Kingdoms In Ruling <Jamilton>

Chapter Nine..."This Is For You"/

hey im slowly dying whats new

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\Theodosia POV/

Marcus was due to be home any moment now, my hands clenching the dirty washcloth I used to clean the floor with, knuckles white. I repeated this to myself to calm me, yet, I knew something was wrong.

He was suppose to come home last week.

When I told Aaron my worries, he joked. "Maybe he died while out scouting, who cares. We can be together if he did." Of course, that's what I deeply wanted, yet, I worried for the man.

Oh, Marcus was so nice to me, even though I was forced to marry him by my family. All he expected from me were children; I gave him five. I cared for them well while he was away.

Suddenely, a soft knocking threw me from my thoughts, and I rushed to meet whoever was at the door, hoping it was Aaron, for he knew how to comfort me.

It wasn't Aaron. He wasn't Marcus, either.

"Hello," Said a short boy I didn't recognize, peering up at me. "This is for you." He handed me a letter and walked off without another word.

I heard footsteps behind me and quickly shut the door before any of the kids could sprint out, settling on a blanket thrown next to the fireplace when I was cleaning, and opened the letter.

"What is it, Ma? What is it? Lemme see!" My daughter, Anna Louisa, piped from behind me, her chin resting on my shoulder, hair tickling my face.

"Yeah, I wanna see!" Mary Louisa, the other half of Anna, appeared over the other shoulder.

"You guys can't even read," My oldest, John, reprimanded. Mary stuck her tongue out and Anna pouted, squinting her eyes.

"Oh, shush, now." I laughed softly, beginning to read as the bickering of half of my kids filled the room, a pleasant buzz going through me. I began to read outloud;

"-Jacques Marcus Prevost, an officer of the British Army, has been last seen on the 17th, having gone to search for rations with fellow soldiers," my voice faltered, yet I continued for some reason, "The crew went unresponsive after the second day; by the third, only three-quarters of the members were found, in pieces. The others, including your husband, were nowhere to be found. After three days of searching, he has been presumed dead. We are very sorry for the loss of your husband. We will be shipping back his belongings as soon as...possible..." I choked on the words; I couldn't believe it.

"Daddy?" My youngest, Sally, peeked from around a corner, thumb in her mouth. The room was quiet. Anna and Mary were staring at me with wide eyes. John was shaking. Augustine was nowhere to be found.

"Daddy's...daddy's gone, baby." I whispered quietly, unable to believe it. I wasn't particularly sad; I wished for something to happen. Yet, what about the kids? They have no father. I was raised without one yet I was just one child. Now five more get to be fatherless.

John stormed away, having been particularly close to his father, the echo of a door slamming shut making me flinch. Anna walked away silently, then came back to grab Mary, who was still staring at me. Sally came over and I picked her up and began to sing softly to her, not sure if I was attempting to calm her or myself.

Oh, I'll have to tell Aaron as soon as possible. He'll be thrilled to hear the news, he'll want me with him at all times. He'll want to meet the-

Oh, right.

Aaron had never met the kids yet, always quick to come as soon as night fell and out the window by the time they wake up. He'll be a father, a damn good one at that. I could feel a smile stretch my lips and suddenly, the world seemed just a bit better.

My last thought, as I drifted to sleep, was of Aaron, my love.

***

\Augustine POV/

My vision was hazy as I woke up to a loud bang, my legs tangled in my thin sheets. I immediately snapped wide awake when I heard a scream.

"Mom?!" I shouted, only to get responded with more screaming. I jumped out of bed, tripping in the dark, blind with fear of what could be happening. I hears shouts of a voice that vaguely sounded like John and suddenly the piercing shriek of one of the twins.

I bounded down the stairs two at a time, and when I came around the corner, my heart stopped.

Red painted the walls. I saw the lifeless body of Sally, her head twisted at an odd angle. A man in black with his back facing me towered over John, who was covered in blood and standing over a whimpering Mary, her eyes struck with fear and staring at the couch. Out of the corner of my eye I saw Anna's legs from behind the funiture, blood staining her shoes. My mother was backed in the corner, face twisted into a snarl as another man in black pointed a rusty pistol at her.

John's eyes snapped to mine and the man facing him surged forward. I hadn't noticed the knife in his hand before it suddenly went through my dear brother's throat.

Mary screamed once again as he fell backwards over her, his eyes still wide and mouth open. She didn't have time to run as suddenly the man plunged the knife into her back, over and over again until all that was left was a bloody mess of flesh, her blonde curls tainted with red.

"Run!" My mother suddenly screamed, pushing at the man with the gun with all her strength. The man with the knife slowly turned towards me, a wicked glint in his eyes.

"Fuck!" I heard Theo scream as I sprinted back up the stairs, the sound of a gunshot piercing the air. I heard footsteps pounding right behind me but I didn't turn to look to see how close he was, knowing what would happen. I tumbled into my room and quickly locked the door, pushing my bed to block it right as the man started pounding on it, knocking me back.

My breath was coming short, I couldn't breathe. I looked wildly around my room for any sort of escape and saw my window, grasping the edges of the sill and pushing it open, a burst of cold air stinging my eyes. I was on the second floor, yet I didn't have a choice; it was to either jump and break something or stay and die, just like my brother and sisters.

Another gunshot ran through my ears right as the door was kicked open. I turned to face the man with the knife as he slowly advanced, seeming to enjoy the look of horror on my face.

My back was to the window sill, hands grasping the edges. It was time. I didn't know if my mother was still alive or not, I had to live. I had to. My father will take me in if I survived, surely.

Right as I could smell the horrid breath of the man that murdered my family, I leaned back, and fell.

***

Hey uh so dont kill me for this lmao

By the way if you didnt know, this is of course about Theodosia and this 'Marcus' was her first husband- I looked on wiki and man she had five fuckin children with him, so I had to like, cut that down literally lmao

So also of course I made at least one live - Augustine for that matter - and well i guess you'll find out whether or not Theo lived :)

ps im making a whole lotta shit up so dont come at me saying shit like or anna n mary arent twins and like the ages were different n shit so deal with it man

love ya

-Emanoe

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