(Niko, 16)

An issue has occurred. A very large issue. Having never actually participated in the Twelve Honors, I never really knew how the celebrations went. With the way my family was, I never did get to experience the things I should have. Due to that, I was looking forward to experiencing proper festivities.

For the Twelve Honors, a hunt is performed each day, and feasting that evening. Food which has been stored or preserved all year is brought out for it, along with many drinks. Food themed to each Sacred Beast is served up.

For the Honor of the Phoenix, there are eggs, and foods of reds and oranges and yellows, most of which is seared. Spicy breads and pies with fruits and berries of reds, oranges, and yellows. Tales of new beginnings are shared as we feast and drink, and married couples try for child that night – and possibly throughout the day. Other things I may not know occur as well.

It seems Varil has some slightly-different traditions, including one I was not aware of, meaning I have performed a severe blunder. Each day of the Twelve Honors, they give a gift to people important to them. It can be purchased or self-made, but there is always one for each day of the Twelve Honors for the most important people in their lives.

Which, as I am courting and betrothed to Lina, includes her. There is also Jason, for all the help he has given me. According to their tradition, I should probably also be giving something to each of my citizens here on at least one or two of the days. Not for being my citizens, but because we live together. Jacob would have at least three gifts from me.

But the biggest blunder is not having something for my betrothed.

I look at Alex and his group. They are boisterous, sitting and drinking and talking loudly about random things. Jason disappeared at some point, likely to attempt to sleep a little more. The other Magi are either paired up with their betrotheds or talking with others. Jacob and his guards are sitting at one table, talking with a few members of Jason's training group, while Lina and her guards are sitting at a table with a few others, as well as Elise, Kayla, and Kyra.

Meanwhile, my people look confused and embarrassed about the situation, as they, too, were not expecting this cultural difference. They likely assumed the same thing I did, that Varil's Twelve Honors was celebrated the same way ours is.

At the same time, however, there does appear to be a feast set out for us, but Varil's people do not seem to be feasting the way we apparently would back in Mar. From what my citizens told me, as well as Aiden and things I have overheard before, everyone piles up as much food as they can and digs in, stuffing themselves as full as possible. The Varilans seem to be eating their normal amounts, and if they noticed the color scheme and theme of the food, they have not thought much of it.

"Lina probably accepts you're from another culture and didn't know how it works in Varil."

I jump, then turn to face Jason, who somehow managed to approach me from behind without registering in my scanning spell. That is quite disturbing.

"Those who matter," he says. "Knows and accepts that not everyone comes from the same culture. The way those on the streets celebrate is different than the way those who perform the labor celebrate is different from the way those in nobility and royalty celebrate. Even among those from the same nation, the same thing can be done different ways."

"I am to live in Varil," I tell him. "I should have researched this, to understand how they performed it differently. This is an error on my part."

"Actually," he scratches the back of his neck. "This is probably more on my papas and mamas and me than you, Niko. We didn't properly explain to everyone how things were done differently between the two nations, nor that we would attempt to merge the two celebrations so that both can feel comfortable with it. This should have been done in advanced, so that your people could prepare. You should go sit with Lina, regardless of your preparation."

He walks to the food line and prepares himself a plate, and I decide to brave things and approach Lina.

"My apologies," I tell Lina as I take the empty seat across from her. "I did not know of how the Twelve Honors was celebrated among your people, or I would have prepared something."

"It is only a custom," she smiles. "And you are Marran. I cannot expect you to know every last one of our minor customs only a few months after you have come to live with us, especially with the history between our people."

She opens up her dimensional space and pulls out a small box, then holds it out.

"I still have something for you," she says, and I hesitate a moment. "Accept it, Niko. I obtained it just for you."

I accept the box. It is not very large, and wrapped in brown paper decorated with fine designs in ink. When I open the box, I find a rock in it. A pebble, really. Black in color, and seemingly ordinary.

"Milady!" One of her guards exclaims. "That is not an appropriate gift for the Twelve Honors! Especially not to your betrothed!"

"Where did you find this?" I ask as I hold it up to the light.

"I saw it when I was ten," she answers. "We were on a trip to one of the southwestern duchies, and it was laying beside the road. Papa and Mama were not too happy., so I convinced Jacob to pick it up for me."

I close the rock into my fist and push mana into it, shaping the mana into a spell. When I finish the spell and activate it, I open my hand, the pebble having transformed into a perfect sphere.

"It is a rare stone from the skies," I tell the guard who spoke out, Meghan. "From a meteor. It is much more rare than star iron. With this being refined already, it is likely one I used as Benjamin."

