High Stakes

Lucretia sat with a smile on her face as she watched the little girl play in the sun.

"Molly, darling, be careful!" She called, her heart skipping a beat as her niece balanced on the edge of a high brick wall. Molly looked back at her aunt, a smile on her face.

"Aunt Lucy! I'm almost thirteen, I can take care of myself!" She pouted, her hands finding her hips. Just as she did so, she wobbled harshly and almost took a fall off the wall. Lucretia gasped, standing to her feet. Molly righted herself, smiling again.

"Don't do that to me again, Molly Prewett!" Lucretia called, her face stern with one hand laying across her chest. She turned as she hear someone approaching from behind. Her husband, Ignatius, and his sister, Rebekah, seemed to be in a heated argument as they walked from the house.

"I won't have them go!" Rebekah hissed as she reached the place where Lucretia stood.

"Mum! You're back!" Molly yelled in delight, running to hug her mother before turning to Ignatius. "Hello, are you here for lunch?"

"No, Molly. I'm here to pick up your Aunt, that's all," Ignatius replied, glancing at Lucretia then back at his sister. "Beck, that's enough talk until Elijah returns. I should not have told you as it is."

"No, Ignatius. I need to talk about it now!" She raised her voice, startling Molly and Lucretia. "What about the twins? They can't take them, they're just boys!"

"They're not, and you know that! Not anymore." With that Ignatius swept away, leaving the three girls with varying expressions of shock, confusion, and hurt. Lucretia turned to her sister-in-law.

"Rebekah, what is happening?"

"They've been drafted. The boys. For War," she managed to get out before she almost collapsed down onto the garden bench. Lucretias' eyes widened, and she looked to her niece, whose face showed no sign of understanding what the two were talking about.

"Go inside, love," she whispered, "We'll be in in a moment." Molly nodded and ran inside as Lucretia placed a comforting arm across Rebekah's shoulder.

"I am so sorry."

Words: 369

Written for:
'June Event': Lucretia Black
'HSH': Prewett
used the title: High Stakes from the 'Title Challenge III'
'School of Prompts': Draft