Title: Chronos
Author: EmilyTane
Rating: K
Summary: She betrayed them all! How could her sister do that to them? No! She wasn't their sister anymore! She betrayed them. She betrayed all their values, their parents but worst of all, she broke her promise, betrayed their vow.
Author's Note: I wrote this in a creative writing class we had at school some time ago. I think the start of the 20th century is a really interesting time. In some way it is still a really traditional world but it is also a time of great change.
Disclaimer: Everything is mine. I took the inspiration for the sister from the Black sisters of J.K. Rowling's series. The date on which this is set was the day World War One broke out. Emperor Franz Joseph of Austria-Hungary declares war on Serbia and Russia after Archduke Francis Ferdinand heir to the Austria-Hungary throne and his wife were assassinated by a Serbian Nationalist in Sarejevo a month previous.
Chronos
She betrayed them all! How could her sister do that to them? No! She wasn't their sister anymore! She betrayed them. She betrayed all their values, their parents but worst of all, she broke her promise, betrayed their vow.
But she was their sister.
It had always been the three of them. Strong, brave Percy with her long curls of ebony. Always there to protect them and never shy with the boys.
Gentle, loving Thea, so similar in her looks to Percy but so different. Where Percy made snide comments and sometimes cruel jokes about her, Thea brushed her hair and whispered stories of dragons and mermaids in her ear.
And then there was herself. Bonny, perfect Chari as her sisters called her. She had the fragile look and the blond hair from her mothers side of the family, while her sisters were Fraser without any doubt.
But now it was only Percy and Chari. Forever Percy and Chari only.
I have always felt like I don't really belong there. Well, maybe not always but still for a long time. When we were little Percy was the ball of my fathers eyes. She wasn't the son he wished for but her behavior came close to one. And he let her. Maybe because he himself pretended that she was a boy. He went riding with her, taught her to read and about the family traditions while for Chari and I he employed a teacher.
Because Percy already had father for herself, I yearned mothers attention. I wanted to be the perfect daughter. Always polite and charming. Graceful and beautiful. But that wasn't me. It was always Chari my mother dotted over. And I think Chari was always destined to be the perfect lady. But what about me? I wasn't a boy. Wasn't strong and fiery like Percy and I wasn't charming and graceful either. I was plain, studious Thea. I dreamed the day away with the books I read and the stories I made up myself. But when we three were together I belonged. We were so different yet like pieces of a jigsaw puzzle that only together made the whole picture.
It was a day of laughter and tears, of funny games and boring talks, a sunny afternoon and a stormy night.
We had our annual summer ball on the night of the northern solstice. The whole family and everybody who is anybody in England's society gathered in the afternoon under a huge pavilion in the garden at the back of the Fraser family mansion. During tea the men discussed politics, business and their latest deer-hunt while the ladies chit-chatted about social events and scandals. Everything was so pompous, perfect and plain boring.
There were no other children. OK, cousin Aiolos and Pan were but boys didn't count. We weren't allowed to play and it would have been totally impossible in those dresses anyway. Breathing alone was a hard task and so we were damned to sit there all afternoon, smile and look happy. Well I wasn't. Percy wasn't either. I could see how her fingers twitched and they crumbled the fabric of her dress only to straighten it a moment later and how her legs moved, eager to leave and go riding with our cousins. Even Chari seemed restless. Normally she was always eager to dress up and play the lady but I guess a whole day of smiling, gracious moves and softly whispered words wore her out as much as any eight year old.
I listened carefully into the talk our mother had with Lady Cameron to catch the right moment to interrupt without being rude. "Please excuse my interruption mother. May Persephone, Chariten and I go for a walk in the garden, please?" I briefly saw annoyance flicker through her eyes but she nodded gracefully. "Don't go to long and do not dirty your dresses." With that she looked back to Lady Cameron and continued their chat, not sparing us girls another glance.
Anxious but careful to behave as expected we left the pavilion and vanished into the garden. Just out of eyesight we hurried to the nearest bank and helped each other out of those huge and heavy dresses with all those buttons and laces to hold the dresses in place and prevent us from breathing in the fresh summer air.
Only in our underdresses, no one would notice being dirty, we ran around, basking and dancing in the last sunrays of the day. No one would remember our absence for at least a few hours.
Satisfied I let myself fall backwards into the soft grass. Two soft thumps indicated my sisters fell as well. I blicked into the colorful sky and with a soft, melodic voice I began to tell a story. I imagined Charis heartshaped face in front of my inner eye, a blissful expression on it while she listened intently to my story. Sometimes Percy threw in some comments and ideas but I knew she enjoyed my stories just as much as Chari. She always did. They just didn't have enough vile, bloody creatures in them for her taste.
