Anastasia 18

Disclaimer: I do not own Hetalia. This fanfic is loosely based off of historical events. Don't use this as a history reference, as it is fiction.

Well, I've really let this story hang for too long. I almost finished it, but then some things happened and I lost a lot of it to the point where I gave up. I really want to finish this story though, so I'm rewriting the lost chapters. That's my lame excuse, and for everyone who has been waiting forever, I'm really sorry. It was really inconsiderate of me to just leave this story hanging like this. Expect one new update at least once a week. Thank you to everyone who shot me a PM and reviewed/favorite/followed this story.


The morning light crept through the half-drawn curtains of Alexei's room, and the residual mist from Winter's presence clung to the floor. Ivan remained fast asleep with his head rested next to Alexei's sleeping form.

Unbeknownst to him, a little snooper was busy making arrangements outside. A little girl darted through the halls. Her steps were barely audible as she grabbed a broom that was easily a few heads taller than herself and ran to the entrance of Alexei's room. She glanced up at the thawing soldiers and gripped her broom.

"Please don't wake up." She silently begged.

She carefully placed the broom behind the soldier's knees and gave them a little jab. They made no sound as their knees immediately gave way and their butts made solid contact with the floor. Anastasia flinched when his frozen butt made a loud thud and cautiously looked under the guard's hat. She let out a sigh of relief. He was still asleep. She did the same thing with the other one, and after confirming that he was asleep as well, quietly slipped into the room.

The cold mist hit her face like a wall, and Anastasia shivered and rubbed her legs to generate some sort of heat. "It's all because of this mist, isn't it? That's why my legs are cold." She muttered to herself while glaring at the thick mist.

"Shoo mist! Shoo! People will come soon!" Anastasia scowled and furiously fanned the mist towards the window. She swept the mist towards the window and watched as it slowly leaked out of the room from the cracks.

Anastasia checked the clock on the wall and tiptoed over to Ivan's sleeping form. She put a hand on Ivan's shoulders and closed her eyes so that she wouldn't see what was in Ivan's hands. "Ivan! Ivan! You must wake up and hide your heart! Mama and Papa are coming!" Anastasia urgently whispered. Ivan murmured something in his sleep and turned away from Anastasia's prying hands.

Anastasia huffed and shoved him as hard as she could. "Ivan!" She hissed.

The nation sleepily looked up the bed and blankly stared at Anastasia. Anastasia in turn crossed her arms and then pointed to the clock.

"You have to hide your heart Ivan! Mama and Papa are coming!" Her voice rose a little bit at the end.

Ivan's eyes suddenly focused and he jolted up from the bed. He looked around the room and grabbed her by the sleeve.

"Anastasia! What are you doing here?" Ivan furiously whispered.

Anastasia's response came in the form of a hurried whisper.

"I saw what happened last night. I woke up and saw everything. I will help you Ivan, but you have to hide your heart!" Anastasia nervously glanced at the door.

Ivan frowned and was about to say something, but the sound of footsteps outside persuaded him to be silent. The Russian didn't waste a single second and carefully grabbed his heart from Alexei's hands and put it back in his chest. His entire body shuddered as the organ returned to its place in his chest, he could feel his slightly colder heart sink into his body. When his heart returned to its rightful place, Ivan took a deep breath and absently pat his chest. Anastasia and Ivan locked gazes for a moment.

We will talk later, is what Ivan silently told her. Anastasia shrugged and turned her attention to the door.

"What are you doing? Sleeping on the job?" Nikolai could be heard rousing the guards outside. The guards stuttered their apologies, but the Tsar merely laughed and told them to retire to their rooms.

"I suppose it has been a long night for all of us. Go back to your quarters and take a good long rest." The Tsar told them warmly. The guards bewilderedly nodded and slowly made their way back to their rooms, unsure of what had happened last night.

"Why is the door open?" Alexandra asked as she put her hand on the knob. Before they could jump to conclusions, Anastasia quickly opened the door herself.

"I'm in here with Ivan, Mama, Papa." Anastasia cheerily responded. Alexandra jerked her hand away from the doorknob and gave her child a half smile.

"So early in the morning?" Nikolai mused.

