Chapter 53 – Pivot Point

Wherein Marissa points out the obvious.

Marissa was back at the redemption era house for dinner. She had invited herself when Rose had come to the library particularly distraught.

Since Midwinter, she had been to the Redemption Era house a few times, usually for dinner on a day that Rose was cooking. She loved to observe quietly as the women wove their magic, but more and more the last few weeks she had noticed them pulling on the magic instead of weaving it.

Marissa had wondered if she should say something about them pulling the magic to Rose. She said nothing so far, thinking it wasn’t her place. Besides, all seemed well when Rose played her violin, studying old lines of score Marissa had dug up from the library stacks, or when she composed something new; the Stable Song was simply amazing.

Valentina entering the dining room, pulling on the comforting blanket of home, decided the case.

After a satisfying meal, Rose walked Marissa to the curb, where a mechanised cab stood waiting. The mechanical bull was gently huffing up hot air that condensed to little puffs of smoke in the cold night. The driver didn’t mind waiting a moment longer.

"You know how each house has magic? And yours has a lot of it?" 

"Hmm hmm," Rose confirmed, she and Marissa had talked about it quite a lot. It had immensely helped in her understanding of magic, he nature of it, the making of it, on top of what she was learning during her Practical Magic Course. 

"You are all pulling on it, breaking it down."

"We are?" Rose hadn’t known that was possible, much less that she had been doing it. 

"I think…"  Marissa pushed her glasses further up her nose, speaking in a very gentle tone, "it's because you are unhappy." 

Rose frowned. The urge to defend herself was instinctual. She caged the words before they could escape.

"You know I'm right," Marissa said softly. "I don't mean to be rude or prying. Just... you should know. You can talk to me, you know, if you want."

"I know... I do..." But not about what really counted. That College turned more idiotic and weird every week it seemed. That she was struggling to make heads or tails of all the unwritten rules. She was close to failing her practicum classes, because she still couldn't compose the absolute pig-shit they wanted to hear. "I'm trying to stick it out at college until I have my road magic license."

"I know, sweetie. And you only have six weeks left. You can make it." College was the shorter route. Marissa put her hand to Rose's cheek. Brushed her thumb over the pretty rounded cheekbone. 

Rose closed her eyes and leaned into the soft touch. "I'm failing my practicum course," she finally dared to admit in a whisper. "I was doing so well, but I couldn't keep it up. I couldn't... can't... play the crap they want me to play."

"It kills your soul," Marissa whispered back.

 "I can't stand it any longer. I can't pretend that that's me. The teacher's pet, radiant in the glow of appraisal."

Rose let herself be pulled into a hug. She wrapped her arms around Marissa’s slender yet sturdy form. As she was held, she shuddered. Rose pressed her face into Marissa's shoulder. 

"I hate school. I hate it. They're insane. The teachers, the students conforming to every odd rule. I hate that it makes me doubt my every thought. Maybe I'm the one in the wrong. Maybe up is down and down is up. Maybe I should accept that. Maybe that's the only way this is going to end is if I give in to the madness."

Marissa tightened her hold. "You don't really believe that, honey," she murmured softly. "You will never forgive yourself if you give in to their demands."

"But it's so hard!" Rose cried plaintively. 

"I know, honey. I know." Marissa gently rubbed up and down Rose's back.

Rose wailed softly. "I just want to be done. I want to learn from actual people, not these... these... puppets and clowns." 

"Soon, honeycomb, you'll have your road magic license and you can go wherever you want. Do whatever you want."

Rose nodded silently. This was the encouragement she needed. A sanity check that helped her feel calm in both body and spirit.  

"Thank you," she said, creating some space between them without fully letting go.

"You're welcome." Marissa looked deep into those soulful brown eyes. "You're an amazing musician. Don't let anyone tell you differently."

Rose bit her lip, but nodded. Marissa heard her sigh and felt her relax. "You are," she urged. "Don't stop playing what you want to play. Charm the teachers with your composition. I know you can do it." 

"It's frowned upon."

"But not illegal."

Rosa Rose's frown knitted her dark eyebrows together into a single waving line. 

Marissa giggled over the pensive expression. She couldn't resist pressing a soft kiss to a round cheek. "Good night. See you in the library."

Rose watched the cab turn the corner of the street, footfalls of the mechanical bull softened by specialised rubber pads, and disappear from sight. Still, she stood in the evening chill.

With a sigh, she turned around to behold the house that was her home. 

It was neat. It was clean. It was much larger than her childhood home. She wasn't as adept at noticing the magic as Marissa was, but she could sense some of the threads. Marissa had been right. They were taking away from it. 

Now was the crux of them; Bosra, Valentina and herself. They determined whether to sow the seeds coming together or falling apart. Bosra and Tina were her family. Family took care of each other. Family did not let sleeping dogs lie for the sake of comfort. 

Breathing in deeply, the cold night air filling her lungs, Rose marched back in. 

