Before A War Is Brewing
They were beautiful in an understated way. Agape had chosen well for Evangelina. The earrings that her cousin had sworn were perfect for her were just that. Evangelina stared down at the roses of beaten gold with pearl centers with just enough distance from the hook in the ear to dangle teasingly against her neck if she’d worn them. Agape had said they had been their grandmother’s but one would never have guessed that. The earrings were hardly dated. It proved true, quality could survive over time. Her fingertips traced the lines of one of the roses. Maybe I could borrow them again. Her fingers tightened on the earrings and with a reluctant sigh as she dropped them back into the small velvet satchel and drawled the strings tight. But it wouldn’t be this afternoon.
Without a glance into the looking glass, Evangelina slipped her feet into her sandals and checked her amber colored chiton. It wasn’t that she was being careless with her appearance, she simply was not putting her full effort into her presentation. Her caramel brown hair was in a simple fisherman’s braid and dropped over her shoulder. It’d be easier to just send the earrings back to Agape by way of one of the servants but if she were truthful. She was hoping Agape could pull her out of this slump she’d drifted. Every time she’d tried to do so, her desire to do so fizzled out before she reaped the benefits of pulling herself out of the shadows. Evie wouldn’t admit it but even she was starting to get sick of this… docile, mealy-mouthed, version of herself.
Evelli and her daughters were preparing to leave for the Egyptian meeting… the one that Evangelina had bowed out of at the last meant. Not that it had been any great surprise, she’d been doing that quite a lot recently. She was certain that her absences weren’t greatly missed with Evelli. She had her own brood to keep an eye on and one less girl was all the more attention that her own daughters would receive. She didn’t begrudge her aunt of that, one had to look after one’s self in this world and her aunt did her very best to look after brood. The only prick of pain was that her own mother wasn’t here to do the same for her, but Tino needed her more than Evie did. Or that was everyone said…
It wasn’t hard to slip out undetected in the organized chaos of the Georgio's daughters preparing. Once out she decided to stretch her legs, the walk to her Uncle Fotios’ mansion wasn’t really that far. Byrony followed quietly, lost in her own thoughts. It gave Evie time to let her thoughts linger on her mother. It’d been a few weeks since she’d heard from her and there was an ache of longing to be with her own parents.
At Fotio’s home, she had the servants let her in and asked if Agape was in her chambers. It wasn’t uncommon for her to just drop in on her cousins, after all, she’d grown up spending much of the time with Agape and Mel. She was close with Georgio’s daughters as well but Agape and Mel had spent their share of time at the estate in Acharist.
At confirmation that Agape was in her chambers upstairs, Evie smiled and started up the hallway prepared to return the earrings that Agape had lent her. Byrony had disappeared to speak with some of the other slaves leaving Evangelina to her own devices.
The sound of her name caused her to pause and turn around, her dark eyes glancing around until they landed on the person who said it.
They were beautiful in an understated way. Agape had chosen well for Evangelina. The earrings that her cousin had sworn were perfect for her were just that. Evangelina stared down at the roses of beaten gold with pearl centers with just enough distance from the hook in the ear to dangle teasingly against her neck if she’d worn them. Agape had said they had been their grandmother’s but one would never have guessed that. The earrings were hardly dated. It proved true, quality could survive over time. Her fingertips traced the lines of one of the roses. Maybe I could borrow them again. Her fingers tightened on the earrings and with a reluctant sigh as she dropped them back into the small velvet satchel and drawled the strings tight. But it wouldn’t be this afternoon.
Without a glance into the looking glass, Evangelina slipped her feet into her sandals and checked her amber colored chiton. It wasn’t that she was being careless with her appearance, she simply was not putting her full effort into her presentation. Her caramel brown hair was in a simple fisherman’s braid and dropped over her shoulder. It’d be easier to just send the earrings back to Agape by way of one of the servants but if she were truthful. She was hoping Agape could pull her out of this slump she’d drifted. Every time she’d tried to do so, her desire to do so fizzled out before she reaped the benefits of pulling herself out of the shadows. Evie wouldn’t admit it but even she was starting to get sick of this… docile, mealy-mouthed, version of herself.
Evelli and her daughters were preparing to leave for the Egyptian meeting… the one that Evangelina had bowed out of at the last meant. Not that it had been any great surprise, she’d been doing that quite a lot recently. She was certain that her absences weren’t greatly missed with Evelli. She had her own brood to keep an eye on and one less girl was all the more attention that her own daughters would receive. She didn’t begrudge her aunt of that, one had to look after one’s self in this world and her aunt did her very best to look after brood. The only prick of pain was that her own mother wasn’t here to do the same for her, but Tino needed her more than Evie did. Or that was everyone said…
It wasn’t hard to slip out undetected in the organized chaos of the Georgio's daughters preparing. Once out she decided to stretch her legs, the walk to her Uncle Fotios’ mansion wasn’t really that far. Byrony followed quietly, lost in her own thoughts. It gave Evie time to let her thoughts linger on her mother. It’d been a few weeks since she’d heard from her and there was an ache of longing to be with her own parents.
At Fotio’s home, she had the servants let her in and asked if Agape was in her chambers. It wasn’t uncommon for her to just drop in on her cousins, after all, she’d grown up spending much of the time with Agape and Mel. She was close with Georgio’s daughters as well but Agape and Mel had spent their share of time at the estate in Acharist.
At confirmation that Agape was in her chambers upstairs, Evie smiled and started up the hallway prepared to return the earrings that Agape had lent her. Byrony had disappeared to speak with some of the other slaves leaving Evangelina to her own devices.
The sound of her name caused her to pause and turn around, her dark eyes glancing around until they landed on the person who said it.