Fic: Beloved (Or, if Nobody Wins, Who Writes History) [Belarus, Lithuania] R [2/3]
Title: Beloved (or, if Nobody Wins, Who Writes History?)
Author: hyperemmalawlz
Fandom: Axis Powers Hetalia
Chapter: 2/3
Characters/Pairing: Lithuania/Belarus (not overly consensually), Belarus/Russia (the same), Ensemble
Word Count: 3790
Rating: R
Summary: It might be forgotten, but Belarus does have a reason to hate Lithuania.
Warnings: swearing, kidnapping and false imprisonment, violence, stalking and sexual harassment.
Author's Notes: Written for hetalia_kink, the prompt: "Lithuania, when the Kievan Rus broke apart and Belarus went to stay with him, was actually quite cruel. I want to see this aspect of their relationship. " Note: strict historical accuracy is not what you're going to find here. Although there's enough I have to put notes down the bottom.
Beloved (or, if Nobody Wins, Who Writes History?)
He keeps to his word, again. She doesn't find any more suspicious stains on her furniture. Now, she just has to anticipate what next terrifying thing he'll do.
She doesn't pay all that much attention to his politics. He makes her spend most of her time working like a peasant, since most of her people are peasants. Still, when he's away for so long, and there are so many overcomplicated conversation to overhear in the middle of the night, she comes to the conclusion something's happening. Once she's finished rejoicing the fact he's gone so much (unfortunately, he's fortified the doors and gotten more guards, so it's not like she can make a break for it just because he's not here).
One day, she's minding her own business (sewing herself a new dress, one distinctly unrevealing and not particularly flattering), when Toris comes in. “Natalya?”
“What do you want?” she asks. “Besides the obvious.”
He actually smiles at that. “Natalya, there's someone I need you to meet. Poland...?”
She frowns, and soon a man walks in through the door. “Hey,” he says. In fact, now she thinks about it 'man' may be overstating it a little. He looks almost like a woman, and sounds a lot like one too. However, the shape of his body assures her he is in fact a man (not to mention, she doubts if her were a woman he'd command enough respect to get specifically introduced to anyone). “So you're like, Natalya, right? I'm Feliks. The Kingdom of Poland.” He stands a little straighter.
“Hi. Yes, I'm Natalya.” Then she turns to Toris. “Okay, is there any purpose to this? Or are you just dragging your friends in to annoy me and stop me working?”
“Natalya, there's a lot of purpose to this,” says Toris. He sighs. “Poland and I... I suppose we've become one country. The Polish-Lithuanian commonwealth.”
Natalya's eyes go wide. “You got married?”
Poland looks somewhere between amused and uncomfortable, and Toris coughs awkwardly. “Our monarchs did. We're just... our countries have... become one.”
“Uh-huh.” She knows she shouldn't get her hopes up, but - Toris marrying someone else, anyone else, has to be a sign that his obsession with her is easing, right? And if his obsession ends, maybe he'll let her go.
She's snapped out of her reverie by another voice from the doorway. “Natalya?”
Poland looks worried. “Whoa, Kat-”
“Natalya!” She is suddenly assaulted by someone flinging their arms around her and holding on tight, crying on her shoulder - when Natalya pays attention, she gasps. Only one person has breasts that unnecessarily large. “...Katayusha?” she whispers, scarcely able to believe it.
Katayusha pulls back, nodding and smiling tearfully. “Yes. It's me. And - Natalya, you look as beautiful as ever.” Katayusha kisses her on the forehead, and and Natalya smiles herself.
Poland gives them a look. “...Erm, is this a private moment? 'Cause we could leave you alone.”
Natalya glares at him from over Katayusha's shoulder. “She's my sister.”
“Oh,” says Poland, and Natalya turns back to her.
“Where is Brother Ivan?”
Katayusha visibly deflates. “...He is separate now. Not ruled by anyone. Did you not know?”
“...Oh.” She's sure, on some level, she did know. She just forced herself to forget it. Because Ivan - it always seemed like he could protect her, let her stay with him if he got the chance. Katayusha was meant to do that, but in the end, it fell apart.
Still, she is reunited with her sister, and she should be grateful.
However, the look on Toris's face gives he pause. “Poland, could you please take your territory...?”
Natalya gapes. He can't!
“Toris - It's alright, I'll let you see her later,” Toris tell her as Katayusha slowly pulls herself up and away. “I just think we have to stay separate while doing this whole integration thing. It won't take long, I promise.”
“...I see.”
“Um, alright then,” says Poland. “'Kay, let's go then Kat.”
“Goodbye, sister! I will see you again!” Katayusha calls as she has to leave with Poland, and Toris lays a hand on Natalya's shoulder.
“Well, I wasn't quite expecting that.”
Natalya swallows. “Neither was I.”
*
“Belarus?”
She looks up. “Sister, hello,” she says. “Come here, help me with these clothes.”
She's pushing clothes into soapy water, and Ukraine comes over to help her. “So... how are you, sister?”
“”I'm fine,” she answers.
Ukraine nods. “The Baltic states said you had been acting strangely lately.”
