Chapter 17
Disclaimer: I do not own Hetalia, absolutely don't use me as a reference for history. Assume every historical event is fictional unless a credible source tells you otherwise. ^_^
Well I failed. Miserably. This chapter has taken so long to write. I have a half-baked excuse. I wrote most of this chapter, in fan fiction's doc manager... and I didn't save it when the browser timed out (nearly 4k words were lost). This chapter is about 8k words long, so it's an approximation. (doesn't make up for month long wait though) Still, I cried. Yeah, more than half of the chapter was gone. I don't have Microsoft word yet because I got a new computer. Anyways, the school year is here TT^TT and I'm going to be so busy. Sorry for the loooong wait. Read on!
-World meeting, the next day-
"And, er… we need to cover the topic of global warming next." Germany announced to the rather unenthusiastic group of nations. Half of the nations looked like they were dead while the other half looked like they were on their way to the grave, which was not far from the truth.
Everyone except for a select few people, were suffering from the absolute worst hangover possible. The deadly combination of jet lag, vodka, drinking games, and late night partying had taken its toll. Not even Alfred had the energy to even mention super heroes.
Matthew, who was one of the few people who didn't have a hangover, shrunk under Ludwig's intense stare and pretended that he was taking notes. "…Well, if America would just reduce its plastic consumption by ten percent…" Germany resumed speaking, if only to help himself think about a different solution to the problem at hand.
Matthew pulled out his cellphone and opened up a chat with Ivan, who was absent.
Was your hangover that bad?
Sent at 10:30 AM
…Perhaps.
Received at 10:32 AM
Well you're not missing much. Everyone is hung over from yesterday.
Sent at 10:33 AM
I see. How about you?
Received at 10:33 AM
I'm fine. I only had a bottle or two of wine.
Sent at 10:34 AM
Matthew looked up from his phone to figure out when the next world meeting was. Ludwig explained various schedule changes for the next three months and the reasons for each. Matthew's attention was pulled away when his phone vibrated.
Matvey, would you like to join me for a casual night at a club?
Received at 11:00 AM
The text came as a surprise to Matthew. Wasn't Ivan not feeling well? Matthew frowned at his phone and thought about turning the offer down, but he decided not to. Instead of feeling annoyed, he should be worried. Ivan wasn't the type of person to ditch a world meeting. It had to be serious. Or so Matthew hoped.
Sure… when and where?
Sent at 11:07 AM
8 O'clock at Gheart's bar, the address is… *****
Received at 11:10 AM
Matthew took a screen shot of the address and quietly slipped out of the meeting. He took the elevator up to his room and changed into more casual clothes. A red button down shirt with a tan jacket and jeans should do the trick. Before he went to the club, he needed to visit Kumajiro while he was at the vet. He did promise that he would stop by.
-7:55 PM-
Matthew shoved his gloved hands inside his coat pocket as he shuffled along the sidewalk. He buried as much of his face into the neck of his jacket as possible when a cold breeze hit him. Thank goodness that he had remembered to bring earmuffs.
"Matvey!" Ivan called him over. Matthew quickened his pace and took a glance at the flashing neon signs and waved. He pulled down the neck of his jacket and immediately noted the heavy scent of cigarettes that wafted from the dark building.
"Hey. So this is the place?" Matthew asked.
Ivan followed Matthew's line of sight to the flashing strip club and let out a snort. "No, the one next to it. Follow me." Ivan led Matthew to the rather ordinary looking bar right next to it. The Canadian laughed when Ivan opened the door for him, "You can tell what I was thinking." Matthew lightly joked.
Ivan shrugged and followed Matthew to the rather cozy room. "Well, I would have planned to go there if I knew you liked it more."
Matthew couldn't tell if he was joking or not, and jshrugged in response.
"It's not bad. I have to say I like this more though."
Ivan thoughtfully nodded and hung his coat on the back of the high bar chair. The bar room lights were dim, and the air hummed with low conversation and the clinks of glasses. Ivan rested his elbow on the bar, and greeted the bartender in a tuxedo. The man had sharp blue eyes, well defined wrinkles, and no hair. But when he recognized Ivan, his eyes became soft, and his wrinkles became less pronounced.
"Vanya! What a pleasure, it's been years since you last visited." The bartender leaned back on the counter that held his vast store of alcohol.
Ivan waved his hand and propped his chin on his left hand. "I never had a reason to. Glad to see that you're well, Ivan." Ivan returned. The two held eye contact for a while before laughing.
Matthew observed that the two exchanged some sort of inside joke, or a hidden message before he requested a glass of water. An inside joke was an inside joke, and he couldn't hope to understand it.
The bartender seemed to notice Matthew for the first time, and he frowned.
"Water? Does he mean vodka?" He asked Ivan.
Ivan chuckled and jabbed Matthew in the ribs. "You don't order water at a bar, Matvey. Give him what I get."
