Chapter 16
Disclaimer: I do not own Hetalia. Absolutely do not use me as a history reference.
The beginning of the school year is creeping up on us. I don't want to go ;_; Well, all the more motivation to keep writing :) Thank you so much for your patience and for sticking around long enough to read this chapter. You have my eternal love. Read on!
Ivan quickly drew out the magic circle as shown in the book and lit the seven candles. He evenly spaced each candle on the perimeter of the circle and yanked out a piece of his hair.
"-" Ivan muttered the spell and tossed his hair into the middle of the circle. The circle's lines glowed a brilliant blue, and the Russian took a deep breath.
"I now form a contract with Arthur Pendragon Kirland."
Ivan watched with great uncertainty as the circle's light died down, and he anxiously waited for something to happen.
"B-Bloody hell Ivan. Blood next time, blood!" Arthur gasped as his head popped up from the floor. Ivan's eyes widened and he looked at his book with a newfound respect.
Arthur glanced up at Ivan with clear annoyance and reached out his hand. "Don't just stare at me like a ninny. Help me out." Arthur grunted as he tried to pull himself out of the circle. It was like trying to get out a pit of quicksand, it just wasn't happening.
Ivan tossed the book onto the ground, and with great effort, pulled Arthur out of the circle. The circle's light died down to a faint glow, and Arthur kneeled down on the floor- clearly winded.
"Has your brain gone to mush? The best medium is blood Ivan, it holds the most information of any body part. Blood next time." Arthur coughed and woozily stood up on his feet. Ivan awkwardly smiled and guided Arthur to Alexei, who had fainted because of the pain. He would've apologized to Arthur, but the said nation had already abandoned him to take a look at Alexei.
The English nation looked over Alexei's arm and let out a sigh of relief. He knew exactly what was wrong.
"While the effects are quite nasty, the spell itself is not too difficult to undo." Arthur assured Ivan.
Ivan let out a sigh of relief and stood next to Arthur, he had been right in calling for his help. He had been explaining who had probably put the curse onto Alexei when two intruders revealed themselves.
"V-Vanya?" Anastasia hesitantly called out. The two nations froze and turned to the direction of the voice. There they spotted two frightened, but genuinely curious children.
"Anastasia! What are you doing here?" Ivan angrily demanded. Arthur gave Ivan a look that told him to deal with the child and concentrated on treating Alexei, muttering long forgotten words under his breath.
"I-I'm sorry, we just wanted to see if we could help." Maria emerged from her hiding place. Ivan glanced between the two of them and found himself in a fix.
If he let them stay, they would undoubtedly understand that magic certainly existed- which was a problem. Such amazing secrets did not remain secrets for long. But if he let them go, he might upset them and they could blabber to the maids or Nikolai of what he was doing.
"We won't tell anyone. We just want to watch." Anastasia assured Ivan, who remained skeptical.
"I could erase their memories afterwards." Arthur offered as he ran a wet towel over Alexei's arm.
Ivan massaged his temples and shoved them in the direction of Alexei's bed.
"You can watch. But don't say a word." Ivan told them in an unusually stern voice. The two girls enthusiastically nodded and watched Arthur cure their little brother.
A scant hour later, Alexei was completely rid of the curse. Maria and Anastasia pestered Arthur if he was a wizard, and Ivan discretely gave Arthur the OK to knock them out.
The English nation gently set the two girls against the wall and glanced at his fellow nation.
"So? What should I replace them with?" Arthur gave Ivan the privilege of molding their memories. Ivan crossed his arms and thoughtfully tilted his head.
"Make their memories foggy. Enough so they can't say for sure what happened, but enough to know that it was supernatural- and that I won't be able to do it again." Ivan instructed. This way Nikolai would understand that Ivan did possess the potential to help Alexei, but he wouldn't know how Ivan had helped him.
Arthur shrugged and cast a quick spell to do the deed. Arthur looked out the window of the room and cracked his neck. "The spell that afflicted Alexei is not malicious in nature." Arthur revealed his findings in a seemingly nonchalant tone.
"It's a very simple spell. It temporarily alleviates any illness, however after a week the symptoms will return-only slightly stronger. Alone, the spell is actually quite beneficial. It can prolong the subject's life until adequate care is available. But the problem lies when it's the only spell that's being cast." Arthur turned around to face Ivan with a very serious expression.