Anastasia ran over to give her parents a hug, "I heard Ivan walking down to see Alexei so I came too." She cheerily replied.

Nikolai raised an eyebrow at Ivan, who fixed his smile onto his face and ran a hand through his hair before shrugging.

"Why up so early?" Nikolai prompted when it was clear to that Ivan wouldn't say it himself. Ivan shrugged again and gestured to Alexei. "I thought that he would feel better by now. I was worried about his condition."

Nikolai's smile became a bit more strained and he walked over to Alexei's gently breathing form. "Ah, I suppose you couldn't get much sleep either. How is he?" Nikolai walked over to put a hand on Alexei's forehead. Alexandra took the seat next to Alexei's bed and took her child's hand. "Oh, this poor child." She muttered under her breath while running a hand through his hair.

Ivan's smile became softer and he gently rested his hand on Alexei's shoulder. "He'll be fine. Alexei's condition has stabilized, but have the doctors look over him. I will be in my room if you need me." The nation exchanged nods with his rulers before he left with Anastasia in tow. Ivan led Anastasia outside, where they went for a walk. Once they were far away from prying ears, Anastasia spoke first.

"…Ivan, I want to help. Not just for you, but for Alexei." She made her stance clear.

Of course Anastasia wanted to help her younger brother, Ivan thought as he crossed his arms. But it wasn't exactly the thought that counted here. Ivan leaned up against the wall while Anastasia had her hands on her hips right across from him.

He had tried so hard to conceal the existence of magic. Even when he was forced to use it, he made it clear that he was the only one who could do such a thing. Ivan tapped his foot and withheld the urge the sigh. If Anastasia had seen everything, then she knew that he had used a ritual to heal Alexei. Using a ritual meant that she might be tempted to try it herself when she was desperate, and that was absolutely not allowed. Anastasia knew of the existence of magic.

But is that really a bad thing?

A small voice in the back of Ivan's mind asked. He glanced back at Anastasia, who intensely gazed at him. She was only eleven years old. She couldn't know what had really happened. But was he willing to risk it?

But I need someone to help me.

Ivan shook his head, he would need someone to help arrange times when they could be alone. Anastasia could do that for him, but she was also a liability.

"I won't say anything to anyone. I know that you want to keep it a secret. Just tell me what I have to do." Anastasia ran up and grabbed Ivan's gloved hand.

She said it with every ounce of sincerity, and Ivan inwardly rolled his eyes. He had known Anastasia since she was a baby, and she wouldn't betray him. Really, he was going soft. Ivan knelt down and put a hand on her head.

"Okay, Anastasia. You can help, but you can't breathe a word to anyone- not even Alexei. You must never attempt to do what I just did, never question it, and you must absolutely not tell Rasputin." Ivan said with a firm voice.

Anastasia's eyes lit up like candles and she gave Ivan a hug. "Yes! Yes, I understand, so what's the plan?" Anastasia whispered with a playful light in her eyes. It was the excitement of keeping a secret from the world that fueled her. It was a new sense of purpose, and Ivan could see it.

Ivan kissed the top of Anastasia's head and hoisted her onto his shoulders. "Ah!" Anastasia cried out in surprise when Ivan began to jog back to the lodge.

The prospect of having someone to share his burden, and to share his secret made him feel strangely happy. It was as if the weight of his responsibility had halved.

"Ivan! Slow down!" Anastasia squealed and wrapped her arms around Ivan's head. Ivan was about to say that she shouldn't cover his eyes, but it was too late. Ivan tripped and they tumbled head first into the snow.

"Ahahaha!" Anastasia's delighted laughter filled the quiet morning air. Ivan sat up and dusted the white powder from his hair and laughed as well. He supposed Anastasia was old enough to keep this secret. If he thought back on it, her aunt, Olga, also knew, or at least suspected that magic existed. Considering how her aunt had the tact to not bring the subject up with him, he figured that Anastasia would fair the same, if not better.

Anastasia dusted the snow from her dress and leapt into Ivan's arms. "C-Cold, let's go back inside." Said Anastasia.

Ivan took off his coat and wrapped it around Anastasia. "I apologize little one. Let's go back inside and get you into a hot bath, yes?" Ivan picked up the half frozen princess and carried her back into the lodge, nearly oblivious to the fact that the light blush that dusted her cheeks was not because of the cold.