The bartender skeptically raised his eyebrows, but he pulled out a large plastic bottle from his vast array of liquor. Ivan took out two shot glasses from his coat. Matthew unenthusiastically watched his small glass fill up with the mystery fluid, and he reluctantly took a glass. Ivan clinked glasses with him and downed his shot.
Matthew took a deep breath and did the same- only to cough out half of his shot. The liquid burned like hellfire, and his nose felt like it had inhaled some sort of lethal gas. The bartender laughed, and Ivan raised an eyebrow.
"Lightweight." Ivan coughed.
Matthew shot him a look of disbelief before grabbing a napkin to cough in. "Jesus, what was that? Rubbing alcohol?" Matthew wheezed. Ivan shrugged, "Not far from the truth. Drink another." Ivan took the plastic bottle and poured Matthew another shot.
The Canadian promptly refused, "N-No! Ivan, why did you call me out here? And why did you skip today's world meeting?" Matthew asked while he tried to catch his breath.
Ivan took another shot and leaned back in his chair.
"Well, Matvey. All good stories come to an end. I think tonight is a good night to end our little play." Ivan said with a light voice.
"Our play?" Matthew asked, slightly offended.
Ivan nodded and took another shot, "Da. I cannot drag this out any longer. I will finish it by tonight. And so, I will need a little bit of alcohol in my system."
Matthew was about to leave, but Ivan quickly convinced him to stay.
"I do not mean it like that. I simply mean that I can no longer continue to think about this family every day. I will end my trip down memory lane here, with you." Ivan said a bit bitterly.
Matthew didn't know what the cause of Ivan's sudden change of mood was, but he decided to go with the flow. As always. Ivan looked up at the ceiling before speaking.
"You know Matvey, I really killed them. I killed the entire family."
Train headed to Spala
"Look Ivan, I drew our house!" Maria excitedly told Ivan as she handed him one of her sketches. Ivan looked it over and gave it a nod of approval before he pointed out its obvious flaws.
"The perspective right here is off. If you just move the line a little higher…" Ivan erased the top part of the building and urged her to redraw it.
The entire imperial family were currently on a train and headed to Spala. Olga absently read a book next to Maria while Anastasia napped against Ivan's shoulder.
The train briefly shook from the brakes when they approached a curve, and Ivan thought to check on Alexei. Anastasia made an unhappy sound when Ivan laid her against the window, but she quickly fell back asleep.
"Ivan, is this better?" Maria caught him before he left. Ivan hesitated before he looked over the drawing.
"…Yes, however check the windows next." Ivan advised as he handed the paper over. Maria dramatically huffed, but obediently redid her windows.
Ivan opened the door to the train car in front of them and knocked a few times before he opened the door.
There, Alexei lay on his mother's lap on a long sofa sofa that spanned the entire length of the car. The little Tsarevich, undoubtedly bored out of his mind, immediately noticed Ivan and strained his neck backwards to see him.
Ivan immediately felt relieved when he saw that Alexei was still well and put his hands behind his back. He took goofily long strides and added a little spring to his step until he could lean over the giggling Tsarevich's face.
"I see that you are feeling much better." Ivan said.
"Yes, but he is still feeling a bit unwell." Alexandra answered for her son. The boy pouted and crossed his arms, "I'm better than before. I can go and play with Ivan now…" Alexei vainly mumbled to his mother. Alexandra was used to hearing nonsense like this and simply pat his head.
"I am relieved that he is feeling better though." Alexandra sighed.
Ivan nodded and inspected Alexei's face. He was still quite pale, and he had bags under his eyes. Thank God he had arrived in time. Ivan sat down next to Alexandra and merely shook his head, "A bathtub?" Was all Ivan said.
It was all Ivan needed to say for Alexandra to wave the bad memory away. Before the bathtub, it had been the boat. Alexei had accidentally injured his leg from climbing into a boat at Belovezhski forest.
Even though Alexei had collapsed from his injury, Ivan had been able to stop his internal bleeding. His recovery was slow, but he felt well enough to move around. And then, as fate would have it, Alexei injured himself yet again while he was in the bath.
Derevenko, the man who was supposed to look out for Alexei, had accidentally allowed Alexei to injure himself while bathing. Well, it would've been difficult to stop the child. He had wanted to show how sailors jumped from boats to swim in the sea. One thing lead to another, and he ended up hitting the side of the bathtub rather than the water in it.
Alexei had fared well at first and didn't show any apparent signs of pain. But sure enough, as with many of his injuries, he collapsed a few minutes later.
Ivan felt anxious just thinking about what would've happened if he hadn't been there. Of course Nikolai called him in, and Ivan had lightly applied pressure to where Alexei had fallen on the tub. It took a week or two, but Alexei gradually became well enough for travel once again. Although the child's health was still precariously balanced between near death and a slow but steady recovery.
Even the most minimal of bumps could spell disaster. Ivan internally shoved those thoughts out of his mind, it was too stressful to even think about it.
