Lina watched as Zelgadis laughed in response to something that Gourry said, and then she turned to Amelia and commented, "Looks like this little weekend trip has helped Zel to loosen up."

"Yes," Amelia agreed, "He's a lot more at ease now. I am so glad you suggested this!"

"It was good to get away for the weekend." Lina said as Maninstit came into view. While she had been annoyed that the others had invited themselves, fortunately when they actually got into town no one complained about everyone enjoying their separate pursuits. And while Lina had walked with Gourry most of the way home as they got within the bounds of Maninstit she'd found herself drawn to Amelia. "This new group of students is really getting under my skin and I needed the change of scenery. Though thinking of that pile of work waiting for me…"

She shuddered and sighed, "It was still worth it though."

"And I think Duchess Orianna will be so busy cleaning up the mess she's in with Ruvinagald that it will be awhile before she causes anymore trouble for us. So you should be at full capacity at least."

"Don't jinx this!" Lina shouted, and then she lowered her voice, "I won't undervalue having a vindictive diplomat cowed though. I'll say that you seem to have bounced back from this quickly."

"I guess, being a royal I'm just sort of used to it. These things are hell to get through but it's always good to put them and any hard feelings behind you as fast as possible."

"So…we're good then?" Lina asked.

"Justice prevailed. So there's no need to dwell on any of that anymore." Amelia said as she pointed at the manor dramatically, "Forward it the only way to go!"

"Right." Lina said with a sigh.

Amelia grinned at her and wrapped an arm around her, "Come on. It may be a steep learning curve but it's nothing that a sorcery genius like yourself can't work out. Sure, you have already set an impossibly high bar and if you don't succeed this will create a diplomatic nightmare with the Elmekian Empire and make Luna very, very mad at you."

"You're not helping." Lina muttered under her breath as she waved at a group of students playing a game.

"You didn't honestly think you'd be able to rest on your laurels after the role you played in liberating Dils, did you?" Amelia teased, "I though you were smarter than that!"

"Oh, how is it that the reward for doing a good job is an even steeper challenge?"

"How is it that you're not used to this by now?" Amelia asked.

"I guess it was wishful thinking that led me to think that teaching would be easier than Mazoku slaying." Lina said as she noticed two students talking and felt alarm bells start to ring. She took a second look and registered that Tom was talking with Arnold and felt the gooseflesh form on her arms. Something isn't right here. But what? She wondered as she said absentmindedly, "Especially with Sis involved."

"It's good, righteous work though." Amelia said as she clasped her on the arm.

Lina smiled and wrapped an arm around her as she continued to watch Tom and Arnold as they approached them, "It is indeed."

A silence followed as Lina strained to hear, "She will! They all will!" Arnold said.

"Do you think…" Amelia said, and Lina squeezed her arm a little and shook her head. Amelia looked at her in confusion but was silent as she heard Tom speak.

"I see a potential in you. One that everyone else in this school seems to be blind to."

Arnold looked at him, "Really?"

Lina and Amelia both slowed down as Tom said, "They'd have to be blind to not notice. But I can help them see."

"See what?" Arnold asked.

"Meet me…" Tom said, and then he stopped as he looked at Lina and Amelia and smiled. "Welcome home Dame Lina, Princess Amelia. How was your weekend retreat?"

"It was nice, thank you." Amelia said. "I see you are enjoying this beautiful day."

"Just doing what I can to ensure that everyone at Maninstit feels welcomed and valuable." Tom said with a smile that did not reach his eyes.

"Including Anne?" Lina asked.

"It's one of my greatest failures. But some people are beyond help. I think you understand, you've been there with someone you can't save. You should have seen the trouble she would get into at the orphanage. It's not her fault really. Given what happened to her when she was young, well, it would turn anyone crazy." Tom said, "I tried my best to help her but it was never enough. Though perhaps someone as smart and wise as you will be more successful."

Oh please! Lina thought in exasperation, though she smiled and said, "Thank you for that insight. Have a pleasant day."

She walked slowly with Amelia, hoping that the boys would start talking about the meeting again, but Tom found something more mundane to talk about with Arnold as they gradually drifted out of earshot. "Are you seeing what I'm seeing?" Lina asked Amelia.

Amelia exhaled, "He's scheming. He's one of those kids who could get a job as a page boy and work his way up to being the king's advisor with how he can grease those wheels. And he'd likely throw a lot of people under the chariot wheels as he does. I'd watch out for him."

"Trust me, I will." Lina said.

