Archive of Our Own ^beta

Chapter Text

“An elf?” Mara’s obnoxious tittering laughter filled Leandra’s bedroom three mornings later, which was when Leandra finally had the courage to tell her. Mara was Leandra’s lady in waiting but more importantly, Leandra’s best friend, yet there were times that she questioned her decision. She was a fair skinned fit woman with short chin length chestnut brown hair. Today, in honor of Leandra, she had on a black and red rose ruffle sticking out of a tiny spike of hair, with dangly red earrings and a chunky red stone necklace, that clattered against her rather plain red and black work dress that Mara somehow made look flattering.

Leandra buried her face in one of her many pillows, face burning as it had been the whole time that she had been describing her handsome dream rescuer, whose name had somehow escaped her. “Leandra Amell, do you have a secret elf kink?”

She threw one of her pillows at Mara, who expertly caught it with both hands. “It wasn’t anything like that,” Leandra jutted out a pouty lip. “He just happened to be an elf.”

Mara laughed and threw her pillow back, which bounced off of Leandra’s chest as she fumbled. “Don’t give me that. He was the literal manifestation of your brain.”

Leandra groaned and threw her head face first into her pillow throne, knowing that she couldn’t rebut that point.

Mara slunk up next to her like a cat waiting to pounce, her cat eye make-up swept over her unhooded eyelids, completing the effect as her lips stretched in a predatory smile. “And what did you say about that kiss?”

“Kill me,” Leandra muffled.

“No,” Mara put a polished pink nail on her chin, “I think it was ‘I didn’t know that I could get so wet so quickly.’”

Leandra flung at Mara with a pillow, which she parried with her own. “I regret telling you.”

Mara bowed her head mockingly. “Pardon, my lady. I’m only repeating what I heard.”

Leandra’s shoulders slumped as she lowered her pillow, all amusement from the earlier moment left as Mara saw the look on her face. “It’s just…I’ve kissed Guillaume about 5 times now and not once did it feel anything like that.”

Mara lowered her gaze sadly. “It was a dream.”

Leandra looked at her best friend, searching her face for honesty. “But will I ever feel like that with Guillaume?”

Mara looked away and Leandra couldn’t tell if she was just choosing her words carefully or if there was something that Mara had been hiding from her. “Maybe. Things can change.” Then she threw on one of her signature devilish grins and said, “But if you want, you can always have some hot elf side piece.”

Leandra nudged her playfully, rolling her eyes. “Mara…”

“I’m just saying. Men never keep it in their pants. Why should you?” Mara threw up her hands in mock innocence as she slid off the bed and to Leandra’s spacious closet, before she looked back and said, “except Gamlen. I told him I’d pickle his pecker if I catch it in another woman’s vagina.”

Leandra shook her head in laughter, when a flash of red caught her eye through the closet. On a mannequin was a red maria clara gown with golden embroidery of the Amell sigil pouring from the bodice and cutting into the gown. The sleeves were huge and puffy with a modest sweetheart neckline, her mother’s specifications. It had all the makings of the perfect Amell betrothal gown and Leandra was not feeling like wearing it. Somehow it felt like everything was too real. In one short month Guillaume would take her name and be Lord Amell, like her father before her. She would become the true heir of House Amell, and though Guillaume himself was a delightful, kind man, she found that she felt nothing for him. 

They had been destined to marry since childhood, arranged matches by their parents while they were still playing hide and seek in the maze gardens of the Viscount’s palace. He never raised his voice, was always patient, even when she was stubborn, and was a wonderfully attentive listener. From her friends, to her parents, to the local Chantry mothers, all insisted that Guillaume and Leandra were the perfect match, and yet a small voice, that was steadily getting louder and louder, was telling her that someone out there was waiting for her and she felt like she was waiting for him.

