Chapter Two

 Trust

Days went by, and time passed by slowly and yet still I was held captive in this place I was supposed to consider as my father’s home, my home.  The worse part of it all was the feeling of hope of ever being found slowly decreasing inside me.  Every night I would wake up with the screams from my repetitive dream of my father killing me and Marc killing my father, every night I would feel the sharp pain from where what Dr. Henry has told me was where the corner of a statue that I had fallen on when I passed out when first arriving here at my new prison and had pierced deeply into my side.  It hadn’t helped much when I tried to escape and ripped my stitches back open.  Yet, night after night I still dreamt that the piercing pain came from my father’s knife, and just like every night Johnson or another one of my father’s guards would come in to make sure I wasn’t being harmed or that I was alright.

“Duchess, you’ve been having this same dream of over a week now, yet you won’t tell me what it’s about, you won’t tell anyone.  In my experience when you keep something to yourself that long, you will keep dreaming about it.”  Lt. Johnson said kindly to me as he stood at the foot of my bed.  I bit my lip, I had started to trust him, he had been nothing but kind to me since I had arrived, however, I wasn’t about to tell him that their “fearless leader” my father was the cause of my screams.  I have seen way too many movies where victim came to trust their captors and their captors ended up making their dark thoughts into reality.

“Well if you were kidnapped by a psycho you would be having nightmares every night too.” I said bitterly as I sat up all the way now and wrapped my arms around my pulled up knees under my covers.

“Listen I know this might be hard to hear, and I’m not exactly sure I’m at liberty to express this to you, but your father, is just trying to protect you.”  He said with a sigh.

“How? How was I ever in danger?  I was completely fine with Mr. Poloski.  Nothing was going to happen.  We were suppose to leave in the next few days anyway, now what?” I said with hatred on my tongue.  I wanted to go home.  I didn’t care if my father was a superhero, I wanted my mother, I wanted to go back home.

“Listen, I can’t tell you anymore, I’ve already said too much already, but please just trust me.  You are better off right now here than at Dubrov’s Estate.” He said with a stern look as he held specific information back.

“Why am I not surprised that you all were spying on me? For how long?” I asked as I raised my voice.  I could feel my face becoming heated as my temper started to flare.

“Duchess, hush now, please. Let’s not argue.  I want you to be able to trust me.  If you can’t trust anyone here, then at least trust me.  I know this must be hard for you, and this is all I’m going to say about the matter, but I am your friend, not your enemy.” He said as he tried to comfort me.

“Friend huh? Well if you are my friend then why don’t you let me go home, help me escape or something.  Friends don’t keep friends captive.” I said as I looked away towards the window.

“How about I tell you a little bit about myself, huh? Change the subject a little.” He said with a sigh as he knew I was wide awake.  I just shrugged.  I really could care less what he had to say at this point.  Listen Lisa, you could use this against him later when you escape. I heard my brain remind me.

“Fine.” I said, yet kept looking at the window that only had the colors of night flowing through it from outside.

“My real name is Samuel Johnson.  I’m originally from San Diego, California, which is how I met your father, when he was stationed out there.  He was actually my commanding officer when I was out there, and when we went to combat your father and I always had each other’s backs, despite the age difference.  I was eighteen at the time, just fresh out of high school.” He started to say.  He went on and on about his life, and told a few stories about his time at war.  I just sat there my eyes now holding onto his every word.  From his stories whether how true or not, he made my father out to be the hero in almost everyone.

“So after all that when did my father decide to become a kidnapper?  Sorry.” I said as soon as I saw his facial expression.

“I know this is hard for you, but trust me when I say, and I told you this before, your father and I have been captives of the enemy once or twice before ourselves, but the difference is you are being held captive by someone who actually cares about you, not someone who still wants you dead at the end of the day.  Keep that in mind Duchess.” He said with a dark look on his face.  His words sunk their way into my mind, as my thoughts began to think of his stories.

“Oh sorry, I thought the Duchess had escaped again.  I apologize Sir.” Rex said as he rushed through the open door way, slightly startling both Johnson and I.

