The Belle of St. Petersburg •The Tudors

chapter •the story of lady maria

WARNING: MENTION OF BAD LANGUAGE, ABUSE, AND ALMOST RAPE.

Maria sat by the window of Anastasia room, playing an instrument while Anastasia was resting. Kathleen had gone to fetch food for Anastasia's supper later. Tatiana and Anna sat with books on their laps. Sarah was hemming her dress.

Maria had lived with these girls for such a long time. She had been the second one to be in the service of her queen. She would give her listen to her queen, after everything Anastasia had done for her.

A young Maria ran after fast as her little legs could have her. She must have been about 7 or 8 at the time. She heard the yelled of men right behind her, catching up. Maria ducked down behind a large pillar, waiting for the men to ran pass her. And they did, no of them had seen her and ran pass. Maria stood slowly up and bolted back to her home. She didn't even make it five steps before a hand grabbed her by the arm and one covers her mouth so she would not scream.

"Zatknis', oni vozvrashchayutsya." (Shut up, they are coming back.) It was a man's voice whispering harshly in her ear. He was right. The men who were catch Maria came back. Suddenly Maria was pushed under a table with a red cloth covering it. No one was able to see her.

"Ser, vy videli zdes' malen'kuyu devochku?" (Sir, have you seen a little girl running by here?) Maria heard someone ask. She lifted to cloth a bit to see three pairs of feet. She prayed to God that the man would not tell. She will surely be killed, or worst. She heard the man who hid her make a 'hmm' sound.

"Izvinite, dzhentl'men. U menya net." (Sorry, gentleman. I haven't.) Maria heard the man say. Footsteps left to table and the cloth was lifted a bit. Maria met a pair of beautiful brown eyes. The man helped her up from under the table. He was in his late twenties.

"Would you like to explain to me why those men were looking for you?" The man asked her in perfect English.

She dug into the pockets of her dress and pulls out a copper coin. The man gives a nod, impressed that such a young child was about to steal.

"Guess you weren't luck to get a gold one. Well here then." The man pulls out a real gold coin and grabs Maria's hand, placing it on top of it. "Now, run along. Don't let them catch you again. Not everyone is as generous as I am." The man said to her in a hurry. He turns to walk away.

"What is your name, sir?" Maria asked in a Russia accent. The man turns, smiled at her and tipped his head.

"You will know soon enough." He says before disappearing into the crowd of people. Maria quickly left the market, making sure not to be seen. She had finally returned home, hoping her father wasn't home. When opening the door she had careful stepped in. Almost immediately, a hand went to grip her hair tightly and she had been slammed it the wall.

"You stupid slut. Where the hell have you been?!" Maria's drunken father yelled. Maria didn't answer, too afraid to. But her father didn't like it. He kicked her stomach hard, surely to leave a bruise. Maria's gold coin that the man had given her fell from her pocket. Maria's father looks at the coin and picks it up. "Are you stealing from me now? You little bitch!"

And the beatings had started. Punch after punch, kick after kick. It's been like that for about an hour before her father had gone to the tavern to get drunk. Maria was on the floor, bloody and beat. She wasn't able to stand, it hurt too much to. It wasn't 'til two hours later that that she had stood up slowly and went away to hide.