The Sisters Of The Court

Chapter 56: Alice

A year has past. One whole year. Everyday feels less worth living, everyday I just want to give up. But I can't, I can't for my Nickie, my darling precious baby of glass. Scarlett left her kids with no one to care for them. She just left like the careless mother she is.  They were to be sent to Boris but I said no and instead the past year they were with me. My staff took care of them, I had Nicholas separated from the rest so that no harm can come his way from Scarlett's hooligan children.  Her clingy daughter and her disruptive son. I gave birth to a girl, I named her Georgiana after her father. She looks just like me with a hint of her father's facial features. Nicholas is the only one resembling George the most.

George left me a letter, I carry it with me everywhere, it's never going to be separated from me, never. Sometimes when I cry I read it again and think of him, my beautiful Angel.

Everyday the older children attend lessons and go to church and have a lesson about religion. Scarlett's children have improved very much through the year, proving her weak parenting skills while abandoning her kids because MY husband died. The love of my life, my only love. What if I just left everything for a year? I wouldn't do that, I would never think of doing something so careless. Abandon my children? Never.

I became Sunny's lady in waiting again. It makes a bit of money and I have something to do throughout the day when my children have lessons. I made sure for Nicholas to have the best possible care and tutors. Through the whispers going around I heard that Scarlett spent her year sleeping around with other men, how careless of her. And she will get the children back just like that, without consequences. I pray for the children and I pray for her recklessness.

Today she is supposed to comeback. Her letter was delivered two weeks earlier about her date of return.  I straighten out my dress, following my auntie. After Uncle Albert passed she never wore anything but black and I shall do the same. My life is colorless now. Alix and Nicholas tried to speak about remarrying but I never will. The conversation ended when I asked her if she would remarry after Nicholas?

I decide to bring Scarlett's son George with me to get her at the train station, it will be a nice surprise for her and he will stop pestering my staff. I enter the nursery to find him playing with Victoria which is starting to crawl, making her laugh. I stand solemnly at the door as the rest of children's governess sits watching them, Miss Evelyn. Miss Evelyn is for Alexander, Peter, Victoria, and Georgiana. While Nicholas has his own governess Miss Wright, that Auntie Victoria had managed to get for me. I wrote to her often this past year, I even got her condolences.

Miss Evelyn looks up, "Your grace" she says. "I only need george" I say as he looks up at me while baby Victoria giggles wanting his attention again, reaching out her small hands for him. "Yes Auntie Alice" he she's looking at me. "Your mother is to come back today, you are coming to the train station with me" I state. He smiles widely, "Really?!" He stands up excitedly. If only he knew the recklessness of his mother. "Yes now hurry" I snap at him as he follows behind me.

I get my coat as the maids dress george while the carriage stands waiting for us. I get in first as the child follows me. The carriage ride begins as I sit looking out the window, I watch the citizens of Russia go on about their day. It's not fair, it's not fair at all. Where is this freedom for George? Where is this life for him? He was taken away while being a father to  5 children. My five children that will grow up without a father. I sit in silence letting a tear shed. I continue to look out the window not minding george.

We arrive at the imperial train station. I stand waiting with George and my staff from the carriage. I check my watch to see that the train is late I internally sigh as I do not wish to be standing here much longer than necessary wasting my day away waiting for Scarlett. I could be at George's grave keeping him company and leaving him flowers, telling him how much I miss him and that nobody, nobody I will ever remarry because nobody is the same as my love. I already made that choice I shall be a widow for the rest of my life until I can join my love in the afterlife.

I stand keeping my patience as we wait the little boy starts to get bored as he starts to tap his foot and look at the distance awaiting for the train. Everyone stands in silence as George looks up at me, "When is mama coming?" He asks me. I check my watch. "It's a little late that's all, be patient" I tell him sternly as he quiets down. He called my husband his father, but he wasn't. Scarlett just wanted george for herself. I wasn't oblivious, I noticed everything but I trusted George and I was right to.

She is nothing but a hopeless whore, sleeping around, trying to steal my children's father. But I pray for her, I trust god to make her better, that he will help her out of sin and show her the true way of life. I watch a Messenger boy run up to us. He takes deep breaths as he bows, "Your imperial highness, the train has been in an accident, east, not too far from here!" He falls completely onto the ground out of breath. My eyes widen, Scarlett's on thus train! I look down at George as he is looking at me in fear.

I order the servants to help the young boy and order the carriage drivers to take us along the tracks to find the train. We reach the sight as little george rushes out of the carriage. I follow him as we look through the people taken out of the rubble and Scarlett isn't one of them. We start searching, she can't be gone, she just can't she has children to take care of! Her children need her! I push the metal aside looking for her until my hands start to bleed from the sharp pieces of metal.

To my surprise I find George's brother, Grand Duke Micheal there looking too. We exchange glances don't say anything as we are busy looking. I move aside another piece of metal, my hands red from blood as I hear little george scream out, "Mama!" I run over to him as I find a large piece of metal on top of her. I try to remove the metal but my hands are too weak and slip from my dripping blood. I scream out for Michael as he runs over and helps me take off the metal piece to find a steel beam digging into her abdomen.

She is barley conscious as Michael drags her out making sure to not move the beam so much as it will. Medical attention rushes over to her as immediately they take her to an ambulance. I notice her swollen stomach, she is pregnant. Before they can take her away her miscarriage begins. She is barely conscious as I cover her child's eyes. The miscarriage is disturbing as her dress stains red the baby comes out as mush, mostly unrecognizable except for a few parts such as an arm or it's foot. George is crying the whole time for his mama. They leave with Scarlett and the miscarried child. My hand are red with blood. I take my hands off his eyes as I take out my gloves and put them on as I comfort the child as much as possible. I bit through the pain as I take his hand and tell him that we are following his mother to the hospital.

Once we arrive we are told to wait as she is immediately taken into surgery. We are told to leave and come back tomorrow since she will be most likely conscious then. After a few days we go back to the hospital and Scarlett is up and awake. She looks dreadful.

I sit in the chair next to her. She turns to look at me. "You are here?" She asks confused. "Why wouldn't I? Who else took care of your children?" I ask her bluntly as she flushes in embarrassment. "You are still here after I killed george?" She asks while my heart pangs in sadness. "Dont blame yourself Scarlett you were in the house. He was very keen on riding that thing anyways even against my wishes" I tell her as very word that comes out of my mouth kills me more.

"It was my idea Alice it will forever be my fault!" She says in tears. "No it's not yt our fault if I would have told him that I was with child earlier he would have never left" I tell her holding back my tears. "I miss him Alice, I know it's stupid but I miss him so much" she says as tears stream down her face. "There is nothing stupid about missing a friend" I tell her. She goes quiet. "He left me a letter" I say quietly. "I'm leaving it here if you want to read it" I take out the letter. Of course it's not the real thing, I only rewrote it so I could have two copies. The real letter is in the locket around my neck.

I stand up as she continues to look at her hands. "Your children miss you" I say as I open the door and let her reunite with little George while the other children are at home. I compose myself and go back to the carriage before breaking out into sobs.