When Ivan was five, his father married a woman that Ivan could only describe as 'wolf-like'. She was predatory and sharp and Ivan got the distinct feeling she hated him because his father gave more attention to Ivan than his new wife. Ivan couldn't understand this hatred, since he'd grown up with only his father, and the two were very close. But when that woman came home with her two daughters, suddenly Ivan's life wasn't so happy. One day, his father didn't come home and Ivan waited the entire evening by the window, worried. Finally, he returned with a wrapped package which he gave to Ivan with a smile,
"I'm sorry I was late, Ivan, I was getting this for your birthday tomorrow." Ivan's father said gently, and the boy smiled, hugging his father tightly, careful not to rip the paper hiding his gift... That would wait until tomorrow.
"Thank you, Father, I forgive you!" He said and smiled happily before being gently shooed off to bed by his father. Ivan placed the present lovingly beside his bed and then got ready to sleep. The next morning, Ivan went downstairs with his present in his arms, smiling at his father and step-family as he was lifted into his father's lap where he carefully unwrapped his present, his eyes lighting up as his hands found a beautiful, soft, white scarf carefully folded within.
"Happy birthday, Ivan." Ivan's father said, gently lifting the scarf and wrapping it around his son's neck, smiling. Ivan hugged his father again and snuggled into his warm scarf before getting down from his father's lap to go eat breakfast with his family. As he watched his father ride into town from the door, his eyes widened as he slid from his horse's saddle and fell to the ground.
"Father? Father!" Ivan cried, running over to him and shaking him, "Father! Please, Father, wake up!" Ivan's eyes welled up with tears as he saw his father's blank face and glazed eyes, burying his face in the man's chest and crying. Gone. The only real family he had, gone. After he'd nearly cried his heart out, Ivan just lay there, watching his father's dead face as if waiting for him to suddenly spring to life again. Eventually his step-mother came over and pulled him to his feet,
"Get up, already. Honestly, touching a dead body for so long." Ivan stared at her blankly, her face was still in it's usual scowl, no signs of being upset over his death. She pushed him back inside, where Ivan made his way back to his room and just lay there for hours. After lying motionless for most of the day, his step-mother came up and scowled, crossing her arms, "Get your lazy hide into the kitchen and make us food, boy." Ivan slowly turned his head and stared at her dully before closing his eyes,
"Make it yourself. You have hands." He said, his voice as dull as his eyes. He heard his step-mother cross the room and suddenly he was being yanked off the bed, a hand slapping him viciously, making his head snap to the side and his eyes open wide as he stared at the affronted woman before him,
"How dare you speak to me that way! I am a noblewoman! I would never dirty my hands with such a crude task!" She said, narrowing her eyes, "From now on, you will work for me and my daughters to stay in this house, and because you spoke to me in such a way, you have to dress and act like a girl." Ivan's eyes widened even more and his lips parted slowly in shock. His life from then on was filled with misery, and his only comfort was his beloved scarf.
By the time Ivan turned eighteen, he'd grown cold and detached from the world, his actions more mechanical than anything. His birthday had gone unnoticed just as it had since his father's death, and half a year later, while Ivan was outside doing chores, he caught a scent that broke through his cold exterior, making him turn and follow it without a thought. He walked out to the edge of the land his father had owned to a field full of bright yellow flowers. Ivan's eyes widened as he gazed at the bright flowers, the scent of them warming him up to a temperature he'd forgotten existed in his body since he was five. He walked into the field, careful not to ruin the beautiful flowers as he moved through them. The dress he was forced to wear caught on stems and leaves, but he paid no mind as he paused in the middle of the field and took a deep breath, closing his eyes. He let the flower's scent seep into his body and warm him to the core, enjoying it. Suddenly a loud voice broke Ivan's peaceful reverie and he turned to find the source, his cold mask hardening his face again.
"Are you okay, my lady?" A blond man asked as he walked toward him through the flowers. Ivan frowned slightly, but not as coldly as he usually would because of the warm flowers around him,
"I'm fine." He said calmly, and the blond stopped a few feet away, Ivan looking him over. He was too fancied up to be a commoner, a noble of some sort. Ivan turned away from the man and gazed at the flowers again, but before his cold mask could melt away again, the man spoke,
"Uh, why are you wearing a scarf in this weather? Isn't it hot?" Ivan's eyes slowly slid over to the man who stiffened under his piercing violet gaze as Ivan stared him down,
"I'm quite comfortable." He said simply, and the man rubbed the back of his head, trying to think of something to say. Ivan looked away from him again and shook his head in disapproval.
