Vilnius was his capital, and Lithuania was her Nation. She had raised him when he was a small boy, she had been his playmate.
She had always been his capital, and she loved him so much. She was older, the ancient capital of a proud country, which stretched from the Baltic to the Black Sea. She was pagan, and proudly so, trusting Perkunate as her divine protector.
1569
She was a small, blond haired girl who smiled as the crown was placed around her head. She was the newest Capital, the new girl who was going to have a life of ease and comfort in front of her. Her face was the mirror reflection of Poland's, one of her Nations now.
Meanwhile the man sitting next to her, his hair was mussed, and there was an expression of hate on his face. He sat off in his corner, his green eyes with worry and pain. She wanted to run to him, she wanted to explain that she was his now, and that he was also hers.
She was his capital after all, her name was Wilno. Not Vilnius, but Wilno.
And somehow Wilno wasn't what Lithuania wanted.
She was supposed to feel happiness, she finally had the capital's position didn't she? "Don't worry, like he'll get used to it!" Poland was telling her, as he cast another worried glance towards the brunet, who looked like he was trying to keep from crying, his teeth was gritted, his eyes were moist, and his face was turned down to the table, oblivious of the other's joy.
She was worried, and reached her hand out to him. Today she was supposed to celebrate her new position, she had expected something other then this, and she watched sadly as he sat motionless, the food untouched on his plate.
He jerked away from her, standing up. "I'm sorry Poland, but I just can't! Why can't you return Vilnius to me? She was my capital, and always will be my capital." He said, and walked away from the dining hall. Poland stood up, on his face, an expression of outrage.
"Like, who does he think he, like is? Vilnius was like, never his capital! She was..." Wilno only watched, she knew that she should have given up her position to this stranger...Vilnius, but Poland, her Knight had chosen her, and she was prepared to do her job, for better or for worst.
"He doesn't like me, does he?" she asked Poland, who just shook his head. "Liet'll get used to it." But she wasn't sure, she wanted her Nation's approval, she didn't care that much about Poland, even though he was her benefactor.
She tried to stand up, she wanted to chase after him, to apologize, but Poland firmly pushed her down, and ordered that she return to her meal. "Tomorrow, he'll understand." Poland told her, "Tomorrow, today he's still in a state of shock...over his old, pagan..." Poland spat out the last word, "capital, Vilnius. It's like, totally rude y'know?"
She believed in him, that tomorrow he would see reason, that tomorrow he would love her as a Nation loves his capital.
However the next day was no better then the first one. She heard him calling for Vilnius, not Wilno.
She was Wilno, Wilno the Polish Capital of the Commonwealth, the light bringer to the otherwise pagan Nation. Not Vilnius, the strange woman she had heard about, but Wilno.
And somehow Wilno wasn't what Lithuania wanted.
1772
The First Partition came along, and when she was carried into the room, Lithuania paid no attention to her, standing next to Russia, his eyes grim. She was placed alongside the other Polish areas, Krakow, Warsaw, while her Nation, was standing alone.
She wondered where Vilnius was at this moment, if Vilnius was still alive, Vilnius should have been standing next to Lithuania, right? But it had been so many years, after Wilno had taken over Vilnius's jobs, that Wilno wouldn't have been surprised that Vilnius vanished.
Vilnius had to go, to make room for Wilno after all. And Wilno wanted to live, she didn't want to disappear, and if another Capital disappeared, and she lived, then so be it.
She tried to busy herself in work, but she wasn't used to working on papers, and as the meetings continued, she heard Lithuania refer to Vilnius when he spoke about his capital, a quite pride in his voice, Vilnius was prospering, and Vilnius was growing, never Wilno, never Wilno.
She sometimes tried to correct him, but gave in a few years later. And now they were being separated, and Poland was trying to tell her that she was lucky, but she didn't feel lucky at all.
1793
As Russia turned to go, with Lithuania by his side, she tried to call out to her Nation, to reassure him that everything was going to be okay, that Poland was going to find a way out of this mess, and that the whole Partition was just a prank, a misunderstanding.
But as she called out his name, he didn't look at her once, and turned to go leaving Poland standing there, dumbstruck over the fact that he was leaving, and that he hadn't said goodbye. "Why are you, like with us?" he asked her, and she shook her head confused.
But she knew the real reason. She was never his capital, he had mourned for Vilnius, not Wilno. Wilno was Polish, and would always stay Polish. "Please forgive me, sir!" she cried out, but he didn't look at her once.