"This spell was cast dozens upon dozens of times. The backlash could've easily killed him in another twenty or thirty minutes. Whoever cast this spell on him most likely meant no harm, but his half-baked knowledge of magic nearly killed the poor lad." Arthur walked over to wipe Alexei's forehead.
Ivan sharply laughed, and shook his head. "I see. Rasputin is much more troublesome than I had thought." The Russian gripped his metal pipe to calm his anger.
Arthur nodded, he was familiar with the man in question. The rumors of his 'powers' had even reached London's aristocracy.
"Ivan, I'll be quite frank. This may be the last time I can come to help you. My monarchs are uneasy about the political state of Russia, and I fear that something dreadful might happen in the next decade and it would be bothersome if I became too closely associated with you.
"As such, you must either convince your monarchs to dispose of Rasputin, or do it yourself. Having a man run around the country that haphazardly uses magic he doesn't understand is not just a danger to your monarchy, it's a danger to the world." Arthur said as a matter of fact. He looked at Alexei's face and his expression softened.
"What a cute kid. Take care of him well Ivan. Is there anything else you need?" Arthur straightened his tie and changed the cloth on Alexei's head one last time.
Ivan merely took off his gloves and offered his hand to Arthur. "I forgot to ask last time, but I think there is something wrong with my hands." Ivan informed.
Arthur rolled his eyes and took off his own gloves to check Ivan's out. The English nation suddenly seemed to be extremely interested in Ivan's hands and laughed. "Well, my impression of you might have been incorrect."
Arthur dared to slap Ivan on the back and slipped his gloves back on. The English nation happily walked over to the magic circle. Arthur looked back at a puzzled Ivan, and waved his worry aside. "You've been blessed, old chap. Healing magic too, which is rare. You needn't worry." Arthur informed Ivan before he jumped into the magic circle. His entire body disappeared into the floor, and the magic circle disappeared.
Ivan looked at his bare hands for a few minutes before he put his gloves back on as well. Arthur's behavior was a bit… strange. But it must not be too bad if he was that happy, Ivan reasoned as he gathered the candles.
Ivan shoved the melted candles into his jacket pocket and was about to pick up the magic book until Nikolai suddenly opened the door. Ivan instinctively kicked the book underneath Alexei's bed and straightened up to greet the Tsar.
"Alexei, is he okay?" Nikolai went straight to his son's bed. Ivan nodded and checked Alexei's arm. It was a bit swollen, but the mark was gone.
"Da, he should be okay. I did some things, and I got rid of whatever curse was put on him." Ivan discretely pocketed Gandar and moved to leave.
Nikolai wasn't too keen on him leaving so soon though, and he grabbed Ivan by his arm.
"Who cursed my son? And how did you get rid of the curse?" Nikolai demanded. Ivan turned to face Nikolai and smiled wider.
"I will leave the perpetrator to your imagination. However I will say this," Ivan "If Rasputin 'treats'" Ivan air quoted the last word, "Alexei without my supervision, I will kill him. I'm afraid we will never be able to agree." Ivan's forcibly light tone only amplified his killing intent.
"Excuse me, I'm afraid that I'm feeling quite angry right now." Ivan sharply turned on his heels and was half way out the door when Nikolai stopped him again.
"How did you heal him?" Nikolai's question was out of pure curiosity, but he wasn't prepared for the volatile answer Ivan was about to provide.
"That illness, that curse, that abomination,shouldn't even exist amongst you humans anymore! The warning signs were all there, and yet that man ignored them!" Ivan shoved Nikolai away in his anger. A sinister purple aura shrouded Ivan's figure and his equally purple eyes glinted with rage.
"Ignorance is the most dangerous kind of idiocy that exists in this world. This power, those methods- it's not something that humans should ever consider." Ivan snarled before he angrily left to roam around the palace gardens.
Nikolai stumbled back into the room and struggled to calm his shaking hands. He closed his eyes and slowly counted to ten.
He had to calmly, and rationally analyze the nation's words.
It was easier said than done, and Nikolai turned his attention to his two waking daughters.
"Anastasia, Maria! What are you doing here?" Nikolai helped his two daughters onto their feet.
Anastasia yawned and stretched her arms, "Yeah. We fell asleep while Ivan was helping Alexei." Anastasia groggily said.
"What did Ivan do?" Nikolai asked.
Maria and Anastasia exchanged uncertain glances. "We don't really know. Ivan did something with a… a book and then he cured Alexei?" Maria looked to Anastasia for confirmation.
