For All Kings
As the mansion receded into the distance Arietta thought about what a new home could mean. Perhaps she would get to decorate her room how she liked. Maybe there would be other children that she and her brother could befriend, she might even get to go to school instead of having lessons at home.
Of course for all that she hoped would come with this move, there would be plenty she would miss. For a start, Ella was not coming with them nor was Paul or Mr. Skrit and she had not been allowed to bring very many of her things.
Their father had told them that the new house would already have all the necessary furniture so all they had to pack was their clothes and some incidental things that weren’t too heavy as they would only be getting two boxes. One for clothes and one for their other things. This meant a lot was left at the mansion which would stay there. The only time they would be back at the mansion would be at Christmas or for a week in the summer.
Wesley looked out the window of the family car and thought over the past three weeks. When he had not been packing, attending lessons or staying up obscenely late at parties, he’d had time to talk to his father about Mr Taylor. As it happens, his father had known all about Mr. Taylor’s behaviour but told Wesley that the man was a necessary cog in the wheel of this business.
That insidious man had been at the two parties that had been thrown before they left for the new house and Wesley had never left Arietta’s side on both occasions for the whole night.
All the two children had been told was that the new house would be smaller and that it was in Hells Kitchen. Neither of them knew what to expect. Both children were nervous, though Wesley would never admit it.
Harry sat up front, he was the one driving as James sr had gone on ahead to settle some business. Harry had smelled something funny about the whole thing since the announcement three weeks ago but everytime he tried to bring it up in conversation he was immediately shut down by his son.
By the time they arrived in the built up rat hole that was to be the new residence, Wesley and Arietta had both fallen asleep. Harry looked over his shoulder at them from the front seat and let a sad smile pass over his face. They looked peaceful, they looked calm and they looked like they positively needed the sleep. Alas, it was not to be. Mae Wesley cleared her throat,
“Wake up children. Once you have undone your seatbelts, get out and get a box each.”
“Mae, ya can’t be serious? They’re just kids!” Harry exclaimed.
“Well I certainly wont be carrying any of them. So unless you are willing to carry them all yourself then I am, as you put it, serious.”
Harry leaned in and whispered: “You’re a piece of work woman, I hope you burn in hell.”
By now Wesley was helping Arietta out of her seatbelt and had already opened his door as it was the one that opened onto the kerbside.
“James, you and Ari just follow yer mom up the stairs to the apartment. I’ll get the boxes.” Harry said and both children looked to their mother for confirmation that it was okay to do so.
“Ugh, fine then. Come along children.”
---
“What in the name of God is this?” Wesley said, staring in disbelief at the size of the bedroom.
“James Wesley Jr, mind your language!” his mother scolded. “This is the room that you and your sister will be sharing.”
“It is tiny mother. How are Arietta and I supposed to both fit into this room?”
“Are you questioning me young man?”
“Very well mother, we will make do.”
Looking around the room Wesley was not sure what to think, the wallpaper was peeling from the walls and it was a fraction of the size of the room he had known. The floor was just bare wood, sure to give any barefooted person splinters aplenty.
His lip curled in disgust, not because he was spoilt but because he had at least thought that given his father had obviously picked out the apartment in advance, that he might have organised some degree of work to be done prior to moving in so that it would at least be comfortable.
“... Wesley?”
He turned to see Arietta on the threshold of the room, she was almost in tears.
“Ari, don’t cry, what is wrong?”
“I don’t like this place, it’s very small and there aren’t enough rooms for us all. Are they going to send grandfather away to the home like they keep threatening? I don’t want him to go!” Now she was sniffling and the tears had begun to fall.
“No Ari, they won’t send grandfather away! We are going to share a bedroom for the time being. Mother and father will share a room and grandfather will have a room of his own.” Wesley reassured her.
“Oh.” Ari said, wiping away tears. “It will be nice to share a room I suppose but I still don’t think I like it here.”
“Me either but it would seem we have no choice.”
---
In the weeks that followed the apartment was decorated and furnished properly, lessons began again for both children, Arietta’s lessons became more intense as she was put on the same curriculum as her brother, parties ceased and both children began to develop normal sleeping patterns.
All was not perfect though. It occurred to Mae Wesley too late that in downsizing their living arrangements and in the absence of servants, a lot fell to her and became her responsibilities. This did not suit her at all for Mae Wesley was a woman who had lived her whole life never having to lift a finger to do anything. Always having had servants to do everything, Mae knew nothing of how to keep a house. To Mae something as common as a washing machine was alien and to have to cook dinner every night? This would not do.
“James, darling.” She said, in her most honey sweet voice.
“Mhmm?” Her husband said, not even looking up from his paperwork.
“James, I think we should hire a maid. I don’t like having to do all the things a normal housewife does.” She said, “After all, that was one of the conditions of our union, you make sure I never have to live like that and my family and I are at your service.”
“Woman, what have I told you about talking about that when the children are still around!” He said, his head snapping up from the paperwork to level Mae with a cold eyed stare.
“Oh please James, they went to bed long ago!” She snorted. “They weren’t a part of the deal I can tell you that.”
“An heir was required, it was necessary.”
“So why did we need to have a second one?”
“A somewhat pleasant mistake, but still unplanned.”
“You are just trying to see to it I cannot leave you.”
“Enough!” James Sr roared.
This made his wife shrink back, James Sr fixed his ruffled suit and composed himself. “Speak to my father if you wish to avoid doing housework. He is used to a working class life, perhaps it is time he was more useful to this family.”
---
It had been three weeks and a day, when Anatoly was beginning to think that perhaps Vladimir was right and that the vile man they had the misfortune to call their dad was gone for good. He should have known better by now, really he should have.
As ever, the first thing the man did was beat the living shit out of him. Anatoly always tried to make sure that their father did not take his savagery out on his brother but he did not always succeed. Anatoly had made a promise to himself that he would not lose Vladimir to his father’s savagery. If their mother had stayed, both brothers might have known a different life. Alas, no. Mira Ranskahov had run from the man long before Vladimir would ever remember knowing her. Anatoly however remembered her and hated her. Hated her so fiercely for not taking them with her. For leaving them to the non-existent mercy of that man.
When his father was done with him, Anatoly crawled back through to the hovel of a room he and Vladimir shared while his father drank himself to death.
“Anatoly! Давай я тебе помогу.” Vladimir said, scrambling towards his brother.
“Nyet, я могу это сделать.” He assured him.
That night had been Vladimir’s turn on the mattress but he had insisted that Anatoly take it so he might be at least slightly comfortable.
Again Anatoly made the vow to himself that this would not be the way they lived, they would reach greater things.