#belvaris chronicles

“Most people are kind when kindness costs nothing. Fewer remain kind when they are embarrassed, jealous, threatened, or afraid. If you fear becoming cruel later, do not wait until later to decide against cruelty. Practice now, in small things. Especially when it is inconvenient.”

She had not needed Magnolia to become cruel. She had already been practicing. Only in small ways, yes. Childish ways. Tantrums, demands, sharp words. But how did a girl who screamed over jam become a girl who locked someone in a conservatory? Slowly, perhaps. With everyone bowing. With everyone forgiving. With every small cruelty softened by adults who called it temperament.