Chapter 9. Penumbra

Charlotte hung Vie's dresses over a chair. "This used to

be our Aunt Edith's room."

Vie looked out the windows and across the gardens.

On the writing desk next to the bed was a vase full of roses.

"Thank you for helping me settle in Charlotte."

"Your welcome. I have another sister in the house and

Nain Joan has another daughter to fuss over."

She hugged Vie. "Its ridiculous that we're in the middle of a

War and you still had to ask your Father's permission to

move in with us. You're almost a grown woman."

This tale has been pilfered from Royal Road. If found on Amazon, kindly file a report.

Vie's face warmed - she'd never been called a grown woman

before. Charlotte wiped the top of the dresser with a cloth as

she walked out the door. "Have a rest Vie, I'll go and make us

some tea.''

Vie yawned and lay on the bed. She looked around the room.

Even though she would never say such a thing out loud,

Charlotte was right - the War was the best thing that had ever

happened to her.

*

The raven perched high in the branches of an elm tree and

watched the house. A sudden gust of wind ruffled it's feathers

and swirled the leaves that lay on the ground.

The raven clacked it's beak and watched as the leaves rose

higher and higher into the air, then spun in a tightening spiral until a

single form emerged - a tawny Owl.

The raven bobbed it's head. "Freya."

"Honestly Antares," Freya said, "I know that some of us are

fascinated by the tawdry goings on of this age, but can't you

find anything better to do with your time."

One day, thought Antares, I won't have to put up with your implied

threats. Through a window he could see Vie sitting in her bedroom

writing at a desk. "There is something different happening here Freya."

Freya watched Vie for a moment. "Different? How? They're all cut

from the same cloth."

Antares could hear the contempt in Freya's voice. She and the other

members of the Senate, searched for any possibility of a divergence

that might threaten them.

It was a secret Antares harboured - the divergence had already occurred.

He'd witnessed it and was following it's progress.

"Perhaps you right, I'll look elsewhere."

"Of course I'm right." Freya said.

*