She clenches her hands in the water. “All of them?”
“...I'm not sure.”
Belarus shakes her head. “Whatever.”
“...Sister, is there something wrong!”
“No!” she insists. “I am perfectly fine, and would rather you work than interrogate me.”
There's a pause. “...Do you remember being independent, Bela?”
She snorts. “I was only independent for a year, sister, and most of the world didn't even agree; I hardly think that counts.”
“...Uh-huh,” says Ukraine. “Well... I don't know.”
“I'm happy here,” she says. “Brother Russia takes care of us, doesn't he?”
Ukraine winces. “Bela...”
“What?”
She sighs. “Nothing. Just... be careful.”
“Of what?”
*
She's fairly certain she doesn't have much freedom. She's spoken to Katyusha, and apparently Poland acts better than Toris has ever done to her. Not that it's surprising. Poland is less insane, so these things happen.
Natalya's busying herself with farmwork outside when Toris approaches her. Despite herself, she can't help but recoil from the height of his figure above her. “Did you want something?”
“This work. Why do you still do it?” he asks. “I haven't asked you to; plenty of servants around the house could - why do you do this?”
She shrugs. “It's what my people do. I won't ignore them for what makes my life easier.”
“That's not true. You do have nobility who have never done this sort of thing-”
“And also who have all run off with your friend, and forgotten all about me. Yeah, I'll stick with the serfs.”
There's a pause. “Anyway, I needed to ask you for something.”
“I don't know what I have that you haven't already taken, but-”
“I need more money.”
“And I am meant to help-”
“I mean in the form of taxation,” he explains.
She gulps hard. My people don't want to be here; the only ones who even live good lives are the ones who've forgotten about me, why do you think you can-
“Very well,” she says. “This will be mostly symbolic, but my purse is in the chair a little that way,” she points vaguely west. He looks confused.
“You won't resist?”
She grits her teeth. “You own me and my people. What would be point.”
Toris leans over slightly, threading his fingers through her hair, and she cringes away. Fuck. What did he just think I meant...?
“Thank you,” he says. “You'll understand someday.”
“Just take the money and let me work.”
*
“I love you, you know.”
She almost drops her big brother's plate.
She gasps and catches it immediately, trying to face Lithuania at the same time. He seems somewhat amused. “So, I can still surprise you?”
“Of course I am not surprised.” How could she be; he only spent the best part of five centuries telling her that, after all. “But why are you saying this now?”
He shrugs. “Look, Bela, I know what happened was... But, well... we're not exactly captor and prisoner anymore. We're both just... here. And I thought, if I told you, things could be better this time, that's all.”
She narrows her eyes, and he takes a few cautious steps forward.
She spits in his face.
“You have no idea what Big Brother does for you, for all of us, and you should watch your filthy mouth,” she tells him. “And you will never speak of that time when I was part of your land again. It is ancient history, do you understand? Your glory days are gone.”
“Bela...”
Her nerves are seizing and to comfort herself, she reaches behind for a sturdy kitchen knife and aims it at him.
“Go away now.”
“Belarus, calm down-!”
“Leave. Go do whatever it is you're meant to be good for anyway.”
*
“What are you doing?”
“Ah!” A hand grabs her wrist and waist and she falls down quickly. Toris holds onto her and no matter how she struggles, she can't escape the grip.
“I said,” he spins her around, disturbingly close to her face, “what are you doing?”
She looks up at her open window; the maps lying about. “I was escaping, what does it look like?” She says defiantly.
His nails dig into her sides, and she forces herself not to wince. “Why?” he asks.
She snorts. “After all this time, do you really need to ask?” He grabs tighter. “Could you stop that? It hurts.”
He raises a hand to her face. “Natalya, why?” he says. “After all this time, haven't you accepted things?”
She glares. “You hold me captive. You oppress my people. You're disturbingly obsessed with me. I... I can't even see my brother when I'm with you.” She trails off at the end, stinging like she always does when she allows herself to think of her brother. “Why should I accept you?”
His face twists into an ugly snarl. He grabs her tighter and slams her against the wall.
“Is that what you want? To go running back to him?!” he shouts. Natalya's taken by surprise, and struggles against his grip. “Do you think he'd be better to you than me? No. Natalya, he is insane. He would destroy you. You must know that.”
“Because you have so much credibility when it comes to determining sanity - ow!” He grips harder, determined to bruise, and she can't help but flinch. “Stop, you're hurting me!”
“You're hurting yourself,” he whispers. She stares. “You have to stay with us. You won't be treated better anywhere else. Certainly not with him.”
“I'll take me chances,” she says. “Besides, I don't know where Ivan is. I wasn't even running to him.”
“...Then where were you going?”
She sighs. “...Some of my people - the rich ones, those few who haven't forgotten about me - have made their own settlements. The people are running to them. I thought, might as well.”
“...Really? After all this time, you chose to try and escape now?”
“I represent my people.”
Toris lets her go. She slumps down against the wall.
