THREE ROOMS WERE FURNISHED WHEN DIANNA’S CARTS GOT THERE. IT SEEMED SHE HAD DECIDED TO MOVE IN AS WELL. SHE WAS CALLING IT A JOINT RESEARCH PROJECT.

"WHY ARE YOU DOING THIS DIANNA? I REALLY DON’T GET IT." ADRIA PROTESTS AS THE ROYAL MAGICIAN ROLLS IN HER BED COZELY.

"BECAUSE IT'S WARM." DIANNA PURRS WITH COMFORTABLE EXPRESSION.

"NOT THAT!" ADRIA SHOUTS GROWING ANGRIER WITH EVERY MOMENT. EVEN SHE COULDN’T EXPLAIN WHY EXACTLY SHE PROTESTED SHE JUST FELT IT WAS WRONG. "WHY ARE YOU LIVING HERE? DON’T YOU HAVE A HOUSE? AND IN THE INNER CAPITAL NO LESS?"

"PAH THAT’S SO FAR AWAY FROM EVERYTHING. AND DON’T YOU WANT AL’S MEMORIES TO COME BACK. IF I STAY HERE I CAN WATCH OVER HIM AND MAYBE FIGURE OUT WHAT HAPPENED TO HIM." DIANNA SAYS LEANING UP GROGGILY FROM THE BED AND POINTING TOWARDS AL WHO READ IN A CORNER.

"YOU THINK…" ADRIA BEGINS LOOKING OVER AT AL WITH A LIGHTENED EXPRESSION. "DO YOU REALLY THINK THERE'S A WAY, FOR MAGIC TO HELP HIM?"

"I CAN’T SAY. BUT I THINK STAYING HERE FROM TIME TO TIME AND WATCHING IS THE ONLY WAY I COULD FIND OUT."

"TIME TO TIME?" ADRIA ASKS WITH NARROWING EYEBROWS.

DIANNA SIGHS WITH A HINT OF DISAPPOINTMENT. "WELL I WON’T BE ABLE TO STAY HERE ALL THE TIME. I HAVE MY DUTIES TO TEND TO OF COURSE."

WITH THAT DIANNA LOOKS AT ADRIA FOR AN EXTENDED MOMENT BEFORE TURNING BACK TO THE PILLOW AND NUZZLING IT COMFORTABLY.

"WHAT HE DID THOUGH, IT'S AMAZING RIGHT?" ADRIA SAYS IN A LOWER VOICE, ATTEMPTING TO NOT LET AL HEAR THE STATEMENT.

DIANNA AGAIN TURNS BACK TO ADRIA WITH A SMALL HUM. "WHICH ONE? KILLING TWO PEOPLE IN A SINGLE SWORD STRIKE OR THE CURE FOR LADY CAROLINE?"

"W… BOTH I GUESS." ADRIA SAYS WITH A SIGH.

"FREE MANA SIGHT AS WELL AS A MASTER SWORDSMAN. HE’S LIKE A…" DIANNA BEGINS BEFORE DROPPING THE THOUGHT FOR LACK OF COMPARISON. "HE’S ONE OF A KIND."

"SURE IS." ADRIA NODS WITH A GRIN.

"WHAT WAS HE LIKE WHEN YOU…"

"WHEN I FIRST FOUND HIM?" ADRIA ASKS AS IF TALKING ABOUT A SMALL PUPPY FROM THE ROADSIDE. "HE WAS DUMB AS A BOX OF ROCKS. NO OFFENSE."

SHE SHOUTS THE LATTER AT AL IN THE CORNER. HE MERELY MURMURS WITH A NOD.

"WHAT? HOW?" DIANNA ASKS WITH A SHOCKED OR MAYBE EVEN INSULTED EXPRESSION.

"I’M SERIOUS. FOR THE FIRST DAY I DIDN’T EVEN THINK HE COULD TALK. HE BARELY SAID A WORD UNTIL A FEW DAYS LATER." ADRIA RECOUNTS THINKING BACK TO THE FIRST WEEK WHICH WAS ALSO MEANT TO BE THE LAST.

"MAYBE HE LEARNED?" DIANNA ASKS WITH LITTLE THOUGHT TO THE WORDS. AFTER ALL LEARNING A LANGUAGE IN MERE DAYS WAS IMPOSSIBLE.

"THAT’S WHAT HE SAID." ADRIA REPLIES WITH A SHRUG.

