Of course, thank you for the reviews, favorites and follows. That people like this story really means a lot to me. I really appreciate the encouragement. I just hope you guys know you can tell me if I'm screwing up somewhere. I won't go "AHHH, I'M TOSSING THIS STORY 4EVER 'COS 1 PERSON SAID MY GRAMMAR SUCKS!1!"

Promise :D

-O-

Okay, chapter stuff...Um, well, they return to the north in this. Some parts of this I feel are kinda meh (probably because I wrote them while I was tired) but all in all I don't think it's too bad. Did a lot of research for this, actually. Looking up pictures of frostbite is not for the faint of heart 8C (or the weak of stomach XD)

-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

XIV: Home to Nothingness

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Alfred spent most of his time with Prince Yao's younger siblings. At first he had to initiate all the conversations but gradually they began asking him questions about the north. He was happy to answer them if he knew how to. Most of the questions were simple and about different customs. Others were…a little more difficult.

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"So what does a 'personal servant' do exactly?" Yong Soo asked him as they walked through the garden.

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"Um…" It had been nearly two years since he had heard his full job description. Far too much had happened since then. "Well, I guess you could say they're companions to their masters. They have the most liberty of all servants. The only people they have to obey are their masters or the Emperor. They're expected to go wherever their master wishes and they always have to be presentable. They also have to take care of their master's every need."

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"Every need?"

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Kiku looked at Yong Soo with disapproval and hit him on the top of his head with the little fairy tale book he had read to Mei.

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"Ow! What was that for? It just seemed unfair that one person should be made to take care of everything."

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"Well, I guess I shouldn't say every need. On an everyday basis all I've had to do so far is keep him company, sleep next to him and take baths with him." Only after he said that did he think maybe it was inappropriate to talk about such things here. If so then…crap.

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"If that is true you have a very easy life for a servant. However, your situation is not permanent if I understand things correctly. Once you have turned twelve your life may change drastically. For better or for worse." Kiku pulled Mei off the tree she had started climbing. "I do not imagine your life will be so easy then. You have quite an intimidating master."

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"Aw, he may look tough and scary, but he's a kitten on the inside." They all looked skeptical. He couldn't really blame them. Ivan didn't exactly act like a nice person to practical strangers. Or anyone, really. He even seemed distant with his sisters and he had known them for years. Why Alfred should be any different, he couldn't begin to imagine. Of course thinking about that brought back the memory of Ivan saying he loved him. After actually thinking about it, he seriously doubted Ivan had said the wrong word. He was sure the young master had meant what he said. After all, he hadn't been that drunk.

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They continued on through the garden in silence, everyone distracted with their own thoughts it seemed. The sun had started to set already, only the violet-gray part of the sky visible over the rooftops as the moon peeked through the clouds. With the suns decent came the chill of evening. His companions didn't seem bothered by the cold at all, cheerfully chatting once again amongst themselves in their native language. They all suddenly came to a stop and looked grave, bowing their heads quickly.

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Alfred looked ahead and saw a serene woman standing just outside the palace doors in the shadow of the porch roof, her dainty hands clasped loosely in front of her and nearly covered by the long sleeves of her dress. Her face was ghostly pale and her black hair was put up in elaborate buns and braids. She looked terrifying.

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"Children," she said softly, her voice sweet and heavily accented. "It is rude to speak in such a way in front of a guest who knows not our language. You are not so above him that your behavior is acceptable. I would hope your mothers have brought you up better." She listened to their sheepish apologies with an air of frigid indifference, watching them with apathy. "Do not address me with apologies. I am not the one who has been wronged." She reached out her hand and Mei quickly ran to her, taking it and looking back at them to say her goodbyes. Then the two were gone, disappearing into the palace.

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"She was scary." Alfred looked at the three boys, finding them all in agreement. "Was she the empress?"

