#raivis

A loud peal of laughter intruded upon their reminiscing, plummeting their mood all the way back down. Sasha drained the rest of their drink with a sigh, watching their so called peers enjoy the night. Dancing and singing and drinking and fighting to undo buttons and corset strings. With a sigh, they raised their cup just a bit and a servant immediately bustled over, filling it back up. There was nothing as undoing as realising you’d rather be elsewhere. Sasha had half the mind to leave and wake you up. Bribe you with sweets or pastries or cake to steal down to the kitchen to share a glass of something cold and actually catch up. Why did Sasha even have to wait till the morning to see you again? With the rest of the family? 

They were going to be your future Tsar/Tsarina, they should be allowed to rouse you whenever you please. 

Your name gently echoed within them. Until they realised that it was being said out loud. By someone else. As well as drunken laughter. 

“-yes, and it actually made it easier to face fuck them!” One chuckled. Sasha knew them, a hang on of their main group growing up. “Blood makes the throat all smooth and slippery like a cunt!” 

Another round of laughter. A group at one of the neighbouring tables, cups empty and most in a state of undress.

“Are you looking forward to seeing them again, Eduk?” One of the ladies asked, her corset obviously undone to let more of her cleavage through, cheeks flushed deeply from drink. 

“Oh, yes. No doubt wants a desperate repeat of it. Break them in like a mare.” The man chortled again, drinking deeply from his cup again. 

“What are you talking about?” Sasha’s cool voice cut across the din easily, the squabble quietening down to listen. 

Eduk looked up, his pale hair messy, shirt crumpled and stained slightly with wine. He gave a dazed smile. 

“Oh, just a joke, Sash! It’s like Daiva’s story! The one about her and your Stanislav and one of the maids-” 

The rest of the slurred words faded. Sasha didn’t care about jokes aimed at his siblings. They really didn’t. But their heart snagged on their last memory of you. Swaddled in furs, shut up in the carriage, red lining your lips, eyes puffed from crying. Because you couldn’t breathe. Because you were leaving without any of your family. Just a chaperone that Sasha doubted was older than them. They knew the story was false. It was a joke. A stupid one. 

But you were so small. So hurt. So cold when they hugged you. 

“Is that so?” Sasha said, ice coating their words. The silence turned from people listening, interested, to holding their breaths. A collective inhale. Eduk immediately put down his cup, trying to look more put together. 

“J… Just something to lighten the mood. We’re all happy they’re home of course!” He feebly attempted. Daiva slowly straightened up, leaning away from her friend. 

“But you gave so many details, Eduk.” Sasha slowly stood, the faint buzz instead morphing into a simmering anger. “Go on. They had barely passed their twelfth year, didn't they? Go on, how did my sibling’s bloodied throat feel, Eduk?” 

The boy was scrambling now, forcing a wobbly smile on. Repeating that it was just a jest, something light hearted. From Sasha’s side, Raivis couldn’t stop his chuckle. Always the shit stirrer, he bit into a strip of meat from the roasted boar at the banquet table before wiping his mouth.

“I don’t know, Eduk, you seemed pretty sure that you face fucked them.” He called over, his lust for blood matched by his deep red hair. 

Alyesa rolled her eyes at him but also spoke up. 

“Should just say sorry, Eduk. Better hope it’s not too late for it.” 

The boy swallowed nervously.

“... Yes. I’m sorry-” 

“Meet me outside.” Sasha cut him off, a cold fury descending upon them. 

For a moment, a beautiful, suspended moment, there was complete silence. Then it came crashing down.

“But, your highness-” 

“Sasha, let me be your second!” 

“Is one of the physicians still up?” 

“Let me grab my coat!” 

Sasha had often likened the court to watching a stampede of ants making their way to and from an anthill. And no time was it more obvious than now. His friends, his true friends, rising up, Raivis immediately walked over to hook his arms under Eduk’s armpits and dragged him backwards, towards the door. Alyesa sighing and pulling on her shoes before following after the red head. Sikander, Mara and Trajan abandoning their tables, grabbing a few bottles to drink, the first two going to find proper flintlock pistols while Trajan picked Eduk’s second at random from the cowering remains of his audience. Amund, always unlucky, was the one yanked to his feet. 

It was a pitiful affair, three of Sasha’s closest friends, pulling Eduk down the hallway, laughing and chattering, with one boy dragged along just because he happened to be sharing a drink with him. 

(Female Sasha- Aleksandra walked after them, Mara’s arm in hers, the pistol case tucked under her arm. A skip in her step. 

“But, please, your highness! I was joking! I- I..” Eduk struggled to even speak, one of his shoes falling off as he was dragged by Raivis. “In fact, I don’t think girls are allowed to duel! It’s a sport among gentlemen!” 

“Stop.” Sasha spat angrily, Mara quietly giving a soft “oooh”, like she was a child watching her siblings get in trouble with their parents again. 

“Someone’s in trouble.” Raivis sang quietly. 

Eduk struggled to straighten himself up, gangly and too tall for Raivis to properly hold down, but his legs struggling to stand up right was comedic enough. Sikander and Alyesa stopped walking, looking back in bemusement. 

“Are you forbidding me? I, your future Tsarina?” Sasha stepped closer, annoyance thrumming through her. 

“... N-No, of course not-” 

“Then just be glad that I remain merciful. For that, I could have changed my mind and thrown you to the bears. I’m sure Trajan wouldn’t have minded covering you in honey just for it.” 