"WHAT?" DIANNA AGAIN SHOUTS LEAPING UP IN THE BED.

"HE SAID HE TAUGHT HIMSELF. WELL IN NOT SO MANY WORDS." ADRIA REPLIES TURNING TO MATCH DIANNA’S GAZE ON AL. "RIGHT AL."

"RIGHT." AL REPLIES WITHOUT A GLANCE IN THEIR DIRECTION.

"HOW?" DIANNA GAPES WATCHING AL EXCHANGE ONE BOOK FOR ANOTHER.

"FROM THESE." AL REPLIES HOLDING THE BOOK HE HAD JUST FINISHED.

"FROM READING?" DIANNA AGAIN GAPES. "AND WHAT ABOUT THE SWORDSMANSHIP?"

"FROM WATCHING." AL AGAIN REPLIES.

"THAT’S WHAT I MEAN. HE’S LIKE A LITTLE KID WHO LEARNS QUICK. ITS BEEN SURPRISINGLY EASY TO KEEP HIM OUT OF TROUBLE." ADRIA REPLIES PROUDLY WITH A HINT OF MATERNAL AFFECTION.

"YOU TWO SEEM MORE LIKE MOTHER/CHILD THAN BOYFRIEND/GIRLFRIEND." DIANNA LIGHTLY MUSES WITH A SMILE. "BUT THE LOVE IS STILL CLEARLY THERE."

"WE AREN’T!" ADRIA COUNTERS WITH A LOUD CRASH OF HER CHAIR. "I DON’T…"

"YEAH YOU DO." DIANNA REPLIES WITHOUT A MOMENTS HESITATION. "AH HERE’S ILUIN WITH THE PAPERWORK AND SUPPLIES."

JUST AS SHE SAYS A WOMAN SHADOWED BY A GROUP OF STRONGER SOLDIERS APPEARS IN THE DOORWAY ALL CARRYING VARIOUS BAGS AND CRATES. QUICKLY THEY SET THEM IN A CORNER THAT WAS CLEARLY BEING USED FOR STORAGE. ILUIN WALKS OVER WITH THE FOLDER AND OPENS IT ONTO THE TABLE.

"HOW’D IT GO?" DIANNA ASKS STEPPING PAST THE STILL AWESTRUCK ADRIA.

"GOOD MA’AM. ALTHOUGH NOT KNOWING AL’S FOCUS MADE IT DIFFICULT TO BRING A SINGLE APPLICATION. SO I BROUGHT ALL OF THEM."

"GOOD POINT. WHAT SCHOOL DID AL WANT TO ATTEND IN THE ACADEMY AGAIN?" DIANNA ASKS TURNING TO BOTH AL AND ADRIA WITH THE QUESTION. "YOU’LL COME TO THE MAGIC SCHOOL RIGHT? MAYBE I CAN GET MY CERTS BACK AND…"

"ENGINEERING, HE WANTS TO DO ENGINEERING." ADRIA QUICKLY CUTS IN NOT ALLOWING THE IDEA TO FORM.

"MEH, ENGINEERING? WHY?" DIANNA ASK LOOKING TO AL FOR THE ANSWER.

"HE WANTS TO BUILD A GOLEM APPARENTLY." ADRIA ANSWERS AFTER AL HESITATES A MOMENT.

DIANNA GROANS AT THE THOUGHT OF AL’S BRILLIANCE BEING WASTED ON GOLEMS. "REALLY?"

"IT’S HIS CHOICE AND I MEAN HONESTLY HE WON’T LIKELY FOCUS ON ONE SUBJECT. I THINK HE WOULD PROBABLY DO NOTHING BUT READ IN WHATEVER ACADEMY LIBRARY HE HAS ACCESS TO."

"THEY WON’T JUST LET HIM DO WHATEVER HE WANTS" DIANNA SAYS WITH A SHAKE OF HER HEAD. "ALTHOUGH I WONDER IF THEY WOULDN’T LET HIM ATTEMPT A FEW OF THE EXAMS, I MEAN IT'S RARE FOR SOMEONE WHO IS ALREADY A COURT RESEARCHER TO ATTEND THE SCHOOL."

"APPLY TO BOTH THE SWORDSMANSHIP DEPARTMENT AND THE ENGINEERING DEPARTMENT?"

"DON’T FORGET MAGIC." DIANNA ADDS WITH A GRIN. "SO WHAT DO YOU THINK? GOOD PLAN RIGHT? HE CAN HONE ALL HIS TALENTS TO THEIR HIGHEST LEVEL."

