So far, with the exception of perhaps one day, Octavia had found the island to be an overall pleasant place, and she would have been lying to say that it wasn't due, in part, to the absence of one particular person.
One person who was now standing on the path as she rode by in her new litter.
"Oh, Juno's mercy," she swore, eyes wide in her incredulity. The litter stopped at her command, and with a look of displeasure on her face, she swung her legs over the side of the cushion so she was sitting upright, suspended just slightly off the ground. "Mother?"
"Octavia," Atia brushed back her hair, trying to sound calm and collected. She would have managed were in not for the fact she knew not where she was, nor what sort of creation her daughter was atop of. Still, it would not do to show her confusion, least of all to her daughter.
Atia pulled herself to her feet, her breath still catching some. "What sort of trick is this. Come, get us back home. Now Octavia, this foolishness is over."
Without realizing it, Octavia mirrored the gesture, running her hand through the hair that fell loose over her shoulders. "There's no foolishness, mother," she insisted, sounding already exhausted in having to deal with the woman. "And I certainly can't get us home, not even if I wanted to. This..." She sighed, and still unable to take her eyes off Atia, shook her head. "You're not going to believe what I'm about to tell you, but it actually is true."
"Stop with your silliness, I did not raise my children to lie to me. now get off that... Thing, and get us home." Atia sounded vexed, for she was. Vexed, and perturbed, and out of sorts. It was no matter, they would get home no matter how obstinate her daughter was.
"Have you seen Timon? I'll have him whipped. He let Servillia go. The gall of that man, countermanding my orders." She spoke as if she had heard none of Octavia's words. Troublesome girl.
"I'm not being silly, I'm not lying, I won't get off this thing or get you home, for that matter, and Timon isn't here," Octavia said, counting each thing off on her fingers as she spoke. If the mention of Servilia upset her at all, it wasn't visible; so far as she was concerned, she was over the ordeal altogether. "Do I even want to know what you had him do this time?"
"Nothing she did not deserve," Atia smiled, satisfied for a moment with what she had amanged. "Of course, with her escaped, and Timon... Who knows what she will try to bring down on us now."
Atia stalked to her daughter, grabbing the hand she was counting off with and pulling it toward her. "Whatever did I do to deserve such an ungrateful daughter. What do you mean you will not get us home? Why ever not?"
"Because," Octavia said, simultaneously wrenching her fingers free and pulling her legs back onto the litter, bent to her side, "it's impossible. You're on an island, mother, and no one can explain it, but once you show up here, you can't leave."
There, she'd explained it. "Now, if you don't mind, I'd prefer you find someone else to answer any other questions you may have. I've more important things to attend to." Namely, anything that didn't involve trying to tell her mother about this place.
"Now, listen to me you ungrateful wretch. Do not forget I am your mother. I can have you beaten as easily as Timon." It was fast, one moment she was only somewhat bothered, the next her temper had taken over.
Atia hissed the words at her daughter, leaning on the strangely suspended litter, "You will tell me just what you mean by all of this."
One person who was now standing on the path as she rode by in her new litter.
"Oh, Juno's mercy," she swore, eyes wide in her incredulity. The litter stopped at her command, and with a look of displeasure on her face, she swung her legs over the side of the cushion so she was sitting upright, suspended just slightly off the ground. "Mother?"
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Atia pulled herself to her feet, her breath still catching some. "What sort of trick is this. Come, get us back home. Now Octavia, this foolishness is over."
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Gods, this was going to be troublesome.
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"Have you seen Timon? I'll have him whipped. He let Servillia go. The gall of that man, countermanding my orders." She spoke as if she had heard none of Octavia's words. Troublesome girl.
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Atia stalked to her daughter, grabbing the hand she was counting off with and pulling it toward her. "Whatever did I do to deserve such an ungrateful daughter. What do you mean you will not get us home? Why ever not?"
Reply
There, she'd explained it. "Now, if you don't mind, I'd prefer you find someone else to answer any other questions you may have. I've more important things to attend to." Namely, anything that didn't involve trying to tell her mother about this place.
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Atia hissed the words at her daughter, leaning on the strangely suspended litter, "You will tell me just what you mean by all of this."
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