Trajan chuckled softly, as if in affirmation. Eduk sniffled. 

“Oh, cheer up!” Mara smiled, rocking on her feet with glee. “We’ll get the physician. Even if she does shoot you in the stomach, they might be able to do something about it!” 

With that, they walked on.)

(Male Sasha- Aleksandr walked after them, Mara happily linking her arm with his, the pistol case tucked under her arm. A skip in her step. 

“But, please, your highness! I was joking! I- I..” Eduk struggled to even speak, one of his shoes falling off as he was dragged by Raivis. “This is illegal. Your mother will-” 

“And I’ll tell my mother that you claimed to have face fucked my little sibling.” Sasha replied, effortlessly and bored. “Then said to plan to do the same to Kissy when she was tall enough.” 

Eduk spluttered as the others laughed, only Alyesa shaking her head at him. 

“I’d never!” 

“Well, she’d believe me anyway. Then she’d kill you herself.” 

“This way,” Mara speaks up. “You are more certain to survive than if  you go tattle!”)

They finally made their way outside, Sikander having split off to grab one of the physicians. The group traipsed through the thick snow, a fresh blanket covering the grounds and the distant road. Amund was weakly trying to encourage Eduk, giving him a few drinks from the bottle. No doubt making his aim worse in any case. 

“Better he misses.” Trajan mused, taking his own deep swallow from the bottle filled with vodka. Didn’t even wince, like Mara had done when taking her own drink. “Don’t want to be overheard bragging about rape and then shooting the Crown Heir.” 

“Better Sasha gives up. Funnier if we did all of this and just left him here in the snow. No doubt he pissed himself too. Far more embarrassing.” Alyesa shook her head, brown, plaited hair bouncing gently against her shoulder. 

Sasha smiled a bit at the thought before shaking their head, stealing the wine bottle from Raivis. They savoured the taste as they drank before sighing. 

“Too late now. Anyway, the nobodies are watching from the window. They want a show now.” They spotted Sikander approaching, a Sanguinemancer in tow, frowning as the spectacle in the snow. Sasha vaguely remembered her as one of the nurses for their sibling. Excellent. 

“Your highness.” She curtsied. She opened her mouth for a moment, before halting and simply pulling her coat around herself tighter against the cold. 

“Good morning.” Sasha gave her a smile before turning to their friends. “I think we’re ready.” 

“I think he’s about to pass out.” Amund called over, not sounding too good himself. 

“Well, better make sure he doesn't!" Raivis called back. “If he goes down now, you have to step in.” 

A resounding smack echoed in the night and Eduk yelped before spluttering in anger. Mara giggled, taking another sip of vodka before wincing and shivering again. 

“This tastes gross.” 

“Stop drinking it then.” 

“No, mind your own business.” She cuddled the bottle closer and Sikander rolled their eyes. Their ringed fingers playing with the sash wound across their torso. Not because they were nervous. They, like everyone else, was excited. 

Raivis took the flintlock case from Mara and made his way in between the two parties. Clicking it open, he couldn’t help but smile, almost lovingly, at the two guns, gleaming in the moonlight. 

“Alright, we all know how it works. Line up, ten paces, and then Eduk gets to enjoy a month in bed. Or forever in the ground!” 

Sasha’s group laughed. Eduk’s didn’t. The boy wobbled towards Raivis, shaking as he picked up the pistol, watching as Sasha checked their own, as if desperately trying to pick up any tips he could. 

“Your highness- Sasha… Please. You know I didn’t do anything.” He whispered, voice thick. “I just wanted to… Look impressive. Make them laugh.” 

Sasha didn’t reply, just weighing their weapon in their hand with a faint smile. It felt good. Like it belonged there. 

“Turn!” Raivis called. Eduk whimpered and shuffled around in the snow. 

“I’m feeling sorry for him now.” Trajan said, bored, and took a drink from the wine bottle. 

“Don’t let Sash hear you say that.” Aleysa replied, flatly. “You’ll be up next.” 

“Ten paces! One more or one less and I’ll set the dogs on you. Not you Sasha, we love you.” 

Sasha’s group cheered sarcastically and they couldn’t stop the smirk that crept across their face. They could still hear Eduk’s whimpers as they took each step. Something deep inside of them wanting the lead ball they were about to shoot, to rip through the stupid man’s stomach, his heart, anything. 

Or better…

Sasha turned before the 10th pace. Raised the pistol. Shot before they had even lined up their shot. The sound splintered through the quiet air, bouncing off the castle walls and making birds burst from the trees, no doubt startled out of their sleep.

And Eduk screamed. 

Face down, in the snow, pistol lost in the white powder, spluttering and crying into the cold. The Physician made their way over, kneeling down and whispering a few words. Sasha carelessly walked over and tossed the pistol on the case, Raivis hungrily watching the bloodied display in front of him. 

“It went through his shoulder.” She looked over to the group. “Horrible, but he’ll live. Unsure about how well his arm will work though.” 

“Oh no.” Trajan said, emotionless. “His masturbating hand.” 

Mara giggled loudly, joined by the chuckles of Sikander and the huff from Alyesa. 

“Can we go back inside now?” She finally said. “It’s cold. I wanted to ditch the party anyway for our room.” 

A night ending with Eduk shot, his friends’ appetite for blood sated and getting to enjoy the comforts of the Wolf room, with their private stash of food and drink sounded good. Sasha clapped Raivis on the shoulder and he tucked the case under his arm.