I remember her so clearly as if she was standing right before me now. Her hair was so long and even in the darkness of the hallway it looked like black silk. Her eyes were large and as if a predatory cat was staring into my very soul. Yet, the calming blue sky was also captured within them. Her skin was pale and without a scar upon them.
It was hard to believe that the woman standing across the hall from me was a Mondue woman. I would not have believed it if it weren't for the fact that she stood taller than the other breeds, and that she had come with her Mondue father.
She was assisting her father with affairs that the Prince had assigned him. Prince Lucius' father was being stubborn on several matters that I wasn't completely privy to, and since his daughter stood in the hall with me, I was certain she was not informed on them completely either. All I knew was that the Mondue dignitary was working between the Prince and the King to solve this issue.
"We have stood in this hall together more than once, milady." Those were my first words to her, and how strange they must have sounded. "I still have yet to learn your name."
Her delicate lips smiled as she leaned against the wall behind her. "My name has never been mentioned to you? How odd. Perhaps, the Prince has not made you as close a confidant as my father believed." Even though the words were insults, I could barely hear anything but her voice, it mattered not what she said.
"I suspect then you know my name, and you keep yours from me?" I continued to stand straight, I wished to show my full height to the Mondue female. I was told my entire life that my counter gender was appreciative of size, and I was certain I would discover the truth here.
Of course, I do not know what I was expecting. Her father is a high ranking official and mine could barely read.
"Aneiale Prurasasca, though I suspect you knew my family name." Her dress was dark green that flowed gently around her feet as she rocked from side to side. She wore it more beautifully than any woman was capable of wearing a dress. It was not, however, the allowed clothing for this university.
"You are not a student at Apisarn, Lady Prurasasca?"
She slowly shook her head, "I will begin next year."
Just the knowledge that I might see her during classes made my heart flutter. Even now as I write this I realize how weak and pathetic I sound. Nothing at all like the Mondue warrior I know I am, but the truth was in her presence I was weak and pathetic, and I enjoyed being just that.
"Perhaps, you will show me how to move about easily enough, and where everything I need is located?"
I did not expect such a request, and I stumbled over my words for a few moments before I was finally able to answer. "Uh, yes, uh, of course. Anything for the Lady Prurasasca."
"Ane, please."
The door opened as I was about to repeat the name she had offered me, but she lifted her finger to her mouth to silence me.
"Come, girl." Her father's deep voice ordered and he stormed down the halls with her close at his heels.
Pymus had exited the room with her father, and I had been unaware he had entered at all. Most likely due to my constant attention on the young Lady Prurasasca.
Placing his hand on my shoulder, I realized that I was watching the girl too intently.
"Well, I know a smitten man when I see one." Pymus chuckled.
My eyes turned to the friend beside me. "Smitten is a pitiful word compared to my true feelings, Pymus."
He raised an eyebrow to me, "Oh?"
"I have just met my wife." I stated boldly.
"If her father has anything to say about it, you have just met Lucius' wife." He patted my shoulder before heading down the halls.
I would later find out that the reason Lord Prurasasca was visiting was in an attempt to convince Lesatan into offering an engagement to his daughter. The Prince refused to marry anyone not of his own choosing, though in truth I knew the real reason. Lucius was not interested in a single woman. Hundreds of women had danced in and out of his bedroom since the day I had met him, and he cursed the word marriage whenever it was mentioned.
I still believe I may have the opportunity yet to win the Lady Prurasasca. I can not rely on four years to bring me to such a level. I must complete all eight. I have a meeting with my Prince to convince him to sponsor me.
Ophelia worked her fingers to the bone every practice. She knew she had no hope to beat the Prince in this field, but as long as she could place a high second she would give her dorm a chance in this tournament. Her last attempt was so deplorable that she had found it hard to look at herself in any reflection for weeks.
There was only one being in her way now from completing her goals, and that was not herself but her very distracted tutor. Lenore didn't seem to be interested in training her today, and anything she had done had been complimented without the Princess ever looking at her.
Ophelia knew that the Princess was not angry with her, and had noticed how Lenore had avoided eye contact with Santh the long walk over to the arena from the class rooms. She couldn't tell if the Royal was angry with him or embarrassed. She couldn't put her finger on the emotion that Lenore offered.
Of course, Santh never made unnecessary eye contact with Lenore, but Ophelia noticed that he had been trying doubly sure as well to avoid any communication what so ever.
"Like this, Lenore." Ophelia held the bow above her head.
Lenore, who was sitting down on the platform and staring into the sand, nodded her head without looking up. "You are doing well."
Grunting, Ophelia tossed the bow onto the platform and said down beside her friend. "You are not paying any attention to me."
Lifting her eyes up, she looked at her friend. "I am sorry, Ophelia. My heart is simply preoccupied."
"With?"
The Princess took a deep breath. "I have other matters that are keeping my attentions." Her eyes dropped back down to the ground below.
"Yes, I understand that is what preoccupied means." Ophelia jested but Lenore did not seem to cheer up. Tapping her shoulder against Lenore's, she made Lenore look back up at her again. "You know that you can tell me, and I shall never report it to another soul."
"I know, but this is not a matter that should be shared."
Ophelia licked her bottom lip for a moment to think on her next words. "You and Santh are acting strange. Could this be something between the two of you?"
That question was all it took to unleash a flood gate inside Lenore's heart. Her lips pressed together and anger emerged in her eyes. "He desires me! I am not alone in this assessment, am I? That man does every possible maneuver to speak with me and be near me. Am I incorrect?"
Ophelia shook her head. "No, he argues with you when he has no other way of speaking to you. He makes up slights to cause these arguments. He makes up excuses why he needs to follow you about. If I have ever seen a man enamored and childish in his actions to winning a woman's affections; that is Santh."
Lenore took a deep breath as if she was relieved. "It is good that you agree. I believed I was becoming delusional."
"Did something happen, Lenore?"
Looking back down at the ground, Lenore thought for a moment. "He kissed me, and then runs away as if I was the one that forced myself upon him. Well, I did, briefly, but he returned the attentions."
The power of that information boiled over in Ophelia's heart. She used all of her self control to not being a dance of victory in the middle of the arena. She had known that there were feelings between them, and even though Remus told her it could never be, part of her wanted him to be wrong.
"I feel humiliated." Lenore admitted.
"Have you ever been completely honest with him, Lenore?" She questioned. "Santh is a rather honest man, who likes to have all his pieces available to him. Once you give him everything he needs to see this is not a game, perhaps... he'll act."
The Princess shrugged her shoulders. "I am not sure if I want action on his part. After all, it might be best left the way it is." She stood up. "Come, let's finish this early. Remus has arrived and I am certain he would enjoy you to himself now."
Piera found herself in the company of Lesatan's most trusted adviser nearly every moment of the day. The only time that Enoch was not breathing through his mouth next to her was when they didn't share a class. She had grown to hate the sounds of his breaths and had often given serious thought to how she could put an end to the man just to have some peace and quiet.
Sitting in her study, it was a small room half the size of Lesatan's own study, and just down the hall. Lesatan had to encourage a Royal to leave the study in order for her to move in, but she didn't bother to ask for any details.
It was her own prison in many ways. Enoch sat in front of the one fireplace in the room though it was not burning, and he used the stuffed chair and the side table to do his work. He didn't move the table in front of him but instead tried to sit on the chair faced correctly while twisting his spine to use the table to his side.
Since the room was so much smaller, the chairs in front of her desk were very close to the stuffed chair. So much so that when Enoch shifted, his chair would hit one of the chairs before her desk. It only added more sound to the room and made it all the more difficult to study.
"Enoch!" Piera slammed her hand on the desk when he hit the chair again.
