Lady Anastasia

5

" Ana!", yells Aurora, opening the door to Mother's bedroom. Both of them enter frantically, Aurora cries at the sight of mother looking so fragile in bed. I'm kneeling next to the bed and holding her cold hand. I look at both of them with teary eyes. Aurora rushes to mother's side and weep making me cry too.

" Girls, why are you crying?", ask no one other than mother weakly. " It's okay, don't worry about me it's just a c...",i snap at her. " You're literally dying Mother, how can you tell us not to worry. Why didn't you tell us you were this sick, I would have never went to the ball, you know that!", I cry even more making my sight blur.

She laughs weakly but ends up coughing. She looks like she's in pain and agony. How can she have the energy to laugh when she's dying." My beautiful daughters, I know things haven't been great after your father passed on but...", she is interrupted by her own cough. " I've always loved both of you equally, you hear me?", i nod immediately with tears falling to my gown. " Take care for each other once I'm gone, you only have one another now ", Aurora looks at me sadly with red eyes.

" Jack, come here", she says weakly to him. He unglues from the wall and walks to us. " Take care of my girls for me, please",he nods and places his hand on his chest, promising her. " I promise, I will do anything for their safety and happiness", he holds my hand and looks at both me and Aurora. " No matter what."

We smile at each other and mother speaks again, gaining both our attention. " And I want you to promise me that you'll marry my daughter, Aurora", the room gets cold and uncomfortable. " Mother!", I scream at her. " How could you? You know very well that Jack and I are in love", i ask feeling betrayed to the very core of my being.

"This is for the family Anastasia, one day you'll understand...", i let go of her hand and stand up. " I refuse to understand mother! I love Jack and you're saying he should marry Aurora as your wish? How selfish can you be ",i cry and run away but I hear Aurora's voice calling after me.

***

" It's okay, Anastasia. Maybe all of this is a joke or even better, a dream. Yes, this surely is a dream. Now, it's time to wake up and go to Mother ", i talk to myself and lightly slapping myself to wake myself up but it's no use. This is reality.

The door to my bedroom opens and the intruder is Jack, I run to his arms once I lay my eyes on him." Don't worry, P, I'll never do that to you ", he caresses my back and saying sweet nothings to me. I break down in his arms making me stumble, he catches on the floor and sits down to a kneeling me. " How can she do that to me?", i whisper, asking, myself more.

Jack pulls me into the space between his legs, " I'm sure she's mistaken Anastasia." he tries to comfort me but it's not working. I hold his face and ask, " You do love me, right?", his eyes soften at my question, his eyes sparkle for a moment then he answers, " I love you desperately", i nod and silently cry.

" Then let's run away", i whisper to him. His expression changes from love to sympathy. " Oh, P, we can't do that. I promised your mother to take care of you both and I have duties to fulfill as the Duke of the North", my hands defeatedly drop from his face to the the floor. He sees that and tries placing them back but my body is numb and they fall back on the floor. He panics, "Anastasia", he holds my hands to his face but I'm no longer there.

After a while of trying to make me hold his face, he gives up and hugs my numb body. He's just hugging an empty shell now. Even he's turning his back on me.

He pushes me to arms length so the he can look at me as I have been quiet for a long time. " I love you Anastasia",he says desperately, " Say it too, say you love me too", he shakes my body as I have dozed off. " Look at me", i slowly look at him and he lets out a sigh, " OK, P, now, tell me that you love me", i look at him kind of confused as my ears have started ringing a while ago.

He cries on my shoulder, making it wet, but I don't mind because it isn't bothering me. " Jack?", i whisper, he jerks his head back to meet my eyes. " Yes, P?", a sense of something washes over me. " Get away from me", he looks confused and laughs in disbelief. " You're joking, ri...?",i push him away from me, " I said, get away from me!", his body meets the hardwood floor.

I get up and head straight to the front door and run away. Making sure that I'm never coming back home.

End of flashback