Got some slightly bad news, guys. The hiatus went from being "possibly short" to being "possibly long". My laptop's fan died on me recently, so now I need to buy a cooling pad for it. I'm short on money at the moment, so it might be a few weeks before I can do that.

Basically, if your computer's fan goes out and you have nothing to cool your computer down, it causes your CPU and GPU components to overheat, which leads to your computer going super slow and crashing. That, and I probably need to check it for viruses anyway, just to make sure that the fan isn't the only problem. So this will most likely be the last update for a little while. But no need to worry! This story will not be abandoned and as soon as my computer is up and going again, we'll start working on new stuff and putting it out there for you. :)

The next day arrived quickly, and Natalia's affections didn't let up in the slightest. When Natalia's advances eventually became too overbearing, Ivan decided to slip out into the garden as he did the day before. He'd made sure that the coast was clear before sneaking out into the lush sunflower field, looking over his shoulder to make sure that Natalia didn't catch him.

He exited the manor and walked into the tall, golden rows of sunflowers, looking around for Alfred's mop of blonde hair. It blended in surprisingly well with the sunflower tops. Whenever he found the other hunched over pulling at the weeds like he had yesterday, Ivan smiled and spoke. "Hello again Alfred."

Alfred jumped a bit at the lord being so close. Ivan really needed to learn how to make some noise when he walked…which Alfred was sure he did. You just don't notice it unless you're not otherwise distracted.

Turning his head to look at the other man, Alfred gave Ivan a slightly raised brow and bright smile as he greeted him. "Hiya Lord Ivan, whatcha doin' out here again?" Not that Alfred didn't like the fact Ivan was here. Lately he's actually found the lord to be pretty decent company. If Alfred had to guess however as to why the pale blonde was here, he'd say it probably had something to do with Ivan's baby sister. Alfred almost felt his smile drop when Ivan answered an affirmative to his guess, not that it was a hard thing to figure out.

"Natalia." Ivan answered quietly, and he saw Alfred nod in understanding. He walked over to where Alfred was working and took a seat on the grass like he had the day before. Only this time, he wasn't feeling tired and was actually in the mood to socialize with Alfred.

Twiddling some blades of grass around his finger, Ivan waited for a moment of silence to pass before speaking up again. "Alfredka? May I ask you something?" He watched as Alfred halted in his work and turned around to face him, face full of curiosity.

With a raised brow, Alfred answered, "Depends on the question. What did ya want to ask?" Alfred only became more curious as to what question Ivan could possibly want to ask when the lord paused in hesitation. Though along with the curiosity also came a slight shadow of wariness, considering the man hardly ever hesitated.

Feeling as though he were treading on thin ice, Ivan proceeded with slight caution. "I remember you saying something a while back…something about losing someone important to you." Swallowing thickly, Ivan peered up at Alfred from his spot on the ground with a gentle expression. "I remembered you saying that, and then I began to think…who was it that you lost, Alfred?"

Alfred froze at the question, mouth slightly open as if trying to grasp words. "...I...I can't-...I-I don't..." That was all Alfred could choke out before he felt the words wither away in his throat. Clamping his throat shut Alfred quickly turned to hunch over the weeds he'd been pulling, contemplating what his answer should be. He hadn't told a soul what has happened to him since the day the short man abducted him, afraid of being taken advantage of or worse, pitied. Could he trust Ivan with the truth...?

There was a painfully long and awkward silence as Alfred contemplated his decision, the only sounds being the slight wind rustling the flowers and Alfred pulling weeds. After what felt like hours, but here probably only a couple minutes, Alfred finally let out a soft sigh. Putting the few weeds Alfred just pulled down, the slave turned to face his master with a gaze both melancholy and hard with resolve. "I'll tell you, only if you tell me a few things first." Alfred's voice did not waiver and his tone left no room for argument, if Alfred was going to give a little than so would Ivan. If the lord couldn't go through with that, than Alfred will not trust him with the truth of his coming here.

