A/T: Hey y'all! I figured that I'll try to upload this every Sunday, for as long as I can. I've got quite a few chapters lined up, so here goes!
Disclaimer: Do not own Hetalia. This story and all its OCs are mine, though.
Chapter 27
Elizabeta followed the lilting sound of music, and found herself in front of a closed door made of heavy wood, unlike most others in the monastery. The sound was pleasant, but muffled, and if it hadn't been so late in the night, it would have been swallowed by the noises of daily work.
Elizabeta couldn't sleep, in all honesty. She had trained with Ludwig and Shree for hours after their light dinner, after which Shree openly declared that she was tired. Ludwig, due to his politeness, didn't excuse himself, but Eliza did it for him - she decided to call it a night, as well, and was glad she did so, on seeing the relief that washed onto Ludwig's face.
She had walked out of the dojo, and instead of taking the turn towards the dormitories, she went in the opposite direction, into the grounds. It was late at night, and very few priests-in-training were out, studying seriously. And then she heard the music.
It was very soft, and had it been day time, she would have confused it with birds singing. But the birds were fast asleep at that hour of night, and, with nothing else to do, she decided to investigate.
She got lost, a couple of times - a few wrong turns led her away from the music, and she had to retrace her steps. But the music got louder and louder, and finally, she ended up behind this door.
She realised the sound had been more audible from one of the stops she had made while hunting for the door, but then, she was here, and she wanted to hear it better now that she was…well…there.
Eliza moved her hand along the door, until it rested on the handle. Slowly, very slowly, so as to make no noise, she turned the handle. Ah, it was open. The lock mechanism gave way, and she began to push the door slowly.
The heavy wood refused to respond to the gentle, steady pressure she was applying, but she didn't want to disturb whoever was playing, so she gradually increased the pressure, until just a tiny amount of space was created.
Enough for the music to pour out.
She didn't know how long she stood there, listening to the lilting tunes flow out to her ears, giving her a warm buzzing sensation in her heart. It wasn't cheerful or sad…it was just perfect, in tune with the mood of the calm, warm night, the restful monastery, and Eliza's own thoughts.
It was beautiful, the sound…Wait, where's the sound?
Eliza's eyes opened slowly, as if getting up from a dream. The music had ended - she hadn't even noticed, so lost was she. The music…
Eliza's attention jerked back into the present, and all at once she heard the sound of footsteps approaching the door. Oh crap, oh crap, oh -
She straightened just as the door eased open, and her panic gave way to astonishment when she saw the person at the door. The astonishment changed to amazement when he smiled at her. "Elizabeta, ja?"
Eliza nodded, suddenly aware that her jaw was open. "Ah, yes," she stammered, trying to pull herself together.
"It's quite late, isn't it?" he asked her.
"I-I…wasn't sleepy…" she stuttered. "You play wonderfully," she finally managed.
"You looked surprised to…well, realise I was playing," he said, his eyes crinkling with amusement.
Surprised doesn't cut it, Eliza thought as she looked at Roderich standing before her. The man, as far as she'd seen, had always been so stern and disciplined. Suddenly, to have him smiling at her, his eyes twinkling, she realised how handsome he was. Yes, there were lines on his forehead, and he didn't look quite young, either, but there was a certain calm to his demeanour that just…endeared to her.
"It sounded like a piano," she said.
He nodded. "Yes, it is. Would you like to see it?" Before she could answer, he had opened the door wide enough for her to enter.
She looked around the room - it was styled very differently from the rest of the monastery. There were floor to ceiling windows on one side, which faced the cattlesheds and opened into the countryside. There were rich carpets with beautiful designs on the floor, which wasn't stone like the rest of the monastery - it was wood, or at least wood inlaid. The room was two storied - the steps had an intricate banister, the wall beside the steps held large portraits, and the upper floor opened into what seemed to be a library. In the rich moonlight that streamed into the room through the windows, she could make out that the walls were lined with wallpaper. The room had a table and chairs to one side, closer to the windows, and there were smaller tables, some of which held books.
And right in the middle of the room, shining in the moonlight, was the most beautiful grand piano Eliza had ever laid her eyes on.
"Do you stay here?" Eliza asked as she looked up, and took in the high ceilings, and what appeared to be a chandelier.
