Brothers Dearest 2
Title: Brothers Dearest part the second
Author: ...duh
Words: 5112 according to my word counter.
Theme: Fairy Tale
Pairing(s)/Characters: Russia/America, a bit of Canada/Ukraine, England mentioned, Belarus, Sealand later. All human names.
Summary: Alfred ran away from home one night with his brother, but ended up caring for his cursed sibling, hiding out in the King's Forest until the King found them one day. Then his life really got interesting. Really interesting. Terminally interesting
Alfred sat stiffly in one of Ivan’s armchairs as the large man sprawled in the other, his legs spread wide as he leaned his head back with a sigh of relief. Ivan brought his hand up and ran it through his hair a few times before looking back at the blond boy. “You can relax, Alfred. No one is here to see us.”
Alfred leaned back in the chair slightly, his hands still resting on top of his knees, his feet planted firmly on the floor. “But…why am I here? I thought you said you were going to take me to a different room.”
Ivan sat up and leaned forward slightly. “Because I want to speak with you, Alfred. I cannot do that if we are in different rooms.”
Alfred pursed his lips and stared at Ivan for a moment, then nodded. “Yeah. Okay. I get it.” After a few more moments of silence, the young man shook his head. “Sorry. I lied. I don’t get it. Why do you want to talk to me? Are you going to punish me for before?”
Ivan shook his head and toed his boots off, kicking them off to one side. “No. I just want to talk. I still don’t know what to do with you. How long were you living in my cabin? Why did you choose my forest?”
Alfred shrugged and stared at his hands. “Because it happened to be in the direction we were going? It’s not like I meant to hide out in someone else’s forest. I didn’t think you could even own a forest. It’s just some trees and animals and they don’t stay together nice like a house or something…”
“An interesting point of view, certainly…” Ivan replied, drumming his fingers on his armrest. “Even though my family has owned it for generations.” He glanced up as a servant entered the room with a bottle and nodded at the man briefly.
The servant set the bottle on the small table between the chairs before hurrying out again. Ivan levered himself out of his chair with a soft grunt and snagged two mugs from the mantle. “Would you like some?” he asked as he dropped into his chair again, reaching for the bottle.
Alfred glanced at the colored glass and nodded. “I guess I’ll try it.”
Ivan poured the two mugs full of wine and handed one to Alfred before sitting down again, drinking deeply from his cup. “And how long did you say you were living in my cabin?” he asked again, crossing one leg over the other comfortably.
Alfred shrugged and held his mug with both hands as he took a small sip. “I dunno. A year? Maybe two? I didn’t really keep track of the days.”
Ivan felt his eyebrows arch up. “Hm. I will have to speak with my guards about the…thoroughness of their patrols.” He paused for a moment as he replayed the boy’s words in his mind. “…you do not remember how many years you were living there?”
“Not really,” Alfred said. “I wasn’t really counting. It was just…days. Cold days and hot days and rainy days and days when Matt would go out and chase the other deer.”
“Then what were you planning to do there?” Ivan watched the other man’s face as he took another sip.
“Nothing. Just get by. Matt had enough to eat and drink, so I just had to take care of myself and our…your house.” Alfred’s face flushed light pink as he finished his first mug of wine. “That…that was pretty good. Can I have some more?”
Ivan gestured at the bottle. “Please. So how would you like to have a job here? You would be given the same considerations as the other servants, of course. A room, food, modest pay.”
“Doing what?” Alfred glanced up sharply as he reached for the bottle, his fingers paused inches from the neck.
Ivan tapped one finger against the side of his cup as he considered the question. “Perhaps as a manservant. Some say I have been too long without a manservant. I say that I am capable of dressing myself,” he said before his brain stopped him. He cursed silently and set his mug on the table.
“So…all it would be is dressing you and…you can do that yourself? What would I do, then?” Alfred frowned in confusion as he watched the larger man.
Ivan waved his hand dismissively. “That is not the only duty, but it is the biggest. Your other duty would be to attend me.” When he saw the confusion deepen, he sighed. “You would follow me around and do whatever I told you to do.”
Alfred’s face immediately cleared as he broke into a sunny smile. “Oh. That. Yeah. I can do that no problem! I just did that all day today. Well, except for when I followed that other guy, but you told me to do that, so that counted, too. So I get to live here and just do like today every day?”
Ivan nodded with a small smile. “Yes. Though you will have to sleep in my rooms. I might need something in the night. Is that acceptable?”
Alfred nodded eagerly and drank down the rest of his wine, laughing nervously. “Yeah! This is great! I thought I’d be stuck in the dungeon until I died. So…am I sleeping with you tonight or do I start tomorrow?”
Ivan coughed, hoping that the dim firelight hid his blush. “Well, you can start tonight if you want. I have some spare night dresses if you want to change.”
Alfred set his mug next to the bottle and sat on the edge of his seat. “But if I’m your…your…what was it?”
“Manservant,” Ivan replied calmly.
“Yeah. That. If I’m your manserver, shouldn’t I wait for you to change before I do?”
Ivan smiled and leaned forward to look Alfred in the eye. “Oddly enough, I think it is about time I went to bed. Come along, Alfred.” He stood up and walked into his bedroom with Alfred still trailing behind him. He gestured at the large wooden cabinet beside the bed. “That is the wardrobe. Pick out two robes and bring one to me.”
Alfred grinned eagerly, then nodded to Ivan like he had seen other servants doing and flung the doors open so hard that they bounced back on their hinges. He looked at the rows and shelves of brightly colored clothes for a few moments before he found the night gowns. He grabbed the first two and kicked one of the doors shut as he handed it to Ivan.
Ivan took it and looked at the wardrobe with a slight cringe playing around his face still. “Perhaps a bit gentler next time, Alfred,” he suggested, disappearing behind a modesty screen.
Alfred flushed at the reprimand and went back to carefully shut the other door. “Sorry,” he muttered as he tugged at the collar on his shirt, grimacing. He watched layer after layer of clothing appear over the edge of the screen, hanging there as the older man stripped.
Finally, he started shifting from foot to foot as he waited. “Ivan?”
“Yes?”