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"Yes." Kiku looked at him and bowed his head slightly. "I must apologize, Alfred. It was rather rude of us to speak in our own language while you were present." The other two joined him in apologies. It made Alfred feel a little awkward.

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"It's fine, really. I'm used to being out of the loop." He smiled, trying to ease the uncomfortable atmosphere.

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"What are you all doing out here? It's freezing." Prince Yao stood in the doorway, the light in the hall making him a silhouette. "Come in before you all catch cold." He shook his head and motioned for all of them to come in, which they did. "Dinner is ready."

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Alfred followed his usual companions into the smaller dining room where they usually ate. It seemed so strange to go the day without seeing Ivan. They hadn't actually made any conversation except for small talk since they had settled in. Alfred really didn't like it. The dinner was quick and he said his goodbyes to the boys before hurrying back to his room. He worked on his studies, waiting for Ivan to return as well. He fell asleep with his head in his book.

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"I don't imagine that makes a very comfortable pillow, sunflower," Ivan's voice spoke quietly from somewhere in his dream. He was tugged slightly to consciousness when something was carefully pulled out from under his head. He then felt a familiar hand stroking through his hair soothingly.

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"Ivan…?" He peeked up at the blurry figure sitting by him. He rubbed his eyes as the haziness of sleep dissipated. "What time is it?"

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"Far too late for either of us to be up." Ivan got up and went to the dresser to change into his sleep-wear.

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"So what kept you up so late?" Alfred searched for his missing book only to find it sitting in plain sight on one of the bedside tables. When Ivan didn't answer he repeated his question. That was also ignored. "Hey, jerk, I'm talking to you."

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"I am very tired, sunflower. We can talk about this tomorrow."

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"But we won't. We don't talk at all anymore."

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"We're talking now."

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"Yeah, and you want to go to bed. Besides, this isn't that great of a conversation."

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"Then why do you wish to continue it?" Ivan clamped his hand over Alfred's mouth and held him close, nuzzling his face against the side of Alfred's head. "I will make time for you tomorrow. I promise."

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Alfred pushed his hand off and snuggled back against his warmth. "Okay, but if you break your promise I'll run around screaming you're a liar. Nobody will ever trust you again."

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"Yes, I'm sure your crazed ranting would inspire unquestionable confidence." He grunted when Alfred elbowed him in the ribs. "Well, if you want people to place their faith in your words, you have to remain calm and focused. Nobody listens to a lunatic and they certainly don't follow his example." He laid his head over Alfred's and held him tighter. "Now go to sleep."

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Alfred nodded and did his best to sleep. The natural liveliness of his mind was an asset in those rare moments where he had nothing to do, but it did more harm than good on those far more common sleepless nights. Finally he drifted off, dreading being woken with the rising sun. He knew he wouldn't have gotten enough sleep by then.

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-O-

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Alfred woke up freezing cold. Ivan was gone and even though the blankets were tucked around him generously, he was only warm enough to not shiver violently. He curled up tighter and pulled the covers up to his ears and stayed there until the door slid open and Ivan came in.

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"Ah, sunflower, you're awake." Ivan smiled warmly and leaned over the bed, pulling the blankets down enough to see his face. "It's time to be up. Come on and get dressed."

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"But it's freezing." He huddled into the covers and fought off the hand trying to dig him out. "Aren't you cold?"

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"Of course, but it's only from the snow. We've both weathered it before." As usual, he found Alfred's misery funny. His violet eyes were bright with amusement and his smile was genuine. "Come on before I drag you out. You know we represent our empire while we're here. You don't want us all to be seen as weak, do you?"

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"How would staying warm be seen as weak? Is it so terrible that I don't want to freeze to death?"

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"First off, you're exaggerating." Ivan climbed on the bed and sat back on his heels. He was dressed warmer than usual, wearing a long coat, heavy gloves and a fur-lined hat. And he was still cold. Alfred sure as hell didn't want to get up. "You can handle the cold just fine. All you need to do is adjust to it."

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"I don't want to."

