The Pendant of the Manor - A Hetalia AU

Prolouge

Author's POV
"Eliza! Oh! How you've grown! You'll be taller than me someday."

Another Héderváry family reunion. Elizaveta walked around the crowded house, someone she knew around every corner.

She walked into the kitchen, and the smell of a Turkey dinner hit her like a truck.

She walked out into the dining room, where people were starting to be seated. She sat between her parents.

There was more eating in talking, relatives who hadn't seen Elizaveta in a while obsessing over how she'd grown.

Midway through dinner, she'd heard a name she hadn't heard before.

"I don't think Aunt Karol's ever seen you before. And honestly, not like she would want to."

Elizaveta was slightly confused. She knew all her known relatives. "Aunt Karol? I've never heard of her. Who is she?" Elizaveta asked.

The aunt, who'd first mentioned Aunt Karol, replied. "Your great aunt, but most of your cousins who know her just call her Aunt Karol. She's a bit of... you know what, never mind."

Eliza was still curious. "Can you show me a picture of her?" Her aunt nodded and grabbed a photo book. She opened up the book to a certain page.

The picture was of a young woman, who had a shocking resemblance to Elizaveta. "That was her when she was younger." The aunt said.

Almost everything was the same - The hazel eyes, the long light brown locks, and a smile that made you feel all warm and fuzzy inside.

"She must be different if she's older now, right?" Elizaveta asked. Her aunt sighed. "She's changed so much. She's barely the same person she was in this photo."

Elizaveta continued to ask questions. "Where does she live?" She asked. Her aunt pulled out another picture. It was Aunt Karol standing in front of a Victorian manor, standing next to a man. "Who's that?" Asked Elizaveta.

"Her husband, he passed long ago. She never remarried, and even when he was alive, they never had any kids." The aunt replied.

"That's sad," Elizaveta said. "Why didn't she remarry?" She asked.

"She believed her husband haunted the manor, and would "punish" her if she remarried." The aunt said. "That's why she never left. She never even left to go to the store, she grew crops. She ate only what she grew."

Eliza's eyes widened as the aunt went on. "I remember going there as a kid. It was weird, to say the least. She showed me this pendant, made out of twine and an emerald. She said it was magical, but it was probably a lie."

"Did she say the magic was, like, dangerous?" Eliza asked. The aunt thought for a second. "I overheard a conversation about the magic of the pendant. She said it was dangerous, but it probably wasn't even magical anyway, like I said."

"Wow. I'd like to go visit aunt Karol someday." Elizaveta said. Her aunt froze. "You don't, Eliza. I never slept any of the nights I was there. It was so off." The aunt said.

"Really? It must have been haunted then. But maybe it's just because it looks old." Elizaveta said. Her aunt nodded. "Might just be that. But maybe still don't go there if you value your sleep." Elizaveta laughed at her aunt's statement.

After dinner, Eliza went upstairs. People were upstairs, as well. She went into a storage room and saw a photo album. She reached up and grabbed it. The cover of the album read "A trip to aunt Karol's, 1980."

"Wow," Elizaveta whispered. "So many photos." She opened up the dusty album, dust hitting her straight in the face. She coughed for a second, but then went back to looking through the album.

One photo caught her eye out of the many photos. A photo of all the family together on the porch of the manor. Many family members she recognized, others she didn't. Maybe the ones she didn't know had died.

"They were all together once," Elizaveta said to herself. "I wish I was there. Then I could have met aunt Karol."

"Elizaveta?" She heard her mother call out. Eliza rushed to put the album away before finding her mother. "Coming, mom!"

"Elizaveta!" Her mother exclaimed. "I was looking for you. It's almost time for the family picture! Let me fix your hair." She followed her mom into a nearby bedroom where she fixed her slightly messy hair.

"Mom, did you ever meet aunt Karol? Aunt Beatrix was telling me about her." Elizaveta asked. Her mother was a bit surprised Elizaveta mentioned her.

"My goodness, I haven't seen her in years. She looks a lot like you, doesn't she?" Her mother asked. "Sure does!" Eliza replied.

"She was probably my least favourite person I was related to. Pretty strange with all the possession and magic stuff." Her mother said, staring up at a photo on the wall.

Eliza looked at the photo her mother was looking at.

It was the same photo that caught her eye in the photo album.

The same outfits, the same positions, the same place, the same expressions, the same everything.

"Is she still alive?" Elizaveta asked her mother. Her mother shrugged. "I don't know. Maybe the whole magic thing was real and she's still alive?" Her mother joked.

Elizaveta laughed. Of course, the magic wasn't real. What was this, the Harry Potter universe? It was all a stupid hoax.

As Elizaveta went out into the living room, all of her relatives were getting situated for the photo. She got to stand by her parents.

Her uncle pressed a button-thing that was connected to the camera before rushing into this spot for the photo.

Elizaveta smiled, the camera flashed, as she struggled to keep her eyes open from the bright light.

After a few more photos, it was all over. Her parents and her said their goodbyes and headed off for home.

As Eliza walked out of the house, the image of the photo on the wall stuck with her.

And her mind was filled with one thought.

Will I ever meet aunt Karol?

And that's the prologue in the bag! I'll try my best to get chapter one out soon. Bye!