Walking With You

by Aylatha

"And how have you been, Sonea?", Lorlen asked. "Well." "Well, she says", Akkarin huffed, covering his face with one hand. "I'm still alive, aren't I?" Lorlen's eyebrows rose. Rothen's knees buckled. "What?", he yelped, colour draining from his face.

4. Surprise Encounters

A/N:

For those of you who may not yet have seen it – I've written a one-shot called "A Drop of Fuel for a Nightmare", which is set during Chapter 1. You don't have to read it in order to progress this story, but it'll give you additional insight into Akkarin's – and by extension Takan's – thoughts.

Warning: There be inordinate amounts of angst in this chapter.

Here's a quick overview of the timeline so far – I'm assuming that a week in this universe has seven days, as I don't want to come up with a calendar. We only know two days by name – Freeday, which appears to be the last day of the week, and Firstday. Based on that, I'm guessing the other days are named Secondday, Thirdday, Fourthday, Fifthday and Sixthday respectively.

This story starts on a Sixthday. The night between Freeday and Firstday is when the attack happens; Sonea spends the Firstday at the residence at Akkarin's insistence. On Secondday, Sonea meets Regin, and Lorlen finds out about the upcoming "fight" between Akkarin and Sonea. The fight itself takes place on Fourthday. This chapter covers Fifthday and Sixthday.

The name "Chessea" is pronounced "Kessea".

---

"My lady, the High Lord asks if you'd have time to practise calligraphy", Takan said.

Sonea blinked in surprise before placing a bookmark in the book she'd been reading, and shutting it. The sudden question came totally unexpected – granted, she hadn't given how they were going to organise these tutoring sessions much thought, but she had expected a schedule.

Then again, Akkarin was probably an exceedingly busy person – Sonea actually had no idea what his usual workday looked like, as she had been too focused on avoiding him – and she, herself, had classes to attend. It might be more practical, actually, if he just asked her if she was available when he knew that she was in her room.

They had barely seen each other during the last three days – Sonea had spent most of her spare time holed up in Elben's classroom, working on her little experiment – which had worked as intended. Although she hadn't expected Akkarin to start laughing.

That aside, it seemed that neither of them would have had time to spare, and both of them had to be available at the same time, too. So, maybe this was the best method after all.

Unexpectedly, Sonea felt a surge of panic – she had agreed to this before she'd become aware that Akkarin found her attractive – something she still was no closer to comprehending, but she could hardly go and ask him. However, given that discovery, part of her worried if it'd be such a good idea to spend time with him, alone.

Sonea examined these thoughts, and determined that the fear in itself was valid – however, she had to weigh it against her past experiences with him. She still had no idea how long he'd felt that way about her, but was fairly certain that these feelings hadn't just cropped up overnight. Akkarin had certainly squashed them quickly, had not been surprised or overwhelmed by them. This indicated that this couldn't have happened for the first time. While that thought certainly made her uneasy, it reinforced the fact that he wished to respect her boundaries.

And it wasn't like she'd never spent time with him alone, either. Takan hadn't always been in the room with them. And still, Akkarin had never used such a situation to his advantage.

He was a good person. Sonea decided to continue to believe this.

"Sorry, Takan, I got lost in thoughts", she said with a wry smile. "Does the offer still stand?"

"The High Lord has no other appointments in the next couple of hours."

"I see. Yes, I have time."

Takan's eyes unfocussed for a moment.

"The master asks that you join him in the library."

"Got it. Should I bring anything? Writing materials?"

She watched with slight amusement as Takan relayed her question to Akkarin.

"You won't need anything – except for your pen, if you wish to use it for writing."

"That might be a good idea. Thank you, Takan."

She rose from her chair, and was surprised that Takan didn't immediately take his leave of her. Instead, he followed her out into the hallway, looking deep in thought. When she made to leave, he reached for her, tugging on her sleeve.

"What is it?"

"I hope I'm not overstepping, my lady, but – your reaction earlier. I – I just wanted to point out that you have nothing to fear from the master – he would never harm you."

Takan's gaze was, once again, honest and open, and Sonea was a bit unsettled by the fact that he'd read her so easily.

"I know that, logically", she replied with a sigh. "But – I've spent over a year living in abject fear of him. This fear – it lingers. I know I can trust him, that he won't harm me, but – sometimes, I – "

Takan shook his head. "You need not explain or justify your reactions, my lady. I well understand what it's like, to suffer from such a deep-rooted fear. You should have seen me when I came here. But – let me tell you one thing: You can overcome this fear. Shake it off. It will take time, but it's doable."

"Thank you, Takan. This means a lot to me."

He gave her a wan smile. "You remind me of myself so much, it was almost unbearable to see you constantly afraid", he admitted. "I'm so glad that you and the High Lord have worked things out."

"Me too, believe me", Sonea replied with a small laugh.

"Would you like me to walk you to the library?"

"If you don't mind."

"Not at all."

"Uh – he wasn't listening, was he?", Sonea asked as they set out, worrying her bottom lip with her teeth.

"I cannot say. But I doubt that he would be angry."

"Right."

They parted ways outside the library, and Sonea went looking for Akkarin. She found him seated at a small square table near one of the windows. He'd already prepared ink and parchment.

This was another thing Sonea had noticed lately – he took great care not to loom over her whenever possible. Of course, he couldn't do anything about the fact that he was a head taller than her when they were walking, but in almost every conversation they'd had since the attack, he'd either been seated, or crouched in front of her.

The only exception had been yesterday, when he'd moved to stand behind her, for all intents and purposes looming – however, since he'd been facing the same way as her, she hadn't interpreted that as threatening.

Sonea wondered if he'd been trying to intimidate Rothen – or Regin.

She mentally shook her head to dispel that useless thought. Unless Akkarin chose to tell her, she would never know. And it didn't seem like a good idea to ask, in case his target had, indeed, been Rothen.

Akkarin greeted her with a small smile, which she returned, and gestured to the free chair on his left.

Sonea placed her pen on the table and sat down.

"I am pleased to see you getting along so well with Takan", Akkarin said, his smile growing more pronounced.

Sonea froze. "You were listening", she whispered.

He blinked, a somewhat uncomfortable look crossing his face.

"Not – exactly. It was certainly not my intention to eavesdrop – I'd begun to worry as to what was keeping you, and merely intended to see if Takan knew. I caught part of the conversation, but withdrew as soon as I realised what you were talking about." He let out a small sigh. "That being said, I am aware that you have – reservations about my person. Which is understandable. I'd be more worried if you had just brushed off everything that happened between us, moved on as if it were nothing. The human mind is a complicated thing, and not even the most learned Healers fully understand it."

Sonea considered this while also feeling distinctively grateful that he, once again, showed understanding instead of anger. She wasn't sure she'd be able to react like that, were she in his position.

"Still – I hate the fact that I feel this way, despite knowing better", she grumbled.

"You are being too hard on yourself."

"Hah! Hear who's talking!"

He looked surprised for a moment before letting out a chuckle.

"What a pair we make, eh?"

"Indeed", she replied with a lopsided grin.

"Well then", Akkarin said, picking up his pen. "Shall we begin?"

Sonea stared at the pen, and felt a sudden thrill of temptation run through her. If she'd thought that his cutlery was valuable, well, this pen looked like it could fetch an even better price.

Akkarin let out a huff. "Could you please stop thinking about stealing and selling my belongings?"

"It's not my fault that everything you own is made from gold!"

He let out a chuckle, but dropped the issue.

Drawing a sheet of parchment closer to himself, he dipped the pen into the inkwell. He then proceeded to write down the letters in his style, larger than usual, and Sonea tried to pay close attention to how he drew each line.

"You can try tracing them, or copying them, whichever you prefer", he told her as he pushed the sheet of parchment toward her.

Sonea picked up her own pen, and pulled the inkwell closer to herself using magic. She decided to copy the letters. Some of them turned out sort of all right, but most of them – especially the more loopy, curvy ones – did not. Sonea tried again and again, a crease forming between her brows, but made little progress, which was beginning to frustrate her.

"I believe you are gripping the pen too tightly", Akkarin observed.

She glanced down at her hand. "You think so?"

"Hm. You look as though you're trying to snap it in two. Try relaxing your fingers."

"I can't just relax on command, that's not how this works!", she protested.

Akkarin frowned slightly as he studied her hand. Then, he lifted his gaze to hers.

"May I?", he asked, pointing at her hand.

"Uh, sure", Sonea replied, although she had no idea what, precisely, he was asking permission for.

He rose to his feet and came to stand behind her. He swept his hair – which he kept tied in a low ponytail, as usual – over his right shoulder before leaning down a little. Then, he lightly placed the tips of his fingers on top of hers.

His skin was cooler than hers, and Sonea suppressed a shiver.

"Far too tense", he murmured. "Try relaxing your fingers, little by little. Start with this one."

He gently tapped her index finger.

Sonea tried, and sucked in a sharp breath when her entire hand started cramping. Akkarin made an alarmed sound, and immediately started pouring Healing magic into her, causing her hand to warm up.

As soon as she'd recovered from the initial shock, Sonea hurried to help him, and let out a relieved breath as the pain faded.

"What did you do?", Akkarin asked with a frown.

"Pinched off the nerves in my hand."

"I'm not so sure whether that's a good idea."

"I don't fancy being in pain."

"Fair enough."

Akkarin then cautiously started to uncurl her fingers. He caught the pen with magic and placed it on the table before he began stretching her fingers. Even though she could no longer feel the pain, he still worked carefully, diligently.

"There", he said softly. "I can't detect anything wrong any more."

Sonea nodded, and unpinched her nerves. Her hand still felt a bit sore – and too warm – but the pain was gone.

"Much better. Thank you."

"Don't mention it. I hadn't expected this – and now, I feel like a fool. You've over-exerted the muscles in your hand – you need a break."

"I see."

He returned to his chair, and Sonea flexed her fingers a couple of times.

"Do you get cramps in your hand often?"

"Sometimes."

"Hm. That issue needs to be addressed – while you can stretch your fingers – the way I did just now – to stop your hand from cramping, it would be better if it didn't cramp at all. Unfortunately, all I know is that there are certain exercises that help prevent that, but nothing beyond that. You would have to speak to a Healer."

Sonea averted her gaze, feeling her throat close up. She knew that, in order to receive the "treatment" she needed, she would have to explain the cause. The mere thought filled her with dread.

"What is it?", Akkarin asked gently, not having missed her rather obvious reaction.

"I – I don't want to", Sonea whispered.

The fingers of her right hand twitched as she wanted to ball it into a fist. Fearing that it might cramp up again if she did that, she instead balled her left hand into a fist.

Akkarin remained silent, just waiting to see if she would say more.

"I – I know you told me that it's not my fault, but – I – I feel this deep-rooted shame whenever people see just how bad I am at writing. My classmates – the ones I had originally, before I caught up with the Winter Intake – they would humiliate me. As a result, I don't like showing my notes to others, pretend that I don't struggle as I do. And I know that I can't just go see a Healer and ask for exercises to keep my hand from cramping without explaining why this happens. The mere thought alone – I think it may be similar to how you feel about your scars", she finished in a whisper, hoping she hadn't just grossly overstepped.

"What a pair we make", he repeated, this time with a sigh.

Sonea nodded mutely.

"I understand where you are coming from, truly. While I feared a negative reaction from you, you have already experienced negative reactions from others several times. I can understand why you wouldn't want to let others know about this."

Sonea gave him a cautious nod in return, relieved that he wasn't angry that she had drawn such a comparison.

"I do still believe that you should address this issue with the help of a Healer. I'm rather certain that Vinara wouldn't look down on you, especially if I make a request that she help you. Of course, that is, if you are all right with that – I would understand it if you would rather seek her help on your own terms.
"If you're not comfortable with that idea, you could ask Lorlen – he's rather fond of you, and has never made any kinds of derogatory remarks about you in my presence, even before I took on your guardianship."

"He's a Healer?", Sonea asked, astonished.

"Yes, one of those rare, elusive male Healers", Akkarin replied with a chuckle.

"I never knew", she breathed. "I always thought he was an Alchemist."

"Didn't strike you as a warrior, did he?", Akkarin asked with a smirk.

"No. He just – didn't seem like the kind of person to choose to become a Warrior."

Akkarin seemed to find that incredibly amusing, judging by the look on his face. Sonea huffed.

"Don't be like that. You ought to know by now that not everyone considers becoming a Warrior the greatest thing ever."

"Oh, yes, you've certainly made your sentiments known", he replied with a chuckle.

Sonea shook her head, a slight smile on her face, before sobering again.

"I think I'd rather ask Lorlen – that is, if that's all right with you."

"My personal feelings for him hardly matter in this case", Akkarin replied with a shrug. "I could call you downstairs the next time he comes for a visit, though I couldn't tell you when that will be."

"Sounds like a good idea. It'd probably seem weird if I just showed up at his office."

"All right, then we'll do that."

"Would it be a good idea to postpone further lessons until I've spoken with him?", Sonea asked cautiously.

She didn't want to cause the impression that she was trying to slither out of this.

"I'll leave that decision to you. I might have to change how we approach this, and it would certainly be better for the sessions to be shorter, or for you to take more breaks. That way, we might be able to prevent you from over-exerting yourself again. Although I must warn you that this isn't a fail-safe method."

"I see."

"You can try again a bit later, if you'd like – if at all possible, I'd like to end this session on a high note – I'm worried you might become frustrated otherwise."

"That makes sense."

They fell silent after that. Akkarin didn't seem in the mood to chat – and, to be quite honest, Sonea wouldn't even know what to talk about – she still knew next to nothing about him as a person, even though she was certainly able to understand him better.

Not really knowing what else to do, Sonea glanced out of the window, letting her mind wander.

She was recalled to the present when Akkarin softly cleared his throat to get her attention. Sonea blinked, and turned to look at him.

"There is something I've been meaning to discuss with you", he began.

"Oh, all right. What is it?"

"A few days ago, I put in a request for an audience with King Merin. Today, I received a reply – my request has been accepted, I am to meet with the King tomorrow." He paused, and fixed her with a rather peculiar look. "I was wondering if you'd like to accompany me to the palace."

Sonea blinked, certain that she must have misheard.

"You want me to accompany you to the palace?", she asked for clarification.

"I understand your surprise, however, I have two reasons for this. I would ask you to hear me out – you are, of course, free to decline if they don't seem convincing enough, or if you don't want to come."

"All right."

"The first reason is that I – I would feel uneasy if I were at the palace, while you remained here at the Guild. There is no point in me keeping you on the Guild grounds for your protection if I'm not there to offer said protection. Now, I doubt that anything will happen – it's not even been a week since I killed that spy, and even if they've chosen another, they will be lucky if he's mastered Control by now – but the thing is – even I can't bail out of a meeting with the King, as much as he likes me, and the thought that something could happen – and that I would be unable to do anything to help you – the mere thought alone already terrifies me", he admitted in a low voice, glancing away. "I fear it will get infinitely worse once I actually leave the Guild, leave you behind – I fear I would have a hard time focusing on matters at hand, even if I don't expect there to be any real danger."

