Lily couldn't blame Rine for wanting to go out for a bit on his own, even if he wasn't willing to go into detail regarding the reasons. Whether it was because he was worried that some unknown group was planning an assault during the tournament, or he just wanted to go out and feel the wind on his skull, he'd fulfilled his promise to teach her everything she needed to know so she'd have a good chance of winning the tournament. It wouldn't be right to keep him, as he put it, 'glued to her' every hour of the day.

He was her teacher and her friend, not her slave, and it would be wrong to keep him cooped up in her room if she couldn't take him with her to see the king. Besides, after thousands of years of being locked away, he had a right to enjoy even his small measure of freedom when he could. So, she'd agreed to let him leave to do whatever it was he felt he needed to do when she left for the royal audience. He'd promised not to go far, and that he would be back by dawn.

He'd also had her pull out from her dimensional storage bag a pair of sapphire earrings that he insisted she wear. If she needed to speak with him, she needed only to say his name, and the magical item would allow her to speak with him regardless of distance. Likewise, while she wore them, he could reach out to her in case of an emergency.

The enchantment was subtle enough, the lich had promised, that not even the royal court mage would be able to detect them, and the accessories looked beautiful enough to compliment any outfit that she decided to wear. With that, he left the next time the door opened.

On that topic, both Lily's father and Madeline had shown up at the same time, carrying dresses. The two of them had a surprisingly tense yet civil discussion in regards to what Lily would wear, and who it came from. Her father, the terror of the courtrooms that he was, had pleaded a rock-solid case, stating that it would not look right for Lily to wear the hand-me-downs of an archduke's daughter. It would lead to the perception that Lily's family could not provide for itself, and could not even afford to dress her without the help of a noble.

Additionally, nothing that Madeline herself owned was going to fit Lily's shorter, wider frame without alterations that would be readily apparent to all in attendance. Meanwhile, the dress that Lily's father had brought would fit perfectly. Madeline, while no ace attorney, had agreed to concede defeat in that particular battle, but used that concession as ammunition for the second round of discussions in regards to jewelry.

Madam Goldentone had arrived just as that argument began with an old broach of hers that was one of the few things she'd kept that belonged to her family, intending to gift it to Lily. The broach, a beautiful sapphire set in silver, was quite lovely, and no one present could deny such a splendid gift, especially since it symbolized Lily's quasi-adoption into the Goldentone family.

Madeline then used this as a 'legal precedent' to serve as the thin end of the wedge for offering to gift Lily with several pieces of jewelry, likewise of silver and sapphire, that would complement the broach, given in gratitude for Lily's early gift of the ruby rose. While Lily's father had put up a noble fight, managing to talk the two noblewomen down from a more ostentatious display of wealth to a more modest pair of bracelets and an ornate hairpin, he ultimately had to concede that he'd lost this battle.

However, he was quick to rally with a counterattack when the subject of makeup came up. He used the reasonable argument of how it would be too dangerous to use new makeup that Lily was unfamiliar with now, given that the audience was only a couple of hours away, and if she had a reaction to it, there wouldn't be any time with which to correct the blunder.

Having brought makeup from Lily's supply back home, her father set up an impenetrable bulwark to counter any and all arguments against him. Finally, Madam Goldentone and Madeline were forced to concede defeat, leaving that battle with only a single concession from Lily's father, that they would assist her in putting the makeup on.

Lily had watched this entire battle unfold with a sense of awe. She'd honestly just been planning to go wearing the academy's uniform, having no plans regarding anything more than that. Instead, the trio had tackled this subject with all the seriousness of courtroom battle.

After negotiations had concluded, Lily's father had been ushered out of the room so that the two noblewomen could see to getting Lily properly dressed for the upcoming occasion. The entire affair took more than half an hour, during which the trio made small talk, including a couple of surprised exclamations over the fact that Lily had apparently lost weight without either of them noticing. After the dress and jewelry were put on and the makeup applied, the two noblewomen walked the young commoner over to the nearby mirror so she could get a proper look at herself.

For the second time today, Lily looked in the mirror with surprise. Dressed in a lovely gown of blue and white which complemented the silver and sapphire jewelry, the young woman looked absolutely transformed. She looked... well, she looked undeniably pretty, maybe even beautiful. She did a little twirl in front of the mirror and giggled joyfully at the sight, before turning towards the pair and doing a small curtsy, saying, "Thank you very much for your help."

------------------------------------------------

Thankfully, the king had opted for a far shorter and more informal ceremony than this situation would otherwise call for. He'd stated that he didn't want to interrupt the preparations the students were making for tomorrow's event, and there was too little an amount of time for a formal public presentation to be made anyway.

