It was the morning of the second day before the first bell and Carryl along with Meredith was standing outside the dormitory, in fresh and clean student robes, properly done and in attention, as they had been instructed to by Roy the night before.

He finally arrived, in his best attire himself, the robes of a commanding officer, the bicorne of the fleet on his head, his staff in hand, the metal bands around its shaft freshly polished. His gait was hurried and directed. He arrived and inspected Carryl from top to bottom, checking every single hair poking out from underneath her cap, then he merely nodded and said. “Well enough, let us be on our way!”

Stiff and quick again, Meredith replied. “Yes, my Lord!”

This time, Roy shook his head. “No, to a man in the livery of the Exalted Forces, the correct address is ‘sir’ or rank, so ‘Commandant’ for me. Only nobles outside of Exalted office are addressed by noble titles.”

Meredith hesitated for a moment. “Yes, sir. Thank you, sir.”

Roy led the way onto campus. “Proper form is important in this regard, that goes to both of you. Carryl, do you still know how a formal apology works?”

Carryl rolled her eyes. “Yes, the Lady Mother made sure of that. Address, admit, ask, look ahead.”

Roy regarded the answer for a moment and found it apparently barely enough, then he continued. “The neutral party I found is my former commanding officer. I still have good connections to him. He is the deputy dean of the faculty of abjuration, so not a low man in the University, either. He luckily has a direct connection to the wealthy patron who houses and funds this Nannade of Sturreland: Madame Susanna-Bellia, a powerful and influential woman here in Halonnes. If you lived here for a while, you will have heard of her.”

Carryl said nothing.

“I will be your second, which means I must agree with Nannade’s second that all charges will be dropped once you have displayed your apology. If this other second is vindictive, it will be my head on the line, do you understand? So I need you to be on your very best behaviour!”

“Yes, Roy.”

“Appearance, Carolinia, appearance!”

Carryl rolled her eyes again. “Yes, Commandant Roibert.”

He then turned to Meredith. “All you need to do is be honest and talk only when addressed.”

Meredith straightened her back even further when his gaze met hers. “Yes, Commandant Roibert!”

“Good.”

They walked in silence as Roy led them to the southernmost edge of the campus. Carryl looked at his staff and realized that she had not seen it in a while. The topmost of the metal bands around the wooden shaft was still that of brass, awarded for his contribution to scholarly pursuits, his thesis in evocation. Beneath it she saw the new ones: three bands of iron, freshly polished, denoting his rank as commandant, officer of third rank. Another one below those was of black steel, for his heroic actions in single-handedly stalling the retreat of a pirate ship so they might be brought to justice. Carryl had only heard of this action in hearsay, maybe she could read in the record halls on campus more about it. The speech of commemoration from the official ceremony should be accessible to her.

“Here we are.” Roy gestured upwards. They stood before a tall tower as if made from five columns flowing together and upwards, then propping up a two or three-story tall structure that looked like lantern on a post, with large windowfronts and a bronze dome ontop. From up there, one would have a very good view of the entire campus and of any approaching ship. As they got closer, Carryl saw a sign at the front.

Offices of Abjuration

Roy arrived at the door and threw one last glance over to the girls. “Remember: Professor Fesure is a much accomplished man and used to be my superior. On this hinges much.” He turned to Meredith. “And you, you will not stand with us, Mademoiselle, you will go to the professor’s side, understood?”

Meredith’s glance seemed unsure, but she straightened her back quickly and answered. “Y-Yes, Commandant.”

His last, especially stern glance went to Carryl, who did her best to not break eye contact. They went through and were in a reception room. The receptionist behind the desk was an ageing woman with a thin exterior. She immediately got up and addressed them. “You must be Commandant Roibert. Come along, the others are already waiting.”

Without waiting for an answer, she took a leather ledger and led them to a elevator shaft, this one too surrounded by a spiralling stair as the one in the dormitory was. She brought them up several floors to what must have been the lowest floor of the lamp-like top part of the building and opened a door with a plate reading Deputy Dean of Abjuration Fesure.

