"Hey," Latvia said cheerfully. "You're back."

"I am," Kalda smiled in return. "Sounds like you missed me?"

"We did," he answered. "How was Britain's house?"

"It was fine, I guess," Kalda replied. "Nothing was out of the ordinary. Well, as far as I could tell."

Then, she remembered something.

"Britain did give me this book as a gift, though," Kalda explained, carefully getting the book out of her bag. "Don't ask me why he did it because I don't have an answer for you."

Latvia's eyes widened, staring at the book.

"Fancy," he replied.

"I know right?" Kalda sighed.

"What was his reaction when he saw that you came back to work for him?" Latvia wondered with a grin.

"Well," Kalda drawled....

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

"You're alive?" Britain sarcastically gasped in shock, a playful smirk on his face. "And here I thought that you would run back to your brothers in a tizzy."

Kalda rolled her eyes.

"Gee, thanks a lot, you jerk," she instantly returned his sarcasm. "I really missed you, too."

"I'm honestly quite surprised that you didn't quit after your week with Russia," Britain went on as he closed the door behind them. "I thought that he would have been way more harsh with you. I would have been."

"How vulnerable do you think I am?" Kalda asked. "I'm eighteen for Heaven's sake!"

"Oh, I almost forgot," Britain smiled as he handed her a book. "Thanks for your hard work during your first week."

"It was no problem," Kalda replied as she took the book into her grasp. "As I said before, I don't mind doing hard tasks."

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

"He thanked you?" Latvia wondered, becoming confused.

"He did," Kalda confirmed. "He really appreciated my hard work."

"Well, I hope that you're prepared for this week," Lithuania grinned, joining the conversation. "Russia's got big plans."

"What kind of plans?" Kalda asked suspiciously.

Britain playing nice was weird enough, Kalda thought. Ugh, why did I even agree to this?

"I don't know," Lithuania answered. "I just carry out his orders. I don't question them or have a say in them."

"Well then that's very odd," Kalda replied. "I wasn't aware of any of this until you said it."

"Was supposed to be a surprise," Russia claimed with his ever cheerful smile.

Lithuania gave a nervous look, but Russia just gave him a kind look.

"Next time, leave it to me to tell secrets," was all he said before he diverted his attention back to Kalda.

Kalda gulped a little, wondering what his "surprise" was.

Please be a pet, Kalda begged in her mind. That way, I'll have a companion to protect me against Britain.

"Kalda," Russia started off slowly, "would you mind having dinner with me tonight?"

Kalda gasped quietly, blushing like crazy.

It wasn't the way that Russia had asked the question, rather, it was more about Kalda herself.

Am I really falling for him? Kalda asked herself. No, no. He's not my type. Besides, Veneziano and Romano would kill me if they ever found out.

"U-um," Kalda stammered, "o-of course not! Dinner sounds lovely!"

Kalda answered before she could even stop herself, wishing that she could take back her response.

However, the way that Russia had smiled at her let Kalda know that she should feel guilty for wanting to change her answer.

"Alright," Russia grinned. "Latvia and Lithuania will get your room ready."

Without even being told, Latvia and Lithuania walked away to go and do just that, laughing and sneering at Kalda as they did so.

Kalda felt alone and uncomfortable as she stared into Russia's violet eyes; they looked so cold and emotionless, but his smile looked cheerful and happy.

It was an odd quirk of his, Kalda came to realize, but she just ignored it.

"So....," she drawled awkwardly, trying to strike up a conversation, "is there something you would like to talk about?"

"How about you tell me about your week with Britain?" Russia answered.

He gestured down the hallway so that the duo could walk and talk.

Kalda nodded, following him as she explained to Russia her week with Britain in detail.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Dinner time came, and Kalda suddenly felt more hungry than she had earlier realized.

She walked up to her borrowed room to change into some nicer clothes, but then she saw a dress lying on her bed.

"Wear this to dinner. I think Russia likes you. Wink, wink.

