Archive of Our Own ^beta

Chapter Text

Estelle marveled at the lofty Reception Hall. There were a few ornate wagon-wheel chandeliers hanging with lit candles, the light rivaling the sunlight coming through the tall windows from up high. There were several long tables and benches along the walls, with a few students in their uniforms, and monks and staff in theirs.

She couldn’t help but feel the jitters churning in her stomach. She had never thought this day would come, where she was enrolled into Hogwarts, the Officers Academy. Hogwarts Monastery sat right in the center of the continent, between all four kingdoms. It was the academy to enroll in to be a knight or gain apprenticeship of professors, or anything to have the start of a nice life. Considering she had grown up in an orphanage most of her life, having a nice, comfortable life sounded good. If it meant spending a year at a privileged school, that was more than fine with her.

She still felt a bit out of place with her dark brown shirt and tan trousers that contrasted the students’ pristine black and golden uniforms. She stayed close to the wall and held tightly onto the strap of her bag, feeling antsy and anxious. She probably stood out, maybe clearly showing she didn’t belong. Maybe this was a bad idea—

“Ah, there you are.”

She turned to the doors nearby and relaxed at seeing her good friend, Professor Fig. He gave her a small smile as he walked up to her while holding a large bundle of clothing in his arms.

“How did it go?” She nervously asked, fiddling with her hands.

“They accept my endorsement for you,” Fig said. “I would steer clear of the Headmaster for now, however. He’s not…” He tilted his head, trying to come up with the right word. “…as accepting of commoners as one should be.”

Estelle frowned. Fig gestured with his head to follow him, and the two of them walked out of the Reception Hall. They were now outside on a paved path between the Reception and Entrance Halls. Fig then turned right, and she hastily went along with him, walking on a cobbled path that ran near tall hedges. “How did he come to be in charge of the monastery, then?” She asked as they passed an area where pairs of students sat at tables and shared tea and cakes under a large trellis.

“I know,” Fig said. “In the past, archbishops were usually appointed to look after the monastery, but I suspect the Headmaster has some…friends that helped him gain this position.”

Estelle tried to consider such a thing as they walked past another section of the courtyard. There was a gazebo and a few benches near hedges of this area. She tried to remember the layout as she knew she was going to be here for almost an entire year.

“A non-religious leader of a monastery,” she muttered. She wasn’t the most devoted to the goddess, but it was still odd for this place to not have an archbishop, considering its history.

“These are different times indeed, child,” Fig said.

They were now through the last section of hedges, and Estelle looked at the long building across the wide cobbled path. This had to be the dormitories. The two-story building reached far to her left and right, with the first floor having several doors. The second floor had windows that overlooked the alley where a few students were walking. Estelle leaned over to her left, and she saw at the end of the street was a large greenhouse. And when she looked to her right, there was a raised area a couple students walked up stairs to reach with towels slung over their shoulders. Further than that were two massive doors with ringed handles. Estelle was undoubtedly curious to explore more of this place, but she hastened to follow Fig again as he purposely walked to the right end of the dorms.

“This,” he began when he stopped in front of the steps to the room, “will be your dorm.” He held out the large bundle of clothes, and Estelle readjusted her bag’s strap resting on her shoulder before taking them off his hands. She grunted from the weight, but adapted quickly enough. “These are your uniforms. The boots should be in the middle of the mess,” he apologetically added with a tiny chuckle.

Fig put his hands behind his back. The large pile of clothes no longer obstructed his appearance of his dark blue elaborate robes and trousers with a silk light blue scarf with silver intricate designs. While he looked like he was in allegiance to Crawelavn, Estelle knew he actually came from Fyorridg.

“Now, go ahead and change into your new uniform,” he said with a proud smile. “You’re now part of the Officers Academy.”

Estelle brightened. It felt so surreal, but she knew this wasn’t a dream. She had made it to the best school possible, and she intended to make the most of it.

“Yes, sir,” she chirped before running into her dorm room and kicking the door shut behind her. The dorm room was modest, with a bed in the corner and a desk and chair across from it. There was a wardrobe for her clothes that rested right by the door, and even a bulletin board to her right. There was even a mirror on the wall to her left next to the wardrobe. It wasn’t much, but it was plenty for her. If you asked her, this was an improvement to her old room at the orphanage.

Estelle carefully set the uniforms down on the bed, and then started to separate the bundle to better organize it. Once she found the boots tucked in the middle of it, she took them out. She grabbed the stockings and skirt, as well as the dress shirt and jacket.

Soon enough, Estelle turned in a circle, looking down at herself. She even checked how she looked in the mirror. She had on knee-high black boots rimmed with gold color, navy blue stockings, a black flared knee-length skirt, and then the trademark Hogwarts Officers Academy uniform jacket. Black and double-breasted with a golden center running from top to bottom, with three large, black buttons on each side. The high, gold collar hugged her neck, but it wasn’t suffocating to her, and the sleeves that ran to her wrists perfectly hugged her arms without any discomfort. She pulled on the golden cuffs, making sure they were straightened and not wrinkled in any way. She looked back at her reflection, taking in her excited but nervous expression. Her brown eyes shone with wonder, and her dark brown hair was still loose and falling over her shoulder blades. Believing she was ready, she walked out of her dorm, quietly closing the door behind her this time.

Fig turned and smiled with pride again at seeing her. Estelle smiled as well, feeling warmth from how her adoptive guardian was as happy as she was to be here.

“You will make a fine knight,” he told her once she came down the stairs. He smiled a bit slyly. “Or, perhaps you will want to be a professor, follow my footsteps?”

Estelle chuckled at his jesting. “I don’t know yet, but I do hope to make a good impression on my peers at least.” She looked around, trying to stop anyone close to her age in the area. “Which house am I a part of, by the way?”

Fig blinked. “Ah, yes, that is the other thing,” he faintly said. He cleared his throat and rubbed his hands. “It appears the Headmaster, Deputy Headmistress, and I had struggled to figure out which house you belonged to.”

Icy shock settled in her stomach. “What does that mean?” She worriedly asked. Did she not belong to a house, then? Did she already mess up? Where was she going to take classes if she didn’t have a—?

“Now, now, don’t fret,” he comfortingly told her, putting a hand on her shoulder. She met his blue eyes. “As you know, where you came from is usually the house you are a part of.”

Estelle nodded, remembering reading that information on the carriage ride here. “I grew up in Chudley,” she said. Shouldn’t that mean she should be with the other students from Fyorridg?

“I know,” Fig replied. “We had also checked records here for possibly the names of your parents.”

Estelle remembered Fig mentioning being able to do such a thing. She figured they wouldn’t find her parents alive, but it would be nice to at least know where they came from. “Did you…find anything?”

He nodded. “Your father, Mr. Wilson, apparently came from Crawelavn. It took a while to track down any records of marriages.” He held up a finger with a small grin. “It’s a good thing this academy is a monastery, after all. Your father married a lady named Ms. Smith.”

Estelle’s eyebrows furrowed. She didn’t know if Fig was keeping the first names from her so she wouldn’t go searching for them herself. She didn’t really care. She was already seventeen; it was too late for her to want parents. “Where did she come from?”

“Ephul,” Fig answered. “Then, of course, there was my part of the equation.”

Estelle stifled a laugh as she remembered the day they crossed paths. It was last summer, where she was in the streets of Chudley, a humble town. There were knights that were stationed there, and since Fyorridg was known for being sword fighters, a few took time to teach the kids at the orphanage how to fight. While the knights would leave and others would take their place, it was still like a tradition that happened over the years. And since Estelle was never adopted, she got to grow in her skill of the sword, to the point where she was sparring with a knight in the street.

She managed to sidestep a thrust of the knight’s sword, and she went for a diagonal slash. While it was just wooden weapons, the knight barely stumbled back from the force. She got her first victory that day, and when she and the knight shook hands, someone approached them.

Professor Fig was visiting his old home country and came across the sparring match. He had commended her, and then offered to speak to her parents about an opportunity. When she explained she didn’t have parents, he had expressed sympathy to her. He then explained that he was a professor at the Royal School of Sorcery in Banchory, which was the capital city of Rinelsyth. Estelle had never had an interest in magic before, but he further told her that he had connections to Hogwarts Monastery, and the Officers Academy there. The knights she trained with had encouraged her to accept the offer as they both knew Fig and had become knights thanks to that school.

So, she accepted, and one thing led to another where Fig took her under his wing. He was still teaching at Banchory, so she briefly lived there while he wrote to the academy about enrolling her.

