"I told you, Akkarin, it's not that simple," Administrator Lorlen said, leaning back in his chair. He spread his hands in a gesture that pointed out all the paperwork on his desk. "There's just no precedent, and you know how hard – and might I remind you, public – it is to change Guild laws. We'd have to put it forward at the next Meet. It would require a majority vote."

Akkarin scoffed quietly, drumming his fingers on the windowsill of Lorlen's office in impatience. The morning gong had rung to signal the start of the day's classes, and he could see the few novices still about were now running towards the University.

"I told you it was unwise, and you made me go through with it anyway. Now, we have a problem on our hands, Administrator," he narrowed his eyes at his friend, using his title to suggest he was now speaking as his superior, not his childhood pal.

"I don't know what went on, but I cannot bypass Guild law because you're uncomfortable, High Lord," Lorlen replied in kind, a touch of hurt in his voice at his friend's tone. "It would be hard enough to justify renting private accommodation in the Inner Circle for a novice from the Houses, let alone one from the slums. Novices live in the Novice's Quarters, unless they have permission to stay at home temporarily due to a family bereavement."

Lorlen watched Akkarin closely. His childhood friend had grown inscrutable since he rose to the highest rank of the Guild, but Lorlen could still read him better than most. A frown line had been permanently etched between his brows for the past month.

"You know as well as I do that to overhaul this by making an exception would not only have practical, but political repercussions," Lorlen added softly, feeling a touch of concern. "Novices stay in the Guild to leave behind House alliegances."

"Then let her return to the Novices' Quarters."

"The High Lord's novice has a room in the High Lord's residence. And for good reason. They can practice magic unsupervised, but their peers cannot. Accidents have happened in the past," Lorlen replied. Then his tone cooled. "Besides, wasn't it you who wanted to keep a close eye on Sonea? How do you plan to do that if she moves out of your residence? Are you going to make her wear a ring like this, too?"

Lorlen held up the hand on which Akkarin's blood gem glittered, his face reproachful.

Akkarin grimaced slightly. It pained him every day to keep his best friend hostage like this. But ever since he had taken Sonea as his novice and used Rothen's safety to blackmail her into silence, he had been wondering whether doing so had drawn unnecessary attention to both her and himself. And not to mention, it had necessitated the intimate initiation. Perhaps, as Lorlen said, he should have simply made Sonea a blood gem and continued to keep tabs on her that way. He would have been able to see through the ring if she met up with Rothen and they discussed any plans to entrap him.

"It was the best course of action at the time," Akkarin replied, turning away from Lorlen's accusatory eyes and looking back out the window at the Guild grounds. "Now, I'm not so sure."

Lorlen paused for a moment, his tone softening. "You don't trust me with anything anymore, my friend. Haven't I shown you that I have no intention of exposing you to the Guild unless you give me reason to? I cannot help you if you do not tell me why Sonea cannot stay with you anymore. Is she in some kind of danger if she stays? You used to tell me things."

Akkarin sighed, smoothening the sleeves of his black robes over his forearms. He could not imagine telling Lorlen the truth: that life with Sonea under his roof had turned into an unbearably tense charade of cold courtesy. Their every encounter was draining, getting more than two words out of her was like pulling teeth, and the resentment that emanated from her constantly plunged Akkarin into guilt. He was in a state of aggravation, frustration and self-loathing around her. What am I supposed to say, even if I wanted Lorlen's understanding? I desire my own novice? I pushed her away and now she hates me? I regret it and I need to possess her completely?

Lorlen sighed. "Fine, don't tell me. But I'm not stupid, Akkarin. It's only after the completion of Sonea's vows that suddenly the set-up you yourself initiated seems to have become hard for you to tolerate." His eyes narrowed. "They have been completed, haven't they?"

"Yes, I already told you," Akkarin snapped without meaning to. "Rest assured we completed that unnecessary and invasive requirement."

"There is a possibility," Lorlen began delicately, "that this recent behaviour may stem from… ah… emotions that arose in its aftermath. It wouldn't be the first time a novice develops a crush on a magician…"

Akkarin snorted and waved a hand dismissively. "Lorlen, I'm not sure you heard me the first time. I came to you because I no longer wish for Sonea to live in my residence if she continues to be uncommunicative, uncooperative, and hostile. Does that sound like a girl with a crush? It's insubordination."

Lorlen's eyebrows raised and he risked a crooked smile. "Come now. That actually sounds very much like how I used to behave around a girl I liked when I was a foolish teenager, as you'd recall."

"My residence is my private space. Do I no longer have a say in who I live with?"

A small knock on the door brought the conversation to an end. "That'll be Osen," Lorlen sighed, standing up. "Whatever this is, Akkarin, I'm sure it's nothing you can't settle between yourselves. Of she disobeys you, do what any of her teachers would – think up a suitable punishment. But I'm going to need a serious reason if you expect me to revise an age-old law and spend Guild money on renting an Inner Circle room. I've enough work on my plate as it is."

