...Okay, I lied. XD But don't count on this becoming a habit. I just get really inspired by the reviews.
Speaking of which, thank you to everyone for your lovely reviews! They really make me look forward to writing the story!
DestineyTot: I'm glad you like him! You get a little bit of his POV in this chapter. And yeah, cold baths...D8. I'm just kind of gathering together all the little tidbits of 'useless' information I've acquired about servants and whatnot and adding my own twist. Servants had really crappy lives.
Perfect1Up and TrafficLights: yeah, I guess I can see the sexist part. But I personally would be highly flattered to be considered a lady. And I added the ages to the pairings list, but Ivan is 17 at the moment (it's in bold because I realize it might be hard to spot in this big blob of words :)...). I'm not sure how old Ivan comes across. He's seen a lot of crap in his short life, so he's a little mature for his age. Hopefully ^^;
91RedRoses: you get a cookie for knowing Natalia was the one who didn't get a slave this Christmas XD. And a 'personal servant' is basically property of their masters, so the master can do pretty much anything they want to them. What happens depends on the master.
What Ivan wants, Ivan gets, da? ^J^
-O-
Title: Built Upon the Snow
Author: La'Keera
Rating: M
Warnings: May contain violence, dark and/or suggestive themes and foul language
Disclaimer: I do not own Hetalia, obviously
III: Consequences
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Alfred watched as Toris bandaged Arthur's head. The debate over who got who was finally over. Alfred would go into Ivan's possession and Mattie would go to Mistress Katyusha. They would need to find a boy for Mistress Natalia later. At the moment they were too busy with the Midwinter's Eve party to look. Even in his injured state, Arthur had to answer questions on what was put where and who would do what.
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Alfred listened to them talk and make decisions and suddenly the place was in an uproar. The guests were arriving. There weren't enough racks to hang the coats and hats on. The food was taking too long. The musicians hadn't arrived yet. Mistress Natalia couldn't be found. The list of problems seemed to grow longer and longer. Finally, when there was a moment to breathe, Arthur showed Alfred and Mattie to a set of double doors along an unlit hallway and held his finger to his lips to shush their chatter. Once they were quiet, he opened the double doors to reveal the ball room. People dressed in glittering dresses and handsome suits moved through the ever-changing weavings of the crowd.
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The chandelier overhead lit the white room in a warm glow. The music played sweetly in the background with the band set up on a golden stage. Ladies in elegant dresses waltzed around on the dance floor with sharply dressed gentleman. There were some men dressed in formal military uniforms who were making a ruckus in one corner.
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"Don't go in there, but you can watch, okay?" Arthur whispered before disappearing back into the kitchens to face his hellish responsibilities.
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Alfred looked back at the dancers and sat down on the cold floor. Mattie joined him and they watched the shimmering scene. It was like nothing they had ever seen before. Laughter and song streamed out of the crowd. Suddenly Alfred noticed three people and he shrunk back into the shadows of the door frame so as not to be seen. Ivan walked with two girls, one on either arm. They kept to the outskirts of the crowd. The tallest one was more a woman than a girl, with short silver hair and an ample bust. Her strapless dress was a pale blue that slowly grew darker until it was black at the hem. Her black gloves reached her elbows. She was distracted with the people in the crowd and gave a shy wave to some of the military men in the corner. The other girl was smaller not only in height but bulk. Her silvery blond hair was long, reaching almost to her lower back. Her dress was white with deep blue accents and she had a large blue ribbon tied around her slender waist. She clung to Ivan's arm and gazed up at him with admiration. He was talking to her and she seemed entranced with his every word.
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"Alfie, what will happen to us? Are we going to be like this forever?" Mattie looked at him with wide, innocent eyes. He didn't look frightened by the prospect. Perhaps he was mesmerized by the grand scene. Or maybe he didn't have to worry so much since his mistress was said to be very kind-hearted.
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"I don't know," he admitted reluctantly before looking back at the scene. He knew they would never be a part of that world. They would just watch from the sidelines as everyone else had their fun.
