The Triton

Chapter 20: Vivien

Rosann had walked me to the edge of my mother's study, and I knocked once on the door before it opened inwards. My second dress, this one a pastel blue with a tight, fitted bodice, pulled slightly on the edges of the door, and I tucked it behind me as I entered.

Rosann bowed and shut the door behind me, leaving my mother and I to the quiet of the Study beyond.

My mother looked up from her papers as I entered, her gaze softening as she took in my appearance. "Vivien," she greeted, a smile lighting up her face. "You look so beautiful."

"Thanks," I replied, smoothing the fabric nervously. "Not exactly what I'm used to."

She nodded, her eyes filled with a warmth that made me feel momentarily at ease. "You're adjusting beautifully. Come, sit with me."

I took a seat across from her, the cushions soft beneath me, pushing the petticoats as neatly as I could around me. Eleanora poured two cups of tea, the fragrant steam curling up between us. She handed me a cup, her eyes studying me with a gentle curiosity.

"How is your training?"

"Good. Day two of getting my ass kicked."

She did not laugh, but a small smile crossed her face. "Rosann has a way of pushing one to their limits, but it's necessary. Trust in his process. Do you have any questions, before we begin?"

I sensed the question behind the question, so clearly wanting me to ask about her, about our family. So I did.

"Can you tell me about Mera? What was she like?"

Eleanora's expression softened, her gaze growing distant. "I...I do not know where to even begin. Your grandmother was extraordinary, Vivien," she said quietly. "Mera was born with an innate connection to an otherworldly power, a gift that shaped her life and ours."

"What kind of power?" I asked, leaning forward, eager for more.

"She could influence and nurture life in ways that defied explanation. It was a part of her, as natural as fish in the sea. She used this gift to guide and shape our people, bringing them advancements in agriculture, art, language, and much more."

I listened, quietly.

"It was overwhelming at times, and she faced many challenges. There were those who envied her power, who sought to exploit it. The responsibility of her gifts weighed heavily on her, though she hid it well, far better than I ever could. She made it effortless, but nothing is effortless. There is no perfection born in a person, it is made, it is built. Even in her."

There was a pause as she gathered her thoughts, and I could see the strain in her eyes, a burden she carried that went beyond the legacy of her mother. "Protecting her legacy has been my life's mission," she continued. "Ensuring that the gifts my mother gave us are preserved and honored."

Her words hung in the air, heavy with unspoken emotions. "Does that ever get to you?"

Eleanora's gaze met mine, a flicker of raw emotion passing through her eyes. "Every day," she admitted quietly. "But I carry on because I must. For Mera, for our people, for you." Eleanora reached across the table, her hand resting on mine. I did not pull away despite the spike of nausea that twisted into a wicked knot at the warmth of her touch. "You're doing better than you know. You have my blood, her blood, and once the silt settles, the coral blooms."

"Tell me more about her," I urged, my curiosity driving me. "What was she like, beyond her power?"

Eleanora's expression softened, a distant look in her eyes. "She was compassionate, but she was also fierce, knowing when to choose one over the other. She loved deeply and fought fiercely for those she cared about. I like to think the power she wielded chose her because of who she was."