The Sisters Of The Court

Chapter 41: Scarlett

The morning goes by in a flurry of activity, I hold my son all morning protecting him from getting trampled underfoot of all the people racing in and out of the palace. I sat on a terrace with my Duckie on my lap pointing to him all of birds and trees and he watches intently with a smile on his face. I hear the door slide open behind me and my smile falls. Boris walks in with a wetnurse holding his son in her arms. "Get up you bitch." He yanks my arm making me stand up, Almost tripping over myself. He yanks my son out of my arms and puts the devil child into them instead. "That's the only Mikhail you should be around. I saw how you whored yourself, You are my wife and I own you." He yells coolly. "You don't own me! I am not a possession I will do whatever the hell I want!" I retort back angrily, Thinking of how I was doing it for George. My George. He snatches the child out of my arms and pushes me against the railing, Forcing my hands behind me as if he would push me over in an instant. "You're my property," He snarls. "You don't get to whore yourself or I will kill you." He pushes the top part of me over the rail holding onto my waist tightly leaving marks for later as I hold onto his shoulders desperately. "Do it." I dare him. "You'll be rid of me." I say bravely looking him in his cruel eyes with fire blazing straight back at him. "Kill me." I say daring him. "I want to make you suffer first you slut." He grabs me by the neck and forces me off the rail. "You better stay away from him or I'll tighten my grip." He squeezes my neck then let's me go and I collapse on the floor gasping for air. "Take the child to the ship." He says to the nurse looking down at my golden haired baby in disgust. "You can't take him!" I say almost begging. He turns to me slowly and kicks me in the stomach with his heavy boot and I crumble in pain. I watch as the nurse puts the devil child in his cradle and picks up my son to take him away. I sit there in pain for a few moments then find the strength to rise to my feet. I look at the devil child in his crib, His face is that of Boris's. He does not smile or gurgle when he sees me like a normal baby does. He despises me, And I cannot forgive him for what his father did to me. I pick him up but instead of feeling the warmth of my pride bubbling up like I do with George, He feels like dead weight in my arms. I peer down at his coal black eyes and he looks back with such a look I forget he's a baby. I set him down and walk into our room watching him as if he were a predator that would jump out and eat me at any time. I look in the mirror and sigh there is an imprint of hands around my neck, Anyone could see it. Tears start streaming down my cheeks no matter how much I don't want them too. I don't deserve this, I haven't done anything. I never do anything terribly wrong, And yet my life gets threatened. I take a high necked dress out of my closet and put it on so it covers the marks. Even though I'm bundled up to my chin I still look beautiful, With my slim body and dark hair piled on my head. I clasp the broach that Alix gave me onto the burgundy dress. It seemed like my childhood was a million years away. The innocent days of Hesse, Where there was no Boris. A sharp rap on the door brings me out of my thoughts. I run to the crib and pick up Mikhail in case it is Boris again, He cannot hurt me with a baby in my arms. He sits in my arms with his dark head resting against my chest and his black eyes observing everything, So closely I cannot believe he is not fully grown. I swing open the door fully expecting to see the large shadow of Boris but instead I saw the tall, Now frail, Frame of George. I could feel my face light up when I saw him. "Hello George." I say my tears drying on my cheeks. "Please come in." I smile and lead him in the room as we sit on the bed. I place Mikhail in my lap carefully so his head doesn't fall. "What is the matter?" He asks concerned putting his hand gently on my elbow. Even this small touch I savored, A touch of concern and emotion. "It's nothing. Just Boris." I say quickly but sadly, Knowing that it will never be anything more then him. But George will save me, I know he will. "Oh my Lily, Did he hurt you again?" He asks and for a minute I think I can feel his fingers around my throat again. I nod slowly "Yes." I say as my voice breaks "I don't know what to do. I can't escape him." Mikhail turns his head observing everything with his small brow furrowed as if he were angry. George looks into my eyes sympathetically and leans into me. My breath hitches in my throat, But I let it go after he wraps his arms around me in a hug being careful of the child on my lap. "You are safe now." He says encasing me. I know that I'm safe, I will always be safe in your arms, I want to say but bite my tongue. "Thank you George. I don't know what I would do without you and your help." I rub my throat and the itchy collar and lay Mikhail down on the bed flat. He turns his head to me and George and watches as if I George was about to have me. "You will get away from him I promise you that." He says gently, Patting my knee. "I have too. He'll kill me one day." I say simply. "He'll kill me with his belt." I shudder thinking of the way he takes it off and looks at me violently and I stare back scared to death of the day he'll finally snap. And a few tears stream down my face and Mikhail watches me as if he were a judge on judgement day. "I'll help you." He says "I Won't let him hurt you anymore." He says and I look up at him "Really?" I ask "You'll take me out of there?" I clasp my hands in his in hope that I am understanding him correctly. "Of course!" He smiles at me as the baby on the bed frowns as if disapproving. But I don't care, He's a baby, He doesn't know squat. But still,I feel like I'm doing something wrong. "Oh thank you, Thank you!" I cry flinging my arms around his neck in his hug. Ecstatic at the the thought of living with him, However long it may be. "I'm so happy I could kiss you!" I blurt out then