"Please, sir! Mr. Lithuania, please!" she cried, "Take me with you." But she knew that he wouldn't listen, Wilno can stay as Wilno, the Polish usurper of Vilnius, and Lithuania wouldn't even look back to say goodbye to her. They were never close, and now she wasn't even able to say goodbye to him.
And life continued on, and she worked as hard as she could. She helped the Polish troops try to win back the missing lands of the Commonwealth, so when he returned he'd see her as useful, but as hard as they tried, it was never good enough, and soon the Commonwealth fell into even greater trouble.
1795
Finally one day came, where she was told to pack up her bags, and that she was moving to Russia. She felt a thrill of elation, that she would see her Nation again, and she was going to show him that she was as good as any other Nation's Capital.
She knew that she shouldn't be happy, but she wanted to see her Nation once again, wanting to know how he was doing, and to apologize and start over. She was optimistic during the ride.
But as she reached St. Petersburg, he wasn't there.
It had been a few years, and Poland was coming for her. The Napoleonic Wars raged on, and Wilno was one of the most fashionable places to be, full of intellectuals, full of the rich, full of shops and boutiques. Her hair was pinned up, and she was eagerly awaiting him.
But as the doors opened, she watched the rows of men enter. She could see Vilnius's citizens, no...they were her citizens cheering as the handsome men marched in step past the city gates, and Poland was leading them. The people were happy, and she ran up to him.
He took her up in his arms, he looked worn now, with the faintest stubble. And he smelled, of fire, of smoke and ashes.
She was proud of Poland, and how they were going to liberate everything from the Russians. Her Nation would be proud of her, she knew, and with a gentle smile she told her boss to mobilize all of her men, that they were going off to fight in the war to liberate the Nation. And she was going to ride at the very head of it, and she was going to ride through fire to reach him.
1813
He would love her, and finally treat her as the capital that she was. She was a symbol of freedom, and although some people were still doubtful, saying that Wilno was a Polish city, and was never part of Lithuania, she only laughed and knew that one day they would understand.
She was going to break the distrust, and things couldn't have been better the they were. And so she started packing, started supervising the men in their daily training, started to order guns, supplies, and even a few comfort items for Napoleon as a thank you gift.
She was going to leave a good impression on the French, the worn battle hardened soldiers, and if her maidenhood had to go, then so be it. A unknown French soldier stole what was left of her virginity in those still days of almost-peace, and although she regretted it, it was only for a split second, it was only to hurry the process of freedom, and she shrugged it off.
She busied herself in work, in papers, into sewing uniforms, and she was happy.
And as the French army left Vilnius, they had a few extra recruits, and that was when everything started to go downhill. First came the weather, the bitter cold. Wilno wasn't used to such things, and she spent most of the time in the same room as Poland and France, who started to argue about their different strategies. She promised herself that it was just a bit of bad luck, and that everything would be fine in a few years.
But the snow only continued to fall, and she watched as her citizens started to die. She wondered why anybody could stand the cold, and in the end they had only managed to escape the burning city of Moscow.
The dead eyes of her men watched her, asking her why they had came to fight, and she didn't know the answer, and could only stutter a quick response of "It will be better tomorrow", as she sped out.
In the end, she was sent back to Russia's house.
1813
She was half kneeling, the stone floor was cold, and she knew that she would be punished for disobeying her new masters. She wasn't tried, just carried home roughly. Lithuania didn't meet her eyes at all, and so with a defiant smile, she stood next to Poland, and listened as the new congress discussed what was going to happen.
There were going to be mass deportations to Siberia, there were going to be people killed, and as she tried to protest that it wasn't her fault, nobody listened.
She was expecting the door to open any moment now. She was expecting to hear the sounds of footsteps, there was fear in her eyes as she waited for the thud of the whip on her skin, she was waiting for her eyes to fill up with red, she was waiting for punishment.
The room was cold, and it was getting colder, and she wondered if the basement had always been so cold. She wasn't used to it, Wilno had been such a warm place, and she shivered.
Her uniform only briefly protected her from the cold, and as she continued to sit there, she saw images of the train, the trips to Siberia, the looks of hopelessness on their faces, as she had lead her people through the fire and snow for freedom, but also for defeat.
Anytime now, the door would open, and the tall blonde would enter, and she would feel the warmth of blood running down her back. She had seen whippings before, and tried to act as brave as she could.