“As you don’t have strong ties in any kingdom, it stands to reason that you may choose which house you’d like to join,” Fig told her when she was done reminiscing.

She gaped at him. “I…get to choose?”

Fig nodded and retracted his hand from her shoulder to thoughtfully hold his chin. “I believe the Headmaster’s exact words were ‘I don’t bloody care. Just have her pick a house’.”

Estelle sputtered out a laugh. She still couldn’t believe it! She could pick. She felt some pressure at the thought, but she couldn’t help but be curious. What were the students in each house like? Maybe she could go with where she lived longest, in Fyorridg. They were adept with swords, too, but…maybe she could have her sword prowess in another house? To have diversity in skill?

“I have a suggestion,” Fig offered. She perked up, eager for some advice. “Why don’t you find and speak to each of the house leaders? You can connect with them and see who you prefer to work and fight alongside with.”

Estelle nodded. “I like that idea,” she replied. She looked around them, but the area around the dormitories seemed vacant. It was nice and warm during the Great Tree Moon, so it stood to reason that everyone would be outside to enjoy the spring weather.

Fig waved to the two doors Estelle saw earlier. “I would suggest checking the Training Grounds first,” he said. “These kids tend to train and spar plenty, and so would the house leaders.”

“Right,” she quietly said. “Thank you, Professor.”

“Of course, dear,” he replied. He patted her head, making her smile a little more. Then he patted her back. “Now, good luck. I shall await your decision with the Headmaster and Deputy Headmistress in the Audience Chamber upstairs.”

“Got it.” She rolled back her shoulders and strode to the end of the stone street to the doors. There were a couple knights close by having a conversation, and Estelle could see that the raised area she saw was actually…a bath house. That explained the steam rising out of a couple chimneys of the small building. She looked back at the two doors and tentatively grabbed a ringed handle. She grunted as she pulled, and it slowly creaked open for her. The door wasn’t as heavy as she expected, but she was still far from being strong enough to easily open the door. She slipped through when it was open enough, and it swung closed behind her. She was now in a small hallway that had a couple torches to light the dim area, but she saw sunlight come through on the left halfway down the hall.

As she got closer, she could hear the clack of wood hitting against each other. Having grown up sparring with knights, Estelle recognized the sound as people training at the moment. She picked up her pace and walked through the archway on the left. It was an open courtyard with corridors surrounding it to provide shelter and shade. There were a couple wooden bleachers in the corridors to spectate. There were a few training dummies on the eastern side, but they were not the target of training.

Estelle saw a few students standing under the corridor, whispering to each other. She snuck around to be where she could see what was going on. She saw two teams of a couple students, but her eye caught the uniform that stood out from the four. She found a house leader.

This house leader and his teammate were redheads, but the former had wavy hair that was slightly longer than the latter’s. Both of them were wielding wooden swords while one of their opponents had an axe, and the other had a lance.

The axe wielder was a girl her age with her brown hair tied into a ponytail. Her outfit was similar to Estelle’s but instead of a skirt, she had on snug trousers that only went mid-thigh over her stockings. She had a fierce shine in her brown eyes as she readjusted her hold on the wooden weapon.

Her partner simply held his wooden lance with a confident smirk. He had brown hair that was swept to his left out of his freckled face, and his chestnut brown eyes had a mischievous glint. His attire was of the usual uniform for young men, black and gold jacket and trousers, but she noticed that there was a difference on his shoulders. He had simple, braided epaulettes on the shoulders of the jacket, as if showing a ranking of some kind. What the ranking was, she did not know.

The lance wielder swung his weapon, and his redheaded opponent hastily parried the attack before trying to slash his sword. Estelle tilted her head. She wasn’t sure that was the right footing for such a move… The confident young man thought so too as he easily hit away the sword with his lance.

“Is that all you’ve got?” He asked, obviously poking fun.

“You should know better than to rile up a lion,” the house leader jokingly said, smiling at seeing his friend’s ears pinken. He yelped as he jumped back to avoid a downward axe strike.

“Less talking, more sparring,” the girl demanded before hefting the axe and going for a horizontal slash.

“As you wish,” he replied. Then he parried the axe swing and thrust forward with his sword. He had better footwork than his teammate.

Estelle watched with fascination as both sides kept going. They were skilled fighters, that was certain. Eventually, the lance wielder managed to hit the side of his opponent’s knee, making him falter in his step. Then he swiftly jabbed the soft tip of his lance at his throat with a grin.

“You’re done,” he said.

The redhead huffed. The house leader was busy keeping away the axe-wielding girl. He managed to dodge another axe swing, and he managed to get close enough to trip her. She let out a shout as she fell onto her rear, hissing at the collision. He pointed his sword tip at her.

“And it looks like I won this time,” he announced with a lilting tone.

He forgot about the girl’s teammate, who hit the house leader’s head with the shaft. The house leader yelped and dropped his sword to rub his head. “Was that really necessary?”

The girl rolled her eyes and got back onto her feet, dusting her hands. “Apparently so if you dropped your guard so quickly,” she snarked.

“Honestly, that was a bit too easy,” her teammate mused, holding his lance like a staff now with a hand on his hip.

“I was trying out the sword for once,” the other redhead grumbled as he slowly got up. He leaned down to rub the side of his knee. He glared at Lance Boy. “Typical of you to play tricks.”

“Easy there, Leander,” the house leader lightly reprimanded. He chuckled and clapped his hand on Leander’s shoulder. “Take the loss with grace and go from there.”

Leander looked away, his wounded pride keeping him from saying anything else. Lance Boy chuckled and ran a hand through his hair. His eyes drifted off, and then they stopped on Estelle. Chestnut brown met russet brown, and she felt her nerves multiply as he regarded her with curiosity.

Estelle took a deep breath and walked into the courtyard with her heart pounding against her ribs. She was going to talk to the house leader anyway, so might as well do it now.

“You’re new,” Lance Boy mused as she got closer.

The others turned to look at her. Estelle bit her lip as she wrung her hands, feeling more stares land on her.

“Er, hi,” she awkwardly greeted. She nodded to the girl (who raised an eyebrow), Lance Boy (who slightly smiled at her), and Leander (who frowned thoughtfully) before focusing on the house leader.

As house leader, he would obviously have a different uniform than the other students. He wore black trousers with gold thread on the sides, and they were tucked into simple boots. His black tunic had intricate designs on it like the other uniforms, but it was more like a thin robe that covered his torso and draped over the top half of his legs. There were golden clasps to keep it closed, but it created a V-neck design where it showed his clavicle and red undershirt. On his left shoulder was a red capelet with a golden brooch in a diamond shape keeping it in place. The red capelet covered his left shoulder and ran down to his waist.

He tilted his head at her, making his wavy red hair fall even more unto the right side of his freckled face. His green eyes shone with great interest at her as he crossed his arms.

“Well, well, you really are new,” he said. His eyebrows suddenly shot up, and he chuckled as he put a hand to his head. “Of course! My aunt told me we would be getting a new student.”

Estelle blinked. She didn’t realize news traveled quickly, but then again, it was a couple months since Fig sent in the first letter to request her enrollment. “Oh, who’s your aunt?” She curiously asked.

He was about to open his mouth, but then Leander moved on his feet to face her. “Wait, don’t you know who he is?” He asked, gesturing to the house leader.

Estelle looked at him, and he simply stared back, unbothered. The girl and Lance Boy were curiously watching on the side. She felt heat rise in her cheeks as she did not know. She knew this school was full of nobles and royals, so—

“Oh! Are you a royal of Fyorridg?” She blurted out.

Leander frowned, but the house leader chuckled. “It’s more than alright, Leander.” He turned back to Estelle with a kind smile. “I’m Garreth Von Weasley, heir to the throne of Fyorridg.” Estelle straightened out of respect, but Garreth merely waved a hand. “Hey, don’t worry about it. Here, we’re all students, so don’t worry about calling me ‘Your Highness’ or anything like that.” He leaned on his other leg. “Now, which house are you in?”

Estelle was about to answer, but then someone cleared their throat. She and the two Fyorridg residents looked to see the girl responsible for it. The girl hefted her axe to rest it on her shoulder.

“If you’re going to just converse, perhaps you could take it away from the training area?”

Estelle looked at Lance Boy again, her cheeks warming more as he was still looking at her with curiosity. He looked away when she “caught” him, and he fiddled with his wooden weapon.

She didn’t know why, but she found herself saying, “Actually…I would like to spar.”

