*Mykhol*
If anyone were to walk into the room right now, they would quickly learn something was wrong. There was a tense mood in the air. Each person expressed their anxiety in their way.
Uncle sat at his desk, crossing his arms. His brow was down to make his already small eyes almost invisible. And Aunt Funda, meanwhile, paced the floor. Her heels clicked as she traversed the same circle around the desk.
Mykhol was no exception. He, too, was anxious as much as they were. But he chose to handle it differently. Instead of panicking open, like them, Mykhol went to the window. He took one look at his parents before looking through the glass.
"What are we going to do!?" Aunt Funda threw up her hands. Her voice was desperate enough to make Uncle break his silence.
"This was not what I expected," Uncle confessed.
"I thought her last visit ended with disaster. That should have been the end of it." Uncle mulled and touched his brows.
"Why is the King still sending letters? Even going as far as to invite her-" A perplexed look crossed his face.
"I don't follow any of this. It doesn't make sense."
"How could this have happened?" Aunt Funda cried.
"We've been so careful."
Aunt Funda threw up her hands as if to cry but didn't. Instead, she grew darker with desperation. She leaned over the desk to hold Uncle's face.
"If he starts becoming more involved- we won't be able to touch her." Aunt Funda's voice trembled.
"I can already feel our careful plans fall apart. The throne we finally had in our grasp is going to slip away. Everything was all for nothing."
"Wife, calm yourself," Uncle tried, but it was too little too late. Aunt Funda was losing herself to her dark thoughts and panic.
"What if he arranges her marriage!?" Aunt Funda raised her hands hysterically.
"We couldn't deny it. That man has the right. He's her father."
"Oh, I think I shall faint." Aunt Funda squeezed at her pounding heart.
"My dear-" Uncle quickly moved to take her hands. He gave them a gentle squeeze. His typically stoic eyes took on a look of concern for her.
"Wife, we will change tactics." Uncle started. He pressed his lips to kiss her hands.
"We'll think of another way-
"We won't change anything of the sort." Mykhol's voice spoke over them.
"What?" Both Aunt Funda and Uncle turned to look over with a start.
"Can't you see the big picture?"
How small-minded they are sometimes. Mykhol thought. He couldn't help but find them inferior at the moment. They were so quick to panic. How could they be his parents?
She wouldn't panic. Mykhol thought with the memory.
She would have never panicked. I don't think she could.
What would it have been like if our late Empress was my mother? Mykhol wondered.
Though he was still young then, Mykhol could remember his aunt. And he knew her to be quite the woman. Would he have been different in some way?
Or would I have turned out like dear Ana?
Mykhol smiled and looked back to the window. It was an amusing thought, but Mykhol doubted he would be the same. While he looked out, he missed his mother and father exchanged curious looks.
"Needn't change?" Uncle breathed.
"Son, what do you mean?" Aunt Funda straightened up.
"We can't go on as before. King Alexander would never allow it."
How dull, Mykhol thought and looked below.
Outside, he could see a snake slither. The serpent coiled and slank across the marble walkway. A shadow moved over him. The sound of a hawk's cry followed.
"Don't you see the opportunity? Mother? Father?" Mykhol continued to watch out the window. Below, the snake began to quicken. He seemed to understand the impending danger.
But it's too late, Mykhol knew.
Both Aunt Funda and Uncle looked at him with more confusion.
"Son?" Aunt Funda began. She moved to step forward, but Mykhol threw up his hand. His eyes continued to watch.
Mykhol could see the shadow grow larger. It finally began to take shape. A hawk cried again. This time, it was louder.
"You're worried whether King Alexander will take Anastasia away from us. But what if we saw it differently? What if, instead of taking her, he were to throw her back?"
Mykhol held his breath for a moment to listen. He could hear the sound of wings. She was moving quickly.
"What if something happens to make him throw her away?"
"Mykhol," Aunt Funda gasped before looking at her husband. Uncle could only widen his eyes at her. The very idea had them both taken aback.
Below, Mykhol could see the snake trying to prepare. The snake was protectively coiling into itself. And as a last effort, he lifted his head, ready to strike. But the hawk didn't waver.
A hawk would never be afraid of any snake. No matter what the color. Mykhol thought with a smile.
Mykhol watched the feathered beast zoom past the window. It dived close enough to slap the glass with its wings. A feather dropped behind in her wake, but she didn't mind. The hawk was determined. Mykhol could see her spread her claws wide in readiness.
"Son, you...suggest we sabotage her stay?" Uncle finally found his voice. Mykhol nodded, watching the hawk swoop down.
The snake sprang forward to attack to defend itself. But it was to no avail. The snake's fangs only bit feathers. The snake failed to stop her.
The hawk, meanwhile, didn't even notice his strike. The hawk was too busy catching him in her claws. And as soon as she caught him, she went for the kill. She stabbed her beak into his skull. A single strike was what she needed. The snake was dead, and the hawk would feed.
Mykhol's fangs sharpened at the sight of the hawk eating.
"No, we ruin their connection. Permanently."
"Ah!" Uncle brightened at the suggestion.
"Of course, their relationship is still fragile. All it would need would be just the right push." Uncle voiced to have Aunt Funda gasp.
"And the push needn't come from our side." Aunt Funda followed.
There we go, Mykhol mentally congratulated them. He felt a bit better having them on the same page now. It made things easier.
"There are undoubtedly those in Dawny that wish to forget this union, let alone have Anastasia among them." Aunt Funda went on. Her husband nodded.
"We only need to find such comrades and combine powers."
"What good thinking, Mother." Mykhol finally turned to smile at his parents.
Though they would never be as brilliant as the late Empress, Mykhyl thought, they were still his parents.
And it's always good to have a family on your side. Mykhol was thankful.
"Mother, Father," Mykhol walked over to pat his father's shoulder. He then reached to take his mother's hand.
"My boy," Both looked at him affectionately. Mykhol could feel their love and care and relished it. He kissed his mother's cheek.
"Our dear Empress cut her last visit short." Mykhol let her go to smile darkly.
"Let's find who was responsible for that."
"I want to thank them, personally." Mykhol laughed softly. His parents were quick to share in his humor.