America's POV:
The spring weather causes me to feel both warm and cold at the same time, I've never truly liked the season myself. I remember a time when Natalia had come to visit Washington D.C and wanted to view the cherry blossoms.
The week outlook was amazing; sunny and fifty-five. The wind had been calm up until we stepped out onto the street and it send a chill right up her spine, forcing her knees to go out and fall against me. Of course, being the hero I grabbed her and kissed her cheek, which she smacked me for.
She started rambling about how'd she smack General Winter back into submission and I couldn't help but laugh as we walked through the streets, only to come home to the house being covered in snow. She turned to me and started laughing, only until I threw a snowball at her. I sigh as I get up, I'd forgotten one of our sweeter memories.
I look out the window and notice my older brother, Arthur, is standing on the stoop of my porch. I stand up and stretch the tired and aching muscles in my arms and legs before shuffling over to the door and unlocking it. I grab the small brass knob and let him in, and he pushes past me.
I can tell he's had a trying week and nibble my lower lip, wondering how formations and battle plans are going and what our next step will be, whether we force our way into Russia or if we invade a neighbor and slowly trek through, getting to know the territory and knowing exactly where Ivan's weaknesses are. I see Arthur go straight to my kitchen and grabbing my tea kettle, popping off the top and filling it with water.
"Do you have any tea leaves?" He asks before shuffling through my cabinets. I give him a blank stare, having to question myself if I have any.
"I have coffee grounds…" I mumble and he scoffs, shaking his head.
"Damn Americans…" He whispers and grabs a small package of Lady Grey tea leaves from his blazer pocket. "It's tea time." He tells me and I can't help but laugh.
"I'll have coffee." I joke, knowing he'll start rambling about how uncultured my country is all because I drink coffee and not tea. I walk next to him and shake my head.
"Fire it up, brother." I turn on the burner for the tea kettle and open the window, the spring air coolly blows in and gives life to my musty home.
"There's been talk, you're depressed. Not going out like you used to." Arthur places his hand on my shoulder and I sigh.
"I'm fine, I just don't have a reason to go out. Besides, it's not like you're out and about either." I retort, only to get shut down in an instant. Arthur squeezes my shoulder and we have a brotherly moment.
"You know, there are rumors that you have a broken heart and after all this time you're still having trouble." I pull his shoulder off and turn my back to him, trying to shake this depressing feeling that's overcome me off.
"That's a lie, I'm fine." I whisper, afraid my voice will break if I'm too loud. "I know how it felt when your mother died…you were the same way." I turn around and punch Arthur square in the jaw, my heart not wanting to travel down that road as well. I send him to the floor right as the water boils for the tea and I pull it off.
"Arthur, we pushed that to rest decades ago. Leave it there." I say coolly and he gets up, grabbing his sore jaw. I pour the tea and stare at him, feeling the desire to change the subject between us.
"What are the advancements?" I question, wondering where my troops are going and when.
"Well Ivan has his country on lock down, we'd never even get close to Moscow. The only options we have are to find a country near him that doesn't like him nor support him, and he's got almost all of those bastards up his ass that we'd quickly be decapitated upon entry of invading."
"So which countries absolutely hate him and will allow us in?"
"You're not going to like it…" He mumbles and I set down my glass before a glare comes over my features.
"No. I forbid it." I stand firm, if he's headed to where I think he is.
"It's our only option. We need to invade Belarus. She's the only one that'll be torn between her brother and you. You need to use her weaknesses against her!" He tries to persuade me, but it's going nowhere.
"It truly doesn't matter if you want to or not, the troops listen to me, their leader, and they'll do as I say. They're flying out next week, a date hasn't been set yet." I see Arthur feeling smug in using my own weaknesses against me and curl my hands into fists.
"Bastard." I whisper and walk off, going out to the garden and smelling the vibrant daffodils, hoping me not being there will be a clear message for him to leave.
England's POV:
I stare at the window as I watch Alfred kick the grass in the garden. "He's still go so much to learn." I whisper to myself as I sip my warm tea, feeling saddened that I am forced to watch my brother in this limbo state.
"He should be happy I'm not telling him the rumors I'm hearing from others about his 'beloved'. Sick as a dog, puking every night. Some think Ivan is poisoning her, others think her random trysts have landed her pregnant." I shake my head, trying to rid myself of her rumors, since they're all but true.