"Oh, no," Roderich laughed. "I sleep in a room meant for a Priest like me. No, this room…This is a room that my Master, the Head Priest before me, had made." Eliza looked at him, the tone of his voice inciting her curiosity, which was plain on her face to read. "I was…born into aristocracy, before I came here. My home was attacked, and burned down…the articles that are in this room are from the remains the Head Priest salvaged. He took me in, took care of me, taught me. And when I came of age, he showed me this room, which he had made, so that I could resume my music, so that I could remember my roots."
Eliza didn't know what to say. All of it was so personal, so heartfelt, that anything she said, apart from the right words, would sound shallow. "Did you choose this life?" she asked.
He smiled at her. "Only as much as we all choose ours," he said. "My teacher wanted me to stay away from all of the studies and administration, from a life of attention, especially from this life, where everything is so cut-throat, and you constantly need to keep proving yourself. He wanted a quiet life for me, surrounded by books and music. And I would have been happy in that, but never…challenged.
I needed the challenge."
"And has it been…satisfying?" she asked.
"Oh, it's been hard. Some days, it doesn't seem worth it. I understand it may be hard for you to see, since you are travelling with the highest ranks in our world. But there is a tremendous effort that goes into becoming who each of them are today. Some of them have struggled longer than others, and at different times. And a lot of them have had to sacrifice their personal happiness, to ensure that this world works smoothly. A lot of those under us do not see it, and honestly, it is not their business to see, either, nor ours to make them understand."
Eliza sensed his mood move slowly downhill, but she didn't want him to be upset. So she walked towards the grand piano, and lightly ran her fingers over the keys, without pressing them.
"Do you know how to play?" he asked.
"Very little. My parents made me learn as a child…it's been so long, now. I've forgotten quite a bit of it," she said with a sheepish laugh.
"Would you like me to play something?" he asked, and laughed at the utter delight that lit up Eliza's face. "Of course you would," he said, chuckling, and took his seat before the piano.
Heaven. It was heaven. It was a short piece, and the mood was similar to what he had been playing before. But listening to him play, up close, was heavenly.
Eliza opened her eyes as the piece ended, to find a beautific smile on her lips. The last notes played in the silence, the music still floating in her ears.
And then he asked her something she never could have guessed she would hear from him.
"How…do you know Gilbert?"
She wasn't too surprised though, as she thought about his connection to Ludwig. Given what he had told her about his relationship with the previous Head Priest, he probably felt the same way about Ludwig the way his teacher had felt about him - orphans saved from terrible circumstances, given stability and a respectable way of life.
"Through Alfred Jones…Johnny Doe," Eliza said. "He had rescued Gilbert from a city which had been in the line of fire during the Wars. It was winter, and the city was almost abandoned, except for the camps the soldiers had set up, and the children and old people who hadn't been able to get out with the rest of the civilians. Some of the soldiers took it on themselves to evacuate as many people as they could. The others just waited for the next round of battle.
"I had gone to the city along with Johnny Doe. It was before he had proposed the Treaty - he wanted to see the state of the cities hit by the Wars. That's when we found Gilbert, unconscious, lying in the snow. His fingers were frostbitten, and he would have died if we hadn't taken him away from the cold. We took him to one of the medical camps. Thankfully, he didn't have to get his fingers amputated, but some of his fingers don't have any sensation. He was there for almost a week before he woke up, and he woke up screaming. He kept saying 'Ludwig' over and over… Later we realised Ludwig was his brother, whom Gilbert had left behind, in search of soldiers who would take them to the camps. We searched the entire city for Ludwig…but by then, he was long gone."
Roderich nodded thoughtfully. "We found Ludwig in the snow, too. He was burning with fever, and kept mumbling…he was delirious. We took him with us, and nursed him back to health. It took him a few weeks to be able to speak, but in his sleep, he kept crying out for his brother. We sent some more priests a second time to search for Gilbert, but no one ever found him."
"For the same reason we never found Ludwig," Eliza said softly.
"After we told Ludwig, he just…shut himself in. Never spoke to anyone, never left the shadows. He had nowhere to go, so I took him in, and the monastery raised him. He was a brilliant student, a hard working child. He mastered everything taught to him. But no matter how well he did, he had lost his will to live a long time back.
"And then one day, my Master called him. He was the Head Priest then, and I was still in training. And he spoke to Ludwig for a few hours at least, and at the end of it, he told me that Ludwig would train to be my Deputy, when I would be ready to become Head Priest. For almost ten years, that became Ludwig's purpose. And after that talk with my Master, he began to live. Until that point, he had just survived from one day to the next. After talking to my Master, he thrived. He made friends, set new goals in his life. He was happy."