“…is it okay if I don’t use that…that thing to change? These clothes feel weird.” Alfred ran a finger under his collar, trying to loosen its hold on his neck.
Ivan paused with his hose halfway down his legs and looked at the wooden screen where the boy’s voice had come from. “Just wait a few more moments, Alfred. I am almost done,” he replied, quickly pulling his feet out and reaching for his nightgown.
Alfred just made an impatient noise and started jogging in place as he watched the last of the clothes appear over the screen, followed shortly by Ivan. The older man climbed up onto the large poster bed and smiled at the boy. “You can change, now. You do not have to use the modesty screen if you don’t want.”
Alfred planted both feet on the ground again and quickly pulled off the shirt to show his sleekly muscled chest, tossing the clothes to land on top of Ivan’s. He toed off the tight shoes, peeled off the breeches, and finally shoved his hose down to his ankles with one thrust.
He stretched and took a deep breath as he freed himself from the clothes, still not noticing the eager looks Ivan gave him. He finally picked up his nightgown, after he finished his stretches, and he dropped it on over his head. “So, where am I supposed to sleep?”
Ivan broke out of his reverie and looked up into the deep blue eyes. “Well, I don’t have a manservant’s bed right now, so you will have to share my bed for now.” He pulled back the covers and gestured at the spot next to him.
Alfred nodded and grinned, taking a running dive onto the mattress so he plowed into the older man, knocking him over with a delighted laugh. Ivan brushed his hair out of his face and looked up at Alfred as the boy climbed off him. “What was that?” he asked, levering himself to a sitting position as Alfred sat next to him.
“Sorry,” the blond said with a smile still on his face. “That’s just how I get into bed. I did it all the time when Matt and I were sleeping together.”
“You…slept with your brother?” Ivan asked with an eyebrow raised curiously.
“Well, yeah. We only had two beds, so I slept with Matt and Arthur slept in the other bed with Peter.” Alfred bounced eagerly on the bed, running his hands along the sheets, the blankets, the pillows. “But this is way nicer than our old bed.”
Ivan sighed as he finally realized that Alfred had misunderstood him. He reached out and gently cupped the other boy’s chin, tilting it up to face him. “Good night, Alfred,” he whispered before kissing Alfred deeply.
Alfred frowned and touched his lips after Ivan broke away. “What was that?”
Ivan shrugged slightly, pulling the covers up around his chest. “It was just how we say good night.”
Alfred watched as Ivan laid down and closed his eyes with a sigh. He glanced around the room, then leaned down and returned the gesture. “Good night, Ivan,” he said before lying next to the older man, pressing against his side.
Ivan rolled onto one side and looked at the blond boy facing him, his eyes already closed as he prepared for sleep. He reached behind him absently and tugged the curtains closed around them. He still waited for a few moments to make sure no other servants would intrude before he placed a gentle hand on Alfred’s thigh, feeling the warm skin through the quickly warming fabric.
He slowly hitched up the fabric with one hand until he felt the soft skin against his palm, then looked back at Alfred’s face to see his blue eyes open and staring at him. “…what are you doing?” Alfred whispered in the darkness.
Ivan slipped his hand higher up the thigh until he felt the rough hairs between Alfred’s legs. “This is another way we say good night. A special way. Only the royal family can use it,” he answered, running his finger over the silky smooth skin, feeling it swell under his touches.
Alfred closed his eyes and whimpered softly in response.
“Does that feel good?” Ivan whispered, still teasing the soft skin.
Alfred bit down on his lip and nodded with his eyes shut.
“You can try it, too, if you’d like,” Ivan said, slipping his fingers down between Alfred’s legs.
“Do you want me to?” Alfred whispered back.
“I would like that very much, Alfred,” Ivan replied, then closed his eyes as he felt hands on him, too. Soon, neither of them was aware of anything outside of their dreams.
When Ivan woke the next morning, he glanced at the sheets next to him where Alfred lay with his limbs sprawled across the mattress, only half of him covered by the blankets. He smiled as he watched the blond for a minute, moving restlessly as he slept. Ivan bent down and laid a kiss on Alfred’s forehead.
“Enjoy your dreams,” he whispered, brushing the hair off the boy’s face before climbing out of bed to start his day.
Alfred awoke several hours later as a young servant boy shook his frantically. “Sir!” he cried, shaking the blond as hard as he could.
Alfred opened his eyes and focused on the young boy, though only with considerable effort. “…wha…what time’s it?” he mumbled sleepily.
The servant stepped back when he saw that Alfred was awake. “It’s gone noon, sir, but that’s-”
Alfred’s eyes flew open as he stumbled out of bed, falling onto his hands and knees on the floor as his legs got tangled in the unfamiliar night clothes. He pulled himself to his feet with the bed post and hurried over to the wardrobe, cursing as he walked.
He opened the door and realized that none of the clothes in there were his and he would probably get in trouble for wearing them. He turned to the servant boy with wide eyes. “Where do you get your clothes from? I’m supposed to be following Ivan around and if I don’t, he’ll get angry and throw me in the dungeon and I need clothes right now!”
The servant boy jumped slightly when Alfred yelled, then dashed out of the room, only to return minutes later carrying a bundle of cloth. He turned his face with a blush as the other man stripped out of his nightgown in front of him. “I-I…sir…it’s not that. The king left orders not to wake you except…”
Alfred paused in the middle of pulling his pants on and looked at the boy expectantly. “…except?”
“T-the stable master gave orders that we was to wake you, sir. It’s your pe-your deer, sir. He’s gone mad! He’s kicking the walls of his stall and he’s trying to jump out and he’s trying to bite everyone that gets close!”
Alfred’s face suddenly went white and he tried to run off with his pants still around his knees. After another painful fall, he picked himself up and carefully finished dressing before running out of the room, the servant boy running behind him.
He turned a corner at a dead run, but slowed to a stop as he heard the boy’s voice cry “This way, sir!” He turned around and sprinted after the servant boy this time.
He entered the stables at a dead run, pushing past stable hands as he followed Matthew’s distressed cries. He slid to a stop in front of his brother’s stall and leaned over the wall “Matt! Matt. Calm down. I’m here. It’s okay. See?”
