasty.

"What?"

Luca shot Giovanni an irritated look. The Monsignor responded with an equally choleric stare of his own. "I thought I'd give you a chance to prove yourself competent and explain it yourself." Luca snorted and threw his hands up into the air.

"Can you just go attend to your duties already, you ass?" he grumbled. Feliciano's expression morphed into one with equal parts disgust and shock. Why were these two Priests speaking to each other with such bitter words? They were all special. All God's children. They should know that better than anyone. So why…?

"Certainly," Giovanni replied in an overly-saccharine manner, flourishing it with a melodramatic bow. He turned to the guard, snapping his fingers. "Let's go," he barked and mounted his charger. The guard nodded and grabbed the white palfrey's reins, walking over to Luca.

"Here," he stated gruffly and held the reins out towards Luca. The Priest's upper lip curled back. He placed a hand on his hip, shaking his head with a disbelieving expression.

"Do I look like a stable boy to you?"

Despite himself, Feliciano couldn't help the small smile that creeped onto his face. He certainly acted like a member of Famiglia Vargas. He struggled to wipe the grin away. Luca is a Priest, he reminded himself, He should be accepting and friendly. Not behaving like mio fratello… A needle of pain stabbed him in the heart. He flinched.

"Per favore," Giovanni enquired with a simpering smile and a mocking tenor. "After all, you are a Priest, no? Dedicated to serving others and doing good in-"

"Oh, zitto! Prendo il cavallo stupido!" Luca groused, snatching the reins away from the stoney-faced guard. The guard nodded wordlessly and trotted over to Giovanni, mounting his own destrier before riding away with the Monsignor. Luca watched them go with a petulant expression.

"Good riddance," he huffed. "That man always rubs on me the wrong way." Feliciano pursed his lips into a thin line and looked at the palfrey, meeting the horse's gentle, coal black, eyes.

"Why can't you get along with him, ve? After all, we're all God's children," he enquired, his eyes wide and guileless. Luca heaved a deep breath and gave the palfrey a disparaging look, shaking his head.

"Vero, but siblings don't always get along. Sometimes it's easier to gain God's forgiveness than it is to betray yourself and smile at someone who is Lucifer incarnate." Feliciano looked horrified, he clapped a hand over his mouth. Seeing it, Luca flexed his shoulder lackadaisically, unfazed by the child's reaction.

"I know that's a pretty harsh comparison, but trust me. Stay away from that man as much as possible. He is far more than he appears," warned the Priest. Feliciano ignored him, eager to change the topic.

"So, what is a Shield exactly? I'd think it's something warriors carry into battle to defend themselves, but you put it differently…" Luca frowned at the abrupt change in topic, but decided it was probably for the best that they didn't discuss it much further. Hopefully, the child wouldn't need to worry about the Monsignor. No sense frightening his young cugino.

"That sort of the general idea," the Priest responded. "A Shield is someone who protects a person of importance." Feliciano's lips turned downwards in a confused frown.

"I thought that was a guard," he retorted. Luca's mouth turned upwards, widening into a broad grin.

"Normally, that is. But a Shield is your life-long partner, unless you wish otherwise. They stay by your side at all times, with a sword in hand to defend you if the occasion should ever arise."

The child nodded slowly, taking it all in. "Why do I need a Shield?" he questioned. He was just a young boy. He had no ambitions nor did he want to engage in controversy. Up until today, his lifelong dream was to live with his family and help Lovino, who would ideally take over the estate for Romulus when he died. They'd both get married and have kids and everything would be sedate and fulfilling. Even now, he still wanted a peaceful life. Serve the Lord and do good in the world. Why would he need a Shield if all he wanted was to live quietly and help people?

Luca paused, looking pensive. "I really don't know, but I've heard the whispers of the other Priests. There are big things in store for you. I'm willing to bet that you'll someday be someone important, destined to change the world." Feliciano blanched, turning white as a sheet.

"Per favore, no. I don't want to be a revolutionary or a saint, ve. My biggest dream would be to live a fulfilling and peaceful life," he protested, taking a step backwards. Luca chortled humorlessly, shaking his head.

"Ya' know, kid… I wanted to get married and run an inn with my smoking hot wife, but look at me now." He sighed, rubbing his forehead. "It's strange how God works. He rarely gives you what you ask for." He looked at Feliciano, amused at the child's befuddled expression. "But who knows? Perhaps you will get your simple and calm life of doing good. In the meantime, we can't take any chances with your life." Feliciano nodded, folding his hands together.

