Italicized text represents flashbacks [There will be minimal and subtle references to past historical events]
Ivan entered his home and felt the chill of the wind cease as he closed the door. He lifted his head, his violet eyes darkening as he halfheartedly greeted his servants.
"Ss-sir...would you like your supper?" A young man with blue eyes and light brown hair asked nervously.
"It's almost done, sir." A young boy with lavender eyes and blonde hair stated.
"No. Now let me be." He began to climb the staircase.
"You may eat your dinner and...and I hope you have a goodnight." He said quickly, walking up the stairs.
His servants looked at each other. For their first time their boss was acknowledging them and being nice!
"Toris? Where is she?" The young boy asked the blue-eyed man.
"Hmm...oh I don't know, come let us go eat." Toris directed the young boy back to the kitchen.
"Eduard! Guess what! Mr. Braginsky is not coming down for dinner!" The little boy yelled as he entered the kitchen.
Eduard, a young man with blue eyes hidden behind glasses and sandy blonde hair, turned his head.
"Eh? No dinner? I guess the meeting was very tiring." He shrugged his shoulders and turned off the stove.
"Ravis! What have I told you about yelling inside the house?" Toris scolded the small boy as he came into the kitchen.
"That we mustn't. Especially when the Mr. Braginsky is going to bed." Ravis stated looking down to the floor.
"Exactly."
"Toris, can you get the plates? The meal is done." Eduard said as he gave the pot one last stir.
"Of course." Toris set the table and Ravis poured the drinks.
The three young men ate their meal in silence. Ravis looked at them and bit his lip, Eduard needed to know.
"She didn't come back." Ravis blurted out, breaking the silence.
"What?" Eduard's eyes darted back and forth from Toris to Ravis. "Miss Adriana-are you sure?"
"Are you sure?" He asked again pushing his glasses up.
"I'm afraid it is true. She wasn't with him when he came in, so..." Toris explained and took a sip from his cup.
"But where-what?" Eduard shook his head. "Did he say anything?"
"Only to leave him alone and to have a goodnight's rest."
"But Eduard, didn't you say they had a meeting today?" Ravis asked.
"Yes. But those things last a whole week, and she would have at least said something!"
"Look, whatever was the reason, let's not talk about in front of Mr. Braginsky. Okay? Ravis?" Toris glanced at him.
The young boy nodded. "I hope she comes back soon, she is so pretty and kind." A light blush dusted his cheeks.
"I'm sure she will, after all matters looked pretty serious between her and Mr. Braginsky." Eduard remarked.
Toris agreed with him, but couldn't help but think that maybe this time his friend was wrong. After all his boss seemed very different, almost sad and heartbroken. Had she broken things off? Or...
"Toris...Toris!" Eduard snapped his fingers in front of him.
"Ooh...sorry." He rubbed the back of his neck sheepishly.
"Did you say something?"
"I said if you wanted some more tea."
"Oh, hehe, sure."
Ivan took a long bath and changed into his pajamas. He sat on the edge of his bed, today's events running through his head.
How her eyes seemed lost and her soul broken. And he was all to blame.
"I am so sorry. But is for the best." He said to no one in particular.
He eyed the bottle of vodka on his desk, his fingers itched to wrap themselves around the cool cup, he felt an immense thirst, one that could never be satisfied. He stood up and walked over the desk. He reached the bottle and began to pour himself a glass. He was bringing it to his lips, when his mind decided to play with him.
"Ivan..." She said ever so softly, "remember your promise." She smiled encouragingly. She took the glass from his hand and let it pour into the drain.
He lowered the glass.
"I thought you'd understand!"
"I do! Why do you think I'm still here?!"
"So what you are just waiting till I get better and then you'll leave?!"
"Do not put words in my mouth! I never said that!" Adriana snapped.
"But it's true! They all leave! My own father abandoned me! What makes you say you won't leave me too?!"
"Because I love you! If I didn't love you, then I wouldn't be here now would I?"
"My father said the same thing!"
"All you want is to be with that damn American!" Ivan shot back, anger coursing through his veins.
"That is not true Ivan, and you know it!"
"Then why is it I've been seeing you less and less! You spend all your time with him!"
"For starters, he's my neighbor so of course I see him more. You live on the other side of the world! But that doesn't change the fact that I love you! Why on earth would I want someone different than you?!"
"Because they would be normal! They wouldn't be some cracked country like me! They wouldn't have to hide or live with the eternal guilt! You could be happy!" Ivan cried out, running his hands through his hair.
Her eyes softened. She smiled at him. "Ivan...," she began and placed a hand on his cheek, "you and I are alike. No one out there knows what is to feel your people suffering and dying, while you just sit there because you don't know what to do anymore."
She looked into his eyes, "I am happy. I've never been happier than by your side, and I don't care if you're different, because tell me who hasn't ever cracked? We all have." She placed a soft kiss on his forehead. "I promise you, I will never leave you as long as you promise me you'll never hurt yourself again."
His hand began shaking, in a fit of anger he threw the glass down. It shattered into pieces, the liquid ran, forming a puddle. He grabbed the bottle and threw it against the floor.
Downstairs the three young men looked at each other in surprise. They had been startled by the loud crash.
"Toris, is he..." Ravis asked worriedly.
"Yes. I am afraid he is drunk." Toris said.
"But wasn't he going to stop?"
"Well apparently this has something to do with her, meaning that she has indeed left him. Leaving him to console himself with alcohol." Eduard chimed, placing the last plate away.
Toris shook his head. "I just pray that tomorrow won't be a living hell."
Ravis' eyes widened. "What-what do you mean?"
"He means that whenever Mr. Braginsky gets drunk, his anger flares, usually taking it out on us."
Ravis began to shake, "But-but-that's not right! Oh I don't want to work here anymore!"
"Ravis, calm down. As long as we leave him alone and do our work, he usually calms down. Although he likes to brood in his anger." Toris said comforting the young boy.
"Well it's getting late, I'd say we better go to sleep." Eduard said.
The young men left the kitchen and went to their rooms. They went to sleep praying that by morning Mr. Braginskywould be sober.