The Start

**Never think that war, no matter how necessary, nor how justified, is not a crime.

-Ernest Hemingway**

--JULY 23, UNIFIED YEAR 1920, CURRENT FEDERATION CAPITAL ST.PRETVESBURG--

A young boy with blonde hair and sapphire blue eyes was playing with a ball at his feet and kicked it over to another young boy with reddish hair. Both of them ran forward, passing the ball back and forth.

They evaded other few kids that tried to stand against them. The dirt and mud was flying up with every step of their boots.

That went on until the blondie shot it hard between two wooden posts just short of another kid lunging after the ball.

"Goal!", cried the redhead out in jubilation. "Nice shot, Yuri!" He ran over and hugged the blondie.

"Thanks, Igor.", laughed the boy called Yuri.

And just at the same time, a whistle resounded from a woman that stood a few meters away. "Game set! Winners, Black Eagles with 2:0!"

"Seriously!? Damn, we lost again. Hey, Yuri. Next time you better join our White Bears again.", grumbled the goalkeeper after standing up. But his face was actually smiling more than anything.

"Sure, if you manage to get me first next time and not lose guessing the coin flip, Alex.", smirked Yuri at him and just patted his shoulder.

They always decided who started to pick their team members with head or tails. Most of the time Yuri was also a very sought-after teammate and was mostly picked first right after that other boy called Igor.

And when Igor was actually the one choosing it was a foregone matter that the team with them both would always win.

Yes, these kids were actually playing football(soccer) and had a lot of fun with it.

"Yuri! We need to go!", called out the woman that gave the results.

"Right, I gotta go. See you guys later!" Yuri excused himself from the others and ran towards the woman after picking up the leather ball that was still lying in the dirt.

"See ya!"

Arriving at the woman that played the referee he could see her looking him over. Her blonde long hair fell to the side after her head cocked sideways. And her steel-colored eyes seemed to not let anything go unnoticed.

"Young lord. You injured yourself again?"

"It´s nothing serious, Maria. Stop worrying so much.", sighed Yuri at her words.

"But it is my duty to take care of you, young lord. And look at how dirty you have become."

"Oh come on. It´s just dirt."

The woman called Maria stayed silent for a short moment and smiled. "Let´s return then, young lord."

Yuri just nodded and together with his maid, that was put as a watchdog over him, sat into a car that drove off back to the palace.

While sitting in the car Yuri was busy trying to change his messy clothing to something more proper. Or better to say something that would not annoy his father.

He flayed his arms and legs around trying to fit in his other clothes and after finally being done just sat down on his seat with a relieved sigh.

Maria picked up his old clothes and packed them into the suitcase that had his other clothing inside previously.

After thinking about being back at the palace shortly and noticing the rather large amount of cars near the building, Yuri narrowed his eyes and placed a hand under his chin while leaning at the window.

"What is the current outcome of things? Did those guys from the worker party took over control completely?"

"The revolution was put as a success...The followers of Josef have taken a firm grip over things."

"Dzhugashvili...That damnable old lunatic...", grumbled Yuri and sighed. Then he took out a white small candy from one of his pockets and placed it inside his mouth.

Feeling the sugar on his tongue slowly melt and travel inside his stomach he could feel how his brain started working a little bit clearer.

´Ah~~, nothing beats dextrose for a quick revitalization of an exhausted mind.´

"Has Father at least followed my advice?", he asked once more.

"His Imperial Majesty has done as much as he could. It is getting harder to keep a low profile with the current events, young lord."

"I know...Alright, please freeze all activity from the agents for now. Keep the sparrows fed. We will have to wait until the right time has come."

"As you wish, young lord.", the maid nodded.

That made Yuri smile. "It has been three years now, hasn't it?"

"And only five more until young lord is married."

"Urgh...please don't remind me of that. I just gave in to my father's demands in marrying that noble commonwealth woman so that I could leverage it towards my plans. Father would otherwise be a stubborn fool."

"But I think it will be such a cheerful event nonetheless. The young lady is also not of bad qualities."

"How should I know that...I never even met her...That I really had to resort to this..." He sighed. "Change thyself and you can change thy family, then change thy country and further change the fate of thy world...", mumbled Yuri now rather absentmindedly.

That he really had to please his father and show him he stopped his rebellious actions that were unfit for a noble of his status. And only that to just later manipulate him into doing his bidding was a cruel truth he learned fast.

It was for the better. He needed to prevent his family´s martyr death at the hands of the red party.

Thinking about it now he had a great smile on his face. He even managed to convince his father to abolish the Tsar monopoly over Vodka.

True, he had to use his mother in some of it as well but it worked out. And with that, a snowball was sent rolling that changed so much. Friends supporting the crown were popping out like beautiful flowers in spring.

Alliances were formed with the help of some trades and bribes.

...

Weren't politics just beautiful? He would still say it was an ugly farse but also necessary.

But even with the utmost care in those aspects. He couldn't stop the rebellious uprisings and splitting of the Russy Empire that already started before his birth.

"Also, Maria...please take care of yourself." He took a gun out from a small hidden compartment and handed it to her.

She took the gun and like a professional soldier checked the amount of ammunition. Then she hid it under her maid dress.

"Of course, young lord. Please be assured I will do my best. There is nothing to worry about." Her smile was genuinely soft and warm.

That made him smile softly back at her as well.