Sonea bit her lip as she considered his words. The part about restricting her movement being a useless measure if he, himself, left the Guild, made sense. As did the part about him not wanting to feel anxious.

"I can't really argue with anything you've just said, although you are striking me as a tad overprotective here", she replied, arching a brow.

"I know. I know I'm most likely overreacting, but – you – you don't know just how bad it was. I thought, for a frightening moment, that you were dead. I couldn't tell if you were still breathing. Your body went into deep shock – and I didn't know where to start. Heh, it borders on a miracle that I didn't somehow mess this up and killed you by accident while trying to Heal you."

Sonea was quiet for a moment as she absorbed this new piece of information. She'd known, of course, that her exhaustion had been severe, worse than anything she'd experienced before, as she'd never lost consciousness until that day – but she hadn't realised the severity of her exhaustion. She could understand why this would unsettle Akkarin to the point where he felt reluctant to leave her unprotected.

And Akkarin certainly caused the impression that the attack on the residence had deeply rattled him. Him being overprotective was probably his way of dealing with whatever damage he had suffered that night, and it wasn't like he was asking anything outrageous of her.

"You mentioned another reason", Sonea said once she was done ordering her thoughts.

"Ah, yes. A very different, but equally important one, in my opinion. You are in the extremely unique position of being a Kyralian magician with no relatives among the nobility – you have no-one to count on to support you outside the Guild, no-one who could try and intercede on your behalf, or even bend the ear of the King. While it is true that we magicians are supposed to stay out of politics, it is not uncommon for us to rely on our families to do the politicking for us. You do not have that kind of support – you would have to build it up from the ground by forming connections, something you can't do if you don't mingle with members of the Houses."

Sonea frowned. "Do you truly believe that I would need that kind of support? It's not like I'm interested in politics, or power. I just want to help people."

"And that, precisely, is why you will need that kind of support."

"I don't understand."

Akkarin blinked, then averted his gaze. Sonea had figured out by now that he did this whenever he was about to say something he expected a negative reaction to. It gave her the opportunity to brace herself for something that might upset her.

He took a deep breath, and locked eyes with her.

"I know that it was your dream to open a hospice in the slums, help your own people", he said in a low voice. "Is this still something you intend to do?"

The question sent her mind reeling – the only person she'd ever told about this was Rothen, so the only way Akkarin could know about it was because he'd read the information from his mind – or hers. Which would explain why he had been reluctant to bring this up. Having her mind read by Akkarin hadn't exactly been a pleasant experience for her.

However, a new realisation dawned on her at that very moment.

"You remember that?", she whispered, astonished.

He blinked, clearly not having expected a reaction like that.

"I remember more or less everything I've seen in your mind, some of it subconsciously, and I've relied on that knowledge in several cases, I'll admit. Some of these things, of course, stood out more than others, and your earnest desire to help others – to give something back to the people of the slums – it – how should I put this? It was impressive. I admired you for wanting to do this, as much as I was annoyed with you, back then."

"I see", she breathed. "And – you think that, if I really wanted to do that, I'd need support from outside the Guild?"

"I'd imagine so. Most magicians wouldn't see the point, would have objections to allocating funds to such a project. And it is a fact that we don't have enough Healers. I've been trying to get the King to pressure the Houses to send their daughters to the Guild for years, but they are stubborn, and would rather keep them at home. And, as you know, men are less likely to become Healers."

"What about magicians from abroad?"

"Many of them return to their homelands upon graduation."

"Oh."

"If you could garner support among the nobles, this might help you get somewhere – you might even be able to petition the King directly at one point. Not that I imagine that this would be easy, or something you'd be able to achieve soon. But my point is – if you are still as determined to do this as you were back then, I suggest you start gathering support for your endeavour."

"So – you approve of this idea?"

"I do. However, I don't know how much support I could give you in this regard. Once you graduate, you'll be on your own."

Sonea considered this. She had, if she were being honest, not given much thought to what would happen once she graduated – partly out of fear. She hadn't even wanted to begin to imagine what Akkarin would do to keep her from revealing what she knew of him, to make sure she remained silent. It had been too terrifying, and she had avoided thinking about it too much as a result.

Now, of course, these concerns were completely unfounded – the situation had changed dramatically. Akkarin trusted her.

"If you think that it's a good idea for me to accompany you, then I'll do that", she decided. "Although – I do have classes."

"Your teachers will be able to spare you for an afternoon, and no, your marks will not suffer dramatically as a result", he added with a smirk.

"I'm not going to meet the King, am I?", Sonea asked, feeling a surge of alarm.

"No, you're not scheduled to have an audience with him, I am", he chuckled. "I'll just leave you somewhere you might encounter people, and hope that you'll make the most of it. Oh, and you are welcome to bring some books to pass the time – I cannot say how long my business will take. You might have to wait for hours."

"I see. That's a relief. Uh, about the King. Though the fact that I'll be able to study is also a relief. I wouldn't want to sit around doing nothing."

"I figured as much", he replied with a smile. "Very well, then, I'll let your teachers know that I'll need you for an extracurricular activity."

"You should tell Lorlen!", Sonea blurted out. "If you just spirit me away from the Guild without letting him or Rothen know where we are going, that might be – bad."

"You're right", Akkarin replied with a frown. "Lorlen already suspected me of wanting to use our training session at the Arena as an excuse to 'rid myself' of you, as he put it."

"He said that?"

"No. But he thought it. Makes little difference to me", he replied with a shrug.

Sonea grimaced. She could understand why Lorlen would think that way – had had a similar thought when she'd been about to face off against Regin, as Akkarin had named himself her protector, providing her with an inner shield. However, she had concluded that it would seem very strange if Akkarin's shield had failed – he was one of the strongest magicians in the entire Guild, after all – and, indeed, all of Regin's attacks that had made it past her own barrier had been absorbed by his.

Still, having to see these kinds of thoughts in the mind of his friend – former friend? – must have hurt Akkarin.

"Well then, all the more reason not to give him something else to fret over", Sonea said brightly.

Akkarin huffed, but didn't argue.

---

Too agitated to sit still, Akkarin was pacing the length of the guestroom, hands clenching and unclenching at his sides. He hadn't been certain, not at first, but now that several days had passed, it had become clear that Sonea was avoiding him again.

Following the attack on the residence, he had expected her to spend more time here, with him – at least during mealtimes. However, she'd only had one evening meal with him before falling back into her old habit of eating at the Foodhall. Now, it made sense, of course, for her to spend her midbreaks at the university instead of making the trek to the residence every day, but he had expected her to come home for the evening meals.

He wasn't sure who had been more disappointed – he, or Takan.

Takan had finally confessed that he might have prompted Sonea to come home for the one evening meal they'd had together when he'd mentioned in front of Regin. Sonea, for some reason, had felt compelled to say that she would be there – she probably had been unable to come up with a believable excuse at that moment, or had not wanted to disappoint Takan, who had clearly been expecting her, and had calculated the amount of food needed accordingly.

It had to be his own fault, he knew – he must have done something to upset her, or make her uncomfortable – but for the life of him, he couldn't figure out what it was. He would have to talk to Sonea, as much as the thought made him want to run and hide.

Granted, things were not quite as bad as they used to be, before. While Sonea still left the residence at the crack of dawn, she usually returned soon after the evening meal, and had become a little more comfortable exploring the residence. He'd sometimes found her reading in the library, curled up on one of the window seats, and he knew that she'd also been sneaking around the guestroom, examining the books there.

She didn't seem to mind talking to him whenever they bumped into each other, and was markedly more at ease around him than before. She'd also come when he'd suggested giving her a lesson on calligraphy earlier this day, when she'd spent a couple of free periods in her room – although not without reservations.

Akkarin couldn't deny that this had hurt, but forced himself to remember that she had feared him to some extent from the day of her Guardianship Hearing onwards, and had been terrified of him ever since he'd forced her to live here, with him.

It would take time for her to unlearn this.

However, Akkarin was certain that it wasn't fear that was keeping her away. It had to be something else. But what? What had he done?

Akkarin stopped dead in his tracks when the door clicked open, and Sonea stepped inside. She was smiling, as though she'd been thinking about something that made her happy, but that smile vanished the moment she noticed him. However, before he had the time to jump to conclusions, her expression changed into one of worry.

"Akkarin! Did something happen?"

He stared at her for a moment, dumbfounded, before rousing himself.

"Is it the Ichani?"

"No, nothing like that. It's nothing dangerous or life-threatening."

"Oh, well, that's a relief." She paused before giving him a piercing look. "But something is wrong."

Stars above, when did she become so perceptive?

"If you don't want to talk about it, that's fine", Sonea told him softly. "But if you do want to talk about it, then I'm here to listen."

All he could do was stare at her, completely dumbstruck, not quite sure what he'd ever done to deserve someone like her.

Shaking his head and forcing himself to focus on more pressing matters, Akkarin tried to rally his courage. He still very much didn't want to have this conversation, but he needed to know – needed to know what he could do to make things better.

Sonea was still patiently waiting for his reply. Akkarin took a deep breath.

"Do you remember me asking you to let me know if I ever did anything that made you uncomfortable?"

"Of course."

"Then why haven't you?"

"Why haven't I what?"

"Told me."

Sonea's expression grew more confused by the minute.

"I don't – wait, do you think that you've made me uncomfortable somehow? I did promise to tell you if that were the case."

Akkarin frowned. He remembered that, of course, but had assumed that she might have had reasons for keeping silent – not fear, no, he knew that, but for all he knew, she could come up with plenty of other reasons why she shouldn't speak up – or maybe she'd been hoping that he wouldn't notice her avoiding him.

He let out a sigh, realising that dancing around the issue would do him no good. Sonea was someone who preferred a straightforward approach, and who wasn't used to dissecting a person's words for hidden meanings and messages.

"You've been avoiding me", he pointed out in a low voice. "It took me a while to notice, but it's become apparent these days."

"And you immediately assumed that it was because of something you did."

"Of course, why else would you – ?"

He broke off, confused, when Sonea's face twisted into a strange expression, something in between guilt and horror. He resolutely resisted the temptation to seek her mind to find an explanation for this confusing reaction, instead deciding to give her the time to explain herself.

"You did nothing to upset me or anything, this – this is my fault", she whispered, her eyes wide. "I was just trying to – this wasn't supposed to happen! I'm so sorry – "

"Sonea, I fear I do not understand."

"That would be because I am doing a terrible job at explaining myself", she sighed. "Oh, I did not want to have this conversation."

That makes two of us, Akkarin thought.

"I will explain what happened", she promised, looking up, her expression slightly less distressed, "but it will take some time. And I don't even know where to start – I'll have to order my thoughts first. Sorry about that."

"No, no, don't worry about it. Would you like to sit down? At the very least, you should put your box down. I could call for some wine."

"No, no wine for me", she replied as she made her way over to the armchairs. She placed her box on the small table in between them before settling down into the chair that wasn't his favourite – she'd been paying attention. "I'd rather keep my wits about me, or I might make things worse while trying to set them right. You know my low tolerance for alcohol."

A memory rose instantly in Akkarin's mind, the memory of the first formal meal they'd had together. After Akkarin had dismissed her, Sonea had almost stumbled out of the room, borderline drunk. Akkarin had instructed Takan to give her less wine the next time, and Takan had explained that it had been the dessert.

Akkarin found himself chuckling at the memory.

"I am so glad my inability to hold my liquor is so entertaining to you", Sonea observed drily.

"Apologies. You were quite – "

He bit his tongue to stop himself from saying what had been on his mind. He'd found her adorable. Something he could never, ever tell her. She'd either run away screaming, or have his guts for garters. Akkarin wasn't certain which scenario would be worse.

"Drunk? Uncoordinated? I know. I was there."

"I did apologise", he pointed out in a conciliatory tone. "And I didn't mean to upset you. I'll apologise for that, too, if it helps."

Sonea let out a huff. "Fine, I'll let you off the hook. Could you ask Takan to bring me some water?"

"Certainly."

"Thanks."

Sonea proceeded to brood until Takan brought her drink. She rallied herself enough to thank him with a smile, then returned to her brooding until he'd disappeared back into the kitchen. Meanwhile, Akkarin poured himself a glass of wine before settling down in his chair. As Sonea was still busy ordering her thoughts, he passed time by taking a sip, relishing in the sublime taste of last year's Anuren dark.

When Sonea took a deep breath, he put the glass down and turned to face her. Part of him still felt a little apprehensive – yes, she had told him that he wasn't at fault here, but – usually, he was, at least to some extent, responsible if something went wrong.

"This might seem like I'm going on a very long tangent here, but I do think it's necessary for me to lay out all of it so that you'll be able to understand why I acted the way I did. The others – magicians and novices alike – they think that you chose me. That you saw something in me, something that you wanted to, I don't know, nurture or something. People have come up with different theories as to what that is – some thought it was because of how powerful I was, others thought it was my diligence, or how quickly I had managed to adapt to life here at the Guild. You and me, though, we both know that all of them were wrong – you didn't choose me at all. I just – got dumped on your path by fate, or bad luck, or whatever you want to call it. I'm not here because you wanted me to be – I'm here because you had no other choice, given the circumstances." She'd started to curl in on herself as she'd spoken, her shoulders hunched. "You would have never chosen me if I hadn't already known your secret, would have never chosen any novice as your favourite.
"Back then, I avoided you out of fear – and because I was certain that you considered me a nuisance. An annoying little girl who just had to stick her nose where it didn't belong, and discovered a secret that could have got you killed by accident. The last thing I wanted was to do something that might upset you further, make things somehow worse for myself. And the fact that you let me – that you allowed me to avoid you as I did, instead of keeping me here as much as you could so that I would never have the chance to make a move against you – further reinforced this belief that my very presence here annoyed you."

Akkarin wanted to protest at this point – he'd been far more annoyed by her refusal to engage with him in conversation than with her presence – however, Sonea, who wasn't looking at him, simply ploughed on in that undeterred way of hers.

"Thing is, I still don't know what you think of me. I didn't want to risk getting underfoot, didn't know if you'd actually want me around. You didn't choose me, after all. I just – kinda happened to you."

At this point, she was almost completely hunched over. Akkarin felt a confusing mix of emotions upon hearing her words – sorrow, pity, anger at himself, and a strange kind of hopelessness among them. However, he was keenly aware of the fact that he had to say something – anything – in response, lest she take his silence as a confirmation.

"I think I need a moment to order my thoughts, now", he said in a quiet voice, hoping that this might offer her some comfort.

She gave a terse nod in return, but didn't change her posture at all. Akkarin regarded her in silence for a few moments, his heart breaking a little for her.

"Why did you not ask me?", he inquired softly, leaning forward in the hope that he might be able to establish eye contact with her.

And indeed, the movement caught her attention, and Sonea lifted her head a little to glance up at him.

"That would have been one awkward conversation."