“No worries, the Duchess and I were just talking that’s all.  However, we both should probably get some more sleep.” He said as he looked at me, slightly nodding towards me as he began to exit the room.

“Thank you.” I said softly, I knew he didn’t have to tell me those stories that he did, and whether or not they were true, they did help me relax.  Lt. Johnson just smiled, and pat Rex’s shoulder as he exited the room.

“I’ll be right outside if you need anything your Highness.” Rex said as he looked at me.  I knew he disliked me; I did after all break his nose the last time I tried to escape.  I just simply nodded back at him and laid back down in the covers, and as I heard the door shut, I could only hope sleep wouldn’t come; I didn’t want to dream the same nightmare. Every time my eyes began to close, I quickly opened them back up and turned over preventing myself from falling asleep. Finally, I just got up and walked over towards the window, where I watched the darkness turn to light with the rays of the morning sun.  I hadn’t realized how long I had been standing there, just looking out the window thinking about Johnson’s stories and thinking of the past and wondering if my father was truly the great man everyone claimed he was.

“Duchess? Are you alright?” I heard Nikole ask as she slightly touched my arm, making me slightly jump.

“Oh sorry yes.” I said softly with a smile as I turned towards her.

“Your father has asked for you to join him for breakfast, would you like for me to help you get dressed again this morning?” She asked softly, I could still see the hint of worry on her face, I couldn’t really blame her, and usually she’s the one waking me up in the mornings.

“No thank you, I think I can manage.” I said as I turned and went into the bathroom to get changed and clean up from another sleepless night.  The bags and dark circles under my eyes were beginning to become a lot more noticeable.  I quickly checked on my now forming scar where I had hit my head on the floor and also along my side, when one of Victor’s men had tried to kill me when I first arrived.  The scar was a bright shade of pink, and as I began my daily routine of trying to attempt to cover the dark circles and scars, I started to wonder was this going to be my life?  Wake up, wander around my prison then go to bed?  Why did my so-call “father” keep me here?  It was time for answers, whether my father was prepared or not, I was going to get answers from him today.

“Oh well don’t you look lovely Miss.” Nikole said as she began opening my bedroom door for us to meet my father for breakfast.  I barely even looked to see what I had on, I pretty much just grabbed clothes as I thought of my questions and played out the conversations in my head.  I wanted to be prepared for whatever the man would tell me or not tell me.  I softly nodded back to her, walking towards the wonderful smell of breakfast from the bottom of the stairs.

My eyes looked into every open door, trying to see exactly what other ways I could escape this prison, when I had the chance.   Room after room I saw nothing but dark rooms, or rooms that had no windows, and when several of my father’s guards came out of the next room, I nearly turn around and ran back to my room.  The one person who I didn’t want to see more than my father stood laughing with the other men just steps in front of me.

“Good morning, if you will excuse us.” Nikole said in her soft voice, as the guards turned to see us.

“Oh sorry Duchess, we didn’t see you there.” One of the guards who I had yet to meet spoke, acting as if he and the rest of them were bound to get into trouble if they were caught relaxing a little.  I smiled, my eyes slowly going over to see the handsome traitor that stood among the small group of men.

“We will be out of your way, my Grace.” I heard Marc say, as he bowed with the other men and stood against the wall making way for Nikole and I to pass.  I wanted so much to touch him, to speak to him, however my pride forbid me.  It didn’t help hearing Nikole’s soft flirty giggles beside me as we pass, feeling the eyes of the guards on us as we continue down the hall towards the dining room.

“Oh they just make my mornings especially the younger one closer to our age.” She said as she referred back to Marc. My eyes narrowed at her words as she lead us further down the long hall.  My emotions were mixed with anger, sadness, and a hint of jealousy.  How much did she converse with the guards, especially with Marc? Why do I even care? I wondered briefly as the doors to the dining room quickly approached.

“Right this way.  Thank you Nikole, that will be all for now.” One of the butlers of my father’s prison said to us as we approached the dining room.

