Disclaimer: I don't own Axis Power Hetalia or any of these characters.

This is my first fanfiction made entirely in English, which isn't my native language. Thanks to everyone who helped me make this possible, especially to those two beautiful girls C:

1

When Erzsébet married Roderich, she thought her life was going to be that of an Austrian princess. He was the perfect man for her, he was kind and also a talented musician and all the years he spent trying to conquer her heart were more than she could've asked for. It meant that he was really interested on their compromise. But reality hit her hard after their first week married. Somehow she became a little bird in a cage; Roderich was mostly absent due to his piano concerts around Europe and she… She was another porcelain figure in their house in Vienna. At least that was what she thought while she walked down the stairs every morning Roderich wasn't home, and the house felt so empty…

The piano was the only thing she had to entertain herself while her husband wasn't home. She didn't dare to go outside, afraid of the acid comments the aristocrats would drop upon seeing her alone, so far from her husband. So she played the piano. And Liszt was her favorite composer during those times alone. The maids would always praise her talent, comparing it to that of Roderich, she didn't really ask for any compliment… She was just trying to forget her husband's absence.

Everything exploded when Roderich went to Paris. Erzsébet was more than annoyed with her husband because he never asked about her opinion. But to tell the truth, she had no right to even try to oppose her husband ideas. Her mother always told her about it: "You cannot oppose your husband's opinions". Erzsébet wasn't happy about that; she wanted to be more, to stand on equal footing to her husband, whoever that was. And even if he was Roderich, her opinion had to be considered.

After a while talking to her and trying to make her understand, he decided to invite her, to let her come to Paris with him. This time, as mad as she felt, she refused. Both of them felt as their marriage started to fall apart from that point. Erzsébet also refused to sleep with him that night, and the next morning, Roderich was nowhere to be found; he had already left.

She felt scared at the beginning. She thought Roderich would actually drop her and panicked at the thought. For a few days she stayed at her room, eating just because the maids said so, but not leaving the bed. On the third day, she got up, cleaned herself and decided to leave the house for a while, to have some distraction; maybe looking for a new dress or whatever that could distract her from thinking about her husband. But she didn't notice she wasn't wearing her wedding ring until it was too late.

She stopped at the first shop she saw, wanting to try every dress she laid her eyes on. That wasn't a very good idea anyways, there was no party to attend to, no travel to other European countries… There was nothing fun to do.

Looking at so many beautiful dresses started to feel painful; she didn't want to do that any longer, so she decided that she was only meant to buy some flowers to decorate her room. She thought of maybe roses or tulips; whatever she could find in the shop. She started moving down the street. Everyone looked so happy and enthusiastic that Erzsébet felt a little better there. However, when she arrived to the local florist shop, her gaze was somehow absorbed by a pair of magnetic red eyes whose color resembled that of blood.

She felt as surprised as he was, but she didn't notice that. Now her gaze was captivated by the medals on his chest, over a military uniform that reminded her of the Germans… And his hair white as snow. When she realized that her gaze was corresponded by the man, she looked away, but it was too late and he was already approaching her. There was no way to escape and Erzsébet could only look at the flowers.

His voice sounded strong, thick with an accent she had never heard; she was already used to this Austrian accent and at first, she couldn't understand very well his words. But somehow, she did.

"Good afternoon, Miss." he began. "It seems I managed to catch your attention."

She gazed at the stranger, breathing slowly before speaking.

"I didn't mean to look at you, Mister…"

"General Beilschmidt." he offered his hand, and as Erzsébet let her own hand rest above his, she noticed her mistake. There was no ring on her finger. And she took a dangerous decision.

"Erzsébet Héderváry." she smiled a bit, tasting on her lips her maiden name.

The General smiled.

It wasn't the first time General Beilschmidt visited Vienna. He really admired the city's architecture and it was a fact that he felt stunned by its beauty. Of course he preferred Berlin because it was the capital of the Empire he belonged to, but Vienna was like a secret lover.

