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Ivan and Fedyor looked forward to their time in the lounge, a time to kick back with their friends in a more casual setting. They might all be high-ranked Grisha serving in an army, but in the lounge, they were just a bunch of young adults letting off steam.
And boy, did they let off steam….who could blame them when they had such stressful lives?
The lounge was their sanctuary, never entered by anyone else…not even the Darkling. Which was a good thing, seeing as one of their favourite pastimes in the lounge involved betting on the Darkling’s next move. The longest running betting pool they had was on how close the Darkling was to declaring a coup against the Lantsovs. The royal family were right royal idiots, and all the Grisha could see how infuriating the Darkling found them. Fedyor had started the pool a few weeks after joining the Second Army, and within a few weeks all the other high-ranking Grisha had joined.
Fedyor and Ivan had a little side hustle going, trying to tip the scales in Ivan’s favour. Being the Darkling’s right-hand man meant Ivan had the best intel, and they took full advantage of that fact.
Fedyor turned to the others from his comfortable seat on the sofa next to Ivan. “Did you see his face when they summoned him to court today? I swear he is going to snap soon.”
Nadia looked at him suspiciously, “Fedyor, you’ve been saying that for years. You just want us to up our bets.”
Ivan gave Fedyor a sly look, knowing he was set to win if the coup happened in a few weeks. “No, but really…..Fedyor’s right. Prince Vasily was drunk and called him the duckling; we're taking bets on a coup within the week."
Nadia’s eyes widened as she replied, “Wait…you’re kidding right?”
“Of course not. It happened last night, at the official dinner they made him attend.”
Sergei, Marie and Nadia all sat up straighter as they stared disbelievingly at Fedyor and Ivan. Sergei shook his head, “And Prince Vasily is still alive? How?”
Ivan fixed them with his signature icy glare. “General Kirigan is a leader, of course he would not do anything as stupid as kill the Crown Prince in front of witnesses and start a civil war.”
Fedyor gave him a small nudge and laughed, “Sure, he would do it in a way untraceable to him.”
Ivan glared at him for a second before relaxing his face into a grin. “Exactly. So, who is going to place bets on the coup happening this week?”
Nadia, Marie, Sergei and the other Grisha in the room looked at each other hesitantly, but one by one they all placed bets on a different day that week.
Ivan and Fedyor carefully collected everyone’s money, then bid them all goodnight. As they arrived at their rooms, Fedyor turned to Ivan gleefully. “I can’t believe they all bought that. Thank you for backing me up Vanya.”
“They’re all so gullible….if that had really happened, not only would Prince Vasily be dead, but so would everyone else at that dinner. If there are no witnesses left, no one can blame you for it.”
Fedyor turned around and caught Ivan in an embrace, “We are going to go on the best holiday with those winnings, Vanya.”
“I’m sure we can think of something to spend it on, Fedya.”, Ivan said as he leaned down to kiss him softly.
****************************
The next morning found Ivan rushing to the General’s quarters, his usual calm demeanour flustered as he was running late. He loved Fedya, but he really did seem to enjoy initiating trysts at a time when he knew it would make Ivan late. Ivan did try to resist, but he was human after all and Fedyor was hard to turn down.
Ivan slowed his pace as he approached the door to the war room, knowing the General would not appreciate seeing him flustered. Ivan was sure it was his sternness and stoicism which made him a favourite with the General, and he did not intend to let him see him looking so…human.
He found the door partially ajar and knocked on it respectfully. No answer….strange, the General was usually found poring over the latest war updates first thing in the morning.
“Moi soverenyi?”, he called as he knocked again. Still nothing. He decided to check the rooms before asking one of the nearby guards for help, and was just pushing open the door to enter when he heard it.
Laughter. Coming from the General’s private parlour.
Ivan stopped just inside the war room, sure his mind was playing tricks on him. There it was again…a quiet voice, followed by another chuckle. He used his powers to be sure and sensed it…two heartbeats in the next room. He took a few steps forward, trying to see through the gap in the door, starting to wonder if someone had dared break into the General’s quarters (maybe some of the younger Grisha had a death wish? Maybe Baghra had finally snapped!).
A female figure came into view, seated on one of the armchairs, her back to the door. She was leaning forward, towards the other person. All Ivan could see was dark hair and a blue kefta, then she reached a hand out to pick up a pastry and he saw gold embroidery. Alina? What was she doing here? And eating pastries? The General never had pastries for breakfast.
Ivan pinched himself, wondering if he was having some sort of fever dream. Ouch. Well, it appeared he was awake. Ivan leaned forward, trying to get a glimpse of the other person. As a face came into view, Ivan almost fell over in shock.
