Chapter 61 — Reliable Upperclassmen

“You look so surprised, Ria,” Zoe greeted with a chuckle. “Is it that hard to believe I would be friends with Aldur Vorshan’s granddaughters when he was my sponsor?”

Hearing Lord Vorshan’s given name used for the first time, it took Ria a moment to make the connection with the name she knew from Vorshan genealogy taught in her early etiquette studies.

That aside, didn’t Zoe resent her for what happened to Amilee? Why was the girl acting friendly?

“Please have a seat, Ria,” Iori prompted and motioned to a chair in front of which a delicate tea cup and small plate were already placed. “Zoe did ask me to arrange the meeting, but it was merely an excuse as Rienne and I wanted to hear how you were doing and if there was anything we could do to help.”

“Ah, thank you for the invitation, Iori…” Ria started but trailed off as a servant pulled out the chair and assisted her to sit, elegantly filling the tea cup afterward. “I’m glad to have upperclassmen to rely on. With so much going on, it’s overwhelming, honestly.”

“It is,” Rienne agreed. “But while I wouldn’t say things get easier in later years, they do calm down—particularly once you are focused on your specialty.”

“Even just calming down would be a relief at this point,” Ria admitted, as she sampled the tea and sighed out, “Just today, I was summoned for discipline twice. Once for an incident in the library where I used spirit magic and again for accidentally damaging the school grounds…”

“You should be more careful with restricted magics, Ria,” Rienne cautioned. “Cousin Duelleres is not a bad person, but he does have… hobbies. And he might not be the only one competing to claim you, should the opportunity become politically feasible.”

Ria gulped, and glanced in Zoe’s direction. The freckled girl was making a wry expression.

“Do you need assistance with Administrator Rente?” Iori asked with a straight face—as if it wasn’t anything unusual. “Mother can make arrangements if you need.”

Cringing at having to admit her concessions, Ria reluctantly waved away Iori’s offer. “I‘m okay, I think. In exchange for taking care of the reprimands on my record, he wants to mentor me on social matters and arrange connections for me. To start with, he wants me to exchange formal apologies with his daughter, Leriah, and support her.”

Iori made a pained expression and pinched the bridge of her nose, muttering, “Self-serving Ravelle abusing his power…”

Rienne was calmer about the revelation as she advised, “While it is not without benefit for you to repair your relationship with House Ravelle and form connections with them, you’ll still want to avoid actions that risk offending the other Houses. When you can, you’ll want to discuss Administrator Rente’s advice with Mother before acting on it. That also brings us to another of the reasons for inviting you here this afternoon.”

Iori nodded and continued for Rienne, “Mother wants you to come by our estate after classes on Windday. She intends to help you prepare for your debut. I’m sure she will want to hear about the situation with Administrator Rente.”

“Please send Lady Asara my gratitude,” Ria replied and bowed her head, feeling relief that she would have further assistance. “When Phaelys agreed, Ophesia warned me not to embarrass House Vesali, so I’m thankful for your mother’s efforts at addressing my failings and lack of knowledge.”

“I still can’t believe Phaelys agreed to accompany you—or that you even asked!” Iori blurted out, her eyes shining with excitement.

“Indeed,” Rienne agreed. “This is turning into an opportunity for the whole family. By the way, Ria, you need to start sending out your invitations soon, have you thought about who to invite?”

“Ah, before we get into that, we should deal with Zoe’s matter,” Iori interjected, and motioned across the table where Zoe was patiently enjoying a scone as she observed the conversation between Ria and the two Novidus sisters.

As if reminded, Iori moved a scone from the basket on the table to Ria’s plate, and Ria used a small silver fork to delicately take a taste as she turned her attention to Amilee’s sister with some amount of dread and nervousness.

“Thanks for that, Iori.” Zoe nodded to the younger Novidus sister with a smile and turned to Ria. “And so, speaking of the Vesali, Ophesia and Nielle are up to something. I found out that they visited Amilee yesterday and now Amilee seems to be convinced that…” The third-year girl stopped herself and changed tack, “Before we get into that, you wouldn’t have any information about what Ophesia and Nielle are up to, would you?”

“Ophesia and Nielle visited Amilee?” Ria parroted in surprise. That was odd and maybe worrying?

“They did,” Zoe affirmed.

Glances in Iori and Rienne’s direction showed that the sisters were watching attentively, clearly interested in the answer. Rather, Ria’s intuition was telling her this was the real reason the three noble girls wanted to talk to her.

Even so, Ria still wasn’t sure how to approach talking to Zoe, not wanting to seem callous about Amilee’s fate by acting as if nothing had happened. Best to start there first then, she decided. “Zoe, I’m sorry about what happened with Amilee. I felt really guilty about being involved.”

The red-haired girl’s shoulders sagged and her expression became a bit sad. “It’s true that I was upset at the time. She’s my cute little sister, you know? It’s unfair that so much was taken from her when another was simply given a pardon…”

Ria grimaced and her gaze fell to the half-full teacup and barely touched scone on her plate, but she looked up sharply when she felt Zoe gently touch her hand to get her attention.