Ivan had never seen such an expression on Alfred's face. The shock was one thing, but the hard and steely gaze the other was directing at him made Ivan realize the weight of his question. At Alfred's compromise, Ivan's own face morphed into a harder expression.

He'd told Alfred about his sisters, his mother's death, and he was sure Alfred had already heard about Lord Winter. Though, the thought of sharing something even more personal than that with even Alfred put Ivan on edge. He liked Alfred – a lot – but he still didn't like the idea of spilling his heart and soul out to him just yet.

However, fair was fair, and Alfred's reaction to Ivan's question made the lord burn with the desire to know more. So, swallowing his pride and trying to push down his own insecurities, Ivan answered with a stern voice. "That's fine with me. Ask away."

Alfred relaxed a bit, Ivan's answer having seemingly lifted a weight off his chest. Taking a deep breath, Alfred took a moment to organize his thoughts and questions. Still looking just a serious, but not stiff, Alfred asked. "Why...why can't you stick up for yourself when it comes to Lady Natalia? And how did you become like you were. I mean, from what I've gathered in my years living in Rus, Lord Winter wasn't the most benevolent of rulers nor probably that good of a father." That was the understatement of the century. "But Lady Katyusha seemed to turn out all right...why did you almost turn into your father?" Alfred bit his lip at the end, knowing his questions were more than a bit insulting. They were true though. Alfred let out another heavy sigh, scratching the back of his head and mumbling. "I guess I'm basically asking you to give me a rundown of how you became, well you."

The mention of Lord Winter and the comparison between Ivan and him made the said lord bite his lip to prevent himself from snapping back at Alfred. The words were burning in his throat, trying to claw their way out. "I'm nothing like him!" But Ivan knew it was true…hell, if Alfred hadn't come along, Ivan would probably be well on his way to becoming another Lord Winter. If Alfred were to leave right now…there's no telling what path Ivan would go down.

Closing his eyes tightly, Ivan took a deep breath. He had to tell Alfred. If not for the compromise, then just for the sole fact that after everything Ivan put him through, Alfred deserved to know why he behaved that way.

"Natalia, though she is my little sister…she reminds me a lot of my father." Ivan began quietly. "Of course, the difference is that I do love her as family, unlike him. But the similarities between the two, it often gets to me." Ivan pursed his lips, looking off to the side and sorting through his thoughts. "Alfred…" He began softly, amethyst eyes conflicted. "What I'm about to tell you, you must tell no one. Do you promise me that?"

Alfred slowly nodded his head and then moved so he was sitting next to the lord. Alfred hesitantly reached out a hand, placing it on top of Ivan's and giving it a firm and reassuring squeeze as he looked up into warring violet eyes. Looking sure, Alfred gave his word. "I won't tell anyone, I promise." And with that, Ivan nodded as well before continuing, Alfred in turn getting comfortable beside him. Drawing his legs to his chest, Alfred released Ivan's hand in favor of laying his head on his arms, watching as Ivan began to tell his story.

"Like I said," Ivan started again, feeling a little more secure now that he had Alfred's word. "Natalia is a lot like my father." Ivan spoke the word with a deep level of disgust, scoffing a bit at the end. "If he can even be called that. He wasn't a good man. He wasn't a good husband. And he sure as hell wasn't a good father. Though, I'm sure you could already guess that. It's not hard to tell, especially whenever he enjoyed flaunting his power and cruel behavior as much as he did."

"The reason Katyusha is different is because she spent most of her time with our mother. Our mother was careful to keep Katyusha away from Winter's influence. And as you can also guess, my mother was forced into marriage by another kingdom so that relations between that kingdom and Rus could be strengthened. She didn't want to marry Winter. No woman in their right mind would ever dream of marrying such a tyrant."

