Amanda’s brother and father were nowhere in sight as I followed her mother into the mansion. I took my shoes off and made my way towards the stairs. A hand stopped me, and Amanda’s mother looked at me with a gentle smile.

“It is proper decorum for us to greet our guests first. Don’t worry, my daughter will be here in a moment dear.”

I expected her to call Amanda over quietly.

“Amanda, your friend is here!”

Instead, her shout echoed across the house. Her silver hair shimmered as she turned towards me with a cheeky smile.

She had done that on purpose.

Then I noticed something on her collar. It was a shining green necklace.

“Is that an oubliez?” I spotted the familiar flower.

“Oh, this?” She held it between her fingers and smiled. “A gift from Alexis. He even remembered my favourite flower. I’m so blessed to have the children around.”

Then she looked at me. “Don’t worry dear, I don’t intend to steal your thunder. Your pin will still be the hit of the party.”

I opened my mouth to respond when I heard Amanda’s steps pressing against the wooden floors. She rushed down the stairs of the top floor and a light appeared at the top of the staircase. Agni had found her way to me first.

The phoenix chirped at Gold and I, and I held out my palm for her to rest. She landed gracefully and nestled onto my shoulder.

“Don’t make yourself too comfortable.” I warned her. “I’m going to have to kick you off later when I change into the suit.”

Agni was about to respond, but then her head shot up towards the top of the staircase. I followed her gaze and my eyes fell onto Amanda.

She wore a blue dress that flowed to her knees, and a smile on her face. Her hair had been tied up in a bun, and I could see two long pins holding it in place, each one a deep sapphire blue.

“Hey.” She walked down towards us.

“Hey.” I waved. “You’re looking great.”

Rule one; always compliment the host.

“Thanks.” Amanda’s bun blazed light red. “Thank gosh I chose the halter.”

Somehow, the bun still kept its shape while transformed into flames. Amanda gestured for me to join her, and I made my way up the stairs and towards her father’s clothing room.

When we reached the room, she turned towards me with a smile.

“My mum’s a bit different from what you remember, right?” Amanda whispered to me. “I saw your expression when I walked in.”

She had a knowing smile on her face.

“A little bit.” I admitted.

“The beauty of magic and the mysteries of makeup. Well, that’s what she told me. My secret is just good skin. And a bit of makeup.” Amanda waved her hand. “Speaking of which, do you want any for yourself today?”

“Makeup?” I shook my head. “I never considered it.”

I couldn’t remember if the people at William’s party all had been wearing makeup or not.

“You’re only human. You still get blemishes.” Amanda brought out the suit she’d chosen.

I got changed and when I left the room, I was surprised to see Alexis beside Amanda and the birds.

“Looking sharp man.” He gave me an approving nod.

“Thanks.”

Even though I had him added to my texting regent I hadn’t actually spoken with him that much in class. I was uncomfortable around him.

I did notice a slight difference.

He wasn’t emitting heat anymore. I activated my mana sense and saw that the fire mana around him was calm.

“Congratulations on getting control over your bloodline.” I spoke.

“Just one part of it.” His chest puffed up. Then it deflated. “I’m still accidentally making people hot.”

“Don’t worry, your sister just tried to do the same to me on purpose, except with makeup.” I gave him a pat on the shoulder.

“I would have made you fabulous.” Amanda turned to her brother. “So, it's Unice's big day. Are you excited?”

It wasn’t a secret that Alexis spent the most time with Unice in our class, aside from his two friends, and I could see the cute and awkward atmosphere they had created around themselves during class.

He ducked her question by moving his focus towards the stairs.

“I think I hear dad calling me.” Alexis ran down the stairs.

“Liar.” Amanda snorted. “Hey, you forgot your pin.”

I put my hand against the suit’s lapel. “I forgot it in my pocket.”

I rummaged inside my inventory and found it floating there. It had been separated from the other items when I’d placed them inside.

I pinned it to my suit and frowned. It didn’t look straight. Amanda laughed and fixed it for me.

“It’s easier when you’re not looking at it from a bird’s eye view.” She spoke.

“You hear that?” I looked at Gold. “She’s saying you can’t be fashionable.”

He gave her an indignant squawk.

In order to preserve the suit, the two birds were resting near the wall. They would be allowed into the venue, but I think they were planning to fly around for that time. He and Agni wouldn’t be comfortable in the loud and enclosed area.

“I didn’t mean it like that.” Amanda was trying to pacify Gold.

I heard a door shutting down below.

“What was that?” I moved my head towards the noise.

Before Amanda could respond I moved down the stairway and took a quick look at the room and Amanda’s family.

They were gone.

“What?” I frowned. “Did I miss the leaving call?”

Amanda stepped behind me and poked her head over my shoulder.

“There was no leaving call.” Her voice was cool. “My parents and Alexis are heading there a little earlier than we are.”

“They’re what?” I took a second to register the words. “Why?”

I walked down the stairs with Amanda by my side and took in the surroundings. Nothing had changed, and none of them had left a single message behind for us.

Amanda didn’t look surprised. She’d been expecting this.

“It’s a political thing.” Amanda dismissed it with a wave of her hand. “My dad wants Alexis to be seen arriving with him so that people know who the next house head is. Well, that and the fight.”

Amanda’s fight had been on the back of my mind every time we sparred together.

“Have they set a date for it yet?” I asked.

“Next week Inné. My dad wanted to make it the last school day of the week so that they could bring attention to it.” Her voice was soft. “I think they’re planning on announcing it today.”