Matthew glanced up at his brother and stopped lashing out, his sides heaving as he tried to catch his breath. He slowly approached the wall and reached up to snuffle Al’s cheek. Alfred grabbed Matthew’s head and hugged it close to his chest, stroking his neck gently. “It’s okay, Matt. Everything’s fine. It’s better than fine! Ivan gave me a job working for him. He said I was a manserver and because he can dress himself, all I have to do is follow him around all day and do whatever he says and sleep in his room, but he doesn’t have a bed for me so I had to sleep in his bed and he showed me a fun new way to say goodnight where he put his hand in my nightgown and touched my legs and then-”
Matthew snorted and butted Alfred’s chest gently before pulling away to look at him with his large brown eyes. He walked over to the door of his stall and pushed against it with his budding antlers before looking back at his brother.
“I’ll ask him, Matt, but I don’t know what he’ll say, since I slept so late this morning…” He watched as his brother padded back to the corner and flopped down on his pile of straw. “…so are you okay? Because I have to get to work. I don’t want you trying to bite the workers again, Matt. That’s not nice. You know you’re too old to throw tantrums.”
Matthew snapped his teeth in Alfred’s direction, then snorted and laid his head down on the ground, ignoring the other boy. Alfred stuck out his tongue at Matthew. “Fine. Be like that. I’m gonna go find Ivan. And maybe I won’t ask him about letting you out sometimes.”
Alfred turned and strode out of the stables as Matthew lifted his head to watch him go.
Arthur looked up from his book as he heard a pounding on the front door. He looked at the young boy fidgeting in the other chair, trying to concentrate on another book. “Answer the door,” he said shortly and watched as the blond boy jumped out of his chair, his feet pounding on the floor as he ran to the other side of the house.
Seconds after the door opened, Peter ran back and stood by Arthur, jabbing his cheek with one finger, grinning cheekily. “It’s for you, Art,” he chirped merrily, then added under his breath, “you damn bastard.”
Arthur smacked the boy’s head with the flat of his palm as he stood up. “I’ve told you about using that language. Now, who the hell is at the door? I told you to turn away the beggars.”
Peter just grinned and shrugged innocently. “You should go see if you care that much,” he replied with his grin still on his face.
Arthur glowered at the boy and pinched his ear sharply before stalking off to the door, muttering quietly to himself. He took one look at the young woman standing just inside the door, her platinum hair worn down and her dress speaking volumes about her riches. He sighed and reached out to snatch a colored crystal bottle from a small table.
He held the bottle out to her with a bored look on his face. “It’s one silver for the standard potion, two silver for double potency. Guaranteed to make him fall for you.”
Natalia snarled and slapped the bottle from the man’s hand, sending it clattering to the floor. “I’m not here for your potions and cheap tricks, you second rate illusionist,” she said, her dark blue eyes narrowing.
Arthur bent to snatch the bottle from the floor as he glared at the girl. “Then what the bloody hell are you here for?”
She leaned forward until she was inches from his face, pressing the dull side of a knife against his throat. “You will not speak to a princess of the crown in that manner,” she whispered coldly.
He grabbed her shoulders and shoved her and her knife away from him. “I’ll speak to you any damn way I please, you rude strumpet. Now tell me why you came here before something…undesirable happens.”
She held his gaze for several long seconds before she slipped her knife back into the folds of her dress. “I have a proposition for you,” she said, straightening haughtily.
He looked her over from head to hem, then shook his head. “No thanks. You’re not my type.”
“That’s not what I meant,” she spat out with a disgusted look on her face. “I’m talking about Alfred, you self-important idiot.”
Arthur stepped back and settled himself on a chair with his legs crossed at the knees. “I’m listening…”
Ivan smiled as he woke and leaned over to kiss Alfred gently. The boy’s eyes fluttered open as Ivan pulled away and looked at the older man sleepily. “What’s that for?” he mumbled, still mostly asleep.
Ivan stroked the soft hair as he sat up. “I have duties,” he said shortly, but warmly. “I was simply saying farewell.”
Alfred made a soft noise as he rolled over onto his side. “…if it’s like your goodnights, I can’t now…” he muttered, pulling the pillow close to himself.
Ivan pulled the covers up to the boy’s shoulder and pressed another kiss on his cheek. “Sleep well, Alfred. I will see you later.”
Alfred grunted as Ivan climbed out of bed and was snoring again before the older man finished dressing. Ivan left the room with a small smile on his face. Natalia stood just down the hall from his room and watched him leave, gripping the handle of her knife tighter.
She forced herself to stay still, her fingernails biting into the wooden handle as she waited, to make sure her brother was gone and that Alfred was still asleep. She finally walked down the hall, her head held high and her knife concealed in one voluminous sleeve.
She pushed her way into Ivan’s suite and stood by his large bed, looking at the blond boy laying there innocently. She sneered and climbed onto the bed to lean over him. The knife flipped around in her hand so the point was facing Alfred, then she rested the edge against his neck, applied pressure just so, and sliced his neck open from side to side with almost surgical precision.
She moved back as he bled all over the sheets and pillow, his eyes snapping open and locking with hers as he struggled to breathe. She pulled her handkerchief out of her top and wiped the knife clean before looking at the stains on her clothes. “Stupid peasant. You aren’t supposed to bleed like that. This was one of my favorite dresses, too.”
When the young man finally stopped moving she moved to stand over him, giving him a disdainful look. “Peasant? Are you still alive?” she asked. When there was no answer, she grabbed the body with both hands and dragged it to the window, shoving it head first through the opening. She stripped the bloodied bedding from the mattress and threw it out the window behind Alfred.
Panting, and a bit ragged around the edges, she left her brother’s suite and went to change into clean clothes.
One she had cleaned up, Natalia left her room and grabbed the first servant she saw as she stalked the halls. She looked at him with her cold blue eyes and said “The King’s bed needs new bedding.”
The servant bowed quickly and hurried off as soon as she let go of him. She watched him go, then took off at a brisk walk to the stables. She plastered a sweet smile on her face as she approached Matthew’s stall, standing well back from the wall.