"And this is not?"

"I am certain it would have been worse. I wouldn't have even known where to start! It's not like I even know you as a person. I – I did consider it, but – well. I couldn't bring myself to say anything. Sometimes, it's easier to just run away."

"But running away won't solve anything", he told her gently. "You won't get to know me, won't find out what I truly think of you, if you keep avoiding me."

"I know. I – I was acting with the best of intentions, I really was, but all I did was mess things up. I'm so sorry. I didn't mean for any of this to happen."

"It's all right, I'm not angry. To be honest, I'm just relieved that I wasn't at fault for once. I was convinced that I'd done something to cause this."

Sonea let out a huff before straightening up, much to his surprise, and fixed him with a somewhat exasperated look.

"Not everything that goes wrong is your fault, you know. People are perfectly capable of coming up with stupid ideas on their own, without your input."

He blinked, not having expected a lecture from her.

"I – suppose."

"You suppose. You can be quite stubborn yourself, you know that?"

"I'm aware. I do try to be conscious of my strengths and weaknesses. Now then, Sonea, are you ready to hear what I truly think of you, and accept my words as the truth, without suspecting that I may have exaggerated or embellished things, or that I was saying what I thought you wanted to hear so that I could get in your good graces?"

"I – I'll try."

"Very well." He took a deep breath. "I was certainly not happy when I found out that my secret had been discovered – Lorlen initially attempted to lie to me, not realising how futile that was – he was trying to protect you, and Rothen. It only made me angrier, reinforced the belief that I couldn't even trust my closest friend. Most of my anger remained directed at him – and I was always aware of the fact that you never spied on me, that you were just in the wrong place at the wrong time. Something I could hardly hold against you.
"I was certainly annoyed with you occasionally, although it was usually over minor things. However, I never thought of you as a nuisance. The reason why I permitted you to do as you pleased was because I was acutely aware of your fear and dislike of me. Just because it was necessary doesn't mean that it made me any less uncomfortable – to put it mildly. It was even worse for Takan – he actually begged me, on several occasions, to tell you the truth, to release you from this waking nightmare. But I couldn't do that – not without anything to offer as proof. In a way, it was better for both of us if you kept your distance."

Akkarin decided not to mention that he hadn't completely left her to her own devices, that he'd often followed her via the secret passages. There had been a need to keep an eye on her, after all.

Sonea seemed somewhat surprised to hear this, but took it in stride. Akkarin guessed that his explanation had to align with her current view of him.

"As to how I feel about you as a person – you've always possessed character traits that I valued, and admired. I knew you were a good person at heart, kind and generous. Tenacious. Stubborn. And brave. Even if you may still have a hard time believing that", he added with a smile. "Hard-working and diligent, too. Clever. Curious. Always eager to improve yourself. I noticed some of these early on, back when you joined the university. Lorlen also had a habit of mentioning you every now and then, as he was monitoring your progress."

"He was? I wasn't aware."

"He was curious to see how much your background would hamper your progress", Akkarin explained. "I believe he was quite satisfied with your performance.
"Recently, you've been impressing me more and more. Even before the attack, you began showing me parts of you that you'd previously kept hidden. It was refreshing, in a way, to be able to get new reactions out of you."

"You found my impertinence refreshing?", she asked doubtfully.

"Certainly", Akkarin replied, his eyes glittering. "I can think of exactly one person who would dare to treat me the same way."

"Would that happen to be one of those people you can't intimidate?", Sonea asked with a grin.

"Indeed. She can be quite insufferable, too. However, unlike you, she's known me her entire life. So, yes, I do consider your impertinence to be refreshing."

Sonea looked a bit dumbfounded by that bit of information.

"So", she said after a while. "I'm guessing that you don't want me to stay out of your way?"

"No. This is – " He stopped himself just short of saying "your home", not sure how she felt about this house, a place that had been her prison for well over a year. "You are free to come and go as you please, and use all facilities the residence has to offer at your leisure. I may require you to leave the guestroom or other common areas at a given time, but other than that, I want you to feel comfortable here. I certainly don't find your presence annoying or bothersome. I wouldn't want you to stay away for my sake. It's entirely unnecessary."

"I see. That's – actually a relief, to be honest. I – I hate being a bother."

"You're not, I assure you. Oh, also, er, thank you for being so open with me. I strongly appreciate this."

Sonea gave him a small smile, and something within him fluttered.

"I don't expect you to completely overhaul your entire schedule because of the changed circumstances, but – would you consider taking the evening meals with me? I'm certain that Takan would love to be able to cook for you, as well."

"Oh, I bet he would – he's almost as bad a – " She bit her lip and glanced away, looking sheepish. "I can't promise that I'd be able to make it every evening because of classes, but I'll try my best." She let out a sigh. "You were right, I do love Takan's cooking."

Akkarin let out a chuckle. "I should have tried bribing you with food."

"Who knows, it might have worked", she replied, her eyes shining.

Akkarin watched her with a fond smile. Then, a thought occurred to him. He frowned slightly as he thought this through, and then decided that it couldn't hurt to ask.

"Have you already eaten?"

"I have", she replied, almost reluctantly. "But – uh, I could keep you company if that's fine with you? I find eating by myself rather dull, and I can't imagine that you find it very enjoyable, either."

Her offer certainly came as a surprise – Akkarin had expected her to decline the indirect invitation.

"I'd l-like that", he told her, hoping fervently that she hadn't just noticed his little stutter – he'd been about to say "I'd love that" before thinking better of it.

"All right, then. Who knows, I might even have room for something sweet, depending on whether it's something delicious."

It took all of his willpower to stop himself from grinning like a complete idiot.

Get a grip, man, how old are you, fifteen?

Stupid hormones.

"All of Takan's food is delicious", he somehow managed to say.

"True. But I think his desserts are the best thing ever."

Akkarin noted the fact that she seemed to like sweet dishes for future reference.

"Takan should be done with dinner preparations soon, we could already head upstairs, if you'd like."

"Very well."

Akkarin left his glass – he might come back downstairs later – and started up the stairs. He decided not to make a light, and all but bounced up the stairs.

"You sure seem happy", Sonea observed.

Akkarin muttered a curse under his breath – how had she noticed? He swiftly tried to come up with something he could say in response.

"I am glad that we were able to clear up that misunderstanding", he told her.

"Makes sense."

He let out a relieved breath. He would have to be more careful around her.

The dining room was empty when they arrived – Takan was still adding the finishing touches to the meal – and so Akkarin pulled out Sonea's chair for her. She looked surprised for a moment before thanking him with a smile. Akkarin had just taken his own seat when Takan entered, and stopped dead when he noticed Sonea.

"Lady Sonea! Forgive me, I wasn't expecting you – "

"It's fine, Takan, I already ate. I'm just here to keep the High Lord company."

"Ah, I see", Takan replied, his eyes shining.

Sensing danger, Akkarin decided to divert his attention.

"Takan, Sonea will be joining me for the evening meal more often in the future", he told his servant. "Sonea, go over your schedule with Takan so that he'll know on what days you might not be able to make it because of evening classes."

Sonea nodded, and bent down to unlatch her box, which she had placed next to her chair. She pulled out her schedule and looked up at Takan.

"Here", she said, holding out a piece of parchment. "I can make you a copy, if you'd like."

"That would be helpful, my lady." Takan squinted down at the schedule and nodded. "Thank you. Is there anything I can get you, Lady Sonea?"

"Some wine would be lovely."

"No longer worried about getting inebriated, are you?", Akkarin teased.

Sonea let out a huff. "My room isn't terribly far away, and I can just go sleep it off."

"You can Heal it away, too, you know."

"I do. But that seems rather pointless."

Takan produced a glass for Sonea from one of the cabinets, and proceeded to pour each of them some wine.

"I do apologise for almost making you drunk the first time you ate here, Lady Sonea", Takan told her softly. "It had not been my intention."

"It's not your fault I'm a lightweight when it comes to alcohol", Sonea replied with a sigh.

"It must feel like a terrible shortcoming", he replied, his eyes twinkling.

"Oh, indeed. I felt mortified every time my friends started boozing, and all I could do was watch…"

She sighed dramatically, a comically wistful look on her face.

Akkarin let out a snort.

"I swear, the two of you will be the death of me", he chuckled. "I should never have encouraged this."

"You're not going to die on me, are you?", Sonea quipped.

Akkarin laughed even harder. "I suppose it would be a good way to go, at least."

Sonea made a chocked sound in response, but Akkarin was too busy wiping tears from his eyes to pay her much heed.

Takan cleared his throat, trying hard to be professional.

"Should I start serving the meal, master?"

"Please do."

Takan bowed, and quit the room. Sonea took a sip of her wine before letting out a pleased hum.

"Well then, Sonea, how was your day?"

She snorted, but answered readily enough, describing what she'd learned in a rather animated manner. Before, whenever he had questioned her during their weekly meals, her responses had been clipped, and she'd been unwilling to divulge anything more than was strictly necessary to answer his questions. That reservation was gone now, and she was more willing to share her thoughts and feelings.

Throughout the meal, Akkarin was able to leave most of the talking to her, but, remembering her words from earlier that she didn't really know him as a person, he made sure to share his own thoughts and observations whenever an occasion called for it.

He was pleased that Sonea was able to maintain eye-contact almost throughout the entire meal, and felt immensely proud of how far she'd come.

---

"Have you ever travelled by carriage before?", Akkarin asked as they strode down the path toward the university's main entrance.

"No", Sonea replied. "I used to walk everywhere."

"I see. In that case, I should make you aware of the etiquette required for that."

"Seriously? You nobles truly have rules for everything", Sonea complained.

"This one actually has a practical reason."

"What, really? You guys know how to be practical?"

"Sonea, focus."

She let out a sigh. "I'm sorry. It's the nerves – I still can't really wrap my head around the fact that I'm going to the palace, of all places. I feel like I'm in the wrong play."

"I understand", he replied in a softer tone. "But there will be people watching us when we arrive, and I'll need you to act as is expected."

"Right. Go on, then, enlighten me."

He gave her a curt nod, and began. "Whenever a lord and a lady are travelling together, it is custom for the lord to hand the lady into the carriage – and help her down once they've arrived. If a lady is travelling by herself, a servant will perform that duty. The reason for this is Kyralian fashion – ladies' gowns often have several layers of skirts or long trains. When I was a child, there was even a trend where women had skirts so wide, they had to go through the door sideways, although I have no idea how they managed to get their skirts to be so bloated."

"That must have looked ridiculous."

"Indeed. I wasn't sad to see that particular trend go. Anyway, as my sisters loved to tell me, climbing stairs in such a dress was already difficult, climbing into a carriage unassisted dangerous. This is why it became custom for the men to assist their wives and daughters."

"That makes sense, in a way, although I can't understand why anyone would wear dresses like that, if they're so impractical."

"A show of wealth", Akkarin replied. "Fabrics are expensive, some more than others. The more layers your dress has, the more expensive the fabric, and the more the dress is decorated with jewels or embroidery, the wealthier the person who commissioned it. Women – and men – have no choice but to adhere to the current rules of fashion, or risk losing status in the eyes of others."

Sonea huffed before glancing down. Her own robes barely reached her knees, whereas Akkarin's were brushing the floor.

"Seeing as how your 'skirts' are longer than mine, I should be the one helping you into the carriage."

He let out a chuckle. "While I see your point, the difference in height between us would make this look rather ridiculous. And the palace staff would probably throw a fit."

"And the servants here wouldn't?"

"I believe they have got used to your strange ways by now."

"Oh, how lovely."

"I'm aware that you don't need my help to safely descend from the carriage, however, if I didn't assist you, it might reflect negatively on the both of us – it would mark me as ill-mannered, or indicate that I don't consider you an equal – that I don't think you deserving of such attention. As a result, your standing with the people at the palace would instantly suffer."

"Which would be bad."

"Indeed."

Sonea spotted the Guild carriage that was supposed to take them to the palace. As they approached, a servant moved to open the carriage door, bowing to them. Sonea tried to calm herself – this was just a practise run, there was no need to impress the servants here. She could allow herself to make a mistake this time around.

Akkarin stopped next to the carriage.

"I suggest that you sit on the bench facing forward – you're less likely to get motion sickness that way, and you'll be able to see the palace as we approach. Ready?"

"Wait. The books go first." Sonea made the stack of books that she had been carrying float into the carriage, and placed it on the bench she would be sitting on. "All right. I'm ready."

Akkarin held out his hand. As soon as she took it, he sent her an image of what this was supposed to look like. Sonea clambered up the short ladder, using Akkarin's arm as a support. As soon as she was inside, she sat down to make room for him.

Akkarin immediately followed – however, instead of picking up the hem of his robes, he instead lifted his knees in a way that prevented him from stepping on it. Moments later, he had settled down opposite her, and was busy arranging his robes. The servant closed the door, and Akkarin rapped on the roof of the carriage. Moments later, they were off.

"If you should get sick, you can Heal it away", Akkarin told her as they passed through the Guild's main gate.

Unexpectedly, he stiffened, the expression on his face shifting ever so slightly.

"What's wrong?", Sonea asked, worried.

"Lorlen just found my note, and is currently yelling at me", Akkarin replied with a grimace.

"You left him a note? No wonder he's angry."

"He would have been angry no matter how I broke the news to him", Akkarin huffed. "However, if I'd told him in advance, he would have had to take me at my word. Now that we have already left, he can ask the servants, who will confirm that we have taken a carriage bound for the palace. This should help reassure him."

"What do you mean? He's not worried you'll throw me off one of the palace's towers, is he?"

"No. However, our interaction at the Arena has unsettled him – and Rothen, too, I fear. Lorlen is beginning to suspect that I've done something to win you to my side – that I've somehow tempted you to join me. Not that he thinks that I've succeeded, yet – but he is currently hatching plans to somehow contact you, hoping he'll be able to 'warn' you."

"And – if he were to think that I did 'join' you?"

"He hasn't made plans for that yet. The thought frightens him."

Sonea made a distressed sound. This was bad, on several levels – she had, of course, expected the people witnessing their interactions at the Arena to talk about how their relationship had changed, but she hadn't expected Lorlen and Rothen to be there to watch.

Surely, there had to be a better way. The fact that both magicians were worried about her safety needlessly made her uneasy, especially in Rothen's case. And the fact that they could do any number of things to undermine and hamper Akkarin – even if they didn't dare move against him directly – was worrying.

However, Sonea decided that now was not the best time to be hatching plans. She'd do that later.

"Is Lorlen done yelling yet? I have a few questions."

"Thankfully, yes. He's currently trying to figure out how to discreetly question the servants working at the stables."

Sonea grimaced, but decided not to comment on that. "What is court like? I have absolutely no idea how any of that works. What, exactly, am I in for?"

"The royal court is a dangerous environment – nobles are constantly plotting against each other, trying to gain more power and prestige – and to get the favour of the King. Of course, seeing how he's yet to take a wife, many Houses hope that he might choose one of their daughters."

