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"Lady..."

"Lady Knight..."

Valessandria jerked and bolted awake, slightly raising her arms, her eyes wide in alarm as her heart pounded in her chest, racing as fast as her horse did that night towards Leaf Village. Her eyes quickly tried to grasp what had happened, her conditioning switching on, searching for any threat, but soon landed on Samantha's face in front of her. Slowly the haze of sleep lifted from her mind as she recognized where she was. As she relaxed, a warmth was felt on her face.

"Are you alright, Lady Knight?" Samantha raised an eyebrow in concern.

Valessandria nodded her head. Wanting to hide her face, she fought the urge and took a deep breath, slowly letting it out past her lips. She laughed lightly, knowing how she must have appeared, "Sorry. I did not get any rest and must have dozed."

There was a chime of the elevator before the doors opened.

Turning to look outside, she could see the glossy marble floor, walls, and numerous potted plants. The deep black columns were also a remarkable contrast to the white marble, presenting a mysterious tone for guests of the Student Council. There was also the lack of voices in such a large open area with ceilings taller than any other floors besides the main floor. Shifting her attention back to Samantha, Valessandria said, "I guess we reached the floor where I need to step off. I hope we encounter each other in a better light when you are not escorting me to be disciplined." She attempted to make her words lighthearted as she gave a brief wave and entered the floor of the Student Council.

"May your day be better," Samantha bowed as the doors gradually closed.

Running a hand through her blonde hair, trying to relieve some of the embarrassment she felt, Valessandria grabbed a moment to collect her thoughts. The last thing she wanted was to show up in front of Nathanial with her face red as a tomato. Though it was understandable that she was exhausted from her excursion, it wasn't acceptable for her to be so defenseless in front of others. The last thing she needed was for William to hear about what happened. He would tease her, but she knew he would be troubled and even more of a mother hen.

Smirking, sometimes she didn't know who was in charge of the Disciplinary Committee.

Frowning, what she didn't enjoy was how there was a slight echo in the deep shadows of her mind, still rebounding from what she dreamt about. It felt like a wound still trying to mend, tender to the touch.

Feeling better, she determined it was time to get what would happen over with. Prolonging the inevitable would do no one any good, likely only worsening her situation. She took a breath before eyeing the wooden desk with a marble counter. Behind it were several stunning women quietly performing their duties, such as organizing the President's calendar and tasks that needed to be handled throughout the day. She walked up towards the desk and tried not to look too directly at them. She knew that the women were aware of her presence, another of their duties being a type of bodyguard for the President. While they may make any man pause, mesmerized by their celestial appearance, she wasn't foolish enough to look down at them. Their physical beauty may give the impression of being only valid as decoration. Still, even she would have difficulty fighting off the women if they were to act in a coordinated fashion against her.

"The Council is waiting for you."

Valessandria raised an eyebrow considering the voice came from one of the women who didn't even bother looking up to greet her. She felt a slight twitch on her face. It was as if their duties were more important than interacting with the head of the Disciplinary Committee and a current Council member. Even with her authority, the reception helped put her current tenuous position into perspective. Seeing the main hallway past the desk, she made her way toward the chamber where the Council would be waiting for her. There was no reason to make a commotion with guards just doing their duty.

The hallway leading to the chamber of the Council was long with tall black archways. Though no windows allowed natural light to filter into the area, there wasn't a sense of being cramped. She imagined that even beast people wouldn't struggle with their often larger frames.

Her eyes slowly scanned the floor, walls, and ceiling. "It does create a sense that one is entering into the space of power," Valessandria chuckled, thinking of how often she had to walk through the hallway ready to be chastised for her behaviors of disciplining the students connected to powerful noble families. It was an experience different from when she walked with her fellow council members to a meeting to decide on new policies or change the curriculum for the coming year.

Her footsteps echoed on the marble floors as she stepped fearlessly forward. Even if she knew that her actions were bordering on abusing her authority, if she were given the same opportunity, there wasn't a shred of doubt that she would not regret charging out to aid people in danger again. She was comforted by the knowledge that the people under her would reach the same decision. It was one reason why she felt safe approaching the Council. She did nothing she should be ashamed of, allowing her to face what was ahead.

As she approached the doors to the chamber, a loud creaking noise rumbled as though the air was shuddering around her -- a reminder to anyone that entered that the Council had sole power inside Illumin.