“Well, beast, it appears as if your owner has met an unfortunate end…” she whispered, watching his ears perk up. “I’m sure it will take some convincing, but you will end up where you belong, you idiot animal. After all this comfortable living, I’m sure you’re nice and tender…”
Matthew flared his nostrils, then lowered his head and rammed into the wall between them, crying out in frustration when he couldn’t reach her. He kept head-butting the sides of his stall as she walked away with a short, sharp laugh.
Ivan glanced up as he heard hurried footsteps and smiled when he saw Alfred approach, still tugging his shirt into place. He reached out to brush the boy’s hand gently and look into his blue eyes. “Did you sleep well?”
The blond glanced around nervously, then pulled his hand away from Ivan to tug his shirt back down again. “What? Oh…oh, yeah. I slept fine. Great.” He fell silent for a moment, fidgeting in his spot by Ivan’s shoulder. “I…I have to go. I’m…uh…really hungry.”
“Of course, Alfred,” Ivan said with a dismissive gesture.
The young man hurried off into the hall, clutching the front of his shirt. He moved through the corridors quickly until he found who he was looking for. He stopped in front of the shaggy-haired blond and looked down at himself, playing with his clothes. “I can’t do this,” he whined, looking up at the sharp green eyes. “It feels too weird.”
Arthur slapped the boy’s hands away from the fabric. “You damn well will do this, you bloody pest!” he hissed. “Now stop fidgeting and get back there! I don’t want him suspecting anything!”
Peter glowered at the older man and stamped his foot on the floor. “I don’t wanna!”
The older man gave his son a cold glare. “You will get back in that room this instant and you will do what the man says, do I make myself clear?”
Peter turned his head down and glared at his feet. “Yes, sir…” he muttered rebelliously.
Alfred stood up and looked around, frowning as he noticed that he was in a remote corner of the castle gardens. He brushed off his nightgown and wandered off in search of a castle entrance. He glanced up at the sky as he walked, biting his lip when he realized that it was already mid-afternoon and he hadn’t even started work. Instead he was wandering around the gardens in his nightgown with no clue how he had got there.
His face brightened as he stepped into a shade garden and saw Matthew lying on the ground with his head in Ekaterina’s lap as she did her embroidery. He jumped up and down on the grass and waved his arms. “Matt! Katya! Hey!” he yelled with a wide grin on his face, running over to the small group of ladies. Only Matthew raised his head to look at the oncoming figure.
Alfred dropped to his knees next to Matt and hugged him. “Matt, thank God I found you! I’m lost! Can you help me get back to my room?” He looked around at the women, still bent over their embroidery frames. “…anyone? Katya?” He waved his hand in front of her face.
Matthew snorted and picked his head off the princess’ skirts to shove his brother in the chest. Alfred fell back and frowned at the deer. “Ow! What did you do that for, Matt? I didn’t do anything to you! I just want to get back to my room!” He picked himself and walked over to Ekaterina again, only to be met by his brother’s antlers again.
He stepped back, his hand coming up to his chest with a hurt look on his face. “Stop it, Matt! I just want some help! Why are you suddenly attacking me?” He approached yet again and got antlers in his chest again. “Seriously, Matt, stop that! It really…really…didn’t feel like…” He looked down at the antlers buried several inches inside his chest with a conspicuous lack of blood and pain.
He reached out to slap Matthew’s neck, only to have his hand pass through the skin. He jerked it back to him, staring at it as if it was a monster. “I…I think I’ll go check where I came from. Maybe there was something magic there that’s doing this.” As he wandered off, Matthew tried to roll his eyes and settled back down on the Princess’ lap.
Alfred followed the path back the way he had come, noticing as he walked, that his feet didn’t make any noises or leave any prints in the dirt. He walked up to the stone wall and bent down to look for magic portals or evil gnomes or whatever had changed him.
He found a loose bundle of sheets and walked around it, examining it carefully, walking into the wall to get a better look at the far side. He saw the tanned hand first, then moved to the side and, behind the next bulge, he saw his own ashen face staring back at him, his skin covered with blood and his eyes staring at nothing.
He just stared for a moment as his brain tried to wrap itself around what it saw. He took a deep breath and straightened up, standing perfectly still for a moment before throwing back his head and screaming “Maaaaatt!” Then he took off at a dead run, pounding through the sheet, his corpse, the trees and bushes until he found his brother again.
He fell into a sitting position in front of Ekaterina, looking at his brother with a haunted look. “I…Matt, I’m…I’m a body. I’m dead!”
Matthew shifted his head to rest on the Princess’ knee, giving the other boy a sympathetic look. Alfred went limp and stared at the women all around him. “…I’m dead, Matt, and nobody knows. Oh God, Matt! I’m dead!” He panted, looked around with a panicked expression, then stood up, almost vibrating with nervous tension. He paced back and forth in front of his brother. “What am I supposed to do, Matt? I’m dead! How am I dead? Why? Why am I dead, Matt?!”
Matthew closed his eyes as he felt Ekaterina’s fingernails scratch at the base of his antlers, pushing his head into her hand. “What do dead people even do!” Alfred cried, still pacing the grass in front of his brother. “I thought you just went to heaven when you died! Why am I still here? Why didn’t I go to heaven, Matt?! And why am I dead?! Why don’t I remember dying? Dying should be the kind of thing you would remember!”
Alfred kept pacing and talking interminably, so Matthew lurched to his feet and prodded his brother’s ghost with his antlers. Alfred looked down with a sudden irritated stare. “I told you to stop that, Matt! I already know I’m dead!” When Matthew’s head was almost parallel with his chest, he put his hands on his hips. “Stabbing me won’t do any good! Now stop that! It’s distracting me!”
Matthew snorted and tossed his head, trying to point to the castle with his horns. Alfred just moved out of the way and Matthew finally walked up to the stone wall and started scratching his antlers against it.
Alfred looked up at the noise and then at the wall next to Matthew. “Wait… Are you trying to tell me something, Matt?” The deer tossed his head up and down emphatically before prodding the wall with his antlers again.
Alfred walked over and touched the wall, his hand moving through the stone like smoke. “…you’re a genius, Matt!” he cried, diving into the wall, then turned to lean out of the stones. “I’m gonna go find Ivan, now! I’ll tell you how it went later!”
