Chapter 5
Disclaimer: I do not own Hetalia. Don't use me as a reference on your history paper.
Hey guy! Sorry for the late update, I completely forgot that today was Saturday. Spring break has me confusing the days of the week. Here's this chapter, I've included Bloody Sunday in this chapter. I promise that things will become less dark (at least for a little while) after this one.
Note: Thank you RianLena for letting me know that I posted the wrong chapter. Sorry guys ^_^"
Read on!
Beep Beep Beep
Matthew's alarm blared at 9 in the morning. Matthew groaned and rolled over in his bed to slap the off button. The past few days had been rough. Every day there was an argument, and every day there was a fight. First it was France and England. The second time it was America and China. And the third time was Germany and Greece. Thankfully today was their day off and he was allowed a rare moment of peace.
Baboom-ba
Or so he thought. His phone buzzed under his bed sheets. Matthew sifted around the warm sheets until his fingers touched the cool metal of his phone. He turned on his screen and was surprised when he saw that it was Toris who contacted him. Matthew's face turned red when he remembered what a wreck he was when he arrived in his room with Ivan. He unlocked his phone and read the message.
To: Matthew Williams
From: Official representation of Lithuania.
Hello Mr Williams, it's me- Toris. I was wondering if you wanted to come over and have brunch with me? I have something I would like to discuss with you. J
At least he put a smiley face. Matthew dreaded what Toris wanted to talk to him about, but he decided to go anyway. He hauled his ass out of bed and left a note for Kumajiro to stay put until he returned. He donned his hoodie, slipped on a pair of jeans, and headed out the door.
Matthew knocked on Toris' hotel door and patiently waited outside.
"Coming!" Toris called from the inside. The door flew open a few seconds later, and the Lithuanian was absolutely beaming.
"Hello Canada. Come in, breakfast just came." Toris ushered Matthew inside. The Canadian suddenly felt underdressed. Toris was wearing a white button down shirt with a green vest overtop and a red tie with his usual business slacks, while Matthew was dressed like a college student in his hoodie and jeans.
As if he sensed his discomfort, Toris immediately assured him it was just his habit to 'dress like an old man'.
"Please, call me Matthew." Matthew accepted a plate of pancakes from the older nation. Toris sipped his tea, "Please call me Toris as well… I've heard that Ivan's been telling you about his past." The Lithuanian surprised Matthew with his directness, but he wasn't all that put off by it. In fact, he was grateful. It got rid of the suspense.
"Yeah." Matthew confirmed.
A thoughtful look overcame Toris' face and he set down his mug of tea on the glass table in front of them.
"May I ask why you're so interested?"
Matthew paused, and then he shrugged.
"It's just interesting. Ivan is a really good story teller, and it seems to calm him." He couldn't really tell Toris why he loved listening to Ivan so much, it just seemed to natural to him.
Toris nodded and leaned back in his chair.
"I see, well- would you mind listening to one of my stories?"
Matthew perked up and set down his plate of pancakes. Toris' request struck him as a little odd, but it would've been rude to decline.
"I don't mind at all."
Toris smiled and thoughtfully folded his hands in his lap, "Perhaps I should start on the day Ivan took off from the palace."
Toris uncomfortably shifted in his carriage when Tsarskoye Selo rolled into view. After living in his country for three or so years, he had to return to the palace for a few months to sort out some paperwork with Ivan and the Tsar. Once he was finished, he could return back home. Just thinking about his home country made his heart ache. He dreaded coming to the palace, it had always been a cold and unfriendly place to him. Toris' inner musings were interrupted by his driver's surprised voice.
"S-Sir Braginsky! What are you doing this far off from the palace?" Toris' attention was caught when the driver abruptly halted his carriage.
"It is none of your concern. I am leaving for England." Toris recognized Ivan's gruff tone and immediately swung open his door. Ivan rarely addressed strangers with anger, in fact he seldom addressed anyone with anger.
