RAVEN

CHAPTER 7

Governess Chandler

        The next day, the cloudless sky was a beautiful shade of blue.

        Ophelia sat in front of the mirror, dangling a pair of earrings near her ears; undecided on which one she should wear for the day. She donned a square-neck dress, the sleeves covering up till her elbow. Behind her, Viktor sat on the bed, flipping through a newspaper – 'May 28th' printed in blue letters on the front page.

        "Dear, what time will Madam Lucille arrive?"

        "After lunch, Lia." Looking up from the parchment, amusement rippled over his features. "Calm down. That's the fifth time you've asked me that question. What's bothering you?"

        Ophelia met the eyes of her husband through the mirror, before turning around. "We've hired over what – two? Four?"

        "Three." Viktor corrected.

        "Three governesses. And not a single one of them lasted more than a week teaching Raven."

        "Madam Lucille is different. She was the one who taught me since young. I believe Raven would be quite taken with her."

        Ophelia appraised her husband, trying but failing to assure herself that all will be well. From first-hand experience, she could understand how her daughter felt being taught by her private tutors. It was suffocating, to say the least.

        She sighed. "It's just – I don't want her to grow up the way I did. Having to follow every order, training to become a lady of my status. I want her to have a choice, something that I never got, to pick what she likes and enjoys learning without it feeling like a burden."

        "Just wait and see. Perhaps Madam Lucille might change her mind."

~ ♛ ~

        At three o'clock in the afternoon, Raven arrived at the door of her assigned schoolroom.

        Compared to the rest of the manor, the decoration was rather simple and understated. It was medium in size, with a wide window on the side showing the view at the back of the house.

        A wide red carpet in gold trimmings spanned across the whole floor, with bookshelves lining the walls and two desks and chairs placed in the middle of the room. On her right by the door, was a large chalkboard built for the tutor to discuss the lesson.

        Per routine, Raven walked to the back of the schoolroom to admire the painting hanging on the wall. Ever since she first saw it, she always found herself standing before the large canvas, entranced by the strong emotions the artist subtly hid amongst the bright splashes of color.

        It was a landscape painting of a woman standing on a tall cliff. At a glance, many would think that the woman had reached a point in her life where she was willing to give up everything to live one more day. That the painting symbolized a message of hope to live on despite what had happened.

        But to Raven, she felt that it was more than that. Her fingers traced the brush strokes on the canvas. The artist was angry at the world for letting them go through life.

        The woman in the painting was teetering on the edge of despair and reality. She was lost, and she had climbed up that tall cliff because she wanted to find a purpose. An anchor to ground her so that she wouldn't fall into the dark.

        Raven felt a deep connection to the artist L. for creating such a masterpiece. It was a pity though, that she might never get to meet him or her. The painting was created decades ago, from before she was even born. Who knew what happened to the painter after all these years.