Near the back of the large and open area chamber was a crescent table with each member of the Council already seated, save one. Numerous colored flags draped from the ceiling to the ground representing each organization that made up the Council. Each member sat in front of their respective flag. One lone chair was near the end of the table to her right. Behind the chair was her flag, a white background with her organization's coat of arms -- a gavel and sword crossed behind the head of a noble wolf howling towards the heavens. The white symbolized her role to be pure and without bias, not tied to any other organization at the Academy -- separated even from the Student Council.

Nathanial sat in the middle of the table in front of his black flag that had a large red sun with a longsword in front. It helped to make clear what the position of the President represented, the sole power of the Academy with the ability to enforce their word. The imagery fit with what was about to happen to her, being in front of the President under the heat of the sun. If it was anyone else outside of the Council, they would pause for a moment before they spoke. This was especially true with Nathanial, who preferred people show deference to him and his words. His eyes penetrated into anyone he cast his attention on.

Valessandria casually glanced at members of the Special Division of the Academy Guards lined up on either side of the black carpet leading to the Council's table. The Academy Guards provided security and ensured the safety of each member of the Council. They were lightly armored, holding a spear and sword at their waists. The way they dressed demonstrated the authority of the Council and prevented any guests from acting up and showing proper decorum inside the chamber. Seeing them wasn't new for her and often appreciated since it helped provide some leverage whenever anyone had an audience with them. Still, at that moment, she couldn't help but feel their sharp eyes directed at her.

She confidently walked down the carpeted black path without allowing anyone to intimidate her.

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Instead of making her way toward her seat, she continued until reaching the end of the carpet. Stopping, she stood silently and looked directly at Nathanial, trying not to appear too defiant but also letting him know she wouldn't be pushed around.

In front of her, Nathanial rested his chin on his thumbs, and his fingers intertwined. His expression was flat as though trying to understand what had gone through her mind to defy his ruling. The other members of the Council remained silent -- waiting for him to speak. There was an oppressive atmosphere as the silence continued, the only sounds made by Valessandria approaching them upon entering the chamber.

"Do you understand why you have been summoned to stand before the Student Council?" Nathanial finally broke the silence with his low voice, similar to a parent tired of lecturing a child who wouldn't listen to the household rules. His eyes narrowed.

Not wanting to deny anything, she said, "Yes. Despite your words to not get involved with what was happening to Leaf Village by the invasion of the Empire, I decided to take members of my organization to support them."

A few members gasped, shocked by how she answered. There were whispers and a few glares thrown her way, annoyed by her behavior and disregard for the sanctity of the Council. They especially didn't care for how she stood straight without any appearance of regret for her actions.

Behind her was a creaking of metal as members of the Special Division moved slightly in astonishment. Their discipline and devotion to their position prevented them from making any sound.

"I would like a justification for your actions. As we had previously discussed, there was nothing that could have been done. Though we may have been able to protect them against the Empire if we had sent a significant amount of our military forces, it would have left us vulnerable to other threats. On top of that, it would ultimately accomplish nothing since the Empire would just send more troops. Not only did your presence likely antagonize the Empire, but it accomplished nothing in the end." Nathanial's voice remained calm, despite the heat slowly beginning to build.

"Are you saying there was nothing wrong with staying off to the side when even the Kingdom has continually kept their armies within the central area and abandoned the out regions?" Valessandria narrowed her eyes, already knowing the answer from the last time they had debated about sending aid to Leaf Village.

"How else do you expect us to stay neutral?" His voice slowly rose, "Your actions jeopardized this Academies policy of neutrality that we have maintained for decades! DECADES! Woman, do you not understand what you have done?!" Nathanial slammed an open palm on the table, the sound cracking through the air. The heat from the words was like the coat of arms behind him and his tongue as sharp as a sword.

A few members flinched from the noise, but their focus stayed on Valessandria.

Valessandria could empathize with Nathanial. Though he sometimes seemed to care more about the nobility inside the city and often dismissed the plight of the common students, she knew that deep down, he truly cared for the welfare of Illumin. Just as much as he was angered by her actions, he feared the future and the consequences that could fall onto all of them. At the same time, she knew that what she did was the best for all of them. The Empire needed to know that people were willing to stand up against them. Understanding that what she did was ultimately the correct answer allowed her to stand tall and firm against the onslaught of anger directed her way.

"Though I may disagree, I will still abide by the wishes of my fellow Council members and accept any punishment. I only ask for all of you to understand my actions and why I deemed them necessary." She lowered her head as she waited for Nathanial's answer.

Hearing her answer, there was silence as though none of them knew what to say by such a statement. A few couldn't believe how audacious she behaved for someone summoned to receive punishment.