Perhaps the man, whose name was just on the tip of her tongue, was not who she was supposed to be with, but the kiss they shared had awakened a longing in her, that had only gotten more desperate. She had attempted to have the dream again, even going so far as daring to dip her toes into the ocean, as if she could find him somewhere out there in the water, but those beach walks only resulted in the usual strange dreams, which lately have been of hosting tea parties with nugs who are also Guillaume’s and her children.

What her subconsciousness was trying to tell her, she couldn’t say, but she did know that she would be wearing that dress tonight at her betrothal to Guillaume de Launcet, hotel mogul, heir to billions. Suddenly she wondered if she could milk her mysterious “fever” a little longer and escape tonight.

Before she could mull much further, Mara had plopped back down on Leandra’s bed with three dresses draped over her arm. “So what are we feeling like today?” She held out the first one, the flowy fabric sweeping into the air and ruffling in it’s lightness. “Your Mother picked this nice floral the other day. She really wants to see you in it.”

Leandra tutted at the thought, her mood too sour to be in something so sunny, and before she could even speak her thoughts Mara discarded it on the bed, saying, “You’re right. It was pretty until I mentioned your mother.”

Leandra gave an undignified snort as Mara laid an inappropriately short powder blue party dress with a see-through pattern running down the stomach and an open back over her work dress. Mara could wear all of Leandra’s dresses better than her, in her humble opinion and her friend wasn’t shy about raiding her closet. Leandra rolled her eyes but all her annoyance was feigned. “Is that for me or for you?”

“Weeeell…now that you’re asking, I was thinking this might be a cute dress for my big date with Gamlen.” 

“Big date?” Leandra asked with true interest. “As opposed to other ones?”

Gamlen was Leandra’s little brother and Mara had been dating him secretly for about 2 years, though since the Hartlings have always served the Amells, the flirtation had been going on since they were children. Gamlen would yank on Mara’s pigtails because he couldn’t think of a better way to get her attention. Mara gave as good as she got, though, and on one occasion, slugged Gamlen right in the eye after a playful, but unwelcome, yank. Leandra’s parents were furious and wanted immediate action on whoever laid a hand on their child, but Gamlen never told a soul how he got the black eye. The only reason Leandra knew was because Mara told her.

Gamlen’s manners had gotten a bit better since boyhood, but he still had terrible impulses. Gamlen’s parents were terribly hard on him, whereas Leandra could seem to do no wrong. He also had a habit of drinking and gambling, which had got him into all sorts of trouble. Mara had a way of leveling with him, bringing out the best in him. It was Leandra who told Mara that she had a crush on Gamlen before she knew it herself. And it was Mara who taught her what love could look like. She learned what loyalty was. What acceptance was. If she was being honest, she was jealous of what Mara and Gamlen had, but she would never let it show.

The smile on Mara’s face could make flowers bloom. She hummed and did a little twirl, which was a habit of hers when she was nervous. “I think…” she started slowly and then met Leandra’s gaze with a look of mixed uncertainty and then excitedly spilled, almost too fast to understand, “he’s going to tell your parents about us.” 

Leandra smiled broadly, feigning surprise, even though it was her who kept insisting that he take that step. “I knew he’d come around.”

“Right? He just has a thick skull. Sometimes it takes awhile to get through,” Mara laughed. 

Leandra’s smile strained as she tried to think of a way to bring up her next subject. She knew her parents would be against it at first, but she also knew once they could see how much they cared about each other, and a few dozen good spirited debates with Leandra in Gamlen’s and Mara’s corner, that they would understand that they were meant to be together. She didn’t want Mara to think that her parents didn’t love her, or that she wasn’t welcome by the family, but the Amells have always been staunch traditionalists. But surely the compromise had already been made. Leandra had already secured the family’s future by marrying Guillaume. There was no need for a second political marriage. 

“Mara…you know my parents love you, right?” she began.

Mara smiled, though it seemed more strained than Leandra was comfortable with. “Of course. Your mother says she can’t live without my crab cakes.”

Leandra chuckled politely before biting her lip. “This might be… a difficult change for them.”

