Shae looked out her window, breathing in the salt air that swept off of the ocean. On clear days like this, she could stare at the view for hours: wispy clouds, blue sky, and turquoise water, all of which seemed to stretch on forever.

“I can’t believe you’re about to meet the queen,” Cinda said from behind her.

Bree made a dismissive noise. “How can you call serving as one of the queen’s companions for the next twenty years meeting her?”

“I didn’t. Besides, she has to meet her before she can serve her.”

Shae turned in time to see Cinda pair the comment with a smirk, to which Bree barely batted an eye. Her two bunkmates were sitting across from each other on one of the room’s three narrow beds, playing cat’s cradle with a ttet--a string covered in sections of crushed glass. Both young women moved their fingers quickly, but carefully, neither wanting to be the first to cut herself and thus lose.

The three of them had lived together for almost five years now at the seminary of Su’Sonith, nearly a quarter of Shae’s life, but in that moment it seemed to her like it had only been a handful of months, maybe a year--definitely not five. She sighed, moving to the next bed over and plopped down.

“Tell me again why everything is going to be okay?”

“You mean,” said Bree, “besides the fact that you’re top of our cohort, that you were hand-picked by the headmistress to receive your blessings, and that you annoyingly keep winning the weekly scrims?”

Shae smiled. “Yes, besides all of that.”

“You’re also an excellent speller,” Cinda said. “Very patient, and good at finding lost hairpins.”

“How could I forget?” Bree said.

“But most importantly,” Cinda continued, “you work until the job is done and don’t make excuses. That’s why we respect and love you, and why the queen will too.”

Shae’s breath caught and it was a few seconds before she could speak again. “I’m going to miss you both so much.”

Cinda smiled, her dimples showing, and even Bree cracked a grin. The two of them disentangled their fingers from the ttet and wrapped Shae in a hug, promising to write and visit as soon as they were allowed.

Not long after, Shae walked the halls of the seminary, her spirits higher and nerves calmer than what she would have thought possible, considering where she was headed.

Well, that was heartwarming.

Shae paused but didn’t respond to the voice that spoke in her mind. She had been wedded to the soulstone in her forehead for just a few weeks and was still coming to terms with its presence. Her tower chakra instructors said that over time it became more manageable, even natural, but Shae wasn’t sure that she would ever get used to it.

You definitely won’t if you refuse simple conversation. Not to mention, it’s quite rude.

The fact that it knew her thoughts made the situation even more precarious. Thankfully, before receiving this particular blessing, she had been subjected to multiple rounds of isolation, sleep deprivation, and even limited torture, all to increase her mental fortitude and discipline. With such training behind her, Shae now had the strength of mind to push the voice to the back of her awareness.

That done, she continued on her way, navigating the corridors and stairways of the structure with a practiced ease. Most of the people she encountered were Nedenian like herself--since a nation would never willingly give their chosen to another country--but some of the servants who curtsied to her as she strode by did hail from other lands. No matter their lineage though, all of the staff were working diligently to prepare Su’Sonith for the upcoming Festival of Birth, as well as the new cohort of female students that would arrive after the celebration had completed.

The bustling mood died down in the upper levels, due to the servants largely being replaced by journeywomen: unassigned companions, sentinels, educators, and artisans, from cycles before Shae’s. Usually friendly, today they narrowed their eyes at her passing. She was taking on a role that many of them coveted or thought her too young for, and they apparently wanted her to know it.

Despite the gauntlet of onlookers, or perhaps because of them, Shae reached the door to the headmistress’s office quite early. The portal was slightly cracked and pleasant conversation could be heard from within. No sooner had she arrived though then an elderly voice cut through the chatter.

“She is outside.”

The talking stopped immediately, making Shae feel like she had been caught spying. Even worse, the headmistress herself opened the door, a quizzical look on her stately face.

“Shae Tissis, why didn’t you announce yourself?”

“My apologies, mistress,” she said. “I only just got here.”

“Then we might as well begin,” the headmistress said, stepping back. “Enter.”

Shae did as instructed, feeling like she had just walked into a song-spinner’s tale. The queen was, of course, the queen, straight-backed and regal, with plaited black hair, a circlet of silver around her brow, and wearing an elegant riding dress, despite it being cut for travel. She sat on one side of a low table set with coffee and cakes, while the headmistress returned to a seat on the opposite side. What drew Shae’s attention though were the three queen’s companions who stood behind their charge, each practically a legend at Su’Sonith: Beatrix the Bold was the most muscular woman Shae had ever seen, nearly as wide as she was tall--and she was tall. As if to accentuate the image, she was armored in dark boiled leather and bedecked with weapons attached to her back and both hips. In contrast, next to Beatrix was a slim, ghostly pale Thrynish woman called Ji’seh. She didn’t wear a mask to cover her albino skin and red eyes like nearly all of the people in her nation did, nor did she appear to carry any weapons. However, her exploits as an infiltrator and sometimes assassin were infamous. Lastly, was the elderly Keska Ulis. Her robe was midnight blue stitched with silver, the colors of her noble house, but her stooped posture covered the garment’s crest. On her shoulder sat a sharp-eyed falcon and fused to her forehead was a diamond soulstone.

Of course, Shae thought, Keska speaks to the wind. It told her I was outside.

I bet she does it the courtesy of speaking back.

Shae bowed to the queen. It was a few steps early, but she needed to hide her sudden grimace. When she straightened, her face was clear and the voice in her head was silent again.

“So, this is the one,” the queen said, looking her over. “Your gifted pupil.”

“One of many,” the headmistress replied, “but this particular vessel is best suited to your needs.”

The queen raised an eyebrow. “The comment was not a slight to your other charges.”