Lance Boy perked up at that as Garreth chuckled. “Well, this will be interesting. Who would you like to spar with?”

“Isn’t it obvious?” Lance Boy asked as he lifted his lance and walked a bit closer to Estelle. He gave her a once-over and grinned. “She wants to spar the best fighter here.”

“That is subjective, and you know it,” the girl muttered with a roll of her eyes.

Estelle chuckled. “I wouldn’t mind sparring with you, though,” she told Lance Boy.

“Sebastian is not the best,” the girl chimed in, and Lance Bo—Sebastian turned to her.

“Way to ruin my reputation, Imelda,” he grumbled.

“The only thing I’m ‘ruining’ is your inflated ego,” she shot back, putting a hand on her hip. She looked back at Estelle. “I personally don’t think he’s the best, but he’s still a good fighter.”

“You certainly know how to compliment someone,” Sebastian dryly remarked, and Garreth laughed.

“It’s part of her charm,” Garreth jokingly added. Imelda’s cheeks now had a faint blush dusting them, and she looked away.

“Anyway, I would love to spar with you,” Sebastian said to Estelle. He smirked, and Estelle felt like her stomach’s nerves were taking flight into butterflies. “Pick your weapon, and I’ll give you a proper Hogwarts welcome.”

She smiled, enthralled by his challenge. “Very well,” she said with a lilt in her tone. She walked over to where Leander lost his weapon. She picked it up with both of her hands, relieved to know that it felt the same as the wooden sword she used when learning from the knights.

Sebastian turned to her with his smirk still there. He turned the lance in his hands until he held it in a readied position, pointing the blunt tip at her. Estelle took a deep breath and moved to stand with her right foot slightly in front of herself. She thought she was a decent fighter, having held her own against knights, but she just hoped she would last long enough against Sebastian.

In the corner of her eye, she saw Imelda, Garreth, and Leander stand amongst the other students watching from the sides. She didn’t have a chance to look at the rest of her peers before Sebastian stepped forward and swung his lance in a diagonal, downward slash.

Estelle hastily stepped back to avoid it, and she went for a downward slash of her own. Sebastian brought up his lance to catch her “blade” with the shaft of his. They met eyes, and she saw an excited shine in his. They just started, and he was already enjoying how it was going. Or…he was confident that he was about to beat her. She wasn’t the best at perceiving people.

Estelle let her instincts take over as she moved back again. Sebastian had just moved his lance up as if to shove her blade and her away, so she got away just in time. He went for another slash, this one more horizontal, and she sidestepped to have the tip barely miss her midsection. She went low and reached out with her sword to hit his right leg. He saw it coming and backed away a step. When she got back into a stance, he sent his lance out with a quick jab. She timed it right and hit the tip away to her left, making his eyebrows shoot up in surprise. She couldn’t help the tiny smirk that pulled on her lips. So he was expecting her to step away to avoid the jab. While in his stupor, she thrusted forward with her sword, poking him in the ribs.

Sebastian grunted and he swung his lance, hitting her left side with the shaft. She yelped as she stumbled from the force. She quickly dug her heel into the ground and turned around in a circle to stop Sebastian’s lance with her sword. The wood clattered as they pushed against each other’s weapons. He stepped closer and pushed more, making her grit her teeth as she kept a strong hold on her sword.

“Already feeling tired?” He asked with a smug grin.

“Not yet,” she answered, even though her arms were shaking a little.

“I wouldn’t blame you if you wanted to yield,” he offered.

She felt a spurt of confidence, and she pretended to think it over. “Not my forte,” she said before instantly retracting her sword and sliding to stand to the side. Sebastian stumbled forward from the imbalance, and she used the flat of her sword to hit the back of his knee. He fell onto his knee and used the lance to keep him upright. Estelle took advantage of this brief moment and stood behind him to hold her sword against his throat while her other hand clutched onto his shoulder.

He sharply exhaled and dropped his lance, showing he accepted his defeat. Estelle eased up and moved away from him, lowering her sword. While she heard the crowd abuzz over the match, she focused on Sebastian as he slowly got up onto his feet and dusted off his uniform.

“Not bad,” he commended, looking at her with an impressed grin. “You give as good as you get.”

Estelle smiled back as her heart was beating rapidly from the adrenaline. “Thank you,” she breathed out. “You’re certainly a great fighter.”

“Yeah, if he’s not an idiot,” Imelda spoke up, marching over to them. Sebastian didn’t even have time to frown before she smacked him upside the head. He let out a yell of pain and glared at her as he rubbed his head. “That’s what happens when you flirt on the battlefield.”

“I wasn’t flirting!” He exclaimed as his face turned more red.

Estelle giggled into her hand and then she stiffened when Imelda turned her attention to her. Imelda then held out her hand. “That was impressive work, using your opponent’s strength and weight against himself.”

Estelle was surprised by the rather…gentle tone from Imelda when she just chewed out her sparring partner. “Er…thank you?” She replied as she slowly took Imelda’s hand and shook it.

“I gotta say, I agree with Imelda,” Garreth piped up as he rejoined them. He smiled at the group with his hands behind his back. He had a small group of people following him, with Leander being part of it. “From one swordsman to another, that was a good match.”

“Sebastian is one of the best fighters!” A short boy with black curly hair spoke up. He had a huge grin on his face with his eyes shining from excitement. “But the way you held your own was incredible!”

Garreth chuckled. “I suppose more introductions are in order,” he said. He moved to the side, close to Estelle, and waved to the group of students. “These are a few peers in my house of the Red Lions. You’ve already met Leander, and the downright eager kid is Lucan.” He then grinned as he went to another redhead boy, one that was a year or two younger than him. He wrapped his arm around the boy’s shoulders, smiling with pride and fondness. “And this…is my brother Hector.”

“You forgot someone,” Hector quietly pointed out. Estelle noticed a girl behind the boys with an unbothered smile on her face with amusement twinkling in her chocolate-brown eyes. She had a mocha skin tone and her thick, black hair was tied into a neat bun.

“That is quite alright, Hector,” the girl said as she walked around them. She even patted Garreth’s back when he sheepishly rubbed his neck. “I prefer to introduce myself anyway.” She turned to Estelle and gave her a friendly smile. “It’s nice to meet you. I am Natsai, but you can call me Natty.”

Natty stood out as she wore a different version of the Hogwarts uniform. She wore the white dress shirt with a black and gold vest over the shirt. The vest had the signature golden buttons fastening it like the double-breasted jackets. Her black skirt went all the way down to cover the tops of her knee-high black boots. She also wore an accessory in the form of a golden choker necklace that completely covered the high collar of her uniform.

Estelle smiled back. “It’s nice to meet you, too,” she said. She looked at the Red Lions. “Well, all of you.”

Leander looked at her, once again surprised. “Wait, you don’t know who Natty is either?”

“For goodness’ sake, Leander,” Garreth said with exasperation. Natty chuckled, and Estelle figured this meant that this happened on the norm. “It’s alright if she doesn’t know everyone.”

“It’s important!” Leander insisted with his ears turning an indignant red. “These politics are what this generation has to be aware of!”

“Yes, thank you for reminding us yet again of your major noble status,” Imelda sarcastically said, and Sebastian stifled a laugh beside her. Even Garreth fought a grin, his eyes shining with mirth.

Leander glared at them before looking back at Estelle. “I’m just wondering how someone that is enrolled in this school doesn’t know the royals in this school.”

“Oh, you’re a royal too?” Estelle asked, turning to Natty. Leander threw his hands up in annoyance at being ignored and Lucan sympathetically patted his back.

“I am,” Natty happily answered. “I am the princess of Matabeleland.” Estelle should have figured since the necklace was a cultural fashion piece from that land.

“Garreth and Natty are betrothed too!” Hector added right away and Garreth nervously laughed as he ruffled his brother’s hair. Natty chuckled as well, but Estelle thought it wasn’t as…natural, as if she were faking it. Behind Estelle, Imelda looked away with a somber expression.

“Little siblings,” he sheepishly said with his cheeks pinkening. He cleared his throat and shoved his brother away, who looked smug at embarrassing the house leader. “So, what’s your name? You know who all of us are.”

“My name is Estelle Ilson,” she answered.

“That doesn’t sound like one of the nobles,” Leander said with furrowed eyebrows.

“Hey, you don’t have to be a noble to make it here,” Sebastian pointed out. He grinned proudly. “Anne and I aren’t nobles.”

