Sonea sat in her normal spot at the back of the Novices' Library studying. Akkarin had a series of meetings that would last through dinner that day, and Sonea had found the Residence seemed too large and empty without his presence. She also reasoned that others would become suspicious if she disappeared too often. On the current occasion, however, she was considering returning to the Residence to avoid the gossiping girls who had set up a few feet away from her, their backs turned to her, talking in loud voices.

Sonea tried to block out their voices, but a comment from one caused her to lose her focus. "Oh, Larisa has her sights set much higher. On the High Lord himself, in fact."

"The High Lord? I had heard a rumor that he does not even like women."

"Of course he likes women. You only have to look at him to know he is certainly not a man to prefer the company of other men."

"Besides, he brought a woman to the Midwinter Ball, and I hear they were quite close."

"Who?"

"No one was able to guess. But my cousin said they disappeared for some time and returned looking undeniably mussed. And they left shortly after that."

"If he's seeing this woman, what makes you think he will take up with you?"

"Oh, I can be so much more for him."

"I don't see why you think you even have a chance. You're a Novice from one of the weaker families. He's the High Lord, and the Delvon family has more power and prestige than any other family except the King's. Plus he has the dark good looks and more power than any other magician in recent memory. He could have any woman he wanted to, probably more than one if he was so inclined. Every woman wants him though I've heard he never gives any a second glance."

"Except the one at the ball."

"I suppose though I am not sure how much of that story I believe."

"I wonder what was so special about her."

Sonea suddenly found herself wondering the same thing. She knew Akkarin was considered a good catch for all of the reasons the girls had stated. She had wondered before exactly what he saw in her, but he had always been able to chase those thoughts away with his actions. When they were together, it was obvious how he felt—or, at least, it was to her now that she knew him so well. But perhaps the soul binding was driving their attachment; they had not been able to find out much about it. Without it, maybe he would not have even looked twice at her. Perhaps she would have stayed in the Slums.

Before her thoughts could spiral too far out of control, a new voice suddenly cut in, one that turned Sonea's blood to ice. "If you are interested in the High Lord's romantic attachments, ladies, you should start by looking to the person spying on you from the back corner." Four sets of eyes suddenly turned, and Sonea felt her neck heat up as they focused on her. Regin stepped closer as well, a smirk on his face.

"Why would she know about the High Lord's romantic attachments?" one of the girls sneered. Sonea vaguely recognized her as a fourth year novice, but she could not have named her if asked. Regin's smile broadened.

"Why don't you ask her?"

"I don't know what you're talking about," Sonea muttered, gathering her books quickly. She was regretting ever setting foot in the library that day.

"Don't leave on our account," Regin told her, his voice full of false disappointment.

"Just leave me alone, Regin."

Instead of doing as she asked, he stepped in front of her, blocking her path. "I always wondered how you learned to fight—a Slum Girl who didn't even want to be a magician. Now I know. Tell me, how many favors did you have to trade to get the High Lord to teach you?"

"You don't know what you're talking about!"

"On the contrary, I think I finally figured out your secret. It started with Lord Rothen, didn't it? You traded a few favors, and he agreed to take on the Slum Girl that no one else wanted, to make sure they didn't kick you out of the Guild. Who was it next? I cannot imagine you went straight to the High Lord, so I'm guessing it was one of the teachers. Is that how you really skipped ahead a year? And then the ultimate prize, of course. What I don't see is what they all saw in you. Personally, I would be much too afraid of contacting some sort of disease."

"What are you talking about, Regin?" one of the girls asked. Sonea glanced over to see they were all eyeing her with a mixture of interest and suspicion.

"I am talking about the same thing you were. You said you wanted to know who the High Lord's current romantic attachment was, did you not?"

"Her?"

"She has not denied it."

"That is ridiculous." Sonea bristled a bit at the tone in the other girl's voice, but she knew she would be playing right into Regin's hands if she tried to argue. Instead, she focused her effort again on trying to make her way past Regin.

He stepped back slightly, but instead of letting her go, he leaned forward and hissed, "I saw you, you know."

