Fandom Bow Down To Me (CLOSED)

[haharley]

CJWrites

“Put your hands in mine….” A familiar voice sounded through the fog of the wreckage. “Victor.. victor, potoropis”


Ahh.. Yura. He could see him more clearly now, the fog starting to clear as sound and sight fully returned. There was a crackling sound of wood, and a soft sobbing in the distant.


“Vitya” Yurio snapped and Victor rolled his eyes, holding his hands out to the blonde Russian boy. “Patience is a virtue.”


“Not when there’s a roof on your back, stupid.”


Ahh. So that was where the pain came from. The last thing he recalled was sitting around a table with a group of respected rebellion leaders. Then there was an explosion—he had rushed outside.. or .. apparently.. he had started to.


Yurio lifted the wood off of him as quickly as he could, panting and sweating when he was finally able to toss it to the side.


Victor crawled his way out, a hiss of pain sliding past his lips.


“Don’t move you could bleed out”


“Shut up Yuri… where are the others?”


Yurio stood quietly as he looked over the wreckage of the city around them. Fallen bricks, wood, blood… He shook his head mumbling “everyone’s dead Victor..” He lay his head on Victor’s hands squeezing his eyes shut. How would they ever win the Rebellion now?


They had fallen asleep on a hillside over looking Petrograd, the now wreckage of the city. They were jostled awake, past the full moon, being jabbed by sharp spears and wood and yelled at in another langage they couldn’t quite understand. Victor stood in front of Yurio nonetheless. He was the most important thing about this mission, and if Victor was going to give his life for anything, it was going to be destroying this empire once and for all..


-----------------------------

They were pushed into the back of a large wooden carriage. There was many of them. Yurio clung to Victor, suprising himself with his childish need to feel protected. But as his city, the body of his family members and friends disappeared into the distance, he knew this might be the last time he had the chance to feel close to someone.


“Mila?”


“Yura?”

“Yakov!!!”

“Victushka—“

The sounds of reuniting Russian’s spread through the room as they woke up, all in a daze, not quite sure how they had ended up in this big stone room. The laughter and joy was enough to distract anyone.. except Victor.


Victor studied the room, the stones.. the torch fixtures… something wasn’t right. Turning to look between Mila and Yura he noticed it .. a chair. But not just any chair.. a throne.


But who would have a big enough throne room for all of the remaining members of Petrograd? It couldn’t be. He clutched his hand to his heart as a man walked up in front of the throne blowing a golden horn.


“Ladies and Gentleman.. “ the servant began. Victor would have recognized that seal anywhere. A small smirk crossed his lips.. he couldn’t believe his luck. At his side he could feel Yura stand, a surprised gasp on his lips as he recognized the seal as well. They shared a small look before turning their attention back to the front.


“Victims of the terrible fire in Petrograd.. Please bow for your first audience with the Emperor.” He bowed his body forward moving to the side of the throne in respect.


The Russian villiagers bowed from their place on their knees, and Victor allowed his head to stay up a moment too long.. to see the pig walk into the room, before lowering it. He didn’t want to stand out now.. nto until he knew what the emperor might want so that he could make a plan. He and Yurio were in this together.. and they’d get vengeance.

 

[CJWrites]

The servant hit one of the villagers in the back of the head with the butt of his sword. "Lower, on the floor,"

The man yelped before he lurched forward from the pain and the servant also got on his knees and sunk his forehead so low it touched the floor.

"Bixia," He addressed the Emperor, "My apologies for their insolence. They do not deserve to be in your presence. "

"It's all right, " The Emporer was a young boy, perhaps no older than Yuri, and he wore elaborate yellow robes with golden five-clawed dragons on them. He had slightly auburn hair and looked at the kneeling crowd with disinterested chestnut-brown eyes. "Am I assured they will be taught proper manners? They need not be punished for their ignorance."

"Of course, Bixia," The servant rose.

"Then rise, settlers of Petrograd." He asked the crowd before him. "We are horrified to hear of the fire which tore through your city. As part of our new assimilation program, you will be given food, clothing, and shelter in return for labour at the palace or surrounding businesses until you settle here in Jingcheng, or until Petrograd is rebuilt under the new name of Peizheng, more glorious than before as a city that could never burn to the ground."

The emperor left, and the guard cleared his throat before pulling out a scroll. He pointed to the main in the middle.

"Everyone on the left of this man," He said, "Follow me to meet Official Zheng for your assignments. Everyone else, Grand Secretary Cao Bin will assign you your roles."