"Without a carriage? If you wait just a moment while I drop off Sir Laurinaitis-"
"That's unnecessary." Toris interjected and hopped out of the vehicle. He gave the driver a kind smile and bowed his head, "Ivan and I have something to talk about. Drive to the palace and inform one of the Tsar's servants that I will be there in another hour or two." He instructed. The driver seemed uncomfortable with the new arrangements, but obediently urged his horses to the palace.
The two nations stared at each other until the sound and sight of the carriage faded into the distance. Ivan was the first to break the silence.
"I wasn't expecting your arrival today. I'm sorry, but I must go." Ivan tried to bypass Toris, but the green-eyed nation mirrored his movements, effectively halting him in his tracks.
"England? If it's so urgent you should take a carriage to a train station or a ship." Toris recommended. He realized his advice fell on deaf ears when Ivan distractedly waved off his advice. The Lithuanian continued to block Ivan's way, until Ivan shot him an annoyed look before forcefully moving him aside.
Toris' mind went momentarily blank when Ivan strode past him. But when he realized what Ivan had done, he jogged along the dirt road to catch up to him. Toris decided to walk with Ivan to further press the issue.
"What's wrong?" He pried.
Ivan ignored him and continued to walk onwards. Toris pursed his lips and didn't relent in his questions. His resolved waivered when Ivan sent a few chilling glances in his direction, but he refused to be scared into silence.
For three hours they walked, and for three hours Toris talked, until finally- Ivan snapped.
"Silence! I am going to England and it's none of your concern." Ivan voice could've frozen hell over. Toris thickly swallowed and urged his courage to not abandon him, "I am concerned. What's happened that you suddenly have to go to England?" Toris tried to get an answer from his friend.
"Nothing has happened." Ivan said stubbornly.
Toris went quiet to figure out how to make Ivan open up to him. A cold breeze passed through, and it brought an idea with it. "Ivan… I ask this as Toris, and not Lithuania." He chose to emphasize that he was asking this as a friend. Ivan seemed conflicted at first, but after several minutes of thought- Ivan's guard went down. Gone was his annoyance, and out came his true emotion. Worry.
"For centuries Toris, for centuries I've kept my distance. They were always my rulers, and I was always their nation." Ivan began. He paced in the middle of the road and crossed his arms. "Ever since Nikolai's grandfather passed away, something has changed."
Toris wanted to laugh, and he probably would've if the look on Ivan's face didn't seem so distressed. "You're getting close to the people who will spend the rest of their lives with you. That's not a crime." Toris said with barely concealed laughter.
Ivan exasperatedly sighed and shook his head as if Toris was missing the whole point.
"It isn't a question of whether it's a crime. The reason we keep our distances is because we will outlive our rulers. Yao and I know this very well, and we decided the best way to protect ourselves was to keep our distance. It's worked for centuries, but I've messed up Toris." Ivan explained.
The Lithuanian leaned by a tree and offered a thoughtful hum.
"Yes, perhaps you have messed up in that sense." He gently began, "But," He quickly added, "I don't think you've done anything wrong. You will get hurt Ivan, we all do- and that's inevitable. However because we're nations, we have to move on. You can't live your whole life trying to remain impersonal. Yes, eventually our humans will die. But when our rulers die, our memories of them don't have to die too." Toris wisely said.
Ivan stopped pacing and glared at the trees in front of him as he chewed on what Toris said. His arms dropped to his side and he cracked his neck.
"I am not strong like that Toris. I cannot be like Arthur. To laugh, argue, and cry for my rulers for half a century and then spend two years to mourn their passing. I don't understand how he can do it." Ivan confessed.
Toris walked up to Ivan and placed a hand his shoulder, "No one can. But Ivan- The Tsar, Tsarina, and the four girls adore you. And you adore them."
Toris finally voiced his observations with a smile. His words did little to comfort Ivan, who merely shrugged him off and began to pace and mutter to himself. An uncharacteristically worried expression seemed to be permanently etched into his childlike features and his purple aura threatened to spill over.
Toris sighed like mother and forced Ivan to keep still while he spoke. "A few centuries ago, you said strange things to me. Amongst them you asked a couple of questions that at the time, I couldn't answer. But now I can."
