When she discovered that her siblings decided, after some strange turn of events, that they would get married, Iryna Rusivna Chernenka maintained that so long as it made them happy, she didn't mind.
She even helped them, playing the dutiful sister and maid of honour, and going to the Belarusian's side early on the morning of their wedding to prepare for the wedding with her.
She listened patiently to her sister's unusually hyperactive and cheery chatter, most of it about Ivan, helped Belarus pull her wedding dress and its accessories on, and even managed not to curse as she struggled to get Natalya's long, yet somewhat stubborn, hair into place in its bun.
The Ukrainian truly didn't seem to mind, much to the shock of Russia, who had been quite nervous about the idea of telling their elder sibling.
She just wanted what she had always wanted. For them to be happy. It was a simple wish, but so far in their lives, it had seemed unobtainable. Iryna was really, really hoping this time would be different.
When the two women actually arrived at the Cathedral where the wedding was being held, it seemed that possibly, just possibly, it would. Everything inside, Ukraine noted as she peered around the doorway, seemed to be going smoothly. Well, apart from the fact that Ivan's facial expression was a deranged-looking mix of a worried grimace and a joyful grin, which seemed to be frightening some of the guests.
Nerves, Iryna concluded. A perfectly natural reaction to marrying Natalya, she added to herself as her sister finally wrestled her long, flowing black wedding dress out of the car in one piece, slamming the door behind her and striding over.
She didn't even look a tiny bit hesitant or nervous. She was entirely confident. Well, the Ukrainian shrugged, she has been planning this for a long time. A very long time.
So, Iryna gathered Natalya's train, made sure she wasn't stepping on the silken sky-coloured skirts of her own gown and followed quietly as her younger sister continued to stride on past, and headed purposefully down the aisle. She tried, albeit silently and from a distance, to calm her brother down with a smile, but he didn't seem to notice as he stared at his approaching bride.
It was as simple as that. She just followed her sister up to the altar, then stood back and watched them get married. She had expected to feel something, whether good or bad. She had thought maybe she would cry. Lots of people cried at weddings, and she had been told she cried a lot, but it just...happened. Though not without some musing inside her head, addressed to God only knew who...
Natalya and Ivan. Ivan and Natalya. Where do I start? Where and when did all this start?
I just don't know anymore. It feels like it's always been this way. I've always watched Natalya chasing Vanya around, for as long as I can remember, with Natalya trying to grab him, so she can hold him, and Ivan crying, yelling pleadingly at her to stop.
It used to be quite cute when they were young because I thought it was a game or a phase of some sort. It's hard to believe a four-year-old is serious when proposing to their older brother or dressing up as a bride in white tablecloths and bed sheets then trying to convince their aforementioned brother get married. Sometimes he'd even play along with her 'games'.
That soon stopped as they grew up. When they reached their early teens. I started to get concerned about Natalya and her mental health. I knew what she doing wasn't normal, and it just starting to get less 'cute'. By this point it was obvious it wasn't a phase, and it was becoming worse, increasingly regular and more insistent.
She needed some kind of help. I needed help to stop this. Poor, frightened Little Vanya needed help.
But what could I do? Who could I speak to? Where was I supposed to find help for this kind of problem?
I did try talking to China since he was used to looking after his young family, and he was Ivan's friend...sort of. But he didn't seem to understand, just pointing out that my family is crazy. Like I needed telling. It was obvious.
Then Ivan fixed my problem for me. He went away, off to be independent.
But I wasn't glad, I missed my baby brother, and it broke Natalya's heart. She said that obviously he didn't love her, and she wasn't clearly good enough because that he'd abandoned her. All these horrible ideas I couldn't talk her out of, no matter how many times I told her that none of it was true.
The more time passed, the more resentful, bitter and lonely my sister became. She just isolated herself away, waiting for her 'Precious Brother' to 'Come home and love her again'.
Then she left me too and went off to be an independent Nation named Belarus.
Both of my little siblings got on with their lives, growing up, having their own complicated, and quite unstable in places, politics, and history. But Natalya still chased after Ivan as soon as she saw him again. Well, occasionally they'd have an actual conversation like sane, rational, normal people. But that was all too rare.
He ran off, almost every time. Sometimes he'd come back to me and ask, 'Why on Earth is she still like this?'. He'd believed it just be a childhood thing too, thinking that Natalya never really meant it. No such luck, Vanya.