"Alfred still has problems with his mother, issues he needs to fix before he even worries about love and all that crap." I shake my head, hoping Alfred learns quickly that there's never a person you can fully trust. I place my cup in the sink once I have finished and seal up the loose tea leaves, placing them in the cabinet for the next time I'm over and walk out through the front door, hoping he'll join his troops instead of wallowing in self-misery.
Belarus' POV:
I lie in bed, the blankets pulled up around my waist since my ankles are too swollen to walk this morning. Ana sits by my bedside in the old worn chair that creeks when she moves in it. She grabs my hand and gently squeezes it, reassuring me that she's still by my side even though it's been damn near an hour.
I've been spacing out, trying to think of how I avoid my brother's plan to marry me off to the suitor of his stupid revenge scheme.
"Natalia, I have an idea." I look over and give her a tired smile.
"Oh, it's not kill Ivan and reap the benefits, right?" I laugh humbly and she frowns, shaking her head.
"That type of talk will kill you." She warns and moves, sitting on the edge of my bed. "I want you to go home. We'll forge some reports of civilians uprising and that you must go home to deal with them. When you're home; shut down all travel and put your country on lockdown right away, do not hesitate." She warns and I follow her logic.
"What if Ivan tries to come to me? What if…they try to force me here to marry whomever Ivan picks?" Ana merely stays quiet before sighing gently.
"Natalia, you're radiant and strong. You need to rely on others that are outside of Russian politics. Reconnect with Alfred, connect with Mr. England, Mr. France, someone who'd be willing to help you and forge a friendship. This is part of ruling a country, you must make connects even if you don't want to. You've been controlled for far too long, it's time for you to be great on your own merits." She hugs me tightly and I smile, she's my rock and I am so happy I've come to know this woman.
"Ana, I have to say that…even though my sister and I were never close…I love you as though you're my sister, not just my sister-in-law." She has the widest smile on her face as she helps me up.
"We'll get you packed, I don't want you here longer than you need to be, you're in too much danger. Especially with that child in you." She pats my stomach and we both nod.
"You're right, I need to go home quickly, I'll be showing shortly and…that could ruin any plans Ivan has set me up for." I stand up, with some help from her and grab my suitcase, throwing it on my bed next to Ana.
I open my drawers and grab a handful of shirts, tossing them into the suitcase behind me. I do this blindly until the drawer is empty. I turn behind me and see Ana's left the room, I stop in my steps and frown as I realize she's probably the only reason as to why I liked being here for the past three months.
I stroll over to my closet, and decide to leave half of the dresses, since they're all either formal wear or won't fit six months from now. I sigh as I see a small box on the floor, obscured by a violet scarf. I hold a quizzical glance as I reach for it and bring the box into my grasp. I pop it open and smile widely, the box holds several memories, some good and some bad.
I feel a sense of warmth as I dig through and admire things from my childhood. There is a small beaded hairclip that my brother gave me when I was young, it was a birthday gift and he'd been so wonderful and nice to me, but the niceness didn't last through the rest of our time together. I push it aside and start wildly smiling when I read a letter from Alfred, a week after our first meeting.
I'd kept it secret from anyone, fearful that my engagement would fall through if it were found. I sit on my bed and open the letter, thinking what life would have been like if I'd had pursued Alfred more seriously in my youth. I go through the details, noting that he writes as though he's speaking to me, which makes my heart feel a dull ache as I read, I missed him and his words were still able to make my heart race. I remember that after I read his letter that I had called him and had scheduled our unofficial first date.
He was so unlike himself, although now that I recall, I feel he took a few points from Arthur...hoping to impress me and gain a second outing. I hold the letter close to my heart for a moment before slipping it into my suitcase, realizing that I could part from the stuff that had memories of my brother, but I wasn't ready to part from Alfred.
I notice that my suitcase is filled to the brim and pull the top over before sitting on it, hoping to close it by squishing it with my butt. I squirm and wiggle, but after about three minutes I finally manage to get the thing zipped. I place my box of mementos back in my closet for safe-keeping, if I ever come back and take in a full, deep breath.
I watch the trees sway as the wind forces them every which way, it's relaxing to notice how flexible the trees are and notice that humans are the same way. We may bend, but we truly never break. I feel as though I am ready to start my new life, with my child in a place where I can protect them from practically anything.