But she was still so young, and she didn't want to have scars this early. A few moments passed, and she was still waiting for the door to open. It didn't, and she rested for a few more minutes, the fear almost permeable in the cold air.
"I wish I could have been a Capital for a bit longer..." she said to herself in self pity. If it was possible, the room only grew colder, and then the door finally opened.
She lifted her head up, her green eyes meeting another pair of green eyes, that might have been just a trick of light, but were they filled with pain? The figure stumbled towards her, and offered her his hand. "Lithuania!" she exclaimed, and Lithuania smiled ruefully.
"Wilno, we're supposed to go to breakfast." And she ran up to hug him, she didn't know how, but somehow he had persuaded Russia, and she was thankful.
He stepped backwards, swaying slowly. "Not so rough." he chided, and another expression of pain filled his face, before that quickly vanished.
"My little rebel." he smiled at her, and she could almost hear pride in his voice, and then he walked away by himself, leaving her to watch his figure yet walking out of her view again, she thought about the looks of pain, the uncertainty in his steps, and the fact that nobody came downstairs that night.
And with an almost expression of shock, she wondered why her Nation would sacrifice himself for her.
1918
After their brief conversation, he had began to smile more and more at her, and she had worked as hard as she can to please him. The Great War came along, and she watched as he marched along with the rest of the Nations into war.
She remembered the crisp green uniform that had replaced the Tsarist white of the palace guard. She had watched as her people rally for freedom, and it had been granted to them finally after the Treaty of Versailles.
That was the happiest day of her life as Lithuania took her hands and spun her around, while a waltz played out behind them. They were finally free, and there was cheering everywhere. It was February 16th, and the papers had been sighed, and he had a new Government, and that the old Tsarist Russia had finally fallen.
Freedom tasted delicious, it was in the clear winter air, and the music that was being played, old Lithuanian folk songs that Lithuania was teaching her the words to.
She had pierogies that night, and after dinner they left for a celebratory mass, and when they left there was snow falling. She tried to catch the snowflakes on her tongue, when she walked home and had fallen asleep on Lithuania's shoulder during the meeting.
She had never been so busy, listening to laws, petitions, and forming the new Government. And after work, Lithuania would always buy her an ice cream, a strange new food that came from America. And she would lick the cold cream on the walk home.
She wished that this peaceful lull would last forever.
There was a knock at the door, and she ran to open it. Lithuania was still sleeping in the room adjacent to hers, and she didn't want to wake him up. The man standing outside was a blonde with his hair clipped short and bruises on his face, but the green eyes that she recognized.
"Mister Poland!" she smiled, and welcomed him inside the house, and she asked if he would like something to drink first.
He seemed urgent, a clipped tone in his voice, a stern expression on his face, and there was blood on his face. "I need to see Liet." he told her, "I can't stay long...but my boss was wondering..."
She tried to explain to him that Lithuania was still sleeping, but before her mouth opened, the door opened behind them.
"Poland?" the voice asked, and Poland ran to embrace him. Wilno made an excuse about going to make tea, and exited the room. She started to heat the water, and heard raised voices. One was protesting, while the other was urgent, forceful.
"If we don't start the Union again...it's like, folly for us!"
She listened as Lithuania tried to protest, tried to explain that he wanted his freedom, and that maybe the Union could be considered later. Poland was almost threatening him now, and finally she heard the door slam, and watched from the back window as Poland ran out, and without a backward glance walk away from the building.
1920
The war was being fought over her. Poland and Lithuania were fighting over her, and she watched every day as Lithuania lost more and more men, and was losing slowly with outdated equipment. He was stubborn at first, he had refused the Soviet's help, fighting by himself.
It was as if the berserk knight from a long time ago came back, she thought to herself as she watched him fire his gun, as his normally spotless uniform become covered with blood, and dirt. She watched his heartbroken expression, and the half circles under his eyes.
"You were never mine..." he told her, his expression stony. "Do you want to go back with him?" he asked her once again, and she could hear the hurt and anger in his voice. His uniform was ripped, and there were bandages on his arms, and there was so much blood on his uniform.
"No!" she told him. "No, I want to stay here with you. I'm your capital, I'll always be your capital!" she told him again, but he had already started to walk away. And as she tried to grab his hand, he pushed her away.
He slowly faced her again. "If you want to go, then just leave at any time okay?"
And she shook her head, and told him that she would never leave. And he hugged her tightly, and she hugged him back.
1923
He still haven't given up yet. He was still fighting for the rights of Wilno, he referred to her as Wilno, and loved her as Wilno, and although he knew that Poland was going to win in the end, he still hasn't given up yet.