"I understand, Signor," he said respectfully. Luca chortled and raked a hand through his hair.

"Just call Luca, Feli. Really, please skip the formalities. We are family after all, right?" Feliciano startled, but quickly recovered, bobbing his head up and down with a sunny smile on his face.

"Ok!"

Luca's face lit up, radiant with joy. "Great!" he exclaimed enthusiastically. "Would you mind accompanying me while I hand this damned horse over to the stablemaster, so you can meet your shield?" Feliciano raised his eyebrows, placing his hands on his hips. Luca's eyes widened. "Huh?"

"I don't think the horse appreciated that," Feliciano retorted wryly. Luca tilted his head to the side, glancing at the horse, who nodded, tossing its platinum mane.

"That was uncanny," Luca said after an awkward moment of silence. It had to be a coincidence, but still… Too weird. Feliciano laughed, a clear pealing sound that made the birds resting in the boughs of the laurel and olive trees trill in response.

"But yes, I will gladly accompany you." He bowed and skipped over to the horse, patting the palfrey on the head. "It'd be interesting to see where the horses are kept anyways."

Luca crinkled his nose. "You shouldn't be too eager, the place smells of shit." Feliciano chuckled, shaking his head.

"The horses have to go somewhere, right?" Feliciano looked up at Luca, a devilish light sparkling in his wide eyes. "Whenever I had to use the chamber pot, it smelled really badly, no matter where I went."

Luca raised an eyebrow, catching the subtle insinuation in Feliciano's words. Maybe it was unintentional, maybe not. Perhaps, this child was a bit more clever than he first thought.

-The Sacred Angel and The Poison Prince-

Sighing, Ludwig paced back and forth restlessly, standing vigilant guard in front of the door. Running his fingers through his golden-blonde hair, he scanned the corridor with his sharp cerulean eyes. Where were they? He'd be a great deal more relaxed if they would just arrive already. What if something had happened to them? That'd be a great way to lose his rank, low as it was. Fail your task before it had even started. He'd be the laughingstock of the army for years to come. He groaned and buried his face in his hands, slumping against the wall, the roughness of the lime-washed surface reassuring to him.

"Danke, Gilbert…" he grumbled under his breath. Never before in his life had his emotions came in such a mixed bag. He should be happy that he was assigned the important task of being someone's Shield, as it was a rare honor. Not frustrated and wishing that his older brother didn't volunteer him for the position. He had to be the youngest person in the Empire's entire history to be a Shield. In heaven's name, what was Gilbert thinking? He was only nine! Not even old enough to be on the field of combat!

"Hey… What are you doing?"

Ludwig froze, not daring to look up. No way… No way did he allow someone to sneak up on him and catch him unawares. What would his father say?

"Is something the matter?" a different voice, this one belonging to a young boy around his age, enquired. Slowly, he looked up at the two people standing in front of him: a bright-eyed Priest looking to be in his late-teens and a young brown-haired boy with a borderline-androgynous face, appearing even younger than Ludwig himself. He pushed himself to his feet and dusted his legs off.

"Ah, I am Ludwig Beilschmidt. I'm just waiting for the arrival of my charge, Feliciano Vargas," he replied formally, holding his hand out. Looking stunned, Feliciano weakly shook Ludwig's hand, hardly believing the blonde's words. Apparently, Luca shared his surprise. The Priest made a noise of disbelief and whipped his head back and forth. Ludwig inhaled sharply and released Feliciano's hand, taking a step back.

"It's true," he retorted indignantly. "If you have any doubts, you can see if this seal is official." He withdrew an envelope, emblazoned with a maroon seal, and handed it to Luca. The Priest stared at the envelope for the longest time before taking it and ripping it open. He scanned the letter it contained, his face becoming more comically dumbfounded with each passing second.

"You weren't supposed to open it!" Ludwig cried out angrily. "That was for Feliciano and the-"

"Uh…" the child trailed, looking uncomfortable. Fuming, Ludwig's glare shot in his direction.

"What?" he snapped tartly. Feliciano cringed and took a step backwards, clenching a fistful of his tunic in each hand. Luca snorted and threw the letter on the floor, throwing his arms up in the air.