"What's your name?" The man finally asked and Ivan scowled, his face turning dark since his back was to the man. The name his step-mother gave him was something he didn't like saying to others. It was always bitter on his tongue.
"Vanya." He said levelly, preferring the diminutive version of his name to the awful word his step-mother used.
"Oh, um... Nice to meet you, Vanya, I'm Alfred." The man replied and Ivan crossed his arms, sighing,
"Why are you bothering me?" He turned his head to pin Alfred with another cold stare and he floundered for words,
"W-well, I... Thought something was wrong... So I was making sure you were okay... Cause I'm a hero..." Ivan's eyes narrowed and his gaze changed to an all-out glare making Alfred shift his weight nervously,
"I already told you I'm fine. Go away." Alfred flinched at the cold tone and stepped back a little under the violet glare. Ivan grew more irritated with the blond's presence and turned, disappearing into the sunflowers and making his way back home, the flowers calming him until he left their warm field, his cold exterior returning the closer he got to his home. Once inside, his step-mother started scolding him for taking so long, but Ivan hardly listened to her irritating voice, just waiting until she was done to walk past her and go to his room, gazing out the window. He could just make out the yellow color where the flowers were, smiling a tiny bit as he sighed and stared at the distant flowers. He already longed to be back in that field, surrounded by the tall stalks and bright petals. Ivan closed his eyes and pulled up his scarf, his smile widening a little when the lingering smell of the sunflowers greeted him from the soft fabric. He decided that from now on, he'd make sure to get his chores done fast enough to have time to go back to the field and admire the flowers again. Until then, he had the scent in his scarf. The rest of the week passed much the same, Ivan did his chores, spent some time in the sunflower field after lunch, then came home and continued his work for the evening. One day, while Ivan was out in the sunflower field, that annoying voice called to him again,
"Vanya! Hey, Vanya!" Ivan scowled darkly and crossed his arms, turning to glare at the approaching blond, but this time, he wasn't alone. A slightly shorter blond was trailing behind Alfred, and Ivan focused on him as Alfred attempted to start a conversation, going ignored. The shorter blond seemed shyer and Ivan liked that to his annoying counterpart.
"What's your name?" Ivan asked, gazing at the shy blond, who looked up from staring at the ground, eyes wide. Before he could speak, Alfred interrupted him,
"I already told you my-"
"Not you." Ivan snapped, shooting a glare at Alfred before looking at the surprised blond again, "Him." The shyer one flushed a bit at being under Ivan's intense gaze, shrinking back a bit,
"M-Matthew..." He said, barely above a whisper, and Ivan's cold mask cracked as he smiled a little. Matthew reminded him of a sunflower. Warm and gentle. His annoying counterpart was more like the bright sun stealing the attention. Ivan held out a hand to Matthew, his smile growing as the blond took it and moved closer, still as shy as before.
"Pleased to meet you, Matvey." Ivan murmured, his accent slipping into his voice when he said his name, making the blond blush darker,
"Your name is Vanya... Right?" He whispered, and Ivan chuckled softly, leaning down to whisper in his ear,
"I'll tell you a secret if you promise not to say anything to anyone." He replied, his eyes flicking to the confused blond watching their exchange. Matthew nodded, too shy to look directly at Ivan, who smiled wider, "My name is Ivan. I'm forced to dress as a woman." Matthew's eyes widened and Ivan found that dark blush rather adorable on the blond's face. "Remember, Matvey, it's our secret, okay~?" He purred, and Matthew squirmed a bit, extremely embarrassed,
"O-okay..." Came the quiet response, and Ivan smiled gently, the expression strange on his face after so many years of going unused.
"What are you talking about?" Alfred suddenly asked and Ivan straightened, his smile replaced by a scowl as he glared at Alfred who gulped a little and stepped back, nearly tripping and crushing some of the sunflowers, but he caught himself, only making the flowers sway, but Ivan tensed nonetheless, his eyes narrowing dangerously.
"I was asking Matvey some things." He replied icily, crossing his arms again, "Don't ruin the flowers. They worked hard to get this way." Alfred stood still, and Matthew giggled quietly, covering his mouth to stifle himself, and Alfred pouted,
"What's so funny? You try being glared at by her, it's creepy!" Alfred protested, but Ivan just smirked, sliding an arm around Matthew's waist and pulling him closer, making the blond squeak in surprise, turning dark red again,
"I wouldn't glare at Matvey. He's too cute to glare at." Ivan purred, and Matthew squirmed, embarrassed by the attention, and by the knowledge that this was a male holding him so close to his chest.