Ivan's eyes darkened a shade as his story progressed, his lips pulling into a scowl. "However, as soon as mother gave birth to a son, my father was sure to keep him for himself. That son was me. Since he couldn't have big sister, he'd have me instead. And oh, didn't he just enjoy twisting me and bending me so that he could have a successor fit for this kingdom. He wanted me to be his split image. He tried his best to morph me into a clone of him. I'm sure he would have succeeded if it weren't for big sister constantly interfering with him and bailing me out of his 'lessons'." Ivan reached up and tugged at his scarf nervously, cringing at the memories. The wounds were still fresh in his mind, as if they had happened yesterday.

"He trained me to be a skilled fighter, I'll give him that much. The physical training I could handle. I always excelled at whatever he taught me on the field. As a result, I hardly ever suffered punishment. I can't say the same for his more personal lessons. The moment I showed the first sign of reluctance at following his example, he'd punish me; put a blade to my neck and threaten to kill me if I didn't comply with his wishes. Sometimes he'd cut into the skin just to prove his point. Cut deep, to the point where my collar was soaking up blood. That wasn't the extent of his threats though. Sometimes a beating accompanied them."

The hard, cold edge to Ivan's eyes lightened considerably at his next words, though they also held a bit of sorrow in them as well. "After a while, I became scared that he would go through with his threat. So I began behaving just like him. Being cruel just like him, just to appease him. It worked, and he eventually left me alone. By the time I was into my late teens, I was exactly what he wanted me to be, albeit a milder version of him. He was damn proud of himself. By that time, I had bought Toris in the market. And whenever I needed to prove myself to Winter, I used poor Toris." Shaking his head, Ivan muttered a couple of quiet apologies under his breath. He needed to apologize to Toris sometime soon for all those hellish years.

"The behavior became a common thing for me, and soon it became my own persona. As much as it sickens me to say this…I embraced it and accepted it for what I was to become and be for the rest of my life. I developed the same thirst for power as my father, the same thirst for punishment and cruelty. I reveled in it." The violet eyed lord gave a humorless laugh at that, full of bitterness at his own behavior.

"That's who I was for the past few years. Even my big sister couldn't change me back into the boy I used to be. Though I had integrated father's behavior as my own, deep down I knew that the only reason I behaved the way I did was because I felt threatened. Whenever Winter died, I felt as though a heavy weight had been lifted off of my chest. It was as if I could breathe again. But even then, it didn't take long for the irrational fear to surface again, to force me back into that cold persona. I had spent so many years training to become my father that I failed to develop my own persona. I felt as if there was no way to turn back, to return to what I once was. So I continued being cold and cruel."

At this, Ivan turned to Alfred, smiling sadly at him. "Then one day, I was out in the market and I stumbled across the stunning slave. He had golden blonde hair and beautiful blue eyes, but his face was full of nothing but despair and fear. His face, it reminded me of my own all those years ago. I hadn't realized that then, but I do now. I bought him for five thousand gold pieces and had Toris escort him to the manor. I think…that was the moment when things began to change for me."

Alfred stared at Ivan, for once in his life completely speechless as he processed what Ivan just told him. He didn't know what to think. What happened to Ivan was horrible, and it explained so much. It didn't excuse how the lord treated everyone, how much abuse he created in return of his own. But it made his actions more understandable, it made Alfred understand Ivan better.

With that in mind, all Alfred could think to say was. "I see. I...Thank you for explaining that to me Lord Ivan." No judgment, no pity, just acceptance. Just simple acceptance of what Ivan had been through and how he'd turned out and how he was changing. Alfred gave the lord a small, but sincere smile. He truly was thankful for Ivan opening up to him like that, Alfred knew that must have been very difficult but he pushed through like Alfred requested. It gave Alfred the bit of reassurance he needed to follow through with trusting the lord enough to answer his question.

"It was…you don't have to thank me Alfred. It felt nice speaking about it to someone I can trust." Ivan's smile turned more warm and genuine as he continued looking at Alfred. "I've been holding a lot of that in for a long time. My sisters already knew of my situation, so I couldn't just tell them. Telling someone from the outside though…that felt good. It helped a lot." Ivan was also glad that Alfred didn't throw him a pity party either. If anything, it would have just made him angry at himself and Ivan didn't want to ruin their intimate moment by becoming all flustered. "So…what about you?"

