In the Academy, there were students that were regarded as celebrities, even among the population made up of nobles. There was the Third Prince, multi-talented, handsome enough to be a girl, cunning and intelligent. The Fourth Prince, who was lauded as a genius musician able to bring a room full of listeners to tears with the beauty of his playing. The Saintess of the school, Lady Katarina Claes, a pure, virtuous soul of almost too good for this sinful world, who made all around her feel special just by her mere presence, and who tended a secret garden that no one could seem to find, since all attempts to follow her led only to that strange area where vegetables grew. Lady Mary Hunt, who was considered the epitome of womanhood, possessing a grand dignity and charm, and who was sure to be a great trendsetter in a few years.

And then there was the Student Council President Maria Campbell, the cool beauty who seemed to stand upon an untouchable, lofty peak. Rumors spoke of how people had tried to bully her in her first year, only for them to be struck by some terrible consequence that the senior students only spoke of in fearful whispers. She had infamously confessed to Lord Nicol Ascart, the Most Beautiful Man in Sorcier, and had just as infamously not been refused, her gift being accepted by his very hands. To this day, people speculated endlessly on what had happened, as they never seemed to grow closer or farther. Had they broken up? Had he eventually turned him down, or had she done so to him? It sounded unthinkable, but Maria Campbell was known for unthinkable things. She was a commoner possessing rare Light Magic, said to be the most powerful to come out in decades, her grades had been high enough to garner admittance to the Student Council, and more often than not she wore trousers! When President Sirius Dieke had needed to 'return home for his health' (never mind that his mother had soon been arrested for her involvement in some sort of far-ranging, mysterious conspiracy!), it was whispered that instead of the Vice-President Lord Ascart taking over as was natural, Maria Campbell had reigned as de-facto President of the Council until the end of the year.

Young nobles who might be inclined to conceal their insecurities with bullying the only commoner around were swiftly dissuaded by their seniors who had once been in their place, who spoke in hushed tones and clutched their own arms with dread as they told the newcomers that the persons and dignity of the Student Council were protected by a most terrifying guardian and for their own good don't do it! This, thankfully, led to such youths being taken under the protection of people who had once been like them and would rather these fledglings not experience the pains they had.

For all her reputation, however, the Student Council President was firm yet fair, and any coming to her for help swiftly found a willing ear and experienced advice for their troubles. People whispered that she was already being scouted for a position in the Ministry, as she was sometimes called to the Ministry building on mysterious matters.

Strangely, the only person who seemed to have a problem with the President was Lady Hunt and allegedly for a quite silly reason. Apparently, she had been told the story of Goodwife Bathory at an impressionable age and carried a childish fear of commoners, lest they try to bake her into a pie…

It was difficult to be restricted to the Academy. Maria had to put gunpowder-related projects on hold, as she was without a way to safely mill her materials to powder, nor did she had a firearm by which to use it.

She prepared for events in the year ahead, such as the graduation, the practical exam (which she would be monitoring as opposed to taking part in like she had the year previous), the school festival, the admittance of first year students into the council after the first exams (she hoped there were capable people among them), having to meet the Third Prince's new Wards of the Kingdom…

"What?" she said, looking up from her paperwork at the bizarre matter that had been suggested.

"Well, I'm sure you'd like to meet them yourself," the Third Prince said with that practiced courtier's smile that was as false as strawberry jam blood. It was the lunch break, and they were alone in the Student Council Room, Maria having gone to finish some work. "After all, your running around probably didn't give you much time to see how they were doing, in themselves. I have them housed nearby, in what used to be the Dieke estate. Not the manor, but one of the buildings for servants who worked the farms they owned."

Maria blinked. "Why?"

"Well, monstrous woman that she may have been, even Marchioness Dieke knew she had to have her workers sleep indoors–"

"Your talent for jests appears overrated, your highness," Maria said blandly. He just smirked. "I meant, why would I meet them? I only encountered them the one time."

"What? You don't want to see for your own eyes that they're properly being taken care of?" the Third Prince said. "But honestly, I really need you to take a look at them as a wielder of Light Magic. Or perhaps Dark Magic, I'm a bit unclear on how it works. Regardless, we want you to look them over in case some effect of Dark Magic is linger on them, or if one of them possesses Dark Magic as a result of something that happened before you got to them. The Light Magic wielders of the ministry were a bit too busy looking over those you'd knocked unconscious to do more than a cursory examination, and you should know better than most that Light Magic wielders weaker than you can potentially miss signs of Dark Magic at work."

Maria had to nod at that. While she had mistaken the cause of the dark smoke that had enveloped Lady Claes in her unnatural slumber, the Ministry's Light Magic wielders hadn't noticed it at all. This despite assertions that Light Magic naturally countered Dark Magic. In hindsight, that was rather concerning. The Ministry was working to get as much information about Dark Magic out of the men captured because of Rafael's Vengeance (as the event was informally referred to, in lieu of any other unifying term) before they were executed. Maria had heard rumblings that she might be asked to experiment with Dark Magic upon the condemned men, as Sorcier was usually lacking in such people, with this being the largest assemblage of them in two generations, but the king himself had apparently put a stop to that. He had decreed that none would be put under the influence of Dark Magic against their will, even those guilty of doing so themselves.