Ivan chuckled at the memory and absently tapped his shot glass on the bar table. "Anastasia had a small cold afterwards, but she didn't tell anyone what had happened. She was a very reliable princess, very capable."

Ivan rested his head on the cool marble of the table and stared at the empty wooden walls. "She was very diligent with her new role and always created excuses for me to be with Alexei. She would pair us up for group hide and go seek, kept watch for Rasputin, things of that nature."

Ivan heaved a heavy sigh and his smile widened. "I was conflicted about the long term effects of the spell. I didn't know if it would lessen the severity of Alexei's hemophilia or if it would have made it worse… Well, perhaps it wouldn't have mattered in the end. Despite Anastasia's valiant attempts to create time for us, my heart didn't spend as much time with Alexei as I had wanted."

Matthew rested his head on the bar as well, "Why not?" He asked.

Ivan let out a short laugh and his gaze became cold. "There were many things that interfered, a few of them being Rasputin, Stalin, and war." Ivan let out a long, humorless laugh. He laughed, and laughed, and laughed until he simply shook his head as he spoke with his big, trademark grin on his face.

"Nikolai kept his promise when the Great War broke out. I did not see combat, nor did he even suggest anything of the like. I locked myself away in willful ignorance within the palace." Ivan tightened his gloved hand into a fist and absently tapped the top of the bar with it. "I was dumb, Matvey. I wanted nothing more to do with politics, but the mere act of having relations with the imperial family forcibly involved me. Politics were attached to their way of life, but I tried to ignore it. I lied to myself…"

Ivan took another swig of vodka and heaved a heavy sigh. He was obviously trying to expedite the story and changed topics.

"Anastasia tried to create openings for me to be alone with Alexei. You see, Anastasia loved Rasputin. They were very close friends even, but she never told him anything. She believed that he was healing Alexei, but the little girl- she trusted me more than she loved him. Rasputin had his own way of making Alexei's symptoms disappear, but I would have none of it.

"Rasputin, perhaps, was not malicious. But he was so willfully ignorant, and so devout that it was impossible for us to get along. Every day we would silently argue. But he had an advantage over me, he had religion. With his affiliated religion, he had won the trust of Alexandra, and that was that. I was so blind then, Matvey. I ask myself every time I think about Nikolai and his family, why didn't I just tell them?" Ivan said that last part under his breath. He thoughtfully stared at the ceiling, and then plastered a smile to his face.

"You see, Matvey, Rasputin had a huge influence in Russia simply because Alexandra believed that she needed him. Especially when Nikolai left to command the troops."


Tsarskoye Selo

Ivan pursed his lips and frowned, clearly showing his disapproval. He leaned against a wall so that he was right next to Nikolai's desk and crossed his arms. The windows were slightly open to let a pleasant breeze filter in, but the atmosphere inside the study was slightly less pleasant. Nikolai leaned back in his chair and lightly sipped a glass of wine. His brows were further creased, forming pronounceable wrinkles in his fairly young but aging face.

"Are you asking for my opinion, or are you telling me?" Ivan asked, clearly unhappy at the news he had just received.

"Both." Nikolai easily responded.

Ivan pulled a nearby chair so that he sat on the side of the desk adjacent to Nikolai. "As both a friend and an adviser, I would advise against it. Russia has taken too many casualties, and the people's unrest grows. If you go out to directly command the troops and continue to take losses like you have, it will very negatively affect your image… I also do not wish for you to be in danger." Ivan added the last part like a sigh.

Nikolai smiled and took a longer sip of his glass before offering it to Ivan, who accepted it. Ivan propped his elbow on the armrest and rested his cheek on his hand. He stared at the purple wine with a carefully guarded gaze.

Unfortunately, Nikolai had known him for too long and could more or less guess the emotion Ivan was trying to hide.

"As the Tsar, I have a duty to help Russia. I have confidence that I can turn the war around, but I only worry about Alix and the children." Said Nikolai.

Ivan nodded with understanding and took a sip of the bittersweet liquid.