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"I don't care. You have to get up. You need to eat, for one thing."

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"They don't bring your breakfast to your bed here?" At Ivan's shake of the head Alfred sighed and considered his options. Eat but freeze to death or stay warm but starve to death. Neither really appealed. "Can't we make an exception?"

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"No." Ivan climbed back off the bed and got Alfred a change of clothes and stuffed them under the covers. "Get changed and come on."

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Alfred grumbled and did as he was told. The clothes had thankfully warmed slightly before he put them on, reducing the chill of changing out of his sleep-wear. He had to take a moment to steel himself for his departure from the warm bed. The wood floor was cold, almost as much as the air. "I want to go back."

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"It's too late for that." Ivan helped him into his coat and socks before leading him out of the room to the dining hall. The palace seemed awfully quiet. There were very few servants walking around, but then they usually made themselves scarce anyway.

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They sat at the table and waited as Alfred's breakfast was prepared. "So where is everybody?"

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"Outside. Enjoying the snow." Ivan scoffed at the notion, staring absent-mindedly at the decorations in the center of the table. "If they got three or four feet of it at least once each year I don't think they'd 'enjoy' it so much."

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"It must be nice to have only three months of winter."

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"Well, there are advantages to long winters. The north has never lost a defensive war thanks to them. It's in the summer that we're most vulnerable."

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They fell silent after Alfred's food was delivered. He ate as quickly as the hot food would allow, growing overly warm from it. Once he finished Ivan led him down the hall, passing Yong Soo and Kaoru coming in with snow melting in their hair. They bowed their head but Ivan barely acknowledged them. "You could have said hi or something."

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"I beg your pardon?"

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"You could have given them some kind of greeting instead of just walking by."

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"I live by different rules than you do, Alfred. When I'm not at home I must strictly adhere to them, just as you must do the same with your own set."

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"I suppose those rules forbid you to talk to anyone below your rank?" He grew a little irritated when Ivan didn't answer, instead spotting something on the opposite wall that interested him. When Alfred looked he found Kiku and Yao in battle stances with swords. Both of them, instead of wearing their shirts, had the sleeves tied around their waists. At first he thought they must have been crazy, but then noticed the slight shine of perspiration. Apparently they were keeping warm enough with their fight. "Are they trying to kill each other? Should we call someone?"

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"I imagine they're only practicing." Ivan went to the doorway and rested his hand on the frame, watching with obvious curiosity. Why he found it interesting, Alfred couldn't begin to guess. Though they did look pretty neat with their flips and jumps to avoid fatal wounds.

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"Who do you think will win?"

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"It's hard to tell. What one has in strength the other has in agility. It will likely come down to who has the most endurance."

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"So you think you could beat them?" He looked up to find Ivan staring at the match with a look of horror.

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"I think they would make me look like an idiot. I wouldn't be able to keep up with all the moving and jumping around. The whole fighting style is different. In an actual fight I could do some real damage if I hit them, but I would probably be dead before that happened."

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"So why don't you take some lessons? Maybe they could teach you how to fight like that and then you'll never have to worry."

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Ivan looked down at him and raised his eyebrow. "You think I'd ever be able to jump around like that?"

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After a moment of trying to picture it he laughed. "No. You're too big to ever be that agile. But you could still learn something. I think it'd be worth it to take a lesson or two. Besides, you and Yao have just been wasting time together with the whole 'friendship' thing Emperor Yun made you do. Wouldn't it be nice to do something together that is actually productive?"

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"You make a valid point, but it's not just for me to decide."

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Alfred sighed and looked back at the brothers. They eventually noticed their audience and quit, Kiku taking the swords and putting them up as Yao and Ivan spoke. Alfred followed him out of the room and joined the others as usual. He was in the middle of watching Mei paint a picture when he was called out and brought back to Ivan. "I thought you and Prince Yao were going to be busy."

