Well, lovelies here's the next chapter of our adventure. Just a short reminder, don't forget to visit my website if you're curious to see some of the characters who will show up over the course of the story. I haven't yet added all of them, especially not the main antagonist, because he'll show up much later and I want to try and keep at least some aura of mystery about him until then ;)
So with that said, don't be afraid to toss me a little review and let me know what you think. I miss replying to your comments, darlings :D
Enjoy, lovelies~
P.S. Every Shall we date?: Wizardess Heart character belongs to NTT Solmare Corp. I only own Rosetta and any other OCs involved in the story :)
2. Good girl
In the horrible symphony of shrieks Rosetta finally surrendered to the darkness creeping at the edges of her vision.
~ oOo ~
"What?!"
So unexpected was the news Klaus had just relayed to him, that Randolph stood from his seat before even realizing it.
"It is exactly as I said, Headmaster." the young man replied calmly. "The train was attacked by Shadows just as it was approaching the station in town. No one at the station was hurt, but according to the Acceptance Letter a few passengers were unfortunate enough to be devoured. By the time I managed to get inside the train, they were about to devour Miss Whitehorn."
"Is she alright?"
"She suffered only a minor bruise, and fell unconscious after I dispelled the Shadows. She is at the infirmary, and the doctor says she should wake up soon."
With a relieved sigh the Headmaster fell back into his chair.
"Good... thank you for your assistance, Klaus."
Only then did the pale, dark haired teacher speak from where he had been standing to the side, listening to the Prefect's report.
"It is weird that they wouldn't go straight for the one with the most pronounced magic aura." he contemplated, flicking through the pages of the file he had been holding. "In this case, according to the railway registry, the only magic user on that train was Miss Whitehorn. Couple that with the fact that she had the letter with her, and their magic aura should have been a ringing dinner bell for the Shadows. Yet they preferred to take their time, attempting to derail and destroy the train entirely, rather than striking fast and fleeing with their prey. And it is especially odd that they would do so during daytime."
"When you have the time, Conrad, please look into this in greater detail. We can't have our new students being killed before they even get here."
"Very well, Headmaster."
With that reply, the professor took his leave while Klaus again set his gaze upon Randolph awaiting dismissal.
"You may go as well, Klaus. If you require the rest, you may take the day off."
"There is no need for that, Headmaster."
"I know how taxing it is to face Shadows." the elder male replied with a knowing smile. "Don't push yourself more than needed. Take the day off and use the time to get Rosetta settled in. Show her around the Academy..."
He could easily read the young man's displeasure at the news in the way Klaus' eyes narrowed and his lips pressed together to hold back from refusing. Of course, as a member of the Goldstein family, Klaus was aware of the feud between his and the girl's fathers though Randolph hoped they could set aside their parents' grudge.
"I want you to help her improve in any areas where she lacks, to maximize her chances of passing the Judgment."
"Very well, Headmaster."
"I sense you are displeased."
Taking that as a hint that he could speak freely, the young man went to reply.
"I am busy enough as it is, Headmaster. My own studies, my Prefect duties, the occasional class to teach... they already consume enough of my time."
"I don't want Remus to think I'm not ensuring that she gets the very best tutoring here." the Headmaster pointed out.
Narrowing his eyes at the mention of that name, Klaus then huffed lightly. Knowing that something was off by the way his student's aura had changed, and being fully aware of the feud between the two families, Randolph heaved a sigh.
"Klaus... please don't tell me you got caught up in your father's silly quarrel with Remus."
"That silly quarrel has escalated quite a length since you last spoke to Father. Several of our workshops have been sabotaged this past year, and countless items – some of them brand new creations of my father – were destroyed before they even hit the market. Father has good reason to suspect the Whitehorns were behind it."
"I highly doubt she's to blame for any of that. You're a great judge of character, Klaus; give her a chance before you dismiss her because of your parents. But more than that, she's very important to me... I trust no one else to take better care of her."