"That is Feliciano, idiota!" he shot back. "What are those people thinking? Have they finally taken leave of their senses?" The Priest seethed, his cheeks flushing a blotchy puce color. Ludwig's eyes widened as everything hit him at once with the force of a training sword to the head. He wasn't a Shield after all. Just a glorified playmate for this child. He sighed, face-palming himself.

Feliciano began to chew on his fingernails, looking anxious. "Ah…" he muttered something under his breath. Ludwig stared, alternating his gaze between Luca and Feliciano, feeling highly resentful. He had lost his place amongst the footsoldiers for… this?

Bruder, warum? he thought acerbically to himself. Did Gilbert not think him capable of fighting alongside the soldiers on the battlefield? Was this a joke that he thought would be amusing to play on his little brother? If so, it wasn't funny in the slightest. He'd rather be back training with the other pages in the art of strategy and swordsmanship.

"Well," Feliciano broke the taut silence. He smiled at Ludwig, tilting his head to the side. "We're going to be friends, ve!" He grabbed Ludwig's hand, looking at his Shield with those doe eyes of his. Ludwig stared at him in disbelief. Friends? As if… He was a Soldier, not a nanny. Nevermind the fact he was nine. He wanted to protest, strike down the child's statement. He wanted to assert himself. State that this was completely wrong. But, such actions would be against his training. Instead, he forced a painful smile on his face and he jerked his hand free.

"Sure…" he managed in between clenched teeth. Feliciano's smile brightened, if that was even possible. He clapped his hands together, bouncing in place. Ludwig forced the smile to stay on his face, even though his jaw was screaming at him. If he dropped it, he feared that he'd scream.

And here is the third chapter to Blind Justice! Next should be Dawn… but really guys… I'm freaking out right now… All your support for this story is making me cry tears of joy. You people are all awesome… no lie. I do apologize if Feli, Lud, and Luca (Seborga) were a bit OOC, I just wanted to cast them in a different light. Ludwig is someone who is a bit unsure and always worried about making a fool of himself, but manages to keep calm and be dutiful. Luca is a bit airy, yet passionate, and quick to defend his family. And Feliciano… I managed to remember the "ve" this chapter XD But I just want to portray him as someone else besides an airheaded coward. Yeah, he can get thrown off easily and can be anxious and unsure, but he's also plucky, quick to recover, cheerful, and optimistic. Not to mention a bit more sharp than what others give him credit for.

Ah… but enough of me rambling… I just hope this chapter was good, and here is all the lovely stuff such as reviewer replies and translation notes. We'll be seeing Lovino again next chapter, which is good for me… He's easier for me to write (not to mention, my favorite X3)

Reviewer Replies:

SecretPrussianCitizen- It looks cool? Well that's good :D To be honest… I'm surprised I haven't seen the Poisoner thing… There was an elite guild of poisoners in Italy during the middle ages, and Lovino is oft portrayed as an assassin… Just not as a poison-using assassin XD

Dogsrule- The summary does give it away, no? XD But yeah… Francisco is a dickface… However, I assure you he's going to be the least of the Vargas brothers' problems… I don't intend to let him off easy, though.

SpecialGirlz- Yes for all those yeses! :D As for the arcs… Time will tell, but I hope they're all worth it :D Though I do admit while arc 2 is exciting, arc 4 is where everything is revealed and the true plot is revealed… and man… I'm just going to say… there'll be a lot of rage… A LOT of rage. XD As for my updates… It's whenever I want, though this story is tops for me because 1) It was technically my first story before I rewrote it and 2) This story is fun for me to write and even with the four arcs, one of my shortest stories, at least with the general outline.

The Empress of Moroons- Thank you for reviewing! *Hugs back* I'm just going to warn you that you wouldn't want to reference this for a test XD It's more like casual replay of certain events and usage of Historical figures… You'll learn more about poisoning and plants in this story than you will history XD But there is still a nugget or two there. As for the GoT reference… I WAS WAITING FOR SOMEONE TO NOTICE THAT! XDD You have a good day too!

Translation Notes (Nearly forgot... derp..)

Oh, zitto! Prendo il cavallo stupido! (Italian)- Oh, shut up! I'll take the stupid horse!

Bruder (German)- Brother

Bruder, warum? (German)- Brother, why?