Anastasia merely shrugged, "Yeah." She confirmed.
Nikolai sighed and ushered the children out of the room. Once they were gone, Nikolai sat down next to Alexei and gently gripped his hand.
There was no doubt about it, Ivan had used some sort of hypnosis to erase the children's memories.
Nikolai rested his head between his hands. Along with his earlier fit of anger, he was becoming less and less confident in Ivan's character. He was quicker to snap, and he wasn't nearly as patient as he used to be. What if Ivan had snapped at one of the children instead of him?
"F-Father?" Alexei's voice lifted Nikolai from his dark thoughts and he put on a relieved smile. "Alexei, how are you feeling?" He gently asked his son.
Alexei grinned and surprised his father by jumping off of the bed. He proudly puffed up his chest, "I am fine! Where's Ivan? I have to see him!" Alexei looked around the room for the Russian nation.
"Why do you need to see him? He just left, and I think it's best if you left him alone for now." Nikolai forced Alexei to sit back onto the bed as he spoke. The little Tsarevich pouted and swung his feet in the air.
"I don't know how I could forget Vanya, but I remember him now! I have to say hi to him, and properly thank him."
Nikolai checked Alexei up and down and summoned one of the nurses. "See to it that he's properly checked by the doctors. I have to attend to Ivan." Nikolai said as if he were a babysitter. The nurse politely curtsied and pulled a protesting Tsarevich into a different room.
"F-Father!" Alexei shouted as he was being led away.
"R-Rasputin lied! He said that Ivan couldn't help me, but Vanya did!" Alexei threw in a good word for Ivan.
Nikolai stared out of the window for a good while to collect himself before he went out to find Ivan. Just what the hell was going on in his palace?
Ivan barely flinched when a sharp wind passed through the garden. The snow was only an inch deep, but the cloudy skies gave away that a snowstorm was coming.
"Vanya~ Why the long face?" Winter's voice echoed with the breeze. Ivan walked faster to try and escape the pesky man, but he was never able to truly rid himself of Winter.
"Don't be so cold Vanya. That's my job. Should I send an endless blizzard until you agree to talk to me?" Winter's humorless threat caused Ivan to swing at him with his pipe. The ghostly man lazily avoided the pipe and wrapped his ice-cold arms around the sulking nation.
"Such a half-assed swing won't hit me. Tell me, what ails my favorite nation?"
Ivan fought back the urge to shiver and picked a wilted flower from the ground.
"It's none of your concern." Ivan shrugged off the insistent spirit. Winter clicked his tongue and with a single gesture of his hand, slammed Ivan into a nearby wall. Ivan's smile broadened when he found that he couldn't move a single muscle.
"Oh? Quite violent today." Ivan mused.
"Know your place brat. I'll make it my concern, what's wrong?" Winter released Ivan.
The Russian cracked his neck, "I've spent too much time with Katyusha. I can't stand the palace, and my patience with him is growing thin." Ivan informed his guardian.
General Winter laughed and sat down in the air.
"And by 'him', I assume you mean Nikolai? I thought so. You're becoming more human Vanya. You've developed something that all humans posses: impatience. Be glad, that wretched trait has brought you closer to your humans." Winter sneered.
Ivan gripped his metal pipe and gave the old geezer a threatening glare. General Winter laughed and slowly began to float higher and higher.
"Relax Vanya, I was only half joking. You shouldn't fret too much. Humans love imperfect beings, because it comforts them of their own imperfections… although something tells me that you are worried about something else?" Winter prodded.
Ivan leaned against the palace walls and sighed, there was no use hiding anything from him. He briefly detailed everything that had happened, starting with his visit with Arthur. The entire explanation only lasted about twenty minutes, but Winter was less than happy.
"Vanya, just how far are you willing to go for these humans?" Winter crossed his translucent arms. Ivan shrugged, "As far as I need to." Ivan easily said in reply.
"Careful Vanya, that is how millions of people die." Winter bestowed some of his sagely wisdom onto the nation.
Ivan looked away, "I don't need to you to tell me that... General Winter, do you know when I started to wear gloves?" Ivan looked down at his fingers as he spoke.
Winter leaned forward and absently grabbed the nation's scarf. He let the fabric slip through his fingers and left an icy trail behind.