"I guess it's my turn now, huh?" Alfred could feel his stomach turn at the prospect of reliving his parent's murder, even if just by vaguely telling Ivan what happened. But he had to do this, he gave Ivan his word. He could push through this.

The unease on Alfred's face was easy to see. Ivan had a feeling that Alfred's tale was possibly just as dark as his. He turned his full attention to the other, staring intently at him. "Take your time. Sort out your words. Don't force yourself to speak if you don't want to at the moment."

Alfred nodded his head and offered a weak smile to the lord. "Yeah, thanks. J-Just give me a moment..." With that, Alfred turned his head forward, chin resting on his arms as closed his eyes. He took a moment to figure out where to start and to just breath. When Alfred was ready he gave a long exhale through his nose and opened his eyes, staring off into the field surrounding them.

Licking his lips, Alfred began his tale, "I lived in small village in Ameris until I was eight. My parents were farmers and the Kingdom as a whole had been experiencing a pretty nasty drought for good couple year. So when I was seven, my Pa set out to try and build us a home here in Rus. My parents had heard through word of mouth how prosperous Rus was becoming, and we so decided it was time to move. Like I said, my Pa went on ahead to establish a home for us first. Took about a year to get the place built and then move me, Ma, our livestock, and our things to the new place. Ameris isn't just over the river and through the woods from here as you know."

Alfred gave a dry laugh at his own joke before continuing. "Well, anyways we arrived at our new home when I was around eight. My house is actually on the outskirts of a village about two towns from here, closer to the border with Avarice." Alfred glanced at Ivan, seeing his eyes widen a bit in realization. He seemed to know generally where Alfred was going with this, if the hard line his mouth drew into a frown and the way he stared at his hands was anything to go by.

Alfred went on like he hadn't even noticed the lord's reaction, "I lived there with Ma and Pa, farming and barely getting by without starving. It wasn't the most glamorous life, but we were happy with it. Everyday just the same; plant, grow, harvest, sell, and store some money and supplies for winter. From dawn till dusk. Then...just this last spring, it was any other day. But ...That was the day the bandits from Avarice came. They slaughtered our livestock and raided our home, and t-they..." Alfred voice trembled just a bit, before Alfred took a deep breath to compose himself, fighting hard to push back the images from that horrific day.

When Alfred continued his voice was softer, quieter, more strained, but it didn't falter anymore. "They murdered my parents. And I didn't know what to do...I ran to the village, pleading for someone to help me. I was distraught and scared and alone,so that evening when this strange, short little man offered me a place to sleep for the night, as well as helping me to find someone to help me out more permanently…I...I took the offer, and it turned out the short man was a slave trader and I had blindly followed him. And that's how I wound up being bought by you." Like a slab of meat at the market, Alfred tacked mentally.

Alfred than gave Ivan a bitter smile and dry laugh as he said. "So, your accusation about me being a poor, inexperienced boy wandering around town and being kidnapped easily was in a sense correct."

All throughout Alfred's tale, Ivan's face had sunk more and more into an expression of regret and sorrow. Alfred had already suffered so much before meeting Ivan on the market and the lord still had the audacity to treat him the way he did. Even if Ivan was unaware of Alfred's struggles, it still didn't justify his behavior.

Ivan reached out for Alfred and wrapped and arm around his shoulders, pulling him in close and into a hug. "Oh, Alfredka…" Ivan's voice held all the grief he felt for Alfred at the moment. He'd seen Alfred cry angrily and seen him cry when his feelings were hurt. But seeing the broken and incredibly hurt feeling on his face at the mention of his parents' murder crushed Ivan's heart. He rarely ever felt remorse for others – he hadn't felt it in a long time – but once again, Alfred managed to bring out a rare emotion in him. And it overtook him, sweeping him up in a wave and letting Ivan feel a bit of the blonde's pain. "I'm so sorry…sorry for your parents and sorry for the way I treated you. I mean it."