Author: ...duh
Words: 5112 according to my word counter.
Theme: Fairy Tale
Pairing(s)/Characters: Russia/America, a bit of Canada/Ukraine, England mentioned, Belarus, Sealand later. All human names.
Summary: Alfred ran away from home one night with his brother, but ended up caring for his cursed sibling, hiding out in the King's Forest until the King found them one day. Then his life really got interesting. Really interesting. Terminally interesting
Alfred sat stiffly in one of Ivan’s armchairs as the large man sprawled in the other, his legs spread wide as he leaned his head back with a sigh of relief. Ivan brought his hand up and ran it through his hair a few times before looking back at the blond boy. “You can relax, Alfred. No one is here to see us.”
Alfred leaned back in the chair slightly, his hands still resting on top of his knees, his feet planted firmly on the floor. “But…why am I here? I thought you said you were going to take me to a different room.”
Ivan sat up and leaned forward slightly. “Because I want to speak with you, Alfred. I cannot do that if we are in different rooms.”
Alfred pursed his lips and stared at Ivan for a moment, then nodded. “Yeah. Okay. I get it.” After a few more moments of silence, the young man shook his head. “Sorry. I lied. I don’t get it. Why do you want to talk to me? Are you going to punish me for before?”
Ivan shook his head and toed his boots off, kicking them off to one side. “No. I just want to talk. I still don’t know what to do with you. How long were you living in my cabin? Why did you choose my forest?”
Alfred shrugged and stared at his hands. “Because it happened to be in the direction we were going? It’s not like I meant to hide out in someone else’s forest. I didn’t think you could even own a forest. It’s just some trees and animals and they don’t stay together nice like a house or something…”
“An interesting point of view, certainly…” Ivan replied, drumming his fingers on his armrest. “Even though my family has owned it for generations.” He glanced up as a servant entered the room with a bottle and nodded at the man briefly.
The servant set the bottle on the small table between the chairs before hurrying out again. Ivan levered himself out of his chair with a soft grunt and snagged two mugs from the mantle. “Would you like some?” he asked as he dropped into his chair again, reaching for the bottle.
Alfred glanced at the colored glass and nodded. “I guess I’ll try it.”
Ivan poured the two mugs full of wine and handed one to Alfred before sitting down again, drinking deeply from his cup. “And how long did you say you were living in my cabin?” he asked again, crossing one leg over the other comfortably.
Alfred shrugged and held his mug with both hands as he took a small sip. “I dunno. A year? Maybe two? I didn’t really keep track of the days.”
Ivan felt his eyebrows arch up. “Hm. I will have to speak with my guards about the…thoroughness of their patrols.” He paused for a moment as he replayed the boy’s words in his mind. “…you do not remember how many years you were living there?”
“Not really,” Alfred said. “I wasn’t really counting. It was just…days. Cold days and hot days and rainy days and days when Matt would go out and chase the other deer.”
“Then what were you planning to do there?” Ivan watched the other man’s face as he took another sip.
“Nothing. Just get by. Matt had enough to eat and drink, so I just had to take care of myself and our…your house.” Alfred’s face flushed light pink as he finished his first mug of wine. “That…that was pretty good. Can I have some more?”
Ivan gestured at the bottle. “Please. So how would you like to have a job here? You would be given the same considerations as the other servants, of course. A room, food, modest pay.”
“Doing what?” Alfred glanced up sharply as he reached for the bottle, his fingers paused inches from the neck.
Ivan tapped one finger against the side of his cup as he considered the question. “Perhaps as a manservant. Some say I have been too long without a manservant. I say that I am capable of dressing myself,” he said before his brain stopped him. He cursed silently and set his mug on the table.
“So…all it would be is dressing you and…you can do that yourself? What would I do, then?” Alfred frowned in confusion as he watched the larger man.
Ivan waved his hand dismissively. “That is not the only duty, but it is the biggest. Your other duty would be to attend me.” When he saw the confusion deepen, he sighed. “You would follow me around and do whatever I told you to do.”
Alfred’s face immediately cleared as he broke into a sunny smile. “Oh. That. Yeah. I can do that no problem! I just did that all day today. Well, except for when I followed that other guy, but you told me to do that, so that counted, too. So I get to live here and just do like today every day?”
Ivan nodded with a small smile. “Yes. Though you will have to sleep in my rooms. I might need something in the night. Is that acceptable?”
Alfred nodded eagerly and drank down the rest of his wine, laughing nervously. “Yeah! This is great! I thought I’d be stuck in the dungeon until I died. So…am I sleeping with you tonight or do I start tomorrow?”
Ivan coughed, hoping that the dim firelight hid his blush. “Well, you can start tonight if you want. I have some spare night dresses if you want to change.”
Alfred set his mug next to the bottle and sat on the edge of his seat. “But if I’m your…your…what was it?”
“Manservant,” Ivan replied calmly.
“Yeah. That. If I’m your manserver, shouldn’t I wait for you to change before I do?”
Ivan smiled and leaned forward to look Alfred in the eye. “Oddly enough, I think it is about time I went to bed. Come along, Alfred.” He stood up and walked into his bedroom with Alfred still trailing behind him. He gestured at the large wooden cabinet beside the bed. “That is the wardrobe. Pick out two robes and bring one to me.”
Alfred grinned eagerly, then nodded to Ivan like he had seen other servants doing and flung the doors open so hard that they bounced back on their hinges. He looked at the rows and shelves of brightly colored clothes for a few moments before he found the night gowns. He grabbed the first two and kicked one of the doors shut as he handed it to Ivan.
Ivan took it and looked at the wardrobe with a slight cringe playing around his face still. “Perhaps a bit gentler next time, Alfred,” he suggested, disappearing behind a modesty screen.
Alfred flushed at the reprimand and went back to carefully shut the other door. “Sorry,” he muttered as he tugged at the collar on his shirt, grimacing. He watched layer after layer of clothing appear over the edge of the screen, hanging there as the older man stripped.
Finally, he started shifting from foot to foot as he waited. “Ivan?”
“Yes?”
“…is it okay if I don’t use that…that thing to change? These clothes feel weird.” Alfred ran a finger under his collar, trying to loosen its hold on his neck.