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-O-
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Ivan kept his smile easy and conversation light. Charming foreign leaders and keeping a good face for the empire was his duty at these kinds of events. His sisters were expected to be charming, beautiful and modest. For the guests this was a party. For him, Katyusha and Natalia it was a chore. He found himself working harder than usual as he spoke to the southern general he had been abandoned with. He had to smile and speak carefully so as not to offend the man when he would much rather just take a pipe to the man's head. The south had such different ideas than the north. Perhaps because they didn't suffer from the weather as much. They even had the nerve to say the snow was 'beautiful'.
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When the man paused his monologue, Ivan took his chance. "Though I find your opinion on these matters fascinating, I must take my leave. There is a lady I promised this dance to." He was excused and made his escape through the crowd. He had no girl waiting but it always worked, so his lie would be forgiven. He carefully avoided Natalia. She would be happy to dance with him, but that was inappropriate and her crush disturbed him.
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His gaze met the Emperor's across the room and his blood froze. His punishment was yet to come but he knew in the end he would add a few new scars to his collection. He turned away from the smug, laughing eyes and fled to the nearest open door. There he stumbled upon the cause of all his problems, sleeping on the floor, curled around a smaller boy. He crouched by the sleeping figures and rested his elbows on his knees, studying the two of them.
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The smaller one wasn't particularly impressive. Too young to have anything definitive about him. His hair was the same color as the other's and his eyes were the same blue. But they lacked anything appealing. The other boy, however…His gaze moved to the larger of the two and swept over the peaceful face. He had a fiery spirit. No other servant could face Ivan without flinching. Even when he met them for the first time, they were terrified of him. He wasn't sure what he did. Not that he really cared. But this boy wasn't afraid. From that first moment, he knew the boy had to be his.
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Blue eyes fluttered open and the child tensed, spotting him immediately. He looked frightened at first, perhaps because Ivan was merely a silhouette from where he lay. He soon relaxed, however, and sat up, rubbing his eyes. "Sorry, sir. We were watching the—"
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"Call me Master, sunflower." He smiled when the boy realized who he was and immediately sprang to his feet. He still refused to call him master, but it only served to make Ivan want it more. He couldn't remember what the child had said his name was. Alex? Alfred? Alan? It was one of the three. Not that it was important. "You were watching what?"
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"The ball."
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Ivan stood and looked over his shoulder at the festivities. "Did you want a better vantage point?" He turned back to the child and found he had caught his interest. All the better. The more he enjoyed parties, the easier Ivan's life would be in the future. "Come along, sunflower."
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"Stop calling me that. I'm a boy. You don't call boys 'flower'."
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He grabbed a handful of the boy's hair and led him into the room, careful not the hurt him. Too much. "I do believe I am the one who gives orders. I am being very lenient that I do not punish you for disobeying or disrespecting me. Do not count on this generosity to last." He slowed when the boy made a pained noise from behind him. He released the shaggy golden locks and frowned at the greasy feeling on his hand. "How disgusting. When was your hair washed last?"
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"The water is too cold," the boy complained, rubbing his head where his hair had been pulled. He quickly became distracted with the people dancing by.
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"It isn't fair," Katyusha's voice said from behind Ivan before she grabbed him around the waist and presses her face against his shoulder. He heard her sob quietly and he prayed no one looked their way. "Not one person has even remembered! Not one!"
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"Katyusha, I don't know what you're talking about. Would you please release me?" He tried to pry her hands off but his statement seemed to only make her cling tighter.
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"Mistress Katyusha?" The boy perked up and went to her side, grabbing her dress. "Happy birthday."
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Ivan stopped struggling…Damn. He didn't even know how the boy knew it was her birthday but it cheered her enough to release him. He looked at her tear-streaked face and felt a twinge of guilt. Out of anyone, he should have remembered.
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"Can I have a cookie?" His sunflower beamed up at Katyusha hopefully. Greedy little rat.
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"I'm out of cookies, I'm afraid. But come on. We'll go get you something better, okay?" Katyusha smiled and took the boy's small hand. She wiped her eyes as she went and Ivan decided to follow her. Maybe he could make up for forgetting. There were a lot of things happening to distract him. A lot had happened today. She understood that, right?
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Once in the kitchens, his sister got the boy a plate of chocolate cake. "What is your name, little one?"
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"Alfred." So that was his name…The boy looked at the cake in appreciation for all of one second before swiftly gobbling down half. His table manners truly were atrocious. Katyusha laughed.
