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Prompt 10: Fortune
Fear crawled in the pit of William’s stomach as he replayed last night’s celebration. Marie promised to talk, but with each hour that ticked by his trepidation grew greater. At last a knock echoed from his door and he opened it. Marie hushed him and motioned for William to follow her. She took him down a corridor he didn’t recognize and slipped a key from her skirt’s pocket. The door swung wide with a click and she closed it behind them.
William roamed the room and coughed as a layer of dust was kicked up into his nostrils. All the furniture in the dim place was covered in dusty white sheets. The imagery reminded him of his older brother’s late night ghost stories and he shuddered. “Where are we?” His voice echoed off the high ceiling and he stared up at a veiled chandelier. He concluded that the spacious room was not intended for everyday use.
“In a guestroom. Papa won’t hear us here.” Marie pulled back a white sheet that lay draped over a couch and motioned for him to sit. He preferred to stand and pace around the room.
William turned to face Marie, his body rigid. “Why am I here?” He demanded, his tone sharper than he had intended. “From the looks of last night, it seems he doesn’t want me as desperately as he claims.”
“Oh, he wants you desperately, William, but for the wrong reasons.”
“Why?”
“Look,” Marie steepled her fingers and narrowed her eyes. “My father is a single man. Mama died, and he is left with only one child. He doesn’t want a female heir.” She paused and stood for a long moment and stared into a dusty mirror. “I cannot carry on my family name, and Papa is getting older now. It wouldn’t be a simple thing for him to remarry and hope for the best. He has no male heir to take on his load and his fortune. You are young enough to train, and he sees you as the solution to his problems.”
William opened his mouth to protest, but her words sunk in and he snapped his mouth shut.
“I was an easy target, wasn’t I?” He whispered as the shock numbed him. Marie placed a hand on his shoulder and drew him into a hug. He stood limply in her arms and when she let go, he sank to the floor. Trembling, he held his face in his hands and cursed himself for so easily giving in. “I never should have come- I never-” He choked, “I’m so sorry- Marie-”
“Shh,” She knelt beside him and drew him close. “It isn’t your fault, William. My father did this, and you- you didn’t know better. We will be fine. This shouldn’t stand between us.” Blinking away tears, she added, “Besides, I always wanted a little brother.”
Drawing his knees in and bowing his head, William pressed his face against his knees. The stuffy air around him threatened to suffocate him as he choked down the truth. He was lost in the heart of the British Empire and dwelling underneath the very roof of his enemy. William was trapped.
Prompt 11: Wander
It wasn’t until he woke that William realized he was screaming. He sat up straight and convulsed with wracking sobs, his hands clenched against his face. A shadowed form darted into his room and he doubled over with a shriek.
“Will! William!” Marie leapt onto the edge of his bed and pried away his shaking fingers. “Look at me!” William tried to shove her away, his eyes wild. He gasped out a sob as she firmly held his hands. “Look, it’s me. I’m Marie.” She pushed back a lock of his soaked hair. She whispered, “William, can you feel me? Can you see me? I’m not hurting you. You’re safe.”
The glow of a candle entered the room and Irene set down her candlestick on a nearby table. William gasped with wild sobs, but his wide eyes focused. Marie pulled him into her arms and he melted into her embrace. She held him until he calmed down and his breathing became level again. Marie leaned against the headboard and he rested his head against her shoulder, their fingers laced together.
Irene’s soft voice rose from the nearby darkness. “Come downstairs.” She nodded for Marie to follow. She wrapped William’s blanket around him and quickly retrieved one of her own across the hall. Marie kept her hand on her brother’s shoulder and guided him down the dark staircase. He shook beneath the touch of her fingers.
Irene pushed open the door of the kitchen and skillfully set about to produce better lighting. After reviving the coals she motioned for the children to cluster before its growing flame. William stared at the flames and silent tears fell down his cheeks. His eyes wandered deep into the writhing flames until Marie pulled him back. He reoriented himself and gratefully accepted a mug of steaming hot cocoa. The spicey aroma of cinnamon wafted up from the steam and he watched the dark grains swirl in patterns.
At last, Irene settled herself down in a chair and tucked her shawl closer around her to resist the autumn chill. She blew gently on her steaming mug, her bright eyes watchful. “Are you alright, William?”
