Daughter of Albion

Chapter 5

The main hall is full of girls running about everywhere, serving the three Masters and the Soldiers who have also arrived for the night. Though we were attacked only this morning, it is still our duty to create life.

Some bedrooms have been destroyed, mine amongst them, so we aren't expected to engage with a young soldier tonight. I watch as Soldiers choose girls and girls choose Soldiers then move upstairs. I think that tonight, many of the Soldiers will be comforting the shocked girls, more than the other way around.

My new friend and neighbour Eva smiles at me. She's already had two sons and one daughter, she turned twenty-two recently and moved into Beth's old room. Hers, like mine, was destroyed today.

We sit side by side sipping our warm drinks. A few Soldiers approach us, but we explain why we cannot take care of them tonight, and they're very gracious and understanding. I watch Eloise herd the couples out of the room with a comforting smile for all the frightened girls. Across the room, in heavy armchairs are the Masters. The ones who saved us by opening the bunkers and helping us out.

"We would still be down there if it weren't for the Masters," I murmur. "We really should be grateful to such fine men looking after us so well."

"We must always be grateful to the Masters," Eva replies arching her brows at me. I sip my drink and make a face. "What is it?"

"It tastes odd tonight," I reply. "Don't you think?"

"This is the same stuff we had last night and it tastes the same to me," she says.

I frown slightly then cast a glance back at the Masters and discover one staring at me. To my surprise, I recognise him. The young one from my Testing. He looks a day older than the Soldiers, just as tall, broad and handsome. In fact, even more, handsome than most, his long grey coat over his grey suit make him seem even more powerful.

"I recognise him from my Testing," I tell Eva nudging my chin towards him subtly. She's not too good at subtle and stares at him before turning back to me.

"The young one?"

"Yeah."

"I heard about him."

"Oh?"

"In the nursery, it was in before my daughter Eva was born. He came there once, for an inspection, and the girls found out some stuff about him."

"What stuff?"

"He's not from sector 64. He's from sector 1."

"Sector 1! I thought that had been destroyed."

"It was, he survived."

"That's amazing."

"That's how they knew he was a Master, even though he was only a boy at the time."

"What is he called?"

"935,647,081.1.6 Eric."

"Eric," I peer at him as he serves himself another glass of alcohol.

"So, he was at your Testing?"

"Yeah, he didn't say anything, that I remember," I reply, she nods and peers after the last couple leaves the room.

I get up to get a second bowl of soup. When I sit down again I notice Eric still watching me every so often. I feel my cheeks blushing and sip my soup quietly.

"Alex," Eloise approaches me with a small smile. " I thought I'd share some good news on this difficult day. To remind us of the important things in our life, and how precious we all are," she says sitting next to me.