Chapter 5
It was a while til they climbed from the tub. Arthur was surprised when Sasha handed him an outfit. "Here, Mister Fairy. It's not quite as cute as the outfit from last night, but I figure you'll appreciate it more." Arthur looked at the bundle presented to him and looked up and bowed.
"Thank you." He turned to get himself dressed and Ivan stared with a frown before sighing.
"I prefer the outfit yesterday, but if he's not going to be by my side, it's probably for the best..." He sighed as he turned, sliding a robe over his shoulders. It only took Arthur a moment to get the outfit on, and he didn't have shoes, but it was a weird sensation. He wasn't used to pants, the kilts of the tartans always being open over his legs. He found the buttons of the shirt a tad tedious, but it worked out in the end and he affixed the straps around his waist and over his shoulder, as they were laid. He turned, hoping if he'd done anything wrong someone would point it out. "Oh, it works well with his eyes." Ivan smiled.
A green suit with a black button-up shirt. A brown leather strap over the left shoulder and around his waist to keep the jacket from shifting or growing uncomfortable. It was a standard military uniform for the country. "Is this done right?" Arthur asked softly and the men nodded.
"I'll take him to the barracks to get boots, but I think this will work well for him. He'll have to join anyway, right, Vanya?" Sasha asked and Nikolai looked at the boy, his eyebrow shifting up.
"No, only men can join the military. He's too small and weak. He wouldn't survive it." Nikolai spoke up and Arthur didn't respond, but Ivan noticed his head tilt down, disappointment and a hint of depression showing.
"Boys join the military to turn them into men. He wouldn't be a full blown soldier, but it's necessary for him to understand military function." Ivan spoke softly, walking around, looking over every inch. "He's going to be my slave. He'll have to understand everything I do. He'll have to know what I'm thinking without being told, or in case of emergency, he'll have to understand our codes and weapons, our tools and weaknesses." Ivan turned to Nikolai who frowned.
"Example?" Nikolai's eyebrow gave an elegant arch as he watched, curious what Ivan was thinking.
"If we get kidnapped and I can't reach anything, but Arthur, somehow still has his bag. We're being listened to, so I offer one word that won't get their attention." Ivan grinned, his hands out as if telling a story around the bonfire. "What do you hand me if I tell you I need... двадцать три?"
"That's... twenty three. Hold a tic..." Arthur started thinking, knowing he'd read this in one of the books from the cabin of Ivan's ship. A knife. He thought, realizing since the question was offered in Russian, he should respond that way as well. "Нож, isn't it, Master?" Arthur watched Ivan's face for approval or disapproval at his answer.
The three stared at him, eyes wide, surprised at the answer. "He's right." Sasha smiled at Ivan.
"This little shit knows Russian?" Nikolai asked as he stared over, surprised that this boy wasn't as useless as he'd thought.
"He's learning. He must have started practicing his language skills with one of the military books." Ivan smiled, watching with a darker look coming over his face. "When did I let you read that book, little Fairy?"
"I'm sorry, Master. You told me to let you know when the book was finished, and I told you when it was. You told me you were too busy to find the next book, so I just took one." Arthur clasped his hands over his lap, his eyes watching Ivan's, which was terrifying when he glared like that.
"He's learning Russian by reading our nonsensical military handbooks?" Sasha looked horribly amused. "How bored must he have been?" Wide blue eyes locked over his and Arthur stared, surprised.
"He's addicted to reading. He was a librarian in the Ire."
"Really?" Nikolai frowned, looking him over. "That explains his size. If he never lifted more than a few dictionaries, he won't gain that strength. I knew he was just a woman."
"Yes," Ivan's face broke out in a grin that sent chills down Arthur's spine. "But, he's MY woman. Boot camp, does it start up today?" Ivan asked, turning to Sasha, who normally ran the camps and training of the military.
"Da, it starts in two hours."
"Take him down. He'll spend the day doing the normal training, but in the evening he'll be given books to help boost what he's learning instead of the typical down time. He'll sleep in the barracks with the others, but in his own quarters. He must write me a letter every day saying how he's doing, what he's learning and his best and worst part of the day is." Ivan smiled softly, the creepy edge fading away as he looked at Arthur with an affectionate gaze which surprised Arthur quite terribly. "I'll miss you while you're gone, little fairy. I'll see you in six weeks. If you want to see me beforehand, just write it in your letter, Da?"
"Yes, Master." Arthur spoke softly, worried over the sudden changes.