I play around with the easily-moldable stone, turning it into a dragon, a phoenix, a griffin, a leviathan, and each of the other Divine Beasts, before making it a winged horse, a sword, a shield, a castle, Lina, and more.

"How are you doing that?" Meghan asks in confusion.

She seems to have forgotten her station, which likely pleases Lina, especially as we are in an informal setting right now and the guards are officially off-duty, even if they still act as her guards during this time.

"The material is dream stone," I explain, turning it into a twelve-pointed star. "With a simple spell, a magician can mold it to match their mental image perfectly. It remains this color, but otherwise exactly replicates the conjured mental image. Ordinarily, only a talented mage would be capable of performing such a feat with other materials."

"May I try?" Nadia, the other guard, asks.

"No," Lina answers quickly. "The stone has some other special properties, it is best if we only allow Niko to handle it for now until we determine if it is the same one he used in the past or not."

That is far from the truth – at least, the reason for holding off on allowing them to use it. It can do far more than simply take on the form of something the user thinks about.

"YO!" Alex suddenly exclaims, and I turn around to find Jason hurrying away from our friend, who is looking at my citizens. "Black-hairs! Over here!"

How rude! Who does he think he is, calling them that? They look just as offended as I feel, but approach him, none of them likely wanting to upset a drunk Magus. Especially not that one. I start to rise, so I can defend them.

"So," he says. "Ya have all been in Varil for a few months, now, getting started on learning something supposedly heresy that really ain't. How's it going for ya?"

I stop walking and glance at Jason, realizing what happened. He told Alex and the members of his crew about my the traditions of my people regarding this festival, and Alex decided to call over my people and have them talk about their new beginnings.

Clever, though he probably should have chosen someone a little less Alex for that.

I turn my attention back to Lina, whose slight smile tells me she realized what Jason did as well.

"So, Niko," she says. "How are you finding things in Varil, after having spent a term there?"

(Jacob, 16)

"Eden," I sit beside him and set a small box on the table between us. "This is for you, for the gift for today."

"You didn't need to, sir."

"I told you," I smile at him. "Call me 'Jacob'."

After he helped me in the Meti Duchy, we have talked a little more, and I have learned more about him than I did the entire rest of the term.

"If you want me to treat you casually," he says. "Then you need to be a bit less formal, Jacob."

"I do my best to decrease my formalities," I say. "That is part of my efforts to-"

"No," he snorts. "You're doing it again. 'That is part of my efforts to have people treat me less formally when we are in a casual situation'."

He speaks with a bad impersonation of me, and I nearly snort at it.

"Eden, that sounds-"

"That sounds like you," he grins. "Seriously. Maybe I got the voice wrong, but that's definitely you. You don't talk in contractions, and you still speak quite formally, even if your tone loses it a bit. 'That's part of my attempt at getting people to speak less formally with me' would be way less casual. You even avoid certain words many times."

"I have been trained to speak in a less-"

"I know," he says. "And since you're a prince, you can probably flip between the two whenever it fancies you, but seriously. Learn to speak less formally, and maybe people will loosen up a bit more."

"I will do my best."

He snorts.

"I'll try my hardest," it takes me a lot of effort to use the contraction.

"You didn't need to get me a present, Jacob," he says.

"You were there for the fight," I tell him. "And you are the first person outside of family, the Magi, or the Sages who has not treated me formally the majority of the time. That matters to me, Eden, even if only a week has passed. I know you are not doing it for selfish reasons, even if your decision to accompany me stemmed from my effort to prevent you from wasting your talent and abandoning your dreams."

"Thanks," he accepts the gift, then opens it. After examining the contents, he closes the box and sends it into a dimensional space. "Thanks, Jacob."

The way he says that, and the obvious holding-back of tears in his eyes, tells me a story by itself. Either his family chose to never give him something, or whatever he received during the Twelve Honors of the past, it was not something actually worthy of the Twelve Honors. Cruel things meant to torment or belittle him.

"You are welcome," I smile, then look over to Alex and his crew and the Marrans, who are all feasting heavily and drinking hard while they talk about the new things they did this past year. "Part of the Marran tradition for the Twelve Honors is to feast and drink heavily each day. On the Honor of the Phoenix, today, they discuss new beginnings they made over the year. This holds true for all of the northern kingdoms. So, could you tell me of your new beginnings in Varil City, and how they went for you? It is more than what we have discussed before, their tradition goes into even how it makes us feel, and more."

(Alex, 16)

As everyone makes their way to the showers or bed, Connor approaches me, handing me a slender box around ten inches in width and three in height. Wooden, and without a paper wrapping.