He was supposed to stay in Vienna for a short time; he wished he could spend more time there, but it was an order from his superiors and he had to obey. But walking around in the city made him feel just too good. No one recognized him there. He was only another General from the German Empire, from the Prussian forces… And even though he had quite a lot of medals, no one could realize that he was, above everything else, a Prince.

And these days in Vienna were like a little vacation for him, from being a General, from being a Prince. But he didn't expect what happened on those days. He didn't know the mess he was getting in by approaching that brunette in the florist shop. He caught himself on a messy net he couldn't escape kissing the woman's hand, looking at her green forest eyes, feeling himself trembling when she breathed. He never asked if she has married, falling at her feet after looking at her for the first time. And everything he felt at that moment was his own trap.

General Beilschmidt received a visitor the next afternoon. Erzsébet showed up wearing a green dress in the hotel he was staying at. Her beauty left him speechless when he opened the door for her; she smiled at his silence, he didn't speak when she entered his hotel room and took a seat on the closest armchair. That woman didn't ask anything and already made herself at home. Beilschmidt couldn't take his eyes off her, and soon she noticed.

"A-are you feeling well, General?" she asked, almost innocently.

He nodded and closed the door, walking towards another armchair, nearly tripping on the way.

"I… I wasn't expecting you, Miss Héderváry…" he pronounced, sitting quickly, his cheeks felt uncomfortably hot.

She sighed.

"I know… I am very sorry about that. I should've sent a message for you before." realizing her mistake, Erzsébet looked authentically sorry and got up to try to leave the room.

He didn't allow that anyway.

"N-nein… Don't worry, Miss. You can stay." her eyes looked bright; she felt contented while sitting again. "You're welcome here. But I wonder what made you come."

"Oh… I thought we could… just talk about… I don't know. Life?" Red eyes inspected her and she felt her dress getting tight over her waist, suddenly exposing her under his look.

She'd never felt that way before. Not even with her husband. Her lips felt too dry and his perfume invaded every corner of the room. His look started suffocating her; surely visiting him in his hotel room wasn't that of a good idea at all… Since the day before, she couldn't stop thinking about him, about his voice, his gaze and how he dropped information he wasn't supposed to give her, as if he was tempting her to visit him. "I'll stay in Vienna for some days at this hotel in the main street" he said the day before.

"Life is an interesting topic…" he grinned. "… for philosophers, of course. You don't want to talk about that, do you?"

That question took her by surprise. She didn't even felt like talking by now… Only…

"I'm sorry, General… I think I should leave…" she got up once again. This was bad, she was supposed to stay loyal to her husband and never take her ring off, she was supposed to love her husband and never betray him.

She tried to reach for the door handle at the first opportunity, but Beilschmidt had already caught her between his body and the door, almost slamming her against it. His hand reached for her wrist, making it impossible for her to open the door. His breath felt too hot against her skin. He smiled.

"Are you sure you want to leave… so soon, Erzsébet?" he whispered.

She tried to breath, but her lips were already being kissed by the man.

Her lips tasted like caramel and he wondered how a woman could be so delicious. Every time he touched her porcelain skin, he saw her breathing almost heavily. Getting her out of the dress was a tedious work, but the prize was better than he'd ever expected it to be. Erzsébet was made for him and him only. His hand fit perfectly over her waist when he turned her to face him; her lips were as soft and moist as he had expected them to be; her hair smelled like a garden of roses. Everything about her was perfect.

When she felt the bed sheets against her skin, she shivered. His hands were strong and warm over her undergarments; his gaze was lustful and passionate. Fear left her body and now she could only focus in every sensation the man gave her. No more thoughts about Roderich pursued her and she felt free, single and ready to tie this stranger to her body, tight against her skin, her nails sinking greedily in his back, making him part of herself.

Her back arched when he kissed her neck, his hands holding his weight at both sides of her, his bite sent shivers down her spine. She felt his lips going down her neck, kisses tattooed her skin; a hand squeezed her breast. Her breathing stopped for a second. She couldn't regret that. Beilschmidt suddenly realized what he was doing and it felt painfully good. There was no point in going back, she now belonged to him even if marriage stood between them.