"I see. Tread carefully Nikolai, your image, Alexandra's in particular, cannot take any more harm. Rasputin is a handful as it is." Ivan mentioned that last part under his breath. He couldn't completely hide his malice whenever he said that man's name.

Nikolai was close enough so that he heard Ivan's last remark and only let out an amused, but tired sigh. "I don't know why you detest Rasputin as much as you do. Yes, his presence is a bit difficult on our public image. However, he has healed Alexei." Nikolai said as if he had run this phrase a dozen times in his mind. Ivan smiled and finished off the rest of the wine before handing the glass back to Nikolai.

"I wonder." Ivan said sarcastically, as if Nikolai already knew the answer. Nikolai rolled his eyes and poured himself another glass. He tried not to let the frustration show in his movements. Ivan acted as if he thought that Nikolai already knew the answer, but he and Ivan knew that that was not the case. Ivan knew that Nikolai didn't know the complete reason why he hated Rasputin, yet he acted as if Nikolai knew.

"I'm sorry that you don't like him, but he is healing Alexei. You must at least acknowledge that."

Ivan remained silent and gave a small nod. "Perhaps."

A small amount of comfortable silence passed between them before Ivan clapped Nikolai on the shoulder. "I will protect your family from harm Nikolai. May Russia be victorious." Ivan wished Nikolai well. The Tsar stood and gave Ivan his glass of wine and grabbed the bottle for himself. "I pray that God will protect us." Nikolai held up the bottle. Ivan's smile broadened and he clinked glasses with Nikolai. He would protect the family, Ivan thought. That he had no doubt, but he would not- or rather could not, protect the government from a revolution.

"Ivan, where's father going?" Anastasia asked Ivan as the servants hurriedly made arrangements for Nikolai's departure to the front. Ivan casually draped an arm around her shoulders and made her giggle as he swerved and intentionally bumped into her as they walked down the halls. "You know that there is a war going on, yes?" Ivan said with a light and casual tone.

Anastasia nodded and slightly leaned against Ivan as they walked down the hallway.

"Your father is not going to fight in it, but he has to go out for a while." Ivan explained.

"Will he be okay?" Anastasia automatically asked.

Ivan pat Anastasia on her head, "Yes, your father is strong." Ivan assured her.

Anastasia crossed her arms and bit her lip. A kid was still a kid after all.

"Go and see your father, I'm sure that he will enjoy your company. I will go and visit Alexei." Ivan nudged her down a different hall. Anastasia lit up and ran to meet her father.

During a rare moment of silence in the hallways, Ivan leaned against one of the walls and massaged his right temple.

War. Down with the Tsar. Down with Alexandra. Death to Rasputin. Lenin. Lenin. Lenin. No more war. No more Death.

Ivan closed his eyes to try and quiet these thoughts that were not his. With every pulse of pain from his headache, these thoughts were amplified. He pushed off of the wall and continued on to Alexei's room. It was becoming increasingly difficult to ignore the Russian people's thoughts. Ivan shook his head as he approached Alexei's room and reached for the door knob. He was surprised when he saw that the door was already cracked open and gently pushed it open.

"Alexei? How are you feeling?" Ivan asked as he entered the room. He barely had to pause for a millisecond to know who was in the room. The hypnotic voice, the strange hum in the air, and Alexei's closed eyes, Ivan could tell what was happening. He barely registered what he was doing before he found that he had Rasputin's shirt in his fist and he had him held up against the wall.

This damn corrupt magic he was spouting, Ivan felt rage build up in his chest. The people's thoughts along with his own sentiments mixed for a split second, and Ivan was about to kill him.

"Rasputin! Last time was your last warning. You are dead." Ivan said with a mixture of anger and crazed glee.

Rasputin was unfazed and crossed himself. "I am asking God to heal Alexei. You, an unholy and unnatural being could not understand."

"Ivan, get off of Rasputin." Alexandra interrupted them. She walked into the room with powerful intention. Ivan's smile didn't falter when he released Rasputin, but the look in his purple eyes could freeze hell over.

Rasputin paid his respects to Alexandra, and Ivan did the same. "Rasputin, while Ivan's existence may come as a shock to you- he has been a good friend to us." Alexandra gently reprimanded the starlet. Rasputin stroked his beard and bowed his head.