 Valentina was sitting in the exact same spot as before, curled up in her chair in the salon. Her teacup sat on a nearby side table, untouched. Going by the sounds, Bosra was in the kitchen, cleaning up. 

Rose sat down on the very edge of the sofa, an original art piece that was just casually used in this household. The princess gave no indication of having noticed Rose. 

There was nothing for it. 

"Tina?" Rose asked, hearing the shake in her own voice. "Tina?" she repeated softly when the first time didn't draw a reaction from Valentina. 

Like in slow motion, Valentina turned her head, blinked, then a questioning look spread over her face. "Yes?"

"This marriage to Lord Elvendale, it’s not good for you, is it?" 

Rose saw Valentina try to perk up, try to put up a front, just as she herself had wanted to do with Marissa not too long ago. "O-of course it is." 

Rose decided to bridge the gap the coffee table forced between them, sitting down on the edge of said piece of furniture. "What are you most excited about?" Rose asked gently, catching Valentina's shifty gaze. 

Valentina blinked again. It was such a simple question, yet it felt like her chest was cracked open. Pain poured forth like red hot chocolate fudge from a lava-cake. 

The sob that wrecked her body left her speechless. 

She couldn't breathe, couldn't stop sobbing. 

She clawed at her chest until Rose grabbed her hands. 

"Shh... It's okay, honey." 

Warm arms enveloped her, held her up as her body convulsed violently. Withheld emotions were fighting their way out. Rose held her through her screams and her tears. 

The clock struck ten. 

That was the first thing Valentina truly noticed again. 

She felt like the fairy-tale princess that left the gala in a hurry, but the enchantment was already broken, and there was no glass slipper left behind for a handsome prince to find.

She looked up at Rose, into those doe-brown eyes. She saw compassion and understanding, kindness. 

"I... I am sorry for..." she heard herself say. 

"You are forgiven," Rose interceded. There was nothing to forgive, but saying that wouldn’t convince Valentina.

They were both quiet. Valentina wiped her nose and her eyes on the sleeve of her blouse in a very unladylike fashion. 

"She done crying?" a deeper voice askedfrom the hallway. 

"Yes. All safe," Rose and Tina remarked together, before bursting out into giggles.

"Made tea. Come to the kitchen." Heavy footfalls removed themselves from beyond the doorway. 

Valentina let herself be helped up by her friend. She smiled awkwardly, apologetically. 

Rose squeezed Valentina's fingers lightly. This was good. This was needed. 

The eggshell had broken and the chick could now grow into a beautiful bird. If Valentina was a bird, she would definitely be one of the golden pheasants. They were beautiful, graceful birds that roamed the Wold-Sea and were protected from being hunted by Royal decree. 

Bosra was in the kitchen, cleaning up after tea. Pupper came back in now that Tina had gone up to bed, and enveloped her in a hug. Bosra wrapped her arms around Rose with a huff.  

"’s Okay," Bosra said, stroking Rose's arm. 

"I know," Rose replied. "But I thought you could use a hug." 

Bosra exhaled slowly. Rose was not wrong. 

"You want more tea?" She felt better if she could do something. 

"Sure." Rose let go. 

"Heard you talking to Tina."

Rose waited for Bosra to continue. There had been a lot of crying going on, but in between sobs, Rose had tried to get some words in.

"'bout Happiness." Bosra poured rum into their cups before filling them up with tea and adding a spoonful of sugar to each. "When you're leaving Splendor, I'm staying."

Pupper reached out for her cup, sliding it towards her over the sturdy kitchen table. She inhaled the steam rising from the cup. "I figured that. You're like my pa. Growing roots. Deep and sturdy, so you can finally grow toward the sun."

Bosra made an affirming noise. She’d forgotten that Pupper had an adventuring pa and that she was farm-raised. Rose had taken well to city life. 

"I will miss you."

"You too, Pupper." 

"Best Friends Forever though. You're never leaving my prayers."

Bosra laughed. A deep belly shaking laugh. "You've been hanging at Bardic too much."

"I know," Rose sighed, frowning into the clear amber brew.

Bosra heard something she had missed before. This time she hugged the Pupper. "Sorry it's shit."

"Yeah... Wishing it was different won't change anything." And Rose was not in any position to change anything. 

"Heh. No. You gon' come by the stables tomorrow?" 

"Sure," Rose agreed. She liked being at the stables. "How's Beast doing anyway?"

"Better. Some." Bosra picked up her own cup. She felt like it was her time to share, but there wasn’t anything anyone could do something about. "Waiting for his owner to return."

"The horse, or you?"

"Me." Bosra downed the contents of her cup in one go, scalding her mouth as she did so. "Ain’t nothing gonna come of it, Pupper," she added as Rose smiled with a certain twinkle in her eyes.

"If you say so," Rose replied gravely, patting Bosra’s arm. 

~

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