Eliza smiled. "Johnny Doe gave Gilbert's life a sense of purpose. He told Gilbert that he had the makings of a physician, and that he wanted Gilbert to be his personal physician. And if he had to be Johnny Doe's physician, he would have to be the best in this world. So Gilbert took it on himself to be the best. Johnny Doe put him in school, and Gilbert went through school, then college, then medical school. The entire time, he worked hard, harder than anyone I've ever seen. He became the youngest student to graduate with Honours from medical school. The world was at his feet, and he could have become anyone he wanted. But he chose to come back, and to fulfil what he felt was his duty to Johnny Doe."
"Johnny Doe was like a father to you, too, wasn't he?"
Eliza looked up, startled. The surprise on her face slowly subsided. "He was more than that. He gave us a sense of purpose, a reason to go on. I lost my parents one after the other. Johnny Doe answered my father's prayers, and took me in. Me, Gilbert, Antonio…he took all of us in. Us, so many others like us. He gave us something to work for. Something to call our own, something to be proud of. For a lot of us, he was hope."
Eliza opened her mouth to say more, but no other words felt right to her. Somehow, to her, those feeble words could never express the truth of how grateful they were to Johnny Doe - but at the same time, in the light of every new incident, how betrayed they felt. To feel such terrible sorrow yet such a strong belongingness towards the same person was more painful than she could express. But, looking into Roderich's eyes, she didn't feel the need to say anything more - somehow, he already knew what she felt, and more over, he understood.
Neither of them knew how long they stood like that, looking at the understanding in the other's eyes. Finally, Roderich smiled, and got up. Absently, she noted how tall he was, and grew aware of close he was. He leaned forward, and she closed her eyes.
Her eyes opened in surprise at the feel of his lips on her forehead. He straightened, and stepped back. "Gilbert is really lucky to have you," he said. "After you find the solution to your…problems, feel free to come back. This is Ludwig's home, and any friend, any brother of Ludwig's can freely claim this place to be his home as well."
Eliza nodded mutely, still processing the kiss he had planted on her forehead.
He started walking towards the door, and turned around half way. "Do you know your way back, my dear?"
Eliza blushed sheepishly, and shook her head. Roderich chuckled at the expression on her face, and held out a hand. "Come. Let us see you back to your room."
As Eliza took his hand and they left the room, Eliza had a thought.
Ludwig's really lucky to have you, too.
"When will we see you next?"
Natalya shrugged. "I do not know, Roderich," she said. "For everyone's sake, I hope it is soon."
Roderich nodded, and the two of them looked around. Last minute packing was in full swing, and the remaining supplies were being loaded into the car.
"Got the last of the food?" Alfred called out loudly as they watched a small carton being loaded.
"Here it is!" Shree chirped out as she hefted another carton towards the back of the car. This one was heavy, and Shree moved slowly under the weight of the box, her eyes and concentration on the path in front of her. Suddenly, the weight was literally taken out of her hands, and she squeaked in surprise. The squeak died midway as she saw who had taken the carton from her, and she just stood there, watching Matt walk away with the heavy load.
Alfred watched the entire exchange, and his eyes narrowed as his brother approached him. "You did it."
Matt didn't even grace his statement with the raise of an eyebrow as he put the carton down into the back of the car. "And what is it that I did?"
"I don't know, but you look like the cat who swallowed a canary," Alfred said. "And the look you're getting from her isn't helping your case, either."
Matt smirked. "Who said I needed help?" he asked lightly, and stifled a chuckle at the shocked expression on his brother's face as he walked away.
"How will Ivan take it?" Roderich asked Natalya.
"By being the last one to enter the car, and the last one to leave," Shree said as she joined them. "He's still in his room."
"He'd better not make us late," Nat said matter-of-factly, with no threat or worry in her voice.
"I don't think that will be a problem," Shree said. "Where's Gilbert? And Eliza?"
"They're with Ludwig," Roderich said. Shree looked at Nat questioningly, and Nat nodded. "Go get them," Nat said. Shree nodded in affirmation, and walked away.