"The answer to your underlying question, is yes. I am the one who granted you your powers. You were so pitiful back then. Whenever I saw you, you would cry about how powerless you were against death. I equipped you with a power, yes. But you were extorted for it, and thus you began to wear gloves. If your hands are perceived to be warm, then that is a person you care for. If they are cold, then you don't care for them as much. I doubt you even remember since it was so long ago." Winter's voice began to echo as he faded into the background.
Ivan was more than happy to let him go, but Winter had a few last words for him.
"The lives of your rulers are fleeting no matter what you try and do. Remember this." Winter faded into the snowfall, and Ivan was left blissfully alone for a whole minute before Nikolai found him. Several guards trailed behind the tsar, and Ivan forced an easy smile.
"Ah, hello Nikolai."
The Tsar looked less than pleased with the greeting, and he motioned for Ivan to walk with him. The two quietly walked through the fresh snow until they put enough distance between them and Nikolai's trailing guards.
"I apologize for earlier. I lost my temper."
Nikolai rolled his eyes in annoyance, "Don't think I'll go away just because you apologized. Stop being so distant Ivan." Nikolai kicked up the snow as he walked.
The two walked in silence for a few minutes before Nikolai brought up the topic of Rasputin.
"I…I think it's best if Rasputin spends some time away from the palace. He is on a pilgrimage right now, however I do plan on giving him leave for a few years. He's worked very hard." Nikolai said the news as if it were no big deal, but Ivan knew how troubled Nikolai was by his decision. The Russian nodded, he had absolutely no complaints there.
"I believe that your decision is for the best." Ivan openly voiced his support for Nikolai's decision, but that did little to ease the Tsar. In fact, he seemed more apprehensive.
"Say, Ivan. Would it be tasteless of me to call your… gift, magic? And is it tactless of me to ask that you don't use magic anymore?"
Ivan was surprised by Nikolai's request and hesitated in his answer. "If Alexei's life is not endangered, then I will hold back." Ivan carefully chose his words.
Nikolai grasped Ivan's sleeve and looked up at the large nation with firm, but pleading eyes. "Please, promise me that you won't use it." Nikolai's voice wavered with fear.
Ivan's purple eyes clashed with Nikolai's blue ones. Ivan's smile broadened and he freed himself from his ruler's grip. Humans were so predictable. They feared the unknown. To Nikolai, Rasputin's power, although strange, was familiar. The power of his all forgiving god channeled his powers to save his son.
However Ivan's power was apparently different. Nikolai knew nothing of magic, and he could never consider Ivan as an envoy of God. So although their power was the same, to Nikolai it was different.
"Only with your permission." Ivan conceded.
Nikolai knew that was probably the most he would get out of Ivan and shook his head with wonder.
"Thank you Ivan. You saved Alexei's life." Nikolai said with the utmost gratitude. The Tsar casually hinted at Ivan that he wanted to hug, and Ivan complied. They slapped each other's backs, and Nikolai sighed out in relief. "Thank goodness that Alexei is alright." Nikolai muttered under his breath.
Ivan laughed and playfully shoved the man away. "I cannot stay mad at you for long. Does Alexandra know yet?"
Nikolai let out an obnoxiously fake laugh and waved Ivan away. "No, no. All other news aside, she will be relieved to know that Alexei is fine. However when you include everything else, like Rasputin, and you… well, let's just say that I must go to do my husbandly duties." The Tsar saluted Ivan, and Ivan lazily returned it.
"I just thought that you might want to know," Nikolai casually turned around to head back into the palace. "Alexei asked for you the second he woke up. He's looking for your right now actually." Nikolai left Ivan with this little bit of news before he headed back inside.
"Father! Where's Ivan?" Alexei's Russian could be heard at the entrance. Nikolai popped his head out to check that Ivan was still there before he directed Alexei to the large nation. Alexei was trailed by his four sisters and his two nannies as he sped walked to get to Ivan.
The child energetically plodded through the snow and happily waved to Ivan. "Vanya!" Alexei shouted at the top of his lungs.
It all happened so fast. First Alexei was in front, then the other four children were in front, and then Ivan suddenly found himself on the ground. The four girls pinned him down with their combined weight and Alexei carefully joined the dog pile. His face hovered right above Ivan's. His cheeks were flushed from the cold and his blue-grey eyes were filled with enough warmth to melt the north pole.
"Was travelling fun? Where's your horse?" Alexei excitedly asked. When Ivan didn't say anything, one of the other girls pushed her way into his field of view.