~ Latvia."

"Ugh!" Kalda yelled in frustration. "Latvia!"

Kalda could hear distant laughing, and she thought that Latvia knew that she had figured out his plan.

"Curse you!" Kalda swore in response, and she could tell that Latvia knew that he was in for it because he gasped in fear as all laughing ceased.

Kalda sighed, annoyed by the boy's, but put the dress on.

She twirled in a circle with a grin, seeing that the dress was a white A-line gown made of satin.

It had light blue, dark blue, and white diamonds, fake ones as decoration, glittering down the skirt of the dress to symbolize a waterfall.

The top of the dress was an off the shoulder style and showed a little cleavage, but it was mature enough so that it didn't reveal too much.

It looked beautiful on Kalda, and she saw matching white flats near the bottom of the mirror.

Do they want me to look short? Kalda thought to herself.

Kalda put them on, anyway, braiding her hair to make herself look nice.

She hadn't brought any makeup with her, but she felt more comfortable with the way that she already was.

I look just like a princess, Kalda thought with a small smile.

She walked out of her room, clearly pleased with herself, and she made her way down to the dining hall.

Kalda saw that the doors were closed in front of her, and she took in a silent, deep breath.

You can do this, Kalda, she assured herself. It's just supper. It's not like he's going to ask you to dance with him, or get into bed with him, or anything silly like that.

She sighed as she opened one door with a shaking hand, timidly walking into the room.

Kalda relaxed once she noticed that it was just Russia in the room, plus herself now, so she was much more comfortable.

She sat down across from him, seeing a smile on his face.

Does this guy ever frown? Kalda secretly wondered.

Kalda smiled too, wanting to be calm and poised.

"You are a lady," Kalda could hear Britain's voice say in her head.

You are a lady, Kalda repeated to herself. You are a lady.

"You look very beautiful, Kalda," Russia complimented.

Kalda swore that she had seen him blush, but she ignored it.

It would be rude of me to point that out, she told herself.

"Thank you," Kalda chuckled. "First time wearing something like this."

"I was thinking that you were going to wear another military outfit," Russia grinned.

Kalda laughed, blushing in embarrassment.

"Really?" she asked. "I can go change if you want me to."

"I like how you are right now," Russia answered, completely ignoring her joke. "It suits you."

Kalda blushed more, and she wished that she had worn makeup.

"Stop it," she giggled, putting her hands on her red-hot cheeks. "You're actually making me blush."

"Sorry," Russia grinned. "I just think that you should dress in formal clothing more often."

"Well, my work doesn't really require that, Mister Russia," Kalda told him honestly, smiling. "I can't clean things for you in a dress like this, now can I?"

"I suppose not," Russia replied. "Anyway, I have things that I would like to discuss with you."

Kalda nodded, intently listening to his words.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

After dinner, Russia took Kalda outside and into the forest.

He sighed quietly, looking around the silent forest.

This place holds much memories, he thought. Especially one time where Prussia and I were fighting each other.

"This is beautiful," Kalda shivered. "I wish that I had dressed more warmly, though."

Then she giggled, somehow thinking of something amusing.

"My brothers would kill me if I got hypothermia," she added on.

Russia saw that she didn't dress as warm as she should have, so he took off his scarf that his older sister, Ukraine, had given him when he was younger.

Russia softly wrapped his scarf around her neck, and Kalda blushed as he blushed as well.

"You gave me your scarf?" Kalda asked, shocked. "Why?"

"You look colder than you should be," Russia answered cheerfully despite his blushing. "Just want to look after your health."

And you, he secretly added.

Russia tried not to blush more.

You don't like her like that, he told himself. She is just another helper.

"Want to make snow angels?" Kalda suggested, seeming to be a little warmer now thanks to Russia's scarf.

Russia nodded in answer, grinning.

"Making snow angels with you sounds wonderful," he told her.

"Race you!" Kalda laughed, getting a head start.

Russia laughed as well, running after her.