“Wait here,” he says as he gets up to close the window. “The guards will get here soon, and they'll escort you back to your room. I will have to restrict your freedoms for awhile, you understand.”
“How completely and utterly surprising.”
*
“Why is he here?”
Belarus stares suspiciously through the doorway, where the Prussia is lying on their couch. He seems scratched and bruised.
“He tried to escape again,” she hears Lithuania's voice coming from behind her, and jumps. “Russia brought him here too... punish him, I suppose.”
Lithuania's eyes are strange, and Belarus starts to get that feeling she gets when she's alone with him for too long. So she puts an end to it.
“Very well then,” she says.
And she struts out to where Prussia lies.
“Why are you on our couch?” she asks bluntly.
He shrugs. “Hey, I'm a satellite state. I should get perks. Couch counts,” he raises a bottle to his lips. “So does booze.”
She rolls her eyes and sits down next to him. “So, I heard you try to escape again.”
“Yeah.”
“Why?”
He gives her a look. “Why do I always try to escape? Why does anyone? I don't wanna be here.”
“You're ungrateful,” she says. “After all Brother Russia has done for us all...”
He snorts. “You're kidding, right?”
“No. Why?”
“Seriously? That's actually what you think? 'Cause, uh, I came here before your bro got me like this, and I remember - when we showed up, your people weren't so fond of being with 'Brother Russia'. I mean, before we went all psycho on you. Sorry 'bout that, by the way.”
She stiffens. “That was my people, not me.”
“Don't think there's meant to be that much of a difference.”
She doesn't know what to say to that. So she says nothing.
He offers the the bottle. “Drink?”
“Thank you.”
*
“Sister, you cannot seriously be considering doing this.”
Katyusha looks tired, and hurt, and sighs. “What choice do we have?”
“We can say no.” Poland and Toris have sent Katyusha to her to convince her to do this, this conversion, away from her actual faith, but she refuses to let it work.
They can take everything from her but God.
“It wouldn't be good to fall so heavily under Moscow's control,” Katyusha says, fidgeting with the buttons of her dress. “That's why they're doing it, really.”
“I'd rather be under our brother's control than those bastards!” Natalya shouts. “I never wanted to leave, remember.”
Katyusha sighs. “I don't think Ivan would treat you much kinder than now. Things have... changed. From what I understand, Poland treats me a lot better than Ivan treats, well...”
“Poland does,” Natalya says, trying not to choke. “You don't know me. What happens... Toris is a madman with an obsession; you must know that.”
“Yes, but...” Katyusha sighs. “If we can't escape, is there really much of a point in resisting?”
Natalya swallows hard. She knows the sort of thing Toris truly wants from her, and maybe if she just gave in he would...
“Yes. There's a point. There must be.”
Katyusha bites her lip. “I see,” she says. “Then, I guess we must agree to disagree.”
*
She catches him on his knees, eyes closed, hands together in front of his face.
It takes her a moment to remember what that means.
“Lithuania! What on Earth are you doing?!”
“Belarus!” he snaps out of it, staring at her like she's the wolf and he's the lamb. “Oh - please don't tell Russia about this!”
She should. She should tell her brother and let him punish Lithuania for such a disobedience; this is exactly what their true beliefs fight against, and she can't just let him get away with...
But she needs to know. Something. She's not sure what.
“I shall not tell him.” And she looks away before he can possibly give her that sickening expression again; the one that makes him seem like an innocent child. “But what are you... praying? You know we have no religion; that the ideas of Marx and Engels and Lenin...”
“I know, I know,” he says. “I just... I believe.”
She nods slowly. “I see,” she says. “Your friends do not.”
“I know that,” he says. “What about you?”
“I believe what we are told to,” she says. “For and in the glory of the USSR.”
He smiles slightly. There's an awkward pause.
“Do you ever pray for me?”
He coughs. “Pardon?”
She inhales. “Do you ever pray for me?”
“...What exactly do you mean by 'for'?”
“I'm not sure,” she says honestly. “You might have to just tell me.”
He sighs, and turns away from her again. “I wish things would change for you, sometimes,” he says. “The way you are... You'll tear yourself apart someday, Belarus. That or Russia will.”
“I do not need your protection. I wouldn't accept it.”
“That's good, because I don't have much to offer.”
*
“So what are we doing now?”
“Hey!” Poland comes bursting through the door, Toris trailing fast behind. Natalya narrows her eyes. “So, we, uh, really need to talk to you about something.”
She folds her arms over her chest. “What?”
Toris and Poland share a look. “We have an idea,” says Poland.
“An offer.”
“Okay, so you guys are like, sisters or whatever, and kinda function together because... whatever.”
“But technically you're part of us,” Lithuania says. “And you're separate.”
“Is there a point to this?”
“Sister.” Katyusha squeezes her hand, and Natalya gives her a look.
“What? I want to hear the important bit.”
“Anyway,” says Lithuania, “we decided... we should make you a separate part.”
“The Duchy of Ruthenia. That's what you're called when we put you together, right?” Poland asks.
“Anyway, you would be - well, another Duchy. Still part of the Commonwealth, of course, but... how does that sound?”
