So, I decided to just post chapter 2 instead of waiting until I finish my other story. So enjoy!
lalaloo: I have netflix and that's where I watched "Anastasia." It's actually just the second time I've seen it. The first was when I was little. I love the whole movie and the characters. I felt bad at the same time because they based on the real event where the real-life Anastasia actually died... :( Try looking for it online, I know it's streaming but sometimes that's what I do if I can't find a movie on netflix.
It was another beautiful day on the Eastern Nation. Though it was not warm, it was not cold as well. It was perfect. The bright sun shone through the partially covered window of the old orphanage, waking Mai up. For the last three days, the man named Oliver bought most of her vegetables, giving the orphanage enough money to fix the fireplace. Even though he visited, Mai never had a chance to talk to him. The man seems to be in a hurry every morning. After breakfast, Mai headed back to town. She was now wearing a new dress made by the children to thank her for her hard work. It looked like her old dress but the color was different. It was now a light pink dress partnered with her blue waist apron.
As she walk down the path to town, she noticed a dozen of anti-imperial army soldiers standing in front of a rundown house. She hid behind a tree, putting her basket down and listened to the soldiers talk.
"Somebody has reported that your daughter is the missing child of the late Taniyama family" one of the soldiers said.
"No, it is not true, sir. My daughter is not the child" an old woman answered.
Mai watched silently as two soldiers dragged a brown haired girl, just about her age, out of the small house.
"Please, sir, I am not the heir of the throne" the girl begged.
One of the soldiers pointed his rifle at her, ready to kill.
"Please! My daughter is not the heir. You are mistaking, please don't kill her" the older woman begged. She was now on her knees, clutching the soldiers pants. The said soldier pushed her away and signaled the other soldier to fire his rifle.
Mai looked away when she heard the gun. She fell on her knees and listen to the woman cry. She heard the soldiers leave, heading to town. Mai waited for a couple of minutes before picking the basket full of vegetables and head to town. She didn't bother on looking at the old house, knowing that she'll cry at the possible scene. When she reached the town, she saw almost the whole town reading a poster near the fountain. As she neared the said location, she heard a couple of men talking.
"They are looking for the heir. But how will they find him"
"Or her. Remember, they had twins, a girl and boy"
"Yes, yes… But which one is alive?"
"Either one, I'd rather be dead if I were them. The government wants anyone with a royal blood living in the nation gone."
"That's why the other Taniyama's fled to the West."
"Yes. The brother of the late king is said to be living there, under the protection of the Royal Family Matsuzaki"
Mai looked at them as they leave before heading to the poster. Once she got there, the information was straight to the point.
'Anyone who a royal blood, it is required to inquire yourself at the city. Failure to do so will be given a punishment.
If you know someone who has a royal blood, we order you to inform the officials and you will be rewarded 500 gold coins.'
"500 gold coins" Mai whispered. She walked away, thinking about the information that she just read. 'Was it worth it to turn someone in?' she thought as she set up her make-shift stall. She arranged her vegetables and fruits on the stall and waited for costumers.
Just outside the town was man wearing a black coat and pants. He saw also saw the murder of the young girl on the rundown house. He knew that the government knew that one of the heir was alive. He mounted up on his black horse and rode to town. Once there, he met up with a man with a black hair that was cut that ended up covering his right eye.
"Oliver"
"Lin" Oliver replied. He hopped off his horse and tied it on a pole.
"Have you heard?" Lin asked.
"Yes, Lin. I've also took count on how many has been killed because of false accusation. The most recent one was just this morning outside of town." Oliver told Lin as they walk towards a small tavern.
Mai noticed Oliver with a man walk inside a small tavern. 'He's probably not buying anything today' she thought. By mid-day, Mai packed up her stall. She barely sold anything that day. Many people were inside their house, a few people dared to go outside where a whole army was waiting for anything. When she was about to go back to the orphanage, a soldier stopped her in her tracks. Mai looked up and saw the soldier staring down at her.
"My apologies, sir, but I'm in a hurry to go home" she excused. She moved to the side but the soldier blocked her.
"The name" he ordered.
"Mai, sir"
"Mai?"
"Yes" The man took hold of her face, examining it as if he sees something else in her.
"The last name"
"I'm sorry, sir, but I grew up with no last name"
The soldier threw to the ground, spilling the vegetables and fruits from the basket. A couple more soldiers came up behind the first one. They took some of the fruits and threw it at her.
"Commoner" one the soldiers said.
"She's below a commoner having no last name" the soldiers laughed as Mai stayed on the ground.
After the meeting with Lin, Oliver left the small tavern and saw the brown haired vendor on the ground. He also saw 3 soldiers throwing fruits at her. He walked towards the soldiers and ordered them to stop. The 3 soldiers stopped and left. Oliver looked at the poor girl and helped her up.
Mai felt no more fruits hitting her. She looked up and saw Oliver with his hand out. She took it and helped herself up. She cleaned her now fruit-stained dress. She frowned at the wasted vegetables and fruits on the ground. She sighed and picked up the basket. When she bent down to pick up the basket, her necklace felt out from the shirt that hid it from view. Oliver noticed it and saw a very familiar family crest.
"Thank you" she said and faced him with a smile.
'She didn't even cry' he thought.
"Well I have to go home, the other children are waiting for dinner" she bowed to him and started leaving. Oliver noticed how much fruits and vegetables were wasted. 'She must have had a hard day' he thought. He took his horse and mounted it to catch her.
He saw her by the wooden bridge near town and hurried his horse. Mai heard a horse behind her and when she turned around she saw Oliver riding it. She stopped on the side, making a way for him. Instead of continuing, he stopped in front of her. "Here" he said and gave her a medium pouch full silver coins. "It's not much but it should help" he said and left.
Mai looked at the pouch and back at the now retreating figure of Oliver. She smiled and continued back to the orphanage. She was happy that at least they'll have a decent dinner. When she turned on a 4 way road, she noticed a smoke not far ahead.
'The orphanage!' she thought and ran.
Just a few yards away from her so-called home, she heard guns being fired. She hurried and saw a group of soldiers pointing their rifle at the children. She was going to rush in for help but the mistress, who was now bleeding from the gun wound on her chest, saw her and shook her head. She hid behind an oak tree and tried not to cry. Not more than 5 minutes she heard the soldiers fired their gun. She gasped and took a peek at the scene. What she saw broke her heart. The innocent children that she cared for were now dead or bleeding to death. Tears found their ways down her cheeks as she tried not to cry out loud. The soldiers left, heading her way, she hid on the tree and heard them talking.
"The heir was not in there, we have been mislead"
"Yes, that is true, but our job is not done"
'The heir?' she thought.
Once the soldiers were out of her sight, she ran towards the mistress and helped her sit up. She was still alive, but Mai knew she's not going to make it. She took her apron and held it against the wound.
"Mai, run… Do… not…stay here…" the mistress said as she chocked on her own blood.
"B-but w-why? I have nowhere else to go" Mai answered.
"W-west… Uncle… necklace… proof…" the mistress limped and Mai cried.
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