“And we thank the goddess that you aren’t,” Garreth joked. “You two would wreak havoc at council meetings. It’s a good thing we’re not in the same kingdom.”

Sebastian laughed, not offended in the slightest. Estelle was starting to really like the sound of his laughter… She blushed and looked down at the ground. What was wrong with her? How was she already crushing on someone?!

“Which house are you in, Estelle?” Natty asked, bringing her back into the present.

“Oh, I…get to choose,” she lamely explained. “Since I don’t really belong in a specific kingdom.”

“Really?” Garreth sounded astounded with his eyebrows nearly going into his hairline. He curiously regarded her. “Well, with your prowess of the sword, I’d say you would fit right in with the Red Lions.”

Estelle nodded. “I thought that too, but…I don’t know,” she replied.

“Where did you live?” Imelda suggested. “You could just pick the house whose kingdom you lived in.”

“Or where your family came from,” Leander offered. Lineages were very important to him, apparently.

“Well, I grew up in Fyorridg,” Estelle said. Garreth perked up, and she continued, “but then Professor Fig—from the Royal School of Sorcery—came across me and took me in. I was with him for the last year in Banchory.” She shrugged, feeling more bashful with so many people staring at her. “Then, my mother was apparently from Ephul, and my father was from Crawelavn.”

“Huh, you weren’t kidding about not having a specific place,” Imelda bluntly remarked.

“Well, it sounds like you lived in Fyorridg the longest,” Garreth said. He grinned and stepped closer. “We would be happy to have you join the Red Lions.”

“Hold on, now,” Sebastian said and kept Estelle from even thinking about walking to Garreth by putting his hand on her shoulder. She blushed more at the contact, and she shyly looked over her shoulder at him. He gave her a small smile, making her heart beat faster. “She should get to know the other house leaders and their peers before making a decision. I assume that’s what you intended to do?”

“Yes,” she faintly answered, her face heating up more when she was rewarded a bigger smile from him.

Imelda rolled her eyes and came over. “Then we should have you meet our house leader,” she said. She reached up and flicked Sebastian’s ear, making him wince and retract his hand from Estelle’s shoulder. He glared at Imelda, and she glared back before looking at Estelle. “Come on, we’ll take you to him.”

“Okay,” she uneasily said. Sebastian and Imelda were already starting to leave the Training Grounds, and Estelle turned back to the Red Lions. “Again, nice to meet you all!”

“Same to you,” Garreth replied. He gave her a two-fingered salute. “Have fun meeting everyone, and if you choose us, you know where we’ll be.”

She nodded and hurriedly put her wooden sword on the rack close to the archway before going into the hall and following behind Imelda and Sebastian.

Chapter Text

“So…” She began as they moved to have her walk between them, “which house are you two in?”

“The Green Serpents,” Sebastian answered. Once they were back outside, they turned left to walk alongside the low wall overlooking the valley between the academy and the cathedral. To their right was the row of classrooms in a low, stone building with a nice yard outside for students to lounge on benches or the grass.

Estelle saw the four classroom doors were closed as there weren’t classes going on at the moment, and there were colored, shield-shaped banners next to each set of doors. The one furthest away was black with a yellow badger; then it was a gold one with a red lion rearing on its hind paws; the next was bronze with a blue bird in flight; and the last one was silver with a green snake coiled in a close spiral.

She turned her attention back to the fast-walkers and picked up her pace. “That’s…the Rinelysth kingdom, right?”

“Yes,” Imelda affirmed. “The Green Serpents house has us, Anne, Grace, and Nerida. To name a few.”

“And you’re specialized in lance work and cavaliers,” Estelle said, managing to remember that detail when she studied a little on the four kingdoms.

“Correct,” Sebastian said, giving her a nod. “We try to be versatile and range in different weapons and skills.”

“It would not do anyone any good if everyone had the same skill set,” Imelda added. “It would be easy to figure out their weaknesses and use it to your advantage.”

Estelle nodded in agreement as they entered the central building of Hogwarts. There was a staircase to the right close to the doors they came through. Estelle made a note of that for later when she made her decision. They got to the four-way intersection, and Estelle knew that to their right was the Reception Hall where she had waited for Fig earlier today. This time, they went left to go through the short hallway before going through the doors. They were back outside, but they were on a narrow stone bridge that stretched over the valley. Across the bridge was the splendorous cathedral, a strong structure of stone with the delicate beauty of a stained glass circular window above the gate.

“Is your house leader religious?” Estelle curiously asked as they crossed the bridge. She looked on both sides of the valley to see evergreen trees growing tall all over the hillsides. There was a river running along at the very bottom. In the lull of conversation, she could hear a few birds tweeting and chirping.

“He is,” Sebastian answered. He then chuckled and added, “He might seem a bit stuffy, but he’s actually quite mischievous.”

“I can attest to that,” Imelda remarked. “Those three would cause so much trouble.”

“Good thing we had you to keep us in line,” Sebastian teasingly said.

“You four were friends growing up?” Estelle asked. She already felt short of breath for walking in line with these two. Seriously, how did they develop so much endurance? Why did they even make it a habit to walk so fast?

Sebastian chuckled. “Ever since we were six. We had the best times causing chaos.”

“And I would have to sort out said chaos,” Imelda interjected, giving Sebastian an exasperated look.

“You had fun, admit it,” he smugly said.

Imelda huffed, and Estelle saw the corner of her mouth twitch as if she were fighting a smile. While Imelda was a stern and strict person, Estelle had a feeling she had a bit of softness toward her friends.

They made it to the gateway at the end of the bridge, and the portcullis slid up to give them entrance. They came up to two, reinforced, colossal doors that were thankfully left open for anyone to walk in. Estelle gaped at the beautiful sight. There were the usual rows of pews, where a few students were sitting in and praying, and there was a large open space on the other side of the cathedral. The marble tiled floor was so polished it made reflections of the people walking on it. The clean-cut pillars of stone had lit torches, but Estelle didn’t see a point to them as there were several stained glass windows high and above, casting colorful light into the place. It was so peaceful here with organ music faintly playing in the background, and Estelle was thinking of visiting the cathedral more often.

“There he is,” Sebastian whispered, pointing far and up ahead. There were a few monks in their religious attires, praying by themselves standing up. There were two that were students, though. One was a girl with a long skirt covering her navy blue stockings and short black boots, wearing the jacket as well. The other student had to be the house leader as he had a cape like Garreth’s but his was green and draped down to reach the top of his armored short boots. Estelle carefully walked closer, trying to stay quiet to not disturb anyone’s prayers, and Sebastian and Imelda followed after her.

Estelle stood on the house leader’s other side, taking in his appearance. He had his eyes closed and his head bowed in respect while his hands were interlocked in prayer. His honey blonde hair was smoothed back and he had a few birthmarks freckling his pale face. His uniform had thin and snug armor fastened over a black tunic, as well as black trousers with golden details.

“Either I have something on my face, or you’re a disturbing person,” he remarked all of a sudden, blinking his eyes open and straightening.

Estelle blushed at being called out. “I-I’m sorry,” she said. “Is there a third option?”

He lifted an eyebrow. “…I’ve never heard your voice before. Are you a new student?”

Estelle was confused on what he meant, but then she noticed the cloudiness of his blue eyes. She put two and two together and shyly cleared her throat. “I am, yes, it’s nice to meet you,” she quietly said, trying to not have her voice echo in the vast cathedral. “I’m Estelle.”

“She’s wanting to meet the house leaders,” Sebastian explained from behind her. “She gets to choose which house to join.”

He turned toward them, looking a bit confused but mostly intrigued. “I see,” he said. He bowed in Estelle’s direction. “It’s nice to meet you as well. I am Prince Ominis Von Gaunt of Rinelysth.”

“We were telling Estelle about how we all knew each other growing up,” Sebastian added, and Estelle thought she could hear a grin in his voice. “Speaking of us… Where is Anne?”

Ominis laughed through his nose. “I told her that I intended to go to the cathedral, and she complained that she would be ‘bored’.” Sebastian chuckled at that, and Estelle looked to see Imelda shaking her head but her eyes held a bit of fondness. “She probably went to bury her nose in more books in the library.”

“You could have joined her, but I suppose you would have been bored yourself,” Imelda said. Estelle worried she just offended Ominis, but maybe he didn’t mind since they were childhood friends…

“Did you come up with that jest yourself, Imelda? I thought you were more original than that,” Ominis shot back. Sebastian’s laughter echoed a bit in the cathedral, and Imelda actually chuckled in response. A half-smile came onto Ominis’s face upon hearing their responses.

