liber scriptus proferetur

[jovahs_heiress]

When Ariel is six, Isabella judges that she is ready to hear about Things, and sits her down.

She starts the same way she did with the elder girls:

"Have you noticed that your daddy and I seem to be able to do some things that other people can't?"

Comments

[carillons]

Ariel contemplates this, then says, "It's good you got him away, then."

[jovahs_heiress]

"Yes. So, those are the broad strokes of the story."

[carillons]

"And it's secret from people who don't know it," says Ariel. "And you and Daddy and Alleya and Keziah and Damaris know it. And Nathaniel but he's not here."

[jovahs_heiress]

"And Serah, and Caleb, and Daniel, and Elisha, and Alleya's children, and Delilah but Delilah only found out recently so she is still adjusting and hasn't decided how to tell her husband yet."

[carillons]

Ariel nods.

"Okay," she says. "I won't tell anyone who's not one of those."

[jovahs_heiress]

"Thank you, treasure." Forehead-kiss.

[carillons]

She smiles.

[jovahs_heiress]

"Do you have any questions?"

[carillons]

She thinks about it, and then shakes her head.

"Not now," she says.

[jovahs_heiress]

"All right. And now that you know," Isabella adds with a wink, "if you think of something that should be solved with magic that no one who doesn't know about it would notice, you can tell me, and I can fix it." [And you can tell me privately, like this. Everyone who knows about magic can do this.]

[carillons]

[Okay!] says Ariel. [I will.]