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"He has his own studies to complete." Ivan smiled at him cheerfully and held out a pair of boots. "We're going to take a walk."

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"Outside?" But…But it was cold. "You're crazy if you think I'm going out there in this weather."

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"You don't actually have a choice, sunflower. You can't really refuse my orders." He shook the boots at Alfred with an expectant look on his face. Sadistic bastard.

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Alfred snatched the boots and angrily put them on before making sure his coat was fastened and ready for his coming torture. Ivan also handed him a pair of gloves that were incredibly warm. "So what did I do to piss you off and deserve this, huh? Or are you mad at someone else and just taking it out on me?"

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"You do realize anger is not the only thing that motivates me? Maybe I just wanted to take a walk with you. Is that so hard to believe?" Seeing as they were ready, he opened the door and led Alfred out into the cold and snow. The flakes were drifting gently down with no wind to speed their decent. Soft, fluffy powder covered the ground in a solid white blanket. The tracks the other children left were just slight depressions in the snow.

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If he ignored the cold he could admit it was a little pretty. They walked side by side in silence, Ivan seeming content to merely travel the length of the courtyard quietly. Alfred let him get a little ahead and scooped up a couple handfuls of snow and packed it together before throwing it at Ivan's back. Most of it came apart before it even hit him. Stupid snow.

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Ivan turned to him at the impact and raised his eyebrow questioningly. "Did you hit me with something?"

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Alfred wordlessly gathered up more snow, keeping his eye trained on his target. He packed it tighter, hoping it would stay together this time. He threw it but Ivan held his hand up and it burst in his palm.

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The young master laughed quietly. "The snow is too new to make a snowball with. You had best just give—" He was interrupted by a snowball in the face. He coughed and spit out the snow that had gotten in his mouth, quickly brushing away what was melting on his face.

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Alfred laughed at his success but fell silent when Ivan glared at him and knelt in the snow. Uh oh. He quickly ran to find shelter but there wasn't much to hide behind. A few stone statues that weren't much taller than he was and a couple of trees, none of which were nearby. Then he heard Ivan coming after him. "Ahh! Don't hit me!" He fled and felt something just barely hit his butt. Fine. If Ivan wanted war, he would have war.

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-O-

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Aside from that one battle—which Alfred won, no matter what Ivan might say—most of the visit went about like usual, a process he had finally adjusted to. The only thing that really changed was Ivan did actually take a few lessons from Prince Yao in fighting. They used rounded wooden swords instead of actual metal ones to avoid serious injury. Alfred had seen a few of the matches. They weren't particularly interesting so he never saw a full one, but he would watch a little bit to see who was winning if he happened to pass the room. He learned a few Far Eastern words as well and got a basic lesson in reading their language from Yong Soo and Kaoru. The latter, he was pretty sure, thought he was an idiot, though he never said it.

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He had lost track of the days somewhere along the line but he knew it was warming up. The cherry trees in the garden had begun to leaf and the grass had come back to life. "Is it spring here already?"

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"Yes. Just in time to be going home too." Ivan leaned against the tree and stared up at the small, green leaves.

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"We're leaving soon?" How come he hadn't been told? "When did you decide that?"

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"I didn't decide it. I got a letter just today that read we should return by the end of the month, as there's going to be a festival in honor of the Emperor. Hosted by his 'loyal' subjects." Ivan sounded slightly disgusted and crossed his arms. "They're calling it the First Annual Winter Festival, which means they plan on doing it next year and for who knows how many years to come."

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"In honor of the Emperor? Why? Nobody likes him."

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"There are those that like him. The people who benefit from his policies but don't have to live with him. Besides, as I understand it, it is not meant to honor him so much as his title."

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Alfred looked to the west and found he didn't want to return. The weather was getting warmer here and he was learning another language and Kiku had just started teaching him Far Eastern manners and hospitality. Besides, despite having to be on his best behavior most of the time, he found it was less stressful than dealing with all that crap in the north. Everything was more relaxed here and he didn't have to worry about working in the kitchen or being caught by the Emperor outside of his 'boundaries', whatever the hell that meant.