"AL?" ADRIA ASKS GLANCING TO HIM WHO STILL SAT QUIETLY READING.

"I WOULD LIKE TO READ AS MUCH AS POSSIBLE. THESE BOOKS IN PARTICULAR ARE VERY GOOD." AL REPLIES EXCHANGING THE THICK LEATHER BOOK HE WAS HOLDING FOR ANOTHER.

"WHAT ARE THOSE BY THE WAY?" ADRIA ASKS GLANCING AT DIANNA.

"MY ENTIRE CURRICULUM WHEN I WAS TEACHING. THOUGHT I DIDN’T THINK HE WOULD READ THEM THAT FAST."

"I TOLD YOU IT WAS FAST!" ADRIA REPLIES GLANCING AT THE OTHER BOXES AND BAGS DIANNA HAD BROUGHT. SHE SPOTTED THE ONE SHE WAS LOOKING FOR AND GRABBED A ROUND OBJECT FROM IT. "THANKS."

"I KNEW THEY WERE YOUR FAVORITE. I CAN BE A GOOD FRIEND SOMETIMES YOU KNOW." DIANNA GOADS WITH A SMILE.

"BUT THAT EARLIER CONVERSATION. I WANT TO REITERATE I AM NOT…"

"YEAH, YEAH I GET IT, YOU’RE STUBBORN. I KNOW."

"NO, THAT’S NOT IT. I AM TAKING CARE OF HIM, PROTECTING HIM. I…"

"YEAH, YEAH. ALRIGHT. SURE." DIANNA SIGHS WITH A ROLL OF HER EYES.

"NO, I’M SERIOUS…"

«§»

"AND SHE’S GONE." ADRIA SIGHS LOOKING AROUND THE ONCE AGAIN SILENT LABORATORY. TRUTHFULLY IN THE MANIC FEW HOURS DIANNA WAS WITH THEM THEY HAD GOTTEN NEARLY EVERYTHING ON THEIR LIST DONE. SCHOOL SUPPLIES WERE SORTED, FURNITURE WAS FOUND, EVEN GROCERIES FOR SEVERAL DAYS HAD BEEN SHOPPED.

"SHE WAS NICE." AL LIGHTLY REPLIES CONTINUING TO READ THE VARIOUS TEXTBOOKS AND TOMES SHE LEFT.

ADRIA LOOKS AT AL FOR A LONG WHILE BEFORE EVENTUALLY TURNING A SHADE OF RED. "I SUPPOSE. BUT SHE DOESN’T KNOW AS MUCH AS SHE THINKS. YOU KNOW, DESPITE HOW SHE LOOKS SHE’S ACTUALLY ALOT OLDER THAN US."

ADRIA SMIRKS AT HER COMMENT WHILE SIMULTANEOUSLY PRAYING THAT IT DIDN’T GET HEARD BY DIANNA.

"SHE IS NICE THOUGH. WITHOUT HER BY MY SIDE I WOULD HAVE BEEN A WRECK. SHE WAS THE ONLY FRIEND I REALLY HAD WHEN I WAS THE PRINCESS. EVERYONE ELSE JUST WANTED SOMETHING OUT OF ME. AT LEAST DIANNA ALWAYS TOLD ME DIRECTLY WHAT SHE WANTED."

ADRIA SNORTS A LAUGH THINKING BACK TO THE TIMES DIANNA HELPED HER MOST.

"ONE TIME, DURING A PARTICULARLY BAD WEEK FOR ME I WAS SUPPOSED TO BE STUDYING ECONOMICS BUT I SNUCK OVER TO DIANNA’S LAB. SHE SHELTERED ME THROUGH SEVERAL PLATOONS OF SEARCHING GUARDS. EVENTUALLY SHE CONVINCED ME I SHOULD GO BACK. NO, NOT THAT I SHOULD GO BACK, SHE CONVINCED ME IT WAS RIGHT TO GO BACK. SHE TOLD ME THAT RUNNING FROM MY ISSUES WOULDN’T HELP ANYONE. IF I AT LEAST TOLD MY PARENTS MY THOUGHTS INSTEAD OF BOTTLING ANGER TOWARDS THEM THEN MAYBE I COULD LIVE MORE FREELY. I JUST NEVER KNEW SHE MEANT IT SO LITERALLY."