Hellhounds of Providence

Lives Woven Entwine

Two weeks passed at a gruelingly slow pace in the Felswore mansion after the return of Elizabeth and Lucina. There was always a tension in the air that everyone had to watch out for if they wanted the days to remain peaceful. None of the servants dared to show Lucina disrespect, not out of a sense of loyalty to the Felswore name but out of fear of her wrath. Despite being only five years old, Lucina's magic was dangerously potent and her temper made her quick to anger to the point Charles' closest aides were voicing their concerns. During one of the first days of summer, Charles silently watched Elizabeth and Lucina leave in a carriage bound for Wortrest to attend the first social gathering held by Duchess Alice when another voice added itself to the choir. The head butler, an elderly man with grey hair, stood behind Charles as he spoke, "My Lord-"

"Are you also going to tell me to lock up my daughter, Henry?" Charles somberly asked without turning around. His expression was stoic and his eyes didn't leave the carriage until it disappeared beyond the horizon.

"No, my Lord, I believe Baron York was a bit extreme in his words because his second daughter is a maid in our mansion," Henry answered. "But, his worries are very much real: Lady Lucina's magic is abnormal. She not only commands an unusually strong affinity for gravity magic but she's also displayed rudimentary proficiency in all elemental magics, showing she's favored by both the Hearth Mother and the Storm Father. While this should be celebrated, Lady Lucina's temper is short, which has caused a few incidents already. We are lucky none of the servants have been injured, but if things continue like this, then it is only a matter of time before something happens."

"She's still never asked me for anything aside from learning to read and write," Charles sounded lost in thought. "Elizabeth is at least starting to talk to me again, but Lucina's..."

"My Lord!" Henry pleaded and stepped toward Charles, "You must-"

"What must I do?!" Charles sharply turned to Henry and held a face mixed with anger and sorrow. "Should I lock my daughter away mere days after attempting to right my wrongs of the past five years!? Should I force her to stop studying what she wants and tell Lucus to delve into magical theory when Lucina doesn't even know how to read a children's book!?"

"...I apologize, my Lord."

"Don't," Charles held up his hand and gave a disparaged sigh, "I've known you long enough to realize you mean well, Henry. It's just... I don't want to admit that it's too late to fix my daughter's heart and that I might still find a place in it."

"Please leave my sister to me, Father." Adam appeared in the doorway with a recently received letter in his hands.

"Adam?" Charles, for better or worse, was blessed with two talented children; Lucina excelled in magic, while Adam held a mind sharper than any of his peers. He knew Adam was sending and receiving letters from Wortrest over the past two weeks, and he looked confident as he stood before the Count. "I'm assuming you have a plan, then?"

"Yes," Adam reassured his father as he held his latest correspondence from Olivia, "I will make sure nothing bad happens, so please focus on fixing your bad habits."

"...I'm even receiving life advice from my son now?" Charles scoffed at himself for how pathetic he was. He turned back to the horizon before finishing, "I'll leave it to you, Adam."

"Thank you, Father," Adam said while giving a respectful bow. He knew Lucina's mood was worsening because she was surrounded by hypocrisy when all she wanted was to get away. Lucina needed to get away from the mansion to destress, which meant it was Olivia's time to shine.

***

"What is all this?" When my mother and I arrived at Wortrest, Olivia had immediately taken me out to a gazebo in the garden that was behind the keep. Since this was the first gathering of the season, none of the ladies brought their children which left Olivia and I to ourselves. The gazebo was built into a small water feature with a wooden bridge leading to it from the path. Waiting for us in the gazebo was a table filled with various strings, yarns, scissors, buttons, and different colors of cloth. Olivia seemed oddly excited.