“You mean the Amells aren’t going to throw me my own betrothal ball?” Mara touched her chest in a joke too snarky not to register the disdain in her voice.

Leandra squeezed Mara’s hand and said, “Gamlen loves you and so do I. You’ve always been family, and one day I know we’ll be sisters for real.” Then she nudged Mara with her shoulder. “And if they don’t come around we’ll just have the wedding without them.” Leandra said it like a promise, because it was.

 “Hold your horses,” Mara laughed. “I’m just telling your parents that I have and will continue to see your brother naked.”

Leandra groaned, rubbing her eyes in an attempt to wipe the image from her mind. “Please don’t mention you and my brother naked.”

Mara’s laugh was like a comforting song to Leandra’s ears, one that she couldn’t help but join in. Then Mara did what she did best and spoke the thoughts that Leandra could never dare to aloud, “Are you having second thoughts about Guillaume? Because we live in the Dragon age and you’re a modern woman. You don’t have to go through with this.”

Leandra desperately needed to hear that, but she hid her face as she answered, “No, of course not. Guillaume is wonderful. He’s the perfect gentleman.” She wanted it to be enough. She willed it to be.

 Mara twisted her face in a comedic frown. “He could lose the mustache.”

“Mara,” Leandra protested with a laugh though she agreed. “It’s distinguished.”

“Well, he’s your man. If you like it,” Mara chuckled.

Leandra thought of how that should make her heart flutter but instead it was plummeting like a shot bird. Mara’s lips thinned at Leandra’s expression, but even if she wanted to say something, she decided against it. 

“Well, I might have a dress that might suit that foul mood.”

---

The great antique oak clock that sat in the spacious but professionally decorated dining room ticked like an executioner tapping his fingers against the blade about to cut off Leandra’s head. She could feel her Mother staring daggers into her clothes and considering the way her fork was tapping along on her plate, she was seconds away from saying something. She then set aside an uneaten bite and smoothed a strand of graying black hair, which was fixed into a braided bun with an Amell crest pin. She wore the expected house color, red, in a perfectly tailored dress with bold black embroidery, but light and airy enough that it was perfect for a day of hosting.   

The greying woman, Bethann Amell, took a cloth napkin in her hands to dab her red lipstick and cleared her throat to announce that she’d like everyone to pay attention. Leandra gulped, realizing that the chop was about to come. Her mother turned to her father, who seemed to be the odd one out of the family with his much paler skin and eagle-like nose, that balanced a pair of smart, calculating glasses. While the rest of the Amells shared dark locks, his greying hair was blond as the sun and defied his slick gel in lifting tufts. He was busy reading emails on his phone as he stuffed his face with marinated beef from his plate of tapsilog, too absorbed in his work to pay attention.

“Lord Aristride, dear.”

He glanced up from his phone, the light reflecting on his glasses. “Yes?” 

“What do you think of Leandra’s dress?” her mother tutted, with a look of feigned innocence.

Leandra tried not to be annoyed as she noticed a small smirk form on Gamlen beside her, but he made no effort to defend or condemn her.

Lord Aristride blinked a few times and stared at Leandra’s dress in confusion for a few seconds before he resumed his work. “She looks lovely.” 

“Thank you, Father,” Leandra hid her smile in a sip of orange juice.

“Will you pay attention to something other than that phone?” her mother scowled from across the table and pointed with her chin. “Where are her house colors? She looks more like she’s going to a funeral rather than to her betrothal ball.” 

Lord Aristride gazed down at Leandra’s dress in concern for the first time. “That is a lot of black, sweetheart.”

She was, in fact, wearing only black; a lace cardigan over a short tulle cocktail dress. She had almost asked to borrow one of Mara’s black lipsticks, but she knew her parents would not think of that as an appropriate makeup and thought better of it. She cut into her eggs nervously and blurted out what she had rehearsed in her head when she made the decision to wear the dress. “I’m going to Aunt Revka’s today. I wanted to be respectful.” 