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Still, no amount of dread could slow down time and the day they had to return came far too soon. Mei went to them as they prepared to leave and offered them both charms. "They keep you safe on long journeys."

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Alfred gratefully took them and bowed his head to her. "Thank you very much, Mistress Mei."

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She giggled and waved before returning to her mother's side. The boys stood out of the way of the rest of the family, holding their hands up in farewell as Alfred and Ivan climbed in the carriage. Alfred waved back at them as the carriage pulled away. The trip back didn't seem to take as long and their sleeping didn't suffer nearly as much. The only thing he really had to complain about was the drop in temperatures. The snow got worse the further north they went.

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When they left the last hotel on the trip they got their first team of horses back. Apparently they had remained stabled there the whole time. Alfred only knew it was them because he recognized the big gray brute Ivan had rode during the previous summer.

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They had just entered the capital city when a blizzard suddenly came down. The windows of the carriage showed nothing but white as it rocked against the high wind. The sound of children crying and screaming for their parents came from all around. Suddenly the carriage lurched to a halt and a piercing neigh came from the front, followed by the driver's voice trying to calm the horses. Alfred looked out the window but couldn't see anything to tell him where they were exactly.

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"Stay in here." Ivan opened the carriage door and the frigid wind blew in, taking snow along with it. Alfred thought he was frozen to the core from the blast. He could hear voices shouting over the howling wind outside and his own chattering teeth. One of them was Ivan's and he assumed the other was the driver. Another wind blew through, nearly knocking the carriage over and sending him sliding into the opposite door, which came open upon impact. He fell onto the hard, ice-covered street and found himself in a frozen emptiness. All he could see was white. He felt like he was dying. What little air he managed to breathe froze his lungs and the wind burned his skin.

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"Alfred?" Ivan's voice called, sounding far away.

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"Ivan!" He struggled to get up despite the blasts from the icy storm. After a step he could make out the red seats of the carriage. The door was swinging open in the gusts, banging against the side on occasion.

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"I told you to stay inside!" Ivan's figure appeared over the seats, his hand outstretched. "Come on! We have to get out of this weather."

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He took the offered hand and clumsily climbed into the carriage. His limbs felt stiff and numb from the cold. Ivan quickly slammed the other door shut after him. The carriage rocked with the wind and now that he was pressed to Ivan's chest he could feel his companion shaking violently.

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"One of our wheels is broken and caught up somehow in another carriage's axle. The driver took one of the horses and is trying to get to the palace that way." Ivan let out a shuddering breath and glanced around the rocking carriage. "We'll freeze to death if we stay in here and we'll freeze to death if we leave."

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"Well, it's nice to know we have options," Alfred grumbled and looked out at the white window. All he could think about was a nice, hot bath and a warm bed. The carriage jerked a few times and the horse neighed. This was not how he thought his life would end. Not that he had really put much thought into that subject.

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"Alfred? Do you trust me?"

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"I don't think I want to know why you're asking that."

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Ivan shook his head and looked at the door. "Probably not. I have an idea but it's a long-shot. It will require us getting out and braving the cold. Hopefully not for very long."

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"Well, if we're going to freeze to death either way, might as well try, right?" He took a deep, steadying breath before Ivan opened the door and they jumped out into the white nothingness.

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"Hold on to my coat." Ivan waited until he had done so before heading straight to the front of the carriage. Alfred could just barely see the big gray horse throwing his head up, trying to shake loose from his harness. Ivan grabbed the halter and pulled the animal's head down to unfasten the driving reins. "Easy, boy." His hands were shaking, obviously giving him trouble with some of the smaller buckles, so Alfred helped with what he could reach. His fingers were numb from cold and grasping things proved difficult. With how cold it was he didn't really care that he was so close to the large creature. Getting crushed wasn't his main concern.

