Terrors of England

England, 1741

 “Run, Pauline, run!”

Tessalie raced down the corridor, screaming to her sister. The soldiers weren’t far behind them and they still had to reach the passages.

“I can’t! Go without me!” Yelled Pauline, half-heartedly as she stumbled to catch up.

Tessalie ran back determined to save her when she spotted one of the soldiers only ten feet away.

“No, go!”

“Paul-….”

“Go!” Pauline yelled again.

She clutched her necklace, and closed her eyes. It only took that long for the soldier to sweep her off her feet. She struggled against him. Hitting, kicking, anything to make him let go.

Tessalie stared in agony; unable to believe it was happening. It had been an ordinary day, just an hour ago!

With one last look at Pauline, a sister she may never again see, she ran for her life.

Once she was safe inside the protection of the secret passages, she crawled to the closest corner she could find, and did something she was literally famous for never doing.

She cried.

She cried for Pauline, for Elaine, for Ophelia and for Ariel, all taken by the Scottish army. They were all so young!

She cried for her mother, her father, her husband, but most of all she cried for her daughter. That beautiful, energetic little girl she feared she would never again see.

She was so lost in her thoughts and her tears, that she didn’t even hear the approaching voices.

“Tessalie? Tessalie! Oh, Tess!”

Her sister, the Princess Lalasa, crouched down beside her, squeezing her arm tightly, tears in her own eyes.

Lalasa was 14, and one of her youngest sisters. There were 7 of them all together.

The eldest 5 had all been married. Pauline, Elaine, Ophelia, Ariel and Tess had even had their own daughters within the same year. However each girl had their problems.

Tess was the one who had very few struggles. She loved her husband Robert when she married him at 13, and he was not of noble birth, which shocked everyone. She loved Felicity very dearly and was always in the nursery.

All five of the little girls had loved each other’s company, and began to long for it when they were away from the others. Sabrina and Felicity got on quite well, as did Paula and Louise when it was discovered they were both seers. Anna was the only one a little left out.

Tess was quite terrified that all five had been killed. Murdered by the Scots.

Tessalie’s father had died only a year ago from the influenza, and had never regretted having only daughters, he had named his eldest his heir, just as he would have with a boy. Pauline had been thrilled, and their mother had been equally filled with joy.

Tess choked.

It hurt to think of her poor mother, who now joined their father in the heavens.

Damn the Scots! Why did they have to be so vengeful!

“Oh thank goodness!” Exclaimed Tian, as she too knelt with her sisters, joining her distressed face with theirs.

“Tian?”

Lalasa reached out her hand.

“We’re the only three left aren’t we Tess?”

It was a haunting question.

Tess wondered again and again if anyone else had survived, the thought was impossible. Everyone had been at the palace. Well, except for Lord Wellington who had gone overseas to Egypt on an expedition, but he was thought to be dead already. Ariel had gone into mourning just 2 weeks after they had been told his ship had sank somewhere in the Indian Sea. No, no one was left.

The three of them sat there for what seemed like hours, holding each other, none of them willing to let go of the other. If they let go, who knew what more might happen? They were not willing to speak of the horror they had just experienced. None of them understood it, or why it had happened. All they knew was that they were alone. They didn’t dare hope that anyone else had lived through the madness.

Finally, Tess had to break the silence.

“What do we do now?”

It seemed as though she was speaking to herself, certainly her sisters had no idea.

It obviously wasn’t safe for them to remain in the palace, or even in England for that matter.

“I-I don’t know. Where else can we go? We have no acquaintances anywhere else! At least not that we can trust!” Cried Tian, frightened.