Matthew curiously tilted his head, "Questions?" He asked. Toris seemed embarrassed and apologized.
"I'm sorry, I was so caught up in the past that I just assumed that you knew." The Lithuanian took a sip of his now cold tea and shook his head.
"Before, Ivan and I had a strange sort of relationship. You could say we were friends, but you could also say that we were enemies. Enemies on the battlefield, but friends in the pub you could say. One night after our bosses were squabbling on how they could take the most out of my land, Ivan and I went out for a drink in the garden."
"Wait, what?" Matthew abruptly interrupted the nation. Toris wryly smiled and propped his cheek on his hand.
"It wasn't anything personal. There was little Ivan or I could do. We were no strangers to changing boundaries." Toris' words revealed the difference in experience between the two nations. Matthew thought back to when he and Alfred treated every tiny boarder change as a huge scandal.
"You have to understand, Ivan wasn't malicious. He was, and is, just very frank and open about his thoughts. Back when Ivan's tolerance wasn't as high, we both got a bit buzzed and talked for a while. He told me strange things."
"My true self is confined. My grief is confined. Someday, this will all be revealed. Even if I hold no interest in life, my heart continues to despair. That's because I cannot find the answer by myself. Is there any point in playing alone? Everyday, an oppressive emptiness builds up in my heart. Why can't I find the cause of my pain?" Toris repeated Ivan's strange words to him. Matthew felt a shiver run down his spine and he crossed his arms.
"He must've been really drunk."
The Lithuanian nodded, "He was…. But that's a tale for another day."
Ivan's eyes lit up in surprise and he expectantly waited in the middle of the road. Toris thoughtfully played with the sleeve of his coat before he imparted some of his wisdom.
"In this game of treachery and power struggles, perhaps there is little point in playing with others. However this is not the only game we play, we also play with our beloved people. We help build their cities, take care of their children, defend them from enemies, and create myths and legends that last centuries. In the game of life, Ivan, there is little point in playing it alone because it's impossible to play it by yourself.
"That oppressive emptiness that you felt was loneliness. And the key to ridding yourself of your pain, are humans. Humans are strange creatures. They can be greedier than sin and more wicked than Satan, but they can also be more generous and kind than their gods." Toris motioned for Ivan to walk back with him to the palace. The Russian silently complied and they took great pains to become overly appreciative of the landscape.
"The Mongols tried to impose their own ideals of 'happiness' onto you. You didn't know anything back then, so you tried to follow them. But now, Ivan, now you're a grown nation. True happiness, is loving and being loved by your rulers and your people."
It wasn't the empty joy Ivan used to feel when he cut down his enemy, nor was it the feeling of accomplishment after he conquered vast tracts of land. No, Toris thought, this was much different. It was an indescribable happiness that lifted the weight of a hundred dead bodies off of a person's shoulders.
Ivan pondered his friend's definition of 'happiness' for half an hour before his mask of a smile gave way to his gentler one. Before, such smiles were rare and hard to come by, but now they were more common.
"Ah, sometimes I forget that you're older than me. Did you get that response out of a book?" Ivan remarked. He swooped down to a bush of flowers and plucked an orange tulip from the ground. Toris raised his hand to graze the soft leaves of the tree, but he didn't dare pluck it. He was pleased that he was able to solve his friend's problem.
They walked for a few hours until the palace finally came into view. The Lithuanian tiredly smiled and was relieved when they stepped foot onto the pavement. At last, he could finally rest. Just as he was about to surge forward, Ivan put his heavy gloved hand on his shoulder. Toris tensed and cautiously turned around. He jumped when an orange tulip and a yellow sunflower was shoved in his face.
Ivan smiled and expectantly held out the two flowers. Realizing they were meant for him, Toris gratefully accepted the gesture of thanks and bowed his head. "I will be going to my room now. Take care." Their gazes locked for a few seconds before they broke off.
The palace seemed brighter than Toris had last remembered. As he walked along the halls, he could feel a certain warmth that didn't used to exist. It radiated through how the servants behaved, the open windows, and the idle chatter of the nannies. He settled down in his own expensive, but simple room and instantly fell asleep.