“I - that sounds fantastic!” Katyusha's wearing that creepy grin again; the one that makes it seem like her face might split in half. Some part of Natalya wants to do the same, but she remembers - this is Toris. The madman.
“What's the catch?”
“Huh?” Poland looks a little hurt.
“Don't worry; my question's directed at him more than you,” she says, before narrowing her gaze on Toris. “A little more freedom would mean the world to me; you know that. What exactly are you expecting of me in return for this.”
Poland looks awkwardly at her sister, who shrugs. Toris sighs and steps forward. “Nothing, Natalya.”
She raises an eyebrow. “Really?”
“You and I both know how I feel about you,” he says. “I won't let you go. But... I don't expect your feelings for me to change anytime soon. And I... I do want you to be happy. Happier, at least. So if somewhat more freedom will do that... very well.”
“Er... okay, weird,” Poland feels the need to commentate.
“You're buying me off,” Natalya tells him. “Giving me 'a little' freedom to make me behave?”
“Sister,” Ukraine squeezes her hand again.
“Of course,” Toris tells her. “Question is, do you accept?”
“Well, yes.” And she finds herself smiling. “Thank you.”
*
“Bela?”
She sighs in annoyance. “What is it? I'm working.”
“You've been doing the laundry for hours.”
“There's a lot of laundry.”
Ukraine comes closer to her. “Um, your hands are bloody and that's getting into the water.”
“What?” She looks down. “Fuck! Shit, what is Brother going to say?”
“Don't worry about that,” Ukraine says quickly - too quickly. She pulls Belarus's hands out of the water fast enough to make her jump. “I mean... I'll redo the laundry, don't you worry about it. Russia needn't know. Just... you need to rest.”
“I'm not tired.”
“It's almost three in the morning.”
She inhales deeply. “Brother wanted me to do the laundry.”
“Brother gave you at least eight tasks today; he gave me nothing. You should have asked for help.”
“He would have punished us.”
“Not if he didn't know.”
“This is practically treason!” she yells. God, Ukraine is an idiot. “Russia has us. We do what he says, and we are thankful for his protection. That's how it is.”
She turns back to her work, trying not to hiss at the soapy water against her cuts. How did she manage that anyway?
“Bela, please, stop.”
Ukraine sounds like she's about to cry again. Slowly, Belarus obeys. Ukraine wears that broken face she always does - god, if she could only stop it hurting when he sister looks like that.
“...Look, I'm just trying to do my work. You should be doing the same,” she says.
“I have no work. Even the three boys have less. Bela, why do you think Brother Russia does this to you?”
She stiffens at the mention of them - and by implication, him. “I suppose I am more trustworthy than you all. I can't imagine why he would think that.”
“Bela, he's hurting you!”
Rage surges and she slaps her sister across the face. Little streaks of blood land on Ukraine's face, and her eyes are all full of tears now. Of course.
“Belarus...”
“Brother takes care of us, and you should be careful,” she says. “And don't you dare talk as if - as if this is some kind of battle, and we're opposing Ivan, and they and he is on our side-”
“Is that what this is about? Him?” Ukraine asks. “Bela... I know your relationship with Toris has been, well, troubled,” she says. “But I thought you may have come to terms. It's been over a century.”
“I have come to terms,” Belarus tells her. “Didn't you see how many times I have held a knife to that man's throat?”
Ukraine winces. “Belarus, don't.”
“I am okay with my life,” she says. “Don't treat me like a madwoman for it.”
Ukraine inhales heavily. “Belarus, you cannot possibly pretend Russia's treatment of us is right, can you.”
“We're meant to be with him.”
“But look at me and tell me he has treated us well,” Ukraine pleads. “Surely you can't be so ignorant that...”
Belarus stares. Dammit, her sister wants an answer and...
“He's done what he's done,” he says. “He's our brother and we should love him. We should do what he says. It would do you could to remember that. Now, you may take over the laundry if you wish. Thank you, in fact. I have two more tasks to do before I can go to bed.”
---
Notes: The land occupying present-day Belarus belonged to Lithuania. The land occupying most of modern-day Ukraine belonged to Poland. With the union of the two, the Belarusians and Ukrainians were brought back together.
The Belarusians under Lithuanian rule enjoyed considerably less freedom than the Ukrainians under Polish rule. Most of the local nobility was assimilated to the Polish gentry. The people in the lands of the Duchy had their few social freedoms restricted and their taxation increased, which caused many to flee to scarcely populated lands; sometimes settlements put up by other magnates.
Religious conflicts happened. The Polish-Lithuanian rule was now Roman Catholic, and the Ruthenian lands were Eastern Orthodox. The Orthodox hierarchy broke links with the Patriarch of Constantinople and placed themselves under the Pope, sort of like a conversation. A lot of people resisted this though, and the Eastern Orthodox religion was still around, so I divided it between the sisters.
In the 17th century, it was proposed that the Ruthenian lands become their own duchy, making the Polish-Lithuanian Commonwealth the Polish-Lithuanian-Ruthenian Commonwealth. This never happened. More on that later.