This is fun, he grinned. Kalda is so playful and young.

Kalda fell onto her back with a squeal of happiness, panting heavily.

"I beat you!" she cheered, sitting up to look at Russia.

He sat down beside her, laughing.

"You did beat me," he replied.

Kalda sighed as she decided to lie back down, sprawling out her arms and legs to make a snow angel.

Russia did the same, following her actions.

"Thanks for letting me wear your scarf," Kalda said. "You didn't have to give it to me, though. You wear it all of the time, so it must be special to you, right?"

"Is no trouble," Russia answered with a smile, looking at her. "Is not cold enough out here for me to wear it."

"Are you immune to the cold?" Kalda suddenly wondered.

"Well, I did grow up here," Russia joked. "Only had yak as friend, so just wanted to help you."

"Really?" Kalda replied with a giggle. "A yak as a friend? A yak as a friend for me would have been nice a long while back."

"Why do you say that?" Russia asked.

"Well, I didn't have anyone growing up except for myself until Veneziano, Seborga, and Romano took me in," she explained sadly. "It was just me."

"Am very sorry to hear that," Russia told her honestly. "Guess you don't remember parents, then?"

Kalda slowly shook her head with a sigh.

"Nope," she said sadly. "Never knew them. I don't know any of my ancestors or where they came from, actually."

Russia looked at her closely, including her face and eye shape, and she reminded him of someone.

She looks like someone I know, he thought, but can't put finger on it right now.

"Well, I know we don't know each other that well," Russia started off nervously, "but if you ever need someone to talk to about something, I want you to know that you can always come to me."

Kalda blushed a little, and he did too.

"Wow," she said softly. "That's...actually really nice to hear. Thank you, Mister Russia. You can always come to me, too."

"I know," he replied, his voice also soft.

Russia stared into her hazel brown eyes as Kalda stared into his violet ones, and they held their gaze.

For once it felt like all of Russia's problems were disappearing, like his heart was letting go of everything from his past.

Russia saw hope and happiness in Kalda's eyes, and he realized that she was still so young and innocent.

She doesn't know war, Russia told himself. She never had to fight or kill. She was rescued and brought up differently than rest of us.

Russia felt his heart beat faster the more he stared into her eyes, and a new thought entered his mind.

I feel like I am falling in love with her, and I don't know what to do, he realized.

Kalda broke their stare, looking down at the snow.

"Sorry for staring," she apologized, but the smile on her face rejected the apology. "It's become a habit lately."

Russia knew that she was lying, but he didn't push it.

She will tell me when she wants to, he thought. I would have lied as well.

"I am sorry, too," he chuckled. "I have that habit as well."

Kalda grinned, and Russia smiled.

"Want to have a snowball fight?" Kalda suggested, and Russia nodded in agreement.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Kalda sighed as she sat in her bed, wrapping herself up in her bed covers.

This was a fun day, she giggled to herself. Russia sure knows how to entertain a lady.

She sighed in a dreamy way, blushing.

Kalda remembered his smile when they made snow angels, and how he had won the snowball fight.

It was a close game, five to five, but then he got the winning shot.

Kalda was mad at first, but then the duo started laughing their heads off.

Who knew that he could laugh? Kalda asked herself.

It was such a pretty laugh, too....

Stop it, Kalda! she scolded herself. You're not supposed to fall in love with your master!

Kalda shook her head, wanting to get her mind off of Russia and focus it on something else.

She reached over to grab her bag that was lying on the sidetable, putting the bag on her lap.

Kalda took out the first thing that her hands grasped, holding up the book that Britain had given to her.

She looked at the beautiful and almost enchanting cover.

The book didn't have a name, but Kalda didn't mind.

I like to figure out the plot and characters of the story on my own, anyway, she told herself.

Kalda opened up the book, and immediately got interested by the first sentence of the first chapter.

"Before Victoria was the Queen of England and Ireland....," she read, getting lost in the book and letting the beautiful words take her to a different world.

The past.