"Come, Mister Fairy." Sasha spoke as they made their way through, leaving through a back door of the castle, coming out beside a large building. They slipped in and Sasha sat Arthur down on the counter, running through the gear behind him til he found boots he thought might work. He tossed him socks and the boots before grabbing him a gear pack. "I'm surprised my brother decided to change his mind and send you to the military like this." Sasha sighed and Arthur nodded.
"Me as well. Did I do something wrong?" Arthur asked, looking up and Sasha stared, surprised for a moment before smiling and reaching out, softly patting him on the head.
"No, Mister Fairy, Vanya is worried. If the City Council comes back, he has more of a claim to you if you're military, but if anything happens to him, he'll want you to be able to defend yourself. He's sending you here for your own good." Sasha watched as Arthur nodded.
"Can I ask a question?" Arthur asked softly and Sasha nodded. "If you don't answer it's fine, but why do you call him Vanya?"
"It's Ivan in Russian." Sasha smiled.
"I thought Ivan WAS Russian!" Arthur stared, surprised and Sasha shrugged.
"I think it's cute." Wide blue eyes watched with a pout and Arthur couldn't help but smile.
"I was just curious." Arthur chuckled, shaking his head as he stepped into the boots, making sure they fit right. "These are very comfortable." Arthur smiled up and Sasha nodded.
"If they grow less comfortable as you break them in, either tell me so I can try and fix them, or if you're able to use magic, try and stretch them yourself." He watched for understanding and found it almost too quickly. "Let's get you to the mess hall for breakfast, alright?" Sasha turned and was surprised to feel Arthur's hand clasp to his arm.
"Just... one last question. What do I call you? Sasha seems too... informal, but I doubt it would be alright for me to call you Master."
"Please, either Sasha or Brother. I'll let Vanya know I gave you those answers. You should call Nikolai Commander, though." He watched as Arthur nodded. "Come, Mister Fairy. Camp is going to be hell for you, so we best get the shock done with now, right?" He smiled as he walked into the next room, surprising the other to see such a dark look twist such an innocent face.
"So they really are related..."
Sasha and Arthur both took a tray and went down the line, taking food from the bar. "Come sit with me." Sasha took him to the head table and Nikolai rolled his eyes while another two men tried to still him.
"I told him to sit with me." Sasha smiled and the men nodded before sitting. One of them was on the City Council and recognized the boy as the same one from yesterday and just stared, red as could be while he tried to pretend he didn't see the man at all.
"Everyone, welcome to Boot camp. Over the next six weeks we will make you cry. We will break your spirit. When you have nothing left of yourself you will be forced to ask yourself if you'd rather die, to leave a world that would do such cruel things to you, or would you rather rise up? What will you each do when you have nothing left to lose?" Sasha looked over the tables, seeing many of the men shift nervously. "We have one more starting with us today. He will be aside from you on many things, but don't worry, he has it the worst out of all of you. Let me present Mister Fairy." Sasha held out his hand, presenting Arthur who stood and bowed politely, despite the explosive laughter that nearly shook the walls.
He felt eyes on him continuously through the meal, but paid it no attention. Sasha lined him into a group with three other men and they were sent through in groups to do testing to see where their abilities lay.
"Please tell me your name isn't really Mister Fairy." One of the men laughed, staring at Arthur with amusement and a horrible arrogance Arthur would have loved to destroy.
"Sasha!" He called and Sasha turned to him with a smile.
"Am I to remain Mister Fairy through boot camp?"
Sasha stared, surprised but with the smile refusing to break free of his face. "You've become a good little pet, haven't you?" He chuckled as Arthur's cheeks burned. "Your name is Mister Fairy."
"Yes, Sasha." Arthur bowed before turning to the three men who stared, surprised to see someone interact so freely with the royal family. "I am Mister Fairy." He spoke and the three stared surprised for a moment before realization hit one of them.
"You're a slave!" One laughed while the other two realized and turned to laughter. Arthur sighed, but didn't drop his determination as they headed to the first test.
Physical strength. The other three were forcing the tester back, throwing their shoulders into his hands and forcing him to slide back, displacing the gravel behind him. Arthur didn't even reach his hand. He fought and fought, trying to at least make the man notice he was there, when another one went right over his head. Arthur snuck to the back to lick his wounds in peace.
"So small he's practically invisible. No wonder they've named him Mister Fairy." One of the men grinned.
The next test was endurance. Sit ups and push ups til they dropped. The rest were surprised that Arthur could keep up with them. He hated that part of the reason was he did at least two hundred every day. It was his routine til Ivan had found him. It wasn't too hard because he was so small, he had less muscle to lift.