“Ah Lisa, I’m glad you were able to join me this morning.” I heard my father’s voice float across the room, as he stood up to great me.  However, I immediately noticed that we weren’t the only ones planning on eating this morning.  Sitting at either side of my father were two men both with silver grey hair.  The man on my father’s right was a bit larger than the other who sat at my father’s left side.  As my father greeted me both of the gentlemen stood up from their chairs, and I could feel their eyes sliding over me, assessing me, probably wondering just how much I am like my father.

“This here is Mr. Jonathan Williams, and over here we have a Mr. Edward Clarke, they are both from the states.” He said as he introduced me.  I looked at them, slightly smiled, shook their hands and sat down a few chairs down from the cluster.

“You’ll have to excuse her, she’s still recovering.” He said as he sat down, giving me a warning look.

“That’s quite alright; if I was in her position I wouldn’t leave the room.” Mr. Williams said with a soft laugh as he took a sip of orange juice.

“Jonathan and Edward are here to settle some family business, in case you were wondering Lisa.” My father said as a he began cutting into an omelet.  I remained silent, even though I was very curious, my pride was taking over and I didn’t want to do what was expected of me.  I guess you could say I was throwing a tantrum for a girl my age.

“Yes, in fact I will need to get your signature on a few documents when we are through with this wonderful breakfast.” Mr. Clarke said as he then bit into some fruit.

“They aren’t very important, just papers that I’ve need you to sign since you came of age and then made claim on the Imperial throne.” My father said as he tried to make light conversation, as if all this was supposed to be normal.

“Oh so is that the reason why you had me kidnapped?  To sign some stupid papers?  You could’ve just called, e-mailed, mailed a letter, oh wait maybe even just show up instead of acting ‘dead’ for the past seventeen years.” I said as casually as I could while making a clear point.  I took a bite into my pancakes, and watched my father’s facial expressions, waiting to get some sort of a reaction, yet nothing.

“Lisa, we will discuss those other personal matters later, however you can actually thank Edward here for giving me your whereabouts, to be able to find you and protect you.” My father said as he smiled over at a proud looking Mr. Clarke.  Why? Why was my safety so important?  I was perfectly fine before, why wasn’t anyone giving me actual answers for goodness sake! I thought bitterly in my head as I looked away and down at my food.

“Yes, it’s hard to think about what the outcome would have been if you were to have stayed at Count Dubrov’s estate any longer.” Mr. Clarke said as he took a sip of his drink.

“Mmm tragedy I would suspect.” Mr. Williams added to the comment.  Tragedy? What about Mr. Poloski! My friends! Were they save then? I wondered.

“Lisa, don’t worry about them, your friends and teacher are fine, thanks to you.  You see we received entail that you were staying there, and believe it or not we weren’t the only ones.  Many people have been keeping tabs on our family since the Revolution, despite my grandmother’s efforts to hide our identities, blood never lies.” My father started to explain seeing my obvious concern for the ones who were left behind.

I couldn't help but roll my eyes, thinking that all this was some sick joke for him to spend some quality daddy-daughter time.  Yet, as I narrowed my eyes to my father, my eyes quickly focused on the two papers being placed in front of me, with a black pen, and a stamp with the Romanov family crest.  The first thing I noticed about the forms where, that they almost looked like a permission slip, and the second thing I noticed that it had my full legal name and title printed throughout the forms, and the last thing I noticed was that one form was written in Russian and the other in English.

"So, what am I signing? My will? Permission to leave the country?" I said sarcastically as my eyes beginning to read the words neatly typed on the elegant parchment.

"We were told you were smart." Mr. Williams, said with a wink towards me, as he took out thin glasses from his inner suit's breast pocket and picked up his copy of the forms.