At that, all noise in the dining room stopped, except for the antique clock’s tick, tick, tick.. Aunt Revka, who was actually Leandra’s cousin, was not a subject to be brought up casually. Of her four children, three were discovered to be mages and sent off into different Circles. Her husband left her after her second eldest, Robert, w as discovered and after her third child, Isaac, manifested powers and was taken, she had been in a state of perpetual mourning. It was a huge scandal that reminded the rest of Kirkwall’s nobles that the Amells had once come from a proud family in Tevinter, ages ago before this land was named Kirkwall.  

At the heavy silence, Leandra felt a deep guilt for bringing up her unfortunate cousin, but nothing she was saying was a lie. Leandra made it a point to do weekly visits to her cousin and when her tea session landed on her betrothal ball, she never thought about moving or cancelling it. She knew that she was perhaps the only one of her family to make an honest effort of keeping in touch outside of social events.

“That’s very thoughtful of you, sweetheart,” Aristride nodded before returning to his phone.

Her mother’s lips turned into a thin line but she returned to her breakfast, turning her ire to another target. “And you better not embarrass us tonight, Gamlen. It’s Leandra’s big day.”

 Gamlen flinched as if he was hit, and Leandra quickly snapped back, “Mother, Gamlen is not an embarrassment.”

 “Please,” her mother tittered, holding in her laugh with a delicately wrinkled hand that defied age-cream moisturizers. “After bungling his engagement to the Baudelaire’s he’s been nothing but an embarrassment. The least Gamlen could do is just let you do the talking, dear.”

Gamlen’s broad shoulders slumped and Leandra went to squeeze his hand, but he shook it off with a flash of anger in his blue eyes. His square jaw tensed, and the thick lines of his neck tightened as he clenched his fork. “Don’t worry, Mother, I’ll stuff my face like I’m good at,” and to prove that point he scooped a heaping pile of fried rice into his mouth and chewed with loud wet smacking noises. 

Her mother and father sighed together, her father pinching the bridge of his nose while her mother looked up to the heavens in a pleading prayer.

Leandra thought quickly of a way to salvage the situation. “Actually, Gamlen is coming with me to see Aunt Revka today.”

Gamlen looked at Leandra with as much surprise as their parents. “I am?” he asked, causing Leandra to give him a swift kick under the table.

 Gamlen grunted and glared, his beaky nose flaring. 

“Yes,” Leandra’s smile was all teeth as she pleaded with her eyes for Gamlen to play along. “Aunt Revka was saying how much Colette missed you two painting together.”

And there it was, a smile of surprise, more than anything else, but a smile nonetheless. Their parents shared a look, and then turned to Gamlen. His mother’s dark eyes softened at her son for the first time this morning and her father actually put down his phone with a resolute nod. “Good for you, son. It’s important to take care of the family.”

It was a sweet moment until her father added, “Even if they’ve brought shame to our house.”

Leandra’s genuine smile turned bitter and she scooted her plate away, food still half-eaten. “Well, we’re running a little late, aren’t we?”

Though Gamlen was slow on the uptake, he was quick to find any reason to get away from his parents. “I’ll go get my art supplies.”

Leandra took that cue to rise with him, though unlike him, she waited with her hands folded for her parent’s dismissal. Both her parents rose to join her, and crowded her in a three part hug just as Gamlen slammed the door. If her parents noticed, they made no sign. Her father tousled her bangs with a kiss to the forehead. “We love you and are so proud of what you’re doing today.”

Her mother took a pack of concealer, Leandra’s lighter tawny beige color, and applied the powder to where her father kissed. “Now don’t mess up her makeup on her big day.”

Leandra rolled her eyes at her mother, not sure if marrying someone should warrant such a response. “Mother, it’s just Auntie. After that I’ll be back. No one will care about some smeared foundation.”

“Still,” she noticed her mothers dark eyes were misting up as she arranged her bangs to be perfectly in place. “Appearances.”