“Obviously not,” the headmistress said. “Discourtesy would be a poor way to repay a favor like this.”

“Yes, yes,” the queen said. “I’m indebted to you and we both know it.”

The headmistress steepled her fingers. “Please remember that next time House Kale balks at one of my requests.”

“I’m sure you’ll remind me when the time comes. Now, on to more pleasant things. I’d like to see my children.”

The request struck Shae as odd. It was well known that the queen and her husband, the vessel of Silver, had no heirs, despite both being past their prime. The headmistress, however, didn’t seem to find the comment strange in the slightest. In fact, she smiled.

“I have much to catch you up on.”

The two women rose, the queen turning to Beatrix as she did.

“I leave her preparation to you. We will depart in an hour.”

Shae didn’t get to see the bodyguard’s reaction to the assignment because the headmistress stopped in front of Shae on her way out the door.

“You were chosen for a reason, my dear. Both for service and for this task. Trust in that and you shall succeed.”

“Yes, mistress,” Shae said, dipping her head.

The headmistress patted her cheek, and then continued on, leading the queen and her two remaining companions from the room.

“Well, don’t just stand there,” Beatrix said when the others were gone. “Show me your blessings.”

“Excuse me?” Shae said.

The guardswoman crossed her thick arms. “I’m in charge of coordinating the queen’s defense and to do that I need to see firsthand what you’re capable of. You have a soulstone wedded to your throat chakra?”

“Yes,” Shae said, instinctively touching the blessing through the fabric of her shirt, feeling where the stone sat embedded in the hollow of her neck, right above her collarbone.

“Summon it.”

“Here?” said Shae, glancing at the decorative wall hangings and perfect rows of books. “In the headmistress’s office?”

“You heard the queen. We leave in less than an hour. Do it here, now.”

Shae tried not to gulp as she lowered into a sitting position, crossing her legs and interlacing her fingers.

“What are you doing?” Beatrix said.

Shae glanced up, confused. “Preparing the summoning.”

“You still require a focal position?”

“Yes,” Shae said, knowing from the woman’s look that it was the wrong answer. She started to rise. “I could try without. I’ve gotten close before--”

Beatrix raised her hand. “Just summon it.”

Shae returned to her seat, abashed. Not wanting to fail again, she closed her eyes, relaxed her shoulders, and elongated her spine, a combination that helped deepen her breathing: in, out, in, out, in, out. With the last, she unlocked part of herself, exhaling one of her souls. It flowed from her nose and mouth, feeling warm, and creating a tingling sensation with its passing. She opened her eyes to see it hovering in the air in the front of her, ethereal, much like the delicate clouds she had been staring at earlier. However, this one began to tighten upon itself, changing pigment and texture as it did. With each twist inward it became more substantial, until, finally, it coalesced into the form of a Nedenian woman. She was lithely muscled and tall, taller even than Beatrix, had black hair no longer than a finger, and was completely naked.

Beatrix circled the summoning and while the tall woman didn’t shift position or speak, she did watch the bodyguard closely.

“Good,” Beatrix said when her circuit was complete. “Now equip her. I assume you left her armament outside for the meeting, though in truth it should always be carried on your person, regardless of where you are or who you are with.”

“Um…” Shae said, her heart sinking again. “It’s not outside.”

“Then where is it?” Beatrix said, narrowing her eyes.

“In my bed trunk.”

“And what would you have done if the queen had been attacked?” Beatrix snapped. “Run to your room, sit, and then return to us? We would all be dead or victorious by that point. Think, girl! How do you expect to protect anyone using that?” The bodyguard was shouting by the end of it and finished by pointing at the naked woman.

Shae had a dozen thoughts, from apologies to arguing the unlikelihood of an attempt on the queen’s life within the walls of Su’Sonith, but before she could get any of them passed her lips, her summoning spoke.

“If you think I am useless without arms or armor, you are a fool. I have killed feral with my bare hands, suffering not a scratch. I could do the same to you and take your equipment, though it is much too wide.”

Beatrix glanced at the summoning and then looked back at Shae, her eyes tightening. “You obviously don’t have full control over her. That or you are incredibly stupid.”

Shae raised her hands defensively. “I don’t. Just her core. I was told to master the rest later”

“That’s good advice,” Beatrix said, “but now is later.” The bodyguard looked to say more but then she sighed, seeming to reach a decision. “Gather your belongings, including her gear, and be by the front gate in half an hour.” She moved to leave.

“But I have two more stones,” Shae said, standing.

“Both of which are harder to master than the one you just showed me. No, I’ve seen enough and have other matters to attend.”

Beatrix left the room, the woman’s heavy steps echoing down the hall. When they were far enough away, Shae spun on her summoning, hands on her hips.

“Why did you insult her?” she said.

The naked woman took her time in looking down. It was like being stared at by a cat--a well muscled and very tall cat.

“If my service here has concluded, release me.”

Shae clenched her teeth. “Fine,” she said, willing the summoning to end. Immediately, the woman broke apart, returning to the same white smoke she had been a few minutes before. Shae stepped into it and inhaled, feeling the warmth of the soul burn through her air passageways before returning to sit at the base of her throat. She took another, normal breath to calm herself and then set off to her bunk, carefully closing the headmistress’s door as she left. The fact that she had been left alone in such an auspicious room should have made her feel special, trusted, but instead, all she could think of was Beatrix relating her many failings to the queen.

Neither of those warrior women seems to like you very much, the voice in her head said. If you’re not nicer to me, you’ll lose your only friend.

Shae picked up her pace, hoping with all of her heart that Cinda and Bree were still in their room because she really needed another hug before she left.