It was General Kirigan…smiling, no beaming…and laughing at something Alina said. He was looking at her with what could only be described as heart eyes.
Ivan backed out of the room so quickly he almost crashed into the wall. Fedyor was not going to believe this.
*********************************
Ivan ran into the room so fast that Fedyor almost fell off his chair. “What is it, what happened?”
“Fedya, you are not going to believe me….I just saw General Kirigan.”
Fedyor looked at him curiously, “Isn’t that an everyday occurrence?”
Ivan gave him an exasperated look. “He was with Alina.”
Starting to wonder if his love was falling ill, Fedyor interrupted once again, “Again….she lives here now, she is his new favourite, that is becoming quite a common occurrence.”
Ivan fixed him with one of his trademark glares, “Fedyor would you let me finish?.”
“Of course, Vanya.”, he said apologetically, wondering what exactly had gotten him so riled up.
“They were eating pastries together, and he was laughing…..and the way he looked at her Fedya. He looked like a lovesick puppy. I have never seen him like that before.”
Fedyor looked at Ivan and let out a short laugh.
“What? What’s so funny?”, he said, utterly perplexed.
“Why are you surprised? You are with him every day, you have seen the way he always looks at her. Like she is the sun his world orbits around. All you had to do was listen to his heartbeat to realise it races when she is near.”
Ivan said, “But….it’s the General.” Fedyor had to suppress a smile at the confused look on his face. So clever, but so oblivious to certain aspects of human emotion.
“Come now, lyubimyy….he might be the General but he is still a man.”, Fedyor told him as he put a hand on his arm. “Do you think it will take long before they make it official? I have a bet on the Winter Fete.”
“A bet?”
“Yes of course, most of us do. We kept you out of it as we thought you would have an unfair advantage…but you can help me.”, he said as he looked at Ivan coyly.
“Well….we could do with the money.”
“Exactly”
“Fine, I’ll help.”
“Excellent….now, I have an idea for the coup.”
“Yes?”
“We have found his weakness…Alina…if we suggest the royal family might harm her in any way, or try to take her away from him…I think it's all he needs to snap.”
“That is very underhanded….I love it, milyy.”
“Perfect. We will do it at the first meeting next week, once all the others have lost their bets.”
***********************************
The end of the week brought with it much complaining from the rest of the high-ranking Grisha as they all lost their bets. Ivan and Fedyor could barely contain their glee while listening to the others moan about their loss, knowing the stellar plan they had waiting.
Fedyor was just updating their betting board, a large blackboard where they kept track of all their ongoing bets, when the door to the lounge was suddenly flung open and General Kirigan entered. Everyone except for Ivan got to their feet nervously, trying in vain to shield the board from his view. Fedyor spun the board around, hiding the bets written on the front, then did his best to look nonchalant, pretending to be sketching something on the board.
“Ivan, I need you to come with me now.”, said General Kirigan, standing just inside the door. He then looked around the room, noting the panicked expressions on everyone’s face. “Why do you all look like you’ve seen a ghost? You are soldiers, why are you so easily startled?”
They all looked at each other helplessly, not knowing what to answer. Ivan got to his feet and gave them all a disdainful look. “They are just embarrassed to be caught gossiping, moi soverenyi. We are not used to seeing you here.”
“Well then, I will be sure to knock next time,” said the General sardonically, giving a pointed look towards Fedyor and the board, before turning and striding out of the room, Ivan in his wake.
The door had barely swung shut behind them before a total uproar broke out.
“Do you think he saw it?”
“Oh Saints, he must think we’re idiots.”
“He is going to –“
“EVERYONE SHUT IT.”, yelled Fedyor. They all stopped to stare at him incredulously, not used to hearing the jolly Fedyor raise his voice. “There’s nothing we can do now, if he saw it I’m sure we’ll find out soon enough. Panicking isn’t going to make a difference.”
He saw a few glares thrown his way, but everyone sat back down and eventually the room dissolved back into the usual chatter, if in a more subdued mood than usual. Fedyor tried to join in with the conversations, but found his thoughts drifting to the plan he and Ivan had in place for next week. As he went over it, a thought crossed his mind. There was one very important person they had forgotten to include in the plan.
Fedyor excused himself to go to bed, hoping that Ivan wouldn’t be gone long. He really wanted to see what he thought of this idea.
**************************************
The next morning Fedyor found himself woken in the early hours by Ivan stumbling into the room, clearly dead tired.