Ivan casually strode through the hallway. The only indications of his previous attempt of fleeing the palace were his slightly dirty boots and a light layer of sweat that glistened on the back of his neck. He knocked on the door of Nikolai's study before he entered the room. The Tsar seemed relieved upon seeing him and simply held up Ivan's note with a raised eyebrow.
"Don't you go deserting me like that. If you do as you please you might upset the girls." Nikolai went through the trouble of standing up to pat Ivan's massive shoulder. Ivan bowed his head and was about to apologize, but for once he observed the Tsar's expression.
It was slight, but there was just a hint of disapproval. Disappointment even. Ivan hesitated with his apology, and gave his ruler a strained and almost tentative smile.
"I would have left, but I left my journal here. England is too far anyway, in hindsight I should've made for Austria."
It was then that something changed between them. Nikolai truly relaxed and playfully shoved him in the direction of the door. "I'll send you to Siberia if you do that again. Go and rest Ivan, you look terrible."
A huge weight Ivan didn't know even existed seemed to lift from his shoulders. He left the Tsar with a calm smile on his face. For the first time in many years, his heart was finally at ease.
"Ivan! Where did you go for such a long time? I was looking all over for you!" Anastasia magically appeared from one of the numerous rooms of the palace. Ivan lightly grasped his hands behind his back and playfully bent down to her eye level.
"I was hiding from you." Ivan joked. Anastasia pouted, but seized the chance to climb onto Ivan's shoulders. "Well today we looked all over for you, and now we're too tired to go outside. Let's go outside to play tomorrow."
Ivan shrugged his massive shoulders, causing the girl to giggle as she grasped the top of his head so she wouldn't fall off. "I can agree to that."
-Sunday, January 22, 1905-
Ivan calmly looked out the mass of marching protestors who were approaching the Winter palace in St Petersburg.
"Sir, what do we tell the Tsar?" The guard asked the smiling and calm nation. Ivan's flashed his purple eyes his way, his usual smile was on his face and he took a deep breath.
"Tell the Tsar measures are being taken to ensure the protestors do not harm the palace. However their march is peaceful…" Ivan paused when the voices of the marchers united to sing religious hymns and songs that showed their support for their Tsar.
"The government has given the order to stop them before they reach the palace square. However I must painstakingly emphasize, that no lethal force may be taken against these people." Ivan informed the distracted and worried guard, who nodded and ran off to relay his orders to the police force and the Cossacks.
Toris stood a little ways behind Ivan and watched as small groups of marchers slowly made their way to the palace.
"What do you think Ivan?" Toris asked him about the petition the people were putting up to the Tsar. Ivan looked out to the snow covered buildings. His smile gave nothing away, as usual- and he discretely looked around to make sure no one was present.
"They are petitioning to their Tsar, who they adore, to take care of them as he promised. They are not revolutionaries, they simply wish for the government to be what it should be- something to govern and help them." Ivan said in a low voice.
His answer caught the Lithuanian by surprise, and he raised a questioning brow. "…Ivan, do you want a democracy?" Toris tentatively asked.
"I cannot say. It's not my business to say. I believe that an autocracy can be effective. As can other forms of government including a monarch." Ivan closed his eyes when the national anthem echoed throughout the city and sighed, "Well, if they wish for change- that is their business. Whether Nikolai listens to them or not is his decision."
Ivan took a step back from the window and stretched his back. "They are not revolutionaries or anarchists, and they shouldn't be treated as such." Ivan gave his final opinion on the matter.
Toris shadowed Ivan as they walked through the halls of the winter palace. Although Ivan seemed perfectly calm and at ease, Toris knew he was quite the opposite. Ivan only took long walks when he was troubled, anxious, or both. It was like pacing for him.
After half an hour of walking, Ivan abruptly turned around with his usual carefree smile.
"Perhaps I should go and inform the guards and the Cossacks myself." Ivan's voice was forcibly light and was laced with worry. The Lithuanian stepped in and firmly prevented him from doing so.