Anastasia's POV:
I watch Natalia for a few moments as she begins to pack her bags, hoping that she'll be alright with the light packing she needs to do before she can go start on her way home. I can't help but smile as I watch her fling thing after thing towards me and the suitcase to my right. She seems happy, as though a weight has been lifted and once I see her doing her tasks without waver I stand; slipping from the room quietly so I can falsify the riots her civilians are taking part of.
I get a phone call, it's from my darling husband and I instantly tap the ignore button, thinking about how I'll make up some excuse when I get a second to breathe.
I walk down to my basement, where our mail comes in and find the yellow package I'd had delivered from a friend in Minsk. I open it and see a newspaper from the local printing press in Belarus. The work is wonderful, and it should be since this needs to look as real as possible so I can fool my husband. I grab the rest of our mail, and rush upstairs, hoping Ivan is in the planning room with his generals so I can discuss this new detail with him.
My heels clink against the stone steps, letting any servant know of my coming. I rush across the main gallery, going up the second set of stairs, this time marble, and finally landing on the floor I need to be on. I go to the left and swing open the second door on the right. Ivan is there with a diplomat from another country.
I smile and curtsey to the diplomat as I take my husband's arm. "Ivan, I must speak with you in private. I have urgent news." Ivan gives me a cold glare, which must mean I am not to interrupt, but I need him now for my plan to work.
I smile passionately before announcing to the room filled with people that our beloved Natalia has gone home to deal with her wonderful civilians that need her in their time of need. Ivan grabs my wrist firmly, and yanks me out into the hall, as I hear his guests, generals and diplomats all speaking and whispering among themselves.
"What do you mean she's left here?! I need her here!" He squeezes my wrist so firmly I'm afraid it'll break and I yank it away with a forcefulness.
"She saw her morning paper, she thinks someone tried to keep her people's needs away from her. My best guess for now is to let her go. Let her go home for whatever time she may need, then when she sees that Belarus is fine she will come back to us, I promise you, my love. She's a child, still. She'll be back by your side in no time." I kiss his cheek, hoping my words of wisdom have calmed him down. He begins nodding and shaping ideas in his mind.
"Yes, we can work with this…my dear, I need you to explain this to everyone in there so they don't think she's unstable and not fit to marry." I can see Ivan is panicked, but I nod and go into the room to work my magic on his men.
My eyes roam the room and I see all eyes upon me when I enter the center. I give them my warm smile as I address them. "My guests, my family, my friends, I would like to inform you that my caring and loving sister-in-law has retired home to help her civilians. They seem to have become scared after hearing of her brief illness and want to ensure she is safe and sound. She is touring her country, enforcing that her love for her people and her support for Russia are clear as ice. We expect her home shortly, but send our prayers that she is safe on her travels." Everyone in the room smiles and cheers, saying their prayers for my dear sister and I look back to Ivan before he grabs my arm and kisses my cheek, ensuring that he whispers a threatening message into my ear before we forget all is well again.
"Next time you should bear your ear and listen to me, love." I can't help but smile back at him before I see someone come up to Ivan and me, an odd blonde-haired man that I briefly met when I had married Ivan. I forget his name, but I feel as though it's on the tip of my tongue.
"Yes, Eduard?" Ivan asks as he stares at the man, I get the feeling he's scared to speak to my husband, or lacks the confidence to do so.
"I have an idea on how we can kill America, destroying him once and for all." Ivan's eyebrow quirks up and I feel my stomach churn in the process.
"Do speak." He whispers and Eduard seems to smirk as he looks at me.
"Well, we find out his weakness. Once we find his weakness, we use it against him. We don't kill him right away, we emotionally torture him, then, once we do that we utilize the weakness and destroy it in front of him, if possible. If he adores a certain woman, then we kill her in the worst way possible…while he watches. I don't recall him having any children so we can't use them against him, but once I do some more in-depth research I'll have more information for you." I can see Ivan's eyes glisten with excitement as he looks at the blonde in front of me.
"We'll talk more once we gather more details and form a more solid plan, however, I am pleased with this suggestion. I believe I should offer you Natalia's hand." I hear him shout and my heart sinks, hoping that this plan will never happen because I have no idea how I could protect my sister from such crazed mental lunatics. I keep calm in their presence, folding my hands and scratching at my palms. Ivan clears his throat before calling everyone to bring him their attention.
