Blue Blooded - [Mick Schumacher]

Twenty two

It was the middle of the night, and Lucia was wide awake. It had been a long time ago since she had slept with her oldest sister in one bed, yet here she was. Ludovica was curled up against her as if she was five years old all over again, the sisters had shared a room till Lucia was twelve and Ludovica turned ten. Lucia couldn't stop thinking about Mick. She wanted to be with him so badly. Her heart was still aching in her rib cage as she replayed the moment they had to part from each other. Geneva was so close, yet so far away at the same time. The carrier took about an hour to arrive at the castle of Aosta. Lucia's parents had been informed about the war between Bern and Geneva, and her father had not hesitated to send military help right away, protecting their borders and also supporting the army of Geneva. Alessandro had seen how stressed his daughter was, and he had attempted to calm her down by explaining that the army Mick had behind him was way larger than Joaquim's.

Lucia believed him, although she wasn't calmed down. Just because Mick's army was larger and greater, didn't mean that he wouldn't be in danger. Lucia looked at the sticks of cinnamon that were slowly burning by the window. The gentle breeze blew the sweet scent her way. She stared at the little pot, listening to Ludovica's soft breath next to her. She wondered if she was afraid of the war. Ludovica was a dreamer, she constantly thought everything would magically be solved, fixed or appear. Ludovica dreamed of a marriage like Lucia's and Mick's, she wishes to get married soon, even though Ludovica doesn't know half of her obligations as a married woman, the expectations that will be lifted onto her shoulder, and how unknown it is to be around a man she had never seen in her life before. Lucia figured that her sister must think the same way of the war and political conflicts within their empire. She probably thought that Mick would win this war effortlessly, and tomorrow night, he would come to pick her up, no scratch or bruise visible, clothes barely covered with dirt.

And maybe that would be the way Lucia had to think about it too, for once she had to live in the same dream alike world as Ludovica, just to calm herself down and to repeat to herself that everything is going to be alright. Lucia took a deep breath, and she rolled to her other side. She closed her eyes, clenching them shut while imagining that she was resting her head on Mick's chest, his arm was curled around her, and he kissed her forehead before he went to sleep, always a couple of minutes later just to watch her fall asleep. The morning would probably arrive soon, but Lucia finally slept. Her dreams were just as uneasy as her feelings before she was laying there in bed, awake. Her brain showed her scenes of the burned-down meadows of Geneva, horses, soldiers spread over the grass. She was walking there all alone, calling for Mick, while he was calling for her. She couldn't find him, but the endless pictures of death all around her scared her only more. With these dreams so vividly disturbing her sleep, Lucia didn't feel well-rested at all.

When she woke up, Ludovica was bowed over her, placing a cold cloth on her forehead. "You were burning up, Lucia. Is everything alright?" Ludovica asked. Lucia nodded slowly, sitting up against the headboard of the bed. She reached for the glass of water Ludovica had just gotten for her. "I'm fine, just had a nightmare," Lucia muttered, her free hand moving over her stomach as if she wanted to secure that their baby was still there. A small bump had formed in the last couple of days, a minimal bump, but Ludovica had noticed it right away. "There is no news from the troops," her sister told her right away, guessing it would be a question Lucia would have asked soon anyway. "Breakfast is ready if you want to eat," Ludovica continued, giving her older sister a small smile, and she moved out of the bedroom. Lucia took the cloth from her forehead, and with the fresh air coming through the windows, she cooled down soon enough. She felt relieved it wasn't a fever, because she absolutely had no time to rest while getting sick.

Lucia swung her legs over the edge of the bed after she finished her glass of water. She walked up to her luggage, she hadn't bothered to unpack meanwhile. She hoped to stay here only till the end of today, maybe tomorrow. She froze in her position when the horn sounded once more. She had heard it last night when they left to Aosta, but even in the neighboring Kingdom, the war horn of Geneva was audible. Lucia moved towards the window, the skies were gray, as if all the rain that had fallen out the last couple of days hadn't been enough. The sounds that erupted next made her step back from the window. The armies were bombing each other, and the heavy sounds of the canons echoed through the sky. The day literally turned gray. Lucia felt her heart clenching in her chest, however, she forced herself to get dressed and move downstairs to have breakfast. There was a lot of movement in the castle of Aosta, and she could sense that the time of war was a very dangerous and cautious situation for her parents.

