Manpower [Russia x Reader Fluff]

Keep Running... Just Keep Running

"Nikolai, where are we going?!" Alexandria called after her husband who was sprinting down the halls. I was running alongside her, holding up my skirts so I wouldn't trip over them. The four princesses were behind me along with Ukraine and Belarus. Lithuania, who was carrying Latvia on his back, and Estonia were just behind Russia, who was just behind Nikolai. Russia held Alexei in his arms, the poor boy being unable to run very quickly.

Nikolai did not answer his wife verbally. Instead, he gestured for everyone to continue following him down the corridors of the palace.

"Papa! What's happening?!" Tatiana cried.

"Why are we running?!" Maria asked.

"Hush up and keep running!" Belarus quieted them. Even though she hadn't been told about Latvia's dream, she seemed to understand what was happening. "Big Brother Russia just got shot! I am running to protect him!" Belarus explained. Okay, perhaps she didn't understand what was happening...

The seige of 1916 was what was happening. A mob, a riot, within the palace, searching for the Romanov family to kill them and end the Dynasty. Killing the Czar meant end the Russian empire. Of course, some idiot had thought they could end the Empire by killing Russia himself. That idiot had no idea that a country can't die by bullet. Russia had been brought down because the bullet had been in the back of his neck, a weak and vulnerable spot, but once the metal sliver had been extracted, Russia had been fine. The USSR countries and the Romanovs were attempting to escape captivity and/or death. I was only trying to protect them.

"Everyone, go to your assigned rooms and change! We will be evacuating tonight!" Nikolai ordered.

"Just because Russia was shot in the neck? He is fine now," Lithuania said.

"No. Russia warned me that something like this would happen tonight. He called me on the telephone this morning."

Latvia's head lifted from Lithuania's shoulder. "My dream...," he whimpered softly.

"Everyone go now!" Nikolai shouted. Everyone dispersed, going in different directions. I followed Russia to Alexei's room where he laid the boy down on his own bed after locking the door behind him and putting a chair against it for good measure.

"Papa... what's happening...?" the Tzarevich asked his Papa Russia.

"There are bad people who don't like me or your Papa," Russia explained as gently as he could muster. The man let his "son" take one of his thick, gloved fingers into his own small, pale hand.

"Will they kill me?" Alexei asked.

"Nyet, not while I am alive."

"I'm thirteen, Papa, you don't have to lie to me."

"I was not lying,"Russia pressed. However, I knew he was.

"We don't have much time," I informed them. I walked over to the opposite end of the room and pulled out a night bag. Russia had spoken to the Czar over the phone that morning and had discussed what would happen should there be an incident. Russia would carry Alexei, the princesses would stay with their mother, and the countries would go with the Czar. Alexei was a sickly boy, so having him run around would not be an option. However, Russia was a looming man with more strength than he knew what to do with. He could carry the boy with too much ease. Because Russia knew where he would be going, he had packed a bag with a spare set of clothes for me and for himself.

From the bag, I took out a white button-down blouse, men's breeches, and my riding boots. I laid them out on the bed, putting the boots on the floor. Then, I took out Russia's tan military coat, a larger white button-down, and his green pants. I laid those out on the bed too.