"My guests, I am proud to announce that Mr. Estonia, Eduard, will be marrying my darling Natalia when she comes home from her touring." I hear rounds of applause and force a smile to my lips.
"No one should be celebrating this, he's treating Natalia like livestock; sold to the highest bidder." I mumble as I take a few steps back, slipping from the meeting room and head for my own rooms, hoping that I'll be able to think in advance so I can keep on top of the latest actions and whispers. I shake my head, rolling fingers through my short auburn hair . "Ivan, If America doesn't kill you, I will." I whisper, nibbling my lower lip before slipping into my chambers and locking the door.
America POV:
It's a sunny morning as I step on the Air Force base that Arthur and my men plan on flying out of. Planes fly low overhead, breaking the noise barrier and causing an awful and loud hum. I scrunch my nose as I look for my brother. Like usual, he's given me the bare minimum on where he is. I grumble as I feel the morning sun burn the back of my neck and the air chill the exposed skin on my arms, I shake out my bomber jacket and quickly slip it on, hoping it'll break some of the wind that blows against my pale skin.
"Spring is such a bitch..." I whisper as I feel like I'm fucked at both ends. I'm still highly opposed to this plan my brother has thought up, I don't like the thought of involving Natalia, yet he has no problems laying a hand on her if she gets in the way. It makes my stomach churn, how someone can think of killing a person in an instant and having no remorse.
I slurp down a coke, knowing it'll be my last one for a little while, since I know Nat doesn't have soda or soft drinks in her homelands. I thought about stowing a few packs on the plane, but the idea of getting a little healthier sounded more appealing this time.
I continue walking on the base, looking for Arthur and my men, but instead, get greeted by every Tom, Dick, and Harry that walks by. I salute back, but quicken my pace so I don't miss them departing. I go to the last hangar in the far back of the base and notice both English and American soldiers leaning against the metal side of the building, catching a quick smoke before take-off.
I stroll inside, footsteps echoing throughout the large building and see Arthur chatting with some Generals about the future battle plans. I walk up to them, say my hellos and stare at Arthur, we've not truly talked much since he visited my house last week to discuss our invasion on Natalia's lands.
"I'm not going because I want to, I'm going because I need to." I mumble, forcing my way into the craft and hear Arthur sigh under his breath.
"Do you ever think that you're going because you don't want to lose the last person you consider family?" Arthur blurts out and I turn on my heel, a cold glare crossing my once soft features.
"I still consider you my brother, so explain that." I reply, looking deep into his green eyes.
"Alfred, look…" He shakes his head and I can tell he feel uneasy about this topic, since we've not felt like family in a long while. "I know you lost your mother because of a war, but this feeling is why we fight. We fight to protect the ones we love so we don't feel the loss and regret of not doing our best. It wasn't my intention going in to involve Ms. Belarus, and I can't promise that she won't get hurt, but if we go on and we fight, we might be able to help her in the long run. We can end Ivan's reign and she can be free to do whatever the hell she desires. We can do this, but we need everyone involved to turn around and help us, not punish us. You know, All I am asking is that you rely and trust us. We can have everything in our favor, you just need to let us in." I feel him grab my shoulder and I firmly shake it off.
"Anything happens to Nat, I'll never forgive you Arthur. That's a promise." I dock the plane, sitting in the back where no one else is. I open my wallet, staring at the picture I have of Natalia. Her smile, so beautiful that it's the light of my tunnel. I sigh as I slip it back. My hands fold together and I have a moment of silence, praying that nothing happens to Natalia before I can get to her.
"Natalia, I will protect you." I softly whisper as I open my eyes and feel the plane roll out of the hangar and down a tarmac, lifting into the air.
(Soooo Author note: I do wanna say that I would like to have other view points in the story, later on, most likely with Estonia who seems to be our next star player.
I wanna thank you guys for reading this and giving me some feedback. It's really nice to hear where you're doing well and where you need to work on to become a better writer. I know one of my issues is pacing, I'm a person who wants to get to the end of the story because the ending is just so powerful, but I often leave a lot of the filler out, so I'm trying to work on that and I hope I'm doing a decent job. If you guys have anymore feedback for me I'd love to hear it. I hope that y'all finish this story to the end and I'm so glad you decided to read this far. Have a nice night,
Emo)