“What happened, what took so long?”
“Another spy went missing, Nina Zenick. The General was furious, she was one of his favourites.”
“Where was she last seen?”
“In West Ravka, Novokribirsk. The General thinks Zlatan may be letting Fjerdan druskelle freely hunt Grisha over there…he was threatening war. And he spent a good portion of the meeting complaining about the uselessness of the King and the First Army. I really think this coup will happen soon.”
“I hope it does, and not just because of the bet….the Lantsovs have done nothing for us Grisha, and now we aren’t even safe in West Ravka? General Kirigan is the only one keeping us safe, it would be better for us if he took over ruling the country. Plus, he isn’t incompetent like those royal idiots.”
“I know Fedya. We all knew this day would come, and it will, we’ll make sure of it. He has the Sun Summoner now too, we are stronger than ever. We are Ravka’s only hope, even the peasants must see that.”
Fedyor had tears in his eyes when he next spoke; “I hope it's not too late for poor Nina if they do. I can’t believe the druskelle took her.”
“I know, but she’s strong, she will never stop fighting.”, Ivan said as he gathered him in an embrace.
“That’s true.”, said Fedyor sadly, burying his head in Ivan’s shoulder. After a few moments he looked up. “I had an idea that might help us with our plan.”
“Tell me.”
“We should tell Genya the plan. She’s the one closest to the royal family, the General would believe it more if she told him she heard the same rumors. And you know how she hates the Lantsovs’, she will gladly help in any plan to get rid of them.”
Ivan looked at him proudly. “You’re right, I can’t believe I didn’t think of that myself. You should try to talk to Genya today, she likes you best anyway.”
“I’ll find her and tell her to come talk to us tonight, we have to be careful no one sees us.”
**************************************
It was late at night when a light knock sounded on the door and Genya entered their quarters with her usual confidence. “So, what is so important that it is worth depriving me of my beauty sleep?”
“Come now Genya, you couldn’t possibly get any more beautiful than you already are.”, said Fedyor, giving her a fond smile. Most of the other Grisha looked down on Genya, but Fedyor had never understood why. She was still Grisha, she should still be treated as one of them. And she was a lovely person too, witty and kind and extremely brave behind that perfect façade.
Genya gave him a warm smile as she sat down next to him gracefully, then looked at Ivan staring at them seriously from his chair. “And Good Evening to you too, Ivan. Lovely to see you relaxed on this fine evening.”
Ivan scowled and Genya let out a soft laugh, always happy to get a rise out of him. It might be one of her favourite pastimes: annoying Ivan. Fedyor chuckled at their antics, knowing that Ivan really admired Genya even if he would never admit it to her.
“Shall we get down to business? We have important things to discuss.”
“Of course Ivan. So, Genya, we have an ongoing bet with some of the other Grisha about the Darkling….”
Genya interrupted him with a look that could kill. “A bet? You had me sneak over here, past Saints knows how many palace guards and Oprichniki, in the dead of night, to discuss a bet?!”
“Let me finish Genya….trust me, you will understand if you just let me finish.”
She gave him a haughty look. “Fine. Speak.”
“So, this bet is on when the General will finally stage a coup, overthrow the Lantsovs. You know he has certain plans already in place, he’s just never gone ahead with the final step. Well, we think it is going to happen soon. He has Alina now, West Ravka is getting bolder by the day.”
“Yes, and?”, said Genya impatiently.
“We want the coup to happen this week.”
Genya was clearly not in the best mood this evening, if her short replies were any indication. “Why?”
Fedyor looked slightly sheepish as he replied, “Because if we do, Ivan will win, and we have plans for that money.”
“What do I have to do with anything?”, Genya said exasperatedly.
“We need your help. If the General thinks that Alina is in danger from the Lantsovs, that will drive him over the edge….we’re sure of it.”
Genya sighed and gave Fedyor a slightly bemused smile. “Well, I agree with you on that. He really is smitten with her, it's almost cute….until you remember who he is.”
“You’re the one who spends the most time around the royals, if you could tell the General that you heard the King say something threatening about Alina….I’m sure he would believe you, he trusts you. And Ivan can back you up, say he heard the same rumour.”
“What do I get if I help?”, said Genya, but Fedyor could see from her expression that she liked the plan.
“The end of the Lantsovs...is that not enough?”, interjected Ivan, clearly fed up with sticking to the sidelines in this conversation.
“But you see Ivan, I could get that without your help...I think it’s only fair you give me a portion of your winnings, after all I am an important part of your plan. How about 20 percent?”