Alfred stiffened for a moment, stunned by the sudden embrace, by how empathetic Ivan sounded, and how comforting the hold was. Toris had been the only one thus far he'd been vulnerable around, and who had offered him such simple comforts. It surprised Alfred how much he needed this, just need to be held and have someone know.

Slowly and hesitantly Alfred relaxed, slumping into Ivan's arms and laying his head on the lord's broad shoulder. Reaching one hand up to tightly grasp a handful of Ivan's tunic, Alfred let his eyes well up in tears and even allowed for a couple of them to escape. Hot drops landed on Ivan's shoulder as he breathed out a soft, "I know."

There were no more words needed for the moment. Ivan let Alfred cry into his shoulder as he rubbed the blonde's back soothingly, hushing him and smoothing his hair back. As the seconds passed and Ivan composed himself, his eyes became hard with the threat of pain and suffering. Alfred's parents were murdered by bandits; bandits that came from Avarice, whom he was fighting a war with at the moment. If it weren't for that, then Alfred's parents would most likely still be alive and he'd be happy back on his farm. But then again, Alfred wouldn't be here in Ivan's arms, the lord would still be his cold and cruel self.

Either way, Alfred's suffering was an indirect result of Avarice's power hungry military, and Ivan would be damned if he let the murder of Alfred's parent – or even his father, as much as he despised him – go unaccounted for. Avarice would have hell to pay.

Alfred's crying died down and soon it was just the sound of his shaky breathing against Ivan's shoulder. The lord held Alfred back a little bit so that he could brush his bangs back and look into Alfred's glassy and red tinted eyes. "I promise I won't let them get away with what they've done."

Alfred only gave a weak smile and soft laugh in response, Ivan's promise reminding him of a little kid's promise to beat up whoever had bullied their best friend. Rubbing his eyes to rid them of any extra dampness from crying, Alfred thanked the lord. "Thanks Lord Ivan, that means a lot. I should probably get back to weeding now though-" Alfred was interrupted by Ivan's hand gently taking the hand rubbing at Alfred's eyes and holding it while his other pale hand cupped Alfred's cheek. Eyes widening in surprise and breath hitching, all Alfred could do was watch as Ivan shook his head before leaning and whispering.

"I think," Ivan whispered, inching closer to Alfred and eyes turning half mooned. "that the weeding can wait." He didn't allow Alfred to protest, instead pressing his lips gently against the blonde's and urging him forward. Ivan closed his eyes, humming contently into the kiss and focusing purely on the way Alfred's lips felt against his.

Alfred felt his eyes flutter shut as he kissed back. Stomach tingling pleasantly in a way that would have caused Alfred to become flustered in confusion had it not been for the fact he was too wrapped up in the slow and gentle kiss. As the two kissed they failed to hear the sound of quickly approaching foot steps.

"Brother! Brother I know you are in here! Show yourself now-" Natalia was cut off from calling out to her brother once more as she pushed through some flower stalks and gaped at the scene she found. Her precious brother and that damned new slave of his were sitting close together at an awkward angle and were kissing. Despite knowing what Ivan used his slave for, Natalia couldn't help how scandalized she felt as her beloved brother cupped Alfred's cheek so tenderly and kissed him so sweetly. It was everything she wanted but Ivan refused to show her, and yet he handed out his affection so easily to this dog! Natalia felt jealousy and rage boil over in her as her eyes narrowed in fury and her lips twisted to match her tone as she snarled out her brother's name. "IVAN."

Ivan immediately broke away from this kiss, following the source of the ominous voice with terrified eyes. Once his violet hues fell over Natalia's seething form, his eyes widened further in fear and he immediately pulled back from Alfred. "S-Sister…I-I…w-what are you doing out he-" Ivan was quickly cut off by Natalia's sharp, screeching, and almost hysterical voice. He flinched, as if awaiting a physical blow.

