Chapter 204 Story time.
It took Severus a whole night in the underworld just to return and confirm all that the old deity had said, exactly as he said it. According to him, Lythia had matched the old deity's statements, word for word.
So, when she was having breakfast with her family, Scarlet was holding Justin's hand and treating him with extra love and more care than usual. Little Justin who had no idea about the anxieties in his mother's heart was simply opening his mouth like a baby bird and enjoying the sweet pancakes she was feeding him.
After breakfast, she insisted on carrying him personally to one of the buildings in the outer area of the main castle which had been built into a library. She had named it Maddox library, after the man who made her wealthy in the underworld and here.
Maddox library was constructed like a cave on the inside, the walls were white and the supporting pillars were of royal blue and gold. It was spacious, quiet and peaceful, a perfect place for solitude. When she could, she would put in an aquarium, perhaps that was all that was missing in this beautiful place. With the technology of the interstellar, physical books were not very common so the tradition of reading one was just picking up speed but slowly, like a snail thousands of miles away from the ocean.
To grow the reading culture, she was starting out with the children, once a week every Wednesday after breakfast, the children would be brought to the castle for story time with the governor in Maddox library. It should have been a private event but Mr. Rodney decided to turn it into a live broadcast.?Scarlet who wanted to sell physical books agreed when she calculated how much she could make.
There were about thirty children here today, sitting together closely in a enclosure that looked like an oval pod. Looking at them, she smiled because they were chattering with excitement and playing with some kittens. The number was less than she expected but some were still in the hospital while other parents did not want their children to leave the house in winter.
"Great turn out." Beord said to her.
"Eh," she shook her hand back and forth to indicate that it was sort of great but not so much.
"Governor Scarlet," principal Stash a jolly older woman with a?butt chin came over to her and grabbed her free hand with so much excitement. "It's s nice to see you again governor, I was hoping that we would meet and talk when the school term was ended but your husband showed up instead. I have been revising the curriculum you gave us for the preschool section and I think some of the ideas are simply wonderful. Engaging the children in arts and crafts_"
"Principal Stash," Scarlet blurted out, then she lowered her voice and said, "Perhaps we should discuss this another time since we are supposed to be here briefly and some of the children might become antsy or tired. Maybe we should schedule a meeting with other teachers to discuss the curriculum." Scarlet at this point was just saying anything that would get principal Stash to keep quiet for a while. It was well known that Susan Stash could talk the ear off of any person if they let her.
"Oh, silly me, look at me, I just bubble on and on sometimes." Principal Stash blushed and fanned her face with her hands. It was her worst trait and she knew that at times, some people found it irritating.?She really did not mean to irritate the governor with her talkativeness.
"That's okay, I talk a lot too sometimes but it's cold." Scarlet reminded her, "You should cover up, put on your winter hat and gloves, I would not want you to fall ill. Our little children depend on you a lot, you are like a big tree for them but if you fall down where will they run to for shade?"
Principal Stash smiled hard and squeezed her eyes tight, "Governor," she said, sounding like a teenage girl that had been flattered by the teenage boy she had a crush on. "I am not that great."
"Yes, you are." Scarlet insisted.
"I like you principal Stash." Justin chimed in and made a finger heart.
Principal Stash smiled and replied, "I like you too Justin." she made a finger heart too. "I should go and settle them down." she pointed to the children and hurried away.
Beord bent Scarlets head down slightly and checked her ears, then he said, "I did not have to rescue you from Susan Stash and your ears are not bleeding. Good God that woman is a talker, I don't know how her husband does it."
"Maybe he enjoys it." Scarlet shrugged.
Beord gave Scarlet an inquiring look and he said, "You have never met Susan Stash's husband have you? He works for me you know."
Scarlet shook her head because indeed, she had never met the man.
"His name is Hub, Hub Leslie and I have never met a man more unwilling to talk than him. Everything you say, he grunts in return. Tell me how a man that is unwilling to talk married a woman that never stops talking. It's a mystery, one that warrants investigating." Beord continued looking on in the direction Principal Stash had walked.?She was talking to the children now, waving her hands around as they settled down.
All the children were waving back, settling down and obviously very happy to see her.
Scarlet replied, "As long as she is good to the children and they don't mind, all is well."
"Mummy," Justin wiggled in her arms and said, "I have to go, Bubu saved me a space."
She let him go and he run towards another little boy, one who was starting to look slightly chubby. He was well dressed and neat, in his arms was a small round blue ball.
"You have been watching your son with worry in your eyes since morning little sister, what gives?" Beord asked her. He was not the only one to notice this behavior at the table. Everyone knew that she was the kind of mother that hovered and maybe occasionally smothered her son but she was being extra today.
She sighed, and sent Justin a finger heart when he waved at her, "I just love him so much." she answered.
"And the love is boiling over today?" Beord asked in a voice that was laced with doubt and sarcasm.
She smiled mysteriously and tapped his back twice, "It boils everyday brother, you will understand when you have one of your own."
Since she couldn't explain her mythical worries, she used the same old line all those with children gave to those that did not have children. 'You will understand when you have your own.'
"It's time," Mr. Rodney yelled into a megaphone and other people held their hands over their ears when it made a loud screeching sound.
"Sorry," Mr. Rodney yelled into it again.
Scarlet meanwhile walked on to the small podium before the children, sat down on a comfortable mattress with pillows just as the children were doing and she asked them, "Kids, are you ready for story time?"
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