His hands laid right where her stockings started covering her legs. Erzsébet tried her best to not melt when he started pulling them down, her lips felt sore after receiving so many kisses and bites from him. It felt so bad, but also so perfect.

"General…" she whispered, he'd already pulled a stocking under her knee.

He grinned, lust clouding his eyes.

"Call me Gilbert." his voice grew deep, his breath hot against her leg's skin.

"Gilbert..." Erzsébet closed her eyes as he kissed her inner thigh. So close.

Her heart was pounding when he asked for her to turn around so he could undo her undergarments. She did as instructed and he started untying her corset, kissing her back softly while doing so. Every kiss made her clutch stronger to the sheets, starting to grow anxious, her naked legs moving against each other, a strong and hot sensation appearing between them. She needed him desperately. She'd already felt that way before with Roderich, but now it was something so big that she couldn't ignore it at all.

His medals rested over the table. Gilbert stopped when he untied the last knot, Erzsébet's back revealed entirely for him. Just for him. Her pale skin became a sanctuary for him as his kisses started leaving little marks on it. Little bites, as if he already knew that she would adore them; strong caresses down her spine made her shiver, arch her back a little more for him.

When she turned around, facing him, holding her corset with her hand, her cheeks were red; green eyes looked at him, accusing him.

"What's…?"

"Your uniform." she said, her eyes looking away for a bit, before turning back at him again. "It's not fair if you're dressed… I… I'll take it off for you."

Gilbert sat beside her and as soon as he did, she was already sitting on his lap and unbuttoning his jacket, trying to hold her corset between her body and his, but allowing Gilbert to look at her breasts pressed against him. It felt soft and warm, and he wanted to do more, to touch more… He was already getting hard and hot, it was unbearable. He needed her terribly.

"Erzsébet… I…" he started breathing profoundly, having her against him and sitting so close to his manhood was suffocating him; she'd already unbuttoned his jacket and now attempted to take it off him.

"Y-yes?" she asked, green meeting crimson, biting her lower lip.

"You're… beautiful." Gilbert tried to breathe.

She smiled and moved to take Gilbert's jacket out of the way, surprised at this new sight she had of him. Scars crossed part of his torso. He looked at her, curious about her expression. He could tell she'd never seen something similar.

"Wait until you see my back." he sighed, smiling afterward.

"I… I didn't expect t-this…" she mumbled, touching the scars softly, scared of hurting him.

He kissed her right cheek, closing his eyes for a bit.

"I've been at war. Swords are dangerous, you know…" he explained, grabbing her hand and making her touch his scars strongly, caressing him hard. "And guns are terrible."

Erzsébet felt this new texture. Closing her eyes she tried to memorize every scar, Gilbert breathing slowly. But something started calling for her; something more important than his scars. Gilbert let her run her hands freely over his skin, and the brunette found herself feeling his heartbeat. Beilschmidt closed his eyes just like she did before. His heart had a new owner now.

Erzsébet kissed every scar and all the pain faded away.

She dropped the corset and the German felt her skin warm against his, so soft compared to the roughness of his own skin. Erzsébet's hand touched his manhood, feeling it hard under the pants he was wearing. It brought him much pleasure; she could see that in his eyes. Their crimson color reflected lust.

Somehow, she felt empowered on that position, sitting on his lap. That was something Roderich would never allow, and Gilbert looked like he was really enjoying it. She moved, her hips danced softly and her crotch rubbed against his. Beilschmidt tried to lie on the bed instead of staying seated; she permitted him to do so, accommodating herself on top once again and now moving and rubbing her body against his.

She felt herself going wet, her panties revealed that to him, and so he tried to pull off the last remaining piece of underwear. She didn't allow that. Not at first.

"I-I'm embarrassed." she whispered.

Gilbert's red eyes were now half-lidded, but when he smiled, Erzsébet felt more confident, even if she was now trying to cover her breasts with her hands and at the same time preventing the German from taking her panties off.

"Don't feel that way." he tried to calm her down a little, giving her more confidence. "Your body is beautiful."

"I just… don't want you to look at me like that."

