PART NINE

Annie's Diary

I finally arrived in Russia.

Since I was the only one who wasn’t

 

born here, but Russian all the same, I was to go meet the King and Queen along with their children. I must introduce myself to the royal family and hope for the best. I had heard little about the rulers here. The children, I knew plenty. They had two daughters, twins: Helen and Helena. They were identical to the last hair. No one, not even the knights (with whom they flirted continuously) could tell them apart. They also had a single son, Prince Herman. Some said he was dashing, some said he was snobbish and rude, and the others said nothing at all.

A knight escorted me inside the castle. I looked around at the walls of this structure. Small bugs would squeeze through the cracks every now and again, then squeeze back through to return from wherever it was that they came. Then there was something new that I noticed. Small words. Words etched into the stone:

I love Mike, I love Tom, I love Ned, I love Matthew, I love John, I love James, I love Peter, I...

It continued on and on, down the chambers and passageways. I could resist it no longer, "What is your name?"

He laughed and his armor clanked rudely, "Did thou not see mine name at the beginning of the chamber? First one; I’m proud to say. I come up again later... At the end of this hall." He chuckled and I heard a fainter clatter of the armor.

"So, dost thou know who wrote these?"

He laughed again, the clanking sound returned. "Helen and Helena of course. Who else?" He glanced at me over his shoulder, his armor creaking as he did so, "Who doth thou think did it? The Queen?"

It was my turn to laugh. Of course the twins, how obvious...?

 

Author's Note

I'm sorry that this story is probably (well, DEFINITLY) not the best one ever written. Reviews would still be nice, though.