He hesitated, then gave a slight nod. “Better- I- I didn’t mean to- wake anyone- I didn’t know-”
“Shh,” Irene hushed him with a smile. “No one means to have a nightmare, child. Do you want to talk about it?”
Bowing his head he muttered, “Not yet.” and took a long draught of his hot cocoa. Flames danced in reflections across his eyes and he cupped the steaming mug between his fingers. Sipping it more slowly, his gaze followed the room and fell on the various items hanging from the ceiling and beams. Dried strings of braided onions hung in the far corner and dried spices adorned a shelf.
He emptied his mug and stared at the whirling grains. His ears were filled with the sound of popping embers and the pull of the fire drew him into memory. Curling deeper into the folds of his blanket, he began with a whisper.
“It felt so real.” His eyes became haunted and his nails dug into the cup. Sucking in a breath and choking it out, he added, “It was about my brother- Andre. He- he died- and I saw it.” Tears spilled down his cheeks as Irene murmured beneath her breath.
“And how many brothers did you have?”
“Three, and two sisters.” A smile flickered across his face before sinking back into his cheeks. “There were six of us- Nicolai, Arthur, Andre, Elaine, Alice- and then me. I shared a room with Andre. He was my best friend.”
William stopped for a long moment, and Marie feared he wouldn’t continue. Afterwards, she wished he hadn’t.
“The- commander-” William choked, emotion swelling inside him. “He and his men attacked my village by nightfall. They murdered Papa- outside of our home- and set our house on fire. Andre dragged me out, and we escaped into the woods- we found Arthur and Nicolai, but by the time we realized who else was missing, it was too late.” Burying his face he whispered, “The men were poised at each door to kill anyone else who escaped.”
“No.” Marie pounded her fist. “Papa wouldn’t do that!”
Drawing his arms around him, William rocked in the blankets. “Your father is another man when he is called to war. They all are. I saw men turn savage on women and children.” Struggling to get the words out, he curled his fists together. “After we surrendered, they took the surviving men and older boys into the woods-”
“Will, stop!”
Burning with anger he spat. “They murdered them instead of showing mercy. Britain’s honored, glorified commanders are murderers!”
“William, stop!” Marie pleaded, tears filling her eyes. His green eyes smoldered and she drew back. After a moment his anger dissipated, and he slumped from the spent energy.
“I’m sorry…” He drew himself back into his shell, his fire and life gone. Irene left her mug and sat down between the two children. She wrapped each in an arm and drew them to her bosom. She stroked Marie’s hair as she cried into her shoulder.
“William is a broken boy,” she murmured, “and he needs to process hard things. He lost his family and he’s wandering in a new world. He’s been placed into a different family, and it’s alright if he doesn’t know what to do. We all learn. Can you forgive him, and find the patience and love to help him? Yes, his words were harsh, and we both dearly love your papa, but some of what he says is true.”
Marie nodded and sniffled, then she nodded more vigorously and stood. She circled Irene and settled down to where William lay, broken and quiet. She laid her hand gently on his shoulder and squeezed. “I love you William, and I forgive you.” She leaned her head on his shaking shoulder and hugged him. “We can share each other’s hurts. You don’t have to face this alone.”
She tucked one of his curls away and as their tears fell, held him close. She could feel his heartbeat, and it pulsed brokenness and fear. So she reached her fingers out, clasped his hand, and squeezed back friendship and love.
Sorry for not posting anything.. life has been crazy, especially this past week. I haven’t been able to finish the Inktober prompt list yet, but I’m getting there. I just added 3 more snippets for you guys.
This is so sweet and sad! This is random, but I was wondering how old Marie was?
Some day you will be old enough to start reading fairy tales again. ~ C.S. Lewis
Thank you! Yeah, I need to go back somewhere and add in her age… XD Marie is 13 years old, and William is 10.
I happened to stumble upon this by chance….and I’m glad I did! Your writing is beautiful! It’s so sad….but beautiful! (you should publish this…)
Lukas&Livia
#Lalbert
Sef&Chase
#HOTTOLINE
LEFSE FOREVER!!!!!! <333Thanks so much!
Awww that scene was so sad but cute!
I rolled the log over and underneath was a tiny little stick and I was like, "That log had a child
Unfortunately, there’s a lot of sadness in this story… *sniffles*
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