Roderich looked back at Nat, and Nat sighed, knowing that he required a better answer to his question that what had been given. "I don't know. He blames himself, and he's never forgiven himself for it. But that is his problem to find a solution for. No one else can do anything for him."
"Would he allow someone to, though?" Roderich asked, a smile on his lips.
Nat responded with her own wry smile. "Probably not."
"Ivan, we need to go."
Shree stood at the door, watching Ivan packing his meagre belongings into his cloth sack. He slung it onto his back, and picked up the books stacked on the bedside table. "I need to return these," he said.
Shree nodded, and stepped away from the door. "We have some more time."
He exited the room, and she gave the room a final cursory glance before closing the door and locking it. They walked through the corridors and made their way to the library, not speaking a word on the way.
Ivan handed the books to the librarian, and thanked her sweetly. As they left the library, Ivan looked at Shree.
"I know why I'm silent, moy dorogoy. But why are you so quiet? It isn't like you."
Shree started visibly, and turned to Ivan. "Nothing like that. I didn't think you wanted me to talk."
Ivan shrugged. "Not so. I have to see her again, and it will be uncomfortable, to put it lightly," he chuckled. Shree just smiled, shaking her head. "But if nothing else, I hope we get her assistance in this."
"What about closure, Ivan?" Shree asked softly.
"I haven't heard a word from her over three years now, Shree. That is a very long time."
"But neither of you have gotten your answers, Ivan," Shree said.
"She's a strong girl. She would have gotten over me a long time back," he said lightly.
"Either you are stupid, or you are choosing to forget how deeply she loved you," Shree said. "Either way, that's insulting to her." Shree shrugged, and continue. "It doesn't matter who spoke to whom and who didn't. You aren't children. I know you wouldn't have tried because of your stupid pride" -
"How well you know me," Ivan said sardonically.
"Yeah, yeah," Shree brushed it aside. "Maybe a few messages, but I won't give you much more than that. Nothing serious or concrete. But that doesn't matter any more. You guys are going to meet now, and maybe even have to work with each other. And she is the only person who you respected enough to work with."
"I respect you and Natalya, too" -
"Yeah, like little sisters," Shree said. "Chun Yan was always your equal."
She saw the flash of pain, and something akin to love in his eyes, at the sound of her name.
"And you have to apologise to Wang Yu Min, too. Much more than you have to Chun Yan."
Ivan nodded. "This is going to be fun."
Shree rolled her eyes. "Look, you're grown up now. You're both older and. I hope, wiser. But I've come to realise something. When someone loves you as much as Chun Yan loved you, you ought to really hope that she hasn't gotten over you after all these years. Because there are very few people who could love you - all of your good and terrible parts at the same time."
Ivan's eyes went cold, and his smile was chilling. "Who taught you this? Matthew?"
Shree gave him a small smile. "Be a bastard, Ivan. I'm not the one who has to face my demons in a few days."
Ivan watched her turn around and walk away. He knew he was a bastard to say that, and she was right. But the fear that was rising at the back of his throat was real, and it was paralysing.
He watched her reach the rest of them, and talk to Nat and Rod. Rod was as ass - Ivan didn't even bother to assume he knew what the man had been through. Ivan also knew he would always be a bigger ass than Roderich. Still. Rod was an ass.
Nat. Ah, Nat. She was a beautiful girl, simply because she could be the biggest ass there was around, but she wasn't. She could shut out the cries of children at night. But she didn't. She could be more heartless than he was himself, but she wasn't. She chose to embrace the part of her which he didn't have the courage to in himself.
He saw Matt's eyes find Shree, and the depth of emotion that filled his eyes and face was enough to make Ivan blush. The boy didn't just fancy Shree - he was crazy about her.
Alfred went and elbowed Matt in the side. Ah, his brother knew. That boy was shrewd, that Alfred. He was slow in picking up something, and he wouldn't leave it until he mastered it. And his eyes missed nothing.
It occurred to him then. He had changed. He was surrounded by all these people, whom he would have never associated himself with, at one point of time in his life. These people could change him. These people probably could make him a better person, a nicer person.
Maybe, just maybe, if he allowed himself to dream…
Maybe, one day, he would be worthy enough to ask for Chun Yan's forgiveness.
"We're here."