The tall and lanky adviser stood from his chair and turned to look at her. "Yes, milady?"
She took a deep breath, "Enoch." She said his name again but with a pleasant tone in hopes of erasing her outburst. She never liked how the others treated this simple man, and did not want to become one of them. Though she was beginning to understand the frustration now that Lesatan had him openly spying on her. "If you want to use that chair, perhaps move the table in front of you. Another option is sharing my desk. It is large enough for both of us, and there are already chairs available."
He looked frightened in those moments, as if he had never before been given an option or when he had it had been a trick. If he chose wrongly in those moments he would upset the future Queen.
"Enoch, please come share my desk." She patted the area furthest away from her.
Grabbing his items, he hurried over and dropped several scrolls, his pen, and books on the desk before rushing back over to the table to pick up his ink well.
Piera took a deep, annoyed breath as she looked at all the items laying around her once organized desk.
When Enoch sat down before her, he gathered up his items and stacked them neatly, before returning to the scroll he had been writing in before.
As they returned to their studying, Piera began to notice that Enoch kept lifting his eyes to look at her but immediately would lower them to prevent eye contact.
"What is it, Enoch?" Piera was losing control of her emotions and her bitterness and annoyance were heard in her words.
Enoch swallowed, "I am not a very intelligent man."
She raised an eyebrow, "Do you need assistance with your work? I doubt that I could help a forth year."
He shook his head causing a lock of his oily hair to fall down to his cheek. Enoch was quick to brush it behind his ear. "No, milady, but I thank you for offering. I am referring to this as it means Lesatan is more likely to rant in front of me, as he believes that I am a dumb and loyal. Therefore, I shall never tell a soul when he bleeds emotionally in front of me."
Piera put her pen in the ink well and leaned back in her chair. "Is there something you wish to share with me, Enoch?"
He licked his lips and nodded, "Yes, the Prince has heard many whispers from his mother that you are here to spy on him for Lenore. I know this not to be true, but when the Queen sets her mind to one way of believing, it is impossible to change. Our Prince is incapable of fighting his mother's paranoia for long. He did defend you against her, but on the day of the vote, his sister humiliated him in front of the crowd for actions he did not commit. Then he returned home to the person he hoped would listen first, instead she reprimanded him."
Piera sat up straight, "Did not commit? He voted for the petition?"
"Do not say I have told you this, milady, I beg of you."
"Of course not, I would never betray your trust." She took a deep breath. "I feel like you are trying to tell me something other than this."
He nodded his head once more, "Milady, the paranoia grows and eventually he will be fearful of your ears being anywhere near him. You must prove to him that you hold no loyalties to Lenore."
"How should I do that?"
"Forgive me, milady, but you must betray her in a painful way."
Piera lowered her eyes; she thought this moment might happen someday soon. She did not expect the idea to come from Enoch. "I am not loyal to her and therefore it would not be betrayal. Do you have a plan?"
"When I first arrived at this school, I feared ever making eye contact with the Prince or Princess." Ophelia told Remus as they walked arm in arm toward the dorms. "The other students had me believe that the two wanted to punish me for my father's sins."
Remus watched as the small amount of students moved around them. "From what I know, the King himself has never blamed you, so why would his children?"
She shrugged. "Many like to blame the child for their parents' wrongdoings, because they can no longer punish the parent." She took a deep breath. "I do not know what possessed me to force myself into Lenore's life, but after she protected me more than once I knew she would be my friend for a lifetime."
"A lifetime is it?" Remus chuckled. "Just ensure that you are useful then."
Ophelia came to a stop and took both of Remus' hands in her own. "If it weren't for her bringing me to the dorm, I might have quit long ago." She told him while looking into his eyes. "The first year here was torture, and it grew worse the beginning of this one." A gentle smirk appeared on her lips. "It all seemed to begin when I met Anton and Jolon. It is strange how a single moment can forever change the flow of your life."
"Do you feel strong enough to return for a third year then?" Remus partially hoped that she would say no, as he knew the next two years here would only be pure torture. He could spare her from much of it, but he could never be everywhere at once nor could her savior, Lenore.
She nodded her head quickly, "Lenore and you are preparing a safe haven for those like me. We shall stand united, and after my forth year I will return to the Fortress, and claim my mother's throne. It was hers to lose not my fathers' but it was lost nevertheless."
"You are dead set on taking your family's title and lands back then?" He asked with a grin on his lips though his heart was filled with uncertainty.
"I am. I will return the Romanus' to their place as Watchers. It is more than my mother hoping that I can accomplish these goals. The rest of my family was thrown into despair and lost much of their own titles and lands. Only I can return us to our rightful place, and I must not fail them or myself."
"It must be a sight, your fortress." Remus began to walk again and Ophelia followed beside him.
"It is built at the edge of the Crescent Bay. From the highest tower you can see for miles into the sea. We were the warning system of a sea invasion for the Souchans for hundreds of years. While the Romanus' stood guard no attack on the Crescent Bay was ever successful." Ophelia informed him as she painted the scenery with her hands as if there was a canvas in front of her. "It is the only location that one can attack by sea and destroy a major city in the process. My family ruled the most important port in all the lands. Mondue, Souchan, Royal, or Commoner combined."
He could see how happy she was just by speaking of her old home. "I shall have to come to visit someday."
"You might be able to come and stay, depending on how fate works out for us." She told him with a teasing smile.
"Ah, I doubt there would be enough room for me." He spoke in a joking manner though part of him thought that no truer sentence had ever been spoken.
Ophelia turned her eyes to him and offered him a large smile. "There is a second throne next to my own, Remus. There is plenty of room."
He stopped walking and placed both hands on her cheeks. "You do not know how to dream small dreams, do you?"
She chuckled, "Do you?"
Kissing her forehead briefly, he began to walk with her at his side once more. "No, I suppose not."
"Then dream some gigantic dreams with me, Remus." She more ordered then offered, but Remus knew when to accept an offer that was too good to pass up.
Arms-Professor Mego glared out of the corner of his eyes as Lenore went through each weapon. He had already explained to her that he would ensure they all met standards before the tournament, but she insisted on offering her assistance in the matter. He hadn't planned on going through them that evening, but even if she was merely a student in these moments she was always the Princess whose word was as good as the King's unless he contradicted her.
"The Royals will begin their practice soon, Lenore. Are you certain you wish to be here when your brother arrives?" He asked in hopes that he could put an end to this, as Lenore had complaints about every weapon she removed from the rack.
She raised an eyebrow as she held a longsword in her hand. "Why would I fear my brother?"
"He has been livid with you for some time now, have you not noticed?" Mego never understood why the two fought when they had been close as children, but he decided it was not his place to try to mend their broken relationship.
She shrugged her shoulders, "He has not pleased me recently either."
"Excuse me." Armand's voice spoke from the arena as he approached the armory that was build under the benches. "May I speak to Princess Lenore in private, Professor?"
Mego seemed more than eager to escape and as fast as his large body could move, he disappeared from the room.
Stepping in, Armand looked at the pile of rejected weapons on the ground in the center of the room. "Torturing Mego again?"
Lenore snorted, "I am not torturing him. He never cares for the practice weapons, and they fall into all states of decay."
He chuckled, "You torture him when you are so angry with your brother but refuse to bother him instead for fear of looking weak."
"Why would I look weak?" She tossed the sword onto the pile.
"For approaching him first." He cleared his throat, and before she could respond he began to speak again. "He is doing the same to Piera."
Lenore had turned around to check another weapon, but when she heard Routine's sister's name, she turned back around to him. "What has Piera done?"
"Very little, but enough that he was capable of turning his anger from you to her."