Leandra was subjected to at least one more hug from each before she could meet Mara and Gamlen at the town car. Her driver, an older elven gentleman named Senhel, was already waiting for her. He had been with the family since her great grandpa was alive. He was a friendly, chatty man with red hair and bright gray eyes, who liked to watch people and talk to strangers as he waited. He always told Leandra the most fascinating stories about the things he saw. His favorite stories to tell were of being a key witness to neighborhood robberies, which he was on three separate occasions, but most of his gossip was about who got a dog, whose kids are growing up and what the neighbors were fighting about.   

The older but still fit man hunched his back in a bow and took off his cap in greeting as he spotted Leandra coming off the steps of her mansion. She noticed that Senhel was perched near the porch rather than near the car. “Is there a funeral today? I missed the memo on the dress code,” he joked in his usual chipper manner.

 “Not yet,” she grinned back. “But it’s still morning, isn’t it?”

“Hope it’s not mine,” the man chuckled as he pulled on his suspenders. “Got the big 5-0 coming up with my Mister.”

Leandra’s heart ached in envy as she saw the huge grin on his face. “That’s next week, right?”

Somehow the man’s grin got wider. “You remembered.” He then placed his cap back on, and adjusted it to the right angle without looking. “It was real sweet of your fiance' to host me at his hotel. It’s really going to make the night special.”

Her smile froze at the mention of her fiance’ but Senhel was thankfully not as observant as Mara and found nothing amiss as he continued, “You and Guillaume are a story for the bards, I tell you.” He waggled his finger playfully. “I remember when little Guillaume was only yeigh high,” he gestured to his hip. “How attached he was to you the first moment he laid eyes on you. You were inseparable with your little matching outfits.”

Leandra’s face burned as she thought of a young bored self listening to her mother and Lady De Launcet arguing over the cut and design of their outfits at the dress fittings. Leandra and Guillaume would always find a way to sneak out to raid the kitchen for snacks and Leandra would no doubt be scolded for getting icing on her dress. She did recall those memories with a certain warmth, and they had always shared a kinship of overbearing parents that had only groomed them for success. Suddenly she thought of how she could share that warmth with him, even if it wasn’t the type of song she dreamed her life might be about.

She swallowed down her fears and forced a smile as genuine as she could manage. “Thank you, Senhel.” 

“For what?”

 “For reminding me I should be grateful.” She nodded resolutely. She would not give any more voice to these doubts. She would not ruin her future over wishy washy feelings. 

He gave a friendly pat on her shoulder, his hands knotted and wrinkled. “We all need a little reminder from time to time.”

Leandra turned to let herself into the car.

“Wait, wait, wait.” Senhel hurried in front of her and towards the car. At first she thought it was at Senhel’s insistence of propriety, but that’s when she noticed the car was slightly rocking.

He banged on the window with a scowl on his face. “Alright you hooligans, Leandra’s here so knock it off!”

Gamlen’s strained muffled voice answered from inside. “Just a minute!”

Leandra’s face burned bright crimson and she tried and failed to not imagine what was happening in the back of that town car, her brain short-circuiting at the brazenness of it all. She could never imagine wanting somebody so much that she could forget such social etiquettes like public decency. She was just grateful Senhel was quick enough that she didn’t catch them in the act…again.

“Apologies, my lady,” Senhel looked at Leandra sympathetically. “He gave me a sovereign to leave…and like I said, my anniversary’s next week.”

Leandra cleared the tightness from her throat. “Quite right.”

Senhel marched to the trunk and popped it open, which caused Gamlen to yell from the backseat, but Senhel ignored him. “I think they packed a towel somewhere and I always keep cleaning supplies handy 'cause…your brother,” he chewed on his last words with a mutter.

Leandra couldn’t meet Gamlen’s eyes the whole time Mara and he chatted away, but he seemed to prefer that. She was holding her breath, trying not to take in the overbearing scent of air freshener, that was not doing as great a job as Senhel claimed. Mara was wearing the skin tight blue dress, now ruffled, her stomach poking through the lace. Leandra would find a casual way to let Mara know later that she could have the dress, for even if she washed it a thousand times, she would never be able to scrub out the memories.