"The devil can be a good friend, but that does not change the fact that he is a devil and evil." Rasputin said. While his response was wary, he was careful to keep his tone respectful.

"It's good that you know what you are." Ivan feigned a civilized tone. Alexandra sharply looked at Ivan, "Whatever has passed between you two does not warrant violence." Alexandra pointedly said this in Ivan's direction. Ivan slightly inclined his head in acknowledgement and stole a glance at Alexei's unconscious form. Alexandra walked over to her sleeping child and looked at Ivan with a cool gaze.

"If you cannot control your unexplainable hatred for Rasputin in front of Alexei, then leave."

Ivan resisted the urge to laugh and sharply turned and left. "We are opposites." Rasputin said rather sympathetically as he took a seat next to Alexei. Aleexandra pulled up a chair next to her son's bed and gave a troubled sigh. "I apologize Rasputin, I don't know why Ivan hasn't warmed up to you yet." Alexandra said.

Rasputin shook his head and placed a hand over Alexei's forehead. "We have had a few arguments over Alexei. He disagrees with my methods. However, I believe that they are effective." Rasputin said the last part with certainty.

Alexandra raised an eyebrow, "Ivan doesn't wish for you to use God's power?" She asked incredulously.

Rasputin said nothing, but his silence spoke volumes.

The halls were busy with maids rushing to finish the final tasks concerning their Tsar's departure. Ivan strolled down the hall with a dangerous smile on his face. His purple aura leaked out and surrounded him, forming a barrier between him and the other servants. They all avoided his gaze and were careful to keep out of his way. They all knew that he must've had a run in with Rasputin.

Ever since Rasputin had become a constant presence in the castle, Ivan's mood had become more irritable. "He's jealous that the starlet is spending so much time with Alexei." The maids had joked. While it was a joke, that didn't stop rumors from circulating the castle. Ivan had caught Rasputin molesting Alexei, Alexei had chosen Rasputin over Ivan, Ivan was jealous of his presence, or even that Ivan's very nature compelled him to hate Rasputin's holy affinity with God.

These rumors didn't sit well with Ivan, but there was little he could do. Just thinking about them made his mood worse. Damn that Rasputin. He had learned some more strange magic. Rasputin's magic had little to no affect on Alexei now since he was bound by a much stronger magic to Ivan, but that didn't mean that there wasn't some sort of affect. While air naturally held some magic, since Rasputin's spells were so unstable- it oversaturated the air with it.

Oversaturation could cause a slew of medical problems, but would Rasputin ever understand this? No. Ivan quickly walked outside and brought out his pipe. He absently hit random things with his pipe. The rocks, trees, not even the ground was safe from his anger. He had explained to Rasputin the harmful affects of his magic. He had even used the word 'magic' with him, but the starlet continued to foolishly believe that his power was divine.

As he continued to vent his anger, Alexandra watched him out of the window with a concerned expression. After a few hours of preparation, Nikolai was ready to leave for the front.

Ivan watched as everyone bid farewell to the Tsar. The tearful farewells and the promises of a safe return. It was the same with every war, Ivan thought.

At the very end, Nikolai waved him over. They gave each other a hug and Nikolai gave Ivan a firm handshake. His blue eyes met Ivan's purple ones, and he smiled. "I don't know why you so detest Rasputin," he began in a low voice, "But if you ever tell me why, I will be happy to listen." Nikolai looked at Ivan up and down before he got into his carriage.

"I want Alexei to get better, Ivan. What can you do to save him? You have been a man of science, but Rasputin has God's will on his side." Nikolai said.

Ivan nodded and closed the door for him. A man of science? Ivan inwardly laughed, if only Nikolai knew. "Then you should bring him with you." Ivan said half-jokingly. Nikolai rolled his eyes and motioned for the carriage driver to move.

Ivan watched the Tsar and his convoy until they disappeared. Not knowing that this would be the last time he would see him off like this.


It's been a while since I've last wrote a chapter, and I'm sorry if it's not up to par. But I'll get back into the swing of things and hopefully end this story strong. Again, thank you for reading this story ^^

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 updates :) Hope you guys liked the chapter!

~Preuss