A New Novel, Part 38 A Transition

Here is the remainder of the scene.  I guess I could have left it intact, but I thought that this would give an example of a transition.  The bell breaks the scene and gives Aksinya a reprieve from her aunt.  Then we get supper.

A servant came to the door and rang a small bell.


Aksinya’s uncle stood, “Supper is ready. Come, countess, you must eat with us and then sleep. Tomorrow, we will discuss what we shall do.”

They entered the family dining room to a very long and formal supper. Natalya quite properly served Aksinya at her shoulder, but Aksinya didn’t seem to notice. Aksinya nodded off a couple of times before dessert. Aunt Brunhilda finally called an end to the supper, and she herself led Aksinya and Natalya to a room on the second floor. It was the best room in the house. Natalya undressed Aksinya and put her to bed. Then she went down to the kitchen to eat her supper. She returned to Aksinya’s room and went to sleep in the attached servant’s chamber. She left the door to her room wide open so she could hear any sound Aksinya might make during the night.

This is an obvious regression that we see in Aksinya.  I will show you this characteristic of Aksinya more than once.  A psychologist might analyse her as partially manic depressive.  She has such energy when she is accomplishing sorcery or when she is focused on something.  She becomes an introverted child when she is confronted with a world she does not want to face.  In this transition, we see Aksinya in her low stage, but she isn't the only focus of the transition.
 
Natalya's personality is also displayed and note the slight change.  You might think it is for the better.  We shall see this more in the future--right now, notice that as Aksinya flags, Natalya just takes over.  All the details of life get accomplished by Natalya even when Aksinya cannot or will not act.  Look at the detail I tried to show in Natalya.  It is as the demon said, Natalya does everything perfectly. In the past, she was punished in spite of her perfection.  I might need to indicate more of this perfection especially in this transition.  You have not seen any obsessive-compulsive activity in Natalya.  She does have some ingrained habits, but she is not obsessive-compulsive.  Natalya is perfect in many ways.  In the main, she perfectly protects her mistress--keep this in mind and watch what she does.  How she reacts. 
 
So, a simple transition.  I think there is really no such thing.  Every bit of the writing must drive the story forward.  There must be no extraneous part.  Everything stitches the pieces together to get to the final garment (the novel).  In a strong piece of writing, the seams become elements that adorn as well as bind.
 
I've written more about the transition than the actual length of the transition.