Their room was in the far side of the eastern wing, in the basement, two floors deep. The halls were bare, and yellow with age, but otherwise clean and well maintained. William assumed that the lady had put them in with the janitorial staff and wouldn’t at all be surprised if they were set next to the boiler room. As they navigated their way down the ‘employees only’ section of the building, Mathias glanced at each room number, then back at his com.

“This is us,” Mathias said at last and opened the door. It wasn’t locked. This bothered William. Any of the lower dregs of the staff would have access to them. There was nothing to stop the staff from murdering them in their sleep. He couldn’t trust the E.M.I. to intervene, not after smearing their princess.

Mathias held the door open and ushered everyone in.

The room was small, barely capable of holding all four of them. Two single beds took up most of the space, leaving a narrow path at the foot of the bed. The gab between the beds was the width of the shared bedside table. The room was yellow in the lamp light, with one mystery colour accent wall. A door leading to a pristine white small bathroom sat to the left of the bed nearest the hall door. There were no decorations, no plants, no windows.

Mathias hung his robes in the closet, taking care to fold it, knowing he didn’t have access to the cleaning staff that saw to the Red Order’s strict maintenance of his wardrobe. He positioned his polished black shoes by the door.

William didn’t think his father looked like a priest. Mathias tugged at his vest, tight against his crimson red shirt beneath it. He pulled an antique pocket watch from his pressed black trousers, glanced at it, then took a seat at the foot of the bed closest to the exit and gestured for William to take a seat.

William rolled his eyes and obeyed. It was better to just get it over with so he could get some sleep.

“I have a meeting with the Headmaster in under an hour,” Mathias told William. “You will let me say my piece. Then as a courtesy, I will give you the chance to say yours. Until then, are we understood?”

There was a hardness in his father’s voice, something that went way deeper than just another ‘I’m disappointed in you’. William felt the starting tingle of fear creep into his mind. Was his father going to abandon him? Write him off as a lost cause?

William couldn’t meet his father’s eyes, and as they darted about in their desperate search for something to settle on, he noted that the E.M.I. barred his only means of escape.

“Look at me, William.” Mathias sounded old and tired.

William rolled his eyes and tried to think of how to defend himself of the accusations that were coming.

“I will state some basic facts, though were to begin…” His father brought his hand together and sighed into his prayer. “With the blessing of the Red Order, I had been for the past six years commissioned by one Lord Daamon, the Councilman and grand-father to Lady Daamon, as a tutor of history, lore, and theology. My teachings were expanded to include much of Astral’s passing interests. That contract will seize. I’m sure you can understand as to why.”

“That contract pays for your education here. Even if I were able to get the charges dropped against you, by the grace of God, you will not be attending the Academy. I cannot afford to send you. The house we live in, was not a gift from the community, nor a blessed home of the Order. The property is owned by Lady Daamon herself. Our house, is her house in which we are allowed to live. This is why she has the moniker of Lady because she is a land owner which is a reference to an old term landlord or landlady.”

“Enhanced can’t have property,” William spat under his breath.

“Silence!”

William sulked. “Lady Daamon has spent the past six years redirecting her inheritance to rebuilding our community.” He was pretty sure that Mathias had told the councillor that she wouldn’t inherit at all because she wasn’t related to the Daamons. “It’s easier to understand if you think of it as an allowance. Only instead of going to the candy shops, she decided to buy property.”

“That’s some allowance,” William muttered.

“Yes, well, it’s also managed by the Daamons’ on her behalf. She has not given any indication to what degree she is aware of the depths of her own business practices. But I was there when she made her case for the restoration of Clearwater after the disaster struck.”

“So you’re saying I aught to be worshiping the ground she walks on, like she can do no wrong?” William felt the bitterness swell in his chest.

“Of course not. Treating her like a human being would have been a fair start,” his tone had gone from factual to hard again. His frustration with William was seeping into his voice. “You don’t understand the consequences, do you? You’re not putting two and two together.”

“Oh, I’m allowed to talk now?”

Mathias glowered.

“You’re saying that Astral will get back at us. Or maybe even the Daamons? They’re going to make our life hell because they can.”

Mathias scream his frustration, grabbing onto his son’s face and squeezing. “God dammit, William!” His face contorted with a rage William had never witnessed. The deep yellow of the distant glow in his father’s eyes engulfed his vision, sharing with him horrors of a scene he had never known in life. Was this hell?

Mathias released his son, recognizing his willingness for violence. He took a breath, but the deep red in his face didn’t fade. “For all intent and purposes, my contract with the Daamon’s has concluded because of your actions. When we get to Clearwater, we will take shelter at the local place of worship, until the Red Order assigns us a temporary refuge. You will likely be sent to the monastery. When? As soon as possible I’d wager.”

His father was abandoning him as soon as things got tough. It was amazing how a rough patch revealed a person’s true nature. The only person that William could rely on was himself.

“I have to return here for the new term, under orders from my superiors. At the time there was no conflict. Now that there is, it’s unlikely that my orders will be reversed. You being a minor and no longer privileged to part take in the Academy’s education, will receive your education else where, as any child of the Red Order would have. I am not abandoning you. I have not given up on you. But I failed you as your parent.”

“So what you want me to say, sorry and stuff? Like I didn’t mean it and whatever?”

“An apology will not make this problem go away. Because for Astral, this problem will never go away.”

William smirked to himself.

“You’ve limited her ability to help us. To help you,” Mathias growled, the limit of his patients reached. His father reached into his pocket for his watch and glanced at the time. Face still red with rage, he shuffled between the bed and wall toward the door.