The more he refused her, the more desperate she'd become. It started off as a child's babbling proposal, all cute and seemingly innocent, and ended up as a woman scraping at doors, breaking said doors open and entering his house, throwing knives around and demanding marriage.
I always felt sorry for Ivan when she'd do that, as it obviously intimidated him, understandably. But I tried to stay out of their arguments for my own good, and for theirs. I didn't want to take sides and hurt someone's feelings.
They were both such strange children. They're still strange. I just don't know what will become of them. But I love them, unconditionally, so I'll try and support them, whatever it is.
Even this. This...unexpected...Union of theirs.
Yes, April 2, 1996, and here I am watching my little brother and sister getting married.
That's a strange feeling...
Well, I suppose that 'The Union State Of Russia And Belarus' is what Natalya has always wanted. She's been hoping for this for years. Maybe it will finally calm her down, stop her from chasing after Ivan, and make her a little happier. I certainly hope so.
Ivan, however...I don't know anymore. I guess they've talked it through since he seems okay with the idea now. I even saw them kissing earlier, and he was smiling about it afterwards, so I guess I shall just have to assume it makes them both happy, and if does, well...So long as my siblings are happy.
I just hope they don't decide to have children because those little ones would be really, really crazy. Not to mention potentially dangerous and possibly unstable little Nations, Micronations, Cities or whatever happens what a Nation has children running around would cause endless, international havoc.
They would probably very cute, though. Cute but deadly. A little bit like Ivan and Natalya. Actually, quite a lot like them. And much as I love my dear Little siblings, no one in the World wants to see some kind of re-make of Ivan and Natalya.
Other than that...lovely little thought, I wish them a very happy marriage, it that's what they want. So, with that, I had to shrug those aforementioned charming thoughts off, after all, people get married every day. Mind you, Nations don't.
But I quietly deemed it was best not to dwell on that particular train of thought, and continued on with the proceedings, following my seemingly jubilant siblings back out of the Church for the photos.
Then there was the reception...That seemed to take a long time. Natalya and Ivan aren't often known for their happiness or for their dancing...'Skills', but when they are overjoyed and able to get some Vodka, they definitely know how to party. A lot.
The morning after the wedding party had finally dispersed, the Ukrainian woke up with a hangover and a Vodka-stained Bridesmaid dress, in the guestroom of her brother's home, and for some reason, found herself laying the bed, looking up at the ceiling, still in a rather reflective mood.
Her strange but dear to her Little Brother, and her even stranger, but quite lovely Little Sister, had entered (voluntarily and happily, if appearances were anything to go by) into a Union State, which was apparently politically 'Official' now.
They, whether just together or among many others and for various different reasons, had had numerous unions of varying degrees of happiness, all of which had failed sooner or later.
Would this one be different? How long would it last?
Days, weeks, months...Maybe even years?
Ukraine could only hope that either it would never end, or that she would not live to see the day something forced her siblings apart once again because she so wanted to see them happy at last.
That, and she knew that now Natalya had finally got what she had wanted since their early childhood, she would never, ever want to let it go. No matter what.
And if something or someone tried to force her to give her newfound 'wedded bliss' up?
There would be Hell to pay. Neither she nor Ivan, providing they were both as happy as they seemed now, would back down without a serious fight. And she had seen, and indeed been dragged into, many of their battles and wars before, because of her love for them and also because of their insistent attitudes concerning getting what they wanted.
The Ukrainian woman shuddered slightly. No, it was definitely best for all those concerned (And when it came to Natalya and Ivan, many, many people and Nations who were deeply concerned) that that never happened again, and that her siblings stayed peacefully and happily together.
That was the most important thing to her right now, that they were both happy, and at peace with the World around them.
Not only because she loved them, but because it would allow her to concentrate on her own affairs, on her politics and her people, and maybe even her farm, with less chance of being dragged into some mess by her siblings.
Maybe, just maybe, for once her family would be responsible for making the future brighter, rather than causing the World more troubles, Iryna rather idealistically mused to herself.
So, whatever her feelings would ordinarily be on the subject...Ukraine decided to keep out of it and privately pray that it kept her siblings stable, safe and cheerful. And if it did, then she resolved to accept it and its outcomes, in spite of not knowing what they may be.
Come what may...Whatever changes it may or not bring...However long it might last for...
Only time would tell, after all...