"We will need you to read this very carefully, and fully understand what you are signing.  The form states that you are the now the sole heir to the Imperial throne, now that your father has released his rightful claim on the throne, you also by signing this parchment are agreeing to work directly with the new Russian parlement, and we will help you find common ground in working for the people of Russia.  This also, is an agreement that you will not have full legal power over the country like your forefathers, think of it as working like the Birtains, you do have a say within parlement, however you are going to be more of a public figure.  People are going to want you to contribute to the charities and present yourself at numerous engagements.  Also your money will be reliquished to you over installments, I'm sure you are aware that it was seized and frozen when the Revolution took place.  Lastly, the final piece is that if you were to pass before and heir is born of blood, then you must assign someone the title." Mr. Williams summed up the document that I was to sign.

"We ask that the person be related in someway, and now that you have met a good amount of people from within your Imperial family, I'm sure that a name won't be hard to come up with." Mr. Clarke said, as he looked from my father to myself.

"And I have to choose now?" I asked as I signed my initials where I was shown to.

"Unfortunately, yes, you may change it at a later date, however there will be a much longer process." Mr. Williams confirmed, however I could see the uneasyness in his eyes. There was something no one was telling me.  Why sign this now, while being held captive by my father?  In my past education I have read about many politians and royalty signing a document and being killed the next day, in other words they literally signed their life away.  My eyes shifted from one male to the next, all watching my face and then looking down at the pen in my hand and the paper that I had to sign.  Something was wrong, but what was it? I knew there was still a traitor within the Romanov family, that memo haunted my thoughts every day, yet why would my father choose now when he held me captive to have me sign my right to the throne?

"No." I finally said, putting down the paper and sliding out from my chair.

"No? Duchess, please..." Mr. Williams quickly blurted out, as well as Mr. Clarke trying to calm me down.

"Annalisa, you will sit back down and sign that paper." I heard my father command me.  Yet as I looked at him, I saw something eles in his eyes, relief maybe, or perhaps he enjoyed me rebelling, something unexpected given my circumstances.

"No, I will not and you all will answer this one question for me, why now?" I asked the table, I looked from one person to the next.  I could hear the footsteps and the hushing outside the dinning room, I knew others were listening, yet they needed to know that I was not going to be bossed around anymore.  If they wanted me to leading a country, then I had to start acting like it, I was too smart to let them sugarcoat the uneasy situation that laid out on the table.  Sure they wanted me to sign my right to the throne, but they also wanted me to sign away it as well.  Something I've learned over the years was to always read the fine print, rather it be on paper or in the conversation, there is always more to the agreement.

"Duchess, I can assure you..." Mr. Clarke began to say, however it was my father who surprised us all when he started laughing.

"You can be foolish, smart, and stubborn all at the same time, you know that?" My father's eyes turned from being amused to slightly more serious, however you could see the laughter still in his yes.

"I am not going to be forced to sign anything while I remain a prisoner, and you especially should know that." I looked at my father in the eyes, remember Johnson's stories from when they were prisoners of war a few times.  I couldn't stand being in the room any longer, I was no longer hungry, the fact that my father was trying to trick me infuriated me, and the lack of sleep from the night before was definitely starting to take its toll.  I took the forms infront of me, and as I turned to leave I bid Mr. Williams and Mr. Clarke a good day, giving my father one last look as I stood up straight and raised my chin higher, walking out into the hallway.

As I entered the grand hallway, many maids and other workers were hurrying about acting like they were busy working the entire time.  Yet it was a few soldiers that stood close to the door that made my heart kick into third gear.  I continued to hold my head up high as I walked past them, and just as I rounded the corner, I ran to the small garden's door, that Johnson had briefly told me about a few nights ago, when he had come in to check on me after my reoccuring nightmare.