"Derevenko is normally so careful…" Alexandra sighed. Alexei was quick to defend his nanny, "There was a lot going on. It's okay, I'll be fine." Alexei reassured.
The tsarina laughed and pat his head, "Be strong Alexei."
A comfortable atmosphere settled in the car, and Ivan left to the other car.
"How's Alexei?" Olga asked when Ivan closed the door behind him. Ivan took a seat in a chair and gave them a thumbs up. "He's good. Are you children excited for Spala?" Ivan leaned back in his chair as he spoke. He could relax now that Alexei's health was improving.
"Yes! We have a lot of guests coming with us too, so I'm sure that we'll have a lot of fun!" Anastasia bubbled with excitement.
"How about you Ivan? You seem pretty enthusiastic yourself." Tatiana said. Ivan's smile broadened and he crossed his arms, "Is that so?"
"Yeah, you talked for hours about the trees." Maria stated with a blank expression. Ivan hummed and leaned forward, "There are many things a tree can tell you. For example-"
"Noooooo! Stop, stop! We don't want to hear it!" Anastasia stopped Ivan in his tracks. She dramatically covered her ears and slammed her head into the table.
"A-Anastasia?" Maria squeaked in surprise.
The said girl picked up her head and glared at Ivan with a single eye. "We get it! The rings of the trunk can tell us the entire history of the forest! Bear population, ant population, droughts, floods, and it can even predict the future! Trees are amazing! Let's talk about something else. Like what we're going to do at Spala." Anastasia said, exasperated.
Ivan raised an eyebrow at her peculiar reaction, but let it slide. He supposed that they wouldn't find this information particularly interesting in this day and age.
"Very well. I'll go and hunt with Nikolai, attend to the guests, the usual." Ivan said with the last bit with a hint of distaste.
While Nikolai's guests were very well mannered, he just found the entire process so repetitive. A century of handling two or three generations of the same families had a strange effect on him. He could see the resemblance between a young noble and his great great grandfather. That being said, he often had to deal with different, yet annoyingly similar people year after year.
"Play with us when you're free." Anastasia dropped the friendly reminder. Ivan pat the girl on the head and gave her a piece of sugar candy.
"Don't worry little one, I'll make sure to. Now, I believe that we're almost there."
The children gathered at the train window as it came to a halt, and they exchanged excited smiles. It was time to get out of this stuffy train and play.
-Hunting grounds-
The sound of a single gunshot resounded throughout the forest. Birds fled to the skies, and tiny animals took cover as a large stag bolted through the brush. While the shot hadn't hit it, it had been running at full speed for quite some time. Its movements became clumsy as it jumped over a fallen tree.
Its pursuers started to fall behind, and it was almost free.
The stag ran hard for a couple of minutes and slowed its pace, thinking that it had shaken its pursuers. However, steady hoof beats crept up on its right side. No less than a few seconds later, a large horse carrying Ivan was soon right next to it. The stag got spooked and veered off to the left side, where Nikolai was waiting.
A second shot went off, and the stag crashed into a tree.
Nikolai and his friends trotted up to the kill. "Beautifully done Ivan. There are few riders who could compete with a stag, although it shouldn't have come to that." Nikolai complimented as his guards dressed and prepared the dead animal.
Ivan's smile was easy, and he nonchalantly trotted up next to the tsar. "Think nothing of it. Your aim is much better with a moving target." Ivan said.
"Is that so? Perhaps it's the adrenaline, Nikolai always loves a challenge." One of the men lightly teased.
The group had a laugh before choosing to return back to the lodge. Ivan rode a few meters behind them and absently pat his horse's neck. Hunting was always a pain when it included Nikolai's little circle of influential "friends". Ivan was essentially the chaperone, he had to make sure they behaved themselves around the tsar.
Ivan adjusted his scarf and heaved a long sigh. At least the hunt had gone well. Now all that was left was to return to the lodge and wind down with the children.
As soon as the lodge came into view, Ivan decided to ride ahead. "The children are waiting for me, I will see you at dinner." Ivan briefly rode up to Nikolai's side. The tsar nodded and dismissed him with his hand, "Very well. Thank you for your help today Ivan."
Ivan bowed his head before he urged his horse into a gallop. Once he was a mere twenty meters from the entrance of the lodge, the girls called him over from a window on the first floor.
"Vanya! Quickly, we are starting our play!" Anastasia called out.
Ivan stopped his horse and handed it to one of the attendants before he walked to where the children were. "Well, what shall I be this time? A tree?" Ivan said as he took off his heavy coat. The girls giggled and gave him a fake wooden sword.
"You will be the knight!" Maria informed him. "Olga and Tatiana are the princesses in distress, and Anastasia and I are the evil outlaws who took them! You must defeat us in order to save them!" Maria held up her own wooden sword. Anastasia held two wooden daggers and turned serious.
"If you wish to take these ladies, then you must prepare the ransom!" Anastasia snarled with her overly scratchy voice. Maria quickly got into character as well and held her sword out in front of her.