"Dame Lina?" Anne asked as she peered into Lina's office.

"Yes," Lina said as she looked up from her writing as Gourry sat up on the couch.

"I have the paper that you asked for." She said as she held it up.

"Put it on the desk." Lina said.

"Yes, ma'am." Anne said as she hung her head as she walked forward and put it down.

Lina could feel Gourry's eyes on her as she set the quill down and leaned back in her chair, "My parents said that you were a model student over the weekend."

"I really am sorry." Anne said, "So I stayed out of everyone's way."

"It's been a difficult start." Lina said.

"I can do better!" Anne said quickly, "I will do better!"

"You must. To have the power that we do is a tremendous responsibility. The guilds have always been quick to disown sorcerers who abused their powers and to reel them in because they know the threat that such sorcerers pose. And we have to take a similar, hardline approach here. Your behavior reflects on this school.

"Learning to manage a temper can be a challenge. I know I've had my struggles with it, but that's why it's important to surround yourself with the right people and stay far away from the wrong ones."

"I understand, Dame Lina. I really do."

"Show me you understand." Lina said. "Because if you can't then we can't continue training you."

"I understand." Anne said.

Lina sighed, "Look, I don't know if Tom was slandering you or not. And if he was, it can be hard to take the long view at your age, but never forget that the truth will be revealed in time. If he is slandering you don't make his job easier. Hold you head up high knowing your innocence and give him a berth so wide he drowns in it."

Anne looked up at her, her eyes shining, "You mean you believe me?"

Lina smiled a little, "I'm moving in that direction. That's not what is important though."

"Hey, I know how hard it can be to keep your head up when someone is telling lies about you." Gourry said, "But you're only wasting your breath with people like Tom. They have a way of turning your words into weapons to cut yourself with. Focus on being a good person and find others who are the same."

Anne smiled, "Thank you. I will. Is that all?"

Lina and Gourry exchanged a glance and then Lina waved Anne away, "Go get some breakfast. I'll see you in class later."

Anne turned and left the office, and Gourry got up and walked over to give Lina a peck on the lips, "I knew you had it in you."

"Oh, she's still annoying." Lina said as she grabbed his hand. "But if Tom pulling a smear campaign against her…"

"Lina!" Luna yelled from down the hallway, causing Lina's hair to stand on end. It was never good when Luna said her name like that.

Gourry became alert as Lina thought morbidly that it was time to see if Gourry really would lay down his life for her as Luna stormed in. Lina did her best to remain composed as she stood straight in her chair. "What?"

"A homework assignment!? A student attacked you and all you did was assign extra homework?"

Lina felt a flame light within her, "As headmistress, matters of discipline are my domain."

"You see too much of yourself in Anne." Luna shot.

"I do not!" Lina yelled back.

"And you're coddling her! With the way you're spoiling her she's going to go out, lose her temper and destroy a kingdom and ruin the reputation of this institution!"

"Perhaps she will. And then that will be on me." Lina said, "And I'll let that fall on me before I resort to using your methods!"

"My methods worked!" Luna shot back, "Look at all you accomplished."

Lina slammed her hands on her desk as she raised her voice, "I did that in spite of you and not because of you! Now get out of my office!"

Luna's hand moved to her apron as Gourry's hands moved to his sword. "After Lina nearly died defending this institution you promised things would be different." He said evenly.

Luna took a deep breath and relaxed her hands at her sides, "If you two want to take this path towards idiocy so be it. But I will write my objections down so I can be there to tell you that I warned you."

"Close the door on your way out." Lina said.

Luna slammed it behind her as she stormed out, and Lina leaned forward against the desk, her legs shaky with relief as Gourry put a hand on her back. "Looks like the two of us are strong enough to stand up to her." Lina said.

"I just hope this isn't the calm before the storm."

Lina laughed a little as she reached out to wrap her arms around him, "There's always a storm on the horizon. Always."

She leaned up to kiss him and relished the feel of his arms as they went round her as she deepened the kiss, so strong and stable. Her hands went to the hem of his shirt, which she started to pull up. He broke away for a moment to smile, "You know I have class in ten minutes."

"It will be quick and dirty then." She said as she sat back on the desk.

And nearly toppled over when Pippi threw the door opened as she knocked, "Dame Lina! One of the pipes in the bathroom broke and the place is flooding!"

Lina's face burnt as she stood up, "Dammit, this is not shaping up to be my year. Fine, let's find Jeeves, he'll know what to do."

