Alliance

Chapter 48- Revelare

Revelare

Latin

Confess

-

it droops down to the reaching hand

take it before it goes.

-

It was Peter's birthday, his would-be thirty-seventh, and the castle was hushed and grieving.

It was the same on all of the Pevensies' birthdays. The castle-folk had recovered and survived the loss and they went along with business as usual but on these days, on the days their beloved Kings and Queens would celebrate life- when their populace would celebrate their lives- the shadow of their sorrow would return. Work wouldn't cease fully- if Paravel stopped functioning, the lower towns would be in ruin by midday- but everything was muted. Quiet.

The usual bustle of the servants, the chatter which filled hallways, even the chirping of birds- it was all silenced. Most of the servants had the day off- only the cooks remained- and the army had a break as well, Orieus not being able to help remember the first day he had meet the High King, then a scared fifteen-year-old, and unable to ignore his pain. The running of the land continued, the clerks and courtiers the Queen had hired working as they usually did, but they knew that if they decided to go home halfway through, no one would stop them.

It was a day of mourning.

Selene wondered why her mother seemed so distant- even more than usual. She wasn't cold towards her- towards any of them- she was caring and warm and loving and always there if they needed her. But the distance, a sense of loss was wrapped around her all the time. She knew her mother hid it and controlled herself, but despite her best attempts she was too far away- from her, at least, emotionally. She knew Sanya tried, she truly did, and she loved her- but they couldn't have the bond they wished to. Jem was the first child, and he was adored- and Seraphina was the youngest and was doted on- but Selene was neither.

Not to mention, she was her father's daughter- in looks and even in temperament, so she felt. Of course it would pain her mother to even look at her, let alone bond with her.

But that didn't explain why Sanya had been reading the same page for the past hour.

She was far too old to be read to, of course- being ten now- but she allowed her mother to do so, every afternoon and night. Sanya read to all her children every night- to Seraphina first, then Selene, and even Jem- and then she would tuck them all in (though the eldest would loudly proclaim that he was almost sixteen years old and didn't need to be tucked in), before heading to bed herself. Selene was the only one who was read to twice and it often irked her but she herself be read to, because she knew just how important it was to her mother to have this time with her- a time she used to enjoy with her father.

"Amma." She said loudly, and Sanya looked up from the book. "Surely even you aren't oblivious enough to not realise that you've been reading the same thing the entire time?"

Sanya blinked quickly and looked down at the page.

"I'm sorry, Selene." She said, rubbing her eyes. "I just- I don't know, I don't feel well."

That was always her go-to excuse.

"It's fine, why don't you go rest? I'm capable of reading myself." She said, forcing her voice to remain polite. She had grown up too fast, and felt older than her age, but she still was enough of a child to not want a scolding from her mother.