(A/N): We're back in 1967 with Amelia. Is it still technically the 'Little Leo' arc, now that Leonides is no longer really part of it? Hey, remember when this was meant to be only a few chapters long? Yeah...

October 18th, 1967

Amelia

It was hours before we heard anything; long after the muffling charm wore off, everything was still eerily quiet. This was not quiet like a library, but quiet like a morgue... and that, almost more than anything else, made me fear for Leonides's well-being. There had come a point where Miasenna could no longer tolerate sitting still, even if doing so meant being held in my arms- although maybe that had been part of why she was eager to be free- and we had pivoted to what could very charitably be described as a French Lesson.

She was sitting on her bed; her back against the pillows at the head of it, another clutched between her chest and her drawn up knees. I was in what passed for a 'comfortable' chair in a house like this- meaning a stiff backed, barely cushioned, spindly legged show of wealth- reading from a book of French nursery rhymes. It was probably a bit below her reading level, but that was kind of the point- I was meant to be distracting her, not trying to push her to new heights. It was in this manner, that we were interrupted by a knock at the door.

I froze, my eyes stuck to the page in front of them temporarily before they darted to Miasenna. Her eyes were wide and full of fear, and when she squeezed the pillow tighter to her chest, pushing her mouth into the top of it, I honestly thought she might scream into it. The knock came again, and I closed the book. "Pas ta mère. Trop silencieux. Effrayé. Pas ton père non plus." She relaxed by a mere increment, and swallowed thickly.

"Come in," She didn't quite manage to pull off that cold, detached superiority that her mother was known for, but she definitely didn't sound like she'd been crying for the better part of the afternoon either, so I doubted that the house-maid that entered would be able to find fault with it- it took me a second to recognise Annette, and I wasn't sure if that was because I was distracted, or because her whole demeanor had changed.

Earlier, she had been rather heated, spurred on by her indignation that we were tracking mud all over her freshly cleaned floors- and even when she had calmed and simply seemed unsure of my intentions, she had still been collected... I suppose, as a member of the staff much like I was, she couldn't afford to let that mask slip. But if the look on her face and the way the crockery was rattling on the tray was anything to go by, it was certainly slipping now.

"...here, let me take that from you." I made sure not to offer to help her, since she hadn't been swayed by that earlier. Even still, she jolted slightly as I spoke up, and I saw a small portion of the tea slop over the side of the cup to the accompanying clink of it jumping in its saucer.

"I- thank you, Miss." It was abundantly obvious that she was shaken now, considering that thanking me meant that she saw this as me offering my assistance- despite the fact that I had tried to avoid it- and she was openly acknowledging that she was willing to accept said assistance.

"My pleasure, Annette." I barely managed to rescue the tray from her hands given the strength with which she was gripping it, but after I had set it down on Miasenna's bedside table, I turned back to her. She was wringing her hands, and I winced as I noticed how dry and chapped they looked- perhaps I could offer her one of my lotions... I shook the thought from my head. "Oh dear, you look positively dead on your feet-" She flinched, and I felt my heart sink, but I told myself it had nothing to do with Leonides. "-please, rest for a moment. Take a seat." She hesitated, and I patted the seat of the chair I had just vacated. "It would take a load off of our minds, I assure you- besides, this way, you can take the tray back with you once Miss Miasenna is finished with it."

Reluctantly, she sat- and then a second later, sank into it like it was the plushest sofa that had ever existed, and buried her face in her hands. Miasenna and I shared a look, then she picked a sandwich from the tray and started nibbling on the corner- as if only to make it appear as though she was making use of the spread that Annette had brought up, in order to appease her and hopefully prolong her stay, if she ever chose to actually look up.

"Is it dinner time already?" Miasenna asked once she had swallowed her small mouthful, in a way that I might have thought was completely innocent if I hadn't seen the hungry look in her eyes- and it wasn't abundantly obvious that it wasn't food she was hungry for, but information. Information about her brother, specifically, but every little bit was useful.

Annette managed to compose herself slightly, as if she had only just remembered that the youngest Joannis had eyes on her much the same as I did; taking a deep, bracing breath as she pulled her hands away from her face. She flashed Miasenna a small, not at all convincing smile, that I was sure was meant to be politely reassuring. "A bit past, I'm afraid, Miss." Her eyes darted to me, and I knew those words weren't just for Miasenna's benefit.

She was afraid. That's what she was saying- what she was trying to tell me, as subtly as she was capable. The only question was, did that fear have anything to do with Leo, or was it just a coincidence of timing? There was only one way to find out- but I doubted that Annette would be agreeable to a more open and forthright conversation, so I had to be careful. Or at the very least, provide her with plausible deniability.