The smell of wood was in the air even though this constructions was over a hundred years old, and it especially smelled within the small room of the armory. It wasn't a horrible smell minus the hints of mold, but it reminded Armand of the servants' room that Lenore used to sleep in when she visited the castle.
Lenore crossed her arms and took two steps forward until she was standing directly in front of him. "Tell me what she did."
"She was angry with him for the way the petition vote was against you. It did not take much." Armand admitted.
Lenore took a deep breath and frowned, "Foolish girl. I explained to her that she always had to appear to be on his side. What did you advise her to do?"
"Every trick you have ever taught me. Ask forgiveness, be kind, but nothing seems to turn his sour mood." Armand crossed his own arms. "That was when I realized that it had nothing to do with Piera and everything to do with you."
She nodded her head. "Yes. Well then, I suppose I am due for an tantrum."
"I am not sure I follow, milady."
Shrugging her shoulders, before she pulled a bow from the rack and tossed it into the pile. "If I cause him trouble, I am certain that he will be forced to turn his attention back to me. Piera will be free of him once I do so, but I can not cause trouble until after the tournament. I do not want to get my group disqualified. Tell Piera that she need only hold on a moment longer."
He shook his head, "It would be best if she did not know."
Lenore agreed, "Very well, you know her better than I do."
Ophelia and Remus came to a stop in the floral court when she noticed Routine sitting on the east bench. He was holding a stack of scrolls and his eyes read over them careful, but it did not appear to be scrolls of study. It was hard to tell if Routine was upset, but Ophelia felt that he was.
"Go inside, I wish to speak to him." Ophelia told Remus as she walked over to the bench and sat down beside him.
Remus watched her and was curious as to why she had decided to order him about, but also he wondered what business she might have with him. After a moment, he decided that she meant no harm and began down the path toward the dorm.
Routine looked at the girl next to him and for a brief moment wondered why she had approached him as the two hardly ever spoke. In truth, he didn't know if there was ever a conversation between them that didn't involve someone else especially Lenore. It surprised him when he began to speak before she did. "My parents have sent a selection of eligible marriage partners." He explained.
"May I?' Ophelia held out her hand, and Routine offered them to her. She read over them briefly, "I know many of these girls. I can show them to you, if you wish."
"Their appearance is of no significance." He folded his arms and would have leaned back if there had been something more than a bush to hold his weight.
Ophelia felt confused, "Your parents are allowing you to make a selection. Do you not want the one best suited to you, and the one that you find most attractive?"
Routine snorted, "In this matter, you are the master of superior knowledge."
She didn't understand, "I can not make such a decision for you, Routine... I mean Byron. This is your wife, and I know you are saddened that it will not be Lenore, but you have to make due with the path you are given."
"It is true that I was disappointed in the abrupt ending in my engagement with Lenore. However this was only due to the fact that I knew she would only require friendship and nothing else a wife might desire." He explained.
She tried to comprehend what he was attempting to say, and when she tried to form a wise saying, she said nothing more than,"What? Huh?"
"Lenore was already aware of my limitations, and now another woman will have to be informed. She may in fact be more of a dullard than you in understanding this situation." There was no hint of animosity in his voice, and he probably did not realize that he was being rude to that woman who was trying to assist him.
She continued to be confused by the man and seemed to ignore everything he had said just prior and focused on only his comment about camaraderie. "As a husband and a wife there would be more than friendship, it is expected."
"Not if I were the groom."
Ophelia remained silent as the flocks of students moved through the court. She tried to think over what he was saying and decipher between the lines.
Routine decided to explain further when he realized that she had nothing more to say due to her own lack of knowledge. He knew he would have to explain as plainly as he could. "I do not find women desirable."
A light flashed before Ophelia's eyes, "Oh, oh my. Then you would need to locate one that understood your desire for flesh other than her own."
Routine almost chuckled at Ophelia's reaction. "No, Romanus, I do not find men desirable either."
She snickered at his response. "That is impossible, Byron. We all have some desire in our heart be it for men or women. Surely, you have felt some longing towards another in your time." She offered the scrolls back.
Turning his head away from the rushing crowd, he looked directly into Ophelia's eyes. "No, never." Looking back down at the scrolls, he looked up at Ophelia. "You make the decision, I am incapable in this task."
Santh was sitting on the girl's platform and looked toward the stream. The platform was high enough that Lenore and Ophelia could dangle their feet over the edge, but Santh's feet were firmly planted on the ground.
He had avoided Lenore for the majority of the day and decided that this could not be an ongoing difficulty for them as they were both leading their team. He wanted to speak to her in private and put an end to this misunderstanding they had the night before. The only place he could think to find her alone meant the probability of Ophelia making an appearance, but he felt comfortable enough to tell the girl to leave them.
Luckily for him, Lenore arrived alone. When she turned the corner a gentle smirk was applied to her lips, but she was quick to send it away and approach him in her stoic manner. "Why are you here?"
Santh stood from the platform. He had heard her footsteps and therefore was not startled by her appearance. "I have come to apologize for the other day. It was an inappropriate action on my part, and I have no excuse that can explain my behavior."
Lenore cocked her head to the side, "I would prefer an encore over an apology."
He looked unamused though his checks reddened slightly, "I suppose now we can return to speaking terms." With that he attempted to walk passed her, but this time it was Lenore who was unamused.
She grabbed his forearm to stop him and though he could have easily yanked it away to continue on his way, Santh stopped and looked down at the woman beside him. "What exactly are you doing, Santh? I know you aren't this meek boy with no experience with women. You are no blushing virgin, so I wonder what are your plans here?"
"My plans?"
She chuckled bitterly, "I feel like a pawn in your emotional game of tug of war with yourself. Tell me what I am supposed to be saying or do to encourage the response that I want."
Santh used his other hand to shove Lenore's hand from his arm, and snorted. "I grow tired of your games, Princess."
"What game?" She crossed her arms. "If there has been anyone that I have been honest with about my feelings then it is certainly you. I have not hidden any emotion that I have felt since I met you. It is you that is hiding and playing games."
Santh was quiet for a moment as the two of them stared at each other. "None of this matters. There could be no future between us, so why bother?"
"I am not asking you to marry me. I am just asking you to give in and stop fighting me directly so you can stop fighting yourself. You pretend to dislike me then fail which is followed by you falling further for me."
Santh's laugh that followed sounded more like an angry roar. "Your arrogance in this matter only assists me in loathing you more, Lenore. Do not presume to know me." Walking toward the dorm, he turned the corner to find Ophelia waiting for Lenore to call to her. He swallowed and hurried passed her.
Lenore looked up at the girl that was walking toward her. She had found her on a bench looking through a group of scrolls that Byron had left with her, and when she found Santh on their platform she had motioned for her friend to remain.
"Was that direct enough?" She asked as Ophelia approached her.
"It was." The younger girl wondered if the Princess would cry, but she showed no signs.
"Stubborn bastard." Lenore sighed, "Well then, I suppose if he doesn't want to end this game then I just will no longer play."
Anton was studying in the library. He had been purposely separating himself from the dorm in order to study more and interact with them less. When his father came for the next tournament, he wanted to prove to him that he was focused entirely on his studies and not allowing himself to believe that any of those people were his friends. Though, in truth, his heart knew that they were.
"May I sit here?" A soft voice asked.
Without looking up from his book, he nodded his head and continued to read.
"I have never understood why everyone wishes to sit so far apart in libraries. It feels so lonely and you have to travel half way across the room to ask someone a question." The voice continued to speak as the books were set down on the table making an awful noise.
"You need to be quiet." Anton snapped and as he looked up, his heart fluttered.
Her hair was black with a slight curl to it, and her eyes a green like the fields near his house in the spring. The way she naturally looked was like a doe caught in an eye lock with her predator. "Oh, I am terribly sorry."
