Daughter of Albion

My hair is loose, and I'm standing in line with the other girls. I'm near the end because I'm one of the youngest.

Beth is further up, nervously twirling her hair around her finger. Eloise is pacing in front of us.

The room is nicely arranged. All the drinks are gone, and the curtains are tightly drawn. In the distance, we can hear the sound of missiles dropping, but that's just a part of our reality.

We strain our ears, listening for the rumble of iron tanks filled with soldiers as they pull up outside our building.

We hear them scramble out of the tanks and into the waiting room. They're probably taking off their masks. The doors close before the first soldier makes his appearance.

My heart starts to pound uncontrollably against my ribs, and my breath comes out in short gasps. The soldiers line up in front of us, dressed in gray pants, darker gray shirts, and heavy gray jackets.

They're wearing chunky gray boots with buckles and iron helmets tied tightly under their chins. They're so much bigger than us; their imposing figures take my breath away.

They look back at us with the same dark-brown eyes, and they have our thick blond hair and pale skin. And I see it in all their eyes: pride.

Like me, it's their first night serving their country. The start of a Perfect life.

The Eternal Albion flag hangs on one wall, and for the first time in my life, I hesitate before turning to face it. Out of the corner of my eye, I see one of the soldiers watching me.

As I start the pledge with the other girls, he turns back to the flag and places a hand over his heart. But soon enough, he's looking at me again.

When we're done, the soldiers start their pledge. It's a bit different from ours; they swear to fight and die for their country, to kill all Foreigners, and to protect the women who are producing children for the country.

Their voices, deep and strong, and in unison, send my heart into a frenzy again.

Once the pledges are over, we turn to face each other again. Eloise stands next to a Master, easily recognizable in his long gray overcoat and with his aging features. He looks at us, then slowly rubs his dry hands together.

“We will depart in ten hours; you have ten hours to report back here. Understood?”

“Sir, yes, sir!” the soldiers shout, and we jump in surprise and fear from their deep cry.

I watch as the older girls move past us and choose a soldier each. They guide them toward the stairs to their rooms, grabbing drinks on the way.

Juliet passes me with a soldier behind her. She pauses and gives me a serious nod.

“Ten hours. Make them the best of their lives,” she whispers to me.

I nod quickly, not really sure what she means. She gives me a small smile, touches my shoulders, then moves past me.

“Did you just get here?”

I jump at the sound of the deep voice. I turn to find the soldier who had been watching me, now standing in front of me. I look up into his dark eyes. He's at least a head taller than me.

“Are you all right?” he asks me, raising an eyebrow.

I nod quickly, remembering Juliet’s words. I had to make his night whatever he wanted.

“Yes,” I reply, smiling at him. He smiles back at me. “Do you want to…uh…come to…?”

“Yes.” He places a heavy hand on my shoulder and smiles at me. “Yes, I do.”

I nod and turn quickly, feeling a blush spread across my face. My heart races in my chest as I guide him through the crowd to the stairs.

I instinctively look for Beth. Our eyes meet, and I see her talking with a soldier. We smile at each other.

Then I turn away again and lead my soldier upstairs to my room. I push the door open and step to the side for him to enter. Then I close the door behind me.

I stand by the door as my soldier slowly explores my room. I'm sure he notices that everything is new and neatly arranged.

“So did you just arrive here?” he asks, turning to face me again. He slowly takes off his jacket.

“Yes.”

“When did you turn seventeen?”

“A month ago,” I say, pushing my hair behind my ears and looking down.

He chuckles. “You don’t need to be nervous,” he tells me. “Relax. I won’t hurt you.” He beckons me toward him, and I obey.

He sits on my bed, and I sit next to him. Immediately, he wraps his arm around my shoulders and pulls me against his solid chest.

I feel my heart skip a beat. I enjoy the feeling of his body wrapped around mine, protecting me, like he swore he would.

But it’s an awkward embrace. I can tell he’s not sure how to hold me, for how long.

“What’s your name?” he asks me.

“958,687,487.64.4.”

“And what do they call you?”

I smile slightly. “Alex.”

“I’m Freddy,” he tells me. “Alex. I knew a guy named Alex.”

“It’s Alexandra, but most people call me Alex,” I explain. He smiles and squeezes my shoulder tightly. “It’s nice to meet you, Freddy.”

He grins. “I’m delighted to meet you too, Alex. You’re the first girl I’ve ever spoken to!”

I blink at him in surprise. Then I realize it’s the same for me.

“Do you know where you will be going tomorrow?” I ask softly.

“They’re sending us out to Asia. I’m a pilot. I’m going to drop bombs and destroy their cities,” he tells me.

I stay quiet, comfortable in his embrace. I don’t want to leave him, and I don’t want him to leave me and never return.

Because no soldiers ever do return. Eventually, they all die for Albion. The longest-living soldier was thirty when he died; he’d survived the war for twelve years.

The Masters then decided that any soldier who survived for over ten years would come home and become a Master. But looking up at Freddy, I know I will never see him again. He is so young.

How can he possibly survive?

“You’re going to be a brave soldier, and you’ll give your life for your country. We’ll all be proud of you. Your son will be too,” I assure him.

His eyes widen in surprise. “A son?”

“I’ve always dreamed of giving my country a son. Let’s share that dream. Let’s create a life together,” I murmur.

He blinks at me, then nods. I watch as he leans in closer. His hand glides from my waist, past my throat, and tangles into my hair. He gently tilts my head back and presses his lips to mine with a softness that takes my breath away.

When he pulls away, I notice his eyes are shut. I let him guide me down onto the bed, his body covering mine, my heart pounding in my chest.

His weight isn’t suffocating like I feared it might be. Instead, it’s oddly comforting.

His hands roam my body, exploring every inch of me as he peppers my face with kisses. He takes my hands and guides them over his body. We undress each other slowly until he’s lying, bare, on top of me.

By now, I’ve gotten the hang of kissing. I wrap my arms around his neck and gently bite his lower lip as his hands glide up my body, caressing my skin.