feel my face flush. "You are very funny my Lily." He laughs not catching on. I smile relievedly "I will come live with you?" I asks softly making sure it is what he means. "Yes, With Alice and I." My face falls at the thought of living with her. "And George can come too?" I say hopefully enthralled of the thought of a happy family. As long as she takes her and her sons and leaves. And then we can be a family, Perhaps Nicholas could stay, George has taken a liking to him. I think to myself with conflicting emotions. "Yes!" He says excitedly. "He has been asking for you since the other day." I say thinking about how many times my Duckie has had nightmares and cried out papa in the middle of the night, I smile again, Happy at the thought that George will be there to comfort him. "How nice, I am sure Nicholas will appreciate his company, Alice will be thrilled to have you with us once she gets back!" He exclaims. "Gets back?" I asked, Hopeful at the thought of us being alone. "Yes, She has to go away for a month, For her mother's funeral." He says looking at me. A month! A month alone with me and George and our son! I almost leap off the bed with happiness but I look at the frowning pale child on the end and I can control myself. A month. With me in her place, He will fall in love with me then for sure. And get rid of her and put me in her place. "George will be happy to see you everyday!" I says excitedly. "I can't wait to tell Alice." He says smiling thinking about that bitch. "She just understands me so much, I thank God everyday she is my wife." I get off the bed and release my hands from him picking up Mikhail. "I have to go now. Before Boris gets suspicious." I say hiding my hurt "Of course, Goodbye Lily." He smiles and tickles Mikhail under the chin, But even this stern child doesn't laugh. "Goodby George." I say softly walking out the room leaving him alone. I walk outside with Mikhail in my arms and he looks up at me disapprovingly, I sigh and close my eyes as we get outside. Feeling the warm sunshine warm me up immediately, Against my face and hips that have curved since childbirth. I walk to the pier anxiously getting on the boat to get to my son, My little George, My Duckie. I go as fast as I can to the nursery on the ship and hand Mikhail to a wet nurse immediately picking up my baby and hugging his golden head to my cheek. Taking in his scent of rose water and baby powder, As if we had been away for a million years. "Mama! Back!" He says, Adding another word to his vocabulary. "Very good my darling!" He holds onto my fingers and stands on his chubby legs. "Can you walk to mama?" I say gently pulling my hand in slowly making him take small steps. I smile at his baby beautiness as he waddled towards me. "Very good!" I say smiling and I start to feel my stomach rumble. "Mama will be right back!" I quickly press a kiss to his palm and race up to the deck. I clutch onto the rail, Vomitting over the side. I feel an arm grab me as I finish vomiting over the side, Boris again. He spins me around to face him and he slaps me across the face harshly so I almost fall to the ground in front of him. I hold onto the railing and pull myself back up to face him as the ship starts pulling out of port, "You shouldn't have run off from my son like that." He goes back inside and I try to recover myself from the slap. My hand goes up to my cheek where it's stinging and I rub it gently. "Scarlett!" I hear someone yell and immediately turn around, it sounds like it's coming from across the water. I Look at the ships around us when I spot him, George my sons father stands on the deck of a ship and we make eye contact. I stare at him while he stares back, why did he call out to me? Thank god we're leaving and I don't have to deal with him. I keep staring at him confused until a nurse appears at my arm.
"Madam?" Not your Grace. Which is the proper way she should have addressed me but I don't have it on me to care. "George won't stop crying and his grace says if you don't shut him up he will." My face goes grave and I race back down to the nursery hearing wailing as I approach it. Boris stands towering over my son looking like he's about to pinch him or some awful thing. I hurry to him and pick him And immediately he stops crying. "What are you doing here?" I snap at him holding my boys golden head to my shoulder as his tears flow down his cheeks silently. "Can't I spend time with my stepson?" He glowers and glare as if we were at a standstill. "No! He's my son!" At this he strikes me across the face leaving a welt. "You're lucky I don't give you more. But I'm feeling generous today." He looks at me hungry with lust and anger. "Go visit your whore." I say venomously, Thinking Of his new pretty faced mistress named Ursula. That he had brought with us on this trip. He slaps me again "That'll be you." He says and walks out. I hold my cheek and sit down in a rocking chair under a porthole, Placing George in my lap as I kiss his tears away. "Mama is here do not fret." I hold him as if he was a newborn and sing him a lullaby, While I gaze out at the sea.

It takes a week to get back to Russia, And even then in the flurry of unpacking it takes a day to sneak away to George's carriage from Boris's watchful eye. I quickly climb into the waiting carriage with George inside. "Where's your son?" He asks about Mikhail. "I couldn't get him in time." I lie "It was to dangerous." The carriage starts speeding off before Boris can realize what's happening and My Duckie giggles on my lap feeling the wind in his face from the open windows and summer air. He can now take a few steps on his own but not much else. For five day we soar across the open countryside to Abstumani. Me and George taking turns taking care of my son as his sons with her are already waiting there. As we ride down the road I am greeted with glares from the townspeople. I let them stare at me, At my jewelry and clothes. As soon as we get to the estate I get out and breath the fresh air holding my son in my arms. This will be our new life. This is our new life.