The king was well-known to be a practical man who would not use ten words when just one would do, and that was reflected in how he ran the kingdom. A few of his opponents within the nobility had assumed that meant that the king had no sense of subtlety at all, and had learned to their misfortune that being blunt and being clever are not mutually exclusive.

Words could not express how happy that made Lily. She was not exactly shy, but the thought of being the center of attention for every member of the faculty, every student, and every aristocrat who'd come to the academy to watch the tournament was honestly terrifying.

Still, she had a hard time dealing with the butterflies in her stomach when she and Madeline were ushered into the headmaster's office by what Lily could only describe as by far the tallest dwarf she had ever seen. He'd introduced himself as Harn, which, if true, meant that he was the infamous Harn Clanless, royal spymaster and terror of any who plotted against the king. He was polite, but professional, saying very little from the moment that he came to collect the pair to the moment they reached their destination, asides from offering to carry the ruby rose for Madeline, it being a rather heavy object despite its immense beauty.

He seemed to have no difficulty in holding it in one hand with a firm but gentle grip. Within the office, she saw the king himself, his royal majesty King August Vi Rilmgard, sitting comfortably in the headmaster's chair behind his desk. The man was far less intimidating than she'd imagined him to be in person, this being the first time she'd ever met him, despite how spectacular an impact he'd had on his life. He seemed genuinely pleased to see her, surprisingly.

Beside him stood the statuesque figure of his daughter, the beautiful blonde Princess Betany Vi Rilmgard, with a small, fluffy white dog cradled in her arms. At eighteen, she was old enough to be wed, but political tensions both within and outside of the kingdom were delaying the arranged marriage between the princes and the nation's neighbors to the east. Taking in the princess' tremendous beauty, her long, flowing hair with not even a single follicle out of place, and her rather prominent curves that not even the frills at the front and bustle at the back of her dress could conceal, Lily couldn't help but feel that she looked more like a character from a storybook than she did a flesh and blood woman.

Lily noted a very slight flicker around the princess, revealing that there may be more to that impression than just an idle thought. It was well-known that more than a few graduates of the Academy who mastered the use of illusions used their skills to put on an appearance of a far more impressive or attractive appearance than they actually possessed. If that was so, then it told Lily two things: The first was that the princess was not as attractive as she appeared. The second was that the princess either knew some degree of magic, or she employed someone who worked spells on her behalf.

In one corner sat a man wearing the grey robes and badge that identified him as a royal clerk, quill and parchment in hand to record anything that the king declared during this audience. Shaven-headed and bespectacled, the clerk was in all other ways unremarkable.

In the opposite corner sat the school's headmaster, a short, plump, balding man, a viscount by the name of John de Ironford. Similar to Madam Goldentone, John was a 'free' noble, possessing a title but no properties. However, unlike Lily's teacher, this had been the case for his family for four generations, rather than a recent development. Rumor had it that the man only held his position because he was a spineless toad who did whatever the nobility told him to do. This had worked well for him, as the king had, up until recently, seemingly had little interest in the administration of the royal academy.

The man was clearly uncomfortable. He was obviously aware that the faculty of the Academy had been acting contrary to his majesty's wishes, but despite his position either lacked the will to rein in such behavior or had simply supported it. Most likely, it was the former, given his overall character. The man had hoped to live his entire life in boring mediocrity and looked nervous to be in the same room as the ruler of a sovereign nation, nevermind one who was likely displeased with him.

Rounding out the royal party was Corfax, the royal court wizard. Tall, thin, garbed in white robes with an equally white skullcap covering his head, his long salt-and-pepper beard gave him the image of a wise, powerful wizard. While he might once have been a noble, he had long ago foreswore any affiliation with any noble house, pledging his service solely to king and kingdom. A renowned scholar and a powerful generalist wizard, he had reached the rank of archmage far younger than most and had if anything become even stronger with age. He smiled kindly and nodded to the pair as they entered, leaning slightly on his staff.

As Harn closed the door behind the pair, Lily and Madeline curtseyed in unison, saying, "Your majesty." King August nodded in acknowledgment and gave them permission to rise.

As the pair stood there, the king seemed to take a moment to study them. After several slightly awkward seconds, he admitted, "Before we get started, an apology is in order." The king shot a withering glance at the headmaster, who flinched but said nothing.

"Lily Arvensdaughter, I had placed you here within this academy as a means of testing the waters, not realizing that it was full of sharks. I needed to know who amongst the faculty put their loyalty to the crown above their own petty concerns, and who would ignore a direct order of the king simply because they thought that they were not being watched. I did not realize, unfortunately, just how deep the rot went, and that this blight went beyond just the faculty to include the overwhelming majority of the students as well."