"Well, I'll say that everything in this damn manor breaking down is a damn site better than my teachers being arrested." Lina fumed as she walked into the upstairs library with Amelia, "But so much for getting things back on track in the second week."

"There's always something, isn't there? But there is good news." Amelia said.

"Oh?"

"My Daddy is coming for Justina's birthday and to be here for when Sis has her baby. Well, hopefully Sis will have her baby before he has to leave to be with my stepmother when she has her new baby."

Lina managed to bite her tongue and squeak out, "How lovely."

Amelia started talking about how excited she was to see him as Lina's eyes fell on a book that has been left by the couch. And then she blushed as she saw the title, "Amelia! What are you doing leaving books like this in places students can find?" Lina shouted as she pointed at All the Hues of Black.

"What book?" Amelia asked.

"Don't play dumb!" Lina said as she picked it up and then held it as far away from her as possible, "Do you know what sort of a reputation it has!? What if one of the kids had found it?"

"Not mine." Amelia said as she shook her head, "That's too hardcore for my taste."

That stopped Lina in her tracks, "You're serious?"

"Yeah! I mean I love a story with a heroine of justice having to tame some vile evil doer with her wiles as much as the next person, but this is completely different type of whips and chains." Amelia said.

"Then whose is it? Naga! It has to be Naga. And of course she would be careless…"

"I don't think this is Sis's thing really." Amelia said.

"You don't…talk about it with her, do you?"

"Well, no, but she and Moe get so noisy, and their room is right next to ours, so…little is left to the imagination."

"Yikes! Remind me to invest in getting their room soundproofed."

"Thank you." Amelia said as she smiled in relief.

"So if it's not you and if it's not Naga, whose is it? I've never seen Alona or Nelly read but…Oh no! Oh please no!" Lina said as she went pale in horror.

"What?" Amelia asked.

"This better not be my mom's!" Lina said.

Amelia giggled a little, "Well, she does have a vicious sense of humor. But we exchange such books back and forth and this has never been in her collection…"

"YOU WHAT!?" Lina yelled as Sylphiel walked in quietly.

"Oh." She said as she saw the book in Lina's hands, "Were you wanting to borrow it?"

"Wha…" Lina said as she turned around, "This is yours?"

Sylphiel smiled, "Yes."

"Well, I was not expecting this." Lina said as she held the book out to her, "You like this stuff?"

Sylphiel grabbed her book, "Just some escapism."

"You'd be surprised what Shrine Maidens pass around the temple." Amelia said wistfully.

Lina shook her head, "I don't wanna know, just don't go leaving it out where students can find! Danielle sneaks into this library all the time!"

"I'm sorry I was careless." Sylphiel said, "You know how it is when you're rushing to grab a crying baby. I'll be more careful next time. But Dame Lina, you honestly don't think the kids don't know about these books?"

"Well, no, but I also don't want this school to get the reputation of giving kids erotica." Lina said.

"Too late." Amelia said, "Betty has already been passing around the typical romance stuff, and then when Morticia came she brought the dark stuff with her."

"I had to chase her and Gomez out of the basement last night." Sylphiel added.

"They weren't…?" Lina asked.

"Not yet, but things were definitely moving in that area." Sylphiel explained.

Lina sighed and grabbed her temples, "I guess if there was a way to stop adolescents from being adolescents…but damn if this gets out…"

"People will know all about kids sneaking around to fool around in castles." Amelia said, "I wouldn't stress about it so much."

"I guess I have plenty of other things to stress about." Lina said. "Still, we can't help what the kids pass around themselves, but the teachers are not to distribute this."

"You don't have to worry about that. Not even Sis would do such a thing." Amelia said. "But Lina, I have to wonder, what sort of collection do you have?"

Lina folded her arms under her breasts as she turned her head away, "One that is private."

"You don't have to be so modest! If you need some recommendations to spice things up…"

"We're good and covered, thank you very much!" Lina snapped.

"Hmm." Sylphiel said as she exchanged a glance with Amelia.

"That means it's either very plain or very, very spicy." Amelia said with a knowing smile.

"Get your mind out of my fantasies!" Lina yelled as her hands bunched into fists.

AN: So, life has hit hard. My mother died last week. Her ending is not the one I would have written but the one I have to accept and, given that I knew her health was in decline (though I expected her to make it to 2022, but not too much longer), was already in the process of accepting. It's been a roller coaster of a Christmas as a result, but writing has always given me solace and is a great way to give me things I can control and to write endings I want to see. And the Slayers community has been so great and supportive during this. This is truly the best fandom!