“Anyways,” said Aeron, tapping Deon on the shoulder. “Your turn next, lover boy. Tell your story.”

“I was unjustly expelled from my home,” Deon answered curtly as he continued unpacking his bags.

“That’s it? I hope you are not this quick with the ladies. Where is your home? Why were you expelled? Come on, tell them the full story.”

Deon sighed deeply. “You might have noticed from my accent that I’m not from Gwynland. I’m from Lisbleus, son to the Marquess of Gascogne, which would be the equivalent to a duchess in here. One fateful day, she was hosting a feast in honor of the Burgrave of Mauten, one of her vassals. And being the dutiful son that I am, I decided to help by entertaining his eldest daughter.”

He tossed a pair of trousers into the closet’s drawer. “We went for a walk through the castle gardens and simply lost track of time. We returned with the sunrise, and her father accused me of deflowering his daughter.”

“And did you?”

“Of course not. She had already been deflowered long before I even came along. My friends and I would call her the Hen House given the number of cocks that have been inside of her. But did my mother even care? No, she didn’t. She called me irresponsible, exiled me from her lands, and practically disowned me without even hearing my defense. If not for my grandfather being friends with the Olsandre Duke, I would have been left penniless and in the streets. That’s what happens when you allow women to be in charge of anything.”

Bella raised an eyebrow. “Excuse me?”

Deon turned around to meet Bella’s stare. “It’s but a single fact of life. Women aren’t fit for being rulers. Their duty is to care for the children and assist their husbands. How can you trust the fate of a people to someone who bleeds once a month for no reason at all?”

A direwolf baring its teeth would still look less threatening than Bella’s smile. “It’s funny that you mention bleeding,” she said, taking one step closer to the foreign nobleman.

Being only a Mage, Jon had no way of guessing her exact cultivation. But he’d still prefer not to be the target of her anger, even though he had his plate armor while she only had a dress.

Seemingly aware of the danger, Deon tried to take one step backward but the closet stood in his way. “S-See?” he said, his voice faltering. “You can barely control your own emotions.”

Jon had to hand it to the nobleman. He was willing to stand by his beliefs in the face of danger, no matter how imbecile said beliefs might be.

“Wait,” Nevil said as he grabbed Bella’s hand. “Let’s try not to attack people right after getting into the academy.”

Bella looked at her hand being held, then back to Deon, and then to Nevil. She huffed angrily but did nothing further than that.

“If we’re going to spend the next seven years together, then we should try to get along. Or at least not be openly hostile.” Nevil said, and Bella nodded after a while. “Speaking of which. Deon, if you’re from Lisbleus, then that means that you follow the Holy Flame, correct? Will you be all right with us as roommates?”

“Why wouldn’t I be?” Deon said with a shrug. He looked at each of those in the room, noticeably avoiding Bella’s gaze, until settling on Jon. Realization flashed through his eyes. “Oh, I understand. Don’t worry, though, I don’t think half-breds are the spawn of demons like the priests say. The fact that your mother is from the desert tribes says very little about you.”

Jon never said that his mother, and not his father, was the southerner. While correct, Deon just assumed it to be the case.

Aeron looked shocked at Deon’s words. “How are you more acceptant of half-breds than women? Don’t get me wrong, Jon, I also won’t cause any problem with you. Us bastards need to stick together after all. But explain it to me, Deon, because I’m finding it hard to understand.”

Again with the assumption. If Jon believed his mother’s tale, and he did, then he wasn’t a bastard. Conceived outside of marriage, sure, but not born outside of it.

“As I said, I just don’t think that women should rule. As for Jon and other half-breds.” Deon shrugged. “Nowhere in the scriptures does it say that the desert people are demons. It’s just that priests interpret it that way. That’s what happens when you mix a bunch of confusing metaphors with cautionary tales meant to scare the commonfolk. Besides, if there’s any truth to them, then I’m already damned to an eternity in hell regardless of what I do. Fornication is a grave sin after all. Not just some priest’s interpretation, but actually one of the seven capital sins with its own little corner in hell for those who commit it.”

“This has got to be the worst… I hope not all foreigners are as crazy as you.”

Before Deon could respond, Nevil cleared his throat. “Now that we’ve cleared this up, Bella and I shall be taking our leave. Bella still has to pick her room, and I need to contact the staff before the last spot here is taken.”

“Are you seriously still planning on staying here?” Bella asked.

“Of course I am,” he answered with a smile. The two closed the door as they left.

Aeron scoffed as soon as they left. “He speaks like this is the most sought-after room in the whole academy. Unless there’s a literal murderer also enrolling, I doubt the headmaster will be forcing anyone else to be in here with us.”

Jon nodded to the words. He had already noticed the pattern related to all three of them. “And I assume that your wager was related to this?”

“Obviously. Both mine and Aeron’s stories are scandalous, to say the least. He thought it was a coincidence that we’d been placed together. I disagreed. And then you walked into the room, proving me right. No offense, but we are a disgraced foreigner, a bastard, and a half-bred bastard. It’s obvious that the headmaster has decided to round us up away from the more respectable folk.”

“Why doesn’t he simply expel us then?”

“Oh, I’m sure he’d love to do it if he could. But while the headmaster is the one responsible for managing the academy, he still answers directly to the duke. His Grace was the one who allowed Aeron and me to enroll in the academy. And you came into the academy through the Squire’s Tourney, which is always overseen by the duke himself. If he didn’t kick you out, then the headmaster won’t do it either. As long as none of us cause trouble, that is.”

“So it’s better that we all keep to ourselves. Sounds easy enough.”

“Of course. Now, as you’ll be staying here, then you should choose where to sleep.” Aeron pointed to the corner bed where he was sitting. “My bed is this one right here. You can tell that it is mine because I’m already on it. Deon’s is the next one over. You can pick any of the other two beds.”

Jon nodded. He grabbed his burlap sack with both hands and tossed it over to the bed at the other corner. After traveling during the morning, waiting hours in a cramped cell, and fighting during the afternoon, Jon felt tired. He wished to wash the sweat off his body, to eat something, and to sleep. He decided to start with the bath.