"Is your family among them?", Sonea asked curiously.

"No – all of my sisters are already married, and my nieces are all too young. The earliest opportunity for them to try and make a royal match would be with King Merin's heir."

So, he does have nieces, at least. Though I can't imagine that all of his sisters only had girls.

"Even if you form an alliance with other nobles, the only thing that will keep them from breaking that alliance if it suits them is through marriage. Usually, the head of the family will arrange matches for all children – unless they join the Guild. Although that did not stop my mother from trying to meddle." He let out an annoyed huff. "Thankfully, Chessea usually comes to my rescue whenever Mother goes too far in her opinion – it's not that I couldn't deal with her on my own, but I appreciate the support."

"So, I'm guessing Chessea is one of your sisters?"

"Yes, the sister who is closest in age to me."

"How many siblings do you have?"

"Curious, are we?", he asked, arching a brow, though he didn't seem angry.

Sonea felt herself flush. "I don't have any siblings, as you know, so I have no idea what it's like. And my cousins are young enough to be my children – I'll be more of an aunt to them than a cousin, really."

"Hm, I see. I have three sisters, and one brother."

"And I guess your brother is older than you."

"No, I'm the eldest."

"Wait, what? I thought that the Houses usually sent younger sons to the Guild!"

"That is true – however, my great-uncle tested myself, Brekken and Chessea when we were still very young. While Brekken barely had any magical potential, both Chessea and I turned out to be exceptionally powerful. Since magical potential is more valuable for a daughter than a son, and he would have considered it wasteful if my potential remained untapped, my uncle suggested that I be sent to the Guild, and that Brekken be made heir in my place."

"That sounds like it could cause trouble", Sonea replied with a frown. "Although I can understand your uncle's reasoning."

"Thankfully, that was before Father started training me as his successor – and my parents managed to make me joining the Guild sound like a grand thing, something I should look forward to, especially given how powerful I was. As a result, losing the status as heir didn't bother me too much – especially once I noticed what Brekken now had to go through. I certainly didn't envy him.
"I'm not certain how my brother felt about all that, but he never complained. Since he didn't have that much time to play with us any more, Chessea and I grew close as a result. We got into all sorts of trouble as children, and I know that she would always have my back."

"Is she the one you mentioned the other day, the one who dares be impertinent in your presence?", Sonea asked, trying very hard not to grin.

"Indeed", he replied with a smirk. "She can be quite insufferable. I still love her. Which is what having siblings is all about.
"Brekken was born about a year after me, and Chessea followed not even a year after."

"That must've been awful for your mother", Sonea said with a grimace.

"Indeed. After Chessea's birth, she decided that she needed a break, took us to the countryside, and spent a few years away from Imardin – she'd occasionally bring us to attend festivities and such, but was adamant that she needed a few years to 'rest' – not that having to raise and educate three annoying toddlers was particularly restful, mind you.
"Danea was born five years after Chessea, and Elyssa followed her two years later."

Sonea absorbed that with a slight frown on her face. She didn't know Akkarin's precise age, but based on what she knew, his youngest sisters were probably only a few years older than her.

"Did your younger sisters have magic, as well?"

"Danea is about the same strength as the average magician. Elyssa, however, was born without any magic whatsoever. This, combined with the fact that she was the youngest, made things hard for her. She often felt inadequate, and her lack of magical potential significantly lessened her options for making a good match."

"How awful", Sonea whispered.

By now, their carriage had reached the innermost part of the Inner Circle, where the palace was located, and turned south. Sonea knew from studying maps that the palace's main gate was facing west, toward the Marina – as most foreign dignitaries arrived by ship. Glancing out of the window on her left, Sonea spotted many fancy carriages, most of them displaying a House Incal on the door. The streets were crowded with people wearing outrageously expensive clothing.

Sonea assumed that it was probably going to get worse once they got to the palace.

"Am I glad I don't have to worry about what to wear", she sighed as she leaned back in her seat.

"One of the many perks of being a magician", Akkarin chuckled. "Robes are fine, no matter the occasion."

Sonea glanced out to the right, and sucked in a surprised breath when she saw the castle's spires towering high above the wall surrounding the palace. Unable to stop herself, she leaned out of the window to get a better look.

"Those look like they were designed by Lord Cohen!", she exclaimed.

"Indeed. Well-spotted, Sonea."

"Amazing. It's hard to believe something so fragile-looking can support its own weight."

"Cohen strengthened the stone with magic", Akkarin explained with a significant look as Sonea settled back down.

"I see", she replied in a quiet voice.

Then, a thought occurred to her. Worried that the coachman might hear them despite the noise, she held out her hand. Akkarin placed his hand in hers, and she sought out his mind.

— Would it be possible to extract the magic from the stone?

— I'd imagine so, although I cannot say if you'd need black magic for that. However, since magic is what is holding these thin spires together, extracting the magic within would undoubtedly cause the entire structure to collapse.

— I see.

Sonea made to retract her hand, and Akkarin immediately let go.

On their left, the South Road, one of the city's major thoroughfares, appeared, and Sonea realised that it wouldn't be long until they reached their destination. She felt another surge of nervousness.

"What should I do if I do meet nobles?", she asked, wringing her hands. "I don't know anything about court etiquette, only Guild etiquette."

"Guild etiquette will do fine", Akkarin replied in a soothing voice. "Members of the Guild are afforded a special status here in Kyralia that is on par with that of a member of the Houses – you may know that other countries don't have the same class system as we do. A foreign magician would have to be treated with the same courtesy and respect as one from Kyralia. The same applies to you.
"On that note, presentation is important. Keep your shoulders back, and your back straight. Never lower your gaze – it would be seen as a sign of weakness. If you cannot look someone in the eye directly, gaze somewhere over his shoulder – it will still give the impression that you are looking at him. Also, most people find it rather intimidating if you look at them without blinking.
"You should expect any nobles you meet to figure out who you are quickly. Do not allow them to demean you, or push you around. Should they act in any way that strikes you as derogatory or rude, do not hesitate to invoke my name. You could also casually mention that you will tell me about this conversation later, when I come to fetch you."

Sonea immediately sat up straighter, realising she'd been slouching.

Akkarin gave her an approving nod.

"Also, keep in mind that inside the palace, the walls have ears. Everything you say and do will be reported to the King. Now, I don't think he'll be updated on what you're up to while I'm with him, but he will get that report eventually. This measure was implemented so that the King would know what the nobles are scheming – they are always scheming. You won't have to worry about any of that, naturally, but you should still be mindful of what you say, even if you think that you are alone."

"Right. I'll just stick my nose into one of my books. That should be unthreatening enough."

He chuckled. "On the other hand, if someone were to treat you poorly, I could easily find out their names by questioning the servants. Visiting nobles should be aware of this, but they may need to be reminded of it."

"Got it."

On their right, the gates leading into the castle's courtyard appeared, and their carriage took a sharp right turn. Similarly to the Guild, the paved road looped across the yard so that carriages could stop right in front of the main entrance. As they drew near, Sonea grimaced.

"I think I'm going to be sick after all", she whispered.

"Deep breaths, Sonea. You can do this."

The carriage rocked to a halt, and a servant stationed nearby leapt into action. Similarly to the servants at the Guild, he wore a uniform, although the colours were different – representing the colours of the royal family – and the fabrics seemed a bit more expensive.

Apparently, the King found it necessary to show off his obscene wealth by decking out his staff in nice clothes. Well, as long as they were practical, Sonea didn't really see much wrong with that.

The servant opened the door and lowered the ladder, then, he stood back. Akkarin rose to his feet in one smooth movement and climbed down. The servant bowed.

"Welcome to the palace, High Lord Akkarin."

"Thank you."

Akkarin moved to the side and turned to look at Sonea. Taking one last fortifying breath, she stood, and moved to the door. Accepting his proffered hand, she allowed him to hand her down from the carriage. The servant's eyes widened minutely when he saw her, and Sonea figured that he'd probably had expected Akkarin to bring another magician, not a novice.

She had no idea if bringing novices to the palace was even something that had been done before.

Sonea turned back around and lifted her arms. The pile of books rose into the air and settled in her waiting embrace. Once she was certain that she had them all securely in her grasp, she turned back around, and gave Akkarin a nod.

He responded in kind, and started forward. Sonea hurried to fall in step with him – she no longer felt the need to stay out of his reach, but still had to consciously focus on staying next to him. It would get better with time, she knew – she was able to walk next to Rothen without issue – but with Akkarin, this was a rather recent development, and her instincts were still too strong.

Besides, she was aware of how it would seem to the people here at the palace if she trailed after him, carrying a stack of books.

The corners of his mouth twitched as though he wanted to smile, but his face remained expressionless. Sonea realised he'd once again donned the mask she'd seen him wear for as long as she'd known him, and made sure to school her own features.

Up a small flight of stairs they went, and into the entrance hall. Sonea let out a sigh as they were finally out of the sunlight. The palace's entrance hall was cool compared to the temperatures outside.

Another servant appeared, and greeted Akkarin. After bowing to them, he led them deeper into the palace. Fearing that she would go insane if she tried to calculate the monetary worth of all the precious items around her, Sonea tried to distract herself. A sudden thought occurred to her.

"You never told me why you requested an audience, High Lord", she said. "Is it something important?"

"In a way. The Administrator made me aware of a few issues with some of our regular suppliers. As you may know, the Guild requires a large number of resources to be able to operate, from food to classroom supplies. It is much more efficient to buy these things in large quantities, and, since we do this regularly, we get a discount in return. Buying things in bulk will usually be cheaper for you in the long run.
"Sometimes, our suppliers will inform us that they have raised the price on certain products. Occasionally, this is justified, for example, if a certain item is only available in smaller quantities. However, seeing as how we've received letters from three of our suppliers informing us that they are raising the prices of certain goods, I have come to suspect that there is more at play here. Those merchants may be rising the prices simply because they hope to make a tidy profit – and they may be working together."

"The timing sure makes it sound fishy", Sonea replied. "And they wouldn't have been the first ones to try this – merchants trying to rip off customers is an old tale, really. It happens all the time – although it usually results in those merchants going out of business because no-one can afford their prices, and people will simply take their business elsewhere."

"Well, the Guild can't just go and find new suppliers easily. Not everyone can provide goods in the quantities needed. Some of the demands that were made are so outrageous, even our budget wouldn't be able to handle them, which means that we would have to buy less of items we consider 'unnecessary', or stop buying them altogether. We had an issue like that with our wine supplier over a year ago – if we'd stopped buying Anuren dark, most of the Guild's inhabitants would have rioted."

And you'd have been among them, I bet.

"That does sound bad", Sonea replied.

"Hm. I met with the King, then, and the matter was resolved rather quickly."

"I see. So, you're hoping for a similar outcome this time, too."

"Indeed. If they do not cave, things would become – problematic."

"Surely, there should be an investigation, at least, to find out if these merchants were in cahoots? If they had actually hatched a plan to raise the prices on certain goods at the same time, it could cause problems for a lot of people."

"Indeed."

As they continued deeper into the palace, the thought occurred to Sonea that the King was, most likely, already being informed of what she had just discussed with Akkarin just now. She hoped that this wouldn't be a problem – then again, Akkarin was aware that they were being monitored. If he'd wanted to keep the reason for his visit a secret until he met the King, he could have claimed that the matter was classified.

They encountered more people now – soldiers had been posted throughout the palace at intervals, but now, they also saw servants, courtiers and nobles milling about. All of them bowed to Akkarin as he strode past – with the exception of the guards on duty, of course – and cast curious looks in Sonea's direction, although the servants were better able to hide them.

Sonea was fairly certain that they hadn't yet figured out who she was, although the fact that she was accompanying the High Lord alone should be a dead giveaway.

They went up a flight of stairs, and then another, and Sonea was thoroughly lost. If, for some reason, she'd ever have to find her way back to the entrance by herself, her best option would be to jump from a window, or balcony.

At long last, they arrived in a corridor that seemed to be a kind of waiting area – the right side was lined with windows, the other with cushioned benches. Their guide bowed, and left. Akkarin sat down on one of the benches, leaning back against the backrest. After a moment of hesitation, Sonea joined him. She had no intention of remaining standing, and if she'd gone and sat on another bench, it would have looked strange – even the nearest one was several metres away. She placed the books near the right end of then bench before sitting down next to the High Lord.

"Oh, wait, your notes!"

Sonea picked up the topmost book and removed a thin folder from the pile before handing it to Akkarin. He took it, his fingers brushing hers in the process. Sonea jumped at the contact, causing him to freeze. Suppressing a shudder, Sonea mentally shook herself.

"You need to do something about those cold hands of yours, I get goosebumps every time you touch me", she huffed.

Akkarin made a strangled noise, and she instantly regretted that particular choice of words.

She hadn't meant anything by them – it was a well-known fact that being touched by a cold hand would often have this kind of effect – however, judging from his reaction, Akkarin had ascribed a different meaning to her words, and now, Sonea was panicking.

"I'm sorry!", she whispered, not having to feign her agitation. It was, after all, not something one should say in a place where they could be overheard. "My mind is just so strange sometimes – it comes up with these dumb things, and I sometimes can't stop them from coming out of my mouth, either… Sorry for being weird again."

She'd started hunching over again, but forced herself not to curl in on herself too much – it wouldn't do to cause him to suspect that she was trying to hide something. Sonea hoped that her actions seemed natural, and that he would believe that she truly hadn't meant anything by them.

"It's all right", he replied in a low voice. "There is no-one nearby right now – I don't think anyone heard you."

Sonea let out a relieved sigh. "I think I'll shut up now, just in case."

"Please don't take it to heart. I did ask you to let me know if something I did made you uncomfortable. I do appreciate your feedback, and it is good to know that you'll actually speak up if something bothers you." He paused for a moment. "I'm afraid I have bad circulation, meaning that my hands tend to be cold."

"Oh. So you would have to constantly Heal yourself in order to improve circulation."

"Indeed. And I'm not certain how my body would handle it if I permanently forced it into such an 'unnatural' state."

She bit her lip. "In that case, forget I ever said anything. I can't expect you to do something that may harm you for the sake of my comfort. I'll get used to it."

Akkarin exhaled a gusty sigh, but made no reply.

Sonea wanted to beat her brain to death with something heavy. One of her books might do. This could have gone so wrong just now.

Thankfully, she was roused from wallowing in regret by the appearance of another servant, who bowed to them.

"Welcome, High Lord. Who should I be announcing to the King?"

"Myself."

The servant looked surprised, and his glance slid to Sonea.

"Unless someone else is scheduled to have an audience at the same time as I?", Akkarin asked pointedly.

"N-no, of course not, High Lord."

The man bowed, and hurried away. Akkarin let out a huff.

"Wait, did he think that I was supposed to go with you?", Sonea asked, aghast.

"Indeed – I wouldn't have been the first one to bring an uninvited 'companion' to an audience, those companions usually being young, female, and unmarried."

"Oh", Sonea said, catching on.