"Lets make a vow." Percy's voice broke the silence that had settled around them. "What is a vow?" asked Chari curiously. My interest was peeked, too. "I just learned it the other day when father spoke to this man. You know the one in those funny clothes that didn't fit him. Anyway, it is some sort of ritual like a wedding where you promise each other something you have to hold for the rest of you life." "But we don't know any rituals. Wouldn't we need any magical objects or enchantments or something like those people in Theas stories have?" "Hm. I know. Come on, lets go!" Hastily we tried to follow Percy, who ran to the big Willowtree at the edge of our garden. "Come on. Look. We will stand around the tree. And there, where the branches meet. Can you see the knot? We can put our handy on it and speak our promise. That will make a proper vow, won't it?" Hesitantly but with growing excitement I helped her to find the right words for it. I'm sure our cheeks were as red as Charis when we put our hands on the knot. Percy started. "Do you vow to hold your sisters dearly for all your life, to always honor the noble and most ancient house of Fraser, to always be free, faithful and follow you heart?" "I, Leukothea Morgan Fraser, vow." "I, Chariten Rejane Fraser, vow." "I, Persephone Victoria Fraser, vow." Charis giggles made me smile and laughter found its way through my throat. Soon we were all laughing and chased each other back to the bank.
Tuesday, 28th of July 1914
They were seated around the huge oak table in the dining room. Grandfather Kratos sat at the head with grandmother Morgan. On the right hand side of him sat the heir to the Lord Fraser title. Percys father. Followed by her mother, Percy and her husband Alerio Cameron. Beside him were Chariten with her husband Lucien Campell and their little son James, who was only a few months old and lay in his crib behind their chairs. Alerios parents and his brother sat on this side of the table as well. The left hand side of the table was occupied by uncle Erebos with aunt Anika and their cousins Aiolos and Pan as well as unmarried Aunt Basileia.
By now Percy was long used to her absence. The disgrace of the family was never mentioned again after that day. No. She should not trouble her mind with thoughts of a stupid girl that got engaged with a Commoner. A nobody. But she could not stop the memories flooding her when she saw Alerio beside herself on her chair.
It was a day similar to the current one. The family sat around the very same table. All three girls beside each other. All together, young and unmarried. they saw their father and uncle skillfully and politely insult each other. The same topic as always. The heir of the family had not produced a heir himself but only three girls while his brother produced even two boys.
Her grandfathers words stopped them. His loud, strong voice demanded full attention and obedience. "Persephone it is time for you to know whom you will marry next year on your birthday. It will be Alerio of the noble house of Cameron." Percy smiled and nodded. She had suspected that the main topic at the dinner table that night would be her 21st birthday and consequently her marriage in five months. The Camerons were a pureblooded and wealthy family whose influence in England was nearly as high as the Frasers. And Alerio was nice enough, good-looking man. Percys thoughts got interrupted by her grandfathers next words. "It is uncommon but because you will see him quite often in this house in the near future I will tell you as well Leukothea. You will marry Alerios brother Trajan." Everyone was surprised by this announcement but seemed happy enough, except for the bride herself. Percy saw how all color drained from Theas face. 'Just the surprise' she thought.
"I will not marry that...that jerk!" The women gasped. Total silence. Then their mother: "Of course you will dear. Don't be silly. It is an honor your grandfather told you so early. And don't use any fool language especially not a the dinner table, young lady." Never before had Percy seen her sister that angry. But at that time she had hardly noticed because she was angry as well.
"Never do this, never do that" Thea mocked before she lost all composure and screamed: "I will do what I bloody like! It is my life and you will not ruin it with your stupid ideology!" After a deep breath she continued. An icy coldness had settled around her. "I will not marry Trajan Cameron or any other guy you think worthy. I'm in love with Teris Napier. He asked me to marry him and I said yes. Nothing you say or do will stop that." "You filthy little blood-traitor! No sister of mine marries a Commoner!" She was in rage. She neither saw her sisters hurt look nor her eyes begging her to understand nor the resignation in them.
"Enough! I will not tolerate this infantile behavior! You will do as you are told Leukothea Morgan! You will stay in you chambers until you are ready to see reason and apologize for you unbecoming behavior! There was no need for screaming Persephone. A little more composure if you will please." "Of course, I sincerely apologize grandfather" Thea seemingly wanted to say something as well but then she just turned around and left. It was the last time I saw her.
Her husbands words made her come back to the present time. "Would you like another glass of wine?" "Yes please. Chariten, how was your weekend in Plymouth? I heard the weather was really bad." "Oh no. Luckily it was dry and even a bit sunny. Oh, and what I wanted to tell you, actually everyone! My apologies is I interrupted anything but I have some really good news." "Yes. My dear wife is absolutely delighted to announce that she is with child." "Oh how wonderful! Lets make a toast to our second grandchild!" "Third." interrupted Aunt Basileia Percys mothers words. "Didn't you know that Leukothea had a child. A daughter by the name Hekate if I remember correctly. The whole town. No. The whole county is talking about it." Dead silence.
It was the 28th of July 1914 and all hell broke loose.
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