The garden wasn't big like at Count Dubrov's, however it was the only peaceful place that I could enjoy being in, despite my prison.  My hands were shaking, my mind was going a hundred miles a second, and I was grateful for the single stone bench under a weeping willow tree.  The flowers were already in bloom, little as they were, but to look up and see the sunlight, and breath in the air, it truly helped calm me down.  Though I wasn't allowed most places without an escort, Johnson and also the doctor and managed to convince my father to allow me to come here, to my place, for my sanity.  After a few moments, of calming down, I was finally able to look at the papers in my hands without misreading anything or tearing up.  Just as Mr. William and Mr. Clarke had said it was to truly sign my right to the throne, and to agree to work with the government and parliment in a sensible manner. Everything was just so confusing, and I couldn't talk to anyone about this, I needed help, needed answers yet I couldn't trust anyone.  I took the papers and sat it down on the ground placing a near by pebble over it, from keeping it from flying around the enclosed garden, and then layed back against the bench.  Looking up at the light blue sky it was hard to believe that my life had gotten so screwed up just because of one stupid class assignment just a few short months ago.  I closed my eyes, seeing the faces of my friends, of my mother, and then lastly of Nunna.

"Oh Nunna, I'm sorry, I'm so sorry." I said quietly out into the almost summer air, as I turned and began to sob.  In my mind I had failed her, and nightmareish thoughts were creeping up from the back of my mind.  What if it was too late?  What if I were to die in this place? My worried thoughts repeated in my mind as I felt myself slightly drifting into a deeper sleep.  

A soft hand shook me gently, my eyes fluttered open being breifly blinded by the sunlight, then adjusting to my surroundings.  The area still looked like the garden at my father's yet, the trees and flowers where much more lush, slightly more overgrown than they were before.  I sat up, my eyes searching for the person who's hand hand just touched me, yet I couldn't see anyone.

"Hello?" I called out my voice sounding a little strange.

"Hush my child, don't be frighten, after all you are a Romanov.  Be strong.  Remember what I said, 'Remember who you are, if something should happen to me while you are away on your trip find Bishop Udeze, he can be trusted.  I love you my Annalisa and I believe that God has brought you to me, so that I may trust in people and believe in the future of Russia again.'  I still believe that my dear.  So don't give up.  Keep fighting, and believe in your destiny.  You are meant to make the Romanov name live again.'" I heard the voice of my Nunna yet as I looked to where the voice was coming from, a black and white image of a little girl sat beside me on the bench, playing with her long curly auburn hair.  It was the same image of my great grandmamma in many photos that I had seen in the history books, she couldn't have been more than the age of thirteen.  There were so many things I wanted to ask her about like: who was Bishop Udeze, how could she be here, and lastly could she help me get out of this place? As I began to open my mouth to ask these questions, Nunna looked at me with her youthful eyes and began to call out my name over and over again as her hand reached out and began to shake my shoulder again.

"Lisa, Lisa...." Nunna's image began to fade, and her voice began to be replaced by a deeper and a much more heavenly sound, despite the fact I was suppose to not be liking him anymore.

"Lisa, come on you've been asleep and out here for hours, time to wake up." I heard Marc's voice call me out of my wonderful yet confusing dream with Nunna.  I sleepily opened my eyes focusing on Marc's and then my surroundings.  The bright early morning had quickly turned into a late afternoon, and I could feel the slight chill of the shadows that were now cast on me from the house.

"What are you doing here?" I asked as I sat up quickly trying to brush the leaves out of my hair.

"Your father sent me to check on you, you've been gone all day. Are you feeling alright?" Marc asked as he studied my face.

"I'm fine.  You should go."  I snaped.

"Lisa, please you have to understand that I didn't mean to betray your trust, and I'm not the enemy here, I just want to help you.  You have to believe me." Marc said with a calm voice his eyes showing nothing but truth in them.  I sighed, I had missed him, yet could I trust him? I wondered briefly, before I leaned into his shoulder.

"Fine then you want me to trust you, find me Bishop Udeze.  I need to speak with him immediately." I  turned to look at Marc, who had a confusing look on his face.

"Bishop Udeze? What do you want with him?" He asked. So he knew him?  I quickly assummed.

"Doesn't matter.  If you want me to trust you find him for me, and arrange a meeting." I said again before standing up and heading back into my prison.  Hearing Marc following me a few steps behind.

Author's Note:  Thank you for reading.  This chapter is now complete.  Please Vote, Like, and Comment. =)