Azrealla Avangeline Jasmine paced the boards of her house, waiting impatiently in the closet of her room for her sister to find her. She and her sister, Persephone, were but five years apart; Azrealla eight years of age and her sister three and ten years. They were inseparable from the start, often playing together in the gardens and pulling pranks on the kitchen staff. They had been playing hide and seek for the last hour or so, stowing away in various nooks and crannies in their Victorian Mansion.
Azrealla curled up in a ball in the smallest vacant corner of her hiding space, silently congratulating herself on such an excellent hiding spot. She knew her sister had been searching for more than ten minutes and had yet to find her. Her proud moment was short-lived, however, when she heard commotion from downstairs, followed by the frantic yelling of voices and shrill cries from her mother.
The girl, brave to a fault, abandoned her hiding spot and raced to her stairwell window. Outside her house, she saw a clan of redcoats, armed and ready to storm her home. The smashing of plates and screams of fury rang in her ears, as she recognized the crying voice of her sister. "Why are you doing this? On what grounds do you dare arrest us?" Her father's voice, indignant as ever, boomed over the crowd." How dare you come into my house and disrupt the peace. I command you, as Governor of this land, to unhand my family and leave my house immediately."
She fumbled down the stairs, silently moving towards the linen closet at the base of the stairs. She quietly hid inside and peered through the slits in the door for a better view.
As the chaos ensued, Azreal watched, her legs paralyzed from fear, her voice nowhere to be found. All she could do was watch and listen as her world crumbled before her.
Her father's protests were silenced by a soldier slamming the blunt end of his musket into his sternum, his proud frame falling to his knees. A dark shadow approached her father's hunched over body, standing over him.
"Ah, yes, Governor Jasmine, always the stubborn one. It's been much too long since we last met, wouldn't you agree?" Came a snide, pompous voice.
"Cutler Beckett?" Her father's hoarse voice addressed.
"Yes, it's been quite some time" The dark shadow answered himself. "It's Commodore now."
"You have no right to arrest me or my family, you have no grounds. I order you to call off your men!" Fitzgerald Jasmine admonished as his hands were cuffed.
"I'm afraid that won't be possible, for you and your house are in suspicion of housing enemies of the crown;witches, to be exact."
"But that notion is ridiculous! Who in this house is suspicious of such crimes? "The Gov. questioned, while attempting to wriggle his hands free from their constraints.
A signal was given to the guards and they hurriedly grabbed and bound the arms of Francesca and Persephone, ignoring the struggles of both young women. Her father shouted at the soldiers, demanding them to release his wife and child.
Beckett continued" Come come now, Governor. Your behavior is most unacceptable. I am truly doing you a favor, after all. How could I let you live in such conditions with two witches? You, like me, are in service to the King, so you must understand my reasons. I do not make the laws; I merely enforce them. However, since you are a man of authority in these parts, I suppose it's only fair you know the full lengths of the crimes you and your house have been charged with. I am, after all, a reasonable man." Beckett paused to clear his throat." By order of the king, those in suspicion of heresy, piracy, witchcraft and/or other such crimes against the crown are hereby sentenced to death by burning at the stake. In addition to these crimes, anyone in suspicion of housing or assisting said criminals are also sentenced to death by hanging." Cutler Beckett paced the room while all those in the house waited in silence. "I hold here the warrants for each of your arrests. You may even read them, if you like." With this, he grinned and held the papers in front of the Governor's face for him to read. When the governor had seen all he could stand, he hung his head low.
"There there, Fitzgerald, don't look so glum. In a few years, you will look back and this will all be but a distant memory. Now, before we leave with our "Beckett paused to scan his appreciative gaze over the two women, his lips turning up in a cruel smirk. "beautiful bounty, I must ask if this is everyone. And might I warn you, it is ill-advised that you lie to me, for the consequences will be rather ugly" Beckett mockingly made a face." Now, I'll ask you again, are there anymore in this house that are not present?"
Gov. Jasmine looked on in despair as his wife and daughter were gagged and handled by the haughty officers. His eyes searched the house for any sign of his youngest child, resting on the linen closet at the end of the hall. Azreal saw her father's eyes settle on her, silently ordering her to remain invisible. She nodded, even though she knew he couldn't see her. He gave her one last glance before his eyes returned to stare at the ground.
Beckett's voice grew impatient, "Governor?"
"No" the broken man rasped in defeat" No, this is all. I have only my wife and daughter."
The wigged man smiled grimly" Very good Governor. That will be all" and with that, the foreign commodore gave a nod to his head guard ( a man later to be revealed as Mercier) and the soldier bent quickly to run his blade in a sudden slash across the elder man's throat. It took every cell of her strength for Azreal to keep from screaming.