Word Total: 90,001
Year to Date: 210,024
Summary of Events:
Nikita rode up to his hometown of Zilyograd, recalling pleasanter times of his childhood as he headed to visit his father's grave — which Gavriila discovered had different names in the two languages engraved on it, as did all of his siblings' graves. After leaving the cemetery Gavriila was introduced to Nikita's father's horse and told the gelding and Breasha were half siblings before Nikita's little brother came out to greet them and they headed inside. Briskly entering the home, Nikita demanded a confession from his mother . . .
Excerpt of the Day:
"Tears brimmed in her eyes and she started to tremble violently as the tears started running down her cheeks. She tried to start speaking several times before she finally got the words out: "Your name is Ilya Mechislavavich Zhihondoniov-Vaylizhenkivy."
Nikita straightened and stared at his mother. They'd lied to him. All along they'd fed him lies, telling him his name was Nikita, telling him he was their son. Rage swelled within him.
"Why am I not addressed by it?" he demanded, trying to keep the tremor from his voice and the tears from his eyes.
"They were going to kill you," she whispered. "We had to save you."
"Who was going to kill me?" Nikita demanded.
"They'd killed your parents," she whispered.
Nikita grabbed onto the table. It was true, they weren't his parents. "Who are my parents?"
"They were killing everyone," she whispered. "We had to save you."
"From whom?" Nikita demanded.
"I was your mother's handmaiden," she whispered.
Nikita didn't know what to ask now, Mother wasn't answering any of his questions, she was just speaking.
"Davyd — Danyil — convinced me to escape, no one else would listen to him," she went on. "We had to save you."
"From whom?" Nikita asked again.
"I didn't want to leave, but I didn't want to die," she said.
Nikita sat down and looked at the woman he'd always thought was his mother, staring at the floor, wide-eyed, fearful, and forlorn.
"We ran forever," she whispered. "We had to save you."
Nikita shook his head. From whom? Why wouldn't she tell him whom he'd had to be saved from? Why was she not telling him the whole story?
"We had to hide ourselves," she said. "We married, for your sake, and disguised ourselves as a family, then we actually became one."
"Why did you lie to me?" Nikita asked forcefully.
Startling, she looked up as if she hadn't heard his prior queries. "We had to save you."
"From whom?" Nikita demanded.
"They were going to kill you," she repeated.
"I know that, you already told me!" Nikita snapped. "Who was going to kill me?"
"Danyil wanted to tell you," she whispered. "I would've preferred you never knew."
"So you're not going to tell me?" Nikita demanded.
"Leave me alone," she said, turning away from him. "You've tormented me enough."
"And what about me?" Nikita demanded, surging to his feet. "For weeks — even months — I've been tormented by the thought that I would be kidnapped! That people whom I'd always believed to be my parents weren't! That they would've lied to me!"
"We did not kidnap you!" Mother shouted, the fury suddenly reawakening in her and bringing her to her feet. "We saved you!"
"And you lied to me!" Nikita snapped. "Everything I thought was true! Everything I believed! It all turned into grotesque lies before my eyes! Why would you not tell me!?""
. . . Nikita's mother threw him out of the house and told him to leave and never come back, and after crying while embracing for a time, Nikita left. Gavriila overheard General Moroyhanev make an announcement that would help them to embark on a quest for answers — although it would be dangerous no matter what.
Vaylizhenkivy: vaylihzhehnkeevee
Danyil: danyeel
The next post will be on February 26
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