"Nikolai only let you come out because you promised not to directly involve yourself in this. They're orders from the Tsar himself." Toris stopped his friend. Ivan sharply turned back around to resume his pacing. He gripped his chest and appeared to reign in his emotions.
"I feel something terrible Toris." Ivan confessed. He turned back around and looked out the window.
"If I don't go out and make sure everything is correct-" Ivan's sentence was cut short when he heard a single, resounding shot ring throughout the city. Toris felt his blood go cold, and the city suddenly became silent. Gone were the hymns, and they were replaced with screams and volleys of shots.
Ivan looked out of the window and balled his hands into fists.
"The Tsar will not help us!" He could faintly here people scream as they fled from the Cossacks and palace guards. Soon, the other marchers and demonstrators were also confronted with rifles and sabers.
The very same guard from before scrambled into the hallway, he was pale as a ghost.
"I-I'm so sorry. I-It was very loud, and the C-Cossacks must have misheard me. I-I tried to stop them, but they wouldn't listen!" His voice was shrill and his hands shook because he understood that he made a mistake. No, Toris thought. To say that the guard had made a mistake was the understatement of the century.
Tears began to fall from Ivan's face without his volition. Ivan, who had been shouldering a rifle, unslung it from his shoulder. He didn't bother to wipe away his tears.
"What says the Tsar?" Ivan asked Toris, who rushed over to get a telegram. Ivan and the guard didn't move a single centimeter when he returned, and he glanced at the papers.
"The Tsar is having tea in his palace and can't speak at the moment."
"…What is this nation? It's a sham! Down with Russia!" One of the citizens screamed as a new volley of shots was unleashed into the crowd. Ivan closed his eyes, before he slid them over to the guard, who was petrified and fervently praying under his breath.
"I-I'm sorry-" The man whimpered, he clasped his hands together and continued to pray.
Ivan easily aimed the rifle with one arm. He seemed to consider letting the man live for a moment or two, and pulled the trigger. The body dully thudded onto the floor and blood poured out of the man's head.
"Apologies don't bring back the dead." Ivan looked into the streets and wryly smiled.
"The Cossacks wouldn't listen?" Ivan repeated the information the guard gave him. He absently ran his hand along the barrel of his gun and turned to Toris.
"Well, we don't need children who won't listen da?" Ivan smoothly twirled his rifle as he glided across the floor. His steps were long and fast, Toris had to run to keep up with him.
"Ivan! Stop, what are you doing?" Toris shouted after Ivan. The Russian never once looked back, and he never paused in his stride. "I'm taking out the garbage."
Toris stopped in the doorway and watched as Ivan walked out, innocent as a child, and took aim with his semi-automatic rifle. Toris couldn't see the Cossack commander from where he was standing, and he doubted Ivan had a very good visual of him either.
But the Russian stared down the iron sights as if the target was right in front of him. Ivan pulled the trigger, and it made a distinct gunshot. The Cossacks were confused as their commander fell dead at their feet, and many of them paled when Ivan approached them with his smoking gun.
Toris couldn't listen to what Ivan said, but he knew that whatever he said terrified the soldiers into lying about their commander- who was reported to be somewhere in Siberia before he had a heart attack and died.
Several Cossacks went mysteriously missing after the battle, and no one would know the truth. Only the dead knew of Ivan's wrath. Well, the dead plus Toris.
Nikolai read over the report from the soldiers a day or two later and never questioned them. Or if he did, he refused to acknowledge his own doubt. The ramifications of Ivan's actions were far too fearsome to acknowledge.
Ivan accepted Toris' proffered towel and wiped the blood off of his face. He gave Toris his gun and dismissed him with a set of instructions.
"Tell the Tsar I will be back in another hour or two. I will stay to clean up this mess."
Toris didn't argue and mutely nodded. Ivan looked out into the blood stained streets with an unreadable expression. Toris took this as his cue to leave. His boots hollowly clicked against the wooden floor, and right before he was out of hearing's range- he turned towards the direction of Ivan.