"Do ye have the ransom?" Maria asked.
Ivan's smile remained neutral, and he shouldered his saber. "No, I don't. Move aside, I shall rescue my two princesses at once!" Ivan boldly declared.
"Prepare yourself!" Anastasia shouted before she charged at him with her daggers. Ivan felt himself shudder when he thought about how similar she looked to Natalya, but he quickly composed himself and easily parried the girl's attacks. Of course their movements were exaggerated to give each other time to react, and Ivan pretended to stab Anastasia in her stomach.
The girl placed the sword under her arm and pretended to die. "D-Don't let him take the princesses away." Anastasia gasped before she promptly died on the floor. Ivan took out his sword, and looked at Maria with a dangerously sweet smile.
"Ah~ Another outlaw? Prepare yourself. You have stolen my princesses, and disgraced my kingdom! Die!" Ivan said in a singsong voice.
Maria screamed and ran hid behind a chair. "I-I surrender." She squeaked. Sometimes Ivan got a little too into his role, and his killing intent became a little to real for her.
Ivan didn't miss a beat and he pretended to sheathe his sword. "I see, the outlaw has surrendered. However, I cannot spare your death. For you stole my princesses~ Take this!" Ivan plucked Maria from her hiding spot and tickled her half to death. Tears leaked from Maria's eyes and she tried to push Ivan away. "I-Ivan! Stop! Bwahaha!" Maria vainly hit Ivan on the head.
The nation calmly placed her on the floor, and looked at Anastasia with a strange glint in his eye. "I have killed this outlaw, but what is this? I see movement from the other body." Anastasia broke out into a cold sweat, and she willed herself to stay still as Ivan inspected her 'dead body'.
Ivan clicked his tongue and turned his attention to Olga and Tatiana, he would let her off this time.
"My princesses! I have come to rescue you!" Ivan walked up to Olga and Tatiana, who were sitting in two chairs. The two girls pretended to swoon and thanked Ivan for his services.
"Oh, no need. But what is this? I am sorry, my princesses. I was actually hired to assassinate you! Take this~" Ivan reduced the two teenagers into puddles of laughter and tears as he relentlessly tickled them.
"T-Traitor!" Tatiana tried to kick the traitorous knight away, but to no avail.
This torture continued for ten whole minutes before Ivan decided to close the play. Olga rubbed her sore stomach and wiped the tears from her eyes, "Really. Is that any way to treat a lady?" Olga playfully kicked his shin. The Russian chuckled and took a seat next to Maria and Anastasia on the floor.
"I don't know. How is Alexei?" Ivan invited the two eldest girls to sit on the floor as well.
The two took a seat on the floor and shrugged, "Alexei said he was feeling better, and so mother took him out for a carriage ride for some fresh air." Tatiana said, glancing at Olga for confirmation. The eldest nodded and leaned back on her hands, "Poor Alexei, he's been in bed ever since we got here." Olga sighed.
Ivan absently twirled the wooden saber over his hand and thoughtfully hummed. "Let's go for a walk when Alexei comes back. I'll carry him, and I'll show you the best place to watch the sunset." Ivan suggested.
The girls voiced their approval and went out to seek their father's permission while Ivan decided to take a nap in one of the chairs. He was going to need to reserve his energy for tonight.
"Alexei…room…quickly" Ivan was awoken by stomping feet and hushed whispers. He let out a loud yawn and rubbed his tired eyes. He blearily looked into the doorway and saw Alexandra and her servants rush past the doorframe.
Ivan immediately knew that something was wrong, and silently followed the servants into Alexei's room. His steps were quiet, and he discretely slipped into the room where a doctor was inspecting a bedridden Alexei. Nikolai held on to Alexandra when the physician told them what was wrong with their child.
The direct cause of Alexei's pain was the carriage ride. The little bumps along the road had managed to cause his the blood vessels in his left thigh to tear. The blood from his leg was now leaking into his abdomen, and it was causing him intense pain. Alexei groaned throughout the entire explanation and tightly gripped his sheets. He was barely conscious and his parents became paler with every word.
"…I will do what I can. However I believe it to be wise to bring additional doctors with equal to or greater than my own skill." The physician said gravely. Nikolai immediately ordered a servant to patch a telegram to the palace, and he grabbed the doctor by the shoulder with a firm grip.
"They should arrive in a couple of days. Until then, my son is in your capable hands." Nikolai said with an unusual steel in his voice.
The doctor bowed his head and rushed out of the room to find some sort of medicine that might help the tsarevich.
Alexandra walked over to Alexei's bed and held the bedpost in a vice grip.
"I just thought that he needed some fresh air." Her voice was hollow. She stared at her son and gripped the post until her knuckles turned white.
Nikolai immediately went to comfort his wife.
"He will get better… Ivan, how does he look?" Nikolai asked the silent nation.
Ivan walked over to Alexei and tried to check his leg, but the Tsarevich refused to allow him to touch it.
"I-It hurts." He moaned.
