Black And White
By Black Rookie
CHAPTER 4: Black Smoke and White Knives
Hello loves! I'm here with another (short) chapter of Black and White! It's basically a background of the days and years leading up to Princess Elizabeth's birthday. It was an important day in more ways than one, wasn't it? I hope you like the perspectives of Lien Chung and Natalia Braginskya!
LIEN CHUNG
11 years ago.
The girl ran, as fast and hard as she could. The smoke was black, cloudy and thicker than butter, yet harder to penetrate. She was only one child, against the houses that were aflame and falling next to her sobbing figure as she tried in vain to catch up to her sibling, who ran faster than she ever could and had a chance.
How was she going to live?
It was a poem. Yes, a poem. She smiled slightly, the desperate need to find clarity shining in the 8 year olds eyes. So she slowed her pace, excepting her fate, allowing the lyrics of her 'war' song fly out into the smoke and smog and hopefully find their way into the ears of her older siblings.
"Tides will turn someday
The people, they will hurray
My darlings you are born to fight
So put up your fists tonight"
Lovely and angry, the flames tear their way toward her and she closes her eyes, the pain didn't matter anymore. She falls to her knees, coughs tearing her throat to shreds, eyes itching and turning to fire as though someone had reached in a plucked them from their sockets.
No, no. Why didn't she run? Fate? Yes…fate…She'll die here, and hopefully that will be enough to sate the rising anger of God and the Devil, both who seem to hate her. She hopes that if she dies tonight, then at least her sister will live a long content life.
"Do you hear that?" She croaks. "I'm telling you to…save…the-" the darkness closes in, but that doesn't make sense. There is fire so close to her, making her want to escape into a cold, cold place.
"No…" a voice says, so far away. It's herself, isn't it? Or maybe God. "You're…got…come…Uh…I…" she can't hear him really well, but who cares? It's time to sleep. Mama and Papa are calling, telling her it was all right her and her twin sister left the house. They smile, and tears prickle at her eyes. No, she won't cry. Crying is for sissies.
"Wake up" The voice says. She doesn't want to, but something deep within her compels her to, so she opens her eyes, as blurry as it may be, and sees the face of a white-faced and wheat haired angel.
NATALIA
1 year ago.
Beige hair was spread over the bed, the night still, quiet, and completely and utterly unnerving. So she got up, hair following her lithe form. Those dark blue eyes scanned the quiet house; content that everything was fine, that nothing was amiss. Natalia spun on her heel, walking at a fast pace toward the room at the end of the hall. She knocked at the door, and hearing no response, she strolled right in. The form on the small bed slept soundly, twitching slightly with dreams. How he was able to sleep after all they'd been through didn't make any sense to her. So, she ignored it and lifted back the covers, slipping under the thin blankets and pressing against the warm body of Alfred, her guardian, despite the two being both 19.
She was so tired, and most nights it was hard to sleep with out the comfort of another human being around to keep the nightmares away from her. Alfred helped, but even when she stayed the night with him, it was hard not to think of her old home-of Russia. It was a nice place, she supposed, if you were a hard person with a tough soul.
Natalia remembered having a huge crush on the prince, Ivan. It was more of an obsession, but, as she knows now, it didn't matter to anyone then, or now. Now there she is, remembering the circumstances of her leaving. After the leaders did cruel things to the civilians, a war broke out. Of course, the Royals won...But...Her father died fighting. So her family left. Along the way, her sister died. Her brother died. And she arrived here, ragged and hungry, thin and sad with a soul like the pieces of a cracked mirror. She was broken when she arrived, but than Alfred came, another lost soul who protected her and helped her make a home for them. Now she had to live, for him. He was the only thing tethering her to this reality.
The next morning she woke, he still sleeping beside her. Almost like he had no care in the entire world. Jealousy coursed through her, but she held it in and began to work, another day of mindless servitude to the King and his family.
She was a maid twice, but since she got fired she worked various jobs-a waitress, farm hand, once she applied to be a blacksmith. But then a certain job came along only she-Natalia Braginskya- could do, and do right.