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Finally they got the horse free and led him back around to the carriage so they could use the step to mount him. Alfred started to climb behind Ivan on the animal's back but he was stopped. "No, get in front. I don't want to chance you falling off and getting lost."

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He climbed in Ivan's lap, too cold to be reluctant. Then they were off, the horse wasting very little time reaching a canter. Because there were no reins Ivan only grabbed a handful of the horse's mane with his free arm wrapped around Alfred's waist. He leaned forward slightly, blocking most of the wind. Alfred had to face away from the gusts to breathe. "A-are you sure this is a g-good idea? Where are we g-going?" he barely managed to ask through chattering teeth.

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"With any luck, shelter. Home, preferably."

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The ride seemed to take forever, the empty whiteness going on without end. Alfred felt Ivan's grip loosen a few times only to tighten again, the period of time between the them rapidly growing shorter. "Are you okay?" When Ivan didn't answer he grew worried. Then they flew through the open gate into the palace's front courtyard and he felt relief wash over him. It actually made him feel a little warmer. It was short-lived, as the horse chose that moment to jump and he felt Ivan fall off behind him. "Ivan!" He grabbed the horse's mane and tried to stop him but it didn't do any good. The animal kept going, passing a guard leading another horse. "Master Ivan fell off!" he called over his shoulder, praying the man would be able to help since Alfred obviously couldn't. He had to focus on his own problems. They tore through the garden and reached the gate of the stable courtyard, finding it closed. The horse stopped by it and neighed, shaking his head about and pawing at the mounting snow.

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It was so cold and wind showed him no mercy. He shivered and clung to the horse to try to warm up somehow. It actually seemed to work. He started feeling warmer and became very sleepy. It felt nice after what he had to endure in the last hour. He knew he shouldn't fall asleep on the horse's back, but he couldn't get down, as the animal was a giant. He would more than likely really hurt himself if he tried. Besides, it was probably what had warmed him up. So he didn't worry too much and went to sleep, barely aware people were calling for him.

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-O-

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Alfred woke up in the room he had used while Ivan's rib had healed. He was happy to be back inside the palace and wondered briefly it hadn't just been a nightmare. Then he noticed the burning ache in his hands, feet and face. He lifted up one hand and found it wrapped in bandages, each finger bound separately. He couldn't bend his fingers and it hurt to try so he reluctantly laid his hand back down and blew out a breath. At least he was warm.

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The door opened quietly and Arthur came in, looking exhausted. "Well, look who's up. How do you feel, lad?"

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"I hurt. Why are my hands wrapped up?"

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"You nearly got frostbite." Arthur sat on the edge of his bed and stroked his hair. "We found you sleeping on Scepter's back like it was a fair summer day. If Toris and I hadn't been in such a panic we might have laughed."

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He frowned and shifted awkwardly in the bed, having to use his elbows to move. "How did you find your way around? It was nothing but white out there."

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"When the snow started coming down hard the guards strung rope from doors to places we knew we'd have to go when the carriage got in. From the gates to the palace doors and to the stable from both places."

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He wondered briefly if that was what had made the horse jump. But then he focused on more important matters. "What about Ivan? Is he okay? Did they find him?"

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"Yes, they found him. Just in the nick of time, too, I suspect. He has frostbite, but the doctor is pretty confident he won't lose any fingers or toes. He's already developed some rather unpleasant-looking blisters though. I imagine he's in pain, but he's kept pretty quiet, so I guess he's handling it okay." Arthur sighed and brushes his hair back off his forehead, looking sleepy. "Oh, don't move your hands and feet if you can help it. And don't even think about walking around. You need to heal first."

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"Okay. But how did the doctor get here?"

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"Mistress Katyusha has a fever," Arthur answered through a yawn.

