Summary: Every 5 years, Feliciano's village sacrifices a virgin youth to the Ice God, Ivan, to prevent bad winters and bring about a good harvest in the upcoming years. Feliciano thought he was safe because his grandfather was a well-respected elder in the village, so when he's selected, he's surprised. Torn away from his family, friends, and life, he is thrown at the Ice God's feet. What lies in store for him?
Chapter 1 – 500 years
Every five years, for four-hundred and ninety-nine years, the village of Venice sacrificed a youthful virgin to the great Ice God who lived in the mountains surrounding them. They were taken in the middle of the night, dressed in the ceremonial white, and brought to a crevice in the mountain where the Ice God would take them the next day to his cavernous dwelling. If they were pure of heart and soul he would keep them. If not, the villagers would find them a few days later, dead.
Whether or not they were pure of heart did not determine the fate of the villagers, who would enjoy a plentiful harvest and safety from the cold bite of winter until they brought another virgin. The Ice God protected them from the cold winter months, so long as they complied with his request.
To date, the great Ice God has only kept three of the 99 virgins brought to him.
"Grandfather, who do you think will be chosen this time for the Ice God?"
Feliciano was weaving a shawl at the loom and chatting happily with his grandfather, who was sitting by the fire and watching his grandson with a smile. They lived in a quaint hut, with two bedrooms, a small kitchen, large living area, and running water. Because his grandfather was a respected village Elder, their furnishings were rather lavish, and they could afford amenities like running water and extra rooms to use for sleeping.
"I don't know, Feli. You know we never know those things until the day before, I've told you a million times!" his grandfather replied, a small smile on his face counteracting the slightly chastising tone he'd used. He knew his grandson was slightly absent-minded, and could be forgetful, so he immediately apologized for using such a harsh tone. "Who are you making that shawl for, Feliciano?"
"The elderly woman who lives at the edge of town! Winter is coming, and her hands are failing her, so I decided it'd be a nice gift for the upcoming months. I don't want her catching frost-bite from the nip of cold!" he gave a wide smile, closing his eyes and continuing his work on the shawl. It was almost done, and all that was left was the embroidery and baubles he wanted to add to make it less drab.
"Isn't that Mistress Edelstein's mother?" his grandfather asked politely, and Feliciano nodded. "I see. I think she'll love it, it's a nice, thoughtful gift from the heart!"
As soon as he said this the wooden front door slammed open, and Feliciano's older brother, Lovino, walked into the living area with a huff. His cheeks were red, and so was his nose. "The winter is coming early – the elders are choosing someone tonight." His brother cleaned the Elder's meeting hut on a daily basis and thus was privy to this sort of information.
His grandfather gave a small 'tsk' of dissatisfaction. "And did they not think to contact me about this?" he said softly, before getting up and going to the kitchen. "Well, we have nothing to do but wait until the morning to see what happens. What do you say we dine now and retire early?" To this, Feliciano and Lovino nodded, and began to set the table for the three of them to eat. While Feliciano set the plates, Lovino offered to help his grandfather prepare the meal.
"Grandfather… they didn't seem to want you to hear thei plans…" Lovino began, only to be hushed by the old man, who gave a chuckle. "But! Remember what happened to Germania?! His son was taken, and he didn't know they were taking him!" His voice rose a bit, and yet again, his grandfather hushed him, a bit stern this time.
"We won't think about that. Besides, you're not a virgin, you've nothing to worry about."
At this, Lovino gave a fierce blush, looking down. "I'd rather we talk of something else…" he said softly, and his grandfather patted his shoulder, nodding.
"Come, let us eat!"
After they'd had their fill of food and ale, Feliciano and Lovino retired to their shared room, and got on either side of the large goose-feathered bed. Feliciano couldn't sleep, so he began to pester his older brother to tell him a story.
"Fine, fine! This is one Antonio told me, from when he was aboard The Lady Red."
Antonio was Lovino's lover, and it was obvious to everyone what they did when they were alone. But Feliciano kept his mouth shut, and, rather than point out that all of Antonio's stories were either much too far-fetched or extremely sexual in nature, he settled into his goose-down pillow and waited. "He was hoisting the sails of The Lady Red, preparing for departure, when he saw the most curious sight indeed – a man with hair the color of golden silk. Over here it's not that common either, but where he was from, it was nonexistent. Having only been on The Lady Red for a few weeks, hehadn't yet had the chance to explore the lands-," Feliciano chose this point to interrupt his brother.