The intricacies of noble politics continue to surprise me. I looked at the door and then at Amanda. It was rather coldhearted of them.

“Don’t look at me like that, I don’t mind.” She jabbed a finger into my shoulder. “Besides, I have you to hang out with. I can’t make jokes with my parents.”

“Were you ever able to make jokes?” I smiled.

Amanda stared at me. Then she let out a giggle.

“You pit donkey. I know I’ve seen you laugh at my words.” The corners of her lips tugged upwards.

My attempt at humor had worked.

“We should give them a few minutes head start and then make our way there. Maybe even a bit more than that.” Amanda smiled. “Would you do the honour of escorting me to this extravagant event?”

“I will be the best escort ever to accompany you to a party.” I smiled. “As long as I don’t have to talk fancily.”

“Permission granted. You’ll be the first noble escort to have thought it was acceptable to appear at a formal celebration in their school uniform.”

Amanda and I walked to the door and put our shoes and socks on.

I raised my arm towards her. “Well, I at least know basic courtesy.”

She linked her arm in mine and we made our way outside.

The moment we were out of the house the two birds went flying into the air. I looked at them weaving through the trees of the mansion's estate. Each tree was smaller than the one outside my house, but the size of the gardens was incomparable.

Animals had built their entire ecosystems here, all of them trapped behind the giant wall that separated the noble district from everywhere else.

When I looked back down, I saw a blurry figure on the edge of my vision.

I hadn’t turned my mana sense off once while I was inside the house.

Just in case.

Gerial walked up to us as we moved through the garden path towards the entrance. He was staying invisible even when it was only Amanda here with us.

I steered the conversation away from her family situation. It didn’t seem right to talk about things that she might be uncomfortable letting Gerial know about in normal circumstances.

It wasn’t a difficult task. Amanda didn’t want to speak about her family, and we took a scenic detour into the garden because Amanda’s parents needed to get there early and introduce Alexis to the other households.

“Right there.” Amanda pointed.

Gerial and I looked at the ground.

“What’s there?” I narrowed my eyes.

It looked like an ordinary patch of grass.

“That’s where Agni burned the oubliez flowers. She’d been in control of her flames for a while, so it was like a potty-trained toddler making a mistake.” Amanda’s eyes lit up.

“She was so embarrassed. We laugh about it now, but at the time my mum was furious. She managed to save one, but it was badly burnt so it stays in her room now.”

The rest of the flowers were long gone now, the grass and earth reclaiming the area for its own.

“Your mum mentioned those were her favourite.” I looked towards Gerial. “I’m not surprised since she lent me the pin with one on it.”

“It’s not just the pin.” Amanda moved her free hand towards her neck. “After you left two days ago Alexis gave her a necklace and she hasn’t stopped talking about it since.”

We continued the tour of the garden, and I admired the riches that could only belong to a world with magic in it.

There were flowers that burned in the daylight, releasing fire mana into the air. Apparently Amanda’s ancestors had relocated them here, but they were so rare that the only other places they would normally be seen were expensive fire element cultivation rooms.

“They wanted to make one for themselves but never got the permits.” Amanda rolled her eyes. “They thought that they could buy the flowers first, and then pay off the permit givers later.”

The gardens also housed the opposite element in the form of a deep blue flower that shimmered with water mana. It wasn’t active, but it would be once the moon lit the night sky.

“It’s the remnants of a feud.” Amanda stayed away from it. “Apparently they just didn’t want someone else to have it.”

I was having such a blast that I didn’t notice we’d already made our way towards the entrance. I looked to my side where Gerial was standing comfortably.

I wanted him to talk to Amanda as well, but that was going to be a herculean task to accomplish. He was set in his ways.

That didn’t mean I couldn’t do anything.

“You know, I heard a rumour that Crijik’s Marked one will be there today.” I saw Amanda’s head perk up. “What are your opinions on this influential figure?”

Gerial pinched the side of my hand and I winced. That wasn’t fair when I couldn’t fight back. Then I forgot my pain and smiled as I saw Amanda taking the question seriously.

“I don’t know.” She shook her head. “I haven’t had time to get to know him. I never will either.”

“That doesn’t mean you can’t have an opinion.” I smiled.

“I thought that too until recently.” Amanda tapped my arm. “Then you introduced me to William, and I realised that my opinions about him were all wrong.”

“Oh, really?” My surprise was genuine. “I thought he was acting like a spoiled brat.”

Amanda shook her head.

“Not nearly as much as I had imagined him to be. He’s nice to Gold and Agni likes him.”

I nodded. Gold really was a social entertainer. He had every person we met wrapped around his feathers.

“That’s why I’m reserving my opinion.” Amanda tilted her head. “Sorry if that’s not the answer you were hoping for.”

“Your answer was great.” I smiled. “I bet Gerial himself would agree.”

I watched her carefully as I spoke. One thing I had found in common with a lot of people was that they reacted in different ways when I said Gerial’s name.

William had freaked out the first time I’d used it.

The title of Marked one was sacred. Their names are even more so.

Or rather, it was seen as an offence.

Using a Marked one’s name was admitting that they were human, and mortal. It was seen as an insult when used by people that weren’t close friends with them.

“If he did, then he’s a pretty cool guy.” Amanda’s voice was firm. “And it would justify my lack of judgement too.”

The blur at my side shimmered. I could see him considering her words. It wasn’t just Amanda that was holding preconceptions. Gerial was judging Amanda by things he’d heard about her.

I wanted to change that, and the only way was by making them get to know each other.

I wouldn’t force him to reveal himself.

But…

I was going to have a lot of fun on the way to the guildhall.