Estelle smiled, now seeing what Sebastian meant about Ominis. She didn’t see this “stuffy” side of him, though, just a fun, sincere side.

“I suppose you are curious what skills we Green Serpents are delved into,” Ominis said, holding his elbow as he held his chin in thought. “As you seem to have acquainted with Sebastian and Imelda, you would know they are both adept with lancework. Nerida is a mage devoted to Faith, while Anne intends to rely on Reason magic. Grace is currently working on her lance, but she has yet to even gain Imelda’s approval.”

“If she would just stop yammering about her family name—” Imelda started to rant.

“What about you?” Estelle blurted out. Ominis blinked at her interruption. “Since…you know, you’ve been mentioning everyone else’s.”

“That is fair, I suppose,” he reluctantly said. He took a deep breath and crossed his arms. “I…unfortunately have a knack for Reason magic.”

Estelle frowned. She was familiar with Reason magic, and she knew it wasn’t bad. “Which branch of Reason magic do you have?”

Ominis grimaced. “Are you familiar with the distinction between black magic and dark magic?”

Estelle thought it over. “Well, I think black magic is what most Reason magic is, like Wind, Thunder, or Fire. Dark magic is…” She trailed off at seeing the pointed expression on Ominis’s face. “…oh.”

“There is not much else a blind heir could attune to, however,” he said with resignation. Estelle thought she saw sadness flicker through his eyes before he blinked it away. “Magic helps me maneuver through this world, but I hope to go for lighter magic.”

“It’s not like using dark magic makes you the most evil person in the world, though, Ominis,” Sebastian gently said.

“Yeah, there are plenty of evil people that don’t even use magic,” Imelda added. “Using what you’re best at, even if it’s dark, can be beneficial.”

Ominis didn’t look like he believed them, and he sighed. “Well, I shouldn’t keep you from meeting the other house leaders. I’m certain whichever house you choose, you will feel right at home.” Sebastian coughed into his fist and Ominis frowned with confusion before continuing, “It was nice meeting you, Estelle.”

“Same to you, Omi—Your Highness,” she corrected herself.

“Please.” He held up a hand to stop her. “Whether or not you join my house, I do not mind you being informal with me.” He chuckled. “I can assure you that the other house leaders would wish for the same.”

Estelle did remember Garreth mentioning the same request. “I’ll keep that in mind,” she said. “I’ll leave you to your faith.” She turned to Sebastian and Imelda, smiling. “Thank you for helping me out. I also had fun with our spar.”

Sebastian grinned more. “I intend to have another go again very soon.”

Ominis arched his eyebrow, and he turned to Estelle. “You beat Sebastian?”

“To be fair, Sebastian was more of an idiot than usual,” Imelda added, quickly ducking to avoid a shoulder shove.

Estelle sheepishly chuckled at seeing how the three interact with each other. It was like they were a small family of siblings, and she wondered if she would feel like an outsider, or if they would bring her into their tight-knit circle. “I’ll see you around,” she said before turning and leaving.

She then heard hushed whispering from Sebastian echo in the cathedral, and she supposed he was telling Ominis about the sparring match. When she looked over her left shoulder, though, it looked like he was trying to get a point through to Ominis. Imelda was just rolling her eyes at whatever Sebastian was saying.

“Excuse me.”

Estelle looked to her right to see that same student that was praying beside Ominis. She had her blonde hair tied into a braided bun with a few loose strands framing her face. She looked a bit shy, but her voice came out unwavering.

“I couldn’t help but overhear you’re new,” she apologetically said. She then gave her a kind smile. “Welcome to Hogwarts Knights Academy.”

“Thank you,” Estelle replied.

“You’re also looking for house leaders, right?” At Estelle’s confirming nod, she added, “I know where my house leader is.”

“Oh. That’s great!” Estelle winced as her exclamation echoed in the high ceiling. She cleared her throat. “That’s great.”

The girl softly giggled. “She’s at the stables. I can take you there?”

“Please lead the way,” she invited, gesturing to the entrance.

“I’m Adelaide, by the way.”

“Estelle.”

They began to walk across the bridge again. “So did you meet anyone else aside from the Green Serpents?” Adelaide asked.

“I met Prince Garreth and a few of the Red Lions,” Estelle answered. She frowned thoughtfully. “He…didn’t tell me what he and his peers’ skill sets were.”

“That’s to be expected, actually. Considering all four houses will be competing against each other in mock battles, it would make sense to not share all information about themselves.”

“Then…why would Ominis tell me about his house?”

“Ominis is usually straightforward.” Adelaide hesitated as they were coming up to the central building. She looked around to make sure no one else was around, and she lowered her voice to add, “You didn’t hear it from me, but…I think Ominis’s family might be the reason he is blunt or right to the point. That royal family…” Adelaide shivered. “If half of the rumors are true, it’s good for Ominis to be here and away from them.”

Estelle mulled that over as she followed Adelaide into the central building. When she thought back to her time with Ominis, she did remember that while he smiled, the light didn’t quite reach his sightless eyes. Then there was that flicker of sadness she caught… She might not know what these rumors were, but she hoped Ominis was in fact faring better here with his close friends.

Chapter Text

Back at the four way intersection, they went to the left and were soon outside again. Not far from them was a stairway up ahead that led to a small cemetery. There was a paved path that went to the right, and they followed it. There was an open corridor that connected the central building, which was now on their right, and the Knights’ Hall on their left.

“Which house are you a part of?” Estelle curiously asked.

“The Golden Badgers,” Adelaide happily answered. “We’re a nice and hearty house, strong in adversity. We tend to rely on heavy armor and axes, but we have a few surprises in our year.”

They kept walking on the path and went through the corridor. There was another section of paved path with hedges on either side of them. They quickly passed the area and came to the stableyard. There were rows of stalls with horses on the right, and across the dirt square was a row of stalls of pegasi and wyverns on the left. Most of them were munching on their feed without a care, but what caught Estelle’s attention was the one mount out of a stable.

She gaped at the rare sight. A hippogriff! It was beautiful with its eagle head of feathers white as snow and a silvery grey beak. It had white-feathered wings tucked in that had a few groupings of grey feathers, showing an elegant gradient. The horse half was just as white as the feathers, with the legs turning more grey down to the hooves.

Standing in front of the hippogriff and petting the side of the hippogriff’s neck was the house leader of the Golden Badgers. She had on black, calf-length boots, and yellow stockings with mid-thigh trousers on top. She had on the academy uniform jacket, but it had golden shoulder cords that came from her epaullette and wrapped under her right arm. Her dandelion yellow cape was fastened on her left shoulder with a brooch of folded, feathery wings. Her cape was shorter than the last two leaders, only covering half of her torso.

Adelaide lightly tapped Estelle’s shoulder. “I have to go, but it was nice meeting you,” she said.

“You too,” Estelle replied. Adelaide turned to go through the courtyards between the Entrance Hall and the Reception Hall. Estelle then focused back on the house leader and walked up to her.

She turned to Estelle as she came over, and her honey-brown eyes were full of intrigued surprise. “Oh, hello,” she greeted with a small smile. “Are you the new student?”

“Does word travel that fast?” Estelle asked.

She chuckled and tucked her shoulder-length brown hair behind her ear before resuming her petting of the hippogriff. “This is Hogwarts. If someone sneezed in the cathedral, someone in the marketplace would say ‘bless you’.”

Estelle quietly laughed and reached out to gently pet the side of the hippogriff’s neck. “I never thought I’d see a hippogriff in real life,” she said. She expected a response, but she only got silence. She looked at her peer, and she stared at her with a stunned expression. “What?”

The house leader looked back and forth between Estelle and the hippogriff. “You…pet Highwing.”

Estelle looked back at the hippogriff—Highwing—and retracted her hand. “I-I’m sorry. Was I not supposed to?” She worriedly asked.

“That’s not the surprising part!” She came up and Highwing let out a small squawk before ducking its head for her to pet. “Highwing usually doesn’t take to strangers so quickly.” She looked at Estelle, fascinated. “But she is an excellent judge of character.”

Estelle felt sheepish. She needed to control herself before she instinctively pet anything. “I’m still sorry,” she said. “I just…started to pet her.”

The house leader chuckled. “As long as you treat Highwing with respect, she won’t hurt you. She doesn’t mind being pampered.” She hummed in thought and turned back to Estelle. “I suppose introductions are in order.” She put her hand over her heart. “I am Poppy Eleanor Sweeting, the sole heir of Ephul.”

