Daughter of Albion

Chapter 3

With my hair hanging loose, I line up with the other girls. I'm near the end of the line because I'm one of the youngest. I see Beth further up the line, twisting her hair around her finger nervously. Eloise paces the floor in front of us.

The room has been nicely set out, the drinks have all disappeared and the curtains are drawn tightly. In the distance, we hear missiles dropping, but that's normal, we strain to hear the thunder of the iron tanks full of Soldiers as they park outside the establishment.

We listen as they hurry out of the tanks and file into the waiting room. Masks are removed, and the doors are closed before the first Soldier appears. I feel my heart begin to hammer against my ribs uncontrollably, and my breath comes out short.

The Soldiers line up before us; they're dressed in grey pants with darker shirts and heavy grey jackets. They wear chunky grey buckled boots and iron helmets tied tightly under their chins. They're so much bigger than us, their imposing statue takes my breath away completely. Likewise, they gaze at us with our same dark brown eyes, they have our thick blond hair and pale skin, and I recognise it, in all their eyes, pride. Like me, this is their first night, the first night they will serve their country, the beginning of a Perfect life.

The Eternal Albion flag is hung against one wall, and for the first time in my life, I mark a moment of hesitation before turning to it. Out of the corner of my eye, I see one of the Soldiers staring at me. As I begin my pledge with all the other girls, he turns back to the flag and places a hand over his heart, but soon enough he's staring at me again.

When we've finished, they begin their pledge. It's slightly different from ours; they serve their country, fight for their country and die for their country. They swear to kill all Foreigners and to protect the women producing children for the country. Their voices, deep, strong in unison send my heart beating in a frenzy again.

Once the pledges are over, we turn to face each other again. Eloise stands beside a Master, easily recognisable in a long grey overcoat and ageing features. He gazes at us, then rubs his dry hands together slowly.

"We will depart in ten hours; you have ten hours to report back here. Understood?"

"Sir, yes sir!" the Soldiers shout, and we jump in surprise and fear of their deep cry.

I watch as the older girls move past us and choose a soldier each. They guide them towards the stairs towards their rooms, grabbing drinks on the way. Juliet passes me with a Soldier behind her. She pauses and gives me a serious nod.

"Ten hours, make them the best of their lives," she whispers to me. I nod quickly, clueless as to what exactly she wants me to do. She gives me the smallest smile, touches my shoulders, then moves past me.

"Did you just get here?" I jump at the sound of the deep voice. I turn to find the Soldier who had been staring, standing in front of me. He's at least a head taller than me; I gaze up into his dark eyes.

"Are you alright?" he asks me, arching one brow. I nod quickly, remembering Juliet's words; I had to make their night whatever he wanted.

"Yes," I beam at him, and he smiles back at me. "Do you want to...uh...come, to...?"

"Yes," he places his heavy hand on my shoulder and smiles at me. "Yes, I do," I nod and spin quickly.

I feel a flush on my face and my heart racing in my chest as I guide him through the throng of people to the stairs.

I search for Beth instinctively, our gazes cross, and I can see her talking with a Soldier. We smile at each other. Then I turn away again and lead my soldier upstairs and to my room. I push the door open and step to the side for him to enter. Then I close the door behind me.

I stand by the door while my Soldier explores my room slowly. He notices that everything is well-packed away and new.

"So, you did arrive here?" he asks, turning to face me again. He slowly pulls his jacket off.

"Yes."

"When did you turn seventeen?"

"A month ago," I say, pushing my hair behind my ears and bowing my head. I hear him chuckle.

"You don't need to be nervous," he tells me. "Relax. I won't hurt you," he beckons me towards him and I obey.

He sits on my bed and I sit next to him. Immediately, he wraps his arm around my shoulders and pulls me against his solid chest. I feel my heart skip a beat. I enjoy the feeling of his body wrapped around mine, protecting me, like he swore he would.

"What's your name?" he asks me. It's an awkward embrace, I can tell he's not sure how to hold me, for how long.

"958,687,487.64.4."

"And what do they call you?"

I smile slightly. "Alex."

"I'm Freddy," he tells me. " Alex, I knew a guy named Alex."

"It's Alexandra, but most people call me Alex," I explain, he smiles and squeezes my shoulder tightly. "It's nice to meet you, Freddy," I breathe.

He grins. "I'm delighted to meet you too, Alex. You're the first girl I've ever spoken to!"

I blink at him in surprise, and then realise, it's the same for me.

"Do you know where you will be going tomorrow?" I ask softly.

"They're sending us out to Asia. I'm a pilot, I'm going to drop bombs and destroy their cities," he tells me.

I stay quiet, comfortable in his embrace. I don't want to leave him, and I don't want him to leave me and never return. Because no Soldiers ever do return. Eventually, they all die for Albion. The longest living Soldier was thirty when he died; he'd survived the war for twelve years. The Masters then decided that any Soldier that survived for over ten years was to come home and become a Master. But gazing up at Freddy, I knew I was never going to see him again. He is so young.

How could he possibly survive?

"You will be a strong Soldier and you will die for your country, and we will all be proud of you. So will your son," I tell him. He gazes at me wide-eyed.

"A son?"

"All I've ever wanted is to give my country a son. Let us share it. Let us create a life together," I whisper. He blinks at me then nods.

I watch as he leans toward me. His hand slides up from my waist and past my throat to knot into my hair. He pulls my head back gently and presses his lips against mine softly. When he draws back, I see that his eyes were closed.

My heart racing in my chest, I allow him to push me down on the bed and lie on top of me. His weight isn't constricting like I thought it might be, it's comforting in some way. His hands move up and down my body, exploring me as he places kisses all over my face. He takes my hands and shows me how to explore his body. Slowly we undress each other until he's lying, naked, on top of me.

By now, I've understood kissing.

I wrap my arms around his neck and bite down softly on his bottom lip as his hands slide up my body and caress my skin.