Fall of Autumn, Week 5, Day 2

It was a small blessing that I was near to Uriel, because every time Master Kroll looked at us, Uriel's glare sent him elsewhere for a question. When the time came for class to end, I realized I hadn't really learned anything of value at all.

These classes are so stupid! I groaned internally as I watched Master Kroll head toward me with my primer.

>They wouldn't be if you were actually eight. And not an elementalist.<

"Ah, little Light of Dawn," Master Kroll said lightly, placing my book on the table. I grabbed it and began putting it away. "You've been a wonderful student today. Shall we—"

[Sophism]

Time slowed as I watched Master Kroll move a fraction of his usual speed. I thought quick, deciding the best way to get out of this. I couldn't just run off, not only would it be rude, I probably wouldn't get away with it. He'd catch me, or actually, just straight up block my escape. I wasn't interested in a one-on-one with the Master of the Magic Tower—not when I needed to grow my [Class] Skills now more than ever. And he wasn't just a random scholar, he literally wrote the book on magic. I'd need him eventually.

Just, not today. I could only handle so many things in a short period and Frill had decidedly burned me out for the foreseeable future.

Uriel! The son of Hyperion! Young Lord Hyperion! He could get me out of this.

I broke [Sophism].

"I'm so sorry, Master Kroll, Lord Hyperion and I have a social engagement right after this." I turned my mouth down, feigning regret. I watched as Master Kroll went to object, but I beat him to it. "Our etiquette instructors arranged it, so we're going to be graded on it."

Beside me, Uriel huffed lightly, but he didn't otherwise object. I decided to get ahead of Master Kroll before he invited himself along.

"Perhaps next week? Second Day again?" I put all my hopes and dreams into my question, forcing stars into my eyes.

"Very well, if our Light of Dawn wishes it, it will be so!" Master Kroll laughed. "Far be it from me to stop young love."

I recoiled. "Excuse you?"

Beside me, Uriel gripped my wrist and dragged me away. "Sorry, Master Kroll, but my Governor is waiting to escort us to lunch."

And away we went, zipping out of the room—Uriel's Governor and my knights following quickly behind us until we were out of the tower. Noir was jumping shadows quickly as well.

"Lady Dawn," Uriel glared at me once we were outside, "please don't use me in your schemes."

I gestured between us. "I think you can call me Nora by now, Uriel. We're having lunch together, so we're close enough to friends."

Uriel did not look pleased by my statement, but I turned back to Sir Neil and Arlen—as well as the man who must have been Uriel's Governor.

"Lunch, everybody?"

"Lady Nora?" Arlen asked hesitantly. I glanced at him.

"Yeah?"

"Where's your glass?"

I looked down at my empty hands, and a stricken look crossed my face.

"No!" I groaned. "I left it in the classroom."

Turning to Sir Neil, I went up to him and gripped his purple leathers. "Sir Neil, I have an extremely important mission for you."

Rolling his eyes, he pried my fists off him. "Your will be done, my Lady. I'll go get the glass."

"Good, because I really cannot go back in there."

Sir Neil and Mun—Uriel's Governor—agreed on a restaurant that looked very much like a high-end lounge that was near to the Tower. It was only a few minutes by foot and was only a quarter filled. Not that it meant much, there were only seven tables widely spread out with plush chairs around them.

As we sat down, Sir Neil and Arlen stood back by the wall and Mun sat next to Uriel.

"Lady Dawn, please, act as if I'm not here," Mun said gently, attempting to put me at ease. Mun was well-dressed in a nicely tailored maroon suit, his hair tidily combed back. He looked rather kind, overall.

But that did not change my experience with Lina—who looked much the same, but was a terror to live with.

I looked at Uriel, who looked perfectly fine with the man hanging around, and figured it would probably be more than a little rude to ask him to leave.

"Of course," I said tightly, then looked at Uriel. "Hey, I have a question."

"Ask away," he said, looking off at the slowly approaching waiter.

"Do you think if I told my etiquette instructor we had lunch, she would still make me do another social engagement?"

If you spot this narrative on Amazon, know that it has been stolen. Report the violation.

In the distance, Sir Neil choked on air, and beside us, Mun pressed his lips together. Uriel glanced at Mun questioningly. Mun cleared his throat.

"Young Lord Hyperion, should you both observe the proper etiquette from here on, I would be willing to put in a word to both your own instructor and Young Lady Dawn's Head Butler. It will, ultimately, be up to the instructors themselves, though."

I mouthed, You too?

Uriel nodded quickly, a pained expression crossing his face, and he mouthed, Deal?

I smiled. "Deal, Lord Uriel."

Uriel grinned, a small thing but a smile nonetheless. "Lady Dawn, how has Fellan been treating you?"

I held back a laugh at the pompous tone he took and matched it with one of my own.

"Wonderfully so far. However, I have yet to see what I long for."

"Oh? Do tell, my Lady?" Uriel looked as if he was holding back a laugh as well.