"Ivan! Alexei remembers you!" Anastasia spelled it out. Alexei enthusiastically nodded, "It was like waking up from a dream. I just woke up and I said, "How could I forget Ivan?" and then I came here. Hi Ivan, welcome back!" Alexei exclaimed.
Ivan was at a loss for words. His throat tightened, and he felt a wave of relief wash over him. He was so relieved, that he didn't notice that he was crying.
Alexei was quick to panic and he looked to his sisters for help. "No, don't cry Ivan. I'm sorry that I forgot you. I'm really, really sorry." Alexei worriedly apologized.
Ivan laughed in response and pushed the children off of him. He wiped his eyes with the back of his sleeve and gently tousled Alexei's hair. "I'm not sad. I'm actually happy. I left my horse with a friend. Are you feeling better?"
Alexei furiously nodded and climbed off of Ivan's lap. "I'm all better now. Thank you, Ivan." Alexei beamed.
"It's no problem." Ivan got to his feet and dusted the snow off of his back and pants. "All of your are much heavier than I last remember." Ivan's teasing remark was directed to the four girls.
"Of course we are. We're taller, and we have… No, never mind." Olga bit back her retort. The other girls blushed, and Ivan leaned forward and took a step towards Olga.
"What? What do you have?" Ivan asked with amusement. His knowing smirk was too much for Olga, and she impulsively threw a handful of snow in Ivan's face.
"Oh, war? I see how it is." Ivan brushed the snow out of his hair and made a snowball the size of his head.
Anastasia and Alexei ran over to the protective cover of their older sisters, and the five of them hastily made a snowfort. "Alexei, you stay here and make snowballs." Tatiana advised. The boy saluted and diligently began to pack the snow into tiny balls.
Ivan absently tossed the large snowball as if it were a tennis ball and adjusted his scarf. "You have three more minutes… Your fort is big. But it is not very strong." Ivan taunted the siblings.
They ignored him, and the five of them hid behind their large wall. "Maria, we'll distract him while you go and hide behind those bushes. Once you're there, just give it to him! We'll lure him closer." Anastasia devised the plan. Maria gave them a thumbs up and took a few snowballs.
"Ready?" Ivan called over.
"Bring it!" Tatiana shouted back.
Maria got ready to run, and- BAM!
They all screamed when Ivan's large snowball crashed through their snowfort, effectively covering them in snow. Alexei stood on the side with wide eyes. His part of the fort was completely untouched, while his sisters were buried underneath the snow rubble.
"He's a jerk. The biggest jerk in all of Russia." Maria groaned as she brushed the snow off of her jacket. Alexei poked his head from the side of the for to look for Ivan- but it was too late. The Russian loomed over all five of them with a smug grin. He had a huge armful of snow and he made eye contact with every single one of them, before he dropped it.
-Inside of the palace-
"You s-suck Ivan!" Anastasia sniffled as she wrapped a blanket around her. Ivan brought them some hot chocolate and unapologetically shrugged. "You said that you were ready."
He handed the children their warm mugs and sat down in front of the fireplace. Alexei scooted closer to Ivan, "How was traveling?"
"Hm, I saw Toris and my sister. I suppose that was fun."
"Your sister? I didn't know you had a sister." Alexei mused.
Ivan raised an eyebrow before he crossed his arms in thought, "That's right, you've never met them before. I have two." Ivan cheerily held up two fingers for emphasis.
"Two? I thought you only had one, Katyusha right?" Maria settled next to Alexei. The other girls also moved closer to Ivan and the fireplace. The nation uneasily laughed.
"I will invite Katyusha over another time. I'm sure she will be thrilled to see how you've all grown." Ivan took a sip of his tea.
"What about the other sister?" Tatiana inquired.
Ivan ran a hand through his hair, "You might not want to see her. Nikolai forbade her from coming to the palace." Not to mention that she might go on a destruction rampage of jealousy if she saw how her beloved big brother treated the five children.
"Eh, that bad? Is she scary?"
Ivan shuddered and took another sip of his tea. "Yes. I love her, but she can be very scary... you know, one time..."
The palace echoed with the laughter of the children as well as the servants who periodically returned to check on them. When dinner rolled around, Ivan found himself recounting Nikolai's past experiences with Natalya. For the first time in a very long time, the entire table was alive with laughter.
-December 30th, 1911-
"Ivan! Wake up, it's your birthday!" Ivan awoke to multiple fists pounding on his door. The nation heavily sighed and sat up in his bed, "Coming." He called. Ivan swiftly changed into his usual clothes and rubbed the morning sand out of his eyes.