As Natalia held her brother's gaze with narrowed and piercing blue eyes, she hissed out, "What am I doing here? I should be asking you that brother! What are you doing here, kissing that disgusting pig!?" As she slowly approached Ivan, she continued asking the terrified man rhetorical questions, her voice growing more enraged and hysteric with each passing word. "Why do you even have these unsightly slaves when you have me? Why don't you ever hold me or touch me or kiss me like you do so easily with these wretched toys of yours?" Natalia ignored how Ivan was practically trembling in front of her, frozen in fear as he looked down at her smaller form. Roughly grabbing his wrist with one hand and clutching his tunic tightly with the other Natalia drew herself even closer to Ivan. The infuriated girl then growled out, "Tell me Vanya!"

"N-Natalia, please…it's…it's just…" Ivan mumbled, wincing at the claw like grip Natalia had on his tunic. She was shaking him slightly now, piling on question after question and insult after insult towards Ivan's slaves. The young lord couldn't find the right words, mouthing like a fish out of water and shaking his head 'no' at each of Natalia's questions. His little sister's snarled, repeating herself like a broken record. Ivan realized that he'd back himself into a tight corner, and Natalia wouldn't leave him be unless he gave her the answer that she wanted.

Alfred had scrambled up along with Ivan after having realized they'd been caught. He now stood a few feet away from Ivan, eyes widened as he stared on in horrified shock as the scene progressed with Natalia storming toward Ivan like an enraged tiger. She was both graceful and terrifying in her tone and actions. Alfred was so caught up in the moment he couldn't even think to be embarrassed about having been caught in the kiss, or offended by Natalia's insults towards his friends and himself.

However, Alfred soon snapped out of his shock induced paralysis upon hearing Ivan speak. Looking at how the fearsome lord almost seemed to be trembling, his eyes reflecting fear towards his little sister, made Alfred's heart constrict and his anger build. Couldn't Natalia see how terrified she was making Ivan? How much her forced feelings burdened him? Suddenly all his frustration toward the selfish girl boiled over as well. And before he knew it, Alfred was storming towards the squabbling siblings with clenched teeth and narrowed eyes.

Before either sibling could notice or react toward Alfred's presence, the blonde slave wedged himself between the two. Alfred pushed Ivan behind him while he firmly gripped Natalia's slender shoulder, detaching the girl from her hold on Ivan by using his strength to push her away. Natalia stumbled back before looking at Alfred in astonishment. Leveling her with a steely look, Alfred repeated the same words he used on Ivan more than a month ago upon seeing him about to abuse Raivis. "Back off." And his command held no less conviction or ferocity than before.

Natalia stared dumbfounded at Alfred for a moment, having completely forgotten about his presence despite him being the catalyst to her anger. At Alfred's bold command however, she quickly focused her animosity on the other blonde instead. "What?" She seethed, completely unused to opposition.

Through gritted teeth Alfred ground out, "You heard me. I said to back off. Has it ever occurred to you that maybe Ivan doesn't like you like you wish he did? Are you so blind to how terrified he is of you? Or how he doesn't nor will he ever return your feelings? Do you even consider his feelings or how pushing your feelings onto him only burdens him? No, you don't and I've had it with you." Alfred watched how Natalia only seemed to flinch a bit at his words, her eyes hardening in more fury and denial as she clenched her fists tighter.

Natalia was astounded by this pest's gull, commanding her like she was the slave. And even worse, he was slandering her love for her brother. She refused to believe what Alfred was saying was the truth. Her voice shook in rage as she hissed out, "H-How dare you!" Looking at Ivan desperately, she demanded, "Ivan! Are you going to let him speak to me like that!?"

Ivan had been shocked whenever Alfred had stepped in front of him, and even more so at the fact that the young slave was defending him against Natalia. The lord watched in slight awe as Alfred heatedly told Natalia to back off, going as far as to even touch her and push her back. If it had been anyone else, Ivan would have felt the need to defend his irrational sister. But in Alfred's case, it was completely justified.