The atmosphere in the car was mixed - everyone was tired after all the days of continuous travel, and they just wanted a place to rest awhile. But, at the same time, there was an unbearable tension that filled the car. At this point, everyone knew Nat and Shree's version of what had happened between Ivan and Chun Yan, which wasn't much to go by, by their own confessions. But the gravity of the situation was made clear by the slow change in Ivan's behaviour every single day. Even Gilbert could notice that the man wasn't the same as before. They weren't close, but his aloof, cold behaviour to everyone including Natalya reminded him of the man who Ivan had been when he had initially joined them in their travels. That man, of course, had given way to an amicable, dark humoured man who could hold an intelligent, informed discussion on anything and everything. Shree and Nat were the first to stop initiating conversation, and Eliza, who couldn't bear any ill-will or negativity of any kind and took it on herself to hold the group together tightly, was the last.
And there was a bit of excitement from Alfred's side, mixed with his own version of dread. The self-inking tattoo on his back was coming together slowly, and he could feel Tony getting more and more powerful in his head. It was no longer two halves of a pond - Tony was very much capable of taking over Alfred's consciousness, even if it was for a few minutes at a time. It hadn't happened, but the way Alfred figured it, it wouldn't be too long.
He really needed this woman's help. And if it made Ivan uncomfortable…If Alfred was absolutely honest with himself, he didn't care. He wish he could, sometimes, especially when he had seen tears rolling down Ivan's cheeks in his sleep, once when had woken up in the middle of the night, on their way here. And Ivan was his comrade and his teacher. But Alfred couldn't come to care for him - hell, he fought more with Gilbert, but he felt more of a kinship with Gilbert than he did with Ivan.
And beyond everything else, this was about his life, and Tony's. Both their lives depended on this. And he cared a hell lot more for Tony than he ever would for Ivan.
Nat could see Ivan in the rear view mirror. His eyes were closed, head lolled to one side, mouth open. He looked like even an apocalypse couldn't wake him up. But Nat knew him better than that - the twitch on the side of his mouth at the sound of her words was enough for her to know he had heard her.
Nat drove to the gate, and as she was opening the door, Shree called out, "It's okay, you stay here, I'll go." Nat shrugged, and settled back into her seat as Shree got out and closed the door behind her.
As soon as she had crossed to the front of the car, Alfred jumped around in his seat. "What did you do?" he growled at Matt, urgency rumbling in his voice. "You did something - I know it."
Nat frowned. "What are you talking about?" she muttered, wondering what lunacy Alfred was up to. But Matt's reply got her turning around as well.
"Well, I would tell you, but…it's not your business."
Nat turned around to see a smug smirk on Matt's face, which she had never seen before, given how polite and well-mannered he was.
"I'm your brother! It is my business," Alfred insisted. "Come on! Tell me what's going on."
Matt's smirk deepened, and he opened his mouth to say something, but was interrupted by Ivan.
"Your brother fancies Shree, comrade," Ivan said, still not opening his eyes.
A flash of irritation crossed Matt's face, and he opened his mouth to reply, but Alfred beat it to him. "That even I know, genius. I want to know what happened now."
Matt opened his mouth, but was cut off by Ivan again. "What could have possibly happened? They've shared a car, food, a bed - not like that, comrade - this entire time. If something had to happen, it should have happened long before."
Alfred opened his mouth to argue, but Matt put his hand squarely on his brother's mouth. "Enough," he said quietly, but firmly enough to ease Ivan's eyes open. "I do not fancy her. I really care about her. She's someone very special to me. And yes, something has happened - a lot, in fact - but for the sake of our privacy, I don't see any need to share it to anyone."
Alfred was visibly satisfied and very disappointed with the answer - he couldn't tease his brother anymore if he was being so…honest about everything. Spoilsport.
"Would you say you love her, then?" Ivan asked, in a tone that raised Matt's hackles.
Matt didn't bother turning around. "It's something I want her to hear from me. It's something I want to tell only her."
Nat couldn't say how, but Matt had exposed a raw, throbbing nerve that Ivan didn't want anyone seeing. And she knew Matt knew it, too.
From Matt, her eyes went to Ivan. His eyes were cold, so cold. Completely distant and emotionally void. Words rose to the tip of her tongue, emotions rose to her eyes, but before he could see her, she turned around and sat down in her seat. She didn't want to comfort him, help him hide that nerve.
He had hidden his mistakes for too long. If he was going to plunge into his past, he might as well do it with his vulnerability fully exposed.
Because there was no other way Wang Yu Min or Wang Chun Yan would accept him.