"Ivan!" Anastasia incessantly screamed his name.
Ivan responded by swiftly opening his door with a not-so-pleased smile on his face.
"Good morning." Ivan frostily greeted them. The children weren't intimidated at all, and rushed Ivan down the hall.
"Don't make the scary purple come out Ivan." Alexei lightly admonished his grouchy friend. Ivan cracked his neck and slowly receded his aura to a faint glow.
"It is very early." Ivan voiced his unhappiness. Anastasia rolled her eyes and hurriedly told Ivan to crouch down. Of course Ivan had no idea what had gotten into the five so early in the morning, but he reluctantly went along with it. Anything to get this done and over with.
He didn't expect Anastasia to take his scarf from his neck. Ivan immediately grabbed her hand with a disapproving glare. The girl in turn laughed, "Come on Ivan. I'm just putting it over your eyes." Anastasia said as she wriggled her hands free.
She carefully wrapped the scarf around Ivan's entire face and urged him to follow her. Ivan blindly followed the hands that led him to a room.
"Happy birthday Ivan!" Multiple voices shouted at once. Ivan's scarf was ripped off his face and he was greeted by a couple dozen people. Nikolai strode over to Ivan and handed him a very fountain pen.
"I had the best pen maker in Europe make this for you. Happy Birthday, and I'm sorry that we couldn't throw you a proper party. We're a bit too busy, but you'll just have to accept a rain check for now." Nikolai clapped Ivan on the shoulder.
Ivan shook his head and pocketed his new pen with a bright smile, "Thank you, Nikolai. I don't need a party. I've had enough of those. Get on now, I know you have a meeting in a few minutes." Ivan nudged Nikolai towards the door.
The Tsar sheepishly smiled before taking his leave. One of the servants swooped in and gave Ivan a glass of champagne. The children all received apple juice in champagne glasses, and Olga Alexandrovna, Nikolai's sister, revealed herself.
"While the servants, guards, and I are hardly important guests- I think it's appropriate for you to give a toast." Olga A. mused.
Ivan laughed and stood up on a stool to get a better view.
"Lords and ladies from faraway parts of this palace, I thank you all for coming to my party. Today is the day I add another another tally mark to my age, which hardly matters. We've all aged this past year, and I hope that we can do this again, year after year, for many years to come. To Russia." Ivan held up his glass up.
"To Russia!" Everyone raised their glasses and downed their drinks.
"Ah, that's the good stuff!" One of the older servants sighed.
"Yes, yes, now we must go and work. Happy Birthday, Braginsky." A group of guards saluted before leaving to return to their posts. The servants all said similar things before they left. Soon it was just Ivan, the five children, and Olga Alexandrovna.
"Now it's time for our presents!" Anastasia proudly proclaimed. Ivan sent a questioning look to Olga A, but the woman merely shrugged and looked away. They all sat down in a circle on the floor and presented their gifts one by one.
Olga and Tatiana proudly handed Ivan two clear shot glasses. Ivan immediately commented on the rather adult nature of his gift, but he did it with amusement rather than disapproval. Ivan was surprised at how heavy they were and inspected the engravings on the sides of the glasses.
"For our dear friend, Ivan Braginsky. Happy Birthday! Dec 30th, 1911." Ivan ran his thumb over the cyrillic letters. The children's names were listed on the other side of the glass. On the second glass, the imperial family's crest had been carefully engraved into the side.
"Me too! Look, I drew something for you!" Maria excitedly handed Ivan her painting.
The nation looked over the beautiful watercolor and carefully ran his fingers over the dried paint.
Ivan was at a loss for words. He certainly hadn't expected this.
"And Ivan, a party isn't good without candy and sweets! Look, Aunt Olga helped me bring all of these from the market!" Anastasia revealed to large baskets filled with fresh pastries and candy. Ivan pretended to yawn to justify his watering eyes, and he beckoned everyone closer for a group hug.
"Thank you, this could be the best birthday party I've ever had." Ivan warmly thanked them. The six of them beamed with pride, and they all absently talked as they ate Anastasia's bread.
"This reminds me of old times." Olga A. remarked as she facilitated a chess game between Ivan and the rest of the children.
