...They tried to play it off coolly, but Dimitri’s tone had gotten to each one of them, wondering what horrid thing their beloved Casey was going through...
Betraying anything that they were thinking however, Casey was quite safe and hardly in danger at all. She was sitting in a comfortable chair by her window. She was being kept in a tower, and being spoiled like a princess. Anything she wanted was hers, and her room was beautiful and well furnished- the catch? Her hands were to remain bound, so even if she was to escape, she would not get past the deep, cold moat out front.
She heard someone open the heavy wooden door to her room. She turned to see that it was just a servant.
“General Hemmer has requested you presence at his table this evening for dinner.” He sated flatly. Casey laughed.
“Yeah, right. Tell him that I would rather eat with the hogs, even though there can’t be much difference…”
“Very amusing Madame. He also said that if that was you response, to tell you that he would be happy to arrange that for you.” The servant shot back. Casey scowled.
“Fine...Fine. I will join him for dinner.” she sighed.
“Excellent. He said you are to wear this, and maids will be along to get you ready,” he said, placing a red silk dress on the bed.
“Wait, what?!”
“Tah.” The servant called back to her as he closed the door and left.
Casey got up and walked over to the dress on her bed. It was a very nice, very expensive dress. In fact, everything in this room was better than anything she had been used to. Since she was seven, she had been sleeping on mediocre beds, eating mediocre food and living a mediocre life. Thoughts of living the wealthy way flooded her mind- feasts every night, this luxurious bed, the clothes. She closed her eyes and pictured riches, like she had as a child. Then, Ricky’s face came to mind. His smile, his perfect hair, and the way his lips felt on hers when she kissed him… if only it could be him, her, and all that she once had.
Opening her eyes again, she remembered what had taken all of her wealth from her…
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
It was early morning. Prime Minister Jacob Fletcher was standing at his desk in his home, sipping coffee. He looked over state papers, treaties, and other legal documents and sighed- much work was to be done before the day’s end. Would he be able to finish it all?
His finely tuned sense of hearing detected horses- many horses- approaching fast. He did not panic as he walked to the large windows at the front of his house in time to see fifty horses thunder into the street, trapping his people in their houses and taking prisoners one by one. Five men led by another, burst into his house and trained their guns on him. He did not move. The leader came up to him.
“By order of King Hector the Third, you sir are under arrest.” The man said commandingly.
“The charges, Barnett?” Jacob said casually, taking another sip of coffee and identifying the man. James Barnett was the Commander of War for England.
“His Highness finds that Scotland has the resources that he wants and needs. We will be taking them now, thank you.” Barnett said, handing Jacob a blank piece of parchment. “Now, if you don’t mind, please make your statement, turning over all power you have to the English.
Jacob still didn’t move.
“I will not do it. You will just have to take me prisoner, or kill me, or whatever you and your men want to do to me.” Jacob said, finishing his coffee. Barnett chortled.
“I am not stupid, Mister Fletcher. You and I both know that taking you will do nothing. But, you and I both also know, that you are not alone here…”
With that, two men grabbed Jacob and pinned his arms as another went up the stairs and came down a moment later with a squirming girl in his hands.
“Casey…” he muttered as he watched his seven year old daughter fight against the man, who easily kept her there and pointed a pistol at her head. Her eyes were wide with fear as she looked at her father.
“Let her go! You leave her out of this…” Jacob growled. Barnett just ignored him. Jacob’s young friend Joel from Argentina, about fourteen years old, walked in on all of this. His eyes shot from his boss Mr. Fletcher to poor Casey.
“Casey!” he said, lunging for her, but the final soldier grabbed him and slammed him against the wall.
“Do you still refuse? You have nothing to gain by resisting anymore, but you have everything to lose.” Barnett hissed, walking over to Casey and patting her on the head- she turned and tried to bite him, forcing him to draw back his hand in fear. Jacob smiled, she had gotten his fiesty spirit.
He could not take chances, so he nodded. The two men released him, allowing him to walk to his desk, get a pen and write:
“I, Prime Minister Jacob Fletcher, hereby relinquish all power and authority I have in the country of Scotland, in addition to any and all property I own, to King Hector the Third of England…” he bit his lip, risked a glance at his fuming daughter, his young friend (who appeared to be in pain), and the photo of his late wife, Arabella. He continued to write, “In exchange for the permanent safety of my family and those under my care. Signed, Jacob Fletcher.” He put the pen down on his desk and Barnett swiped up the paper, looked it over closely, and nodded in approval. He motioned for the children to be released, and Joel rushed to Casey and took her hand, made sure she was not hurt, then he pushed her behind him to protect her.
Barnett spoke quietly to Jacob.
“There. Now, I suggest that you, your slave boy, and you’re… charming… daughter get out of my sight before I void the last statement in this contract, hmm?”
Jacob took his daughter in his arms, and followed closely by Joel, they left- taking all of the townspeople with them. He had some big choices to make.
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