People in East Germany tried to escape and go to the west a lot. And official communist theory advocates atheism.
Author: hyperemmalawlz
Fandom: Axis Powers Hetalia
Chapter: 2/3
Characters/Pairing: Lithuania/Belarus (not overly consensually), Belarus/Russia (the same), Ensemble
Word Count: 3790
Rating: R
Summary: It might be forgotten, but Belarus does have a reason to hate Lithuania.
Warnings: swearing, kidnapping and false imprisonment, violence, stalking and sexual harassment.
Author's Notes: Written for hetalia_kink, the prompt: "Lithuania, when the Kievan Rus broke apart and Belarus went to stay with him, was actually quite cruel. I want to see this aspect of their relationship. " Note: strict historical accuracy is not what you're going to find here. Although there's enough I have to put notes down the bottom.
Beloved (or, if Nobody Wins, Who Writes History?)
He keeps to his word, again. She doesn't find any more suspicious stains on her furniture. Now, she just has to anticipate what next terrifying thing he'll do.
She doesn't pay all that much attention to his politics. He makes her spend most of her time working like a peasant, since most of her people are peasants. Still, when he's away for so long, and there are so many overcomplicated conversation to overhear in the middle of the night, she comes to the conclusion something's happening. Once she's finished rejoicing the fact he's gone so much (unfortunately, he's fortified the doors and gotten more guards, so it's not like she can make a break for it just because he's not here).
One day, she's minding her own business (sewing herself a new dress, one distinctly unrevealing and not particularly flattering), when Toris comes in. “Natalya?”
“What do you want?” she asks. “Besides the obvious.”
He actually smiles at that. “Natalya, there's someone I need you to meet. Poland...?”
She frowns, and soon a man walks in through the door. “Hey,” he says. In fact, now she thinks about it 'man' may be overstating it a little. He looks almost like a woman, and sounds a lot like one too. However, the shape of his body assures her he is in fact a man (not to mention, she doubts if her were a woman he'd command enough respect to get specifically introduced to anyone). “So you're like, Natalya, right? I'm Feliks. The Kingdom of Poland.” He stands a little straighter.
“Hi. Yes, I'm Natalya.” Then she turns to Toris. “Okay, is there any purpose to this? Or are you just dragging your friends in to annoy me and stop me working?”
“Natalya, there's a lot of purpose to this,” says Toris. He sighs. “Poland and I... I suppose we've become one country. The Polish-Lithuanian commonwealth.”
Natalya's eyes go wide. “You got married?”
Poland looks somewhere between amused and uncomfortable, and Toris coughs awkwardly. “Our monarchs did. We're just... our countries have... become one.”
“Uh-huh.” She knows she shouldn't get her hopes up, but - Toris marrying someone else, anyone else, has to be a sign that his obsession with her is easing, right? And if his obsession ends, maybe he'll let her go.
She's snapped out of her reverie by another voice from the doorway. “Natalya?”
Poland looks worried. “Whoa, Kat-”
“Natalya!” She is suddenly assaulted by someone flinging their arms around her and holding on tight, crying on her shoulder - when Natalya pays attention, she gasps. Only one person has breasts that unnecessarily large. “...Katayusha?” she whispers, scarcely able to believe it.
Katayusha pulls back, nodding and smiling tearfully. “Yes. It's me. And - Natalya, you look as beautiful as ever.” Katayusha kisses her on the forehead, and and Natalya smiles herself.
Poland gives them a look. “...Erm, is this a private moment? 'Cause we could leave you alone.”
Natalya glares at him from over Katayusha's shoulder. “She's my sister.”
“Oh,” says Poland, and Natalya turns back to her.
“Where is Brother Ivan?”
Katayusha visibly deflates. “...He is separate now. Not ruled by anyone. Did you not know?”
“...Oh.” She's sure, on some level, she did know. She just forced herself to forget it. Because Ivan - it always seemed like he could protect her, let her stay with him if he got the chance. Katayusha was meant to do that, but in the end, it fell apart.
Still, she is reunited with her sister, and she should be grateful.
However, the look on Toris's face gives he pause. “Poland, could you please take your territory...?”
Natalya gapes. He can't!
“Toris - It's alright, I'll let you see her later,” Toris tell her as Katayusha slowly pulls herself up and away. “I just think we have to stay separate while doing this whole integration thing. It won't take long, I promise.”
“...I see.”
“Um, alright then,” says Poland. “'Kay, let's go then Kat.”
“Goodbye, sister! I will see you again!” Katayusha calls as she has to leave with Poland, and Toris lays a hand on Natalya's shoulder.
“Well, I wasn't quite expecting that.”
Natalya swallows. “Neither was I.”
*
“Belarus?”
She looks up. “Sister, hello,” she says. “Come here, help me with these clothes.”
She's pushing clothes into soapy water, and Ukraine comes over to help her. “So... how are you, sister?”
“”I'm fine,” she answers.
Ukraine nods. “The Baltic states said you had been acting strangely lately.”
She clenches her hands in the water. “All of them?”
“...I'm not sure.”