She was proud of him, and they had scored a few victories, but finally the day came when she was supposed to move to Poland's house. Lithuania had a new capital now, Kaunas, Wilno knew. But he had at least came to see her off at the train station, and he was carrying a package.
"If you ever want...to come back..." he told her, at the train station, "You're always welcome here..." he finished, and she noticed that he looked uncomfortable, and thrust the package towards her, and she boarded the train, and watched as the train began to move. He was waving to her, and she waved back, clutching the package to her body.
Inside the package was an amber necklace, and she squeezed the necklace in her hand, and pressing her face to the window, she started to cry.
1945
She didn't know what was happening, there was a blindfold put on her as she was marched and made to kneel. Her hands were untied, and she loosened the blindfold to see what was happening. There were men standing in front of her, one of them had a gun, and she realized with fear that it was Russia.
He was speaking to the brunet, Lithuania, next to him, saying that he was going to help his comrade get Vilnius back, so Lithuania would be happy, and didn't Lithuania want to be happy, da?
"Please!" she looked up at Lithuania, pleading for him to stop Russia, but he looked emotionless as he began to walk away from the place, leaving her alone here. She tried to cry out to him, but he didn't seem to notice.
And she closed her eyes shut, wishing that he could indeed be happier, and finally everything went black, and she was carried away.
---
Lithuania walked from the scene, his eyes downward. He couldn't bear to watch, but heard a voice calling his name. Strange, it was a female's voice...and he slowly turned his face back to see a pretty brunette in a light green dress, her green eyes waiting for a response from him.
"Remember me?" she asked him, her voice as light as summer rain, and he could only nod. She was holding a basket. "When's the next harvest?" she asked him, and he blinked, as if he didn't know how to respond to it.
"Vilnius...?" he whispered, and she nodded. Somehow she was different, she was the foreign one that Lithuania didn't recognize. He wondered how that happened.
Historical Notes for Laima
anonymous
January 18 2010, 19:56:12 UTC
Historical Notes of Laima: Laima (also Laime, Laimas māte in Latvian) was the personification of fate and luck in the Latvian and Lithuanian mythologies. And well, I imagined that Liet would secretly call Wilno, Laima. xD
The Union of Poland-Lithuania was formed, and the ancient pagan capital of Vilnius was changed to Wilno, and Polonifed. Poles were invited to move in, to make the city as Polish as possible basically. Vilnius granted city rights by Jogaila in 1387, following the Christianization of Lithuania and the construction of the Vilnius Cathedral.
After the Third Partition of Polish-Lithuanian Commonwealth in 1795, Vilnius was annexed by the Russian Empire and became the capital of Vilna Governorate, a part of the Northwestern Krai. It was considered a city of Poland during the first two Partitions of Poland.
During the Napoleonic Wars, the Grand Duchy of Warsaw (Poland) fought on the side of the French. And on June the 28th Napoleon entered Vilnius with only light skirmishing. Vilnius was torn between cheering for the invaders or trying to kick them out. Ironically the Russian HQ was at Vilnius. After the burning of Moscow, many died on the road to Vilnius, giving it the nickname of 'The City Built on Bones'
During the January Uprising in 1863 heavy city fights occurred, but were brutally pacified by Mikhail Muravyov, nicknamed The Hanger by the population because of the number of executions he organized. Many were sent off to Siberia.
The Polish-Lithuanian War was an armed conflict between newly independent Lithuania, also known the republic of Lithuania and Poland over Vilnius. It ended with the Polish Ultimatum to Lithuania, forcing Lithuania to cede Vilnius to Poland. The Polish argued that Vilnius had always been a German city.
After talks in Moscow on October 10, 1939 the city and its surrounding areas were transferred to Lithuania according to the Soviet-Lithuanian Mutual Assistance Treaty. In exchange Lithuania agreed to allow Soviet military bases to be established in strategic parts of the country. The Polish and the Jewish population of Vilnius was forced to move out of the city into the nearby cities. (That was why Wilno...'died')
Historical/Author's Notes for Laima 2/2
anonymous
January 18 2010, 20:02:12 UTC
Vilnius went from being 1/2 Polonized and 1/4th Jewish to mainly Lithuanian, yet it is still one of Lithuania's most populous cities. There are still Polish architecture, and hints of the old 'Polish' capital in the city.
