That night Mr. Palmer was still very angry. He wanted that document very badly. He would do anything to get it. He would do even worse things to get the source of that document. How could Laura have been entrusted with something so sacred!? In his fit of anger, Mr Palmer contacted his man in the government.
The government man was immediately agitated. Eitri writing had been found in the Noblis household!?
This was excellent! Everyone knew Eitri writing was a myth. However it was still written in the law that having such documents was forbidden.
He knew there was a special department who had been dispatched recently to observe the Noblis family. Their ward had run off during his assessment. He didn't know why this concerned the higher ups, and he didn't care.
What he did care about, was now the special department would have an easy way to demand entry into the Noblis Household. He was probably going to get a reward out of this.
…
…
Amistad dragged his wife and daughter back to the main family home. He was partially afraid someone might try to break into Laura's home. If they stayed there, someone might try to harm them to get the document. Even destroyed just having knowledge that the document existed was dangerous. People would do anything to get the source of such a valuable document.
Amistad woke up early the next morning. He looked at his tired wife in bed and let her sleep for a while longer. He knew Violetta was probably feeling extra bad right now, and so he decided to speak to her in private this morning.
He didn't want to wait for Violetta to wake up. Instead he went directly to her door and knocked.
Violetta heard the knocking and woke up. She had stayed up most of the night wondering just how she could have messed up so badly. How did she even get to her room the night before? She was so stressed her memory wasn't working the way it should. So instead of sleeping, she was retracing her steps. She didn't fall asleep until close to dawn. And now someone was knocking on her door. Couldn't they just let her sleep like she was dead? She turned her face into her pillow and tried to cover her ears. She didn't want to get up. How could she face her father?
"Violetta, are you awake?" Her father's voice called from the other side of the door.
Violetta immediately sat up, "Come in!" She was now wide awake. Guilty or not she really needed to talk to her father about everything.
Amistad entered his daughter's room. It looked so different from when she was little. She had grown up way too fast and was now on the cusp of adulthood. How could she already be a 19-year? He still felt that it was too soon.
Violetta gazed at him hopefully. Amistad sat on her bed, reached out and rubbed her head. When he did this action Violetta became instantly relieved. Did he forgive her?
He then pulled out his book and handed it to her. "Can you read it? Open it and try."
In all her years he had never once handed the book to her. Even all those times she found the book, she had never tried to open it. She realized that the first time she had ever opened the book was the day before yesterday. She had seen it opened many times. But her father was the one to open the book then. She didn't know the significance of being able to even open the book. She also didn't know that the key was this tattoo, others didn't see what she could see when the book was opened.
Violetta opened the book, and saw the circular Eitri Writing. There was no way she could read an ancient language. Other languages sure... Even old languages that were no longer spoken could be read by her. But Eitri was a myth. There was no way she could read a language so shrouded in mystery it was believed to be a myth.
"I can't read it," Violetta said to him.
Amistad gave her his left hand. As he touched the book with his left hand his tattoo shimmered and glowed. "Can you see it?"
Violetta nodded. She had always been able to see it.
"Can you read it?" Amistad asked her.
Violetta studied it closely. It was also in Eitri. "I can't read Eitri," Violetta admitted.
"That's because Eitri isn't a real language," Amistad explained. Then he stood up. He put his hand out and Violetta handed him the book. "Get dressed and join me in my study," he said to her. Before he left her room, he leaned over and kissed his daughter on the forehead.
Violetta arrived at her fathers study. He still had his book in his hand. It was just out in the open for anyone to see, in his glowing hand. Violetta looked at her father worriedly. His door wasn't even closed. Anyone could come in and see what he was holding.
The single document she had copied out of that book was enough to cause their whole family trouble. According to him and her mother, the source of such a document was so important that it could be the cause of their deaths. And here he was just waving the book around like it was nothing?
"Dad?" Violetta eyed the book carefully. Seriously what was going on?
"No worries," Amistad smiled at his nervous daughter.
No worries? NO WORRIES!? What did he think she was doing half the night!? She was worrying!
Amistad saw his daughter getting mad at him.
"Vio," her father called her. Her frustration immediately diminished just a bit.
Amistad knew what he was about to say would really make her angry, but he had to tell her. There was no more time left. All he had to say was the truth.
After he found the note he saw his bookmark was moved. He just wanted to confirm she opened the book. So he went to find her at her mother's house. Her mother was throwing a party, so no one noticed him. He saw his daughter asleep at her mother's desk and the sight warmed his heart. Violetta would always be his little sprig, no matter how big she grew. Then he saw the circular writing on the desk. She had opened the book and seen what was inside. He left the drawing on the desk and carried his baby girl to her room.
Amistad opened his mouth to tell her. This was his chance to let her know it wasn't her fault.
"Good Morning!" Laura's cheerful voice came from the door. "Did you two eat breakfast yet?"
"Not yet," Violetta said. She felt the weird energy her father was putting out. She really couldn't handle it right now. "What are we having?"
"Vio," her father called her.
"Not yet dad," Violetta said. He was calling her Vio. That meant he must have done something. Right? She didn't know if she could take any more surprises just yet. "Let's have breakfast with mom first."
Amistad smiled and brought the book with him to breakfast. He had already given the maids off last night. They would have to make their own breakfast. Well... he would have to make their breakfast. He just needed Violetta to join him. He couldn't be too far away from her right now.
It was evident to him that time was short. He just didn't know how short. Because the curator had seen the page, he knew time was likely shorter than it would have been. Everything was happening much too fast. He convinced Violetta to make breakfast with him this morning. Laura set the table. And Amistad and Violetta cooked. They had a jovial breakfast full of family laughter.