At the end of the ten minutes the others gave an approving sniff before the next test, strategy.
"Between the four of you, you have to have one through plan. We have these four scenarios. You each take a piece of paper." They did as they were told. "On the paper is your soldier count. You are allowed to show it to the rest. You have five minutes to decide who goes where. Start." Arthur nodded, honestly happy Nikolai was running this test. Strategy was a good thing for him. He looked over the papers everyone held out.
"With the least amount of soldiers, you should take this scenario." Arthur pointed. "It's from a high vantage point, so you should get the bows." Arthur pointed out and looked over the scenarios before finding the next one. He had all four planned out within a minute, and Nikolai stared, a brow lifted in surprise over the realization that he had been completely right. Arthur was a decent strategist.
In the last thirty seconds the other three changed what they were doing and changed their own battles around, changing the weapons and Arthur clasped to his with disdain. "You all welcome your death, I'll take my chances with survival, thank you very much." He sniffed and Nikolai stared.
"Manners, little Kitty." Arthur felt his cheeks burn at the name. "You're the smallest and weakest from the group. Why did you imagine they would listen to you?"
"I tried to explain the strategy, Commander. If that wasn't right, I'm sorry." He bowed low and Nikolai frowned.
"It's Nikolai. I don't want to have to be the god damned commander all the time." he sighed and Arthur nodded. "Kitty, I'd like to remind you with your size and position, no one else will take you seriously." He stared. "Well, maybe these guys will now, as they just died because they didn't listen to you. You found the correct strategies within a minute. You have a good eye for detail and a mind for strategy." Nikolai nodded. "You three are now dead because you didn't listen to reason. Congratulations. Only one of you lived. Only one passed this test." Nikolai frowned and pointed them to the next booth. Arthur noticed an elbow in his side, but blew it off.
They were bigger than him, they were meaner than him and he wasn't even sure if he was allowed to fight back if they did anything. Best just to keep his mouth closed, he realized with a sigh.
"Magic testing!" Sasha grinned and handed them each a stone. "Rub this stone and try and concentrate on it! Feel what it does to you, alright?" He grinned.
Arthur rubbed the stone, closing his eyes and took a deep breath in and out before opening his eyes to ask what to look for, when he realized pretty quickly.
He was able to grab a proof of where he was. He ran into the water and searched, figuring to find a fish when he turned and found something impossibly large staring at him. Arthur grinned as the beast rushed at him. He jumped on it's back, riding it like a giant, leathery, green horse with tiny legs. He hugged it as he held the stone and again tried to think of the barracks.
Sasha screamed like a little girl when Arthur reappeared riding a crocodile.
It was fifteen minutes til the creature was caught and Nikolai laughed while Arthur tried to catch his breath, having worn himself out with the fight. "Where in the hell did you go?" Nikolai asked and Arthur shrugged.
"It was turning to night. It must have been on the other side of the world." Arthur spoke softly and Nikolai frowned.
"Bullshit! There's no way!" Arthur grasped the stone that was still in his pocket and grabbed Nikolai before thinking. Nikolai let out a gasp as their feet touched down. The sun was set, the sky a dark red.
"I caught that thing right there." Arthur pointed. "I thought I'd catch a fish or something. It's too pretty here for there not to be fish." Arthur looked around before reaching again for Nikolai.
"What do you think you're doing?!" Nikolai yelled and Arthur stepped back.
"I wanted to get us back before more of those creatures show up." Arthur spoke. Nikolai looked around and grumbled as he nodded. Arthur grabbed him and as soon as the concentration on the stone worked, he stumbled back and fell to his knees.
He knew somehow he'd horribly offended Nikolai, even if he didn't understand how. Sasha stared, seeing rage in Nikolai's expression as Arthur pressed his face to the floor on his hands and knees.
"I'm sorry! I didn't mean to offend or trouble you!" Arthur yelled out, startled, but not really surprised by a kick to the stomach. He tasted blood, but knew better than to move. He braced for another kick as Sasha ran in and covered him, glancing up to Nikolai in surprise.
"He's new! He didn't know!" Arthur felt warm hands cover his back. Sasha's words softly blew past his ear. "We haven't gotten the chance for them to know us yet! How was he supposed to know?!" Sasha yelled and Nikolai stared, surprised and pissed off.
"Keep that little shit away from me. If he ever uses magic on me again, I'll rip his god damned head off and rape his throat hole." Nikolai turned, storming off.
Arthur was too afraid to move. He sat for fifteen minutes, his eyes wide set on the blood that kept dripping from his mouth.