Mother Knows Best (Russia x Reader)

𝐂𝐡𝐚𝐩𝘁𝐞𝗿 𝐋𝐈𝐈

Once they managed to find a way out of the crumbling palace, Natalia's heart was torn between trust and suspicion. She glanced back at the fading silhouette of the once-grand building, a mix of emotions swirling within her. "I don't trust you!" she shouted, her voice wavering with uncertainty.

Soviet, who was inhabiting Jovan's body, let out an exasperated sigh. "Stop acting foolish, Naty," he retorted, his voice tinged with a sense of familiarity. "Our only chance at escape is this. Come on, get on the horse, and let's get out of here!"

With hesitation, Natalia obliged, mounting the horse alongside Soviet. Her mind raced with conflicting thoughts, struggling to reconcile the man before her with the memories of her late husband. Soviet urged the horse into a swift gallop, the wind whipping through their hair as they raced away from the crumbling palace.

As they rode away, Natalia couldn't help but cast a sombre glance back at the sight of her twin sister's chaos. The once majestic palace, now engulfed in flames and destruction, served as a stark reminder of the depths her sister was willing to sink to.

"I never thought the witches of the North would resort to such destruction just to spite one another," Soviet remarked, breaking the heavy silence that had settled between them.

Natalia frowned, feeling compelled to defend her sister, even amidst the chaos she had unleashed. "Speak for yourself," she countered, her voice tinged with sadness. "If I remember correctly, it was your cousin Yugo who was supposed to marry my sister. And you got so upset over it that you went as far as to cancel their wedding."

Soviet fell momentarily silent, his eyes avoiding Natalia's gaze. His quick wit and charm seemed to falter for a moment as he struggled to find a retort. "Touché," he finally conceded, acknowledging the truth in Natalia's words.

As they continued their escape, the tension between them remained palpable. Natalia couldn't ignore the fact that Soviet's return from the dead had shaken her to the core. Memories of their past love, mingled with the betrayal of his fake death, created a whirlwind of emotions within her.

For Soviet, the task of embodying Jovan while carrying the weight of his past feelings for Natalia proved to be a complicated burden. Guilt gnawed at him as he realized the pain he had caused her with his deception.

As the sun began to rise, casting a warm glow over the land of Russia, Natalia, and Soviet rode on, their journey fraught with uncertainty and questions that lingered in the air. With the once-grand palace now reduced to ashes behind them, they faced an uncertain future together, their paths irrevocably entwined by love, betrayal, and the looming darkness that threatened to consume them all.

***

As Natalia and Soviet rode away from the smouldering ruins of the palace, they thought they had escaped the clutches of Teresa's malevolent grasp. The morning light painted the horizon with hues of gold, offering a glimmer of hope amidst the darkness that had shrouded them.

Unbeknownst to them, one of Teresa's loyal soldiers had caught sight of their hasty retreat. The soldier's eyes widened with alarm as he witnessed Natalia and Soviet disappearing into the distance. Fearful of the wrath of his vengeful mistress, he wasted no time in alerting Teresa of their escape.

Racing back through the treacherous paths that now lay in ruin, the soldier made his way to where Teresa stood, overseeing the destruction she had wrought. Her laughter echoed through the air, a chilling testament to her ruthless determination.

Breathlessly, the soldier approached Teresa, his voice shaking with urgency. "Mistress, they got away! Natalia and Jovan... they escaped on a horse!"

Teresa's laughter came to an abrupt halt, replaced by a cold and calculated gaze. Her eyes narrowed as she fixated on the soldier. "They escaped, you say?" she said, her voice low and menacing.

"Yes, mistress," the soldier confirmed, swallowing hard under her piercing stare.

Teresa's mind raced with fury and frustration. Her plans had been thwarted, and the object of her obsession had slipped through her fingers once again. "Fool! Incompetent fool!" she spat, her anger boiling over.

The soldier trembled under her wrath, but he knew better than to back away. "I'm sorry, mistress. They were too fast, and by the time I noticed, they were already gone," he stammered, trying to salvage the situation.

Teresa's eyes burned with an unholy fire as she glared at the distant horizon where Natalia and Soviet had vanished. "No matter," she seethed. "We'll find them. They won't escape my grasp again."

With a wave of her hand, Teresa summoned her remaining troops, readying them for pursuit. The soldiers, still under her dark influence, rallied around her, eager to please their malevolent mistress.

As Teresa's forces prepared to give chase, the land of Russia seemed to hold its breath, awaiting the impending storm that would descend upon it. Natalia and Soviet were now fugitives, with danger lurking around every corner.

Back on the open road, Natalia and Soviet had no inkling of the danger that pursued them. Their escape had been fuelled by adrenaline and the need to survive, but they were far from out of harm's way.

As they rode, Soviet cast furtive glances over his shoulder, a sense of foreboding gnawing at him. "We can't slow down," he urged Natalia, "We need to put as much distance between us and Teresa as possible."

Natalia nodded, her heart pounding with a mixture of fear and determination. She knew that Teresa's obsession with her would not be easily quelled, and the thought of facing her sister in a battle for their lives was both terrifying and heart-wrenching.

With the wind at their backs and the memory of the burning palace still fresh in their minds, Natalia and Soviet rode on, uncertain of what lay ahead. The land of Russia held both danger and salvation and as the day unfolded, their journey would take them through treacherous terrain and unexpected alliances. The fate of the kingdom and the bonds that bound them together hung precariously in the balance.