Belarus shakes her head. “Whatever.”
“...Sister, is there something wrong!”
“No!” she insists. “I am perfectly fine, and would rather you work than interrogate me.”
There's a pause. “...Do you remember being independent, Bela?”
She snorts. “I was only independent for a year, sister, and most of the world didn't even agree; I hardly think that counts.”
“...Uh-huh,” says Ukraine. “Well... I don't know.”
“I'm happy here,” she says. “Brother Russia takes care of us, doesn't he?”
Ukraine winces. “Bela...”
“What?”
She sighs. “Nothing. Just... be careful.”
“Of what?”
*
She's fairly certain she doesn't have much freedom. She's spoken to Katyusha, and apparently Poland acts better than Toris has ever done to her. Not that it's surprising. Poland is less insane, so these things happen.
Natalya's busying herself with farmwork outside when Toris approaches her. Despite herself, she can't help but recoil from the height of his figure above her. “Did you want something?”
“This work. Why do you still do it?” he asks. “I haven't asked you to; plenty of servants around the house could - why do you do this?”
She shrugs. “It's what my people do. I won't ignore them for what makes my life easier.”
“That's not true. You do have nobility who have never done this sort of thing-”
“And also who have all run off with your friend, and forgotten all about me. Yeah, I'll stick with the serfs.”
There's a pause. “Anyway, I needed to ask you for something.”
“I don't know what I have that you haven't already taken, but-”
“I need more money.”
“And I am meant to help-”
“I mean in the form of taxation,” he explains.
She gulps hard. My people don't want to be here; the only ones who even live good lives are the ones who've forgotten about me, why do you think you can-
“Very well,” she says. “This will be mostly symbolic, but my purse is in the chair a little that way,” she points vaguely west. He looks confused.
“You won't resist?”
She grits her teeth. “You own me and my people. What would be point.”
Toris leans over slightly, threading his fingers through her hair, and she cringes away. Fuck. What did he just think I meant...?
“Thank you,” he says. “You'll understand someday.”
“Just take the money and let me work.”
*
“I love you, you know.”
She almost drops her big brother's plate.
She gasps and catches it immediately, trying to face Lithuania at the same time. He seems somewhat amused. “So, I can still surprise you?”
“Of course I am not surprised.” How could she be; he only spent the best part of five centuries telling her that, after all. “But why are you saying this now?”
He shrugs. “Look, Bela, I know what happened was... But, well... we're not exactly captor and prisoner anymore. We're both just... here. And I thought, if I told you, things could be better this time, that's all.”
She narrows her eyes, and he takes a few cautious steps forward.
She spits in his face.
“You have no idea what Big Brother does for you, for all of us, and you should watch your filthy mouth,” she tells him. “And you will never speak of that time when I was part of your land again. It is ancient history, do you understand? Your glory days are gone.”
“Bela...”
Her nerves are seizing and to comfort herself, she reaches behind for a sturdy kitchen knife and aims it at him.
“Go away now.”
“Belarus, calm down-!”
“Leave. Go do whatever it is you're meant to be good for anyway.”
*
“What are you doing?”
“Ah!” A hand grabs her wrist and waist and she falls down quickly. Toris holds onto her and no matter how she struggles, she can't escape the grip.
“I said,” he spins her around, disturbingly close to her face, “what are you doing?”
She looks up at her open window; the maps lying about. “I was escaping, what does it look like?” She says defiantly.
His nails dig into her sides, and she forces herself not to wince. “Why?” he asks.
She snorts. “After all this time, do you really need to ask?” He grabs tighter. “Could you stop that? It hurts.”
He raises a hand to her face. “Natalya, why?” he says. “After all this time, haven't you accepted things?”
She glares. “You hold me captive. You oppress my people. You're disturbingly obsessed with me. I... I can't even see my brother when I'm with you.” She trails off at the end, stinging like she always does when she allows herself to think of her brother. “Why should I accept you?”
His face twists into an ugly snarl. He grabs her tighter and slams her against the wall.
“Is that what you want? To go running back to him?!” he shouts. Natalya's taken by surprise, and struggles against his grip. “Do you think he'd be better to you than me? No. Natalya, he is insane. He would destroy you. You must know that.”
“Because you have so much credibility when it comes to determining sanity - ow!” He grips harder, determined to bruise, and she can't help but flinch. “Stop, you're hurting me!”
“You're hurting yourself,” he whispers. She stares. “You have to stay with us. You won't be treated better anywhere else. Certainly not with him.”
“I'll take me chances,” she says. “Besides, I don't know where Ivan is. I wasn't even running to him.”
“...Then where were you going?”
She sighs. “...Some of my people - the rich ones, those few who haven't forgotten about me - have made their own settlements. The people are running to them. I thought, might as well.”
“...Really? After all this time, you chose to try and escape now?”
“I represent my people.”
Toris lets her go. She slumps down against the wall.
“Wait here,” he says as he gets up to close the window. “The guards will get here soon, and they'll escort you back to your room. I will have to restrict your freedoms for awhile, you understand.”