'Why do you always have to be right?' the Prefect mused, quite annoyed at that.
Yes, he really had no reason to ignore the girl before even talking to her; for all he knew she could prove to be someone he could have a proper conversation with. And it certainly wasn't like him to shoot someone down when they didn't deserve it.
"Very well..." he finally sighed. "I'll do it. But only until the Judgment, regardless if she passes or not."
"Thank you. I'll compensate you with a few extra credits, how's that?"
"You know I do not make it a habit of asking for rewards."
"Yes, I know." Randolph smiled. "Which is why I'm offering it on my own."
Catching the dismissive shade in his tone, the Prefect took his leave whilst the Headmaster leaned back in his seat to contemplate the day's events.
~ oOoOo ~
With a slight groan, Rosetta opened her eyes to the unfamiliar ceiling which crushed her initial hope that it had all been a dream.
"How are you feeling?"
Startled by the unknown voice, she turned her gaze to the source only to find herself face to face with an old woman smiling warmly at her. Behind her, however, a young man was standing dressed in what she assumed was the male uniform. More than anything it was his stern expression that chased away the haze in her mind, allowing realization to dawn on her. That renowned combination of golden hair and amethyst eyes... he had to be one of the Goldstein boys her father had mentioned.
'Why in the world is he here?' she wondered, instantly afterwards recalling that the letter had mentioned one of the brothers was the school Prefect.
Almost at the same time she realized that the woman – whom she by now suspected to be the school medic – was still waiting for her answer.
"I'm alright..." she replied, slowly sitting up only to be startled when the other female handed her what seemed to be a piece of chocolate.
"It will do you good, dear, after the fright you went through. Make sure to eat it."
"Thank you..."
"I am Hagatha Fontayne, dear... the school doctor." she replied to the expectancy in Rosetta's tone.
"Thank you, Mrs. Fontayne."
"You're very welcome. Now sit still for a minute so I can fix up that bruise."
"Oh, um... if it's alright with you... I'll just take a bandage."
"Oh, my! Haven't heard that in years." the elder woman chuckled. "Not since your parents were students here."
Putting the wand away, she instead stepped over to a nearby cabinet and took out a small patch with which she covered the girl's bruise after cleaning it properly.
"There you go, dearie. Now off with you... don't keep Prefect Klaus waiting."
Bidding goodbye to the elder woman, Rosetta was now left to stand in front of Klaus, barely resisting the urge to shift uncomfortably on her feet beneath his scrutinizing gaze.
'Could you not stare into my soul like that?' she mused, biting her tongue to hold back from saying it aloud.
"Follow me." he finally said, startling her in the deep silence.
Without waiting for a reply he turned around and exited the infirmary, leaving her no choice but to do as he ordered.
"Um... are you... I mean your voice sounds... familiar..." she mumbled, finding it infinitely easier to look at him now that his gaze was averted to the hallway stretching ahead of them.
"If you're asking about the train, yes I was there. Did the letter not tell you I would be waiting for you?" he replied, not deeming her worthy of more than a sideways glance.
"Oh..." she nodded.
Her soft voice, ever so lightly quivering, caused the Prefect's mind to fill with the serene image of countless feathers fluttering on the breeze.
'What on earth...?' he growled internally.
This time he did turn his head to give her a proper look, only to find that she was staring at the floor whilst nibbling on the chocolate. And darn it all if she wasn't cuter than anything he had seen before...
"Is something wrong?"
Her scared tone brought him out of his own thoughts to the sight of the girl now looking at him, a corner of the chocolate still trapped between her lips, and he instantly turned his gaze away upon realizing they had stopped walking. For a while they paced the hallways in silence, until Klaus could no longer suppress his curiosity.
"Why are you here?"
Well, that question hadn't come out exactly as he had planned it, but he would be damned if he started stuttering in front of her. For a moment Rosetta remained silent, although when she answered her voice carried a deep tone of displeasure. It wasn't like her to get irked so easily, but something about him just rubbed her the wrong way.