He walked out of the throne room, taking half of the remaining Petrograd survivors with him.

 

[haharley]

Yakov and Mila dissapeared with the other half of the crowd, wordlessly. They all knew better then to disobey a direct order from an Emperor, especially if they didn't want to be found out as rebels just yet.

"They're going to rename the town they destroyed in their honor?" Yurio fumed, white knuckled fists clenched at both sides.

"Shhh, Yurio" Victor soothed, tucking the younger boy under his arms. "There must be no more talk like that.." he pressed a soft hand into his hair before draping the arm around the younger boy as the crowd of former Petrograd citizens around them began to follow the man that would lead them towards the Grand Secretary to be assigned their new roles.

 

[CJWrites]

They were lead from the pavilion containing the throne. Women with hair in buns and fancy loops stopped and whispered behind their sleeves about the new arrivals, who were still wearing tattered clothing. The building they arrived in was considerably smaller than the throne room

Cao Bin was an intimidating man who wasted no time in giving everyone their assignments. He scowled as he pointed to one of the citizens and rattled off the scroll. He obviously didn't like this arrangement.

"You. You will be reporting to me." His lips twisted into a sadistic smirk.

His finger landed on Yuri and Victor next. "You will be reporting to Phichit Chulanot as the personal servants of Prince Yuuri."

A tan man with bright brown eyes in the corner gave a wave and grinned at the two Russians.

"You're Victor and Yuri right?" Phichit asked once everyone had received their assignments and split into their groups. He tisked. "That won't do. We'll just have to call you Yurio then" He smiled at them brightly and gestured with his hand. "Follow me, we're going to meet the prince now before we start training. The first lesson is, to kowtow, that is kneel and touch your forehead to the ground instead of bowing before addressing or being addressed by the Imperial Family."

--

Yuuri paced around his room in his blue robes embroidered with golden dragons. He sighed and tugged at his tight collar. He . He just wanted to be back in Yamato instead of here with the damned Grand Secretary looming over his shoulder. He straightened his robes. He could trust Mari to look after things while he was gone.

"Dianxia" Phichit said and bowed. He looked "These are your new servants. Victor and Yurio" He smiled encouragingly at the Russians. "They will be shadowing me for the foreseeable future." he explained

"Pleased to meet you," Yuuri bowed to the two newcomers. "Thank you for your service, my last servants had to return to their family farms due to a Typhoon ravaging the coast."

 

[haharley]

"Your servants have family farms?" Yuri said without missing a beat and before Phichit could move, Victor cuffed him behind the head, scoffing at his companions stupidity.

Yuri had always had a hot head. It got him in trouble more often that not. He'd seen so much tragedy in his numbered years that he couldn't imagine being calm in front of the prince, the one who had sat back and watched the Emperor destroy their lives... Yet Victor.. Victor had seen worse then most.. and somehow Victor had always managed to stay so calm-- or so it appeared.

"You should be more respectful in front of the Prince, Yuri." he scolded tsking at his fellow villager. He turned and bowed to Yuuri. "My apologies on his behalf. It is an honor to serve you-- Yuri say you are sorry."

"I'm sorry." Yuri bowed. Victor rose before him setting a hand on his back to keep him down a moment longer.

"The stress of losing our families is weighing very hard on him. Please excuse any offense he may have caused." He bowed again, and Yuri cursed under his breathe from being held in the position so long.

 

[CJWrites]

"It's quite alright," Yuuri said, bowing back to Yuri and Victor. "Although I hope you learn our ways soon, most don't take so kindly to disrespect"

"I will see to it," Phichit said. He closed the red sliding door and turned to the two Russians. He sighed. "And I told you to kowtow, not bow. Bowing is more of a greeting than a sign of respect. Now let's get you into some proper clothes."

They kept walking until they arrived at a long building with much more muted red tiles. "These are the servant's quarters" Phichit explained. "This is where you will sleep, and maybe eat, although, in my experience, the prince will invite us to sit with him when he has his meals in his quarters."

He led them to a room which held a bunch of horizontal wooden poles with numerous clothing in muted colors hung. None of them were yellow.

"Find one your size," Phichit instructed. "Also pick a brush and a scroll" He pointed to a table "You may want to take notes." He seemed to realize something. "Can you even read and write?"

 

[haharley]

"No" Yuri murmured, his cheeks flushing a bright pink as he turned to look at his feet.

"He is lying." Victor said, resting his hand on Yuri's back. "Yurio is still in the process of learning to write, but he is a rather good reader... I can do both."