“How completely and utterly surprising.”
*
“Why is he here?”
Belarus stares suspiciously through the doorway, where the Prussia is lying on their couch. He seems scratched and bruised.
“He tried to escape again,” she hears Lithuania's voice coming from behind her, and jumps. “Russia brought him here too... punish him, I suppose.”
Lithuania's eyes are strange, and Belarus starts to get that feeling she gets when she's alone with him for too long. So she puts an end to it.
“Very well then,” she says.
And she struts out to where Prussia lies.
“Why are you on our couch?” she asks bluntly.
He shrugs. “Hey, I'm a satellite state. I should get perks. Couch counts,” he raises a bottle to his lips. “So does booze.”
She rolls her eyes and sits down next to him. “So, I heard you try to escape again.”
“Yeah.”
“Why?”
He gives her a look. “Why do I always try to escape? Why does anyone? I don't wanna be here.”
“You're ungrateful,” she says. “After all Brother Russia has done for us all...”
He snorts. “You're kidding, right?”
“No. Why?”
“Seriously? That's actually what you think? 'Cause, uh, I came here before your bro got me like this, and I remember - when we showed up, your people weren't so fond of being with 'Brother Russia'. I mean, before we went all psycho on you. Sorry 'bout that, by the way.”
She stiffens. “That was my people, not me.”
“Don't think there's meant to be that much of a difference.”
She doesn't know what to say to that. So she says nothing.
He offers the the bottle. “Drink?”
“Thank you.”
*
“Sister, you cannot seriously be considering doing this.”
Katyusha looks tired, and hurt, and sighs. “What choice do we have?”
“We can say no.” Poland and Toris have sent Katyusha to her to convince her to do this, this conversion, away from her actual faith, but she refuses to let it work.
They can take everything from her but God.
“It wouldn't be good to fall so heavily under Moscow's control,” Katyusha says, fidgeting with the buttons of her dress. “That's why they're doing it, really.”
“I'd rather be under our brother's control than those bastards!” Natalya shouts. “I never wanted to leave, remember.”
Katyusha sighs. “I don't think Ivan would treat you much kinder than now. Things have... changed. From what I understand, Poland treats me a lot better than Ivan treats, well...”
“Poland does,” Natalya says, trying not to choke. “You don't know me. What happens... Toris is a madman with an obsession; you must know that.”
“Yes, but...” Katyusha sighs. “If we can't escape, is there really much of a point in resisting?”
Natalya swallows hard. She knows the sort of thing Toris truly wants from her, and maybe if she just gave in he would...
“Yes. There's a point. There must be.”
Katyusha bites her lip. “I see,” she says. “Then, I guess we must agree to disagree.”
*
She catches him on his knees, eyes closed, hands together in front of his face.
It takes her a moment to remember what that means.
“Lithuania! What on Earth are you doing?!”
“Belarus!” he snaps out of it, staring at her like she's the wolf and he's the lamb. “Oh - please don't tell Russia about this!”
She should. She should tell her brother and let him punish Lithuania for such a disobedience; this is exactly what their true beliefs fight against, and she can't just let him get away with...
But she needs to know. Something. She's not sure what.
“I shall not tell him.” And she looks away before he can possibly give her that sickening expression again; the one that makes him seem like an innocent child. “But what are you... praying? You know we have no religion; that the ideas of Marx and Engels and Lenin...”
“I know, I know,” he says. “I just... I believe.”
She nods slowly. “I see,” she says. “Your friends do not.”
“I know that,” he says. “What about you?”
“I believe what we are told to,” she says. “For and in the glory of the USSR.”
He smiles slightly. There's an awkward pause.
“Do you ever pray for me?”
He coughs. “Pardon?”
She inhales. “Do you ever pray for me?”
“...What exactly do you mean by 'for'?”
“I'm not sure,” she says honestly. “You might have to just tell me.”
He sighs, and turns away from her again. “I wish things would change for you, sometimes,” he says. “The way you are... You'll tear yourself apart someday, Belarus. That or Russia will.”
“I do not need your protection. I wouldn't accept it.”
“That's good, because I don't have much to offer.”
*
“So what are we doing now?”
“Hey!” Poland comes bursting through the door, Toris trailing fast behind. Natalya narrows her eyes. “So, we, uh, really need to talk to you about something.”
She folds her arms over her chest. “What?”
Toris and Poland share a look. “We have an idea,” says Poland.
“An offer.”
“Okay, so you guys are like, sisters or whatever, and kinda function together because... whatever.”
“But technically you're part of us,” Lithuania says. “And you're separate.”
“Is there a point to this?”
“Sister.” Katyusha squeezes her hand, and Natalya gives her a look.
“What? I want to hear the important bit.”
“Anyway,” says Lithuania, “we decided... we should make you a separate part.”
“The Duchy of Ruthenia. That's what you're called when we put you together, right?” Poland asks.
“Anyway, you would be - well, another Duchy. Still part of the Commonwealth, of course, but... how does that sound?”