"V-Vanya, please let go..." He whispered pleadingly, and Ivan released the flushed blond, giggling and tilting his head to the side,
"Matvey is cute when he blushes~" That only made Matthew blush even more and lower his face to hide it. Ivan glanced up at the sky and sighed, turning and starting to leave, "I must return home. Farewell, Matvey." Alfred started to complain about being left out, but Ivan disappeared into the flowers before he could get a word out. That night, Ivan woke suddenly when an icy cold draft entered his room, sitting up and scanning the room for the source of the sudden cold, going still when the pale figure of a man appeared in the corner, icy blue eyes gazing back at him. Ivan stiffened a little, eyes widening slightly before he smiled childishly and tilted his head to the side, the figure moving closer,
"You know who I am?" The ghostly voice asked, and Ivan's smile widened,
"Da." He said with a light tone in his voice, "You are a winter spirit. Most call you General Winter." The spirit nodded as Ivan picked up his scarf and placed it around his neck.
"I've been watching you, Ivan. And I'm here to make a deal with you." The General said, and Ivan blinked,
"What kind of deal?" He asked, suppressing a shiver at the chill radiating from the spirit.
"I will get you out of your life of servitude and you will give me something in return." Ivan narrowed his eyes, frowning,
"How do you plan to do that?" He asked suspiciously, eying the spirit as it chuckled,
"By getting you to marry the prince." It said, and Ivan narrowed his eyes further,
"Why would the prince marry a man?" General Winter laughed, shaking his head,
"Because he thinks you're a woman, and loves you." Ivan growled softly and grit his teeth, the pieces clicking into place in his head,
"The idiotic blond..." General Winter nodded and Ivan scowled, "Why should I marry him? He aggravates me to no end. I'd have better luck with Matvey." The General laughed and leaned closer, Ivan doing his best not to shiver,
"Matthew isn't the one in love with you, Ivan. Alfred is." Ivan opened his mouth to protest but the General continued, "Alfred thinks you are a woman, but he's not as thick-headed as he seems. Part of him believes you act more like a man." Ivan frowned, eying the spirit doubtfully, but got the feeling that it wasn't lying.
"What do I have to give you to get out of this hellhole?" He asked, and General Winter smirked,
"Your heart." The spirit explained, and Ivan eyed him carefully, weighing his options.
"Deal." He finally said, and the General smirked, placing his hand on Ivan's chest, who hissed at the icy cold that attacked his skin, watching the pale hand disappear into his chest and wrap around his heart, slowly pulling it out, making Ivan's breath hitch. The beating muscle left his chest and Ivan's eyes glazed over, his breathing shallow as the General breathed a cloud of cold air over it, chilling the tissue and making it's beats falter momentarily before regaining their pace, Ivan twitching and blinking out of his daze, staring at his heart in silence until the General returned it to his chest.
"It might fall out now and then, but you don't need it inside your body to function." Ivan nodded, waiting until the General's icy hand was out of the way before touching his chest, feeling the slight chill. After a moment of silence, Ivan looked back up at the spirit.
"So exactly how are you going to go through with this plan of yours to get me married to the idiot?" He asked, and the General smirked,
"The king is hosting a ball in a few days and inviting every woman old enough to marry to this ball to select a bride for Alfred and Matthew." Before Ivan could point out that he was a man, and technically wouldn't be invited, the winter spirit cut him off, "You will go as a woman, Ivan. When Alfred names you his bride, then you will reveal your true gender." Ivan scowled and crossed his arms,
"I am sick of acting as a woman." He growled, leaning back when the spirit was suddenly hovering much closer to him,
"Endure it. You'll be able to be yourself when you're engaged." Ivan frowned, but the spirit vanished, leaving the room to be cooler than it was, and Ivan stared out the window for a while before lying down to sleep some more before he had to start his chores in the morning.
While Ivan worked that day, he thought over what the spirit had told him, but he couldn't find any reason to like the idiot in comparison with his shyer brother. Still, a piece of his mind had an interest in the blond, a childish curiosity to see how much he could mess with him and warp his dense brain. The longer he thought about it, the more he felt interested in the idiot, and that afternoon when he went to the sunflower field, he wasn't surprised to hear Alfred calling his name.