Yuri murmured something in Russian that had the silver-haired man pushing him towards the clothing, following suit after him. They both picked out muted clothes, yurio in a faded black and Victor in a faded blue. They both changed, the clothing fitting mediocre on their frames, however, it was all they could hope for under these circumstances.

"So Phichit, how long have you served the prince?" Victor struck up conversation in a light cheerful voice that made Yurio want to smack him.

 

[CJWrites]

"Great" Phichit smiled brightly at them. "As long as one of you can. It's a lot of information to take in. I've served him, or rather accompanied him, for over ten years, I was just like Yurio once and one of the first participants in the cultural integration program. My village was destroyed by a hurricane and both my parents died. I'm glad they decided to take pity on me or else I would be dead by now."

He knelt in front of a small table and gestured for Yurio and Victor to sit across him.

"You will work approximately from sun up to sundown with periods of breaks in between. Yurio will have his free day on the sixth day of every week and Victor on the seventh. Mine will be on the first and Minami, Yuuri's apprentice, fills in on those days. There's actual math, astronomy, and philosophy classes they run for servants and I highly encourage you to attend."

He smiled encouragingly and took a deep breath "The Prince's day starts at 5:30, upon which I will wake him up and he will mediate but he should not be disturbed until 7 when he will begin breakfast. This is also when your day begins. He will have court meetings after that at 9:30, when you will break, and then lunch and paperwork at 12:30. After that, he will spend his time in varying ways; studying, with his fiancee or with his apprentice. One of you may take the rest of the day off"

 

[haharley]

"Fiancee.." Yurio grumbled under his breathe "He seems to be about my age."

"Yura.." Victor sighed pinching the bridge of his nose and turning back to Phichit, bowing to him. "Thank you for your generosity in teaching us the ways of this work.." He nodded politely. "..Will we have a few days of training or begin work right away?"

 

[CJWrites]

"Well... They've been engaged as far as I can remember. Yuuko is the second daughter of the Fujiwara clan. They're the most powerful family in Yamato" Phichit explained "It's not uncommon. I doubt you'll meet a noblewoman over 12 who isn't engaged. How old are you anyways?" He asked as if the question just occurred to him. He glanced down at their writing. "Hold on. That's not Tianese? Don't they teach that in schools? Oh, wait. Russia is new to the Kingdom right?"

He frowned, tapped a scroll he had been holding to his head and pursed his lips. "You're going to have to run errands for the Prince. All of the royal family's servants knew how to write. I guess Yuuri will have to do with fewer servants a day..."

Phichit's voice trailed off as he muttered under his breath and thought up possibilities.

"Right. I will teach and I suppose Minami will have to fill in. But half the time you will be both working and learning, the other half"

 

[haharley]

"Da, whatever" Yurio rolled his eyes looking away.

"You're going to have to work on your temper Yurio.. this kind man is only helping us.."

Yurio started to speak in Russian then, "Helping us? By destroying our home? Killing our families and friends in a bloody bath?"

Victor responded in Russian, "He is not responsible for any of that."

"He helped the guy do it." Yurio finished in his native tongue, his eyes lighting up with a fire Victor knew all too well... it was time to cool down.

Victor turned to Phichit. "It's rude for us to speak in our native tongue.. I apologize.. Yurio was just asking about what you had asked him, I believe he was too shy to repeat it.. he's 15." he answered for the younger boy.

The blonde pushed himself up, looking Phichit in the eyes once more. "What do we do first?"

 

[CJWrites]

Phichit glanced at them suspiciously. He felt a surge of energy from the young boy and narrowed his eyes. He frowned, wondering if he should say something but he decided to let it go. The boy's tone hadn't fit with Victor's innocent translation.

"That's a bit off from Yuuri then. He's 23." He commented. "Anyways, lets get going. We've just returned from a trip and you'll need to help us wash the laundry"

"Also one more thing." He stopped suddenly "The practice of magic is forbidden."

--

A small stream flowed through the Forbidden city behind iron grates and stone and turquoise walls, hidden from view from the pristine gardens but still segregated from the general population despite mostly servants in dully colored clothing milling bout and washing their clothes. But away from, stood two men on top of a sheet of ice on the water.

"Why do we have to train here." Minami Kenjiro wined. He pouted. "Why not in one of the pretty ponds?"

"Because we don't want to ruin the plants inside" Yuuri explained. He crouched low and "This is an excercise in concentration. Try this" Yuuri concentrated and a stream of water floated up and weaved itself into an intricate snowflake pattern before freezing and falling down and shattering.

Minami sighed. "I miss Yamato's open ocean."