“I - that sounds fantastic!” Katyusha's wearing that creepy grin again; the one that makes it seem like her face might split in half. Some part of Natalya wants to do the same, but she remembers - this is Toris. The madman.
“What's the catch?”
“Huh?” Poland looks a little hurt.
“Don't worry; my question's directed at him more than you,” she says, before narrowing her gaze on Toris. “A little more freedom would mean the world to me; you know that. What exactly are you expecting of me in return for this.”
Poland looks awkwardly at her sister, who shrugs. Toris sighs and steps forward. “Nothing, Natalya.”
She raises an eyebrow. “Really?”
“You and I both know how I feel about you,” he says. “I won't let you go. But... I don't expect your feelings for me to change anytime soon. And I... I do want you to be happy. Happier, at least. So if somewhat more freedom will do that... very well.”
“Er... okay, weird,” Poland feels the need to commentate.
“You're buying me off,” Natalya tells him. “Giving me 'a little' freedom to make me behave?”
“Sister,” Ukraine squeezes her hand again.
“Of course,” Toris tells her. “Question is, do you accept?”
“Well, yes.” And she finds herself smiling. “Thank you.”
*
“Bela?”
She sighs in annoyance. “What is it? I'm working.”
“You've been doing the laundry for hours.”
“There's a lot of laundry.”
Ukraine comes closer to her. “Um, your hands are bloody and that's getting into the water.”
“What?” She looks down. “Fuck! Shit, what is Brother going to say?”
“Don't worry about that,” Ukraine says quickly - too quickly. She pulls Belarus's hands out of the water fast enough to make her jump. “I mean... I'll redo the laundry, don't you worry about it. Russia needn't know. Just... you need to rest.”
“I'm not tired.”
“It's almost three in the morning.”
She inhales deeply. “Brother wanted me to do the laundry.”
“Brother gave you at least eight tasks today; he gave me nothing. You should have asked for help.”
“He would have punished us.”
“Not if he didn't know.”
“This is practically treason!” she yells. God, Ukraine is an idiot. “Russia has us. We do what he says, and we are thankful for his protection. That's how it is.”
She turns back to her work, trying not to hiss at the soapy water against her cuts. How did she manage that anyway?
“Bela, please, stop.”
Ukraine sounds like she's about to cry again. Slowly, Belarus obeys. Ukraine wears that broken face she always does - god, if she could only stop it hurting when he sister looks like that.
“...Look, I'm just trying to do my work. You should be doing the same,” she says.
“I have no work. Even the three boys have less. Bela, why do you think Brother Russia does this to you?”
She stiffens at the mention of them - and by implication, him. “I suppose I am more trustworthy than you all. I can't imagine why he would think that.”
“Bela, he's hurting you!”
Rage surges and she slaps her sister across the face. Little streaks of blood land on Ukraine's face, and her eyes are all full of tears now. Of course.
“Belarus...”
“Brother takes care of us, and you should be careful,” she says. “And don't you dare talk as if - as if this is some kind of battle, and we're opposing Ivan, and they and he is on our side-”
“Is that what this is about? Him?” Ukraine asks. “Bela... I know your relationship with Toris has been, well, troubled,” she says. “But I thought you may have come to terms. It's been over a century.”
“I have come to terms,” Belarus tells her. “Didn't you see how many times I have held a knife to that man's throat?”
Ukraine winces. “Belarus, don't.”
“I am okay with my life,” she says. “Don't treat me like a madwoman for it.”
Ukraine inhales heavily. “Belarus, you cannot possibly pretend Russia's treatment of us is right, can you.”
“We're meant to be with him.”
“But look at me and tell me he has treated us well,” Ukraine pleads. “Surely you can't be so ignorant that...”
Belarus stares. Dammit, her sister wants an answer and...
“He's done what he's done,” he says. “He's our brother and we should love him. We should do what he says. It would do you could to remember that. Now, you may take over the laundry if you wish. Thank you, in fact. I have two more tasks to do before I can go to bed.”
---
Notes: The land occupying present-day Belarus belonged to Lithuania. The land occupying most of modern-day Ukraine belonged to Poland. With the union of the two, the Belarusians and Ukrainians were brought back together.
The Belarusians under Lithuanian rule enjoyed considerably less freedom than the Ukrainians under Polish rule. Most of the local nobility was assimilated to the Polish gentry. The people in the lands of the Duchy had their few social freedoms restricted and their taxation increased, which caused many to flee to scarcely populated lands; sometimes settlements put up by other magnates.
Religious conflicts happened. The Polish-Lithuanian rule was now Roman Catholic, and the Ruthenian lands were Eastern Orthodox. The Orthodox hierarchy broke links with the Patriarch of Constantinople and placed themselves under the Pope, sort of like a conversation. A lot of people resisted this though, and the Eastern Orthodox religion was still around, so I divided it between the sisters.
In the 17th century, it was proposed that the Ruthenian lands become their own duchy, making the Polish-Lithuanian Commonwealth the Polish-Lithuanian-Ruthenian Commonwealth. This never happened. More on that later.
People in East Germany tried to escape and go to the west a lot. And official communist theory advocates atheism.