Save me...

She sat in the window, her long hair brushed as she watched the birds fly past outside. It was a gorgeous day, and a year ago she would have been outside sketching or playing in the sunshine. She was only sixteen, a beautiful girl, the youngest daughter of a very prominent man.

But due to the way things had been happening with the government, she was now trapped within her house. She wrote and played quietly in her room, waiting for the day someone would come and rescue her. She'd already gotten a bad name with the others in the house, including her own family, for befriending one of the men who was with her, Ivan Braginsky. He was a kind man, and she felt he was more important than the rest of the guards around her house. Something in his face told her he'd seen much more than she could ever imagine. She drifted off to sleep, hearing the birds that sounded so clearly like the freedom she'd yearned for.

She awoke in the middle of the night to a knock at the door and stood, walking over with a fake smile, trying to intimidate the man on the other side, not even knowing who it was. One of the generals frowned at her, his eyes narrowing at the look on her face. "There's been a situation. Come with me." She nodded and followed along, her mother and father, brother and sisters also in pursuit as they were lead to the basement, the general speaking of some men who were rushing in to attempt to kill the family, but she didn't even care anymore. She was ready to die, and be reincarnated into one of the birds outside the window. She smiled, wondering if they'd let her stay up and just accept death. It was so much more simple than this horror her life had become, never allowed to go outside, never allowed to play with her friends.

It was a prison.

She walked into the basement and found a bunch of guards, holding their weapons at the ready. She felt a darkness in the looks the men were giving her family. She understood, even if her family hadn't yet, this wasn't protection. This was an execution. She was ready for it, though, and walked down the stairs to the back of the room and stood tall, turning and looking at the men. "Let's get this over with." She spoke, the words ringing in her father's ears. Only when she spoke did he realize. He turned, about to try and rush his family back up the stairs to find men with guns pointing down at them. There was no escape. It was time. They were ordered to the corner of the basement and she looked up and blinked.

That's all the time it took for the gunfire to start. She glanced over, seeing her brother shot in the stomach and screamed. She didn't know why, but she was sure she'd be dead before they started on the rest. She turned and reached out, trying to grasp him, protect him. She was ready for death herself, but he was still so young! It wasn't fair to him! She felt a pain, a push as she was sent back into the wall. Pain radiated through her stomach as the world before her turned black.

It was hours later she felt her body being held, a comforting and loving embrace as tears ran down her shoulder. "Ivan?" She muttered, knowing the sound of his voice from the sobs he let out and he looked down, holding a finger to his lip as he lifted her and started walking away.

"Hey, come back here! She needs to be taken for burial!" The general yelled and Ivan turned to him, tears still in his eyes as he shook his head.

"She didn't deserve this. She was a bright girl! So full of life! I'll... take her for burial. I want to take her somewhere with lots of flowers." His tone turned quiet, soft as he turned back to the door, the general deciding if he was going to do so much of the work on his own, then so be it. He laid her in the carriage, softly and carefully before telling the driver to take him home before climbing back in with her.

He held her down, his hand over her mouth until they were completely away from the house. "Are you in pain?" He asked, tears still in his eyes and she looked up in wonder.

"Did you know the whole time I was alive?"

"No. I thought you were dead til you said my name. Do you hurt? Is there anything you need?" He lowered himself to the floor beside her.

"What about my family? Did they make it?" Ivan frowned and his eyes clenched as he shook his head.

"I'm so sorry. I'm really so sorry." He cried again, sobs breaking free as he reached out and grasped her, pulling her into an embrace.

"Who are you?" She asked, leaning back and looking up, seeing violet eyes shining back into hers. "'You're no mere guard. You're something more than that."

"I am Russia. I am the country your father controlled. I am the earth we ride on and the water you drink." He spoke softly and she nodded. It was odd, but she not only understood his words, but believed them.

"If they are the country's military, and you are the country, then why rescue me? It doesn't make sense." She spoke softly and Ivan shook his head.

"I rescued you, I took you away because you are the light to me, Anastasia. Your father's time may have been up, but you were not so simple to toss away. You are everything I want in the world." He spoke softly, his hand cupping her cheek as he gave a simple kiss. "Please, stay with me until it's safe."

"You've always been kind to me, Ivan. I would want nothing more than to stay at your side." She smiled brightly before turning and laying down, resting her head on his shoulder. As she fell away, her hand tumbling into Ivan's lap, the sobs returned. He grasped her, pulling her up to his lap and embraced her as she left the world. It had been selfish of him to ask her to stay with him, as he knew with the wounds she'd had she wouldn't survive, but he needed to hear those words.

He may not have saved her life, but at least he was able to let her die in peace. The flowerbed in his yard would be a beautiful place for her to remain forever.

The End