Anton watched her open the book in front of her and begin to read. She was reading the same materials as he was, and he assumed she was a first year. "Reading about his Grace?"
She looked up and smiled, "The King has led a fascinating life. It is truly amazing that such a great man could come from a father like his own."
"You did not approve of the late King?"
She shrugged her shoulders, "The late King was well loved, but he is very simple. His Queen ruled most of the lands, and he fought whenever she gave the order. Of course, the King's older brother proved to be very similar to his father, which is why the Queen encouraged her husband to name his second son the heir."
"So I have read." Anton showed her that he was reading the same book as she was, and she once again smiled.
"It seems I have found the right study partner. Perhaps we can assist one another in the future?" She watched him nod. "Harona Brenem, Souchan Party." She offered out her hand.
When it came to announcing his party, Anton realized very quickly how different he was from the woman sitting across from him. "Excuse me, I must leave."
"Did I say something wrong?" She asked, but would receive no answer.
Harona watched him jump from his seat and hurry out of the library which caused him to leave his book behind. Standing up, she picked up her own items and rushed out the door. She spotted him as he slipped around the corner of the building and began to head toward the South.
"Boy!" She shouted over the crowd of students, but he did not hear her. She continued to call out to him, but would have no luck until he arrived at the flowered court.
He was shocked to see her following him and even for a moment thought she might not be in her right mind.
"You left your book." She offered it out to him. "I wouldn't know how to find you if I kept it until later, so I..." She breathed heavily. "You walk very quickly through the crowds. You should teach me how you weave yourself so well."
Anton took his book from her and said nothing as he moved toward the dirt path.
"South Dorm." Harona mumbled under her breath. "You are Anton or Jolon, aren't you?"
He stopped and turned toward the girl who was speaking to him over the crowds of students that walked passed them. "How do you know this?"
"I watched the tournaments." She moved to stand in front of him. "Which one are you?"
"Anton."
She frowned, "You were sorely missed at the last tournament. I could barely believe that someone could come so close to the Prince's own score."
"I need to return to my dorm." He told her and rushed down the dirt path.
Harona thought he was peculiar, but shrugged her shoulders and hurried to her own dorm.
Boy,
I shall make this letter brief as I have much to accomplish before my journey out to Apisarn to witness the tournament.
In my youth I did attempt to establish a trading post near the university. At first, it seemed to flourish as the merchants were more than willing to make the journey.
However, once news of the caravans spread, I found myself dealing with the miscreants of society. They were set on thievery and murder to the point that it was unprofitable to pay their ransoms in any attempt to remove them from the outskirts. In fact, all payments made were taken and the bandits would simply continue their plundering.
While the guards were easily convinced to escort noble families into the area, they were not willing to risk their necks for goods or the common merchant. It did not matter how much I offered and there was a time I offered more than I was paying those thugs to continue to rob my caravans.
Even decades later the thought of my failure brings my blood to a boil. Yet, I see that you are set on attempting this yourself. If I was not able to accomplish this post, then the next best thing would be a victory for my son in this task.
In order to achieve success in this endeavor, you must find a way to guard the passes. The merchants will not come if they are not guaranteed safe passage. I did attempt to hirer mercenaries and call them the personal guards, but after a time they joined the bandits as it was advantageous to their pockets.
Had I to do over again, I would have spoken to the Prince at the time. Lucius might have offered to extend the University's guardsmen further out. The reason that I did not is it would not have been far spread. The guards are students after all, and they can not stand watch too far from the school. Therefore, other guardsmen would need to be hired and stationed throughout the roadways to ensure safe passage. This means building guard stations and paying guards out of pocket or getting someone of high position to pay for them.
I am afraid that the challenges that I was tasked within this venture are the same for you. Find a way to protect the passes without destroying your profit margin.
Now, I have written a much longer letter than anticipated but I suppose this failing has always haunted me. So, I shall return to my work and hope that you do well, son.
Good luck and good coin,
Pymus Grey
Remus sat on his bed and lowered his father's letter to his lap. He tapped his index finger against his leg as he thought for several moments over his father's words.
There had to be some way to make this work and it had to be done before the final weeks of the school year. He would need those caravans to bring supplies to rebuild the dorm.
The mere fact, however, that his own father attempted this and failed caused him to worry. His father was not one to give up on anything unless it proved itself to be a fool's errand. If his father was incapable then he was not so certain that he would have the skills to accomplish this task.
Taking a deep breath, he thought for a moment before Lesatan's face appeared in his mind. He grinned and tossed his father's letter onto the bed.
Of course, his father could accomplish nothing with Lucius as they were not only friends, but Lucius had nothing to prove to the world. Remus had been given an unique opportunity as Lesatan's greatest desire was to prove that he was a worthy heir to the throne.
He knew he could spin this in some way to make Lesatan feel it was an opportunity that only a fool would pass on. However, he could not do so before the tournament, he would have to wait until the end of the week and then approach him. As he knew Lesatan would be too focused on his archery and have no time to deal with a common merchant.
With a grin, Remus smirked and heard the dinner bells in the distance. Standing up, he followed his other dorm mates to their meal.
Piera knocked gently on the study door and entered before Lesatan could say anything about her entering. She knew that the advisers were eating their meals in the dining hall, but Lesatan had announced that he was not hungry.
Sitting behind his desk, he did not look pleased to see her, though he did not order her to leave either.
Closing the door behind her, Piera took a deep breath and prepared herself for what she was about to do. She didn't like acting in this manner but she knew that some thing had to be done in order to return them to where they were before. If that meant using Lenore as a bridge then she would.
Walking over to the chairs in front of his desk, Piera sat down and watched as he read a scroll for class. When he finished, he rolled it back up and looked at the woman sitting before him.
"Did you come to stare at me?" He finally asked as he leaned back in his chair. He looked as if he was preparing another verbal torture session for her within his mind.
"Are you worried about the tournament?" Piera asked and tried to ignore the fact that she was beginning to feel terrified. She wanted to appear his enemy at first, but then prove that she was in fact showing him to victory. It was meant to place him in defensive mode only to find that he did not need to be in such a position, and therefore knock him off balance.
Lesatan snorted, "Why would I be worried? I have won every tournament that I have ever entered."
"Except this years first tournament." She tried to gently remind him, but watched as his face fell into annoyance.
"Of course." He growled under his breath. He bit down on his own teeth so hard that Piera that he might grind them into dust.
Piera swallowed down the lump in her throat. "If it weren't for Ophelia, they would have won the second tournament as well. I hear that she has been practicing a great deal for this tournament, and holds hopes for a victory."
"What exactly is your point, Piera?" Lesatan snarled and leaned forward in his chair, placing both hands on the desk.
"I am suggesting that you can not afford another loss to Lenore. She has already been a humiliation to your household from the moment of her birth, and yet she feels she can publicly humiliate her future king. Does she have no sense of boundaries or duty to you?" She tried not to look afraid though she trembled on the inside.
Lesatan cocked his head to the side as if he was uncertain what she was suggesting.
"We must play dirty, Lesatan. We can not allow her to make a fool of her king again. She could have won a second time if they had not changed archers, and now their failure of an archer is working desperately to become something of note." She stood up and walked around the desk to where she kneeled down at his side.
Lesatan leaned back and looked down at the woman as she took his hand.
"I have a plan that will disqualify Lenore, while putting her in your possession. Will you hear me out, milord?" She swallowed again. The way he looked at her, she was certain that he would yank his arm away and slap her for saying such things against his sister.
"I am curious as to why you plot against my sister." He finally spoke.
"Your house will be my house someday, and I want to put her in her place before she becomes true trouble to our lineage." She couldn't believe how easily she had come to lie to this man.