"Ya ain't need to do this," I tell him.

"I know," he says. "But you're my brother, Alex, I'm not going to abandon you. You're also a Magus, and we fought together in the old war. This is my gift to you, themed to today."

"Themed to today?" I ask. "A new beginning?"

He nods, and I open the box, finding a scroll inside, tied shut with a velvet ribbon. I pull the scroll out and set the box on the table, then pull off the ribbon and open the scroll, reading the paper.

"You stayed with your crew the last couple of nights," he tells me. "I know you were probably getting drunk because of the solstice, so you didn't know he was there. However, this is official, and signed."

I finish reading the paper, then read it again as my crew surrounds me and read it once more.

"I don't get it," Jeddy says. "What's that mean?"

"It means," I say. "I ain't an illegitimate son of Richard Amarxik anymore. Connor, ya-"

"I told him," Connor says. "That you are my brother as well, and that if he did not sign the paperwork, I would denounce my lineage."

Which would mean that he wouldn't be a member of the Amarxik family anymore – just Connor xal Richard xan Varilar. If Connor publicly declared against his own lineage, that would leave the Amarxik family without an heir, forcing Earl Amarxik to make a choice: accept and admit his folly, or lose Connor as his heir. Either option would not do well for him.

"Connor," I say. "Ya-"

"I know you hate nobility," he tells me. "But not all of us are bad. You're one of us, after all, and Jason's nobility, too. From what I hear, he's royalty to three nations."

Varil by his adoption through Sage Samuel, who has a distant claim to the throne. Jeshema by his adoption of its seven 'rulers', as it's considered its own kingdom ruled by them. The Dragon Clans, because his blood family is their ruling family.

"Yeah," I say. "Jason's royalty alright, and he's good royalty, too. So's Niko. I still hate nobility and royalty, though."

"Then help be good nobility," he tells me. "I might disagree with you on your broad view of it as a whole, especially with our friends – and former friends – but I can understand how you came to that viewpoint."

"I still don't get it," Jeddy says. "Why's it such a big deal? Ain't really the only positive of it that Alex ain't able to get kicked out of his home now? Why are ya kicking up such a fuss, Boss? It ain't like ya to do that over something like that."

Connor frowns as he realizes that Jeddy's right. I didn't just accept it and thank him over it. I did more, and he's only now realizing there's something more to this.

"This is," I say. "Paperwork declaring my birth and conception legitimate under the Varilan Heritage Act, Article Nine, Section Four. It declares me as having been a noble since conception and the man who sired me as being responsible for my life, the way he is for Connor's."

"So?" Jeddy asks. "I ain't understanding it, Boss."

"It means," Barry says. "That any warrants issued for 'Alex xan Richard xal Varilar' are invalid. It also means that Richard Amarxik is now responsible for all crimes committed by Alex Amarxik while he was a minor. As for ones committed while he was an adult up until now, Alex was considered abandoned under Varilan law and is to be given special treatment under a nobles' punishment code."

In other words, my papa, Richard Amarxik, will have to pay a hefty fine and risk having his status of nobility stripped. At the same time, my punishments are changed, even for what has happened between Jacob and me.

That last one is especially important, as it means that he decides my fate. As Jacob seems intent on protecting me, he would likely lift the punishments on me entirely – grant me a full pardon. At least, if we are understanding this correctly.

"Wait," I look at Barry. "How do ya know this?"

"We've been studying," he tells me. "So that we can do our best to pass the exam when we return to Varil City after this. We want to train at the universities too, ya know."

"Right," I say.

"Alex," Sarah says. "Are ya-never mind. I'll ask in private."

"What?" I ask.

"Something private," she asks. "Though it relates to that."

"Hey, Alex," Jason approaches us, holding a plate of cookies. "I made these for you."

We all look at him, and I'm betting he has no idea what we were just discussing, based on the oblivious look he has.

"Thanks," I tell him, setting the scroll down.

"What's that?" He asks with concern. "Another official notice?"

"The good kind," I say, then give my crew a look. They understand it and leave, and I look at Connor. "Thanks. It means a lot to me."

"You're my brother," he places a hand on my shoulder. "Even if we've only known each other for a short time in this life, I'm going to look out for you both for that and because we're old comrades. You two enjoy your evening."

He leaves, and I realize that now, Jason and I are alone in here. We should probably vacate quickly, now that we have to follow proper protocols.

"Papa Jared is in the kitchen," Jason jerks a thumb back. "He's working on fixing something, so he's sitting on the floor. You can't see him, but he's there."