"What do you want?" The disguised man asked icily, casting a cold look at Alfred, who shuffled his feet nervously and held out a letter,
"There's a royal ball in a couple days. Father said it's so that me and Matty can choose our brides. I wanted to invite you personally." Ivan gazed at the letter for a long moment, then took it, examining it,
"Don't hold your breath on me being there. I don't go to many parties." With that, Ivan turned and headed home, suppressing a shiver when General Winter appeared beside him,
"Why not just tell him you would be there, Ivan? You will, after all." Ivan rolled his eyes and shook his head, adjusting his scarf,
"Why should I get his hopes up? Better to make him think I might not go." The spirit scoffed, smirking,
"I see, so you just want to surprise him when you do show up." It chuckled, but Ivan shook his head again, smirking,
"No. I want to mess with his head by making him wonder if I'll show up or not and drive him nuts trying to decide if he really will see me there." He said, and the spirit laughed,
"You have become quite twisted, little Ivan." The pale blond let a cruel smile curl his lips as he saw his step-mother walk out of the castle, hiding the expression behind his scarf,
"I wonder why..." He murmured softly, quickly slipping his normal expression onto his face as the woman started shouting. How annoying...
Over the next few days, Ivan had no time to visit the sunflower field, his step-mother and step-sisters forcing him to make new outfits for them to wear to the ball, and he remained in his room, sitting by the window and sewing, glancing out at the flowers now and then. Be patient and work carefully, he thought, if they like the dresses, they will leave you alone, then you can go back to your sunflowers.
When Ivan presented the finished dresses, the three women seemed amazed that Ivan could make them so well, cooing over them, but without a word of thanks or a compliment to Ivan. He could care less, really, the sooner they left for the ball, the sooner he could have some time to himself. He helped the three into their new outfits, then went about his chores around the house as the three left on their carriage. Once Ivan was sure they were gone, he slipped into his step-mother's room to stand before her full-length mirror, the winter spirit appearing behind him with a smirk,
"Shall we begin?" It asked, icy hands hovering over Ivan's shoulders. The blond let out a deep breath and nodded, watching as snow poured from the spirit's coat, swirling around him and changing his dress into a pure, snowy white gown that glittered with ice jewels. The dress was warm and the collar hugged his throat beneath his scarf, snugly protecting him from the ice that decorated the dress. The hem and cuffs were lined with soft fur, and white gloves appeared on his hands. The spirit was really going all out with this, Ivan thought, looking in the mirror to see fake earrings with ice dangling from them, and a tiara of ice, along with a light dusting of snow in his hair. His body was happily warm, but his face could tell that the air around him was going to stay that cold to ensure the ice didn't melt.
"I should have known you'd use real ice." Ivan commented, his breath clouding in front of him. He blinked, and when he opened his eyes, he had to give the spirit a dirty look in the mirror, but the figure just smirked,
"If I'm going to dress you up like a woman, I'm going to make you at least somewhat look like one. Make-up and all." Ivan growled a little, but didn't complain as he turned to see the whole dress from every angle.
"It'll do, I guess." He said, sighing and turning to the spirit, "I guess I should go now, then." General Winter nodded, leading the way outside to a waiting ice and snow carriage, helping Ivan inside before taking the reins hitched to the pure white horses, driving to the palace. Ivan was glad for the warm dress, but his feet and face were freezing, and when Ivan lifted the skirt, he nearly groaned at the ice heels he was wearing, glaring at the spirit's back through the small window. He was going to hate this night.
When they reached the brightly-lit palace, the General helped Ivan out of the carriage, earning a glare, but the spirit just smirked,
"You have until midnight, Ivan. Once that clock chimes twelve, my magic will stop, and you'll go back to normal." He explained, and Ivan nodded,
"Fine with me, I don't want to stay long." The spirit escorted Ivan to the top of the stairs before vanishing, and the disguised man took a deep breath, "Just get it over with..." He told himself, and stepped forward, pulling himself into a regal stance that, surprisingly, made walking in the cold heels easier. The guards gaped as they saw him approach, entranced by what they thought to be an ice princess walking toward them.
"N-name and title, please?" One stammered out when Ivan was close enough, tensing under the piercing violet gaze,
"Lady Vanya." Ivan responded, glad that his voice had somehow ignored puberty and stayed in a childish range that rarely went deep enough to match what most would think he sounded like, if they knew he was a male. The guard nodded and they opened the doors, announcing the name as all heads turned to him, a few mouths dropping open. Ivan spotted Alfred and Matthew easily, each was dancing with one of his step-sisters, except that they both stopped mid-dance to stare in awe. His step-sisters looked insulted until they realized why, and their mouths fell open. Alfred abandoned his partner to make his way toward Ivan, who made his way gracefully down the stairs, ignoring how many eyes were on him. Alfred met him at the bottom of the stairs, still somewhat stunned.