...okay, I failed that fic. If anybody else wants a go at it, they can have my blessing. <3
Not OP but...
anonymous
January 19 2010, 00:31:37 UTC
I thought it was great. So happy to see this prompt filled. I've been in love with Vilnius and her history as of late, but I always get distracted when I do research. (Tis why I'll never write Hetalia fanfiction)
If you don't mind, may I ask about your source(s)? I'm trying to gather as much info as I can. And you did not fail it! History and emotion? YES.
Re: fail!writer anon here
anonymous
January 21 2010, 05:46:47 UTC
If you wouldn't mind? I'm filling another prompt, the capitals prompt, with some Warsaw+Vilnius and Warsaw+Poland. I'd like to make sure I get the dynamics right.
She had always been his capital, and she loved him so much. She was older, the ancient capital of a proud country, which stretched from the Baltic to the Black Sea. She was pagan, and proudly so, trusting Perkunate as her divine protector.
1569
She was a small, blond haired girl who smiled as the crown was placed around her head. She was the newest Capital, the new girl who was going to have a life of ease and comfort in front of her. Her face was the mirror reflection of Poland's, one of her Nations now.
Meanwhile the man sitting next to her, his hair was mussed, and there was an expression of hate on his face. He sat off in his corner, his green eyes with worry and pain. She wanted to run to him, she wanted to explain that she was his now, and that he was also hers.
She was his capital after all, her name was Wilno. Not Vilnius, but Wilno.
And somehow Wilno wasn't what Lithuania wanted.
She was supposed to feel happiness, she finally had the capital's position didn't she? "Don't worry, like he'll get used to it!" Poland was telling her, as he cast another worried glance towards the brunet, who looked like he was trying to keep from crying, his teeth was gritted, his eyes were moist, and his face was turned down to the table, oblivious of the other's joy.
She was worried, and reached her hand out to him. Today she was supposed to celebrate her new position, she had expected something other then this, and she watched sadly as he sat motionless, the food untouched on his plate.
He jerked away from her, standing up. "I'm sorry Poland, but I just can't! Why can't you return Vilnius to me? She was my capital, and always will be my capital." He said, and walked away from the dining hall. Poland stood up, on his face, an expression of outrage.
"Like, who does he think he, like is? Vilnius was like, never his capital! She was..." Wilno only watched, she knew that she should have given up her position to this stranger...Vilnius, but Poland, her Knight had chosen her, and she was prepared to do her job, for better or for worst.
"He doesn't like me, does he?" she asked Poland, who just shook his head. "Liet'll get used to it." But she wasn't sure, she wanted her Nation's approval, she didn't care that much about Poland, even though he was her benefactor.
She tried to stand up, she wanted to chase after him, to apologize, but Poland firmly pushed her down, and ordered that she return to her meal. "Tomorrow, he'll understand." Poland told her, "Tomorrow, today he's still in a state of shock...over his old, pagan..." Poland spat out the last word, "capital, Vilnius. It's like, totally rude y'know?"
She believed in him, that tomorrow he would see reason, that tomorrow he would love her as a Nation loves his capital.
However the next day was no better then the first one. She heard him calling for Vilnius, not Wilno.
She was Wilno, Wilno the Polish Capital of the Commonwealth, the light bringer to the otherwise pagan Nation. Not Vilnius, the strange woman she had heard about, but Wilno.
And somehow Wilno wasn't what Lithuania wanted.
1772
The First Partition came along, and when she was carried into the room, Lithuania paid no attention to her, standing next to Russia, his eyes grim. She was placed alongside the other Polish areas, Krakow, Warsaw, while her Nation, was standing alone.
She wondered where Vilnius was at this moment, if Vilnius was still alive, Vilnius should have been standing next to Lithuania, right? But it had been so many years, after Wilno had taken over Vilnius's jobs, that Wilno wouldn't have been surprised that Vilnius vanished.
Vilnius had to go, to make room for Wilno after all. And Wilno wanted to live, she didn't want to disappear, and if another Capital disappeared, and she lived, then so be it.
She tried to busy herself in work, but she wasn't used to working on papers, and as the meetings continued, she heard Lithuania refer to Vilnius when he spoke about his capital, a quite pride in his voice, Vilnius was prospering, and Vilnius was growing, never Wilno, never Wilno.
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1793
As Russia turned to go, with Lithuania by his side, she tried to call out to her Nation, to reassure him that everything was going to be okay, that Poland was going to find a way out of this mess, and that the whole Partition was just a prank, a misunderstanding.