The monastery was beautiful. There was no other way to put it.
They were at the Headquarters of The House of Grass, and of all the monasteries Alfred had seen, only the House of Bell could come close to matching the sheer beauty of this monastery. All the shades of green possible in every direction, in the form of grass, trees, creepers decorating pillars and running on walls. Delicate flowers in pastel colours brought their muted beauty to the landscape. And Aflred had never seen so much space before. It was yards and yards of rolling greenery, and it calmed him down like nothing else had.
The insides were even more beautiful. The Central Prayer corridor huge, constructed in a similar manner to the Om's residence, with full length wall paintings and murals on the ceiling. The inner corridors and attaching rooms were all in jade, sapphire, topaz - sparkling, bright stone colours which could catch the light and gleam, or shimmer in dull light.
Matt looked around - many of them seemed to recognise Nat and Shree, but the respect on their faces took an about-turn the minute their eyes fell on Ivan. It ranged from shock to fear to disgust, and somehow, Matt didn't feel like the ill will between Ivan and Wang Chun Yan was only personal - undoubtedly, it had spilled over to their duties to the Houses, and to each other's Houses.
Matt personally felt that personal and professional lives were meant to be kept separate, but he had always felt Ivan was the type of person who would feel that much more strongly than anyone else. Somehow, the faces of the priests and priestesses said otherwise.
They walked through the Central Prayer corridor, into a small side corridor towards the end behind the large twenty feet tall idol, which opened into a larger complex. This complex seemed to be exclusively for the priests and priestesses, for no outsiders were present here, unlike in the Central Prayer corridor.
More faces, more recognition, more looks. Even Eliza and Gilbert began to notice it, and the two of them exchanged looks with each other and Matt. What was going on here?
Nat and Shree walked in the front, following one of the higher ranked Priests. Behind them walked Alfred and Ivan, side by side, but they neither acknowledged each others' presence nor were they aware of it - Alfred was too busy observing his surroundings, while Ivan was too busy trying to stop himself from choking on his fear, which had its fingers around his throat.
Behind them were Matt, Eliza and Gilbert, probably the most observant, and Matt gave the two of them a look which they fully empathised with at that point - at this place, being associated with Ivan wasn't going to be of any help to them.
It suddenly dawned on Matt - if the regular priests and priestesses, who had no relation to any of them, were reacting like this, how would the Head and Deputy react to them, this Wang Yu Min and Wang Chun Yan, whom Ivan actually had personal relations with them?
With dread, Matt acknowledged, this was going to be much harder than any of them had anticipated.
Silently, they entered a large circular room which opened out in front of them. It was the size of a ballroom, with a huge dome ceiling held up by pillars at the far ends of the room. Multiple windows at equal distance all across the circumference of the room allowed light to flood in. But the air was hazy with the fumes of incense, and it was a smell like no other.
But the superior architecture, the intricate details and the vast expanse of the room didn't catch their attention. Their complete attention was drawn to the figure seated on a large diwan, the origin of the incense smoke, all the way across the huge room. Her back was towards them, and she faced the large window right before her. Her figure was lean, delicate even, but the vibration of energy that emanated from her was anything but delicate. She turned her head to the side, and her face was a silhouette, the angles of her face and nose clearly defined.
"If you're wondering what this place is, aru, it is a hall of learning," came her voice, filling the entire hall. "A very large classroom, if you will," she said, humour in her voice. "Ming, you may leave, aru."
The priest who had lead them till there bowed and exited the room from the corridor they had come from.
"I'm not going to hold a conversation all the way across, aru, so you may come closer," she said. As they approached her, she slowly turned around, and the woman before them was as beautiful and captivating as her surroundings. She rose, her graceful white robes swishing whenever she took a step. She was elegant, with so much power and grace she was almost ethereal.
She held her hand up to ask them to stop, and walked to them. She reached to where they were, and took a seat constructed into the pillar they were closest to.
"I know why you are all here, aru" Yu Min said crisply. "I spoke to Om not too long ago, aru, and he told me you would be coming here for help. The rest of you, too, I know - Alfred, Matthew, Gilbert, Elizabeta. Quite an impression you've made on Om, aru." The small smile on her lips vanished as her eyes landed on Ivan. "But why you are here I don't know."
Before Ivan could say anything, Nat said, "He's with us, ohanai. We need his help."