It felt very much like playing pretend—even though we both were true-born nobles. I wondered, then, why it felt like Uriel was much the same as me. Someone who didn't care for the rules of nobles. Maybe the Marquis Hyperion wasn't a stickler for etiquette, though that went against everything I knew about the house. Maybe, maybe, maybe, there were so many possibilities. But only one way to know.

Unfortunately, only time would tell. That wasn't the type of question to be asked right off the bat.

"I yearn to see the glassworks, of course. I've heard it's quite entertaining and the artisan who runs it is Skilled."

When the waiter approached, Uriel deferred to me to order first, and when we received our food I said the right words to allow him and Mun to eat. It was all a show, a grand play, and for once it was fun to perform.

That said more about Uriel than it did about me.

When lunch finished a short while later, we went our separate ways with formal goodbyes—bows and curtsies and all the Meaningful Words. But before we fully left, I gave Mun a questioning look. He nodded, handing a folded piece of parchment to Sir Neil.

"Give this to Gristle for me, would you, Sir Knight?"

"Of course." Sir Neil inclined his head, taking the letter, and we were off.

Back at the carriage, I found myself more at ease than usual. It was, well, nice to have lunch with Uriel. It made me look forward to the Academy and Tower classes. I had worried, due to his family name, that he would be uncomfortable to be around. The Watcher of the West was meant to watch the Dawns, specifically.

Maybe that was why it was so comfortable. Because I knew where our families stood. I knew how we were supposed to be, and that we both chose not to act according to the script was unique. It was common ground.

I wanted to see Uriel again, as well as the other Mithril kids. I wanted to be a part of something; something outside of me and my spirits. I wanted to be a member of their team.

Once we were in the carriage, Noir manifested fully—causing Arlen to jump.

He gasped and clutched the hilt of his sword. "What is that?"

Noir settled into my lap, his small body a pitch so black most would have trouble defining the edges. I placed my hand on his head.

"This is Noir," I said it fondly, in the way my mother of elsewhere would say my own name. Or how I remembered her saying it, anyway. Even though the actual words were taken from me.

Arlen peered down at Noir, nuzzling into my palm. "Like, the stuffed bunny?"

"One and the same," Noir said, his voice filling the cabin the way a bell would. Undeniably there.

"Soon, Shade and Haze will greet us at the Manor." I looked out the window, leaning into the wood for support. "They'll be similar to Noir, so prepare yourself."

"They would have preferred to surprise him," Noir laughed, his words filled with malicious amusement.

I twitched my lips. "Now they'll have to work harder at getting to everyone else before I do."

"They'll love the challenge."

"Of course they will, the drama is in their bones." I smiled as I watched the town pass us by. "Or whatever spirits have for insides."

"Mana," Arlen said quietly. I glanced at him in question, prompting him to continue. "Mana of the World. It's… different than the mana in a person, but it's what spirits are made of. They're the only ones who are not corrupted by it."

"Ah," I said. "Unlike animals and other constructs, that mutate and evolve when exposed to too much nature mana."

Arlen nodded.

"The Monster Manuals said that. I didn't know that about spirits, though."

"It's taught later, in second year, when you go on excursions into the forest to fight monsters. And third year, when you're allowed to go out in teams. Again, it's taught in fourth year, when you are permitted to fight alone."

"Oh? Why is it taught so many times?" I asked.

"The students need to know one rule when interacting with a spirit in nature, outside of a contract circle." Arlen's voice was barely above a whisper, and I blinked. "Because they need students to survive."

I paused at that. "Survive what?"

"The spirits," Noir answered for him.

Arlen leaned back into his seat, and I leaned in toward Noir, fear unable to touch the affection I felt for the spirit.

"Well, that sounds lovely, Noir. Good for them." I laughed.

Turning his head down, Arlen didn't speak again, and I didn't prompt him to. Instead, I went back to looking outside the window.

Arriving back at the manor, I climbed out of the carriage with Noir perched on my shoulder, his head sinking into my hair. He was light as a feather, a being of shadow and mana mixed together.

Gristle was waiting for me outside again, this time he had a smile on his face.

"I hear you took it upon yourself to get acquainted with the local nobility," he said, a hint of pride in his voice. I smiled tightly in response.

"It was either have lunch with Uriel or be forced to talk with the Master of the Tower," I accused, my voice deceptively light.

"Oh, so I see you got to meet Master Kroll, after all," Gristle said equally jovial. "He's quite a knowledgeable man and was very close to the prior Duke. He and Duke Killian grew up together a few hundred years ago. Master Kroll came out to Fellan in his youth, and despite the distance, they kept contact."

I looked at Gristle suspiciously. "How do you know that?"

Gristle met my accusing stare with wide eyes. "My Lady, it is my job to know such things about the Dawns."

I gasped. "Wait! You knew he would be there!"

"Of course, I needed his approval to enroll you outside of general admission." Gristle didn't even have the decency to look apologetic that he didn't warn me.

"You set me up!" I groaned. "You wanted me to be surprised."

"Well, I was hoping it would discourage you from ignoring my information sheets in the future."

My jaw dropped.

"I did read the sheets today! He wasn't even on it."

At that, Gristle did look mildly apologetic. "My bad?"

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