But as she called out his name, he didn't look at her once, and turned to go leaving Poland standing there, dumbstruck over the fact that he was leaving, and that he hadn't said goodbye. "Why are you, like with us?" he asked her, and she shook her head confused.
But she knew the real reason. She was never his capital, he had mourned for Vilnius, not Wilno. Wilno was Polish, and would always stay Polish. "Please forgive me, sir!" she cried out, but he didn't look at her once.
"Please, sir! Mr. Lithuania, please!" she cried, "Take me with you." But she knew that he wouldn't listen, Wilno can stay as Wilno, the Polish usurper of Vilnius, and Lithuania wouldn't even look back to say goodbye to her. They were never close, and now she wasn't even able to say goodbye to him.
And life continued on, and she worked as hard as she could. She helped the Polish troops try to win back the missing lands of the Commonwealth, so when he returned he'd see her as useful, but as hard as they tried, it was never good enough, and soon the Commonwealth fell into even greater trouble.
1795
Finally one day came, where she was told to pack up her bags, and that she was moving to Russia. She felt a thrill of elation, that she would see her Nation again, and she was going to show him that she was as good as any other Nation's Capital.
She knew that she shouldn't be happy, but she wanted to see her Nation once again, wanting to know how he was doing, and to apologize and start over. She was optimistic during the ride.
But as she reached St. Petersburg, he wasn't there.
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It had been a few years, and Poland was coming for her. The Napoleonic Wars raged on, and Wilno was one of the most fashionable places to be, full of intellectuals, full of the rich, full of shops and boutiques. Her hair was pinned up, and she was eagerly awaiting him.
But as the doors opened, she watched the rows of men enter. She could see Vilnius's citizens, no...they were her citizens cheering as the handsome men marched in step past the city gates, and Poland was leading them. The people were happy, and she ran up to him.
He took her up in his arms, he looked worn now, with the faintest stubble. And he smelled, of fire, of smoke and ashes.
She was proud of Poland, and how they were going to liberate everything from the Russians. Her Nation would be proud of her, she knew, and with a gentle smile she told her boss to mobilize all of her men, that they were going off to fight in the war to liberate the Nation. And she was going to ride at the very head of it, and she was going to ride through fire to reach him.
1813
He would love her, and finally treat her as the capital that she was. She was a symbol of freedom, and although some people were still doubtful, saying that Wilno was a Polish city, and was never part of Lithuania, she only laughed and knew that one day they would understand.
She was going to break the distrust, and things couldn't have been better the they were. And so she started packing, started supervising the men in their daily training, started to order guns, supplies, and even a few comfort items for Napoleon as a thank you gift.
She was going to leave a good impression on the French, the worn battle hardened soldiers, and if her maidenhood had to go, then so be it. A unknown French soldier stole what was left of her virginity in those still days of almost-peace, and although she regretted it, it was only for a split second, it was only to hurry the process of freedom, and she shrugged it off.
She busied herself in work, in papers, into sewing uniforms, and she was happy.
And as the French army left Vilnius, they had a few extra recruits, and that was when everything started to go downhill. First came the weather, the bitter cold. Wilno wasn't used to such things, and she spent most of the time in the same room as Poland and France, who started to argue about their different strategies. She promised herself that it was just a bit of bad luck, and that everything would be fine in a few years.
But the snow only continued to fall, and she watched as her citizens started to die. She wondered why anybody could stand the cold, and in the end they had only managed to escape the burning city of Moscow.
The dead eyes of her men watched her, asking her why they had came to fight, and she didn't know the answer, and could only stutter a quick response of "It will be better tomorrow", as she sped out.
In the end, she was sent back to Russia's house.
1813
She was half kneeling, the stone floor was cold, and she knew that she would be punished for disobeying her new masters. She wasn't tried, just carried home roughly. Lithuania didn't meet her eyes at all, and so with a defiant smile, she stood next to Poland, and listened as the new congress discussed what was going to happen.
There were going to be mass deportations to Siberia, there were going to be people killed, and as she tried to protest that it wasn't her fault, nobody listened.
She was expecting the door to open any moment now. She was expecting to hear the sounds of footsteps, there was fear in her eyes as she waited for the thud of the whip on her skin, she was waiting for her eyes to fill up with red, she was waiting for punishment.
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Her uniform only briefly protected her from the cold, and as she continued to sit there, she saw images of the train, the trips to Siberia, the looks of hopelessness on their faces, as she had lead her people through the fire and snow for freedom, but also for defeat.