The lord felt a strange warmth blossoming in his chest as he watched Alfred defend his will and freedom. His violet eyes lost their terrified edge, softening into warm admiration at the blonde. A couple weeks ago, Alfred had been giving him this lecture. Now he was defending Ivan with those same words. It was solid proof of how much Alfred had managed to alter him.

Whenever Natalia turned her attention back to Ivan and demanded an answer from him, the lord found a resolve that he hadn't had before. The mere fact that Alfred was defending him against his little sister's forced affections instilled the lord with a type of bravery he'd never possessed around Natalia.

His plum colored eyed took on a sharp edge as he calmly and firmly answered Natalia's question. "Little sister, as much as I love you, and not in the way that you wish, Alfred has every right to say what he's saying right now. It's true and even you cannot deny the truth in his words. You can't force your love onto me and expect me to return the same feelings. You will always be my precious little sister, but nothing more than that. Natalia…you must realize this. You can't spend your whole life pursuing a type of love you can never have from me."

At Ivan words Natalia completely froze, staring at her brother completely dumbstruck. Her precious brother that had always been there for her, always kinder and warmer to her and her sister than he was with anyone previous. They were his only exceptions. And Natalia grew to love her strong and precious big brother as more than just family. She worked so hard to get her brother to feel the same, and now he was saying he'd never love her?

As if it were made of glass, she felt her heart shatter as the cold truth of Ivan's feelings hit her. Her eyes widened as hurt and denial filled up her very being. Already clenched hands tightened even more so until her knuckles were white from the strain. Shaking her head slowly, Natalia bit out viciously, "Y-You...you can't honestly be choosing him over me can you? A dirty, common slut over your own sister!" She desperately searched Ivan's eyes, looking for any signs indicating he'd denounce his earlier words. She didn't even notice how Alfred flinched slightly at her insult.

Natalia's sneered insult hit Alfred in his core, almost as if she verbally punched him in the stomach. Dropping his gaze to the ground, Alfred tensed, unable to stop the surge of self-doubt that flooded him.

The look of hurt in Natalia's eyes made Ivan's heart clench painfully. The last thing he wanted to do was hurt his little sister, whether it be physically or emotionally. But he knew that Natalia's affections were going to lead her down a bad road if she continued to pursue him. She needed to know the truth. Even she looked utterly decimated at Ivan's words, the lord knew that the pain would only be temporary.

"Natalia, you're my little sister. Of course I will always love you like a brother should and you and Katyusha will always be first in my life. I'm not…I'm not choosing Alfred over you. I'm not choosing anyone over anyone. I am merely saying that you need to stop this senseless pursuit of love. You don't want to spend your whole life dwelling on something like this. I would rather you meet a nice person who would take care of you then have you following me mindlessly."

Ivan spared a glance at Alfred, seeing the open look of hurt on the blonde slave's face from Natalia's sharp words. He turned back to his sister, tacking on quickly. "Alfred isn't trash, nor is he a slut or a whore. He's a very good and very kind person. He's one of the best persons I've ever met. He certainly doesn't deserve to be spoken to like a dog." Ivan's gaze dropped to the ground for a few seconds in thought before he peered back up at his sister's defeated form. "Whenever you realize all of this, maybe you should pay Alfred an apology. If he deserves anything, it's that."

Natalia flinched back, as if she had been physically stricken. As feelings of hurt, betrayal, and bitter anger coursed through her, Natalia lowered her head in defeat. Silvery blonde hair cascaded over her trembling shoulders as she choked out bitterly, "Fine. If that's how you feel brother." It took all her will power to keep her voice from trembling like the rest of her body from the surge of intense emotions she was feeling. Turning on her heels, Natalia made a hasty escape, unable to face her brother's rejection nor how despite what he said, he still chose Alfred over her.

