[ON HOLD] Shadows of the Blessed | #Countryhumans AUOriginals

02: Things Can Change [Pt. 3]

Previously...

"The girl you let run free," he said softly, "she's wanted. In all the kingdoms."

——————

As Russia studied the pamphlet, a million thoughts seemed to cross his mind. He remained frozen— partly in contemplation, partly in disbelief.

Belarus looked on in concern. Seeing his expression, she took a closer look at the picture. Her eyes widened.

She whispered, "It is not possible. She—"

"We can't think that way, Bel," objected Kazakhstan, furrowing his brow. "Even if we once knew that girl, she's changed."

"The past is the past."

Russia expressed no reaction, but Belarus exclaimed quite vexedly in surprise at his words. "The past is not just the past. We did not 'just know' 'that girl.' How can you—"

The former laid a hand on her shoulder and pulled Belarus back down beside him before she could be hyped up enough to sock Kazakhstan in the face. Though her height may have indicated otherwise, her build made her fit enough to wrestle a bear if need be— as was typical of her family. Usually, that was a good thing, but now it was completely unnecessary.

"This is our job, our loyalties we're questioning," Kazakhstan pressed on without relent. "We have to live up to our responsibilities—"

"Looking at that," Belarus spat, her accent getting more prominent as her anger boiled, jabbing a finger at the line on the pamphlet that displayed the reward of gold. "I think you mean 'living up to the money.'"

"Belarus," he said, his voice increasing in volume as he shook the paper in his hand with each syllable. "You know Sir Petersburg gave me this after I talked to him about Russia."

"I didn't know until— and I can't emphasize this enough— after I talked to him!"

"Watch the attitude," snapped Belarus pointedly.

"Me? Attitude? You—"

She prowled on with her statement, ignoring his protests, "Russia should decide for himself what is right and what is wrong."

"So you're saying," Kazakhstan replied, "that we should let Russia do whatever he wants and then stand back and watch him get whipped by the commissar??"

Belarus's eyes flared. "I never said that! I am saying that our 'job and responsibility' is not to just go out and throw people into dungeons for torture simply because their name hit our desk."

"So we can let thieves go whenever we think we should, just because they are someone we know? No consequences, because of personal reasons?" Kazakhstan shot right back.

The hearth fire crackled, as if to accent his lost temper. Steam floated from the cast iron pot sitting in it, wafting the aroma of food around the room. But no one was in the mood to eat, nor did they even notice.

"You, jumping to conclusions again," hissed Belarus. "If you cannot talk civilly, then do not do it at all."

Kazakhstan was taken by those words. "And who started this?!"

Russia, who'd been completely silent the entire time, had enough. He staggered to his feet, holding onto a wall for support, and left the room without a word.

With a door's shutting creak, tension broke and the room fell quiet.

——————

Ever since his father disappeared— or, as the scouts legitimately reported, perished on the battlefield— it really was as if his family had been torn to shreds.