"I don't know actually."

"In the forest." Sonea fought back a blush. The truth of the matter was, she and Akkarin had grown more bold lately. Their coupling at the ball seemed to have released something inside them, something that led to them seeking intimacy outside of the bedroom. The idea that they could be caught at any time had been thrilling though now that it had actually happened, Sonea wished they had maintained more caution. Regin obviously noticed Sonea's crimsoning face, for his grin widened. "I think Lord Balkan would be most interested in my observations, don't you?"

"If you accuse us, he will Truth Read you."

"That would only matter if I was lying, and we both know I am not." He finally stepped back, letting Sonea pass, but she could feel his eyes on her the entire way out of the library.

Sonea debated for most of that evening whether or not to tell Akkarin about her encounter with Regin. In the end, the dark circles around his eyes and weariness lining his face when he finally arrived at the Residence long after dinner had ended decided for her. He had enough on his mind with the Sachakan threat, his duties to the Guild, and his duties to the King. She would not increase his burden. Instead, she returned the kiss he gave her, agreeing immediately to his suggestion that they retire for the night. She suspected she would not be able to hide the encounter from him forever, even without his formidable mind reading abilities, but she could at least keep him from bearing the burden on the current night. Perhaps Regin would decide exposing them was not worth a Truth Read after all, and she would not have to worry further.

And perhaps gorrin would fly.

XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX

Lorlen looked up when he heard the knock on his office door. Lord Balkan stood there, and the smile that had started to form on Lorlen's face turned down into a frown when he noted the nervous expression. The frown simply deepened when Lord Balkan entered, gave a hasty bow, and set a sound shield around the office. "Please, sit," Lorlen implored once the older magician's eyes focused on him again. "I have a feeling that will be best for the upcoming conversation. Balkan nodded almost absent-mindedly, sinking into one of the seats in front of Lorlen's desk.

"I came in here a few months ago to discuss some suspicions about the High Lord's activities," Balkan began. Lorlen nodded slowly, dread knotting his stomach. "Were you ever able to confirm them?"

Lorlen answered cautiously. He wanted to be truthful, but he also did not want to break his confidence to Akkarin. "The High Lord did confirm that our assumptions were correct."

"Did he mention who he was seeing?"

"He did not give a name," Lorlen answered, deciding that was true enough.

Balkan nodded, the creases in his forehead deepening. "I was afraid of that. I think I know why."

"Oh?"

"Lord Garrel came to visit me yesterday with his nephew, Regin. Apparently, Regin was witness to some. . . intimate behavior between the High Lord and one of Regin's fellow novices. Sonea."

The dread began creeping further through Lorlen's body. His sharp mind quickly sorted through possible responses. "I know there has been some animosity between Regin and Sonea," he finally ventured.

Balkan nodded. "I thought the same thing, but Regin offered to allow me to Truth Read him."

"Did you?"

"Not yet. He seemed quite confident, and given what we talked about before. . ." He trailed off, but Lorlen heard the unspoken ending to his statement loud and clear. Balkan was afraid that a Truth Read would confirm what Regin saw. Lorlen was almost sure it would. Lorlen much preferred to avoid a Truth Read and was sure Akkarin would as well. In addition, the fewer people who knew about Regin's accusations, the better.

"Perhaps we should ask the High Lord to join us and see what light he can shed on the situation." Balkan nodded, and Lorlen turned his attention to calling his best friend to his office.

When Akkarin arrived twenty minutes later, his eyes flicked briefly to Lorlen before settling on Balkan. He did not seem surprised to see the Head of Warriors there, but then, Akkarin had always had a way of knowing things it seemed he should not. "Lord Balkan, Administrator. To what do I owe the pleasure?" he questioned, taking a seat beside Balkan.

"I recently heard an interesting rumor that you were engaged in intimate activities with a novice. Sonea." Balkan spoke firmly but quickly as if trying to get all the words out before he lost his nerve. Lorlen watched Akkarin closely. His eyes briefly registered surprise, but he hid it quickly. If Lorlen did not know Akkarin as well as he did, he likely would not have noticed. He doubted that Balkan had noticed, particularly since the older man had focused his attention on a spot on Lorlen's desk.