"Naturally, the King doesn't like it when that happens. Even though I'm certain he would quickly figure out that I wasn't trying to marry you off to him, I still wouldn't be doing you any favours if I put you in a situation like that."

"It's not like I want to marry him", Sonea huffed. "I don't even know him. And I most certainly don't want to be queen. Wait, would that even be possible? Can a magician become queen?"

"Good question. I could ask the King for you", he said with a smirk.

"Please don't. He might take it the wrong way."

"Agreed. We'll just have to look it up when we get back to the Guild, then."

Sonea hummed in agreement.

Not much later, the servant from earlier returned.

"The King is expecting you, High Lord."

"Thank you", Akkarin replied, rising to his feet before glancing her way. "Sonea, wait here. I'll come back for you once my business is concluded."

"Yes, High Lord."

Sonea watched him go with no small amount of trepidation. She didn't particularly like being left alone in this place – the royal palace. She still felt like she shouldn't even be here.

Taking a deep breath to quell her anxiety, she picked up the book on top of the pile, and opened it where she'd paced her bookmark. She might just as well use the time she had well.

Sonea soon lost track of time, too engrossed in her books. She'd no idea how long Akkarin had been gone when a voice made her jump.

"Are you a magician?"

Sonea looked up to spot a young boy, probably around five, standing a few feet away, trying – and failing – to hide his curiosity.

Sonea smiled, and placed her bookmark in the book.

"Not yet – I'm still a novice, but I'll be graduating next winter", she told him softly.

His eyes widened. "Wow", he whispered. "And you can use magic."

Sonea hummed before frowning slightly. The boy was obviously from one of the Houses, given how he was dressed, yet she couldn't see anyone else nearby – no servants, attendants, or parents. Had he got lost?

"Where are your parents, little man?"

"Don't know", he huffed. "Don't care."

"Did you run away?"

"I didn't leave the palace!", he pointed out rather petulantly.

"Still, your parents might be worried about you if they don't know where you are."

"They shouldn't talk to boring people about boring things, then", he replied, crossing his arms, and turning his nose up.

Sonea suppressed a smile. She decided to wait and see how long he could keep this up. And indeed, it didn't take long for his attention to shift back to her.

"What are you reading?"

"I'm studying."

"What for?"

"I have exams coming up, and need to prepare myself."

"What are ex ams?"

Sonea chuckled. "It means that your teachers are going to ask you lots of questions, and you have to answer them. If you get the majority right, you pass. If you get everything right, it means you're very smart. And if you get less than half of them right, you fail."

"Oh", he whispered. "What happens when you fail?"

"You try again."

He gave that some thought.

"Can you fail at magic?"

Sonea was about to tell him that some new entrants failed to achieve Control, but thought it not to be a good idea to tell a boy of five what happened after that. She'd been dismayed when she found out about the death of one of her former classmates, especially given that she'd sensed that something had been wrong with him ever since his powers had been released.

"Some people are not very good at magic", she said instead. "And some people are better at certain kinds of magic. For example, I'm much better at healing than fighting."

"Huh." He took a moment to process all that. "Can I look at your book, Miss Magician?"

"Sure. Can you climb up here by yourself?"

"I'm a big boy."

"Certainly, but even big boys sometimes need help."

"Well, I don't."

"It was just an offer, you don't have to accept it", she replied in a soothing tone.

He huffed, and proceeded to climb onto the bench. Sonea kept an eye on him to make sure he'd make it safely – the floor was made from stone tiles, after all, and there were no carpets.

Once he'd made it, he shuffled closer to her and peered at the pages.

"There are no pictures!", he exclaimed in shock.

"Of course not", Sonea chuckled. "It's a textbook, not a picture book."

"But books with pictures are better!"

"Certainly. However, I don't think it would be affordable if there were too many pictures in our textbooks."

"Why?"

"Ink costs money. Parchment costs money. If you add a picture – even a small one – the book will be longer, and you'd need more ink, too. Coloured ink is especially expensive. We do have some illustrations in some books, like the ones on Healing, but usually, the teachers will draw illustrations on the blackboard, and we'll copy them down."

"I thought the Guild had lots of money. Father said so."

"I don't know the exact numbers, but we get around 15-20 new novices twice a year. At worst, that would mean forty new books – for just one subject. At least – sometimes, we need more books for one subject. And you need new books for every year."

"Oh. That's a lot of money, right?"

"Mhm."

"Still, your book is boring. I'm bored. Can you sing something for me?"

Sonea blinked before lightly shaking her head. "I'm afraid I'm a terrible singer – but I could tell you a story, if you'd like?"

"Yes! Stories are almost as good as songs! Can I sit on your lap? My nanny always lets me sit on her lap when she tells me stories."

Sonea was taken aback by the request at first, but figured that it should be fine. And she was rather determined to keep him from running off again – and potentially getting himself into trouble.

Once he was seated comfortably in her lap, Sonea began to tell him the same stories Jonna and Ranel had told her when she'd been little. She made sure to give different characters different voices, and the little boy giggled and squealed with delight.

When he let out a snore, Sonea stopped speaking, surprised. She had not expected him to fall asleep. Worried that he might wake if she moved him – and throw a tantrum – she decided to just leave him where he was – thankfully, he wasn't heavy, and she could just easily Heal any soreness away.

Still, the fact that she had no idea where his parents were was worrying – if this had been her son, she'd be beside herself with worry. However, even if she'd be able to safely move the boy without waking him, Sonea couldn't just go looking for his parents – she may never find them, get lost in the process – and if Akkarin came back while she was haunting the corridors of the palace, Sonea imagined he wouldn't be too pleased.

A sudden thought occurred to her. Closing her eyes, she sent her mind outwards, and soon detected a presence inside the wall, somewhere to the right. Turning her head sharply, she fixed her gaze on that spot without opening her eyes.

"You there, in the secret passage."

The presence visibly flinched.

"I know you can hear me. I have a request – if you could find this boy's parents, and bring them here, I'd be much obliged. Oh, and if you could mention that their son is asleep, that would be great – it would be bad if they came running, shouting his name, and woke him up."

The presence hesitated for a moment, and Sonea feared that her request would be ignored – she knew that she probably shouldn't order the King's watchers around – however, the presence started moving away from her the next moment.

Sonea exhaled a relieved breath before smiling. It really shouldn't surprise her that there were secret passages inside the royal palace.

Part of her itched to explore them.

It didn't take long for the presence to return, although it moved closer to where she was sitting. Soon after, Sonea heard quick footsteps, although it sounded like the people were trying to make an effort to be as quiet as possible. She turned her head and spotted a couple, dressed in outrageously fancy clothing, and bedecked in jewels.

The couple stopped dead at the sight that greeted them, and Sonea had to fight the urge to smile. Instead, she politely inclined her head in greeting.

The nobles recovered, and moved closer. They had a closer look at her, and then dipped into a rather shallow bow.

Ah, so we're playing this game, then?

Her expression not changing in the slightest, Sonea shifted her hold on the boy, causing the Incal on her sleeve to catch the light. The flash of gold immediately arrested their attention, and their eyes widened minutely.

There were only two people in the entire Guild who were allowed to display the Guild's crest similarly to a House's – the High Lord, and his chosen novice.

Sonea was satisfied for the moment.

"Pardon us, Lady – "

"Sonea."

"Lady Sonea. How did you find him?", the mother asked in a low voice.

"Oh, he found me. I didn't even realise he was there until he spoke, I was rather preoccupied", she said, nodding toward her books.

"And he just decided to stay with you?", the father asked with a frown.

"He said that he was bored. He wanted to know what I was doing – and was horrified when he found out that none of my books contain pictures – then asked me to sing for him. I offered him stories instead. And before I knew it, he was asleep." She paused. "I suppose the fact that I'm a member of the Guild also helped. He was rather impressed by that."

"I see."

His expression was still pinched, though, and he looked as if he'd have preferred for his son to bump into literally anybody else.

"He's not sick, is he?", the mother asked in a worried tone.

"Let me check."

Sonea closed her hand around the boy's, and sent her mind into his body. She was fairly certain that he was as healthy as was possible, but it probably wouldn't hurt to reassure the mother. And it hardly cost her any magic.

"His vitals are perfectly fine. He's just sleeping very deeply. Which, I believe, is normal for young children."

"You believe? You don't have any children of your own?"

"Of course not. Having a child while attending university would be a hassle, and besides, it's not like I could get pregnant by myself. And even if I could, I wouldn't want to have to raise a child on my own."

"Oh, that makes sense, of course, I just thought that – " She paused, and looked rather nervous for a moment. "I thought that you may already be married."

"I'm not."

Sonea frowned. Something was off here – clearly, the noblewoman hadn't originally assumed that Sonea was married, that had been an excuse she'd presented once she'd noticed that she'd made a blunder. Sonea's eyes narrowed as things clicked into place.

"I know you're not being honest, but I don't think I want to know what you were thinking. Consider yourself lucky the High Lord isn't with us right now – he would not have taken kindly to such thoughts."

"The High Lord is here?", the woman whispered, eyes wide.

"He's currently in an audience with the King. I have no idea when he'll be back."

"Ah."

"It is fortunate, then, that you were here to intercept our little runaway, Lady Sonea", the father interjected. "I doubt that either the King or the High Lord would have taken kindly to him interrupting their meeting."

"Probably not, no."

"Do you happen to know what the meeting is about?", the father asked curiously.

"That's classified."

"But you know."

"Of course", she replied, unblinking.

"My dear, do you think we should move our son?", the woman asked.

"You mean I? If I do, we risk waking him, and then we'd have a tantrum on our hands."

"That's why I kept him on my lap", Sonea interjected quietly. "I'd have laid him down on the bench if I could have been certain that this wouldn't wake him."

"Ah – could we bother you to keep holding him for a little while longer?", the father asked hesitantly.

"Certainly, I don't mind. It's not like I can go anywhere before the High Lord returns. And I'd rather not have a screaming toddler on my hands. My fault or not, I'd rather not have to explain that to the King."

Both parents looked rather relieved to hear that.

Sonea briefly wondered if this could reflect badly on her – or Akkarin – if this was considered beneath a magician. However, she didn't see what alternatives she had. And she'd rather be looked down upon for being kind, and caring, than cause a fuss.

— Sonea!

— Akkarin?

He sent her an image of herself, seated on the bench, the sleeping boy on her lap. Sonea realised that he was moving toward her – and that he wasn't alone.

— The King.

Sonea whipped her head around and locked eyes with Akkarin, who was, indeed, approaching, and not alone. A younger man was confidently striding ahead of him. His elaborate clothing was in a league of its own, and Sonea feared that she'd lose her mind if she dwelt on what she was seeing. So, she lifted her eyes to his face – and almost wished she hadn't when a pair of intense green eyes returned her gaze.

Feeling suddenly ill, Sonea quickly switched her gaze back to Akkarin.

The nobles had noticed that she'd become distracted, and turned to see what was going on. Their eyes widened immediately, and the lady made a small sound of distress. The next moment, both of them went down on one knee.

Sonea panicked. There was no way she could do that – or bow – while she was seated, but if she moved, she risked waking the boy, and his parents had made it rather clear that he would throw a tantrum if woken up.

— Stay.

Never in her life had Sonea been so glad for Akkarin's perceptiveness – or his ability to read minds, as she was desperately hoping that what she was feeling wasn't mirrored on her face.

"My, my", the King observed as he stopped a few paces away, an amused look on his face. "It seems that your novice has acquired a child, High Lord."

"Indeed", Akkarin replied smoothly, clasping his hands behind his back. "Though that was not part of today's agenda."

The King turned his attention to the nobles, who were still kneeling, the smile vanishing instantly.

"You may rise."

The nobles did just that, looking distinctively uncomfortable.

"That boy, is he yours?"

"Yes, Your Majesty", the mother replied in a timid voice.

"I would like to know why so many people who are not scheduled to have an audience are outside my audience chamber", King Merin said in a frosty voice.

For a frightening moment, Sonea thought that she was included in that statement, however, Akkarin, who was standing behind the king, caught her gaze and lightly shook his head. Sonea let out a small breath of relief, and gave Akkarin a grateful smile.

He visibly huffed in response.

"I am ashamed to say that our son gave us the slip the moment we became distracted", the father said in an apologetic tone. "We didn't know where he'd gone, or how long he'd been missing, but immediately began searching the surrounding rooms. We were rather unexpectedly approached by one of your servants, Your Majesty, who informed us that the little runaway was up here, apparently asleep. We came as quickly as we could, and this was the sight that greeted us", he finished, nodding in Sonea's direction.

"So, you did not foist your child on her as though she were a common servant?"

"Of course not! We would never – "

"What have you to say, Lady Sonea?", the King asked.

Sonea barely suppressed a yelp at finding herself so suddenly addressed by the ruler of Kyralia.

"It's the truth, as far as I can tell", she replied. "This little one just showed up by himself – I didn't even hear him approach. He told me he'd run away from his parents because he was bored, and wanted to know what I was doing. He found my books rather dull, so I offered to tell him stories. And before I knew it, he was asleep."

Sonea paused and debated whether she should outright tell the King that she had commandeered one of his servants to locate the parents, but wasn't sure if she should reveal that she could spot them, especially in front of the nobles. It was possible that the King was aware that magicians could do such a thing.

"And why would you choose to take care of a child so wholly unconnected to yourself?", the King asked.

"Because I know what kind of trouble children get themselves into the moment you take your eyes off them for two minutes. One shouldn't leave them unsupervised."

"Indeed. One should not." He turned back to face the nobles, who now seemed even more nervous. "What possessed you to bring a child this young to court in the first place? What did you think this was, a nursery? I suggest you thank Lady Sonea for her generosity – for all you know, it could have saved your son from serious injury – or worse."

The mother paled at hearing that, and Sonea had to resist the urge to roll her eyes.

Seriously? How is her son even still alive if she doesn't know something as basic as this? I doubt he started walking yesterday.

Both parents turned to face her, now, and bowed low while offering their most profuse thanks. Sensing that it might be bad to "refute" the King's words by saying that it had been nothing – and it had been nothing – Sonea graciously accepted their words.

Akkarin looked like he was enjoying himself immensely.

"Now take your offspring back – Lady Sonea has more important things to do than play nursemaid."

This caused the parents to freeze, and Sonea tensed up, as well – this was not a good idea. The King already appeared to be in a bad mood – if the boy started throwing a tantrum as soon as he was awake, this would surely make things worse.

However, refusing a direct order from the King was not a clever thing to do, something Sonea was aware of even with her limited understanding of court and politics.

"Sonea, try waking him gently", Akkarin interjected.

The King shot him a rather confused look, but the parents looked somewhat relieved.

Sonea gave Akkarin a nod and turned to look down at the sleeping boy.

All right, how do I do this?

While Sonea knew some basic things about children that she had gleaned through observation – or heard other people mention – she'd never handled children herself.

Sonea started gently rocking the boy, as though she was trying to shake him awake.

