“Study without desire spoils the memory, and it retains nothing that it takes in.”

- Leonardo da Vinci

The coach rolled through the evening rush as those who had been employed in the upper city returned to their homes somewhere in between the heights and the river. It took more than an hour for them to enter the quiet district called the Ivy Terrace for the predominance of the green creeping plant and the terraced nature of the quarter, which was set into the side of a rocky hillside granting a fantastic view mostly unobscured by other buildings. The only downside being, that the river and the low-lying sections of the city often languished beneath a cloud of dark smoke. The carriage drove through streets pleasantly free of the traffic impeding them everywhere else. Lights flickered on great metal poles as the runes measured the remaining sunlight and found it wanting.

The Graufurt mansion came into view near the end of a cul-de-sac. The right side of the street was lined with homes, while the left overlooked a steep decline until you could see the next lower rung of houses, some smoke drifted from their chimneys but was quickly pulled away by the prevailing winds.

As before, they drove through the carriage entry as servants opened the large gates for them. They left the vehicle and stretched. “I am starved.” Mireille yawned, quickly hiding her teeth with her hands as she saw Alea’s furrowed brow.

“Me too.” Alyssa smiled at her friends, “Let's go and see if dinner is ready.” The spider on Alea’s shoulder nodded at that, moving her forelegs in anticipation.

Dinner was a quiet affair as the girls were still exhausted from the day's labors. Maximilian had excused himself but had left a note with Adam that he would be available tomorrow to help with enrollment and the choosing of courses and dormitory rooms.

They slept peacefully and were woken by the servants come morning.

"Do you think something happened to Vanessa?" Alyssa asked as they were still lying in bed.

"I don't think there is anything she could not run away from...but she has been captured once already, hasn't she?" Mireille mused.

Sounds of splashing water came from the adjacent bathroom where Alea was getting ready for the day. Sunlight filtered between the heavy drapes and it was cozy and warm.

"I need a, what is the word? A vacation." Mireille stretched. "But Vanessa's absence is concerning."

Asandria turned and a ray of light filtered through her chest. 'She mentioned when last I saw her, that she would catch up to us when we reached Kronenburg. I would not be too concerned at the moment. When she was caught by the priesthood of Cornac they had the chance to ambush her. I hope this trusting behavior has been beaten out of her. It does not become the Erellathiel line, with such naivety she would have been eaten whole by the court. But the priesthood has had a reputation for honor and trustworthiness. This might have lowered her guard. Hopefully, her captivity has erased this impression.'

Alyssa relayed that to her friend who nodded. "Nothing we could do about it in the short-term. Let's get enrolled!" She raised her arms into a victory pose, still lying under the covers. Alyssa smiled.

After breakfast, they set out again. Alea wore the dark blue dress with the silver-link girdle and a near-black blindfold with runes in silvery grey. Alyssa had the dress in dark blue and violet with ruffled sleeves and embroidered at the hem with blooming lilacs sharply contrasting her white hair and complimenting her purple eyes, she wore a black cloak around her shoulders protecting her and her clothes from the claws of her growing familiar. Mireille wore the dress in a pale orange color embroidered with orange blossoms. They looked like noble girls.

Because they had an earlier start the traffic was not as bad as the last time. Despite that, it took three-quarters of an hour before they saw the academy again. Yesterday it had not sunk in, but today she would be meeting probable classmates. That was faintly terrifying. Alyssa looked at Mireille who seemed unfazed by it all and Alea who seemed a bit more nervous but only because she had come to better know the little dark-haired girl and saw through her calm facade.

Adam knocked on the carriage roof and called out to them “We have arrived my ladies. I will take care of the coach. May your day be as fine as the weather.” He laughed.

The sun was apparent in its full glory bathing the academy grounds with light. This seemed especially noteworthy as a low lying smog-cloud concealed the harbor and adjacent workshops. From their elevated point of view, they could see the thick smoke coming from chimney stacks of industry and housing. Alea exited first this time and the spider looked around. The sunlight seemed to gather around her dark silhouette, making her hard to look at. Mireille jumped out next and gallantly helped Alyssa out of the vehicle swaying on its suspension.

“So, what now?” Mireille broke the silence. The wind whispered through bushes and flower beds, ruffling the last blossoms, leaves rained around the chestnut trees planted before the dormitories. It was some time before the start of the first classes and so the grounds were mostly deserted. Some students strolled through the crisp morning and were leisurely making their way towards the main buildings.

“We have to go to the administrative section and get our enrollment documented and the courses we want to take approved.” Alea crossed her arms. “Max wanted to meet us here. Let's wait a bit.”

Cyrus played with a fallen chestnut picking it up and then tossing it towards Alyssa who caught his offering before throwing it further onto the lawn only for the wyvern to snatch it up and flip it back again with a sinuous twist of his long neck. One or two students stopped and stared.

