Chapter 21: A Turned over Silva leaf

'Hey... sis', Amaya nudged her sister, grinningly. 'If you're not interested in this boy, do you mind if I take him?'

Sarai was momentarily taken aback by her sisters question before frowning at the smirk and wriggling eyebrows on Anaya's face. 'Shut up!' She responded, deliberately ignoring the way Zeren's beautiful eyes flickered and lingered on her, for mere seconds before he averted his gaze.

Choosing instead to look up a the huge colosseum, where the knight entrance exams were being held, Sarai brought her goal to the forefront of her mind: 'become a knight of the Pentarchy'. As uncertain about these new feelings as she was, she also knew that she and Zeren had a similar aura to each other. It felt like they shared a similar Innate wish to protect those that they held dear, to create a better humanity. She was curious about that, and was intrigued by the slight tinges of darkness in the corners of his eyes. Zeren certainly wasn't evil, but Sarai could sense deep resentment and anger residing within the boy.

"This is it", the boy interrupted her train of thought. "The Colosseum. Inside here are the nine Knight captains whom will test your skills with magic or swordsmanship". With a soft gentle smile on her face, Sarai walked towards Zeren and placed a kiss to his cheek. "Thank you, and I'm-I'm sorry for not helping you... a year ago, I mean. And yeah... friends, I hope to see more of you when we become knights". Taking her sitters arm, she marched away and then disappeared through the entrance archway into the Colosseum, she saw her sister sign 'thank you' back towards Zeren but what she didn't see was the 'Sarai loves you' bit at the end.

Turning around, with heat rising in his face, remembering the sisterly teasing that Amaya had signed earlier, Zeren, barely even recognised the tall bespectacled, white haired man in blue and gold robes striding towards him. An annoyed expression across his face, as he pushed past several other candidates.

"Master Zeren", Klaus Lunnettes spoke, flicking a few strands of hair out from his line of vision before rounding on the young steward. "As the personal aide and steward to Captain Vangeance, you are meant to stand beside him during the examination. You're tardiness shows your commoner status and your unreadiness for such a task..."

Klaus would have continued his admonishing of the boy, but was interrupted by seeing the hurrying lad trip and fall into a bunch of arriving candidates toppling them all to the ground. Dressed in emaculate clothes of red and blue belying their noble heritage, the candidates began raging at the 'filthy commoner' for improper respect shown to those far above him in life.

"Get moving runt!"

"Scum. The lot of them!"

"Yeah, we are nobility! We shouldn't have to bare witness to your frivolities".

Sensing that Zeren was getting royally pissed off, and wanting to avoid any such actions that would shame the Golden Dawn and Captain Vangeance. Klaus bolted forwards and grabbed Zeren by the scruff of his neck, more precisely; the collar of his tunic, and dragged him away before the boy could snark or growl out a retort. "May I remind you, Zeren, that you are representing the Golden Dawn! So behave yourself". The boy huffed but knew that Klaus was right, so he begrudgingly followed the man.

Walking up several flights of stairs and then along galleries to get to the balcony, where the nine captains were overseeing the the exams, was a long way. Especially as he was being dragged and berated by Klaus, which Zeren continuously scowled at, but upon arriving at the balcony the bespectacled man sighed and placed a hand on the boys shoulder. "I may be hard on you Zeren... but I see a darkness in your eyes that I haven't seen in anyone for quite some time", Klaus spoke. "Captain William sees it too, and we both want to help you to rid yourself of it. You have a new life in the Golden Dawn, embrace it. And let the bonds of camaraderie you from move you past whatever is holding you back".

Standing facing the man responsible for his knight training, whenever Captain Vangeance wasn't available. Zeren felt his anger towards the Pentarchy monarchs, for their crimes against his family, clash with his own hope for peace and understanding between elves and humans. It had been a struggle for him to bury his rage from immediate view when he was brought before King Svengauld, one of the two men that had been behind his families murder... He could have used his primal magic there and a then to slaughter the 'old coot'.

Yet, had it not been for the intervention of the caring and kind Crown Prince, Zeren knew that his anger would have consumed him and he would not have have been able to restrain himself against the descriptions, the king and the silver haired Captain, had said about him, his human family and elves in general.

However, the words from Klaus stilled his hatred and vengeful mood: bitterness and disdain were replaced by resolve to further the goals of the Golden Dawn. As well as, a genuine curiosity towards the knight entrance exams and whom the captains would select. 'Sarai...' His mind, traitorously, went to the girl he had re-met and befriended. 'Her dark brown hair, hazel eyes and the adorable mole beneath her left eye...' Shaking his head, Zeren focused on the task at hand, aiding Captain Vangeance select worthwhile knights from the examination.

Walking towards the nine seats, upon one of which sat William Vangeance, Zeren pointedly ignored the way that another younger silver haired man standing next to Captain Nozel Silva; glared at him. "Ah Zeren", William spoke from behind his mask, "there you are. I trust you found the colosseum easily?" With a sly smile on his face, Zeren could tell that William was well aware of slower pace that he had taken to get here. "Yes, Sir William", the young steward replied, "the way was clear... though I'm sorry for my late arrival".

"Your young steward is unrefined, unruly and unworthy of his position amongst the Golden Dawn", the younger silver haired man mocked. "He doesn't even possess a grimoire, a boy without magic within the knight squad... he must be uniquely deformed to not even use dark magic or any magics imbued into grimoires by the ex-Amari followers".

Zeren bristled with simmering anger but was stopped from lashing out, and giving himself away as the lost Amari son, by William standing up and placing a hand on the boy's shoulder. Coincidentally, at the same time, Nozel Silva turned his head from observing the mingling knight participants below, and spoke. "Solid... you will desist from taunting the boy. He is a steward in training to William Vangenace, and will one day become the page to Crown Prince Harrow... remember that brother. Zeren may very well outrank us someday".

Zeren couldn't help but frown at the captain of the Silver Eagles sudden change of tone towards him since the royal commission. And apparently, this unexpected about-turn was noticed by the other captains as well. Particularly, from the captains of the Coral Peacocks, Blue Rose Knights and Black Bulls.

However, before anyone could question him, Nozel stood up and loudly addressed the whole assembly of knight applicants.

"Welcome, participants of this years Knight entrance exams. I Nozel Silva of House Silva, Captain of the Silver Eagles, shall be overseeing this test. There will be two parts to this exam: practise in magic and practice in swordplay. By the end of the day, you will have either been selected into one of the Nine Squads or not. If more than one captain raises a hand for you, then that candidate shall choose which squad to join. I bid you all good luck, and now let us begin with the knights entrance examination".