Her hair would always be loose, her eyes always aflame. It was easy for her to do such…dirty work without loosing patience or complaining. Polishing her blades of fine silver became a favorite pastime, and she loved to lurk in the shadows, watching her prey like a lion.
Her blades. Such beauties they were, she held one up in her pale, calloused palm and smirked. They flashed like lightning, and the target never saw her coming. Her job felt so…so right. Her blades of sin, her blades of white would go and punish evil doers, and making the country of Hungary a safer place to live.
Natalia was an assassin.
9 months ago.
She was cracking, and Alfred knew it. Natalia knew he could tell. The gentleness he used to keep her calm was fading, and instead was being replaced with a unwavering rock ready to keep her safe and afloat should her mind fail like most predicted it would. Alfred was like her big brother, protective and kind to her when no one else was. She tried so hard to keep it together but it was so hard, so incredibly hard for a person who has already been broken before.
But then, the patriots arrived. A woman with eyes a dark brown and hair a pitch black led them, despite her obvious Eastern legacy.
Everyone knew they were there, but few were able to meet them or know where exactly they hid themselves.
Alfred and Natalia were one of these few. They kept up their jobs, but supported the cause and promised to join them. Natalia became an assassin for the patriots, Alfred a soldier and news carrier, spreading word to all patriotic people who needed money and wanted the 'rebirth' of their nation again. It was working, they were winning over supporters and Natalia was slowly but surely recovering from her mental breakdown. She was whole again, but it was too late.
Before she noticed it (or stopped it), Alfred, her big brother, had fallen in love with the leader of the rebels, Lien Chung.
A few days ago.
Natalia had waited for them to be alone. It was hard, mainly because Alfred had lots of friends and supporters, also because Lien Chung and Alfred spent WAY too much time together for her liking. In fact, that's what this was all about.
"Alfred" She hissed, surprising the taller man. He wheeled around, eyes wide and a hand to his heart.
"Jesus Nat!" he exclaimed, sporting one hand on the table behind him. "Way to scare the shit outta me!"
Nat rolled her eyes, secretly wondering who 'Jesus' was and leaning in close to Alfred.
"Alfred…" She repeated, scanning her eyes over his face. He could be handsome, if you liked men with large muscles and tall frames, thin-rimmed glasses and sky blue eyes. But his hair was the color of brownish wheat, and a rebellious look in his eyes kept most girls away from him. It was her big brother though, so she didn't quite find his looks amusing. Also, it was more off Natalia's oddly protective stances and glinting knives that warded off most girls. But not Lien Chung.
Fuckin' Lien Chung.
So instead of being persuasive, she used a blunt approach;
"You love her, the leader, correct?" Alfred turned the color of tomatoes.
"W-wha…?" He trailed off, eyes wide and shocked. The ex-Russian scoffed and scowled.
"So you do?"
"Listen, Nat-"
"Al…" She glared in the most affectionate way possible. Which probably wasn't very reassuring. "Listen to me, da?"
He sighed, running a hand through his hair.
"You like a big brother to me, and I love you. So, in return, you be good to that woman and so help me if she dies I will never let you date anyone again, da?" Alfred looked like he was deciding whether to argue or cry, so he took the middle approach.
"When have you ever let me date?" He smiled slightly, leaning down and wrapping his arms around his little 'sister'. "Thank you…" he whispered lightly into her ear.
She sighed, patting his back.
Al had a lot on his plate, from patrols, recruitment, and with the attack coming soon to the royal palace…What would adding 'protect Lien Chung' to the list do to her poor overworked brother?
So instead she just hugged him back, and then let go, telling him she had work to do. Natalia just needed to trust Alfred. He would do the right thing, given the fact that he continued to rant about being the hero to anyone who'd listen. She just needed to trust him…
OK! How'd you like it? Good? Bad? Horrible? Comment or not, it's your choice.
Can anyone guess why Lien Chung is leading the rebellion? or how'd Natalia's siblings died?
By the way, the siblings were Ukraine and Nyo!Belarus because I already made Russia Prince Ivan. Eh...Whatever :P Hope you continue to read!