"It's not your fault. You couldn't have prevented it." He raised his voice so Ivan could just barely hear him. Ivan didn't spare him a glance, but gave him a faint nod to indicate that he had heard him. Toris' heart became uneasy, but he left the larger nation to his own thoughts.
When Toris returned to Tsarskaye Selo, it was almost eerie how unchanged the palace was. It was like he had entered a bubble of ignorance. It was a beautiful estate, but it was a terrible place for the Tsar to live at this moment. Blood had just been spilled in his capital! The warmth Toris had previously felt suddenly seemed so fake.
"And Ivan?" Nikolai asked at the end of Toris' report.
The nation bit his lip, "Ivan needed to stay behind for a little while longer."
Toris quickly excused himself from the Tsar's presence and anxiously paced the halls. The source of his anxiety was Ivan. At first he worried that Ivan would continue his bloody rampage throughout the ranks of the Cossacks and the palace guards, but he was relieved when the nation, true to his word, returned an hour later.
He ignored Toris and headed straight to Nikolai's office. He shut the door with a resounding slam, and an argument quickly ensued.
"Petersburg is in disarray. The workers are going to go on strike. You must regain the trust of the Russian people. Appear in front of them Nikolai. Tell them that there has been a mistake." Ivan immediately instructed the Tsar.
Toris, as well as a few of the palace servants shuffled a bit closer to the door so they could better hear their conversation.
"Nothing needs to be done. The Cossacks did what had to be done to defend themselves." Nikolai responded.
"Defend themselves? They were peaceful marchers!"
"And yet they advance toward the palace in such large numbers?"
"Then make a concession. Give them a Duma Nikolai. After what's happened they need to feel like they are a part of this country, because right now you're alienating them."
Nikolai slammed his hand on his desk, "This is my God-given right. I will continue to lead this country."
Ivan scoffed, and Toris knew what the nation was thinking. It wasn't his God-given right, it was a position that Ivan had gotten his ancestors through blood and empty promises.
"No Nikolai, times are changing. You must guide this country, yes. However you must look out for the interests of the Russian people as well. If they wish to help you make your decisions, then why not let them help?"
Their argument lasted several hours, until Ivan had had enough. "Very well Nikolai. Ignore me. However if you ignore me now, I will no longer feel obligated to help you anymore. I have tried to warn you time and time again, and you never listen. If you ignore me now Nikolai, I will do my duties as a nation and no more."
Toris sharply inhaled and gripped the fabric of his sleeve. Ivan was basically announcing his retraction from Russian politics, which was unheard of for him. Never had he ever stepped down from advising his rulers since the dawn of time. This would be the first time in history.
There was a long pause, and then a tired answer. "Fine Ivan. Do what you want. I set you free. I won't die if I don't have your help, I can make my own decisions. Thank you, Ivan. I will consider your views on the matter, but as of now you are only obligated to your duties as a nation."
There was a long, tense pause. Toris could hear his heartbeat thunder in his ears, and he unconsciously pressed closer into the door.
"May you rule well, Nikolai." Ivan sealed his resignation and walked towards the door. Everyone scrambled away from the heavy wooden door. As soon as Ivan opened the door, he was met with Toris' concerned gaze.
"Ivan…" Toris began. He knew that Ivan didn't want this, he knew that Ivan wanted to continue to try and guide this country to greatness- but now he could do nothing.
Ivan sensed his worry and offered his usual, easy going smile. He motioned for Toris to walk with him, and they took a stroll along the palace gardens. They walked in silence until the Russian was ready to speak.
"I thought I would be angry at him." Ivan began, "I thought I would swear him out, or yell at him. However I only felt relief. I could only think, "thank the gods that I don't have to deal with this any more." I am so tired of human politics Toris. Is it selfish of me to so easily shift the entire burden of the country to Nikolai?" Ivan turned his childish purple eyes to Toris, who could've cried.
His tears wouldn't have been because he was scared or frightened, his tears would've been for Ivan.
Ivan's smiling face was akin to a river. Sometimes, the water would be so muddy he couldn't see the bottom. But on other days, like today, the waters were crystal clear, and it revealed a ragged and battle scarred river bottom.