“But,” Zoe emphasized, her eyes serious. “I’ve had time to wrangle with my feelings and reflect. Though it is painful to admit, Lord Vorshan and the elders were right, Amilee did need a more capable mentor who could be strict with her, and with access to the resources and knowledge provided by the Inquisitors, her talent has bloomed in ways it never did under Master Marlow.

“Whether Amilee’s secret plan to join the Soulkeepers after coming to the Grand Academy would have worked out better is hard to know, but there’s a chance now that if she continues to do well, she will have a bright future as part of the Inquisitors—likely more so than her prior prospects of an arranged marriage with some merchant or the second son of a minor noble house.”

Zoe took a deep breath and then held Ria’s eyes with a steady gaze before continuing, “Thank you for what you did for Amilee that day. She might not appreciate it, but I know that you took a risk doing it.”

Ria blinked at Amilee’s sister in surprise, not sure how to process the complex feelings she suddenly felt. Relief at not being hated, hope that Amilee might still have a dream to aspire to, guilt over what the necromancer girl’s family had been put through, and continuing regret at having acted the hero, all collided to tighten her chest and destabilize the churning emotions that Ria had only recently managed to get under control.

“Now, with all that out of the way, how about an answer to my question?” Zoe prompted, taking a sip of her tea.

“About Ophesia and Nielle’s plans?” Ria clarified, partly to buy time for her thoughts to settle.

“Yes,” Zoe confirmed, watching her reaction carefully. “Perhaps Phaelys or someone in your classes has said something?”

Ria thought back over her encounters with the two Vesali girls and nothing really came to mind so, instead, she explained about the two ambushes she had suffered at the hands of Ophesia and Nielle’s followers.

“No wonder Administrator Rente wants you to accept Leriah’s apology!” Iori huffed. “Ria, did you know that once you accept an apology, you can no longer claim a grievance about the matter? That, as a legal matter, any wrongdoing is considered absolved?”

“I did,” Ria acknowledged. It was something she had researched after the trial, along with dueling, when she was making the effort to become more familiar with the country’s laws.

“But, you know, Ria,” Rienne started, sounding a bit exasperated. “The academy allows for pranks and such as a way for the students from less influential Houses to seek emotional outlet and redress against students of the more influential Houses and for students of the Greater Houses to address slights without causing dangerous incidents that would involve their respective Houses’ honor. That’s why the prank cloaks and prank wands are sold at the Grand Academy’s Enchanters Guild. You’re not supposed to take it so seriously or use any sort of dangerous magic…”

Ah-! Ria just stared at Rienne as her mind spun again at the implication.

Did that mean, she was the one who had taken it too far? Leriah only used the lightning after Ranger pounced Elaine and pulled the girl’s hood off. And they brought in the third-year after she escaped and left Ranger to his own devices, where he assaulted and terrorized several of them.

“Even if Ria did overreact, they still shouldn’t have gone after a commoner like that!” Iori objected. “And bringing in a third-year abjurer to suppress her magic? It’s way too excessive!”

“Hmm. For Ophesia and Nielle to have been involved in these attempted pranks seems a bit at odds with what Amilee was saying after the meeting—things about having had her fate changed by being caught up in the plans involving Ria. Plans that Ria might not even be aware of.”

“Ah, wait Zoe,” Rienne cautioned. “Let me put up a privacy barrier.”

Once the familiar muffling magic was in place, Zoe continued, “Amilee has been convinced that Ria is from one of the Hidden Houses under the control of the Hall of Bindings and Inquiries and that a faction within the Inquisitors is positioning Ria for something. Considering that Ria has a skilled swordsman as a guardian even though she’s supposed to be a commoner from a remote farming village, that she was readily given restricted licenses, has an unusual affinity, and odd discrepancies in her knowledge, and that a possible Moon Elf descendent has suddenly appeared to befriend or watch over her at the academy-”

“Is Iselyn really a Moon Elf?” Ria interrupted. She was completely surprised about what Zoe was saying Amilee had come to believe and what that might mean, but Keira never answered her question about Iselyn and House Jayre, and with what they were discussing, maybe Zoe would. “Is House Jayre an elven House?”

“They are as human as most minor nobility,” Rienne answered. “House Jayre is a vassal House to House Benathi and has a weak heritage for light affinity. I don’t know the details about your friend’s situation, but her power, appearance, and affinity are very unusual considering her purported background.”

Iori leaned forward with intense eyes. “Ria, are you really from a Hidden House?”

Ria shook her head. She didn’t even know what a ‘Hidden House’ was. “I was born to a seamstress and cobbler in Shadewood.”

The possibility of noble blood, aside…

Iori nodded as if that was the expected answer, but the intensity in her eyes hadn’t dimmed at all. “It’s not publicly spoken of, and it’s a bit scary to think about, but rumors exist that the Inquisitors can replace a person’s memories with false memories… Are you sure there aren’t any gaps or oddities in what you remember?”