The Prince didn't look as if he fully believed her, but he seemed content enough. "Very well, Piera. Tell me this plan of yours."
It was hard to believe that the woman standing across the hall from me was a Mondue woman. I would not have believed it if it weren't for the fact that she stood taller than the other breeds, and that she had come with her Mondue father.
She was assisting her father with affairs that the Prince had assigned him. Prince Lucius' father was being stubborn on several matters that I wasn't completely privy to, and since his daughter stood in the hall with me, I was certain she was not informed on them completely either. All I knew was that the Mondue dignitary was working between the Prince and the King to solve this issue.
"We have stood in this hall together more than once, milady." Those were my first words to her, and how strange they must have sounded. "I still have yet to learn your name."
Her delicate lips smiled as she leaned against the wall behind her. "My name has never been mentioned to you? How odd. Perhaps, the Prince has not made you as close a confidant as my father believed." Even though the words were insults, I could barely hear anything but her voice, it mattered not what she said.
"I suspect then you know my name, and you keep yours from me?" I continued to stand straight, I wished to show my full height to the Mondue female. I was told my entire life that my counter gender was appreciative of size, and I was certain I would discover the truth here.
Of course, I do not know what I was expecting. Her father is a high ranking official and mine could barely read.
"Aneiale Prurasasca, though I suspect you knew my family name." Her dress was dark green that flowed gently around her feet as she rocked from side to side. She wore it more beautifully than any woman was capable of wearing a dress. It was not, however, the allowed clothing for this university.
"You are not a student at Apisarn, Lady Prurasasca?"
She slowly shook her head, "I will begin next year."
Just the knowledge that I might see her during classes made my heart flutter. Even now as I write this I realize how weak and pathetic I sound. Nothing at all like the Mondue warrior I know I am, but the truth was in her presence I was weak and pathetic, and I enjoyed being just that.
"Perhaps, you will show me how to move about easily enough, and where everything I need is located?"
I did not expect such a request, and I stumbled over my words for a few moments before I was finally able to answer. "Uh, yes, uh, of course. Anything for the Lady Prurasasca."
"Ane, please."
The door opened as I was about to repeat the name she had offered me, but she lifted her finger to her mouth to silence me.
"Come, girl." Her father's deep voice ordered and he stormed down the halls with her close at his heels.
Pymus had exited the room with her father, and I had been unaware he had entered at all. Most likely due to my constant attention on the young Lady Prurasasca.
Placing his hand on my shoulder, I realized that I was watching the girl too intently.
"Well, I know a smitten man when I see one." Pymus chuckled.
My eyes turned to the friend beside me. "Smitten is a pitiful word compared to my true feelings, Pymus."
He raised an eyebrow to me, "Oh?"
"I have just met my wife." I stated boldly.
"If her father has anything to say about it, you have just met Lucius' wife." He patted my shoulder before heading down the halls.
I would later find out that the reason Lord Prurasasca was visiting was in an attempt to convince Lesatan into offering an engagement to his daughter. The Prince refused to marry anyone not of his own choosing, though in truth I knew the real reason. Lucius was not interested in a single woman. Hundreds of women had danced in and out of his bedroom since the day I had met him, and he cursed the word marriage whenever it was mentioned.
I still believe I may have the opportunity yet to win the Lady Prurasasca. I can not rely on four years to bring me to such a level. I must complete all eight. I have a meeting with my Prince to convince him to sponsor me.
---***---
Ophelia worked her fingers to the bone every practice. She knew she had no hope to beat the Prince in this field, but as long as she could place a high second she would give her dorm a chance in this tournament. Her last attempt was so deplorable that she had found it hard to look at herself in any reflection for weeks.
There was only one being in her way now from completing her goals, and that was not herself but her very distracted tutor. Lenore didn't seem to be interested in training her today, and anything she had done had been complimented without the Princess ever looking at her.
Ophelia knew that the Princess was not angry with her, and had noticed how Lenore had avoided eye contact with Santh the long walk over to the arena from the class rooms. She couldn't tell if the Royal was angry with him or embarrassed. She couldn't put her finger on the emotion that Lenore offered.
Of course, Santh never made unnecessary eye contact with Lenore, but Ophelia noticed that he had been trying doubly sure as well to avoid any communication what so ever.
"Like this, Lenore." Ophelia held the bow above her head.
Lenore, who was sitting down on the platform and staring into the sand, nodded her head without looking up. "You are doing well."
Grunting, Ophelia tossed the bow onto the platform and said down beside her friend. "You are not paying any attention to me."
Lifting her eyes up, she looked at her friend. "I am sorry, Ophelia. My heart is simply preoccupied."
"With?"
The Princess took a deep breath. "I have other matters that are keeping my attentions." Her eyes dropped back down to the ground below.
"Yes, I understand that is what preoccupied means." Ophelia jested but Lenore did not seem to cheer up. Tapping her shoulder against Lenore's, she made Lenore look back up at her again. "You know that you can tell me, and I shall never report it to another soul."
"I know, but this is not a matter that should be shared."
Ophelia licked her bottom lip for a moment to think on her next words. "You and Santh are acting strange. Could this be something between the two of you?"
That question was all it took to unleash a flood gate inside Lenore's heart. Her lips pressed together and anger emerged in her eyes. "He desires me! I am not alone in this assessment, am I? That man does every possible maneuver to speak with me and be near me. Am I incorrect?"
Ophelia shook her head. "No, he argues with you when he has no other way of speaking to you. He makes up slights to cause these arguments. He makes up excuses why he needs to follow you about. If I have ever seen a man enamored and childish in his actions to winning a woman's affections; that is Santh."
Lenore took a deep breath as if she was relieved. "It is good that you agree. I believed I was becoming delusional."
"Did something happen, Lenore?"
Looking back down at the ground, Lenore thought for a moment. "He kissed me, and then runs away as if I was the one that forced myself upon him. Well, I did, briefly, but he returned the attentions."
The power of that information boiled over in Ophelia's heart. She used all of her self control to not being a dance of victory in the middle of the arena. She had known that there were feelings between them, and even though Remus told her it could never be, part of her wanted him to be wrong.
"I feel humiliated." Lenore admitted.
"Have you ever been completely honest with him, Lenore?" She questioned. "Santh is a rather honest man, who likes to have all his pieces available to him. Once you give him everything he needs to see this is not a game, perhaps... he'll act."
The Princess shrugged her shoulders. "I am not sure if I want action on his part. After all, it might be best left the way it is." She stood up. "Come, let's finish this early. Remus has arrived and I am certain he would enjoy you to himself now."
---***---
Piera found herself in the company of Lesatan's most trusted adviser nearly every moment of the day. The only time that Enoch was not breathing through his mouth next to her was when they didn't share a class. She had grown to hate the sounds of his breaths and had often given serious thought to how she could put an end to the man just to have some peace and quiet.
Sitting in her study, it was a small room half the size of Lesatan's own study, and just down the hall. Lesatan had to encourage a Royal to leave the study in order for her to move in, but she didn't bother to ask for any details.
It was her own prison in many ways. Enoch sat in front of the one fireplace in the room though it was not burning, and he used the stuffed chair and the side table to do his work. He didn't move the table in front of him but instead tried to sit on the chair faced correctly while twisting his spine to use the table to his side.
Since the room was so much smaller, the chairs in front of her desk were very close to the stuffed chair. So much so that when Enoch shifted, his chair would hit one of the chairs before her desk. It only added more sound to the room and made it all the more difficult to study.
"Enoch!" Piera slammed her hand on the desk when he hit the chair again.
The tall and lanky adviser stood from his chair and turned to look at her. "Yes, milady?"