"Hasn't he tried killing all of you yet, aru?" she asked wryly, crossing her legs and placing her clasped hands on her knees.
"He tried killing me," Alfred said, and everyone looked at him. "But we still need his help. Just like we need yours."
Matt went, Way to go, brother, enthusiastically, but it was cut short at Yu Min's next words.
"No. We cannot help you."
"Are you going to deny an innocent boy his life just because of your grudge on me?" Ivan asked quietly.
"No," she said, turning her attention to him. "But helping him is not in my hands, aru. It is better for me to say no myself than for him to have any expectation of help."
"We came here with that expectation," Alfred said.
"While I appreciate your honesty and spirit, aru, I'm not sure whether you'll get any help from here."
"You could talk to her," Shree said quietly.
Matt noticed how her gaze was for Alfred, then for Ivan, and then for Shree and Nat collectively - her expression changed as soon as one of them had her attention. And she seemed to reserve the fondness she would have had for a daughter for the two of them. "I could. But I don't want to with him here, aru." She turned to Ivan. "In fact, I would rather her never have to see you again."
"Why, ohni? Scared that my terrible presence will dirty your precious daughter?" he asked, and everyone except Nat and Shree turned to him at the sound of his voice. Never had they heard such gleeful malice coming out of his mouth. He was cruel, he was terrible, but now there was miasma radiating from his being.
"You've done enough damage, Ivan. I don't need to you wreck your nonsense in my home" -
"What 'home', ohni? You and your 'daughter'?" Ivan laughed. "A 'daughter' isn't some girl you take pity on and pick up off the streets, just because you couldn't give birth to someone whom you could shower your pity on. I find it amusing, how all orphans suddenly become children to you priestesses just because you couldn't find someone - whatever it is, it isn't a family" -
"You would know about families, wouldn't you, aru? Considering how your own father tried to kill you."
All of them turned around except Ivan, to see a woman walk into the room, wearing the same flowing robes as Wang Yu Min, but in a shade of turquoise. And without a doubt, they all knew who it was.
"Your jealousy isn't strong enough to take decisions on what is a family and what isn't, aru," Wang Chun Yan said, walking around them to stand besides Yu Min.
"Wang," Ivan acknowledged with a nod.
"Pathetic," Chun Yan said. "Get out of here, aru."
"You sound so happy to see me," Ivan murmured.
"Whatever it is that you want, aru, we can't help you" -
"He isn't the one who needs help. I am."
Chun Yan turned to Alfred, and the residual irritation died out the minute she laid her eyes on him. In its place entered curious interest. "Are you with him, aru?"
Alfred shook his head.
Chun Yan smiled slightly. "Good, then. I" -
"He's with us," Alfred affirmed.
Chun Yan's smile died. "I do not wish to associate myself with him, aru."
"You will be associating yourself with me, not him."
"And if he's associated with you, aru, then it would mean I would associate myself with him."
"Do you really hate me that much, Wang?" Ivan asked, an audible pang in his voice.
Chun Yan's eyes were flat and cold. "Yes."
"Okay, then," Alfred said. "Let's go, then."
Everyone spun around to Alfred, with varied reactions ranging from surprised to shock on their faces. "Alfred" - Matt began.
"We really don't have time to waste," Alfred told him, and turned to Yu Min. "I'm really sorry if our presence here has hurt you. Ivan is a part of this team, and we need him. He's tried to kill me, he's sexually harassed me, and he's saved my life on countless occasions. I don't have much choice but to keep him." He looked at both Wangs. "We came here after a week full of non stop driving, thinking that you would be of some help. But all you seem to care about is past grudges" -
At that point, Nat knew she should have stopped him. But her voice had gone to sleep; besides, he was talking sense, and she wanted to hear what he had to say.
"You don't need the rest of us for that. So give us a place to stay for two days, enough time for us to refuel and restock, and we'll be out of your hair. Ivan can take the car and go sleep outside the monastery if he wants to, if you want him to. I don't care."
"Alfred…" Shree began. She honestly didn't know what to say.
"No, Shree. Let's leave. I have my life and Tony's life to worry about. If they're not concerned, even after what Om would have told them, then nothing I say is going to make a difference," Alfred said outright. "Besides, my life and Tony's life is more important to me than their problems with Ivan."
Chun Yan was stunned, but Yu Min had a smile on her lips. "But boy, you need our help," she said.