Yuuri's eyes saddened. "Me too"

 

[haharley]

"I thought you said the practice of magic was forbidden..?" Yurio asked Phichit curiously, his eyes turning towards the lead servants.

Victor spent his time listening to Yuuri's conversations with Minamo, gathering what information he could about the prince he was meant to serve.. He used magic to bend water and freeze it at his will. He missed the open ocean.. maybe he could turn that into useful information? Russia had truly beautiful waters running through it.. Especially in Petrograd.. he'd have to bring it up later when the prince was less surrounded by the other servants.. and he could get him to let his guard down.

 

[CJWrites]

While Minami and Yuuri continued to work the water into interesting shapes. Many servants had slowed down to watch and some of the girls were giggling to each other.

"For you guys," Phichit clarified. "It's forbidden for those of common birth, end even if you are a noble, you have to get a permit to practice. Misuse of Magic is punishable by death." He added.

"Ah, Phichit," Yuuri looked up and noticed his friend. "Victor and Yurio are here too"

"Yuuri!" Phichit waved back enthusiastically. "I'm going to go fetch the laundy" He said brightly, his spirits had seemed lifted. "You two stay here."

He scurried off.

"How are you enjoying the Forbidden City so far?" Yuuri asked

 

[haharley]

"Forbidden city" Yurio drawled, about to continue with a rude remark before Victor jumped in.

"I must say.. I've always been a big fan of things that were forbidden.. perhaps I could watch you perofmr your magic again sometime?" He said smoothly, stepping in close to Yuuri, a hand coming up beneath his chin. It was risky to touch someone of his level, especially as a humble servant.. but he needed to get his point across to Yurio.. this was the way they were going to earn entry into the castle.. not rudeness.

Yurio huffed, but nodded once, a light blush coloring his cheeks as he looked away from the pair. Disgusting.. 'but if that's what I must do to get revenge for my country.. i'll do it..'

 

[CJWrites]

Yuuri blushed and stepped back onto the water, ice appearing under his feet but he probably wasn't concentrating hard enough since it cracked and he fell in. The girls in the corner laughed and giggled loudly from behind their clothing.

"Dianxia!" Minami came running.

Yuuri frowned as he got up and with a sweep of his hands, the water floated off him into a ball and with a splash sank back into the stream. He was glad he remembered to change from his silk robes into cotton ones. It was Phichit who would remind him. He would be so lost without him.

"I'm all right." He grumbled to his apprentice. "Oh, you haven't met yet, right?"

He gave an encouraging smile to Minami.

"Oh right!" Minami stiffened like a squirrel in headlights. "I'm Kenjiro, second son of the head of the Minami Clan" He sounded anxious and his voice was choppy "I'm the apprentice of His Royal Highness, Prince Yuuri, head of the Katsuki Clan. I'm very pleased to meet you."

He gave a stiff low bow and Yuuri couldn't help himself from laughing. Leave it up to Minami to lighten the mood.

"Ken-kun. This is Victor and Yurio. They're from Petrograd and will be joining Phichit to take over from Saito and Yao"

Minami blushed to his roots, "Oh" He muttered. "Its still nice to meet you."

"Has Phichit properly explained most of it?" Yuuri asked. "I doubt you absorbed half of it... Its hard keeping all the rules straight." He scratched his head. "But I can try to answer some of the questions you have and I'd be happy to show you my magic."

 

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"Please." Victor allowed himself to smile his trademark heart-shaped grin and leant forward, licking his lips as he watched. "I've never seen it up close before."

'Liar' Yurio thought to himself. But maybe he could learn from watching the control of the water skils. Fire was just as fluid, though a bit harder to manage.. if he could find a place to practice.. it may be useful. He stepped forward then, deciding to follow Victor's lead and attempt to use those seduction skills that he'd trained for in a situation just like this. ".. That would be such an honor" he purred pressing his body in close to Yuuri.. well.. as close as he could get with Victor awkwardly standing there and staring at Yuuri as if he was cut from marble by the gods.

 

[CJWrites]

Yuuri scurried back, moving through the shallow water as easily as if it were air. Now he stood at the center and Victor would be unable to get close without going in as well.

He coughed and blushed. He supposed he should be telling his servant off but something told him not to.

"Alright. What do you want to see," He asked

 

[haharley]

Yurio raised a brow suprised. It wasn't him that was going to be seducing was it..? So.. there was going to be quite a change in plans? Victor wasn't the soft beautiful type it.. was an odd play.. but if it got them where they needed to be.. Yurio was down.

