Ara is sitting at the breakfast table alone, her brother had prior commentent to attended too. Her mother well frankly she has no idea but feels the guilt eating at her. She hears the door crack open and walks in Georgina. Gina hair flows openly for once in her life and she doesn't a waste a moment coming over to her sister.
136Please respect copyright.PENANAehjKGxEvK8
"You ought to talk to mother" Gina sits in her usual spot, "I know but I'm not sure how to face her". Ara sees a new look in her sisters eyes, "I'll go with you if you wish, I know this is tearing her apart". Her little sister seems to have changed overnight, "I feel as if it's tearing our family apart". Gina raises an eyebrow and then rolls her eyes. "You are not to blame for all this" Ara think Gina seems too confident and doesn't share her belief.
136Please respect copyright.PENANAD7IsKboDU2
Ara doesn't try to fight her, she knows when Gina get this way it's pointless to convince her otherwise. Sisters arm in arm stride over to their mother bedchambers. Ara and Gina just look to one another, in this instance they have become children again. They feel more like little girls rather than women.
136Please respect copyright.PENANAbubZQmXJA4
They didn't even need to knock before their mama opens the door. "How does she always know?" Gina whispers to Ara and she just has a dazzed expression too. "I am your mother" Miranda states as she offers them a place to sit. "I want your side of the story" Ara doesn't seem a point in beating around the bush.
136Please respect copyright.PENANAlo1QZdvZLX
136Please respect copyright.PENANAj9yLtMOz2m
"I feel the same way" Gina tightens her first, "Very well, but you both must close your eyes". Ara hesitates "Why would we?" Minrda stops her, "I want you to picture it all". Reluctantly they both agree to their mother's requests.
136Please respect copyright.PENANAwT3MLZW3Ah
~~~
136Please respect copyright.PENANARd5E6AjTu6
𝑻𝒘𝒆𝒏𝒕𝒚 𝒀𝒆𝒂𝒓𝒔 𝑨𝒈𝒐..
136Please respect copyright.PENANA5vp81oQVhE
Miranda is a bright and young girl, she isn't yet weathered by the years of her life. She is the the twelfth child of Shopkeeper and Lady-In-Waiting. Most have four or five children but not her parents. Yet better to have many than not enough in Mirnda opinion. This isn't in any malicious way, five out of her seven children did not make it to adulthood. Two of them didn't even live to see their 5th year, the other three died before the age of 12.
136Please respect copyright.PENANA62wTnwkAj0
She stops pondering of the past when she hears her name being called. "Miranda, dear" a joyful call from her best friend Maria. They have been the best of friends since childhood. Their families have been friends for fifty years or more. The two girls are even distantly related. Their great great great grandfather's are brothers. Maria father married into the Royal Family when he meant her mother.
136Please respect copyright.PENANArJ5KdkTg7S
"What are you here for?"Manda laughs and wraps her arm around Marie. "Can't I just vist my best friend" Maria innocently says and Manda can't help but give her a disapproving look. "Others, yes but you never"Manda shakes her head, "Doesn't matter I suppose, I'll find out eventually".
136Please respect copyright.PENANAFcX2QrGsdO
The door bursts open and two officers rush in a frenzy. Duke Roland and Grand Duke Nicholas of Russia. Their hair is a mess and their clothes are wrinkled. That is unusual because they are calm and clean men. "Your Highness" Roland huffs as he leans on his knees to catch a breath.
136Please respect copyright.PENANA89slJclkuM
"Their Majesties require your presence. The king has been injured by Revolutionaries"Roland explains after he caught his breath. Marie picks up the front of her dress and runs into the hallway towards her parents room.
136Please respect copyright.PENANAoTLOiBi5ON
"The King had been doing his military roll call as he does every Sunday. Well on route between the Chathrine Canal and the Alexndrea Bridge. A man of the name Andrew Valski threw a bomb under His Majesty carriage".