She took a deep breath, "Enoch." She said his name again but with a pleasant tone in hopes of erasing her outburst. She never liked how the others treated this simple man, and did not want to become one of them. Though she was beginning to understand the frustration now that Lesatan had him openly spying on her. "If you want to use that chair, perhaps move the table in front of you. Another option is sharing my desk. It is large enough for both of us, and there are already chairs available."
He looked frightened in those moments, as if he had never before been given an option or when he had it had been a trick. If he chose wrongly in those moments he would upset the future Queen.
"Enoch, please come share my desk." She patted the area furthest away from her.
Grabbing his items, he hurried over and dropped several scrolls, his pen, and books on the desk before rushing back over to the table to pick up his ink well.
Piera took a deep, annoyed breath as she looked at all the items laying around her once organized desk.
When Enoch sat down before her, he gathered up his items and stacked them neatly, before returning to the scroll he had been writing in before.
As they returned to their studying, Piera began to notice that Enoch kept lifting his eyes to look at her but immediately would lower them to prevent eye contact.
"What is it, Enoch?" Piera was losing control of her emotions and her bitterness and annoyance were heard in her words.
Enoch swallowed, "I am not a very intelligent man."
She raised an eyebrow, "Do you need assistance with your work? I doubt that I could help a forth year."
He shook his head causing a lock of his oily hair to fall down to his cheek. Enoch was quick to brush it behind his ear. "No, milady, but I thank you for offering. I am referring to this as it means Lesatan is more likely to rant in front of me, as he believes that I am a dumb and loyal. Therefore, I shall never tell a soul when he bleeds emotionally in front of me."
Piera put her pen in the ink well and leaned back in her chair. "Is there something you wish to share with me, Enoch?"
He licked his lips and nodded, "Yes, the Prince has heard many whispers from his mother that you are here to spy on him for Lenore. I know this not to be true, but when the Queen sets her mind to one way of believing, it is impossible to change. Our Prince is incapable of fighting his mother's paranoia for long. He did defend you against her, but on the day of the vote, his sister humiliated him in front of the crowd for actions he did not commit. Then he returned home to the person he hoped would listen first, instead she reprimanded him."
Piera sat up straight, "Did not commit? He voted for the petition?"
"Do not say I have told you this, milady, I beg of you."
"Of course not, I would never betray your trust." She took a deep breath. "I feel like you are trying to tell me something other than this."
He nodded his head once more, "Milady, the paranoia grows and eventually he will be fearful of your ears being anywhere near him. You must prove to him that you hold no loyalties to Lenore."
"How should I do that?"
"Forgive me, milady, but you must betray her in a painful way."
Piera lowered her eyes; she thought this moment might happen someday soon. She did not expect the idea to come from Enoch. "I am not loyal to her and therefore it would not be betrayal. Do you have a plan?"
---***---
"When I first arrived at this school, I feared ever making eye contact with the Prince or Princess." Ophelia told Remus as they walked arm in arm toward the dorms. "The other students had me believe that the two wanted to punish me for my father's sins."
Remus watched as the small amount of students moved around them. "From what I know, the King himself has never blamed you, so why would his children?"
She shrugged. "Many like to blame the child for their parents' wrongdoings, because they can no longer punish the parent." She took a deep breath. "I do not know what possessed me to force myself into Lenore's life, but after she protected me more than once I knew she would be my friend for a lifetime."
"A lifetime is it?" Remus chuckled. "Just ensure that you are useful then."
Ophelia came to a stop and took both of Remus' hands in her own. "If it weren't for her bringing me to the dorm, I might have quit long ago." She told him while looking into his eyes. "The first year here was torture, and it grew worse the beginning of this one." A gentle smirk appeared on her lips. "It all seemed to begin when I met Anton and Jolon. It is strange how a single moment can forever change the flow of your life."
"Do you feel strong enough to return for a third year then?" Remus partially hoped that she would say no, as he knew the next two years here would only be pure torture. He could spare her from much of it, but he could never be everywhere at once nor could her savior, Lenore.
She nodded her head quickly, "Lenore and you are preparing a safe haven for those like me. We shall stand united, and after my forth year I will return to the Fortress, and claim my mother's throne. It was hers to lose not my fathers' but it was lost nevertheless."
"You are dead set on taking your family's title and lands back then?" He asked with a grin on his lips though his heart was filled with uncertainty.
"I am. I will return the Romanus' to their place as Watchers. It is more than my mother hoping that I can accomplish these goals. The rest of my family was thrown into despair and lost much of their own titles and lands. Only I can return us to our rightful place, and I must not fail them or myself."
"It must be a sight, your fortress." Remus began to walk again and Ophelia followed beside him.
"It is built at the edge of the Crescent Bay. From the highest tower you can see for miles into the sea. We were the warning system of a sea invasion for the Souchans for hundreds of years. While the Romanus' stood guard no attack on the Crescent Bay was ever successful." Ophelia informed him as she painted the scenery with her hands as if there was a canvas in front of her. "It is the only location that one can attack by sea and destroy a major city in the process. My family ruled the most important port in all the lands. Mondue, Souchan, Royal, or Commoner combined."
He could see how happy she was just by speaking of her old home. "I shall have to come to visit someday."
"You might be able to come and stay, depending on how fate works out for us." She told him with a teasing smile.
"Ah, I doubt there would be enough room for me." He spoke in a joking manner though part of him thought that no truer sentence had ever been spoken.
Ophelia turned her eyes to him and offered him a large smile. "There is a second throne next to my own, Remus. There is plenty of room."
He stopped walking and placed both hands on her cheeks. "You do not know how to dream small dreams, do you?"
She chuckled, "Do you?"
Kissing her forehead briefly, he began to walk with her at his side once more. "No, I suppose not."
"Then dream some gigantic dreams with me, Remus." She more ordered then offered, but Remus knew when to accept an offer that was too good to pass up.
---***---
Arms-Professor Mego glared out of the corner of his eyes as Lenore went through each weapon. He had already explained to her that he would ensure they all met standards before the tournament, but she insisted on offering her assistance in the matter. He hadn't planned on going through them that evening, but even if she was merely a student in these moments she was always the Princess whose word was as good as the King's unless he contradicted her.
"The Royals will begin their practice soon, Lenore. Are you certain you wish to be here when your brother arrives?" He asked in hopes that he could put an end to this, as Lenore had complaints about every weapon she removed from the rack.
She raised an eyebrow as she held a longsword in her hand. "Why would I fear my brother?"
"He has been livid with you for some time now, have you not noticed?" Mego never understood why the two fought when they had been close as children, but he decided it was not his place to try to mend their broken relationship.
She shrugged her shoulders, "He has not pleased me recently either."
"Excuse me." Armand's voice spoke from the arena as he approached the armory that was build under the benches. "May I speak to Princess Lenore in private, Professor?"
Mego seemed more than eager to escape and as fast as his large body could move, he disappeared from the room.
Stepping in, Armand looked at the pile of rejected weapons on the ground in the center of the room. "Torturing Mego again?"
Lenore snorted, "I am not torturing him. He never cares for the practice weapons, and they fall into all states of decay."
He chuckled, "You torture him when you are so angry with your brother but refuse to bother him instead for fear of looking weak."
"Why would I look weak?" She tossed the sword onto the pile.
"For approaching him first." He cleared his throat, and before she could respond he began to speak again. "He is doing the same to Piera."
Lenore had turned around to check another weapon, but when she heard Routine's sister's name, she turned back around to him. "What has Piera done?"
"Very little, but enough that he was capable of turning his anger from you to her."
The smell of wood was in the air even though this constructions was over a hundred years old, and it especially smelled within the small room of the armory. It wasn't a horrible smell minus the hints of mold, but it reminded Armand of the servants' room that Lenore used to sleep in when she visited the castle.
