It turned out that Mr. Book… I mean Caleb, still hated me for some reason. I had no idea what bothered him so much. I never thought that someone could say a cute nickname like ‘Ms. Cookie’ with so much loathing.

“Is there a problem?” I demanded.

“You are a queen candidate.”

“Yes, but wouldn’t you have to work with one regardless?” I asked.

Caleb snorted. “Queens exist to make the jobs of magicians harder. They control magic laws, and have the power to ban spells.”

“You are correct,” I mused, “but I don’t take pleasure in making magic harder to use. I love magic just like any magician would.”

“Then why go for a queen instead of head magician?” he demanded.

“Why?” I asked and smiled, “Think of it this way. Wouldn’t it be better if the person who makes the laws on magic loves magic? If all of the magic lovers go for head magician, then that leaves someone who does not understand magic in the place of a queen. The queen must regulate magic, so wouldn’t magic be unnecessarily restricted?”

Mr. Book seemed a bit taken aback. “O-oh… I guess I never thought of it that way.”

Keane smiled at me from his corner where he was messing with some sort of vial. “I approve of her.”

Alois clapped his hands. “Wonderful! Now we need to go king fishing!”

“Do any of you know king candidates?” Mr. Book asked, “I don’t.”

“I see one sometimes,” Autumn said, popping up from behind Keane.

I jumped a little. I hadn’t seen him much since we first met. He hid from my attempts to make him more manly, and I eventually gave up. He looked boyish enough now, if still absolutely adorable, and seemed close with Keane.

Keane looked back at him. “Is he trustworthy?”

Autumn hesitated. “He is… sparkly?”

“Sparkly?” Mr. Book demanded, “What does that even mean?”

“Does he wear glitter?” Alois asked with interest.

Autumn made eye contact with me, somehow unable to explain. After a moment of thought I realized that it was probably one of the love interests that he had previously been afraid of. If it was a love interest they were probably destined to be king, so it was probably a good call.

“Who is it?” I asked.

“His name is Maximus,” Autumn said.

“Maximus?” Alois complained, “Now I know what you mean. That completely effortless appearance that draws attention wherever he goes… Doesn’t he have a stalker?”

“A stalker?” Keane asked, “Is he in trouble?”

This was quickly getting out of hand so I jumped in. “Why don’t we go meet him?”

“Where do you usually meet him?” Keane asked Autumn.

“When I go to get supplies in the afternoon. He is always by the medicinal flower garden.”

An alarm started ringing in my head. An effortlessly attractive king candidate who hung out by the medicinal flower garden in the afternoon. I suddenly recalled something. Wasn’t Maximus that king candidate who was constantly stubbornly confessing to me? So that was a love interest…

“Why don’t you guys go invite him,” I suggested, “I believe Rosalind is waiting for me right now.”

“Rosalind?”

“Isn’t that the wife of the Head Magician?” Mr. Book asked.

I smiled. “It is, and I am her apprentice,” I informed him with pride.

For the first time he actually seemed impressed. “I had heard that the head magician married a princess…”

The communication charm princess Rosalind had given me started glowing and I held it in my hand.

“Did you get in?” her voice came through.

“I did,” I replied, “And I am joining a faction with Alois, Mr. Bo- Caleb, Keane, and Autumn.”

“So you got a head start?” Rosalind asked in amusement.

“A head start?”

“Yes. Factions need to be completed two days after the interviews are completed. This is the week of surprises that happens before entrance into Nobility.”

“I helped with last year,” Alois pitched in, as he had overheard everything, “but it gets changed up every year and I have never been able to get involved with the second half.”

“Did you help out at all before then?” Keane asked.

“No. I just became the headmaster’s apprentice last year.”

“Two days isn’t very long,” Keane muttered.

“Don’t forget to come to dinner. It is the last break you will get for a while,” Rosalind told me before breaking off communication.

“That was ominous,” Mr. Book muttered.

“We need to get in contact with Maximus right away,” Alois agreed, “I will try looking into what else our faction needs as well.”

“I want to have a nice dinner,” Autumn sighed as he realized how busy things were already going to be.