The office of Professor Fesure had thick carpeting, soft enough to lay down and sleep. The left wall bore a book shelf reaching to the ceiling and the right wall was almost all clear glass panels curving around the exterior of the building, letting in the morning sun from the east. At the other end of the office stood a wide desk carven from a single piece of oak and in front of the desk stood four people.

Immediately, Carryl’s attention fell upon a man wide enough to barely fit through doors, tall enough to pat Roy on the head and with clean-kempt brown hair and beard, all clad in the robes of an alumni of Halonnes University, with a mage’s staff that was almost entirely wrapped in black steel bands, yet not a single other, as if he was a combatant without rank. Without a doubt he held a position of security or enforcement of Exalted law, to ensure no further violence would occur between the students.

Carryl was taken aback and noticed she had stopped walking only when Roy pushed her on. “Come on now.” He grumbled and whispered at once.

Next to the man stood talking the same blonde man in the robes of a Professor that Carryl had seen talking to the crolachan girl at the festivities. The crolachan girl herself stood somewhat behind the tall man and had a much more proper appearance about her but Carryl could not say why. Next to Nannade stood a woman of middle age with greying hair done up into a tight bun and a fine dress that fit her form and had few adornments.

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The Professor turned to Roy with a smile and the receptionist began talking before anyone could say anything. “May I introduce, Charge of the Exalted Mademoiselle Carolinia of House Dwyllaigh, her second, Commandant Roibert of the Exalted Forces, and the neutral witness, Charge of the Exalted Mademoiselle Meredith of Aeoldonys.”

She made gestures to the other group already present. “This is Admiral Professor Fesure of the Exalted University of Halonnes, the impartial to this meeting, Mademoiselle Nannade of Sturreland, her second Monsieur Garetas and her patron Madame Susanna-Bellia.”

That the tall man was the crolachan’s second and not a security expert shocked Carryl and she was afraid someone could tell. Again, Roy shoved her forward so that the two parties stood in an appropriate distance and Professor Fesure too assumed a position to the side of both parties. Meredith quickly separated from Roy and Carryl and walked towards Professor Fesure, who smiled at her in a way that would have put a less tense person at ease, but Meredith remained as she was. He clapped his hands a few times as if to bid a large crowd to quiet down, then smiled.

“I welcome all to this formal apology between the two parties. Charges have been laid with me and be settled today outside of a court or in a court to a later date.” He gestured towards Meredith. “Will the neutral witness please step forward?”

Meredith did and looked confused to Professor Fesure, who cued her in before she could ask.

“If you were present last evening at the dormitory of Cyrrgwarth where the incident in question took place, please recount the events.”

Meredith recounted the previous evening, almost identical as she already had. When her retelling was complete, she was beckoned back by the Professor.

“Do the injured parties have any further additions?"

Both Monsieur Garetas and Roy answered with a quick “No.”, then the next stage began.

“Then may the involved parties please step forward.”

Carryl walked towards the empty space between the two groups, as did Nannade. She had an almost empty look on her face and stared into Carryl’s eyes. She saw the golden iris like a field of grain parted by the vertical black slit of the pupil. Her mouth bore no emotion and her student cap sat on her head perfectly centred and that was when Carryl realized why Nannade looked so proper: Her previously fiery mane was knotted up neatly into a braid with beads all the way down her spine, similar to how horses on parade were adorned. She moved her hands from behind her back to her front and Carrly saw that her index finger was indeed wrapped in bandage.

Professor Fesure cleared his throat, startling Carryl. “Mademoiselle Nannade, why don’t you begin?”

Carryl saw that Nannade was just as surprised, as if she had stared at Carryl just as intently. “Ah, yes, Professor.” She exhaled deeply, then began. “Fellow Charge of the Exalted Carolinia, I have wronged you. I was invited into your house, but I accused you of despicable behaviour. I made gestures unbecoming of my standing as a Charge of the Exalted and I have struck out in impulse to deal the same to you. I ask that you hear me when I recognize behaviour, that you forgive me for my misdeeds and that you look ahead with me, as we can step into the future on better terms.”

