Work Text:
Amalia True leant against the windowsill and watched Penance Adair in the grounds below, flitting from person to person, and spreading warmth and hope that even Amalia herself found contagious and uplifting.
Amalia sometimes thought people gave her entirely too much credit for her role in Saint Romaulda’s. It was her name upon people’s lips and her face in their mind’s eye when they thought of the orphanage re-purposed to house the Touched. Though, in giving her most of the credit, it kept others from being targeted by the hatred of those who despised the Touched, and Amalia was much happier that it was she who bore the burden of that than anyone else.
Woe betides anyone who even so much as considered harming Penance; even the thought conjured a simmering rage that Amalia might choke on if she allowed it to go uncontrolled.
Even within the walls, however, Amalia got credit for holding the orphanage together, when she knew damn well that if it had been left to her alone, the tight-knitted bond between those who sought refuge within the walls would never have been forged.
For the spark of belonging and love that filled the corridors and rooms of Saint Romaulda’s, cast like sunlight from the cheery disposition of Penance Adair. Without her, Amalia might have amassed a group of terrified Touched who would do what she asked out of desperate need to survive; with Penance there, a family of sorts had grown.
One moment Penance would be talking with Harriet, eager to listen to Harriet’s out-spilling of her love of legal studies, even if Penance only knew just enough to keep up. Then, the next minute, Penance would be comforting Wendy after another bad night’s sleep, plagued by the nightmares of what her neighbours had threatened to do to her once they knew she had taken a turn.
All the children delighted in seeing what creations would emerge from Penance’s workshop; sometimes Amalia wondered whether Penance tried to build things just to keep the children amused. Certainly, some contraptions from the workshop had seemed more for effect than purpose.
Even Lucy Best — damn near torn apart in mind and soul by the awful consequences of her own turn — softened when Penance was near, as though the warmth of Penance’s presence seeped into everyone who was within her radius.
Amalia knew the effect Penance had on her when she stepped close; so, was such a thing so unlikely?
As though the woman herself had heard Amalia’s very thoughts, Penance stopped in the courtyard below and turned around, looking up to the window where Amalia stood. Amalia raised a hand feebly in greeting, feeling a little abashed at being caught watching Penance so intently.
Penance smiled, as brilliant and bright as always, and Amalia’s embarrassment fell away.
Penance kept the orphanage together and no-one seemed to give her quite enough credit for that. Amalia might have kept them all safe; Penance made them feel like they had come home.