What is... "Home?" (Hetalia Fanfic, W.A. '13 Finalist)

Chapter 76~!

"Oi! Lass! It's your turn to feed the prisoner!" Carvell, the large man with the gold earring that made him stand out, yelled to me.

I sat up, sweat dripping from my brow from my hard work. "Is it really? I didn't even know we had prisoners onboard."

"Aye, we do. Now get down there and feed him," he ordered, pushing the tray into my hands.

"But where is he being held?" I asked, but all Carvell did was point to the door leading belowdeck and mutter, "Last hallway, you'll hear him before you see him."

"Comforting," I mumbled to myself in English as I did as I was told. The hallways became darker and darker the farther in I traveled, making slight feelings of claustrophobia rise in me. True to his word, I heard shouting and general anger coming from a few corridors down and followed that until I reached a row of doors with bars over each small window.

"Vhy, I vill tear your throats out und use zhem as decorations for my ship!" the angered man inside the second cell yelled, enraged. Of course, there was no one else but me there, so I had to wonder if this man's head was on straight.

"Hey, hey! Buddy!" I called, realizing in the back of my mind that he could speak English. "Hungry? I brought something for ya."

"Nein, I don't vant anyzhing zhey give me!" he roared, pale hands on the bars as he rattled them. "Zhe Awesome Gilbert Beilschmidt doesn't bow to little girls!"

If I had been drinking, I would have done the world's best spit take ever. "Prussia?"

"How do you know me?" he asked, his anger calmed somewhat for a moment as he looked at me through the bars. It was him alright, there was no mistaking those red eyes, snow-white hair, or pale complexion.

"Holy... Prussia, I had no idea you'd been captured by Rayn!" I exclaimed, setting the tray down. "This is... Wow. I'm gonna have some good blackmail material when I get home."

"Zhat little girl is going to get it vhen I get out of here!" he shouted, shaking his door. "Vhy aren't my country skills vorking?"

"Here," I said, sliding the tray through the slot at the bottom of the door. "Listen, I can't tell you much, but I'm on your side."

"You didn't answer how you know I am a country," he pointed out while bending down to snatch up a piece of bread.

"I... can't answer that. It's too complicated. But I'm in the same boat as you, both literally and figuratively." Oh, bad pun, Melina.

"Ja, I can see zhat. Vhat happened to you, vere you taken prisoner? Don't tell me you're a pirate captain, too! No more teenage captains!"

I shook my head. "No, nothing like that. Rayn's men kidnapped me at the coast in France, along with some of the other countries."

His ears perked at that. "Are you serious?"

I nodded. "Do you have any idea why she's kidnapping countries?"

He nodded, and I saw his shoulders move like he was crossing his arms. "She's been trying to gain more power, so she kidnaps ozher countries when zhey aren't expecting it and takes zhem to her island. Zhat's vhere ve are heading now, ja?"

I nodded again. "'Fraid so. Damn! We're kind of screwed, aren't we."

Prussia rolled his crimson eyes. "Maybe you are, but zhe awesome Prussia vill never be a prisoner for long!"

I gave him the universal "Yeah, right" look. "Okay then, enjoy the meal."

"Vait a second!" he called to my turned back. I faced him once more. "Vhat is your name?"