"I'm here," Sage Jared speaks up.

"Okay," I say, then sit down and push the paper towards him as I take a bite of a cookie. Lemon, and delicious. Jason sits next to me and opens it. "It's Connor's gift to me."

Jason reads it over, and is silent.

"What do are ya thinking?" I ask. "And these are good."

"Thanks," he tells me. "As for my thoughts on this, it's… complicated."

"This means I ain't gonna be able to do my stuff anymore," I sigh. "Imma have to follow all those stupid rules I don't like."

"Not true," Jason says. "The Act legitimizes your birth through this, but not your inheritance or status. Were Connor to die, then you'd inherit the full status he had. Essentially, you're in a limbo status, which is why this Act is rarely ever utilized."

"So I ain't nobility, but am?"

"Yeah," he nods. "Any warrants for your arrest under Alex xan Richard xal Varilar are null because that's not your legal name, and hasn't been since birth, due to the retroactive nature of this act. All crimes you have committed before, Richard Amarxik now takes responsibility for. You can no longer be kicked out of your home by him. Those are the three important things.

"Legally, however," he says. "You are still not an inheritor, which means you aren't actually nobility. All future crimes you commit are your burden as well. Nothing actually changes for you, other than the aforementioned things. In addition, other laws and Acts may overrule or change some aspects of this, so I'd need to look at the full extent of it to make sure what I've said is accurate. That will have to wait until we leave, but until said otherwise, we'll leave it at that."

"So I'm still basically just a street rat?" I ask.

"Yes," he nods. "You're still basically just a street rat. I'm taking a cookie."

"These are my gift!" I tell him with a grin.

"I didn't get to eat any," he grins back as he reaches over and takes one, his right hand brushing against mine.

While our hands are in contact, he contacts me through telepathy, something he still requires physical contact for.

Don't extend out your scanning spell, he tells me. But we're being observed.

(Jacob, 16)

All of us save for Alex's crew are present for this, as they went on to bed as soon as Alex wanted privacy. Jason and Alex are alone in the cafeteria, and we want to see if their awkwardness continues or if they finally admit their feelings for each other, especially after Jason made Alex that plate of cookies.

They were discussing the paper Connor gave Alex, which changes his legal situation. It would change even more if Jason and Alex became betrothed, as it would put Alex's legal situation into limbo due to Alex being Varilan royalty, even if by adoption and marriage.

Jason must know this. If there were ever a time for them to admit their feelings for each other, it is now. He has obviously figured out he loves Alex, which means that all he has to do is just admit it.

"I didn't get to eat any," Jason grins at Alex as he reaches out and takes a cookie, their hands brushing. That was obviously intended. "So what do you think of what you know now?"

"I think," Alex says. "That I feel bad for my papa, that he ain't gonna get to escape my crimes."

"Nah," Jason says. "He'll be fine, even with the charges made against you for attacking Jacob."

"Ain't my fault Prince Jacob's a prick," Alex says. "I still want to punch his face in."

So he does still want to punch me. I have been wondering about that.

"Didn't you two finish that already?" Jason asks as I sigh and a few of the others look at me. "You two literally fought for hours."

"We have a grudging acceptance of each other," Alex states. "I ain't friends with him again. Plus, his guards are so stiff, you could probably use them as planks. I bet that's part of why he's such a prick, he doesn't know how to act around people because he has to deal with them all day."

Oh, jeez. It seems like instead of admitting their feelings for each other, they are going to discuss issues they have with people.

"Lina's guards aren't half-bad," Jason says. "I think one of them actually wants me. Nadia, I think her name is?"

I glance over to my sister's guards, one of whom is blushing.

"I can't blame her," Alex says, and I return to peeking through the doors. "Did ya know that one of my classmates was asking me if I knew if you had a betrothed? At least once a week. Different classmates. It turned to three or four times a week after that stunt ya pulled at the announcement ceremony!"

"You've been hit on as well," Jason says. "We Magi have that aura that draws people to us. Even Niko does."

"Niko's oblivious!" Alex exclaims. "And he's from Mar, it's only natural people will be drawn to him. He's 'exotic', even if they're too timid to approach even the regular Marrans here. The cultural differences are pretty high, and people are afraid of upsetting them."

The pair of them take turns going after each of us, even going so far as to make a point of saying something about each specific person, even the Marrans. It does not seem like they are doing it based on groups, seeming to go from one person to another randomly. Jason occasionally takes another cookie from the tray, his hand brushing Alex's. Just admit your feelings already!