"Vanya? You... You actually came?" He asked, dumbfounded. Ivan resisted the urge to roll his eyes at his stupidity, preferring to mess with his head a bit.
"It was a last-minute decision." He replied, ignoring the faint cloud of his breath, "I hadn't really felt like coming at first." Alfred almost look hurt at that, which made Ivan feel smug inside. Finally the blond seemed to pull himself together and offered an arm to the amethyst-eyed man, smiling.
"Well, I'm glad you did, Vanya. Come on." Ivan scanned the still-gaping faces and decided, why not? Might as well throw it in their faces that he was at least somewhat close to the prince. His hand rested on Alfred's, and he was led through the crowd to the dance floor where Alfred faced him, bowing a little, "May I have this dance, my lady?" Ivan thought for maybe half a second or less before nodding,
"It would be an honor." He said, the polite words strange on his tongue, and as they got settled into position, Ivan smiled at the passing blond, "Hello, Matvey." The shyer of the princes smiled a bit before slipping away, the entire floor cleared for the two of them. As the song started, Ivan felt his feet move in the correct steps, even though he'd never danced before, but he had a feeling that General Winter had something to do with it. As they spun around, Ivan caught a glimpse of the spirit's face just barely hovering around him, and his suspicions were confirmed. Alfred was frowning slightly, obviously confused by something, though to the audience, it wasn't a noticeable expression.
"You're so cold, Vanya..." He said softly, and Ivan sighed softly,
"I know." He replied, "Don't worry about it." Alfred thought this over a little more,
"Is that why you wear the scarf?" Ivan nodded, it was an easy lie, really. Alfred smiled as the dance ended, bowing to him, and Ivan curtsied. Alfred gave him a broad grin, offering his arm again to lead Ivan out onto the balcony to speak privately with him, leaning on the stone railing, "So... Where are you from, anyway? Matty says you have an accent." Ivan sighed and gazed at the moon in silence, thinking for a while, debating answering,
"Here." He finally said. Alfred stared at him in confusion,
"But-"
"I was born here." Ivan said to clarify, "My parents came here before then."
"Where-"
"Russia." Ivan cut him off again, his voice gaining a slightly cold tone, "My parents hated it there." Alfred thought this over for a while, then looked at the pale blond,
"Vanya... I'm gonna be honest here. I get the feeling you're hiding something from me. Are you really a woman?" Ivan stared at the blond for a long moment, impressed at how serious Alfred seemed, but at the same time... Ivan started laughing. Alfred looked bewildered, trying to figure out what was so funny about this,
"And here I thought you were too stupid to know the meaning of serious." Ivan giggled, quieting down as a short brunette approached with a tray of drinks,
"E-excuse me, w-would you like something to drink?" Ivan raised an eyebrow skeptically at the glasses of clear liquid,
"What is it?" He asked, the brunette flinched slightly,
"U-um, v-vod-" Ivan didn't let him finish as he snatched the entire tray and took one of the crystal glasses, sipping the strong alcohol and closing his eyes to enjoy the flavor for a moment.
"You like that stuff?" Alfred asked after a moment, Ivan glaring at him slightly and downing the rest of that glass,
"Yes. What kind of Russian doesn't like vodka?" He stated, starting on the next glass. They talked a little longer, and Ivan started to head back toward the door after he finished the vodka, still chatting with Alfred, but when the clock suddenly started ringing midnight, Ivan hissed a curse and headed for the door as quickly as he could, ignoring Alfred's voice as he went down the stairs, tripping slightly and losing one of the ice shoes, but he didn't bother with it, getting into the waiting carriage that took off quickly to get him away from the palace, though he could still hear the bell of the clock, and when the final toll rang, the carriage began to melt, along with the ice and snow on Ivan, who was soon shivering from the cold and walking home in his normal clothes.