"Don't pain him anymore. It's alright Ivan, I'll keep watch over him." Alexandra intervened. Ivan visibly hesitated before he offered his seat to her. There, the tsarina sat down and watched over her son like a hawk. Nikolai discretely motioned for them to leave the room. Nikolai silently closed the door behind them once Ivan was out. His hand lingered on the doorknob and he intently stared at the door's decorations.
"Alexei will get better." Ivan assured him. But his words had little effect, and the tsar brushed them off. "I would hope so. Leave Alix alone with him for a bit. The girls are not allowed to see him. For now they only know that he is feeling a bit unwell." Nikolai hurriedly excused himself and rushed off. Undoubtedly to compose himself before he met his other guests.
Ivan barely had any time to gather his thoughts before the four girls snagged him out of the hall. Naturally, they were concerned about Alexei. However Ivan told them it didn't seem to be too bad.
"A stomachache. The doctors will soon come to help him. Everything will be okay." Ivan told them over and over again. But he himself couldn't even believe his own lie.
"Vanya…Is Alexei really okay?" Tatiana asked the next day. The five of them were lounging around in Ivan's room while they had a break from their studies. Ivan didn't want to darken the already gloomy atmosphere in his room, but he couldn't lie to them.
"…Little Alexei is not feeling very well… However your father, while he is very worried, must feel some sort of confidence if he continues to hunt." Ivan led them on with a false conclusion.
The girls glared at Ivan and mulled about on his bed. They knew that Ivan was lying to them, and it only increased their worries. None of the guests knew about Alexei's current condition, and the girls were also a part in keeping up the lie that Alexei was well. Not to mention that they were forbidden from seeing Alexei. Ivan, who was sitting in his desk chair, absently squeezed a small stuffed animal. He could relate to the girls because Alexandra had also completely denied him access to Alexei. He was forbidden from touching or speaking to him.
Ivan was careful not to allow his apprehension to show though, and distracted the girls with thoughts of when Alexei was better. As the girls prattled away, Ivan thoughtfully tapped his desk with his pen. He must get to Alexei soon.
"D-Don't touch." Alexei moaned. Ivan resisted the urge to click his tongue when his protective mother intervened, and refused to allow him to lay a hand on her son. Alexei was paler than snow, and he trembled from the pain.
"Ivan, please!" Alexandra sharply stopped the nation. She looked to be in no better condition than her son. She seldom slept, and the strain of Alexei's illness was evident on her weary face.
Ivan pursed his lips, "I only wish to touch his leg." He tried in a civil, but visibly strained voice. But Alexandra was having none of it. While her fear was extreme, it was rightly justified. Anything could've send Alexei off to his grave at this point. Even so, it was annoying.
"I will be careful." Ivan almost pleaded.
"No, don't make me send you out." Alexandra said in a tired, but firm voice.
Ivan grabbed a chair and sat right across from Alexandra. The force of his grip dented the wooden back, and he sat down with his arms crossed.
His purple gaze attempted to burn a hole in the wall behind the tsarina as he tried to think of a different way to approach Alexei. Everything would be so much easier if he could just tell the tsarina about his magic. Ivan heavily sighed and tapped his finger against his arm. General Winter's warning was still freshly imprinted in his mind. Would he reveal the existence of magic for one child?
Yes.
Ivan abruptly stood up from his seat and walked out the door. He needed to get it together. If push came to shove, he would find a way to sneak in to visit Alexei at night. The hallway echoed with the laughter of Nikolai's guests as the tsar entertained them while they were having a snack. Ivan stopped in front of the room and peered through the door that had been left slightly ajar.
Nikolai had a relaxed smile on his face as he recounted the past with his friends with a loosely held a glass of wine in his hand. It didn't seem like anything was wrong in the palace. Ivan walked away from the door and went to his room. He pitied Nikolai even more than Alexandra. Keeping such a mask was draining, and Ivan knew that from experience.
It was a day or two later, on a snowy day on October 8th, that Alexei's condition worsened to the extreme. Ivan thought it was impossible for the child's suffering to increase, but he was proven wrong.
It was so bad that Nikolai and Alexandra officially announced Alexei's condition to the public. Ivan felt a seeping cold spread from his chest, and he felt a large amount of anxiety build up in his chest. The entire kingdom was on eggshells. Half of the populace wished for the tsarevich's recovery, while the other half wished for his death.
These two flaring conflicts of interest seemed to have an effect on Ivan because he drank more vodka than usual that day.
The entire forest was as silent as death as snow began to coat the trees in white. Ivan watched the snow fall from the window of his room. His shot glass in one hand, and his pipe in the other. He leaned back in his chair and he barely spared the seasonal spirit a second glance.
General Winter aimlessly floated about in his room and coated Ivan's wall in a thin coat of frost. The room had to be as cold- if not colder- than outside.
After taking a couple more shots, Ivan eventually acknowledged his presence."What do you want, Winter? I'm not in the mood to talk." Ivan airily told his unwelcome guest. Winter paid him no mind and hovered over Ivan's bottle of vodka.