Ivan nodded and moved his black knight forward. "Those were simpler times. You and Nikolai would always try to beat me. Every day. I remember one time you threatened to strip if I won." Ivan said with a hint of laughter in his voice. His ever present smile widened when Olga A. deeply blushed and lightly chucked a black pawn at Ivan's head.
"Did you win?" Anastasia asked her aunt.
Olga A. tapped the girl on the head and bitterly smiled, "Oh no. He forced a tie. We only had our kings left." Olga A. gravely said.
"So don't even try it." Ivan sang as Alexei moved their bishop.
"This is not fair! You've probably been playing since chess was invented!" Maria whined when Ivan easily took their last rook.
"Fine." Ivan said, and voluntarily removed his queen from the board. "Fair?" Ivan mockingly asked the children.
"No. Take this knight and your rook off. Then we're fair." Anastasia demanded.
Ivan shrugged and obediently took the pieces off the board. "Very well. Do not be bitter when you lose."
The five children glared at the condescending Russian and they quietly discussed their plan of attack.
Olga A. sighed and tucked a loose strand of her hair behind her ear. "It's futile. Ivan will always win." The elder told the five.
They naturally ignored her negativity and continued to earnestly play, until Ivan completely destroyed them half an hour later.
"It's good to be young." Olga A. laughed when the children demanded a rematch. Ivan happily hummed as he reset the board, and gave the children a five moves as a head start.
"Yes. I've never lost a fair game of chess against a human for many centuries. I did lose once, however, against a formidable man with a seven move handicap, and without five of my pawns." Ivan nostalgically recalled Nikolai's grandfather.
Olga A. snapped her fingers and burst out laughing. "Oh, I remember that. Grandfather wouldn't stop talking about it, and he used to brag about his absolute victory over you during every single party."
Ivan chuckled, "Yes, he was very proud of his win. I was very impressed as well. Ah, are you sure you want to move there?" Ivan challenged the five.
The siblings exchanged glances and hurriedly consulted with each other before confirming their moves. Olga A. rested her chin on her hand with a distant smile, "You're terrible Ivan."
"Ivan the terrible?" Ivan joked.
Olga A. rolled her eyes, "What, you intend to introduce politics into chess?"
Ivan absently moved one of his pawns and shrugged, "Chess is a game of deception."
Nations littered the floor like dead bodies on Ivan's floor. The music had been lowered, and Ivan had run out of vodka. Matthew laughed and pet Kumajiro's soft fur. "It sounds like fun. How many times did they challenge you?" Matthew asked.
Ivan shook his head in response, "Twenty-seven and a half times. Nikolai eventually stopped them when we were half-way through the game. He declared it a draw."
"That's cute. We should play a game of chess sometime." Matthew joked.
Ivan laughed, "Perhaps when we are both drunk." Ivan agreed to the informal challenge.
"Why?" Matthew curiously inquired.
Ivan smirked and balanced his shot glass on the back of his hand, "So you don't remember your defeat."
"Whatever." Matthew snorted. A short bout of silence passed between them before the Canadian impulsively looked at his watch.
"Mon Dieu, it's already two in the morning. I suppose I should return to my hotel." Matthew excused himself. He scooped Kumajiro into his arms, but was predictably stopped by Ivan.
"Don't be a stranger Matvey. Since you are still awake you can use the guest bedroom. It's up the stairs, second door to the left. It's dangerous around this time." Ivan carefully passed Matthew to go to his own room.
"Ah, thanks Ivan." Matthew called.
The Russian raised his hand in response and shut the door to his room. Matthew turned off the lights in the house and happily fiddled with Kumajiro's ears. He didn't know that Ivan and Arthur had such a history together.
Matthew slipped into the covers next to Kumajiro and hugged him close like a teddy bear. "I wonder what happened to Ivan's heart." Matthew yawned.
Kumajiro adjusted himself so he faced away from Matthew and growled.
"Sleep. Tired." The bear grumbled.
"Yes sir."
"If I so as much see you near this palace, I will kill you. Your magic almost killed Alexei, and I had to fix your mess. Stay away from Alexei, and stop using magic. Or I will make you stop."
-A telegram sent by Ivan upon Rasputin's return.
Wow, that was a really fun chapter to write. I like this light atmosphere, but it's a shame that I'm going to have to kill all of them off later. The end of summer is sneaking up on us! This fic will be completed, eventually. ^_^" Thank you for reading this chapter! You guys are seriously amazing for reading it up to this point. 6,000+ words of Hetalia fan fiction. That's pretty awesome.
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