Lenore crossed her arms and took two steps forward until she was standing directly in front of him. "Tell me what she did."
"She was angry with him for the way the petition vote was against you. It did not take much." Armand admitted.
Lenore took a deep breath and frowned, "Foolish girl. I explained to her that she always had to appear to be on his side. What did you advise her to do?"
"Every trick you have ever taught me. Ask forgiveness, be kind, but nothing seems to turn his sour mood." Armand crossed his own arms. "That was when I realized that it had nothing to do with Piera and everything to do with you."
She nodded her head. "Yes. Well then, I suppose I am due for an tantrum."
"I am not sure I follow, milady."
Shrugging her shoulders, before she pulled a bow from the rack and tossed it into the pile. "If I cause him trouble, I am certain that he will be forced to turn his attention back to me. Piera will be free of him once I do so, but I can not cause trouble until after the tournament. I do not want to get my group disqualified. Tell Piera that she need only hold on a moment longer."
He shook his head, "It would be best if she did not know."
Lenore agreed, "Very well, you know her better than I do."
---***---
Ophelia and Remus came to a stop in the floral court when she noticed Routine sitting on the east bench. He was holding a stack of scrolls and his eyes read over them careful, but it did not appear to be scrolls of study. It was hard to tell if Routine was upset, but Ophelia felt that he was.
"Go inside, I wish to speak to him." Ophelia told Remus as she walked over to the bench and sat down beside him.
Remus watched her and was curious as to why she had decided to order him about, but also he wondered what business she might have with him. After a moment, he decided that she meant no harm and began down the path toward the dorm.
Routine looked at the girl next to him and for a brief moment wondered why she had approached him as the two hardly ever spoke. In truth, he didn't know if there was ever a conversation between them that didn't involve someone else especially Lenore. It surprised him when he began to speak before she did. "My parents have sent a selection of eligible marriage partners." He explained.
"May I?' Ophelia held out her hand, and Routine offered them to her. She read over them briefly, "I know many of these girls. I can show them to you, if you wish."
"Their appearance is of no significance." He folded his arms and would have leaned back if there had been something more than a bush to hold his weight.
Ophelia felt confused, "Your parents are allowing you to make a selection. Do you not want the one best suited to you, and the one that you find most attractive?"
Routine snorted, "In this matter, you are the master of superior knowledge."
She didn't understand, "I can not make such a decision for you, Routine... I mean Byron. This is your wife, and I know you are saddened that it will not be Lenore, but you have to make due with the path you are given."
"It is true that I was disappointed in the abrupt ending in my engagement with Lenore. However this was only due to the fact that I knew she would only require friendship and nothing else a wife might desire." He explained.
She tried to comprehend what he was attempting to say, and when she tried to form a wise saying, she said nothing more than,"What? Huh?"
"Lenore was already aware of my limitations, and now another woman will have to be informed. She may in fact be more of a dullard than you in understanding this situation." There was no hint of animosity in his voice, and he probably did not realize that he was being rude to that woman who was trying to assist him.
She continued to be confused by the man and seemed to ignore everything he had said just prior and focused on only his comment about camaraderie. "As a husband and a wife there would be more than friendship, it is expected."
"Not if I were the groom."
Ophelia remained silent as the flocks of students moved through the court. She tried to think over what he was saying and decipher between the lines.
Routine decided to explain further when he realized that she had nothing more to say due to her own lack of knowledge. He knew he would have to explain as plainly as he could. "I do not find women desirable."
A light flashed before Ophelia's eyes, "Oh, oh my. Then you would need to locate one that understood your desire for flesh other than her own."
Routine almost chuckled at Ophelia's reaction. "No, Romanus, I do not find men desirable either."
She snickered at his response. "That is impossible, Byron. We all have some desire in our heart be it for men or women. Surely, you have felt some longing towards another in your time." She offered the scrolls back.
Turning his head away from the rushing crowd, he looked directly into Ophelia's eyes. "No, never." Looking back down at the scrolls, he looked up at Ophelia. "You make the decision, I am incapable in this task."
---***---
Santh was sitting on the girl's platform and looked toward the stream. The platform was high enough that Lenore and Ophelia could dangle their feet over the edge, but Santh's feet were firmly planted on the ground.
He had avoided Lenore for the majority of the day and decided that this could not be an ongoing difficulty for them as they were both leading their team. He wanted to speak to her in private and put an end to this misunderstanding they had the night before. The only place he could think to find her alone meant the probability of Ophelia making an appearance, but he felt comfortable enough to tell the girl to leave them.
Luckily for him, Lenore arrived alone. When she turned the corner a gentle smirk was applied to her lips, but she was quick to send it away and approach him in her stoic manner. "Why are you here?"
Santh stood from the platform. He had heard her footsteps and therefore was not startled by her appearance. "I have come to apologize for the other day. It was an inappropriate action on my part, and I have no excuse that can explain my behavior."
Lenore cocked her head to the side, "I would prefer an encore over an apology."
He looked unamused though his checks reddened slightly, "I suppose now we can return to speaking terms." With that he attempted to walk passed her, but this time it was Lenore who was unamused.
She grabbed his forearm to stop him and though he could have easily yanked it away to continue on his way, Santh stopped and looked down at the woman beside him. "What exactly are you doing, Santh? I know you aren't this meek boy with no experience with women. You are no blushing virgin, so I wonder what are your plans here?"
"My plans?"
She chuckled bitterly, "I feel like a pawn in your emotional game of tug of war with yourself. Tell me what I am supposed to be saying or do to encourage the response that I want."
Santh used his other hand to shove Lenore's hand from his arm, and snorted. "I grow tired of your games, Princess."
"What game?" She crossed her arms. "If there has been anyone that I have been honest with about my feelings then it is certainly you. I have not hidden any emotion that I have felt since I met you. It is you that is hiding and playing games."
Santh was quiet for a moment as the two of them stared at each other. "None of this matters. There could be no future between us, so why bother?"
"I am not asking you to marry me. I am just asking you to give in and stop fighting me directly so you can stop fighting yourself. You pretend to dislike me then fail which is followed by you falling further for me."
Santh's laugh that followed sounded more like an angry roar. "Your arrogance in this matter only assists me in loathing you more, Lenore. Do not presume to know me." Walking toward the dorm, he turned the corner to find Ophelia waiting for Lenore to call to her. He swallowed and hurried passed her.
Lenore looked up at the girl that was walking toward her. She had found her on a bench looking through a group of scrolls that Byron had left with her, and when she found Santh on their platform she had motioned for her friend to remain.
"Was that direct enough?" She asked as Ophelia approached her.
"It was." The younger girl wondered if the Princess would cry, but she showed no signs.
"Stubborn bastard." Lenore sighed, "Well then, I suppose if he doesn't want to end this game then I just will no longer play."
---***---
Anton was studying in the library. He had been purposely separating himself from the dorm in order to study more and interact with them less. When his father came for the next tournament, he wanted to prove to him that he was focused entirely on his studies and not allowing himself to believe that any of those people were his friends. Though, in truth, his heart knew that they were.
"May I sit here?" A soft voice asked.
Without looking up from his book, he nodded his head and continued to read.
"I have never understood why everyone wishes to sit so far apart in libraries. It feels so lonely and you have to travel half way across the room to ask someone a question." The voice continued to speak as the books were set down on the table making an awful noise.
"You need to be quiet." Anton snapped and as he looked up, his heart fluttered.
Her hair was black with a slight curl to it, and her eyes a green like the fields near his house in the spring. The way she naturally looked was like a doe caught in an eye lock with her predator. "Oh, I am terribly sorry."
Anton watched her open the book in front of her and begin to read. She was reading the same materials as he was, and he assumed she was a first year. "Reading about his Grace?"