"Has Master Leonides been provided dinner, yet? It's not as though he's in much of a state to make it all the way to the dining room- considering what happened to his leg, earlier." Her face had paled when I had mentioned him- which certainly wasn't a good sign- but when I had brought up his leg, her eyebrows had drawn together... almost like she wasn't sure what I was referring to.

"Mistress Joannis told us that Master Leonides was being sent to bed without dinner-" Annette cut herself off with her own jump, as Miasenna put her cup of tea down a little too hard. "I..." Her eyes darted back to me. "You said... something happened with Master Leonides's leg? I-" She glanced at Miasenna warily, before apparently deciding that it was worth the risk, and pushing onward. "I heard some of the other girls talking about what they overheard, when Aldin- the Head Gardener- came to fetch Mistress Joannis. Of course, I don't trifle with gossip, so I stayed out of it, but..." 'But is it true?' That was obviously the question she wanted to ask, but felt she couldn't- that was probably for the best, since I could practically see the fury crawling up his little sister's neck.

"While our Mistress hasn't seen fit to brief me on the official diagnosis, I firmly believe that Master Leonides's leg was broken- and the set of crutches he was using when I last saw him only lend credence to that idea." She frowned, and as she lowered her eyes, I flashed Miasenna a look. There was only so much I could do with a single look, but Miasenna seemed to understand what I was trying to say- that we needed not to risk alienating one of the only two people that might be willing to help us- and swallowed her anger. She would probably have to do that a lot in the future, unfortunately... I had never met a woman that hadn't.

"When she came to tell us we could resume our duties throughout the rest of the household," Annette started carefully, like she was trying not to say the wrong thing. "She was very clear that we should not, under any circumstances, try to interact with Master Leonides in any way, or even attempt to enter his bedroom." I felt my eyebrows furrow, and the look Miasenna and I shared was in no way covert- but I think even Annette knew that that statement was worrying enough to merit such concern.

"Has she ever-" She shook her head- no, I had figured as much.

"Not like this. Not so- usually, she just tells us 'no food', and never feels the need to force the issue more than that. It simply isn't necessary, so I don't know why she- it's odd, is all." She flicked her eyes at Miasenna, who was clutching her sandwich a bit more possessively.

"She's certainly in a bit of a mood, today- I do not pity Master Leonides his punishment." Miasenna flinched, but there was nothing I could do to avoid it. If Annette knew anything, then I needed to know it, too- I just wished I hadn't had to do this in front of Miasenna.

Annette, herself, winced. "I don't think it's Master Leonides you need to worry about, Miss." I felt my heart clench, and even as my eyes flew to Miasenna, I knew it wasn't her that Annette was talking about, either.

"Do you know what I might expect?" She hesitated, and a million thoughts filled my mind- pain, humiliation, losing my job, docking my pay, Nolan- there was no point pondering it though, so I fought to keep my gaze steady on Annette. If she thought I was panicking, there was a good chance she wouldn't tell me... and I could not allow that to happen.

"I... I think it has something to do with..." My heart stopped completely, at her next words. "...the gardeners."

(A/N): Amelia: 'I just wish I hadn't had to do this in front of Miasenna.'

Miasenna: 'No no, feel free to do it in front of me. I'm absorbing all of this like some sort of super spy kid sponge.'

Amelia: '...somehow that makes me feel worse about this than you flinching at me mentioning your brother being punished.'

Miasenna: 'Mission accomplished, me. Well done, me. You've earned yourself a sandwich reward, me.'

also

Annette: 'I don't think it's Master Leonides ('s punishment) you need to worry about, Miss.'

Amelia: 'Do you know what I might expect?'

Amelia: *worried about a whole host of different options, but above all else, Nolan*

Annette: 'I think it has something to do with... the gardeners.'

Amelia: '...and yet, somehow, preparing myself for it did not make it any easier to hear.'

also

Annette: 'Of course, I don't trifle with gossip, so I stayed out of it, but...'

Amelia: '...you love to gossip, don't you Annette?'

Annette: 'Oh, I absolutely adore it. Particularly when it comes to the rich snob family that we both work for.'

Miasenna: *conspicuous silence*

Annette: 'Uh, I mean...'

Miasenna: 'I believe it's called 'circulating the information pool', and my mother says it's one of the most important aspects of being a pureblood lady.'

Translations (French):

Pas ta mère. Trop silencieux. Effrayé. Pas ton père non plus. = Not your mother. Too quiet. Afraid. Not your father either.