"We've all taken breaks Ivan. You're the only one who hasn't, and I think now would be a good time to start." Toris reached out to touch Ivan's arm in support. Every nation, with the exception of the American brothers, had taken a break at some point in time from politics.
Up until this point, for centuries upon centuries, Ivan had continued to pull his country back together without rest. And now he was burnt out.
"They didn't do anything Toris. Just like the Mongols, they indiscriminately killed the workers." Ivan's misty breath harshly exhaled. His expression was perfectly composed, as it always had been. But his eyes were so hurt and confused.
Toris' heart tore in half and he cautiously offered Ivan a hug. His arms couldn't completely encircle the Russian, but it didn't matter. It was times like these when Toris realized that Ivan, although he was much larger, was younger than him, and yet he was so much more scarred than any of the nations.
Ivan grabbed the back of Toris' coat and leaned down until his head was buried into his shoulder. "Why does it hurt so much? I've seen it before, why is it so different?" Ivan's voice hitched. Toris rubbed his friend's back and bit his lip. "It's because you've become more gentle." He tentatively offered an explanation.
Ivan closed his eyes, "Being gentle is a terrible thing." Ivan said under his breath.
Toris pushed the Russian away and firmly looked at him square in the eye. "No Ivan. It's painful, but it's worth it in the end, I promise you. Come on, let's keep walking." The Lithuanian urged Ivan along. Humans had a tendency to repeat their mistakes, and it had finally broken Ivan.
The four girls watched Ivan break down from the window of Olga's room, and they were shocked. "Ivan cried? Did papa make him cry?" Tatiana asked her three stunned sisters.
"I don't know. But we shouldn't tell him. Ivan might become even sadder." Maria said logically. The four nodded, and Anastasia puffed out her chest. "Let's make Ivan feel better!" She declared. The three girls raised an eyebrow, "How?" Asked Olga.
The youngest of the four mischievously smiled, "With a party!"
"…We walked around the garden for the rest of the day, until Ivan wanted to go back." Toris concluded his story. Matthew put off his now cold pancakes, he wasn't all that hungry anymore. While Toris gave him new insight into Ivan, he also made him realize that what he was doing was, in a single word, strange.
"Why are you telling me this?" Matthew asked. He most definitely wouldn't have heard the same story from Ivan, but why did Toris want to tell him?
Toris' small smile widened and he ate a blueberry. "I don't know if you understand how strange Ivan is towards you. He almost never talks about his past, and he certainly hasn't talked about Nikolai's family. Not to me, not to his sisters, and not even to General Winter."
"And what's even stranger," Toris continued, "Is that Ivan seems to thoroughly enjoy talking to you."
Matthew frowned at the indirect response. That still didn't answer his question.
"But-"
"But I still didn't answer your question. I know. I can't explain it Matthew. You're eager to listen and aren't quick to judge, it's a unique quality. But you see, the fact that Ivan is even talking about his past is proof that it still bothers him. For some strange reason, he's chosen to trust you. And if you are going to listen to his story, you must know all of it."
Matthew couldn't process everything Toris said before Latvia came storming into the room in a nervous stupor.
"T-T-Toris! E-E-England and E-Edward and S-Sweden are dueling in the court yard- and they're destroying everything! A-Arthur has done something a-and the plants are just randomly exploding and k-knives are flying everywhere!"
Raivis' eyes were wide with adrenaline and fear, his hands were trembling and he looked like he was going to faint any moment. Matthew and Toris both immediately got up from their chairs. "I'm sorry Matthew-"
"It's fine. I should come too, they are causing trouble on my turf eh?" Matthew cut the nation's apology short and urged Raivis to lead the way. He needed a distraction after everything he had just learned.
Aw, poor Ivan :( It was interesting for me to write this chapter, and I hope you guys liked reading it! Have a good spring break for all of you guys who are about to have it- and I hope they were awesome for those who've already had it. Thanks for reading!
As always, criticism and thoughts about the chapter are always appreciated. Make sure to favorite this story if you liked it and follow it to get regular updates :) Hope you guys liked the chapter!
~Preuss