Mara and Gamlen were busy trying to find a restaurant to hit up before they spent the day on Gamlen’s yacht, and while Leandra politely answered when Mara asked questions, she found that being surrounded by such lovey dovey nonsense was quickly nauseating. Every casual pet-name, or inside joke, or kiss that bordered on makeout was a reminder of something she didn’t share with Guillaume. She was used to third-wheeling with Gamlen and Mara, and though she was trying to convince herself that she could accept not marrying the love of her life, she couldn’t help but imagine how, in a year or two from now, she would give up her best friend to her brother on the Chantry steps in front of a crowd of the city for all to celebrate. And it would actually warrant a celebration.

Senhel pulled the shiny black car up to the Amell's lesser estate, which was a grand, but much smaller, mansion with high white walls that were dull and in need of a wash. The manicured yard was filled with a different variety of roses lining the black iron gates that fenced the property in. They pulled into the driveway, which was much more cramped than Amell's outrageous main estate.

Gamlen gazed at the estate with a look that could be construed as pity as he peered at the windows that had red curtains blocking out most of the light. His face twisted in a frown, “I don’t really have to go in there, do I?”

Mara nudged him with a look of annoyance. “Ducky, would it kill you to spend an hour with your niece? We did pack the art supplies.”

Gamlen took Mara’s delicate chin in his aristocratic hands. “Sure, but wouldn’t it be more fun if I painted you, Sugar Lips?”

 Mara giggled as he pulled her in for a kiss. Leandra held in gag as she tried not to imagine what that meant. “It’s alright,” she said quickly, hand already on the car door. “I have to discuss some details of Aunt Revka’s case anyways and it might bore you to tears. You go on ahead.”

 “Are you sure?” Mara asked, placing a hand on Leandra’s knee, searching her face for the truth.

Leandra placed her hand over Mara’s and squeezed back with a smile, grateful that she had a friend who loved her so much. “Truly,” she swallowed the bitterness she felt and said, “Have a splendid date.”

Gamlen relaxed back into the leather seat, his arm cradling Mara closer, a satisfied smirk settled on his lips. “Have a nice visit,” which he somehow made sound sarcastic.

Mara shot him a warning glance before letting go of Leandra’s hand and patting her knee. “Tell me all about it later.”

Leandra made her way to the white spacious porch and knocked on the stained glass decorated door. It only took a few moments for a frail mousy woman with a maid outfit in Amell colors to answer. Her face immediately brightened at Leandra’s presence.  

“My lady, you’re early,” her sharp green eyes wrinkled into a smile.

“Hello, Deanne,” Leandra smiled warmly, stepping into the darkened foray.

She barely got through the door when a delighted shriek and the pounding of footsteps echoed upstairs. “Auntie! Auntie!” A little girl with a matching red bow and dress and a run in her stockings careened through the house like a tornado and soon began hurrying down the stairs.

Another older woman, who everyone called Nanny, was much slower and held her lower back as she walked as fast as she could without jogging.

This house used to be bustling with servants but the staff had been reduced to just Nanny and Deanne, except for Carl, an elf who was their gardener and only worked on weekends. The estate’s allowance was reduced to save money, since most of the staff believed the family to be cursed, and Revka preferred to only have those around her who were already loyal to the family.

“Miss Colette! What did I tell you about running in the house?” but the girl was already halfway down the stairs before Leandra saw a familiar gleam in her eye.

“Auntie! Catch me!”

“No, Colette, we talked about this!” Leandra said, but the girl had already launched herself, her wavy free flowing brown hair streaked through the air, her tiny arms outstretched freely as she giggled in delight. Leandra stepped up without thinking and caught her midair by the waist, almost tripping in her heels as she careened backwards. Thankfully, Deanne was there to steady her before the momentum could tip them both over.

“Now, Miss Colette!” Nanny scolded, as she made her way down the stairs with difficulty, shuffling down each step with a creak of her knees. “What did I tell you about jumping off the stairs?”