Fedyor and Ivan exchanged a glance, Ivan unamused and Fedyor admiring of Genya’s gumption. She definitely knew what she was worth, and would accept nothing less. As she should, after all.
Fedyor grabbed Genya’s hands in his and gave them a gallant kiss. “But of course, darling Genya. It’s a deal.”
She gave him her warmest smile in reply. “So, when are we doing this?”
“We thought tomorrow's meeting would do.”
“You really are in a rush. We’d better get our story straight then. And some sleep, we need to be at our best for this.”
They discussed their plan into the early hours of the morning, coming up with a rumor they knew the Darkling would not be able to ignore, only getting some rest when they were sure they had all the details ironed out.
******************************
The meeting next morning dragged on for hours, and while Ivan was his usual stoic self, Fedyor could barely contain himself, eagerly awaiting Genya’s arrival. Finally the First Army representees left, and only they were left in the room with the Darkling, ready to receive Genya’s report.
She entered the room gracefully, impeccable as always. Looking at her there would be no way to know she had spent most of the previous night awake scheming. She gave the Darkling her usual updates on Alina, then the Lantsovs, keeping their invented rumour for last.
“Moi soverenyi, there is one more thing you should be aware of. I heard the Queen complaining that the King is planning to invite Alina to dinner with him and Vasily tonight. He has apparently decided it would be a good political move to marry her into the royal family.”
The Darkling’s expression hardened, his gaze ice cold. “He said what?”
“He is planning to betrothe Alina to Vasily. That is the point of the dinner.”, was Genya’s perfectly calm reply. Looking at her there was no way you would have been able to tell she was lying.
The room darkened at her words, and Fedyor took an automatic step back at the sight. The Darkling rarely used his power unconsciously, and when he did it was a sure sign he was either extremely angry or very upset (at least that was what they told themselves, they had only ever seen him extremely angry...until Alina showed up).
If the look on his face was any indication, Vasily and the King were lucky to be out of his sight at this moment.
“How have I heard nothing of this before?”
“They are planning to issue the invite to Alina at the last minute, they have been trying to keep their plans quiet so you would not hear of them. I only found out because the Queen was especially irritable this morning and even looser tongued than usual. She doesn't want a half-Shu Grisha in the family.”
Fedyor looked at Genya in admiration, in awe of her skill at telling such a bald-faced lie to someone that intimidating, without betraying even the slightest hint of nerves.
“Moi soverenyi...I was passing some Grand Palace courtiers this morning and I heard them complaining about the dinner they have to prepare for tonight, saying a Grisha is not worth all that trouble. They must have been talking about Alina.”
Ivan said all this in his usual stoic manner, and the Darkling’s anger grew with every word.
“That is unacceptable. I will never allow them anywhere near Alina, she is too important.”
Fedyor could have sworn the temperature in the room dropped a few degrees at the coldness of his tone. The General stopped to consider for mere seconds before turning towards him. “Fedyor, get the other highest-ranked Grisha and my Oprichniki. It is high time we end the Lantsov rule.”
“Right away, moi soverenyi.”, he said with a bow before hurrying out of the room.
*************************
Fedyor practically ran all the way to the training grounds to collect the others. They all looked at him in surprise when he skidded into the room, practically yelling; “The party is on. It’s ON, I tell you! It’s happening right now.”
They all exchanged loaded looks, knowing exactly what that phrase meant - their codename for the coup. They all followed Fedyor back straightaway, but he could hear their whispered complaints on the way.
“Today of all days?”
“Isn’t this Ivan’s day to win?”
“It’s just not fair.”
“Couldn’t he have done it just a few days earlier?”
Fedyor suppressed a grin at their words, and simply continued walking back to the war room. I cannot wait to go on holiday with Ivan. It has been too long.
*************************
Late that night, they all gathered back in their lounge, exhausted from the long day. The coup had been a success, the Queen in exile and Vasily cut down by the Darkling himself. The King had been captured by the Darkling, who allowed Genya to end his life herself. That had not been part of the original coup plan, but no one here was going to mourn their loss. And Ivan could have sworn he heard the General mutter “That’s for trying to take Alina from me, you fools.” under his breath as he and Genya cut them down.
Fedyor got to his feet and looked at everyone expectantly, his hands extended in a universal sign. Give me the money.
“Come on, time to pay up.”
Plenty of grumbling ensued, but everyone slowly gave up their money, until Fedyor was holding a pile so big it started slipping out of his grasp.
“Ivan, lyubimyy, would you help me with this? After all, they are your winnings.”