"Had I realized the situation was truly this toxic, I would have done things far differently than before. I placed you, a citizen of my kingdom, in an untenable position where you had little, if any, support from friends or loved ones. Had I known that things were as bad as they were, I'd have placed an agent of the crown in your position, rather than yourself. My ignorance and curiosity have caused me to uproot you from a safe and happy home to a tiger's den and then forced you to endure six months of misery. For that, you have my humblest apologies and the deepest gratitude of your king."

"We owe you a debt, one that we will endeavor to repay in a manner that we can both agree is appropriate."

The king shot another brief, furious glare at the headmaster, then added, "In addition, I can tell you that when you return from summer break, you will find the school to have been drastically... restructured. I hope that you will find it a far more inviting place than before. However, if, after all you've been through, you elect to seek education elsewhere, we would not fault you for it, and the crown would be more than happy to continue to fully fund your education, wherever you might seek to find it."

Rine had briefed her earlier, warning her that this was one of the most likely things the king would want to discuss with her. The lich had advised that, as Madeline had suspected, the king was fully aware of everything that was going on within the Academy. King August had no doubt a reward in mind for everything she'd gone through, but with Lily's sudden change in fortune, any plans he'd made had gone out the window.

After all, Rine had admitted, while a position in the royal guard, a handmaiden to the queen or princess, or the apprentice to the royal court wizard were immensely valuable rewards for a commoner, they were hardly fitting for a future countess. As such, he'd likely keep it as an open promise for a reward in the future. Rine had a few ideas in mind for what she might request, but the lich had stated that it would be better to request something after the tournament, rather than before.

With a curtsy, Lily thanked the king, stating, "I humbly thank you for your kind words and consideration, your majesty. At the moment, I cannot think of anything that I might request that would be worthy of the crown's power and authority. I am certain that, after the tournament, something will come to mind that I might request if it does please your majesty."

The king nodded, then said, "With that being said, we will move on to the business at hand. I understand that you two have a few things to present to me?"

Madeline nodded as Harn stepped forward, gently placing the ruby rose upon the desk. Corfax, the court wizard, stepped forward and briefly examined the object before nodding and confirming its authenticity.

"Your majesty," Madeline announced as she stepped forward, "the archduchy of Alvorin is pleased to present to you this ruby rose, of a size and beauty never before seen within the known world. It was a gift given to use by Lily Arvensdaughter. However, while our gratitude for such a magnificent gift is boundless, it would be unfitting for us to keep such a fabulous object for ourselves. As such, we present it to the king so that it might be placed within the royal vaults, a national treasure to be kept until the end of time."

The king smiled and nodded, announcing, "A truly wonderful gift. We shall treasure it always and view it as a symbol of your house's undying loyalty to king and crown. Once it had been fully appraised and its full value determined, we shall see to it that an appropriate reward is granted to the archduchy of Alvorin." Madeline curtsied, then took a step back.

Lily stepped forward, then gently removed the ring of fire absorption from her finger. She held the item out and let Corfax take it and examine it for a moment. After a few seconds, he confirmed that this too was the genuine article, then placed it down upon the desk.

"Your majesty," Lily announced, "I, Lily Arvensdaughter, do hereby present to you this treasure of the dungeon. It has been appraised now thrice-over to confirm that it is, indeed, a ring of fire absorption. I hope that it does meet your approval and that it will serve the kingdom well whenever such a rare and valuable item is needed."

She then gently placed a scroll upon the table and added, "This item was found within a hidden chamber within the labyrinth, one where numerous other magical items could be found. While many of the items were clearly of immense value equal to or exceeding that of the ring, alas, the warding upon those items was far too strong for me to be able to extract them with my meager skills. As such, I present to you this map detailing the location of the chamber and how it can be opened so that your court archmage might extract them, once time permits."

King August nodded in appreciation, stating, "We thank you for this wonderful gift. While the contents of the chamber shall require extraction and appraisal before their value can be determined, a ring of fire absorption is a simpler matter. As a reward for this fine treasure, we will hereby award you with a sum to the amount of three hundred platinum coins, to be paid along with the value of the items located within said hidden vault. We do also hereby promise to grant you the full finder's fee that will go with the items found within the chamber."

Three hundred platinum coins. That wasn't simply a small fortune, but a vast one. There were more than a few nobles who would not see that amount of money within their own lifetimes. Even after Rine having briefed her on the full expected amount for her reward, hearing the king state the words out loud was still a tremendous shock.

Lily gulped, but got ahold of herself quickly, stating, "I thank you, your majesty. I must inform you, I had made an arrangement with Madam Goldentone that, in exchange for the right to inherit her title, I promised her twenty percent of the reward for the ring of fire absorption, as well as a tenth of the finder's fee for my discovery within the labyrinth. I would ask that the amount in question be deeded to her once the tally is completed."

His majesty nodded, and announced, "It shall be so."

Holding up the two notebooks she'd carried with her, she said, "Also, there is something else I found, although it will be of greater interest to the wizard community of the kingdom, rather than of direct interest to your highness."