"All of the spirits in Russia know that your little prince is on the brink of death. I came here to see for myself." Winter said.
Ivan took out his other glass and poured the spirit a shot. "It's no secret. There is little to be done." Ivan said in cheery, but resigned tone. He looked at his own full glass before he downed the shot.
Winter greedily drank the liquor and smacked his lips. He carefully placed the frosted glass on his desk and wiped his mouth with his sleeve.
"You do have that spell you told me about. The one England's ward gave you." Winter reminded.
While Ivan's smile remained, his jaw visibly clenched, and his mood darkened. "I can't do that to him, Winter." Ivan said in a tense, almost angry tone. Winter raised an eyebrow. Ivan had treated this spell as a godsend, and now he was condemning it?
"I will cripple him." Ivan ground out. "He will be completely dependent on me for his health , and the second I choose to abandon him is the second he will die." Ivan bitterly spat.
"I see you finally have some more sense." Winter said, obviously pleased.
The nation leaned back in his chair with a bad taste in his mouth. The thought of the future ruler of Russia being so dependent on a single person disgusted him. In addition to being dependent, Ivan would be forced to tell Alexei about his new condition should he cast it on him. While Alexei might not resent him now, he would certainly resent him in the future.
It was too much responsibility, Ivan thought.
"Well- to be crippled, or dead. I'm not sure which is better." Winter taunted. Ivan gripped his pipe and slid his eyes over to the annoying spirit. The old man immediately retreated out of Ivan's reach, and he let out a cold laugh.
"Don't be so serious. I jest." Winter defensively put his hands out in front of him.
Ivan put down his pipe, and coldly smiled. "It is in bad taste."
"Perhaps…" Winter admitted and dared to float closer to Ivan. "Are your rulers worried?" He changed the subject. Ivan heaved a heavier sigh and laid down face first in his bed.
"No, they are already asleep. Rasputin sent a few words via telegram, and it has put them at ease." Ivan muttered into his pillow. Damn that starlet, and Nikolai had finally put some distance between them too. Well, perhaps a little bit of reassurance wasn't too bad.
Winter hovered over Ivan's body and hung upside down. "Well, perhaps the rulers will no longer trust him." Winter nonchalantly told the gloomy Russian.
Ivan turned onto his back and let out a frosty breath, "What do you mean?" Ivan asked with complete disinterest. Winter floated towards the door, "The little one is about to kick the bucket." Winter nonchalantly informed him.
A silent breeze passed between them. Ivan wasn't sure if he had heard him correctly, and he asked him for clarification.
"Alexei will not survive the night." Winter said plainly.
"And how can you be so sure?" Ivan challenged. Winter rolled his eyes, "I know Ivan. I've seen millions of humans on their death bed, and Alexei is on it." Winter stated. He wasn't saying this to upset Ivan, to him, he was simply stating a fact.
Ivan immediately stood to head towards Alexei's room, but the ghostly spirit stopped him. "You will cast the magic." Winter asked for confirmation. Ivan grit his teeth and let loose his purple aura.
"If it comes to it." Ivan roughly shoved the general to the side with his pipe and strode out the door. Winter was right behind him with a curious, but disapproving expression. "Why must you do so much for these children? Regimes come and go like the seasons in a year. Let this regime fall, and from what I hear- it might be better."
Ivan gripped his pipe as he walked through the quiet halls. His footsteps were silent despite his large strides and his heavy boots. His smile was gone, and he refused to answer Winter.
Instead, he pressed himself against the wall when he saw a couple of guards keeping watch outside of Alexei's door. Winter floated himself over to the two guards and waved a finger in front of their faces. A sudden chill engulfed the hall, and the guard's expressions became blanker than Anastasia's face when she had her mathematics lesson. Ivan glanced at winter before walking up to the door. He paused for a moment and looked up at the spirit with a suspicious glare.
"What do you want, general?" Ivan coldly asked him.
"I want to see you cry." Winter sneered.
"You are acting on emotion and sentiment. I want to see the look on your face when Alexei dies. When the people overthrow this ridiculous government. And when you will be left all alone again-" Winter didn't get to finish his sentence because Ivan slammed his pipe into his head.
Winter flew through the floor, and Ivan twirled his pipe before he entered the door. Annoying bastard. Ivan thought when he closed the door behind him. But as much as he despised Winter's words, he knew that there was some truth to what he said. But that was a thought for later, and Alexei's whimper brought his mind back to the task at hand.
"Alexei?" Ivan softly called out. He reached into his coat and lit the various candles around the room.
"B-bury me s-somewhere pretty." Alexei muttered, half conscious from the pain. Ivan pulled a chair right next to the child's bed and took off his gloves. He quietly put his hand on Alexei's leg and was startled when the child let out a shriek of pain. He quickly muffled it with his free hand and shushed the crying child.