Anytime now, the door would open, and the tall blonde would enter, and she would feel the warmth of blood running down her back. She had seen whippings before, and tried to act as brave as she could.
But she was still so young, and she didn't want to have scars this early. A few moments passed, and she was still waiting for the door to open. It didn't, and she rested for a few more minutes, the fear almost permeable in the cold air.
"I wish I could have been a Capital for a bit longer..." she said to herself in self pity. If it was possible, the room only grew colder, and then the door finally opened.
She lifted her head up, her green eyes meeting another pair of green eyes, that might have been just a trick of light, but were they filled with pain? The figure stumbled towards her, and offered her his hand. "Lithuania!" she exclaimed, and Lithuania smiled ruefully.
"Wilno, we're supposed to go to breakfast." And she ran up to hug him, she didn't know how, but somehow he had persuaded Russia, and she was thankful.
He stepped backwards, swaying slowly. "Not so rough." he chided, and another expression of pain filled his face, before that quickly vanished.
"My little rebel." he smiled at her, and she could almost hear pride in his voice, and then he walked away by himself, leaving her to watch his figure yet walking out of her view again, she thought about the looks of pain, the uncertainty in his steps, and the fact that nobody came downstairs that night.
And with an almost expression of shock, she wondered why her Nation would sacrifice himself for her.
1918
After their brief conversation, he had began to smile more and more at her, and she had worked as hard as she can to please him. The Great War came along, and she watched as he marched along with the rest of the Nations into war.
She remembered the crisp green uniform that had replaced the Tsarist white of the palace guard. She had watched as her people rally for freedom, and it had been granted to them finally after the Treaty of Versailles.
That was the happiest day of her life as Lithuania took her hands and spun her around, while a waltz played out behind them. They were finally free, and there was cheering everywhere. It was February 16th, and the papers had been sighed, and he had a new Government, and that the old Tsarist Russia had finally fallen.
Freedom tasted delicious, it was in the clear winter air, and the music that was being played, old Lithuanian folk songs that Lithuania was teaching her the words to.
She had pierogies that night, and after dinner they left for a celebratory mass, and when they left there was snow falling. She tried to catch the snowflakes on her tongue, when she walked home and had fallen asleep on Lithuania's shoulder during the meeting.
She had never been so busy, listening to laws, petitions, and forming the new Government. And after work, Lithuania would always buy her an ice cream, a strange new food that came from America. And she would lick the cold cream on the walk home.
She wished that this peaceful lull would last forever.
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There was a knock at the door, and she ran to open it. Lithuania was still sleeping in the room adjacent to hers, and she didn't want to wake him up. The man standing outside was a blonde with his hair clipped short and bruises on his face, but the green eyes that she recognized.
"Mister Poland!" she smiled, and welcomed him inside the house, and she asked if he would like something to drink first.
He seemed urgent, a clipped tone in his voice, a stern expression on his face, and there was blood on his face. "I need to see Liet." he told her, "I can't stay long...but my boss was wondering..."
She tried to explain to him that Lithuania was still sleeping, but before her mouth opened, the door opened behind them.
"Poland?" the voice asked, and Poland ran to embrace him. Wilno made an excuse about going to make tea, and exited the room. She started to heat the water, and heard raised voices. One was protesting, while the other was urgent, forceful.
"If we don't start the Union again...it's like, folly for us!"
She listened as Lithuania tried to protest, tried to explain that he wanted his freedom, and that maybe the Union could be considered later. Poland was almost threatening him now, and finally she heard the door slam, and watched from the back window as Poland ran out, and without a backward glance walk away from the building.
1920
The war was being fought over her. Poland and Lithuania were fighting over her, and she watched every day as Lithuania lost more and more men, and was losing slowly with outdated equipment. He was stubborn at first, he had refused the Soviet's help, fighting by himself.
It was as if the berserk knight from a long time ago came back, she thought to herself as she watched him fire his gun, as his normally spotless uniform become covered with blood, and dirt. She watched his heartbroken expression, and the half circles under his eyes.
"You were never mine..." he told her, his expression stony. "Do you want to go back with him?" he asked her once again, and she could hear the hurt and anger in his voice. His uniform was ripped, and there were bandages on his arms, and there was so much blood on his uniform.
"No!" she told him. "No, I want to stay here with you. I'm your capital, I'll always be your capital!" she told him again, but he had already started to walk away. And as she tried to grab his hand, he pushed her away.