As Natalia's retreating form disappeared within the sea of yellow sunflowers, Alfred couldn't help but look up at the lord behind him with hesitant and questioning eyes. "Uh…um...shouldn't you go after her?" He asked hesitantly. He was already shocked by the fact that Ivan came to his defense over Natalia's insult, only to be more shocked and disbelieving when Ivan just shook his head to Alfred's question, platinum hair falling into his eyes slightly from the movement.

Smiling sadly, Ivan spoke gently. "No…she needs time alone to sort this out herself. I can't do it for her and to comfort her would be to instill her with false feelings again." Shoulder's sagging slightly, Ivan felt the tension from the whole experience weigh down on his being.

He sat down in the soft grass, staring at the fine green blades in deep contemplation. He hoped that Natalia would overcome his strange feelings for him, but he also hoped that his rejection didn't foster feelings of loathing in Natalia. The last thing he wanted was for his baby sister to despise him like so many others.

Alfred watched the troubled lord sink back onto the soft grass, a pensive look causing his brows to furrow. Still a bit speechless and dumbstruck from Ivan not only sticking up for himself, but Alfred as well, the blonde didn't know what to say to help ease the lord's worry.

However, that had never stopped Alfred from trying before. "I, um...thank you Lord Ivan...for, um, sticking up for me. And, well…I'm sure Lady Natalia will recover from this. She doesn't seem like the type to be defeated so easily." Alfred stumbled over his words, a light blush on his face from not being able to properly express his gratitude and wish to comfort the lord.

Giving a humorless laugh, Ivan shook his head, his eyes not leaving the greenery in front of him. "Natalia is very intense about her feelings. I know that she won't be happy about it for the remainder of her time here, but she will get over it like you said. For both of our sakes, I can't help but hope that she is a little defeated by this, as cruel as that is to say of me. Else, she will come back full force with her affections."

Ivan's violet eyes shifted up to meet Alfred's own blue ones. He saw the light blush fading slowly from the other's cheeks and decided to forgo teasing the other about it at the moment. Ivan wasn't exactly in the mood to be playful after all. "You don't have to thank me Alfred. It was only right that I defend you, especially after all you've put up with so far. That and…I couldn't stand to hear Natalia slander your name any more than you did."

Alfred felt a smile tug on his lips as he eyed Ivan curiously and considered his last statement. Alfred felt compelled to ask, "How come?" After all, Ivan had no real logical reason to feel offended for Alfred nor was he obligated to defend him from Natalia's slander.

At this, Ivan's face morphed into a look of confusion. "What do you mean 'How Come'? I thought it was very obvious by now that I like you Alfred. I'm not going to let someone talk down to you, especially whenever it's nothing but pure lies and assumptions." Ivan pursed his lips for a moment before adding on, "That, and you're a good person. Good people do not deserve to be talked to like dogs."

Alfred looked a bit bewildered by Ivan's words. Who would have ever thought the asshole he met just a little more than a month and a half ago would now be saying Alfred shouldn't be treated or talked to like an animal? Not that Alfred was complaining though.

Amazement over Ivan's response melted into a warm grin. "I...Thank you Lord Ivan, you're not half bad yourself." Alfred was pretty sure he hadn't said thank you this much to one person in one day, but he truly was.

"You really mean that?" Ivan asked with a small smile playing at his lips. "Thank you, Alfredka." The lord laughed a bit, a bit of humor seeping into his voice. Though he felt bad over the whole situation with Natalia, it was no reason to continually mope about it. "We've been saying 'thank you' to each other a lot as of lately. You would think by now that we both got the picture, hmm? Maybe it should become and unspoken thing between us." With mirth still in his eyes, Ivan pat the grass next to him. "You know, I didn't have the chance to finish kissing you..."

Alfred felt a hot blush on his cheeks as he sputtered out in response to Ivan's statement. "I-I, um, weeding! Yeah, um, I still need to weed!" And with that, Alfred scrambled to where he had been weeding before Ivan and his heart to heart conversation and the whole Natalia fiasco. As he pulled out weeds hurriedly, Alfred could only blush more and become more flustered as Ivan laughed softly behind him.