An older man with a long white beard and businesslike attire in darker earthen colors marched hurriedly towards the mensa nodding a greeting as he went by.

The door to a nearby dormitory opened, it was a modestly sized affair of pale grey stone but richly ornamented, with glass windows facing the main square. Maximilian hurried outside struggling into the jacket of his school uniform. Alyssa realized with a start that his left arm was free of the sling, but he was still stiff in using it.

Coming up to them he nodded, “A most pleasant morning to you! Come with me. It is just as well that you are early we can get this done and have lunch in peace. Otherwise, it might take the whole day.” He motioned them to follow.

They walked the now familiar way along the road towards the main building. The statues glistened with dew but the grass was already drying in the early morning light. Two male students came from the opposite direction chatting quietly. The two boys eyed the three friends and one of them even seemed to gather courage for an introduction while ogling Mireille when Maximilian smoothly stepped into his line of sight and greeted him with a reserved nod and they had passed them by. A disappointed sigh was the last they heard of them as they entered the central hall. Mireille grinned a bit and hooked Alyssa’s left arm.

The air was slightly musty and their steps echoed loudly. “As I feared, the three of you should have a chaperone!” He looked mostly at his sister as he said that. “and until thirty years ago that would have been the case. At least Alea will have Lorelle with her when she truly joins the academy. Mireille, please keep an eye on Alyssa.”

Alyssa wanted to protest but thought better of it, then looked at Mireille who grinned and pointed to her eyes and then towards her firmly nodding. She sighed but then smiled and walked further along the corridor.

Entering a bureau they were met by an older woman in a starched grey dress showing the emblem of the academy, a tower piercing a star ringed by arcane symbols. The woman was businesslike but seemed friendly enough.

“So, what can I do for you. Mr. von Graufurt is helping you, I presume?” Getting nods of assent she continued “Those are your enrollment papers, please fill in the blanks, afterward you will still need to see a professor, both of you young ladies are eligible for a scholarship. Ms. von Graufurt would probably be a candidate too, but I can’t see you accepting the downsides- if you wanted to, I could arrange it.”

“No, your reasoning is quite correct.” Alea shook her head.

Alyssa and Mireille looked at each other and then shrugged. The former said, “I think we both would like to know about it because it could be very helpful.”

“That is the intention, even though our King in his wisdom does not grant such without recompense. But that is what the professor will discuss with you.”

They gathered their papers and were shown to a small room furnished with a bench and low table, a window showed an inner courtyard, a different one this time. It was mostly covered in a neatly mown lawn with bushes growing along the walls. A group of students was trying to invoke wind magic it seemed. Dust-laden gusts of air blew across the empty yard. The teacher, an aging morbidly thin woman of indeterminate middle-age wove protective magic to keep the students from harming each other. Alyssa looked on fascinated. Mireille nudged her. “Have you finished already?”

“Ah no, I got distracted. Did I mention that I simply love magic?”

“Once or twice.” She pushed her papers towards Alyssa.” Could you have a look? I am not as confident as you are with my reading and writing. Never had much use for it before I met you.”

“Certainly. Give me a minute to do mine, then I will see if there are any issues with yours.” She smiled warmly. “I could help you with that you know?”

“I might just take you up on that. I fear my classes would be less than pleasant otherwise.”

They finished and brought the assorted paperwork to the secretary. “So, with that out of the way, I will bring you to see the professor. Mrs. von Graufurt choosing your courses will take place in the afternoon with everyone else when all have been enrolled. Until then you are welcome to familiarize yourself with your chosen dormitory and explore the campus. I bid you a good day.”

Maximilian nodded while giving a friendly smile and said “We will wait in the mensa, it should not take too long I think and there will be decisions you both will have to make. I think we can help with that.”

Alyssa nodded gratefully. “Yes, we will do that. I hope we will not make you wait too long.”

“Oh, that should not be a problem. I had not seen Alea in months before I met you both on the road, that is not nearly enough time to catch up, and there were those other distracting problems…” He shook his head ruefully. “until then!”

The secretary, her name was Awilda Glenspring led them deeper into the building. Murmurs behind closed doors indicated that classes were in session, the hallways were quiet. They passed a door and went through a long colonnaded walkway open to another courtyard before they stopped at an unassuming wooden door. Mrs. Glenspring knocked before she entered without so much as waiting for a by-your-leave.

“Hey, Mrs. Glenspring…” A younger man nearing thirty with three-day stubble and somewhat unkempt-looking hair sat behind a big desk strewn with paper. Behind him, a large window shaded by what seemed to be another overhanging roof lit the room with a bit of daylight. There were a few portraits on the wall, nearly hidden by the stacks of books heaped on overflowing shelves. A few weapons hid in the mess, a sword, a spear, and a two-handed maul. Dust hung in the air, motes of it gleaming in the rays of light from the window. The professor had been caught with his boots on the table and probably not for the first time if one took the stormy expression of the secretary into account.