Ivan paused with his hose halfway down his legs and looked at the wooden screen where the boy’s voice had come from. “Just wait a few more moments, Alfred. I am almost done,” he replied, quickly pulling his feet out and reaching for his nightgown.
Alfred just made an impatient noise and started jogging in place as he watched the last of the clothes appear over the screen, followed shortly by Ivan. The older man climbed up onto the large poster bed and smiled at the boy. “You can change, now. You do not have to use the modesty screen if you don’t want.”
Alfred planted both feet on the ground again and quickly pulled off the shirt to show his sleekly muscled chest, tossing the clothes to land on top of Ivan’s. He toed off the tight shoes, peeled off the breeches, and finally shoved his hose down to his ankles with one thrust.
He stretched and took a deep breath as he freed himself from the clothes, still not noticing the eager looks Ivan gave him. He finally picked up his nightgown, after he finished his stretches, and he dropped it on over his head. “So, where am I supposed to sleep?”
Ivan broke out of his reverie and looked up into the deep blue eyes. “Well, I don’t have a manservant’s bed right now, so you will have to share my bed for now.” He pulled back the covers and gestured at the spot next to him.
Alfred nodded and grinned, taking a running dive onto the mattress so he plowed into the older man, knocking him over with a delighted laugh. Ivan brushed his hair out of his face and looked up at Alfred as the boy climbed off him. “What was that?” he asked, levering himself to a sitting position as Alfred sat next to him.
“Sorry,” the blond said with a smile still on his face. “That’s just how I get into bed. I did it all the time when Matt and I were sleeping together.”
“You…slept with your brother?” Ivan asked with an eyebrow raised curiously.
“Well, yeah. We only had two beds, so I slept with Matt and Arthur slept in the other bed with Peter.” Alfred bounced eagerly on the bed, running his hands along the sheets, the blankets, the pillows. “But this is way nicer than our old bed.”
Ivan sighed as he finally realized that Alfred had misunderstood him. He reached out and gently cupped the other boy’s chin, tilting it up to face him. “Good night, Alfred,” he whispered before kissing Alfred deeply.
Alfred frowned and touched his lips after Ivan broke away. “What was that?”
Ivan shrugged slightly, pulling the covers up around his chest. “It was just how we say good night.”
Alfred watched as Ivan laid down and closed his eyes with a sigh. He glanced around the room, then leaned down and returned the gesture. “Good night, Ivan,” he said before lying next to the older man, pressing against his side.
Ivan rolled onto one side and looked at the blond boy facing him, his eyes already closed as he prepared for sleep. He reached behind him absently and tugged the curtains closed around them. He still waited for a few moments to make sure no other servants would intrude before he placed a gentle hand on Alfred’s thigh, feeling the warm skin through the quickly warming fabric.
He slowly hitched up the fabric with one hand until he felt the soft skin against his palm, then looked back at Alfred’s face to see his blue eyes open and staring at him. “…what are you doing?” Alfred whispered in the darkness.
Ivan slipped his hand higher up the thigh until he felt the rough hairs between Alfred’s legs. “This is another way we say good night. A special way. Only the royal family can use it,” he answered, running his finger over the silky smooth skin, feeling it swell under his touches.
Alfred closed his eyes and whimpered softly in response.
“Does that feel good?” Ivan whispered, still teasing the soft skin.
Alfred bit down on his lip and nodded with his eyes shut.
“You can try it, too, if you’d like,” Ivan said, slipping his fingers down between Alfred’s legs.
“Do you want me to?” Alfred whispered back.
“I would like that very much, Alfred,” Ivan replied, then closed his eyes as he felt hands on him, too. Soon, neither of them was aware of anything outside of their dreams.
When Ivan woke the next morning, he glanced at the sheets next to him where Alfred lay with his limbs sprawled across the mattress, only half of him covered by the blankets. He smiled as he watched the blond for a minute, moving restlessly as he slept. Ivan bent down and laid a kiss on Alfred’s forehead.
“Enjoy your dreams,” he whispered, brushing the hair off the boy’s face before climbing out of bed to start his day.
Alfred awoke several hours later as a young servant boy shook his frantically. “Sir!” he cried, shaking the blond as hard as he could.
Alfred opened his eyes and focused on the young boy, though only with considerable effort. “…wha…what time’s it?” he mumbled sleepily.
The servant stepped back when he saw that Alfred was awake. “It’s gone noon, sir, but that’s-”
Alfred’s eyes flew open as he stumbled out of bed, falling onto his hands and knees on the floor as his legs got tangled in the unfamiliar night clothes. He pulled himself to his feet with the bed post and hurried over to the wardrobe, cursing as he walked.
He opened the door and realized that none of the clothes in there were his and he would probably get in trouble for wearing them. He turned to the servant boy with wide eyes. “Where do you get your clothes from? I’m supposed to be following Ivan around and if I don’t, he’ll get angry and throw me in the dungeon and I need clothes right now!”
The servant boy jumped slightly when Alfred yelled, then dashed out of the room, only to return minutes later carrying a bundle of cloth. He turned his face with a blush as the other man stripped out of his nightgown in front of him. “I-I…sir…it’s not that. The king left orders not to wake you except…”
Alfred paused in the middle of pulling his pants on and looked at the boy expectantly. “…except?”
“T-the stable master gave orders that we was to wake you, sir. It’s your pe-your deer, sir. He’s gone mad! He’s kicking the walls of his stall and he’s trying to jump out and he’s trying to bite everyone that gets close!”
Alfred’s face suddenly went white and he tried to run off with his pants still around his knees. After another painful fall, he picked himself up and carefully finished dressing before running out of the room, the servant boy running behind him.
He turned a corner at a dead run, but slowed to a stop as he heard the boy’s voice cry “This way, sir!” He turned around and sprinted after the servant boy this time.
He entered the stables at a dead run, pushing past stable hands as he followed Matthew’s distressed cries. He slid to a stop in front of his brother’s stall and leaned over the wall “Matt! Matt. Calm down. I’m here. It’s okay. See?”
