A Shift in the Winds

Chapter Ten: As The Story Unwinds

Augusta was sitting in one of the finer drawing rooms, having a cup of tea. All was calm.

Or, well, it was.

Until George burst through the doors, nearly knocking several paintings from the walls due to the fact that the door slammed back into said wall.

"YOU HAVE A LOT OF EXPLAINING TO DO!" he screeched, approaching his mother and restraining the oddly powerful urge to strangle her. "Why the hell didn't you tell me about Rosamund, and WHY THE BLOODY HELL have you been...feeding me up or whatever? Trying to make me fat? Insecure, so you can CONTROL me?"

Augusta blinked, and a strange expression came over her face. "Oh, so that's what this is. That freak is trying to convince you that...that I, your loving mother, am trying to...to hurt you? And you believe her? Oh, Georgie Porgie darling, I would never! Come here, dear. Sit down next to your mutter. Have some scones, and a cookie or two."

George's eyes narrowed, and he took a step back, tensing up. 'Not sugar...no. Don't let her get to you through that.' Rosamund grabbed George's hand in an attempt to comfort him. "Stay cool, calm, and collected. Don't let it get to you."

"Oh, so you're going to try and control him now, are you?" Augusta shot back, staring at the two of them.

Annie began to get very uncomfortable under her gaze, and she desperately wanted to tell her to stop. It was freaking her out, and her fingers began to twitch. 'Don't panic. Don't flip out. She's just looking at you; it's nothing to obsess about.'

George diverted his attention from Augusta momentarily, to look at Rosamund. "Are you alright? Annie?"

She nodded slightly. "It's—it's nothing."

Augusta laughed, a nearly maniacal sound. "She's lying. She was different, strange, from birth. When the two of you were born, you screamed your head off, Georgie. But Rosamund? She was silent. Completely silent. And then she'd cry at the strangest times, seemingly about things that just annoyed her. She still does, I can tell you that. You can tell by just looking at her, the little wimp. And then there was the teleporting. She'd just...disappear and reappear at the other end of the room. Freak."

Her harsh tone elicited a small cry from Rosamund Ann, who crumpled into a heap on the floor. George jerked his head back up, staring darkly at his mother.

"Out. Now."

The Queen Mother blinked again. "What was that?"

"I said, get out. Before I throw you out of the palace. You no-good, faith-breaking, trust-defying, family-destroying goddamn bitch," he growled, balling his fists. "Insults are not welcome here, and neither are you."

Recoiling as if she had been struck, Augusta recollected herself and swept out of the room. Just as she reached the door, she paused. "Since evidently you don't want me, I shall move out on my own, back to Friedenstein Castle in Gotha. I'll let you deal with your own...big problems." A smirk on her face dark enough to scare the devil himself, she left the room, leaving George and Rosamund in her destructive wake.