"Like what?" he asked. Erzsébet felt even more ashamed.

"Like you want to eat me." she answered, her cheeks going red once again.

Gilbert laughed before looking at her with a grin.

"I don't want to eat you." he assured, taking her by the waist, laying her down on the bed and getting on top of her. "I want to devour you."

His lips crashed against hers in a deep kiss that left the brunette breathless, quickly going down to her neck; kisses rained over her chest and stomach. He stopped when he reached her crotch. Erzsébet felt his mouth over her panties and could only clutch to the bed sheets, pulling them. Blood ran to her cheeks and suddenly everything turned so hot that she could barely breathe. Gilbert played, biting the area a little, carefully… She gasped when his teeth moved near her sensitive spot. Roderich never did something similar and it felt so good…

The white-haired man pulled her panties out of the way. Erzsébet moaned when his tongue, warm, wet and soft, tasted her flavor. And that moan motivated him to go further. A finger located her entrance and teased it for a bit. The brunette tried hard to not moan, holding her breath. Gilbert kissed the tip of her nose.

"I'll put a finger in. If it hurts, tell me." he whispered.

Her entrance palpitated when she heard his words, but she nodded pretty fast. And so, a finger went in. She groaned quietly, clutching her eyes closed. It felt tight, hot and wet inside her; Gilbert wondered if it was her first time and pushed a little more in. She gasped, trying to breathe normally. It surprised him to feel no resistance when more than half of his index finger was inside her.

"This… isn't your first time, is it?" he asked, looking at her with a serious glare.

She nodded. It was supposed to be the first time.

"It is… I… I ride horses." she answered, her breathing seeming difficult.

Gilbert smiled a little, trusting in every word and taking away his finger. She relaxed a bit after he was done with that. But it didn't take much time until the German asked for more.

"Erzsébet." her name sounded so perfect in his deep voice, in that thick accent. "I'll put it in now."

Green eyes met red once again. She nodded and he pulled off his pants and underwear. His manhood looked really hard and the only glance she got of it made it clear that it wasn't going to be as easy as it was with Roderich. It was a little longer and thicker to what she was supposed to be used to, but it seemed perfect to pretend she was still a virgin.

"Just… be careful."

"I will. Don't worry, liebe." he kissed her cheek, his hand guiding him inside of her.

Gilbert couldn't stop thinking about her. He could remember vividly the way she moved against him, every moan, every kiss… He tried to convince himself that he felt nothing for her and that lust was what moved him to make love to her. No, to have sex with her. But he could smell her perfume all over his bed, he wanted to taste her lips again, he craved her body, his hands needed to touch her warm and soft skin. He had to see her, only once more; even if that was a bad idea.

Erzsébet closed her eyes, sinking in the bath tub; foam caressed her skin, water soothed her with its warm temperature. She couldn't believe what had happened. She didn't belong to her husband anymore. General Beilschmidt had taken everything from her and now something different bloomed inside her. Her skin trembled when she touched it, as if it remembered every caress the German gave it, her lips shivered when she tasted her own saliva, feeling his flavor in it. And her clothes… she knew they didn't smell of her perfume, but his instead. Could it be that she fell in love with the wrong man? She knew that he was leaving Vienna soon and returning to Berlin. There was no hope of seeing him again. Or that was what they thought.

Friday came so soon. Erzsébet spent most of the time playing the piano and it didn't even remind her of her husband. Roderich was just a shadow and she felt him as part of the past. The maids noticed her happiness after those two days she went out and curiosity started growing inside the Edelstein's residence. One of them noticed something important: Lady Erzsébet didn't wear her wedding ring at all. And the rumors began running fast. Were they separated? Was she rejecting the marriage? No one asked her anything, but they assumed that something wrong happened and on the days she left the house they would start creating a variety of stories.

Friday was the day before Roderich came home but also was the day Gilbert was supposed to leave Vienna.

The brunette left the house so she could attend to the Cathedral and pray. It was something she always did in Budapest, and it was natural for her to continue now that she was in Vienna, and dressed with a crème colored gown and a veil, she entered the church.