"Sh, shh. Quiet little one, quiet. Where does it hurt?" Ivan soothingly whispered. Alexei thrashed around in the bed, and Ivan struggled to restrain him. The wilder he thrashed, the more anxious the nation became that Alexei would injure himself.
"Stop." Ivan firmly told the child. "It's going to feel better, trust me. Just tell me, where does it hurt?" Ivan asked again. He ran his thumb across Alexei's temple in a soothing gesture, and the child calmed down enough to let out a weak response.
"E-Everything. God have mercy, everything. I just want to die." Alexei's voice hitched and tears ran down his face. He turned away from Ivan and curled up onto his side. "It hurts so much, no one understands." Alexei whispered.
Ivan fought off a lump in his throat and he closed his eyes for a moment to compose himself. A moment of silence passed between the two of them before Ivan had Alexei look at him straight in the eye. "You will not die. You will get better, and this pain will not last forever. But I need you to close your eyes." Ivan stood up from his chair and moved Alexei's sweaty hair to the side.
Alexei gave Ivan a good look, as if he was afraid he would never see him again. He stared at Ivan for several minutes, before he spoke. "What are you doing Vanya? When can I open my eyes?"
Ivan's stomach dropped and he waved his hand in front of Alexei's face. There was no reaction at all. "I'm going to make you all better." Ivan's voice held no trace of the anxiety he was feeling.
"Ivan? Why are you so far away? I can't hear you very well."
Ivan moved off of the bed and immediately drew the magic circle on the floorboard.
"I-Ivan, I-I can't feel anything. I-Ivan!" Alexei frantically shouted for him.
"Ivan! I-I-" Alexei began to gasp for breath and he clawed at the air in front of him.
"Winter, how bad is his condition?" Ivan asked.
Winter slowly floated up from the floor and cracked his neck. "You have guts Vanya. You can expect an unforgiving winter in the near future." Even though his words were threatening, Winter checked Alexei's body with his ghostly fingers.
"He's dying. He has about half an hour left. The child is too far gone Vanya, your magic won't work." Winter retracted himself from Alexei and gave Ivan a pat on the shoulder. Ivan took off his coat and prepared the vial Arthur had given him to write the magic symbol on his body.
"No, there is a small chance. Winter, take my heart." Ivan said as if he were asking him to hand him his gloves.
Winter balked at Ivan's instructions and immediately refused. "I want to see you suffer. Not crippled. You cannot give your heart away so easily, Vanya." Winter hissed. The room became a few degrees colder and Alexei violently shivered.
"Fine, I'll do it myself." Ivan unbuttoned his shirt and grabbed his knife in his coat pocket. He didn't have the time to argue with this spirit. Winter grabbed Ivan's arm and snatched the sharp tool from Ivan's hand.
"Stop Vanya. I'm putting an end to this right now." He snapped at the rash nation. He couldn't believe that this was the same nation who had pieced this kingdom together. Ivan would risk it all for just a slight chance that this boy would survive. It didn't add up to Winter. Ivan had seen his princes and princesses die before, and yet he was so reluctant to allow this generation to die.
"Return my knife." Ivan took a threatening step towards Winter. The old spirit merely glared at Ivan and floated a little ways away.
"I am stopping you from your descent to madness. You haven't had an entire second for the past year to think about something other than these children! What about your starving citizens? What about the other children- your people- who are dying from hunger, disease, and the cold? Tell me Vanya, why are their lives less important?" Winter angrily jabbed his finger in Ivan's chest.
Ivan closed his eyes and took a deep breath and put up a smile. "I didn't know you cared so much. Yes, those are my people. However, they are strangers. I can occasionally peer into their lives because of what I am, but they are still strangers. To me, Alexei is of greater importance. Not just as the next ruler of Russia, but as someone who is very important to me." Ivan said. He extended his hand out for his knife, but Winter refused to give it.
"Vanya, he is not as important as you think-" Winter's sentence was cut off when Ivan's purple aura completely enveloped the room, and he held his pipe right next to Winter's neck. "You still don't get it Winter. He is not important to the nation of Russia, he is important to me- Ivan Braginsky! Now give me the knife." Ivan said in a low, and dangerous voice.
Winter locked eyes with the brat in front of him. It was amazing how much Ivan had grown, and it was disheartening to know just how human he had become.
Winter pushed the pipe away from his neck and twirled the knife in his hand. The blade was covered in a light layer of frost, and Winter had no intention of handing it over.
"Fine Vanya. I will help you. Remember this Ivan, I tried to stop you." Winter warned.
Without giving Ivan a second to respond, he plunged the knife into his chest.
Ivan sharply gasped as the ice cold blade invaded his chest. He staggered, and Winter had to hold him up with his icy grip. "Hold on Vanya. You will have about fifteen seconds to draw the symbol before you pass out. Are you ready?" Winter asked as rested the tip of the knife on Ivan's heart.
Ivan struggled and forced his lips into a half smile. "Do it."