"Yes, I do, ma'am," he said, turning back to her. "But I don't have time for you to get your priorities straight."
"All right, then. Your life is our priority, aru. We will help you"-
"Aiyaa! No!" Chun Yan yelled.
- "provided that you can convince her," Yu Min finished cheerily.
Alfred turned from Yu Min to Chun Yan. Shock was written all over her face, and her eyes were huge with absolute horror. "Okay," he said. He thought for a while, frowning at the floor, his complete concentration on the pattern at his feet.
Suddenly, he looked him. "Ivan."
"Yes, comrade."
"How good a fighter is she?"
"The best," he said without any hesitation. Everyone looked at him, astonished. "But that was years ago," he finished quietly, with a hint of sadness in his voice.
"Good, then. So I'll assume she's gotten worse since you've last seen her."
Chun Yan turned her astonished gaze from Ivan to Alfred. "Excuse me?"
"Here's the deal. In two days, before we leave, you fight me. All cards on the table. If I win, you help us. If I lose, we leave immediately. Deal?"
All of them looked at Alfred, utterly flabbergasted. Even Yu Min's composure had been shattered, and she looked absolutely dumbstruck. They looked at each other, for once not arguing, and then turned back to look at Alfred.
"Are you insane, aru?" Chun Yan said dumbly.
"No. Just desperate," Alfred said simply.
That snapped all of them out of their shock.
Chun Yan composed herself, and walked to Alfred. "All right, aru. In two days, before you leave, we shall fight. Would you rather us fight indoors or outdoors, aru?"
"Outdoors. Preferably where no one can get hurt. Also, no enchanted or sharp weapons. I don't want to die before I figure this shit out."
"Will you be carrying weapons?" Chun Yan asked.
Nat answered for him. "A staff," she said.
"I was going to say nothing at all, but okay," he said, turning from Nat to Chun Yan. "What she said."
"Both of us will carry a staff, aru. Do you already have one?
"N" -
"Yes, he does," Shree answered this time. When Alfred turned to her, she said, "I'll make you one."
"In two days?" Chun Yan asked her.
"I've made more in less time," Shree countered easily. "Besides, your equipment isn't strong enough to withstand his power."
"Baby doll, you're amazing," Alfred said gratefully.
"Anything for you, my darling," Shree said, grinning.
"So, you are in support of this man," Yu Min observed. "This might turn out to be quite interesting."
"I think so, too," Chun Yan said, a small smile on her face.
"You bet your cute face it will," Alfred murmured, a smile on his face. "I'll see you in two days, then."
Chun-Yan nodded, her hate towards Ivan swallowed by her curiosity towards the man before her.
He turned to Yu Min. "We'd like to get some rest now."
"Chun Yan?" she asked, and Chun Yan nodded.
"I'll take you to your quarters, aru" she said.
"What do you think, Natalya? Can this man defeat Chun Yan?" Yu Min asked.
Nat thought for a while. "I know this much. He's always achieved whatever he sets out to do. This is nothing different for him."
Yu Min nodded. "Go ahead. Take rest; you all must be tired."
She watched them leave the hall. Except for Ivan and Nat, the rest of them had surrounded Chun Yan, and had accepted her so quickly. Nat hung back - she would probably talk to Chun Yan later. And Ivan…
She wasn't angry with the boy. She knew how he was, and how much he and her daughter had cared for each other at a point. But she didn't want her daughter to be hurt. She hadn't wanted it back then, and she didn't want it now.
But that boy, Alfred…something about him told her that things were different now, than what they had been years ago. And if he had both Natalya and Shree's support…
This was going to be interesting. This was going to be very, very interesting indeed.
A/T: Cue the House of Grass! Finally, Chun Yan makes her appearance! I thought it'd take forever to get her on board, but here she is, within thirty chapters!
Yeah. We're getting somewhere.
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Live-to-forgive: Thank you for sharing your thoughts on your religion. To each our own belief systems, and I'm glad I could try to understand yours.
PsychopathicAngel2: Hey darling! I'm so glad this story means so much to you - it means a lot more than I can express! I'll do my best to stay on schedule, and dole out chapters on the regular. Thank you for all your love and all your support! It means a lot to me.
Pinkdoughtnuts: It's nice to see you back! Hope you enjoyed that last chapter, and enjoyed this one as well.
Hope all of y'all enjoyed this chapter!
All my love,
R. K. Iris.