She took a seat at a row near the middle of the Cathedral, her eyes closed when she started praying. For Gilbert it was a surprise finding her there and silently he sat beside her, looking at the altar and then at the rest of the Cathedral. It was almost empty and the few people that were inside were actually far enough from them. He breathed strong enough for her to notice. And she looked at him, mad at first but… her expression changed; it turned into a soft smile. The German felt nervous and as he moved, his medals started clinking.

"Gilbert." she whispered, her soft smile becoming sweet.

"Erzsébet." he answered, as red painted his cheeks.

"You can call me Erzsi." she interrupted. "I didn't expect to find you here."

"Well, um… Erzsi… I could say the same about you…" he shrugged, smiling at her.

"In Hungary I used to pray a lot." she started, her eyes wandering through the Cathedral, admiring every sculpture and how the light trespassed some of the windows. "It's not surprising that I keep doing it here."

Gilbert nodded. He wasn't admiring the church at all, but concentrated looking at the woman beside him. God bless her. He didn't answer in that opportunity. So she kept talking.

"I thought that you'd already left… I see I was mistaken."

"I'm leaving, yes. In a few hours…" he answered now.

"Oh… So, are you going to Berlin?" she asked once again, her hands rested on her lap.

He nodded, smiling.

"Berlin is a beautiful city. You should visit it, Erzsi." he looked suddenly happy, his red eyes gazing at her intently.

"I'll try to." she smiled, feeling a little void growing inside of her. This was their goodbye. She'd probably never see him again. It was something too hard for her to accept just like that. That man beside her was the man that she probably loved, she knew it, and she had to do something about it… She couldn't just let him go like that.

"I think I should leave. I have to pack some things before I go…" Gilbert attempted to get up but something stopped him from doing so.

Erzsébet's hand was clutched to his knee. Gilbert had to swallow down and stay there. She wanted to say something, to do something; and he gave her the time to do so. It was very surprising when she closed the distance between them, her perfume invading his personal space with that floral essence of red roses. He blinked and the second after, her lips were kissing his.

The medals clinked once again as Gilbert lifted a hand to hold her chin, the kiss growing as desperate and passionate as deep it was. The German could never pay every sin he'd made under God's sight; he knew it as his free hand tried to lift the crème colored dress and touch her thigh and as it touched her breast a while later.

Abruptly, she cut the contact, her breath heavy and her cheeks red. Beilschmidt savored his lips and his eyes stuck at the cross behind the altar. Not even Jesus could save him now.

"I'm sorry." she whispered, her voice trembled. "That was inappropriate."

"D-don't worry." he replied, his gaze turning to see her.

A lonely tear traveled down her cheek. This was goodbye. He… he'd never see her again. He didn't want to hurt her even more by saying something else. "Ich liebe dich" was something he wanted to say but… It'd be even worse. For a moment it seemed like she wanted to speak, but no words left her mouth.

Silently, Gilbert kissed the tear and smiled sadly.

"Pray for me, Erzsi." he asked, before getting up and leaving.

She didn't wave goodbye at him, she didn't even look at him while he left. Sadness filled her heart and she felt empty and lonely.

As Roderich was leaving the party at the Count's manor, someone stopped him. A tall blonde held an envelope for him. The brown-haired musician took it from his hand.

"What is this, Ludwig?" he asked, looking at the suspicious envelope. His name was written in black ink, but there was no clue of who sent it.

"An invitation." the blonde said, seriously.

Roderich opened the envelope and found an invitation card, addressed for Mr. and Mrs. Edelstein. His violet eyes ran over the card. It was for a private party in Berlin, held by non-other than the Kaiser himself.

"What is…"

"I know you may not believe it." Ludwig sighed. "But my father wants to see you and meet your lovely wife."

Roderich nodded, turning the card and looking at the perfect manuscript. This was his opportunity to be forgiven by Erzsébet. He couldn't ruin it.

"Are your brothers attending too?" he asked. That was his only fear.

"Not really…" the blond seemed to think for a while. "Well… I think Gilbert is coming for the party."

Roderich swallowed hard.