“Of course, miliyy.”, he said as he took half the pile from Fedyor’s grasp with a smile.
The others looked at them suspiciously, clearly not convinced it was a fair win.
With a quick shared glance, they decided it was time to celebrate their win elsewhere.
“Well, goodnight everyone. We have a vacation to plan.”, said Fedyor, cheerily as ever, already walking towards the door Ivan was holding open for him.
They had only just rounded the corner when they came face to face with Genya, resplendent in a red kefta with blue embroidery, and walking with new purpose in her step.
“Genya! You look wonderful. Red suits you.”
“Why thank you Fedyor. It is definitely more my colour.” She gave him a wink and a cheeky smile. “Now give me my share.”
He handed Genya her share willingly, after all she had been invaluable in making their plan a success.
“Amazing, now I can do some redecorating….my new quarters really need an upgrade. What are you two going to do with your winnings?”
“We were thinking of going on a vacation. Ivan hasn’t taken a day off in years.”
Genya gave a disbelieving chuckle. “I would like to be in the room when Ivan asks the General for leave, I’m sure his reaction will be priceless.”
Ivan huffed. “Well your presence has been charming as usual Genya, but we must leave you now. It is late and I would like to celebrate with Fedyor.”
“Of course, I wouldn’t want to disturb your celebrating.” Genya gave Fedyor a knowing smile. “Have a good night.”
*****************************
Fedyor was chatting happily about vacation plans as he got ready for bed, listing all of the places he wanted to visit. He had just removed his kefta when he noticed Ivan had been suspiciously quiet for the last few minutes of the conversation. He turned around to find Ivan still fully dressed, staring at him intently, an unknown emotion on his face.
“Vanya? Is something wrong?”
The question seemed to shake Ivan from his stupor, and he crossed the room, coming to stand right in front of Fedyor.
“Actually Fedya, I think we have more than enough to go on that vacation...I was thinking we could spend some of it on something else.”
“Something else? Like what?”, said Fedyor in confusion.
Ivan gave him a soft smile, the one he reserved for private moments when it was just the two of them.
“A wedding.”
Fedyor looked at him, a mix of hope and uncertainty on his face. “A wedding?”
“Yes, lyubimyy, a wedding.”
Ivan got down on one knee, a signet ring in his hand. “Fedya, moi zhizn, will you do me the honour of marrying me?”
Fedyor sank to his knees in front of Ivan, an expression of pure joy on his face. “Yes, Vanya, a thousand times yes.”
They swept each other into a passionate kiss, pouring all their love and affection for each other into that gesture. When they finally broke apart, Fedyor cupped Ivan’s cheek with a smile. “ I thought you would never ask, milyy.”
**********************
The next morning, Fedyor walked into the dining room with a new bounce in his step, eager to share the happy news with all of their friends. Everyone crowded around to offer their congratulations, eager to celebrate happy news for once. Ivan observed the commotion with his usual stoicness, but everyone could see the soft smile breaking out on his face when he looked at Fedyor, unable to keep in his emotions as well as usual.
After breakfast he left Fedyor to join the General in his war room. Even though the coup had been successful, there was plenty still to be done. He strode into the room and gave his usual greeting, but was surprised to find the General looking at him with what looked like a smile on his face.
“I hear congratulations are in order Ivan.”
Ivan turned red at the words, not having expected the General to have found out so quickly.
“Yes, moi soverennyi. Thank you.”
“I am very happy for you both. Everyone can use a celebration in the midst of all this war.”
Am I dreaming? Should I pinch myself?, he thought in disbelief. The General had never been unkind, but he had always been reserved, even if he showed he trusted Ivan implicitly. His reaction emboldened Ivan to ask something he had thought he would never find the courage to.
“Actually, moi soverennyi, Fedyor and I have something to ask you. We were wondering if you could be the one to marry us, if it is not too great an inconvenience.”
The General looked a bit taken aback at his words, but also very proud. “I would be honoured. Have you picked a location yet? I’m sure Genya would be glad to take over the planning, but I do hope you decide to have it here.”
“That’s very kind of you. I will tell Fedyor, I’m sure he is already discussing ideas with Genya. She dragged him away from breakfast talking about new ceremonial keftas for the occasion.”
“Wonderful”, said the General distractedly as a knock sounded on the door. “Now Ivan, why don’t you go find Fedyor and Genya and start planning this wedding? I will not need you for the next few hours.”
Ivan looked at him in surprise. The General rarely told him he was not needed, and they had just completed a coup and had a whole country to run. This conversation keeps getting stranger, I really might be dreaming after all. He nodded in puzzled assent, and walked towards the door. He opened it to find Alina standing outside. So she was the one who had knocked.