"But I thought the ship was a pirate ship, how could he explore the lands if he was captive as a slave aboard the ship?" His brother hushed him, and continued with the story.
"Anyway, he saw a man with golden silk hair, and just had to ask this man his name. So he rushed off of the boat – much to the chagrin of his new master – and immediately greeted the man. He said his name was Francis, and he hailed from the Kingdom of Paris. 'Do all of the men in Paris have gold for hair?' asked Antonio, to which Francis laughed.
'I should let you touch it, if you'd do a favour for me,' the golden man said, and Antonio gave a nod, very much eager to touch the wonder. 'Come with me, then. You're going to feed me-,'"again Lovino was interrupted, this time by voices in the living area. "I'll be right back, Feliciano…" he whispered. Feliciano nodded, following his brother to the door and leaning against the frame to watch as Lovino confronted the men in the living area.
"And to what do I owe the pleasure of seeing the Village Elders in my home?" he asked, to which Elder Edelstein replied, "We have come to collect the sacrifice to the Ice God."
Lovino's eyes widened, and he immediately rushed to the bed room shared by the brothers and shut the wooden door, locking it with the skeleton key. "What's wrong, brother?" Feliciano asked, and his brother gave a heavy sigh, looking down in guilt.
"Y-you're the sacrifice…" he whispered, and Feliciano let out a scream, crying sorrowfully. Lovino hugged him, hushing him and petting his hair. "You're pure of heart, you shouldn't be killed by the Ice God, just do as the Elders say and everything should be alright…"
Several hours later found Feliciano in the ceremonial white silk slip, with a translucent veil covering his face and durable silk knots wrapped around his wrists and ankles. "Before we commence the ceremony," Elder Germania was saying, "we must have the sacrifice drink of the Cup." The cup was actually a small crystal vial interwoven with silver. They had Feliciano tilt his head back, and he complied, opening his mouth to allow the thick gold liquid to pour in. The effects were immediate – he felt every inch of his skin burning, yet the burn felt… pleasurable, in a sense. Elder Edelstein placed a silkblindfold over his eyes and rubbed his exposed skin with olive oil, and they began to make the hour-long trek into the woods to the Crevice, where they left him for the Ice God to take.
Feliciano waited for a few hours, unable to sleep due to the blistering cold of the mountain crevice, and his mounting fear. 'What if he thinks me impure? What if I die?' these thoughts ran circles through his head, and the tears which had previously been held at bay due to shock began to flow. 'What if I never see my family again?'
His thoughts were cut short when the crackling of twigs could be heard, and he looked up slowly, forgetting the blindfold was around his eyes, surprised when he heard a voice. "Are you of the village?" the voice asked, and Feliciano nodded, eyes wide with fright. "I am Ivan, the Ice God. Do not be afraid, Felika, I am not going to hurt you."
Nevertheless, Feliciano trembled as he felt himself be lifted from the cold ground by a pair of strong, massive arms, and be held to a broad chest. "The winter should be easy, and harvest should be plentiful as well – what do you say, Felika?"
Feliciano couldn't help but nod – that was why he was here, wasn't it? To protect the villagers from the blistering winter and bring them a good harvest. "How is life for you, Felika?" He felt movement, and assumed the large man was walking to his dwelling. He made to speak, but all that came out was a pitiful cough, and the man 'tskd' in annoyance. "I suppose they have not learned to use warmer clothing when bringing the offering to me…" he sighed, and held Feliciano closer still to his chest. "Do not worry, Felika, we are close to where I live."
A/N: so, in order to clear up some confusing things, here's a little bit of 'History' of this world.
Feliciano's village, Venice, is around 700 years old.
Ivan began to live near the village 550 years ago. 505 years ago he made a deal with the villagers that they would promise one virgin every five years. He kept the first virgin (which was Lithuania, in case you're wondering) the 17th virgin, which was Alfred, and the 59th virgin, which was Yao.
Germania's child was taken 10 years ago, and was not pure enough to live in the Ice God's presence. This was Holy Rome, of course.
If you're wondering what exactly Feliciano was wearing, I have uploaded an image to my tumblr. .com
Ivan calls Feliciano 'Felika' because he already knows his name.