“Estelle Ilson,” she introduced herself with a smile. “I’m trying to meet all of the house leaders to see which house to join.”

“Oh!” Poppy blinked, surprised to hear that. “You’re lucky you get to make such a choice.” She smiled wistfully. “Some of us do not have such a luxury.” Poppy turned back to Highwing and whispered something to her. Highwing trilled before trotting to the empty stall. Poppy went over and secured the low gate and petted Highwing’s beak before turning back to Estelle. “Again, if Highwing already likes you, then you must have a heart of gold.”

Estelle shrugged, feeling like that was too much praise for her. “I don’t know about that,” she quietly said.

“Animals are very insightful of humans,” Poppy insisted. She gestured to the horses, pegasi, and wyverns around them. “It is thanks to the bonds we form with them that we could possibly have an advantage or even the upper hand. If they do not have faith in us, we cannot put our faith in them.” She clasped her hands in front of her. “They know more about us than we do of each other, and Highwing is no exception.”

Estelle was enthralled by how this short house leader spoke of animals. Poppy sounded like an expert, and she had never fathomed a royal to be so associated with animals. “If you don’t mind me asking, how did you and Highwing meet?”

Poppy smiled and gestured for Estelle to follow her. They started to walk south from the stableyard to a walkway that went around the Entrance Hall of the monastery. There were a couple cats lounging in the sun, and Poppy knelt down and pet them. Estelle went onto her knees as well and slowly petted a black and white cat.

“As you know, hippogriffs are rare here,” Poppy quietly explained. “There were rumors that there are more from our neighbors east of the Seernyp Mountains. Of course, any affairs there, the Crawelavn kingdom would take care of that.”

Estelle nodded. Ephul was the southern part of the continent while Crawelavn was on the eastern side, dealing with the land border between this country and the other. She stayed quiet to not interrupt Poppy.

“Apparently, there were poachers that smuggled a couple hippogriffs,” Poppy said, and her voice turned bitter. “Those brigands would have probably killed them for their feathers or parts, but we found out that they intended to sell them to someone. Thankfully, it was someone in Ephul, so we could easily intercept those ruffians and apprehend them.”

“Highwing was one of them, wasn’t it?” Estelle asked.

Poppy smiled more. “She was. After I freed her, I expected her to fly away like the other one did while I took care of the enemies. But she stayed by my side and clawed any that got too close.”

Estelle marvelled at the story, liking the idea of having such a strong bond with an animal that they would stay loyal in combat. “You two seem to have a strong friendship.”

“We do,” Poppy cheerfully said as she got up from the ground. She brushed dirt off herself before continuing on. Estelle followed her, and Poppy added, “She’s been my best friend for seven years now. We have always been there for each other, and she is the one I can always rely on.”

Poppy hesitated and glanced at Estelle as they neared the front of the Entrance Hall. “I do apologize, Estelle,” she said. “I am not usually one that gets along well with…people.” They came to the front of the monastery, and they looked down the stairs to where there was the small marketplace. There were several booths and tents selling all kinds of goods and necessities.

“I know that I must for the sake of my kingdom,” Poppy softly added with a distant look in her eye, “but I have dealt with enough people before to have a hard time trusting them. Like how an abused animal would be slow to trust humans.” She cleared her throat and looked at Estelle, flushed with embarrassment. “I-I’m sorry. I did not mean to say all of that out loud. I am not saying I wouldn’t like having you as part of my house. But I do want to let you know that I…struggle to make human friends unlike Garreth or even Ominis and Andrew.”

“I appreciate the heads-up,” Estelle offered, and Poppy relaxed a bit at her words. “I can understand being wary of people, but perhaps it wouldn’t hurt to branch out? Especially with your own house where you’ll be leading them into mock battles and other ones with real enemies?”

Poppy nodded and took a deep breath. “I do get along with a few in my house already. Adelaide’s uncle is a well-renowned traveling merchant that works with metal. She is kind and gentle, and can be a nice person to talk to.” Poppy smiled faintly. “Then there is Arthur, who came from a minor noble house, who is full of wonder and enjoys animals as well. Lenora is also sweet, and she loves to pore into books and work with plants. Those are just a few and—” She straightened as she looked ahead. “Ah, here’s another in my house, with a Red Lion.”

Estelle followed her gaze to see two girls around their age coming up the stairs. They were chatting up a storm with a few small bags of seeds in their hands. They both wore the same uniform as Estelle, but the girl on the right had light blonde hair that went past her shoulder blades and bright brown eyes. The girl on the left had shoulder-length blonde hair that curiously had a pink sheen to it.

The girl on the left’s ice blue eyes lit up at recognizing her house leader. “Hi, Poppy!” She brightly greeted as she walked up to her. Estelle had to bite her lip to not be so amused at seeing the two girls were also taller than the Ephul princess.

“Hello, Lory,” Poppy said, smiling a little more at being casually addressed. “I see you two went seed shopping.”

Lory nodded with a grin as she nudged her friend with an elbow. “Allegra and I are going to try to grow White Verona and Premium Magical Herbs.”

“I read that they can grow from simple flower seeds,” Allegra added. “Professor Garlick had already granted us space in the greenhouse.”

The two girls then noticed Estelle, and they looked ready to ask questions, but Poppy managed to answer a few of them for her. “This is Estelle, she’s a new student looking for a house to join.”

“Ooh, you should join the Golden Badgers!” Lory instantly said with a grin. She tilted her head at Estelle. “You look like a fighter. We could use more of those.”

“Red Lions is more fun, though,” Allegra said with a confident smirk. “Garreth is a bit…inventive, and I would rather be on his good side than on his bad side in mock battles.”

Poppy stifled a laugh and put a hand on her hip. “That’s certainly one word to describe Garreth,” she remarked.

“Come on, we should start planting these as soon as possible,” Lory urged Allegra. She gave Estelle another smile. “It was nice seeing you!”

Estelle waved and watched the two hurry around the Entrance Hall and run by the Fishing Pond. “They seemed nice,” she commented.

Poppy chuckled. “They are. Lory, especially, but that’s only because I know her decently as she is in my house.” They went the same way the two girls went, but they walked at a slower pace. “Lory loves to garden. She has been most excited to make garlands during The Garland Moon.”

“Poppy, I do have a question about you and Highwing,” Estelle blurted out.

She looked at her curiously. “Yes?”

“You said you were there to free Highwing and other hippogriffs.” Estelle’s eyebrows furrowed. “How come you, a princess, went to take care of it?” At such a young age, too? She thought. She had been handling swords ever since she was a little girl, yes, but she didn’t think someone of high status would as well.

Poppy shrugged as they walked around the Fishing Pond. There were a few students and even knights fishing out of it. A couple students were even standing on the little wooden dock the monastery provided, making very quiet conversation. To their right was a set of stairs that led to a platform to overlook the pond, and then another set of stairs from there that went to the Dining Hall.

“I’ve grown up learning how to defend myself,” Poppy softly explained, but Estelle thought she sounded hesitant. “And I used to travel all over my kingdom as a child, so it was pure luck that I was able to be in the same area that the hippogriffs were.” She took a deep breath. “I wish to lead my kingdom in the same manner as the first ruler did: with hard work, determination, and being fair to all. ‘All’ being important as I include both humans and animals in that word. If that means delivering justice myself for those that cannot defend themselves, then so be it.”

Estelle had to admit she admired Poppy’s determination. She cared for animals probably more than humans, but she still wanted to look out for them the best she could.

“That’s a commendable goal, Poppy,” Estelle said. She gave her an encouraging smile. “I’m certain you will achieve it.”

Poppy looked at her, surprised. “Thank you, Estelle,” she quietly said. She chuckled and held out her hand. “It’s been a pleasure talking with you. I wish you luck in making your decision.”

“Thank you,” Estelle replied as she shook Poppy’s hand. She felt like she got along pretty well with Poppy, and the house leader seemed to already be a little open to her. Probably because Highwing was quick to trust her.

They soon let go, and Poppy gestured to the area near the greenhouse and the long building of dorms. There were tables along the right, close to the stairs and platform people could look over the pond from. Sitting there was the fourth house leader and a couple students, whose backs were to her.

“Ah, have you met Andrew yet?” Estelle shook her head, and Poppy grinned while patting her back. “Then I won’t keep you. I’ll see you around.”

“See you,” Estelle said. She was slowly getting used to socializing with everyone, so she felt braver as she strode over to the table.

