It's such a treat to receive feedback on an older piece! You really made my day. I have such affection for both Alec and Nikolai, and love the idea of them together...or not together as the case may be. You wouldn't think it, but I have a soft spot for Kirill too...mostly I think it's so sad that his life necessitates such brutality - I think it doesn't come naturally to him the way it does to Semyon. I hope to write more of them sometime - thank you so much for the fantastic comments!