Ria gulped, and her thoughts went to not being able to remember her parents’ faces. Rather than a bit scary, the idea was terrifying—that her memories of her family might be invented, fake—but the coldness of Hemse’s medallion against her chest again gave her a defense against that worry. “Head Priest Dohan in Vorshan’s Hills did a divination using my blood and confirmed the fate of my brothers, that they are still in Revant, conscripted by the crown.”

“What if your family was assigned to spy in Revant?” Zoe suggested. “You know about your swordsman protector, but were there any other unusual people or families in your village?”

Ria’s mind went to Jeni’s family and the secret room. A secret room containing a Silent Sky robe—the robe of a Crysellian mage Order. Not only were the robe and secret room strange, but why would there be a family of alchemists living in a remote village? Surely, they had the coin to move to a city or prosperous town?

And what if the nobles and merchants visiting her mom were providing information rather than just buying clothes. Why travel to a remote village just to buy clothes?

The more Ria thought about it, the more unsure she became. What if Jarrel had stayed nearby because protecting her was more important than rescuing his son?

“You’re not Oathbound or Spiritbound are you, Ria?” Iori inquired with a whisper, leaning in close.

“No?” When would something like that have even happened? Even if it had, wouldn’t she notice when meditating and circulating her energy? Could the inscription be designed in such a way to prevent her from noticing it?

“No hidden markings on your physical or astral body?” Iori pressed.

“N-not that I know of… ” On her astral body? Could something like that have been done without her knowledge? Grandma Fana, Keira, Ana, and even Desi had seen her change her clothes and hadn’t mentioned any markings, but if the binding was done to her astral body… It might not even be the Inquisitors. If Hemse or someone else made changes to her physical body to give her an orichalcum affinity without her noticing, might there also be changes to her astral body? “…but I don’t know how to check my astral body.”

They were all watching her intently, and Ria felt a bit uncomfortable under their gazes.

“It’s outside my expertise, but there are spells for doing that,” Iori offered. “If you’re okay with it, can I arrange someone to check for you?”

Wouldn’t giving someone access to her astral body be a really personal thing? Could that person learn her secrets? Make changes that would affect her mind?

But if she could learn how to do it—make sure that she wasn’t secretly bound… Even so, it probably still would have to be someone else checking though, especially if the binding prevented her from seeing or noticing it.

Ria glanced to Rienne and Zoe, receiving encouraging nods. “…I guess?”

“Great!” Iori praised her choice. “When are you next available?”

“I-I have Grand Games practice tomorrow and probably Silverday, and I’m going with Phaelys after class on Goldday to pick up our clothing for the debut.” Ria bit her lip and looked to the sky, trying to think if she was forgetting anything. “Oh, and I have lunch with Leriah on Divinesday.”

“And you’re meeting Mother on Windday,” Rienne reminded.

Ria nodded. “I won’t forget.”

“So, looks like it’s Earthday after classes unless we can squeeze in a lunch or evening,” Iori offered.

“Yes, Earthday would be best,” Ria agreed. It didn’t leave her any time for etiquette lessons though… but maybe Whitestone Hall had lunch events she could attend? Or maybe she’d have to miss one of her classes.

“Wow, you really are busy!” Zoe exclaimed with a chuckle. “You don’t have any days without classes?”

“Just Divinesday,” Ria confirmed. “Goldday, I’m done by lunch though.”

It really was her own fault. The counselor had warned her about taking so many classes.

“Are you really trying to learn all Nine Circles?” Rienne mused in Ria’s direction.

Ack! She forgot that Researcher Shadwich was still waiting for her! A quick check through the bond, showed Ranger in the liquid tank undergoing a treatment similar to the earth one from before, but involving terribly painful fire essense this time.

“What is it, Ria?” Iori asked.

“Speaking of the Nine Circles… I’m actually late for a meeting with Researcher Shadwich,” Ria apologetically tried.

“Oh? I see how it is,” the snowflake-mantled Novidus girl fake laughed behind her hand causing her older sister and their friend to grin at the act.

“It’s fine, Ria,” Rienne assured. “We’ll see you again on Earthday. I’m sure Iori will arrange someplace with more privacy.”

Ria thanked the sisters as she stood and told Zoe that she was glad they could meet. Behind her, a servant anticipated her departure and was assisting with the chair.

Though not wanting to delay too much longer, she paused. There was still the promise to Keira about taking an etiquette class before the debut, and she didn’t want to give up on it just yet. Maybe… “Um, Iori, is there any way you could arrange an etiquette tutor for Earthday afternoon, as well?”

“Sure,” Iori readily agreed then flashed a grin. “You can count on us. We’re your reliable upperclassmen after all!”

After thanking Iori again and excusing herself, Ria looked around for which way to exit. Her head was still spinning from the possibility that her family might have been Crysellian all along—maybe even spies working for the Inquisitors—and she was glad to spot Orlisi leisurely enjoying a fancy drink a few tables away, waiting for her.

After everything that had happened, this time, she was glad to not be walking to the tower alone.