She dismissed herself as soon as she could. She was already singled out, it didn’t matter whether she tried to squeeze herself with the others or accept her fate. It would all end the same.

So, while everyone else in her class enjoyed the feast, she sat outside. Some of the older students—the ones that would graduate this year—were doing some target practice. It was a sufficient enough demonstration to distract Virse for a little while, at least.

And it also gave her time to observe the kinds of things that, presumably, she too would master in her time here.

Though her peace was soon disrupted.

“Oh, hey! She’s over here, guys!” It wasn’t long until Carona—followed by Kostok and Nikluar—came up to her. Carona smiled and prompted, “You’re that young kid, right? Virse?”

Virse nodded. “Does someone need something?”

Kostok shook his head. “We realized you left the feast. We thought you might like some company.”

“I might be younger than you, but I can assure you that I don’t need your pity. I’m here because I wanted to be. I’ve already eaten—no use in staying in an uncomfortable situation.” In truth, her mind was screaming at them to go away. She didn’t want to talk to them. She didn’t want to know what they would say, good or bad.

She knew that, either way, it would lead to something Tris wouldn’t want to hear. And she certainly wanted to stay far, far away from anything that did that.

Carona didn’t seem to care at all, sitting down beside Virse. “Well, Dad says I should be nice to everyone that comes in here. I don’t really think that leaving someone alone is nice, do you?”

“I think it’s alright when a person wants to be alone,” Virse muttered back.

Kostok sat down on the other side of her, too. It was like he hadn’t heard her at all. None of them did. “Is it okay to ask how old you are? I thought the Knight’s Academy only let in people fifteen or older, but you look pretty young. You’re far from the first to be born under Lacertilia, either.”

“I’m thirteen. Since next you’re going to ask how, let’s just say I have talent and a director who knows enough people to pull some strings.” Already she knew it would go against her to say it, but nothing else she could’ve said would’ve been better.

Nikluar, without looking away from the older kids practicing, asked, “So that’s it? An orphan prodigy? Forget letting someone below fifteen into the Knight’s Academy—those rich guys do anything to get in here. What I’m surprised about is how an orphan can get in.”

“Don’t be so mean,” Carona hissed, stretching over to swat his arm. “If you keep doing that, I’m reporting you to Dad.”

“And what will they do? They won’t kick me out, not when my parents are paying good money to put me here.”

“I thought you were here because you had talent. Already going to admit you just paid your way in?”

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“That’s funny, coming from you, whose entire family works here in one way or another. At least I’m not pretending like most of us aren’t just here because of our rich or influential parents.”

“Well, Virse and I are here for our skill, at least,” Kostok remarked. “We’ll rock this place with what we can do, give Lady Elysrainne something to be proud of! Isn’t that right, Virse?”

Unsure of exactly what was happening, but hoping that her response would get them to go away, she nodded. Then she couldn’t help but ask, “Could you all go away now? Really, I don’t need you to keep me company, I’m fine on my own. It seems like you don’t really want to be around me anyway. So can we just save us all the trouble and stop bothering each other..?”

“No.” Nikluar gestured towards where the older kids were training. “I want to see if you’re really as much of an orphan prodigy as you’re making yourself out to be. I want you to prove that someone like you belongs here. I was top in my class—beat me.”

Carona glanced between them, then looked at Virse and remarked, “You don’t have to do this if you don’t want to, you know. It’s not like he’s really got the authority to do anything…”

But Virse still stood up. “If doing this now proves to you I’m fine on my own, then so be it. I’ll show you why I belong here.”

Nikluar smirked. “I hope you’re ready to be humbled, kid.” He looked over at the older students. “Hey! You got room for two more over there? And we need someone to keep score for us.”

One of the older kids shrugged. “I’ll get over there and help you put on the gear! Nice to see some fight in the new ones, just keep things safe, alright? I’ll watch but I’m not taking the blame if either of you get hurt!”

Virse didn’t care, honestly. She was less concerned about the duel itself than she was of what Tris would say if she found out… if she’d fought and failed, or accepted defeat from the start—if she made them think she really wasn’t meant to be here. To lose meant there’d been something distracting her, and distractions were things Tris would never tolerate. She was meant to be better.

And, as she put on the protective padding—it was mandatory for newer students—and picked her practice sword, she knew she’d show them.

Nikluar didn’t wait for the older student to declare it was time. He lunged at Virse and she stepped out of the way. He stumbled and she knocked his sword out of his hand.

“Are you done yet?” she asked.

From the other spectating students came whispers of, “Damn, did he just get beaten by that young kid?” and “Bet that’s one blow to the ego…”

Nikluar growled and demanded, “Again!”

And so they got back into position and he tried again. He used a different tactic, but he didn’t so much as get close to touching her.

“Again!”

He tried something else.

“Again!”

Yet another worthless effort.

“Again!”

This time, he tried doing something just barely allowed.

He still lost.

“Ag—“

“Just give up, Nikluar!” Kostok shouted from where he was. “You’ve lost five times already! You’re just going to keep embarrassing yourself!”

Nikluar grumbled a curse and sulked off. He didn’t apologize and Virse honestly wasn’t expecting him to. But she was glad that it was over. No, not because she ever thought him to be a threat; it was because of the attention she was beginning to garner among the other students.

As soon as they realized it was over, a group of them tried coming up to her. She just quickly and quietly dismissed herself before finding her way back to her room.

They were only distractions, after all.