She looked up and smiled, "The King has led a fascinating life. It is truly amazing that such a great man could come from a father like his own."
"You did not approve of the late King?"
She shrugged her shoulders, "The late King was well loved, but he is very simple. His Queen ruled most of the lands, and he fought whenever she gave the order. Of course, the King's older brother proved to be very similar to his father, which is why the Queen encouraged her husband to name his second son the heir."
"So I have read." Anton showed her that he was reading the same book as she was, and she once again smiled.
"It seems I have found the right study partner. Perhaps we can assist one another in the future?" She watched him nod. "Harona Brenem, Souchan Party." She offered out her hand.
When it came to announcing his party, Anton realized very quickly how different he was from the woman sitting across from him. "Excuse me, I must leave."
"Did I say something wrong?" She asked, but would receive no answer.
Harona watched him jump from his seat and hurry out of the library which caused him to leave his book behind. Standing up, she picked up her own items and rushed out the door. She spotted him as he slipped around the corner of the building and began to head toward the South.
"Boy!" She shouted over the crowd of students, but he did not hear her. She continued to call out to him, but would have no luck until he arrived at the flowered court.
He was shocked to see her following him and even for a moment thought she might not be in her right mind.
"You left your book." She offered it out to him. "I wouldn't know how to find you if I kept it until later, so I..." She breathed heavily. "You walk very quickly through the crowds. You should teach me how you weave yourself so well."
Anton took his book from her and said nothing as he moved toward the dirt path.
"South Dorm." Harona mumbled under her breath. "You are Anton or Jolon, aren't you?"
He stopped and turned toward the girl who was speaking to him over the crowds of students that walked passed them. "How do you know this?"
"I watched the tournaments." She moved to stand in front of him. "Which one are you?"
"Anton."
She frowned, "You were sorely missed at the last tournament. I could barely believe that someone could come so close to the Prince's own score."
"I need to return to my dorm." He told her and rushed down the dirt path.
Harona thought he was peculiar, but shrugged her shoulders and hurried to her own dorm.
---***---
Boy,
I shall make this letter brief as I have much to accomplish before my journey out to Apisarn to witness the tournament.
In my youth I did attempt to establish a trading post near the university. At first, it seemed to flourish as the merchants were more than willing to make the journey.
However, once news of the caravans spread, I found myself dealing with the miscreants of society. They were set on thievery and murder to the point that it was unprofitable to pay their ransoms in any attempt to remove them from the outskirts. In fact, all payments made were taken and the bandits would simply continue their plundering.
While the guards were easily convinced to escort noble families into the area, they were not willing to risk their necks for goods or the common merchant. It did not matter how much I offered and there was a time I offered more than I was paying those thugs to continue to rob my caravans.
Even decades later the thought of my failure brings my blood to a boil. Yet, I see that you are set on attempting this yourself. If I was not able to accomplish this post, then the next best thing would be a victory for my son in this task.
In order to achieve success in this endeavor, you must find a way to guard the passes. The merchants will not come if they are not guaranteed safe passage. I did attempt to hirer mercenaries and call them the personal guards, but after a time they joined the bandits as it was advantageous to their pockets.
Had I to do over again, I would have spoken to the Prince at the time. Lucius might have offered to extend the University's guardsmen further out. The reason that I did not is it would not have been far spread. The guards are students after all, and they can not stand watch too far from the school. Therefore, other guardsmen would need to be hired and stationed throughout the roadways to ensure safe passage. This means building guard stations and paying guards out of pocket or getting someone of high position to pay for them.
I am afraid that the challenges that I was tasked within this venture are the same for you. Find a way to protect the passes without destroying your profit margin.
Now, I have written a much longer letter than anticipated but I suppose this failing has always haunted me. So, I shall return to my work and hope that you do well, son.
Good luck and good coin,
Pymus Grey
Remus sat on his bed and lowered his father's letter to his lap. He tapped his index finger against his leg as he thought for several moments over his father's words.
There had to be some way to make this work and it had to be done before the final weeks of the school year. He would need those caravans to bring supplies to rebuild the dorm.
The mere fact, however, that his own father attempted this and failed caused him to worry. His father was not one to give up on anything unless it proved itself to be a fool's errand. If his father was incapable then he was not so certain that he would have the skills to accomplish this task.
Taking a deep breath, he thought for a moment before Lesatan's face appeared in his mind. He grinned and tossed his father's letter onto the bed.
Of course, his father could accomplish nothing with Lucius as they were not only friends, but Lucius had nothing to prove to the world. Remus had been given an unique opportunity as Lesatan's greatest desire was to prove that he was a worthy heir to the throne.
He knew he could spin this in some way to make Lesatan feel it was an opportunity that only a fool would pass on. However, he could not do so before the tournament, he would have to wait until the end of the week and then approach him. As he knew Lesatan would be too focused on his archery and have no time to deal with a common merchant.
With a grin, Remus smirked and heard the dinner bells in the distance. Standing up, he followed his other dorm mates to their meal.
---***---
Piera knocked gently on the study door and entered before Lesatan could say anything about her entering. She knew that the advisers were eating their meals in the dining hall, but Lesatan had announced that he was not hungry.
Sitting behind his desk, he did not look pleased to see her, though he did not order her to leave either.
Closing the door behind her, Piera took a deep breath and prepared herself for what she was about to do. She didn't like acting in this manner but she knew that some thing had to be done in order to return them to where they were before. If that meant using Lenore as a bridge then she would.
Walking over to the chairs in front of his desk, Piera sat down and watched as he read a scroll for class. When he finished, he rolled it back up and looked at the woman sitting before him.
"Did you come to stare at me?" He finally asked as he leaned back in his chair. He looked as if he was preparing another verbal torture session for her within his mind.
"Are you worried about the tournament?" Piera asked and tried to ignore the fact that she was beginning to feel terrified. She wanted to appear his enemy at first, but then prove that she was in fact showing him to victory. It was meant to place him in defensive mode only to find that he did not need to be in such a position, and therefore knock him off balance.
Lesatan snorted, "Why would I be worried? I have won every tournament that I have ever entered."
"Except this years first tournament." She tried to gently remind him, but watched as his face fell into annoyance.
"Of course." He growled under his breath. He bit down on his own teeth so hard that Piera that he might grind them into dust.
Piera swallowed down the lump in her throat. "If it weren't for Ophelia, they would have won the second tournament as well. I hear that she has been practicing a great deal for this tournament, and holds hopes for a victory."
"What exactly is your point, Piera?" Lesatan snarled and leaned forward in his chair, placing both hands on the desk.
"I am suggesting that you can not afford another loss to Lenore. She has already been a humiliation to your household from the moment of her birth, and yet she feels she can publicly humiliate her future king. Does she have no sense of boundaries or duty to you?" She tried not to look afraid though she trembled on the inside.
Lesatan cocked his head to the side as if he was uncertain what she was suggesting.
"We must play dirty, Lesatan. We can not allow her to make a fool of her king again. She could have won a second time if they had not changed archers, and now their failure of an archer is working desperately to become something of note." She stood up and walked around the desk to where she kneeled down at his side.
Lesatan leaned back and looked down at the woman as she took his hand.
"I have a plan that will disqualify Lenore, while putting her in your possession. Will you hear me out, milord?" She swallowed again. The way he looked at her, she was certain that he would yank his arm away and slap her for saying such things against his sister.
"I am curious as to why you plot against my sister." He finally spoke.
"Your house will be my house someday, and I want to put her in her place before she becomes true trouble to our lineage." She couldn't believe how easily she had come to lie to this man.
The Prince didn't look as if he fully believed her, but he seemed content enough. "Very well, Piera. Tell me this plan of yours."