Matthew glanced up at his brother and stopped lashing out, his sides heaving as he tried to catch his breath. He slowly approached the wall and reached up to snuffle Al’s cheek. Alfred grabbed Matthew’s head and hugged it close to his chest, stroking his neck gently. “It’s okay, Matt. Everything’s fine. It’s better than fine! Ivan gave me a job working for him. He said I was a manserver and because he can dress himself, all I have to do is follow him around all day and do whatever he says and sleep in his room, but he doesn’t have a bed for me so I had to sleep in his bed and he showed me a fun new way to say goodnight where he put his hand in my nightgown and touched my legs and then-”
Matthew snorted and butted Alfred’s chest gently before pulling away to look at him with his large brown eyes. He walked over to the door of his stall and pushed against it with his budding antlers before looking back at his brother.
“I’ll ask him, Matt, but I don’t know what he’ll say, since I slept so late this morning…” He watched as his brother padded back to the corner and flopped down on his pile of straw. “…so are you okay? Because I have to get to work. I don’t want you trying to bite the workers again, Matt. That’s not nice. You know you’re too old to throw tantrums.”
Matthew snapped his teeth in Alfred’s direction, then snorted and laid his head down on the ground, ignoring the other boy. Alfred stuck out his tongue at Matthew. “Fine. Be like that. I’m gonna go find Ivan. And maybe I won’t ask him about letting you out sometimes.”
Alfred turned and strode out of the stables as Matthew lifted his head to watch him go.
Arthur looked up from his book as he heard a pounding on the front door. He looked at the young boy fidgeting in the other chair, trying to concentrate on another book. “Answer the door,” he said shortly and watched as the blond boy jumped out of his chair, his feet pounding on the floor as he ran to the other side of the house.
Seconds after the door opened, Peter ran back and stood by Arthur, jabbing his cheek with one finger, grinning cheekily. “It’s for you, Art,” he chirped merrily, then added under his breath, “you damn bastard.”
Arthur smacked the boy’s head with the flat of his palm as he stood up. “I’ve told you about using that language. Now, who the hell is at the door? I told you to turn away the beggars.”
Peter just grinned and shrugged innocently. “You should go see if you care that much,” he replied with his grin still on his face.
Arthur glowered at the boy and pinched his ear sharply before stalking off to the door, muttering quietly to himself. He took one look at the young woman standing just inside the door, her platinum hair worn down and her dress speaking volumes about her riches. He sighed and reached out to snatch a colored crystal bottle from a small table.
He held the bottle out to her with a bored look on his face. “It’s one silver for the standard potion, two silver for double potency. Guaranteed to make him fall for you.”
Natalia snarled and slapped the bottle from the man’s hand, sending it clattering to the floor. “I’m not here for your potions and cheap tricks, you second rate illusionist,” she said, her dark blue eyes narrowing.
Arthur bent to snatch the bottle from the floor as he glared at the girl. “Then what the bloody hell are you here for?”
She leaned forward until she was inches from his face, pressing the dull side of a knife against his throat. “You will not speak to a princess of the crown in that manner,” she whispered coldly.
He grabbed her shoulders and shoved her and her knife away from him. “I’ll speak to you any damn way I please, you rude strumpet. Now tell me why you came here before something…undesirable happens.”
She held his gaze for several long seconds before she slipped her knife back into the folds of her dress. “I have a proposition for you,” she said, straightening haughtily.
He looked her over from head to hem, then shook his head. “No thanks. You’re not my type.”
“That’s not what I meant,” she spat out with a disgusted look on her face. “I’m talking about Alfred, you self-important idiot.”
Arthur stepped back and settled himself on a chair with his legs crossed at the knees. “I’m listening…”
Ivan smiled as he woke and leaned over to kiss Alfred gently. The boy’s eyes fluttered open as Ivan pulled away and looked at the older man sleepily. “What’s that for?” he mumbled, still mostly asleep.
Ivan stroked the soft hair as he sat up. “I have duties,” he said shortly, but warmly. “I was simply saying farewell.”
Alfred made a soft noise as he rolled over onto his side. “…if it’s like your goodnights, I can’t now…” he muttered, pulling the pillow close to himself.
Ivan pulled the covers up to the boy’s shoulder and pressed another kiss on his cheek. “Sleep well, Alfred. I will see you later.”
Alfred grunted as Ivan climbed out of bed and was snoring again before the older man finished dressing. Ivan left the room with a small smile on his face. Natalia stood just down the hall from his room and watched him leave, gripping the handle of her knife tighter.
She forced herself to stay still, her fingernails biting into the wooden handle as she waited, to make sure her brother was gone and that Alfred was still asleep. She finally walked down the hall, her head held high and her knife concealed in one voluminous sleeve.
She pushed her way into Ivan’s suite and stood by his large bed, looking at the blond boy laying there innocently. She sneered and climbed onto the bed to lean over him. The knife flipped around in her hand so the point was facing Alfred, then she rested the edge against his neck, applied pressure just so, and sliced his neck open from side to side with almost surgical precision.
She moved back as he bled all over the sheets and pillow, his eyes snapping open and locking with hers as he struggled to breathe. She pulled her handkerchief out of her top and wiped the knife clean before looking at the stains on her clothes. “Stupid peasant. You aren’t supposed to bleed like that. This was one of my favorite dresses, too.”
When the young man finally stopped moving she moved to stand over him, giving him a disdainful look. “Peasant? Are you still alive?” she asked. When there was no answer, she grabbed the body with both hands and dragged it to the window, shoving it head first through the opening. She stripped the bloodied bedding from the mattress and threw it out the window behind Alfred.
Panting, and a bit ragged around the edges, she left her brother’s suite and went to change into clean clothes.
One she had cleaned up, Natalia left her room and grabbed the first servant she saw as she stalked the halls. She looked at him with her cold blue eyes and said “The King’s bed needs new bedding.”
The servant bowed quickly and hurried off as soon as she let go of him. She watched him go, then took off at a brisk walk to the stables. She plastered a sweet smile on her face as she approached Matthew’s stall, standing well back from the wall.