“But I wanted to fly!” Colette put her arms out like a plane leaning backwards so that Leandra quickly lost grip.

“Colette!” Leandra shouted as she quickly re-caught her, Colette giggling like it was the funniest game. Leandra quickly put her down before she tried again. “Humans can’t fly. You’re going to hurt yourself doing that.”

“When I talked to Isaac yesterday he said that mages can fly.” Colette put her hands on her hips. “I want to be a mage. Mages can do anything! If I was a mage, I could visit Isaac every night and maybe Anna and Robert, too.”

Leandra shared a look with Deanne and Nanny. While Isaac, Colette’s older brother by two years, was close in Kirkwall’s Circle, Anna was in Ostwick and Robert in Markham. Revka and Colette visited as often as she was allowed, traveling from Circle to Circle,  but even for all of the Amell's power, Revka could only take Colette once a week, to only one of her siblings after Mass on their day free of study. Leandra planned to change that.

“Colette,” Leandra straightened her lopsided bow and patted her head. “Do you want to let your mama know that I’m here?”

“She’s drinking her special tea in the garden,” Colette said and darted off to the back of the house.

Leandra quickly said goodbye to the two women who seemed to be relieved to be able to go back to work, and walked quietly through the house, passing pictures and relics of what used to be a rather large family, now reduced to two. She walked through the living room, which was large with a warm smoky fireplace, the room filled with all sorts of games that the children used to play: Robert’s toy military airplanes modeled in exact replicas, Anna’s porcelain doll collection that stayed dusted on the shelves, and Isaac’s colorful toy garbage trucks. Her parents were horrified that Aunt Revka allowed Isaac to have such toys, but Isaac thought that the machines were really cool and wanted to operate one when he grew up. All of Colette’s coloring books and sketch pages were scattered on various surfaces and pinned to every spare wall.  

Leandra walked up to a sliding glass door to a white wooden deck that overlooked a garden. At a lavish tropitone on the outdoor patio, Revka Amell was nursing a pot of tea, her cup no doubt spiked. The garden was the only place kept light and airy, an array of roses and posies and hyacinths and other colorful flowers decorated the small field cut into view by the other mansions of Hightown where Colette would play. She was a plumper woman, her drooping cheeks giving her the impression she looked frailer and older than she was. Colette was already at her mother’s knee, the bouncing bundle of energy a stark contrast to the slow, dazed way Revka sat up. She smiled weakly at her daughter, clutching her tiny hand as she talked to her.

“Can I get the special cookies we got for tea, today?” Colette bounced on her heels.

“Do you need any more sugar, little bird?” Revka smiled weakly, her brown eyes dull of the life that she used to have.

Colette pouted a reddish brown lip. “But we picked them out together.”

Revka patted Colette’s cheek, her smile for once serene. “Well, it is a special day. Go on.”

As soon as Colette disappeared back into the mansion, her smile turned somber as she turned to Leandra. “Hello, dear. Congratulations on your big day.”

“Thank you, Aunt Revka. I’m truly blessed by the Maker to have met such a fortunate match,” Leandra smiled thinly and nodded, seating herself, knowing Revka was past the point of caring if Leandra adhered to the little rules of propriety.

“I’m afraid I’ve gotten word from my lawyer last night,” Revka sighed and put down her teacup as Leandra poured a cup for herself. “They can allow the phone sessions and video calls but they say there’s no room in the Chantry’s policy to allow blood relatives to be in the same Circle.”

“That’s ridiculous,” Leandra dropped the teacup from her lips before she could take a sip. “We are staunch loyalists who have donated fortunes to the Chantry. Can they not make room in their policy?”

Revka lifted the cup back up to her lips. “My lawyer says that if they allow one rule change, they’d have to allow others and apparently they don’t want to open that door.” Revka looked like a broken rag doll, her shoulders sagging into the art deco chair for support.