“Fedyor told me the news, congratulations Ivan.” I know gossip travels fast in the Little Palace, but this is getting ridiculous. It’s been less than twelve hours and everyone knows.
“Thank you Alina”, he said, albeit a bit stiffly. He was still getting used to her, this Grisha who caused so much trouble and yet seemed to be able to wrap their General round her little finger with ease.
The General came to the door at the sound of her voice, practically pushing Ivan out onto the corridor.
“Come on in Alina”, he said with a soft smile, stepping aside to allow her in. As soon as she was inside, he shut the door smartly, almost hitting Ivan in the face with it.
He just took over a country because of a perceived threat to her, and now he’s spending time with her instead of having his morning meeting? Saints help us, the world has gone insane.
*****************************
Never let it be said that the Grisha do not know how to throw a good party. In the space of a week, Genya managed to plan a wedding so lavish it would eclipse those thrown by the royal family in the past. Fabrikators were working non-stop creating decorations for the throne room and ballroom, making wedding keftas for the happy couple, and generally making every demand by Genya a reality. Genya took to her role with aplomb, giving orders to every idle Grisha she saw.
If in the midst of all her bossiness, there was one Fabrikator to whom she was always nothing but pure sweetness, no one was brave enough to comment on that fact. Except for Alina, and she got a day of bright pink hair for her troubles. The effect was strange enough that the unflappable General dropped the crystal glass he was holding when he first saw her, an unreadable expression on his face.
Ivan and Fedyor’s wedding day dawned bright and sunny, a perfect late winter morning. Both the palaces were abuzz with excitement, Grisha getting dressed in their finery in the Little Palace, and servants putting the finishing touches on the setup in the Grand Palace. Some of the nobility had been invited to the wedding, in a gesture of pure spite by the General who knew they disapproved of Grisha ways in this, but all were too wary to attend after the recent coup. Their loss was not felt in the slightest by the Grisha, intent on celebrating two of their own with nothing holding them back.
By noon every Grisha was gathered in the throne room, waiting for the grooms’ grand entrance. The General stood at the top of the dias, dressed in a new ceremonial kefta and with a proud smile on his face, his gaze often straying to Alina in the front row, resplendent in a new black and gold kefta.
Ivan and Fedyor entered the room, arms linked, everyone rising to their feet as they did. The usually stoic and unreadable Ivan looked like a different man, joy clearly visible on his face as he walked beside Fedyor. He took his place at the General’s right side, turning to face the room as Fedyor took his place opposite. If Ivan had looked joyful before, it was nothing compared to the expression on his face as Fedyor turned towards him on the dais. He looked at Fedyor with pure love and adoration, a look that was returned in kind.
The General gave them a smile before looking out at the room. “We have gathered here today to celebrate the love that these two brothers-in-arms of ours, Ivan Zima and Fedyor Kaminsky, have for each other. A love that we have all seen grow, and which has led them to bind themselves together today, with all of us as witnesses.”
He gave them a small nod, and gestured to Fedyor to start with his first vow - the traditional Ravkan one.
“Here, witnessed by our Saints and our friends, I speak words of both love and duty. It is not a chore but an honour to swear faith to you, to promise love to you, to offer my hand and my heart to you in this life and the next.”
Ivan followed, repeating the same words, their hands clasped and love shining on their faces. After completing the traditional Ravkan vows, Ivan said those unique to the Grisha, pride on his face.
“We are soldiers. I will march with you in times of war. I will rest with you in times of peace. I will forever be the weapon in your hand, the fighter at your side, the friend who awaits your return. I have seen your face in the making at the heart of the world and there is no one more beloved, Fedyor Kaminsky, brave and unbreakable.”
Fedyor had tears in his eyes by the end of the vows, but he managed to utter his in return, even if in a shakier voice than usual.
The General looked at them with an uncharacteristic warmth as he set thorn wood crowns on both their heads and uttered the traditional blessings. Ivan could not help noticing that even as he spoke the blessings flawlessly, his eyes rested solely on Alina. Really? With those damn heart eyes even now? Could you focus on the people this day is supposed to be about? But Ivan was too happy to remain disgruntled in the current moment, settling for an exasperated look shared with Fedyor.
Before long the ceremony was at an end, and Ivan caught Fedyor in a passionate kiss he usually reserved for private moments, too overjoyed to worry about his usual disdain for public displays of affection. The guests all stood up and burst into applause, continuing even on their walk back down the aisle. Even a couple of whoops of joy could be heard as they passed, everyone thrilled to see Fedyor so happy and Ivan so uncharacteristically soft.