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"It's not going to get up and run away. You do not have to eat it so quickly." He smiled when Alfred looked at him sheepishly and actually made an effort to eat like a human being. Though it made him wonder if they were starving his little sunflower. Someone would have to answer for it if that were the case. His sister was fully recovered from her distress and, upon Alfred's request, got another plate for 'Mattie', whoever that was. His curiosity was quickly appeased when Alfred left and returned with the boy he had been sleeping next to. Mattie was very happy to receive his cake and ate it with the same abandon. Ivan didn't bother scolding him though. That boy wasn't his to deal with.
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"Master?" One of the servants went to him and wrung his trembling hands. This couldn't be good. "You're fa—"
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He quickly backhanded the young man before he could finish uttering the poisonous word. "Don't you ever call him that," he hissed. He had sworn that word would never be spoken in his presence again and dammit, he wasn't going to let it happen now. Just thinking about it made him feel ill.
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"I-I'm sorry. It slipped." The young man held his hand to his cheek, wincing slightly. "The Emperor wants you in his quarters."
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Ivan nodded and turned to Katyusha and offered her a false smile. He could see her suspicion, but she tentatively smiled back. He looked down at the boys. Mattie hid behind his brother. Alfred looked alarmed, but not afraid. He would be worth the punishment. "No more cake for tonight." He left them there and traveled up the stairs and down the long hallway. He stopped outside the door to gather his strength and courage before stepping inside. He would be fine. All wounds healed in time.
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-O-
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A deathly silence fell over the palace for what seemed like forever. Servants never spoke higher than a whisper unless they had to. Arthur told him to keep to the kitchens or servant's quarters and to not take one step further. Alfred would have been curious, but he was kept distracted learning manners, his alphabet and the way to properly address someone. Slowly the dark shroud of fear lifted and things settled into a comfortable, albeit boring, routine. He learned more than just his duties. He found Arthur liked to sing and cook, despite being terrible at both. Toris had a crush on Mistress Natalia and became almost useless in her presence. Feliciano liked art and had painted all over the walls of his room. He claimed he and his brother also had an inheritance hidden somewhere, but their grandfather had died before telling them. Lovino had been bought to be Mistress Katyusha's servant but had made himself such a nuisance they had decided against it. And the only thing Arthur had managed to teach him was reading and writing, so he was often the one who had to teach Alfred when the others were busy. That was hell.
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He had to help with the dishes at least once every day, though sometimes he did it three times. His studies were crammed into his free time and he really hated the cycle. There was no time to play or simply laze about. A body needed to laze every once in a while. He couldn't imagine how people went without it. Arthur was unsympathetic to his arguments. "You're such a lazy child! Get off your butt and help with the dishes." So he did it four times that day.
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Before he realized it, spring had come. The grass began showing through the snow and everyone cheered up considerably. The horrible winter was over. Alfred loved looking out the window, taking note of how much more snow had melted since the previous day. It was still a while before he could go without his jacket comfortably, but once that day came he ran about happily, not bothering to put on shoes either. That got a scolding from Arthur but it didn't make a difference. He didn't like wearing shoes in warm weather so he wouldn't.
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One day he slipped out of the kitchens the first time Arthur turned his back and hurried in whatever direction caught his fancy, using all his stealth to not get caught. He ended up in a part of the palace he had never seen before, so he explored it with great interest. In one room he heard beautiful music being played and a lovely voice singing a song of spring. He stood outside the door and peeked in, finding the mistresses there. Natalia played the piano while Katyusha sang. He listened for a while before moving on. In a room not far down he heard a voice and he peered in there as well. The only one he saw was Ivan, sitting slouched in a chair, his cheek rested against his fist. His eyes were dull and his free hand played absent-mindedly with the frayed edge of his scarf. The one talking was out of sight.
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The other asked a question about military strategy and Ivan answered with a hint of annoyance. Something about supplies and all that. Alfred wasn't really interested. He had spotted a painting hanging over the fireplace. In it were four silver-haired people, smiling and holding each other. There was a woman, her face open and loving, gazing down at three children. A boy with wide violet eyes standing at her right, a girl with bright blue eyes at her left, and another girl sitting proudly in her lap. Suddenly Ivan's head appeared over the imagine of the woman and girl, staring him right in the eye.