Niko sighs once they are nearly done discussing each of us eavesdropping. He puts his head into his hands, and I look down at him. Then I realize why he did that.

Jason almost always has a scanning spell active, and while he needs physical contact for it, he can perform telepathy as well. He mentioned that to us months ago.

They know we are here, and they know we are observing. Those hand-brushes were so that he could tell Alex something, no doubt about our presence here. They are doing this in an attempt to provoke us into a response.

"A second-rate blacksmith?" Elise bursts into the cafeteria.

It looks like they succeeded. I follow her in as the others start to file in as well, Adam doing his best to hold Elise back.

"Where do you get off calling me a second-rate blacksmith, Alex?" Elise demands as Alex and Jason start laughing. "After those swords and knives you asked me to make you? The compliments you've given? Then I find out you're insulting me and-"

"Elise!" Adam laughs. "They were trying to provoke us into this!"

"No!" She says. "He said-"

"Elise!" Several of us say, and she looks at us.

"Jason always has a scanning spell active," Lina tells her. "He likely told Alex we were listening somehow."

"When their hands touched," Tasha says. "Jason has mentioned before he can perform full telepathy through physical contact. Him grabbing the cookies was probably so that he could tell Alex."

Someone is chuckling in the kitchen as well, though it does not seem likely anyone else has noticed that. It is likely Sage Jared or Sage Harold.

"We couldn't resist," Jason grins at us. "It was just too perfect, the way you were all just pushing against each other trying to listen and see without letting us know you were there, having completely forgotten that I have a scanning spell active at all times and that you're supposed to be running that aural sheath at all times."

We all look at each other, then back to Jason and Alex, realizing that they both have it active, while none of us do. Jason raises an eyebrow, and interrupts further discussion until we perform the technique again.

"Alex," I point at the plate of cookies, which are nearly gone, now. "Jason made you an entire plate of cookies for the gift for today. Of four different types. This is Jason. He does not give anyone his cookies, and he somehow managed to avoid eating them before giving you the plate.

"Jason," I point at the plate again. "You did that! When will you two stop avoiding it?"

"Stop avoiding what?" Jason asks innocently.

"Jason!" I say. "You know what I am talking about! I know you realized it during our first practical combat training session! What all of my comments have been about! You switched to getting annoyed with me instead of confused!"

"Ooooh!" He says. "That! This!"

He grabs Alex and kisses him on right on the lips, and Alex kisses back as we all stare at each other. What? This seems far more casual than it should be!

They stop their kiss look at us, and I am certain we are all feeling confused by that. After a moment, the two of them start laughing.

"What is so funny?" Lina asks. "Why did you just kiss? No discussion or anything?"

"Because they've been courting since the equinox," Sage Jared speaks from the kitchen, standing up so we can see him. "They only just told us about it last week. It seems that's part of why Tiger Alpha was always around when Jason and Alex were 'alone' together – he acted as the supervision."

"He did that himself," Jason snorts. "And declared himself that. But yeah, Alex and I have been courting since the equinox. Also, half of you lost your aural sheaths when we kissed."

"That is not important!" I exclaim. "Jason!"

"It's quite important," he says. "This is a training camp. You lost yours, by the way."

He stares at me pointedly, so I use the technique again as I notice the others turning theirs back on.

"You have been courting for three months?" I ask. "And never said anything?"

"Of course we ain't gonna say something," Alex says. "We know ya guys might accept it, but ain't everyone gonna do that. We decided after telling his mamas and papas that we'd tell all of ya as well, but here."

"How's your crew going to react?" Connor asks as Niko shakes his head in disbelief. He deals with Jason so much more than any of us, yet did not know Jason and Alex were courting? "They aren't with us."

"They already know," Alex says. "I told 'em back when we first started, since I was thinking Jason was just some prissy noble, and wanted to make it clear I'd been wrong."

"And you did not trust me?" I look at Jason.

"He's known his crew for years," Jason says. "I've known you five months, and thought it was amusing how you'd squirm around with frustration at this."

"Alright!" Sage Jared calls out. "Everyone, you should be heading to bed, as it's past lights-out time. Hurry on, before Elena comes out."

We hurry to our rooms as Jason laughs. I reach my room first, and pull Tasha to me, giving her a kiss goodnight.

"I will see you in the morning," I tell her. "But I hope you sleep well."

"You as well, Jacob," she smiles. "And thank you for the comb, it was quite lovely."

"You are most welcome," I tell her. "And thank you for the gloves, they are sure to keep my hands warm."

We kiss again, then I give her a brief hug before she leaves, and I step into my room to finish preparing for bed.