A light cough was heard, making Valessandria raise her head. She turned her head to the right and saw Alice holding a hand in front of her mouth.

Nathanial raised an eyebrow and asked Alice, "Does the Treasurer have anything to add before I make my decision?" His lips were white, pressed tightly together.

Alice looked at Valessandria before her eyes shifted to Nathanial. She smiled coyly before saying, "I want to first say that I officially disagree with the actions of the Lady Knight and feel that they have put our city in a potentially precarious situation..." Seeing Nathanial clenching his jaws, "There may be something that the council should hear before reaching a decision."

Some members leaned closer to others as they whispered, likely trying to figure out what kind of game Alice was playing.

As if enjoying the suspense in the room and having everyone's attention, Alice lazily continued, "Before the respected Lady Knight arrived, I had received information that she carried back a large sum of money in the form of platinum bars."

Nathanial's eyes widened slightly, glancing at Valessandria before shifting back to Alice. Tilting his head slightly to his right, he sneered, "Are you saying that a few bars of platinum are enough to dismiss what the Lady Knight has potentially done? Are the lives of our students so cheap?"

"President, when did I say it was a single bar?" Alice smiled as she leaned back in her seat, a cat playing with her food. "We still need to measure how many ounces are inside the chest containing the bar, but at a quick glance, I was told that the chest holds an amount greater than half a million IAC coins."

One of the members began coughing, struggling to recover after hearing the staggering number.

Nathanial whipped his head towards Valessandria, "Valessandria. Explain." His voice cracked near the end.

Valessandria nodded, "I was surprised by the amount as well, but what Alice says is true. I should start from the beginning. By the time we had reached Leaf Village, the Empire forces had already been defeated." She frowned as the words left her mouth. "I soon met with a young noble who informed me of his desire to attend our academy." Taking a breath in an attempt to center herself, still finding what happened to be a blur in her mind, she continued, "After I told him the cost of attending the Academy and hearing his wish to be accompanied by his servants, the young lord presented to me an amount that would even make the Lunar Empire's Emperor pause."

Nathanial was silent, furrowing his brow. His eyes looked at Alice and then back to Valessandria. He was clearly struggling to believe her words, but Alice's support made it difficult to doubt the story.

"With that said, I suggest that we provide this young lord with the best that we have to offer," Alice looked at Nathanial, finding the situation both intoxicating and amusing. "Considering the sum and the number of servants this lord is planning on bringing, we will need to select one of the mansions close to the Tower. He could become a great asset to Illumin... and this Council."

Seeing how Alice reacted to the news of the amount Yi had paid for his tuition, Valessandria had no doubt that Alice was already thinking about how to get closer to the mysterious young noble. She wouldn't be surprised if Alice began openly salivating like a pack of wild dogs discovering a heap of roasted meat prepared in the middle of the forest. It may give her a moment of pause, not expecting such good fortune in front of her, but her instincts would override any caution.

Nathanial coughed, attempting to clear his throat, spreading his hands, "Lady Knight, while I am still angered by your actions and still believe that they merit some kind of punishment," He coughed again, "I have also decided to put into consideration your contributions to this Academy." Though the ends were crooked, he attempted to smile as if it was his first time. Turning to look to the other members on either side of him, "I believe that we are all in agreement that we, the Council, be merciful towards our fellow member. All of us can agree that the Lady Knight is an honorable woman with our best interests at heart." He placed a hand on his chest, "I would be pained to condemn someone I have so much respect for. Does anyone disagree with my decision?"

There was silence in the room aside from an occasional uncomfortable cough.

Slapping the table, Nathanial smiled broadly as he successfully shifted gears to the reality in front of him, "With that finished, I would like the Lady Knight to take her seat. We will now move to what is next on our agenda."

Alice began clapping, followed by the rest of the Council.

Valessandria smiled lightly, glancing at Alice, knowing the woman had saved her. "That woman is good at the game. I guess I should not be surprised by a noble like her." She thought to herself.

Making her way toward her seat at the end of the table, Valessandria couldn't help but sigh. With the help of Alice bringing up the platinum bars and the amount she delivered from Leaf Village, she was able to evade any significant punishment. However, she may end up with more paperwork from the Council to remind her that even if they are pleased with the money, it doesn't mean they forgot the disrespect she showed them.

Reaching her chair, she nodded at Olivia, who oversaw the support of Illumin, such as dealing with logistics, janitorial, medical services, and other functions less respected by many of the other members.

Olivia shyly nodded a greeting to Valessandria.