The reception was an even more lavish affair, with tables covered in the best food, Fabrikator-made decorations making the room look like an otherworldly forest….and most importantly, multiple bars fully stocked with the best champagne, wine, vodka and kvas to be found in Ravka.
Everyone took advantage of what was on offer, and soon most of the Grisha were crowding on the dancefloor, already floating in a happy alcohol-induced haze. Genya finally relaxed, now that her plans had come to fruition perfectly, and she could be seen dancing and giggling with Alina in the centre of the dance floor, glasses of champagne in their hands...even though they cast several wistful glances at David and the General, both determinedly keeping off the dancefloor.
David wouldn’t make eye contact, but he could be seen looking admiringly back at Genya as soon as he realised she was no longer looking in his direction. The General, on the other hand, had no such qualms about eye contact. He was full on staring at Alina, awe in his eyes at every move she made on the dancefloor. A young Inferni walked up to Alina and asked her for a dance, however she didn’t even get a chance to answer. The General walked over so fast, he scattered multiple dancing Grisha in his wake, all looking perplexed.
“I’m afraid Ms. Starkov’s dance card is full for the evening, Dima.”, he said, drawing himself up to his full height to intimidate the poor Etherealki even further.
“Of course, General….I’m sorry, moi soverenyi”, stammered the poor boy before he backed away quickly, leaving many sympathetic glances in his wake. Poor fool, has he been living in the clouds for the past few months? Everyone knows Alina is off limits.
The General turned towards Alina, that soft look back on his face, a hand extended towards her. “Care for a dance, Alina?
“Of course Al….moi soverenyi.”, was her reply, a totally smitten look on her face even as she stumbled over his name, unsure if she could refer to him so informally in such a public setting.
He showed no concern over her mistake, leading her gracefully to the middle of the dancefloor. The other Grisha kept a wide berth of them as he swung her around the room, no one being drunk enough to risk accidentally bumping into them and risking the wrath of the General for mildly inconveniencing his precious Sun Summoner. He spun and dipped her gracefully, eliciting a happy squeal from her when he lifted her clean off her feet mid-spin.
“Would you look at that? Dancing and laughing like they don’t have a care in the world. He really is hopelessly smitten with her.”, Genya told Fedyor as they observed the dancing. “Speaking of dancing, where is your husband? Shouldn’t you be centre stage on the dancefloor right about now?”
“You know Ivan is not the biggest fan of dancing.”
“But it’s your wedding! He has to.”, pouted Genya.
Fedyor let out a chuckle. “I would like to see you try to make him do anything.”
At that moment, Ivan stumbled back into the room, his face unusually flushed. He practically ran over to Fedyor. “Miliyy! There you are...i’ve missed you.”
“Missed me? You’ve been gone for half an hour….actually, where did you go?”
“Oh just...outside….needed some air, and the Opri-shniki were nice enough to share some of their vodka with me, to celebrate ush.”
Fedyor gave him an odd look. “How much vodka exactly?”
“Dunno….we took turns drinking from a bottle...bottles.”, Ivan said with a little shrug.
“Vanya! You’re drunk aren’t you?”, said Fedyor, barely holding back a laugh at this uncharacteristic display.
“No, of course ‘m not.”
It might have been a convincing display, were it not for the slurring of words and the fact that Ivan was leaning heavily into Fedyor’s side while speaking.
Fedyor gave him a fond glance, sharing a chuckle with Genya over his head. “Whatever you say, miliyy. Do you want to go sit?”
Ivan gave him an unimpressed look at that. “NO! s’our wedding….we should dance.”
With that, he dragged Fedyor out onto the dance floor, bumping into several Grisha in the process. When he had decided they were in the right place, he started dancing with remarkable enthusiasm….so much enthusiasm in fact, that he barrelled right into Marie and Sergei, who were in the happy haze of newly revealed mutual attraction and didn’t move out of his way fast enough.
Fedyor observed his husband with a loving smile, thrilled with this new piece of information he had discovered. His husband was a wonderful dancer. Where had he been hiding that talent all these years? Nevermind, he would have plenty of time to make up for that...starting right now, he thought as he joined him.
Eventually Ivan and Fedyor’s display captured the attention of everyone in the room, even the oblivious Alina and Aleksander, and a ring of not-so-sober Grisha gathered around to watch. There was plenty of cheering and cat-calling, culminating in a round of applause which devolved into the oh-so mature chants of “Kiss!Kiss!Kiss!”.