Winter tightened his grip on the knife and cut it out in one swift motion. The amount of blood that spurted out of Ivan's chest was minimal, thanks to the general's ice magic- but that could only last for so long.
Ivan's vision went white for a second when his heart was yanked out and his legs gave out underneath him. "Vanya! Quickly, you must cast the magic!" General Winter's voice brought Ivan's vision back.
The nation shakily opened the vial of liquid and wrote the symbol onto his heart. The organ was slightly cold from where Winter had grabbed it, but it was still warm. It was strange, holding such an essential organ in the palm of his hand. His ears rang, and everything was becoming warped around him. He cursed under his breath and willed his hand to stop shaking as he finished the rune.
His finger ran along the uneven surface of his heart until the rune was finally finished. As soon as the spell was completed, the magic circle on the floor glowed a bright green. Ivan took a gasp of fresh, pain free air, and took a glance at his glowing blue heart.
"Congratulations Vanya. You've damned yourself." Winter unenthusiastically congratulated right above Alexei's glowing form.
Ivan grunted as he got off the floor and walked towards Alexei with his heart in his hand. He had to pause every few steps to catch his breath before he eventually reached Alexei. He kneeled on the ground and hesitantly placed his heart in Alexei's hand.
"Very nice Vanya. Do you even know how the magic works?" Winter taunted the exhausted nation. Ivan waved him away and carefully picked Alexei up from the floor. His complexion had already improved, and his breathing had evened. Ivan softly smiled as he tucked Alexei in. He was mindful of his heart though and left Alexei's arm outside of the blanket.
"…Do you feel good about yourself, Vanya?" Winter's annoyed voice ruined the feeling of complete relief Ivan had, and he sharply turned to the seasonal spirit.
"Yes, I do. Alexei is safe, and the magic worked." Ivan snapped right back. The Russian swiped his shirt off the floor and shrugged it back on. Ivan ran a hand over his chest and was surprised to find that it was completely healed. How in the world was he supposed to put it back?
"It will open up when your heart is near." Winter answered him as if he had read his mind.
Ivan nodded in acknowledgement and picked up the leftover chalk from the floor. The magic circle on the floor had disappeared, and the only trace of anything out of the ordinary was the faint smell of blood in the air.
Winter floated near the window and cracked his neck. "I never thought that you would turn soft."
Ivan sat on Alexei's bed and stroked the unconscious child's hair. "Neither did I. Goodbye General Winter, you have work to do."
Winter sat on an invisible chair and rested his chin on his hand. "So long, Vanya." Winter tipped his hat before fading away. Ivan didn't miss the pitying look his former guardian sent him right before he disappeared, and he crossed his arms in annoyance. He didn't need anyone's pity. He did what had to be done.
Ivan rubbed his chest and glanced at his heart. He could feel Alexei's warm fingers wrapped around it. It was strange, because it felt like it was still in his chest. Alexei heaved a huge sigh and rolled over in his bed. Ivan chuckled and sat in the chair next to Alexei's bed. He leaned forward and slowly fell asleep on Alexei's bed. Not knowing what tomorrow would bring, he had to give Alexei as much exposure to the spell as possible before his parents or the maids arrived.
Matthew listened, wide eyed as Ivan talked about teaming up with General Winter, of all the assholes in the world, to save Alexei. Don't get him wrong, he loved General Winter. But Winter had his moments.
"But you saved him." Matthew said with a puzzled tone. Ivan's smile widened, and he stared at his full shot glass.
"I did. I temporarily saved him. But you see Matvey, I made a fatal miscalculation. Had I been on my own, Alexei's miracle would've been treated as a miracle of God. Nothing more, and perhaps there would be some sort of suspicion that I was involved. However, that was not the case." Ivan hollowly laughed to himself as he took another shot.
"Because Rasputin had sent the telegram, he had coincidentally timed his response right before I cast the spell on Alexei." Ivan drummed his fingers on the wooden bar. Matthew paused and let out a quiet "ah" before he poured Ivan another shot.
The Russian glanced at the Canadian and muttered his thanks before he immediately downed it.
"Well, you didn't have a choice. Alexei would've died if you hadn't taken action." Matthew tried to comfort Ivan. But his words had the opposite effect, and Ivan shook his head. "No, I had a choice." Ivan cheerily replied. Matthew winced at how fake Ivan's voice was, but remained quiet.
"I had a choice." Ivan repeated, a bit more softly. He stared at the shot glass in his hand.
"To conceal the existence of magic from Nikolai and his family, or to oust Rasputin and remove him from power- forever. You see, Matvey, we are always presented with choices. Perhaps I made the right choice, but I can't be sure. If I had only removed him from power, then Nikolai and his family would've lived."
Coolio, this chapter is finally done. To be honest, I'm not sure when the next update will be. With school thrown into the mix, I think my updates will become irregular. But I will update. I'll write here and there, and this story will be done. Mark my words. School Good luck to everyone who has started school!
As always, constructive 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