"Time to wake up, little man", she told him softly.

Her method seemed to work, for he let out a displeased sound.

"Come on, you have to wake up, now."

"Five more minutes…"

"No. Your parents are here."

He groaned, and tried to burrow into her. Sonea let out a chuckle, and continued to rock him to stop him from settling down again.

"Come now. I thought you were a big boy? All I see is a sleepyhead."

This seemed to get through to him, for he blinked his eyes open.

"You do make a lovely blanket, little man, but I fear my legs have fallen asleep."

Her legs had not, in fact, fallen asleep, but he didn't have to know that.

"Fallen asleep?", he asked, still sounding drowsy.

"Hm. Because you've been sitting on my lap for a long, long time. My legs have gone numb. If I tried standing up now, I'd fall flat on my face."

"Oh no! I'm so sorry, Miss Magician, I didn't mean for that to happen!"

He was certainly much more awake now.

"It's fine, I can make it go away with magic. But you have to get down now."

"All right."

She helped him climb off her lap. Once he was safely standing on his legs, Sonea took a moment to "Heal" herself before rising to her feet.

"Where have you been, you little rascal?", his father demanded. "You can't just run off on your own like that! Do you have any idea what kind of trouble you've caused us?"

The little boy flinched.

"I believe you will find, upon closer examination, that the ones to blame for this mess are yourself, and your wife", King Merin said coolly.

The little boy only now seemed to notice that there were two more people present. He visibly blanched when he spotted Akkarin.

"Miss Magician, who are they?", he whispered, loud enough for the entire room to hear.

"King Merin and High Lord Akkarin."

The boy let out a frightened squeak and tried to hide behind Sonea. Her eyes widened in surprise at suddenly having a child attached to her legs.

His mother made a displeased sound.

Hey, it's not my fault your son seems to like me better.

"It's all right", she told the boy, placing a hand on his head. "I know the High Lord seems scary, but that's just because he always wears black and almost never smiles. You don't have to be afraid of him."

Sonea had no idea if he was scared of the King as well, and neither did she know if the King was scarier than he seemed. His aura was certainly different from Akkarin's, but Sonea had no doubt that he could appear frightening – and act that way – if he wanted to.

"Promise?"

"I promise. Now, why don't you go back to your parents, hm? They were very worried about you."

"All right."

He shuffled across the hall. His mother held out her hand in an almost demanding way, and he obediently slipped his hand into hers.

Sonea wasn't sure she liked what she was seeing.

"It seems that you are a natural in more ways than one, Sonea", Akkarin observed with a chuckle. "That was your first time handling a child, was it not?"

"Yes, it was. And I never expected to be good at it – then again, I also never expected to be able to use magic."

The King cleared his throat.

"Now that this is finally all taken care of – Lady Sonea, could I ask for a moment of your time?"

Sonea thought she'd misheard. Had the King of Kyralia himself just asked her to speak with him? He had.

The fact that Akkarin wasn't showing any reaction to this request told her that he'd either known in advance – that the King had already secured his "consent" for this meeting – or that Akkarin thought it futile to try and protest. Either way, this meant that the request was not a request – but an order.

Sonea prayed that the shock she had just felt hadn't been visible on her face. She turned to look at the King – although she was actually looking at Akkarin instead, since he wasn't nearly as terrifying – and gave him what she hoped looked like a sincere smile.

"I would be honoured."

"Excellent", King Merin replied with a brilliant smile.

If Sonea had thought that she had been panicking before, well, now, she was panicking even harder.

Akkarin started forward as though he wanted to move past her, back to the bench they had been sitting on. He stopped next to her, and placed his left hand on her left shoulder. His little finger brushed against her neck – and Sonea was surprised to find that his hand was warm.

"I shall wait for you here."

— I told the King that you do not know court etiquette, only Guild etiquette, and asked him to be lenient. He has promised me as much. Just try not to make him angry.

"You can leave your books here with me."

"Thank you. I think I'd rather take them with me, though."

"As you will."

He removed his hand, and brushed past her.

Sonea took a fortifying breath. An idea occurred to her – it might not be a bad idea to show off a little, and remind the people present just who – and what – they were dealing with. She turned, and pointed her index at the books before beckoning. The pile obediently rose into the air, and floated over to her side.

The little boy let out an awed exclamation, his parents looked grudgingly impressed.

The King looked like he was trying very hard not to smile.

Once the books were next to her, she took a step toward him to indicate that she was ready to leave. Something flashed in King Merin's eyes. He turned on his heels and started down the corridor at a brisk pace.

Sonea fell into step behind him almost without thinking. Once her brain caught up with what she was doing, it decided that this was a good idea – even Akkarin had walked behind the King. It wouldn't hurt to show some deference, especially given the fact that she'd been unable to greet him earlier.

Sonea had no idea how important these things were to someone like him.

This is bad. This is really, really bad. I have no idea what to do, or how to act, and if I mess this up, it'll reflect badly upon Akkarin. I can't mess this up, I have to make it work, somehow.

Just kill me now.

"Did the High Lord tell you why I wanted to speak with you?", the King asked over his shoulder, startling her out of her chaotic thoughts.

"Beg pardon?"

"Come now, don't act coy, I know exactly what you were doing back there", the King replied in an almost teasing manner. "I may not be able to use magic myself, but when you work with magicians together long enough, you tend to notice things."

Sonea instantly thought of the King's Advisors – two magicians who worked at the palace rather than the Guild.

"Now, that little touch there, it was very innocuous, and very cleverly done – someone not paying close attention wouldn't have noticed. But I was paying attention. I know you were having a private conversation."

Sonea was pretty much floored. His observational skills were something else – she'd have to tread carefully.

"You are correct, King Merin, we were communicating. However, the High Lord did not tell me why you wished to speak with me."

"Is that so. What were you talking about, then?"

Not knowing if telling the King that they had been speaking privately for a reason was a good idea, Sonea opted for telling him part of the truth.

"He told me not to make you angry."

"Hah! A man as clever as him should assume you could figure that out on your own, Lady Sonea."

She made no reply. He could make of that what he wanted – and if he wanted to think that Akkarin thought that she was stupid, she'd let him believe that – for now.

As they approached the end of the corridor, an ornate pair of double doors blocked their path, guards posted on either side. One of them gave the floating books a curious glance, the other showed no reaction at all.

Both stood at attention when the King drew near, and the one on the right opened the door. Once they were inside, and the door had been closed behind them, Sonea stopped. When King Merin noticed that she wasn't following behind any more, he turned around, which was just what Sonea had expected him to do.

Not allowing him the time to say anything, Sonea dropped to one knee, the same way the two nobles had earlier – trying her hardest not to fall over – and bowed her head for good measure.

"I apologise for not greeting you properly earlier, King Merin – it was not my intention to show any kind of disrespect."

Belatedly, she realised that she couldn't see his face, and had no idea how he was taking this.

"You may rise", he told her after a beat of silence.

Sonea gratefully scrambled to her feet, hoping that it didn't look too clumsy.

The King was regarding her with an odd look on his face.

"Akkarin told me earlier that you hadn't been taught court etiquette. I wasn't expecting it from you."

"I can still imitate the people around me. And I would hate to seem rude."

"Well, I did spring this on you – both of you – rather unexpectedly", he replied with a shrug. "Akkarin wasn't happy."

Sonea figured this was probably the closest thing to an apology she was going to get.

Without warning, his expression shifted, and Sonea sensed danger.

"So, I hear that you do not wish to marry me", he observed, brows raised.

Sonea, who had been about to fly into another panic, let out a small huff.

"If you know that, then you ought to know why, my – er – king."

"The correct form of address is 'Your Majesty'", he told her, though not unkindly. "And yes, I was told that it was because you don't know me."

He sounded amused.

"I'm afraid I don't get the joke, Your Majesty", Sonea replied with a grimace.

"We are usually matched with people we don't know", he replied with a shrug. "Very few of us get to choose whom they marry. Even I, as the king, couldn't carelessly choose someone."

"Oh, I see", Sonea replied, her eyes widening. "I wasn't aware. Us Dwells usually marry people we know, as trust is the most important thing in a marriage."

"Trust? Not love? I would have assumed that people who are free to choose their partners would marry for love."

"Love won't keep you fed, love won't keep you warm", Sonea replied with a sad smile. "And if we marry for passion, without a clear head, we risk things falling apart once these feelings cool. Our partner might run off on us, maybe leave us with a crowd of children. We are no more free to marry for love than you are, King Merin – unless the person we happen to fall in love with owns a successful business."

He took a moment to absorb that.

"And you? Now that you have joined the Guild, you no longer have to find a suitable partner to make ends meet. You could take your pick."

Sonea almost snorted at the notion. Sure, recently, some of the other novices had shown interest in her, but that was only after she had demolished Regin. If they were only willing to notice her after that, she had no use for them.

"I honestly never thought about it", she said instead. "I haven't even graduated yet – it's far too early to think about marriage."

He frowned, but let the matter rest.

"Sit", he ordered instead, gesturing toward two cushioned chairs separated by a small table. "Wine?"

"Ah, no, thank you", Sonea replied as they settled into the chairs.

"Sumi, then?"

"No, thank you", she repeated, trying her hardest not to grimace. Not sure what other drinks he was going to offer – and how long it would take to find something that she actually liked – she ventured, cautiously, "Could I get some water, if it isn't too much trouble?"

The King's jaw actually dropped upon hearing this, and it took him a while to get his features back under control.

"I – I'll settle for wine if it is too much trouble", Sonea assured him in a hurried manner.

"Settle for – you're a strange one, aren't you! Preferring water to wine."

"I'd rather keep my wits about me is all. It's not that I dislike wine."

"But you dislike sumi."

Sonea winced. "Yes."

Careful. He's good.

Chuckling, he rose to his feet and went over to his desk. He pulled sharply on a cord hanging from the wall. Moments later, a hidden door opened, and a servant stepped out.

"Fetch a carafe of water for Lady Sonea", the King ordered.

The man bowed and disappeared again.

It now occurred to Sonea that almost all the servants she had encountered had been male – although she was fairly certain that her watcher had been female. This was odd – the Guild seemed to employ an equal number of men and women for pretty much every occupation.

"Is there a particular reason you asked for water?", King Merin asked as he retook his seat.

"I like the taste", Sonea replied. Realising he'd just given her an opening, she decided to seize the chance. "I'd never drunk water before coming to the Guild."

"Why is that?", he asked with a frown.

Sonea had him right where she wanted him.

"Because the water in the slums isn't safe to drink. It'll make you terribly sick if you're lucky."

The King was saved from having to say something in reply by the return of the servant. Sonea thanked him brightly as he placed a carafe and a glass made from faceted glass in front of her. The man blinked, surprised, before bowing to her.

Next, he fetched a glass and a decanter of wine from a nearby cabinet, and proceeded to pour the King a glass. Once he'd left, King Merin picked up the glass, swirled the wine around for a bit, and then took a deep draught.

Sonea decided to follow his example, and poured herself a glass. Realising how thirsty she was, she resisted the urge to drain the entire glass at once.

The King put his glass down, his expression grave.

"I was prepared, of course, to hear some unpleasant things from you when I decided to speak with you", he said quietly, "but this has come as a shock, I must admit. I didn't know you had no drinking water in the slums. What do you drink, then?"

"Bol. Or raka. Fruit juice if we can afford it. Some people get addicted to bol, or raka. Although, getting addicted to bol is worse."

"And – you give it to the children, too?"

"It's better to give them alcohol than to kill them with water", Sonea replied quietly. "We know it's not ideal, but what choice do we have? Most of us don't live to be very old, anyway."

"I – I had no idea", he replied in a low voice. "I obviously knew that living conditions in the slums were poor, but – I have not been informed of the gravity of the situation." He tapped a finger on his armrest. "I may have to replace certain people."

"Most nobles would rather pretend that the slums don't exist rather than bother to make a difference", Sonea replied. "They look down on us while simultaneously blaming us for our misfortune."

"I know. But they are still my people – I am still their king. Tell me – what do the people in the slums think of me?"

Sonea stilled, sensing danger again – she wasn't sure how he would react to the truth, or her blunt way of saying things. She'd never understood the need to wrap words in colourful ribbons and paper.

The King had noticed her hesitation, and leaned forward in his seat.

"I would like to hear your honest opinion, Lady Sonea – if I'd wanted someone to tell me what I'd like to hear, I would have summoned my courtiers. I promise that I won't get angry, no matter what you say." He let out a sigh. "Akkarin would never forgive me if I upset you too terribly."

Sonea tried to get the mental image of Akkarin berating a frightened-looking King Merin out of her head.

"Very well. I'll be blunt. I honestly don't really know how the people feel about you, yourself, as a person, I mean. To most of us, the king is just this distant figure living far away, inside a pretty palace most of us never set foot in our entire lives – and if anyone had told me that I would a week ago, I'd have declared him mad. There are better targets for people to direct their anger toward – the Guard, and the Guild. Although, as both are under your control, this means that, by extension, they also dislike you."

"I can understand the part about the Guild, but why do people dislike the Guard?"

"The Guard is thought to be corrupt and inefficient. Mind you, I can't say if that's actually true, as I've never had dealings with the Guard myself, but seeing as how I've heard multiple people say that they've been mistreated in some way makes me believe that, at the very least, parts of the Guard are corrupt. I'm not saying they're all bad – coming to the Guild taught me that not all magicians are bad, so I'm not making that mistake again – but, well."

"If there is corruption within the Guard, we should be able to find proof of that easily, and fix the issue", King Merin replied with a frown. "I don't like the idea of unreliable men who know how to wield weapons. I'm not sure what can be done about the Guild, though."

"I believe the issue is that people only ever see magicians during the Purge. Because of that, magicians automatically have a negative image. And there are no positive images to counter this – no Dwell could afford a Healer, if a Healer could even be persuaded to go into the slums. And most of the other work magicians do doesn't benefit the Dwells in a direct – or visible – manner."

"That makes sense. I still don't know what to do about it – we can't force magicians to work in the slums, and if the people living there can't afford their fees, it'd be pointless anyway."

Sonea opened her mouth – this was perfect, she should seize this opportunity – but no, this was a bad idea, really. It would be far too brazen of her – and who was she to think that she could make a difference, really? Besides, she was going about things in the wrong order.

Sonea shut her mouth again.

King Merin put his chin in one hand, and waited.

Sonea cursed the fact that he'd caught on to the fact that she had something more to say on the matter. Then again, she hadn't exactly been subtle this time. Was he waiting for her to come out with it? She could try to re-direct the conversation, but Sonea had no idea what else would be safe to talk about, or if he would consider it even more presumptuous if she dared to change the subject when she so clearly still had something to say.

In order to buy herself some time, she reached for her glass. The King didn't move, just kept watching her. Sonea felt like she was about to lose her mind.

She cradled the glass in her hands, finding some comfort in having something to hold on to.

"I have an idea – that is, a dream", she ventured cautiously. "Something I would like to do once I graduate."