There was silence. Carryl had followed along as Nannade had followed the line of a perfect apology and knew that now was her turn. She prepared herself. “Fellow Charge of the Exalted Nannade, I have wronged you. I failed to extend to you the hospitality required of me to represent my house and my country. I allowed myself to be drawn into pettiness and inflicted injury upon you without thought. I ask you that you forgive my transgressions and that you look ahead with me, as we continue into the future as fellows on campus.”

The carpet swallowed the last words, silence reigned as not even a breeze touched the windows before, finally, Professor Fesure clapped his hands together once. “Very well, do any of the parties have anything to add?”

Carryl, almost confused by the question, turned around to look at Roy and he shook his head with a smile. “No.” She replied.”

Nannade did not look anywhere. Her second Monsieur Garetas merely replied for her. “No.”

“Very well, then please sign these official statements. With that, all charges will be dropped and we can all move on.” He beckoned to the receptionist who the walked to the two seconds to have them sign a piece of paper in her leather ledger. Both signed and when it was done, Monsieur Garetas reached his hand to Roy, a gesture of a commoner, but Roy returned it nonetheless. They shook on it and Carryl could see Roy’s large, masculine hand disappear completely in those of Monsieur Garetas. Nannade had already stepped to Madame Susanna-Bellia’s side and Carryl stood apart from it all. The dance was over

She looked to the window front. Hundreds of clear glass panels set into a lattice of metal so filigree as to almost disappear. She stepped closer and could see the city and ocean beyond almost as clearly as through no glass at all. Every single panel was of such superb quality as to allow the Deputy Dean of Abjuration perfect view over the city in his care. Carryl looked again back to the others. Madame Susanna-Bellia adjusted something about Nannade’s clothes, the Professor and Roy chatted and laughed, Meredith looked lost in it all and Carryl just stood apart, entirely uninvolved in it. She looked back to the glass; she wanted to shatter it into a thousand pieces, escape from this room. She had not seen a single document, not agreed to a single thing, not shook a single hand. It was all fake. None of this was her.

Meredith came to her side. “I think you did well. So eloquent! I couldn’t have done it that well.”

“You think?”

Meredith eagerly nodded and smiled at her with those white teeth beaming from between dark lips.

“I was taught well by the Lady Mother.”

“Well,...” Meredith paused, a look of discomfort on her face. “...you still did well. Don’t think you didn’t!”

Carryl looked at Meredith and exhaled her anger. “Thank you.”

The door to the office fell shut and Carryl turned around. Roy beckoned her to him. “Carryl, come on now!” The other party had already left. “You have lectures soon.”

They made their way down with the receptionist and out the door, where Nannade and Madame Susanna-Bellia waited. The woman gave the crolachan girl a nod of approval and Nannade approached the two other girls.

“As a sign of good will, I would like to invite you two to a tea house in the merchant district, tomorrow after lectures, if you would agree.”

Carryl was taken aback. The crolachan smiled friendly, not as focussed and determined as before. Meredith turned to Carryl. “Oh let’s go, I’m sure it will be nice.”

Carryl agreed. “I guess so, I would be delighted to.”

Nannade smiled, with an honesty in her eyes Carryl had not seen before. “I am glad, thank you. I think we should head to lectures now.” It was as if a new person had been peeled out of her skin.

Carryl nodded and Nannade led the way, Meredith followed, but something held Carryl back.

“Looks like you finally made some friends.” Roy said with a smile from behind her and put his hand on her shoulder.

She whipped her head around. “I did not need any he-“ Then she stopped herself. He was smiling at her the same way he used to when she was younger, when he came to visit her in her room and brought her gifts from his time in this very city. “Thank you, Roy, for everything.”

“Just stay out of trouble. I know you can do it. Be well now.”

He turned around and headed off towards the barracks with a sure stride.

Carryl smelled the salty breeze, then she took after the other two. Something felt right, for once.