"I see. From whom did you hear this?"

Balkan hesitated a moment. "Lord Garrel. He heard it from his nephew who claims to have witnessed the incident."

"His nephew. Regin of Winar, House Parin." It was not a question, but there was a dangerous inflection in Akkarin's tone that almost made Lorlen feel sorry for Regin.

"I understand that Regin is not the most reliable witness given his past history with Sonea," Balkan said quickly, obviously catching the tone. "However, he offered to undergo a Truth Read which lends some credence to his story."

"I assume you did not perform the Truth Read or you would not be questioning me now." Balkan acknowledged the truth of his statement with a slight incline of his head. Silence descended over the room for a few moments until Balkan broke it.

"We were hoping that you could help us to clear up the confusion."

"I did not realize that you were in the habit of engaging in gossip, Lord Balkan."

"You know as well as I do that this is about more than gossip. If you have truly entered into an intimate relationship with a novice, that shows a serious error in judgment, one that I feel I must take to the Higher Magicians."

Akkarin's eyes flashed, and this time, Balkan saw it, too. "There is no error in judgment when two consenting adults enter into a relationship."

"There is when one is a novice and one is a magician—the highest ranking magician in the Guild, no less. You have seen the outcomes of these relationships before. You know why we strongly discourage them."

"This is different."

"How?"

"Those were all dalliances, fleeting attractions taken too far."

"And this is not?"

"No. I love her." There was no hesitation in his tone. Lorlen knew, of course, that his friend loved Sonea even if he had not said the words outright, but the conviction still surprised him. Balkan seemed floored, staring at Akkarin with his mouth hanging open slightly. Akkarin let out a long breath, his eyes losing focus as he stared at a spot on the wall. Lorlen recognized it as the face that meant he was thinking hard. Finally, he seemed to come to a decision and pushed himself to his feet. "I had hoped that we could keep things quiet until Sonea had graduated, but it seems that is not meant to be. I have a couple tasks to complete which will hopefully allay your fears, but while I do so, I request that you speak to Lord Garrel and his nephew and impress upon them the importance of keeping this information to themselves. Given that you are so concerned with Sonea's protection, I am sure you will see the wisdom in protecting her from the vicious gossip that would spread were word of this to make its way to others."

The threat was clear in Akkarin's words, and Balkan nodded. "I will talk with both of them and ensure they know the importance of keeping silent about this. I also do need to speak with the other Higher Magicians. This is a highly unusual situation, and regardless of your feelings, I want to make sure we set the appropriate precedents."

The corners of Akkarin's eyes tightened, but he simply said, "That is only fair. You may talk to them whenever you wish, but I would like to finish my tasks before you take any other action."

"I suppose I can accept that." Balkan paused and swallowed hard. "I will also need to speak with Sonea. Without you present."

Akkarin's eyes darkened. "You distrust my word?"

"We are all capable of letting our emotions get the best of us."

Akkarin stared at Balkan for a moment before turning his attention to his best friend. "I want Lorlen in the room when you talk to her."

"I do not intend to hurt her."

"She does not trust you. If there is something Sonea has had a lack of in her life, particularly since she arrived here, it is people she can trust. If you are going to have this conversation with her, I insist you have someone she can trust there. She trusts Administrator Lorlen."

"Fine," Balkan agreed. With a curt nod, Akkarin swept from the room. The door had barely shut behind him when Lorlen heard Balkan's mental call for Sonea. He thought about suggesting they take a break before questioning her, but he stopped himself. The sooner they talked with her, the sooner they could talk with Regin and Garrel and hopefully stop the entire situation from spiraling out of control.

When Sonea entered the room, she bowed and took the seat Akkarin had recently vacated. For the third time in an hour, Balkan repeated what Regin and Garrel had told him. Lorlen noted that Sonea did not seem surprised and commented on it. Sonea sighed. "Regin hinted at something of the sort yesterday. I had hoped that he was just trying to tease me."