The borders were protected well, but there were many guards at the gates of the castle, just in case. Lucia forced herself to eat as much as she could, keeping in mind that she wanted to stay healthy for the baby as well. Her youngest sister, Lidia, had joined her meanwhile, sitting back in her chair and pulling her knees to her chest. "Where is Mick?" She asked. Lucia wasn't sure how much they told Lidia. Perhaps it would be better if the little girl didn't know about the dangers going on outside their borders right now. "He couldn't come, Lidia. He had work to do," Lucia explained. "That's boring," Lidia commented, making her chuckle. "Sometimes you have to do what you got to do," Lucia replied.

The end of the day was nearing, and Lucia had been seated inside the whole day already. She had stood in the doorway of the castle to get some fresh air, but she was not allowed to go outside or walk around the garden. The skies darkened and prepared for the night. It had stopped raining, but the wind was strong, and pierced through any piece of clothing she wore. The sounds of the war were still audible in the distance, and every now and then the sky lit up with another bomb shot and directed at either the army of Bern or the army of Geneva. The soldiers at the borders of Aosta reported the progress of the fight, and they said a lot of soldiers from Bern had died on the fields. The situation about the leaders of the armies was unclear, and it was just the information Lucia wanted to know about. They were entering the night, and the soldiers, including Mick, would not hold back. Lucia couldn't go to bed like this again. The adrenaline and fear kept her up all night.

Maids of the castle of Geneva had gathered as well, holding each other with fear, hoping that the soldiers they loved would ever return. So many hours had passed, everyone was so stressed. Lucia couldn't keep the images of the nightmare out of her head. The fact that the soldiers couldn't report anything about Mick nor Joaquim, made her think of the worst scenarios possible right away. The time passed so slowly. Everybody wanted to stay awake to keep up to date with the news of the soldiers at the border, but no news came. The hours of the night ticked away, the wind had become silent. Canons were still blowing their bombs, the clinking of the swords was slightly audible, even here. Gina was seated next to Lucia. The two were holding hands, both waiting for a brother and a husband to come back to them. Before the war, Mick had announced that they would come to Aosta in case everything was safe, and he didn't want the people to ride back while the war was possible still going on.

Lucia jumped up when one of the soldiers returned, out of breath. "Sir! The white flag of Bern is spotted. They are done. The horn will sound again soon," he breathed, putting his helmet back onto his head. "The war is over?" Gina asked, behind Lucia already. "Yes, it is," Alessandro of Aosta said, turning to them. "We wait for the horn, then we will open the gates for the returning soldiers. Stay inside for the remaining time," Lucia's father continued. Lucia felt some sort of relief washing over her, she felt her heart rate going down a little, however, she would be calmed down fully when she saw Mick, unharmed. The night slowly made space in the sky for the sunrise. The pitch black sheet that had washed over Aosta cleared into the morning pastels of the sun. Fog spread over the meadows and the landscape. Hooves were audible on the stone path that led to the castle, and all the maids ran outside. Carriers and soldiers returned, getting down from their horses and hugging their loved ones.

Lucia walked past the carriers, spotting the soldiers on the horses. She grew concerned again when she didn't see Mick. Her heart began to race in her chest again. The soldiers were happy, how could they be happy if Mick wasn't here? He had to be here. She continued to walk further, hoping to find the large, Frisian horse he rode. She began to feel out of breath. Each step she took that didn't lead her right to Mick, caused a burn in her lungs and an ache in her chest. Lucia did find General Bühler, and she made him halt his horse. "My Queen, we-..." "Where is Mick?" she cut him off, the slight panic visible on her face. "H-he battled again Joaquim only when we left, my queen. He commanded us to go and give the people peace," Bühler spoke. "You left him behind?!" Lucia yelled, causing others to look at them with worry. "No! Lucia, he ordered us to go. He didn't want us to stay, please. We couldn't get him to come right away," the general explained.

"Lucia, he will be here," a soldier tried to comfort her. "How do you know that? Is he even alive as we speak?" Lucia asked, grabbing onto his jacket. The soldier lost the confidence he had. He swallowed hard.

"I-I don't know."