Believe in Revolution ©

XXV

Berlin - Saturday, Second week April 1923

Sophie woke up when the sunlight crashed into her closed eyes. Her blond locks were covering her tiny and pale face. Her green eyes opened, slowly adapting to the light. She got up and stood up in the floor, the lower part of her white dress soaring.

The last night, she had to share room with Gabrielle and Alexei. The great surprise is that the room just had a king-sized bed. The girls had to lock the Russian in the bedroom's bathroom in order to get changed.

Both late teens were still sleeping, one in each corner of the bed. Gabrielle's long black hair was partially falling off the bed. She had dressed with a plain white shirt and plain white trousers. Alexei, who was dressed the same way, was nearly about to fall of the bed. He had a leg and an arm out of the bed. His brownish blonde hair was a pure mess on the pillow. He seemed so peaceful. In his own way.

Sophie opened the door a bit and heard some noises coming from the lower floors. Other rebels were awake. She wasn't going to be less. Nor her roommates.

She took a chair and positioned it in the end of the bed. She got on it and breathed deeply. She just needed to fly. So, she jumped.

"GODMORGEN!" she shouted, a milisecond before crashing into the bed, making it tremble.

The tremble made Gabri and Alexei wake up. Both screamed at the surprise. Gabri ended with a leg stepping in the ground, to avoid falling. Alexei wasn't that lucky. He fell to the floor with a loud thoud.

"Sophie!" Gabri shouted when she saw the young princess laughing "That's not funny! You nearly killed me out of the scare!" She was mad and Sophie could feel it.

"Okay, sorry" Sophie said "But Alexei isn't mad"

"No" Alexei said "I'm in the next stage; fury"

Both girls looked to the sides and around.

"Alyosha, where are you?" Gabri asked

"Here" Alexei said "In the floor" He rose his hand, so it could be seen over the bed.

"Are you alright?" Gabri asked

"Yeah" Alexei said "I'm not bleeding anywhere nor my body hurts like hell. So, yes, I'm alright" He rose his other hand and put them on the bed, using them to stand up. The Russian suddenly appeared, his hair in a mess. His blue eyes shot a gaze that was so cold that could freeze anyone in his way.

"I'm sorry, Alexei" Sophie said "I didn't know you had fallen"

He looked at her mischeviously, launched himself onto Sophie and started tickling her. Sophie started to laugh so strongly "Please, Alexei, stop!" she pleaded. She then turned to Gabri "Gabri, please, help me!" The Bavarian looked as she was ignoring them completely, but she decided to approach them. Sophie suddenly smiled... Until Gabri started to tickle her too.

"Gabri, not you too!" She said "This is unfair! You're two against one"

"Your fault" Gabri started

"For waking us up" Alexei finished and both stopped tickling her. Sophie had to stop for some seconds to catch her breath.

Some minutes after, the girls had locked Alexei again in the bathroom in order to put some clothes on. And after that, all came down the stairs to join the others.

The Whites were already readying themselves. Pavel was nervous. Lilth also, but her face made no signs of it. The three looked to everyone.

"Well" Lilth announced "The French and the other squad of our army are at the other side of the city, watching over the palace. Them and a half of my squad will siege the palace. The other half, the White Army and all the recruits will siege the prison"

Some would have hoped for an opposite opinion about sieging the prison. But everyone knew that innocents and people like them were the ones imprisoned, not filthy criminals.

Everyone was getting ready. The trio approached Lilth.

"And what do we do?" Alexei asked

Lilth observed all of them "Gabri and Sophie will come with me to siege the palace" She paused "Alexei, you help Pavel with the prison release"

Gabri looked to Lilth and then, to Alexei. They weren't going to fight together.

"Why?" Alexei asked

"It's Pavel who requested it. After all, you're part of the White Army" Lilth sighed and turned back to get ready. Sophie followed her.

Gabri and Alexei looked to each other.

"Well, we're not going to fight together" Alexei said

"So it seems" Gabri said "But it's better for you to go release the prison, you have to find Ivan"

The Russian looked to her "Da, but it'll be weird to fight without you"

Gabri smiled "When the attack ends and Berlin is conquered, we'll meet in the main door of the palace" She put herself serious "Promise me you'll come, promise me you'll survive"

Alexei looked at her, eyes onto eyes "I promise. I know I can't do it for sure, but I'll do my best" He hugged her and placed a kiss on her right cheek "But you've to promise me the same"

"Yeah, I promise" She said "The same way as you" She placed a kiss on his left cheek. They stared at each other for some seconds in which each minute had the length of a century.

"Gabrielle, we must get ready" Lilth's voice could be heard.

"Well, I should prepare" she mumbled, breaking eye-contact "Lilth's calling"

"Umm... Yeah" He muttered. Gabri turned back. His eyes followed her silhouette until she disappeared.

"Your Imperial Highness" Pavel said when he appeared in the door "We should get ready" Alexei turned back and approached him.

"Okay" He replied shortly. Pavel was about to turn "and..."

"And what, Your Imperial Highness?" Pavel asked while looking at the boy.

"Can you and all the others stop that treatment?" Alexei asked "I swear that the next time someone calls me Your Imperial Highness, Tsarevich or any other title, I'll kick them. I don't know where, but I'll kick them" Alexei's voice sounded threatening. He saw Pavel trembling. The brownish blonde softened his voice "I don't bear any title. My name's Alexei Nikolaevich. No more."

Some hours later, the sun was about to set. Sophie tensed her bow, Gabri held her sword tight. The lights shone over the palace.

In the prison, things were different. It had not really lights. The building was crimson red and in a monotone zone. Alexei held his sword tight too.

Everyone breathed heavily. And when Lilth and Pavel gave the order, thousands of soldiers launched themselves onto the two buildings.