"The High Lord confirmed everything," Balkan told her.

"Then I fail to see why you called me here."

"We just want to make sure that everything was consensual," Balkan assured her. "After all, he does hold a good deal of power over you, so we-"

"You really don't know him at all, do you?" Lorlen heard the tinge of anger in Sonea's voice, something he had never heard from her before. "Trust me, he is well aware of the power imbalance, and he has been exceedingly careful to make sure that he does not overstep. In fact, I would say that he has given me almost too much power in the relationship to compensate." She sighed, turning to Lorlen. "He's your best friend. Do you really think that he would do something like that?"

"I do not, but as the Administrator of the Guild, I also need to make sure I do not let personal feelings cloud my judgment."

"Cloud your judgment? Do you not think it is already clouded if you truly believe your friend capable of such a thing? Besides, you-" Lorlen sensed that Sonea was about to reveal more than she should about his previous knowledge, but she fortunately stopped herself in time. Instead, she let out another gusty sigh, her lips tightening as she worked to rein in her anger. "You said you already talked to him. Where is he now?"

"I do not know," Balkan admitted, his words a bit hesitant. He had obviously not expected Sonea's reaction, and he seemed unsure how to proceed. "He mentioned he had a couple tasks to complete but did not say what they were."

Sonea growled low in her throat. "When you talked to him, did you imply that the relationship was not consensual?"

"You have to understand, it is a highly unusual-" Balkan began, but Sonea cut him off.

"What I understand is that despite working with him for years, you do not seem to trust him at all and feel that he would take advantage of his position. Do you have any idea how hard he has worked to make sure he is worthy of the Guild's trust? Do you know how much those accusations hurt him? Sure, he's good at hiding his feelings, but that does not mean he does not have any despite what everyone seems to think." She shook her head, frowning at Lorlen. "I expected better of the man who calls himself his best friend."

Lorlen squirmed uncomfortably, feeling suddenly guilty for allowing Balkan to continue with his questioning, especially since he had already known the relationship was consensual. Surely he could have found a way to avoid it. What was done was done, however, and if nothing else, he at least now knew that his friend had a passionate defender in Sonea. After years isolating himself from everyone but Lorlen—and even they were not as close as they had once been—it was good for him to have someone else who knew him as well as Sonea obviously did.

Balkan cleared his throat, looking as uncomfortable as Lorlen felt. "I suppose that clears up my worries. Administrator, did you have anything more?"

"No, Lord Balkan."

"In that case, I will go find Lord Garrel and his nephew and ensure they keep this quiet until the High Lord has a chance to finish his tasks. And I will speak to Lady Vinara and Lord Sarrin—unless you would rather do so, Administrator."

"Since you will be busy with Lord Garrel and Regin, I can talk with Lady Vinara and Lord Sarrin." Perhaps Lorlen could explain the situation without causing any more consternation.

"Very good. Sonea, thank you for coming quickly and explaining things. I will see you at the next practice bout." With that, he stood and bowed to Lorlen before leaving. When he had gone, Sonea turned a narrow-eyed glare on Lorlen.

"Do you happen to know what these tasks are?"

Lorlen had a fairly good idea given his previous conversation with Akkarin, but he refused to ruin his best friend's surprise. "I am sure you will find out soon enough."

XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX

Akkarin waited outside the King's study, staring at the portraits on the wall without truly seeing them. He had been to the King's study many times before, but he did not recall ever being so nervous. It took a good deal of effort not to pace or fidget. At long last, the study door opened, and a guard stepped out. "He will see you now."

"Thank you." Akkarin took a deep breath, forcing himself to remain calm as he stepped forward, shutting the door firmly behind him and setting up a sound shield with a thought as he bowed low. He knew better than most that the palace was rife with gossips, and he would not be surprised to find one or two attempting to listen in on his conversation with the King.

"Akkarin. I did not expect you. Is there something wrong at the Guild?" Merin studied Akkarin's face closely, obviously trying to detect any sign of trouble. Akkarin kept his face impassive, knowing Merin could read him better than most.

