Chapter 12

Sergeant Carine Lakhdar’s office was more lived in than I had expected. It was kept fastidiously clean, but there was a homey feel. There were photos of what I assumed to be family members decorating the walls, along with a crucifix that gave me a sharp headache if I looked too closely. One wall was dominated by paired flags of France and Algeria. It took away the possible icebreaker of asking where she was from.

Mariko and I stood at attention in silence. The middle-aged woman looked at us over steepled fingers.

“Mr. Marlowe.” The Sergeant just about spat my name, making Mariko flinch. I wasn’t going to give her the satisfaction, though. “Do you really expect me to believe this nonsensical story?”

“I can see where you would be skeptical, but I assure you, it’s the truth.”

“I got woken up in the middle of the night because of your antics. You were both supposed to be in your dormitories. Instead, I find you making out in a supply closet!”

“An extreme exaggeration,” I said. She’d interrupted us before it could get good, after all.

“And you expect me to believe that you were testing a magical brassiere?” she continued.

“It is true, though,” said Mariko. She seemed a bit less bothered than when Kiyo caught us. I couldn’t be sure if it was that the truth was somewhat on our side, or if she was simply more used to it by then. “I demonstrated it before.”

Sergeant Lakhdar’s eyebrow raised. “You did.” She leaned back in her chair, massaging the bridge of her nose. “It’s certainly a creative use for Shield of Heaven. Heck, there’s a few of us that could use the assist. Still, is there a reason you couldn’t test it another time?”

That was a question I’d prepared for. “It seemed like the best option. It’s not an operation we could very well do in public, and I wanted to be sure it worked before we got one of the female cadets involved.”

“You should have approached me, then,” she snapped. “Last I checked, I know the spell and I’m a woman.”

Mariko gave me a sideways glance. “That would have made more sense.”

I gulped, sensing another awkward conversation in my future. “Still, you see that our intentions really were innocent. It’s bound to let Cadet Yamada finish the course without applying the mercy rule.”

The Sergeant went silent again, her eyes drilling into me. “Rules are still rules, Marlowe. You too, Yamada. Do you know what the worst part of this all is, though?”

“I cannot say I do,” said Mariko.

“By rights, I should punish the both of you,” she said, glaring at Mariko. “However, since Mr. Marlowe is going to be occupied, I’m not sure what to do with you. I don’t want to be unfair.”

“Occupied?” I asked. That certainly sounded ominous.

She tossed an envelope with an oddly familiar seal at me. “You’re still a hero, as far as anybody knows, and you’ve been invited to a special event.”

I inspected the letter. “Who still uses a wax seal anymore?” They were common back home, but then again, so were Franklin stoves.

“You’ve gotten some special attention,” said the Sergeant. “You fly out for North Ireland as soon as your ride arrives.”

“North Ireland?” My eyes widened when I finally recognized the royal seal. I opened the letter and read over it. “The King of England? Whatever for?”

“There’s some sort of function being held, and they want you there. Probably something about being the last man out of England. The League is approving this interruption in your training, given the circumstances. So, you had better be on the best behavior of your life.”

“Oh my,” said Mariko. “You are certainly moving up in the world!”

“It looks like I have a plus one on the invitation,” I said, handing it to Mariko.

“Absolutely not!” snapped the Sergeant, snatching away my invitation. “You had a reputation coming in, and you’re living down to it. Both of you, really.”

“Oh my! What reputation?” asked Mariko.

“That you were stubborn and would refuse any violent request,” she replied. “I wasn’t told you were liable to sneak off in the middle of the night with this cad.”

“I-it really was innocent at first,” said Mariko, fidgeting in a way that would have been cute if she hadn’t just confessed with those last two words.

Sergeant Lakhdar was quick to pounce. “At first? What was it when I arrived?”

“Frankly, I don’t see how we could do anything else,” I said. “Have you ever been young and in love?”

“I saved it until my fiver on the front lines was over,” she replied. “Got three kids at home before I reenlisted; the optimal number to replace me and my husband in the Corps someday.”

“We aren’t all so organized,” I said in return, taking Mariko’s right hand. “I… l-love this woman.” The l-word still felt foreign to my tongue, but I managed.