This hadn't stopped the Ministry. Apparently, people had actually come forward to volunteer to be put under Dark Magic's sway for the sake of knowledge for posterity. Actual volunteers, not people given pointed looks by department heads.

Maria had so far refused to participate. Her days among the Choir were over.

Still, between Rafael and herself was the largest repository of practical knowledge of Dark Magic in living memory, and thus she was often consulted on her opinion, as was he. Mostly it was what signs to watch out for, and possible causes and effects of the eldritch art. Rafael knew more that her about that, having possessed his power for years, but Maria found herself occasionally possessing a seemingly instinctive knowledge of the art herself, which could be awakened upon hearing the right questions. She suspected it was the fading echoes of the Dark Spirit she had destroyed and absorbed, in a manner similar to the blood echoes hunters had discovered.

"Very well, then," Maria said. "Has the Ministry been notified regarding my restrictions?"

"Yes," the Third Prince said. "An escort will be arranged. Will you be able to go this Sar?" It and Sul were the two days of the week they were allowed to rest and, in the case of nobles who had access to carriages, make short trips.

"That should be doable," Maria said. "I will meet you then, your highness."

"Oh, and if possible, please wear what you wore that day," he said.

Maria raised an eyebrow at the odd request, but nodded. She'd need to change clothes in any case…

The ride was surprisingly short and perhaps explained why the late Marchioness had conducted the ritual that had killed Rafael's mother where she had. Maria sat in a carriage wearing one of her converted practical exam uniforms with the princes and a Ministry official by the name of Emily Fitts. In addition to escorting Maria, she had been sent by the Medicinal Magic Department because she was conducting a study on madness, insanity and other mental afflictions, with an emphasis on preventing them by early treatment, so she was also there to observe the children and check that their experiences hadn't begun to drive them to madness. Maria thought that unlikely, as none of the children had seemed learned or educated when she had encountered them, but she had hardly been there long enough to know for sure, so perhaps this was a prudent measure.

They entered the grounds that had been seized by the crown via a small gate obviously meant for deliveries rather than the grand, wrought iron gates at the front. It was a short ride to building next to a wide, grassy field, of the sort sheep were pastured, where a group of children were running around enthusiastically in a way very reminiscent of Lady Claes. They stopped running as they saw the carriage, seeming to recognize it and changing their course to meet it. "Uncle Prince! Uncle Prince!" she heard them yelling as the carriage slowed, then stopped.

The Third Prince stepped out first. "Hello children!" he greeted them in a voice that was less shallow courtier and closer to how he greeted Lady Claes. "I brought someone to meet you today!"

Stepping down all the way, the prince gestured to Maria. Maria looked inquiringly at Prince Alan, but he only made a 'go on' gesture at her. Shrugging, she stepped down.

For some reason, the children started screaming and rushed her.

Startled, Maria could only fight to keep her balance as she found herself surrounded by crying, screaming children who seemed intent on mobbing her. she frowned in consternation as she carefully stepped down the whole way, trying to make out what they were saying. It was hard, their voices were so shrill and they kept yelling over one another.

"–her, it's really her! "

"–ack lady, thank you! Thank y– "

"–as so scared, but you sav–"

"–ere so cool, the way y–"

"Children! Children!" The Third Prince cried, and eventually managed to get the children to fall back, though they continued to stare, point, and bounce with excitement. Looking smug, though Maria knew not what for, though she suspected she was the butt of it, the prince said, "Miss Campbell, would you please introduce yourself."

Maria gave him a bland look, not knowing what game he was playing. Still, she bowed in greeting to the children. "Good day, children. My name is Maria Campbell, the Student Council President at the Academy of Magic."

She heard her name being repeated with… reverence? Surely not.

"Miss Campbell is here today to examine all of you and make sure those bad men didn't do anything to you that needs to be fixed," the prince said. "After that, she's promised to play with you all! Why don't you all show her around while we get the examination area set up."

Maria's exclamation of "What?!" was overwhelmed at the children's cheers, and she suddenly found her mobbed again, many little hands tugging, pulling and pushing at her, leading her towards the building that was probably the dormitory in which they slept. Many little voices all spoke over each other, introducing themselves, asking about her hat, telling her she should see this or that first.

"You can't run from all the consequences of your actions, Campbell!" she heard the prince call behind her with what sounded like smug glee. "Take it like a woman! You deserve this!"

Maria doubted that.

Still, she let herself be led away. It wasn't the children's fault they were being used as pawns for whatever strange game of one-upmanship the prince had decided to play with her. She tried to school her face to gentleness, to smile as she remembered doing so in those early days in the Research Hall when she thought she could help, rather than being a helpless observer. Doing what the prince had said she'd promised to do would be no hardship, and after what they had doubtlessly experience, these children deserved whatever joy she could help them attain.

She'd find a way to get back at him somehow. Perhaps triple his paperwork…