Chapter Text

As she got closer, she saw that the house leader, Andrew, was in the middle of a chess game. His sandy-blond hair was swept to his left, and his dark brown eyes were critically staring at the board while his metallic-gloved hands interlocked in front of his face. He wore white, riding boots that his black trousers tucked into, and his uniform was like a long black tunic. It was loose as it covered his thighs, and he had on a belt with a sword sheathed on his right hip. The double-breasted tunic had golden buttons to secure it, but they were only along the left side of his torso, covering him up to his neck. His cobalt blue cape was on his left shoulder, held by a golden brooch in the shape of an oval. With him sitting on the bench, the end of the cape went past his hips.

His brown eyes parted from the chess game and met Estelle’s eyes. She instinctively lifted her shoulders, tensing up at the weight of his gaze. She felt like he was perceiving her, even reading her mind, but that was impossible…right?

“Estelle Ilson, correct?” He asked in a tenor voice.

“Er, yes,” she fumbled to answer. She blushed at seeing the other students look at her, and she sidestepped closer to Andrew.

“The new student that is supposed to meet all of the house leaders,” he said before looking back at the chess game.

“Right,” she said, even though he didn’t technically ask.

Andrew then quickly moved his knight to take his opponent’s bishop. “I win in three moves,” he gently told him.

His opponent didn’t seem to mind. He even chuckled and reached over the board to shake Andrew’s hand. “Still a succinct and brilliant chess player,” he praised. “Good game.”

“Good game,” Andrew replied as he moved to stand up. He turned to directly face Estelle now, and he waved to the two students. “Allow me to introduce you to a couple of the Blue Eagles. Samantha Dale, our faithful mage, and Amit Thakkar, a talented archer.”

The two mentioned beamed with pride at his introductions, and waved to her. Samantha had her black hair tied into a low bun that rested behind her ivory neck. She wore the double-breasted jacket, but she had a shorter skirt with navy blue stockings and knee-high black boots. Amit, who was playing against Andrew in chess, had warm tan skin and black, feathery hair that was swept to his right. He had calf-length white boots with simple black trousers, and then his uniform was more casual as he didn’t have the jacket on. He instead wore the white dress shirt with a double-breasted vest that was fastened up to his clavicle, and had gold detailings like the other uniforms.

“You might have heard of me already,” Andrew said. He held out his gloved hand, and Estelle put her hand in his. He then bowed his head to her in respect. “I am Andrew Randolph Larson, the scion of the royal family of Crawelavn.”

“You already know my name, so I guess I don’t need to introduce myself,” she faintly said as he let go of her hand. She noticed that he was the only house leader of the four to wear gauntlets. “Er…how did you know my name?”

“Garreth came by earlier and told me all about the student that defeated Sebastian in a duel,” Andrew explained. While he didn’t outright smile, she could see a smile in his eyes. “That is quite the feat around here. Sebastian is not an easy opponent.”

Estelle blushed at the wonder in his voice. “I think he went easy on me. He was a bit on the cocky side and I think he was toying with me. He just wanted a good time.”

“That may be so, but Sebastian also takes duels seriously,” Andrew thoughtfully insisted. “That is how people in Rinelysth are: ambitious with every fiber of their being. Sebastian, Imelda, and Anne strive to be knights at the end of our academic year. Sebastian would not take any duel lightly.”

Estelle blinked at his blatant statement. He spoke as if he knew them on a personal level. “Are you…close friends with them?”

Andrew shook his head. “You would be surprised at all you can perceive from someone from observing them for less than an hour, let alone less than a month.” Estelle couldn’t help but feel impressed at that, then he cracked a small smile. “I also play chess with Sebastian, but we hardly make small talk, as we are rather focused on the game than each other.”

“Oh,” she said. She tried to picture Sebastian, the confident and smirking young man playing chess. She didn’t see him as a chess player, but she had only talked with him for about…ten minutes, so not as long as he has been with Andrew or other students. She focused back on the present, and she crossed her arms. “Does that mean…you have an idea about me?”

Andrew looked uncertain how to respond. “I admit that it is a compulsion of mine. I merely tend to analyze anyone and everyone I come across.”

Estelle chuckled, seeing that he was worried he already offended her. “It’s alright,” she reassured him. “I’m curious, truly.”

“Go ahead, Andrew!” Amit encouraged him with a bright smile. “It really is amazing!”

Samantha nodded in agreement, looking curious on what he’d say. “You should have seen Sebastian’s face when Andrew told him what he picked up from him.” The two Blue Eagles chuckled while Andrew flushed a bit at their words.

He cleared his throat and turned his attention back to Estelle. He gave her a once over again, and she could see the critical glint in his eyes. “With your slight accent, I would guess you came from a commoner status. There is nothing wrong with that, of course. There are people of all backgrounds here.” He idly pushed some of his hair back. “Your complexion is fair, but not as pale as those from Rinelysth, nor tanned like those from Ephul. The fact you apparently duelled Sebastian with a sword makes me want to think you grew up in Fyorridg instead of Crawelavn, but that is subjective.” He gestured to the sword sheathed on his right hip before he tilted his head. “But your eyebrows slightly rising when I mentioned Fyorridg tells me that you were impressed, meaning you are from Fyorridg. Then there is the fact you didn’t seem to recognize me or perhaps even the other royals. If I were to guess, I wouldn’t say it was ignorance, but that you were merely sheltered from politics. As one surrounded in it, I would deem you fortunate to avoid such a thing for as long as you have.”

Estelle gaped at him, flabbergasted how accurate his deduction about her was. Everything he saw was precise, but he spoke as if he were reading from a book. The fact he could read people that well… “That’s…incredible,” she breathed out.

Andrew rubbed the back of his neck. “It came from growing up with a council of advisors,” he timidly explained. He looked away with a slightly clenched jaw. “Some people are not above deceiving a young heir.”

Estelle frowned at the thought, but she knew it was true. There were people that would do anything to take advantage of others. Especially if they were of high class. She cleared her throat. “So, what else is there to know about the Blue Eagles?” She asked to change the subject.

“Crawelavn is full of people gifted in magic,” Andrew answered. “We Eagles are no exception. We do have a few that are more adept with material weapons, but we prefer to tackle our enemies with touches of magic.” Andrew went to his bench and picked up a thick tome that had a frayed dark blue cover. He held it close to himself. “The founder of Crawelavn, Queen Rowena, was said to be one of the most powerful mages in history. With her wisdom and open mind of intellect, Reason magic was perfectly fitted for her. I had to say, though, that Faith magic is harder to grasp for those so naturally gifted in Reason.” Andrew shifted on his feet. “Reason is only simple calculations and logic. But Faith? It rides on belief. Belief in the goddess, belief in yourself, I haven’t a clue.

“That being said, we would not mind having a swordsman with us. I might be skilled in the sword, but I would not object to another that is perhaps more skilled than me.”

“We don’t know about that,” Estelle protested with a chuckle.

Andrew’s mouth twitched to smile more, but he gave her a solemn look. “There is a difference between modesty and down-playing. I am certain you are more skilled than you think.”

Estelle stared at him, taken aback by his words. He seemed sincere about it, as if he did believe in her, but she also saw the look in his eyes. Like he was watching for her reaction, her next move.

“Your Princeliness!” Someone sang out.

They turned to see someone running down the stairs from the Dining Hall. It was a girl with brown bangs and a tight bun, wearing a huge, triumphant grin along with the typical academy uniform jacket. She had a knee-length black skirt and the usual navy blue stockings, but calf-length white boots instead. What took Estelle by surprise was how…much she looked like Sebastian.

The girl slowed to a stop close to Andrew and Estelle and proudly held up the book, making Andrew look at it, unfazed. “I finally figured out the calculations for Thoron,” she said with a lilting tone. She smirked and pointed at him. “Be prepared to meet your match at the Battle of the Eagle and Badger!”

Andrew stared at her for a moment, and Estelle wondered if this was as unexpected for him as it was for her. Then he chuckled before bursting out with laughter. The girl grinned, and he sighed, calming down.

“I look forward to the match, Anne,” he said with a small smile.

Anne chuckled, and she turned to Estelle. “Sorry for the dramatic flair, but someone’s gotta liven this place up from time to time,” she reasoned with her brown eyes shining with mirth. “You must be Estelle! Sebastian told me all about you.”

Estelle smiled with a blush. “You must be his sister, then, right?”

“Twin sister, yes,” Anne said with complete pride. “We’re quite the team, and we are going to win against all the other houses!” She leaned toward Estelle and loudly whispered, “So you should join the winning team.”