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Alfred knew he was in trouble. Oh, a lot of trouble. He fled down the hall, ignoring the call for him to return. To his horror, he heard footsteps following him so he took the first door he found. It led outside and he ended up ankle-deep in cold mud and slush. The shock of the cold stalled him just enough for Ivan to catch up. He picked Alfred up off the cold ground and smacked his behind hard, leaving a lasting sting.
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"I believe I told you to return and you disobeyed. That is unacceptable."
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He struggled to get free then saw how high up he was and latched on to the broad shoulders. Really, he wasn't that high, but thinking it over, he didn't want to fall into the cold mud. "I don't have to obey you." His feet felt frozen already and he began to shiver.
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"Don't tell me you're afraid." Ivan grabbed Alfred's chin and forced him to look up into his eyes. He searched them for a moment and seemed satisfied with what he found. "Not afraid. Just cold, yes?" He smiled and carried Alfred back inside. He left a muddy trail, but didn't seem concerned much. They went up the stairs, passed a frantic Arthur who became very annoyed, then entered the bathing room. Ivan sat him on the counter and began heating the water.
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"Don't servants get a cold bath?"
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"Well, if you're going to complain…" Ivan reached to turn the heat off.
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"No, no! Warm bath is good. I would like a warm bath." He ignored the amused, smug look and quickly shed his clothes. Getting his pants off without getting mud on the inside leg was tricky, but he did a good job of it, in his opinion.
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Ivan took the clothes and examined them with disapproval. "These need to be washed." He shook his head as if it were all hopeless and laid the dirty garments aside before taking off the black, leather gloves he wore. "There is no excuse for it. When you're mine, you will bathe every day and you will wear clean clothes as well."
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"Yeah, we'll see about that." He wasn't taking a cold bath every day. Not in winter, that was for sure. Those bathes were the worst. He didn't particularly like the 'when you're mine' part of that sentence either. He wasn't an object to own.
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Ivan ignored him, pouring the steaming liquid into the bath. Alfred started to climb in but it was too hot. When he tried to move back his escape was blocked and he was forced down into the water. It burned and he struggled against the man's hold on him, but he was unsurprisingly overpowered. Finally, like a blessing from above, he began to adjust to the heat. His skin was pink under the water's surface. His glare held every bit of the resentment he felt. "It's hot."
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"You seem to have adjusted well enough." Ivan cupped the hot water in his hands and poured it on Alfred's head. Alfred gasped at the sudden burn and began a counter-assault on his abuser, smacking his hands and arms and anything else he could reach. Even the rim of the bathtub, which hurt a bit. It was unsuccessful, however. Ivan only laughed at him and continued his attack on Alfred's head. "You're not very appreciative. I could simply push you under the water to wet your hair. Would you prefer that?"
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Alfred stopped and sat as patiently as possible, focusing on washing his body. He didn't want to be pushed under the water and drown and he really didn't trust Ivan to not do it. Some sort of soap was put in his hair and hands threaded through his hair with surprising gentleness, messaging his scalp. It felt kind of…nice. Up until soap got in his eye and then he just wanted it over. "It stings! Just finish already!"
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"It stings?" The voice behind him sounded skeptical. Then without warning Ivan pulled him back, making him fall into the water up to his chin. It sloshed back at him, hitting him in the face. He struggled to get up again, but a hand grabbed his hair to hold him still. It didn't pull very much because of the soap making his hair slippery, but it got the point across. "You wanted it over quickly, didn't you, sunflower? I need to rinse your hair out and this is the quickest way."
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"I said not to call me sunflower."
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"And I said to call me master. It seems we're both a bit stubborn, aren't we?" Ivan smiled down at him before forcing his head back into the water. At least it wasn't hot anymore and he wasn't being drowned. Once he rinsed off and got out of the tub he was wrapped up in a towel and thrown over Ivan's shoulder. His protests were met with a smack on the rear. "Shut up, sunflower."
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Alfred was now pretty sure he only called him that to make him mad. "Where are we going, anyway?"
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"My room."
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Okay, so just to make everything perfectly clear, Ivan is not sexually interested in Alfred...at the moment. He's eight. Gross.
These chapters just get bigger and bigger. 1 = 1500+, 2 = 2700+, 3 = 3600+ ...Hopefully this trend doesn't continue or there will be some big chapters o.O
That is all. =P