particularly small orphan. “I don’t mean to pry, but what’s the matter?” Victoria took a sip of lemonade from a cup she had picked up on her way to Grace. “It’s just…” She paused, uncertain of how to put what she really wanted to say, in the most delicate of terms possible. Sister Katherine had not yelled at her, but the disappointment radiating from her had been enough. Most surprising of all, was that Victoria had actually felt a moderate amount of shame, and she couldn't exactly put her finger on why. Only a short time ago, she hadn’t cared what Sister Katherine thought, but for some reason, one that Victoria had yet to discover, her opinion now mattered.
“ It’s just…I never knew that this whole other world existed.” She tilted her head in Raela’s direction, and Grace nodded, apparently surmising what she meant. “I want to be a part of it.” Grace nodded again, her brown eyes filled with consideration. “And my parents. They’re part of that world too. I didn’t know I had any, or that anyone here had any, for that matter. I just feel cut off.” “Lost.” Grace finished for her.
Victoria looked up, as she had been looking at her feet while she admitted all of this to Grace. It wasn’t that she wasn’t comfortable with Grace. She was as comfortable with Grace as she would be with anyone she knew, but voicing her feelings out loud made her feel exposed.
Grace seemed to understand her sentiments, as her response was not overly sugary and “sympathetic." Instead, she just shrugged her shoulders, eyes focused on the leg she was wrapping, and remarked, “If you’re so interested in this other world, it’d serve you well to take a visit.”
Victoria sat there for a few more minutes, taking in the advice Grace had given her. It wasn’t a bad idea. It was all so simple, really. Sister Katherine had told her the other night that nothing was stopping her from visiting the city. If that was the case then, why was she still here? She sat up straight, her mind racing. It was nearing dusk, and the sky was just faintly tinged with pink. She could see buildings rising up, blocking her view of the rapidly sinking sun. It seemed wrong, somehow, that the city itself had grown to the point where it was blocking the most beautiful thing in the sky. But, Victoria supposed, the city must have a beauty of its own, or else no one would want to live there.
When the sun had finally set, Victoria hurried back to her room, and put on her night robes. If the Other Sisterhood wasn’t going to come a calling, she’d have to find something else to do in her spare time. That something else, Victoria thought, with growing excitement, would be the city. She wasn’t sure if Sister Katherine would try to stop her from going, or worse, accompany her, but she wasn’t taking any chances. Victoria fell asleep, planning to leave even before the sun could rise the next day.
V.
It was just before dawn when Victoria awoke. She spent several minutes rifling through her closet, looking for something suitable to wear. She wasn’t sure what “suitable” meant, to the city dwellers, but she was almost sure that black robes, down to the ankles, weren’t considered stylish. After a few more minutes of indecision, Victoria settled for her robes, intended for the Other Sisterhood. They were just as long, but the silky material made them look more…desirable. And for the length, she could fix that.
Victoria pulled her dagger from the nightstand by her bed, and in one languid motion, cut several inches of length off her robes. She peered closer, inspecting her handiwork. It was a bit ragged, but it would do. She slipped the robes around herself, and took a cursory glance at the nearby mirror. A smirking version of herself stared back, insolently. Victoria’s robes were now just above her knees, and her hasty knife styling’s actually seemed to work in her favor. The robes fell at an angle, creating a diagonal slope up
“ It’s just…I never knew that this whole other world existed.” She tilted her head in Raela’s direction, and Grace nodded, apparently surmising what she meant. “I want to be a part of it.” Grace nodded again, her brown eyes filled with consideration. “And my parents. They’re part of that world too. I didn’t know I had any, or that anyone here had any, for that matter. I just feel cut off.” “Lost.” Grace finished for her.
Victoria looked up, as she had been looking at her feet while she admitted all of this to Grace. It wasn’t that she wasn’t comfortable with Grace. She was as comfortable with Grace as she would be with anyone she knew, but voicing her feelings out loud made her feel exposed.
Grace seemed to understand her sentiments, as her response was not overly sugary and “sympathetic." Instead, she just shrugged her shoulders, eyes focused on the leg she was wrapping, and remarked, “If you’re so interested in this other world, it’d serve you well to take a visit.”
Victoria sat there for a few more minutes, taking in the advice Grace had given her. It wasn’t a bad idea. It was all so simple, really. Sister Katherine had told her the other night that nothing was stopping her from visiting the city. If that was the case then, why was she still here? She sat up straight, her mind racing. It was nearing dusk, and the sky was just faintly tinged with pink. She could see buildings rising up, blocking her view of the rapidly sinking sun. It seemed wrong, somehow, that the city itself had grown to the point where it was blocking the most beautiful thing in the sky. But, Victoria supposed, the city must have a beauty of its own, or else no one would want to live there.
When the sun had finally set, Victoria hurried back to her room, and put on her night robes. If the Other Sisterhood wasn’t going to come a calling, she’d have to find something else to do in her spare time. That something else, Victoria thought, with growing excitement, would be the city. She wasn’t sure if Sister Katherine would try to stop her from going, or worse, accompany her, but she wasn’t taking any chances. Victoria fell asleep, planning to leave even before the sun could rise the next day.
V.
It was just before dawn when Victoria awoke. She spent several minutes rifling through her closet, looking for something suitable to wear. She wasn’t sure what “suitable” meant, to the city dwellers, but she was almost sure that black robes, down to the ankles, weren’t considered stylish. After a few more minutes of indecision, Victoria settled for her robes, intended for the Other Sisterhood. They were just as long, but the silky material made them look more…desirable. And for the length, she could fix that.
Victoria pulled her dagger from the nightstand by her bed, and in one languid motion, cut several inches of length off her robes. She peered closer, inspecting her handiwork. It was a bit ragged, but it would do. She slipped the robes around herself, and took a cursory glance at the nearby mirror. A smirking version of herself stared back, insolently. Victoria’s robes were now just above her knees, and her hasty knife styling’s actually seemed to work in her favor. The robes fell at an angle, creating a diagonal slope up
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