He slowly faced her again. "If you want to go, then just leave at any time okay?"
And she shook her head, and told him that she would never leave. And he hugged her tightly, and she hugged him back.
1923
He still haven't given up yet. He was still fighting for the rights of Wilno, he referred to her as Wilno, and loved her as Wilno, and although he knew that Poland was going to win in the end, he still hasn't given up yet.
She was proud of him, and they had scored a few victories, but finally the day came when she was supposed to move to Poland's house. Lithuania had a new capital now, Kaunas, Wilno knew. But he had at least came to see her off at the train station, and he was carrying a package.
"If you ever want...to come back..." he told her, at the train station, "You're always welcome here..." he finished, and she noticed that he looked uncomfortable, and thrust the package towards her, and she boarded the train, and watched as the train began to move. He was waving to her, and she waved back, clutching the package to her body.
Inside the package was an amber necklace, and she squeezed the necklace in her hand, and pressing her face to the window, she started to cry.
1945
She didn't know what was happening, there was a blindfold put on her as she was marched and made to kneel. Her hands were untied, and she loosened the blindfold to see what was happening. There were men standing in front of her, one of them had a gun, and she realized with fear that it was Russia.
He was speaking to the brunet, Lithuania, next to him, saying that he was going to help his comrade get Vilnius back, so Lithuania would be happy, and didn't Lithuania want to be happy, da?
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And she closed her eyes shut, wishing that he could indeed be happier, and finally everything went black, and she was carried away.
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Lithuania walked from the scene, his eyes downward. He couldn't bear to watch, but heard a voice calling his name. Strange, it was a female's voice...and he slowly turned his face back to see a pretty brunette in a light green dress, her green eyes waiting for a response from him.
"Remember me?" she asked him, her voice as light as summer rain, and he could only nod. She was holding a basket. "When's the next harvest?" she asked him, and he blinked, as if he didn't know how to respond to it.
"Vilnius...?" he whispered, and she nodded. Somehow she was different, she was the foreign one that Lithuania didn't recognize. He wondered how that happened.
"Soon." he said. "Soon."
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The Union of Poland-Lithuania was formed, and the ancient pagan capital of Vilnius was changed to Wilno, and Polonifed. Poles were invited to move in, to make the city as Polish as possible basically. Vilnius granted city rights by Jogaila in 1387, following the Christianization of Lithuania and the construction of the Vilnius Cathedral.
After the Third Partition of Polish-Lithuanian Commonwealth in 1795, Vilnius was annexed by the Russian Empire and became the capital of Vilna Governorate, a part of the Northwestern Krai. It was considered a city of Poland during the first two Partitions of Poland.
During the Napoleonic Wars, the Grand Duchy of Warsaw (Poland) fought on the side of the French. And on June the 28th Napoleon entered Vilnius with only light skirmishing. Vilnius was torn between cheering for the invaders or trying to kick them out. Ironically the Russian HQ was at Vilnius. After the burning of Moscow, many died on the road to Vilnius, giving it the nickname of 'The City Built on Bones'
During the January Uprising in 1863 heavy city fights occurred, but were brutally pacified by Mikhail Muravyov, nicknamed The Hanger by the population because of the number of executions he organized. Many were sent off to Siberia.
The Polish-Lithuanian War was an armed conflict between newly independent
Lithuania, also known the republic of Lithuania and Poland over Vilnius. It ended with the Polish Ultimatum to Lithuania, forcing Lithuania to cede Vilnius to Poland. The Polish argued that Vilnius had always been a German city.
After talks in Moscow on October 10, 1939 the city and its surrounding areas were transferred to Lithuania according to the Soviet-Lithuanian Mutual Assistance Treaty. In exchange Lithuania agreed to allow Soviet military bases to be established in strategic parts of the country. The Polish and the Jewish population of Vilnius was forced to move out of the city into the nearby cities. (That was why Wilno...'died')
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...okay, I failed that fic. If anybody else wants a go at it, they can have my blessing. <3
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If you don't mind, may I ask about your source(s)? I'm trying to gather as much info as I can. And you did not fail it! History and emotion? YES.
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The Vilnius/Wilno conflict got me addicted to little Vilna and Wilno. <3
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I'm the OP of this request
Province-Tans, City-Tans, and Other Anthropomorphizations
http://hetalia-kink.livejournal.com/12046.html?thread=28352526#t28352526
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Seriously, that was amazing. But can you send me the source for the Napoleonic Wars section? It sounds really interesting!
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