Fedyor swept Ivan into a passionate kiss at the request of the crowd, before giving them all a bow.
“Thank you, thank you...now I think it is time to get my wonderful husband to bed.”
There were some boos from the crowd at this, everyone enjoying this uncharacteristically jolly side of Ivan. Who would have thought Ivan was capable of being a total party animal? (Fedyor, but he wasn’t going to let them know that.)
They slowly made their way out of the room, being stopped by well-wishers every step. They were almost at the door when Ivan stopped suddenly, a dismayed look on his face. “WAIT.’
“What is it, Vanya?”
“I forgot to ask the General for leave to go on our honeymoon….and we have to leave in the morning.”
Fedyor gave him a disappointed look. “Really? But Vanya….you promised.”
“No..No….I can fix it, I promise! Gimme a minute.”
Ivan stumbled off in search of the General, Fedyor following closely behind to witness what he assumed was going to be a total disaster.
They found the General in a quiet corner with Alina, whispering something in her ear…..something which, according to the flush creeping up her neck and the rapid beating of her heart, was hardly likely to be appropriate for sensitive ears. Oh Saints, this is not going to go well, thought Fedyor as he watched Ivan barrel up to them, totally oblivious to the moment he was interrupting.
“Moi soven-sover-soverenyi!”,said Ivan, stumbling over his words in his drunk state.
The General looked at him with barely concealed amusement, clearly entertained by this unusual display. “Yes, Ivan? Did you need something?”
“Yes, Gineral. You see, Fedyor and I need some leave...to go on our honeymoon. ‘s my fault, was supposed to ask you last week and forgot.”
“For how long?”, asked the General with a sigh.
“A month, moi soven-soverenyi….please.”, said Ivan, a pleading look on his face. “Fedya will be so angry if we can’t go now….s’all my fault.”
“A month?! Now, when we have just taken over the country? This is not good timing, Ivan.”, said the General sternly.
Ivan’s face fell at the words, but Fedyor could see a glint of amusement in the General’s eyes. Was he...was he doing this on purpose to toy with Ivan?
“Why do you need a whole month?”
“We wanted to visit several cities in Ravka, Fedyor’s only seen most places on military speditions. And there is a fair in Bar-Balakirev in a few weeks.”
“I suppose I can spare you, for Fedyor’s sake.”, said the General with a long-suffering sigh. He was definitely doing this on purpose!
“Thank you, General, thank you. You’s most gracious.”
They had just turned to walk away, Ivan bowing ridiculously low to make up for his errors, when the General called them back.
“How are you going to afford a month-long honeymoon after paying your share for this wedding? Your salaries will not cover all this.”
Ivan stopped walking with a jolt, looking at Fedyor with a look of total panic on his face.
“Umm….Ivan’s come into an inheritance of sorts, moi soverenyi.”
The General looked at them suspiciously, clearly not fooled by the lie.
“How fortunate...the timing of all this.”
“Yes, moi soverenyi, we were very lucky. Goodnight, moi soverenyi.”, said Fedyor, pushing Ivan away as quickly as possible lest they be asked any more questions. He definitely knows something.
**************************
A couple of weeks later:
At the end of the meeting, one of his Heartrenders (his Ivan replacement, though he was a poor replacement), raised his hand nervously.
“Yes?”, he said impatiently. Ivan would never have raised his hand, as though he was in a classroom. I’m surrounded by children.
“Moi soverenyi, we have been receiving some worrying reports of unusual occurrences in towns across Ravka - Caryeva, Poliznaya and now Balakirev. There have been Otkazat’sya reporting hearts suddenly racing, a few dropping dead with no warning….and an increase of lust. There have been many cases of...uhm... indecent public behaviour, much more than is typical.”
“An increase in indecent behaviour?”, said the General suspiciously, looking over a map of Ravka and tracing a line between the cities mentioned. You have got to be kidding me.
“Yes, moi soverenyi. There are rumours that it might be a rogue Heartrender.”
The General squared his shoulders, and let out an exasperated sigh. “Oh, I know EXACTLY who is causing this.”
The Grisha present in the room looked nervous at his proclamation. “You do, moi soverenyi?”
“Yes. Someone go to Balakirev and bring back Ivan and Fedyor. NOW. Their honeymoon is over.”
“Of course, General.”
He swept out of the room, and the other Grisha could hear him muttering under his breath. “Those damn fools, they just HAD to show off to each other didn’t they? Making whole villages fall under their sexual heartrending escapades...I should have sent them to the middle of the permafrost for their honeymoon.”