Estelle laughed, her shoulders shaking. “You make a valid point,” she playfully replied.

“I had to make sure I got to leave a lasting impression for the Green Serpents,” Anne said. “Imelda was even impressed by you, and that’s saying something!”

“Imagine how much more fun it would be though if I was in another house,” Estelle joked back.

Anne barked out a laugh. “Oh, Sebastian would be devastated, and I would not hesitate to tease him.” She smirked. “He seems to have really warmed up to you already, if he has been hoping you’ll join our house.”

Estelle blushed more, and her stomach was once again full of butterflies. She was wondering if maybe that meant…he, too, felt something between them?

Should I make such a decision based on a hopeful feeling? She thought. Would it be foolish to choose to join a house because of a crush? This was a big decision, and she couldn’t afford to ruin it. Speaking of decisions…

“I should get going, actually,” she said. She started to walk toward the paved path by the dormitories. “It was nice meeting you all!” She called out before jogging to get to the Reception Hall where those stairs were.

~~~

She made it to the Audience Chamber, and she saw three people standing there: Professor Fig; a mustached man in formal robes of black and green; and a red-haired woman beside him wearing half-moon spectacles and formal robes of red and white (Estelle wondered if she was Garreth’s aunt, if the fancy golden bracelets were any indication).

The mustached man had to be the Headmaster, and he lifted a black eyebrow at Estelle as she entered the room. He had his hands behind his back, and she saw the steely gaze in his blue eyes. She didn’t need to be as perceptive as Andrew to know the Headmaster already did not like her. She wondered if it was classism, or if it was some other crazy reason.

The woman greeted her with a kind smile, and Estelle could see more of the family resemblance between her and Garreth. “Welcome, Ms. Ilson,” she said. “Professor Fig told us you went to acquaint yourself with the houses before you made a decision?”

“Yes, ma’am,” Estelle answered, holding her hands in front of her.

“And have you made a decision?” Fig gently asked.

Estelle thought over her interactions between all of the house leaders.

Garreth was easygoing and was certainly one to forget formalities and want to let loose. But he was not as open about the capabilities of himself and his classmates, as if he were playing poker and keeping his hand to himself.

Ominis was cordial and upfront, however, and told her what kind of skills to expect from him and his peers. Even so, she could tell there was something going on that she didn’t know. Something that troubled him, and it had to do with his natural skill in Reason’s dark magic.

Poppy was determined and seemed to have a nice time talking with her. Her love for animals made her seem wary around people, and Estelle could tell that Poppy was hesitant to say certain things to her. As if she were trying to dance around something. She had spoken highly of her peers, though, focusing more on what they liked or were interested in instead of what kind of combat they were best at.

Andrew was calculative and perceptive, almost a dead ringer for Rowena as he seemed devoted to Reason magic. He had introduced her to a couple of the Eagles, and told them what they were skilled in, but he did not elaborate as much as Ominis did. Estelle couldn’t help but wonder if Andrew was pulling a trick on her and didn’t actually tell her what his peers were capable of. For a strategist, it wasn’t a stretch to think he deceived her to have the upper hand. Did that seem like something he would do? She wasn’t sure.

There was a loud “ahem”, and Estelle was jolted out of her thinking. The Headmaster looked at her with an impatient frown.

“Have you made your decision?” He asked in a cutting tone.

Estelle considered it again, and tried to also think where her skills would best be used, or even…where she felt like she could belong. Someone she could see herself connecting with and getting along while in combat.

“I believe I have, sir,” she said.

~~~

Estelle stood outside a classroom where the doors were wide open, waiting for her to just walk in. She felt nerves go crazy in her stomach, and she took a deep breath. She believed she made a good choice, one that she felt most inclined to go with that went further than a gut feeling or any sort of feeling.

She slowly walked into the classroom. The moment her boots clacked on the stone floor, everyone in the class turned to see who entered. There were many faces Estelle didn’t recognize, but there was one that looked pleasantly surprised.

Poppy got up from her spot in the front and walked up to Estelle. She seemed completely blown away. “Is this your final decision?” She asked to make sure.

Estelle smiled and nodded. “I, too, want that future where we can be fair to all, with determination and hard work,” she said.

Poppy grinned with ecstasy. “Welcome to the Golden Badgers, Estelle.”

~~~

After class, which was mostly introductions between Estelle and the other Badgers, they were dismissed.

“I’m glad you joined us,” Poppy said as they walked out together. “I look forward to fighting alongside you.”

“As am I,” Estelle replied with a smile. “I heard that most Ephul fighters are knights, so I thought someone that had a lighter load should help out.”

Poppy chuckled. “You’re certainly right about that. There are a few of us that are intending to pass the certification of Fortress Knight and the like.” She looked at Estelle with a bit of guilt. “I’m sorry I didn’t tell you what exactly I was pursuing, class-wise.”

“That’s alright,” Estelle said with a smile. “I’m not too sure just yet which certification I want at the end of the year.”

“Ah, so you did become a Badger.”

Estelle and Poppy stopped at seeing Sebastian with his arms crossed as he leaned against the wall by the doors of their classroom. He nodded to Poppy before focusing on Estelle. Poppy patted Estelle’s arm before leaving them alone.

His eyes gleamed. “Don’t think I still won’t want a rematch just because you’re in another house.”

“I would never think that,” she reassured him with a smile. She even felt excited for when they would spar again.

He sighed with a wistful smile. “As much as I wish you joined the Serpents, I actually like this better.”

She tilted her head. She had worried he would be disappointed, or even devastated like his sister predicted. “Really? Why?”

He smirked, and her heart skipped beats. “Because we would get to see who is the better fighter on the mock battlefield,” he said. “I can’t do that if we simply sparred on the same team.”

Estelle chuckled. “I suppose that’s true,” she replied, smiling up at him with a faint blush.

Sebastian pushed himself off the wall, and he nodded to her. “And just because we’re in separate houses doesn’t mean we can’t spend time together and get to know each other better,” he said with a wink.

Estelle felt even more flustered, and she felt a compulsion to get back at him. “Then I look forward to having dinner with you in the Dining Hall,” she boldly said (some would argue she flirted).

She was satisfied in his reaction of eyes widened from shock as his cheeks pinkened just the slightest. She giggled and turned to regroup with Poppy and Adelaide nearby. “See you there, Sebastian,” she tittered before walking away.

Sebastian gaped at her, then he chuckled. “See you there,” he quietly said with fondness. He went the other way to regroup with Ominis, Anne, and Imelda.

Estelle glanced over at the four Serpents for a moment before going back to her conversation with Adelaide and Poppy. Even though they were in separate houses, she still intended to follow this mystifying feeling that only came when she was with Sebastian. And hope that maybe…he felt it too.

~~~

Estelle stared at the small campfire as she wrung her hands to keep them warm. Three years of this war, and it seemed like no one was gaining any ground or gaining any wins.

Wins…

She scoffed as she stared at the crackling fire. There were no winners or losers. This wasn’t like the mock battle from their academy year. There were only survivors and the dead. She remembered an old saying about how there were no winners in war. She was now seeing that after every battle where she managed to stay alive while many others did not.

Estelle hugged herself, rubbing her arms. She glared at the fire. Was it even doing its job? She still had an hour left from watch, and she would prefer to not lose any fingers from the cold.

She tensed at feeling something drape onto her shoulders, the weight so heavy that she leaned forward from it. She looked over her shoulder and blinked at recognizing the black and white fur. It was the mantle that was worn by—

“Sebastian?” She asked, her heart faintly surging with hope as she heard footsteps retreat away from her. Then they slowed to a stop nearby, and she turned on the makeshift stool of a tree stump. She saw him standing there with his back to her, capeless, wearing only his black armor. He lowered his head as if he were conflicted over something.

Estelle was about to stand up and go to him, to see if maybe he was tied between who he was and who he had become. Then he straightened and gruffly said, “It wouldn’t do well for you to die of frostbite. We have another battle to get to.”

Estelle stared at him as he left to disappear into the shadows of the camp. She hugged the cape and fur mantle closer to herself, wrapped up in it. It gave her warmth along with the fire, yes, but it also gave her reassurance.

Sebastian could claim all he wanted that she was merely a soldier for him to use for his benefit, but the Rinelysth Reaper wouldn’t care to make sure she didn’t die of hypothermia. Sebastian would, and she smiled tearfully at that distinction as she stayed warm thanks to his cape and fur mantle.