"Would you mind sharing this dream with me?"

Sonea drummed her fingers on the glass. "Ever since I found out about Healing magic, I'd wanted to become a Healer. Being able to help others – especially those who can't help themselves – has always been my goal. What I would like to do is open a hospice or something similar in the slums so that the people could get affordable treatment. This would also lessen their fear of magicians, and improve the image of the Guild. That is, if I can actually pull this off – I imagine it won't be easy. I actually discussed this with the High Lord just a few days ago – he thinks it's a good idea, but warned me that I would need support from outside the Guild. Which is why he brought me along today – he was hoping that I could meet people, make connections. Well, the only people I did meet insinuated that I was – never mind that."

The King frowned, but didn't push the issue.

"This whole idea is still very theoretical – I'd need to do a lot more studying after graduation before I'd be ready to actually treat patients on my own, for starters. But – it is a dream that I have."

"And – do you truly believe that people would accept this help, if it were offered?"

"If the one running the whole thing is me, then yes. If the Guild decided to put a snobbish Healer from the Houses in charge, no. Although, to be fair, most of the Healers I've met are pretty down-to-earth. But I doubt that the Dwells would be willing to accept help from a Healer from the Houses. They aren't exactly well-liked, either."

"It would be rather rude of the Guild to just take your idea and run with it without giving you any credit", he observed.

"I suppose. But these things happen."

"It doesn't strike me as a bad idea, and we could kill several rassooks with one stone", the King mused. "That is, if you can make it work."

"I'll certainly try. And if I should fail – who knows, maybe I'll find another way to make a difference."

"That's a good attitude."

"Um, Your Majesty, might I ask a question?"

"Certainly."

"You made it sound like you don't like the way things are in the slums, and that you care about us Dwells. Surely, you must have known that living conditions there were bad – even if the thing about the water was news to you." She paused for a moment to gather her courage. He had, so far, not refuted her words, and was waiting for her to continue. "If you truly care – why haven't you tried to change anything? You're the king."

"I am, indeed", he replied with a small smile. "And I can see why you would be upset over the fact that I haven't just waved my hand and made all the problems disappear. The thing is, Lady Sonea, I haven't been king for very long, and am, moreover, still rather young. My late father died very unexpectedly, and I succeeded him much sooner than I thought I would. While I had been trained for this practically my entire life, I still lacked experience – and the nobles immediately tried to turn that situation to their advantage, tried to wrestle power from my grasp. So, you see, for the first years of my reign, I was busy trying to figure out how to run a country, and consolidate my power before it all got chipped away. I feel that I have things under control presently, although I expect everything to become extremely chaotic once I actually start looking for a wife." He grimaced. "Even though I am the highest authority in the country, I can't just ignore the nobles, and do as I please. I do need their co-operation. And, on top of everything else, I wouldn't even know where to start to fix all the problems in the slums."

Sonea took a moment to absorb all this. Most of the things he'd said seemed plausible enough – Sonea didn't know how old the King was, exactly, but he was certainly younger than Akkarin, who had also been elected at a young age. Although he probably didn't have to face an internal power struggle, and had Lorlen to rely on.

"Well, I can only give you some advice from the viewpoint of a Healer – when you deal with an injured body, you need to determine where your help is needed most urgently. All your senses will be screaming at you to fix all the problems simultaneously, but that won't work. You need to prioritise. And, in order to know where your help is needed most, you must first understand the general situation. Then, you can slowly work your way through the problems, fix them one by one."

He blinked before smiling. "That is some decent advice, Lady Sonea. Perhaps I should replace one of my advisers with you", he said, his eyes twinkling.

"Please don't", Sonea replied with a grimace. "I honestly don't think I'd be cut out for that kind of thing."

"I was jesting, mostly. And I wouldn't want to stand in the way of your dream."

"Thank you for your understanding."

Sonea took the opportunity to take another sip of water.

"I must say, conversing with you was quite an experience", King Merin observed. "You have given me a number of things to think about. And I am grateful for your honesty. It is such a rare trait among the nobility."

Sensing that he was trying to wrap things up, Sonea put her glass down.

"And I appreciate that you took the time to listen to my thoughts. I realise what an honour that is, truly."

"Well then, I'd best return you to your guardian, before he blows up the castle or something", he replied, rising to his feet.

Sonea smiled at the joke, resisting the urge to tell him that Akkarin was more likely to start re-arranging all of his furniture.

She stood as well, and her books drifted over to her side again.

King Merin let out a chuckle. Sonea shot him a questioning look.

"You were showing off, earlier. I know you don't have to gesture like that to move things."

Sonea allowed herself a small smile. "Yes, I confess, I was showing off. But, seeing how delighted that little boy was, I don't regret it."

"Why did he keep calling you 'Miss Magician'?"

"Well, the thing is, we never introduced ourselves to each other. I don't know his name – or his parents'."

The King frowned. "A five-year-old can be excused for acting improperly – but adults, not so much. I will hear the report from my Eyes and then determine what to do about them."

"Oh, you mean that woman in the hidden passage?"

"So you noticed her. Yes, she's one of my Eyes. They monitor guests for me."

"I see. Um, Your Majesty, there is something I feel I should tell you before we part ways", Sonea ventured, twisting her fingers together.

"Go on."

"After the little boy fell asleep, I became worried as to what was going on with his parents. I had no way of locating them myself, couldn't leave my spot, so – the High Lord had mentioned earlier that we would be watched, and I tried to locate one of these watchers. I asked her if she could find the boy's parents, let them know where he was – and that he was asleep. I didn't want to risk them running toward us shouting his name or something.
"I made sure to phrase it as a request, not an order, and if she'd refused, I would have left it at that."

"Ah, so that's how a servant conveniently showed up to lead the parents to their lost son", King Merin observed. "I had wondered about that."

"Yes, well." Sonea grimaced. "I don't know how things work here, exactly, and I hope I didn't grossly overstep, but it seemed like an emergency to me, and I couldn't come up with a better idea. If I did something wrong, then I apologise."

He was silent for a moment as he mulled her words over.

"I appreciate your candour", he said at length. "And you volunteering this information – which makes you uncommonly brave. Most people would have tried to conceal something like this."

"Well, I expected your Eyes to tell you about this. I thought it would be better if you heard it from me instead."

"I see. Ordinarily, I wouldn't be happy with your making use of my Eyes – nobody is supposed to do that – but I agree that this was a bit of an emergency. Unless my Eyes tells me something to contradict your words, I will let this matter slide. I must ask you not to make use of them like this in the future – unless there is a good reason. They are not supposed to run errands."

"Of course. I never bother servants unduly."

"Never bother – goodness, you must be a favourite with the servants at the Guild!"

"Uh, I honestly couldn't tell you."

He let out another chuckle before turning, and heading toward the door.

"Wait, let me!", Sonea offered.

Exerting her power, she opened the door for the King.

"Thank you, Lady Sonea."

King Merin brushed past the guards, instructing them to keep the door open, and Sonea hurried after him.

The hallway was empty, except for Akkarin, who was sitting on the bench, staring at nothing. He looked up when he heard them approach, and locked eyes with Sonea. She gave him a small smile, hoping to reassure him. He rose to his feet when they drew near.

"Akkarin, I feel like I have to congratulate you", King Merin said with a bright smile, clapping the older man on the shoulder. "You've found yourself a diamond in the rough."

"I'm aware", Akkarin replied, his mouth curling into that familiar half-smile. "I hope that you found that I wasn't exaggerating earlier, Your Majesty."

"No, not exaggerating – but I believe there may be facets to her that you haven't seen yet. Take good care of her – you have something very precious on your hands."

Sonea wasn't sure she liked the fact that he had just compared her to a gemstone – or that he seemed to find her valuable. It made her uneasy.

Akkarin beckoned to her, and she moved to his side.

"Now then, don't let me keep you any longer. I wish you a pleasant trip back home."

"Thank you, Your Majesty."

Akkarin bowed, and Sonea followed suit. The King turned and strode back toward his audience chamber. Akkarin waited for a few moments before setting out in the opposite direction.

"Your notes", Sonea murmured as she lifted the topmost book off her pile.

"Thank you."

They had made it about halfway down the corridor when Sonea's knees buckled. She let out a surprised shout, and several guards stationed nearby immediately leapt to attention. Akkarin waved them away.

Sonea grabbed a nearby column for support, glad that she hadn't lost her hold on the books.

"Sonea! What's wrong?", Akkarin asked in a hushed voice.

"I – my legs – they're shaking, and I don't know why! I feel perfectly fine."

"It might be the nerves", he replied. "You were probably running on adrenaline the entire time. Now that the 'threat' is gone, your body is letting you know that it was too much. Do you have some lavender oil on you?"

"Ah, yes, thanks for reminding me. I'll have to thank Takan when we get home, for making this for me."

Sonea fished a small bottle out of her robes and applied some oil to the hollow of her throat, like Takan had shown her. Then, she cupped her free hand over her mouth and nose for good measure, taking deep breaths.

The shaking stopped, and she let go of the pillar.

"Can you walk?"

"I think so."

"Hm. Let's not risk the stairs, though, I'll levitate us down."

"Thank you."

Upon reaching the stairs, Akkarin created a disk of magic underneath his feet, and lifted himself into the air. He held out a hand to Sonea, and she climbed on.

"You can lean on me, if you'd like."

"That's not a bad idea, actually – I fear I might fall off otherwise."

Akkarin wrapped an arm around her shoulders, drawing her to his side.

It felt nice.

Just in case he decided to take a peek to find out how she was feeling, Sonea consciously thought about the fact that she liked cuddling, liked physical contact with others. It had been one of the reasons she hadn't minded holding the boy for as long as she had.

She hadn't been able to cuddle with anyone in years.

Besides, it might be good if he knew that – it might lessen his fear of doing something that made her uncomfortable. She would have to communicate her preferences somehow, not just her dislikes.

Then, a worrying thought occurred to her.

"People aren't going to get any funny ideas when they see us, are they?", she asked, biting her bottom lip.

"They shouldn't, not the way we are positioned. Besides, few people would be foolish enough to start rumours about myself. I have – a bit of a reputation."

"I see."

Sonea had no idea what he was talking about, but was willing to believe him that people wouldn't be stupid enough to cross him.

They reached the bottom of the stairs, and Akkarin dispelled the disk.

While the corridor on the second floor had been mostly empty, more people were milling around here. Akkarin briskly strode past them, not paying them any heed. He seemed eager to get back.

Sonea could understand.

Unfortunately, this meant that they had an audience when Akkarin levitated them down the next flight of stairs. Sonea tried not to let on how tense she was – to the onlookers. She was certain that Akkarin could feel her tension. She was profoundly glad when they touched the ground, and the entrance was in sight.

"Did we take a different route from earlier?", Sonea asked as she stepped away from Akkarin.

"Indeed. This one is shorter."

They stepped out into the courtyard, and Sonea mad a surprised sound when the light of the setting sun hit her squarely in the face. She hadn't realised just how long they'd been inside.

Their carriage was already waiting for them. Akkarin handed her in, however, instead of following right away, he told the coachman to take them directly to the residence, as opposed to the university entrance.

Moments later, he had climbed into the carriage, and they were off.

As soon as they turned onto the street outside the palace, the sun hit her face again. Making an angry sound, Sonea pulled the curtains shut.

Akkarin let out a sigh, catching her attention.

"I owe you an apology, Sonea", he said heavily. "I fear I have failed you today, as your guardian."

"How so?"

"I never expected the King to take an interest in you – to break protocol the way he did today. It's never happened before, as far as I'm aware, which is why I didn't anticipate it. In hindsight, that was foolish of me. You were tossed into the cold water, and expected to swim, without knowing how to do so. I tried – I tried to dissuade the King, and, once I realised that this was futile, I tried to persuade him to let me be in the room with you. He shot that idea down rather quickly."

"I don't blame you for what happened – if anyone's to blame, it's him", Sonea huffed. "Although I still don't understand why he wanted to speak with me. Did he tell you?"

"No, though I have a few theories. What he did tell me was how he found out about you – one of his Eyes informed him that I had brought a novice to the palace – Kyralian, and female, which was all the Eyes could tell him. She didn't know your name, which surprised the King – you see, all Kyralian entrants are presented to the King before they join the Guild, to make up for the fact that they won't be able to debut in society. He knows all Kyralian novices by name, and most of them by face – as does the staff. He specifically questioned the Eyes about your sleeves, having a suspicion as to who you might be – but she hadn't been able to see if there was an Incal on your sleeve. It seems that you had managed to hide both of them while carrying your books."

"A complete coincidence", Sonea muttered. "I didn't do that on purpose."

"Hm. Anyway, once our business was concluded – and I am pleased to report that the King will look into this issue – he asked me to confirm your identity. And before I knew it, he was practically interrogating me. I'm sure you've noticed, but King Merin is incredibly perceptive – and has a special talent for using even the tiniest bit of information gleaned to his advantage. He may seem unthreatening, but he's shrewd, and clever. You always have to be careful what to reveal, and how much. Something I wish I'd had the time to warn you about."

Sonea bit her lip. "I caught on to the fact that he was perceptive almost right away, as he didn't bother to hide it. However, I have no idea if the things we talked about are something I should have kept to myself, or if any of them might reflect badly on you. I – I was trying my best, but I fear that I might have made a mess of things."

"He didn't treat you badly, did he?", Akkarin asked, narrowing his eyes.

"No, he was very polite. Always addressed me as 'lady', although I'm not sure he has to. And he never used a derogatory word, not even once."

"Good. I did mention the fact that you were used to magicians looking down on you, and hinted that he could very easily get in your good graces if he treated you like a decent human being."

Sonea snorted. "I'd say he got the hint."

"Unfortunately, since I wasn't present for this conversation, I cannot say what, exactly, his aim was, nor how 'damaging' the things you revealed might be. And I couldn't find out his intention from his mind while I was with him, either – King Merin is aware of my abilities, and is exceedingly careful with his thoughts whenever I'm around." He stilled suddenly, then glanced away, his jaw tightening.

"What is it?", Sonea prompted.

"I just had an idea. It was a stupid idea. Which is why I'll pretend I didn't have it."

"I don't like it when you do that", she chided softly.

"Do what?", he asked with a frown, turning to look at her.

"Make decisions for me like that. I'm guessing that you believe that I won't like this idea of yours – whatever it is – but you can't decide that for me. At the very least, you should present your idea to me, and allow me to make up my own mind. Who knows, I might not think it nearly as stupid as you do, considering I have a habit of surprising you."

"That is true, and yes, I shouldn't take these kinds of decisions out of your hands – but – I – this is a bit of a sensitive matter. I can't imagine you would have a positive reaction to this."

"Try me."

He let out a sigh. "There are two ways I could try and figure out the King's intentions – the first one would be that you tell me, describe your conversation in as much detail as you can. The downside to that is that you don't know the King, and might have missed tiny, but important things. No matter how hard you tried, I would end up with an incomplete picture, and whatever conclusion I would draw would, therefore, remain guesswork to some extent.
"A much more efficient method would be for me to read your mind", he continued in a low voice, immediately glancing away again. "That would be nearly as good as having been there myself. I don't expect you to agree to this, however."