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Alfred slowly nodded and relaxed back in the bed, watching as his teacher tried and failed to stay awake. The poor man must have been so tired. When he fell back in the bed upon falling asleep it only made him grunt

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Alfred listened to his quiet snoring and laid his head back in the pillows, staring up at the plain white roof. The polished support beams cast dark shadows because the only lamp that had been lit was next to the door. After everything though, he really didn't feel scared of shadows. Just thinking about what could have happened…He would have to find out what horses liked to eat and give some to Ivan's monstrous beast. He wasn't particularly happy it had jumped and knocked Ivan off but…he also seriously doubted they would have lived without that horse. Those charms Mei gave him obviously sucked.

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It seemed to take forever to heal. The doctor often came in and checked his face, hands and feet. They were red and hurt like hell, but there wasn't much they could do about the pain. He just had to bear through it. Feliciano watched over him mostly, as Arthur couldn't spare the time from his regular duties to take consistent care of him. It wasn't too bad, as they were close in their studies and could do them together. Feli didn't have as many to do, however, because he was likely to be a dishwasher for the rest of his life.

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"I would rather cook," he told Alfred as he wrote down an answer to his math problem. "I've watched the cook and I've helped him and you know he's always asking me to check the pasta because when I do, everyone likes it better. Arthur says I have to be able to make more than just pasta. But I could learn! He just won't listen."

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"He won't even let you learn to make new things? Did he give a reason?"

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Feliciano played with his pen, biting his lip. "Well…I didn't actually tell him that. I don't like confrontation…"

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"You're never going to get what you want if you don't fight for it. Everyone wants things their way. They're not going to let you do things your way just because it would make you happy." Alfred lay back in the pillows and blew out his breath. Really, some people could stand to be a little more bull-headed. And some a little less so, not that he was naming names. They didn't talk about the future after that, focusing mainly on the Far East. Feli liked the stories so he ended up retelling them a couple of times.

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A few days later the remains of their luggage was brought to them. Apparently the townspeople had taken whatever they could carry off. The driver was also found, evidently frozen to death in front of a shop. Feliciano told him they suspected he had ridden too close and had hit the over-hanging sign.

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When Alfred was finally allowed to walk the first thing he did was go to Ivan's room. When he entered he found the young master lying with his eyes closed, his face still red from his own ordeal. He went to the bedside and carefully climbed up beside Ivan, not wishing to wake him. The red covered his nose and cheekbones and his ears. His hands suffered as well, some of his fingers sporting raw looking wounds where Alfred assumed the blisters had been.

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He reached out and brushed some of the silver hair back to reveal Ivan's pale forehead. It seemed to be the only part of his face untouched by the frostbite. Violet eyes slowly opened and turned to him, appearing unfocused at first. Once he recognized Alfred he smiled weakly. Even that seemed to hurt him, as he winced and closed his eyes again.

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"What do horses like to eat?"

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"You came in here to ask me that?" Ivan asked, his words somewhat slurred in places as he avoided moving his lips too much. He kept his eyes closed but his brows rose slightly.

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"No, I came to check on you and make sure you were okay. But I wanted to thank your horse for helping us and I figured you would know the answer to my question."

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"He likes apples the most but they're not easy to come by this time of year. A sugar cube will do if you're impatient, which I know you are."

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"Where are the sugar cubes?" He wouldn't mind having one himself, to be honest. It would be nice to have something sweet every now and then.

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"Ask Arthur. I'm sure he knows." Ivan settled back in the bed again. He didn't feel like conversation if the 'yes' and 'no' answers Alfred got were any indication. So Alfred lay beside him and they took a nap together. He was eventually shooed by Toris, who had to take care of Ivan. So he dejectedly returned to his room and alternated between lying on the bed and walking around in circles.

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The doctor said they would be fully recovered in about a week and a half. Alfred just knew it would be the longest eleven days of his life.

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Fun(?) Fact: I really, seriously, honestly thought of calling this chapter "Alfred in Wasteland" XD...but I didn't, obviously, for several reasons

Anyway, hope you enjoyed reading and see ya next chapter :D