Alvena, I am learning, is a city of extremes. Everything is bigger, is louder, is grander… It’s incredible, but it’s so different from what I am used to, from back home in Greenwood.
Oddly enough, dear reader, one of the few things that somehow does feel familiar has been staying in George and Alison’s, that is to say Lady Leland and her partner’s home. On my first morning in the capital, after a good night’s sleep, I crept down the stairs, not entirely sure of where I should go to find Lorenz. As I stood on the lavish landing, nervously looking around, I saw a pack of woofing dogs all bounding wildly towards me. For an instant I was terrified, but then they began jumping, and licking, and circling my legs, and I found myself laughing out loud; they reminded me of Flame at his most rambunctious, and I knelt down to pet them. Lady Leland appeared at the foot of the staircase and boomed that they had just been on their way to check in on me. She was followed by an elegant lady I did not know, and then by Lorenz. He looked at me with concern, but when he saw that I was smiling, he smiled back. So you see dear reader, it was then I realized that while this mansion was indeed a place of grandeur, there was also no need for ceremony here. Lady Leland asked how I had slept and insisted that I call her George —all her friends call her George. She presented the elegant woman as her partner the Lady Alison Marbury, and then she led the way back into the dining chamber so we could all have “a marvelous meal!” Lorenz offered me his arm, and Lady Alison quietly but graciously said “We’re so glad you’ve finally come to stay with us, Miss Sonya. Lorenz has told us so much.”
Throughout our breakfast, I took in every beautiful detail of the place: golden sconces, marble fireplaces, delicate china, and polished silverware. George and Alison offered me plate after plate of delightful treats, which I marveled at and savored gratefully. But as I looked, and ate, and listened, I could also see that George and Alison were as different as two people can be. Whenever George was loud and boisterous, Alison was quiet and reserved; where George was tall and sporty, Alison was lithe and thin, George wore trousers and ate toast; Alison dressed in lace and had cake… But I could also see that they both clearly adored each other, and they went out of their way to make me feel as though I belonged. Their home has become something of a refuge after our long days out in the bustling city.
On Alexander’s first day of testing, Lorenz and I rode out in George and Alison’s carriage to meet him and his father. Seeing Alvena in the daylight was a very different experience to that of the evening. From the balcony in my room, I could see the vast sea, and on this day the water sparkled in the sun. I longed to go to the shore and bury my toes in the sand, but I knew we must hurry, and as we rolled further into the capital, the view of the deep blue was overtaken by tall edifices of white and tan. The buildings stood in stoic splendor as hundreds of people, and horses, and carts all rushed around them. I was rather glad to be in the carriage with Lorenz, for I felt that if I were on the street I should be washed away by the crowd.
As we entered the imposing building known as The Chamber of the Barons, I held tightly to Lorenz’s arm. I knew everyone would stare at me. How could they not? I was as green as a spring leaf. But with all those richly dressed people, with all their eyes following me, goodness, it still made my heart pound! I tried to focus on what we were there to do. We quickly found Baron Rhodes and Alexander in a corner of the tiled hall and offered what help we could. Alexander was nervous, but not as much as I had expected. He breathed deeply and an expression of determination filled his face. As Lorenz talked him through the exams of the day —mathematics and history— I added the final touches to the remedy that I had prepared. While I was all nerves and anxiety, seeing Alexander’s face gave me the calm I needed to finish. I stepped into an empty hallway and drew from what I felt in him. I returned a few moments later to offer the golden remedy which he accepted with a smile and a nod. Then he and the other young people were being ushered deeper into the building where we could not go. Baron Rhodes gazed approvingly after his son, Lorenz smiled, and I… well, I wrung my hands and hoped he would find success.
He seemed quite relieved and energetic after his first day of exams, so I suppose it went well, and the following days have gone much the same way. In the mornings we meet Alexander before his test, Lorenz offers him last minute advice and reminders, and I give him some remedy: calm, determination, focus… Dear reader, it’s surprising, but I’ve noticed that there are other Impressional magic Apothecaries there too! I know it is not a wholly uncommon art, but I haven’t met another person who practices it since I lived in Larksville. It seems many of the well-off families can afford the extra help. But the way the other Apothecaries practice… feels so strange to me. I know Alexander well, so when I draw Impressions and mix them for him, it feels like I am helping my friend. But the other Apothecaries… they hardly look at or speak to their patrons, who seem to direct and command their creations. And the remedies they craft… I picked up the aroma of one and it felt like, goodness, like thunder and thorns! But not like feeling them, like… being them… I don’t know. It wasn’t at all the sort of remedy I am used to. The skill was evident, but it made me feel all wrong… I’ve never felt that before…
Anyway dear reader, after Alexander has finished his exams the time has been much more pleasant, for in the afternoons we go exploring! We went to a glorious rose garden full of every colored bloom imaginable. We went to the theatre and saw a play. Can you believe it? It was the faery tale of the water maiden! But my favorite so far has been the sea. While there are still so many people about, we walk down the shore away from the crowd, we take off our shoes, and we let the waves greet us. The cold water feels like a playful spirit grabbing at our heels in the sand. I made certain to gather up enough pink and white seashells for Elise and Davy, and Mary, and Mr. and Mrs. Hume, and oh goodness, everyone back home in Greenwood! The sunset over the wide horizon was breathtaking… with pearl and golden clouds, casting the light down in scattered beams upon the water.
Even with all this beauty, dear reader, I find myself tired out and overwhelmed at the end of each day. So many people, so many voices and eyes… It feels good to come back with Lorenz and spend the evening with George and Alison. We all sit before the great fireplace, they discuss the news of the day, and I snuggle with the dogs, who have become my good friends. One evening George asked me how I was enjoying the city. I sighed, and answered that I was enjoying. “It’s just…” I could not finish. Lady Alison, in a low voice said, “Alvena is a wild, splashing thing. It churns and swirls with life, but it can easily swallow a person up. One must hold to the peace within to survive.” And dear reader, she is right. As I lay in my bed, listening to the sea and its rushing waves, it does offer me some peace, but I need to find a way to hold onto that within myself. If I close my eyes, I can almost image that the sound is from the wind in the leaves, and that I am once again back in Greenwood.