4 THE CAPTURE

The sounds of the footsteps are getting closer.

I silenced Lada with her unending questions.

Voices of men echo while checking the cabin, the doors opening, and closing sounds. The cabin that we used to be rested earlier.

Our faces are all white in pale and full of fears and horror.

We moved swiftly in silence and praying that we will not be noticed.

Nana is trying to find a lifeboat at the back of the fire exit door and we tried to help her.

But hopelessness arises in our hearts when there's nothing to be found. No lifeboat!

Lada is crying now and in tremor.

Nana hugged both of us, to console and protect us.

She whispered "In, whatever happens, do not leave without the other. You will be stronger when together. Amelia, I love you so dearly, always listen to your intuition and you will never go wrong"

"I love you too Nana...to the Moon and back." I shivered.

"Lada... be strong for your Aunt Galina, okay?" Nana added.

Then, Lada nodded.

And then the armed men found us...

"Don't move!?!"

"Don't move!?!" they repeated.

Five men in black uniforms.

They are all armed with long rifles and faces covered with the black scarf.

They are only showing their eyes. The eyes of foolishness and a monster.

Flashbacks started to cave into Irina.

Shouting and crying echoes in the hearth and the whole Palace.

Then, gunfires ringing in my ear, it's deafening.

I witnessed the death of our beloved Tsar Dimitri, Duchess Anastasia, Maxim, and Annika.

I cried in silence.

It's heartbreaking and deeply painful than being wounded physically.

Then, smoke and fire filled in everywhere.

The beautiful interior of the Palace started to burn down.

I couldn't breathe.

I need to move discreetly.

The rebels might find me and Beatrix.

There are dead bodies everywhere as we passed through.

The bodies of the housemaid, the governess, the three lady's servant, the nurse, the cook, the assistant cook. All with fire burns and bullet wounds.

Blood...

Blood scattered everywhere.

"Oh God please spare our lives for the future of Oblonsky." Tears keep falling in my eyes.

"Please help us!"

I prayed earnestly.

We are already close to the doorway.

"Thank you O God for protecting us!" I prayed in silence.

I felt relieved when we can get out from the back door of the kitchen.

Princess Beatrix is still unconscious under the towel.

Her dress is full of blood.

The little Princess has a gunshot wound on her shoulder.

She's losing blood.

I need to get her some help.

I hide her in the bushes.

I'm running to the barn to get a saddleback.

Then, I saw the groom's dead body.

And I called "Dolly" the American Saddlebred horse of Beatrix.

I quickly ride Dolly.

I need to be fast before anyone could see us.

I returned to the bushes, the place where I hide the little Princess.

And raise her to the horse in lying position and ride with her on it.

"Dolly! Quick!" I thump her to signal to run.

And Dolly responded.

We run through the woods with fears and worries.

I have been praying that nobody will catch us.

When.....

A carriage...

Oh, God... I hope it's an angel, not the rebels.

As we get closer, it's more vivid. It's a merchant's carriage, we are meeting in the middle of the rough roads.

I halted Dolly and called out for help.

The carriage stopped.

"Sir, have mercy! I need your help. I need a physician for the little child. She's wounded." I cried.

Leonid inspects the child closely and helps Irina to bring the child quickly to his closest friend, Doctor Ivanovich, a physician near the vicinity.

"Lucky child, we can remove the bullet on time. She's safe now." The physician said in relief.

I'm very happy and glad that Beatrix made it.

"Thank you Doctor" we thanked in chorus.

Then, the doctor leaves us.

"I thank you, sir, for all your help! "

"Call me Leonid..." The mister said graciously.

Leonid removed his gloves and reach out his hands to shake.

Irina wiped her hands and responded to shake.

"Irina"

Then, they smiled.

Irina and Leonid started to open up themselves and became friends.

Leonid helps Irina and Beatrix to escape from Oblonsky's territory.

The same day as the bullet was removed from the child.

They started their journey.

Far away...

Away from Revolution...

Away from chaos...

Far from death.

Irina holding the bullet shell and kept it inside her pouch securely, for Beatrix, for Oblonsky, for the future.

The child is still unconscious, lying in her lap, inside the carriage.

Leonid is a well-known merchant of guns and ammunition in whole Europe.

He has a house in Latvia.

We have traveled a day to Latvia using a carriage.

We bring along "Dolly" with us for Beatrix to enjoy when she will recover from her wound.

Leonid is a fine young man in his mid-thirties.

And he is living alone, his parents died when he was 20 years old and his father left him with a small scale manufacturing business of guns and ammunition.

He started to travel to different countries for business trips to improve the business status.

His father is a merchant.

And so is he.

He was thought by his father how to become a successful merchant since he was younger. When he was five years old, he was tagged along by his father checking the qualities of the ammunition and cross-checking the guns.

He's always happy being around his father even if it's risky.

His mother always forbids him to go to the warehouse because she always feared accidents and Leonid is still young.

They always fight about it.

But his father is hard-headed and so is Leonid.

And there's one thing that Leonid's parents do not forget, they taught him the wisdom of kindness.

"Don't move!?!" The armed men, keep on shouting at us.

They tried to separate each one of us.

But Lada and Beatrix kept holding on to themselves.

"Please... I beg you, please spare the girls". Nana plead.

The leader of the group walked in front of the girls and pointing his long rifle towards them.

"Who is The Last Heiress of Oblonsky?"

The girls shook their heads in response.

The leader turned around and look at Irina.

"Now you tell me!?! Where is the Heiress? Who among these girls is the Heiress?"

Irina responded calmly. "They are my kids, I do not know the whereabouts of the Heiress Sir."

"You are lying!?! " The leader shouted in disgust.

"Tie them up and bring them all, overboard!" He commanded.