Lily then handed the two notebooks to the court wizard and explained, "Within the secret chamber, I found a mural, as detailed within the notes, which contained images detailing an ancient method of training aspiring wizards, along with instructions written in Elderscript. It took a significant amount of time for me to translate the meaning of those instructions, as well as determine the meaning of the images depicted, but after some time, I was able to fully understand the purpose of the exercise, and implement it. The first notebook details my study of the mural, and the second contains a record of my experimentation with the training method and the results."

The court wizard began studying the notebook, first with curiosity, then with intensive interest as he began to realize that this may well prove to be the genuine article. After several minutes, Corfax admitted, "These notes are quite comprehensive, young lady. I am impressed. And you claim them to be effective?"

Lily held up a hand, summoned a small flame and set it to hovering over her palm. Then, a small measure of water and ice, and set them hovering as well. Then stone, a small blob of solid shadow, a small light, and then a crackling spark of electricity.

"I claim nothing but the truth," Lily stated to the wide-eyed wizard and gob-smacked royalty in the room. After dismissing the display, she added, "I ask that the knowledge of this discovery be kept secret until after the tournament."

The king, knowingly, said, "To make sure you have an advantage in the tournament."

Smiling, Lily admitted, "Yes, in part. There's also something else I had in mind, provided I can win." She then explained the plan she'd hatched with Rine what seemed like weeks ago, even if it had only been a couple of days.

Harn burst out laughing as she reached the conclusion of her scheme, and the king suppressed a few chuckles of his own. Madeline gave a joyous giggle and clapped her hands in appreciation. Princess Betany's face took on the expression of someone who, upon hearing of a practical joke being planned on a close friend, is torn between admonishing the prankster and asking to take part in it. The clerk made a slight chuckle that he tried to hide with a cough. The wizard Corfax simply smiled and nodded in approval.

"The child who was not embraced by the village shall burn it down to feel its warmth."

Everyone in the room turned to look at Headmaster John. He was carefully loading tobacco into a pipe with a bemused expression on his face. After a moment, he smiled, then turned towards Lily.

"I really don't think any of you realize just how fortunate we are that Lily was the one who stumbled upon this," he admitted. "If a less forgiving, more vengeful commoner had found this after the way she was treated, they would have left the school to train a cabal of wizards, while using the money from her discoveries to fund an army for a full-blown revolution. A more ambitious noble might well have done the same, not out of revenge but for the sake of naked ambition. Instead, this young lady has decided to give this information directly to the crown, asking only for the crown's assistance in an elaborate prank as revenge."

"All that, despite the terrible treatment she's received. We are all unspeakably lucky it was you, young Lily, and no one else."

Striking a match and lighting his pipe, the headmaster chuckled at the surprised expressions on the faces around the room, and admitted, "I'll freely admit that I'm a spineless toad who only got his position because I have no ambitions and kept it as long as I have because I don't make waves. None of that ever meant that I was a fool. Just mediocre and complacent, I suppose."

He took a puff, exhaled a smoke ring, and then added, "I'd... attempted to warn my coworkers within the faculty that the king was likely watching far more closely than he'd let on. However, I was ignored, as I so often am. Their inability to see the larger picture, combined with my inability to get them under control, would have very obvious consequences. So, I spent the last six months preparing for my retirement, given that my days here were numbered. As such, unlike my colleagues, I won't have too much difficulty getting by in the aftermath of their foolish actions."

He took one more puff at his pipe, and repeated, "Again, mediocre and complacent, but not a fool. Young lady, I wish you all the luck in the world with the tournament, and I hope to laugh long and loud as you pay the school back for half a year of torment. I suppose it would be a measure of revenge by association for myself as well, were I a petty man. Although, personally, I've always felt that living a long, happy life while your enemies suffer due to their own misdeeds is far more satisfying."

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On that surprising note, the audience wound down, and both Lily and Madeline walked down the halls towards their rooms, lighter of burdens and excited for the tournament tomorrow. Even spotting Crassus in the hall ahead of them did nothing to dampen the pair's spirits.

An arrogant expression on his face, the young nobleman sneered and noted, "You look awfully happy for someone who will get destroyed tomorrow."

Lily, thoroughly sick of Crassus' shit, retorted, "And you look awfully overconfident for a 'wizard' that can only use two spells."

The young man looked as if he'd been physically struck, going red from a combination of anger and embarrassment. He tried, and failed, to find a retort, before turning on his heel and stalking off, grumbling angrily to himself. Lily noted that he seemed to be headed in the direction of the training grounds.

"That was a bit of a low blow," Madeline noted, "even if he did deserve it."

Lily suppressed the urge to giggle, saying, "I don't care. It felt good to finally get a good hit in."