"No, this is actually a personal matter."

"Oh?"

"I am not sure if you are aware of it or not since it has never come up during your reign, and I do not believe it would have during your father's reign either, but there is an ancient custom—I have never been able to determine if it is an official law or not, but it is certainly a practice strongly encouraged—of having some oversight when two magicians wed. Ostensibly, it is just to ensure both parties are comfortable with the match, since there would be no family oversight in that case, though I have also read suggestions that it is to control the magical bloodlines."

"Akkarin?" Merin's brow furrowed in puzzlement, and Akkarin knew he was getting far off track. He was rambling—he did not even remember the last time that had happened. After everything he had seen and done, why was asking for permission to marry the woman he loved so hard? Because your life would not be the same without her, the voice in his head remarked.

"This has not come up with you before since they would generally go to me for permission, but there is obviously one case where that would not make sense."

Understanding bloomed in Merin's eyes. "And here I thought you were a confirmed bachelor. I trust your judgment, Akkarin. If there is someone who you feel will suit you for a bride, I will certainly not stop the union."

"I feel this will be an unconventional match that may ruffle some feathers," Akkarin cautioned. "I would likely need not just your tacit approval for the sake of an old custom but also perhaps open support of the marriage."

"Who are you looking to marry?"

"Sonea." A beat of silence ensued as Merin canted his head, obviously trying to place the name. After a few moments, his eyes widened.

"The Slum Girl."

"I feel that she should not be defined by her origins." Akkarin tried to keep the anger from his tone, but he knew a bit seeped through. Fortunately, Merin did not comment.

"Why her?"

"Because she's. . . she's special, Merin." Akkarin sighed, dropping some of the formality, for he suspected that he would have a better chance gaining the King's support by appealing to him as his old friend who had always had a sentimental side rather than as his monarch. "She is not like anyone else I ever met. You know as well as I that I had never planned to marry, that I considered the Guild the only family I ever needed. But then I met her, and for the first time, I actually want to spend my life with someone else. I certainly didn't expect it to happen, but you cannot plan these things."

"No, you cannot. You love her, don't you?"

"More than I ever expected to love anyone."

Merin nodded, considering. After a moment, his eyes lit up with a sudden realization. "She was the woman you brought to the Midwinter Ball, was she not?"

"Yes. So you can claim you were the first to know her identity."

"I liked her. She seemed well-suited for you."

"She is."

"The Houses are not going to like this, a high-ranking noble marrying a commoner."

"I do not care what the Houses think. I am truthfully more worried about the Guild."

"Why?"

"Sonea is still a novice."

Merin's eyebrows rose in surprise. "I did not consider that, but I suppose it has only been a couple years since she led your magicians on a merry chase around the Slums."

"She's in her third year," Akkarin confirmed.

"In that case, why not wait until she has graduated?"

Akkarin sighed. "Our relationship was discovered by someone who has no pleasant feelings for Sonea. I suspect it will not be long before most of the Guild knows of it and likely has the wrong ideas about it as well. I want to provide as much protection as I can for her before that occurs."

"Marriage will certainly send a statement. But are you sure it is what you want? I know your parents will quite upset, and I doubt they are the only ones. This type of a match. . . honestly, I do not know if there is any precedent."

"I have never been more certain of anything in my life."

Merin studied him for a moment before nodding. "Well, you have my blessing then. I will give you what support I can though I am sure you understand that will be mostly limited to whatever official sanction I need to give. Perhaps after the initial outcry dies down, I will be able to do something more." Akkarin nodded, having hoped for more but half-expected that. Though Merin's position was more secure than it had been when he first took the throne, many still felt him much too young to rule effectively, and he was constantly walking a fine line to not upset the wrong people. In truth, Akkarin had feared that he would perhaps deny his request because of that line, but fortunately, their long friendship had won out in the end. "And Akkarin? I may not be able to openly support you as much as I would like, but I am happy for you."

"Thank you, Merin. That means a great deal."