“Soren,” said Mariko in a dreamy tone.

“All the more reason she isn’t your plus one,” she said, stepping between us and breaking our grip. “Marlowe! Go cool off in Ireland and as God is my witness, if I hear you stepped out of line at all, I’m going to take it out of your hide!”

So much for there being no flogging in the Wizard Corps.

She spun around to glare at Mariko. “And Ms. Yamada, your punishment is my undivided attention while he’s gone. Now that you aren’t going to get knocked out by your tits on your morning jog, there’s nothing keeping you from holding a sword straight or tackling The Gauntlet!”

Mariko’s eyes went wide as she gulped. “Y-yes, ma’am.”

“Now both of you, get out of my sight!”

We weren’t slow to follow her orders.

************

However, we didn’t go straight back to our dorms. We didn’t sneak off somewhere isolated, though. That was bound to be trouble. Still, it wouldn’t do to leave Mariko on such a sour note.

A quick look through Mimic Sight revealed that we did have a tail. I didn’t call Kiyo out, though, because she might as well hear what I had to say. Let her see that I wasn’t the unapologetic lout she seemed to think I was.

“I’m sorry, my dear,” I said. “It seems I can’t do anything but let you down.”

“Ara ara,” said Mariko, shaking her head. I wasn’t sure why she repeated it, but the way she said her stock phrase had an effect on me. The effect was heightened when she embraced me, though the Shield of Heaven wrapped around her was a tad painful as it pressed into my stomach. I managed to focus on her words, though. “You are being ridiculous again. You actually try, Malthus.” She whispered my true name, and pressed on before I could worry about being overheard. “I am… annoyed that you keep getting us caught in embarrassing situations. But, for goodness sakes, you solved a real problem for me! I am so grateful.”

“Not the big one… unless you measure problems by volume.”

“Which I do not,” she said, sounding irritated a moment before smiling up at me. “You always try to derail me with objectifying jokes about my bust when I am being sincere. I am wise to you, though. You will not succeed.” She leaned in and whispered right into my ear. “You can never beat being called ‘Mooriko’ all through high school.”

“Damn, my strategy is ruined,” I said. “Very well, I accept that you aren’t too cross with me. Though… as much as it pains me, I think we need to wait for a day pass and some real bloody privacy before we try again.”

“It is fine,” said Mariko, ending her embrace. “I am used to holding back those feelings; I had already fallen for you while you were with Kiyo, after all.”

“You what?” shouted a voice without a girl attached.

Mariko spun around, searching the dark hallways in vain. “Kiyo?”

“Yeah, Kiyo,” she said, shimmering back into view. “Is this why you kept telling me I was going too fast with Magpie? So you could get your claws in him?”

“Wh-what? No, no,” said Mariko. “I never did anything to undermine you. I knew how happy you were.”

“But you kept telling me to slow down,” she said. “Keeping us in your boring-ass sewing club, even when I wasn’t any good at it so you could show me up all the time. Trying to make him get tired of me so he’d fall into your ara ara Oedipus-complex lap!”

“Kiyo, it wasn’t like that,” I said, taking a step forward. “I only realized what Mariko was after when we were in Iceland.”

“Oh, like I’m going to believe you, Holy Brother Mockingbird McMalthus,” she said, tears forming in her eyes. “You both can get bent.” With that, she vanished again, her rapid footsteps echoing through the hallway.

I went to run after her, but Mariko grabbed my shoulder. “That will not help; she needs time to cool off.”

“I’m not convinced it will help; she’s had months and she’s only been getting more embittered!”

“I will try to talk to her while you are gone,” she said. “Hopefully she can see reason.”

“I don’t know; she still holds onto that grudge with Yukiko,” I countered.

She smirked. “Maybe, but Yukiko actually wronged her. I am blameless, as far as I can tell. This is all a misunderstanding. Besides, it will keep me busy instead of spending my spare time missing you.”

“I doubt I’ll be gone that long,” I said.

“Probably not,” she said, giving my bicep a quick squeeze, “but what princess would not long for her knight while he is away?”

If Mariko’s goal was to make me regret a reprieve from boot camp, she achieved it.