"When last I checked, you didn't own this school. Anyone is free to study here, if they want to."
While he was impressed that she had found the courage to snap at him, this did pose a problem. He admired a strong character but that meant their personalities would clash quite often in the coming days.
"I don't make it a habit of allowing personal problems or feelings to interfere with my work. I didn't ask that with the intention you clearly assumed. Anyone who wants to be a student here needs to know what they want for their future. How can you improve if you don't have a clear goal in mind?"
His reply left Rosetta staring at him speechless. Hadn't she promised to herself that she wouldn't let her father's feud get to her? That she would befriend the Goldstein boys if they accepted her? What on earth was she doing, treating him as if he was her enemy? After he had saved her life too...
"Sorry..." she muttered glaring at the wall to her right to try and hide her embarrassed blush, her voice muffled by the chocolate.
"Then answer my question." he demanded.
His authoritative tone earned her attention once more, and she figured it best to just do as he said.
"I don't know... yet."
"Then I suggest you figure it out in the next thirteen days. It will weigh quite heavily at your Judgment."
'Why do you even care?' she mused, unable to restrain a pout.
Still annoyed by the tone he was taking up with her when they had barely met, she bit into the chocolate to hold back from speaking her thoughts. Maybe it was wiser to address the 'elephant in the room' for a moment, but Rosetta certainly wasn't in the mood right now to bring up that stupid quarrel between their families. And so she settled for walking silently at his side until they arrived to what she assumed was the female dorm building.
"This is where you will be staying while you're here. Your bags should already be in your room, and the Dorm Mother will give you a key."
"Alright."
For a moment they stood there in awkward silence, and Rosetta couldn't help feeling that he was once again examining her in detail.
"Why did you refuse the healing spell?" he finally asked, his eyes now set upon the bandage visible in between the chocolate strands of her bangs. "I've never heard of anyone doing that; I'm surprised Mrs. Fontayne even agreed to it."
"It's nothing really... just something... something I got used to..." Rosetta replied, suddenly aware enough of her wound to brush her fingers over the bandage.
The way he narrowed his eyes told her she wouldn't get away without a proper answer, and indeed his reply didn't disappoint.
"Stop stuttering like an idiot, and answer properly." he ordered.
Though irked by his rudeness, she opted against provoking him any further and heaved a sigh.
"It's just my own thing. If I get a minor injury like this, I prefer to just let my body heal at its own pace. Healing magic is good and all, but sometimes the body needs to work by itself. If you become too reliant on healing magic that just makes you physically weak."
While his expression didn't show it, Klaus was actually impressed by such a well thought out answer; enough that he opted to say what he had been contemplating keeping silent about for now.
"Do you need to rest for today?"
For a moment she simply stared at him in contemplation as though she was trying to discern the meaning behind his inquiry.
"No... I think I'd rather go to class." she replied at long last. "Or at the very least to the library; I need a good book to read. I assume my roommate is already in class and I'm not sure it's the best idea right now to stay in my room alone, with nothing to do."
She could swear that he had smiled at her reply, but it was gone before she could be sure of what she was seeing.
"Then go speak to the Dorm Mother." he stated, taking out a pocket watch to check the time. "You have exactly ten minutes to return."
"What for?" she blinked, caught off guard by such an unexpected answer.
"You haven't left yet?" the young Prefect replied, glancing back to her with a mock-surprised expression on his face.
Swallowing the snappy retort she wanted to give him, Rosetta merely narrowed her eyes at him then turned around heading toward the entrance.
"Yes, sir..."
"Good girl." she heard him saying behind her, and she could swear she felt a smile in his voice
Ugh, that condescending tone was so grating though... more so than even her etiquette instructor. And that was saying a lot! But talking to her as if she was a dog? She was starting to suspect he didn't have too many friends with that kind of attitude.