The Sisters Of The Court

Chapter 83: Scarlett

St Petersburg, 1918
I lay in bed holding my new baby named Nicolette. She looks up at me with dark blue eyes and brown hair, a little miracle. I hear the door open and I keep my eyes on the baby. I want to block out everything that's wrong with the world in this moment, I don't want to think about our plans to escape or what we're leaving behind. I finally convinced Michael to go along with it saying it's what's best for the children, they'll be safe in Denmark, we all will. I keep my eyes on the chubby baby in my arms as Misha sits on the bed next to me, "A little Nicole." I say and hold her close to me as she wraps her fat little hand around my pinky finger. "Natasha, We have to go in the week." He says and I don't look at him, I know it's what we have to do but right now I just want to hold my baby and protect her. She looks up at me as my heart races, I'm scared to go and be separated from her until we get there. I think off all we'll be leaving behind here, Nicholas is even buried here. Tears prick my eyes as I hold my baby close, I don't want to lose her. I don't want to leave behind everything we built here. "We'll come back one day, This can't last forever." Michael says before getting up. I clench my hands again, The animals, clothing and Jewels have been smuggled off to Denmark by someone sympathetic to our cause, And soon we'll take the children and leave our home. Everything priceless has been hidden, I heard that's what they did at the Yussupov palace to protect their massive wealth so I ordered it done here. "I hope so." I whisper and go over the plan again in my head. Michael goes with Nickie and the new baby and I go with Julia and Anne and then we meet up at our estate in Denmark. Michael leaves the room and me and the baby alone in the room as we look at each other. I smile down at her as she clenched onto my index finger more, she's so beautiful already. I kiss her forehead gently before laying her in her bassinet and shutting my own eyes and thinking about what is to come.

The day before we have to leave I slowly walk the halls of our house with the baby in my arms, everything I've built here I have to leave behind. I look at the large paintings I've collected over the years, my entire life has been here for years and now we have to leave it behind. I walk into the parlor and look around, everything of value was managed to be sent to Denmark. My children grew up here, they were born here, I fell in love and got married here. I push down the tears in my throat. What was it all for if were just have to leave it behind? Nicholas died here, George died here. I sit myself down in an armchair and hold the baby close with sadness. It's better then being dead but my baby will never get to experience what it's like here. I can only hope that we can come back one day. I watch out the window as Julia sits in the garden with her drawing set next to her brother in his wheelchair. I smile at them before the baby starts to fuss in my arms. I look down at her as she fusses and rock her gently. "It'll be alright my love, I promise." I tell her before kissing her forehead gently.

The next night I wait in the small closet on the side of the kitchen with Julia next to me and a Tired Anne on my lap, I said goodbye to the rest of my children earlier, I blink the tears out of my eyes as I think about my son, my poor darling and my new baby without me. "He'll be alright. They all will." I whisper to myself as I stroke Julia's hair gently. I hear the sound of quiet footsteps and push Julia behind me to protect her. "Your grace?" I see a tall silhouette make a low bow as I stand up and breath a sigh of relief, no one but people loyal to us call us by our titles. "I'm Anatoly Ivanov." He kisses my hand and helps me stand up off the box I was sitting on and scoops Julia up off the floor. "You know I will take in a cart to the ship waiting for you?" He asks and I nod my head silently as I force myself not to look at our home that we're leaving. "I will have to leave you there your graces, I cannot leave Russia or they will get suspicious." He keeps talking but I don't listen as I get in the back of the cart with the children and cover ourselves with a white sheet I can hear Julia crying quietly and I put my arm around her the best that I can in the cramped quarters. "It's alright my love, We'll see it again someday." I whisper stroking her hair, "We must be quiet now, Like still statues." I pull Anne closer to me and she puts her arms around me breathing quietly, she hardly ever says anything she's such a quiet little girl. I shut my eyes and pray as the cart rattles onto in to the night.

Denmark, 1918
I wake up to screaming and I bolt up in my bed my heart beating against my chest. I run down to Julia's room and find her thrashing in bed. I quickly turn the light on, "My love my love, It's alright, it was just a bad dream." I hold her close to my chest as she clings to me while sobbing. "It was awful, They were all getting shot and screaming." She sobs and screws her eyes tight as far as they'll go. "Alyosha and everyone." She says in between sobs and my heart lurches, Dear God bless them if they've actually been killed. "It's just a silly dream my love." I say and kiss her forehead as she lays back down, I can't bear to think of the possibility that two of my children and my husband could've been caught and murdered as well. They still haven't gotten here. I walk back to my room and throw some clothes on as I look at the sun rise in the distance, maybe my family is looking at this same sunrise today. I grab a small hat and walk outside enjoying the bustle of the town I can walk out to now. I skim my hand over the fruit in the stalls as I walk near the edge of the harbor. "Natasha!" I hear someone call out behind me and I turn around in the crowd, there's no one I recognize. I walk faster to get home, The Bolsheviks wouldn't follow me here. "Natasha wait!" They yell again and I freeze, I know that voice. I turn around and see a tall man towering over everyone, Michael. I shove people out of the way as I run to him. "Oh my God, Oh my god I thought you were dead." I start sobbing as relief washes over me, I don't care what he's done in the past right now. He holds my baby in his arms and I take her kissing her all over her face before bending down and hugging my son as tight as I can. I continue to sob as I hold my family close to me I can't believe they're truly alright. Michael puts his arm around my shoulders hesitantly and I allow him to, resting my cheek in the crook of his neck. we look out onto the sun rising in the harbor, maybe we can have a new beginning after all?