The Royal Resistance

Chapter 4 - The Symbol

She crept in the shadows behind the man in the costume that she had learned to hate. Black and white with the bird above their heart. The symbol of the fatherland, unity and most of all destruction. She loathed it and all it stood for. Its bearers however were free from her judgement. "Sorry," she whispered. The man turned around too late, the cloth was in front of his mouth, he fell to the ground, asleep.

~

That day after mass, Maria made sure to stop the nun before she could leave. "Sister Martha Rose," she called out. When the nun kept walking she was stopped by the Count of Yorkshire, who "believed the Lady Maria" was trying to speak to her. She thanked the count, greeted the nun and then went straight to the subject.

"I am really sorry for stopping you but I need to know-"

"Why I dance in the mass deary?" Maria blinked several times. The nun continued, "Oh I've seen you watchin' me. Don't worry deary. See I believe that even though there is a war raging outside, we must stay strong and happy. For if we lose hope, then the enemy wins. Have you heard of the saying tough times don't, last tough people do?"

"Yes...but-" Why did people keep saying that?

"Well then that's why I dance deary. Because hope is the last to die. Is that all?" The nun made a move to leave.

"No!" Maria blurted out, reaching her hand onto the Nun's arm. "I need to know what is that symbol on your lapel, the target?"

The nun lost her composure momentarily, her smile crinkles disappearing. They were back in less than a second, "Oh well deary, it's just the logo for the Royal Heart of Jesus. It's a global sister ship community with its headquarters in Italy."

"Then why are the colours, the ones of the British flag?"

"I belong to the Gilbertine Order of the Royal Heart of Jesus which is an English branch."

"Doesn't the RAF also have a logo like that?"

"I wouldn't know deary, us nuns aren't involved in the government or the war in any tactical way. We only provide aid to the people. I'm terribly sorry but I must go now."

"Wait! One more thing. Do you know anything about a logo with a black bird like an Eagle. Except it has a red beak. I could have sworn I've seen it somewhere."

"No deary, I'm afraid not. Have a great day and may God bless your soul. Goodbye!" The nun turned around and hastily walked down the corridor. Where is she hurrying of too everyday?

Maria went to morning lessons, angry and stumped. She had gotten no closer to finding anything out about her brother. Instead, she was learning about the social and monarchial regimes in Europe. A history lesson. Suddenly she looked, her eyes glimmering and wondered..."Ms.Elizabeth, where in this library can I find books about symbols?"

"Symbols?" Replied the old governess.

"Well yes. Perhaps," she said more to herself than the governess, "do you know of any logo that looks like a target, with three circles, one red, one white, one blue growing from the middle in that order."

"Well of course! That's the RAF's logo." She knew it! The nun had lied, she was hiding something and it probably had to do with why she rushed off everyday. "But what does this have to do with our lesson?" The governess was saying.

"Um, Ms.Elizabeth, what about a blackbird with a red beak?" The governess looked at her curiously.

"Well, if I am right I believe you are talking about," she walked to a corner of the library and pulled down a big brown dusty book with golden letters in front saying The monarchies of Europe in the 19th and early 20th centuries, she turned over the pages until she came to one in particular, "this." Maria read the title of the page, The German Coat of Arms, and scanned the pictures until she came to the most recent, the coat of arms in 1916. In it a Black Eagle was spreading its wings, its talons and beak a deep red. It's wings were grazed with gold, a red flame represented its tongue. In the middle of the beast, another Eagle - this one black and white with a four-squared black and white-tile in it's centre - lied inside an escutcheon.