“Magister Reneus Flammensiegel, as you were told in today's notes you have four students who might wish to apply for a royal scholarship. I would wish that you represent this prestigious institution with the respect it deserves. Those here are the first two.” The professor was helplessly smiling at this point and made a poorly hidden pointing motion towards the two girls, wiggling an eyebrow. Mrs. Glenspring did not deign to respont to that. “But it seems that my admonitions fall on deaf ears.” She sighed and turned towards Alyssa and Mireille. “This is Alyssa Miner and Mireille Annirstochter. If there are any unanswered questions I will do my best to help you.” A fleeting smile graced her stern features and she nodded towards the now more respectably seated professor who was in the process of stacking the papers to open up a bit of space on the cluttered tabletop.

Magister Reneus cleared his throat, stood up, and gave a somewhat forced grin. “Pleased to meet you both, and thank you for bringing them to me, Mrs. Glenspring. Have a seat you two.”

As he saw that the three chairs were all laden with books and scrolls he hastily emptied that onto the ground behind the desk. “So. Now please be seated. Is this your familiar?” He regarded Cyrus with interest. "Please keep him away from my books, they are more fragile than I would like." He shook his head and motioned- They sat down.

“Did Mrs. Glenspring tell you about the rules of a royal scholarship?”

Mireille shook her head. “No, she only mentioned that his royal majesty would get his money's worth.”

Hearing those somewhat less than respectful words a grin flashed over his face before he coughed. “Please, young lady, you should not put it quite that crudely. If I were a more hidebound individual I could have taken offense. You are not a native of Margrinar I presume?”

They both shook their head.

“Then it is only natural that you might have less awe towards our illustrious ruler, but please, do yourself a favor and do not make light of them. So, where was I? Ah yes. The rules. Even if crudely put, what you said was nevertheless correct.

The scholarship was put in place for three reasons. First, it allows people without a good background to learn and gives us the opportunity to have more excellent pupils. Second, the royal family earns loyalty, forced and freely given through this measure, and third,” he looked at Alyssa as he said the last “there are certain affinities and talents who should be nurtured lest they be abused, intentional or not.”

He continued. “If you should accept the scholarship, your tuition and living expenses will be paid for by the crown. You in turn will swear a magically binding oath to never, and that is open-ended, harm the nation of Margrinar willingly and knowingly. And then you would have to work in the service of either the academy or the crown in whatever fashion they deem necessary while being paid in full for it. That could mean military service. After ten years you are – mostly- free to do what you want. Most scholarship students are very glad for those generous terms and give their loyalty willingly, but they are nearly all from Margrinar. Any questions?”

“This sounds very fair to me.” Alyssa nodded when hearing the terms. “I am very grateful for the extended offer. But I will discuss it with my friends first.”

Mireille nodded at that, “I think I will follow her lead. Thank you.”

The professor eyed both of them and nodded. “If you have another method of funding then this might be the better path to take. But the enforced employment also means that you would have said employment. Not that I doubt your abilities but some people would desperately wish for the opportunity and will never get it. So think carefully. Are there any more questions?” He looked just about ready to resume his reading as he subconsciously dusted the book he had been immersed in as he was interrupted.

Alyssa smiled. “No, that should be enough for us to get an idea. Thank you for your time.”

“My pleasure. My pleasure. If you need something simply knock. And when I am available I will help as I can.” He nodded. Then ushered them from the room.

“That was quick. Did they really need a professor to explain this?” Mireille seemed a bit irritated. “All this production and then it took, what? Five minutes?”

“I think that the professor could have answered a lot more questions than he did. How much is the tuition? Is there any pocket money? Are there criteria for failure? And what is there in terms of jobs that could be forced upon us and will we be paid as a ‘normal’ employer or at reduced rates?”

“Hu. How do you come to think of all that?”

“I talked to Mrs. Silversmith and she was most helpful. But I never really intended to accept when I heard the enforced employment clause. And then there is Maximilian's offer. And that sounded a lot better. No surprise there, we did help them out a lot.”

“Yes, let's hear what he has to say. And then there was the possibility of having lunch…?”

“It's still only ten o clock!?”

“You never know when and where the next meal is coming from!”

“You are no longer living on the street!”

They returned the way they had come, joking all the while. And what Alyssa did not mention, was the most important reason for her to decline. She did not want to be parted from Mireille and to a lesser but growing extent Alea and even Vanessa.

Having a new family was something she never thought possible as her old disintegrated before her helpless eyes but once found she would not let go.