The next day, Ivan stayed inside and did his chores, not wanting to see Alfred, who he knew would be looking for him in the field of sunflowers. He wasn't going to risk it. His step-sisters were fuming about how the prince had ignored them once the mysterious 'ice girl' came in. Ivan said nothing about it, just listened for a while until he finished his chores, then went to his room to gaze out at the sunflower field. A little while later, there was a loud clamoring downstairs that sounded like the two girls freaking out about something. Ivan went to the top of the stairs to listen and watch from the shadows. It looked like some of the royal servants had come by, one explaining to the three women,
"The prince has decided whom he will marry, depending on who can touch this and wear it without it melting." Melting? Ivan took a careful look at the glass case one was holding, his eyes widening, it was the ice shoe! The stupid prince was hunting him with a SHOE! Ivan inwardly groaned, not daring to make any noise that would reveal he was there. The case was opened carefully, and one of Ivan's step-sisters snatched it up,
"It's MY shoe!" She cried, but it almost immediately started melting and slipped from her hand, the second sister hurriedly picking it up,
"No, it's mine!" Again, it melted and slid out of her grasp. Ivan watched his step-mother attempt, with the same result, the servants carefully putting it back in the case.
"We are sorry, but none of you seem to be who we are looking for." The servant said, heading out the door. The three looked angry at this, about to follow when a loud, very familiar voice was heard,
"What do you mean?" Alfred's voice snapped, "This is the only place close enough! She HAS to be here! Did you ask all of them like I said? You didn't, did you?" The voice was getting closer, and Ivan shrank further into the shadows as his step-mother and sisters quickly got ready to curtsy, the door bursting open to reveal Alfred with Matthew trying desperately to calm him down, "You three! Are you absolutely certain there are no other women in this house?" Ivan's step-mother nodded,
"Only the three of us, your Highness. Unless you count our servant, but she is never out of the house." Alfred grit his teeth, about ready to start yelling, but Ivan had heard enough. He wasn't going to skip his chance to leave this awful place.
"Now listen here, you-"
"Alfred, shut up." Ivan said icily from the stairs, and everyone froze, their eyes drawn to the stone steps as Ivan slowly descended, arms crossed, and scowling, "You're so loud, you'll wake the dead." Alfred's eyes widened and Matthew quickly motioned for the servants to bring the shoe in, and Ivan easily took the ice heel out, looking at how disfigured it was from melting. He frowned and blew cold air on it, which came out in a misty cloud, repairing the damage. Then he slipped his own shoe off and put the heel on, looking at Alfred calmly, "Now will you stop your whining?" He slipped the shoe back off and put his usual one back on, walking toward the still stunned prince, who was attempting to form a coherent sentence,
"But... You... Van-" Ivan covered his mouth to shut him up,
"My name is Ivan Braginski. I'm forced to dress as a woman by my step-mother." Ivan shot a glare at the woman, "Got that?" Alfred thought this over for a long moment, then smiled brightly,
"I knew I was right! You seemed too much like a guy to be a girl. And now I can marry you!" Ecstatic, the blond pulled him into a kiss, for once stunning Ivan, who soon wrapped his arms around Alfred and kissed back, feeling the General's magic snow swirl around him and change his outfit to a larger version of what he wore before his father died. When Ivan pulled away from the kiss, he gave Alfred a gentle smile, pulling away from him and facing his step-mother, the smile replaced with one of Ivan's most vicious glares, making her step back in fear,
"And as for you..." Ivan began icily, General Winter swirling into existence, and hovering behind him, "I'll let the General deal with you and your daughters." The ice spirit smirked and waited as Ivan and the others left the house, the door slamming shut and the entire building freezing over with ice. Ivan relaxed and smiled happily, his fingers lacing with Alfred's, who looked up at him.
"So... Are you really that mean all the time?" He asked, and Ivan giggled, smiling mischievously,
"I could be~" He said sweetly. Alfred shuddered slightly, attempting to move back, but Ivan pulled him closer, leaning down to purr in his ear, his accent coming through very strongly now, "There is so much more to me than you realize, Alfred~ If only you knew what you've gotten yourself into~" Alfred shivered, blushing, turning redder when Ivan kissed him deeply.
The wedding took place a few days later, an elaborate ceremony with too many people for Ivan's tastes, but he endured the amount of attention in favor of looking forward to spending his life away from the evil woman who had made him so miserable.
Ivan became renowned for his strange 'magic' abilities, though he never really cared enough to correct anyone and say that it was actually a winter spirit that he'd made a deal with, considering it not worth the effort. He became less bitter around people, smiling and laughing more, though occasionally the smiles were scarier than his darker moments, like when he terrorized Alfred's servant, Toris. Alfred was happy with Ivan, though every now and then they did get into arguments, usually starting with heated words, developing to a fist fight, only to end with a rather noisy night that would leave Alfred in a daze with a limp, and an extra happy Russian.
All in all, life was good.