“Then we can find whoever does have the power and convince them to help us,” Leandra stood up and set her teacup down so forcefully that the liquid sloshed over the side and onto the plate below. “It’s too early to give up!”

Revka’s face twisted in pain. “Don’t be naive, Leandra. We can’t stand against the Chantry,” Revka’s hands trembled, her teacup starting to clatter against the plate. “I thank the Maker every day for their mercy to allow Isaac to remain close. He still hasn’t even lost all his baby teeth, but I have to focus on Colette. I can’t lose her, too.”

Leandra reached out and steadied her hand with a comforting squeeze. “You won’t.”

That’s when the tears that Revka had been holding back spilled out of her eyes.

“I caught her talking to herself again last night.”

A beat of worry passed through Leandra, but she tried to not let it show. “Children play games. I had all sorts of imaginary friends as a kid.”

Revka rubbed her reddening eyes as she sobbed. “She’s showing signs like the others. Sometimes I’ll come out here in the morning and find the areas where Colette played in bloom with flowers that I know my gardener didn’t plant. And you remember the crow?”

Leandra nodded solemnly. There was a crow that had followed Colette around for a week and the girl insisted that it had lost someone. At first everyone thought that it was make-believe, but it turned out Lord Loiusoix had gone out of town on business that month and one of his pet crows had gone out to search for him. The crow incident was not to be talked about in front of Revka or to anyone else for that matter, but it still weighed heavily on the house’s mind.

Leandra took one of Revka’s hands. “Auntie, please believe me when I say you’re not in this alone. If Colette has magic, we’ll figure it out.”

Revka nodded, comforted by her words even if she didn’t look like she believed them.

They heard the sliding door open again and Colette came walking beside Deanne carrying a tray of colorful assorted meringues. At the sight of her mother’s face she abandoned Deanne and rushed up to her mother, her tiny doll-like face twisting in worry. “Mama, are you feeling sad again?”

Revka wiped her tears and sniffed, taking a napkin and dabbing her eyes. “No,” she replied, forcing a smile. “Mama is happy you’re here now.”

“Then I won’t go, ok?” Colette hugged her mother on her chair, though it wasn’t exactly lady-like how her skirt flipped up, but no one there made any comment.

Deanne was already setting the plate of meringues on the tropitone and as soon as she did, Leandra nodded, “Thank you, Deanne.”

Deanne smiled back and nodded at them before dismissing herself.

“Do you want a cookie?” Colette twirled her finger in her hair, still cradled in her mother’s arms.

Revka smiled and picked up a meringue, breaking the flaky crust in half. “I don’t think I can finish it. Do you want to split one?” 

“Sure!” Colette beamed and grabbed her half eagerly. Revka took a moderate nibble before setting it down next to her tea while Colette shoved the whole thing in her mouth.

Revka laughed, a sound Leandra wished she heard more often. “Silly bird, that’s not how a lady eats.”

Colette smiled, the pink goo of the meringue coating her teeth, which caused Revka to laugh again.

 The rest of the tea session went just as pleasantly. They colored a few pages together and then added it to Colette's growing gallery of paintings, which were starting to look stronger each day.

Most of her personal drawings were her doing magic with her family. Leandra could start to recognize some of the faces of her brothers and sister. Revka held strong as Colette explained each piece until it was time for Leandra to get ready for the ball, and Leandra suddenly felt like eating glass.

“When can I go to a ball?” Colette held onto Leandra’s skirts as she walked her out, Senhel already waiting in the driveway. 

“I attended my first one at 14. It won’t be that far away, don’t worry,” Leandra tucked some stray hair behind the girl’s ear and kissed her forehead. “Now don’t go jumping off the stairs, you little monkey.”

 “But you always catch me,” Colette hugged her thigh as she looked up at her with big brown eyes.

Leandra rolled her eyes in an exaggerated fashion that made Colette cover her mouth in a naughty giggle.

As she stared down at her niece she felt more determined than ever. She would do whatever it took to make sure her family was together again.