Lorlen dissolved the sound-blocking sphere of magic Akkarin had created when he arrived, and gestured to the door.

Akkarin's mouth set in a thin line of displeasure. He inclined his head coldly to the Administrator and strode out of the room, black robes swirling behind him. Osen jumped out of the High Lord's path not a moment too soon.

––

"But they're just being so obvious!"

The loud whisper jerked Sonea's attention away from the paragraph she was reading about healing the liver.

Out of the corner of her eye, she saw an Elyne girl with raised eyebrows looking pointedly at the back of the library. Her short-haired friend frowned and followed her gaze. "She's probably tutoring him, Tania. And keep your voice down," she said.

Sonea looked back down at her textbook, then out of the corner of her other eye. The girls were watching Lady Lorana, a newly-graduated Alchemist, and a tall, dark-haired young man Sonea had seen occasionally – she didn't know his name, as he was in his final year. Lady Lorana's cheeks seemed a bit flushed for the cold library. She was looking down at the book in front of the novice. Her fingers were on a page, as if pointing out a passage, but she wasn't speaking. The young man was looking at her intently instead of the book, saying something in a low tone.

"That's definitely not a tutorial. Karin said she saw them last Freeday evening on the edge of the forest. Everyone knows Varlen and Lorana were a thing last year. It's just not right that they keep at it when she is a now full magician and he still a novice!" said the called Tania.

Her friend shrugged. "They're only one year apart. Besides, why are we suddenly expected to drop all our friends when we graduate?"

"Because," hissed Tania, "she's his teacher now."

"There's no Guild rule against it."

Tania huffed. "Why can't you just once be on my side, Ellana. You made me look like a fool yesterday too when we…"

They walked out of the library, Tania still heatedly whispering her displeasure.

Sonea turned back to glance at the couple from under her eyelashed. Lady Lorana now wore a small smile, and one of Varlen's fingers had inched across the book to touch hers. Sonea looked down quickly.

Interesting, she thought. I never knew relationships between magicians and novices happened. Is there really no Guild rule about this?

Her thoughts slid in a direction that was now beginning to feel annoyingly inevitable to her, and she sighed. A sluggish liver can be encouraged to expel toxins at a faster rate by sending a steady stream of magic to its centre, stimulating its processes… Sonea read the same sentence three times, then gave up and sat back in her chair, closing her eyes. Just one day, just twenty-four hours, without seeing the face of that dark-haired man and his piercing eyes in her mind's eye was all she wanted.

Now, her mind kept pulling her to thoughts triggered by the conversation she had overhead. Sonea had assumed her… interest in the High Lord was something deviant and forbidden, to be suffered in silence until it dulled into an old ache. Apparently, there are no rules forbidding a novice and a magician from being together… What am I thinking?

Sonea sighed and rested her forehead on her hands. Whatever the rules were, it was clear that Lady Lorana and Varlen were being discreet, even secretive about their interest in one another. Fake library tutorials, forest walks… that hardly sounded like people confident that they weren't breaking any rules. Clearly, whatever the regulations were, it wasn't really as acceptable as it may seem.

And what if it was acceptable? What are you going to do? Confess your feelings to Akkarin, who clearly does not reciprocate, and live happily ever after? She exhaled heavily, taking some comfort from the convenience of healing away the beginnings of a headache.

"Sonea."

She jerked her head off her hands and looked ahead, then spun around. She thought her reverie had made her hallucinate his voice, but no, there he stood in folds of black robes, two books held in his long, elegant fingers.

She stood up hastily and bowed, not meeting his eyes. "High Lord."

Akkarin frowned slightly. "The gong rang a moment ago. Don't you have an afternoon class to get to?"

"I- I do. I'm sorry, I must have lost track of time –"

Akkarin's intense gaze seemed to be searching Sonea's face for something. "Are you unwell?"

"I'm fine, High Lord. I'll head to class now and apologise to Lady Vinara for being late," Sonea said, embarassed but also distracted by Akkarin's expression. Is that genuine concern? Asked an annoyingly hopeful voice in her mind.

"Good," Akkarin replied. Director Jerrick and Lady Tya walked into the library, stopping mid-conversation when they spotted the High Lord in the room. Sonea knew Akkarin rarely came to the University library, and the two magicians bowed, watching them with barely concealed curiosity. Akkarin inclined his head, and his expression returned to one of cold command. "Don't keep Lady Vinara waiting, Sonea. My favourite does not skip classes."

Sonea bowed, gathered her books and headed for the door. "Director, Lady Tya," she heard Akkarin say. "I hope I can take these away to get some personal copies made…" She could hear the polite smile in that cultured voice, and knew exactly how his face looked when he adopted that tone. The voices faded away as she stepped out of the library.

My favourite.

Sonea sighed. No advanced magical class could complete with the sheer difficulty of silencing that annoyingly hopeful inner voice.