The morning sun struggled to pierce the heavy grey clouds over the mage city. Housewives and servants hurried to take down the last night''s laundry before the pregnant sky above vomited out a winter deluge.


    Meanwhile, behind the crystal windows of the Academy, the smell of tea lingered in the air alongside the crunch of cookies appearing suddenly and without explanation in the hands of a girl staring out of the window.


    I mulled over my notes before closing my eyes and leaning into the headrest. Today was the day of the Brawl, and the odd weight hung on my chest. Despite my family tragically not being able to see me, the expectation to perform as a scion of House Junker was there.


    Prying my eyes open, I looked at Vilkas who was reading a fencing manuscript, his eyes shining with the light of a true bureaucrat. To the side, where Siri idly eyed the city''s panorama, her mother sat beside the doll-like daughter one hand gingerly brushing the black fabric of her dress while the other flipping through a thick folder of reports.


    Couldn''t imagine myself doing what these two were doing. Spending their day''s faces glued to paper. Aspects be praised I''m not anywhere close to being an heir to my father. Coming up with ideas on how to improve his demesne, is something I can do but the prospects of administering a barony even as sparsely populated as Heroe''s Vale always quenched my noble''s desire to rule.


    My husband whoever my father chooses, will administer the land. That is the number one thing I have to tell my father after he comes back home. And may he have a big wild forest behind his manor to hunt, to smell the wildflowers and wet moss, for children to learn how to forage... I wonder if they will have my green eyes or h-.


    What am I even thinking about?! I have years before I marry someone and I can delay or refuse the marriage as the sole female of our House. And why do I want my husband to have a wild forest in his backyard? Aspects, indeed, you can never get the frontier out of a frontier''s woman.


    "My lady? You look rather shocked." The gentle voice of Annette tickled my ear.


    "No, thanks, Annette. Could you refill my tea," I responded. "Please."


    "Black, herbal or spiced?" The Catalinian maid asked, her tanned almost brown skin contrasting against the white frills of her impeccable uniform.


    "Spiced please, I don''t want to miss my place in the Brawl because I took a nap."


    "You''re free to do so. I would have woken you up."


    "Thanks." I nodded before taking a breath of the exotic aroma I grew so fond of. I cocked my head to the side looking over Aoife''s shoulder who so bravely served as a guard for the high noble against an evil goose, after the said high noble excitedly peeked into its home. The young woman tilted the book away feeling my gaze behind her, but not before I managed to read a couple sentences of a rather forthright romance novel.


    Stolen from Royal Road, this story should be reported if encountered on Amazon.


    Didn''t know they had those.


    In the calm quiet, a dull thud of a pastry hitting the ground drew my bored attention. The pale girl''s grip on her sweet treat faltered as her head slid to the side, the cookie bouncing off the window sill before tumbling down.


    A hand grabbed the cookie in mid-air. Despite their size difference, the elven maid somehow managed to hide behind Siri, blending into the girl''s shadow until now.


    The maid raised the half-eaten sweet saying something to Miss Blackworm which made the older woman raise her hands defensively. It was truly a wonder to see a servant cause such a reaction from one of the pillars of power of Firmusa, making me think how old the elf even is and how long would she need to be a part of the dar Blackworm family to do stuff like this.


    Maybe a nap isn''t such a bad idea?


    <hr>


    "How are you feeling, Sofia?" Vilkas approached me as I was attempting to find the pivot point on my naginata, waiting for my name to be called.


    "Hi, Vilkas sorry I couldn''t see your fight, these weapons just feel so off in my han- Aspects! You are bleeding, Vilkas." He smiled tiredly managing to look pleasant despite the dirt and blood staining his face.


    "Not mine," He proudly responded, straightening his back before wincing. "Not all of it."


    "Are you getting not healed? Healer!" I shouted angry that he didn''t go to a healer first. "I thought the Brawl was meant to be safe."


    "It is, like jousting. Never saw the way those lances break and throw those knights onto the ground in full plate?"


    "No, and shut up I''m trying to look for a healer."


    "Sandwich?" Siri appeared from behind me from the meeting her mother dragged her before the brawl.


    "Lady Siri, please find a healer. This idiot here forgot that he needed one."


    The girl closed her eyes and shuddered as if my words brought upon a cold draft before walking over with a bristle unhurried pace.


    "I don''t see any wounds. Superficial cuts only but no damage explaining your concerned state." Siri pulled on Vilkas''s vest pulling his face closer to her before letting go. "I''m putting you behind Iris on eye replacement."


    I stared at Vilkas, Siri''s words turning into white noise as my fingers felt around his skin.


    "Hey, hey, hey what are you doing?"


    A button flew off into the corner of the room as I ripped open the padded vest. A big purple bruise on his ribs seemed to pulse as if eating itself as it slowly faded returning to the slight olive hue of Vilkas''s skin.


    "Oh..." Siri peered over my shoulder, her colourful eyes shining beautifully like the sun behind a pair of stained glass windows. "How did you heal him? Didn''t feel any life mana around us."


    That wasn''t me though.


    "Didn''t know enchanters could heal. You did say your second class was noble wasn''t it?" Vilkas spoke as he curiously poked the previously purple patch of skin before looking at me. "Told you it wasn''t anything to worry about only a cracked rib."


    "Only a cracked rib!?" Something boiled over as the idiot flashed a smile at me.


    "Mister Amroch? The healer is ready to take a look at your injuries as Master Jahaar has finished being stabilized. " A young Geni''i magistrate in white and red garbs announced, barely hiding his shock at the odd scene in front of him.


    "I think I''m alright." Vilkas responded back standing up to his full height.


    "Hmm, as you wish," The man no older than I am nodded his head as if thinking before opening his mouth again. "I''m sad to inform you that due to the reckless endangerment of life, the judges decided to eliminate you both from the Brawl despite your victory."


    "Huh?" I opened my mouth like a carp before forcing it closed as I felt eyes on me. How badly did Vilkas win that they are eliminating him?


    "I understand." If the back-line officer was angry, he didn''t show as confident yet a polite smile remained on his face while the magister was present.


    "Subject, hello? Can you tell me how you healed Sandwich?" A hint of annoyance permeated the bored and ignored high noble who was so used to being at the center of attention.


    "Not right now Lady Siri. I will try later."


    "Promise?" Her voice barely rose over the noise as cheers erupted from the crowd, their voices melting into one cacophonous wave which flooded the room causing all of us present to turn toward the door.


    "Lady dar Blackworm?" The servant asked upon looking at a list in his hands.