Victor tilted his head to the side. "..I want to see.. how you feel... show me how you feel using the water.. like a dance.. an expression... I want to know the prince I'm serving" he purred.

 

[CJWrites]

Yuuri's mouth formed into a knowing o as he thought.

"Alright." he told Victor. He moved his arms and streams of water came up to accompany him. His body seemed to create music as he stepped across the stream, his light feet creating ripples as they touched the water and the streams he'd picked up twisted and turned with his dance.

He finished with a flourish of his wrist and the streams of water lept into the air and bursted into small crystals of ice which gently showered down upon the audience.

Many of the servants burst into applause. Yuuri blushed at this newfound attention and he sheepishly rubbed his neck.

"Alright then, that's enough." Phichit had stepped back into the courtyard. "Yurio and Victor have work to do"

 

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Victor nodded his head. "Thank you for showing me, Dianxia. That was truly beautiful." he winked before he turned to Phichit. "Laundry?" he asked him curiously.

Yuri hurried over to join Victor's side, knowingly. His mind, however.. was somewhere else completely.. the way he had moved.. bent the water to his will.. it was stimulating... fascinating even. He couldn't believe that something like that was just so.. so.. easy and effortless... he could never use his own magic that way.. it was always impulsive.. uncontrollable..

 

[CJWrites]

Phichit ushered Yuri and Victor off to the other side of the stream while Minami and Yuuri continued practicing their magic. They ended it with a spar, although most onlookers wouldn't have been able to tell it apart from a well coordinated dance. At the end, they bowed to each other and the people who had stopped their work to watch applauded.

"You've improved greatly." Yuuri told Minami, who grinned.

"I'd be able to do more with more water." The younger man muttered.

"Sometimes you won't have water on hand." Yuuri reminded. "And while ice blasts can be summoned without water, "

Yuuri didn't see his new servants for the rest of the day. Apparently after finishing a few chores, Phichit was teaching them to write. He dismissed Minami early and hung out with Yuuko and Nishigori before retreating to his pavilion to practice his calligraphy and read.

--

The next day Yuuri woke up and was served breakfast by Phichit before heading to the, his servant following him to the council meeting. Victor and Yuri had been instructed to memorize the characters they'd learned the day before.

He entered the building where the meetings took place and knelt in front of the emperor, touched his forehead to the ground before getting up and sitting down beside Seung Gil, two seats down from Guang Hong who sat at the head of a long table. On the other side of the emperor sat Cao Bin, the head advisor and the man who had been entrusted with running the country when the former Emperor died and Guang Hong was too young.

 

[haharley]

Victor was preparing Yuuri's bath that evening, filling the tub with warm water, careful not to set it too warm or too hot. It was nice to have this time to himself, even if it was full of chores.

He'd been attached at Yuri's side since there arrival, and being around someone so angry for so long was beginning to eat away at his soul and ability to fake happness.. which.. was beginning to become evidently important in the days that had passed, and assuredly, the days that would come.

His current mission was to build any form of relationship with his prince.. and it was going to be a slow one.

He added lavendar into the prince's bath stepping away, turning towards the door when he heard a noise and bowed to Yuuri, pressing his forehead into the ground. He wasn't quite sure what to call him, couldn't remember the chinese as well as he should.. so he chose to stay silent.

 

[CJWrites]

Yuuri gave a slight bow back and nodded at Victor. He let his robes drop to the floor, got into the stone basin and sighed as relief washed over him. His castle in Yamato was built on top of natural hot springs. Yuuri and his sister would spend all day down there until they were wrinkled like prunes and their nanny finally and shooed them upstairs, This wasn't like back home but he could still enjoy a good bath.

"This feels wonderful." He said happily. "And you don't have to do that every time. you'll spend half your time on the floor if you do that." He told Victor with a smile on his face.

"How was your first day?" Yuuri asked Victor. He glanced around the tub and noticed how it could comfortably fit two people. "You must be tired. Why don't you join me?"

 

[haharley]

Victor straightened up, adjusting his servants clothes on his frame. "Thank you, Dianxia." He hung his robes up to the side and took off his shirt, his pants, continuing to speak. "You are right, I am exhausted.. I had no idea that manual labor could be so hard."

Victor stepped forward, climbing into the bath and sitting beside Yuuri letting out a content breathe, careful not to brush his skin.. but.. then again...

He reached a hand over, brushing it gently across Yuuri's. "My apologies." he moved away again. It was such a delicate thing, the art of true seduction.. a brush of a hand could go a long way.