Sonea felt a chill stealing over her, and had to fight to remain composed. Unpleasant memories rose in her mind, and she gritted her teeth as she forced them away, back into the drawer she kept them locked in.

"I can see how this would be more efficient than me telling you", Sonea observed once she'd found her voice again. "It would probably be faster, too." She took a deep breath. "I – I would like to try."

His gaze snapped to hers, piercing and intense. "Are you quite certain, Sonea?"

"I – I'd like to have a better memory, to replace the old one. Cery explained to me what having his mind read by you felt like, once, and I realise that, if I hadn't tried to fight you, back then, things wouldn't have been so unpleasant for me. So. I want that memory gone."

"That's – not a bad approach to the matter", Akkarin admitted. "Although you shouldn't expect the new memory to just replace the old one instantly – it will still be there, but may fade over time."

"That's good enough for me. I do have two conditions, though."

"Name them."

"I ask that you only view the memories of my discussion with the King, nothing else – and that if I ask you to stop, you'll stop."

He held out a hand, and Sonea grasped it. It was warm, just as before.

— You have my word.

"Thank you. Oh, also, I told you to ignore my words earlier, didn't I?", she asked, nodding toward his hand before releasing it.

"I'm not doing it constantly, only when I'm about to touch you", he huffed. "I'm not endangering my health for your comfort."

"I suppose that's fine, then. And I appreciate it."

He gave her a wan smile. "You would have to come over here, though – otherwise, I fear that one of us will fall out of our seats."

"We should close that curtain, too, or people are bound to get funny ideas when they see us", Sonea replied.

"Indeed."

Akkarin narrowed his eyes at the curtains, which snapped shut almost instantly. Sonea carefully rose to her feet – the carriage was rocking, making it difficult for her to keep her balance. Akkarin scooted to the side to make space for her to sit on his left. Sonea tucked her right leg under herself as she sat down facing him. Akkarin turned to face her with a little more difficulty, given his long limbs. However, he made no move to touch her, seemed to be waiting for something.

Sonea took a fortifying breath and gave him a reassuring smile.

"Go on. I trust you."

Something flickered in his eyes, gone almost instantly, and he inhaled sharply. Shaking his head ever so slightly, he leaned closer, fingers brushing her temples.

— I'll be quick. And I promise I won't hurt you.

Sonea managed one last smile before Akkarin's power sucked her into her mind. Their eyes closed almost at the same moment.

Like last time, she couldn't sense his presence, and she only realised that he'd slipped past her wards when he prompted her with the image of her sitting in the hallway.

She had no idea how he'd done that. She should have been able to repel him, but his presence was so vague, her wards didn't respond to it.

Calling upon the memory he wanted to see, she showed him the moment she'd summoned her books to her side, taking note of the King's amused reaction. Akkarin took hold of the memory, and started examining it. When Sonea and the King started walking away, Sonea spoke up.

— Wait! You can skip that next part, unless you want to watch me panicking.

— I don't.

— May I?

— Certainly.

He relinquished his hold, and Sonea sped the memory up to the part where Merin spoke to her.

Akkarin took control of the memory again, and proceeded to watch their interactions in silence.

— Good move, he told her when she kneeled.

He then observed their discussion about marriage, and Sonea realised, belatedly, that it might have been a good idea to ask him to skip that part, too.

— Valuing trust in a partner is an interesting, but understandable approach. Though, like the King, I wasn't aware that you had to choose your partners so carefully.

Akkarin let her sense his amusement when they discussed drinks, and outright laughed at some of the King's expressions. When Sonea seized the opening the King had unwittingly created, Akkarin sent approval.

She noticed him paying suddenly more attention when they began discussing the slums, and how the Dwells felt about the authorities. He examined those memories closely, especially the King's reactions to her words.

— Interesting. I honestly wasn't aware that he cared – he's markedly different from his father in a few ways, but nothing ever indicated that he wanted to change things in the slums.

When they got to the part where the King had to prompt Sonea to speak her mind by giving her the silent treatment, Akkarin let out a sigh.

— Why didn't you immediately seize that opportunity, too? You did so well the first time. You are lucky he was interested enough to try and get you to divulge that information.

— It just felt wrong. Go on, just look at my thoughts.

— This may have worked in your favour, though, Akkarin admitted when he examined the King's reaction. Your unusual and unexpected behaviour certainly kept him on his toes, but he didn't seem to mind.

He watched the next parts of the conversation in silence, not letting on what he thought. However, when they got to the part where Sonea had stopped herself short of telling the King what that noblewoman had insinuated, Akkarin froze the memory.

— What was that about?

— It was nothing, really. Nothing to concern yourself about, that is. She just said something stupid. Nothing I'd never heard before.

— Was there someone watching that interaction?

— Yes, one of the Eyes was inside the wall behind me.

— Then you can expect the King to know what was said in that corridor, word for word. I would rather not give the King the advantage of knowing something about my novice that I do not. It might affect both of us badly. I would like for you to tell me what happened – you may use words, if you're more comfortable with that. But I need to know.

— I'm not – uncomfortable, exactly – like I said, I've heard these things said before. It doesn't bother me any more, they can think what they like. But you made a valid point – I'll tell you.
The mother asked me to check the boy's vitals, and I obliged. I told her that he was fine, just sleeping deeply, adding that I thought this to be normal for children his age. She was surprised to hear that, and made it clear that she had assumed that I'd had children of my own. I told her all the reasons I couldn't in addition to all the reasons I wouldn't want to, at least not while still attending university. That threw her, and she hurried to say that she'd thought that I was married. I told her I wasn't.
Something was clearly off, though – her assumption that I might be married already was clearly an excuse. I can't be entirely certain, but – I believe that she thought that I was a whore, at one point, and had children as a result.

Akkarin was quiet for a moment, the kind of quiet that precedes a thunderstorm.

— Her meaning was very plain, you don't have to be able to read minds to understand it. It is a known fact that novices don't get married – relationships are fine, but we wouldn't allow anyone to get married until after graduation. To simply assume that an unmarried woman had children – especially if there is no proof – is an insult, as is the underlying assumption that you were a whore. No-one in their right mind would ever say something like this about a member of the Magician's Guild, and nobody should ever say something like this about the High Lord's favourite. Your origins non-withstanding – which is, I believe, the reason she drew the conclusion she did.

— Like I said, she wasn't the first one. I've been accused of all sorts of things simply because I'm a Dwell. I've got used to it.

— This isn't something you should have to get used to! This is preposterous. I will wait to see if the King will do something about this – I cannot imagine that he would like it that someone has so brazenly tarnished the reputation of the Guild, especially in his own home – if he doesn't take action, I will.

— Really, there's no need for that –

— No need? Sonea, this woman just questioned your integrity and your virtue, without any proof to offer! You may not care about that overly much, but I assure you society does. You cannot allow people to treat you like this, not if you want to get anywhere. I can understand that you may feel hesitant to fight back yourself – but rest assured that I am more than willing to do that for you. I will not brook any insults to your person, or your station.

Sonea was quiet for a moment as she considered his words. He was right, it didn't matter to her if people questioned her "virtue" – there was nothing wrong with being a whore if it meant that you could keep your family from starving, nothing wrong with doing what you needed in order to survive, and she'd known a few kind whores, too – one of them had taught her a skill that wound up saving her virtue – if not her life.

However, she was aware that nobles viewed such things differently, that to them, whores were dirty, unless, of course, they required the services of one. Akkarin was right, she couldn't ignore things like that, not any more.

— You're right. And thank you. For looking out for me.

— Don't mention it. Well then, shall we continue?

— Let's.

Akkarin observed the rest of the conversation until they got to the point where Sonea admitted having made use of the Eyes stationed nearby.

— A risky move, but it paid off. The King does appreciate honesty, you've certainly risen in his regard with that move.

Akkarin continued to watch to the point where the King left them. He took note of Sonea's unease at being compared to a gemstone, but left it uncommented for now. The next moment, he withdrew from her mind.

Sonea blinked her eyes open. She had no idea how much time had passed, or how close they were to their destination.

She found herself staring up into Akkarin's eyes – he appeared to have moved closer to her while they had been inside her mind. He blinked, and withdrew his hands.

"Thank you for trusting me as you did", he said softly. "It means a lot to me."

"Oh, um, sure. Wait. What is this?" She touched her fingers to her cheeks to find that they were stained with tears. "I – cried? Why? I don't remember."

"At a guess, I'd say that this was caused by me saying that I would defend you against slander", he replied softly. "You were very touched by my words, although you seem not to have noticed yourself."

"Oh", she replied, still a bit taken aback by the fact that she had managed to cry silent tears without noticing.

She fished her handkerchief out of her pocket, and used it to dry her face.

"How are you feeling, mentally, I mean?"

"A lot better than last time, that's for sure", she replied with a chuckle. "I think this will work as intended. And thank you for going along with this – I know you have – issues – with the things that happened between us."

"'Issues' is an understatement", he murmured, glancing away.

"Listen, I'd rather not dwell on the past, but enjoy the present. We can't change what was, but we can try to make the future brighter."

"Wise words", he replied, turning his head to look at her, his mouth curling into that half-smile again.

"Um."

He chuckled. "Go back to your side, I need to check where we are."

Sonea shuffled back to the opposite seat, and Akkarin lifted one of the curtains.

"We're about to arrive. I suggest that we analyse everything I've just learned once we're back at the residence."

"Good idea."

Not a moment later, the carriage took a sharp turn, and entered the Guild grounds. As Akkarin had ordered, the carriage turned right after passing the gates, and passed along the road that led to the residence. As soon as the carriage had stopped in front of the building, Takan emerged, and opened the carriage door. Akkarin swiftly descended before helping Sonea down. Given how weary she was still feeling, she didn't even complain.

She summoned her books while Akkarin tossed the coachman a coin. Takan herded them into the house.

"The evening meal is ready, master", Takan said.

"Thank you. We'll be upstairs in a bit. If you could make sure that everything is ready."

"Yes, master."

Takan bowed, and quit the room. Akkarin strode over to his favourite armchair, and Sonea took the other, placing the pile of books on the floor.

"From what I could glean, the reason why the King wished to speak with you was genuine curiosity. I had feared that he'd meant to test you, but I've seen him do that before. He was not testing you.
"However, you may have unwittingly given him something he wasn't expecting to obtain – he now knows that you could be useful to him. I know you took note of this as well – him referring to you as a gemstone was not done without purpose. He considers you valuable – but what he intends to do with that remains to be seen."

"He wants to use me."

"Possibly. If he plays his cards right, he'll be able to use you to massively increase his popularity with the common folk, more than the Guild could. This would not necessarily be a bad thing for you. At the very least, you can count on him not doing anything to hinder or stop your plans, at least not unless you give him a strong enough reason to change his mind. I can't say if he'd be willing to throw his support behind you in an official manner, as he has to keep the nobles in mind, and the Guild might also consider it meddling, but this is a start. Not what I had expected, mind you, but certainly a good outcome for you."

"So – what you're saying is that I should let him use me?"

"You wouldn't be able to deny him", Akkarin replied softly. "He wouldn't pressure or coerce you – he has more subtle ways to get what he wants. If he ever approaches you, he'll make you an offer you will not want to refuse."

"Well then, I'd best prepare myself as best as I can. Just in case."

"That's the spirit. That being said, there is a chance he won't do anything with what you've told him. I honestly can't tell you which outcome is more likely."

"I see. Anything else?"

"No, nothing I can think of at the moment. I'll think on it later, and if I should notice anything else, I'll let you know. But for now, I suggest we go eat. You must be hungry."

Sonea eagerly leapt to her feet. Akkarin chuckled at her antics, and led the way upstairs. Takan had outdone himself with the food once again, and Sonea savoured every bite.

"There's one strange thing I noticed", Sonea said in between bites. "Almost all the servants we met at the palace were male, but the Eyes in the secret passage was female, and you mentioned another female one. Why is that?"

"To prevent harassment. The King keeps most of the female staff hidden, and almost all of his Eyes are female. It's quite a privileged position, really, that requires a lot of skill."

"Makes sense, although there are men who prefer other men", Sonea pointed out.

Something the Kyralian nobility thought to be quite shocking.

"Indeed", Akkarin replied without batting an eye. "However, these men usually take great care not to draw attention to their preferences. They are unlikely to harass other people's staff."

"I see. But – why? I mean, I'm not complaining, but most nobles don't care if their female servants get harassed by their guests, even if they don't do any harassing themselves."

"And the previous king was particularly bad in that regard. It is said that he chased after every skirt in sight, and that multiple women died trying to have an abortion. This enraged Merin – not just because of the blatant disrespect his father showed toward his mother, but also because these women were helpless victims. He swore to do better than his father, and put measures in place to make sure nothing like that would happen under his watch."

"I see", Sonea breathed. "That's incredibly kind of him."

They had just got started on dessert when Akkarin stilled, a far-away look on his face. When his eyes focused on her moments later, there was a strange gleam in them.

"I have a surprise for you, Sonea. How would you feel about a nightly excursion into the city?"

---

A/N:

I noticed shortly after I started working on this story that I have a bit of a hoarding problem – I hoard traumatised characters, especially male ones. Kratos. Soren and Lehran. Akkarin. I seem to have a type.

Glossary:

Brekken – "freckled, speckled" (Irish)

Chessea [kessea] – variation of Chelsea

Danea – Variation of Danaë (Greek)

Elyssa – "pledged to God" (Hebrew)

Rikka – variation of Henrietta, Feminine variation of Henry ("estate ruler")

Gavril – "god is my strength" (Hebrew)

I haven't mentioned them by name yet, but Rikka and Gavril are Akkarin's parents.

Trivia: The correct Kyralian spelling for the name "Chessea" would be "Kessea". However, Rikka desperately wanted to use this name. Since it wouldn't have fit with the alphabetical line-up, she changed the spelling.

You can now find illustrations including Akkarin's (adult) family members in my DeviantArt gallery.

Sonea: I'm not sure he likes having me around, I had better make myself scarce.
Akkarin: She's avoiding me again, I must have done something wrong!

Takan: Interesting development.
Akkarin: * panics *

Sonea: * makes a thoughtless, but innocent remark *
Akkarin: * completely takes it in a different way *
Sonea: Shit, this is bad, I have to distract him, better come up with a believable explanation.
Akkarin: Thank goodness, she didn't notice anything.
Sonea: Thank goodness, he bought it.

Akkarin: She's got a child on her lap.
Akkarin's mind: * blue screen of death *

Akkarin: * attaches himself to Sonea's mind to give her pointers behind the king's back *
Sonea: =)

"The girl from the slums has to be a whore – correction: The pretty girl from the slums has to be a whore." ~ Caradilis on how people like Regin see Sonea