“Well, beast, it appears as if your owner has met an unfortunate end…” she whispered, watching his ears perk up. “I’m sure it will take some convincing, but you will end up where you belong, you idiot animal. After all this comfortable living, I’m sure you’re nice and tender…”
Matthew flared his nostrils, then lowered his head and rammed into the wall between them, crying out in frustration when he couldn’t reach her. He kept head-butting the sides of his stall as she walked away with a short, sharp laugh.
Ivan glanced up as he heard hurried footsteps and smiled when he saw Alfred approach, still tugging his shirt into place. He reached out to brush the boy’s hand gently and look into his blue eyes. “Did you sleep well?”
The blond glanced around nervously, then pulled his hand away from Ivan to tug his shirt back down again. “What? Oh…oh, yeah. I slept fine. Great.” He fell silent for a moment, fidgeting in his spot by Ivan’s shoulder. “I…I have to go. I’m…uh…really hungry.”
“Of course, Alfred,” Ivan said with a dismissive gesture.
The young man hurried off into the hall, clutching the front of his shirt. He moved through the corridors quickly until he found who he was looking for. He stopped in front of the shaggy-haired blond and looked down at himself, playing with his clothes. “I can’t do this,” he whined, looking up at the sharp green eyes. “It feels too weird.”
Arthur slapped the boy’s hands away from the fabric. “You damn well will do this, you bloody pest!” he hissed. “Now stop fidgeting and get back there! I don’t want him suspecting anything!”
Peter glowered at the older man and stamped his foot on the floor. “I don’t wanna!”
The older man gave his son a cold glare. “You will get back in that room this instant and you will do what the man says, do I make myself clear?”
Peter turned his head down and glared at his feet. “Yes, sir…” he muttered rebelliously.
Alfred stood up and looked around, frowning as he noticed that he was in a remote corner of the castle gardens. He brushed off his nightgown and wandered off in search of a castle entrance. He glanced up at the sky as he walked, biting his lip when he realized that it was already mid-afternoon and he hadn’t even started work. Instead he was wandering around the gardens in his nightgown with no clue how he had got there.
His face brightened as he stepped into a shade garden and saw Matthew lying on the ground with his head in Ekaterina’s lap as she did her embroidery. He jumped up and down on the grass and waved his arms. “Matt! Katya! Hey!” he yelled with a wide grin on his face, running over to the small group of ladies. Only Matthew raised his head to look at the oncoming figure.
Alfred dropped to his knees next to Matt and hugged him. “Matt, thank God I found you! I’m lost! Can you help me get back to my room?” He looked around at the women, still bent over their embroidery frames. “…anyone? Katya?” He waved his hand in front of her face.
Matthew snorted and picked his head off the princess’ skirts to shove his brother in the chest. Alfred fell back and frowned at the deer. “Ow! What did you do that for, Matt? I didn’t do anything to you! I just want to get back to my room!” He picked himself and walked over to Ekaterina again, only to be met by his brother’s antlers again.
He stepped back, his hand coming up to his chest with a hurt look on his face. “Stop it, Matt! I just want some help! Why are you suddenly attacking me?” He approached yet again and got antlers in his chest again. “Seriously, Matt, stop that! It really…really…didn’t feel like…” He looked down at the antlers buried several inches inside his chest with a conspicuous lack of blood and pain.
He reached out to slap Matthew’s neck, only to have his hand pass through the skin. He jerked it back to him, staring at it as if it was a monster. “I…I think I’ll go check where I came from. Maybe there was something magic there that’s doing this.” As he wandered off, Matthew tried to roll his eyes and settled back down on the Princess’ lap.
Alfred followed the path back the way he had come, noticing as he walked, that his feet didn’t make any noises or leave any prints in the dirt. He walked up to the stone wall and bent down to look for magic portals or evil gnomes or whatever had changed him.
He found a loose bundle of sheets and walked around it, examining it carefully, walking into the wall to get a better look at the far side. He saw the tanned hand first, then moved to the side and, behind the next bulge, he saw his own ashen face staring back at him, his skin covered with blood and his eyes staring at nothing.
He just stared for a moment as his brain tried to wrap itself around what it saw. He took a deep breath and straightened up, standing perfectly still for a moment before throwing back his head and screaming “Maaaaatt!” Then he took off at a dead run, pounding through the sheet, his corpse, the trees and bushes until he found his brother again.
He fell into a sitting position in front of Ekaterina, looking at his brother with a haunted look. “I…Matt, I’m…I’m a body. I’m dead!”
Matthew shifted his head to rest on the Princess’ knee, giving the other boy a sympathetic look. Alfred went limp and stared at the women all around him. “…I’m dead, Matt, and nobody knows. Oh God, Matt! I’m dead!” He panted, looked around with a panicked expression, then stood up, almost vibrating with nervous tension. He paced back and forth in front of his brother. “What am I supposed to do, Matt? I’m dead! How am I dead? Why? Why am I dead, Matt?!”
Matthew closed his eyes as he felt Ekaterina’s fingernails scratch at the base of his antlers, pushing his head into her hand. “What do dead people even do!” Alfred cried, still pacing the grass in front of his brother. “I thought you just went to heaven when you died! Why am I still here? Why didn’t I go to heaven, Matt?! And why am I dead?! Why don’t I remember dying? Dying should be the kind of thing you would remember!”
Alfred kept pacing and talking interminably, so Matthew lurched to his feet and prodded his brother’s ghost with his antlers. Alfred looked down with a sudden irritated stare. “I told you to stop that, Matt! I already know I’m dead!” When Matthew’s head was almost parallel with his chest, he put his hands on his hips. “Stabbing me won’t do any good! Now stop that! It’s distracting me!”
Matthew snorted and tossed his head, trying to point to the castle with his horns. Alfred just moved out of the way and Matthew finally walked up to the stone wall and started scratching his antlers against it.
Alfred looked up at the noise and then at the wall next to Matthew. “Wait… Are you trying to tell me something, Matt?” The deer tossed his head up and down emphatically before prodding the wall with his antlers again.
Alfred walked over and touched the wall, his hand moving through the stone like smoke. “…you’re a genius, Matt!” he cried, diving into the wall, then turned to lean out of the stones. “I’m gonna go find Ivan, now! I’ll tell you how it went later!”