136Please respect copyright.PENANAvI4LatjQI1
Maria knew her people were getting more and more unsettled with the idea of the monarchy. She knew the famines were just adding on to the tension. Some members of the Royal Family had given them money from their own allowances but it isn't enough.
136Please respect copyright.PENANAkja1d7B2IT
"Yes, he survived at first but he wanted to make sure that the other victims were okay and another bomber came and.." Roland doesn't need to finish for she understands quite well.
136Please respect copyright.PENANA5uWVbxNLyu
Marie nods her head in thanks to her friends and their support. Roland, Nicholas and Manda all leave for her to be with her family.
136Please respect copyright.PENANAKed92arA2N
Marie feels sick to her stomach and she freezes in her place. How in the world is she going to live in a world without her father. She doesn't want to live in a world without him. Sure, he was a bad king but to her he had been her entire world.
136Please respect copyright.PENANAe3bzqSFTSv
She knows she would regret not saying goodbye to him. Stepping into the room and takes a breath to calm down. The room is grim and grey. She sees her mother and siblings surround her father.
136Please respect copyright.PENANAojpUcH4MdC
Marie didn't know excalty what to except but she didn't see this coming by any means. Her father lay there in his bed pale and sweating from head to toe. His breathing rugged as if he can't get enough air. She gets closer to him and she has to swallow the bile in her mouth.
136Please respect copyright.PENANAEGTlxkZInP
The King lays there legs shatterd and blood speaped and stained his clothes. The more she looked the more she wished she never came. As her eyes scanned over his body, unable to look away. Her father's body might as well be split in half for his stomach was ripped open. Then his face doesn't even look like her father anymore, it's mutilated into something eles she can't describe.
136Please respect copyright.PENANAvcjul68NKn
Her legs shake and the blood drains from her face. "Daddy" she croaks and goes to clutch his hands but stops herself. The realization that there is no point. She clutches the layers of her dress. "I love you" she tells him and she thinks he said "I love you". He moans for water and only hopes someone gets him some.
136Please respect copyright.PENANAU2Dyn6rxli
"He won't last long, he is a fighter but.." her mother cries and she grabs Marie hand.
136Please respect copyright.PENANAi2QZIYLwkA
"Do I have to stay?".
136Please respect copyright.PENANAd64pt8Vx38
"No, honey. I won't force any of you or your siblings to stay. You can say your goodbyes and go to the sitting room. I shall stay with your father".
136Please respect copyright.PENANAJgupBMLWlP
"All alone mother, you shouldn't be".
136Please respect copyright.PENANA63nNPrTDcX
"I will not be, your Aunt should be here within ten minutes or less" instantly Marie feels releaved that she doesn't have to stay. This is the worst thing imaginable. She loves him but she can't force herself to stay even if she wanted too.
136Please respect copyright.PENANAujZoDJo7uU
Marie leaves and goes to the sitting room. Hours or days could past by and she wouldn't know for sure..time no longer means anything to her. She thinks days must have gone by for she is sure she had nightmares. It's hard to tell because her dreams are no different from the waking world.
136Please respect copyright.PENANAsNNOFojcWl
Death consumes eveything, asleep or wake it doesn't matter.
136Please respect copyright.PENANA1xNkz7rSJL
"You have to eat, love" Marie stares at the food infront of her. It's her favorite food and yet turns her nose up at it. "I don't want it" and "Im not hungry" is what comes out of her mouth. "Your father would want you to live. Your people need you to live".
136Please respect copyright.PENANAEIhkarHEQd
It hits her then that she is Queen, she has a people to lead..she was so depressed she didn't think of her people. She lost her father but her people lost their King. Marie grabs the spoon infront of her and finally ate something.
136Please respect copyright.PENANAJix61FDh6y
She gets up and goes to her chambers and changes into a fresh new dress. She puts care into her look and more befitting of her station. Marie knows that from now on her life is not her own.
136Please respect copyright.PENANAmKvo1TM7Xk
136Please respect copyright.PENANAbURrTiXRQd